for to say the Truth it s but a meer Trinity of Tales and not of Truths 1. whether it be better or worse the more honour or the more shame for me that I so have it best concerns my self to examine for as it was best of all with him who while the Foxes had holes and fowls of the Aire nests had not where to lay his head so t' was well enough with them that had and may be with such as now have if they find their call is so to leave all and follow Christ neither scrip nor shâ—s nor mony in their purses and no more then the Cloaths to their backs for they lacked nothing yet so it is and well known to my selfe and some as well known as 't is to T.D. and his Earewigs that I have none that though my estate lyes much more in invisibles then in visibles I have some visible estate and that to the full as much for my self and mine as I either need or much desire and how beit I have not perhaps so much as T.D. nor as I.O. who besides that rich possession he counts upon in his Hebrew Punctation of which more anon had lately but now I hear he is turned out of it a Deanry of many hundreds per annum yet est mihi far modicum purum et sine labe Salinum humilique loco sed certa cedet sordida parvae fortunae domus And that I have no more then I have it is under God at my own choice having long since for a good Conscience sake laid down twice more then that which comes in to thee T.D. by preaching and refufed the profer of much more since both of that and of another nature and if I had none at all I need not run to Rome having were I so mindfull of such outward estate as I came out of an opportunity still to return and being if I could make shipwrack of the Faith for it as many do were as much given to Climbing Clambering as most of you are as capable to receive in England either that Popish pay and preferment ye still stand in and I freely fell from as ye yet are or as my self ever have been in dayes of old or that of another sort that is in no wise of the Pope which yet I trust I shall chuse pulse and water rather then forgo the truth as some self-seekers do to partake in Secondly How Credible â—oever it is here asserted by thee for truth as a thing received from veâ—y goâ—d Hâ—rds yet 't is not true that is here related for I had no Bill of Exchange at all with me when I went out of England neither had I ever any Bill of Exchange from any place at all to Constantinople nor any at all from Constantinople to Rome and this I leave to thoâ—e very good hands from whence thou had it this false report to make it good I partly guess what ground this guilty goodly geere grew up from but I am not minded at this time to help Lyars in their Lyes while â—â—ee they love them let them help one another and wrestle themselves out from the mists of their own misreporting from the fâ—gge of this piece of fâ—lshood if they can I fâ—nd no more to do at preâ—ent then to deny it to be truth as it s told by them Thirdly How credibly soever the same witnesses T. F. T. B. whom thou callest Honest and Credible men were Credibly infâ—rmed at Dunkirk that I have yet I neither had at Dâ—nkirk nor have had since nor yet have what I may have lawfully enough if need be is another case but nothing to thee nor thy ill cause nor to any man elâ—e but those that as little Estate as I have being conâ—â—dent of my faithfullness dare trust me so farr any bill of Exchange at all by which to â—ake up 400 â— or 400 pence either at my will which faltering of thy so Gâ—â—d Honest and Credible Witnessâ—s in each Tittle of their Testimony that is exhibited to the world in this Tripple piece of Tittle Tartle from which yet thou concludest the things they testifie to be ipso facto well known I notifie to the world so much the rather as I have done here or else I should for my own part have pay'd it with thinking only and let it pass that men may know the better how to beleive thee and them in other things when ye shall happen with lyes to wrong the truth another time But since I have taken on me to take â—o much notice of it let 's examine what to the utmost can be made thereof which is just nothing at all towards T. Ds. purpose in propounding it in omuch that I may truly say of this his Treble conference of which his confidence is that it s so credible that it gives neither leâ—s nor more then almost an incredible and inconceiveable influence towards the inference of his most confident and almost as incredible conclusion so that no wise men can yea the most wise men are the leâ—s they can from T. Ds. premiâ—es give credit to it or conceive it or not conceive rather the contrary to be true for as from such matters as are false as I said above no thing that is true can be concluded in which respect alone these lyes and lying Fables can be of no possible force to inferr my living upon the Pâ—pes Pâ—nsâ—on to be a Truth so if they were all as undoubted and certaine Truths as 't is most certain they are all but sigmâ—nts or at the best but mâ—sâ— eports they could none of them at all inferr that but some of them would inferr the very contrary to that which T.D. with so much confidence concludeth from them to the deluding of all people that are given over to delusion to beleive lyes to beleive that lye of me that I am in pay from the Pope as the Iews by the like unlikely and silly inference of the Souldiers whom the Priests so to Argue against it were deluded from believing that Truth concerning Christ viz that he arose from the dead Oh how Wonderfully Michievous are misreports unto the Truth when men who receive not the love of it that they may be â—aved are given over of God to give heed to them that they may be damned because they take pleasure in unrighteousness and have no pleasure in the Truth His Diâ—ciples say they came and stole him away while we slept here is the fictitious and forcible Antecedent therefore he arose not from the dead here is the crooked conclusion which that other was so cogent to make the people close with in their Consciences and take for Truth Piteous Premisâ—â— plain enough to be â—een by men whose eyes were not out to be meerly forged and of little force For if they were awake and on their watch as 't was fit for a Court of Guard to be they might have rescued him from his Disciple that were unarmed
the perfection of which say they stands in no other thing than in sufficiency to effect its proper end which is with them the most perfect instruction of men in the knowledg and worâ—hip of God so that they may obtain eternal salvation witness I.O. whose Kâ—unds and Contradictions to himself in that point I shal here see down in his own words Englished which were written by him in Latine J.O. God the Author of the Scripture being the most perfect Agent must necessarily act for some end therefore in the Declaratiâ—n of his wiâ—l in the Scripture 't is sure he had some propounded end but â—herâ—as the end is tâ—ofâ—ld â— Vâ—timaâ—e and â—emoâ—e 2. Next and immediate we state the ultimate supream and general end to be his own glory The immediate or next end of his giving the Scriptureâ— and so of the Scriptures themselves we conâ—end to be our direction in the knowledge of God and obedience to be yeelded to him that at length we doing his will may obtain eternal salvation and the enjoyment of himself for this is the end of the worker and of the work What God intends by the Scriptures that they to wiâ— morally and in the way of operation proper to them dâ— effect But when aâ— the perfection of every Discipline consists in relation to its end and that is to be held perfect wâ—ich is sufficent to its next end but that imperfect which cannot obtain it propâ—sed end the perfection of the Scriptures can consist in no other thing then in its sufficiency in respect to its proper end which is the instruction of men in the knowledge and worship of God that they may attain eternal salvation In this sense therefore we assert the Scripture to be the most perfect Rule of the whole worship of God and oâ—r obedience Reply Whether â—â—ere be not a more perfect way of our instructâ—on in the saving knowledge of God then the Scripture appears elsewhere where I shew no saving knowledge of God comes any way but the inward Revelation of himself in us by his Light and Spirit Here only obseâ—ve I O. confusiâ—ns and confutation of himself in this above by that which follows when the Quae. say the Scripture is perfect to its own proper end and its end being obtained it ceases Then quoth he It s most false that the Scripture obtains it whole end in respect of us while we are in the world therefore till heaven and earth pass away not one jâ—t or tittle of the Law i.e. Letter with him shall fail for not only the begetting of faith but also the building up in it while we live here is the end of the Scripture So then its end which is begetting to and building up in the faith is not effected by it here is it then in the world to comes 〈◊〉 no neither quoth he in the self-same Section the use of the Scripture shâ—â—â— cease then being accomodated only to our present state and faith also as founded on it â—â—â—ll be done aâ—ay Ex 3. s. 39. Here then is the round I.O. makes with a Cris-cross in the middle of it viz. The perfection of the Scripture which we plead and affirm and of every thing else is its sufficiency and efficacy to accomplish its own proper immediate end and what ever doth not so is imperfect The immediate end of the Scripture is its direction instruction of men in the saving knowledge of God his will worship their obedience and duty to him the ingeneration of faith and edification up in it to salvation This whole end of the Scripture its most false to affirm that it accomplishes till the world to come it must do it in this world or in the world to come in this world it cannot possibly do it for perfection in the faith in holiness freedom from sin here is not attainable in the world to come it cannot possibly for there both the Scripture it self and also the faith it seâ—f that is founded on it will cease to be of any use at all being of use only here â—nd shall be both done away Verbum sat sapients insipienti plura plus satis Never did I see such Rounds and crosses and confusions and contradictions such self-confutations and Net-works and Checker-work and Webs and Snares as I.O. makes and hangs hampered in himself when he hath done made and woven among any but our wofully benighted Divines all whose works are done in the darke Isa. 29.15 in all my dayes before Is the Scripture then the Power of God to salvation able mighty effectual available to its end that is to save the soul as I.O. sayes it is no quoth I.O. it is not it s most false to say it doth or can avail to its end in this world in the world to come its of no force so if it be the power of God as I.O. affirms it over and over again it is it must be in some world that is past away or some new found world or other for he himself sayes its neither in this present world nor that to come neither now nor hereafter neither here nor there But alas as the world it self wherein he fancies such a thing to be is none knows where but a meer Chimaera of his own coining hatcht no where but in his own head the Shop where and whence many more such like toyes are shapen sold and uttered among such as having sold the truth are willing rather to trade in utter untruths then in nothing at all and not receiving the love of the truth that they might be saved but taking pleasure in unrighteousness more then it are given over to strong delusion to beleeve lyes that they may be damned For seriously that the Letter or Scripture is the power of God to salvation or that Word of God which brings forth any good fruit to perfection among either the Seedsmen the Ministers of the Letter that sow nothing but their own senses and thoughts upon it or in the stony thorny common high-way ground of Parish peoples hearts in which they sow the Letter mingled with their own chaffy cogitations saying Hear the word of the Lord when yet they confess themselves neve heard his voice This however ye imagine Oh ye power less profitless Prophets is a meer no such matter for that is the Word or Seed that is sown by the Supreme Sowes the Son of Man himself in the same Field or World of mens hearts in which the World is where the Devil in the dark night while men sleep and watch not to the light sows Tares among the good Seed which where it lights on honest hearts that hear and heed the Word patiently continuing in the keeping of it brings forth abundantly in some Thirty some Sixty some â—n Hundred fold Indeed the Letter the Text or Scripture declares and bears witness to the Word which is absolutely necessary effectual perfect to the ends aforesaid which is the power of God
to that effect so not a little to the contrary and so I leave this your Tale of a Tub as I found it with the Bottom out to take place in such hearts as are given ore to strong delusion to beleive your lyes that they may be damned for no entertainment will it find among such as receive the â—â—ve of the Truth that they may be saved yea as thou sayst in p. 3. of thy half sheeâ— of that figment of your own viz. that I was sent for tâ— Dover by L.H. to the dispute with W. Russell That I came on other business will hardly be beleived on the word of a Qua. so say I in thy own words of both this and that non entity of your own Creating and of William Wingfields mâ—srepâ—â—sentation of L. Hs. words also viz. that those words were spoken by L.H. as W.W. sayes confdering the three Testimonies that his words were otherwise and those also by the dying Qua. as thou â—et'st them down upon the best evidence thou giv'st of it from either the Qua. fleshly Brother or thy Spirituall Brother I. D. will hardly be beleived upon the word of such an envious Quareller with the Qua. as thou art by them that know how little Conscience that sort of men among whom thou art not the least make of lying against them and against the truth T. D. Another story thou tellest of a Qua. that came into the Savoy Church and made such a dreadfull noyse as seemed to be of the Devill in him and so sadly afrighted the people that some ran one way some another to secure themselves from the danger they apprehended was near them and necessitated the Minister then Preaching whom thou callest Mr. Hook to hold his peace as Witnesses of which the said Mr. and Mrs. Hook are cited Rep. A palpable evidence if the Devill had been in him as truly as ye suppose it how little of God is in your Christian Congregations and in your Churches and Ministers that the Devils bellowing out of the mouth of one unarmed man could make the Minister hold his peace and affright and put to flight his whole Church before his face Who so hearkens unto Christ dwells safely and is quiet from feare of evill he is not afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he is kept in perfect peace his mind is staâ—d on the Lord he keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not he resisteth the Devil and makes him flee and gives not place to the evill one but a token rather it is that the Power of God was of a truth in the man who ere he was in that the Dâ—vils trembled in the wicked whom he possesses were so astonished at his presence for hic murus Abaeneus nil conscire sibi nullapallescere culpa as this is the Brazen Bulwark and impregnable fort that true Saints have such Rejoycing in as all the Devills in Hell cannot impeach the Testimony of their Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity they have their Conversation toward God and all men so the Sinners in Sion are afraid and fearfulnesâ— surprises the Hypocrites and being conscious to themselves that no good belongs to them they wax pale at the sence of their own iniquities as if the Devill were comming to fetch his own the name of the Lord is a Terrour to them a dreadfull sound of danger is alwayes in their eaâ—es and they are Magor-Misabib fear round about and a terrour eternally to themselves so that they are in great fear where no feare is as to any outward appearance or occasion of it much more when the Lord himself begins to roare out against them and thunder upon them out of Sion whoâ—e â—oâ—ce is as terrible among the Sinners as the Devills is contemptible among the Saints yea their own evills perâ—uing the wicked they flee someâ—imes when no man persues but God being in the midst of the Congregation of the Râ—ghteous they are ever as bold as a Lyn. T. D. Thou tellest of a woman one Mary Todde a Qua. that at the Bull and Mouth while her friends were speaking pulled up all her cloaths above her middle exposing her Nakedness to the view of all in the Room Rep. I see if thou canst not get it by Hook thou wilt get it by Crook if thou canst but thou gettest nothing against us by either for as the Tale that is testified by thy Master and Mistriss 〈◊〉 makes as little against us to thy purpose were it as perfectly true as it s probably false in some part of it at least for I cannot learn that there is at Lord. such a one as Wil◠〈◊〉 that is owned as a friend among the Qua. So this 〈…〉 thou 〈◊〉 the Qua. in above was done by one that was a Româ—â— and not a Qua. whose Râ—nting abominable practiâ—es the Qua. whom thou callest her friends are more at eâ—mity with then thy self nor will thy 〈◊〉 in the Margin thy Eye-witness T. Cresset Câ—â—rurgion Cure and Sâ—â—vâ— thee from the â—ust censure of a false Accuser of the Qua. to whose score thou wâ—â—nesâ— down all the Rudeness that by the Rabble of their and the Truths enemies is in absolute hatred of both them and it acted ever and 〈◊〉 in their Assemblies And albeit thou â—â—innest over this thy 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 business in thy last 〈◊〉 piece of work of half a 〈◊〉 by the Certificate of Iohn 〈◊〉 as thou didst bolster it up before by Th. Cressets Testimony in thy Narrative which I. Lagâ— as far as his envious assertion will assure assures thee who very conâ—â—dently â—akest on thee to assure the world thereupon that the Quak. at Lond. acknowledge the said M. 〈◊〉 to be one owned and 〈◊〉 by them I here contrariwise affirm whatsoever some certain Qua. that under that name shrowding themselves to do mischief to the truth as the false brethren did of old by whom Paul was in peril might say to I. L. that the Qua. in London do disown and deny both M. T. and her ill carriage in that particular so that instead of mending thy ill matter thou hast but made it worse and redoubled the lye thou wouldst have lickt the lyars whole of T. D. Thou tellest of a Qua. that at Alderman-Bury on a Lords day while the Psalm was singing gat up into the Pulpit with his Hat on his head and serting his breech upon the Cushion fell to sewing Rep. A great piece of business for a man to be so sharply censured for as he was who did that Our Princes and Priests in these dayes have forgot that the Lords Prophets of old were moved to do as strange matters as that or any other thing that is done in the Spirits motion in these dayes by the Qua. as a sign to a wicked and adulterous generation when the Lord being wearied with the multitude of their sins began once to loath their most solemn sacrifices and to defile all the
in Sussex he would give it under his hand that he was mis-informed for there was no such thing done there Neither to him Humphery Killingbeck Robert Thornden But we have great Cause to beleive that this slanderous Accusation did arise at the first from the Priest of Cavehod in Sussex or by his meanes as you shall hear for upon the 29 day of the 4th moneth this present year 1659. at Horsam in Sussex this Priest of Cavehold in Sussex with some other Priests besides of Sussex did meet at the Steeple-House in Hâ—â—sam aforesaid in Sussex where many of their Members and other people besides were gathered together as they said to keep it as a day of Humiliation on Fasting day Among which Robert Adams and some other Friends who are called Quakers had freedome to go into the Steeple-House among them and when the Priest of Cavehâ—ld of Sussex had done and come out of the Pulpit one friend did speak somthing in way of desire to the Priests to give the people called Qua. a publick dispute concerning Tythes and other things that people might come to understand who were most in the truth whether Priests or we called Qua. So upon our return homewards after that we had Rid about a Mile one William Field oveâ—took us one of the Priests Members which Rid along with us on the Rode about a Mile and a half in which time Priest Vinter the Priest of Cavehold in Sussex for so his name is George Vinter and he had his Wife behind him did overtake us as we Rid together being in some discourse and this Priest did bid Robert Adams call'd Qua. Ride out of the way and R.A. said the way might be as free for me as for thee yet nevertheless in regard thou hast one behind thee I will and so he did Ride by the way upon which the Priest did answer if I had not one behind me I would have the way of thee or one of us should lye in the dust and other threatning terms was given to R.A. by one who was in the same Company of the 〈◊〉 who Rid up to us and this man did justle R.A. on the way and did lay his hand or hands upon him justling him as he Rid along But after this we Rid together in discourse about his laying violent hands upon R.A. and other things till we came within about half a Mile of their dwellings where we parted But as for a Sword R.A. had none neither did he offer any abuse nor give occasion of any such thing as they have Printed This is the substance of the riâ—e of this scandall as I had it from Humphery Killinbeck who was the friend that was with Robert Adams at that time Bryan Wilkinson Something of one of the Priests Cheifest Members taken by us B. W. Humphery Killinbeck from his own hand writing A true Coppy Comming from a fast kept at Horsam I overtook two men that had been at Horsam called Qua. about a Mile from the Town and Rid about a Mile with them and then the Minister of Cavehâ—ld and his Wife and other Neighbours overtook them also But I saw no Sword any of them had nor I think none of them nor the Minister neither will he say that he offered him any vioâ—ence I did not see they did and t is easie to know whether they did or not William Field Another Coppy from under the hand of another of the Priests Members These are to certifie whom it may Concerne that I did heare the Minister of Cavehold say that Robert Adams a Qua. did Ride from Horsam and that he did overtake him as he went from a Fast and that Robert Adams did fall upon him in Railing terms and did justle him with his Wife behind him But he did not draw a Sword neither had he any with him Given under my hand Cavehould 17th of Ianuary 1660. By me Thomas Ward Another of Priest Vinters Members a Coppy subscribed with his own hand I Thomas Parsons one of the Parish of Cavâ—hould in Sussex not being above five miles from Horsam did not hear of it neither by Mr. Vinter nor by any other Neighbour and do think it very strange that any such things were but I should have known it By me Thomas Parson See T.D. how your own Parish people the very Earth helps the Church the Woman that beares the manchild against your slanderons Tongues and Pens and opens her mouth swallows up the flood of lyes and falshood which that great Râ—d Dâ—agon that Old Serpent called the Dâ—vill and Satan casts out of his own mouth and the mouths of you his Angels who fight under him against Michaell and his Angels against her that he might cauâ—e her if he could to be carried away with that flood of wrath which ye are ever warring against her withall Thou tellest of Way-laying when thy very Worthy and Reverend man or Way-laid Minister overtook the Qua. and swell'd in high and Lordly words against him in his Lordly return from his Lâ—â—ly Fast wherein hower'e he might hang down his head like a Bul-rush for a few hours yet the bands of his wickâ—dness were not loosâ—d nor his haughty heart so well humbled as it should have been thou talk'st of justling threatning speeches the Qua gave when that was the gesture used by others towards him thou tell'st of a Qua. drawing his Sword and intending mischief if Neighbours comming from the Fast had not prevented it by comming up to them whereas the man himsâ—lf sayes there was no such thing done there nor to him and the very Neigbours that came from the Fast witness against thee that the Qua. had no sword at all Blush therefore as well thou may'st thou that sayst thou are upon the Stage not without a blush but at what thou sayst not and be ashamed of thy abominable abuses as one that must once be Conscious to thy self if any light be yet left in thy Conâ—cience of wronging thy Qua. not only in thy Relation of the disputes between thee and them but also in thy naughty nasty Narratives of so many lyes and false matters of fact concerning them left the Lord give thee over at last to stronger and stronger delusion yet both to beleive lyes thy self that thou mayst be damned and to bely the only true Beleivers of the truth Now whereas in thy half sheet in answer to L. Hw thou T.D. saist thus it may suffice to let the world know thou hast the 〈◊〉 under the hand of Mr. Vinter as thou call'st him Minister of Cavehould in Sussex a very worthy and Reverend man who asserts the Assaults made upon himself by the Qua. and canst produce witnesses Credible of that Action and of the words therein reported and that they that know him can inform those who are ignorant that his word may be takeâ— for matters of greater moment Rep. Much more might be said but as thou sayst the Press being likely to make the business more
that hath two wills within himself whereof one is contradictory to the other that reveals his will to be this that he 's no â—â—specter of persons but all men as they do shall have that the soul that sins shall die but that that turns and does righteousnesse shall live that men die at their own wills and choice not his and yet hath a secret will within himself which as secret as they call it yet our Priests will be twatling of it openly ever and anon as if they knew it as well as the other wherein he wills and chuses that a few only shall live and irresistably by them or ought they shall ever do a thousand to one shall die that sends out his Son as a mocker of most men by calling them all to believe every one that he is his and is come to be his Saviour when yet he died not for every individual but contrary to his Revelation in the Scripture gave himself a Ransom not for all but only for a few that makes an ofâ—er of Salvation to all by Christ but intends it only to some few that sends out his Ministers with a lye in their mouths for a truth it is not say our Mâ—nisters yet they will preach it viz that Gâ—ds love and good will is truly towards them all and every one may lay claim to it as well as any one when yet according to their doctrine at other times there 's no such matter as this but his love is only to some certain ones which he secretly Selects and yet he can't do it so secretly neither but they must tell on 't to as many as they tell the other that sends his Ministers to make every man believe that Christ died for him in particular which if every man should believe according to their other will of God which but that they are Tel-tales should be called his secret will which is that he gave not Christ to Tast of death for every man but for very few most men must believe a very lye and yet if every man believe it not for himself he must be damned too for not believing of that which according to themselves still is no Truth but a very notoriouslyâ— that condemns the world of Sin Iohn 16. because they believe not in Christ as their Saviour and yet leaves the world which say our preachers Christ died not to save for he died only for such as are not of it without any Saviour that is theirs to believe in that on pain and peril of his eternal displeasure Requires men like Pharoah whom he plagu'd for his cruelty in the self same case to make such a Talâ— of Bâ—ick and yet yeelds them no straw wherewithal to do it but leaves them to go look it where they can He that doth thus and much more of the like nature which the doctrine of such as deny the Vniversal grace of God doth in effect Represent their God as doing may be own'd as a God by such as make him one and by the Ministers of his own making yet is not owned by me to be the true God of Gods but a God of his own Ministers own making to themselves after the Image of their own vain Imaginations yet such a God as this are I. O. T. D. I. Tombs R. Baxter and the whole Diacony of Dâ—vines that deny the death of Christ for all men devising and Imagining to themselves of whom till they come to know and own the true God which is mine in his mercy truth and faithfulnesse a little better then they do or can by that dark lantern of their own understandings in which they are poring after him in the Letter only besides his own light and spirit in which only he is seen as he is I must say so much and of my self together with them that whosoever is the father of myself or of them we are not yet one and the same Fathers Children 10 Our Doctrine about good works and our Preaching and Maintaining and pleading for good works as necessary for many good uses against T. D. or any other this is no fair In-let to the Pâ—pish Bag and Baggage for all good works as are so indeed and not only so suppoâ—ed by such as call good evil and evil good are of God and Christ Jesus the truth and none of the Pope nor of his Priests nor any other meer man that I know of neither are there any that can truly be so called for what thou or the Pope or any Papists or Protestants falsly call good works is another case not at all pertaining to our purpose to be found for ought I see in his whole Budget of Religious Implements nor in the whole Masse or Magazine of his Massy matters and 't is more then I shall see while I see you but besides much more against that light in which only that is done which goes for good in the account of God if there be any good works truly good to be found yet among the best of your own I know you have a whole warehouse of Religious works such as they are which you are accustomd to call good as they do theirs but what your good works are in your own sight is one and what they are in the sight of God is another Question there is a Generation wo to them that are wise in their own eyes prudent in their own sight yet very fools in the sight of God there is a Generation wo to them also that call evil good and good evil put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter there is a Generation O how lofâ—y are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up wo to them also for they are a stink in his nostrills and as smoak in his nose before the Lord that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not nor ever mean to be while they live fully washed from their filthynesse I have read of a Generation that had more good works as they count them to count upon then all the National Churches of either Protestants or Papists and works more good as to the matter of them if what matter God requires may be counted better then what is required by meerly man all whose whole Treasury of Solemn Services out of which they offer'd to him was yet in the fight of God esteemed but Trash so long as t was the sinner only that so served and sacrificed and no other then Cain the evil doer still that did that good such were all the haughty Mincing Daughters of Zion that walk't with stretcht out necks and bosted in the Bravery of their Tinkling Ornaments their New-moons Sabbaths burnt Offerings Prayings Prayses Fasts and Feasts in which when they drew near to God they did no more then what he by Moses had appointed as ye do for which you have your labour for your paines who worship not after his own praecepts and doctrines in outwards but after the
are who where I now am cannot come but with the losse of that life they yet live and through the death of a crosse thereunto looking and skimming and scraping among the learned Scribes into the Scripture for the sense of it without the Spirit I can tell them by experience as well as by the Light in which it is seen and told them by my self and many more to what little purpose or profit either to themselves or their people who deaâ—ly pay for it they are by the best improvment of their natural capacities Academical Parts and such meer Animal Accomplishments pâ—ying into the privities of the Scriptures which according to I. Os. and specially T. Ds. his Principles and way of interpretation and giving meanings is more made to patronize and partize with the transgressions of supposed Saints then to promote the perfect purging from them in this world which yet the Scriptures truly plead not only a possibility but a necessity of before men die unless they mean to die for ever when T. D. and his abettors implead it as a very doctrine of Devils pleading rather because an impossibility of living without it a necessity of living in it while in the body Which said Doctrine of Perfectior or full pardon from sin here I shall have a few words about with T. D. by and by after an Addition of some few Arguments more in proof of the universality of Gods Love in the deaâ—h of Christ for All and of the gifts of his saving Grace or Light sufficient to lead All that follow it to Life vouchsafed to every man and some brief Animadversion of what more our Four fore named Antagonists argue to the contrary Arg. 8. If Christ died not for the whole world and for All and every man in it but for a few only and God gave him not A Light to be his Salvation as it is said Isai. 49.6 to All the ends of the Earth All which also he calls to look to him and be saved Isa. 45.22 to hear him that their souls may live to come to him even whoever will that they may find rest and have of the water of life freely Isai. 55.1 Matth. 11.28 Rev. 22. Then the world and most men who generally are damned for this very sin even because they believe not in hear not look not come not to Christ Iesus Iohn 3.18 Iohn 16.8 9. are damned for not looking to coming to nor believing in their Saviour when yet they had no Saviour of theirs to look at or come to or believe in But All men have a Saviour to believe in and look to and come to which for not hearing looking nor coming to nor believing in they are damned yea this is the worlds condemnation that light is come into it yet the world comes not to the light otherwise as 't is sottish Absurdity and lamentable mockage to call All to look and come to and believe in him so such inconceivable cruelty as Absit Blasphemia far be it from us to think there is in God to damn them upon the account of not coming or non-believing in him Therefore he is given a Light a Ransome a Saviour for All and every man Arg. 9. If it be a lie that Christ died for every man as we say he did and a truth that he died but for a few only as they hold then sith God requires Aâ—l on pain of damnation so to believe if every man should believe Christ died foâ— him God on pain of damnation requires most men to believe a lye and damns them for believing the very truth viz. that he died not for every of them and for not believing that which if they All had believed the most of them had believed a lie But Absit Blasphemia God damns no man for believing the Truth or for not believing that which if they did All believe most of them must necessarily and unavoidabâ—y believe a lie Therefore Christ did undoubtedly die for every man and not for a few only Arg. 10. If the Redemption and Salvation by the death and blood of Christ which we confesse actually to extend to none but such as actually believe be not truly given from God to every man as his as well as any man so that at least every man may really have it if he will then either it is 1. Because Christ is not a Ransome sufficient to save All Or 2. Because God wills and desires not that should save every man which is sufficient so to do Or else 3. because most men neglect that so great Salvation and put it away from themselves and will not have it when God would they should and thereby judge themselves unworthy of it Or 4. else for some other Reason But 't is not the first for your selves and All men confess a sufficiency of Redemption and Salvation in Christ for All men Nor the second for that were to make God whose wayes are all exact and equal so inequal in his doings as no wise man is to cut out a plaister as broad as a bushel to lay to a scare no broader then a shilling or rather upon your Principles of unavoidble sorer condemnation to the Reprobate part of the World by Christs coming into it to save it then if he had never come a Saviour into it at all to provide a plaister sufficient to heal the whole sore with an intent effectually to heal some very small part of it only but to render all the residue more outragious and farre sorer or to pay a Ransome sufficient to redeem a thousand prisoners for debt with intent actually to set some one at liberty and for ever lay all the rest up closer prisoners in the Dungeon Which absurdity and mockage and perfect hatred under pretence of love too far be it from any good man to father and fasten upon God and from me to fasten on any good man that in the least measure is merciful as God is merciful Moreover Deus nil facit fâ—nstra If ye say the third ye say no otherwise then that Truth with us that yet ye fight against viz. That God as he has provided life in his Son so he is as truly willing All men should live but that some will die and would gather men unto life save only that they themselves will not If any other thing be the Reason why every man may not as truly be saved by Christs death as any man it lies in you to assign it I know none Therefore Christ died intentionally to save every man Arg. 11. If All men are not put into possibility of life by Christs dying intentionally for every one of them if themselves chuse not death then it could not be said As by sin condemnation is come on All men so justification of life is come on All men and that the gift of Gods Grace and gift of God in Christ and the benefit and blessing is every way at least as large and some wayes larger
he calls it though insufficient to direct for Iustification and Salvation yet was useful for two ends 1. To restrain from sin 2. Besides this end God hath another that they might be inexcusable who sinned against the light in them and God might be justified in his Sentence and Iudgement upon them Rom. 1.20 that thâ—y might be without excuse who held the Truth Mark how the light in all is called the Truth which men withhold in unrighteousness therefore it must be the Righteousness of God it self that is revealed from Heaven and justifies in unrighteousness and when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankful but were filled with unrighteousness though they knew the judgement of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death v. 29.30 Whence it is that Gods judgement is proved to be according to Truth Rom. 2.2 and God found to be true though every man a lyar Ignorance of the law Mark again how they call it the law by which is the knowledge of sin the transgression of which is sin which Paul calls spiritual holy just and good these men all but natural and sometimes no better then diabolical being not to be pleaded by them that sin against the innate light of their own spirits forasmuch as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgement of a mans own conscience Thus far these men of the Light within it condemns say they but cannot save accuses cannot excuse Rep. Monstrum Horendum c. cui lumen ademptum What are our Ministers become Monsters now adayes that take on them the name of Seers for poor people and yet have never an eye to see the Truth withall themselves Is there any Law in the World that being broken brings penalty accusation cursing judgement or condemnation upon the Transgressors that does not as well hold guilâ—less acquit clear justifie and save from the said cursing and condemnation its obeyers and observers 1. Consider its impossible that any light should leave without excuse and condemn a man when sinned against and not excuse justifie and keep out of condemnation when it 's answered for what I wot can condemn that man who walks up in exact obedience to that law or measure of light be it never so little which is lent him in particular to live by Where there is no Law nor Light at all there is no sin imputed Rom. 5.12 where no Law is broken there is no transgression to condemnation for such sin is Anomia no other then the transgression of the Law and that in such particulars only wherein it is made known for to him that knows to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Iam. 17. not to him that never did nor could for if Abimelech had took to himself Abraham's Wife for his own not knowing but that she was his Sister only as she said he had been clear and not guilty nor had sin been impured to him or laid to his charge to condemnation though the fact had been sin in it self yet not sin unto his dâ—amnation Whereupon he pleads when the Lord comes by the Light o the thing upon him Wilt thou slay a righteous Nation In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my â—ands have I done this and God answers Yea I know thou didst it in the integrity of thy heart Gen. 20.4 5 6. Can that possibly leave men without excuse or plea for themselves in their condemnation when God comes to enter into judgement with them that must be understood and believed by them never to have put them by the best improvement thereof and attendance to it as I. O. and T. D. say the light of God in all does not utcunque cui attendatur so much as in possibility of Salvation nor was sufficient had they never rebelled against it to have excused and acquitted them in the sight of God cannot they that have no Light and Grace more then what had they obeyed and answered it would not have rendred them accepted in his sight they being also personally particularly peremptorily predestinated to be damned and to be disobedient to the light that they might be damned as our Divines say from 1 Pet. 2.8 Iude 3.4 when God comes to plead in no other but a righteous way against them and to damn them for that sore appointed disobedience to it and to reckon and reason with them thus Why would you die and not live A I live I had much rather ye should have lived then died but that ye would your selves destroy your selves when in me was help and I would have helped you and therefore sent my Son a Light to lead you to life not to condemn but to save you had you walked in it for hating and want of walking in which alone it is that ye now must be condemned for ever had I not sent you light and spoken to you by my self and Son you had had no sin but now seeing ye knew my Will and did it not in the doing of which ye should have entred my Kingdome but stopt your ears closed your eyes despised my counsel set at naught all my reproof to you this is sin for which he have no cloak plea c. nor excuse or if you have let us hear it I say cannot such plead again Lord it is true thou art out Soveraign and mayest do with thy own as a Potter with his clay and dash us to pieces at thy pleasure but thou art also a God of righteousness and Truth who hast said thou wilt do right as the Judge of all the earth and thou wilt not do that thy self which thou damnest others for doing as thou didst Pharoah for requiring men to make such a tale of brick as they had not sufficiency of straw for and we hope thou wilt not damn us for not doing what thou know'st we never could being never sufficiently impowered by thy self we trust thou wilt not condemn us at least not with the sorer condemnation as accessary to our own death and for not coming to Christ that we might have life and for want of coming to the saving knowledg of thy Self Mind and Will and for not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus and for nor coming to him in his light and not believing in him as our Saviour and for want of improving our talents to the utmost to our salvation for non-improvement of which alone and for non-obedience to which Light and Gospel alone and non-belief only in which Christ thou now tellest us we must perish which Gospel had we obeyed which Christ had we believed in as our which saving knowledge of thee if we had had which talent or talents had we improved to the best we should not have perisht but have had everlasting life foraâ—much as it was told us for truth from thee by these that say they are thy Ministers if they did not lie and however they made us
believe so that we were never put into any capacity for life and salvation by all that best Grace that thou vouchsafedit to uâ— they told us not only that many Ages and Generations never had one offer of salvation from thee but also that in these very Nations where thy Gospel rich Grace and large Love as they call it at least is proclaimed and held forth in words proffers preachings and pretences to all yet there is not one of an hundred that is as they say no more then the personally elected ones which are very few also as they say in comparison of the rest that were a certain determinate but much more numberlesse number also as unchangeably reprobated from everlasting without reference to good or evil foreseen to be done by them in time that the salvation so universally offered in thy name was ever so truly intended to by thee as it was tendred and that the Saviour of the World of whom they say He came to save not the righteous but sinners and ungodly ones to seek out that which is lost and of whom they say Thou in thy love sentest him not to condemn but save the World was sent to save none but that foresaid few set number of elect ones of which number we could find little ground to hope we were sith an hundred to one were not any more then if an hundred were sentenced to die and but one of them to be saved and a Pardon should be proclaimed to them all conditionally that every man believed for himself that he were the man to whom the Pardon is intended any one man could have ground of confidence that himself was he and so we were quite discouraged by the Preachers of thy grace from believing the Salvation to be intended to us since an hundred to one it was not and they told us that the said Saviour did not die for all but for a few even the said choice ones whereupon though he was held forth to us all to be believed in as the common Salvation in thy revealed Will as they call it on pain of eternal condemnation to every one of us that should not believe in him as our Lord and our God and Saviour and with promises or eternall life to us all conditionally we would all so believe yet we could not see how this could rationally hang together or how we could all truly have believed such a thing every man of us for himself without the most of us should have believed a lie and we thought whatever they said that thou wouldst have us all believe no more then the Truth and not have any of us believe much lesse be damned for not believing a lie we could not see though they bad us every one believe in Christ as ours how the most of us had a Christ to believe in as ours sith they told us alâ—o he was not intended to all to whom he is offered but to a very few even of them since we were by themselves who bade us believe in him every of us as our Salvation bad to believe this doctrine also on pain of being held Armenians Socinians and Hereticks in the Church that he did not offer himself a ransome for all as the Scripture in plain terms sayes he did but as much as be is offered to us all yet he offered himself not for all but only for the foresaid few and that by Aâ—l and every one in the Scripture and the lost ones and sinners and ungodly and the whole world which he is said to die for we must at no hand understand Aâ—l indeed nor think that thy meaning was as thy words imported nor according to the literal sense of them for then we might mistake thee but that by All and every one the whole world thou meanest but a very few only and by sinners and ungodly thy Elect ones only neither could we see upon the account of their personal particular principles as universal as thy tenders of Christ to us all were or at least theirs in thy name that we could possibly believe the truth if we should all have believed in him as ours or that we could all have a share in him and we saw that it being so that he was not intended to be a Saviour to every man to whom he is offered some men had no Saviour to believe in as their and for ought we saw 't was an hundred to one but we might be the men and to believe it that he was ours we had no ground from their doctrine for such a Faith and so might if we had yea must most of us if we had believed it have believed a lye and tho sayest thou wilt damn men for not believing the truth and wilt thou now damn all us for believing the truth for he was not intended by thee if our Ministers did not belye thee to us to be our Saviour who are Reprobates and we did believe him not to be so according as it proves and so our Faith was of the truth and if we all had believed it that he died for every of us it had been a lye if our learned Leaders did not lye and wilt thou now damn us for not believing that which if we had believed all of us an hundred to one but the most of us must have believed a lye and that which was not so if we had believed it we had been deceived for 't was not so it their doctrine be true and now we did not believe it we are to be condemned because we believe not in thy Son and apply him not every one to our selves in particular to whose Salvation he was never appointed but in thy unalterable Decree before ever we were born though offered to us a ours upn equal terms as they say with the Elect whose only in particular beâ—is designed altogether to another purpose even to be the Salvation of some few but the unavoidable further condemnation of us Reprobates and only to leave us the more excuseless in our suffering of it And howbeit its true we did not obey the Gospel nor do thy will we must need confess in order unto life yet it was never savingly nor sufficiently manifested to us in all our lives as they said nor was any measure of that true Light in which is the Life nor one grain of that as our Divines told us which is sufficient for us to bring us to life vouchsaf'd but a Natural Light in attending to which had we ever so well heeded or improved it 't would not have helpt us imparted to us only a certain common Grace and Light as they told us which had we answered it could have avail'd us nothing as to Salvation and a Talent which had we traded with as they tell us and doubled it â—ad encreased into but more of the same kind and common sort not obtain'd any Special nor what ere the Scripture seems to say to the contrary which we poor ignorants
few in it are saved Election and Reprobation how it is of two Seeds only absolutely and of Persons only conditionally as born of and growing up respectively into the Image of those severall Seeds Perfection as to freedom from sinning in this life And such other for which We are as unjustly as uncessantly Assaulted About which points it 's hard to say whether the Quakers Opponents do more Oppose them or Abuse them by misreporting them as holding far otherwise then they do in those and other of their Tenets to the World For when we declare against Persecution and cruell forcing of all men to uniformity in meer outward formes of Religion by which men for fear conforming to do and to say they believe what they believe not to be truth are more made hatefull Hypocrites then faithfull Christians and for Liberty of Conscience as that without which Now no Government in either Church or State can ever stand long unshaken those Powers being ever more feared if not abhorred then either lov'd obey'd or honour'd by the tenderest of their own people who touch and under penalties impose upon them in that part i.e. the conscience which is 〈◊〉 tender and in which being trod upon all people when they can help themselves will turn again but those Iuâ—t ones whose way it is when they are kill'd to make no resistance Jam. 5.5 Then they tell people we are against all good Government and Authority settled Ministry and good Orders in the Church and such like Whereas and all good Government in States to Suppresse unrighteousness we own and good Orders in the Church too denying that only which they call Order who meerly under that Name and Notion of Decency and Order have fill'd the Nations call'd Christian with a numberless multitude of Ceremonies and Customes which are Vain and create nothing but Confusion Also they tell people we do but barely insinuate that of non-persecution to be our principle that we may be let alone till we grow numerous and get outward Power into our own hands that then we may rise and cut throats and by force and cruelty subject all people to our wayes T. D. deducing it as is seen in the book ensuing Thus from a certain Quakers drawing of his Sword who had no Sword at all about him The truth is quoth he the Qua. now declare their intentions to propagate their perswasions by the Sword Whereas we live in that Light which leads to that Love which abhores all cruelty and 't is the dark places of the earth in which themselves dwell that are full of the habitations of cruelty and could we once be by others as candidly consirved and credited as t is by us conscientiously and clearely declared so far are we from that pernitious principle of persecuting for conscience sake though blinded any men called Christians in any Nations that were it as 〈◊〉 in our hands to effect as it is in our very hearts to wish the contrary nor Jew nor Turk nor Pagan much lesse Christian so câ—â—â—d whether Papist Prelaâ—icall Presbyterian Independent Baptist or any other behaving themselves as peaceably subjectively as we do to all civil Laws in civil things should ever be in the least moleâ—ted more then by words of love whether smooth or sharp to win them to the truth thâ—â— their souls may be saved in any meerly Spirituall or Religious matter but in all Ecclesiasticalls so far as 〈◊〉 consistent with and not destructive to any other mens have in their consciences where Christ alone is King truly and fully as much Liberty as our selves even All people to walk every one in the Name of his God as we in the Name and Light of the Lord our God from henceforth even for ever And because we say some Truths and teach some Doctrines which to their misunderstanding minds only wherein they wrest everything the wrong and even the worst way they can and as they sound it out in words of their own which are none of ours seem only to Savour of Popery viz. Because we assert the Good Works of Christ in his Saints to be necessary to their justification who cannot be justified by any of their own They not only charge us as joyning with Jesuits and Papists but oft-times also as far as they dare in such a thing as they have no proof of they down rightly pronounce us to be such Whereas how neere of Kin they are in their Own and how none are more contrary then Our Tenets to the Pope and how well T. D. proves the Author of this Epistle in probability to be a Jesuit as he falsly affirms is to be seen in Sundry pages together of the following Work viz. from p. 47. of the 1 Exer. to the end And because we make mention of Christ in us and the Righteousness of the Law as necessary in order to Salvation to be perform'd and fulfill'd in our own persons as Paul does Rom. 8.4 though we mean no other Righteousness then the same that is in Christ and is wrought in us by no other power then that of Christ and that same Christ too of whom the Scripture speaks that To him give all the Prophets witness Act. 10. That in his Name and through faith in his Name alone who ere believeth shall receive remission of sins then which Christ and his Name there is no other under heaven given among men whereby they must besaved They 〈◊〉 us both to God men as denyers of Christ and of his Righteousness of Justification by Christ alone Witness one Ackworth of Rochester who was once heard by the writer hereof deprecating declaring against the Qua. in these words to God himself in his publike Prayer viz. Above all things Lord quoth he deliver this poor city from the Qua. they are a peole Lord that deny God deny Câ—rift deny the Righteousness of Christ deny Justification by Christ alone Whereas As it was at that time by this Author prefered though not permitted to be presently and publikely proved to his face on behalf of that people whom he told lyes on to the Lord himself that they own God own Christ own Christs Righteousness and own justification by Christ alone So against all the Priests who in their several Parishes misrepresent us as going about to Establish our own Righteousness only not Christs to our Justification among whom T.D. is in that point the most gross false accuser of us as it was clearly enough to men not minded to be blind by word of mouth at the disputes at Sandwich and hath been since by George Whiteheads printed Replyes ' to T. D ' s. printed misrelations of us in that matter so is it abundantly proved more at larg in the first Exercitation from p. 80. to the end thereof that ther 's no people do more fully or so truly disclaim their Own as dung and filthy rags and stablish Christs Righteousnesse alone which as wrought by Christ in his Saints T.
Slaughter and Eternal Slavery for you not to Try their Talk First Who tell it you for Truth that there is now no Guidance of Christs Own Ministers by Christs Own Infallible Spirit They that Teach that their own Teaching is but Falible may easily draw all their Implicit Followers together with themselves into the Ditch Secondly Talk for Liberty of Conscience while they are under the Lash of others and for Persecution as soon as they can Climb to be Lords over all Thirdly That Affirm Christ's Righteousness Wrought in his Saints Persons by his Power and Spirit Serving to Sanctifie them too to fit them for Heaven to be of no other worth and worth no better Name and worse they cannot give it then that of unclean Dung Losse and Filthy Rags which Doctrine is Necessarily Deducible from T. D's Writing against the Quakers who yet sayes David even while Guilty of Adultery and Murder was not in a Condemned but in a Justified Estate Fourthly That where and while God Tenders Salvation Openly and Universally to All Men He Secretly Intends it but Particularly only to a Few Fifthly That that Light the Quakers Testify to which in Truth is no other then the True Light which the Life is which their own Rule of Scripture sayes John 1.9 Enlightens every man that cometh into the World Enlightens not every one but very few And is an Horrible Figment of the Quakers an Imaginary Christ as to Salvation in all Divine Matters Darkness Blindness it self and many more sayings of that sort under which they Scorn it as J. O. does and other Divines viz. R. B. and J. T. little lesse Sixthly 1. That the Letter of the Scripture is the only Sure Foundation and Rule of all Faith 2. That the said Letter is Variable and Varied and yet 3. That A thing that is Variable can be no Rule neither which is one of the many Rounds the Rabbies Run in Seventhly That Preaching of Perfect Purging and full Freedom from Sin in this world is a Doctrine of Devills so T. D. and Punishable With Prisons and other Paines so I. O. that there 's no Purgatory for purging away the Remnants of it as the Pope Falsly sayes there is in the world to come neither which Perfection of Holiness so far as to deny of all Unholiness and Salvation of Souls from Sinning is the meer End of Christs coming Matth. 1.21 the end of all Ministry that 's of his giving Eph. 4.11 12 13. the end of all the Apostles Writing willings of men to walk in the Light 2 Cor. 7 1. 1 Iohn 1.6 7 8. 1 Iohn 2.1 and of all true Faith or Beleiving 1 Pet. 1.5 And as it 's no Treachery in us to you nor others nor yet in you and us and all men to our selves to Try what 's Truth before we Trust Take and Talk for it much more Obtrude it as that Truth which must Subpaena as so be believed by Ali So it 's no lesse then time for us to Ask and put it to the Question among you Sith both cannot be so who are so Contradictory and if they be Right wee l own our selves to be wrong when once they prove it whether those who in Christs Name Minister the abovesaid Messes for Truth or the Qua. who in their Ministry Minister the very contrary and no less then the Infallible Truth it self be Christs Ministers So having in my time Born my Testimony as a Friend to the Truth against such as Tread and Trample it under Feet and Aâ—k'â— an Answer from that of God in All Consciences to which I Appeal to Judg between the Clergy and the Quakers who are in Truth I Sit down Satisfied in my Own Conscience in the Sight of God holding Love to All Mens Persons and Warr with nothing but Mens Wicked Works not knowing whether this may be the Last Time of Asking After which as to this way of Appearing in Print against the Pervertures of the Parish Priesthood I may for ought I know for Ever possibly hold my Peace Sam. Fisher. A Lamentation over Lost-Souls With a Word of Warning to All Kings Princes Parliaments Powers And People to Beware of Such Priests aâ— Uphold the Devils Kingdome by Pleading Contrary to the Scriptures of Truth A Continuance of Iniquity for Term of this Life A Necessity of Mens Transgressing of Gods Law while they Liâ—e in the World Or have any Abode in the Body IN th' Snare You Are Dear Souls I truly Know it And Wot I't Not yet there is That doth Shew it For First that 's Worst You are Beset with Sin Next Those are Foes without for That 's With in Who Preach yea Teach Yee cannot Live with out it Who Hint Live In 't yet shall Yee Live ne'r Doubt it Such Watchmen Catch men in Sins Snares not Out By Such how Much to take Sin lies at Scout Yâ—u In its Gin You 'l know when th' Light is Heeded Know'â— Now and How Christ Iesus is not Needed To Win from Sin if in it Souls can Thrive To Save from th' Grave if there Souls are Alive I Trow You 'l Know You Cannot Live in Sin When All Dy Shall who Live and Dy there in Wherefore before you Live You ought t' Eschew it Then Must I Trust even whilst you Live or Rue it Read This for 't is a Riddâ—e else in th' Light Heart Read for th' Head herein obtains no Sight It s Wis-dom Is too Dim this Depth to Enter Vn lesse you Guesse by th' Spirit which Dives to th' Center Give Ore no More your selves with Vain Hopes Cherish For Lie and Die in Sin who doth doth Perish But Lay Away all Weights Sins which be set you Abandon And shake off such Priests as Let you And Shun that Run you may with Saints that Race Which Brings with Wings from Sin to th' Holy Place To th' Place where Grace is Perfect Holy Sion The Mount where Count upon 't there comes no Lyon Nor Man that Can work Evil where the Pure In Heart leave Part Alone and their Right 's Sure For While You Stile those Saints who plead for Evil And Them Christ's Members who still Serve the Devil Nor Leave but Cleave to Them the Light ye Flee And Sure ye Pure as Christ is cannot Be. For Hire They Tire You out with Talk â—ut Know Their Words are Swords which will Souls Over throw Their Eyes toward Lyes are set Truth They Be spatter Time Serving Swerving still from God They Scatter They Sooth speak Smooth Charm Dawb Sow Pillowes Flatter Cry Peace where Peace is Not So ends this Matter Sam Fisher. A List of some of the Typographicall Mistakes THough in I. O's blind judgement it seems to Border on Atheism to say the same Fate as to Mistakes hath attended the Hebrew and Greek Text of Scripture in it's Transcribing as hath done other Books yet it seems to me upon that but Running Review I have yet taken thereof that the
and shine forth more and more as the morning light to the perfect day so that ye may to as much purpose forbid the Sun from rising in its time as busie your selves as ye do to blind honest-minded men as ye have done T. D. That Repentance is now too late and perhaps unmeet for God can serve himself by the meanest Instruments among which thou rankest thy self Rep. Not too late yet much less unmeet so be thou come back by a true Repentance as is most meet thou shouldst not only for but from thy inconsiderate opposition for the Lord will receive thee through Judgement done upon thy lyes to mercy for all that 's past in and by the same Light thou art yet an hater of if yet thou wilt unfeignedly look back to it and follow on to know him in it while he strives with thee by it in thy own conscience and convinces thee of all thy evil deeds thou hast done and that he requires thee to depart from who can and doth serve himself by meaner Instruments then thou mayst be made as meanly as thou truly enough confessest thou hast serv'd him hitherto in case thou quit thy old Master the Devil whose now falling Kingdome thou art helping hard to uphold while thou Pleadst so strictly as thou dost to little purpose the necessity of all mens sinning while they live and serve the Lord as strictly and sincerely against sin and Satan in thy self first and then in others otherwise Repentance it self may prove too late indeed and will too if thou turn not at the reproof of Wisdome that as far as thou art from it is nigh thee in thy heart till it scorneth the scorners of it In love therefore to thy Soul the sin whereof I hate as it is the Enemy of it as late as it is be adviâ—ed in time qui non ante cavet post dolebit better late then never T. D. Thou sayest Thou hopest thy Reader will see the Qua. out of their disguise Rep. I hope so too out of that wherewith T.D. and I.O. have both disguis'd and disfigur'd them by then he hath read what R.H.G.W. L.H. have written to thee before and what hereafter follows or elâ—e he is one of those Readers of us I.O. complains of P. 29. of his Epistle whose interest compels him to chuse rather to be ignorant of Truth and us then to be taught truth by us and if any will either let our books alone or rejectingly read them and will needs be ignorant let him be ignorant as we cannot make such a one better so what ere he does we are never the worse T. D. That he will find cause to speak of the Qua. with pitty and compassion Rep. So I hope too when he shall see how miserably the men call'd Ministers do misrepresent them and by their lyes abuse and wrong them to the world T. D. And of their Opinions with hatred and detestation Rep. With hatred and detestation of those Opinionists who being but in their meer thoughts of the things of God themselves deem the Qua. who are past Opinions and know him that is true and are in him that is true and the Truth it self knowing also themselves to be of God and that the whole world lyes in wickedness 1 Ioh. 5.19 20. to be but where themselves are namely in their own vain Imaginations and Opinions and damn down also to hell it self those our Opinions as they call them which are the only plain pure infallible way to Eternal life as that deformed Monster so he calls it too which T.D. in the next page of this Epistle and in his first Narrative sprinkles into the name of Quakerisme and I.O. ore and ore and ore again in his Contra Fanaticos into those of Enthusiasme Fanaticisme nescio quid and as many more as come at last to vere nihil or truly nothing T. D. Next thou promisest thy Reader and no more then thou sayst also shall be performed viz. A true Account of the Discourses so much of them as was Argumentative and pertinent to the Questions under Debate or as 't is in thy Title page A true Relation of what passed in three Disputations Apr. 12. 13. 19. 1659. between thy self and three Qua. G.W.R.H. S.F. Rep. Hadst thou entitled thy True Account True Relation thus viz. A false Account A false Relation thou hadst sav'd thy self the labour of one lye at least for then thy Title had been as true an Account of thy Book as thy Book is not a True but a meer counterfeit Account of the Disputations but as 't is thou hast told a lye more then ordinary which hath its being as a lye from no other clause so much as from that term of True thy work being as will appear not only a very broken and decrepid but also a very untrue and false Relation of those affairs it pretends to relate to so that by saying True here thou hast spoken falsly whereas hadst thou in stead of True said False thou hadst in so doing said no other then the very truth In which true Relation of those Discourses as thou falsly callest it how well thou hast quitted thy self as to such an honest and true Account as is here so faithfully promis'd any honest man that was then present may see When as 1. Set aside thy own large and lax Answers 2. Set aside thy own confessed Enlargements of the said Lax and still as mouldy though new-mouled Answers with thy often long let me Add's p. 5. 14. 17. 19. 23. 27. the whole of what passed from all us three in all three of the Discourses which lasted about seven or eight houres apiece is Anatomiz'd well nigh all away or at least Epitomiz'd into so small a pittance as may be read over if set close together in less space then the seventh or eighth part of one And howbeit thou wast dealt with and measured back to from us more by weight then by multitude of words wherewith for the ignorance sake of common people as thou sayst whereby thou mayst see what a people thou hast whose life lies more in thy words then in Christs works thou chosest to out-word us as seeing thou must say somewhat as thou sayst and no matter what say I or let us have all the talk to the prejudice of the cause thou defendest yet were we not so far behind thee as to number as thou seemest to set us in thy curtail'd Account or else the more shame still to thy self and thine who cried out so often to us that we had all the talk and took up all the time nevertheless thou therein takest about nine parts of talk to thy self and allowest us the Tythe then which thou knowst the Qua. had rather have just nothing insomuch that such as are more ready to believe thee then Truth may well think by thy crowding us all up into such a corner of thy Account thy other Tales to be true thou so often tellest
that are laid down theâ—ein are already laid open to the view of all in his Reply thereunto stiled the Devil 〈◊〉 i gâ—d by L.H. who together with my self and others by name as well as all the people called Qua. are most Egregiously abused and belied therein Nevertheless since thou art so impudently obstinate in that course of prating printing out of lyes as to this day rather to justifie thy self then which would farr more become thee to judge thy self as an evill doer in so doing that all such as have not devoâ—ed themselves to be deluded by thy deceitfull doings rather then to know the truth concerning the Qua. in such matters wherein thou as falsly as fâ—wly accusest them may beware of beleiving thee any more as many do by implicit Faith I shall give the world a further tast of that Light Treacherous and lying Spirit which speaks in thee as it did in the false Prophets of old who blinded the peoples eyes with their many mis-reports from receiving the truth the true Prophets told them which lying Spirit proves them sufficiently in whom it is how ere they may stile themselves so as thou T. D. dost to be no true Ministers of the Gospell Report said the old lyars of Ieremie and we will Report it raise but a lye and wee 'l send it abroad farr and neer So T. D. fee p. 1. of his second Narrative appeares to have certain Emissaries and Earewigs that go out and gather what unsavoury materiall's they can rake out of the Excrements of the Qua. and such dunghilly stuff and lyes and bad Constructions of good actions c as are either made by himself or made ready to his hand by his Agents he layes by him and trussing his tales together into two Tractacles or nasty Narratives as Antickly Annexes them as Appendicular at the fagg-end of his other fancies Bagg and Baggage fit for nothing more indeed then to sollow in the Reare of such pittifull Polemicalls as the two pieces are they are annexed to T. D. Thou stil'st the materialls of thy two Narratives Remarkable passages and matters of undoubted Credit Rep. Remarkable they are indeed and so much the more by how much they are for the most part either apparently foolish or flatly false and where true as some few of them are either miserably mis-represented wrested and perverted to wicked ends or untruly used as premises from whence to inferr thy most abominably false Conclusions and to confirm other men in bad opinions of the Qua whereupon for the truths sake which thouseekest thereby to bring into contempt I shall here Remarke the most Remarkable of them and the rather first because in thy second title page thou so malepertly Challengest any to disprove thee in the words of Iob saying if it be not so now who will make me a Lyar and make my speech nothing worth 2. Because even in this very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or nick of time wherein my Enervation or discovery of the Nakedness of thy two Narratives is but now newly come under my hand and pen in order to its passage through the press whereat I write this I am presented with a third printed Toy of thine T.D. to the same Tone stiled the Lye Returned to Luke Hâ—ward or a Vindication of Thomas Danson Minister of Sandâ—iâ—h from the Imputation of belying the Quakers wherein thou sayst L. H. in his called the Devils Bow unstringed is impudent in denying severall matters of fact charg'd upon himself and others of his perswasion in thy two Naratives and in representing thee the Publisher thereof as a Forger of Lyes in which shuffling Trifle or sorry shift of halfe a sheet for 't is nor more nor better of meer wast paper as closely as thou conceivest thou hast lapt and laid thy self up as in a bed of Lavender and in thy Vipeâ—ous hissings and Lyings against the Light Lyest hid velut Anguis in herba among such silly Seers as See with thy eyes yet thy new Bed of Lyes is too short for thee to Lye long at ease upon and that half sheet of thine is a covering too narrow for thee to wrap thy self in from the wrath of God as well as too ragged and tottered and torn and thin if 't were a whole one to shelter thy shame from the sight of such as see by the Light of Christ who view thee in all thy venomous ventings of thy malice through the thickest Vail thou seekest to shrowd thy self under nor will thy certificates obtained procured by thy self published under the hands of thy pair of Iohns viz. Io. Laigneile and Io. Davis of Dover one of which I love so well as to tell him that if as the Proverb is he play not Iack on both sides 't will be the better for him nor of thy pair of Unminister like Mr. Williams Russelâ— and Wingfield who will never Win the Field with lyes against the Children of the Truth nor oft' other Thomas viz. thy part-Taker Tâ—omas Morris who is as very an Infidell toward Christ Disciples till he see and feel our Testimonies to be undeniably true as thy self and all the three other Thomasses that are so ready to sweare what ere thou sayst nor the self contradicting Testimony of thy Trustee Mr. Vinter Minister of Couewold nor any other of thy despicable disproofs so moderate the matter but that thou wilt appear to be a Foster-Father to those Forgers of Lyes who have brought thee into the praemunire of publishing to thy own shame what their heads have hatched and their pates prepared for thy pen and put upon thee to pâ—int and publsh in thy folly to all the world as will by and by appear in the examination of each of thy Lyes as thy Lye laid down in thy last Narrative T. D. As to thy Tale of L. Hs. Sending his Horse and Man for me to be aâ— a dâ—scouâ—se appointed between him and W. Russell a Priest and that his man was seen to come out of Dover on his Horse overnight and myself sâ—â—n to Ride into the Town the next morning upon the same Horse which story thou tellest for truth with such Confidence too that besides that forementioned common Epethite thou givest to all thy lyes viz they are of undoubted Credit thou here addest that it was manifest I was seâ—t for on purpose and that in denying it we Lyâ— and have not so much morall honesty as to speak Truth in matters of Fact and such like Rep. I here as L. H. hath also done declare against that manifold piece of Naâ—raâ—ive so Pâ—mpuâ—ly predicated as a most Aâ—rand manifest Lye in every inch of it as having no truth in it from the Head to the Tâ—yl that I can find fâ—om one end thereof even to the other for neither did L. H. send his Horse or Man at all for me o're night nor did I â—ide into Dâ—ver on L. Hs. Horse next morning but on a Black Hâ—â—se plain enough if
Narrative only and the other more wickedly then wisely made and drove on very devoutly in both but especially in thy first without either care or good councâ—l consideration or conscience Truth or Righteousness sense or reason fear or wit are these T. D. That the Qua. intend to prosecute the promotion of their Principles by that bloody way of persecution with the outward sword 2. That the Qua. are doubtlesly acted by the Antichristian or Romish faction and do drive on the Popish work and Papistical design and of Qua. become Papists and further for this Lye splits it self into two parts one concerning the Qua. in generall the other concerning my self in particular that I.S.F. am probably and appear to be not only a Rank Papist but also 〈◊〉 Iesuit holding complyance with the Pope serving the Sea of Rome such like of which more at large by and by Rep. As to the first of these thy two Lyes of the Qua. it lies thus palpably ayerred in thy own words T. D. The truth is the Qua. now declare their intentions to propagate their perswasions by the sword whereas they were want to pretend to so much meekness or peaceableness that they would hold neither speaâ— nor sword Rep. Here 's the charge An Arrand Lye yet a Truth if four or five more Lyes will Serve to prove it if not men must take it for truth on no other Acconuâ— then this because T.D. who tels so many Lyes that he deserves not to be believed when he speaks the truth doth falsly Say so for thy pieces of proof which are too piteous to prove thy main false Charge were they all true are as to the truest information that I can get thereof every of them false Charges and a pack of Lyâ—s like to that they are brought in proof of The first Proof is this slender Story At a Late Meeting of the Qua. in Hurst Pierpoint in Suffex He that undertook to be Speaker called out to the Priest who accidentally pasled by saying we will have you all down for now our day is come The second this Tale. And a oâ—her Qua. in the Parish â—f Nuthurst in the same Counâ—y did say to a Godly person of good quality in that Parish that he no more cared to kill one of the Priests as he styled the Ministers then he would to kill a Dog The Third This Wicked Lye And another Qua. Way-laid the Minister of Covehould a very worthy Reverend man at his return from a Fast and justled him upon the high way as he kept it haviâ—g his Wife behind him and drew out his Sword which he had by his side about half way which was a shrewd presumption that he intended the Minister mischiâ—f but that some neighbours that came from the Fast Coming up to them prevented it and they do usually give oâ—t threatning speeches against the Ministry aâ—d their Friends Rep. In answer to these three I here subscribe such information as came from the mouths or hands of sundry Sâ—ssex men living in and about these Parishes or Places T.D. Relates these matters of a truth to have been done and spoken in three or four of which are it seems members of those two Parishes of Nuthurst and Covewold in such wiâ—e as follows These three Charges or slanderous Accusations as they appear to us Coming to our hands we who are Inhabitants in the County of Sussex near adjoyning to these places where the Author saith these things were done one of us dwelling in one of these Parishes which he makes mention of have a good and perfect knowledge of these men who are called Quakers and that They are men of better Qualifications then to offer such violence or to give out such terms as is here Charged upon them Therefore for better satisfaction to ourselves as also for the sake of others who may be deceived in believing such things by giving Credit unto them without a surer ground then because they are come forth in Print to a publike view also from such A hand whom they might think would not be so dishonest as to be the Author of things that are not true Upon these Considerations and others which might be mentioned we undertook to search out the matter with some diligence that all who desire may be truly informed and who have prejudice in themselves neither against one sort of people nor another because of names or differing in judgment as we have not our selves who are now about to satisfie of this matter that truth may appear and that every action may be tryed by it in and among all sorts of people Bryan Wilkinson Humphery Killingbeck So for the first accusation which the Author makes mention to be spoken at Hurst he hath caused a lie to be printed as also the other two for there were no such words spoke nonly the friend that did speak some words from whence this report might arise might ask the Priest of Hurst what they would do if the powers of the earth should for sake them these words its like were spoken And as for the second accusation and slanderous lie which he saith was spoken by a Quakeâ—s in the Parish of Nuthurst we whose names are here under written did go unto the man whom the Author calls godly and of good qualitie unto whom he said these words were spoken to know the truth of this thing And his answer to us was as he and some others were drinking together there was one amongst them did say that it was no more sin for to kill a wicked man then a Swine Thomas Wyly Nicolas Manard Though there was one who went under the name of a Quaker who did dwell in Nuthurst Parish whom the man which the Author calls godly and of good qualitie did say was the man that spoke these words above mentioned which are otherwiâ—e then what is Printed Yet this man he caâ—ls Quaker that should say these words hath not dwelt in the Parish of Nuthurst neither in the County of Sussex this two year and half and above neither hath he been in these parts of so long time as can be sufficiently proved and the cause of this might arise above a year before he went a way And as for the third slanderous accusation the Minister of Cavehold which the Author of this scandalous Book calls a very reverend man we whose names are here under mentioned did go unto this Minister of Cavehold in Sussex the 16th day of this eleventh month 59. For to have him to set his hand against this Scandal Because we knew that there was no such thing offered by them from which this slander might arise And his Answer to us was that there was three Caveholds in Englaâ—d and that it might be at some of them But he said that he knew the man T.D. that set forth the Book and that he had one of them himself and he said he would send to the man to enquire of him and if he meant Cavehold
Councel and receive his word from his mouth to learn of Christ in silence with all subjection to hear his voice which his sheep only hear though swinish Scribes may search the Scriptures to enter by him who is the Door to bear hiâ— Cuâ—â—â— and follow him to pray preach write dispute and do all that I am cal'd to in the lâ—ght in the movings of his Spirit theâ—e all and an hundâ—ed more that might be nam'd are Ordinances of God which I am under and yourselves above who are clambering up another way in your own thoughts councâ—ls wisdâ—m and understanding above his light in the conscience that is the Door which till Ye lofty over-lookers of it the flying fowls of the air the hâ—gh-flown Climbers above vouchsafe to stoop and come down to ye shall never enter into the Sheepfold finally a holy life and that pare Religion that is undefiled before God while all the Religion of imture unbridled Lyaâ—s Wantons Wordlings c stinks before him and is defiled which is to keep a mans self unspotted of the world also to do Good works to be zealous of Good Works to be rich in good works to be wâ—ll reported of for good works to shew our selves Paterns of good works to learn to maintain be careful to maintain good works as necessary which â—ome because O V R works none of which are good the best of which are all evil further then wrought in Christ the light and by Christ in us are of none would make of none effect as to our acceptance with God and to walk in the good works which in Christ Iesus whoâ—e workmaâ—shâ—p we are we are created unto which God hath before Ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. theâ—e are Ordinance of God which 't were well for you all if you were as much under the observance of as ye are under the obliuiâ—n of which I neither did nor do nor dare say I am above though as I desire I never may so by the grace and power of Christ to me ward I do not live so far below them as Thousands do who are both above and below them also too proud of their fine forms to be brought down to the plain power and too much sunk down over head and ears in earth lust luxury love of money pleasure wordly-mindedness and buried in blindness brutishness and sensuality to be brought up and rais'd into any heavenliness of conversation yet all crying out of them as denyers of Gods Ordinances that live in the very life and substance of those lifeless Images and shadowy parts thereof which they only call so I affirm therefore here before God and all men that I never affirmd of my self in these Terms in which its here Testifiâ—d viz. that I was above Ordinances and for thy self T.D. and thy two witnesses to it T.F. and T.B. who are three Thomas'es very faâ—thlâ—â—â— and hard to believe the truth and for your faithlesness as hardly to be believed whether you will believe me yea or nay as its false that you here witneâ—s so the witness of all three of you against me in this will be of no more force to fright any friends of Truth into the faith or belief of what you say then so many leaps of a louse since ye are found deceiving or at best deceived in your other so credible information And as for the things viz. Baptism and the Supper which yourselves call Ordinances and keep such a quarter for as if they were the main matters which God hath Oâ—dained which only can lay true claim to the foresaid Title I might possibly say then as I shall plainly now not in any way of 〈◊〉 whateâ—er is of God though but as a Type and shadow in its time and season that to such as are grown throw those Elementary institutions into the Life of God which is the end and substances they Relate to they may be useleâ—s as to their own particulars as the light of a Candle is where the Sun shines yet I deny not the use of them to such as are not satisfied as to the Lord unless they use them But most people either I abuâ—e them and themselves in the use of them who neither knowing their right end nor use nor manner of administration do either chanâ—e and alter them into Images of their own making both in their Subject and their form and thus all Rantizers of Infants do and all feeders of Dogs and Swine with that bread and wine which they call the Supper for these things are not that outwaâ—d washing and supping which were used of old as meer figures and Images of the true but sigments and fooleries and Images of their own Imagining not â—o much as the Bodily Baptism which Iâ—hn baptizeth with but a trashy Tâ—adition of man which who so teach for a Doctrine or Ordinance of God do worship God but in vain not the true outside or shadow of the Supper for that is not a coming together into one place which is to decrease and vanish before the internal and â—ternal which increaâ—eth and is to stand nor the external sign of the True Cup and Table of the Lord but in Truth the very Cup and Table of Devils where drunkards and Swerers Lustfulness and all sorts of sinners and walkers beside the light who say they have fellowship with God but lye and have none sit in fellowship with their Father the Devil Or else secondly dote upon and Idolize those graven Images of their own which if they were as truly the things in use of old as 't is true they are but new inventions of their own yet as the brazen Serpent they must be but Nehushâ—an when once mens hearts go a whoring after them from that which is the end of them all and come not to Christ Iesus the Image and rigteousness of God and to witnesse that wrought and even him who is that Image brought forth and formed in them but continue poring upon those Rudiments or like one that falls in love with his own Image in the water and for love thereof goes down under it and drownes himselfe therein run down so deep into them as to lose themselves from the other and draw such a thick vaile over their hearts as the Iewes so as not to look much lesse enter into the end of the law of which is to be abolished that is of carnall Commandments contained in Ordinances which are not of the new but of the old Covenant which is long since ready to vanish which stood in earings and drinkings and divers Baptismes carnall Ordinances bodily exercises outward Observations in which the Kingdome of God stands not which is in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Spirit so that he who in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men For those meer Rites and Rudiments of washing eating drinking had their first being beginning rise and institution as Circumcision Passeover sacrifices and such
Rank Papists nor Rankers of our â—elves with them against the Truth in our maintaining of thoâ—e Doctrines I must therefore since the Lord hath laid it upon me if all the world would take me off it take leave here to enlarge so far as to enter the lists in one short single duel with T.D. alone about these matters desiring I. O. to have patience and stand by a while longer till I can have while to handle him and T.D. both at once in those points wherein they two joyne and issue out together making as it were but one head as to the doctrines wherein they oppose against the Qua and the rather because I find not I. O. in his book which elsewise is Brotherly enough with T.D. in bitternesse against the Truth and Qua. intermedling much there what ere he thinks in this so momentary a matter As for T. D. I have sundry things to reckon and reason with him in aboutit 1 I am to have a talking with thee T.D. in a few words for a certain abuse or injury done by thee in that passage of thine p. 14. wherein thou relatest that the 3d. Question debated on by us was stated in these Termes viz. whether OUR good works are the meritorious cause of our justification that I not onely held it in the affirmative but also disputed it in those termes of OUR good works in such wise as the Papists do so as to shew my selfe a rank Papist which injury in regard of the extent of it to the severall persons wronged is not more manifest then manifold yea verily seven-fold more then ordinary for as much as no lesse then seven persons are thereby most grossely abused and belyed that is to say not only my selfe whom onely thou intendedst should suffer by it but also thy selfe and five of thy chiefe friends too for want of thy forecast viz. 2 of them thou calâ—t Gentlemen and three of thy Master Ministers whose witnesse thou appealest to who are all more moderate and gentle Men then thy selfe it seemes as to their Testimony in this matter for they all and thy selfe too who bring'st them to bear witnesse with thee of the truth in this case do with one accord together with thee testifie another thing which is the very truth and no more then the truth viz. see p. 58. Of thine own narrative that the termes of the 3 d. Question were whether good works be the meritorious cause of our justification which as 't is there said truly was expressely affirmed by us without that figmentitious particle OVR in the sence thou usest it in which is of thine own forging and foisting in and adding to that term good works the adding of which in the eye of any save such as are not either Arrand fooles or else as the Proverb is more Knaves then Fools which yet is in plain terms the plain case of all that wink against the truth and will not seem to see it when they do doth alter the State of the Question so as to make it utterly another for who but such as either cannot see or which is worse may see and will not can chuse but understand that whether OVR good works at least in that sottish and sordid sense wherein the Papists hold it do justifie Is one Question And whether Good works do justifie Is another In which 1 st sense of the Papist when they say OVR good works whose Good Works as they call them are no better than other mens own are whose own meerly are all stark naught I neither do nor ever did affirm our Iustification to come but in the latter viz. that Good works meaning only those of Christs own working in and for us by the same power and spirit by which he did good works in that person in which he liv'd and dyed at Ierusalem then whom I know no other that can without his power work any Good I confesse I both then did affirm and own and as I then did in the power of Christ so I ever shall both affirm evince and maintain And whether it was in this latter sense only or in the former Popish sâ—nse in which thou T.D. art impudent enough to assert I held it he that will in no wise beleive me if I speak in my own case nor any that side with me in the truth but had rather give credit to T.D. let him beleive T.D. with all my heart provided he do but take his Testiomy to be truâ—st where its strongest for then he cannot but beleive me to be belyed for that T.D. who in p. 58. Sayes the Question was stated in these Termes Good Works which was the same T.D. undoutedly that sayes the other doth flatly gainsay and clearly contradict that T.D. And prove him a lyar that saves p. 14. It was stated in these Termes OVR good works and if any doubt which of these two selfe-overturning Testimonies of T.D. may most securely be taken for truth seeing they are 2. contrary Testimonies of one and the same man viz. that in p. 14. wherein he wrongs me or that of his own in p. 58. which I appeale to for right and am willing to be tryed by as touching his false charge of me as saying OUR good works justifie I say unlesse the Reader mean to wrong more then himselfe or me either by his misbeleife namely not only such of my friends as witness truth with me but also â— of T. D's own most eminent and credible witnesses so as to Judge them also to be all Lyars he must beleive what T.D. sayes p. 58. Namely that I affirm'd Good works justifie and beleive that to be a lye which T.D. sayes p. 14. Namely that I affirm'd OUR good works justifie for T.D. alone on his own head only sayes this last but T.D. together with his 5. Witnesses assert the other Thus then stands this case between me and thy selfe T.D. thou arraignest me openly at the Bar before the world p. 14. as a raâ—k Papist as saying in these Termes that OUR good works are the meritorious cause of our justification to which Inditement I pleading not guilty of saying OVR good works but good works are the cause c. How wilt thou be tryed quoth the impartiall Iudge the honest hearted Reader that would â—ain find out the truth in the Court of his own conscience whether thou be guilty of affirming and disputing the said position expressely in those Termes or not guilty I reply by God and the Country What evidence bringst thou in quoth the righteous Reader to T.D. against S.F. whom thou so accusest What were the Termes in which he and the Qua. expressely affirm'd it The Termes of the Question were these quoth T.D. p. 58. whether Good Workes he the meritoricus cause of our justification which was expressely affirmed by them Thus am I cleared in the sight of God and all men from T. D's Accusation by the true evidence of T.D. himselfe my accuser for we have
not Accusatum but Accusantem Reum confitentem not the falsely accused but the falsely accusing Malefactors own confession to his own confutation and confusion that the position was asserted not in the same Termes in which at first he related it to be asserted in so that what need any further witnesse for ye your selves of all sorts that read T. D's book may read the truth in his own Testimony but if any finding T.D. so fickle as to say and unsay judg him not fit to be heeded in what he sayes whether against me or against himselfe and will needs heare what others say in the matter whether I affirm'd OUR good works or Good works only Meritorious I need not trouble the world with the summoning in of more witnesses since fas est vel ab hoste doceri such as T.D. hath appealed to himselfe shall stand for me for as T.D. sayes p. 58. to the proving of T.D. to be a lyar in what he sayes p. 14. that 't was Good Works so H. Oxenden I. Boys N. Barry T. Seyliard C. Nicols agree in their witnesse with him and for ought I find as he sayes p. 58. So they say all and he that will not beleive them doth what in him lyes make them to be lyars like him as well as T.D. in gain-saing p. 14. that truth which himselfe and they with him do all assert p. 58. does not only make himselfe a lyar but also what in him lyes abuse not only me and himselfe but all them also so as to make them seem lyars also together with him Now then T. D. Let me expostulate with thee a little on thine own and thy freinds behalf couldst thou not bâ—ly me in some better way then that p. 14. whereby thou givest the lye if men were such fooles as to beleive thy single self before thy selfe and 5. witnesses both to thy selfe and them all in that truth ye all 6. testify together p. 58 if thou wouldst in no wise spare me who can expect no sparing but rather a shooting out of your poysoned arrowes against me even lying words who also can and do forgive thy forgery so far as it reaches only to the ill reputation of my selfe yet thou mightest have been contented to have spared thy friends thy Gentlemen and Ministers who as thou saift of them in thy Epistle to the Reader are Witnesses of the Termes of the Questions agreed to by the Qua. to free thee from the suspition of a partiall Relatoâ— so as not to have laid them lyable to suspition of lying by thy lying p. 14. against thy own and their true Testimony p. 58. or if not them yet at least have spared thy selfe so far as not to have stained thy self and thine own reputation and not have subjected thy selfe in the hearts of all to not only a shrew'd suspition but welny a certain censure of forgery so much as thou hast done in handling thy ill matters no better and making thy invented evill-intending Tale hang no more handsomly together then it does for which how far soever I forgive thee and thou in favour to thy selfe mayst possibly give pardon to thy own selfe supposed Saintship as freely as thou dost to David and all Saints in theirs in thy own foulest faults and abominations yet every Reader that loves the truth which thou hast wronged will remember and not so readily forget how eminently the Lord hath left T.D. in his envious undertakings to manifest the Qua. folly to all men instead thereof most palpably to manifest his own neither when the Lordâ—ises up to visit and to reckon and to enter into judgment with him for it will the seeming Saint without confession and forsaking so easily as he supposes find from him the forgiveness of his falshood Henceforth therefore T.D. take heed of lying at all to thy own hurt or if for want of love to it thou must needs bely the Truth and its Children for which wo and no lesse then the Lake must be thy Portion yet for thy credits sake a while have a care another time of lying so directly against thy self but remember that Opoâ—teâ— mendacem esse memorem it behoves a lyar to have his wits better about him then thou had'st in this busines least by going about to wrong another a great deal he do not only in foro Dei but hominum also before men wrong himself not a little as thou hast done who at this time wasâ—t not thy Crafts-Master so much as thy Craft was thine to catch thee in the Snare which thou laid'st and to pull thee into the pit and draw thee down into the ditch which thyself digg'dst for another for though thou travailedst with iniquity and conceivedst mischief and broughtest forth false-hood against thy fained-foe but unfained friend S.F. yet is it in such a foolish unsubtle manner that the mischief of the Serpent who was scarce like his cunning-self in the mannaging of this matter returns and so it ever must till it be bruised let him lye never so wisely upon his own head and his violent dealing and violaâ—ion of the truth comes unawares upon his own pate So Honi Soir qui mal perse evil still to him that evil thinks and howbeit fallere fallentim vâ—x est fraus as they speak for a man to deceive himself in that very thing wherein he hoped to deceive another is one of the most honest and harmlesse peices of deceit that I know and the least of all to befound fault with yet so it hath happened to T.D. in this one peice of his Archeâ—y against me and the Truth that he hath as he saith he intended to do p. 50. beat the Devil at his own weapon and outshot him in his bow yea and overshot himself so exceedingly alâ—o as that Not aiming right when he bent his Bow To shoot at a Pigeon he kild a Crow That then I affirmed good works to deserve Iustification I own and still affirm the same but I deny that that I there affirmed and here I affirm that I then did and still do deny the Papist best works which are not good what ere they call them to deserve Iustification or OUR own best works either who know no good works that we have but what Christ who works no evil works by his power worketh in and by us which as they are done by him in us are not ours but distinctively from ours 2 Tim. 1.7 Tit. 3.5 called his and as they are done by us throw his power in us are called our works Isa. 26.12 for as he doth them in us Mat. 10.20 2 Cor. 13.3 1 Cor. 14.25 and worketh in us both to will and do them they are truly his and as we work them in and by that power he gives may yet not in such sense as what we do of our selves be called our own Phil. 2.12.13 yea if we speak of what good works Christ did in that person only in which he appeared at Ierusalem
while we witnesse not the same done by him in our selves we cannot call those works OURS to justification more truly then Papists can who beleive as well as Protestants what he there did though they never look to do the like Quae non fecimus ipsi non ea nostra voco What he did in that person and not OVRS is his only yet and not OVRS but if we speak of what we do not only in our own persons but our own wills power and wisdom abstract from him and the leadings of his Light and Spirit I say Quae sic fecimus ipsi haec ego nostra voco these I call truly and only OVRS and so doth the Scripture Rom. 10.3.4 Phil. 3.9 and as for what OVR persons do in his light according to his will in the true movings of his Spirit and by no other but his own Power Quae nos fecimus ipsi sic ea nostra voco these being partly ours though principally his I have a liberty from the Lord truly enough to denominate by that name of OVRS yet as 't is fit he should have the perheminence as to the name who is not the cheif Actor but the only Author of them I rather chuse mostly to call them His though done in and by us and so again Quae nos fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco So there are 1. good work which are only Christs and not OVRS and and by these he deservedly stood justified in the sight of God in his own person which if he had not done and had he sinned he could not have done he could never have bin a high Priest able to justify others or sufficient to save to the uttermost such as come to God by him for such a high Priest it became us to have who is holy harmless undefiled and seperate from sinners himself or else he could never seperate sin from us Heb. 7.26.27.28 2. Again their are good works so called which are only OVRS and not Christs and such are all the best that we work without him of our selves even all our own Righteousnesse and Righteousnesses which are as an unclean thing as a menstruâ—us Rag Isa. 64.6 as dung and losse and not gain nor any way profitable to save or deliver Isa. 57.12.13 Phil. 3.4.10.10 And by these though done in mans willings and runnings in a way of outward conformity to the letter of the Law shall no flesh ever be justified any more then Paul was for these are not Christs all whose works are meritorious and acceptable to God and deserving no Condemnation that I know of and consequently deserving iustification before God but mans own Righteousnesse as that of the Iewes was Rom. 9 32.10.3.2.3 and Pauls was till he came to the Light though for want of coming to the Light T.D. in his dark minde saith Paul had no righteousnesse that was not Christs p 22. is meritorious of no more acceptance then Cains Sacrifice had which was iustly and deservedly rejected because its the evill doer still that does that good which God what ere the sinner calls it accounteth evill 3. Again there are good works which in different respects are called truly enough both Christs and OVRS viz. OVRS as done in and by Our persons Christs as done only by his power in us and by these last call them as ye will Christs as done by him in OVR persons or OVRS as done by us in his power is the justification of all that ever were or shall be justified both deserved and effected and not by what he did without them in that single person that once liv'd and dyed at Ierusalem while the same righteousnesse was and is not by that same power of his fulfilled within themselves and so 1 st detesting all that as Rotten Rags that 's done by meer man without Christ and disowning it utterly as giving no influence to mans justification both honouring and duly owning all that righteousnesse that was wrought by Christ without man as perfect pretious glorious acceptable to God unspeakably usefull to us and truly meritorious at least to his own justification that he might become as elâ—e he could not a meet Mediatour for man this 3d. and last I own only as the meritorious and perfectly effectual cause of mans justification and howbeit T.D. is so blind as to deny our satisfaction by that righteousnesse whereof Christ is the Author p. 23. and to beleive that he that holds justification by this righteousnesse of Christ that 's wrought in the Saints by his Spirit cannot be saved p. 38. For he owns this sentence there for truth viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying iâ— that principle cannot be saved Yet I not only say but see so much and hope as great a Malefactor as T.D. p. 54. makes me for it to make any save such as seeing will not see to see the same that he cannot be saved who holds it not but looks for Salvation in that Gospel which T.D. Preaches of a Iustification by a Christ onely without him and that he may fill up his floutings at it and compleat his cursing of it in the same Phrase he scâ—â—fingly renders my speaking this Truth in at the Dispute p. 28. I say again to all People That Gospel which T.D. and his fellows Preach of Salvation by Christ without them without the Revelation of Christ and his Righteousness within them will not bring men to Heaven Indeed People it will not And this is that I am to have the second Talking with T.D. about before I come again to I.O. viz. this point of Iustification whether it which we say is by Christs Righteousness and Good Works alone and not any thing that is done by us simply as of our selves be by the Righteousness of Christ without us onely as T.D. saith it is or by that which he performs in us also by the samâ— Power as we affirm it In the Prosecution of which matter which way soever the cause should seem to go in the Consciences of such as are considerate yet to the eye of every ordinary Observer of him T.Ds. weaknesses and absurdities are so gross and obvious that he that Runs may Reâ—d them sundry of which I shall give the Reader a taste of as I go along that he may know how to Relish him in the Rest. Hear then O ye deaf look and see ye blind Believers and Admirers of T.D. and his applauded Pamphlet how he to turn his own Terms to G. W. p. 24. upon himself interferes and cuts one leg against another and is not sensible of it and how he contradicts and confounds himself and that so closely cunningly and curiously that neither himself nor any of those who look like himself without their eyes can see it though to all others I confess 't is easie to be or rather hard not to be discern'd T. D. Tells the world that the Terms of the Question were
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
till the time that we come to see them and that come forth which is the onely Evidence which we come to see them by and he that pâ—ates of that thing as being so or so which to him is not yet known so to be is a buisie body whose tongue runs afore his wit his lips before the light that would lead him out of darkness his thoughts not a little out-run and out-reach his Reason Tum demum apud nos res dicuntur fieri cum incip unt patefieri to us things are onely as they appear so that whoever perks up and prates of what he knows not and of matters that yet to him are not which work which is that of the Priests in many things he that shall count him that 's in it a wise man shall by my consent be canonized a fool for his labour Iustification in Gods sight of a sinner is say the Priests before any Sanctification is at all in him but neither the sinner can know that there is any such matter as pardon of his sin or that he stands just in Gods sight appears not at all to himself not yet is it evident to us who tell him 't is so neither can we know it any more then he till Sanctification appear in him from which as that which goes before it ever in our eyes we come to the sight â—f it yet if he will believe us who speak of a thing we know not and talk we know not what and if he will take our words for it that his Iustification is before he be Sanctified who have no other Evidence of it our selves or whereby to make it Evident to him but this of his Sanctification which is evermore that which goes before the other for ought we see or can discern and if he will trust us implicitly at a venture he may but if he will not say I he may safely chuâ—e And as to that speech of thine out of Diodaâ—us I dare say it was not a Deo datus concerning good works justifying a man declaratively and serving in Iames's sence to approve a Believe in the sight of men for there 's not Truth in 't if meant so onely and exclusively of their use to Iustifie formally and absolve a sinner in the sight of God as it must be if it serve that turn at all to which thou usest it yea I contrarily affirm yet not denying but that they do declaâ—e before men the Faith of him that professes to believe in Christ to be true and not hypocritical that they also tend as well as that tâ—ue Faith they flow from to justifie formally and absolve sinners in the sight of God And though Paul Rom. 3.27 concludes that a man is justified by Faith before God without the deeds of the Law yet he never concluded as you cloudy Expositors of him conclude of his words which ye wrest beside his Right to your wrong meanings any such maâ—â—er as that a man is justified before God without the good works of the Gospel between which of Christs in his Saints and those of the Law which are mens own done without Christ of themselves ye never distinguishing run so far into confusion as ye do which deeds of the Law done in mans own thoughts willings and runâ—ings and not in the Light and Spirit of Christ the Power of God never reach the thing that is run after that is the fulfillâ—ng of it without which there is no life for the Law requires brick but affords â—o 〈◊〉 good works but it gives no strength to weak man in the flesh and faâ— wherewith to perform â—o the Letter onely kills and onely the Spirit givâ—s the Life So both Paul and Iames and we as much as Diodate and T. D. do for ever shut out them yea and so much more then any of you do we deny the deeds of the Law so done as to the doing us any good toward our absolution before God by how much we do both in our Life and Doctrine establish onely the deeds of the Gospel while you who doctrinally exclude the Laws deeds do yet practically establish them to your Iustification for howbeit in words ye establish Faith as that by which ye stand justified formally before God yet that faith ye act who believe God accepts your persons and perfâ—â—mances without his Righteousness inherent in your selves and while ye are yet impurged and not so much as believing you can or must be here purged from your sins is far from the true Faith of the Gospel being no other then the false faith or true fancy of those who were of Moses and the Law that trusted in lying words that could not profit them Jer. 7. Isa. 1. Isa. 58.3 who thought God did them wrong if he justified and accepted them not in their fastings and services though they never fasted from their iniquities nor loosed the bands of wicdedness as if when they had been at their formal humiliations for a day they had procured some dispensation to let Hell loose again and were then delivered to do abomination this kind of barren leafy lean-faith of yours who look for life in it is one of those deeds of theirs who were of the Letter and Law and not that of them who are of the Gospel Faith which formally justifies before God which who are of are blessed with faithful Abraham But now as to the Faith and other good works of the Gospel which all are the works of God himself and Christ Iesus working them in his Saints among which Faith in the Light is the first from whence others come without which they cannot be any more then it can be true without them and by the Name of which Faith for as much as all follow it all the rest are denominated in grâ—ss John 6. This is The work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent these are the Righteousness of Christ and of his Saints which is One the being of which in them and in him and not their being in him and not in them is counted by God to them as their Righteousness nor doth the Faith without them any more then they without it both which concur as one cauâ—e thereunto obtain formal Iustification in the sight of God So that there is a doing some and sometimes the same material good which deserves no good nor acceptation but rather evil and reprobation from God being not good formally but evil before him while the same that does material evil also does that good and such was Cains sacrifice which was else as good as Abels yet had noacceptance by Right as the other had because sin lay still at the door and 't was not the Righteous one but the evil-doer that did the good and the sinner whom we know God heareth not who had he done as bene as it was bâ—num that he did and offered it as well as the thing ofâ—ered was good had been justified as well as his Brother If
is not possible to attain to such a purging as this in the body no not by the very All-healing herb of grace it self His Antidote to preserve the Saints from too deep a sense of their sins is this whereas the Qua tell them that if the light in their own consciences accuse and condemn them from the face of God for sinning there 's no God nor Christ that holds them guiltlesse sith that of God within is his witnesse and vicegerent that what it sayes and judges in them is as the voice of God himselfe and if that create trouble man cannot create solid Peace Tush quoth T. D for to the same purpose he talkes though not in totidem verbis p. 19. what tell you us of Conscience conscience is often erroneous and not rightly guided in the very Saint Talk of conscience to the wicked its office is to be a witnesse against them for their sins which if it do not check them but tell them God loves justifies and accepts them when they sin it s defiled 1 Tit. 15. and leads them into a wrong opinion of their estates in that it testifies that their estate is good when it s nothing lesse for to the impure is nothing pure but unto the pure all things are pure and when the Saints sin and are defiled thereby the office of conscience as a witnesse in them if it do its office is to cleare and comfort and speak peace and if it offer to trouble them when they fall throw infirmity into fowl enormity and dare be so bold as to darken their evidence of Gods love and of their justification in his sight when they are guilty as David was once of things not fit to be named among Saints yet I dare be so bold as to say it is defiled in the Saints and testifies falshood to them also in saying that their estate is bad when for all their sins it is good no lesse then it tells lyes to the wicked that their estate is good when it s nothing lesse Thus we have the unconquerable and that uncontrolable comfort which T. D. Administers to the Saints when they become sinners and fall into the same folly and filth with other wicked men who is very a Boanerges or Son of thunder as he is in a few slight words more thâ—n the same solid power with Peter and Iohn to the wicked yet to the Saints of his own coyning is he another Barrabas or Son of Consolation I mean not another of the same with him who confirmed the Saints in their goodnesse and grace but another of another kind that comforts confirmes and chears up his sinfull Saints in their sins and dawbs them over who are dirty enough already if such he Saints as he sayes are with his own more dirty doings who would have them live as justified in Gods sight and as uncondemned in themselves as Saints whilst ore head and eares in their sins But will all this hold T.D. little did I once think ever to have seen such a dish of doctrine drawn by a divine from Tit. 1. 15. though unto the pure all things are pure was wont the same way to be wrested by the Ranters and for my own part had I been minded to look for such a licentiâ—us piece of Libertinisme as he would learn men from thence as I am far from it knowing that in maxima libertate there 's minima licentia yet I should sooner have lookt for a needle in a bottle of hey as they say then have lookt for the like from thence or have scrap't in that Scripture to find it if T.D. had not told me it had been there where yet for all his telling me of a justification of a Saint in his sins I cannot yet find or see such a thing nor any else I beleeve but such as are as blind as himselfe for the light in the conscience of both good and bad doth tell them infallibly what they are and testifie to the face of the best man in the world that God doth not justifie him while he sins which witnesse of God within their own hearts is greater then the witnesse of man and will have audience at last when it begins to speake out when such a one as I may easily be slighted who witnesse onely for God from it and therefore I shall say but little more to this matter neverthelesse when T.D. and his unâ—ust justified ones come once to feel it stand upon its feet which like an innocent just hâ—ly Lamb hath been hitherto slain by the beast within them because it torments them with telling too much truth great fear will then fall on such as see it and have made merry over it in its captivity and at the same time there will be a great Earthquake and lightnings and voices and terrible thunderings and great hail out of heaven the Plague whereof shall be exceeding great every stone perhaps about the weight of a Talent Rev. II. Rev. 16. the storm of which shall overthrow their open hiding places and sweep away their refuge of lyes and disanull the Covenant which these D unkards of Ephraim have made with death and hell and passe over them like an overflowing scourge so that they shall be all troden down by it Iudgement also shall be laid unto the line and righteousnesse to the plummet Isa. 28. To take a more exact account of them before God then they are willing to give of themselves who now not knowing the goodnesse and grace of God within them which in his love as a light is given to teach and to lead them unto Repentance Tit. 3. 13. Rom. 2. 4. to 13. Are in the hardnesse and impenitency of their hearts treasuring up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God whâ— in the day when he shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Iesus the Light according to the Gospell that Paul himself preached will mark in his righteous Iudgment Render to every man according to his deeds viz. to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternall life Yea glory honour and peace to every soul of man mark that worketh good But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every one that doth evill without respect of persons yet the Iew first who say they are Jewes and are not but do lye and are the Synagogue of Satan and also to the Gentile then shall they know that such as sin whether without the law or in the Law in the Letter shall be judged respectively by that letter such as have it and all by that light in the conscience by which all are a Law to themselves and that it is not the Hearers and Preachers and Praters against the Laws justifying but the doers of the Law onely by the power of Christ which onely does it
viz. onely and alone their deliverance in him from the sin in which they could never be just or any better then abominable in his sight but not in any that they should be saved from the sin and he by being in them become the Subject of it in their stead that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him and not he the Image of Satan forever in our Room so it s said 1 Pet. 3.18 that Christ once suffered for our sins the just for the unjust not that he might bring us to God only and not bring God to us nor so as to own and count us holy in our sins but to bring us to be Gods children by Nature and Image and not to bring us to be so thought and yet leâ— us like the Devill much lesse to make himselfe by sin like the Devil and that this is the onely end it s said for what the Law could not do in regard it was weakâ— through our flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in ourâ— flâ—sh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh as all sinners and no Saints do but after the Spirit Rom. 8.3.4 which is one viz. the 3d of the 4 Scriptures above named I am under the examination of T. D's Admirable answers too which that I may rid my hands on 't while t is in hand and not need to take it in hand any more and also because his answer to it suits so well with what I am here saying not mattering so much order as to tarry till its turn comes I shall take notice of his answer to it and by a briefe Reply take it out of the way as I go Having â—aid no other of the 3d verse then I myself do he grants that the 4 verse imports the end for which God sent Christ viz. that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us so far he is right and runs with me but then he speedily spoils all again adding that by that Term in us is meant not in our own persons but in Christ his righteousnesse imputed to us as if it had been inherent in our selves which I told him then when he uttered it as he relates p. 17.18 was his own meaning but not Pauls to which his yes started up against my no and so it ended for that time But a word or two with thee T.D. about it now Is the sense and meaning of that Term in us not in us but in another not in our persons but in Christ I never heard so much in all my dayes that I know of till I had it from thee and if thou hadst not told me so I should never have believed it to have been so any more then I can believe it now thou dost tell me it is so and that is to say the truth not at all for if this be so that when the spirit of God sayes in us we must understand him as intending not in us but in some other I can't tell where we shall have him nor how to understand him distinctly more then one can understand thee who oft speakst on thing and thinkst another and hast so many meanings for one Scripture somtimes that thou know it not which to take for true nor which of them all to fix upon as the Spirits but hangst thy people up in the aire there to hover with thy self in the Clouds of darknesse till neither thou nor they know well either where ye are or what ye say nor whereof ye affirm But surely T. D. though thou thinkst as all takers of Gods Covenant into their mouths that hate to bereformed and cast his words behind them do that God is such a one as thy selfe Psal. 50. and goest about to make thy more talkt on then well known unity in Trinity a Trinity of vain talkers and meer mockers of men like thy self saying one thing meaning oft another viz. that God offers salvation to all men but intends it onely to a few or at least by thy own confession offers it to more then he intends it though I believe thy words were as R.H. rehearses p. 40. and that twast an usuall thing with Christ to speak words of a doubtfull sense So that his meaning may be mistaken by none but illiterate Anti-Spiritists say I when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literall sense by every man not meaning every individuall but a very few and by all but some and that the meaning of the Spirits words Joh. 9. cannot be as the letter of them doth import ut prius p. 6.7 and so here that by in us they all three mean not in our persons but in Christ and a deal more of such Hoberdipoise but let the Father Word and Spirit which are one be true in their witnesse in heaven and every man a lyar that belyes them as thou doest for there is no such matter as thou intimately of them but the wayes and words of wisdome are all plain to him that understandeth pro. 8. and dark to none but the Children of darknesse and parables to none but such as seeing see not therefore must not see the mysteries of the Gospell which are revealed to Babes nor his secrets which are hid to none but such as fear not him whose secrets are with those that fear him Blind Priests and people hate the light Therefore of truth can have no sight Else how easily might they see that God Christ and the Spirit mean as they say and do not mean by all but a few nor by in out nor here by in us in another or not in us and if this may passe for a current answer to say God by yea means not yea but nay which he that hath his fingers in the fire and will not pull them out at the hearing of 't is almost pitty but he should be burnt This is an easier way to put off truth by then the common Creephole of all the Clergy when they are cronded up into a Corner viz. in aliquo sensu ita est in alie sensu non in one sense 't is so in another not which may serve not T.D. onely who hath more senses to one Scripture then every one hath or he should have though not enough to serve his turn but also the veriest Duncicall Disputant in the World Yea at this rates when Paul tells us that if Christ be not in us we are Reprobates and 't is Christ in us onely who is the hope of glory if I were minded not to admit of such a troublesome guest in my heart as Christ is to all such sinner-like Saints as T. D's Saints are I could easily turn him out into the Stable as they did of old that could afford him no Room at all in the Iune and excuse my selfe in it well enough too by telling him in T. D's distinction that by in us
corruption And if purchase may be granted to be meritorious of what is purchased he that useth a lower ministration 1 the Office of a Deacon well purchaseth to himself saith Paul,1 Tim. 3 A good degree and great boldness in the faith in Christ Iesus and he that will entertain holynesse and Christ when he knocks to come in deserves to have the Devill and uncleannesse driven out by him whose work it is to destroy the works of the Devill and the very end of his comming into the World as till a man does he deserves the Devill should dwell in him still as he must do and not Christ because 〈◊〉 existens proh betalienum And as to the last Query about which T.D. would be instructed as I see he had need I say no corrupt nature deserves totall freedom but the holy nature which is in bondage to the corrupt nature which is the enmity and to be slain and never reconciled for it is the Devills that deserves to be freed from the other that usurps over it as Esau did over Iacob a while the heir of all and as the seed of the woman deserves to be delivered from the enslaving seed of the Serpent And as for the Spirits renewing our nature but in part at 〈◊〉 that 's true but every part of that renewed nature is perfect and perfectly renewed in a measure and not partly renewed and partly corrupted as I shewed T.D. above every part of that which in its nature is perfect being truly perfect as the whole is So having totally taken away two of T. D's miserable mistaking answers to two of the 4 above named Scriptures whence we disputed with him the justification of Saints by the gracious works of Christ and his Spirit in them and not those in Christs Person onely it matters not much now I am gone abroad from following the first I began upon fully to an end if I fall upon that in Tit. 3.7 and make as quick a Riddance of his gracelesse answer to that and thâ—n I shall have no more to do but go to an end with that in I Cor. 6.11 which I am a little digres't from proceeding in for a while and with that I shall make an end for altogether as to this time with T.D. about the way of our justification by the holynesse righteouscesse and grace of Christ as inhaerent in us Our Argument is much what the same yet somwhat stronger then T.D. relates it p. 24. viz. that the grace of eternall life being that grace which ver 5. though oppos'd to the works of righteousnesse which we work of ourselves without the Spirit yet is the same that 's otherwise call'd washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy spirit it follows that we are justified by the washing of Regeneration and Spirit of Christ within renewing us To this T. D. saying in word I am much mistaken in deed mistakes himselfe much more in his semi-demi answering thus viz. that grace there is meant not of Sanctification but of the savour of God which is manifest in the donation of his Son to us imputation of his Righteousnesse and acceptance of us as Righteous in him Rep. What a messe of gracelesse grace is here of T. D's making here 's grace with a witnesse almost all manner of grace mentioned as materiall and of moment in the matter of justification but one which is of so much use that all the rest are in a manner uselesse till it come in and which makes all the rest grace so that to say no more then then truth they are no grace to us before it or without it and that viz. Sanctification while others are included is onely and alone excluded Poor Sanctification it s set aside it s thrust out still from entring the lines of Communication among its fellows T. D. stands against the dore so that if he may Rule the Rost men shall be in favour with God and contrary to what Divines commonly say when they say as they do all that Sanctification manifests Iustification and the favour of God have it manifested too in the donation of his Son to them the imputation of his righteousnesse and acceptance of them as righteous in him and so consequently a Title to the inheritance the Kingdome Glory and all the good that heaven affords to all eternity but washing Regeneration Sanctification Renovation by the Spirit Sanctification and Saâ—vation from the sins which sins deserve the wrath the curse and the condemnation which Salvation from the sins alias Sanctification must be before any well grounded hope of escaping the codemnation curse and wrath to come can be had this latter sort of grace is shut out for a wrangler by the wrangling contenders against the truth who had rather obey unrighteousnesse then it and their lusts then him they call their Lord and Saviour and must be none of the ingredients among the company of causes of mens acceptance with God and being accounted Righeous by him but if they be not Righteous and Holy must be counted to be so without it and if they be so must be counted so by that which resides in another person by which till it come into themselves they are not made so and without it by the being of which as in themselves and not as in another they can onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be truly made and really become Righteous and Holy and so that grace which mainly if not onely as it is a gift gives the proper name and nature of grace to all the other grace may say of it self cum nemo extru di potest itur ad me when none ought to be excluded as not meant where every grace God is mentioned in the Gospell I onely am left out alone and they seek my life also But Go too T.D. thou must not have thy wicked will in this wise against Gods about this thy so bold a bolting out of this grace of Sanctificatin from concomitating and concurring together with faith which is but a part of it the whole Series of the particular graces of which generall grace of Sanctification are all fruits of the Spirit in the matter of our being counted just in the sight of God But as blindly buisy as thou art to tell us in a far other sense then Paul does that if it be of grace then not of works and if of works not of grace yet I must tell thee that albeit it be of grace and as Paul sayes truly Rom. 11. and in this 3. Tit. 5. not of works of Righteousnesse which we work in our own wills wisdom and strength in obedience to the Law without Christ and the Spirit who onely can conform us to it and fulfill it in us otherwise grace indeed is no more grace but it being of grace that kind of work is no more work Yet it is not so of grace as that the fruits of the Spirit Sanctification Washing Renewing and the works of Christ in us are excluded
all for their enmity to the Scripture Secondly to recover both Priests and people as much as may be from under those dark cloudy conceptions of the Scripture which these two men being overcast with themselves labour what they can to beget others into as if all the worlds were for ever utterly undone and under the losse of all saving truth and utterly without any possible way whereby to come to the knowledge of the will of God concerning them in order to their souls Salvation from sin and wrath to come if the outward Letter or External text of the Scripture be not Talkt up into the Throne as the onely Lapis Lydius ex 3.5 33 sure Word of God infallible guide Trusty Teacher Supream Iudge perfect Rule stâ—m foundation stable Standard fixt unerring unalterable measure and such like as I.O. states it to be by which all Doctrines Faiths Words Writings Spirits true or false must be toucht tried and determined or else no man can be at any certainty where to be what to believe how to walk with God which to take for Truth and which to turn from I shall first plainly shew what the Scriptures are and what we mean when we talk of Scriptures 2. Briefly take notice of some of the base unworthy absurd abuses and fowl aspersions and unjust accusations whereby thou I.O. what in thee lies labourest much more abundantly and abominably I must needs say then the other as to this point to render us odious to all men as despisers and deniers of them and then 3 dly addressing to the controversie it self leave all who shall read such Animadversions as are to be made by me of thy unfound Assertions about it to judge by that light of God in their own Consciences whether themselves or we erre most beside the Scripture or most duly deserve the Censure of Anti-scripturists First then I shall here give all men to understand more distinctly yet then I have hitherto done what it is that I intend and what I would be understood as speaking of by this term the Scripture which is to be so often agitated in this Discourse between me and I.O. in whose Book also it is so often agitated and what sort of those Holy Scriptures it is which is the common Subject of which so much is prated and predicated by I.O. that is as utterly denyed by the Quakers That we may not by hanging in universals only which are in no wise or sense truly seen but by considering the particulars wherein they exist conclude of things in a tumultuous mist of Confusion as thou dost distinguishing where thou shouldst not and jumbling things into a kind of Omnigatherum which should be more singly and severally spoken of whose Trumpet gives such an uncertain sound that its hard to know either how or where one must prepare to the battel The word Scripture then though it be an Vnivocal nor AEquivocal as us'd by us yet is it a General Term and so Ambiguous and doubtful unless it be explained by its particulars signifying not only all other kinds of Scriptures good and bad that ever were in the world but also more kinds then one of that kind of Scripture which Abstractively from and more eminently then the rest in regard of its worth we ordinarily call The Scripture and have singled out from all the rest as our Present Subject What thou meanst in thy heedlesse handiement of this more General Subject I can hardly find thou drivest it on when thou Praedicatest this and that of it in most parts of thy Dispute at Randome in general terms and run'st away with the word Scripture at all adventure scribling it over again and again The Scripture is this the Scripture is that the Scripture is written by Inspiration of God the Scripture is the Word of God the Scripture is entire to a tittle perfect c. scarcely shewing which of those Three several sorts of it which thy self hast divided it into thou wouldst have us to understand thee as speaking of when thou denominarest these high things of it viz. Whether first thou mean the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou caliest them pag. 13. I The individual and immediate Manuscripts of Moses the Prophets and Apostles and such holy and honest men as were the first Pen-men of the sundry Parcels of that holy Scripture which was copied cut the Copy whereof is bound up in the bulk now called the Bible Or secondly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I the transcribed Copies thereof whether first immediate that were at first hand taken out of the first Copies Or secondly those mighty mediate and far remote ones taken by thou knowst not whom out of thou knowst not what Copies that were handed downwards successively not without some mixtures mistakes and for ought though knowest losse of much of what was at first throw all the dark Ages since then to this of ours by men that were some faithful and some unfaithful but none of them infallible by thy own confession p. 167. or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them in any thing to mistake which uncertain Copies ye have as your only Rule and Canon at this day in which Copies neverthelesse of the Originals yet remaining that may secundum te I.O. according to thy Concession be more or lesse crooked as it happens and thy self granting there are varieties among them cannot be all true Thou dost not blush p. 173. to adde and say That the whole Scripture entire as given out from God is preserved without any losse and within them all is every Letter and Tittle c. Or Thirdly Whether thou mean the several and various Copies of the Translations of those various and several Transcriptions into several Tongues and Languages What thou meanest I say or which of all these Three sorts of Writings whether the first Manuscripts only or the Transcripts and Translations also or the Two first only and not the last or all the Three which are all Three commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Scriptures When thou Praedicatest these glorious things of the Scripture thou dost not very distinctly declare but goest on in generals and that Dolus latet in universalibus thou art not ignorant so that he had need to be wise that very easily discerns thy mind and what thou meanest yet this I know full well and 't is the more shame for thee if thou be ignorant of it that some things may be said tru'y of some one of these that cannot without falshood be affirmed of the other Two and some things of Two that cannot of the Third and he understands neither what he saith nor whereof he affirmeth whosoever he is that without distinction denominates all the things that thou dost of the Scriptures of these Three sorts all alike or of any Two of them either most of which will upon due examination not be found duly
applicable to the very best But whether thou intend one or two only or all these Three throughout thy Book when thou contendest for the Scriptures to be now entire to a tittle as at first giving forth to be the Light Word Power of God and such like is not easie to learn If ever we hear of thee again about the Scriptures I desire thee to speak home as to these particulars and to write thy mind more fully and plainly and singly out as in all places of thy Book thou hast not done but as one that hates the Light and is not willing to come to close pinchest in thy mind and winkest and twinklest and triflest and keepest back as if thou wert afraid as no doubt thou art though he that doth truth is not Ioh. 3.20 21. to look the Light too fully in the face or Ex. 4 S. 14. Subtilius Disputare to dive too deep in thy Dispuration about the Light or as the Elephant to drink more then needs must in fair water for fear of seeing a foul face but veritas non quaerit Aâ—gulos For my part I shall deal ingnuously with thee in this There are some things thou affirmest of the Scriptures which I can grant to be true of some one of these Three viz. of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are not true of either the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Translations And there be some things to be said truly of these two that are not true of the first and some things of the second that are not true of the first nor of the third and somewhat of the third that 's not true of either of the other But when thou scarest so high as to affirm the Scriptures as thou dost in general to be the same in every tittle syllable and iota as at first to be the Word of God the Living Word the Spiritual Light the Power of God and much more as will appear when I come to Reckâ—n up and rank the things thou Praedicatest of the Scriptures in Order in order to my Answering of them I who shall ever put a difference between the Writing of the Word and the Word it self Written of do absolutely deny all these things of all the Three sorts above mentioned and if it stand so as that thou understandest all these Three as thou dost of one of them at least and that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transcriptions if but of one the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Manuscripts being all lost and mouldred and Translations all corrupted by thy own confession when thou affirmest all these things of the Scripture then so let it stand for me till I have tryed the truth of thy Positions after which I hope all that stands not upon good ground will of it self to the ground come tumbling down And as by the Word Scripture I mean excepting where such things only are Praedicated as are peculiar only to either One or Two of them and not to all the Three no less then all these three sorts of Scripture in the main Controversie with thee so no more then these three sorts and these not one jot more not yet any farther then quâ tales 1 So far only as they are Scriptures properly truly and formally so called and considered or outward Writings Expressions or Declarations ad extra by Letters legible to our bodily eyes however extant upon what ever outward matter capable to receive their impression Tables of Stone Walls Skin Parchment Paper by the finger of God or hands of men whether Writing the issue of which is Propriissime stiled Scripture or Cutting Graving Stamping Printing in which way since that Art came up the Scriptures are now most extant the effect of which though most properly it be called Print or Scuâ—pture yet not to be too close and curious in Criticizing about Cockle-shells shall be allowed by me as to our purpose properly enough to passe under that name of Scripture I say then 't is the Letter and not the Matter the Writings and not the Subjects Things Truths Doctrins or Word written of that is the Subject to come under Consideration between us whatever those things are that are therein declared though 't is like we shall not passe them by neither without taking some useful notice of them yet that makes nothing to us in the State of our Question as it stands before us nor will all thy tumultuous hudling it over in haste hinder this nor thy shuffles about it shuffle it off it is the Declaration that thy Disputation with the Quakers is about considered as abstract from what is thereby declared for by the Scripture I intend not the Law it self written nor the Gospel nor the Light nor the Faith therein exhibited to us and held forth to be read of in the Writing for these are not the Scripture nor is the Scripture any of these but the Writing it self that holds these forth I call no other thing the Scripture then that which is truly the Scripture and that is no other thing then the Scripture it self I call the Scripture or the outward Declaration no other things and by no other Names then those it calls it self by or are truly answerable to its nature and that is no other then the Scripture a Declaration of those things that were believed and of the Word of the Faith that was preached a Letter a Writing Holy Scriptures Scriptures of Truth Books of Writing that consist Treat of and Declare in forms of plain true suitable and sound words various true things sound Doctrines by which many unsound Doctrines of Divels of false Prophets Priests Scribes and Pharisees of false Brethren ungodly Men that creep in and turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness of false Apostles that brought in Doctrines contrary to that at first delivered and served their own bellies and not Christ Taught for Doctrines Traditions of men of Iannes and Iambes that resisted the Truth of Baldam the Nicolaitans of Iezebel and Satan which are all written of and declared in the Scriptures of Truth as well as those of God Christ the Spirit the Light and Truth it self do stand not approved but reproved and condemned useful Histories of what was done and spoken in sundry times and ages past by God and Christ and the Divel himself and Men good and bad and by Balaam and his Asse also Pretious Prophesies of things viz. of good to the good of bad to the bad Comfortable Promises to the seed that is the Heir of them Terrible Threatnings to the seed of Evil doers and Woes to the Wicked Profitable Epistles to such as they were Wrote to Blessings Curses Prohibitions Commands Copies of Psalms and Songs that were sung Proverbs that were spoken Letters that were written from men to men some by good men at the motion of the Spirit of God some by Evil men out of malice against Gods Servants at the motion of the Devil Some not without
judging thy self consequently enjoying the other but that thou art not in any wise for howbeit by thy own confession there Sect. 16. Capellus grants thee that the full enjoyment of the saving Doctrine of the Scripture is yet to be had or obtained by such as look chiefly after that let the Letter be never so corrupted yet thou art at no hand content with this but piteously pinest after something else which is not this saving Doctrine of the Scripture nor the Doctrine in it but another thing from which this contained Doctrine is distinguished and that is the Scripture it self which thou judged thou hast not notwithstanding thou hast its Doctrine unless thou have the Letter or Writing also and that so exactly and entire without alteration and ablation that not a tittle of it nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be found lacking these are thy words Sect. 17. Nor is it enough to satisfie us that the Doctrines mentioned are preserved entire every tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture in that Writing see Sect. 13 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have must come under our care and consideration and to say the truth as thou putest a difference between the Scriptures of Truth and the Truth written of in the Scriptures sometimes as I ever do so it is the Scriptures of the Truth more then the Truth it self of which they are the Scriptures that thou mostly scrawlest for in those thy Scriptures for them which yet as is said above are not more for in shews and words then in deed and in truth they are against them nor is it the most substantial parts of that bare Letter that thou wranglest for so much as for the more accidental parts thereof viz. the points trivial tittles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then it is concluded hitherto on both hands First by thy self as well as â—ly by me that the Scripture and its Doctrine are not one but two several businesses whereof the First viz. the Scriptures are the subject matter so contended about between thee and the Quakers As for T.D. he draws his neck out of the Coller here and after he had engaged me to discourse it publickly with him whether the Scripture were the Word of God or not and at the dispute desiring to know what I held about it when he heard how I on the Quakers behalf declared what we meant by the Scriptures viz. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. the Letter and that we onely deny that Denomination of the Word of God to that not to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word or Doctrine or Truth of God written therein he gave us the Question without more ado saying thus You cannot believe us to be so simple surely as to affirm the Scriptures in that sense the Word of God but we mean the matter contained in the writing whether that be our Rule of Faith and Life P. 26. of his first Pamp. which subject matter or Doctrine and Truth contained in the Writing and testified to in it which was before ever the Writing was and is as to the substance of it eternally and unchangeably the same Christ the Word the Wisdom Righteousnesse of God the War Truth Life both yeaster-day to day and for ever we never denyed to be the Word and Rule and Foundation and what ever else I.O. and the whole School of our English Scribes do ignorantly and falsly say the Scripture is though we are mistaken by most as denying the holy Matter it Treats of so to be but the matter is not the Writing or the Scripture but that which is onely written oâ— in it but the outward written Letter or Scripture much more the Book in which the writing is which I.O. is so busy for and for every point written title and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this not onely we deny to be the Word of God but all our rash reproachers of us as denying the Scripture to be the Word when we come to their faces are fain to fall in and deny the same with us also so Christopher Fowler after a long hot Publick Dispute at Reading with E.B. and my self upon this question Whether the Scripture be the Word of God or no in which he contended a great while together it was at last confessed openly and plainly before all the People and Magistrates there present that the Scripture or Writing and I know not what else is properly and truly the Scripture but the Writing is not the Word of God after which concession of C.F. they would hear no longer dispute but the Quakers were driven out of doors But I.O. standeth stifly to it that the Word of God is the Proper Name of the Scripture and even of every tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it against the Quakers for that the Truth and Doctrine of it or of Christ declared in it is Spiritual Powerful saving Perfect so that Cursed will he be that adds to or detracts from it no Quaker will deny and to fight for the perfection and integrity of that with them is but to fight without an Adversary Howbeit I.O. when thy Brains as it were begin to crow as they often do like a man in a maze thou fetchest another turn back again upon the wheel and as inconsiderately as contradictorily to thy self thou blendest and confoundest these two sundry things that were before so severed by thy very self into one again so that as the two sticks aforesaid became one in the Prophets hands so these two that were sometime put asunder and with thy own hand inscribed with different Titles are joyned Indentically Intituled denominated each of other as Synonymous of two that stood divided made one individual of two sticks become one under thy own hand which writes of the writing and the thing written as of one and in its handling of them handles and feels no such matter of distinction between the Scripturam and the Scriptum the Literam Scriptam and the rem or Doctrinam or veritatem Scriptam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptiunculam Verbi de Verbo and the Verbum Scriptum the Letter or VVriting and the Doctrine or Truth written the Scripture of or concerning the Law Light Gospel and VVord of God and the Law Light Gospel and VVord of God it self of which the Scripture is but a true writing or Declration Yea whereas in that one single Section lastly cited Tr. 1. ch 1. S. 13. thou makes distinction in thy sound no lesse then four times between them first the VVritings and the Doctrine secondly the Writing and the Doctrine thirdly the Book and the Truth fourthly the Book and the Faith in the very Section immediately foregoing viz Sect. 12. which is as small as this thou all things well considered as they stand therein almost if not altogether as frequently dost confound them
true that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses by imitating what he did by the finger of God and acting outwardly so as he as far as they could till they were forced to confesse they could now fainedly follow no further and in a seeming shew did the same by their Enchantments So 't is now the Saints pray so do the Sinners the Saints fast so do the Sinners the Saints preach of a Gospel a Kingdom to come so do the Serpents the Saints meet so do the Hypocrites the Saints Worship so do the Idolaters the Saints in the Power and Spirit of God professe to be Godly and Holy so do the zealous Sorceters in words who bewitch the people that they cannot believe and obey the Truth and their several seduced Societies which have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Form of Godlinesse denying the power thereof c. And as it is true that as the Quakers Tremble at Gods Word so that the power of Gods voice which shaketh the Cedars of Lebanon when heard as well as the lower shrubs ofâ—â—times greatly affecteth the outward man so the Devil may cause some of his deluded ones to seem only to do the like But what of all this Scillicet because there is something done in Deceit therefore nothing now done in Truth some Quaking is of the Devil therefore none of God himself This is the sum of I. O's sayings of all the Quakers in grosse if not learn henceforth I.O. to take forth the prelious from the vile as Gods Prophets do who are as his mouth Ier. and not to jumble these together in one as hitherto thou hast done till then I tell thee from the Quakers so called that faining and being driven by the Devil thou fatherest on us we are far from and deny it as one of the many Lyes the Devil drives thee to defame us with who are in the Truth which the Devil abode not in whose Works with himself and his Lyes and that Deceit which is of him and dwells in thee we deny and defie also for ever And now whereas thou talkest of only Liberty and Glory and Fellowship with the Father in these dayes of the New Testament and such Quaking Trembling Terrour Dread c. as greatly affects the outward man as a matter belonging to them of old only to the Iewish Paedagogy c. as if the Word must come to you now in a smoother manner then to Gods Servants and Prophets heretofore Herein thou talkest as if the time of all such Trouble Terrour Dread and Trembling at hearing of the Word of God as usually affected the outward man and was in the Prophets was all perfectly past and men should see no more of that in the world among the Servants of the Lord from that time and forward wherein Christ after the flesh was outwardly incarnated Crucified and Risen again from the dead and all the Appearances of the Lord to his Apostles Prophets Messengers Ministers and Servants whom he sends forth on his Errand into the world now a dayes are only in liberty glory dreaming pleasantly in thy dark mind of ease rest peace and familiarity with the dreadful God before thy time damning down the rough severe troublesome terrible trembling spirit doctrine and Ministry of the Quakers to thee ward and thy serpentine generation of Vipers that would fain flee the wrong way when ye are warned thereof from the newes of a wrath yet to come to your lifelesse Formes and fig-leaves and false biding-places sandy sickle foundations literal lurking-holes fained pretences bare Bible bulwarls selfish Fastings Prayers Praisings Preachings misty empty pithlesse and poor Professions as a Doctrine of Devils as a ministration wherein either fictitiously or rather really they are acted surpriz'd by the Devil with trembling in their holy services Ex. 1 S.I. as they said of Iohn that came Fasting and Reproving Iudging and Threatning laying an Axe to the root of their fair leafy tree and flourishing formal prosessings of the old Prophets Words and Writings and pretences to Abraham as his Children and Moses as his Disciples and the Scripture as the Scribes and Openers of it and telling of wrath to come upon them and unquenchable fire to burn them up as Chass this man hath a Devil away with him give us a Ministry that will speak comfortably to Ierusalem Seers that will see better things for Sion that shall answer the Messengers of the Nations that enquire of them the Lord hath founded Sion 't is Babylon that is to be confounded O ye Quakers ye Seers flee ye far away hence to Rome to Papists Iesuites Iewes Turks Heathens among whom many Quakers have been but few or none of our Chimney-corner Church-men that I know of but come not hence with your Plumb-line thundring words of Iudgement laid to the line and Righteousnesse to the Plummet and laying waste the High Places of Israel and the Sanctuaries of Israel with the Sword of the Lord this our Land of Israel ought not to bear these words 't is disturbance tumultuousnesse and Conspiracy against the Pious Magistracy and the Godly Ministry in the midst of it Prophesie no more such rough things at Bethel they are not right things here Prophesie to us Placentia Prophesie smooth things alias Deceits we are the Preists of Bethel the house of God Amos 7.7 c. we are the Ministry of the reformed Churches we are the Well heads and feed at the Fountains from whence Souls draw all their Refreshment we are the Doctors Deans Principals Provosts Presidents Wardens Masters of Magdalene Christ-Church Iesus Trinity Emmanuel and such like Christian Colledges and Halls the Religious Nursing Fathers to the Nursing Mothers themselves that are alias ought to be the very Nurseries of Learning and true Religion If ye come to us with a Word from the Lord come not in your wonted trembling postures and obstreperous horrible vociferation wherewith ye dreadfully found it out throw our Streets Cities and Temples know the Lord as if we were without God in the World Prophesie no more ye Fanaticks to us in your pretended movings by the Spirit if ye do ye must bear and take the shame of the Stocks or the Cage or the Whipping-Post and a Passe to the place from whence ye came or the pulling off your Robe with the Garment or the stopping of your Mouth with stones and the Pumps and Mire and Dirt or such like Mic. 2.6 7 8. But vers 11. if a man walk in a Spirit of Falshood do Lye will Prophesie to us of wine strong drink Ease Pleasure Peace with God in our sins impossibility of being purged from them till we die and of Salvation and Iustification of us by the Example of David while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and of Profits and Preferments and more Maintenance for a Godly Ministry that suppose Gain to be Godliness let him come he is a Gospel Minister he shall even be the Prophet among our
of the Scriptures but say only in words of truth and sobernesse that they are not to be so exceedingly Adored and Idolized by men as theyâ—â—re by you who make them little lesse then All in all things to the Church the Papists speak much in disparagement of the Scriptures in which we say they do but blasphemously babble against them viz. That they are inferrior to the Humane Traditions of their Church or at least to the unerring breast of their Ghostly holy Father without whom opening and authorizing them they are of no more use nor authority then Aesops Fables and such like Reply 3. Whereas thou art ashamed to Relate the horrid foolish Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of their blasphemies against the Scriptures I believe that 's true indeed though all the rest are palpable Lyes for if thou shouldest Relate the Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of the Truth of this thy Charge of them which is utterly false then thy Lye which is plain enough already would be seen more plainly then it is for in all the Titles of the Quakers Books that ever I read who have read Ten times more of them I believe then thou hast done as I have seen Christ only exalted on the Throne and the Scripture owned in its place so I never saw and am perswaded also thou never hast seen any thing Written by the Quakers that borders on the foresaid Iewes and Papists blasphemings of the Holy Scriptures and therefore as I cannot much marvel at it that thou art ashamed to do it so I do not much blame thee that it doth so much shame thee as thou sayest to Relate the most foolish of them If it were true there was malice enough in thee I.O. to provoke thee to have instanced some Particulars in proof of this parcel of Scandal to the fuller shame of the Quakers whom to scandalize what thou canst is thy chief design and to have named those blasphemers and their Books but pudet referre sayest thou I am ashamed to Relate c. Thou art loath to be too punctual in thy Proof lest it proving too short of thy Charge the stain thou wouldest have stuck upon the Truths Friends should be stricken back upon thy self and the Lye come to lye at thy own door for if sounded out too loudly and distinctly it might Eccho and rebound home again to thee the Author and so redound to thy dishonour so thou fold'st thy self like the Serpent whose seed thou art in indefinite complexes or at least lapest thy self up in Universals and darest not lay thy self out at length nor grow too far into Particulars for dolus later in universalibus quae nunquam bene sentiuntur nisi ex particularibus suis as Deceit lyes most securely and keeps best hid in Universals which are not clearly perceived but by the Particulars in which they exist so by being beheld in the said Particulars both they and the Lyes that lye often in them undiscerned come more unavoidably to be discryed Reply 4. Whereas thou saiest thou thinkest meet to set down our Opinion as Collected out of our own Books and Speeches and accordingly dost declare what we hold as concerning the Scriptures thou most plainly Confutest thy self as to the Lyes thou tellest of us for thy self acknowledgest of us that we own that the Scriptures do contain a true Declaration of the Will and Mind of God proceeding from the spirit of Christ inspiring the Writers that thus far we are right and that we stand to this Confession without any renouncing it only that we would have wholly rejected the Scriptures without doubt but that things have not fell out according as we could wish do deny them to be the ordinary inalterable perfect and standing Rule of Gods Worship and our Obedience without the Revelations of the spirit and such like And this sayest thou is the summe of these mens Iudgements c. Which if it be where 's the wicked Blasphemy all this while wherewith thou Chargest us For there 's none as shall appear in the worst of this which yet thou settest down as gathered out of the Quakers Books and Speeches which thou sayest bear blasphemous Titles against the Scriptures but pudet referre I blush to set them down must answer all These things I O. do convict thee of telling many notorious Lyes against the Quakers even too many for a man to tell that calls himself a Minister of Christ and D. D. though not all by very many which thou tellest in thy Book some of which lyes yet left they should not be loud enough ' to come under every ordinary Readers Observation if told but once are either expresly or implicitly two or three times over related J. O. The Jewes Papists and Quakers differ among themselves it so falls out that they who in all other matters are most different in Opinion conspire altogether in this blasphemy viz. against the Scriptures The Papists and Enthusiastical Fanaticks do perpetually War against each other they mutually devote each other to destruction They are not acted by the same Reasons but those for their Traditions these for their Enthusiasms and Revelations Contending tooth and nail and so like Sampsons Foxes with their Tayles turned to each other bringing fire-brands on the Churches Bread-Corn they all attempt together very friendly to thrust down the holy Scripture from its Place The Papists do earnestly endeavour to detrude the Scripture out of its proper Place in the Church our Fanaticks tread in the same foot-steps with them into which wickednesse those among the Papists that are called the Spiritually have led them the way And elsewhere thou Reckon'st us up among the rest as Enemies of Gods Word and haters of the Scriptures Reply 1. Howbeit I. O. thou who in thy Epistle pretendest it to be thy aim and intention in thy Discourse to discover the Reproach that is cast by many upon the Scripture to its disparagement and to vindicate it therefrom dost as in most things else wherein thou bend'st at us discharge thy Bow at a venture so as at Random to rank us as joynt Abettors with them in grosse in that one grosse and common Cause of Caluminating Vilifying Decrying Denying the Scriptures among Atheists Pagans New Testament Contemning Iewes Papists and the whole Rabble of Rude Reproachers thereof whether in Whole or Part as if we were if not the Ring leaders yet at least the Rere-ward of the Ragged-Regiment of Anti-scripturists of what ever sort yet in this thou hast most grosly abused us and thy self also by thy false Accusing and Belying of us to the world in that Particular and must most assuredly come into Condemnation in â—he Judgement for Condemning the Generation of the Just for however thou mis-reportest of us to the causing of many to mistake us yet of a truth we are no such manner of People as thou wouldest make men believe we are but such as shall manifest our selves
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
at all in Vindication of the Popish Clergy in any of their Devilish doings nor scornful or spiteful speakings against the Scripture but of another Interest even that of the true Clergy or Heritage of God as remote from Theirs and Thine too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am an Opposer of thee as to that same Book wherein thou so vehemently Opposest the Papists hence many may as some already do suppose I am in far firmer friendship and fellowship with that Fry of fighters against the Scripture then with thee and thy fellows who wouldest fain seem at least to fight against them for it but if any man will be ignorant of me and my honest meanings let him be ignorant for my part as I am a well-wisher to all Souls and am in friendship with all men having and holding as truly Pacem cum Personis as cum Peccatis Bellum so I am in no fellowship with that in all men whether of the Romish Religion or that which informe is more Reformed that is not in fellowship with the Scriptures for that which is not in union therewith is not in fellowship with God fighting against neither smal nor great save only against the sinful seed of the Serpent in them which from the spirits of the spiritually throughout all Christendom spawnes it self forth in spite and spiritual wickednesse against the seed of the Woman who must bruise his head at last though he obtains for a while to bruise her heel between whose seed which is one and his seed of every sort whose name is Legion for they are many the most endlesse enmity is so that though I appear against those Paper-works of thine wherein thou appearest upon the Stage in part against that Synagogue of Satan but more palpably against the Synagogue of the Saints yet this is not all to gratifie the Romanists in their scurrilities against the Scriptures more then thee and thine Abettors in your scarce Schollar-like much lesse Scripture-like scoldings for them but as occasion is Pro Scripturis for the Scriptures which notwithstanding thy empty Apologetica's for them ye and the Papists also are both utterly against I shall not spare to grate hard against you both as such who while you are scribling of the Scriptures whether Pro or Con are yet our of that precious Truth the Scripture tells of and against that living Word that eternal and internal Light it calls to which leads to that Life of God that the Scripture calls for 3. In regard that I am and shall unavoidably be found in this present Controversie with thee saying some things against thee and thy untrue Assertions for Truths sake yet with a due Respect thereunto which the very Papists say though truly enough yet too disrespectfully about the Scriptures In this respect though I would not have them so yet I believe some are and some will be if peradventure these Premises prevent it not so blind as to believe I own the Pope and his Apostolical Church because I cannot own all that as true and Apostolical which some Prime Protestants tell for Truth but rather tell the Truth with him when he tells it about the Scripture or any other thing then Errour and Lyes with those who pretendedly for the Truth and Pro Scripturis Protest against him For I must give the Devil his due so as to acknowledge his Words to be true when he speaks the Truth though to a false end rather then sooth up thee I.O. or any other men so as to say the Crow is white and that ye utter Truth when ye tell utter untruth though against the Devil himself to please either thee or them Howbeit many men in these dayes and not a few of those who are called Christs Ministers and counted well studied Schollars or at least would not be well contented to be not so accounted are yet so dim as without any more ado to deem them to be Romish Priests under Pay from the Pope who own some Truths which his Priesthood owns as if because at Rome they own Christ to be the Son of God they must needs be of that Church who deny him not so to be but more especially any Truths which by these Divine Deemers are not Deemed to be Truths and thereupon disowned by their non-discerning selves upon whose crazy Concerts and cloudy Accounts and crooked Conjectures some that do more service to the Truth against Popish Fictions in a year then themselves do in an Age are thorow their shallow surmises by their implicit Faith't People as sinisterly supposed to be Supporters of the Papal Hierarchy because themselves whose Idol the Letter is are not digested in all their Extravagant Exaltings of it though the Popes extream of Exalting his leaden Legends and Holy Chaire above it be more professedly distasted and detested Thus such as believe according to the Scripture the general Grace and Love of God in giving Christ to die for all men for as much as that also is believed at Rome seem to these senslesse ones to favour too much of Popery because the empty understandings narrow Nodels and heedlesse Head-pieces of many Protestant Parish Priests are not as yet enlarged enough to comprehend it who notwithstanding being blear-eyed at home whilest Eagle eyed abroad Nunquam vident id manticae quod in tergo est never come to see or sent that plain Popery of their Parish Posture and Parish pay by way of Tythes which the Night is now too far spent for any but Owles Bats and Night-birds not to see that its of the Pope sith though its a piece of stark rank and Popery not held without the guilt of Perjury yet as it s their own suus cuique crepitus bene olet so it s that which serves their turn better at this time then the Extirpation of it Root and Branch according to their Oathes which would savour lesse of Popery and more of pure Pietv will ever do Of this sort of Evil Surmisers is T. D. who not only as thou I. O. dost Accuses us me in particular as one big with and spitting out venome against the Scriptures for not owning those outward Writings as the only Rule of Faith and holy Life but also accounts of us as no other then broachers of Popish Doctrines and bringers in of the Popes Baggage for dissenting as in other points so from his blind Tenets about the Scriptures Yea so earnestly doth T. D. drive on his Design of Insinuating it into mens minds concerning me that I am Popishly affected that he finds occasion of Accusation against me as so as well where I more fully own the Scripture then himself does as where I may more easily seem to one that 's blind to deny it Witnesse his words Page 27. 1. Pamph where for owning the Epistle of Paul to LAODICEA which he sputns at as Spurious he flyes thus foolishly in my face T.D. We know quoth he your Brethren of the Popish Party have laid many such Brats at
the Apostles Doors which they will not Father and you shew what you are in Abbetting their Wickednesse Reply 1. What a wicked and Adulterous Generation of men is this like that in which Christ lived who would have something to say against the Gospel and the Truth let it come handed to them which way soever they would neither lament at Christs mourning to them in Iohns Ministry nor Dance at his Piping to them in his own but reject and belye him when he came contrarily to them in Iohns Fastings and condescendingly to them in his own Eatings and Drinkings as either having a Devil or being a Drunkard or a Gluttòn or a Friend of Gods Enemies and Sinners or somewhat or other still that was nought rather then own the Truth at any hand that in both Ministryes was held out unto them So is the Ear of our now Pharifaical generation of Scribes stop'd like that of the deaf Adder at the Voice of the Charmer let him Charm never so wisely among whom T.D. is a Chieftain who Ranks us among the Popish party as spitting out our venome that we are big with against it Page 28. 1 Pamph. and as denyers of the Scripture together with them because we deny many false things that many such Ministers as himself do most absurdly affirm of it and yet Charges us as Brotherly owners and Abbetors of the Papists wickednesse also for owning the holy Scripture in many parts of it wherein our English Ministers do not blush to deny it and so consequently for owning it much more truly and fully then themselves Thus Heu stirpem invisam Hei mihi quod nâ—llis amor est Reparabilis Herbis If we should as they falsly Accuse us own the Scriptures lesse then our Accusers do we must be Papists if we own them more and more of them then themselves do we must be no lesse then Papists We must stand doom'd as Papists who be we nere so wary Are Papists deem'd in this and in the clean contrary But that I am not so Popishly affected as I am as well every way as every where misrepresented to be by those who to sit the more securely in their own Popishnesse do in the Apishnesse of their Spirits sound it out with a dreadful noise to the stunning of their already Pope-serving people Popery Popery against all that come neer to Storm them out of their Popified Parish postures practises and preferments to what I have said sufficiently above I shall now adde what followes in evidence thereof whether you will hear O all ye my unjust Accusers in that particular or whether ye will forbear to the perfect ending of my Protestation which I have begun to enter against that Synagogue of Rome viz. First That whatever they may own of what I have above or shall yet say I own not them as Apostolical nor as any other then that Apostatical Harlot which together with her two Brats that more lately are broken out from her bowels viz. Prelacy and Presbytery hath in Three parts as the great City is said to do before its fall Rev. 16.19 sate like a certain unity in Trinity and Trinity in unity or one great Tripartite Mystical Babylonish Whore with her Tripple Crown upon the many waters or Tongues Nations Kindreds and People and reigned over the Kings of the Earth Rev. 17.1.2.15.18 And as to their behaviour toward the Scripture which they wofully mistake themselves to be the only Trustees to whose care and custody it was committed I professe against them with I. O. that they have wofully misdemeaned themselves towards it as by sowly betraying and to their own eternal shame falsifâ—ing that their pretended Trust corrupting depraving vitiaring interpolating adding detracting forging foisting into the Scripture what never was of the spirit so by abusing it every way so that none of the Copies of it as it comes thorow their hands whether Original or Translated and if thou I O. canst shew any that come thorow other hands of which thou canst say infallibly they are not altered and corrupted as in thy Book thou hast not done Dic quibus in terris eris mihi magnus Apollo are fit to be a fixed stable Rule or infallible Guide to us thoroughout in the knowledge of the Will of God And lastly for take it at the worst its worthy of a better carriage towards it then they afford it in a scurrilous scoffing way underva'uing vilifying defying unworthily depressing it far below it self as much as it is over-valued Idolized blindly worshipped deisted and enthroned far above it self by your selves who together with the Popish party like the Frog and the Mouse being very busie in busling against each other with your Bulrushes about the Scripture in your two opposite Imaginations will find a Generation that waits upon the Lord and mounts up with wings as quick-sighted as an Eagle though no better then a blind Buzzard in your eyes who will winne the field from both you stout Warriours which are at it tooth and nail to your own ruine and shall one have no more thank from God then the other whilest for all your zealous pratings pro and con in two different Erroneous extreams concerning the Letter ye are both exceedingly and both extreamly erred from the Light it came from and the Life it calls for the one exalting the bare dry bones and dead body of the Letter above the Word of Life which Letter too is magnified more in an empty sound of windy plausible Commendations of it then by any so much as outward Conformity to it in Conversation the other establishing the dark lumpe of their own lying Legends and dead stinking Carcase of their Traditional Divinations partly derived from faithlesse Forefathers and partly divined forth from the deep pit of their Great Ghostly Fathers fathomlesse Fancy as a Standard in stead of it So that howbeit I.O. the detestable wickednesse of that Antichristian Conclave who as thou sayest sell themselves to work all manner of Abominations against the Scripture I abominate as much as thou canst do yea be not thou so blind as to believe that I abet them in any of their beastlinesse of that nature yet withal do not thou believe that that while I abandon their brutishnesse I can own thee in thy blindnesse and the many absolute Absurdities whereby thou grossely abusest it and the truth and thy self well-nigh as much another way who perhaps thinkest thou canst not easily if at all be transported into Errour while thou art Extolling the outward Text of Scripture and gain-saying at a venture all that those Debasers of it hold out about it for aâ— the time is coming as thou truly enough Prophesiest unto them wherein it shall repent them for ever that they have lifted up themselves against this sacred Grant of the wisdom care love and goodnesse of God page 4. oâ— thy Epistle So say I to thee the time is at hand wherein it shall repent thee that ever
for a final Answer to I.O. and T. D. both as to that matter of the non entirenesse or perfection of the Letter which was given out upon Inspiration of its Integrals to this day and an Answer to I O's Confident Positions and Challenge concerning the Uniformity of all Bibles without variety in the least which to his own Confutation I here set down in his own words of which yet more use that way may be made hereafter I O. Pag 319. Neither the Care of 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 the least from that which we enjoy or that those we have are corrupted as is pretended the Authors of that Insinuation cannot produce the least Testimony to make it good And pag. 317. Let the Authors of this Insinuation prove the Assertion Name'y That there was ever in the World any other Copy of the Bible differing in any one Word from those we now enjoy Let them produce one Testimony one Author of Credit Jew or Christian that can or doth speak one Word to this purpose Let them direct us to any Relick any Monument and kind of Remembrance of them and not put us off with weak Conjectures c. and it shall be of weight with us And Epist. pag. 27 28. We evidently find various Lections n the Greek Copies which we enjoy and so grant that which Ocular Inspection evinces to be true yet none of them are able to shew out of any Copies yet Extant in the World or that they can make appear ever to have been Extant that ever there were any such various Lections in the Originals of the Old Testament And so I come to take my leave of T.D. again for a while till I meet him again as I must do where he meets in one with I.O. in many other places and return to walk on a while with I. O. about the Inclosure and Bounds of his Synodically composed and Humanely Constituted and compleated Canon which he takes it for granted by Tradition before it be given him by the true Anti-Traditionaries that it was Closed and Bounded by Divine Authority And as concerning this Consignation Signing Sealing Setting out or Authorizing of the Canon as to the Measure of it or number of Books so Canonized the Nature of which as a Rule or Canon is anon more spoken to I say as above I am yet to learn that Lesson which I. O. who by road Repeats it for Truth as if he had it at his fingers eâ—ds never yet learn'd himself I believe by root of heart nor can ever Teach me that by divine Authority or any otherwise then Iure Synodico by meer mens Will Wisdom and Imagâ—nâ—tion as they sate in Councel together not standing in Gods Councel the Light in the heart taking Counsel but not of him nor at his mouth but each from other and Covered with a Covering but not of his Spirit it came at first to passe that some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Holy mens Writings by the Spirit must passe for Currant Coin and stand as the Standard and Reign as a Rule and Command in the high Authority of a Canon as the Word of God as truly as that very Word that comes immediately from Gods own mouth to holy Pen-men or that Word it self which the Letter writes of and other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Writings of Holy men yea some of the self same men that wrote some of the rest and those as legitimate too according to T D's Hypothesis as the rest should be spurned out as spurious so far at least that they must not inherit with their fellowes that conceited Immortal Inmutable and Everlasting Crown of that Solemn Canonization I. O. I am sure upon his Principles must grant me thus far that if the Bible of Scripture which he confesses to be his Canon Lydius lapis and Touchstone to try all by doth no where Testifie any such thing within it self of it self that such Books Prophesies Stories Epistles Letters Psalms Proverbs and other Writings as are Bound up in it are of Gods and such as are not there Bound though born Testimony to there as of as divine Original as the rest are not of Gods own Canonization then it must be counted that that precise Consignation of the Canon as Consistent of such only and not of such Books had its Original being from some Convocations or Sessions of meer men that were neither Prophets nor Apostles but some that doted as Doctors do now a dayes being none themselves on the Prophets and Apostles Persons and such Writings of theirs as best pleased them Out of the Scripture I know not where I. O. can pore for proof of any thing who looks awry upon the Light and Spirit it came from saving into that Thing which he so often calls his own Thoughts all which with me are not worth Three-half-pence as to the begetting of any infallible unfeigned Faith And if he will alledge 't is so that this that 's in our Bibles and Copies only is the Rule of Gods own Consignation and none of the rest mentioned there must come into it he is Certain of it he thinks so to which Tune he frequently Sings in his Second Treatise or heap of uncertain Assurances or most Assured Vncertainties about the Points he may keep his Think to himself if he will and never thrust that forth as an Argument to evince any thing to us by its labour in vain for we verily believe that in the most things at least that he gives us his Thoughts about he does think it to be as he sayes he thinks ' t is But what 's what he thinks to other men Is there any reason that we believing our own Eyes should beleeve the Testimony of a man of no Credit with us Asserting that for Truth which we know to be utterly false I appeal to J O. Epist. Pag. 20. But if he will say the Scripture speaks any where of the Bounding and Consignation of its Canon by so many or so few or by such and such Books as are Extant only in your Bibles and no other I would fain know where it mentions any such or where-ever the Apostles in any of their Synods or Sessions had any hand in any such matter and if not I iudge I O. to be past such a Child as to believe that what the Synods of succeeding Ages Constituted Authorized Canonized or Established was done purely Per jus Divinum or Apostolicum either Yea what I O sayes to the Quakers in the Case of Calling to the Light within Ex. 3. S. 32. Proferant Fanatici vel unum sacrae Scripturae locum vel udum caelitus demissum Testimonium quo ad eorum sidei obedientiae Regulas seu directiones mittimur c. causam non dicimas quin triumphant serio c. which Challenge of
I. O. I am to Answer him in else-where So say I to I.O. T. D. or any other Thinkers or Seemers to themselves to see Proferant Fantastisi c. let these Pretenders to the Vision of this matter produce but one place of the Holy Scripture or any Testimony from Heaven but such a one from above they can't who deny Gods Spirit so speaking in these dayes as of old wherein God Christ or the Apostles set out the distinct bounds of their Canon Directory or Standard of the Old or New Testament by such a precise parcel of Books as are in your Bibles and exclusively of any other holy Writ whether mentioned or not mentioned therein and wee l not say but they have Cause in this Case though if 't were as they say they must hang down their heads with shame in 20 more to triumph in earnest Si autem de suo tantum loquuntur mendaces sunt neque verum est eorum Testimonium if they talk of their own heads of things about the Scripture which the Scripture Testifies not of it self they are Lyars and their Testimony is not true As to the Canon as ye call it or Standard of the Old Testament there 's not the least Tittle of Tendency to any such thing hinted there that it should consist of so many Books and such shall stand in it and such other though as legitimate and mentioned to be of God therein as well as the rest shall be shut out and stand by And in very Ezra alias Esdras his dayes when there was such a Paucity of Copies as thou well sayest I.O. Pag. 177. That in very deed the who'e Law was burnt as to the Originals its like at least 2 Esdras 14. 21 22 c. The Care of him and his Companions was great as thou sayest as to the Restoring of the Scripture to its Purity when it had met with the greatest Tiyal that ever it under-went before insomuch that what Books could be gotten together were copied cut or else written de novo by the light of understanding kindled in Esdras his heart by the Lord and many excellent thing done as to the Recovery of the Law into more purity in the very Letter of it out of the Babilonish rubbish c. but what 's all this as to the settling of this and that and t'other Prophecy into the distinct measure of a Standard by divine Appointment and dis-Canonizing all others save such as are in your Bibles called Canonical whether those of the Seers Gad Nathan Iddo and the rest abovesaid that are specified in your Bibles or those later which are allowed a room and standing in your Bibles though not a room and standing in your Rule and Standard thereof called Apocryphal of which some were Esdras his own as well as some of the rest Besides 't is evident that Esdras and his Companions if the Consigration and Bounding of the Canon were in their dayes or by their Sanydrim set a work and ordered by the insallible Spirit of God therein wrote a number more of Books 2 Esdras 14. 42. 44. then are now Extant in your Bibles which if all lost it makes against I.O. still that sayes not an Apex of what was by divine inspiration is lost and so his great Engine out of which he shoots short against the Truth his Standard and Canon comes still lame and short and halting home And also though Esdras and his Company Compiled many yet the last Volume of the Psalmes is more credibly supposed if I would enter into I. O's Work of Answering Conjecture with Conjecture to be truss'd up together in the dayes of the Maccabees but all here is uncertain and carried to and fro by Conjectures and so there 's nothing sure on I. O's side And as to the newer and later Scripture since Christ where is the least touch of such a businesse of Constituting some few certain Books of those many more then we have which were then written into a Canon and discarding othersome whether such as we want or such legitimate ones as we have as that to Laodicea from within the Coasts and Quarters of your Canon Nay rather the Scripture of the New sayes as in the places above Cited Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.11 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet. 1.20.21 That all Scriptures that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given or written by Inspiration of old time were to the same purpose that any at all were so that if any of it all then all of it is to be listed into that Lydium Lapidem and to be Confederate with the rest and to come by right into the Confines of your Canon all what ever was so written being alike written for our Instruction alike profitable alike publick and none of it of a more private Interpretation then the rest Does that of T. D's Citing and I. O's also Ex. 3. 26. viz. Iob. 20.30.31 prove any such thing If that be Exclusive of any Scripture at all it must be of all that which was written after it forasmuch as according to T. Ds. Exposition of it it intimates a sufficiency in that which was already written and if wee l be befool'd with his sinister senses and mindlesse meanings on the Scripture that when he had written that there was as much as God himself thought sufficient to be written at all as a rule of Faith or in order to mens beleeving pag. 28. These are Written that ye might be'eeve and have Life as if he should say Here 's enough what need more And as the Preacher said of old Of making many Books there 's no end by these be thou Admonished they are words of Truth therefore heed no more Eccles. 12.10.12 Will any of you say that in Iohn yet T. D twines it such a way will bear such a Construction as to be Conclusive of some Scriptures of Spiritually Inspired men into the use of a Canon or Standard and exclusive of others as much of God as those On this account as one might Interpret Solomon as cutting off from the Canon all the Prophets Writings that succeeded his in the Old Testament Scripture so one must Interpret Iohn as Excluding out of the Standard of the New Testament all ensuing Writings of Holy men but his own and his own Epistles and Revelation also which were Posterior or Successive to his History then in hand as utterly uselesse and superfluous Credat Apelia Doth that Gal. 6. 16 As many as walk according to this Rule or Canon do it which blind Guides and People so hastily patter over as if that mentioned the whole Bible and all that Writing and not a Tittle more then what 's bound up in it besides the Apocrypha when I shall shew in its proper place it s spoken of no External Scripture of Writing at all I say will that prove some to be Authorized of God for the Standard and some even of the same Holy mens Writings though yet extant not to be so Is there
not send out an Answer to I know not what and to that which ends I know not where and runs I know not whither taking the Councel of the Poet who said Ne immittas pecus tuum in pratum ubi non est sepes I. O. Thou sayest Epist. pag. 19 20. That thou darest not mention the desperate Consequences of that Opinion concerning the Novelty of the Hebrew Punctation being affrighted among other things by a little Treatise lately sent thee wherein the Author who-ever he is from some Principles of this nature and unwary Expressions of some learned men among you labours to eject and cast out as use'esse the who e Scripture or Word of God Reply Which Scripture say I had it never been nor were it more to be as it must moulder once though as I told thee above I am free it should stand its time for such service as to cast out such men as useless that have cast off the Light and Spirit yet is the Word of God as useful still as 't was before and ever will be being that by which all is upheld for ever when the Scripture that yet testifies of it shall moulder and come to nought as thy scribling Scripture that testifies to that more holy Scripture shall do And as for thy frights I cannot blame thee for crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thou seest thy Foundation sink and fail and crack under thee which is but a fallible Letter a Sandy Seat a brittle Bottom but such as stand on the Rock of Ages which the Scripture witnesses to will stand in the approaching storms wherein thou and all thine will fall Mat. 7. And some see the end of that thou knowest not the Mystery of I. O. That had that Leprosie or Opinion about corruption of Scripture undermining the Authority of the Hebrew verity kept it self within that House i.e. the Synagogue of Rome which is throwly infected it had been of lesse importance it is but a farther preparation of it for the fire but it is now by the subtilty of Satan crept in and broke forth amongst Protestants also with what design to what end and purpose thou knowest not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the day will declare it Epist. pag. 13 14 27. Reply Yea and does declare it to many already though ye that are of the Night and darknesse where nothing but Errour and Terrour is see no Truth and are afraid of your own Shadows and in the guilt of your guilful gailed Consciences and benighted minds fear what it will grow to and what mischiefs and inconveniencies will ensue on searching too critically too neer into your own Rule of Scripture but though ye â—ommend as thou dost Epist. pag. 20. the knowledge of the Tongues and the use of that knowledge in Critical Observations and that Study and Employmenâ— as unexpressibly advantagious and helpful in Explanations of sundry difficulties yet feeling your own and your fellows mind measuring others each by himself to be exceedingly vain-glorious curious uncertain after a door of Reputation and Renown is once opened as ready quickly to spread over all bounds and limits of sobriety ye are afrighted to think what will now come on it to have learned men exercise their Critical Abilities about the Scripture for fear they find your Foundation faulty and fallible and full of flawes and so had rather believe it to be sound at a venture seeing ye know no better to stand on then to have it sounded and found to be so unsound as it is Epist. pag. 20 21. J. O. That it is not imaginable what prejudice the Sacred Truth of the Scripture Reply The Truth told in it I tell thee is the same for ever and can't be changed let the Scripture become what it will and suffer the losse of its whole self J. O. Preserved by the infinite Care and Love of God hath suffered already hereby Reply And as if not enough thou teachest Criticks and tellest wayes to make others Criticks that never meant it whereby instead of thy helping hand such is thy Wisdom in the handling thy own businesse like an ill Bird that bewrayes his own Nest to Recover it its likely to suffer more J. O. What it may further suffer for thy part thou canst not but tremble to think Reply Yet to be sure it suffers nere the lesse but rather much more for thee and though thou art not more afraid then hurt yet some are not afraid nor hurt who dwell higher then thou dost whose place is the munition of Rocks who see the end of that which seems a terrible gulf and praecipice to thee viz. That when Theeves fall out true men will come by their Goode and all things by their proper Names and Nature I. O. Thou sayest Epist. 25. That thou caâ—â—â— not but tremble to think what would be the issue of such a Supposition that the Points Vowels and Accents are no better guides to us then may be expected from those who are pretended to be their Authors pag. 220. Reply Therefore the best way is to suppose nothing at all about them it matters not much whence they come there they now are and thy carking will not prove them to be of these men or those Novel or Antient and then all thy often tremblings about that Toy will be taken away Neverthelesse whether thou leave or cleave to them it s much at one to thee tremble thou must at the true Word of God when all is done first or last what ere becomes of the Scripture of it I. O. That lay but these Two Principles together namely That the Points are a late Invention of the Jewish Rabbins on which account it confest there 's no reason we should be bound to them and that its lawful to gather togeâ—her various Lections by the help of Translations thou must needs cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where shall I stand as not seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all Sacred Truth pag. 25. Reply As if the Light and Spirit were lost and all Certainty lost if the Letter be and all I O's rich Possession perish'd if Points fail And yet what uncertainty soever ye come to thereby certain enough ' us that there are various Lections and of the two for ought thou makest appear to the contrary 't is more certain that the Points were an Innovation Invention and not from the beginning of the Writing then otherwise and as certain 't is that I.O. himself if he could see it or would confesse what he confesses doth little lesse then confesse it so to be while he can say no more but that As he shall not oppose them who maintain them Coaevous with the Letters which are not a few of the most learned Jewes and Christians against not a few learned Jewes and Christians by I. O's Confession viz Elias Levita of whom he testifies pag. 284. That he was the most learned Grammarian of the Jewes
more twenty fold more to and fro Expositions so that though Truth is where it was before the Letter was among them that love it and security and certainty no where but there where it is only and ever was and will be viz. in the Light and Spirit and among the livers there but not among the Talkers of it that are Livers and Walkers after the flâ—sh I O. Thou sayest pag. 294. That let the Points be taken out of the way and let men lay aside that advantage they have from them and it will quickly appear what devious wayes all sorts of such Persons will run scarce a Chapter or a Verse it may be or a Word nor a Line would be left free from Perplexing contradicting Conjectures the words being altogether innumerable whose significations may be varied by an Arbitrary supplying of the Points for who shall give a Rule to the rest what end of fruitlesse Contests what various and pernicious Senses to contend about yea to expect Agreement is fond and foolish and this gives but an humane fallible perswasion that the Readings fixt on by each is according to the mind of God Besides who shall secure us against the Luxurant Spirits of these dayes who are bold on all advantages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to break in upon every thing that 's Holy and Sacred that they will not by their Huckstering utterly corrupt the Word of God i.e. Scripture how easie is it to see the dangerous Consequents of contending for various Lections Reply Is your Word of God possible to be utterly corrupted ours is not Is your Foundation Rule c. so rotten such a Nose of Wax how easie is it then to sore-see that it must melt afore the fire of the Spirit And of what dangerous Consequence is it for you to stand on no surer ground then that which is so easie to be changed for does thy Perplexing Prate make it the lesse alterable or free it from mens Perplexing contradicting Conjectures while thou objects but thy Conjectures to theirs none of which must Rule the roast or be a Rule to the rest and doth your Interpretation which is variable both Rerum and Verborum were your Transcripts never so steady give any more then meer fallible perswasion that your Readings and Sense which is all the People have is right Ah poor men who labour in the fire and weary your selves for very vanity in screel-scrawls about your Scripture while by the Spirit the Earth is filling with the knowledge of Gods Glory without such absolute necessity of the Letter as the Waters cover the Sea I. O. Thou sayest pag. 211. That the Points are of importance to the right understanding of the Word of God Reply Ah poor People as well as poor Priests too if it be so not one among a thousand of the one nor one among twenty of the other being capable to read Hebrew either with Pricks or without I trow which way must these come to the understanding of Gods Word from the Rabbies mouths or Gods own For my part I am far from believing such necessity of Points to understand Scripture by seeing 'tis as to the Substantials of saving Truth rendered pretty well into plain English that poor â—eople that with honest hearts read it may see how to be honest much more to understand the Word of God it self which is not the Scripture which yet I. O. intends by that term of the Word But on that which is uttered in every heart from his own mouth out of which Wisdom it self sayes Prov. 2. there comes Knowledge Wisdom and Vnderstanding there shall I wait with thousands more that are there waiting and noâ— upon the Dreaming Doctors while they divine out their meer Dreams Thoughts and Opinions about their Poâ—nts and Punctaâ—ions Besides Riddle me this I.O. if thou canst Whether the Scripture were never rightly read nor understood by Holy men that did read it in the Spirit without Points before Ezraes dayes from which only thou traducest thine own Orignal of the Points which thou makest of such importance to a right understanding of the Scriptures I.O. Thou sayest pag. 252. That to be driven out of such a Rich Possession as the Hebrew Punctation upon meer Conjectures and Surmises thou canst not willingly give way nor Consent Reply Poor man Is that thy rich Possession that so much benefit comes by as thou sayest pag. 267 the chiefest Treasure the Church of God hath for many years enjoyed as thou sayest pag. 163. the Inheritance which even every Tittle and Letter of which as thou sayest pag. 176. many Millions have looked on as Theirs with such high account that for the whole Worâ—d â—ther would not be deprived of it Do the Riches the Ornaments the Excellencies the Enjoyments which thou art so extraordinarily afraid to be Kobbed Spoyled Plundered Driven out Deprived of that your Consolation seems so much to consist in that who so does not so much as totally bereave you of or nullifie but only under-value so as barely to Novellifie and deny the Antiquity and Necessity thereof does no lesse then utterly stop the very Wells and Fountains from whence ye should draw all your Souls refreshment as thou sayest pag. 216. Do they I say stand in such Counters and Pins Pins heads Points Point Tags Childish Toyes and Trash as these Indeed when I was a Chiâ—d I did as a Child thought as a Child spake as a Child understood as a Child but when I became a Man I put away these Childish things which yet University Doctors are very deeply doting on to this day Like Boyes that ly brawling about Bawbles which they prize above and will not part with for far more serious precious matters blessing themselves more in a Bag of Cherry-stones and fearing more to lose caring to keep them then wise men do theirs whose Riches lyes in that which can't be lost So doth I.O. busie himself with fear and much trembling about these perishing Points Vowels Accents about his Cametz's and Patack's Tsere's and Segols Chiricks and Cholems Sheva's and Sciurech's Athnach's Kibbutz's and Cametz Catuph's hoping he is rich and encreased with Goods and hath need of nothing while he enjoyes them thinking within himself Populus me sibilet at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simulac numinos contemplor in arcâ Not knowing that for all this being out of and against the true Light he is poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked whose Poverty I pitty more then I prize such uncertain Riches of which I may say as the Poet Formidare malos fures incendia servos Ne se compilent fugientes hoc Iuvat Horum Semper Ego optârim pauterrimus esse bonorum Howbeit I.O. Possession being eleven points of the twelve that thou wilt not part with it willingly I cannot much blame thee considering how 't is with thee upon thy Principles 't is a rich Possession indeed in one sense as poor as 't is
it from what is suggested to his own Thoughts from Hear-say and other mens Talk to and fro and Tradition and as he Confesses all along â— heap of Vncertainties and Conjectures so that all the tumblings and tossings snapings and snarlings of even the Protestant Divines about their Scriptmre is but about their remote Transcribed I cannot say well neither for most Transcribed Copies too are out of the way since Printing came up but Printed Copies of the Text which are all not more lyable in any thing to be then in many things they are already falsified which since the Primitive Copies are concluded to be gone and the infallible guidance of the Spirit by I. O. T. D. and all Divines excluded out of the World also though they tell us Translations must be Rectified by their Transcriptions yet if they happen to be as an hundred to one they are and none knows in how many in any things crooked or various from the first there 's no means of Rectifying or Reducing their supposed Rule to Conformity to the first literal Rule nor of amending it any otherwise then uncertainly for ever But suppose I say ye had the Primitive Copies could you make more ado in Adoring them then ye Doctors and your People that dote on you do about your various respective Transcripts and more various Translations out of them into sundry Tongues and Languages which Translations yet are all in somethings not more several in their sorts then the Tongues into wch they are translated and divided into as many Senses as the many men that Translated them thereinto which said numerous untrue Translations also are as to the Letter if they look not to the Light within and live not by that all that the poor blindly guided mis-led Priest-befoolled People who ken not Hebrew and Greek many of whom can't read English neither have to trust to whose Faith about the Scripture it self which thou callst pag. 155. the Foundation of that Faith and Obedience God requireth at their hands and whose belief of the Truth or untruth of this or that Translation is as much pin'd upon the Priests sleeve here in England still as it is at Rome it self in this and some other matters for there they Believe as their Church alias Clergy believes and take things on Trust being not suffered if they were able as here though suffered they are not able to try the Truth hereof and by meer Tradition from their illiterate Purblind Priesthood and no otherwise do they here as to their Tratslâ—tions then upon Traâ—iâ—ion â—rusting to the fidelity and to that infalible certaines of their supposed learned leaders the Serâ—â—es then whom no men are more humpered in a heap 〈◊〉 uncertainties about the Scriptures What would ye do more to the very writing that was inscribed with Gods own finger if you had it in way of homage then ye are doing to your respective doted on derived copies Do you not dance about them as Israel about their Calf saying these are thy Gods O England that brought thee out of bondage to thy sin to which yet they committing it they remain servants to this day Iob. 8 and must save thee and lead thee into life and are perfectly sufficient without the light and spirit within the Quakers talk of as that which the letter came from and alone can do it to instruct thee in the knowledge and worship of God and thy obtaining of everlasting Redemption Do you not Canonize and crown them with the Titles of the only Perfect Rule Foundation Light Witnesse Living Word of God the Lydius Lapis Unaltered Unalterable Standard Touchstone immediately come forth from God to us without the least interueniency of Wayes or Mediums obnoxious to fallibility or capable to giue Change to the least â—ota or Syllable Are not these as high Titles as ye could give to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they were here Do you not say and do this and much more to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the People to no more then their meer Translation Yea do the Iewes say or do more in way of Adoration to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Synagogues then beautifie adore guild lift up in their hands exâ—al them with high Applauses Hugge and Kisse them as ye do when ye Swear upon a Book and such like outward magnifyings and makings honourable of them which is the utmost that I have seen them do in their Synagogues throw many Nations without living that substantial Holy Life the letter calls for And do you do any lesse as to outward Adoration or any more as to inward and real Observation towards your Bibles Yea do ye not all as well the People that have no better then their uncertain yet certainly untrue Translations from you as so many of you of the Clergy as can read the Copies of the Originals for many cannot read the Hebrew Text at all and some the Greek as â—etle as that as necessary as these Tongues were made a while since to the very esse or being of Christs Ministers who have no better â—hen your uncertain Transcriptions cry up your several Transcribed and Translated Copies respectively that best like you and every one hugge his own at least as most insallible however crying down others as corrupted And how beit if any one of them were so as none of them at all are yet all of them can't be right as each one faith that is that he takes toâ— Are ye not all noysing it out as the Iewes at â—eâ—usaâ—em and the Gentiles at Ephesus Jer. 7. Act. 19. of their Respective broken Reeds the Temple and Diana to which they trusted Great is Diana The Temple of the Lord The Word of God The Word of God Inspired The insallible Word oâ— God are these The perfect Living Liâ—e giving Soul saving Word the very Power of Gâ—d unto Salvation Are the Iewes more mad upon their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theâ— People are upon their untruly Translated and you Divines upon your untruly Transcribed and both on the more Kreanously yet Trans-printed Sculptures Talking and Treating up your Respective Texts into the Throne where Christ the Light and Living Word alone should sit making little lesse of your Copies then some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Cornu-Còpia Deo forsan quapiam melius For what are all the Ephesian like Glamours eager Out-cryes loud Noises of the people here for against the Quakers Are they not for the bare Bulk of that Book called the Bible the out-side of which they are at great Care and Cost to Paint and Guild and Bind and Beautifie and Adorn and Adore while the Truth exhibited in the Writing or Text thereof lyes trampled under their feet Saying the Ruâ—e the Foundation the infallible Standard the Word of God of no more then their by the self Conâ—essed in many things corrupted Translations counting the Quakers not fit to live in the Land any otherwise then Out-law'd because they can't
not to be believed when she talks the Truth p. 225. So I may say of thee though I believe thee when thou speakest truth yet thou utterest so many untruths that thou scarcely deservest to be believed when thou tellest the Truth but yet if thou be of any credit with thy self and thou wilt but take thy own word then we are well enough and have wherewith to answer thy challenge having thy self in the self same Book we have here to do with speaking more then one word at least and that 's enough ad bominem to this purpose viz. that there was in the world a Copy of the Bible different from what we now enjoy in one word at least and that 's in more then Tittles which thou who art Callidus more then Callidus in thy Re frigida contendest for sith the Keri and Ketib those 840. words which are confest by thee to vary in their Consonants from what they should be written with if what is in the margin were in the line are confest by thee not to have been so from the beginning which if not then there was once a Copy different from what we now enjoy but of this thou wilt hear more from us by and by Secondly p. 300. thou sayest the difference in the sense taken in the whole context is upon the matter very little or none at all at least each word both that in the margin that in the line yield a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith Rep. Here thou mendest thy bad cause as well as one can well do that makes it two-fold worse then 't was before for if there be welnigh a thousand words not onely different in Consonants which is greater then that of Tittles but also such as makes the least difference in the sense of the Spirit which how many so e're the Text may bear is acknowledged by all but your selves that make many to be but one alone ever to one word or place then thou thy self overturnest that certainty and Identity of not onely the Text it self thou so loudly contendest for but also in some measure of the Truth it self contained therein which we say is eternally entire let the Text run which way it will but thou here art forced to confesse that in the Keri and Ketib there 's not onely a variation in words but also thereby in the very sense it self And though thou wouldst fain mend it when thou hast done by mincing the matter making as if the Context considered the difference in the sense is upon the matter very little and agreeable either way to the Analogy of faith as ye often speak whereby if not blinded ye might see how for all ye call the Scripture your Rule of Faith yet ye more serne the Scripture into the sense of a suitablenesse to your modern devised model of faith still then suit and model your faith according to the true sense of the Spirit and mind of Christ in the Scripture yet that 's a meer false seeth and â—â—gment of thy own for in some places there arises from the Keri and Ketib a very vast variety not to say clear contrariety in the sense such as if the Context be consulted with is consistent with the faith but one way onely and not the other and sith thou puttest it to the tryall by the variety of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the same in sound yet most distinct in their significations and so of all the varieties that are of this kind seeming to thee of the greatest importance of which it is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is not is fourteen or fifteen times put in the Text or line instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is to him or it which is set in the margin I am willing to be tryed by that very variety that is of thy own naming the better to satisfie thee And whereas thou sayest that though these seem contrary one to the other yet wherever this falls out a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith ariseth fairly from either word instancing in some places picke out by thee for thy own purpose I say if it do hold it s not worth a pin or point to the proof of what thou sayest if in any one of those fourteen or fifteen places it appear to the contrary and that it does let me be so bold fith thou instancest in two that are fittest for thee to instance but one that makes against thee and then I shall trouble my self no more with thy Keri and Ketib which would make one if not sick yet at least sorry for thee to see how sorrily thou shifts by it Isa. 9.3 thou hast multiplyed the Nation not encreased the joy say the Ketib or word in the Text but the Keri or word in the Margin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it which marginal Reading though Translators following the mistake of the mis-transcribers keep to the Ketib is undoubtedly the true and onely sense of the Spirit for the reading in the line as it is in both Transcripts and Translation is considered with the Context a piece of meer non-sensicall contradiction thou hast encreased the Nation not encreased the Ioy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil what a jarre does the word not encreased the Ioy make in the sense of that verse yea it makes it meet confusion and contradiction to say the joy is not enlarged and yet it is enlarged like to that of men that rejoyce in harvest and at the dividing of the spoil but read it by the Keri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it thus viz thou hast multiplyed the Nation thou hast encreased joy to it or its joy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil and then there 's no discord in the sound but it s all sweetly sutable and harmonious and agreeable to the Analogy of the true faith also Arg. thy Eleventh is The security we have that no mistakes were voluntarily or negligently brought into the Text before the coming of our Saviour who was to declare all things in that he not once reproves the Iewes â—n that Account when yet for their false glosses on the word be spares them not And this Argument is urged o're again p. 316 interrogatively thus viz. can it be once imagined that there should be at that time such notorious varieties in the Copies of the Scripture through the negligence of that Church and yet afterword neither our Saviour nor his Apostles take the least notice of it yea doth not our Saviour himself affirm of the word that was then among them Scripture with thee that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should passe away or perish Rep. 1. Leave calling Christ thy Saviour as thou often dost till thou witnesse thy self saved by his grace from
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
differences that are in later Transcripts as various Lections p. 192. whatever varying word quoth he Syllable or Tittle could by any be obseâ—ved wherein any Book though of yesterday varieth from the common received Copy though manifestly a mistake superfluous or deficient inconsistent with the sense of the place yea barbarous is presently imposed on us as various Lection so p. 194. How peevishly complains he that all differences that could be found in any Copies printed or written are equally given out as various Lections many differences that have been formerly rejected by learned men for open corruptions are here tendred us again quoth he adding it is not every variety or difference in a Copy that should presently be cryed up for a various Reading A man might with as good colour take all the printed Copies he could get of various Editions and gathering out the Errata Typographica print them for various Lections I answer why not do not all Errata whether Apographica or Typographica make various Lections from the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some degree at least whether they be fewer and lesser or more and grosser â— whence come those few errours that thou thy self ownest for various Lections but from the failings and mistakes of the Scribes in Transcribing or the Compositors at the Presse from whence all the rest come which by no means thou wilt admit to be called by that name yet those that others call corruptions and various Lections on the self same account as thou callest those few which thy ownest as such thou turnest them off with To what end should mens minds be troubled with them being evident mistakes of the Scribes dost thou grant then that in many places of your Original Apographical Copies there be evident mistakes of the Scribes in so doing dost not thou grant all that is contended for against thee which is that in your Transcriptions of the Original Text thou so much talkest for the entirenesse and integrity of to every Letter Point Syllable Tittle and Iota the Scribes were evidently mistaken so as to mis-transcribe and the Printers through whose hands the Bible comes mostly or altogether now were evidently mistaken so as to mis-print many words Syllables Letters Tittles Points Iotaes to the manifest corrupting of the Scripture in the Greek and Hebrew Text thereof as well as of the Text in other Tongues whereby it is undeniably evident to any but obstinate I.O. that the same fate both hath ever and still doth and therefore may sith quod fieri potuit potest attend the Scripture in its Editions by Transcribing as hath done doth or may do any other Books and may well be asserted so to do without thy sottish senselesse unreasonable Atheistical supposition and censure of its bordering on Atheism so to imagine and for all thy foolish and false affirmation p. 173 that the promise of God for the preservation of the Scripture to a Tittle require other thoughts at our hands I say why should not one various Lection by a mistake in the Transcribers or Printers be counted and called a various Lection corruption mis-transcription alteration of the Text as well as another a lesser as well as a greater a later as well as one more ancient 2. I wonder whose Reason but Reasonlesse I. Os. it is against the corruptions in Copies of so great Antiquity as two or three hundred years should not be numbred among others that are much elder And sith many mistakes and corruptions are confest to have crept into Copies of later times by the Oscitancy Negligence Ignorance Wilfulnesse or something of the Scribes who knew as much of late as they did of old what they were about and with whom they had to do therein and were under as much promise aspect and care of God whose providence and love to his Church and Word is as great for the preservation of both in these last ages as ever if his un-erring guidance of Scribes and Printers that Transcribe and Print the Scripture be such a non such expression thereof as I.O. would make it I wonder what warrant and security I.O. who denyes inspiration and infallible direction to all Transcribers from the first to the last can give us of the honesty fidelity integrity ability and against the erroneousnesse carelesnesse unskilfulnesse and aptnesse to mis-transcribe of the more ancient more then I can of and against that of the later Transcribers whether Jewes or Christians since they who know not the Spirit are all as zealous now of the letter as ever and more Tender and Talkative and Tâ—tling for every Tittle of their Text then ever they were since the world stood witnesse I.O. himself yea when was there more care and curiosity and critical consideration about the exact writings printings and reprintings of the Bible then is now adayes yet no Editions ever come out so carefully corrected and copied out but that a man may fill a page with its Errataes in more then either Tittles or Iotaes and if now and two or three hundred years ago why not in dayes of old I know not nor any one else I believe but that I.O. sayes otherwise and is more ready to beleeve his own Sayâ—soes and suppositions then the naked Truth and to be believed by such as dote on his Doctorship then to be disproved or proved a Lyar. But finally that I may at once remove this sleevelesse pretence of I. O. out of the way at his command and our own leasure let those obscure private novel Copies as he counts them and their corruptions be separated and removed out of his way since they trouble him so much we can abate him them and afford and spare him the setting apart of them and more too and yet carry the cause against him too out of his own mouth nor will his plea and pretence of the privacy obscurity and novelty of these if we allow it him prosper to the proving that there is no various Lections in his Original Texts since we have it professed publikely passed and consequently proved against himself under his own hand which ever and anon pulls down what it builds up and soon after builds again what it once destroyed thus viz. p. 190. I.O. That there are in some Copies of the New Testament and those some of them of some good Antiquity divers Readings in things or words of lesse importance is acknowledged the proof of it lyes within the reach of most in the Copies that we have and I shall not sollicite the reputation of those who have afforded us others out of their own private furniture Rep. These being I.Os. own words whereby he hath overturned his t'other Talk I need talk no more on it for I cannot set his Babel more perpendicularly with its Bottom upwards then it stands already as himself hath set it Yet for all this I. O. may think he hath qualified and salved this saying of his from the censure of a contradiction to the other
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
eternal damnation as all are to whom by any means they came or are brought to receive them with that submission of soul which is due to the Word of God T. 1. C. 2. S. 5. The Scripture being brought unto us it doth evidence it self infallibly to our Consciencet to be the Word of the living God T. 1. C. 4. S. 2. If the Question be VVhether the Doctrines proposed to be believed are truths of God or fables we are sent to the Scripture it self and that alone to give the determination T. 1. C. 3. S. 16. Surely men will not say the Scripture hath its power to command in the Name of God from anything but it self T 1. c 2. s. 6. Them that own the Booke whereof we speak to be the Word of God T. 1. c. 3. s. 12. How know we that the Scripture is the Word of God How may others come to be assured thereof the Scripture say we beares testimony to it self that it is the Word of God T. 1. c. 4. s. 31. And in thy two Treatises which treat all along of the Text thou tellest it more loud-lye that every letter and tittle that they were transcribing and to be transcribed of the Old Testament by the Jews was part of the Word nay the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concernment of souls doth lye These and much more ejusdem furfuris are the wayes wherein thy minde makes out it self sometimes sometimes again as if thou wert somewhat sensible of having not a little overshot thy self by thy too too eminent expressions and lofty undertakings for the naked scriptures which can never possibly be made good of them to palliate all thy proud boastings and broad shews and too too ample settings out of a bare body or bulk of Letters and â—â—ward Writings thou drawest thy neck out of the Collar wherein it hung slylie flink'st away and shrinkest back standing like Caesar at Rubicon with one foot over he Dote-fel and the other on this side saying Yet I may go on and by and by Yet I may go back not resolved which way to betake thy self whether to go on in thy high and hasty undertakings for the Scripture upon that old single score of its being but barely Scripture least thy proof should not hold at so high a rate or whether to double thy files by bringing them two both into one again that were sometime sundred viz. the Scripture and the Doctrine or Word of truth it treats of the outward Writing and the Word of Faith within that is written of which could not be made appear consider'd sigillatim or apart to be both of them the Word of God and at last though that be bad enough there being no better way in the sight of one that loving the praise of men more then the praise of God is loath among men to be mock't at as the builder that begins and cannot carry it to an end having another string to thy Bow thou strengthenest thy weake business what thou art able furtively clapping a greater glory light power and honour in respect of titles about that dark dead weak and naked body of the writings then that which considered by it self it can duely and lawfully challenge Notwithstanding thy unwary assertions not onely elsewhere but also Ex. 1. S. 26 27. viz. That scriptura hoc verbi Dei nomen sibi vendicaâ— The scripture challengeth this Name of the Word of God unto it self even that of the inward living Word of God it self to which alone all that glory and those glorious Names by right are due and not to the Letter and were due before the Letter was when thou hast laid the true unchangeable inward truth and Word of God instead of the Letter the outward and thy outwardly beloved Changeling and subtilly shrowded it under that name and notion of the Word of God which is the very thing in question and the name to be disputed on whether it be due to it or no and is as much still denied by us as it is by a piece of sophistical thievery taken by thee to be its undoubted right before it be either proved by thee or by us or any but Ignoramus himself granted to theâ—â— Then O come let us sing a new song thou marchest forward again 〈◊〉 driving on thy self same Old Dispute concerning a new stol'n different Subject which is now prest to serve as both thy Subject and thy praedicate and to supply the proper place of both which being denominated and praedicated all along of it self all thou sayest of it is most undoubtedly true and uncontroulably thou carryest all clear before thee crying it up to this purpose viz. that of a truth the Word of God is a light the Word of God is living the word of God is perfect of Divine Authority the Word is the most glorious light in the world a shining illuminating light preferr'd abâ—uâ— that of the sun c. the Word of God is furnisht with innate Arguments for its manifestation of it self i e. to be the Word of God There is in the dispensation of the Word an evidence of truth commending it self â—â— the consciences of men some receive not this evidence is it for want of Light in the Truth it self No that is a glorious Light that shines into the hearts of men Where-ever the Word comes by what means soever it hath in it self a sufficiency of Light to evidence it self to all that Authority of God its Author Which Authority is with I.O. its power to command as the Word of God The Word makes a sufficient proposition of it self where-e ver it is He that hath the witness of God need not stay for the witness of man for the Witness of God is greater Where-ever the Word is received indeed as it requireth it self to be received and is really assented to at the Word of God it hath its power of manifesting it self so to be from its own innate Light thy VVord is Truth c. s. 14. Thou hast magnified over all thâ— Name the Word thou hast spoken the Name of God is all that whereby he makes himself known yet over all this God magnifies â—his Word c. T. 1. C. 4. sect 15. Leave the Word with men and is it evidence not it self unto their consciences it is because they are blinded In all which sentences and many more that might be mentioned there 's no mention of the scriptures by the old true Term of the scriptures though that Name is interwoven too in wel-nigh every page to denote that although the Discourse that is in proof of their being the Word of God is driven on in their behalf under that new Name of the Word of God yet by that word the Word we may know that by I.O. the Scriptures are still intended but as if the sole use of that single Name of Scriptures might prove too weak a term to venture the stress of the whole
Doctrines Instructions stories Promises Prophesies given out by the Writers of the Scripture were not their own conceived in their minds nor form'd by their Reasonings nor retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them 1 Pet. 1.10 11. But were all of them immediately from God so as that there was onely a Passive concurrence of their Rational faculties in their reception without any such Active obedience to as by any Law they might be obliged pag. 5 6. Rep. Many things in this Parcel are utterly false being uttered as they are of the whole Scripture and all its first Pen-men for what is said of the Old as to the immediate manner of its giving forth is said also saist thou pag. 9.27 of the New insomuch that it s not onely very fond but savouring also of no small ignorance both of and in the Scripture for any such Minister of no more then the meer Letter of it as our Divineâ— are much more below the Ministers of the Spirit to hold out for truth or so much as to imagine within themselves and as they are utter untruths so much lesse are they of force to evince that false Assertion to be Truth which thou J.O. wouldst conclude from thence viz That their Writings are uncontroulably known to be the Word of God 1. What a crude conception of thy vain mind is this that the Laws Doctrines Instructions Stories Promises Prophesies written which I confess were not their own formed as many if not most of thy false Doctrines and strange stories about the Scriptures are thine own formed by unreasonable Reasonings were not so much as conceived in the minds of the Pen-men Were they not conceived in them by the Holy Spirit And â—ly by them so as that for the most part at least they understood knew and believed them as Truths before they committed them to Writing as they were moved by the Spirit of God to do for the use of others And though they wrote not but at the Will of God and his spirit pressing them thereunto and under the burthen of the Word of the Lord that lay upon them till they had discharged themselves of it yet art thou so silly as to conceive they delivered things before they were conceived in them So far at least they were conceived in and by them too as to prove thy saying little less then senselesse and absurd 2. VVhereas thou sayest they were not retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them Is not that as absolutely absurd and false as the rest Did they in writing declare things for truth and teach Doctrines and give out Instructions and tel stories relate passages before they had so much as heard of or seen or believed or embraced what things they wrote rehearsed or entertained them as such or by any means beforehand comprehended them Is not this directly contrary to what the Apostles say who had and wrote from the same spirit of Faith with them of old who write thus 2 Cor. 4.13 As it is written Psal. 16. 10. I believed and therefore have I spoken so we also believe and therefore speak c. 1 Joh. 1.1.3 That which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes look's on and handled declare we to you And when Isaiah wrote things of Christ did he not see his glory Isa. 6.1 Iob. 12.40 41. Lev. 1.2.11.19 Is Iohn commanded to write anything in his Booke but what he had seen And did he write or bear record of the Word of God or the Testimony of Iesus that he did by no means before-hand comprehend or of any things but those he saw And is not seeing one means of comprehending 3. Sith thou saist The things they wrote were not retained in their memories from what they had heard Did they first heare and see and believe and comprehend and entertain them into their memories and then not retain but let them slip and quite forget them before they wrote and then began to write when they had and not before they had remembred to forget them For of the things thou writest this is the sum the whole sum of which though 1 Pet. 1.10 11. is cited to add weight to it which gives not the least dram of evidence to the truth of one tittle of it is found by such as weigh it in the Ballance of right Reason to be a lye and lighter then vanity it self Belike then according to thy fancy Paul when he wrote to Timothy to bring his Books and Pâ—rchments Cloak left at Troas with Carpus wrote that not as a matter conceived in his mind or retain'd in his memory but as a thing forgotten that he had no comprehension of afore-hand Did he not write that and a hundred more matters as retain'd in his memory And though he wrote them as mov'd by the spirit in the wisdom of which he liv'd walk't and did all he did as he saw service in it yet did he not write of his Revelations and Temptations after them by the thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.1 c. and of his many perils and hazards he had gone through and his whippings and stonings and shipwracks and other sufferings and services 2 Cor. 11. as things retained in his memory though some of them fourteen years behinde And when he wrote of the Fornication 1 Cor. 5. and the Divisions 1 Cor. 11. that were among the Corinthians did he not write of them as things he had by hear-say and common Report And did he not retain in his memory what was told him by them of the House of Cloe and thereupon wrote to them thereof as of a matter heard remembred and afore-hand believed For L partly believe it quoth he and comprehended aforehand VVhat innumerable instances of the like fort of stories written as retained in the memories of holy VVriters might be given out of both the Old Testament and the New But this little is enough if thou be not wilfully blind to bring thee into a remembrance of thy babling about the Bible of the writings whereof thou writest as if thou hadst never read it all but in a dream And when Matthew the Publican wrote of his own being called from the Receit of Custom and of his entertaining Christ in his house Matth. 9.9 Did he it not on the account of his retaining that passage in his memory And whereas thou saist they wrote all immediately from God so as that there was onely a passive concurrence of their rational faculties in their reception without any such active obedience as by any Law they might be obliged to I say thou renderest thy self as Ridiculous oâ— Reasonlesse in this thy Reasoning as if thou wert one that had never read any otherwise then at random For hadst thou been as observans as thou art oscitant in thy Readings and Writings of the Scripture thou wouldst
is added So every Apex equally Divine and as immediately from God as any of it yea and as the voice whereby he spake in the Prophets pag. 27. But I say as written by thee so universally of the Writers and meer Writing of the Scriptures as they are they are for the most part as false as that foregoing and that I have said above concerning the Writing of much of the Scripture at first as it stands in your Bibles by Scribes that wrote either out of other Copies or from the mouths of men more immediately inspired or from what was commonly reported and generally believed and what they had heard as delivered to them by more immediate eye and ear witnesses and what they retain'd in their memories and some way or other comprehended beforehand may stand as a sufficient Answer to this parcel also wherein according to thy wonted habitual darkness ignorance and contradiction to the Truth thou deniest the Pors-men and holy Prophets in their Writings to be enabled to declare and write what they wrote by any habitual light knowledge or conviction of the Truth As if they wrote what they neither saw nor heard nor knew nor believed to be true but besides all sight and understanding discerning mental conception meditation Rational Apprehension Faith or any manner of Antecedent comprehension of the truths they told as if they were all acted and us'd in the Writing of every Tittle by the Lord just no otherwise but as a Musical Instrument in a man's hand or the Pen itself by an expert Writer which can yeeld no more then a meer passive concurrence having no principle of life within it self from whence to act any thing at all or to move a hairs breadth in any business but as it 's mov'd or as some stark dead Corps which can neither stir nor stand but as extrinsecally born up and carried forth because deest aliquid intus Whereas as I have shew'd above some of them wrote not by immediate inspiration or bringing of the things into their minds so by the spirit but mediately that is from the mouths or writings of such as received the truths more immediately as they were inspired wrote as they also spake no other things then what by some means or other they beforehand comprehended no other then what they heard and saw and believed and retained in their minds and memories whereinto the spirit of truth and the truths he guided them into which the world receives not were both received conceived and entertained yea and I here add no other then such as in the same light were more or less seen known understood and believed before any Scripture at all was though 't was by the same way then which I know no other that the Scripture speaks of of knowing God or Christ viz of internal spiritual Revelation Matth. 11.27 Ioh. 6.47 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. Gal. 1.16 Did Paul believe or witness or write any other things when he wrote with his own hands what was immediately revealed in spired into him by the same holy spirit then what by the same spirit in which and no other way all the things of God are known and ever were holy men of God believed owned witnessed wrote and both in their Writings and Speakings acknowledged to be the truth see Act 24.14 26.22 23. 2 Cor. 1 13. 4.13 Did he write any other things then what they to whom he wrote might and did read elsewhere even in the light and spirit within themselves and did thereby acknowledge to be the truth And did not he himself before he wrote them in the movings of the spirit acknowledge them to be the truth himself And did he in the light in which he liv'd and saw them acknowledge them to be the truth and yet was not enabled by any habitual Light knowledge or conviction of the truth to declare them in writing as he did but wrote as one ignorant in the dark unbelieving and unconvinced of the truths he wrote and as senselesse unintelligently and passively without any active obedience to the spirit pressing him or yeelding any but a meer passive influence and concurrence of his rational faculties in the worker as a meer dead thing that is utterly devoid of all kind of life motion or principle of Action within it self and uncapable of any action at all or motion but as it is acted ab extra by some forensical force or compulsion as a Musical Woodden instrument or a pen by the hand of the writer what a weak crooked crazy piece of conception of Scripture in this of thine of which I may truly say there was not so much active concurrence of the rational faculties of the Scribes in their writing of the Scripture but there is as little in this of thine who writest as if all the Prophets of God that ever spake and wrote what of his minde they received from his own mouth by standing in his counsel and hearkning to what he said in them and waited on him to know and understand his will and word first that they might do it in the particular in their own persons and as moved or commanded in obedience to him declare it to others were absolutely and meerly as passive as Balaams Ass was whose mouth miraculously was opened and his minde indued with rational faculties supernatural to him as he was a Beast to Reason out the case with his unrighteous Master and to reprove the madness of that Prophet and as meerly passive in their work of Prophesie as Caiphas the High Priest was whose mouth was opened to speak truer than he was aware of and to prophesie of a thing out of his irrational faculties that was as high above the reach of the best rational faculties he had being a man degenerate from pure perfect reason and in the fall as fallen mans best reason is above the brute beasts of the field for as Herod and Pontius Pilate did with wicked hands the things that God before determined should come to pass fulfilling the Prophets words in slaying Christ little thinking they served the truth as they did in it as the Assyrian in the like case they meant not so nor did their heart think otherwise than to destroy Isa. 10.5 6 7. Act. 4.27 28. Act. 3.17 18. Act. 13.27 28 29. So that Priest with a wicked heart intentionally to counsel them to murther Christ had his mouth prepared to Prophesie a precious truth which as so he spake not of himself so as one that had the light knowledge or conviction of the truth but besides himself as the Ass in the other case Numb 22.28 29 30. Joh. 11.29 50 51 52 53. Joh. 10.14 Whereas most evident it is that the holy men of God who wrote any part of the Scripture by immediate inspiration with their own hands to let pass that which some wrote for and from them as dictated to by their mouthes were in the light sight knowledge prae-conviction comprehension
other good work when called by him to it i.e. not without but with such an active obedience as by his Law or Light within they are obliged to not without an active concurrence of rational faculties reduced to their primitive perfection not without but with ability thereto from an habitual light knowledge and conviction of truth and use of their wisdomes and understandings memories not without but with an aforehand containing and comprehending of the truths they wrote in their mindes as things they had heard seen beleeved acknoledged c. God who who is the giver of every good gift and the chief Author and Actor of all good works in his Saints Isa. 26. using every instrument according to what he hath fitted it for a Beast as a Beast a Man as a Man a Saint as a Saint a Prophet as a Prophet and not a Man a Saint a Prophet a spiritual man as a stock or stone but being a reasonable creature and prepared by him naturally with such a soul such faculties and supernaturally and spiritually with such gifts and graces as whereby he is capable to act when by him commanded and a body suitable as a fit instrument to move in such a work as writing his will revealed when it is revealed also to be his will that he should write it he uses him so to write as that though himself be the principal or primum movens not only in act◠primo as he gives the pomer faculties gift graces c. but in actu secundo also he holds the hand of the Scrib◠so that he would else draw but mishapen characters and guides assists and acts in and by him yet he lets the action bear its denomination from its next and immediate Agent which is not God himself who gives the word for the writing of what he will have written in the penning of the Scripture except that little i.e. the ten words as is abovesaid but men as being moved by him to write or to dictate to others whom they willed to write from their mouthes so that the immediate spring and emanation of the Scripture was not from God but men who were the agents in it under him which overturns J. O's Apish opinion of every Apex of the writing being equally divine and as to its original as immediately from God and of the same Authority in itself and to us i e. of being received as his word sub paena c. on pain of peril of eternal condemnation as his voice in the Prophets which indeed was immediately from himself and his own witness whereas the letter was mostly but the immediate work of man witnessing for God as moved by him as first given out and as we now have it by so remote away of Transcription welnigh as far from being immediately from God to us as J.O. imagines it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as it is with Saints indeed when they pray beleeve preach write c. as moved by the Lord it is not denominated ever by the Author of it all which is God who speaks and works all in such and is in such of a truth 1 Cor. 14. but the Saints who are said to pray beleeve preach write so was it in the giving out of that Scripture or writing that was of old called the Bible which J.O. calls his Canon to which no Title more must ever be counted which was not nor is not so immediate from God to us as his own voice is that is at this day to be heard in the heart but onely mediantibus manuscriptionibus yea by the interveniency of mediums and hands of Transcribers and Translators obnoxious to fallibility and capable to give change and alteration in more then the least syllables and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 's but at the first it was no more immediately from God than the writings of his moved and inspired Prophets are at this day whom he stirs up to reprove the madness of the Priests and false Prophets which is as that was but the spiritual mans testimony for God though specially assisted by him in it concerning all whom from the beginning of the world to this day so many as have spoken or written or done any thing for the truth in his name I here say and so conclude as to that above Certum est no ◠velle cum volumus dicere cum dicimus praedicare cum praedicamus scribere cum scribimus facere cum facimus sed Deus est qui facit ut faciamus J.O. Thou addest pag. 26. They invented not words themselves suitable to the things they had learned but only expressed the words they received their words were not their own but immediately supplied unto them from God himself and so they gave out the writing of uprightness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of truth Rep. And yet it 's said Eccles. 12.9 10 11 12. as concerning the Writings and Proverbs of Solomon the Wise the Preacher which very place thou alludest to though thou quotest it not which if thou hadst there 's few so unwise but they might see thy folly therein for that Scripture clearly confutes thy self who touchest at it that in teaching the people knowledge as he did by those Writings and Books of Proverbs he gave forth he took good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs even thousands more besides above a thousand Songs more then are systematiz'd into thy standing-Canon and that he sought to find out acceptable words or words of delight or rather as thy self expoundest it more clearly to the confounding of thy self as if thou wert accustomed and wonted to that work and course of self-contradiction words of will or choice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which if it be not Tantamount to this He invented words suitable to what he himself had framed whereby to utter and express the wisdom he received to people in writing and yet what was written was upright too and words of truth not beside the spirit of truth and so I.O. consequently confuted by I.O. himself about the Scripture If the Scripture it self had not confuted him then self-confounding which I.O. is so often found in shall pass for me for current confirmation and confusion which I.O. is a most eminent Author of shall go from henceforth for good order and to dance the rounds as I. O. often doth in his shall be held the rightest way of sound Doctrine and of all Divinity Disputation For as if he had not been satisfied with his own gain-saying what he uttered concerning their not inventing of words and non-improving of their understandings wisdoms minds memories p. 25. to order dispute give out what truth they wrote in such words as they saw best suited for the things they had learned of God by saying to the contrary thus Viz. Their mind and understanding were used in the choice of words they did use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of will or choice I.O. to go round again gain-sayes this latter
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
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
Scribes that keep scribling and preaching and disputing all their dayes as if they did delight to know Gods wayes enquiring after the Ordinances of Iustice in order as they pretend to the knowledge of what is to be done and yet in what they know naturally as brute beasts by a habit of reading Chapter and Verse as as a Horse that is versed in a way to the Pasture he is used to run in in those very things they corrupt themselves saying to God when he tells them any troublesome truth Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes â—â—taining the truth in unrighteousness that is told them within by the Light of God himself in their own hearts not receiving the love of it that they may be saved having pleasure in unrighteousness and no pleasure in the Truth such shall have at last that they have taken away from them and in the just Iudgement of God be blasted and blinded and given over to strong delusion to believe lyes that they may be damned Nevertheless not as a Principle onely but as a Rule of obedience to such as truly love her the Light within the Spirit of God the Word nigh in the heart and Wisdom not onely with but without the Letter ever was is and will be profitable to direct Eccl. 10 10. And no less then this that the Spirit is the standing Rule of Faith and Life to the Church as well as the Principle thereof doth that Gal. 6.8.16 evince where the Apostle having spoken so much before in ch 5. and the â— verse of this 6. of the lustings of the spirit against the flesh or evil spirit in us that lusteth to envy of walking according to the Spirit living according to the Spirit being led by the Spirit of sowing to the Spirit the crop of which is the fruit of the Spirit the everlasting life the new Creature while the Crop reaped from the fulfilling the lustings of the flesh is more and more Works of the flesh and corruption to death and condemnation at least adds by way of encouragement that the walkers by the Spirit might not not be weary of well doing thus much viz. that so many as walk according to this Rule which Rule is not the Scripture as the Divines and Doctors citing that place as J. O. does twice over at least viz. Ex. 3. S. 26. Ex. 4 S. 22. to that purpose do ignorantly divine but the Spirit the walking in and after which is so often hinted at above and the Light within which and not the Letter without makes manifest both the Works of the flesh and darknesse and the Fruits of the Spirit and the light For the Letter indeed doth declare that the works of the Flesh and the fruits of the Spirit are manifest but it declares also that that which doth manifest them both is the Light by which also they were manifested before the Letter was Which Letter likewise doth de jure declare what is to be done and not done but onely the Light de facto what is done and what is not done of the Mind and Will of God thereby inwardly nigh more immediately revealed and declared as 't is ad extra onely and more mediately and afar off by the Letter For all things that are reproved or approved are as so made manifest by the Light the Letter came from And whatsoever doth primarily and principally make manifest good and evil right and wrong crooked and straight truth and falshood simplicity and deceit it self and darkness it self and all false spirits sound Doctrine and seducing is that Light and Spirit which comes from God and shines more or lesse in all mens hearts This as it is the Principle as J.O. foolishly affirms the Letter only is p. 18. or means of discovery so it and not the Writing only as he there blindly writes is also the Rule or measure of judging and determining about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel this is as the Light of the outward world is in it the discovery of it self and of all things else in their proper appearances This is certum Rectum Regula quae est mensura sui obliqui Hitherto are we sent this and not the Letter as I.O. childishly asserts p. 57. is asserted to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speaking whatsoever that must speak alone for it selfe and try the speaking of all but it selfe yea it s own also By all which it is evident how the Light and Spirit is designed by God to be the unchangeable standing-Rule of Faith and Life and the Churches Directory in all Divine Doctrines to be believed and practised and not the Letter of the Scripture at least not the Letter onely which is the matter very stifly affirmed and stickled for by J.O. and T.D. the latter of which stands up to vindicate it in these terms see T. D ' second Pamphlet p. 16. that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Rule of Faith and Life and that there is no other standing-Rule but the Scriptures The former in these If every man's private Light so he floutingly calls that particular measure of that publike Light of Christ which is one and the same in all be the Rule of yeilding obedience unto God then so many men so many Rules but the Divine Canon is but onely one and that the holy Scripture is that only Rule is abundantly shewn quoth J.O. before In proof of which saying the Rule is but one J.O. quotes that Gal. 6.16 which speakes not of the Scripture at all And Eph. 3.16 which speaks expresly of the Spirit of God as the next verse does of Christ the Word which we confess is the Rule but neither the one nor the other of the Scripture Isa. S. 20. which speaks of the Law and Testimony which are the Light and Spirit as I shall shew anon For this place is three times at least alluded to by J.O. to the like little purpose and not the Letter of the Scripture Obj. And if any say But is not the Sripture profitable to direct yea for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse able to make wise to salvacion to make a man of God perfect thorowly furnished or as the word is perfected into all good works according to 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and so to be the onely Rule Canon Standard Touch-stone in all cases Rep. This place is insisted upon or quoted three or four times by I. O. To whom I say howbeit there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Scriptures as I have said elsewhere that are not written with Ink and Pen nor ingraven in stones but with the Finger and Spirit of the living God upon the fleshly Tables of mens hearts which make such as Timothy was who knew that spirit in himself spoke of Iob 32.8 and that inward Writing and inspiration of the Almighty that onely giveth the understanding which are most profitable for Doctrine Correction
and sure then either the greatest miracle that ever was or immediate voice that ever God himself spake by from heaven and to be the sole Rule and determiner of all Doctrines whether they be Truths or but cunningly devised fables which two Texts together with Isa. 8.20 how little they evince any such matter and what is meant in them by Moses and the Prophets and by that sure World of Prophesie which thou and thy fellows foolishly affirm to be the Scriptures I shall God willing take occasion to examine anon Three of thy main inartificial Arguments as thou truly callest them p. 50 51 52 56. or Testimonies to thy untruth being by the head and shoulders without either sense or reason wrested from them Again it is true the Bereans did search the Scriptures whether the things were so as the Apostles spake who spake nothing but summarily substantially the same which Moses and the Prophets did say should come but what though they did so of their own accord and their searching was succesful and useful also to the fortifying of the faith they had in the World of Truth which they received readily not as the word of man but of God not as fables but as truth it coming to them as to the Thessalonians not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1 Thes. 1.5 must it needs follow therefore that the Scriptures were their only Rule of determining the Doctrines whether they were truths or fables the Word of God or the word of man and that their faith and owning that truth was à priori first originally and immediately founded as thou preachest all faith and repentance must be page 58.64 on the Scriptures so that if they had not first searched the Scriptures and there found a congruity of the things with the old Writing they neither would nor could have beleeved or received the truth thus thou and most of thy faternity foolishly fancy but look again and ye will finde it far otherwise for howbeit they searched the Scriptures and did commendably and nobly therein and were commended as more noble in that then they of Thessalonica who yet are commended as noble excellent and exemplary as the other in receiving the Word in much affliction with joy as Gods and not mans word though it seems not so serious in searching the Scriptures as these 1 Thess. 1.5 6 7 8. and were not a little confirmed in their faith begotten before yet they first received the Word with all readiness of minde as hundreds do at ths day as preacht to them by word of mouth from the Apostles the witness of God being reached and answering to the truth of it in their hearts in which they were noble as Thessalonica was yet more noble by how much they were unwearied and uncessans in seeking to be more and more gradually and groundedly growing in fuller assurance of the truth as many are at this day who first beleeving and receiving the Word with joy and readiness do not sleight as ye suppose but à posteriori being in the faith Timothy more seriously and singly then your selves see into the Scriptures that being already brought into the things the Scriptures write of through patience and comfort thereof have hope according to that other Scripture of thy coating Rom. 15.4 as yourselves cannot have any more then the Scribes who stand studying and sraping with your own Animal understandings before ye are ceme to walk in the Light and Spirit they witness too and came from But what 's all this more then just nothing at all to prove the Scripture to be the only standing Rule of Faith and Life which is asserted of it to the evincing it to be the Word Nay if your eyes were in your head ye might see of your selves O ye Studentall more than truly Prudential searchers of the Scriptures that the Word the Apostles preached and the Scripture which we confess truly testifies thereof are two distinct things and in no wise one and same individual as ye would make them if ye look no farther then the present Text in hand for in that he sayes they received THE WORD with all readiness of minde and searched the SCRIPTVRE whether the things were so it imports to any but the blind searchers of the Scripture that the word they received was one thing and the Scripture they searched about the truth of it was another Again it is true and not to be denied but Apollo an eloquent Iew was from his being well versed therein before he came to own the Light mighty in the Scripture and learned in the Letter so as mightily to confound the Gospel gain saying Iews thereby when once he came to obey it himself though yet there was a tradesman and his wife further grounded in the Gospel and learned in the light than himself who was beyond them in the Letter of whom he was not ashamed as our Vniversities Literatists are at this day to learn of women that know more of Gospel mysteries than they do to stoop to be instructed in the way of God more perfectly but how little this proves the Scripture to be the only standing Rule for which end I.O. cites it he that is blinde cannot see but others cannot chuse when as he that was so well skilled in the Scripture had that been the only Rule that he could have instructed Aquila and Priscilla about the Letter with which suo sejugulaus gladio he slew the Letter-learned Iews as it were with their own sword was not so clear in his understanding of the Truth Way Gospel Spirit Word and Light of God which is indeed the only standing inalterable Rule for ever as it ever was but that he had need to be Regulated and Rectified therein by such as in meer Scripture all knowledge were as inferiour as they were superior to him in spiritual understanding Moreover what makes it to the proof of the Scripture to be the only standing Rule exclusively of the Light and Spirit that Paul sayes to write the same things to the Philippians by which its questionable whether he 〈…〉 something to them before which is lost and not bound up in your Bibles nor canoniz'd into your Canon was safe for them As much as if he had said nothing at all for nothing at all is that to I. O's purpose nor yet that of Iohn saying These things I write unto you that your joy may be full which J O. cites to the same end And true it is Christ expounded the Scriptures to his Disciples as he did also his own Parables that he uttered by word of mouth amongst them and the mixt multitude togeâ—her and opened their understandings also as he does theirs that walk in his light that they might understand them but where is the immediate cogent consequence from hence to the conscience of any that the Letter or Scripture is the onely most perfect standing Rule of all Faith Truth holy life
Doctrine Divine Worship c. as I.O. states it to be and T.D. also exclusively of the internal Light Word Spirit c. And what though we should grant you that Christ sayes to the Scribes Search the Scriptures Well he might for they testifie of him as the life whom they never came to for it who if they had known either the Scriptures aright they so search't in and scribled about or the Power of God they could not have erred from the knowledge of him in his Light as they did Matth. 22.29 We say the same to you Schollars that think you study and know the Scriptures more then any men as Christ to them and as I.O. to all by way of command whereas some can't read it in his Title-page to flourish his Frontispiece and vent his vindication pro Scripturis more then ought else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Search the Scriptures for they testifie of Christ the Light the Word that Spirit Way Life Truth we talk of they send ye to the same Light and inward Word in the heart as the Rule to walk by as the Qua. do and as Christ said of them Ioh. 5.46 47. having told them they needed no other to accuse them then Moses in whom they trusted Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his Writings how should ye believe my word So say I of you Ye need no other witness against you though ye have another even the Light within which ye despise then the Letter in which ye trust for did you believe the Letter ye would believe in the Light for it writes of the Light the Qua. call ye to and write of but if ye believe not the Writing ye so write for how shall ye believe in the light Howbeit when all 's done as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being both the Indicative and Imperative Mood will as well bear it so the Context doth much more clear it that the Verb is rather indicative of their doting doings then imperasive of their duty and is rather to be rendred ye search then search ye the Scripture and contains rather matter of condemnation of them for that profitable deal of Do they made in their busie minds about the outward Scriptures while in the mean time they heeded not Gods own voice nor regarded the inward words abiding in them then either commendation of their great fruitless pains that way or commendation of the Scripture to them to search or commandment of them who were too mad already for the Scripture as their grand Idol receiving it as thou faist p. 236. with the honour and veneration due to God and his living word alone to search therein Yea verily both that verse and those about it do all consist of matter of sad complaint against them for their ever-reverencing the Scripture and negecting to receive or rather refusing and rejecting the Word of Life it self to any single eye ye have saith Christ to them of the Father neither hear his voice at any time nor seen his shepe Joh. 47. and 38. Ye have not his word abiding in you vers 39. Ye search the Scriptures ye look there often for in them ye think but mistake your selves to have eternal life and true enough they are they which testifie of me as the way to life and yet ye will not come to me that ye might have the life On this wise doth Christ rather expostulate with them for their ignorance and negligence of the Word then either command or commend any searchings of the Scriptures And as to the second Classis of Texts cited by the J.O. in proof of the Scriptures being the only standing Rule in which Texts all additions whatsoever to the written Word of God are expresly rejected I answer what though God doth reprove condemn threaten to plague and curse such as adde to his Word bring any other Gospel then what Paul preached make void his Commands by their Traditions enjoyn men to seek not to such as peep and mutter but to the Lord himself Paul would not have the Corinthians think of him and Apollo above what he writes of himself and him as men only by whom as means they beleeved which is the summe of the seven Scriptures by thee produced to that purpose what proof at all is there in all this such a way it is true enough there must be no adding to the Word Gospel Commandement Testimony of God or alterings or varyings or detractings therefrom in a tittle but is any of this intended of the outward Writing Letter or Scripture which are not that Word Gospel Commandement but only declare this and other things concerning it Is the Scripture that only set firm fixt standing Rule that may neither be augmented nor diminished on pain of Plagues and cursing as ye say it is then tell me 1. How much Scripture or Writing hath been added to the five Books of Moses since Deut. 4.2.12.32 was written wherein it is said Ye shall not adde to the word I command you neither shall you diminish from it and since that of Prov. 30.6 was written where it is said Adde thou not unto his Word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar And since Isa. 8.20 where it is said To the Law and Testimony And since that Gal. 1.8 where it is said Let him be accursed that brings other then we have preacht though we or an Angel from heaven 2. Whether were the Prophets and Apostles that have added so many books since those prohibitions justly reproveable and accursed as Lyars 3. If ye say nay they were not lyars nor to be reproved nor accursed then tell me as to the measure and bounds and close of your Canon which ye suppose to be the Revelation why he that by the same Spirit moving shall in writing reveal the same truths now is accursed reproved plagued for adding to the Word and Gospel upon the account of Johns saying Rev. 22.18 If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke any more then Iohn himself who added his Scripture and Revelation after Pauls Epistle to the Galathians or Paul who added his Scriptures after Isaiahs or Isaiah and the other Prophets who added theirs after Solomon or Solomon that added his Writings after â—â—sâ—s hiâ— inhibition in Deuteronomy 2. Beleeve it that the Scripture is not that thing nor standing Rule to which no more must be added and from which no new Scripture may be diminished on pain of cursing and plagues but the Word Doctrine Gospel Commandement Law Truth told in it to which cursed be he that addes another or any new Word Gospel Doctrines c. or detracts a Tittle from that And so John sayes If any adde to these things and take away from the words of this Book God shall adde plagues and take away his part out of the book of life and from
and admonish others according to Col. 3.16 which Text also thou understandest Ex. 2. s 13. and T.D. too p. 31. of his 1. Pamph. of the Scripture or Letter without and that the Word that Christ speaks to every man in his own heart and conscience whose voice and word and Gods word also his sheep hear and such as are of God when others do not cannot because they will not Joh. 8.43.47.10.26 27. is that which leaves without cloak or excuse in their sins Joh. 15 22. and that the Word that God by Christ the Light and Christ by his Spirit and Light in the conscience speaks is that which who so beleeves in and hears abides not in darkness or errour but comes to know the truth that sets him free from the law of sin and death and brings to life and who hears not or hears and beleeves not or receives not but rejects shall be judged by at the last day according to Joh. 12.46 47 48 49 50. this I do not deny for this is it and not the Letter here as it is sometimes used as the Lights instrument which was never in the heart how much less the letter chiefly only authoritatively exclusively of any other Revelation by the Spâ—riâ— and Light within aâ— thou spitteâ— it out to wâ—ich Letter yet pag. 87.83 86 87. thou â—o 〈◊〉 all those powerful properties which dive into the hearts coâ—scienceâ— and secret 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of men whether they ever saw read heard or heard of the Letter yea or nay Judges sentences them in themselves convinces tesâ—ifies conquers kills men converts builds up makes wise holy obedient ministers consolation in every condition to whom it is due and as thou sayest intending it of the Scripture which is peculiar only to the Light within the heart the Scripture speaks of guides teaches directs determines judges in and upon men in the Name Majesty and Authority of God also I deny not but the Word of Christ spoken by Christ himself in the conscience is that which is effectual to purge the conscience and cleanse the heart that it may bring forth fruit to God and the way accordin to Ioh. 15.3 where he sayes Now ye are clean through the Word that I have spoken unto you and according to that of Paul Eph. 5.26 who saith Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth by the washing of water through the Word and that of David Psal. 119 9. who saith that the means by which a young man may cleanse his way is by taking heed thereto according to Gods word which Word of God also he sayes vers 11. he had hid in his heart that he might not sin against God which inward Word of God that is so abundantly spoken of as I elsewhere shewed in that 119. Psal. that there is not past two of three among those 176. verses of it in which it is not mentioned as to iâ—s efficacy excellency usefulness profitableness and power under one name or other of either Testimonies Statutes Judgements Precepts Law Commandements c. all sounding out one and the same is stiled for it was not an outward Writing with mens hands he there means vers 72. The Law of Gods mouth and 88. the Testimony of Gods mouth intimating that which came more immediately from God to him in his heart then the Writings of Moses could do even out of his own mouth in him whom he and Habakuk 3.1 and all the Prâ—phâ—ts excepâ— the Word-stealers heard what he would say in them Ps. 85.9 Jer. 23.16 receiving from his mouth stood in his counsel the Light within That that Scripture Joh. 8. is true of Chriâ—ts words in what it speaks of them and the rest that are suitable to it I deny not but that either it or any of them by God or Christs words or saâ—ingâ— intend the Scriptures without at all much more altogether exclusively as thou talkest of the Word Spirit and Light within and the Revelation of minde and will of God thereby immediately in the heart this I utterly deny affirming that the internal Reveation of his minde to men by his own â—oice from his own mouth in their consciences is that which is mainly yea only and altogether intended in them yea and in some not to say all of them exclusively rather of the Scriptures as which indeed are not the Word or Words that are declared to effect those precious things but are only outward Writings of spiritually inspired men who witnessed its efficacy in themselves that declare those precious things which the inward Word effecteth And the like I respectively affirm and deny as concerning that other Text Jer 25.29 of thy own alledging where God saith of his Word it s a fire and a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in peeces denying it utterly to be meant of the Writings of the true Prophets out of which the false ones stole the words they preacht and then ran and said Thus saith â—he Lord declaring in his name when he never spake to them nor sent them when like the Scribes for all their telling things as the Word of the Lord as they read this or that in the Scriptures they had never as any time heard his voyce nor flood in his counsel nor received nor marked his words as coming out of his own mouth and affirming it to be meant of the Word of God ministred immediately by his own voice in the conscience which is said to be accompanied with the like mighty effects in the hearts of wicked sturdy proud haughty minded men that are likened to Mountains and Rocks against which the Lord comes in a way of terrible storms and thunderings which prepare his way 1 King 19 11 12 and to lofty Cedars of Lebanon and strong Oaks of Bashan Isa. 2.12 to the end in Psal. 29.3 4 5 6. c. where it is said The voice of the Lord is upon the great waters or peoples Rev. 1â— 15 The God of glory thundereth the voice of the Lord is powerful full of Majesty breaketh the Cedars divides the flames shakes the wilderness makes the â—lindes calve discovers the Forrests and that its of this and not the Letter which men steal nad call the Word is evident by the verses about it where the Lord declares himself to be against the Prophets that steal and tell and sell what they read in the true Prophets writings which they wrest according to their own dreaming thoughts into sinister senses and to tell lies and dreams and divinations of their own brain for truth which stoln ware though they vent the same word which they read in others writings not receiving and uttering as from Gods own mouth God calls but the vision of their own mouth and the Chaff which is nothing to the Wheat and not the other vers 21. Moreover as to the other of thy Texts I am yet in hand with viz. Jam. 1.2 1 Tim. 4.16 Heb. 4.12 Psal. 119.105 Isa. 55.10 11. All which thou urgest in proof of one and the
the light of God the wisdome saving truth immediate witness clearest way of Revelation soul-cleansing Law sure foundation most perfect Rule immoveable stedfast Standard of Gods setting up but it self is nos all nor any of this nor doth it at all any where avouch it self to be any of it at all The Scripture points to that which is the Power of God by the being of which in and upon his people who only own and joyn to it they are made a willing people in the day thereof when such as turn from and against the light which is the power and labour in the weak naked Letter labour in vain and are left unwilling to leave their lusts and lives for Christ as his Maryrs or outward witnesses did in all Ages But the Letter it self is not Power of God that sustained them in the suffering and inabled them to forgo what was dear to them and to undergo what was dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernments The Letter tells us that the Saints did so and tells us and all Saints that we should do for Christ but the Power by which this is done is another matter then a Letter ad extra even the inward light Word and Spirit that thou doest despite to even that in the conscience that made them indure as seeing him who is invisible and discovered the darkâ—â—ss upon the discovery of which they rather chose death then to own it as Light and Truth not only in ages as high as Moses who by faith in the Light chose affliction rather then sin and feared not the wrath of Pharaoh but also from him downward as low as Maries dayes in which some died for denying the darknâ—ss of the Popes Dâ—ctrines of Transubstantiation c. which the Light in their consciences told them were too gross to be of God who yet by their confession could not dispute against it with Vniversity Sottish Sophisters Doctor Dunces out of Letter nor so much as read a letter therein and also as low as these dayes wherein by the Power of God many are born up to bear the Trials of the cruel Academical mockings scoffings scourgings inâ—lictings stonings bonds imprisonments abuses to death witness one of the first of the Lords two Hand-maids that were sent to warn the Vniversity of their universal abomiâ—ations at Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice chancellorship there who perhaps may not be so learned literally though mystically and spiritually more in the Letter as obtuse aÌ„cuti â—omunâ—ioneâ— many of those dull-beaded nimble disputers out of it are in their bald fashion of Syllogistical form Neither did the Letter either of the Old Testament which is the Letter without of what things soever written or the outward Letter of the New ever conquer the world in which thou sayest it brought forth so much fruit further then into a meer empty fruitless form of Godliness without the power thereof insomuch that though as to the Primitive Christian Churches while they kept in the Light which the Apostles Ministry whether by word of mouth or Writing Letter Scripture was to turn them to walk by and beleeve in and in the Spirit in which they began till fooâ—ishly being bewitched from obeying the truth it self they turned aside to the outward Text that tells it and so thought to be made perfect by the flesh and the fleshly bodily exercises they found in the Letter which once used were as low weak beggeâ—ly elements for a time the power of God and godliness was much â—elt among them and abode with and upon them to the prevailing against the Powers of the earth and the overcomming the world it self and Satan the Prince of it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony not loving their lives to the death and much fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness was brought forth to the glory and praise of God But when Synods and Councels doting Doctors infatuated Ghostly-Fathers and such as admired their persons as they the persons of the Apostles and primitive Disciples began to bundle together what they could get of the Wâ—itings of such as were coaetaneous with Christ and the Apostles and without any such order from either Christ or the Apostles to canonize what in their conceits might be useful to others as they had found them t is like to be to themselves into a Rule or Canon and stated them into a common Standard for all to have their sole recourse to in soul-cases and matters of Christian faith and holy life and so to adore the dead letters of those holy living men and to run a whoring after some remnants of Writings that dropt from them then in the whole world now called Christendome instead of an Apostolical Spouse of Christ as Christians were at first presented a chaste Virgin to himself by them there stands up an Apostatical Strumpet that had the Letter and good words written there but neither the life of God nor the Word of life therein testified to that according to the nature of Error which is ever multiplying degenerated more and more into the dark till at last being gone from the Word Spirit Light and Life within to the outward Letter that relates of it they ran into the Wildernes of their own numberless senses upon it so that they lost the Letter also and fell from it into Tradition and a thousand Old Wives Fables and though it is good and acknowledged so to be so far as it is that the Protestants have marched from Rome under the conduct of the Leâ—ter yet for all they are come back from the blinde screel scrawls of the Popish Scribes for their smoaky imaginations to a pretensive profession of and prate prâ— Scripturis for the Scriptures unless they march on according to the conduct of the Scriptures till they come into the Light and Spirit which they point to and by a dotage upon the Scriptures ye would run from they are not so much as come yet to the Scriptures nor to conform to that counsel of the Prophets and Apostles given in it but are yet erring from the Scriptures even in and by their very eager Scriblings for it as the only most perfect Rule and from the only Rule of faith and way to Life the Letter is as loud for but that they are dull of hearing as they in their naked Writings are loud for the naked Letter it self And so it comes to pass that as Israel was of old who was as laborious in the Letter busie about the Bible and strict for his Scripture-standard as our Israel for the self-same which yet they confess too is abolished as to the Litteral observation of it with the Appendix of a few of Stories and Letters and Revelations of those holy men next to Christs time who by the Spirit wrote much more then is there own'd as their Standard I say as the old Israel proved as to God an empty vine Hos. 10.1 bringing forth
whereby bee spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority in it self and unto us but most shame of all if he be not past shame so as not to see it in that he from this of Peter sets the Scripture the alterable and much altered Copies of his Letter his flexible Transcripts and Text that are and may bee turned and winded as himself confesses p. 22 23 24 25. of his Epist. at the wills of Criticks into â—arious senses not only in equality with but into a state of certainty abâ—ve the very immediate voice of God that was heard from heaven which true vâ—ice of God yet p. 66 67. hee sayes to the contradicting of himself in what he asserts as to the minority of its evidence to us then that of the Scripture hath tâ—at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accompanying it as evidences it self and ascertains the soul beyond all possibility of mistake and is that which we are at last to rest in as being discernable from and obliging men to discern it from all delusions though yet O Rotas I to go Round again the Scripture is that with him that is ultimately to be rested in and not the voice of God which he sayes may counterfeited witness the same pages where hee bems in and hedges up his speech concerning the infallible certainty of Gods voice beyond all possibility of mistake and concerning our resting ultimately in that a parte ante with this saying viz. Suppose God should speak to us from heaven as he spake to Moses or as he spake to Christ or from some certain place how should wee bee able to know it to bee the voice of God Cannot Satan cause a voice to be heard in the air and so deceive us or may not there be some way found out whereby men might impose upon us their delusions Pope Caelestine thought he heard a voice from heaven when it was but the cheat of his successour must we not rest at last in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that accompanies the true voice of God evidencing it self and ascertaining the soul beyond all possibility of mistake a parte post with this saying viz. If the Question be whether the Dâ—ctrines proposed to bee beleeved are Truths of God or cunningly devised fables we are sent to the Scripture it self and that alone to give the determination Thus ultimately we are to rest in Gods voice and yet ultimately we must rest in the Scripture which is another thing for those that heard and searcht the Scripture as I shewed above never at any time heard Gods voice though yet I beleeve I.O. to bee so sottish to suppose the Scripture or Writing to bee it from which yet himself sometimes distinguisheth it Now the Scripture the Letter what ever thou sayest of it to the contrary I.O. specially as to the present corrupted Copies of it which are your Canon are not Sure much less a Surer matter then the immediate voice of God neither 1 In that false sense in which I.O. interprets that Term more sure viz. more unquestionable and undoubtedly evident to bee of God for if wee grant it to be of equal Divine certainty as we need not it being as now but the Remote issue and product at the hundredth hand perhaps of Gods voice in the Prophets yea but Remote Transcripts of fallible men from the handywork or manuscripts of the first Penmen yet to say its of greater divine certainty then Gods own voice is absurdity in the abstract Nor yet secondly in that genuine sense which the Term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly bears viz. more firm stable stedfast standing permanent or the like for the Letter is changeable alterable flexible passing perishing corruptible at mans will who may mistransâ—ribe turn tear change alter burn it c. and so flecting and transient but as for that Voice surer then which I.O. sayes the Scripture is which Scripture he calls the Light or the Word of Prophesie and the Prophesie of Scripture mistaking himself when it is but the Scripture of the Prophesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Voice was as infallibly sure to its evidencing it self to them that heard it to be of God as any thing can bee though so permanent it was not as the Light within is â—nd the Voice of God that is to be heard in the heart of those that take heed to and turn not away from it for that particular Voice that came to them from God saying of Christ Hear ye him was passing and transient not abiding staying and standing as to the actual â—udibility of it but the Voice and Word of the Son in the heart of whom the Father said Hear ye him this is permanent lasting standing stable sure stedfast alwayes nigh in the heart of men that they may both hear and do it and this and not the oâ—tward Scripture or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I.O. scrafles for is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the more sure word or Prophesie of Scripture i.e. that that Scripture writes of or the light shining in the dark place of the heart good to be taken heed to here spoken of even the voice of Christ speaking from heaven in the heart and conscience of whom the Father sayes vers 17. hear him whose voice his sheep hear and who ever hears not in whatever he sayes shall be cut off from among his people whose voice which shakes the old earth and heaven where it s heeded it s more dangerous to turn from then t is toÌ„ turn from Moses and the Prophets and holy mens outward Writings for these whether old or latter speak and write though by motion from God yet on earth only but hee commeth from heaven and is above all as Iohn Baptist said of himself and Christ Ioh. 3.3.28 29 30 31. c. I am not the Christ I am but sent before him he hath the bride I am but the Bridegrooms friend who stand and hear him rejoycing at his voice he must increase I must decrease he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that cometh from above is above all See therfore saith Paul He. 12.25 That ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Yea not the Letter but this Voice and light in the heart this inwardly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingrafted innate Word or Spirit imparted implanted indelibly in mens consciences is as God and Christs Vicegerent there both revealing what hee requires of every man as to his own particular and taking account of him also in the name Majesty and Authority of God de facto how he answers it which Voice or Light of God and Christ in the conscience is called by thee p. 42 44 45 57. The
eyes and stumble at noon-day as in the night is not a mist upon thee already from the hand of the Lord so that thou seest not the Sun as it was on the false Prophet Act. 13.6.10 11 12. that sought to turn away the Deputy from the faith and from beleeving in the Doctrine of the Lord which yet he could not do by all his mischievous subtilty and to pervert the right wayes of the Lord And now thou hast brought mee upon that Text 1 Iob. 4.1 't is true hee bids the Saints not beleeve every Spirit but try the Spirits for many false Spirits and Prophets were then abroad and as Christ said Matth. 24. there should in the last time come false Prophets false Christs Antichrists even so witness Iohn here and also 1 Iob. 2.18 they did come and were even then already in the world and have multiplied since then into a number numberless and spawned themselves over the face of the whole Europian earth and more so that all Cities Countries Vniversities so called Parishes through Christendome are even overflowed therewith the more shame for them that cannot see Wood for Trees and how Christ is now coming to consume the Antichristian locusts of all sorts where they swarm with the Spirit of his mouth and brightness of his coming in Myriads of his Saints Iud. 14. but rather dream they are now newly rising out of the bottomless pit so I.O. Ex. 3. s. 19. and so mistake the true Prophets to be them who rather are armed with the Light and standing up in the might and power of the Lord against them But let me ask thee I.O. what were they to try the Spirits and the Prophets by was it the Letter or the Light the Scripture or the Spirit of God it self which of these two is the Rule or touchstone of trial which is the Iudge that must give the resolution in whose sentence there must ultimately be a resting and undoubted discerning what Spirit or Prophet is of God and speaks truth and what is false and comes with cunningly devised fables I know thou sayest p. 67 68. the Scripture and that alone we are sent to in this case to give the determination but saving thy single say so there is no evidence of any such matter either in this Text or any other t is not denied by me but the Scriptures may bee searcht and that that which is of God contradicts not them So the Bereâ—â—â— did who are commended for receiving the Word first as it was spoken 〈◊〉 readiness of minde and recorded as searching the Scriptures also but that on the account of which they beleeved the doctrine before they lookt into the Letter was the Light in their own hearts whereby then very conscience could witness it to be the truth it answering to that of God in them as face to face in a glass and not the Letter without for being lookt on without the Light and Spirit of God it came from that gives to see into the mystery of it to say nothing here how the Light and Spirit within only gives to know the Letter to be more of God then the Iewish Talmud or the Turkish Alcoran the Scripture answering to the eternall unchangeable infallible light of God in the conscience then those Fables do the Letter would have further blinded them from all beleef of the truth as it did the old Scribes and doth the new that search it in the darkness of their own understandings more then the Bereans did the Letter being but such a History Record and Writing of certain outward things transacted in a ceremonial or temporary figure and Type of some spiritual inward substantial invisible and eternal truth as lookt upon by them that are not in some measure in that Truth it self it in a figure calls to and is the Type of benights the dark minds and prejudices them more against the truth then if they had no outward Letter at all as the Pillar of fire to Israel that were on the inside thereof was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians that were on the backside which is the reason why all sorts of porers on the outside of the Letter and backside of the Bible and Professors as well in separated Assemblies as Parochial of the Letter in the carnal Commandements thereof are further hardned in hatred against the Qua. the children of light who are let and lead by the Spirit and light of him who only opens the seales to his Disciples into the inside of it and into the power of the endless life yea more then very heathens that never heard of any Letter at all for to such as read the Letter any other way but in the Light and Spirit that gave it forth by holy men as Animal men do and therefore discern it not it seems to contradict the things of the Spirit whereupon the Apostles were counted blasphemers of the Truth because they called men into it out of the Types and taught men to forsake Moses Testament that stood in outwards viz. Heb. 9.10 eatings drinkings of flesh bread and wine and divers Baptisms carnal Ordinances outward or in the flesh c. which all had their institution and were in being before Christ crucified who dâ— jure put an end to all these by the Sacrifice of himself though de facto used after by permission for a time in regard of peoples weakness at first to bear the total leaving them off for indeed to the lookers for the Kingdome and coming of Christ in outward observations hee that seeks to bring them off from these which decrease to Christ who increases that they may witness him formed and his image brought forth in them seems to such as Paul did to the foolish bewitcht ones of the Galatians that hung in the Letter and stuck short of the Spirit thinking to be made perfect by the Letter and fleshly performances to bee a very enemy both to them and truth and then most when he tells them most of the truth I say then 't is the Spirit and Light and not the Letter by which Doctrines Spirits Prophets true or false are to be tryed neither is the Spirit of God which was before it so to stoop to the Letter as to stand at the Bar before the Letter that is inferâ—â—◠〈◊〉 it and came from it but both the Letter and all false Spirits and their speakings and it self and its own also to bee tried judged and determined by the Spirit of God which judges all and is not to be judged by any which as the Light discovers discerns and comprehends the darkness but is not discovered discerned nor comprehended by it nor is this absurd as it may seem to some blinde ones to say the speakings writings doctrines things of Gods Spirit as well as all false Spirits and the things thereof are to bee tried by the Spirit of God it self for as the Sun outward is that which shews both it self and all things and
an Anchor to the soul sâ—re and stedfast entring into that within the vail Heb 6.18 19 20. which is Christ himself in us the hope of glory Col 1.27 known by them to be in all them who are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13 〈◊〉 and still in that transgression and in that condemnation which hath past already upon them and is not now to them that are in Christ walking no more after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 I say if I.O. judge with T.D. and others that that faith and confession ad extra only is the faith and confession of Christs Incarnation Resurrection c. which proves them to be of God who have it and them to be Antichristian spirits who have it not Let him tell me whether there be any Antichrists in Christendome yea or nay I have hitherto taken it that our Divines say the Antichrists properly are no where else and that there are many more Antichrists then true Christians naturâ non nomine in the world called Christian but seriously I know not where to finde them if I.Os. trial judgement and discerning of Spirits by the very Scriptures themselves bee not very dark and undiscerning and confused nor what Spirits or Prophets throughout all Christendome are not of God since Papists and Protestants of all sorts Prelatical Presbyterian Independent Baptists Seekers Kanters and all other that I know of as well as Qua. who only of all the rest witness that true inward saving good confession of the Lord Iesus with the mouth and beleeving in the heart that God raised him from the dead as feeling him living there within themseâ—ves to which the promise of salvation is made Rom. 10.9 and which every Spirit that witnessesh is of God 1 Joh. 4.2 do together with the Qua. who own and deny not that as there bee some that falsely lay of them all confess and really beleeve the truth of the outward History of Christs coming in the flesh of that person that was born at Bethlem that lived and dyed and rose again at Jerusalem according to the true Relation of the outward Scriptures and do also apply him and all his by that faith they have in the story of that person and in the person at a distance from them though never feeling the power of his Light Righteousness and holy life within themselves but I wot whether I.O. will own all these Spirits Prophets and Professors to be cordial beleevers or all such confessors of that outward Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ from the dead to be all of God or not and in a present state of salvation thereupon and not one of the outwardly beleeving Christ-confessing Spirits Prophets Priests and Professors abovesaid whereof the most are very prophane false deceitful Liars Swearers Couzeners Cheaters Drunkards Riotous Gluttâ—ns Belly-gods Wantâ—ns Whoremongers Idolaters Covetous Proud persecutors of Christ every way abominable and unchristian in their lives few or none of which beleeve so much as that they must necessarily or can possibly be purged perfectly from their sins till they dyâ— to be at all Antichristian If he say nay these all shall not be saved then the said outward faith in and confession of Christ as without them is not saving If hee say yea then first where is his personal election 2 What need any personal sanctification of us as to our salvation what was personally in that man only that dyed and rose at Ierusalem is enough for us so that none needs reside in us let us eat and drink when we dye we shal be saved and live for ever Moreover what hath been said above may stand as a sufficient answer over the head of I Os. fourth Agument which as most of them are one with another in many matters in proof of which he cites over and over again the same Texts so that one cannot well make a full end with one Argument without some transition into another is very much coincident with this The summe of which fourth is this viz. If it be often commanded by God that we attend diligently to the Scriptures left we be turned aside from the truth and right knowledge of himself by seducing spirits vain Revelations false teachers c. then the Scripture is the most perfect Rule c. but the first true therefore the other Ex. 3 f.31 The Texts that prove the minor of this Argument quoth he are so clear and plain that ad solem caecutiat necesse est c. he must needs be blinde toward the Sun it self who Assents not to them in some of which also quoth he the certitude of the sacred Word that is the Scripture still with I.O. is preferred before the certitude as to the Churches use even of true Revelations and miraculous Rep Yet two of them viz 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16. 2 Pet. 1.19 many times a peece over repeated and supposed to supply almost every turn of I.O. how they serve not his turn at all is abundantly above discovered whereupon I here quit them Another is so much misquoted viz. 2 Ioh. 11.5 6 10. that as plain and clear as the Sun as it is he must be better skill'd then I that knows where to finde it at all Two more there are that make as much to I.Os. purpose as any two well-nigh can do that speak contrary to it and those are Ioh. 5.47 2 Thess. 2.2 The words of the first which with those of 46. vers are Christs to the Scribes are these Had ye beleeved Moses yee would have beleeved me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeve not his writings how shall ye beleeve my words Christ by true Revelations of it from the Father to him truly revealed the Fathers will to the Scribes which they received not from him but hated him for Ioh. 8.40 12.49 50.14.31 saying of Christ Wee are none of his we are Moses Disciples we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow we know not whence he is Joh. 5 45 46 47. Christ tells them in effect that for all their prate and pretence to Moses as their Tutor he rather was their Accuser in whom they trusted sith they in truth beleeved not Moses for a minori ad majus did you indeed beleeve Moses ye would much more beleeve me quoth he for he wrote of me he sent directed and pointed you to me for so he did Deut. 18.15 saying of Christ A Prophet will God raise to you c. him shall ye hear in all he sayes who hears him not shall be cut off from his people Act. 3.22 23.7.47 But if you beleeve not his writings wherein ye are bid to hear me as the greater of the two as the Son in the house where he was but the servant then ye cannot beleeve my words The summe in short is this hee that heeds Moses writings must hear me for Moses bids them do so he that beleeves what I say doth what Moses sayes he that beleeves either beleeves both he
that beleeves not both beleeves neither But what of that what follows hence this quoth I O. for that is the very end hee infers this Text for and the very conclusion he infers from it viz. that Moses writings of Christ are more sure and of greater certainty as to the Churches use then Christs own words from his own mouth or then Christs Revelations of Gods minds to men as revealed to him from the mouth of God from the very bosome of the Father Siccine Itane is it so I O. indeed what the ouâ—â—ard remotely transcribed Copies of the writings of the Old servant that put a vail over his face too and spake so darkly in types and figures and shews and shadows that 't was hard to behold stedfastly to what end he spake more plain and stedfast and sure and certain then the immediate Voice Words Revelations of the Son himself whom Moses called to hear as coming and speaking more distinctly out of the very bosome of the Father O the dotage of our Vniversity Doctors the dimness of our Divines who profess to dive daily and deeply into the Scriptures that make the dark Writings and dead Letter and servant more clear and worthy and useful to the Church then the express Voice and Words of the Son which are Spirit and life it self I shall set but one Scripture to face this fancy of I.O. and so leave and let it stand to the shame of it self and its Father Heb. 3. vers 1. to the 8. See and read it Thus of the first The words of the second are these Be not soon shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of the Lord is at hand Rep. The business I.O. cites this in proof of is for this and that next before are of those that are subscribed to that purpose that the certainty of the Scripture is preferred before the certainty of true Revelations and Miracles but which way so much can be drawn unless it be as I.O. draws iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart Ropes from that Text is more then I can tell Paul Silas and Timothy had told them it seems of the coming of the day of God both by Spirit Word and Letter they whose great hope lay in the comming of that day like such as look and long for what they love and are apt to thinke and hope it to be as they would have it did hope it to be nearer hand then it was and fearing left finding it further off then they thought they might bee troubled and shaken in minde and failing in their faith of it he gives them to understand the worst of it that the best might the better help it self that they should not mistake them in their Doctrine about that day as if they had said it was immediately to shine out upon them and so waver in their mindes flag in their faith and be troubled with doubts as if it would never come to them because not so soon as they wisht it might for there was a long night to interpose it self first he wills them withall to remember v. 5. that he told them no less in the Spirit by Word of his mouth as now he doth over again by Letter or Writing when was present with them howbeit as that 's never long that comes at last so that day would come at last to their salvation and destruction of the man of sin who caused the night with the brightness of it Here 's the short and the long of the business of that verse and those about it from which I who can see the Sun can see no such Doctrine follow as I.O. dreamingly draws from it nor one dram of Reason nor the least grain of Assent to his Asasâ—inated Assertion that the Scripture is of more certitude as to the Churches use then any true Revelations Other Arguments I.O. urges why the Light and Spirit cannot bee the Rule c. Therefore the Scripture must be it J.O. That to which we are never no where sent of God that we might learn the knowledge of himself and his will and take direction in our duty that cannot be the Rule Canon Principle or directory of our Faith Learning Knowledge and obedience But we are never no wheresent of God to any inward Light or internal Private spirit c. Therefore c. Les the Fanaticks produce but one place of Scripture wherein we or any are sent to their Rules or directions of faith and obedience and we will not say but they have cause to triumph in earnest but if they speak of their own they are Lyars they bear witness to themselves and their witness is not true Reply As for thy word Private Spirit we deny all leading by any Private Light and Spirit It is the Common Light and Publick Spirit of God which is one and the same in all though not in the same measure and not any thing of our own that we testifie to and profess to follow as our guide It is the gift of Gods grace in us that appears to all bringing salvation which teaches all that are led by it and learn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live godly righteously and soberly here that we intend nor do we so much as pretend to any other inwardlight but that of God in the conscience which though thou foolishly stile it Natural yet thy self be â—rest such an ample testimony to sometimes that we need use no other then thy own words to prove it to be infallibly of God and from him an infallible guide and that we are sent of God to this inward Light Word or Spirit in answer to thy challenge to produce one Scripture I say what need wee produce one Thy own pen if thou l't beleeve it points out almost iâ—numerable places yea all in which the Word of God is said to be preacht publisht multiplied received where the Word nigh in the heart is meant and the outward Scripture that is the declaration of it considered formaliter or as written not at all intended yet for fear thou shouldest not beleeve thy own pen when such Truths drop from it as make against thee and indeed it hath let fall so many untruths pro and cons and fellaries from it that it little deserves to be beleeved by thy self but rather suspected when it writes the truth I am free here to produce some out of many more that might bee produced wherein men are sent in the Scripture if that be of God by whom thou sâ—yest they nunquam nusquam never no where are so sent to the rules and directions we call to which are not any mans own private spirit or fained light or Enthusiasms or dreams as thou dreamest and to the abusing of us to the world out of thy own narrow private light-loathing spirit divinest they are but the Word Light and Spirit of God which is
heavy on themselves is to be seen in a book of E.B. stiled a Word of Reproof where hee mentions about fifty sad examples of Gods vengeance on the Qua enemies where Dean Owen is also marked out for no great good but his excessive pride to which I refer thee And to this very day the Righteous God every morning brings his Righteous Iudgements to light but the unjust knows no shame Another Argument whereby I.O. would prove the Scripture to be the Word of God is on this wise I. O. It will easily appear to any one that never so sleightly reads it that the holy Scripture is by the holy Spirit very often indigitated by that name So p. 117. in every place it avers it self to be the Word of God So p 140. If the Scripture be what it reveals and declares it sef to be it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God for that is prosesseth of it self from the beginning to the ending Reply 1. In proof of thy Minor thou producest Mar. 7.13 which is nothing at all to such a purpose for its the Commandements written which were Gods commands before they were written and we confesâ— to be the Word of God whether they be written or not that are there spoken of under that Term Word of God and not the Writing or Scripture of the Commandements 2. Exer. 1. s. 28 Thou overturnest thy self clear as to thy minor saying thus Where the Word of God is said to be preached published multiplied received in innumerable places almost the Scripture formally considered is not meant nor intended Which is so though I know thou contradictest this again blaming the Qua. because they allow not the Scripture to bee meant in those innumerable places of Scripture where the Word of God is said to bee preached published and received Ex. 〈…〉 then how canst thou say the Spirit in the Scripture calls the Scripture from one end of it to the other calls the Scripture the Word of God and that the Scripture every where calls it self so Another Argument whereby thou wouldest evince the Scripture to bee the Word of life and so the Rule is a certain absolute necessity vel ad esse to the spiritual being of the Saints that thou fanciest to be in the Scripture saying Ex. 3. s. 39. Non pâ—usopuâ—est victâ—â— vestiâ—â—uâ— vitam haeâ—â—animatem traducamus quam Scripâ—utis 〈◊〉 ejuâ— cognitioâ—â— Dei sâ—iliâ—et atque side in dies â—â—udiamur We have not more need of food 〈◊〉 to the natural life then of the Scriptures to the knowledge of God and â—â—â—th and that its evident that the Qua. have with Less danger and loss assayed to fast forty dayes then they can lead a spiritual life free from deadly sins without the Word of God Rep. Without the Word of God I grant it but the Word still is in the heart and is not the Scripture formally or Lieâ—â—er without which thou with shame enough due if thou takest it to thy self sayest men cannot live spiritually without nor free from sin without As if there were no holy spiritual men that did no iniquity as the world doth or that were free from deadly sins before the Letter was What Letter had Abel Enoch Noah righteous and upright men that walked with God in crooked generations to live by and if they lived without the Letter to God is it as impossible to do so now as to live bodily without food that which is necessary ad esse and not bene esse only must be necessary for them as well as us and so the Word of God is which was before the Letter and which they then had who had not the Scripture yea both outwardly inwardly men live by the Word that proceeds out of Gods mouth else outward bread doth not keep men alive bodily Matth. 6. yea every creature that man lives by must be sanctified by that else it s a curse 1 Tim. 4. And for the Qua. fasting forty dayes without hazard There 's a miracle told by I.O. himself concerning the Qua. if that may convince such as look for miracles yet will not men beleeve 2. More Texts there are used and quoted often over and over again in proof of many particulars respectively about the Text or Scripture not one of which either of them truly serves one jot toward the proving of as namely that it is the Word of God and that so assuredly that who receive 〈◊〉 not as so are inexcusable in damnable unbeleef that that is asserted to bee The Rule and Standard The Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever That which pleads its reception not onely in comparison with but in opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of Gods minds and will the best and most effectual means of bringing men to Repentance That which all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded upon Thâ—t by which God gives us greater security against all preâ—ences and pleas of unbeleef to the excluding of them and to the enforcing of beleef as a sure foundation for faith to repose it self upon and more moving then any evident miracle That true voice of God which assertains the soul beyond all possibility of mistake That which not only it self to be discerned from al delusions but determines al Doctrines also propos'd to be beleeved whether they be truths of God or cunningly devised fables more then the most signal miracles imaginable more then that greatest of Miracles even Christs Resurrection and otheâ— mans rising with him from the dead more then any voice from heaven it self not only then one counterfeited by men or Satan in the air but then any True voice of God himself speaking to us from heaven as he spake to Moseâ— or as he spake to Christ yea as safely to be rested in as such aâ— any voice coming from heaven with such divine power as to evidence it self 〈◊〉 be of God and to be rested in as such yea giving greater certainty and security then that voice which came to them in the holy Mouns That Moses and the Prophets which who hears not wiâ— not be perswaded to repent though one arise to them from the dead That which as to its certitude is preferr'd before the certitude of even true and miraculous Revelations That beside whiâ—h after the compleating its Canon no new Revelations about the same faith and worship are to be expected or admitted no more 〈◊〉 it as from the Spirit to bee added which is to stand alone as the only most perfeâ—â— Rule inalterable Standard for the trial of all Doctrines Visions Revelation Spirits Gods own not excepted to which we must stand come and are sent alone to stick stedfast and earnestly attend to without hearing or heeding Angel or Spirit without listning to any new blowings or inspirations of the Spirit which is now imited to the Letter though it was once at liberty and had the licence as well since the Letter was written as before
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
Prophet Doth not the difference that is serve us against thee whilst it s no other then thus that of the two the spiritual man is the greater for if every Prophet is not a spiritual man yet all spiritual men are Prophets or more then Prophets And that there are spiritual men in these dayes thou wilt prove thy self to be what thou art but a meer animal and fleshly man in denying for as there are millions even many more then a good many spiritual men in Title so assuredly as few as they are there are a good many so in truth and so many as are so are more then Prophets or inspired ones that are but barely mov'd to speak or act by the Spirit for all holy men of God spake and wrote of old and speak and write now as they are acted or moved of the holy Spirit but all that speak as the Spirit of God may move act and give them utterance are not holy men of God for Prophesie is but a gift that wicked men though seldome yet sometimes may have who never come into that more excellent and spiritual way which is to last when all Prophesie is ceased of living in love and other fruits of the Spirit witness Balaam the Prophet that lov'd the wages of unrighteousness and taught Balaak King of Moab to cast a stumbling block before Israel and to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication whose way you follow who neither live the life nor will unless ye repent for all your hopes so to do die the death of the righteous and that you will see when you fall into his Trance with your eyes open as you will at last so as to see him even that Star of Iacob as he did afar off not nigh but with a gulf betwixt and Lazarus in his bosome though you are yet in a Tâ—ance of your own with your eyes shut and not come so far into the bare sight of Truth as Balaam was who for all his wickedness was moved of the Lord and overpowred by the Word of God put into his mouth to speak many precious Truths and full sore against his will which would have been at work another way for hire and have cursed and divin'd against them for money to bless Israel altogether Numb 24. Witness also Caiphas the High-Priest who gave the Iews wicked counsel against Iesus and yet prophesied that Iesus should dye for that Nation and gather into one all the children of God that were scattered abroad which not knowing well the true meaning of his own words he spake not of himself as ye do of your selves not understanding well what you say uttering in words many eminent truths out of the Prophets and of the Prophets which not knowing the Prophets voices ye fulfill to your own ruine but by way of Prophesie as the Spirit made use of his mouth to utter it Iohn 11.47 51 52. And was not Saul also among the Prophets so that evil men may be moved and inspired by the Spirit and obey also so as to Prophesie as they are moved led or acted by the Spirit who never obey the Spirits motions of them to better and greater matters that spiritual men obey him in yea fleshly selfish men may be moved and made of the Lord which is more then ye yet are Prophets of True things but what holy and spiritual man is not a Prophet or not inspired or not truly moved of the Lord or however fallible in himself as other men is not anamartetos or infallible as led by the Spirit wherefore then makest thou this matter Theopneustian or divine inspiration or moving of the Spirit such a singular thing as peculiar onely to the dayes of old nay verily though all men are not so far inspired and moved of the Spirit as to be made Prophets yet if by the Term Theopneustia thou mean bare inspiration and motion of the Spirit and speak of that thing it selfe and not of such or such a degree or measure of it canst thou tell me the man or woman vpon earth letting onely Infants and meer Fanaticks aside who are not or have not at some time or other been moved by and with good motions to better things then they follow inspired by the Holy Spirit Who is there â—aving him who walks no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so is not excepted from but more highly accepted into this Theopneusty or inspiration in all the world of either Heathens by name or meer nominall Christians that are as reall Heathens as the other who cannot truly say Video meliora prâ—bâ—que deterior a sequor And what is that in them who have no outward Scripture that makes them say and gives them to see that they behold and approve of better things while they practise worse Is it not the same light and Spirit within by which Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison when once the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing Is it not the spirit of Truth that guides the followers of it into all truth and strives with men though the stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and cares alwayes resist and strive against it and lusts in them against the lustings of their flesh to filth and envy c Is it not that which convinceth and reproveth the world of sin because they believe not in Christ and of righteousnesse and judgement so that they know righteousnesse and the righteousnesse and truth of the judgement of God that who do such things as they do are worthy of death though yet they enter not into the narrow path of righteousness and life nor repent to the acknowledgement of the Truth And though the earth by reason of the transgression till God create the Heaven and Earth again anew as he did in the beginning be without form and void and darknesse be upon the face of the deep yet in order to its coming into order again by the new Creation Doth not the Spirit of God move upon the face of the waters where the Whore sitteth peoples multitudes tongues and nations And doth not God say Let there be light and there is light shining in the daâ—knessâ— though the darknesse comprehends it not And doth he not separate these clearly in mens consciences the inner world from each other calling the light day and the darknesse night And do not many of you men called Ministers use to teach your unconverted people to take the advantage of the Spirits moving upon their hearts and not to quench them but to step in while it moves least like those that lay diseased at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the waters by the Angel that came down which in the Antitype is not the letter but the Spirit not waiting for the movings or neglecting to observe and obey and close with the Spirits motions before the motions of sin in the flesh step in and cool and quench them they lie
if they leave the plain paths of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness and come not to the light that shines in their consciences sciences and the Law of God which is not far off but nigh in their hearts that they may know and do it but hate and abhor it and persecute the Ministers and children of it and make to themselves crooked paths whatsoever walketh therein shall not know peace yea Iudgement shall be far from them and Iustice never overtake them and they shall wait for light but behold obscurity and for brightness but shall walk in darkness and groap for the wall like the blind as if they had no eyes and stumble at noon-day as in the night aâ—d be in desolate places as dead men and roar like Bears and mourn sore like Drues and look for Salvation but none shal come because their transgressions are multiplied before the Lord and their own sins testifie against them and their transgressions are still with them and as for their iniquities by the light within they know them transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from God while they pretend to draw nigh unto him speaking still oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from their heart words of falshood turning Iudgement away backward and causing Iustice to stand afar off causing truth to fail in their streets and shutting out of Equity that it cannot enter making a prey of him that departeth from iniquity and mocking the Lord and making him believe as far as they can with their flattering words and sained turnings unto him that they love his truth his light and his life yet in truth saying in their hearts to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes There are such who blow the Trumpet as of old the Prophets did to the same tune and the like to this that is above whose Trumpet gives as certain a sound as theirs did also and not such an uncertain fallible one as that of the Priests And these Theopneustoi or divinely inspired persons in their writings speakings call for attendance reception and submission not with that Supreme Authority I confess which I. O. as falsly as foolishly both supposes and saves T. 1. C 3. S. 8. Antient divinely inspired Scripture calls for which is quoth he not only in comparison with but also in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Wâ—ll c. For by his leave or besides it either the Light and infallible Spirit it came forth from may not only well compare with its fallible and falsified self as people now have it transcribed translated twisted and twined which way any unrighteous writers either of it or on it any men-pleasing Praters Tythe-taking Talkers or time-serving Turn-coats are pleas'd to take it and turn it and wrest it to their own present ends and future ruine but alâ—o may well and doe challenge attendance to themselves with far more supream and uncontroulable authority then it can yea as the sâ—â—e and only meanes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Will whom and which all the Scribes and Scripture-searchers in the world nor have nor can know without the light and Spirit any more then the old ones did Ioh. 5. Matth. 22. Or then anyone can see the outward Sun by any light but that which shines from itself Matth. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.10 11 16. And so in opposition to all outward Scripture it self as that which may define God and declare of him and of his mind and will and yet gives not the knowledge of either the knowledge of whose things if we believe I. O. T. 1. c. 1. s. 16 depends wholly and solely on his own pure divine revelation thereof by himself which revelation is so far exprest indeed in the Scripture as that there it is written of but is expresly made onely in the heart where it pleases the Son to reveal the Father and the Father to reveal the Son in men Gal. 1.15 16. Eph. 1. Col. 1.23 I say then not with that Supream Authority which is peculiar onely to the Light Spirit and Word within though ignorantly attributed yea and appropriated too by I O. to the outward writing yet with the same uncontroulable Authority as the letter doth they call for attendance even from their Theopneustia or divine inspiration which To Theion or Power of God that accompanieth them in their ministration is enough to convict I. O. and all the Wolves of these times that bark and howl against the Light and mis-judgâ— the many messages that come to them from the Lord as rejecters of such as God sends and justifiers of them who flew such of old as spake to them in the name of the Lord. Nevertheless as I. O. saith too truly T. 1. c. 3. s. 9. It alwayes so fell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes be spake so it falls out now to the true Prophets among all the false Churches of these latter dayes from whom they find lesse Approbation and the same Reprobation as the former did from those evill Generations wherein they spake Ier. 47.3 Matth. 5.12 21.33 to 38. 23.29 Luke 17.25 26 27 28. Iohn 9.29 Acts 7.52 24.5 And this comes to passe by reason of the same innumerable prejudices that attend these their givings out of truth either in speech or writing as did the other whose writings are not freed as I. O. fancies from the prejudices that at first attended them but attended with more then at the first writing thereof thorough the infinite alterations mis-transcriptions mis-translations mis-constructions and mistakes of all sorts they have since been liable to by the fallibility and infinite variety of Scribes thorough whose hands they have passed Which said innumerable prejudices that now attend the modern Prophets as did the first arise from the same Root with those that attended them in their respective Ages viz. 1. Partly the supposed interests of them that write and speak by way of Prophecy or immediate motion 2. Partly the personall infâ—â—mities homely appearances stemmering lips uneloquent rude crude indigested unsound non-sensicall sound of words as they seem to unintelligently understanding I. O. Ep. ad lectorem Ex. 3. s. 17. and formes of speech which the Babes vf Christ seem to him to babble in when they drop their doctrine as the dew at the Command of God to the Drunkards of Ephraim not all as once but as it were guttaâ—im Precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little Ezek. 21.2 Amos 7.16 Isai. 28.9 10 11 13.2 Partly the mean out-side of most of these inwardly glorious sons and daughters of the King Psal. 45.13 whose cloathing ad extra is not as their own within and the worlds without and its Ministers often is of wrought gold nor yet is it so much of Plush Jippoes Hose behang'd before
and cause the Sun to be covered with a cloud and the bright lights of heaven to be dark over Aegypt at the putting of it out and at the breaking of its yoke and set darkness upon her Land and search out the hidden things of Esau and take away understanding from his Mount and discover deep things of darkness and bring out to light the shadow of death Job 12. Isa. 19. Isa. 29. Isa. 44. Ezek. 30.18 22.7 8. Obad. 6. c. And that he will do all this to a people that have provoked him to anger with their vanities by a foolish Nation and weary them out by such as are no people in their eyes Deut. 32.21 And choose the foolish and bâ—se and weak things that Are noâ— â—o confound and bring to nothing the things that Are 1 Cor. 1.20 27.28 That the great Mountain of Babel shall become a Plain before Zerubbabel i e. Such as are from Babel as the Word is and this not by might nor power of man but by my Spirit saith the Lord Zach. 4.6.7 That the excellency of the work may be of him and not of man and that he will do great things for his own Land of Canaan whereat they shall rejoyce and be glad Joel 2.21 yet by such instruments as foolish Shepherds such silly tools as shall make subtle Sanballets and tale-bearing Tobyasses and the rest of the scoffers of the same seed of Ammon flout â—t them at first as feeble and say What will these feeble folk do will they revive the stones out of the rubbish and build and fortifie in a day Behold if a Fox go upon their wall will he not break it down Nehem. 4.1.2.3.4 c. Nehem. 6.6.7.16 c. and despise the day of God as a day of small things Zach. 4.10 and yet be amaz'd terrified cast down in themselves and made to confess it to be of God at the last and that he will begin to save not so much by the heads as by the tail of the people and gâ—â—upwards not that Prophet that teacheth lyes which is the tail that would be the head and is to be totally cut off Isa. 9. but the lower and most despised fort of people to whom he will shew his Salvation and by them to the Antient and the Honourable and instruct Apollos by Aquila and Priscila in the way of God more perfectly and make the Daughters of Philip to Prophesie when scarce a Prophetess to be found among the Princesses of the earth and Phabe and other Sisters Ministers in his Church and Labourers with Paul and fellow-helpers to the Gospel Rom. 16.1 1 Phil. 4.3 when he leaves Corvos Prophetas Prophetissas picas many unsavoury gaping Preachers and proud women pratlers of Christ and Faith c. ever teaching and learning but never coming to the knowledge of the Truth and that he will saveÌ„ the Tents of Juda first the plain plow-men and keepers in their own Tents and Country cottages that the glory of the cieled houses of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Kings Governours great ones fine rich Citizens mighty Merchants mincing Ladies Renowned University Schollars Scribes Pastors and such like may no more magnifie themselves against Iuda but stoop to take Truth from stammering lips or be lest ignorant thereof forever and this is one of Gods works and strange Acts which he is working in these dayes whereat the wise despisers wonder yet perish because in no wise believing it though it be declared unto them Zach. 12.7 1 Hab. 1.5 Act. 13.40.41 Isa. 28.21.22 5. The mighty multitude of false Prophets of all shapes seducing and gain saying the truth which are at least four hundred and fifty of one sort and four hundred of another to one of the Lords Elijabs 1 Kings 18. ver 19. For as thou sayest I. O. T. 1. C. 3. S. 10. in the latter dayes of that Iewish Church that poople were most emiÌ„nently perplexed with false Prophets both as to their number and subtilty so and much more is it now in these latter dayes of the out-side Christian Churches that hold the outer Court yet tread down the holy City and of the old World also wherein the old Serpent called the Devil and Satan seeing himself cast out of heaven where he held war as long as he could with Michael and his Angels and is now to have no more place there is come down to the Inhabiters of the earth unto which he is cast in great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time and so bestirs himself more then ever before and like a mad Bull that hath received a fatal blow in the forehead runs bellowing about and tears and rends what he is able and foams against the Man-child the holy Seed of God and Sheep of Christ at his going forth and being by permission more strongly then ever re-entred into the herdâ—of Swine drives them down headlong so violently that there is no saving of them to their own everlasting Perdition to which purpose he musters up all manner of his Ministers that from him as to their Ministerial capacities both live and move and have their being Gog and Magags Ministry and all the Magicians behind all these together running on with open mouth to devoure the Israel of God and iâ—compass the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City till fire come down from God out of heaven and devoure them Isa. 31. yea of a truth it it so now as was foretold 2 Esdras 13. Chap. thoroughout that it should be in the latter dayes when the most High begins to visit and deliver his Saints and come in them to the astonishment of many and as a thief and a snare upon all that dwell upon the earth viz. that though all the false Prophets and their several peoples should be Aurium tenus up to the ears in strife one sort of Seers undertaking to fight against another one City one Realm one sort of their misguided people against another one Troop of these mad Riders and their blind horses Zach. 4. against another in their uncertain fallible minds opinions conjectures thoughts Andabatarum more justling together in the dark at the Revelation of the Son of God and his espoused Sion and at the hearing of his uncouth voice they every one in their own land leave the battel they have one against another and as of old the Ammonites Mâ—â—ites and they of Mount Seir waging war against that typical people of God the outward fleshly Israel so these that hate and ban one another even to the very death make one head together against that spiritual Israel that is of a clean heart and all the false Prophets both anâ—iâ—â— and upstart and all the subtil fâ—xes natura non nomine joyn both little and great old and young together to spoil the Vine that hath clusters of tender grapes and if it were possible to root it out and under a pretence of preserving the Church the true seed of Iacob
ministry of the heavens and the firmament which is so to every individual man that there 's neither speech nor language male nor female where their voice is not heard the found is gone out into all the world and their words even Christs and the Spirits within for the outward words and writings of men preaching the Gospel thereby have never yet extended nor reached so largely as to all men to the ends of the earth Yet all have not obeyed the Gospel saith he no not Israel it self without of whose having the outward Letter of the Statutes and Iudgements which thou as sillily callest against thy self too as G.W. truly tells thee in another case callest in both thy Pamphlets the Supernatural Light or knowledge of the Gospel thou keepest such a scraping as if that fleshly natural seed of Abraham and their natural fleshly wayes of knowing what they know which was little of the mystery 2 Cor. 3. by that natural reading and poring upon the Letter as ye also do were the most supernatural men and means as to the saving knowledge of the Gospel in all the world whereas the Iews were as meer Animal and Naturall as your selves who savingly know nothing by the Letter I say that Israel it self obeyed not and why not because as husie as they were with you in their Bible they regarded not but rebelled against the strivings of the Lord himself with them by his Light and Spirit within therefore saith Paul ver 21. as the reason render'd by God himself Isa. 65.2 All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Also that they have the Light in them who yet neither believe in it nor are the children of it but yet abiding in darkness is as clear from Chrihs own words Iob. 8.12.12.35.36 I am the light of the world he i.e. he of the world that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but have the light of Life Walk while ye have the Light while ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be it seems they yet were not so yet had a Light in them to believe in the Children of the Light some of which Light was come not unto them only but into the world also ver 26. That who e're believes in it might come out of darkness and evil ones had it come to them as well as such as did Truth though they came not to it as the other did else they could not be said to see and hate it and so Christ and the Father whose will was revealed in it as they are Iohn 3.20.12.48 and 15.22 23.24 So Christ is come by his Light as the Sun by its beams into some dark Dungeon into the dark world the dark places of mens hearts and of the earth that are full of the habitations of cruelty Dens of Devils Cages of unclean and hareful birds holds of cruel wicked fowl and filthy spirits to give life and that abundantly Iohn 10.10 yea he came to the Scribes of old by his Light not outward person only to that end yet they had not the Light of Life why so Ye hear not Gods Voice saith he and have not his Word which ye put from you abiding in you ye search the Scriptures which testifie of me who am the Life and there ye look to have it and come not unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5.37.38.39.40 Wisdome Christ the Wisdome of God reproves cryes to men in their own consciences by his own Voice Light and Spirit in their hearts even to scorners simple ones foâ—ls that hate knowledge and would poure out his Spirit on them as on others but some hearken not hate turn away so are slain and perish not for want of warning counsel Light from Christ to lead who is given as the one Leader and Law-giver to all persons and people but for want of taking heed to him who teaches and looking to his Law in the heart which enlightens Thou call'st as I.O. does falsly the Letter Christs Light and the only means that men can come to saving knowledge by yet heed'st no more then he to his to thy own satisfaction that all who have it and look and read in it too as the Scribes did have not the knowledge of God and his Kingdome by it and yet if we should say of those men that come not to Life by the Letter therefore they have not the Letter would'st thou not say of us that we are mad mutato nomine the Argument is thine to us-ward as concerning Christs Light in the Conscience yet nunquam videns id manticae quod in tergo est thou canst not see it The Corinthians had the Light shining in their hearts to give the knowledge yet all of them had not the true knowledge of God and that they had not when he shone by his Light in them 't was their fault else Paul could not have spoken it as he does 1 Cor. 15. to their own shame And this may stand as an answer to thy pedling Reply to G.W. when he urg'd from 2 Cor. 4.6 that the Light shone in the Corinthians hearts in whose hearts sayest thou p. 4. 1. Pamp. not of all mankind but of the Apostle and some others a small number in comparison of the rest who were not enlightned and to back that thy shameful blindness in limiting the shinings of the true Light into such a little nook as a small number thou boltest out much more saying from ver 3.4 the Gospel is hid to them that are lost and there are some to whom the Light shines not not heeding as I said before that that may be in men which men may hate smoother and hide in their own hearts and be lost for want of the sight of when not for want of the Light it self that men may have the serse of sight and the presence of light and yet not see but shut their eyes that that may shine in them which they giving way to the God of this World to blind their minds may not shine out unto them as a Candle may shine in a Room yet if put under a Bushel not shine out to it and a Talent to trade with may be given to him who hiding his Lords money shall reap little profit by it and at last have what light he had within taken from him and be cast forth without into the outer darkness Didst never read of those that seeing and hearing would neither see nor hear nor understand nor perceive as they might therefore at last should not if they would and because thou askest in whose hearts I say in the hearts of some who did not see and know in the Corinthians hearts so that they all had the light and might have seen but only that some would be ignorant and of such sayes Paul 1 Cor. 4. If any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant And sith thou sayest not in the hearts of all mankind I say yea of
Name of God was blasphemed for their sakes insomuch that Paul saith Rom. 2. the very uncircumcision as to the Flesh and Letter doing in the Light by which they were made a Law to themselves by nature not corrupt nature as T. D. thinks nor by the pure nature in a measure restored without or abstract from the Light the things of the Law were better to God then the literal professing Iew and more just and justified to the very judging of them who by boasting of the Letter and Circumcision without broke the Law in the heart and less lyable to wrath then the other which shews how God counts more on obedience in Morals Spirituals Evangelicals without the Letter and literals then on all Burnt-offering and Sacrifice and lifeless conformity to the Letter Yet the Heathen themselves by the Light in the Conscience though videntes meliorae by it they did mostly deteriwa sequi see much and do little at least came to know in a measure within themselves the very righteous Iudgments of God that thâ—se that did such things as they did are worthy of death Rm. 1.32 And thou I.O. confessest the same in thy words above-recited Iudicio Dei se subesse cogu scunt and the Light within and moral instinct of good and evil by it seconded by a self-iudgement placed in us Yea Ioh. 16. The Light and Spirit of Christ the Saints Comforter that walk in it is in the Office of a Convincer to the world of Sin and Iudgement the Law which is the Light in all is spiritual Rom. 7.14 Ob. And if ye say we grant that but what of the Gospel of the Righteousness of God and the riches of his Grace in Christ and what of Christ can be known in that Light Answ. If ye will needs count the Iudgement and wrath of God which is a depth unsearchable by any that look only in the Letter which only tells of his wrath or by any save such as living in the Light have come to feel it within themselves for who knows the power of thy wrath saith the Psalmist none say I but such as waiting in the Light have felt the weight of his hand while Judgement and Condemnation passed on their evil deeds I say if ye will reckon Wrath Iudgement and the Ministration of Condemnation none of the things of God none of his deep things nor the things of his Spirit and Gospel because your eyes are out but reckon it to the Law or Old Testament only and not to the Gospel to which yet it truly belongs or New which is the ministration of righteousnesse and mercy Yet I answer further that not only Iudgement and Wrath but the Righteousness Salvation Mercy and Grace of God in Christ and Christ himself is preached and revealed in the same Light in which the Iudgement and Wrath is revealed as it is the effectual work of the Law in the hâ—aâ—t to accuse reprove and condemn him that doth evil so Vâ—sinet Apello I appeal to your selves who assert it is is it not its work to excuse acquit justifie him within himself who declines the evil and does the contraâ—y Good Is there true righteous Iudgement done where as well mercy comfort peace and acceptation with God is not ministred to the innocent though Abimelech the Heathen when they are found in integrity of heart to Gentile as well as Iew as terrour râ—proof rejection and wrath to every soul that doth evil Iew or Gentile Beside say not the Texts afore-cited that the Spirit convinces the world of Righteousness as well as of sin and Iudgement and that in the same Light which is indeed the Gospel and call'd by Paul so and the Power of God unto Salvation in which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that withhold the truth told them by God himself and his Light in them in unrighteousness the Righteousness of God also is even therein revealed from faith to faith among the Iust that turn to and own the Light and live by faith in it Rom. 1 I know and see how page 3. 1 Pamp. T D would make a difference if he could tell how that he might maintain his natural or rather suâ—te natural diâ—course about the meer naturalness of that Light that shews Sins Duties Divine Attributes between that one Light say I in which the wrath is revealed and in which the righteousness is revealed where in answer to that unanswerable saying of Paul about the To Gnoston Tou Theou when G.W. used it against him thus Thou sayest 't is meant of a Natural Light whereas 't is said to be the knowledge of whatsoever is to be known of God Rom. 1.19 T.D. replyes thns sillily the Apostle intends that what might be known of God without the preaching of the Gospel was known to the Gentiles verse 16.17 'T is by the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed Rep. As if we must think the Apostle in that phrase Whatever is to be known of God is manifest in men excluded and excepted the Light of the Gospel and inward Word of which he talks elswhere Rom. 10. That it s nigh to men in their hearts And Col. 1.23 is preached viz. in every creature under heaven and meant only some nescio quid I know not what kind of manifestation that hath nihil commune cum Scripturis holds no Analogy with the Scripture because T.D. makes his shallow sensless say-so on the place whose Reply but 't is his usual way when he has nought else to say to make what additions to and alterations of a Text he pleases and then to say when there 's no such matter either expressed or implyed it intends so and so or it intends not so though so said God indeed in many Texts makes offer of Salvation to all but intends it only to a few by All is meant Some by in us in Christ and many of the like sort is not worth any other Reply then to tell him it 's not worth a Rush and G. Ws. saying to him out of Paul stands o're T. Ds. head still for To Gnoston what is to be known of God is any thing that tends to mans Salvation without such an exception as T.D. adds to the making of Paul there as he does God and the Penmen in many more Texts dissemble like to T.D. himself so as to speak one thing and intend another that destroyes the very sense of his own words But saving T Ds mis-meaning of that matter assuredly enough the same that reveals the wrath reveals the righteousness retro and that that reveals the righteousness is a measure of the light of the Gospel of Gods rich Grace and Goodness that is given to Impenitents to lead them to repentance if they obey it and so to forgiveness and life or otherwise to leave them without excuse when having trifled away the time of Gods long-suffering and forbearance in rebellion against the light
against the Truth do so mangonize among you as to make neither more nor lesse then just as many meanings of as ye are men for between you Four there are Four senses put upon it whereof though some of them in terminis are true enough to serve Truths turn against you yet as ye mince your matter in the minds and as ye mean and wrest your own true words as well as the Text it self the wrong way there is never a one of all four that falls fully upon the white That Text is Iohn 1.9 That was the true light which enlightens every man coming into the world That the true Light here spoken of is Christ and the light that comes from him which Iohn Baptist a shining light in his season but inferiour to him was not but only bare Testimony to in whom is Life and whose Life is the light of men that shineth in that darkness which comprehends it not and so consequently not a naturall stuens exâ—â—â—piis naturae much lesse as natural to man as his Intellect Mind and Conscience it self as I. O. sayes that Light which all have is Ex. 4. S. 18. Lumen hâ—â— est naturalis propria niseparabilis mentis conscientiae vis efficazia eculus and yet p. 77. light is not eyes acies meâ—tis est St lumen hoc non 〈◊〉 naturale neque intellectus neque mens neque conscientia homin naturalis est and insufficient but a spirituall supernaturally and all sufficient Light to save all â—â—ch in whom it is in case they believe in it is a truth which as it is undeniable in it self so I never yet met with any Minister or other that was so deeply darkened as to deny Yea I. O. positively affirmeth it to my hands Ex. 4. S. 24. Lucem illuminationem quarum hic loci mentio facta est Spirituales esse aâ—que ad renovationem gratiae non naturales atque ita ad creationem pertinere apparet c. It appears that the light and illumination mentioned John 1.9 are spirituall and pertaining to the renewing of Grace not natural and pertaining to the Creation So that were there as little as there is much to be said beside all those particulars if the universality of it hold but as well from the latter part of the verse stand proved without any more ado the Question then which alone we are concerned to enquire into is Whether this Light which as I. O. sayes Ex. 4. S. 19. non est salutare cum sit naturale so I contrary non est salutare cum sit salutare be so common to all that every man that cometh into the world be enlightned with it in some measure yea or no Now we have the expresse words of the Spirit on our side and are sure enough as to our selves that we have the mind of Christ in them also which is but one but on their side are their own senses minds and meanings which are so many even no lesse then four to that one of ours which most properly answers to the words so that if they can't carry it by weight yet they hope to have it by number and chuse to out-word us since they see they cannot out-weigh us hoping that several senses may well stand and take place against one single one but as a dram of honesty and naked simplicity is to go further then a deal of subtilty and hypocrisie in the dayes that are coming so one of the Qua. proper constructions of Scripture will be preferred by honest people before a four-fold improper one of the Priests imposing The Qua. are in possession of the plain Terms of the place and of that meaning which most properly answers to them saying That by every man coming into the world is intended honestly and plainly truly and properly without dissimulation every man indeed as 't is there expressed and that the Spirit meanes nakedly and truly what he sayes these stand proking pelting and stickling with a company of stones and sticks and strawes to storm the Qua. out of the strong Hold they have in it 1. As for T. D. he lets fly out of the Devils Bow in which he shoots which L. H. hath unstringed and enervated not a little as to many false matters of fact he charges the Qua. with by his discharging at them out of it no lesse then three severall senses or senseless shafts viz two p. 6 and one p. 36. of his 1 Pamph. every of which has truth in it as to the termes he utters himself in but so false as he pinchingly intends by by his own words that all three of them put together do not reach far enough to make up the whole truth that is there intended and so by short shooting he loses all His first sense is this viz. That Christ enlightens every man that is enlightened Repl. So say I that makes for us that is every man without exception for thus I argue shooting back T. Ds. Arrows against himself who overshot himself in one sense as much when he gives this sense to that place in his words by which he gives us the cause as in his minde he under-shoots the Truth in another for he meanes not by them though his phrase imports it that every individual man is inlightned Christ enlightens every man that is enlightned But every individual man is enlightned Therefore Christ enlightens every individuall man The first Proposition is T. Ds. own the Minor viz. That every man is enlightned with some light is his own grant also p 1 where he sayes We grant that every man hath some light by which he discernes many sins and duties and several divine attributes So that let his meaning be what it will if he meanes as he sayes as it is fit he and and every honest man should and as the Spirit does we have his own words as well as those of the Text on our side also against himself therefore T. D if he own himself must of all men own the Conclusion viz That Christ enlightens every individuall man 2. Whether T. D. saw any advantage he had given us by this sense thus expressed or no it matters not but expressing his mind as to the interpretation of this Text p 36 there he adds a clause by which he imagines he mends the matter and so he does as much as one that makes it never the better for there he shoots out his sense thus That Christ enlightens every man who is spiritually enlightned Repl. Which is very true yea so say I again but this Arrow does no execution against us nor that universal sense in which we expound the words according to the universality of their expression of which it is no way at all exclusive for what though Christ enlightneth every man that is spiritually inlightned it doth not follow unless T. D. had said as its like he meanes but that his sayings and meanings so seldome agree together that he measures the
they areâ— seldome in unless Out be In with them as In is Out with T. D. the people whose eyes all as of one man should be as the true Israels are Zach. 9.1 toward the Lord being towards their Spiritual Lordships the Clergy do all as one man erre after them and drop together in gross with their blind guides into the Ditch And whereas all have hitherto following the old Interpreters who say the truth with the Quaâ— read that Text thus The true Light enlightens every man that comes into the world they if I.O. may have his will against the Qua. must now read otherwise 4. Suppose we should for Tryals sake and no otherwise will we grant thee that the Greek Text in respect of the words as they may be construed may equally bear I. Os. construction as well as that of the Qua. and of most or all Translators and Interpreters hitherto does not this then overturn the whole business thou so much buslest for throughout thy book viz. the Greek and Hebrew Texts being such a sure fixt steady stable infallible unchangeable inalterable Rule Canon Measure Touch-stone Standard for all Truth to be tryed by and all Spirits Lights even that infallible one which gave it out as well as any other the infallible guidance of which thou deniest to be now in the world or to be the stable Rule Standard or Direction about Doctrines Duties c. for verily if it be so as in some places it is confesâ— by me to be so far more clearly then in this viz. Iob. 5.39 where Ereunate may be read either Indicatively as a Complaint Ye search the Scriptures and look for life there which is Christs mind there or Imperatively as a Command Search ye that one and the same phrase in the Greek may bear â—ivers constructions from which being differently construed according to mens meer different conceits upon them may arise not only various 〈◊〉 ons and senses such as T. D. gives when he sayes it is either 〈…〉 of else perhaps it may be so and the word or phrase may import so and may impâ—rt so c. up and down in his book but also such as are even contrâ— y contradictory and absolutely destructive one to another must not he then pâ—t out the eyes of men first that makes them believe that which I. O. contends and spends himself throughout his whole Book about that not the Light Spirit Word and Truth of Christ in the Hearts and Consciences of men nor any immediate Vision or Revelation of the old inalterable infallible eternal Will and Truth of God to man in his own heart as he waits at Wisdomes gates at Gods own Mouth for counsell is to be the Rule but such an uncertain doubtful fallible flexible thing as an external Text and Letter that may be and is turned twenty wayes and made to stand even in one verse many wayes at once according as men in their foolish vain thoughts are minded to thrust it Art thou so benummed I. O. and hardened against this Truth that the Light is the Rule and not the Letter that because the Quakers rell it thee against whom thou art risen in wrath therefore thou wilt not believe it no not though preached to thee by thy own mouth hand and pen as well as theirs Quid cum iis agamus qui cum revera sintadeo infeliciter stupidi ut nulla neque ratione neque experientia erudiri possint quasi tamen ipsi soli superent vanaperswasione siderati in contemptu eorum quae non intelligunt audaciter persistunt atque cum Comicoillo clamant dicat quad quisque volet nos exhae opinione non dimo vebimur Ex. 2 S. 28. Read that to thy self I. O. if thou canst tell how and see how thou loosest thy ground against us one way while thou seekest to gain against us another way by thy extortion of the Text and thy playing Legerdemane about the Letter 5. Suppose we should as for tryals sake again we will not otherwise for our Nay is stronger then thy Tea as to this place give thee thy own reading of that Text wholly to thyself Jet's see what thou canst make of it against the â—ue lights enlightning every man which is the thing thou denyest and wouldest disprove by it Nempe To Pan hoc est vere nihil just as much and not a jot mere then thou had â—â— before If thou wilt not read it the true way â—ake it then in thy own and make thy best on'r The true light coming into the world enlightens every man here is thy reading which amounts not to one attome more against every mans being enlightned with the true light then if thou quietly without quarrelling with the Quakers read'st it with them thus The true Light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world for it still proves that every man in the world since the true Lights coming into it is enlightned by it and all that thou thyself concludest and entailest at the end of thy tale about it is no more then an exclusion of that part of the world that died before Christs fleshly coming into it from being mentioned in this Text for so run the words of thy Conclusion Ex. 4. S. 24. Ad maximam ideo partem humani generis quaescilicet ante adventum Christi in mundum fato functa fuerit non pertinet haec assertio Therefore to the greatest part of mankind namely such as died before Christs coming into the World this Assertion appertains not Repl. In which Assertion of thine thou according to the manner of Errour which is a Quick-sand that when men are once in it sucks them in further art sunk more over head and eares then before considering thy meaning of thy own words for how beit if rightly understood there are no men that ever lived or died in the World who had a being in it before Christ and the true Light of the World or Word of which it is said Iohn 1.1 2 3. It was in the beginning with God and was God and as God is not denyed by any of you to have enlightened all men from of old before that Juncture ye count from and by which men and all things were made so that without it not any thing was made that was made in which was the life which life was the light of men which shineth in the darkness even the wicked who are yet darkness though not comprehended thereby Yea to the Wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. That leads men in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of Iudgement that it may cause those that love it to inherit substance and fill their treasures was the very beginning of Gods way was set up from everlasting and in being when the heavens and earth were founded and established rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and delighting in and lightning the sons of men ever since there were men and blessing those that attended to him Prov.
stood been deceived and believed but a lye a matter that was no such matter viz. That Christ died for every individual of them if they would believe it â— so his wrath shall abide on them the more heavily for ever even because they believed not the testimony God gave by his Ministers openly of his Son that he died for them whom yet he died not for but only for a few Elect one And so whereas God sayes He that believes not the testimony that God gives of his Son viz. that he gives Eternal Life by him to every man that believes in him makes God a lyar If every man should believe in him as they all are bid and take the testimony of the Life by him to themselves to be true either some must believe a lye since he died not for every man but for some only as they say or else their testimony is a lye and they All lyars which is indeed the truth who testifie that God gave his Son intentionally but for a very few when Gods own testimony of him is That he gave him a Ransome for All. And moreover if they walk not in the Light they have to Salvation they shall be condemned therefore upon the account of the highest crime of All which Light that each individual hath notwithstanding never was Salutare so much as sufficient to guide them to Salvation but Naturale a thing that was too weak to such a business and fines salutares quod aâ—rinet mers tenebrae Caeritas as I.O. Are ye not ashamed thus to ingross the Grace of God which is great to All among your selves and a few like your sinning selves who think that ye shall scape as Gods choice elected ones upon your blind confidence of it the wrath of God though ye are found living and dying in the same evills and not purged from sin nor believing ye ever shall be while ye live here for the sake of which wrath must come for ever on all others as on children of no other disobedience then that ye live and look to die in some degree of your selves Seemeth it a small thing to you O ye wofnlly blind pitiful or rather pitiless Shepherds of this English Israel as ye call it to eat up the good pastures your selves and in your fancies feed your selves and a few choice ones more ye count upon that lie in wickedness as the rest of the world with all the fine things of the Gospel freely fully fairly and unfainedly offered to All as well as you as things truly intended to your personally from everlasting but to the most only extended without any true intent that ever they shall have them so impropriating the benefit of Salvation to your sinful selves as if ye were such whom God so indulges as to wink at your infirmities and justifie you in and under the guilt of them if ye should happen with David to fail and slip aside into adulteries and murders whilst other mens failings and infirmities of a less hideous nature must be the faults and hainous crimes which God will shew no Saving Mercy as not intending it to them what e're he talks to a thousand to one of those that commit them that unavoidably upon the account of a certain Inherent necessity of sinning drawn out of Adams Loyns together with their very being as men from under which necessity God never intends to help them so far as to give them sufficient Grace or Light to guide and lead them out of it or into so much as a liberty of doing better and all this before they have ever actually in their own persons so much as forfeited their share in that special Grace or favour of his that is in common offered to all men by any Personal Rebellion and disobedience and so interesting your disobedient selves still as Gods Darlings in all the riches of his Grace but detruding a thousand to one for the Elect are very few with you as little disobedient as your selves irresistably into the depth of condemnation preaching out that which is your meaâ— as their poyson and so designed to be from Eternity without reference to any default in their own persons but such as is derived on them only from Adams action Seemeth it nothing to you to eat up all the good pasture among a few of you but ye must tread down as mud and dirt and soul the residue with your feet and make all other people but your pretended Saints and Elect Ones to eat and drink that Doctrine about Gods Grace and Gospel which ye make no Grace or Glad tidings but gall and wormwood and Sad tidings when ye have trodden and fowled in this filthy pudly wise with your feet Ezek. 34.18 19. By these and the like sowrestuff which is like Colloquintida in pottage do you spoil all your dainties ye set before men in your pretended Gospel Ministry of Gods large Love rich Grace and matchless mercy to mankind with your tenders of things to All men from God that yet ye say God intends not to All to whom you tender and he by you extends them make men Tantalize and set them all a gaping and staring after that which yet you tell them All may not must not cannot have because God purposes to give them but to a few Hereby ye make your selves and God too like your selves a Lyar in one or other of his wills and a meer mocker of men out of your mouths Hereby you make your selves from God Ministers of impossibilities to men ye must go about be paid largely for your pains too to call All men to do that on peril of eternal ruine and condemnation which yet on pain of condemnation too you charge them to believe as truth the contrary to which is Herefie the most of them neither can do nor ever could nor shall ever be vouchâ—afed any ability by God sufficient to perfoâ—m it hereby do you not only coop up the infinite saving special Grace of God into a corner as I have shewed but make it utterly of none effect to a thousand to one of mankind nor through any default or defect in the particular persons that have no share in it but in a certain Common Grace that can do them no good as to Salvation only helps on their condemnation and given to no other end but to leave men more lyable to wrath without excuse as ye say that on the account of Adams sin only which particular act of his hath lâ—ft all men for ever under sin wrath guilt and incapacity to live without Gods Grace which he yet will not vouchsafe but to a few which upon a personal appointment thereto must necessarily be saved and cannot chuse while all the rest are as personally peremptorily decreed to dumpation alias never to be so helped but that they must lye under the guilt of Adams old sin and add new ones to incur a thousandfold more wrath upon their heads and condemnation
well as for any and that there is this good ground for each particular man to believe it for himself because All without exception of any sinner in the World that does not exclude himself by his not coming are freely without respect of persons invited to come and this ground also that as he is truly without mâ—ckage held out to All and All bid to come so God is willing they should come and have the Salvation and to that end hath sent his Son not to condemn but save them and his Son his Ministers to intreat them to be willing as he is and reconciled to him as he is to them and they declare from him according to Gods words in the Scripture that he died for aâ—l and every man is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World and died for the ungodly and came to save them and heal the sick and seek the lost and such like and therefore every man may conclude its for him one as well as another that can say he is a man lost sick sinful ungodly and of the World and that God hath also wrought in them of his good Pleasureâ— to will and to do and therefore now they must up and be doing and work out their salvation which if it be not wrought out God hath done his part and the fault is only in their own particular persons and yet in Adam too and God is no hard Master but hath given to every one one talent at least which if he hides he will be cast into utter darkness and weep and gnash his teeth at the remembrance of it that once he might have been happy had he not been wanting to himself and been an unprofitable servant with what he had and had not in his own person still Mark put the Salvation from him and hated the Light and instruction and that God requires of men but the improvement of his own and much more to this purpose which all is sound true plain wholesome and saving Doctrine And then to come with a new tale whereby all the good grounds before laid for every man that is called thereto to come and believe upon are utterly razed and removed and to tell them that though all are call'd invited outwardly yet an hundred to one are by a Decree in Gods secret Counsel so secluded by Adams sin that they cannot come nor have any right to Christ he did not so much as die for them but for some Elect ones nor offer himself for the most but a few though God indeed sayes All every man sinners ungodly the lost the whole world and makes offers to all where his Gospel is preached yet by All and such like universal terms we must understand God and Christ meaning another matter far otherwise then they say for in innumerable places where God says Omnis All it s the Elect only one of a thousand he means so I.O. 't is an usual thing for God and Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense If we object But it s the most ordinary and literal sense of the words and the very letter of the words so imports Tush Tush quoth T.D. never talk of that man I tell thee 't is usual with Christ to speak words of doubtful sense so that his meaning may be mistaken when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literal sense and so 't would be here if by every man we should understand every individual man I know and confess the words import so John 1.9 but the indefinite phrase so T.D. calls it though every man is an universal hath a restrained sense as elsewhere in the Scripture Christ tasted death for every man when as he died but for a certain number and the meaning of those words cannot be as the letter of them dâ—th import for then the Scripture would contradict it self but it must be if not in the other way in which I said it might me then in this way as I say that every man is not every individual man so T.D. And besides as God intends not the Salvation to all it s offered to so all it s offered to on pain of sorer condemnation if they believe it cannot believe it nor accept it and he offers it to All upon condition of acceptance Indeed could you suppose that all would take him at his word and accept his offer they should have the benefit thereof but that must not be supposed on pain of being Heretical in the Faith for 't is not Orthodox that men can come to God when he calls them nor accept of what he proffers nor believe in him whom he bids them believe in that he died for them in particular whom if they should believe in that 't is so then 't is so in deed in truth that he died for them else not as if he died not for sinners qua sinners and lost but qua believers which is absurd for men must have this first as a ground to believe upon that he died for them because for All every one sinners ungodly lost Rom. 4. Rom. 5. while yet sinners otherwise they have no ground on which to believe nor can any man that does believe with any Faith save that which is but meer fancy believe that Christ died for him in particular but as he died for All. For thus a man may safely conclude Christ died for every man for sinners lost ungodly the whole world therefore for me But bid a man believe Christ died for him in particular tell him he died not for All but for one of a thousand the Elect only and tell him also as T.D. does the Maisters know not the Elect and ye cannot assure him he is that one of a thousand one of those few Elect ones nor he himself neither know or be assured of it till after he believes it and ye utterly take away the ground he is to believe upon for he will argue thus rationally against you or expostuâ—ate with you to the shewing of your exhorting him to believe to be a piece of frivolous foolery Arg. Ye bid me believe Christ died for me has Salvation for me which God by you offers to me and you call me to come to him for it as that which without hypocrisie or feignedness God would have me to enjoy being not willing I should perish But what ground would ye have me to come upon or of assurance I shall be welcome or accepted in my acceptance or of believing assuredly that God is really willing I should have it Ans. It s sufficient for all Arg. That 's not the Question I doubt not but there 's sufficiency enough in Christ to save All to the utmost that come to God by him but what 's that to me that 's not a sufficient ground for me to believe upon many things are sufficient for many things to many more men then are ere the better for them as some greedy Grandees have many thousand pounds a year
which is sufficient for an 100 honest men to live honestly upon but he that shall go upon that account to feed and live at one of their Tables may for all that be likely thrust out as an Intruder but can you tell me the glad tidings that that is for me if so I 'le believe it and accept it and come with all my heart if you can lay a ground for me to be confident on that I may if I come not be more bold then welcome Ans. All are invited and call'd to come and call'd freely fully without exception to believe therefore why not thou Arg. But Friends though all be called to come and welcome to God by you who say ye are his Ministers Is this in sincerity and truth or in hypocrisie and â—â—ackage is God as willing as ye seem to make him that all shall come to life Arg. Yea without hypocrisie for God cannot dissemble nor mean one thing and say another though we say so of him sometimes as T.D. does he is freely willing if thou art willing he would not have thee die but much rather live Arg. But how shall I know that yet for my self does he intend the Salvation to all as really as ye pretend he does in the universal extent and proffer or to sâ—me only for some of you say he does offer it where he intends they to whom ye say so sincerely offered shall never have it but are by a secret Decree of God bolted out from it for Adams sin before they were born in the guilt of which though he will save a few that he may shew his Mercy Live Grace to All as some sillily say to be of more extent then all his works which few are only known to himself and not as ye say to you and me he will praeterire pass by even a thousand to one to perish unavoidably notwithstanding Christs death and so I may be one of those many for ought either you or I know yea a thousand to one but that I am proe-ordained to perish and therefore still I have far more reason to believe according to those principles that I am one of those thousands to one that must perish and to whom Christ is not intended by God for all your fair proffers of him from God to me then that one of a thousand Elected to life by him There 's no small odds in these two for if but an hundred men were sentenced to be hanged and a pardon should be proclaimed to them all and yet such an after-clap come that it s not intended to the whole hundred but to one of them only and ninety nine must be hanged for all this and he that is so free in proclaiming the Pardon can't tell me neither that I am the only man that must be spared I should think him a fool if he should stand pressing me to believe it that I am he and can shew me no evidence of it and shall still rather believe do what I can that I am of the ninety nine and should think him little less then mad too if he should tell me that if I do not believe it that I â—â—ithe man when yet he bids all the rest believe it too each for himself upon that same penalty in case they do not I shall be hanged for this very thing as he sayes every of them shall too as the chief account on which they perish even because we do not believe every man for himself that he is the man and for despising the mercy tender'd and the large love of the Pardon-sender and such like and that in a more severe way of execution even with quartering c. whereas nor I nor any of us all should perish if we did believe it now does he intend it to all of them if so there I may safely believe he does to me else I cannot Ans. Not so in any wise Arg. Does he intend it to the most Ans. Nay but to very few Arg. Do ye know I am one of those few that he intended it to or of those many to whom not Ans. No not I we are servants we know not what the Master does not which are the Elect which not Arg. On what ground then bid you me believe I am one of the few it s more likely I am of the many that must perish even by how much they are so many to one more then those are that must live Ans. All that come shall have it Arg. How can that be when yet ye say it s not intended to All which if it be true suppose all should accept it and come as ye say all cannot neither for want of power they cannot have it because not intended for them Ans. Yea it s offered on condition of acceptance faith and coming so that could ye suppose All would take God at his word and accept the proffer they should have the benefit Arg. But that must not be supposed nor cannot rationally according to your principles who tell us All cannot come cannot believe nor accept for to accept believe the power at least must come from God and he hath not say you given that nor saving Light under any consideration to All but to those few only to whom he intends the Salvation which I still demand a ground from you whereupon to believe I am one of which till then I cannot believe any more then groundlesly and groundless faith is no better then vain hope which is fancy that will fail when men come to give up the Ghost Ans. Believe only in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved believe and the Salvation is thine Arg. But that 's Idem per Idem still the thing ye are to give me a ground to do but cannot I should believe it if ye can shew me a ground whereupon you would have me first to believe it and then my believing it will be a sufficient ground for me whereupon to believe it whereas I must first have some ground wherein that faith ye call me to must stand and whereon it must be founded for Faith is not the ground of it self and your Crede quod habes habes s as foolish a conceit as if ye should tell me that a man I never saw intends to give me an inheritance in particular when yet ye never heard him say so and would have me believe it yet can give me no good ground whereon to believe it but your single say so who yet say ye know not that I am the particuâ—ar man he intends it to neither only ye have heard say he proffers it to a thousand not me by name and yet for all it is proffered to so many it s intended only to one of them Ans. If thou wilt believe it is so Arg. But is it so that he intends it to me really and particularly Ans. Nay I cannot tell that it s hid from me but this is all we can say that he intends it to some really
and he offers it to all conditionally they believe so that if thou believe it it s thine Arg. I cannot believe that though you bid me nor ought neither which you who bid me believe it can give me no ground for nor evidence of that it is so and confess your selves you know not whether it is so or no that he died I believe as ye say for some and so they believe all o're Christendome and in England and also believe mostly every man for himself that Christ died for him where yet for all your saying he that believes so hath him there 's not one of many hâ—th him as your selves confess whose faith therefore which ye beget many to is mostly fancy for they have not the Salvation yet which is from the sin but to believe it without more evidence for it that it is a truth he died for me even for me in particular then I see upon what principles ye are able to give me were as fond as to believe a piece of news for truth which the man who tells it tells me he knows it not whether it be a truth or no but much doubts it or glad tidings of great joy to all people which the News-mâ—nger himself can give me no evidence at all that it belongs to me at aâ—l but after his most universal publication of it that he has tidings to all and every one and would have every one believe it so to himself begins to fall back into such a diminutive prate or pinching publikâ— privication or private publication as when demanded about his news in this manner Friend aâ—t thou sure this thou extendest to all is good news intended to all is it so to me in particular whom thou bidst believe it good news to me Replyes in this wise Nay I cannot say that I say it s to all and every one but by those terms I mean but some and those very few and I cannot say which nor whether in particular thou art one of them or nay yet thou must believe it or else sad tidings will come after it thou shalt be hanged up for not believing its glad tidings which said News monger I should judge so little worth much heeding crediting or believing in what he sayes that I should rather think him out of his wits and to have suffered some shipwrack as our Priests have done of the true Faith of his very common sense and reason Shew me therefore what evidence ye have of the truth of the thing ye tell me and bid me believe or else it s but as Implicit Faith as at Rome if I should believe it and not because I see it likely but because ye say so who yet tel ' me of what ye say or bid me believe viz. that Christ died for me for he died for some 〈◊〉 the Elect only that he cannot tell at all whether I am one of those Elect Ones for whom yea or may Answ. We say still it is offered to you as 't is to all on condition of acceptance and of faith so that who believes it shall have it whoever he is and 't is believing evidences it to be so Arg. Still ye run but in a round as the Colliers faith does and say no more in effect then thus first believe and be confident that Christ died for thee and then this faith and belief of it that he died for thee is a sure good ground or evidence for thee upon which thou mayest believe and be confident that he did die for thee and that thou art one of those few he died for and not of those many to one to all whom as freely as to thee he is offered not one of whom yet he died for or was by God ever intended to Answ. But mind the Condition though he is offered to all on condition of acceptance so that if thou perform the condition as most do not for few will come thou must have the thing promised thereon that is the Salvation Arg. The Condition I know Christ is not only offered to all on condition but intended also to be the Saviour of All on that condition they reject him not but believe in his Name come at his Call and obey his Voice and Counsel which God also by his Truth Grace and Love puts men into capacity to do or not to do at their choice But as for your Condition I say it 's more monstrous then all the rest while for all your offers to All conditionally they believe ye say it 's peremptorily intended but to few and those few shall not chuse but perform it and an hundred to one are as peremptorily intended by God to be never interested in it nor enabled to perform the Condition ou which only it s meant Ye say indeed God offers and tenders Salvation by Christ to all conditionally they believe in him each man that he died for him but what is this so long as it 's not intended to all and there is no such matter as ye say to bâ— believed unlesse most men believe a lye as that Christ died for All and every man For a man to tell an hundred condemned men there is life offered to them all on condition they every man of them believe it is so as he sayes and to bid them believe it as the Truth for want of believing of which only they shall be executed more cruelly in believing of which they shall be saved and then to tell them the said Pardon is really positively and peremptorily intended but to one of them only and not one of all the rest assuredly shall ever have it it s absolutely unalterably decreed that the ninety and nine shall be hanged is to destroy all the ground of the belief ye would beget them to and to carry an hundred men up on high into a Steeple in vain aiery hopes of some glorious sight pretended to be shewed to them all that from thence advantage may be taken as the thing intended for all the fair pretence to throw ninety and nine of them down go the breaking of their necks and the mischieving of them more then if they had never been so fairly premised and so highly elevated and but one of them be shewed the Light which to all was promised for the absolute Decree and intent of God must ever inavoidably stand and take place against the conditional proffer of that which in the Decree is not intended so the proffer on condition still is not worth a straw nor any thing but a meer mockage of men and such a one as is before that time wherein God sayes he will mock and laugh at men which is only when they have finally rejected what once they truly might have had and was indeed as truly intended as tendered on condition they by their wills refuse it not Prov. 1. Psal. 2.4 For what God absolutely wills and intends ever is does come to passe but what he intends much more what he does but
and abounding beyond the mischief and Curse that comes by the sin But it is in effect so said Rom. 5.15.18 23. Therefore All and every man is made as capable to be saved by Christ as every man is liable to be damned by reason of the sin Arg. 12. Christ could not be truly or properly said to be the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world nor the Saviour of the whole world to be given a Covenant to the People a Witnesse to the People a Leader and Commander to the People a Light to the Nations Gods Salvation to the ends of the Earth much lesse could All People in any consistency with mercy or ut prius without foolery and mockery of most men in the midst of their remediless misery be bid to behold him or all the ends of the Earth be summoned with promise yea assurance of Salvation if they do and on pain of more cruel damnation if they do not to look and come to him for it and hearken to his voice or else be cut off in All things whatever he saith to them and such like unless he were truly properly and intentionally at least given to be All this to all Men all the People the whole World and every man in it But he is said so to be as abovesaid to All and all People even all ends of the Earth c. are on such Promises and Penalties summoned to behold him look come and hearken to him as aforesaid Isai. 42.16.45.22.49.6.55.1 4. Acts 3.22 23. Iohn 3.19 1 Iohn 2.12 and in unspeakable more places Therefore he is a Saviour a Leader a Light c. which in some measure at least savingly enlightens no lesse then every Individual CHAP. IV. I. Os. T. Ds. I. Ts. R. Bs. and all other our common Adversaries common Exceptions are but frivolously foolish boyish toyish shameful Tergiver sations and as senseless as helpless Escapes when they tell us the whole World 1 Iohn 2. is meant of the Gentiles only as in opposition to the Iews not only for our sins that is of us Iews say they but also for the sins of the whole World that is of the Gentiles which division there savors of shallowneâ—s enough for Iohn writes that Epistle not more peculiarly or specially to the Iewish then to the Gentile Believers as he must be understood to do if their sense on that clause were true but promiscuously and generally to All the Saints among both whereupon it is superscribed the Generall Epistle of Iohn But the distinction there made relates to all Men in the World Bâ—lievers and Vnbelievers of what Nation soever for All whom while they are yet sinners enemies by wicked works he died and became a Raâ—sâ—mâ— a Sacrifice a Light that All Men in him might believe and thorough faith in his Light might be saved quoad posse i. e. potentially or if they will whether actually or quoad esse they ever are saved yea or nay Though he prayed not for the world as it lies in enmity and wickednâ—ss but for such only as come out of the World and the wickednesses thereof and that in all Ages believe on his Name thorough the one Word as Iohn 17.20 Neither pray I for thesâ— alone i. e. that do now believe but for All that ever shall believe c. that they may be one in us For as mysterious a Riddle as this is to our misty-minded Rabbies who cannot see Wood for Trees yet Christ can be truly said to die for men in some cases and conditions qua talibus whom qua talibus as in the same cases and conditions considered he cannot pray for that in that state they may be one with him and God who can have no unity with iniquity he stands in esse actuali actually offered up a Ransome a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world even in that state while it lies in enmity and wickedness as yet unreconciled to God by whose giving himself that way All men may be reconciled to God through faith in him whether ever they will be reconciled yea or nay but howbeit he may wish so well to his Adversaries as to die for them that they in that way of faith might live through him and may wish also that they would believe that so in that way they might be forgiven yet he stands not actually nor immediately an Advocate making actual intercession for any that they immediately or in their present state may stand accepted with the Father but for such only as already actually do believe Wherefore Iohn sayes with appropriation of iâ— to himself and other Saints as are found confessing and repenting frâ—m their sins We have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ c. but of All Men without exception without limitation of Christ to himself and other Saints the same is the Propitiatioâ— not for our sins only i. e. ours who do already own and have believed in him but also for the sins of the whole Wâ—â—lâ— i. e. for All other mens sins as well as ours whether ever they own and believe in him so farre as to have any actual benefit by him yea or nay Besides if we grant them whose sense on it is otherwise as we are free to do it being a Tâ—uth alâ—o though not the diâ—ect distinction there intended their own distinction of that clause not ours only but also of the whole World into the Iews and Gentiles their own distinction is enough to â—â—â—fâ—â—nd themselves as to the Question in hand for the whole World being divided into Iews and Gentiles Iews and Gentiles are Termes comprehenâ—â— and conclusive of the whole World and of no lesse then every individual 〈◊〉 therein as well as any man And as for their Some of all Nations some of all Ports some Iews some Gentiles and among Gentiles of every Country Tongue Kindred and Condition some not All of All Kindreds Countrys Conditions c. not each man between this and the utmost parts of the Earth as the literal sense of that phrase All the ends of the Earth imports but here and there some the Elect a few in comparison of the rest that are left without any Saviour or saving Grace or sufficient Light to lead them to life and so as personally decreed thereto left to perish doubly for not believing Secundum te O Sacerdos in a Saviour when they never had one The People i. e. some a poor pittance among All People not All the People without exception not the whole World but that whole small part of Elect Ones elected personally out of that whole a thousand to one whereof are as personally from of old for eveâ— remedilesly Reprobated and such like sowre stuffe and dark dribling as is found in this case among the Divines As age away with it it is unsavory and stinks as a dunghill of doctrine and becomes in the sight of All but the blind as the blood of a dead man that hath no life in
out of each or if it were and be the Saving Light whether men walk by it or not 't would be a Light to every as well as any man in each Nation and so saving Light though not used would contrary to I. Os. tale be vouchsafed by Christ to every man in every Nation but the Light is not only in every Nation but in every heart in each Nation and because it is so though few are saved by it because few heed it yet every man may be saved by it as well as any man Arg. 13. To conclude this then I confess that 't is either the Letter that these Scribes talk for or that Light we talk for and they against which is that one only universal unchangeable infallible standing Law Light Witness Word Guide Rule Touchstone and saving way to Life in respect of which Christ is said to be the Leader Commander and Witness from God to All people the Light of the whole world and consestuently of All men in it But 't is not the Letter therefore 't is the Light we speak of in fuller proof of this last and disproof of the former Consider the Rule Law Light c. and means of Life and Salvation what ever it is must be adequate in its expansion and extent to the men that ought to be ruled guided led to life by it on pain of further perishing and cursing if they be not But the Light of Christ in each Conscience is so teaching there whatever God requires of each person as to his own peace and what God in the doing thereof will accept him in and the Letter not so therefore the said Light and not the Letter is that by which Christ is Gods Witness to the world and All peoples Leader if they will follow him unto life The Plaster should be adequate to the sore and not short of it as the Light is not but the Letter is in its extent in respect to all ends of the earth else there 's as much folly in this extreme as I said above there would be in the other it being as little wisdome to be too short as to over-reach for a man to make a Plaster no broader then a penny for a wound as broad as a Crown piece as 't is to cut a Plaster of the compass of a bushel for a sore no broader then a six pence That Rule Law Light and Word by which All are to live and be judged and tryed and for nor living by which to be condemned must universally be extended to All and every man those who have a Copy thereof without and those who have no such Copy but are without it for Lex papulus cujustex est Verbum hiâ— qumâ—um officium est illud â—â—dire 〈◊〉 obedire Lux c illuminandi mensura Mersierandum Regula prebandum debent esse adaequata The Law and they to whom it s given as that by which they must live or die for breaking it the Wâ—rd and thâ—se that are bound is hear and obey it the Light and such â—â— are to see by it the Rule and such men as well as manners as are to be measured and 〈◊〉 by it on peril of damnation if not agreeing with it must be so adequate that the Rule Law Light Word must by the Providence of God be made to reach and extend to the uâ—most corner in all ages wherein the men to whom it s given are abiding that they may see it whether that be the Letter without or the Light within so that if that in the Conscience we assert so to be be that saving Light Law Means Rule c. then it must be by the Law-giver ordered to come within the cognizance of every man in the world who is to live or dye and as he keeps or breaks it to stand or fall by it for even if the Scripture be it then that must be ordered to come as universally to All and every man otherwise As that King or Parliament might be said to mock the Nation and make it miserable that should make a certain Law which whoever keeps shall live and who keeps not shall be hanged and yet keeps that Law within the little corner of that City of Westminster and and never suffers or orders the Copy of it to come to the sight of others neither in our known Mother-Tongue nor yet so much as in an unknown Tongue in one of which at least our English Laws as much as they are lapt up not a little from the cognizance of poor people among the Learned Lawyers only as J. O. laps his lying Labours learned Leaguâ—es and loud Challenges against the Quakers from the Laiâ—ks as he thinks within the cloud of his Latine Language or as that man who should in a dark night hang out one single candle in a Lanthorn only for all London to see by or he that should preach at Pauls-Cross and command all ends of England at their peril to hear his voice from thence might truly be call'd a Mocker So to use I. Os. own words again Ex. 2. S. 27. Si Scripturam vel ab omnibus percipiÌ„ nolit tamen omnes qui doctrinam eâ—us non observant vel ideo condemnas Quid ni millies mille miseres homunciones Deus per tale Verbum Medium Regulam Legem Lucem ludos facere absit blasphemia oestimandus sit If God give out a Law Light Rule Word of Life to all which he will condemn men fâ—r not obeying and yet would not have it by All so much as to be seen why may not God be thought which were blasphemy to think to mock millions of men and make them miserable without their personal default by such a Word Means Rule Light or Law c. which instead of going forth of Sion and Ierusalem to the whole earth is confin'd within the little Hill of Sion itself But now the Light within the Letter calls all to is in All men the Letter without not so universal but extending to very few therefore the Light within not the bare Letter without is that saving Means Word Rule Law c. besides if the Letter were the Law Light Word and Rule which yet was never seen by most in most Nations then that respect to Persons and Nations which was once more to the Iews then any people upon earth as to the giving out of a meer outward Letter of his Law to beep which respect was ended in Christ who brake down that Partition Wall between Iew and Gentile Eph. 20 is hereby set up again which woe be to him that builds when God hath destroyed buâ— up again that must not come for though he once gave his Laws and Statutes to Israel in an outward Letter and Copy which thing he did not do to any people else nor other Nation if I. O. will believe the Scripture nor doth to any Nation at all to this day at their sole rule and guide yet of a truth I
of this light Why all this we maintain as well as they Answ. The more shame for you to stand up against that ye maintain yourselves when the same is maintained by us as ye do when ye argue from some mens not seeing because they shut their eyes therefore they have not light by which sufficiently to see their way to life As for your Simile from the Suns not enlightning all parts of the world outwardly from which its like ye conceive Christ the Sun of Righteousness hath not inwardly enlightned all men it is but a quibble for as there is nothing hid from the heat thereof nor from some participation of the natural light and heat of the Sun at least neither by night nor day though some times places and seasons are darker then some semblably no hearts from some measure of the Light of Christ Psal. 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. compared with Rom. 10.16 17 18. R.B. Do they say all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed Why what man did they ever speak with that is a Christian that denieth it Answ. None but such Anti-christians as yourselves who for all your prate here and elsewhere saying p. 41. in way of warning to men that they act not against this Light within That certainly it concerns every man so far to look to the Light within him that he do not as it is said of some Iob 24 13 Rebel against the Light And p. 68. That no light which is truly such is to be rejected Yet elsewhere yea in the self-same pages How ur safe it is to obey the Light within it leading and guiding men well in somethings in most into crooked and dangerous unwarrantable and sinfulwayes as some Igâ—is Fatâ—us in the beastly blasphemous blindness of your benighted hearts imputing mens murders and Pauls persecutions of the Saints to their following thereof which things only arose from their following their own thoughts and forsaking and leaving the Light of God within which lead to better even ever to good only and never at all into any evil as I. O. also after his strict challenges of obedience from every man to the Light in his own conscience as to that which infallibly speaks to him from God himself c. page 44.45 of his English Treatises in his blind hasty hatred against them whom he mainly encounters in his Latine Thâ—ses cryes out against this same verbum Spiritum lumen internion which the Qua. call all men into the obedience of in mockage as figmentum horrendum crasse excogitatum Dâ—etorem Infallibilem nesâ—iâ— quid quod lumen quem Deum Christum imaginarium To Panz nihil rejiciendum detessandum Some horrible sigment of the Qua. Imaginary Christ infallible DoEtor I know not what God some spiritual everything just nothing but meer darkness it self to be rejected and detested And as for I. Os. words concerning the sufficiency of the Letter I shall use them in answer to himself and yourselves as concerning the sufficiency of the Light on its own part to save though few are saved by it only where he sets that term Scripture and Word of God by which all along he means the outward Scripture I shall place the term Light within by which I intend that inward Word that is nigh in mens hearts adding and interposing in a different Character what clauses are not his or distinctions sake and so carry on this my General Answer to that their foresaid General Argument to an end Noâ— doth it in the least impair this sufficiency of the Light within to lead to life that its a moral and spiritual not a natural Light because all men come not to life by it it suffices that there is nothing wanting on its own part for the discovery and revelation of the way to life To argue that the Sun is not the Sun or the great means of communicating external light into the world because blind men cannot see it nor will believe so much of it as they are told will scarce be admitted nor doth it in the least impeach the efficacy and sufficiency of the light pleaded for that men stupidly blind cannot comprehend it Iohn 1.5 I do not assert that where ever the Light within Scripture quoth I. O. is brought by what means soever whether in a Ministry of it without calling men to turn to it or a measure of it within calling men to turn to God All to whom it s preached and to whom it preacheth must instantly of necessity assent unto it and come to the saving knowledge of God by it many men who are not yet stark blind may have so abused their eyes that where Light is brought into a dark place they may not be able to discern it men may be so propossest with innumerable prejudices principles received by strong Traditions corrupt affections making them bate the Light as woful experience shews that I. O. and many others do that they may not behold the glory of the Light within word quoth I. O. i.e. with him the Letter with me the Light when it is brought unto them as it is nigh in the heart that they may do it but it s nothing to our present discouâ—sâ— whether any man living in sin do discern this Light whilst the defect may be justly cast on their own blindness 2 Cor. 4.2.3.4 by the manifestation of the Truth we commend our selves to every ones conscience in the Sight of God but if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are losts in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them There is in the dispensation of the Light within word quoth I. O. meaning the Letter an evidence of Truth commending itself to the consciences of men some receive not this evidence is it for want of Light in the truth or Light itself No that is a glorious light that shines as the bare Letter doth not for it was never there in the hearts of men is it for want of testimony to assert this Light No for many daily testifie it but meerly because the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of men that they should not behold it Where ever the Light within word quoth I. O. meaning the Letter comes by what means soever it hath in it self a sufficiency of Light to evidence to all and will do it eventually to all that are not blinded by the god of this world the knowledge of God its Author and the true way of Salvation and the only reason why All are not saved is because all do not receive its Witness and the reason why it is not received by mary in the World to whom it is come and in whom it is is the advantage that Satan hath to keep them in ignorance and blindness by the lusts corruptions prejudices and hardness
meaning in an outward Ministry for else I know no Nation that hath not some of that Light which is Gods Gospel in them any more then Paul did who said The Gospel is preached in every creature under Heaven 1 Col. 23. and Rom. 10. Have they not all heard i. e. the Gospel yes verily c. The reason why all the Nations have so little as they all have is Because they come not to the Light which is come into them R. B. Q. 2. Why did not the world believe in Christ even generally before his coming if Reason was then a sufficient light Ans. How far forth right reason taken not for the bare natural faculty which a fool may have but for that supernatural gift of God whereby to guide men out of all bruitish wayes and his light we restiffe to which is not against but according to right reason are Synonimous it matters not to be medled with in this place but to the Query I reply the same still viz. Bâ—cause men came not to that light of God which was in them R. B. Q. 3. Why did Christ preach himself while he was on earth if the people had sufficient light before Ans. Christ speaking then audibly to the outward ear through that voice he then used preach't himself indeed that he was the Light of the World the Woâ—d â—f God and the Life and Light of men from the beginning and not from that time only of that his outward appearance unto a few Iohn 1.1.2 and to this end did he preach himself as a light in men for the Word was made flesh and dwelt in us sayes Iohn Ioh. 1.12 bidding them believe in the light i.e. his light in them and so in himself who is the light that they might be the children of it and walk in the light while they had it and come to the light and such like because the men to whom he preach't thus were not come to that light of his which was come into them R. B. Q 4. Why did he send his Apostles to preach through the world if the pâ—ople had sufficient light before Ans. To the same end for which he sent Iohn 1 Ep. 1.1.4.5.6 that they might walk with God in the light and not in the darkness as they did though the light was in them and foâ— which he sent Paul to the Naâ—ions Act. 26. to turn them from the darkneâ—s to the light from the power of Satan unto God and because men wanted to be instructed which way to look for the Life of God which they had lost and because they yee not yet come into that Light of God that only leads to it which was come into them R. B. Q. 5. Why did he set Pastors and Teachers in his Church if all have a sufficient light within them Ans. That his Church which is in God being turned from the world and the darkness of it to the light might by their memorandums of the things they knew 2 Pet. 1. be kept stedfast in their watch to the light unmoveable and abundant alwayes in that work of the Lord believing in the light which work the world are not yet come to and to abide in Christ the Light as branches in the Vine and in the teachings of the Annointing which is the truth and no lye that it might teach them by degrees all things and lead them into all truth as it had into some already that the Saints might as branches grow up in all things into him even the express Image and likeness of him who is the one head over All to the body and the express Image of the Fathers being in whom is no guile for the perfecting of the Saints a thing ye seeming Saints deny to be attainable in â—he body for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body till all that are begotten into the nature may come into the unity of the faith and knowledge of Gods Son even unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. Joh. 15. 1 Joh. 2. Finally because men come to the light if not exhorted to continue in their faith in it may again go out from that light of God which unless it take occasion by their wilful departings from it to depart at last from them is come unto them and continually in them R. B. Q. 6. Why do the Quakers go up and down teaching men their own doctrines if all men have sufficient light already Ans. Not their own doctrines but the doctrines of Christ and to call men into it and to counsel such as are come into it as Ioh. Ep. 2. to abide in Christs own doctrine or teaching that they as who doth not so hath neither may have both Son and the Father and because mâ—n generally are not come into that Light of God which is already come into them R. B. Q. 7. Why do they cry out against us as being in darkness when all men have sufficient light in them Ans. Were there no other thing but this one vain thought of yours that there 's no difference between mens being in the light and the light 's being in them it s enough of it self without any more ado to proclaim you to be in darkness for if ye were in the light of common reason that is in you 't would tell you as well as the Scripture that the light shines in the darkness though it comprehends not the light that it shews the way to them that walk beside it though they walk not in it because they hate it but in the darkness which they love more then it being fallen in love with its evil deeds Ioh. 1. Ioh. 3. and so to the Query we say ye are in darkness because ye among other men are not yet come into that sufficient light which if ye would once but singly look to ye should feel is already come into you R. B. Q. 8. Will they pray for more Light and Grace or not if not they are impiously proud if yea then it seems they have not yet light and grace sufficient Ans. We do pray for more Light and Grace and God gives more and more to the bumble as I have shewed above but if ye were not with all the climbers up another way Iob. 10.1 either too proud to stoop to come into the knowledge of the truth by the door the light or so blind as to groap fâ—r the wall like them that have no eyes ye could not but see that their praying for more and Gods giving more grace unto the humble is so far from evincing that they have none as that it evidently evinces they have some already for if men had no grace and should pray for it they might be said to pray for some but no man can be properly said to pray for more light and grace but such as at least have some already R. B. Q. 9. Whereas they say the Light within is sufficient if obeyed our Question is
Whether it be sufficient to make men obey it c. that 's the Grace we are speaking of that causeth men to hearken believe and obey for faith is not of your selves but it is the gift of God and mens hearts must be opened as Lydia's was Act. 16. to hear abd receive the truth revealed Now to say that the Light or Grace which is given to cause us to believe and obey is sufficient if we will believe and obey is ridiculous as if Christ should have said to Lazarus I will raise thee if thou will raise thyself Ans. Here R. B. sits besides the cushion as much as he that queries beside the Question for that 's not the Grace we are speaking of that is sufficient to cause men to obey but that which is sufficient if obeyed that 's the testimony the Qua. bear to the Light of God it is saving to such as walk in it and if it be not sufficient Grace from God to R. Baxter that he hath given him a Light that will lead him to life if he will follow it but he lacks more even to be caused to walk in that light or else he quarrels with it as not enough and with that Grace of Gods as no Grace because he is not compelled by force to accept of it he may fret himself till he fry in the fire of his own peevish spirit before he shall find such a Grace from God to his Salvation while himself lives in the neglect of that he has like the unprofitable servant that charges God foolishly as a hard Master though he hath given him a talent to trade with unless while he sits still God force him to trade with it whether he will or no. As for us called Quakers we judge God hath done well for us in working in us to will and to do i.e. the Power and hath though not in R.Bs. compulsive way caused us put us into a capacity to work it out and left us as he looks all men should do when he has done the other Phil. 2.12 13. to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling and that he doth by a Ministry without and a measure of his spirit within counselling us open our hearts as he did Lydia's to attend to what himself and his servants say and if ever we believe in his Light to our life that Faith is his gift though our act as 't is his gift that we may or have power either to sit or stanâ— and of his Grace our act when we chuâ—e either to stand or sit nor we count it ridiculous as R. B. does to say That Gods Light and Grace is sufficient to bring us to life if we attend it though God leave us to chuse when he hath given it us whether we will improve it or turn fâ—om it nor was it ridiculous in Christ to say to Lazarus I will raise thee if thou will raise by self for Christ having done in his part in quickning left Lazarus to his part in rising and in effect said the same which R. B. counts ridiculous viz. Lazarus come forth which if Lazarus had not done he might have perisht in that Sepulchre for all Christ had quickned him so as to giâ—e him the power to come forth for Christ would not have pullâ—d him out by force if he had refuâ—ed to come forth when he called him nor any more then 't was in God to say Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see But as for this man R. B. and his fellows 't is not grace enough nor couâ—t sie sâ—fficient it seems if a man invite poor folks to dinner and prepares meat enough for all comers and bids his Guests Welcome when they are come and compels them by all earnest perswasion to sit down and bids them as God does Eat O friends drink yea drink abudantly O beloved when they are â—ate unless when they refuse he open their mouths in some forcible manner and cause them to eat all that is set before them such troublesome guests as these of which sort are R. B. and the rest that look for such a compulsive causing when the grace of a sufficient Feast is vouch fast unto them are not fit to sit at great mens tables much leâ—s at Gods and by my consent he that unless he be forcibly fed refuses to feed when the meats before him whether it be at a feast of sat things of mans making or of Gods shall while others hearken and let their souls delight themselves in fatness have his choice to sit still and as the Proverb is may fast and welcome I conclude then as to Query that God puts men into capacity to come to the Light if they will not chuse darkness before it that Light is sufficient to save if obeyed yet all men who all have sâ—me of it are not saved by it and the reason is because they will not come to that Light of Gâ—d which in Gods good will towards them in come into them R. B. Q. 10. But how can Light be sufficient were a man never so obedient to reveal that which was never manifested by it or by any Revâ—lation that doth accompany it No Light among the Heathens in America doth tell them that Christ was Incarnate died rose ascended or intercedeth for us or is the King Priest or Teacher of his Church or will raise the dead and judge the world how then can this light be sufficient to bring them to the belief of this Ans. Is the Light in America then any more insufficient to lead its followers to God then the Light in Europe Asia Africa the other three parts of the World I have ever lookt upon the Light in All men since I began to look to it in my self as one and the self-same light in all where it is in sort and kind though different in degree and measure which varies not the nature of any thing and that according to the measure of it and in â—uch wiâ—e as it s attended to withall it shews the same things in all men as to the mystâ—â—y substance and spiritualiâ—y of them though the outward History of this in an outward Letter some may be better skill'd the ein then some I wot how Cornelius came to be accepted in his Prayers and Almes as a man truly fearing God before by an outward Ministry he ever heard of Christ Incaâ—nate dying rising ascending interceding c. after all theâ—e things were outwardly and actually transfacted also since all you agree and we with you that out of the knowledge of Christ the Light there 's no acceptance at all with God nor in any other name either Iustification or Salvatioâ— Was it not in his obedience to the Light he had which came from Châ—ist the Light though as yet he knew him not after the flâ—sh And by what light did they who wrote of Christs Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascensiâ—n c. See them before they wrote as some did
subject to passions pollutions extravagancies vanities inordinancies of mind is but an argument to evince how much the more need he hath at all times to stand upon his guard and to put on the Armour of the Light and keep the stricter watch to it which who so does shall find the Power of it in him prevailing more and more in the warfare to the perfect overcoming and the bringing fâ—rth of Iudgement in him unto victory at the last but who so does not while he stands take heed to his way by it as young men are bid in order to the cleansing of their way Psa. 119.9 There is not I confess more necessity nor possibility of the others standing then there is of this mans falling into mischief Howbeit which way soever the man in medio is swayed whether by the lustings of the flesh to covetousness pride envy hatred deceit unrighteousness lasciviousness revenge c. to mind and walk after the flesh or by the lustings of the Spirit to love peace purity meekness temperance patience c. or which way soever that man is born and begotten whether by the Spirit of God from above or the Spirit of the Devil from beneath which in him lusteth unto evil c. Iâ—m 4.5 and consequently whose child soever he is at any time of the twain which is according to the prevalency and predominancy and perminency of this or that Seed in him viz. the Seed or Word of God or that lying Word or Seed of the Serpent for his he is still to whom â—e obeyes yet this is sure enough as I said before that he that abides in that which is of God sinneth not 1 Ioh. 3.6 and he that sinneth is gone from that and born and begotten by the Devil another way even after his Image and he that is so is of the Devil and a man of sin and sinneth uncessantly as his Father doth who hath begot him into his likeness and he that doth true righteousness is born of God to it and he that 's born of God and bears his Image which longer then any man doth he is not of God sinneth not overcomeâ— the world keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth hâ—m not neither can he sin while so because he is born of God and the Seed of God remaineth is head permanent prevalent and preheminent in him and so which of these two sorts men are matters not much to the point sinners as such are sinners ever and not Saints and Saints are Saints ever as such and not Sinners and each hath his reward from God as his work is and he that 's holy is hely and he that 's righteous is righteous and he that 's unjust unjust still and he that 's wicked is wicked still and he that 's good is good and not evil and he that 's evil is evil and not good and the godly are they that are godly and none else and the ungodly are ungodly and nothing else that 's opposite to it for contraries cannot be denominated both of the same subject at the same time and each of these as they are reapse in very deed so are they in Gods account who accounts all men and things truly what they are and not as man who wearies the Lord with his words saying Every one that do h evil is good in the sight of the Lord and God delighteth in him and who is abuniration with the Lord for sâ—dâ—ing Prâ—v 17.15 Mal. 2.17 calling good evil evil good nor justifying the wicked or condemning the righteous but in his righteous Judgement which evil men understand not Pro. 28.5 as it is revealed in the Light which is the day thereof rendring to all according to their deeds secret as well as open by Christ Iesus according to the Gospel Paul preached to the patient continues in well doing Eternal Life to the contentious ones against the Truth that obey not it but unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish and this to every soul of man that doth evil Iew or Gentile Rom. 2. And so â—he only that doth righteousness is righteous and is of God and accepted with him and he that doth not righteousness is not of God nor he that hateth his Brother hath no Eternal life from God abiding in him and be that sinneth is of the Devil and hereby the Children of God are manifested and the children of the Devil and each hath his own Fathers portion as he bears his image nature and proportion and as no righteous one is rejected or reprobated so no unrighteous one is elected or accepted but without respect of persons in every Nation he that fears God and works righteousness in Christ the Light is accepted with him And howbeit the righteous turning from his righteousness to iniquity may die as the wicked turning from his wickedness to that which is lawful and right may live and the same person may turn and return and turn again and be in possibilities of life or death according as he chuses when both are â—et aâ—ore him yet the wayes of God are equal and his Iudgements according to truth and each man haâ—h from him for ever as he doth and though the man that is now a Sinner may become a Saint like David and a sinner again and by true repentance and purging with hysop a Saint again yet the Saint hath no part with the Sinner in his Lake nor the Sinner any share in the inheritance of the Saints which is in Light but each hath his own peculiar and proper reward and the heart of the one knows his own heaviness and the stranger intermeddles not with the others joy And howbeit men may of unbelievers become believers and believers in the Light may by an evil heart of unbelief draw back to perdition and depart from the living God yet whether they believe or not God abideth faithful and cannot deny himself the believers portion that believes is the Life and the unbelievers part is the Lake And though he that is now an unbeliever mâ—diante side may become a believer and be saved and he that now believes making shipwrack of his Faith and good Conscience as Iudas and others did may come to be damned yet no believer is ever damned nor is any unbeliever ever saved but the Foundation of the Lord who knows his own evermore stands ever sure let men go which way they will who owns none that name the name of Christ and depart not from iniquity and owns all who ere they be that do according to his everlasting and unchangeable Decree that stands thus stedfast without variation for ever viz. that he that believes only shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 So then every Saint ceases from sin as T.D. also saves and he that ceases not from it is no Saint or holy one but a Sinner and the sinner cannot but sin and do as his Father the Devil who begets him does and he
that 's a Saint is born of God and 〈◊〉 that 's ban of God doth not sâ—n neither can because so And though there be among the Sons of God degrees of growth in Grace and Faith as to the measure of it as I said degrees among believers for which T. D. sillily suppos'd I meant that some of these have a mixture of sin with their grace page 18. 1 Pamp. Yet I deny any mixture of sin and grace together which they are no more capable of then water and oyl but every Believer and Babe as so that is truly born of God is perfect after Christs own Image and in the Divine Nature though not yet grown up into the measure and fulness of Christs stature and stands justified and accepted in the sight of God and out of the condemnation while out of the transgression and every unbeliever in the Light is out of God and Christ who are Light is in the darkness and of the Devil the Prince of darkness and is in the condemnation because in the transgression and one with that Seed which is in the Reprobation and each Seed and the Son that respectively is born of it hath its own proper portion divided out unto it and that which is of the Spirit hath life together with it and who is of the Serpent and the flâ—sh sows to it and if not parted from it must perish together with it and accordingly reap nothing but corruption And as to all the rest of T. Ds. Râ—plyes to our Reasons rendred as to this point at the Dispute at Sandwich which Replyes of his having no more force of reason in them then there is strength in a rush as to their reaching to hurt the truth though I need not take any notice of them in order to the consuting of T.D. he having so fairly consured himself already as is above shewed yet for the sakes of such as are honest hearted and willing to see the truth I may run over to the rest in such wise as follows Next then in answer to G. W. who told him truly how he wrested the Scriptures to his own destruction for so by his Emphases he does indeed T.D. sayes noâ— â—â—r quoth he the New-birth agrees to all the Saints and if it excludes the being of sin here he goes off from the terms for he should have said the sinning acting or assenting to sin in some it must in all for the Seed remains in all as well as any Rep. I say so too and therefore for the reason is sufficiently rendred above it is that no Saint that 's born of God as so doth sin or can while such if he do he is no Saint 't is the sinner and not the Saint that sins which is begotten back by the Devil from that of God into his own Image Likeness and Nature and by the Serpent beguiled again as Paul was jealous the Corinthians would be and as the Galatians were bewitched form the obedience of the truth But now quoth T. D. least ye should be so mad as to assert all Saints to be free from sin from sinning still he should say for sin may be dead in a man who sins not nor lives in it pray read Joh 1 1 8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and this is spoken of such persons as of whom it is denyed that they commit sin persons that had fellowship with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ v 3. Rep. Here he hath brought more fuel for that fire that is already burning his drossy divinations The foolish Woman can do no other in the day that 's approaching but pull down her own House with her own hands And so doth folly befool the divine doers against the truth in these dayes into an utter undoing of themselves Tâ—is is spoken of such quoth he of whom it s said they commit not sin so say I and of such of whom it s said they sin not Therefore T.D. may be sure he can fetch nothing hence in proof of it that they do sin It s said of such quoth he as had fellowship with the Father and Son so say I which proves them not now to be sinners but must necessarily prove them and so indeed it does to be free from sin and the deeds of darkness not sinning not walking in the darkess or any deeds of it but in the Light now at least what ere the had done in which light who walkes as it leades him cannot sin any more then he can that walkes not after the flâ—sh but after the Spirit and is led not by the flesh but by the Spirit which Light and Spirit never led any yet into sin So the very Text and his own reaâ—on T. D. brings to conclude them Sinners excludes them utterly from being Sinners now for had they been so they could not have had that fellowship with God and Christ which T. D. said they now had For God is light in him is no darknesse at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darknesse we ly and do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the light then have we fellowship and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from All Sin If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we confesse our sins he faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and cleanse us from All unrighteousness if we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar c. Who but such night Owls as can see better by night then they can by day can pick out such a thing as this from any one of these verses viz. that Iohn and the Saints he here writes to even of the least growth and lowest measure however they had been so did sin and were sinners at this presâ—nt when he wrote it That they all had sin once and had sinned its evident enough as I told T. D. then for if we say we have not sinned saith he we make God a lyar Yea had they never sinned they had needed neither that pardon nor purging and perfect cleansing from all sin all unrighteousness he there affirms they confessing their sins God was faithfull to give them as well as to forgive all what they had committed and which they then witnessed in praesenti but that at this time they were sinning and sinners not one title in all that Text doth Testifie T. D. But yea must not think to â—ut us offâ—sâ— quoth T. D. v. 8. 'T is Amartian Ouk Echomen and the other is Ouk Emartekamen suppose the latter verse to be understood of the sins which praeceded the new birth yet the former is expressely de presenti that we have not have had no sin Rep. Who doubts of this but that Eâ—h mâ—n is the present tense we know Iohn saves if we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves But what then my friend because he sayes
David even when he was guilty mark that of adultery and murder such sins as for which the Scripture when he lay impenitent under them denotes and excepts him as a man not upright a despiser of God and his Commandemenes A doer of evil in his sight 2 Sam 12. whom God also had not mercy on but did both condemn and severely judge with no lesse then Hellish horrors for his filth blood-guiltinesse till he had repented for it and was throwly purged from it Psalm 51. was not in a condemned but in a justified estate So that the sum of T.D. and those Doctors Doctrine that side with him therein is this viz to begin the dance right David while he commited adultery and murder not repenting was guilty before God and consequently not just nor justified but condemned for whom God holds not guiltlesse but guilty they are not justified accepted acquitted absolved approved but which is all one accused reproved condemned in his sight Yet to go round again David while he committed adultery and murder not yet repenting was not guilty before God but held guiltlesse not condemned nor reprobated or reproved but cleared acquitted absolved excused approved For between the two slates of guilty and not guilty non datur medium Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Liberty of Conscience II. As to the Doctrine for Liberty of Conscience and against persecution for cause of Conscience in matters of Religion One while they tell the world the doctrine and practice of rigid imposing upon any sub penâ or persecuting any tender Consciences for beleeving and living according to their conviction or denying to beleeve or live contrary thereunto is a Bloody Tenet a way to make more hypocrites that for fear will conform to what they beleeve not to be truth then true Christians an evident note of a false Church and Antichristian Ministry that is degenerate and apostatized from the true pure Primitive Church of Christ which never did compel any by force and violence to be Christians but rather suffered all sorts of sorrowes and bare all manner of abuses from the whole world of false Worshippers whether Heathens or Nominal Christians barely for confessing to the truth of Christ and testifying against the evil lives of all Christs enemies whether such as hated the very outward name of Christ or such as named his Name and yet departed not from iniquity and were every where cursed yet blessed the cursers of them prayed for such as persecuted them intreated those that desamed and ill-intreated them and were patient silent when reviled and buffeted beaten banished as Vagabonds because for truths sake they often left their own Homes and had no certain dwelling place as seditious tumultuous disturbers of the peace because they peaceably went into Synagogues to reason and preach the Gospel of peace as turners of the world upside down because they sought to change men from their evill manners foolish customs vain inventions and wicked wayes that were abominable to God and to bring them to repentance from their dead works and worships in which their souls could never live to worship the living God who is a Spirit and not tyed to places in Spirit and in truth in the inner parts and to turn all men from the darknesse wherein they lived in the world without to the Light of Christ within themselves and from the power of Satan unto God Sometimes I say our great Gamaliels not only grant these things but also give them out for truth to the Civill Powers of the Earth most especially then and that with no small greedinesse when the Clergy of one kind feel themselves begin to be griped under the greedy clutches of the Clergy of another colour when they are likely to be imposed upon by others and to be clapped down under hatches by the Clerical cruelties of each other respectively As for example where ever the Papal or Roman or else the Presbiterian Primacy keeps the Keys spreads their Black Eagles clams over all others hath the power of permitting or poenal imposing there the Prelatick Pastoralty pleads his priviledge to have the liberty of his Liturgy he behaving himselfe no otherwise then peaceably among them Where the Episcopal Priesthood holds his Hierarchy and is Supream there as the Papal would willingly have his liberty and I blame none neither Iews Turks nor Heathens for desiring the like to walk every one in the Name of his God Mich 4. Soth that Right-rigid Scottish Presbiterian Race and that Mongrill seed of loose IndependentPresbiters are more loud for liberty then any other sort of Sectaries so called whatsoever who do all no lesse rationally then they they demeaning themselves peaceably as the very Principle of the Quakers binds them to do to all men require each the peaceable enjoyment of his Religion Church-Ministry fellowship faith and way of Worship under them When the Rabbies are ready to be Ridden one by another witnesse the Outcries once of New-England against Old when under the heat of far lesse Persecution from the Bishops then they have acted since themselves Old England it self was too hot to hold them also the present pleadings not only for their Directorian Liberties but Turpe et miserabile their very Livings Tythes Preferments and their Places now the Common Prayer Book Priesthood whom they unhorsed hath his foot in the Stirrup again and may not unlikely push the Presbiter besides the Saddle then Oh then what Hue and Cry against the bloody Tenet of Persecution and grievous groans for this desire of all Nations and People Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience do we dayly hear from Smectimnuus his own as well as others mouthes Otherwhiles again yea ever when the Clergy of any one colour hath by either craft or conquest catcht the Keyes of the Kingdome and atchieved the Holy chaire they straightway clap their cruell clawes upon them to the keeping down by force of Armes more then Arguments all Liberty for any consciences but their own Then to go round again come let us sing a new Song Behold cry the Counsellers of Egypt the People of the children of Israell are more c. Exod. 1.9 10 11. As Pharoah said unto his people Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falls out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Therefore they did set over them Taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharoah Treasure cities Pithom and Raamses Then they set Taskmasters Then say the Sanballats and Tobiasses the Ammonites and Ashdodite as they Neh. 4.1 2 7 8 11. But it came to passe that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Iews And he spake before his brethren and the
is to but one and 999 are peremptorily personally possitively ordained to dye Yet to go round again If ye all beleeve his love to you ye shall All live if any dye 't is his own fault because he beleeves not the Kings love to him and comes not away out of his Fetters and nothing else and though he can't come out of his Fetters yet let him know its but just that I should leave him there because his father offended the King before he was born it s enough for them that he is so rich in mercy to the whole thousand as to save one and proclaim salvation to All with no intent of pardon that he may take the more advantage on the rest by their refusal to come when they cannot to do execution on them with ten fold more wrath rigour and severity then if the pardon never had been proclaimed to them at all In much what such a rambling confused self-contradictory manner do our Nationall-Messengers and Ministers of Gods grace Consideratis considerâ—ndis hold out their Gospell to All men as Embassadours from God to them All. One while extolling extending it over all Gods works to All men and otherwhiles when they have carryed it about long in a vast circuit and circumference of Commendatory conference To go round again in their niggardly News-books they wind it about and wrap it all up within the narrow corner of their conceited wheel within a wheel or little world of a few Elect ones only extenuating it till they allmost quite extinguish it in their talk preach it welnigh into nothing Witnesse I.O. as is shewed more at large in the book aforesaid and T.D. also telling us indeed that God offers Salvation to All men but intends it only to a few Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about the doctrine of perfect freedom from sin attainable in this life V. As to Salvation from sin in this life which Christ gives to all that follow him in his light One while they teach it to us themselves as attainable here by the grace of God as the Qua do in these or the like deliveryes of themselves in their preachings and writings according to the Scriptures People ye must deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live Godly righteously and soberly mark in this present world The grace of God that bringeth salvatioe to such as take heed to it and receive it not in vain appears to All men and teaches them so to live but that they turn from it and turn it into wantonnesse and if we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we then have fellowship with him who hath none with sin and sinners and not only so but also the blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from All sin and though we cannot say we have no sin since we and all men have sinned yet if we confess our sins God is faithful not only to forgive us our sins past but which is a further matter to cleanse us from All unrighteousnesle Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves from mark All filthiness of flesh and spirit who knows any more then all perfecting holiness in Gods fear The blessed men Psal. 119.3 are the Saints or Holy Ones that do no iniquity but walk in Gods way and though ye think well of your selves because your sins are little yet no sin is so little but if liv'd died in its damning therefore take heed of the least iniquityes while ye have time and space given you to repent from them in leave forsake foregoe them live according to the Scripture which allows of no sin which is written that men might not sin which is able through faith to make a man of God perfect and wife to salvation from sin which is perfect to its own end which is Salvation which end it attains not hereafter for its of no use then and therefore must do it here or no where so that if you dye in the least of your sins unrepented from better ye had never been born for there 's no Purgatory in the world to come as the Pope sains but as the Tree falls it lyes as death leaves you judgement finds you if ye lye down in your Graves in your sins you will rise out of them full of sorrowes Listen unto Christs Ministers who are given for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body till we all come to a Perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ himselfe so as to be as he is in this world and whoever saith he abides in him ought so to walk as himselfe walked in whom was no sin and who hath true hope in him purifieth himselfe as he also is pure and a multitude more sayings of like sort we may hear them utter Otherwhiles that is when the Qua call men to the same living without sin telling them these things are possible to be done by Gods grace who of his good pleasure hath wrought in men to will and to do so that by the power and sufficiency of that they may now work out their own salvation if they neglect not this day of Gods long suffering and salvation wherein God would succour them if they will and that God requires not by either his Ministers or their Scriptures Impossibilities from his creatures under such paenalty as eternall damnation if not performed then to go round again they tell us other matters which as contradictory as they are to those above-said we must notwithstanding or else be held for Hereticks believe from them to be the truth viz. That t is most false to affirm that the Scripture the perfection whereof they plead to lye in nullâ aliâ re in no other thing then its sufficiency to its end which it can't attain hereafter if not here sith there it ceases as to all its uses either doth or can obtain its end which end they say also is salvation from the sin that destroyes the soul dum in hoc mundo haremus so sayes I. O. Ex. 3. while we have a being in this World Then they make as if the Ministry of them who wrote the Scriptures were such as their own is viz. a meer Antick mockage of men a conclave of contradictions confusions absurdities and Rounds a Ministry of flat falsities not to say fooleries a mad-message of impossibilities wherein they stand all their dayes calling upon all men for money as Homines Domini in Nomine Domini in the name of God on pain of his eternall displeasure and their demnation to do what they are to believe to as an Article of their Faith on pain of the Hereticks condemnation All men can never possibly do God empowering but very few by true grace to do ought at all of what he requires nay not empowering any one at all to do all that viz. to cease from all sinning against him in the time of this life
they hold that as the Sun is appointed in nature to be the light of every man that cometh into the World though shutting our eyes may exclude it So Christ is by office the Sun in the world of grace giving men actually all the gracious light they have being sufficient himself to enlighten all and giving them an illuminating word which is sufficient in its own kind to do its own part though many are blind and for their sin are deprived of the communication of this light why all this we maintain as well as they do they say that all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed why what man did they ever speak with that 's a Christian no Christians indeed say I but too many Antichristians that denyeth it See what a deal of the Quakers doctrine concerning learning only at Christs light is here uttered by these men R.B. I.T. who yet hate the self same doctrine at their hearts when the Quakers teach it also in many other places they teach much more to the same purpose putting men on to attendance to the light yea even the light within every man as p. 40 41. This light usefull for two ends First To restrain men from excesse of sin c. As he gave a Law to the Iewes because of transgression to restrain them or abate punishments so to other people he gave a law in themselves to prevent the extirpation of the Nations by bridling them in their lusts thorow conscience of sin and fear of punishment Secondly Besides this God hath another end that they might be inexcusable who sinned against the light in them and God justified in his Sentence and judgment upon them Observe how this light within is owned by them as the Law of God which T.D. affirming the work of the Law only to be there yet denyes to be in the heathens hearts to the contradiction of these men and of himself also in that other plaee p. 16.2 pamp Where to go round again he confesses much of the holy matter of the Scripture to be written upon the hearts of the heathens and that to be their Rule I say as the Law of God which is spirituall holy just and good and to be obeyed for else transgression of it could not be sin deserving judgment for sin is no other then the transgression of the Law So p. 82.83 they go on thus If the light shine into thy soul from Christ so as any convictions or discoveryes of truth from Christ get into thee and some convictions they confesse all havâ— by the light within take heed thou hold it not in unrighteousnesse nor seek to quench it Rom. 1.18 Wrath to all that hold truth in unrighteousnesse when lust imprisons light no entrance for the light of Christ into that soul there must be a love of the light It s the greatest sign of a man willfully evill when he hates the light and it s a good sign of a man truly good when he can delight in that light mork which discovers his own euills What light is that which discovers a mans own evills but the light within the letter without doth de jure only the light within doth de facto discover mens own evill Christ hath determined this to be the great condemnation that men love darknesse rather then light or else the Heathen could not be condemned say I who have and yet hate the light within for they have no letter without for that 's the sign they side with the Prince of darknesse and men that do truth come to the light that their deeds may be manifest c. The more light is rejected the more purely voluntary any sin is when men are willingly ignorant they are incurably evill c. Each person is to make their use of the light within him so far as it is light and usefull Certainly it concerns every man so far as to look to the light within him mark that he do not as t is said of some Job 24.13 Rebell against the Light which Text in Iob I. O. interprets of the letter but I. T. to the confutation of I. O. truly with us of the Common light within men A mens conscience is so far a law to him that though it cannot of it self justifie which is contrary to Rom. 2. which sayes their inward thought as well excuses the Heathen when they do well as accuses when they do ill and excusation and justification or to excuse clear justifie are all one yet it may condemn him So p 37. they go on thus God hath imprinted in all even the most Barbarous people some relique of light though in some it is so small that may be say we for all have not the same but all some measure of Gods light which these men somtimes call darknesse delusive and dangerous and degrees vary not the nature of the case that it can hardly be perceived whether there be any sense of sin or wrath of duty or reward of God or Devill Heaven or Hell Secondly Some people that never had the Gospell nor the Law made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had yet have attained to so much knowledge and practice of morall duties Mark morall duties are the main things of the Law and required in the morall Law viz. To do as we would be done by which faith Christ is the Law and Prophets Math. 7. The sum substance and upshot of all and more then all offering and sacrifice so that the Iews failing in these weightiar matters viz. Iudgment mercy faith c. all outward oblations and observations were abhorred that in some acts of righteousnesse temperance chastity fidelity and such vertues they have equallized at least in respect of their outward demeanour toward men if not exceeded not only Iewes who had the Scripture as our Scribes have and search as much in it but also the more shame for the most of you filthy fruitlesse faithlesse Christians the while whom very heathens will therefore judge the most Christians Thirdly And in the knowledge of God though therein they were most defective yet they attained to so much knowledge and right apprehension of him as enabled them to correct the Vulgar errours concerning God See how far beyond our vulgar Christians and very Christian Clergy men that have the letter to boast talk trade on the light within hath led the very Ethnicks that have heeded it by these mens own confession But they go on yet further preaching up the light with the Qua thus p. 84. It will concern those who own Christ as their light to judge themselves and their wayes by his light This act of self judgment is within faith I.O. Seconding that morall instinct of good and evill that is imprinted by God on the Conscience from the innate light therein It is the great benefit of the light that it doth make manifest Eph. 5.13 Thus by the light of Christ the evill
of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved Now this is no small benefit to have the light to discern our errors which without light from Christ we should never have understood A wise Christian will be often judging himself by the light of the Law discovering his Transgressions That mâ—st needs be the Law in the Conscience which de facto shewes every mans own sins to himselfe It will be needfull not only to use the light of Christ to judge our selves by but also to order our actions by I am the light of the World saith Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness There cannot be unsafe walking by Christs light there is no danger when Christ our light goes before walk in the light saith Christ while ye have the light lest darknesse come upon you how many millions are there of souls perplexed and tortured all their life with fears and doubts for want of walking by the light of Christ in Scripture which say I is that in the conscience which the Scripture mainly calls to and chusing rather to walk by a light and sparks of their own kindling alias their own wisdome conceits sences and meanings on the Scripture traditions in worship and such like which they call light which in the end either goes quite out or burns so dim as to leave them in darknesse of spirit and horror of conscience and no marveile since such as neglect the word preached which is that word of faith i.e. which men are to beleeve in unto life which the Scripture testifies and the Apostles preached to be nigh in mens hearts to heave and do it should follow the mares of humane reason the examples customes and dictates of men and in conclusion ly down in sorrow Isa. 40.11 Such foolish fires will lead to nothing but bogs and precipices but Christ the true light when his Gospell is followed which is the light in the heart 2 Cor 4.5 6. guides the feet of men into the way of peace The light of Christ is to be used as our weapons or Tools to defend ourselves or to work with let us put off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light the truth is light is the chiefest instrument for safety and worke if a man be without light he can neither defend himself nor offend an enemy he that would make use of Christs light must be armed with his doctrine he that would improve the light must be a doing the businesse which the word of Christ directs him to and to that end it mark must dwell richly in him Make use of the light of Christ for thy comfort and rejoycing it is it which removes doubts griefs fears despair in life or death Oh how sweetly might men live how comfortably might they dye if they did make use of it Thus highly do these two men R.B. I.T. speake of the light of Christ within which the Qua preach yea that in the very Heathen though they oft call it naturall yet they recommend it as that which told the truth to the heathen which they holding in unrighteousnesse were under wrath and without excuse before God because they glorified him not as God but were fill'd with unrighteousnesse and did the things which by that of God in them they knew judgment was due to and that they were worthy of wrath Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them say they who sin against the innate light of their own spirits for as much as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience And yet somtimes to go round again they tell us that when their Saints sin through infirmity only as T. D. judges David did when he was guilty of murder and adultery which when they doe they act against the knowledge and judgment of their own consciences their facts are not voluntary but altogether yea utterly against their wills Yea p. 41. They seem to judge themselves much belyed by the Qua. for denying the light within and set themselves to vindicate themselves from that as a false aspersion as if they were men that do truly own the light within as much as any yea they there make a use of Application of their Doctrine about the Light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the World to justifie themselves against the Qua as owners and honourers of the light within and to warn men that they act not against their Light within to this purpose we may infer say they a plea for our selves against the unjust accusations of the Qua who use to charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them each person is to make use of the light within that he do not rebell against the light a mans own conscience is a Law to him c. This and much more do these men when they are pleased to begin of themselves confesse to the excellent usefullnesse and sing out to the praise of the light of God within each man but if the Qua fall in with them in the same work and commend the same light for t is no other but that of Christ the Qua cry up in the same words with the Priests then in enmity against the Qua they set themselves to cry it down with as much indignation and detestation as they cryed it up with approbation and high commendation before Then to go round again they sing a new song in contempt of it to the Time that hereunder followeth inveighing most heavily and bitterly against the Quak for this businesse of warning men to take heed to the Light within to that of God in their consciences calling both it and them no lesse then all to nought witnesse their clamours against the Qua for this very thing in Baxt. Epist. p. 7. Their i.e. the Quâ— great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a light within them and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets hearken to the light and word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamourously defend So p. 6. They i.e. the Quakers assert that there is a light in every man sufficient to guide him to God of it self that it is a Rule to shew duty and sin that there 's no need of other teaching of man that this is one in all that it is the Gospell this is the main prop of the new Anti-christian Religion or frenzy of the Quak and leads them into pernitious courses So p. 41. A mans own light cry they speaking of that of God in the Conscience of all men which somtimes themselves call no lesse then Gods Law in them which is in them but not of them nor naturall but spirituall holy just and good cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light And
the world by some measure of Light at least shining from himself enlightening as it 's said every man that comes into the world shining in darkness in the dark consciences of men though the darkness comprehend it not holding by the hand also as it were leading by the hand those that being in nared in chains of darkness thrust down into the Pit do not winke with their eyes to the further blinding of them but according to the councel of Christ himself believe in the Light whilst they have it that they may become children of the Light for I am the Light of the world saith Christ He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life also I am come a Light into the world that whosoever believeth in me may not remain in darkness I came not to damn the world but to save the world 8. In this manner therefore is Christ the Salvation of the world as he is the Light of the world destroying the works of the Devil who hath wrought in the darkness to the setting up of a Principality and a Kingdom to himself in the hearts of men and redeeming men from the power of the Prince of the darkness of this world unto God who is Light and to see Light even the Light of life in his Light 9. In like manner doth the Prophet Isaiah affirm Christ to be given of God for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Nations to open the blind eyes and to bring out of Prison them that sit in darkness even the blind which have eyes and see not and after him Paul testifieth that Christ was set as a Light to the Nations that he might be the Lords Salvation to the ends of the earth Simeon also speaking by the holy Spirit of the child Iesus calls him that Salvation of his which the Lord had prepared before the face of all people to be a Light to lighten the Nations and the glory of his people Israel 10. In as much therefore as Christ is the light of the world he is the Saviour of the world and so far only are men saved by him as they believe in him who is the Light and in that Light wherewith he doth enlighten every man in his own conscience and set themselves to walk after it which leads no man into iniquity and so far forth are all men liable to condemnation before God as they walk not in this which is in them howbeit not consenting to any but testifying against all iniquiry even the least and also reproving and condemning it even in them who are not in it but walking contrary to it in the darkness 11. For although God in his great love gave his Son for a Light not that he might damn the world but that the world through him might be saved and be that believeth in him is not condemned yet he that believeth 〈◊〉 is condemned already and this is the condemnation that Light is come into the world into the inmost consciences of men there manifesting good and evill but men love the darkness rather then the Light because their deeds are evill for he that doth evill harsth the Light neither cometh to the Light â—ast his deeds should be reproved but who so doth truth he cometh to the Light what his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 12. And al though all that obtain justification are justified freely by the grace of the Lord through the Redemption that is made in Iesus Christ alone Yea cursed be he and cursed will he be that seeks for justification any other way for he who is the Light of the world is also that Corner stone which however it be set at nought by a thousand and thousand of the 〈◊〉 is yet made the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other nor is there any other name save that of Christ the Light under heaven given among men whereby they must be saved Nevertheless no further is any man accepted of God or justified by Christ or the grace of God in Christ then as he is directed by Christ the Light and is by the grace of God by that inward with 〈◊〉 of God by the light of God and Christ in his conscience which is given of God for this very end that it may teach and lead taught and led unto repentance from the unfruitfull works of darkness 13. For this Light shewes the riches of the goodness and long suffering and forbearance of him who is long suffering to-us-ward not will that any should perish but that all should come to us by repentance is that very grace of God bringing Salvation that hath appeared to all men teaching all that will learn what it teacheth that denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts they should live soberlys righteously and godly in this 〈◊〉 world which kind of life will otherwise be to late to begin to live in the world to come which grace being received in vain how much more being despised by the hardness of the heart refusing to repent wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render unto every one according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnes indignation and wrath For tribulation and anguish is to come upon every soul of man that worketh evill but glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good hath to the Jew and also to the Greek for there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that â—eaâ—eth him and manketh righteousness is accepted with him but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul rateth 14. And howsoever the world which is call'd Christian together with the manifold Sects Professors and meerly nominal Christians and Ministers thereof may dream that they have Christ their Redeemer very often calling him Lord Iesus continuing in the mean time in all disobedience to his Light yet the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the of Christ depart from iniquity 15. For the day of the Lord draweth nigh wherein both every man and his deeds shall be made manifest for the day which is the Light shall declare them for they shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans works of what sort they are and in that day all those Dâ—eamers shall be awakened and shall know that as concerning the truth they have erred far from the mark and that not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth what Christ saith and what the will is of his Father whâ—ch is in heaven and though they have prophecyed
in his name and done great things nevertheless for as much as they departed not from iniquity they shall be doom'd from Christ with Dâ—part from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not 16. Then shall the whole multitude of Transgressors of the Law i. e. of the Light of God in the conscience by which all even those that have not the Law written in an outward letter are a Law to themselves having the work of the Law written in their hearts that the Lamb of God came not to tolerate but to take away the sin of the world and that Iesus was sent not to give liberty to sin but to set his people at liberty from their sins and that in the greatest liberty wherwith Christ freeth his people there is the least licence and that the Father having raised up his Son hath sent him to blesse men they turning away every one of them from his iniquitie that those blessed ones to whom the the Lord imputeth not sin whâ—se iniquities aâ—e forgiven whose sin is covered are such in whose Spirit there is no guile and that there is in no wise any remission of sins unto those who still accustome themselves to a dayly commission of them 17. Moreover the great and terrible day of the Lord now cometh wherein the Light which is risen in the conâ—ciences of men shall dayly more and more clearly shine forth in which also the â—he book of conscience must be opened that â—ut of it all men may be judged according to all things that are written therein where by the Light which is Gods faithfull witness all sin is written down in the sight of God as with a Pen of Iron in which day by the Light God will come night to us to judgement and then the righteousness grace and mercy of God shall be revealed towards all who standing still in his Light wait for him to come as a Redeemer to them from their impieries that they may be saved from the wrath that is to come upon all the children of disobedience by which light the wrath of God shall be manifested from Heaven in their own conâ—ciences against all ungodliness unrighteousness of men who retain the Truth in unrighteousness in which day God will reign down upon the wicked Snares Fire Brunstone and an horrible tempest all which things shall be the portion of their Cup. 18. Moreover in the hand of God there is now a cup and the Wine thereof is Red and it is full of mixture and he poureth one of the same and Iudgment is begun at the House of God and God hath begun to bring evil upon the people upon whom his Name is written and his Nature Image is imprinted they whose portion it is not in such a measure as they have drunk of the Cup of abomination and fornication have drunk also of the Cup of indignation and wrath before they could take the Cup of Salvation and praiâ—e the name of the Lord in no wise therefore shall the wicked go unpunished but the worshippers of the Beast and those that receive his image must drink also of this wine which is poured one of the mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angells and of the Lamb yea the very dregs hereof the top whereof the Children of the Light and of the Day have tasted the Children of the Night and of the Darkness that is all the wicked ones of the earth shall drink and wring them out 19. Wherefore whilst in the long suffering of God opportunity is not wanting unto you whilst the day of your Visitation is neer unto you from God let my councell be accepted of you All and turn your selves to the light of Christ in your own consciences and take councell thereat for ever which seriously and sincerely minding you shall be taught by Christ himself whose Testimony to you from heaven that is to your both externall internall and eternall Peace and Salvation and shall be brought to Christ himself and to see him and his Father from both whom it comes to the saving knowledg of whom there can be no coming any other way whatsoever for as the Sun of this outward world is not seen but by that Light which flows from it self unto us so neither is the Sun of righteousnesse but by that measure of Light how little soever it be that shines from him in the heart 20. For although the Scripture which speakes of the Light and directs to the Light maketh mention of the Father and of the Son so that there ye may read of them and speak of them also according to what ye there read yet this the Scripture it self witnesseth that none can know either the Father or the Son but he to whom the Father and the Son do mutually reveal each the other whose revelation also is made within for that which may be known of God sufficient to Salvation is manifest in men saith Paul for God doth manifest it in them and the Gospell is preached in every creature which is under heaven by the Light of God in the conscience so that they are left inexcusable before God who else would be excusable blameless forasmuch as though they know God yet they glorify him not as God neither like to retain God in their knowledge but knowing the judgement of God that they which do such things as they do are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in those that do them 21. In the mean while we do not affirm Christ himself to be in all men who yet is known to be in all that are not Reprobates as that hope of glory nevertheless all for there is no difference but what is made by different degrees of light which do not vary the nature of the thing have some measure or other of his Light at least one Talent committed to them that they may trade therewith to profit withall which using well and doubling they have entrance into the joy of their Lord but hiding of which and not gaining therewith they shall be thrust out at last from the light they have into the utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth This Light therefore shines in all even the heatheâ— in some measure although not in all in the same measure 22. To the measure of which Light of Christ which in you is you will do well to take heed while you have it as unto a light shining in a dark place to give you the knowledge of your Salvation and guide your feet in the way of peace and that you may find true rest to your burdened and wearied souls and lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth nor at what he stumbles 23. This Light is the Law of God for the law is light saith the wise man written not
thy crooked Copyes and so a door be opened as it is already not more to curious pragmatical wits then plain honest Truth telling downright dealing upright hearted light loving souls to overturn this ticklish foundation and all that thy simply supposed certainty of a true entire and to a Tittle exact conformity of this Hebrew Text of Scripture with that which was pen'd by immediate motion p. 308. and so seem to derâ—gate from the universality of this rash hasty Assertion concerning the preservation of the Original Copies thereof to this hour in every Point Tittle and Iota 296. thou bestirrest thy self what thou canst thorough the whole Chapter aforesaid in vindication of the said universality and verity of thy Arch Assertion by diminishing this vast variation that is in the Keri and Ketib from the first manuscripts into a very little matter too vain to be at all counted upon as a various lection they are of so small weight and importance though I must here tell thee I. O. that of as small moment and importance as thou makest both these of Keri and Ketib as well as all the other varieties that thy self are sain to confesse to viz. those of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali those of the Oriental and Occidental Iewes those called correctio Scribarum or the amendment in 18 places of some smaâ—l Apiculi as thou diminutively stilest them to salve the credit of thy exquisitely crude expression of thy self often by the Term of Apices and every Apex c. p. 27.317 and those called Ablatio Scribarum or a note of the Redundancy of Vau in five places O thou that art tossed to and fro and yet thou seemest with the superstitious Iewes to hold a Copy to ' e corrupted or prophaned if but one letter be but wanting or redundant sometimes viz. p. 170. yet the least of all these are of weight and importance enough for all thy summary saying of them all together p. 13.14 they are varieties in things of lesse indeed of no importance to knock thy principal position on the head and howbeit thou sayest not in the least p. 181. in the least at least to Impair the Truth o thy Arch Assertion that every Tittle and Letter of the outward Text which thou till stilest the word of God remaines in the Copies preserved by the merciful providence of God for the use of his Church to this day and I must tell thee moreover that the more thou stirrest in defence of the universal verity of that thy unwarrantable and utterly untrue Assertion the more it stinks and that rankly too not onely of unreasonable rashnesse and Real falshood but also of a meer Diotrephetically impudent and impositively prating Spirit in thy self that rather then recant one rashly assented absurdity will run into a thousand to offer so peremptorily to persist in t unlesse thou couldst speak more to the purpose then thou yet hast done or ever art like to do in proof thereof in that universality rigidity and strictnesse wherein thou statest it And as to those of the Keri and Ketib in particular the utmost thou sayest in all that Chapter wherein thou art wholly taken up about them whereby to refell the force of what falls heavily on thy Arch Assertion thence from by such as urge it to the evincing of variety of Lections from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or primitive Text is as strong as stubble it self to stand against it with and of no more force then foam and froâ—b to resell it For fiâ—st p. 297. thou sayest all the difference in these words that is the 840. words of the Keri and Ketib is in the Consonants not at all in the vowels Rep. In which saying thou givest thy whole cause for if there be little lesse then a thousand words now in the Hebrew Text differing in the Transcripts in their Consonants from what they were as written in the first Manuscripts what need any more to prove against thee that there are various Lections and that in more then in Tittles Iota's Vowels Accents Points and Apices in the least of which yet if variation be proved it disproves the universality and verity of thy great Assertion of Identity to a Tittle and what need the Authors of that insinuation over whom thou crowest upon thy own dunghill and triumphest before thy time p. 319. produce the least Testimony as thou falsly affirmest they cannot that there hath been in the world some Copy of the Bible differing mark thy words in the least from those we now enjoy or that those ye have are corrupted thou I. O. provest it against thy self to their hands yea that the Consonants themselves are greater matters then Points and Apices and of more importance with thy self is intimated by thee p. 317. in the eye of any ordinary Reader a yet thou thy self assertest p. 297. that 840. words are found different from what they were at first writing in no lesse then the very Consonants what need we then any further witnesse since we our selves have so much confessed out of thy own mouth or rather extant under thy own hand And what need the Authors of this insinuation prove their Assertion in answer to thy confident universal Challenge of them so to do p. 317. saying let them prove that there was ever in the world any other Copy of the Bible differing in any one word from those that we now enjoy Tu dicis thy self I. O. sayest it that there are differences from the fiâ—st Copies that were writâ—by the inspi el Authors and that of many sorts what needst-thou say let them produce one Testimony one Author of credit Iew or Christian that can or doth 〈◊〉 did speak one word to this purpose let them direct us to any relike any monument any kind of remembrance of them and not put us off with weak conjectures upon the signification of one or two words and it shall be of weight with us is it meet that a matter of so huge importance called into Question by none but themselves should be cast and determined by their conjectures doth they think men will part with the possession of Truth upon so easie Terms that they will be cast from their inheritance by divination Bona verba quaeso Possession of any thing that 's counted an inheritance I confesse is eleven points of twelve and they that are in it commonly count that Truth and Right is on their side right or wrong and the more ado and harder task they have who have to do with them to storm them out but as the case here stands it 's no great matter sith I. O. the possessour fights for us against himself Art thou an Author of credit thy self I. O. whose Testimony may be taken for Truth wilt thou believe thy self if not others I confesse as thou sayest p. 102. of the Romane Harlot the common fate of lyars hath so befallen her for lying mostly in many things she professeth that she deserves