we do ours to oâ—hers by words and this belongs to the Scriptures as they are written or spoken To his last Question We only say Let him first tell us whether he intends the Grammatical sense of the words or the Gracious sense of them upon the heart and we shall know what to say to him As for the sense in which he yields the Scripture to be the Word of God he talks idly confounding a Metonym Efficientis with a Metonym Signi Reflections on Cap. 2. of New Revelations and Inspirations The Fancy of New Divine Revelations and Inspirations being the Pillar of Quakerism it concerned him to treat the Scriptures with such caution as to leave room to introduce this Figment else he had undone his whole Cause and yet it will be found that he hath granted so much there that he must needs contradict himselfe here as will be made evident In this Chapter the Dispute is Whether new divine Revelations Inspirations of the Spirit of God he now ceased He undertakes the Negative against us but indeed the whole is nothing else but meer Legerdemain The right Stating of the Controversie between us will abreviate and facilitate ouâ— work in animadverting on this tedious and insignificant Chapter In order to that thesâ— three Terms Inspiration Revelation New must be rightly understood Words are used to express our minds by are to be taken in the sense commonly used among men and when any are used aequivocally such as use them must have Liberty to interpret their own meaning As to the Word Inspiration it is vulgarly understood in Divinity to intimate an Inward extraordinary Discovery of the mind of God made by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of His servants so 2. Tim. 3.16 and so we difference it from those ordinary and mediate wayes in which we come to this acquaintance Revelation is applicable indeed to any way in which a thing is made known to us which we knew not before and so the word may be as sometimes in Scripture applied to any Discovery which is made to us of the Will of God But this word hath also attained a particular Appropriation to such a Knowledge of Divine Truths as would never have been attained by the best Improvement of natural light or reason without the Manifestation of the Spirit and this is either Immediate or Mediate the Immediate is the same with Inspiration â—â—e Mediate is that which is commonly calâ—d Illumination the Spirit of God helping us â—ith His Influences whenever we are in the â—se of meanes The word New may be apâ—lied either to the kind of the things revealed â—r to the Act of Revealing Here then our Beleef in this matter may be reduced to â—hese Heads We do believe 1. That Savâ—ng Illuminations of the Spirit influencing the â—earts of His people with the knowledge of Christ and His Truths are common needful to all Believers in all ages Rev. 8.9 2ndly That in this sence there are new Revelations made from time to time to God's Children i. e. subjectively 2. Pet. 3.18 3dly That such inspirations as the Prophets and Apostles of old had by which God discovered His mind to them immediately enabling them to declare these things to others were not common to believers in these times 1. Cor. 12.29 vers 10. 4thly That the Scriptures do so fully contain the mind of God in all things necessary for Faith and Salvation that there need no such Inspirations to be afforded to any and therefore they are now ceased 2. Tim. 3.16.17 with Heb. 1.1 2. 5thly That therefore there are no new Revelations made since the Canon was perfected of things or Doctrines which arâ— not contained in the Scriptures we arâ— therefore directed hither for our establishment against Seducers 2. Tim. 3.13 14. and not to abide by this is to make it appear that they have no light in them Isa 8.20 If now we examine what he opposeth to this Doctrine we shall find nothing but Fallacy and Foolery Sect. 1. His first charge here is upon the Assemblies Confession in the very first Article and truly If men lay the first stone wrong the whole Fabrick must be weakned thereby That which he alledgeth against them is they are admirably blind in their bringing in particular Citations of Scripture and we may retort that he is admirably base in perverting their sense and design in Citing of them They had asserted several things in this paragraph for proof whereof they directed to the Scriptures printed in the Margent which he perversly reflects upon as brought only to prove that one Assertion which is not totidem verbis made by them That all new Revelation is ceased They had said that God had pleased to commit His declared and revealed will of things which concern man's salvation wholly to Writing for which they alledge Prov. 2.19 20 21. and do not these Texts assure us that God has written His Word to us and that this Word tells us what God saith yea and to speak otherwise is an evidence that men have no saving light in them Which by the way tells us what to judge of the Quakers light and one would think this is to purpose and hath something of proof in it and to the same purport are Luc. 1.2 3 4. Rom. 15.4 Mat. 4.4 7.10 They had again told us That God had made Scriptures necessary and for the Evidence direct us to 2. Tim. 3.15 and can Impudence deny the Inference from that Text Finally they tell us That the Scripture being thus given to be a Rule for Faith and Manners and being completely sufficient to its ends The former ways of Gods revealing Himself are ceased for which they cite Heb. 1.1 2. 2. Pet 1.19 which one would think if joined with the former especially 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. might prove it Doth not the Apostle Heb. 1.1 2. renounce the former ways in the times of the Law to give place to this one and better in Gospel times and what can he do that comes after the King And does not the Apostle Peter in the fore-cited place tell us there is a surer way than an Immediate voice from heaven and what have stars to do when the Sun is risen In summe all these Scriptures arâ— brought to prove what G. K. confesseth Cap. 1. Sect. 1 2 3. nor do we see what absurdity would follow upon our granting that New revelations of any truth not before made known ceased before John the Apostle deceased though his other extraordinary gifts did continue Sect. 2. And pray what do we assert but what he seems plumply to grant here viz. That the rule to try all doctrines is compleatly contained in the Scriptures only the business is that this must in no wise prove the ceasing of new revelations or inspirations or prophecying Let it for the present suffice to say that he who goes about to confound terms which are used for distinction has some cheating trick to impose
is no less than real Blasphemy though we thank â—oâ—â— that he that hath made it blasphemy hath made it pardonable too to say that the Light in man is not sufficient to give him that knowledge of God that is necessary to Salvatiâ—â— But how can we plead Guilty or not guilty till we know what it is that we have offered such an affront to Let us therefore see if we may not find it out by some meanes and whether he hath not helpt us in the search He tell us the Assembly twise call it the lighâ— of â—â—â—â—â—e the Expression he can allow but not in our sense Thus far we suppose he will grant it in our sense viz. That the Light within is that Discovery of divine Truths which is made to men inwardly as they came into the world whereby they are able to know something of God without outward meanes to acquaint them or something within them which doth make these discoveries in them and this is not any special extraordinary Indulgence to some but it is common to all men belonging to Humanity Only herein we differ and are not to be reconciled We say That it is nothing but some remaines of the Law of nature in the Hearts of men Rom. 2.14 which they are capable by their Reasoning Faculty of improving for the making a Discovery of many Truths by which will suffice to leave men without excuse Rom. 1.20 he mistakes when he thinks we reckon it any distinct faculty the Understanding indeed and in that the Conscience is the subject of it but it is something there imprinted He on the other hand tells us that It is Christ Himself in the man and that it is he who quickens and sanctifies nature in all men and this he understands to be the Emphutos Logos in Jam. 1.21 which he fasly renders Innate word it properly signifies Engrafted as our translation renders it and is a Metaphor from a Siene that is grafted into another stock than at first it grew upon intimating that the word whatever it be is not natural to us but is ingraffed in us supernaturally and therefore is not put into the nature of all men and that this word is not Christ appears from vers 22. and those that follow it is a word that we are to be the Learners and Doers of it is a Law of Liberty that we are to be looking into which cannot be applied to Christ no not by any tolerable Catacresis There are Three things which we will here not only assert but also give Scripture proof for 1. That Christ is not the Light of nature in all men Is it the light in men that was born of a Virgin hanged on a tree buried in a grave all which he else-where confesseth of Christ Besides the Apostle expresly saith that men in their natural estate are without Christ Eph. 2.12 and that Except men be in the faith Christ is not in them 2. Cor. 13.5 and he tells us that All have not faith 2. Thes 3.2 2. That the Light of Nature left in fallen man is not sufficient to point him out the way to Happiness had not they the Light of Nature of whom it is said Deut. 29.4 that the Lord has not given them eyes to see to that day they to whom Christ gave that warning Luc. 11.35 Doth not the Apostle describe the natural estate by this Eph. 5.8 and what saies he 1. Cor. 2.14 but we have him confessing this amply in p 120. That man in his state of integrity had Light sufficient to have guided him to felicity we believe but all the Light of nature in fallen man will not objectively reveal the truths necessary to be known in order to salvation It had never told men of Christ and the Satisfaction that is made to the Law by his Righteousness 3. That God hath not any way imparted such a light universally to all men which the forecited Scriptures do prove Besides if this Light be connate with men what needed G. K. to make such a splutter about Immediate Revelations and if it be only by Revelations where will he find evidence that God hath so reveal'd Himself to all Sect. 10. That from the Law written in mens hearts he goes about to prove that man has such a sufficient light is weak for the Apostle speaks plain in Rom. 2.14 which we are turned to of the law given to man at the first which is become weak through the flesh and cannot give life Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 And his pleading from our Concession That it is sufficient to make them inexcusable that it is therefore sufficient to make them excusable that frame their lives to it follows not The fall of man hath left him without strength to obey it Rom. 5.6 The Light of Nature discovers to man that Duty which he doth not and by reason of Sin cannot do which leaves him inexcusable Roâ— 1.18 19 20. but it is Christ only that can take off guilt and remove Condemnation and the light of nature neither discovers His person nor the way how to get pardon by Him His arguing pag. 121. That Because for mens not glorifying God He gave them up to a reprobate mind therefore they were not Reprobates from the beginning hath no face of a reason in it for besides that if we should take the word Reprobate in Rom. 1.28 in such a sense a man may be reprobated before he be left up to make the open discoveries of it the meaning of that place is that God left them to a mind that chose dross rather than Silver preferred wickedness before Holiness and so was a mind disapproved of God And when He tells us that The light the Gentiles had is a new gift and grace of God to them he saith nothing at all till he can prove that there is such a gift common to all men nor do all his alledged Scriptures speak one word that way inward convictions and warnings of wrath to come which we deny not to have been in heathen will not amount to it being only the Actings of a natural Conscience under legal Convictions which indeed shew to man some of his Misery but nothing of his Reâ—edy and that place on which he puts a peculiar Remark Luc. 12.20 God said thou fool c. is as little to his purpose as any for if we cannot tell how God said so to him yet it is enough that He did it by awakening of his Conscience nay that he did it Providentially and what 's this to a sufficient Light telling men how they may be saved it is a meer Wheadling and not Arguing It is therefore impudence in him to assert pag. 122. That though God's Dispensations of grace be various and the Gospel Dispensations fine words be best yet whoever is faithful in any one of these is accepted of God and yet none is accepted but in Christ or for His sake and give no other proof for it but his
these are two but not contraries but concomitants as being indeed two parts of the same Sacrament And that it belonged not limitatively to John's Dispensation appears because Christ gave order for the Continuance of it Mat. 28.19 20. Philip baptized the Eunuch with water Act. 8. Paul baptized 1. Cor. 1.15 Nor will he ever disprove the Baptizing with water being appointed Mat. 28.19 till he can prove that there is some other ministerial Baptism for which he must run to his Revelations Ten thousand of which are worth nothing And what an infatuation is it to tell us there are no other words of institution but the words of Institution What more would he have Nor doth he evade by telling us they could baptize with the Spirit as well as beget sons and daughters to God for this was done ministerially by dispencing the Ordinances which Christ only can bless to that end though He own His servants as workers-together with him in their place but they ever renounced their doing any of these things by their own virtue Yea also Baptism is signified in Mat. 28.19 to be one way in which they made disciples of them But he fore-saw that we would tell him that the disciples under Christ's Dispensation and after the Resurrection of Christ baptized with water has provided a fine Evasion viz. It was done by Toleration as many things else by the Law but we suppose that Infant-Baptism was not of the Law but of the preparation of the Gospel yea an Institution which Christ Himself confirmed by his commands and so not a meer Toleration And when Paul faith he was sent to baptize it is meant not so much to baptize as to preach he was an Apostle had diverse Ministers waiting upon him who were ordinarily imployed in baptizing such as by his Ministry were prepared for it his Thanking of God therefore that he baptized so few was not because the Ordinance it self was not Authentick and honourable but because as there was no necessity ordinarily for him to do it personally so it eventually prevented occasion of their naming themselves from Paul this Reason he gives 1. Cor. 1.14 if G. K.'s pretended reason had any weight he had broken his Commission in baptizing of any Somebody ows him thanks for his Charity that allows Babes and children their Images c. provided they are cordially zealous for spiritual Baptism and he grants there are some few such only Christ is little beholden to him for making a sacred Institution of His a George-on-horseback to invite children to their books but for us we are not thus obliged for we are not so much as babes but meer Hypocrites and Formalists did he ever read 1. Cor. 4.8 and Rom. 14.10 we have alwaies professed our zeal for the inward Baptism our whole Ministry is a witness â—o it only we are for both Baptism with water and the Holy Ghost and the Quakers pretend to be only for the latter and which is most agreeable to the mind of Christ let the Scripture determine and indeed they thus take away the very means appointed by Christ for enjoying that other Sect. 4. Nor doth he treat the sacred Supper with any better language He grants That Christ had an outward supper of the Pascal Lamb i. e. that He had the sign without the thing Signified i. e. that Christ ate the passover hypocritically which is prodigious Blasphemy When he saith Our sacrament hath no inward spiritual signification to us he arrogates God's Prerogative who only can judge the heart immediately and his reason is groundless for we never denied a real and spiritual partaking in Christ though we allow it not in the Quakers carnal sense but spiritually When he takes notice of Christ's drinking first and drinking twise at the Sacrament he bewrayes his ignorance or perverseness if that place be more obscure it is to be interpreted by such as are more clear the other Evangelists mention the order of the Institution By Christ's first blessing and giving the Bread and after that the Cup and Paul tells us he received the Order from Christ Himself thus 1. Cor. 11.23 c. Christ indeed kept two Sacraments at one Meeting the Passover which He now antiquated and the Supper which he now instituted the former Cup belonged to the Passover which also represented Christ and Jewish Antiquity tell us it was their custom to conclude that Sacrament with such a Cup. In pag. 188. we have him there introducing a new Sacrament which he tells us they have at their ordinary Meals and the Ministers do consecrate them sometimes by Praying sometimes by silence a new way of Consecration and to this he shrinks up this Gospel Ordinance which is pure Familism endeavouring to banish all instituted Worship out of the Church under a pretence of continual holiness a fine way to extirpate Religion out of the world by Evacuating the Appointments of Jesus Christ We beleeve that there is a spiritual Feeding on Christ which beleevers are to practise daily by the exercise of Faith and are Satisfied that our Eating c. should be alwais to the glory of God and might possibly say as much of that as and with more truth than he But Christs institution is something beyond that and is appointed as a special help of our Faith in these exercises herein therefore they are behind us they pretend to no more than we do and in our measure endeavour whereas we are also for the Sacred Institutions of Christ to help us in all other duties and we think that our Supper is beyond theirs as being an holy Ordinance of Gospel Worship and theirs is only the Common duty of all men we believe that outward eating is but a sign of the inward and therefore not to be rested in but because it is a sign and Christ hath enjoined the use of it we dare not omit it That all outward Eating and Drinking is a natural and necessary sign of the Inward we utterly deny that it is accommodable to it by way of resemblance we acknowledge else Christ would not have chosen it for this end but we use them for figures upon the account of His institution and not because of a natural Analogy else we might multiply Sacraments at pleasure and yet we grant it to be as much a natural sign as the outward world is a figure of the inward which he saith Paul expresly calls it 1. Cor. 7.31 when there is not one syllable expresly or consequentially intimating any such thing Sect. 5. But if the Sabbath may but be caâ—hier'd the other Ordinances will fall Here then his first cavil is against the first day of â—he week but if he decries any outward Sabâ—ath at all as he calls it the First day â—eeds no more Vindication than any other â—ouching the Change of the Sabbath such as â—cknowledge the Sabbath to be moral perpetual by divine precept may find it made gooâ— by many Sheppard Owen and others Hiâ—
The PRINCIPLES of the PROTESTANT RELIGION MAINTAINED And Churches of New-England in the PROFESSION and EXERCISE thereof DEFENDED Against all the Calumnies of one George Keith a Quaker in a Book lately Published at Pensilvania to undermine them both By the Ministers of the Gospel in Boston Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour comes and searches him Phil. 2.3 Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the Concision 2. Thes 2.10 11. They received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye BOSTON in New-England Printed by Richard Pierce and sold by the Booksellers MDCXC The Praeface ALtho' the Church of God which is a Socâ—â—â—â— of men professing the Truths practising the Wayes of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Sacred Sriptures have Recommended them unto â—he world has in all ages undergone the Batteries of a various assault yet it has out-liv'd them all As one while there arise Persecutors with Câ—in's Club in their Hands endeavouring by Force to banish out of the world that Godliness which their sore eyes feel an Ey-sore in so another while the grand Enemy of our Salvation brings Hereticks upon the stage who with Fraud would perswade the people of the Saints of the Most High to unchurch themselves by parting with all â—he meanes of Communion between them and their God But hitherto an Abortion has attended all their attempts against that Mount Sion which cannot be removed but remaineth for ever â—he impotent Assailants find themselves but pushâ—â—g hard against the great stone and perish by 〈◊〉 Rolling over them This is among the Gloâ—ious things which are spoken of thee O thou City of God! Indeed the Craft of the old Serpent hath not â—hown it self in any one thing more marvellous â—angerous than in his Fitting of Seducers to the â—everal Designs Peoples Tempers which he â—as had to manage He knowes that as the first â—reation so the new Creation begins with Light he has used a thousand Blinds to keep a saving Light from entring into the souls of men that being a people of a wrong understanding He that made them might not have mercy on them Hence the Deceivers of the former days having been baffled conquer'd by the Spirit of the Lord lifting up a standard against them in the Labours of His faithful Servants the Hydra of Error has had new sprouts proceeding from it among which that of Quakerism seems to be one of the vilest as well as one of the Latest and we see therein fulfill'd what was long since fore-told That Seducers will wax worse and worse In Quakerism we see the Vomit cast forth in the by-past ages by whole kennels of those creatures for whom the Apostle to the Philippians has found a name licked up again for a new Digestion and once more expos'd for the poisoning of mankind and it is especially the more ignorant unwary envious part of mankind which it is adapted unto few swallow it but the more silly feeble sort of souls those in whom the Light which they so much adore affords little better Directions than those of an Ignis fatuus Indeed Quakerism is the peculiar plague of this Age. One that was a pillar-of it wrote in the year 1659. such a passage as that It is now about seven years since the Lord raised us up And as the Novity of the sect proves their Falsity so t is beyond all measure admirable that in so clear a day-light of â—he Gospel so many should espouse it It is thro' â—he wrath of the Lord of hosts that any part of the English Nation should be so darkned as â—o follow this new light and it is the particuâ—ar disgrace of the English with but one or two Nations more to have these people in it who tho' â—hey tremble yet beleeve not but oppose and muddy the whole of that Religion by which we draw near to God We cannot but have our sad Apprehensions when â—e behold this great Choak-weed of the Christian Protestant Religion taking root in the Borders â—f N. England and whereas unto our own Inâ—linations to be doing so their have been added â—he Provocations of one George Keith in a late Book addressed both to them for their Establishment to us for our Conviction we have countâ—d ourselves concerned to appear in the defence of â—hose glorious Truths which all Quakerism George Keith's particularly does oppugn We â—ave answered the Cavils and Sophisms of the Champion whom the American Quakers do so â—uch admire not feeling in any of his arguments â—he weight of a Weaver's beam and if in aâ—y passages we have done it cuttingly we knew â—hat some are so to be rebuked But the Reader â—ust oblige himself to peruse the Whole of our Treatise before he pronounce upon the sufficiencâ— and validity of our Answer we found it so duâ—â— a thing to follow the confused methods of our Antagonist and to renew our Discourses as often as his tedious and nauseous Repetitions came in our way that we resolved as we met â—he several Haeresies we would Answer once for all and therefore we do pass over with a dry Foot many unsound Assertions in diverse parts of his Book because by the very same in other parts of it we are forc'd to wade over shoes in the mire after him And we take no notice at all of the calumnies which in the close of his little Volumn he loads the Reverend Increase Mather with because the Son of that worthy person has elsewhere already vindicated him We wish that we could with any hopes propound the Conversion Reduction of George Keith as the end of our present undertaking But we fear lest his Apostacy after he had been enlightened had tasted of the good word of God hath rendred him incurable If it should he so we must expect that tho' the Arrows here fetch'd from the Scriptures of the Lord Jesus may force from him a Thou hast overcome yet we shall have no Returns from him except those of rage wrath which we shall not count it worth the while to publish any reply unto but what the Archangel gave to a â—ailing Accusation We do likewise wish that we had more hopes â—f turning others that have been proselyted tho' â—carce any have been so by him among ourselves â—nto his Perswasion from the Error of their way which we do sincerely declare to be the â—orst that we wish to them tho' it be also the â—est that we can do for them They are much â—istaken if they think that we shall ever pursue â—hem with any thing but Pitty and Prayer and â—eason which they want above most in the world â—e desire no Revenge on them for all the Raâ—lâ—g and Hatred which they so commonly follow 〈◊〉 withal save only to pluck them as brands â—ut of the
to the soul as well as enlightens the Subject if this will do let him be quiet only we say He reveals no new object besides what is revealed in the Scripture we thought that he had said so too in this very Chapter S. 3. But now he would insinuate p. 21. which he dares not speak out that he would have new Truths or Objects besides what are revealed in the Scripture i. e. either expresly or consequentially or he saith nothing let him but reconcile his third and sixth Paragraph and we shall know where to have him As for the Comparison by which he doth illustrate or rather scandalize our Doctrine as if we acknowledged No other sight of the Truth but as one that sees England in a map but never saw the land or one that heares and reads of meat but never saw and tasted it it is altogether aliene we believe with the Apostle that all our sight here is in a glass and that darkly or aenigmatically 1. Cor. 13.12 and that we walk by faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5.7 and yet we believe that here is a spiritual feeling tasting and satisfaction in all this Heb. 11.1 we are not therefore concerned in this peice of Raillery with which his 22nd page is stuff'd only we observe his spirit like that of the primitive Persecutors who clothed Christians in skins of beasts and then worried them Sect. 7. We dissalow not his Distribution of the knowledge of God into Discurssive Inâ—uitive but how poorly he improves it to his purpose let the Reader judge for if â—n the mean while our Intuitive Knowledge brings no new truths to us but what are contained in the Word of God he hurts not our Doctrine in the least That Intuitive as well as Discurssive Knowledge may be in diâ—erse Christians in different degrees we never â—uestioned but when he hath made all the â—plutter he can about his intuitive knowledge â—e can never prove it to be any other than â—hat inward Satisfaction which the Spirit of God affords to the minds of His people about â—he things that are contained in the Holy â—criptures by the particular and personal â—pplication of them to their hearts and let G. K. or any other of his friends if they can produce any once instance to evidence that ever they had any Intuitive Knowledge of one divine Truth whereof they had not a discursive knowledge before And how much he vilisies the Word of God by comparing it only to the Cup which revealeth the wine and the Spirit to the Wine in the Cup is plaine David had another Opinion of the word Ps 19.7 c. and Christ giveth it another Encomium Joh. 6.63 Sect. 8. He introduceth an Hypothesis If they say c. but who of us ever said so make a Castle in the Air and then discharge pot-Guns at it but we do say that all this makes nothing for his New Revelations although it affords glad Tidings to the souls of God's Children Had he any Fore-head left him he would never have here affirmed that we preach altogether an absent Christ we alwayes professed our selves to believe That Christ is really and properly present with His people in His Ordinances and Application of Himself to them only we say He is so spiritually not corporally and it is strange that such pretenders to spirit should deny a Reality and Property to it Sect. 9. What little Reason he hath to charge us with Nonsense will be seen in what hath been already said at the beginning of this Chapter to which we refer the Reader But how comes G. K. by so much modesty as to grant That there is both ordinary and extraordinary Revelation and that theirs is but ordinary and pretends not an equality to that of the Apostles either in degree or variety Some Quakers have been otherwise perswaded else had their Lucas never said If thou hast a mind to a Scripture thou maist write as good an one thy self But if he mean no other Revelation but what Christ did Joh. 5.25 we allow it only that differ'd more than in degree from what the Apostles had as such officers Reflections on Chapt. 3d. of the Supreame Judge Rule of Controversies in Religion Let us not wrangle before we know what it is for The Dispute here is about the Judge or Rule of Controversies in Religion and observe 1. That it is only about Matters of Religion 2. That Judg and Rule here intend one and the same thing viz. the Standard by which things are to be tryed and judged 3. It refers to Controversies i. e. where principles are in debate Now wee 'll suppose two kinds of Controversies one between men men one party and another each pretending to have truth on their side The other between a man himself having a debate in his own mind and not being as yet settled The Question then is What as a Rule is to set men down put an end to these Debates and let us go together as long as we can Sect. 1. He seems here to bid fair for an Agreement at least in the first sort of the Controversy i. e. between men men for we have only outwardly to deal one with another and he assures us that the Scripture is the Touchstone by which the Doctrine is to be tried and then surely it must judge and determine or what is the Advantage of Trying Only he spoils all by telling us They have a greater proof viz. the inward Testimony of the Holy Ghost We would only for the present ask him though that is not all we have to say to him whether this inward Testimony be greater as a rule to judge another by set him down and this because his words import that we are to judge by the Scripture whether the Testimony be from the Spirit or no for in what other way can the Spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets else when a Quaker comes to tell us he hath a Revelation and this is a Testimony above the Scriptutes it would be impudence in us to search the Scripture if the thing revealed be so or no. What though the Spirit witnesseth in us that this is the Rule doth it hereby become no Rule or an inferior one how absurd Sect. 3. Here also he begins fair and would make us believe he is good natur'd for he gives the Scripture a preference to all other Writings and for that reason allows it to be a sufficient outward Standard and one would think that were enough to try Controversies between men and men and determine them though his Reason is but awk viz. Because Scripture-Writers had greater Measures of Wisdome c. so that he allows them a gradual difference of Revelation and not specifical which may be judged of by what hath been already said and what is it to us how or in what measures God revealed Himself extraordinarily to His Prophets who pretend to no such
K. saies but that does not make us Quakers May there not nay is there not a vast difference between their Interpretation Improvement of this Article and ours But had he well studied the Doctrine of Divine Concurse he would never have said either That If God decrees all things He must needs be the Doer of them or that hence he must needs be the Author of Sin for all our denying any such Consequences This Doctrine is so fully handled by all that have written Systems of Divinity or that have waded in Controversies between us and the Jesuits Arminians that it would be superfluous here to search into it Let only two or three Conclusions that are to our present purpose be observed Viz. That firstly All creatures depend absolutely upon God as in respect of their Being so of all their Actions Act. 17.28 2ndly That this dependance is not only for a general sustentation of the Being powers of the Creature but for influence into every individual Action Joh. 19.11 3dly That Notwitstanding this Influence upon the creature in respect of its Action the Creature hath its Action of its own subordinate to and assisted by this Influence 1. Cor. 3.9 4thly That Sin is a moral respect which the Action bears as it is done by the creature who is under the Law 1. Joh. 3.4 and therefore it cannot touch God And his interpretation of that Eph. 1.11 that all things intends only all things that He doth is true but his Inference Viz That when we say a man doth all things by Wisdom none will be so foolish as to infer that he doth all foolish things is a foolish Similitude for to argue from a particular Agent to an Universal Efficient by making them paralel is Folly Besides tho' they are Follies of second Causes yet there is the wise Conduct even of these things by the First Cause and it is none of the least-discoveries of His Wisdom that He conducts the follies of creatures to the Exaltation of His own Glory but any man may here perceive that he is restoring Manacheism to the world as if there were two principles or first Causes the one of good the other of evil That we have him page 72. making a large Concession of the Substance of what we beleeve seems to intimate that he labours between Conscience and Interest except it be that he would perswade silly souls to think that we have some strange Mysteries in our Doctrine that others cannot see But this hath been but a Digression from the matter in hand Viz. the Universal Decree and now he will glance at it agen endeavouring to enervate our plea from Act. 2.23 where he joins us agen with Ranters by a distinction between Delivering Slaying but we so distinguish too and yet that God only exposed Christ to them is not the whole meaning of the Text for it certifies us that this was done according to an eternal purpose of God who had appointed in that way to bring about mans Redemption using them as Instruments tho wickedly abusing their free will in these sufferings of Christ by which we were Redeemed Compare Chapt. 4. Vers 27 28. and it will clearly appear that God hath certainly decreed all things from Eternity which come to pass in time to him that shall consider 1. That God is the Supream Efficient or Worker of all things according to His Counsil Eph. 1.11 2ndly That God foreknew from all Eternity what should be done by all Creatures in time this G. K. pretends to beleeve and let him or any of his Company tell us how He did so in respect of voluntary Agents unless he had praedetermined them What he saith of Gods Haâ—dning of men That it is by His withdrawing of His Spirit from them is a Truth but not the whole Truth there is more contained in it sometimes it is by denying them softning meanes sometimes by presenting before them Objects sometimes by a judicial delivering 'em up to Satan their own hearts lusts and all these wayes are according to Scripture Sect. 5. Here we are told that the honest Quakers believe all that the Scriptures say concerning Election and who would desire more But if they believe not the things which the Scripture necessarily intends they prevaricate for the mind of the Word is the Word and now see how it will appear he presently tells us that We no-where find in Scripture that God reprobated any part of mankind before the foundation of the world That He made 'em on purpose to damn them is none of our Doctrine but Scandalously imputed to us We say He made them for the glory of his Justice which is exalted in their Damnation procured by their own fault and for proof follow him but three or four lines and he confesseth as much himself or else he speaks he knows not what for he acknowledgeth an everlasting counsel about them that Perish yea p. 76. that Christ in His infinite Justice permits such to resist grace and had he understood himself what could he say more His saying that God considers them in his eternal counsil as having resisted all grace having hardned themselves finally helps him not for he must grant and does that if God had done as much for them as He doth for his elect it had been otherwise but because He decreed not to do it they naturally ly and dy in sin and certainly He could not fore-see all this but in his own purpose And his Assertion is extreamly ridiculous Viz. That Election and Reprobation are not contradictory and that Election signifies a praeference of some before other it doth not argue a total reprobation of others Certainly if it be to glory that some are elected and others are not then they are reprobated i. e. God hath not seen meet to chuse them which necessarily argues His purpose to leave them to perish in their sins and what is this but Reprobation He himself therefore grants that in the end they shall be found Reprobates and how is that but by appearing not to have been chosen of God Especially if it be well pondered what he saith concerning God's Elect p. 76. There is a great fallacy lurks in his saying p. 76. that as God hath provided grace whereby some shall certainly be saved so by the same all are put under a possibility and that they are not is not for want of Sufficiency or Efficacy in this grace of its own nature We grant there is a sufficiency in the meanes that God affords to save all such as enjoy the Gospel i. e. a sufficiency of means Isa 5.4 there need no more nor doth He use more with them that are saved than with them that perish 2. Cor. 2.10.16 But that He hath put a sufficient efficacy into these meanes in respect of all that enjoy them is a paradox whence is it then that they are not efficacious The Efficacy is not in the meanes themselves but in the Concomitancy
Impenitency a considerable time before they dy seems to be a Contradiction though he saith it is none We believe indeed that many are left of God to persist in impenitency till they dye but then they are none of those for whom Christ died Joh. 6.37 But we have him acknowledging pag. 96. That He dyed not for all with equal intention or degree of Love and thereupon confessing that they that are saved have more abundant cause to bless God for His abundant mercy than the other though they have no reason to complain We grant the damned have no cause to complain because they suffer justly but we would fain know where he placeth the inequality since at the bottom of the same page he tells us That God giveth no greater measure of inward grace to one than to another Oh! but he suits Providences eminently And is this all the difference We thought there had been different dispensations of grace cleerly intimated in Rom. 11.7 and one would surmise that what G. K. saith ibid. that God drawes moves enclines perswades and that is more than meer swasion them to come and when they fall infallibly reclaims them c. had been grace and more than meer Suiting of Providences especially when he there also tells us That He and not they made them to differ from others and here against Scripture doth he bring that to prove his Assertion 1. Tim. 1.14 16. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith love We thought heretofore that Faith and Love had been graces and that God's giving one more abundant grace than another proves that one hath no more grace given him than another is not very clear to us as yet Nay p. 93. he tells us That God by His infallible perswasions of love and grace prevails infallibly with the Elect and is not the Effect of grace grace yea more grace than where there is no such Effect That it is every mans Duty to improve all the meanes of salvation notwithstanding he is not sure of his Election is true but that he can use grace to that end before he hath any is hard to understand he should first seek for grace for that universal grace he speaks of is a meer Non-entity Nor doth our Doctrine of Reprobation as he chargeth it pag. 99. make the effectual use of meanes absolutely impossible to any so as to leave them under discouragement for he himself tells us that it is the Duty of all men to use the means and yet he saith that there are elect and that none but these shall be saved and we say the others are the Reprobate and if all are to use meanes and are not discharged though but some viz the Elect shall obtain what discouragement is their more in our Tenet than in his Sect. 3. He well knew that Universal Redemption without sufficient help would render his Doctrine ridiculous here therefore he tells us how a sufficiency of meanes is afforded to all men and First That Christ by His Death procured for all men an inward principle of divine grace light life c. the Contrary to which is true He purchased these only for his Elect for whose sakes He died The Scripture makes a difference between his being head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and his being head over all things to the Church Cap. 1.22 But supposing a purchase what benefit can they have by it if it be not applyed Well he will give an account of that too as good as he can p. 100 Where outward meanes fail God supplies this with inward teachings and some other secret wayes of Providence and are these sufficient to lead men to Salvation or bring men to Christ The Apostle then must use a fallacious Enthymeme Rom. 10.14 15. And how perversly doth he interpret Christ to be the word spoken of Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the Context to mean the Scriptures called the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begtting it vers 17. he interprets it of Christ coming in the flesh both of Jews and Gentiles and is that all the Incarnation which he allows to Christ He seems to be of another mind pag. 59. but indeed we know not when they own any thing And it was once the received Doctrine of the Quakers That there is no other Incarnation of Christ but only as He dwells in us which how subversive it is to our hopes of Salvation let the serious judge He mistakes the meaning of the word Reprobates 2. Cor. 13.5 endeavouring to prove that Christ is in all but Reprobates and they are such as are given up to final impenitency whenas the word there used intends not Reprobation in our sense but only that all Vnbeleevers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perditon Sect. 4. A further proof of this universal grace is that Christ both commanded that His Gospel be preached to all nations and he tellâ— us that so it shall before the end of the world this is no proof of what it is brought for the many generations past have no advantage by that being ended and gone before that time comes that therefore all mankind shall be accountable for not obeying it because once in the end of the world it shall be reveal'd to them that are then living is a slender way of reasoning but his Salvo is that though not outwardly at the present yet iwardly to be sure it is preached to all but how this is he hath not satisfyed us in the premises what he may do in the sequel we must wait for Sect. 5. This Paragraph is but Nausea his cocta asserting but neither expounding nor proving that all men have had more or less and all sufficient means of salvation sure it will be some great thing which has so much preparation made to introduce it Sect. 6. Here he begins with a good Confession viz. that Never any were saved but by Jesus of Nazareth but he seldome spake Truth without a design and hath frequentLY some Errour in a readiness to graft upon it He knowes it would be asked him how any could be saved by Christ who never heard of him and how shall they hear without the Gospel He therefore anticipates it and answers with Railing instead of Reason only he puts in a Quibble and thinks he hath tied a knot upon us that is indissoluble We plead for the Salvation of Infants by Christ and why may not he with as good reason plead for that of the Gentiles The paralel looks but odd viz. If Infants may be saved by the working of the Spirit in them why may not the Gentiles be so by giving obedience to the light in them We might only say they are not causes equally powerful But let us a little commorate here Observe then 1. That we deny not the power of God to save without outward meanes but to argue meerly from His power to His Will without His own Revelation is to give
laws to the Almighty 2. That the Infants of Believers are under the visible meanes of Grace viz. the Covenant Baptisme and so are not the Heathen Isa 63.19 3. That Christ hath assured us that some Infants are saved Mat. 19.14 2. Sam. 12.23 but we have no assurance concerning Heathen or Pagans but the contrary Prov. 29.18 4. That the different capacity of Infants and grown persons in regard to the means requires a different manner of the dispensation of grace to the one and the other that therfore is asserted concerning all adult persons Rom. 10.14 For him therefore to assert that All honest elecâ— gentiles are saved in some other way is a meer Begging of principles that will never be conceded That moral Honesty iâ— a meritorious Cause either of Salvation or of any further Discoveries of saving grace to men is a Jesuitical principle That there are any Elect among Pagans who never had the gospel offered them is not only without Scripture-Warrant buâ— against its Testimony as hath been agen and agen made evident And his pleading for New Revelation of things not contained in Scripture because Infants are saved by another manner of Application to them than Adult persons is meerly precarious for it is the same grace which is revealed in Scripture which is reveled to them if G. K. has said true viz. That None are saved but by Jesus of Nazareth Sect. 7. How perversly doth he here state the Question viz. Whether any are or can be saved without the express knowledge of Christ crucified is one question and whether without all hearing of Christ outwardly preached is another We believe that God did not reveal Chrisâ— so clearly at first as afterwards nor had they all of them in former times the same distinct Conceptions about Christ which acâ— now made clear in the Gospel but we all believe that they had so much knowledge o a Saviour as led them to place their trust in Him for Salvation and these Truths werâ— extraordinarily revealed to some and gradually too But that All honest Gentiles who did by nature the things contained in the law had an express knowledge faith of Christ crucified as he asserts is not credible to us and when he bids us to disprove it he forgets all laws of disputation for Affirmantiâ— est probare it sufficeth for us to deny it say there is no Scripture to prove it till he produce it the Spirit 's working When Where He will is no evidence for it A gross Errour it is in him to say p. 110. That the knowledge faith of Christ belongs to the finishing work of Salvation but not universally to the beginnings of it for how shall they beleeve c. Rom. 10.14 15. his instances in Nathaniel Cornelius give him no â—elief it s his ignorance if not his malciousness to say that they were Vnbelievers when that testimony was given oâ— them Joh. 1.47 Act. 1.2 They had believed in a Christ to come tho' at present they knew not that He was come in the flesh till it was further revealed to them And it would do well to observe concerning the latter that though he had an Angel sent to him to direct him how he might be acquainted with that necessary Truth yet Peter must come and preach it to him and whereas he saith p. 112. that he had not faith in a crucified raised Christ but in God and in the Word of God in his heart We answer that Faith in the word of God in the heart without Christ is not Saving Act. 4.12 Nor is Faith in God without Christ so Joh. 14.6 â—nd he is greatly mistaken when he saith The mystery of Christ crucifyed was not firstly necessary to be known as not being fully preached It was preached from the Beginning Gen. 3.15 tho' more clearly in Gospel-times All the Rites and Ceremonies of Moses's Law preached Christ though the Veil is now taken off and the glory of the Truth is more manifest and resplendent he therefore concludes before he has prov'd his Assertion That the express knowledge of Christ crucified is not of absolute necessity especially he is very cautious where it hath not been preach'd to the beginning of a man's salvation though indispensibly necessary to the finishing of it And surely 1. Cor. 4 3. Heb. 12.2 stand much against him And his so ofteniterated Assertion That there are honest Gentiles still that have not Christ outwardly preached and yet dy in Salvation is nothing else but a magisterial Assertion without any one proof at all to command our Beleef What then shall we say to his new Doctrine pag. 1.15 That they may receive it after Death If he thinks to Father such a thing upon the Assembly of Divines Cap. 32. S. 1. Confes it 's a bold untruth for they say no such thing there but beleeve that in the instant of dying Believers are made perfect in holiness see Shorter Catechism Quest 37. we shall have a new Quakers purgatory erected ere long Christ revealed to men for Salvation after death who died ignorant of Him And now what Reason hath he to conclude this Section with a Triumph That he hath demonstrated from Scripture that men have been in a state of salvation that have not had the Mystery of Christ made known to them unless perverting of the Scripture may pass for Demonstration Sect. 8. But what needs more then would he out-do Demonstration Fain would he draw in Paul 1. Cor. 12.4 5 6. to speak of the different degrees and modes of God's revealing Himself before Christ under the Law and after Him under the Gospel Though we are satisfyed that Paul aims at another thing Viz. the distribution of gifts in the dayes oâ— the Gospel variously yet supposing the other what is this to mens knowing of Christ where the Law was not or to the Gentiles being illuminated with saving knowledge and where does he find three Baptisms in Scripture especially such as that the First only reveals the Father the second the Father and the Son the third the Three Persons or had he this mystery by Revelation if so he might have kept it to himself for he hath discharged us from believing him and wherein it serves to 〈…〉 â—e se◠〈◊〉 except it be to prove that man might 〈◊〉 the first be saved wâ—â—hout Châ—â—st â—nd 〈◊〉 will contradict his own professioâ— Sect. 9. Now at length after a deâ—l of â—â—dious waiting we are come to the thing which he hath all this whiâ—â— been maâ—â—ng way for and this will salve all the Phâ—nomina remove all doubts The Light within the Quakers God and Christ and Holy Ghost and Word and what not What particular thing this Light is they seem to be in the dark about very likely its beames are so languid that they are not Self-evidencing However something it is and it is in all men yea so great a thing that it may be blasphemed for he tells us It
fall yet he shall rise again Nor will God suffer them to dy before He hath recovered them Neither yet doth our Doctrine encourage to any hope of such who so defile themselves and dy without Repentance Iâ—â—s therefore a vile Aspersion to call our Doctrine Poisonous We believe that sin of its own nature kills the sinner that its wages is death that the soul that sins shall dâ— but wâ— believe that he may dy in his surety that God can pardon and justifie him for Christ's sake and that if He doth He will sanctifie him too and what poison is there in all this the foundation of a sinners hope is laid in this and but for this hope the least sin of thought is mortal all the gall therefore that he vents in these three pages hurts us not being meer false Aspersions or deceitful insinuations and doth not he himself say that if God suffers those whom he hath drawn at any time to depart they shall certainly be reclaimed p. 46. nay that they shall infallibly be called at last glorified p. 76. Nor could he have said that this makes God a respecter of persons in the worst sense if he had not been ignorant oâ— what that Respect of persons is there is no respect of persons in gratuitis for that iâ— only when Justice is perverted for some sinister consideration the owner may do â—itâ— his own what he will Besides there is in the bestowing of the Recompence of glory a vasâ— difference between them that receive it anâ— such as miss of it Mat. 25 tho' still it's Goâ— that makes them to differ Sect. 2. That God hath laid duty upon Hâ— people to use endeavours for their standinâ— we deny not but constantly urge but thâ— alwaies where the promise of preserving 'em in faith is mentioned this condition is understood is warily to be taken up if he intends that God will keep them by fulfilling the Condition in them it hurts us not but if he mean that the promise depends on our performing the condition and so is meerly Hypothetical it s an errour for it is certain that the very keeping of His people from utterly falling belongs to the promise of the New Covenant under which they are by Beleeving Psal 84.11 Jer. 32.40 Sect. 3. G. K. knowing that there were some Scriptures that did so fully assert the Perseverance of God's People that he could with no face deny the truth in them begins in this Paragraph to concede yet so as not to favour our principle at all who say that Its the priviledge of every true Beleever to persevere He therefore makes it a particular state of Holiness which only some of these arrive unto and then they commit no gross sins but only Peccadillo's and thus with the Papists he introduceth the distinction of mortal and venial sins which hath been sufficiently confuted by ours who have made it evident that all sins are mortal by the law Ezek. 18.4 That all sin excepting that against the Holy Ghost is venial by the Gospel Mat. 12.31 but when he comes to describe who these are that are thus indulged he wofully prevaricates In p. 46. he tells us they are 1. such as are born of the free woman and not of the bond woman Well this is not a peculiar priviledge of some but is common to all Believers even the Galatians who were so weak and foolish Cap. 4. ult 2. They are throughly renewed If by being throughly renewed he meanes so sanctified as to have no dreggs of sin remaining then there are no such for he grants of these he speaks of that they do commit little faults that must be because there is something of the old man in them If by throughly he meanes in all the parts then it belongs to every Beleever 2. Cor. 5.17 3. They are such as are born of God and that belongs to Faith where ever it is Gal. 3.36 Joh. 1.12 When he saith that those who commit any gross sins as Fornication Murder Adultery c. never arrived to to the pure state of sonship he doth 1. Mistake the notion of the difference between servants and sons true beleevers are both sons by Adoption servants by being devoted to the Obedience of the Gospel How often doth Paul call himself the servant of Jesus Christ and so does James Cap. 1.1 Peter 2. Ep. 1.1 Jude vers 1. It s true Paul distinguisheth between the outward servile Condition of Beleevers under the Old Testament Dispensation and the more free and son-like Condition of them under the New Testament Gal. 4. begin but he assures us that they were children tho' but in their Nonage 2. Contradict the Scripture David fell into some of those sins and the worst of them and yet before that he had the highest Testimony of his Sonship Solomon had his amazing falls and yet God witnessed before after that he was His son that He lov'd him called him Jedediah 2. Sam. 12.24 25. 1. Chron. 22.9 10. He seems in all this discourse to lay the stress upon the strength of Inherent Grace and the Beleevers own Attainment whereas the Scripture assures us that it is of God and depends upon His power Rom. 5.2.14.4 1. Pet. 5.12.1.5 and God hereby perfects strength in weakness 2. Cor. 12.9 In p. 147. he strangely confounds the two Covenants and yet really grants the whole Case He saith The first Covenant may be falâ—en from the Angels and Adam fell totally but the new Covenant cannot be fallen from thus we say but the knack we were not aware of is a man may be a Believer and yet â—e but in Adam 's covenant than which there can be no greater Contradiction or a man may be in a middle state between both which is the greatest confusion or finally he will have none to be in the new Covenant till they come to Glory and then they shall sin no more and this is directly against Scripture Pag. 148. He saith There may be infallible marks and signs of such given and yet God only knows them and such to whom He reveals it We thought that Marks had been given purposely to know by but the Folly of this hath been already detected Sect. 4. We are now come to the Quakers Doctrine of Perfection of which they boast and here he first rails at ours that denyes it and then tries to prove his own tho' that very Essay will prove him to be very imperfect That the best Dutyes of the best Saints in this life are imperfect and that by reason of sinful mixtures in them and that daily the most holy come short of perfect legal Obedience might be charged with sin for their best if God should be strict we beleeve can appeal to the sensible complaints of holy men in Scripture but for him hence to infer that we say that the good works of God's Holy Spirit are defiled in by the saints and to print it in another
come 4. He calls us Beasts of prey and Night-birds that creep out only in the dark but this charge is very impertinent and contradictory it was in his Language night with us when our Liberties were taken away and then if at all we refused to come out and then G. K. comes daringly he then is the Forrest-beast by his own doom 5. He boasts of his great Conquest in his book and yet like an Hypocrite would arrogate nothing to himself no he is but like the Barly cake which tumbled into the host of the Midianites only his Conquest is not like to hold the parallel for we suppose we have made his Cake appear to be Dough. 6. He thinks we were afraid of exposing our people and wonders that we have wrought no more on them all this while and might we not lawfully have a cautious Fear Ought not the Shepherd to be aware when the Wolf comes to his flock Nor did we ever pretend to make our people savingly holy any further than as God blessed our endeavours 7. He wonders we doubted his design but we knew he was a Quaker 8. He tells us that he came not of his own will but by a necessity from the Lord but gives no demonstration 9. He Wrote this treatise of the will of the Lord and little reason to boast of that It was of God doubtless to leave him in the hands of satan to be thus acted If we say we have written this Answer in the will of the Lord we can give a better account of His approving will in it because written in defence of the Truth of Christ which he has perverted the Name of Christ which he hath blasphemed this moved us to reply upon him and this is of God 10. He desires us If we answer him not to defend our cause with Railing and Lies Physician heal thy self he hath set us a precedent and Hereticks grown beyond Admonition but persons that had been trained up in false principles from whence they endeavoured to draw them which alters the case nor is it any Contradiction that Quakers may be invited to come to our publick Meetings and yet not admitted into our private Houses There are the instituted meanes which if they come to they may possibly be convinced but the Scripture has given cautions to Christians in the other respect Nor is there any parallel between his comparison the thing Turkish Pyrats hang out false colours and invite men to rob them that we do neither He that will one day vindicate His own truth ways will make it appear then Wisdom shall he justifyed of all her children mean while we take it to be one Commendation of our Doctrine Ministry that G. K. and such as he rail at and revile it But before we part we shall for the Satisfaction of some who possibly are concerned that we took him not up when he challenged us to a publick disputation subjoin our reasons then moving swaying of us which were not from any suspicion of our own cause nor Fear of his strength of reason or jealousy lest our Hearers should be seduced but 1. it was not in our power to grant it him without laying our selves obnoxious to the then Government who had expresly forbidden the people to take liberty of any publique Meeting together on any occasion on the week-days besides the usual Lectures 2. We knew none of our Hearers that had any scruple on their minds about any of those Truths which he charged with falsehood but believed them firmly as far as we had any knowledge and therefore to dispute them for their sakes was altogether needless 3. We knew partly because he was a Quaker partly by the reports of his managing himself elsewhere partly by his first Article of his Charges that there would be no holding of him to any Law or Rule of Disputation but he would bring all to his Revelations and therefore the whole must needs issue in a tumuluous Brangle 4. Because he had declared himself at once in opposition to almost all the Fundamental Articles of Religion which had been mained for almost seventeen hundred years by the Church of Christ and in Defense of which so many thousands had laid down their lives and who but Men Distracted would expose these to be publickly debated â—s so many disputable Points in Religion upon the Challenge of a fearful Apostate And we suppose here is enough to satisfie any that are intelligent But now being under some Necessity we â—ave with no little Tediousness in being put upon it to take notice of so many Impertinencies Fooleries and Tautologies as his Book is fraught with answered the Substance of what he hath said with as much Brevity as is consistent with Perspiouity And so we commend it for its Success to His Grace and Blessing on whom alone it depends FINIS