that will not meet this case Those 1 Tim. 1 19. who are said to make shipwrack of a good Conscience are such who believed the true doctrin of faith in Christ as himself before acknowledgeth Now albeit a man may be said to live in good Conscience to other principles while ignorant of this yet he should prove how a man can be said to have a good Conscience with respect to the true faith of Christ held by him and yet without saving or true grace With railing he tels me pag. 358. n. 18. that Phil. 1 6. 1 Pet. 1 5. God's beginning and perfecting the condition And what then yet God doth not this against our wills it is with a respect to our performing the conditions on our part which yet we can not do without him Then he goes about to prove that Paul could not fall in answer to my saying from 1 Cor. 9 27. that Paul supposeth a possibility that he might become a reprobat but if the Reader consider how I bring that in my Apology he will find he had no reason for this cavill for I alledged it only to reprove those that are too too secure shewing where sin was there was always a ground of jealousy since the Apostle did reckon it needfull to keep under his body to subdue sin that he might not become a reprobat which since the Apostle did but upon this supposition if he did not keep under his body suppose possible others had no reason to presume Section Eleventh Wherein his XVI Chapter Of the Church his XVII Of the Ministerial Call his XVIII XIX and XXI Of their Qualifications Office and Maintenance and his XX Of VVomens Preaching is considered ¶ 1. HIs chapter of the Church is soon dispatched for it contains scarce any thing but perversions and railing for after he has given a large citation out of their Confession of Faith and then added some enlargements of his own and some little nibling cavils to what I say of no Salvation being without the Church pag. 361. he goes on with his old reiterated calumny that I suppose men may be made members of the Catholik Church by the Light of Nature which is utterly false And upon this false supposition is built his n. 5. pag. 362. as also what he saith pag. 364. But n. 4. he screws this to a greater pitch of falshood affirming that what I say of a Particular Church gathered together in the faith of the true Principles and Doctrins of Christ by the Spirit of God and testimony of some of his Ministers is that these are persons only taught by the Light of Nature and by such Ministers as preach nothing of the Gospel Against a man thus desperatly resolved and determined to lye and calumniat there can be no guard but sure all sober Readers will abhorr such dealing What I speak of a Church in this respect is only of such as have the advantage of the outward knowledge of Christ as my words afterwards shew where I say such were the Churches gathered by the Apostles of which the Scriptur makes mention And therefore what he objects that can not be don by Pagans is wholly impertinent and doth but verify the grossness of his calumny which he endeavours to inculcat as a truth to his Reader pag. 363. as if what I say further of the things requisit to be a member of this Particular Church were a third sort and not a more particular description of the former which the Reader may easily observe by looking to the place to be a meer fetch of his to afford himself some matter of cavill which imagining he has got he fills-up the paragraph with gross lyes and railing saying That the Quakers believe not the holy Truths set down in the Scripturs because they oppose and contradict them That they believe not in nor maké profession of Jesus Christ revealed in the New Testament because they oppose him and all his Institutions That faith according to them is not wrought by the Spirit of God but that Nature can sweetly and naturally incline yea compell thereunto All which are gross calumnys And then he concludeth saying And thus we have run round and are again where we began which is very true for he began with calumnys and having run round the same way his work resolvs in them Pag. 364. he affirmeth Men may be Members of the visible Church and consequently ought to be reputed such who are ungodly and without holiness and offereth to make it good if I will form a dispute upon it but I leave him as to this to disput with his learned Dr. Owen whose works he has applauded in this Treatise and whom his Postscript-Brother R. M. has in his preface to this B.'s book highly commended as a gratious man As for his silly argument that from the Apostle's saying Act. 2 39. the promise is unto you and to your children and 1 Cor. 7 14. it follows men become members of the Church by birth I leave him to debate it with his great Author Thomas Hicks who will tell him if he be consonant to his own principles it is a Babylonish invention But I. B. hath here unawares contradicted himself for if these Scripturs prove men become members of the Church by birth then the sprinkling them with water sometime after they are born or their Baby-Baptism is not necessary to make them members of the Church and they are to be accounted such without it He saith I am mistaken when I say Antichrist built his structure upon this foundation to wit that men without holiness may be members of the true Church because he applieth all the priviledges of the invisible Church unto his visible synagogue of Sathan where as this sheweth that I am not mistaken but that my affirmation is true for if he to wit Antichrist did believe holiness to be necessary to make a member of the true Church he could not apply the privileges of the invisible Church unto his visible members most of which he wel knows as often-times himself are not only void of but enemies to holiness It is false that I agree with him in his not distinguishing betwixt the Visible and Invisible Church and yet much more in unchurching all who are not of his combination in which albeit I. B. most impudently insinuats I approach to him yet himself can not but know it to be a most manifest falshood since I suppose some of all sects of Christians may be members of the catholik Church and he knows and has observed here how contrary the Pope is to this doctrin At last he concludes this chapter with a fit of Railing of which the last words must not pass without observation to wit that in stead of true holyness I press upon them a natural dead and anti-Evangelical Morality Now this Morality as pressed by me he himself confessed before to be such as the Law of Nature taught albeit in truth I pressed none but what
led by a spirit of error Then the Quakers err in affirming inward and immediat Revelation to be the ground and foundation of true faith But the Quakers are led by a spirit of Error Therefore c. Which is just as if I should argue thus If I. B. be a Knave a manifest Lyar and Calumniator Then he is not a true Minister of Christ nor fit to write in Religious matters But I. B. is such Therefore c. Is not this a notable way of arguing and a quick way to dispatch controversies What saith Rob. Macquair Doth not this wel become his singularly acute solidly learned and truely gracious Author Postscript pag. 559. ¶ 3. The next thing to be considered is his stating the controversy where according to his custom he all along beggs the question for having writ down his opinion and taken it for granted without offering to prove it he goes on and builds thereon without more difficulty as if it were not to be further questioned This appears in pag. 20. 28. 29. 30. 34. 35. 36. 37. 40. 43. 44. in which places he states his opinion of the Immediat Revelation of the Spirit as not being such as presents any Truths to be believed objectively but only in removing the Vail of the Eye of the Understanding and spiritually Illuminating the Mind and Working effectually upon the Heart to embrace and receive the Truth already revealed and proposed in the Scripturs Now for not using this distinction and holding revelation in this his sense he greatly blames me as jumbling things together and darkning and prejudging the Reader and bestows upon me ever and anon many railing words with the repetition of which I will not trouble the Reader And yet notwithstanding this accusation in contradiction of himself he cites me pag. 42 28 taking notice of this very distinction as used by some and also refuting it Surely the man must have miserably forgot himself and will verifie the Proverb Lyars should have good memorys Next since he judges I err in not holding this manner of Revelation and that he builds all his superstructur upon it as the Truth he should have offer'd to prove it to be such for since he saith they willingly grant to these Scripturs noted by me as many as are led by the Spirit of God c. Rom. 8 9-14 together with 1 Joh. 2 27. Joh. 6 45. Joh. 14 16 17. By which Scripturs he can not deny but the manner of the Apostles being led as wel as of all Christians is included since some of them were directed to the Apostles particularly in all which there is no ground for his distinction and assertion It is not said The Comforter that I will send shall lead you the Apostles immediatly by proposing Truth to be believed objectively to you and this shall be accounted extraordinary but after you it shall only lead other Christians by illuminating their Understandings and that shall be the ordinary leading And since then it is a rule granted by all that we must hold to the plain words of Scriptur unless an urgent necessity force us to the contrary he should shew us where this necessity lies and prove his assertion to be the true and genuin meaning of the words and that we ought not to take them as we do according to their plain and naked signification and import For I would willingly hear any ground from Scriptur of this natur of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations as pertinent to this debate for albeit things extraordinary may be reveal'd to some and not to others that only respects the things revealed not the manner of Revelation For a man telling me extraordinary things and ordinary albeit the things may differ in their natur yet neither my manner of hearing nor his of speaking do thence necessarily differ ¶ But perhaps the man doth apprehend that what he saith pag. 20. 30. 31. 40. 44. 45. is some proof of his assertion which if he do the Reader may easily observe his mistake where he would insinuat as if the manner of Immediat Revelation by the Spirit asserted by me rendred all other means even those of Teaching and Exhorting which are appoynted by God useless and took away all obligations of obeying the commands of God conveighed by others And yet he taketh notice pag. 23. that I acknowledge other means of Knowledge as profitable neither has he ever heard me deny but men are obliged to obey the commands of God through one another as wel as in themselves as the children of Israel were those of Moses and the Prophets and the Christians those of Christ and his Apostles But I suppose he will affirm with me that no man's Obedience to any command will avail him any thing unless upon inward belief and conviction that the thing commanded is of God since Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin If he say that albeit I do not deny such an obligation yet it necessarily follows from my Principle That this is untruely alleged will easily appear since I suppose he will not deny but the rest of the Apostles who were alive when Paul's Epistls were writen were obliged to receive them and obey them as the dictats of the Spirit yea and were benefited by them and so the Apostle Paul by others albeit on both sides he will acknowledge them to have had such revelations as he accounts Immediat and Extraordinary And so we see that to have such revelations and yet to be mediatly instructed are not inconsistent nor do they render one another useless and indeed to affirm they do so is rather a presumptuous accusing of God who has appynted both in their order for the edification of his Church than a refuting of such as assert them Such are his reasonings pag. 45. Besides that this objection may be easily refuted for since I. B. affirms as particularly pag. 42. that the Scriptur is a compleat Rule in all things concerning Faith and manners in reference to Salvation might it not be said that this takes away the use of all Commentarys and expositions and other books especially since he and his Brethren do with all affirm that it is clear and intelligible to all in things essential to Salvation let him shew how this is weaker as to him than the other as to me With the like presumption he blasphemously asserteth that even these revelations which he himself calleth and acknowledgeth to be inward immediat and extraordinary are uncertain for this reason because many men have been deluded by the Devil on which he also insists in the following page And pag. 34. 48. where he sums up his matter in this question How comes that others pretending to Revelation as much as I have been deceived But as I said before How comes that others pretending to be led by the Scriptur as the Rule as much as I. B. have been deceived since the Scriptur declares nothing but Truth But how silly this is I have above shewn and
Father but by the Son because I take notice as a first instance of God's creating all things by Jesus Christ adding Was this so difficult a point to be proved that I was constrained to go back to the first Creation for an argument Answ. No but I judged it not improper however he may to shew first as prepatory God's more general way of working by his Son Jesus Christ ere I come to that which is more particular and this was the reason as wel of my putting these Propositions into that order as of my using of that instance by which that pretended abomination which he pretends lurks under words evanisheth For the man is very good at drawing inferences from other mens words which they that spake and wrot them never thought of as I for one can very wel witness since the least can be allowed me is to know my own thoughts and purpose which how he should come to assure himself he knows better than I is more than I can fathom For the same reason above mentioned I used the instance of God's moving in his manifesting himself in his creaturs and of the Spirit of the Lord 's moving upon the face of the waters which pag. 26. he flouts at but doth not answer and it is strange that he of all men should be offended with such preparatory considerations where the matter is in a few pages after closely come to who has used so many remote arguments and several not pages only but sheets yea quires of paper in order to prove the first day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath He objects pag. 26. against my affirming that God's communion with man was by immediat manifestation of the Spirit from Adam to Moses because so few are mentioned and he supposeth the rest not mentioned had it only by their instruction But since these few that are mentioned are said to have had immediat revelation and that the rest had no written Rule as I. B. will confess it seems there was more of God's immediat revelation in those dark times even by his confession than now under the Gospel where the chief Pastors of the Church according to him are to expect no such thing neither is it proved that others not mentioned had no immediat revelations albeit they might have been instructed by these Patriarchs which I have shewn before to be very consistent And thus may be easily answered seting-aside his railings what he saith pag. 27. against my urging the frequent revelations that men had during all the time of the Law betwixt Moses and Malachy by which himself confesseth the Scripturs of the Old and New Testament to have been written that that doth not prove that every one had such revelations What then I lay not the stress of the proof of every one's having immediat revelations upon this but this is clearly proved from it that since immediat inward and objective revelations were so frequent during all the time of the Law which was the less glorious administration and that of the Letter it is grossly absurd to say as I. B. and his Brethren do that they are now ceased under the Gospel which is said to be more glorious and the pouring-forth of the Spirit more abundant and Universal and that not only for a little time to wit to the Apostles with restriction to them and their times for which he never produc'd the least proof from Scriptur but to the end of the world And if so that immediat Revelation be not ceased there is a great deal of the point gained albeit I. B. confidently affirm that there can be proved nothing by these reasonings but what no body will deny since the Divines of Westminster have denyed and I. B. no doubt with them will deny that immediat revelation now is since they positively say that it is ceased and Iames Durham whom I. B. applauds as a reverend Brother and Pastor of the Church hath most absurdly affirmed in his Treatise upon the Revelation that when John finished that book God spake his last words to his Church ¶ 7. When he cometh pag. 28. to my Proposition asserting that these revelations were of old the Formal Object of Faith he beginneth to inquire and conjectur what I mean by the formal object and upon that he bestows the following page For answering then his scruples in that matter I say In a Divine revelation two things are to be considered 1. the thing revealed and 2. the revelation the thing revealed is indeed the Material Object the revelation is the Formal Object In which may be considered not only the manner of the Revelation that is the voyce or speech of God unto the Soul or his imprinting in the soul by a Divine manifestation the things revealed but also God himself so operating both which to wit Deus loquens id est God speaking is the formal object of Faith He himself his Veracity is the original ground of our Faith his voyce holy Influence and manifestation by which he expresseth himself gives us the certainty and assurance that it is He and is very distinguishable by those of a Spiritual discerning from the most subtile appearance and transformations of the Devil since Christ saith My sheep hear my voyce and will not hear that of a stranger even as the voyce and appearance of two men of the most contrary and different humors staturs and complexions are different and distinguishable by a man of sharp sight to whom those men are wel known but of this I wrot more largely in my Letter to a certain Ambassadour printed the last year at Rotterdam at the end of the Letter writen to the Ambassadours of Nimwegen whereto I referr him for further satisfaction But I wholly deny the consequence deduced by him that if God's Veracity because it is God that speaketh and commandeth be the formal object of faith Therefore it is all one whether it be mediat or immediat since albeit that be the original ground yet the immediat revelation is necessary that we may certainly know that it is he For what avails it me to believe that all that God commands is true and ought to be obeyed if I do not certainly know the things I believe as truth do come from him And the question is Whether certain knowledge can be had without immediat revelation and therefore to this his question in the following page 30 What was the formal object of the faith of the People to whom the Patriarchs and Prophets said Thus saith the LORD I answer The inward Testimony of the Spirit in their heart assuring them that the things spoken were from the Lord and not the Divinations of the mens brains that spake them and therefore inclining their hearts to receive and acknowledge these things as the commands of God unto them since as I. B. confesseth they were not to believe them because spoken by those men but because of the Authority of God it must be that which wrought this
as thy self which proves it not at all yea to understand it of the Scripturs were to make the Apostle's words scarce good sense as if he had said fulfill the Scripturs according to the Scripturs whereas it sutes the place much better that the Apostle meaned they should fulfill the Royal Law in their hearts which was one with the Scripturs that also command the same thing that the Apostle means the outward Law and not that written in the heart chap. 4 12. he hath affirmed but not proven Next he comes to the Bereans being commended for searching the scripturs Act. 17 11. But this is the same way answered as the former for if the Bereans were obliged to believe and receive Paul's testimony because he preached the Truth to them by authority from God then their using or his commending them for using the Scriptur will not prove the Scriptur to be the Primary Rule yea more a Rule than the doctrin they tried by it In the rest of what he saith in this n. 28. he but sights with his shaddow for I never said they excluded the Law of Natur in affirming the Scriptur to be the Rule or did I ever deny but that the Sriptur reveals things which Natur could never have discovered But the question is whether that truth that Man is the Off spring of God from which the Apostle argues with the Athenians was discovered to any by meer Natur or by a Divine Principle and this is that he should have proven and therefore yet remaines for him to do but to be like himself he concludes this also with a gross lye saying I affirm the Scriptur to be no more our Rule than the Heathen Poets which no ways follows from my words neither hath or can he ever prove it ¶ 9. He thinks the Scriptures not determining of many things nor having any Rule for them which he seems to acknowledge is no argument against their being the primary and adequat or only Rule for that he apprehends no rational man will think needfull to a compleat Rule Why because general Rules are enough and thence he thinks it would follow that the Quakers must have a new particular revelation for every act and word such as eating drinking walking c. But I deny this consequence these acts as simply considered are natural and it will not follow because to spiritual acts relating to Faith and my immediat service towards God I need a spiritual motion and influence of the Spirit that therefore I need such a thing to natural acts If he say these natural acts under some circumstances may be sin or duty I confess then the revelation of the Spirit is needfull for if I be sitting sleeping or eating in one place when it is the mind of God I should be preaching and praying in another I do sin but how can the Scriptur give me a Rule here All that he answers to this p. 76 77. resolves into this that all such doubts may be solved applying the general rules of Scriptur by Christian Wisdom Prudence and Discretion c. But how shall I know that I truly make this application And to give him his own often repeated argument in the case of Revelation have not some thought they have made this application by Christian prudence when they did not And not to go further than I. B's own Brethren the Presbyterians yea the chief and most eminent Teachers among them did not some of them judge it Christian prudence according to the Scriptur Rule to draw near adhere to the Remonstrance which others called publik Resolution men denied Do not some of them think it Christian prudence to go hear the Bishops Curats which others deny Did not those chief men among them as George Hutcheson and others think it Christian prudence to acçept of the Indulgence Anno 1668 in entring according to the limitations proposed by the Council to their Places which others especially of the banished Brethren and perhaps himself was highly offended at whence these men were termed Council-Curats Other instances among them I could give But how shall all this be decided What Scriptur-Rules can he assign that clearly do it Let him answer this distinctly and not pass it over lest he be suspected to leap where he can not step He confesseth to my alledging 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. and after a little railing he tels p. 78. that he that is to rule is to do it with diligence c. but that the Scriptur saith not that James or Peter should take-on this or that Office by which confession he destroys all since the question is How James and Peter knew they should take upon them to rule This he saith he has shewn above but how insufficiently my reply will evidence He thinks no less impertinent p. 78. for me to argue against their being a Rule as to all things because they do not tell a man that he has the marks of true Faith upon which knowledge the assurance of Salvation is founded as if I must think the Laws of the Land must prove that R. B. is a Quaker or that if R. B. had murther'd a man it is a sufficient defence to say the Law doth not name R. B. But such examples are poor arguments and do miserably halt R. B. confessing himself to be a Quaker acknowledging every one of their doctrins is enough to prove him one in the sense of the Law of the Land and the Judge is to condemn him a murtherer if convict by Witnesses that he really did the deed And both these relate to outward things which can be proven by outward restimonys for without the certainy of the evidence the Judge can not pronounce his sentence But is a man 's own confessing or affirming he hath the true marks of faith enough to prove he has them And what are the Witnesses to apply the example of committing the murther by which a man shall know he has these marks and who must examin the Witnesses and judge of the certainty or clearness of their evidences Must it be the man that is accused who useth that method Doth not the man see how miserably his pittyfull example claudicats ¶ 10. To my objection against the Scripturs being the Only and Adequat Rule the example of deaf persons idiots infants such as can not read and are ignorant of the Original Tongues so called all which in some measur less or more are deprived of the benefit of the Scripturs so as to apply them to themselvs immediatly and effectually for a Rule he asketh Whether if any such person in a land should kill a man or do any thing contrary to the Law would it not punish them And this he repeats n. 35. in other words which urgeth nothing but upon supposition that the will of God can not be known otherwise than by the Scriptur which supposition is false and therefore his argument concludes nothing yea himself confesseth that some things and
angry that I should condemne the Socinians and Pelagians but the reason is manifest because he would so willingly have it believed that I am one with them and albeit I could not in reason be obliged to say any thing more to these pages yet that none of these fictitious and false conjecturs may catch any unwary Reader I do freely affirm that I believe man fell and was degenerated both as to Soul and body and I understand the first Adam or earthly man to comprehend both but that there was something in Adam which was no part of his Soul and body nor yet constitutive of his being a man in my judgment which could not degenerate and which was in Adam by the fall reduced to a seed and could never have been raised in him again to his comfort but by a new visitation of Life which from Christ by the promise was administred unto him and is to all men in a day for to say the affirming such a Seed remained in Adam when he fell doth infer his understanding was not hurt and as he doth p. 94. is a consequence I deny and remains for him to prove That to believe there was such a thing in Adam which the Scriptur calleth spiraculum vitarum the breath of Lives is no new coin'd doctrin these may see that will read Athanasius de definitionibus and his third dialogue de Trinitate 4 oration against the Arians and Cyrillus Alexandrinus in his Treatise upon John lib. 2. 3. lib. 8. 47. and in his Thesaurus lib. 4. and others that might be mentioned As for his arguing p. 96. that because I affirm the Seed of God is a Substance therefore according to me the seed of sin must be a substance also which consequence I deny and therefore what he builds against me upon this supposition falls to the ground What he saith here and there scattered in these pages of the Light will in its proper place come more fully to be considered ¶ 2. Pag. 98. n. 17. after he has saluted me with the titles of effronted and impudent he will have me one with Socinians and Pelagians because I deny outward death to be a consequence of the fall but where he proves I do so I see not It 's true I say the death threatned Gen. 2 17. was not outward death for Adam did not so dye the day he did eat and I do still believe so neither offereth he me any thing to give me ground to alter my mind but to conclude thence I deny outward death to be a consequence of the fall was too hastily inferred But what if I were undetermined in this matter and that it remained a mystery to me for I believe not the being positive therein essential to my Salvation which if I were truly what he saith seems not to me sufficient to proselyt me to his opinion for albeit I willingly confess with him that sickness and all the other miseries attending this life yea and death it self considering the anguishes wherewith it is now generally accompanyed are the consequence of the fall and of sin yet I see not how it would thence follow that Adam should not have dyed seing death to him if he had not faln would have been freed of all these miseries and rather a pleasur than a pain which has been known to have befaln many Saints As for his n. 19. he confesseth the matter of it is left to the next chapter where I may meet him ¶ 3. Pag. 100. n. 20. he goes on at an high rate of perverting for after he has said Who would suspect but I mean honestly he applieth to me the saying of Solomon he that hateth dissembleth with his lips we must not believe him for there are seven abominations in his heart But why am I with him guilty of this great charge Because albeit I affirm that man is wholly degenerat yet I say Whatever good man doth in his natur that doth not proceed from him but from the Divine Seed in him Answ. These words are none of mine but a forgery of his own so incident it is for the man to lye and pervert and therefore all his vaporing and absurd inferences drawn from this throughout this Paragraph fall to the ground My words are that the natur by which the Apostle saith the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law cannot be understood of the proper corrupt natur of man but of a Spiritual natur which proceedeth from the Seed of God as he receiveth a new visitation of the Divine Love Where it is very plain I consider man as visited anew and that in the strength of that Grace thereby received not of his degenerat natur he doth that which is good Nor do I any where say as he falsly insinuats That this Spiritual Natur is in all men though I do say That all men are visited by God in order to beget this spiritual Natur in them as will after come in its place to be spoken of Now all his battering of this my assertion in the three following pages depends upon this supposition That the good acts done by the Gentiles are not done by vertue of any such visitation but only by a Light of corrupt natur which remained in them after the fall so that it is but a meer begging of the question untill that be first debated But he thinks he has brought me under a great dilemma p. 103. urging That since I say all their imaginations are evil I must say every Heathen has this Spiritual natur in him yea and the Devils must be partakers of it because they believe there is a God which is a good thought Answ. He is too hasty in his reasonings for that the knowledge a man may receive from the Divine Seed makes him instantly to partake of the Divine Natur is not proved by him and he knows I believe all men to be visited by this Divine Seed which may give them an head-knowledg which they may retain as some men do the Truth in unrighteousness and yet not receive it in the love of it so though they have it from a Divine Seed yet it will not follow they must necessarily so receive it as to become partakers of the Divine Natur. And as for the Devils he wil confess that once they had this knowledge from a Spiritual Natur and though they have faln yet they may retain the memory of it for that their fall and Man's is every way alike he will not affirm He saith p. 102. That to believe good done by Heathens that is by such as have not the benefit of the outward knowledge of Christ is done in vertue of a Divine Seed overturns the Gospel but he leavs the confirmation of it to the sequel where I shall attend him N. 25. he tels me very fairly the Apostle doth not contradict himself as if I had ever imagined he did but the question is whether the meaning he gives the Apostl's words implys not
it is not safe nor proper too curiously to inquire into the Decrees of God though this man dive into them and be as positive in telling the several causes of them as if he were upon the Secret Counsel of the Almighty I judge I have said that which is needfull and sufficient to wit that God calleth every Man every where to repent and be saved through faith in Jesus Christ who tasted death for Every man and is given for a Light to inlighten the Gentiles to be God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth and therefore that Every man ought to apply himself to repent and believe and obey without believing that God has fore-ordained him to be damned and therefore has with-held from him Grace and Power to do what he finds himself commanded and obliged to do which if it were true as he supposeth it to be of most men there can be no reason why they ought not to believe the Truth If he say they either ought or need not because they know it not Let him remember what pains he has been at in the former chapter to prove that ignorance of a truth doth not take away the obligation of believing it so he must either overturn all or be content this absurdity stick to his doctrin As for his saying that the Opposers of it do arraigne God and give a sign of their Pride and arrogancy because they can not comprehend it with their corrupt and blinded understandings it is but a silly begging of the question and supposing it to be true Thus every Impostor might intrude upon sober Christians wild absurd and non-sensical notions contrary to God's Justice and Mercy and because they would not accept of them tell them they arraign God are proud and arrogant and not receiving the Truth because not comprehended by their corrupt Understandings Would not this thinks he be wisely reasoned But pag. 135. n 3. he thinks I run so furiously against this doctrin that I run my self blind And why so because I say they affirm That God did predestinat to everlasting damnation the most part of men without any respect had to their sin only to demonstrat the glory of his justice and upon this he rants as a ridiculous and false representation of their meaning But this storm is quickly blown away for all his great noise for their Westminster confession of Faith saith chap. 3. expressly that GOD ordained such as are not elected for dishonour and wrath to the Praise of his glorious justice And the same Confession saith in the same chapter that nothing future or what was to come even as fore-seen by God was the cause of God's Decree and this himself also affirms p. 137 138 139. What then is become of all his boast But if he place it here and say Sin became the cause so soon as to demonstrat the glory of his justice became the end and therefore they say it was for their sin he so Decreed This may serve for a rattle to please fools and children but not such as are spiritually wise and look more narrowly unto things since they so manifestly contradict themselvs telling Sin nor any futur thing is not the cause of God's Decree and yet in a few lines that God ordained or decreed men to wrath for their sin to manifest the glory of his justice which is as much as to say God decreed men to be damned without respect to sin and yet he decreed them to be damned for their sin How makes he this hang together by Scriptur proofs Besides all will confess that the cause of all God's decrees is his own Glory which is exerted in his Divine attributes whereof Iustice is one so that this must be a cause before sin can have any place to be a cause since they deny it has any He tels me p. 136. n. 5. that the Orthodox have written copiously on this subject and very far above my reach there was the less need then for him to write so many pages upon it which must be little but a transcribing out of their writings unless he think he has written more accuratly and copiously than any of them which I judge he will hardly affirm I might easily if I would trouble the Reader with a tedious discourse also transcribe an answer out of those who write copiously against these his supposed Orthodox but truely Heterodox men but I rather chuse to pass it by not affecting to be admired for the bulk of my writings to come to what he saith directly in answer to me which is the business properly in hand ¶ 2. After he has premised what he thinks meet he comes p. 143. n. 12. to take notice of what I say and first wherein I misrepresent them in which he saith he has found no less than 12 untruths but how untrue this assertion is shall shortly appear The first is that I say God for perfecting of this that is for bringing his Decree to pass did appoint that these miserable souls should necessarily sin this he saith is a mistake But if the restimonies of Calvin Zanchius Piseator and others cited by me whose testimonies must have more weight than his to prove the Calvinists principle in this do not prove this to be no mistake then I may conclude that 2 and 3 makes not 5. Calvin saith that God not only predestinated men to sin but to the causes of it which is sin the Reader may look the other passage of it in my Apology Several of his other untruths p 144. he builds upon supposing that I insinuat that they believe the Gospel is once preached to every person that every reprobat had the knowledge of Christ and that God had given to every one that heareth the Gospel sufficient Grace to embrace it But truely I was never so mad as to insinuat they believed these things for not believing of which I condemn them neither will his pedantism upon the word subtrahendo make it out since to withdraw or with-hold may be said of things that man never had without any great impropriety and yet according to him all men had a will and power to obey God's Law in Adam so his ordaining Adam should fall was even in that sense a withdrawing of what they once had in their Foederal Head according to his phrase and notion Another of his alledged mistakes is that I say they affirm God did decree men should not obey but whether these passages I cited out of their Anthors do not make out this the Reader may judge yea his Coufession doth ascribe the with-holding of Mercy which is the means to agree to the Decree of Reprobation so that all the fig-leaf coverings whereby this man would fain shelter this opinion contrary to their publick Confessions of Faith and positive sentences of their chief Doctors are too short and narrow to hide the ugglyness of it He confesseth the Antients say little of this before Augustin I never so used their
eat them Now these can make nothing for his purpose unless for this reason that because these people commonly and avowedly did these things therefore they had no Light that reproved them for them otherwise their doing of them will not import the Light did not bear witness against their so doing more than men under the Presbyterian Ministery committing adultery and murder will import there was no witness born against these sins by the Presbyterian Preachers But he has overthrown this his reason himself by affirming p. 232. 235. that there is a Natural Conscience or the Law of Nature left in every man as God's deputy informing of some good and testifiing against some evils of which elsewhere he particularizeth murder and adultery and yet here he saith it is observed there is hardly one poynt of the Law of Nature which some nation hath not violated not only by their customs but by their very Laws If then their thus violating the Law of Nature do not prove they had not the Law of Nature or were not reproved by it which he himself has confessed all had then neither will their doing those things prove they had no Divine Light nor Seed or were not thereby reproved for if it prove they had not that it will as much prove they had no Natural Conscience no Law of Nature which yet he confesseth is in Every man ¶ 4. In this chapter also he would insinuat and infer to render that which he writes against odious that the asserting of an Universal Gospel by which Salvation may be possible to such as want outward preaching renders outward preaching needless but this cavill used often before by him is already answered in the 3 4 Sections and therefore what he repeats of this again here p. 229. 236. 245. needs no further answer And whereas he asks upon this occasion p. 244. how can the believing of the history of the Gospel be necessary as I say it is to such as hear it if they may be saved without it Because God commands every one to believe these Truths to whom he bringeth the knowledge of them albeit not them to whom he hath rendred it impossible Has he forgotten their own distinction of some things being necessary necessitate praecepti that are not so necessitate medii Neither do I intend by this belief which the proposing of the outward knowledge requires a belief meerly historical as he malitiously would insinuat I shall now take notice of his gross perversions and calumnies which as he advances I observe grow thicker and are in this chapter very numerous as first from my saying that we understand by the Light or Seed a Spiritual and Heavenly Principle in which GOD as he is the Father the Son and the Spirit dwelleth from this he infers p. 231. It may be he doth not acknowledge a Trinity c. But if there be any ground for such an inference from these words of mine I leave it to all rational men to judge Pag. 255. Because I say it is Christ's flesh and blood which came down from Heaven he asks if Christ had no other flesh and blood then as if I had answered He had not he concludes Us deniers of the incarnation of Christ asking Whether the death of Christ his resurrection and ascension and all the history of his Life be but dreams and lyes which malitious insinuation and perversion is returned upon him as false and groundless And whereas he saith here he will ask one word more Where I read that Christ's flesh and blood came down from heaven for so my words should be translated it seems he is either very ignorant or forgetfull of the Scripturs and therefore let him read John 6 51. where Christ saith he is the Living Bread that came down from heaven adding that Bread to be his Flesh. In like manner is his other malitious perversion denied and returned upon him where he would infer upon us that each of us esteemed our selvs as much the Christ of God as Christ was so that the blasphemy he exclaims against is his own who speaks evil of others without a cause Another of his perversions is p. 236. where repeating my words he rendereth them thus out of the Latine this is that inward Christ of which we Only and so often speak whereas it should have been translated which we so much and so often speak for as the English edition doth verifie the Latine word tantum signifies so much as wel as only and was so intended here by me that it must be so both the context and what I say elsewhere sheweth But he would have it only that he might pervert and rail the more liberally albeit he can not be ignorant that the Latine word tantum signifies so much as ordinary Dictionaries shew and Cicero saying nec tantum proficiebam quantum volebam nec quicquam posthac non modo tantum sed ne tantulum quidem praeterîeris Those who debate fairly use not to strain their adversaries words to abuse them when they know they may bear a better interpretation His next perversion is yet more gross and abusive p. 238. where from my denying that we equalour selvs to that Holy Man the Lord Jesus Christ c. in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily he concludes I affirm him to be no more but a Holy Man and because I use the words plenitudo Divinitatis that I deny his Deity which is an abominable falshood I detest that doctrine of the Socinians and deny there is any ground for their distinction and when I confess him to be a Holy Man I deny him not to be GOD as this man most injuriously would insinuat for I confess him to be really both true God and true Man And whereas he rails and exclaims here and in the following page at a monstrous rate as if the comparison I bring of the difference betwixt every saint and the Man Jesus from the sap its being other ways in the Root and Stock of the Tree than in the branches did further confirm our equalling our selvs to him he doth but shew his folly since Christ himself useth the same comparison Ioh 15 5. I am the Vine ye are the branches to which I alluded and upon this he runneth out in a vehement strain of railing p. 239. exclaiming against us as if we denied the Deity of Christ and his Incarnation which is utterly false and therefore his work there to prove what I deny not is in vain And yet he repeateth this calumny p. 242. adding that my saying that we believe what is written of the Conception Birth Life and Death of Christ c. to be true doth not vindicat us from it and then he subjoyns Do you believe that that Body which was crucified at Jerusalem rose again and is now in glory Speak your mind here if you dare this defiance to all men of reason will insinuat as if I did not believe
in Grace to put-off the old man and on the New if this be not to pervert Christianity what can be said to be so If men can dream waking as he sometimes supposes he has sure been in this postur when he brought this proof But he adds that this Perfection rendreth Gospel commands useless but are the Laws useless if men obey them This saith he takes away the exercise of Repentance the exercise of Prayer and maketh the petitions of the Lord's Prayer useless forgive us our sins on this he also insisteth pag. 345 346-349 That because all have sinned they have need to repent and pray for forgivness and the continuance of it I have shewn in my Apology but if this his argument hold true to prove that men must sin all their life-time and break the commands every day in thought word and deed then the greatest sinners and most wicked profligat villains do less make useless Gospel commands than others because they afford more matter to exercise Repentance and Prayer for forgivness of sins But he proceedeth that this tendeth to foment Pride and Security and taketh-away diligent watchfulness and holy fear humility and the usefulness of the Ordinances of Christ but where freedom from sin is where can pride and security have place or diligence and humility be wanting But with him to sin is the way not to be proud and secure but to be watchfull and humble Let the judicious Reader judge whether they that break the commands daily in thought word and deed and affirm they must do so all their life-time be more diligent and humble and less proud and secure than such as keep and obey them for such Ordinances as must be made usefull by daily breaking God's commands in thought word and deed I resolve never to cry-up but always cry-down by the Grace of God however I. B. may rail at me for it Some Scripturs here added by him will come hereafter to be examined ¶ 2. Pag 332. N 9. When he comes to take notice of my stating this matter as not being such a Perfection as can not admitt of a daily encrease but only a being kept from sin and receiving strength to fulfill the will of God for these are my words he would upon this both in this place and elsewhere pag. 333. 341 c urge this absurdity that since the least sin is a transgression of the Law it follows that no regenerated man can sin and that no man that sinneth is regenerated but we will not wonder at his inference here considering his many other perversions But to shew he has no ground to urge this absurdity let it be considered that we are to consider Regeneration as begun and carrying on and as perfected and accomplished he which hath begun a good work in you saith the Apostle Paul Phil. 1 6. And again Ye did run wel Gal. 5 7. with many other places which might be mentioned Whereby it is clear that Regeneration is not wrought in an instant and if he think so he must prove it ere he conclude any thing from it and those were already converted and regeneration begun in them Now albeit such may sin and that every sin doth hinder and impeed the work of Regeneration yet it doth not destroy it nor wholly annihilat it Physik given to a man in whom there is an inward and inveterat disease doth not cure instantly and albeit by some heedless actions he may hinder the cure from being perfected so soon yet every one of these actions do not render it altogether unsuccessfull Also as to the comparison of a child which he accepts of albeit he have all the integral parts of a man yet he has not that vigor and strength of body nor yet that understanding nor exercise of mind that a man hath and thence can neither defend himself nor do either in body or mind that a man can do Now what I speak of such as are born of God saying that I dare not affirm but there may be some that can not sin I understand of this absolute compleat and full regeneration not that I deny but such as are entred and in part regenerated may be also said to be born of God though not in that absolute sense and therefore still under the possibility of sinning and capacity thereunto And thus his great absurdity upon which he insists so much is removed Next he proceeds p. 334. to shew my agreement with the Pelagians but the very citation he brings to prove it out of Vossius history bewrays his weakness and shews the contrary where it is manifest that the thing condemned in Pelagins was his affirming men might keep the commands by the power of Nature which I never said but always denied And whereas he cites the Fathers saying that none by the strength of Grace did live all their days without sin that the perfection ascribed to some in Scriptur was not from Nature but from Grace c. this clearly shews they believed men might be free from sin by Grace sometime though none bad been so for all their life-time which shews they were far from believing man must break the commands daily in thought word and deed which is his affirmation What he adds of the Fathers arguments against the Pelagians and of the opinions of the Socinians and others in this matter I judge it not my work to meddle with it I heed not in this what these Sects say but believe the Truth without respect to them as it is clearly proposed in Scriptur I could easily recriminate by shewing things wherein he agrees with Papists Socinians Arminians Antinomians Pelagians Anabaptists and others against us if I judged it pertinent to be filling-up paper with such stuff to make a noise as he doth hundreds of times to nauseating but I love to abstain from such superfluitys and come to the purpose and will now consider what he saith in answer to my arguments ¶ 3. He begins pag. 337 n. 18. and to my saying their doctrin is against the Wisdom of God who is of purer eyes than he can behold iniquity he asketh Is it against these attributes of God that sin should be in the world But my following words shew I spake of the Godly neither will it follow what he adds after that then they must be as free of sin here as in heaven and that at first for I urge it to be contrary to God's Wisdom to make this freedom impossible unto them only means for their being free being given them not his permitting sin And whereas he proceeds in answer to my saying that if man be always joyned to sin he should be always disjoyned from God according to Esai 59 2. Whereas on the contrary they to wit the Saints are said to be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6 17. he answers All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration
at hand if he dare charge me in this with the asserting of a falshood in matter of fact I will give evidence for proof the persons being yet alive but untill he do that my knowing the thing to be true gives me ground enough to assert it To my argument shewing that without Grace a man can not be a member of Christ's Body which is the Church far less a Minister in stead of answer after he has accused me as not understanding the difference betwixt the Visible and Invisible Church he tels Christ is an Head to both which I deny not that I apply Epb. 4 7. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 12. solely to the Invisible Church so as to exclude the Visible is his mistake not my ignorance Then he goeth about to shew the difference betwixt Gift and Grace but that any had the gifts there mentioned who were altogether void of Grace remains for him to prove Besides what is mentioned he is not sparing of his calumnies in this chapter as where he saith pag. 382. that I deny that about the time of Reformation there was a Christian World which is false in respect of Profession in which sense I only here understood it and pag. 385. albeit he find me calling the heresy of Arius horrid yet upon the trust of his Author Mr. Clapham he affirmeth the Quakers to be in this erroneous but sure I have better reason to be acquainted with the Quakers doctrins than any of his lying Authors Another of his calumnys is pag 386. that we lay-aside all means in coming to the Saving knowledge of God's Name and albeit his railing in this chapter be thick enough that the Reader may easily observe it yet for his more particular direction let him observe 380 381-385 386. And whereas pag. 386. n. 11. he enumerateth several particulars wherein he affirmeth we agree with Papists he may find them refuted and answered in G. K's book called Quakerism no Popery And in the last two sections of that book written by me he may find himself and his Btethren proved far more guilty of that crime than we which because the Professor Iohn Menzies against whom it is written found not yet time to answer he as having more leasur may assume that province If the increase of our number be as he saith a clear verification of 2 Thess. 2 9 10 11 12. that we are of the deluded ones there spoken of then it must be a clearer verification of it as to them that they are of that deluded company since they are more numerous than we and also encreased more suddenly As for his exhortations and wishes in the end because I will be so charitable as to suppose they come from some measur of sincerity I do not wholly reject them only I must tell him that nothing has more conduced of an external mean to confirm me in the belief of the verity of the principles I hold than his treatise because of the many gross calumnys manifest perversions and furious railing in it since I know the Truth needed no such method to defend it and I can not believe one in the Truth would use it since lying is contrary to the Truth therefore if he will lay-aside all this falshood and passion he may have a more sure ground of hope to see the truth manifested to the dispelling of Error ¶ 4. He beginneth his 19 chapter of the Ministerial Office with supposing that their Order is according to Scriptur and that what we plead for is quite contrary and so ushereth himself into a rant of railing with which he concludeth this paragraph saying that the evil Spirit that acteth us is such an Enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and Devilish Consasion More of this kind the Reader may observe pag. 388. 389. 391 392-394 His calumnies and perversions are also very frequent in this chapter as pag. 387. where he saith We cast-away all Order and in stead thereof bring-in the confusion of Babel and pag. 388. because we are not for the shaddow without the substance therefore he saith we make a repugnancy betwixt them which is also false and again in the same page N. 4. because I say it was never the mind of Christ to establish the shaddow of Officers without the power and efficacy of the Spirit therefore he concludes that the Quakers think that men can establish the Spirit which silly perversion will easily be manifest to every intelligent Reader And after the like manner pag. 389. n. s. because I say that upon setting up meer shaddows where the Substance was wanting the work of Antichrist was erected in the dark night of Apostasy he concludes that then according to me Christ and his Apostles wrought the work of Antichrist and mystery of iniquity accusing me thence of blasphemy But who can be so blind as not to see this manifest perversion And again pag. 390 he saith I will that every man according as his own spirit falsty called the Spirit of God moveth him setting to this work meaning that of the Ministery which is a false calumny never said by me who deny all false motions of man's own spirit however called And pag. 391. he saith that malice prompteth me to charge them with owning the distinction of Clergy and Laïty though I know they do not where the man supposeth that what I write is only written against the Presbyterians while he can not but know that I write against others since in his first chapter he charges me with writing against all the Christian World so it is his malice to say I charge them with it if any of those I write to be guilty of it it is enough albeit I doubt whether the Presbyterians can free themselvs of it ¶ 5. Having thus far discovered his perversions I come to the main business pag. 388. he saith they plead not for shaddows but own the Ordinances as Christ hath appointed to remain and continue for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4 11 12 13. And pag. 389. n. 6. he asketh whether the primitive Church was not instituted by Christ and gathered by God in whose assemblys he was Ruler and Governour asking were there no distinct Officers particular individual Persons set apart for the work of the Ministery in the Apostles days And p. 391. n. 7. he argueth against my saying that these mentioned 1 Cor. 12 28 29. Rom. 12 6. were not distinct Officers but only different operations of the same Spirit and against this also he pleadeth p. 393. n. 11. 394. To all which I answer distinctly and particularly that they can plead nothing from Eph. 4. unless their Church had all the Officers there mentioned which it has not yea and which themselvs affirm are ceased such as Prophets Apostles which are said to be given for the work of the Ministery and perfecting of the Saints nothing less than the other and by what authority do they then turn these by and
manifested upon you my witness is in heaven I am one who desires not the evil day but am willing to embrace all the sweet opportunitys of the drawings of my Father's love and the arisings of his Life to stand in the gapp for the single-hearted among you and I must declare for the exoneration of my own Conscience I am an experimental witness how grievously thou violatst the Truth in misrepresenting the things which thou callest the bitter root springing up in these sprouts of hell 1. Mens not receiving the love of the Truth 2. Their pleasing themselves with names and notions while Christ was not received to dwell in the heart 3. Their not departing from iniquity who seemed to call on his Name I am a witness when the Lord called me out from among the Presbyterians I was one who according to my education and information and inclination from my child-hood was a true lover of that called the Glorious Gospell and a constant attender upon the declarations thereof and the messengers feet that published it were beautifull to me so long as those Ordinances of man were unto me as the Ordinances of Christ which was more than 30 years I loved them more than all things in this world I passed through them hungry and hardly bestead for many years feeling after Life and immortality but could not find that somewhat was raised in me that words and reports could not feed names and notions I minded little but Christ to dwell in me was that and is that more and more I press after And now I must for the Truth 's sake say somewhat which I humbly mention with a fresh remembrance of the Love Power and tender Mercy of God who enabled me I know the Lord will not impute it to be boasting in that season wherein the Lord revealed the true way to life and immortality to me by his inward appearance in my Soul it was a time wherein he had mercifully turned me from all that ever his Light inwardly and Law outwardly had condemned me for my heart also did bear witness for me that whatsoever I had known would please him I was chusing to do that not that thereby I was seeking justification in my own righteousness but a sure evidence of my interest in him who was made unto us Righteousness Justification c. This blessed glimpse of my begun freedom was given me in a seasonable time that I might thereby be enabled to speak with mine enemy in the gate and be encouraged to believe in the Light and wait upon the Lord to feel his vertue perfectly to cleanse me from all filthyness of flesh and Spirit Neither was I an undervaluer of the Scripturs they were my Rule then and I hope for ever my life shall answer them I think they honour the Scripturs most who live most according to them and not they who call them the only Rule yet do not make them their pattern The Scripturs of Truth were pretious to me and by them was I taught not to walk nor worship in the way of the People the Spirit shewing me his mind in them and then I saw in his Light that it is not the Scripturs many adore so much as their own corrupt glosses upon them neither can my experience go along with what thou affirmest of the hazard of converse with that People It is very wel known to all that lived in the place where I sojourned I was none who conversed with them I was never at one of their meetings I never read one of their books unless accidentally I had found them where I came and lookt to them and laid them by again So now it remains with me to tell thee what was the occasion I joyned with them since it was none of those thou mention'st which I will very singly and can very comfortably do it was that thing ye school-men call Immediat Objective Revelation which my desire is ye were more particularly and feelingly acquainted with whereby the Lord raising in my Soul his feeling Life I could not sit down satisfied with hearing of what the Son of God had done outwardly though I believe thereby he purchased all that Grace and Mercy which is inwardly wrought in the hearts of his Children untill I should be a partaker of the vertue and efficacy thereof whereby I might possess the Substance of things hoped for I saw an historical faith would neither cleanse me nor save me if that could save any the Devils were not without a door of hope I felt I needed the Revelation of the Son of God in me All that ever I read or heard without this could not give me the Saving knowledge of God None knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him through the vertue whereof mine eyes were more and more by degrees opened for the tender-hearted Samaritan had pitty upon my wounded Soul when both Priest and Levit passed by and the watch-men rent my vail and when there was no eye to pitty nor hand to help me he drew near and poured in wine and oile as he saw needfull and fulfilled the promise in measur wherein he had long caused me to hope he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life and that sweet saying whereby I am confirmed and comforted if evil Parents know how to give their children good things how much more will the Lord give his holy Spirit to those who ask him When your children ask bread will ye give them a stone or when they ask a fish will ye give them a serpent These pretious Scripturs and many such like being opened up and applied by the Spirit of Truth powerfully and seasonably in saying be not faithless but believing times above number before and since hath made me set to my seal to these words of Christ The words that I speak are Spirit and Life and as I walk with him and abide in him watching at the posts of Wisdoms gates travelling in Spirit more and more to bring forth fruit unto him and walk worthy of him unto all wel-pleasing daily to dye unto self that Christ may live in me I becoming a passive creatur and he an active Christ in the encrease of his Government I feel the encrease of my peace And so my friend thou hast here by some touches at things occasion to see how far thou art mistaken concerning us and how far contrary to the Truth as it is in Jesus thou represent'st many things to the world speaking evil of things which thou knowst not and if thou dost the greater is thy sin two Particulars indeed I can not strain charity so far as to believe thou thinkst do we deny Jesus Christ and justification through his Righteousness because we make the sufficiency thereof of a more universal extent than ye or because we love whole Christ so much and his seamless coat that we will not have it divided Nay we dare not divide