Coherence in Matter and Intelligibleness of Language to all Nations which may render them such a Rule Besides it is more then probable that much of the Writings of the New Testament are lost from Luke ' s Word 's in the beginning of his History where he tells us that he was but ONE OF THE MANY who did set forth a Declaration of those things which were most surely believed amongst them even sayes he as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word For it must be considered when Luke writ his Narrative that John's History was not in being and some will have it that Luke wrote before Mark But whether it be so or no certain it is that Mark and Matthew could not make up those many that took that Work in hand neither can we think he should call Matthew and Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie with the Athenians a Multitude for a certain Learned Man will have it That no better Greek was spoken then that wherein Luke wrote his History That those Narratives were not Apocriphal but at least of equal Authority with his dedicated to Theophilus his own words tell us For those that writ were such as related what they received from Eye-witnesses and the first Ministers of the VVord Besides which there were in the Apostles Age and the two following Centuries several Writings reputed genuine which either dyed out of the World through that Neglect brought upon them by the Advantage some accounted Hereticks might make of them in Defence of their Opinions or stifled by the subtilty of the Romish Church being more expresly opposite to her growing Superstition and Grandeur And for such Writings as still remain among us methinks it should not be unknown to a Man of J. Faldo's Pretences to Learning how much the Authority of several of them has been questioned by some and exploded by others though never by any of us particularly the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of James second and third of John second of Peter Jude the Revelations and with some Matthew's History it self has not escaped the like Censure Of which Reader thou hast an Account at large in that Notable French-Man Dallaeus De usa Patrum and a late Discourse mainly directed against the Roman Church entituled Christoph Christophori Sandy Nucleas Historiae Ecclesiasticae I would not any from hence should repute me so Impious as to endeavour to weaken the Testimony of Scripture or beget any the least Doubt of the Doctrine thereby declared only upon our Adversary's Principles which so strongly oppugn'd the Doctrine of Revelation or Inspiration I must take leave to conclude in his Name and upon his Principles that the VVord of God is imperfect and a great part of the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie is lost and that he has no more Reason to believe the Truth of those great things related in that part of the Scriptures yet remaining then any Legend at Rome For exclude Revelation and what Ground has he for his Faith besides Tradition and what Evidence can he give us upon his Principles of the Truth of the former and Falshood of the latter These Councils and Synods who collected and canonized them he accepts for one part and rejects for the other Again he trusts their Judgment in picking and chusing and yet rejects their Interpretation as if it were not so difficult to relish Genuine from Spurious Scriptures as when rightly discerning them to be such to understand them which is an absolute Contradiction For how should they know true from False and not understand the True That Council which made the Writings of the New Testament Canonical left out the Revelations as Apocriphal yet I hope J. Faldo accepts that as heartily and unquestionably as the rest And that Council which took in the Revelations and made it first Canonical brought in with it the Books of Tobi Judith c. which J. Faldo I suppose with all his Brethren rejects as Apocriphal Thus are meer Men and the Judgments of such Councils as he otherwise rejects his Rule for believing the Scriptures that remain to be Canonical if it be proper to say the first is the Rule of his Canon which is too short and the other which is superfluous as by his Account My next Question is What was his Rule for believing those Councils I am sure he must have been without all other then a Willingness to believe so because they said so which how like this is to his Papist unto whom he would resemble us let all sober Protestants consider I cannot see how he is able to oppugn any thing they say upon Tradition who mounts no higher for his Assurance then Tradition and such too as rests mostly within their Hands But if it shall be granted us that to know Scripture to have been given forth upon Inspiration Men must have Recourse to Inspiration then not so much Councils and Synods as the Inspiration of the Almighty which gives certain Understanding is our Rule in the Case as well saith the Assembly of Divines in their Confession of Faith chap. 1. § 4. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ougâ—t to be believ'd and obeyed depends not on the Testimony of any man or Church but only upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof And since J. Faldo himself confesseth the Spirit necessary to the Vnderstanding of the Scripture which implies the Insufficiency of the Scripture to give that Understanding of it self the Spirit must be the Rule of our Vnderstanding the Scripture as it was before the Rule of our Faith concerning the Divine Authority of Scripture For the Light of the Interpreter and not the Thing interpreted is the Rule both of Faith and Practice which is undeniably evident from the reconciling of seeming Contradictions If the meer Letter of the Scripture were to be followed no Man could ever make them meet in the same Truth The many Different Perswasions at this Day about Religion prove this whose respective Authors and Abettors think it no mean Advantage to their Cause that they hold the Scriptures to be their Rule But such as come unto the Spirit of God know and believe the Truth as it is in Jesus David ' s Key that opens and none shuts is given unto them and the Secrets of their God remain with them This reconciles those seeming Contradictions and leads through the Greatest and Deepest Truths mentioned in Scripture without the least Doubt or Stumble This is the Super-excellent Benefit of the New-Covenant Administration the Promise of the Father the Instructer Leader and Comforter of all God's Children And for a further Account of which I refer the Reader to my Book entituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated from pag. 16. to pag. 47. and Reason against Railing from pag. 24. to pag. 46. To prove his former Charge he produces this Passage out of James Naylor
Learn'd Ministers do defend and rather out-word us in Testimony to the Truth But before J. F. proceeds to any such Excommunication let him remember that he cannot do it without Disturbance to the Grave and Injury to the Memory of Joseph Carl that Famous and Ancient Independent Pastor who Licensed J. Spâ—â—gg's Book Ann. 1647. and consequently entituled himself to the Doctrine therein exprest And for Christopher Goad's not only J. Sprigg perform'd the Friendly Office of Publisher after his Decease but himself was Pastor of a very eminent Congregation of Independents in his Life-time Strange that the Men of these dayes should not know the Principles of their Admir'd Fathers and Teachers when they meet them but that worthy Witness C. Goad in his Conclusion of his last Testimony pag. 74 77. gives a good Reason for it He that hath Ears to hear let him hear he that hath not it may be will cry Whimsie Fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory and whilst the Vail is over Error Heresie Blasphemy I had thoughts of adding no further Testimony but a most remarkable Passage of that Christian and Learned Martyr Dr. Barnes Burnt for his Faith in King Henry the Eighth's dayes after having been his Ambassador and in high repute pressed hard upon me and I know not but his greater Distance from us then those before cited may carry more Authority and obtain greater Favour with our Enemies who will at least make shew of Reverence to his Autiquity and Martyrdom his words are these That Man's Will Reason Wisdom Heart Soul or whatsoever thing is in Man without the Spirit of God is but the Wisdom of the Flesh let him intend his best do all that lieth in him with all his Might and all his Power and yet can it not please God for it is but all Flesh Again It is the Spirit of Christ that maketh him Christs and the Spirit of God giveth witness to our Spirit that we be the Children of God Our Spirit giveth no witness to himself thâ— he is Christ's for then were the Spirit of God frustrate wherefore let our Spirit as well as he can study his best to apply himself to Goodness or to the uttermâ—â— of his Power and yet it is but WISDOM OF THE FLESH and HATH NO WITNESS OF GODâ— yea it is but an ENEMY and it must needs bâ— SIN as St. Austin saith He that feedeth without mâ—â— feedeth against me Thus far D. Barnes which is but a little of the greaâ— deal that he writes to the same purpose against thâ— Papists about their Doctrine of Free-will And iâ— deed he cleaves the Hair and hits the Mark above moâ— Ancient Writers for as he unanswerably argues in thâ— very Smart Discourse that Man's cleaving to his oâ— Power brought him into transgression and consequenâ—â—ly could never redeem him out of it So doth he eâ—â—press the absolute Necessity of Man's having Recourseâ— the Spirit of God in himself for Counsel and Assistanâ— in order to understand and fulfil the Good-will of Goâ— which implyes that all those who call it opposing 〈◊〉 Spirit to the Scripture and vilifying the Knowledge Scripture to press the understanding of it and witnessing the Truths therein declared of from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit only are upon the rankest strain of Free-will that was ever yet broach'd among Men and there we leave our bitter Enemy J. Faldo I am now come to a Passage more immediately concerning my self which he thinks touches me to the Quick but I know not why unless he measures me by himself being a Man so quick to be touch'd that at the soberest and solidst Answer which I could give him he doth so gaul and fret that there is no coming near him without being kick't and abus'd His Carriage towards me in this Particular amongst many Instances already past and yet to come proves what I say In a Book of mine called The Spirit of Truth Vindicated c. in Answer to a Socinian who seem'd to deride the Quakers asserting a Necessity of having a Right Faith in God and Knowledge of the Scriptures from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit I used these words But I assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the daily Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they Experience At this he scoffed What know God only as they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most ridiculous To which he brings me in thus answering 'T is Unchristian in John Faldo to assert the right Knowledge of God obtainable any other Way then by Experience Here 's my Reflection by way of Consequence but where 's my Argument That he left behind as being better able to jeer it then confute it some short Account of it I will give That it is the Light or Spirit of God that by its illuminatition giveth the right Knowledge of God that such Knowledge never goes without Experience Again The World without in its Make Order Perservation Providences his Powerful Work of Redemption within prove what I writ But of this he takes no notice Now his Dis-ingenuity thus far is two-fold First his stretching the word Experience to all Cases when the Scope and End of my words went no farther then every Man 's particular Saving Knowledge of God with respect to his Repentance Conversion and Eternal Salvation 2 ly He not only has taken no notice of my Argument but has abused the Consequence viz. That the Right or Saving Knowledge of God is not obtaiâ—able but by Experience after this manner Rep. Reader you have his Character of asserting that Reason Faith Scripture yea the Spirit of God too all which are not one and the same thing with Experience are any Means by which to obtain the Right Knowledge of God Rejoyn How like a Disputant or an honest Man he deals with me may be seen First In that no Man can have Experience without Reason because Reason is that part of a Man which is eminently concern'd in receiving that Experience therefore not the Giver of it nor yet it without Reason Secondly The Work of Faith is one great thing experienced Thirdly The Scripture is oftentimes an Instrument to that Experience Lastly The Spirit of God is the efficient Cause or Worker of the Experience in the reasonable Soul For must not He be very Blind or Malicious that can suppose I meant by the Knowledge of Experience such an one as God's Spirit brings not to who have been all this while pleading for that Knowledge and Experience which the Spirit of God can only give and abused with a Witness by J. Faldo for doing so but that he should suppose me to exclude Reason from Men in their Experiences which is to render them Brutes and because therefore unreasonable to be sure most uncapable of Experience unless Men may Experience without their
pag. 15. pag. 30. pag. 16. Act. 12. 24. Pietr. Soan Polan p. 152 p. 36 37. Erasm on 2 Pet. 1. 19. Ibid in 1 Cor. cap. 2. Polano Hist Coun. Tr. p. 150. Crad Divine Drops p. 171 172 210 215 221 217. This gives the Lye to J. Faldo Wil. Dell. confut of Simps pag. 114 115 116 117. Tom. 3. fol. 169. Mart. vol. 3. p. 572 573. 3 vol. of the Book of Martyrs p. 298. pag. 17. My Answ pag. 36. Col. 2. 2. Hebr. 6. 11. Chap. 10. 22. â— Book Martyr p. 577. This J. Faldo kicks at he is one with the Papists 3 Book of Martyr p. 475. p. 18 19. pag. 19. pag. 19 20. pag 39. An ellegant way of speaking and Scriptural pag. 40. pag. 21. Answ p. 42. Ephes â— 13. pag. 22 Which concerns him if he would have what he writes to be according to Scripture pag. 22. My Answ pag. 42. Quak. no Chr. p. 59. pag. 23. pag. 24. pag. 63. p. 25 26. Ibid. p. 26. Acts 8. 30 31. Dell Tryal of Spirits p. 10. Collier Gen. Epist pag. 249. c. 10. pag. 258. c. 12. Those Famous Poor Suffering Christians the Waldenses in their purer times besides many other weithty Points wherein they symbolized with us in this very Matter are not forraign who in a Confession about Five Hundred and Fifty Years old â—aid this down as a piece of their Creed That the Discoveries Testimonies of the Holy Spirit in them were the most Convincing Evidence and Infallible Proof of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Consequently the Spirit must have been their Judge and Rule concerning their Understanding the Truths testified by them as â— P. Porrin their Historian in so many words assures us concerning them in the beginning of his notable History of their Rise Doctrine Sufferings and Progress pag. 23 24 25 26 27. Concil Tom. 1. p. 481. can 60. Anno 364. and p. 549. can 27. Anno 417. after Christ * I find Iohn Faldo often Scorning Inspiration and bringing it into odium under the word Enthusiasm used of late to signifie Whimsical Pates or Heads troubled with a Religious kind of Frenzy as if he had abandoned the Plea Enjoyment and Practice of the best Separatists whose Names he emptily honours and resolved to set up for a Coffe-House Droll or a Play-Prophanist To cool his Courage and stop his Career I commend Two or Three late Discourses to his perusal writ by Men of Undoubted Learning and pretendedly defended by J. F. in his Quakerism no Christianity against the People called Quakers The first is D. Patrick his Friendly Debates 2d Fowler his Design of Christianity never to be answered by that Angry Man that designed it And W. Sherlock his late Discourse of Jesus Christ c. If both Presbyterians and Independents are not throughly and truly charged to be Enthusiasts Men holding what J. F. condemns us for owning though less justifiably and if more ridiculous Interpretations are not to be found among them then was ever yet read in any Quakers Book I am content to suffer J. F's Reproach as Just who does not do as he would be done by his great Scab or Leprosie of some other of his Fraternity too for alas it is at best but a piece of Heathenism with him and a Man may be a very good Christian forsooth by a New Art of Imputation found out and accommodated to the Ease of Hypocrites without that streight and legal Way of just and holy Living pag. 27. pag. 28 29. pag. 58 59. pag. 29. * At whose Hand-Writing pag. 61. * His Blasphemy against the Lighâ— Pag. 61. * I would desire the Reader to take notice that the first Reformers never intended by their great respect to the Scriptures to establish them their Rule exclusive of the Spirit as most do now W. Kiffin for instance only they did on all Occasions prefer them as God's Tradition to the place of a Rule beyond Popish Doctors or Councils which they who know any thing in these Matters are well assured to be the Truth of the case So that they were but a Rule comparatively as we also hold but by no means can we allow that they prefer'd the Scriptures to that great Office exclusive of the Spirit or that Men were not to have their Immediate Dependence upon the Instruction Discoveries and Revelations towards Faith and Good Life So much at this time * Note I have not made any considerable Distinction between â—e Rule and the Judge from thy Judgment of that little if any Difference that is between them And my Adversary to his own Confusion seemeth of the same Mind for notwithstanding he severely tauntingly reflects on that Passage upon me in my former Book yet in making the Scripture both Rule and Judge he shows to us that the Judge the Rule are not at so great a Distance as his little Skill in Philosophy would have rendered it And herein he thwarts D. Stillingfleet and D. Tillosson who against the Papists assert not the Scripture to be the Judge but Right Reason And to speak the Truth of it Nothing can be more absurd next to Transubstantiation then that the Scripture should be the Judge of a Man's Meaning of any part of it self that is if it be applied as a Right Rule since in such Cases of Difference no Scripture ever yet spoak clearer then its first Text and the Question lies not about that but the just Interpretation Prov. 8. Doct. Stud. c. 2. p. 4. Rom. 2. 14 15. San. pag. 138 139 140 141. Plut. Dron Prus Dis lib. 1. c. 14. Senec. Epist 73. pag. 30 31. Luth. Tom. 2. Pol. 309. 2. Pet. Mart. com loc part 1. cap. 6. Part 2. Cap. 18. Lib. 1. c. 5. Thes 32. Hos 6. 9. pag. 34 Ed. Bur. pag. 34 35. pa. 71 72 73. Levit. 19. 18 19. Phil. 3. 15. W. Tindal's Works pag. 319. p. 80. B. Jew contr Hard. p. 532 534. T. Coll. Works p. 247. pag. 36. De praescr Haeretic adoer Marcion lib. 4. De carne Christi * Against the Anabaptâ—sts p. 1. pag. 37. pag. 37 pag. 38. pag. 39. My Answ pag. 87. pag. 39. pag. 40. Ephes 16. 17. pag. 41. pag. 41 42. pag. 42. pag. 43. pag. 45. But J. F. Is not that Babylon or the Antichristian Church which has the Shew and Outside but not the Life and Power of Godliness May not Antichrist adorn himself with the Literal Profession of the Gospel Certainly all Protestants have accorded to this I am sure I. Sprig C. Goad W. Dell I. Saltmarsh T. Collier yea J. Fox B. Jewel I. Renolds D. Willet R. Abbot and a nameless worthy Author about Qu. Elizabeth's time in his Voice out of the Wilderness c. allow of W. Smith's Doctrine viz. That the meerly Literal Formal and Fleshly-wise Church not regenerated into the Image and Liâ— of the Son of God is Babylon and some of them are most â—press in the Matter which I omit for haste pag.
the Earth nor ever did For what else can be the Consequence of his decrying our Principle that asserts Christ to be the universal Light enlightning every Man that comes into the World or that the Light wherewith every Man is enlightned is not Christ or God I affirm that which quarrels this Principle would not in the very ground have Christ to be God indeed not God to be God seeing it is an utter Denyal of his Omni-presence since God is not manifested but by his own Light and he being every where his Light cannot be limited because it cannot be distinguished from himself But what our Adversary would be at by this kind of Reasoning he helps us in his next particular to understand Rep. He attempts to excuse Burroughs's Phrase from Blasphemy viz. Your imagined God beyond the Stars But how they were expressed of People's imagining him to be in the Likeness of Man and so denying his Omnipresence that he should not be below as well as above To which he replyes thus A rare Excuse that denies Christ's Manhood and making the Manhood of Christ in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily to be a Popish Vbiquitary Rejoyn Must this pass for my Confutation A rare Excuse indeed But for what Not W. Penn's Denyal of Christ's Manhood But J. Faldo's base Perversion of E. B's words The Question was not about Christ's Manhood but of God himself who prepared it in time A pittiful shift to infer from God who is a Spirit to Christ's Body We know that 's not every where But the Word that was with God and was God is not confinable Though if the Truth were Known J. Faldo's Zeal for Christ's not being a Popish Ubiquitary centers in his Belief of meer Anthropomorphism I mean that God is confined to a Body and that Body to a certain place else why should he oppose to my asserting of God's universal Presence Christ's Manhood the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in that Manhood and Christ's being resident in some particular place But it is after this lame crabbed and insignificant way of Writing that he vindicates his first piece of Forgery and wicked mis-giving of our poor Friends meanings But to proceed Rep. He tells you of the Companions I rendered Quakerism to be attended into the World with and adds what else J. Faldo's Devil pleases yet instead of denying what I said except the Epithetes he thus excuseth it Finally did not the Devils howl and roar and tremble who seeing they should be dislodged by one stronger then themselves And was there no Terror in all this yes verily And morcover whereas People have taken the Quakers to be possessed of the Devil when so behaving themselves Mr. Penn hath here confessed they were not mistaken And more then that too that they themselves were Devils for it was them that roared Rejoyn If this be to be a fair Adversary there is no such thing in the World I will transscribe for thy sake Reader what I excepted against in his first Book and how I answered it But once more Christianity entered the World with Ravishing Songs and Hallelujahs of the Angels Healing all Diseases Casting out Devils Preashing Peace But Quakerism entered the World as if Hell had broke loose and Possession by Satan had made way and fit Souls for the Quakers Spirit O the hell dark Expressions of the Quakers Spirit frightful and amazing Words bitter Curses Howlings and Roarings And what else J. Faldo's Devil pleaseth by which to render the Quakers Odious Well! but to answer him It was a time of Joy and a time of Sorrow the Spirits of the Just rejoyced that he was born forth into the World and that Sun of Righteousness risen whose Discovering Light and Refreshing Beams would renew the World that had in great measure been bewildered since its first Innocent State But therefore was it not a time of Wo Sorrow Terror and grievous Distress to all the Workers of Iniquity Did not Christ come to bring War as well as Peace a Sword a Fire upon Earth Did not his Fore-runner come in an astonishing Manner in differing Attire of another Diet and from a desolate Place to preach Repentance and to warn them with an O Generation of Vipers to flee the Wrath to come Did he not say that an Ax a sharp and terrible Instrument should be laid to every unfruitful Tree And did not the Apostles preach to the Pricking of the Hearts of Thousands and Paul by name that Faelix himself trembled and All as knowing the Terrors of the Lord themselves they warned others wherefore Judgment is said to have begun at the House of God Finally did not the Devils Howl Roar and Tremble foreseeing they should be dislodged by one stronger then themselves Christ the Son of the Living God And was there no Terror Dread and Amazement in all this I perceive it may be a Virtue in the primitive Christians but a Vice in the Quakers at least in J. Faldo's account But this know O Impartial People the Quakers were over-taken by the mighty Hand of God and great were their Travels and Pangs of Sorrow under the Righteous Terrors of the Lord whose Hour of Just Judgments was come and being thereby made Witnesses of his heavenly Work and redeemed through Judgment they became Ministers of Judgment unto others and the Terror of it struck Thousands the Devils trembled c. And art thou given up John Faldo to call Light Darkness and Darkness Light the Terrors of God the Possessions of Satan and the Remorse of Conscience Hell broke loose O Vnhappy Man Reader this was my Answer how much of it he concerned himself with I have already observed What Use he made of that little cited is very obvious viz. to conclude us Devils What a False and Frothy Reflection is that for one that would be accounted a Divine To call this a Reply is to abuse Controversie 'T is manifest that Quakerism was not attended with more amazing Sighs and Symptoms then what our Adversary must needs confess to have been the Companions of Christianity And as they agree in the manner of their Appearance so do J. Faldo and the Pharisees in their Judgment of both Does John Faldo conclude us little better then Devils The Pharisees called our Lord and Master Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Thâ—s has Truth been ever accounted Heresie by the Priests and Rabbies of that Age in which it has appeared we do the less wonder that John Faldo should understand of what Spirit we are who is yet ignorant of his own and scoffs at the Revelation of that eternal Spirit which can alone give him to relish either For the Epithetes he bestows upon Quakerism they stink too much to be meddled with If they be Christian there is nothing Antichristian in the World To rebuke his Reviling he counts Railing and it is come to that pass with his scoulding Adherents that for the Quakers not to pass by his
believe great and good things of them and that from no less Evidence then the Eternal Word that gave them forth which hath oftentimes given my Soul a deep Savour of those blessed Truths it declares of only we cannot allow them to be The Word though the Words of God and the rather forasmuch as we see the great and general Neglect that People are guilty of towards that Living Powerful Regenerating Word of Life by whom alone all right Knowledge and lasting Peace is derived to the Soul of Man through this Apprehension that in having the Writings they have the Word of God and therefore look no farther the very State of the professing Jews of old who thought better of the Scriptures then of Christ believing to have Life in them at what time they crucified the Lord of Life and Glory From whose Proceedings we learn thus much That the worst Enemies to the invisible Word of Life may carry the greatest seeming Respect to and bestow the highest Titles upon the Scriptures that were given forth from it In short It was when Men turned from the Power of Godliness to the Form only that they did Canonize and lay so vast a Stress upon them In the first and second hundred years after Christ they were so scattered that very few had all of them and it is not unreasonable for us to believe that many had none of them especially those of the New Testament Were they therefore without the Word of God and a sufficient Rule for Faith and Practice Surely not It was an Administration of Life and Power of writing the Law in the Heart and putting the Spirit in the inward Parts From whence came that Christian Answer to the Heathen concerning Swearing Fighting such contra-Evangelical Practices They could not do so because of God in their Consciences At that time of Day the Anoâ—nting led them into all Truth But in process of time when Christians grew Careless and Worldly whereby they lost the Power of Godliness then they began to set up an outward pompous Religion ascribing that to the Letter and Form which was only due to the Spirit and Power And as thus entered the Apostacy into the World so where Men are not turned and conformed to that eternal Spirit and divine immortal Power the Apostacy still remains And our End in pressing People unto the Eternal Word of Life is that they may be brought out of Death and Darkness which the Scriptures can never do They are a Declaration and Testimony of Heavenly Things but not the Heavenly Things themselves and as such we carry an high Respect unto them We accept them as the Words of God himself and by the Assistance of his Spirit they are read with great Instruction and Comfort I esteem them the best of Writings and desire nothing more frequently then that I may lead the Life they exhort to and whatever sleight Apprehensions my disingenuous Adversary is pleas'd to have of these kind of Acknowledgments I write the naked Truth of my Heart knowing I must give an Account to God CHAP. IV. His Pretence of our Equalling our own Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures VVIthout any flourishing Reflections most commonly the Head and Tail and sometimes Middle too of my Adversary's Reply I shall lay down his words Rep. The Means I used for confirming the first part of this Charge were two First Their pretending them to be from Immediate Inspiration This he is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a rude impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self Idle to transscribe and animadvert upon it Rejoyn How rude and impertinent a manner I pleaded for it the Reader may best judge by perusing something of the Passage For Inspiration the Scriptures are not more express in any one thing No man can know the things of God by the bare Spirit of a Man The Scriptures are a sealed Book to all but those who know them by the same Hand that originally gave them so that however common they may be in the World they are Strangers to them that understand them not And though Old respecting the Time when they were revealed to the Saints yet New to every Age. So that we assert not a Revelation of New Things but a renewed Revelation of those Things God made former Ages Witnesses of otherwise men are no more benefitted by them And to be benefitted they must be made ours by the Spirit which made them the Holy Ancients In short No Man can understand Spiritnal Things but the spiritually Discerning nor can he so be without the Inspiration of the Almighty This is Scripture Now the Author of those Queries and J. Faldo also denying Inspiration they consequently deny themselves to be spiritually Discerning And for Men not spiritual to judge of spiritual Matters much 〈◊〉 to write of them and bid their Writings go and throwdown Self-will and exalt the Truth is Vain and Idolatrous For the Scriptures themselves considered meerly as such are unable much less Writings founded on Self-Will For it s the alone Priviledge of God's Power and Spirit and no writing whatever distinct from it can perform that Great and Mighty Work in Man Now as Rude and Impertinent as this Answer may be in John Faldo's Eyes his Reply has not afforded me Light enough to see it He would prove us guilty of holding Inspiration as if to do so were a Crime From a Passage of John Story 's who rejected certain Queries exhibited against the Quakers because meerly grounded upon the Author's Imagination of certain Passages in Scripture and not any certain Knowledge or Experience received from the Revelation of the Spirit It must be left to the Reader to judge how pertinently I returned upon my Adversary Sure I am that Self-willed Queries can never throw down Self-will And to urge Scripture not experienced is to steal the words of Truth from our Neighbour Inspiration was in request after Scriptures were in the World And indeed are unintelligible without it The New Birth is never the more known for Christ's Saying to Necodemus though thereby we are taught that without it no man shall enter into the Kingdom of God It is the Spirit alone that reveals the Mysteries of Regeneration therefore to deny Inspiration or Revelation is to overthrow the only and Evangelical Way to divine Knowledge Erasmus himself could tell us What Men set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit But the thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit And without the Inspiration of it the Secrets of God cannot be known which is also the substance of the fourth Article exhibited against the Lutherans in the Council of Trent as an erroneous Doctrine they held That to understand the Scripture neither Gloss nor Comment is necessary but only to have the Spirit of a Sheep of Christ's Pasture Vetablus
within in that Blasphemous Saying then against the Spirit in the Prophets Apostles and every good Christian who by his infatuated way of Arguing would make us believe that Lucian and Julian acted from the Light within because they acted from something within and that there is no Distinction to be made between their Writings and the Scriptures themselves upon our Principle because they writ according to the Light that was in them as he sayes VVhat is this but to deny all Testimony within or at least allows but of such a one as gives equal Evidence to Apostates and Christians Men acted by the Power of Darkness and the Principle of Light It shall now rest with my Reader to point where the Pinch was For the Ill Language he sayes I gave him to wit a Line and a half made up out of six pages given on distinct Provocations Let us examine Base Comparison pag. 43. This fell out upon his comparing us with the Papists which we shall anon consider How slovenly I was in doing so I will not be mine own Judge Black as Hell it self in Malice page 46. fell from me on this Occasion sayes J. Faldo I know not hardly any worse Lucian and Julian said of Jesus of Nazareth the Scripture and Christianity THEN THE QUAKERS HAVE DONE VNDER OTHER NAMES Now Reader if thus to Unchristian Unscripture in fine Unreligion Prophane yea Atheize a whole Body of People bringing them into parallel with loose and heathenish Scoffers and Persecuters of the Christian Religion who all this while reverently believe in Christ Jesus the Saviour of the VVorld in his Life Death Resurrection Ascension Doctrine and Miracles I say If thus to use us is not as black as Hâ—ll in Malice against us there can be nothing Black Hellish or Malicious For the last piece of Raiâ—ing as he calls it The Impudence of his Wâ—ckedness p. 4 9. VVhat could it be else to charge the Impiety of Julian and Lucian upon the Light within and telling the VVorld That upon the Quakers Principle they may conclude their Writings as Canonical as the Scriptures of Truth But this man studied Personal Reflection more then the Cause or he would not have given but five Lines of nine Pages of my Answer and never have considered that as he ought I could be glad to read one page of his Vindication without unnecessary Reflection who for a Line and a half of pertinent Rebuke by him out of six Pages of my Answer hardly pickt and by me fully defended cryes out of my impertinent slovenly hard Names and that gentiler Railing may be learned under a Hedge where I leave him to be better taught But he is very angry I contract his Comparison of us with the Papists in the Matter of Infallibility and Inspiration thus He tells the VVorld the Papists own Revelation and the Quakers hold Revelation also therefore the Quakers are Papists or very near them Hear his Reply Rep. How can I guide W. P's Pen to write Truth in Matter of Fact If he find such an Argument in my Book I will be content to be his Bond-slave Can you believe that a man can be blest with Apostolical immediate Revelations for every thing in Religion that is not so honest as to use the very Eyes in his Head Rejoyn By this we may perceive it is high Tide with J. Faldo First Reader I deliver not the words in a different Character from my own because I did not pretend to quote him But that it was the drift of the Comparison and so no wrong to his Intention the thing it self abundantly proves The Papists hold Revelation and the Quakers own Revelation what 's the meaning of these two Propositions unless it be the Conclusion I drew But lest the Man should be believed hear what he sayes himself in his first Book It is no little Absurdity in the Quakers to make Out-cry against Popery while they plant and hug the Root in their own Bosoms Again in the same page It were no hard matter to prove an Agreement in a multitude of Particulars between the Papists and Quakers Besides all this he brings in a Story pag. 55. of a certain Romanist who coming into England and being asked which of the multitude of Sects came nearest unto the Roman Church replyed The Quakers And this J. Faldo sayes he remembers How then he should forget to that degree of Abuse that there is any Argument in his Book to prove the Quakers very near to the Papists who in his Story uses that very Word to make People believe it I cannot tell unless his great Desire to bedirt William Penn transported him beyond all remembrance of what he had writ I might now demand his Promise of being my Bond-Slave But alas Proud Man and Insolent he is too high for that Office if such I could accept of Though I know not how he can come off unless with this Passage p. 57. The Quakers out-go the Papists FAR therefore the Quakers are not Papists nor NEAR them He thought I made him abuse us beyond his Intention and he both intended and abused us beyond what I represented If in that I wronged him he has more Reason to Forgive then Revile me But how comes it to pass that he sayes nothing of my argumentum ad hominem The Papists own a God a Trinity of Persons c. And J. Faldo owns a God and a Trinity of Person therefore J. Faldo is a Papist or near a kin to one VVould this be just If not neither is his Conclusion of force against us J. Faldo holds something in common with Jews Turks Heathens and Papists he would not take it kindly if we should therefore conclude him to be all or any of them But he gave this the go-by which shews he seeks not the Promotion of Truth but Disgrace of his Adversary indeed his very good Friend though his own Indeserts will not let him believe it CHAP. V. Of the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie THe first thing in this Chapter he chargeth me with is Forgery Let us see how he proves it Rep. The Charge in my fifth Chapter is That the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Life or a Judge and Determiner of Religious Controversies but P. as if he had sworn not to repeat my words faithfully trans-scribes them That we deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies Rejoyn Reader observe the Forgery lies here that I left out Life after Faith and Determiner after Judge and Religious before Controversies But because that which is the Rule of Faith is the Rule of Life and that Judge and Determiner are all one and that the Controversies intended were not about Questions in Mathematicks Philosophy Trade or Law common or civil but purely about Religion I thought it no Forgery to leave out words not necessary or what from the Nature of the
dangerous then reading the Scriptures Reader 't is worth our while to see if I. Penington be as bad a Man as J. Faldo represents him in order to which I ask First May a Man that reads and pretends to value the Scriptures from up an Vnderstanding of them and yet be absolutely mistaken for want of the True Interpreter the Spirit of Truth I cannot think but J. Faldo himself will say that such a thing may be I am sure I believe so for it hath often been so already and J. Faldo's present Writings are an Unanswerable Instance for the Point The next Question I would ask is this Whether such Persons so mistaken are not very apt in Defence of their own Conceivings to oppose the Truth it self Methinks the whole Jewish Church at the time of Christ's Visible Appearance in the World in disputing against him and decrying of his Religion while they magnify'd the Scriptures as the only great Doctors of them should without further Labour answer that Question in the Affirmative Next Let me ask J. Faldo If the high Conceit the Jews had of their Knowledge in the Commands Doctrines and Prophecies of Scripture however Erroneous for want of the True Interpreter did not render them more captious and obdurate then the Heathen themselves If he can read the Scriptures of the New Testament he may answer this Question to our Mind and his own Shame Lastly Was not this State more dangerous then that of the Gentiles God himself long since resolv'd this Question when he brought such heavy Judgments upon the Jews and turn'd the Stream of his Love to the Gentiles It was not for nought those words were left upon record He came to his own and his own received him not That is He came to the Nation and People of all others God had selected for his Service to whom he had been propitious beyond measure whom he redeem'd by wonderful Miracles and blessed with Holy Leaders Just Judges a Righteous Law True and Faithful Prophets whose were the Covenants and Scriptures who were the Seed of Abraham and of whom Christ came as concerning the Flesh yet they received him not as God over all blessed forever manifested in Flesh in the Fulness of Time for their Deliverance but vehemently rejected him under the Title of Beelzebub Prince of Devils By this time I hope Isaac Penington's Passage is vindicated from the Malignity of our Adversary's Comment whose Perversion must needs be open and conspicuous to all that read him First in charging him To have made this Reflection upon the Knowledge gained by the Letter of the Scriptures which are none of I. P's words Next in concluding that by I. P's Doctrine nothing can well be more Dangerous then Reading the Scriptures who alwayes was and yet is a great Respecter and Reader of them making the Stress of I. P's Saying to lie in a Dislike and Contempt of the Scriptures absolutely instead of their dark Interpretations upon and Carnal Deductions from the Scriptures which he only levell'd his Discourse against Thus have we been serv'd in every pretended Proof he has brought out of our Friends Writings to prop and enforce his feeble and incredible Charges For where we reprove Men's forming unto themselves Religion from the Letter of the Scriptures according to their own Conceptions of it and give a Check to their great Eagerness to comprehend the most weighty Mysteries therein expressed and their continual Questioning Cavilling and Contending concerning them whilst they themselves are Ignorant of the very first Principles of Religion being yet Strangers to Unfeign'd Repentance fâ—om Dead Works and Fear towards the Living God with Loud Voices and Clamorous Tongues they thus exclaim against us after this Unruly as well as Unjust Manner The Quakers Deny the Scriptures The Quakers say they are not binding upon them The Quakers say it is Dangerous to read them but I say in their Name Blessed are they who reading truly understand them and live according to them I might here break off but I intreat my Reader to peruse Two notable Testimonies given by University-Men and such as were reputed Famous Thirty Years ago The first is out of Joshua Sprigg's Book entituled A Testimony to an Approaching Glory pag. 96. Christ desires that his Disciples may be sanctified not by planting the Knowledge of the LITERAL Word in their Minds but by ingrafting the Nature of the DIVINE Word in their Hearts Again in pag. 107. Christ may offer himself long enough in the LETTER in the HISTORY of the Gospel but if he appear not in the SPIRIT and sit in our Consciences to quiet them we shall never have any true Understanding of the Word aright And in page 79 80. We may see what is to be done by looking upon the HISTORY of Christ but till we find the same things done in us in some measure in the MYSTERY we can find little Comfort The whole HISTORY of Christ will profit you nothing nor all that you know except you find EXPERIMENTALLY the same things done in you by the Spirit The second is afforded us by Christopher Goâ—d stiled Bachellor of Divinity and Fellow of King's Colledge in Cambridge in his Book entituled Refreshing Drops c. pag. 12. There is no Knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by REVELATION it is that the Apostle prayes for That God would give unto us the Spirit of Revelâ—tion Again in pag 18. It is neither Moses nor the Scriptures nor Christ's Works can settle our Hearts unless the Father be in them c. Also in pag. 89. To go forth in Man's Power in the Power of a Letter of the Scripture only is not safe Yet again pag. 87 upon Acts 17. Here they hold Paul play in Reasoning and Disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures and the Jews do dispute against Christ by the Scriptures And this is that that all the Learning of Man doth all his Knowledge in the Scripture doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater Knowledge in the Scriptures and the more Learning if it be only of Man the greater Opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit These Jews had LEARNING AND KNOWLEDG IN THE SCRIPTURES MEERLY TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH THE POWER AND LIFE OF THE SCRIPTURES And lastly that we may not be too prolix we shall content our selves in the over-looking many more with this Passage in his last Testimony pag. 71. upon Esa 25. There are that have devoted themselves to the Law and the Letter of Scripture There are others that have their Life in the Creature God will shortly draw all Life unto himself and all they that run after other Gods shall starve and famish They and their Gods These Passages Reader speak for themselves and which is more so much for us that till J. Faldo and his Fellow-Separatists have publickly renounced them and their Authors we have great Cause to say that such as themselves have hitherto reputed their Spiritual and
more I that live but Christ in me that is The Apostle had no Life in him in any sense Would this be good Doctrine But more openly do the Words of Christ lay to the Exception of such Cavillers 'T is not I that speak but the Father in me Again It is not you that speak but the Holy Gost in you For after J. Faldo's Parapharase we must either deny that Christ or his Apostles spoak those words or confess that they contradicted themselves in saying they did not speak when they did or lastly He must acknowledge to us That such Teachings and Speakings are not the Teachings and Speakings of Men but of God by and through Men. Let him first see if he can reconcile himself to these Scripture-Passages so pertinent to our Purpose and leave off his silly Shifts as easily confuted as discovered Upon my saying That we do believe that there is One and but One Universal Church the Ground and Pillar of Truth and that is in God and that the Members of it are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and grafted into the True Vine bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness p. 113. he thus replyes and I beseech my Reader to consider it Reply p. 59. If he own no other Church but this which is the Character of the invisible Church he owns not a Gospel-Church whose Order and Frame is according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Practice of the Saints in the New-Testament Rejoynder VVe are beholden to him for this May we ever meet with such kind Adversaries It seems then my Definition hath nothing to do with the Gospel-Church VVhat is it but to say that the Gospel-Chruch is not the Pillar of Truth The Gospel-Chruch is not washed in the Blood of the Lamb The Gospel-Chruch is not grafted into the true Vine that Men may be in the Truth washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted into the true Vine bring forth Fruit unto Holiness and yet no wayes concered in the Gospel-Church in short the Gospel-Church is not the Vniversal Church nor the invisible Church a Gospel-Church and what is his Reason if any there can be for all this pernicious and Anti-christian Doctrine Because a Gospel-Church is one whose Order and Frame is according to the Doctrine of the Apostle and Practice of the Saints Worse and worse it seems then in J. F's Sence that the Order and Frame the Doctrine of the Apostles brought the Church of Christ to and the Practice of the Saints in the New Testament had nothing to do with the Pillar of Truth dwelling in God being washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted in the true Vine and bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness What Sort of impious Gibberish is this For according to his Notion of the Gospel-Church the most Satanical Crew may as well be of that Church as the best of Christians since the External Order at most but the Form of Godliness was and is imitable and imitated by arrant Hypocrites By this Argument Elias and the Seven Hundred who had not bowed their Knees to Baal so invisible as Elias himself knew not of them were Schâ—s maticks or Infidels to the then Jewish Church being without all Visible Church Policy or Order and the Jews that had it though Apostatized must have been God's Legal Church It will also follow that for above 1200 Years together since Christ's time there hath been no Gospel-Church yet Gospellers as their Enemies have called them which were to grant to the Roman-Catholicks all they Desire What was that Church that fled into the Wilderness It must either be the Gospel-Church or not the Gospel-Church If not the Gospel-Church then not the Christian and consequently the Antichristian-Church But that could not be because she fled from Antichrist If the Gospel-Church then may a Church be Gospel without punctuallity in visible Order for it is notorious by all Story the Remnant of the Woman's Seed who have born a faithful Testimony against the Spirit of Antichrist in their Sack-Cloth and Wilderness Estate have been destitute of that Visible Order Indeed I hitherto thought that a Gospel-Church constituted necessary external Order and not that meer external Order constitutes the Church Gospel or Evangelical But John Faldo sayes No who seems not to scruple at the Word Church but to play upon the Word Gospel as if external Order and Gospel were synonimous or of equal force whereas the Gospel is called in Scripture The Power of God to Salvation from that Spiritual Redemption it efficatiously worketh in them that receive it from the Bondage of Corruption under which they have fruitlesly laboured which is the Reason and a good one too why it signifieth Glad-Tidings since nothing can be more Joyous to a weary and heavy-loaden Sinner then to be eased of his former Iniquities by Remission and purged from the Nature and Habits of it out of the Soul by the Operation of this Heavenly and Everlasting Gospel which worthy Christopher Goad Right Spirit of Christ pag. 17. calls the forming or bringing forth of Christ in us What is all our Adversary hath said but to make Remedies against or Condescension to the Weakness of the Church's Infancy as sayes honest W. Tindal in his Works p. 9. 436 438. the only great Constitutes of a Gospel-Church By which he denyes a Gospel-Church to have been antecedent to that External Order and consequently that the Believers were not a Gospel-Church when met together on the Day of Penticost not long after since the Gospel had been many years preached Multitudes converted and many baptized by the One Spirit into the One Body of true Gospel-Fellowship before ever those Epistles were written by the Apostle Paul either to the Church at Corinth or to Timothy in which only External Order is mentioned Nay at this rate he hath Unchurched every Party in England but one if yet one may be excepted for if External Order only constitutes a Gospel-Church every Party in England differing greatly in their External Order it must follow that none but one if any one can have any just Pretence to a Compleat Gospel-Church consequently Mungrils He still forgets what he promised that None of them were further concerned against the Quakers then Vindicated Howbeit herein they may hold him excused that he hath equally unchurched Himself and these he preacheth to in Company with all other Parties in England being out of that Order But I intreat the Reader to consider what a Monster he hath made of Christ who describeth him with two such Bodies to one Head one Invisible the other Visible one washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted into the true Vine bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness Qualifications hid from the Eye of the World as worthy John Bradford told T. Weston as in B. Martyr p. 104 312. That the Church of Christ is Invisible to him that hath not a Spiritual Eye The other constituted of People no matter how Vnregenerated if submitted to
Testimonial or Signification of their Belief in the Visible Appearance of the then so much denyed so cruelly derided and crucisied Jesus Wherefore I say it was not Evangelical but an Introductory Ceremony suited to the external State of things in that Day which in some competent Time so varied that there could be no Pretence of Christian-Prudence for Perpetuating the Practice of it much less any Reason for its Institution for as the Christian Power and Spirit then brightned and Christ came to be more and more formed in the Hearts of his People VVater gave way to the Holy Ghost and Fire John to Christ and their Carnal Historical Faith of Christ to the Revelation of the Son of God in them the one thing necessary even the Eternal Substance that as He grew up and put forth himself gradually wore off all Shadowy and Figurative Observations Thus did God restore the Kingdom to Israel and bring back the Captivity of his People having laid Help upon one that is Mighty the Son of his Love who alwayes was the Baptizer of all them that believe in him into his own pure Nature which is that Regeneration without which no Man shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God CHAP VII Of the Bread and VVine which Christ gave to his Disciples after Supper commonly called the Lord's Supper OUR Adversary begins his Sixteenth Chapter thus Reply pag. 69. W. P. having little to any purpose to say upon the Point of the Lord's Supper hath recoruse to his old Shifts First he charges the Independents with the Death of J. Parnel p. 141. But what is that to the Question and I believe as little to the Truth as my hand in the Blood of Kings and Princes Rejoynder Then is John Faldo deeply guilty of the Blood of Kings and Princes for certain Persons of that Way apprehended imprisoned and hardly used him to Death Doubtless no Murderer no Traitor was ever handled at that in humance â—ate by English Men as was this poor Young-man by those pretended Saints I refer my Reader to the second Part of our Serious Apology p. 185 186 187. for further Satisfaction Nor have I used any Shifts to avoid the Strength of J. Faldo's Charges or Proofs I am glad when he meddles with Matter for I find more Trouble Chaff Froth and Pedantry then when I encounter any thing more solid But if this be not crying out first there is no such thing as I will make appear in this very Chapter I brought several Reasons to justifie our Discontinuance of the Supper soberly discoursed in four or five pages He takes no more notice thereof then if there had been no such thing saving that he tells us He neglects them because they be speak the Emptiness of their Author Such a Way of Replying that had I loved Shifts more then honest Answers and could put off my Conscience at that easie but unjust Rate it would have saved me the Trouble of having to do with John Faldo's essayes against the Quakers He bestows his time in making good two Proofs he pretended to bring out of our Frinds Writings how well he acquits himself we will examine J. Parnell it seems said The Bread that People broak in that Observation was Outward Natural and Carnal This he counted most Hainous I told him That the Bread and Wine being of an Outward Elementary Nature and Substance may in Comparison of what they signifie be very properly termed Natural and Carnal Upon which he bestows this Reply after his wonted Modesty Reply pag. 69 70. Very well becoming Penn's knowing Divinity and Philosophy Fire and Air are of an Elementary Nature is Fire and Air therefore Carnal Rejoynder We would not that any should think that we intend by Natural and Carnal the worst Sense that may attend these words for sometimes they import a Wicked and Accursed State but simply as they are opposed to things Supernatuaral and spiritual and in this Sense all parts of this visible World may fall under their Signification Outward relates to the same thing and so doth Elementary as vulgarly understood and by me appropriated I was not making a Philosophistical Lecture but writing of plain and Evangelical Doctrine I know that VVords in Philosophy do carry a quite other Sense then what they bear in common Conversation I opposed Natural to Supernatural Carnal to Spiritual Outward to Inward and Elementary which relates to any of these VVorlds Elements to the Nature of that Food which comes down from above and I think Bish VVilkins's Real Character will vindicate me from the Crowing Charge of this pretended Divine and Philosopher His next Testimony was out of VV. Smith's Primmer They Bread and VVine in the Lord's Supper are the Pope's Invention This I utterly denyed to have been delivered by VV. Smith and did require him in the view of the World to produce any such Words out of the Books of W. Smith or any other of our Friends His Reply is this Reply p. 70. What W. P insnuates I charged them with viz. calling the Bread and Wine Christ blessed the Invention of the Pope I am as little concerned to make Proof of as he is honest to make report of for my Book layes no such thing to their Charge Rejoynder What a silly Evasion is this Did he not charge us with calling the Bread Wine of the Lord's Supper the Popâ—s Invention And doth he now tax my Honesty in saying That he makes us to call he Bread and VVine Christ blessed the Invention of the Pope I would fain know what is the Difference between these two Expressions were not the Bread and VVine Christ blessed the Lord's Supper If not he knows what follows and if they were the Lord's Supper then to call the Bread and VVine Christ blessed or the Lord's Supper the Invention of the Pope is equivalent therefore he ought to think himself greatly concerned to make us Satisfaction for having cast so great a Scandal upon us our Doctrine But he hopes to help one Shift by another Hear him Reply p. 70. But you are to take Notice that W. P's Words import that very same Bread and Wine which Christ and his Disciples eat and drank together at Jerusalem Rejoynder Oh J. Faldo leave of these horrible Falshoods Hath neither Christianity nor thy Profession nor common Reputation Power enough to influence thee into more Justice towards thy Adversary What Man of Sence can think I meant only that very same Bread and Wine which Christ and his Disciples eat and drank together There is no Foundation for this ill Comment And I dare appeal to my Readers Conscience in this Matter And so meanly hast thou managed this Matter that thy very next Words show the slightness of thy Reply Reply p. 70. VVhereas my Charge is of the Bread and Wine used in the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper after his Death among God's People and his Churches Rejoynder What Difference was there in Point of Time between
Friendship to him yet so invincible was his Displeasure that there was no holding for me of his Good-will and believing Christ to be God They were with him as inconsistent as Light and Darkness I know no other Reason if this be any for his Sharpness to me And God knows this is the very Truth I leave it with my Reader to satisfie his own Conscience concerning this Matter But he never wrote against me Truly he needed not who hath another Instrument so nimble and so able a Scribe as J. F. for the Purpose But if calling me the basest Names undervaluing detracting and traducing me in almost all Companies behind my back and in a Garden at Hogfdon where I went to accompany some of my Relations to affront me with opprobrious Names as many can witness who demean'd my self with all Gentleness towards him and to act in the Quallity of an incessant Agent against us by Informations Reports Books c. WHO ONCE DID ALL THESE THINGS FOR US and we are no worse Men then we were If these things be no just Provocations to mention two Letters I am to blame Yet that I name him in almost all my Writings or all that he hath read is false for in the Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith c. which J. F. quotes he is not named and of above Twelve Books he was mention'd but in Three and that obscurely this makes the Fourth against my Will The Occasion besides what hath been already toucht upon was this H. H. one of his Friends writes a Book against us or rather to us against G. F. J. Faldo's Mr. T. F. was the Promoter and Scatterer of these Pamphlets especially upon the Exchange where not in private Converse as J. F. sayes and makes to be the only Reason of my taking notice of him that he may render me base to his Readers before several and those of divers Perswasions called G. Fox Knave Puppy Logerhead with such like unhandsome Terms unworthy of a Man of T. F's Consideration in the World This I would never have repeated had not J. Faldo drawn yea compelled it from me by suggesting an Untruth and substituting it in the room of the True Reason Well But if his Information fail him not I have been engaged by T. F. to another kind of Deportment And suppose all this hath he not dis-engaged me sufficiently I owe no Man any thing beyond Truth nor will be fettered from my Testimony by any Obligations But I never was engaged to him beyond what I have faithfully related except it was his lending me as he thought by one that was my Servant at that time of my Tower-Imprisonment about Forty Pounds he coming in my Name counterfitting both Messages and Letters as I made appear to him afterwards which though mine Eyes never saw one Penny of it nor was there a Penny employed in my Service or to my use I did when God enabled me having then no Estate in my Hands faithfully repay as if I had really had every Penny believing then and still that it was Kindness in him to me that was abused by a Knavish Servant and I would never let him suffer for it If herein I have wronged him he may forgive me But because in my Answer to J. Faldo and what he said in his behalf against us I told him that some thought it a Shame that so ill a Tongue should go unrebuked of those whose Principles and Interest give them the Liberty of doing it in a way that might be more effectual then all the Moderation and Reason that can easily be shown to him J. Faldo exactly like himself strains these words all the Moderation and Reason which I intended of our bearing his Abuses only showing their Vnreasonableness by writing to nothing below some Vnjust and Violent Course to rid him out of the way which are but softer words for down-right Murder and to Countenance this Comment of his I was told I think by one that had it at T. F's Mouth that he was advised to take the Law of me for his Security But to put all this out of doubt those that thought it a Shame he should so frequently violently and publickly revile honest Men bringing their Common Credit into Question by scurvy Names meant by the way that might be taken only the Law which was what some counselled him to use to secure himself against me These Men had need have good Consciences that are thus affraid before they are hurt Thus have I vindicated those Reflections J. Faldo lay'd such Foundation for and if T. F. be troubled at this I must tell him so am I but I cannot help it Let him better advise his Scribe next time for I have nothing but hearty Love and good Wishes for him nor have I said any thing harsh or disgraceful in this Defence of my self imputing much of what hath happened more to his Natural Haste and sometimes ungoâ—â—rn'd Speech then a Premeditated Injustice He knows how often I have caution'd him in those respects while we conversed together Nor hath it been my only Observation and Admonition by a great many others and some of his own Friends too Thus I leave T. F. â—n perfect Good-will to see what Leave it is that J. Faldo is taking of us His Epilogue degenerates not one jot from the Book it self And as if he would do me a great Deal of Mischief in a little Compass and say whatever is rude and unjust once for all he tells his Reader That I have egregiously played the Forger that I am a Cheat that all Men understanding Controversie will judge me worthy to be made a Proverb of and when they would express an impudent Forger to say no more then W. PENN Rep. pag. 95. And that he may add Prophaneness to his Railing he proceeds A Great Poet of their own hath these words worthy to begin all Mr. Penn's Books on that Subject as it ends this of mine If a meer Scoff in Scripture-Phrase be prophanening Scripture then I have not over-charged him in calling this Phrase wherein he useth Paul's words to the Athenians but with Scorn and Levity against us Prophaneness But let us hear these so much Derided Words And they that would be satisfied concerning us any way they must find us and know us in the Principle of Life where we are and not in their own Reason where we are not and so let none REASON about us for there they can never know us nor come unto us W. Smith's Cat. p. 94. But why so much Contempt upon this Passage unless it be to show us that he can still Scoff at that Principle of Life which is the Strength and Habitation of God's Children as he hath done already throughout both his Books Did the Disciples or the Pharisees find out Christ's Meaning by their Reasoning about it John 6. or would not either have relisht the true Meaning of his Words had they dwelt in the Divine Principle of Life
God himself and so God saves God and God worships God This my Reader may find in his Vind. from p. 75. to 87. particularly this following of E. B. about the Soul 10. From E. Burroughs affirming the Light of Christ in every Man to be one with the Spirit as good as the Spirit of Christ in order to prove it the same J. Faldo infers he made the Soul of Man God because that which is as good as the Spirit of God is God Book 1. Part 2. p. 122. Vind. p. 85 86. As if E. B. had spoken it of the Soul of Man and not the Light of Christ shining in the Soul of Man as his Words express it 11. Lastly from our Denyal of his carnal Resurrection as inconsistent with Scripture and Reason he takes Heart to tell all People that W. P. and all the through Quakers deny the Resurrection of the Dead and are guilty of not believing a future Reward in an other World with a Train of Ill Language too long to bring in Vind. p. 88 89 91. This Friendly Reader hath been the Entertainment we have received at J. Faldo's Hands but all things shall work together for good III. of his evading my Answer and Arguments It is very frequent with him next to leaving out what I say or fastening false Consequences upon what he transcribes to evade the Strength of mine Answer either by pretending to have said enough in his first Book as if that had foreseen my Answer and anticipated his Reply with a Refutation or by some one Word which will serve him to play at or by being in haste or else my Answer deserves no Reply at all c. An Evidence of this Sort of Carriage my Reader may find in his Reply p. 5 17 18 38 51 57 58 59 69 71 76 91 93 One at large for all To my several Arguments in defence of Immediate Revelation Inspiration as he terms it he returns three or four Lines This W. P. is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a Rude Impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self idle to animadvert upon it p. 17. The cheapest Way that ever Man took to confute his Adversary Doth this become any Man of his Pretence to either Schollarship or Christianity IV. Of his Forgery or Perversion I am sorry I have such reiterated Occasion to charge him with Forging that is foisting in Words into our Writings and Sayings that are wholly inconsistent with them or perverting those he delivers to the End he may make them ponounce his Mind the more plainly A few of many Places I have observed as in page 22 25 41 42 50 51 92 93. Of which I shall give four Instances more particularly 1. â— Pennington speaking of Knowledge according to the Flesh By Flesh sayes he The Quakers understand the Vse of our Vnderstandings though sanctified first Book p. 41. Vind. p 24 25. 2. His second is making W. Smith to call the Scriptures Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness Confusion Corruption Rotten Deceitful the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast all out of the Life and Power of God and not that the meant them of those who had degenerated from the Power of Godliness and had set up their own Imagination in the stead of God's Institutions teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of Men first Book p. 117. 119. Vind. 41 45. 3. The Third is his making I. Pennington to call visible Worship the City of Abomination Vind. p. 50. 4. Lastly That he gives in our Name this Interpretation of the Vail is over them i. e. the Belief of the Man Christ Jesus which was of our Nature to be the Christ c. Vind. p. 93. V. Of his grand Improbabilities and downright Untruths This Charge I know must needs be very unpleasant to a Man as Vain Glorious as many Places of his Book declare him to be but I cannot help it 'T is Truth if there be anâ— Truth in the World that he hath writ a great many unlikely and absolute untrue Things Let my Reader take the Pains to look over these following Pages of his Reply and I am well assured if impartial he will not think that I have in a Tittle wrong'd him p. 6 7 19 21 33 35 38 39 42 46 47 48 49 55 56 65 70 72 73 89 93. Of which I will only instance four 1. First he affirms that he quoted forty Places out of our Friends Books that would prove the Light within as within us to be the only Lord and Saviour and very God p. 6. whereas he brought not any one that either proved the Terms or the Matter 2. Secondly He confidently accused us of charging the Miscarriage of Mens Souls on the Knowledge the Letter of the Scriptures by God's Blessing doth convey p. 21. 3. Thirdly Whereas I said that W. Smith's Words reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor those Doctrines truly received thence neither that any such VVords can be produced by our Adversaries he boldly tells his Reader I intended no other but that Smith doth not accuse himself in so many Words of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures and the Doctrines from thence received as much as to say We both knew it to be Blasphemy but W. Smith did not call it so p. 41. There is no ingenuous Man that will not abhoâ—â— the Falseness of this Passage 4. Lastly I opposing his Affirmation that we did not profess or believe Eternal Rewards thus pretends to confute me W. P. opposes me rather because he would not be thought to subscribe to me then that he believes not what I say to be true p 69. But if this be true sure I am there is no Truth in the World And indeed there is no giving this Sort of Carriage at large but by transcribing far the greatest Part of his Book VI. Of his idle Jeers and frothy Expressions I have not met with any Man writing upon so serious a Subject as Religion is that gives himself the Liberty of so many vain Expressions as if he had intended his Discourse for vulgar Merriment not to Christian Information If my Reader please to trouble himself with the Perusal of these following pages he shall find enough to nauseate p. 6 22 23 26 27 29 30 34 37 40 47 50 51 53 58 60 69 71 72 95. Take two Instances He cackles like a Hen when he had laid a WORSE THING then an Egg p. 47. Again because we said God spoak once by Balaam's Ass thereby proving that he did not alwayes speak by the Scriptures he thus reflects I wonder not that they leave the Teachings of God by the Scriptures to attend on the Ministry of Asses thereby calling us Asses p. 27. Which how Witty soever he thinks such sort of Sayings to be sure they are more Frothy and Irreligious then becomes a Man professing Religion much less writing of the Weightiest Points of it
cannot grow old decay be lost misrendred corrupted transcribed reprinted But hear what he sayes to me Rep. Did we hold as you that it is to be understood of no other but Christ it would be an Absurdity but upon our Principles none at all Would you say that the Scripture is absurd For we are not as many that corrupt the Word of God 2 Cor. 2. 17. Many did so and many do so still of who you are a Ring-Leader Rejoyn Truly if I am I would be glad to know it that I might be sorry for it I would not willingly deceive my self and others both of the Joyes of this Life and that to come But I would desire J. Faldo to consider if his Greek Testament will allow his Translation and least of all his Argument which is this If Christ cannot be corrupted soÌ„mewhat else besides Christ is in Scripture called the Word of God I am not so lean with my Learning but I will spare him a little I find Valla Erasmus Vetablus Castalio Clarius Zegerus and Grotius say the Greek word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not adulterantes but cauponantes vel abutentes re quapiam ad quaestum that is We are not as many who Merchandize with the Word of God or use it to self Ends making a Trade of it or as several of our Old English Translations have it chop and change which more sorely reflects upon my Adversaries Profession then mine For though I am a Corrupter of Scripture in his sense I am sure he is a Trader with it in its own sense I might instance to my Defence in several other Languages particularly the Italian Spanish and ancient French Translations but I will be brief Now unless it be absurd to assert that some Men have and may make worldly Advantage to themselves from that place the Living Eternal Word of God hath ministerially given them in the Hearts of People and false to affirm that the Scriptures of the New Testament were not then all written nor gathered or compiled as now they are or made canonical and publick till the Council of Laâ—dicea about the time of Julian the Apostate Anno 364â— I cannot see how any may justly blame me for denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God from the Passage cited by my Adversary that men may make so ill an use of the Living Word of God none dare deny Now that the Scriptures were at that time Imperfect and scattered is clear They were Imperfect in as much as but five of twenty one Epistles were then writ besides John's History of the Gospel and his Revelation and Luke's Acts of the Apostles J. F. may hence see what a lame imperfect kind of Word of God he disputes for But I would query Was there not a Word of God before them What was that Word of God that grew and multiplyed before any New Testament Writings were in being Did not the Apostles preach it Therefore I rather take it to be such a Word of God as attended the Prophets before them in an inferiour Ministration namely the Living Powerful Quickening Word who from its various Operations is said to be as a Fire an Ax an Hammer a Sword a Word of Reconciliation of Patience of inward Washing of Faith that overcomes the World in true Believers that was with God in the beginning and was God which at sundry times and in divers manners spoak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in and by the Prophets and Apostles which was the Author of the Scriptures and therefore before them So that the Scriptures are no more then the Mind of the Living Word of God declared by Writing upon several occasions consequently to call them an Holy Declaration of the Word of God is a more Evangelical and suitable Title then the Word of God whose Declaration they are That they were scattered and several Centuries or Ages uncollected History tells us particularly we find it in the Council of Trent which is given us by the Learned and Juditious Pietro Soane Polano They could not run their Canon higher then the Council of Laodicea which as we said before was about 364. years after Christ at what time sayes a great Author Ambition prevailed with the Doctors of the Church and they began to think de pijs fraudibus of holy Cheats and would have their Doctrines pass pro legibus non pro consilio for Laws not Counsel I could prove as much and more out of several Independent Authors who seem to give all for gone before the end of the third Century though if some of them should now stand to the purest Tradition they must needs give their present Practice for gone I cannot but observe after what a suspected rate the Scriptures have been both first collected and then convey'd through the several succeeding Ages â—twas well said of my former Author Dubium igitur non est quin Testamenta vetus et novum monumâ—nta vera sint earum rerum quae dictae et factae sint a Prophetis et Apostolis Where though he calls them not the Word of God yet allows them to be Monuments of those things which were said and done by the Prophets and Apostles But as he and others so I may well object Are we sure that the Judgment of those who collected them was sufficient to determine what was right and what not For that which gives Scripture its Canon is not Plurality of Voices but that Word of God which gave it forth If that Divine Counsellor presided not what Assurance have our Anti-revelation Adversaries of their Doctors Câ—oce And granting that they have not rejected any Writing given forth by the holy Ghost which is a great question and that what they have given us was in the main writ by Inspiration which I believe yet how we shall be assured that in above three hundred yâ—aâ—s so many hundred Copies as were doubtless taken shoâ—ld be pure and uncorrupted Considering the private Dissensions the Readiness of each Party to bend things to their own Belief with the growing and succeeding Faults of leaving out adding transposing c. which Transscribers might be guilty of perhaps more through Carelesness then Design is beyond J. Faldo's Skill upon his Principles to inform us From hence we may observe the Vncertainty of J. Faldo ' s Word of God who by Authorities can never prove the Scriptures to be given forth by Inspiration nor that they are truly collected neither could those Persons who first made them Canonical be assured of the Exactness of those Copies they then found extant nor was the Collecter's Judgment Infallible and to come nearer to our times Learned Men tell us of little less then Three Thousand several Readings in the Scriptures of the New Testament in Greek Far be it from me to write this in any the least Vndervalue of that holy Record It s only to shew the weak Foundation my Adversary's Faith stands upon I