and the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets The Quakers themselves have not many speakers for at times they sit dumbe as if silence could promote their mutual edification Was this the Churches way Or the custome of the Apostles and primitive Christians Certainly this hemlock or invention hath sprung up since their late apostacy from the Truth Secondly They will not have the Scriptures called their Masters letter no forsooth their Masters letter is written in their hearts and there they are to find it neither is their Master seperated from them as those who use to write letters to servants to set them on work But is not Christ as much seperate from Quakers as from the seven Churches of Asia Or was he not as near those Famous Churches as them And yet they had letters sent to them from their great LORD and Master to direct them in their duty Revel 1.11 I am Alpha and Omega and what thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia Now will ye observe how much these persons bend their strength to evacuate the authority of the Scriptures For they say GOD requires us to do all our work by immediat counsel and direction as if by the outward command contained in the Scriptures GOD did not require any work of them yea they will not allow the Scripture precepts the name of Commands but call them the outward testimony and signification of the Command which as they say they regaird in its place that is onely when they have an inward command and so while this inward command is wanting through their neligence in waiting all that time the Scripture loseth its authority and is of no use to them Is this to regard the Scriptures Doth it not tend to forward and confirme negligent Atheists in their contemptuous slighting and undervaluing of the Scriptures Oh! that all such would read and tremble at the reading of Ioh. 12.48 he that receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shal judge him at the last day Thirdly They preferre their silent waiting to the reading of the Scriptures as if we must first come to this ere we can know the Scriptures aright Now they should prove which is not so much as touched upon that their way of waiting is a meane appointed by GOD for right understanding of the Scriptures or profitable speaking concerning them Waiting in their notion is Apocriphal not warranted by any Scripture Some of them have defined it to be a silent posture of the heart without thinking good or evil It seemeth to me no better then mispēt time to be employed in seeking such a posture of heart the heart is such a stirring working thing that if it be not upon good it will be busie enough in evil as may be found in our daily experience According to Scripture faith patience and hope must be exercised in waiting Psal 40.1 Lam. 3.26 and can we be in the exercise of these graces without thinking good or evil What an odd conceit is this Fourthly Lest they should seeme to be too great enemies to the Scriptures they confess it to be their desire to try Doctrines by the Scriptures Ans If this be their desire indeed how is it then that one of the Quakers seeing a Religious woman in this Town with a Bible in her hand told her she might as well read a Latine book as that Book And why is it that they do not desire their hearers to bring their Bibles that so they may the better discerne whether the doctrines taught at their meetings be answerable to the Scriptures But happily they think not this convenient lest their juglings should be found out And I must tell the Gentle-man that though he charge us with jugling that the Quakers have been suspected from their first rise as notable juglers which R. Farmer in his Mystery of ungodlyness sheweth by this instance saith he it is usual for Quakers to say they owne the Scriptures yea we confirme and establish the Scriptures and witness the Scriptures Now saith he an honest-man that means plainly would think they believed the Scriptures to be the written Word of GOD and the rule of a Christian to walk by in things to be believed and practised But saith he these persons play the deceivers not using words in that sense they are usually understood they meane otherwise they say in express words else where the Scriptures are not the Saints rule of knowing God and living to him And indeed these are the words of one C. Atkinson a Quaker see his book called the sword of the Lord furbished in answere to the Ministers first principle and a little after he insinuats that to affirme the Scriptures to be the rule is to put darkness for light and light for darkness Now let all unbyassed persons judge whether these men put the Scriptures in their true place SECT II. Proving the Scriptures to be the Word of GOD. He addeth page 26. That every declaration of a mans mind is not his word for signs may be a declaration of his mind Ans Though a dumb man may declare his mind by signs yet this maketh nothing against the Scriptures being the word of God which are such a declaration of Gods mind as he uttered and spake If any thing can be accounted the proper word of one that must be it which he utters and speaks Now the Truths the Commands and Precepts contained in the Scriptures were uttered and spoken by God Exod. 20.1 And God spake all these words c. He saith people usually distinguish between a mans word and his write Ans True For they call the one verbum dictum a word spoken and the other verbum scriptum a word written but can it be inferred from this that the Scriptures are not the Word of GOD which he hath committed to writting for the good of his Church and People He saith the Word of GOD is like unto himself spiritual yea spirit and life and therefore cannot be read with the external senses Ans The Word of GOD is twofold 1. There is the coessential coeternal word namely JESUS CHRIST who is one with the Father this Word properly cannot be read though we may and do read of it 2. There is the Spiritual Word the temporal expressed Word or the Word written in time now the external senses may be employed in reading this Word He saith that these scriptures Hos 1.1 Joel 1.1 Esay 38.4 are understood of that word from which the scriptures were given forth Ans It is not denyed that the Lord spake by the Prophets and was the authour of giving forth the scriptures but yet that word of the Lord which came to the Prophets is not mean'd of the Word made flesh as Quakers would have it but of the mind and message of the Lord contained in Scripture Ieremiah 14.1 the word of the Lord that came to
wicked is common but in the Godly is saving and so Christ is in the one as to a common but in the other in respect of a saving operation of light Now when he saith that Christ is in all men if his meaning be that as God he is in all men then we do not control him for thus Christ is every where If his meaning be that as man he is in all men then the Scripture controls him which holdeth forth his Man-hood must continue in Heaven untill the time of the restitution of all things If his meaning be that Christ is in all men to enlighten them that they may believe then his proof is not sufficient which is Ioh. 1.9 compared with 7. for this seventh verse speaketh expresly of Iohn the Baptist the fore-runner of Christ as is evident by looking back to the preceeding verse There was a man sent from God whose name was John the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe Here the Evangelist holdeth forth Iohns calling and the end of it which was to bear testimony concerning Christ This was the special scop of Iohns Ministry to point out Christ in his excellencies and usefulness to lost men and to whom the offer of Christ comes in the Ministry of the word they are called upon to believe in Christ none being excluded SECT V. There is a Consistency between Mans Lapsed State and the Remainders of the IMAGE of GOD in him He asketh how it is consistent to affirme that some remainders of knowledge and principles of good remaine in man after the ruins of Gods Image in him with what we say to wit that there is no good thing at all in men unconverted and that man fell wholly from God as to all things that are good Ans Who of us do say so without adding any limitation And yet there is no inconsistency between these things even as set down by you if rightly understood for though men unconverted have not any saving good yet it followeth not ergo they are destitute of all good The unconverted have precious Souls in them which are of great excellency and worth and there still remains in them some similitude of GOD their Souls being Spiritual and Immortal It is true man by the fall was bereaved of saving graces in so much that true holiness and saving knowlegde he hath not yet he is not denuded of all knowledge In him there are certaine notions concerning good and evil which though they cannot direct to Salvation and Eternal happiness yet if we live not up to them they serve to leave us unexcusable Now it may be demanded whether it be inconsistent to say that a City is wholly demolished whereas there is some rubbish and some foundations of houses still remaining If this be not inconsistent why should it be thought an inconsistency To say that though men be fallen off from GOD yet he retains some fragments and Relicts of the Image of GOD As in very deed he doth for the Image of GOD is the conformity of the creature to the Creatour and the Soul of man is conformable to GOD in its nature as it is a Spiritual and Immortal Substance Likewise man hath not lost all his dominion over the creatures And it is to be observed that though there be light in the consciences of men that are corrupt yet this light is not the corruption of the conscience but it is derived from Christ and cometh from him as a bountiful Creatour and in this respect the light of knowledge reason and understanding that is in man since the fall may be called the light of Jesus Christ for he is that true light that thus enlighneth every man that cometh into the world V. HEAD Concerning the Scriptures SECT I. Shewing how the Quakers vilify the Scriptures Look to page 24.25 And we may easily perceive the Quakers dis-esteeme of the Scriptures though in speaking to people they would beare them in hand to the contrary For 1. They grant that they meet not to read the Scriptures but to waite on the Lord and they meet to worship GOD whose worship is to be performed in Spirit and in Truth and not in External Reading Now do not these mens endeavours tend to disgrace the Scriptures in that they make an opposition between reading the Scriptures and waiting on GOD and Spiritual worshipping of him as if the Lord could not be waited on in the use of reading his Word Was not the Eunuch in the duty of waiting when sitting in his chariot he read the Prophet Isaias This work was so well pleasing to GOD that the Lord encouraged him in it helping him to understand what before he knew not Act. 8.28 Did not the Saints under the Old Testament worship GOD in Spirit and in Truth Surely the Lord required of them sincere Spirit worship which they performed lifting up their Souls to GOD and did not satisfy themselves with the bare outside and carcase of duty Lament 3.41 And yet they were not enemies to external Reading of the Scriptures Act 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preacht him being Read in the Synagogue every Sabbath-day And although Reading the Scriptures was a duty done under the Law it doth not cease to be a duty under the Gospel because it is no where repealed but on the contrary as it was commanded in the Old Testament so it is confirmed in the New this being a special means of having the Word of GOD to dwel richly in us Coloss 3.16 It is most agreeable to the Scriptures for a Minister to take the Bible and read a part of it opening and applying it see Nehem. 8.5.8 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people so they read in the book of the Law of GOD distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading Christ himself took a text and applyed it Luke 4.18.21 And albeit Christ did this in the synagogue Quid inde What then did he not likewise Preach in the synagogue And yet Preaching continues to be the Ministers duty 2. Tim. 4.2 As for that Scripture 1. Cor. 14.29.30.31 it conduceth nothing to keep up the successive talking of Quakers For the Prophesying here mentioned was the act of Prophets and it is restrained to them all the Prophets who prophesie Now the Gentle-man will have much ado to prove all his brethren who at their meetings take upon them to Preach or rather to use his owne terme prate one after another to be Prophets especially to prove their women preachers to be in the number of them for their preaching is expresly prohibited verses 34.35 Let your women keep silence in the Church for it is not permitted unto them to speake it is a shame for women to speake in the Church Neither doth the afore-cited Scripture make any thing against our way for Ministers amongst us sometimes speak two or three
Ieremiah Now what word was this surely none else but the message which the Prophet was to deliver from GOD to the persons therein concerned having reference to that dearth which should make Judah mourne and languish verse 2. The same may be said of the other scriptures He addeth What the Scripture saith and GOD saith may be said that they are one because of their agreement Ans This is to advance humane writings and to equal them with the scriptures when their sayings agree with what God saith He saith every one that reads and heares the scriptures read heareth not God immediatly Answer GOD himself speaketh in the Scriptures to them that have eares to hear him Rev. 3.6 And though all that read and hear the Scriptures Read hear not GOD immediatly as the Prophtts who had truths revealed to them by immediat inspiration yet when we read the Scriptures GOD speaks to us mediatly by his written Word and believers so hear his voice that at the reading and hearing of the Scriptures they are forced to say the voice of GOD and not the voice of man Page 27. He saith in answering 1. Thes 2.13 that the word which they heard of the Apostles was the living word Answ The word which they heard of Paul and received as the word of GOD was the Scripture or written word which speaketh of the essential and living word or it was the doctrine he preacht concerning Chtist grounded on and warranted by the Scriptures compare 1. Thess 2.13 with Act. 26.22 He saith that the Pharisees in striking at the first Command did consequently strike at the living word which gave it forth Ans The Pharisees without doubt were enemies to Christ and struck at him many wayes but yet the word which they sought to make void Mark 7. is plainly held forth to be that written precept honour thy father and thy mother compare verse 13. with verse 10. He concludeth the matter saying that the reason why they may not call the scriptures the word of God is that people may be directed to that inward living word Ans If they believe the Scriptures to be true they may and ought to call them the word of GOD for the Scriptures call themselves the word of GOD Ephes 6.17 the sword of the spirit which is the word of GOD this sword of the spirit is not a carnal but a spiritual weapon even the holy Scriptures which are mighty through GOD for repelling the temper and cutting assunder temptations this was the sword which Christ made use of in his conflict with Satan it s written and againe it is written Matth. 4. Luke 4. By calling the Scriptures the word of God which is a name due to them this will make their testimony concerning Christ to be more regarded and therefore the more effectual means to our closing with the living word It seemeth Quakers have strange thoughts of the Scriptures as if they were set up as an Idol instead of that from whence they came If we profess love to the Scriptures and desire to obey them this is not to Idolize them and we are far from putting the Scriptures in Christs stead Did they ever hear any of us call the Scripture the eternal Son of God that Saviour who dyed and suffered thereby paying a ransome for sinners Redemption Do we not say that though the Scriptures be the word of God yet there is a vast difference between them and Christ he being the essential eternal word and the Scriptures onely the word written in time Why then should it be insinuate that we call Christ the Scripture and put the Scripture in his stead is not this unworthy dealing We distinguish between Christ the word and the word of Christ and though the Scripture be not that word which is Christ yet it is the word of that word Colos 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly SECT II. Clearing the Scriptures to be the Rule He addeth that it rests to be proved that the Law and Testimony mentioned Esay 8.20 was not the inward law Ans The proof of this will not be difficult for here the Prophet opposes what is written as being no light if it agree not to the law and testimony Let people pretend what they will to a law and word within yet if they accord not with the Scripture law or scripture word there is no light of truth in them It is undenyable that the outward law gets the name of testimony this name was given unto the law written in the two Tables in regard whereof the Ark was called the Ark of the testimony because those Tables were laid up in the Ark Exod. 25.16 1. King 8.9 My intent in bringing that scripture Ioh. 7.49 was onely to prove the acceptation of the word law for the outward law left upon record in the Scriptures though the Quaker maliciously glosses on it as if in speaking for the law we were crucifying Christ afresh therein comparng us to the Pharisees whereas the comparison will fit the Quakers a great deal better then us their knowne rash censuring abundantly declares their conformity to Pharisees for they can freely pronounce men damned and cursed who will not take their gate of it and this was the way of the Pharisees this people said they who know not the law are cursed Neither is it probable that Christ checkt the Lawyer Luk. 10.26 in saying how readest thou But rather would have men in matters of Religion to consult the scriptures and therefore in convincing ignorant and erroneous persons of their ignorance and errours He alleadged the Scriptures against them Matth. 22.31.32 When a question arose about devorcement Christ had present recourse to the Scripture Matth. 19.4 have ye not read that he that made them at the beginning made them male and female So when the Pharisees accused Christs Disciples for breach of the Sabbath Christ said unto them have ye not read what David did when he was an hungred and they that were with him Matth. 12.3 Christ then would have the scriptures the rule to walk by and matters of Religion to be tryed by them for he refers us to the scriptures for direction and it s his will that we resort to them in controversies and doubts for resolution He saith page 28. That we seeme to lay much stresse upon this that it cannot be made out to a Jew or Turk that Jesus the Son of Mary is in very deed the Christ without the Scripture Answ We lay so much stress on it that we think Quakers can never prove this fundamental truth referring them to the light within for they pretend following of their light in opposing Christ as much as Quakers do at this day in opposing the precious ordinances and truths of Christ And if Pauls course was commendable so must ours if against the Jews we should alledge scripture in demonstrating Christ to be the Messiah for the Jews profess a belief of the scriptures of the Old
that they will rather confirme them in their deceit Now according to us scripture is the rule which lyes patent open to both parties And therfore a Papist of great note is faine to acknowledge that Scripturis nihil est certius nihil est notius i. e. nothing is more certaine and more evident then the Scriptures And this is profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for conviction and as was said though the Scriptures do not actually convince the stubborn and stiff-heretick yet there is so much in them as may satisfy an inquisitive adversary who is willing to know right from wrong and truth from errour Appollos mightily convinced the Jews by the Scriptures It is inconsequential to argue that the Scripture or written word is not the rule to us to whom GOD hath set down his mind in write because it was not a rule to them who lived when the Scripture or written word was not As for the Prophets the event of what they foretold was that whereby they were to be tryed Deut. 18.22 When a Prophet speaketh in the Name ef the LORD if the thing follow not that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken but the Prophet hath spoken presumptuously thou shalt not be affraid of him Ierem. 28.9 The Prophet which prophesieth of peace when the word of the LORD shal come to passe then shal the Prophet be known that the Lord hath sent him But because GOD for the tryall of his people may sometimes suffer such things to fall out as false-prophets fortell Deut. 13.2 Therefore when men pretend themselves to be prophets sent of GOD their doctrine must be brought to the rule and touch-stone of GODS written word and thereby examined Esay 8.20 He saith page 31. that we disjoyne the word and the spirit because many preach and read the scriptures and talk of them without the joyn'd concurrence of the spirit which they ought not to do Answer He hath not offered to prove that the Scriptures should not be read or spoken of without the concurrence of the spirit unless that be his proof we say they ought not to do but upon what ground do ye say so 1. The command for reading and speaking of the Scriptures hath not this condition annexed to it that we should read and speak of the scriptures onely when we have a concurrence of the spirit and never but then where is there such a condition mentioned 2. What shal be the carriage of wicked persons who are strangers to the drawings and motion of the spirit must the Bible be to them as an Almanack out of date Shal it be to them as a book useless to look into 3. When the Saints want the concurrence of the spirit may they not read and talk of the Scriptures as a mean of good to their souls Hovv many cold hearts have been rubbed and chaffed into spiritual heat by reading and talking of the Scriptures In so doing the Lord hath met vvith them and made their hearts to burne within them Now though the scriptures may be read and spoken of without the concurrence of the spirit Yet to affirme this is not to disjoyne the Scriptures and the spirit separating the one from the other for still the Scriptures remaine to be the endytment of the spirit being spoken and breathed forth by the spirit Act. 28.25 Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaias the prophet unto our fathers Act. 1.16 this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the holy Ghost spake by the mouth of David Marke the Scriptures which Dav d and others of the Prophets penned they are the breathings forth of the Holy Ghost himself Why doth the Quaker complaine so much for my improving Esay 59.21 as if it made so much against me whereas it is directly to that purpose which it was alledged for namely that GODS Spirit and word go together and doth not the Lord here promise that the Spirit and Word should continue with his Church and People to direct and instruct them in all necessaries throughout all ages sucessivly even unto the end of the world He asketh cannot dead things kill if men feed upon them Answ There is no doubt of it yet the Scripture or that part of Scripture which is called the law is said to be killing in such a way as dead things are not And therefore this killing Letter is spoken of as being the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation For the Law threatens death against the sinner and curseth every one that abideth not in all things that are written therein 2. Cor. 6.7.9 Now are the dead things which the Quaker reckons up thus killing It shal not be denyed but feeding upon sand gravel stones c. will prove deadly and destructive to the body even as the drinking in of the lifeless poysonous opinions of Quakers will prove hurtful and destructive to the soul SECT V. Quakers have learned their Language about the Scriptures from Papists Now any may perceive a Popish designe in all the Quakers reasonings against the Scriptures for both Papists and they joyne in studing to disgrace them Herein they very much resemble one another Ye may hear how Quakers lisp after the Papists and concurre with them in speaking the language of Ashdod Do not Papists call the Scriptures Do not Quakers say of them 1. A nose of wax or a rule of lead which may be bowed every way as men please If the delusion be strong in the heart will it not twine the Scriptures without to cause the scriptures to seem for it 2. Papists call the Scriptures inky Divinity paper and parchment Quakers speake of the Scriptures as a dead letter 3. Papists blaime the Scriptures the reading of them by the Laity as that which causeth controversies multiplyeth both Heresies and Sects Quakers say ye that set up the Scriptures as a rule what Sects what jangling and contesting is among you 4. Papists preferre the Church before the Scripture Quakers prefer the light within hence they say that it is by the inward dispensation that the outward dispensation of the Gospel is serviceable without which it hath no service at all 5. Papists contemne and vilify the Scriptures Quakers will not have the Scriptures to be so much as a copy to thē but the Spirit is both their teacher and their copy and if they walk according to this by looking upon it and eyeing it they shal be good scholars and proficients they need not go forth for a copy 6. Papists say the church was judge before the Scriptures were written Quakers say there was a rule before the Scriptures were written 7. Papists deny the Scriptures to be the principal compleat rule of faith And Quakers do the same So true is that of Tertullian CHRIST is alwayes crucified between two theives He denyeth That that more sure word of prophesie 2. Pet. 1.19 is the scripture Answer Had it not been meet not onely to have denyed this but
to GOD and what is Religious worship but that which is given to GOD Answer It is true Religious Worship is given to GOD and its that which is peculiar to GOD and due to him alone and giveing to the Creature what is thus pecular to GOD Is Idolatry but bowing of the body and uncovering of the head is not of this nature And therefore worship is to be distinguished it is either Civil or Sacred this distinction is founded on Scripture of Civil-worship we read Luke 14.10 Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee We read of Sacred Religious worship Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Civil worship proceedeth from a reverencing of men for their Stations Relations or some notable Qualifications and this kind of worship hath been given and received by the holiest of Saints neither is it any where forbidden in Scripture and so Joseph upon his approach to his Father Jacob he bowed himself with his face to the ground Genesis 48.12 Abraham and Lot bowed themselves to the Angels supposing them to be men Genes 18.3 and 19.2 compared with Heb. 13 2. and the Angels accepted this worship without any reproof of them for it yea Abraham bowed himself twice before the people of the land Gen. 23.7.12 and though every practise of Abraham is not to be so lowed yet these practises which are not condemned in Scripture neither by repehension or prohibitiō why should we be blaimed for an imitatiō of the Saints in them Seeing we mantain Sacred Religious worship to be due onely to GOD and his glory must not be given to another as the Papists give to their Images of which one of themselves affirms that it is the constant opinion of their Divines that the Image is to be honoured and worshipped with the same honour and worship which is given to him whose Image it is None can say unless they will be peevish and perverse that we bow to men to worship GOD in and by them It is known that the Papists speak of two kinds of Religious worship namely absolute which they give to GOD or the Saints and relative which they give to their Images and therefore Papists have no advantage as to their Idolatrous worshipping of Images from our allowable practise of bowing to men thereby to testify a meer Civil respect to them The Gentle-man disputeth against bowing of the body as Idolatry but he seemeth to justify Moses his doing Obeysance to his Father in law And yet what is obeysance but civil reverence by bowing the body in token of that regard which we owe to some person of note SECT II. Concerning Salutations by Words And as Salutations by Gestures are warranted by the Scriptures so likewise are Salutations by words Ruth 2. 4. And behold Boas came from Bethlehem and said unto the Reapers the Lord be with you and they answered him the Lord bless thee And that command of Christs Matth. 10.5 when ye come into an house salute it It s explained by the Evangelist Luke chapter 10. verse 5. And into whatsoever house ye enter first say peace be to this house Now it s known that the Jews in their ordinary Salutations and Greetings when they wished all happiness unto one another they expressed it thus Peace be to You And from this I inferre that bowing of the body and expressing our affections by words comprehending desires and good wishes though persons be not friends but foes Matth. 5.47 is agreeable to Scripture and the practise of renowned Saints As for taking of the Hatt seeing it is not manifest from Scripture that the Saints did wear Hatts the word so rendred Dan. 3.21 is varied on the margine Turbants which were Head-garments peculiar to those Eastern Countries it is no wonder that we do not read of their putting them Off and yet this being one harmless way whereby we express outward honour to those to whom it is due why should it be quarrelled against We must not think it enough to give Superiours inward honour the Scripture also calleth for outward honour Levit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man SECT III. Containing an Answer to the Quakers Objection He saith It s strange that we should say considering our principles the kingdom of God consisteth not in words for what is our Preaching and the Scripture it self and the very Gospell according to us but a company of words Answer Truely by the Scriptures we meane nothing else but that Heavenly Doctrine those divine instructions or revelation of the mind and will of God which the Lord excited and moved Holy men of old to speake and write for the good of his Church and People and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Gospel according to us is the doctrine of Christ the good newes and joyful tydings of Salvation by him to poor sinners contained in the Scriptures And the Preaching of this Gospell hath been found the Power of God to the salvation of many a Soul Rom. 1.16 Now if Quakers be for another Gospel then they may justly be reputed subverters of the Christian Religion and enemies to the Cross of Christ and therefore liable to that curse which is threatned Gal. 1.8 And likewise know that we use to distinguish between the subject matter of the Scripture or the doctrine which it contains and the words or writtings containing or expressing this Doctrine the one is as the Blood the other as the Veins in which it runneth II. HEAD Wherein is warranted our way of speaking in Opposition to the Quakers Thou and Thee Page 12. He findeth fault with me for saying that to whom the singular number is agreeable the plural may be applyed without making a lie and saith the proofes alleadged evince nothing in this matter Answer Though that place Luke 22.31 be not understood of one Exclusively of others yet Christ there directeth his speach onlie to one viz. Peter and he saith not after the Quakers way Satan hath desired to have Thee and You that he might sift Thee and You but behold Satan hath desired to have you and to sift you as wheat It is plaine that the third Epistle of John is directed to a single Person verse 1. The Elder unto the well beloved Gaius whom I love in the Truth and yet verse 12. the Apostle saith Ye know that our report is true Job 18.2 there Bildad speaking to Job saith how long will it be ere you make an end of words I am of that minde that if our Translators had translated Attah and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to the rigour of construction but as use hath made the propriety of our Language that then the Quakers would have kept their old tone and said you instead of thou But if men will needs make a contentious busle about words then let them read and ponder 1. Tim. 6.4 he is
safer way can there be of trying then that for which the Beraeans are commended even in trying the Apostles themselves They searched the Scriptures whether these things were so Act. 17.11 and Christ appealed to the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 He saith cannot the spirits be tryed by the Spirit of God How tryed Peter the spirit of Ananias and Saphirah And is not the tryal and discerning of spirits the priviledge of the Saints now Ans We are speaking about the trying of Doctrines now Ananias and Saphirah their failing was not in a matter of Doctrine but of Fact by lying in keeping back paâ—â— of the price of the possession which Peter knew extraordinarily as appears by the miraculous effect that attended his reproving of this sin which was their suddaine death and present giving up of the Ghost Act. 5.5 As for discerning of spirits if thereby he either intend the knowledge of the secret conceptions and inward thoughts of mens spirits or a certaine infallible knowledge who be truely spiritual and who not It is not the priviledge of the Saints now neither was it ever a priviledge common to all the Saints 1. Cor. 12.10 to another is given the working of miracles to anothter discerning of spirits Though the Saints have that anointing in them which teacheth them all things yet as hereby external teaching is not excluded for Iohn himself was now teaching in writting this very Epistle to them so is not trying of the spirits by an external rule the anointings teaching may well consist with bringing Doctrines to the Touch-stone of the Word doth not the anointing or the spirit direct us to the law and testimony And if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them He saith were there any more strongly deluded then the Pharisees yet how much did they lay claime to the scriptures how came they to be deluded who were so skilled in the scriptures according to the letter of them Ans That the Pharisees were deluded the Scripture is not to be blamed for this the fault was in their blindness hence they are so often called blind guids Matth. 23.16.24.26 It is granted that deluded souls such as are unlearned and unstable may and do wrest the scriptures unto their own destruction 2. Pet. 3.16 But yet there is enough said in the Scriptures by which delusions might be discovered and controversies ended If men would be humble and studious in the use of helps and means bringing not discutiendi acumen a disputing head but discendi pietatem a pious heart desirous to be instructed And for further clearing of our mind in this it is to be considered that albeit we look upon the scriptures as a rule for finding out truth and deciding controversies yet that we may be right discerners we judge a work of the spirit necessary for removing our natural depravedness perversness and ignorance so that though the scripture be sufficient for discovering delusions and ending differences in genere objecti yet the spirit is necessary in genere causae effectivae He addeth page 30. Though the same deluding spirit who deceived first may deceive over againe that makes nothing against the insufficiency of the spirit to discover the delusion Answer We blaime not the spirit for mens falling into delusion at first or for their continuance in delusions Who can charge the spirit with insufficiency as if he could not discover the tricks and deceits of Satan Yet persons who reject the Scripture refussing it to be the rule pretending onely to an inward rule they provoke the spirit to give them up to delusions and open a gap for a deluding spirit to enter in May not the History of I. Galpen once a Quaker be an admonition and warning to all that Sect who by casting off external teaching and hearkning to a voice within was put upon mischievous and detestable practises Sometimes he was led to the Fidlers house and being told it was such a mans house he answered be it whose house it will Christ led me hither and hither I must go Then was his hand forced to knock at the dore and a voice bad him say behold Christ stands at the dore and knocks Otherwhile he was carried upon his hands and knees out of the dores into the street and when his wife would have stopt him he said he must not be stopt he must forsake wife children and all to follow Christ Sometimes he was forced to take up a knife and to put it to his throat and the voice said open a hole there and I will give eternal life But in the end the Lord was pleased to give him repentance whereupon he published a narration of those things to discover the danger of these wayes and to be for caution of others to take heed how they go out of Gods wayes and forsake his ordinances lest falling into the errour of the wicked they decline from their former stedfastnesse and lest not receiving the love of the truth that they might be saved God give them over to strong delusions to believe a lie See this History set down largly by Mr. Samuel Clark in his book called the Mirrour for Saints and sinners SECT IV. The Quakers way is ineffectual to convince an Opposer Quakers in their way cannot convince a Gainsayer for what they call truth others differing from them call delusion and errour and how can they produce any evidence that they are not deluded for the conviction of an unbeliever who knoweth not the testimony of the spirit in them And himself hath not the spirit being in the number of those who are without GOD and without the Spirit Suppose one say that he hath a testimony of the spirit to assure him of his gracious state I would ask whether the testimony of the spirit be any otherwise then according to the Word of GOD It is like Quakers will confesse that every testimony speaking peace being contrary to the word that testimony is not the voice of the spirit of the Lord but the voice of the spirit of delusion Now I would ask if tryal by the word be neglected how is it possible to know whether this testimony speake according to the word or whether it speake contrary to the word If Quakers say that they are assured by the same spirit that gives the testimony that it is according to the word and other evidence they need not look after the voice of the spirit that speaks in them is that beyond which there needs no enquiry Then I aske again how can Quakers convince deluded persons who pretend to the testimony of the spirit in reference to their gracious state For they perswade themselves that it is the voice of the spirit that speaks peace to them and other evidence they will not look after the testimony of the spirit is that beyond which there must be no enquity Now will not Quakers according to their principles be so far from convincing such of their mistake
of duty The joy that is in a little hearty praying is beyond all the joyes that the world can afford Isaiah 56.7 Fourthly Persons cannot pray aright without the spirit and therefore the prayers of the wicked are said to be an abomination unto the Lord. Prov. 15.8 But it must be observed that though prayer without the spirit be an abomination to GOD yet omission of prayer is double abomination the reason is because to pray without the spirit is a sin for the manner but to neglect prayer is a sin both as to matter and manner He addeth whosoever can pray to the Lord indeed let him pray but that any can pray without the spirit that we deny Answer May he not according to this way of reasoning take men off from eating If they can eate to the glory of GOD indeed then let them eate but that they can eate to the glory of GOD without the spirit that 's denyed Likewise he may take men off from the works of their calling for as the praying so the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 A motion of the spirit is an encouragement to but it is not our alone warrant for prayer GOD in his word hath commanded prayer 1. Thess 5.17 pray without ceasing in obedience to this command we ought to set to the duty And if it be alledged that we should pray when we have the spirit without ceasing but not otherwise it may as well be said that children should honour their Parents and husbands love their wives when they have a motion of the spirit to it but in the absence of this motion they may omit these duties He asketh what ground I have to believe that some Quakers for the space of a whole yeare have not so much as once bowed a knee to call upon GOD in their families Answer There is too much ground for the belief of it their infrequency in family prayer is too palpable One of them confessed whom I forbear to name that now he was come to that pitch that he prayed alwayes and though heretofore he was wont to call his family together and pray with them yet he had not done so for a twelve moneth past Is this a lovly Religion which takes men off from family prayer It is a miserable shift to tell that friends of truth who have any whom they can joyne with do meet waite and pray together Now grant that persons in Quakers families were enemies to truth would it not be a work of charity and demonstration of love and tenderness to their souls to pray with them and for them Must not Abraham keep up Religion in his familie because an Ishmael was in it Nor David because of the presence of Absolom Page 69. He looketh upon me as one wholly unacquainted with the wayes and motions of the spirit for supposing that an impulse of the spirit may be denyed for many yeares Answer Is there not ground to suppose that men may turne loose negligent and defective in waiting even for several yeares If so then the motions of the spirit may be denyed to them which he acknowledges are frequent but to those that waite for them and therefore all that time that they who neglect to waite want the motions of the spirit they must not adventure upon prayer yea they must not pray though they were at the gates of death and in danger of present drowning It is true he conceives that at such a season the breathings of the spirit will not be wanting to the Saints but what shal the wicked do in this case Must they keep silent Shal it not be lawful for them to follow the advice which the Apostle gave to Simon Magus Act. 8.22 pray GOD if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee The Quakers principle is that men should not pray without a motion of the spirit Now suppose that persons contract guilt by their not waiting hereby provoking the Lord to withhold the motions of his Spirit from them then these motions being with-held their not praying is not sin and therefore they need not to be troubled for their omission of prayer Now doth not this tend to lull people asleep in security and to keep them from charging themselves with that sin which without repentance GOD will charge upon them for he will call sinners to an account for their omissions as well as for their commissions SECT II. Quakerisme tends to render Mortification of sin useless He asketh page 70. Whether mortification of sin be useless where the end of it which is perfection is attained Answer There is a twofold perfection namely comparative and absolute the Apostle speaketh of both these kinds of perfection Philipp 3. and denyeth to himself an absolute compleate perfection verse 12. not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Yet he out-stripped many others in holiness and so had a comparative perfection verse 13. let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Now when there is an absolute compleate perfection which is the thing the Quaker pleads for without the least indwelling corruption and sin to such there is no use for mortification Persons need not to be taken up in killing sin which is the importance of the word mortifie that have not sin in them to be killed He quarrels at my saying the opinion of a sinless perfection in this life wounds the very vitals of Religion and here the Quaker triumphs but it is before the victory Asking Whether the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or not sinning Answer The vitals of Religion consist in the means appointed by GOD and diligent improvment thereof for subduing and bearing down sin such as prayer repentance mortification believing application of the Blood of Christ And though the Quakers grant that these things are needful for attaining unto perfection yet supposing a sinles perfection to be actually attained unto by men in this world what need is there then to pray for pardon of sin to repent of sin apply Christs blood for cleansing from sin Seeing there is no sin to be pardoned repented of or cleansed from And therefore the Gentle-man not denying that such consequences do flow from his principle he is faine to shift saying that they who come to perfection witness the true use of these things but in the meane time he should remember that under a pretence of perfection he takes them off from the practise and use of the aforementioned duties and means and so Christianity in the vitals of it is struck at He accuses me of confusion and contradiction because as he saith I would inferre a sinless man to be a sinning man Answer Is it either confusion or a contradiction to affirme one of the Quakers conceitedly sinless men to be sinful who pretending to be without sin yet discover much sin by their pride passion bitterness censuring and condemning others and vilifying them by opprobrious termes and railing accusations if such
say they have no sin they are but liars and the truth is not in them 1. Ioh. 1.8 It is remarkable to consider whom the Apostle speaketh of if we saith he what we look to verse 1. we that have heard and seen and handled the word of life verse third we who have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ verse 7 we who by our Justification are cleansed from the guilt of all sin yet it we say we have no sin we are not sincere but hypocrites deceiving both our selves and others Object This Scripture 1. Iob. 1.8 is conditional otherwise it would contradict what followes verse 9. and chapter 2.4 and chapter 3.9 Answer There is no contradiction but sweet agreement between these Scriptures for verse 9. speaketh of forgivness of sin which consisteth in freedom from the guilt of sin and this may be where sin is nor utterly abolished And 1. Ioh. 2.4 is understood of a sincere nor absolutlie perfect keeping of the Commands of GOD. And as for 1. Ioh. 3.9 it was formerly opened and may be further cleared by comparing it with chapter 5.16 where the Apostle speaketh of a sin unto death which they that are born of GOD cannot commit verse 18. we know that whosoever is born of GOD sinneth not but he that is begotten of GOD keepeth himself and the wicked one toucheth him not That is so as to draw him to that unpardonable sin the Child of GOD is secured from this sin HEAD XVII Wherein Truth is cleared of Calumnies Page 72. He cometh to examine whether their or our principles will be most acceptable to the wicked And first he saith wicked men and hypocrites love well to hear that they can never be free from their sins in this life Answer Some wicked men are so well conceited of the honesty and integrity of their hearts that it is a hard thing to get convictions of sin fastened upon them and as for mortification of sin which we urge as necessary to Salvation there is nothing more distastful to the wicked then this Secondly He saith they love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them Answer How is it then that so many wicked men scoff at justification by Christs righteousness without them Calling in contempt this imputed righteousness an imaginary putative righteousness Is it not natural for persons to seek to be justified by something within them Thirdly He saith they love well to hear that the words without them are the onely rule Answer Doubtless there are many wicked persons who could wish there were no such rule Hath it not been the attempt of the wicked to destroy the Scriptures In the tenth Persecution the books of the holy Scriptures were ordered to be burnt and to this day there is a secret enmity in the hearts of thousands of sinners against the Scriptures Fourthly He saith they love well to hear that they may use the customes and fashions of this world and that they may use sports games and playes and weare laces ribbons c. Answer They hear from none of us any thing to encourage them in following sinful customes and fashions these we oppose yea we think that people should be sparing even as to lawful games and recreations As for wearing ribbons laces gold-rings c. we judge it not simply unlawful and yet persons sin when in this they exceed their degree and rank which is the thing condemned by the Apostle 1. Tim. 2.9 Fifthly He saith they love well to hear that men must not expect to hear GOD immediatly Ans Some of them know not what is intended by GODS immediate speaking and others have no liking to hear GOD mediatly by the Ministry of his Word this is a burdensome stone that they would faine be rid of Sixthly He saith they love well to hear that water Baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of Christ for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things Answer Our endeavour is to take them off from their groundless thoughts telling them that outward priviledges must not be rested on and that who ever build their hopes of Heaven meerly upon these they build upon the sand a foundation which will faile them in the day of their straite Seventhly He saith that none plead more for the observation of the Sabbath then profane light men Answer The contrary is abundantly known for none are greater enemies then they to the true observation of the Sabbath which must be devoted entirely to GOD and spent in the publick and private exercises of his worship and service Are not the wicked brought in saying when shal the Sabbath be gone Amos 8.5 Eightly He saith they love well to hear that they may be members of a Church though they have no infallible evidence of holiness Answer Have all the members of the Quakers Church infallible evidences of grace and holiness I must be free to tell you that your raw conceity Proselyts are so ignorant and yet so confident that sober men suspect them to be in a fools paradise Ninthly He saith they love well to hear of our Doctrine of Election and Reprobation Answer I have heard diverse of them Pelagians mocked at predestination wrangle against this doctrine and herein Quakers joyne with them but the truth will stand firme against them both Tenthly He saith they love our Doctrine of once in grace and ever in grace Answer What ground can graceless persons have to like this they being alienated from the life of GOD the promise of persevering in grace doth not belong to them and we do not plead for a wild perseverance the Saints who have had most perswasions of their perseverance have been most closs and circumspect in their walk with GOD. Thus it is evident that our principles do not gratifie the wicked nor give them the lest allowance in licentiousness and loosness and if any of us be looss and licentious as a lace there be too many it is our principle that the wrath of GOD will come upon such children of disobedience HEAD XVIII The Quakers tenents are pleasing to the Wicked The Quakers religion is exceeding suitable to carnal hearts First They love well to hear that a sufficient light is in them that Christ and saving grace is in them Secondly They love well to hear that all dayes are alike and that men may work and plough on the Sabbath as well as on any other day Thirdly They love well to hear that Family Prayer is but a forme Fourthly They love well to hear that they must not pray in secret but when they have an inward drawing and motion to it Fifthly They love well to hear outward teaching cryed down and mind the light within here is your teacher and this light is not a chapter without you in a book Sixthly They love well to hear the holiest Ministers spoken against as hirelings and Baals Priests Seventhly They love well to hear the LORDS Ordinances vilified and reproached carnal Bread and Wine is lovely language to them Eightly They love well to hear that Adams sin is not theirs and that the evil seed doth not make them guilty of sin before GOD untill they close with it Ninthly They love well to hear that they may sit down to eate and drink and rise up againe without a word of thanksgiving or prayer to GOD. But I am tyred with raking in this Dung hill I leave it to unbyassed persons to judge whether these principles will not sure with carnal hearts Will not the wicked be glade to hear these things cryed down which they themselves live down and cannot be brought up to the practise of them He shuts up his book charging me with a notorious lie Ans Wherein am I guilty of lying The Dialogue supposed A Conference between an enemy to a Lover of the Truth and might I not without a lie testify so much love to mens Souls as to express pity toward the seduced wishing GOD to reclaime them and to confirme his people in his wayes What is it that some will not carp at Epecially the persons that I have to do with of whom a pious Minister in England giveth this testimony saith he We have a strange generation of men abroad whose very Religion consists in railing reviling reproaching the Servants of the living GOD not the best men nor the best Ministers under Heaven can escape them Then he sets down a letter wherein the Quakers gave the Ministers of Christ these following names Conjurers Theeves Robbers Anti-Christs Witches Blind-guides Devils Lyars Dissemblers Baals Priests a Vipeâ—ous and Serpentiâ—â— Generation Bloody Herodians Blasphemers Scarlet coloured Beasts Babilons Merchants Busie-Bodies Whited walls Painted Sepulchres reavening Wolves Persecutors Tyrants greedie Dogs Pharisees Then he gives good advice Christians saith he when ye hear this language learne to conforme your selves to Christ go ye first to GOD with the LORDS own plea. Zach. 3.2 Now the LORD rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee See Ambrose his looking unto Jesus pag. 1006. FINIS