excludes all that have not the Scriptures or mens Teaching from the saving Work or Change in them and confines all God's People as Children under Tutors and Governours that they may be alwayes learning and then when shall they know the Truth And of whom do their Teachers learn and receive the Understanding of the Scriptures 2dly To his saying That the Doctrine contain'd in them is the Rule of Faith and Practice He should rather have said A RULE subordinate to the great Rule of Faith and Practice to wit that divine Light which was the true Prophets and Apostles Rule in giving forth the Scriptures is now the true Believers Rule in truly believing understanding and obeying the wholesom Doctrine contained in them which none truly own but they who believe in the Light and follow and walk in the Spirit which the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles directs men to His accusing us with opposing mens being enlightened and taught by Christ to their being taught by the Scriptures is not true unless he intended the Scriptures without Christ's Light within for we assert his immediate Illumination and Teaching in Opposition to mens preferring the Scriptures before the Spirit and excluding its immediate Teaching in these Dayes we do not oppose Christ's Enlightning men to the true Knowledge or Understanding of the Scriptures which proceeded thence His rendering the Spirit and the Word two several Causes that produce the same Effect viz. God's Working savingly upon men and his calling the immortal Seed of the Word 1 Pet. 1. 23. The Sword of the Spirit and God's great Instrument or Means by which the Spirit doth its Work upon Men meaning the Scriptures p. 18 19. In these is he greatly mistaken For first The Spirit and the Word are no such differing Causes for they are one and the immortal Word was before the Scriptures 2dly This Spirit or living Word doth work upon men both with and without the Scriptures as it pleaseth Howbeit the Spirit is immediate in its inward Manifestations and Discoveries and is only God's Gift And while this man hath granted That Christ is God and God every where present and so in all Men p. 20. He must grant an Immediateness both of his Presence Light and Teaching in Man or else he allows man no Preheminence above a Beast and endeavours to limit God to Silence in man unless when he hears outward Teaching or Scripture which cannot profit him without God's immediate Teaching and inward Speaking His accusing us with jumbling about Christ's being in all Men and saying that in Respect of his vertual Presence as Mediator as when he rules and operates in Men's Hearts by his Authority and by the Evangelical Law in this Sense he is not in all Men p. 20 21. And when did we ever say that he was in this Sense in all men that is as ruling c. or to dwell in the Hearts of all men by Faith But while 't is granted that as God Christ is every where present and so in all men it 's granted that he is in all men in some Sense and his Presence is immediate and though he does not rule in wicked mens Hearts by his Evangelical Law and dwells not by Faith in the Hearts of Unbelievers yet by his Light he reproves them for Sin often and immediately in their Consciences and his immediate Reproofs daily persue the Transgressors who rebell against his Light and there is both Vertue and Power in his Presence immediately to torment the Wicked and refresh the Righteous therefore he is not alwayes confined to speak by the Instrumentality and Agency of second Causes as this Opposer darkly imagins who neither rightly knows our Principle to state it nor doth clearly state his own but runs into a Multitude of Tautologies and Repetitions and Contradictions that a Body hath something to do to find out the Matter he drives at though one search his Book with a great deal of Care Memory and Perspicuity as for Instance He confesseth both the Work of the Spirit and Christ dwelling in the Heart and a being made one Spirâ—â— with him as also to a super-natural Revelation and Illumination in the Way of Salvation and the Presence of God every where and in all Men and yet opposeth the immediate Operation of Christ in men but saith He doth not teach Men now immediately in Person p. 21. And who saith he doth But if he teach men immediately in Spirit as to be sure he doth his own who hear his Voice it 's sufficient And this man confesseth in Rev. 2 3. That it is seven Times said He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches as every Man in the VVorld hath that is not deaf as also He adds That when it the Doctrine is communicated to them by VVriting as where it is so by Preaching yea saith he I had almost said or by immediate Revelaâ—ion p. 28. Reader observe here how uncertain variable and unstable this man is in his own Judgment and Principle for one while he opposeth immediate Revelation or Enthusiasm as none of God's Way or Method now another while he does assent to the hearing of the Spirit or receiving its Doctrine by immediate Revelation and so then the Controversie he seems to place not so much upon immediate Revelation as the Belief Obedience or Disobedience of the Doctrine and those Revelations which he confesseth 'T is possible Men may have from God as Balaam had and Judas and other Workers of Iniquity that prophesied and cast out Devils in Christ's Name had p. 28. But now you who deny immediate Revelation to the Church of Christ in these Dayes do ye not therein render the Church inferior to Balaam Judas and those Workers of Iniquity nay I may add to Adam after the Fall who heard the Voice of God and to Cain to whom also God spoak And I cannot understand how this Man can really own the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles to be a Rule much less the Rule of Faith and Christian Practice as he asserts p. 22. while he saith That Christ Jesus doth not savingly enlighten all thos who yet are savingly illuminated neither by natural Light nor by super-natural Revelation in an IMMEDIATE Way and addeth Then it follows that such are enlightened by supernatural Revelation MEDIATELY or instrument â—â— p. 47. Note here Reader that he pretends to own super-natural Revelation but not in a immediate Way and a being savingly illuminated but not immediately and yet pretends to own that Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles which directs both to God's Teaching and Hearing and learning of the Father and coming to Christ for Life hearing what the Spirit saith and to wait for the Revelation of Christ from Heaven and to look for the Appearance of the great God the Father whom no Man knows but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And therefore this man's denying that Christ Jesus
doth savingly enlighten or afford super-natural Revelation in an immediate Way hath at once excluded and denyed both the Knowledge of God and Christ and this is the very Way to bring in Atheism for what shall assure us either of the Knowledge of God Christ Scripture or true Preaching if immediate Illumination be denyed us And yet this man to his own Confutation pretends not to exclude the concurrent Operation of God's Spirit upon the Heart p. 18. But how should we believe that he really owns the Christian Doctrine contained in Scriptures to be any Rule at all either of his Faith or Practice while he opposeth the very thing which it directs us to viz. The New Covenant the Spirit 's Teaching immediate Illumination c. Sect. II. Of the Divine Unction Light New Covenant and Use of the Ministry ANd this Opposer will have his Sense and Meaning upon some plain Scriptures contrary to their very Import as upon 1 Joh. 2. 20. But ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things And again ver 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him About this he appears very much puzled and cannot tell how to wind off the plain Words on the Behalf of the Anointing and its full and plentiful Teaching And after he hath spoken doubtfully about the Sense of this Scripture he concludes our Notion of the holy Spirit 's Teaching Men that live under the Gospel cannot be the Sense of it when the Words are plain Ye need not that anyman teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all Things Nor would this render the Design of John in this Epistle and other Writings needless p. 64. while his Epistle and Writing proclaims the Sufficiency of the Anointing wherein he writes both to little Children young Men and Fathers and what he writes was as he had received from the Anointing and not meerly as Man's Teaching and argued no Defect in the Anointing at all but rather exalts it and tends to encourage others to continue in it to abide in the Truth it being confest That both the Apostles other Believers were established in Christ by the Anointing of God upon them from 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. As also That they were induced at the first to believe the Doctrine to be from God because they perceived the Anointing of God to be upon them that preached it p 66 67. So that here it is confest that Believers Establishment in Christ both Preachers and Hearers was by the Anointing of God upon them as he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God and that they were induced to believe the Doctrine to be from him because that they perceived that Anointing to be upon or in the Preachers Surely then there was a spiritual Eye opened in them so to perceive And this is our Method both for believing obeying and saving Men which one while this Man hath opposed as contrary to God's Way another while he confesseth to it but then he darkens the Matter again upon the Words Ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all Things he gives this Meaning viz. Not that by this Uâ—ction the commmon Christians were immediately inspired with the Knowledge of all Truths but that by it they were assured of the Truth of all things which the Apostles had taught and further adds It is not said that this Anointing did teach them all Things but that it did teach of all Things that is of or concerning the Truth of all Things to which it was a Witness or Evidence p. 66 67. He seems to lay a great stress here upon the Particle Of as if the Anointing did only teach them Of or concerning those Doctrines which the Apostles preached but not the Doctrines themselves and then who taught the Apostles to preach Was it not the Anointing And did not several Gifts flow from one Spirit But the man overlooks the Words of the Apostle cited by him viz. Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you and did not this Anointing teach the Believers in the Apostles Absence and when they had not their Epistles read among them Or was it only a Witness or Evidence to what they spoke or preacht Or did it abide in them not to speak to them in the Absence of the Apostles and their Epistles but only in their Presence What a strange Limitation would this be that indeed endeavours to stop the Mouth of the Anointing And his denying that by this Unction the common Christians were immediately inspired with the Knowledge of all Truths leaves the Matter still doubtful on his Part and seems at least to be a Sense twarting the Apostles Words Ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all Things He should have told whether he believes that the common Christians as he calls them were inspired with any Truths necessary to Salvation If he denies this then he bids adieu to all divine and saving Knowledge as to those Christians Whereas the same God that anointed the Apostles to preach and established them in Christ did both anoint and establish those Believers to whom they preached so their Ministry was effectual only through that Anointing which enabled them to preach And we never denyed the Apostles Preaching in order to direct men to that Anointing All which still prefers the Anointing as the principal Means and Rule and owns true Preaching as in Subordination to it But does not therefore oppose or deny the Anointing's immediate Teaching or Sufficiency to save them that believe in and obey it And because all are not converted or come to this divine Unction within or Dispensation of the New Covenant God hath been and is pleased to make Use of such effectual Means and to accommodate his divine Truth to mens low Capacities by Preaching and Demonstration of the Spirit as may be for their Help and Advantage in order thereto So that the Controversie is brought to this narow Compass viz. our present Opposer pretends to own super-natural Revelation and divine Illumination but not now in an immediate Way but only in a mediate Way of Preaching and Scripture We own and assert divine Illumination and super-natural Revelation in an immediate Way as also that God is pleased to make Use of such mediate Wayes and Means as are attended with his Presence and divine Illumination without which no outward Means can be effectual or to any real Advantage to the Soul This Opposer reckons that God operates now only in a mediate Way we own that God works both immediately and mediately as also we assert the sole Sufficiency of the Spirt's immediate Illumination and Teaching both as the Ground of the Effectual Ministry and of
ENTHUSIASM Above ATHEISM Or Divine Inspiration and Immediate Illumination by God Himself Asserted And the Children of Light Vindicated In Answer to a Book entituled The Danger of Enthusiasm Discovered By George Whitehead Job 32. 8. There is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding Printed in the Year 1674. AN Introductory Epistle Serious Reader IT is not for Disputation or Contention sake that we thus appear in this Controversie but singly for the Truth 's sake and the Information of the Honest-Hearted who are enquiring after God's Way of discovering himself to the Soul And that they may not be stumbled by those Groundless Blind and Confused Assaults that some ambitious and scornful Minds do make against God's Immediate Way of Illuminating Inspiring and Teaching his People who obey and follow that True Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World even in an Immediate Way in some degree which we assert in Opposition to meer man's Teaching and to that dark and unlearned State wherein People have been kept ever learning under Humane Traditions and Un-sent Teachers for this we are mis-represented to the World as opposing God's Teaching by Instruments or true Ministers which is a gross Perversion for though we have often cal'd people to cease from man mans teaching who speaks Divinations of his own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord that they might wait upon God to be taught yet not to cease from or reject Christ's Ministers or his speaking by them but have owned Christ's Teaching both immediately instrumentally as he pleaseth by his Light and Testimony in order to bring man to God who is Light and the All-sufficient Teacher it being written in the Prophets That they shall be ALL TAUGHT OF GOD which is his very Way and Method of drawing men to his Son But our Opposer of Embusiasm as he stiles our owning Immediate Illumination or Inspiration without man's Teaching he confines Immediate Revelation from Christ to the first Promulgators of the Gospel and saith God's ordinary Way and Method of trans-mitting the Knowledge and Faith of the Gospel downwards to others successively was by such mens teaching it to others as had themselves learned it of the Apostles or others that taught the same Doctrine Herein he talks like a Papist however he is pleas'd to revile us with Incivilities and toc ompare us to Orders among the Papists But this his Method of transmitting the Knowledge of the Faith successively in Opposition to immediate Illumination and Inspiration we can no more allow of as any real Proof of this man's Ministers being truly called and authorized to preach nor yet that he and his Fraternity have this way received the Knowledge of true Faith which stands in the immediate Power of God then we can own the Pope to be Peter's Successor Surely the Virtues and Fruits of God's Spirit which are necessary to the true Ministry are not successively derived to them by outward Tradition Besides the successive transmitting the Apostles Doctrine to Posterities doth no more prove the Priests Ministers of the Gospel as he calls them then it proves the Quakers or any others who have the same Doctrine such Ministers It s true that Timothy Titus and others who had Gifts in them for the Ministry were approved by Paul and others of the primitive Elders for the VVork but this is no Proof that this Opposer's Ministers are either so gifted or approved But if we run them backward to prove their Race and Call successively it s most likely to stop and center in the Pope if they will persist in denying an immediate Mission or Illumination from God as their VVarrant VVhilst this Anti-Enthusiast construeth Christ's enlightening every man that cometh into the World Jo. 1. 9. to be only with natural Light a created Light unto which he opposeth Gospel-Light and the Faith of Jesus Christ he is inconsistent with himself in granting that by this Light which he also calleth the Faculty of Reason Understanding man may know that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped and that it may possibly be a Light sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them As also that most of the Precepts of the Gospel are desirable in themselves viz. to love and worship God to Repent of that which hath been ill done to be Sober Chaste and Temperate to do to others as we would be done to our selves in Point of Equity Fidelity and Charity to be Humble and Meek Patient and Contented and the like c. and these with theer certain Relation to a future happy State And that there is no man that acts according to the best Reason of his Mind but would chuse these things c. Observe Serious Reader here that this universal Light of Christ in man which he calls Reason directs men to chuse those Precepts of the Gospel which tend to their future happy State and why then he should deem this Light wherewith Christ enlighteneth all men but natural and created we see neither Reason nor Scripture-Proof from him that there should be two such inward Lights as a Gospel-Light peculiar only to some and a Created Light common to all that directs man to chuse those Preceprs of the Gospel which tend to a future Happiness no more then he shews for two kinds of inward Darkness This Distinction appears both Unscriptural and Contradictory and the most gross Contradiction to render this Universal Light as not sufficient to direct men to believe in the Son of God when it shews those weighty Precepts of the Gospel which tend to a future happy State Again Our Antagonist as if he were set upon it to divert peoples Minds from this inward Light of Christ and from attending thereto for God's immediate Teaching he perverts the Scripture where on 2 Pet. 1. 19. he saith That the Mind of God touching Salvation before and under the old Covenant was but obscurely made known by dark Prophecies which are therefore said to be a Light shining in a dark Place Which is as if in the Dayes of the Gospel and New Covenant the Apostle Peter directed Believers back to those dark Prophecies under the Old to take heed thereunto as unto a Light shining in a dark Place or as to read his words after this man's sense thus viz. We have also more sure Dark Prophecies under the Old Covenant whereunto ye do well that ye take heed And what then is not so sure as they Whereas it was that living Word or Light of Christ in them whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawned and the Day Star arose in their Hearts This inward Light though for a time it shineth as in a dark place in man yet it leads them that believe and follow it to the Day of Christ who is
Covenant the Priests Lips were to preserve the Peoples Knowledge which yet was not exclusive of all immediate Teaching whereas in the Dispensation of the New Christ is both our King Priest and Prophet who is given for a Covenant unto the People for a Light unto the Gentiles and to be God's Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth Therefore to conclude that there will be alwayes need of Teaching by man's Ministry under the New Covenant is contrary both to the Tenour of the New Covenant the Tendence and End of Christ's Ministry Which was not of of man and to John's plain Testimony Yâ— have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all Things the Anointing which ye have recived of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Mark here he sole Sufficiency and Absoluteness of the Anointing to those who walk in the Light of it and obey it Sect. IV. Our Clearness from Error and Incongruity about the Light within and our Opposer justly chargeable with both IT is true that we affirm the Light of Christ within to be an absolute Rule teaching men that follow it what they ought to know believe and do and that it is necessary to call upon Men to believe and obey it forasmuch as many do not But I must look upon this man's Inference upon us in this Case as supposing for Truth that which is a manifest gross and most dangerous and pernicious Error to be unjust viz. That we suppose it is not as well necessary to teach men by the Scriptures and by the Ministry to know and believe what is necessary to their Salvation as it is to perswade them to do what is necessary therete p. 83 84. Which falsly supposeth a Defect in the Light and in our Ministry directing thereto Whereas the Light of Christ is able to teach men to know believe and do what is necessary to Salvation and to open the Scriptures as Christ said Believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light And how could they be such if the Light did not teach them both to know believe and practise what is necessary to Salvation yet that many men are not come into the Light though it shine in their Darkness is very plain while they rebel against the Light and know not the Wayes of it because they abide not in the Paths of it But what is this to those who are come into the divine Light and holy Unction within As for his charging us with Incongruity of Opinion and Practice dissembling the Matter Tergiversatton and Shuffling Inconsistency of Pretences and Practices Pretences for a blind a perfect Piece of p. 93 94 95. What 's now the Matter this man appears so envious and reviling where is the Incongruity but that men being taught of God himself by his Light and Spirit within now undâ—r the New Covenant need not be taught by men and yet for all that we take upon us to teach the People our selves p. 93. Here is no more Incongruity then in God's Teaching both immediately and instrumentally in both which his own Power appears and operates We take not upon us to teach People our selves nor to hold forth man's Ministry but Christ teacheth in us and by us also shewing forth his own Praise in a Testimony without him we can do nothing and hiâ— Presence goeth along with us in a living Ministry both to open the Scriptures and to shew men their Duty both in believing and obeying what is necessary and so our Gospel is not of man nor by man but from Christ and therefore not guilty of this man's unjust Imputation either of pernicious Error or Incongruity As for being against all other mens Teaching but our own p. 94. And yet for the Teaching of the Light within Unto this I say we are satisfied that our Ministry is from God and his Light and have no Reason to have any mens Teaching whatsoever imposed upon us which does not flow from the Light nor from God's immediate Inspiration and Teaching which they opposing their Ministry is but of man and by the Will of man And therefore it is no Inconsistency in our Principle and Practice to confess to the Teaching of Christ's Light within and to teach others as that teacheth us in order to turn them to the Light that they may be taught as we are and so to deny all meer mens Teaching who are not taught by the Light within but gain-say God's immediate Teaching in these Dayes as this man doth who also falsly accuseth us with this Error viz. That God doth by a Light created in every man sufficiently teach them what they ought to believe and do p. 87. But this is his Mistake and false Foundation on which much of his Structure is framed as also in p. 15. p. 41 42. he takes it for granted that 't is but a natural Light in men that we direct them to but this is contradicted by himself in his confessing That it is God Christ the holy Spirit by immediate Illumination of our Minds that doth shew us what we ought to believe and do and that this is our Notior p. 13. But his is not by God's immediate Teaching and Operation p. 40. So be sure God was not with him in his Study as his Teacher in bringing forth his Book against God's immediate Teaching and Operation And the man is grosly mistaken in concluding it to be a created natural Light in man whilst he confesseth We ground our selves much upon Joh. 1. 9. where it is said of Christ That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World p. 41. whereas that true Light was neither created nor natural as a Thing made for in him was Life and the Life was the Light of men Joh. 1. 4. This Life was not created nor natural in that Sense but supernatural and divine However this man gives us his Sense of this Scripture cited viz. That Christ indeed as God Creator doth enlighten every man that comes into the World with the Faculty of Reason and Understanding by which he may know that there is a God that he is to be worshipped and that he is placable and the Difference between moral Good and Evil in many things p. 42. And this he calls Natural Light supposing it sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them but not sufficient to direct those that live under the Gospel to believe and do what they are bound viz. To believe Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the World and that upon Pain of Damnation p. 42. Serious Reader Consider the Tendency and Import of these Things as first He grants that Christ enlightens every man that comes into the World with such a Light as
that he may know that there is a God that he is to be worshipped and that he is placable And 2dly grants this a Light sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them And is not this then in order to Salvation If they obey what God expects from them shall they not be saved See the man's Contradiction having before denyed that Christ lighteth every man in order to his Salvation without outward Teaching when here it is granted he enlightneth every man even the Heathen with a Light sufficient to direct them to as much as God expects from them But 3dly in calling this a natural created Light he egregiously errs for how should the Heathen or any man else know that there is a God that he is to be worshipped and that he is placable or be directed to as much as God expects from them by that which is natural and created when the Things of God are beyond the natural man's Reach and Understanding and only to be discerned spiritually 4thly Whereas this man supposeth two such different Lights from Christ in man viz. the one which he calls the Faculty of Reason and Understanding in the Heathen sufficient to direct them in the Knowledge and Worship of God and to as much as he expect from them and the other in them that live under the outward Preaching of the Gospel the first saving only to the Heathen the second only to the professed Christians the first sufficient to give the Knowledge of God and his Worship the second the Knowledge of Christ and Salvation by him I must deny his Distinction of two such Lights in men as unscriptural an unsound and I must tell him he hath brought us no Scripture-Proof to convince us thereof that there are two such different Lights in man thus limited or distinguished the one as from God to Heathens the other as from Christ to Christians and yet both directing to the same End to wit Salvation This kind of mangled confus'd Work is fit to darken Peoples Minds from the Knowledge of God and Christ and Salvation whereas that first Chapter of John is plain without any such confused Distinction about the Light or Division between God and Christ as this man makes about the Light for there it is In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men ver 4. And that was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World ver 9. Mark here this Life or Light of Christ is but one and the same forever the Light of men throughout all Generations yea he was that true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the VVorld whose Life or Light cannot without Blasphemy be deemed natural and created Besides it appears gross Confusion and palpable Contradiction in this Opposer to conclude that Light not sufficient to direct men to believe Jesus to be Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the VVorld which yet is sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them that is to moral Goodness to know and worship God and consequently to lead them to Salvation for in every Nation he that fears God and worketh Righteousness is accepted Now how they should know and worship God and be saved without some living Knowledge and Belief of his Son Jesus Christ I cannot see nor understand since that by no other Name under Heaven can men be saved and he that believeth not the Son of God shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abides on him Joh. 3. 36. cited by this man who also confesseth the Son of God to be the Saviour of the World p. 42. Again no man comes unto God but by his Son who is therefore universally held forth and given for a Light to the Heathen to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and it is the World's Sin that they believe not in the Son of God and for this his Spirit reproves them But since it is granted that the Heathen by that Light of Christ in them may know and worship God and practice good Morality and as much as God expects from them it s granted that they may be godly and serve God by the Light in them but how any should be godly Men no Christians I must confess we are yet to seek and not like to have any Scripture-Proof thereof from our Opposer or any else of his Perswasion for it were as uncharitable to judge all void of Christianity who have not the Name Christian as it were untrue to reckon all Christians who have but the Name and Profession of Christianity seeing that it is not the Name or Profession outward that makes true Christians but the divine Life Power Unction and Possession of the Nature of Christianity inwardly as he is not a Jew that is one outward but he is a Jew that is one inward and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter And as for this man's Knowledge of Christ that he has by Oral Tradition and that he reckons is derived down successively by outward Teaching without immediate Revelation or Illumination p. 47 84. It is no living or saving Knowledge such Method as this man proposes for the Knowledge of Christ as in Opposition to his Immediate Enlightning is not God's Means He talks something like a Papist and his Work against immediate Illumination tends to divert peoples Minds from God's inward Illumination and and from waiting for the Revelation of his Son in them And what is this but to lead People to be subjected under the Pope and Traditions although many of the Church of Rome have confessed to the Truth of divine Illumination and immediate Inspiration more then this man hath done though in Practice she manifests her self to be both apostatized and estranged from the divine Light within Sect. V. His silly Temporizing in espousing the Hireling Priests Quarrel against us AS to his wishing That we did not give too much Occasion to suspect our Integrity accusing us with making sad Out-Cries aginst the publick Ministry one as well as another without Distinction and that we seek to make them odious to the People for their taking Money of them as Rewaerd of their Labours and that we compare them with the false Prophets and bad Priests of old of whom it is said that the Priests preach for Hire and the Prophets divine for Money and then he alledges the Priests under the Law taking Money or Moneys worth as the Provision that God made for them which was Tythes and saith he when their Tythes were detained and kept back from them God accounted himself robbed To all which I answer that we have great Reason to cry out against that Ministry and those Priests who preach for Hire Lucre Tythes or forced Maintenance contrary to the Practice of Christ's Ministers who as they did freely receive did freely give And such as preach for Hire and force Maintenance suing
there any Virtue in Christ's Presence that is not in God's Presence Is not the Father Son and Holy Spirit one Being though different as to Relation and Degrees of Manifestation But how plainly contradictory is it one while to confess Christ's being in men his essential Presence as God to be in all men and yet that his Light in the Heathen or greatest Part of men is natural and created O monstrous Inconsistency He affirms that the Form of Doctrine delivered to the Christians to wit the Scriptures was to be the Rule of Faith and Christian Practice to rule and govern themselves by p. 22 23. And yet confesseth That those who are sincere make it their dayly Care and Endeavour to walk according to the Light and Guidance of that Rule that hath its Seat in their Conscience p. 40. Observ. Here he has found another Rule then the Scripture to wit the Light in the Conscience Though it is true the Apostles Doctrine contains Rules but the Light within that gave it forth was The Rule the Chief or Highest Rule for Guidance and Power and that wherein was the Power of Rule and Government to all true Christians He gives this Judgment against us viz. That in Truth there is no Light in us how much soever we vainly boast of it he sayes p. 40. And yet hath confessed That the essential Presence of Christ as God is in all men and that Christ doth enlighten every man with a Faculty of Reason or natural Light by which he hath acknowledged some Light to be in every man though it is true they that speak not according to the Word it is because there is no Morning in them yet it follows not that there is no Light at all in them for there may be some Light in them before the Morning Upon Joh. 1. 9. he saith that there is no such thing as that Christ so enlightens all men as with what he ought to believe and do in order to his Salvation without outward Teaching can be proved p. 41. And yet confesseth That Christ indeed as God doth enlighten every man by which he may know that there is a God that he is to be worshipped that he is placable and that this may be a Light sufficient to direct the Heathen to do as much as God expects from them if they live up to it But in Contradiction again He calls this a natural Light not sufficient c. p. 42. Observ. What! A Light sufficient to give the Knowledge of God and his Worship that he is placable and to direct the Heathen to as much as he expects from them and yet not sufficient to enlighten men with a Knowledge of what they ought to believe and do in order to Salvation Is not this palpable Contradiction That Men may by the Light within be directed to acknowledge and worship God and to as much as he expects from them and yet not be saved These can never hold together any more then that the Light in the Heathen may be sufficient to direct them to as much as God expects and yet not to believe in his Son for Salvation according to pag. 42. As if God did not require all men to believe in his Son when their not believing in him is the very thing for which his Spirit reproveth the World of Sin and he that believeth not in the Son of God is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 3. 18 19. So that it is evident That Light is come into the World that men may believe in the Name of the Son of God and escape Condemnation Again he errs in saying Paul knew of no such Way to propagate the Faith as immediate Revelation and inward Teaching of the Light within after it was once set on foot in an extraordinary Way p. 46. And this he hath contradicted in his confessing That the Work of Grace in men is most properly attributed to God to Christ and that the Scripture attributes it to God to Christ to the holy Spirit p. 18. And also he had almost granted that the holy Spirit may be communicated to men by immediate Revelation p. 28. Observ. So then God may and doth work by his immediate Power and Spirit for the begetting men into the true Faith and it is only this Spirit immediately attending true Ministers that maketh their Preaching effectual for the turning men to the Word of Faith in their Hearts Whereas the Tenour and Stress of this man's Work is against Enthusiasm in the best sense even against being savingly illuminated in an immediate way and saith that the plentiful Effusion of the Spirit is far from giving any Countenance to our Opinion of the Spirit 's being given to teach men immediately by internal Illumination pag. 60. And on John 16. 13. he accounteth that this is not a Promise to guide all Christians by its immediate Motion but a Promise to his Apostles pag. 61. And yet in Contradiction to himself in this and in Concession to the Truth he in words assents to the Operation of God's Grace and good Spirit pag. 15. And that men are said in Scripture to be born of the Spirit to be born of the immortal Seed of the Word pag. 18 19. But then he is nconsistent again in accounting these different Causes he hath also confessed the essential Presence of Christ as God to be in men p. 20. And that in Revel 2. Chap. 3. it is seven times said He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches p. 27. And that Christ's Ministers are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit p. 33. That he accompanies their Ministration with the Presence of his Grace and Power p. 38. And also he asserts to the inward Assistance of his Spirit p. 41. And saith It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is Truth p. 55. And on 1 Joh. 2. Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you he grants that the Apostle's Meaning must be That they needed not from him or any other man any teaching that could give them greater Assurance of any thing then that Anointing gave them of Jesus his being the Christ and of the Truth of that Doctrine that Anointing being God's Witness from Heaven pag. 68. And that the Spirit doubtless is not wanting to assist the sincere Endeavours of men in searching after the Sense of the Scriptures p. 69. Howbeit for men to be guided by the internal Teachings of the Spirit without outward Teaching this he calls our Wild Notion And yet citeth Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God p. 71. And Gal. 5. 18. If ye are led by the Spirit
ye are not under the Law p. 73. And Paul exhorted Eph. 2. Be filled with the Spirit in order to their speaking to themselves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Ephes. 5. 18 19. p. 74. And he cites Acts 26. 17 18. viz. Unto whom I now send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light p. 85. Now I ask If this Darkness was not within that they were to be turned from And if this Light they were to be turned to was not also within in some Degree and that in an immediate VVay And also Did not the Apostle turn the Gentiles to the Light that they might receive Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in Christ Further he confesseth to the Truth in these words If all good Christians then had been guided by an infallible Light within they would not have needed to have bin taught and re-taught what were the first Principles of the Oracles of God as some of them were Hebr. 5. p. 105. Is it not plain here that he hath placed the Fault or Deficiency upon those that needed so to be taught as being awanting to themselves not following the Infallible Light within and not upon the Light it self but justified it as a sufficient Rule and Teacher and that they that are guided by it need not mens Teaching And he also confesseth That the Humble God will teach and the Meek he will guide in Judgment Psal. 25. And also that the Spirituality of Christians is such that they are Partakers of the spiritual and divine Nature or Likeness to Jesus Christ in Purity in Lowliness Humility Meckness and in Love to God and Charity to men in Peace and Gentleness in Contempt of the World c. on the Account of which spiritual Qualifications Christians are said to be one Spirit with Christ and by this Spirit and Temper we know that we dwell in him and he in us and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ in some measure he is none of his pag. 119. Is not this a plain Confession to the Immediateness of Christ's In-dwelling in us And does not he then teach us by himself immediately It is also confessed We are also exhorted in a due Sence of our own Weakness and Insufficiency and of the great Need we have of the constant Assistance of God's holy Spirit in all to make instant and important Supplication to God for it p. 122. Here he plainly grants to the Necessity of Divine Inspiration and immediate Assistance of God's holy Spirit which plainly overthrows and confuteth the Body of his Work to the contrary And further observe that in his Postscript he confesseth That he hath not so plainly represented the Nature of Faith which is the condition of the New Covenant and that he that Believes and considers Christs Doctrine must needs be under the Influence of the most powerful Motives to Repentance of a bad and lead a good Life And that Faith works that Change in men by which they become new Creatures are born of God and sanctified and that it doth evidence to the Soul of things not seen and that a Believer is described by his coming to Christ John 6. 35. For mens coming to learn of him is the Effect of their believing him to be the Son of God and Believers are described by the Receiving of Christ John 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name and that Believers are described by their trusting in Christ or relying on him Eph. 1. 12. p. 135. Now mark serious Reader how he has confessed to the Truth of Believers coming to Christ to learn of him receiving Christ trusting in and relying on Christ And what is this but a Confession to a Believer's immediate Enjoyment of Christ himself and his immediate Teaching and Assistance For if men come to Christ to learn of him or be taught by Christ himself is not this immediate and the End of Outward Teaching to those that come to this Blessed Attainment See how the man hath justified that Enthusiasm as he calls it which he he hath bestowed so much Pains against Now Reader by this time thou mayst see where the Stress of the Controversie consists and that it is not about the word Enthusiasm but about the Doctrine of God's Immediate Way of Enlightening Working which this man in a Way of Opposition is pleased to term Enthusiasm and the Quakers Enthusiasts for owning that Doctrine Some other more particular Fling sand Groundless Objections he has against us of less moment which I pass by as Trifles not deserving my Time and treating about G. W. A Postscript by another Hand ENthusiasm all along used by Plutarch in Discourse about Apollo's Nuâ—n or Prophetess ceasing to give Oracles in Verse and about the ceasing of Oracles which was in his time about Anno 100. after the Apostle John's Decease this word Enthusiasm he uses to that Divination and Inspiration which the Heathen Oracles gave through their Priests Clemens Alexandrinus writes that in his time which was almost 200 years of Christ Divine Inspiration was in their Assemblies For in his 3d Book of his Paedagoguâ— cap. 11. thus he complains of some who did not abide in that which they had tasted in the Assembly nor walk in it and worthy of it or else dissembled it saith he These putting away the inspired Thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Congregation after their Departure thence are like them with whom they converse or else they are found to be such as they were not thought to be Eusebius lib. 9. Eccl. Hist. saith Prophecying continued till Constantine's time which was above the 300 year of Christ his words are these If any man inspired by the Grace of God should speak unto the People they all with great Silence fixing their Eyes upon him gave such Attention as if he had brought them some Errand from Heaven See Jacob Acontius Satan's Stratagems p. 128. The same Clem. Alex. saith Stromat lib. 5. Exod. 33. Moses saith Shew me thy self evidently noting that God cannot be taught to men nor expressed by words to men but that he can only be known by that Power which is of himself The same lib. 2. cap 4. Paedagog saith Before sleep it is a holy thing to give Thanks to God as enjoying his Bounty and Favour so as we go to sleep divinely inspired The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinely inwardly for he is a Greek Writer Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contracted is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence comes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enthusiasm not Enthysiasm as it is in the Latin Dictionary of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is another word signifying sacrificing I have found where the Mistake is by sâ—arching the Greek so it must be written Enthusiasm There was a Sect called Enthusiasts which Theodoret speaks of in his 4 Book of his Ecclesiastical History The word in the Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theopneustos the Scripture is called so 2 Tim. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graphe theopneustos Scripture breathed of God scriptura a deo spirata Spencer of Prophecy p. 110. A Synod in Germany called on purpose against vulgar Prophecies declined it saying Yet no Church or Consistory or University had altogether rejected or condemn'd such kind of new Prophecys and why would we be first Cyprian Epist. 71. saith Many things are better revealed to several Clemens Hom. a very ancient Book in the primitive Times sayes That Operation is more certain then Vision see p 726 728. See Book of Martyrs 2 volumn of the Prophecy of Huss and certain others in the History of Luther 3 vol. of Dr. Sands John Rogers c. John Fox himself touching the Lady Hennage's Recovery see his Life Bishop Jewel fore-told the Reformation Bp. Ridley's Burning his own Sickness then the precise day of his death see his Life THE END Joh. 6. 45. p. 24. p. 5. p. 123. pa. 24. p. 15 41 24 33. pa. 79. p. 80. p. 42. p. 76. p. 98. p. 110. * So there is a Spiritual Baptism and an Eating and Drinking with Christ in his Kingdom ‖ See Isaiah 53. 10 11. Psalm 22. 30. Jo. 6. 39. Gal. 3. 16. 4. 19. Act. Mon. v. 1. f. 593. * These are also said to be the Words of Pope Urban pleaded by Jo. Huss P. 47 61. John 1. 4. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affler numine an Inspiration Entheatus numine afflatus 〈…〉 in quo Deus est ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Divine inspir'd See the Copious Dictionaries * Where hath he a Scripture for God's Teaching in Person Unsavoury Expressions not according to sound Words * He had almost said Truth p. 88 89 90 91. Mal. 3. 8 9 19. Deut. 14. 28 29 p. 90 91. p. 91. p. 41 86 87. p. 56. p. 88 89 90 123. p. 47. 84. p. 41 42. Note That mens not believing in the Sou and their rejecting his light within are equivalent bothtend to the same End