his Prologue prefixt in some Bibles he saith thus viz. W. Tindal unto the Christian Reader If ought seem Changed or not altogether agreeing with the Greek let the Finder of the Fault consider the Hebrew Phrase or Manner of Speech left in the Greek Words whose Preterperfect Tense and Present Tense is oft both one and the Future Tense is the Optative Mood also and the Future Tense is oft the Imperative Mood in the Active Voyce and in the Passive evâ—…r likewise Person for Person Number for Number and Interrogation for a Conditional and such like is with the Hebrews and Common usage and he further adds if I shall perceive either by my self or by the Information of others that ought be escaped me or might be more plainly Translated I will shortly after cause it to be amended howbeit in many places me thinketh it better to put a Declaration in the Margâ—…nt then to run too far from the Text. Now from hence considering the Difficulty of truly translating the Scriptures from the Hebrew both as to Time Manner Voice Person Number and Condition c. how easily herein may the Sense be greatly changed and how this ingenuous Translator himself doth not place Infallibility upon his Work or Translation from the Hebrew but ingenuously proffereth Amendment of it if either by himself or an others Information he shall perceive a Deficiency in which he hath done and also considering what Irreconcileable Controversies have been among many counted Learned about the Translations in divers Places of Scriptures and how many Amendments have from Time to Time been made upon them and even how many various English Translations we have what Dubiousness and Uncertainty are both Priests and People in both as to Rule Faith and Foundation of their Religion who neither know nor own the Principle of true Knowledge and divine Understanding which is God's Gift while they have no regard to divine Illumination as the Rule of Faith before the Scriptures but do cry and set up one while a meer Translation or Reading which to them may be dubious as their only highest infallible Rule of Faith another while their own uncertain Meanings private Conceptions and fallible Interpretations upon the Scriptures they set up as the Rule and Judge over them as their Phrase hath been to Reconcile the Scriptuâ—…es which as given by divine Inspiration cannot be broken And while still their Work tends to divert peoples Minds from depending upon the Spirit of Truth and its Inlightning as the chief and only infallible Guide and Rule where will they center and what a Babylonish Structure do they erect upon their uncertain Conjectures and dubious Interpretations from their fallible Spirits and Judgments And to place Infallibility upon the Letter or Writing or English Translation whereas W. Tindal a Translator himself did not attribute this to his Translation nor divers others in their putting many marginal Notes upon some English Bibles as from the Hebrew and Greek and even their learned D. Ceâ—…l set forth a large Book in Folio entituled An Essay to the Amendment of the Last English Translation of the Bible whâ—… he finds fault with and corrects several noted Places and what less is signified in their ample Annotations and manifold Notes upon some Bibles And moreover when some of the Clergy have made that of Job 2. 9. their Texit viz. that Job's Wife said unto him Curse God 〈◊〉 dye they have told People that that Hebrew Text signifieth Bless God and dye and some take it so as to desire humbly of God that he might dye which arguing Impatiency was reproveable others that it was Curse God and dye which was much more reproveable not only as Foolishness but Wickedness And concerning that of Saul and the Witch of Endor his bidding her bring him up Samuel it 's said And when the Woman saw Samuel ver 12. and Saul know that it was Samuel vers 14. And Samuel said unto Saul why hast thou disquieted me c. ver 15. then said Samuel ver 16. So the matter runs in Samuel's name Whereas those of the Clergy have told us it was Satan and that Saul spake according to his gross Ignorance not considering the slate of the Saints after this Life and how Satan hath no Power over them it was Satan who to blind Saul's Eyes took upon him the Form of Samuel c. Now seeing this Interpretation is so plainly contrary to the Words themselves for which I blame them not in this though in many others I do I query how theâ—… agrees this with their placing Infallibility upon the Scriptures not only on the Doctrinal but on the Historical Part when they are minded to oppose the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ within Many more Instances might be brought to shew their vast Variations from the Letter of the Scriptures in their Interpretations By the Tenor of all which Discourse before of this Import it 's evident that their Confession at least of many of them is that aâ—…l the Scriptures are not Infallible but some Corrupted in the various Translations â—…hers not to be taken meerly as the Words import Howbeit for all this many Priests and Professors for their own Ends if they be about to oppose the Light within or divine Illumination and the Sufficiency of the holy Spirit 's Teaching denying it to be either the Rule of Faith or Life or sufficient to guide to Heaven without the Scriptures which argues their gross and carnal Diffidence and sinful Unbelief then in plain Contradiction they place all the Infallibility and sole Sufficiency therein upon the Scriptures as the only highest Rule of Faith and Life the only Rule and Way to Heaven and Glory the only Rule totry both Doctrines and Spirits by And here they most Idolatrously and in a most preâ—…sterous Manner prefer the Scriptures before Christ and set them up above the Spirit that gave them forth while they slight and cry down the Light of Christ within as not any Rule c. though it both manifests all things reproveable and be the Prover of Deeds whether they are wrought in God for which End he that doth Truth bringeth his Deeds to the Light Joh. 3. 19 20. But as Christ said to the unbelieving Jews so it may justly be said to these Opposers of his Light within now Ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me but ye will not come to me that you might have Life Joh. 5. 39 40. Mark ye will not come to Christ that ye might have Life and now the Scriptures do not direct Men to themselves for Life and Salvation but to the Son of God who is both the Life the Foundation the Way and so the only Rule Guide and Teacher and not the Scriptures But why do the Presbyters of our Times so often exalt their own divers Meanings and Interpretations as the Rule above the Scriptures contrary to the great
by thee in shunning those many Evils thou art checkt for and performing the good to which it excites thee thou wouldst both know and speak better of it then thou dost as that which both moves and leads in the Way to Salvation which is from Sin here and from Wrath hereafter and so unto Christ who is the Giver of it But it is probable thou thinkst thou art an elect Person and so in thy Presumption slites the Light within as not only Insufficient of it self to guide unto Salvation but also as a mis-guiding Light And this Doctrine herein opposeth thy Maker and his Universal good to Man-kind How then thinkest thou that the Rebellious can be left without Excuse or God be known to be clear when he judges Sect. V. The Dipper proved a Blind Guide and in gross Confusion in undervaluing the Light within T. H. DId the Light in Saul reprove him for persecuting the Church Doth not he himself confess that he verily thought he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Yea doth not Christ tell his Disciples that some would kill them and yet think they did God Service But how could they think so if this Light in them did reprove for it p. 8 9. Answ. Thou having asserted that there are some Sins which the Light reproves not among these thou instancest namely persecuting the Church doing many things against the Name of Jesus killing the Disciples and therefore concludes it no sufficient Rule O! thou blind Guide how darest thou thus accuse and undervalue the Light of Christ within contrary to thy many Concessions elsewhere Is Christ the Life and Light of men And yet does not his Light reprove Persecution and Murther If it reprove not these what are the Evils it checks for What rational Man cannot see thy manifest Folly herein thus to confound Persecutors evil Thoughts with the Light within and to conclude the Light within no sufficient Rule because of some mens Wickedness who have rebelled against the Light and therein thou hast put Darkness for Light And what were the Pricks that were hard for Saul to kick against And where was that Holy Ghost which the Persecutor alwayes resisted Act. 7 Their Envious and superstitious Minds and dark Thoughts were not the Light but such as clouded and obscured the Light in them yet the Kingdom of Heaven was in those Jews and so much divine Light in those Heathen as shewed them that there was a true and unknown God to be worshipped with sincere Hearts and pure minds and that in him we live and move and have our Being had they waited in that Light and listened to it they would both truely have known God his Way and Worship as some did If all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light how dost thou exclude those gross Sins of Persecution and Murder from being reproved by the Light And why dost thou argue against it from mens persecuting and murtherous Thoughts which arise from their Enmity and Rebellion against the Light But further I argue against thee on the Behalf of the Light viz. That its manifesting all things that are reproved is in order to guide men out of all reprovable Wayes which if they be guided out of they are in their Duty For where man is not reproveable for any thing he is in his whole Duty and so in the right Way T. H. Did the Light in the Heathen-Philosophers check them for multiplying their Deityes and for not believing that Jesus is the Christ Or did it reprove them for their manifold Superstitions And were they thereby directed to the right Way of worshipping the true God I demand an Instance among the many Thousands of Man-kind c. p. 9. Answ. That which might be known of God which was manifest in the Heathen and which did open the Eyes of many clearly to see the eternal Power and God head Rom. 1. that was able to direct them into the right Way of worshipping the true God for the reason why many run into Superstition and to multiply Gods was because that when they knew God they Glorified him not as God but became vaine in their Imaginations Rom. 1. which was their Sin and not any Defect of the Light given them from above for that Light which gave them the Knowledge of the true God was therefore able to direct them into the right Way of worshipping him And whereas thou demandest an Instance among the many Thousands of Man-kind that hath been convinced or reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the meer Light within before any Light of Revelation was brought unto them p. 9. Thou still persists in thy dull course of begging the question while thou takest it for granted that the Light within is but a Creature or natural and so not any absolute revealing Light But this I cannot grant thee while it is revealing God and his eternal Power to man that waits in it However thou slites it under thy frequent Phrase Meer Light within though it be neither opposed to the Spirit nor Revelation as thou wouldst have it while it is Divine and Spiritual And that thousands of Man-kind are reproved for not believing in the Son of God is evident by the Spirit of Truth reproving the World of Sin because they believe not in the Son of God in that they do not believe in his Life or Light within they do not believe in him who is the Giver of it and therefore reproved by the Spirit and surely many Thousands are comprehended in this World of Unbelievers Sect. VI. His Ignorance of the Divine Principle T. H. I Grant that the Light in thee may reprove for those Sins the common Light in all Man-kind will not because thou hast borrowed much Light from the Scriptures p. 9. Answ. It s evident thou understands not the Principle of divine Light within from what thou hast borrowed from the Scriptures with thy Imaginations perverting them wherein is thy great Darkness thou egregiously mistakeest a litteral Notion and Historical Faith for the divine Light within which is given to all which is a pure Incorruptible and Unchangeable Principle of Life and Truth immediately given and shining from Christ the Eternal Word and not mens acquired Notions from the History of Christ's outward Manifestation in the Flesh. But in thy gross Ignorance thou exalts such Acquirements of men above the Principle of Light within And so mens Historical Profession of the Scriptures as their only Rule though they much differ in their meanings therein which they make their Rule many times above the Scriptures and above the Gift of God this is a great Error of you Litteral Professors Thou wouldst not be pleased should I alledge your various Opinions upon the Scriptures to prove them no sufficient Rule though thus thou art pleased contradictorily to deal with the Light within Had the Princes of this World obeyed the Light of Christ within they would not have crucified
we will not boast of things without our Measure but according to the measure of the Rule which God hath distributed to us c. ver 15. not boasting of things without our Measure that is of other mens Labours but having Hope when your Faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly vers 16. not to boast in another Mans Line of things made ready to our hand And Philip. 3. 16. whereto ye have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Gal. 5. 15. and 16. for in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature and as Many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them By all which note that there was an universal divine and spiritual Rule distâ—…ibuted of God to the true Believers and new Creatures in Christ in whom stood their several Attainments and Growths and this was not other mens Lines nor the Letter wherein they were mutually enlarged nor could the Letter be this Rule for that required Circumcision what then was Paul's Rule for denying it but the Spirit of Liâ—…e the new Covenant the Immediate Dictates of the holy Ghost see Act. 15. 24 28. Heb. 8 9 10. By the Word Scriptures we understand not only Writings in general but particularly all the holy Scriptures contained in the Bible not excluding those many Writings of Prophets and Apostles which are not inserted in the Bible which contain a Plurality of Words of Truth Commands Prescriptions Precepts c. and in that Sense Rules or Directions relating to both the old and new Covenant and to divers States Occasions and Dispensations many of which are abolisht with the old Covenant which therefore cannot properly in the Singular be called the Rule or one Intire full Rule much less the only Rule with Exclusion of all others as falfe as S. S. very blasphemously doth the Chiefest and highest Rule as he unscripturally and erroneously calls them for the Spirit or Light that first gave them forth with its Immediate Illumination Motions and Directions being both before and higher then the Scriptures or Writings how true soever they be So though we confess the holy Scriptures to contain true Words Commandments Precepts Directions and so Rules yet it 's no more proper to call them the only highest Rule and Guide to Heaven and Glory as S. S. doth then to call them the only highest Word Commandment and Light which they are not We can neither call the Scriptures God nor Christ nor the Light nor the Spirit nor the Power of God but Innocently and simply as they term or call themselves owning them in the true Light given us according to the true Intent Purpose and End for which they were first given out from divine Inspiration for which none that are Ingenuous will Blame us for the Word lives forever It 's setled in Heaven It 's also to be known and felt nigh in the Heart and it is the holy and living Commandment of Power which is called Life Everlasting and this is Immediate This Word was to David a Light and Lanthorn to his Paths and therefore his only Way and Rule to Felicity Yea for its Eminency it may be truly esteemed the Word of Words the Commandment of Commandments the Rule of Rules that divine Light wherein consists the Government Rule and Order of the Everlasting Day of Salvation Glory and Life to all the Children of the Day who in order to that Attainment have obeyed and followed the Degree and Measure of this true and divine Light in its Manifestation in them The Scriptures also or Bible contain many various Passages as well Historical as Doctrinal even of the Examples of Men in the fallen State of things done in the time of Ignorance and of the Failings and Weaknesses of divers of things transacted and doâ—…e in a Time and State not sutable to that of Man in the beginning nor to that of the Gospel or new Covenant As for any Man to have divers Wives or many Concubines at once it was not so in the Beginning nor ought to be so now yet such things are recorded in Scripture of divers Therefore 't is both Gross Impious and Contradictory for any to count the whole Bible the Rule of Life and Duty without Exemption according to our Opposer p. 61. Moreover for his Asserting the Scriptures Infallibility and as so being the highest Rule * He neither puts a Limitation of what part of the Scripture or Bible he intends nor yet tells us in what Language Copy or Translation they are infallible for every Rule whether moral or artificial ought to be infallible otherwise 't is nâ—… Rule but therein lyes obscure under Ambiguities Howbeit we may suppose he means according to his Masters the Assembly of pretended Divines Confes. Chap. 1. where having declared that the holy Scriptures are given by Inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life they add Artic. 8. The old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the People of God of old and the new Testament in Greek which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediately Inspired by God and by his singular Care and Providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authentical so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal to them thus far the Assembly From hence it follows that when Steph. Scandret and these his Masters tell us that the Scriptures are the chief and highest Rule the only Infallible Rule to Heaven and Glory or the Rule of Faith and Life and to decide Controversies we are to understand it is as they are in Hebrew and Greek and as in the first Copies as given by Divine Inspiration by which these men still lead people in the dark and in Doubtfulness at a Distance from Life and Glory and Ignorant of the Rule and Way thereto implying this Difficulty that they must first learn Hebrew and Greek and be ascertained of the truth of the Copies as concurring with the first And this must be from their own knowledge not from the Priests Interpretations and various Meanings and yet the Assembly and S. S. still fall short of clearing the matter of the Greek not resolving which is the true infallible Copy there being divers Greek Lections or Copies of the new Testament But further if they could produce or evince the first Copy or that which most agrees with it while they prefer the Writing as the chief or only Rule of Faith and Life they leave people in Darkness and Death in not referring them to the Inward Divine Light or Inspiration of the Almighty as the chief and only Rule which gave forth the holy Scriptures and without which they cannot be truly understood in any Language Moreover concerning the Hebrew W. Tindal of whose Translation we have one ancient English Bible without Verses in
THE Christian-Quaker AND HIS DIVINE TESTIMONY VINDICATED BY Scripture Reason and Authorities AGAINST The Injurious Attempts that have been lately made by several Adversaries with Manifest Design to render HIM Odiously Inconsistent with CHRISTIANITY and Civil Society In II. Parts The FIRST more General by William Penn. The SECOND more Particular by George Whitehead Veritas fatigari potest vinci non potest Ether Beat. lib. 1. Thus saith thy Lord the LORD and thy God that pleadeth the Cause of his People Behold I have taken out of thy Hand the Cup of Trembling even the Dregs of the Cup of my Fury thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the Hand of them that Afflict thee Isaiah 51. 22 23. Printed in the Year 1674. TO THE Noble Bereans Of THIS AGE WHen our dear Lord Jesus Christ the Blessed Author of the Christian-Religion first sent forth his Disciples to proclaim the Happy Approach of the Heavenly Kingdom among several other Things that he gave them in Charge it pleas'd him to make this One of their Instructions Into whatsoever City or Town ye shall enter enquire who in it is Worthy fore-seeing the ill Use Unworthy Persons would make of that Message and with what Unweariedness the implacable Pharisee and subtil Scribe would endeavour to Pervert the Right Way of the Lord and thereby prejudice the Simple against the Reception of that Excellent Testimony This being our Case who above every Tribe of Men are most Maliciously Represented Bitterly Envied and Furiously Oppugn'd by many of the Scribes and Pharisees of our Time for as Impious Wretches as Those of that reputed our Blessed Saviour and his Constant Followers it becometh us in a Condition so desperate to provide our selves with some Worthy Readers Men that dare trust their Reason above Reports and be Impartial in an Age as byass'd as this we live in whose Determinations shall not wait upon the Sentence of Ignorance nor Interest but a Sincere and Punctual Examen of the Matter And since there are None recorded in Sacred Writ on whom the Holy Ghost conferr'd so Honourable a Character as the Bereans of that Age for that they both searched after Truth impartially and when they found it imbraced it readily for which they were entituled Noble Therefore it is that to you the Progeny of that Worthy Stock and Noble Bereans of our Age We the so much Calumniated Abettors of the Cause of Truth choose to dedicate this Defence of our Holy Profession from the Injurious Practices of a fort of Men who not unlike to the Jews of Thessalonica that Envying the Prosperity of the Gospel among your Ancestors made it their Business to stir up the Multitude against the Zealous Promoters of it And no Matter what it be provided they can but Obtain their End of fixing an Odium upon the Quakers They do not only boldly condemn what they esteem Worst in us how deservedly we will not now say but slyly insinuate what is Best to be Criminal The Sobriety of our Lives they call a Cheat for Custom and our Incessant Preachings and Holy Living a Decoy to Advance our Party if we say Nothing to them when they interrogate us 't is Sullenness or Inability if we say Something to them it is Impertinency or Equivocation We must not believe as we do believe but as they would have us believe which they are sure to make obnoxious enough that they may the more securely bait us for it Nor must our Writings mean what we say we mean by them but what they will have them to mean lest they should want Proofs for their Charges It was our very Case that put David upon that sad Complaint Every day they Wrest my Words all their Thoughts are against me for Evil But to David's God we commit our Slander'd Cause and to you the Bereans of our Age. Degenerate not from the Example of your Progenitors if you do you are no longer True Bereans and to such only we inscribe this Work if you do not we may assure our selves of the Justice of a Fair Enquiâ—…y and an Equal Judgment The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ augment your Desire after Truth give you clearer Discerning of the Truth and enable you both more readily to receive and with greater Resolution to maintain the Truth We are Rickmersworth the 16th of the 10th Month 1674. Your greatly Traduc'd but truly Christian Friends William Penn George Whitehead THE PREFACE THe Insatiable Thirst of Men after Religious or Civil Empire has filled almost every Age with Contest But for Pure Religion scarcely has any one contended To mention the Disorders within the first Six hundred Years from Christ who have been by far worse succeeded were to write the Ecclesiastical History But such as are not ignorant in it must needs know that Religion so early became a Cloak for Dominion and Truth a Pretence for Revenge What better has happen'd since Modern Stories tell us Certainly the Separation of most Parties from former Institutions however rightly begun have basely degenerated into Self-Promotion and when there to the Exercise of that Power over Consciences which when it was their own Case â—…o suffer from others they esteem'd most Cruel I well know that there is something in Man that prompts to Religion and such as stands not in the Traditions of Men nor any meer Formality But Man that he may not wholy lose the Honour of a share or be reputed sloathful with an unwarrantable Activity so adulterates and by an Intermixture of his own Conceptions with those Divine Dictates and purer Discoveries so sophisticates that they last become more his own Workmanship then the Truth 's And so fond is he of this Child of his Brain that like some ancient Tyrants he will rather cut his way to the Throne by a Violence upon all other Consciences then not put an Earthly Crown upon its Head They that know not the Truth of this have scarcely look'd back to their Great-Grand-Father's time Two Centuries have not past as yet since Bold and Honorable Attempts were made against that Apostate Church of Rome which prov'd so Successful as to win many Kingdoms from her Tyranny God certainly blest the Endeavours of those Consciencious Persons who spent their Estate Time and Blood in that truly Holy but Passive War But this hath been the Misery that they being intercepted by Death their Successors who acted not in the same Simplicity and upon like Convictions as they did began to think it no small Testimony of their regard to their martyr'd Ancestors to invest what they call'd their Religion with Worldly Majesty and then make use of the temporal Sword to establish it with their own Additioâ—…s as the most true certain and infallible Way Employing that Force those Mulcts and cruel Penalties to extort Conformity or else perish who dissented which rendred Rome's Actions so detestable to the very Martyrs and indeed
them naturally unto the Rising of the Day-Star which though a more glorious manifestation yet not of another Light Life or Spirit then had ever been for there are not two Lights Lifes Natures or Spirits in God he is ONE for ever in himself and his Light one in kind how ever variously he may have declar'd himself or manifested it at sundry times of the World His Truth is one his Way is one and his Rest one forever But last of all that which greatly joyes is this that the Narrowness of some Mens Spirits in this World will not be found able to exclude vertuous Gentiles from their Reward in the other But maugre all the Heat Petulancy Conceitedness and Fleshly Boasting of Carnal Christians such as fear God and Work Righteousness and are Doers of the Law we are assured shall be accepted with and justified of God in the Day that he will judge the Secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to Paul ' s Gospel and if any man bring another let It be accurst Amen I have here on purpose overlookt many very pregnant Instances both in the Old and New Testament so call'd for Brevities sake in which the Righteousness of the Gentiles hath in several Cases more evidently appeared then that of some of the Jews and which undeniably testifies to the Sufficiency of that Light they had both to manifest that which was Good from that which was Evil and give an Ability to such as truly minded its Illumination whereby they were enabled to do the one and to reject the other Such were Abimelech Cyrus Darius the Ruler that came to Christ and many others which I shall omit to mention more particularly the chief Bent of my Mind being to demonstrate the Truth of my Assertion from their own Writings CHAP. X. That the Gentiles Believed in One God That He inlightned All Men with a Saving Light That Men ought to live Piously That the Soul is Immortal That there is an Eternal Recompence The Whole call'd Gentile-Divinity The First Point prov'd by Sixteen Testimonies HAving prov'd briefly but truly from the Scriptures that the Gentiles in general were Illuminated with a Divine Light I shall now make it my Business to evidence the Truth thereof by most undeniable particular Instances out of their own Writings And because I am willing my Defence of both the Light within and Those of them who obey'd it should turn to the clearest and best Account I will endeavour to resolve the Whole into as plain a Method as the Matter and their Way of delivering it will allow me First then from their own Authorities I am taught to affirm that the Gentiles Believed in One Holy Infinite and Eternal God Secondly That they did therefore so believe because God had imprinted the Knowledge of himself in their Hearts or in our Language that he had Illuminated all Mankind with a Divine Light which as conversed with and obey'd would lead to Eternal Happiness Thirdly That they held and practised high Sanctity of Life Fourthly That they affirmed an Immortality of Souls and Eternal Rewards of Felicity or Misery according to Man's Obedience to or Rebellion against the Eternal God his Creator which Excellent Principles true and clear being the Result of their Discourse on those Subjects do worthily deserve in my esteem the Style of DIVINITY which shall be the Denomination I hope I may without Offence bestow upon them in this Discourse That the Gentiles did acknowledge and believe There was but One Supream God that made all things who is Infinite Almighty Omni-present Holy and Good forever I shall produce some of those many Authorities that aver the same and accommodate it to such Scripture as the Truth of them as well as Practice of very Ancient Fathers will bear me out in I. ORPHEUS as Old as more then One Thousand Two Hundred Years before Christ thus expresseth his Belief of God His Hand reaches to the End of the Sea his Right-hand is everywhere and the Earth is under his Feet He is only One begot of himself and of Him alone are all things begot and God is the First and the Last Hereby not only telling us there was a God but attributing that Almighty Power and Omni-presence which show he meant no Statuary Deity but the God that made the Heavens and the Earth II. HESIOD Of all which do not Dye thou art King and Lord none can Contend with Thee concerning Thy Power This Emphatically proves God to have been but One and Omni-potent in their Belief III. THALES a very Ancient Greek Phylosopher tells us That there is but One God that he is Glorious forever and ever And he openly confesseth That he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HE WHO KNOWS HEARTS Thales being demanded what God was That saith he which has NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END Another asking If a Man might do Ill and conceal it from God How saith he WHEN A MAN THAT THINKS IT CANNOT Men ought to believe saith Cicero in his Name that God sees all things IV. SIBYLLA There is One God who alone is Infinite and without Beginning Again Who can see with Fleshly Eyes the Heavenly True and Immortal God whose Seat is in the Highest of Heaven This Sibyll is Aged above Two Thousand Years The Question implies her Faith that God was a Spirit as Christ himself also testifies V. PYTHAGORAS a Modest but Diligent and Retired Man in his Search after Heavenly things saith That it is Man's Duty to believe of the Divinity that it is and that it is in such a manner as to Mankind that it overlooks them and neglects them not for we have need of such a Government as we ought not in any thing to Contradict such is that which proceeds from the Divinity For the Divinity is such that to it doth of Right belong the Dominion of all Again God resembleth LIGHT and TRUTH In another place God himself inhabits the Lowest and Highest and the Middlemost there is no Being nor Place without God God is One HE IS NOT as some conceive OUT OF THE WORLD but entire within himself as in a Compleat Circle surveying all Generations HE IS THE SALT OF ALL AGES the Agent of his own Powers and Works the Principle of all things One Heavenly Luminary or Light and Father of all things Only Wise Invisible yet Intelligible Which very Pathetical Account of the Divine Being so correspondent with Scripture yet he a Stranger to it I mean the Words only for the Matter in this Point he weightily hits deserves very Serious Consideration and Acknowledgment from all especially those who would not Narrow God's Mercies to their own Time or Party VI. To the same purpose speaks HERACLITUS that sensibly Afflicted Philosopher for the World's Impieties and Idolatrics whose very Sorrowful yet sound smart Expressions show they came from a Mind deeply touch'd In one of his
Ignorance and Idolatry against the Truth of its Discoveries and Efficacy of its Power If we had not desended the Light 's Sufficiency from these Authorities then our Assertion had been declared infirm with no small Shew of Triumph and Insult and now we have made good our Ground against their Objections the next News I expect to hear from such as are Perverse among them will be our Heathening â—…r turning Heathens But as all they could do would not make us Christians if Heathens so neither can their Prejudice being True-Spirited Christians render us in their Sense Heathens with Sober and Impartial Persons CHAP. XII That this was not only the Doctrine and Faith of the Gentiles but the very Primitive Doctors or Fathers both so held and so exprest themselves Eight Testimonies produced for Proof thereof BUt as I have hitherto made evidently appear both that the Gentiles Believed in One God and had a very clear Apprehension of the Light or Divine Principle placed in Man from whom all Heavenly Knowledge was to be derived and that this Divine Light or Spirit or Principle was by them asserted to be the most certain Guide and infallible Rule of Faith and Practice And further that the Scriptures produced abundantly verifie their Doctrines as that due Comparison of them will evidence so to the End these angry Men I have to do with should not count it a Prophaning of holy Writ or think that I am the only Man that ever had that favourable Apprehension of these Gentile-Doctrines I am willing to instance some of the most Primitive and Approved Fathers of the Christian-Church And by a short view of what they believed in reference to the present Subject with their way of phraising such Belief we may the more clearly perceive how far those Gentiles are by them Reprehensible either with respect to their Soundness in Judgement or Expression that if it be possible we may remove all Pretence for Objection against the Universality and Sufficiency of this Blessed Light I. JUSTINUS MARTYR whom I therefore chuse to begin with because from a Learned Philosopher becoming an Honest Christian and Constant Martyr from whence he was sirnamed Martyr he could the better tell us the Difference of the Change But so far was he from reputing the Principle of God within Men Hetrodox or Inconsistent with the Purity of the Christian Religion that with no small Earnestness he therefore pleads against all Coercive Power upon Conscience and the Pompous Worship of the Heathens in their Temples as his Apologies will inform us because saith he GOD HATH BUILT TO HIMSELF A NATURAL TEMPLE IN THE CONSCIENCES OF MEN as the Place wherein he would be Worshipped and that there Men ought to look for his Appearance and Reverence and Worship him or to that purpose II. To this doth CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS that Earnest Contender against the Apostate Gentiles plainly assent who often but more particularly in these few Places following recommends to us the Light or Word Within It is the Voice of Truth saith he that Light will shine out of Darkness Therefore doth it shine in the hidden Part of Mankind that is in the Heart and the Rayes of Knowledge break forth making manifest and shining upon the inward Man which is hidden Christ's Intimates and Coheirs are the Disciples of the Light He further expresseth himself in another Place Man cannot be void of Divine Knowledge who Naturally or as he comes into the World partaketh of Divine Inspiration as being of a more Pure Essence or Nature then any other Animals And as assenting to the Doctrine of some Ancient Philosophers and other Heathen Authors for against the Gentiles of his time I suppose he may make use of no less then about Two Hundred and Fifty he doth very frequently attest the Truth of the Doctrine of the Divine Light in Man as Man's Concomitant to all good Works as one Passage eminently proves I earnestly exhort thee because I would have thee saved and that would Christ also who offers thee Life in one Word But thou mayst say What is it IT IS THE WORD OF TRUTH THE INCORRUPTIBLE WORD WHICH REGENERATES MANKIND AND LEADS HIM AGAIN TO TRUTH the Spur that pricketh on to Salvation who expelleth the Destruction chaseth away Death and hath BUILT A TEMPLE IN MANKIND THAT IT MAY PLACE GOD IN MAN I know not any of the Ancients more profoundly read in the Doctrines of the Gentiles then this Clemens Alexandrinus and who to prove the Verity of the Christian-Religion against them doth numerously cite and insert the Writings of the more Venerable Heathens and with the very Books of their Admired Ancestors doth he accutely argue the Unreasonableness of their Opposition to Christianity the very top of Vertue and Perfection of Goodness as did Christ to prove himself the True Messiah urge the Scriptures to those pretended great Believers in them as an Aggravation of their Incredulity III. TERTULLIAN then whom there was not any I ever read more sharp against the Dissolute Gentiles of his time as his most quaint Apology for the Christians and in it his severe Charge against their Enemies doth particularly assure us thinks it to be neither Heresie nor Heathenism as it is commonly understood to believe and assert That a Life subject to the Holy Guidings of the Universal Light in the Conscience is a kind of Natural Christianity or to be Naturally a Christian. And though in his Apology he stabs with the sharpest Points of Wit Reason and Truth the Cause of Degenerated Philosophy or rather those that were unmeritedly called Philosophers yet he lays it still on the side of their great Apostacy from that Noble Principle which worthily Renowned their Predecessors the Being of whose Stock and Assuming whose Titles alone they Vainly esteem'd Warrant enough for their so great Pretensions to Real Science not unlike the Pharisees of the Jews as hath already been observed IV. ORIGEN who I may say was twice a Christian first by Education and next by Choyce a strong Defender of Christianity as his notable Books against Celsus and others do abundantly witness treating of that Divine Light with which God has illuminated Mankind as his Universal Endowment calls it AN IMMUTABLE LAW WHICH WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL IS ENGRAVEN UPON THE HEART AND GRAFTED INTO THE SOUL OF MAN V. LACTANTIUS Scholar to Arnobius who writ smartly against the Apostate Gentiles esteemed a good and acute Man thus delivers himself about the Matter in hand THE LAW OF GOD saith he is made known unto us WHOSE LIGHT like the STARS TO THE MARINER in the Night Season clearly discovers to us THE PATH OF WISDOM That Law is Pure and Unspotted Reason not inconsonant with nor unintelligible by Nature DEFUSED THROUGH ALL THE WORLD in it self UNCHANGEABLE and ETERNAL which that it may deter Man from Vice doth faithfully by its INJUNCTIONS and PROHIBITIONS DECLARE UNTO MAN HIS
do namely To save his People from their Sins there is not one Word of Wrath but consequentially Therefore since that Sin is in the Heart and Conscience of Mankind nothing but a Divine Light Spirit or Power can reach Immaculation into those inward Parts and consequently that must be the Redeemer and Saviour But indeed those who have a Mind to Naturalize that strange Figure into the Language of the Holy Truth I mean to understand that to be saved is to be saved from Wrath and not from Sin whose assured Wages is Wrath may have some Interest though no Reason for their implacable Enmity against an Inherent Holiness But I farther confess that his Righteous Life with respect to its Appearance in that Body was grieved by Sin that the Weight of the Iniquity of the whole World with the Concernment of its Eternal Well-being lay hard upon him nor was his Manhood Insensible of it Under the Load of this did He travel he alone trode the Wine-Press that is All others were then Insensible of that Eternal Wrath which would be the Portion of Impenitent Persons as well as that it was his great Care and deep Travel that the Holy yet Oppressed Seed might arise over the Pressures of Iniquity in the Hearts of Men to bruise the Serpent's Head in all And as outwardly he gave his outward Life for the World so he might inwardly shed abroad in their Souls the Blood of God that is The Holy Purifying Life and Virtue which is in him as the Word-God and as which he is the Life of the World This was it which gave that visible Part the Understanding it had which fitted it for so great an Embassy by whose Power alone it Fasted Prayed Preacht Cast-out Devils Wrought Miracles Lived that most Unblemisht Life Patiently Suffered Death was Raised for an Holy Confirmation maugre all the Military Opposition of the Jews and this it was which accompanied the Ministry of his Followers rendring it Efficacious to Conviction and Conversion So that the Invisible Spiritual and Divine Life Principle or Nature was the Root and Fountain of all which is sometimes asscribed in Scripture to the Body by that Common Figure or Way of Speaking amongst Men the Thing containing which was the Body for the Thing contained which was the Eternal Power Wisdom Life c. Not that we would irreverently rob the Holy Body of whatsoever Acknowledgement is justly due nor yet separate that God joyned though I confess with holy Fear I dare not attribute to an External prepared Being which is the Natural Proper and Only Work of the Divine Light and Life to operate and effect But certainly if some Men in Scripture are intituled Saviours because of the Contribution of their Tryals Travels and Labours towards the Salvation of Man-kind of much more Right is that Honour ascribable to him who had the Spirit without Measure For I do freely acknowledge it to have been in some sense a Co-worker and Partner with the Divine Life in many of its Tryals Weights Sufferings and Travels for Man-kind Yet as it was the Divine Power in them that made them serviceable in that great Work so was it the Divine Power in him which made that what it was and therefore ought we chiefly to appropriate the Salvation to Christ as the Word-God and to the Holy Manhood not any otherwise then Instrumentally or by the same Divine Power in and through it I mean as it was a Chosen Instrument or Vessel in and by which God declared the Blessed Glad-Tidings of Love and his Message of Reconciliation to the World in which he gave the most Heavenly Example of Purity and through whose whole Life Doctrine and Death did shine forth the clearest Evidences of Truth Goodness Mercy Patience deep Travel for the World Self-Denyal Holiness and Triumphant Matyrdom No Wonder then if he be called a Saviour who not only came on an Embassy of Salvation and when come did draw many after him who were struck with the Authority of his Sayings when he allow'd for a time to have their Eyes and Hearts upon him as in that State present with them But afterwards he let his Disciples know of how much Benefit it would be to them that he should leave them How Forever In all Capacities No but as with respect to his outward Appearance that being scattered in that Day to their own Measure of Light Pon er and Life they might know him NO MORE AFTER THE FLESH but witness him come into their Hearts a Comforter who could not leave his true-hearted Disciples comfortless He that is with you shall be in you To be brief that I may yet again express our reverent Sense of Christ's Manifestation so far as relates to that Holy Thing that should be born of Mary take these few particulars in my next Chapter CHAP. XXI A Confession in particular to Christ's Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation I. WE do confess that though the Eternal Power Life and Light which inhabited that Holy Person which was born at Nazareth was is chiefly eminently the Saviour for there is no Saviour besides me saith God yet that it was Instrumentally a Saviour as prepared and choseâ—… oâ—… the Work which Christ had then to do iâ—… it which was actually to the Salvation of some and intentionally of the whole World then and in Ages to come suitable to that Scripture Lo in the Volumn of the Book it is written I come to do thy Will O God a Body hast thou prepared me c. II. That as there was a Necessity that one should dye for the People so whoever then or since believed in Him had and have a Seal or Confirmation of the Remission of their Sins in his Blood and that Blood alluding to the Custom or the Jewish Sacrifices shall be an utter Blotting out of former iniquates carrying them as into a Land of Forgetfulness This grand Assurance of Remission from the Wrath due upon the Score or former Offences do all receive in the Ratifying Blood of Christ who Repenting of their Sins believe and obey the Holy Light with which he hath Illuminated them For Paul's being turned from Darkness to the Light in his Heart was one with his believing in the Son of God revealed in his Heart III. This more glorious Appearance ended that less glorious Service of the Jews the Figures being compleated the Shadows they fell He in that Body preacht and lived beyond those Beggarly Elements He drew Religion more Inward even into the Secret of the Heart and made it to consist in an higher State oâ—… Righteousness called Evangelical and at once became both the Authâ—…ro 〈◊〉 Heavenly Dispensation and therein an Example to all as well Jews and Gentiles sealing such a Common and General Religion to both with his Blood as would forever end the Difference and slay the Enmity that they might be all one in Christ. Thus did he end the Jews External Services
them over again to us in this Age. Neither is History or can it be the Rule of that Faith and â—…ife we speak of which are absolutely necessary to Salvation which is the Faith that not History but God gives that works not by History but Love overcomes the Woâ—…ld which Millions of Historical Believers are overcome by and wallow in the Spirit and Practice of And the Rule must be answerable to the Nature and Workings of the Faith so in Point of good Life which is Duty done Now History though it inform me of others Actions yet it does not follow that it is the Rule of Duty to me since it may relate Actions not imitable as in the Case of Adam and Eve in several Respects and Christ's being born of a Virgin dying for the Sins of the World c. wherefore this cannot be the Rule of Duty The like may be said of the Jewish Story that was the particular Concern and Transaction of that People Obj. But these things ought to be believed Answ. I say so too where the History has reached and the Spirit of God hath made a Convictâ—…on upon the Conscience which sayes D. J. Owen as before gives them Authority Verity and Perspicuity But where this History has not reached any People or they dye ignorant of it they are not responsible for not believing any such Passages as saith Bp. Sanderson 'T is one thing to say The Scriptures ought to be read believed and fulfilled and another thing to say They are the Evangelical Rule of Faith and Life For when I read believe and witness them fulfilling I must needs have a Rule to read understand believe and witness them fulfilling by which being the Divine Light and Spirit of Christ that and not themselves must be my Rule for so Reading Understanding Believing c. And surther to prove that the Light and Spirit within the Heathens was sufficient to discover these things 'T is granted on all hands that the Sibylls had divine Sights I mean not those made in their Name by some Professors of Christianity as is charged on them to gain Authority upon the Gentiles against which Blundel writes But those acknowledged Who prophesied of a Virgin 's bringing forth a Son and that he should destroy the Serpent and replenish the Earth with Righteousness as is before cited out of Virgil who took it out of the Remains of Cumaa's Verses then among the Romans And for the Practical Part of the Objection viz. How should we have known it had been Unlawful to Swear at all in any Case if Mat. 5. 34. had not been which is of most weight in this Case because matter of Duty and called particularly by some an Evangelical Precept being a Step above the Righteousness of the Law outward among the Jews I have this to say in Solution of my Adversaries Objection Reprehension of his Ignorance and for Proof by his own Argument of the Light 's Sufficiency There were among the Jews themselves long before Christ came an entire People that would not Swear to wit the Esseni They keep their Promises sayes Josephus and account every Word they â—…peak of more Force then if they had bound it with an Oath And they shun Oaths worse then Perjury for they esteem him condemned for a Lyar who without it is not believed Philo writes to the same purpose and taught himself that it was best to abstain from Swearing that ones Word might be taken instead of an Oath And Pythagoras in his Oration to the Crotonian Senators exhorted them thus Let no man attest God by Oath though in Courts of Judicature but use to speak such things that he may be credited without Oath The Scythians are said to tell Alexander of themselves Think not that Scythians confirm their Friendship by Oath They Swear by keeping their Word And Clinias a Greek and Follower of Pythagoras rather chose to suffer the Fine of Three Talents which make 300 l. English then to lessen his Veracity by taking an Oath Which Act was greatly commended of Bafilius who upbraided the Christians of his time with it Thereby after our Adversaries Way of drawing Consequences preferring the Light of the Gentiles before the Light of the Christians though indeed the Light was and is alwayes one in it self but the Christian did not live up so closely to it as the Heatheâ—… did and therefore had a greater Liberty and walked in a broader Way I would now know of our Opposers if they can yet think the Light that preach'd in the Mount that Doctrine was one with that Light that shined in the Consciences of those Gentiles so many Hundred Years before that Sermon was writ or preached who so plainly believed practised and taught it yea or nay Perhaps some of them through the abundance of their Envy Pride and Passion will yet stick out while the more moderate may submit to such Evidence and conclude Ignorance and Folly to have made all this Opposition against us and that of a Truth The Voice which cryed Prov. 8. 4 6. Unto you O men I call and my Voice is to the Sons of men hear for I will speak Excellent things was heard by the Gentiles and that what concerned Doctrine to Holy Living was not hid from them I mean evangelically so provided Christ's Heavenly Sermon upon the Mount related by Matthew may be esteemed such for their Writings flow with Amens thereunto But admitting to our Adversaries that the Voice was then so low and the Manifestation of the Light so small as it discovered not many of those things before-mentioned could that give any reasonable men Ground to conclude Therefore the Divine Wisdom or Light was insufficient or that the Divine Wisdom or Light was not then and should not in other Ages become the Rule and Guide of the Children of men however promised Yet such false Consequences have been the Corner-Stone and Foundation of our Adversaries Building against us And no reasonable man I think will clear it from being a Sandy one OF THE Judge of Controversie I Shall explain what I mean by the Termes A Judge is one that has not only Power to determine but Discerning to do it rightly Controversie is a Debate between two Parties about the Truth or Falshood of any Proposition to be determined by that Judge From whence I am led to assert that The Judge of Controversie must be Infallible And though this may seem strange to some 't is nevertheless true in it self For if the Judge be fallible however he by his Authority may determine the Persons controverting into Silence yet it does not follow that he has given true Judgment since he may as wel nay rather determine falsly then truly so that Controversie can never be rightly determined by a fallible Judge therefore no true Judge of Controversie Indeed it is absurd and a Contradiction in it self to think otherwise since he that is uncertain can never give
a certain Decision and if not a certain one then none to the Purpose Nor ought any Person no otherwise judged that is perswaded of the Truth of his Cause to let fall his Belief upon so fallible a Determination since he not only moves without Conviction but against Conviction And which is worse he is not ascertained of the Truth of what he is required to submit to Therefore of all People they are most condemnable who keep so great a stir about Religion and that sometimes use coercive Means to compass their designed Uniâ—…ormity and yet acknowledge to us they are not certain of their own Faith unless it be those who notwithstanding yield to such uncertain Imposers Since then the Judge must be infallible it will be worth our while to consider where ' this insallible Judge is to be found There is none Good but God said God himself when manifested in the Flesh that is originally or as of himself so truly there is none infaltible but God as of himself yet as the supream Good is communicated unto man according to measure so well sayes Bp. Latiâ—…er is there infallibility Certainty or Assurance of the Truth of things given to man according to Capacity otherwise men should be oblieg'd to believe and obey and that upon Damnation those things concerning which there can be no Certainty whether they be true or false Immanuel God with men as he is their Rule so their Judge he is the Law-giver and therefore the best Irterpreter of any Point that may concern his own Law and men are so far infallible as they are subject to his Voice Light or Spirit in them and no farther for humanum est errare Man is Errable Nor can any thing rescue him out of Error or preserve him from the Infections of it but the sound or certain Judgment God by his Light or Spirit within assists him with Obj. But is not the Scripture the Judge of Controversie Answ. How can that be since the Qâ—…estion most times arises about the Meaning of Scripture Is there any place tells us without all Interpretation whether the Socinian or Trinitarian be in the Right in their differing Apprehensions of the Three that bear Record c also the Homousian and Arrian about Christ's Divinity or the Papists or Protestants about Trans-substantiation If then things are undefined and undetermined I mean expresly in the Scripture and that the Question arises about the Sense of it doth the Scripture determine which of those Interpreters hit the Mark As this is absurd to think so must it be acknowledged that if Interpretation decide the Matter in Controversie not the Scripture but the Interpreter is the Judge Now this Interpreter must either interpret by his own meer Wisdom or Spirit called by the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. II. the Spirit of a Man who by weighing the Text consulting the Intent of the Writer comparing places together gives the Judgment which the Scripture cannot do or from the Spirit of God which gives Understanding as Job 3â—… 8. and as the same Apostle saith searcheth the deep things of God If the first then a Fallible If the last then an Infalâ—…ible Judge I would sain know whether it was the Scripture or the Holy Ghost that presided among the Apostles when they were come together Acts 15. when they said It seemeth good to the â—…oly Chost and to us c. If the Holy Ghost give us a plain Scripture to prove we are to have another Judge now If not then we must have the same and consequently an Infallible Judge Obj. 'T is granted that the Spirit is Infallible But how shall I know that any man determines a thing by this Spirit and does not rather obtrude his own Sense upon us under that specious Pretence Answ. By the same Spirit As well said Gualt Cradock The Way to know whether the Spirit be in us is its own Evidence And that is the Way to know it in others too and the man hat hath the Spirit may know the Spirit in another There is saith be a kind of Sagacity in the Saints to this Purpose Which is also true in the Sense of abundance of Pâ—…otestant Writers For as they held That no man could know the Scriptures but by the same Spirit so consequently that the same Spirit only could assure him of the Truth of the said Iâ—…terpretation And Peter Martyr as before quoted tells us The Holy Ghost is the Arbiter or Judge Also D. J. Owen sâ—…ith That the Holy Ghost is the Only Authentick Interpreter of the Scripture Iâ—… Authentick then Infallible if Infallible then the Judge of the Mind of Scripture is both an Only and an 〈◊〉 Judge But to wave this Does not the same Objection lie agaâ—…st the Sense of Scripture since one sayes this is the Sense and another that To know God's Mind men must come to God's Spirit else Difficulties of that sort are unsurmountable In short It were greatly to be wisht that all men would hold themselves unconcerned in disputing about what they have not received an Infallible Dictamen from the Holy Spirit upon since they beat but the Air and obtain no solid Satisfaction neither can they God never prostrates his Secrets to Minds disobedient to what they do already know Let all practise what they assuredly know to be their Duty and be sparing in their search after nice and unknown Matters Weighty and seasonable was and is the Apostle's Saying Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule where he both limits to the present Knowledge communicated and exhorts to live up to that and if any thing be further necessary God in due time will reveal it by his Spirit that gives to know discern and judge of the things that are of God Obj. But how will this determin the Controversie and allay the Fury of Debates on foot Answ. Nothing like it if man adhere to it and if he does not there is no way left but the Wrath that is to be reveal'd But most Perswasions are agreed about the absolute Necessaries in Religion from that Witness God has placed in man's Conscience viz. That God is That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him That the Way of God is a Way of Purity Patience Meekne ss c. without which no man can see the Lord Nay they accord in some considerable Matters superadded as some of them speak to wit That God manifested himself extraordinarily in the Flesh that he gave his Life for the World that such as believe and obey his Grace receive Remission of Sins and Life Everlasting Now I say since these things men generally submit to let them live up hereunto and forbear wanton Scrutinies after Things or Notions that gender to Strife and Contention and leave not Mankind better but rather worse then they found them and the World would be soon rid of Controversie Holy Living and not Disputing would be the Business of
l. 30. read Jews viz. p. 112. l. 23. for suffer'd read suffer p 115. l. 17 for Inâ—…ner read Jenner page 116. l. 11. for Saving One read saving one line 16. for Product read produc'd p. 1â—…7 l. 11. for better as read better at line 25. read true Light p 119. l 27. dele Omnious p. 122. l. 37. r. Aggravation 〈◊〉 126. l. 1 for Siâ—… read Sigh p. 28. read CHAP XXVI p. 131. l. 4. for Inability to see the read 〈◊〉 to see the. p. 136. l. 26. r. Scriptures p. 136. l. 34. for were 〈◊〉 waâ—… p. 137. l. 6. for Good read Goad l. 29 read such a thing p. 138. l. 27. for more read mâ—…er l. 39. Margeâ—…t for on read one pâ—…ge 140 l. 29. for He that flyes read They â—…at flye p. 148. l 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 read perâ—…eived p. 149. l. 24. read in his Works p. 54. l 34 afâ—…er Mâ—…unt deâ—… and put a before was p. 156. l. 30. r. but as the THE CHRISTIAN QUAKER AND HIS Divine Testimony VINDICATED Against the Adversaries of the True LIGHT BEING THE Second Part Containing A more particular Answer to the Baptists and others Arguments Exceptions Errors and Falasies herein specified By a Servant and Follower of Jesus Christ through Persecutions and Reproaches G. Whitehead The vile Person will speak Villany and his Heart will work Iniquity to practice Hypocrisie and to utter Error against the Lord Isa. 32. 6. Printed in the Year 1673. To the Unprejudiced READER IF it had not been the Lord who was on our side when Men rose up against us Now may we with Israel say then they had swallowed us up quick when their Wrath was kindled against us Had our Separation and Testimony been of Men or by Man's Will we haâ—… fallen long since as many of our Adversaries have falsly prophesied we had not been sustained through our many Tryals nor born up above the Floods of Enmity if the Lord hâ—…d not been with us but he who hath gathered and chosen us to witnesâ—… forth his Name and Truth in the Power and Spirit of it hâ—…th preserved and given us Strength to persevere therein blessed be his Name for ever And this I with my Brethren must give Testimony of that as God hath in these last Dayes been pleased to visit us by his Eternal Power and in his Love and Kindness to open the Eyes of our Understanding to see his Goodness both to our own particulars and to Man-kind in General in extending Saving Grace or Light to all So it is by his Power that he hath raised up and set forth Witnesses of the same the Sence we have of the Love of God and his Glorious Light revealed induceth and moveth us even in the Spirit of the Gospel to call others out of Darkness and to direct their Minds to the Appearance of the true Light in their Hearts and Consciences in what degree soever it sheweth it self which God in his Goodness hath universally afforded for Good to Mankind that they might both know him and their Duty to him God did stretch forth his Hand and reach unto us by his Power for this very end to gather us unto his divine Light or Shining in our Hearts that thereby we might receive the Knowledge of his Glory in the Face of Christ Jesus as his former Witnesses did And although we must still confess to the Love and Good-Will of God to Man in affording Divine Light universally throughout all Ages yet Transgression and Darkness hath been such in the Earth that hath in many Ages much vailed and obscured the Light that the Knowledge and Manifestation thereof hath beâ—… much wanting even because of Man's Transgrâ—…ssion and I 〈◊〉 Wherefore Light being now sprung up anâ—… Truth arisen out of Darkness and Obscurity we must faithfully testifie thereof aâ—…d own the least degrees and lowest Dispensations of divine Light 〈◊〉 Man as his Duty to observe and not to slight nor despiseâ—… 〈◊〉 any for we know that as Light hath risen and shined out of Obscurity and Truth hath risen up out of the Earth it hath been from a less Appearance and Degree to a greater 〈◊〉 â—…rom that Degree of shining in a dark Place unto the perfect Day And as all the Promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ so all his Glorious Dispensations and Promises do center in a Divine and Unchangeable Principle of Life and Light 〈◊〉 gradually discovered to and in Man Therefore the 〈◊〉 Appearance or Manifestation in any while 't is of the same Principle cannot be extinguished nor lessened by the greater in others in that the highest Attainments of Divine Knowledge were alwayes gradually obtained by the Holy Men of God Moreover This we assert that God that made Man for his own Glory whose Mcrcies are over all his Works and who willeth not the Death of Sinners but rather that they should return and live He hath not only throughout all Ages universally afforded an Unchangeable Principle of Divine Light which he hath placed in man to direct him his Way out of Darkness and Sin but also he signally visits him at times with Living Appearances Motions and Opperations of his Light and Spirit to his Reproof and Conviction thereby often warning and calling Man out of Iniquity as the Spirit of God did strive with the old World that had corrupted us Way before him and was destroyed by the Flood for its Flood of Iniquity and he gave his good Spirit unto the Rebellious Jews which they grieved and vexed until he became their Enemy and fought against them He by his Lightnings enlightened the World and the Earth trembled and sâ—…ke and upon whom doth not his Light arise although they that rebel against the Light know not the Wayes of it because they abide not in the Pathes thereof yea he that causeth his Sun to arise â—…n the Evil and on the Good and sendeth his Rain on the Just and the Unjust he hath not left himself without sufficient Witness in the Earth both inward outward as namely his Divine Immediate Light in man appearing to the Soul his Works of Creation which are obvious to the Light and Universally declaring his Wisdom Power and Greatness to be inwardly 〈◊〉 and â—…nderstood as his Inward Light opens Man's Understanding and the Eyes thereof Howbeit Man having transgressed this Divine Principle and his Mind being alienated from it and blinded by the God of this World God having Bowels of Pitty still remaining he hath been pleased so far to commiserate poor lost Man as to afford and extend those pretious Promises as the more eminently to declare shew forth and renew his Love Light and Power for man's Recovery out of his Lost and Dark Estate As that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head and this did Christ in general and doth in particular by the Power of the Father which can no wayes lessen nor detract from his Light within nor be any Inconsistency with
Heaven I say yes and these three are one and is not Christ the Saviour that Word which is one of the three which are but one divine Being Thing or Substance though revealed under several Considerations and Diversities of Manifestations and Degrees of Discoveries yet all one divine Life and Being as God is the Word the Life the Light and so is Christ and the holy Spirit is Life to the Righteous and so is Christ the Way the Truth and the Life In him was Life and the Life the Light of Men the Life affordeth Light to all and the Light Life to all that obey it and in it follow Christ such receive the Light of Life and come to walk in the Light of the Living as the Light of Life is received unto Justification and Peace the holy Spirit is received in that glorious Ministration as Comforter after a State of Desolation and Sorrow of whom Christ said He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16. 13. H. G. Did the true Saviour die on the Cross or not Answ. Yes as concerning the Flesh but not as concerning the Spirit or most noble Principle by which he was impowred to his Work of Salvation H. G. I affirm once again That neither the Comforter viz. the holy Spirit nor the Deity of our Lord Jesus distinct from his Manhood or human Nature could be the Saviour and Mediator which dyed on the Cross c. pag. 7. Answ. This is a meer impertinent Shuffle to prove the holy Spirit could not be the Saviour he now tells us that neither the holy Spirit nor the Deity distinct from his human Nature as he calls it could be the Saviour that dyed who of us ever affirmed that his Deity or holy Spirit dyed But seeing the holy Spirit or Deity dyed not with the Flesh of Christ that was crucified then the whole Saviour did not dye but what he calls the human Nature But if we take his Words according to his Doctrine before for Proof that the holy Spirit or Comforter cannot save or be the Saviour only thus viz. Neither the Comforter the holy Spirit nor the Deity of our Lord Jesus distinct from his Manhood or human Nature could be the Saviour This were all one as to tell us that God cannot be the Saviour or that God cannot save if the holy Spirit or Deity be God he should rather have said that the Manhood could not save without the holy Spirit divine Power or Deity which alone is sufficient and only that which is felt and experienced in Man to effect his Salvation and Deliverance from the Power of Sin and Satan Ye are my Witnesses saith the Lord and my Servants whom I have chosen that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour Isa. 43. 10 11. There is no God else beside me a Just God and a Saviour Chap. 45. 21. And we both labour and suffer Reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men specially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. And how is God especially known to be the Saviour but in saing man from Sin Unrighteousness and all Guile I will mention the loving Kindness of the Lord c. For he said Surely they are my People Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour Isa. 63. 7 8. Now consider whether it be not grosly erroneous to suppose the holy Spirit oâ—… Deity cannot save or is so deficient distinct or in it self whereas though God was manifest in Flesh God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself the Divinity and human or earthly Nature were alwayes distinct and is not God omnipotent To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen V. How the Light in Man is a Gift and H. G' s distinction between the Meritorious and instrumental Cause of Salvation examined H. G. ARt thou not able to distinguish between the Giver and the Gift between the Fountain and the Stream p. 7. Answ. Yes I do distinguish between the Giver and the Gift between the Fountain and the Stream between the Fulness and the receiving thereof Grace for Grace buâ—… while the Distinction between God and the Gift of his Spirit or between Christ and his Light within seems to be no more then between the Fountain and the Stream how grosly erroneous is it to conclude either that the Spirit cannot be Saviour or that the Light of Christ is not saving For that 's all one as to say that either the Stream is not the same Water with the Fountain or that the Stream cannot wash because not the Fountain or Fulness who in his right Wits will believe this H. G. But again it appears thou distinguishest not between the meritorious Cause of man's Salvation and the Instrumental the killing of the Sacrifice and the sprinkling of the Blood c. p. 7. 8. Answ. Where doth the Scripture make this Distinction or say that the killing of the Sacrifice which he must mean of Christ is the meritorious Cause of man's Salvation Such like blind distinctions are fit to darken Knowledge and blind Peoples Minds and how gross and unchristian is it to place such a Merit or Worth upon that murtherous Act of killing the Sacrifice if he mean Christ as his Discourse implies For though Christ Jesus by that inherent Holiness and original Righteousness and Grace of God in him offered and gave himself up to suffer and tasted Death for every Man yet the crucifying and killing him according to the Flesh was an Act of Murtherers and Persecutors who by wicked Hand put him to death so that the Dignity and Worth was in Christ and on his Part through all his Sufferings and not in the Act of killing him by wicked Hands nor on their Parts howbeit the Sufferings and Death of Christ were of great value with the Father and his Power did appear through all to the bruising the Serpents Head And if it be the Work of the Spirit to sanctifie and renew us is not this a saving Work And doth not this bring us to receive the Attonement and to enjoy Peace Who follow and obey this Spirit for a Reconciliation through the Death of Christ and being saved by his Life and so the Work of Christ in saving and redecming man from Iniquity and in making Attonement Peace and Union between God and Man however these be directly pointed at made way for by the Suffering and Death of Christ yet they were inwardly revealed effected and fulfilled by the Spirit or Life of Christ where the Word of Reconciliation is received in the Heart For Christ's Appearance and Suffering in the Flesh did really and directly point at those spiritual Ends which are for man's Eternal Advantage to be fulfilled by his Appearance in Spirit VI.
in all c. Rep. God's Truth is concerned in his gracious Promises both absolute and conditional as well as in his conditional Threats And let it be considered 1st That Man's Dying in the Day he so eat was the Fruit of his Fall into a State of Misery in dying from that State of Righteousness and Felicity he was in before and it was the Natural Effect of his Transgression and yet not so as that God was absolutely bound to bring eternal Death on Man in that day no no nor was divine Justice so narrowly tyed up or short sighted as not to reserve a Remedy for God had the Seed of the Woman in his eye and divine Justice doth not require that eternal Death or the second death shall remain upon any but on the finally Impenitent who continue in Sin under the Power of the first Death for all they who return to God and receive Christ the promised Seed he proves to them both a Just God and a Saviour neither Justice nor the Curse of the Law can limit him from shewing Mercy Remission or Salvation to the Creature upon true Repentance and Faith in Christ Jesus who overcomes the World and the evil Nature from whence those cursed Actions have sprung mentioned Deut. 27. 15. to the end of the Chapter And t is true the Jews outward who rejected the Righteousness of Faith that is received in the Spirit when Christ was set forth and fetcht their Righteousness from the Letter of the Law they did strictly and formally bring themselves under the Curse thereof when they continued not in all that was written But there is no Condemnation or Curse to them that are in Christ Jesus my Opposer leaves out what follows viz. that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. Yet what the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every Mouth may be stopt and all the World may become Guilty before God This Law therefore as thus convicting is Spiritual and tends to man's Conversion in that it is to prepare him for Mercy which divine Justice doth not hinder nor detain the World under the Guilt divine Truth being concerned in the gracious Promises which are Yea and Amen in the Promised Seed that ransoms Man slayes the Enmity crucifies the Transgressors or first Birth which must dye upon which the Law and its Sentence of Death must pass and Man that is guilty must feel this in himself before he be delivered into that State wherein there is no Condemnation or be united to the Lord who Kills and makes Alive So that neither Justice nor Truth in the Law are frustrated the Law is not made void through Faith but established in the Spirituality and Purity of it the Righteousness of the Law being fulfilled in them that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And 't is said that the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Rom. 3. Christ came to condemn Sin in the Flesh and is the End of the Law for Righteousness to all them that believe and not for the Continuance of Unrighteousness and where Sin is put an End to by Christ the Curse and Condemnation of necessity ceaseth with it and the Righteousness of Faith takes place in the Soul Obj. Adam hath sinned We are by Nature Children of Wrath in our own Persons We have failed hence God's Wrath is up against us God burning in his Wrath is ready to condemn us to take Vengeance on us to consume us as Fire not to Justifie and acquit from our Ill Deserts c. If Burning ten thousand millions of Years in Hell is not enough to turn away his Wrath c. Rep. Thus he hath defined divine Justice as he thinks which is further spoken to hereafter but upon whom must it be thus satisfied supposeth he S. S. Justice is satisfied upon Transgression p. 103. Rep. Then upon Rebellious Transgressors and not upon Christ who was alwayes Innocent and did the things well pleasing to the Father and therefore divine Justice could never burn nor take such Vengeance on him for Satisfaction and let the Guilty go free for so to do could not be Justice the Satisfaction whereof as it intends the Undergoing the Penalty of the Law due for the Injury done Justice can only require it of the Offender and Guilty for whom the Law was made not of the innocent or Righteous for whom the Law was not made But where then were the Mercy or Forgiveness to the poor Creature that hath sinned if God were so engaged to burn in his Wrath and take the full Vengeance upon lost man S. S. His Truth engageth him to execute his Justice in punishing Sin yea to the full should Mercy offer to pronounce any man absolved his Sin unpunished Truth would stop the Mouth of Mercy and say Hold I have Cursed c. Rep. What strange and lamentable Division would this make in God! and how variable and in Contrariety with himself And how Contrary to the Testimonies of his Faithful Witnesses hath this Man rendered God As if absolute Revenge and Wrath towards all Mankind did bear the sole Sway in him over all both his Love Goodness and Mercy Oh sad Is not his Mercy over all his Works and hath he not Forgiveness in store unto whom it is said who is a God like unto Thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his * Anger forever because he delighteth in Mercy Mica 7. 18. The Lord God merciful and gracious forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34. 6 7. So that even in the Law Gods Mercy and Forgiveness as well as his Threats were signified which his Truth must needs be concerned in Is it not evident that God is not engaged under Revenge nor his Mercy and Truth divided or opposite as this Man renders him For both must be received and have their place where Judgment and Mercy meet and men through the Law become dead unto the Law so as to know Christ to live in them and through God's Judgment and Chastisements to find a Ransom and an Attonement and God hath Power to turn away Wrath as he doth upon men's true Repentance Humiliation and Return to him as when the King humbled himself the Wrath of the Lord turned away from him 2 Chron. 12. 12. And also Hezekiah seeing the Wrath of the Lord upon Judah and Jerusalem for their doing Evil in his Sight and turning their Backs c. He said Now is it in mine Heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce Wrath may turn away from us 2 Chron. 29. 8 10. And in the King's Letters be ye not stiff necked but yield your selves unto the Lord
Time 2. The Appeasement of Wrath and Severity so far as to grant Remission on true Repentance 3. The End of the Law and first Covenant and the Shadows and Curse of it as threatned to impose the Terms of it 4. To introduce the new-Covenaâ—…t Administration Christ being the Mediator of it 5. To shew God's great Condescension to receive poor lost Man again on the Terms of this new Covenant reinforced by the Death of his Son that Man coming into this new Covenant he might experience a real Agreement with God even in the Son of his Love Quest. 3. How far the Light in Man is necessary and answers the Intent and Ends of Christ's Sufferings Answ. It is absolutely necessary to Salvation being that divine Principle of Light within which directly guides all them that obey it into the Way and Dispensation of the new Covenant whereby they secretly experience the real Intent Virtue and Ends of Christ's Sufferings and Blood Quest. 4. Whether the Light of Christ within in each Degree of it be not the New-Covenant Light in Nature and Kind and the certain Guide into this Covenant Answ. It is being it was the Life that was in Christ as the eternal Word that was and is the Light of Men which Life or Light is therefore divine and spiritual as the New-Covenant Dispensation is Quest. 5. Whether the Word within the Law within the Commandment within the Kingdom of God within and the Light within be not one and the same thing and so the Life of the New Covenant Answ. They are The Names Degrees and Manifestations do not alter or vary the divine Nature or Life thereof Quest. 6. The Satisfaction what and in what did it consist Answ. 1. Not rigid Payment from Christ to God 2. Not of the Nature of Payment for all Sins past present and to come as stated by Sin-pleasers 3. Not Christ's undergoing infinite Wrath or Revenge from his Father for these were never exacted nor required of him But the Satisfaction was in Christ as the Son of the Father's Love the Delight of his Soul and as he was a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling Savour to him both the Father and the Son condescended in one and the same Infinite Love for Man's Recovery out of Sin and Death and for his Deliverance from Wrath to come being confessed to be equally kind to Man and equally angry at Man's Sin God so loved the World that he freely sent his only begotten Son c. And in the same Love the Son freely gave his Life yea even himself a Ransom for all for a Testimony in due Time Quest. 7. What is true Justification Answ. It is properly and strictly a making Man Just viz. through the Washing of Regeneration It is also not only God's pardoning Sins past for Christ's sake through Faith in his Name but also God's absolute accepting owning and blessing all them who faithfully obey persevere and walk in the Light and Law of the new Covenant Q. 8. What is the true or real Imputation of Righteousness Answ. It is the same with Justification as it relates to God's reckoning or esteeming that Man Righteous that partakes of the everlasting Righteousness of Christ by a living Faith in him and so the same Righteousness and Holiness of Christ as inwardly revealed and brought forth in the new Creature that is made conformable to his Image and so all the blessed Fruits and Effects of Christ's Power and inward Work of Righteousness as true Faith Love Obedience Sincerity Holiness Integrity of Spirit to God are acceptable to him accounted of and reckoned unto his People for Righteousness and all still for Christ's sake who is the Author and Finisher of true living saving justifying Faith as Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him for Righteousness We say then that Abraham's Faith was so reckoned or imputed to him It has been by some confest as between God and the Creature That there can be no liking one another without Likeness of Disposition nor doth God receive Man into actual Friendship with himself without being renewed after his Image Quest. 9. Who are the Subjects of everlasting Wrath and Vengeance Answ. Wicked and Rebellious Persons who reject the Love of the Truth tendered to them such as tread under Foot crucifie or contemn the Son of God sleight the Blood of the Covenant and do Despite to the Spirit of Grace Quest. 10. Whether it consists with divine Justice or Truth in God to shew Mercy and to be an absolute Saviour after so much Injury done against him and his Commands by Adam's Fall and the actual Disobedience of his Posterity in the Fall Answ. Yes It is not inconsistent with divine Justice sor God to be the absolute Saviour of all that return to him and believe in him he being a just God and a Saviour besides or without whom there is no Saviour Absolute divine Justice in God doth not limit him nor withold Mercy from the Creature in the first Place nor doth it produce Severity or Revenge until his Goodness be rejected and wholy slighted for he saith plainly I am a just God and Saviour c. I even I for my own sake do pardon Transgression Quest. 11. Whether Divine Justice did properly and strictly require a full Payment and Punishment upon Christ in man's stead for all the Debt contracted and Injury done by fallen Man Answ. No Christ's Sufferings were not of that Nature or Intent but as it was by the Grace of God that he tasted Death for every Man They shewed God's Patience and proclaimed his Mercy in Order to pardon all that return to him from the Evil of their Wayes Quest. 12. Whether God as Rector and Judge could dispense with the Act of Law and not rather with the immediate Object Did he not substitute an Innocent Person to undergo the Punishment or Severity of the Law due to Sin and Sinners Rep. This is objected by some of our Opposers which mâ—…st needs imply a great Dispensation with and Digression from the very Intent of the Law If the severe Punishment of it be removed from the Unrighteous for whom it was made and who have incurred it and fully inflicted upon Jesus Christ the Righteous One that never Sinned Could God thus far dispense with the Intent of the Law and yet not forgive Sin without such a kind of Satisfaction and Payment supposed Oh sad Blasphemy and Inconsistency And seeing it hath been confessed by some of our Eminent Opposers that Satisfaction is not a Scripture-Phrase but a Notion of Law and made agendo patiendo viz. by Christ's Obedience in Doing and Subjection in Suffering the Penaltey which the Law should have inflicted upon Offenders I propose these three Questions to our Opposers Q. 1. Were it Reasonable or true to say the Creditor has forgiven both the Debt and Injury if it be all paid and fully punished in the Surety Q. 2. Were it Justice in the Creditor to detain the