it were not a little more strange then true for one here is though it be not yours is a very fair In-let to and by my conâ—ent might without much scruple usher in that old Antichristian Ministry and its pertenances here again as that which may stand welny with as much safety to peoples souls and give as good security and infallible assurance of its guiding and conducting them infallibly to salvation as your own can doe since that at the worst is little worse then fallible and your own by your own consent at the best is little better for it s much at one to me and other poor people of it what Mnistry stands here in England if in a case of such main moment and eternall concernment there stands none that by the Spirit of God are made in their ministrations infallible if there be no guides to be had save such as are fain to confesse they are but fallibly guided themselves or if in this case there be no other as the Proverb is then Hobsons Choice to be made which is chuse whether you will have this or none One blind guide being to me little better then another if others would be rul'd by me I would chuse none of that sort at all but cleave to the light and Spirit it selfe which is infallible and leads all that follow it into all truth for if the blinde lead the blind whether Papists or Protestants they must all at last into the ditch and if England must have an outward ministry and by no meanes will be made to own that ministry of the Qua. now among them which is of God seeing it is so that none of all those other she takes hold on in this day of her breaches saying thou hast cloathing be thou our Ruler in things of God Let this ruine be made up under thy hand that answer her any other then so as Isa. 2.6.7 I will not be an healer for in my house is neither bread nor cloathing I am not guided infallibly my selfe I am a deceivable erring man I dare not say my ministry is unerring make me not a Ruler of the people seeing I say there 's none to guide her assuredly among all her own Sons she haâ—h brought forth Isa. 15.18 Neither any that taketh her by the hand infallibly to direct her among all the Sons she hath brought up with great care cost and charge at her own Universities here at home but they are all at a losse within themselves mâ—ping up and down in a mist their Divinest Doctors confessing and declaring that to be justly come upon them which God aid should Isa. 29.9 to 15. viz. that its night to them they can't infallibly divine the vision of all is become as a book sealed to them they can't read c. Though I advise her not to give way to any of those guides yet she could have neither more nor lesse said to her if she should send for some of her own native Sons to come home and guide her that are brought up in the English Colledge at the Popes own charge at Rome it selfe But if she be resolved no more to be foold with a fallible ministry but will have one that is infallible as I would or none at all then if she mean never to bear the Popes Bag and Baggage in truth as she talks she will not let her take the infallible Spirit within for her guide and no man without but such as are guided infallibly by it which guides none fallibly that unfainedly follow it as thousands of Quakers do and if any seem to do it and do not they in so doing undo themselves but I know no other men call'd Ministers in all the world beside the Qua. that so much as pretend to infallibility but he that sâ—ts in the infallible chaire 7 Neither is our Doctrine of the light and spirits being the rule of the true faith and good life and not the externall Text or letter of the Scripture onely any fair In-let for the Pâ—pish Bag and Baggage for howbeit they take not the Text thereof to be their onely truest Touchstone most certain Standard and measure of Truth and Doctrines as we doe not yet that they take for their sure and certain Rule which we say with you is a manifold more fallible matter yea by an hundred degrees more fallible then the most falsified Coppy of the Scripture that ever yet came forth is something that stands more at Staves end and at a far wider distance from that aforesaid Rule of ours then from yours who for your Rule and Standaâ—d doe own no other then the Scripture by how much two things whereof the one is fallible the other infallible are further off each other by far then two things are both which are at most no more then fallible for the Light and Spirit of Christ which we onely do and all Christians ought to own for their standing Rule and trusty Teacher are iâ—fallible and will hereafter in the proper place for that be proud to be to But your professed Standard which is no other then that outward Text and the Papists which is no other then Tradition taken from that dark and worse then dubious Oracle viz. the erring miâ—d and mouth of their great Grand Ghostly Father excepting ever that this is far more fallible then the former i.e. then the letter are both but fallible Your Doctrine then who teach the meer Text which is but fallible as must anon be shew'd to be the most true Touchstone comes neerer to the Papists Doctrine who teach another thing to be the most true Touchstone which what ere you say of the infallibility of yours and they of the infallibility of theirs is at best but fallible and at worst but more fallible then yours is then ours possibly can do which is on all hands own'd to be infallible And howbeit the Scripture which lyes in the midway between us and Papists so that till they March so far towards us as to own it better then they do they and we are never likely to meet in one unlesse they can come ab extremâ— ad extremum from their ill extream to our true extream and misse the mâ—dium as they cannot howbeit I â—aâ— the Scripture and its honest owners are really neerer and dearer to us then they and their most trusty traditions are which they take from their sore aid Oâ—â—cle yet is there not so vast a disproportion and diâ—agreement betwen â—uch owners as ye are of the Scripture for the only Rule and such as own that Treasury of Traditions that lyes lockt up in the Pope Breast as the only Rule as is between these Tradition-Trusterâ— and us who own as our only Rule the true light of Christ and the holy Spirit the inconsistency being not so much between your meer fallible lâ—tter and their more fallible chaire as it is between the most assuredly infallâ—ble holy spirit and their most assuredly fallible though supposed
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâ—ns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then â—ayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â—4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ— while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâ—sciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of 〈◊〉 its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be â—oâ—aâ—l Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
same rule thereof Phil. 3. Galat. 6 Walk they not in the same spirit walk they not in the same steps which that Spirit of God in them treads out for them Have they not that Spirit of Christ And if any man have it not for his Guide Leader Governour in all he doth as well as his Comforter is he Christs He that hath it not dwelling in him infallibly directing divinely inspiring him is he Christs Do not all that are in Christ Iesus to whom there is no condemnation all save such as go condemned in themselves to whom there is nothing but condemnation from God walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Do they not live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit serve in the Spirit and not in the Letter minister every one as of the ability God giveth from the Spirit not barely from the Letter And so though they may use the very words that are Letter and be well read in the Letter and quote the Letter as Christ did and the Prophets and Apostles did the outward writings one of another and by the Spirit be guided to utter the same words verbatim See Isa. 2. Mic. 4. and be mightier in the Letter then those that are Ministers of no more then the Letter yet are Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Are they as well as the Spirit is in them not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Are not all that are not in the night and in the darknesse and the children thereof but the children of the day of the light which is the Lords day in in the Spirit Rev. 1.10 Do they not by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Are they after the flesh Come they not by walking in the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Doth not the Spirit of God in them I ust against the flesh Doth not the law of the spirit of Life which is by Christ Jesus deliver them that follow it from the law of Sin and Death that they were once captivated by Doth not the Spirit quicken and give them life Doth it not help their infirmities pray in them with sighs and greanes and because they know not how to aske any thing as they ought doth it not make intercession for them according to God Are they not born of the Spirit and after the Spirit Doth not the Spirit of God bear witnesse to their spirit that are his children that they are so Doth it not reveale the great things of God and by that revelation make them know the things that are freely given them of God Is it not the unction from the holy one whereby they know all the things the Anoynting which was the Canon or Rule of the Saints from the beginning before any Letter was which is truth and is no lye which if they quench not grieve not let it not but let it abide and remain in them will teach them infallibly of all things so that they shall not need that any man teach them and which they abiding in the Doctrine or teaching of do not erre as the wicked world thinks they do but continue in the Son and in the Father Are they not led by it from under the Law and out of the Letter up into the life which the Letter speaks of but it self onely giveth out of the works of the flesh which in and by the light are manifest into the fruits that it self brings forth Doth it not bring all things to the remembrance of such as are led by it as all the Sons of God are that ever Christ spake Doth it not guide all such into all truth and onely into truth and not into any falshood delusion or deceit Doth it not take of Christs and shew it unto them Doth God do all this first or last more or less for all his people and doth none of all this amount to so much as the motion of the Spirit or divine inspiration Are there no spirituall men now in the world and is not every spiritual man a Prophet or more then a Prophet for though all in the Church are not Prophets on such a score and in so high a rank as thou reckonest on i.e. such as have witnessed a sending forth abroad on some service to others the service of some lying yet nearer home and in present reference onely to themselves some like the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho and Bethel 2 Kings 2.2 Kings 6. being yet under the Schoolmaster that leads to Christ in their nonage going as it were to schoole not at Athens nor yet at Oxford nor Cambridge where the Schools are not like that of theirs neither is the waiting in order to the Ministry like that of the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho but rather like that of those to whom it was said tarry at Iericho till your beards be growne which injunction many of our Iunior Academicall Students do not keep neither for howbeit Barbá non facit Philosophâ—m nec cucullus Monachum much lesse do either of these make Ministrum Christi yet severall of them if a good Living can be had before do not abide so long as till they be Masters of either beard or hood but are ready to run out with the shells on their heads and to hasten into their humane work of Prophesie before that time But at Bethel i.e. the house of the Lord waiting at the gates of wisdome it self and watching daily at the posts of her house taking councel at the mouth of God out of which onely cometh knowledge and understanding learning of him in silence with all subjection to his will as in the light it is manifest concerning themselves first in the particular purging their own persons first from youthfull and noysom lusts that they may go forth if the Lord please to send them and say go as Vessels of honour sanctified and fitted for the Masters use and prepared to every good work tarrying at Ierusalem till they he indued with power from on high till of carnall Babes in Christ as they are at first walking as other men having a remainder of strife and such divisions as are seen in children they may proceed Men indeed skilfull in the work of righteousnesse having their senses exercised to discern both good and evil and commence Masters not of Arts but over their own hearts and spiritual or Prophets which are intimated to be all one by the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein he saith some are yet but babes and in a measure carnal and all are not yet spiritual nor Prophets 1 Corinth 3.1 2,3 1 Corinth 12.29 1 Cor. 4.37 yet all to covet the gift of Prophecy as the best of Spirituall Gifts yet inferiour in excellency to that way of love Though then I say all be not Prophets yet all spiritual ones are prophets or more then Prophets and
there are some spiritual in these dayes Are not all that are filled with the Spirit Prophets and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by the Spirit Mic. 2.8 Acts 6. Acts 7. as Micah Stephen and the seven were And are not all Christians bidden to be filled with the Spirit and to let the word of Christ dwell richly in them teaching c. Ephesians 5. Colossians 3.16 And what such difference is there between being led by the Spirit and guided by the Spirit And is not he that is guided by it guided infallibly and every one that is led by it led infallibly And doth not every one that walks after it walk surely and infallibly and he that is enlightned by it enlightned infallibly And he that speaks sees writes acts by it as all Saints should do though fallible in themselves do all this infallibly And is not he that is moved by it whether he obey its motions yea or no moved infallibly into that which is assuredly the Truth and no Lie yet I.O. jeers at all pretence to any infallible guidance by the Spirit of God in these dayes as fancy delusion far aricisme c and at the Spirit of God it self which the Qua own as their truest teacher Ironically under that term of the infallible Doctor and T.D. makes it matter of hainous crime in the Qua to talk of Infallibility in Christs Ministry now saying p. 58. Pamp. thus And as to the Question of the Infallibility of their Ministry Three Iurates of Sandwich will testifie that they did affirme their Ministry to be infallible as if it were matter of amazement to him that men should mention such a matter as infallible guidance of Christs Ministry by his own infallible Spirit in these dayes As if he gave it for granted to us who take him at his word for it is a truth that their own Ministry is but fallible their guidance therein by no more then their own fallible Spirits and may be utterly destitute of the Spirit of God which is infallible for no fallible Spirit hath God that I know of No marvell therefore to me that T.D. so readily grants as himself sayes he does p. 35. of his 1. Pamph. That none of his people can set to their seal that his Ministry hath brought them to a perfect man c. For I know not how it should if it be a fallible one as he confesses 't is while he denies any Ministry now to be infallible and affirmes perfection itself too but so far as to be made free from sin to be not onely unattainable in this life but also to be no lesse then a doctrine of Devils for any to preach it See p. 47.1 Pamph. But whereas he sayes p. 35. The Ministry was not intended for that end i.e. to bring to a perfect man or to perfect men in this life where they deny perfection attainable Rep. I reply that 's false and expresly contradictory to Eph. 4.11 12 13. where its said the Gospel Ministry which obtains its end in this life or else is not perfect according to I.O. and ceases in that to come is given for that end viz. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ How long till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. And as for T.Ds. asserting the infallibility of the Spirit to be an Idiom a property of the Spirit as incommunicable to the Saints that partake of the spirit as Omnisciency which agreed not to Christ as man or Omnipotency is p. 32.33 1 Pamph. Rep. I say that 's meer flim-flam as to the point in hand for we assert the Saints and Ministers of Christ no farther infallible then they follow the leading of the spirit which is infallible out of which they are not in their Ministry and so far as following that which is given to be all mens guide men and Ministers whom we confess to be all fallible in themselves as abstract from that and not only liable to erre but erring actually as they leave off to be led by that and lean to their own understandings are all so far I say infallible and infallibly guided for as God hath no fallible spirit so his infallible spirit hath no fallible guidance nor leads any fallibly at all but all infallibly who are led by it into all truth so as in all those things it teaches and are needful for them to know to make them otherwise fallible and ignorant thereof in themselves not only infallible but as to all thoe things I say Omniscient as himself is Omniscient in all things absolutely without exception Neither are Omnisciency and Omnipotency themselves as to all those things that are to be known and done by such so altogether incommunicable to spiritual men as our Academical Animals imagine they are for though God Christ and the Spirit only know and can do all things absolutely yet through God Christ and the Spirit teaching leading guiding revealing enabling all things i.e. all things that are truly good fit suitable comfortable profitable for such are both infallibly to be known and possible to be done by the Ministers of God in their respective services and seasons whereupon the Wisdome of God hath spoken thus of the Spirit as in reference to the Saints that learn of him receive and are led by him he shall lead you into all truth bring all things to your remembrance whatever I have said ye have an Unction little children and ye know all things and not only of the Spirit it self that it searcheth all things even the deep things of God but of the spiritual man also to whom the Spirit reveals them that he discerneth all things when the animal man nor doth nor can perceive the things of the Spirit and that the spiritual men had the mind of Christ Ioh. 14.26 Ioh. 16.13 1 Ioh. 2.20.27 1 Cor. 2.9.15.16 and not only so but saith Paul who had no sufficiency of himself to any thing I can do all things thorough Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 3.13 â—anta ischus and Col. 1.11 of the Saints enpase dunamei dunamumensi strengthened with all might i.e. Omnipotency Whereas therefore T.D. prates as his fellow preachers do of the other incommunicables of these things I say 't is Parret-like of he knows not what himself for as in such wise and measure as Saints are partakers of his holiness purity perfection mercy c. they are holy as he is holy pure as he is pure merciful as he is merciful perfect as he is perfect though not so absolutely and infinitely pure holy meriful and perfect as he is so so far and in such a measure as they are led by his spirit and indued with his power from on high they are and in the Scripture are said to be not only infallibly assured
viz. Abâ—aham who saw his day before any History or Letter of your Scripture at all was wâ—ittâ—n Was it not by that as they walk on with God in it from Abel Enoch Noah and downward some measure of which but that they minded it not as some few did but were ever alienated from it walking in their own wayes was in all Nations as well as some and not more save only in measure in the Prophets then in other men And did not this light without and bâ—fore the Letter help some even such still as walk't after it to the belief of this and that God would raise the dead and judge the world which they wrote in the Light and Spirit in which they saw it and in that wisdome which in all Ages Wisd. 7. entering into holy souls that heed it makes them friends of God and Prophets Were these things then as R. B. thinks in his Query never manifested by the Light without the Letter nor by any Revelation that doth accompany the Light were men never so obedient to it What darkness is this of R. B. in his ten Queries who yet to pin the basket at the end of this tenth Query to add weight to the lightness and light to the darkness of it adds one more of his own thoughts and odd conceits in these words R. R. I think its past controversie that no man hath sufficient Grâ—ce to his Salvation till his last breath For if God add not more for his preservation all will be lost Ans. By which hasty speech the man proclaims his being in the darkness and besides the light that is in him so loud and exalts its fâ—lly and sets it so on high that All may see it save such as are with him in the dark where he is for besides the absurdity above spoken to of his arguing from Gods adding more and mens not having so much yet as they may have that therefore they have none at all of that Grace which is sufficient he turns from the true terms of his Question taking the word suffienâ— here in quite another sense then it hath been taken in along viz. for the highest dâ—gâ—â—â— only of that Grace of God when as the question is about the sufficiency of it to save from that sin it shews such as keep to it in the very least degree and lastly expresly contradicts the Scripture which speaks of the suffiâ—â—ency of God Grace to keep men that keep to it in such degrees of it as are attainable in this life witness that of God to Paul full fourteen years behind the time wherein he spake it and many more before the time of his last breath 2 Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient fâ—r thee I conclude then all R. Bs. Queries notwithstanding that though all are not saved by it yet all have some of that Light and Grace which is â—aving and that all are not saved as some are it is becausâ— they come not into that Light and Grace â—f God which is come intâ— and unto them And now I return to R.B. and I.Ts. Arguments against this whose 26th fâ—om Iohn 6.44 45. 65. is thus There 's need of a further drawing or gift of the Faâ—her that a man may come to Christ as there would not bâ— if his own light without other help would make known Christ to him therefore each mans own light is not sufficient c. Rep. Here R. B. layes on hard again upon the Anvil beside the Iron in diâ—proving the sufficiency of mans own light by which he means mans thoughts wisdâ—mâ— c. which we count daâ—kness and foolishness much more then himself does when the Question is about the Light of Gâ—d in the heart of which we say that though none can come to Christ without Gâ—d draw him yet by that Gâ—d dâ—aws all meâ— though aâ—l mâ—n câ—me not after hiâ— And so the reaâ—on why they perish still is not because God does not dâ—aw thâ—m to life by a light sufficient to lead to it but because they resist hang back and will nto follow it therefore sayes God I drew them with the coâ—ds of my love with the bands of a man yet shall they go into captivity because they refused to return The 27. from 1 Iohn 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 Mat. 4.24 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits c. Prove all things take heed what ye hear is thus If each persons light within him were a safe guide of it self to God then no men need to try other mens spirits nor to prove all things left he be deceived sith if he follow his own light he is fallible c. But these things are absurd and contraâ—y to the warinest Christ prescribes therefore the light within each person is not a sufficient guide to God I shall instead of his own light placing the Light of God about which only the Dispute is syllogize these mens silly Syllâ—gisme back upon them thus If the Light of God within each person were not a sufficient and safe guidâ— to lead him to God then no man need to trouble himsâ—lf sâ— much as to try other mens spirits or prove all things left he be deceived for that is but labour in vain sith if he have not a measure of Gods Infallible Light and Spirit in â—im whereby to judge of things even of that Light of which the Letter sayes That all thingâ— that are to be reproved Eph. 5. are manifâ—stâ—d by it and no truth is infaâ—liby manifested but by it which only leads into all truth he is not infallibâ—y guided nor undoubtedly sure of his hand let him look search prove and try as much as he will any more then a man can infallibly diâ—cern and distinguish of colours in a dismal dark night or dark place where not one beam of the Sun shines so as to discover them But these things are absurd and contrary to the wariness that Christ prescribeth who doth not bid men try all things by that Light and Spirit of God which only makes all truth and all that is knowable of God and all things of God manifest in men Rom. 1.19 and yet not vouchâ—afe them one beam of that only sufficient Light to try any thing by yea 't were no less then as meer mockage as to bid a man read for his life in a dark Dungeon without sufficient light either of Sun or candle or take heed to himâ—elf by that Light that shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 when there 's no true light there at all and contrary also to all common sâ—nse and reason therefore there is in every man some of that Light of God which as its heedeâ— according to the measure of it is able to guide him infallibly to judge of the matters truths wayes dâ—ctrines spirits he is bid to try on peril of being deceived to damnation and a sufficient safe guide to lead him unto God I wonder what Light Spirit Rule and Touâ—hstone all Truth and all
thereunto that he is comparatively to such â— one but as the â—east of the field that perisheth yet in the Fall he hath all that is Essential to him as a man and flowing ex principirs naturae But and this may be an Addition to the other Arguments in the Book if it be not touch't upon therein already Gods Law or Light in the consciences of all men which we call them to though given of God in some not the same measure at first to All so that universally every Individual or hath or hath had somthing of it yet through mans not using it well may he yet remaining Essentially a man be totally taken from him as the Talent from the sâ—othfull and darkness come upon him and be left to walk in utter darkness and to stumble in that dismall night of which its said then and of that time he that walketh in it knows not whether he goes and to stumble not only because he hates the Light as he did before while yet he had it but because now he hath it 〈◊〉 and because now there is no light left in him Of which Light and of its universality and sufficiency to save such as seek God in it and how it 's a supernatural spirituall gift and grace of God to all men where it is and not the naturall faculty of mans understanding only as our Opponents pittifulâ—y praâ—â—e to prove it is is most plainâ—y proved in the 4th Exeâ—citation from p. 49 to p. 194. and made more apparent in the Appendix also And when we assert the Ministry of Christ to be an infallible Ministry and the Spirit of God by which his Ministers are ever guided in the work of his Ministry for they are out of his Ministry or Service and in the Devils at that time who ever are at any time guided by any other is an infallible Spirit for God hath no fallible Spirit that we know of and that all the directions leadings and guidances of that Spirit are infallible which Spirit hath no fallible guidance as J. O. little lesse then seems to intimate he has that we know of and consequently that All who are led by that Light or Spirit are so far infallibly led and that all and only they are the Sons of God that are led by that Spirit of God and that God hath Children at this day in the world and so consequently that at this day his Ministers and Children who are all â—aught of God are infallibly taught as they attend to that Anointing that 's given to be their Teacher that leads into all truth which Spirit of Christ also whoever hath not as his teacher is none of Christ's Then they bely us as saying of our selves that we as of our selves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as J.O. flouts are infallible Whereas we say no such thing at all of our selves nor of any men but that All men as in themselves and in the Fall are no more then fallible But because men in the Fall are fallible liable of themselves to erre still as they are erred already to their own ruine Therefore God in his love hath sent his Son a Light into the Nations So to be his Salvation to the ends of the earth to lighten them that sit in darkness and to guide their feet in the way of peace out of the crooked paths they are in in which who walks can never know peace and that the Light and Spirit of him who is the Light of the world the Lord that Spirit which is Truth it self and no Lye is lent as the Letter speaks of it to every man even that True Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world given to lead him back infallibly unto God from whom it comes who can be known out of that no more then the Sun can be seen by any other Light then what shines from it self in which Light wherein he looks after the Lost whoever look after him are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall find that Salvation of which he says Look ye unto me and be ye saved All ye ends of the earth Of the Infallibility of which Light and Spirit and of its guidance of all Christ's Ministers and Children and of all men also so far only and no further then as they are led by it as of old so at this day there is much said in answer to those Ignes fatuos that fain the contrary in the 4 Exercitation from p. 1. to p. 47. And because we call on men as the Scripture does to perfect holiness in Gods fear and to cleanse themselves from all uncleannesse of Flesh and Spirit then which there is no more as a thing attainable by Christs grace and Power only improved as a thing not only Possible to be done here as God requires who calls not for Impossibilities from his People on pain of Eternall Punishment if they Perform it not but also needfull and necessary to be done here if they mean to do it at all sith as Themselves say with Vs against the Pope there 's no Purgatory in the World to come They commonly accuse Vs of saying in A Self-Vaunting Proud Disdainfull Vain-glorious Boasting Way over all other men of our selves that we are perfect and as J. O. impudently intimates that we impudently Glory in it that we are free from not only Hypocrisyes Fraud Wickedness Lyes which it seems he can't Glory yet that by the Grace of God he is yet free from but even from all other even the very least evils and so would have us have Punitiones Incarrationes Punishments Prisons c. for so saying Whereas we use not to bear Testimony to our selves but to the Truth of Carist and though by the Grace of God only We are what We are and His Grace to whom alone therefore We give the Glory and not to our selves who have nothing but what we have received and Glory not as some do in Sin and Shame nor boast as they do in evill doing of anything that 's Good As if we had not received it is not in vain so but that our walking is such that they can't accuse some of us Justly of the least Evills yet we Testify the Truth rather as a Doctrine to all Teaching not what our selves are what ere we are so much as what both We and All men should be and also may be by the Grace of God who is not wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves and must be also viz. Deniers of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and Godly Righteous Sober Livers in this present world or else it had been better men had never been born seeing for them that loose their day for it here it 's too late to begin that life in the world to come where there is no Purgatory nor place for Repentance though it shall be then sought carefully with Teares Pro. 1. Math. 25. Luke 13. In this Doctrine
Orthodox Brother Tombs as two Twins that tumbled both out of one Belly even one and the same Womb of that Babylonish Bawd are both to be tumbled into one and the same Tomb or Grave that as your two I. O. T. D. so their pair of pratings may go together into the earth whence they came as like to like earth to earth ashes to ashes for dust which is the Serpents meat all your Divinity doings are and unto dust must they all return Now as little method as thy Book I. O. hath in it yet is it as capable to be divided into parts as it is in each part in one thing or another most palpably divided against it self 1 As to the subject matter thereof it is in general twofold viz. The Outward Letter and the Inward Light that External writing or legible form of words commonly called the Scripture the Holy Scriptures which are ad extra but ab intra only and meerly without though from within together with that Internal Law Spirit Power or Word which is ad intra by all that know the Truth as it is in Iesus both seen felt heard understood and witnessed to be within not more cryed up by the men call'd Quakers who live both according to it and the Scripture then decryed by the men that are but supposed to be Christs Ministers who are utterly erring besides them both knowing truly neither the one nor yet the other Sundâ—y touches there are given by thee as thou goest along at other things viz. Vniversal Grace Perfection Persecution Modern Inspiration by the Spirit of God Revelation and such like about which thine and the Quakers Doctrine differs by which as ex pede Herculem thy Pulse is felt and it 's spied out how thy Spirit blows against Christs thy truthless talk of which may the Lord leading to it not unlikely be talked with by the way before I have done But those two abovesaid being well nigh the Totum in Toto the Totum in qualibet parte the matters thou mainly medlest with and most miserably mudlest thy self about thoroughout the whole Body of thy Book and every part thereof making little less then a very God of the one i. e. Of the Letter which is the last and the least and the lowest of the two and little better then a very Devil of the other i. e. the Light which is the first and the highest and the greatest so that all others are but toucht upon as in subserviency either to the Deifying or defying respectively of one of these to clear away that fog and smoak which thou raisest about them both to the thickning and darkning of the Sun and Ayr so that none can see either of them clearly through thy cloudy collation thereupon is the chief intent and likely to be the chief and utmost extent of this present Answer 2 As to the Tongue wherein it treats excepting here and there a little Hebrew and for shew sometimes more then service a penful or two of Greek interlin'd in both parts and now and then two or three licks of Latine among the English thy Book stands divided into two parts viz. Latine and English a Cloven Tongue of another nature then those that sate upon the Apostles and these are as the two Horns of that second double-fac'd Beast that is as the Lamb and yet speaks like the Dragon wherewith thou pushest at thy Opposers on the right hand as well as on the left even not only at thy own Brethren the Protestant Divines when they please thee not by Divining the contrary to thy peremptory peculiar Positions and preheminent pratings together with that blind Brood of the first ten-horn'd Beast of Rome to whom both thou and all thy Brethren though in many things ye justly band against them are Brothers in nature still and of neerer Kin then ye well ken or wot of but also against the true People of God These two general parts each of which is prefaced with an Epistle also in language like it self stand divided and subdivided more particularly within themselves viz. the English into two Treatises which subdivide themselves the one into six Chapters the other though falsly figured into eight the Latine into four Apologetical Exercitations as thou call'st them for the Holy Scriptures against as thou call'st the Quakers the Fanatical Ones of these Times Which fore-named divisions and subdivisions that are scarcely more divided from then against each other do all split themselves yet fuâ—ther into a new needless number of smaller Sections and Thâ—ses The two English Treatises which arise mostly from one and the same Spring or Head together with the other not God nor his Spirit nor yet the Scriptures but the Head of the Serpent which is to be bruised thy own brain vain invention and imagination run along treating to and fro in two distinct streams or Torrents awhile and at last having as thou sayst Arctissimum materiae doctrine consortium a neer coincidence of their matter with it and affinity in their subject by which the whole Trinity of them is drawn into that Unity to compleat thy double Doctrine far from the Scriptures for the Scriptures fall into one with the Latine Sourse or Lake of Lyes that burns more hotly then the rest in wrath against the Quakers And having there lodg'd and center'd thy two English Discourses and drawn them into one with this verifying herein that old true saying Vis unita fortior thou ventest that venome in stronger streams and spittest out that spite more fluently and in fuller floods against the Qua. which was in some few places only sprinkled out upon them before and filling up what was behind of thy flattering false Applauses of the naked Letter which with some of the same that were used before and some new super-eminent undue Titles thouâ— here also magnifiest beyond the bounds and measure of all modesty and truth hoping belike to appear approved of Christ as one of note in his service what disservice soever thou do him otherwise so long as thou art found saying something though Hoc aliquid nihil est as good thou hadst said just nothing as no more to the purpose and raking and skimming and scraping out of thy own thoughts some ample Apologies for the Scriptures thou fillest up thy measure of mad mirth against that true inward Light of God and its Children that testifie unto it as that which is to be preferred before the Letter and was before it as that which the Letter was given forth from despising these as in thy English Epistle p. 28. p. 30. under the as false as foul terms of poor deluded Fanatical Qua. pretending to be guided by an Infallible Spirit that oppose the whole truth about the Word of God so there under the abusive clamours against and charges of them even by whole-sale as Fanatical ones that are notoriously known by their errours and foolishness who are driven by the power of an Evil Spirit
urge thus viz. the Parish Priestshood of England pleads for Ordinances yea for the Parliments Ordinances the Popes Ordinances for Tribes and other things pertaining to their divine service and their worldly Sanctuary as the Pope and his Priesthood doth therefore they smell so much of Popery still that its suspitious they side too much with them still As for me and the Quakers if any but meere partiall and unreasonable minded men who had thought we had utterly denyed Ordinances as yee judge we doe would have argued any thing at all from those thoughts of his concerning us he would however minded to bely us in other matters have clear'd us from that censure of Popery at least by concluding from T. D's premises the very contrary to what he infers and instead of urging with him he â—aith he is above Ordinances and denies the use of them therefore I can assure the Reader of the likelyhood of his complyance with the Antichristian saection would have urged thus viz. he saith he is above Ordinances denyeth the use of them viz. Baptisme and the Supper therefore I may assure the Reader that there 's little or no likelihood at all of his Complyance with the Pope and his Antichristian faction for they are not above those Ordinances but under the use of them Yea I adde they are so far under indeed that is below and beneath the true use of Gods Ordinances that they are not yet as neither are yee got above the traditionary Ordinances of man but are all groping together in the dark for the wall like them that have no eyes and tumbling to and fro in that fogg of forefathers figments walking and wandring to wearinesse in that as superstiâ—ous as superfluous and meere unprofitable usefulnesse of your owne And as to that other piece of thy sâ—anty Scripture which as thou saist p. 12 of my urging a proof that was to purpose out of the Scriptures of truth o I of that methinks T.D. thou usherest and bringest it in with Pomp and Ceremony attended with the Testimony of hundreds of people as if it would be irresistable and would not onely hit the naile but knock it up in the head Io. Boys Ch Nicol T. Focton an Esq a Minister a Magistrate one of a sort set down with an c. As representatives of the rest may wave their witnesse if they will in this for I freely subscribe to every whit of it as a truth sith it s told yet will it not doe at all as to T. D's designe which he there drives on against me but will doe not a little as to my defence T is true when at the dispute thou offeredst to read something out of Amesius against Bellarmine I replyed as sleighting such a contemptible peice of businesse and since thou wilt so set it down for thy reasoning is ridiculous enough in all reason and conscience with a gesture of derision such as that of him who sits in heaven and smiles to see the silly shifts and vain imaginations of those that plot and set themâ—elves against him and his anointed or that of him that said Cry aloud for he is God perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened or that of Sion who shook her head at hers and 〈…〉 preachers that 〈◊〉 held many truths which must not be rejected 〈…〉 of God at which thou wast ut Bellarminus enervatus as one that had no more to say as to that matter for thy mouth was stopt from reading what thou intendedst as well it might for it would have been of as little effect to convict me of Popery with which thou confessest I was then charged as t is for me to say No when lyers and unbeleivers charge me with it which avails no more as the Proverb is then for one to â—ay Bo to a Goose. And now thou hast after thy silence by which it was then taken for granted that thou hadst quitted me thereupon from thy rash charging me with Popery here raked it up again among thy rest of thy remarkable folly what meanst thou by thy new mention thereof Hast thou any more then before thou hadst Did not Cardinall Bellarmine hold some truths which thou holdest as well as some that I hold against thee and that Christ is the Son God which we both hold where lyes the consequence of thy Argument to mine more then to thy own complyance with that Popish Cardinall Thou ownst some false Apostaticall Tenets that he own'd namely that of Tithes when I own no other then his Apostolicall truths is he not so far thy Brother Bellarmine more then mine Moreover as light and little as I made of thy charge of Popery I shall make so much of my making little of it then as now to make a weighty argument against thee from it and conclude contrarily to thy conclusion of me from thence to bein pay from the Pope for that is not so light a matter as the case stands here in England that any man that 's well in his wits and knowes himselfe to be guilty thereof had need make light and little of seeing his neck lyes at stake and his life is not a little concern'd in 't if it can be proved Whereas therefore T. D. concludes thus of me viz. S.F. before hundreds of people made light of the charge of Popery Therefore in all likelihood he is guilty of what he is charg'd with viz. complying with and receiving a Pension from the Pope I conclude thus viz. S. F. Before hundreds of people made light of his being charg'd of complying with and taking pay from the Pope which were a matter of very dangerous consequence if he were conseâ—ous to himselfe of it that any one of those hundreds who wanted no will to it could possibly prove it therefore in all likelihood there is no such matter And as to two others of the mean Mediums which T. D. makes what use he can of to make men mistake me to be such a complyer with the Roman Antichrist viz. that I said at Dunkirk I looked upon the Iesuits and Friars there to be sounder in Doctrine then those he and his call the reformed Churchen â— that the doctrines which I broach are theirs and a fair In-let to their Bag and Baggage for this last of which as I here expresse it T.D. affords the world no more proof then his own single say so but for the other to advance the faith of his saint hearted Reader into a full assurance of the truth thereof that thick and threefold Testimony viz. that of his single folded self and his old pair of Double 〈◊〉 ' d Trustees T. Fox's ton T. Burâ—â—â—â— who saving T. D's commendation of their honesty and credibility which that single hearted friend of truth E. Burrough with whom I went and was at Dunkirk hath seen as little of as my selfe have dealt more Fox-like and Barbarian like then like honest and credible men or conscientious Christians with â—e whom yet as
any Critick pleases and as no Authority to us at all as they in their basenesse and hatred of it which I condemne do say it is of as 't is my continual exercise in works to do it so do I here in plain words exalt the Scripture which they so debase and state it over all that their Trash and aforesaid Trumpery even on the very top of all their long Train of Traditions and over the archest Tittle of the Tripple Crown the proudest pinacle of Peters now un Peter-like painted Temple the highest point of that pompous pious piteous Pillar and ground of Truth the choicest Chapiter of that holy Church and infallibly erring infallible Chair Thus doing I shall be own'd at last if not by I. O. and such as have his dimme Doings as tâ—ey have his person in admiration because of advantage yet by all unbyassed beholders of both our undertakings for the Scripture to be no more a pander for the Papists as I am more belyed then believed to be the lying Tribe of Levi then for himself but a just plain and impartial Pleader for the Scripture against them both and a doer of Right to those holy Writings which are egregiously wronged by both Papists and Protestants as between Two parties of partial Praters Pro and Con about them by one of which they are scarcely more sottishly and Satanically for Superstitions sake Abhorred then unduly and Superstitiously Adored by the other For howbeit thou deemest thy self and those thy self Reverencing fellow Students of it to whom thou Dedicatest thy Endeavours to Vindicate it to be such as value the Scripture as much as any thou knowest yet there are many whom thou knowest not but supposest to be sleighters and disowners of it who if to own value and exalt it be to ascribe all that to it which it assumes to it self to Preach and practise that holy Life which is the end of it and to give it its due and no more as indeed it is do own value honour and exalt the Holy Scripture much more and much more truly then any of your self-exalting selves who saving your fair Speeches for it and your fawnings on it Ore tenus your common aiëry and meer verbal Commendations thereof and of your selves as valuers thereof do yet in truth no more value or honour it then the Iewes whose grand Idol that is as the whole is yours at this day do their own owned part thereof of whose dotage in that kind I have in sundry Nations been an Eye-witnesse in not a few of their Synagogues who Adorn and carry it about as ye do your Bibles more beautified without then your selves are within and lift it up with loud noises especially when these words are read viz. He shall magnifie the Law and make it honourable when yet the Truth it makes mention of hath no Mansion in their minds to the renewing of them yea I may truly say you do more undervalue the Scripture by your advancing it above it self and over-valuing and worshipping it so much as ye do in your words whilst alienated from the Light it came from and calls to in your Works and Lives then some of the Synagogue of very Rome it self who in lips and lives too do undervalue it by how much Deceit and Hypocrisie is far greater Iniquity then 't is for men openly to disown what Cordially they do not own and to pretend to be no better Friends to it then indeed they are and by how much as all is not Gold that glisters so all that which by its glistring would fain seem to be Gold when it is but Drosse is worse then that which both is Drosse and seems to be so Yea those that undervalue the Scripture so as to set Traditions above it and they that overvalue it so as to set the Light below it both these must come under Condemnation from me as being both Abomination to the Lord before whom witness the Brazen Serpent and Christs Apostles Acts 14.11 to 19. whom the people did worse in Worshipping as Gods then if they had not heeded but hated them as of the Devil it may be worse to overvalue then to undervalue many things which may be of his own Appointment So that ye have little need to decry against Papists as Decryers of the Scriptures and lesse to link us the Quakers and Papists together as Adversaries in Common to the Scriptures as if your selves were the only Patrones thereof for as Anti-Papistical as ye seem to be about the Scriptures yet ye will be found Acting not more against them then though in a different way from the Papists against the Scriptures And howbeit thou taylest us and the Papists together figuring us out by thy fine Tale of the aforesaid Foxes as falling from and fighting against each other and yet both fellow-friends against the Scripture That is false as urged and uttered with that referrence to the Papists and Quakers as joynt Injurers of the Scriptures wherewith thou ridiculously Relatest it but true enough yea too too true If Related in that right Referrence which it bears toward the Papists and your Selves yea Quid Rides be not so merry I. O. about the Mouth for De te mutato nomine Quakers Fabula narratur thou thinkest thou hast shrewdly hurt thy meer fancied Fanatick Foes with a flap of a Fox-Tayle but in that Tale thou hast but made a Rod for thy own Tayle for verily he that hath but half an Eye and by thy mentioning thereof is minded to search where and to whom thy Simile best suits will find how causelesly and incongrously thou crowdest the Papists and Quakers so closely together as Companions in thy abusive Comparison and how aptly it may rather be Applyed to that Romish Synagogue and your Selves to whom it comes as nigh as four feet if any Simile can truly be said to run on all four can well carry it and who as much as ye dissent not only in diverse other matters but also about the Scripture it self the one for and the other against the perfection purity integrity authority and excellency of the meer Text and bare Letter of it do yet concur as closely and come as nigh to one another in denyal of the Truth and Doctrine thereof as four pence comes to a Groat Yea the Truth is your selves and they are far more fitly figured by those fiery-Tayld Foxes which tended two several wayes yet ended in one and the self same work of Destroying the Philistims Corn whil'st turning tayl to tayl and drawing into your two different Extreames one sort crying up Unwritten Traditions to be the most perfect Rule above the Scripture the other crying up the Outward Letter as the most perfect Rule above the Internal Light Word and Spirit which gave it forth ye not only fill the World as with so many Fire brands with your fiery Contentions so that like that Corn which failed when it felt the fire it fell together by the
in the Translation because of the ignorance of these Accents as if only by their Order the true Connexion and Distinction of Senses could be had Therefore let no English Man quoth he think he hath not learned the Hebrew Tongue if he know not these Accents and the infinity of work in them but rather with me pitty the pains of those painful Germans and Scots upon such rotten Principles and learn hereafter of them to labour upon a sure ground or to think that God hath laid a Curse upon his labour Sysiphi Saxum a stone that will give him an endlesse and unprofitable Work and I wish this painful man and Buxtorf and all those that are so busie about the Pricks and will not believe that excellently and exceedingly learned Author Capellus French Professor at Lamar in his Arcanum Punctorum Revelatum Printed in the Oriental Printing-house his own at Leyden 1625. that they may bestow their pains upon â—etter work then about these Triflâ—s of the Points and the Samaritick Letters if they or those wherewith the Bible is now Printed be the true old Hebrew Character when as both are of the same Essence and one no more true then the other all that can be said for Accents is that one Accent may do the businesse lifting up the syllable where it is They are unreasonably and without sense called Grammatical and Rhetorical for Rhetorick speaks not of Accents And much more from pag. 172. to pag. 174. Alas poor Souls have ye no better Guides then Points Vowels Accents no marvel ye have been no better then blind Guides to the Blind who are no better guided your selves into the whole sacred Truth and secret Councel of God then by such dimunitive twinckling sparks as these that ye have kindled and compast your selves about with and walk by the Light of which are so far from rendering other things discernable that ye cannot yet distinctly discern either what or where they are your selves Do ye expe infallible direction from such a Will-with-a-wisp or Walking Fire that leads you into such Brakes of Contention and Bogs of Vncertainty that ye are fain to Confesse ye know not well where ye are but in a Wood in a way and businesse wherein all things are carried to and fro by utter uncertaâ—n Conjectures pag. 330. while â—e are beating your selves about after it and beating one another about it I tremble to think what will become of you indeed and what will be the issue of this Supposition that Letters and Tittles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye are tattling endlesly about and Points and Vowels and Accents and such Accidental Attomes as are not Essential to the Text much lesse pertaining de esse to the holy Truth should be for Guides But in general this I know that till ye come to the infallible Spirit and Light within that leads if your Letter lye not into all Truth such as follow it whether they be such as have skill in your Points Vowels and Accents yea or no ye may walk on in the Light of your own fire and the sparks that ye have kindled but this you must expect at last from the Lords own hand to lye down in shaking shame and sorrow One thing more I.O. and more remarkable then the rest of thy confused and pedling Work about these Points is the flat Contradicton that thou givest to thy self herein as well as often in many more Points and that thy own sayings concerning them in some places give to what thou utterest of them in some other which I shall here set before thee and the World as it lyes in thy own words that thou mayst see how rawly thou runnest forth in hast to render thy self ridiculous to all men by thy indigested doings in which thou art justly left of the Lord to run in rounds for thy malitious medlings against his people Pag 217. Speaking against the asserted Novelty of the Hebrew Points Vowels and Accents thou writest thus J. O. I shall manifest it is fit they should be all taken out of the way if they have the Original assigned to them by the Prolegomena Reply Yet two Leaves after viz. pag. 221. to go round again thou writest thus Grant the Points to have the Original pretended yet they deserve all Regard and are of singular use for the understanding of the Scripture so that it is not lawful to depart from them without urgent necessity And yet to go round again pag 244 thou writest Semi-diametrically Oppositive thuâ—f I must crave liberty to professe That if I could be throwly convinced that the present Punctation were the Figment and Invention of these men I should labour to the utmost to have it utterly taken away out of the Bible nâ—r should I in its present station make use of it any more To have it placed in the Bible as so great a part of Secundum Te the Word of God is not tolerable Here 's a pretty Triangular piece of Work two Corners of which square a squint with the third in which I.O. dances the Hay up and down in and out by himself alone like Three Kites in the Clouds of Confusion CHAP. V. AS to the matter of the Scripture remaining entire to a Tittle in the outward Text of it as at first given out what a fidling and pidling makest thou to prove and make it good what Figures dost thou cast in thy Fancy throw that part of thy Second Treatise wherein thou treatest for it for the defending of it and to fence off that fault of falshood from falling upon that thy Arch-Assertion having once over-shot thy self-so far as in thy First Treatise as false as frequently to affirm it and yet when all 's done after thy tedious Tracings to and fro in thy wonted Wood of uncertain Talk Conjectural Discourse and in the toylsome Thicker of thy own untrusty Thinking thou art fain to Confesse enough to the Confutation of thy self and the Contradicting of That thy Position in the strictnesse thereof wherein thou tooth and nail Contendest for it as no lesse then a very Fundamental part of That Faith which was once delivered to the Saints But that I may not seem to wrong thee by Representing thy Arch-Assertion in a stricter way or by stretching or extending it in my Animadversions on it beyond the exact measure of thy insert and meaning in it unless thou wilâ— have us to judge thee one that speakest one thing and meanest another as T.D. sayes God doâ— which is as bad let the Reader together with my returns therto take it in thy own terms as it lies spread and sprinkled up down in sundry Expressions sounding out in sum the same thing as to thy purport in them over many parts and in many particular pages of thy Two English Tractacles I.O. Pag. 14. The whole Word of God that is Secundum Te still the Scripture Text or Writing of it in every Letter and Tittle as given from him
it from what is suggested to his own Thoughts from Hear-say and other mens Talk to and fro and Tradition and as he Confesses all along â— heap of Vncertainties and Conjectures so that all the tumblings and tossings snapings and snarlings of even the Protestant Divines about their Scriptmre is but about their remote Transcribed I cannot say well neither for most Transcribed Copies too are out of the way since Printing came up but Printed Copies of the Text which are all not more lyable in any thing to be then in many things they are already falsified which since the Primitive Copies are concluded to be gone and the infallible guidance of the Spirit by I. O. T. D. and all Divines excluded out of the World also though they tell us Translations must be Rectified by their Transcriptions yet if they happen to be as an hundred to one they are and none knows in how many in any things crooked or various from the first there 's no means of Rectifying or Reducing their supposed Rule to Conformity to the first literal Rule nor of amending it any otherwise then uncertainly for ever But suppose I say ye had the Primitive Copies could you make more ado in Adoring them then ye Doctors and your People that dote on you do about your various respective Transcripts and more various Translations out of them into sundry Tongues and Languages which Translations yet are all in somethings not more several in their sorts then the Tongues into wch they are translated and divided into as many Senses as the many men that Translated them thereinto which said numerous untrue Translations also are as to the Letter if they look not to the Light within and live not by that all that the poor blindly guided mis-led Priest-befoolled People who ken not Hebrew and Greek many of whom can't read English neither have to trust to whose Faith about the Scripture it self which thou callst pag. 155. the Foundation of that Faith and Obedience God requireth at their hands and whose belief of the Truth or untruth of this or that Translation is as much pin'd upon the Priests sleeve here in England still as it is at Rome it self in this and some other matters for there they Believe as their Church alias Clergy believes and take things on Trust being not suffered if they were able as here though suffered they are not able to try the Truth hereof and by meer Tradition from their illiterate Purblind Priesthood and no otherwise do they here as to their Tratslâ—tions then upon Traâ—iâ—ion â—rusting to the fidelity and to that infalible certaines of their supposed learned leaders the Serâ—â—es then whom no men are more humpered in a heap 〈◊〉 uncertainties about the Scriptures What would ye do more to the very writing that was inscribed with Gods own finger if you had it in way of homage then ye are doing to your respective doted on derived copies Do you not dance about them as Israel about their Calf saying these are thy Gods O England that brought thee out of bondage to thy sin to which yet they committing it they remain servants to this day Iob. 8 and must save thee and lead thee into life and are perfectly sufficient without the light and spirit within the Quakers talk of as that which the letter came from and alone can do it to instruct thee in the knowledge and worship of God and thy obtaining of everlasting Redemption Do you not Canonize and crown them with the Titles of the only Perfect Rule Foundation Light Witnesse Living Word of God the Lydius Lapis Unaltered Unalterable Standard Touchstone immediately come forth from God to us without the least interueniency of Wayes or Mediums obnoxious to fallibility or capable to giue Change to the least â—ota or Syllable Are not these as high Titles as ye could give to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they were here Do you not say and do this and much more to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the People to no more then their meer Translation Yea do the Iewes say or do more in way of Adoration to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Synagogues then beautifie adore guild lift up in their hands exâ—al them with high Applauses Hugge and Kisse them as ye do when ye Swear upon a Book and such like outward magnifyings and makings honourable of them which is the utmost that I have seen them do in their Synagogues throw many Nations without living that substantial Holy Life the letter calls for And do you do any lesse as to outward Adoration or any more as to inward and real Observation towards your Bibles Yea do ye not all as well the People that have no better then their uncertain yet certainly untrue Translations from you as so many of you of the Clergy as can read the Copies of the Originals for many cannot read the Hebrew Text at all and some the Greek as â—etle as that as necessary as these Tongues were made a while since to the very esse or being of Christs Ministers who have no better â—hen your uncertain Transcriptions cry up your several Transcribed and Translated Copies respectively that best like you and every one hugge his own at least as most insallible however crying down others as corrupted And how beit if any one of them were so as none of them at all are yet all of them can't be right as each one faith that is that he takes toâ— Are ye not all noysing it out as the Iewes at â—eâ—usaâ—em and the Gentiles at Ephesus Jer. 7. Act. 19. of their Respective broken Reeds the Temple and Diana to which they trusted Great is Diana The Temple of the Lord The Word of God The Word of God Inspired The insallible Word oâ— God are these The perfect Living Liâ—e giving Soul saving Word the very Power of Gâ—d unto Salvation Are the Iewes more mad upon their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theâ— People are upon their untruly Translated and you Divines upon your untruly Transcribed and both on the more Kreanously yet Trans-printed Sculptures Talking and Treating up your Respective Texts into the Throne where Christ the Light and Living Word alone should sit making little lesse of your Copies then some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Cornu-Còpia Deo forsan quapiam melius For what are all the Ephesian like Glamours eager Out-cryes loud Noises of the people here for against the Quakers Are they not for the bare Bulk of that Book called the Bible the out-side of which they are at great Care and Cost to Paint and Guild and Bind and Beautifie and Adorn and Adore while the Truth exhibited in the Writing or Text thereof lyes trampled under their feet Saying the Ruâ—e the Foundation the infallible Standard the Word of God of no more then their by the self Conâ—essed in many things corrupted Translations counting the Quakers not fit to live in the Land any otherwise then Out-law'd because they can't
lesse you have no sound assurance what ground ye stand on for the stresse of all sacred Truth is by I. O. put upon the true Transcription or mis-transcription of the Greek and Hebrew Text which if not entire to a Tittle and Iota p. 17.18 19. upon any corruption supposed in the writing and that may very well not to say must be supposed if all the Transcribers even the first as well as the latter cannot be supposed to be as infallibly guided in Transcribing as the holy men were in the first writing there is no means of rectifying or recovering or of discovering or determining or judging of Truth any other way And so thou givest upon a matter thy whole cause in granting the whole Series of Transcribers and Race of writers to this day to be but fallibly guided and thy most perfect infallible stable and to a Tittle true Touch-stone Rule Standard Foundation falls all to the ground as a mere falible uncertain questionable Basis to build so mighty a bulk upon as thou dost according to not others knowledge onely but also thy own acknowledgements and confessions I. O. Religious care and diligence in their work with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do is all we ascribe unto them Not to acknowledge these freely in them without clear and unquestionable Evidence to the contrary is high uncharitablenesse impiety and ingratitude This care and diligence we say in a subserviency to the Promise and Providence of God hath produced the effect contended for Nor is any thing further necessary thereunto On this account to argue as some do from the miscarriages and mistakes of men their Oscitancy and negligence in transcribing the old Heathen Authors Homer Aristotle Tully we think it not tollerable in a Christian or any one that hath the least sense of the nature and importance of the Word or care of God towards his Church Shall we think that men who wrote out Books wherein themselves and others were no more concerned then it is possible for men to be in the writings of the Persons mentioned and others like them had as much reason to be careful and diligent in that they did as those who knew and considered that every Letter and Tittle that they were Transcribing was part of the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concerament of their own souls and the Souls of others did lye Certainly whatever may be looked for from the Religious care and diligence of men lying under a loving and careful Aspect from the Promise and Providence of God may be justly expected from them who undertook that work Rep. Of the loving and careful Aspect and Promise and Providence of God and how little he stands by any promise engaged to preserve outward Tittles as thou â—atlest I have spoken not a little before but if that were as true as thou sayest it is and as it is indeed most false that God were so engaged in order to the safe guarding his word and Church to save every Tittle of your Priests Transcribed Texts does not his love and care of his word and Church as strictly call for his careful Aspect over the peoples translated Texts and bind him in his providence according to the supposed promise to watch over and direct the Translators in Translating for the use of his Church but few of which can Read your Original Texts as well as the Transcribers in Transcribing which Translators if they happen to be one the Church saâ—ing that she must take some of her Clergies words for infallible Truth and as the sole foundation of her divine forth about the integrity of the Text is out also and hath nothing but uncertainty it self even the uncertain fallible conjectures of spiritually unskilful Scholars to trust to about the foundation of her salvation Neverthelesse thou wilt by no means allow that the Translators lay under the same loving Aspect who had as much to do with God and as religious a care and diligence in their work as Transcribers had in theirs with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do yea not to acknowledge these freely in them which is the utmost thou darest ascribe to the others without clear and unquestionable Evidence to the contrary is as high uncharitablenesse and ingratitude by how much their pains was the greater of the two as not to acknowledge the same in the Transcribers the care and diligence of which said Translators yet who must be supposed to be as much in a subserviency to that thy supposed promise and providence of God I say hath no more produced the effect thou contendest for i. e the entire agreement of their Copies to a Tittle with the first Originals thou that of the Transcribers hath done which hath not produced the said effect so exactly as thou dreamest It is enough to make a wise man wonder but that Sapiens miratur â—ibil because he expects no other then solly to proceed from the foolish wisemen of this world to see how thou settest thy Transcribers up on high yet grantest them not to be infallibly guided of God neither who if he had no higher way to expresse his love to his word and Church then by saving every Tittle of thy Transcripts from alteration or corruption could as easily have guided the Transcribers infallibly as fallibly and more easily too since his Spirit guides none fallibly so far as I know and statest thy Transcribers under the loving and careful Aspect promise and providence of God in all they did in their work about thy Greek and Hebrew Copies from whom yet no more may be expected justly then from Translators in the undertaking of their work for Translators did consider what every Letter and Tittle that they were Translating was as well as Transcribers did what every Letter and Tittle and Iota was they were Transcribing and to argue them to be as Oscitant Neglective and mis-carrying and mistaking as those that translated Heathen Authors is as intolerable ad â—ominem I speak this for else I own it tolerable enough so to argue of both Transcribers and Translatoâ—s of Scripture for such as Transcribed and Translated Heathen Authors and their work as well as they could and such as Transcribed and Translated Scripture could do no more and were thy self confessing no more infallible nor infallibly guided then they onely a kind of care in them and in God over them which amounts not to his special spiritual guidance thou tellest â— I say as intollerable as thou sillyly sayest it would be to argue from the â—citancy and Negligence miscarriages and mistakes of Transcribers of Heathen Authors to the like in the Scripture Transcribers But as for Translators thou pullest them down and depressest them into a condition of as great carelesness and negligence and under as carelesse neglect of God toward them in their work as thou statedst the other in great care and diligence and under a careful Aspect and
his Transcripts and Greek and Hebrew Copies and the absolute integrity thereof to a Tittle that the sole and final dissolution determination and discovery of all saving doctrine and distinct discerning and knowledge of all sacred Truth from cunningly devised fables does dâ—â—â—rd â—holly and alone upon the outward Greek and Hebrew writing and Scripture of it and that so necessarily and eternally that upon any corruption supposed therein that Truth Doctrine can't unquestionably be supposed to câ—â—â—â—ue entire and uncorrupt but must be consequently supposed to be without any other principle means rule or measure of judging recovering rectifying it and to be for ever â—medilâ—sly brought to nought p. 18. 68. Shall we think because I O. so thinks and sâ—lliâ—y supposes so that to suppose corruptions to have befallen his undoubtedly yea confessedly corrupted Copies and the same fate to have befallen the Hebrew and Greek Bible in its Transcribing that hath befallen other Books in theirs is a Plea unreasonable in it self devoid of all reall ground of Truth injurious to the Love and Care of God over his Word and Church in a high degree and an imagination bordering on Atheism asserted on deliberation p 18. 173 Surely the improvidence oscitancy negligence ignorance unskilfulnesse and carelesnesse that may as groundedly be supposed to have been if there was never so much care and diligence in others of them in some of the Scribes that have copied out the Scriptures as well as in some Printers that have printed them and in some Transcribers of Heathen Authors and the non-evidence of any promise of God to take any of the Scripture Transcribers under such a loving Care and Aspect as I.O. ascribes to them and I O's own concession of them being not any of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible but under possibilities of mistakings and I O's confessions and grants and acknowledgements that known failings have been amongst them and that various Lections are from thence risen 167 169. and that some of those are of importance consisting of superfluity and redundancy of unnecessary and deficiency of necessary words which is destructive to the sense and arising out of Copies apparently corrupted and notoriously corrupted by old Hereticks and many more matters then are fit to repeat o're again do require other thoughts at our hands Shall we think because I.O. so thinks very cogitantly but little cogently to us conjectures that if the Points be mans invention and the Text under alteration as undoubtedly it is and therefore all the Priests Religion who live on the naked Texts and their own Traditions and not the Truth it self is at a losse however that then all is likely immediately utterly and remedilesly to perish for ever viz. Church Word of God Doctrine Truth certainty of the Gospel Gods promise Providence and care of his eternal incorruptible good and acceptabâ—e mind will and pleasure Life Spirit Light Law yea that all this and much more is little lesse then eternally undone as to our knowledge of them so that God himself can find no other sufficient means having tryed already quoth I.O. the insufficiency of all other before to save all these thing from corrupting but that of a perishing uncertain flexible at mans will fallible changeable meer dead to the light novell corruptible mouâ—dâ—ing and in its first Manuscripts already long since mou'dred moth eaten and corrupted Letter p. 12. surely the promise of God for the preservation of his word which was before the Letter and will be after it induring for ever so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one jot or Tittle of it shall never fail what ever become of all the jots and Tittles of the Letter and his Providence Love and Care of his Church of whose faith and obedience that word of his in the heart and not the Letter both was now is and ever will be the onely Rule require other thoughts at our hands p. 173. Shall we think because I.O. faâ—sly so thinks that such a fallible flexible alterable and corruptible thing as the Letter is by I. O's own confession not in its Translations onely but in the very Original Transcripts which is the onely businesse he is so busie about and so bestirs himself to bustle for is that which can justly claim and supreamly challenge to it self those preheminent Titles excellent properties extraordinary effects peculiar prerogatives marvellous successes c. which I. O attributes thereuunto throwout his first English Treatise and Latine â—hesâ— also wherein under that glorious name of the Word of God by which yet as by that which he undertakes to prove to be it's proper name he as if not more ordinarily denominates it then by its own and oneâ—y proper name of Scripture he magnifies the Text as to those Hebrew and Greek Copies of it he is pleased to crown as the Canon and set his stamp upon as the Standard while he stigmatizes not onely all Translations as mens own Altars and altered things that must not stand as the Standard by the Posts and high Altar of his said unalterable Copies but other Copies also as novel spurious and noâ—â—â—iously corrupted above all that hath any being under God insomuch that he cannot likely utter more concerning it in way of exaltation unlesse he should extoll it so far as to stile it God himself So I have done at present with I. O's unprofitable prate about the preciousnesse profitablenesse and divine Original of his high prized possession of the Hebrew punctation and with his peremptory Postâ—â—n and absolutely absurd Assertion of the non-corruption of his Canonized Copies of the Original Text to a Tittle which howbeit I have scarce gone above half so far as I might in discovering the deep dotage and folly that is to be found in his mingled management and miserable mangâ—nization of those matters yet I have gone farther by the hall then I should have done considering how far off all such husky chaffy accomplishments as those Pedantick parts of the Letter are from that wherein the Life of God chiefly lyes viz. the Spirit Light and Word that 's nigh in the heart and how little concernment the more substantial parts of the meer outward Text are of thereto in comparison of them much more such Accidentals as the meer figure of the Accents and Vowels But onely that I found I.O. manifesting his foppery so far as to render these Ticklish things of such eminent Tendency to the saving knowledge of all sacred Truth as to give them out to be the most reall Rule stable standard Gospel guides grand ground chief infallible foundation of all in which respect though otherwise it is little lesse then loathsome to me to leave the life I live in the enâ—oyment of my self with God to meddle so much in such muddy matters yet in service to the Truth and in love to the soules of the Schoolmen and Scribes that they may see the sandy fickle fâ—undation they build and
contradicts himself ye are for all your siding to vindicate the same Points of false Doctrine against the Qua. so frequently sound contradicting each other that in order to the consutation of you both a man may finde contradiction enough either in each of your Writings within themselves or in the Writing of one of you unto the other and so 't is in this case for I.O. owns no other Principle or Foundation of discovery of Divine Truth then the Scriptures for the Faith to stand on p. 18. But thou ownest the Spirit to be the Principle of obedience 2. If the phrase denotes the Principle only and not the Rule as it does not for it denotes both yet the other places mentioned do denote more expresly the Light and Spirit and not the Letter to be the Rule which said Light and Spirit that is the Power of God to say the truth is both the Principle upon which all true Faith is founded and is to stand 1 Cor 2.5 in the movings of which obedience is to be acted and also the Rule according to which as it moves leads guides directs impowers and no otherwise all things that are at all are to be both done and believed And no less do all those phrases however denote viz Rom. 8. 1.4.5.13 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit then a being taught led guided ruled directed by as well as moved acted and enabled from the Spirit so or so to believe or do for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Praeposition though join'd with the Genitive signifies contra against as Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the Spirit yet with the accusative is secundum after according to so that the Light and Spirit of Christ within is not onely the Foundation upon which the Principle from which but also that in which the Standard Measure Guide and Rule of direction by after or according to which the Saints are to walk believe and do whatever they do in order to their pleasing of God and standing uncondemned in his sight And no less then so doth Phil. 3.16 import where Paul to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishop and Deacons according to their several statures and degrees of growth in the Light and Spirit of Christ wishes all that were perfect as every one is that is faithful to his own measure to be so minded as himself yet leaving every one to believe and judge by his own measure of Light not binding any one to his till God himself should reveal things as he knew them to those that were yet otherwise minded Neverthelesse quoth he whereunto we have already attained let us walk or steere our course by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Which same Rule or same thing that he wills all though their measures of Light may be different to mind and walk by He that shall dream it to be the Letter of the Scripture without and not the inward Light Grace and Spirit of Christ a measure and manifestation of which is according to the measure of the gift of Christ distributing to every one severally as he will to some more some less some one some two yet to every one one talent at least given to every man to profit withall to improve trade with and thrive by Matth. 25.15 Rom. 12.3.6 1 Cor. 12. 7.11 Eph. 4.7 8. compared with Psal. 68.18 Gifts to the Rebellious also 1 Pet. 4.10 11. I shall deem him to be more deservedly denominated a Doter then a Doctor in Divinity or a true Teacher of the things of God and the Gospel seeing the so-call'd Scripture-Rule or Canon so much counted on as that no other neither inward light nor Word nor Revelations of the Spirit Post completum ejus Canonem as J.O. sayes are at all to be admitted to the Name Title Honour and Authority of a Rule to the Church according to J. O's and T. D's Principles was not yet bounded nor compleated nor come to its full Coronation Canonization Consecration and Consignation by any Clerical Convocation of Divines as it did afterwards while Paul wrote thus to the Philippians there being more of his own and other holy men's Writings penned after this besides the Revelation of John which J.O. on his own head p. 18. calls the Close of the immediate Revelation of Gods will in that way of Writing And whether the Philippians had seen any Scripture at all much lesse any of the Books ye call the New-Testament more then this that Paul now wrote when he wrote this to them unless it may be conjectured from Ph. 3.1 that he himself wrote to them before to the same purpose as now and therefore sayes to write the same things to you is safe for you is questionable and more then J.O. and T.D. with both their heads laid together are able to prove therefore the same Rule he bids them all walk by according to their respective measures and the same thing he bids them mind was not the Scripture but the Light and Spirit which having reveal'd something to them would as they walked perfectly by the Rule thereof reveal all things to them in due time that he knew and they were ignorant of For though the Rule appointed design'd and authoriz'd by God for all men to mind as one man and to walk by from the beginning of the World to this day is but one i. e. the Light Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience yet the Degrees in which it is dispenced are different and every one that is found faithful in the improvement of what is committed to him be it little or more is crowned with the just account of Faithfulness V prightnesse and Perfection and title to the joy and right to have more committed to him Yea as if any man walk up to what he hath already attained to the understanding of the same shall have more abundance If any will do his will saith Christ i.e. so far as he knows the same shall know of the Doctrines that are taught whether they are of God or whether the Teachers thereof speak of themselve Joh. 7.15.16 Such shall discern and distinguish and see and grow into the Spirit of Iudgement and of a sound mind and into a cleare sight of the mind of God who manifests himself to such as he does not to the world who receive not the Spirit of Truth which he gives to all in some measure to convince them of sin righteousnesse and judgement and so to guide them out of sin but that some resist him but to such as own truth as receive him and love and come to the Light which â—evil ones hate loving flesh and darknesse more then it because it reproves their ill deeds that their deeds may be manifested more and more and come to be wrought in God he leads into all truth while such proud Pharisaical Praters as Vniversity-bred Schollars stubborn Students and rebellious Rabbies Scripture-searching
another that as the most must needs be false so 't is enough to confound and amaze mens minds they are so many to meddle to finde which is true among their meanings and to set a man out of his own senses to set himself so several are they to seek out their several senses on the Scriptures many bumbling Volumes larger then the Bible it self being written or some one Text of Sripture Is it for want of power or efficacy in the Letter Yea that is one reason for howbeit I.O. sayes It is absolutely called the power of God and effectual to salvation yet to his own confutation I. O sayes the Letter is dead and without the Spirit of no efficacy for the good of souls But another and that not the least is because they live in Rebellion against the light which while they turn not to though Moses is read and the Prophets also and all the Letter or Old Testament yet the Vail remaineth over Moses and the Prophets faces and as over the Iewes over the heart of these Christians also which Vail is done away only in Christ and in turning to his Light and the Spirit within their minds are blinded being off from the Light so that they know neither Christ nor Moses nor the Voyces of the Prophets that are so often read which through ignorance they fulfill as the Iews did in condemning Christ and putting him to open shame in his Light Doctrine and Disciples Nevertheless if their heart shall yet turn to the Lord that Spirit and to his Light which is within that vail shall be taken away and they shall see with open face behold the glory of God and be changed into his Image be led indeed to that true Repentance that is never to be repented of but if they continue in their unbeleef in the Light and their hearturn not to the Lord in and by the Light in the time and space that is given them for that Repentance yet at least the face of the covering that is now cast over all people and the vail that is yet spread over all Nations shall be so far removed and destroyed at last that there shall be repentance enough to no purpose when it is too late when the Gulph is once fixed and Abraham is seen by these rich worldlings and Belly-gods afar or and Lazarus in his bosome when every eye that look's for him shall see him who now cometh in the Clouds and they also that have pierced him and all Kindreds of the earth that are no kin to him shall wail because of him Even so AMEN The Fourth Apologeticall and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw to proceed in way of answer to I. O's Arguments for the Scriptures and Letter and Book and Bible and Texts and outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets as the onely Rule in alterable Standard now compleated Canon Touchstone of all Truth to which since its close and consignation after Iohn had written no new Revelations Writings or Scriptures of the old Truth as from the old Spirit of it are to be added no immediate manifestations inspirations motions missions from God as of old to be expected or if pretended to be admitted or owned but to be damned down as Delusion Fanaticism Enthusiasm Quakerism Diabolism vain uncertain unprofitable fancy figment detestable meraae tenebrae caecitas fines salutares quod attinet as to salvation meere darknesse and blindnesse it self and what not that 's naught Seeing it is so as abovesaid that all these false Prophets and Divines can prevail no further then to tangle and hamper and hinder men and to hide the truth by that hideous heap of unharmoneous Heterogeneous Heterodox more then Orthodox volumes of Divinity and to smoother darken confound and drive men away from the naked truth and draw them off from the Scriptures themselves that are plain and cleare to honest and plain-hearted men by their Smoak and Clouds and Circumferences and by that boundlesse bottomlesse incomprehensible chafly Chaos of their contradictory and confused Commentaryes with which the world is now burdened even beyond what it can well bear and contain sith I say there 's none to guide these poor erring lost perishing and as yet more deformed then reformed Nations into the life of God and power of godlinesse from which they are alienated because of the blindnesse of their hearts among all the Sons whom they have brought forth Isa. 51.18 Neither any that can take them by the hand and lead them in the true way of eternall life of all the Sons whom they have brought up at their Vniversities who sit together with them under the shaddow of death notwithstanding all their Tumbling ore of so many Tames about the Scripture is it then for want of true Prophets or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men divinely inspired and sent of God to call people to Repentance and to turn them to that light of God within that leads to Repentance by voice and writing to them as them elves have had the true way thereof manifested in them by the light as themselves being taught of God have learned and practiced it and are moved of the holy Spirit to preach and presse the practice of it upon others according to the scope of the Scriptures No! For there are many in England at this very day speaking reproving writing and prophecyâ—ng from the same light and by the same Spirit that the Scriptures came forth from and as themselves have received and heard from the voice and mouth of God and seen felt and handled of the word of life as the Prophets Amos 7. and the Messengers and Ministers of God and Christ of old Act. 26.16 17 18. 1 Ioh. 1.1 2 3 4 c. The Spirit of the Lord is not more straitned in these days from blowing where it lists then it was in the dayes of old howbeit because it lists not much as it never did to blow upon or inspire the learned Scribes Hypocritical Pharisees chief Priests aspiring Rabbies Divinity Doctors Proud Diotrepheses preheminence loving Praters hireling Preachers Fawning prudentiall Parasites Politicall Polliticians and such like but mostly upon a meaner sort of men as to outward account these wise men are most hardly brought to beleive it to be so and so as said the Priests Scribes Pharisees Rabbies and Doctors of old of Moses and the Prophets we own them know them and their Scriptures which yet they knew not nor the power of God We are their Disciples wee 'l stick to their writings that 's our compleat Canon our stable Standard our immutable measure to which nothing must be added and of Christ and his in the dayes of his flesh we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow and his fellows we know not whence he is and whence they are they are of the Devill have a Devill and are mad Why hear ye them they speak blasphemous words against Moses and the Law and this place the holy Temple and
turn away much people saying God is not worshipped in Temples made with hands but within onely in Spirit and Truth talking as if they would teach us as if they heard Gods voice and not we who search the Scriptures and expound the Law and have the Key of knowledge have been train'd up in the Scriptures in reading the holy letters but these we take notice of them that they are ignorant unlearned men yet they say we are unstable and unlearned and wrest Scriptures to own destruction but whence hath this man letters having never learnt at Universities as we have done away with them and their Scripture no more holy Scripture now the Canon is compleated the Standard sealed no immediate motion now no such mission as the Prophets had now no speaking by divine inspiration now no Divine authority in any mans writings now though they write not others but the same Divine truths as of old no extraordinary infallible â—uidance of men by the infallible Spirit of God now and suchlike Thus they said then and thus our wise Ignorants at Athens say now of the same Spirit that then spake in Paul pressing others now to write or speak to them of their woâ—shâ—pping an unknown God seeing their Universities given wholly to Idolatry and thus I.O. one of the sore men against the truth What will these Bablets say and in a manner so they say all But slay friend Gods arm is not shortned neither is the mouth of God more made up now then formerly from making out and manifesting his own mind immediately from himselfe in the minds and consciences of men and women so as that men may without manifest imprudence not to say impudence imagine so ignorantly as in effect I.O. doth that God spake his last to the Sons of men and all that ever he meant from his own mouth to make known of his will to any man when Iohn had at the command of Christ written that pretious Revelatio â—which God gave unto Christ to shew to his servants who was pleased to signifie it unto them by the hand of his servant Iohn and when once in after ages a Syned of some honest men who we know not upon some some mistakes and sailings which weâ— I.O. confesses Tr. 2. c 2. S. 4.5 They were lyable to establish so much as they could get together which was but little 't is like of that much that was written of the transcribed Copies of the holy mens Histories and Apostles Epistles and letters to particular Churches and private persons and canoniz'd it together with the writings of Moses and the Prophets into such a standing Rule of faith and manners for all ages to come that whatever should from thenceforth be found as not a little was even of the Apostles own and some of Christs own writings and whatever should be written after that with pretence as much hath been since then not in pretence onely but in truth of motion from the same holy spirit should be shut out for ever from standing in their Canon sith it came not in at that time to their hands and be ever of so low esteem as not to be own'd among the rest under so much as the name of holy Scriptures with them but as to all ends uses and purposes for which all holy Scripture is written be utterly raced out of the Record cancel'd made void and of none effect while those few they Authoriz'd because of their Stamp of the onely Standard upon them must be had in as high if not an higher Esteem Honour and Authority then the Light it selfe from which directing holy men in the writing thereof they had all the being they have at all as holy Scriptures Let not I.O. in any wise say so for there are yet though himselfe is none of them 7000 of the people of Christ in England that bow not the knee to Baal many of whom as they are under the new Testament i.e. the Spirit and not under the old i.e. the letter where thou yet art have even both men and women the promises thereof made good unto them concerning the gift of the holy Spirit of the Lord and power to prophecy which of old also the true had Mic. 2. and of judgment and of might to declare unto the rebellious house of Iacob and Israel even the Heads and Princes thereof if they abhor judgement and pervert all equity and the Priests and Prophets thereof that Preach for hire and Divine for money and build Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity and yet leane on the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evill shall come upon us their sins and their transgression And to use thy own words I.O. p. 331.332 to thy self who are much in the dark as thou utterest them to such as are further in the dark behind thy self much more to the same purpose will same of them be found to say when men of outward wisdome and learning who are as they think able to instruct them shall condescend personally so to do Yea of myself I will not speak who by the grace of God am what I am and if the least measure of that grace be imparted to me among other of his servants that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ it is to one that for ought I know is of all the rest least worthy or rather most unworthy of it but I am bold to say so much and no more then what will stand as truth against thine or any others gain sayings that there are some who do not more professe themselves to be then they are indeed inspired by the holy Spirit whose messages and ministrations whether by voice or writing are so immediate from the mouth of the Lord that your not receiving nor submitting to them on that account but rejecting and denyall thereof with such rigour as ye do doth justify your predecessors in all ages who rejected and slew those that spake to them in the name of the Lord and speakes out in plain terms your imagination to be this that you may with safety to your selves reject them whom God sends yea to go on yet for a while much what in thy own words Tr. 1. C. 3. S. 9 10.11 12 There are some whether they work miracles yea or nay as thou confessest most of the Prophets did not that 's nothing to thee who pretend not to this inspiration falsely but both can and do to youward insist upon this that being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinely inspired their doctrine is to be recieved by you as from God and in their so doing it will be found in due time to be your sin even unbeliefe and rebellion against God not to submit to what they speake in his name as that of his word they receive from his mouth and this is not onely pleaded and insisted on by some but also whether their Testimony be received or not received by you preachers and the
Prophet Doth not the difference that is serve us against thee whilst it s no other then thus that of the two the spiritual man is the greater for if every Prophet is not a spiritual man yet all spiritual men are Prophets or more then Prophets And that there are spiritual men in these dayes thou wilt prove thy self to be what thou art but a meer animal and fleshly man in denying for as there are millions even many more then a good many spiritual men in Title so assuredly as few as they are there are a good many so in truth and so many as are so are more then Prophets or inspired ones that are but barely mov'd to speak or act by the Spirit for all holy men of God spake and wrote of old and speak and write now as they are acted or moved of the holy Spirit but all that speak as the Spirit of God may move act and give them utterance are not holy men of God for Prophesie is but a gift that wicked men though seldome yet sometimes may have who never come into that more excellent and spiritual way which is to last when all Prophesie is ceased of living in love and other fruits of the Spirit witness Balaam the Prophet that lov'd the wages of unrighteousness and taught Balaak King of Moab to cast a stumbling block before Israel and to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication whose way you follow who neither live the life nor will unless ye repent for all your hopes so to do die the death of the righteous and that you will see when you fall into his Trance with your eyes open as you will at last so as to see him even that Star of Iacob as he did afar off not nigh but with a gulf betwixt and Lazarus in his bosome though you are yet in a Tâ—ance of your own with your eyes shut and not come so far into the bare sight of Truth as Balaam was who for all his wickedness was moved of the Lord and overpowred by the Word of God put into his mouth to speak many precious Truths and full sore against his will which would have been at work another way for hire and have cursed and divin'd against them for money to bless Israel altogether Numb 24. Witness also Caiphas the High-Priest who gave the Iews wicked counsel against Iesus and yet prophesied that Iesus should dye for that Nation and gather into one all the children of God that were scattered abroad which not knowing well the true meaning of his own words he spake not of himself as ye do of your selves not understanding well what you say uttering in words many eminent truths out of the Prophets and of the Prophets which not knowing the Prophets voices ye fulfill to your own ruine but by way of Prophesie as the Spirit made use of his mouth to utter it Iohn 11.47 51 52. And was not Saul also among the Prophets so that evil men may be moved and inspired by the Spirit and obey also so as to Prophesie as they are moved led or acted by the Spirit who never obey the Spirits motions of them to better and greater matters that spiritual men obey him in yea fleshly selfish men may be moved and made of the Lord which is more then ye yet are Prophets of True things but what holy and spiritual man is not a Prophet or not inspired or not truly moved of the Lord or however fallible in himself as other men is not anamartetos or infallible as led by the Spirit wherefore then makest thou this matter Theopneustian or divine inspiration or moving of the Spirit such a singular thing as peculiar onely to the dayes of old nay verily though all men are not so far inspired and moved of the Spirit as to be made Prophets yet if by the Term Theopneustia thou mean bare inspiration and motion of the Spirit and speak of that thing it selfe and not of such or such a degree or measure of it canst thou tell me the man or woman vpon earth letting onely Infants and meer Fanaticks aside who are not or have not at some time or other been moved by and with good motions to better things then they follow inspired by the Holy Spirit Who is there â—aving him who walks no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so is not excepted from but more highly accepted into this Theopneusty or inspiration in all the world of either Heathens by name or meer nominall Christians that are as reall Heathens as the other who cannot truly say Video meliora prâ—bâ—que deterior a sequor And what is that in them who have no outward Scripture that makes them say and gives them to see that they behold and approve of better things while they practise worse Is it not the same light and Spirit within by which Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison when once the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing Is it not the spirit of Truth that guides the followers of it into all truth and strives with men though the stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and cares alwayes resist and strive against it and lusts in them against the lustings of their flesh to filth and envy c Is it not that which convinceth and reproveth the world of sin because they believe not in Christ and of righteousnesse and judgement so that they know righteousnesse and the righteousnesse and truth of the judgement of God that who do such things as they do are worthy of death though yet they enter not into the narrow path of righteousness and life nor repent to the acknowledgement of the Truth And though the earth by reason of the transgression till God create the Heaven and Earth again anew as he did in the beginning be without form and void and darknesse be upon the face of the deep yet in order to its coming into order again by the new Creation Doth not the Spirit of God move upon the face of the waters where the Whore sitteth peoples multitudes tongues and nations And doth not God say Let there be light and there is light shining in the daâ—knessâ— though the darknesse comprehends it not And doth he not separate these clearly in mens consciences the inner world from each other calling the light day and the darknesse night And do not many of you men called Ministers use to teach your unconverted people to take the advantage of the Spirits moving upon their hearts and not to quench them but to step in while it moves least like those that lay diseased at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the waters by the Angel that came down which in the Antitype is not the letter but the Spirit not waiting for the movings or neglecting to observe and obey and close with the Spirits motions before the motions of sin in the flesh step in and cool and quench them they lie
out of each or if it were and be the Saving Light whether men walk by it or not 't would be a Light to every as well as any man in each Nation and so saving Light though not used would contrary to I. Os. tale be vouchsafed by Christ to every man in every Nation but the Light is not only in every Nation but in every heart in each Nation and because it is so though few are saved by it because few heed it yet every man may be saved by it as well as any man Arg. 13. To conclude this then I confess that 't is either the Letter that these Scribes talk for or that Light we talk for and they against which is that one only universal unchangeable infallible standing Law Light Witness Word Guide Rule Touchstone and saving way to Life in respect of which Christ is said to be the Leader Commander and Witness from God to All people the Light of the whole world and consestuently of All men in it But 't is not the Letter therefore 't is the Light we speak of in fuller proof of this last and disproof of the former Consider the Rule Law Light c. and means of Life and Salvation what ever it is must be adequate in its expansion and extent to the men that ought to be ruled guided led to life by it on pain of further perishing and cursing if they be not But the Light of Christ in each Conscience is so teaching there whatever God requires of each person as to his own peace and what God in the doing thereof will accept him in and the Letter not so therefore the said Light and not the Letter is that by which Christ is Gods Witness to the world and All peoples Leader if they will follow him unto life The Plaster should be adequate to the sore and not short of it as the Light is not but the Letter is in its extent in respect to all ends of the earth else there 's as much folly in this extreme as I said above there would be in the other it being as little wisdome to be too short as to over-reach for a man to make a Plaster no broader then a penny for a wound as broad as a Crown piece as 't is to cut a Plaster of the compass of a bushel for a sore no broader then a six pence That Rule Law Light and Word by which All are to live and be judged and tryed and for nor living by which to be condemned must universally be extended to All and every man those who have a Copy thereof without and those who have no such Copy but are without it for Lex papulus cujustex est Verbum hiâ— qumâ—um officium est illud â—â—dire 〈◊〉 obedire Lux c illuminandi mensura Mersierandum Regula prebandum debent esse adaequata The Law and they to whom it s given as that by which they must live or die for breaking it the Wâ—rd and thâ—se that are bound is hear and obey it the Light and such â—â— are to see by it the Rule and such men as well as manners as are to be measured and 〈◊〉 by it on peril of damnation if not agreeing with it must be so adequate that the Rule Law Light Word must by the Providence of God be made to reach and extend to the uâ—most corner in all ages wherein the men to whom it s given are abiding that they may see it whether that be the Letter without or the Light within so that if that in the Conscience we assert so to be be that saving Light Law Means Rule c. then it must be by the Law-giver ordered to come within the cognizance of every man in the world who is to live or dye and as he keeps or breaks it to stand or fall by it for even if the Scripture be it then that must be ordered to come as universally to All and every man otherwise As that King or Parliament might be said to mock the Nation and make it miserable that should make a certain Law which whoever keeps shall live and who keeps not shall be hanged and yet keeps that Law within the little corner of that City of Westminster and and never suffers or orders the Copy of it to come to the sight of others neither in our known Mother-Tongue nor yet so much as in an unknown Tongue in one of which at least our English Laws as much as they are lapt up not a little from the cognizance of poor people among the Learned Lawyers only as J. O. laps his lying Labours learned Leaguâ—es and loud Challenges against the Quakers from the Laiâ—ks as he thinks within the cloud of his Latine Language or as that man who should in a dark night hang out one single candle in a Lanthorn only for all London to see by or he that should preach at Pauls-Cross and command all ends of England at their peril to hear his voice from thence might truly be call'd a Mocker So to use I. Os. own words again Ex. 2. S. 27. Si Scripturam vel ab omnibus percipiÌ„ nolit tamen omnes qui doctrinam eâ—us non observant vel ideo condemnas Quid ni millies mille miseres homunciones Deus per tale Verbum Medium Regulam Legem Lucem ludos facere absit blasphemia oestimandus sit If God give out a Law Light Rule Word of Life to all which he will condemn men fâ—r not obeying and yet would not have it by All so much as to be seen why may not God be thought which were blasphemy to think to mock millions of men and make them miserable without their personal default by such a Word Means Rule Light or Law c. which instead of going forth of Sion and Ierusalem to the whole earth is confin'd within the little Hill of Sion itself But now the Light within the Letter calls all to is in All men the Letter without not so universal but extending to very few therefore the Light within not the bare Letter without is that saving Means Word Rule Law c. besides if the Letter were the Law Light Word and Rule which yet was never seen by most in most Nations then that respect to Persons and Nations which was once more to the Iews then any people upon earth as to the giving out of a meer outward Letter of his Law to beep which respect was ended in Christ who brake down that Partition Wall between Iew and Gentile Eph. 20 is hereby set up again which woe be to him that builds when God hath destroyed buâ— up again that must not come for though he once gave his Laws and Statutes to Israel in an outward Letter and Copy which thing he did not do to any people else nor other Nation if I. O. will believe the Scripture nor doth to any Nation at all to this day at their sole rule and guide yet of a truth I
Spirits are to be tryed by if not by that measure of the Spirit of Truth it self which convinces the world of Sin Righteousness and Iudgement and leads its followers into all Truth Ob. If any say it can't be that Spirit of God nor his Light in men the Qua. call to for that 's one of the things to be tryed try the spirits whether of God or no and that which is to be tryed cannot be the rule of Tryal Ans. I answer why not Did you Schoolmen never learn that Lesson your selves which ye teach to others viz. that Regula which is alwayes quid Rectum is mâ—nsura sui obliqui The strait Rule must ever be the Rulâ— or measure of it self as well as of that which is crooked and faulty Doth not the light manifest it self to be true light as well as the darkness to be truly darkness and does not the Sun as well shews it self to a man to be the Sun as it shews a dark Cloud or smoak not to be it and why may not the inward light which is truly and indeâ—d is only it fallible be truly said to be Autopiste believed for it self sake and to be the Rule of Tryal that must try all spirits and sayings but its own yea it s own also as I. O. falsly sayes nor more nor less but the self-same of the outward fallible because flexible Letter which flows forth from it I say 't is true we are to try all spirits and things but as what man knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man within himself even so the things of Gâ—d knows no man but the Spirit of God and that Spirit in which that Spâ—rit of God reveals them 1 Gor. 2 What shall we try Light and Daâ—kness by but by the Light I know our Divines say try all spirits by the Scripture all lâ—ghts so called whether they be true or pretended by the Letter But herein they discover their own dancings of the Rounds still in the night of their own thoughts and in the midst of the mist of darkness foramuch as no otherwise then as when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their Analogical Faith they say the Scriptures and when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their interpreting â—f that Rule of their Faith i.e. the Scriptures they tell us the Analogy of their Faith even so when we ask them what are ye to try the Scriptures by whether they are of God or no they say by the Spirit yea though other things may be accessary yet the testimony of the Spirit is necessaâ—y and only all-sufficient to this puâ—pose so sayes not only Bâ—ll in his Caâ—echize but also all the Builders of Babel and Worshâ—ppers of Baal in what form soever excepring Popish Priests who are in a worse extreme and deny as no Rule for their own Traditions sake both Scriptures and Spirit altogether but when we ask them but how shall we try that Spirit of God whether of God or no for we are not believe every spirit to go round again they tell us by the Scriptures and thus the poor Clergy are cozened and how those they Lord it over should scape dâ—lusion and creep out of their Babylonish confusion I know not till they come to that and some such thing there is or else there 's no infallâ—ble knowledge of any thing which is of a certainty past all demonstâ—ation sâ— that as to a blind man it can't be proved so to a seeling man in need not and that is the Light of God in the Conâ—cience which as heeded and according to the measure of it shews both it seâ—f and darkness truth and deceit good and evil what God would have each man do for his own particular and what to decline de Iure what sins he lives in that he should forgo what sins he does or does not forgo de facto e.g. lying cozening cheating drunkenness adultery murder doing that ill to oâ—hers be would not have done to himself and such like finalâ—y what manner of man he is upright or wicked a tâ—ue man or an hypocrite c. And all this though internally and spiritually yet as truly and infâ—llibly as with his bodily eyes by the Light of the Sun or but a candle he sees himself and with his natural animal understanding he perceives himself to be a man and not a Beast Their 28. from Psal. 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting is thus If David had a Light within him of it self a sufficient and safe guide to God he should no need Gâ—d to search know and try him he might have led himself but 't is otherwise with David therefore he knew he had not a Light within him And to this tune also I. O. belying the Qua. represents them as saying they need not any teaching having a Light within them for a much as themselves are Autodidactoi taught of themselves Ex. 3. S. 20. Opus non habent vel Doctrina c. cum ipsi sunt Autodidactoi si iis fidem adhibere 〈◊〉 sit Rep. Oh most absurd and abominable how do evil men and seducers war worse and worse decâ—iving and being deceived 'T was darkness gross enough to gain-say the being of a sufficient light to guide to God in All mâ—n but this is grosser yea no leâ—s then groapablâ— to deny it to be in aâ—y men for if it be in any men it is surely in the Saints and if in them then in Davâ—d whom they own as one yet behold the M. As. and B. Ds. of our times tell us now that David himself who sayes Thy word have I hid in me that I might not sin against thee Pâ—a 119. which word â—he calls a Lamp to his feet and a Light to his paths had not a Light within him as a sufficient safe guide to lead in the way everlasting and consequently the Saints to whom nemine obstante Paul sayes according to Mâ—ses the word is nigh thee in thy heart the word â—f Faith which we preach had none of it in them as well as sinners But that they may not insanire sine ratioâ—e they give a reason for it such as 't is viz. If David had a Light of God within him sufficient c. he need not Gâ—d to search know try and lead him he might have led himâ—elf not heeding that all the Saints that are taught by the Light and in that learn in silence in all subjection are not Autodidactoi as these men suppose but as Paul saith all Saints are Theodidactoi learning of Christ and taught of God 1 Tâ—es 41.9 That the Qua. deny all Teaching but that of God or men moved by the same Liâ—ht and Spirit by which God teaches yea I acknowledge freely that he that teaches himself and learns not of God but leans to his
of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved Now this is no small benefit to have the light to discern our errors which without light from Christ we should never have understood A wise Christian will be often judging himself by the light of the Law discovering his Transgressions That mâ—st needs be the Law in the Conscience which de facto shewes every mans own sins to himselfe It will be needfull not only to use the light of Christ to judge our selves by but also to order our actions by I am the light of the World saith Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness There cannot be unsafe walking by Christs light there is no danger when Christ our light goes before walk in the light saith Christ while ye have the light lest darknesse come upon you how many millions are there of souls perplexed and tortured all their life with fears and doubts for want of walking by the light of Christ in Scripture which say I is that in the conscience which the Scripture mainly calls to and chusing rather to walk by a light and sparks of their own kindling alias their own wisdome conceits sences and meanings on the Scripture traditions in worship and such like which they call light which in the end either goes quite out or burns so dim as to leave them in darknesse of spirit and horror of conscience and no marveile since such as neglect the word preached which is that word of faith i.e. which men are to beleeve in unto life which the Scripture testifies and the Apostles preached to be nigh in mens hearts to heave and do it should follow the mares of humane reason the examples customes and dictates of men and in conclusion ly down in sorrow Isa. 40.11 Such foolish fires will lead to nothing but bogs and precipices but Christ the true light when his Gospell is followed which is the light in the heart 2 Cor 4.5 6. guides the feet of men into the way of peace The light of Christ is to be used as our weapons or Tools to defend ourselves or to work with let us put off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light the truth is light is the chiefest instrument for safety and worke if a man be without light he can neither defend himself nor offend an enemy he that would make use of Christs light must be armed with his doctrine he that would improve the light must be a doing the businesse which the word of Christ directs him to and to that end it mark must dwell richly in him Make use of the light of Christ for thy comfort and rejoycing it is it which removes doubts griefs fears despair in life or death Oh how sweetly might men live how comfortably might they dye if they did make use of it Thus highly do these two men R.B. I.T. speake of the light of Christ within which the Qua preach yea that in the very Heathen though they oft call it naturall yet they recommend it as that which told the truth to the heathen which they holding in unrighteousnesse were under wrath and without excuse before God because they glorified him not as God but were fill'd with unrighteousnesse and did the things which by that of God in them they knew judgment was due to and that they were worthy of wrath Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them say they who sin against the innate light of their own spirits for as much as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience And yet somtimes to go round again they tell us that when their Saints sin through infirmity only as T. D. judges David did when he was guilty of murder and adultery which when they doe they act against the knowledge and judgment of their own consciences their facts are not voluntary but altogether yea utterly against their wills Yea p. 41. They seem to judge themselves much belyed by the Qua. for denying the light within and set themselves to vindicate themselves from that as a false aspersion as if they were men that do truly own the light within as much as any yea they there make a use of Application of their Doctrine about the Light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the World to justifie themselves against the Qua as owners and honourers of the light within and to warn men that they act not against their Light within to this purpose we may infer say they a plea for our selves against the unjust accusations of the Qua who use to charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them each person is to make use of the light within that he do not rebell against the light a mans own conscience is a Law to him c. This and much more do these men when they are pleased to begin of themselves confesse to the excellent usefullnesse and sing out to the praise of the light of God within each man but if the Qua fall in with them in the same work and commend the same light for t is no other but that of Christ the Qua cry up in the same words with the Priests then in enmity against the Qua they set themselves to cry it down with as much indignation and detestation as they cryed it up with approbation and high commendation before Then to go round again they sing a new song in contempt of it to the Time that hereunder followeth inveighing most heavily and bitterly against the Quak for this businesse of warning men to take heed to the Light within to that of God in their consciences calling both it and them no lesse then all to nought witnesse their clamours against the Qua for this very thing in Baxt. Epist. p. 7. Their i.e. the Quâ— great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a light within them and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets hearken to the light and word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamourously defend So p. 6. They i.e. the Quakers assert that there is a light in every man sufficient to guide him to God of it self that it is a Rule to shew duty and sin that there 's no need of other teaching of man that this is one in all that it is the Gospell this is the main prop of the new Anti-christian Religion or frenzy of the Quak and leads them into pernitious courses So p. 41. A mans own light cry they speaking of that of God in the Conscience of all men which somtimes themselves call no lesse then Gods Law in them which is in them but not of them nor naturall but spirituall holy just and good cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light And
therefore they have no Light in them but an Argument it is rather that these Pastors are like those Ier. 10.14.21 who are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord in his Light in that they argue so bruitishly not only besides the Spiritual Light of the Lord which would lead them to a right understanding of the truth but also below that common sense and reason that naturally belongs to man for which therefore woe unto them they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered for which a great commotion is already come out of the North to make their Cities their Assemblies defolate as a Den of Dragons Thus far as to R.B. and I.Ts. first Argument by which men may judge of the constitution of the rest which are all of the same complexion The second is drawn from Act. 17.22.23 Rom. 1.21.22.23 the sum of which in short is this The most improved Gentiles for all that Light which was in them were in all things too superstitious were carried about to dumb Idols as they were led had their foolish hearts darkned about their thoughts of God worshipped him ignorantly and such like therefore they much less the most barbarous and consequently none of the Gentiles who had not the Scripture nor such other teaching as Gods people were taught by had not a Light in them that was sufficient without the Scripture to guide them to God c. Rep. That the Gentiles were generally superstitious foolâ—sh dark blind idolatrous and ignorant in their worshippings of God I deny not howbeit I close not cordially with that clause the most improved in the Antecedent for 't was through non-improvement of the Light they had and because at the best they were ill improved in it that they became so for had they heeded the Light they had been led out of Idols to the knowledge of God by it for what is to be known of God is by it manifest in them Rom. 1.19 But what if the best improved Gentiles were so as ye say vain in their thoughts c. they might have better improved the Light then they did and the Reason why they were so fortishly superstitious was not because they had not sufficient Light to lead them in the true knowledge of God and his Worship and direct them to discern the truth but because they look't not to the Light because they went out from the Light they had by which they had some measure of the knowledge of God into their own wisdome leaning to their own understanding and so became vain therefore is it said They were without excuse because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned and professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of God into an Image and changed the truth of God into a lye and worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator not liking to retain him and that true worship of him which the Light would have led them to in their knowledge and the Gentiles there were not so vain and foolish ignorant of God and superstitious for want of Light to guide them as R. B. T. D. dote they were to Gods true worship but for want of being guided by the Light they had So what 's this to their purpose Who sees not the blindness weakness folly nakedness and falsity of this argument one absurdity in which also more notable in it then the rest is this viz. that in the conclusion is inferred aliud a negaro another thing then that which is denied by the Qua. and undertaken to be proved against them by themselves for therefore say they the Gentiles who had not the Scripture nor such other teaching as Gods people are taught by had not a Light sufficient c. the words in which conclusion are true though nihil ad Rhombum if there be any such Gentiles that have neither Scripture nor such other teaching Mark that phrase foisted in by them whereby they conclude another matter then is denied by us in the Question in hand for the Gentiles that have not the other teaching i. e. that of the Light within have not the Light within that 's true who doubts it but none such are to be found that have not that Light and Grace in some measure by which God teaches his and Alâ— people though most Gentiles are found destitute of an outward Letter as God teaches his People by which other teaching is that of the Light within which is that other yea that chief teaching God teaches his and All people by whether they learn by it yea or nay I shall say more to them when I see them but at present I know none such nor ever have done Before I pass to the third Argument of R. B. I. T. from this second I shall consider their tenth and thirteenth Arguments which are co-inciden and in effect the same with this second by which three Arguments which yet in substance are but one I. O. and T. D. both are found fencing in their foolâ—sh minds together with them against All mens having a sufficient Light to guide them into the true saving knowledge of God his worship and the mystery of his Kingdome about which I have dealt with T. D. already in p. of my first Exercitation who All urge peoples ignorance of the things of God his Worship and mystery of his Gospel and Kingdome in proof of their want of a Light whereby they might know them which is such an idotish ignorant piece of arguing as he makes who argues a non actu ad non potentiam a non esse ad non posse which is as silly as to conclude that becauâ—e a man sits still therefore he cannot go or he hath no power to walk because when he shuts his eyes and neither will nor does see the Sun therefore he never could see it for which a man would be hissed out of the Schools by very Boyes As for R. B. and I. T. they are so enamoured with the Eminency and and strength of this their argument the childishness and weakness of which is evident to any save such whose own it is so that being blind at home they will not own the blindness and absurdness of it that they seem to put more stress upon it then on all the rest beside Hereupon it hath more then one or two or three places in their book viz. not only in the 43 page forecited but also page 28. and page 29. where they conclude that because men stumble and their imaginations are evil their hearts deceitful and wicked therefore they want light to direct them and to rectifie their thoughts if men stumble and fall it s an Argument say they they want Light of such corruption want of Light to guide us in the way to happiness oh gross is a chief part Ieremies sayings Every man is bruitâ—sh c. the
heart is deceitful c. do express such a destitution of Light Truth c. Also page 40. and 47. where their tenth and thirteenth Arguments which are one and wrested from sundry Texts viz. Rom. 16.25.26 1 Cor. 2.7.8 Col. 1.25.26 2 Tim. 1.9 Matth. 11.25.26 Mat. 13.11 from all which it follows that all men have not some saving Light as fully as the Bâ—â—re goes freely â—o the stake are on this wise The Mystery of God was hid from the Gentiles God hid the things concerning the knowledge of himself from some when he revealed them to others and 't was given to some as a special gift quoth T. D. whoâ—e words and argument this is above spoken to at large by me to know the mysteries of the Kingdome not to others therefore every man hath not a Light in him as a sufficient guide to direct him to God As for I. O. his way of Argumentation against the sufficiency of this light within to save is in sum the same Among his other things or rather nothings to the purpose of which he sayes Contrarium probaâ—t they prove the contrary to our assertion of the Lights sufficiency to save he names the universal experience of all ages from the beginning of the world to this day Quis enim lucis huius ductu ad verâ—â—â— Dei cognitionem perveneâ—t Qui post homines natos ea opâ—ime usi surt c. Ex. 4. Sâ—â—o For who ever came to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light Those among all men who have best of all improved it have every man of them become vain in their imaginaons and their foolish heart hath been darkned in all which fore-cited argumentative matter these four men reason unreasâ—nably from mens not knowing and being saved by the â—â—ne Light to their wanting of the true Light to know and be saved by when as it follows not at all that becuse they know not and are not saved therefore they are destitute of Light but the cause of their perishing in ignorance is not walking in what they have not because they have not sufficient Light to walk by or are not put into possibility of kâ—owledge to Salvation by some measure of that Light which is saving Their Syllogiring is as silly in this as to say of a man that voluntarily hoodwâ—inks himself he does not see therefore he cannot that man stumbles and falls therefore he cannot do otherwise when yet he may but that he blind-folds his own eyes or gives way to others to do it from seeing his way as most men do to the God of this world lest the Light of the Gospel which they have because it reproves them should shine out in them and as a potentia ad actum so a non actu ad 〈…〉 non est confequentia 〈◊〉 Men can no more wisely nor 〈◊〉 infer from mens not knowing of God truly a non-ability or insufficiency in that Light they have if they seek him in it to reveal him and make him truly known then from the being of a Power to a necessity of the Act which is a non sequitur with a Witness We know that most men know not the mysteries of the â—â—ingdome but 't is not because they may not or 〈◊〉 for wâ—â—â— of Light but because they will not come to the Light by which they may And therefore when as the Question is aske 〈◊〉 the Light which is in some measure in the conâ—cience of all men be sufficient to make knoâ—â— God savingly why do not all come to be saved by the knowledge of him whom to know is Life Eternal 〈◊〉 because they give not up to be guided by it and come not to it when its 〈◊〉 to them in order to their Salvation for God sent it 〈◊〉 the world 〈…〉 would though the world is condemned by it through their not coming to it but that the world through it might be saved for the Light which judges the sin is saving to the Soul and by it that one Law giver who is able both to save and destroy doth both judge and destroy the works of the Devil in men for which end he is manifested in the world and men as they will not be weaned nor saved from those works and saves also from those destructive works all such souls as give up to be guided by it And firhâ— I. O. sayes â— Whoâ—ever cameâ— to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light I answer All that ever did come to the true knowledge of God at all and those as little as these men know them are not a few though few in comparison of those that are ignorant who by walking in thaâ— LiÌ„ght while they had it have come to experience that Life of God which is yet hid from you wise and prudent ones and ever will be moreâ— and more as ye are alienated from this Light within yourselves much more while â—ye are such vnter Banders of your selves against both it and the Children of it And whereas thou I. O. sayest Quiâ—ea optimâ—usiâ—sunt c. They who have best of all improved it are become vain c. thou utterest thou know'st not what for Rom. 1.21 which thou citestâ—in proof thereof doth no less service to the Truth then to disprove that thy false Assertion for all who look not beside the Light may see it speaks not at all of as well improve it but of such as Improved it not â—at all but when they knew God by it who ver 19. by it manifested in them 〈◊〉 was in 〈◊〉 of himself glorified him not as God nor were thankful â— answerably no◠〈◊〉 to retain him in their knowledge but ran from his â—Light into their own thoughts and so into the things which they knew the Iudgements of God and Death were due unto the doers of And as for the Mysteries of the Gospel 't is true they are hid from the most and 't is given to some to know them not to others Bat look ye blind that ye may see how came they to be hid from some Why was it given to some and not to others to know them and who were those others that knew them not Were they such as could never see them meerly for want of Light to shew them Doth the Text of your own alledging viz. Matth. 13.11.12.13.14.15 in proof of that your sigment say so doth i Ì„t not plainly say as we say against you that it was because first there was a time wherein they might have seem them but would not had ears to hear but stopt them eyes to see but closed them becaâ—se they seeing sâ—w not hearing heard not â—or would understand nor perceive nor be converted nor healed when God would have converted and healed them and such like So Quiâ— boc omne ad Doctâ—um delirium â— What 's all this to dreams of our Doctors who from thence and such like places as overthrow themselves divine out Arguments against All mens