show according to that Latine Verse Fabula narratur mutato Nomine de te i.e. Change the Name and the Tale is told truly of thy thy self CHAP. III. IN his first Argument he accuseth me to be guilty of a Lye in matter of Fact and that I pretend to an assurance for it from the Spirit of God and the Lye he alledgeth in matter of Fact is That I charge their Confession of Faith for holding that the Scriptures ought to be believed for their own outward Evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens Hearts And to prove this to be a Lye he citeth some words of that Confession which saith Our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and divine Authority of the holy Scriptures is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our Hearts And for a further Confirmation he alledgeth John Owen saying That the Scripture be received as the Word of God there is a twofold Efficacy of the Spirit c. withal affirming That I cover Lye with Lye To which I Answer Cotton Mather and not I is guilty of two gross Lyes or Falshoods in this Charge first That I pretend to an assurance from the Spirit in matter of Fact concerning what they hold is a manifest Perversion for I bring my assurance in matter of Fact not from the Spirit but from their Confession of Faith which I have diligently examined but the knowledge I have that their Doctrine in that particular is false I bring from the Spirit of God that hath given me the understanding thereof and is Truth and no Lye 2 dly That he saith Their Confession doth grant that the Scriptures are to be believed for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens hearts but this it doth not say nor can it be gathered by any just consequence to be their sence seeing they deny with C.M. and his Brethren all inward objective immediate Testimony and Revelation of the Spirit And whereas the Confession mentioneth the inward Work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word viz. the Scripture in our Hearts This doth sufficiently prove That their Confession doth not mean or intend any inward Testimony of the Spirit reallâ— and properly so called as having a standing Evidence of its own bâ—â— only borrowed from the Scripture and therefore is no true and proper Evidence at all but only and altogether improper yea as improper as if I should say when I hear but one man give Evidence to the Truth of a thing and that I read it also in wâ—it from his hand that three Evidences or Witnesses have given their Evidence to that Truth as 1 st the Maâ— â— dly my Ear that heard him 3 dly my Eye that hath reâ—d his writ But what sober Man will say these are three Witnesses or Evidences And would it not be a great Cheat to say That whereas the Law requireth two Witnesses and there is but one man that giveth witness to Cotton Mathers hearing that C.M. should alledge his Ears are other two Witnesses because they have heard him and so they are three in all And as great a Cheat and Fallacy is it to call the witness of the Scripture the inward Witness of the Spirit when they confess the inward Work of the Spirit is only Effective to open the Ear to hear the outward Witness of the Scripture but not to speak by any distinct Witness to the inward Ear And it is like that other Fallacy as if James being required to give his Witness he giveth it not by himself but by John and John being required to give his Witness he giveth it by James but neither of them by himself or at least the one not by himself for when they are asked By what do they know the Scriptures to be the Word of God they answer By the Spirit And again By what do they know the Spirit they answer By the Scripture And thus the Fallacy and Falshood both of the Confession and of C.M. is detected and G.K. is cleared from being no wise guilty of any Lye in the case And what I said of John Owen is true for the Title and design of his Book is concerning The Self-Evidencing Authority of the holy Scriptures only he confesseth the Spirits inward Work is necessary to let men see or know it but that is no proper Witness more than a mans hearing is one Witness and the thing heard is another I do therefore Appeal to all sober impartial and judicious Readers Whether not I but Cotton Mather be not convicted of gross Lying or Falshood and whether the Society he belongs unto ought not to bring him to Repentance for such Crimes to use some of his own words His Second Argument is That I am guilty of having committed most horrible Blasphemy against the holy Spirit of God which is the unpardonable Sin And though he doth charge this one while positively yet another while If I have not the certain yet fearful Marks of it and my Sin is very like that Sin and yet again charging it positively on me That I have taken part with the Pharisees in dorg that impardonable Injury to the Eternal Spirit of God But how doth he prove any thing of this to have the lest show or shadow of truth Why because as he alledgeth I called his and his Brethrens Prayers more than once a Conjuring of the Devil and do put on them the stile of Charms and Spells by which Prayers he alledgeth he and his Brethren did cast out the Devil that did Bodily possess some Young People and that therefore their Prayers were the special Operations of the holy Ghost which I blaspheme and that therefore I have committed the Vnpardonable Sin But I Answer 1 st As I said in my Book called A Refutation c. I am little concerned whether or not these Young People were bewitched or had a Diabolical Possession further than to take notice That C.M. will have it to be so to make the simple believe that his and his Brethrens Prayers did conjure the Devil and cast him out by which it is most clearly apparent to every one of common sence that I did not mean that his or his Brethrens Prayers were done by any Diabolical Art or Craft of Conjuration for I do not think them to be Conjurers but that they would have People believe that by some divine Power of Exorcism as was frequent in the primitive Church they did conjure the Devil which is as widely different from his Perversion as East from West Now I cannot believe that they had this divine Gift of Exorcism which was a Miraculous Gift in those primitive Times that Popish Priests do also pretend to have and many strongly affirm they have cured many by their Prayers because they commonly say That Immediate Revelaiion with the Gifts of Miracles are ceased How then can
so to be and that a charitable Construction cannot be safely and sincerely put upon them but that they do contradict the holy Scriptures and the wholsom Doctrine therein delivered by the holy Prophets and Apostles we do sincerely deny and disown them and declare our being ready with all possible sincerity to disown them upon due notice and advertisment for though we affirm That the Spirit of God in us and all Belieâ—ers in every discovery it gives is infallible yet we have never judged our selves absolutely infallible nor did we ever place or fix an absolute Infallibility upon any Man or Number of â—â—â—iety of Men since the Apostles dayes but through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 are sensible of our danger of being liable to Mistakes as well as â—â—her men if we be not duely humble watchful and careful to keep â—lose and chaste to the pure openings teachings and leadings of the infallible Spirit of Truth And we readily grant the great benefit we have by the holy Scriptures as being instrumental by and with â—he immediate working of the Spirit to preserve us from Error or if any be overtaken in an Error and beguiled by the Enemy to Recover and Restore them there-from therefore it is that in all respects we prefer the Scriptures both to our own and all other Writings and if any Doctrine or Practice be found contrary thereunto upon due and impartial Examination we say it ought to be disowned and denyed for the Scriptures of Truth and the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth can never contradict the one to the other CHAP. II. IT cannot with any colour of Justice be expected by Cot. Mather that I should give a particular Reply to all things in his Book called An Address said or alledged against the People called Quakers in general or me in particular until such time that he give a distinct particular Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson c. particularly directed to him and his Brethren and to the several Chapters and Sections thereof which he hath not so much as essayed wherein notwithstanding almost the whole matter he doth muster up against us in his late Address is sufficiently and solidly answered and therefore until he give a full and distinct particular Answer to the said Book I judge not my self obliged so much as to notice many things contained in his said Address being filled with manifest falshoods perversions and abuses sufficiently already Replyed unto partly by others and partly by me but containing no new matter against us excepting his Personal Reflections against me which yet I think not to spend much Time or Paper to answer most of them being so manifestly false and foolish that of themselves they fall and evanish only I intend to give a short glance or hint at some of the most considerable Abuses and Perversions he musteret◠〈◊〉 against us Pag. 3. He saith If I have one spark of Light in me Quakerism 〈◊〉 but a profound and deadly pit of Darkness Answ This Assertion doâ—â— not come from any true Light in him but from his Darkness Pag. 4. Quakerism under pretence of advancing the spiritual Objeâ—â— of Religion goes to annihilate all the Sensible Ans False Again pag. 4. There is hardly any one Fundamental Article of thâ— reformed Religion whereby we look to be saved that is not undermined by Quakerism Ans But of this he has not given one true instance And as to what he alledgeth that some of us have said The Letter is not the Word of God to wit properly and without a figure he himself hath said as much see pag. 59. And that some of us have call'd their Books Light risen out of Darkness Shields of Truth c. they understood it not but metaphorically or figuratively by some Metonymy as is common in all Titles of Books but we have alwayes preferred the Scriptures to our Writings And that the Scriptures may be call'd the Word of God in a figurative Speech and also that the True Sense signified in them is the Word of God I have acknowledged and so I do still but that the inward Testimony of God in our Hearts is more properly and immediately the Word of God than the outward Testimony of the Scripture I still affirm with Augustine and other antient Writers As for his citing William Penn's words agruing against that same Numerical Body its rising at the Resurrection it is clear that he understandeth the same exact Number of the small Particles or Dusts neither more nor less than what is commonly buried and what hurt is there in that doth not C.M. and his Brethren generally say as well as W. Penn That at the Resurrection all shall rise Men and not Infants nor lame nor defective in any part and yet how many Thousands dye Infants and defective in some Bodily Members That some have denyed the Saints as such to be miserable Sinners it ought to be considered that according to the common stile of Scripture Saints and Sinners are distinguished and the unconverted are called Sinners for the denomination of a thing is taken chiefly from that which is the greatest part but â—ecause in all Saints even the weakeâ—â— Grace and Holiness is the chief and gâ—eatest part therefore from that they receive their Denomination and are said to â—e righteous and clean and not to do Iniquity That one said The Scripâ—â—â—â—â—s not the means by which Faith is wrought it can receive a candid â—â—â—â—â—pretation as to say the only means excluding the inward Grace 〈◊〉 Operation of the Spirit as some say Medicine is not the means of 〈◊〉 Cure though a Means it is understood not the only means â—nd whereas he querieth If their Primmer hath yet been corrected 〈◊〉 they read False Teachers preach Christ without and bid People 〈◊〉 in him as he is in Heaven If he mean William Smith's Primmer 〈◊〉 I believe he doth I Answer Yea it hath been Corrected in the 〈◊〉 Edition of his other Treatises joyned with it as is plainly to be 〈◊〉 thus That false Teachers preach Christ only without but true â—â—eachers preach Christ both without us and also within us And what William Penn argueth as concerning Three Persons he â—nly argueth against the invented Names Persons as Calvin doth â—cknowledge them as above-said which in all proper Language doth signifie Substances and not meer Properties or relative Attributes which W.P. will not deny to be in God Nor are W. P's words so to be understood concerning Justification as if he excluded Christ's Righteousness which he fulfilled in his own Person but only he denyeth that any can be justified by that alone without Faith and Repentance c. As for Bodily Tremblings that they are not so common among these called Quakers as formerly as good or better Reason can be given as that these or the like unusual Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians in Scotland about fifty Years ago are not now so common among them
of his Learning would not suffer him to understand And what H. Moore saith of the spiritual or heavenly Life lying for a while closed or shut up at rest in its own Principle is but the same in other Terms with what we say That the Life of Christ is crucified in Vnbelievers viz. not in it self but to them And why should C.M. find so great fault with this manner of Expression that is according to Scripture when his reverend Baxter as he designeth him writeth in a phrase that must have a charitable Construction put upon it otherwise it would look as odd as any thing C.M has quoted out of any of the Quakers for R. Baxter â—aiâ—h concerning God in his Treatise above-said called Directions to the Converted motive 12. pag. 34. Doth it not wound you to think that even there He viz. God should be so straitned and tâ— râ—st into Corners by a 〈◊〉 Enâ—my as if that simple Habitation were too much for him and 〈…〉 were too good for him meaning the heart defiled with sin Now if any should accuse Baxter with Blasphemy heâ—e in saying 〈◊〉 câ—n be straitned thrust into Corners by a hellish Enemy would noâ— C.M. excuse him and say it is a Catachrestical or improper manner of Speech and is not to be strictly taken and then if he were not very partial why doth he not excuse such Expressions in the Quakers Writings that are capable of the same charitable Construction And it were an easie thing to gather may Phrases and Expressions out of Presbyterian Independent Books that might seem very offensive to a degree of Blasphemy if they were not charitably consâ—rued yea I find an Expression in Calvin which if C.M. could have found in a Quakers Book we should have had him cry out aloud Blasphemy for he saith expresly lib. 3. cap. 2. n. 24. Quia Christus non extra nos est sed in nobis habitat In English thus Because Christ is not without us but dwelleth in us but if Cotton Mather say Calviâ—s 〈◊〉 is That Christ is not only or wholly without us but also dwelleth in 〈◊〉 as this is a charitable Construction so let it be given to such or the like words that may be found in the Quakers Books unless he could find that their words could not bear such a favourable Construcâ—ion But since C. M. findeth so much fault with me for saying That not only Conscientious Gentiles but 〈…〉 Chriâ—tians shall know more of 〈◊〉 and Christ after Death which is the general Expectation and Consolation of all Saints who know now but in part but then shall know fully and thereupon suâ—mizeth That a Quâ—kers new Purgatory 〈…〉 be erected what saith he to his much esteemed Calvin 〈◊〉 on these words of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spiâ—iâ—s in Prison c. plainly affirmeth concerning the Souls of the deceased before the Death of Christ Indeed I willingly grant saith Calvin that Christ did shine unto them by the Virtue of his Spirt that they might know that the Grace which oft they had only tasted was then given unto the World and by a probable Reason that place of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 may be applyed to this where it saith That Christ came and preached to the Spirits which were in Custody or place of Expectation the commonly translate it Prison for even the Context leadeth us thither that the faithful who before that time were deceased were made partakers of the same Grace with us because he doth amplifie the Power of the Death oâ— Christ from thence that it â—id penetrate even to the dead while pious Soâ—Iâ— did enjoy the present sight of that Grace which they earnestly expected and on the other hand it was made more manifest to the Reprobate â—â—at they were excluded from all Salvation But if C.M. think that Calvin words doth not infer a Purgatory why should he surmize any such thing from mine And though C.M. ignorantly in his airy fantastical Mind mocked at some called Quakers for calling the Flesh by way of Allegory the Woman that should not speak in the Church although we deny not but Women are there also to be understood litterally but yet not all Women nor in all respects alledging That the Devil is the Fleshes Husband yet if he had been well read in Origine or Augustine he might have found a better account but not to go so far backward let his Reverend Baxter answer him who saith in the Preface to his Directions to the Converted In a weak Christian the Spirit is Master but the Flesh is Mistriss And notwithstanding that the said R. Baxter is too uncharitable to the People called Quakers yet I find in the said Book he is much more charitable to them than C.M. is who will not allow them the lowest degree among true Christians Because as he will have it they deny almost all the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith for thus Rich. Baxter expresly writeth concerning Quakers Bâ—hmenists and some of the Religious Orders of the Papist in his 23d Character of a confirmed Christian pag. 66. But those of them that place their chiefest Happiness in the Love of God and the eternal Fruition of him in Heaven and seek this sincerely according to their Helps and Power though they are misled into some superstitious Errors I hope I may number with those that are sincere for all their Errors and the ill Effects of them And truly I have that Charity for Rich. Baxter that if he had known the Quakers better and had had that occasion of some more inward acquaintances with them he would have been still more charitable to them in his judgment of them for the things he hath judged to be Errors in them either they do not hold them or they are not Errors but sound things of Truth and many of them possibly owned by himself but in other Terms It is the great Calamity of these Age that men are oft confounded in their Languages and contradict one another in Words and Terms when they agree in one Sense of the same things It may be hoped and is earnestly to be prayed for unto Almighty God that all that are sincere Lovers of the Truth in all Societies in Christendom may have more Charity one towards another and they may acknowledge whatever is of Truth and Virtue one in another and this would prepare the way to bring them all to one Sheep sold and to have one Shepherd as the Lord hath promised and which he will in due time fullfill and that Time is at hand Amen CHAP. IV. ANd thus having sufficiently answered what was needful to the First Part of his Address which is the largest I shall answer some things but very briefly to his latter part partly because almost the whole of it is answered in my former printed Books directed to the People in New-England and partly because very much of it is answered in the fore going Sheets In
from being any design of our Religion that it more than any tendeth to humble the Creature for man can never be truly humbled until he see himself in the Light of God shining in his heart and that will greatly humble him as it did Job and Isaiah and all the holy men of God were humbled and kept humble by bowing down and subjecting thâ—â—r Minds and Thoughts with all their Desires and Affections to that divine Spirit Light and Life of Christ in them that bringeth men to the true Denyal of Self and to cease from all Self-Actings Willings and Runnings that only proceed from their meer Natural Paâ—ts and Abilities whether in Prayer or any other Religious Performance and however such Prayers and Devotions that are performed without the Spirit of God may please mans carnal Mind and give 〈◊〉 false and carnal ease and peace and exalt Self in Man yet they can neâ—â—â—â—â— profit them who use them nor please God for God who is a Spiâ—â—â— will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth And whereas in his 8th page he accuseth the Quakers for their horribly Prayer-less Lives withal asking how many Prayer-less Houses and Prayer-less Tables are to be found among the best of them I Answ In that he is very uncharitable as that the best of us had neither Prayer in our Houses nor at our Tables which is false for not only the most grown up in the Truth but even the least Babes in the Truth are not without frequent Prayer both in their Houses and at their Tables altho' not so very frequent vocally yet sometimes vocally as God is pleased to give an utterance and at other times only with our Hearts which God accepts for vocal and external words of Prayer are not so essential to Prayer but that true Prayer may be and is most frequently without it yea Samuell Rutherford a great Presbyterian saith in his Epistles Words are but the Accidents of Prayer yet Prayer with Words uttered with the Mouth as God is pleased to enable us we gladly own both in our Assemblies and Families and if any be wanting in their Families in Prayer or any other part of Devotion it is their own fault for which they must answer and ought not to be charged upon the innocent And we believe Gods holy Spirit will be wanting to none duely to move them and that most frequently to Prayer who watch thereunto both with words or without them And if they watch not unto Prayer their Neglect of watching and likewise of Prayer is their sin and chargeable upon them and they will bear their burden for it But that any faithful man owned by us hath said as C.M. alledgeth not from any Quaker but from a partial Adversary That in many Years they have not had a motion to Prayer we do not believe if any feel not their hearts moved to Prayer and that most frequently it is their own fault and sin for indeed every faithful Soul his Life is a Life 〈◊〉 Prayer and he prayeth in his heart as frequently as he breatheth in the air for true inward Prayer rightly understood is the â—â—â—â—inual Motion of the heart towards God The Spirit helping our 〈◊〉 with Groans that cannot be uttered for even Paul said We know not what to pray for as we ought Rom. 8.26 And also he hath solemn Times and that frequently for solemn Prayer and Meditation and Thanksgiving but the most sincere Christians do not always make the greateâ—â— show or outward appearance to pray as the Phariseâ— did of 〈◊〉 And I might easily retort this Question How many 〈…〉 and Independents have either Prayer lesâ— Houses and 〈…〉 very formal and Hypocritical and are wholly Strangers in the 〈…〉 Life and Mystery of Prayer Though we have Charity 〈◊〉 some of all sorts and as we judge neglect of Prayer a great 〈◊〉 so we judge 〈◊〉 Formality and Hypocrisie to be no less both which Extreams are to be avoided Some Collections of Passages out of Jer. Taylors Book 〈◊〉 The History of the Life and Death of the holy JESUS Part 1. Sect. 9. of Baptism N. 29. JVst as we use to deny the Effect to the Instrumental Cause and attribute it to the Principal in the manner of speaking So we say it is not the good Lute but the skillfull hand that makes the Musick it is not the Body but the Soul that is the Man and yet he is not the Man without both Note And so the Quakers commonly say It is not the Scriptures but the Spirit that revealeth to us divine Mysteries yet by so saying they deny not that the Scripture is an Instrument of the Spirit to reveal the Doctrinal Principles peculiar to the Christian Faith as Christs Birth of a Virgin his Crucifixion c. as much as the Lute is the Instrument of the skillfull hand that makes the Musick Infants Baptism Part 2. N. 8. No man can conclude that this Kingdom of Power that is the Spirit of Sanctification is not come upon Infants because there is no sign nor Expression of it it is within us therefore it hath no signification it is the Seed of God And it is no good Argument to say here is no Seed in the Bowels of the Earth because there is nothing green upon the face of it And N. 19. For as the reasonable Soul and all its Faculties are in Children Will and Vnderstanding Passions and Powers of Attraction and Propulsion yet the Faculties do not operate or come abroad till Time and Art Observation and Experience have drawn them forth into Action so may the Spirit of Grace the Principle of Christian Life be infused till in its own day it is drawn forth for in every Christian there are three parts 〈◊〉 to his integral Constitution Body and Soul and Spirit and all these have their proper Activities and Times but every one in his 〈◊〉 Order first that which is Natural then that which is 〈…〉 what Aristotle said A Man first lives the Life of a Plaâ—â— then of 〈◊〉 and lastly of a Man is true in this sence and the 〈◊〉 spiritual the Principle to the longer it is before it operates because â—â—re things concur to spiritual 〈◊〉 than to Natural and these are 〈◊〉 and therefore first the other are perfect and therefore last 〈…〉 who is he that so 〈◊〉 understands the Philosophy of this third Principle of a Christians Life the Spirit as to know how or when it is infused 〈◊〉 how it operates in all its Periods and what it is in its Being and proper 〈◊〉 and whether it be like the Soul or like the Faculty or like a 〈…〉 to what Purposes God in all varieties doth dispense it thaâ— which is 〈◊〉 is that the Spirit is the Principle of a new Life or a new Birth 〈…〉 the Seed of God and may lie long in the Furrows before it springs up that from the Faculty to the Act the passage is not always suddain and quick And a little after