unfit for the Work of Gods Ministry whereof they have rendred themselves unworthy and so put a stop to their Proceedings therein And if they Submit not to the Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in his People then ought they Publickly to be declared against and Warning given to the Flock of Christ in their several Meetings to beware of them and to have no fellowship with them that they may be ashamed and Lambs and Babes in Christ preserved 5. And if any man or Woman which are out of the Unity with the Body of Friends Print or cause to be Printed or published in Writing any thing which is not of Service for the Truth but tends to the Scandalizing and reproaching of faithful Friends or to beget or uphold Division and Faction then we do warn and Charge all Friends that do love Truth as they desire it may prosper and be kept clear to beware and take heed of having any hand in Printing republishing or spreading such Books or Writings And if at any time such Books be sent to any of you that sell Books in the Country after that you with the Advice of good and serious Friends have tryed them and find them faulty to send them back again whence they come And we further desire from time to time faithfull and sound Friends may have the view of such things as are Printed upon Truth 's account as formerly it hath used to be before they go to the Press that nothing but what is sound and Savory and that will answer the Witness of God even in our Adversaries may be exposed to publick Vieu 6. We do advise and counsel That such as are made Overseers of the Flock of God by the Holy Spirit and do Watch for the good of the Church Meeting together in their Respective Places do set and keeep the Affairs of it in good Order beware of Admitting or Encouraging such as are Weak and of little Faith to take such Trust upon them for by hearing things disputed that are doubtfull such may be hurt themselves and may hurt the Truth not being grown into a good understanding to judge of things Therefore We exhort That you who have received a true sence of things be diligent in the Lord's Business and keep the Meetings as to him that all may be kept pure and clean according to that of God which is just and equal We also advise That not any be admitted to order Publick business of the Church but such as have felt in a Measure of the Universal Spirit of Truth which seeks the Destruction of none but the General good of all and especially those that love it who are of the Houshold of Faith So Dear Friends and Brethren believing your Souls will be refreshed in the Sence of our Spirits and Integrity towards God at the reading of these things as ours were while we sate together at the opening of them and that you will be one with us on the behalf of the Lord and his Pretious Truth against those who would limit the Lord to speak without Instruments or by what Instruments they list and reject the Counsel of the Wise-men and the Testimony of the Prophets which God sanctifyed and sent among you in the day of his Love when you were gathered and would not allow him liberty in and by his Servants to appoint time and place wherein to meet together to wait upon and worship him according as he requireth in Spirit and calling it Formal and the Meeting of Man We say believing that you will have Fellowship with us herein as we have with you in the Truth we commit you to God and the Word of Life which hath been Preached to you from the beginning which is neither limited to place nor time nor persons but hath Power to limit us to each as pleaseth him that you with us and we with you may be built up in our most holy Faith and be Preserved to Partake of the Inheritance which is Heavenly amongst all them that are Sanctifyed Richard Farnsworth Alexander Parker George Whitehead Josiah Coale John Whitehead Thomas Loe. Stephen Crispe Thomas Green John Moon Thomas Briggs James Parkes The Summ of the Particulars handled in the preceeding Treatise DIvisions are no argument against the Truth of Christianity p. 1. The Holy Scriptures are by some thought too plain and by others too obscure p. 2. Quakers give better names to their own Books than to the Scriptures p. 3. Their beginning was in 1648. p. 4. Winstanley the Leveller was their Father p. 5. 6. They have a great resemblance to Rome p. 7. 8. The many disadvantages in Treating with them p. 9. Their unchristian temper in Controversies pag. 10. 11. They misapply Scripture words as the old Hereticks did p. 12. 13. T. Ellwood's Ignorance and Impudence about St. Basil p. 14. About St. Greg Nazianzene and Sosiades p. 15. And in calling the Martyrs our Godly Martyrs p. 16. 17. Quakers deny themselves to be Protestants p. 16. Thomas Ellwood's sauciness towards the King p. 18 19. Quakers have dangerous Doctrines about Kings and Magistrates p. 19 20. Their degrading of the Nobility p 20. And contempt of other Orders of men p. 21. Thomas Ellwood's manner of claiming Inspirations concludes as much for others as for themselves p. 22. God affords sufficient means of Conviction p. 23. Immediate Revelation should be attested with Evidences p. 24. Revelation is a more easy thing than studying p. 25. The various Claimers of Infallibility confute each other p. 26. Quakers Challenge the Internal work of the Spirit but deny the External p. 27. Thomas Ellwood and his party 's high demands p. 28. His seeming Concessions p. 29. Christ was the Apostles Instructer before the Spirit p. 31. Quakers make Christs Prophetick office to signify nothing p. 32. Or confound Jesus and the Spirit p. 33. The manner of the Apostles Instructions recited p. 34. Quakers differ about the Apostles knowledge p. 35. The Apostles were certain Witnesses of Christ and the Writers of the N. T. wrote upon their certain knowledge p. 36. No new books of Scriptures can now be written 37. The Holy Spirit did inwardly pursue what Christ had outwardly delivered p. 38. Enthusiasm destroys the settled grounds of Religion p. 39. Quakers called themselves Apostles and Prophets p. 40. They make the Apostacy to begin with the second Century p. 41. They are very unlike the Apostles p. 42. Successours cannot receive like predecessours p. 43. The first settling a Dispersation must not always continue p. 44. God is not prodigal of Miracles p. 45. Quakers Inspirations must be as unintelligible as those of St. Paul or others p. 46. The Texts produced by T. Ellwood prove against him p. 47. What was promised to the Apostles should not be inlarged to all p. 48. Quakers like Celsus and the Gnosticks pretend much knowledge p. 49 Thomas Ellwood borrows Renewing of Revelations from George Keith p. 51. Their damnable Essential of Religion p. 52. 53.
and concluding Reasons habent Mathematici Grot. in Locum c. the Mathematicians have their Demonstrations c. how much greater is that Demonstration by such and so great Miracles Dr. Ham. Not in Rhetorical Proofs or probable Arguments but in plain Demonstration So that it did not consist in inward Grot. Theocum in Loc. but in outward Evidences and Proofs what those were we have recorded ver 1. declaring to you the Testimony of God that is the Gospel of Christ or his Death but that which was delivered by the Apostles as certain eye and ear Witnesses of it and to confirm that certain Testimony of theirs God superadded the Demonstration or Evidence of the Spirit and Power which by an Hebraism may be conjoyned Evidencing the Spirit by Power Theo. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Power of Miracles were an Evidence that the Spirit owned and confirmed their certain Testimony or we may take Spirit and Power as two distinct Proofs of their outward attestations 1. Spirit the Evidence of that consisted in shewing the Old Testament Prophecyes were fulfilled in Christ this Origen makes the demonstration of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 1. con Cels apud Dr. H. in Loc. c. Prophecyes that are able to give assurance of the things that belong to Christ and thus Rev. 19.10 the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy the Series of all the Prophecyes so wonderfully fulfilled are an Evidence for him or it may take in the New Testament Prophecyes which are an Evidence for Christ The Revelations were by him committed to an Angel and so to John or Spirit may refer to those visible Demonstrations when the Blessed Spirit visibly descended upon Christ and the Apostles Dr. Ham. and so are that Immediate Evidence the Spirit gave to Christ or that Record the Spirit bore so clearly explained in Dr. Patricks Witnesses to Christianity Power that hereby are meant Miracles is indisputable Origen ubi Supra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Miraculous stupendious actions whose footsteps yet remain per signa virtutes c. by the Holy Spirit and by the Signs and Powers done by him we bring you Arguments or Evidences that we speak the truth c. Oecum in loc Ita. Grot. that by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant either sanationes healings in particular or Miracles in general will be evident by a little observing its use Mar. 9.39 no man which shall do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Miraclo in my name spoke with reference to such as did cast out Devils in the Name of Christ and did not follow him Mat. 7.22 in thy name have done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wondrous Works answerable to those preceeding Prophecying and casting out Devils Luke 10.13 if the mighty Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been done in Tyre and Sydon 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after that Miracles As Mat. 11.21.23 13.54 58 14.2 Mar. 6.2 5 14. 9.39 Luc. 5.17 6.19 19.37 Act. 2.22 8.13 passum in all which and many other places too long to be set down it signifieth Miraculous Works or that Divine Power which was the Evidence or Seal of the Holy Ghost The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only set single but with others that do expound it Rom. 15.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through mighty Signs and Wonders by the Power of the Spirit of God that is those Signs wrought by the Power of the Spirit and Evidences of it Better Signs of his Divine Commission than the Bells and Pomegranates were to the High-Priest c. 2 Cor. 12.12 Truly the Signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all Patience in Signs and Wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in mighty Deeds These are the Signs of an Apostle and yet our new Apostles and their Successors do no such things and fully 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance that is in the Power of the Holy Ghost which is a plerophory or which gives much assurance by transposing the words of which many instances are in Grot. on John 35. But Quakers have words meerly without Signs or Wonders or certain Sensible Testimonies or Humane Learning One of them acknowledgeth they can give no outward Evidence seeing our Opposers require of us Q. no Popery p. 62. 63. to show or evidence unto them some Infallible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we have the Spirit of God I would have J. M. to know that the same difficulty recurreth as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Scriptures it being a thing which cannot be shown or made to appear by any Evidence unto the carnal mind which yet is evident unto the Spiritual that is like the old Hereticks they are the Spiritual others not of their mind are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Animal or Carnal but his Evidence for Inspiration is far inferiour to the Scriptures Authority And in that very Text Rev. 14.6 produced by T. Ellwood of the Preaching the Everlasting Gospel after the Apostacy there is no mention of Demonstration or Inspiration c. nor was there any need thereof the corrupt Church among much dross preserving those very Books whereby her Errors were detected and that was when all Learning began to revive true Religion and Learning moving in equal lines 2. But Quakers have the demonstration Qu. looking glass A true Narrative though they slight the Miracles thereby implyed some attempts have been made thereto by Charles Baylyes stroaking Richard Andersons Cursing In Mr. Jenner p. 93. the Womans pretending to raise the interred Corps which were reinterred when her folly had appeared Sober Answer to Speed p. 76. Nicholas Kate of Harwell said That when the fulness of time was come he should work Miracles which yet is not come to pass but the fulness of time with such New Law p. 37. bears a strange date the fulness of time is when the first man hath filled the Creation full of his filthiness and all places stink with unrighteousness but visible Miracles failing they turn it another way they work Invisible Miracles or Miracles in Spirit so did Ignatius Loyola and doubtless to reach to the Soul Pennington's naked truth p. 28. to quicken it to cure its Diseases is greater than the outward and was signifyed by the outward They work Miracles in a Spiritual way T. Ellwood makes Tongues to be be but mediums to convey their Message to others p. 231. 3d. Quib. p. 75. as if he durst out-face the Apostle who declares them to be a Sign to such as Believed not 1 Cor. 14.22 Keith prettily daubs it over that they witness the Power working Miraculously in their Hearts Im. Rev. p. 200. raising to Life the dead Souls c. and these are the
new Revelation of the good old things which are the Essentials of Religion The first of those two we do not plead for but the latter And elsewhere p. 33. The same Eternal Life which first breathed them forth doth either again breath or speak them forth in us or sendeth forth of his Living powerful Influences into them as they have a place in our Minds and Memories this latter as more modest is below Ellwoods purpose But though he taketh the Words and Notions of Keith the Revelation is still Immediate for their Institutor hath prettily determined Truth lifting up its head p. 38. If you would hear then acquaint your seives with such as can speak from a Testimony within for as they Received what they have from the pure teachings of the Father so this second hand teaching will be a pure Teaching unto you but be sure you do not prefer this second Teaching before the first for now the Everlasting Word and Gospel must reveal himself to you or else you cannot be satisfyed Their own or others is first and second hand teaching but instructing from the Scriptures is not so much as third hand Teaching and the Scriptures are now out of date The Writings of the Apostles are to cease Truth lifting c. p. 30. when the Lord himself who is the Everlasting Gospel doth manifest himself to Rule in the Flesh of Sons and Daughters They have no New Essentials of Religion this I thought spoke in our Acception about Fundamentals till further Converse in their Works discovered the Deceit Keith Im. Rev. p. 5. for though one tell us that less than one half of the Scriptures is a full and perfect Testimony of all the Essentials yet he spoyls all in saying That the knowledge and beliefe of the History of Christ his outward Coming Pag. 229. Birth Life Death Burial Resurrection c. are such parts of our Religion and Faith as serve to make up the Intiredness or Fulness of it yet so as true Religion may be without the express Knowledge and Beliefe of them So that a man may be a Quaker Christian without the express knowledge of Christ in the outward either of his Name Nature Laws or Offices The great Mogul hath true Religion as much as George Fox This lays aside all that Jesus Was Did Taught and Suffered and contains all Heresies in its Bowels even to the denying the Lord who bought them And another hath writ a Folio to shew that men should not be concern'd about Faith or Creeds Bishops looking glass for the times but leave all to the Conduct of the Light But what then are their Essentials of Religion nothing of Jesus our Lord and Saviour nothing that is a part of the four Gospels True Christianity and Religion may subsist without the History of Christ in the Letter to wit Im. Rev. p. 243. In the Mistery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit So that a Turk is a true Christian though he never owned but hated Christ rarely allegorized till our whole Christianity is shrunk up into those four insignificant words as so used which are fit for nothing but a Quakers Posy And George Bishop crouds all into that Everlasting Truth viz. A looking glass for the times p. 235. the Principle of God in Man which is in every man a measure thereof to lead him and guide him which is able to lead him into all truth and to deliver him from evil and which will bring him to God These are the new made Essentials of Religion which the ancient Heroes knew not of who required from all Baptised persons the Profession of their Faith about Christ in the outward who scrupled the change of one Letter in the Creed but Quakers disowning visible Baptism have sent away the Creed therewith lest the retaining of it should upbraid them In the mean time the Devil hath ordered their Scene rarely The Light Christ within renders the Christ without much useless he who shed his Blood for them is no Essential of their Religion and their Inspirations supply the place of Scripture being preferred before it So that their two Principles Im. Rev. p. p. 43. the Light and Motions fairly lessen if not discharge the Essential and Written word of God Christ in Heaven and the Scriptures on Earth signifie little to these self-made Pagans who have enough within to carry them to all that Heaven which their Faith expects But to resume the claim of renewed and Repeated Revelations a Notion so strange that nothing but a search into their Writings can Discover the sense or design of it I must take the freedom to present their thoughts of the Holy Scriptures that by such preparatory tasts we may be drawn on to swallow this Camel of Repetition To begin with their Founder men must not walk by the Scriptures Winstanley in Truth lifting up p. 39. for this is to walk by the eyes of other men and the Spirit is not so scanty that a dozen ar twenty pair of eyes shall serve the World but every Son and Daughter have light within themselves You shall feed no longer upon the Oyl that was in other mens Lamps the Scriptures In the Title page now it is required that every one have Oyl in his own Lamp within himself Some walk by Example Mistery of God p. 35. The Saints Paradise p. 1.2 and have seen very little of the anointing in them some walk more in Spirit and Truth as the anoynting of the Father teacheth them teaching from Scripture is not but speaking from their own experience that is from God The like Notion breaths in T. E. Master Keith The old Revelations given unto the Saints cannot serve our turn the Faith of another man is not sufficient unto me but I must be saved by the Faith Knowledge and Experience given me of God of the self same things the Revelation of them given of God unto others cannot suffice me nor were these things recorded in Writ that I should sit down upon the History but to point us inward to that same Principle of life revealing and working the same things in us Pag. 34. c. We find it to hurt and deaden us to think any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the Spirit influenceth if at any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastized of the Lord for it and in another place we must not obey Scripture without motions but we may obey motions without Scripture At this rate write others of them to cull out some few from among many G. W. and Fox in the gag for the Q. p. 14. what Paul wrote unto the Ephesians and Colossions doth not concern this Generation That is no Command from God to me which God hath given by way of Command to another Burroughs Works p. 47. neither did any of the Saints act by the Command which was to another every one obeyed their own Commands
an excellent Engine towards God and man no Act of Parliament can bind a Quaker except he be expressly named George Whitehead Thomas Ellwood c. You by name must do so and so this becometh the Majesty of the Quakers Smiths morn Watch. p. 75. Smiths Demonstrat passim in their papers The Scriptures are other mens Traditions other mens lives and Labours the Spirit of God must try all Spirits the Scriptures are but a report or declaration of the Condition of those who received them a true Testimony of what the Saints were made Witnesses of no command in Scripture is any further obliging upon any man Smith Pen. in Faldoes vind of 21 Div. p 97. Faldo Q. no Chris ch 12. than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience direct old Libertinism and Ranterism They make it Idolatry to follow the Precepts or Examples in Scripture Having thus depressed the written Word of God yet to keep up some seeming Honour to it In his Letter though to use T.E's. words it be an Hosannah in the morning that ends in a Crucifige ere night they find out this Expedient the Scripture as the Codex wherein Gods will is Recorded binds them not but they have it renewed and repeated to them or as Naylor words it God speaks to us by Scriptures when they are given by Inspiration to us Light of Christ p. 29 So that Repetition is but laying the top-stone and improving or pursuing their other claims T. E. is so confident that he asserts p. 239. Revelation is necessary yea of necessity even to understand the Scripture absolutely necessary p. 238. so received and understood and not otherwise p. 251. he must then have every line in the Old and New Testament repeated not so much as Abraham begat Isaac is to be omitted else it is not understood by him a thing that is so Impossible and so Impracticable that it affords fresh evils each time it is considered I might make short Work what need the renewing of that to him which he looks upon as not obliging as in its place will appear or as his Landlord conceits the one thing necessary to Salvation Penningtons naked truth p. 23. not being contained in the Scriptures the Repetition thereof if true yet would be ineffectual but in regard this fancy hath been considered by none I know of I shall a while view it as that which makes the confusedst work in Prophecyes Historyes and all the parts of Christianity In brief it revives the Ministry of Angels as the Conveyers of Gods Will in the Christian State it sets up Moses to be a Teacher reinforceth Circumcision the Tabernacle the Jewish Common-Wealth and the Law of Sacrifices it raiseth up Multitudes of Persons out of their Graves where they have rested some thousand years it sets up the Kingdoms of Egypt Assyria Syria and the rest that bordered on the Holy-Land it musters a great part of the World together Kings and Kingdoms to come and stand before him it lays aside Christianity destroys the Motives of Believing it making such a Miscellaneous hotch-potch of Religion as Mahomet did not hit on it makes the whole Scripture Scenical a Theatrical thing that like a Puppet-play goes round is renewed repeated in plain English acted over before him The Portentousness of this chimaera will appear by looking on its Aspect upon the old and new Testament wherein we may consider Historyes Prophecyes and other mixt matters and discover whether they be capable of Repetition For History hath God renewed to T. E. that Command of putting off his shoes from off his feet which was enjoyned to and done by Moses have the Tempests Thunderings Voices which were at the giving the Law been heard by him can God speak to him from between the Cherubims and from the Door of the Tabernacle which are not now in being hath he received with David Answers from the Vrim or need he some outward light from the Breast-Plate who hath such a Light within have the Angels Revealed those Messages to him which they did to Abraham Lot and others then Sodom was but fired the other day or things are burnt in Effigie before him Have the Voices to Samuel been rehearsed to him or that to Elijah 1 King 19.15 then Jehu and Hazael are now alive and T.E. is an anointer to Kingdoms The like might be shewed of all Scripture-Histories that this Dream destroys or confounds and intangles the Truth of all For History relateth things done Repetition looks on them as undone and in doing confounds times past present and future disorders and mixeth both Persons and Matters and by making nothing distinct leaves nothing true Nicodemus came to Jesus by night Thomas put his hand into Christs side c. If these which we know from Scripture be repeated then those persons must be now alive if they be not repeated they are not understood Is it not enough to have all these recorded in a Divine History for our Admonition and Example but these old Revelations must be new Revealed and Acted over to gratify a morose Illuminado This fancy doth as much disservice to the Truth and certainty of Prophecyes hath T. E. laid 390 days upon one side in a Visionary Siege against Jerusalem gone to the River Chebar beheld the draughts of a most glorious Temple c. with Ezekiel or hath he had the Revelation of St. John repeated before him Vision after Vision This Supervisor general need but move a pin and all the Prophecyes present themselves before him I have seen some Printed papers joyned at the end of a Quakers Bible containing the Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans the life of Paul a Catalogue of several Scriptures which are mentioned but not inserted in the Bible as the Prophecy of Enoch cum-multis aliis several Scriptures corrupted by the Translators most of which are where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred otherwise than In and Lastly the Differences betwixt the Old English Translation and the New All which reflects both upon the version now used bu especially are designed to render the Saored Scripture defective that there are other Revelations besides those therein consigned and hereby to pave the way for the Belief and Admittance of what they pretend to bring from Heaven to us The same Confidence and Principles may carry such persons on to such words as the Vision of Isaiah which he saw in the days of Izziah or The Testimony from the Brethren the Revelation of Jesus Christ signifyed to his Servant John to annex such like claims as this which Visions or Revelations begun to be renewed and repeated to the Quakers in England who are the Church returned out of the Wilderness in the year 1648. Can T. E. have had the Prophecies of Daniel reacted as that St. of old had then dead Belshazzar is now afoot and Nebuchadnezzar weilds his Scepter the 70 weeks are never begun nor never ended the Messiah must be uncut off each