Rule and like Proteus turning my self into all shapes sometimes I design Christ himself oftner the Spirit himself but oftnest the Dictate of the Spirit within to be that Rule But he might at that raâ—e have no less blamed the Apostle Paul that he turned himself into all shapes while he affirmeth sometimes That Christ spoke in him and sometimes that the Spirit spoke in him and certainly what Christ or the Spirit spoke in him was by a certain Word or dictate But to Answer directly when I say Christ is the Rule And again when I say the Spirit is the Rule there is no absurdness therein for if we mean by the Spirit the Holy Ghost Christ and the Holy Ghost are never separated or divided in what they Speak or Witness in the souls of men but their speech and Testimony is one and the same alwaies and also Christ himself in Scripture is called the second Adam the quickening Spirit and the Lord that Spirit and said Christ I am the way the Truth and the Life and certainly that Life is Spirit and also the Words or dictate of it is Spirit and Life as Christ said The words that I speak unto you are Spirit and Life So the Reader may see that my words are sound and according to Scripture and therefore whether I say Christ or the Spirit or the internal dictate and Word of the Spirit is the Rule it is to the same purpose And to say the dictate of the Spirit is the Rule is no other than to say the Spirit dictating or speaking is that Rule and do not some of your selves use a variety of Speech when ye speak of the Rule one time saying The Scripture is the Rule another time The Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is the only Rule c. as the Westminster Confession of Faith expresly hath it Another time The Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures c. Now according to I. A. I may blame him and his Brethren in this case that Proteus like he and his Brethren turn themselves into all shapes when they speak of the Rule And whether these phrases used by them be not more unscriptural I leave unto sober men for to judge In the next place he argueth That Christ cannot be the Rule nor the Spirit because the Rule of Faith must be some complex Proposition Direction or Precept and the like To this I Answer First That the Rule of Faith must be a complex Proposition Direction or Precept formally understood in words formally conceived I altogether deny and I. A. hath not offered to prove it And although the Spâ—rit of Christ may and often doth speak express words in the souls of his people yet he doth not alwaies so do when yet he clearly enough signifieth his mind and will unto them for if among men a King may signifie his mind to his Subjects or a Master to his servants without any formal Proposition or direction of words but only by some motion of his hand or face How much more may the Lord God who is the King of Kings signifie his mind unto his servants by the motion of his Spirit without any formal or express words Again I ask I. A. if he hath not learned in the Schools that the reasonable nature of God is the first rule of Manners And certainly the reasonable Nature of God is not a complex Proposition consisting of many words And hath he not read in Boetius that excellent saying Quis legem det amantibus major lex amor est ipse sibi which the Author of a late Book called The Life of God in the soul of man doth use to prove that somewhat more than words is a Law or Rule to Christians and Englisheth thus For who shall give a Law to them that Love Love 's a more powerful Law that doth such persons move And I further Query I. A. seeing the Scripture saith God is Love he that knoweth God to be Love and hath the Love of God shed abroad in his Heart by the holy Spirit which in Scripture is called The Spirit of Love shall not this man be tyed to love God and his Brethren yea and all mankind even his very enemies Suppose it be not said to him in formal express words do so and so Again whether he that only readeth or heareth these outwardly Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. and thy Neighbour as thy self but his Heart is utterly void of the love of God or he that hath the love of God in his heart and feelleth the powerful constraint of it is under the most powerful Law Whether the words without or the Spirit and Nature of Divine Love within is the most powerful Law and Rule There may therefore be a Law or Rule which is not a complex Proposition of words either inward or outward to wit the Divine Love it self which hath a Voice and Language to the souls of men in the silence of all words many times and can be understood as well without words as with them And therefore when I say the dictate of the Spirit is the Rule I mean not that there is alwaies a dictate of express words but that which is either such a formal express dictate or equivalent thereunto which those who are acquainted with the experiences of the Saints do well understand although it may seem to I. A. a strange Riddle or Paradox And thus by what I have said in this particular the intelligent Reader I hope shall perceive that in saying The Spirit is the Rule I am not beside my self as I. A. doth alledge but speak the words of Truth and soberness And I further ask Whether I. A. thinks that Ignatius the Martyr was beside himself when he writ in one of his Epistles to the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Vsing the Holy Ghost for a Rule or Whether Paul was beside himself when he said The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus had made him free from the law of Sin and Death And whether that Law was not the Spirit of Life even as the Law of sin was sin and the Law of death was death And whether the Law of the Mind mentioned by Paul was not a Divine Principle of Grace in his mind even as the Law of his Members was a principle of sin and corruption that sometime had place in him and not any complex Proposition of words And whether the Law that God writeth in the hearts of his people in the new Covenant be simply a form of words consisting of so many letters syllables and sentences or rather to speak properly is not that Law a new and Divine Nature or substantial Life of Holiness and Righteousness and Wisdom by which the Children of God are led and taught under the new Covenant naturally as it were to love God and all men even as the Law that God hath put in all
Doctrine and Word of God but he who speaketh it by the Spirit of God and none Heareth the Word of God but he who Heareth it and into the Heart and inward Ears of his inward man receiveth it by the Spirit of God To these only I say the Doctrine is known and by these it is only received as it is indeed the Word of God and in this respect it was that Paul commended such as received the Truth by the same Spirit by which it was Preached unto them through him That they received it not as the word of Man but as the Word of God c. Now this commâ—ndation can be given to no unbeliever that what he receiveth in the Ministry of the true Servants of God he receiveth it as the Word of God for only the true Believers do so receive it according to Paul's Testimony as it is indeed the Word of God Moreover I would have the Reader to know that when we say by the Word is understood Christ we mean not Christ abstractly or seperately considered from the Divine Doctrine and Testimony of Life whether in the heart or Mouth that immediately proceedeth from him nor yet as divided or seperated from any Divine operation of his Spirit Power and Life in any of his Servants but we take both these conjoyned together to be the Word of God even as the Soul and Body is one Man and sometimes the Soul is called the man and sometimes the Body and both properly enough when the Soul is in the Body and united therewith but the Body alone without the Soul is not properly called the man and thus much I hope shall suffice to satisfie the sober Reader as concerning the Word of God how we understand it Now whereas I. A. citeth divers places of Scripture to prove That by the Word of God is not understood Christ but the outward Testimony or Writing of the Scriptures It is very evident and may plainly appear so to be unto any having the least measure of Spiritual understanding that by the Word of God in these Scriptures is not understood the Letter but Christ together with the Divine operation and Testimony of his Life in the Hearts and Mouthes of his Servants And among these places by him alledged I shall cite these following for it is needless to cite them all viz. Heb. 4. 12. Eph. 6. 17. Rev. 1. 16. Rev. 2. 12 16. Rev. 19. 15. And also he citeth divers Scriptures which mention the Word of Christ and the Word which he hath spoken And seeing that cannot be Christ himself it must needs ac-according to him be the Letter Now as to that Scripture Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful c. There are divers Protestants that expound it of Christ and not of the Letter and indeed the words themselves do plainly enough evince it seeing it is said in the next verse concerning the same Word That all things are bare and manifest to his sight and therefore that Word hath an Omniâ—cience which I suppose I. A. when he considers will not affirm of the Letter of the Scripture As for Eph. 6. 17. his reason is weak that by it cannot be understood Christ seeing it is called The Sword of the Spirit as to say an Instrument in the hand of the Spirit But this is only I. A. his gloss and not Paul's words For the Sword of the Spirit may very well be understood to be the Spirit it self As the shield of Faith is Faith that shield The Helmet of Hope is Hope that Helmet so the City of Rome is Rome that City and why not also the Sword of the Spirit that Spirit it self And this is further confirmed out of the Greek Article Englished by which that is in the Neuter Gender and therefore rendring this Sense The Sword of the Spirit which Spirit is the Word of God so that the Article which being in the Neuter Gender is Relative to Spirit which in the Greek Language is in the same gender Again as to those three places in the Revelation which mention the Word of God it s being the Sword of his Mouth and proceeding out of the Mouth of Christ Doth I. A. think that this only is the Letter of the Scripture Doth nothing but the Letter come out of his Mouth Doth not Spirit and Life and living vertue come out of his Mouth And did not Christ say The Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and Life John 6. And is not this somewhat more than the Letter But lastly The Word of Christ and the Word that Christ speaks hath of the Life and Spirit of Christ in it and therefore it is still somewhat beside the External Writing or Letter and is not divided or seperated from Christ. And I have told I. A. already that not only Christ abstractly considered but the immediate Testimony and influence of his Life which can never be seperated from him no more than the Sun Beams can be seperated from the Son is also acknowledged by us to be the Word of God and to be Light and Life Bâ—t saith I. A. The whole Doctrine of the Prophets is the Word of the Lord To which I Answer I have granted and do still grant it so to be but as is already said that Doctrine is not the bare Letter nor hath every one that doctrine who hath the Letter for to have the true doctrine and sence of the Spirâ—t is not only to have the Letter but to have the Spirit by which only the true doctrine can be conveyed unto us although the true service and use of the Letter in subordination to the Spirit is not denied And whereas I. A. accuseth the Quakers That they call the Scriptures a dead Letter I no where remember that ever I read or heard any of them simply calling it so But only in so far as it is eventually such unto them who are spiritually dead themselves and are not turned to the quickning Spirit but alienated therefrom to such only the Scripture is a dead and killing Letter and this much divers Protestants have acknowledged as well as we and particularly Iohn Owen in his Treatise on the Scriptures That it is so to the Iews and other Vnbelievers But unto all those who are spiritually alive the Scripture is no dead nor killing Letter but a living Testimony as also unto all such whom it pleased God to quicken by his Spirit in the reading or hearing or meditating in the Scriptures Again that he saith A part of the Scripture to wit the Law considered as strictly legal is in respect of guilty sinners called a killing Letter but never the whole Scripture I Answer That not only the Old Testament but even the Writings or Letter of the New Testament may be called a killing Letter to those that remain alienated from the Spirit that quickens Lven as Origen hath formerly taught in his Commentary on Leviticus Not only saith he in the Old
in I. A. else he would not run into such needless and idle Tautologies But he thinks I have yeilded the cause to him because I grant all Doctrines that agree not with the Scriptures are to be rejected therefore the Scripture is a superior rule to all such false Doctrines I grant Therefore the Scripture is Superior to the Spirit of God and his Dictate in our Hearts I deny it And though we are to examine the inward Dictates of Gods Spirit by the Scriptures yet that proves not that the Scriptures are superior no more than that it proves that the words of the Prophets were superior to the words of Christ and the Apostles because the people examined the latter by the former His fourth Argument is built upon a Supposition that the Scriptures are the principal rule and consequently not the Spirit inwardly Dictating in our hearts But he hath not proved that the Scripture is a more principal rule then the Spirit Although in respect of all outward rules that can be named or conceived the Scripture is the most principal rule Nor is it any repugnancy to say the Scripâ—ure is the principal external rule by which all Doctrines and Principles of Religion are to be examined and what is contrary to Scripture is to be rejected and yet to say also that the Spirit himself perswading or assuring us of the Truth of the Scripture is the principal inward rule seeing these two principles are in differing kinds the one external or without us the other internal and within us which are very well consistent and mutually bear witness one of another even as Iohn bare witness to Christ and Christ bare witness to Iohn Although Christ needed not the Testimony of Iohn as for himself His fourth Argument concludeth only against a thing which we do no wise deny viz. That every Dictate within is not the Rule And I. A. might have spared his pains to dispute against that which no man holdeth For who is so absurd to think that every Dictate suppose it be of a mans own vain and foolish mind or of the Devil is to be received as his rule The Question is not concerning every Dictate nor indeed concerning any other then that alone Dictate of the Spirit of God and of Christ in men which hath a self evidence unto him who hath it as I. A. must needs acknowledge it had to the Prophets and Apostles But he objects That the Devil may present an Imposture unto a man with so much seeming evidence as with the concurrence of a deceitful heart will make it be received for a Divine Truth especially by that man that for the present time has no Divine Dictate To this I Answer That the person supposed by I. A. is either one that the Lord hath in his just judgment for some great unfaithfulness and abuse of Light formerly given delivered up to Satan's delusions such as these mentioned 2 Thess. 2. 11. And as for him and the like sort the Scripture cannot help him For certainly he that is given up by the Lord to the delusion of Satan as a punishment of his sinning against the Light he once had will misunderstand the Scripture and cannot otherwise do even as the Iews and Sadducees did of old But as for others that are not so given up by the Lord it ought not to be supposed that they can altogether want some Divine Dictate or witness of Gods Spirit to testifie against the strongest delusion of Satan And therefore he to whom Satan presents such a delusion if he hath a sincere love to the Truth by comparing the delusion with the true Dictate or Light of Christ that witnesseth against it may readily discover it to be a delusion and if the said delusion be contrary to any Doctrine expresly declared in the Scripture the Scripture will also be a secondary confirmation to him that what is so presented to him is but a delusion But many times Satan presents delusions to men to do or act things that are not simply in themselves unlawful or contrary to Scripture And then I Query by what rule shall these delusions be discovered But I confess I. A. hath a very short way but yet very false and unsound to resolve this question viz. Positively to conclude that all inward Dictates and suggestions whatsoever that any man finds in himself are utterlâ— to be rejected as being any Command of God or any Divine Testimony seeing there are none such in the hearts of men They are all according to him either a mans own thoughts or suggestions of Satan And therefore nothing that a man hath in him is to be relyed upon But it is strange Doctrine that Satan shall be so near always to Dictate evil even unto the Children of God immediately but God and Christ shall be at such a distance as not once in a mans whole life time to Dictate in him immediately that which is good The which Doctrine of I. A. is so favourable to the Devil and so advantagious to advance and uphold his Kingdom among men that this one consideration is enough to render it suspected that it is not of God but of the adversary CHAP. VII IN the Third Section of his Survey upon the Fourth Query I. A. pretends to Answer our Objections or Reasons That there is a Word or Dictate of God in our Hearts or Christ himself that doth Dictate or Teach in us and who is the principal Rule of Faith and Life All which Objections he brings them not either in matter or form as used by us but miserably perverts the most of them to a contrary sense and intent as if we did use those Reasons to oppose an outward Ministry or the use of outward Preaching Hearing Reading Praying none of which we oppose but on the contrary we own all these things as both needful to be done seeing they are commanded of God and as profitable to men yea to the most advanced and experienced Saints when duly practised And it is an exceeding great mistake in our Adversaries generally to suppose That our Principle of Immediate Revelation or the Immediate Teachings of the Spirit doth destroy or make null and void the use of the Scriptures or any other means For by Immediate we mean not Immediate in opposition to those things that are means truly appointed of God as Reading the Scriptures Preaching Praying Meditating Singing Waiting But on the contrary we say It is only by the help of the Spirits immediate Teachings and Leadings that those and the like means are made effectual and profitable to the People of God For if the Prophets and Apostles their having Immediate Revelation did not make void the use of the Scriptures unto them nor the use of Preaching Praying Reading Meditating Waiting and Watching no more doth our having it Again our Adversaries grant that God doth operate or work immediately by an immediate effective illumination of his Spirit in the hearts of all his People and that
Defence of the Episcopal Church and Faith that Ioh. Alexander undertaketh but the Presbyterian and yet I. A. is a Member of the Episcopal Church and Officiates therein under Iohn Hamilton an Episcopal Preacher who hath recommended his Book at the Order of the Bishop of Edenburgh But I suppose the Episcopal Church in Brittain will give Iohn Alexander or his Patriot Iohn Hamilton little Thanks for his Service seeing many Episcopal Teachers in Brittain differ widely in Doctrin from the said Westminster Confession And had I. A. no other Confession of Faith or Catechism to commend but that of the Presbyterians whom his Episcopal Brethren commonly call Fanaticks and is it turned to that that they commend their Confession of Faith as the only Confession of the Church in Brittain But I can find no mention in the said Confession that Episcopacy is Iure Divino However since I. A. has undertaken the defence of the Presbyterian Church and Faith in all its Articles and Definitions as very Gospel Rule and Scripture Sentence he must then acknowledge that all these Definitions and Articles of his Presbyterian Brethren are at left materially considered infallible Oracles â—nd seeing he confesseth they are not all expresly contained in Scripture but many of them only deduced by consequence therefrom by what infallible consequence can he convince any rational man that his and their consequences are just and right since he laies no claim to the least measure of that kind of direction of the Holy Spirit teaching him and his Brethren to draw those consequences which Christ and the Apostles had whereby they argued and did draw consequences from places of Scripture formerly writ And seeing not only Papists and Protestants but the Episcopal and Presbyterian draw contrary consequences from the Scriptures what evidence can I. A. give us why we should receive the consequences of the one more than the other Or can we think the Lord hath left his people so in the dark as to give no other knowledge of his Will in a great many things whiâ—h are Articles of Faith but what can be searched out by long and tedious consequences of the bare natural understanding of man as it is left to it self to fish and hunt in the dark after such consequences without any such special direction and conduct of the Holy Spirit in the least measure which Christ and the Prophets and Apostles had Nay I do not find that I. A. doth acknowledge so much as the least absolute necessity of any sort of operation or illumination of the Spirit so â—uch as that they call effective or subjective order to draw their consequences from the â—cripture But if this way of drawing consequences without the help of the Holy Spirit were so safe and sure how is it then that so many of all sorts draw contrary consequences from the same Scriptures Is not the great reason of all this because men are departed from that holy Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures and can only give the true understanding of them And therefore is it not plain and manifest as the Light at Noon-day that man's natural Spirit and Reason and Wisdom in its highest perfection is altogether unable to meddle with Divine Truths or to search after them as it remains alone hunting in the dark And certainly this is no small part of that cursed self-conceit and exaltation of mind that Rules in the degenerated nature of man that they think they can be wise enough without God's Spirit they need no direction or assistance or illumination to help them to search into the Scriptures they can do that well enough with their natural reason and a little School-craft of Artificial Logick and Grammar and Natural Philosophy but that blessed man David was of another mind when he prayed unto the Lord saying Open my Eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law And as for consequences which men draw as they are directed and taught by the Spirit of God as Christ and the Apostles were when they drew any consequence from what was formerly writ we do own them and receive them and none else But yet as to the most weighty and necessary things to wit such as are the general principles of the Christian Faith and Doctrine and which as such are generally to be received by all Christians as well these of the meanest capacity as others of the greatest we see the Lord hath not left it to mans industry to search after them by consequences long or short but hath delivered them to us in plain express words and terms and that many times over and over again as in respect of many of them in the Holy Scriptures And why is it that the Scriptures are so full and large in their Testimony to the Doctrines and Principles of Religion but to let us understand that all the Principles and Doctrines of the Christian Faith which God requireth in common of all Christians are expresly their delivered and recorded and put as it were in a puplick Register And therefore for my part what I cannot find expresly delivered in Scripture I see no reason why I should receive or believe it as any common Article or principle of the Christian Faith or Life and for such to whom God hath given that Divine skill to â—ive or dip into the depth of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 out of the reach of other men who may â—e true Christians so as to collect or gather by just and true consequences other things that lie out of the view of their weaker Brethren they ought not to obtrude them upon any to be received as principles of Faith but in that case to have Faith to themselves and receive them as peculiar discoveries or Revelations of the Spirit to them and such others as God hath so enlightened the which by the Apostle Paul is called The Word of Wisdom to wit such a peculiar degree of Wisdom or Understanding in the depth of the Scriptures as others who yet were true Christians did not reach unto and concerning such a peculiar gift of Divine Wisdom he said We speak Wisdom among the perfect this certainly could be no common Article of Faith else he should have Preached it to all And this by the same Apostle is elsewhere called The knowledge of Mysteries as distinguished from the common Faith and knowledge of the whole Church Now if this were but received among those called Christians that nothing should be required by one sort from another as an Article of Faith or Doctrine or principle of the Christian Religion in common to be believed but what is expresly delivered in the Scriptures in plain express Scripture terms of how great an advantage might it be to bring a true reconcilement among them and beget true Christian Unity Peace Love and Concord And as for the consequential part of peculiar Doctrines whether true or false to leave every one a freedom or latitude without imposing upon them the affirmative or negative as
willingly and sincerely acknowledge that the Righteousness of Christ in what he did and suffered for us outwardly in his own person is imputed unto us for Justification and so much I did acknowledge in my Book already mentioned But we further say that all to whom that is imputed which Christ did and suffered for us outwardly must witness a real and true Conformity both to the Death of Christ and also to his Holy Life and walk without which all mens imputing it unto themselves is but an airy Dream and Imagination There is yet another gross perversion used by I. A. in his pretended Survey or Answer of the sixteenth Question as if the Quakers so called Seem to deny that there was any Spiritual Worship in the time of the Old Testament And thus because it is said in the Query that Christ set up the True Worship in Spirit and in Truth above 1600 years ago but nothing but great Ignorance or prejudice can from this inferr that there was not any degree of it in the World in former times And I. A. might as well argue against the Scriptures that because God saith in the last days He would make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and Write his Law in their Hearts That therefore nothing of this sort was formerly in the World And thus I have done with I. A. his long and tedious pretended Survey of this Question having omitted nothing that seemed unto me Material and having found in his whole Discourse consisting of about 19 pages scarce any thing but gross mistakes and perversions CHAP. XVIII HEre again I. A. in his pretended Survey to the 17th and last Question beginneth with a most gross perversion As if the Quakers because they would have men to cease from all their own works meerly acted in the strength of mans Will and natural Power without the supernatural and Spiritual aid and assistance of the Spirit of God would have men to be as senseless Trunks doing nothing the bare Rehearsal of which is sufficient Refutation Another charge little less gross is That the Quakers hold only Babylon to be within in mens hearts for which he citeth the aforesaid Book called The Principles of Truth in several pages To which I Answer Although the said Book saith That Babylon c. is â—ithin yet it doth not say it is only within but on the contrary it plainly affirmeth that all who are in outward Worships without the leading and enabling of the Spirit of God painted over with glorious Words but inwardly full of Abominations belong to the Kingdom of Babylon And well may that unclean and deceitful Spirit that acteth all such persons who are levened and governed therewith and thereby be called Babylon by a Figurative Speech even as the Soul of a man is commonly called the man which hinders not that the people in whatsoever Profession they may be who are acted by that evil and Antichristian Spirit are Babylon And as for the Pope and Popish Church as we do cordially joyn with the best and most sincere Proantests against them as being the great and principal Members of that Scarlet Whore Mystery Babylon in whom Antichrist or that Antichristian Spirit hath its chiefest or most principal residence and therefore in no respect can be said to favour the Pope or Popish Church on that or any consideration although we with the Salvation of the worst so we most freely declare that wherever we find any degree or measure of the same Spirit of Antichrist and Babylon as too much of it is to be found in I. A. and too many of his Brethren we cannot acquit them from being Members of the same Antichristian body although in this our upright and honest Testimony we expect neither the kindness of the Pope nor yet of I. A. far less the Popes Wages or reward for being so kind to him as I. A. doth most falsly and grosly alledge And divers of our Friends have suffered deeply under the Popish Power for bearing a Testimony against him and them which neither I. A. nor his Brethren have ever done but sit warmly at home without exposing themselves to any suffering on that account Having thus as briefly as I could given an Answer to I. A. his Book against us omitting nothing that seemed to be material I shall neither trouble the Readers nor my self with his two Postscripts to Answer them in particular The substance of the first Postscript against me being already Answered in the foregoing Sheets as to what is any wise material Or if he suppose any thing is omitted let him mind me of it in his next and withall Write an intire and thorough Answer to what is already said both here and in the Treatise called Quakerism no Popery which he hath only but here and there nibled at And I may possibly if God give me freedom and convenience return him a â—urther Answer 〈◊〉 at present I suppose he hath work enough to lye on his hand and needs no more As for his Postscript against or for Doctor Everards Ghost as he calleth it I find not my self concerned to Answer him therein nor defend every word or Opinion of his seeing he never went under that Name or Designation with us Albeit I must needs acknowledge both my Friends and I such of them I mean as have read his Book have a great love and respect to his memory which all I. A. his bitter Revilings against him shall never be able to defame And we believe the said Everard hath indeed had rare and singular gifts of Understanding and Openings of Scripture from God and withal a good measure of Integrity and zeal for the Truth according to the time and Dispensation he was in and in that respect doth truly deserve to be accounted among the Witnesses of Truth in his day whatever imperfections attended him otherwise or suppose some mistakes of Judgment in some things or not so warily cautioning some of his words as could have been wished Although I judge that I. A. doth seek to fix or fasten upon him divers errors of Judgment of which he is not guilty by reason of deep prejudice against him Partly whiles he takes the said Iohn Evrard's words too Literally and Superficially which are to be understood more Mystically and Figuratively and partly while he takes that as spoken absolutely which is but spoken comparative and by way of some Similitude and but in some respect But before I make a full close I shall only take notice of two gross and absurd Assertions waving others to another opportunity in his Postscript to me The one is that the Pope and his Clergy had the true Power and Authority of Ordination and calling Ministers before the Reformation neither as Christian nor as Antichristian Not as Christian or else all Christians would have it nor as Antichristian seeing these two terms are not contradictory but contrary for many things and persons too are neither Christian nor Antichristian To which
TRUTHS DEFENCE Or the Pretended EXAMINATION BY Iohn Alexander of Leith Of the Principles of those called QUAKERS Falsly termed by him Jesuitico-Quakerism Re-Examined AND Confuted Together with Some Animadversions on the Dedication of his Book to Sir Robert Clayton then Major of London By G. K. LONDON Printed for Benjamin Clark in George-Yard in Lombard-street Bookseller 1682. The pretended Examination of the Principles of those called Quakers Falsly called Jesuitico-Quakerism by John Alexander in Leith Re-examined and Confuted by G. K. CHAP. I. IN my Answer to this pretended Examination of I. A. I intend to observe on his Answer to every Question wherein he misrepresents or perverts the state of the Question and wherein he hath missed to Answer â—it Also to Answer briefly but I hope sufficiently and distinctly what is necessary to the Vindication of Truth not to every Word or Sentence nor to every frivolous and weak or impertinent Argument where the solution thereof lyeth obvious to any ordinary understanding but to any thing alledged by him that seemeth Material or to require an Answer referring the Enquiring and Truth-loving Reader to divers Treatises already published not to mention our Friends books in England by some here in Scotland to wit R. B. his Apology also to his Answer in Vindication thereof to I. B. alâ—o his book called Truth cleared of Calumnies in Answer to W. M. in Aberden And the Answer given by the said R. B. and me to the Students of Aberden as also to divers Treatises published by me such as my book of Immediate Revelation my book of Vniversal Grace my book called The Way cast up my book called The Rector Corrected in Answer to T. W. who calls himself Rector of Arrow and lastly to my book called Quakerism no Popery And though to this last book I. A. hath replyed in some few particulars which I purpose so far as may seem requisite to Answer yet he hath quite passed by the most material passages and especially all the Authorities and Testimonies of Ancient Writers and also of the Protestants brought by me as concurring with the Scriptures Testimony to clear us of that imputation of Popery falsly charged upon us by I. M. To none of which weighty Testimonies hath the said I. A. replyed one word Now because there is little or nothing that seems Material of I. A. his Objections that is not already fully answered in these Books and Treatises above mentioned therefore I Judge it not needful to Write a large or particular Answer to every thing yet lest he should seem too wise in his own Eyes or lest he and others that favour him should think he is stronger than really he is and especially to prevent the stumbling of the weak into whose hands his book may come I purpose through the Lords Assistance to reply some things which may suffice on every Head or Section What hath induced I. A. to Dedicate his book against us to the Mayor of London may seem no impertinent Query Had he none in all his Native Country whom he had confidence in to Patronize his undertakings Or being Conscious of his small esteem at home did he despair to find any Liberal Mecenas in Scotland and therefore he must go so far as London to find out one and that no less then the Mayor himself to whom it may be supposed I. A. his greatest commendation was his being a stranger And that he saith in his Epistle to the said Eminent person His Treatise presums not to add any lustre to his Name whereof it is uncapable That may well be believed that his Book is indeed uncapable of adding any lustre thereunto But why was he not afraid that it would detract from his lustre It were good that those Eminent persons in the World who suffer men to Superscribe their Names as Patrons to their Books did first examine them diligently if they did deserve any such Patronage lest Error masking it self under the name of Truth seek the Protection as is too common now in the World And for my part I have no small conjecture that if the said Eminent person to whom this disingenuous and impertinent piece by I. A. is Dedicated had but taken the leisure or pains to review but one sixth part of it he had never suffered his Name to be superscribed to it And I am very hopeful that the Mayor of London who hath divers thousands of that people within his Precinct in that Famous City many of whom I judge are better known to him than I. A. ever was hath more charity towards the people called in scorn Quakers than to believe I. A. his description of them in his said Epistle were he expresly alledgeth on them That they renounce all true Principles of Religion and stifle their very faculties of Reason charging them also with Absurdity And in his Preface to the Reader he calleth them Vncircumcised Philistins and reproachful Adversaries having in their Queries and other Papers disgorged as many Lies against God and his Truth and as many Slanders against the Church of God in Brittain as if they had exchanged both Persons and Offices withâ—the Father of Lies and Accuser of the Brethren But if that Eminent person whose Name and Favour this I. A. hath abused shall please to look into this small Treatise in Answer to that of I. A. I hope he shall find that they are falsly charged with those Crimes It seemeth no new or strange thing to us to be so falsly accused knowing that not only our Fellow Servants and Brethren in former Generations have been so used but also the Head himâ—elf and Captain of our Salvation the Lord Jesus Christ was not only numbred among transgressors but called a Blasphemer and said to have a Devil And the Lord forewarned his Disciples and Followers that they should be so lied upon and all manner of evil things said against them falsly for his Name sake But rejoyce said he and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Now whereas I. A. calleth his Book A Vindication of the Church of God in Brittain he ought to have told what Church he meant seeing there are divers sorts of people in Brittain who call themselves the Church of God and yet in divers things Dissent from I. A. And upon review of his Book I find the said I. A. his Principles to be almost wholly Calvinistical and particularly 1. That he denyeth the Vniversal Grace of God or that Christ hath died for all men 2. That he denyeth that God hath any regard to the new Creature or work of Conversion or Repentance to be so much as a condition requisite in order to our Iustification 3. That he denyeth that any can be free from actual sining in this Life by any Grace of God given them or to be given These and other principles alledged by him which are wholly Calvinistical are as much disliked by many and some of those the most considerable of the Episcopal Church
where he alledgeth their words saying All men ought first to wait until they receive the Spirit in Truth then in the same Truth to Worship God in Spirit who is a Spirit So we see by I. A. his own Confession the Quakers teach that all men ought to Worship God in the Spirit and that they may indeed Worship him they would have all men follow the Lords order which is to wait or watch unto Prayer and they would have men in the first place cease or depart from their wickedness and then by the help of the Spirit which is never wanting in the proper season of it to come and Pray unto God And that this is no new or invented way of the Quakers so called Read Isaiah 1. 16 17 18. where the Lord by the Prophet bids first That they wash and be clean and put away the evil of their doings c. And then said he Come now let us reason together Also Peter commanded Simon Magus to joyn Repentance with Prayer Repent said he and Pray that the Thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee And for the more clear understanding of this whole matter we are to consider that Prayer is either simply Mental and with the heart only or both Mental and Vocal to wit both with heart and Mouth Now as for Mental Prayer at least in respect of the bent or frame and inclination of the Heart God requireth it always of all men and it is possible for all men if they but receive that help of his Spirit which he giveth or offereth unto men always to perform it But as for Vocal Prayer he neither doth require it at all times nor doth he give the help at all times nor the utterance whereby to perform it And it is observable that under the Gospel no particular set or limited time is appointed for Vocal Prayer But every one is to wait to know the times of the Spirits call and moving thereunto which will be seasonably and frequently afforded to such as wait singly therefore especially when the people of God Assemble together for then it is that Vocal Prayer is of greatest use and service though it hath also its use and service in private or when one is apart But whereas I. A. alledgeth further That if wicked men are not to Pray viz. their Hypocritical Prayers because they sin when they Pray No man on earth should offer to Pray or Worship God seeing as he saith There is somewhat of sin â—leaving to the best Actions of the Saints here away To this I answer That there is somewhat of sin cleaving to the best Actions of the Saints here away is denyed seeing it is asserted by him without proof for the Scriptures cited by him viz. Prov. 20. 9. Gal. 5. 17. say no such thing and by consequence he hath not evinced it and for a proof to the contrary see Iob 16. 17. Malach. 1. 11. But secondly nor doth it follow that men who are not yet come to a perfect state but labour sincerely under the burden of their sins to be delivered from them may not Pray unto God because their Prayer as they put it up unto God by the help of his Spirit is pure and without all sin proceeding from the pure or renewed part of their hearts for it is only the pure or renewed part of the heart from which indeed the true Prayer doth proceed even as on the contrary the evil desires and affections arise and spring only from the impure and unrenewed part Therefore he that hath this unrenewed part in him ought to watch against it while he prayeth that he give it no liberty to move or stir as indeed he ought to watch against it at all other times And though he that prayeth sincerely being not attained to a sinless state pray not with that degree or measure of fervency wherewith another more perfect doth or can pray yet God regarding that mans sincerity he accepteth his Prayer in Christ and for Christs sake pardoneth him when at any time he committeth a weakness in his Prayer in not keeping purely to the Spirit Again Lastly Whereas I. A. objecteth That the Plowing Eating Sleeping c. of the wicked is sin Shall the wicked then do nothing at all because whatever they do they go about it in a sinful manner I answer This consequence doth no wise follow because there is a great difference betwixt a wicked mans Plowing Eating Drinking c. and his Praying as remaining wicked and alienated from the Spirit of God for his Plowing Eating Drinking or any other Corporal or Natural actions are really these actions and they are profitable and necessary in the Creation and when he performeth these actions he faileth not in the substance or matter of the action required but only in the manner for the substance or matter of a wicked mans Plowing Eating Travelling is not sin but the manner of it viz. That it is not in Faith but a wicked mans Prayer as he is a wicked man is no true Prayer at all it hath nothing of the true substance of true and real Prayer it is a meer picture or dead resemblance of Prayer and is rather a mocking God than praying unto him for it wants the life of true Prayer which alone the Spirit of God doth give and thus a plain difference is demonstrated betwixt the two cases and the Unvalidity of I. A. his consequences in this whole matter is evinced And if the Reader desire further satisfaction in this particular let him Read our Answer to the Students and R. B. his Apology where these Objections of I. A. are largely Answered for he has brought no new matter against us and it had been better he had both spared his own pains and not troubled the world with his repeating other mens Arguments long since answered As for his instance of our opposing the second Commandment by our rejecting wresting and abusing the Word of God and avowing of Error and Blasphemy seeing it is but a bare alledging without any shadow of proof it is enough as simply to deny it as he doth simply affirm it But another instance he giveth of our opposing the second Commandment By swallowing down our Meat and Drink as so many Beasts without any Prayer and Thansgiving without which if they will believe the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 3 4 5. they are not sanctied But how unjustly he chargeth this upon us I can freely leave to the Judgment of all sober and true Christians For how doth he prove that we Eat or Drink or receive any Creatures of God without Prayer and Thanksgivings Because we do not always use Vocal and External Prayer when we Eat and Drink although at other times we use it as God is pleased to give utterance and are most glad either to do it or joyn with these who do it by the help of Gods Spirit But is I. A. so ignorant and unreasonable to think that theirs is no Prayer
commonly understood of that which originally is Grafted or Implanted in us and in this sense is used generally both by Christian and Heathen Writers as it is contradistinguished from that which is outwardly received Hence the natural love or affection that is in mankind is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which is not a thing outwardly received and consequently the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be the Letter of the Scripture but a Divine principle immediately grafted into our Souls when God Created them and in respect of which men are said to be made in the Image of God Seventhly He alledgeth that we bring Heb. 6. 1 2. To oppose and reject all External Ordinances out of the Church citing Principles of Truth pag. 63 68 77 80. And here he insulteth not a little as if by the same Argument The Quakers were obliged to reject the very Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and the foundation of Repentance and Faith as well as Water-Baptism But to this I Answer having examined these pages cited by him I do not find that they mention or intend any thing of rejecting the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ or External Ordinances And let but the Reader examine the words and he shall find that nothing further is intended than this that people should not sit down or build their Faith upon a form of words though never so sound but should come further than all words so that leaving them behind as in respect of a foundation they were to come unto Christ the true foundation and grow up in him unto perfection And as for Water-baptism that place of the Heb. 6. 1 2. doth not mention it among the principles of the Doctrine of Christ but only the Doctrine of Baptisms which is another thing than Water-Baptism For although we have not Water-Baptism among us yet we have the Doctrine of Baptisms that is set down with other principles of our Faith as in divers other of our Book so in that mentioned by him called The Principles of Truth Now to leave a form of Words or Articles and Propositions concerning Faith which commonly are called Principles so as not to set them up for the principal and only foundation of our Faith which people are but too ready to do This is not to reject them no more than when a man leaves his Affairs he hath been conversant in and goeth to his Bed to rest him with moderate sleep is to reject his Affairs for he returneth unto them again Eighthly He saith We object that Enoch Noah Abraham c. Had not the Scripture to be their Rule and therefore nor are we to have it to be our Rule And this he makes as ridiculous a consequence as to say the Scriptures were not written in the primitive World therefore neither afterwards But I Answer that to argue from thence that the Scripture is not to be our only and principal Rule is both safe and pertinent For it Enoch Noah Abraham had the Spirit to be a Rule unto them it is no less a rule unto all now who have the same Faith which they had seeing the same Spirit is given to Believers now which they had which Spirit is one as Paul hath declared and it is most Rational that as the Faith is one in all Ages of the World and the Spirit one so the Principal rule of Faith should be one also Ninthly He saith I object Quakerâ—sm no Popery pag. 9. 13. That the Testâ—mony of the Spirit within is greater than the External Testimony of the Scripture and therefore the said Testimony of the Spirit is the Principal Rule To which he roundly Answereth by denying that there is any such Testimony of the Spirit within Believers and because I say there is he alledgeth I drive the Plough before the Oxen. But I Answer that I have proved it sufficiently already and now also I have Answered I hope sufficiently all his objections against it And here I desire the Reader to take notice how that notwithstanding I. A. saith elsewhere as Pag. 44. That he and his Brethren never denyed the Spirits Teaching Yet how inconsistent that is with denying any Testimony of the Spirit or Dictate thereof in mens hearts Is the Teaching of the Spirit only an outward thing Is it nothing else but to Hear or Read the Letter of the Scripture And are they all Taught of the Spirit who are but only and meerly Taught by the Letter But if it be granted that there is an inward Teaching of the Spirit distinct from the outward Teaching of the Scripture although not separated therefrom or without the outward as I know some of the more sober doth acknowledge then I say is not that inward Teaching a Testimony of the Spirit For to affirm it to be a Teaching and no Testimony seemeth to me to be a great contradiction And as for us althogh we cannot say that the inward Teaching or Testimony of the Spirit is never in any case without the outward yet we grant it is oft accompanied with the outward and in that case it is no less truly immediate than if it were without it as I have already shewed And supposing but not at all granting that the inward Teaching of the Spirit were never without the outward of the Letter yet seeing the outward Teaching of the Letter is oft without the inward for many are Taught by the Letter who are not Spiritually Taught all that the Letter hath outwardly Taught them it followeth evidently that the inward Teaching of the Spirit and outward Teaching of the Letter are distinct things as is manifest from that sure maxime that when two things can be seperate so as the one to be without the other they are really distinct This Argument I used in my Book called Quakerism no Popery but I. A. hath made no reply to it And still I say if the inward Teaching of the Spirit be denyed it doth follow that in respect of any inward Speaking or Teaching God doth no more intelligibly or perceptibly speak to the Saints than he speaketh to the Earth to bring forth Grass the which consequence I. A. seemeth to allow but how absurdly I leave to sober men to judge And whereas I. A. saith That God doth not always make use of the greater Witnesses for testifying his will to us I Answer In respect of men and Angels it is true But notwithstanding God hath given himself and his own Holy Spirit which is one with him to be unto us a witness of his will and this is the greatest witness that can be given See Rom. 8. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 8 9. CHAP. VIII IN his pretended Survey of the Fifth Query he begins with two false Charges against us the First That we deny all Scripture Interpretation the Second That we deny all Scripture Consequences And to refute these idle Suppositions which are none of our Assertions he spendeth many Pages of his Book to no purpose and wherein we are
Spirit which we plead for as the common priviledge of all true Christians And was not the Spirit which the Apostles had the Infallible Spirit And if I. A. thinks he has the same Spirit either he must needs acknowledge that he has the Infallible Spirit and is so far infallible or then he must say that the Spirit of God is changed so that whereas it was Infallible in the Apostles and Primitive Christians it is become Fallâ—ble in I. A. and his Brethren And if he have the same Spirit which the Apostles had but in the least measure how is it â—hat he hath said above that the Dictate of the Spirit within is worthy of a thousand Deaths Let I. A. extricate himself of these contradictions if he can And further I ask I. A. whether the Psalms he and his Brethren Sing in their Meetings be these Spiritual Songs which the Primitive Christians did Sing and such as we Read of particularly in the Church of Corinth where Psalms are reckoned among the other peculiar Gifts of the Spirit such as Revelations and Interpretations where it is manifest that the whole Assembly did not all Sing the same words with their voice but every one did Sing as they received it from the Lord and as he did put it into their Hearts and such were the Songs of Zachariah Mary and Elizabeth who Sung and Blessed the Lord by the Holy Ghost And seeing I. A. saith That they cannot Sing unless what they Sing be turned into Meeter I ask him whether the Songs of Zachariah Mary and Elizabeth were Sung by them in Meeter or Rhyme and with Musical Dittyes and Tunes Artificially Composed or whether they had a Precentor or any that went before them And whether such kind of Officers were in the Church in the time of the Apostles as Precentors that went before the people And whom they were all to follow accordingly as he Sang after â—his or that Tune of Musick Artificially Composed Or rather have ye not Learned all this from the Papists And was it not Guido Aretinus â— Popish Monk that invented the Scale of Musick commonly called the Gamut according to which the Precentors are Learned to Raise the Psalms All which is but the bare Act of Man and such who plead for Vocal Musick in the Church from the example of David and the Law they may also on the same account plead for the use of Musical Instruments in the Church not only as lawful but as necessary which yet the Episcopal Church here wanteth and not only so but Dancing also as a part of Divine Worship which was used in time of the Law and especially by David And thus by I. A. his Argument both Instrumental Musick and Dancing shall be necessary parts of Gospel Worship And as concerning wicked mens Singing it is most clear that as they are not to Pray while remaining wicked so nor are they to Sing because all true Singing is a real part of Divine Worship which is to be done in Spirit and Truth but no wicked nor unrenewed person can so do And seeing all wicked persons professing Christianity are Captives in Spiritual Babylon how can they Sing any of the Songs of Zion in a strange Land Can they Sing that new Song which the Redeemed from the Earth Sing Rev. 14. was not the Lord displeased with their Singing even under the Law when the people did degenerate and become perverse And did he not threaten that he would turn the Songs of their Temple into Howlings And yet according to I. A. the most perverse and abominable corrupted persons may and ought to Sing Psalms But what Harmony can such Singing make in the Ears of the Lord while the Heart is so discordant to the Law of God And although I. A. hath his best and greatest Patrons for his Musical Singing with Artificial Dittyes and Tunes and Rhymes out of the Popish Church as also for his pleading that wicked persons may Sing David's words without making a Lye I shall here Cite a very fair acknowledgement out of a late Popish Writer to the Truth of what we alledge against I. A. The which Writer is Iohannes Bona in his Book called The Principles of the Christian Life Part 1. Sect. 44. They are â—yes saith he and empty words when any comâ—â—tteth wickedness and singeth in a Psalm unto God I have hated iniquity and abominated it Psal. 118. He that is altogether in his Dishes and saith I have forgot to Eat my Bread Psal. 101. 1. He Laugheth the whole day and exceedeth in vain joy and saith my Tears were my Bread day and night he obeyeth not the Commandments and he Singeth They are Cursed who decline from thy Commandments Psal. 118. Such Prayers saith he are Accursed provoking the wrath of God toward such and they deserve to be punished with severe Pains Now albeit this Testimony is from a Papist I hope no Sober person will call it a Popish Doctrine but rather a Christian Truth which the Evidence of Truth hath extorted from him And it is a shame that I. A. should be more blind who pretends to more knowledge CHAP. XII J. A. in his pretended Survey of the 9th 10 th and 11 th Queries doth ground his Discourse so much partly upon mistakes and partly upon barely supposed alledged principles which he doth not prove that I shall need to say very little directly in Answer to the whole from his pag. 119 to pag. 131. only some of his most considerable mistakes and bare Suppositions I shall take notice of the which being denyed and removed his whole Superstructure falls of it self First He blames the Queriest or Writer of the Queries For falsly accusing the or slâ—ndering the Church in Brittain as he calleth it as if they did hold their Ecclesiastical Constitutions formally as such for an Infallible Rule and their Catechisms and Confessions of Faith equal to the Scriptures But I Answer the Query maketh no mention of those terms formally as such But simply whether they hold their Directory Confession of Faith and Catechism to be an Infallible Rule and equal to the Scripture Again Secondly what is proposed in the Query is not positively concluded one way or another as the Nature of a Query doth plainly demonstrate And yet Thirdly he plainly affirmeth pag. 129. That the whole Articles and Difinitions contained in the Catechism and Confession of Faith materially considered are very Gospel Rule and Scripture Sentence either expresly and formally or materially implicitely and by good consequence taught therein How then can he have any face to accuse the Inquirer for asking such a thing which he doth openly acknowledge And here let the Reader take notice that the Catechism and Confession of Faith whereof I. A. giveth so great a Commendation is not that of the Episcopal Church but the Presbyterian viz. that made by the Assembly at Westminster which is expresly cited by him cap. 31. art 4. it is not then as seemeth the
of Salvation not only to many thousands among those called the Heathens but to many intire Nations of them make it appear that they are utterly and finally excluded from all sufficient means of Salvation Have they been in Gods secret Counsel to know this or who hath revealed it to them And if the outward Testimony of the Scriptures be not as yet come to divers Nations of the Earth this doth not hinder but that the Gospel doth belong unto them as well as unto others to whom they are already come Seeing God hath commanded that the mistery which was kept secret since the World began should now be declared or made known unto all Nations for the obedience of Faith and that by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to Rom. 16. 25 26. And seeing Christ hath commanded That the Gospel should be Preached to all Nations Dare I. A. or any of his party give us the Instance of any one Nation now under Heaven to whom the Gospel ought not or may not be Preached suppose they altogether at present want the outward Testimony of Scripure and knowledge of the History of the coming of Christ in the flesh But if the Gospel may be Preached to any Nation now under Heaven then certainly it belongeth unto them I mean the Gospel Dispensation for because it belongeth unto them and is the free Gift of God unto them And because Christ Jesus hath procured or obtained that priviledge unto the Gentiles by vertue of his death and blood-shed for them Having broken down the middle wall of partition betwixt the Jews and Gentiles therefore iâ— is to be Preached unto them Even as because the King hath given some great favour unto his Subjects it is to be published or declared unto them and it is therefore published unto them because it is given them and is not given them because it is published and therefore the Gentiles have some title or claim to the Gospel even before it be published and consequently before the outward publication of it unto them they are not utterly excluded from the Dispensation of Gods Grace towards men And if any shall say The Gospel is to be Preached to all Nations indeed seeing Christ hath commanded it and not one Nation is excepted because that God hath some scattered up and down all the Nations who are to be saved as belonging to Gods Election To this I Answer that according to I. A. his way of reasoning God hath none belonging to his Election in many Nations of the World because they are excluded from all possibility of Salvation for want of the Scriptures PROP. 2. Whereas I. A. objects against the universal sufficient Light and Grace of God because it is said 1 Cor. 2. 14. The Natural man does not discern neither can he know the things of the Spirit of God I Answer By the Natural man is to be understood the Soul or Mind of man as it â—â—boureth to understand Divine things meerly by its Natural faculties of Natural wisdom and understanding without any Divine illumination But when it pleaseth God to shine upon man in his Natural state by his Divine illuminaon then he may know something belonging to his Souls Salvation so far as his weakness can permit by vertue of the said illumination For how are men converted from Natural to Spiritual God dealeth not with men in Conversion as with Stocks and Stones but as with Reasonable Creatures having some capacity of understanding PROP. 3. That some in Scripture are said to have neither Ears to hear nor Eyes to see nor Hearts to understand And that because God hath not given it unto them which is another objection of J. A. This doth not prove that at no time God hath given to those people any measure of sufficient Grace for this great and extraordinary darkness and blindness may be upon them either because the day of their Visitation is expired altogether or because of some intermission that is only to continue for some time after which they are again to have a new Visitation so that they may both see and hear and also understand if they will not wilfully shut their Eyes PROP. 4. These who are said in Scripture as 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. To be given up to strong Delusions to believe Lies Are such who when the Truth was made known unto them received it not in love that they might be saved as is clear from v. 10. And therefore it doth not follow as I. A. would have it That these who are so fearfully blinded by Antichrists delusions never had a day of Visitation before they were so blinded But on the contrary it is manifest they had because their blindness is a Judgement inflicted upon them for their wilful opposing the Light that God gave them sometime formerly PROP. 5. Whereas I. A. saith That the Father draweth not all men to Christ I Answer As this is no where said in Scripture so it is contrary to Christ his Doctrine who said After I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me And certainly all whom Christ draweth the Father also draweth for said Christ My Father hitherto worketh and I work Nor do the words of Christ cited by I. A. prove the contrary Ioh. 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to him For Christ doth not simply say every one that hath heard of the Father comes to him but every one that hath learned as well as heard now we do not say that every one hath Learned of the Father although they have heard in some sort also there is a right and wrong hearing some hear willingly and this is only the right hearing but although all hear one time or another while their day of Grace last yet few hear willingly so as to obey and therefore they come not unto Christ. PROP. 6. Whereas I. A. Argueth again That wicked men have not the powers principles or habits of Grace and therefore they have not sufficient Grace and he laboureth to prove They have not the powers and habits or principles of Grace because otherwise they would be Converts and Gracious men To this I Answer Although wicked men have not these powers and habits as some call them actually yet they have them hiddenly to wit in a Seed or principle of Grace which virtually containeth all these powers and faculties even as the Seed of a Tree doth virtually contain the Fruit and tree it self But it doth not follow that because a wicked man hath a good Seed in him that therefore he is a good man no more than because good Seed is sown in barren ground that therefore it is fruitful PROP. 7. Whereas I. A. doth further allâ—dge That the Gentiles did the things of the Law mentioned Rom. 2. 14. By the meer nature of man without the Grace of God and this because it is not said They did the things contained in the Law by Grace but by Nature To this I Answer nor
is it said they did the things contained in the Law by the corrupt Nature of man as it is corrupted in the Fall and no wise healed or restored And certainly corrupted Nature could not do the things contained in the Law for the Law of God in the Hearts of the Gentiles did require not only the outward action but the inward purity of the heart and if this was wanting they did not the things contained in the Law But that there was an uprightness of heart in some of the Gentiles is clear from divers examples of Scripture as from Rom. 2. 14. They show the work of the Law Writ in their Hearts and in the Case of Cornelius and also of Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. so that God said unto him I know that thou didst this in the Integrity of thy heart And therefore that Nature mentioned by Paul Rom. 2. 14. is either Nature healed and restored in some measure by the Grace of God as Augustine did partly expound it or the innate word mentioned by Iames to wit The Word of Life immediatly grafted or planted in the Souls of men which is a Divine Nature for the Greek word used by Iames in that place doth most properly signifie that which is immediately planted in mens Nature as distinguished from that which they receive by Education or Industry as when we say innate wisdom or understanding and innate goodness we mean that which a man hath immediately received from God from his Birth or Creation to distinguish it from what he hath acquired by his own pains or labour in which sense I find both the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be used by Greek Authors Now that the Gentiles had a measure of Gods Grace bestowed upon them which for most part they did not improve is clear as from many other passages of Scripture so in particular from the Parable of the Prodigal who received of his Fathers Goods and Substance as well as the Elder Brother but he spent it in Riotous living so that he was left destitute Now I ask what was that which the Prodigal spent which his Fathers gave him and was a Portion of his Fathers Goods and Substance surely this was not mans own corrupted Nature nor any faculty or power thereof for that remained still with him And therefore it behoved to be the Grace of God PROP. 8. Whereas I. A. expoundeth All men to whom the Grace of God hath appeared Tit. 2. 11. To be all Ranks Stations and Qualities of men c. This his Exposition contradicteth his own Doctrine who so fiercely doth oppose the appearing of Gods Grace not only unto all particulars but also to many or most of the Nations of the Earth who belong to some of the Ranks Stations and Qualities of men such as these numerous and great Nations in the East and West-Indies and other remote places to whom the Doctrine of the Gospel was not in Paul's time nor perhaps since outwardly Preached at least to most of them Nor can I. A. shew where all men signifie any definit number and that the smallest part also of mankind And when Paul spoke of his warning and teaching every man his sense is clear that he excepted none but still as he had occasion he Preached the Gospel freely unto all telling them That they should repent and believe that they might receive the remission of their sins through Iesus Christ who had died for them and was risen again But I. A. saith There are many Nations as well as persons for whom Christ died not and these for whom Christ died not are not exhorted to believe that Christ died for them except they shall first make choice of and embrace him for their Lord and Saviour as the Gospel offers him But this is a strange inconsistency and contradiction How can they or ought they to embrace him as their Lord and Saviour if they are not to believe that he has died for them even when the account of Christ his dying for mankind is Preached unto them It God require men to believe in Christ it is certainly upon reasonable and equal terms some foundation or ground for such a belief is to be made known unto them As that God is Merciful and ready to pardon their by past sins which yet cannot be if Christ hath not died for them PROP. 9. Lastly whereas I. A. doth argue That the Doctrine of Vniversal Grace destroyes the Efficacy of Grace and makes the Effectualness thereof depend upon mans will to chuse or refuse as he pleaseth and so the Grace of God shall be subordinate to mans will which is absurd To this it is easily Answered that the Grace of God is still effectual in its Nature even when it doth not actually work the Salvation of all for as much as it is sufficiently able to work it where it is not resisted even as the Fire is effectual to Melt the hardest Mettal if the Mettal be duely applyed to it but if the Mettal be removed from the Fire that the said Mettal is not Melted is not because of the Fire it s not having efficacy enough but because the Mettal is removed from it so the Fire still retaineth its efficacy as it had before Again the efficacy of Gods Grace dependeth not on mans will seeing the will of man doth not influence or excite the Grace of God to make it operate but on the contrary it is the Grace of God that doth influence or excite the heart and will of man without which it cannot do any thing towards mans Salvation and therefore the Grace of God is never subordinate to the will of man as I. A. doth falsly inferr And whereas I. A. upon this head Calls the Grace of God that can be resisted so as the Souls Conversion may be hindred by mans resisting it ill natured and false Grace and moreover addeth that he will have nothing to do with such Grace that can be resisted he speaketh here too rashly and presumptuously for do we not read of some in Scripture that resisted the Truth and also the Holy Ghost As Stephen charged the Iews that they did always resist the Holy Ghost as did their Fathers and yet according to I. A. his Principle he might as well say He would have nothing to do with the Holy Chest that can be resisted and charge it as ill natured and false which were Blasphemous to affirm Notwithstanding the same I. A. forgetting himself a few Lines after saith We may indeed resist both the means and motions of Grace and not improve Grace as we should and might too But saith he God makes it still effâ—ctual to the growth by him designed This is a contradiction not only to his former Assertion but to it self as implying that men may improve Grace further than God designed they should Another very absurd Assertion I find alledged by him as if Grace did not incline men to perfection and so there
I Answer Every true Minister or Pastor hath his Anthority to Execute his Function as Christian as nor being a strict and formal reduplication but taken specifically seeing to be a Christian is as necessary to every true Minister of Christ as to be a living Creature is necessary to be a man or to be a man is necessary to be a Souldier or Magistrate or Lawyer And whereas I. A. saith That Christian and Antichristian are not contradictory terms seeing many persons are neither Christian nor Antichristian I Answer again as they are taken indefinitely they are not contradictory but as restricted to such as bear the Name and Profession of Christianity they are perfectly contradictory so that every one that professeth himself to be a Christian such as the Pope doth is most certainly either Christian or Antichristian The other gross Assertion of his is That the Church of Rome was still a True Church and not Babylon until the time of Reformation viz. about the time of the Council of Trent or Luther's arising with some others to witness against her notwithstanding she did hold many fundamental errors and thus because her errors were not so discovered and demonstrated unto her before as since that time But what a miserable shift and evasion this is and how contrary to Scripture and the Judgment of the most sound of all Protestant Writers I leave the Sober Reader to judge For doth not the Scripture plainly declare That Mystery Babylon was to rule over the Nations and deceive them and Drink the Blood of the Martyrs and Witnesses of Iesus for many Hundreds of years And when was it that she deceived all Nations Was it only since the Reformation or rather was not her chiefest timâ— before the Reformation for since the Reformation many Nations are come to see her Abominaâ—ions more than formerly And when was 〈◊〉 That the Kings of the Earth hath committed Fornication with her Hath it not been for many hundreds of years bygone rather than since the Reformation when they have begun to hate her and burn her flesh with Fire in some sense And when began she to drink the Blood of the Saints Only since Luther's days or the Council of Trent Surely none who hath the least knowledge of Church History but will say the contrary and acknowledge that she has been a Bloody Murtheress for divers hundreds of years long before the Reformation and consequently was no true Church of Christ. For not only her unsound and corrupt Doctrines but her wicked Life and especially her slaying the Witnesses of Christ And exalting her self over the Kings and Emperors of the Earth above six hundred years ago at least with many other things to be charged against her utterly inconsistent with a true Church doth altogether make her to be no true Church for many hundred of years before Luther And the Lord wanted not Witnesses sufficient to demonstrate her Errors unto her many hundreds of years before Luther for in every Century God raised up his Witnesses against her as the Church History doth plainly and fully relate Moreover she had both the Scriptures of Truth to Witness against her and also Gods Holy Checks and Reproofs of his Spirit in her Conscience that was instead of a thousand so she wanted not demonstration of her Errors sufficient to render without excuse for many hundreds of years before Luther's time And now let all sober Protestants judge who doth most favour the Harlot Babylon I. A. or we for by I. A. his Doctrine she is but a Young Woman as yet and â—carse â—ad time in the World to bring up her Daughters of Fornication to that Age and Stature the Scripture declareth How much more true is the Testimony of those Protestants who date her rising above a Thousand years agoe her whole time being numbred in Scripture to contain 1260 or 1290. days at most signifying according to the Proâ—hetick Stile of Scripture so many years the period or end of which time sincere Protestâ—ants are looking for as near approaching when she shall fall as a Millstone cast into the Sea and never rise again But by I. A. his account she began not to rise till little more then a hundred years agoe and consequently before her fall more then a thousand years are yet to expire which is too glad tydings unto her but they are false and too sad tydings to the people of God if that they were true THE END 1 Cor. 11 32. Act. 10. 42. Act. 17. 31.
appearing and do still at this day load them with such kind of Charges and to none is it more familiar to blame others for Heresie than those who are greatest Hereticks themselves 4. He saith In Doctrine we trample generally upon the whole Moral Law but more especially upon the first Table And here very falsly he Charges our Doctrine to be contrary to the first second fourth fifth sixth and ninth Commandments but let us see how he maketh good his Charge in each of them He alledgeth our Doctrine transgresseth the first Commandment because we say All Prayer and Worship that is performed without the Spirit of God is Will-worship and Superstition and consequently no wicked or unregenerate persons are bound to Worship God or indeed in any respect to obey God And from thence he concludes They are not under any Law of God and therefore lastly let them do what they will they cannot sin against God such men in the Quakers Principles as he saith may deny disown reject hate and contemn God worship the Devil and debauch at their pleasure they may lawfully dishonour and defame all men Murder commit Adultery Steal bear false Witness and yet they cannot sin because they are under no Law Hence also he infers That Reprobates are most unjustly condemned for their sinning against God seeing they not having received the Spirit are not under Law to God and so cannot be guilty of sinning against him Now what Sober Impartial and indifferent person that is not byassed with deep prejudice against us seeth not that these absurd consequences have not the least shadow of any Rational inference For although we say indeed that there is no true Worship but that which is in Spirit according to the express words of Christ and that none are true Worshippers of God but such as Worship him n the Spirit and that God requireth no Lifeless or Spiritless Worship yet we still affirm that all mankind ought to Worship God and Call upon him even all the wicked and unrenewed persons as well as the renewed so that in the thing of Worship it self we have no Controversy whether it be due unto God by all mankind but the state of the Question lyeth here betwixt us and those that dissent from us what the Worship of God is and what kind or sort of Worship it is that God requires of all men And in Answer thereunto we say the true Worship of God is a Spiritual Worship requiring the sincerity of the heart not as a circumstance or accidental thing but as the essential part thereof which cannot be done without the Spirit of God How much therefore more True and Rational consequence is it to argue thus God commands all men to Worship him therefore he hath given some measure more or less of the help of his Spirit unto all men whereby they may so do which doth continue with them so long as it pleaseth God who taketh away this help from none but such as mightily provoke him and sin out the day of their Visitation And even those whom the Lord in his Justice hath withdrawn that help or grace of his Spirit are still bound by the Law of God to Worship him as much as ever even when they neither do or can Worship him truly because they have brought this unpotency or inability upon themselves by their own unfaithfulness Even as a Servant or Steward that hath received a sum of Money to pay his Master and the said Servant spendeth the Money upon his Lusts and hath not one Penny wherewith to pay the debt yet he is still lyable for the whole sum Hence what I. A. saith in page 11. of his Preface is true that the inability of unrenewed men to perform acceptable Worship neither does nor can take away their Obligation to perform it But we differ from I. A. in the cause or reason why those who want that ability are still under the said Obligation which reason he will have only and alone mens losing it in Adam in whom they all once had it and the losing of it is their fault citing Rom. 5. 12 19. But to this I Answer First Whatever loss or inability is come upon Adam's posterity by the primitive disobedience yet now by vertue of the second Adam his obedience a new ability is conferred upon all men So that as broad as the Sore did spread by the first sin even as broad is the Plaister that God hath provided to the Lame and Diseased Souls of all mankind And this is most clear and plain from Rom. 5. 18. as also from Ioh. 3. 19. And this is the condemnation said Christ that Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil So we see that Christ layeth not the ground of wicked mens condemnation upon Adams sin but upon their hating the Light that did come unto them as a new and fresh discovery and visitation of Gods love But secondly Whether this Inability is come upon the wicked by reason of Adam's sin or by their own actual disobedience since that time yet we affirm no less than I. A. that the most wicked and ungodly are still under the obligation to the whole Law of God and their inability can be no ground of excuse unto them But the true state of the Queston is this Whether wicked men not simply as men or creatures but as wicked and remaining still in their wickedness should or are required to offer up unto God hypocritical and lifeless performances of that which men commonly call Prayer and Worship but is no more so in the sight of God than a dead Picture of Stone or Clay is a true living man and so whether God did ever require any to draw near to him with their Mouths and remove their Hearts far away as the manner of all wicked persons while so remaining always is Now we say God never required such sort of Prayers but refused and forbad them to be offered unto him even under the Law see Isaiah 1. 13. Bring no more vain Oblations and v. 12. When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Again Psal. 50. 16 17. But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction c. And whereas I. A. citeth some words of our Friends That wicked men should not Pray let the Impartial and Indifferent Reader understand these words in the Sense of those Scriptures just now mentioned which are as positive and full as any that can be cited out of our Friends Books and all occasion of mistake shall be removed For neither the Sense of the Scripture nor of our Friends is That wicked men are bâ—und in no respect to Worâ—ip God for the contrary is manifest from the words cited by I. A. out of the Book called The Principles of Truthâ—