be quiet let all concerned consider there is that to be done they yet cannot do that so in a sense of our Nothingness and Inability we may wait on him that 's able to do all things and in the mean time let us consider if it hath not been on this foot that all before us since the Apostacy have miscarried hasting God's work taking that to themselves God has not yet given to any visible Society if so we can only avoid that Rock by being more humble And therefore we desire such as do know what he means and take themselves of this Church to consider seriously in their own minds if they find themselves thus qualified to take the Government of Christ upon their Shoulders that so others may certainly depend on them in the things of God as infallible and if they do not thus find it then to consider if they certainly know who are thus qualified on whom not only themselves but others also may depend But if this be not known then whether they are still to suppose that there is some that are thus qualified and on that Supposition presumingly depend seeing where there wants Certainty there must want Truth This we commend to every ones serious Consideration for the good of their own Immortal Souls that they may not depend on Suppositions Conjectures or at best but on Probabilities but that all may be established on God's everlasting Truth manifested in their own Souls the Truth of all Shadows and that which fulfils all Additions for Righteousness sake But again what doth he drive at What doth he intend by placing Infallibility upon this Church as it relates to Men To us it must either be to set up the worship of God or not if not we cannot find 't is worth his while for if God's worship may be known without their being set up as infallible there can be but little if any thing at all in it for where God's worship is truly known such must love God with all their Hearts and who so loves God cannot avoid loving his Neighbour as himself and herein the whole Duty of Man seems included But if any think the worship of God cannot be set up but as direction comes from Men called a Church and that because nothing can set up the worship of God but what is infallible therefore we must accept the Church as infallible in this matter then we enquire if this be not to have two infallible Rules for one and the same thing for the Spirit of Truth is certainly one infallible Rule and if this Church be another then here 's two but as this is improper so they cannot both stand together However we may distinguish the one from the other the one is to be look'd for in the mind the other from Men called a Church without and so the one is inward the other outward but taking this in the best sense not as meer Men but as they think Men indewed with God's Spirit and thereby fitted for Government Now which of those must give way for both cannot stand in equal Authority together will any venture to say that the inward must give way for a few or the lesser number cannot be so such as many or the greater number however not as this Church that is set up as the Ground and Pillar of Truth then we desire such to consider if they do not justle Christ out of his Throne or at least set up a Tutor or Governour over the Spirit of Truth as some before us have done who begun well and will still in the general in a good measure acknowledge as we do to the Influences of God's holy Spirit but then they tell us the Scripture is the Rule and what difference is there to tell us the Church is the Rule the Heir while under Tutors and Governours differing nothing from a Servant though he be Lord of all We would by no means miss your meaning either you take your selves as infallible in the matter or not if not we say why do you impose upon your Brethren For if you 're not infallible certainly you must allow Conviction to preceed Conformity but if you think your selves infallible we tell you notwithstanding that you are to give way for we hope all will conclude our Saviour perfect and every way infallible and as good and as certain a Rule as any Church can be while he was in that Body prepared for him and if his Disciples could not be made perfect while he so abode with them we hope no Church will take more to themselves or think they can do more than he did Well then if you will seek his Will as he sought or did the Father's Will you must do as he did you must tell your Disciples or those that depend upon you that you must go away as a guide to them in the worship of God and a holy Conversation before they can be made perfect for it is certainly as expedient for you to let all know how far your Ministry can go as it was for him did he tell his Disciples it was expedient for him to go away or else the Comforter could not come the Spirit of Truth that only guide into all Truth 'T is as expedient we are sure for you to let all know that except Men come into their own minds and there wait to know the work and teaching of God for themselves they can never be made perfect by your Ministry We would not have you mistake us do we hereby make void the gifts of God given unto Men for the work of the Ministry No by no means but we would have all to know that the best of gifts for this end are but Additions and are not to be perpetuated as for ever for that which is but until hath a limit and ends in him that gave them and as all ought to look for Christ the hope of Glory to arise in their minds to fulfil every Addition so should all that have received any gift from God direct all to him in whom they all end otherwise such will be always learning but can never know that Truth that maketh free for though the light of a Candle is good 't is in the dark 't is in the Night and they that use it are sensible of its service yet in in its use wait for the Day to come for the Sun to arise where its service is swallowed up and truly fulfilled even so the light that comes from Men as it comes from God to them is good and serviceable by way of direction but its chief service is to those that are in the dark and therefore if the Son of Righteousness be not waited for through the use of it to rise upon their Souls they still remain in the dark notwithstanding all the teaching of Men let their Gifts and Abilities be what they will therefore send all to Christ and leave all with him seek his Honour truly and he will certainly seek yours
obliging And where this is not freely granted at least among a People that acknowledge the Spirit of Truth to be the only guide into all Truth there the Government of Christ is either directly or indirectly opposed or hindered for admit of one Error or Uncertainty and more will follow an Uncertainty admitted for the Truth in this case standing in the nature of a Lie But now to shew that this part of his Answer which seems to affirm the Question is so far from being a direct and full Answer as 't is not worthy of that name being of no use or service with respect to the Controversie the end for which he pleads his great concern to write For observe though 't is true in the sense he grants that those that are perfectly free from all bad and perfectly free to all good may safely be left to their freedom to act in the things of God as they are perswaded Yet forasmuch as he neither hath nor we believe can give us any certain or undoubted Rule how to know who these are that are so to be left all that he hath said by way of affirming this great and weighty Question is worth nothing for as it is altogether unintelligible 't is every way impracticable Well then if any certain Rule can be given to know who may be left to their freedom as above let us have it and by the contrary Rule we shall know who may not be so left But if no such Rule can be given it must follow all must be left free or none must be left If none must be left then must an outward Rule be set up to govern all and that would make us like Israel that rejected God's Government to be like other Nations But if all must be left free to act in the things of God as they are perswaded let all this Clamour cease that we may be quiet and live like Christians in the fellowship of the Gospel There is but one Objection and that is that this is to give liberty to evil which we may speak to in another place and in the mean time that is far from our thoughts as the Author said it ought not to be named among Saints But now to the latter part of his Answer where he makes a flourish as if he would tell us who were not to be left to their freedom that so he might give some thing like an Answer to the whole Question in which if he succeeds no better than he has done above we believe there is none will be better or wiser for what he has done But to the matter he tells us if thou plead'st thy freedom against such requisite things thy freedom is naught dark perverse and out of the Truth c. This is still to the same tune here is a Judge implied but not set forth 't is not the Spirit of Truth but some outward thing whatever it is But since we know not where he will fix to say no more 't is dark to be sure To help it all we can we shall thus far grant there are some outward things so far essential to true Religion as those that do contrary to them may be detected of Error but if it had been any of those things that had been done contrary too we believe they would not have been omitted here because if certain they would have greatly advantaged this Discourse there being much want of certainty in it But this not being done and things laid down in a general way in which often deceit or cunning lurks we can do no less than judge that the things suggested as the ground of Difference are neither such Principles nor Practices as have been from our beginning nor yet such things as can be truly said to be essential to true Religion and if not essential things observe it nor yet such things as have been from our beginning they can at best be but circumstantial or if you will ceremonial or shadowy things and such things at best are but accidentally good that is as Persons are perswaded of them and what is but accidentally good may on the contrary be accidentally not good and that is as persons are disatisfied with them And if they prove such things as those we believe they concern only that outward Court which God hath left unmeasured on purpose that Christians might never differ about them and if such things as we are fit to take for granted we would gladly know how they can be brought in and made terms of Communion against the mind of other of the same perswasion while we have run down with all our power the like in others What was they wrong there and can they be right here that 's strange according to truth But in the likeness of truth it s not strange it being commonly found that Persons plead for or against things in others which they will neither give nor take themselves Besides it 's seen it 's about such things that the most of Christians have differed denying Communion to one another on some specious pretence or other forgetting to give what they themselves desired to receive And thus hath poor Man been deceived all along by the Devil in the likeness of Truth But to proceed that the Question above is weighty we have noted and that the Answer is evasive and nothing to the purpose we have shewed The Reason wherefore it was evaded remains to be inquired into according to our promise and that we conceive still as above must either be because our Author wanted Ability or else his Cause was not good and so could not bear the answering it according to truth Not the first we are satisfied for those many Tracts wrote by him when directed to a good end do abundantly shew his Ability and skill in things of this kind yea to that exactness that without flattery he might have been compared to the Men of Benjamin that could hit their Mark to an hairs breadth Thus it could not be the want of Ability therefore we are satisfied it was the want of Truth in the design carried on Opinion or the likeness of Truth was endeavoured to be obtruded and set up instead of Truth betwixt which and Truth there is as much difference in the ground nay more than betwixt the shadow and the substance and yet there is that likeness in outward appearance or else it could not be called the Mystery of Iniquity by which all are and have been deceived to their hurt but only such who are sincere to God and cannot sit down before they know their Names writ in the Lamb's Book of Life This is that only which can fully satisfie the Hungry and the Thirsty Soul So that though Men have begun well yet if they travel not for the end they must miscarry for if the Travel cease in any state short of the Rest let former Openings and Experiences bin what they will as that work is stopped by the Enemy so are they
is true or good in no sense 'T is true he has not given us a Rule to know those of whom we last spake nor do we believe that he can set them out but that is not against us but for us for if any may assert that nothing is a Duty but what they are perswaded on tho others may abuse it if we cannot distinguish betwixt the one and the other he knows Tares must be suffered to grow rather than run the hazard to destroy Wheat Again he tells us Page 9. That a saying may be true or false according to the subject or matter 't is applied to Now though we believe he has mist the truth there yet it will serve us here against himself for this Position that he is so angry at is but a saying and such as has been advanced truly against Imposition and again may be truly used on that occasion therefore it cannot be the root of Ranterism for that is simply evil wherefore we hope he will withdraw his Charge of the root of Ranterism from this Position that nothing is a Duty incumbent upon us but what we are perswaded on and instead of condemning it as evil allow it as good and necessary in its genuine sense But to conclude this matter we grant a saying may come from the root of Ranterism but no saying whatever can be that Root much less such a saying that hath and may again be applied to a good end wherefore we cannot see why this saying should be written with a different Character for and this ugly and undeserved dress put on it except instead of perswading to affrighten into blind Obedience To the latter part of the Question Ought I not to be left to the Grace and Spirit of God in my own Heart c. To this he answers That is of all things most desirable for no fear of want of Vnity where all are so left with the one Spirit they must be of one Mind they cannot be otherwise c. Answer That he desires all should be guided by God's Spirit we believe and therein does well but that he should limit it to that one way with respect to shadowy or circumstantial things that he may believe is good is his mistake by which 't is plain though he may have received a measure of God's Spirit yet he is not truly born of it for if he were he would not limit God's Holy Spirit to this or that ceremonial circumstantial or shadowy thing for that is to set the measure above him from whom it comes and to measure that which God has left unmeasured the hurt and mischief through all the Reformations that have been this is not the Truth but a likeness of it at best which all hitherto have been deceived by and 't is our danger O that it could be considered in our day But to the matter that those that are truly left with the one Spirit of Truth must and will agree we grant and therefore where difference is carried on to the Breach of Charity one side at least must be wrong but which ought in God's fear to be inquired the greater number cannot determine it but that there must be an Identity of Opinion as we think the School-men call it that is a sameness of Mind and oneness of Judgment to circumstantial ceremonial or shadowy things is sooner said than proved and savours more of Curiosity than any real necessity And thus what he seems fairly to grant in the fore-part of his Answer above he takes away in the latter part by limitting it to an Oneness of Mind or Identity of Opinion without making a difference betwixt circumstantial things and such as are truly essential for though all that fear God must and will agree in the latter yet there is no necessity that they must agree in the former therefore to insist too much upon such things have always been of evil Consequence making differences greater than else they would have been and the reason is plain for where such things are too much pressed 't is because they are over-valued and by how much that such things are over-valued 't is the likeness and not the truth that prevails O that it could be considered For by how much as such things are over-valued God and his Holy Spirit are neglected Where this happens such things that else might have been indifferent becomes sinful to espouse by such as truly fear God for we may note God and his Holy Spirit can never be over-valued in our Hearts and Minds but every thing below him may And yet on the other hand some seeing this as a certain wrong the Enemy hath aggravated the matter to make both wrong and that whilst they both thought they was right and thus the Devil hath deceived poor Man even unto this day and 't is our danger and will continue until the Spirit of the Son of God be more plentifully poured forth upon us that can say Father forgive them they know not what they do This is that which we want and should truly wait for that the great Deceiver the occasion of all strife and trouble among such as fear God might be cast out that so he might deceive no more which we hope is near for there seems but one grand Remove to know the Mystery of Iniquity finished and that is to know our Habitation in God who we have professed hath appeared in us by his Light and Spirit Most look for this great Mystery of Iniquity every where but where 't is they look for it abroad when it can only be truly finished in their own Hearts for as he that never knew spiritual Bondage can never know and value true spiritual Liberty so he that never knew this great Mystery of Deceit in his own Mind revealed can never know a true delivering from it 'T is not possible to give a Rule by Words to escape it for he that knows the most and thinks by that Knowledge to escape being deceived he is deceived already we wish it could be seriously considered by all for 't is the greatest Tryal Men can meet with But to make lesser things than essential things Terms of Communion we have observed to be a great Evil in others and shall we cry it up as good in our selves That which we have affirmed was never bless'd and successful in others shall we put in practice Unity has been the great Plea with which the World hath abounded and whilst they have sought for it in ceremonial and shadowy things instead of being united they have been divided and instead of being gathered they have been scattered not to the Honour of Christ but the shame of Christians and shall we pipe to the same Tune for company in which there seems no material Difference but a change of the Persons and Opinions Have others been determining Truth by the majority of Voices and do not we so too And if we do had we not better acknowledge it than let the
deceived by him in the likeness of the Truth at best for as the Rest is that which remains for the People of God so is there no state allotted men that have simply begun in Spirit to dwell in short of that because none safe but that the Rest is only by being in Christ the Travel is while he appears in us to fit us for himself to new create us for 't is the new Creature that only finds room in him Now the Enemy that fallen Angel can go with Man into every remove whilst man is fitting and preparing but into Christ he cannot come for in him he has no part upon which account 't is plain the difference is great betwixt our being in Christ and he only in us And as man must be made a new Creature before he can come into Christ so must he travel through the whole Mystery of Iniquity and in the last step of the Travel is the very height of the Mystery known and not before Here is the delivering of Isaac up indeed and the receiving of him again after another sort Here the Mystery is finished and Man's works ceaseth c. We know whilst the Hunger and Thirst remains for God's Kingdom in Man's Mind and Soul he cannot chuse but be sincere and then he must travel because the Hope stands before him and the sense of Eternal Life lives upon his Mind but if the value of that Heavenly Country fall in his Mind the Travel ceases and then if in any state short of the Rest 't is not God nor his Holy Spirit that bears Rule for where he rules there is Sincerity and where there is Sincerity there 's travel And as the Lord begets it so he has regard to the least measure of his own begeting and there the Enemy is chained and the Sin of the least Child is forgiven for his Name sake so that though the Enemy can go with the Creature he rules not but if the Travel of the Mind and Soul cease before the Rest is known let it be where it will as the Sincerity ceases it is the Enemy that rules and the more Knowledge revealed the greater is the Mystery of Iniquity and when this comes to pass as there is a false Rest set up so there is a great noise about outward things All was quiet before but now all in a Tumult not about essential but circumstantial or shadowy things It would not be so if we truly sought the Heavenly Country or rightly knew our Lives hid with Christ in God for if that was truly known first as to the Travel we should find work enough at Home and if the latter wherein our own Works ceaseth we should never think of establishing God's Kingdom by our Works But to leave this Digression and come again to the Matter As the likeness of Truth and Truth differ in the Ground so their Arguments do also differ Those plain and simple Arguments that will serve the Truth will do nothing for the other to help the likeness forward weighty Questions must be evaded or indeed agreeable to the Nature of the matter carried on something like Answer must be given to weighty Questions which in truth are none things that God has left unmeasured must be measured and a greater value set upon them than he ever set and what ought to be proved that it might be certain because where there wants Certainty there wants Truth must instead of being proved be taken for granted which begging of the Question is apparent throughout the whole Discourse as may be shewed in part as we proceed by which 't is plain to us and we hope will be to every considerate Reader that the plain tendency of the Paper was and is to bring in the likeness of Truth for the Truth by endeavouring a Conformity that 's more presumptive than real wherein things must be taken for granted because others say it and not because they that should receive them know they are true and that this Discourse levels at this Mark is plain to us and hopes will be to more if they consider the go-by to this weighty Question And this will be further confirmed when we consider the Difficulties that lye in the Question to be answered truly where Mens ways is not that of the Truth To this end consider the Question is fair and easily answered according to Truth then as his aim was to have asserted Truth he ought to have done it but 't is plain with respect to Truth and his Discourse he could do it neither way that is he could neither directly affirm or deny the Question For first had he affirmed the Question as he ought to have done that is to have fairly granted that where the gift of God is received to profit withall there all such ought to be left to act in the things of God as they are perswaded then had he spoyled his Discourse for he could not deny but those that he would conclude to be guided by others have received the gift of God to profit withall therefore as this would have been inconsistent with his Discourse 't is plain his way was not the way of Truth Again had he granted the Question as above he had not only spoyled his Discourse by asserting Truth but then he had asserted and stood by one of the Foundations Principles of our building and of every true building to wit Conviction and Perswasion And indeed without which as there can be no true buillding so can no true building stand where 't is discontinued this must needs have marred the Market of those whose cause he undertook that cannot be quiet about their Opinions till others of the same Communion are perswaded which ought and must be if Conviction or Perswasion must preceed Conformity By Opinions we mean such things as have not been from our beginning and which can never be proved essential things for they may tell us they are moved of God in the matter this will not do whilst we are sure that he hath left such things on purpose unmeasured that Men might agree therefore where Persons will press such things to dissatisfaction they raise themselves above the level of their Brethren and then of necessity there must be something of Lordship and Dominion exercised contrary to the Rule laid down by our Lord who said after those things the Gentiles seek but said it shall not be so among you he that will be the greatest let him be as him that serveth On this account they was to call no Man Doctor or Father that so their Dependence might not be on Men let their Abilities be what they will And thus as his Discourse could not bear the affirming truly this weighty Question because then must have granted Conviction so on the other hand he could not deny it for had he done that he must have been under an Obligation to have demonstrated how there could be a dependance on others in the things of God without
or referred too all his work had been to no purpose grant that and no hopes of conforming before Conviction from hence 't is plain 't is Form and not Power and Life that is so strenuously endeavoured to be set up But the sense and consequence of his Argument sets Fellowship up instead of Truth for we can find no difference by his Argument betwixt saying They that go out of the Truth go out of the Light and they that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light but as the word Fellowship is set up for Truth we must inquire what must be understood by it for it cannot stand of it self Therefore to make it intelligible in the best sense we must joyn to it what he calls the Church and then that Church must relate to People and at last we judge it must relate to those Orders Rules and Forms that are set up by this Church for the difference begun there and therefore the Fellowship seems to stand there and then according to the Consequence of his reasoning in our Judgment his Position must be read thus or to this effect They that go out of Fellowship with this Church in these circumstantial or ceremonial things which she set up to be observed they go out of the Light that God dwells in Now if this be true the contrary Position is as true That they that walk in Fellowship with this Church in the things she sets up to be observed they abide in the Light that God dwells in Upon the whole 't is necessary to know whether all this be true or nay if not necessary a bare Conformity will serve and they that can believe this Doctrin have no more to do but to mind to keep in Fellowship with this Church in the things she set up to be observed and what may confirm such in it is his Position That they that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light for if this be certain the contrary is as certain That they that keep in Fellowship abide in the Light but if needful to know the truth of those things beyond a bare Conformity Belief or Report as most sure it is for if we must be led by this Church and she be wrong and that not known our Damage is irreparable but if she is right 't is as necessary to know that as it was the other otherwise we may be wrong whilst she may be right Now whether she is right or wrong can only be truly known by coming sincerely to the Spirit of Truth in our own Hearts and there waiting to know what is right and what is wrong for that way only can we be gathered into the Truth and kept out of what is wrong therefore we must affirm 't is absolutely necessary for every one to come to the Spirit of Truth for themselves for he that knoweth not the Truth in himself can never know it in another as he ought to know it nor can he value the Truth in another that doth not first love and value it in himself by which 't is plain 't is God that adds to the true Church and not Man though we do not deny any means that God may make use of but as they all direct to him so they all end in him for Righteousness sake to them that truly believe But to come to his Argument again which is that 't is easie to conclude That those that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light to which we say as easie as it is 't is not safe so to conclude upon this Argument the Word Fellowship being dubious and uncertain as above because those that did go out of Fellowship with the Apostles did go out of the Light therefore those that go out of Fellowship or differ with this or that Assembly in this or that ceremonial or shadowy thing go out of the Light is no good Argument being still but a begging of the Question what is this but to over-value our selves and bear witness of our selves as others before us have done endeavouring to set our Post by the Apostles which we cannot And if we could the work would not follow God hath designed which is to go forward but instead of that there would be a declining seeing 't is plain as the Apostle and these then were most eminent so there was a declining until the true Church did go into the Wilderness nor can the work succeed better whilst those that go before are to be relled on in the things of God or whilst they look for it betwixt the Apostles time and the Church going into the Wildernss the inquiry was what the Apostle did thinking by doing what they did to meet with the same Life and Power or at least by doing such things to find acceptance with God but when that was missed and Life could not be found nor Satisfaction in observing of outward things then was the true Church allured by the Lord into the Wilderness state wherein nothing could serve to satisfie the Immortal Soul but what came immediately from God and then such God visited by his Holy Spirit according to their state and his time and so from step to step till he came to us to whom we believe he hath appeared more clearly than to any since the Apostacy and as we have seen that Christ must be the beloved of the Soul before we could by his Holy Spirit be led out of the Wilderness so it must be a true dependance upon him that can only perfect that Work begun according to his own will and as we believe there is to be no end of the increase of his Government now begun we are to consider there is some alteration in the work it then decreased it must now increase and if it must increase we may well consider as God is Infinite and Eternal he hath still more Wisdom Power and Glory to reveal and as we think of this and consider that we are but come to the beginning of this glorious Day we should be so far from thinking our selves the greatest as we should think our selves the least for this only fits Men to know more this is that which makes the Elders low and little in their own eyes and then always ready to throw down their Crowns at the feet of Jesus let him appear when how and where he pleases Thus there must be a looking forward and not backward for the mind of Christ This hath yet never been truly known in any Reformation for instead of waiting truly upon him that stired in their minds and shewed them things that was true and did appear to them in the use of outward things whilst their mind was sincere to him we say instead of waiting upon him to compleat and fulfil those Additions that might be serviceable for a time they depended too much on outward Things and limited him by those Forms that he had appeared in and herein the Elders in every breaking forth of God since the Apostacy
all Truth and gave this for a reason as it was an inward and hidden Rule if allowed sufficient as Independent to any outward Rule then it opened a way for the Worlds Libertines to plead the light within for their excesses and thus though they owned the light within and Spirit of God in a sense yet they set up the Scriptures as superiour and guide unto it and do not you in effect the same thing For though you do not set up the Scriptures yet both by the management of things and the tendency of our Author's discourse you set up the Church as a Rule and Guide to the Spirit and Light within and what difference is there seeing both have equally been misapplied by the cunning crafty reasonings of Men Now consider is there any cause for all this noise save your Brethren pleading the light within against your forcing new things upon them 'T is true he saith This Plea is a Deviation from the ancient Testimony but how doth he prove it For forcing circumstantial ceremonial or shadowy things is of the same nature with the imposing of such like things by others the difference of the the thing or Persons do not alter the nature of Imposition Imposition is Imposition still so that if you impose it will be the same thing and you must either impose or not if you deny that you impose why are not you quiet But if you own that you do impose to us you justifie their Pleas against you to be short you must bring those things in about which the difference is either as Terms of Communion or not if you did not bring them in as Terms of Communion then why do you criminate your Brethren as evil doers whilst you have nothing against them but refusing compliance with your Opinions As this shews the want of Charity so 't is no proof that your cause is good but as you bring them in as Terms of Communion whilst they are no essential things you must be wrong whether the things be wrong or nay for if brought in as Terms of Communion whether right or wrong they must be received Therefore as the liberty of choice is taken away our Understanding is superfluous such service indeed may be blind or worse but can never be reasonable This appears as an excess in you and as every excess is a wrong for which you must plead the light within or some other thing if some other thing pray let us know what it is in the mean time as this is a wrong must it not be opposed by such as see it a wrong by setting the measure of Understanding God has given against this wrong how else shall wrong now or any for the future be redressed If this be what our Author terms Confusion and setting measure against measure are not you first in the matter by administring the occasion setting your measure not only against but over your Brethren For in the Truth to us it doth not appear but your Brethren have as much power to refuse things as you can have to impose and where the power 〈◊〉 equal the difference about Opinions in circumstantials ought to be discontinued by those that gave the occasion for we are sure it is more according to Truth for you to omit the doing of what you may believe is good in this sense than for others to receive what they believe is wrong it will not be your calling them requisite things that can give you any Authority for ceremonials or circumstantials will still be such when you have said and done what you can But if this be Babel indeed a Term of his own starting are not you the Master Work-men in this building the cause for which the Language is divided And then is not there a plain parallel betwixt your work and that in the Land of Shiner They were there of one Language while they journyed and till they began to build their end was Preservation as well as yours but as they took their own Counsel and not the Lord's he divided their Language not for their hurt but that they might be stopped which otherwise they would not in that fruitless labour that as it could never be perfected so it could not answer the end designed And like to this was not we of one language whilst we truly travelled for the true rest of the Soul to wit Union and Communion with God in that holy Spirit of his Son Christ Jesus But when we found Shinar a Plain and took up our dwelling there in the likeness of Truth then did not we as others before us begin to build and bring in the Brick instead of the true Stone and Slime instead of the true Mortar proper Materials indeed for a great Building and yet but the product of Man's reason and though our end was Preservation yet forasmuch as those Materials that makes this our Building cannot regenerate the Soul nor make the Mind holy and as over-valued hath stopped our Travel and Journeying the Lord has looked down to behold our work and because it cannot answer the end designed and we would not be stopped otherwise has he not as of old and often since divided our language not for our hurt but for our good if we could but make the true use of it which is to cease our Building our Works and so return to him that did begin to work in us by his holy Spirit for he only can perfect it and restore to us not only one language but the pure language which can never be done any other way for no hopes of doing it by our strength and work for that caused the division that way we may become a Sect but can never be born of God's universal Spirit where that one Original language is known to which all that fear God must at last be gathered till this is known as there has been turnings and overturnings on this account so it must still continue till he come to rule whose right it is We wish in the love of God it could be truly weighed and considered before it be too late And in the mean time for you to call such Pleas as those leave me to the Grace of God and to the Spirit of Truth loose Pleas together with several such like mentioned in his Book we must say we look upon it as of dangerous consequence what though some may abuse them will you take them away and with them freedom of Speech 〈◊〉 you demolish those Fortifications that the Truth hath reared against Imposition Innovation and in some sort provided against an Apostacy This appears to us the fore-runner of a Retreat as others before us have done who begun with the Spirit but after sought to be made perfect by some outward way or thing For if such Pleas and Testimonies of truth as these that nothing is a Duty but what we are perswaded on and that we ought to be left to the Grace of God because the Spirit of Truth is
as Churches their Power being all alike If then some distinct Assembly it must be such an one to speak modestly as is superiour to all the rest according to Constitution and then what comes not in this way can have no shadow of any Authority for force or pressure of new things beyond satisfaction and freedom but such a Church cannot be but either by a civil Compact or by a divine Institution The first is not agreeable with the Truth for we cannot delegate or give power to any to make Rules or Laws to guide us or oblige us in spiritual Matters because we cannot be bound by any thing but the Truth and we must know it such before we can be bound by it therefore no such Compact or Agreement can be because liberty reserved and our power given away are inconsistent But if the latter that some one Assembly according to divine Institution is superiour to all the rest who can make circumstantial or shadowy things Terms of Communion 'T is necessary we should know that Assembly as well also that their Authority is divine if we must rest upon their Determinations without Trial in these matters c. But this we think we cannot know but by a divine way and that then must be either by a divine sense in our own minds or by the Authority of Truth which such bring to convince in both cases we conceive our Understanding is concerned in our Obedience and Duty but neither of those ways are known to us at present therefore till set forth to press Obedience under the notion of a divine Institution implies a kind of Contradiction being in effect to say we are to go out of the Truth to serve it for to go into uncertainty is not to serve the Truth if it be not to go out of the Truth directly thus by all our endeavour in searching into the matter we cannot find according to the Principles of truth that Conformity is to go before Conviction however not before Perswasion And yet we say for Peace sake and that nothing might be hindered that is good as also that true liberty may be preserved any Particular or any Assembly of the Community may offer what is new if they sincerely believe it good and serviceable without breach of Unity or at least of Communion but we cannot find to the bringing of new things in as matters of Faith or Terms of Communion that any Assembly have any more power than a particular Person and if mistaken we would very gladly be better informed and therefore till that be done we believe to press new things as matters of Faith or Terms of Communion to dissatisfaction and indeavouring to get such things strengthened by geting the majority of Voices either directly or indirectly is a going out of Truth to make Parties And this being done how easie is it for Men to be hurried into that Uncharity as not to dispence with those Dissenters which themselves have made without Characters of Indignity as publick marks of Dis-favour as though the thing was out of doubt Truth because the most are for it We shall endeavour to bring this long business to this short issue either such as believe the Spirit of Truth is the only guide into all Truth have liberty and freedom to judge of what they are to receive or they have not if they have not power and liberty to judge of what they are to receive and practice as matters of Faith c. then the power over them is uncountable and such must submit to their Determinations not because they know or are perswaded they are true but because those that have this power over them say they are true if this be not Usurpation exercising Lordship and Dominion as well as the bringing in blind Obedience and the begetting into an Implicite Faith we desire it may be fairly demonstrated to be according to Truth this cannot fairly be denied because we believe the Truth will stand the Test and be willing to come to the Tryal we know that which is false will not indeed because it cannot therefore we are fully perswaded where any is offended at this fair and free Inquiry for satisfaction 't is a sign if not an infallible one that such are faulty But on the other hand if we have liberty and freedom to judge of what we are to receive and practice as matter of Faith on terms of Communion that so our Religion and Duty may be according to our Understanding and Judgment then we may dissent as well as assent to things proposed or brought in according as things or occasion may fall out and this without fear or hazard of being proclaimed Delinquents for Nonconformity not only with respect to our private Sentiments or Opinions for that we might do in Turky or at Rome but with respect to those of the same Communion that would bring new things in to be observed otherwise we have neither true liberty nor freedom The Result is if there be a power over us that can bring in new things as matter of Faith and terms of Communion let it be fairly set forth and proved according to truth but if we have power and liberty to judge of what we are to receive then allow it freely that dissatisfaction and difference may come to an end To this we think can be but one Objection and that is that such as are dissatisfied are not conscientious which we confess is an old Objection but yet not more old than evil and never was to seek to abuse others by such as over-valued themselves 't is time therefore it were removed being as well unchristian uncharitable as unrighteous to criminate Perfons before any thing that 's evil or immoral can be justly proved against them and such practices have always been so far from making difference less as they made them greater for instead of restoring the Path of Peace and Truth to dwell in they always laid a sure foundation both for dissatisfaction and at last for division seeing every one that is truly conscientious have not far to go for an unerring Evidence to reverse so erronious a Judgment Those are some of those many things that we are dissatisfied with in his Book and we can say on a conscientious account either then from a true Understanding or from some misapprehension of the matter in both cases we conceive we should be relieved according to Truth And as our Author is great in the Reputation of Men we expect and also hope he will be great as a Christian too which is to submit unto the Truth where-ever it appears concerned by amending what is amiss whether it be with respect to himself or it be in our mis-understanding so far as lieth in his power and that he may proceed chearfully in this undertaking we are content to say we know but in part and indeed we think but in a little part too nor dare we think our selves so perfect but what we have writ may be objected against by such as will cavil on divers accounts Perhaps some may say it wants Method may be some may say there 's seeming Contradiction or 't is full of Tautologies nay perhaps some fault may be found as to the matter for we confess and think that the day will still grow more clear and then shadows will still be less However as we are sure our end is good there can be nothing done against us in the same mind that can hurt or be of evil Consequence for varieties of Understanding that stands in the fear of God and are managed in his love may be some cause that more light is afforded but however we make our advice to others in the first place a caution to our selves to be always ready to hear and mind what when and how the Lord is pleased to speak or appear for we do not already count our selves perfect yet one thing we do forget what is behind and presses hard after the Mark that stands before and think those that do not so seems not apt for the Kingdom of God for the mind of Christ must be sought for forward and not back to his former appearances and thus in part we know what we are but what we shall be we do not fully know but as the living hopes remain in the mind such truly wait for his appearing which as they cannot miss of his coming so shall they see him as he is and be purified by him that is pure for he was is and is to come Lastly we must confess we do believe our Author might be really troubled touching our Differences as Israel was about Ruben when he built his Altar but we believe also he did not inquire the matter out fully as they did which if he had we are fit to think we should have found as few Objections in this Book as in his other Writings or had he considered of what of this nature was as we were informed communicated to him some time since then perhaps had been no occasion for this however we hope shall be always as ready to confess unto a Truth as to oppose an Error In the mean time we conclude truly desiring the good of Mankind in general but especially of them that have in any measure believed or confessed that the Spirit of Truth or Light within that comes from God is the only guide into all Truth for those we are the more concerned not only because they are nearer to us by Profession but also because they have received more and so have more to give an account of therefore we do earnestly desire such may not sit down in a Notion or Profession of so holy a Principle and thereby take the name of the Lord in vain but by a true Travel in their own Hearts and Minds with God's holy Spirit may come to prove the Truth of what is professed then will they be established as Mount Sion indeed that never can be removed The END