AN ANSWER TO Several Material Passages IN A BOOK Published some time since by W.P. ENTITULED A Brief Examination and State of Liberty spiritual both with respect to Persons in their private Capacity and in their Church-Society and Communion c. By J. H. London Printed in the Year 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER FRIENDS YOV being esteemed such as profess the Spirit of Truth the guide into all Truth having met with this Book Entituled A brief Examination and state of Liberty spiritual both with respect to Persons in their private Capacity and in their Church Society and Communion and finding the Author tells us his aim was to assert Truth detect Error and point at some Shoals and Sands that some have too boldly run upon c. Noting the great difference among Friends touching the latter we could do no less than give it a serious Perusal in which we found instead of asserting the Truth freely detecting Error fairly or pointing at any dangerous Sand or Shoal certainly the tendency of our Author's Discourse was rather to remove those true Marks we had then otherwise by endeavouring to bring in a Blind Obedience and an Implicit Faith to what he calls the Church which seems rather implied too than fairly set forth that we can find On this account considering how easie 't is for many on a Religious score to take things for granted from Persons valued on that account rather than give themselves the trouble of tryal by a true search according to the due weight of the Matter We say considering the danger of this we could do no less than take notice of several parts of the said Book desiring they may be well weighed and considered by such as believe the Spirit of Truth is that only guide into all Truth How far we was obliged to do this at present by an immediate Motion from God we shall not now determine nor Impose upon any for as we find the name of the Lord in this case is almost become as a Reproach being so often used of late to so little purpose so we would not administer further Occasion in that respect to those that are without to speak evil of the way of Truth because of some difference among such as profess it nor would we peremptorily impose upon our Brethren who professing the same Principles of Truth may pretend to the like Certainty for avoiding those things we chuse rather to commend whâ—t we have to say to the witness of God in every mind that being the likeliest way to make room for Truth and as soft words are said to pacifie Wrath so are they most like to be heard at this time 'T is true we have delivered our Judgment plainly that the Tendency and Import of our Author's Discourse was and is to bring in blind Obedience c. which as it leads from the Truth so it is wrong in it self and as every wrong is managed knowingly or otherwise thro' some mistake if wrong is carried on knowingly 't is evil or wicked because designed but from this censure we may in Charity excuse our Author believing him both a better Man and more a Christian but if not designed it must be carried on and managed through some mistake and so we would have what is said in the following Discourse to be understood But then some may inquire how our Author could be mistaken being Master of such great Abilities to which we answer easily through the mysterious working of the Enemy in the likeness of Truth nor need this seem strange to any if they consider how many have been deceived thereby both great and small and some at times hurried into things grosly evil as killing their fellow Creatures and yet at the same time think they did God Service c. How much more easie is it for Persons to be deceived by the Enemy in things that appear like good The likeness of good and of Truth is that which the evil one takes up to keep his place and save his Life when he can keep no longer in the polluted State for being a Spirit he can turn into any likeness and through the over-valuing of outward thing 's on a Religious score has the Enemy slipped undiscovered into all Forms of Religion that have been in the World and thereby kept alive his Kingdom in the Wrath Enmity hard Speeches Hatred and Vncharitableness that have been kept up among the various Professors of it Therefore that great Mystery of Iniquity stands in the likeness of Truth for if there was nothing like Truth that is not Truth there could be no Vncharitableness among such as in any measure fear God for as then there would be nothing but good and Evil so such as loved the Good as they would deny the Evil they would own the good to the least degree of its appearance knowing that as the Root of all Evil was but one so the Root of all good was but one But now besides what is evil and good as coming from each respective Root there is a third thing as we may say that stands betwixt them The outward appearance resembles good to a great degree but the Root is of the same Nature with the Evil having only changed his appearance and though good may sometimes be witnessed here as there is any thing of Sincerity in the Mind yet the Root of Evil not being removed away the covering of the Soul in the best sense is but as the linnen and woolen Garment forbid to be worn under the Law On this account it is as needful to know the Enemy cast out of our Hearts as he appears like good as it was to know him cast out as he appeared as Evil for as where the latter is not known there wants the form of Truth so where the former is not witnessed there wants the power of it It is here that he deceives poor Man sitting as God in the Temple of God and therefore till he is cast out we cannot know our Names truly to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life In this is the Victory not only over Sin but over Satan for when he can keep no longer in the polluted State nor deceive by the likeness of good then can he deceive no more This we must hope and look for and the Turnings and overturnings in Profession of Religion since the stirring of God by his Spirit to Reformation do shew that he is on his way to reign whose Right it is a But to our Time this Likeness of Truth this Enemy as God sitting in the Temple of God c. hath not been cast out nor could in any Reformation because all-a-long some outward Ceremoniel or shadowy things was joyned with the Spirit of Truth as essential to Salvation True Religion and the Government of Christ But as the Enemy can go into any outward Form or Thing therefore he could not be cast forth whilst those outward Things were overvalued but whether such have acted against
or difference that the first is but to prepare the latter to perfect and as the latter is the highest Administration the Leader being only here that cannot be removed into a Corner so he is in that Administration the substance of all Types Figures and Shadows and the fulfiller of every Addition for Righteousness sake to them that truly believe in him therefore in a Holy Reverence to the Divine Being we say the teaching of God by his Spirit immediately in our own Hearts must have the preference if ever we be truly perfected and yet there is so much Truth in what our Author hath said that when fairly stated we are content it should be as a Rule to measure the whole Difference by And therefore we offer either all that do speak in our Assemblies or Meetings speak from the Light Life and Spirit or all do not if all do so speak set it out fairly and prove it that we may be satisfied but if all do not so speak which we take for granted then you must give us a certain rule to know who do so speak and who do not or otherwise you must leave us to receive or refuse according to the best of our understanding Observe we say you must either give us a rule as above or you must leave us free for there doth not appear any mean betwixt those two that can be certain To make the matter short we take it for granted that you can give no such Rule therefore we conclude we are left free in those things of God which when they do come from God's holy Spirit immediately there is no greater Authority for are then as the Oracles of God 'T is true all should speak thus but all do not there 's the doubt and the like doubt is every where where the Truth is concerned if not give us an infallible Rule to know that the Church as referred to this or that Assembly is infallible this is absolutely necessary if we must not act according to our Understanding for no less than what is infallible can keep in the Truth We take it for granted that you can give no such Rule and therefore conclude we are every where free where the Truth is concerned to act according to the best of our Understanding in the fear of God for the Truth is but one in all 't is not more because many say it nor less because one says it therefore we are as much bound to receive the Truth from one as from many and no more to regard many than one in this case wherefore it follows as we are not bound to receive from one Man what he saith is Truth when it agrees not with our Understanding we are not to receive it from many for it must agree with the Understanding or unto such as receives it it cannot be Truth Again Truth is to be received for its own value and not for the value of those that bring it in for if it were we were in equal hazard to miss it on both hands on the one by an over-value of Persons or else how could the Leaders of the People have caused to have err'd as they have done And on the other by an undervaluing when God chuseth the foolish Things of this World to confound the wise as he often doth and what is this for but that no Flesh should glory in his Presence Therefore upon this foot as above we conclude that Conviction or at least Perswasion must be freely allowed to preceed Conformity as well to keep down that over Greatness and Dominion poor Man by the Enemy's subtilty is subject to aspire at as also to keep every one in mind that they must know the Truth for themselves for others can never know it for them nay to speak plainly and properly Truth can only be received for its own value or it can never be received so that we may safely conclude where Conviction and Perswasion are disallowed that Government ceaseth to be true and is so far from being the Government of Truth as that it wants the likeness of it Page the 6th he saith They that walk in the Light have Fellowship one with another 1 John 1. whence he saith 'T is easie to conclude that those that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light c. Answer Every saying or Position hath only one other saying or Position that stands against it if therefore what is brought as the Antithesis differ from the direct opposite sense the Work that follows or what is builded upon it cannot be true Now this Position that they that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light he brings as the true Antithesis to this Position of Scripture quoted 1 John 1. or he doth not so bring it if he doth not bring it as true he deceivs or abuses his Reader but if he do bring it as the true Antithesis he is mistaken for this is not that true Position that stands against this Scripture for if it was then what stands against this Position would directly be that Scripture at least in a true sense for opposites remain as fixt in their sense as the East doth from the West Therefore we need go no farther for a Proof of the Truth of the Work than to take that Position that stands against his for if it be that Scripture in a true sense the work is true but if it prove another thing then may we see the cunning that is in daubing as well as something of that ground of the false reasoning that is among the Children of Men. To try the matter his Position is that they that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light Now that saying that stands against this must be that they that keep in Fellowship abide in the Light this is not that Scripture 1 John 1. but another thing differing materially from it that Scripture is If we walk in the Light as God is in the Light then have we Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Here the ground and cause of true Fellowship is a walking in the Light and the proof that the work is true is the witness in a Man 's own mind by the cleansing from all sin without this Fellowship is ineffectual but where this is such is safe let what will come and as this is the beginning and ground of Fellowship with God 't is the ground of Fellowship with those that is born of God but his Position that those that go out of Fellowship go out of the Light make Fellowship with Men for so it must be understood at last or 't is un-intelligible to be the ground of Fellowship with God or of walking in the Light as God is in the Light which is the same thing and as for the Proof that the work is true to wit the cleansing from all sin not a word of that should the witness in a Man's self been spoken on
otherwise not He Quest Page 6 and 7. But the Members of Christ's Church in the Primitives had different apprehension as the Apostle and the People gathered by them To this he answers Pray let me know who they were and in what cases the Person was Paul and Peter and those Christians that differed about Meats Answer As to that difference betwixt Paul and Peter we believe it was more the Author 's own stating than any bodies else except some might bring it to beat down that over-value which Men are ready to take to themselves because of their Eldership or Priority considering that here an elder Apostle was corrected by a younger though the best of it is he bore it well for any thing that we hear As to that of Meats it is true 't is an instance of weakness but that doth not conclude them weak that made the Objection but rather strong that was contented to be accounted weak rather than you should be unquiet but whether weak or strong seeing we are sure there are some that is conscienciously dissatisfied you ought to hear or forbear and so avoid or provide for the cure of Dissatisfaction and Division But to that of Meats he has unfairly avoided the weight of the Objection by omitting days 't is true he has an c. but his Answer is as foreign to it as if no such thing had been As to Meats he pleased to say It did not concern Church-Communion but was private and personal Freedom and centered here as what I will eat and when as a Man having power over his own Appetite when 't is plain from Scripture they were not free but bound on the account of Conscience however we hope he will not say they observed days too under the same notion but if he will to make way for blind Obedience who can help it However 't is plain from Rom. 14. that the Church at Rome or some eminently concerned therein took things under another notion tho' wrong too as all have been since that have made circumstantial things Terms of Communion or how comes it that the Apostle bids them receive such By which 't is plain either that such had been rejected or could not be received on those Terms so that the Objection if fairly stated is valid and thus far to the case in hand as to prove various Practices in such things tollerated by an Apostle though contrary to a Churches mind or some eminently concerned therein and if various Practices then in Circumstantials why not now To say those then did not concern Church-Communion but those now do is to make the Church now or some eminently concerned therein the Author of Schism or Dissatisfaction as she or they was then the only difference that we can find they could not then be admitted because they stuck too much to Circumstantials and now some are thrust out or rejected because they cannot receive such like things But that we may accept of those things in question whatever they are he tells us They are not Jewish Rites doth it therefore follow they are no Rites or because not Jewish Rites they ought to be accepted as Christian Rites But further as he tells us they are not Jewish Rites so he tells us nor shadowy Ceremonies doth he mean they are no shadowy Ceremonies because not Jewish or because in Christ's Government at last there is none Therefore he would not have those received as such but if not shadowy Ceremonies pray let us know what they are For if not ceremonial or circumstantial they must be essential and if not shadowy they must be substance cannot Men be true Christians without them or cannot Mens Lives and Conversations be such as adorn the Gospel if they want them If not we must confess they are essential otherwise they are but ceremonial or circumstantial when all is done Again will those things he speaks of lead into all Truth those that observe them or at best but into some things that is true If into all Truth then we must acknowledge they 're substance but if but into some things that is true they 're but shadowy We find the great hurt and mischief among Christians is a mistake conceiving because Christ came to end the shadowy ceremonies of the first Covenant to the Jews therefore as there should be none in Christ's Government so there is none and so under this mistake contend for such Rules and Forms as they have not as shadows but as essential things while the contrary is plain for the best of outward Means Rules and Forms as they direct unto God's worship and unto Communion and Fellowship with him are but shadows for they must be substance or shadow as above if substance they lead into all Truth if shadows but into some things that is true The substance is God's Holy Spirit that only and alone guides into all Truth the outward rule the shadow in Christ there is no shadow and therefore all that are in him though they may do the same thing the shadow leads to yet they do it not by an outward Rule but by his immediate Government they do it naturally by participating of the Divine Nature Christ being truly not only the object of their mind but the whole Government of the Mind and Soul is immediately upon his Shoulder one Spirit with him by being joyned to him where every Addition is fulfilled for Righteousness sake but such as are under the shadow though Christ be their end yet the shadow is the object of their Mind thinking to find Christ in this or that Duty or serve him in this or that thing and though every thing that is observed for a good end is serviceable if that end be looked for through the use of the outward things but if a sitting down in the outward Court then it will not only be a shadow but become a vail and a snare as well as the abuse of Moses Law did unto the Jews Page the 9th he saith 'T is true the People of God ought to be left to the guidance of the Spirit of God in themselves c. Answ This is as fair as a Man can say but hitherto through-out his Book what he gives with one Hand he takes away with the other for he proceeds and says For this to be so applied as to disregard the Preachings and Writings of Christ's inlightned Servants because by them properly applied to the Preaching and Writing of false Prophets and Seducers will by no means follow Answer We are of his mind in this and do say so too but this is but a beging of the Question who are those Servants and what are those Writings that are true that are rejected We grant readily to apply this and such like sayings as this That I must mind the Spirit of God in my self c. only because others have applied them or against such as we believe are Christ's inlightned Servants in the things that we believe they are inlightned in
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
the only guide into all Truth be discouraged so early and freedom of Speech taken away what may we think the next Age may do when we consider there was not yet any Christian Society but did at long run decline its Integrity in which danger we seem as well as any that did go before us And his own words to us seems to import as much for he brings the young convinced to be in most danger and for whom those requisite things seems mostly alledged to be serviceable is this because the Truth grows old that outward things are joyned with it to assist it nay sure then it must be because there seems a decrease and if the young convinced seems in this great danger whilst the old are living what must they do when they are gone beside if not an increase there will be a decrease Well since there is danger to go backward from the Truth in the Mind and Love of God in the Heart either into the World or into Form without Power and Life why should not liberty of Speech be allowed to all yea to such as think themselves the Church For if not suffered now because you think you are right they will not be allowed when there is need because they are wrong especially having your early Example to plead and thus may Truth 's Testimony suffer in the future by the cause which you now have given wherefore we think since you seem to make so much Povision for future time you ought in this more especially to have set Posterity a good President by your Moderation and Forbearance why may not you be cautioned to beware of Formality We would gladly have a satisfying reason for this while we consider all before us have failed â—â—re and what can you say more in our day than others before us could in their time Have you received more then more is required Have you any thing but what you have received Must not the Rooâ— bear yoâ— and not you the Root Must particular Persons by our own Rule be humble and low and think others better than themselves and must not Churches as they relate to Assembâ—â—â—â— read in the same book for they are made of the same Menâ— Are they holier for being assembled or because the greater number then let them be more humble too We believe it is as much the duty of Assemblies as of Individuals for at best you know but in part and there is yet that to know which you do not and God is no more bound to many than he is to one as the Wind blows where it listeth so may God speak or appear by whom he pleases Pray let us know why Truth 's Testimonies may not be allowed and pass currant where the Life and Conversation is suitable is it because you are the greater number or because there is some among this greater number that is infallible and then have received the whole Counsel of God that nothing can be true but what such allow of and all must be so that they approve Not the first surely for Truth never prospered in the World while that was to be Truth concluded by the greater number besides 't is from hence that the Whore takes her power and strength so that it s not less than a scandal to speak of it in the case but if the latter we must confess 't is rare if true because without President or Example but on the contrary that many have pretended as high things and yet have been wrong is no news why then should not you fear that while you think you stand least you fall For we believe you cannot make it appear that any pretended such high things but they failed So that by all we can find you seem in more danger than safety and consequently more occasion to bear if not receive those Testimonies than reject them under the notion of loose Pleas. Perhaps you will say that those that use those Pleas are wrong and therefore the Testimonies are false and wrong as used against you but those that use them will tell you that they really concern you and that they are for your good to regard them and indeed are so for any thing that we can find that you have said or done but if some have been wrong must all be condemned for that Will that make you right We doubt not but you say they are wrong if so it must be manifest in their Lives and Conversation or not If manifest in their Lives and Conversations place your Judgment upon what is evil and spare not for there it will stand for we plead not for evil in any but for what is good but let that which is true live you know where the Heart believeth to Righteousness the Mouth must confess unto Salvation so where the Spirit of Truth is owned and known the guide into all Truth such may truly hold forth those Testimonies which belong unto it yea for those Testimonies of Truth ought to live as outward Monuments of it through all Generations But if no evil manifest in their Conversation nay perhaps instead of finding any evil there their Lives and Conversations may be as good as yours and such as adorns the Gospel against which Scripture saith there is no Law will you then make Laws against such as God has made none What will you do now Will you say they are still wrong though you have nothing against their Lives and Conversations nor yet against any principle or essential thing they hold and that because of that wrong those Testimonies of Truth which they use are wrong and false For he saith Page 9. That a saying may be false or true according to the subject or matter it is applied too but that we believe is a mistake for we think Truth 's Testimonies are not false because some may mis-apply them For instance this Testimony that the Spirit of Truth is guide into all Truth is always true however mis-applied to illustrate it in lower things as Meat Drink and Cloathing then what is more abused or mis-applied are they wrong or false because some abuse them No such matter no more do we think Truth 's Testimonies false because some abuse them Will you then abuse and discourage those Testimonies because you think those are wrong that use them though nothing that is immoral or evil in it self can be proved against them We think you cannot do this in the best sense but do evil that good may come of it and though that may be a Maxim in a false Church we believe 't is none in a true are they wrong still in your thought then 't is what you cannot right without doing wrong your selves Now if you cannot right a thing without doing wrong is it not your place to suffer Nay is it not your Duty And if the advice to the Church of Philadelphia was thought on in this case it might help to support However we know our Saviour overcame by suffering and