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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64909	A just reprehension to John Norris of Newton St. Loe, for his unjust reflection on the Quakers in his book, entituled, Reflections upon the conduct of human life, &c together with his false representation of their principle of the light, in his postscript, wherein he opposes it to his notion of the divine ... ideal world, as he terms it, his confusion and self-contradiction therein manifested, and the doctrine and principle of the Quakers thereby cleared from his abuse ... / by Richard Vickris.	Vickris, Richard, d. 1700.	1691 (1691)	Wing V339; ESTC R10757	11,419	16

been called by its Followers through divine instruction in any age is a wise and understanding Spirit Holy c. according as 't is written in the Book of Wisdom Chap. 7. In all Ages entring into holy Souls maketh them Friends of God and Prophets And in Chap. 4. vers 4. It s said Into a malicious Soul Wisdom will not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin for the holy Spirit of Discipline will flie Deceit and remove from Thoughts that are without understanding and will not abide when Vnrighteousness cometh in for Wisdom is a loving Spirit and will not acquit a Blasphemer of his Words for God is witness of his Reins and a true beholder of his Heart and a hearer of his Tongue Vers. 8. Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things can't be hid neither shall Vengeance when it punisheth pass by him Now seeing these Sayings are true and righteous and that it is possible to profess this Doctrine of the Divine Word Light Grace Spirit of Wisdom and Truth and the Teachings of it and yet not possess it nor be learned of it nor led by it but whilst preaching of it to others but a Cast away I advise thee to consider in what ground and nature thou yet stand'st and liv'st in and what Spirit lives and rules in thee hath not Unrighteousness entred in through Self-love and Esteem which blinds the Eye and causeth the Tongue to speak unrighteous things Is not Self exalted to sit in the Temple of God as God in thee And art thou not decking thy self with thy corrupt wisdom which is the forbidden Fruit and will prove folly in the end Be not high-minded but fear so shalt thou learn the Ways of the Lord and walk therein safely and have unity and fellowship with the Saints in Light not in the talk and profession of it only though never so high for with the Heart man must believe before with his Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Who knows this Work can glorifie God and bear Testimony of his Son Christ Jesus and the work he hath done in his earthen vessel which none else could do viz. of Sanctification Redemption through the Truth whose Word is Truth whereof he hath made many living Witnesses to the Praise of his Name whose own Works praise him and to the joy of the upright for evermore And this is better and beyond all the high Notions and Self-conceited Imaginations from the wisdom that is below and who is brought to this estate and abide therein walking in Wisdom's Path dare not speak unrighteous things knowing he cannot be hid nor be a Blasphemer of his words for God is witness of his Reins and a true beholder of his Heart know therefore it s not a light thing to speak Evil of things one understands not read 2 Pet. 2. vers 12. and Iude 10. much less wilfully to blast the Fame of God's Name and Work in the Earth in and by his People because they agree not with man's ways and conceited wise Notions which God's wisdom from above ever did and will confound and how greatly thou art found gulty in this perticular by the following Reflections on thy Postscript may appear And so I conclude this part having discharged my self to thee on the afore-mentioned occasion Since my first perusal of thy Book I have lately met with thy Postscript whereby I perceive thou art zealous of being esteemed a Proselite to the Quakers Doctrine I am ready to believe thy above recited Ignominious Reflection was calculated to obviate such an Imputation which perhaps thou thought would be as little honour to thee as they may justly conclude thy Pretentions to their Principle would be a Credit to it for they desire no such Proselites who affects not their Principle for its own sake but for some worldly Honour and Esteem they hope to get by it Therefore though theirs if rightly understood be true as thou confessest thy self page 77. and that it is such Quakerism as makes a good part of St Iohn's Gospel and St Austin's Works and according to thy Postscript if the Quakers understood their own Notion it would not very much differ from thine which I take to imply a sort of Confession to their Principle for Truth and Error are opposite the Defect it seems must lie somewhere and that according to thy Judgment must be the Quakers Ignorance how to explain their Notion of the Light and into what Principles to resolve it but seeing this would imply a Difference only in Terminis and so not reach thy Case like one that forgets what he had said last thou proceeds to magnifie the difference to set thee far enough from being reputed a Proselite which to avoid them needed a greater Discrimination This I take to be the Design of thy Postscript where thou undertakes to explain the Quakers Principle by thy Suppositions false Distinctions the better to set off expose thine by rendring it the more novel to this age and so to avoid symbolizing with the Quakers in thy notion of the Divine Light how unfairly and unsincerely as also confusedly with respect both to their and thy own Principle thou hast dealt herein is my present design to manifest whoso undertakes to Confute the Principles of any People ought to take them up and state them rightly and honestly according as they are believed and owned by themselves quoting their own Words and Authors and not barely as he conceives and imagines them to be as suiting his design Otherwise he is unjust and quarrels with his own Shadow and is like a man that beats the Air which in thy Postscript thou art found doing for first thou sayst The Quakers usually talk of this Light within as of some Divine Communication and manifestation only How does this appear to be true thou quotes no Author for it I apprehend thou intendest hereby or else thy assertion has little weight or matter in it viz. that the Quakers own the Light within to be an accident and not a substantial inherent Principle of Divine Excellency which is a great mistake and it is to be feared a wilful one too seeing 't is generally known and thou confessest it too that they quote the Testimony of Iohn the Evangelist for their Principle as thou hast done for thine they believing according thereunto Chap 1. vers 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men And if the Life of the Word be the Light of men then surely the Quakers cannot be supposed to believe it any thing less than a Real Spiritual Substance which the Soul of man is capable to feel and apprehend For all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 Thus thy first distinction falls to the ground Thy second is as insignificant and like an Arrow shot at Random lights on thy own head being attended with some Contradiction to thy former viz. Thou sayest The

A Iust Reprehension TO JOHN NORRIS Of Newton St Loe FOR HIS Unjust REFLECTION on the QVAKERS In his Book Entituled Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life c. Together with his False Representation of their Principle of the Light in his Postscript wherein he Opposes it to his Notion of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ideal world as he terms it His Confusion and Self-contradiction therein manifested and the Doctrine and Principle of the Quakers thereby cleared from his Abuse occasionally written by way of Letter with Advice to him and may serve for a better Information of the Quakers Principle to whom the knowledge of his and this shall come By Richard Vickris Printed and Sold by T. S. at the Crooked-Billet in Holywell-Lane in Shoreditch 1691. A Just Reprehension to Iohn Norris of Newton St. Loe for his Unjust Reflection on the Quakers in his Book Entituled Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life c. Iohn Norris I Need no Apology for this brief Reprehension if thou think'st I do Review the first page of thy Epistle Dedicatory viz. He that shall point out any of the Irregularites or Mistakes of the Conduct of Human Life ought to be lookt upon as a universal Friend and promoter of the publick Happiness and the more severe he is in his Censure provided it be true and well grounded the more charitable he is in his undertaking and the more like to be serviceable in his performance When first I perused thy Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life with reference to the studdy of Learning and Knowledge I was and still am pleased with all that tends to the propagation of Original and necessary Truth but rejoyce where I find it spring from an upright mind pure intention and clean Vessel for whoso undertakes to reprehend the intelligible Conduct of Human Life ought first to purge himself from the Irregularities of his moral Conduct which doth cloud and darken his understanding Howbeit I was so far from a Spirit of Detraction or Emulation that considering from whence it came I in some sort rejoyced in it so far as it was sound and true hoping and desiring that what was either clearly and rightly detected or equally and fairly recommended might gain upon the Understanding of such whose Education and Literature had either prejudiced or at best mistated and unfitted them for receiving the same Truth and divine Principle by meaner Instruments respecting worldly esteem which Principle hath been and is by many such faithful Witnesses plentifully born testimony to as well by doing as suffering by the supposed learned Rabbies of our day as also by Doctrine in Word and Writing though not altogether under some of thy Terms or pretended Phylosophical Notions yet according to the Demonstration of the Spirit and in words approved and chosen of God to make known himself by and taught us in the holy Scriptures God having in his divine Wisdom in this Age as in former Ages 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. Chosen the foolish things of the world to Confound the Wise and the Weak things of the world to Confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen yea things which are not to bring to naught things which are that no Flesh should glory in his presence Agreeable to this is that divine acknowledgement of Christ Jesus to his Father Matth. 1.11 and 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones I fear thou art guilty in this perticular viz. of despising the Testimony of God in this Age through the meanness of the Instruments Consider what is said Thes. 10.4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit From the too apparent Reflection thou makes in the 77th page of thy Book New Edition one might at first think that thou wert a great stranger to the Conversation of the People called Quakers and more especially to their Writings which had unwarily subjected thee to a rash and immature Censure in rendring them dark aukward untoward and unprincipled in the way of representing their Principle viz. the Light within thereby discrediting as thou sayest one of the noblest Theories in the World but the thing in it self rightly understood is true I being under some dissatisfaction about these Expressions of thine took occasion to visit Ioseph Langton of Newton St Loe a person of my respect and acquaintance and near Neighbour of thine with whom I had some discourse about thy aforesaid Book and in perticular the above recited passage recommending to him Robert Barclay's Apology for the true Christian Divinity for thy perusal and having understood by him thou hadst been Conversant with it I confess it extreamly dampt me and gave occasion for other thoughts than a supposed Ignorance of the Persons and manner of their representing their Principle whom thou hadst thus evilly treated and exposed without reason or provocation as I know of and now I shall proceed to show thee wherein though I presume thou already knowest Robert Barclay in his fifth and sixth Propositions treating of this universal and saving Light of Jesus Christ page 110. calls it supernatural Light and Grace quotes Iohn 1.9 That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which place as he observes doth so clearly favour the Quakers Doctrine that it is called their Text hence he draws this necessary Conclusion That the Life that is in him viz. the Word Christ is the Light of Men Iohn 1.4 In other places he calls it according to Divine Instruction The Seed sown in several sorts of Ground The Word of the Kingdom The Word of Faith The Implanted or Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul quoting Cyrillus Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus Augustine Buchanan c. in confirmation of this Doctrine as thou mayst see at large whereby it appears whatever thou art he was so far from the Ambition of being thought the first promulgator of that heavenly Doctrine of the Universallity and Sufficiency of this Light within for Salvation that he rejoyces to meet with it imbracing it where-ever he finds it improves the interest of it and instead of calumniating its Votaries represents it to the world Cleared from the Rust of darker Ages and advantaged with the Confessions and Testimonies of purer Primitive Times And now I Enquire what are the Dark aukward and untoward Expressions and unprincipled way of representing this Principle that thou alledgest the Quakers are guilty of are any of these here quoted out of the afore-mentioned Author part thereof or in what other Book or Writing of the Quakers may they be found I shall now farther say that this Divine Word Light Grace and Truth or whatever else it hath

given by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be Perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works And this shall suffice for an Answer to thy third Section The fourth is a down-right falsity viz. The Quakers make their Light within a special Priviledge of a certain Order of men their own party not indeed as to the possibility yet they do as to the act making none but those of their own way to be actually inlightned by it This is so abundantly Confuted by the Writings in general of those People more perticularly in the afore-recited Book of Robert Barclay's which considering thou hast read I am the more amazed at thy Assertion They say all are actually inlightned by it all are Called but all have not obeyed according to these Scriptures Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is Good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Iustly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God 1 John 9.3.19 1 Cor. 13.7 Tit. 2.11 c. Thy distinction of a possibility and not actually with respect to the Divine Illumination of this Principle is trivial though not with respect to Salvation by it The Capacity or Possibility is not nor can be in man abstract from the actual Illuminating Power and Spirit no more than seeing if the light be seperate from the Eye The Quakers have and still do declare that Christ Jesus the Light of the World is the universal free Gift of God for the benefit of all men in order to their Salvation and is not this Common yet Special priviledge because dearly purchased and freely bestowed on lost man that thou mayst not want occasion to traduce the Quakers thou hast so much over-done it in this Section as to contradict thy self in the fifth as for instance Sect. 4. to be actaully inlightned according to thy Principle is no special priviledge but the common and universal benefit of all men yea of all the intelligent Creation who all see and understand in this Light of God without which there would be neither Truth nor Understanding On the contrary Postscript Sect. 5. thou sayst Thy Light does not formally enlighten or instruct thee but when thou carefully attends to and consults it and read what is written in those Divine Ideal Characters The like Doctrine thou hast pag. 71. of thy Book Sect. 5. and 6. where treating of thy double illumination of thy divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Fundamentally and Potentially or else effectually or actually in the former sense thou sayest he inlightens every man in the latter only those who duly consult him and attend to him See what Contradiction thy strained Notions run thee into one while to be actually enlightned is the Common and Universal benefit of all men another while only of those who Consult it and attend to it and all to avoid being thought to Symbolize with the Quakers in thy notion of the Divine Light thy Distinction of Potentially and Actually can have no more in it than the Difference in the subject the one universal act of the Word or Light enlightning every man comprehends both these are but new invented terms to express the most ancient and more Divinely and better revealed Truths of the Gospel Thy fifth I take in the first part of it to be the same in substance with thy first Differing in form of expressions viz. The Quakers by their Light within understand some Determinate formed dictate or proposition expresly or possitively directing or instructing them to do so or so as in thy first thou call'st it some divine Communication or Manifestation ONLY Where didst thou learn this definition of the Quakers Faith and Doctrine of the Light within The Quakers believe the Light of Christ within to be God's divine Oracle of Wisdom in the Soul the former Dictater and determiner of heavenly Propositions their Directing and Instructing what to choose and what to refuse as the original Cause of the knowledge and love of Truth which are its proper effects Now wherein is the Quakers Light as thou term'st it Inferiour to that which thou call'st thine except in the Differing Character thou givest it they own the Real and Substantial Truth of God the Life of the Word the Light of men as Christ said of himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life That this divine Light which is the Light of men is always in some degree and measure present in the Soul by which it is upheld either in God's love or anger the Quakers believe and that in him we live move and have our being though with respect to operation after a different manner and measure and passing the understanding of man And whereas thou sayest Thy Light is only the essential Truth of God This is a high presumption about which I have already shewed thy Confusion in other places calling it Reason and Conscience and a man's natural and ordinary way of understanding consider Mat. 6.22.23 The Light of the Body is the Eye if therefore thy Eye be single thy whole Body shall be full of Light but if thine Eye be evil thy whole Body shall be full of Darkness if therefore the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness So may I say if that Doctrine Principle thou recommendest to the World for Truth Excellency be erronious and faulty how great is that Error and Fault Again thou sayest Thy Light is always present to thy understanding and Intimately united with it still Sect. 5. Which in thy sense of the Light is to say thy Soul is never without thy Reason and Conscience I wish they were both reformed that thou mayst be no more guilty of these and such like false Aspersions That the Light as supposing it to be what really it is viz. a Distinct Principle from the Soul is always present to the understanding which implies its operation upon the natural Capacity or Organ the ordinary means of knowing I conceive is more then can be safely or experimentally said because the Organ may be hurt and the understanding in that sense interrupted and consequently no fit Medium or Receptacle either for the Soul or its Light besides the Soul may be absent from the natural understanding by the interposition of Spiritual as well as Natural causes and yet present with the Light in its spiritual way of understanding But to say as thou dost that Thy Light is only the Essential Truth of God and that it is always present to thy understanding and intimately united with it and yet that it does not formally inlighten or instruct it but when carefully attended to and consulted seems to discover a Contradiction in it self and to the formal Reason of its Being and Presence and Sufficiency in the one act of the same Principle as well as to the state and nature of Intimate Union for how can any

thing be intimately united to its Principle and not partake of its Nature and Influences which is the reason and manner of its union And how can this be and not carefully attended to and consulted is not this manifest Confusion That the presence of the Light does enlighten and instruct all in some sense and degree is sufficiently proved by Scripture By thy word formally enlighten I apprehend thou intendest the operative Exercise as in page 17. and as here applied to Light signifies no more than actually to enlighten ex parte objecti I grant such as do not carefully attend to and consult this Divine Light does not witness the increases of it unto the Redemption and Salvation of their Souls It is the Path of the Just that is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day if the Light as thou asserts doth not formally enlighten or instruct but when carefully attended to and consulted how then should it quicken and raise the Soul from Death to Life according to the multiplied Experience of holy David And how doth God speak once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not Iob 33.14 15 16 17. In a Dream in a Vision of the Night when deep Sleep falleth upon men in slumbring upon the Bed then he openeth the Ears of Men and sealeth their Instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide Pride from man Again in Isa. 65. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me behold me to a Nation that was not called by my Name How frequently doth the Lord complain by his Prophets of his Calling to his people to return and Repent but they would not answer Note the Call of God is not without Instruction read Micah 6.8 and Prov. 1. from 20. to the end And see what Wisdom does also in Nehemiah how they rebelled against God notwithstanding he gave his good Spirit to Instruct them The Testimony of Iohn the Evangelist the 5th and 21st Eph. 2.1 4 5. You hath he quickned who were Dead in Trespasses and Sins but God who is rich in Mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickned us together in Christ by Grace ye are saved 2 Cor. 4.6 7. God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ but we have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not us These and many other Texts abundantly prove that God quickens and enlightens man before man can turn unto him Thy sixth and last Section I take to be an extravagant noise and bluster against the Quakers to supply the want of real matter of Objection what means else so great and general Reflections without offering any Proof or reducing it to a perticular Charge to say the Quakers do not offer any rational or intelligible account of their Light within proves nothing to tell the world as thou dost they Cant in some loose general Expressions about the Light does little else but impose upon trust which is to beg Credit whilst thou mentions not what those loose and general Expressions are but to say they Confirm them by the authority of St Iohn's Gospel is in some sort to contradict thy assertion for so to confirm them argues they agree to what is there taught and if so as is most certainly true and that the Quakers do adhere to those divine Words and Expressions it looks like too much prophaneness to account them loose and Canting and to say that the Quakers understand neither the Light which they profess nor St Iohn's Gospel is an Evil presumption and what if I say Blasphemy against some that dwell in Heaven As for thy terms viz. Omniformity of the Ideal world they may be either thy own or some borrowed Invention which not being taught them by the holy Spirit and divine Testimony thereof in the holy Scriptures the Quakers reject the more seeing it is such an Idol that although they sincerely confess and believe in the Light according to Iohn's Gospel they shall not be allowed to understand either without bowing thereto What art thou O man that boasteth thy self art thou wiser than thy Maker whose Wisdom hath brought forth and taught his People these expressions Canst thou by searching find out God or the Almighty unto perfection I tell thee nay but God will Confound thy Wisdom and bring to naught thy understanding wherein it is exalted for he hath Determined to stain the Pride of all Flesh the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This is written for the clearing of Truth 's Testimony from the Rubbish thou hast cast thereon in good Will to all and desiring thy Soul's welfare By R. V. THE END