by which Inward Manifestation we are made capable to see and discern the Eternal Power and Godhead in the outward Creation So were it not for this Inward Principle we could no more understand the Invisible things of God by the outward Visible Creation than a blind man can see and discern the variety of Shapes and Colours or judge of the Beauty of the outward Creation Therefore he saith first That which may be known of God is manifest in them and in and by that they may read and understand the Power and Godhead in those things that are Outward and Visible And though any might pretend that the outward Creation doth of it self without any Supernatural or Saving Principle in the heart even declare to the natural man that there is a God yet what would such a Knowledge avail if it did not also Communicate to me what the Will of God is and how I shall do that The Onward Creation may beget a Perswasion in man of an Eternal Power and Virtue which is acceptable to him For the outward Creation though it may beget a Perswasion that there is some Eternal Power or Vertue by which the World hath had its Beginning yet it doth not tell me nor doth it Inform me of that which is just holy and righteous how I shall be delivered from my Temptations and Evil Affections and come unto Righteousness that must be from some Inward Manifestation in my heart whereas those Gentiles of whom the Apostle speaks knew by that Inward Law and Manifestation of the Knowledge of God in them to distinguish betwixt Good and Evil as in the next Chapter appears of which we shall speak hereafter The Prophet Micah speaking of man Indefinitely or in General declares this Mich. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God He doth not say God Requires till he hath first assured that he hath shewed unto them Now because this is shewed unto all men and manifest in them therefore saith the Apostle Is the Wrath of God revealed against them for that they hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness that is the measure of Truth the Light the Seed the Grace in them for that they Hide the Talent in the Earth that is in the Earthly and Vnrighteous part in their hearts and suffer it not to bring forth fruit but to be choked with the sensual Cares of this Life the Fear of Reproach and the Deceitfulness of Riches as by the Parables above-mentioned doth appear But the Apostle Paul opens and illustrates this matter yet more Rom. 10. where he declares That the Word which he preached now the Word which he preached and the Gospel which he preached and whereof he was a Minister is one and the same is not far off but nigh in the heart and in the mouth This Divine Preacher the Word nigh hath sounded in the Ears and Hearts of all men which done he frameth as it were the Objection of our Adversaries in Vers. 12 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard how shall they hear without a Preacher This he answers Verse 18. saying But I say have they not heard yes verily their Sound went forth into all the Earth and their Words unto the End of the World insinuating that this Divine Preacher hath sounded in the Ears and Hearts of all men for of the outward Apostles that saying was not true neither then nor many hundred years after yea for ought we know there may be yet great and spacious Nations and Kingdoms who never have heard of Christ nor his Apostles as outwardly This Inward and Powerful Word of God is yet more fully described in the Epistle to the Hebrews c. 4. v. 12 13. For the Word of God is quick and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the heart The Virtues of this Spiritual Word are here enumerated It is Quick because it Searches and Tries the hearts of all no man's Heart is Exempt from it for the Apostle gives this Reason of its being so in the following Verse Before whom all things are manifest But all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do and there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his sight Though this ultimately and mediately be Refer'd to God yet nearly and immediately it relates to the Word or Light which as hath been before proved is in the hearts of all else it had been Improper to have brought it in here The Apostle shews And every Thought and Intent of the heart how every Intent and Thought of the heart is discerned by the Word of God because all things are naked before God which imports nothing else but it is in and by this Word whereby God sees and discerns man's Thoughts and so must needs be in all men because the Apostle saith There is no Creature that is not manifest in his sight The Faithful Witness This then is that faithful Witness and Messenger of God that bears Witness for God and for his Righteousness in the hearts of all men for he hath not left man without a Witness Acts 14.17 and he is said to be given for a Witness to the people Isa. 55.4 And as this Word beareth Witness for God so it is not placed in men only to Condemn them for as he is given for a Witness so saith the Prophet he is given for a Leader and a Commander A Leader and Commander The Light is given that all through it may believe Joh 1.7 For Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by this Word of God which is placed in man's Heart both to be a Witness for God and to be a Mean to bring man to God through Faith and Repentance It is therefore powerful that it may divide betwixt the Soul and the Spirit It is like a Two-edged-sword A Two-edged Sword that it may cut off Iniquity from him and separate betwixt the precious and the vile And because man's heart is cold and hard like Iron naturally therefore hath God placed this Word in him which is said to be like a Fire A Fire and a Hammer and like a Hammer Jer. 23.29 that like as by the heat of the Fire the Iron of its own nature Cold is warmed and by the strength of the Hammer is softned and framed according to the mind of the Worker so the Cold and Hard heart of man is by the vertue and powerfulness of this Word of God near and in the heart as it resists not warmed and softned and receiveth a Heavenly and Coelestial Impression and Image The most part of the Fathers have spoken at large touching this Word Seed and Light and Saving Voice calling
is not by the Outward Senses according to the following verse for the Apostle saith The Spiritual Man Judgeth all things This then must be done by some Senses or properties Peculiar to the Spiritual Man and in which he excells the Natural man which is not in the outward Senses as all do know Therefore the Perception of Spiritual things cannot be by the outward Senses either as the chief or only Means as is falsly contended for Now as to these words of the Apostle Rom. 10. That Faith comes by Hearing Zuinglius observed well That the Apostle intended not to affirm Faith to come by the hearing of the Outward word Whether Faith comes by the Outward Hearing Neither do the following words prove it How shall they Believe unless they hear And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they Preach unless they be sent For the Apostle uses these words not as his Arguments but as Objections which might be formed as the same Apostle uses in other places To which Objections he answers in the same Chapter as appears verse 18. But I say have they not all heard Yes truly their Voice went into all the Earth That is of the Father and Son Or the Father in the Word which Word is not only neer us but according to the same Apostle in the same Chapter in our Mouths and in our Hearts But further thou canst conclude nothing from this but that Faith is begotten by Outward Hearing only and no otherwise For this is the strength of thy Argument That since Faith cannot be without Outward Hearing Therefore nothing can certainly be believed but where somewhat is proposed to the Outward Hearing For if thou acknowledge Faith can be begotten any otherwise than by Hearing thou loosest the Strength of thy Argument And if that Argument hold That Faith comes only by Outward Hearing thou destroyest the whole Hypothesis For having before affirmed That outward Miracles are sufficient to render one certain of the Truth of any Revelation those Miracles whether it be the Healing of the Sick or the Raising of the Dead would avail nothing because those as for most part all Miracles are obvious to the Sight not to the Hearing And if it be not by Outward Hearing only thou canst conclude nothing from this place But I the more wonder thy using of this Argument considering the Discourse we had together before we entred upon this Debate A certain Person placing the Certainty of every thing in the Outward Senses For when we were speaking of the Opinions of a certain Person who denied the Certainty of every thing but what was discerned by the outward Senses thou condemnedst as most Absurd But Why I cannot conceive since there is no great difference betwixt those two Opinions The one saith There can be no certainty concerning any Truth whether they be Necessary or Contingent but by the perception of the Senses The other affirms the same of Contingent Truths though not of Necessary Truths But among the number of Contingent Truths thou Esteemest what belongs to Christian Religion for thou reckons the Necessary Truths only to belong to natural Religion This then is all the difference that that other Person says There is no Certainty of any Religion neither Natural nor Christian but by the perception of the Outward Senses But thou say'st though thou Esteems the Certainty of Natural Religion to be without them yet not of the Christian Religion But again since thou Esteemest that not Natural Religion but the Christian Religion is necessary to Salvation Thou must necessarily conclude That those Truths which are necessary to Salvation rre only known and believed by the benefit of the Outward Senses In which Conclusion which is the Sum of all thou yeilds the Matter to that other Person But lastly If all the Certainty of our Faith Hope and Salvation did depend upon the Infallibility of Outward Senses Outward Senses can be deceived we should be most miserable since these Senses can be easily deceived and by many Outward Casualties and Natural Infirmities whereunto the Godly are no less subject than the Wicked are often vitiated and there are as the Scripture affirms False Miracles which as to the Outward cannot be distinguished from the True of which we cannot Infallibly Judge by the Outward Senses which only discern what is Outward There is a Necessity then to have Recourse to some other Means From all which it does appear how Fallacious and Weak this Argument is But thanks be unto GOD who would not that our Faith should be built upon so uncertain and doubtful a Foundation And whoever hath known True Faith or hath felt the Divine Testimony of GOD's Spirit in his Soul will judge otherwise neither will be moved by such Reasonings I pray GOD therefore to remove these Clouds which darken thy Understanding that thou may'st perceive the Glorious Gospel of CHRIST This is that Saving Word of Grace which I commend thee unto and that GOD may give thee a Heart inclinable to believe and obey the Truth is the desire of The 24th of the Month. called November 1676 Thy Faithful Friend R. BARCLAY This Letter a Year ago at the desire of my Friend R. B. I delivered into the hands of the afore-named Ambassador desiring his Answer in Writing which he then promised but not having as yet done It was seen meet to be Published Roterdam the 28th of March 1678. B. F. R. B's Testimony concerning his Father David Barclay of Vrie in the Kingdom of Scotland Received the Truth in the Year 1666. being the Fifty Sixth Year of his Age about the Seventh Month and Abode in it R. B's Account of the Death of his Father and in Constant Vnity with the Faithful Friends thereof having suffered the Spoiling of his Goods cheerfully and many other Indignities he was formerly unaccustomed to bear and several Tedious Imprisonments after the Sixty Sixth Year of his Age. In the latter End of the seventh Month 1686. being past the Seventy Sixth Year of his Age he took a Fever which continued with him for Two Weeks during which time he signified a Quiet Contented Mind freely Resigned up to the Will of God And gave several Living Testimonies to the Truth and to the Love of God manifest to him in the Revelation thereof And though there be hardly to be found one of a Thousand like to him for Natural Vigor of his Age and that his Fever at times was very strong yet he never was Vnsensible nor did any wrong Expression or Actions proceed from him nor the least Symptom of Discontent or Fretfulness He had been troubled with the Gravel and after his Sickness had very much Pain in Making Water So about Two Days before his Death as those about him were helping him up for that End feeling his Weakness with the Pain in an Agony he said I am gone now And then instantly checking himself added But I shall go to the Lord and
that that Word according to which they were to speak was not the inward Word which is said to be in the Heart It is observable that to prove this thou bringest John 7.49 where the Pharisees say Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed in him but this People that know not the Law are accursed This place sutes the matter very well but makes much against thee For the Pharisees here were crying up the outward Law and the Knowledge of it averring that the ignorance of it caused the mean People to believe in Christ. So do ye now ye pretend to cry up the Law and say The ignorance of it occasions so many to leave you And as they then were setting the Law above Christ and covering themselves with a Zeal for it persecuting him and reviling his Followers as Ignorants So ye now whilst ye are boasting of your great Knowledge in the Law and in the Scripture and your high esteem of them ye are despising crucifying the same Christ in his Spiritual Appearance and upbraiding his Followers now as they did then as Ignorants and Contemners of the Law And as to Luke 10.26 How readest thou This was spoke to one that was a Lawyer or Interpreter of the Law and relied upon it so Christ spoke this to check him and beside the dispensation of the Law which this Lawyer was under was different from that of the Gospel in this matter as may appear Hebr. 8.10 Again as for Christ and his Apostles using the Scriptures for convincing of their Opposers so do we and yet this proves not that either he or we judge them to be the Rule whereby to try all Things and Spirits yea even the Spirit of God himself Page 15. Thou seemest to lay much stress upon this That it were impossible for us to prove to a Jew or a Turk that Jesus the Son of Mary is in very deed the Christ without the Scripture But I Answer thee to that easily by what way wilt thou perswade a Turk to believe the Scriptures or their Testimony but by the inward Testimony of the Spirit Calvin Calvin lib. 1. cap. 7. Sect. 4. of his Inst. after he has said all that can be said of outward ways at last concludes The only certain way to know it indeed is by the Testimony of the Spirit And as to the course that Paul took with the obstinate Jews it was very commendable because they said they believed the Scriptures and seemed to esteem them much though they opposed the Truth witnessed to in the Scriptures So that it is evident that some great pretenders to the Scriptures can make a Cloak of them to deny Christ himself as ye do at this day And though Paul took that course with the Jews yet we see he took no such course with the Athenians to whom he cited no Scripture nor endeavoured to perswade them by it but told them they were the Off-spring of God and wished them to feel after him who was not afar off from every one of them Thirdly sayst thou The Saints had recourse to the Scriptures in the examination of Doctrines So have we too as before has been declared but that will not prove the Scripture is the Rule Page 16. Fourthly thou sayst We are commanded to search the Scriptures John 5.39 Answ. The words may be translated You search the Scriptures as Pasor translateth them but we do acknowledge the Scriptures are to be searched but are not to be rested in which was the Jews fault who would not come to Christ to get life thinking to have eternal life in the Scriptures which Christ checks them for And that the Scriptures are profitable for Doctrine Scriptures profitable to whom Correction Instruction we own and are commended for their Dignity and Authority but they are thus profitable only to such as come to the Spirit to guide and direct them how to make use of them else they may prove an occasion of stumbling as they did to the Pharisees Hence it is said That the Man of God may be perfect mark the Man of God not every Man now no Man can be truly called the Man of God but he that is led by the Spirit of God Next thou wouldst undertake to prove That it is not the Mind of God that the Spirit within men should be the Rule In which thou fallest very short as appears by saying That Christ made use of the Scripture to prove himself c. and not the light within And did these Jews receive him who had the Scriptures Did they not reject him And why because they hearkned not unto the inward Voice and Testimony of the Father concerning him and this was the Testimony which he said was greater than that of John though John was the greatest of the Prophets and those who believe had the witness in themselves 1 John 5.10 but to the unbelieving Jews he said Ye have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape Secondly Thou sayst There is an express command to try the Spirits 1 John 4.1 Answ. But is there any word there of trying them by the Scripture Trying Spirits is by the Spirit of God Cannot the Spirits be tried by the Spirit of God or is there any better way to try them How tried Peter the spirit of Ananias and Saphirah And is not the Trial and discerning of Spirits the priviledge of the Saints now And how is it a peculiar priviledge to Saints unless it be done by the Spirit of God For the Scriptures any can make use of the Apostle John writing to the Saints concerning Seducers points them to the Anointing which remained in them and did teach them all things and by this they did know all things and consequently Spirits 1 John 2.20 26. Thirdly thou sayst Vndoubtedly there are strong delusions c. Answ. There are so indeed But was there any more strongly deluded then the Pharisees Yet how much did they lay claim to the Scriptures How came they then to be deluded who was so skill'd in the Scriptures according to the letter of them and the poor People who were not so skill'd so rightly to hit the matter And as to thy Question What way shall the delusion be tried if you neglect the Word of God and look only within Answ. As for the Word of God nor yet the Scriptures-Testimony we neglect not but what way thinkest thou shall the Delusion be tried if you neglect the Spirit within and look only upon the letter and words without you If the Delusion be strong in the heart will it not twine and wrest the Scriptures without to cause the Scriptures to seem for it And suppose a man be deluded with a Spirit of Delusion what can help him but God whose Spirit searcheth all the deepest things of Satan and can and doth discover them to those who love to be undeceived and are faithful to God in what they certainly know And though the same deluding Spirit who deceived
and Observances A. * Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature Q. What speaketh Christ of the Unity of the Saints with him A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father John 14.20 and ye in me and I in you Abide in me and I in you John 15.4 5. As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the Vine ye are the Branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Neither pray I for these alone but for them also John 17.20 21 22 23. which shall believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in Vs that the World may believe it that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Q. What saith the Apostle Paul to this purpose A. For both he that Sanctifies and they that are Sanctified Hebr. 2.11 are all of One for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Q. What saith the Apostle Peter A. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. CHAP. V. Concerning the Light wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightned every Man The Vniversality and Sufficiency of God's Grace to all the World made manifest therein Question WHerein consists the Love of God towards Fallen and Lost Man Answer For God so loved the World John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World 1 John 4.9 that we might live through him Q. What is intended here by the World all and every Man or only a few A. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour Hebr. 2.9 that he by the Grace of God Should taste Death for every Man 1 John 2.1 2. And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Q. Methinks the Apostle John is very plain there in mentioning the whole World which must be not only the Saints but all others seeing he distinguisheth the World from himself and all the Saints to whom he then wrote What saith Paul elsewhere in this matter A. Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom we Preach warning every Man Col. 1.27 28. and teaching every Man in all Wisdom That we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.3 4 6. I Exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Giving of Thanks be made for All Men for this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour who will have All Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. What is the Apostle Peter 's Testimony in this A. The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward 2 Pet. 3.9 Not willing that any should Perish but that All should come to Repentance Q. Are there any more Scripture-Passages that prove this thing A. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Ezek. 33.11 but that the Wicked turn from his Way and Live The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion slow to Anger and of great Mercy Psal. 145.8 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works To wit That God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto him self 2 Cor. 5.19 Q. Seeing then by these Scriptures it appears that the Love of God is held out to all that all might have been or may be saved by Christ What is to be judged of those who assert that God nor Christ never purposed Love nor Salvation to a great part of Mankind and that the Coming and Sufferings of Christ never was intended nor could be useful to their Justification but will and must be effectual for their Condemnation even according to God's Purpose who from their very Infancy to their Grave with-held from them all means of Salvation What saith the Scripture to such A. For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved John 3 17. I am come a Light into the World that Whosoever believeth in me John 12.46 47. should not abide in Darkness And if any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World Q. From what Scripture then came these Men to wrest an Opinion so contrary to Truth A. For the Children being not yet born neither have done any Good or Evil Rom. 9 11 12 13. that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand it was said unto her The Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Q. I perceive in that Scripture it was only said before the Children were born The Elder shall serve the Younger These other Words Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated are mention'd out of the Prophet Malachy who wrote them many hundred Years after both were Dead Doth not the Scripture mention any other Cause of God's hating Esau than meerly his Decree What saith the same Apostle elsewhere A. Lest there be any Fornication or Prophane Person as Esau Hebr. 12.16 17. who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Q. But seeing that such alledge that it is because of Adam 's Sin that many even Children are Damned Doth not the Scripture aver that the Death of Christ was as large to Heal as Adam 's Sin could Condemn A. For if through the Offence of one many be Dead Rom. 5.15 18. much more the Grace of God
harder to understand their Expositions than the Things which they go about to Expound what may We say then cosidering those great Heaps of Commentaries since in Ages yet far more Corrupted § VI. In this respect above-mentioned then we have shewn what Service and Vse the Holy Scriptures as managed in and by the Spirit are of to the Church of God wherefore we do account them a Secondary Rule Moreover because they are commonly acknowledged by all The Scriptures a Secondary Rule to have been written by the Dictates of the Holy spirit and that the Errors which may be supposed by the Injury of times to have slipt-in are not such but that there is a sufficient clear Testimony left to all the Essentials of the Christian Faith we do look upon them as the only fit outward Judge of Controversies among Christians and that whatever Doctrine is Contrary unto their Testimony may therefore justly be rejected as False And for our parts we are very willing that all our Doctrines and Practices be Tried by them which we never refused nor ever shall in all Controversies with our Adversaries as the Judge and Test. We shall also be very willing to admit it as a Positive Certain Maxime That whatsoever any do pretending to the Spirit which is Contrary to the Scriptures be accounted and reckoned a Delusion of the Devil For as we never lay claim to the Spirit 's Leadings that we may Cover our selves in any thing that is Evil so we know that as every Evil Contradicts the Scriptures so it doth also the Spirit in the first place from which the Scriptures came and whose Motions can never Contradict one another though they may appear sometimes to be Contradictory to the blind Eye of the natural Man as Paul and James seem to Contradict one another Thus far we have shewn both what we believe and what we believe not concerning the Holy Scriptures hoping we have given them their due place But since they that will needs have them to be the only certain and principal Rule want not some shew of Arguments even from the Scripture it self though it no where call it self so by which they labour to prove their Doctrine I shall briefly lay them down by way of Objections and Answer them before I make an End of this matter Object 1 § VII Their first Objection is usually drawn from Isaiah 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Now this Law Testimony and Word they plead to be the Scriptures To which I Answer That that is to beg the thing in Question and Answ. 1 remains yet Vnproved Nor do I know for what Reason we may not safely Affirm this Law and Word to be Inward But suppose it was Outward it proves not the Case at all for them neither makes it against us For it may be Confessed without any prejudice to our Cause that the Outward Law was more particularly to the Jews a Rule and more principally than to us seeing their Law was Outward and Literal but ours under the New Covenant as hath been already said is expresly Affirmed to be Inward and Spiritual To Try all things by what So that this Scripture is so far from making against us that it makes for us For if the Jews were directed to Try all things by their Law which was without them written in Tables of Stone then if we will have this Advice of the Prophet to reach us we must make it hold Parallel to that Dispensation of the Gospel which we are under So that we are to Try all things in the first place by that Word of Faith which is preached unto us which the Apostle saith is In the heart and by that Law which God hath given us which the Apostle saith also expresly is Written and placed in the Mind Lastly If we look to this place according to the Greek Interpretation of the Septuagint our Adversaries shall have nothing from thence to Carp yea it will favour us much for there it is said That the Law is given us for a help which very well agrees with what is above Asserted Their second Objection is from Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures c. Object 2 Here say they we are commanded by Christ himself to search the Scriptures Answ. 1 I Answer First That the Scriptures ought to be Searched we do not at all deny but are very willing to be Tried by them as hath been above declared But the Question is Whether they be the only and principal Rule which this is so far from proving that it proveth the Contrary for Christ Checks them here for too high an Esteem of the Scriptures and neglecting of him that was to be preferr'd before them and to whom they bore Witness as the following words declare For in them ye think ye have Eternal life Search the Scriptures c. and they are they which testify of me and ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life This shews that while they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures they neglected to come unto Christ to have Life of which the Scriptures bore Witness This Answers well to our purpose since our Adversaries now do also Exalt the Scriptures and think to have Life in them which is no more than to look upon them as the only Principal Rule and Way to Life and yet refuse to come unto the Spirit of which they Testify even the inward Spiritual Law which could give them Life So that the Cause of this People's Ignorance and Vnbelief was not their Want of Respect to the Scriptures which though they knew and had a high Esteem of yet Christ testifies in the former verses that they had neither seen the Father nor heard his Voice at any time neither had his Word abiding in them which had they then had then they had believed in the Son Moreover that place may be taken in the Indicative Mood Ye search the Scriptures which Interpretation the Greek word will bear and so Answ. 2 Pasor translateth it which by the Reproof following seemeth also to be the more genuine Interpretation as Cyrillus long ago hath observed § VIII Their Third Objection is from these words Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Here say they The Beroeans are commended for Searching the Scriptures Object 3 and making them the Rule I Answer That the Scriptures either are the Principal or Only Rule Answ. 1 will not at all from this follow neither will their searching the Scriptures or being Commended for it infer any such thing for we Recommend and Approve the use of them in that respect as much as any yet will it not follow that we Affirm them to be the Principal and Only Rule Secondly It is to
no such thing nor yet are often-times sensible of it must needs stand in the Enticing Words of man's Wisdom since it is by the meer Wisdom of man it is sought after and the meer Strength of man's Eloquence and Enticing words it is uttered and therefore no wonder if the Faith of such as hear and depend upon such preachers and preachings stand in the Wisdom of Men and not in the Power of God The Apostles declared that they spake not in the words which man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 But these Preachers confess that they are Strangers to the Holy Ghost his Motions and Operations neither do they Wait to feel them and therefore they speak in the words which their own natural Wisdom and Learning teacheth them mixing them in and adding them to such words as they steal of the Scripture and other Books and therefore speak not what the Holy Ghost teacheth Thirdly This is contrary to the Method and Order of the primitive Church mentioned by the Apostle 3. True Church's method was to speak by Revelation 1 Cor. 14.30 c. where in Preaching every one is to Wait for his Revelation and to give place one unto another according as things are Revealed But here there is no waiting for a Revelation but the Preacher must speak and not that which is Reveald unto him but what he hath prepared and premeditated before-hand Lastly By this kind of Preaching the Spirit of God which should be the Chief Instructor and Teacher of God's People 4. The Spirit is shut out by Priests to be the Teacher and whose influence is that only which makes all Preaching effectual and beneficial for the edifying of Souls is Shut out and man's natural Wisdom Learning and Parts set up and Exalted which no doubt is a great and chief reason why the Preaching among the generality of Christians is so Vnfruitful and Vnsuccessful yea according to this doctrine the Devil may preach and ought to be Heard also seeing he both knoweth the Truth and hath as much Eloquence as any But what availes Excellency of speech if the Demonstration and Power of the Spirit be wanting which toucheth the Conscience We see that when the Devil confessed to the Truth yet Christ would have none of his Testimony And as these pregnant Testimonies of the Scripture to prove this part of Preaching to be contrary to the Doctrine of Christ so do they also prove that of ours before affirmed to be Conform thereunto Object § XX. But if any Object after this manner Have not many been Benefitted yea and both Converted and Edified by the Ministry of such as have Premeditated their Preachings yea and hath not the Spirit often concurred by its Divine Influence with preachings thus premeditated so as they have been powerfully born in upon the Souls of the Hearers to their Advantage I answer Though that be granted which I shall not deny it will not infer that the thing was good in it self more than because Paul was met with by Christ to the Converting of his Soul riding to Damascus to persecute the Saints that he did well in so doing Neither particular Actions Answ. nor yet whole Congregations as we above observed are to be measured by the Acts of God's Condescension in times of Ignorance But besides Paul Persecuting was Converted is therefore Persecuting good it hath often-times fall'n out that God having a regard to the Simplicity and Integrity either of the Preacher or Hearers hath faln in upon the heart of a Preacher by his Power and holy Influence and thereby hath led them to speak things which were not in his premeditated Discourse and which perhaps he never thought of before and those passing Ejaculations and unpremeditated but living Exhortations have proved more beneficial and refreshful both to Preacher and Hearers than all their premeditated Sermons But all that will not allow them to Continue in these things which in themselves are not approved but contrary to the practice of the Apostles when God is raising up a people to serve him according to the primitive purity and spirituality yea such acts of God's Condescension in times of Darkness and Ignorance should ingage all more and more to follow him according as he Reveals his most perfect and Spiritual Way § XXI Having hitherto spoken of Preaching II. Of Prayer how the Outward is distinguisht from the Inward now it is fit to speak of Praying concerning which the like Controversy ariseth Our Adversaries whose Religion is all for the most part Outside and such whose Acts are the meer products of man's natural Will and Abilities as they can Preach so can they Pray when they please and therefore have their set particular Prayers I meddle not with the Controversies among themselves concerning this some of them being for set Prayers as a Liturgy others for such as are ex tempore Conceived it suffices me that all of them agree in this that the Motions and Influence of the Spirit of God are not Necessary to be previous thereunto and therefore they have Set Times in their publick Worship as before and after preaching The Priests set times to Preach and Pray deny's the Spirit and in their private Devotion as Morning and Evening and before and after meat and other such occasions at which they precisely set about the performing of their Prayers by speaking words to God whether they feel any Motions or Influence of the Spirit or not so that some of the Chiefest have confessed that they have thus Prayed without the Motions or Assistance of the Spirit acknowledging that they sinned in so doing yet they said they look upon it as their Duty to do so though to Pray without the Spirit be Sin We freely Confess that Prayer is both very profitable and a necessary Duty commanded and fit to be practised frequently by all Christians but as we can Do nothing without Christ so neither can we Pray without the concurrence and assistance of his Spirit But that the State of the Controversy may be the better understood let it be considered First That Prayer is twofold Inward and Outward Inward Prayer is that Secret turning of the mind towards God whereby What Inward Prayer is being secretly touched and awakened by the Light of Christ in the Conscience and so bowed down under the sense of its Iniquities Vnworthiness and Misery it looks up to God and joining issue with the secret Shinings of the Seed of God it breaths towards him and is constantly breathing forth some secret Desires and Aspirations towards him It is in this sense that we are so frequently in Scripture commanded to Pray continually Luke 18.1 1 Thess. 5.17 Eph. 6.18 Luke 21.36 which cannot be understood of Outward Prayer because it were impossible that men should be always upon their Knees expressing words of Prayer and this would hinder them from the Exercise of those Duties no less positively Commanded
being a Theam much debated and Common to us with others I might pass it by with a Reference to those Authors who largely Treat of them yet I will take notice of what he saith in direct Answer to what by me is Affirmed And first as for his Accusation of me as not being positive and punctual enough in setting down my Judgment of the Decrees of Election and Reprobation It is of no weight All do at Times Confess That it is not Safe nor Proper too curiously to Inquire into the Decrees of God though this Man dive into them and be as positive in telling the several Causes of them as if he were upon the Secret Counsel of the Almighty I judge I have said that which is needful and sufficient God calleth every Man to Repentance and Salvation who has not fore-ordained any to be Damned to wit that God calleth Every Man Every where to Repent and be Saved through Faith in Jesus Christ who tasted Death for every Every Man and is given for a Light to inlighten the Gentiles and to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And therefore that Every Man ought to Apply himself to Repent and Believe and Obey without believing That God has fore-ordained him to be Damned and therefore has with-held from him Grace and Power to do what he finds himself Commanded and Obliged to do Which if it were true as he supposeth it to be of most Men there can be no Reason Why they ought not to believe the Truth If he say they either ought or need not because they know it not Let him remember what Pains he has been at in the former Chapter to prove That Ignorance of a Truth doth not take away the Obligation of believing it So he must either overturn all or be Content this Absurdity stick to his Doctrine As for his saying That the Opposers of it do Arraign God and give a Sign of their Pride and Arrogancy because they cannot Comprehend it with their Corrupt and Blinded Vnderstandings it is but a silly begging of the Question And supposing it to be true thus every Impostor might Intrude upon Sober Christians Wild Absurd and Non-sensical Notions contrary to God's Justice and Mercy and because they would not Accept of them tell them They Arraign God are proud and arrogant and not receiving the Truth because not Comprehended by their Corrupt Vnderstandings Would not this thinks he be wisely Reasoned But pag. 135. n. 3. he thinks I run so furiously against this Doctrine that I run my self blind And why so because I say They Affirm That God did predestinate to Everlasting Damnation the most part of Men without any respect had to their Sin only to demonstrate the Glory of his Justice And upon this he Rants as a ridiculous and false Representation of their Meaning But this Storm is quickly blown away for all his great Noise For their Westminster Confession of Faith saith Ch. 3. expresly Westminster Confession falsly says That some are Ordained by God for Wrath. That GOD ordained such as are not Elected for Dishonour and Wrath to the Praise of his Glorious Justice And the same Confession saith in the same Chapter That nothing future or what was to come even as fore-seen by God was the Cause of God's Decree and this himself also affirms p. 137 138 139. What then is become of all his Boast But if he place it here and say Sin became the Cause so soon as To demonstrate the Glory of his Justice became the End and therefore they say It was for their Sin he so Decreed This may serve for a Rattle to please Fools and Children but not such as are spiritually Wise and look more narrowly unto things since they so manifestly Contradict themselves telling Sin nor any future thing is not the Cause of God's Decree and yet in a few Lines That God Ordained or Decreed Men to Wrath for their Sin to manifest the Glory of his Justice Which is as much as to say God Decreed Men to be Damned without respect to Sin and yet he decreed them to be damned for their Sin How makes he this hang together by Scripture-Proofs Besides all will Confess that the Cause of all God's Decrees is his own Glory which is exerted in his Divine Attributes whereof Justice is one so that this must be a Cause before Sin can have any Place to be a Cause since they deny it has any He tells me p. 136. n. 5. That the Orthodox have written copiously on this Subject and very far above my Reach There was the less need then for him to write so many pages upon it which must be little but a Transcribing out of their Writings unless he think he has written more accurately and copiously than any of them which I judge he will hardly affirm I might easily If I would trouble the Reader with a tedious Discourse also Transcribe an Answer out of those who write Copiously against these his supposed Orthodox but truly Heterodox men but I rather chuse to pass it by not affecting to be Admired for the Bulk of my Writings to come to what he saith directly in Answer to me which is the Business properly in hand ¶ 2. After he has premised what he thinks meet he comes p. 143. n. 12. to take notice of what I say and first wherein I misrepresent them in which he saith he has found no less than twelve Vntruths But how Vntrue this Assertion is shall shortly appear The first is that I say God for perfecting of this that is for bringing his Decree to pass did appoint that these miserable Souls should necessarily sin this he saith is a Mistake But if the Testimonies of Calvin Zanchius Piscator and others cited by me whose Testimonies must have more Weight than his to prove the Calvinists Principle in this do not prove this to be no Mistake Calvinists Principle That God Predestinates Men to Sin and to the Causes of it then I may Conclude that 2 and 3 makes not 5. Calvin saith That God not only predestinated Men to Sin but to the Causes of it which is Sin The Reader may look the other Passage of it in my Apology Several of his other Vntruths p. 144. he builds upon supposing that I Insinuate That they believe the Gospel is once preached to every person That every Reprobate had the Knowledge of Christ and that God had given to every one that heareth the Gospel sufficient Grace to embrace it But truly I was never so Mad as to Insinuate they believed these things for not believing of which I Condemn them Neither will his Pedantism upon the Word subtrahendo make it out since to Withdraw or With hold may be said of things that Man never had without any great Impropriety And yet according to him all Men had a Will and Power to obey God's Law in Adam so his Ordaining Adam should fall was even in that Sense a Withdrawing of what
will not serve him with such as are not Blind To what I have said to shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be referred to the Light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all Men through it the Light not John might believe and not to John he returneth his contrary Assertion in stead of Reason My shewing it by its being said That all might believe through him which all could not do through John as not hearing him in stead of Answering he tells me I may learn thence how to take the particle All which in Effect is nothing but by his own bare Authority to Command me to take All not Vniversally But I find no Vertue in his Order to perswade and therefore will wait for Probation ere I Obey That John as an Instrument might be useful to bring People to believe in the Light I deny not and therefore he might have spared his pains in this Page to prove that But it will not thence follow that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred to John until he first remove the Ground given against it by me in shewing All is not understood here Vniversally which is incumbent for him to do since he denies it ¶ 6. Pag. 256. N. 31. In answer to my arguing That this Light is saving and sufficient because it is the Light of Christ whereby all ought to believe he saith They know no Light sufficient which is not Efficacious that is which certainly doth not save But besides that this Answer is but a meer begging of the Question J. B.'s Quibbles against Saving Light it is Contrary to many Scriptures which I have at length shewen before in proving Many that have had a Day have resisted the Mercy and Grace thereof What he saith further here against those who affirm That the Improving of Nature aright shall obtain Grace Toucheth me not who affirm no such thing He beginneth his N. 32. p. 257. with a Perversion as if I denied that we received what is Natural and Common from Christ because I say The Evangelist John c. 1. is treating of what we receive from Christ as Mediator therefore I deny we receive from Christ what is Common and Natural But in Answer to my urging the Light 's being Supernatural to pass by his pedantick Quibble which he adventureth not to Insist upon because the Darkness that is Man in his Natural Estate Comprehendeth it not but Man in that Estate can Comprehend what is Natural to him he tells me they thence Infer That Man in that Estate is void of all Spiritual Light Is not this a Learned Refutation of my Reason Reader But suspecting this would not serve he adds another Quibble upon the Word Comprehend That though Man in his Natural State can Comprehend that which is Natural yet he cannot Comprehend the God of Nature I say not To Comprehend to receive or apprehend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in his Natural State he can nor yet in his Spiritual Comprehend being taken in the most Comprehensive Sense But otherwise being understood of Receiving or Apprehending for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood he may Receive it by vertue of the Power which from the Light he Receives so to do That the Quakers exhort People to believe in a meer Creature Is a meer Calumny with which like Stuff this Page is filled And therefore my Argument of the Light being saving and Supernatural because we are commanded to believe in it Remains Unremoved Pag. 258. In answer to what I urge from the Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. and the Word of Faith Rom. 10. and the Engrafted Word Jam. 1.21 he only opposeth his meer Assertions and Railing calling it Quaker-Dotages and a fanciful Dream And to the Argument drawn from the Talents Mat. 25. he denieth them to signify Saving Grace of which above Pag. 259. When he comes to answer what I urge from Col. 1.23 of the Gospel's being preached in every Creature which is not only a Declaration of good Things but the Power of God he gives his meer Assertions That the Gospel was the Doctrine delivered by Men J. B. asserts the Gospel to be the Doctrine or Declaration of the Power of God but the Doctrine was not the Power of God which the Gospel is albeit it declared of it No more than a Receipt of Physick is the Ingredients Next he asserts That if the Gospel be in them it needs no Preacher but this he proves not A Man may have good Herbs in his Garden and yet need another to tell him the Right Vse of them yea and discover them unto him And what if I would say as he desires That it was preached from the beginning of the World in a Measure that it wrought in mens Hearts in order to save them albeit the full plain and manifest Discovery and pretious Effects thereof was reserved to the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles And therefore his Assertion in the next page 260. is false That according to the Quakers Principle the Gospel was alike manifest in all Ages Was not the promised Seed a Preaching of the Gospel to Adam How poorly he has shewn the Restriction of the Particle All albeit the Words here be Every Creature which is more pathetick in his Eighth Chapter is before Evinced And whereas he desires to know Where the Gospel is taken properly for that Inward Strength that is Common to all Men I have shewen him the Gospel is called the Power of God expressly Rom. 1. and that is an Inward Power and Strength And then again I have shewen him that this Gospel is preached to or in Every Creature which are plain Words what is preached to Every Creature is Common to all Men And therefore until he answer this his calling me a Babbler and a pagan-Pagan-Preacher as he doth in this Place with such like Stuff will have little Weight with Men of Reason To Assert the Manifestation of God in Man to be the Gospel J. B. calls Heathenism Pelag. Socin Armin. and Jesuitism The rest of this page and the following 261 and 262. is a Complex of Railing That the Quakers Gospel is meer Heathenism worse than Pelagianism Socinianism Arminianism and Jesuitism because they say that what is manifest from God in Man is by the Gospel and that which Revealeth Justice and Equity is the Gospel Which this Man supposeth only to be the Light of Nature and thereupon concludeth The Quakers Gospel is but Nature's dim and corrupt Light All which is but to beg the Question as he doth where he supposes That Man naturally can perceive the Eternal Power of the Godhead in the outward Creation without any supernatural Light Which he should prove and not mock at my being otherwise minded for this savours more of Pelagianism than any thing asserted by me He asks me by what Authority I make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is what is to be known of God for
he is but the dim Light of Nature This he takes for granted to be true and thence falsly makes his Inference pag. 297 298 307 308 324. To this he adds another Perversion As if because I say from the Light received proceeds an Holy Birth therefore there were no Infusion of any gracious Principle or Vertue c. which is false Men use to say that where Seed is Received in the Earth it grows up to Fruit yet not without the Influence of the Sun and descending of Rain so is it with this Spiritual Seed but with this Difference that where-ever this Seed is God is never wanting to give his Heavenly Influences towards its Growth and Advancement In this Chapter also he omits not his Railing calling us poor deluded Wretches c. with the Repetition of which I will not trouble the Reader if he be pleased he may observe it pag. 227 299 316 318 319. and in several other places but especially where he endeth the Chapter p. 324 325. I needed not at all trouble Reader with his often Re-iterated Accusation of my Joining with the Papists since he saith I am Worse and less Orthodox than they in this Matter p. 301 309. were it not to shew him how his Malice has blinded him For he Confesseth p. 300. N. 8. That I condemn their Meritum ex condigno and placing Justification in such Works as are rather evil than good and yet p. 305. he asks J. B's Patronizing the Papists Wherein I differ from the worst Papists So then such as Assert Meritum ex Condigno and those other things denied by me are not in his Sense the Worst Papists let him reconcile this with the general Sense of Protestants Yea with great Bitterness he quarrelleth me for Wronging the Papists p. 301. calling it a base Falshood and Deceit in me to say Papists do not place Justification in any real inward Renovation of the Soul citing the Words of the Council of Trent and Bellarmin to the contrary But he must know if he will I will not be Cheated by the fair Words of Papists contrary to what mine Ears have heard and Eyes seen to be the general Practice of their People and Preachers and that in a Kingdom where their Superstition less abounds than any Place of their Territories I know they place more Vertue towards the Inward Renovation of the Soul in such things as are justly Condemnable than in Obedience to Christ's Precepts And were it not that he is even glad to patronize the Papists that he might get some occasion to Rail against me he could not but acknowledge this since he cannot be ignorant whatever Distinctions and fair Words they have invented now to smooth their Doctrine that all the first Reformers do with one Voice affirm that before the Reformation there was a profound Silence of any thing save their superstitious Works Papists Pilgrimages and Indulgences Pilgrimages and Indulgences in the Point of Justification not only as to making Just but even as to Remission of Sins which they asserted to be attained by such Means Yet this Mans Charity can extend to palliate their Hypocrisy that he may Accuse me while yet in the same page as to me he lays aside all his Charity alledging most Abusively That it is but good Words I give them about the Satisfaction of Christ and that I deceive them with Socinian Glosses and Metaphorical Senses Which is a gross Calumny Like to which is his Calumny p. 317. where se saith The Quakers talk of Christ's Sufferings and Death c as all done within Man ¶ 2. That the Reader may not be interrupted in the through Examination of this point by his Calumnies Perversions and malitious Insinuations which he bestows throughout most of his Work to squeeze out my words that he may render me either odious or ridiculous I will remove them in the first place Good Works in what respect they help to Justification ere I come to the main matter Of this kind is what he saith p. 297. where he plays upon me saying That Justification is not by our Work or Works considered by themselves as if this were a mighty Aâ—surdity to say Works wrought in a Man could in any sense not be called his which he reckons Phanaticism in Folio But if this be so he must accuse Christ and the Apostle Paul of this Phanatcism and it shall not much trouble me to be accounted guilty with them albeit I lie under J. B.'s Censure for it For Christ saith to his Apostles Mat. 10.20 For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you and Mark 13.11 for it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost yet they uttered the Words He must either here confess his shame albeit he term me a Shameless Man for saying That Christ's words Confirm it or else Condemn Christ was not this Speaking a Work of the Apostles and doth not Christ say It is not they and dare he call this a Contradiction So then he may see in what respect good Works considered otherwise than as meerly the Works of Men help in Justification see also 1 Cor. 15.10 But I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me So here the Apostle's labour is ascribed to the Grace so as he saith it was not he and yet this Man asketh p. 248. If to be justified by Christ within be not to be justified by our Works adding to render me odious especially seeing this is Christ formed within and not Christ who laid down his Life a Ransom for Sinners Christ formed within is he that died and suffered which Christ in our account he saith cannot cleanse nor do any good which is a gross Calumny But the Evil he intendeth here to us returneth upon his own Head For if to Assert Christ formed within be to Assert another Christ than died and suffered Then the Apostle was guilty of this Crime Gal. 4.19 I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you yea he calls Christ within the hope of Glory Col. 1.28 Will he thence dare to say the Apostle held another Christ than he that died And let him prove if he can that in our speaking of Christ formed within we say more than the Apostle Another of his Calumnies is p. 302. where because I say That all have sinned that come to man's Age therefore I deny that the wicked Actions of such as are not come to be Men and Women are Sin which is utterly false as I never said so so I never intended as he malitiously affirms to Insinuate any such thing Pag. 303 304. he would screw my words speaking of a Twofold Redemption whereof the first is A Twofold Redemption purchased and wrought by Christ. the Capacity of being Redeemed purchased by Christ without and the Receiving of and Enjoying that wrought by Christ in us to make an Absurdity because
sinful and evil however they may imagine them to be good And herein I say we differ vastly from Papists they think and seek to be justified by such Works as are evil in the sight of God whereas we believe that by no such Works can any man be justified Other weighty Differences could be shewed in relation to this Matter but what is here in short declared may suffice to evince that we differ widely from the Papists concerning Justification Thirdly Look how near a kin ye are to Papists as in many other things so in these relating to Justification First Do ye not say That ye are not justified by Christ in-dwelling in you So say the Papists Secondly Do ye not say That the way to attain to a state of Justification is not by believing in the Word of Faith which is in every man and in the Light wherewith Christ has enlightned every man that comes into the World And so say the Papists who though they talk of Vniversal Grace yet they deny that this Vniversal Grace is an Evangelical Principle of Light by believing in which men can attain unto a state of Justification immediately Thirdly Do ye not say That God's Act of Justification is not an immediate Testimony of his Spirit declaring or pronouncing men righteous And so say the Papists Fourthly Do ye not say That men are not to know their Justification or that they are in a justified state by an immediate Testimony of the Spirit in them by way of object for this were to assert Immediate Revelation So do the Papists So by these few Instances given here and by many other Instances given by others in other particulars try your selves and first clear your selves of Popery before you or thou dost throw it upon us Now whereas thou alledgest That the Apostle in the matter of Justification excludes all Works even those of Christ his working in the Saints and which they work in him 'T is false nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove thy intent As Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 Tit. 3.5 thou say'st The Apostle speaks of Works in general Works of the Law and of the Spirit without any limitation But herein thou contradictest the very express Scriptures cited by thee for all these Scriptures speak of Works with a limitation As Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified and Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law Here the Works of the Law are excluded but not the Works of Christ in us which are not of the Law for the Law or first Covenant was weak and gave not strength to them who were under it to fulfil Righteousness but these who were in Christ Jesus witnessed the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them who walked not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And as for that other Scripture Tit. 3.5 though it exclude Works of mens doing as of themselves yet it excludes not all Works nor inward Righteousness of Christ but expresly includes it According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost Thou couldst not have brought a more plain proof against thy self for thou citest this Scripture has holding forth Justification Now the Apostle saith He saved us according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and is not the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost a Work which comprehends many particular Works of the Spirit of Christ in the Saints And is not Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost a Righteousness wrought in us How is it then that thou art not ashamed to charge us with Rank Popery for saying We are justified by a Righteousness wrought in us seeing the very Scripture cited by thee is expresly for it May we not pertinently return these words upon thee which thou mis-appliest to us Oh! tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askalon c. that a man who pretends to teach others a-right in the matter of Justification hath so confounded himself that to prove that Justification is not by a Righteousness wrought within brings a Scripture which speaks expresly of Righteousness within to wit that of Regeneration and Renovation by which we are saved And if any should say The words do not say We are Justified by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost but we are Saved thereby as intending Sanctification and not Justification I answer This helps not the Author out of the Ditch for he brings this Scripture forth applying it to the matter of Justification But again If these words exclude all Works generally and without any limitation then they exclude all Works which are wrought by the Spirit of Christ from sanctification as if men were sanctified by no Works of the Spirit of Christ within them Sanctification by the Works of the Spirit Or if it be said that Works of our own doing Self-righteousness are only excluded from having place in our Sanctification but not the Works wrought in and by the Spirit of Christ then I say why may not the same Distinction have place in all these other Scriptures which say We are not justified by Works c. And indeed in all these Scriptures it holds true no less concerning Sanctification than concerning Justification As thus By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be sanctified knowing that a man is not sanctified by the Works of the Law c. But it were vain to infer from this that men are sanctified by no Works of Righteousness wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ. Therefore it is as vain to infer that men are justified by no Works of Righteousness wrought in them by his Spirit Page 22 Thou say'st We can shift off Popery with this that they are not our Good Works which deserve and merit Justification but the Good Works of Christ's working in us Yea I say we do justly cast off the Accusation of Popery as having the express testimony of Scripture that we are justified by Works to wit such as are wrought in Christ and by him in us James 2.24 You see then that a man is justified by Works and not by Faith only Compared with Tit. 3.5 before-mentioned And as for the Papists Works by which they seek to be justified we do not acknowledge them to be such Works as whereby or wherein any can be justified And whereas thou pleadest That the Good Works of Christ's working in us are ours citing Isai. 26.12 Matth. 5.16 c. We grant it but they are not ours in that signification as where it is said He that is entred into his Rest hath ceased from his own Works Hebr. 4.10 There are Works which are so ours that they are not the Works of the sanctifying renewing Spirit of Christ in us What works do justify and such are Works both of open Unrighteousness and of
Bread Is it the Outward or is it the Inward and Spiritual The one Bread not many If it be the Outward then there is no Inward and Spiritual Bread Or if it be the Inward and Spiritual which is that one Bread then that Outward Bread as being but a Figure is ceased from being of use as to any necessity And this he spoke unto the Wise who saw beyond the Shadow and Figure unto the Substance the end of it which was that Heavenly Bread and Refreshment which Christ himself giveth unto those Souls to feed upon who know the Mystery of his Indwelling in them which Bread is indeed his Body So that now the Bread being one which is the Body of Christ the Outward Bread hath no place in the Supper of the Lord for then there should be not one Bread but two for the Outward Bread and the Inward are two and not one Bread And if any say The outward Bread though it be not properly the Body of Christ and thing signified yet it may be said to be one with it because of that Agreement betwixt the sign and the thing signified I Answer That is not sufficient why the outward Bread should be called the one Bread or one with the thing signified otherwise by the same evasion one might plead for the Continuance of all the Sacrifices and Offerings of Rams and Bulls and Goats and say they are one with that one Offering of Christ mentioned Hebr. 10.14 because they signified that one Offering Now were not this an abominable wresting of the Apostle's words to say All these outward Offerings were the one Offering because they did signify it For indeed he does contra-distinguish them from this one Offering that because of its being come he infers they were to pass away And so it is as plain that the Apostle contra-distinguished betwixt that one Bread and the outward Bread together with the other Figures and Shadows according to which writing to the Colossians he saith Coloss. 2.16 17. Let no man condemn you in Meat or Drink or Holy Day or New Moon or Sabbath-days which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ. And he bids them seek the things above and not the things which the Apostle said did perish in the using saying Touch not taste not handle not Coloss. 2.10 21 22. compared with Coloss. 3.1 2. which he spoke because they began to lay too great a weight upon these things and to hold them up as perpetual which were to pass away For a Sixth Reason thou say'st The Apostles and Primitive Christians who did partake of the Spirit in a large measure did use it Answ. That they used it for some time is granted but that they used it as of Necessity or Command is denied nor did they use it for themselves but for the sake of the weak who could not be suddenly weaned from it Thy Seventh Reason is That it is the Mind and Will of God that this Ordinance should be continued in his Church until the Second Coming of Christ to Judgment Christ's Second Coming is spiritual By which Second Coming thou and you understand his Outward Coming for which you have no ground to say that he bid them Observe it till his outward Coming so many hundred years after for the Scripture speaks nothing so but thus Ye shew forth my Death till I come Now we say he did Come according to his Promise in a Spiritual and Inward way of Appearance in their Hearts feeding them with the heavenly Food and Refreshment of his own Life and Spirit which is the Substance And concerning this Coming he spake unto them in many places particularly John 14.18 I will not leave you Fatherless I will come unto you Yet a little while and the World seeth me not but ye shall see me And Verse 23. If any Man love me he will keep my Word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him Which Coming was inward according to Verse 20. You in me and I in you And those that witnessed him thus Come needed not outward Bread and Wine to remember them of him for his own Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance they need not look upon the Figure and Shadow who have the Substance Paul said We look not upon things which are visible neither will God's Condescendence to their Weakness God's Condescension to the Weak who were but newly Redeemed from out of a mass of Heathenish Superstitions prove a Command or a Rule to the whole Church or a Warrant for any now to be found in the Administration thereof and to hold up the outward Figure do cloak themselves by shutting out and denying the Spiritual Appearance of Christ as he doth immediately Reveal himself in his Children in whom he has made manifest the Substance which ends the Shadow For an Eighth Reason thou say'st That Persons who cast off this Ordinance are their Soul 's great Enemies for they stand in the way of their Soul 's Spiritual good in that this is a Spiritual Nourishing strengthening Ordinance where Spiritual Food is offered and delicate Meat and Drink for strengthening Believers in their Journey to Heaven To which I Answer That those who neglect and despise having Fellowship and Communion with God and laugh and scoff at the useful and necessary Duty of Waiting upon the Lord in silence wherein his Children feel their Souls nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ The â—â—ue Nourishment of the Soul and with Spiritual Manna which descends from Heaven and is distilled into their Souls not only once or twice a year which are the Seasons wherein that which thou termest Spiritual Food is ministred among you but daily and hourly by the fresh Incoms of Life such indeed are to their Souls great Enemies though they be sticking to the performance of some External Ceremonies wherein in former times God in Condescendence to some because of the simplicity of their hearts appeared and yet even then frequently and as much and more at other times But now the Sun is set upon those who will needs be upholding the Shadow in opposition to the Substance therefore their Table is become polluted The polluted Table and may more truly be termed the Table of Devils than the Communion of the Body of Christ where a mixt Multitude of all sorts of Wicked Persons living out of God's fear sit down together being seemingly in words Excommunicated from Approaching by the Preacher and yet presently Admitted to it by the same And to turn away from such an Ordinance so called is no sin nor hurt but all who become obedient to the Light of Christ in them will find in their place to forsake it as being such an Ordinance which the Apostle said Touch not taste not handle not which is all to perish with the using In the fourth place Page 41. thou wilt prove That the Ministry of the
ye put upon them And whereas some object It is not said of them but of such I answer but that such includeth them and all others who are like them in harmlessness otherwise if they had been excluded he would not have given it as a Reason why he bid suffer them to come unto him But besides the 18 th Chapt. verse 20. of Ezekiel is a plain proof The soul that sinneth shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's iniquity unless that the Son be found acting the same iniquity and continuing in it for then he visits the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children Now thou hast produced no Scripture to prove That any Infants do perish and indeed there is nothing in Scripture for it but against it Secondly thou say'st It would follow that Infants dying in their infancy stood not in need of Christ as a Saviour for he is a Saviour to save his People from their sins Infants saved from sin Answ. He is a Saviour not only to save from sins but also from the Consequences of sin and not only from the fruits and branches of it but from the seed and they are saved from sin who are not suffered to fall into it And so these Infants whom the Lord takes away in their infancy that they might not sin are saved from it It is salvation to be kept from falling into a pit as truly as to be taken out of it after the falling in And as for that Scripture it maketh against you Matth. 1.12 For it speaketh of a salvation from sin whereas you dream of a salvation in your sins Nor doth Rom. 7.24 speak of Infants so thy citing it here is impertinent And though there be a time wherein there is a crying out for deliverance from the body of sin and death yet there is also a time of deliverance from it even before the laying down of the outward body as is plain from Rom. 6.6 7. Knowing this that the old man is crucified and he that is dead is freed from sin Yet we acknowledge there is great occasion to be Low and to be in great fear and care lest Sin which is once crucified revive again Page 48. Thou chargest us As holding a falling away from Regeneration and as agreeing therein with Arminians But if the Arminians hold a falling away from Regeneration we hold no such matter For those who fall away never attained unto the Regeneration and so were never the Children of God but only were in the way to it by having attained to some beginnings of Faith The falling away from Faith is of themselves from which some may and have fallen away For that it is expresly said by Christ some believe and afterwards fall away and some depart from the faith and make shipwrack of it and some who have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come Fall away These and many such Instances are in Scripture nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove the contrary as Philip. 1.6 which is to be understood no otherwise then as the Condition is performed upon their part As Hebr. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the Principle of our Establishment or whereby we are established firm unto the end and so these who hold fast this Principle witness the Work which God hath begun in them to be carried on until the day of Christ even till he be compleatly formed in them and they in him It may be supposed that Paul was as confident that God would perfect the Work begun in himself and yet he supposeth it might be otherwise where he saith Lest preaching the Gospel to others I my self become a Cast-away And though some fall away the dishonour of the foolish Builder cannot be cast upon God but upon them who fall away for it standeth very well with the Wisdom and Power of God to suffer them to fall away who knowingly and wilfully depart from the Lord and will not concur with him in the work as subordinate Instruments but resist him though he invite and call yea draw them The next thou citest is 1 Pet. 15. Answ. Such as are so kept by the Power of God it is through Faith but as they abide not in that power through Faith but wander from it they fall and cannot but fall away And as for Jerem. 32.40 cited by thee it should be translated thus I will put my fear into their hearts that they may not depart from me so Junius and Tremellius's Version or not to depart from me as the Septuagint hath it Now to say That they may not depart is one thing and to say They cannot depart is another Yet where the fear of God comes so to be raised and established in the heart over all we believe such cannot depart but every one is not attained to that state where yet the fear of God may have some place And as touching these other Scriptures John 10.27 28 29. and John 13.1 and 1 John 2.19 they speak of those who are come to a thorough-Regeneration who we do believe can never fall away as being begot in the perfect Nature of the Elect Sheep and Children Nor doth it follow from this that one may be a Child of God to day and a Child of the Devil to morrow for these who are once properly the Children of God through a true and thorough-Regeneration can never become the Children of the Devil nor be cast out of God's special love that he beareth to his own Children For to end this matter thou say'st It is safer to question the Truth of the Graces of those that fall away than the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints But dost thou look upon the Quakers as having fallen away if thou dost how comes it that thou bespeakest them in thy Epistle as those who have had real Grace saying to them Did ye attain to that knowledge of and acquaintance with God which ye have in the use of Ordinances And again Ye did run well who did hinder you And again Why should they asperse these Ordinances which have been the means of their Conversion Or are these words only a Joab's kiss by which thou would'st kiss the Quakers while in the mean time thou hast a Sword hid under thy Cloak to strike them through under the fifth Rib But the Quakers are aware of thee and having on the Armour of God are out of thy reach In the last place Page 50. thou undertakest to prove That our Errors as thou callest them tend to Irreligiousness and Atheism because they tend to take away the Worship due to God But it hath been heretofore proved that we deny not true Worship but only your Idolatrous superstitious Worships which cannot truly be called the Worship of God Our way thou say'st tends to Irreligiousness because frequently we go to Meat Prayer before Meat and come from it without seeking a Blessing or returning Thanks
may not be judged more guilty of foolish Rashness and Envy than any of us of the breach of Civility to reprove him for it who that he might not want something to say against the Quakers alledged a notorious Vntruth upon God in saying That the God of Heaven shut the mouths of all the Quakers that not one word was spoken among them at their last Monthly Meeting the 3 d of the 11 th Month which divers of their own Church-Members can witness to be a Lie Quest. 12. Whether it be not a far greater Breach of Charity in the Priests of Aberdeen not only to speak all manner of evil falsly against that People in the Pulpit but also there to stir up both Magistrates and People to imprison and persecute them Whether that be not more like the Practice of the Pharisees and of Demetrius the Silver-Smith than the Ministers of Christ Quest. 13. Whether beating striking punching pulling out of hair and that openly in the streets threatning to stone and pistol their sober innocent Neighbours and boasting that tho' they should do so they should be under no hazzard of the Law be like the fruits of Christ's Flock Or whether such practices and boastings be not more abusive of and destructive to Magistracy than Meeting together in sobriety and God's fear to wait upon him and edifie one another which is expresly commanded Hebr. 10. Or if such Actings be not liker John a Leyden and the tumults and cruelties of Munster than any thing that can be proved against the Quakers Quest. 14. Whether singing dancing swearing asking if the Spirit be come whistling and saying the Spirit 's upon them in the Quakers Meeting be not Barbarous and Atheistical and Interruptions far of another nature than for honest men in seriousness to stand up in your Meeting-house after your preaching is ended and preach Repentance seeing these practices above-mentioned evidence how much ye stand in need of such an Advertisement and both Reason and Christianity would say it deserved more Civil and Christian usage than Imprisonment or a pair of Stocks Quest. 15. Whether David Lyall his Expressions intimating his fears of the increase of Preachers doth not shew him contrary to the Spirit of Moses who wished all the Lord's People might be Prophets and to the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 14.29 Ye may all prophesy one by one and to Luther and many of the first Reformers and Martyrs who held preaching to be the common priviledge of Christians and so many of them being Trades-men did preach judging it no Inconsistence though this Generation of lofty Priests who may well be compared in many things to those idle Shavelings whom Luther reproves are loath to admit of any such thing knowing if it once should be supposed that Trades-men or Plough-men should preach it would also follow that Preachers might be Trades-men and so win their Living with their hands as did the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.12 Ibid. 9.18 Whether if so it be not probable fewer would be ambitious of that Office than now are and that there would be no such gaping for Presentations the desirable baits of Stipends being removed and as it would abate the pride and sumptuousness of the Priests so it would clip shorter the strip'd-silk Petticoats of their Wives and other gawdy Apparel of their Children Quest. 16. Whether it can then pertinently be objected as a token of pride against the Quakers that they preach Repentance especially against their doing it without study or premeditation as if trusting to the Spirit of God for utterance were pride which is expresly allowed commanded and practised in the Scripture Luc. 21.14 15. Acts 2.4 1 Cor. 2.14 and 1 Cor. 14.29 1 Pet. 4.11 Quest. 17. Whether that doth not homologate the Popish Argument for a Liturgy alledging it to be pride for men to address themselves in Prayers framed ex tempore seeing there are Prayers framed by the Church and by learned Men heretofore as they say better then private men can make off-hand containing whatever is applicable to the condition of any Soul Or whether it may not by the same Argument he pressed upon David Lyall as a point of pride for him or his Brethren to use any Prayer except that examplar left by Christ commonly called the Lord's Prayer seeing they themselves make the Extent of it so large as there can be no Condition of any particular person which they will not reduce to some of the Heads of it and that Enlargments and Tautologies to God are not only vain and needless but also by himself prohibited Quest. 18. And whether it savours more of pride to preach without premeditation which is but a speaking unto Man than to pray without premeditation which is a speaking unto God And seeing David Lyall and his Brethren pray ex tempore and without premeditation of any conceived form of prayer may it not be laid at his and their door first to clear themselves of pride as to this matter especially when they do not pretend to pray by the immediate teaching and leading of the Spirit in which the only true Prayer is framed that is acceptable unto God Quest. 19. Whether or no it did not as well express a mind filled with pride as contain a manifest impertinency for the same David Lyall to alledge as a token of the Quakers pride that a little black fellow came into the Church such were his expressions whether these words I say savour not as little of Humility as the thing it self is void of Reason that either littleness of body blackness of feature or meanness of outward Extract for so I think he means by fellow are inconsistent with the esse or being of a Preacher which if they had its probable himself could hardly have been admitted to be one Quest. 20. Whether if such words and expressions be the fruits of premeditation and study which these men cry up so much and judge so needful it deserves that esteem they would have put upon it or upon themselves because thereof especially considering many more impertinencies and inconsistencies used by them in their Pulpits witness that one mentioned upon the same occasion by the aforesaid D. L. to wit that its better to be an humble Devil than a proud Saint which if used by a School-boy would have deserved hissing if not whips as being Repugnantia in adjecto Let David Lyall George Mildrum John Menzies three Priests in Aberdeen who have lately most appeared in Pulpit against them called Quakers and among all their Fellow-Priests are herein mostly concerned answer these Queries if they can without using those shifts and tergiversations which the Papists used against the Primitive Reformers Given forth the 11 th Month 1670. by R. B. William Mitchell UNMASK'D OR THE Staggering Instability Of the Pretended Stable Christian DISCOVERED HIS Omissions observed and Weakness unvailed IN HIS Late faint and feeble Animadversions by way of Reply to a BOOK Intituled Truth Clear'd of Calumnies WHEREIN The
without reason that he compares us to Pelagians as if we took from Christ the Name Jesus seeing it has been shewn we own him to be Jesus or Saviour to all even to Infants He beginneth his fifteenth Head Of Perseverance concerning the Perseverance of the Saints page 115. alledging That in saying the Quakers hold not a falling away from Regeneration I seek to hide my self Because G. Keith says That Saints may fall away from saving Grace asking if Saints be Regenerate Answ. Though all that be fully Regenerate are Saints yet some may be called Saints who are not fully Regenerate Page 116. He alledgeth It is in vain to assert this falling away because it is said Some who believed afterwards fell away and some make shipwrack of the Faith and some who tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the Life to come c. Because they use to distinguish betwixt seeming counterfeit Grace and sound saving Grace Answ. Can there be any more palpable wresting of Scripture For if so be that Faith which they had were not real they were not to be blamed for falling away from it Who they are that Fell away from Faith it were their mercy to make shipwrack of that which was Counterfeit The Apostle speaks positively Heb. 6.4 of the capacity of such to fall away who were once enlightned who have tasted of the heavenly gift yea who were partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come he saith not they seemed to be so Nay the very Context sheweth the contrary saying It is impossible to renew such again to Repentance Now had this been all in Appearance the Apostle needed not to speak of Renewing them again to Repentance or say They crucify the Son of God afresh seeing if so they had never been penitent and been always Crucifiers of Christ. Whereas in answer to Phil. 1.6 I told him It might be supposed that Paul was as confident that God would perfect the work in himself as in any other And yet he supposes the contrary where he says Lest preaching the Gospel to others I my self become a Cast-away To this he replieth nothing but citeth another Scripture Jer. 32.29 I will give them one heart that they may fear me for ever Though God give them this that they may fear him yet such may abuse the Gift of God and so run out of his Fear he gives to all his Grace Turning Grace unto Wantonness and yet it is said that some turn it unto wantonness Jude 4. He jeereth at my Answer to Peter saying A goodly Reply forsooth as if he had said If the Saints fall from Faith they must fall But he might spare his Insulting until he had found some way to answer my words which are That those that abide not in the Power of God through Faith must fall away For he might as well Scoff at all the Conditional Promises of the Gospel such as He that continueth stedfast to the end shall obtain the Crown To say That Faith and the Power of God concurs to prevent the Saints falling away Answers nothing for so long as these concur we do not deny it and though they be always willing to concur yet it is clear that some who have believed not counterfeitly but really have departed from the power and so fallen away as is above shewn Page 117. Upon the words of Jer. 32.40 he says It proves the perseverance or impossibility of falling away because it is said God put his fear in their hearts for this end that they might not depart from him What then that doth not prove that they cannot depart from him Christ came to his own for this end that he might save them and yet it is said They received him not Joh. 1.11 He says I make short work of these Scriptures Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 13.1 1 Joh. 2.19 because I say They speak of those who were come to a through Regeneration which he says is without proof But the Reader by looking unto them will find they cannot be understood otherways than of such as are throughly Regenerate and it appears he was sensible of this having produced nothing to the contrary And whereas he adds That if those who are throughly Regenerate were only to persevere then this were the priviledge of Saints in Heaven and not in Earth who never come to be so There can be nothing more ridiculous than this manner of Arguing seeing that question Whether the Saints can be perfectly Regenerate on Earth is as much in debate as the other That Objection of his as if from this Doctrine it might follow One were a Child of God to day and a Child of the Devil to morrow I answered in my last page 43. to which he returneth no answer and therefore it is dis-ingenuity in him to bring it forth here again And whereas in pag. 43. aforesaid I shew him how he Contradicted himself in this matter by granting some of the Quakers to have been truly Converted and yet now to Condemn them as Apostates He is so far from Reconciling it that he avers it anew in plain terms saying page 118. That some of them that have felt a gratious Operation on their hearts and page 9. He cannot but think That some of them were savingly wrought upon and yet adds That it is clear that they have Apostatised from the Truth Now to reconcile this he hath nothing to say But he trusts the Lord will Convince them Answ. As some of them to whom he and his Brethren were forced to give the Testimony of gratious Persons have already departed this Life not only not shrinking from but even Testifying to these Truths he calls Error so others whom they have also accounted gratious having been at death's door have asserted the same Truth and rejoiced in it which sufficeth to overturn his vain Confidence And truly such a groundless Hope is but a poor shift to reconcile so palpable a Contradiction whereby while in words they condemn this Doctrine of the capacity of man's falling away from Grace yet as to the experience of some particulars they are forced to acknowledge it for fear they should fall in greater Inconveniences of granting some among the Quakers to be Choice Saints His sixteenth Head page 119. is to prove the Danger of Quakerism as he terms it But that his Folly may appear in this particular Praying with the Spirit granted by W. M. I desire the Reader first to observe our Principle which he concludes so hazzardous even as repeated by himself page 121. viz. That a man cannot nor ought not to Pray without the Spirit 's Motion and to say none can Pray without it hath no bad tendency because all such Prayers as are performed without the help of the Spirit are Abomination not true Prayers but hypocritical and deceitful Now he cannot deny this and therefore grants it to be true
the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me Q. By whom and after what manner doth the Son Reveal this Knowledge A. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath entered into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath Revealed them unto us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of a Man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name John 14.26 he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your Remembrance c. CHAP. II. Of the Rule and Guide of Christians and of the Scriptures Question SEeing it is by the Spirit that Christ Reveals the Knowledge of God in things Spiritual The Spirit the Guide is it by the Spirit that we must be led under the Gospel Answer But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are Led by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.9 14. they are the Sons of God Q. It is an Inward Principle then that is to be the Guide and Rule of Christians A. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you 1 John 2.27 and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him But as touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you Thes. 4.9 for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Q. I perceive by this that it is by an Inward Anointing and Rule that Christians are to be taught Is this the very tenor of the New-Covenant-Dispensation A. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those Days The Anointing the Teacher saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not Teach every Man his Neighbour Hebr. 8.10 11. and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the Least to the Greatest John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Q. Did Christ then promise that the Spirit should both abide with his Disciples and be in them A. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Joh. 14.16 17. that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwells with you and shall be in you Q. For what End were the Scriptures written A. For whatsoever things were written aforetime Rom. 15.4 were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Q. For what are they profitable A. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and 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 Q. Wherein consisteth the Excellency of the Scriptures A. Knowing this first 2 Pet. 1.20 21. that no Prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private Interpretation For the Prophecy came not in Old Time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Q. The Scriptures are then to be regarded because they came from the Spirit and they also testifie that not they but the Spirit is to lead into all Truth In what respect doth Christ Command to Search them A. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life John 5.39 and they are they which testifie of me Q. I perceive there was a Generation of old that greatly exalted the Scriptures and yet would not believe nor come to be guided by that the Scriptures directed to How doth Christ bespeak such A. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is One that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust for had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words John 5.45 46 47. Q. What ought then such to be accounted of notwithstanding of their Pretences of being ruled by the Scriptures A. In which are some things hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 which they that are Vnlearned and Vnstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own Destruction CHAP. III. Of Jesus Christ being manifest in the Flesh the Vse and End of it Question WHat are the Scriptures which do most observably prophesy of Christ's Appearance Answer Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign Behold Isai. 7.14 a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel Q. Was not Jesus Christ in being before he Appeared in the Flesh What clear Scriptures prove this against such as erroneously assert the contrary Mich. 5.2 A. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting John 1.1 2 3. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God The same was in the Beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was John 8.58 I am John 17.5 And now O Father Glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was And to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Ephes. 3.9 who created all things by Jesus Christ. Col. 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth
Condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good Report of them which are without lest he fall into Reproach and the Snare of the Devil For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God Tit. 1.7 8 9. not self-willed not soon angry not given to Wine no Striker not given to filthy Lucre but a lover of Hospitality a lover of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gain-sayers Q. What is incumbent upon such to do A. Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the Flock Acts 20.28 over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God * 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock Q. Though they be not to Lord it over the Flock yet is there not a Respect due to them in their Place 1 Tim. 5.17 A. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who Labour in the Word and Doctrine Q. Albeit then among true Christians every one that believeth is to have the Witness in himself being perswaded in himself by the Spirit yet is there not also a real Subjection to be to one another in the Lord 1 Cor. 14.32 A. The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls Hebr. 13.17 as they that must give Account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you 1 Thess. 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in Love for their Works sake 1 Pet. 5 5. Likewise ye Younger submit your selves unto the Elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace unto the Humble Q. How ought true Teachers to minister in the Church A. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another 2 Pet. 4.10 11. as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any Man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all Things may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Q. I perceive then that every true Minister of the Church of Christ is to Minister of the Gift and Grace of God which he hath received But some are of the Judgment that natural Wisdom or Parts and Human Learning are the Qualification Human Learning which are of absolute Necessity for a Minister but Grace they judge not to be so absolutely necessary but that one may be Minister without it what saith the Scripture in this Case A. A Bishop must be sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.6 8. Q. Methinks it is impossible for a Man to be blameless just holy sober and temperate without the Grace of God So that if these Qualifications be absolutely necessary then surely that without which a Man cannot be so qualified must be necessary also But what saith the Scripture as to the Necessity of Natural Wisdom and Human Learning A. Where is the Wise where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World 1 Cor. 1.20 21 hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World For after that in the Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe Q. It seems then the Preachings of the true Ministers are not gathered together by Wisdom and Learning It hath been supposed that a Man must be greatly skilled in Learning to make a good Sermon what is the Apostle's Judgment in the Case A. For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.17 not with Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none Effect And I was with you in Weakness and in Fear 1 Cor. 2 3 4 5 and in much Trembling and my Speech and my Preaching was not with Enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God Q. I perceive the Apostle lays far more stress upon the Demonstration and Power of the Spirit in a Preacher than upon human Literature ought Ministers then to preach as the Spirit teacheth them A. Also we speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teaches 2 Cor. 2.13 but which the Holy Ghost teacheth And they were all fill'd with the Holy Ghost and began to speak Acts 2.4 as the Spirit gave them Vtterance Q. Is it Christ then that speaketh in and through his Ministers A. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father Matth. 10.20 which speaketh in you For it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost Mark 13.11 For the Holy Ghost shall Teach you in the same Hour Luke 12.12 what ye ought to say Since ye seek a Proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which to you-ward is not weak but is mighty in you Q. What is the Apostle's Mind of that human Learning which some cry up so much and think so needful in a Minister A. Beware Col. 2.8 lest any Man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust 1 Tim. 6.20 avoiding prophane and vain Babbling and Oppositions of Science falsly so caled Q. Though true Ministers speak not by the natural Wisdom of Men yet is their Testimony altogether void of Wisdom A. Howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 7. yet not the Wisdom of this World nor of the Prince of this World that came to nought but we speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to our Glory Q. What is the Reason that Man by his natural Wisdom is not capable to Minister in the Things of God A. For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man 1 Cor. 2.11 14 save the Spirit of a Man which is in him even so the Things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God But the natural Man received
find none save the Dispensation of Truth now again revealed but such as in most of their substantial Principles differ greatly and in many Contradict grosly the plain Text and Tenour of the Scripture I confess there be certain Men in this Age who with some plausible Appearance of Reality undertake this Task These are they that join with and own not wholly any Imbodied People but while they pretend a general Love to all yet find fault with some part of every Sort while in the mean time they scarce can give any Account of their own Religion and most of them prove at bottom to have none at all These Men I say may perhaps acknowledge some general Truths and also hold to the Letter of the Scripture in some other things so as thereby to take Occasion largely to judge others while themselves offer not to bring these good things to practice they blame others for the Want or Neglect of But such an Enterprize from these Men will not when weighed prove a fulfilling of this Matter Seeing it is not enough to acknowledge many Truths but also to deny and witness against all Error and likewise not to fall short of any Truth which ought to be acknowledged Whereas these sort of Men for the most part cannot give account of their Faith in many things needful to be believed and whatever things they may acknowledge to be true they Err most grievously and Contradict a Truth most needful to be minded and answered as is proved hereto in that they stand not forth to appear for any of these Discoveries they pretend they have but make a shift to hide their Heads in Times of Trial Pretenders hide their Heads in time of Trial. so as not to suffer for nor with any And through these fine Pretences above-mentioned through their Scruples of joining with any they can cunningly shun the Difficulties of Persecutions that attend the particular Sects of Christians yet by their general Charity and Love to all claim a share in any Benefits or Advantages that accrew to one and all Such then cannot honestly lay claim to justifie their Principles and Practices from the Scriptures But I leave these Straglers in Religion and come again to the divers Sects To begin with these that are most numerous I think I need not say much to the Papists in this Case for they do not so much as pretend to prove all their Dogma's by the Scriptures sith it is one of their chief Doctrines That Tradition may Authorize Doctrines without any Authority of Scriptures Papistical Dogma's Traditions and Councils Yea the Council of Constance hath made bold to Command things to be believed Non obstante Scripturâ i. e. Though the Scriptures say the contrary And indeed it were their great Folly to pretend to prove their Doctrines by Scripture seeing the Adoration of Saints and Images Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead the Precedency of the Bishop of Rome the Matter of Indulgencies with much more Stuff of that kind hath not the least Shadow of Scripture for it Socinians Pretences contrary to Scriptures Among Protestants I know the Socinians are great Pretenders to the Scriptures and in Words as much exalt them as any other People and yet its strange to see how that not only in many things they are not agreeable to them but in some of their chief Principles quite contrary unto it as in their Denying the Divinity of Christ which is as expresly mentioned as any thing can be And the Word was God John 1. As also in Denying his Being from the Beginning against the very Tenour of that of John 1. and divers others as at large is shewn in the Third Chapter of this Treatise Divers other things as to them might be mentioned but this may suffice to stop their Boasting in this Matter The Arminians are not more successful in their Denying the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation Arminians Denials do center amiss and in Asserting the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death for all than they are short in not placing this Salvation in that Spiritual Light wherewith Man is enlightned by Christ but wrongously ascribing a part of that to the Natural Will and Capacity which is due alone to the Grace and Power of God by which the Work is both begun carried on and accomplished And herein they Pelagians the like as well as both the Socinians and Pelagians though they do well in Condemning their Errors yet they miss in setting up another and not the Truth in place thereof and in that respect are justly proved by such Scriptures as their Adversaries who otherwise are as far wrong as they bring against them in shewing the Depravity of Man's Will by Nature and his Incapacity to do any Good but as assisted by the Grace of God so to do On the other hand its strange to observe how many Protestants the first Article of whose Confession of Faith is to assert the Scripture to be the Only Rule should deny the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death contrary to the express words of Scripture which saith He tasted Death for every man or the Vniversality of Grace and a sufficient Principle which the Scriptures assert in as many positive Words as except we may suppose the Pen-men intended another thing than they spake it was possible to do viz A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and many more before-mentioned The like may be said of their denying the Perfection of the Saints and asserting the Impossibility of any falling away from real Beginnings of true and saving Grace contrary to so many express Scriptures as are heretofore adduced in their proper place But to give all that desire to be undeceived a more full Opportunity to observe how the Devil has abused many pretending to be Wise in making them cloak with a Pretence of Scripture false and pernicious Doctrines I shall take a few of many Instances out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism made by the Divines at Westminster so called because the same is not only most universally received and believed by the People of Britain and Ireland but also containeth upon the Matter the Faith of the French Churches and of most others both in the Nether-lands and elsewhere that it may appear what wild Consequences these Men have sought both contrary to the naked Import of the Words and to all Common Sense and Reason to cover some of their Erroneous Principles CHAP. XVIII A Short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism IT is not in the least my Design in this Chapter to offer so large and Examination of any of their Articles as might be done nor yet of so many as are very obvious but only of two or three to give the Reader a Taste of them
of God to his Children in these latter days For I have known some of my Friends who profess the same Faith with me faithful Servants of the most-High God and full of the Divine Knowledge of his Truth as it was immediately and inwardly Revealed to them by the Spirit from a true and living Experience who not only were ignorant of the Greek and Hebrew Wrong Translations of Scriptures discerned in the Spirit by the Unlearned in Letters but even some of them could not Read their own Vulgar Language who being pressed by the Adversaries with some Citations out of the English Translation and finding them to disagree with the Manifestation of Truth in their hearts have boldly Affirmed The Spirit of God never said so and that it was certainly wrong for they did not believe that any of the Holy Prophets or Apostles had ever written so Which when I on this Account seriously Examined I really found to be Errors and Corruptions of the Translators who as in most Translations do not so much give us the genuine Significations of the words as strain them to express that which comes nearest with that Opinion and Notion they have of Truth And this seemed to me to sute very well with that saying of Augustine Epist. 19. ad Hen. Tom. 2. fol. 14. after he has said that he gives only that honour to those Books which are called Canonical as to believe that the Authors thereof did in writing not Err. He adds And if I shall meet with any thing in these Writings that seemeth Repugnant to Truth I shall not doubt to say that either the Volume is Faulty or Erroneous that the Expounder hath not reached what was said or that I have in no wise Vnderstood it So that he supposes that in the Transcription and Translation there may be Errors § V. If it be then asked me Whether I think hereby to render the Scripture altogether uncertain Object or useless I Answer Not at all The Proposition it self declares what Esteem Answ. 1 I have for them And provided that to the Spirit from which they came be but granted that place the Scriptures themselves give it I do freely Concede to the Scripture the Second Place even whatsoever they say of themselves Which the Apostle Paul chiefly mentions in Two places Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were Written aforetime were Written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. The Holy Scriptures are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture given by Inspiration from God is profitable for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work For though God do principally and chiefly lead us by his Spirit yet he sometimes conveys his Comfort and Consolation to us through his Children whom he raises up and Inspires to Speak or Write a Word in Season whereby the Saints are made Instruments in the hand of the Lord to strengthen and encourage one another which do also tend to perfect and make them wise unto Salvation And such as are led by the Spirit cannot neglect The Saints Mutual Comfort is the same Spirit in all but do naturally love and are wonderfully cherished by that which proceedeth from the same Spirit in another because such mutual Emanations of the heavenly Life tend to quicken the mind when at any time it is overtaken with Heaviness Peter himself declares this to have been the End of his Writing 2 Pet. 1.12 13. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in Remembrance of those things though ye know them and be Established in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in Remembrance God is Teacher of his People himself and there is nothing more Express than that such as are under the New Covenant They need no man to Teach them yet it was a Fruit of Christ's Ascension to send Teachers and Pastors for perfecting of the Saints So that the same Work is ascribed to the Scriptures as to Teachers the one to make the Man of God perfect the other for the perfection of the Saints As then Teachers are not to go before the Teaching of God himself under the New Covenant but to follow after it neither are they to Rob us of that great Priviledge which Christ hath purchased unto us by his Blood so neither is the Scripture to go before the Teaching of the Spirit or to Rob us of it Answ. 2 Secondly God hath seen meet that herein we should as in a Looking-glass see the Conditions and Experiences of the Saints of old that finding our Experience Answer to theirs The Scriptures a Looking-glass we might thereby be the more Confirmed and Comforted and our Hope Strengthened of obtaining the same End that observing the Providences attending them seeing the Snares they were liable to and beholding their Deliverances we may thereby be made Wise unto Salvation and seasonably Reproved and Instructed in Righteousness This is the Great Work of the Scriptures and their Service to us that we may witness them fulfilled in us and so discern the Stamp of God's Spirit and Ways upon them by the inward Acquaintance we have with the same Spirit and Work in our hearts The Scriptures Work and Service The Prophecies of the Scripture are also very comfortable and profitable unto us as the same Spirit Inlightens us to observe them fulfilled and to be fulfilled For in all this it is to be observed that it is only the Spiritual man that can make a right use of them they are able to make the Man of God perfect so it is not the Natural Man and whatsoever was written aforetime was written for Our Comfort Our that are the Believers our that are the Saints concerning such the Apostle speaks For as for the other the Apostle Peter plainly declares that the Vnstable and Vnlearned wrest them to their own destruction These were they that were Vnlearned in the Divine and Heavenly Learning of the Spirit not in Humane and School-literature of which we may safely presume that Peter himself being a Fisher-man had no great skill for it may be with great probability yea certainly be affirmed that he had no knowledge of Aristotle's Logick Logick which both Papists and Protestants now degenerating from the Simplicity of Truth make Hand-maid of Divinity as they call it and a necessary Introduction to their Carnal Natural and Humane Ministry By the infinite obscure Labours of which kind of men mixing-in their heathenish stuff the Scripture is rendered at this day of so little service to the simple people whereof if Jerom complained in his time now twelve hundred years ago saying Hierom. Ep. 134. ad Cypr. Tom. 3. It is wont to befall the most part of Learned men that it is
Ineffectual to bring them the least step towards Salvation and do only Contribute to render their Condemnation the greater and their Torments the more Violent and Intolerable Having thus briefly Removed this false Doctrine which stood in my way because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously Refuted by many others I come to the Matter of our Proposition which is That God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath sent his Only-begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him might be Saved Christ tasted Death for every man Which also is again affirmed in the sixth Proposition in these words Christ then tasted death for every man of all kinds Such is the Evidence of this Truth delivered almost wholly in the Express words of Scripture that it will not need much probation also because our Assertion herein is Common with many others who have both earnestly and soundly according to the Scripture pleaded for this Vniversal Redemption I shall be the more brief in it that I may come to that which may seem more singularly and peculiarly ours § VI. This Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption Christ's Redemption is Vniversal contrary to the Doctrine of Absolute REPROBATION or Christ's dying for all men is of it self so Evident from the Scripture-Testimony that there is scarce found any other Article of the Christian Faith so frequently so plainly and so positively Asserted It is that which maketh the preaching of Christ to be truly termed the Gospel or an Annunciation of glad Tidings to all Thus the Angel declared the Birth and Coming of Christ to the Shepherds to be Luke 2.10 Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Joy which shall be to all people He saith not to a few people Now if this Coming of Christ had not brought a possibility of Salvation to all it should rather have been accounted Bad Tidings of great sorrow to most people neither should the Angel have had reason to have sung Peace on Earth and good Will towards men if the greatest part of Mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving any Benefit by it How should Christ have sent out His to Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.15 a very Comprehensive Commission that is To every son and daughter of Mankind without all Exception He Commands them to Preach Salvation to all Repentance and Remission of sins to all Warning every one and Exhorting every one as Paul did Col. 1.28 Now how couldd they have preached the Gospel to every man The Gospel is preached to Every man as became the Ministers of Jesus Christ in much Assurance if Salvation by that Gospel had not been possible for all What! If some of those had asked them or should now ask any of these Doctors who deny the Vniversality of Christ's Death and yet preach it to all promiscuously Hath Christ died sor me How can they with confidence give a certain Answer to this Question If they give a Conditional Answer as their Principle obligeth them to do and say If thou Repent Christ hath died for thee doth not the same Question still Recur Hath Christ died for me so as to make Repentance possible for me To this they can Answer nothing unless they run in a Circle whereas the Feet of those that bring the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace are said to be beautiful for that they preach the Common Salvation Repentance unto all offering a door of Mercy and Hope to all through Jesus Christ who gave himself a Ransom for all The Gospel Invites all and certainly by the Gospel Christ intended not to deceive and delude the greater part of Mankind when he Inviteth and Crieth saying Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ' I will give you Rest. If All then ought to seek after him and to look for Salvation by him he must needs have made Salvation possible to all for who is bound to seek after that which is Impossible Certainly it were a mocking of men to bid them do so And such as deny that by the Death of Christ Salvation is made possible to all men do most blasphemously make God mock the World in giving his Servants a Commission to preach the Gospel of Salvation unto ALL while he hath before decreed The Absurdity of that Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that it shall not be possible for them to Receive it Would not this make the Lord to send forth his Servants with a Lie in their mouths which were blasphemous to think commanding them to bid all and every one to believe that Christ died for them and had purchased life and Salvation whereas it is no such thing according to the fore-mentioned Doctrine But seeing Christ after he Arose and perfected the work of our Redemption gave a Commission to preach Repentance Remission of Sins and Salvation to all it is manifest that he died for all For he that hath Commissionated his Servants thus to preach is a God of Truth and no mocker of poor Mankind neither doth he require of any man that which is simply Impossible for him to do for that No man is bound to do that which is Impossible is a principle of Truth ingraven in every man's mind And seeing he is both a most Righteous and Merciful God it cannot at all stand neither with his Justice nor Mercy to bid such men Repent or Believe to whom it is Impossible § VII Moreover if we Regard the Testimony of the Scripture in this matter where there is not one Scripture which I know of that affirmeth To Pray for all for Christ died for all Christ not to die for ALL there are divers that positively and expresly Assert he did as 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 6. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all men c. for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Except we will have the Apostle here to Assert quite another thing than he intended there can be nothing more plain to Confirm what we have Asserted And this Scripture doth well answer to that manner of Arguing which we have hitherto used For first the Apostle here Recommends them to Pray for all men And to obviate such an Objection as if he had said with our Adversaries Christ prayed not for the World neither willeth he us to pray for All because he willeth not that All should be saved but hath ordained many to be damned that he might shew forth his Justice in them He obviates I say such an Objection telling them That it is good and acceptable in the sight of God who will have all men to be saved I desire
to know what can be more Expresly Affirmed And will have all men to be saved or can any Two Propositions be stated in Terms more Contradictory than these Two God willeth not some to be saved and God willeth all men to be saved or God will have no man perish If we believe the last as the Apostle hath Affirmed the first must be destroyed seeing of Contradictory Propositions the one being placed the other is destroyed Whence to Conclude he gives us a Reason of his Willingness that All men should be saved in these words Who gave himself a Ransom for all as if he would have said since Christ died for all since he gave himself a Ransom for all therefore he will have all men to be saved This Christ himself gives as the Reason of God's Love to the World in these words Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting life Compared with 1 Joh. 4.9 This whosoever is an Indefinite Term from which no man is Excluded From all which then I thus Argue * Arg. 1. For whomsoever it is lawful to pray to them Salvation is possible But It 's lawful to pray for every Individual man in the whole World Therefore Salvation is possible unto them I prove the Major Proposition thus No man is bound to pray for that which is impossible to be attained Arg. 2 But Every man is bound and commanded to pray for all men Therefore It is not impossible to be obtained I prove also this Proposition further thus No man is bound to pray but in Faith Arg. 3 But He that prayeth for that which he judges simply Impossible to be obtained cannot pray in Faith Therefore c. Again That which God willeth is not Impossible Arg. 4 But God willeth all men to be saved Therefore It is not Impossible And lastly These for whom our Saviour gave himself a Ransom Arg. 5 to such Salvation is possible But Our Saviour gave himself a Ransom for all Therefore Salvation is possible unto them § VIII This is very positively Affirmed Hebr. 2.9 in these words Proof 1 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour that he by the Grace of God might taste death for every man He that will but open his Eyes may see this Truth here Asserted If he tasted Death for Every man then certainly there is no man for whom he did not taste Death then there is no man who may not be made a Sharer of the Benefit of it For he came not to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be Saved Joh. 3.17 He came not to Judge the World but to Save the World Joh. 12.47 whereas according to the Doctrine of our Adversaries he behoved to come to Condemn the World and Judge it Our Adversaries false Doctrine of a great part of Mankind being pre-ordained for Damnation Refuted and not that it might be Saved by him or to save it For if he never came to bring Salvation to a great part of Mankind but that his Coming though it could never do them good yet shall augment their Condemnation from thence it necessarily follows that he came not of Intention to Save but to Judge and Condemn the greater part of the World contrary to his own Express Testimony And as the Apostle Paul in the words above-cited doth Assert Affirmatively That God willeth the Salvation of all so doth the Apostle Peter Assert Negatively That he Proof 2 willeth not the perishing of any 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance And this is Correspondent to that of the Prophet Ezechiel 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live If it be safe to believe God and trust in him we must not think that he intends to Cheat us by all these Expressions through his Servants but that he was in good Earnest And that this Will and Desire of his hath not taken Effect the Blame is on our parts as shall be after spoken of which could not be if so be we never were in any Capacity of Salvation or that Christ had never died for us but left us under an Impossibility of Salvation what means all those Earnest Invitations all those Serious Expostulations all those Regretting Contemplations wherewith the Holy Scriptures are full As Why will ye die 0 house of Israel why will ye not come to me that ye might have life I have waited to be gracious unto you I have sought to gather you I have knocked at the door of your hearts Is not your destruction of your selves I have called all the day long If Men who are so Invited be under no Capacity of being Saved if Salvation be Impossible unto them shall we suppose God in this to be no other but like the Author of a Romance or the Master of a Comedy who amuses and raises the various Affections and Passions of his Spectators by divers and strange Accidents sometimes leading them into hope and sometimes into despair all those Actions in Effect being but a pure Illusion while he hath appointed what the Conclusion of all shall be Proof 3 Thirdly This Doctrine is abundantly Confirmed by that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.1 2. And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World The way Adversaries Comment upon the Word the Whole World which our Adversaries take to Evite this Testimony is most foolish and ridiculous The World here say they is the World of Believers For this Commentary we have nothing but their own Assertion and so while it manifestly destroys the Text may be justly Rejected For First let them shew me if they can in all the Scripture where the Whole world is taken for Believers only I shall shew them where it is many times taken for the quite Contrary as The World knows me not The World receives me not I am not of this World Besides all these Scriptures Psal. 17.14 Isa. 13.11 Matth. 18.7 Joh. 7.7 8.26 12 19. 14 17. 15 18,19 17 14,18,20 1 Cor. 1.21 2 12. 6 2. Gal. 6.14 James 1.27 2 Pet. 2.20 1 Joh. 2.15 3 1. and 4.4 5. and many more Secondly The Apostle in this very place Contra-distinguisheth the World from the Saints thus And not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World What means the Apostle by ours here is not that the sins of Believers was not he one of those Believers and was not this an Vniversal Epistle written
strange ways seeing according to this most true Doctrine the Gospel reacheth all of whatsoever Condition Age or Nation Eleventhly It is Really and Effectively though not in so many words Cons. 11 yet by deeds established and confirmed by all the Preachers Promulgators and Doctors of the Christian Religion that ever were or now are even by those that otherways in their Judgment Oppose this Doctrine in that they all wherever they have been or are or whatsoever People Place or Country they come to do preach to the People and to every Individual among them That they may be saved Intreating and Desiring them to believe in Christ who hath died for them So that what they deny in the general they acknowledge of every particular there being no man to whom they do not preach in order to Salvation telling him Jesus Christ calls and wills him to believe and be saved and that if he refuse he shall therefore be Condemned and that his Condemnation is of himself Such is the Evidence and Vertue of Truth that it constrains its Adversaries even against their wills to plead for it Cons. 12 Lastly According to this Doctrine the former Argument used by the Arminians and Evited by the Calvinists concerning Every man's being bound to believe that Christ died for him is by altering the Assumption rendred Invincible thus That which every man is bound to believe is True But Every man is bound to believe that God is merciful unto him Therefore c. This Assumption no man can deny seeing his Mercies are said to be over all his Works And herein the Scripture every where declares the Mercy of God to be in that he Invites and Calls sinners to Repentance and hath opened a way of Salvation for them so that though those men be not bound to believe the History of Christ's Death and Passion who never came to know of it yet they are bound to believe that God will be Merciful to them if they follow his Ways and that he is Merciful unto them in that he Reproves them for Evil and Incourages them to good Neither ought any man to believe that God is unmerciful to him or that he hath from the beginning Ordained him to come into the World that he might be left to his own evil Inclinations Our Adversaries unmerciful Assertion of God and so do wickedly as a means appointed by God to bring him to Eternal Damnation which were it true as our Adversaries affirm it to be of many Thousands I see no reason why a man might not believe for certainly a man may believe the Truth As it manifestly appears from the thing it self that these good and excellent Consequences follow from the belief of this Doctrine so from the Probation of them it will yet more evidently appear To which before I come it is requisite to speak somewhat concerning the State of the Controversy which will bring great light to the matter For from the not right understanding of a matter under Debate sometimes both Arguments on the one hand and Objections on the other are brought which do no way hit the Case and hereby also our Sense and Judgment therein will be more fully understood and opened § XII First then by this Day and Time of Visitation which we say Quest. 1 God gives unto all during which they may be saved The Stating of the Question we do not understand the Whole Time of every man's Life though to some it may be extended even to the very hour of Death as we see in the Example of the Thief Converted upon the Cross but such a season at least as sufficiently exonerateth God of every man's Condemnation which to some may be sooner and to others later according as the Lord in his Wisdom sees meet So that many men may out-live this day after which there may be no possibility of Salvation to them That many may out-live the Day of God's Visitation and God justly suffers them to be hardned as a just punishment of their Vnbelief and even raises them up as Instruments of Wrath and makes them a Scourge one against another Whence to men in this Condition may be fitly applied those Scriptures which are abused to prove That God incites men necessarily to sin This is notably express'd by the Apostle Rom. 1. from v. 17. to the end but especially vers 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them up to a Reprobate Mind to do those things which are not Convenient That many may out-live this Day of God's gracious Visitation unto them is shewn by the Example of Esau Hebr. 12.16 17. who sold his Birth-right so he had it once and was capable to have kept it but afterwards when he would have inherited the Blessing he was Rejected This appears also by Christ's weeping over Jerusalem Luke 19.42 saying If thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Which plainly imports a Time when they might have known them which now was removed from them though they were yet alive But of this more shall be said hereafter § XIII Secondly By this Seed Grace and Word of God and Light Quest. 2 wherewith we say every man is Inlightned and hath a measure of it which strives with them in order to Save them and which may by the stubbornness and wickedness of man's Will be quenched bruised wounded pressed-down slain and crucified we understand not the proper Essence and Nature of God precisely taken which is not Divisible into parts and measures as being a must Pure Simple Being void of all Composition or Division and therefore can neither be resisted hurt wounded crucified or slain by all the Efforts and Strength of men The Light what it is and its Properties described But we understand a Spiritual Heavenly and Invisible Principle in which God as Father Son and Spirit dwells a measure of which Divine and Glorious Life is in all men as a Seed which of its own nature draws invites and inclines to God And this we call Vehiculum Dei or the Spiritual body of Christ Vehiculum DEI. the flesh and blood of Christ which came down from Heaven of which all the Saints do feed and are thereby nourished unto Eternal Life And as every unrighteous Action is witnessed against and reproved by this Light and Seed so by such Actions it is hurt wounded and slain and resiles or flees from them even as the flesh of men flees from that which is of a contrary nature to it Now because it is never separated from God nor Christ but wherever it is God and Christ are as wrapped up therein therefore and in that respect as it is Resisted God is said to be Resisted and where it is born down God is said to be pressed as a Cart under sheaves and Christ is said to be slain and crucified And on the contrary as
and enjoyed but as hath been above observed it is by Walking in this Light that we have this Communion and Fellowship not by Walking in John which were Non-sense So that this Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be Referr'd to the Light whereof John bears Witness that through that Light wherewith Christ hath lighted every man all men might come to believe Seeing then this Light is the Light of Jesus Christ The Light is Supernatural Saving and Sufficient and the Light through which men come to believe I think it needs not be doubted but that it is a supernatural saving and sufficient Light If it were not Supernatural it could not be properly called the Light of Jesus for though all things be his and of him and from him yet those things which are Common and Peculiar to our Nature as being a part of them we are not said in so special a manner to have from Christ. Moreover the Evangelist is holding out to us here the Office of Christ as Mediator and the Benefits which from him as such do Redound unto us Observ. 2 Secondly It cannot be any of the Natural Gifts or Faculties of our Soul whereby we are said here to be Inlightned because this Light is said to shine in the Darkness and cannot be Comprehended by it Now this Darkness is no other The Darkness is Man's Natural State and Condition but man's Natural Condition and State in which Natural State he can easily Comprehend and doth Comprehend those things that are peculiar and common to him as such That Man in his Natural Condition is called Darkness see Eph. 5.8 For ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord. And in other places as Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 1 Thess. 5.5 where the Condition of man in his Natural State is termed Darkness Therefore I say this Light cannot be any natural property or faculty of man's Soul but a Supernatural Gift and Grace of Christ. Observ. 3 Thirdly It is Sufficient and Saving Arg. 1 That which is given That all men through it may believe must needs be Saving and Sufficient That by Walking in which Fellowship with the Saints and the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sin is possessed must be Sufficient But such is the LIGHT 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore c. Moreover That which we are Commanded to believe in that we may become Arg. 2 the Children of the Light must be a Supernatural Sufficient and Saving Principle But we are Commanded to believe in this Light Therefore c. The Proposition cannot be denied The Assumption is Christ's own words Joh. 12.36 While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this they Object Object That by Light here is understood Christ's outward Person in whom he would have them believe That they ought to have believed in Christ that is Answ. that he was the MESSIAH that was to come is not denied but how they Evince that Christ intended that here I see not nay Whether Christ's ouâ—ward Person was the Light the place it self shews the Contrary by these words While ye have the Light and by the verse going before Walk while ye have the Light lest darkness come upon you Which words Import that when that Light in which they were to Believe was Removed then they should lose the Capacity or Season of Believing Now this could not be understood of Christ's Person else the Jews might have believed in him and many did savingly believe in him as all Christians do at this day when the person to wit his bodily Presence or outward man is far removed from them So that this Light The Light of Christ is not Christ's outward Man or Person in which they were commanded to believe must be that Inward Spiritual Light that shines in their hearts for a season even during the Day oâ— man's Visitation which while it continueth to Call Invite and Exhort men are said to have it and may believe in it but when men refuse to believe in it and Reject it then it ceaseth to be a Light to shew them the Way but leaves the sense of their Vnfaithfulness as a Sting in their Conscience which is a Terror and Darkness unto them and upon them in which they cannot know where to go neither can work any ways profitably in order to their Salvation And therefore to such Rebellious ones the Day of the Lord is said to be Darkness and not Light Amos 5.18 From whence it appears that though many Receive not the Light as the Darkness comprehends it not nevertheless this Saving Light shines in all that it may save them Cyrill Alex. Upon Joh. lib 1. cap. 11. Concerning which also Cyrillus Alexandrinus saith well and defends our Principle With great Diligence and Watchfulness saith he doth the Apostle John Endeavour to Anticipate and Prevent the vain Thoughts of men for there is here a wonderful Method of sublime things and Overturning of Objections He had just now called the Son the true Light by whom he Affirmed that every man coming into the world was Inlightned yea that he was in the World and the World was made by him One may then Object If the Word of God be the Light and if this Light Inlighten the hearts of men and suggest unto men piety and the understanding of things if he was always in the World and was the Creator or Builder of the World why was he so long unknown unto the World It seems rather to follow because he was unknown to the World therefore the World was not Inlightned by him nor he totally Light The World knew him not Lest any should so Object he divinely infers and the World knew him not Let not the World saith he Accuse the Word of God and his Eternal Light but it s own Weakness for the Son Inlightens but the Creature Rejects the Grace that 's given unto it and abuseth the sharpness of Understanding granted it by which it might have naturally known God and as a Prodigal hath turned its sight to the Creatures neglected to go forward and through Laziness and Negligence buried the Illumination and despised this Grace Which that the Disciple of Paul might not do he was Commanded to Watch therefore it is to be imputed to their Wickedness The Son Inlightens but Man through Negligence buries Illumination who are Illuminated and not unto the Light For as albeit the Sun riseth upon all yet he that is blind receiveth no benefit thereby none thence can justly accuse the brightness of the Sun but will ascribe the Cause of not seeing to the Blindness So I judge it is to be understood of the Only Begotten Son of God for he is the true Light and sendeth forth his brightness upon all but the God of this World as Paul saith hath blinded the minds of those that believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 that the Light of the
measure of Saving Grace I shall add one and that very observable not yet mentioned viz. that excellent saying of the Apostle Paul to Titus c. 2. v. 11. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Than which there can be nothing more clear it comprehending both the parts of the Controversy First It Testifies that it is no Natural Principle or Light but saith plainly it brings Salvation Secondly It says not that it hath appeared to a few but unto all men The Fruit of it declares also how Efficacious it is seeing it Comprehends the Whole Duty of Man It both teacheth us first to forsake Evil The Saving Grace of God Teaching the Whole Duty of Man to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and then it teacheth us our Whole Duty First To live Soberly that comprehends Temperance Chastity Meekness and those things that relate unto a Man's Self Secondly Righteously that Comprehends Equity Justice and Honesty and those things which relate to our Neighbours And lastly Godly which Comprehends Piety Faithfulness and Devotion which are the Duties relating to God So then there is nothing required of man or needful to man which this Grace Teacheth not Yet I have heard a publick Preacher one of those that are accounted Zealous men to Evite the strength of this Text deny this Grace to be saving and say It was only intended of Common Favours and Graces such as is the heat of the Fire and outward light of the Sun Such is the Darkness and Ignorance of those that Oppose the Truth whereas the Text saith expresly that it is Saving Others that cannot deny but it is saving Alledge This All comprehends not every Individual but only all kinds The Absurdity of our Adversaries Comment upon the word All denying Grace to be Saving Tit. 2.11 But is a bare Negation sufficient to overturn the strength of a positive Assertion If the Scriptures may be so abused what so Absurd as may not be pleaded for from them or what so Manifest as may not be denied But we have not reason to be staggered by their denying so long as our Faith is found in express Terms of the Scripture they may as well seek to perswade us that we do not Intend that which we Affirm though we know the Contrary as make us believe that when the Apostle speaks forth our Doctrine in plain words yet he intends theirs which is the quite Contrary And indeed can there be any thing more Absurd than to say where the word is plainly All few is only Intended For they will not have All taken here for the greater number Indeed as the Case may be sometimes by a Figure All may be taken of Two Numbers for the greater Number but let them shew us if they can either in Scripture or Profane or Ecclesiastical Writings that any man that wrote sense did ever use the word All to express of two Numbers the lesser whereas they Affirm that the far less Number have received Saving Grace and yet will they have the Apostle by All to have signified so Though this might suffice yet to put it further beyond all question I shall Instance another saying of the same Apostle that we may use him as his own Commentator Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the Free Gift came upon all men to Justification of life Here no man of reason except he will be obstinately Ignorant will deny but this similitive particle as makes the all which goes before and comes after to be of one and the same Extent Or else let them shew us one Example either in Scripture or elsewhere among men that speak proper Language where it is otherwise We must then either Affirm that this Loss which leads to Condemnation hath not come upon all or say that this Free Gift is come upon all by Christ. Whence I thus Argue First If all men have received a Loss from Adam which leads to Condemnation then all men have received a Gift from Christ Arg. which leads to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last From all which it naturally follows that All men even the Heathens may be saved for Christ was given as a Light to inlighten the Gentiles Isa. 49.6 Now to say that though they might have been saved yet none were Even the Heathens may be saved by the Light is to Judge too Vncharitably I see not what Reason can be alledged for it yea though it were granted which never can be that none of the Heathens were saved it will not from thence follow that they could not have been saved or that none now in their Condition can be saved For A non esse ad non posse non datur sequela i. e. That Consequence is false that Concludes a thing cannot be because it is not Object But if it be Objected which is the great Objection That there is no Name under heaven by which Salvation is known but by the Name JESVS Therefore they not knowing this cannot be saved I Answer Though they know it not outwardly yet if they know it inwardly Answ. by feeling the virtue and power of it the Name Jesus indeed which signifies a Saviour to free them from Sin and Iniquity in their Hearts they are saved by it I confess there is no other Name to be Saved by The Literal Knowledge of Christ is not Saving but the Real Experimental but Salvation lieth not in the Literal but in the Experimental Knowledge albeit those that have the literal Knowledge are not saved by it without this Real Experimental Knowledge Yet those that have the Real Knowledge may be saved without the External as by the Arguments hereafter brought will more appear For if the outward distinct Knowledge of him by whose means I receive Benefit were necessary for me before I could reap any Fruit of it then by the Rule of Contraries it would follow that I could receive no Hurt without I had also the distinct Knowledge of him that had occasioned it whereas Experience proves the Contrary How many are Injured by Adam's Fall that know Nothing of ever there being such a Man in the World or of his Eating the Forbidden Fruit why may they not then be saved by the Gift and Grace of Christ in them making them righteous and holy though they know not distinctly how that was purchased unto them by the death and sufferings of Jesus that was Crucified at Jerusalem especially seeing God hath made that Knowledge simply Impossible to them As many men are kill'd by poison Infused into their Meat though they neither know what the poison was nor who Infused it so also on the other hand how many are cured of their diseases by good Remedies who know not how
Doctrine of Papists that as the generality of them do not Vnderstand it so the Learned among them oppose it and dispute against it and particularly Bellarmine Thus then as I may say the formal Cause of Justification is not the Works to speak properly they being but an Effect of it but this Inward Birth this Jesus brought forth in the heart who is the Well-beloved whom the Father cannot but Accept and all those who thus are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and washed with it By this also comes that Communication of the goods of Christ unto us by which we come to be made partakers of the Divine Nature as saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 and are made one with him as the Branches with the Vine and have a Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us Christ's Obedience Righteousness Death and Sufferings are ours So that his Obedience becomes Ours his Righteousness ours his Death and Sufferings ours And by this Nearness we come to have a Sense of his Sufferings and to suffer with his Seed that yet lies pressed and crucified in the hearts of the ungodly and so travel with it and for its Redemption and for the Repentance of those Souls that in it are Crucifying as yet the Lord of Glory Even as the Apostle Paul who by his Sufferings is said to fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Body which is the Church Though this be a Mystery sealed up from all the Wise men that are yet Ignorant of this Seed in themselves and oppose it nevertheless some Protestants speak of this Justification by Christ inwardly put-on as shall hereafter be recited in its place Lastly Though we place Remission of Sins in the Righteousness and Expl. 5 Obedience of Christ performed by him in the flesh as to what pertains to the Remote procuring Cause and that we hold our selves formally Justified by Christ Jesus formed and brought forth in us yet can we not as some Protestants have unwarily done Exclude Works from Justification Good Works are not excluded Justification for though properly we be not Justified for them yet are we Justified in them and they are necessary even as Causa sine quâ non i. e. the Cause without which none are justified For the denying of this as it 's contrary to the Scriptures Testimony so it hath brought a great Scandal to the ProProtestant Religion opened the mouths of Papists and made many too secure while they have believed to be justified without good works Moreover though it be not safe to say They are Meritorious yet seeing they Prop. 5 6 are Rewarded many of those called the Fathers have not spared to use the word Merit which some of us have perhaps also done in a qualified Sense but no ways to infer the Popish Abuses above-mentioned And lastly If we had that notion of good works which most Protestants have we could freely agree to make them not only not necessary but Reject them as hurtful viz. That the best works even of the Saints are defiled and polluted For though we judge so of the best Works performed by man endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Law by his own strength and in his own will yet we believe that such works as naturally proceed from this Spiritual Birth and Formation of Christ in us are pure and holy even as the Root from which they come and therefore God Accepts them Justifies us in them and Rewards us for them of his own Free Grace The State of the Controversy being thus stated these following Positions do hencefrom arise in the next place to be proved Position I § IV. First That the Obedience Sufferings and Death of Christ is that by which the Soul obtains Remission of Sins and is the procuring Cause of that Grace by whose inward workings Christ comes to be formed inwardly and the Soul to be made Conformable unto him and so just and justified And that therefore in respect of this Capacity and Offer of Grace God is said to be Reconciled not as if he were actually Reconciled or did actually Justify or account any Just so long as they remain in their Sins really Impure and Vnjust Position II Secondly That it is by this Inward Birth of Christ in man that man is made Just and therefore so accounted by God Wherefore to be plain we are thereby and not till that be brought forth in us formally if we must use that word Justified in the sight of God because Justification is both more properly and frequently in Scripture taken in its proper signification for making one Just and not reputing one meerly such and is all one with Sanctification Position III Thirdly That since good Works as naturally follow from this Birth as heat from fire therefore are they of Absolute Necessity to Justification as Causa sine quâ non i. e. though not as the Cause for which yet as that Good Works are Causa sine quâ non of Justification in which we are and without which we cannot be Justified And though they be not Meritorious and draw no Debt upon God yet he cannot but Accept and Reward them for it is contrary to his Nature to deny his own since they may be perfect in their kind as proceeding from a Pure Holy Birth and Root Wherefore their Judgment is false and against the Truth that say That the holiest Works of the Saints are defiled and sinful in the sight of God for those Good Works are not the Works of the Law excluded by the Apostle from Justification Position I § V. As to the first I prove it from Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood Proof I to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Here the Apostle holds forth the Extent and Efficacy of Christ's Death The Efficacy of Christ's Death to Redeem man out of Evil. shewing that thereby and by Faith therein Remission of sins that are past is obtained as being that wherein the forbearance of God is exercised towards Mankind So that though men for the Sins they daily Commit deserve Eternal Death and that the Wrath of God should lay hold upon them yet by virtue of that most-satisfactory Sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Grace and Seed of God moves in love towards them during the day of their Visitation yet not so as not to strike against the Evil for that must be burned-up and destroyed but to Redeem man out of the Evil. Prop. 7 Secondly If God were perfectly Reconciled with men Proof II and did esteem them Just while they are actually Vnjust and do Continue in their Sins then should God have no Controversy with them * I do not only speak concerning men before Conversion who afterwards are Converted whom yet some of our Antagonists called Antinomians do aver were Justified from the beginning but also
Legal Acceptation As first in that of 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified as I before have proved which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge Neither diffide we saith Thysius because of the most great and strict Connexion Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3. that Justification doth sometimes seem also to Comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence as in Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 And such sometimes were ye Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. but ye are washed c. Zanchius having spoken concerning this sense of Justification adds saying There is another signification of the word viz. for a man from Unjust to be made Just even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy In which signification the Apostle said in the place above-cited And such were some of you c. that is of unclean ye are made holy and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit for Christ's sake in whom ye have believed Of this signification is that Rev. 22.11 Let him that is just be just still that is really from just become more just even as from unjust he became just And according to this signification the Fathers and especially Augustine have Interpreted this word H. Bullinger Thus far he H. Bullinger on the same place 1 Cor. 6. speaketh thus By divers words saith he the Apostle signifies the same thing when he saith ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified Proof II Secondly In that Excellent Saying of the Apostle so much observed Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the Golden Chain as being acknowledged to Comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation And therefore if Justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain Righteousness the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious Account makes the word Justified to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really Righteous is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification All for the most part do acknowledge the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge that as this is the most proper so the most common Signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledge We are not saith D. Chamierus such Impertinent Esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunate Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another yea we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called D. Chamier Tom. 3. de Sanct. l. 10. c. 1. because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of Inherent Righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Father I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely Beza in cap. 3. ad Tit. vers 7. so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by Imputation as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melanchthon saith Melancht in Apol. Confes. Aug. that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced Just but also of Unrighteous to be made Righteous Also some Chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrine whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Boraeus in Gen. c. 15. ad verb Credidit Abraham Deo pag. 161. Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our Justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our Justification the one is his Death the other is his Arising from the dead By his Death the sins of this World behoved to be Expiated By his Rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Idem lib. 3. Reg. cap. 9. v. 4. pag. 681. Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the Definition of Justification the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included both with the Remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost Bucerus in Rom. 4. ad ver 16. the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only Remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness Righteousness a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten which renders us Conform unto the Image of the First-Begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We always judge that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly adorned with all virtue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Country-man W. Forbes in Considerat Modest. de Just. lib. 2. Sect 8. Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word Justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce Just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make Just because that God doth otherways justify a wicked man than Earthly Judges For he when he Justifies a wicked or unjust man How God justifies the Wicked doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him Just because his Judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of Unjust to become Just. And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say That God first justifies and
believe it I shall only from this derive this one Argument If no man can be Justified without Faith and no Faith be living Arg. nor yet available to Justification without Works Then Works are necessary to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last For this Truth is so apparent and evident in the Scriptures that for the proof of it we might transcribe most of the Precepts of the Gospel I shall Instance a few which of themselves do so clearly Assert the thing in Question that they need no Commentary nor further Demonstration And then I shall answer the Objections made against this which indeed are the Arguments used for the Contrary Opinion Hebr. 12.14 Not the Sayers but the Doers are blessed Without holiness no man shall see God Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and through the Gates may enter into the City And many more that might be Instanced From all which I thus Argue If those only can Enter into the Kingdom Arg. that do the Will of the Father If those be accounted only the Wise builders and happy that do the sayings of Christ If no Observations avail but only the keeping of the Commandments and if they be blessed that do the Commandments and thereby have right to the Tree of Life and Entrance through the Gate into the City Then Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation and Justification But the First is true And therefore also the Last The Consequence of the Antecedent is so clear and evident that I think no man of sound Reason will call for a proof of it § X. * Object 1. But they Object that Works are not necessary to Justification First Because of that saying of Christ Luke 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are Commanded you say We are unprofitable servants c. Answer As to God we are indeed Vnprofitable for he needeth nothing neither can we Add any thing unto him Unprofitable Servants but as to our selves we are not Vnprofitable else it might be said that it is not profitable for a man to keep God's Commandments Answ. which is most Absurd and would Contradict Christ's Doctrine throughout God needeth nothing Doth not Christ Matth. 5. through all those Beatitudes pronounce men blessed for their purity for their meekness for their peaceableness c And is not then that for which Christ pronounceth men blessed profitable unto them Moreover Matth. 25.21 23. doth not Christ pronounce the men good and faithful servants Those that had improved their Talents were called Good and Faithful Servants that Improved their Talents Was not their doing of that then profitable unto them And vers 30. it is said of him that hid his Talent and did not Improve it Cast ye the Vnprofitable servant into utter darkness If then their not improving of the Talent made the man Vnprofitable and he was therefore cast into utter darkness it will follow by the Rule of Contraries so far at least that the Improving made the other profitable seeing if our Adversaries will allow us to believe Christ's words this is made a Reason and so at least a Cause Instrumental of their Acceptance Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Object 2 Secondly They object those sayings of the Apostle where he excludes the deeds of the Law from Justification as first Rom. 3.20 Because by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight and v. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Answ. We have shewn already what place we give to Works even to Answ. 1 the best of Works in Justification and how we ascribe its Immediate and Formal Cause to the Worker brought forth in us The Works of the Gospel or Grace distinguish't from the Works of the Law but not to the Works But in answer to this Objection I say There is a great difference betwixt the works of the Law and those of Grace or of the Gospel The first are excluded the second not but are necessary The first are those which are performed in man's own will and by his strength in a conformity to the outward Law and Letter and therefore are man's own Imperfect Works or works of the Law which makes nothing perfect And to this belong all the Ceremonies Purifications Washings and Traditions of the Jews The second are the works of the Spirit of Grace in the heart wrought in Conformity to the Inward and Spiritual Law which Works are not wrought in man's Will nor by his power and ability but in and by the Power and Spirit of Christ in us and therefore are pure and perfect in their kind as shall hereafter be proved and may be called Christ's Works for that he is the Immediate Author and Worker of them Such Works we affirm absolutely Necessary to Justification so that a man cannot be Justified without them and all Faith without them is dead and useless as the Apostle James saith Now that such a Distinction is to be admitted and that the Works excluded by the Apostle in the matter of Justification are of the first kind will appear if we consider the Occasion of the Apostle mentioning this as well here as throughout in his Epistle to the Galatians where he speaks of this matter and to this purpose at large which was this That whereas many of the Gentiles that were not of the Race nor Seed of Abraham as concerning the flesh were come to be Converted to the Christian Faith and believe in him some of those that were of the Jewish Proselytes thought to subject the faithful and believing Gentiles to the Legal Ceremonies and Observations as necessary to their Justification The Occasion of the Apostles speaking of the Works of the Law which are Excluded This gave the Apostle Paul occasion at length in his Epistle to the Romans Galatians and elsewhere to shew the Vse and Tendency of the Law and of its Works and to Contradistinguish them from the Faith of Christ and Righteousness thereof shewing how the former was Ceased and become Ineffectual the other Remaining and yet Necessary And that the Works excluded by the Apostle are of this kind of Works of the Law appears by the whole strain of his Epistle to the Galatians Chap. 1 2 3 4. For after in Chap. 4. he upbraideth them for their returning unto the Observation of days
from which there is no falling away Condition is Attainable because we are Exhorted to it and as hath been proved before the Scripture never proposeth to us things Impossible Such an Exhortation we have from the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure And though there be a Condition here proposed yet since we have already proved that it is possible to fulfil this Condition then also the Promise annexed thereunto may be attained And since where Assurance is wanting there is still a place left for Doubtings and Despairs if we should affirm it never attainable then should there never be a place known by the Saints in this World wherein they might be free of Doubting and Despair Which as it is most Absurd in it self so it 's Contrary to the manifest Experience of Thousands Thirdly God hath given to many of his Saints and Children and is ready to give unto all a full and certain Assurance A Certain Assurance and Establishment given of God to many of his Saints and Children that they are his and that no power shall be able to pluck them out of his hand But this Assurance would be no Assurance if those who are so Assured were not Established and Confirmed beyond all Doubt and Hesitation If so then surely there is no possibility for such to miss of that which God hath Assured them of And that there is such Assurance attainable in this life the Scripture abundantly declareth both in general and as to particular persons As first Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out c. which containeth a general Promise unto all Hence the Apostle speaks of some that are sealed 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of his Spirit in our hearts wherefore the Spirit so sealing is called the Earnest or Pledge of our Inheritance Eph. 1.13 In whom ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise And therefore the Apostle Paul not only in that of the Romans above-noted declareth himself to have Attained that Condition but 2 Tim. 4.7 he affirmeth in these words I have fought a good fight c. which also many good men have and do witness And therefore as there can be nothing more manifest than that which the manifest Experience of this time sheweth and therein is found agreeable to the Experience of former times so we see there have been both of old and of late that have turned the Grace of God into Wantonness and have fall'n from their Faith and Integrity thence we may safely conclude such a falling away possible We also see that some of old and of late have Attained a certain Assurance some time before they departed that they should Inherit Eternal Life and have accordingly died in that good hope Of and concerning whom the Spirit of God Testified that they are saved Wherefore we also see that such a State is Attainable in this life from which there is not a Falling away For seeing the Spirit of God did so Testify it was not possible that they should perish concerning whom he who cannot lie thus bare Witness PROPOSITION X. Concerning the Ministry Prop. 10 As by this Light or Gift of God all true Knowledge in things Spiritual is received and revealed so by the same as it is manifested and received in the heart by the strength and power thereof every true Minister of the Gospel is ordained prepared and supplied in the Work of the Ministry and by the leading moving and drawing hereof ought every Evangelist and Christian Pastor to be led and ordered in his labour and work of the Gospel both as to the place Where as to the persons to whom and as to the time wherein he is to Minister Moreover who have this Authority may and ought to preach the Gospel though without Humane Commission or Literature as on the other hand who want the Authority of this Divine Gift however Learned or Athorized by the Commission of Men and Churches are to be esteemed but as Deceivers and not true Ministers of the Gospel The Gospel to be preach'd freely Matth. 10.8 Also who have received this holy and unspotted Gift as they have freely received it so are they freely to give it without hire or bargaining far less to use it as a Trade to get money by yet if God hath called any one from their Emploiments or Trades by which they acquire their Livelihood it may be lawful for such according to the liberty which they feel given them in the Lord to receive such Temporals to wit what may be needful for them for Meat and Cloathing as are given them freely and cordially by those to whom they have Communicated Spirituals § I. HItherto I have treated of those things which relate to the Christian Faith and Christians as they stand each in his private and particular Condition and how and what way every man may be a Christian indeed and so abide Now I come in order to speak of those things that relate to Christians as they are stated in a Joint-Fellowship and Communion and come under a Visible and Outward Society which Society is called the Church of God The Church of God is the Spiritual Body of Christ. and in Scripture compared to a Body and therefore named the Body of Christ. As then in the Natural Body there be divers Members all concurring to the common end of preserving and confirming the whole Body so in this Spiritual and Mystical Body there are also divers Members according to the different measures of Grace and of the Spirit diversly administred unto each Member and from this Diversity ariseth that distinction of persons in the visible Society of Christians as of Apostles Pastors Evangelists Ministers c. That which in this Proposition is proposed is What makes or constitutes any a Minister of the Church what his Qualifications ought to be and how he ought to behave himself But because it may seem somewhat preposterous to speak of the distinct Offices of the Church until something be said concerning the Church in general though nothing positively be said of it in the Proposition yet as here implied I shall briefly premise something thereof and then proceed to the particular Members of it § II. It is not in the least my design to meddle with those tedious and many Controversies wherewith the Papists and Protestants do Tear one another concerning this thing but only according to the Truth manifested to me and Revealed in me by the Testimony of the Spirit according to that proportion of Wisdom given me briefly to hold forth as a necessary Introduction both to this matter of the Ministry and of Worship which followeth those things which I together with my Brethren do believe concerning the Church The Church then according to the Grammatical signification of the word as it is used in
early lost and man's Wisdom and Will hath so quickly and throughly mixed it self herein that both the Apostasy in this respect hath been greatest and the Reformation here-from as to the evil Root most difficult Therefore let not the Reader suddenly stumble at the account of our Proposition in this matter but hear us patiently in this respect Explain our selves and I hope by the Assistance of God to make it appear that though our manner of Speaking and Doctrine seem most singular and different from all other sorts of Christians yet it is most according to the purest Christian Religion and indeed most needful to be observed and followed And that there be no ground of Mistake for that I was necessitate to speak in few words and therefore more obscurely and dubiously in the Proposition it self it is fit in the first place to Explain and hold forth our Sense and Clear the State of the Controversie § II. And first let it be considered that what is here affirmed I. What Worship here is spoken to is spoken of the Worship of God in Gospel-times and not of the Worship that was under or before the Law For the particular Commands of God to men then are not sufficient to Authorize us now to do the same things else we might be supposed at present acceptably to offer Sacrifice as they did which all acknowledge to be Ceased So that what might have been both commendable and acceptable under the Law may justly now be charged with Superstition yea and Idolatry So that impertinently in this respect doth Arnoldus rage against this Proposition Exercit. Theolog. Sect. 44. saying That I deny all publick Worship and that according to me such as in Enoch 's time publickly began to call upon the Name of the Lord and such as at the Command of God went twice up to Jerusalem to Worship and that Anna Simeon Mary c. were Idolaters because they used the publick Worship of these times Such a Consequence is most Impertinent and no less foolish and absurd than if I should infer from Paul's Expostulating with the Galatians for their returning to the Jewish Ceremonies that he therefore Condemned Moses and all the Prophets as foolish and ignorant Ceremonies under the Law were not Essential to true Worship because they used those things the forward man not heeding the different Dispensations of times ran into this Impertinency Though a Spiritual Worship might have been and no doubt was practised by many under the Law in great simplicity yet will it not follow that it were no Superstition to use all those Ceremonies that they used which were by God dispensed to the Jews not as being Essential to true Worship or Necessary as of themselves for transmitting and entertaining an holy Fellowship betwixt him and his people but in Condescension to them who were inclinable to Idolatry Albeit then in this as in most other things the Substance was enjoyed under the Law by such as were Spiritual indeed yet was it Vailed and surrounded with many Rites and Ceremonies which is no ways lawful for us to use now under the Gospel II. True Worship is not limited to time to place or persons § III. Secondly Albeit I say that this Worship is neither limited to times places nor persons yet I would not be understood as if I intended the putting away of all set Times and Places to Worship God forbid I should think of such an Opinion Nay we are none of those that forsake the Assembling of our selves together but have even certain Times and Places in which we carefully Meet together nor can we be driven there-from by the Threats or Persecutions of men to Wait upon God Necessity of Meetings and Worship him To meet together we think necessary for the people of God because so long as we are cloathed with this outward Tabernacle there is a necessity to the entertaining of a Joint and Visible Fellowship and bearing of an outward Testimony for God and seeing of the faces one of another that we concur with our persons as well as spirits To be accompanied with that inward love and unity of spirit doth greatly tend to encourage and refresh the Saints But the Limitation we condemn is that whereas the Spirit of God should be the immediate Actor 1. Will-Worship doth limit the Spirit of God Mover Perswader and Influencer of man in the particular Acts of Worship when the Saints are met together this Spirit is limited in its Operations by setting up a particular man or men to preach and Pray in man's Will and all the rest are excluded from so much as believing that they are to Wait for God's Spirit to move them in such things and so they neglecting that which should quicken them in themselves and not Waiting to feel the pure breathings of God's Spirit so as to obey them are led meerly to depend upon the Preacher and hear what he will say Secondly In that these peculiar men come not thither to Meet with the Lord 2 True Teaching of the Word of God and to Wait for the inward Motions and Operations of his Spirit and so to pray as they feel the Spirit to breath through them and in them and to preach as they find themselves acted and moved by God's Spirit and as he gives utterance so as to speak a word in season to refresh weary Souls and as the present Condition and State of the peoples hearts requires suffering God by his Spirit both to prepare peoples hearts and also give the Preacher to speak what may be fit and seasonable for them But he hath hammered together in his Closet according to his own Will Priests Preach by hap-hazzard their studied Sermons by his humane Wisdom and Literature and by stealing the words of Truth from the letter of the Scriptures and patching together other mens writings and observations so much as will hold him speaking an Hour while the glass runs and without Waiting or feeling the inward Influence of the Spirit of God he declaimes that by hap-hazzard whether it be fit or seasonable for the peoples Condition or no and when he has ended his Sermon he saith his Prayer also in his own Will and so there is an end of the business Which Customary Worship as it is no ways acceptable to God so how unfruitful it is and unprofitable to those that are found in it the present Condition of the Nations doth sufficiently declare It appears then that we are not against set Times for Worship as Arnoldus against this Proposition sect 45. no less impertinently alledgeth offering needlesly to prove that which is not denied only these Times being Appointed for outward Conveniency we may not therefore think with the Papists that these Days are Holy and lead people into a superstitious Observation of them being perswaded Whether Days are Holy that all days are alike holy in the sight of God And albeit it be not my present
their Minds judge and believe in Matters of Conscience just as they do And if it was not according to the Wisdom of Christ who was and is King of Kings by outward Force to constrain others to believe him or receive him as being a thing inconsistent with the Nature of his Ministry and Spiritual Government do not they grosly offend him that will needs be wiser than he and think to force Men against their Perswasion to conform to their Doctrine and Worship The Word of the Lord saith Not by power and by might but by the Spirit of the Lord Zach. 4.6 But these say Not by the Spirit of the Lord but by Might and carnal Power 2 Cor. 10.4 The Apostle saith plainly We wrestle not with flesh and blood and The Weapons of our warfare are not Carnal but Spiritual But these Men will needs wrestle with flesh and blood when they cannot prevail with the Spirit and the Understanding and not having Spiritual weapons go about with Carnal weapons to establish Christ's Kingdom which they can never do and therefore when the matter is well sifted it is found to be more out of love to Self and from a principle of Pride in Man to have all others to bow to him than from the love of God Christ indeed takes another method for he saith He will make his People a willing People in the day of his Power Psal. 110.3 but these Men labour against Mens Wills and Consciences not by Christ's Power but by the outward Sword to make Men the People of Christ which they can never do as shall hereafter be shewn But Thirdly Christ fully and plainly declareth to us his sense in this matter in the Parable of the Tares Matth. 13. of which we have himself the Interpreter ver 38 39 40 41. where he expounds them to be the Children of the wicked one and yet he will not have the Servants to meddle with them lest they pull up the Wheat therewith Now it cannot be denyed but Hereticks are here included but these Servants saw the Tares and had a certain discerning of them yet Christ would not they should meddle lest they should hurt the Wheat Thereby intimating that that capacity in Man to be mistaken ought to be a bridle upon him to make him wary in such matters and therefore to prevent this hurt he gives a positive prohibition But he said Nay ver 29. So that they that will notwithstanding be pulling up that which they judge is Tares do openly declare that they make no bones to break the Commands of Christ. Miserable is that evasion which some of our Adversaries use here in alledging these Tares is meant of Hypocrites and not of Hereticks But how to evince that seeing Hereticks as well as Hypocrites are Children of the wicked one they have not any thing but their own bare Affirmation which is therefore justly rejected If they say because Hypocrites can not be discerned Object· but so may Hereticks This is both false and a begging of the question For those Answ. that have a Spiritual discerning can discern both Hypocrites and Hereticks and those that want it cannot certainly discern either Seeing the question will arise Whether that is a Heresy which the Magistrate saith is so And seeing it is both possible and confessed by all to have often fallen out that some Magistrates have judged that Heresy which was not punishing Men accordingly for Truth instead of Errour There can no argument be drawn from the obviousness or evidence of Heresy unless we should conclude Heresy could never be mistaken for Truth nor Truth for Heresy whereof Experience shews daily the contrary even among Christians But neither is this shift applicable to this place for the Servants did discern the Tares and yet were liable to hurt the Wheat if they had offered to pull them up § III. But they Object against this Liberty of Conscience Deut. 13.5 where false Prophets are appointed to be put to death and accordingly they give example thereof Object Answ. The case no ways holds parallel those particular Commands to the Jews and Practices following upon them are not a Rule for Christians else we might by the same Rule say It were lawful for us to borrow from our Neighbours their Goods and so carry them away because the Jews did so by God's Command or that it is lawful for Christians to invade their Neighbours Kingdoms and cut them all off without Mercy because the Jews did so to the Canaanites by the Command of God If they urge That these Commands ought to stand except they be repealed in the Gospel Object I say these Precepts and Practices of Christ and his Apostles mentioned Answ. are a sufficient Repeal for if we should plead that every Command given to the Jews is binding upon us except there be a particular Repeal then would it follow that because it was lawful for the Jews if any Man killed one for the nearest of Kindred presently to kill the Murderer without any order of Law it were lawful for us to do so also And doth not this Command of Deut. 13.9 openly order him who is enticed by another to forsake the Lord though he were his Brother his Son his Daughter or his Wife presently to kill him or her Thou shalt surely kill him thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death If this Command were to be followed there needed neither Inquisition nor Magistrate to do the business and yet there is no reason why they should shuffle by this part and not the other yea to argue this way from the Practice among the Jews were to overturn the very Gospel and to set up again the carnal ordinances among the Jews to pull down the Spiritual ones of the Gospel Indeed we can far better argue from the Analogy betwixt the figurative and carnal state of the Jews and the Real and Spiritual one under the Gospel That as Moses delivered the Jews out of outward Egypt by an outward force and established them in an outward Kingdom by destroying their outward Enemies for them so Christ not by overcoming outwardly and killing others but by suffering and being killed doth deliver his chosen Ones the inward Jews out of mystical Egypt destroying their Spiritual Enemies before them and establishing among them his Spiritual Kingdom which is not of this World And as such as departed from the Fellowship of outward Israel were to be cut off by the outward Sword so those that depart from the inward Israel are to be cut off by the Sword of the Spirit For it answers very well that As the Jews were to cut off their Enemies outwardly to establish their Kingdom and outward worship so they were to uphold it the same way But as the Kingdom and Gospel of Christ was not to be established nor propagated by cutting off or destroying the Gentiles but by perswading them so neither is it to be upheld otherwise But
furnished with Power to confer Dignities and Offices using the Word You How the Word You came to be used to a Single Person yea and Deifying him with more remarkable Titles concerning which matter we read in the Epistles of Symmachus to the Emperours Theodosius and Valentinianus where he useth these Forms of speaking Vestra Aeternitas Your Eternity Vestrum Numen Your God-head Vestra Serenitas Your Serenity Vestra Clementia Your Clemency So that the Word You in the Plural Number together with the other Titles and Compellations of Honour seem to have taken their rise from Monarchical Government which afterwards by degrees came to be derived to Private Persons The same is witnessed by John Maresius of the French Academy in the Preface of his Clovis Let none wonder saith he that the Word Thou is used in this Work to Princes and Princesses for we use the same to God And of old the same was used to Alexanders Caesars Queens and Empresses The Vse of the Word You when one Person is spoken to was only introduced by these base Flatteries of Men of latter Ages to whom it seemed good to use the Plural Number to one Person that he may imagine himself alone to be equal to many others in Dignity and Worth from whence at last it came to Persons of lower Quality To the same Purpose speaketh also M. Godeau in his Preface to the New Testament Translation I had rather saith he faithfully keep to the express Words of Paul than exactly follow the polished Style of our Tongue therefore I always use that Form of calling God in the Singular Number not in the Plural and therefore I say rather Thou than You I confess indeed that the Civility and Custom of this World require him to be honoured after that manner but it is likewise on the contrary true That the Original Tongue of the New Testament hath nothing common with such Manners and Civility so that not one of these many old Versions we have doth observe it Let not Men believe that we give not Respect enough to God in that we call him by the Word Thou which is nevertheless far otherwise The Word Thou a greater Honour to one than You. for I seem to my self may be by the Effect of Custom more to honour his Divine Majesty in calling him after this Manner than if I should call him after the Manners of Men who are so delicate in their Forms of Speech See how clearly and evidently these Men witness that this Form of Speaking and these profane Titles derive their Origin from the base Flattery of these last Ages and from the delicate Haughtiness of Worldly Men who have invented these Novelties that thereby they might honour one another under I know not what Pretence of Civility and Respect From whence many of the present Christians so accounted are become so perverse in commending most-wicked Men and wicked Customs that the Simplicity of the Gospel is wholly lost so that the giving of Men and Things their own Names is not only worn out of Custom but the doing thereof is accounted absurd and rude by such kind of delicate Parasites who desire to ascribe to this Flattery and abuse the Name of Civility Moreover that this way of speaking proceeds from a High and Proud Mind hence appears because that Men usually use the Singular Number to Beggars and to their Servants yea and in their Prayers to God Thus the Superior will speak to his Inferior who yet will not bear that the Inferior so speak to him as judging it a kind of Reproach unto him So hath the Pride of Men placed God and the Beggar in the same Category I think I need not use Arguments to prove to such as know congruous Language that we ought to use the Singular Number speaking to one which is the common Dialect of the whole Scripture as also the most Interpreters do translate it Seeing therefore it is manifest to us that this form of speaking to Men in the plural number doth proceed from Pride as well as that it is in it self a lie we found a necessity upon us to testifie against this corruption by using the singular equally unto all And albeit no reason can be given why we should be persecuted upon this account especially by Christians who profess to Follow the Rule of Scripture whose Dialect this is yet it would perhaps seem incredible if I should relate how much we have suffered for this thing and how these proud ones fume Scripture 's Dialect the plain Language fret and gnash their Teeth frequently beating and striking us when we speak to them thus in the singular number Whereby we are the more confirmed in our judgment as seeing that this Testimony of Truth which God hath given us to bear in all things doth so vex the serpentine nature in the Children of darkness § VI. Secondly Next unto this of Titles the other part of Honour used among Christians is the Kneeling Bowing to Men c. Bowing and Vncovering of the Head to one another I know nothing our Adversaries have to plead for them in this matter save some few instances of the Old Testament and the Custom of the Countrey The first are such as Abraham 's bowing himself to the Children of Heth and Lot to the two Angels c. But the practice of these Patriarchs related as matter of Fact are not to be a Rule to Christians now Neither are we to imitate them in every Practice which has not a particular Reproof added to it For we find not Abraham reproved for taking Hagar c. and indeed to say All things were lawful for us The Custom of the Nations no Rule to Christians which they practised would produce inconveniencies obvious enough to all And as to the Customs of the Nations it 's a very ill argument for a Christian's practice We should have a better Rule to walk by than the custom of the Gentiles the Apostle desires us Not to be conformed to this World c. We see Rom. 12. ver 2. how little they have to say for themselves in this matter Let it be observed then whether our Reasons for laying aside these things be not considerable and weighty enough to uphold us in so doing First We say That God who is the Creator of man and he to whom he oweth the dedication both of Soul and Body is over all to be worshipped and adored and that not only by the Spirit but also with the prostration of Body Now Kneeling Bowing and uncovering of the Head is the alone outward signification of our Adoration towards God and therefore it is not lawful to give it unto man Bowing is Adoring and is only Gods ' He that kneeleth or prostrates himself to man what doth he more to God He that boweth and uncovereth his Head to the Creature what hath he reserved to the Creator Now the Apostle shews us that the uncovering of the
and come seriously to serve God and worship him in the Spirit he is made a Prey and presently made liable to cruel Sufferings Doth this bear any proportion to Christianity Do these things look any thing like the Churches of the Primitive Christians Surely not at all I shall first cite some few Scripture Testimonies being very positive Precepts to Christians and then see whether such as obey them can admit of these fore-mentioned things The Apostle commands us That whether we eat or drink or whatever we do we do it all to the glory of God But I judge none will be so impudent as to affirm That in the Use of these Sports and Games God is glorified If any should so say they would declare They neither knew God nor his Glory By Sports and Games God is not glorified And Experience abundantly proves That in the Practice of these things Men mind nothing less than the Glory of God and nothing more than the Satisfaction of their own Carnal Lusts Wills and Appetites The Apostle desires us 1 Cor. 7.29 31. Because the time is short that they that buy should be as though they possessed not And they that use this world as not abusing it c. But how can they be found in the Obedience of this Precept that plead for the Use of these Games and Sports who it seems think the Time so long that they cannot find occasion enough to employ it neither in taking Care for their Souls nor yet in the necessary Care for their Bodies but invent these Games and Sports to pass it away as if they wanted other Work to serve God or be useful to the Creation in The Apostle Peter desires us To pass the time of our sojourning here in Fear 1 Pet. 1.17 But will any say That such as use Dancing and Comedies Carding and Dicing do so much as mind this Precept in the Use of these things where there is nothing to be seen but Lightness and Vanity Wantonness and Obscenity contrived to hinder Men from Fear or being Serious and therefore no doubt calculated for the Service of the Devil There is no Duty more frequently commanded nor more incumbent upon Christians than the Fear of the Lord to stand in awe before him to walk as in his presence but if such as use these Games and Sports will speak from their Consciences they can I doubt not experimentally declare That this Fear is forgotton in their Gaming And if God by his Light secretly touch them or mind them of the Vanity of their Way they strive to shut it out and use their Gaming as an Engine to put away from them that troublesome Guest and thus make merry over the Just One whom they have slain and crucified in themselves But further if Christ's Reasoning be to be heeded who saith Matth. 12.35 36. That the good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things And that of every idle word we shall give an account in the day of Judgment It may be easily gathered from what Treasure these Inventions come And it may be easily proved that it is from the Evil and not the Good How many idle Words do they necessarily produce Comedies a studied complex of idle Lying Words Yea what are Comedies but a studyed complex of idle and lying Words Let Men that believe their Souls are immortal and that there will be a Day of Judgment in which these Words of Christ will be accomplished answer me how all these will make account in that great and terrible Day of all these idle Words that are necessarily made use of about Dancing Gaming Carding and Comedies acting And yet how is it that by Christians not condemning these things but allowing of them many that are accounted Christians take up their whole Time in them yea make it their Trade and Employment such as the Dancing-Masters and Comedians c. whose hellish Conversations do sufficiently declare what Master they serve and to what End these things contribute And it cannot be denied as being obviously manifest by Experience That such as are Masters of these Trades and are most delighted in them if they be not open Atheists and Prostigates are such at best as make Religion or the Care of their Souls their least Business Now if these things were discountenanced by Christians as inconsistent with their Profession it would remove these things for these Wretches would be necessitated then to betake themselves to some more honest Livelihood if they were not fed and upholden by these And as hereby a great Scandal and Stumbling Block would be removed from off the Christian Name so also would that in part be taken out of the Way which provokes the Lord to withhold his Blessing and by occasion of which things the Minds of many remain chained in Darkness and drowned in Lust Sensuality and Worldly Pleasures without any Sense of God's Fear or their own Souls Salvation Many of those called Fathers of the Church and other serious Persons have signified their Regret for these things and their Desires they might be remedied of whom many Citations might be alledged which for brevity's sake I have omitted § IX But they object That Mens Spirits could not subsist Object if they were always intent upon Serious and Spiritual Matters and that therefore there is need of some Divertisement to recreate the Mind a little whereby it being refreshed is able with greater Vigour to apply it self to these things I answer though all this were granted Answ. it would no ways militate against us neither plead the Use of these things which we would have wholly laid aside For that Men should be always in the same Intentiveness of Mind we do not plead knowing how impossible it is so long as we are cloathed with this Tabernacle of Clay But this will not allow us at any Time so to recede from the Memory of God and of our Souls chief Concern The Fear of God the best Recreation in all things as not still to retain a certain Sense of his Fear which cannot be so much as rationally supposed to be in the use of these things which we condemn Now the necessary Occasions which all are involved into in order to the Care and Sustentation of the outward Man are a Relaxation of the Mind from the more Serious Duties and those are performed in the Blessing as the Mind is so leavened with the Love of God and Sense of his Presence that even in doing these things the Soul carrieth with it that Divine Influence and Spiritual Habit whereby though these Acts as of Eating Drinking Sleeping Working be upon the Matter one with what the wicked do Yet they are done in another Spirit and in doing of them we please the Lord serve him and answer our End in the Creation and so feel and are sensible of his Blessing Whereas the Wicked
another But 2. That all Influences and Inspirations or Motions of the Spirit to enable Ministers to Preach and Pray Vocally are not Ceased since the Apostles Days is clear from Rev. 11.3 And I will give Power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesy And it is said That if any Man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth which must needs signifie a Special Influence of the Spirit given them to prophesy or preach which is not common to all Christians Also what are these Gifts given unto Ministers for the perfecting of the Saints but such special Influences to enable them to Preach which are not given to all Yea do not the National Preachers desire in their publick Prayers some special Assistance and Help of the Spirit to carry them forth in their Ministry which they have not before For if they had it before why do they seek it From all which it is manifest that as there are general Influences given to all and at all times so there are particular and special given only to some and but at some times Moreover that there is a greater Influence of Life required to Vocal Prayer when it is acceptable Mental Prayer the Cause and Spring of Vocal Prayer than unto some meer Mental Prayer a thing expresly denied by the Students pag. 100. § 16. is clear because all true and acceptable Vocal Prayer hath Mental Prayer going along with it as its Cause and Spring And so when any Man prays Vocally if his Prayer be True and Acceptable he prayeth also mentally and so he doth two things together Whereas when he prayeth but mentally he doth but one thing Now common Reason teacheth us that more Strength is required to do two things together than to do but one of them And seeing the Vocal Prayer hath not any Life or Vertue in it to reach unto God's Throne or yet unto the Hearts of his People to quicken and refresh them but as it receiveth that Life from the Life that is in the Mental Prayer it is clear that a greater Measure is required to both than simply to the one Now although Mental Prayer as to the Disposition and Frame of the Soul at least be always in and with Good Christians and hath always some Measure of Life in it yet that Measure is sometimes so Weak and Low that it cannot go forth into the Words without Hurt or Prejudice And at other times although it be able and strong yet it will not answer the Motion of Man's Will so as to be drawn forth thereby but it only abideth or goeth forth into the Vocal Prayer according to the Will of God as he pleaseth to move it Therefore the Free Motion of the Life it self as it pleaseth God to bring it forth is to be attended in all Outward Spiritual Performances But here let the Reader note That we have said Vocal Prayer requires more Life than some Mental Prayer we do not say than all For some Mental Prayer may be stronger than that which is a Complex of Mental and Vocal as gathering the whole Strength of the Complex into that which is solely and intirely Mental According unto that common saying abundantly confirmed by Experience Vis unita fortior united Strength is the stronger As when the Beams of the Sun are united into a small Point they have more Force than when they are diffused and for this Cause it is that we are so much for Mental Prayer as knowing the great Good of it in our Experience And from what is above said it is clear that we need another Influence wherewith to pray vocally than to Eat Plow Walk c. because these natural Actions may be done sufficiently in a Spiritual Manner by the help of that General Influence which doth always attend Good Men to Fear and Love God For the Principle of Divine Life which is the Living and Powerful Word of God in Men's Hearts is never idle The Principle of Divine Life is never Idle but is always Operative and at Work especially more abundantly in them who joyn with it being as a most Rich and Living Spring that is continually flowing and sending forth its Streams according to Joh. 4.14 But to pray Vocally requireth an Influence of Life to flow forth into the Words that it may in a Living and Powerful way reach the Hearers but that Plowing Eating Walking c. need no such Emanating Influence is certain and will be acknowledged by our Adversaries But perhaps also they will deny that any Life or Vertue doth flow forth into Mental Praying and Preaching even when these Duties are acceptably performed but this is contrary both to the certain Experience of many Thousands and also to the Scriptures-Testimony in many Places I. It is Contrary to the Experience of many Thousands who can declare whereof we are some that the Declarations Testimonies and Words of the Servants of God in Preaching and Praying have a real Life and Living Vertue in them The Life in the Words of the Servants of God witnessed by Experience whereby their Souls are exceedingly Refreshed Quickened and Stengthened which Life and Living Vertue is a thing as distinct from the bare outward Words which the natural Ear can hear as Wine is distinct from the Vessel that carrieth it Therefore if another Man that hath not this Spiritual Ability should pronounce the same Words they have not any Life or Vertue at all And that God had given this Spiritual Discerning to many before the People called Quakers were raised up is manifest from divers in our own Nation who cared not to hear Men who could speak never so good Words if they wanted Life and in that day they could and did distinguish betwixt dead and living Preachers as also betwixt a Living Testimony and Preaching and a Dry Discourse See for this the Book called The fulfilling of the Scriptures And this was the express Testimony of that Philosopher who was Converted by the means of a few Words spoke by a certain Old Man who was a Christian at the Council of Nice Out of the Mouth of that old Man said he there went forth a Vertue which I could not Resist These were his very Words as Lucas Osiander relates them in his Epitome of the Church-History Cent. 4. lin 2. cap. 5. II. It is Contrary to the Scriptures-Testimony in many Places The Mouth of the Righteous is a Well of Life Prov. 10.11 This must be understood in respect of the Influence of Life that cometh out of his Mouth And testified unto by Scripture as Water doth out of a Well and not barely in respect of the good Words which a Wicked Man may speak According to this Christ said to his Disciples The Words that I speak unto you are Spirit and Life and as it was then so it is now for at this day he speaketh in his Servants and will to the end of the World and it is He only who hath
indeed That he was a Devil from the Beginning but they have not proved it It is said expressly of him That he fell from his Ministry by Transgression we read not that he was Degraded his Office any other way but simply by his Transgression which was his betraying Christ. Again it is written of him Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein and his Bishoprick let another take Psal. 109. But they who plead for a Graceless Minister would put another in Judas Habitation and so would hold up a Ministry of Covetous Men as he was who to satisfy their Covetousness will betray Christ. For suppose that a Man have all other Qualifications requisite Holiness requisite in a Preacher and yet be openly and notoriously a Wicked Man he may plead his Right to be Admitted and if Admitted to be Continued to be a Minister What Ground have his Brethren out of Scripture to depose him according to the Students Argument which is indeed the General Argument of the Clergy as they are called seeing he hath all the Essentials of a Minister If they say Paul requireth That a Bishop or Deacon be found Blameless not covetous but vigilant sober c. then it will follow as much that he that is not really Pious ought not to be Admitted as he that is not seemingly Pious For the Apostle doth not say he must be seemingly so but simply that he must be so And indeed to expound all these Qualifications of a seeming and no real Holiness is to mock the Scripture For they might as well say that seeming Holiness only and not real is required indispensably of us in Order to Salvation for the Scripture as positively requireth Holiness unto the Function of a Bishop as it doth require it unto Salvation There is yet another thing which they have to prove concerning Judas viz. that Christ sent him to preach the Gospel He sent him indeed to work Miracles heal the Sick and to say The Kingdom of God is at hand that is to say the Gospel-Dispensation is approaching but that Judas was a Minister of the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation we require them to prove For it was after his Removal that Christ sent the Apostles to preach the Gospel Their third Reason is That the Efficay of the words depends not upon the worthiness of the Preachers The Efficacy of the Word preached 1 Cor. 3.7 We grant the Antecedent but deny the Consequence For although it depend not upon the Worthiness of the Preacher yet it may and doth require Holiness as a Qualification indispensably necessary in him even as they grant themselves that none are Justified without Faith yet they deny that the Efficacy of Justification depends upon the Worthiness of him that believeth And the Efficacy of good Wine depends not upon the Worthiness of the Vessel that bears it yet none will put good Wine in a leaky Vessel or unfit And indeed as Vnfit as a leaky Vnclean Vessel is to receive good Wine a Graceless Man is as Vnfit to receive the Dispensation of the Gospel which is compared to New Wine in the Scripture And said Christ No Man putteth new Wine into old Bottles for indeed the Ministration of the Gospel is a Ministration of Life and Grace and none can Minister that which they have not Their Fourth Argument depends upon a Proposition which they lay down and offer to prove but fall short in viz. That they cannot know who have true Grace This we deny For if they would believe in the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned them they should receive the Anointing and by it their Eyes should be opened to know who are Gracious and who not But let us see how they prove it 1. Say they We cannot know it Immediately That is granted 2. Nor can we know it by their Outward Works unless it be out of the judgment of Charity which may deceive us for all the works which a Godly Man can do may likewise be performed as to the outward The Fruits of the Spirit are a Savour of Life which Hypocrites have not by Hypocrites To this we Answer If by Outward Works they mean such as come under the outward Observation of the meer outward and bodily Senses we grant but there are Works which are the Fruits of the Spirit which although they remain in the Souls of Holy men yet send forth a savour of that Life and Spirit or Spiritual Principle that is the Root of them through the outward VVorks and Conversation which can and do reach unto the Spiritual Senses of others where they are And this Savour and Manifestation of Life can no Hypocrite have but it is an Infallible Evidence of Sanctification in measure where it is and where the Sanctification is greatest the Savour or Manifestation of Life is there greatest also According unto this Paul said 2 Cor. 2 15 16. c. 3.3 VVe are a good Savour c. and Paul said of the Corinthians That they were the Epistle of Christ John said of the Saints That the Name of God and of the Lamb shall be in their Foreheads Many other Testimonies could be brought to prove this we shall only add that of Christ He that believeth in me out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water So here is an Evidence that no Hypocrite can have Now what are these Rivers but the Influences of the Spirit And seeing they are said to flow out they may be discerned by others It is true the Natural Senses cannot discern them but the Spiritual Senses can and seeing Natural and Spiritual Senses discerning their proper Objects the Students grant Spiritual Senses if they grant them to be True and Real they must grant also Spiritual Sensible Objects which may be as certainly apprehended and discerned by our Spiritual Senses although the Objects themselves be without us as natural Objects without us may be apprehended by the Natural Senses 3. Nor can we know it say they by Revelation But how prove they it They only suppose they have proved already that there is no such thing but how VVeak and Impertinent their Proofs are is above shewed But here note that by Revelation is sufficiently understood the Revelation or Discovery which the Fruits of the Spirit or Spiritual Life give forth in Holy men one to another for as the Savour of some Sweet Ointment is a sufficient Revelation of it to the Sense of the natural Smell so the Spiritual Savour of the Spiritual Oyntment is such to the Spiritual Smell Lastly Whereas they say The Gift of discerning Spirits was never Common to all This we deny nor doth that Scripture cited by them prove it 1 Cor. 12.10 Otherwise they might as well say The Discerning of Spirits is Common to all true Christians That Faith was not Common to all true Christians because it is said To another Faith But as by Faith here must be understood
to be written by the Spirit both which I deny and he has not so much as offer'd to prove and therefore his Argument if I should go no further can Conclude nothing Next his Minor to wit That all pretending to Immediate Revelation have been led by a Spirit of Error is not at all proved by him For albeit it might be said of all those Old Sects named by him and of the German Enthusiasts yet that is not sufficient Proof unless he can make it appear that there was never any other but were so also which yet remains for him to Prove and will trouble him to Effect For to Affirm there were never any because he has never heard nor read of them were an Argument a great deal more Ridiculous than Rational And for his Challenging me to shew them albeit the Instance of the Quakers be enough to spoil all his Argument as will after appear yet by his good Leave I am not bound Affirmanti incumbit probatio And that this Answer is sufficient I have the Testimony of his Learned Brother John Menzies Professor of Divinity at Aberdeen in his Book Intituled Papismus Lucifugus where he Answers the Jesuit's Minor the same way and proveth it to be Sufficient And surely he has not taken notice that by this he has Condemned as led by a Spirit of Error all the Primitive Protestant-Martyrs that Prophesied at any time such as John Huss and George Wishart our Country-Man and many others by reason of whose Prophesying J. B. and his Brethren have valued their Cause J. B's condemning the Primitive Martyrs as led by a Spirit of Error since these Prophecies were said by them to proceed from Inward and Immediate Revelation and so they pretended to it albeit not as the ground of their Faith and Obedience in all matters of Doctrine and Worship yet as the ground of that Faith by which they believed these Revelations to proceed from God and not from the Devil and of that Obedience by which they published and declared these things Moreover he Overturns all by the last Instance which he gives to prove it to wit That the Quakers who pretend to Immediate Revelations are led by a Spirit of Error For Proof of which we have only his bare Affirmation and yet till this be proved his Objection is naught For indeed this is a rare way of debating with an Adversary to make use of an Argument by which he must be Concluded already as Erroneous in order to Convince him that he is such If this be not as they say To put the Plough before the Oxen I know not what can be said to be so For J. B's Argument to make it plain amounts to this J. B's Argument against Immediate Revelation If the Quakers be led by a Spirit of Error Then the Quakers Err in affirming Inward and Immediate Revelation to be the Ground and Foundation of true Faith But The Quakers are led by a Spirit of Error Therefore c. Which is just as if I should Argue thus If J. B. be a Knave a manifest Lyar and Calumniator Then he is not a true Minister of Christ nor fit to write in Religious matters But J. B. is such Therefore c. Is not this a notable way of Arguing and a quick Way to dispatch Controversies What saith Robert Macquair Doth not this well become his singularly Acute solidly Learned and truly gracious Author Postscript pag. 559. The next thing to be considered is His Stating the Controversy Where according to his Custom he all along beggs the Question For having writ down his Opinion and taken it for granted without offering to prove it he goes on and builds thereon without more difficulty as if it were not to be further questioned This appears in pag. 20.28.29.30.34.35.36.37.40.43.44 in which places he states his Opinion of the Immediate Revelation of the Spirit What J. B. will have Revelation by the Spirit to be as not being such as presents any Truths to be believed objectively but only in removing the Vail of the Eye of the Vnderstanding and spiritually Illuminating the Mind and Working effectually upon the Heart to embrace and receive the Truth already Revealed and Proposed in the Scriptures Now for not using this Distinction and holding Revelation in this his sense he greatly blames me as jumbling things together and darkning and pre-judging the Reader and bestows upon me ever and anon many Railing Words with the Repetition of which I will not trouble the Reader And yet notwithstanding this Accusation in Contradiction of himself he cites me pag. 42. and 28. taking notice of this very Distinction as used by some and also Refuting it Surely the Man must have miserably forgot himself and will verify the Proverb Lyars should have good Memories Next Since he judges I Err in not holding this manner of Revelation and that he builds all his Superstructure upon it as the Truth he should have offer'd to prove it to be such For since he saith They willingly grant to these Scriptures noted by me As many as are led by the Spirit of God c. Rom. 8.9 14. together with 1 Joh. 2.27 Joh. 6.45 Joh. 14.16 17. By which Scriptures he cannot deny but the manner of the Apostles being led as well as of all Christians is Included since some of them were directed to the Apostles particularly In all which there is no ground for his Distinction and Assertion It is not said The Comforter that I will send shall lead you the Apostles immediately by proposing Truth to be believed objectively to you and this shall be accounted Extraordinary but after you it shall only lead other Christians by Illuminating their Understandings and that shall be the Ordinary Leading And since then it is a Rule granted by all that we must hold to the plain Words of Scripture unless an Vrgent Necessity force us to the Contrary he should shew us where this Necessity lies and prove his Assertion to be the true and genuine Meaning of the Words and that we ought not to take them as we do according to their plain and naked Signification and Import For I would willingly hear any ground from Scripture of this Nature of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations as pertinent to this Debate For albeit Things Extraordinary may be Reveal'd to some and not to others that only respects the Things Revealed not the manner of Revelation For a Man telling me Extraordinary things and Ordinary albeit the things may differ in their Nature yet neither my manner of Hearing nor his of Speaking do thence necessarilly differ ¶ But perhaps the Man doth Apprehend that what he saith pag. 20.30.31.40.44.45 is some Proof of his Assertion which if he do the Reader may easily observe his Mistake where he would Insinuate As if the manner of Immediate Revelation by the Spirit asserted by me rendred all other Means Mediate Instruction not Inconsistent with Immediate Revelation even those of Teaching
either will not or can not Confirm them by the Scripture Now he knoweth in his Conscience this to be a lye since I Affirm of the Scriptures Apol. Lat. Ed. p. 47. n. 60. That they are the most fit Outward Judge of Controversies of which himself also taketh notice in that place And lastly of the Nature of these malitious Insinuations is what he saith pag. 48. and 49 and last Paragraph of this Chapter where after he has Repeated what he terms my Monitory Conclusion he infers That I mean that a man should believe that Nature's dim Light is the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost and that he may burn the Bible J. B ' s. Calumnious Meaning he puts upon the Author and with Confidence assert he is led by the Holy Ghost whatever Scripture or Common Sense say to the Contrary This is all Affirmed by him without the least Proof which as it is the Height of Injustice so it is with respect not only to my Words but Belief and Intention God the Searcher of Hearts knows a most-horrid Falshood and Calumny ¶ 6. Now albeit what is said may seem sufficient for a Reply to this Chapter and is indeed enough to give any sober Man a Disgust of it yet that he may not have reason to Complain that any thing wherein he may judge there is Weight and is directly to the purpose is Omitted I will now in the last place Consider and Answer what he saith against the Validity of my Arguments to which an Answer hath not been Included in what is already said To begin then like himself which to be sure is with some Calumny or other he saith pag. 14. I stigmatize with the black mark of being Carnal and Natural Christians all that Assent not to what I say But he takes no time to prove it and indeed cannot For albeit I say that It is like many Natural and Carnal Christians will Condemn what I say yet it will not follow I account them all such who will not fully agree with me in this matter Of the same kind is his Calumny p. 22. n. 5. where he alledgeth The Citations of the Fathers so called prove no more than his sense of Revelation above expressed But whether he speaks true here or not the Reader may Judge by seriously Reading over these Citations and then let him see if they do not hold out An Inward and Immediate Teaching of the Spirit of God in the Soul as the firm ground of Knowledge without which all outward Teaching is in vain But to Infer this he tells They writ against such as being Impostors and led by the spirit of the Devil pretended to Revelations What then Can not men write against false Revelations without they deny the Necessity of true Ones That is an odd Conclusion If I. B. were well acquainted with the Writings of the Quakers so called he would find them as much against false Pretenders as any other But pag. 24. and 25. he findeth fault with my Argument deduced from these words That there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son because I take notice as a First Instance of God's Creating all things by Jesus Christ adding Was this so difficult a point to be proved that I was constrained to go back to the first Creation for an Argument Answ. No But I judged it not Improper however he may to shew first as Preparatory God's more general way of working by his Son Jesus Christ ere I come to that which is more particular and this was the Reason as well of my putting these Propositions into that Order as of my using of that Instance by which that pretended Abomination which he pretends lurks under words evanisheth For the Man is very good at drawing Inferences from other mens Words which they that spake and wrote them never thought of as I for one can very well witness since the least can be allowed me is to know my own Thoughts and Purpose which how he should come to Assure himself he knows better than I is more than I can fathom For the same Reason above mentioned I used the Instance of God's moving in his manifesting himself in his Creatures and of the Spirit of the Lord 's moving upon the face of the waters which pag. 26. he flouts at but doth not Answer And it is strange that he of all men should be offended with such Preparatory Considerations where the Matter is in a few pages after closely come to who has used so many Remote Arguments and several not pages only but sheets yea quires of paper in order to prove the First Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath He objects pag. 26. against my affirming That God's Communion with man was by Immediate Manifestation of the Spirit Immediate Revelation under the Law not Ceased under the Gospel from Adam to Moses because so few are mentioned and he supposeth the Rest not-mentioned had it only by their Instruction But since these few that are mentioned are said to have had Immediate Revelation and that the Rest had no written Rule as I. B. will Confess it seems there was more of God's Immediate Revelation in those dark Times even by his Confession than now under the Gospel where the Chief Pastors of the Church according to him are to Expect no such thing Neither is it proved that others not mentioned had no Immediate Revelations albeit they might have been Instructed by these Patriarchs which I have shewn before to be very Consistent And thus may be easily Answered setting aside his Railings what he saith pag. 27. against my Urging the Frequent Revelations that men had during all the time of the Law betwixt Moses and Malachy by which himself confesseth the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to have been written that that doth not prove that every one had such Revelations What then I lay not the stress of the Proof of Every one's having Immediate Revelations upon this but this is clearly proved from it That since Immediate Inward and Objective Revelations were so frequent during all the time of the Law which was the less-glorious Administration and that of the Letter it is grosly absurd to say as I. B. and his Brethren do that they are now Ceased under the Gospel which is said to be more-Glorious and the pouring forth of the Spirit more abundant and Universal and that not only for a little time to wit to the Apostles with Restriction to them and their Times for which he never produc'd the least proof from Scripture but to the End of the World And if so that Immediate Revelation be not Ceased there is a great deal of the point gained albeit I. B. confidently Affirms J. B. believes God spake his last Words to his Church at the End of the Revelations that there can be proved nothing by these Reasonings but what no body will deny since the Divines of Westminster have denied and I. B.
Singular Number as if thence he would Infer that One Sin is only Transmitted But how he proves his Consequence thence he has not shewen For albeit by that first Offence he gave Entrance for Sin that being his First yet it will not follow he then ceased to be a publick Person and if not nothing can be proved from granting him to be such as is above observed As by the Offence of one c. Objected Next the Words are The Offence of one and not One Offence as he would Insinuate which though in the Singular Number may include many yea all his Offences For whatever way he seek to urge this from this Place as to Adam the parallel will allow it to be Interpreted of Christ where the Apostle speaking of his Righteousness useth also the Singular Number and thence according to him we might say that it is only the first Act of Christ's Righteousness that is Imputed unto us and none of the rest so that we have nothing to do with his Death Sufferings and Resurrection What thinks he now of his own Divinity Let him loose his Knot the next time to give him one of his own modestest Proverbs The Absurdity he seeks to draw from denying this Consequence of his being a publick Person That if Adam had stood Infants should have no Advantage by him since they have no hurt by his Fall Toucheth not me at all who no where say That Infants have no Hurt by Adam's Fall Adam by his Fall became obnoxious to Temptations Adam by his Fall lost his Glory his Strength his Dominion by which he could have easily withstood the Devil and came under great Weakness whereby the Enemy's Tentations had a ready Access to him and he became very obnoxious to fall under them And so all his Posterity are come under the same Weakness and Obnoxiousness to the Enemy's Tentations who influenceth them by Entring into them and powerfully Inclining them to Sin and this malignant Influence is that Seed of Sin in all Men whereunto they become obnoxious by reason of the Fall which though in it self really Sin yet is it not Man's but the Devil 's until Man give Way to it But I deny not but the least yielding is Man's Sin among which I reckon Concupiscence to be one and so differ from Papists For albeit the Tentation simply considered or as presented by the Devil be not Man's Sin yet if he have the least Love or Desire to it albeit he join not Actually that shews his Mind is already defiled and corrupted and that he is become a Partaker of it Thus are answered his Reasonings and Questionings How this Seed of Sin can be and yet not the Persons Sin p. 121 122 c. as the Reader by Comparing may observe Only it is remarkable p. 121. where he seems to put a great Stress upon the Judgment of Augustin and citing him he brings him in saying these Words among others concerning Infants Shall they sin that are under no Command Now since they Infants are under no Law who are under no Command are under no Law for every Law imports a Command how will he reconcile this saying or his Holy Father which he brings as a matter of Authority with his accounting it both foolish and strange in me p. 119. to prove Children are under no Law J. B. taken in his own Snare So that either the Authority of Augustin he brings is not to be regarded or his Reasonings to prove Children under a Law that is a Command must be naught let him chuse which he will and clear himself of Impertinency His Argument in this page That as the Seed of Grace denominates a Man gracious even while not exercising works of Grace so the Seed of Sin must denominate a Man sinful is but a begging of the Question as in its place will appear when I come to treat of the Seed of Grace ¶ 7. When he cometh p. 123. n. 18. to Reply to my Answer to their Objection Rom. 5.12 among his preliminary Observations the first is very proper where he saith It is observable the Apostle makes Comparison betwixt Adam and Christ. I answer As Christ's Righteousness so Adam's Vnrighteousness is not Imputed to Men before actual Joining with either It is indeed so for as the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to Men for Justification until they actually Join with it or apprehend it by Faith as himself will acknowledge for I suppose by his accounting the Antinomians Hereticks he will not with them affirm that Men are Justified before they believe so neither is the Vnrighteousness and Disobedience of Adam Imputed to Men for Condemnation until they actually Join with it but this Comparison spoils all his Doctrine Then after he has beg'd the Question a while by meer Allegations affirming his Doctrine to be so clear from the Apostle's words that it cannot be Contradicted without doing violence to the Text he forms an Argument thus That Sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he saith it brought Death upon all Men that Men sinned by it and were made Sinners even they who could not as yet actually Sin that thereby all became guilty of Death and of Condemnation that Sin by Imputation is the Sin of the whole Nature included in Adam and rendreth the whole Nature obnoxious to Death and to Condemnation But The first Sin of Adam is described to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That Sin is the Sin of Nature c. This Argument may perhaps satisfy such as are already Proselites of his Theam but will not Convince one that either believes other ways or doubts since the Major is a meer begging of the Question And if any thing be a foisting-in of words to the Text this must be it since he foists-in the thing in Debate and words not in the Text such as Even they J. B. foist 's in words of his own to deceive his Reader who could not as yet actually Sin and joineth them with the words of the Text without distinction and not as an Interpretation that his unwary Reader may Conclude them to be of the Text. And yet the Man has the Impudence in the same page to Accuse me of Intolerable Boldness as foisting words into the Text while I expresly shew it is but an Interpretation by saying That is c. so much is he blinded with Self-Interest but I am Content there be neither Addition nor so much as Consequence made use of Let him shew me the plain Scripture that saith Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin If he say It must be necessarily Inferred from these words in whom all have sinned I say it as necessarily follows that it is only to be understood of all that could sin which Infants could not as not being under any Law as I have above proved and Augustin whom he so much reverenceth doth affirm if his Citation from him be true And
to pervert it as he doth in this Chapter throughout affirming It to be my belief that every Man has Power and Ability moral to lay hold of Salvation and that there is not Requisite thereunto any new Grant of Grace and Divine help to quicken the Man he has a stock from his Mother's Womb which is sufficient This he calls the Proper and Native face of my Doctrine and this he putteth down as my Opinion and charges me with it p. 214. And p. 218. he saith it further Without any Concurrence of Divine Grace pag. 220. he saith I Conclude Man has power to believe and obey the Gospel without the Spirit of God as also the like p. 221. twice And p. 222. he saith I Conclude That the Wicked have power of themselves without the Spirit of Regeneration and Grace to do what is commanded in reference to Life Eternal and further p. 223 224 and 226. he affirmeth the like of me which is utterly false and was never Believed nor Asserted by me And its observable that in all these places where he thus Charges me he doth not so much as once point to any one page in my Apology and not only so but not so much as from the Words or Writings of any other Quaker borrowed from some of his usual Authors which is his most frequent Refuge And therefore the Reader may judge what he builds upon his False Supposition or batters against it falls to the ground without further Refutation After he has branded this Brat of his own begetting p. 214. with Pelagianism Jesuitism Arminianism and Socinianism thence accusing the boldness and confidence of the Quakers and of my self in particular in terming it a New Discovery of ours he endeth this page with a Fit of Railing and beginneth in his next to Wonder how the Heathens can be said to have a day of Visitation The Heathens have a day of Visitation since nothing can be called a day of Visitation in reference to Salvation but what is in and through the Preaching of the Gospel But this Wonder is built upon his Supposition that the Preaching of the Gospel is no where but where there is an outward Administration of it wherein his Mistake will come hereafter to be manifested into which Mistake he falls in the next page and elsewhere in this Chapter where I shall pass it over until I come to speak of it in its proper place To none God denies the Means of Salvation In this page 215. he thinketh that since I Affirm their Doctrine makes God unjust as denying to some the means of Salvation that which I affirm may be likewise so charged because some may think God is not just in not granting to all an equally long Day of Visitation But the Question is not what some may think but whether these Thoughts be built upon Justice and Reason All Men know it is manifest Injustice to punish a Man and torment him for non-performance of that which he that Commands him to perform has by an invincible Necessity barred and hindered him from doing and therefore to suppose this of the most-just God must be a great Error and Abuse But it is no Injustice to punish a Man for not performing that which he had received sufficient Power to do albeit another had received more to say so is like the Labourers whom Christ Reproves in the Parable for murmuring that those that came-in after them received equal Wages with them Matth. 20.12 13 14. That the preaching of the Gospel is not a Mocking of those whose Day of Visitation is Expired as it is to the Reprobates among them I have in the former Section shewen But he asketh here Obdurateness or hardness of Heart when begotten Whether such become obdured before or after their Day of Visitation be expired What if I shall say both though not in the same manner and degree It was before Removeable but not after since albeit simply considered the same and always pardonable yet with a Respect to certain Persons and their Circumstances unpardonable or not pardonable That God permitteth Sin to be in the World I never denied nor accused their Divines for so saying But whereas he saith It is a manifest untruth that I would make the Reader believe they say God doth Impell Men to sin necessarily he seeketh to hide their Doctrine and beguile the simple Reader Calvinistâ— blasphemous Doctrine of God's forcing decreeing Men to Sin Since P. Martyr upon Rom. 1. saith expressly That God forceth the Will of Wicked Men unto great Sins And Piscator saith That the Wicked are absolutely Decreed Necessarily to sin and therefore to sin that they may be justly punished Now these being More Eminent Divines among them than I suppose J. B. presumes for all his Scribbling he is to be Accounted The Reader may judge and by the passages elsewhere cited by me Whether he doth not here most untruly Charge me with an Vntruth That the Sins charged upon the Gentiles were only such as were against the Light of Nature he has affirmed p. 217. but not proved For the great reason of their Condemnation is because What was to be known of God is manifest in them and that this is not only the Light of Nature will after appear If what he urges from Rom. 11. concerning the Jews and the Imprecation those brought upon themselves who said His Blood be upon us and upon our Children hold True we must suppose no Jew since that saying of Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.46 to have been really Converted But how came any of them to be Converted before since that Imprecation was long before Paul and Barnabas spake these Words of their turning to the Gentiles and according to this Reasoning all the Preaching of the Gospel which the Jews have since heard and do hear is in Vain I have sufficiently explained The Day of God's Visitation to Man spoken of what I mean by this Day of God's Visitation to every Man in the explication of the 5 and 6 Theses in my Apology N. 17. And albeit he thiâ—k otherwise as I know I have satisfied many Moderate Readers who are not Quakers so I hope to have satisfied all that are truly Vnprejudicate After he has p. 218. given large Citations to shew their Doctrine out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism and thereafter made a kind of Preachment thereupon he comes at last p. 221. to Examin the Proofs I bring for my Assertion ¶ 2. And first to my Argument drawn from the Reproofs in Scripture to Men for rejecting of God's Visitation and Love he answers That my Proposition is Vniversal and these Complaints and Reproofs only particular and so can prove nothing The like he answereth p. 224. to what I urge from Esai 5.1.2 3 4. where the Vineyard is Expostulated with as likewise Mat. 23.33 Mark 12.1 Luk. 20.9 and p. 225. To what I urge from Mat. 23.37 Luk. 13.34 and 19.41 42. where Christ
is wrapped up here he leaves to any that will to Judge But there is no Man of Reason dealing Impartially will Judge any Blasphemy to be here more than in the Apostle's Concession to the Athenians Act. 17.28 That we are the Off-spring of God That the Seed is a Substance and live and move in him And whereas he Mocks p. 241. at my saying The Seed is a Substance because it abideth in the hearts of the Vngodly even while they remain in Vngodliness asking Doth not Pravity Ignorance Rebellion c. remain in their hearts Are these therefore Substances But he allays his own Windy Triumphs by my following words that notwithstanding this Seed is in them they are not denominated by it which Wicked Men are by their Wickednesses while they continue in them and therefore it is a Substance since no Accident can be in a Subject unless the Subject be denominated there-from To this he asks Why a Man in whom this Seed and Grace is may not be denominated Graced and Enlightned and as if it were Absurd to deny they might be so denominated he Concludes And thus this Substance shall be turned into an Accidens by this Man's Philosophy But the Reason is Clear because they partake not of the Vertue of it nor have not suffered it to Work in them as by the Example of Physick being in a Sick-man I did shew and therefore he has no go-by for this but a pitiful Impertinency That if there be such a difference betwixt this Seed and Holiness as betwixt Physick and Health then it is no part of Holiness for I never said there was such a Difference in every respect but only in respect of the Difference betwixt a Substance and an Accident for Clearing of which only the Example was brought And whereas he would several times Insinuate here in this p. 232 233. my Asserting the Seed to be in all did import Christ dwelling in all that no such thing followeth I have shewen in my Apology which himself elsewhere observeth for I shwe there is a difference betwixt meer In-being Christ's Inhabitation imports an Vnion and Inhabation the last imports Vnion and not the first Themselves Confess God to be every-where and yet they will not say God dwells in the Wicked yea notwithstanding God's Omni-presence it is said Some are without God in the World by reason of their being not Vnited to him And thus are answered his Cavils p. 243. so that I need not further urge until he has removed this difficulty from Amos 2.12 Only it is observable how great pains the Man is at here to shew how faulty their Translation of the Bible is But how can it then be a Sure Rule of Faith to any And whereas he saith p. 236. That when it is said The Seed is received in the heart it is supposed it was not formerly there I deny that Consequence Money may be brought unto a Man's house and yet he not have received it The piece of Silver which the Woman Luk. 15. in the Parable had lost and to which the Kingdom of God was Compared was in her House and yet she rejoyced not until Lighting the Candle and Sweeping the House she had found it What he Repeats so often to make an odious Noise of my making this Grace Vniversal That Turks Japonians Cannibals c. have it who never heard of Christ is Impertinent since he has a Chapter afterwards for that of purpose where it shall be Examined As also what he saith p. 245. he thinks strange Any such should partake of the Benefit of this Mystery for I speak not of their knowing the Mystery That 's one of his usual Tricks to foist-in other Words to alter the Matter ¶ 5. Having thus Traversed his Tedious Perversions unto p. 251. N. 25. where he pretends to have Traced me to my Den while he has only fallen into the Pit of his own making I come to Examine his pretended Examination of the Grounds I bring for this he terms my Wild Assertion And first unto Joh. 1.9 J. B'S vain Quarrels and Objections against the Vniversality of the Light Asserted by John c. 1.9 That was the True Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World In stead of an Answer he tells a long Story of some taking it one way some another Then after he has plaid the Dictator a while in telling his own Conception he Concludes at last That every one is not to be understood of All without Exception because the Scripture tells of many whose Vnderstandings are darkned who are under the Power of Darkness who abide in the Darkness What then that will not prove that Light is not Come to them in order to bring them out of that Darkness since Christ saith expressly Joh. 3. of such that Light is come but Men love Darkness rather and those that love it are under the Power of it And as they continue to love it and hate the Light they abide in it But it seems not being satisfied with his own Answer he proceeds p. 252. N. 26. to Confess All Men are enlightned but not spiritually supernaturally and savingly but for this he giveth no proof but his own Assertion And truly he must be much puzzled with this Scripture for he knows not what way to take it First he understands Every Man only of Believers and then he will have the Enlightning to be Saving and Spiritual then he understands it of All Indifferently and then he will have it to be Common and not Saving But with these his Guessings and Divinings he is not like to satisfy any sober Christian. He goes on at the same rate of Vncertainty p. 253. upon these Words That the Life is the Light of Men doubting what is the meaning of them After he has told Calvin's Origen's and Marlorat's Thoughts he Concludes That though Light be come into the World yet Men love darkness better and none become Children of the Light but by believing And that all are not Children of the Light which I never denied He goes on to tell Calvin's further Thoughts of the following Words all which shews this place pains him But overturns nothing of what I have Asserted And then p. 254. N. 29. he refers me to his eight Chapter to prove That Every Man here admits an Exclusion which a little before he Confessed it did not adding That the Text it self inferreth a Restriction when it tells Darkness did not comprehend the Light But this imports no more than some's Rejecting which I deny not but not that the Light shined not For it is expressly said It shined in the Darkness so it was there which is the thing in debate and the Text saith positively This true Light lighteth every Man and therefore it is but to Cover his own Shame and Weakness that in stead of something more solid he closes this Paragraph with a Ridiculous Bob saying Quakers are good at Dreaming But this silly Covering
they urge from Rom. 3.20 by the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Works of the Moral Law Justify not which I shew is to be understood of Works done and not by the Grace of God he answers That such are no good Works at all But may not a Man do some of the Works which even the Moral Law commands such as not to commit Murder Theft or Adultery without the Grace of God Hath not he confessed as much of some Heathens whom he judgeth not to have had the Grace of God and will he say these Works are not materially good albeit not formally with a respect to any advantage as to Salvation they receive by them And though it should be confessed That all is not always Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification which falls out to be Antecedent to Salvation yet the Question is Whether there be anything absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Salvation which is not also absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification If not then if Works be absolutely necessary or so far as they are absolutely necessary to Salvation they must also be so to Justification If he say other ways then as I observed before full and perfect Justification according to him must not be esteemed sufficient to Salvation J. B. pleads the Works of the Spirit to be Impure Pag. 322. N. 42. He comes to prove the Best Works even those wrought by the Spirit in the Saints to be Impure which before also he had affirmed pag. 307. there he would Infer we say the same of good Works because I affirm That Works done by Man's own Strength are polluted But it will not thence follow we believe Works done by the Grace of God to be such But for this Impurity of good Works he marks Psal. 143.2.130 3. Job 9.16 none of which speak one Word of good Works thus understood Then he mentions Esai 64.6 All our Righteousness is as filthy Rags but silently passeth over how I shew their own Authors as Calvin and Musculus c. affirm this not to be understood of Evangelical Righteousness and himself overturns what he urges from this Works of the Spirit to be pure and undefiled confessed by J. B. affirming That we ought not to call the Work of the Spirit of God in his People Filthy Rags But if they were so they might be so called and yet he overturns it further by confessing Some Works wrought by the Apostles were undefiled then all the Works wrought by the Spirit in the Saints cannot be said to be Impure which is their Assertion And the Instance of Clean Water passing through an Vnclean Pipe doth not hold which is their great probation He will not Contend with what I say about the word Merit neither hath he much against my Conclusion in this matter yet that he may end this Chapter like himself he concludeth it with a gross Lie and Railing saying I affirm A Man may be Regenerated without the least help of the Grace of God J. B's gross Lie which as I wholly abhor so there cannot be a greater Falshood alledged upon me SECT IX Wherein his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection is Considered ¶ 1. I Come now to his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection where after he has repeated my Eighth Proposition he reckons it Confidence in me to Accuse their Answer in their Larger Catechism of speaking against the Power of Divine Grace which saith That Man is not able by any Grace of God received in this Life to keep the Commands of God But in stead of justifying this Assertion he saith They are not ashamed of it Then he recurreth a little to his Author Hicks according to his Custom and falls a Railing where among other great Charges he accuseth the Quakers of Reproaching Reviling Calumnies Scolding and the like J. B. a Railer exceeding others confessed by his own Party Also pag. 329. speaking of bridling the Tongue But he of all Men should have been silent in this who is such a Railer in the Superlative Degree that some of his own Faith who have Bad enough Thoughts of the Quakers have said that he not only Equals them but Exceeds them in Railing Of his Railing in this Chapter the Reader may further observe pag. 332 345-349 Here as in his former Chapter to enervate the Perfection asserted by me he brings forth his old and often-repeated Calumny as if I asserted This Perfection to proceed meerly from the Light of Nature affirming The Light pleaded for by me p. 227. to be such His false Charges as never came from the Grace of God to be Flesh Blindness Enmity to God Natural Sensual c. affirming that I say Man is Regenerated Sanctified Justified though not one Ray of Divine Illumination hath shined into his Soul nor one Act of Grace has reached either his Intellect Will or Affection to cause this Change The like p. 331. All which is most abominable false and never either believed or asserted by me and therefore all he concludes upon this malitious Assertion falls to the Ground and needs no further Answer Next he bestows much Pains p. 328 329. to shew from the Hebrew and Greek Word that Perfection is sometimes understood of Sincerity and Integrity and Perfection in these Respects he thus Defines In Regeneration the whole Man is changed Perfection defined so that he is now born a New Creature sanctified wholly in Mind Heart Spirit Affections Consciences Memory and Body though but in a small Measure or degree and again Yielding impartial Obedience through the Grace of God unto all God's Precepts waving none But if he will stand by what he here Asserts I will desire no more albeit he falsly say in the following page That all this will not satisfy us For I would desire the next time Breaking the Commands daily c. is not Perfection nor a growing in Grace he would Reconcile this with Breaking the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed. To prove this he insists in Contradiction to what he said before p. 330. N. 7. and his Proofs are 1 Because in Christ's House there are diverse Sizes and Degrees of Persons as Babes or little Children young Men old Men And this is not denied but the thing he should have proved is that none of those Degrees can be without daily breaking God's Commands His Second Proof is yet more rare Christians are exhorted to grow in Grace to put off the Old Man which is corrupt to put on the New Man to mortify their Members Very good But is To break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed the way to grow in Grace to put off the old Man and on the New If this be not to pervert Christianity what can be said to be so If Men can dream waking as he sometimes supposes he has sure been in this Posture when he brought this Proof But he adds That this Perfection rendreth Gospel-Commands useless But
are the Laws useless if Men obey them This saith he takes away the Exercise of Repentance the Exercise of Prayer and maketh the Petitions of the Lord's Prayer useless forgive us our Sins On this he also insisteth pag. 345 346.349 That because all have sinned they have need to Repent and pray for Forgiveness and the Continuance of it I have shewen in my Apology But if this his Argument hold true to prove That Men must sin all their Life time and break the Commands every day in Thought Word and Deed then the greatest Sinners and most Wicked profligate Villains do less make useless Gospel-Commands than others because they afford more Matter to Exercise Repentance and Prayer for Forgiveness of Sins J. B. believes Perfection foments Pride ◠and taketh away the Vsefulness of Ordinances But he proceedeth That this tendeth to foment Pride and Security and taketh away diligent Watchfulness and holy Fear Humility and the Vsefulness of the Ordinances of Christ But where dom from Sin is where can Pride and Security have place or Diligence and Humility be wanting But with him to sin is the way not to be proud and secure but to be watchful and humble Let the Judicious Reader judge whether they that break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed and affirm they must do so all their Life-time be more diligent and humble and less proud and secure than such as keep and obey them for such Ordinances as must be made useful by daily breaking God's Commands in Thought Word and Deed I resolve never to Cry up but always Cry down by the Grace of God however J. B. may Rail at me for it Some Scriptures here added by him will come herereafter to be Examined ¶ 2. Pag. 332. N. 9. When he comes to take notice of my stating this Matter as not being such a Perfection as cannot admit of a daily Increase but only a being kept from Sin and receiving Strength to fulfil the Will of God for these are my words he would upon this both in this Place and elsewhere pag. 333 341. c. urge this Absurdity That since the least Sin is a Transgression of the Law it follows that no Regenerated Man can sin and that no Man that sinneth is Regenerated But we will not wonder at his Inference here considering his many other Perversions But to shew he has no ground to urge this Absurdity let it be Considered Regeneration begun carrying on and perfected that we are to consider Regeneration as begun and carrying on and as perfected and accomplished he which hath begun a good Work in you saith the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.6 And again Ye did run well Gal. 5.7 with many other Places which might be mentioned Whereby it is clear That Regeneration is not wrought in an Instant and if he think so he must prove it ere he conclude any thing from it and those were already Converted and Regeneration begun in them Now albeit such may Sin and that every Sin doth Hinder and Impe the Work of Regeneration yet it doth not Destroy it nor wholly Annihilate it Physick given to a Man Physick doth not Cure in an instant in whom there is an Inward and Inveterate Disease doth not Cure Instantly and albeit by some heedless Actions he may hinder the Cure from being perefected so soon yet every one of these Actions do not render it altogether Vnsuccessful Also as to the Comparison of a Child which he accepts of A Child has not the Strength of a Man So those that are born of God albeit he have all the Integral Parts of a Man yet he has not that Vigour and Strength of Body nor yet that Vnderstanding nor Exercise of Mind that a Man hath and thence can neither defend himself nor do either in Body or Mind that a Man can do Now what I speak of such as are born of God saying That I dare not affirm but there may be some that cannot sin I understand this of Absolute Compleat and Full Regeneration Not that I deny but such as are Entred and in part Regenerated may be also said to be born of God though not in that absolute Sense and therefore still under the possibility of sinning and Capacity thereunto And thus his great Absurdity upon which he Insists so much is removed Next he proceeds p. 334. to shew my Agreement with the Pelagians but the very Citation he brings to prove it out of Vossius History bewrays his Weakness and shews the Contrary where it is manifest that the thing Condemned in Pelagius was his affirming Men might keep the Commands by the Power of Nature which I never said but always denied The Fathers believed a Freedom from Sin And whereas he cites the Fathers Saying That none by the Strength of Grace did live all their Days without sin That the perfection ascribed to some in Scripture was not from Nature but from Grace c. This clearly shews they believed Men might be free from Sin by Grace sometime though none had been so far all their Life-time Which shews they were far from believing Man must break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed Which is his Affirmation What he adds of the Fathers Arguments against the Pelagians and of the Opinions of the Socinians and others in this Matter I judge it not my Work to meddle with it I heed not in this what these Sects say but believe the Truth without respect to them as it is clearly proposed in Scripture I could easily Recriminate by shewing things wherein he Agrees with Papists Socinians Arminians Antinomians Pelagians Anabaptists and others against us if I judged it pertinent to be filling up Paper with such Stuff to make a Noise as he doth hundreds of Times to nauseating but I love to abstain from such Superfluities and come to the purpose And will now Consider What he saith in Answer to my Arguments ¶ 3. He begins pag. 337. n. 18. and to my saying Their Doctrine is against the Wisdom of God who is of purer Eyes than he can behold Iniquity he asketh Is it against these Attributes of God that Sin should be in the World But my following words shew I spake of the Godly neither will it follow what he adds after That then they must be as free of Sin here as in Heaven and that at first for I urge it to be Contrary to God's Wisdom to make this Freedom Impossible unto them only Means for their being free being given them and not his permitting Sin And whereas he proceeds in Answer to my saying That if Man be always joined to Sin he should be always disjoined from God according to Isaiah 59.2 whereas on the contrary they to wit the Saints are said to be Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 he answers All this would plead for a Sinlesness from the very first Instant of Regeneration In the absolute
Durham as he calls him and giving the Example of Judas J B.'s Gospel-Ministers Call and Qualification may agree to the Devil himself whom yet they will not turn away from of which hereafter However we see according to him That not only one who wanteth Holiness but even a Devil may and ought to be esteemed heard and obeyed as a Minister of Christ and that all they judge needful in the Call and Qualification of a Gospel-Minister may agree to the Devil himself nor can they be sure but their Ministers may be all Devils for ought they know It is false that he addeth in this page 370. That I agree with Socinians and Arminians in affirming That whoever understands the Truth of the Gospel and are able to instruct others may and have Right to Teach This I no-where affirmed and do wholly deny whatever Knowledge or Ability a Man have to Instruct by reason of his Gifts either natural or acquired that he ought to take upon him to Teach without being particularly Called thereunto and therefore the Scriptures he brings against such as say so are not to the purpose against me To my first Argument he confesseth That it proveth the necessity I speak of to make a Man a real upright and sincere Minister before God but that any that are not real and upright are to be esteemed Ministers at all or heard as such I deny and remains for him to prove Why are we so often forbidden to hear false Teachers And that this is not only with respect to Teaching false Doctrine the Apostle shews 2 Tim. 3. v. 5. where he exhorts to Turn away from such as have the form of Godliness only which cannot consist with false Doctrine To my Second Argument mentioned pag. 372 he Confesseth what he saith further in that Paragraph is above answered To my Argument shewing That if the Inward Testimony of the Spirit be not thought needful the Gospel-Ministry should be postponed to the Legal he most ridiculously answers Then the Jews needed to doubt of the Priests and Levites whereas my Argument was If they were certain and we should be uncertain it would make the Evangelical worse than the Legal and therefore to this he returneth nothing further but Railing Pag. 373. n. 10. he asketh How I will prove That all such as want the Call of the Spirit come not in by the door but are Thieves and Robbers affirming Here a Man may come in the Way appointed by Christ though they want this whereas before pag. 369. and in the end of this page he affirms the Necessity of an Inward Call saying They must have an Inward Call I run not out as he alledgeth upon a Mistake in saying The Succession of the Church is objected against this Doctrine albeit J. B. and his We may not do so since I write to others than he will perhaps include in his We. He bestoweth his n. 12. pag. 374. in Railing and referring to what is formerly said by him pag. 375. n. 13. To my Answer to that Objection That who pretend to an Immediate Call should prove it by Miracles shewing It was the same Objected by Papists against the Primitive Protestants he in a frothy manner desires me to take it thus and it will be too hot for my Fingers That they J. B. pleads for Miracles c. to evidence a Call who had Immediate Calls from God were able to give evidence of the same by Miracles or some other evident Testimony of the Spirit which to contradict had been Iniquity and utterly Vnreasonable I grant the whole and therefore desire him to shew me and prove it What way the first Reformers did thus evidence their Call which is not done by those called Quakers But his Probation must be somewhat solider than the Railing with which he filleth up the rest of this Paragraph Pag. 376. n. 14. as it should be marked he argueth against my saying That such as receive and believe the Call of true Ministers verify it and become the Signs of their Apostleship 2 Cor. 13.3 albeit this was the very Answer given by Beza to Claudius Espenseus at the Conference of Poissy by Papists against Protestants and let him urge this if he can any way against us which may not be as well urged by Protestants against Papists and if he cannot he doth but work for his great Father the Pope to whom to their great Shame the Protestant Clergy begin to Recur to Justify their Calling Having ended this Paragraph with Railing he begins the next with a silly groundless Perversion and Inference The Inward Life is their true Call and Title viz. That because I say that this to wit the Inward Life and Vertue which is in true Ministers is that which giveth to the Minister the true and substantial Call and Title it follows That the Extraordinary Call was no true and substantial Title As if any Extraordinary Call wanted this Life and Vertue and that albeit it prove an Evidence to such as receive them yet some may have it who are Rejected of Rebellious Men. To prove the necessity of Laying on of Hands he asketh Why then were Hands laid upon Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.3 citing other places Answ. Because there was then a Spiritual Vertue Communicated by that Action which they ascribe not to theirs yea the places cited by him prove it as Mark 16.18 Luk. 13.13 where the Laying on of hands is said to Cure the Sick I said not The Apostles and their laying on of Hands do differ from J. B.'s c. that the laying-on of hands always was the giving of the Holy Ghost it is enough if it was a Communicating of some spiritual Vertue which by their own Confession theirs is not Af◠he has ended this Paragraph with Railing he ends this Chapter with observing the Infallibility pleaded for in Ministers by some Quakers but if he judgeth them to Err in this he should have applied himself to them answering the Arguments by which they vindicate what they say in that matter ¶ 3. I come now to his Eighteenth Chapter of Ministerial Qualifications Where after he has begun and repeated some Words of mine The Grace of God doth Qualify the Minister or Preacher he will have the Grace of God to respect not the esse or being but bene esse or well-being of a Minister albeit elswhere he would be mincing this and eating it up yet it appears to be his Belief To prove which he asketh pag. 380. What I think of Balaam who is called a Prophet not a false Prophet But he hath not proved That no more is Required in a Gospel-Minister than in a Prophet meerly to fore-tell things to come God's speaking to him urgeth nothing For God spake also to Cain as himself confesseth Chap. 3. yet it will not follow that Cain had all the Qualifications requisite to a Gospel-Minister To my answer of Judas that they had not proved he wanted Grace when
I profess I see none He desires also to know from Scripture the Necessity when Men are Met together of Turning their minds Inward A Turning of the Mind inward is an Abstracting from all Worldly Thoughts to mind God in the Soul which he still will express to make it the more frightful by the Latine word Introversio and this he thinks so hard that he often insists upon it as pag. 446 447 448. But is it not needful to Assemble in the Name of Jesus And can that truly be without Turning the mind Inward unless with superstitious Papists he thinks it is enough for meeting in the Name of Jesus to say when they begin In Nomine Domini however their minds be abroad Can there be any true sense of God's Majesty as him to whom we draw near which himself confest before to be needful without a serious Turning of the Mind Inward that is an Abstracting from all worldly and vain Thoughts to mind GOD and the Operations of his Spirit in the Soul Let him read Psalm 46.14 and 62. 1 Eccles. 5.2.3 Zach. 2.3 It were hard for him to forget his Old often-reiterated Calumny and therefore he hath it here oftner than once as pag. 441 442-447 alledging most falsly That all that by which the Quakers preach or require as needful to preach is but the dima and darkned and malignant Light of Nature Neither will he forget here his constant trade of Railing J. B.'s abusive Railing take one Instance pag. 447. where he says That before I want Revelations I will go the Devil to get them as Saul did to the Witch of Endor More of such Railing Stuff the Reader may find and that very plentifully pag. 440-442-448 He wants not here also his malitious Insinuations as pag. 439. That the Quakers use Legerdemaine to make People believe they speak all without a previous Thought in their Preaching and yet have all to a word well studied If he accuse the Quakers of this let him prove it if he can for we deny it as a gross Calumny Another is pag. 441. That we would have all Study all Meditation all Prayer and Wrestling with God in Prayer laid aside which is also false But to proceed he soundeth what he saith in this matter upon two great Mistakes which being removed the Superstructure will fall of it self J. B. pleads Study and Premeditation to Preach from Paul's citing Heathen-Poets c. The first is pag. 438. where to prove the Vsefulness of Study and Premeditation to Preaching he tells How Paul made use of what he had read out of a Heathen-Poet his recommending Reading to Timothy his desiring Titus to hold fast the faithful Word as he had been taught c. and Apollos being instructed by Aquila and Priscilla all which are nothing to his purpose For we never said it was Vnlawful for Men to read Books especially the Scripture or that by such Reading Men may not acquire knowledge which may prove Vseful in Preaching or Defending the Truth but the question is Whether Men may make use of these things in publick Worship otherwise than as led and acted and influenced by the Spirit so to do and Whether any of these places will allow Men to preach in the strength of their Natural or Acquired parts without being acted therein by the Spirit Let him prove this if he can for this is the matter in question and remember Robert Bruce his Censure of Robert Blair his Sermon recorded in The fulfilling of the Scriptures His second Mistake is pag. 443 where he supposeth That to be led by the Spirit To be led by the Spirit doth not exclude the Reading of the Scriptures excludeth or is inconsistent with Reading Scripture and with all the particular Instructions given by Paul to Timothy and Titus who might have said as this Man argues I cannot be stinted unto these Doctrines which you desire me to put the Brethren in remembrance of for I must speak as the Spirit speaketh in me and the like But will he say that Timothy was not to speak as the Spirit spake in him To suppose this as Inconsistent with such Instructions is to beg the question and that these are Consistent I have shewn above in my Third Section of Immediate Revelation or let him tell plainly if Timothy could do those things acceptably without the Spirit since all Worship is commanded by Christ to be done now in the Spirit And yet he seemeth to agree to the Nacessity of the Spirit else why quarreleth he me pag. 448. for insinuating as he saith That their Ministers preach not in the demonstration of the Spirit giving an Enumeration p. 439. of several ways which he saith I know not but their Ministers are led to preach by among which this is one What know I saith he but there may be some that never digest their Preachings so as not to lie open to the Influences of the Spirit and to welcome his seasonable and useful Suggestions and to speak many things which they had not once premeditated But I would ask him Whether it be lawful for any so to digest their Matter as not to lie thus open to the Spirit 's Influences He would seem to say It were since it is but some and a may be some too with him that do so And whereas he tells of some that are constrained to change their Text and what they had purposed to speak upon it This shews the Case is but rare and therefore I am not to be blamed for what I say in general of Preachers among Papists and Protestants whose general way is To prepare aforehand Both Protestants and Papists prepare a forehand what to Preach what they preach and then speak it to the People at a set hour without waiting for the leading of the Spirit or whether they have its Influence or not And for all the Weight that this Man would seem to lay sometimes upon the Spirit 's Influence and Concurrence yet he gives shrewd Presumptions that he doth it but pro forma Else how comes he to urge as an Absurdity pag. 445. That all that Ministers preach by the Spirit must be true And why not If it be from the Spirit it cannot be other ways Yet Men whose Principle it is to speak from the Spirit may through Weakness and Mistake preach false Doctrine yet the Spirit is not to be blamed for it but those who keep not purely to it I suppose he will not deny but all that which Men preach according to the Scripture is Infallibly True it will not thence follow that all that which Men whose Principle it is to preach according to Scripture preach is True because that through Weakness they may mistake the true Meaning of the Scripture Also what he adds If the Matter be thus It is not ye that speak but it is your Father's Spirit which speaketh in you it is all one whether the Preacher be young or old for
no Body of Christ Carnal but believe That that Body which Christ took of the Virgin which was of the Seed of Abraham and David in which Christ walked upon the Earth and was Crucified did Arise the Third Day was glorified and remaineth in Heaven wherein the Centre of his most glorious Soul remaineth for Ever And let him shew if he can how this is a denying of the Christ of God or overturning of Christianity He proceedeth pag. 489. at a most violent strain of Railing upon the Supposition of his Old Calumny and here that it may be compleat J. B. makes a Preaching to the Devil he makes a preaching to the Devil For which Blasphemous Abuse I wish heartily the LORD forgive him that these Devils to whom he preacheth be not permitted to give him his Reward for his Sermon But seeing he blusheth not to do this in Print I shall not think the many gross Abuses I have heard to have been uttered by Presbyterian Preachers so Incredible as I have been apt to do especially that which I have been informed of of late of one A Presbyterian Preacher Praying to the Devil to take the Bishops and Curates to him that they might be quit of them who at a Conventicle in the South near Legerwood not far from Lauther made a Digression in his Prayer to the Devil saying O Devil thou hast troubled us much with the Bishops and Curates We beseech thee Devil take them to thee and make us quit of them This Prayer sutes with John Brown's preaching And indeed the Presbyterians will need a New Directory for the Old one by which they are instructed to preach to Men and pray to God will not serve for this New Ministry by which they begin to Preach and Pray to Devils And of the like Strain is his saying after much Railing pag. 490. That if the Quaker write Comments on Paul's Epistles it must be of Paulus Paganizans This sort of Stuff is enough to give all sober Christians a Disgust of this Man's Writings In this page after some Quibbles about Relation he comes pag. 491. N. 11. to affirm That there may be a Relation which is neither from the Nature of the thing nor from some Divine Precept such as a Promise and Divine Institution But is not a Divine Institution a Divine Precept And whereas he boasts here That my whole Discourse falleth as being built upon a Mistake the Reader may see the Mistake is his own and not mine and then judge of his Discourse that 's built thereon as also how Airy Vain and Ostentive he is in saying What will he now do The Declaring of the Lord's Death has no necessary relation with partaking of Christ's Body and Blood His Light has confounded him so as he knows not what he says Is this Language becoming a Gospel-Minister That what Luke saith doth not import a perpetual but temporary Command will after appear Of what Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. will be spoken hereafter To my shewing that 1 Cor. 11.26 Paul expreseth the End of this Ceremony to be a declaring of the Lord's Death which hath no necessary Relation with partaking of Christ's Body and Blood he answereth That a declaration of Christ's Death is a comprehensive End c. And what then That proves not the Necessary Relation nor yet what he adds in this Paragraph therefore I intreat him next time to speak to the purpose Pag. 492. n. 12. He Raileth at me as perverting the Apostle's words but giveth no Reason unless his own meer Affirmation and Queries be esteemed sufficient J. B.'s proofless Proofs for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper so called He asketh What signified Christ's blessing of the Bread breaking giving it to his Disciples desiring them to eat Answ. Christ blessed the Bread brake it and gave it to his Disciples to eat and they to others where themselves confess no such Mystery or Sacrament as they would have here is deducible see Matth. 14 v. 19. Mark 6.41 He insinuates I speak falsly in saying there is no mention of this Ceremony 1 Cor. 10.16 but is not so Charitable as to point to me where if there be any such thing As for his meer Affirmations and Distinctions here about the Bread I will wait the next time to have them proved by Scripture then will judge them worth the Considering I have shewn in my Apology that the Corinthians being in the Vse of this Ceremony and the Apostles rectifying the Abuse they were in in the Vse of it nor yet its having been done upon a Religious Account or in a general respect to the participiation of the Body and Blood of Christ will not prove the Necessity of its being now to be performed and therefore what he saith pag. 493. n. 14. evanisheth And as for his adding here That then it was an Act of Will-Worship and Superstition and that I conclude the Apostle encouraged such a thing whence he taketh occasion to Rail at me as blasphemousty imputing Vnfaithfulness to the Apostle and to the Spirit of God that acted him I answer What is done by permission for a time is not Will-Worship and Superstition and he confesseth he argues not from the Corinthians practice and for his Railing the ground of it being false it needs no Answer As for his denying the Jews had such a Custom at the time of their Passover his meer Negation is not sufficient to Elide the Testimony of far more Credible Authors than he himself in this matter and as for the words of Luke Do this in Remembrance of me Do this in Remembrance is no perpetual Obligation It doth not infer perpetual Obligation upon the Church in all Ages He Raileth at this but without a reason pag. 495. instancing the Apostle's 1 Cor. 24 25. But I told him before that the Apostle gives here an account of matter of fact which infers not a Command and in this page the Man is miserably pinched to shew how the washing of one anothers Feet albeit commanded with as great Solemnity doth not oblige as much now but his Conjectures prove nothing What! albeit it was a Custom in the hot Countreys and that it was a sign of Christ's Humility how doth all that Abrogate the express Command to do it Let him shew an Exemption from this from plain Scripture The Washing of Feet commanded with as great Solemnity yet Ceased for his meer Assertions have but small weight and by which I am not like nor yet any Man of reason that is not resolved to set up John Brown as a Pope to believe all he saith from his bare words to conclude the differences He thinks pag. 496. That their not keeping exactly to the Method used by Christ in this thing signifieth nothing Professors not keeping to the Method Christ used in the Supper but he should prove by Scripture how they are safe in practising one part and not the other and by what Rule he accounts the
of outward Help and where the Arm of Flesh had least hand in it as the Children of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt as also Judges c. 5 from ver 16. to the end 2 Kings 6 17 c. and Chapters 7 13. and 19. 35. and in other places To prove That Christ in the 5th of Matth. commands no more than in the Law he referreth to the Writings of their Divines but he might have done this to all he has Written if he judge it sufficient and so have saved himself a great deal of labour since he saith elsewhere All I have written is Confuted long ago How can Men love their Enemies and yet kill and destroy them How Men can Love their Enemies and yet kill and destroy them is more than I can reach but if it were to such as rather suffer than do it do surely more love them and to do so is no Injury to our Selves nor Neighbours when done out of Conscience to God in answering our Duty to whom we must not Regard our own or Neighbours profit And if what I grant of the Lawfulness of Fighting to the present Magistrates and State of Christians be considered it will render all his Arguments superfluous since he confesseth A time will come in which the Prophecy of Isaiah 2 4. Mic. 4 3. will be fulfilled and thinks fit there should be a Praying for the fulfilling of it and what if some believe that as to some there is a beginning already of the fulfilling thereof We do nothing doubt but that of Rev. 16.5 7. which he mentions pag. 522. will in due time be fulfilled but we see no necessity of believing that that will be performed by outward Fighting or that the Saints shall need to draw Carnal Swords or shoot Cannons towards the performing of it When he saith Fighting is from the Corrupt Nature of Man that the Argument of Fighting is not taken from the Corrupt nature of Man pag. 519. he must have forgotten himself since had not Man fall'n and so his nature been corrupted he may infer if he can where there should have been an occasion for Fighting with Carnal Weapons And since he Confesseth That in nothing more than in War is seen the Fruits of Man's Rebellion against God He may thence see how little need Christians have to plead for it As for the Citation out of the Confession of Faith wherewith to fill-up he closeth his Chapter I know not to what purpose he did it since no Man doubts their Faith in this matter ¶ 2. He begins his 30 th Chapter of Oaths with saying We deny their lawfulness that we may destroy all Policy and Government But it must only be the Devil's Government for where the Government of Christ prevails and Men speak Truth there all must Confess there is no need of Oaths and also where the like punishment of Perjury is inflicted for speaking falsly Where Men speak Truth there is no need of Oaths the End of Oaths is obtained and that without breaking Christ's Command Thus according to his own Concession since the Verity may be had as well without an Oath none should be urged to take an Oath But let us see what after a Citation out of their Confession of Faith he saith to Answer Matth. 5 34. and James 5 12. which saith so expresly Swear not at all Swear not at all To this he saith That Christ is only Interpreting the Law and not Adding any thing to it and that it only relates to ordinary discourse but for proof of this he has nothing but an Heap of words asserting the thing To all which till he bring some Scripture-proof there needs no Answer But to oppose Christ's and James's words Swear not at all It is not said Except ye be called before a Judge let him prove this Exception by Scripture next time and therefore till he do so his Affirming over and over again That Christ forbad no more than was forbidden in the Law pag. 525. is to no purpose The Law forbad idle Swearing and Oaths in Communication but Christ's Resumption shews throughout that Chapter some more to be urged to any that understand plain words and will not shut their Eyes That its being said Deut. 6 13. Thou shalt swear by his Name is urged as an Explication or Comprehensive part of Moral Worship I deny and remains for him to prove or that it was more than a Command to the Jews to Swear by the true God that they might not Swear by Idols and till he prove this Arguments founded upon it need no further Answer As for what he addeth N. 8. to prove Swearing not to be of the Devil because commanded of God and afterwards Concluding That my urging against it as being of the Devil is pregnant of Blasphemy because it would infer some of the Ceremonial Laws of God to have their Rise not from the Will of God but from the work of the Devil he sheweth here more Malice than strength of Reason The Bill of Divorcement permitted in the Old Test. because the hardness of their hearts Was not the Command Deut. 24 v. 1. Let him write for her a Bill of Divorcement A part of the Ceremonial Law and yet Christ saith Matth. 19.7 that Moses did this because of the hardness of their Hearts and is not hardness of Heart which gave a Rise to this Command of the Work of the Devil Let him then make the Application and then Answer the Empty Bluster he has made of Blasphemy And doth not what Christ saith of this matter of Divorce Matth. 5 v. 31 32. shew Christ Commanded more there than was Commanded under the Law He confesseth pag. 529. That God cannot be said properly to Swear Albeit some things being ascribed to God makes them not Vnlawful to us yet any things being ascribed to God makes it not Lawful to us when Christ commands the Contrary Christ's and the Apostles Asseverations were not Oaths That Christ's saying Verily Verily is more than Yea and Nay I deny and it remains for him to prove it That the Apostles Asseverations are Oaths he affirms in like manner but proves it not His thinking We in being willing to do as much as the Apostle did do strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel is but an Evidence of his Railing Genius as it doth of his Malice in Catching what follows That the Question is not What Paul or Peter did but what their and our Lord For that is not said by me he hath but said it as believing they did Swear or that their Words were Oaths But the giving not granting it had been so to shew it would not prove this thing now lawful and that Peter and Paul both had their Failings so as all though not in that himself will not deny which is enough to shew their practice in all things is not to be our Rule His 531. page needeth no Answer being but his own Affirmations and Conjectures
Sermons in the Pulpit a better Lustre who can content our selves with such homely Language as the Holy Scripture Teacheth For what he saith of James Naylor I need return no Answer having sufficiently done it in the former Section And whereas he gives the Example of the Antinomians to shew The Quakers are not singular in not being called after a particular Person he doth but miss of his Aim For the Quakers are known by that Name as such being an Imbodied People consisting of several hundred gathered Churches or Congregations but the Antinomians are only here either some having these particular Notions and no such Imbodied People else let him tell us where we may find these Antinomian Churches I need say no more to this Postscript which hath nothing in it but meer Railing Assertions as to me and that the rather as I suppose R. M. C. will long ere this appear in print See the Letter following receive a solid and grave Letter from an Old Friend and Acquaintance of his which may make him sensible of his Iniquity in this Matter if there be yet any Christian Ingenuity abiding with him and that by Prejudice he is not totally blinded ¶ As for his Railing Assertions of George Keith's Book we will see how it is Refuted in the Promised Answer to it and then it will be time to Answer them as to that as well as to the Blasphemous Assertions which they pretend they have gotten out of it Their Charging us with Blasphemy from the Apostle's Words But all Christians may judge how they are like to prove it Blasphemous when as an Instance of the Blasphemous Assertions they give G. K's saying That the Man Christ Jesus is the Mediator And to help them to do their Work fully I desire them when they go about to prove this Assertion to be Blasphemy they may not forget the Apostle's Words 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is One GOD and One Mediator between GOD and Men the MAN Christ Jesus and shew how G. K's Words are more Blasphemous than these of the Apostle which to make it more plain to the Reader I will add thus G. K's Position which J. B. and R. M. C. two Eminent Presbyterian Preachers in the Index at the end of J. B's Book affirm to be one of the Abominable Heads of Quakerism is That the MAN CHRIST JESVS is the MEDIATOR The Apostle his Assertion 1 Tim. 2.5 is That there is One MEDIATOR between GOD and Men the MAN CHRIST JESVS We desire the Sense and Censure of the Presbyterian Ministry upon this or otherwise we hope they cannot in reason be offended if justly reputed Accusers of the Spirit of God that taught the Apostles to speak and thence Condemned as signal Calumniators and Hereticks The Letter of Lillias Skein to R. M. C. An Expostulatory Epistle Directed to ROBERT MACQVARE Friend ROBERT MACQUARE MY tender Love and Sympathy was great towards many of the Non-conformists who were suffering for Conscience-sake and not for Interest espousing that Opinion of whom thy self being one thou wast often very near me notwithstanding I knew generally the Non-Conformists are more Imbittered and Prejudiced against us called Quakers than any other Men Yet this I often Constructed to flow from Misinformations concerning us Misinformations to prejudice and bitterness gives often great Occasions being so little Acquainted with and Conversant among us whereunto your being so Shy was but like the Disciples in a Storm seeing him Appear in a manner they had not seen him before thought he was coming nearer them for Deliverance yet they Cried out through Fear as if it had been the Appearance of some Evil Spirit Other times I have looked upon the great Prejudice many had against us answerable to Christ's saying No man having drunk Old wine straightway desireth to drink New they say the Old is better Which hitherto hath and yet doth cause me bear with you and love that which is good amongst you wherever it appeareth And so because of this Love towards thee I am the more concerned at this Time with what thou hast lately published For though my Acquaintance and Intimacy with thee was not so much as others yet it being in a very serious Season with both of us as I very well Remember when thou wast shut up close Prisoner and wast daily in Expectation of the Sentence of Death thy Deliverance from which I retain the fresh Sense of and it was and is with many such like Seasons wherein the Lord prepared my Heart and bended his Ear a sweet Encouragement to trust him and a singular Engagement on me to Wait for his Immediate Leading's and the Manifestations of his Will at all Times But Oh! since I heard of and read thy Postscript to John Brown's Book and S. R. his Letters as is supposed I am astonished and much ashamed on thy behalf O! Is the best Fruits of so many years Affliction thou hast to publish to the World That one called and suffering as a Non Conformist to this sinful Time should have learned no more Conformity to meek lowly Jesus of whom it is said He learned Obedience by the things which he suffered Surely none who read thy Language will say this Man hath been with Jesus but rather say whose-soever's Company thou hast been in thou hast learned to be a Cunning Artist at the Scolding Trade and art therein vainly puffed up R. M's Exaltedness and Railing Spirit Rebuked that thou even fleest aloft though with Waxen Wings above the lowly harmless meek Spirit of Christ. And verily had I all thy Rhetorick whether natural or acquired which thou so much Mis-improv'st to the gratifying of that which needs more to be Crucified in thy self and many who are ready Implicitly to follow thee it is not in my desire to follow thy Example Nor shall I wish that ever thou have an Answer from any of the Lord's People in thy own Terms which are such as all sober unprejudiced People who read them will see thy Spirit most strongly Imbittered when thy Pen is so dipt in Gall. I say it is not in my desire to bring forth one Railing Accusation against thee neither to answer many things thou hast vented against the Lord's present Work and Witnesses whom thou despisest and Abhorrest more than Dung under thy feet and crowest over yet if the Living God a part of whose Host they are see it meet he can raise up the least of them Worm Jacob is a Threshing Instrument and make thee feel Worm Jacob a Threshing Instrument with Teeth to deal with thee and Thresh that Lofty Malicious Spirit of Prejudice that breaths through thee The Consideration whereof upon thy own Soul's account is the occasion of this Letter wherein I desire to lay some things before thee which are with Weight upon me my Compassions being kindled towards thee that when the Lord cometh to Visit the Earth thou should'st be found among them who are Beating
them hungry and hardly bestead for many years feeling after Life and Immortality but could not find that somewhat was raised in me that Words and Reports could not feed Names and Notions I minded little but Christ to dwell in me was that and is that more and more I press after And now I must for the Truth 's sake say somewhat which I humbly mention with a fresh Remembrance of the Love L. S. his first Convincement Power and tender Mercy of God who enabled me I know the Lord will not impute it to be boasting in that season wherein the Lord Revealed the true way to Life and Immortality to me by his Inward Appearance in my Soul it was a time wherein he had mercifully turned me from all that ever his Light inwardly and Law outwardly had Condemned me for my heart also did bear witness for me that whatsoever I had known would please him I was chusing to do that not that thereby I was seeking Justification in my own Righteousness but a sure Evidence of my Interest in him who was made unto us Righteousness Justification c This blessed Glimps of my begun Freedom was given me in a seasonable time that I might thereby be enabled to speak with mine Enemy in the Gate and be encouraged to believe in the Light and wait upon the Lord to feel his vertue perfectly to Cleanse me from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit Neither was I an Vnder-valuer of the Scriptures they were my Rule then and I hope for ever my Life shall answer them I think To whom and how the Scriptures are a Rule they honour the Scriptures most who live most according to them and not they who call them the Only Rule yet do not make them their Pattern The Scriptures of Truth were precious to me and by them was I taught not to walk nor worship in the Way of the People the Spirit shewing me his mind in them and then I saw in his Light that it is not the Scriptures many Adore so much as their own Corrupt Glosses upon them Neither can my Experience go along with what thou affirmest of the hazzard of Converse with that People It is very well known to all that lived in the place where I sojourned I was none who Conversed with them I was never at one of their Meetings I never read one of their Books unless accidentally I had found them where I came and lookt to them and laid them by again So now it remains with me to tell thee what was the Occasion I joined with them The occasion of L. S. 〈◊〉 joining with the Quakers since it was none of those thou mention'st which I will very singly and can very comfortably do It was that thing ye School-men call Immediate Objective Revelation which my desire is ye were more particularly and feelingly acquainted with whereby the Lord raising in my Soul his feeling Life I could not sit down satisfied with hearing of what the Son of God had done outwardly though I believe thereby he purchased all that Grace and Mercy which is inwardly wrought in the hearts of his Children until I should be a partaker of the Vertue and Efficacy thereof whereby I might possess the Substance of things hoped for I saw an Historical Faith would neither Cleanse me nor Save me if that could save any the Devils were not without a Door of Hope I felt I needed the Revelation of the Son of God in me all that ever I read or heard without this could not give me the Saving Knowledge of God None knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him through the Vertue whereof mine Eyes were more and more by degrees opened For the tender-hearted Samaritan had pity upon my wounded Soul when both Priest and Levite passed by and the Watch-men rent my Vail and when there was no Eye to pity nor Hand to help me he drew near and poured in Wine and Oil as he saw needful and fulfilled the Promise in measure wherein he had long caused me to hope He that follows me The Scriptures made Comfortable by the Spirit of Truth shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life and that sweet saying whereby I am confirmed and comforted If evil Parents know how to give their Children good things how much more will the Lord give his holy Spirit to those who ask him When your Children ask bread will ye give them a stone or when they ask a fish will ye give them a serpent These precious Scriptures and many such like being opened up and applied by the Spirit of Truth powerfully and seasonably in saying Be not faithless but believing times above number before and since hath made me set to my seal to these words of Christ The words that I speak are Spirit and Life and as I walk with him and abide in him watching at the posts of Wisdom's gates travelling in Spirit more and more to bring forth Fruit unto him and walk worthy of him unto all well-pleasing daily to die unto self that Christ may live in me I becoming a passive Creature and he an active Christ in the Increase of his Government I feel the Increase of my Peace And so My Friend thou hast here by some Touches at things occasion to see how far thou art mistaken concerning us and how far contrary to the Truth as it is in Jesus thou represent'st many things to the world speaking evil of things which thou knowest not and if thou dost the greater is thy sin Two Particulars indeed I cannot strain Charity so far as to believe Christ owned and the Scriptures thou thinkest Do we deny Jesus Christ and Justification through his Righteousness because we make the Sufficiency thereof of a more universal Extent than ye or because we love whole Christ so much and his seamless Coat that we will not have it divided Nay we dare not divide Justification and Sanctification neither confound them we have felt the Blood and the Spirit distinct things yet inseparable Neither canst thou think We make void the Scriptures because we honour the Spirit that was before the Scriptures were written and bear Testimony against all who deny the Spirit 's Immediate Teachings to be the Vniversal Priviledge of his People whereby ye take away the key of Knowledge and neither enter the Kingdom nor suffer others who would but monopolize Knowledge to your selves Monopolized Knowledge by Professors and intrude your Meanings upon the Consciences of men as the Rule which Meanings indeed I do not own either as the only or any Rule but as the Spirit of Christ in my Conscience answers it The Testimony of the Spirit of Truth in Thousands with me will stand and rise up against thee in the presence of the Lord when all thy Vnjust Reproaches and Malitious Accusations shall melt away before the presence of the Glory of the heart-searching God before whose
Reason as those false and pretended Revelations and Diabolical Inspirations from such as are truly Divine Now how many Men who would be esteemed Philosophers are miserably deceived by those false Likenesses of Reason Judging their false Reasons to be the true Similitudes of things and solid Ratiocinations which nevertheless moveth no Man of sound Reason to reject sound and solid Reason as doubtful and uncertain For even sound natural Reason is an Excellent Gift of G0D and very useful to mankind when used in its proper place Natural Reason comprehends not things Supernatural But let none think to comprehend by their natural Reason things that are of a Divine and Supernatural kind And as we use to do when any one is deceived by false Appearances of Reason we endeavour to reduce them to Contemplate the first natural Idea's of natural things and to meditate therein which is as a Test or Touch-stone by which all the Appearances and Likenesses of Reason are to be Examined if they Contradict them to be Rejected So also when any one is deceived by his own Imagination or the Cunning of Satan thinking any Evil Inspiration of the Devil to be a true Divine Revelation He that is so deceived is to be reduced to the natural Ideas of things if so be that pretended Revelation doth contradict them for no true Divine Revelation can Contradict the true natural Idea or to the Supernatural Idea's of Divine things which are most simple clear and obvious to the minds of men if they will turn their minds to the Divine Seed in them or at least those Ideas are readily and easily stirred up The Supernatural Idea's of divine things are most Clear Obvious to the mind For as in Natural Ideas so in Supernatural some are more easily raised than others For there is a certain Order both of Natural and Supernatural Idea's whereby they are gradually excited Nor is there any Mortal Man in whose Mind at some time or other there is not stirred up some Idea that is truly Supernatural and Divine and who hath not felt in himself both the Wrath and Judgment of GOD for his Sins and also some tender and gentle Tast oâ— GOD's Love and Goodness by which wicked Men are invited to Repentance Now that which is thought to be a Divine Revelation and is felt to Contradict any Divine and Supernatural Idea which is clearly perceived in the Soul it is a manifest token that it is not a Divine Revelation but either a false Imagination or the wicked Suggestion of some Evil Spirit But to proceed God hath declared his Will even in Contingent Truths in the Scripture If we will hear the Scripture as all Christians ought it testifies to us That GOD hath declared his Mind and Will even concerning Contingent Truths to come in the Prophets as that of the first to the Hebrews doth evidently declare GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke to our Fathers in the Prophets Yea let us hear the Prophets themselves Hosea Chap 1. saith plainly That the Word of the LORD was made in him as it is in the Heb. Habakkuk also says As he was standing on his Watch to see what Jehovah would speak in him And it is so manifest Revelations were in the minds of the Prophets by Inward â—nspirations that the most Heavenly Revelations are by Inward Illustrations and Inspirations in the very Minds of the Prophets that it is strange how any that believes the Scripture should doubt of it And if it happened at any time such Revelations were made in the natural Imaginations of the Prophets or any of their Inward Natural Senses then it may be confessed they could not be Infallibly Certain they came from GOD unless they also felt God in the Divine and Supernatural Senses by which they did most neerly approach to him from these Superior and most-Inward Senses working upon the lower and less noble Faculties of the Mind But which ever way the Prophets were certain that they were Inspired of GOD even when they foretold Contingent Truths to come it is without doubt they were most certainly perswaded that they were Divinely Inspired Which were most-certain without any Outward Miraculous Demonstrations and that frequently without any outward Miracle For John the Baptist did no Miracle and many Prophesied where there appeared no Miracle as in the Scripture may be often observed And we also by the Inspiration of the same Divine Spirit by which the Prophets prophesied do believe their Words and Writings to be Divine concerning Contingent Truths as well past as to come else that Faith by which we believe the Scripture would not be Divine but meerly Humane And thence we need no outward Miracles to move us to Believe the Scriptures and therefore much less were they necessary to the Prophets who Writ them For we see in many places of the Prophets where they declare Prophecies as revealed to them of GOD there is not a word mentioned of any outward Miracle as that by Which alone they were Certain of it Moreover the Falseness of this Argument doth appear in that the Scripture doth declare many Contingent Truths to have been revealed to the Prophets in Dreams Divine Revelations by Dreams Now as natural and wicked Men do not see what they dream by a real perception of the Outward Senses but by Inward Idea's which are presented to the Mind and perceived by it so it is also in Divine Revelations of this nature Of which we have a clear Example in Joseph the Husband of the Blessed Virgin who when he observed his Wife with Child was told in a Dream That She had Conceived by the Holy Ghost Now I would know to which of Joseph's Outward Senses was this Revealed Or what Miracle had he to Induce him to Believe Which could neither be proved so as to make an Infallible Application to Mary by the Testimony of the Scripture and which being against the Order of Nature did Choke his Reason The Scripture mentions no Miracle in this matter and yet no doubt Joseph had highly sinned had he not Believed this Revelation and not withstanding rejected his Wife as an Adulteress But if thou say'st That according to thy Hypothesis there must have been a Miracle That is only to beg the Question And how false this Hypothesis is The Apostle shews clearly Corinth 2.14 The Natural or Animal Man knoweth not receiveth not the things of GOD. Now Divine Revelations are of this Nature The Outward Senses cannot discern the things of God for they are Spiritual and if either chiefly or only those things were to be Judged by the Outward Senses it would Contradict the Apostle For natural Men yea the most-wicked have the use of the outward Senses as true and exact as the most-Godly And whereas the Apostle adds For they are Spiritually Discerned It puts the Matter out of all Question For thence it abundantly appears that this discerning
not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Q. These Scriptures do sufficiently hold forth that the true Call to the Ministry is from God that which maketh a Minister is the Gift and Grace of God that the true and effectual Preaching of a faithful Minister is such Maintenance as is from the inward Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God But what say the Scriptures touching the Maintainance of Ministers Gal. 6.6 A. Let him that is taught in the Word Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good Things 1 Cor. 9.11 12 13 14. If we have sown unto you Spiritual Things is it a great matter if we shall reap Carnal Things If others be Partakers of this Power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this Power but suffer all Things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy Things live of the Things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordain'd that they which preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel For the Scripture saith 1 Tim. 5.18 Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward Q. I perceive by these Scriptures that there lieth an Obligation upon the Saints to help with Outward Things such as truly Minister unto them Spiritual but this seems to be Voluntary Ought not therefore true Ministers to preach whether they be sure of this or not What saith the Apostle of himself in this Case and what adviseth he others 1 Cor 9.15 16 17 18. A. But I have used none of These Things neither have I written those things that it should be so done unto me for it were better for me to die than that any Man should make my Glorying void For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to Glory of for Necessity is laid upon me yea Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this Thing willingly I have a Reward but if against my Will a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me what is my Reward then Verily that when I Preach the Gospel I make the Gospel of Christ without Charge that I abuse not my Power in the Gospel Acts 20.33 34 35. I have Coveted no Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel yea your selves know that these Hands have ministred unto my Necessities and to them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so Labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Q. It 's observable that the Apostle every where makes special mention among the Qualifications of Teachers that they be not given to Filthy Lucre What ought we then to think of these Teachers as will not preach without Hire yea that will by Violence take from those who receive no Spirituals from them Are they like to be the Ministers of Christ or what else saith the Scripture of such Isa. 56.11 A. Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter * Ezek. 34.2 3 8. Son of Man Prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel Prophesie and say unto them year 1675 Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds Wo to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves Should not the Shepherds feed the Flook Ye eat the Fat and ye cloath you with the Woll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the Flock As I live saith the Lord God surely because my Flock became a Prey and my Flock became Meat to every Beast of the Field because there was no Shepherd neither did my Shepherds search for my Flock but The Shepherds fed themselves and fed not my Flock Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People Err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace Mich. 3 5 11. and he that puts not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us None evil can come upon us Q. These are plain Testimonies from the Prophets Are there none such from the Apostles A. Perverse Disputings of Men of Corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 6 7 8 9 10. from such withdraw thy self But Godliness with Contentment is great Gain For we brought nothing into the World and it 's certain we can carry nothing out and having Food and Raiment let us therewith be content But they that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil which while some Coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows For Men shall be Lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers 2 Tim. 2.3 Disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy For there are many unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers Tit. 1.10 11. especially they of the Circumcision whose Mouths must be stop'd who subvert whole Houses teaching things which they ought not for Filthy Lucre's sake But there were false Prophets also among the People 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3 14 15. even as there shall be False Teachers among you who privately shall bring in Damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift Destruction And many shall follow their Pernicious Ways by reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be Evil spoken of And through Covetousness shall they with feigned Words make Merchandize of you whose Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their Damnation slumbereth not Having Eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from Sin beguiling unstable Souls an Heart they have exercised with Covetous practices Cursed Children which have forsaken the Right Way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the Wages of Vnrighteousness Wo unto them For they have gone in the Way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward Jude 11 16. and perished in the Gain-saying of Corah These are Murmurers Complainers walking after their own Lust and their Mouth speaketh great Swelling Words year 1673 having Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage Q Ought there to be any Order in the Church of God A. Let all things be done decently and in Order 1 Cor. 14.40 Q What good Order is prescribed
in the Church concerning Preachers Is it fit that only one or two speak or many more if moved thereto 1 Cor. 14.30 31 32 33. A. If any thing be Revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his Peace For ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and that all may be comforted And the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints Q. Is there any Promise that Daughters as well as Sons shall Prophesie under the Gospel Joel 2.28 A. And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie your old Men shall dream Dreams your young Men shall see Visions Q. Is that Promise fulfilled and to be fulfilled Acts â—â— 17. A. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie and your Young men shall see Visions and your Old Men shall dream Dreams Q. Is there any such Instance of Old in the Scripture Acts 21.9 A. And the same Man had four Daughters Virgins which did prophesie Q. But may All Women speak or are any commanded to keep Silence in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 35. A. Let your Women keep Silence in the Church for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at Home for it is a Shame for Women to speak in the Church 1 Tim. 2.11 12. Let the Woman learn in Silence with all Subjection But I suffer not a Woman to teach or usurp Authority over the Man but to be in Silence Q. The first of these seems only to relate to Women that have Husbands What comes of them that have none The second speaks nothing of the Church but only that she ought not to usurp Authority over the Man hath this no Limitation Doth not the same Apostle give Directions how Women that speak should behave themselves in the Church 1 Cor. 11.4 5. A. Every man Praying or Prophesying having his Head covered dishonoureth his Head But every Woman that Prayeth or Prophesieth with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head for that is even all one as if she were shaven CHAP. X. Concerning Worship Question WHat is the Worship that is Acceptable to God Answer But the Hour cometh and now is John 4.23 24. when the True Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Q. Seeing Prayer is a part of Worship when ought we to Pray A. And he spake a Parable unto them to this End Luke 18.1 That men ought Always to Pray and not to faint Pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5.17 Q. Hath God no respect to the Manner of Calling upon him For there is no Difference between the Jew and the Greek Rom. 10.12 for the same Lord over all is Rich unto all that call upon him Q. Doth God hear the Prayers of all that call upon him A. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him Psal. 145.18 to all that call upon him in Truth The Lord is far from the Wicked Prov. 15.29 but he hears the Prayer of the Righteous Now we know that God heareth not Sinners John 9.38 but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth And this is the Confidence that we have in him 1 John 5.14 that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us Q After what Mannner doth the Apostle then declare he will Pray A. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Vnderstanding also I will sing with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and I will sing with the Vnderstanding also Q. Must we then pray always in the Spirit A. Praying always Ephes. 6.18 with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and Watching thereunto with all Preseverance and Supplication for all Saints Q. Since we are commanded to pray always in it can we do it of our selves without the Help thereof A. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought Rom. 8.26 27. but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be utter'd And he that searcheth the Hearts knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Q. I perceive that without the Leadings and Help of the Spirit prayers are altogether unprofitable may not a man truly utter these things that are Spiritual without the Spirit 's Assistance A. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus Accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 18.3 Q. That is strange It seems the Spirit is much more necessary than many called Christians suppose it to be some of which can scarce give a good Account whether they have it or want it But if a man speak things true upon the Matter are they not true as from him if spoken without the Spirit Jer. 5.2 A. And though they say The Lord liveth surely they swear falsly Q. It is apparent from all these Scriptures that the True Worship of God is in Spirit and as it is not limited to a certain place neither to any certain time what shall we think of them that plead for the Observation of certain Days A. But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God Gal. 4 9 10 11. how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly Elements whereunto ye desire again to be in Bondage Ye observe Days and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you Labour in vain Col. 2.16 17. Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or Drink or in respect of an Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Day which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ. Q. Seeing it is so may not some Christians as lawfully esteem all Days alike as others may esteem some Days above another What Rule giveth the Apostle in this Case A. One man esteemeth one Day above another another esteemeth every Day alike Rom. 14.5 6. let every man be fully perswaded in his own Mind He that regardeth a Day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the Day to the Lord he doth not
all unto Salvation and able to save Clemens Alexandrinus saith lib. 2. Stromat Clem. Alex. The Divine Word hath cried calling all knowing well those that will not obey And yet because it is in our power either to obey or not to obey that none may have a pretext of Ignorance it hath made a righteous Call and requireth but that which is according to the ability and strength of every one The self-same in his Warning to the Gentiles For as saith he that Heavenly Ambassadour of the Lord the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath Appeared unto all c. This is the New Song Coming and Manifestation of the Word which now shews it self in us which was in the beginning and was first of all And again Hear therefore ye who are afar off hear ye who are near the Word is hid from none the Light is common to all and shineth to all There is no darkness in the Word The Gathering unto the One and alone Love let us hasten to Salvation to the New birth that we being many may be gathered unto the One alone Love Ibid. he saith That there is Infused into all but principally into those that are trained up in Doctrine a certain Divine Influence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again he speaketh concerning the Innate Witness worthy of belief which of it self doth plainly chuse that which is most honest And again he saith That It is not Impossible to come unto the Truth and lay hold of it seeing it is most near to us in our own Houses as the most wise Moses declareth living in three parts of us viz. in our Hands in our Mouth and in our Heart this saith he is a most true badge of the Truth which is also fulfilled in three things namely in Counsel in Action in Speaking And again he saith also unto the Unbelieving Nations Receive Christ receive Light receive Sight to the end thou may'st rightly know both God and Man The Inlightning Word The Word that hath inlightned us is more pleasant than Gold and the Stone of great value And again he saith Let us receive the Light that we may receive God let us receive the Light that we may be the Scholars of the Lord. And again he saith to those Infidel Nations The Heavenly Spirit helpeth thee Resist and Flee Pleasure Again Lib. Strom. 5. he saith God forbid that man be not a partaker of Divine Acquaintance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in Genesis is said to be a partaker of Inspiration And Paed. lib. 1 cap 3. There is saith he some lovely and some desirable thing in man which is called the In-breathing of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same man lib. 10. Strom. directeth men unto the Light and Water in themselves who have the Eye of the Soul darkned or dimmed through Evil up-bringing and Learning let them Enter-in unto their own domestick Light or unto the Light which is in their own house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Truth which manifests accurately and clearly these things that have been written Just. Martyr Justin Martyr in his First Apology saith That the Word which was and is is in all even that very same Word which through the Prophets foretold things to come The Writer of the Calling of the Gentiles saith lib. 1. cap. 2. We Believe according to the same viz. Scripture and most religiously Confess Auth. de Voc. Gent. that God was never wanting in care to the generality of men who although he did lead by particular Lessons a people gathered to himself unto Godliness yet he withdrew from no Nation of men the Gifts of his own Goodness that they might be Convinced that they had received the Words of the Prophets and Legal Commands in services and testimonies of the First Principles Cap. 7. he saith That he believes that the help of Grace hath been wholly withdrawn from no man Lib. 2. cap. 1. Because albeit Salvation is far from sinners yet there is nothing void of the presence and virtue of his Salvation Cap. 2. But seeing none of that people over whom was set both the Doctrines were justified but through Grace by the Spirit of Faith who can question but that they who of whatsoever Nation in whatsoever Times could please God were ordered by the Spirit of the Grace of God which albeit in fore-time it was more sparing and hid yet denied it self to no Ages being in Virtue one in Quantity different in Counsel unchangeable in Operation multifarious Prop. III § XXIV The Third Proposition which ought to be proved is That it is by this Light Proved Seed or Grace that God works the Salvation of all men and many come to partake of the benefit of Christ's Death and Salvation purchased by him God's Salvation wrought by the Light in all By the Inward and Effectual Operations of which as many Heathens have come to be partakers of the Promises who were not of the Seed of Abraham after the flesh so may some now to whom God hath rendred the Knowledge of the History Impossible come to be saved by Christ. Having already proved that Christ hath died for all that there is a Day of Visitation given to all during which Salvation is possible unto them and that God hath actually given a measure of Saving Grace and Light unto all preached the Gospel to and in them and placed the Word of Faith in their hearts the matter of this Proposition may seem to be proved Yet shall I a little for the further satisfaction of all who desire to know the Truth and hold it as it is Jesus prove this from two or three clear Scripture-Testimonies and Remove the most-Common as well as the more-strong Objections usually brought against it Our Theam then hath two parts First That those that have the Part 1 Gospel and Christ outwardly preached unto them are not saved but by the working of the Grace and Light in their hearts Secondly That by the working and operations of this many have been Part 2 and some may be saved to whom the Gospel hath never been outwardly preached and who are utterly ignorant of the outward History of Christ. As to the First though it be granted by most yet because it 's more Part 1 in words Proved than deeds the more full discussing of which will fall-in in the next Proposition concerning Justification I shall prove it in few words And first from the words of Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this Birth cometh not by the outward preaching of the Gospel The New Birth or Regeneration cometh not by the Outward Knowledge of Christ or knowledge of Christ or historical Faith in him seeing many have that and firmly believe it who are never thus Renewed The Apostle Paul also goes so far while he Commends the Necessity and Excellency of this New Creation as
in a certain respect to lay aside the outward Knowledge of Christ or the Knowledge of him after the flesh in these words 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence it manifestly appears that he makes the Knowledge of Christ after the flesh but as it were the Rudiments which young Children learn which after they are become better Scholars are of less use to them because they have and possess the very Substance of those first Precepts in their minds As all Comparisons halt in some part so shall I not affirm this to hold in every respect yet so far will this hold that as those that go no further than the Rudiments are never to be accounted Learned and as they grow beyond these things so they have less use of them even so such as go no further than the outward Knowledge of Christ shall never Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven But such as come to know this New Birth to be in Christ indeed to be a New Creature to have Old things past away and all things become New may safely say with the Apostle Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Now But by the Work of Light and Grace in the heart this New Creature proceeds from the Work of this Light and Grace in the heart It is that Word which we speak of that is sharp and piercing that Implanted Word able to save the Soul by which this Birth is begotten and therefore Christ hath purchased unto us this Holy Seed that thereby this Birth might be brought forth in us which is therefore also called The Manifestation of the Spirit given to every one to profit withal for it is written that by One Spirit we are all baptized into One Body And the Apostle Peter also ascribeth this Birth to this Seed and Word of God which we have so much declared of saying 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Though then this Seed be small in its Appearance so that Christ Compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds Matth. 13.31 32. and that it be hid in the earthy part of man's heart yet therein is Life and Salvation towards the sons of men wrapt up which comes to be Revealed as they give way to it The Kingdom of God is in the Seed in the hearts of all men And in this Seed in the hearts of all men is the Kingdom of God as in Capacity to be produced or rather Exhibited according as it receives depth is nourished and not choked Hence Christ saith that the Kingdom of God was in the very Pharisees Luke 17.20 21. who did Oppose and Resist him and were justly accounted as Serpents and a generation of Vipers Now the Kingdom of God could be no other ways in them than in a Seed even as the Thirty-fold and the Hundred-fold is wrapt up in a small Seed lying in a barren ground which springs not forth because it wants Nourishment and as the whole body of a great Tree is wrapt up potentially in the Seed of the Tree and so is brought forth in due season and as the Capacity of a Man or a Woman is not only in a Child but even in the very Embryo even so the Kingdom of Jesus Christ yea Jesus Christ himself Christ within who is the hope of glory and becometh Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption is in Every man and woman's heart in that little Incorruptible Seed ready to be brought forth as it is Cherished and Received in the love of it For there can be no men worse than those rebellious and unbelieving Pharisees were and yet this Kingdom was thus within them and they were directed to look for it there so it is neither lo here nor lo there in this or the other Observation that this is known but as this Seed of God in the heart is minded and entertained And certainly hence it is even because this Light Seed and Grace that appears in the heart of man is so little regarded and so much overlooked that so few know Christ brought forth in them Calvinists Papists Arminians and Socinians Errors denying the Light to be Saving The one sort to wit the Calvinists they look upon Grace as an Irresistible Power and therefore neglect and despise this Eternal Seed of the Kingdom in their hearts as a low insufficient useless thing as to their Salvation On the other hand the Papists Arminians and Socinians they go about to set up their natural Power and Will with one Consent denying that this little Seed this small Appearance of the Light is that Supernatural Saving Grace of God given to Every man to save him And so upon them is verified that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ This is the Condemnation of the World that Light is come into the World but men love Darkness rather than Light the reason is added because their Deeds are Evil. All Confess they feel this but they will not have it to be of that virtue Some will have it to be Reason some a Natural Conscience some Certain Relicks of God's Image that remained in Adam So Christ as he met with Opposition from all kinds of Professors in his Outward Appearance so doth he now in his Inward It was the Meanness of his outward Man The Meanness of Christ's Appearance in the flesh that made many despise him saying Is not this the Son of the Carpenter are not his Brethren and Sisters among us Is not this a Galilean and came there ever a Prophet out of Galilea and such like Reasonings For they expected an Outward Deliverer who as a Prince should deliver them with great Ease from their Outward Enemies and not such a MESSIAH as should be Crucified shamefully and as it were lead them into many Sorrows Troubles and Afflictions So the Meanness of this Appearance makes the Crafty Jesuites the pretended Rational Socinians and the Learned Arminians overlook it desiring rather something that they might exercise their Subtilty Reason and Learning about and use the Liberty of their own Wills And the Secure Calvinists they would have a Christ to Save them without any Trouble to destroy all their Enemies for them without them and nothing or little within while they mean while be at Ease to live in their Sins secure Whence when all is well Examined the Cause is plain it is because their deeds are evil that with one Consent they Reject this Light The Nature of the Light for it Checks the Wisest of them all and the Learnedest of them all in secret it Reproves them neither can all