consideration of their being Members of the Church visible thus Paul delivered Hymeneus c. to satan 2. Profession as it is understood by the Assembly is not a meer verbal thing but practical too it containes in it an Orthodoxy in the principles professed and a Conversation framed thereto a professing in words a not-denying in works else men are not visible Christians but to be turned from 2. Tim. 3.5 and yet we believe that men may do all this and be close Hypocrites and that they may afterwards fall away G. K. himself confesseth and now let us trace him He infers that Notoriously-scandalous persons liars deceivers drunkards c. are qualified members of our Church but without reason if he should essay he would find is to reject him for some of the qualifications he mentions We acknowledge not such for professors and if any in our Churches afterward prove so we censure them And it is grosly untrue that Independents require no more than such a profession as he talks of to make them members of their church for they whom he calls Independents distinguish between the Church visible or Christianity at large Membership or Fellowship in a congregational Church and have not been wonâ— to be charged for their Laxness but rather Strictness in Admission Nor doth it arguâ— them of Hypocrisy or contradiction becausâ— they separated from another Church viz the Episcopal it being well known that they did it mainly because their terms of Communion were such as they could not in Conscience comply with tho' also their promiscuous Admission of all sorts of ignorant scandalous persons to the Lords Table added to the incitement as for the Presbiterian Churches we did not separate from them but have held Communion with them and have admitted their members to Communion with us although by reason of some points of Church Administration which they differ from them in in principle they thought they might without any just offence do so in practice too Sect. 2. How daringly doth he here assert that we find no such Church in all the Scripture owned to be the church of Christ that the outward form or profession of religion makes such when the whole New Testament acquaints us with no other if he keep to his subject viz. a visible Church For indeed it is nothing else but such a profession as we have described that can make them so nothing else can give them the visibility of a Church and how strangely do's he talk when he saies We nowhere find in scripture any society called â—he church of Christ that had nothing but the professon of the true religion who ever said â—hat they had nothing but so We say if â—he profession be right it s a making sincerity visible as far as may be but yet let us tell him there are such owned for Churches in which the major part were such as he mentions Sardis was so had a name to live was dead had but a few names Rev. 3.2 and Laâ—dicea was so vers 15. But the truth is he aequivocates about the word True If by a true Church he intends such as are united to Christ in truth sincerity we plead it not but the word also signifies that there is really such a thing and that there is really such a thing is visible there may be a true visible Church tho many in it are not of the true invisible Church Sect. 3. Men that talk of two things may thwart one another strangely but we thought he had been discoursing of the visible Church and if so then he is deceived when he saith that every member of Christ is a living member Christ hath said otherwise see Joh. 15.2 how in Christ but by profession their being fruitless proves them dead and they might be taken away which they could not be if they were not first in him and he did well to instance in the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 3.6 there was the old Leaven in this Church which was to be purged out there were fearful divisions there were that would eat in the Idols Temples that horridly profaned the Lord's Table that denied the resurrection of the body c. Such a mixture there was in this Church yet see what a glorious Encomium Paul gives them on the account oâ— their being a visible Church cap. 1. begin His finding fault with us for using an Hour-glass to know how the time spends and a Bell to gather our Assemblies together orderly is worse than ridiculous That God's people should have their Meetings to worship GOD is undeniable to neglect it is a sin Heb. 10.25 as for his inward spiritual Bell which he calls the Gospel-bell ringing in their hearts serving for such a use it is a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop as if the Light-within were a Clock to tell the hour of the day Besides it is certain that God's people in all ages have had a known time of meeting and some civil sign to give notice that they might meet together as in one place so at one Time and he knows that we place no holiness in Bells yea the very Scripture which he abuseth to prove a Gospel bell is directly against him Psal 89.15 which intends the Silver Trumpets which God appointed for such an end as ancient modern interpreters agree yea the Quakers themselves give notice of their meetings Sect. 4. He makes The work of conversion wrought by the Spirit in the hearts of God's Elect to be the true gathering of a visible Church for of that he must speak or he is distracted and let any man of sense judge whether this be any gathering of a visible Church at all or whether this makes a man so much as a visible Christian it being a thing secret and that which no man knows but he in whom it is wrought As for his Banter here about new-made things it is but a second Disgorging of the vomit which he hath licked up after he had once before spewed it in p. 36. where he is animadverted upon once is too much Sect. 5. Here he agen confounds the mystical invisible Church which the visible and gives the encomiums proper to the one unadvisedly to the other which mistake led him to draw that blasphemous Inference p. 172. that the Religion which we profess is not the Religion of Jesus Christ and that in the foundation it self which is Jesus Christ hence we do without any breach of charity infer that G. K. bids the world to take notice that he utterly renounceth the religion we profess even in the very foundation of it which is JESUS CHRIST and of which he himself if we are not misinform'd once made no mean profession in the University of Aberdeen and say if Julian the Apostate did worse Sect. 6. He contradicts himself here in the same Paragraph at the beginning he saith that Christ is but one both in heaven and in us and before the end
fall before his in-in-words acknowledged Test is yet to be Tried And be it known to all men That we are not yet sensible of the wounds that he hath given any further than as the Name of GOD is blasphemously abused by him and drawn in to patronize his filthy dreams When we read his Inscription Benhadad seems to be risen agen who sent that confident Threatning 1. King 20.10 and the Answer of the King of Israel is enough ver 11. He had so much Pride and Gall to crowd into the Title that he is fain to borrow a Room in the left-hand page to put in a few Scrâ—pture Citations maliciously abused and misapplied which whether they belong to our Churches and Ministry let the Day declare we are not to stand or fall at the menacing Praedictions of an Enthusiast He directs his Epistle to us giving his word for it so far as it will go that the book was written in good will to us and if to slander and calumniate with bitterest Invectives may pass for a Demonstration he hath proved his Love to be Extraordinary and truly it is as much as we expect from one of his humour There is little observable here but what will be met with in the Treatise and once to Answer such paltry stuffe is enough if not to much It may therefore be passed over with two or three Remarks He calls us to turn our minds to the Light of Christ within us for our better information we have done it as well as we can it tells us That his Assertions are bold presumptuous and Haeretical He tells us It is the same spirit that gives to all Readers a right under standing of Scripture but if so why then have not all the same understanding of it but Contradictory Can it be the Spirit of God who is alwaies the same He bids us to Believe in Christ and joyn our minds to His divine Illumination and He will anoint the eyes of our Vnderstandings we shall have our eyes open to see c. q. d. If we will see of ourselves then He will give us Ability to see this may be no Contradiction in a Quakers Logick We have him also in a fit of Charity and we are beholden to him for we shall not alwaies find him in so good a mood granting that some of us may be in some sense of the true Church which how it should be when we have neither Doctrine Ministry Worship c. of a true Church among us let him see to that But we have him afterwards putting on his Spectacles and then he retracts his Charity with a witness We have him also nibling at the Doctrine of Perseverance which we shall shortly find him beating down with Axes and Mauls and there shall take him to task Only It is worth the while to observe what a notable and no doubt inspired Doctrine he recommended to us viz. That the Quickning in a man as it abides it is impossible it should perish To pass the Nonsense of it which must be allowed a Quaker or you undoe him let us note its profoundnese If Grace continue it cannot be lost a thing cannot be and not be at the same time could Delphos have delivered a more mysterious Oracle Finally he tells us plainly that his Design is to turn away our Hearers from us under the Title of False-Teachers i. e. he aims at no less than the subverting of all the Churches of Christ in New-England yea in all the World A Gygantick Essay But let him do his utmost as long as Christ sits upon His Throne we are not dismayed As for the Imputation of being False Teachers we can thro' Grace appeal to many of our Hearers in Paul's words 2. Cor. 3. beginn Reflections on Chap. 1. of the Holy Scriptures We have here a Confession of his Faith such as it is concerning the Scriptures wherein if he gives us his mind candidly which we have cause to suspect and shall give our reason before we part we are sure he doth not express the sense of his Brethren and Predecessors except they say one thing and mean the contrary Section 1 2. As for the two first Paragraphs of this Chapter we will take them as farr as they will go though the word Outward hath a Reserve in it and intimates That God hath one Rule to direct His people by Outwardly and another Inwardly or as if God taught us one thing by His Word and another by His Spirit we shall have Occasion afterwards to discourse how perniciously this undermines the Christian Faith and why he hath not made Practices as well as Doctrines liable to this Test might well be enquired However there will be occasion to rubb up his memory with his own Concessions when we find that he has forgoten himself for a quaker's spirit is not of a perfect Reminiscence and mean while let him try how he can reconcile himself to his Friends who have directly as might be instanced abundantly rejected the Scriptures with Scorn Smith tells us It is the greatest Error in the world and the ground of all Errors to say the Scriptures are a Rule to Christians and many Expressions of the same import But he will salve all with the nice Distinction of an outward and an inward Rule Sect. 3. This Paragraph might have past had it not been for his perverse Interpretation of it in which he spends his Second Chapter where we shall have it out if our patience can but wait a little Sect. 4. We were afraid when we saw him so liberal of his Concessions that he would soon repent of it we have him therefore here trying to get something of it back again but stay Friend and be more frugal of your Largesses henceforward Well he hath given the Scripture leave in a good humour to be so far a Rule at least that No Doctrine that cannot be demonstrated by it layes us under any Obligation to believe it and so we are satisfied that it is no mortal sin to with-hold our Credit from any of their New-Revelations that are neither Scripture nor Scripture-Consequence which in Chapt. 2nd he pleads for G. K. had a mind to wheadle some into a Compliance with his Opinions who had been taught to entertain a good Respect for the Scriptures For which reason he would insinuate that the honest Quakers are not the men that they have been represented to be nor are they such Enemies to the written Word as they are reported but why then doth he not correct his friend Lucas who hath told us That any Quaker if he has a mind to it as they are arrogant enough may make as good himself and they challenge us to tell them what one Scripture hath Light in it and many like Blasphemies not to be named But what shall he do to satisfy his brethren whose Fabrick is built upon the sandy Foundation of a New Light and new Revelations if the Scripture hath all the
of Delusion sometimes excites that under close pretences which requires our Application to the Word of God for a Determination Isa 8.20 His abuse of Heb. 12.27 interpreting the Apostle by things made to intend things of men's making is most gross For it is certain these things were of God's making viz. the Old Testamnt-Ordinances which were now to be taken away to give place to Gospel Institutions of Christ's Appointment and these are the Church Ministry c. which we maintain But let any man pursue him in this Paragraph and he shall perceive that his very design is to take away all Gospel Ordinances and worship and reduce all to Inspirations the Tendency whereof to subvert the whole designe of Christ in his Gospel is sufficiently Observable for that all these were there instituted is undeniable That therefore must be antiquated if this take place contrary to Heb. 12.28 and let serious souls beware of such as would rob them of the Gospel His Sophisms in Charging us of Blasphemy for saying We have the Spirit of God and yet saying we have no infallible spirit as if therefore we charged the Spirit of God Himself of being fallible may seem to have some influence upon weak minds see pag. 41 it may therefore need a little Discussion Observe then that the Evidence which we have within us of the Certainty of our spiritual State or of any spiritual motions in us is confirmed by two witnesses God's Spirit and our own Rom. 8.16 and these are two distinct witnesses the Quakers indeed have blasphemously confounded them and made them but one now we acknowledged beleeve that the witness of the spirit of God is Infallible He cannot be deceived neither will He deceive by witnessing to a falshood but the witness of our own spirit is Fallible because we are persons liable to mistakes Now tho' the Spirit when He witnesseth doth it Infallibly yet He doth not make our spirits Infallible and more than so the Spirit of God witnesseth as He will sometimes He withdraws His Testimony and His Witness is commonly mediate it is with our spirits Now the way in which our spirits witness is rational i. e. by searching our state or examining the Suggestions in us bringing these things to the Rules of Tryal given in Scripture 2. Cor. 13 5. In both the Examination and Tryal we may be mistaken for we know but in part and yet so far as the Spirit of God confirms us by His Witness we are infallibly assured We find also that the inspired men of old such as Paul did not declare all things to the people by Immediate Revelation but some things as they were skilful understanding Christians influenced with the ordinary Assistances of the Spirit of God and rationally Judging of things Hence Paul's distinction 1. Cor. 7.12 25. and therefore the words alledged verse 40. I think c. for all his Railery speaks thus much That he did not suggest these Advices by immediate Inspiration but by the Common Assistances that God affords His faithful Ministers Sect. 6. How blasphemously doth he in this Section ascribe the effects of the Scripture to the Ministers he would have no Minister but such through whom grace spirit and life do emanate to the souls of the hearers making them more than meerly instrumental in Converting and Edifying We deny not but that a gracious Minister is raore likely to do good than another but not by any power of his own but because as he will be more faithful so he may expect more of Gods Assistance and Blessing but that he can by any Virtue of his own any more heal a Soul than those Apostles could the body of a Cripple who utterly disclaim it Act. 3.12 we believe not and we are confirmed by the Scripture Joh. 1.13 And truly the Quakers want Charity if they have such a virtue to Convert and save all the world and do not His Similitude of Ministers being called Flames of Fire if it intend Ministers and not rather Angels is not Argumentative â—hey may be so compared for their Activiâ—y and Zeal and not from the Efficacy in â—hemselves And as little Cogent is his Instance of the Disciples Luc. 24.32 for â—e forgat that Christ Himself was then the Preacher who had a Divine Power and yet we deny not but that the same may be said of the preaching of another but then it is the Spirit of God coming in between the mouth of the Speaker and the hearts of the hearers who doth it yea though Christ had the Spirit without measure yet how often did He preach without such Efficacy hence His Complaint Isa 49.4 Yea there were more plentiful Conversions after His Ascention by His Apostles when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2. The Scripture by which he would prove this 1. Pet. 4.11 is nothing to his purpose For the Ability there spoken of is an outward estate enabling them to give Alms and more especially concerneth the office of the Deacon in Relieving the poor out of the Church Treasure which must be done according to the stock in hand and what is this to an inward Power of Converting souls Nor doâ—h he more exalt his Ministry than he degradeth the Word of GOD denying it to be the Milk which is to nourish us making it nothing but a Bottle that carries this Milk and yet the Scripture he alludes to calls it the Milk However let it be the Bottle still we must go to that for our Nourishment and draw it out of those breasts and then there is no need of Immediate Inspirations His Comparing Ministers to Fathers is Scriptural but the Improvement of the Similitude is his own and like him There are some things in which there is a likeness between these which gave occasion to the Comparison but yet they are far unequal Causes A natural Father is a Father properly for all G. K. denies it and is something more than an Instrument he is a natural Efficient a procreant cause but the Minister is not so in the spiritual Regeneration but meerly instrumental which he also grants and then ew-born Christian derives no part of his new Nature from him Joh. 1.13 And as unhappy is his improvement of the Metaphor of Seed 2. Cor. 9.10 Isa 55.10 The former of which Texts only intends that God hath given them an estate to be able to relieve others withal the latter is of the Word it self which is likened to grain which the Minister only soweth and which taketh rooting in the heart and fructifies and what is all this to the Ministers being able to convert or what Force will it give to his Inference Viz. How then can a graceless man have any fruit or success seeing all fruit and success belongs not to the instrument as proceeding from it It 's easily retorted Why may not God if he will make use oâ— such men to convert others by since it depends not on them but Him Herein Hâ— may make His
Possibility of Holiness Holiness is scarce sense and to acknowledge a capacity of Holiness but in some and yet but one page before to plead a possibility of Conversion in all would have been a Contradicting himself if it had not been G. K. Sect. 7. We have G. K. here speaking the Scripture fair The Scripture is a rich treasure and he is for Scripture Words and it is not safe to leave them and what is all this for why the Scripture indeed acknowledgeth all to be born in sin but what then Why the seed or principle of sin and Corruption is but it is not imputed till men join their Consent to it and actually obey it and it s as clear as midnight from Rom. 5.13 and thus he interprets it The time of Infancy is the time wherein there is no Law and therefore tho children are dead in law there is no imputation Excellently well expounded Paul is there proving that there was a law antecedent to the edition of the law of Moses and his argument is because there was sin in the world before and that it is imputed he might have found if he had read the following verse for there we find the sentence executed which necessarily presupposeth imputation nay the very calling it Sin is a charge or imputation and a supposition of a Law condeming men for it nor do his many Citations at all prove that none dye and finally perish for the first sin but for actual sins of their own which was now to be proved for they only intimate that all mens actions are liable to the Judgement and shall be tried and sentenced but deny not that man's state in Adam shall be so too Because the Scripture saith that men shall perish for actual sin doth it thence follow that men shall not so for original sin But the knack is they died in Adam and Christ by His death for all that died in Adam hath dischared all of that Imputation which is a perfectly Arminian principle and hath bin enough confuted by all that have written against them That therefore he concludes that none do suffer final Destruction but for Rejecting the Physitian makes the condition of Pagans better than that of Christians for these are certain to escape destruction being incapable of rejecting the Physitian who is never offered to them whereas Millions of those do reject Him and perish for it The Gospel then opens a door to man's Undoing which else he had been out of the danger of if Christ had but died for us and never told us of it His wild Assertion p. 91. That all the children of Adam and Noah have a foederal Holiness i. e. a seed of holiness in them i. e. a capacity of being made holy not to call the Coherence of it in question seems to contradict the Apostle who 1. Cor 7.14 assures us that Unbeleevers children are unclean i. e. not holy and he there treats directly about foederal holiness He concludes this Paragraph and Chapter with two Insinuations how true let any judge 1. That Grace is propagated by our natural parents how this is it may be he will tell us next time 2. That there is habitual Sanctification in all men by nature As to the first David was of another mind Psal 51.5 For the latter Paul was not acquainted with this principle Rom. 7.18 But he speaks as yet but in the clouds we shall have him a little more open in the next Chapter Reflections on Cap. 6. of Christ's dying for all c. In this Chapter he proceeds more particularly to urge and maintain the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption and we might dismiss him for his Answer to the writitings of the Anti-Remonstrants but because many may not be advantaged with those discourses we shall make a few brief Remarks upon his Absurdities Sect. 1. His first and main plea is from the words of Scripture which express it in Universal terms viz All all men every man the world the whole world as for that of the Body Eph. 5.23 Paul himself there interprets it of the Church and its strange that the World and the Church should be of equal extent some of ours whom he calls the Adversaries of Truth have answered though it is not our whole Answer that by All is not meant all particulars i. e. Individuals but some of all sorts all the Elect. His Reply is that the word All must needs be as full and universal with respect to Christ's death and the benefit of it as it is with respect to Adam 's Fall and who denies it But it is not so in his sense except he will plead for universal Salvation as well as Redemption else the benefit is not parallel to the damage and so he indeed seems to plead by Citing 1. Tim. 4.10 for the proof of his Assertion but yet this he afterwards denies We are here to consider that Adam Christ are in Scripture made parallel in many Respects as Adam is a common Head so is Christ hence as Adam hath a natural seed so hath Christ a spiritual seed as Adam ruined all his seed so Christ Redeemed all His as Adam's seed are called the world because they comprize all the men and women coming into the world by natural Generation so Christ's Seed are called the world because they comprize all the men and women that belong to the world to come But then we must remember that Christ's Seed are a number selected out of the other and therefore though they are all because He loseth none of His Elect yet not all the Individuals of Adam's posterity for there are they of whom Christ saith They are none of my sheep Nor doth he interpret but pervert that in 2. Cor. 5.14 If one died for all then were all dead for the Apostles intention there is to prove that all God's Elect were dead because Christ died for them all The word All therefore doth not signifie some but all that come under that denomination Sect. 2. Whereas Christ Joh. 17.9 makes a Difference between His Redeemed and the world and saith I pray not for the world he would perswade us that world is there meant of final Impenitents or such as have finally rejected the meanes of Grace and with whom the Spirit hath ceased to strive But not to call over what hath been already offered Viz. That all have not the meanes of Grace and therefore cannot resist them it is plain that he excludes only the damned from Christ's prayer and hence he inferrs that Christ died only for their sins past Well then He died for those sins and prayed for those men he then owns His death and prayer to be lost and His Redemption void Did Christ dye to condemn men or to save ' em see Joh. 3.17 why then are they not saved for whom He came to dye Was He not able to draw them to Him or to save them that come to the uttermost That he saith Many are guilty of final
he tells us that by the Spirit the man is joined both to Christ in him to Christ in Heaven and if two Unions then two Christs Sect. 7 Now he afresh sets upon us for our Qualifications required in our Ministry but it hath been already canvass'd in cap. 4. Only towards the latter end of this Section he tells us of Two spirits that guid men on earth the Spirit of God and of the devil he gives three Criteria of men's being guided by the latter Viz. he is fallible false continually given to Errors by which he clearly detects himself to be under the devil's leading for he hath before acknowledged himself to be falliBle and we have proved him to be false and continually leading into Error Sect. 8. The fault which in this paragraph he finds with our Ministry is that they are not itinerary as the Apostles whose Successors they pretend themselves to be truly better sit still in a place than go up down seeking whom to devour But may we not succeed the Apostles in their Ministry tho' not in their Apostleship And do we not find that though they went about to gather Churches where there was none yet when they had gathered them they ordeined Elders among them to he settled Ministers such as were Overseers of particular Churches see Act. 14.23.20.27 with 28. The Scandal he reflects upon us in respect of the Endeavours for the Conversion of the Indians is sufficiently confuted by the printed accounts that are published to the world of this affair and what if they he not all sincere iâ—s God s work and not in our power to make any so We say of our selves as Paul 1. Cor. 3.5.6 Sect. 9. It seems strange to us that something invisible should make a Church visible as having alwaies thought that a thing was visible when it might be seen The Inward Light in a man then cannot be the visibility of a Church to men But we find no end of such foolish Contradictions Reflections on chapt 10. of the Sacraments c. The last Mine he has to spring is to demolish our Sacraments and Sabbaths Sect. 1. That the word Sacrament is not to be found in the New-Testament we grant but it hath obtained to be a Word used in the Church for many ages to express that by which is evidently enough laid down in Scripture nor doth he dispute us about the Lawfulness of using such words But when he saith there is no word in Scripture to answer that word except the word Mystery we cannot go along with him that the word Mystery is at all used in this sense we suppose cannot be proved but there are two other that are and imply as much as we intend by a Sacrament viz. a Sign and a Seal which are both used of the Sacrament of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 and by parity of Reason are applicable to the New-Testament-Sacrments that Baptism is such a sign is evident from 1. Pet. 3.21 that the Lord's Supper is so too see 1. Cor. 11.26 for how is the Lord's death shewed forth in it but by an instituted sign And when the Church of Rome can shew as good a plea for their other five as we can for these two we will then confess the injury we have done in denying them Sect. 2. Now for Baptism What need he to combat Infant-Baptism If there be no Baptism then none of Infants only he loves to be wrangling and what Cavil against Sprinkling if neither that nor Dipping be of force by Divine Institution Thus some must be meddling As for Sprinkling we plead not for it we say Baptism is a Gospel-Ordinance that Water is the Element to be applied that it may be done either by Dipping into or Pouring on of water there being no express Precept for the one more than the other that it being a sign it hath no other Efficacy than by the Blessing upon the Institution that as a sign it may signifie by pouring upon one part of the Body that the Face is most ready and convenient and why may we not allude to that of Christ to Peter Joh. 13.10 that we do it on the Forehead particularly is a slander When be asks us Why John baptized Christ by Dipping Him in Water We think his first Question should have been Whether he did so or no and it is certain he cannot prove that he did Our Consequence from infant Circumcision to infant Baptism is good for it was the same Covenant and the same promises that Abraham and we had Circumsion was a sign of the Righteousness of Faith and so is Baptism and Infants are as capable of the one as of the other and the promise is still to our Children That the Baptizing of Infants was not the practice of the Church during the first century is arrogantly affirmed by him against Antiquity Origen and Cyprian tell us that the Apostles gave order for the Baptizing of Infants and Augustin tells us Baptism of Infants had been universally practised in the Church ever since the Apostles And sure he mistakes when he saith that in Col. 2.11 12. Neither circumcision nor Baptism there mentioned is outward Whereas the Apostle is arguing from the sign to the thing signified by it in respect of Circumcision then mentions Baptism it self intimating that it signified the same thing therefore laid them under the same obligation to Holiness there is therefore a sacramental Dying with Christ because in this Ordinance there is an engagement laid upon us to dye to the world And what a poor shift is he put upon when to evade Mat. 28.19 he acknowledges the Institution of Baptism but tells us it saith nothing of water doth not the very Word imply it and the Gospel assure us that Water was the Element Furthermore We have two Baptisms mentioned Mat. 3.11 it must then be one of these two but the Disciples could not baptise with the latter it being Christ's alone prerogative In citing of Luk. 18.15 16. he fraudulently omits that clause for of such is the Kingdom of God and G. K. assures us that that Kingdom is on earth as well as in Heaven and if so then they are Subjects of the priviledges of this Kingdom as far as capable and of the same import is that Rom. 11.16 for all his cavil against it nor doth it follow that they may receive the Lords supper as well because that is above their Capacity at present a Child may be an Heir and yet not be put into actual possession of all that he hath a right to and though Christ Himself baptized not yet His Disciples did by His Authority Sect. 3. That Baptism with water properly belonged to John 's Ministry is easier said than prov'd that It is expresly contra-distinguish'd from Christ 's baptism by John and Christ Himself is an errour the outward Administration is distinguished from the Efficacy which depends upon Christ and not on the Minister but not contra-distinguished for
fire But alas t is usually a poenal â—dicial vindictive Stroke of the great God up◠〈◊〉 the minds of men for sins against the Gospel 〈◊〉 our Lord Jesus accompanied not seldomâ— with very sensible Possession of Satan thâ—o ' which â—e Delusions of This way come to be received â—nd the Efficacy thereof is therefore frâ—quently 〈◊〉 obstinate for a Cure Only the Power and â—ercy of God can Restore those wandering â—ls which we do from the very bottom of our â—â—arts implore However we have just Hopes that we shall 〈◊〉 furnish the Churches in this Land with an â—tidote against the Contagion of Quakerism 〈◊〉 supply our Conflicting Neighbours with Answers to encounter the Attempts made by Seducers upon The faith once delivered unto us There hath been a sort of Quakerism not long since broached in Italy the Professors whereof go under the Name of Quietists and the late Pope himself was not without suspicion of being tainted with it But the Quakers among us are some of them so far from being Quietists that they disturb the Quiet of all that are about 'em and go about seeking whom they may deceive 'T is our Duty to Warn you against them Ye Flocks of our LORD and we do it in the Name of our Glorious Master whom you declare to be Your King your Lord your Law-giver We cannot be faithful if we do not warn you against at least the Teaching Talking Busie and more Bigotted Quakers which infest you as a Sort of men who invite you to give up at once your whole Religion and to Embarque your souls no more on that Bottom which all the Saints have hitherto been saved upon If you shall think it convenient for you to part with your Pastors because the Wolves bark at them We do assure you that most of us could have lâ—ved much more easily and pleasantly and provided more comfortably for our Families if we had applyed ourselves to other Callings than that of the Ministry It is our Grief â—nd Care for You that will make us cry after â—ou Intreat us not to leave you for our â—od must be your God But how can you think of parting with an â—nfinite and Eternal GOD and having a â—eated Soul blasphemously placed in His â—hrone How can you think of parting â—ith a precious Bible as a Dead Letter â—nd having Silent Postures of your own in â—e Room thereof How can you think of partâ—â—g with an Inestimable REDEEMER â—r a dim Light within you which may prove â—arkness it self and then How great is that â—arkness How can you endure to see the â—hole Gospel which your souls have hitherto â—ved upon all evapourated into Dispensations â—llegories and meer mystical Notions Bapâ—sm and the Supper of the Lord Jesus of 〈◊〉 Advantage to your Faith your Love your â—oy Can you with any patience behold the â—lorious Doctrines of Election and Justifiâ—ation and Perseverance depraved with Oâ—inions that make Man to be All and Grace 〈◊〉 have small or no share in the matters of â—alvation But Blessed be our GOD our Churches â—ave yet had very little Impression from any Seducers hitherto and they are the more obscure nooks and skirts of the Countrey which These do make any figure in We nevertheless forbear not these wholesome Cautions and tho' we believe the Day is at hand when our Blessed Saviour will Purify His Temple and sweep Quakerism among other Defilements out of it with a swifter and a greater Force than we can promise to our present Endeavours yet we are now making some little Essayes at that work by taking the brushes of the Sanctuary to strike down what Cobwebs the Quakers have been spinning there James Allen. Joshuah Moodey Samuel Willard Cotton Mather The Introduction IT is reported of Bellarmine that great Atlas of the Papal Interest that after his Death there was a sharp Contest in the Lateran whether his books should not be called in burnt as having in them as much exposed the cause by his over liberal Concessions as supported it by his cunning Sophisms And we are told that the Papists have hanged Erasmus between Heaven and Hell because he profest himself a Catholick and yet wrote too much like a Protestant The Hands were Esau 's but the Voice Jacob's And what Reason G. K. hath to expect the like treat at the hands of his brethren the Quakers will be obvious to any that shall read his late pernicious Pamphlet pretended to be emitted for the Discovery of the false Doctrines of some particular sorts of Professors of Religion but indeed to Bid Defiance to the True Religion in the principal fundamental Articles of it as they have been in all Ages and places acknowledged by the Church of Christ which he hath clothed in a rough Garment to deâ—eive withal For however he expresseth a right spirit of a Quaker in his nonsense fallacious way of declaring himself and bitter Reviling of the Orthodox which is enough to proclaim him one of that Society yet might any Credit be given to his words and the commonly received Sense put upon his Expressions it is apparent â—hat he hath mightily betrayed the Cause he undertook to patronize and setting aside his Billingsgate-Rhetorick a gift seldoâ—e separable from these men hath said more against their received Principles if they ever had any than against ours For if he speak the Judgement of the Quakers it is certain that G. F. and other Rabbi's of that Sect were mistaken for they speak quite another thing except he will tell us we poor ignorants understand not the Language of their spirit which regards neither Grammer nor Logick and this is the Hercules's Club where-with they are wont to knock all our Reasons in the head and brain them at once However his Design is easily discerned The Devil himself that spirit of Delusion knowing that some principles are rivetted in men's Minds will nourish them tho' he be the Father of Lies that he may graft his Falsehoods upon the stock of them and why should not his Messengers do the like in Imitation See 2. Cor. 11.13 14 15. He hopes by some large Concessions to gain Credit with the Simple and perswade them to say as they Act. 23.9 for whose sake only have we undertaken him and not for any need of Refuting his Errors which have been so often Cashiered there being no New-Revelation in them but what has been the Vomit of ancient Hereticks licked up by him and again disgorged Reflections on his Title-Page and Epistle In his Title he talks high and looks big and would hold the world in hand that he had at once routed broken disbanded all the Orthodox Churches in Christendome and proved that they had neither Doctrine Ministry Worship Constitution Government Sacraments nor Sabbaths but what are Surreptitious and not belonging to the true Church of Christ and truly if men would be dared out of their Religion he hath bid as fair for it as any we know but how farr they