This is thus proved to be a Lye There is no true Faith but it is known by its Fruits works or Effects it Purifies the Heart and works by Love Love to God Love to all his People to his word and Gospel to all that is of God and from God Now it is very Manifest by the Fruits that the Quakers bring forth in their Doctrines and Conversations that they have not the Faith of Gods Elect it is but presumption a shadow of Faith whereof the Devil is the Author their Instructer in other Doctrines also And it is likewise on the other side manifest that Multitudes of other Professing Christians whom they Despise have true saving Justifying Faith by the Fruits and Effects of it in their Hearts and in their Lives and Conversations Fourthly The Fourth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 13. This is another Lye in Hypocrisie They say the Knowledge that the Quakers have is a Spiritual and experimental Knowledge by Divine Revelation But the knowledge of the Priests and Pastors of all other Religions in the world is but Ignorance they know not Christ but call him Devil or at best the Light of Nature This is thus proved to be a Lye and that a double one Many of the Teaching Quakers are very Ignorant even of the very Principles of the Doctrines of Christ they were never Taught of God we perceive it plainly by their Discourse and writings O the wonderful Darkness and Blindness that is upon their Minds A thick vail of Ignorance as all Natural Unregenerate Men have but their Vail is double Natural and Judicial The Natural Man hath not the knowledge of Christ nor of the things of God he cannot know them in that state because they are Spiritually Discerned and known 1 Cor. 3. These People know not the true Light Jesus Christ they know not the difference between Natural Light and Spiritual light but give and ascribe that to the Creature which properly belongs onely to the Creator They know not the way of Justification by Christ but Blasphemously slight it as we find in their Books And Teach that Men are Justified by their own works directly contrary to the Scriptures whereby at once they deny Christ and the whole Gospel and the whole Design of God in the Covenant of Grace They know not how to Distinguish or Discern between the Suggestions and Inspirations of a Seducing Spirit and the workings of the Spirit of God in Mens Hearts neither do they know nor give to their Hearers any Directions how they may Try the Spirits whether they are of God or not but plainly bid them Hearken to the Light within give heed unto it and follow it and it will lead them to Salvation which gives wonderful Advantage to Satan the Seducing Spirit to work in their minds even what he will seeing they have no way to Discover him he being Transformed at such a time into an Angel of Light and in many things resembles the Spirit of God And those Ignorant Teachers know no way how to discern him having slighted and laid aside the Scriptures whereby one Spirit is known from another being destitute also of the Spirit of God So that upon this very Account both they and their Ignorant simple Hearers are under strong delusions giving heed unto Seducing Spirits and thence it is that their Teachings Books and Pamphlets are so false and so directly contrary to the Truth of the Scriptures And yet we see they boast of their Knowledge and esteem themselves more Wise and Knowing than all others Fifthly The Fifth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 14. Another Lye in Hypocrisie is this The Quakers say their Humility does far exceed all others it is the emptying themselves of all their own Righteousness Wills Wisdom and self-exaltation and is a Real Inward Spiritual abasement and subjection to the Life Power and Kingdom of Jesus Christ But O how contrary to these words nothing but words are all their Doctrines and Declarings to the People and in all their Pamphlets if we compare one thing with another For they do but deceive their simple unwary Hearers with a flourish of some good words and expressions now and then that so they may the more readily Receive the deadly Poyson that is mixed therewith They sometimes Profess in words that they own Christ and the Scriptures but in deed and reality they deny both as is abundantly proved against them and made manifest unto all And in this very particular Lye in Hypocrisie this that I say appears plainly For whereas he here says they are the most humble People in that they empty themselves of all their own Righteousness Wisdom and Self-exaltation and have in them a real spiritual Abasement and Subjection to Christ whereas the quite contrary appears in the Substance of their Doctrines Witness Edw. Burrough's Works in Folio p. 33. where he says plainly God doth not Accept any where there is any failing or who do not fulfill the Law and Answer every Demand of Justice So William Penn Sandy Foundation p. 29 30. Obedience to Justification saith he ought to be as Personally extensive as was Mans Disobedience to Condemnation In which Real not Imputative sence those various terms of Sanctification Righteousness Resurrection Life Redemption Justification c. are most Infallibly understood for saith he further Impute or Imputing signifies no more in Scripture but to express Men Really and Personally to be that which is Imputed to them whether as guilty or remitted for saith he any to be Justified from the Imputation of anothers Righteousness is both Ridiculous and Dangerous whence came that usual saying amongst many Professors of Religion That God looks not upon them as they are in themselves but as they are in Christ We see now here plainly what Doctrines the Teaching Quakers bring forth and how much it savours of Humility and Self-abasement according to this great Lye in Hypocrisie afore-mentioned This their Doctrine shews they are swelled with Pride to the very highest pitch of Pride that Self-love and Satan to blow it up can raise them Here they Account themselves perfect and able to Answer every Demand of Justice and will not be beholding to Christ for the Imputation of his Righteousness this is the Humility of the Quakers But O Miserable Creatures are they and more Miserable are they yet like to be whose Humility is the height of Pride and whose Righteousness is nothing but the grossest sin and wickedness and who have not the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to them which is the Righteousness of God and perfect as well as Inherent Righteousness Created of God but yet imperfect This Doctrine of theirs is a gross Lye in Hypocrisie and the Grand Doctrine of Devils and therefore let it be accursed yea I say again let it be accursed for ever And as for the Teachers of it they shall be accursed also except they Repent The Grace of Humility hath the quite contrary Effects
THE Strong Man Armed not Cast Out BUT Removed to a Stronger Hold VIZ. FROM PROFANENESS to HYPOCRISIE OR An Answer to a Book Entituled The Strong Man Armed Cast Out and his Goods spoyled Or The Poor Man sitting at Jesus's Feet Cloathed and in his Right Mind Written by James Jackson formerly a Parish Priest and afterwards a Teacher among the Independents And now Walking with the People called Quakers as he Testifieth of himself In which Answer is plainly Discovered the Ignorance and Darkness the Delusions and False Apprehensions of this James Jackson Concerning himself and the Churches and Assemblies which he Disowns and Separates from And also the Erroneous Interpretations and Applications of the Scriptures which he mentions in his Book Herein are also Discovered several Characters plain Marks of those False Teachers that the Spirit speaketh expresly should come into the World in these last days Written for the Vindication of the Truths of the Gospel the Stablishing of those who are in the Truth and the Reducing of those who have Erred from it And in all for the Exaltation of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ By R.a. Austen 1 John 3.1 Try the Spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the World Isa 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 Jer. 8.9 Lo they have Rejected the Word of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them London Printed for Peter Parker at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1676. The Epistle to the READER IT is certain that these are the Last Times and that many False Prophets are gone out into the World Deceitful workers Ministers of Antichrist transforming themselves into the Ministers of Christ It is time therefore and our Necessary Duty to try the Spirits whether they are of God and verily here is one as dangerous a Person with as subtil insinuating Doctrine as I ever yet met with VVhen I had Read his Book and Observed how he Exalteth and Magnifieth himself and those of his way as the onely Holy People in the World and Separateth from all the Godly their Societies and assemblies of all perswasions without Exception and not onely so but also vilifieth them Ranking them with the wicked and unregenerate world and how he asserteth and maintaineth a false Principle That the true Light meaning Christ is in every Man and Woman and is sufficient being believed in and Obeyed to bring them to Salvation and that whosoever will not Receive and own this Doctrine are accounted by him Enemies to Christ VVhen I considered these things with many other Lies in Hypocrisie and Blasphemies mentioned in his Book my Spirit was vehemently moved within me and I said in my self Shall this uncircumcised Philistine thus come forth and Challenge and Defie the Hosts and Armies The Light within shall be in Hell for ever p. 31. The Quakers draw people to Idolatry ibid. The Quakers are under spiritual Judgments p. 32. The Quakers Perfection in sin p. 34. The Quakers imperfection in grace 35. 1 In knowledge ibid. 2 In Faith and Hope 36. 3 In Love ibid. Paul preacheth Christ and not the Light in every man and woman p. 38. The Devils fundamental doctrine p. 39. Obstinate Quakers to be rejected p. 41. The Quakers sin is like the great sin of the hardned Jewes p. 42. Advice to the hearers among the Quakers p. 44. The Quakers great Idol near falling p. 45. Ten Arguments proving the Light within is not Christ p. 46. The Quakers Humility p. 56. The Quakers Vnity ibid. The true Vnity of the true Church 59. 1. One Body ib. 2. One Spirit ib. 3. One Hope 60. 4. One Lord. ib. 5. One Faith ib. 6. One Baptisme ib. 7. One God ibid. The Quakers Patience p. 62. A false perswasion of Conversion p. 63. The Light within converts none to the Lord. p. 65. Natural Light is Spiritual Darkness p. 67. This Scripture Joh. 1.9 grosly mistaken p. 68. The Quakers Doctrine is directly-contrary to the Scriptures p. 70 Conscience is a natural light 72. Christ the true Light is really in believers and in none else ib. The Scriptures are the word of God p. 74. The Scriptures are Gods Love letters to mankind p. 77. Characters of false Prophets whereby they are known p. 78. 1. Departing from the Faith p. 79. 2. Character Giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils p. 80. 1. Against Christ ib. 2. Against the Scriptures ibid. 3. Against the Church 81.4 Resting upon their own Righteousness ib. The third Character of false Prophets Lyes in Hypocrisie p. 82. The first Lye in Hypocrisie p. 83 The second Lye in Hypocrisie ib. The third Lye in Hypocrisie p. 84. The fourth Lye in Hypocrisie ib. The fifth Lye in Hypocrisie p. 86. The sixt Lye in Hypocrisie p. 88. The Quakers Railing accusations p. 89. The fourth Character of false Teachers their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron p. 91. The fifth Character of false Teachers denying the Lord that bought us p. 92. The Apostle Peter and Jude both agree in the same Characters of false Teachers p. 93. Enoch Prophesied of these ungodly men p. 100. The Quakers have spoken many hard speeches against Christ ibid. The Quakers separation from Christ and his people proves they are no Christians p. 101. A Lying Spirit is gone forth among the Quakers which seduceth them p. 105. Births of the Spirit and of the Flesh p. 106. Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins p. 108. The false Opinions of the Quakers spring from Pride and Ignorance p. 109. The Quakers deceive weak and simple minds p. 110. The Quakers shall not long continue to deceive p. 113. Good Counsel to the Quakers p. 115. Leave the Quakers Meetings p. 116. Come to the Assemblies of the Saints p. 117. THE Strong Man Armed not Cast out BUT Removed to a stronger Hold VIZ. From PROFANENESS TO HYPOCRISIE WHen Man at his first Creation came out of the Hand of God he was then a Holy and a Righteous Creature But we all know to our sorrow he lost that Holy state and now and since then he is by Nature a Child of Wrath and an Enemy to God in his mind afar off from him and most unlike unto him So that there is no Recovering that Holy and Happy Estate again to have Fellowship and Communion with God but by Regeneration and Conversion from this Carnal state to a New Spiritual state by true Repentance and Faith in Christ wrought by the Mighty Power of the Spirit of God in those whom he according to his determinate Counsel and foreknowledge calleth in due time unto himself in whom he by degrees destroys the works of the Devil the Image of the first Adam and Creates and works the Image or Nature of the Second Adam Jesus Christ in Righteousness and true Holiness or as it is in some other
Like Swine they trample Pearls under their Feet and turn again and rent you Being Men of Corrupt minds and Reprobate concerning the Faith their minds are Corrupt Carnal Filthy Defiled with false Notions Erroneous Opinions and Conceptions of things according to their dark carnal apprehensions mixed also with Satans false glosses and deceitful appearances in their minds and so they become Reprobate concerning the Faith That is without Judgment or any true Vnderstanding in Matters of Faith according as the Scriptures have revealed them But it follows ver 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest unto all men as theirs also was After they have done their work and filled up the measure of their Iniquity and fulfilled the Scriptures what was fore-told of them then they shall be Discovered and made manifest and that to all men even to their own party also as well as to others who have been long deceived and seduced by them they shall then fall off from them by degrees and leave them and forsake their meetings They shall be known to be deceitful workers their folly shall be made manifest as theirs also was that is as the folly of Jannes and Jambres the Sorcerers or Magicians which deceived the People for a while with false shews and appearances of things which were not so in Reality and Truth afterwards they were discovered to be but a Cheat and deceitful workings So these men with all their Counterfeit Coin and Deceitful Wares which they expose and offer to People in the dark and which they will not by their good will bring unto the Light of the Scriptures which would make things manifest unto all yet they shall in due time be brought to the Light their folly shall be made manifest unto all And is not this Scripture in a great measure fulfilled already even at this day The Men these false Teachers their Opinions Principles and Practices have been of late time more than ever before laid open and their Folly and gross Ignorance and Errors made manifest unto all and so will be still more and more See three Dialogues between a Christian and a Quaker by Tho. Hicks where they are made Naked before all Men to their shame God hath of late time more especially stirred up the Spirits of some of his People to search into and Examine their Opinions and Doctrines and to try them by the Scriptures spoken by God himself and they find that these Men have spoken contrary to what God hath spoken The Doctrine of these false Teachers is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ made known to us in the Gospel they are detected discovered and made manifest to all except some of their own Party Friends as they call them who it 's like are so Charmed by them as that they will not hear nor hearken to any thing that is said against them or their Principles though spoken according to truth Nay they will not hear God himself speak for they Neglect and Despise the Scriptures and prefer their own simple Pamphlets before them Now Good Councel to the Quakers seeing these things are so I shall in sincere Love and Pity to the Souls of these People the Quakers give them my Advice and Councel according to Truth whether they will hear it or whether they will reject it I am perswaded there are some amongst them who have true and real intentions and desires after the truth to hear it and to do it and therefore there is some hopes of such that if they would give themselves to search the Scriptures concerning the Principles of their Teachers and be earnest with God to give them his Spirit to Open their Vnderstandings they might clearly see the gross Folly and Errors of these Men and that they would read other mens Books wherein they are concern'd as well as their Friends Books thereby also their Light within would be the clearer But whilst they Neglect or Decline the means of knowledge no marvel though they remain Ignorant and are seduced My Advice and Councel is further Leave the Quakers Meetings That you would leave the Assemblies of these Men separate your selves from their Congregations and Meetings Now is separation seasonable according to the Scriptures separate from them because they have separated from Christ and from his Church and People they are gone from the truth and are turned unto Fables and they give heed unto seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron so that they will not hear nor hearken to the Truth as it is in Jesus They slight and despise the Scriptures and therefore what Light is in them what Wisdom is in them Nothing but Darkness and Ignorance improved also by subtil seducing spirits which except they speedily Repent will draw them down into the Bottomless Pit And next I advise you Come to the Assemblies of the Saints Come and joyn your selves to the Lord and to his People come into their Assemblies Societies and Congregations there ye shall hear Christ truly Preached and set forth according to the Gospel whereby your minds may be enlightned to see the Beauty of Christ indeed with all his Benefits and Priviledges purchased for his People and this may make you fall in Love with him and to chuse him for your Lord and Husband O take heed of forsaking or Neglecting the Assemblies of the People of the Lord as the manner of some is it is a very Dangerous thing See the Consequences of it which the Apostle tells us of in the 10. of the Hebrews it is a Sign or forerunner of that great sin the sin against the Holy Ghost as it is there set forth Come then to the Assemblies of the Saints for the Lord is among them and in them and Communicates himself unto them he reveals his Mind his Secrets to them that fear him Ye are now in a dry and barren Wilderness where there is no Water no Water of Life your Souls will be lean and starved for want of Food for want of the Bread and Water of Life unless ye come unto him that ye may have Life your teachers themselves want this having forsaken the Fountain of Living Waters and run to broken Cisterns which hold not a drop of Water The Light within is but Darkness to the true Light Jesus Christ Your Teachers themselves want water being Wells without water and Clouds without water carried about with winds Therefore come to the Fountain of Living waters to the Fountain of Gardens that waters all the Gardens all his Churches and every particular soul and their souls are as watred Gardens and as springs of water whose waters fail not For there is in them a Well of water springing up unto Eternal Life Come then and be partakers of these Priviledges be one with Christ and with his People and ye shall be enlightned by Christ the true Light indeed and Life indeed who will guide you and lead you into Green Pastures by the Rivers of waters who will feed you with the Bread and Water of Life unto Eternal Life FINIS THere are lately Published Three Dialogues Between a Christian and a Quaker wherein are faithfully Represented some of the Chief and most Concerning Opinions of the Quakers together with their Method and Manner of Reasoning in the Defence thereof Also the Quakers Appeal Answered All Written by Tho. Hicks Sold by Peter Parker at the Leg and Star in Cornhil against the Royal Exchange
And it is not so with these Men of whom we speak consider and Judge They give heed to Seducing Spirits 2. Character they give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and Doctrines of Devils This Mark and Character is also seen conspicuously and plainly upon the Teachers among the Quakers yea so Evident is it as if written with a Beam of the Sun Now what Doctrines do the Devils Teach when they are permitted of God for his Secret ends to use the Tongues of Wicked Men we may be sure his Aim and drift will be to Preach against Christ 1. Against Christ to darken his Glory as much as he can both in his Humane and Divine Natures and in his Merits Works Sufferings Righteousness Satisfaction Reconciliation Benefits and Priviledges that he hath wrought and brought unto his People These things are manifest in several particulars in their Books and Pamphlets And Secondly 2. Against the Scriptures Another particular of the Doctrine of Devils which he will be sure to Teach his Disciples it is to weaken or Destroy the Authority of his Word the Scriptures the Gospel of Salvation by which Truth and Error may be known and proved For if he once Destroy the Rule and Measure of Doctrines so that Men do not try them by a known plain fixed Rule then he knows Men may Preach and pretend their Fancies and vain Imaginations and obtrude them upon others as most certain Truths And hath he not Taught the Men of this Generation this point of his Devilish Doctrine Do they not slight and Despise the Scriptures the Word of God and Offer and prefer their own vain Idle Fancies instead of the Scriptures even the Men of whom we are speaking the Teachers among the Quakers This is evident and clear to the Eyes of all who are enlightned by Christ and by the Scriptures Thirdly Thirdly Against the Church As the Doctrines of Devils are against Christ his word and Gospel so also against his People his Church all his Members they shall be sure to be Cryed down Slandered Despised Reproached and Condemned as Hypocrites in all that they say and do in and about the Worship of God in his Ordinances which he hath appointed for as the Devil hath great spight and Malice against the Head so also against the Members Now do not the Quakers deal thus with the Lords People at this day This is another particular point of the Doctrine of Devils which the Seducing Spirits have Taught those who give heed unto them how have they cryed down with a Blasphemous Noise every where all the Congregations Assemblies and particular Churches of the Saints of all perswasions without exception of any as being all in Darkness in Babylon and set up themselves as the most Holy Innocent People yea the onely People of God upon Earth Fourthly Another of the Doctrines of Devils is this 4. Resting upon their own Righteousness When he hath done all he can to darken and hide from his Disciples the true and onely way of Salvation by Christ Revealed in the Gospel and weakned the Authority of the Scriptures and the Credit and Esteem of his People Then he introduceth and brings in something of a Man 's own instead thereof that he knows is insufficient and will fail in Order to Salvation That is to say Man 's own Righteousness Obedience and works and puts them upon trusting to these and so Return again to the Old Covenant of works and to neglect the New Covenant of Grace which course he knows is the ready way to Destruction And he doth this with the more Efficacy in the minds of Wicked Men because it is a Remnant of Corruption even in the Minds of Good Men of all by Nature there is something of this remaining in the best a Secret esteeming and over-valuing of something of their own which is seen in the clear Light of the Spirit and confessed by all but the Quakers although they have it in them most of any People yet through the Darkness of their minds they see it not neither will own any such thing but tell us they own and witness Perfection Having mentioned these four particulars which are the Chief Points of Doctrine which the Seducing Spirits do Teach those that give heed unto them I shall now proceed to he rest of the Characters which the Apostle plainly sets down by the Directions of the holy ghost whereby false Teachers may be known as we see ver 2. Speaking lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron Now The Third Character of false Teachers Lies in Hypocrisie it is easie to mention many lyes in Hypocrisie which the Quakers are guilty of Whereby this Character is deeply stampt upon them and made manifest to all This is one Lye in Hypocrisie That Christ the true Light is in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World First Lye in Hypocrisie and that if they give heed unto and Obey the Light that is in them it is a sufficient Guide unto Salvation without the Scriptures I say This is false Doctrine and a Lye in Hypocrisie Christ doth not dwell in Wicked and Ungodly Impenitent sinners the Devil dwells in them and Rules and Reigns in them he Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience Col. 1. What Concord hath Christ with Belial Eph. 2.2 Christ often stands at the Door and Knocks if any Man hear his Voice and open the Door he will come in Rev. 3. but not otherwise See the Arguments against this falshood Secondly 2. Strong Man Armed cast out p. 12. This also is another Lye in Hypocrisie That the Quakers build upon the true Foundation Jesus Christ and all other Professing People Build upon some other false Foundation This is a double Lye in Hypocrisie both as to themselves and other Professing People many of them I will not say all do professedly Build upon a false and Sandy Foundation which certainly will fail i. e. the Light within every Man and woman that come into the world and that is not Christ but a Creature There is a Natural Light we know in every Man and Woman Reason and Conscience but it is not Christ he Created it as all things else in the World but what Comparison between the Creator and the Creature This is at large spoken to else-where And concerning other Professing People though many of them it is to be feared do Build upon false Foundations yet sure we are many thousands of them do Build upon the true and onely Foundation Jesus Christ This Lye then is against those who Build upon the true Foundation Thirdly The Third Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 13. This is another Lye in Hypocrisie That they the Quakers have a true Faith that Faith whereof Christ is the Author and Finisher but the Faith of all others is an unholy dead Imperfect Faith it Sanctifies but in part and so will never save to the utmost