the law is light Isa. 9.2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land and shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Hos. 6.5 I have slain them with the words of my mouth thy judgements are the light that goeth forth Matth. 4.16 The people that sat in darkness saw great light to them which sat in the Region and shadow of death light is sprung up Matth. 5.14 Ye are the light of the world Job 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 2. Pet. 2.19 a light shining in a dark place Reply Sure enough the man Catalogized all these together out of his Concordance the Series wherin he hath set them learns us no less for else he would at least have joyned Isa. 9. and Matth. 4 together one of which is but a citation of the other and it may evidently seem from his more Concordantial than Cordial consultations both here and elsewhere that howbeit he set not all of them down hoc opus esset yet well-nigh by all places in his Concordance where he findes these Terms Word and Light he incontinently concludes the Scripture and Letter to be meant and so on that account as cloudily cotes as many of them as he judges as to number may make a Iury and so Hob-Nob as they say without mattering much what they are so they Concord all in one in the bare naming of the words Word or Light and mostly citing the Chapter and verse but seldome the Truths that are told there as if he thought that most men would blindly and implicitly subscribe to his sentence from such a packet of Texts trussed together and never be at so much pains as to search them all he Impannels them presently about his business hoping they will all agree to give Verdict for him when as how sweet an harmony soever they have among themselves that way where their Verdict passes yet they Concord all in one to contradict him saving I.Os. strong confidence in them such a joynt concurrence to the contrary have every one of these twelve Texts of his own taking for though he subscribe them all to that his sophistical Assertion p. 74.75 viz. The Scripture the Word of God is light in proof that the Letter is the light against such as deny it for none deny the Word of God to be the light that I know of but I O. himself who jeers of the verbum insernum lumen internum as figmentum horrendum Ex. 1. s. 5. Resomnino ficta commentum erasse excogitatum Ex 2. s. 25. merae senebrae caecitas c. Ex. 4 s. 17. so that where ever the Reader findes him prosecuting the proof of it under that terme of the Word saying the Word is the Light Rule Foundation and such like he must be taken as intending the Scripture Letter Text witness both Title pages Proscripturis A vindication of the Scriptures against the Fanaticks to be the Word of God and of the purity and integrity of the Hebrew and Greek Texts though I say they are all subscribed in vindication of the Letter to be the Light yet there is not on them all that subscribes to I.Os. sentence or judgement on them but they all give their verdict another way even for that which is Light and the light indeed as we deny it not viz. the Word Law Commandement Iudgements of God and Christs mouth but not at all for the external Text or Letter of the Scripture which issue forth ad extra from the said Word Law Commandement Iudgements that are ad intra a great deep and known savingly to those only that wait on God in the light within But to come to some examination of his Texts and of what testimony they give for him beginning however with the first and ranking the rest as I shall see occasion The Scripture is light quoth he those that reject it are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men râ—sisting the Authority that they cannot but bee convinced of Reply That such as reject the Scripture are to be rejected and detâ—sted I freely grant if by rejecting thou meanest such a rejection as is in detestation of them in which wise thou rejectest the spirit and light within and all the Revelation made thereby when of those means of coming to the knowledge of God and to salvation thou sayest Ex. 3 f. 28 29. Inania sunt ista principia cognitionis Dei inutilia periculosa à Faniticir simulata ideoque rejicienda ae decestanda those are vain utterly unprofitable perillous wayes toward the knowlege of God and salvation Fanatick figments and therefore to be rejected and abhorred and in which wise thou falsely accusest the Qua. among others as rejecters of the Scriptures when thou mis-callest them Ex. 3. s. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of the Scriptures as if they bore some spleen or such spite to the Letter as ye do to the Light and Spirit or more than to other writings which yet we for holy truth and doctrines sake declared in them love and prize above any books and honour one Chapter of them as more worth than twenty of your printed Preachments upon them I say he that so rejects the Letter or Scripture as is above said let him be rejected and even Anathema Maranatha for me for otherwise there is a kinde of rejecting which the light is not liable to of the meer Letter or Scripture that is not at all to be found fault with much less to be rejected and detested as that of those who make waste paper of old printed sheets or leaves of the Bibles and use them as they do other Scriptures or Writings as they please about refusely occasions But the Qua. are not to be Ranked among such Ranke rejecters of it as the first 2. That such as spitefully reject the Scriptures are though they are not so called in that of Iob Rebellious against the Light also may well bee owned howbeit upon this account only as the Letter truly Transcribed that came from the Light and the Light it came from are though two things yet so agreeing together in one as to the same testimony they both bear to the same truth that he cannot really and truly whatever hee may seem to do receive own and obey the one who is found fighting denying rejecting and rebelling against the other whereupon as obedient and reverential respectful even to superstition as I.O. would be judged to bee to the Letter which he and others receive as the Jews do with the honour and veneration due to God yet saving all these shews they are still Rebels against the very Letter whilst so rebellious against the Light as to reject it with that detestation that is due to nothing but sin
foreknown faith or unbeleef to be scarce one of a thousand telling us a new-found world of men in the Moon of their own fancies and making the Letter which they call the Word the Foundation of that World which God hath set up in this World so I.O. doth p. 48. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Wheel within a Wheel his Church and asserting the term World Ioh. 3 to denote the Elect a few in it only as T.D. at the second dayes Disptute at Sandwich to which he had his answer much what to the Tunâ— as follows that if by the World the Church or Elect only is meant then those six verses viz. 16 17 18 19 20 21. must be read and rendred thus viz. For God so loved the world of the Elect. that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever in all that world of the Elect beleeveth in him might not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world of the Elect to condemn the world of the Elect but that the world of the Elect through him might be saved He in this world of the Elect that beleeveth on him is not condemned but he in this world of the Elect that beleeveth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved on the only begotten Son of God as if some of the Elect did beleeve and yet others of their very peremptorily elected ones both to faith and life might not beleeve and so be condemned and perish And this is the condemnation of those elected ones that perish that light is come into the world of the Elect but men elect men love the darkness more then the light because their deeds are evill For every Elect one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light left his deeds should bee reproved but hee among the Elect that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may bee manifested to bee wrought in God Much more was replied to T.Ds. dream then then shall bee repeated in this page because I am here in talk with I.O. to another purpose about the Letter which is not a little served by the inserting of so much of it here as occasion is the universality of this true light I.O. owns to bee the Letter may be transiently touched upon again before the end only thus I say here to that absurdity of T.D. who is not alone in it it being the doctrine of most of our Modern Protestant Divines the odness of which which I need not bid any one that is well in his wits to behold I shall leave to all men among whom if any will bee ignorant let him be ignorant if any be honest he will see it in due time that the word World which is sometimes used to express the whole fabrick of the Vniverse Matth. 16.26 and sometimes when predicated of persons all men good and bad as here Ioh. 3.1.16 17 19. and sometimes for the major part of men which are the worst lying in wickedness and wondring after the beast or at best in but a form of Christianity 1 Ioh 5. Rev. 13. and sometimes for the whole Race of the wicked abstract from the Righteous seed which are the fewest Ioh. 17. yet I here summon all men in the World to shew so much as one Text wherin is used to express a minor part of men unless by an Hyperbole as Behold the World is gone out after him or one at all wherein it s used to express the Saints Church or Elect in a sense abstract from or exclusively of the wicked and I shall yeeld they have shewed me more then ever I could yet finde at least though t will be little to disprove the universality of Christs light in all men Till then that that is done not triâ—â—ingly nor seemingly for a shew but solidly seriously conscientiously cogently irresistibly and substantially I must be excused if their mundus electorum ex mundo electus as they speak which is one of the many Chris-cross Round Os that I.O. and T.D. dance together in among other Divines in their Divinity Doctrines do pass for me under that most proper name that I.O. himself gives it of a Wheel in a Wheel indeed But lastly that the universality and large extent of the light Ioh. 3.20 21. said by I.O. to be the Letter is such as the Letter is not adequate unto and therefore cannot be meant by it let the two verses answer it themselves and let the first of them speak first on behalf of both Every one that doth evill hatetht he light neither cometh to the light left his deeds should bee reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifested that they are wrought in God Rep. 1. This light whatever it is is hated avoided aâ—d shunned by every one that doth evil therefore it cannot be the Letter of the Scripture in various respects 1 Because abstract from the Doctrine teaching and light of Christ which is in the heart and conscience the Letter i neither hated nor shunned nor feared by the evil doer nor need be for fear his deeds should be reproved by it for though de jure the Light by the Letter sometimes and sometimes without it manifest evill deeds for the works of the flesh as well as the fruits of the Spirit are manifested the Letter saith and that all that is reproved is manifested by the light not the letter it self and what ever doth make manifest is the light Gal. 5. Eph. 5. yet that by which de facto his deeds i.e. every mans own deeds are reproved if evill and manifested so himself to be good is the light in his conscience without the Letter which as well without the Letter as with it shews moral good and evill and without the Letter ever shews every mans own deeds de facto to himself and that from God as I.O. confesses a man needs no witness without him to assure him that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God c. p. 45. if he be in deceit it will tell him yea in short by this light there Christ shews as he did the woman of Samaria all that ever they did which thing the light as shining without in the Letter only doth not much less the Letter without it for that tells only what men should have done not what de facto they have done within themselves so that evill ones need not much more fear coming to that alone then a Thief in the night need fear being discovered by a dark Lanthorn that hangs up without a candle in it for the Letter alone is but as the Lanthorn and t is as evident that thousands of evill doers who hate the light and dare not come to it are not ashâ—med nor afraid of comming near the Letter they couzen cheat are bloody cruel proud and wicked steal lye swear commit adultery c. yet read hear love to look in the Letter buy Bibles applaud it preach
the world by some measure of Light at least shining from himself enlightening as it 's said every man that comes into the world shining in darkness in the dark consciences of men though the darkness comprehend it not holding by the hand also as it were leading by the hand those that being in nared in chains of darkness thrust down into the Pit do not winke with their eyes to the further blinding of them but according to the councel of Christ himself believe in the Light whilst they have it that they may become children of the Light for I am the Light of the world saith Christ He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life also I am come a Light into the world that whosoever believeth in me may not remain in darkness I came not to damn the world but to save the world 8. In this manner therefore is Christ the Salvation of the world as he is the Light of the world destroying the works of the Devil who hath wrought in the darkness to the setting up of a Principality and a Kingdom to himself in the hearts of men and redeeming men from the power of the Prince of the darkness of this world unto God who is Light and to see Light even the Light of life in his Light 9. In like manner doth the Prophet Isaiah affirm Christ to be given of God for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Nations to open the blind eyes and to bring out of Prison them that sit in darkness even the blind which have eyes and see not and after him Paul testifieth that Christ was set as a Light to the Nations that he might be the Lords Salvation to the ends of the earth Simeon also speaking by the holy Spirit of the child Iesus calls him that Salvation of his which the Lord had prepared before the face of all people to be a Light to lighten the Nations and the glory of his people Israel 10. In as much therefore as Christ is the light of the world he is the Saviour of the world and so far only are men saved by him as they believe in him who is the Light and in that Light wherewith he doth enlighten every man in his own conscience and set themselves to walk after it which leads no man into iniquity and so far forth are all men liable to condemnation before God as they walk not in this which is in them howbeit not consenting to any but testifying against all iniquiry even the least and also reproving and condemning it even in them who are not in it but walking contrary to it in the darkness 11. For although God in his great love gave his Son for a Light not that he might damn the world but that the world through him might be saved and be that believeth in him is not condemned yet he that believeth 〈◊〉 is condemned already and this is the condemnation that Light is come into the world into the inmost consciences of men there manifesting good and evill but men love the darkness rather then the Light because their deeds are evill for he that doth evill harsth the Light neither cometh to the Light â—ast his deeds should be reproved but who so doth truth he cometh to the Light what his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 12. And al though all that obtain justification are justified freely by the grace of the Lord through the Redemption that is made in Iesus Christ alone Yea cursed be he and cursed will he be that seeks for justification any other way for he who is the Light of the world is also that Corner stone which however it be set at nought by a thousand and thousand of the 〈◊〉 is yet made the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other nor is there any other name save that of Christ the Light under heaven given among men whereby they must be saved Nevertheless no further is any man accepted of God or justified by Christ or the grace of God in Christ then as he is directed by Christ the Light and is by the grace of God by that inward with 〈◊〉 of God by the light of God and Christ in his conscience which is given of God for this very end that it may teach and lead taught and led unto repentance from the unfruitfull works of darkness 13. For this Light shewes the riches of the goodness and long suffering and forbearance of him who is long suffering to-us-ward not will that any should perish but that all should come to us by repentance is that very grace of God bringing Salvation that hath appeared to all men teaching all that will learn what it teacheth that denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts they should live soberlys righteously and godly in this 〈◊〉 world which kind of life will otherwise be to late to begin to live in the world to come which grace being received in vain how much more being despised by the hardness of the heart refusing to repent wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render unto every one according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnes indignation and wrath For tribulation and anguish is to come upon every soul of man that worketh evill but glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good hath to the Jew and also to the Greek for there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that â—eaâ—eth him and manketh righteousness is accepted with him but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul rateth 14. And howsoever the world which is call'd Christian together with the manifold Sects Professors and meerly nominal Christians and Ministers thereof may dream that they have Christ their Redeemer very often calling him Lord Iesus continuing in the mean time in all disobedience to his Light yet the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the of Christ depart from iniquity 15. For the day of the Lord draweth nigh wherein both every man and his deeds shall be made manifest for the day which is the Light shall declare them for they shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans works of what sort they are and in that day all those Dâ—eamers shall be awakened and shall know that as concerning the truth they have erred far from the mark and that not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth what Christ saith and what the will is of his Father whâ—ch is in heaven and though they have prophecyed
from it plead for it are proud of it yea who more busie about the Bible and in a more uncessant search of endless scraping for more the Scriptures then licentious luxurious lascivious ambitious unrighteous murderous envious maliciou lying persecuting Schollers and Bible-binders that hate light which reproves their evill deeds which those that love truth in the inward parts love and come to yea our professing Christians that say they are the Iews and are not but do lye and are the Synagogue of Satan are Iews in this pâ—iâ—t at least of searching Scripture and looking into the Letter for life which testifie of Christ as the life to whom they will not come in his own light that they may have it and of talking from the Letter of Christ the Son of God yet refusing to hear his voice when hee speaks to them in their own hearts and thereby leaves them without cloak for their sin and seeing and hating both Christ and his Father in the light that shews them as much as Christ and his children hate the Devil and his deeds Finally as the Text sayes every evill doer in the world hates the light but there are millions of evill doers that neither love nor hate the Letter nor the Bible which they never so much as saw or heard of therefore the Letter cannot be the light here spoken of men cannot hate that they have no way heard of as neither can they love or desire it for there is no odium toward that at all which is no way known at all neither savingly nor otherwise as there is ignoti null a cupido A word lastly to 2 Pet. 1.19 and then I have done at present with I. Os. whole dozen of his own chusing which agree altogether as one to give their Iudgement or juridical verdit against him As to this Text therefore which with the 20 and 21. vers is no less then nine or ten times over rehearsed one where or others in thy book I have had it so often under my eye that I have hardly forbore so long from talking with thee about it and there is yet a place behinde whereunto I thought I might have reserved the examination of it it being there urged with two more in the way thou callest Inartificial â—in proof of the Scriptures being the Word of God p. 65 66. But now I shall here consider it whilst it s under my hand where it s urged in vindication of the Letter to bee the Light which Letter if it be the Light there spoken of then I will yeeld it to be the Word of God there spoken of also for I shall grant its both of these if either and if it be not both thou must needs grant its neither the verse runs thus But we have a more sure word of Propesie or Prophetical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which ye do well to give heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts And the two that follow it thus for no Prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not at any time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Spirit Rep. Thy often repetition of this Scripture upon every occasion imports the great stress thou puttest upon it and how great store thou settest by it as to the proof of the Scriptures being the Word of Prophesie and the light shining in the dark place of mens hearts here mentioned which Text with the Context both which thou improvest to the uttermost will sâ—rve us rather to reprove thy ignorance of Gods Word by and to prove thy heart to bee still a dark place then serve thee from which to prove the Scripture to bee the Word of God or to be the light here said to shine in the dark place there spoken of which is the heart Exitus acta probat From this Text considered together with the Context thou confidently concludest assertest and insistest on five things 1. That all the Scripture Letter or Writing in the original Texts of it which is now bound up in your Bibles and commonly called the Scriptures was written at fiâ—st by holy men as they were acted in it by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God and this I shall neither deny nor put thee to prove though if I should I see where thou wouldest falter and be foundred in it but to let that pass here this I am sure enough of that this place proves no such matter as that as t is above laid down neither in Terminis nor by Consequence for though it sayes holy men of God spake of old i.e. Prophesied as moved by the holy Spirit yet it from thence follows not that all that ever holy men of God wrote in point of History Chronicle c nor Prophesie neither was written by the same immmediate impulse of the Spirit on the spirits of the Penmen of all that is there for some was written from the mouth of such as were inspired by the hands of others that were not the men inspired nor moved to give forth the burden of the word of Prophesie that was on them as Baruch wrote from Ieremies mouth Tertius from Pauls and so others what they spake and was written by and from them was one thing and the Writing or Scripture of that true Word is another which yet I own to bee of God as far as ye can from it or any other rationally assert the Text to be even in matter of Chronicle or Story wherein men may possibly write true Scriptures of things done in their times and times before them from Records and other principles without that immediate inspiration or dictation of every Iota or Tittle to them as thou Tatlest somewhere from the holy Spirit of God And lest thou shouldest not take this for truth to me who am here in contest with thee being prejudiced against me hear what thy felâ—ow-fighter against the Qua. T.D. sayes for I can almost at any time as Paul did the Pharisees and Sadduces who when they were both upon the back of him threw a bone that set them together by the ears between themselves and so save himself add his testimony to the truth from them both Act. 23.6 7 8 9 10. set our Stribes Pharsees and Seducers at oddes within themselves and send them to learn the truth we tell and they will not take from us from the testimony of one another which T.D. saith it follows not that because Books are the Books of Prophets therefore they are divinely inspired for they might as well write from their own spirits or upon human credit as sometimes speak from their own spirits p 43. of his 1. Pamph. 2. That none of all the Scripture Letter or Writing aforesaid is of private interpretation that iâ— neither to be interpreted as meer private mens Writings written as other mens are
the universal Grace of God who in his love freely to all men sends his Son a Light into the world and by him puts all as well as some into a capacity to live if they list and if any die then Gods Grace and Love is nere the less for all that and though secondarily and immediately the case be left by the Lord to depend on mans choice as it was in the first Adam though yet I know such as are perfectly restored by the second stand a little surer then he did I say when perfected in his life yet if man chuse life and live when life and death are set before him as they are God is no more rob'd of the glory of his goodness then he would have been by Adams standing if he had stood when God set him in aequi librio to stand or fall and made him upright as he has done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not him only but mankind till they go out from him after their own inventions Eccl. 7.29 and that was not one jot at all for though the shame of Adams sinning fell justly on himself yet the glory of his standing would have been to God who made him able to stand had he stood neither would Adam had he stood have plaid the fool so as to fall a praising and thanking himself for the life and happiness he would have had but God who in his love and bounty originally stated him in it though for his misery he may as all men also most justly thank none but himself and the Devil E.G. If I should see two men ready to starve for want of money to trade with and out of true equal bowels of pity to them both should freely bestow an equal stock of money on them or if not equal yet so much to each at least that each using and improving well what he hath may come to live like a man one of them plays the good Husband with what he has and thrives whom shall he thank when unavoidably else he had perisht for the money he had given him and now hath Would you not think him a fool to fall a thanking himself never thinking on the man that first set him up of whom unless besides his wits he would say I am bound to thank not my self that I now live when my fellow starves but that honest man that took pity on me and him too if he he had but used what he had â— T'other spends all his portion in riotous living and is as likely to starve as ere he was for want of improving what I gave him whom shall this man thank for his present poverty me that gave him whereon to live or himself who lavish't it every wise man will see my love was nere the less and though he perish yet the thank that he might have liv'd belongs to anothers bounty and the thank shame sorrow of his own woe to himself alone O Israel thy destruction is of thy self but in me is thy help Hos. 13.9 That Iudas is damn'd he may thank himself who sold his Master as Esau his birth-right and blessing that Peter and Iacob live for ever the thank of this belongs only unto the Grace of God Moreover if Christ who is often either expresly or implicitly so call'd be not a Saving Light to the whole world the Leader and Commander and Witness for and from God to All people without exception of any individuals among any people or in any Nations I would fain know of any one of these 1. How it can be truth which themselves are fain to confess That God will and doth in all Nations out of every Tongue Kindred and People effectually save some And 2. In what manner or by what way means Light or Leader he leads them few of all Families of the Earth to Life whom he doth save if it be not by that Light Law and Spirit of Life that is from Christ some of which is in every as well as any conscience sith its evident that neither All nor half those Nations in each of which some are saved have not the Scripture or Letter which they call the only Saving Light the Way the Rule Foundation the most effectual means c. and in a manner every thing which the Letter it self sayes Christ only is Indeed I find I. O. telling us such a tale of the outward Text as if in respect of the giving out of that only by the motion of his Spirit through some Holy Penmen Christ were the Saviour and Light of the world and of All men in it that are at all savingly enlightned and saved We confess quoth he Christ is the Light of the World and so of All men in it because that Light shining in the holy Scripture is sufficient savingly to enlighten All men to whomsoever by the Providence of God it shall come But to bespeak him in his own Language to us more proper to himself and his Followers then to us Quod hoc ad Fanaticorum delirium 〈…〉 What 's this to that piece of dotage of himself and his Fellow Doctors who deny the vouchsafing of any saving Illumination to most men yea to very many to one in the world scilicet a little deeper discovery of their dotage Scriptura nempe 〈…〉 omnia belike I. O. deems All the ends of the earth to be so fully filled with his adored Transcripts and Texts of Scripture that by them Christ saves and enlightens All he saves which are say they in every Nation some whereas Ridiculum Caput who knows not that the Scripture or writing is so saâ— from appearing in every dark corner of the earth where I affirm the true Light shines in every conscience so that there 's nor Speech nor Language where it shines not and the Voice of Christ the Light may not 〈◊〉 heard that the Text hath scarce been heard or 〈◊〉 of buâ—in some few corners of this so call'd Christian world which yet more idoliâ—ing 〈◊〉 only loving the Letter and hating the Light are for all their Letter as much as any in the unfruitful deeds of darkness also even until now Oh the Inanity of these men call'd Divines in the matters of God and the Gospel as if the Letter only were that Voice of Christ which is every where heard by some that Light which in every Nation savingly enlightens some that Rule which All the World is required to walk by in order to peace and on pain of damnation which Letter yet was never read or seen perhaps not so much as heard of in half the world the only rule of the whole whereof it is to be say they and not the Light of Christ in the Conscience at any hand the Expansion Beams and Rays of which but that few heed it and the darkness comprehends it not reach into the darkest inmost corners of each 〈◊〉 Conscience throughout each corner of the whole Creation The Letter is not in every Nation to save some
heart is deceitful c. do express such a destitution of Light Truth c. Also page 40. and 47. where their tenth and thirteenth Arguments which are one and wrested from sundry Texts viz. Rom. 16.25.26 1 Cor. 2.7.8 Col. 1.25.26 2 Tim. 1.9 Matth. 11.25.26 Mat. 13.11 from all which it follows that all men have not some saving Light as fully as the Bâ—â—re goes freely â—o the stake are on this wise The Mystery of God was hid from the Gentiles God hid the things concerning the knowledge of himself from some when he revealed them to others and 't was given to some as a special gift quoth T. D. whoâ—e words and argument this is above spoken to at large by me to know the mysteries of the Kingdome not to others therefore every man hath not a Light in him as a sufficient guide to direct him to God As for I. O. his way of Argumentation against the sufficiency of this light within to save is in sum the same Among his other things or rather nothings to the purpose of which he sayes Contrarium probaâ—t they prove the contrary to our assertion of the Lights sufficiency to save he names the universal experience of all ages from the beginning of the world to this day Quis enim lucis huius ductu ad verâ—â—â— Dei cognitionem perveneâ—t Qui post homines natos ea opâ—ime usi surt c. Ex. 4. Sâ—â—o For who ever came to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light Those among all men who have best of all improved it have every man of them become vain in their imaginaons and their foolish heart hath been darkned in all which fore-cited argumentative matter these four men reason unreasâ—nably from mens not knowing and being saved by the â—â—ne Light to their wanting of the true Light to know and be saved by when as it follows not at all that becuse they know not and are not saved therefore they are destitute of Light but the cause of their perishing in ignorance is not walking in what they have not because they have not sufficient Light to walk by or are not put into possibility of kâ—owledge to Salvation by some measure of that Light which is saving Their Syllogiring is as silly in this as to say of a man that voluntarily hoodwâ—inks himself he does not see therefore he cannot that man stumbles and falls therefore he cannot do otherwise when yet he may but that he blind-folds his own eyes or gives way to others to do it from seeing his way as most men do to the God of this world lest the Light of the Gospel which they have because it reproves them should shine out in them and as a potentia ad actum so a non actu ad 〈…〉 non est confequentia 〈◊〉 Men can no more wisely nor 〈◊〉 infer from mens not knowing of God truly a non-ability or insufficiency in that Light they have if they seek him in it to reveal him and make him truly known then from the being of a Power to a necessity of the Act which is a non sequitur with a Witness We know that most men know not the mysteries of the â—â—ingdome but 't is not because they may not or 〈◊〉 for wâ—â—â— of Light but because they will not come to the Light by which they may And therefore when as the Question is aske 〈◊〉 the Light which is in some measure in the conâ—cience of all men be sufficient to make knoâ—â— God savingly why do not all come to be saved by the knowledge of him whom to know is Life Eternal 〈◊〉 because they give not up to be guided by it and come not to it when its 〈◊〉 to them in order to their Salvation for God sent it 〈◊〉 the world 〈…〉 would though the world is condemned by it through their not coming to it but that the world through it might be saved for the Light which judges the sin is saving to the Soul and by it that one Law giver who is able both to save and destroy doth both judge and destroy the works of the Devil in men for which end he is manifested in the world and men as they will not be weaned nor saved from those works and saves also from those destructive works all such souls as give up to be guided by it And firhâ— I. O. sayes â— Whoâ—ever cameâ— to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light I answer All that ever did come to the true knowledge of God at all and those as little as these men know them are not a few though few in comparison of those that are ignorant who by walking in thaâ— LiÌ„ght while they had it have come to experience that Life of God which is yet hid from you wise and prudent ones and ever will be moreâ— and more as ye are alienated from this Light within yourselves much more while â—ye are such vnter Banders of your selves against both it and the Children of it And whereas thou I. O. sayest Quiâ—ea optimâ—usiâ—sunt c. They who have best of all improved it are become vain c. thou utterest thou know'st not what for Rom. 1.21 which thou citestâ—in proof thereof doth no less service to the Truth then to disprove that thy false Assertion for all who look not beside the Light may see it speaks not at all of as well improve it but of such as Improved it not â—at all but when they knew God by it who ver 19. by it manifested in them 〈◊〉 was in 〈◊〉 of himself glorified him not as God nor were thankful â— answerably no◠〈◊〉 to retain him in their knowledge but ran from his â—Light into their own thoughts and so into the things which they knew the Iudgements of God and Death were due unto the doers of And as for the Mysteries of the Gospel 't is true they are hid from the most and 't is given to some to know them not to others Bat look ye blind that ye may see how came they to be hid from some Why was it given to some and not to others to know them and who were those others that knew them not Were they such as could never see them meerly for want of Light to shew them Doth the Text of your own alledging viz. Matth. 13.11.12.13.14.15 in proof of that your sigment say so doth i Ì„t not plainly say as we say against you that it was because first there was a time wherein they might have seem them but would not had ears to hear but stopt them eyes to see but closed them becaâ—se they seeing sâ—w not hearing heard not â—or would understand nor perceive nor be converted nor healed when God would have converted and healed them and such like So Quiâ— boc omne ad Doctâ—um delirium â— What 's all this to dreams of our Doctors who from thence and such like places as overthrow themselves divine out Arguments against All mens
and Paul useth this exprâ—bation Where 's the wise where the Disputer of this world Rep. The Phylosophers and the Iewish Rabbins whereof the one had the Light within which ye call natural but is indeed Gods Law which is spiritual and not the Scripture without and the other both that Light within which is the Law and the Letter without also did neither of them improve it to the utmost as ye falsly assert nor follow that Light but one their own thoughts inventions and imaginations only of things as ye do yours the other their own senses meanings and traditionary interpretations of the Letter and so ran both out mostly into a Phylosophy and Science falsly so called and into meer vâ—in deceit as your selves do who are the same Generation of Disputers of this world whose wisdome God is making foolish and by that foolishness of preaching as ye count that of the Qua. saving such as believe in that Light they call to If the Iewish Rabbins who were as well skill'd in Scripture as your selves did get so little saving knowledge of God by their study of the Law or Letter and Tradition of Elders because not looking to the Law or Light in the heart which the Letter sends to ye may â—ee the reason why ye are so succesless in your seeking God as to know so little of him as ye do who are yet seeking him in no other way then they Ioh. 5.39 And as much as ye despise the Heathen Phylosophers as Ethnicks some even of them that did according to the Law or Light they had wil as much judge many of you nominal Christians as they did the Iews who with the Iews make boast of the Letter of the Law yet through breaking thereof dishonor God and cause the name Christian to be a stink among the Gentiles Reas. 9. If every mans Light within him were a safe guide to him in Religion and Morality then do all Law-makers ill c. and judges ill in passing sentence of condemnation on men then aâ— mâ—â—â—ill to reprove c. Parents Tutors Schoolmasters ill to teach men otherwise then is all Government and Magistracy unprofitablâ— Rulers are not Ministers of God to us for good but only to molest and oppress us then they that set their children to School do foolishly Vniversities and Schools of Arts to breed up in liberature and good manners are vain and all these are to be abolished which were the way to lay all waste c. to level people in manners and knowledge c. to reduce to Barbarism to make the Nation a Wilderness in fine to drive Gods Spirit from us and introduce unclean spirits to repossess our Land to expel all that is excellent and may better us and to fill the Nation with a Generation of fools in whom God hath no pleasure Eccl. 5.4 and by consequence to condemn all the man of worth in the world since the Câ—â—ation of folly and blindness Rep. The former part of this Rantipole Reason is refell'd before in former parts of this book of mine where the very contrary rather is abundantly shewed viz. that 't were ill in Judges Rulers Magistrates Parents whose correction of ill doers for whom the Law only is 1 Tim. 1.9 we own to reprove condemn and punish any for doing contrary to the puâ—e Religion and undefiled before God which is morality or good manners and to keep a mans self unspotted of the ill manners and pollutions of the world if the persons so reproved condemned punisht and corrected had not a Light in them sufficient to teach them that true Religion for all just condemnation must arise from mans having Light not loving to live by it and the Light only is the worlds condemnation Ioh. 3.19 And as for the last clauses about Tutors and Schoolmasters Vniversities and Schools of Arts to breed up in literature and good manners as they pretend to do they had more need then any other places and people in this Nation to be taught themâ—elves what true Religion and good manners are yea the very principles thereof if that Light in every mans conscience that teaches them to live honestly righteously and soberly as in truth it is and to keep a mans self unspotted of the world be that pure Religion â—hat's undefiled before God as the Scripture sayes it is and not that of those who are pure and religious in their own eyes and yet never mean to be washed from their filthiness I have spoken much above how vain they are of all places throughout this Nation and add thus in brief that unless they come to be better reformed then ever they have been since I knew them they are at this day not for want of a Light within but of attending to that Light that is in their hearts that teaches them better so full of vaâ—ity pridâ— luxury filth enmity hatred malice against truth insolent scoffing at good men abusive carriages toward the Qua. in their Meetings 〈…〉 â—eastliness rudeness ignorancâ— violence as that of the Horse and Mule whose mouths lest they do mischief must be held in with bit and bridle as the Schollars have not been of late so much as they should be by either Mayâ—rs or ViceChancâ—llors without in our two Vniversities nor by the Light in themselves which how ere they bear the names of Nurseriâ—s of Religion and have some seeming shews thereof shews all their Religion to be in vain Iam. 1.26 That the abode of them in the Nations in this deformed state wherein they stand as Nurseries of naughtiness more then honesty is rather as it hitherto hath been a way to lay wast all common civility and corrupt all good manners and bring men to barbarism and make the Nation a Wildeâ—â—â—ss yea an Acheldama or field of blood if people every where should be as bloody as the Schollars have been at Oxford and Cambâ—idge against the Saints witness what 's above declared and the late pranks at Cambridge since that was written and in sine to drive away the Spirit of God fâ—om among us introduce unclean spirits to repossess us and our Lord to expel all that is and all them also that are excellent and may better us as the Qua. do who seek to bring all men to innocency and honesty a little of which shall 〈◊〉 weigh all Scholastical sibtilis and 〈◊〉 Piety in the day that are coming on and in a word to fill the Nation still which hath been too full of such for many Ages and Generations upwards with that Generation of Locusts and Caterpillars that have eat up every green thing in it and that whole FFFraternity of Fools in whom God hath no pleasure who are more ready to offer their Cains Sacrifices then to hear and obey what God himself saith in them Eccles. 5.4 And lastly to condemn all the sincere hearted Saints and honest hearts since the Creation which are men of such worth in the world that what ere the worthless wise men
O. what Text of Scripture God ever made such a Promise in concerning the Text or the Scripture that he would in his Care and Providence preserve every Titt'e of that outward Writing for his Church and his Words sake which was written at the motion of his Spirit so that it never should be so mis-transcribed in any Tittle of it but that in the Greek and Hebrew Copies not English mark that nor any Translated but only Transcribed Copies he would keep it from being so adulterated vitiated altered depraved and interpolated as not to be every jot the same verbatim as at first I say I. O. where is that Promise so made to this purpose which his Providence is so engaged to answer Is it in Isa. 59.22 the place thou quorest together with a whole nest of others to the same end p. 155. viz. Matth 5.18 1 Pet 1.25 1 Cor. 11. Matth. 28.20 not one of which make one jot of mention of the Letter Text or any Tittle thereof at all That in Isaiah there cited is hinted at and harp upon to the same Tune in 7 or 8 pages in thy 2d Treatise viz. 155 167 168 169 273 317 319. In all which more or less in whole or part thou talkest much of the Transcribers lying under a loving and careful aspect from the Promise and Providence of God in beir transcribing alluding all along to Iâ— 59.12 as if God had there engaged himself by Promise as it were to guide their hands that they should not erre in a Tittle for his Word and Churches sake but is there the least Tittle of such a Promise there made and look it â—ore again and see if there be such a thing touche upon in the least either expressly or implicity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou speakst or by consequence either immediate or far fetcht the words are these to the Church under the new Covenant or Gospel My words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of the Mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth for ever Here I confesse is a promise to keep his words in the mouths of his Servants under the Gospel in the latter dayes especially so that they shall by word of mouth and writing bear Testimony against the world to his Truth and Name even the whole seed of the Righteous successively for ever without fail as now they begin to do even â—abes and Sucklings out of whose mouths and stammering lips the Lord is speaking to reprove the world and the proud Doctors Pharisaical self-seeking Teachers and to convince all ungodly ones of their ungodly deeds and hard Speeches they speak against him in his Saints in whom he comes to Judgement but what 's this to the preservation of I. O's Greek and Hebrew Texts to a Tittle without alteration This is not spoken of the continuance of any outward Scripture but of that word of Faith in the heart and mouth which the Apostles Rom. 10. preacht to turn men to telling them 't was nigh and they need not look without for it was ever man so bemoped as to draw such a Conclusion as thou dost from that Scripture viz. that every Tittle of the Text of Scripture given out of old should be secured without one jot of losse to the worlds end and if that were the promise there made it was never made good since as is shewed above the Scriptures of sundry whole prophecies and Epistles written by inspiration are lost since then nay rather and indeed that Text produces a Truth which thou deniest that in the last dayes his word and Spirit shall be de novo so poured out shed abroad and planted in the heares of his handmaids and servants Sons and Daughters that they shall Prophesie and reach as of old by word of Mouth his word as put into them by God himself Yet I. O. I know not how often betakes himself to that Text to make good his talk of the eternal Entirenesse to a Tittle of his outward Text in the Greek and Hebrew Transcripts thereof without which the word is as true entire and secure as it is when the Text is entire when the Text is torn to pieces and every Tittle of it mouldred away Beside if that were a promise of preserving the Text it must evince the Text is to endure for ever world without end as the word it self doth for its never to depart for ever from the seed that it 's there promised to but I. O. confesses the Scripture is not to abide for ever in its use which is onely faith he Ex. 3. S. 39. presenti statui c. suited to our present state and say I as it shall cease as to it's use so once to its esse or very being Obj. And if I. O. urge as he does in effect that it 's true the Word and Doctrine and Truth is the thing promised to be continued for ever primarily but consequentially the Letter and it's Tittles for as much as without it be preserved in that and that be preserved entire to a Tittle the word it self cannot be preserved from corruption Rep. He had as good have told me as soon I should have believed him in it that because Moses by Gods appointment made an Ark to lay the Book Tables and Letter in the two Tables and Letter written on it could not last any longer then the Ark or be kept from being lost any where be not kept so entire that not one bit or scrap of it be broken or lost there is no hopes that ever the light should shine out or be kept alive or be beheld yea if one inch of horn or a nail or the least Pin about the Ark had happened to be shattered or got any knock or any odd corner of it be broken off with being carried jumbled or tossed to and sro between Israel and the Philistines there had been no means of preserving the Letter from being lost or as if one should say the glasse window is set up that the Sun may shine through it therefore suppose that to be crackt or to have any flawes in it or to suffer the losse of but one little piece of a pane there 's no likelihood of enjoying the clear bright Beams of the Sun more distinctly or at any certainty nor can I be satisfied unquestionably that the Sun it self remains inviolate unlesse ye can assure me that there is every barley-corns bredth of the glasse-window without any losse as it was at first setting up though yet we see now the Sun both is the same and is better seen when beheld without a glasse then thorough it and is most clear when the glasse window is taken down and it beheld more immediately in the light that shines from it self he were fit to be Canonized for a fool that would count him a very wife man at least as to that affair that should so affirm so let who will esteem of I.
gives out his goodly colour in the Glass or that the picture of a Prince or eminent person is in esse reali cognoscibili and in all propriety of speech so to be called the very Prince or person him self it is but the Image of or the Map of the City London Rome Jerusalem is the very City it represents so that he bereaves it of its proper name that will not allow it to to be any otherwise but figuratively so called Now as to the Scriptures being the Word of God and evidently known to be so or evidencing themselves to be so and that of right and properly they are to be so called all which thou J. O very absolutely averrest I do here as absolutely deny confessing that if they be so or can be evidenced so to be they ought accordingly so to be called or else not for tum demum propriè dicuntur resfieri quoad nos cum incipiunt patefieri what is not so is not known to be so much less can challenge that as its proper name so that if in essereali they can be made appear to be the Word of God then I give the rest for granted or if I make it appear that they are not so then all wise men that not for want of ignorance of it yet do not will once grant that they are not so infallibly known as J.O. avouches they are to be the Word of God and that the Word of God is not the proper name of the Scriptures so distinctly and abstractively understood as is above said And seeing that thou J.O. art first out in the field appearing for them it s but meet that I should first examine what thou urgest in way of evidence for their being the Word of God and so subjoyn what I have to say truly of them against what falsely thou hast said And seeing that which thou thy self layest as the very basis and foundation of thy whole brittle building and of all that divine Authority ascribed by thee to the Scripture of its being owned sub paena to be submitted to as the Word of God on peril of eternal damnation is its Divine original and is best also to be first medled with that the bottome being shaken and shewed to be unsound the body of sticks and straws thou buildest thereon which is torn and shattered not a little within it self as it stands untouched in the eye of any intelligent and observant Reader may yet with the more ease and less labour be shaken to the ground I shall enter first at the front of thy Formidable forces and begin to undo where thou beginnest to do thy Do which yet will not be so much in one sense to undo as truly to do Right to the Truth about the letter which thou wrongest in uttering so many utter untruths concerning it as thou doest J. O. The whole Authority of the Scripture in it self depends solely on its Divine original pag. 2. This Original is the basis and foundation of all its Authority pag. 28. Rep. As to the Divine original of the Scripture which is the first and fundamental matter that in the very original or first Chapter of thy first Treatise thou pleadest on its behalf as in proof of its Divine Authority or Right to be owned as the Word of God I deny not but that it is of Divine original and so one way or other is every thing else that hath a truly good and honest being yea the very Devil himself as a creature of God though neither any of his deeds which are sin which is deceit and defect nor himself quà 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is a Deceiver and as immediate an original from God as any meer writing or Scripture in the world hath this Scripture hath and some little of it such an immediate emanation from God as neither the most of it self hath or ever had nor yet the best that ever any holy man of God was the Pen-man of now hath or ever had I acknowledge that Scripture which is the present subject had at its first giving out to men for a few words of that outward writing the mee◠writing or letter of which yet though the matter still remains and ever will when all writing fails is lost and perished out of the world as well as the original manuscripts of the holy men who wrote the rest was written more miraculously at first then with the hands of holy men namely some with such Fingers as came out from the wall by God◠appointment in Belshazzars carousing Room Dan. 5.24 25 26 27 28. and some with no less than the Finger of God himself Exod. 32.18 16.32 15 16. 34.1.28 Deuter. 9 10. 10.12 But what of all this that the meer Transcripts of that Text which was so immediately though little or none of it so immediately from God as J.O. contends neither or at least none at all of it immediate unto us that our modern Transcripts I say thereof which is all that is immediate to us and which J.O. who confesses all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first writings to be lost busies himself to prove to be so are at all immediately come forth from God to us or that that letter which was most immediately penned from Gods own hand is thereupon evinced to be truly and in proper location the Word of God or any more then externa mera licet vera Imag◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer though true outward copy expression or express Image as vox omnis is and Scripture too ad intra of the Word of God which is that only that is written of and not the writing of it This I both dare and do deny again J.O. or any other that asserts it yet what a deal of stress doth J.O. put upon his strict and strong Asseveration of this throughout his first Chapter insomuch that he layes the whole load of his cause and makes all his labours to lean upon this weak Reed and broken Basis the falseness shallowness and sandiness of which as he manages this matter viz. the manner of the Scriptures coming out from God by then I shall have a little examined it will shew it self unable to bear up the weighty Fabrick of the Scriptures being the Word of God which is the Babel that he builds upon it against a storm I shall here take notice of some at least of J. O.'s foolish false fictitious and self-contradicting talk about that prime Prop and Pillar on which his grand Proposition that the Scripture is assuredly and infallibly known to be the Word of God and all his proofs thereof are grounded viz. The Divine Original of the Scripture CHAP. II. I Shall consider this matter of the Scriptures Original both Absolutely taking notice of a few of thy false and foolish fancies about it and also Relatively as it 's laid by thee as the Basis of the Scriptures Divine Authority or being th◠Word of God J. O. The Laws
to So speaking of the Hebrew points They were sayest thou compleated by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra his Companions guided therein by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God So speaking of the first transcribed Copies of the Scriptures of the New Testament thou sayest There were Copies quickly given out to faithfull men whilst the infallible Spirit yet continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner and of the first Transcribers thou saist in the next Section that they were not all or any of them infallible and Divinely inspired Repl. Now I say not that either all or any of these Transcribers were infallibly or Divinely inspired nor canst thou say they were not for neither thee nor I know who they were and they might or might not for ought either of us know for the infallible spirit continued his guidance no doubt to such as took him and not a fallibly transcribed Letter to be their guide both then and long after that and also doth now in that manner which thou callest extraordinary though it was but his ordinary guidance to such as give up to him and to any but such as thee who being not guided by him thy selfe conceivest it some strange and extraordinary businesse for any now adayes to professe themselves so to be but with I.O. the extraordinary guidance of the Spirit of God is his immediate and infallible guidance his ordinary is his mediate fallible guidance Oh prime Doctrine for a Doctor surely if the Spirit of God have any fallible guidance at all and thou be led at all by him he vouchsafed thee but his cheaper ordinary remote and far off and fallible guidance in this piece but it s his infallible guidance and direction which thou callest extraordinary he now guides by for the Spirit hath by indirect and false directions nor fallible guidances that I know of I say I meddle not to affirme one thing or other of all these Transcribers what they were it makes no matter and is neither here nor there to me whether they were infallibly guided or divinely inspired yea or nay but this I would fain know what thou meanest by some of thy expressions and wherefore thou talkest as thou dost and what reason thou hast so reasonlesly to restrain and streighten the spirit of the Lord which to do is none of the Lords doings Mic. 26.7 8 9 100 11. and to pound him up into such a small point and pittance of time as the primitive ages as ye call it of the Gospel and to lock him up into that little narrow nick so that he must either then speak all he hath to say to the world and his owne people in it or else for ever after hold his peace and must inspire all he means to inspire and lead and guide all he means to lead and guide by his own immediate extraordinary and infallible direction then or not at all there being now another ordinary fallible Ruler Rule Guide Leader and Commander of the people viz. some of the Stories Letters and Epistles that were written lately by his motion and direction to be by fallible men transcribed and ere long by a Synod of who knows whom to be authorized as the onely and most perfect Rule Directory infallible Canon chief Leader and Commander that must be wholly substituted in his room and take his place to which himself if ever he speak more must as well as all false spirits submit himself to be tryed and be accountable so that if he offer to lead guide move inspire any to write and speak or prophesie extraordinarily immediately infallibly or any otherwise then ordinarily and fallibly or immediately or infallibly speak to any from thenceforth so as to send them who were mad indeed as the world counts them if they should go unsent on such rugged service which false Prophets Ministers of the Letter and of mens making who love their ease and to sleep in a whole skin will be sure to keep far enough from to reprove as immediately from himself and to warn the wicked world when it lies in wickednesse or call men to repentance or do as he has done by Gods permission in that age or if he send any of his messengers as he did Paul and others to exhort teach reason dispute in Towns Cities Vniversities Streets Markets or to enter never so peaceably into the Synagogues and Temples to talk and make disturbance among the Priests and their people there after once the Old Testament Iewish Church is down and the Old Testament Christian Church in many outward things after its likenesse is so well founded and established in its stead that the Priests and Ministers thereof are warm and begin to fit at ease in their functions of Tithes outward benefits and blessings earthly honours Divine and Ghostly Titles of Rabbi Doctour Lord Arch-Bâ—shop Arch-Deacon Reverent Clergy Orthodox Divine and a mint more of such like Clericall Calleries and spirituall Renowneries Parochiall Provinciall Diocesian Dâ—gnities Arch-Advancements and Advantages then both the said Spirit of God and all his Emissaries Messengers and Messages then and from henceforth shall be both rejected and condemned under their severall respective names of Schâ—sme Schismaticall Schismaticks Hereticall Heresie Hereticks lying Spirit Delusion Deluders Fanaticall Fanaticisme Fanaticks Enthusiasticall Enthusiasme Enthusiasts Dreames Dreamers Fictions Figments Quakers and whatever other ignominious termes any ungodly Scoffers can invent and shall please themselves to reproach them by and moreover the said Messengers shall be had and held as Disturbers of the publick peace and be proceeded against as Rogues Vagrants Vagabonds that as the first Apostles had not for the Gospels sake though else they had and were as sufficient in the outward as other men 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12 13. have no certain dwelling place and be as they often are in the same cause sent away with a passe banisht whipt ston'd set in the stocks imprisoned Bocaâ—doed and what way the Magistrates shall please at the suggestion or direction of the Ministers or the Mayoâ—s by the advice of the Vicechancelours who are supream directive though the other corrective as the Constable is over the Bâ—sholder which at his appointment is to correct the Beggars be defamed shamefully abused and intreated and made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men. Now I. O. what meanest thou or what ground hast thou thus to forbid the Spirit of the living God Hath God prohibited him hath he any where limited himself from speaking immediately infallibâ—y to the Councel Guidance Comfort Assistance of his people in these latter dayes especially without book any more than in former ages before the letter was and in the first age wherein the Gospel began to flourish if men had not sneapt it and the glorious light thereof to shine out as the Sun in its brightnesse but that the Devil and his Imps besmoak'd the Sun and Aire whom in his just judgement God suffered so to do
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâ—ns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then â—ayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â—4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ— while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâ—sciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of 〈◊〉 its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be â—oâ—aâ—l Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
repentance and if need be to expound the Scripture unto them according to the true mind of Christ exprest therein which these Theopneustoi only have and not the most excellent and expert of their Expositors who have it not by pure Revelation from the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10.15 16. for there are true Prophets abroad that are truly moved in what they speak and write by the Spirit of the Lord though I. O. saith they are not as well as false who are not moved of the Spirit when they say they are there are pneumaticoi and agioi Theou anthropoi upo tou agiou pneumatos pheromenci spiritual and holy men of God carried out by the holy Spirit as of old as Amos and other Prophets were who are able to manifest more of the mind of God and open the old Scripture and give out more of the true meaning thereof by writing and preaching in an houre being in the Light and Wisdome of that Spirit of God which gave it forth then is opened truly by the worldly-wise and spiritually-dim-sighted-Divines in all those vast Volumes that they vent out of their own infinite inventions and in all the Sermons that such Simonists from the supposed spiritual gifts they have got with their own money and give out again by way of sale to the people for their money throughout the year yea there 's more truth told and more of the riches of Christ and of the hidden mysteries of the Gospel that have as of old been kept secret again since the dayes of Apostacy from the Apostolical ministration brought to light in this iuncture and much more will be in the day that 's yet but dawning by some one Sheep of Christ that went astray after the hollow voice of selfish Shepherds who served and fed themselves under a seeming shew of serving and feeding the Flock but is now returned to hear the Voice of the great Shepherd and Over-seer of Souls then by ninety and nine of thoâ—eforesaid hireling Shepherds that never yet went astray from themselves or the serving of themselves since they began to be other mens Masters and their own servants to this day there are I say sundry such spiritually inspired ones not a few of which are moved and sent of the Lord as his Messengers and Scribes both by writing and word of mouth to warn a wicked seed of Serpents and Generation of Vipers to repent and bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life and to flee from the wrath that is now neer to come upon them as on children of disobedience to the Light of God in their own consciences who lay the Lords Axe to every stout Oak of Bashan and tall Cedar of Lebanon and every tree that 's lofty and lifted up to the root of every fruitless fig-tree that hath long cumbred the ground since the Lord hath spared it in hopes of fruit and is yet covered with no other covering then Adam and Eve made to themselves when they had sinned even the broad fig-leaves of fair forms good words sacred shews ample appearances Cains Sacrifices Esau's tears fleshly Israels formal fastings proud Pharises misfigured faces hypocrites holinesses painted pretences as little possession as much profession as little walking in as much talking of Truth Bible beautifying letter landing Anti-Scriptural Scripture defending discourses without that Life of Holiness Power of Godliness and fruits of Righteousness it calls for There are several who with Habakknk Ch. 2.1 are got upon their watch Tower hearkning to what God saith in them who have found nothing to answer when the Lord hath risen up to visit them and when they have been reproved by him Iob 31. but have sat speechle sand ashamed in silence before him bearing his indignation because they have sinned against him and have had their filth purg'd away by the Spirit of Iudgement and burning and felt woe within themselves as men undone of unclean lips and dwelling among people of unclean lips at the sight of the King the Lord of Hosts whose iniquity hath been taken away and their sin purged by the touching of their lips with a live coal from the Altar to whom as they have waited for it the Vision hath come at the time appointed and hath not tarried who having tasted of the cup of trembling within themselves Hab. 3. and known the terrour of the Lord as all the Prophets and true Apostles did before they were sent of the Lords Errand to perswade others 2 Cor. 5. and having seen the Son of man coming in his Kingdome in righteousness to judge the world and all the people with equity have since been sent among such as hate them that reprove in the gates and make men offenders for a word from the Lord to sound an Alarum to cry aloud and not spare but lift up their voice as a Trumpet telling the people that seem to delight in approaching to God and seek him daily asking of him the Ordinances of Iustice and not for saking the outward Ordinance of their God but are frequent in fasting and afflicting their Souls and hanging down their heads like a bull-rush for a day and calling out Lord give us light for we are in the dark direct us in thy truth lead and guide us in right paths and such like as if they did delight to know Gods wayes as a Nation that did righteousness telling such I say that they may fast long enough and yet God take no knowledge of it and find no pleasure in their fasts so long as in and after their fasts they find their own pleasure and live in strife and debate and sue Christs sheep at the Law for Tythes and not only tear off the Fleece from their backs but flea their very skins and flesh from their bones and smite with the fist of wickedness and that this is not at all to fast to the Lord nor the way to have their voice to be heard on high while their hands are full of blood and their singers defiled with blood and their lips speak lies and their tongues mutter perversenesse proudly contemptuously and disdainfully against the righteous and they hatch Cockatrice Eggs and weave the Spiders web and make such Laws as intangle the innocent which venemous creatures can crawl over and escape out of That the Fast which God hath chosen is to loose the bands of wickedness to let the oppressed Israel or just Seed of God go Free from the house of Bondage into which that spirit of Pharoah hath brought them and to undo the heavy burden and break every yoke within and without c. which doing their light shall break forth as the morning and their health shall spring forth speedily and they shall call and the Lord will answer and say Here am I when they cry and he will guide them himself continually by his light from himself in their own hearts and their light shall rise out of obscurity and their darkness be as the noon-day otherwise
them and also millions of men who have the Light in them that condemns and reproves them for their Rebellion against it are not conformable thereunto and therefore they both have and need such a Light within them Antecedent to that renewing and need also to be called upon to turn unto it that they may thereby see how conformable they are to this evil world and non-conformable to that Will of God that they may thereby first know the good Will of God which is manifested in that Light and secondly by obeying that Light be conformed to that Will and no more unto the world but transformed by the renewing of their minds So that whereas they conclude all men ought to be renewed after Gods Image c. therefore All have it not I contrariwise conclude All ought to be renewed according thereunto c. therefore All have a light sufficient to lead them as théy follow it into the Image of God Their ninth is a sottish shameful Tergiversation a Re substrats from the Question into another matter as clear contrary to the subject in hand as light and darkness are to each other yea instead of persevering to prosecute the proof of their Proposition concerning the non-sufficiency of the Light in All men they fall a proving the insufficiency of the darkness in All men to be a sufficient rule to life and safe guide of men unto God at the end of which they entail a most abominable lye against the Quakers saying The Qua. prescribe that unto men as their Rule which God counts their Curse and what 's that Scilicet the thing that of All things the Quak. of all men who call men to Gods Light within do call men out of viz. the counsels imaginations and lusts of their own hearts which men say the Qua. walking in and bâ—ides the Light of God and hearkening to and not to the Voice of God which I. O. confesses page 44. though in his folly he calls it Natural to be Gods Light in every conscience come under the Laws curse and make their own misery great upon them The Aâ—gument is briefly thus To leave a person to hâ—s own imagination lust to walk in his own counsel in his own way which is all one as to leave him to the Light within him is reckoned as the greatest Curse and Iudgement to a man from God for refusing to hearken to Gods Voice as the Text shews Psa. 81.11.12 Therefore the Light within each person is of it self no safe guide Rep. That the Qua. call to the Light within and to stand in the Councel of God which is the Light within which condemns all the lusts of mens hearts and their own vain counsels and imaginations is most true But if ye be not past shame be ye ashamed and blush both at your own blaspheming the Light of God and belying of the Qua. who in your blindness for which Wo is unto you except ye repent Isa. 5. cal good evil and light darkness and cannot see to put a difference between Gods Light and mans lust the Councel Law and Way of God in every conscience which leads to life blessing and peace and the vain wayes and thoughts of man and Law of sin that lusts to envy and all evil and leads to cursing and condemnation And secondly cannot understand the Qua any otherwise then as calling men to their own hearts lusts when they expresly and in Terminis ca'l Ad men to that Light of God in them which makes manifest and condemns every ones own lust in every heart Generation of Vipers where did ye ever hear or hear of any Qua. or any one that 's owned by them in their Ministry prescribe mans own counsel imagination or hearts lust to him as their Rule Do they not as Iohn Baptist did bear witness to that true Light which enlightaeÌ„th every man that cometh into the world Do they not as Christ did call men to walk and believe in the Light while they have it that they may be the children of it least utter darness come as 't is already on your selves so that ye know not whether ye go upon them Do they not with Paul whom ye wot to have received some message to turn men from it speak to men to turn from the darkness to the light from the power of Satan the Ruler of the darkness of this world unto God Do they not tell men with Peter That there 's a sure word of Prophesie for them to which they do well to take heed as to a light that shines in the dark place of their hearts till the day dawn and the day-star arise there Do they not with Iohn tell men That God is Light and in the Light and that in him is no darkness at all and that if men be their form never so fair say they have fellowship with God and walk in darkness and the lusts of the flesh as Papists Pralaticks Presbyterians Independents and other our-side Professors do they do but lye and do not the truth but if they walk in the Light as God is in it then God and they have fellowship together and there the Blood of his Son is felt clearsing from all sin which ye say men cannot be thoroughly cleansed from while they live here and so harden men in their own hearts lusts and is all this of the Qua. a prescribing to men their hearts lusts as their rule Do you understand Christ Paul Peter Iohn and All the Prophets calling to the Light Isa. 2. as Isaiah Come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord he will teach u of his wayes we will walk in his paths so as ye do us when we restifie the same truth often in their own words as calling men to follow their own wayes thoughts counsels imaginations hearts lusts If ye take us as intending so when we call to the Light why not them If not them why us who say the same Is the word Light more offensive more unsavoury more difficult to be understood more savouring of lust more sounding like lust out of our mouths whom ye superlatively abhor then out of theirs whom ye now superstitiously adore But so it alwayes fell out as I.O. truly sayes page 59.60 61. that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes he spake people being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets in the latter dayes of the Iewish Church especially both as to their number and subtilty speaking lyes against the truth therefore no marvel it is so now in these last dayes of the Church of the outside Christians and as the next Age to that which flew them began still to build Sepulchres in remembrance of them so the time is neer to come wherein ye or your Successors who cast out the name of Gods People called Qua. as evil now shall what ere ye dream be forced to say there 's a Seed among them which sincerely serves
cast themselves forth into the outer darkness and not meerly with their own dark animal understaâ—dings they could not chuse but see that as I have shewed above the Light is in them that are not in it nor as yet believing in it and that they â—only that believe in it are the children of it according to what Christ sayes Iohn 12.35.36 to such as had Light and yet neither walked in nor were children of it while ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the children of Light Their sixth in proof of which is cited Act. 26.18 where Paul saith Christ sent him to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God is so silly that it shews its Authors and owners shrewdly to be besorted whence they argue They who are to be turned from darkness to Light had not a Light within sufficient to guide them to God But so it is said of both Jews and Gentiles Therefore sure they had not such a light within them as the Qua. say is in All if they had such a Light they should have been directed to follow it not turned from it the Apostles should have call'd them as the Qua. do to follow the Light in them and not have call'd them out of darkness nor should we do as the Apostles did bâ—d men leave the darkness in them but as the Qua. do follow the Light in them Rep. Flocci Nauci Nihili Pili Assis Hujus Teruncii Did ever the like toying and trisling piece of Dispotation drop from the hands of men before as does here from the pens of these professed Disputers Where are the eyes of these men that they can't see or is it so that they will not see how they turn that very Text upside down they would seem to take their Tattle out of Was it not the business of the Apostles to direct men to follow the Light when they were sent to turn men to the Light Were they that were to be turned to the Light in that very Call they had from the Apostles to turn to it turned from it Do not they who call men out of the darkness which is in them even in that very thing call them to follow the light which shines in them also 2 Pet. 1.19 Must not they who leave the darkness of necessity look to the Light Can men leave the paths of uprightness and not walk in the wayes of darkness Prov. 2.13 or leave the wayes of darkness and not walk in the way of the Light Is there any medium between these two Are men to be bid to come from the power of Satan unto God and yet have they no Light safe and sufficient lent them in case they be willing to come to him to lead and guide them unto God Ye blind Guides did not Paul as he was sent to that end as that Text declares turn men from the darkness only Did he not turn men to the Light Did he turn them from it as in that clause mâ—n should have been directed to follow the Light and not turned from it ye intimate he did And did not Iohn whose Message and Ministry was the self-same as Peter's and Paul's and that of all holy men of God was even from the beginning 1 Iohn 1.5.6.7 as well that of Christ himself Iohn 12.35.36 declare to men that in order to fellowship with God is whom is no darkness at all they should not only cease to walk in darkness but also should walk in the light as God is in the light Are ye not in this as well as in many more matters justly given over and left of the Lord for your enmity to his Light to babble out such gross blindness and groapable darkness as ye here do in saying that if men had such light they should have been directed to follow it and not turned from it according to Act. 26.18 as if Paul were there said to be sent that by his Ministry men might be turned from the light who is there expresly said to be sent to turn men to it For shame utter no more such wretched ignorance as this left the shame of your nakedness appear at last to all men as it does already to such as read your sapless Sermons and have not fold themselves to see rather with your eyes then with their own Their seventh is on this wise wrested from Rom. 10.14.17 Heb. 11.6 where it s said Without Faith it is impossible to please God And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard How bear without a Preacher So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God which say they were vain speeches if there were another ordinary way by the Light within us to beget Faith therefore the Light within us is not of it self without Preaching a safe sufficient Guide in our way to God Rep. True Faith is in the Light of Christ and in the Word of God which is that word of Faith which the Apostles preached and testified of in their words and writings that it was nigh to men even in their hearts that there they might both hear and do it Rom. 10.1 neither doth any man either hear or believe in Christ to Salvation any further then as he heeds hears and believes in that Light and ingrafted Word whereby Christ counsels him in his own conscience although he should as the unbelieving Iews did hear him speaking to them with Audible Voice or believe as all unbelieving Christians do the whole History of him according to the flesh So then Faith unto life coming by hearing and hearing unto life being of that Light and Word of God which is nigh in the heart which is the Word of both Faith and Life the Apostles Speeches were in vain if there were not such a Light and Word within to be believed in to the hearing and believing in which the Apostles were sent to turn men mens obeying of which Word within was the end of their using those words they spake and wrote to them in from without Moreover we deny not Preaching without by such as are sent as Paul was but Parish-Hirelings are not to turn men to the Light within but the Light within only is that which guides and leads those that are turned to it and continue attending to it sufficiently and safely unto God Their eighth is to this purpose All that have access to God must not be conformed to this world but be transformed renewed put off the old man Rom. 12.2 Eph. 4.23 Col. 3.10 Therefore they have not a Light within them as a safe sufficient guide to lead them to God Antecedent to this renewing for if they had what need say they such transforming renewing non-conformity to the world putting off the old man Rep. Therefore they need such renewing transforming putting off the old man non-conforming to this world because that is the good will of God concerning