Experience the just Authority of his Confidence because The natural Man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he as such because they are spiritually discerned The Natural Man may talk of them of God his Nature and Attributes of Christ his Relation Natures and Offices of Regeneration which is the Great Work of the Son of God in and upon Man But Alas that is all the Natural Man with all his Natural Powers and Skill is Capable of he can go no deeper 'T is all Hear-say and Imagination For they are a Mystery shut up close from all Unsanctified Hearts and Heads Yea they are all wrapt up and strongly inclosed in this Holy Seed of Light and Spirit that shines in the dark Hearts of Men and through the Power of that Darkness they cannot Comprehend it The Ground of which Darkness is Disobedience Which made Christ say to the Jews If you will do the will of God you shall know of my doctrine Joh. 7.17 if it be of God or not I say the Mystery Power and Virtue of Christianity is shut up in this Divine Seed And if thou O Reader knowest it not but art only speculatively a Christian open thy Heart and let it into the good Ground and thou shalt quickly find the Efficacy and Excellency of it in the Fruits that will spring from it The Increase will be very great and the Tast thereof sweeter much than the Honey or the Honey-Comb Psal. 19.10 She is a Tree of Life said a Wise and a great King of old Time to all them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 ch 8.19 and happy is every one that retaineth her for her fruit is better than gold and her revenue than choice silver It was by him stiled Wisdom because it made him Wise and will make every one that is Taught by it Ch. 9.10 Job 28.111 Psal. 10. For it makes People Wise to Salvation by teaching them the Fear of the Lord and to depart from Iniquity and every evil way All such are said to have a good Vnderstanding The Apostle Paul also calleth it the Grace of God Tit. 2.11 12 13. that bringeth Salvation that hath appeared to all men c. Grace because it is God's Free Gift not our Merit or Purchase God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 Ch. 1.14.16 he gave his only begotten Son to save it who was full of Grace and Truth And of his fulness we receive grace for grace in order to Salvation In which Saying of the Apostle Five things are to be seriously remarked as Comprehensive of the very Body of our Christian Divinity First the Principle Talent or Gift which God giveth to Man and that is his Grace The Grace of God c. Secondly This Grace Talent Gift or Principle is sufficient to the End for which it is given viz. It bringeth Salvation God bestows it for that purpose Paul might well say so that had tried the Power and Virtue of it under the greatest Temptation As God told him 2 Cor. 12.8 9. his Grace was sufficient for him so he found it to his exceeding great Joy Thirdly The Vniversality of God's Bounty It appears to all Men more or less It is so intended Christ died for all and distributes Grace to all that all might come to the Knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 as it is in Jesus and be saved Fourthly The way by which the Sufficiency and Vniversality of it is demonstrated and that is The Teaching Quality and Virtue of it v. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World This every one feels in his own Bosom at Times and that of all Religions and of all Nations A Just Monitor a Secret Reprover and a Faithful Witness Blessed are they that give heed thereunto and learn of it what to Leave and what to Do what to shun and what to Embrace Prov. 8.20 Mich. 6.8 For it Leads in the Ways of Righteousness and in the midst of the Paths of Judgment It is by this God sheweth Man his Thoughts and what he doth require of him This it is that Man has made an Adversary by his Iniquities which he must make Peace with lest he bring him before the Judge Matt. 5.25 and he cast him into Prison and he come not out till he has paid the uttermost Farthing This Inward Teaching Reproving Exhorting Light Spirit or Grace of God Learns us Two Lessons which make up the holy Order of our Conversion and Salvation 1. What we are to Deny 2. What we are to Do. We are to Deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts and it will shew us what they are both within and without in Thought as well as in Word and Deed if we will attend to it and Watch and Wait upon it And though the grosser Evils that carry the largest Characters of Impiety are easily seen and observed yet there are Lusts that lie near and stick close that are less perceptible and it may be are hardly by some thought Evil neither As in Relation to Extreams in Food Apparel Furniture Discourse Converse Gain Honour Revenge Emulation c. And there is an Vngodliness in a Mystery too which utterly mistakes and overthrows the true Nature and End of Religion as well as palpable Enormities Such is setting up the Form above the Power of Godliness Humane Traditions above the Scripture and Opposing that to the Spirit of God which it Testifies of and so often Refers unto and making and pressing Civil Edicts about Matters of Faith and suffering none to Live and Enjoy what is their own and prosecute their Lawful Callings for the Maintenance of their Families unless they will forgoe Convictions play the Hypocrite be of their Creed and receive their Mark in their Forehead Rev. 13.16 c. 14.9 or at least in their Right hand by which means they have made a Worldly Interest and Empire of the Church and of Religion that should be the Purity and Peace of the VVorld a meer Step and Test to Temporal Preferment These are the Things under which Religion and indeed Civil Society and true Civil Policy groan as well as other Impieties though by Worldly Men and some that would be thought Religious too this is as little seen as the more sensual Vngodliness is amended For all which the Eternal God is come by many Judgments and coming in Flames of Fire to Execute Vengeance upon the Wicked 2 Thess. 1.7 8. whatever Carnal and Secure Minds think And it is not the least of our Miseries that we are but too Vnsensible of it Thus we see what we are Taught by the Grace to deny Let us next consider the other part of our Duty which the Grace teacheth us and that is What we are to do Teaching us says the Great and Zealous Apostle that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World This is also a most Comprehensive Expression a plain and
Ability of the large Vnderstanding given him to set forth the Beauty and Infallibility of the Grounds and Excellent Principles of Truth and to open and prove the same over all Opposition of Gainsayers to the reaching of the Understanding of many of the Great and Learned of the World both at home and abroad and to the begetting a better Opinion and Judgment concerning both the Principles and Practices of God's People called in Derision Quakers than had been held forth by the Craft and Malice of the Priests and others to be in the beginning as Fools Madmen c. and holding non-sensical and unreasonable as well as Vnscriptural Whimsies and so forth But God who is Light is wipeing away the Reproaches and Slanders off his Blessed Truth and People and will more and more exalt the Standard and Ensign thereof to gather the Nations unto it out of their Cruelties Lusts and Roarings against one another and of the overflowing of all Abominations among them to the great provoâ—ing of God's Wrath. Reformation from all which will never be known nor Deliverance from the Bondage and Miseries thereby occasioned by all the Might Power and Fightings of the Carnal Sword nor Politick Devices of Men but only by the blessed Power Spirit and Grace of God which hath appeared to all to that very end to teach to deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts and to live soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World if Men would turn to believe in and obey it Which is our Testimony and Holy Principle we direct all unto and which this Blessed Servant of the Church laid out himself in his many Excellent Writings especially his Apology to promulgate through the World with blessed Success not only in Printing but in Travelling having gone through a great part of Germany Holland and other Countries in the Service of the Truth And the Lord blessed him every way therein He was an Exemplary Husband Parent and Master in his Family so that the Beauty good Order Holiness Gravity and Lowliness of the Truth shined therein I can say to my Refreshment and many others as in a Quiet Habitation He was a Man of great Meekness Sweetness and Lowliness of Spirit and of such a bearing contented Mind that though a Man of such Parts and great Authority over Evil in his Servants and others yet kept in such a Dominion over any thing that would have disordered his own Syirit that I can truly say I never saw him in any peevish angry brittle or disordered Temper since ever I knew him though I had as much Intimacy and Frequency of Concerns with him as most here-away He was so far from being lifted up or Exalted by the great Gifts he had received from his Maker both in the Truth and as a Man that I can say I have often desired to grow in the plain down-right humble and lowly Spirit wherein he became as weak with the weakest and poor with the poorest and low with the lowest as well as he could be deep with them that were deep So that in a good Measure he had learned to become all things to all Men with a true and upright Endeavour to Gain some I can say I have parted with a most Entire Friend and Counsellor But glory to him who lives for ever through great Mercy I know him who is the Fountain of all Wisdom Righteousness Love and Pity who I trust will make up this great Loss not only to me but to his blessed People and Church especially in this his Native Country of Scotland in and to which he had made him an Ornament and as a Star and shining Light And Oh! that he may make me and all whom he hath Convinced of his pretious Truth in our Native Country whether living therein or abroad to shine forth in the Glory Beauty and Virtue thereof and as the first Fruits thereof and Witnesses of the great Glory that shall livingly arise therein though perhaps ushered in by great Tribulations when our God shall wipe away the Reproaches thereof and change its name from Barren or Forsaken because our God hath a true though a small Seed therein in which he delighteth and is Married thereunto and many shall be the Children of the Lamb's Marriage therein in due time when the Leaven of the Pharisees is purged out and the Bastard-Births of the Adulteresses and Whoredoms of a false Profession therein comes to be seen and turned from As concerning this our Dear Friend R. B. The Lord soon began his Work with him shortly after he was brought home from France wherein in his Young and Tender Years he was brought up at Paris under his Vncle And though at his Return thence but about sixteen Years yet it having pleased the Lord to bring his Dear and Worthy Father into his most-precious Truth he having thereby occasion to be in the Meetings of God's Chosen People who Worship him in his own Name Spirit and Power and not in the Words of Man's Wisdom and Preparation he was by the Virtue and Efficacious Life of this Blessed Power shortly after reached and that in the Time of Silence a Mystery to the World and came so fast to grow therein through his great Love and Watchfulness to the Inward Appearance thereof that not long after he was called out to the Publick Ministry and declaring abroad what his Eyes had seen and his Hands had handled of this pure Word of Life Yea the Lord who loved him counted him worthy so Early to Call him to some Weighty and Hard Services for his Truth in our Nation that a little after his coming out of the Age of Minority as it is called he was made willing in the Day of God's Power to give up his Body as a Sign and Wonder to this Generation and to deny himself and all in him as a Man so far as to become a Fool for his sake whom he loved in going in Obedience to his Will in Sack-cloath and Ashes through Three of the Chief Streets of the City of Aberdeen As his Testimony printed concerning it holds forth his Service therein besides some weighty Services at several Steeple-houses and Sufferings in Prison for the Truth 's Sake And I cannot forbear to touch at his great Care and Zeal that Vnity Love and Sweetness might be preserved among God's Children over all the Cunning Endeavours of the Enemy to the contrary What shall I more say concerning this Servant of the Lord but that Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Yea saith the Spirit from henceforth they rest from their labours and their works follow them He laid down the Body in the Holy and Honourable Truth wherein he had served it about Twenty Three Years upon the Third Day of the Eighth Month 1690. near the Forty Second Year of his Age at his own House of Vrie in Scotland and it was laid in his own Burial-Ground there upon the sixth Day of the same Month before many Friends and other
that which may be known of himself A. That which may be known of God is manifest in them Rom. 1.19 for God hath shewed it unto them Q. Is then this Light or Seed sown in the Hearts of Evil Men A. And he spake many things to them in Parables Behold a Sower went forth to sow and when he sowed Matth. 13.3 4 5 7. some Seeds fell by the way-side c. some fell among stony places c. and some fell among Thornes c. Q. Are these places where the Seed is said to have fallen understood of the Heart of Man A. Hear ye therefore the Parable of the Sower when any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom Matth. 13.18 19. and understandeth it not then cometh the Wicked One and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart this is he which received the Seed by the way-side c. Q. Is this Seed small in its first Appearance A. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a Grain of Mustard Seed which a Man took and sowed in his Field Matth. 13 31 32. which indeed is the least of all Seeds Q. Forasmuch as many understand not this under the Notion and Appellation of Light or Seed it being quite another Dialect than the common though I must needs confess it is the very Language of the Scriptures Is there a saving Manifestation of the Spirit given unto all A. The Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 Q. Sure if it be to profit withal it must be in order to save for were it not useful nor yet sufficient to save what Profit could it be of But in regard some speak of a Grace that is Common and of a Grace that is Saving is there such a Grace Common unto all as brings Salvation A. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men. Tit. 2.11 Q. That which brings Salvation must needs be saving What doth that Grace teach us A. Teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Tit. 2.12 Righteously and Godly in this present World Q. Certainly that which teacheth both Righteousness and Godliness must be sufficient for therein consisteth the whole Duty of Man What saith the Apostle elsewhere of this Instructor A. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified Q. What is the Word of God A. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any Two-edged Sword Hebr. 4.12 13. piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart Neither is there any Creature that is not Manifest in his Sight but all things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Q. Ought we not to take heed to this Word A. We have also a more Sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed 2 Pet. 1.19 as unto a Light that shineth in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts Q. I perceive the Scriptures are very clear both concerning the Vniversality and Sufficiency of this Light Seed Grace and Word of God but is this Word nigh or afar off Inward or Outward A. Say not in thine Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above Rom. 10.6 7 8. or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach Q. That is clear as to the Word Is there any Scripture speaks of the Light 's being Inward A. God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness has shin'd in our Hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 7 to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us Q. But seeing it is also called the Seed of the Kingdom is the Kingdom of God also within A. The Kingdom of God comes not with Observation neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold Luke 17.20 21. the Kingdom of God is within you CHAP. VI. Concerning Faith Justification and Works Question WHat is Faith Answer Hebr. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Q. Is Faith of absolute necessity A. Without Faith it is Impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them Hebr. 11.6 that diligently seek him Q. Are we Justified by Faith A. Wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be Justified by Faith Gal. 3.24 Q. What is the Nature of this Faith that availeth to Justification A. For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Q. Are Works then necessary to Justification as well as Faith A. But wilt thou know O Vain Man that Faith without Works is Dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works Jam. 2.20 21 22 23 24. when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness He was called the Friend of God Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified and not by Faith only Q. If then both be equally required in Justification what are these Works which the Apostle excludes so much Rom. 3.20 A. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be Justified in his sight Q. But though we be not Justified by the Deeds of the Law is not this to exclude Boastings that the Grace of God may be exalted Ephes. 2.8 9 10. A. For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of the Works lest any Man should boast for we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Q Are even the Works which are performed by Grace excluded Are we never said to be saved or justified by them Tit. 3 5 6.7 A. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Q. I perceive then that to be
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World q 1 Joh 2.1 2. For by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man r Hebr 2.9 And gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time s 1 Tim. 2.6 Willing all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth t 1 Tim. 2.4 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance u 2 Pet. 3.9 For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved x John 3 17. And Christ came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in Darkness y John 12.46 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon All Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life z Rom. 5.18 ARTICLE XI Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man THe Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven a Col. 1.23 which Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation to them that believe b Rom. 1.16 And if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them c 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil d John 3.19 And this was the true Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the World e John 1.9 By which all things that are reproveable are made manifest for whatsoever maketh manifest is Light f Ephes. 5.11 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved but he that doth Truth cometh to to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God g Joh. 3 20 21. And they that walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin h 1 John 1. Therefore ought we to believe in the Light while we have the Light that we may be the Children of the Light i John 12.36 Therefore to Day if we will hear his Voice let us not harden our Hearts k Hebr. 4 7. For Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine Eyes l Luke 19.42 And he would often have gathered her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not m Matth. 23.37 for the stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears do always Resist the Holy Ghost n Acts 7.51 And are of those that Rebel against the Light o Job 24.13 Therefore God's Spirit will not always strive with Man p Gen. 7.3 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness q Rom. 1.18 Because what is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them r Rom. 1.19 And a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal s 1 Cor. 12.7 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World t Tit. 2.11 12. And this Word of this Grace is able to build up and give an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified u Acts 20.32 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart x Hebr. 4.12 Is that more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in the Heart y 2 Pet. 1. â—9 And this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles Preached which is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart z Rom. 10.8 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ a 2 Cor. 4.6 But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God b 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us for the Kingdom of God cometh not by Observation but is within us ARTICLE XII Concerning Faith and Justification FAith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen d Hebr. 11.1 Without which it is impossible to please God e Hebr. 11.6 Therefore we are justified by Faith which worketh by Love f Gal. 5.6 For Faith without Works being dead is by Works made perfect g Jam. 2.23 26. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified h Rom. 3.20 Nor yet by the Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy we are saved by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i 1 Tit. 3.5 For we are both washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God k 1 Cor. 6.11 ARTICLE XIII Concerning Good Works IF we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body we shall live l Rom. 8.13 For they which believe in God must be careful to maintain good Works m T it 3.8 For God will render to every Man according to his Deeds according to his Righteous Judgment to them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life n Rom. 2.6 7. For such are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God o 2 Thess. 1.5 and cast not away their Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward p Hebr. 10.35 Blessed then are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City q Rev. 22.14 ARTICLE XIV Concerning Perfection SIn shall not have Dominion over such as are not under the Law but under Grace r Rom. 6.14 For there is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the
Condescension to the Capacity of the Weak write an Explanatory Postscript to the said Book for the sake of all such as may be supposed to have Mis-apprehended any Expression therein Henry Jackson Joseph Batt Thomas Holmes John Burnyeat Francis Moore Stephen Crisp. Thomas Jany Richard Vickris William Gibson Ambrose Rigge Richard Snead James Mammeck Thomas Atkins John Blakeling Charles Harfford John Furly Senior Benjamin Furly Francis Lea. Thomas Elwood William Welch Stephen Smith Thomas Bur. Thomas Robinson George Keith John Buy Thomas Hill Gawen Lowry Charles Marshall John Osgood William Penn. James Holyday James Claypoole William Shewen ADVERTISEMENT THE Reader may Observe That William Rogers's Papers before Annexed of his Discourse with R. B. about some Objections against his Book whereupon he acknowledgeth himself satisfied was written in the Third Month 1677. And their Narrative from Bristol wherein W. R. and the rest thus Reflect against R. B. was written in and about the Eleventh and Twelfth Month 1677. so that it appears to be Eight or Nine Months after But is not this like J. S. and J. W's Papers of Condemnation which W. R. called a Rattle For who could have thought that W. R. could have had the Impudence as after he had so plainly Confessed and given it under his own Hand that he was satisfied to have again published such things against him AN APOLOGY FOR THE True Christian Divinity As the same is held forth and Preached by the People Called in Scorn QUAKERS BEING A Full Explanation and Vindication of their Principles and Doctrines by many Arguments deduced from Scripture and Right Reason and the Testimonies of Famous Autohrs both Antient and Modern With a full Answer to the strongest Objections usually made against them Presented to the KING Written and Published in Latin for the Information of Strangers By ROBERT BARCLAY And now put into our own Language for the benefit of his Country-men Acts 24.14 After the way which they call Heresy so Worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Vers. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Vers. 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Vers. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and Purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works 1 Thess. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-Street 1691. UNTO CHARLES the II. KING OF GREAT BRITAIN And the Dominions thereunto belonging ROBERT BARCLAY A Servant of JESVS CHRIST Called of God to the Dispensation of the Gospel now again Revealed and after a long and dark Night of Apostasy Commanded to be Preached to all NATIONS Wisheth Health and Salvation AS the Condition of KINGS and Princes puts them in a Station more obvious to the View and Observation of the World than that of other Men of whom as Cicero observes neither any Word or Action can be Obscure so are those Kings during whose Appearance upon the Stage of this World it pleaseth the Great KING of KINGS singularly to make known unto Men the Wonderful Steps of his Vnsearchable Providence more signally Observed and their Lives and Actions more diligently Remarked and Inquired into by Posterity especially if those things be such as not only relate to the Outward Transactions of this World but also are signalized by the Manifestation or Revelation of the Knowledge of God in Matters Spiritual and Religious These are the things that rendred the Lives of Cyrus Augustus Caesar and Constantine the Great in former times and of Charles the Fifth and some other Modern Princes in these last Ages so Considerable But among all these Transactions which it hath pleased God to permit for the Glory of his Power and the Manifestation of his Wisdom and Providence no Age furnisheth us with things so Strange and Marvellous whether with respect to Matters Civil or Religious as these that have fall'n out within the Compass of Thy Time who though thou be not yet arrived at the Fiftieth Year of Thy Age hast yet been a Witness of stranger things than many Ages before produced So that whether we respect those Various Troubles wherein thou found'st thy self engaged while scarce got out of thy Infancy the many Different Afflictions wherewith Men of thy Circumstances are often unacquainted the strange and unparallel'd Fortune that befel thy Father Thy own narrow Escape and Banishment following thereupon with the great Improbability of Thy ever Returning at least without very much Pains and tedious Combatings or finally the Incapacity thou wert under to accomplish such a Design considering the Strength of those that had possessed themselves of Thy Throne and the Terror they had inflicted upon Forrein States and yet that after all this Thou shouldst be Restored without Stroke of Sword the Help or Assistance of Forrein States or the Contrivance and Work of Human Policy All these do sufficiently declare that it is the Lord 's Doing which as it is marvellous in our Eyes so it will justly be a matter of Wonder and Astonishment to Generations to come and may sufficiently serve if rightly Observed to Confute and Confound that Atheism wherewith this Age doth so much Abound As the Vindication of the Liberty of Conscience which thy Father by giving way to the Importunate Clamors of the Clergy the answering and fulfilling of whose Vnrighteous Wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to Princes sought in some part to Restrain was a great Occasion of these Troubles and Revolutions so the Pretence of Conscience was that which carried it on and brought it to that pitch it came to And though no doubt some that were Engaged in that work designed good things at least in the beginning albeit always wrong in the manner they took to Accomplish it viz. by Carnal Weapons yet so soon as they had tasted of the Sweet of the Possessions of them they had turned out they quickly began to do those things themselves for which they had accused others For their hands were found full of Oppression and they hated the Reproofs of Instruction which is the way of Life And they evilly entreated the Messengers of the Lord and caused to Beat and Imprison his Prophets and persecuted his People whom he had Called end Gathered out from among them whom he had made to Beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and not to learn Carnal War any more But he Raised them up and Armed them with Spiritual Weapons even with his own Spirit and Power whereby they Testified in the Streets and High-ways and publick Markets and Synagogues against the Pride Vanity Lusts and Hypocrisy of that Generation who were
measure of Saving Grace I shall add one and that very observable not yet mentioned viz. that excellent saying of the Apostle Paul to Titus c. 2. v. 11. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Than which there can be nothing more clear it comprehending both the parts of the Controversy First It Testifies that it is no Natural Principle or Light but saith plainly it brings Salvation Secondly It says not that it hath appeared to a few but unto all men The Fruit of it declares also how Efficacious it is seeing it Comprehends the Whole Duty of Man It both teacheth us first to forsake Evil The Saving Grace of God Teaching the Whole Duty of Man to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and then it teacheth us our Whole Duty First To live Soberly that comprehends Temperance Chastity Meekness and those things that relate unto a Man's Self Secondly Righteously that Comprehends Equity Justice and Honesty and those things which relate to our Neighbours And lastly Godly which Comprehends Piety Faithfulness and Devotion which are the Duties relating to God So then there is nothing required of man or needful to man which this Grace Teacheth not Yet I have heard a publick Preacher one of those that are accounted Zealous men to Evite the strength of this Text deny this Grace to be saving and say It was only intended of Common Favours and Graces such as is the heat of the Fire and outward light of the Sun Such is the Darkness and Ignorance of those that Oppose the Truth whereas the Text saith expresly that it is Saving Others that cannot deny but it is saving Alledge This All comprehends not every Individual but only all kinds The Absurdity of our Adversaries Comment upon the word All denying Grace to be Saving Tit. 2.11 But is a bare Negation sufficient to overturn the strength of a positive Assertion If the Scriptures may be so abused what so Absurd as may not be pleaded for from them or what so Manifest as may not be denied But we have not reason to be staggered by their denying so long as our Faith is found in express Terms of the Scripture they may as well seek to perswade us that we do not Intend that which we Affirm though we know the Contrary as make us believe that when the Apostle speaks forth our Doctrine in plain words yet he intends theirs which is the quite Contrary And indeed can there be any thing more Absurd than to say where the word is plainly All few is only Intended For they will not have All taken here for the greater number Indeed as the Case may be sometimes by a Figure All may be taken of Two Numbers for the greater Number but let them shew us if they can either in Scripture or Profane or Ecclesiastical Writings that any man that wrote sense did ever use the word All to express of two Numbers the lesser whereas they Affirm that the far less Number have received Saving Grace and yet will they have the Apostle by All to have signified so Though this might suffice yet to put it further beyond all question I shall Instance another saying of the same Apostle that we may use him as his own Commentator Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the Free Gift came upon all men to Justification of life Here no man of reason except he will be obstinately Ignorant will deny but this similitive particle as makes the all which goes before and comes after to be of one and the same Extent Or else let them shew us one Example either in Scripture or elsewhere among men that speak proper Language where it is otherwise We must then either Affirm that this Loss which leads to Condemnation hath not come upon all or say that this Free Gift is come upon all by Christ. Whence I thus Argue First If all men have received a Loss from Adam which leads to Condemnation then all men have received a Gift from Christ Arg. which leads to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last From all which it naturally follows that All men even the Heathens may be saved for Christ was given as a Light to inlighten the Gentiles Isa. 49.6 Now to say that though they might have been saved yet none were Even the Heathens may be saved by the Light is to Judge too Vncharitably I see not what Reason can be alledged for it yea though it were granted which never can be that none of the Heathens were saved it will not from thence follow that they could not have been saved or that none now in their Condition can be saved For A non esse ad non posse non datur sequela i. e. That Consequence is false that Concludes a thing cannot be because it is not Object But if it be Objected which is the great Objection That there is no Name under heaven by which Salvation is known but by the Name JESVS Therefore they not knowing this cannot be saved I Answer Though they know it not outwardly yet if they know it inwardly Answ. by feeling the virtue and power of it the Name Jesus indeed which signifies a Saviour to free them from Sin and Iniquity in their Hearts they are saved by it I confess there is no other Name to be Saved by The Literal Knowledge of Christ is not Saving but the Real Experimental but Salvation lieth not in the Literal but in the Experimental Knowledge albeit those that have the literal Knowledge are not saved by it without this Real Experimental Knowledge Yet those that have the Real Knowledge may be saved without the External as by the Arguments hereafter brought will more appear For if the outward distinct Knowledge of him by whose means I receive Benefit were necessary for me before I could reap any Fruit of it then by the Rule of Contraries it would follow that I could receive no Hurt without I had also the distinct Knowledge of him that had occasioned it whereas Experience proves the Contrary How many are Injured by Adam's Fall that know Nothing of ever there being such a Man in the World or of his Eating the Forbidden Fruit why may they not then be saved by the Gift and Grace of Christ in them making them righteous and holy though they know not distinctly how that was purchased unto them by the death and sufferings of Jesus that was Crucified at Jerusalem especially seeing God hath made that Knowledge simply Impossible to them As many men are kill'd by poison Infused into their Meat though they neither know what the poison was nor who Infused it so also on the other hand how many are cured of their diseases by good Remedies who know not how
Man as to a more noble or certain Rule and Touchstone For this Divine Revelation and inward Illumination is that which is evident and clear of it self forcing by its own Evidence and Clearness the well-disposed Vnderstanding to Assent irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the Common Principles of Natural Truths move and incline the Mind to a Natural Assent R. B People this is that which we Affirm and which these Young-Men are about to Dispute against as false Notwithstanding that A. Shir. had thus offered himself first to dispute yet I. L. Intruding himself put him to Silence beginning as followeth I. L. That which is not to be believed as the Rule of Faith is not to be the Rule of Faith But The Spirit is not to be believed as the Rule of Faith Therefore The Spirit is not to be the Rule of Faith R. B. Having Repeated the Argument I deny the Minor or second Proposition I. L. I prove it That which hath not a sufficient Evidence to evidence it self to be a Rule is not to be a Rule But The Spirit in the Quakers hath not a sufficient Evidence whereby to evidence it self to be a Rule Therefore The Spirit in the Quakers is not to be our Rule R. B. Having Repeated the Argument I distinguish that Second Proposition If thou meanest any Spirit in the Quakers which they peculiarly assume to themselves as Quakers or say they have as aâ—part of themselves or of Man's Nature we Concede that such have no Evidence neither do we say that any such Spirit is to be our Rule But if thou meanest that Vniversal Spirit of God a Manifestation whereof is given to every one to profit withal we affirm it hath a sufficient Evidence in us and in all Men. I. L. I urge that Distinction If the Spirit hath a sufficient Evidence either this Evidence is from your own Declaration or some other But It is neither from your own Declaration nor from some other Therefore It hath not a sufficient Evidence R. B. It is from both J. L. What is it then R. B. That it teacheth us to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World This is an Evidence to all Men. J. L. I prove that is not a sufficient Evidence thus That is not a sufficient Evidence which Hereticks may pretend unto as a sufficient ground for their Heresie But Hereticks may pretend this as a sufficient ground for their Heresie Therefore It is not a sufficient Evidence R. B. I Answer this first by a Retortion this is the same Argument upon the matter which the Jesuit Dempster used against your Master viz. John Menzies For the Jesuit pressing him to assign a ground for the Protestant Religion which Hereticks could not pretend unto J. M. named the Scripture and the Jesuit further urged that Hereticks could and did pretend unto the Scriptures Now what Evidence can ye give from the Scriptures which we cannot give Yea and greater from the Spirit that Hereticks cannot justly lay claim to Stud. With one voice We will not have Retortions R. B. Praeses Read the Articles which contain a particular provision for Retortions as being lawful if not insisted too much on So the fifth Article above-mentioned was read G. K. I offer to Answer directly to his Argument without Retortion though I pass not from the Retortion for it stands over your heads which ye will never get over Then I say we have a two-fold Evidence which no Heretick can justly lay claim to The one is the inward Evidence of the Spirit of God by its own immediate Testimony in our hearts The other is the Testimony of the Scriptures which I affirm in the Name of the People called Quakers is the best external and outward Evidence and Rule that can be given And my Reason why we have the Testimony of the Scriptures as an Evidence that we have the Inspiration of the Spirit is this All Men have a measure of the Inspiration of the Spirit of God according to the Scriptures Testimony That Christ the true Light inlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and that a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal But this universal Illumination or Manifestation is Inspired and if all Men be in measure Inspired then consequently we who are Men are Inspired J. L. I prove ye have not the Testimony of the Scriptures for a sufficient Evidence That which is fallacious is not a sufficient Evidence But The Scriptures Testimony according to the Quakers without the indwelling of the Spirit is fallacious Therefore The Scriptures Testimony is not a sufficient Evidence R. B. Having Repeated the Argument I deny the 2 d Proposition G. K. The Argument is wrong in its Structure and vitious as consisting of four Terms which no right Syllogism should have Stud. I appeal to all Loâ—icians if when any thing is Subsumed in a Syllogism which is neither in the first Proposition nor in the Conclusion whether that Syllogism hath not four Terms Is it not in Forma For it hath not four Terms G. K. It hath four Terms and this I offer to prove before either your Masters or any other judicious Logicians in any Vniversity of this Nation I say it hath four Terms because it subsumes that in the second Proposition which was not in the first Proposition At this the Students fell a laughing and so provoked the People to lightness Al. Skein one of the Praeses's I am sorry to see those who profess to study Divinity behave themselves so lightly and so far from Seriousness in such weighty matters as concern the Truths of God G. K. I am ready still to prove that the Syllogism hath four Terms But this being not so proper here for this Auditory proceed ye to prove the second Proposition which R. B. hath denied J. L. I prove the Second Proposition That which may beguile a Man is fallacious But According to the Quakers the Scriptures may beguile a Man without the indwelling of the Spirit Therefore According to the Quakers the Scriptures are fallacious G. K. This Argument is also wrong in the Structure having four Terms R. B. But waving that I deny thy second Proposition For the Scripture cannot beguile any Man although Men may or have beguiled themselves by a wrong use of it A. Shir. Take notice People The Quakers say The Scriptures cannot beguile you R. B. Speak lowder yet for we do and have constantly Affirmed it And we hope it will help to clear us of those Mis-representations as if we despised or spake evil of the Scriptures G. K. I would my words could reach from the one end of the World to the other when I say The Scriptures cannot beguile any Man for the Scripture is innocent and a true Testimony in it self but Men do beguile themselves oft by making perverse Glosses upon the Scriptures The Scripture cannot be fallacious because
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
M. terms it more than their being found in them will prove them the Grand-Children of the Apostles We must not forsake doing good because Hypocrites seem to do so nor forbear to preach the Gospel because Judas did it but as for the other practises of John a Leyden and Ignatius Loyola's followers the Jesuites to wit their cutting down all that would not be of their way their assuming outward Power their seeking to overturn Kingdoms their preaching up War and Blood The Principles and Practices of W.M. his Brethren do declare how much more they resemble them than the Quakers who from the Pulpit blew the Trumpet of all the late Troubles Seditions and Civil Dissensions which have proved so bloody and monstrous to the Inhabitants of this poor Island And many of them have now turned their backs upon that Cause which they hunted out others to fight for and some to wit W. N. and his Brethren at Aberdeen can find out Jesuitical Distinctions and Mental Reservations whereby notwithstanding they swore against all detestable Neutrality they can make a shift to preach under Bishop dispense with the Doxology forbear Lecturing and several other parts of the Directorian Discipline as W. M. has done at the Bishops order and yet keep a Reserve for Presbytery in case it come again in fashion Fourthly I take notice of the Impertinency of W.M. his bringing in this story of Ignatius Loyola upon my saying Some Professors in Aberdeen found that savour of Life in the Quakers Testimony which formerly had stirred among others who were come to a great decay Now because it was obvious I intended by these Professors who were come to a decay W. M and some others of his Brethren who pretended to be for Independency in that day but now were turned with the times knowing how much it would reflect upon him to harp on this string he runs away and says These others are Ignatius Loyola and thereupon makes the Comparison above-mentioned which Impertinent Digression is abundantly manifest The plain Language used in the Scriptures Fifthly I take notice of his charging us as rather Reproachers of others than Reproached because of the plain Language we use against him and his Brethren alledging We will not find Christ and his Apostles use the like to such as professed Christianity For a reproof of his Ignorance in the Scriptures let him read Rom 16.18 Phil. 3.2 1 Tim. 1.19 20. ib. chap. 4.1 2 3 c. ib. chap 6 vers 3 4. 2 Tim. 2.17 T it 1.10 11. 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. 1 Joh. 2.18 19. c. His adding That they shew earnestness of desire that Souls may be saved and willingness to promote that design saith nothing except this desire and willingness proceed from the right ground Papists are as zealous in their Earnestness and Willingness as they and do no less profess Subjection to the Gospel owning Christ to be the Messiah and yet Calvin spared not to term them Impuros Canes filthy Dogs Innumerable are the Expressions of this kind used by the zealous Luther against them Sixthly I take notice of his Cautions to me wherein he chargeth me of Pride Passion Censoriousness Folly Contrariety to the Word of God Ignorance and Endeavouring to promote the Popish Interest but had he truly minded my good in his Cautions he should have produced some Reasons to prove me guilty of these Crimes He concludes us Proud for separating from them in Burying-Places Burying-Grounds separate and so condemns the French Protestants for doing the like from Papists He falsly chargeth us with placing Religion in forbearing Ribands keeping on the Hat and saying Thou and Thee and therefore concludes me Ignorant of true Conversion While his Ignorance of us hath made him thus Calumniatious He concludes us Advancers of the Popish Interest because we decry their Ministry and Churches While he borrows this very Argument from the Papists who used it against the First Reformers alledging that their crying down the Church of Rome was a joyning hand with the Turks who did the same though then the First Reformers were no Turks though they agreed with them in denying the Church of Rome Neither are we Romanists though with those of Rome we condemn them especially considering that it is be-because of their too great Affinity with Papists that we do so Seventhly I take notice of his confessing He never intends to tell the World the Scriptures we use alledging we abuse them But if he could have proved we did so it would have tended more to our disadvantage And whereas he says He resolves to write no more I confess it will be his Wisdom except he speak to better purpose it is a very apparent subterfuge to cover his Resolutions of not prosecuting farther this Debate by alledging it will prove endless and comparing us to Scolds who will have the last word Which in reason can have no place in this matter seeing being challenged by me of many great Omissions he freely acknowledged he had not nor did not intend to answer me fully and what he had writ was but some Animadversions Which I have indeed found true having allowed some time as he desired to read them though it very hardly deserves to be so much regarded As to his Epistle if he had as really affected Retirement as he pretends he does he should have done well to have appeared in Publick with some more solid stuff He hath herein almost only shewed his Ingenuity in that he acknowledgeth himself amongst the weakest of our Opposers comparing his Work but to a small quantity of Water brought to quench an House on fire We have indeed found it of less force than many that have come before it to Smother or Drown'd that Truth which God has Revealed among us Truth is the strongest and will prevail In the end of his Epistle he would willingly have the Reader believe he is an Vpholder of the Protestant Interest against our endeavours to overthrow it but to how little purpose may as it occurs be manifested After he has made an intire Omission of what is particularly directed by me to him in my 8 th and 9 th pages as not being able to Vindicate himself he enters upon the matter of Salutation undertaking in his first Section to prove such as are used by gestures wherein I observe First His most manifest Omission of the first part of mine concerning this thing page 9. and 10. where I charge with Dis-ingenuity in wrong Subsuming of our words which he shuffleth over with this general That after the Quakers rate I have Saluted him with Reproach Secondly He having expressed my Argument against their manner of Salutations viz. That being it is the Expression or Signification of our Worship to God All Worship belongs to God alone it ought not nor cannot be given to the Creature without Idolatry He maketh thereunto no direct Answer but instead of one frames a distinction of Worship in Civil and
thoughts of Protestant Ministers who have given such proofs of their Call Answ. He should have told me what these Protestant Ministers are whom he says we impiously censure or by what Rule he or his Brethren would be laying such claim to be Protestant Ministers so as to exclude the Quakers from being such Page 99. Though he quarrel with me for saying That with Papists he pleads for Miracles he is so far from vindicating himself from this Charge Whether Miracles are necessary to prove a true Call that he giveth again new ground for it saying That such as assert an Immediate Call ought to give tokens of it by Miracles c. adding That though John did no Miracles yet his Call was attended with extraordinary things at his Conception and Birth Now this was the very Objection which the Papists made against the first Reformers to whom Luther and Calvin replied That though they had an Immediate Call yet there was no need of Miracles And this Objection of W. M. is no other than that which almost in totidem verbis in as many words was objected to Beza at the Conference of Poizy in France by Claudius Dispensus Doctor of the Sarbone who urged this very Argument of John the Baptist confirming his Call by the Testimony of Malachy c. alledging That they ought to Confirm their Call by Miracles To whom these are Beza his express words Hist. Eccles. of France p. 581. And as to what dispence thou alledgest that extraordinary Vocation is always approved by Miracles or by the Testimony of the Prophets I deny that it is always so verified But if we must come to Miracles do you not think that the Changing of the Life the Fruit which is seen to proceed from this Doctrine in our time by Persons so contemptible and so much persecuted by the greatest of the World are not sufficient Miracles as said the Apostle to the Corinthians that they were the Seals of his Apostleship So the rational Reader may observe that notwithstanding of W. M's so often laying claim to the Protestant Churches and Protestant Ministry and crying out against us as Opposers of them he so directly makes use of Popish Arguments against us and how we defend our selves by no other but the very same Answers the Protestants gave unto the Papists Yea of late W. Rett present Preacher of Dandy in his Book against Papists printed but the last year at Aberdeen Miracles not needful doth plead That Miracles are not needful instancing that John the Baptist did none And so W. M. though he compare us to the Jesuites in his Epistle is so far one with them himself that if his Evasion may be esteemed of worth whereby he seeks to overturn this Example of John when brought by us he will rather furnish the Jesuites with it to fight against his Brother W. Rett or rather borrow it out of their Artillery whereby they fight against Protestants than miss to have a hit at the Quakers May we not truly apply the instance in his Epistle to himself that he is sailing in one Boat with Papists though his face seems to look averse from them Page 100. He saith Whatever inward Call the Elders mentioned Tit. 1.5 Acts 14.23 had yet they had not an Immediate Call The Immediate Call of the Ministry which is by immediate Command and Voice of God without the intervention of men But for this he adds no proof at all nor is there any Inconsistency betwixt being immediately Called by Command from God and afterwards being approved of men or that being Approved and set apart by man excludes having an Immediate Call from God Sect. 1. page 101. He says That Eph. 4.13 is a pregnant and pertinent proof for the Continuance of the Ministry which I never denied But this doth not answer my saying that it is impertinent as to them who deny perfection seeing that place says The Ministry is for Perfection The Ministry is for the perfecting of the Saints Now to this he answers nothing but that it cannot be gathered that this Perfection is on the Earth which is but his own Assertion yea by himself there after overthrown saying That the Ministry is given that we may press after an absolute full Perfection even of degrees for it is folly to press after this if there be no hopes of attaining it He wholly passes by my Objections against their Ministry page 59. especially in that they make not the Grace of God a necessary Qualification to the esse or Being of a Preacher without so much as making any mention of it where I also shew how contrary it is to the order delivered by the Apostles in Scripture Therefore his Conclusion is false to say We cast off such a Ministry seeing he was not able to prove theirs to be such else he would not have wholly past in silence my Reasons shewing it not to be so His thirteenth Head page 102. is concerning the Sabbath or first day of the week's being so The Sabbath as to which I desire the Reader first to take notice that as we believe the Apostles and primitive Christians did meet this day to worship God so we as following their Example do the like and forbear working or using our lawful Occasions upon that day as much as our Adversaries so that the Debate is only Whether there be any inherent Holiness in this Day more than in another Or if there be any positive Command for it from Scripture particularly If the fourth Command bind us to the Observation of it And here W. M. notwithstanding of his great pretences to the Protestant Churches doth wholly disagree from them in this thing who are of our mind as to it the generality of all the Protestants both in Germany France and elsewhere out of this Island do look upon the supposed Morality of the First Day of the Week as altogether Ridiculous which may be seen in Calvin upon the Fourth Command Lib. Inst. 2 c. 8. Sect. 34. where he explains the signification of it as we do viz. Typifying a Spiritual Rest. Typifying a Spiritual Rest wherein leaving our own Works the Spirit of God may work in us He there refutes W. M's Notion as a Jewish Opinion saying Some false Doctors have abused ignorant People with it adding as we do That the Apostle Paul reproves such Superstitions Likewise he plainly asserts That the keeping of the first day is only for Conveniency and to preserve Order in the Church that the Saints might have a fit time set apart to meet together to Worship The keeping of the First Day of the Week why which we also say Hence doth appear the folly of that impertinent story mentioned by him page 105. seeking to infer That we agree with Papists in taking away the fourth Command as they have done the second For by this he might conclude the first and chiefest Reformers guilty of Popery whereas himself agrees with Papists
Formalities attending them all which Man has invented in his degenerate State to feed his Pride in the vain Pomp and Glory of this World As also the unprofitable Plays frivolous Recreations Sportings and Gaming 's which are invented to pass away the pretious time and divert the mind from the Witness of God in the Heart and from the living Sense of his Fear and from that Evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened and which leads into Sobriety Gravity and Godly Fear in which as we abide the Blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in these Actions which we are necessarily engaged in order to the taking care for the Sustenance of the Outward Man AN APOLOGY FOR THE True Christian Divinity Prop. 1 PROPOSITION I. Seeing the Heighth of all Happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of G0D This is Life Eternal John 17.3 to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the true and right understanding of this Foundation and Ground of Knowledge is that which is most necessary to be known and believed in the first place HE that desireth to acquire any Art or Science seeketh first those Means by which that Art or Science is obtained If we ought to do so in things Natural and Earthly how much more then in Spiritual In this Affair then should our Inquiry be the more diligent because he that Errs in the Entrance is not so easily reduced again into the right Way he that misseth his Road from the beginning of his Journey and is deceived in his first Marks at his first setting forth the greater his Mistake is the more difficult will be his Entrance into the right Way Thus when a Man first proposeth to himself the Knowledge of God from a sense of his own Vnworthiness The Way to the true Knowledge of God and from the great Weariness of his Mind occasioned by the secret Checks of his Conscience and the tender yet real Glances of God's Light upon his heart the Earnest Desires he has to be Redeemed from his present trouble and the fervent Breathings he has to be eased of his disordered Passions and Lusts and to find quietness and peace in the certain Knowledge of God and in the assurance of his Love and Good-will towards him makes his heart Tender and ready to receive any Impression and so not having then a distinct Discerning through Forwardness embraceth any thing that brings present Ease If either through the Reverence he bears to certain Persons or from the secret Inclination to what doth comply with his natural Disposition he fall upon any Principles or Means by which he apprehends he may come to know God and so doth Center himself it will be hard to remove him thence again how wrong soever they may be For the first Anguish being over he becomes more hardy and the Enemy being near creates a false Peace and a certain Confidence which is strengthened by the mind's Vnwillingness to enter again into new Doubtfulness or the former Anxiety of a Search Jewish Doctors and Pharisees Resist Christ. This is sufficiently verified in the Example of the Pharisees and Jewish Doctors who most of all Resisted Christ disdaining to be esteemed Ignorant for this Vain Opinion they had of their Knowledge hindered them from the true Knowledge and the mean People who were not so much pre-occupied with former Principles nor Conceited of their own Knowledge did easily believe Wherefore the Pharisees upbraid them saying Joh. 7.48 49. Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed in him But this People which know not the Law are accursed This is also abundantly proved by the Experience of all such as being secretly touched with the Call of God's Grace unto them do apply themselves unto false Teachers where the Remedy proves worse than the Disease because instead of knowing God or the things relating to their Salvation aright they drink-in wrong Opinions of him from which it 's harder to be disentangled than while the Soul remains a Blank or Tabula Rasa For they that conceit themselves Wise are worse to deal with than they that are Sensible of their Ignorance Nor hath it been less the Device of the Devil the great Enemy of Mankind to perswade men into wrong Notions of God than to keep them altogether from Acknowledging him the latter taking with few because odious but the other having been the constant Ruine of the World For there hath scarce been a Nation found but hath had some Notions or other of Religion so that not from their denying any Deity but from their Mistakes and Misapprehensions of it hath proceeded all the Idolatry and Superstition of the World Yea hence even Atheism it self hath proceeded for these many and various Opinions of God and Religion being so much mixed with the Guessings and uncertain Judgments of Men have begotten in many the Opinion that there is no God at all This and much more that might be said may shew how dangerous it is to miss in this first Step All that come not in by the door are accounted as Thieves and Robbers Again How needful and desirable that Knowledge is which brings Life Eternal Epictetus Epictetus sheweth saying Excellently well Cap. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know that the main Foundation of Piety is this to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right Opinions and Apprehensions of God This therefore I judged necessary as a First Principle in the first place to Affirm and I suppose will not need much further Explanation nor Defence as being generally acknowledged by all and in these things that are without Controversy I love to be brief as that which will easily Commend it self to every Man's Reason and Conscience And therefore I shall proceed to the Next Proposition which though it be nothing less certain yet by the Malice of Satan and Ignorance of many comes far more under Debate PROPOSITION II. Of Immediate Revelation Prop. 2 Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him Matth. 11.27 And seeing the Revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the True Knowledge of God hath been is and can be onely Revealed Who as by the Moving of his own Spirit he disposed the Chaos of this World into that Wonderful Order wherein it was in the beginning and Created Man a living Soul to Rule and Govern it so by the Revelation of the same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the Sons of men both Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles which Revelation of God by the Spirit whether by outward Voices and Appearances dreams or inward objective Manifestations in the heart were of old the formal Object of their Faith and remain yet so to be since the Object of the Saints Faith is the same in all Ages though held forth under divers Administrations Moreover these divine inward Revelations which
Ineffectual to bring them the least step towards Salvation and do only Contribute to render their Condemnation the greater and their Torments the more Violent and Intolerable Having thus briefly Removed this false Doctrine which stood in my way because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously Refuted by many others I come to the Matter of our Proposition which is That God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath sent his Only-begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him might be Saved Christ tasted Death for every man Which also is again affirmed in the sixth Proposition in these words Christ then tasted death for every man of all kinds Such is the Evidence of this Truth delivered almost wholly in the Express words of Scripture that it will not need much probation also because our Assertion herein is Common with many others who have both earnestly and soundly according to the Scripture pleaded for this Vniversal Redemption I shall be the more brief in it that I may come to that which may seem more singularly and peculiarly ours § VI. This Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption Christ's Redemption is Vniversal contrary to the Doctrine of Absolute REPROBATION or Christ's dying for all men is of it self so Evident from the Scripture-Testimony that there is scarce found any other Article of the Christian Faith so frequently so plainly and so positively Asserted It is that which maketh the preaching of Christ to be truly termed the Gospel or an Annunciation of glad Tidings to all Thus the Angel declared the Birth and Coming of Christ to the Shepherds to be Luke 2.10 Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Joy which shall be to all people He saith not to a few people Now if this Coming of Christ had not brought a possibility of Salvation to all it should rather have been accounted Bad Tidings of great sorrow to most people neither should the Angel have had reason to have sung Peace on Earth and good Will towards men if the greatest part of Mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving any Benefit by it How should Christ have sent out His to Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.15 a very Comprehensive Commission that is To every son and daughter of Mankind without all Exception He Commands them to Preach Salvation to all Repentance and Remission of sins to all Warning every one and Exhorting every one as Paul did Col. 1.28 Now how couldd they have preached the Gospel to every man The Gospel is preached to Every man as became the Ministers of Jesus Christ in much Assurance if Salvation by that Gospel had not been possible for all What! If some of those had asked them or should now ask any of these Doctors who deny the Vniversality of Christ's Death and yet preach it to all promiscuously Hath Christ died sor me How can they with confidence give a certain Answer to this Question If they give a Conditional Answer as their Principle obligeth them to do and say If thou Repent Christ hath died for thee doth not the same Question still Recur Hath Christ died for me so as to make Repentance possible for me To this they can Answer nothing unless they run in a Circle whereas the Feet of those that bring the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace are said to be beautiful for that they preach the Common Salvation Repentance unto all offering a door of Mercy and Hope to all through Jesus Christ who gave himself a Ransom for all The Gospel Invites all and certainly by the Gospel Christ intended not to deceive and delude the greater part of Mankind when he Inviteth and Crieth saying Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ' I will give you Rest. If All then ought to seek after him and to look for Salvation by him he must needs have made Salvation possible to all for who is bound to seek after that which is Impossible Certainly it were a mocking of men to bid them do so And such as deny that by the Death of Christ Salvation is made possible to all men do most blasphemously make God mock the World in giving his Servants a Commission to preach the Gospel of Salvation unto ALL while he hath before decreed The Absurdity of that Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that it shall not be possible for them to Receive it Would not this make the Lord to send forth his Servants with a Lie in their mouths which were blasphemous to think commanding them to bid all and every one to believe that Christ died for them and had purchased life and Salvation whereas it is no such thing according to the fore-mentioned Doctrine But seeing Christ after he Arose and perfected the work of our Redemption gave a Commission to preach Repentance Remission of Sins and Salvation to all it is manifest that he died for all For he that hath Commissionated his Servants thus to preach is a God of Truth and no mocker of poor Mankind neither doth he require of any man that which is simply Impossible for him to do for that No man is bound to do that which is Impossible is a principle of Truth ingraven in every man's mind And seeing he is both a most Righteous and Merciful God it cannot at all stand neither with his Justice nor Mercy to bid such men Repent or Believe to whom it is Impossible § VII Moreover if we Regard the Testimony of the Scripture in this matter where there is not one Scripture which I know of that affirmeth To Pray for all for Christ died for all Christ not to die for ALL there are divers that positively and expresly Assert he did as 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 6. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all men c. for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Except we will have the Apostle here to Assert quite another thing than he intended there can be nothing more plain to Confirm what we have Asserted And this Scripture doth well answer to that manner of Arguing which we have hitherto used For first the Apostle here Recommends them to Pray for all men And to obviate such an Objection as if he had said with our Adversaries Christ prayed not for the World neither willeth he us to pray for All because he willeth not that All should be saved but hath ordained many to be damned that he might shew forth his Justice in them He obviates I say such an Objection telling them That it is good and acceptable in the sight of God who will have all men to be saved I desire
in a certain respect to lay aside the outward Knowledge of Christ or the Knowledge of him after the flesh in these words 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence it manifestly appears that he makes the Knowledge of Christ after the flesh but as it were the Rudiments which young Children learn which after they are become better Scholars are of less use to them because they have and possess the very Substance of those first Precepts in their minds As all Comparisons halt in some part so shall I not affirm this to hold in every respect yet so far will this hold that as those that go no further than the Rudiments are never to be accounted Learned and as they grow beyond these things so they have less use of them even so such as go no further than the outward Knowledge of Christ shall never Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven But such as come to know this New Birth to be in Christ indeed to be a New Creature to have Old things past away and all things become New may safely say with the Apostle Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Now But by the Work of Light and Grace in the heart this New Creature proceeds from the Work of this Light and Grace in the heart It is that Word which we speak of that is sharp and piercing that Implanted Word able to save the Soul by which this Birth is begotten and therefore Christ hath purchased unto us this Holy Seed that thereby this Birth might be brought forth in us which is therefore also called The Manifestation of the Spirit given to every one to profit withal for it is written that by One Spirit we are all baptized into One Body And the Apostle Peter also ascribeth this Birth to this Seed and Word of God which we have so much declared of saying 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Though then this Seed be small in its Appearance so that Christ Compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds Matth. 13.31 32. and that it be hid in the earthy part of man's heart yet therein is Life and Salvation towards the sons of men wrapt up which comes to be Revealed as they give way to it The Kingdom of God is in the Seed in the hearts of all men And in this Seed in the hearts of all men is the Kingdom of God as in Capacity to be produced or rather Exhibited according as it receives depth is nourished and not choked Hence Christ saith that the Kingdom of God was in the very Pharisees Luke 17.20 21. who did Oppose and Resist him and were justly accounted as Serpents and a generation of Vipers Now the Kingdom of God could be no other ways in them than in a Seed even as the Thirty-fold and the Hundred-fold is wrapt up in a small Seed lying in a barren ground which springs not forth because it wants Nourishment and as the whole body of a great Tree is wrapt up potentially in the Seed of the Tree and so is brought forth in due season and as the Capacity of a Man or a Woman is not only in a Child but even in the very Embryo even so the Kingdom of Jesus Christ yea Jesus Christ himself Christ within who is the hope of glory and becometh Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption is in Every man and woman's heart in that little Incorruptible Seed ready to be brought forth as it is Cherished and Received in the love of it For there can be no men worse than those rebellious and unbelieving Pharisees were and yet this Kingdom was thus within them and they were directed to look for it there so it is neither lo here nor lo there in this or the other Observation that this is known but as this Seed of God in the heart is minded and entertained And certainly hence it is even because this Light Seed and Grace that appears in the heart of man is so little regarded and so much overlooked that so few know Christ brought forth in them Calvinists Papists Arminians and Socinians Errors denying the Light to be Saving The one sort to wit the Calvinists they look upon Grace as an Irresistible Power and therefore neglect and despise this Eternal Seed of the Kingdom in their hearts as a low insufficient useless thing as to their Salvation On the other hand the Papists Arminians and Socinians they go about to set up their natural Power and Will with one Consent denying that this little Seed this small Appearance of the Light is that Supernatural Saving Grace of God given to Every man to save him And so upon them is verified that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ This is the Condemnation of the World that Light is come into the World but men love Darkness rather than Light the reason is added because their Deeds are Evil. All Confess they feel this but they will not have it to be of that virtue Some will have it to be Reason some a Natural Conscience some Certain Relicks of God's Image that remained in Adam So Christ as he met with Opposition from all kinds of Professors in his Outward Appearance so doth he now in his Inward It was the Meanness of his outward Man The Meanness of Christ's Appearance in the flesh that made many despise him saying Is not this the Son of the Carpenter are not his Brethren and Sisters among us Is not this a Galilean and came there ever a Prophet out of Galilea and such like Reasonings For they expected an Outward Deliverer who as a Prince should deliver them with great Ease from their Outward Enemies and not such a MESSIAH as should be Crucified shamefully and as it were lead them into many Sorrows Troubles and Afflictions So the Meanness of this Appearance makes the Crafty Jesuites the pretended Rational Socinians and the Learned Arminians overlook it desiring rather something that they might exercise their Subtilty Reason and Learning about and use the Liberty of their own Wills And the Secure Calvinists they would have a Christ to Save them without any Trouble to destroy all their Enemies for them without them and nothing or little within while they mean while be at Ease to live in their Sins secure Whence when all is well Examined the Cause is plain it is because their deeds are evil that with one Consent they Reject this Light The Nature of the Light for it Checks the Wisest of them all and the Learnedest of them all in secret it Reproves them neither can all
their Logick silence it nor can the securest among them stop its Voice from Crying and Reproving them within for all their Confidence in the outward Knowledge of Christ or of what he hath Suffered outwardly for them For as hath been often said in a Day it strives with all wrestles with all and it 's the Vnmortified Nature the first Nature the old Adam yet alive in the Wisest in the Learnedest in the most-zealous for the outward Knowledge of Christ that denies this that despises it that shuts it out to their own Condemnation They come all under this Description Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be Reproved Joh. 3.20 so that it may be said now and we can say from a true and certain Experience as it was said of old Psal. 118.22 Matth. 21.42 Mark 12.10 Luke 20.17 Acts 4.11 The Stone which the Builders of all kinds have Rejected the same is become unto us the Head of the Corner Glory to God for ever who hath chosen us a First-Fruits to himself in this day wherein he is arisen to plead with the Nations and therefore hath sent us forth to preach this Everlasting Gospel unto all Christ nigh to all the Light in all the Seed sown in the Hearts of all that men may come and apply their minds to it And we Rejoice that we have been made to lay down our Wisdom and Learning such of us as have had some of it and our Carnal Reasoning to Learn of Jesus and sit down at the feet of Jesus in our hearts and hear him who there makes all things manifest and reproves all things by his Light Eph. 5.13 The Wise and Learned in the Notion Crucifiers of Christ. For many are Wise and Learned in the Notion in the letter of the Scripture as the Pharisees were and can speak much of Christ and plead strongly against Infidels Turks and Jews and it may be also against some Heresies who in the mean time are Crucifying Christ in the small Appearance of his Seed in their Hearts O! better were it to be Stript naked of all to account it as dross and dung and become a Fool for Christ's sake thus knowing him to Teach thee in thy heart so as thou may'st witness him Raised there feel the virtue of his Cross there and say with the Apostle I glory in nothing save in the Cross of Christ whereby I am Crucified to the World and the World unto me This is better than to write Thousands of Commentaries and to preach many Sermons And it is thus to preach Christ and direct people to his Pure Light in the Heart None are saved by the Knowledge of the History but by the Operation of the Light of Christ in the Mystery that God hath raised us up and for which the Wise Men of this World account us Fools because by the Operation of this Cross of Christ in our hearts we have denied our own Wisdom and Wills in many things and have forsaken the vain Worships Fashions and Customs of this World For these divers Centuries the World hath been full of a dry fruitless and barren Knowledge of Christ feeding upon the husk and neglecting the kernel following after the shadow but strangers to the Substance Hence the Devil matters not how much of that Knowledge abounds provided he can but possess the heart and rule in the Will Crucify the Appearance of Christ there and so keep the Seed of the Kingdom from taking Root For he has led them abroad lo here and lo there and has made them wrestle in a false Zeal so much one against another contending for this outward Observation Contentions about outward Observations and Lo-here's c. and for the other outward Observation seeking Christ in this and the other External thing as in Bread and Wine contending one with another how he is there while some will have him to be present therein this way and some the other way and some in Scriptures in Books in Societies and Pilgrimages and Merits But some Confiding in an External Barren Faith think all is well if they do but firmly believe that he died for their sins past present and to come while in the mean time Christ lies Crucified and Slain and is daily Resisted and Gainsaid in his Appearance in their hearts The Call of God to blinded Christendom Thus from a sense of this Blindness and Ignorance that is come over Christendom it is that we are led and moved of the Lord so constantly and frequently to Call all Invite all Request all to turn to the Light in them to mind the Light in them to believe in Christ as he is in them And that in the Name Power and Authority of the Lord not in School-Arguments and Distinctions for which many of the Wise men of this World account us Fools and Mad-men we do Charge and Command them to lay aside their Wisdom to come down out of that proud airy brain-knowledge and to stop that mouth how Eloquent soever to the worldly Ear it may appear and to be silent and sit down as in the Dust and to mind the Light of Christ in their own Consciences Which if it be minded they would find as a sharp two-edged Sword in their hearts and as a fire and a hammer that would knock against and burn up all that Carnal gathered natural Stuff and make the stoutest of them all Tremble and become Quakers indeed Which those that come not to feel now and kiss not the Son while the day lasteth but harden their hearts will feel to be a certain Truth when it is too late To conclude as saith the Apostle All ought to Examine themselves whether they be in the Faith indeed and Try their own selves for except Jesus be in them they are certainly Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 Part 2 § XXV Secondly That which remains now to be proved is That by the operation of this Light and Seed some have been Proved and may yet be saved to whom the Gospel is not outwardly preached nor the History of Christ outwardly known That many by the Light may be saved that have not the outward Knowledge of Christ. To make this the easier we have already shewn how that Christ hath died for all men and consequently these are Inlightned by Christ and have a measure of Saving Light and Grace yea that the Gospel though not in any outward Dispensation is preached to them and in them so that thereby they are stated in a possibility of Salvation From which I may thus Argue Arg. To whom the Gospel the Power of God unto Salvation is manifest they may be Saved whatever Outward Knowledge they want But this Gospel is preached in Every Creature in which is certainly comprehended many that have not the Outward Knowledge Therefore of those many may be saved But to those Arguments by which it hath been proved that all men have a
make a Gospel-Ministry that he be not a fool 2. Acquired Parts that he be Learned in the Languages in Philosophy and School-Divinity 3. The Grace of God The Two first They reckon Necessary to the being of a Minister so as a man cannot be one without them the Third they say goeth to the well-being of one but not to the being so that a man may truly be a lawful Minister without it and ought to be heard and received as such But we supposing a natural Capacity that one be not an Idiot judge the Grace of God indispensibly Necessary to the very being of a Minister as that without which any can neither be a true nor lawful nor good Minister As for Letter-Learning we judge it not so much necessary to the well-being of one though accidentally sometimes in certain respects it may Concur but more frequently it is hurtful then helpful as appeared in the Example of Taulerus who being a Learned man A poor Laick Instructed the Learned Taulerus and who could make an Eloquent preaching needed nevertheless to be Instructed in the way of the Lord by a poor Laick I shall first speak of the Necessity of Grace and then proceed to say something of that Literature which they judge so needful First then as we said in the Call so may we much more here If the Proof I Grace of God be a necessary Qualification to make one a true Christian it must be a Qualification much more necessary to Constitute a true Minister of Christianity That Grace is necessary to make up a true Christian I think will not be questioned since it is By Grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 it is the Grace of God God's Grace alone doth constitute a true and lawful Teacher that teacheth us to deny ungodliness and the lusts of this World and to live godly and righteously Tit. 2.11 yea Christ saith expresly that Without him we can do nothing John 15.5 and the Way whereby Christ helpeth assisteth and worketh with us is by his Grace Hence saith he to Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee A Christian without Grace is indeed no Christian but an Hypocrite and a false pretender Then I say If Grace be necessary to a private Christian far more to a Teacher among Christians who must be as a Father and Instructer of others seeing this dignity is bestowed upon such as have attained a greater measure than their Brethren Even Nature it self may teach us that there is more required in a Teacher than in those that are Taught and that the Master must be above and before the Scholar in that Art or Science which he Teacheth others Since then Christianity cannot be truly enjoyed neither any man denominated a Christian without the true Grace of God Therefore neither can any man be a true nor lawful Teacher of Christianity without it Proof II Secondly No man can be a Minister of the Church of Christ which is his Body unless he be a Member of the Body and receive of the Virtue and Life of the Head Arg Who first must be a Member of the Body and then Life is receiv'd and Virtue from the Head But he that hath not true Grace can neither be a Member of the Body neither receive of that Life and Nourishment which comes from the Head Therefore far less can he be a Minister to Edify the Body That he cannot be a Minister who is not a Member is Evident because who is not a Member is shut out and cut-off and hath no place in the Body whereas the Ministers are counted among the most-Eminent Members of the Body But no man can be a Member unless he receive of the Virtue Life and Nourishment of the Head for the Members that receive not this life and nourishment decay and wither and then are Cut-off And that every true Member doth thus receive Nourishment and Life from the Head the Apostle Expresly affirmeth Eph. 4.16 From whom the whole body being fitly joined together and compacted by that which every Joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes Increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love Now this that thus is Communicated and which thus uniteth the whole is no other than the Grace of God and therefore the Apostle in the same Chapter v. 7. affirms But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and vers 11. he sheweth how that by this Grace and Gift both Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers are given for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the Body of Christ. And certainly no man destitute of this Grace is fit for this Work seeing that all that Christ gives are so qualified and those that are not so qualified are not given The Sheep of Christ nor ought nor will not hear the Stranger 's Voice nor sent of Christ and who are not given and sent of Christ are not to be heard nor received nor acknowledged as Ministers of the Gospel because his sheep neither ought nor will hear the voice of a Stranger This is also clear from 1 Cor. 12. throughout For the Apostle in that Chapter treating of the diversity of Gifts and Members of the Body sheweth how by the working of the same Spirit in different Manifestations or Measures in the several Members the whole Body is edified saying vers 13. That we are all baptized by the One Spirit into one Body and then vers 28. he numbers out the several Dispensations thereof which by God are set in the Church through the various Working of his Spirit for the Edification of the whole Then if there be no true Member of the Body which is not thus Baptized by this Spirit neither any thing that worketh to the Edifying of it but according to a measure of Grace received from the Spirit surely without Grace none ought to be admitted to work or labour in the Body because their labour and work without this Grace and Spirit would be but Ineffectual § XVI Thirdly That this Grace and Gift is a necessary Qualification to a Minister is clear from that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen From which it appears that those that Minister must Minister according to the Gift and Grace received but they that have not such a Gift The Ministring must be by Gift and Grace received cannot Minister according thereunto Secondly As good stewards of the manifold Grace of God But how can a man be a good steward of that which
they did in the two places above-cited Alleg. II Secondly they say If this were not understood of Water-baptism it would be a Tautology and all one with Teaching How Teaching and Baptising differ I say Nay Baptizing with the Spirit is somewhat further than Teaching or Informing the Vnderstanding for it imports a Reaching to and melting the Heart whereby it is turned as well as the Vnderstanding informed Besides we find often in the Scripture that Teaching and Instructing are put together without any Absurdity or needless Tautology and yet these two have a greater Affinity than teaching and baptizing with the Spirit Alleg. III Thirdly they say Baptism in this Place must be understood with Water because it is the Action of the Apostles and so cannot be the Baptism of the Spirit which is the work of Christ and his Grace not of Man c. Answ. I Answer Baptism with the Spirit tho' not wrought without Christ and his Grace is Instrumentally done by Men fitted of God for that purpose and therefore no Absurdity follows The Baptism with the Spirit Ascrib'd to Godly Men as Instruments that Baptism with the Spirit should be expressed as the Action of the Apostles for tho' it be Christ by his Grace that gives Spiritual Gifts yet the Apostle Rom. 1.11 speaks of his Imparting to them Spiritual Gifts and he tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 And yet to beget People unto the Faith is the work of Christ and his Grace not of Men. To Convert the Heart is properly the Work of Christ and yet the Scripture oftentimes ascribes it to Men as being the Instruments And since Paul's Commission was To turn People from Darkness to Light tho' that be not done without Christ co-operating by his Grace so may also baptizing with the Spirit be expressed as performable by Man as the Instrument tho the Work of Christ's Grace be needful to concur thereunto so that it is no Absurdity to say that the Apostles did Administer the Baptism of the Spirit Alleg. IV Lastly they say That since Christ saith here that he will be with his Disciples to the end of the World therefore Water-baptism must continue so long If he had been speaking here of Water-baptism then that might have been urged Answ. but seeing that is denied and proved to be false nothing from thence can be gathered He speaking of the Baptism of the Spirit which we freely confess doth remain to the End of the World yea so long as Christ's Presence abideth with his Children Object III § IX Thirdly they Object the Constant Practice of the Apostles in the Primitive Church who they say did always Administer Water-baptism to such as they Converted to the Faith of Christ And hence also they further urge that of Matth. 28. to have been meant of Water or else the Apostles did not understand it in that in baptizing they used Water or that in so doing they walked without a Commission I Answer That it was the Constant Practice of the Apostles is denied for we have shewen in the Example of Paul that it was not so since it were most absurd to judge that he Converted only these few even of the Church of Corinth whom he saith he baptized nor were it less absurd to think that that was a constant Apostolick Practice which he that was not inferior to the Chiefest of the Apostles and who declares he laboured as much as they all rejoyceth he was so little in But further the Conclusion inferred from the Apostles Practice of baptizing with Water to evince How the Apostles Baptized that they understood Matth. 28. of Water-baptism doth not hold for tho they baptized with Water it will not follow that either they did it by vertue of that Commission or that they mistook that place nor can there be any Medium brought that will infer such a Conclusion As to the other insinuated Absurdity That they did it without a Commission It is none at all for they might have done it by a Permission as being in use before Christ's Death and because the people nursed up with Outward Ceremonies could not be weaned wholly from them And thus they used other things as Circumcision and legal Purifications which yet they had no Commission from Christ to do to which we shall speak more at length in the following Proposition concerning the Supper But if from the Sameness of the Word because Christ bids them baptize Object and they afterwards in the Vse of Water are said to baptize it be judged probable that they did understand that Commission Matth. 28. to authorize them to baptize with Water and accordingly practised it Altho' it should be granted that for a season they did so far mistake it Answ. as to judge that Water belonged to that Baptism which however I find no necessity of granting yet I see not any great Absurdity would thence follow For it is plain they did mistake that Commission as to a main part of it for a Season as where he bids them Go teach all Nations since some time after they judged it unlawful to Teach the Gentiles yea Peter himself scrupled it until by a Vision constrained thereunto for which after he had done it he was for a season until they were better informed judged by the rest of his Brethren Now if the Education of the Apostles The Apostles did scruple the Teaching the Gentiles as Jews and their Propensity to adhere and stick to the Jewish Religion did so far influence them that even after Christ's Resurrection and the pouring forth of the Spirit they could not receive nor admit of the Teaching of the Gentiles tho' Christ in his Commission to them commanded them to Preach to them what further Absurdity were it to suppose that through the like Mistake the Chiefest of them having been the Disciples of John and his Baptism being so much prized there among the Jews that they also took Christ's Baptism intended by him of the Spirit to be that of Water which was John's and accordingly practised it for a season it suffices us that if they were so mistaken tho' I say not that they were so they did not always remain under that Mistake else Peter would not have said of the Baptism which now says that it is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh which certainly Water-baptism is But further they urge much Peter's baptising Cornelius in which they press two things First That Water-baptism is used even to those that had received the Spirit Secondly That it is said positively he commanded them to be baptized Acts 10.47 48. But neither of these doth necessarily infer Water-baptism to belong to the New Covenant-Dispensation nor yet to be a Perpetual standing Ordinance in the Church Whether Peter's Baptizing some with Water makes it a standing Ordinance to the Church For first all that this will amount to was That Peter at that
any but that those Vertues are not in many of the Persons expressed by the Titles they bear neither will they allow to speak so to such in whom these Vertues are unless they be so dignified by outward Princes So that such as are truly Vertuous must not be styled by their Vertues because not priviledged by the Princes of this World and such as have them not must be so called because they have obtained a Patent so to be and all this is done by those who pretend to be his Followers that commanded his Disciples Not to call any Man Master and told them such could not believe as received Honour one from another and sought not the Honour which cometh from God only This is so plain to such as will indeed be Christians that it needs no Consequence Your Holiness Your Grace c. Fourthly As to those Titles of Holiness Eminency and Excellency used among the Papists to the Pope and Cardinals c. and Grace Lordship and Worship used to the Clergy among the Protestants it is a most blasphemous Usurpation For if they use Holiness and Grace because these things ought to be in a Pope or in a Bishop how come they to usurp that peculiarly to themselves Ought not Holiness and Grace to be in every Christian And so every Christian should say Your Holiness and Your Grace one to another Next how can they in Reason claim any more Titles than were practised and received by the Apostles and Primitive Christians whose Successors they pretend they are and as whose Successors and no otherwise themselves I judge will confess any Honour they seek is due to them Now if they neither sought received nor admitted such Honour nor Titles how came these by them If they say They did let them prove it if they can We find no such thing in the Scripture The Christians speak to the Apostles without any such Denominations neither saying If it please Your Grace Hypocrites want Titles Your Holiness Your Lordship nor Your Worship they are neither called My Lord Peter nor My Lord Paul nor yet Master Peter nor Master Paul nor Doctor Peter nor Doctor Paul but singly Peter and Paul and that not only in the Scripture but for some hundreds of Years after So that this appears to be a manifest Fruit of the Apostasy For if these Titles arise either from the Office or Worth of the Persons it will not be denied but the Apostles deserved them better than any now that call for them But the Case is plain the Apostles had the Holiness the Excellency the Grace and because they were Holy Excellent and Gracious they neither used nor admitted of such Titles But these having neither Holiness Excellency nor Grace will needs be so called to satisfy their Ambitious and Ostentive Minds which is a manifest Token of their Hypocrisy Fifthly as to that Title of Majesty usually ascribed to Princes we do not find it given to any such in the Holy Scripture but that it is specially and peculiarly ascribed unto God as 1 Chron. 29.11 Job 37.22 Psal. 21.5.29.4.43.3.63.1.96.6 Isa. 2.10.24.14.26.10 Heb. 1.3 2 Pet. 1.16 and many more Places Hence saith Jude ver 25. To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty c. not to Men We find in Scripture the proud King Nebuchadnezar assuming this Title to himself Dan. 4.30 who at that Time received a sufficient Reproof by a sudden Judgment which came upon him Therefore in all the Compellations used to Princes in the Old Testament it is not to be found nor yet in the New Paul was very civil to Agrippa yet he gives him no such Title Neither was this Title used among Christians in the Primitive Times Hence the Ecclesiastical History of the Reformation of France relating the Speech of the Lord Rochefort at the Assembly of the Estate of France held under Charles the Ninth in the Year 1560 saith That this Harangue was well remarked in that he used not the Word Majesty invented by Flatterers of late Years And yet this Author minded not how his Master Calvin used this flattering Title to Francis the First King of France Eccles. hist. lib. 4. p. 445. Your Majesty not used How taken notice of in 1560. and not only so but calls him Most-Christian King in the Epistle to his Institutions though by his daily persecuting of the Reformers it was apparent he was far from being such even in Calvin's own Esteem Surely the complying with such vain Titles imposed and introduced by Antichrist greatly tended to stain the Reformation and to render it defective in many things Lastly All these Titles and Styles of Honour are to be rejected by Christians because they are to seek the Honour that comes from above and not the Honour that is from below But these Honours are not that Honour that comes from above but are from below The Proud Mind loves Titles For we know well enough what Industry and what Pains Men are at to get these Things and what part it is that seeks after them to wit the Proud Insolent Haughty Aspiring Mind For judge Is it the Meek and Innocent Spirit of Christ that covets that Honour Is it that Spirit that must be of no Reputation in this World that has its Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3.20 that comes to have Fellowship with the Sons of God Is it that Spirit I say that loves that Honour that seeks after that Honour that pleads for the upholding of that Honour that frets and rages and fumes when it is denied that Honour Or is it not rather the Lordly insulting Spirit of Lucifer Lucifer's Spirit the Prince of this World he that of old affected and sought after this Honour and loved not to abide in the Submissive Low Place And so all his Children are possessed with the same ambitious proud Mind seeking and coveting Titles of Honour which indeed belong not to them For let us examine Who are they 1 Sam. 2.30 that are Honourable indeed Is it not the Righteous Man Is it not the Holy Man Is it not the humble-hearted Man the meek spirited Man And are not such those that ought to be honoured among Christians Now of these may there not be Poor Men Labourers silly Fishermen And if so how comes it that the Titles of Honour are not bestowed upon such But who are they that generally receive and look for this Honour Are they not the Rich ones such as have abundance of the Earth as be like the Rich Glutton such as are proud and ambitious such as are Oppressors of the Poor such as swell with Lust and Vanity and all superfluity of Naughtiness Who are the very Abomination and Plague of the Nations are not these they that are accounted the Honourable that require and receive the Titles of Honour proud Hamans Now whether is this the Honour that comes from God or the Honour from below Doth God honour such as daily dishonour him
of the Creation whether the things be fine or course and do not satisfie themselves with what need and conveniency calls for but add thereunto things meerly superfluous such as is the use of Ribbands and Lace and much more of that kind of stuff as painting the Face plaiting the Hair which are the Fruits of the fallen lustful and corrupt nature and not of the new Creation as all will acknowledge And though sober men among all sorts will say That it were better these things were not yet will they not reckon them unlawful and therefore do admit the use of them among their Church-members But we do account them altogether unlawful and unsutable to Christians and that for these Reasons First The use of Cloaths came originally from the fall If man had not fallen it appears he would not have needed them But this miserable state made them necessary in two Respects The proper use of Cloaths 1. To Cover his Nakedness and 2. To keep him from the Cold Which is both the proper and principal use of them Now for man to delight himself in that which is the fruit of his Iniquity and is the consequence of Sin can be no ways lawful for him So to extend things beyond their real use or to superadd things wholly superfluous is a manifest abuse of the Creation and therefore not lawful to Christians Secondly Those that will needs so adorn themselves in the use of their Cloaths as to beset them with things having no real use nor necessity but meerly for Ornament's sake do openly declare that the end of it is either to please their lust for which end these things are chiefly invented and contrived or otherwise to gratifie a vain Not to please their Lusts. proud ostentative mind and it is obvious these are their general ends in so doing Yea we see how easily men are puff'd up with their Garments and how proud and vain they are when adorned to their mind Now how far these things are below a true Christian and how unsutable it needs not great probation Hereby those that love to be gaudy and superfluous in their Cloaths shew they concern themselves little with Mortification and Self-denial and that they mind to beautify their Bodies more than their Souls which proves they mind little upon mortality and so certainly are more nominal than real Christians Thirdly The Scripture severely reproves such Practices both commending and commanding the contrary as Isa 3. how severely doth the Prophet reprove the Daughters of Israel for their Tinkling Ornaments Contrary to Scripture their Cauls and their round Tiars their Chains and Bracelets c. and yet is it not strange to see Christians allow themselves in these things from whom a more strict and exemplary Conversation is required Christ desires us not to be anxious about our Cloathing Matth. 6.25 and to shew the Vanity of such as Glory in the Splendour of their Cloathing tells them That even Solomon in all his glory was not to be compared to the Lily of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven But surely they make small reckoning of Christ's Words and Doctrine that are curious in their Cloathing and so industrious to deck themselves and so earnest to justify it and so mad when they are reproved for it The Apostle Paul is very positive in this Respect 1 Tim. 2.8 9 10. I will therefore in like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly Array But which becometh women professing godliness with good works To the same purpose saith Peter 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit c. Here both the Apostles do very positively and expresly assert two things First That the adorning of Christian Women of whom it is particularly spoken I judge because that Sex is most naturally inclined to that Vanity and that it seems Plaiting the Hair c. that Christian Men in those Days deserved not in this Respect so much to be reproved ought not to be outward nor to consist in the Apparel Secondly That they ought not to use the plaiting of the Hair or Ornaments c. which was at that Time the Custome of the Nations But is it not strange That such as make the Scripture their Rule and pretend they are guided by it should not only be so frequently and ordinarily in the use of these things which the Scripture so plainly condemns but also should allow themselves in so doing For the Apostles not only commend the Forbearance of these things as an Attainment Commendable in Christians but condemn the use of them as unlawful and yet may it not seem more strange that in contradiction to the Apostles Doctrine as if they had resolved to slight their Testimony they should condemn those that out of Conscience apply themselves seriously to follow it as if in so doing they were singular proud or superstitious This certainly betokens a sad Apostasy in those that will be accounted Christians that they are so offended with those that love to follow Christ and his Apostles in denying of and departing from the lying Vanities of this perishing World and so doth much evidence their Affinity with such as hate to be reproved and neither will enter themselves nor suffer those that would § VIII Fourthly Let us consider the use of Games Sports Comedies and other such things Sports c. inconsistent with the Gospel commonly and indifferently used by all the several Sorts of Christians under the Notion of Divertisement and Recreation and see whether these things can consist with the Seriousness Gravity and Godly Fear which the Gospel calls for Let us but view and look over the Notions of them that call themselves Christians whether Popish or Protestant and see if generally there be any Difference save in meer Name and Profession from the Heathen Doth not the same Folly the same Vanity the same Abuse of precious and irrevocable Time abound The same Gaming Sporting Playing and from thence Quarrelling Fighting Swearing Ranting Revelling Now how can these things be remedied so long as the Preachers and Professors and those who are the Leaders of the People do allow these things and account them not inconsistent with the Profession of Christianity And it is strange to see that these things are tolerated every where the Inquisition lays no hold on them neither at Rome nor in Spain where in their Mascarades all manner of Obscenity Folly yea and Atheism is generally practised in the Face of the World to the great Scandal of the Christian Name But if any Man reprove them in these things and forsake their Superstitions
is no sufficient Warrant to us to do any thing The Positive Permission is when God by some Inward Evidence or Signification of his Spirit by Words or otherwise maketh us know That he Alloweth us to do such a thing although he Command it not As for Example if a Scholar should go forth out of the School without getting of his Master's Leave this is a Negative Permission and is not a sufficient Ground for the Scholar to go forth But when the Scholar cometh and saith Let me go forth and the Master answereth Thou mayest go this is a Positive Permission and not a Command Praeses And. Th. Examples are not Demonstrations G. K. But they may be used to Illustrate Praeses A. Th. But the Master saith to the Scholar Exi go forth which is in the Imperative and that signifieth to Command G. K. That is but a Grammaticism for the Imperative Mood doth not always signifie to Command but sometimes to Command and sometimes to Permit which I refer to the Judgment of School-Masters who teach the Grammar A.T. Praeses As in the third Person in the Imperative Exeat Let him go is Permissive This is rather like a Debate about Grammatications of Imperative Moods than about the Matter intended therefore come to the Purpose A. Shir. In the Prosecution of this Argument against this Thesis alledged on G. K. He will not pay his Debt because he may pretend he wants an Inspiration to do it G. K. I hope none can blame me for refusing to Pay my Debt and I pay my Debt as well as any of you nor can any be supposed that Men can want an Inspiration to do any such thing And we refer our selves to the Judgment of Discretion in all sober Persons here present Paul Gelly I have an Argument to propose for Water-baptism R. B. Then let me read the Thesis which was read and is as followeth As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism Ephes. 4.5 which is not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 and this Baptism is a Holy and Spiritual Thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire by which we are buried with him Col. 2.12 that being washed and purged from our Sins we may walk in newness of Life Rom. 6.4 of which the Baptism of John was a Figure which was commanded for a Time and not to continue for ever As to the Baptism of Infants it is a meer Human Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture R. B. What hast thou against this Thesis is it not the express Words of Scripture P. G. It is true and therein we agree but I oppose your Meaning of it R. B. We make no Meaning in the Case Note That while this Young-Man was prosecuting his Argument J. L. did insolently intrude himself and interrupted him and they spoke of them three at some times for the Scripture declareth our Meaning G. K. Ye have a large Field to dispute in in the last part of the Thesis if you please where he positively affirms That Sprinkling of Infants is a meer Human Tradition Students We will not meddle with that at this Time P. G. Either you mean by this Thesis That Water-Baptism is ceased or not ceased R. B. Come on we mean It is ceased P. G. I prove it is not Ceased thus If the Presence of Christ is to continue with his Church for ever then Water-Baptism is to continue for ever But the first is true Therefore the second G. K. People take Notice he saith Water-Baptism is to continue for ever if so then we must be baptized in Heaven after this Life with Water-Baptism Stud. He means by for ever to the end of the World R. B. Having repeated the Argument I deny the sequel of the first Proposition P. G. I prove it from Matth. 28. Go Teach and Baptize all Nations c. Here Christ commanding them to Baptize sheweth he will be with them to the end of the World therefore as long as he was to be with them that Baptism was to Continue R. B. I grant the whole But the Question is If that Baptism be by Water which I deny P. G. I prove it was by Water If the Apostles baptized with Water then they were commanded to baptize with Water But the Apostles baptized with Water Therefore they were commanded to Baptize with Water R. B. Having repeated the Argument I deny the Consequence of the Proposition P. G. I prove it thus Either the Apostles did Baptize with Water by theCommand of Christ Matth. 28. Or they were ignorant of the Meaning of that Command Chuse you whether G. K. It is not a Sufficient Enumeration for they might have known the Meaning of the Command and yet Baptized with Water not for that Command but in Condescension to the Weaknesses of the Jews P.G. If they Condescended to Baptize with Water for the Weakness of the Jews though without a Command then ye ought to Baptize now with Water to Condescend to Peoples Weakness now seeing ye confess that there are who are weak both among us and your selves G. K. That will not follow more than in the Case of Circumcision for the Apostle Paul did Circumcise without a Command in Condescension to the Jews yet it followeth not that any now should Circumcise to Condescend to the people who should require it Stud. The parity is not alike because Baptism with water was Commanded to the Apostles so not Circumcision for John Baptist was sent to Baptize with Water R. B. John Baptist was not an Apostle and so not concerned in that Commission Matth. 28. And his Baptism was to decrease that the Baptism of Christ by the Holy Ghost might encrease Al. Shir. It must be Water-Baptism because the Baptizing of the Holy Ghost is ceased now G. K. People take notice he saith The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is ceased now A. Shir. It is ceased to be given by Men for do ye give the Holy Ghost by the laying on of Hands G. K. The Holy Ghost may be given without the laying on of Hands and Holy Men now are Instruments in conveying the Gifts of the Holy Ghost to others R. B. Did not Paul say Rom. 1.11 That he longed to see them to communicate some Spiritual Gift And besides as to the Matter of Condescendence Abstaining from Blood and things strangled though particularly Commanded by the Apostles yet is not now to be practised by any Condescension as your selves confess G. K. Hear what Augustine saith in the Case of Circumcision observing of Meals Drinks Washing Sacrifices c. They are to be considered in a threefold respect viz. First as Living under the Law Secondly as dead after the Death of Christ Thirdly as deadly as being once buried and being once buried they are not to be again raised
all things never faileth albeit other Gifts have 1 Cor. 13. from the first Verse As by this the Excellency of Love is shewn so the Necessity of pressing after it and living in it will be readily acknowledged by all but seeing the Sum of this Love as well as the Perfection thereof consists in Loving God above all so whatever diverteth in any thing there from is not to be accounted Love though the same Word be used to Express it and that in the Scripture it self Self-Love such as the Love of Self the Love of the World the Love of any Creature Hence for the Attaining of the true and excellent Love the Love of all these other things is not only to be laid aside and the Love of God preferred to them but they are to be hated as Christ himself Phraseth it He that hateth his Life Jo. 12.25 Yea he useth it so as to speaking of hating Father and Mother Luk. 14.26 Though when the Love to such is truly Subordinate to the other it is both Commended and Commanded The Testimony of the Love of God is to keep his Commandments The Testimony which is required of our Really being in the Love of God Christ himself signifieth to us If you Love me keep my Commandments And as the Beloved Disciple John said in the Case of Knowledge shewing us the Falshood of such as pretend to know God and yet do not so saying He that says he knows God and keeps not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 Jo. 2.4 So may be also said He that saith he loves God and keeps not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him according as the same Apostle saith 1 Jo. 5.3 For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments Hence it is apparent that Love without Purity is but a False Pretence and that whatsoever hinders from the Practice of this Love of God or withdraws from the Obedience of the least of his Commands is to be denied and no ways to be Entertained as being either the Love of the Devil the Love of the World or the Love of Self and not the Love of the Father And as from the True Love of God having taken Place both upon the Vnderstanding and Will there ariseth a great Fervency and Desire of Mind that it may be wholly Vnited with the Lord and made Conformable unto his Will in all things So from hence ariseth also a certain Aversion from Indignation of and even Hatred to whatsoever is Contrary thereunto or has a Tendency to lead from it which is commonly called Zeal Which Zeal having a right Bottom and Foundation The True Zeal proceeds from the love of God and proceeding purely from the Love of God is a great Virtue greatly to be commended and pressed after and the Defect thereof is justly reproveable in a Christian. That Zeal then thus considered is a thing Excellent Pure and Holy of it self appears in that it is ascribed to God himself 2 Kings 19.13 Where the Performance of the Blessed Evangelical Promises is to be performed by the Zeal of the Lord Isa. 19.17 He is said to be Cloathed with Zeal as with a Cloak and 63.15 His Zeal is numbred with his Bowels and Mercies Next David Recommends himself to God for that the Zeal of his house had eaten him up Psal. 69.9 and 119.139 And Paul commends the Corinthians for their Zeal 2 Cor. 7.11 1 Cor. 14.12 And for this End has the Grace of God appeared unto all that there might be a People gathered Zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 And as this is commended and recommended on the one hand so is the contrary thereof to wit Indifferency and Luke-warmness reproved and rebuked as a thing displeasing to the Lord. Of many Instances whereof that might be given that unto the Church of Laodicea may serve at present Rev. 13.15 16. Because for a Remedy against this Evil she is Exhorted vers 19. To be Zealous and Repent But as there is a True Zeal so is there a False one The False Zeal its Kinds and Degrees and it is not more needful to have the one than it is to avoid the other Now as the True Zeal proceedeth only from the pure Love of God and single Regard to his Honour and Glory so the False Zeal proceedeth from the Love of something else and the Regard to other things And of this False Zeal there are several Kinds as well as Degrees all of which though they ought to be shunned yet some are far more hurtful and pernicious than others The Worst and Highest of these is when as Men through the height of Pride Lust Ambition or Envy shew themselves Furious and Zealous to satisfy and fulfil their Desires and Affections 1. A Furious Cain 's Zeal This is the highest Zeal for Self From this Zeal did Cain slay Abel Ishmael mocked Isaac and Esau hated Jacob Pharaoh Persecuted the Children of Israel Saul David and Jezabel the True Prophets of the Lord. A Second Kind is when as Men that are not True and Faithful even to those Principles of Religion they profess themselves to acknowledge as True as being Conscious to themselves 2. A Wicked Persecutors Zeal and also publickly known to be such as are Vitious and Profligate yet do violently Persecute and Oppress others that differ from them though they be not only Equal to them but even by their own Acknowledgment exceed them in Temperance and Virtue having nothing to charge them with but that they Agree not with them in Judgment and Practice in Matters of Religion This apparently is a False Zeal and not of God for if it proceeded from the true Love of God it would first Operate in themselves to the removing of all those Things which they acknowledge to be Contrary to this Love of God before it exerted it self towards others seeing as the Proverb is Charity begins at home And like unto this was the Zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees Scribes and Pharisees Instanced who Persecuted Christ for a Breaker of the Law which themselves did not fulfil As is also the Zeal both of the Papists and Protestants in their Persecutions at this Day A Third Sort is of such 3. A Blind Religious Zeal who do indeed walk strictly and closely to their own Principles making Conscience of their Way but yet being Blinded in their Understanding do Persecute Truth supposing it to be Error Of this Number was Paul before his Conversion Being as to the Law Blameless and Persecuting the Saints out of Zeal Act. 22.3 Gal. 1.14 And therefore in this Class he numbers his Countrymen saying They have a Zeal for God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 And perhaps among these such may be numbred of whom Christ speaketh saying to his Disciples And when they kill you they shall think to do God good Service 4. A Rash Self-willed Zeal A
to a Dispute as if a man for removing of Mistakes and Mis-representations could not give an Account of his Faith without it be Esteemed a Provocation to Dispute If he really believes I intended so I must tell him he is greatly Mistaken and I Apprehend I should know my own Intentions large as well as he He is offended that our Doctrines should be thought as different from Papists as Protestants but with how little ground will after appear And he also refers it to a fitter Probation Then after he has knocked as hard as he can upon me for my Confidence he tells me That there is little said by me but what was Refuted ere I was Born by the Orthodox Writing against Pelagians Socinians Arminians Enthusiasts Anabaptists and Papists But methinks then there was the less need of troubling the World with his Volume Yet he has for that a ready Salvo He must Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own Conceit Some other Reasons he adds for Ingaging in this his Work which the Reader may judge of whether they be of any Weight ¶ 3. As he goes on he is greatly Offended I should Style my self a Servant of the Lord and will have it to be upon no better ground than Thomas Muncer and the Annabaptists of Munster But because all this is founded upon the Supposition of my being a false Prophet and Preaching another Gospel than the true we must leave it to the Reader 's Judgment after he has taken time to Consider of the Whole Debate But because he speaks here of the producing Credentials Which are the Priest's Credentials for his Ministry pretended I would willingly have him producing his Credentials for being a Minister of the Gospel and it may be then seen if I cannot produce as valid for any thing I Style my self only he must remember That as his must have something more than his own Affirmation or those of his party so he must overturn mine with some stronger Arguments than meer Railing ¶ 4. He needs not Apprehend as he would Insinuate That the Omission of any words in the Theses perfixed to the Apology proceeds from my being Ashamed of the name QVAKER since himself bears witness in the very same page that I fully Acknowledg it in the Explanation of the Eleventh Thesis Here he has a Descant upon Trembling and seems to strange that any Quaker should bring the Example of Moses and Habbakkuk to shew that such a thing was not so much to be wondred at in the Saints but why this should be Esteemed Impertinent by him he doth not tell us As for the foaming at the mouth he talks of both here and elsewhere it is Returned upon him as a Calumny and he is desired to prove it but it must be by some more Credible and Impartial Testimony than his Mr. Stalham for Parties use not to be Admitted as Witnesses For his denominating us by that Name of Distinction I shall not quarrel But as for his Insinuation in the beginning of page 5. where he saith It is like J. B.'s malitious Insinuation against our owning the H. Scriptures and Schools of Learning we would gladly have them casting away their Bibles as no more to be regarded than the Turks Alcoran it bespeaketh the Height of Malice as to which I shall only say The Lord forgive him for so gross a Calumny which he that is the Searcher of Hearts knows to be a most horrible Lie He goes on after his usual manner saying I inveigh against all Humane Learning that hath been any ways made use of in Theology but where he finds this Asserted by me I know not Whether the Words he would deduce it from to wit That Man has rendred the plain and naked Truth obscure and mysterious by his Wisdom will bear such a Consequence is left to the Reader 's Judgment But he thinks he has found out our Secret Design of being against Learning and Schools of Learning which is neither our Affirmation nor Principle but his own false Supposition We would saith he have all those Banished that we might the more easily prevail with our Errors But methinks the Man should be more wary in venting his own false Imaginations unless he could bring some ground for them For his Assertion is so far Vntrue that if he had been rightly Informed he might have known that we have set up Schools of Learning for Teaching of the Languages and other needful Arts and Sciences and that we never denied its Vsefulness Only we denied it to be a Qualification absolutely necessary for a Minister in which Case alone we have Opposed its Necessity ¶ 5. He Confesseth I speak not amiss in saying The World is overburthened with Books but thinks that my Apology of Fifty Sheets adds some Considerable Weight But methinks he of all Men should have here been Silent who has troubled the World with an Examination of it a great deal Larger albeit he Confesseth All that is in it hath been Refuted by the Orthodox long ago And not only so but since that he has Written a Book near Twice as Large upon one Point to prove the First Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath and yet is but the First Time and seems but to be the Porch of what he intends upon that Subject With his Vsual Candor he saith I am against Disputes and Debates or Books written of that Nature Solid Controversy for clearing the Truth useful But to infer simply That I am against all such because I Reprove the vain Jangling that hath been and is among the School-Men is an ill Consequence He shall not find me any where speaking against useful and solid Controversies for clearing and maintaining of Truth He seemeth not to disapprove what I speak against School-Divinity Confessing the Abuse of it albeit he thinks it hath been of Vse And as for this Imagination of my being Acquainted with it we will place it among his other Mistakes He proceedeth page 8. to say I am against the Labours of those that have writ Commentaries but his Conclusion here is like others of this Nature When I mention Commentaries it is with Relation to what goes before He will not deny but Many Books are written under the Notion of Commentaries on the Scripture by which the Truth has been more Darkened than Cleared will it therefore follow that he Condemns Commentaries indefinitly As for such Writings tending to the Opening of the Scripture in which the Authors are Acted and Influenced by the same Spirit from which the Scriptures came and which alone can give the True Meaning of them I am so far from Condemning them that I highly Approve them as very Beneficial to the Church of Christ. As for his Talk here of our Disrespect to the Scriptures I shall have occasion to take Notice of it where they are particularly treated of But he is Apt to think that the real ground of my
had said any thing to the purpose he should have proved that in these places there must be a Restriction and not have bestowed many words to prove all sometimes to be Restricted which I never denied and the pinch lieth here wherein I desired to be satisfied but find not as yet he has given any Answer J. B. c. make the word All express of two Numbers the least to be Elected Where is all made use of in Scripture to express of two Numbers the least which yet according to their Principle they make it to do since they usually affirm that the Number of the Elect is much less than that of the Reprobates After the like manner ere he make an end of this he would turn-by the word World as being understood of a part and not All but he is mightily pinched upon this occasion where he comes p. 208. n. 64. to answer what I urge from 1 Joh. 2.1 2. where Christ is said to be a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World and that he may do it the more easily he omits a long time the word whole to shew that the word World is sometimes taken with a Restriction And at last he tells us fairly that the Phrase the Whole World cannot prove any thing and that It is but rational to suppose that the Whole World here denoteth no more J. B. by the Whole World understands only the Elect falsly c. and and for this he referreth to Rev. 3.10 and 12.9 and 13.3 c. But these Scriptures are so far from hurting me or making against what I say that they Confirm it for I argued that All and Every one was included by the Apostle in these words wherein he saith Christ was a Propitiation for the sins of the Whole World because he mentions the Saints before not for ours only but also for the sins of the Whole World and so it must be the Whole World as Contradistinguished from the Saints Now these places of the Revelations cited by him do denote All and Every one as Contradistinguish'd from the Saints which himself I judge will not deny for will he say That the hour of Tentation Rev. 3.10 came upon Every one as Contradistinguished from the Saints and that the Beast 12.9 did in this sense deceive the World that is All and Every One and that 13.3 All the World wondred after him The other places marked by him have no relation to the Whole World in the sense I here urge it which is that the Whole World when used in Contradistinction from the Saints expresseth All and Every one and the thing he should have done if he would have truly Refuted me which he has not so much as attempted was to prove That the Elect or any part of them at expressed by the word We or Us by any of the Pen-men of Scripture are Contradistinguished from the Elect or any part of them under the term of the Whole World Until he do which he no ways overturns my Argument and therefore what he saith besides this is beside the purpose ¶ 7. Pag. 204. N. 59. In answer to Joh. 3.16 compared with I Joh. 4.9 God so loved the World c. and God sent his Only-begotten Son into the World c. he tells Whosoever albeit Indefinite is not Vniversal unless it be in a necessary matter J. B's frivolous and wicked Exceptions against God so loved the World c. which this is not But he should have defined what he means by a Necessary Matter distinctly and then proved this not to be such till both which be done that 's now omitted by him his Answer is deficient His next Quibble is That the World in these two places is not the same the one being understood of the Habitable World and the other of the Inhabitants But the last may be understood of the Inhabitants as well as the first Where is the Absurdity of saying God sent his Son into the World that is unto Men or among Men 3. He supposeth I will not say God sent his Son into the World that all Inhabitants might live the life of Faith For all Men have not Faith and all Men will not be saved or God should be disappointed of his Intentions and therefore he adds as his Commentary upon Rev. 3.3.4 What if some do not believe shall their Vnbelief make the unchangeable Purposes of God of none Effect No. Answ. I perceive as most of the Man's Reasonings are built upon Suppositions so most of his Suppositions are false For God sent his Son into the World to put all Men into a Capacity to live the life of Grace and therefore who do not the Fault is their own Nor are God's unchangeable Purposes of none Effect since God has not unchangeably purposed to Damn any which he supposeth he did And upon this meer and unproved Supposition according to his Method he builds his matter He adds Joh. 3.16 is directly against the meaning of his Adversaries I judge he means all those who Assert Vniversal Redemption who build much upon it albeit I had not the Wit to Improve it But it seems had I had a great deal more Wit than I have he judgeth himself to have Wit enough to prove it all to no purpose Why because according to the Greek it is For God so loved the World that all believing or all Believers or every one that believeth in him might not perish c. And what then We must prove that either all are or shall be Believers and then he will easily grant without Dispute that Christ died for them all But the Man has not here well heeded what he saith There is no necessity of proving That all are or shall be Believers it is enough to prove that All are put in a Capacity to Believe and that Faith is not made by an Absolute Decree Impossible to most This in part is done already and more of it will appear hereafter That Christ by this place intended to shew that his Death should not be Restricted to the advantage of the Jews only is not denied In answer to Heb. 2.9 that he Tasted death for every Man he saith that the Greek here for every Man importeth in their room and stead shall we think that Christ died so for every Man and yet many of these Men died for themselves But if any Absurdity be inferred here it will redound upon himself no less than upon me who will Confess as his after-words make manifest the saying here Christ tasted death for Every Man Imports his dying here for the Elect and yet do not many of the Elect die for themselves if he mean a Natural Death but if not I see no Reason of admitting his Figure nor is there any Strength in it to prove that it imports his Dying in their room and stead as he would have it Here again he saith This sheweth the Benefit of his Death is not restricted to the Jews
Called he Refers to what is written of the Possibility of falling from Grace To which also I Refer it And in this also resolveth what he saith pag. 380. N. 4. In his very first Paragraph he has his Old Calumny That all the Power Vertue and Life of the Spirit according to me is not to be understood of what is imported by these Words in Scripture And this he insinuateth again pag. 379 380 384. But as this is false so what is built upon it falls to the Ground Because I deny the absolute Necessity of Humane Learning to the Ministry therefore he insinuates as if I thought it utterly Vseless pag. 379. which is false And so what he saith p. 382 The Sciences may be of Vse but make no Gospel-Teacher 383 384. to prove the Vsefulness of Natural Sciences is to no purpose against me who deny not their Vsefulness among Men nor yet say when well Improved they are Vseless to a Minister or that such things may not be Improved by a Minister when acted by the Spirit so to do as Paul did the saying of the Heathen-Poet The thing then I only deny is That they are absolutely needful Qualifications to a Minister What he mentions to be said by Calvin of the Philosophy spoken of by Paul Col. 2.8 I can very well agree to without Prejudice to any thing said by me I do not say as he falsly affirms p. 383. That Learning and Grace are contradictory And whereas he saith He is far from saying that Learning is more necessary than Grace he doth but Cheat his Reader and Contradict himself and his Learned Mr. Durham who makes Grace only needful to the well-being but Learning to the being of a Minister And their Admitting of Ministers shews this for they will Admit none till they be sure he has Learning But many whom they are not sure have Grace yea upon the Supposition they want Grace yet they think they ought to be held and reputed by the People as true and lawful Ministers And whereas he insinuateth pag. 383. that I bring in a Fable which he saith I have ready at Hand if he dare Charge me in this with the Asserting of a Falshood in Matter of Fact I will give Evidence for Proof the Persons being yet alive But until he do that Without Grace none can be a Member of Christ's Body which is the Church my knowing the thing to be True gives me ground enough to Assert it To my Argument shewing That without Grace a Man cannot be a Member of Christ's Body which is the Church far less a Minister in stead of Answer after he has accused me as not understanding the Difference betwixt the Visible and Invisible Church he tells Christ is an Head to both Which I deny not That I apply Eph. 4.7.11.16 1 Cor. 12. solely to the Invisible Church so as to exclude the Visible is his Mistake not my Ignorance Then he goeth about to shew the Difference betwixt Gift and Grace but that any had the Gifts there mentioned who were altogether void of Grace remains for him to prove Besides what is mentioned he is not sparing of his Calumnies in this Chapter as where he saith pag. 382. That I deny that about the Time of Reformation there was a Christian World which is false in respect of Profession in which Sense I only here understood it And pag. 385. albeit he find me calling the Heresy of Arius horrid yet upon the Trust of his Author Mr. Clapham he affirmeth The Quakers to be in this Erroneous But sure I have better Reason to be acquainted with the Quakers Doctrines than any of his lying Authors Another of his Calumnies is pag. 386. That we lay aside all Means in coming to the Saving Knowledge of God's Name And albeit his Railing in this Chapter be thick enough that the Reader may easily observe it yet for his more particular Direction let him observe 380 381-385 386. And whereas pag. 386. N. 11. he enumerateth several Particulars wherein he affirmeth We agree with Papists he may find them Refuted and Answered in G. K.'s Book called Quakerism no Popery And in the last two Sections of that Book written by me he may find himself and his Brethren proved far more guilty of that Crime than we which because the Professor John Menzies If Number and Increase bespeak Delusion J. B.'s surpasseth Ours and leaves him in Confusion against whom it is written found not yet Time to Answer he as having more leisure may assume that Province If the Increase of our Number be as he saith a Clear Verification of 2 Thess. 2.9 10 11 12. That we are of the Deluded ones there spoken of then it must be a Clearer Verification of it as to them that they are of that Deluded Company since they are more Numerous than we and also Increased more suddenly As for his Exhortations and Wishes in the end because I will be so Charitable as to suppose they come from some Measure of Sincerity I do not wholly Reject them only I must tell him that nothing has more Conduced of an External Mean to Confirm me in the Belief of the Verity of the Principles I hold than his Treatise because of the many gross Calumnies manifest Perversions J. B's gross Calumnies Perversions and Railing Truth needed no such Way and Method of Defence and furious Railing in it since I know the Truth needed no such Method to defend it and I can not believe one in the Truth would use it since Lying is contrary to the Truth Therefore if he will lay aside all this Falshood and Passion he may have a more sure Ground of hope to see the Truth manifested to the dispelling of Error ¶ 4. He beginneth his Nineteenth Chapter of the Ministerial Office with supposing That their Order is according to Scripture and that what we plead for is quite contrary And so ushereth himself into a Rant of Railing with which he concludeth this Paragraph saying That the Evil Spirit that acteth us is such an Enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and Devilish Confusion More of this kind the Reader may observe pag. 388 389 391 392-394 His Calumnies and Perversions are also very frequent in this Chapter as pag. 387. where he saith We cast away all Order and in stead thereof bring in the Confusion of Babel and pag. 388. because we are not for the Shadow without the Substance therefore he saith We make a Repugnancy betwixt them which is also false And again in the same page N. 4. because I say It was never the Mind of Christ to establish the Shadow of Officers without the Power and Efficacy of the Spirit therefore he concludes That the Quakers think that Men can establish the Spirit Which silly Perversion will easily be manifest to every intelligent Reader And after the like manner pag. 389. N. 5. because I say That upon setting up meer Shadows where the
That the Apostle and all Regenerate Men are in a certain respect Carnal So his Divinity will run thus The Devil and all Unregenerate Men are in a certain respect Spiritual and the Apostle and all Regenerate are in a certain respect Carnal ¶ 4. But he thinks in the following page 106. he has gotten me in a notable Contradiction so that he concludeth if I may have occasion to Contradict the Truth I care not how often I Contradict my self and that is by asking me this Question Wherein appeared the Wisdom of the Wise Men among the Greeks if not in the knowledge of the Things of God The Wisdom of the Greeks appeared in their Worldly Affairs I Answer In the Wise and Prudent Management of Worldly Affairs For he hath not proved that is necessarily united to a Knowledge of God and things Spiritual since it is said of some Beasts that they have something of this such as Bees and Ants c. And whereas he asks Wherein Men differ from Brutes then I say In many things as in the knowledge of Numbers and Mathematical and Mechanical Demonstrations Is the Knowledge of such natural Truths as 2 and 3 makes 5 and the whole is greater than the part and all that 's deduced there-from the knowledge of the things of God And yet is not this further than what Beasts know And to shew him his forwardness in this let him shew me if he admit not this how the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God and the Wisdom of God Foolishness with Men At last he comes p. 107. and to the end of this Chapter to prove That there doth remain in Man some Reliques of the Image of God notwithstanding the Fall which he builds upon that saying of the Apostle Rom. 1.19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them and the reason he urgeth is Because it was known not to a few only Answ. This is very true but makes nothing for him for here as for the most part else-where he with an unparallel'd Confidence not to say Impudence every where begs the Question First in that he supposeth that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what is to be known of God That which may be known of God c. are not J. B.'s Relicks is somewhat that Man retained in the Fall and no New Visitation of Light and Grace which he knows I deny And Secondly That it must be so because all Men have it where he supposeth that all Men receive not such a Visitation which he knows I also deny and yet he Concludes without offering to prove either of them Who but one Desperate and that cares not how Ridiculous and Absurd he be if he can but heap together a Company of Railing Words would urge his Adversary by Mediums which he knows he denies without first proving them or at least attempting so to do ¶ 5. Next followeth his Sixth Chapter Intituled Of Original Sin in which nothing of what he saith can touch me but so far as he proves That those who never actually sinned such as Infants are guilty of Adam 's sin J. B. of Original Sin Therefore what he saith of others who affirm That Man sustained no hurt by Adam but by Imitation Concerns me not since I say no such thing And yet he thinks it a Paradox for me to say albeit he cannot deny but it is true that I deny the Errors of such And of this nature is what he writes in the first four Pages of this Chapter in the last of which he goes after his Custom as it were to pump for the Meaning of my Words that he may Insinuate to the Reader as if I wrote all in the Dark and had great Mysteries under them whereas any one that reads them may see they are so plain that they need no Commentary For who is so weak as not to understand me saying That the Seed of Sin is not Imputed to Infants That the Seed of Sin is not imputed to Infants until they Actually join with it until they actually join with it He comes p. 114. n. 8. to Examin what he saith I say in defence of this Error And first he will take notice of what I say of Augustin whom he alledgeth I Abuse because I say that he was the first among the Ancients that opened the way to his Opinion in his declining Age out of Zeal But will he deny that Augustin wrote most Zealously against Pelagius in his declining Age Next he shews here his great Disingenuity For while he names many of the Ancients as being of the same Mind and whom Augustin also cited against Pelagius he gives none of their Words that it might have been seen whether it was in this that they Condemned him to wit That Infants are not guilty of Adam 's Sin For these Citations may relate to that which was accounted indeed Pelagianism to wit That Man by Nature without the Grace of God could fulfil the Law yea that he needed not Grace to perform the Will of God which was the thing for which Pelagius was Condemned by the African Synod As for the Citation he gives of Augustin saying He was of the same Mind since the beginning of his Conversion seeing in this Place Augustin's Words which he saith he has held are no more than the Express Words of the Apostle Rom. 5.12 which J. B. has not yet proved to Import that Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin So if he has no better way to prove Augustin's positive Judgment in the Case than this he doth but give a Token of his own Effrontedness and shameless Boldness not of Mine But since he seems so great an Admirer of Augustin as an honoured Instrument of the Lord and an Holy Father as he terms him then I desire to know Whether he will agree to all that Augustin hath written which if he will not do he doth ill to Accuse me for Condemning Augustin as Erroneous in some things And if he will I may then shew him That Augustin both Commended and Practised things which he and his Brethren Cried-out against as Superstition Will-worship and Abominable Popery and Idolatry and for far less than which they have Excommunicated their Fellow Preachers Which shews in effect meaner Thoughts of him than I have yet Expressed Children of Wrath are so for their evil Deeds My Argument drawn from Ephes. 2.3 where the Apostle Ascribes the Reason of Mems being Children of Wrath to their Evil Deeds he saith was the Fathers against Pelagius And what then doth that render it null But his own Answer to it is Rare saying He thinks I put out my Eyes that do not observe how the Apostle changes the second Person saying Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past and were by Nature the Children of Wrath whence the Man wisely infers That Paul and the Jews were the Children of Wrath which is not denied but they must
have quick Eyes indeed that see it from thence to be Inferred that they were such ere they Committed any Actual Sin since the Apostle expresly mentions his and their having had their Conversation among the World as a Reason of their having been in the same Condition He saith further 1 Confess 1 Cor. 2. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood of the Rational Soul And what then Therefore so soon as they partake of the Rational Soul they become Children of Wrath This is indeed a rare Consequence But he must Excuse me for not Admitting it till better proved It would seem much more Rational to say That so soon as they come to the Exercise of their Rational Soul and then do Evil they become guilty for he cannot deny That the Gospel nor Condemneth nor Threatneth any Man but him that has Actually Sinned And whether this destroys not his Cause the Reader may judge That Except a Man be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom I never denied Albeit Children be capable of Death yet it will not follow that they are Guilty of Sin since Death is no Punishment but rather an Advantage to such to whom it 's a Transition to a better Life He thinks p. 117. that my saying Such as homologate their Fathers Sins God will visit the Iniquities of their Fathers upon them is no worth Noticing but whether his Answer be worth Noticing the Reader may judge which is That Adam 's sin was not a personal Sin as other Mens are and his own After-sins but the Man forgot to prove this and therefore may do it next But he thinks the Children of Core The Children of Core c. Instanced Dathan and Abiram of Achan and the Sodomites were judged guilty of their Fathers Sins for unless he proves that he saith nothing But for what Reason I know not unless that they were outwardly destroyed But until he prove that infers Guilt he must forbear making his Conclusion He is highly offended should say Their Opinion is contrary to the Justice and Mercy of God alledging It is without proof But if to account one guilty for a Sin committed by another Thousands of years ere they had a Being and to punish for it be not against Justice and inconsistent with Mercy I desire to know of him what is more Vnjust and Vnmerciful To say that this is an Accusing of God is but a silly begging of the Question until he has first proved his Opinion to be true It 's no Accusing of God to Condemn Mens Opinions when contrary to his Nature He will have it to be a Rapsody of Non-sense when I say This proceeds from Self-love founded on their Opinion of Absolute Reprobation but whether it be or not the Reader may judge Sure his saying it makes it not so That this of Infants being guilty of Adam 's Sin and therefore many of them being damned depends upon their Doctrine of Reprobation no Man of Sense that knows their Doctrine will deny since they say some Infants are saved because Elected Are not the rest then according to them Damned because Reprobated He gives me nothing here in answer but Railing and so concludes this Paragraph with this notable Saying Wo Isay that is Some Infants Elected some Reprobated J. B.'s Opinion J. Brown forsooth and thrice Wo to such as drink-in this Man's Doctrine and live and die accordingly p. 118. n. 14. He thinks my saying Papists are more Charitable in allowing a Limbus to Children shews my Affection to them but he has not heard me allow of their Notion of a Limbus as he does in the Chapter of Justification p. 310. of the Opinion of a certain Popish Cardinal preferring it not only to what is said by William Forbes a Protestant Bishop but even as it would appear to Richard Baxter his ancient Presbyterian Brother And in pursuance of this he asks How they come to Heaven meaning Children who have nothing to do with Christ But then what will he say of those he accounts Elect Children go they to Heaven without Christ If not the difficulty is the same way resolved To prove Children are under a Law and subject to Transgression he gives the Common Practices among Men who forfeit Children yea such as are unborn with their Fathers for great Crimes But in what Country do they use to kill all the Children when the Father is put to Death for a Crime and unless this were done his Comparison infers not the Point His plain answer he saith is Adam his being a Publick Person of which hereafter To my Citation Ezech. 18.20 The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity how Explained by J. B The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity he preaches at large upon the Words alledging his Meaning is that those Persons he wrote to had so much Sin of their own that God might justly judge them albeit he did not visit them for their Fathers Iniquities And this is the quick Dispatch he saith this Place receives It is a quick Way to Dispatch indeed if it were Valid to make the Meaning destroy the Text But Men of Sense use not to be sudden in receiving such Dispatches The Words are plain and positive The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity therefore until he give Ground from plain Scripture to take it away it must stand to the overthrow of his Doctrine for the greater Sinners those Men were the more justly and deservedly might their Father's Iniquity be laid upon them ¶ 6. Pag. 120. n. 17. He cometh from my Confession J. B. Infers Original Sin from Adam's being a publick Person That Adam was a publick Person to infer That the guilt passeth from him to all And first in this page he affirmeth That this Sin of Adam 's from whence Original Sin proceeds is the Sin of the whole Nature of Mankind and not like Adam 's After-sins and the Sins of other Men which he confesses are not the Sins of the whole Nature And because upon this dependeth much of what he infers he had done well to have proved this in the first Place by some Scripture Till which Time his Inference is not to be Received For did Adam Cease to be a publick Person after he had Committed that Sin If he say Yea let him prove it by plain Scripture for I deny it If not then his other Sins must be Imputed to all Men which he denies or else nothing can be urged from his being a publick Person And while to urge it he asketh Did ever any hear one stated as a Publick Person whose Failings could have no Effect until the Persons represented did testify their Approbation of it For here speaking of Failings he must either Conclude in Contradiction to himself That Adam's Sins are laid to the Charge of his Posterity or his Instance is wholly Impertinent And yet to go round again he takes notice p. 125. That the Apostle names One Offence in the