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A96623
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The gadding tribe reproved by the light of the Scriptures. Wherin the true Protestants are encouraged to hold fast their Christian profession, maugre the Beast (i.e.) the pope; or the image of the Beast (i.e.) the Quakers, and their followers: to whom is given a mouth to speak great things. / By George Willington, schoolmaster in the city of Bristoll.
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Willington, George.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing W2802; ESTC R186606
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17,221
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35
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of him that is the way the truth and the life and therefore the fittest to teach the true way unto life Iohn 14.6 See what he saith Ioh. 10.1 and so on Verily verily I say unto you he that entereth not in by the door to wit of a true and lawfull Call but climeth up some other way the same is a thiefe and a robber and such are the Quakers and some others but he that entereth in by the doore is the Shepheard of the sheep and such are your ancient Divines so much cried out against on all hands To him the porter openeth and the sheep heare his voice and he calleth his own ship by name and leadeth them forth And when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow him and they know his voice And a * stranger will they not follow * but will fly from him not run after him but run from him for they know not the voice of strangers O do not you as you tender your soules good follow strange teachers strange lights but keep close to your old teachers and continue in the things which you have learned knowing of whom ye have learned them 2 Tim. 3.14 The more the men of this generation do cry down the Ministry of man the more let us prize them and esteeme them highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. Keep close to the Scriptures to the written word even that engraffed word which is able to save your soules Iam. 1.21 make that your guide and then God will be your guide even unto death Psa 48.14 And after death he will give you a Crown of never ceasing glory Rev. 2.10 Let Gods Law be the light for your feet and the Lanthorn for your paths Psal 119.105 Let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another Rom. 14.19 Study those things exactly which most concerne you avoid vaine questions and fruitlesse contemplations and vaine janglings and controversies and labour especially to know Gods nature aright and the distinct manner of his worship how you may serve him study to know your own particular offences and to know that that Jesus which was crucified at Ierusalem above 1600 yeares ago is your Saviour and was crucified for your sins and that there is no way and meanes to be saved but by in and through him Act. 4.12 made ours only by faith Ioh. 1.12 And as you professe the truth so practice the truth that so you never defile your holy profession by a scandalous conversation Col. 2.6 And because these are the last and perilous daies in which men shall have the shew but deny the power of Godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 it lies you upon to know in what things the power of godlinesse doth consist that the full bent of your soules may be placed on these things It consists in righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in humility patience goodnesse meeknesse and truth in mercy mortification of the flesh government of the affections and of the tongue in heavenly mindednesse in selfe-deniall and contempt of the world in the life of a pilgrim in long-suffering and in gentlenesse in sobriety and temperance in faith and communion with God in brotherly kindnesse and charity amongst men I commend unto your reading and meditation the 13. of Deuteronomy Mat. 24. 2 Pet. 2. 2 Tim. 3. and the Epistle of Saint Iude and in generall the whole Bible Iosh 1.8 Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. TO assert or to confute the severall Tenets of this gadding Tribe is beyond my purpose in regard our Divines have done it so well already both in the Pulpit and in the Presse yet notwithstanding I shall say something to those principles of theirs which are called lower principles which as far as I know are not yet writ against by any And this I shall do as neare as I can in the words of the Scripture that so it may be the more convincing and undeniable except of those who deny the Scriptures TO begin first with judging If we aske them why they take upon them to judge Their answer is The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 For to prove that the principle is theirs I can bring five witnesses besides my selfe to justifie that two known and professed Quakers with whom I discoursed did alledge this in answer Confut. It is not said the Saints do but the Saints shall judge the world and that is at the day of judgment and this they shall do three waies 1. By way of assent in approving the sentence of Christ 2. As they are members of Christ the judge saith a moderne Divine 3. By their example which shall be alledged to condemne the wicked So by this Scripture they have no warrant for judging others That we ought not to judge I have shewed at the beginning See Mat. 7.1 2 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 4.5 Rom. 14.3 10 11 12 13. and many other if we will judge let us judge our own selves that we may not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 2. They are not true Ministers which are called by mans Ministry or by a mediate call from man Proofe That this is their Tenet all that ever heard them know and their books do generally declare it Confut. Luk. 9.1 and 10.1 shews that Christ in the daies of his flesh ordained Apostles and Disciples and sent them to preach Againe there is an undeniable place Act. 13.2 3. There we read of Barnabas and Saul that they were separated for the worke of the Ministry As the Church ministred to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the worke whereunto I have called them Marke the words I have called them to the worke there is the immediate call from God but that is not enough separate me Barnabas and Saul for the worke whereunto I have called them I have called them immediately you must call them mediately And how was this done Why v. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Marke what follows So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost c. So againe very notably Act. 14.23 When they had ordained them Elders in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they beleeved So againe 1 Tim. 4.14 There saith Saint Paul to his Son Timothy Neglect not the gist which is in thee which was given thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery So Tit. 1.5 said the same Apostle to Titus For this cause I left thee in Creete that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appointed thee See the charge againe he gives his son Timothy 2 Tim. 2.2 The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to
teach others also See Acts 6.3 4 5 6. I could alledge many more but these are sufficient to convince any that do not set themselves on purpose to resist the Holy Ghost Besides many worthy Divines have written very largely upon this subject upon another occasion and against another generation of men See to this effect a book intituled The Pulpit guarded and another The Pulpit guard relieved 3. That we are to salute no man Proofe That this is their Tenet appeares daily by their manners and carriage Confut. Mat. 5.47 Saith our blessed Saviour If ye salute your brethren only what do ye more than others Do not even the Publicans the same Mat. 10.12 When ye come into a house salute it 1 Sam. 25.14 We read that David sent one of his young men to salute Nabal And in 1 Sam. 17.22 we find it was the practice of David himselfe who was a man after Gods own heart David came and saluted his brethren Acts 21.19 We find it was Saint Pauls practice he saluted the Elders and Disciples And in the 16 of the Romans he gives command for it almost throughout the whole Chapter Objection Luke 10.4 Salute no man by the way Answer This was a commandement given particularly to the Apostles at and for that time only compare this with Mat. 10.10 11 12. Besides the Apostles at that time were to weare no shooes nor to carry a scrip which the Quakers do If they leave off saluting let them also leave off their shooes too let them conforme to all or to none This Text of Scripture we see being rightly understood and compared makes rather against than with their unmannerlinesse 4. That the Scriptures ought not be expounded and that expounding of Scripture is an adding to Scripture and if we adde then God will adde to us all the plagues that are written therein Proofe That this is theirs although I could bring sufficient witnesse I need go no farther than their own writings to make it appeare It is so well known they cannot deny it Confut. Neh. 8.8 We read of the Priests and Levites that they read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading And Marke 4.34 we read of our blessed Saviour that before his crucifixion at Ierusalem he expounded all things to his Disciples And after his glorious Resurrection for our justification we read of him that beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them out of all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe Mat. 9.13 Saith Christ Go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Quoting that place Hos 6.6 I desire mercy and not sacrifice he bids go and learne what it meaneth see Chap. 12.7 So in Ioh 5.39 our ever blessed Saviour gives this in charge to his Disciples Search the Scriptures Search them to wit for the spirituall sense and meaning of them see Mat. 24.15 So in Acts 28.23 we read of Saint Paul that when many of the people were come to him he expounded and testified the kingdome of God perswading them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets from morning till evening Nay yet further Acts 8.31 we read of a certaine Eunuch who was in his Chariot returning home and was reading in Esaias the Prophet then the spirit said unto Philip go neare and joyne thy selfe to this Chariot and Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the Prophet Esaias and he said understandest thou what thou readest And he said how can I except some guide me And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him c. Then we see ver 35. that Philip opened it unto him Pray read the place at your leisure So Saint Peter also 2 Pet. 1.20 Seeing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation In that Saint Peter doth say the Scripture is not of any private interpretation he doth not meane that the Scriptures should not be expounded at all as some have seemed to prove for then he would have said peremptorily the Scripture is of no interpretation at all but he saith the Scripture is of no private interpretation Implying that no private person of a private spirit ought to expound or interpret the holy Scriptures for they admit of no private interpretation A good wipe for all those who leap from their shop boards into the Pulpit to expound the Scripture unto the people see the answer to the second Tenet Here is enough I hope to convince any gainsayers of this truth except such unreasonable persons with whom I discoursed the other day who said let me alledge what I would they would not beleeve me 5. That it is not lawfull to use the title of Master to any Proofe That this is theirs appeares by their writings and the proofes they do bring for it are two Mat. 23.12 Be ye not called Masters for one is your Master even Christ And again Iam. 3.1 My Brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation Confut. The meaning is not that it is unlawfull to be called Master for Christ himselfe was so called and found no dislike with it as appeares Iohn 20.16 and many others But when the Ruler said unto him good Master what shall I do to inherite eternall life Luk. 18.18 19. Jesus then said unto him why callest thou me good because he looked upon him only as a man but he did not say unto him why callest thou me Master but why callest thou me good There is none good * but one and that is God But the meaning is be ye not called Masters of other mens faith to tye them to your humours or do ye not seek for the title to wit in way of vaine glory Object 1 Cor. 7.23 ye are bought with a price be ye not the servants of men Answer The meaning is let no mans humour be your guide in Religion be bound to no mans example in Religion be tied to no mans will lusts likings but be free unto the service of Jesus Christ only who hath paid a deare price for us And that this is the meaning of the place will appeare if we compare this verse with the five foregoing verses 1 Cor. 7.18 19 20 21 22 23. compared And that it is lawfull to call Master doth appeare by these Scriptures Mal. 1.6 If I be a master where is my feare A son honoureth his father and a servant his master if then I be a father where is mine honour And if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts So Psalm 132.2 as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters and as the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistris so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God c. Nay Christ himselfe calleth himselfe the Disciples master Ioh. 13.13 14. it is a notable