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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47197	The way cast up, and the stumbling-blocks removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward containing an answere to a postcript, printed at the end of Sam Rutherford's letters, third edition, by a nameless author, indeed not without cause, considering the many lyes and falshoods therein, against the people, called Quakers, which are here disproved, and refuted / by George Keith ...	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1677 (1677)	Wing K233; ESTC R19568	115,272	246

and sensible enjoyments of himself and blessing them more abundantly with the fruits of holyness righteousness and victory over corruption in that despised way then formerly they ever witnessed although their experience of any things that were true among them called presbyterians was not short of many if not of the most of them even in that day Pag. 1. l. 18. That which this great Seer much upon his Masters secrets because he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who come ou● of the Father's bosom foresaw would follow upon this turning aside and fall upon the head of such forsakers of a Church so often honoured by receiving signall testimonys of the great Bridgroom's love towards her as his Spouse c. Answer 3. I wonder how this man hath the confidence to call this Author a great Seer and to tell us of his being much upon his Master's secrets becaus he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who came out of the Father's bosom for these and such like expressions do plainly imply Immediat Revelation and that S. R. was a prophet and had the Spirit of Prophecy in the same sense as any of the Prophets who were Pen-men of the holy Scripturs for what higher elogies could be given to any of the most eminent Prophets then these here and elsewhere given by him to this Author And here I shall set down some other expressions parallel to these in the Postscript or rather surmounting them to be found in the Epistle to the Reader whether one man hath writ that Epist●e and the Postscript is not materiall to inquire seing doubtless they are both of one profession if differing persons and he that writes the Postscript ownes the Epistle to the Reader In the beginning of that Epistle he tells us Considering how little need Master Rutherford as he calls him his Letters have of any mans Epistle commendatory his great Master whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospell of his Son having given them one written by his own hand on the hearts of every one who is become his Epistle c. This is the very same commendation that the Spirit of God giveth to Paul who was not behind the chiefest of the Apostles as you may read 2. Cor. 3 1 2 verses And indeed this is the greatest ground why we believe the Scripturs to be divinely inspired becaus the inward Testimony of the Spirit of God which is the Epistle commendatory written by Gods own hand upon the hearts of believers is the Seal of confirmation unto the Scripturs as being divinely inspired And seing GOD doth give the same Seal as this writer plainly affirmeth to S. R. his Epistles that he doth to the Epistles of Paul will it not prove that S. R. his Epistles are as really divinely inspired as Paul's Epistles were and then why may not S. R. his Epistles be put into the Bible with Paul's Epistles This question is the more pertinently put to this man and these of his profession becaus they do so argue against us the People called Quakers that if any of our words or writings be divinley inspired then we equal our writings to the Scripturs For this cons●quence if it hath any weight at all doth as much fall upon their heads as upon ours and if they do still make a difference betwixt the one and the other although both divinely in●pired can not we do the same But he proceedeth in his admirable commendation of this book thus as being a piece the holy Scripturs being set aside equall to any the world hath yet seen or this day can shew in respect of the spiritualness of it A friendly testimony indeed I remember the Presbyterians had wont to commend Calvin's Institutions above any book in the world next to the Scripturs according to these Latine verses made on them Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempor a chartas Huic peperere librum secula nulla parem And I have heard an eminent Presbyterian Preacher in his pulpit commend the Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechism set out by them called the Assembly of Divines at Westminster above all books in the world except the Scriptur But now both Calvin's Institutions and the Confession of Faith must give place to S. R. his Epistles yea and most books in the world besides I write not this to lessen any due worth that belongs to S. R. his Epistles for I acknowledg having read them all over once and many of them severall times I find many savoury expressions in them that savour of that blessed life of Christ revealed of God in my heart yet I must needs say I find also very many unsound and unsavoury expressions in them that the life and Spirit of Christ doth not onely not beare witness for but against as I may afterwards shew 4. I do really believe that there are divers books in the world besids the Scripturs nor shall I bring into the compari●on our Friends books lest any say I am partial more sound and more spirituall then this book is and which are more profitable to direct the minds of them who are strangers to Christ where or how to find him little or nothing of which I can find in all this book of S. R. onely somewhat of his own experience but I can not find in him any certain and clear directions certainly and in●allibly directing strangers how to attain to the least true spirituall experience nor can I find the least hint or shaddow of a testimony in all his book to the saving power and efficacy of that universall Light of Christ wherewith Christ hath inlightened every man that cometh into the world which blessed heavenly divine testimony I find in many of the Ancients for which cause a few lines of them are of more value to me and all who love Gods Vniversall Gift then this whol book of S. Rs. And I question not but many having as much of a spirituall tast and discerning as any Presbyterian will affirme that the writings of not onely Augustin and the like Ancients but of later writers in darker times as of Bernard Thaulerus Thomas a Kempis and that little booke called The Dutch or German Theology are fully as ●pirituall though I am farr from justifying any errours in these books as neither do I the errours in S. R. his Epistles And although I know the Presbyterians some of them as have seen and read the Dutch Theology account it a most dangerous book and full of bla●phemyes as I. L. did call it expresly to I. S. whereof both B. F. I were witnesses in Holland yet Luther doth commend it as one of the best books he had met with next to the Scripturs and Augustin and teaching more sound Divinity then all the Divines in Germany or any where else in that time and he wrot an Epistle commendatory of it which is prefixed to it in some Editions a printed coppy

4. Now this gate blessed be the Name of the Lord and to his eternall praise we can declare it many thousands in this day do know and by it they find Christ and do enjoy his living presence dayly who is the bridegroome and husband of their souls and this gate is to wait upon him in the shinings of his divine Light in their hearts being retired and gathered unto the same out of all their own thoughts words and works all their own willings and runnings in the self-will all selfish motions desires and inclinations of self in pure silence and stillness of mind waiting to feel his heavenly breathings and movings which do rai●e up in us the true desire and prayer that we may find him and enjoy him and as we have sought him by this gate or after this manner we have never missed in some measure more or less to find him 5. This silent waiting to enjoy the presence of the Lord is a mystery and as a sealed book to Professors generally and seemes to have been little or nothing known to this great Seer as the Author of the Postscript doth call him for I find nothing of it in his Epistles and yet it is one of the most needfull and most profitable lessons and instructions for people to be instructed in and the Scripturs Testimony is plain and clear concerning it even of silent waiting Lament cap. 3. 26 27 28. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or in silence wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man ●hat he beare the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him Psal. 46. 10. Be still or silent and know that I am God Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul is silent unto God from him cometh my salvation Eccles. 5. 2. Be not 〈◊〉 with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty 〈◊〉 utter any thing before the Lord. Zach. 2. 3. Be si●ent O all flesh before the Lord. And many more ●cripturs may be brought to prove this so needfull and profitable instruction As also here are manifest ●xamples of this silent waiting in Scripture both together and apart Ezekiell 3 15. The Prophet 〈◊〉 with them of the captivity seven dayes and then 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord came unto him And Esdras sat silent with the people untill the evening sacrifice Esdra 9 3 4 5. And the Prophet Elijah sat in a si●ent posture alone upon the top of mount Carmell waiting for the Word of the Lord and the accomplishment thereof casting himself downe upon the earth and putting his face betwixt his knees King 18 42. This is such a posture that if a man should use it in our dayes people would say he were mad or possessed with the Devill such is their ignorance of the way and work of God And again 1 King 19. verse 2. The Lord appeared unto Elijah neither in the wind nor earth-Quake nor fire but in the still or silent small voice to wit that is heard in the stillness or silence of the Soul 6. There is one particular more that I find in S. R. that I cannot omit to take notice of in the same epistle 46. which I have above mentioned either I know not saith he what Christianity is or we have stinted a measure of so many o●nce weights and no more upon holynes and there we are at a stay It were good for the Professors to consider this and be convinced of their error whereas they say the holyest Man on earth doth sin dayly in thought word and deed yea every moment and cannot but sin continually Is not this to stint a measure of so many ounce weights or rather of a few grains upon holyness yea altogether to annihilate it For I know not how that can be called holyness which cannot keep the soul one moment from sinning However S. R. although here convinced of this errour yet afterwards did fall foully into it when he joyned with the divines so called at Westmunster in that unchristian assertion that no man by any grace given of God can perfectly keep the commandements of God but doth dayly break them in thought word deed This is a bold presumptuons stinting limiting the power and powerfull grace of God in the hearts of his children without all ground from Scripture yea contrary to it which saith his commandements are not grievous and his yoke is easy and his burden Light 7. Moreover in my fourth Section I referred to some thing related by the Author of The fullfilling of the Scripturs concerning Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce and some others in those dayes which I said will not a little make for the present Testimony of the people cald Quakers Now for proof of this I shall give a few instances out of many more which may be brought out of the said book 8. First The said Author telleth us pag. 416. 2 edition of a very solemne and extraordinary outletting of the Spirit in the West of Scotland about the year 1625. and there after which began in the parish of Stewarton whiles the persecution was hat from the Prelatick party 9. Which by the prophane Rabble of that time was called the Stewarton Sickness and spread through much of that countrey particularly at Irvin through the Ministry of David Dickson of which he writes that few Sabbaths meaning first dayes did passe without some evidently converted and some convincing proofs of the power of God accompanying his Word yea that many were so choaked and taken by the heart that through terrour the Spirit in such a measure convincing them of sin in hearing of the Word they have been made to fall over and thus carryed out of the Church who after proved most solid and lively Christians And says he this great spring-tide of the Gospell was not of a short time but for some years continuance yea thus like a spreading Mooreburne the power of godlyness did advance from one place to another which put a marvellous Lustre on these parts of the country the savour wherof brought many from other parts of the land to see the truth of the same Again he telleth pag. 417. at the Kirk of the shots 20 of June 1630. that there was so convincing an appearance of God and down pouring of the Spirit even in an extraordinary way especially at that sermon Juny 21. the day after their communion with a strange unusuall motion on the hearers who in a great multitude were there conveened of diverse ranks that it was known which he saith he can speake on sure ground near five hundred had at that time a discernible change wrought on them of whom most proved lively Christians afterwards Now that there was a true and reall appearance of God and breaking forth of his power and out letting of his Spirit upon many at that time I veryly believe and my soul hath unity with the testimony hereof and diver other testimonys of

and their hearts inclined by the Lord to joyne with us in the same Testimony 8. Now as concerning Iohn Livingston whose exemple this Author commendeth to be imitated who when a certain per●on of that Profession being his former acquaintance came in love to visit him and also to give him true information concerning that people if ther had been place in him to receive it did in a most rude and Unchristian way refuse him accesse into his house yet having nothing justly wherewith to charge him and when he inquired of him what was the reason of his carrying so towards him he told him that he had joyned with a people that held blasphemous principles and when he again inquired what these blasphemous principles were he would not give an instance in one particular but found fault with him for speaking the plain Scripture language of Thee and Thou which Christ and the Apostles used to one person and of this rencounter B. F. a merchant in Rotterdam and I my self were both eye and ear-witnesses then present in company with the said person and it is a certain truth that this was the first time that Iohn Livingston spake with the said person after he was of that profession and yet he rejected him plain contrary to the Apostle upon supposition that he had been an heretick as he was not an heretick after the first and second admonition reject And wherein also he dealt contrary to many of his own brethren who have judged it their duty to speake with such and conferre with us and the Apostle willed that in meekness we should instruct them that oppose themselvs if peradventure God may give them repentance 9. But our great defence is that we are not Hereticks nor our principles hereti●all but truly Christian and Apostolick and it is the height of injustice to condemn us before we get a fair hearing and opportunity as often as need is to clear our selvs which neither this Author nor I. L. have ever given us And therefor I leave it with all sober people to consider whether this practice of I. L. doth not more resemble the Pope who forbids to converse with Protestants or read their bookes as being in his sense damnable Hereticks then either Paul or Iohn or Christ who often reasoned with the Srciber and Pharisees his greatest enemies and Paul disputed with the Iewes and Greek Philosophers that opposed themselves to the truth and bid reject none but such as were self-codemned which neither 〈◊〉 Author nor I. L. could justly say of any called Quaker 10. And here again I cannot cease to wonde● how this Author cryeth up Iohn Livingston and giveth him no less tittle then if he were another Elijah while he falleth out into such an exclamation ● saith he to see some on whom this Elijahs mantl● is faln c Which words plainly import that I. L. was a Prophet and had the same Spirit of Prophesy that Eli●ah had which is enough to make a mans teeth to water to perceive their pride and insolency on the one hand and there confusion and self-contradiction on the other while they plainly teach as I have already observed that the Spirit of Pr●phecy and immediat revelation and teachings of the Spirit are generally ceassed since the Apostles dayes as for I. L. himself whatever he was in former times sure I am in his latter dayes he was much in the dark otherwise he could not have so mistaken and misjudged us as he hath done if his habitation had been in the Light he would have seen and known better what wee had been But to passe this it doth not a little discover him to have been but a weak and cowardly man that at the meer will and command of men went over sea and subscribed his sentence of banishment with his own hand as others likewise did which the Author of Ius Populi doth plainly acknowledge I challenge the Author of the Postscript to shew me where any of the true Prophets of God or Ambassadours of Christ did such a thing surely this was no Propheticall act but rather a renuncing of all true obedience unto God not only to desert his ●lock but promise never to return to them nor to his native countrey on paine of death without leave of men Now put the case that God had commanded him by immediat revelation or given him an immediat message to return as he had wont to give immediat messages to Elijah did he not here bind himself up not to goe or else to make himself a transgressour guilty of death by his own hand-writting And if it ●e said there are no such immediat messages to be expected in our dayes then for shame let them forbear comparing him to Elijah or telling us of I. L. 〈◊〉 mantle 11. Surely it appears to me his mantle was ● cowardly Spirit which hath fallen upon many of them that they are runn away from their ●locks for they were not sent prisoners over sea but went away to shun greater sufferings and I. L. in his letter to his parishoners a little before his death is so ingenuons as to confess he failed in his duty in not bearing a faithfull Testimony before them who sentenced him and yet I find not that he ever mended this fault although he lived many years afterwards however he is now before his Judge and far be it from me to conclud he has not found mer●y with God nor should I have med-led with him if the great inju●tice of the Author of the Postscript had not constrained me and put me on a necessity so to doe But what if the Author of the Postscript knew no● so great an Ambassadour left behind upon Earth Surely there are many greater and more true Ambassadours then ever he knew and how did he know that he was a true Ambassadour I suppose he wi●● not deny his words to imply that I. L. was a very holy man 12. Now I ask him how doth he know this what is his rule in this case Not the Scripture for it 〈◊〉 nothing of such a man and as for the markes of true holiness how doth he know that they wer●●eally applicable to him seing an 〈◊〉 goe ●he length of all outwards and he can not know ●he inwards of a man without immediat revelation ●ndowning the Spirit to be the rule contrary to the Confession of faith and Catechism that say The Scripture is the onely rule and immediate revelation 〈◊〉 ceased SECTION VII 1. An Account of all the particulars upon which the Author of the Postscript layeth the whole stress of his accusations against us being eight in number 2. The first accusation false 3. We own Christ to be true and perfect God and true and perfect man 4. His God-head is not his man-hood yet the man Christ is God by reason of the most wonderfull union betwixt the two Natures 5. The Christian Quakers free of the errors of Socinians Manichees Apollinarians Nestorians and other Here●icks

Light with his is such a grosse and manifest lye and forgery that a greater can not be invented for we do exalt him both with our hearts and mouths above not onely all men of our own profession but above all men and Angels and that beyond all comparison yea we exalt him more then this our acc●ser or any of his brethren even as Man as having a substantiall dignity and excellency belonging to him as Man above all men and Angels whatsomever nor will it in the least follow from our principles that becaus we have a measure of his Light and Life in us that therefore we put our selves in his place or roome as is already cleared for he has it in the fulnesse in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and GOD gave not the Spirit unto him by measure whereas whatever Light or Life Vertue or excellency we or any Saints or Angels have is derived from him and is but a measure of his fulnesse and God the Father dwelleth in him immediately but in us ●mediately through him as is above declared and opened from Iohn 17 23. 11. And what a blind and dark man is this that will not acknowledge that the Saints have any thing of that Light in them which Christ hath in himself Let him tell us and prove it from Scripture if he can that Christ putteth any other Light or Spirit in his people then that which is in himself But the contrary is manifest from Scripture that it is one and the same Spirit Light and Life both in him and in them But if some more sober then this Author will acknowledge that Christ is really in the Saints albeit they do not understand how he is in all men to such I say viz who affirme Christ to be in the Saints that by this mans argument to ●it the Author of the Postscript they deny the true Christ the Son of David and Mary and set up the Saints in the place of Christ as being Christ as well as he becaus as he saith containing the same Light 12. Let them consider how farre the Author of the Postscript hath outshot himself in this particular and in stead of pleading for the true Christ hath in effect denyed him and robbed all the Saints of God of having him in them expresse contrary to the Scripturs And I have often wondered how ●hese men will so freely acknowledge and plead for ●he devil his being in all wicked men and yet de●y that Christ is in all good men yea seing they ●lead that all good men while they live on earth have sin and sin daily in thought word and deed yea continually they must also acknowledg that in so farre as sin is in them the devil is in them who is the father of all sin and yet they will not have Christ to be in all no not in the Saints which sheweth them to be extreamely blind and inconsiderate And I would ask them this one question Do they think that the Devil is a Spirit of a larger and greater extension then the Soul or Spirit of Christ as Man If they say nay then Christ is in all men If they say that the Devil is a greater Spirit then the Spirit of Christ as Man then they plainly declare that the Devil is greater then Christ which is horrid and detestable blasphemy SECTION XIV 1. That the Presbyterian Teachers set themselvs in the place of Christ. 2. They goe back to the church of Rome and her Popes to prove their call 3. They labour to turn people from Christ in th●mselv●s 4. T●at they may keep up their trade and gain 5. Who love to hear Christ in themselves love to hear him in others 6. The Author of the Postscript his blasphemy against the true Christ of God in mens hearts 7. He is better skilled in the art of railing then in the way of disputing 8. The Christian Quakers love and honour all true Ministers of Christ Iesus 9. An old policy of Satan to call the ministers of Anti-Christ ministers of Christ as among Papists and Presbyterians 10. Why we cannot joyn with Presbyterian Teachers 1. ANd whereas he falsly accuseth us as puting any of our Prophets in the place of Christ This may be justly retorted back upon him and his brethren who deny the immediate presence and immediate revelation and teachings of Christ in his people and so they set themselves indeed in the place of Christ crying up the necessity of mens teachings and crying down the necessity of the teachings of Christ in peoples ●earts And they tell the people that they must heare them and learn of them else they can not be saved and if any refuse to heare them and learn of them they accurse them 2. And yet they can not give any sufficient account of their call from Christ to preach but do generally in these days goe back to the Apostate Church of Rome and her Popes and Bishops whom they have so often called Babylon and Anti-Christ to derive their call as even Iames Durham a great Presbyterian Teacher hath done in his book on the Revelation But if people come to hearken to the t●achings of Christ in them and believe in the same hey turne desperate enemys against them and do all they can to stirre up the Magistrate to persecute them as indeed it is the Presbyterian Teachers especially the mongrell sort of them that are the great occasion of our present persecution And in effect this is their language upon the matter heare us and learn of us but heare not Christ within you learn not of him as he teaches you in your hear●s as the Quakers tell you ye ought to do for there is no true Christ in you at all that which reproves you for sin in your hearts is not the true Christ but a false nor is it the least measure of that Light which was in him that shineth in your hearts and lets you see your sins this Light in you can not teach you the saving knowledg of God nor lead you unto God although ye should follow it never so faithfully but we can teach you the true and saving knowledge of God and if ye doe what we ●id you doe ye shall certainly be saved we can pawn our soules for you therefore heare us and ye shall be saved 3. But if ye heare not us ye can not expect Salvation we are the alone Ambassadours that God hath sent unto you to teach you and lead you into the Kingdom of GOD you need no other immediate Teacher or Preacher nay ye need not that Christ should be in you at all you need no immediate teachings of Christ or of God at all immediate revelations are ceased since the Apostles dayes and there is no use of them means are so plentifull I appeal to all sober and impartial men if this be not to set up themselvs in the place of Christ. 4. And what 's the cause that these men are so

this nature in the said book 10. And certainly this was an immediat sensible appearance and revelation of the power and presence of God accompanying the Ministry of that time which produced such effects and in truth the very same power and presence of God with the very same and the like effects is now again broken forth in our day among the despised people called Quakers and that in much greater clearness so that more sound principles are made known unto us and many things which were letts and snares unto them are discovered unto us from the Lord. 11. And yet is it not a most sad and lamentable thing that Professors who cry up the appearance of God in that time will not owne the same appearance of God in the nature and kind of it although more clear and glorious as to the measure among us now but joyn with the profane rabble to call those unusuall motions which are the reall effects of Gods power and Spirit powerfully seazing upon both souls and bodys of many among us in great trembling cryes and tears the signes of some Diabolicall Possession whereas the same persons by sobriety of life and conversation and by a walk as Christian-like as any of these a fore mentioned in many things exceeding them and also by the savor of the life of Christ in them have evidenced that they were led by the Spirit of God 12. Yea the Author of ●he Postscript is not affraid to impute these unusuall and extraordinary motions that some times appear in the bodyes of some of our friends to a possession of Sathan which if he did as knowingly as maliciously might truely be called a blaspheming against the Holy Ghost But they are judged here by some of their owne prophets for seing it was the Spirit of God that raised these unusuall motions in them abovementioned why should the like now be imputed to the Devill 13. O how like is this generation of hypocriticall professors to the Scribes and Pharisees and Iewes of old who professed to owne the Spirit of God in Moses and the prophets and yet rejected and resisted the same Spirit in Christ and the Apostles 14. And it is observable that this glory of God that appeared among them at that time which was a time of persecution although it continued for some years yet afterwards when the Presbyterians got into the sadle themselvs and turned persecuters of others that dissented from them this glory did disappear and in stead thereof great complaining of deadness as it is at this day among them who have most ingenuity This doth plainly show that they did not follow the Lord in his further leadings but rather went back otherwise this glory would not have departed b●t continued yea and increased among them And if some obiect that this glory appeareing unto that people at a communion to wit at that called the Sacrament of the Supper it seemeth to be no small argument to prove that God did owne that externall action as his ordinance although the people called Quakers deny it to be a standing ordinance to the world and doe not practise it 15. To this I answer that it is observable that by the Authors own account the greatest outleting of the Spirit was not on their communion day but on the day after but that God did at times of that externall action of breaking bread condescend unto them regarding their sincerity and gave manifestations of himself will not prove that he commanded that thing unto them or that their minds were not in an error in laying too great weight upon that externall action which was but a figure of the true communion for the same Author doth acknowledge that the Spirit of God did also wonderfully accompany Luther in his Ministry and yet Luther did most grossely erre as in other things so in the matter of the Sacrament teaching that the body of Christ was consubstantiat with the bread and that the o●●ward mouth receiveth the body of Christ. And I believe such as are sober and ingenuous of the Presbyterians will not deny but that the Lord did pour out of his Spirit upon those Bishops in England that dyed martyrs that were both for Episcopacy and the Service-book yet this proveth not that God did owne these things as his ordinances It is the sincerity and earnest desires of mens souls after God that he regardeth although they be in error in some things which he winketh at but doth not owne Yea did not Christ wonderfully appear to Saul while he was going to Damascus to obtain an order to persecute the Saints a very unl●wfull action but this proveth not that God allowed 〈◊〉 in the same Many other instances could be given to shew the weakness of that objection and certainly in the darkest times of Popery God raised up some to be ministers of his Spirit that yet continued to hold many Popish errors as not only Bernard and Thauler but even Iohn Huss who dis●ented little from the Papists in matter of doctrine but mostly blamed their ungodly life 16. A second instance I shall bring out of the afore-said Author is pag. 422. where he giveth as a sixt witness c. the convincing appearance of an extraordinary and Apostolick Spirit on some of these instruments whom the Lord raised up in these last times who as he saith had speciall revelations from the Lord of his mind anent things to come c. But how doth this agree with their confession of Faith that saith the former wayes of Gods revealing himself to his people are ceased since the Apostles dayes and that there are no new revelations of the Spirit but that God hath committed his counsell wholly to writing And of such speciall revelations he mentioneth divers which I refer the Reader to find in the said book 17. A Third instance shall be that which the Author mentioneth of Robert Bruce where I take notice of divers weighty particulars as 1. that his call was extraordinary pag. 429. to wit by an inward motion and pressing of the Spirit and such a call I confess is extraordinary as in respect of the greatest part of those called Teachers which yet is most ordinary yea and most necessary to every true teacher and minister of Christ. 18. 2. He tells pag. 431. that it was the manner of Robert Bruce for a considerable time to keep 〈◊〉 before he preached And yet how do the Professors now blame our silence when even such among us as the Lord hath given a true ministry unto do find it at times their place to be silent a considerable time before they speak and sometimes for a whole diet to be silent as Ezekiel was of old Now I besech them to consider what did this silence of R. B. mean or what was his intent in being si●ent so long was it not he waited to receive ●hat he was to speak from the Lord Or at least to 〈◊〉 the Spirit and power of the Lord to assist

becaus it was not decked with the trimmings and ornaments of the whore I need not enlarge on this the application is so plaine Fourthly education and breeding in wrong glosses and mistakes of Scripture proofes hath been none of the least hinderances of the progress of truth or of its reception and for this let the many divers reasonings of the Iewes against Christ in his descent doctrine and miracles be considered and men may then as in a glass see the image of that spirit that is in opposition to truth in this day and for this I referr the sober inquirer after Truth to Isaac Pennington his book called The outward Iew a looking glass for Professors this is such a person that none acquainted with his writings but will allow him a good character if he be not a prejudicated opposer 5. Another great Obstruction which keeps people from the search after Truth is a light and 〈◊〉 mind which predominats in the most of Men and Women in the world This hinders Truth in the very power and life of it and permits none to be serious in the search of it it is not the conviction of judgement in matters of truths that the Lord calls for only or that his faithfull servants endeavour as if it were satisfaction to them to see many owning it or professing the forme thereof these are but at best like the stony or thorny ground that receive the seed with joy and yet in a day of the heat of persecution turn from it and so may become a discredit to the Truth 't Is only these that labour not only to know the Truth and espouse it in their understandings but also endeavour to feel the power and life of it reach their hearts and this not only for a touch at a time but to live and feed upon that life power which flowes forth from the fountain spring of it I say these only it is that will be true witnesses of the Truth Hence Christ spake many parables to this purpose as that of the wise merchant that sold all bought the pearle the treasure that was hid in the ground c. Let all persons that are of this light and airy spirit consider their danger how uncapable they are not only to come to the knowledge of the Truth of God in their day and generation but also utterly unfitted for being heires of the kingdom when time shall be no more If they did mind the care of their precioussoules and consider their mortality how uncertaine their time is and of what concernment it is to them to be truely serious they would not make too light of the matters of God and of the Truth which concern their everlasting salvation but would find them of farre greater moment then these temporall pleasures profits and recreations wherewith they are so intentively taken up Wherefore my desire to all is that they would seriously consider these few obstructions mentioned and apply their mind to search after the wayes of the Lord and beware to take matters of so great concernment upon trust from any Man or company of men but impartially weigh and ponder by the Light of the Lord in their own hearts what is Truth and what is errour by what doctrine the free Grace of God will be most esteemed and the pride of Man most abased beware of an implicit faith for t●e just shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. And not by the faith of another They are most to be suspected as deceivers that do most hinder inquiry and triall as many Preachers at this time are doing It is a known Popish imposition to forbid searching and is now renounced and abominated by all sound Protestants therefore they are yet drunk with the Whores Cup that would obtrude their doctrine to be beleived without triall or to hinder from trying the Spirits and from trying all things that what is best may be kept to If any object that word Prov. 19. 27. Coase to heare the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge I answer this presupposeth a cleare and wel grounded faith of the Truth from an inward principle which few ordinary Professors can lay claime to otherwayes this might have excused the Iewes in not harkening to Christ and his Apostles in saying we know God ●pake to Moses but for this fellow we know not whence 〈◊〉 is Joh. 9. v. 26. Yea we and our predecessors should have remained in Popery without triall Wherefore friends if ye will truely joyne and be united to the power and life which the Lord is ready to reveal in your hearts it will not only help you to discerne Truth from errour but to overcome your lusts and get victory over your idols that stand up to make distance seperation betwix● Gods peace and favour and your soules That place is considerable Rom. 12. verse 2. be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God and thereby ye shall come to get your hearts established in the love of God and get all these straying● and wandrings in your hearts reformed by w●●ch your best dutys are corrupted and defiled ●hich is the earnest desire and travell of my soul that all my beloved 〈◊〉 and acquaintances every where may truely and sensibly come unto A real lover of your eternall wel-fare and Peace ALEXANDER SKEIN From the Tolbooth of Aberdeen the 1 of the 5 Moneth 1676. where I am a prisoner for my testimony Printed in the Year 1677.