Geneva because that Church hath and is counted one of the best reformed Churches from Popery and therefore I hope you will not say they were Popish writers and I am certain they were no Quakers for they observed Christ his ordinance of Baptisme which you deny teaching that it is of no use now in the Church in which you disobey Christ his command and walk contrary to his practice and walk contrary to the practice of the Apostles and all the Ministers of the Gospel in the best reformed Churches and therefore are not perfect But you say that if it be lawful now to Baptize yet is it not lawful to Baptize Children and therefore our Ministers do that which Christ never commanded which is the thing you all fly unto when you are put upon the tryal of the lawfulnesse of Baptisme and that is one of E. B. his objections against our Ministers in his book called A just and lawful tryal of the Teachers and professed Ministers of this age and generation by a prefect proceeding against them and justly weighed measured and condemned Which book was given me by a Quaker in London as being unanswerable I have answered already all the chief grounds and reasons alledged in the said book against our Ministers but this being one ground that our Ministers Baptize or sprinkle Infants and tells them they are Christians before they preach to them contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles Now although it was not in the least any part of my intention when I began to write to medle with that controversie of Baptizing Childen because I was to write against Antibaptists not Anabaptists yet finding since that Quakers who are Antibaptists in that they deny all Water-baptisme do make that one of their chief grounds against the lawfulnesse of our Ministers both in their writings and disputings I was moved to bestow a little more time and labour in answering you in that particular although I might have saved that labour in regard Mr. Richard Baxter hath so plainly proved the lawfulnesse of Infant-baptisme in his answer to Mr. Tombes but because I know you Quakers do not usually read any books but such as are of your own stamp or such as are written in opposition to your opinions I shall write such grounds and reasons as I conceive are sufficient to prove the lawfulnesse of Infant-baptisme Wherefore I shall first lay down this assertion That the Covenant of Grace which God made from the beginning with Adam and renewed unto Abraham is the same for substance which we have now in the dayes of the Gospel and as he did give Circumcision a Sign and Seal of that Covenant before Christ his coming in the flesh whereby they and their children were distinguished from the Heathen Gentiles so hath the Lord Christ appointed Baptisme a Signe and Seal of the same Covenant in the dayes of the Gospel whereby all those that believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ they and their children are also distinguished from Heathen Infidels that believe not the Gospel Now the Covenant of Grace was made to the children of all those that are within the Covenant I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Now all those that are of the Faith of Abraham are the seed of Abraham and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and Heirs according to the promise and the Father to them that are not of Circumcision but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham Now the children after Christ his coming in the flesh were counted within the Covenant so as to be accounted visible Members of the Church and so capable of the outward external Sign and Seal of the Covenant I shall prove first by the words and example of 〈◊〉 â—imself when they brought Infants unto him 〈…〉 saw it and they rebuked them but 〈…〉 and said suffer little Children to 〈…〉 not for of such is the kingdome of God Now if children belong to the Kingdome of God then surely the Seals of the Kingdome do belong unto them Also when Christ gave Commission to his Disciples he said Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Now are not children part of the Nations and if you say they must be taught first I answer that Mr. Baxter hath proved that by Teaching is in the Original Disciple them where he also proveth that children are Disciples as well as others Also the Apostle Peter said unto those converts in the Acts Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Now if the Promise did belong unto their children surely the Seal of the Promise doth belong unto them and it cannot be Circumcision for that was abolished wherefore it must needs be Baptisme which is the Badge or Seal whereby Christions are distinguished from others Also the Apostle writing to the Corinthians some men having unbelieving Wives and the Women unbelieving Husbands were in doubt whether they might live together the Apostle therefore doth resolve their scruples telling them that there was no cause of separation for saith he The unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband and the unbelieving Husband by the believing Wife else were your Children unclean but now they are holy Where the Apostle cannot be understood of any inherent holinesse but rather a relative holinesse which makes the person capable of being a member of the visible Church by the Ordinance of Baptisme I know the Anabaptists say the meaning is else were your children Illegitimate that is base born but that cannot be the Apostles meaning for the Apostle saith that the unbeliever is sanctified by the believer Now I never read in Scripture that being lawfully Married made children holy or unholy for I believe Jews and Turks are lawfully Married but that doth not make their children holy but if that interpretation were granted it will serve to prove the point in controversie for no Bastard was to be admitted into the Church and Congregation of the Jews and were therefore not to partake of holy things but all children that were born being not Bastards were admitted visible members of the Church and were capable of that federate relative holinesse and if the Apostles meaning be of their being not base born but legitimate then I say he doth thereby intimate that then their children were capable of being made visible members of the Church by Baptisme as well as the children of the Jews by Circumcision or else the Jewes and their children had a greater priviledge in the time of the Law
were that this Baptisme should last but while the coming of the Holy Ghost then did not Peter know Christs meaning for he obeyed that command of Christ baptizing them after they had received the Holy Ghost But as you are ignorant of the Covenant of Grace so are you ignorant of the Signes or Seals of the Covenant for when God made a Covenant with Abraham he gave Circumcision for a signe or seal of that Covenant And ye shall Circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of the Covenant between me and you Also the Apostle saith that He received the signe of Circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of the Faith which he had yet being nncircumcised Now as Circumcision was a sign and seal in the time of the Law before Christ his coming in the flesh so hath Christ ordained Baptisme a sign and seal of the righteousnesse of Faith in the time of the New Testament to the end of the world according to that of the Apostle Peter in the dayes of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by Water The like figure whereunto even Baptisme doth now save us that is it is a sign or seal of Salvation by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Minde he saith Baptisme doth now save us I never read of a Light within us that saveth us Also the Apostle John saith that as there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so there are three that bear witnesse in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one Now by Water can be meant no other thing than the Water in Baptisme that as Water doth wash away the filth of the Body so doth the Water in Baptisme witnesse that Christ by his Blood hath washed away the filthinesse of sin but one of your Teachers asked me if I were so Ignorant to believe that the Water in the Thames or any other Water could do a mans Soul any good To which I answer that Water simply considered in it self it hath no such vertue but consider it in relation unto Gods Ordinance used according to his command and appointment it is profitable to the Soul But you speak and believe like Naaman the Assyrian who coming to the Prophet Elisha to be cleansed of his Leprosie when the Prophet sent him word to only go and wash himself in the waters of Jordan seven times he was in a great rage saying Are not the Waters of Damascus better then all the Waters of Israel he considered not that Gods command doth give vertue and efficacy to the thing for which it was appointed and this cleansing of Naamans Leprosie by the Water of Jordan was an emblem or type of our Baptisme we know God did make the Walls of Jericho fall by the blowing of Rams hornes because he had commanded and appointed so it is a great sin to disobey Gods command although the thing commanded seem never so smal and contrary to our sense and reason We know what the Lord did unto Moses because his Son was not Circumcised according to Gods command And it came to passe by the way in the Inne that the Lord met him and sought to kill him Now if the Lord would not bear with Moses his neglect of Circumcising his Son how do you Quakers think to escape Gods displeasure who not only neglect Gods Ordinance of Baptisme but also teach that it is abolished and uselesse and make a meer mock at Water-baptisme but the Apostles of Christ did highly esteem of that Ordinance of Baptisme I Christ himself did not only command it but honoured it in being Baptized himselfe who had no need of it for himself but that he might be an example unto us for saith he Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousnesse Minde Christ calleth it righteousnesse Also God the Father did highly honour Baptisme in that he opened Heaven at the Baptisme of Christ and sent the Spirit descending like Dove and lighting upon him and a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And as God the Father Christ his Son and the Apostles did honour this Ordinance of Baptisme so did the Ministers of the Gospel since the Apostles dayes highly esteem the same I shall alledge what Calvin writeth concerning Baptisme I hope you do 〈◊〉 count him a Popish Father in his 23. Sermon on Gal. 3. 17. his words are these And in good sooth all of us professe the Gospel and yet we shall finde a number of people that know not the true use of Baptisme nor whereto it availeth nor to what end it is ordained but such shall pay dearly for taking such a pledge at Gods hands he will shew them that it is too costly a thing to be abused for as much as it is said to be a Seal whereby we are assured of the benefits of Christ his Death and Resurrection that whereas many have lived some twenty some forty some fifty years in the world without knowledge to what end they were Baptized it were better for them that they had been born dead and to have been sunk a hundred times in the earth than so to have unhallowed so holy a thing And therefore let us bethink our selves the better and learn that although there be but a little water cast upon our heads yet notwithstanding it is not a vain figure for the Heavens are opened upon us and God speaks in it as it were from Heaven and Christ is there present with his blood as witnesses of the usage and operation of the Sacrament Let us think well upon these things and let them be well rooted in your hearts by which you and all others may see what an esteem Calvin had of Baptisme Also in his fourth book of Institutions chap. 11. concerning Baptism his words are these Baptisme is a token and proof of our cleansing or to expresse my minde better it is like a sealed Charter whereby God confirmeth unto us that all our sins are cancelled and abolished that they may never be rehearsed nor imputed Also Beza in his Annotations upon the fifth chapter to the Ephesians ver 26 27 Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the word that he might make it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing o Baptisme is a token that God hath consecrated the Church to himselfe and made it holy by his word that is his promise of free Justification and Sanctification in Christ p because it is covered and clad with Christ his justice and holinesse I have written what these two eminent Ministers did believe and maintain concerning Baptisme who lived in the Church of
to make us sinners before we did actually sin much more there is a power in Christ to make elect Infants righteous before they have actual faith else how shall those that dye in their Infancie be saved and it is the Apostles own Argument how strange soever it seem unto you For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And by grace are you saved Now Infants are objects of Gods grace and free favour as well as others and therefore capable of the seal of the covenant of grace being Children of those that professe faith in Christ for it is not faith as it is an act that saveth but it layeth hold on Christ the Object and so it is necessary to assure us that we are in the covenant of grace but doth not make us in covenant And if you still object that there is no example for baptizing of Children I further answer that seeing you do so much stand upon the express Letter of the Scripture I shall prove by the Letter of the Scripture that Children were baptized For you may read that there came out of the Land of Egypt 600000 on foot Men besides Children and the Apostle saith That all our fathers were under the Cloud and in the Sea and were all men women and Children all baptised unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea Now that Baptism of theirs was written for our example saith our Apostle that we should not build too much upon outward priviledges in that we are partakers of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord as the Israelites did for they were many of them destroyed in the Wildernesse notwithstanding that they were baptised and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ and there passing thorough the Sea were baptised whereby they were saved from their enemies the Egyptians and their enemies there destroyed in the Sea did set forth our Salvation by Christ according to that prophesie of Deliverance by him He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea That is into the Sea of Christs blood where all our spiritual enemies were destroyed and we saved Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins I shall now give you one reason more which doth sway much with me for Infant Baptism and that is the constant practise of all reformed Churches ever since the Apostles days I cannot be so uncharitable as to think or believe that all the Churches of Christ ever since the Apostles days lived in the practise of that which was against the will and mind of God and this reason did sway much with that truly noble person Robert Lord Brooke deceased which I make bold to mention because I have heard several persons of late affirm that he was against Infant Baptism Wherefore I shall write his own words in his Book called A Discourse opening the Nature of that Episcopacy which is exercised in England written a little before his Death in the year 1641. In which Discourse he laboureth to prove the unlawfulnesse of Episcopacy as it was then exercised in England and therefore fit to be abolisht where he doth start a Question or Objection Whether the remedy will not prove worse then the Disease by the change of this Church Government That Anabaptism Brownism and Separatism will increase and every Ley-man will turn Preacher I wish the thing feared had not come upon us but the reason of the growth and increase of all sorts of errors among us doth proceed as I concieve not from the change of Church Government but by reason of having none at all but suffering a wicked sinful tolleration of all manner of Heresies and Blasphemies Now that noble person was for a change of our Church Government not for none at all For we see that in Scotland Geneva and other reformed Churches where they had no Episcopal Government they kept Heresies and Hereticks out better then we did here in England in the time of the Episcopacie This by the way to return to what that good man doth write concerning the niceness of Anabaptism I will not I cannot saith he take on me to defend that men usually call Anabaptism Yet I concieve that Sect is twofold some of them hold Free will community of all things deny Magistracy and refuse to baptize their Children These truly saith he are such Hereticks or Atheists that I question whether any Divine should honour them so much as to dispute with them Much rather sure should Alexander's Sword determine here as of old at the Gordian knot There is another sort of them who only deny Baptism to their Children till they come to years of Discretion and then they baptize them But in other things they agree with the Church of England Truly these men are much to be pitied And I could heartily wish that before they be stigmatized with the opprobrious brand of Schismaticks the truth might be cleered to them Many things saith he prevail very much with me in this point The first he nameth to be this because for ought I could ever learn it was the constant custome of the most purest and primitive Church to baptize Infants of believing parents for I could never find the beginning and first rise of this practise Whereas it is very easie to track Heresies to their first rising up and setting foot in the Church Again saith he I find all Churches even the most strict have generally been of this Judgement and Practise yea though there have been in all ages some that much affected novelty and had parts enough to discusse and cleer what they thought good to preach yet was this scarce ever questioned by men of note till within these last Ages And sure the constant Judgement of the Churches of Christ is much to be honoured and heard in all things that contradict not Scripture Now I believe that this noble person so much to be honoured both for his piety and Learning had read more Ecclesiastical Histories to find out the rise and beginning of Baptising of Infants in the Church of Christ then all you Quakers unless some Jesuits among you that go under the Name of Quakers and Anabaptists And yet he could never find the beginning of it it being constantly practised in the Church ever since the Apostles days But it is an easie matter to find out the beginning of Anabaptism for if you would take the pains to read that Book called The Rise and Growth of the Anabaptist in Germany you may find their beginning and the beginning of your selves although the name of Quakers of far later time yet those that spring up there were your Forefathers they layed the foundations of your
first lay down this proposition that all Ministers since the Apostles days are not called immediately by an extraordinary call as the Porphets and Apostles were but mediately in an ordinary way of calling Which calling is not the calling of men but the calling of the Holy Ghost because that calling which the Holy Ghost hath revealed in the Scripture and that I shall prove by Scripture for after that he was ascended into heaven Judas being faln from his Apostleship and another to be chosen in his room the Apostles being met together concluded from what was written in the Scripture that another should take his charge wherefore they presented two out of the number of those who was conversant among them from the Baptism of John and they prayed and gave forth their Lots and the Lot fell on Matthias and he was numbred with the eleven Apostles No man pretended that he had the Spirit and therefore that was a sufficient call neither did God call any by revelation or a Voyce from Heaven to that place of an Apostle in his room Also after the Apostles had gathered Churches they ordained Elders by election in every Church and the Apostle Paul saith that he left Titus in Creet that he should ordain Elders in every City and the Apostle writing to Timothy saith Despise not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery or Eldership And Paul directed him whom to make Bishops or Elders And also the Apostle doth not only direct him but also charge him among other things that he should lay hands suddenly on no man One of your Speakers or Praters at one of your meetings at VVilliam Bond 's house hearing some in the Street threaten to pull them out of the house cryed out lay hands suddenly on no man as if the Apostle had meant of striking men suddenly But the Apostle saith that a Bishop or Elder must be no striker By which you may see how you are mistaken in the meaning of Scripture who pretend to have the infallible Spirit by which the Scripture was written as I have heard some of your company say And Jona Dell in his Book called The Voyce from the Temple writeth But your Spirit of error in misapplying Scripture is plainly discerned by all that have the Spirit of discerning and now I pray mind these things to use your own phrase and consider of these Texts of Scripture here written and let the Light of the Scripture enlighten your dark minds to see that those who have an external call as well as an internal call are the lawful Ministers of the Gospel and such are our Ministers Can you believe that God hath appointed order and government in a Common-wealth and in a Family and hath appointed none in his Church Now is it a sufficient warrant for a man to execute the Office of a Justice of the Peace a Constable or any other office in the Common-wealth because he hath sufficient gifts and inward qualifications without an outward call by those who are in authority either by Commission or otherwise and it is lawful for any man to execute the the Office of a publick Minister without a lawful call from those who are in publick Authority But I know your opinions are against all order or offices in the Church and so much you write in your paper making it to be a great fault that our Teachers bear rule Now that I may show you your error mind these Scriptures that prove Ministers to be Officers and such officers as are to rule in the Church The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy saith If a man desire the Office of a Bishop or Elder he desireth a good work and shewing how he ought to be qualified saith he must be one that ruleth well his own house else how shall he take care of the Church And the Apostle writing to the Corinthians saith That God hath set some in the Church first Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers helps to Government Also the Apostle writing to the Romans saith All Members have not the same Office Wherefore he that is a Minister let him wait on Ministering or he that Teacheth on Teaching he that ruleth with diligence Also the Apostle writing to the Hebrews saith Remember them that have the rule over you and who are they the Apostle saith such who have spoken unto you the Word of God and in the same Chapter Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls But though you are like Korah and his company who were many Two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation men of renown who gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron and said as you Quakers do to other Ministers and Magistrates you take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy and the Lord is among them So you say Have not we the same Spirit the Apostles had Are not we all holy wherefore do you Priests take so much upon you But what became of those men God caused the Earth to open and swallow them up and take heed lest God show some special Judgement upon you by delivering you up to blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart Korah and his company had the same prâ—â—ences that you have but know it is not the inward gifts and qualifications only that makes a publick Teacher as I have proved but the lawful ordaining a man to that office and a man that is so called although he want the power of that which he teacheth as the Sons of Ely were lawfull Priests because lawfully called though they were wicked men and the Pharises and Scribes Christ saith sit in Moses Seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observed that observe and do but do not ye after their Works for they say and do not Now by their sitting in Moses Seat was that it was their office or calling to teach the Law and therefore Christ spake both to the Multitude and to his Disciples to hear them and Judas was a true Apostle and one that preached as the rest of the Apostles for it is said he had part in this Ministery But all those who are authorized for that work ought to be careful that they ordain none but such who are inwardly fitted and called and to that end the Apostle chargeth Timothy that he lay hands suddenly on no man but to try and examine both himself and others of his fitnesse and ability lest he be partaker of other mens sins Consider what I have here written in answer to your first Ground And now I shall answer your second Ground which is because they go to Oxford or Cambridge and learn Latine Hebrew or Greek To which I answer I know many Ministers that never went to these places to learn these languages and yet think
their own Prophets said The Cretians are alwayes lyers evil beasts slow bellies This witnesse is true wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Now if the Apostle did quote a Heathen Author to confute error surely it is no sin for a Minister now to quote Authors to confute error Also the Apostle writing to Timothy of false teachers saith Of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly Women laden with sins Now saith the Apostle as Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes or judgements and reprobates concerning the faith Now I would know of you where you read in the Scripture of Jannes and Jambres withstanding Moses wherefore it is supposed that Paul did read it in some ancient writing and did alledge it for conviction of those false teachers But I know you cannot indure Antiquity because you know you have taken up a new Religion which none of the ancient Fathers knew nay I believe you cannot produce any modern Writer that ever writ in the maintaining of your new wilde opinions and is it to be supposed or imagined that the truth of the Gospel hath been hid a thousand six hundred years and that Christ had no Church upon earth till you Quakers sprung up which â—â—th been but of late years if so then Christ ceased to be a Head or else he was a head without a Body which is folly and madnesse for any man to imagine But I shall shew you hereafter of what antiquity many of your opinions are and so passe from your fourth ground and come to your fifth ground that The Ministers are no lawful Ministers because they take money for Preaching or Tithes or Glebe lands or Augmentations But say the Apostles preached freely to all which I shall give you answer And first I shall lay down this for a ground from the Apostles words that God hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel and this Christ and his Apostles taught contrary to you Quakers opinions for Christ when he gave his Apostles their charge to go abroad to preach the Gospel commanded them to take or provide neither silver nor gold in their purses nor scrip for their journey nor coats nor sâ—aves for the workman is worthy of his meat so that Christ did promise to the Disciples a sufficient maintenance for meat drink and apparel at that time when there were very few that durst professe the Gospel After Christ Ascention when the Gospel was more spread abroad the people sold their Land and Houses and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet and Ananias and Sapphira having sold their possession and kept back part were strook dead and do you think the Apostles were not maintained out of that common stock after that the Apostles had gathered Churches he complained of the Church of Corinths backwardnesse in allowing him maintenance saying Have not we power to eat and to drink and to lead about a sister a wife who goeth a warfare at his own charge who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit for it is written Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn doth God take care for Oxen or saith he Is it not for our sakes altogether that he that ploweth should plow in hope if we sow unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things do we not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel And the Apostle saith That he robbed other Churches taking wages to doe the Corinthians service That is to speak plainly the Apostle did take maintenance from other Churches when he preached to the Corinthians and so many Ministers at this time take maintenance from other Churches because the Parish or people unto whom they preach are not able or not willing to allow them sufficient maintenance which I know of a truth Also many Ministers have the greatest part of their maintenance from a few honest godly persons when many of far greater abilities and that of right ought to pay far greater share pay far lesse and many in a Parish to my knowledge neither give nor pay any thing towards the Ministers maintenance and many but four pence a year for their whole families in which sense many of our Ministers may say they rob other Churches or Christians to do other service and yet you Quakers cry out that all our Ministers are Hirelings and false Prophets because they â—â—ke wages or yearly stipends and may you not 〈…〉 say so of the Apostle seeing he saith of himself that he did take wages also the Apostle writing to the Calatians saith Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things but few that are taught do so communicate unto their teacher as Luther complaineth in his Sermon upon the same verse in his time for Satan saith he can abide nothing lesse then the light of the Gospel therefore he goeth about with all main and might to quench it and this he attempteth two manner of waies First by lying Spirits such as you are and then by Poverty and that he endevours by withdrawing the Livings of the Ministers that they being oppressed with Poverty and Necessity their persons and ministery should be brought into contempt or forced to forsake the ministery to work for their livings and so the people being destitute of the ministery of the Gospel should become in time as savage and wilde beasts where he complaineth of many Magistrates Noblemen and Gentlemen who take away the Church goods whereby the Ministers should live and turn them to other uses And I could wish that we in England had no cause to take up the like complaint I hope I have not offended you in quoting what Luther writeth seeing he was one of the greatest enemies the Papists ever had and therefore I hope no Popish Father But to proceed mind what the Apostle writeth to Timothy Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine Now that the Apostle doth mean by one of the honours the honour of maintenance is plain by the words following for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the corn and the labourer is worthy of his reward and the Apostle in the same Epistle saith That a Bishop or Elder must be given to hospitality Now if a Minister must live upon the Charity of others himself have shall he have wherewith to releive others and by given to hospitality can be no other thing meant Also the Apostle saith If any man provide not for his own family he hath denied the faith and is
be the Lord they are all for ought I know or can hear cast forth as corrupt and unprofitable members and the Lord complaining by the Prophet Zephany maketh complaint against the Princes and Judges as well as the Prophets and Priests saying Her Princes are roaring Lyons her Judges are ravening Wolves and yet the Lord calleth them Princes and Judges for the wickednesse of the person doth not disanul his office being lawfully called thereunto neither in Magistrates nor Ministers untill they be degraded from that office You farther object in your paper That the Apostles did take only that which was freely given them I answer That our Ministers do take nothing but what was and is freely given either by their ancestors or otherwayes and who ever payeth the Ministers Tâ—thes payeth nothing of his own but that which was freely given for no man in buying any Land or leasing any Land doth buy the Tithes because by Law they cannot be sold You farther object That the Apostles did work with their hands to maintain themselves because they would not be chargeable to others I answer That the Apostle Paul and Barnabas did work but the rest did not as appeareth by the Apostles words Or I only and Barnabas have not we power to forbear working by which the Apostle plainly sheweth that the rest did forbear working and they had power to forbear working but that the Apostle did because of the poverty of the Church of Corinth and because he would give no offence to any He became as a Jew to the Jew to them that are without Law as without Law he became made all things to all men that he might by all means save some to that end he caused Timothy to be Circumcised that he might gain the Jews Now why do not you Quakers follow the Apostle in that as well as in your Teachers working which I think is very seldome Besides as I said before the Apostles had extraordinary Gifts as well as an extraordinary Call and were able to Preach without Study but the Apostle writing to Timothy commandeth him to meditate upon those things Give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all and do you Quakers think that you are more able to preach without Study than Timothy was and that you can work on your ordinary Callings and preach too when Paul commandeth Timothy the contrary And now I answer your sixth Ground against the lawfulnesse of our Ministers and that is you say because they teach that none can be perfectly freed from sin while they live here For answer to which I say that you Quakers neither know nor understand what our Ministers preach wherefore that you may know and be better instructed I shall by the assistance of Almighty God shew you what our Ministers do preach and hold concerning this great point in controversie of being perfectly freed from sin and that according to what I do believe concerning the same according to that measure of light within me according to the Scriptures And I pray God to open your eyes that you may be able both to see and believe the same without which there is no salvation Wherefore know you that our Ministers do both Preach and Write that all and every one that doth by a true and lively Faith believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for Life and Salvation are perfectly freed from all sin here by Justification and that alone by the blood of Christ and are made perfectly righteous by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed and that all those who are so justified by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ are truly sanctified by the spirit of Christ Which Sanctification is perfecting all our life here and perfected at the end of our lives according to that of the Apostle Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God not perfected but is alwaies a doing Now that I may prove these two points and explain them I shall first shew you by the Scriptures that we are made perfectly free from sin and made perfectly righteous by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ for as Adam in the estate of innocency was not only without sin but made in an estate of righteousnesse being made in the Image of God which as the Apostle saith consisteth in knowledge and righteousnesse and holinesse so all that are saved are by Christ the second Adam made perfectly free from all sin by his death resurrection and intercession and made perperfectly righteous by his righteousnesse Wherefore I shall plainly prove both these to be by Justification in and by Christ alone according to that of the Apostle being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted unto him for righteousnesse Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministery of reconciliation To wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him and by one offering he hath made perfect or hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified You see the Apostle doth make our perfection to be by that which Christ alone hath suffered and done for us and not by what we work or do But I know this is a strange new doctrine unto you and hard for you to believe because you dote so much upon a Light within you and Righteousnesse within you wherefore I shall endevour to make this doctrine appear plain unto you if you will not shut your eyes against the Light or that the God of this world hath not blinded your mindes lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto you Werefore minde what I shall write from the Scriptures First I shall shew how this perfection by Christ was typed out in the time of the Law as in the scape-Goat the Lord commanded saying Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head of the
Goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wildernesse And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited and he shall let go the Goat in the Wildernesse Now minde how this type was to set forth Christs taking away all our sins that believe on him as may appear by the Prophets prophecying of the same as the Evangelical Prophet Esay Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way Minde And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Also the Prophet Daniel plainly shewed this Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of Sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness And after threescore and two weeks shall Messias be cut off but not for himself Minde who it is that maketh an end of sin and bringeth everlasting righteousnesse namely Christ the Messias this the Prophet Zachariah prophecyeth of saying I will bring forth my servant the Branch for hehold the stone that I have laid before Joshuah upon one stone shall be seven eyes Behold I will engrave the graving thereof saith the Lord of Hosts and I will remove the iniquity of the Land in one day What day surely that day when Christ suffered when he said It is finished according to that of the Apostle to the Colossians And you being dead in your sins hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that were against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse And the Apostle saith to the Colossians Though you were sometime alienated and enemies in your mindes by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight whom we preach that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus not in your selves or by any thing you work suffer or do but by what Christ suffered and did in the body of his flesh even by that one offering saith the Author to the Hebrews hath he perfected for ever hereunto agreeth that of the Apostle to the Ephesians That Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word thaâ—â—e might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing By these Scriptures I hope you may see how our perfection is in and by Christ By what he did our sins are perfectly abolished not out of us as the Papists and you Quakers hold but fully satisfied for by Christ God having received an attonement for them by Christ This also was typed by the brazen Serpent that Moses by the Lords appointment caused to be put upon a pole and any man that was bitten with a Serpent when he beheld or looked upon the Serpent was healed and this was prophecyed by the Prophet Malachi saying The Son of righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings alluding to the wings of the Cherubims that covered the Mercy-seat upon the Ark which Ark was also a lively type of Christ This the Lord also promised by his Prophet I saiah saying I have seen his waies and I will heal him I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him This the Lord also promised by the Prophet Jermiah In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none ad the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them This also is set forth by several other metaphorical prophesies and promises as that the Lord will not remember their sins that he will cast them into the depth of the Sea to cast them behinde his back to wipe it away like a cloud and this John Baptist pointed at Christ saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life by whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin This is the perfection from sin by Justification which our Ministers teach and not a perfection inherent in us as your Quakers Papists Catharists and Familists teach and as they teach a perfection from sin by Christ alone so do they teach and so do I believe that Christ hath wrought perfect righteousnesse for all the elect according to the Scriptures For it is not sufficient to bring us to Heaven to be freed from sin for a Horse hath no sin but there must be perfect righteousnesse without which no man can enter into Heaven for as I said before Adam was not only made without sin but was made righteous and we must be restored to an estate of righteousnesse by Christ the second Adam and this was typed by the two Tables being put into the Ark and there to be kept to shew that Christ the true Ark kept and fulfilled the Law and this the Prophet David prophesieth of Christ Then said I lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is within my heart I have preached righteousnesse in the great Congregation I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart This also is plainly set forth in the prophesie of Zachariah saying Take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment for behold I will bring forth my servant the Branch Minde that his iniquity was not only to passe but be cloathed with change of rayment which is the righteousnesse of Christ called the Branch and surely shall one say In the Lord have I rigteousnesse in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified This is that the Church rejoyceth in saying I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of
salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse And as this righteousnesse was typified prophesied of and promised in the Old Testament so did Christ accomplish the same for saith Christ It becometh us to fulfill all righteousnesse wherefore the Apostle Paul saith But of him are ye in Christ Jesus not in your selves who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption He is made wisdome for our folly he is made righteousnesse for our unrighteousnesse and sanctification for the corruption of our conception birth and conversation and redemption for our bondage the same Apostle also to the Romans saith But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ The Apostle calleth it the righteousnesse of God because wrought by him that is God to shew the worth virtue and excellency of the same also the Apostle saith For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Minde the Apostle saith as and so that is as by Adams sin or disobedience we were made sinners so by Christs obedience we are made rigteous this is the wedding garment without which we have no acceptance but are abominable and filthy in Gods sight as Christ saith to the Church of Laodicea Thou saist I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and do not you Quakers say the same in effect for they thought they were rich by doing good works and had need of nothing do not you Quakers say you are so perfect by what you do and suffer that you have no need of any teaching or exhortation reproof or admonition But what said Christ to them and take it home to your selves And knowest not that thou art poor and wretched and miserable blinde naked because they were destitute of the true wisdome righteousness of Christ hasted to a wisdome righteousness in themselves But Christ saith I councel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou maist be rich white raiment that thou maist be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakednesse do not appear which is the merits and obedience of Christ to put him on as the Apostle saith this is that righteousnesse that Christ said Except your righteousnesse shall exceed the rigteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven The Pharisees thought themselves the only righteous people in the world as you do for said the Pharisee I thank God I am not as other men nor as this poor Publican for I do many good works like those Hypocrites spoken of by the Prophet Esay Stand farther off for I am holier than thee But they were ignorant of the righteousnesse of Christ as the Jewes were who went about to establish a righteousnesse of their own works for saith the Apostle They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God Again What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith But Israel which followed after the law of rigteousnesse hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith and this the Apostle knew by himself as may appear by his own words Touching the righteousnesse of the Law blamelesse But he was an enemy to this righteousnesse of Christ because he was ignorant of the same and are not you Quakers ignorant of this rigteousnesse Faith for some of your Speakers have said to me when I have spoken the same things among you that here with Hold thy peace and speak no more thy dirty puddle thy stinking stuff and some of you in your printed Pamphlets have written against this Doctrine of Justification by faith But may I not justly return the same unto you hold your peace and speak no more nor write no more your dirty dungy righteousnesse For if the Apostle Paul counted all his righteousnesse to be but dung in comparison of the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith well may I count and call yours so for while you pretend to be the only friends of Christ you are his greatest enemies I Traitors to Christ and his Gospel Traitors to his Church and Children and Traitors to your Bodies and Soules seeming great friends to all these but betraying every one of these with a Judas his kisse because you are enemies to this perfect righteousnesse of Christ by faith by which alone we are justified and saved But you maintain a perfection within you by the Spirit saying that you are freed from all corruption of sin Wherefore having at large proved that all believers are perfect by Justification I shall now prove that all those who are perfectly Justified are not perfectly freed from all sin and corruption in themselves and then I shall answer your objections against both And to make this appear to be true according to the Scriptures I shall first lay down this proposition That all Believers are Justified by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ which Spirit of Christ doth remain and abide in them together with the body of sin which I shall plainly prove to that end know that this body of sin is sometimes in Scripture called Flesh sometimes Concupisence Now you do deny that there is both Flesh and Spirit in one person which is the thing that I undertake to prove by the Scripture Wherefore minde what Christ saith to his Disciples The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak The Apostle Paul saith It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me and after that When I would do good evill is present with me and yet in the next verse I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But saith he I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde Now dare you say the Apostle had not the Spirit of Christ at that time seeing he saith he delighted in the Law of God which none can do that have not the Spirit of God Besides consider what a grosse error and absurdity will follow by denying the same which is this that if Paul had not the Spirit at that time then was not the Spirit the author
of that Scripture contrary to that of the Apostle Peter Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Besides if Paul had not the Spirit at that time then he had lost it unlesse you say he had not the Spirit while after he had written the seventh Chapter to the Romans Also the Apostle Paul complaineth in his Epistle to the Corinthians saying That a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffer me which is taken to be some corruption Also the Apostle writing to the Galathians saith For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other So that ye cannot do the things that ye would according to what he said of himself before Also the Apostle Peter that Pillar of the Church which the Papists your Fathers do so much boast of that he could not erre as you Quakers say of your selves To passe by his sin in denying Christ before Christ suffered you may read in the Epistle to the Galathians that the Apostle Paul withstood the Apostle Peter to the face because he was to be blamed Why for what the Apostle saith That before the Jews he dissembled fearing them of the Circumcision and that Barnabas was also carried away with their dissimulation But saith the Apostle When I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Now this sin of theirs was not a sin of Ignorance but of Knowledge dissembled and now I am writing of Barrabas I call to minde that great strife that was between Paul and him that although they were put apart together for the ministery of the Gentiles had travelled through many regions and preached unto them the Gospel that then they should so fall out one with the other that they should parâ— asunder there must needs be a fault either in Paul or Barnabas and surely they both had the Spirit of Christ at the same time and were Justified and Sanctified Also this passion of theirs bringeth to minde what the Apostle James writeth concerning the Prophet Elias That he was a man subject to like passions as we are that you may read of him in the Book of Kings Now if Elias that was taken up into Heaven was a mah subject to passion and Paul and Barnabas dare you Quakers say you are more holier then they I the Apostle saith That in many things we offend all and was not the Apostle a true teacher because he taught such doctrine as you say our Ministers are not Also the Apostle John saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Minde the Apostle doth not say if you but we putting himself within the nnmber Also he saith If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us I marvel not that you Quakers do so often give Men the lye seeing you give God the lye for so saith the Apostle that knew better than you for you know not your own hearts if you did you durst not so speak you never yet knew the Spiritual meaning of the Law that the least evil thought or motion to sin though not acted is a breach of the pure Law of God if you did then would you say and pray as the Prophet David did Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults or sins If the Prophet David who was a man after Gods own heart and a pen-man of holy Scripture confessed that who can which interrogation is a negation none can understand or know all the secret sins of his life prayed to God to pardon them Do you Quakers know more and are you more holy than he I know you are so in your own opinions But I shall have occasion hereafter to discover the falsenesse of your opinion in that particular Now to make this appear more plain consider that there is no need of Christ his mediatorship propitiation or intercession for if the Church and people of God do not sin why then doth the Apostle John say And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins Minde the Apostle saith We have an advocate and he is the propitiation for our sins the Apostle includeth himself within the number Also the Apostle Paul saith to the Romans Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect why Minde the Apostle doth not say for they have no sin But it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us he includeth himself Also the Apostle to the Hebrews Wherefore he is able also to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Now consider that this intercession of Christ is necessary for the Saints in regard of their best works For the Prophet Esay saith in the name of the whole Church But we are all as an unclean thing and all our Minde rigteousnesses are as filthy rags Also the Apostle Paul saith of himself Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse all things and do count them but dung that that I may win Christ Now the Apostle counted his righteousnesse which is of the Law to be such that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse but that which is through the faith of Christ This intercession of Christ for the Saints for to take away the pollution of their best actions was typified by the High-priest Aaron was to have a plate of pure gold and engraven upon it holinesse to the Lord. And it shall be upon Aarons fore-head that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the Children of Israel may be accepted before the Lord. A Mans best works as they come from Man are unclean because there is corruption in the best men for all men are conceived and born in sin as David confesseth of himself Behold I was shaped in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Now this original corruption is in the best Man what ever you say or think to the contrary Now as water that is pure and clean in the fountain if it run or come through a corrupt pipe or channel it will be foul and unclean even so the Spirit of God in Man being the fountain from whence all good cometh is pure and clean but passing through Mans corrupt nature becometh defiled And therefore you may read that the Angel stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it
with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the throne and the smoak of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Now that Altar was Christ and that Incense was nothing else but Christs merits and mediation by which alone the prayers of all Saints are perfumed and so become acceptable with God or before him for we do not conceive that Christ now in Heaven maketh any vocal prayers to to God the Father for us but that he doth continually present the virtue of his Death and Sufferings before his Father whereby not only our persons are accepted but our services also Now whoever doth deny this intercession or mediation of Christ doth in effect deny Christ because they deny the end of Christ his coming and all such the Apostle John saith That whoever denyeth that Jesus is the Christ is Antichrist and many deceivers are entred into the world which confesse not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an antichrist Now all those that do deny the end of Christs coming in the flesh do deny his coming in the flesh and all those that deny perfect Justification from all sin in and by Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession alone do deny the end of Christs coming and that you Quakers do for you say you are made perfect not by what Christ did and suffered but by what the Spirit worketh in you I some of you have affirmed that Christ never rise from the Grave and that his body is rotted in the Grave and some of you have made a mock of this Doctrine of Justification by the Imputation and Intercession of Christ and some have written against it in theis Pamphlets Now I pray you that revile against all others that are not of your minde calling them Antichrist and the brood of Antichrist Now see whether you are not the Antichrists your selves and the deceivers spoken of by the Apostle We know from whence you learned this Doctrine better than your selves and that is from your Fathers the Papists as I said before for all you cry out against them and all others that are not of your minde to be Popish and as this Doctrine of the Papists and yours doth make Christ and his Mediatorship void and uselesse so it doth make Faith to be uselesse for if a man be justified and saved not by what Christ hath done and suffered for us but being free from sin inherently in us by following and obeying the light within us then we need not believe our perfection because we see and feel it in our selves Now the Apostle defining Faith what it is saith That Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and the just shall live by Faith and we walk by Faith and not by sight even as Abraham the Father of the faithfull is said by the Apostle to believe against hope and believed in hope and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body nâ—w dead neither yet the deadnesse of â—arahs wombe though he did see and feel nothing in his body nor Sarahs whereby to believe that he should have a Son yet he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed If we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised for our justification Now the Apostle doth argue that as Abraham believed the promise contrary to what he saw or felt in himself so also should we And as this doctrine doth make Faith void and uselesse so doth it also make Repentance uselesse for if a Christian can live without sin then he need not repent for sin Now the Doctrine of Repentance is of use in the Church as we may see by what the Apostle writeth saying Godly sorrow causeth repentance never to be repented of also Christ saith to the Church of Ephesus I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast born and hast patience and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Such a commendation as never any Quaker deserved and yet Christ said neverthelesse I have somewhat against thee remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works Now these were the first Churches and lived in the purest times and yet had need of repentance and dare you Quakers say you are more perfect than they I know you are so in your own eyes but Christ knoweth you are solely pride and â—ypocrisie and how you hold and maintain the Popish doctrine That a man is not justified and saved by Faith in believing only what Christ hath done and suffered for us and for our salvation but those workes of the Spirit in us in being obedient unto the light within us Now that you may see and know that this is an old Popish doctrine I shall shall shew you what Luther writeth concerning the Papists judgement in this particular who knew better than you do because he was trained up many years in the same Religion having been one of their Monks I shall write his very words in his Exposition of the Epistle to the Galathians upon chap. 2. ver 16. Know that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ We have alwaies saith he recourse to this article that our sins are covered and that God will not lay them to our charge not that sin is not in us minde as the Papists have taught saying that we must be alwaies working well untill we feel that there is no sin remaining in us Yea sin is indeed alwaies in us and the godly do feel it but it is covered and it is not imputed unto us of God for Christs sake Also on the chap. 3. ver 20. Who loved me and gave himselfe for me the Papist saith he use this Verse God will no more require of man Than of himself performe he can Moreover they say that nature is corrupt but the qualities of nature notwithstanding are sound and uncorrupt upon which ground they reason that mans will and understanding are sound and uncorrupt are pure and perfect in him and therefore do infer that a man is able of himself to fulfill the Law and to love God with all his heart and so consequently to be justified thereby It is well known by all that have read the Jesuites writings or have had
Also those that were convinced at Peters Sermon said unto Peter â—nd the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do that false light within them taught them nothing but to do but the Apostle Peter answereth them Repent and be Baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins for the promise is unto you and to you Children Also the Keeper of the Prison came to Paul and Silas and brought them out and said Sirs what must I do to be saved and they answered and said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The light in him could not direct him what to do without the Apostles teaching who taught them to do nothing but to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ but if the Apostles had been Quakers they would have said to him Hearken to the light within thee and obey the same and thou shalt be saved but the Apostles knew no such doctrine The false Apostles taught such doctrine for after the Apostle Paul had planted the Church of Galatia by the preaching of the Gospel there presently after came false Teachers who bewitched the Galatians with this doctrine That the works of the Law are to be joyned with Christs righteousnesse for our Justification and Salvation The Apostle saith I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called yon into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Minde The Apostle doth not marvel that they were so soon removed from him that called them to hearken to the light within them and obey that but that called you into the grace or favour of Christ and tells them that those which taught them to joyn Faith and Works together in the point of Justification were not Preachers of the Gospel but perverters of the Gospel for saith he We through the Spirit wait for the hope of the righteousnesse by Faith Minde the Apostle doth not say we wait for the revelation of a light within nor a shaking quaking fit by the Spirit that is from the spirit of the Devil and not from the Spirit of Christ And as these Galatians had a natural inclination after the doctrine of Justification and were soon drawn away by that and the false Teachers so is there the same in all men naturally because Man naturally would fain sacrifice to his own Net he would have something in himself he cannot indure to be robbed and spoiled of all his good works he would fain have some glory to himself like the Pharisee who thanked God he was not as other men but did many good works and like those proud hypocritical Jews who said stand farther off I am holier then thou But now this doctrine of free Justification in and by the righteousnesse of Christ alone without works taketh away all glory from a Man robbeth him of all and giveth all glory to God in Christ alone Now take this for a sure rule for tryal of doctrine that doctrine which giveth most glory to God and taketh away all glory from Man that is the true doctrine but this doctrine of being perfectly justified in and by the righteousnesse of Christ alone doth give most glory to God and take glory from Man therefore the true doctrine of Christ Having answered your objections against this doctrine of being justified in and by the righteousnesse of Christ alone I shall answer your grounds upon which you build your perfection in your selves by the hearkning to the light within you and obeying the same Christ saith be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect To which I answer that a Christian is said to be perfect by Sanctification in regard of the parts of Sanctification because every part is Sanctified as a Man childe is said to be a perfect Man so soon as it is born in regard it hath all the parts of a Man but those parts are not grown to perfection so a Christian is perfect in regard of all parts of perfection but not in regard of the measures or degrees and that is Christs meaning be ye therefore which therefore doth imply a wherefore and doth relate to the words going before Ye have heard it hath been said thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy But I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven For he maketh his Sun to shine or rise on the evil and the good and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust Be ye therefore perfect as your Father is perfect Have you the same part or quality of perfection as your Father hath but who can say he loveth his enemies in that measure and degree as God our Heavenly Father loved his enemies that he sent his only begotten Son to dye for his enemies I am certain to Quaker hath that perfection for in stead of blessing and praying for their enemies they curse them as I shall shew more at large hereafter Also perfection is sometimes taken for the sincerity of Man or singlenesse of heart in opposition to a double-minded hypocritical man and so is it said of Job that he was perfect and upright that is he was a man of a single heart for if we mark what Job said of himself we shall finde that he was a man that confessed his own infirmities and weaknesse If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Also he saith I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Surely Job was no Quaker for they say they are perfectly freed from sin and in stead of abhorring themselves they justifie themselves Again you object that the Apostle Paul saith that he preached Wisdome among them that are perfect and let as many as are perfect be thus minded To which I answer that the Apostle speaketh of the perfection of Justification in and through the righteousnesse of Christ and not of inherent perfection For the Apostle in that third Chapter to the Philippians saith of himself Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus By which the Apostle declareth that he was imperfect in regard of his apprehending of Christ for as he saith in another place We all know but in part and believe but in part but we are perfectly apprehended of Christ and he hath already perfectly redeemed us and saved us Wherefore we that believe should be of the Apostles minde to
Minister because the People unto whom he Preacheth liveth in many sins then I say by the same ground you may as well prove that the Prophets and Apostles were no true Teachers for the Lord sometimes sendeth his Prophets among a people not for their conversion but to harden them in their sins and to leave them without excuse Noah was a Preacher of righteousnesse and Preached to the old world to have them repent and yet they repented not but God brought a Floud and drowned the whole World except Noah and his Family and will you say that Noah was not therefore a Preacher of righteousnesse or a true Preacher and afterward was not Noah overtaken with drinking the Wine that he made of the Grapes that he was drunk and yet that sin of his did not prove him to be no true Teacher Also Just Lot so called did labour by Teaching Reproving and Exhorting the Sodomites to repent and turn from their wickednesse but could not prevail and God destroyed them with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven And Lot after that great deliverance fell into grosse sins namely Drunkennesse and Incest was he not therefore a good Teacher Also the Prophet Samuel what pains did he take with the Children of Israel to reclaim them from their sins but could not prevail for the Lord said they have not rejected thee but me was he not therefore a true Prophet Also the Prophet Elias how little did he prevail with the Children of Israel to reclaim them insomuch that he saw none but himselfe that was not fallen to worship Ball saying They have slain thy Prophets and I am left alone Also the Lord said unto the Prophet Esai Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Then said I Lord how long and he answered Untill the Cities be wasted without Inhabitants and the Houses without Men and the Land be utterly desolate And the Prophet complaineth that all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gain-saying people And was not the Prophet Isaiah therefore a true Prophet but you will say these were before Christ was come in the flesh Wherefore I shall shew you the same in effect after Christ his coming in the flesh to omit what Christ complaineth of concerning the obstinate Jews in which I might be large only take that one complaint of his O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not behold your houses are left unto you desolate Now if Christ who was God as well as Man complaineth that Jerusalem would not be gathered or converted unto him is it any strange thing that those that follow him do see such small fruit of their labours Wherefore take a view of what followed after Christ his Ascention and after the full accomplishing of Christs promise to send the Holy Ghost The Apostle Paul after he had with much labour by preaching gathered a people in Corinth what fruits did spring up and grow among them there was great divisions and contentions among them every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ Also the Apostle saith that it is reported commonly that there is Fornication among you and such as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles that one should love his Fathers Wife and ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned Also the Apostle complaineth that there were divisions among them about the Lords Supper For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper and one is hungry and another is drunken and was not the Apostle therefore a true Teacher of the Gospel of Christ and was not the Church of Corinth therefore a true Church of Christ according to you Quakers tenets or opinions they are no true Churches in which there are divisions and in which there are any sins and corruptions and so much is implyed and expressed in your Paper where by the way I shall now write something to confute that error of yours in which you are not alone for you have too many that erre with you for company besides Quakers Now I have read several of your Pamphlets in which you write that the Church is in God and is Spiritual and that there is no true Church where there is divisions and where there is sin this Richard Farnworth Burroughs and several other wrâ—teth wherefore I desire you to take notice that the Apostle Paul writeth to these Corinthians and calleth them the Church of God at Corinth notwithstanding those corrupt Members that were among them such as you can scarse finde in the worst of our Congregations Also the Apostle writing to the Galatians calleth them the Churches of Galatia and that the Apostle saith O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth and are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh that is by the works of the Law which the Apostle calleth Flesh Also the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians calleth them the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God and yet the Apostle saith there were some unruly persons among them and some disorderly persons which the Apostle calleth Brethren That the withdrawing your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly for we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed Minde Yet count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother Surely the Apostle wâ—s no Quaker for they deny to call any man or woman Brother or Sister though they walk never so orderly if not of their minde but say they are Heathen this I have heard several of your company speak Also Christ himself unto the Church of Ephesus saith That Thou hast left thy first love and unto the Angel of the Church in Pergamus That thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balam so hast thou them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate And unto the Angel of the Church of Thiatira I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce my servants like the women among you Quakers that take upon them to Teach And unto the Angel of the Church of Sardis I know thy works that thou hast a name that
thou livest and art dead And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot but luke-warm The worst of all tempers in Religion Now minde that Christ doth commend what ever was good in any of these Churches and reproveth them for their evill but calleth them Churches and the Ministers Angels But you Quakers will take no notice of any good that is in any of our Churches or Ministers but are like the Crow or Raven that love to feed upon Carren so your only delight is to revile against our Ministers and Churches and to publish any fault you can finde in them but I never read in any of your books one word of commendation of any Minister or Church but your selves neither did I ever hear any of you Quakers speak in the praise or commendation of any Minister or any Church or people but your selves but railing and reviling I have heard more than enough of But surely you Quakers have no love to any but your selves for the Apostle saith That Love covereth a multitude of faults and that Charity or Love suffereth long and is kinde envieth not vanteth not it selfe is not puffed up thinketh not evill beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things But you Quakers vant your selves are puffed up with spiritual pride think speak evil of all persons that are not of your minde calling them Reprobates Heathens and Dogs and that you are the only Church of Christ being pure from sin and so do not only condemn all other Churches now in being but all that ever have been I the famous Churches of Asia Corinth Galatia and Thessalonica who were the first Churches and were as Brightman in his book called A Revelation of the Apocalips the best and the purest Churches for after the Apostles dayes greater corruptions sprang up in the Church Now if there were such corruptions in the Church in the first and purest times shall we think to have the Churches in our times free from all corruptions I do not write these things to plead for sin and corruption I rather desire to mourn and be humbled for them But I write these things to shew you your great mistake in that you say there can be no true Church nor Ministers where such fruits are but beware of condemning the generation of the Just because of miscarriage of some persons that live in the Church or because of the faults and infirmities of the godly men in the Church remember what a curse Ham brought upon himself for uncovering his Fathers nakednesse and what a blessing Shem and Japhet brought upon themselves for covering their Fathers nakednesse But above all take heed of slandering and belying our Ministers and Churches by accusing them falsely a sin that is too frequent among you it is better to erre in over much charity then in sensoriousnesse and rash judging But that I may the better rectifie your judgements and all other that separate from our Churches I shall endevour to shew you your mistake in and about the perfection of the Church of Christ which I conceive is because you do not distinguish between the outward visible Church of Christ and the invisible Church the mystical body of Christ Now I say that the invisible Church is perfect in Christ because all the members of that Church are members of the body of Christ being joyned in one Spirit and to such the Apostle Peter doth speak unto Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ Also the Apostle to the Hebrews saith But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God and unto the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the sprinkling of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel Now minde the Apostle saith they are elected or chosen the Church of the first born which are written in Heaven but when Jesus Christ speaketh of the visible external Church he saith Many are called but few are chosen that is many called to the profession of the Gospel of Christ but few of those are elected and chosen to Life and Salvation Also Christ saith The Kingdome of Heaven is likned unto ten Virgins which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom and five of them were wise and five were foolish Minde They were all Virgins and they all had Lamps that is they all had the outward external profession of the Gospel but the wise Virgins only had the oyle of Grace Also Christ saith The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea and gathered of every kinde good and bad Now by the Kingdome of Heaven is not meant the Kingdome of Glory but the Chruch visible here on earth in which there are good and bad But you say that our Ministers are no true Teachers because they profit not the People to which I have answered in part before where I shewed that the Prophet Esai profited not the People of Israel and yet was a true Prophet But I do deny what you speak to be true and say that our Ministers do profit the People what ever you say to the contrary because a blind man cannot see the Sun therefore doth not the Sun shine because you Quakers who are blinded with error and cannot see that our Ministers doth profit the People do they not therefore profit the People I shall shew you what I see and know of a truth of their profiting the People I have known several Ministes who have come to Parishes to Preach where the People have been generally Ignorant Profane and Superstitious and God hath so blessed the labours of the Ministers among those People that they have been generally reformed from their Ignorance Profanenesse and Superstition and is it not profitable to People that were Ignorant to be instructed for those that were Profane to be morally civil for those that were Superstitious to be brought off from their Superstition and many that have been not only convinced of their sins but truly and really brought to believe and repent of their sins and many that have been in great horrour and trouble of conscience even ready to despair have been by their meanes as instruments raised up and have received true spiritual comfort and are not such profitable Ministers Also they do by their Preaching strengthen and confirm the Faith of Believers for it is the work of a Minister of Christ not only to convert
but also to strengthen and confirm those that are converted that they may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ though you Quakers say you are so perfect that you cannot grow in knowledge nor grace Also know that were it not for our publick Ministers people would in time grow Atheistical and become like Savage bruitish Heathens as for those sins which you say do abound among Teachers and People I say it is no new thing for you Quakers to accuse revile and slander all men that are contrary to your judgement But if such sins did abound among us that doth not prove our Ministers to be no true Ministers nor our Churches to be no true Churches for I have proved that there hath been as great sins in the first age of the Church as in Corinth Galatia Thessalonica and the Churches of Asia and yet they were all true Churches and the Ministers true Ministers but for your selves you are like the Pharisees that could finde faults in others but could see none in themselves And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye which bringeth me to the tryal aud examination of the perfection among you Quakers that it may appear whether you be the innocent Lambes of Christ the holy Seed the Called the chosen of the Lord the Witnesses the Saints the children of the Light the perfect ones for so you write in your Paper but it had been better if it had been written or spoken by others than by your selfe but you follow your Fathers the Pharisees who praised themselves and your Fathers the Papists who say they are the only true Church which cannot erre as you Quakers say of your selves Wherefore I shall now endevour to examine your perfection whether you have that perfection which the Scripture doth hold forth and teach I have at large proved the perfection which our Ministers teach to be by Faith alone in believing what Christ hath suffered and done for us Also I have proved that there is no perfection in our selves that is to say no man is able perfectly to keep and fulfill the whole Law in thought word and deed but you Quakers say that Christ hath abolished the Law an old Antinomian error which hath been often confuted wherefore I shall not trouble my self about it but I shall exaamine whether you Quakers do perfectly keep and obey the commands of Christ and his Apostles and whether you walk according to the example of Christ and his Apostles Now Jesus Christ hath given forth several commands which you Quakers do not obey but teach men that they ought not to be obeyed now Christ saith that whosoever shall break one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is none at all Now if Christ threaten such as teach men to break one of the least of the commands of the Moral Law how do you think to escape that teach men to break his commands which he gave forth with his own mouth in the time of the Gospel and that neer the time of his Suffering and Ascension but you will say this is a false accusation wherefore it remaineth on my part to 〈◊〉 it And to that end I shall first begin with that 〈…〉 which Christ gave to his eleven Disciples And Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world Now I do affirm that this command of Christ was given by him not to the Disciples only but in them to all the Ministers of the Gospel that shall succeed them unto the end of the world and that this command of baptizing in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the baptizing with Water which ordinance is to continue unto the end of the world or Christ his second coming Now you Quakers do deny the observing of this command of Christ and teach men not to obey the same but say it was a command that was to continue only for a time untill the coming of the Holy Ghost this several of your Teachers have affirmed unto me at several times and Jona Dell in his book called A voice from the Temple saith that Baptism and the Lords Supper were but ceremonies that were to last but for a time Wherefore I shall prove that this command of Christ to his Disciples was to continue in the Church untill his second coming and was not to cease at the coming of the the Holy Ghost as you say it is Now Minde the words and they do plainly prove it for Christ saith I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Now the Apostles did not live alway unto the end of the world but some of your company say by the end of the world Christ doth not mean the time of dissolving of all things in the world or Christ his second coming but till the world was ended in them and that was when they were perfect but consider what an absurd interpretation this is for if that be the meaning then it must needs follow that Christ left the Apostles when the world was ended in them but I would know where you finde the end of the world in Scripture to be taken for the end of the world in a Man but while you go about to defend one error you run into many but I shall shew from the Scripture that this ordinance of Water-Baptisme was practised in the Church after the sending of the Holy Ghost and after the Holy Ghost was received by many In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the Apostles were all filled with the Holy Ghost Surely no Quaker ever had such a measure of the Spirit and yet the Apostles after that baptized with Water as we may read in several places in the Acts to instance one which may serve in stead of many the Apostle Peter being sent for by Cornelius by the Lords own appointment and coming into Cornelius's house preached the Gospel unto him and many other Gentiles And to him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Minde Peters Preaching is called the Word Then answered Peter Can any man forbid Minde Water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Now can you tell how to deny this practice of the Apostle Peter if Christ his meaning
before Christs coming in the flesh than we Christians in the dayes of the Gospel since his coming for to be out of the pale of the Church was counted an unholy unclean condition I they were counted Doggs by Christs own words It is not lawful to give Childrens bread unto Doggs and without are Doggs and if the children of the Church of the Jews were externally holy by being visible members of the Church and Christians children unholy because no visible members of the Church Are not our children in a worse condition than theirs and so we have lesse priviledge than they now the Scripture declareth that the Church and People of God in the dayes of the Gospel have far greater priviledges than the Church of the Jews and this Christ himself sheweth where he saith Verily I say unto you among them which are born of women arose there not a greater then John Baptist notwithstanding the least in the kingdome of Heaven is greater than he whereby Christ would teach us that John the Baptist was the greatest among all the Prophets that went before him because he had the presence of Christ pointing at him Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world and yet the least believer in the Kingdome of Grace is greater than he because Christ had not then actually suffered for sin nor was not risen from the dead but the least believer doth now by Faith see Christ hath actually taken away sin by his Death and Suffering and is risen again for our Justification Also Christ saith Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them And are not these great priviledges Also the Apostle writing to the Hebrews in the eleventh Chapter writeth a Catalogue of the faithfull and in the end concludeth And all these having obtained a good report through Faith received not the Promise God having promised some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect The Apostle Peter also testifieth the same Teaching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the Sufferings of Christ Minde and the glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are nâ—w reported unto you of which Salvation the Prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you By which Texts of Scripture ye may plainly see that the Church and people of God in these times of the Gospel have greater priviledges then the Church of the Jews and therefore our Children as well as theirs have the priviledge of being outward visible Members of the Church which is only by Baptism But you Antibaptists and the Anabaptists say that although Believers have now greater priviledges then the Jews yet it doth not follow that our Children are to be admitted visible Members of the Church because there is no express command nor example for baptizing Children To which I answer that whatsoever may be proved from the Scripture by consequence to be the scope and meaning of the Scripture it is sufficient proof and that is already made good But seeing you do both stand to have express word of Command or express Example I shall desire you or either of you to shew me one command or example in Scripture for the baptizing of those that are grown up whose Parents one or both were Christians by professing the Gospel of Christ Now if you have no rule nor example in Scripture as I am sure you have not why do you condemn another when you Anabaptists are more guilty in that you baptise those that are of years whose Parents profess the Gospel of Christ and were formerly baptised in the name of Christ Unless you count all those that profess the Gospel of Christ to be Heathens that are not of your Churches which is a most uncharitable opinion But you farther object that the Apostles baptibaptized none but such as did beleive and make a profession of their Faith To which I answer that it is more then you can prove seeing the Apostle baptized Housholds and it is more then you can tell there were no Children in those Housholds unlesse you know it by revelation Secondly I say that those whom the Apostles baptized who were of years were such as were converted from Judaisme or Heathens and neither they nor their Parents ever professed the Gospel of Christ and did any of you or any other know any of our Ministers baptize any Jews Turks or Indians not professing the Gospel they have baptized some that have come from those parts after they have been converted and made a profession of their Faith according to the example of the Apostle Thirdly I answer that elect Infants may have the root or habit of Faith though not the act of Faith if you believe Christs words For Christ called a little Child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said who so shall receive one such little Child in my name receiveth me but whoso shall offend one of these little ones mind which believe in me By which words it doth appear that elect Infants may have the seeds of grace in their hearts we read that some have been sanctified from the womb and that must be by the Spirit for so the Text saith speaking of John Baptist And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost mind even from his Mothers womb It is the opinion of many ancient and modern Ministers that elect Infants do ordinarily recieve the Spirit in or at their Baptism as Christ at his Baptism had the Holy Ghost descending like a Dove and lightning upon him Now Christ was full of the Holy Ghost before for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily And therefore the descending of the Holy Ghost at that time was to teach us to have a high esteem of that ordinance as most of our protestant Ministers do hold and teach and as Dr. Burges doth at large prove in his Book called Baptismal Regeneration Where this point of elect Infants ordinarily receiving the Spirit or seal of the Spirit in their Baptism is fully handled with all objections against it answered and I do the more press this point because the Baptism of Infants is so much slighted neglected and contemned by many in our days For I suppose that elect Infants being meer patients in the work of Regeneration are as capable of the Spirits sealing or applying the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins as those that are of Age for if there were a power in Adam by hâ—s sin
opinions And face doth not more answer face in a Glasse then you do answer each other as I can shew you in several of their opinions and practises compared with yours as their hearkning to a light within them and revelations which they followed contrary to the Scripture some of them running about the streets naked as many of you have done some of them burning their clothes as some of you have done although at their first springing up they seemed to be such meek humble Saints that they would suffer any thing yet after they had gotten a sufficient number and strength then they shewed themselves in their Colours for then it was revealed that John of Leyden may be a King and that all the wicked must be destroyed and King John and his Disciples must govern all and have all the goods of the wicked because they had no right to them to which end they fortified Munster against the Emperor perswading the people that God would feed them by a miracle it being so revealed to them by which the poor people were many of them starved and at last King John and his company taken himself and two more of his chief companions hanged and put in three Iron Cages and set on the top of the three high Towers or Steeples the rest banished two ships laden with them the Author saith came into Great Brittain where they first sowed those seeds of Heresie from which have spang up all those errors of Anabaptism Familism Antinomianism Adamites Seekers and Quarkers I hope you will be convinced by all that I have written that your Practise in denying the ordinance of Baptism is contrary to the example of Christ and his Apostles and therefore in that you are not perfect And now I come to a second particular in which I shall prove that you walk contrary to Christ command and example and the example of the Apostles and that is in that you deny the partaking of the Lords Supper and teach that it is abolished and not to be used in the Church of Christ as Jona Dell in his Book called A Voyce from the Temple writeth and several others Wherefore I shall briefly prove that it was Christs command and Example and the practise of the Apostles and all the reformed Churches ever since the Apostle days Now Christ before his Death did institute and appoint this ordinance as you may read in Matthew Mark and Luke And he took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying this is my body which is given for you this do remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Where we are to take notice that Christ saith this do in Remembrance of me which is a command for them to do as he had done and that it was Christs meaning to have them do the same after his Ascension is plain because the Apostles did practise the same afterwards which they would not have done had it not been Christs command and the Apostle Paul doth plainly prove it to be Christ command For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you and what was that but the Supper of the Lord as the words following shew but you will say how long was the practise of that to continue The Apostle doth tell you For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come But you say Christ is come by his Spirit to every believer and that is the meaning of it till he come To which I answer that I wonder you Quakers are not ashamed to give such a sense of the words and had I not heard it from several of your Mouths and read it in several of your Books I should not have believed it Wherefore to convince you of your error pray tell me Whether Christ was not come to his Apostles by his Spirit and to all others that believed the Gospel of Christ If Christ was not come to the Apostles by his Spirit how did they write the Scriptures Besides the Scripture saith That the Apostles were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues and yet the Apostles practise was to break bread after that and therefore the meaning of the Apostle to eat this bread and to drink this cup for so often as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he comes must needs be meant of Christs second coming namely his coming at the end of the world when he cometh to Judgement when the Saints bodies shall be raised out of their Graves and those that are then alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever abide with the Lord where then we shall have no need nor use of Sacraments because faith then shall cease being swallowed up in vision But till then we have need of these outward ordinances to help strengthen our faith the Supper of the Lord being appointed by Christ himself to that end where we may see a representation of Christ crucified before our eyes to help strengthen our faith for the Apostles themselves had need of these ordinances the Apostle Paul saith VVe know in part For now we see through a glasse darkly But then face to face mind Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known Now is it not a horrible pride in you to say you are more fuller of the Spirit than the Apostles that you have more knowledge and stronger faith than the Apostles for you see the Apostles made use of this ordinance to strengthen their saith and if you say you have no need of this partaking of ordinances do not you declare your selves to be more perfect than the Apostles But Jona Dell in his Voyce from the Temple doth affirm that you Quakers have such an infallible knowledge that you cannot erre but we can smell from whence you sucked in this poyson even from your Father the Pope the great Antichrist who only claimeth this infallible Spirit But this by the way Also Jona Dell in the said Book saith that this outward ordinance of the Lords Supper hath been much abused and therefore not to be used in the Church any longer as that Ceremony of the brasen Serpent after it was abused by the Israelites to Idolatry it was broken in pieces and not to be used any more and so he calleth it a Ceremony and shadow and all other ordinances which having been abused ought to be abolished For Answer to which I shall only mind you of the Example and practise of the Apostle Paul concerning the same in his Epistle to the Corinthians who had so abused the Supper of the Lord as I have not heard of greater nor the like for saith
the Apostle In eating every one taketh before other his one Supper And one is hungry and another is drunken What have ye not houses to eat and to drink in or despise ye the Church of God By which it seemeth by the way that the place where the Corinthians met was not a house but some place set apart for them to meet in But what did the Apostle order and appoint in that case did he say you Corinthians have so abused this Supper that I command you not to use it any longer No the Apostle was no Quaker for he exorteth them and instructeth them how to reform these abuses and how to receive the Supper of the Lord aright and that he doth First by laying down Christs institution and command unto him for the use of that ordinance And secondly sheweth the great danger of unworthy receiving Thirdly directeth them how to receive the same aright But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup. As if the Apostle had said though there be such danger in unworthy receiving yet would I not have you neglect the same But examine your selves and so come And in the end of the chapter tells them that The rest I will set in order when I come But you Quakers will have no order And as this was the practise of Christ and his Apostles so hath it been the practise of all reformed Churches since the Apostles days You Quakers are alone in this practise and woe be to him that is alone and a woe be to them who are so wise in their own conceipt as to think themselves wiser then Christ and his Apostles and all the Churches of Christ ever since the Apostles days which I leave to your serious consideration and be your own Judges whether you be perfect who walk so contrary to the command and example of Christ and his Apostles Seeing the Apostle exhorteth Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ And so I come to a third particular wherein your Practise is contrary to the example and Practise of Christ and his Apostles and all reformed Churches The third particular is your different practise from Christ and his Apostles in singing of Psalms Wherefore I shall lay down this for a truth That singging of Psalms with a Voyce is a part of Gods worship now in the days of the New Testament as well as in the days of the old For proof whereof take the example of Christ and his Apostles Who sang a Psalm or Hymme together after the administration of the Lords Supper which was a time of Sorrow and Heavinesse for Christ had newly told them before of his being betrayed and the time of his suffering was neer at hand and yet they sang a Psalm together which surely was for our example also the Apostle Paul and Silas being in prison Sang praises unto God also the Apostle Paul instructeth and exhorteth the Ephesians to speak one to another in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual Songs and so to the Colossians Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual Songs Also the Apostle commandeth the Corinthians that such as sing in the Church should not only sing in the Spirit but with understanding Also those who sang when they had gotten Victory over the Beast are said to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb by which it seemeth that the Song of Moses did suit with that deliverance But it is objected by you and others that these were not the Psalms of David but some other Hymnes or spiritual Songs immediately inspired which you like well and sometimes perswade your selves that you have such inspirations and fall a singing meer non-sense which edifies neither your selves nor others Wherefore I shall shew that all these three Titles are given to David's Psalms some are called Psalms some are called Hymnes some are called Songs that is spiritual Songs The Prophet David hath given these titles or names to them To the chief Musician a Psalm of David also a Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah a Song upon Alamoth Now what reason can be given why the Apostle should direct us in our singing to the very Titles of David's Psalms if it were not his meaning that we should sing them so that you must exclude the Psalms of David from the name of Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual Songs or else you must be forced to acknowledge that we are exhorted to sing them as well as any other Is it not better to sing those Psalms or Hymns of David which we know to be indited by an infallible Inspiration of the spirit then to sing such Songs or Hymns as men invent of their private spirits or pretend to be immediately inspired by the spirit which appears to be their own fancies by the distractions and contradictions that are in them Doe you not think that Christ was better able to indite and sing new Psalmes or Hymnes then you Quakers and yet we have not the least intimation in Scripture of any new Psalm or Hymne indited or sung by Christ and his Apostles after the Lords Supper which certainly would have been recorded by the Evangelist who records far less matters in things which pertain to Gods Worship And it is supposed that Christ did sing with his Apostles one of these Psalms appointed or used to be sung at the end of the Passover and some affirm that it was the 118 Psalm which Christ did sing I confess by the suitableness of the Psalm to the occasion there may be some probability but I think no certainty But our Psalmes are not the same in meeter nor the same tunes which the Jews had That seeing the singing of Psalmes is a dutie commanded and amongst others those of David and hath hid from us the Hebrew tunes wherewith the Psalms of David were wont to be sung it must needs follow that the Lord hath left it to the libertie of the Church to sing them in such plain grave tunes as may fit the solemnitie of Gods Worship and that because that tunes are but circumstantial and not the substance and the Church now in the dayes of the Gospel is not in her minoritie or young age but in her man-age or full grown age as the Apostle speaketh and therefore fitter to appoint circumstantial things in Gods Worship then the Jews being in their non-age But Davids Psalmes are to be sung with Davids Spirit or the same Spirit which David had but in your Churches wicked persons sing that have not the Spirit That the whole congregation of the Church of the Jews did sing the Psalms of David and do you think that all those among the Jews that sung Davids Psalms had the same Spirit which David had in composing of them Though
Congregation and if any through ignorance doe sing that which is not sutable to their condition may not or must not others in the same congregation sing those things that are sutable to their condition That the Psalmes to be read by such is no sin unless you count reading the Scripture to be sinne and why may they not as well sing them as read them seeing the one is a duty as well as the other they may sing them doctrinal as well as read them doctrinal as the truths contained in the Psalms and such may be convinced by singing them as wel as reading them as in the particulars objected O Lord I am not puft in mind may not a proud person be convinc'd that he ought not to be proud and when a wicked man singeth My heart is bent to keep thy Law may not he thereby be convinced and taught by that Doctrine that his heart ought to be bent to keep the Law That it is ignorance of a mans own condition and of the matter contained in the Psalmes to think or say that the Psalmes are not sutable to our conditions for every Psalm setteth forth either the Attributes and workes of God and his Christ or else describeth the estate and wayes of the Church and People of God or describeth the estate and wayes of the wicked or else it doth lively express mine own affections and afflictions temptations and comfort But whatsoever the matter of the Psalm concerneth either of God or his Christ the godly or the wicked my self or others the good or evil estate of one or other it ever ministreth fit matter and occasion to me of singing forth the prayses of the Lord since the name of God is to be blessed in and by all whether it goe well or ill with our selves or others and I believe that there is no condition the Church is or can be in in general nor no condition which any Member is or hath been in but there are Psalms sutable to the same and several Clerks are able to chuse such Psalms as are fit and sutable for all times and for all states and conditions of the Church and sutable for all Ordinances and sutable to all Doctrines And lastly the general practice of the Churches of Christ is to me a thing much to be considered and that it was the practice of the Churches of Christ after the Apostles dayes several Histories do testifie as Mr. Cotton doth largely prove in his book written in defence of this Ordinance of singing of Psalmes against the Antipsalmist But you follow the Papists your Fathers who are as great enemies to singing of Davids Psalmes as your selves and I could wish that some Protestants were not too much tainted with that Opinion The Papist in contempt of singing of Psalmes call them Genevah Jigs as you Quakers and other Sectaries the brood of Antichrist scoff at our Ministers and people for singing of Psalmes calling them Hopkins Jigs But I hope I have sufficiently proved that we follow the example of Christ and his Apostles and all reformed Churches and that you do sin in not following the command and example of Christ and his Apostles and therefore are not perfect and so I pass from this particular in which I have been the longer in regard I have been so often opposed by you for practising this duty And now I come to a fourth particular in which you walk contrary to the rule of the Scripture and that is your practice in suffering and maintaining women to teach in your meetings which you call your Church Now this practice I have not only heard of but am an eye and ear witness of having heard two several women speak and teach in your meetings where I heard them speak such nonsensical erronious stuff that it is a shame to write it And this practice is justified and maintained in Print by one of their chief teachers Richard Fanworth for so he saith is his name in the flesh who hath written a Pamphlet called A woman forbidden to speak in the Church the Grounds examined the Mystery opened the Truth cleared and the Ignorance both of Priests and People discovered where by the way take notice that where ever the letter of the Text doth speak directly against your errors then you say there is a Mystery in it and that none can open but your selves But where the Letter of the Scripture seemeth to speak for your errours then you say away with your mystical meanings the Scripture is to be understood as they speak according to the Letter which I have often heard from your own mouths and read in your books Wherefore I shall indeavour to prove Mr. Fanworths Mystery opened to be the mystery of iniquity proceeding from the spirit of Antichrist being directly against the Doctrine of Christ contained in the Scripture For saith the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them aske their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speak in the Church also the Apostle to Timothy Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence Object But you Quakers say that there is a mystical meaning which none know but your selves And that is that by the woman is meant the flesh and by the speaking is meant the Spirit which is in the Saints and that may speak in the Church whether in man or woman male or female this Farnworth writeth in opening the Mystery Also Sarah Blackbury when I alledged the Apostles words to her in William Bonds House after she had been three or four hours there a teaching or prating on the Lords day she made me this Answer thou art the woman for thou art Flesh that is weak and therefore thou art to keep silence and I may speak because I have the Spirit by which the Scripture was written but thou hast not the Spirit and therefore hold thy babling for thou knowest not the meaning of the Scripture To which I replied but what is meant by the Husbands that the women are to learn of and to ask them at home To which Susan Bond answered Christ was the Husband and of him they were to be taught and Sarah Blackbery seemed to like the Answer well for she made no exceptions against it neither can she nor any one else if their doctrine be true that they all have an infallible Spirit and cannot erre else they cannot be perfect for error is sin and I shall prove this to be an error when I have taken away the false Vizzard which you have put upon the these Texts of Scripture Wherefore to shew you your error I shall shew you the great
absurdities that do follow upon your interpretation and for a full clearing of the text in the Corinths consider the words before The Apostle saith ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn For God is not the Author of confusion Now lest the women from the word all should think themselves permitted to prophesie as well as the men the Apostle to prevent their mistake whom he knew loved to speak too much saith Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak where take notice that the Apostle speaketh in the plural number women and not permitted unto them to speak The Apostle always when he speaketh of the flesh speaketh in the singular number flesh also the Apostle speaketh in the plural number Husbands and not in the singular Husband by which you may see what most barbarous conclusions will follow upon your interpretation For if by the women be meant the flesh and by asking their Husbands be meant Christ then is Christ the Husband of the flesh and that there are more Christs then one seeing the Apostle saith ask their Husbands at home by which word home it will follow that Christ and the flesh dwell together and that Christ is the fleshes home so that you may see by maintaining an error you run into many grosse errors But you will say the Apostle to Timothy saith woman in the singular number To which place I answer that there will several errors follow if by the woman be meant the flesh in that place Let the woman learn in silence if by the woman be meant the flesh then is the flesh to learn But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence If by the woman be meant the flesh then the flesh can teach and can usurp authority over the Spirit for Adam was first formed then Eve if by the woman be meant the flesh then is the flesh Eve and was of Gods forming Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in Faith and Charity and Holynesse with Sobriety if by the woman be meant the flesh then may the flesh be saved in child-bearing and may have Faith Charity and Holynesse with Sobriety Now let your selves and others judge whether you have an infallible Spirit the same Spirit that the Apostles had that writ the Scripture and that you know the true meaning of the Scripture And whether such are fit to be Teachers of others Whether men or women that give such interpretations of Scripture and maintain such grosse errors Also the example of all the Churches of Christ is a ground why women ought not to speak in the Church But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the churches of God But you object that several women did prophesie as Deborah and that one man had four Daughters and Virgins and they did prophesie And your Sons and Daughters shall prophesie Answer that those women and virgins who prophesied were extraordinarily called by an extraordinary gift which is now ceased and they did not take upon them to be Teachers in the Church but did prophesie of such things as were extraordinarily revealed or done in the Church for the prophesie in the Prophet Joel the same was accomplished in the Acts for saith the Apostle Peter These are not drunken as ye suppose But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel I will poure out of my spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie I would have any of you shew any one example where a woman took upon her to be a Teacher in the publick Church if any did take upon them so to do the Apostle teacheth that they did transgresse for it is to usurp authority over the man which is a sin and for a woman to take upon her to be a Teacher unto men is to exercise the authority of a man for we read of no women Teachers in the Church But you say that none are to exercise authority over others But are all in the Church equal and alike which bringeth me to a fifth particular wherein your practise is contrary to the command example and practise of Christ and his Apostles and therefore are not perfect The fifth is your not giving any reverence honor nor civil respect unto your Superiors and those that are in authority but are in your carriage tou Superiors more like Heathens then Christians Now it remaineth on my part to prove that Christ and his Apostles did both command and walk contrary to your practice herein Christ said Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Now the name Caesar was a word of Honour given unto all the Roman Emperours what ever their names were as we used to call our Supream Magistrate King Now Christ though a King himself did not say Give unto William or John the things that are his but give to Caesar He gave him the same title of Honour that the Romans gave him though a heathen Emperour Also Christ teaching his Disciples humilitie When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest room left a more honorable man then thee be bidden of him and he come and say Give this man place he being a more honourable person but when thou art bidden goe and sit down in the lowest room that when he that bad thee cometh he may say unto thee Friend goe up higher then thou shall have worship or honour in the presence of them that sit at meat by which Christ doth teach that some persons are more honourable then others and such are to be honoured of others But which of you having a servant plowing or feeding cattel will say unto him by and by go and sit down to meat and will not rather say unto him Make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy self and serve me till I have eaten and drunk and afterward thou shalt eat and drink now though this be to teach us that we are all Gods servants and that when we have done all we are commanded to say we are unprofitable servants We have done that which was our dutie yet Christ useth this similitude because of the equitableness and justness of the same And as it is contrary to what Christ taught so is it contrary to the practice and doctrine of the Apostles for when Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles was brought before Agrippa to speak for himself Paul said I think my self happy King Agrippa because I shall answer for my self this day before thee mind The Apostle doth not onely say Agrippa but King Agrippa though he were a Heathen King And when he spake for himself Festus said with a loud voice Paul Thou art beside thy self much learning hath made thee mad Paul said I am not mad mind most
noble Festus though a Heathen Governour he gave him the title of Honour that of right did belong unto him Pauls being a Christian did not make him brutish and uncivil the Apostle knew that Christianitie did not destroy good manners and what the Apostle practised the same he taught unto others as you may read in his Epistle to the Romans Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear and Honour to whom Honour and in the next verse Owe no man any thing but to love one another implying that it is a debt that is owing to men in authoritie and whosoever doth deny the paying of these dues of Tribute to whom Tribute is due and Custome to whom Custome and Fear to whom Fear and Honour to whom Honour are debtors to them though they be Heathen Governours for there were no other among the Romans at that time Also the Apostle to Timothy exhorteth That first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlyness and honesty The Apostle was no enemy to Kings and other Magistrates but commanded to pray for them though they were Heathens and persecuted the Christians but you Quakers instead of praying for them or owning the name or titles of Kings or Nobles revile them and curse them calling them at the best but by their ordinary names Also the Apostle exhorteth Children to obey their Parents for this is right Honour thy father and mother which is the first Commandement with promise But you teach that the ten Commandements are abolished and is it honouring of Parents to call them William or Jone Also the Apostle to Timothie Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour though heathens If any man teach otherwise as you Quakers doe and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godlyness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envie strife railings evil surmisings Now do you think that those servants who call them onely by their names and deny that title of Masters as some do do count them worthy of all honour And the Apostle exhorteth That the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine but you deny that any should either rule in the Church or have any honour Also the Apostle Peter exhorteth to submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours and fear God honour the King Surely the Apostle was no Quaker for the Apostle giveth the title of King to the Supream Magistrate and would have him and all other Governours to be honoured but you will give no honour nor titles of honor to any man Also the same Apostle exhorteth Wives to be subject to their own Husbands and bringeth the example of Sarah for their imitation Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. Whose Daughters or Children ye are as long as ye do well We never read that Sarah called her Husband Abraham or that ever she left her Husband and Family to go up and down from one place to another place to teach as some of you women Quakers do contrary to the Apostles command Keepers at home obedient to their own Husbands that the word of God be not Blasphemed This by the way Also the Apostle John directeth his second Epistle Unto the elect Lady and her Children And now I beseech thee Lady You Quakers never learned of the Apostle to call a Lady Gammer nor persons of a noble descent Gaffer and Edward as some of you Quakers have done Also the Keepers of the Prison fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs VVhat must I do to be saved Now the word Sirs is a Title of Honour as much as to say in our Language Lords and if it had been a sin in them to give them that Title surely the Apostles would have reproved them for it as they did those that would have worshipped them with divine worship saying VVe also are men of like passions with you VVhy do ye these things Now by all these examples of Christ and his Apostles it appears that there is and ought to be honour and reverence given to Superiors But you are so brutish and ignorant that you cannot distinguish between divine honour and civil honour forgetting that Scripture But you object that the Apostle saith that in Christ Jesus ye are all one There is neither bond nor free male nor 〈◊〉 and thou answer that a Christian is to be considered two ways First as he is in Christ that is in the matter of salvation there is no difference nor respect of persons but all are equal and alike Secondly Christians are to be considered as they are Members of a Common-wealth or of a Family and so there is a great difference and inequality of persons and that I would have you mind For if the woman should be the man if the Subject should be the Magistrate if the Son should be the Father if the Servant should be the Master would not these things bring a confusion of all states and of all things for it is impossible that mankind should be governed without these differences of persons states and degrees of men both in the Church and Common-wealth which persons ought of right to have the honour and respect due to them by all persons Christians as well as others unlesse you would have Christians more brutish then Heathens and in that you do deny the same you shew your selves so to be and therefore are not perfect and so I come to a sixth particular in which you walk contrary to the command and example of Christ and his Apostles The sixth perticular is your judging and condemning all persons that are not of your judgement and opinion That it is your practise so to do is apparently known to all that have read your Books ore that have had any society or conference with you Jona Dell in his Voyce from the Temple saith that all that are of the Baptist opinion are in the state of Reprobation And Benjamin Wallis one of your Teachers in Branford on a Tuesday being Market day and Lecture day said in the open street that they were all damned that followed the teaching of the Priests also he said in Cheeswick in an open field in the presence of many that all that followed the Teachers Doctrine that taught in the Steeple houses were all damned Now that this is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is plain by these Scriptures Judge not
not build up themselves on their faith nor pray as is your practice and for Prayer some of your company are not ashamed to say and write that Ministers praying before and after Sermon is a will-worship and that you know not one example left for it either by Christ or any of his Apostles and that praying is for the honor and magnificence of our Idol and that is preaching they are Tomlinsons own words But let all sober minded persons judge whether your silent meetings or praying and preaching is will-worship and an Idol If you have no example of Christ and his Apostles of such silent meetings then it is an Idoll and a will-worship of your own devising which I challenge all you Quakers to bring any one example of Christ or his Apostles of any such meetings or any example of any Church since the Apostles dayes whether Separate or any other and do you think that the Apostles and all the Churches were ignorant of any part of the Service of God while now of late dayes you Quakers have found it or rather invented it had not they the light of Christ within them to direct them seeing you say all men have the light of Christ within them Wherefore I conclude that this your light is darkness and this your practice is a meer invention of your own brains and therefore are not perfect A ninth particular practice used amongst you is your Quaking fits with which many among you are strangely taken falling on the ground their arms and leggs shaking their mouths foaming their bellies swelling and some of them purging to which I may add your strange kind of disfiguring your faces and countenances hanging down your heads or holding them awry looking like a company of forlorn dejected condemned persons that were afraid to look up to Heaven Now for those quaking fits from whence you have the name of Quakers many are of opinion that they are Diabolical by a kind of witchcraft and to that end I have heard strange relations of inchanted ribins of giving of drink after which the persons have been taken with quaking fits and some say possessed with the divel And when I have read John Gilpins Book called The Quakers shaken and John Toldarns Book called The foot out of the snare in which they relate such strange kind of actings and workings of their bodies besides the relations of several others and compare them with those whom we read of in the Evangelist Luke I confess there is a likeness and a resemblance between them And lo a spirit taketh him and he suddenly crieth out and it teareth him that he foameth again and bruiseth him All which actions the Quakers have had in their quaking fits as you may read in the two forenamed books and many have been eye witnesses of the same effects in others in which fits some of the chief Quakers have said that now the good spirit was driving out of the bad But however if it be not a bodily witchcraft sure it is a spiritual witchcraft whereby the minds of the people are bewitched to believe that those shakings and quakings of the body are from the Spirit of God I have read in the Scripture that the Mystery of iniquity in the spirit of Antichrist even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power signes and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie I believe these are some of those signs and lying wonders with which the followers of Antichrist shall be deceived The Papists who have deceived you Quakers as that divine Lawyer M. Will. Prin doth at large prove in his book called The Quakers unmasked Also I have read in the Scripture that God hath caused such shaking and trembling to fall upon wicked men as a punishment for their sins as Belshazzar that his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another And in the Philistians Camp or Loft there was trembling and among all the people the Garrison and they all trembled so it was a very great trembling and among those curses pronounced in Deuteronomy against wicked men this is one The Lordshal give thee a trembling heart And it is threatned as a curse upon the wicked Let their eyes be darkned that they see not and make their loyns to shake I wish it be not your condition that your eyes be not darkned in that you take shaking for a blessing when it is a curse the Devils are said to tremble But you object that we read in the Scripture of shaking quaking and trembling rejoyce with trembling Psalm 2. 11. and work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and Paul is said to tremble Acts 9 6. and the keeper of the prison came trembling before Paul and Silas Acts 16. 29. By trembling I understand no other then the fear and trembling of the heart generally spoken of in Scripture and not a quaking and trembling of the body as is usual amongst you Quakers and that fear and trembling is twofold First that which is at the first Act of conversion as that of Paul and the Jaylor whose trembling I understand of the soul and if it were of the body it was extraordinary and not to be brought to a rule and that fear or trembling of the soul at the first act of conversion is general to all that are truly converted called the spirit of bondage Ye 〈◊〉 not received the spirit of bondage again to fear and those that were converted at Peters Sermon being about three thousand souls they were pricked in their hearts We read not of any trembling or quaking of their bodies but that they gladly received his word and this fear or trembling of the soul at the first conversion is not in all alike but in some more and in some less though in all some We read that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia hearing the Apostles that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul and she was baptized and her houshold We read not of any fear or trembling much less quaking and yet no doubt but she had a conviction of her own unworthiness the Apostle John saith that perfect love casteth out fear that is all slavish hellish fear Secondly there is a son-like fear after conversion which is a fear whereby the soul is fearful of doing any thing that is contrary to the will and mind of such a good loving and kind God and Father and this fear or trembling is no wayes agreeable to the quaking and trembling of the body practised amongst you nor to the disfiguring your faces with holding down the head
21. 9. Mal. 4. 2. Exod. 25. 21 22. Esa 57. 18 19 Jer. 50. 20. Jer 31. 31. Esa 34. 17. 44. 22. Mica 7. 9. Joh. 1. 29. Joh. 3. 14 15 16. Colos 1. 14. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Rev. 1. 5. Exod. 25. 21. Psal 40. 7 8 9. Zach. 3. 4 5 8. Isa 61. 10. Matth. 3. 15. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 3. 21 22. Rom. 5. 18 19. Matth. 22. 11 12. Rev. 3. 17 18. Rev 3. 18. Rom. 13. 14. Matth. 5. 20. Rom. 10. 3. Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Phil. 3. 6. Burrowes his Book Phil. 3. 8. Matth. 26 41. Rom. 7. 21 22 23. 1 Pe. 1. 20 21. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Gal. 5. 17. Acts 15. 2 3 9. James 5. 17. James 3. 2. 1 Joh. 1. 8 9 10. 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. Rom. 8. 33 34. Heb. 7. 25. Esa 64. 6. Phil. 3. 6 7 8 9. Exod. 28. 36 37 38. Psal 51. 5. Revel 8. â— â— 1 Joh. 2. â—3 2 Joh. 7. Bâ—rrows the Quaker Neh. 11. 1. Rev. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 7. Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Rev. 2. 2 3 4 5. Fol. 66. Fol. 86. Luther on Gal. 2. 20. Fol. 88. Luther was a true Prophet for what he foretold Germany and England have found most true Rom. 5. 20. Rom. 6. 1 2 15. Matth. 18. 7. Tit. 2. 11 12. Matth. 12. 47. Heb. 11. 4 6. Gen. 4. 4. Matth. 12. 33. James 2. 14. 18. Matth. 5. 16. Titus 3. 8. Psal 16. 2 3. John 13. 34. 1 Joh. 3. 14. Matth. 6. 12. Luk. 17. 4 5. 2 Cor. 5. 9. 1 Thes 4. 9. A better Hangman then a Butcher Gen. 3. 24. 2 Cor. 3. 9. Gal. 3. 24. 2 Cor. 3. 14 15. Rom. 9. 31 32. Minde Matth. 19. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. John 6. 28 29. Act. 3. 37 38 39. Act. 16. 30 31. Gal. 3. 1. Gal. 1. 6 7. Gal. 5. 5. Matth. 5. 48. Matth. 5. 43 44 45 46 47. Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 10. Job 1. 1. Job 9. 20. Job 12. 5 6. Object Answ Phil. 3. 12 13 14. Phil. 3. 15. Ephes 6. 11 12. 2 Tim. 2. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Heb. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. Object 1 Joh. 3. 8. Answ Rom. 7. 16 17. 1 John 3. 9. Rom. 7. 23 25. Tit. 3. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. The Seventh ground answered 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. 1 Sam. 8. 7. Esa 6. 9 10 10 11. Esa 65. 2. Matth. 23. 37 38. 1 Cor. 1. 11 12 13. 1 Cor. 5. 1 2. 1 Cor. 11. 18 19 20 21. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Gal. 1. 2. 3. 1. 3. 3. 1 Thes 1. 1. 1 Thes 5. 14. 2 Thes 3. 6 11 14 15. Rev. 2. 14 15. Rev. 2. 20. Rev. 3. 1. Rev. 3. 15 16. 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. Or is not rash His words are the Apostles Church was most perfect and was not to be made perfect by the inventions of them that come after Let the old customes hold behold whatsoever is first that is â—rue and whatsoever is later that is false Chap. 3. pag. 113. There was saith he a godly Discipline did not tolerate men in any sort living wickedly Chap. 2. pag. 37. which Discipline ought to be in every Church Gen. 9. 21 22 23 24. 1 Pet. 1. 1 2. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Matth. 22. 14. Matth. 25. 1 2 3 4. Matth. 13. 47. 2 Pet. 3. 18. Matth. 7. 3. Matth. 5. 19. Math. 28. 18 19 20. Acts 2. 4. Act. 10. 43 44 45 46 47 48. Gen. 17. 11. Rom. 4. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 21 22. â— Joh. 5. 7 8. 2 Kings 5. 10 11 12 13 14. Josh 6. 4 20. Exod. 4. 24 25 26. Matth. 3. 15. Matth. 3. 16 17. Calvins Instit chap. 11. Sect. 1. Ephes 5. 25 26 27. Read those Annotations in the Bible the Geneva Print Which E B. I conceive to be Edward â—urrowes the Book was given me by one Beâ—ch a Quaker E. B. pag 2. 4th Ground And to shew you what were and are the grounds reasons that kept me from turning to the Anabaptists and I hope shall ever keep me though often assaulted by them Gen. 17. 7. Gal. 3. 29. Rom. 4. 12. 〈…〉 Matth. 28. 19. Acts 2. 38 39. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Matth. 15. 27. Revel 22. 15. Matth. 11. 11. Joh. 1. 36. Matth. 13. 16 17. â—â—b 11 39 4â— Minde â— Pet. 1. 10. â—â— â—â— Object Answ 1 Cor. 1. 16. Act. 16. 31. Matth. 18. 2 5 6. Joh. 1. 15. Matth. 3. 16. Coloss 2. 9. Rom. 5. 1â— Ephes 2. 5. Baptism Exod. 12. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. 1 Cor. 10. 3 4. Micah 7. 18 19. Matth. 1. 21. Pag. 98 Sect. â— Chap. 7. The nature of Episcopacy Sect. 2. c. 7. p. 99 100 101. Surely this honourable person was not of our new State-mens opinion Their reviling against Ministers and Magistrates their denying to take an Oath before a Magistrate I wish that we had not too much experience of the Anabaptists practising the same things here in England for have they not been the chief Instrumenâ—s of destroying K. and Parliaments the freedome and liberty of the people after they had gotten the Sword into their hands Luk. 22. 19 20 1 Cor. 11. 23. 1 Cor. 11. 26. Act. 2. 4 42. 1 Thess 4. 16 17. 1 Cor. 13. 9 12. 1 Cor. 11. 21 22 23 24. 1 Cor. 11. 28. You have abused Last Vers Matth. 26. 30. Act. 16. 25. Ephes 5. 19 Coloss 3. 16. 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. Rev. 15. 3. Object Psal 13. 14 15 18 19 20. Psal 30. 46. And Hymnes is the general title for the whole Book of Psalms though it be translated the Book of Psalms of David and Asaph as Mr. John Cotton Teacher of the Church of Boston in New England sheweth in his Book called Singing of Psalms a Gospel ordinance who knew the original tongue better than you Quakers which Mr. Cotton left his living at Boston and left his native Country old England and went to New England because he could not in conscience conform to the Bishops ceremonies therefore no Popish Author 2. Answ Some make no difference between David King and David a King and a Prophet but say he was a Lay man 3. Answ Object Answ Gal. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Object 1. Answ 2. Answ Mr. Cotton ch 9. pag. 44. 3. Answ James 5. 13. Psalm 91. 1. Psalm 100. 1 2. Psalm 68. 32. Psal 95. 2 3. Psal 96. 4. Psalm 145. 6 7 8 9 15 16 21. Jeâ— 10. 25. Jona 1. 6 14. Jona 3. 5 6 10 1 King 21. 27 28 29. Mark 10. 20 21. 1. Answ 2. Answ 3. Answ 4. Answ Master Cotton singing of Psalmes a Gospel Ordinance cap. 12. page 65 66 67 68 69 70 71. Some Quakers call Ministers Ballad-singers in contempt of singing Psalms Sarah Blakbury 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 31 32 33 34. 1 Tim. 2. 21 22 23 24 25. 1. Cor. 11. 16.