unto the Lord God that Created you for a purpose of his own Glory that you should reverance his great Name and dread before him And indeed we do Account it a great point of Ignorance in Joseph Hallett or any other Man to Question such a thing and we may to such as Christ Jesus our Lord said unto some in former Ages Ye do Err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Matth. 22. 29. Qu. 2. Whether a Person putting off his Hatt to a Friend he meets in the Streets be a thing forbidden by the Scriptures of Truth Ans Vain customs are forbiden and Respect of Persons James 2. 1. My Brethren saith he Have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons And is not this respect of Persons used and practised among you at this Day which the Apostle James forbids saying in the 9th Verse of the chap. He that respects Persons commits Sin and is rebuked of the Law as a Transgressor for whosoever shall keep the whole Law and faileth in one point is Guilty of all It seems thou wouldst have the honour and Respect kept up Pharisee like which Christ forbad and cryed Wo against And Christ said How can you believe that seek Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that comes from God only Qu. 3. Whether it be a thing Unlawful for any Man for the Confirmation of a matter of fact to Swear before the Civil Magistrate Ans Christ's Law and Doctrine does not Warrant but prohibits it Matt. 5. 34. James 1. 5. 12. We do believe that it is altogether Unlawful and a breach of the Command of Christ for such are true Christians followers of Christ and obeyers of him to Swear at all either for the confirmation of a matter of fact or other ways For Christ Jesus said unto his Followers Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of Old Time Thou shall not Forswear they self but shall perform unto the Lord thine Oaths but I say un-you Swear not at all Mark Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-Stool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King neither shalt thou Swear by thine Head because thou caust not make one hair White or Black And he farther said But let your Communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Matt. 5. 33 34 35 36 37. Mark Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour saith Swear not at all Now here Christ forbids all Swearing for Swear not at all is a full prohibition And James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ said Above all things my Brethren Swear not Neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath But let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay least you fall into condemnation Chap. 5. 12. And now we desire all People every were where these Lines may come to take the Advice of Jesus Christ and of James his servant and Swear not at all Qu. 4. Whether it be Lawful for a Man to Endeavour to furnish himself with Humane Learning Ans Yea so as he use Humane Learning in it's place 'T is Lawful to Acquire Humane Learning but not to Idolize or use it Unlawfully But if Joseph Hallett Intends for a Man to furnish himself with Humane Learning in order to make him a Minister of Christ then we Answer thus Learning is good in its place but not to be the motive cause of making Men Ministers for that is the Lord's Work and he maketh Ministers of whom it pleaseth him whether Poor or Rich Learned or Unlearned for what Learning had Jeremiah for he said Ah! Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child But the Lord said unto him Say not I am Child for thou shallt go to all that I shall send Thee and whatsoever I command Thee Thou shalt speak And he farther said Be not afraid of their Faces for I am with Thee to deliver Thee saith the Lord. And Jeremiah saith Then the Lord put forth his Hand and touched my Mouth And the Lord said unto me Behold I have put my Words in thy Mouth Chap. 1. 6 7 8 9. Now here we may see that the Lord was both the Sender and Teacher of Jeremiah And what Learning had Amos and how was he sent for he said I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets Son but I was an Herds-Man and a Gatherer of Secomore-Fruit And he farther said The Lord took me as I followed the Flock Mark and not from Schools of Learning but as I followed the Flock And he also said the Lord said unto me Go Prophesie unto my People of Israel Chap. 7. 14 15. And what Learning had them that Christ called unto the Work of the Ministry Peter Andrew James and John Fisher-Men Matth. 4. 18. 21. And we may see that the Pharisees reflected upon Christ because he was pleased to make use of mean Instruments For they said Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees Believed on him But this People who know not the Law are Cursed John 7. 48 49. And it is Written in Acts 4. 13. That when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were Vnlearned and Ignorant Men they marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Now here we may see that although Peter and John were Ignorant and Unlearned Men as to Humane Learning Yet they were bold and Valiant for the Truth And this is according to the promise of Christ For he said I will give you a Mouth and Wisdom which all your Adversaries shall not be able to gain-say nor resist Luke 21. 15. And the Apostle Paul said unto the Corinthians And I Brethren when I came to you came not with Excellency of Speech or of Wisdom declaring unto you the Testimony of God And farther he said I was with you in Weakness and in Fear and in much Trembling and my Speech and my Preaching was not with Enticing Words of Mens wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2. 1 3 4 5. And in the foregoing Chap. the Apostle Speaks much of such things of which we shall Insert one Verse 21. where he saith The World by Wisdom knew not God in the Wisdom of God it pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe The Apostles did not boast of other Mens Labours or of other Mens Lines of things made ready to their Hands but they Laboured in the Spirit and Power of God and their Glorying was in him 2 Cor. 10 15 16 17. And now we do desire all to seek after that Wisdom which is from above that the Lord by his Spirit is the Teacher of which is first
Gospel Truths SCRIPTURALLY ASSERTED IN ANSWER TO Joseph Hallett's Twenty Seven QUERIES Search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me and ye will not come to me that ye might have Life John 5. 39. 40. Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart and you shall find Rest unto your Souls Matth. 11. 28 29. By John Gannacliff and Joseph Nott. Printed and Sold by T. Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holywell Lane in Shoreditch 1692. Gospel Truths Scripturally asserted c. The PREFACE NOw by this the Reader may know that we lately received twenty seven Queries with Josph Halletts Name to them Preacher amongst the Presbyterians in Exon who in his Introduction saith That these kind of People commonly called Quakers are said to hold many pernitious and dangerous Doctrines no way agreeable to the Truth as 't is taught by Jesus Now we shall answer thus That those that say these afore-mentioned things of us cannot prove them for they are not true for we hold nothing contrary to the Truth for our Doctrine is neither pernitious nor dangerous but according to the holy Scriptures of Truth as it may farther appear in the Answers to the afore-mentioned Queries The Queriest seems not Ingenious nor Charitable in prejudicially pre-supposing that doubtful ambiguous prevaricating shuffling absurd and cloudy Expressions or Answers may be given to his Questions which becomes not one pretending to Query for Information but gives us occasion to question Whether he 'l ingeniously accept our plain and sincere Answers though therein we are truly Conscientious towards God Query 1 st I would desire them to resolve me what the Light within is of which they talk and write so much and that they would give me a plain Description of it Answer THis Light within of which we talk and write so much is Heavenly and Divine for it is the Light of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour as may be proved by the holy Scriptures of Truth for the Lord speaking by the Prophet Isaiah of Christ saith I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thine Hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles Isa 42. 6. And in Chap. 49. 6. the Lord speaks by the same Prophet again of Christ and saith I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth And Simeon that Just and devout Man took the Child Jesus up in his Arms and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy Word for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all People a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel Luk. 2. 25 27 28 29 30 31 32. And Jesus Christ bears Testimony of himself saying I am the Light of the World he that follows me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. And the Apostle John bears Testimony of Christ and saith In him was Life and the Life was the Light of mâ—n and the Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not There was a Man sent from God whose Name was John the same came for a Witness to bear Witness of the Light that all men through him might believe mark he was not that Light to wit John but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1. 4 5 6 7 8 9. And the Apostle Paul spake of this Light and said God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels 2 Cor. 4. 6 7. Well then This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil John 3. 19. And now indeed we may say we do greatly admire at the Ignorance of Joseph Hallett concerning the Light seeing he is a pretended Minister of Christ But let him pretend to what he will he appears to be a Minister of Antichrist and of those that rebel against the Light and know not the Ways thereof nor abide in the Paths thereof Job 24. 13. Query 2. Do the Quakers believe that there are Three in One or that there is a Trinity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and that these three are but one God in Essence and Nature Answ We do most certainly believe as it is recorded in the holy Scriptures of Truth That there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 John 5. 7. And Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer saith I and my Father are one John 10. 30. And this we most certainly believe Query 3. Whether they esteem the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the written Word Will or Mind of God and to be the only Rule of Faith Worship and Manners Or whether the Light within be a higher or superiour Rule to which we must more especially attend in all matters of Doctrine Worship and Conversation Answ We esteem the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration to contain Words of God and a True Declaration of the Will and Mind of God and of the Word and only Rule of Faith and Worship c. and therefore the holy Spirit divine Inspiration and Light as preferred to and higher than the Scriptures or Writings Anti-Query 1. Where do the holy Scriptures call themselves the written Word Will or Mind of God 2. How can they be or contain his Will or Mind which is essential to himself 3. Where do the holy Scriptures so call themselves the Only Rule of Faith Worship and Manners 4. They who so hold and cannot prove the affâ—rmative by Scriptures is not their Faith greatly defective as to this great Article of their Faith namely in their believing that the Scriptures are the Only Rule of there Faith and yet cannot prove they are so by plain Scriptures 5. What mean the Words Only Rulâ— of Faith c. Do they not either mean Only by way of Emmence or higher or superiour to all other or only as the sole Rule exclusive of all other which to affirm of Scriptures is to exclude the Spirit 6. But if the holy Spirit be included in the Only Rule of Faith how can it be properly or truly said of the Scriptures that they are the only Rule of Faith and yet have no Scripture that saith they are so Now this we do
there was Miriam the Prophetess the Sister of Aaron Exod. 15. 20. And there was Deborah a Prophetess the Wife of Lapidoth she judged Israel Judg. 4. 4. And the good King Josiah sent unto Huldah the Prophetess the Wife of Shalum to inquire of the Lord for him and the People 2 Kings 22. 13 14. And there was the Prophetess Noadiah Nehem. 6. 14. And the Lord spake by his Prophet Joel and said I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie Joel 2. 28. Mark Sons and Daughters shall prophesie And in Christ's Days there was one Ama a Prophetess Luk 2. 36. And the Woman of Samaria was a publick Preacher for when she had received some understanding of Christ she went her way into the Ciâ—y and saith unto the Men Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ Then they went out of the City and came 〈…〉 Iob â—4 28 30. Now observe this Woman laboured to bring People unto Christ and many believed her Testimony and came unto him And now we may say that the Work of the Gospel-Ministers is to bring People unto Christ And again we may see that Jesus Christ was pleased to make use of a Woman Mary Magdalen first to preach his Resurrection for he said unto her Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God And Mary Magdalen went and told the Disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her John 20. 17 18. Mark Christ sent this Woman to declare these things unto his Disciples and the Apostle Paul was so far from denying Womens Praying or Prophecying that he signifies how they ought to Pray or Prophecy for he saith Every Woman that Prayeth or Prophesieth with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head 1 Cor. 11. 15. And Philip had four Daughters Virgins which did Prophesie Acts 21. 8 9. And the Apostle writing to the Phillipians saith I intreat thee also true Yoke-fellow help those Women which laboured with me in the Gospel Phil. 4. 3. Mark those Women laboured with him in the Gospel But now if any should say that Prophecying is not Preaching we shall answer thus That the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie Rev. 19. 10. Qu. 15. What Warrant the People called Quakers have in the Scriptures for their Silent Meetings Answ The same they have for waiting on God until indued with Power from on High and until required of him to Speak or Preach and in the mean time to be silent at the presence of God Yet we limit not our Meetings before-hand to Silence or Preaching but submit them to what God shall require We do greatly admire the Ignorance of many People professing themselves Christians and Ministers of Christ for the Prophecy of the Prophet it is on this wise All thy Children shall be Taught of the Lord and great shall be the Peace of thy Children Isa 54. 13. And again it is said I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit Chap. 48. 17. And the Prophet farther said Yet shall not thy Teacher be removed into a Corner any more but thine Eyes shall see thy Teacher and thine Ears shall hear a Word behind thee saying This is the Way walk ye in it when ye turn to the Right Hand and when ye turn to the Left Chap. 30. 20 21. And now we do desire all People to consider how it is that the Lord doth teach his People himself if not by his Spirit And if by his Spirit then where And how must People be taught by him if not in the secret of their own Hearts and in the stillness and quietness of their Minds for David saith Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart Psal 27. 14. And again he saith Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Chap. 37. 7. And the Wise man saith Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee Prov. 20. 22. And Isaiah saith That they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40. 31. And many other places might be Instanced And now how must People wait upon the Lord if not in Silence for Solomon saith That there is a Time to keep Silent and a Time to Speak Eccles 3. 7. Now it were well if all did know this time to keep silent and so wait upon the Lord in Silence for the Lord speaking by the Prophet Isaiah saith Keep Silence before me O Islands and let the People Renew their Strength Isa 41. 1. And again it is written The Lord is in his holy Temple let all the Earth keep Silence before him Hab. 2. 20. And it is farther written Be Silent O all Flesh be fore the Lord for he is raised up out of his Holy Habitation Zach. 2. 13. So now all Flesh ought to keep Silent before the Lord and wait upon him for the Teaching of his holy Spirit in their own Hearts that so they may come to know God and his Mind and Will for we live in the New Covenant Dispensation spoken of in Jer. 31. 31 32 33 34. Heb. 8. 8 9 10 11. where the Lord saith They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. And now we say it is good for all to be inwardly gathered and wait in Silence for the Teachings of the Lord for there his Appearance is according to the Apostle's Testimony for he saith That which may be known of God is manifest within Rom. 1. 19. And the same Apostle saith That the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lust we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Tit. 2. 11 12. Mark the Grace of God was the Apostle's Teacher And now forasmuch as that Grace that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men we would have all to mind the Teachings of it And the Apostle John saith The Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye 1 John 2. 27. Mark John saith that the Anointing abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you Well then as People meet together in true Silence in the stillness and quietness of there Minds to wait upon the Lord although there may be no Words spoken as outwardly yet there is a sufficient Teacher near unto them to teach them the Way of the Lord that so they may find Peace and Acceptance with him Glory be