Water which say we must be as Spiritual as the NewBirth it produceth but also the Renewing of the Holy Ghost to answer being born again of the Spirit That as the washing of Regeneration or Renewing of the Holy Ghost are Synonymous or Expressions to the same Purpose so being born again of Water or being born again of the Spirit are equivalent But if our Adversary will have this Water to be material in Honour of his Baptism Let him never refuse the like Liberty to us in Construction of that great Water-Baptist's own Words But he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire that is material Fire My Judgment is if that were the Church of Englands Baptism he had never been her Son though such Sons are ready to Christian many with that Fiery Baptism But if such an Interpretation be absurd let him not esteem his own Rational And if it must be the holy Ghost or Fire then let it be Water or Spirit for indeed they are but so many Words intimating the various Operations of one Divine Power In short John was but a Forerunner therefore not to be perpetuated He was the Water but Christ the great Spiritual Baptist The Former to decrease the Latter to increase And the least in Christ's Kingdom which is not of this World is greater then John not then his private State but outward Administration Paul whose Commission was larger then any Priests in England tells us He was not sent to baptize with Water but to Preach And instead of enjoyning the Practice of it upon others he thanks God that he baptized but very few himself which surely he had never done if it had been part of his Commission or the durable Baptism of the Gospel For he had just Reason to suspect some disaffected would make that Ill-Use of his Liberty that it was to ingratiate and set up himself being conscious that he had no Authority for what he did This he further gives us to believe in that pertinent Passage to our Purpose There is One Body One Spirit One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all If more Baptisms then one then more Bodies Spirits Lords Faiths Gods and Fathers of all who were above all and through all and in them all unto whom Paul wrote If this be absurd and that there is but one Baptism I hope it will not be denyed to be that of the Holy Ghost which is both most suitable to the Evangelical Ministration and the peculiar Baptism of Christ Jesus our Lord. I shall touch upon one Passage more The like Figure whereunto even Baptism also doth now save us as our modern Translation has it From which though our Adversary would infer that Water-Baptism is to be used as co-assistant with the Answer of a good Conscience to Salvation I doubt not unanswerably to mantain from it our foregoing Assertion This Verse admits of various readings in ancient Copies and diverse Interpretations by learned Men. We shall a little disquisite the matter that he may see we shall not refuse Learning where it may perform the Office of an honest Servant not an Usurper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the modern Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin has it Vos and our old Books saith Zegerus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vatabalus makes the truth relative to the Type Flood And saith Grotius Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est communis utrique relatâ— i. tam figurae tribuitur quam rei per figuram significatae signifiing Type and Antitype or the thing signified by the Type Erasmus hath it cui nunâ— simile sive respondens Baptisma so that Baptism may answer as the thing typified not another Type 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Dr. Hammond a famous Man of the English Church is certainly best renderd Antitype yet there be â—wo different senses sometimes Contradiction thus Zenophon and Hesychius Then Destruction was by Outward Water now Salvation by Inward otherwise pro or in lieu of another as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that supplies the Consul's place so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in an old Coppy in Oxford is the Ark inward supplying the place of the Ark outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Capellus understands to be Baptismum internum quo fimus mortis resurrectionis Christi participes Hujus interni baptismi typos aliquot habemus in V.T. imprimis autem arcam diluvii et arcam Noae By Inward Baptism we are made Partakers of Christ's Death and Resurrection Of this Inward Baptism we have several Types in the old Testament of which Noah's Ark was one Grotius refers us to these Scriptures for an Apostolical Exposition Rom. 6.3 4. Ephes 4.5 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 all which refer to Man's being baptized into Christ's Death his putting on of Christ and to the One Lord One Faith One Baptism And indeed Beza shewed them the Way who will have it that the Baptism which answered to Noah's Ark was not material Water but the Power of Christ within wich preserves us cleansed and enables us to call on God with a good Conscience Nor is Doctor Hammond of a different Judgment in this Case who not only will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Antitype but the Baptism that is that Antitype answering to Noah's Ark to be the Inward Washing of Men's Consciences from Pollution and delivering them from the Deluge of Sin and Destruction Not only from all this do I conclude the Baptism mentioned in that place to be the Antitype or Truth answering to the outward and typical Salvation of Noah's Ark but for those Reasons which were with me before my Perusal of these Authors and which I shall now briefly offer First If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were but a Type or Figure one Type would answer another which is not proper 2 dly It were both to suppose that the Gospel were a State of Figures which is the Substance of all and of such Figures too as are less demonstrative or significant for what is that Sprinkling Baby-Baptism for Dipper or dipped I suppose our Adversary to be neither to the Worlds Deluge and Noah's Ark. 3 dly The Baptism in the Text must be such a one as hath Efficacy enough in it to save which outward Water can't do Besides the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or saveth hath Relation to Noah's Ark wherein the eight Souls were saved Therefore the Antitype or Truth answering to That as Type 4 ly It is such a Baptism as saves by the Power of Christ's Resurrection answerable to Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life 5 ly And this the Parenthesis in the Verse undeniably proves
of what ever stands in his Way and refuses to receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Right Hand This has occasioned so much Trumpery in Religion Ceremonies Shew and meer Formality have swallowed up the greatest part of It Now were Men brought to God's Heavenly Gift in themselves it would reclaim and leaven the Mind chain the Affections and bring Religion into Holy and Selâ—-denying Living and erect an Holy Regiment in the Heart and Soul by which the Heavenly â—mage would be renewed and Man become as one born again without which Translation there can be no entring into God's Heavenly Kingdom This the first Protestants made to be their Reason of their Revolt from Rome For though 't is true that they charged the Papists with making God's Tradition the holy Scriptures void by their numerous dark Traditions yet That which begot that holy Loathing of Rom's Superstitions Idolatries and Will-Worship was God's Grace in their Hearts their best Argument against Rom's Assault was this The Scripture which I believe from the Testimony of the Spirit of God in me which I can only understand from the Illumination thereof owns no such thing and therefore I reject it Such as converse with Luther and his Followers Zuinglius and his Followers will find this to have been the Foundation of their whole Work And our own Martyrology is full to our Purpose particularly Tindal Times and Philpot. I omit to mention a whole Cloud of Witnesses because I intend not to dwell here only this I would be at and I intreat you all to weigh it If any thing can give to understand aright and enable to practise those things of God which it is necessary for Man both to know and do then God's Light Grace or Word in the Heart What else can give us to relish the Divine Authority of the Scriptures themselves or to believe the Things therein treated of to be undeniable Truths Indeed the Want of This has been a great Occasion of Atheism for Man making practising and enacting That for Religion of which People has had no Assurance in themselves But if they should speak their Hearts 't is more probable They do not believe it but instead thereof deride it and so under a Shew of Religion live as Men without God in the World To prevent which and to bring Men to the true Understanding of what God expects from them in order to that great Account they are to give unto Him at the Revelation of his Righteous Judgments when he will judge the Secrets of all Men by Jesus Christ we do exhort all to Christ's Pure Unerring Light in the Conscience which is sufficient to daily Understanding Duty that what they believe and profess in Matters of so high Importance They maybe convinced in their very Conscience by the good Understanding the Inspiration of the Almighty gives of the Truth and Necessity thereof and not suffer themselves to be carried away with the Torrent of Fathers Councils Synods Doctors Scholars National Constitutions c. big and most times untrue and too often empty Words without that inward Conviction and Testimony of God's Good Spirit in Your Own Consciences the old Protestant and only primitive Ground of Truâ— Faith and Obedience I know and shall alwayes acknowledge that in the time of Ignorance the Almighty winked and that in every Age he has expressed his Regard to those under the various Forms of Religion ever in the World who have been Sincere-hearted and of Sober and Conscientious Conversation But I must also tell you that by how much the more needless and unwarrantable Customs Will-Worship and Human Religion built upon the dark and uncertain Conjectures of Men are receeded from and the Minds of People engaged in a diligent attendance upon that Divine Principle which only can clear up their Understandings and give them an experimental Knowledge of the True God and that Way of Worship and Service which may be most acceptable with him by so much more certain will they be of the Truth of their Religion in as much as they have over and above all external Record the Assurance of Unquestionable Convictions in their own Consciences Thus God that made Heaven and Earth knows we came to receive that Knowledge of him Which we now expose our selves to all Hardships to mantain We profest God but like our Neighbours in Works we denyed him We worshipt him after Men's Conceivings insomuch that I may say we worshipt the Unknown God in a False Way No doubt but we were stockt with the Common Talk of Religion but the Cross of Christ we were Strangers to His Blood we extolled whilst by Wicked Works we trod it under Foot And believ'd our selves Saved by it Who were Uncleansed from Sin The whole End of His Coming we esteemed the top of all Love but never knew enough of It truly kindled in our Hearts whereby to work such Faith and Resignation as could give us Victory over the World Thus were we Jews-like Children of God whilst we crucifyed the Son of God and of the Seed of Abraham whilst the Serpents Seed reign'd Heirs of the Kingdom yet not born again Free yet the Bondslaves of Vanity Oh! at this time of day it was that God â—ound us out and broke in upon our Souls with his Righteous Judgments for Sin and laid Judgment to the Line Righteousness to the Plummet within us the Book of Conscience was Opened and great Fear surprised us and Deep Sorrow fell upon us which brought that sudden and Strange Change that made us both the Derision of Prophane and Wonderment of Sober Men. The Author of the Account of Familism for want of more Skill and Seriousness calls it the Hypochondria as if it only had been a Flux of Melancholy overpowring the Strength of Reason and carrying the Understanding captive at the Impetuosity of its Fancies But having been thus made sensible of the Terrors of the Lord for Sin and being brought into a True Understanding of that Religion and Worship which most please God some of us were constrained and in Conscience bound to go forth into the World and publish these Tidings of Judgment for Sin and Conversion through Righteousness wrought by the mighty Power of God in the Conscience that all might be awakened to try their Works Faiths Worships and whole Religions whether they were of God or Men or they had been doing their own Wills or the Will of God that so they might be brought to experience God to be a God nigh at hand reconciled in Christ blotting out Sin and renewing a Right Spirit within by which their Religion might not longer stand in the Traditions of Men nor only Education of Parents but upon the Convictions and Operations of God's Grace in the Conscience And thus is all that Christ did without brought nigh and home to the very Soul The Seed of the Woman is known to Bruise the Head of the Serpent Christ the
and his Apostles which how true soever it may be of them I am sure is False enough of us for those hideous Consequences he makes are not deducible from any unperverted Saying to be cited out of Truth 's Defence And least any should think we deny with the Papists the Perusal of the Scriptures to Ignorant People from what our Adversary sayes know that they spoke of such Ignorant and Unlearned Persons as in reading wrested them to their own Destruction now unless it be not Dangerous to read to Destruction they are not chargeable witâ— Bâ—ame in that Matter But who are the Knowing and Learned The Jewish Doctors and Greek Philosophers No but Fishermen and poor Mechanicks discipled in Christ's School for the Excellency of whose Knowledge Paul reputed his Gamaliel-Acquisitions but Dross and Dung So that their Knowing and Learned are many times the Ignorant Unlearned we speak of whose Wisdom God will confound and whose Understanding he will bring to nought His last Comparison of us in this Chapter is with Marcus an old Heretick The Agreement he makes betwixt us lyes in our mutual Pretences to Inspiration and Prophecy For as he reports him to have abused many silly Women under colour of conferring on them the Gift of Prophesying and that he had a familiar Spirit by which 〈◊〉 brought himself into Credit with his deluded Followers So he tells us that he has had it confidently affirmed That about the first rise of the Quakers in the North of England several Persons by Gloves and Ribbands and divers Charmes were really bewitched by them And doubtless many of their Quaking fits were real Possessions by the Devil Answ What Marcus was is nothing to us If he has done amiss he has answered for it by this time I confess I am not over-fond of the Characters left us of ancient Hereticks knowing what kind of Creatures the best Protestants are with Papists and what fearful Monsters several sober Separatists are reputed among some Protestants But this I know if what he hath said of several Ancients be no Truer then what he hath said of us he has grosly abused their Doctrines and their Memories For the Witchcraft of our Gloves Ribbands and Charmes 't is scarce worth my Notice his Folly in mentioning it being a sufficient Reproof and Confutation to himself A Story fit for none at this time of day to report or believe but a Man of his size I thought they had been worn out by this time But let the sober Reader judge which savours most of Satan's Design this Idle yet Scandalous Story or our Fearing and Trembling at the Word of the Lord and those Terrors that broke in upon our Souls because of Sin and Iniquity 'T is but the old Spirit of Mockery that acted the Jews and Heathens against the Christians and Papists against Protestants and too many Protestants of several Sorts against some more reformed Separatists For had the Reverent Fear of God possessed our Adversary's Heart in the writing of this Discourse there had been no room for such Irreligious Scoffs against an inoffensive People But the Devil because he would be God calls God the Devil Christ Beelzebub Light Darkness and the Power of God the Power of Satan and the Fear and Trembling brought by the one the Possessions and Witchcrafts of the other Certainly such Men live in a dry Land they see not when Good cometh But what will not an Enraged Tything Priest do to destroy us who he knows are Discoverers of such Deluders CHAP. III. His pretended Agreement between the Authors of Familism and the Quakers considered His Objections answered I Now come to consider the Reason of the Title of his Book and what Ground he had to name us the Revivers Propagators of Familism with the most weighty Objections he makes against us if in Truth I may repute the strongest of them such and that with what Brevity Truth and Faithfulness I can The great Authors of this Doctrine of Familism he sayes were David George and Henry Nicolas but more especially the latter as having more improved and disseminated the pernicious Errors introduced by the former He bestows many severe Expressions upon them more I think then becomes a Man of any Charity to give I am not their Advocate But so much Splene and so little Reason against Dead Men can be neither Christian nor Manly What he sayes they held and how far we are concerned in it it is our Business to enquire § 1. Of Christ's Ministration And first he tells us that H.N. should say that not only the Law of Moses but the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles were only Temporary things instituted to bring Men to the perfect Reign of the Spirit and then like Horn-Books and Primers to grown Understandings to be thrown away pag. 10 11. And that this is the full Sense of the Quakers sayes our Adversary Hear John Crook a Quaker We believe by the same Gift of Grace that there are several Ministratitions and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. And all by the same Spirit as before and after the Law by Moses and after by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles And by this Spirit were the Scriptures given forth and the Holy Men of God did speak prophesy preach and pray as they were moved and to answer the Service God had for them to do they were to wait as Christ commanded his Disciples to receive the Promise of the Father And therefore as it was the Practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the Moving of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them Utterance in the Evidence and Demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now Upon which our Adversary dares to observe that we with the Familists deny the Ministration of Christ to be the Ministration of the Spirit and consequently a Blasphemous Derogation from the Honour of our Blessed Saviour who said to his Apostles Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Answ If our Adversary's Weakness has run him into this strange Parrallel he is to be pittyed but if his Envy he is severely to be rebuked Will any Man that has Sense or Honesty say it is all one to affirm that Christ's Ministration is an Horn-book that time casts off with Infancy and that it is a Waiting to receive the same Spirit Christ commanded his Apostles to wait for as the Promise of the Father and the peculiar Gift and Priviledge of his own Ministration Does not J. Crook expresly draw a Parallel between the Holy Men of God of old and the Quakers of our time that as they then so the Quakers now wait to be taught moved and ordered by the same Eternal Spirit through which all come to be baptized into One Body How was that then no Spiritual Ministration when we desire to be conformed unto the Spirit and Holy Example thereof not making this anew
some Form of his making Answ But can this Man have the Vanity to plead the Necessity of the Use of this Form much less of those that are of Mens Invention and Appointment from those Quotations Has his Religion brought him no farther Can he believe that Matthew writ by the holy Ghost and yet imply an absolute Reproof in his so much more commending Luke's account which he thinks requires the express Words and not others like them But let it be considered that this was a time of Infancy and that it was before the more full pouring out of the Spirit is certain and that they knew not Gospel Prayer as afterward is undeniable Besides It is either Sufficient or it is not If Insufficient it reflects on Christ beside who can supply its Defect If Sufficient why do you use any other What ever it is upon our Principles you must confess it be a setting of your Postes by God's Postes your Invention by his Institution It is meer Deceit to attempt the Defence of the Popish English Mass-Book from Christ's Prayer Prove your Forms to be of Divine Institution and that God by his Spirit now requires them and the Debate will end otherwise we reject the Allusion as improper and incoherent The Spirit is not confinable to set Forms though in times of Ignorance he hath administred Comfort in them by those who were sincere and knew no better But Forms are not therefore to be perpetuated for that were to obstruct the more free Operation of the Spirit and our Expression by it It is at best but a State of Weakness to be condescended to but never to be pleaded for God's Spirit will be unlimited as well as the Words he prompts us to must never by another be confined §. 4. Of Baptism He sayes we both deny Baptism by which I understand Water because Christ finding it among the Jews adopted it into his Religion a Ceremony neither burthensome nor offensive and the only Door set open under the Gospel for Salvation For which he brings three Scriptures Matth. 28.19 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. To the same purpose by Mark Chap. 16. v. 15 16. And Christ's Saying Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Answ If Baptism was ever Jewish as our Adversary grants then because Christ came to end all Jewish Ceremonies Water-Baptism can bear no Evangelical Perpetuity And if it should be objected that it was used after the Pouring forth of the Holy Ghost I answer so was Circumcision Vowes Purification Forbearing to eat things strangled and Blood And the common Practice of Christendom so called sufficiently tells us what is become of those Observations Using and Instituting are two things The Apostles condescended where they never commanded In the two first Scriptures which contain a Commission there is no Water mentioned That there is a Baptism of the Holy Ghost I hope all will grant That such a Baptism admits of no outward Water is plainly implyed And that it was the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and therefore not of Water which Christ intended I will briefly prove First this Commission was some of the last Words Christ spoak that it is to be fulfilled is certain that they could not do it without Power is clear that neither of those Chapters mentions any such Endowment must be granted Whether then must we go to fetch that Account here omitted I would desire my Reader to turn to the first Chapter of Luke's Acts of the Apostles where we shall find Christ's last Words to his constant Followers thus left upon Record And being assembled together with them he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the Promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many Dayes hence When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel And he said unto them It is not for you to know the Times or the Seasons which the Father has put into his own Power But ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and 〈◊〉 Samariah and unto the uttermost part of the Earth And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their Sight Now if the Promise of the Father was the Pouring out of the Holy Ghost and if the Pouring out of the Holy Ghost be the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost was that which qualified them to be his Witnesses as the whole place fully proves Then Go and teach all Nations c. in Matthew and Go ye into all the World in Mark must not have been spoken before these Words in the Acts at least not to take place till they themselves had been baptized with the Holy Ghost and consequently the Baptism mentioned in that Commission must not have been a Water-Baptism as John's was but that of the Holy Ghost which they were to be baptized with so that the Order of the Words at least in Execution if not in Expression must have been this John indeed baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many Dayes hence Then go ye and teach all Nations baptizing them in or rather into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And lo I am with you alwayes unto the End of the World Nor is this incredible when we consider without their so baptizing it had been utterly Impossible for them to have turned them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God And doubtless they might as well baptize with the Holy Ghost as reconcile by the Word For where the one was the Power of the other could not be wanting For the third Scripture though Water be mentioned yet what Water will be the Question That it is not meant of outward Water I offer several Reasons 1. To be born of Water and of the Spirit is no more then to be born of Water or of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being here explicative For were it otherwise and that by Water were understood External Water this Absurdity would inevitably follow that the Soul of Man which is Spiritual and Internal could in part be regenerated by Water External and Elementary But this place is excellently unfolded by that notable Passage of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost where we not only have the WASHING of Regeneration to parrallel being born again of
the Vine untill that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom And I query if that was not made good on the Day of Pentecost when scoffingly yet truly like Caiaphas in another case several Spectators said of the Disciples They were full of New Wine which was the beginning of the Restauration of that Kingdom of God to Israel that the Disciples a little before so weakly queried after In short The Father's Kingdom is within Luk. 17.20 What was that Fruit then that was to be drunk anew in that Kingdom Certainly it came from himself the true Vine and must be of a Spiritual and Inward Nature like to the Kingdom To conclude If Bread and Wine be but a Sign And if things signified ought to resemble their Signs And if Spiritual Bread and Wine mostly answer those Visible Signs And if they are to be had in the Kingdom of God And if the Kingdom of God be within And that who eat not that Bread and drink not that Wine have no Life in them Then because the Apostles had Life Eternal in them and we a measure of the same in us Christ the Heavenly Bread and Flesh and Wine Blood was then and is now come and consequently the Shadows of those good things as to any Institution were and are at an End And as there is but One Spirit and One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father One Heavenly Kingdom One Holy Body So but One Bread and but One Cup and but One Communion and Fellowship and that is with the Father and the Son by the Holy Ghost But here as in the case of Water-Baptism it will be objected why were they then afterwards used Answ The Practices of good Men though in things temporary are many times to greedily received and too long doted upon by those who desire to be reputed their Followers Any thing once becoming customary is hard to be left Several Jewish Ceremonies the Holy-Ghost thought fit to be dispensed with for a Season that were never to be perpetuated But what has our Adversary and the several sorts of Protestants in the World to do with Baptism and the Supper and deny that Qualification and Commission the Apostles had They will never stand our Enquiry about their Call which they know we have great Cause to scruple indeed to deny For all must or should know that it was either Immediate or Mediate and Successive If Immediate then they must necessarily confess to a Commission upon Inspiration then Quakers If Mediate and Successive then either beside the Church of Rome or through the Church of Rome Not beside the Church of Rome because she cannot prove any regular Ordination or uninterrupted Succession either as to Faith or Discipline If through the Church of Rome then they own the Ordination of a Church they renounce and grant Her the Keyes whom they have writ against for these six score Years under the Name of Whore of Babylon and Mother of Harlots and all Abominations of the Earth Can that which you account a corrupt Fountain bring forth clean Streams Will Men seek Ordination at the hands of that Church they resolve to employ it against Has she forfeited her Religion and not her Power When did ever God make over his Authority by such an Entail If Mens Errors and Vices do not un-minister them It will follow that they may be Ill Christians but very good Ministers For Shame never renounce the Roman Church as False if her Ordination must be True For what has Power to make a Minister must be allowed to have Power both to instruct and conclude him in what he is to minister Wherefore never let any own her to have Heaven's Keyes of Church-Authority and then deny her as Heretical For where-ever any Church or People are truly such that Church or People have thereby forfeited all Right thereunto And as the contrary Opinion has long enricht the Popes Coffers so the Unwary Concessions of some certain Protestants thereto have too evidently given away a great share of that good old Cause I have dwelt longer upon these Particulars then my Adversary's Weakness could deserve at my Hands but their Information hath induced me to it who are assaulted by the envious Endeavours of our several Adversaries that daily seek how to mis-represent us and our most Evangelical Principles CHAP. IV. His third Chapter examined which consists of the Holiness of Times Places Things and Persons under the Gospel §. 1. Of the Sabbath-Day His Accusation is that these Familists and Quakers put no Difference between one Day and another the Sabbath no more then another Day That many times they follow their usual Trades on a Sunday Answ What the Familists did is nothing to us if they did so But sure I am he has abused the Quakers For 't is well known that in what Country soever they live they follow the Practice of the Apostles in Assembling together on the first Day of the Week They do it constantly and reverently Who most prophane that Day the Quakers or the Sons and Daughters of the Church of England Their Feasts Drunkenness Wantonness Gaming and other Recreations as they call them are so many Demonstrations to help every common Understanding to a Resolution in the Point And to say That we many times follow our usual Trades on that Day is a plain Untruth the whole World knows better though we do not Judaize For Worship was not made for Time but Time for Worship Nor is there any Day Holy of it self though Holy things may be performed upon a Day But he tells us yes For the fourth Commandment being as Moral as the rest and that requiring a Sabbath-Day the Sabbath-Day is perpetual also Answ But this hurts us not since the Jewish Sabbath is not observed by the Church of England But if a Sabbath-Day be Moral because mentioned in the fourth Commandment Then because the Jews seventh-day-Sabbath is there particularly mentioned Their Sabbath must be only Moral and consequently Unalterable But he sayes No For that the Apostles and succeeding Church of God may very reasonably dispose of us in matters of this Nature And it is obligatory from the Ten Commandments every one of which is moral and binds all Christians still and therefore the Church of England though these rebellious Quakers disown their Mother doth make it part of her Liturgy Answ If it be as Moral as all the rest as it must be if it be Moral because of its being there they could no more dispense with it then with any of the other Commandments To call that Day Moral and make it Alterable is Ridiculous 'T is true the Apostles met upon the First Day and not on the Seventh but as that released us from any pretended Morality of the Seventh so neither did it confer any Morality upon the First yea so far were they from it that not one speaks any such thing but Paul much the
contrary Let no Man judge you in Meats or in Drinks or in respect of an Holy-Day or of New Moons or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ The outward Sabbath was Typical of the great Rest of the Gospel which such come to who cease from their own Work and in whom the Works of God's new Creation come to be accomplisht And though I acknowledge the other Commands to be Moral yea and Time too both respecting God's Worship and the Creatures Rest yet there is no more Reason for the Morality of that Day because amongst those Commandments then for the Ceremoniousness and Abrogation of several Moral Precepts because scattered up and down among the Ceremonial Laws recorded in Leviticus I grant the Apostles met on that Day But must it therefore be Moral Certainly the Scriptures Silence in this particular must either conclude a great Neglect against those Holy Men in not recommending enjoyning more expresly both Water Bread Wine and Holy-Dayes in their several Epistles to the Churches or warrant us in our Belief concerning the Temporariness of those things Let not our Adversary reproach us for not believeing that to be durable which was weaning off and vanishing in those dayes but soberly consider that the Practice of the best Men especially in such cases is no Institution though sometimes it may be an Example But I perceive he makes bold like an Irreverent Son with his Ghostly Fathers who through his Reflections upon us severely rebukes them Has he so quickly forgot the Book of Sports and who put it out when not to prophane this Sabbath with Dancings Ryots and Revels had been enough to render a Man an Enemy to Caesar and a schismatical Puritan to the Church If he be not satisfied with this I refer him to Calvin's Institutes Bp. Ironside and Dr. Peter Heilin concerning the non-morality of the Sabbath and a great Wonder it is that John Calvin and Peter Heilin should be of an Opinion in any §. 2. Place of God's Worship He is very angry with us for denying a more then ordinary Sanctity to Places and sayes that we esteem a Church no more then a Stable That the Jews Heathens and Turks have their Synaguoges Temples and Mosches to pray in That Christ went to a-Prayer-House Luke 6.12 and Act. 16.13 Where Paul and others went out to a River's side where an Oratory was reported to be Answ We value the true Church more then a Stable but we value a good Stable before a False Church as such But I suppose he means by Church an House and then I must tell him that I prefer a Stable better then no House but a good House better then a Stable But why is a Stable such an Ill-favoured place Has he forgot that the Head of the true Church first lodged in one when there was no room for him in a whole Synagogue yet room enough for a Company of Cavilling Murdering Scribes and Pharisees There is no doubt but the Jews had Synagogues enough for it was out of them the Apostles were to be haled because of their Testimony against those that were in them 'T is true the Heathens had Temples the Turks have their Mosches I like the Comparison and the Proof very well For I take some of your Steeple-House-Guests to be as good Christians as some of the worse sort of them It was the old Heathenish Spirit which under the Cloak of Christianity both erected those stately Edifices instituted that Pompous Worship and exacted those vast Revenues that have burthened the World these many Ages whilst the pure Apostolical Spirit and Religion have been as driven into a Sack cloth and Wilderness Estate That Christ went to a Prayer-House and that Paul and the Church met in an Oratory by the River side is a pretty Rattle for Children and may pass as unquestionably with those who are willing to be cheated as the Story of St. Denyse's Body that went a Mile without his Head and St. Wimfrid's Head a great Way without her Body to a Papist But he affirms that the first Christians had distinct places to meet in and that they called them Churches Answ Christ went not to the Synagogue or the Temple to eat the Passover 'T is certain that the Twelve met in an upper Room upon their return from Christ's Asscension and it is said when the Day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in One Place at what time that excellent Glory appeared but here is no mention made of either Temple or Synaguoge One would have thought those Conventicles for so they were then call'd and since should not have born away the Glory and Honour of that Holy Solemnity from those Cathedral and Canonical Places what sullen Separation did the False Jew then repute it as well as the False Christian now the like Practice Certainly this ran retrograde to the grain and humor of that Age And the poor Apostles therefore esteemed as great Phanaticks and as much reproached as any of the Quakers in this I must also confess they continued daily with one accord in the Temple but they broke not Bread there that was done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the House if he will have it so instead of from House to House to be sure it was not from Church to Church as he would have the House called for then we should understand the following Verse thus and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved that is to the House But I see no Reason why he should fall so hard with his Criticisms upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same Verse alone For as Valla and Erasmus well observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as well rendred per singulas domos or domesticatim i. from house to house as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per singulos dies sive quotidie i. daily or from day to day But he will needs have it that the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. meant by Church the House when he said have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God His Reason is if it may be thought one because the Apostle in the eighttenth Verse sayes when ye come together in the Church in the twentieth Verse when ye come together into one Place So that the Word Church signifies the Place Ans When ye come together in the Church signifies no more then in the Congregation or Assembly or among your selves as a Church observe well the Margent And to make the Church allude to Place in the twentieth Verse is a base Wresting of our Adversaries for there is no Greek Word there for Place But he thinks he has one Argument more from Paul's greeting Priscilla and Aquila and the Church that is in their House And again sending Sâ—lutation from them Aquila and Priscilla salute