againe that since your intosticated braines are so soone lifted up on the haughty wings of vainglorious pride of the victory before the encounter I shall give it a curb if not a crush And I very much wonder that you should enquire for an outward evidence when you say yours is within and may not we say the same But that you and the whole world may know we practice not the dictates of our own minds but bow all to the commands of God be it known to thee and whosoever else shall enquire after the same that an evidential command we have and what we doe is of an obediential submission to Gods revealed will And for expounding of Scriptures I answer if thou knowest not but art ignorant I shall doe my endeavour to informe thee that it was the practice of the Church in all Ages to read the Scriptures distinctly and give the senses and is not this expounding Nehem. 8.8.15 Luke 4.17 21. Luke 24.27.32 and be there not doctrines reasons and uses in all the Sermons and Epistles of the Apostles and did not our Saviour himself take a Text expouned it and apply it who also began at Moses and all the Prophets expounding unto the Disciples in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe insomuch that the hearers hearts burned within them at his doctrine whose words were with power Acts 28.23 Act. 17.2 3 2 Tim. 3.15.16 Philip also took a Text and expounded it and beginning at the same Scripture preached Jesus unto the Eunuch Paul also expounded unto the Romans the testimony of the Kingdom of God and the things concerning Jesus both out of the Law and the Prophets from the morning until evening who also testifieth this unto Timothy That the Scriptures are able to make a soule exceeding wise unto salvation and are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction and observe this for instruction in righteousnesse which I suppose comprehends all things mentioned by you except you can prove them not necessary to that end to direct in matters of righteousnesse that the man of God may be made perfect So having thus proved that Scriptures were expounded by the Apostles and Ministers of Christ 2 Tim. 2.15 our practice is justified and further yet we have this not onely as a President but a Precept rightly to divide the word of truth as workmen that need not to be ashamed Now if there can be any right division without parts prove it if you can nay further still study is required in this exercise and commanded also by Pauls spirit although cryed out against by yours and though you dare boldly blaspheme the word of God and call it the words of men and so call God a man by consequence I feare you will finde it a terrible word in the last day of Christs judgements when you shall be found a lyar 1 Thess 2.13 1 Cor. 14.37 and Paul a Preacher of truth who calls it in truth the word of God and the commands of the Lord. And for your questioning of Baptism administred unto children I now finde the root from which you spring even from that well-spring and fountaine-head from whence flow streames unto every heresie for the truest Relations that ever I could come unto the perusal of since John of Leyden that grand fomenter and prick-louse Preacher the founder of that Sect See Rosse his view of Religion p. 229. I have not read of any grand Apostate or heretick but what sprung from that truth-corrupting Faction as witnesse most of your Society for to hinder the children of Believers The priviledge of Baptism seemes unto me a dividing of that Covenant I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee observe that to thy seed as well as unto thee Now I shall leave it unto you to examine Gen. 17.7 whether it be not a clipping of the wings of Gods dominions and a limiting of and setting a bound unto his Authority that when he hath said I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed and this shall be a Covenant between me and thee for ever yet you shall put a period uno the time and a limitation unto the condition and so allow him onely the first and deny him the latter and certainly there were children in the house of Israel 1 Cor. 10.2 when they marched thorow the Red Sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the red Sea where was also the Element water and surely there were some buds of this now unmeasurable Sect in the Church when Paul saith The unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband and the unbelieving Husband by the believing Wife for else were your children uncleane observe but now are they holy and if so then how much more are they holy when both the Father and Mother believeth too and if they are so holy why may not they enjoy holy things as Baptism c. And who doth know whether the Lord shall sanctifie unto himselfe a Jeremiah in the wombe Jer. 1.5 Mar. 9 36.41 Act. 2.39 And our Saviour himselfe thus declares setting a child before him Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones that believes in me observe that believes in me where its possible they may believe it were better for him that a milstone were put about his neck and he cast into the Sea Now what greater offence can there be then to exclude them from their society and fellowship with Christ Peter also speaking to the Jewes testifieth this The Promise is to you yea and to your children also not dividing that which God hath put together neither robbing God of his subjects by impairing his Dominions nor bereaving his subjects of that glorious priviledge of being his people but as God said I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed so said he The Promise is unto you and to your children and therefore as said the Angel to Peter so say I unto you That which God hath sanctified count not you unclean And for singing of Davids Psalmes in meeter establisheth a concord in the harmony Act. 10.15 Mat. 7.3 and the matter being the same it is nothing to the lawfulnesse or unlawfulness of the thing but O thou hypocrite seest thou the mote in anothers eye pull first forth the beam or if you will adde an s and make it beams out of thine own eye Mat. 26.30 Act. 16.25 Col. 3.16 and for singing Psalmes we have the practice of our Saviour himselfe Paul Silas and the recommendation of James and of Paul also and 't is reported of Theodorus that under the cruel persecution of Julius the Apostate suffered much in martyrdome and being on the Rack to the amazement of all the beholders sung Psalmes most harmoniously and if there can be any song spiritual and yet unlawful why then did Paul admonish us to exhort one onother in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs and there can be no song
works of grace become to all that deny the light and spirit of Christ within and take up a tradition from the letter without sensual having not the spirit Jude 19. Reply 6. O deceitful sophistry Is this an answering or a baffling Is it a satisfactory resolve when I asked you what was become of the work of grace faith the growth of Faith which is by the natural use of ordinances c. all which we own as did the Apostles though you deny most if not all of them when you wave it and proceed contrary to request to declare though but shallowly what the work of grace is how sin and how the rest are known all which is impertinent to the thing required and therefore it being only a titular answer it scarce deserves a reply so that it resteth as at the first wholly unanswered not on thing being properly cleared Qu. 7. Whether the Bible be the written word of God yea or no if not what means the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.36.37 38. Gal. 1.10 11. 1 Thess 2.13 Answ That is the word which the Bible declares of Psa 119.11 Rom 10.8 1 Pet. 1.23 which is invisible and eternal which they that received it of God and had it in their hearts did speak or write it down which writing they called a declaration Luke 1.1 1 John 1.3 But doth no where say the Bible is the word but God and Christ is the word John 1.1 1 Pet. 1.25 And of this word the Apostle means which was of God and not of man nor by man and the word of God is the name of Christ and not the name of the Bible Rev. 19.13 Reply 7. I must needs confesse though I am loth to use it See your Reply to Harris thine own language best beseems the exordium of this Reply Thou blind Sot canst thou so much boast of the spirit of light and yet be so far blinded in darknes as not to discern between the co-essential and co-eternal word with God the temporal expressive word of God And if they received this word of God as you acknowledge they did how then can it be but it must be the word of God from whence it did proceed and the Scriptures quoted by thee are nothing to the purpose For John 1.1 The word was with God and the word was God And so this temporal word is but the expressive word of that co essential word and so it is a lye to say that this is that word that the Apostle means when he saith For this cause thank we God alwayes 1 Thes 2.13 that when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God This is clear and the Apostle saith that it was not of man nor by man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ and so not the word Christ but the word of Christ who is God And for the other it is so clear speaking plainly of writings that it needs not be discoursed And a learned Author renders that place Rev. 19.13 as being spoken of Christ Fr. Du. Jon. as to his co-essential name and I the rather believe it in respect that the same St. John records and testifies of what he writ as from the mouth of an Angel Rev. 19 9. These are the true sayings of God and makes a distinct difference between the word of God and the testimony of Jesus and such like titles are usually attributed to the holy volume of the Scriptures as the word of God * Mar. 7.13 Acts 13.44.46 Acts 17.13 Acts 8.14 Acts 6.7 the word of the Lord * Mar. 7.13 Acts 13.44.46 Acts 17.13 Acts 8.14 Acts 6.7 the commandements of the Lord and the like Almost every chap. of the Old Testam Jer. 30.2.4 1 Thes 4.15 1 Pet. 1.25 Act. 16.32 Deut. 11.1.27 But that the Scriptures should say that the Bible is the word of God is absurd to imagine because it is a word not there to be found it being a word of Art used to expresse the whole volume of the Scriptures in general but yet that which is therein contained is so called and is so indeed Qu. 8. If the Ministry now established be Antichristian where then and who be Orthodoxal Ans Those Ministers who have their Authority from Chr. are such as abide in the doctrine of Christ and these are they who are hated of the world ever was for crying out against the deceits and filthinesse of the world Priests and people And whereas thou askest where they are I say in Gaoles and Prisons in this Nation many of these are for the same now by means of those who live out of the doctrine of Christ and in the steps of the false Prophets Scribes and Pharisees seeking for their gaine bearing rule by their meanes being call'd of men Masters c. all which are forbidden by Christ Isay 56.11 Rom. 10.8 Matth. 23.9 10. and for bearing witnesse against such much innocent blood hath been shed though they ever call themselves Orthodoxal and the Ministry of Christ establisht by men Reply 8. That these Ministers who are of Christ abide in the doctrine of Christ we know and witnesse and need not you to teach us and hereby are assured you are not of him but of some other And the persecuters in all Ages like you sought to set up a doctrine and way of worship of themselves and yet were sensual having not the spirit though separated as peculiarly sacred such as are you and your Founder the Pope Yet still was it their practice like as you doe now to cry down and as the Eagle to her prey pick forth first the right eye of Christianity to wit Acts 4.12 17 18. the Ministry that they might no more speak uprightly of that name in which onely is Redemption that so the Shepherds being destroyed and the flock dispersed they might with the more ease and the lesse difficulty be devoured by such wolfes as thy selfe and so be made a prey for the deceiver But since you say the true Ministers are in Gaoles and Prisons in this Nation who doe you meane the Romish Priests from whence you sprung and such like if these be they speak out or are they some of those branches which are sprung from that grove of heresie to wit your vagabond fraternity taken up as strayed from their habitations and from their Religion too But that these are for the same now that the true Saints in former times were martyr'd for is a most notorious lye and prove it if thou canst that ever any dyed for this cause wherein you now persevere except Jesuits and you seem to accuse us as being out of the doctrine of Christ as also saith Rome because we are not one with you and them And you seem to alledge that they seek for their gaine from their quarter speaking of our Ministry of which
large by several reverend pens extant in many volumes to which I refer you And for the power to fulfill these commands and precepts in the word of God I shall be brief there is no power but of God Paul may plant 1 Cor. 3.6 and Apollo may water but it is God and he alone must work with their labours and give the increase Quere 3. Seeing Christ preached the Kingdome of God within unbeleevers and the Apostle saith Luke 17.20 21. Rom. 1.19 2 Cor. 4.6 That which may be known of God is manifest in them and that they came to the knowledge of God and his glory by the light that shone in their hearts which God shewed them c. Deale plainly and let people know how it now comes to be without and denyed within as it is by you Prove your practice and judgement herein by plain Scripture An Answer to the Third Query In this Query I finde no lesse then two lies at the least if not three The first laid on Christ God-man blessed for ever that he preached the Kingdome of God within unbeleevers The second on the Apostle in that you say he saith they came to the knowledge of God and his glory by the light that shone in their hearts Luk. 17.21 And the third on me in that you say I deny that light which declares God and his glory to be within This I term a lye if you speak mean particuarly of Saints and a truth if you speak of Reprobates but I own it not wholly outwardly upon any account but I shall proceed to clear the Scriptures wrested and abused by your spiritual impious impudence and presumption So Leigh so Trap so Major and several others upon the Testam So Pumroy Killit and Glisson against your Society 2 Cor. 13.5 1 Cor. 6.9 10. For the first * I have observed the Relatitions of all the Expositors who have upon any occasion commented upon that place that ever I could procure the sight of who all concur in one opinion and render it thus from the Original Language The kingdome of God is within or among you the word in the Greek signifying both and so you have it in the Margent of your larger Bibles Now if the word in the Original signifie both then the one so well as the other may be used but that must needs bee most proper which most concurs with other places and therefore among rather then within since Paul saith Christ in you writing to the faithful not to the faithlesse except ye be Reprobates and again Know you not that no unrighteous person inheriteth the Kingdome of God where it is cleare that it does not possesse men as inheriting them for this implyes a contradiction but it is to be possessed of men and they to inherit it Luk. 7.28 Mar. 10.15 Mat. 25.21 He might enter into it but it could not enter into him and from this inheritance the unrighteous are excepted and exempted too therefore it is certainly a most notorious lye to say Christ preached the Kingdome of God in unbeleevers though among them for he himselfe and all his excellencies that attended him in his Incarnation were among them but not in them and an error in the Translation makes not an error in Christs Doctrine Thus for the first I come now to clear the Apostle from your falshoods for you speaking of unbeleevers say he saith that all which may be known of God or of his glory is manifest in them Rom. 1.19 This you pretend to be a proofe that there is a light in every man to reveale all that may be known of God or of his glory which I say can be nothing lesse then the Spirit of God when if you read the verse following for the first hath a dependency on the latter you shall see the extention of the former expression Rom. 1.20 Joh. 14.25 The invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seene being understood by the things that are made Now this cannot be the Spirit of God or Christ which teacheth all things needfull for salvation except you can prove him to be made at the Creation and so a creature and not a Creator Gen. 1.26 and therefore it must be something in the creature which can be nothing else but the eye of the rational soule which is reason by which may be seen the invisible being of God and that he is so Cicero Aristotle Plato but meer Heathens have attain'd unto therefore this is humane not divine I shall not stand to state arguments to prove it experimentally because I intend brevity I Come unto the other Scripture which you adde that the Apostle saith that they speaking of unbeleevers still came to the knowledge of God and his glory by the light that shone in them A most notorious lye wresting the meaning of the Apostle unto your owne wills and I leave it to you to examine with feare and trembling whether it be not also unto your own destruction too for the words are these For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the grace of God in the face of Jesus Christ Where is observable First what it was that shined God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined Secondly the persons to and in whom he shined in our hearts Now the word our maketh a separation between Paul and the Corinthians to whom he writ who were Beleevers and Reprobates who beleeved not therefore you must needs acknowledge you have belyed him in saying he spoke of unbeleevers when he spoke to and of Saints in our hearts unlesse you can prove that that Paul and the Corinthians were such as you speak of even unbeleevers Thirdly the intent and purpose for which he shone to give it was not free to all as you say but particularly given to some the light of the knowledge of the glory of God And then Fourthly the manner how in the face of Jesus Christ I intend not to write an Exposition on the words but onely rightly to divide them and so to cleare them from the scandal laid on them by you which is clear So that your Query being thus handled 2 Tim. 2.15 I suppose there can be no more required in answer to it and farre be it from me to hold a judgement willingly any further then is concomitant to and with Scripture proofes and practice Learne to speak truth and cease to endeavour the building of so lying a Babel which is not in that one language of God but that of Satan For every lye is of Satan the Father of lyes Query 4. Whether that New Birth spoken of in the Scriptures be Christ within or some other thing and if not he then what is it and how people may know it by the Letter without the Light when they have Christ
for I shall promise you no more then the hasty fruits of some vacant yet scanty hours which with the assistance of divine providence led me to compose what I here present unto your perusal And though I seem not worthy of recompence for my labour yet grant me thanks and not hatred for my good will which is the least I can expect from the vertuous and more then I desire from the vicious except it prove as profitabe to their conviction as are my prayers vigilant for their conversion that so those of them which have not sinned unto death may take with them words of repentance and turn unto the Lord and say Blot out our iniquities forgive us our transgressions and receive us graciously that so being purified they may also be justified and so live as to live unto the Lord and in dying dye in the Lord That so whether they live or dye they may be the Lords Thine in all Christian observance to my power JOHN DEACON Decemb. 27. 1655. A PUBLICK DISCOVERY OF A SECRET DECEIT An Answer to Nineteen Quaeries subscribed JOHN DEACON 1. Quaere IF every man that comes into the world have light in him sufficient to salvation how then do you say that I am in darkness for either you must grant your first or second Assertion to be false or prove me not come into the world or not born of a woman Answ 1. The cause why thou art in darkness is because thou dost not believe and follow that light which is sufficient according to Christs words John 8.12 For they that turn from the darkness to the light have the promise but the unbeliever is condemn'd in darkness yet is the light sufficient John 3.15 16 17 18 19. Reply 1. When first I undertook to encounter with thee O subtil Deceiver and secret Deceit though I looked not for the innocency of a Dove but rather the ravening of a spiritual Wolfe yet I find the subtilty of a Serpent though not the purity of Christ yet the policy of Antichrist But as Satan is a Serpent so is Christ Rev. 12.19 Gen. 3.1 Ioh. 3.14 and that a brazen one too and as the Deceiver is a Lyon that seeketh whom he may devour Num. 21.9 1 Pet. 5.8 so is Christ a Lyon and that of the Tribe of Judah and as the serpent to subtil to deceive so is Christ no less cunning to preserve unto his everlasting habitation who hath began a good work of faith in our souls and also will do it the end whereof is everlasting salvation When I quaeried 1 Pet. 1.19 Ephes 2.8 since you affirm that all that come into the world have light in them soul-saving how then I being come into the world and so in general affirmed to be in light that you in particular should conclude me in darkness as if not come into the world at all and therefore I quaeried how the contradiction could be reconciled to a concurrence you put me off with a pretended Answer which indeed is but a Sophistical flash of the Deceivers policy with an uncharitable I had almost said diabolical Assertion that I am in darkness when this I can affirm with joy that God hath so far enlightned me as to see your deceivableness and I fear hellish darkness 2. Qu. If that Light be universal that is soul-saving shall all be saved yea or no Answ 2. All that believe shall but he that believeth not Isa 49.6 Rom. 1.16 the light is his condemnation John 3.19 Reply 2. That all which believe shall be saved we need not you to teach us but since you affirm all have soul-saving light the question was whether all should be saved if not your Doctrine is false which saith there is in all a sufficiency But you pretend private I may say a new light lest your deeds being as dark as Antichristian they should be brought unto the publick light Christ and his Gospel and so by that light that evil be made publique which now lies hid in you under glorious pretences 3. Qu. If you say yea I query further How is it then that you say I am damn'd and where is the Reprobate Answ 3. Thou art damn'd by thy unbelief Joh. 3.18 19. And where Christ the light of the world is not known within but denyed there is the Reprobate 2 Cor. 13 3.5 Reply 3. Here I finde two diabolical satanical censorious uncharitable Assertions both beyond thy spiritual presumptuous determination First that I am damned Secondly that I believe not both which are devilish in a double sense First as presuming to step up into the seat of Gods Tribunal and to define that which only belongs unto him to whom judgement is given But who art thou that judgest another Joh. 9.22 and judgest not thy selfe Secondly as being a lye that I believe not prove this if thou canst or else it proves thee a lyer but if it be so that I must believe your heresies and then be a believer and though I believe in Christ yet still be an unbeliever let the devil be the first and if he will for I will be the latter And here thou abusest the Text in saying that where Christ is not known within there is the reprobate as much as to say he may be there unknown But canst thou hide the Sunne O deceitful Deceiver that it shall not shine forth If thou couldest yet this celestial Sun of righteousness cannot be kept under but will banish all sinful clouds and illuminate resplendently to the obvious prospect of that soul where it is And the Apostle saith Christ is in you Corinthians except ye be Reprobates giving thee the lye who sayest Christ is in Reprobates as well as Saints 4. Qu. If this light ought only to be minded and all external means utterly abolisht I query wherefore you teach and to what end serveth the Scriptures which were for the making perfect the man of God 2 Tim. 3 16 7. Ans 4. We teach to turn peoples minds to the light word which is the one thing needful to be minded 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Cor. 4.1 to the 8th And the Apostle preacht that word to the people which was in their hearts Rom. 10.6 7 8. And their preaching was to open the blind eyes and to turn from darknesse to light and so from the power of Satan unto God the Father of the Light Acts 26.18 And the Scripture serveth for declaring and testifying that this Christ is he that is the light of the world and lighteth every one that cometh into the world and the Saviour of all that believe John 12.46 John 1.9 1 Tim. 4.10 Rep. 4. Here you grant a damnable heresie that all external things are useless none excepted in that you pass it over with a consent of silence and hypocritically say you teach to turn peoples minds to the light and yet elsewhere declare against all them and so confusedly against your self here that say the light in every
and when they have a spirit of delusion and whether the light of the Spirit alone be sufficient without the letter to reveale the Sonne of God the Father and all truth and judge of all spirits whatsoever without any addition to it An Answer to the Fourth Query The New Birth or Regeneration is a repairing of the Image of God once in the first Adam through the effectual working of the Spirit and grace of God John 3. Gen. 1.26 27. Eph. 3.5 8 Rom. 5.18 19. 1 Cor. 2.14 Gen. 3.1.5 Gen. 3.23 24. 2 Cor. 5.20 21. 1 Cor. 1.2.30 2 Thes 2.13 Eph. 5.26 Act. 26.18 1 Pet. 1.2 Tit. 3.5 Act. 5.3 4 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.19 by faith in the second Adam which they that looke unto the first Adam and in their own strength endeavour to renew cannot comprehend for it is spiritually discerned though the policy of the Serpent may so far prevaile as to cast them into a kinde of pleasing slumber of Security and so pretending to lead them back unto that earthly Eden by personal obedience which they lost by disobedience like lambs led to the slaughter they may passe a Celestial Paradise by and perhaps arrive at a perilous disconsolate place of eternal sorrow or if you will it is a remission of sinne and a renewment of sanctity called Sanctification on the whole Doctrine whereof to insist at large would require a greater volume then either I intend to trouble you to peruse or my selfe to compose but for the satisfaction of them among you or elsewhere whose intentions are to be informed out of sincerity not curiosity I shall speak a little unto some particulars of it In brief man hath no hand at all in this work but the spirit of God for even as in the compositure or making of any thing there must two things concurre First the Agent or Workman which giveth the forme shape or being to the Work Secondly the matter whereof the work must be made or formed the which cannot be said to work it selfe but onely to suffer the operation of the Worker This is the summe of Regeneration First the the spirit of God is the workman in this work he is the begetter of this new man the framer of this new creature and the re-builder of this sacred Fabrick 1 Cor. 12.4 5. 2 Cor. 6.16 Isa 6.19 Act. 28.25 John 3.6 Mat. 19.26 John 3.8 Secondly the minde and will of man is the matter whereof this new creature or image of God in man is made not working together with the Spirit of God but onely suffering the operation of the holy Ghost this is the Epitomy of this whole work for Regeneration is nothing else but a sanctified minde and will so the begetter of this new man is God even the Holy Ghost For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit So that this New Birth is the work of the Spirit and although by the Ministry of man as the matter yet not any thing that men or Angels are able to conceive but onely the finger of God 1 Pet. 1 13. is able to accomplish it as the worker for with man it is impossible but not with God for though we may heare the word of God sounding in our eares as a whistling wind yet cannot we comprehend the secret motions of it in our hearts and therefore not understand the depth of this unsearchable Mystery In a word the begetting or fashioning of this New Creature the Ministry of the word of God by man is but the instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh without the which it is no more able to form this new creature 2 Pet. 1.21 Gal. 1.11 12. 1 Joh. 4.3 then are the tools belonging to any work able to bring the same to passe without the hand or guidance of the Artificer and he that knoweth it by the Letter of Scripture knowes it not without the light for the Scripture was written by man but revealed by the true light and therefore the words of him from whom it proceeded and God is pleased to reveal himself but two wayes to the best of my knowledge and that either ordinary by his written Word by which we may try and in some sort judge of spirits too that hee which denies Christ as come in the flesh is a lyar and an Antichrist and he that denies the use and ministration of Ordinances mentioned there resists that power that instituted them and he that resists receiveth unto himself damnation a sad word or extraordinary by his spirit which is not commonly usual but still with this limitation he never reveales himselfe to any by his spirit to oppose his commands in the letter And since your spirit is such a one I leave it unto you to examine whether it be a spirit of delusion or no for Christ never resisteth his own will and ordinances and if it seems so unto you remember Satan hath transformed himselfe into an Angel of light and if you be his Ministers as the tree Antichrist is known by his fruits heresie in Doctrine cease to call thy selfe the Minister of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. Mat. 7.15 and pull off the sheeps cloathing of your faire pretences that so we may discerne you in your colours and see the Pope in your wolvish shapes Quere 5. Whether the least measure of saving faith in Christ Jesus be not present power above the Devil and all the powers of darknesse which if it be then what is the cause that men must be captivated to commit sin while they live whether it is want of faith or that there is not power in faith to overcome the evil one or hath any faith in Christ further then they have power over sinne and the world or is there any rest to a beleever short of that power An Answer to the Fifth Quere The least measure of saving faith in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.33 34 35.36 37 38 39. 1 Pet. 1.4.5 is sufficient to support us from everlasting misery and from the condemnation which the Devil would by his power bring us under and to build us up to that inheritance immortal which fadeth not away but is reserved in heaven for us and it is present power above the destructive powers of the Devil and darknesse but not against the disturbative power of sinne whose policy hath in the first Adam purchased an interest in all his posterity unlesse that with the second Adam we became one in unity and glory with him and if it were present power to conquer Satan and all the powers of darknesse and by its puissance to wholly subdue him presently Eph. 6.10 11 12 13 14 15 16. this were present victory which is the end of war when as a Christians pilgrimage to heaven is a continual warfare the victory whereof is onely sealed perfectly in death Gal. 3.22 for though by faith in Christ we are free from the
against which I utterly declare as have others done for this were first to bereave us of that glorious priviledge of communion with God he speaking unto us in his word we unto him in prayer Secondly to shut up the Kingdome of God in some sort from the sons of men in bereaving us of the meanes for discipline and observance is the security of an Army in wars and what are glad tydings if they are not told Thirdly this is to presse us to the omission of duty which is questionlesse commission of offence And fourthly this leaves all open to the assaults of Satan we laying downe in our infirmities and not standing up against his invasions and temptations And lastly this giveth way to sluggishnesse of spirit and to an unwatchfulness in matters of salvation and endeavour to engage us to a confidence of beliefe Matth. 24.23 24. Luk. 21.8 Act. 17.11 in and to every thing that shall come in the name of Christ and so to receive Antichrist not leaving us the priviledge of the braines to try the words of an Apostle by the umpire of all controversies the sacred Scriptures which is absolutely opposite unto the truth and contrary yea far exorbitant from the known will and temporal expressive word of God for though he hath said Joh. 14.26 1 Tim. 4.15 2 Tim. 2.15 Rom. 12.12 2 Thess 5.17 The Spirit shall teach us all things yet hath it said againe Meditate on these things give thy selfe wholly to them Now wholly excludes all negligent intermission and the manner how is prescribed too for Study to shew thy selfe approved and stir up the gift in thee as fire which sometimes is covered with ashes and againe Be constant and instant in prayer and pray continually which includes all times and seasons wherefore we ought to put up our supplications at the throne of grace not onely when the spirit especially moveth us but when our occasions or necessities require Matth. 25.25 26. and far be it from me to imagine that the Spirit of God moved the Apostles to preach when they did onely and at no other time and that they alwayes waited in silence till then for then it stirred up it selfe they stirred it not but rather hid their talents of grace in the earth and so were unprofitable if not unfaithful servants and since the holy Ghost advised and the the Apostles so practised as to meditate study and pray without ceasing it appeares plainly unto me that Christ neither limited or constrained them respectively in particular but onely notionally in general so to doe giving them repenitent hearts to sorrow for sinne and grace to beleeve and power thorow that grace to exercise faith in the performance of those duties and when they prayed Christ also prayed with them and as a faithful Mediatour making continual intercession at the throne of grace that the fruition of their prayers might be the accomplishment of their desires and far be it from me to imagine that Christ can be limited by any external thing though I suppose and really beleeve that it is possible for any man to limit himselfe and then much more for Christ who is God and therefore with him all things are possible and so may limit himselfe in any thing if he please Quere 12. What is the ground and rise of your knowledge whether it be received within man from God or without from the Letter And if without whether this be not the knowledge which all the vaine janglers comes out of and the generation of persecutors comes out of as the Jewes was in which professed the Letter and were strangers to the life of God And whether this generation of men and Professors in our Age do not begin to manifest the same as the persecuting Jewes did yea or nay An Answer to the Twefth Query Act. 19.2 My knowledge as was Pauls is neither perfectly the one nor the other and yet partly both for as the disciples of Ephesus were ignorant of Jesus though baptized unto John and had not so much as heard of that name or that there was a holy Ghost notwithstanding any inward light until they were informed of it by the outward teaching of Paul and then they beleeved on Jesus and so their saith and their knowledge too was from without not within but the Jewes who like you thought to inherit glory by a Covenant of works not of grace endeavoured to pervert and subdue all knowledge Mat. 5.14 save of their way who professing obvious light were found to be in obscure darknesse and therefore persecuted the lights of the world the Apostles and Ministers of Christ fearing lest their deeds should be brought unto the light and be found evil as you doe and so they walked short both of the Spirit and the Letter too yet professing as much and as peculiar sanctity as your selves and you and your generation manifest as much malice as did they wanting only their might against those precious candles of the Gospel who waste themselves that we may grow up unto perfection and I speak sincerely and I suppose I may doe it without breach of Christian Charity That if ever we should live to see that dismal disconsolate day wherein Quakers should predominate in might as much as now they doe in malice I feare fire and faggot would be a deare commodity through the frequent use thereof for any may see with a single eye without a paire of spectacles not onely the persecuting and censorious Jew but also the Saint-murdering and truth-opposing Pope enthroned both in your malice and your Tenets The Lord defend us and his cause from your envious power Quere 13. What Scripture have you for your manner of worship as to read a Chapter and to give meanings to it and call it expounding to take a text of another mans words and raise points reasons and uses c. to sprinkle Infants to sing Davids words in order of your ballads to stand praying in the Synagogues at your set times before and after your glasse Prove your practice by command from Christ or practice of Gospel-Ministers else for shame cease to call it Gospel-worship since none of Christs Ministers worshipped in that manner An Answer to the thirteenth Query When first I read this common hackny and overthredbare worne Query which hath been the publick frequent Strumpet of all your blemished vitiated pens answered more then once and againe I could not but smile to fee your so often battered armour wherewith you war against the cause of Christ become the harnesse of your resistance in the list of this controversie against the truth at this time also and though in respect it hath been as often answered as proposed by several learned pens who have writ on this occasion and by others who have treated on this subject whose abilities are manifest in their works of precious concernment which might induce me to wave my Answer But as I said before so say I now