Experience in their Measure as might be made evident in particulars It would as it does in all true Believers purifie the Heart and work by Love to God to his People to his Word and Ordinances to all the things that are of God But fine Words and Professions will not prove or evidence true Faith This Author does plainly manifest to a Spiritual Eye that that which he calls Faith in himself and in such as are like him is but presumption wrought by the great Deceiver the seducing spirit in weak Ignorant Proud Hearts and Minds for it hath not purified their Hearts neither doth it work by Love but on the contrary their Hearts are yet Dark Blind Ignorant of God of themselves of the Truths of God of the People of God they know not the Difference between Nature and Grace They call Natural Conscience and Reason which is in every Man and Woman by Nature God Christ his Spirit the true Light which will Save and Justisie whosoever hearkens to it and believes in it I say Faith hath not Purified their Hearts from this Blindness and Ignorance nor from Pride Self-love and many other Corruptions Manifest and Evident in and amongst them as any gross sins or Abominations are in the Profanest Persons in the World Neither does this Faith of theirs which they boast of work by Love Love to God Love to all his People to the Law and Word of God as it did in David O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation continually Psal 119. but they Love not the Scriptures neither are they led by the spirit speaking in them but by a false spirit speaking in themselves contrary to the spirit in the Scriptures And as for their Love it is but a self-love it confines it self to their own party that say as they say and do even as they do that are one with them in the same things and in the Pride of their Hearts reject all others though the most eminent Saints upon the Earth How far then is this Faith of theirs which they boast of accounting it far better than all others from purifying their Heart perfectly as he there says that hath not yet purified it from these groâ—â— and apparent Corruptions and sins as Ignoranâ— Pride in a high Degree Self-love Hatred Despising Disowning Scandalizing and Separating from the Lords People of all perswasions though Select Congregations and Precious in the sight of the Lord and dear as the Apple of his Eye O the subtil strong seducing spirit is got into a strong Hold indeed and Fortified himself therein that can make them Speak and Declare these Lyes in Hypocrisie and these Doctrines of Devils as the Apostle calls them 2 Tim. 3.1 Thirdly This Author of the Strong Man Armed cast out goes on 3. The Quakers Knowledge and tells us what Knowledge the People the Quakers have attained unto above all others and saith it is Spiritual and Experimental from the immediate Vnction of the Holy Ghost and proceeds not from hear-say but Divine Revelation this is Life Eternal to know God which is Light yea the Father of Lights and that the Light within is the Son of God This is that Mystery that is hid from the Wise and Prudent and Revealed unto Babes They know him not but say it is the Devil or at best but the Light of Nature and so they know not whence it is and yet he hath enlightned Thousands and it was never known that the Devil or the Light of Nature Converted any to the Lord. For Answer hereunto Quakers put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light I say it is a very dreadful thing for any Man to put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness as this Man does a Dreadful Woe is Denounced against such Isa 5.20 Woe to them that call Evil Good and Good Evil that put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness If therefore the Light in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6.23 But the Light in Thee James Jackson is Darkness That is to say Thy Vnderstanding is Darkned and Blinded not onely by Corrupt Nature as all Unregenerate Men and Women are but Darkned also by the Prince of Darkness as is Manifest by all thy Writings that thou put'st Darkness for Light For the Minds of all natural Men are dark yea darkness it self they cannot see Spiritual things no more than a Blind Man can Distinguish Colours or than a Man that hath his sight in a dark Dungeon can Discern or Distinguish of Objects The Natural Man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he know them because they are Spiritually Discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Such an understanding and knowledge hast thou and others of thy Principles and Ways Thou and they it seems have attained to this Knowledge which others though the most Wise of other Perswasions have not attained to That the Light within is the Son of God whom he hath sent and that this is in every Man and Woman and to know and abide in this Light is Life Eternal I am grieved for this thine and their Ignorance though thou callest it Knowledge Now if ye will Hearken to the true Light indeed he will drive away and dispell this Darkness and shine into the Heart and give the Light of the Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ Thou despisest the Knowledge of all others that comes by hear-say meaning the Scriptures as it plainly appears thine thou sayest is by Immediate Revelation But let me ask thee and them how comes any one to know Christ and to Believe in him but by the Scriptures How shall they Believe in him of whom they have not heard but by the Word of the Gospel Rom. 10 As for Immediate Revelations we are not to Believe any of them further than as they are Consonant and Agreeable to the Scriptures which the Holy Spirit of God hath already spoken else we may believe a Lye from a false Spirit Witness thy own Case with many others also who have listned to Immediate Revelations and prefer them before the Revelations of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures which undoubtedly will be your undoing except ye Repent and see your Error for in thus doing ye prefer the Devils Doctrine before the Doctrine of Christ Yea ye shut out the sayings of Christ and take in the sayings of Satan If we have no way to try the Spirits Three Spirits speak in Men. how shall we know what Spirit it is that speaketh in us for there are three distinct Spirits that speak in Men at certain times Sometimes the Spirit of God moves and works in Meâ— he dwells and abides in his People but not in his Enemies he sometimes Reproves wicked Men the World of sin Righteousness and Judgment Secondly There is the seducing spirit he also moves in the Minds of Men both in the Godly and Vngodly He moved David and prevailed with him to his hurt This spirit all are to Watch
it Teacheth Men to have a low esteem of themselves and when they have done all they can in the ways of Obedience to account that yet they are but unprofitable Servants This Humble Spirit was seen in Paul who though he were a great Apostle yet he accounted himself less than the least of all Saints yea and teacheth all others to be of the same Mind In lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 How far then are these Men from true Humility Sixthly The Sixth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 15. Another Lye in Hypocrisie is this They say their Patience is Invincible to them is this Grace given The World hath been against them not for their own sakes but for Christ's sake in them though they are he says the most Innocent and harmless People upon Earth Now whether this papears to be Truth or a Lye in Hypocrisie may appear by their Speeches and Writings wherein they express and manifest much Bitterness of Spirit Wrath Anger Malice and Impatience as is in their frequent foul harsh Language that proceeds from them both by their Tongues and Pens against those who do Converse with them or ask them questions Soberly and Modestly with a real desire to be Resolved or that ask them a Reason of the hope that is in them or of their perswasions about such or such things Their Answers ought to be given with Meekness and Love That they may satisfie those who ask them according to Truth But instead thereof they commonly pour out harsh words and speeches like those Enemies of David Psal 64.4 They whet their Tongues like a Sword they bend their Bows and shoot their Arrows even bitter words Witness Edward Burrough's Works p. 20 21 c. against a Servant of Christ asking him serious questions he Answered in such Language as this which others also of their Teachers do likewise own and approve of To all or most of the questions he mixeth this Language The Quakers Railing Accusations and many Expressions to the like purpose in his Answers Thou Reprobate and Child of Darkness we witness thee to be in the Sorcery and Witchcraft thou Dragon thy queries are Conjured in the Black Art out of the Bottomless Pit thou Diviner we witness thee to be the Beast thou Antichrist who looks at Christ's Death at Jerusalem alone thou Jesuite art pleading for Christ afar off thee thou art Accursed thou Beast to whom the Plagues of God are due Thou Blind Hypocrite thou Cain thou full of Subtilty with the Light thou art seen and with the Life thou art Judged and Condemned These words were poured out with many more such like Invectives against him the Querist and others from time to time as Men have conference with them But are these the Fruits and Evidences of Patience which they boast of which they say they have attained above all other Professing People Then what is Impatience Wrath Bitterness and Anger Are not their Tongues set on fire of Hell and moved by the Devil who brings the Fire from thence and kindles it and blows it up to a great Flame Nay doubtless they are not onely Pinch'd and vex'd by serious Questions and sound Scripture Arguments but also even cut to the Heart as the Jews were against Stephen when he dealt truly and plainly with them as we see Acts 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the Heart and they gnashed on him with their Teeth So these Men they are vex'd and Angry when they are Opposed and cannot Answer they are Pinch'd and cut to the very Heart which they shew and manifest by such speeches as these aforementioned for out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh These I say are Lyes in Hypocrisie This then is another Character plainly seen upon the Quakers whereby compared with the rest of the Characters spoken by the Holy Ghost they are manifested to be the false Prophets that should come into the World in these last days In this day is this Scripture fulfilled The false Teachers who were fore-told expresly by the Spirit of God that they should come in these last days even now are they come in this Generation They are Departed from the Faith they give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils they speak Lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron which is the next Character to be Discovered Fourthly The Fourth Character of false Teachers Their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron Another Character whereby false Prophets Teachers are known which the Spirit of God tells us of is this They have their Conscience seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.2 This Expression seared with an hot Iron taken properly is a Similitude of what is done Spiritually in and upon the Consciences of some more than Ordinary notorious sinners under a Judicial as well as Natural hardness of heart Blindness and Reprobate sense unto which Judgment God sometimes gives them up for refusing to Receive and Hearken to the Truth often tendred and Discovered to them with some other Notorious sins For as Natural Flesh seared with an hot Iron is thereby made hard dead and insensible so as it will not receive any Impression nor is sensible as soft tender lively Flesh is so it is with the Consciences of some Men which are seared they have no Spiritual sense nor feeling of spiritual things but are dead and hardned blind and deaf as concerning the things of God of which those Christians that have tender Consciences and soft hearts have a clear sight and sense of Men whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron they do think apprehend and believe and that strongly too many things that are quite contrary to the Truth both as to Reason and Faith which things they speak and write accordingly Secondly Another Sign or Evidence of those whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron is this They will Reject and Despise all plain Truths in Scripture as being contrary to their Corrupt Natures Principles and Interests though they are never so much concerned therein and though brought and tendred to them with never so much Love and earnest desire for their good and welfare yet these things take no Impression upon their hearts no more than upon a stone they remain still the same and no good is done upon them by any means Nay Thirdly as another Evidence of a seared Conscience The means used to Reform them does the more harden them and makes them the more Desperate in sinning which is seen in their many Imprecations Revilings Slanderings and bitter Reproachful speeches which proceed from them against those that would do them good Now is it not hereby Evident and plain That very many of the Quakers are under this Judgment of having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron So that this Character is also plainly seen upon them as is made manifest particularly by their Speeches Books and Practices Fifthly
I have no greater Joy than to see my Children Walk in Truth And Teacheth Love Vnity Peace Fellowship and Communion with all the Saints And so are all the Children of God thus inclined by the same spirit they shew forth the same Fruits and Effects in their Degrees and Measures But now on the contrary consider The false seducing spirit brings forth in its Followers the quite contrary Fruits and Effects as we plainly see amongst Men And hence are those high and proud Conceits and Apprehensions of themselves their Ways their Doctrines as better above and beyond all others being free from sin and become perfect saying in Effect stand further from me I am Holier than thou Despising that Low Childish Doctrine of sin abiding in us in the remainders of it whilst we Live though the Power and Dominion of it be Destroy'd I say these Fruits and Effects spring from a Cause like unto them whereby we may safely conclude what the Cause is so again when we see Men Separating from others better than themselves leaving and forsaking other Assemblies and Congregations sound in Doctrine and Holy in Life and Conversation excepting common un-avoidable Infirmities we may be sure hereby that this is from a seducing spirit not from the spirit of God whose contrary Fruits and Effects we heard before As Solomon The true Spirit is for Unity the salfe Spirit for Division by his Wisdom given him of God plainly Discerned and knew the true Mother from the false by this very thing by this clear Evidence She that was for Vnity and for preserving together and Nourishing the parts and Members of the Child was the true Mother But she that was for the Dividing of the Child and separating the Members of it he knew by that she was the Harlot and not the true Mother Just so it is in this Case The true spirit is for Vnity Love Fellowship and Communion with all the Members of Christ as Occasion and Opportunity is but the false seducing spirit is for separation and Dividing the Members of Christ's Body upon one pretence or another And herein it is too manifest that not onely some in our Days are more grossely guilty but also many of the true Members of Christ have been deceived and carried away very far by this deluding and seducing spirit through the remainders of Pride and self-love in them and have thought it their Duty to separate from others of their Brethren upon slight weak and insufficient grounds and Causes by which they have greatly Displeased and Offended their Head Jesus Christ and wronged their fellow-Members And as an Evidence of his Displeasure and a just Correction upon them he hath permitted a People in these days to separate from them all and to disown them all which I am perswaded is one End God hath in suffering these People to appear in this day which as from God is a just Retaliation to do to them as they have done to others the same Measure they have meeted to others of their Brethren is now Measured to them again Seeing no Rules in Scripture nor Councels nor Intreaties of their Brethren would perswade or win them to be of one mind and to keep in Fellowship together this now comes at last as the greatest and sharpest Reproof and Correction of all the former I hope and desire they will consider it and Learn from it to hear the voice of God's Rod as well as of his Word and be Instructed thereby And now having Tryed the Author of the strong Man armed cast out and proved that the strong man is not cast out but removed to a stronger Hold let us proceed further and make it appear also by divers other Proofs and Evidences taken out of his own Book which also are sufficient to convince all others of his Mind and Way that they may plainly see if the God of this World hath not blinded their Minds and hid plain and clear Truths from them the false and unsound Foundations which they Build upon as well as the Wood Hay and Stubble which they Build withal both as to their Opinions and Practices in esteeming themselves the onely Holy People of the Lord in this Day and Despising and Condemning those that are indeed the People of the Lord. First then 1. The Quakers Attainments above others This Author tells us what he and the People with whom he now Walks have attained unto above all others from whom they separate The People the Quakers he saith Build upon a true and right Foundation 1. In the Foundation the Rock of Ages Christ in us the hope of Glory but all other Professing People in the World Build upon the Writings of Men and all of them are strangers to that one Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures See strong Man Armed c. p. 12. In Answer to which I say plainly That if this were Truth which He hath spoken I would separate also and Build upon the same Foundation which he says they Build upon But he hath herein spoken falsely and that in a double Respect 1. In Respect of themselves 2. In Respect of other Professors the Churches of Christ As for themselves such of them as Build upon the Foundation the Light within every Man and Woman and believe in it and Obey it and look for Salvation from it as they Profess to do such Build upon a false and unsound Foundation and not upon Christ the onely true Foundation Secondly As for the other Professing People from whom they Separate he hath belyed them also grossely in saying they Build not upon Christ the true Foundation for it is the chief and Fundamental Doctrine which they Preach and Teach in all their Assemblies and Congregations according to the Word and Gospel of Christ And upon which we are sure many thousands have Built by the Guidance and Teaching and Operations of the spirit of the Lord and are by the same spirit joyned and Vnited in a firm and everlasting bond and Vnion to Christ whereby we have Light Life Vertue Strength Wisdom and all Grace from this Root and Fountain our precious Lord Jesus Christ This Author proceeds further 2. Strong Man Armed p. 13. and tells us That the Faith of the People called Quakers is the Faith of the Son of God Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of it it renews the whole Man 2. The Quakers Faith By this Faith sin is subdued slain and Mortified perfectly the heart purified the World conquered the Soul Sanctified Justified and Saved perfectly But the Faith of all others is an Vnholy Dead Imperfect Faith it Sanctifies but in part as they say and so will never save to the uttermost Thus far he Answ Here is another double gross untruth both as to themselves and others If their Faith be the true Justifying Saving Faith of God's Elect then it would Evidence it self by the Fruits and Effects of Faith which the Scriptures speak of and all the Saints
than the first This is for thee James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out Thou sayest in this thy Book that the strong Man Armed meaning the Devil is cast out of thee and Christ a stronger than he is come in and dwells in his stead this by the way plainly contradicts this Principle and great Doctrine of thy Friends the Quakers That Christ is in every Man and woman Thou confessest the Devil was in thee whilst thou Lived'st so wickedly as thou hast told us but now if Christ a stronger than he be come and entred into thee how was he there before according to this Scripture which says when a stronger than he cometh which plainly implies he was not there before but the Devil was there before and kept the House But now consider this well suppose it be so indeed That the Devil this strong Man Armed was cast out or in policy went out for a time intending to come into his House again and Fortifie himself in thee his House in a stronger hold and with greater strength bringing in seven other Spirits worse than himself more Subtile and Politick Fortifying themselves in a way of Hypocrisie and Religion the other hold of Profaneness not being so sure as this for now thou art perswaded as thou tellest us all is well with thee thou art a New Man a Converted Man as we see and Read thy long story to that purpose I Advise thee as thou lovest thy Soul and Regardest thy Eternal Welfare take heed lest this Scripture be not fulfilled in thee and upon thee for thou lookest as like one of those spoken of and intended in this Scripture as can be beware lest thy last state be not worse than thy first 8. Another Argument proving that Christ is not in all Men and women is this Christ is not in any Man or Woman who have not Faith Prop. 8. But the Wicked and ungodly have no Faith Therefore Christ is not in the wicked and ungodly The Apostle Prays to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked Men for all Men have not Faith 2 Thes 3.2 Now Christ is and dwells in those in whom he works Faith for he is the Author and Finisher of Faith in all his People and he dwells in them by Faith Eph. 3.17 He Prays That they may be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner Man That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith 9. Another Argument Denying the Quakers Assertion and Proving the Truth is this Christ is not in any Man or Woman Prop. 9. but in those to whom he doth communicate his Nature and Image But Christ doth not Communicate his Nature and Image to Impenitent and ungodly Men and Women Therefore Christ is not in ungodly Men and Women It is impossible that Christ should dwell in any Soul and not Manifest his Presence there by making Impressions of his own Nature Image and Likeness And therefore where he comes he doth Communicate his Image more or less 1 Cor. 15.48 As is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly v. 49. And as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly And 2 Pet. 1.4 There are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises That by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature 10. Another Proposition confirming the same is this Christ is in none but in those onely who are joyned to him as Members of his Body Prop. 10. But wicked Men and Women are not joyned to him as Members of his Body Therefore Christ is not in wicked Men and women This Truth may be Illustrated and shadowed out unto us by a plain Similitude between Natural and Mystical Fruit-trees Similitudes of things with which we daily Converse obvious to our Natural Senses are very helpful unto us to shadow out and Illustrate Spiritural things which are Dark Abstruce and Difficult as they lye in intricate Spiritual Notions which without some plain Similitude would be discerned but dimly as in this particular As VVindows are to a House so are Similitudes to a Discourse They both let in Light VVe know the Root Body Boughs Branches and Twiggs of a Fruit-tree are all joyned together and do make but one Body or Substance And that the Root gives no Sap Life or Nourishment but onely to those parts of the Tree that are Vnited to it all those Boughs and Branches are Nourished from the Root they Receive Sap Spirit and Life the Innate Intrinsecal Form and Virtue of the Tree is in all the parts But the Virtue and Influence of the Root is not in any other Branches or Boughs which do not grow upon the Root though they are never so near this Tree though they are contiguous and mixed among or hang among the Living Branches yet they have no Life in them no Sap no Virtue from the Root because they are no parts of it Even so it is here in this Mystical Fruit-tree Christ and his Members his People who are Members of his Body they Receive Life Nourishment and Virtue from him he is in them by his Effectual Operations But as for others who are not of his Body who are not joyned to him by Faith wrought by the Spirit he is not in them they receive no Virtue Life or Nourishment from him he doth not Communicate himself to them as he does to his own People his Members for he is in them and they in him 1 Cor. 12.27 Ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church And Col. 2.19 From the Head all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God This is plain from Christ's own words John 15.1 2 c. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit be tâ—keth away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he pâ—rgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. Ver. 4. Abide in me and I in you Ver. 5. I am the Vâ—ne ye are the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Thus have I drawn these Ten Pieces of Ordnance out of Gods own Magazine and levelled them against this Idol this false Christ the Light in every Man and Woman and it is sallen and broken and Christ the true Light set up and Worshipped in its stead by all that Worship God in Spirit and in Truth How dreadful is the Case of these People the Deceived ones among the Quakers who set up an Idol instead of Christ and Worship it and Teach others so to do thereby forsaking the Fountain of Living waters and digging to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water Well might the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Jude also call them Wells without water and Clouds without water 2 Pet. 2.17 Jude 12.
now become a New Man he is turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God he is turned from all his former Profane Wicked Debauched course of Life as he tells us and also from being a Parish Priest and not onely so but he is also turned from being a Teacher among the Independents and since come to joyn with the Quakers And now he tells us he is where he would and should be and concludes he is turned to the Lord And counts it a Marvellous thing that any should Deny the Light in every man to be Christ Strong Man Armed p. 14. but say it is the Devil or at best but the Light of Nature But saith he it was never known that the Devil or Nature did ever turn any to the Lord. Answ For Answer hereunto I say it is true it was never known that the Devil or the Light of Nature did ever turn any to the Lord. And here now is another Tryal of thy state and all others that are of thy Principles and Practices Ye take it for granted that ye are turned to the Lord by Hearkning to Obeying and Believing in the Light within for thy part James Jackson thou hast given no Proof nor Evidence at all according to Scripture or the Experience of the People of God that thou art yet Converted to the Lord whereby any Man that is Taught of God should be perswaded that thou art truly Converted to the Lord That which thou dost Manifest to all and which thou thinkest is a ground sufficient to perswade them to believe that thou art a New Man and which it seems is enough to satisfie thy self is this because thou art turned from Profaneness to a more Civil Life and hast also left several sorts of Professors and now closed with the most Holy Innocent People upon Earth yea the onely People of God for so thou hast said of them But let us further Try these two things by a true Touch-stone and Weigh them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary The one The Light within of what sort it is The other the Effects of this Light what it produceth in men And for that Causes are often Difficult to be known and discerned immediately in and by themselves it is best to Try them by their Effects that which they produce and bring forth by which we may come to know of what Nature the Cause is So then This Light within thou sayest The Light within Converts none to the Lord. and wouldest have all Men to Believe hath Converted Thee and many Thousands to the Lord of the People called Quakers but we are wholly left without any Proof Sign or Evidence that you are Converted to the Lord Nay on the contrary we see many Proofs and Evidences that thou and they are not yet Converted to the Lord as have been already and more yet shall be Discovered whereby it will be made plain and manifest that thou and they that are of thy mind are utterly mistaken and deceived concerning both the Cause and the Effect That is ye are mistaken utterly concerning the Light within and the Fruits and Effects of it in and amongst you As for Thee James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out it is plain and manifest to a Spiritual Eye That thou art yet in the Gall of bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity for certainly The Tree is known by its Fruits a good Tree cannot bring forth bad Fruits By the Fruits of Trees we know of what Kind or Nature the Tree is that brings them forth dost thou doubt of this thou need'st not if thou dost but remember who it was that said it and all Agree and know it is a Truth So then Thy Fruits Discover thee to be a very Corrupt Tree bringing forth sower bitter poysonous deadly Fruits Thy Grapes are Grapes of Gall thy Clusters are bitter And the like are the Fruits of the Leading Quakers amongst you Thou and they bring forth False Doctrines Errors Heresies and Blasphemies against God his People and his Truths ye give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lies in Hypocrisie which I shall plainly Discover in several particulars First Thou sayest of many thousands of the Lords peculiar People Strong Man Armed p. 12. That they Build not upon the true Foundation Jesus Christ but that the Teachers of all other Sects and sorts of Professors amongst the Presbiterians Independents Baptists and others they ever Rejected Disallowed and set at nought this stone this true Foundation which is Christ in us the hope of Glory and Build upon some other false Foundation Now let me tell thee thou false Tongue set on fire of Hell hadst thou the true Light in thee indeed as thou sayest of thy self thou wouldst sooner have chosen to have had thy Tongue cut out than to have spoken this Lie in Hypocrisie Or to have had thy Hand cut off than to have wrote it For if it be better for a Man to have a Milstone hanged about his Neck and to be cast into the Sea than to Offend one of those Little ones that believe in Christ what thinkest thou will be the punishment of him that Offends many thousands of those Little ones Yea when the Offence is so high that he Reproacheth Slandreth and Blasphemeth them and their Lord and Saviour in them for he hath said He that Despiseth you Despiseth me Inasmuch as ye did it to one of these my Brethren ye did it unto me Thou Reproachest the true Light in many others by the Real Darkness within thy self And if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness O it is very great and gross Darkness Consider these words Natural Light is Spiritual Darkness and who spake them it plainly appears from these words spoken by Christ's own Mouth that the Light in Men all unregenerate Men is but Darkness It is Real Natural Light the Light of Reason Vnderstanding and Conscience which yet as to the apprehending of Spiritual things is but Darkness for the Natural Man though never so Wise and Rational cannot see nor Discern the things of God in a Spiritual manner and such a Light within thou hast and mistakest it for the true Light Jesus Christ as is manifest by the Effects as was said for Christ the true Light cannot Reproach his own People nor the work he hath wrought in them as thou dost therefore thy Light is Darkness Nay further have we not good grounds to Believe that the Darkness in thee and many others of your Leaders is more than that Common Natural Darkness that is upon the Minds of all unregenerate Men. There is cause to believe that it is a Judicial Darkness and Blindness as was upon the Minds of many of the unbelieving Jews who Rejected Christ and his Gospel after all his Teachings and Miracles among them Such a Darkness as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Make the Heart of this
This is thus proved to be a Lye There is no true Faith but it is known by its Fruits works or Effects it Purifies the Heart and works by Love Love to God Love to all his People to his word and Gospel to all that is of God and from God Now it is very Manifest by the Fruits that the Quakers bring forth in their Doctrines and Conversations that they have not the Faith of Gods Elect it is but presumption a shadow of Faith whereof the Devil is the Author their Instructer in other Doctrines also And it is likewise on the other side manifest that Multitudes of other Professing Christians whom they Despise have true saving Justifying Faith by the Fruits and Effects of it in their Hearts and in their Lives and Conversations Fourthly The Fourth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 13. This is another Lye in Hypocrisie They say the Knowledge that the Quakers have is a Spiritual and experimental Knowledge by Divine Revelation But the knowledge of the Priests and Pastors of all other Religions in the world is but Ignorance they know not Christ but call him Devil or at best the Light of Nature This is thus proved to be a Lye and that a double one Many of the Teaching Quakers are very Ignorant even of the very Principles of the Doctrines of Christ they were never Taught of God we perceive it plainly by their Discourse and writings O the wonderful Darkness and Blindness that is upon their Minds A thick vail of Ignorance as all Natural Unregenerate Men have but their Vail is double Natural and Judicial The Natural Man hath not the knowledge of Christ nor of the things of God he cannot know them in that state because they are Spiritually Discerned and known 1 Cor. 3. These People know not the true Light Jesus Christ they know not the difference between Natural Light and Spiritual light but give and ascribe that to the Creature which properly belongs onely to the Creator They know not the way of Justification by Christ but Blasphemously slight it as we find in their Books And Teach that Men are Justified by their own works directly contrary to the Scriptures whereby at once they deny Christ and the whole Gospel and the whole Design of God in the Covenant of Grace They know not how to Distinguish or Discern between the Suggestions and Inspirations of a Seducing Spirit and the workings of the Spirit of God in Mens Hearts neither do they know nor give to their Hearers any Directions how they may Try the Spirits whether they are of God or not but plainly bid them Hearken to the Light within give heed unto it and follow it and it will lead them to Salvation which gives wonderful Advantage to Satan the Seducing Spirit to work in their minds even what he will seeing they have no way to Discover him he being Transformed at such a time into an Angel of Light and in many things resembles the Spirit of God And those Ignorant Teachers know no way how to discern him having slighted and laid aside the Scriptures whereby one Spirit is known from another being destitute also of the Spirit of God So that upon this very Account both they and their Ignorant simple Hearers are under strong delusions giving heed unto Seducing Spirits and thence it is that their Teachings Books and Pamphlets are so false and so directly contrary to the Truth of the Scriptures And yet we see they boast of their Knowledge and esteem themselves more Wise and Knowing than all others Fifthly The Fifth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 14. Another Lye in Hypocrisie is this The Quakers say their Humility does far exceed all others it is the emptying themselves of all their own Righteousness Wills Wisdom and self-exaltation and is a Real Inward Spiritual abasement and subjection to the Life Power and Kingdom of Jesus Christ But O how contrary to these words nothing but words are all their Doctrines and Declarings to the People and in all their Pamphlets if we compare one thing with another For they do but deceive their simple unwary Hearers with a flourish of some good words and expressions now and then that so they may the more readily Receive the deadly Poyson that is mixed therewith They sometimes Profess in words that they own Christ and the Scriptures but in deed and reality they deny both as is abundantly proved against them and made manifest unto all And in this very particular Lye in Hypocrisie this that I say appears plainly For whereas he here says they are the most humble People in that they empty themselves of all their own Righteousness Wisdom and Self-exaltation and have in them a real spiritual Abasement and Subjection to Christ whereas the quite contrary appears in the Substance of their Doctrines Witness Edw. Burrough's Works in Folio p. 33. where he says plainly God doth not Accept any where there is any failing or who do not fulfill the Law and Answer every Demand of Justice So William Penn Sandy Foundation p. 29 30. Obedience to Justification saith he ought to be as Personally extensive as was Mans Disobedience to Condemnation In which Real not Imputative sence those various terms of Sanctification Righteousness Resurrection Life Redemption Justification c. are most Infallibly understood for saith he further Impute or Imputing signifies no more in Scripture but to express Men Really and Personally to be that which is Imputed to them whether as guilty or remitted for saith he any to be Justified from the Imputation of anothers Righteousness is both Ridiculous and Dangerous whence came that usual saying amongst many Professors of Religion That God looks not upon them as they are in themselves but as they are in Christ We see now here plainly what Doctrines the Teaching Quakers bring forth and how much it savours of Humility and Self-abasement according to this great Lye in Hypocrisie afore-mentioned This their Doctrine shews they are swelled with Pride to the very highest pitch of Pride that Self-love and Satan to blow it up can raise them Here they Account themselves perfect and able to Answer every Demand of Justice and will not be beholding to Christ for the Imputation of his Righteousness this is the Humility of the Quakers But O Miserable Creatures are they and more Miserable are they yet like to be whose Humility is the height of Pride and whose Righteousness is nothing but the grossest sin and wickedness and who have not the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to them which is the Righteousness of God and perfect as well as Inherent Righteousness Created of God but yet imperfect This Doctrine of theirs is a gross Lye in Hypocrisie and the Grand Doctrine of Devils and therefore let it be accursed yea I say again let it be accursed for ever And as for the Teachers of it they shall be accursed also except they Repent The Grace of Humility hath the quite contrary Effects