from the Father and the Son And if the knowledge of this be such an essential part of Christianity and a ground of that knowledge of God which leadeth to salvation and so necessary for the right uptaking of the great work of Redemption and Salvation as it is and cannot rationally be denyed by any sober man who considereth what a sure basis this is unto the Christians hope peace and comfort how cometh it to pass that there is no express and distinct mention made of this fundamental point in all his Theses we have heard how the Quakers of N. England have denied this foundation And Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked part 1. sect 7. tels us that the Quakers against whom he wrote dâ—nied thâ—t there was any Scripture for the Trinity and said that the Holy Ghost was no Person It is known also how others of them inveigh against this fundamental Truth It is true I finde not this man either in his Theses or in his Apology directly writing against this truâ—h Yet as I finde no expressions hereanent in his whole book others than such as might come out of the mouth of an Antitrinitarian Socinian so I judge if his Theses had answered his great brags in the Preface they had expresly and distinctly not only mentioned but clearly have unfolded this truth 7. In the 3. place If by his Theses he would direct us into the Saving knowledge of God and make a plaine discovery to us from the very fountaine of all that knowledge that leadeth unto life eternal how cometh it to pass that we have no declaration made to us of the Eternal Purposes and Decrees of God whereby some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others foreordained unto everlasting death and whereby according to the most wise and holy counsel of his will he hath freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever cometh to pass Shall we think that the knowledge of this hath no interest in the saving knowledge of God or in that knowledge which leadeth unto life which yet undeniâ—bly yeeldeth such a noble ground of Faith Dependence Praise Reverence Humility Hope Consolation Admiration and holy Fear Nay this Man not only doth not asserte or explaine this but as we shall hear doth deny and impugne it with all his might 8. How cometh it 4 That in all his Theses or Apology there is not the least mention direct or indirect made of the Covenant of Redemption or of those mutual actings of the blessed Persons of the Trinity resembling a mutual Covenant and engagement concerning the everlasting Interest of man Shall any man think that this point of truth which is such a sure ground of all our hopes and consolation such a sure support of staggering souls and such an armour of proof against the assaults of Satan maketh no part of that knowledge which leadeth unto life or hath no place in true and saving knowledge 9. Further 5. Doth not the doctrine of the first Câ—venant of Works entered into with Adam as the representative of Mâ—n-kiâ—de upon condition of Personal Perfect and Perpetual obedience belong to that necessary knowledge which bringeth forward unto life or unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is begun felicity How is it then that his Theses are so silent herein or at most give us such a darke and jejune hint of this as is next to none as we shall see It is one of the Quakers tenets as Mr Stalham Sheweth in his forecited book Part 1. Sectâ—7 â—7 that Adam was not under a Covenant of Works that the Law which Adam had in innocency written in his heart was not the moral law that Adam did not stand by the observation of the positive branches given him in command according to that Law So said I. Nayler and R. F. as he sheweth us and that the same Iames Nayler in his Book called The discovery of the Man of sin Pag 23. went about to prove this by such pityful Arguments as these The Covenant of Works saith do this and live but he that is Adam had the life already while he stood in it and so it was not to be obtained by working as if do this and live could not hold forth the condition of continueing in life and againe That the law was added because of transgression which if it had been before the transgression could not have been as if the law must not of necessity be before sin which is the transgression thereof 1. Ioh. 3.4 and could not afterward beheld forth as a glass to discover the foule spots of transgressions and the same would R. F. in the 12. Pag. of his Book go about to prove 10 Moreover 6. If his Theses be such an unfolding of clear and naked truth how cometh it that he speaketh so obscurely and enigmatically of the fall of Adam Doth not the clear and distinct knowledge of this truth concerne such as would be acquaint with true and saving knowledge 11. But especially 7. We may wonder how it cometh to pass that in his Theses which he would give out as a summe of saving knowledge nor in his great Apologie we have no description explication or delineation yea or mention of the Covenant of Grace wherein Life and Salvation Pardon and Acceptance Grace and Glory is promised and offered through faith in Jesus Christ or acceptance of Him as He is offered in the Gospel Shall we think that the knowledge of this is no part of that pure and naked Truth which is necessary to be known Or that it can contribute nothing unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is the sure way unto eternal life How shall he be able to perswade us hereof 12. Againe 8. Shall we think that the doctrine of the Redemption purchased by Christ of the Atonement made by him unto Justice for the sinnes of his people and of their Reconciliation unto and Acceptance with God upon the account thereof of the Sufferings of Christ in Body and Soul in his state of Humiliation of his Death Resurrection and Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand of his Obedience and of the Sacrifice of himself which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up unto God to satisfie Justice and purchase not only Reconciliation but also an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all such as were given to him of the Father shall we think I say that the knowledge of this is not necessary unto Salvation nor necessary to such as would have such a knowledge of God as is eternal life If he dar not be so impudent as to say so why is there such a shameful silence hereof in his Theses and Book as there is Had he no will to displease his friends the Socinians 13. Further 9. Shall it be thought that the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God the Second Person in the Trinity hath no great interest in that pure and naked truth the knowledge whereof leadeth
the Law of God as their Supream Law and Rule for notwithstanding that these here had received the word spoken by Paul yet they went to their Supream Rule to have full Confirmation and Perswasion and upon this account are highly commended and hereby became beleevers vers 12. What he speaketh Pag. 50 of Heathens and particularly of the Athenians who received not the Scriptures and therefore were not dealt with by the Apostle upon that ground is Impertinent for he granted that the Law was a Principal Rule to the Jewes yet he knoweth that all other Nations did not submit unto it and he cannot say that the Chiefe and Only Rule was more different than nor now But he supposeth that when we speak of the Scriptures as our Rule we do wholly exclude the Law of Nature and the Revelation of God's minde written on the works of Creation and Providence and imprinted into the heart and minde of man as if the Scriptures did not comprehend the other and give a more clear and distinct Explication thereof Doth not the Scripture tell us that Gods works reveal â—omething of Him Psal. 19 2 3 4 5. and 147 10. c Iob 37. and 38. and 39. Act. 14 15 16 1â— Rom. 1 18 19 20. and 2 14 15 And hence also we see that the very Law and Light of Nature hath the Authority of God with it as being a Revelation of his will though dimme and but in part so that such as had no other are judged and condemned as trangressours thereof But this is without any prejudice to that Word which God hath magnified above all his name or what declareth Him Psal. 138 2. and wherein what was but darkly held forth in nature is more clearly and distinctly expressed beside the many other Revelations concerning the Institute worshipe of God and the way of Reconciliation and many other things concerning God and his Relations to us and our Duty to him which Nature could never have discovered and which are fully and clearly held forth in the written Word What argueing is this Because the Gentiles have not the Scriptures which are the Full Clear and Comprehensive Revelation of the minde of God therefore they are not our Supream Only Rule It is observable how this Man in the end of this § 8. will no more have the Scripâ—ures to be our Rule then the heathen Poets a sentence out of whom Paul adduced to convince the Athenians and so contradicteth all that he hath said both as touching the Law and Word of God its being a Principal Rule to the Iewes and among the rest to the Bereans and a Subordinat Rule to us We should have work enough should we do no more but observe this Mans inconsistencies and self contradictions 29. We returne now to examine what he saith against the Perfection of the Scriptures whereby he would prove it to be no Canon to us § 3. c. Pag. 40. c. And here he must give us leave to improve the advantage we have of his Concessions for while he granteth the Scriptures to be Truth he must needs grant that what testimony they give of themselves must be true and if they assert their owne Fulness and Perfection as to the ends for which they were appointed as we shall now shew they do he is as much concerned as we to answere the Objections to the contrary and to vindicate the Scriptures to be Perfect according to the testimony they give of themselves But it is obserâ—able how these Quakers joyne with Papists to decry the Scriptures and their Perfâ—ction and with the Iewes also who in their corrupted stated cryed up an Oral Law as they called it above the written Word It is true their Faces seeme to look to distinct airths but with Samsons foxes their tails are tyed together to consume the Scriptures of truth Our Quakers cry up their Inward Revelations or the Spirit within them as above the Scriptures So do the Papists cry up the Spirit in their Church See Mich. le jay praef ad opus biblic and Morinus â—ut let us see by what Arguments the Scriptures prove themselves to be a Perfect Canon and Rule That place of Paul 2 Tim 3 16 17 is enough to confront all that this Man can say against their Perfection For what is able to make wise unto salvation to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished for all good works is and cannot but be a Compleet and Perfect Rule But Paul positively and expresly asserteth this of the Scriptures nay moreover he cleareth and confirmeth it by enumeratinâ— all the necessary and useful Effects of the Scripture which he reduceth to foure heads to doctrine and Reproof in reference to matters of Faith the one concerneth the declaration and confirmation of Truth the other the rejection and confutation of Errour and then to Correction and Instruction in reference to Manners the one concerneth Evil actions for which men are to be reproved and corrected the other concerneth Good actions wherein we are to be instructed Against this place tâ—is man hath not a face to speak only in the end of Pag. 46. he hinteth that by the Man of God here is meaned the Spiritual Man and not a Carnal Man Which is nothing to the matter for though none but a Spiritual Man can improve the Scriptures aright yet they remaine in themselves a Compleet and Perfect Rule yea this confirmeth their Perfection and Necessity that even the Spiritual Man and he that is most advanced is made perfect by them standeth in need of them as his Rule And sure in this mans judgment they must be more a Rule to Quakers then to any others for these only are men of God with him The same may be cleared from Ioh. 5 39. of which before and Ioh. 20 31. But these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ and that beleeving ye might have life through his name So that the Sufficiency of what is writen concerning Christs Doctrine and Actions unto salvation clearly confirmeth the Perfection of the Scriptures nothing needeth be added to that Rule which is a Sufficient Ground for our faith that we may come to life But the Scriptures are a Sufficient Ground for our faith that we thereby may be saved For this end also compare these following passages Luk. 1 3 4. and 16 29. Act. 1.1 Rom. 10 17. Ephes 2 19 20. 30. Nay not only so but the Scriptures do in express tearmes Assert their owne Perfection Psal. 19 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul must noâ— this man be effronted that with Papists dar openly say the Law of the Lord is not perfect and as if it were not enough to contradict Scripture will goe about to prove that the Scriptures of truth do not speak truth Adde to this these passages wherein men are expresly prohibited to adde to this law such as Deut. 4 2. and 12 32. Prov. 30 5
he expresseth not in his Thesis and giveth but a short hinte thereof in his Apology of which afterward That Man at first was living and in a good state he insinuateth when he saith that he is now fallen and degenerate but wherein that good and happy condition consisted he explaineth not iâ— may be he forbeareth to do this lest thereby he should discover some secrets of their mystical Theology which either is not fit as yet to be made known or we are not in case to understand improve aright Some may possibly think that he forbeareth to give an Explication of this or to adde his Testimoâ—y to the orthodoxe Truth in this point because the Natural Light that is in every man cannot discover or comprehend it Natures Light I grant will never discover without the Revelation of the word the Time when the Manner how nor the Cause and Occasion upon which this inundation took its original I finde that Mr Hicks in his 3 Dial. Pag. 40 41. getteth no satisfaction as to this from Will. Pen speaking thus in his book Pag 29. Herein theâ— contradicts thy self abusest the Philosophers and blasphemest the light Thou grants the heathens knew there was sin If so how could they be ignorant of sins coming into the world This I say is no way satisfying for though Philosophers did see and could not but see that sin and misery had overflowed all yet by all their Common Light they couâ—d not understand how sin entered into the world and death by sin how Adam as a publick person was under a covenant obligation for himself and posterity and how he did violate that Covenant by transgressing the commandement and thus brought-in sin and misery And that which Will. Pen addeth Ibid. saying If thou meanest a clear and distinct account that Adam and Eva were beguiled by the serpent who tempted them 't is no wayes to the purpose not only helpeth not the matter but discovereth also some further latent designe for who seeth not how necessary the knowledge hereof is unto the right understanding of the fall and of the true cause thereof If this were not so as Mr Hicks well saith why did the sacred Penmen give such a full and distinct account hereof in the Scriptures But it may be they have a Parabolical sense and meaning to put upon that whole matter as it is historically related and upon all the passages of Scripture relating thereunto It is also observable that Will. Pen in the forecited page insinuateth that the knowledge of this is not necessary unto salvation for he saith That which is sufficient to that faith which concerns salvation is to know that God is and that he hath given Mâ—n the knowledge of himself and his will concerning him by some inward law Mr Stâ—lham also showeth in his book against the Quakers Pag. 96 9â— 100. that I Nailer and R. Farnworth deny That Adam was under a Covenant of works and that he stood by the moral law written in his heart and by the observation of the positive branches given him in command acoâ—rding to that law as we mentioned above And if the matter stand thus how can they give us a distinct account of the manner and cause of the fall and degeneration 3. He sayeth that this Death and Degeneration is befallen all the race of mankinde quoad primum Adam seu hominem terrestrem that is or I know not what it is concerning or in respect of the first Adam or earthly man By which words it is manifest that he pointeth out and declareth in what respect it is true that all mankinde is become dead and degenerate to wit in respect of the first Adam or the Earthly man and hereby he seemeth to point out the extent of this fall death and degeneration or rather a restriction and limitation of its extent as if he had said It reacheth all Mankinde only as to the Earthly man or the first Adam But what he meaneth by this first Adam and terrestial man I cannot well tell His manner of expression will not give us ground to think that he meaneth our forefather Adam because of whose transgression this death came upon all his posterity but rather that he meaneth something in every man going with them under this name and this thing what ever it be is the only Subject of this Death and Degeneration and so in opposition to this there must be some thing in man which with them will go under the name of the Secâ—nd Adam and of the heavenly man and this whatever it be is not obnoxious to this death nor is it degenerated and lapsed This to me must be the native import of his words But how we shall come to a right uptaking of his true meaning I wish he had showne us If we consider what other Quakers have said it may be that thereby we shall be able to make some proâ—able conjecture concerning his meaning Mr Hicks Dial. 1. Pag. 16. tels us that Georg Fox a man eminent among the Quakers and accounted by them infallible in his book called the great mystery Pag 6 8 and 100. affirmeth the soul to be part of God and of Gods being And that it is without beginning Pag. 91. and also infinite Pag. 29. And when Will. Pen accuseth Mr Hicks of false dealing in this Mr Hicks Dial. 3. vindicateth himself by citeing Pag. 20. c. George Fox's owne words thus Geâ—rg Fox in his Great mystery Pag. 90. speaks thus is not the soul without beginning coming from God returning unto God againe who hath it in his hand and Christ the power of God the Bishop of the soul which brings it up into God which came out from him hath this a beginning or ending And is not this infinite in it self Againe says he Georg Fox tels us Pag. 2 that Magnus Byne saith the soul is not infinite in it self but it is a creature and R. Baxter saith it is a spiritual substance Whereunto Georg Fox replyeth Consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a Spiritual substance is not infinite in it self but a creature That which came out of the Creator and is in the hand of the Creator which brings it up to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self The same Mr Hicks saith further The Quakers are accused for saying there is no Scripture that speaketh of an humane soul and for affirming that the soul is taken up into God Hereunto Georg Fox thus answereth Pag 100. God breathed into the man the breath of life and he â—ecame a living soul and is not this which cometh out from God which is in Gods hand part of God from God and to God againe Which soul Christ the power of God is the Bishop of Is not this of his being Yea Will. Pâ—n in vindication of Georg Fox Pag. 66. as Mr Hicks sheweth Dial. 3. Pag. 22. saith That all that can be concluded from Georg Fox's words
proof Doth he take us all for credulous Quakers 22. But what can be this mans designe in all this It is indeed a most desperat designe for it is no lesse upon the matter than to Overturne the whole Gospel of the grace of God why so You will say Because as we will see more fully afterward his maine designe in this is to Evince that all the good that is found or heard of to have been or yet to be among Heathens Turks or Barbarians who never heard of the Gospel or of Christ revealed therein was as much of the Grace of God in Christ and the fruit of Christ's merite and intercession and the Blessing of the New Coveâ—ant of Grace as the Holiness of such as are united by faith unto Christ. and crucified with Him and have Him living and working in them by his Spirit So that if we come the length of some Heathens who have walked more closely to the Principles of Nature than others and have bin more Moral as to some things in their outward carriage than the common rabble of Men we have attained the Gospel Holiness and Sanctification at least as to kinde which these men intend and to that measure thereof which will ensure our Salvation Now what a desperat designe this is to bring us no further length than to polished Heathenisme let every Christian judge and see if the title of my book be not true that Quakerisme is the path way to Paganisme But the sequel will more confirme this 23. For further manifesting of this wickedness let us consider what he sayeth further Pag. 56. toward the end He bringeth-in this Objection That the Apostle sayeth Rom. 2 14. that the Gentiles who had not the Law did by nature the things contained in the Law the meaning of which words as we adduce them is not to prove as he falsely here insinuateth and expresseth that such by nature can do that which is good and acceptable in the sight of God but to prove as shall be made manifest afterward That there are some Notions of God and of Moral honesty as relicques of that noble image of God with which man was endued at the beginning left in corrupt man whereby he through the dim light of nature may see something of the Law of nature pointing out his duty to God to man and to himself and may do upon the matter something of that which the Law of nature requireth and yet when he hath improven Nature to its yondmost shall never do that which is well pleasing in the sight of God who since the fall only accepteth of that which is done in the strength and grace of Jesus Christ and by one reconciled unto Him in and through Christ. Let us now see what he Answereth This nature sayeth he neither may nor can be understood of mans proper nature which is corrupt and fallen but of spiritual nature which proceeds from the seed of God as he hath received a new visitation of divine love and is thereby quickened For answere I would know whether he understandeth this Spiritual Nature of that which is common to all the Gentiles or of that which was peculiar to some If he understand that which is common to all then according to his divinity every heathen let be every Christian hath this Spiritual Nature and Seed of God in him and what good they do in Natural or Moral actions proceeth from this seed of God and spiritual nature And consequently the thoughts of their heart concerning the being of God which is good because true and according to the Law writen in every mans heart must flow from this Principle and from no other and so the devils who beleeve that there is a God Iam. 2 19. must be partaker of this Spiritual Nature and Seed of God Observe Reader whither this Mans Religion will bring us and what the Grace of God and that Spiritual Nature is which this man would lead us unto Even that which is common to devils If he meane that which is peculiar to some I would enquire who these some are Doth he meane the Gentiles who were converted by the Gospel and become Christians These we grant have a spiritual Nature but sure the Apostle is not speaking of such as the whole scope of his discourse cleareth If he understand this of the Heathens who did better improve the light of nature than others we know no spiritual Nature that such have for all their advancement in Nature because they are yet out of Christ whose members only are made partakers of this new spiritual Nature according to that Gospel which we hope to be saved by And his contrary opinion confirmeth us of their anti-evangelick Principles and paganish designe 24. He addeth a reason from vers 15. where the Apostle saith that they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts and this says he the Scripture witneseth to be a great part of the dispensation of the New Covenant Wherein the Man who would faine make us beleeve he had no fellowshipe with the Socinians joineth with Smalcius the Socinian writing against Frantzius disp S Pag. 419. who upon this same ground alledgeth that Paul speaketh here of Gentiles who were under the New Covenant and not of such who lived before Christ came while as it is manifest from vers 10. that Paul is speaking of the Gentiles in the general in opposition to the Jewes who made their boast of the Law and is hereby shewing that they will be without excuse in the day of judgment of which he speaketh vers 16. howbeit they wanted that Law which the Jewes had because they had the Law of nature which they transgressed ingraven in their mindes and consciences as he further cleareth by their consciences bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or excusing c. 2. Where read we that any do by nature the things declared in the New Covenant 3. How can such as are under the New Covenant be said to be without a Law as these here 4. Is not the New Covenant alwayes opposed to the Law See Gal. 2 16. Rom. 3 27 28. and several other places 5. How can such as are under and within the New Covenant be said to sin and to perish without Law as here vers 12â— 6. How can such as are under the New Covenant be a Law unto themselves as here 7. Where in all the Scripture is the matter of the New Covenant called the work of the Law He would do well if he thought good to consult Calvin Pareus and other Commentators on the place 8. This Man told us above homologating with the Socinians that the New Covenant had no place under the Law and yet even then we hear of the Law in hearts Psal. 40 9 37 31. Esa. 51 7. 9. Had not Adam even after the fall the Law in some measure fixed and written in his hâ—aâ—t when his conscience accused him of his transgression and he did run to hide
Concupiscence was sin Rom 7 7. And when they did the things contained in the Law they did them not perfectly nor doth the Apostle say this but the contrary for he addeth that their consciences did accuse them 2. Though we should suppose that they both could and did fulfil the Law against all Reason Scripture and Experience yet we who do not with this man deny Original sin might assert a necessity of Christ's coming for all their future obedience make it never so perfect being but their duty could make no satisfaction to divine justice for Adams sin whereof they were guilty 3. Hence he may see that we need not say that any can or could be saved without Christ. 4. Nor need we say that such should have been damned for being ignorant of Christ to come but for their transgression But absurdities deduced from an impossible supposition are but absurd probations fit only for Quakers 27. What he saith § 3. to the vindicating of 1 Cor 2 14. from the exception of such as would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaned of a Brutish man an animal not of a Natural man doth not concerne us but therein unawars he contradicteth himself for if man now in his fallen condition can know nothing of God of his Being Nature or Government of the world nor nothing of the Principles of common Honesty Morality nor nothing of the things of the Law as he went about to prove as we heard then let him tell me wherein a man in his Natural state differeth from a Brute And how he can then make use of this answere Againe when he sayeth that the Apostle doth demonstrate through that whole chapter he should have added the first Chapter too how the wisdom of Man is an uncapable judge of the things of God Let him tell me if he thinketh that the wise men such as the Grecians of old were as he granteth here could not judge of any of these particulars held forth in the Law of God If not wherein appeared their Wisdome Or wherein were they to be called Wise If they could judge in some matters of the Law which was written in their heart then let him reconcile this if he can with what he said above But as we have frequently alreaâ—y observed this Man regairdeth so little what he sayeth that may he but have occasion to contradict Truth he cares not how often he contradict himself as is usual with such who are carryed away with a prejudice against Truth and know not well as yet were to settle 28 Thus have we examined what this Quaker saith upon this Head and because he alleiged we spoke without Reaâ—on when we said that there were some reliques of the image of God left in the natural man whereby he may know some things concerning God's Being and Nature and Government of the world his duty towards God his Neghbour and Himself we shall shortly manifest the truth of this to the end that it may the better appeare that this Quakers Theology which he pleadeth for and driveth at is but Paganical borne with every corrupt son of Adam and far different from that which is Saving and is manifest by the Gospel which hath brought life and immortality to light The Socinians deny that there is any inuate knowledge of God in man or that by nature he knoweth any thing of God so Socinus himself praelect cap 11 So Ostorodus Institut P. 1. 10. Smalcius contra Frantzium disp 8. though others as Crellius and Schlichtingius be of another judgment our Divines on the contrare Maintaine that there is some Imperfect and as to Salvation Insufficient though sufficient for Instruction as to several duties and to render the transgressours Unexcusable knowledge of God implanted in corrupt nature so that man even in his natural condition coming to the use and exercise of Reason by a natural instinct sense and force cometh to know that there is a God that is Optimus Maximus Powerfull Good Wise c. Governeth all the world that we ought to Worshipe Serve him that we ought to do Right to all that Punishment abideth evil doers and several things of this nature and what our Divines say they confirme by Scripture and Reason passages of Scripture are these Rom. 1 19. because that which may be knâ—wn of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not manifested unto some few of them as to their chiefe Philosophers but in all who were ungodly and unrighteous and held the truth in unrighteouâ—ness vers 18. So vers 21. it is said that they knew God even they who did not glorify him as God neither were thankful but became vaine in their imaginations c. So vers 23. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God And therefore had some notions of this incorruptible and glorious majesty And vers 25. they changed the truth of God into a lie So vers 32. They knew the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death And so could noâ— be ignorant of God of his Law of the Equity thereof of their Obligation to obedience and of God's Righteousnes in Iudging and Punishing transgressours So Rom 2 14 15. of which we spoke above The Gentiles who had not the written law did by nature the things contained in the Law and did shew the work of the law written in their hearts having their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts accusing or excusing according as they observed or transgressed the said law So that having this law implanted in their hearts they could not be ignorant of God whose law this is and in whose name it calleth for Obedience nor of their own Obligation to obedience and their Consciences did preach forth the same for it judgeth and accuseth as God's Deputy See likewise Act. 14 15 16 17. 17 24 25 26 27. As for Reasons evinceing this They adduce the Workings and Stirrings of the Conscience which natural men have and which they cannot get shaken off which manifestly evince to them That there is a Supream Judge God in whose name Conscience giveth sentence and vexeth and tormenteth evil doers night and day for as Menander said conscience is a God to all mortals And this took vengeance on that monster of men Caligula and so haunteth evil doers that they alwayes think they see their Punishment before their eyes hence some Great persons without the reach of Inferiours have been made to tremble and quake at thunder claps yea and put violent hands in themselves Philosophers Historians and Poets declare this at large yea common sense and experience confirmeth it so that every rational person cannot but assent to the truth of this so soon as he heareth it and knoweth what is said That God is It carryeth alongs with it such rayes of light that without any difficulty it is seen and understood and mans Minde and Judgment of
or therefore others did not understand them and savingly beleeve them who will receive any of these consequences But mary her self understood not somethings not yet the Apostles And what then did they not understand so much as was then revealed and necessary to salvation And did they not understand after Information Poor man he goeth far to fetch waâ—er to no purpose Will any thing here said bring the least reliefe unto his desperat cause and prove that Heathens now without the Church can be saved without the knowledge of Christ Quakers can dream waking I see 12. But Pag. 118. § 27. he saith that several of the Gentiles by this inward light were sensible of the dammage that came by Adam's fall Answ. And what then were they also sensibâ—e of the advantage that came by Iesus Christ and will all that are sensible of their dammage suffered by Adam's sin be saved This is a wide door to salvation indeed but the Scripture tels us no such thing His citeing of a â—aying of Plato and another of Pithagoras and a third of Plotinus and a fourth of we know not whom whether truely or not is uncertain not doth he name the places where they say so that some who might be so curious as to know the truth might try is to as good purpose as if he did thresh the water for whatever apprehensions these Heathens had of the misery of man and â—et a very small knowledge and reason considering what was obvious to all their eyes might soon have made them say all that he citeth of them here viz. that mens soul is fallen into a dark cave where it converseth with shadowes And that man wandereth in the earth as a stranger exiled from God and that mans soul is like an extinct coal and that the souls wings are clipt so as it cannot flee to God He tels us nothing of their apprehensions of a way of Redemption out of that misery and the knowledge of this we say is necessary unto Salvation Yes in the following words he tels us that they also knew Christ as a remedy to deliver them though not under that denomination Then sure they had not this knowledge by Revelation For divine Revelation would have given the knowledge of Christ under the right denomination but by natures light And if Natures Light will lead people to a crucified Christ we may burne the bible But how proveth he this He tels us that Seneca Epist. 41. speaks of an holy Spirit that is in us that teacheth us as we receive him What is in this true or false â— cannot judge at present not having that book by me only I must tell him that the Scriptures speak of no holy ghost in every man And that the Holy Ghost and Christ Immanuel God-man is not one and the same and that faith in Christ is required unto salvation And might noâ— Seneca meane hereby Reason which the Scriptures tell us is now corrupt and carnal and an enemy to the Gospel Sure that passage he citeth next of Cicero's out of Lactan. Too long here to translate and insert is speaking of nothing as the words cleare but of Reason and it is expresly called so recta ratio given to every man Is this the Quakers Gospel-Teacher Saviour Christ and Redeemer Why doth he else where seem to cry out against the Socinians When here he cryeth up so much with them and with heathens pure Reason Is this the Holy Ghost that acts leads and guides them and teacheth them all their divinity poor souls Are they so in love with paganisme that for its sake they will renunce all Christianity 13. There is a mighty argument following which must be noticed it is this The Heathens call this Reason or I know not what wisdom and this is the name that is given to Christ in the Scriptures Prov. 1 20. 8 9 34. Ergo what Therefore tâ—e Heathens knew Christ. Is not this a noble argument well becoming such as pretend to rare light and knowledg and to nothing lesse then Revelations and Inspirations It is no wonder that they say Christ is in them for they are possessours â—f wisdom and Christ is called wisdom Did he neâ—er read that the wisdom of this world is foolishness and that the world by wisdom knew not God And was this Christ because he is elsewhere called wisdome did he never read that God would destroy the wisdom of the wise and is the meaning of this that God would destroy Christ because Christ is somewhere called wisdom What notions of men destracted or rather judicially given up of God are these Hence saith he further such among the Gentiles as left that which was evil and turned to that which was good and justice were called Philosophers that is lovers of wisdom But what if he be mistaken in the ground or reason of this name given or assumed And whether he be mistaken or not what can he make of it Belike he would say They were lovers of Christ for Christ is called wisdom Is not this man a noble advocat for Heathens and worthy of his hire Are not these all very strong arguments to prove that Heathens knew Christ though not under that notion and therefore may be saved But Phocilides who knoweth where said saith he that that was best wisdom which was had by inspiration of God And could not blinde nature have told him so much Was this such an excellent piece of knowledge that it may truely be called saving And was this the knowledge of Christ under some other denomination Could not the devil say as much And may he therefore also be saved What were this mans thoughts busied about when he wrote these things was he dreaming Or in a rapture of Quakerisme or sunck into his introversion where he lost all humane Reason 13. Then Pag. 119. he saith he could produce many such But to what purpose To prove saith he that they knew Christ by his work working in them by which they were turned frâ—m unrighteousness to righteousness and made lovers of his power and whereby they felt themselves delivered from evil If this be the conclusion that he would proâ—e why hath he not brought one testimony to this end what he hath hithertill adduced agreeth as well with this conclusion as harp doth with harrow But the Apâ—stle he addeth saith they did shew the work of the law written in their hearts and therefore as all were doers of the law so without doubt they were justified We spoke to this before and this man is tedious in his repetitions for want of arguments only I note that I see now he concludeth that all the Heathens were saved for they were all â—ith him doers of the law and that because they had all the work of the law written in their hearts and so were all justified Happy Heathens if so and if so it were better to be Heathens than Christians for all Christians are not justified and saved though they have
peopleâ— of God from the wicked that do not call upon him Ier. 10 25. Psal. 10 4. 14 4. and the neglect thereof hath been charged by the Lord upon his owne people Esa. 43 22 Hos. 7 7. and acknowledged by them as their sin Esai 64 7. Dan. 9.13 4. Yet he granteth that prayer is Profitable and necessary a duty commanded of God frequently to be gone about by Christians What would he then be at But sayes he as without Christ we can do nothing so neither can we pray without the help of the Spirit And this is very true But will this say any thing against what we hold Or make any thing for his way Knoweth he no difference betwixt the ordinary and usual Assistance of the Spirit without which we can do nothing aright and that extraordinary Impulse of the Spirit which he would be at and supposeth to be the only lawful call unto this duty and really taketh away all conscience of duty or obligation to it Nay doth he think that that more ordinary assistance of the Spirit Prepareing Disposeing and Frameing the heart for the work by blowing away the ashes from the coal of grace within stirring up the graces of his Spirit enlarging the heart giving a deep sense of unworthiness and necessities setting faith love zeal and fervency a work and so putting the soul in case to sail faire before the winde doth he think I say that this work of the Spirit is the only ground and call to the performance of this duty and that till this be once there is no warrand to set about it or attempt it When we heare his proofs for this we shall consider them At present I shall only say That as there is nothing in all the word giving ground for this conjecture so the frequently reiterated command of God which himself acknowledgeth and which we finde not qualified and restricted as some commands are laying on an obligation taketh all coloure for such a pretence quite away the word of command being our rule the obligation to duty flowing therefrom is not enfringed by the Lords free not-blowings or restrainings of the Influences of his Spirit wherein he acteth according to the good pleasure of his will sometimes out of meer soveraignity because so it seemeth good in his eyes sometimes in way of holy Justice punishing for misimproving his former breathings for not watching over the heart nor guarding against such sinnes as grieve the Spirit These motions of the Spirit are no rule to us being the free and arbitrary actings of the Lord who giveth an account of his matters to none The Law is our fixed rule and by this opinion the Law and Command of God is made of none effect for to all injunctions this shifting returne might be given Let the command be never so peremptour and pressing Yet till the Spirit breath first and act upon me I can do nothing and therefore am under no obligation And thus all conscience of and mourning for sin all godly sorrow for our indisposition for neglect of the duty and all serious and earnest prayer and wrestling with God for his breathing and gracious quickenings are taken away and a plaine path made for Neligence Security Indifferency and Deadness And if this hold as to prayer it will hold also as to all other Christian duties Yea and to all duties enjoyned by the law and light of nature for neither can we performe these acceptably and in a gracious manner without the special Breathings and Communications of divine Influence and Assistance and so until such quickning upstirring breathings gales of the Spirit come we are not to love God nor our neighbour to eate drink and sleep nor may the labouring man plow or sowe nay nor must we abstaine from murther adultery incest and other wickednesses that the very light of a natural conscience condemneth as if all those commands were not given to us as rational creatures under subjection or as Christians under the law and command of the Gospel but only as creatures and Christians so and so spiritually qualified and disposed and as if the Lord 's gracious communications which are acts of soveraigne grace let out freely according to his owne will and pleasure without the least of our deservings were to restrick and limite the obligation of his lawes and as if his free restrainings and withdrawings of these qualifying and disposeing influences did put a check unto and controle his Authority as King Lawgiver Whatever this man may think of this I can put no other construction upon it than that it is a turning of the grace of God unto lasciviousness This same was the opinion of Swenckfeldus H. Nicholas the Father of the Family of love Iohn Waldesse the Antinomians of N. England of Del Saltmarsh 5. He tels us next in order to the clearing of the question Pag. 253. That there is an inward and an outward Prayer Answ. We know there is a speaking to God in the heart when the voice is not heard 1 Sam 1 13. Neh. 2 4. there are ejaculatory Prayers swift postes sent to heaven in thoughts sighes and groanes Rom. 8 26. Psal. 6 6. 12 5. 79 11. And there is a speaking to God with words a glorifying of him with our glory and tongue Psal. 57 8. 108 1. which we are here mainly to consider being speaking of solemne worshipe but this though outwardly as to the expressions differenced from the other yet not rightly separated for in all Prayer the heart must speak to God for Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God Psal 62 8. and in publick and solemne Prayer the heart must so speak as the tongue must speak also and the gift of Prayer be imployed for the solemne and professed glorifying of God and for the edifying of others who must hear and concurre 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16 17. Let us hear how he explaineth these Inward Prayer sayes he is that secret introversion of soul which being secretly done and the Light of Christ being wakened in the conscience and so being humbled in the sense of sin and unworthiness breaths to God and sendeth up constantly secret desires unto Him and to this he applyeth Luk. 18 v. 1. 1 Thes. 5 v. 17. Ephes. 6 18. Luk. 21 v. 36. Answ. That there are secrete groanings and breathings unto God I have showne That to these sense of sin and unworthiness as also sense of want and dependence on God is requisite with Faith Love Zeal Submission and other graces I teadily grant and hence inferre that if the places by him cited command this as I think they do and also a constant habitual frame and disposition for Prayer with a readiness to go about it on all occasions offered without disputing or delay and that with constancy and perseverance we cannot shift this inward Prayer upon pretence of the want either of a gracious frame through the breathing of the
Lapide are remarkable God is said saith he to have taught the Scriptures because 1. He stood so by the writters that they did not erre from the truth in a point 2. He did excite them and suggest to them so as they should write these things rather than those c. He did so inspire them that they set down this conception rather than that c. 3. He so ordered all the conceptions and sentences and led them so as that this sentence was first that next and the other in the third place and thus they were set downe orderly one after another and this is properly to write and make a book and therefore is the Spirit of God properly the Author of the Scriptures Hence is it that the word of God in the Old Test. is tearmed in the New the Scripture or Scriptures pointing out the word as written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we see that as in the frameing of the truths contained in the Scriptures of Prophecy or as to the matter and thing revealed and written the holy men of God had the real Inspirations of God and spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost or as the Holy Ghost spoke in them and by them they giving only a concurrence of their Rational faculties so in the very commiting of the minde of God unto writing they acted as moved by the Holy Ghost and not by any acquired Skill or Knowledg in the art of Grammer or Rhetorik being herein as a Pen in the hand of a writer and therefore ought not to be called the Secondary or proxime Authors of the Scriptures as some Papists imagine though the Lord used One to express his minde in one way and Another in another way as he thought meet and each in a way suteable to his natural Enduements as he used Esaias to express his minde in an High Loftie and Court-like stile and Amos being an herd man to express his minde in a more Mean and Low stile suteable to herd men in all consulting the universal good of the Church in all ages Whence it is manifest that not only the Matter and Things revealed whether as Truths to be Beleeved or as Lawes to be Obeyed are immediatly of God but also the very Method Expressions and Words wherein these truths were uttered which even some Papists as Gregor de Valentia and Estius Swarez and others confess And so the Whole and every Part Sentence and Word is of divine Authority and of a divine Original Whereby every one may see how sure the ground and basis of our Faith and Obedience is how rationally we act in adhereing to these Scriptures of Truth rejecting whatever is not consonant thereunto and especially all particular pretended divine Revelations which are but the meer product of mens strong Phancies and Imaginations or of Satans Workings in mens mindes and phantasies And withall we hereby see the divine Original of this Word of Prophecie which we must take heed unto as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts 2 Pet. 1 19. and must study and meditate upon day night Psal. 1. and be well acquanted with They being the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesus being profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be Perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. As also the unreasonableness of those men who would directly or indirectly bring us off this Ground and have us following the light of that Ignis Fatuus of their Imaginary and Delusory Revelations which as they arise out of a mire so they lead the Man that followeth their guide into one and leave him there 4. Before we proceed because this Man alleâ—dged that it was a calumnie to say that either they denied or undervalued the Scriptures what Apology will he make for his brethren who owne the Scriptures only as a declaration of the Saints conditions witness G. Fox the younger in the collection of his books P. 59. cited by Mr Hicks dial 1. P. 19. account them no better than an old almanack witness Holbrow cited by Mr Hicks P. 29. and look upon it as inck and paper See Mr Hicks Pag. 41. and say that it is dangerous for ignorant people to read them witness Fox and Hubberthorn in Truths defence P. 101 Sâ—e Mr Hicks ibid. who also in his 2 Dial. Pag. 5. tels us that White head expresly saith in his D. P. Pag. 13. that it is idolatry to call the Bible a means and that faith grounded on the Scriptures is but an empty and implicite faith and bespeaks such persons void of the knowledge of God Christ Salvation and to be yet in their sin and that such men walk by thâ—ir own fancies and imaginations Christ Ascend Pag. 11. Do such expressions â—avoure of any high Esteem which they have of the Holy Scriptures if not let him see to it But moreover George Whitehead in his Apology P. 49. said that that which is spoken from the Spirit of truth in any viz. of them is of as great authority as the Scriptures yea and greater See for this Mr Hicks 1 dial P. 28. Will. Pen in his Rais. against Rail P. 40. cited by Mr Hicks 3. Dial. said That the Scriptures at most are but a kinde of declaratory and secondary Rule This man saith the same as we â—hall heare and further The Scripture is the Râ—le of historical faith but the light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of saving faith and againe Pag. 55. That which is more ancient more universal and more able to informe rule and guide that must eminently be the rule but that hath been and is the Light within Therefore that hath been and ought to be the Rule of faith and practice So P. 48. Because we deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith practice in honour to that divine light that gave them forth that we should therefore c. If this man think that we calumniat them upon this account he should tell us at least what high and honourable thoughts he and the rest have of them 5. But what if we finde him upon the matter saying little less than they though in more modâ—st expressions He saith I confess in his Thesis That the Scriptures of truth did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God and one would think this a faire acknowledgment But in his Apology Pag. 36 he tels us that they do not think that the Authority of the Scriptures doth depend on any Efficacy or Vertue placed in these Writings but ascribe it wholly unto that Spirit from whom they came What confusion and self contradiction is here To say that the Scriptures of Truth are the
Againe how could Christ and his Apostles confirme their doctrine by the Scriptures Press to a study and search of them Convince persons of errour by them and the like seing still this shift was as ready at hand for them to use as it is for the Quakers today I pray hâ—m to cleare me in these particulars if he can 13. But if the meaning of his Assertion be That we know only by the inward Testimoâ—y of the Spirit that the book of the Scriptures is indeed the word of God what will this helpe his cause Nothing at all for the Testimony of the Spirit is a true Testimony and if the Spirit testifie that that book is the Word of God that book must indeed be the Word of God and it must be the Word of God before that testimony be given to it for the Testimony doth not make it such but witnesseth it to be such and so before that Testimony of the Spirit come the will of God contained in that book must oblige us to Beleeve it and Obey it for what is the revealed will of God cannot but oblige such unto whom it is revealed But if it be said That even the will of God contained in the Scriptures cannot oblige us untill a new Revelation come to perswade us of the certainty that it is the will of God I answere Then 1. The Assertions of the God of truth and the Lawes and Commands of the Supream Lawgiver have no obleiging force upon us to Beleeve and Obey untill we be perswaded these Truths and Lawes are Divine and so the authority of the Lawes dependeth upon and is derived from the minde of the Subject and no more shall be law than he will 2. Then the Revelation of the minde of God doth not carry alongs with it its owne Evidence 3. Then the Second Revelation can as little carry alongs with it its own evidence as the First and we must have a Third to give us the perswasion of its certanety and the Third will stand in need of a Fourth and so in infinitum and hereby we shall never come to any certanty but still fluctuate notwithstanding of Revelations upon Revelations 14. He adduceth Apol. P. 36 37. Calv. Instit. Lib. 1. c. 7. s. 4 5. The French Confession of faith Art 4. The Belgick Confess Art 5. And the Confession framed at Westminster Cap. 1. S. 5. which last he cannot cite without a jibe at these worthy Divines thereby evidenceing what a Spirit acteth him But to the point I say 1. What is spoken here of the Spirit is in Opposition to the Testimony of Men or of the Church which the Romanists alleiged 2. They speak not of an Objective certanty as if before this perswasion wrought by the Spirit there was no ground to beleeve and receive these for the Scriptures of truth or as if indeed before this they had not been the Scriptures of truth but of a Subjective certanty and therefore they call it Perswasion and Assurance now this doth not create an Objective certainty but preâ—upposeth it and only helpeth the soul to see that Objective certainty and rest upon it with full Conviction and Assurance 3. They speak not of any Immediat Revelation or Inspiration but of an ordinary work of the Spirit efficiently effectuating this Perswasion and Assurance 4. They expresly tell us that this work of the Spirit is by and with the word and not an Inspiration distinct and seperated from it anâ— by the gracious effects of the word in and upon the hearts of People which evidently demonstrate the cause to be divine and that Word which hath such Powerful Noble and Divine Effects upon the soul to to be of a divine Original flowing from that Supream Verity or Veracity and from that Supream Authority and so to be purely divine 15. Though this be enough to discover the vanity of this mans Alleigance yet I shall for the Readers satisfaction a little further cleare the matter There are in the Scriptures such innate marks and evidences of divine Majesty Power and Authority whereby as Light and Heat prove and demonstrate themselves so the Scriptures evince themselves to be of God by their Light Life Power Majesty Divine which is also manifested by these particulars mentioned in our Confession of faith to wit The Heavenliness of the matter The Efficacy of the Doctrine The Majestie of the stile The Consent of all the parts The Scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God The full Discovery it maketh of the only Way of Mans salvation The many other Incomparable Excellencies and the Intire Perfection therof These are arguments which it carryeth alongs with it whereby it doth abundantly evince it self to be the word of God as the heavens declare themselves to be of God not by any voice or testimony but by the Characters of Infinite Power so legible upon them that all that run may read The Spirit in working up the soul unto a Conviction and Perswasion that the Scriptures are the word of God doth those things First He cleareth up the characters of divinity that are in the Scriptures formerly dark to the man through prejudice or other causes and so maketh the Object plaine and manifest Next He conveyeth light into the Minde whereby the man is enabled to discerne and perceive these Grounds and Evidences which are the characters of divinity as a man when clouds are removed and his eyes are opened to see the beames of light flowing from the body of the Sun is convinced and perswaded that the Sun is arisen in our horizon Now this work of the Spirit hath its various Measures and Degrees not to mention that which is truely saving whereby the man is not only Enabled to see the forementioned grounds to a conviction but through a gracious Work of the Spirit on the whole soul is made to close with these grounds with joy and delights and to accept of the Scriptures upon these Grounds with full perswasion of soul as having this truth that these Scriptures are the word of God deeply impressed oâ— his spirit and sealed by the Holy Ghost So that he embraceth them as the very word of God and closeth with them with all Reverence and cheerfull Submission of soul receiving with faith the Truths there delivered and submitting to the Commands thereof heartily and cheerfully through grace Not to mention this I say which as it respecteth the matter contained in the word and the sutable improvement thereof is not of our present concernment this work of the Spirit admits of degrees whether we consider the Object or Evidences which lye in the Scripture or the Subject the â—llumination of the minde to see the cleared Evidences and Grounds for to some the Grounds and Evidences may be more clear and unquestionable than to others and some may have a larger Illumination of understanding and so a greater capacity to see the divine Original of the Scriptures than others and
procured to us his favour Ephes. 1.6 Mat. 3 17. How could he have purchased a peculiar people Tit. 2 13 14. How could He have given to us his Spirit Gal 4 v. 6. How could He have conquered all our enemies Luk. 1 v. 68 69 71 74. And how could he bring us to everlasting salvation Heb. 5 v. 8 9. 9 v. 12 13 14 15 16. But they deny all these things as done by any other Christ than what is within themselves though in a smaller measure than in him that was crucified at Ierusalem 2. Behold also how he runneth wild in his notions for when he saith that Christ was a man as we are and that Christ dwelleth in us and that the same God dwelleth in us that dwelt in Christ he must also say that Christ dwelt in Christ immediatly and Christ dwelleth in us mediatly But 3. He saith the Eternal word which was with God and was God dwelt immediatly in the holy man Christ but mediatly in us But he will not say that Eternal Word did assume the man-hood into its personal union and so admitting a gradual difference which varyeth not the kinde Quakers and Heathens may as well be said to be Immanuel God manifest in the flesh as Christ Iesus to be the life which is the Light of men and the true Light which lighteth every man comeing into the world and what not How abominable must that Abomination be which these Quakers call and account their Religion They deserve not to be called Christians As for his rejecting of the errours of Apollinaris Pag. 84 denying that Christ had a soul and of Eutiches who denyed him to have a true humane nature wâ—at is it but what all the Socinians will deny as well as he 11. In the third place § 14. Pag. 84. he sayes this grace light and seed is not an accidens but a real spiritual substance which the soul of man can apprehend feel and from which proceedeth that real and spiritual birth called the new creature the new man in the heart Ans. 1. Then this must be neither Grace nor Light for these are not substances 2. It is little wonder he call it a Real Spiritual Substance when it is God's Vehicle and the Organ in which He dwelleth But neither Scripture nor sound philosophy tels us of any substance in man but what belongs either to his Soul or to his Body it is like he will joyn himself with the old Heracleonites who spoke of a third substance in man 3. The soul can apprehend and feel an accidens as well as a substance and the new creature and new man in the heart being an accidens and consisting in Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness the image of God in man Ephes 2 24. Col. 3 10. can proceed from an accidens 4. This man stricks-in with the old Manichees with Flacius Illiricus in part who said that Original Sin was a substance so also they said that Original Righteousness and the image of God is a substance and the essence of man See Wigandus de Manicheismorenovato Pag. 8.9 And that the new man is the substance of man id Pag. 14. 5. This sayes that this Seed and Light or Grace or what ever it be called must be nothing but what is Natural belonging to the Nature and Essence of man and cannot be any thing supernatural and so all their Conceptions of this mater how substantial soever they suppose it to be must be Carnal and Natural 6. How can the new creature which is a supernatural thing arise from this natural howbeit substantial Seed and Grace 12. These things are not very intelligible being the issue of men transported with delusory phancies And howbeit he saith that they are wonderful to carnal men who are strangers to them yet me thinks The word of God should containe such things and till we finde the Scripture bearing witness thereunto we must forbear the imbraceing of them though we lye under the imputation of being but carnal men with him who thinketh none are Spiritual but himself and other Quakers But how proveth he the thing He tels us only that they know it and are sensible of it by true and certain experience They taste it smell it see it and touch it And why not also hear it But the pretended experiences of deluded men are no demonstrations to us The more they talk at this rate after we have heard of their corrupt Pelagian Arminian and Socinian Principlâ—s tending to overturne the Gospel of the grace of God the more we cannot but suspect them of grosse Knavery and Delusion Persons possessed with the devil can talk as much of their senses and sensible experiences of the workings of Satan in them as these Quakers can do And yet that is no argument to us to receive their Assertions as demonstrations unless as demonstrations of devilry 13. But he learnedly demonstrateth that it is a Substance because it abideth in the hearts of the ungodly even while they remaine in their impieties Ans. And doth not Pravity Ignorance Rebellion c. remaine in their hearts while they abide in their impieties Are these therefore substances The man shall thus goe far beyond Illyricus make all actual wickedness substances so ascribe them all to God who is the Author of substances But sayes he no accident can be in a subject unless the subject can be denominated therefrom And why may not the man in whom is this grace and light be denominated a graced and enlightened man And sure if Christ as they say doth thus enlighten every man every man may be said to be thus enlightened as well as when one smiteth Robert Barclay he may be said to be smitten or as well as when Satan deludeth him he may be said to be deluded And thus this Substance shall be turned into an accidens by this man's philosophy But why may not substances give ground for denominations The soul is a substance and if the soul be in the body the body may be said to be enlivened therewith and so though it were granted that this grace and light were a substance yet every one in whom it is might be said to be graced and enlightened thereby And thus his demonstration evanisheth He tels us they distinguish betwixt holiness as an accidentâ— denominating a man as this seed getteth place in his heart and this holy and substantial seed which oft lyeth in mens heart as a graine of seed in a rockie ground as we distinguish betwixt health which cannot but denominat the man in whom it is and medicine which is a substance and which may be in a most unhealthy body Resp. 1. Nay we see They distinguish betwixt this seeds lying in the heart and its getting place in the heart or else these words have no sense 2. If there be such a difference betwixt this Substantial Seed and Holiness as is betwixt Physick and Health that substantial seed is no part of holiness
must be when he saith we are not Justified by the Law that we are indeed justified by Inherent Holiness or Conformity to the law What more The meaning of these words we are Iustified by faith sayes he may by we are made just by faith purifieing the heart Ans. Then the Apostles should contradict himself for if we be thus made just by faith we are made just by works and further purifying of the heart cannot otherwise be understood but of renewing the heart but Iustifying signifieth not making just Againe sayes he When we are said to be Iustified by grace by Christ by the Spirit what absurdity to understand this of making just Ans. Of being Justified by the Spirit we read â—ot for these words by the Spirit mentioned 1 Cor. 6 11. are to be referred to washing and sanctification When we are said to be Justified by grace it is by the gracious and free favour of God as our Divines make good against the Papists and that with the circumstances of the places are against such a Justification Nor must we any where so interpret any passage as to make it crosse or contradict other passages When we are said to be Justified by Christ the meaning is clear against his sense 31. He citeth againe 1 Cor. 6 11. not 11 6. and then tels us that Thysius thinketh that Iustification here includeth sanctification as its consequent and that Zanchius in Ephes. 2 4. thinketh it is the same with sanctification And that Bullinger on the place sayes the Apostle in diverse words expresseth the same thing Ans. 1. None of these Divines confound them and make them one as this Quaker doth but distinctly and orthodoxly explaine the nature both of Justiâ—â—cation and Sanctification 2. As I said above though this were granted that the word Iustify should import the same with sanctify in this or that place Yet unlesse he made it manifest that it alwayes so importeth and can never be taken in another sense he could not make good his Assertion and Opinion So that in all this work he is but beating the winde 3. Thysius had no ground to speak so seing sanctiâ—â—cation is as well expressed as Justification but ye are sanctified but ye are justified 4. Bullinger saith no more than what Calvin saith yet Calvin distinguisheth them in his Comment on the place Zanchius saith no such thâ—ng in the place cited 32. In the next place Pag. 138. he citeth with Bellarm. Rom. 8 30. And saith that either Sanctification must be excluded or Iustification must be taken in its proper sense Ans. 1. There is no necessity for either for Sanctification is comprehended under Vocation which is saving and effectual otherwise the linkes of this chaine could be broken for a common and ineffectual call is not attended with Justification and Glorification And effectual Vocation is by infusion of grace and the Spirit of holiness and a real change 2. Sanctification might be comprehended under the word Iustified it being a necessary and inseparable consequent and that without any prejudice to the native usual and constant import of the word Iustified 3. Thereafter vers 33.34 the Apostle cleareth in what sense he took Iuâ—tified when he opposeth it unto condemned a forensical terme and to accused another His citing of some Protestants so saying I passe finding no argument alleiged by them to enforce this acceptation Melanthon's saying that to be Iustified by faith doth not only signify to be pronunced just but to be made just May admit of a saife interpretation for he saith not to be made just by inherent righteousness And it is certain that all that are Justified are first made just not by inherent righteousness but by the Imputed righteousness of Christ. What he citeth out of one Martinus Boraeus I cannot examine having never seen the book Bucer's words cited make nothing for him B. Forbes's words I will not justify but judge that Cardinal Contarenus spoke more orthodoxly then he The Fathers so taking the word sometimes moveth not me more nor it did Calvin Chemnitius and Zanchius cited by himself And further if to justify signifie to make righteous to accuse and to condemne which are opposite terms must signifie to make unrighteous or unjust 33. After this § Pag. 140. he bringeth in his conclusion from what he hath said and it is a bold one Having now sufficiently saith he proved that by Iustification must be understood to be made really just This is concluded like a Quaker with unparalleled falshood impudency and boldness He undertook only to prove that the word might without absurdity be so understood and how weakly he hath done this we have seen But now he wonderfully concludeth a must be from a may be and that too no wayes satisfyingly proved But I have said already that the beleever who is Justified may be said to be really made just but not in his sense nor because of the import of the word as he alleigeth but because the judgment of God is according to truth and God will not justifie an unjust man The Justified person therefore is first made just not by Inherent Holiness and Righteousness but by the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to him and Received by faith What saith he next I do confidently affirme from real and sensible experience but the delusory sensations or impressions of an erroneous Spirit on the mindes of persons given up to strong delusion is no demonstration to us of the verity of what they boldly affirme that the immediat next and formal cause whereby a man is Iustified in the sight of God is the revelation of Christ in the soul who converteth and reneweth the minde and he who is the Author of this work being so formed and revealed we are truely Iustified and accepted in the sight of God Ans. 1. Who seeth not that these things as here expressed are not such as can fall under the inward sensations of the soul Can the soul feel what is the Immediat Nearest or Formal Cause of God's acts What needs more proof of a desperat delusion 2. If the revelation of Jesus Christ be such a cause of Justification Justification cannot be a making just for it is not as he sayes the revelation that converteth and reneweth but Christ revealed and if Christ revealed maketh the change â—ustification doth it not nor can Justification be a declareing of one righteous because of inherent righteousness for here the man is Justified upon the revelation and yet the man is not renewed for he is not renewed by the revelation but by Christ revealed and the Revelation of Christ is before this Operation of Christ. 3. If the man be not justified till Christ be formed in him as his last words seem to say then the revelation of Christ cannot be the Immediat cause of Justification because that is before this forming of Christ in the man for it is before the work of Christ reforming and renewing the minde 4. I see all this
the Law What sayes he to this Argument He grants they are not profitable unto God but yet he saith they are profitable unto us he might adde and to others too and he might say that they are useful to set forth the Glory of God and several things more might he say of this kinde but all is to no purpose as to our present question The second Objection is from Rom. 3 20 21 by the righteousness of the Law shall no flesh be justified c. But he might have cited to this end whole Chapters of that Epistle as also of the Epistle to the Galatians where the Apostle in downe right termes is disputing against the interest of works in the matter of Justification But what replyeth he He saith the Apostle excludes the works of the Law that is such as are done by mans strength and will while he studieth conformity unto the outward letter of the Law which therefore are imperfect but not the works of the Gospel done by the Spirit of grace in the heart according to the inward and Spiritual Law which are therefore pure and perfect Answer 1. This explication of Law works and Gospel works is nakedly proposed to us here without any proof and is an arrow out of Bellarmines quiver all works done by mans meer strength and will without the Grace of God and the help of the Spirit are no good works at all because not performed in the right manner nor flowing from a principle of grace 2. That Gospel works even performed by the Spirit are not pure and perfect as he with Papists say shall be seen in due time 3. The Apostle excludeth all such works which are not that Righteousness of God without the Law which was witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets nor the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3 21 22 And all such as marre justification freely by grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ vers 24 As also all such as darken that declaration of the righteousness of God who must be just when he is the justifier of him which beleeveth in Jesus whereof mention is made vers 25 26. And all such works as give ground of boasting which is only excluded by the Law oâ— Faith vers 27. And all such as are opposite to justification by faith vers 28. 4. Nay Abrahams Davids works which were done by the Spirit are excluded Rom. 4 2 3 6 7 8. He goeth about to confirme this distinction from this that Paul to the Galat. speaketh directly against such as would presse the observation of the legal Ceremonies upon the Christian Gentiles Pag. 145 146. Answ. Though that might be the occasion of Pauls disput it be true that Paul speaketh much and particularlâ— against the ceremonial Law yet he doth not insist upon that hypothesis or branch of the question but taketh occasion thereby to discusse the point in Thesiâ— of all works in general even such as are done in conformity to the moral Law therefore he adduceth Chap. 3 10 12. that passage Deut. 27 26. and Levit. 18 5. which cannot be meaned of the ceremonial Law only and speaketh against all Justification by works which is opposite to Justification by faith Chap. 3 11 12. What he saith afterward of the necessity of good works we stand to in the sense maintained by Our against Papists that is as antecedent adjuncts and dispositions unto glory not as any way meritorious either of Justification or Salvation nor do we approve of the Papists second Justification by works He urgeth againe Tit. 3 5. And thence speaketh thus all grant that such as are saved are Iustified True what more Therefore when he saith he hath saved us he saith also he hath Iustified us Ans. True yet it will not follow that all that is antecedent to Salvation is also antecedent to Justification or that all that is requisite in order to final Salvation is also requisite in order to Justification The Apostle vers 5. presupposing Justification is shewing what way the Lord bringeth about their salvation to wit by washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost that he may clear up the first step of the work he speaks to Justification vers 7. that being Iustified by his grace c. and this grace excludeth all works for what is of grace it not of works otherwise grace is no more grace and what is of works is not of grace otherwise works are no more works Rom. 11 6 and to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4 4. What he saith afterward Pag. 147. of the difference betwixt works done by persons unrenewed and persons regenerated is not much to the matter in hand and tendeth clearly to disparage his own doctrine concerning the Sanctification and Salvation of Heathens And withall I see no ground to take in these last into Justification as he would have us for then as no man is sayed until all these works be ended so also shall no man be justified until he be glorified 42. The third Objection is taken from the impurity of our best works And he answereth with Bellarmine That works done by the Spirit and grace of God that is of persons regenerated are perfect Ans. His meaning must be that they do agree to the Law in all points otherwise a curse attendeth them Deut. 27 26. Gal. 3 10. And if so why did David say Psal. 143 2. and enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified And Ps. 130 3. If thou Lord should mark iniquittes O Lord who shall stand and why doth Iob say Chap. 9 15. whom if I were righteous yet would I not answere And why saith the church Esai 64 6. all our righteousneses are as filthy rags which though some cited by this man not regarding the interpretation of Bertius the Arminian think doth not immediatly prove that there is no merite in our works as not being spoken of all mankinde yet doth abundantly evidence that the penitent church considering her best wayes saw much defilement in them that might make the Lord abhorre them as filthy rags and persons in a penitent frame use to get a better sight of sin and of their wayes than others have or themselves formerly had His saying that hereby is not meant these works that Christ worketh in us but the works which we ourselves do in our owne strength Is vaine for such as are done in our owne strength cannot be called Righteousness But then sayes he it would follow that all holiness must be cast away as filthy rags So they must be cast away in the matter of Justification for we must not found our hope of acceptance with God and Justification before him on these but it will not follow that they must be laid aside in our practice and not be studied and endeavoured to God's
it but in a wrong thought or in coming short in the least measure of the right manner of doing a duty is inconsistent with regeneration say our Quaker and yet he saith within a line or two that every sin doth not destroy a spiritual condition These things cannot hang together a person wanting a leg or an arme cannot be called a perfect man as to his integral parts gold having drosse admixed cannot be called pure 11. His last Position is That he will not affirme that such a state is not attaineable here in which to do righteousness becometh natural unto the regenerat soul that in the stability of that state they cannot sin Answ. This is an higher degree of Perfection than what he mentioned before for the former was such a state in which one was able not to sin though he might also sin possit non peccare Item possit But this is such in which he cannot sin peccare non possit And as to this he ingenuously confesseth he himself hath not yet attained it in which his modesty and ingenuity is commendable But he dar not deny but there may be such a state seing it seemeth to be expresly affirmed by the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3 9. Answ. But if he so interpret the words of the Apostle Iohn as importing this highest degree of perfection he must also grant that this highest perfection is not only attainable in this life but that it is common to all renewed persons for Iohn speaketh this as a truth of all that are borne of God and of all that have this seed in them and this is true of all that are truely Regenerated all such are borne of God and Gods seed is in them What will the man now say Though he will say that he is in such a state wherein he is able not to sin possit non peccare yet if he dar not say that he cannot sinne non possit peccare he must acknowledge himself not to be yet borne of God and to be void of the seed of God This passage if it prove any thing for perfection will utterly destroy this Quakers first kinde of Perfection which is a possibility of not sinning and that as common to all Regenerat persons But neither the one nor the other is asserted hereby the Apostle who only saith that he that is borne of God cannot make a trade of sinne and be wholly taken up therein as his constant work and exercise wherein he is delighted and findeth pleasure and full satisfaction as a man doth in his daily trade and employment He doth not say that such have no sin for he had said the contrare Chap. 1 8. but that they do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade in sin and this is opposite to that which is their trade and occupation 1 Ioh. 2 29 they do worke or trade in righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doing working or tradeing in sin is peculiar to such as are of the Devil as the doing working and tradeing in righteousness is peculiar to Gods people 1 Ioh. 3 7 8 9. He that committeth sin is of the devil whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin so that such as are borne of God do not commit sin as do such as are of the Devil and do the works of the Devil And this committing of sin is opposed to the work of purifying or studying of sanctification which lively hope setteth the beleever upon vers 3.4 and importeth a fixed set purpose and resolution to work in sin with full purpose of heart and to give up themselves to the trade of sin as delighting therein and as devouted thereunto adde that such sinne not so as to fall away and lose the seed nor unto death See Chap. 5 16 17. 12. Thus we have seen his Opinion which in short is this That all the Regenerat are in such a state as that they are able noâ— to sin or transgress any of the commands of God but to keep them in all points and walk up to full conformity to the Law yet they may also sin through their own fault and unwatchfulnâ—ss for it is not impossible But some may come unto that hight of perfection as that it is impossible for them to sin they cannot sin Let us now see ere we examine his grounds what affinity this opinion of his hath with the Old Pelagians with the late Socinians and Others as to the first Vossius his Historia Pelagiamsmi Lib. 5. Part. prior Thesi prima Pag. 460. giveth us their opinion thus They said the Saints led their life without sin which they laboured to prove from the instances of those who in Scripture are said to have keeped the Law perfectly Yet they distinguished betwixt such as never sinned all their dayes and such as at first were sinners but afterward left off to sin The first they gave to Abel the last unto Paul See what he citeth to verifie this He sets downe the Antithesis of the orthodox Pag. 462. thus That none by the power of nature could fulfill the Law That none by strength of grace did live all their dayes without sin That none attained that measure of holiness in this life that he could live any long time without sin The perfection ascribed to some in the Scripture was not from nature but from grace Nor for all their dayes Nor at any time full and absolute but which might increase and was mixed with evil deeds and so was a perfection of parts only not of degrees And this he cleareth out of Hierom Iustin Martyr Ambrose Gennadius Chrysost. Beda Origen Cyprian Macarius Optatus Augustin Ivo Carnatens Lombard He tels us moreover Pag. 4â—8 That unto these instances out of Scripture urged by the Pâ—lagians They answered that by perfection was meaned Sincerity or a true not feigned study of obeying all God's Lawes and actual obedience according to the measure attained in this life and in comparison with others but not any full or absolute perfection As an house is said to be perfect which is yet but in building in respect of the beginnings by a synecdoche of parts or of desire by a metonymie of the end 2. In comparison with rubbish or with an house not so far advanced 3. In respect of promise when the builder undertaketh to compleat it And so the righteousness here was perfect 1. Inchoatively in respect of the beginnings and desires 2. Comparatively in respect both of the ungodly and of the godly who are more imperfect 3. Evangelically whereby all is said to be done when that which was not done is pardoned And this to have been the Judgment of the orthodox he proveâ—h out of their writtings as of Hierom Orosius August Gelasius Bernard The Reader may see more in his 2. Antithesis Pag. 473. c. out of Nazianzen Tertullian Optatus Millevit Hierom c. For the better maintaining of this Perfection the Pelagians said that sinnes of ignorance were no sinnes I
is no agreement betwixt light and darkness 2 Cor. 6 14. Now God is Light and all sin is darkness Answ. 1. All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration Yea and for the highest degree of Perfection 2. Though corruption abideth in the Regenerated man as a vanquished enemy strugling in the dead thrawes yet is not the Regenerated man joyned thereto but separated therefrom in Minde Will and Affections in so far as regenerated and is fighting and lusting against it as his greatest enemy 3 It is sin delighted in and unrepented of loved and intertained in the soul that separateth betwixt God and the soul and that text Esai 59 2. speaketh of soul-wasting and land-destroying sinnes to which that people had given up themselves and would not turne from as we see vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15. And yet we see there vers 16 17. What soveraignity of free grace can do to and for such a people for the glory of his name 4. What is impure as impure cannot be one Spirit with Christ But beleevers are reckoned according to what hath now the throne and the heart and the dominion in the soul with their free and sanctified consent for now they are maried to a new Husband and are engadged in warfare under a new Captaine They are dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore they are under an obligation to strive against all that would labour to set sin againe upon the throne wrong the interest of their new Lord Soveraigne Rom. 6 11 12 13. And though they be risen with Christ and are dead have their life hid with Christ in God Yet they have members to mortifie uppon earth Fornication Uncleanness c. Col. 3 2 3 5. 5. God hath no fâ—llowshipe with corruption more then light can have fellowshipe with darkness yet he can have fellowshipe with his owne work of grace in the soul and with the soul as sanctified and renewed 19. But sayes he further Is it not against the wisdom of God to say He could finde no other methode whereby he should be served than by such actions by which the devil is no lesse yea more served for he that sinneth is the servant of sin Rom. 6 16. Ans. It is not fit for man to stand up and disput wickedly for God and under a shew of zeal for and patronage of his Wisdome condemne the same His folly is wiser than our wisdome What methods God could have found out whereby He might have been served by men what proud man will take upon him to determine The methode he hath chosen should satisfie us But to the matter when God's people are serving Him with some measure of sincerity and uprightness of heart howbeit the devil opposeth and by his temptations and the co-working of corruption prevaileth much to hold back or to cause the soul move slowly Yet the heart and the renewed part of the man being for God and for God only and directly against Satan and all his wayes doings and designes there is no formal service performed unto Saâ—an for the Lord regardeth the heart And though oft times there be more corruption in the work than grace Yet the heart being upright in the main the denomination is from the better part And albeit how more sin be in the action that is gone about by the honest Beleever in weakness Satan be the glader Yet in that the beleever cannot be called his servant For the Apostle in the place cited saith not he that sinneth but he that yeeldeth himself up as a servanâ— to obey sin is the servant of sin No doubt if the Lord had seen it for his glory he could have so ordered it that his children from the day of their new birth should never have sinned more but He hath thought it good that they should be exercised with a spiritual warfare all their dayes against Satan and a wicked world without and a body of death and its members within that his power might be made perfect in their weakness that they might live by Faith and get continual proofs of God's Power Love Care Faithfulness Grace Mercy and Tenderness that they might daily have use of the blood of Christ to wash in and so exercise Humility Godly sorrow Repentance Faith Patience Submission Watchfulness Diligence and might groan under the body of death that they might see through daily experience the riches and worth of their Redemption and read their great Obligations to their Lord Ransomer and Soveraigne King And if we were sober we might here mark wonderful wisdome and see a piece of the manifold wisdome of God But when we be come distracted as doubtless we are when we will be wise above what is written no wonder we become blinde and speak as fools as this man doth here and in the following words which I shall not so much as honour with a transcribing 20. He sayes our doctrine is repugnant to the justice of God requireing them to abstaine from all sin and not enabling them hereunto and requireing more then he giveth ability to do Ans. 1. The man runneth so hard that he runneth himself blinde Seeth he not that if this argument prove any thing it will prove that all the wicked world are perfect for God requireth of them obedience to his Law and it may be a question if hence it may not likewise be proven that the damned and the Devils are all perfect and without sin seing it may be a doubt if they be loosed from the Law of their Creation But 2. Though it were granted they had power I mean moral power for no other can be here understood yet this will not prove their perfection or freedom from sin many may have power and yet not use it Adam had power to resist Satans suggestion yet did it not His perfect ones may grow slack in their watch and so sin though he will grant they have power to do otherwise 3 This is old Pelagius's argument as Vâ—ssius cleareth to us Hist. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. where among other evidences he citeth Hieron adv Pelag. bringing-in Critobolus as a Pelagian reasoning thus Either God gave commandements that were possible or that were impossible if possible it is in our power to do them if we will if impossible we are not guilty if we do them not seing we cannot And thus whether the Lords command be possible or Impossible man may be without sin if he will Our Quaker is yet worse for the Pelagian would hence prove but a possibility of Perfection but he will hence evince the real being of Perfection and that common to all believers â— God made man upright and able to fulfil all his Law and when he hath dilapidated his stock of strength must God be unjust if he require due debt Or doth mans inability dissolve his obligation Seing God is pleased of his grace
too Catholick Hence we see how false it is that he saith afterward Pag. 174. that this Church hath sometimes been Invisible though he after the Quakers manner misapply that Ier. 3 14. 1 King 19 18. For alas it hath alwayes since Adam fell been too visible 4. Next § 3. He speaketh of a particular Church and here seemeth to worde the matter better but he having already given us the Key we shall be the more able to unlock his cabinet We must sâ—ith he consider a Church as it signifies a certain number of faithful persons That is Persons only taught by the Light of nature though as for Religion they may be worshipers of the Devil for this particular Church needeth but be a part of the Catholick Church what more Gathered together saith he by the Spirit of God and the testimony of some of his Ministers That is say I by the Light and Law of nature and the testimony of Quakers or such Ministers as preach nothing of the Gospel nothing of Christ revealed in the Gospel nothing of the mystery of God of Christ therein revealed What more And brought unto saith he the faith of true principles and the doctrine of the Christian faith That is such principles and doctrine of Christian faith as may be among them that never heard of Christ or of Christian Faith that worshipe the work of mens hands and possibly the Devil Whose hearts saith he further united by the same love and their understanding illuminated with the same truth meet together to attend upon God adore him and unanimously give testimony against errour though they suffer therefore But 1. Do not their bodies meet together too 2. Can that love be true Christian love which may be among Pagans 3. What illumination of truth can they have who never had another teacher than a Natural Conscience within or the Law written upon the works of creation and providence 4. What attendance upon God or adoration of him without Christ known and beleeved in 5. What testimony against errour can they give who never heard of the Gospel or of Christ 6. I know that here he is giving us a description of Quakers Conventicles which really are Synagogues of Satan He tels us further that all the members of those meetings teach and instruct one another And so they are all officers all eyes c. and so monsters No organical Church Then he closeth with an untruth saying that such were all the primitive Churches gathered by the Apostles While as the Apostolick Churches consisted of persons who called upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 1 2. They were Churches in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 1 1. 2 Thes. 1 1. that is such as acknowledged and worshiped the true God and that in Jesus Christ which neither Pagans nor Jewes as such did 5. Having thus spoken of a catholick of a particular church he cometh § 4 to speak something of the qualifications of the members of both which I judge superfluous seing that was sufficiently done already Yet because his words here are of a finer-like dress let us heare him That one sayes he may be a member of the catholick church it is necessary that there be an inward call of God by his light in the heart and that the heart be fermented by his nature and Spirit so as he leave off unrighteousness and turne to righteousness and that as to the inward part of his soul he be cut off the wild olive of nature and planted in Christ bâ— his word inward Spirit And all this may be in them that are ignorant of the history of Christ as was proved in the 5. and 6. Thesis Ans. These are fine words to deceive the simple had he not sufficiently explained himself above in the place by himself cited and just now also given us a clear view of his Catholick Church and of its members we might readily have been deceived But according to his owne interpretation of himself and a narrow inspection of his words here We finde 1. That one can be a qualified member of the Church Catholick who hath never heard of Christ or of the Covenant of grace in Christ nor learned any more of Christianity or of the Gospel then what nature could teach and how dissonant this is from the whole Gospel let any that ever read it speak 2. All this inward call of God is by the light that is in the heart of every man by nature is this any thing else but natures dim light 3. All this fermentation to speak in the Quakers dialect is effectuate by the power of this light and this is it he meaneth by the Spirit as he hinteth here and leargly told us before 4. All the effect of this work is but an outward turning from unrighteousness which a natural wretch may do upon the information of a natural conscience This is nothing of true Sanctification 5. It is impossible that all the operation of nature can bring a man off nature and plant him in Christ. 6. The Spirit of God worketh in and with the word and this word is the preaching of the Gospel and where the Gospel is there is the history of Christ. So that where there is nothing of the history of Christ there is not the word of the Kingdom there is not the special working of the Spirit of Christ This word therefore and inward Spirit whereof he speaketh is but he word Spirit of Nature that is nature under new names the Paganish-word and Spirit 6. But what is requisite to a member of a particular christian church He answereth Pag. 175. Beside this inward work it is necessary sayes he there be an external profession and faith in Iesus Christ and these sacred truthes delivered in the Scriptures when the inward light and testimony of the Spirit shall naturally incline compel such as are subject and obedient to it to give assent and credite to the truthes delivered in the Scripture Ans. We heard before of a Catholick Church whereof all the members must needs be saved and of a Particular Church much of the same complexion with the Catholick but now we hear of a new Church called a Particular Christian church the complexion of which seemeth to differ from the former But the matter is this Christianity with him is not necessary to salâ—ation thâ—re may be particular Churches were there is nothing of the Christian Religion Pagans that are somewhat Moral Civil belong to the catholick Church shall be saved as well as Christians But because where the word of the Gospel is come there must be some respect had to it to the word of God therefore a little more is necessary in this case though not in it self to be found in such as live in such places where the word of God is for it were a shame to say that no more were required of a man borne and living all his
members for then all Church-members must be Officers seing with him all Church members must be thus qualified If the last be his meaning Whether thinks he this qualification essential or not that is so necessary that one that wanteth it cannot be accounted a Pastor neither before God nor before men neither in foro poli nor in foro soli Againe I would enquire what he meaneth by this qualification if we interprete it by his former doctrine why we may not Yea must not do so I know not this will be a good qualification for a Pagan-preacher but no qualification for a Gospel-minister for it is nothing else than the power efficacy of Natures Light of a Natural Conscience informing enlightning concerning duties required by the Law of nature it hath no affinity with the sanctifying Spirit of Christ promised in the New covenant bestowed upon the elect and chosen vessels of mercy and principling the beleever to new obedience Howbeit this might suffice for an answere Yet I shall say more to clear the matter unto the Reader I confess holiness is required of Gospel ministers The Apostle tels us Tit. 1 8. that he must be a lover of good men or of good things as it is in the margine sober just holy temperate And he must be blameless Tit. 1 7. 1 Tim. 3 2. vigilant sober and of good behaviour ibid And therefore all who are to be imployed in the examination tryal of ministers should be careful in the searching after this as well as in the tryal of their gifts and other qualifications and when clear and manifest evidences appear of their hatred of good things and of the godly of their insobriety injustice unholiness intemperance want of vigilancy and of their evil behaviour they ought to be laid aside from that holy function as well as when their want of gifts of other requisite qualifications clearly appeareth Yea if there be not some positive probable evidences of this love and of seriousness in the maters of God giving faire probable ground of concluding them to be faithful men they ought not to commit the word unto them See all this fully cleared and confirmed by worthy and learned Mr Durham in his exposition of the Revelation Pag. 198. c. Yet because grace the saving workings of the Spirit are latent hid in the heart there is no outward signe evidence thereof whereby others can certainly or infallibly discerne and judge of the same in all so hid that the man in whom it is is more privie to his owne spirit heart than others can be will not alwayes be in case to discerne the same I dar not say that the reall being of grace is such a qualification as that the want thereof shall render the man no minister and all his performances null before God or man though the person being a real stranger to grace can expect no acceptance of God through Jesus Christ for what he doth Christ's imploying of Iudas in the ministry will sufficiently verify this and I need say no more See Mr Durham in the place cited 6. What addeth he For saith he seing true knowledge in things spiritual is received by this gift and grace he that is purified and sanctified by the same is at length also called by it and moved to ministrate to others and is made capable of showing to others what by real experience he hath himself found 2 Cor. 5 11. And his words and ministry proceeding from inward power and vertue penetrat into the hearts of the hearers and obtaine their approbation and subjection Ans. 1. This gift and grace being but natural and Pelagian as was shown above can never give true knowledge in things spiritual saving and evangelick 2. Nor can it ever purifie and sanctifie a man according to the Gospel whatever it may do as to outward civility and morality 3. Qualifications are no call 4. Then it seemes there is no Outward call requisite and so this man joyneth with Socinians and Arminians laying aside all outward call by men as not necessary in the Church of God and saying that all who understand the truth of the Gospel and are able to Instruct others may and have a right to teach See Smalcius Pag. 379. though Pag. 377. he confesseth that this outward call is decent and comely in a constitute Church which this man doth no where acknowledge See also Apol. Remonstr Cap. 21. and Episcop disput 26. privat Thes. 4. 5. 5. Every motion to tell others what we know in the things of God is not a call to the Work and Office of the Ministry See Psal. 66 16. privat persons in their private capacities may and ought to seek to promove the edification of others 1 Pet. 4 10 11. 6. Is this telling of what they have found in their owne experience the whole work of the Ministrie Or is this the preaching of the Gospel The divideing of the word of truth 2 Tim. 2 15. Is this speaking exhorting and rebuking with all authority Tit. 2 15 Is this be seaching as Ambassadours in the name of God and in Christ's stead 2 Cor. 5 19 20 Is this that which Paul layeth upon Timothie 2 Tim. 4 1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine Or that which we â—inde 1 Tim. 4 13 14 15 16. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them take heed unto thy self and unto the doctrine continue in them For in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee But I should have remembered that these men are against Preaching 7. Some may think that by this gift and grace which he mentioneth he can mean at most nothing but what the Papists call gratia gratis data and which is different from gratia gratum faciens but I see no ground to judge him so orthodox 7. He goeth about to prove that this qualification is absolutely necessary and his first argument is thus That which is necessary to make a man Christian is much more necessary to make one a Minister of Christianity But this inward call power vertue of the Spirit is necessary to make a man a Christian. Therefore c. Ans. This argument is easily answered by a distinction thus That which is necessary to make a man a Real Upright and Sincere Christian or true member of the Invisible Church is also necessary to make a man a sincere and upright Minister before God and approven of him in what he doth but is not simply and absolutely necessary to make one a Minister before
of God when moved to the work and were to be obeyed and subjected unto as such according to these places of Scripture now cited Why doth he not show us wherein this peculiarity consisteth Whether is it in some thing inward or in something outward if inward what can it be more than Gods calling and ordaining if outward Is it imposition of hands of the Presbytery or a potestative mission by Church Officers 3. But he sayes They are more fitted and fournished than others True yet this is not before the call but after it and a consequence of the call for he sayes and therefore they are more fitted to wit because peculiarly called and wherein this peculiar call consists I would know 4. He tels us also that their work is more constantly and particularly to instruct c. But can they instruct at any time without a special motion of the Spirit if they can why doth he inveigh against our Officers for doing the same If they cannot how can this be said to be more their work than it is the work of others who do the same upon the like motion or doth their special Call consist in their receiving more frequent motion than others But this speaks only of more work but nothing of a distinct Office So that all this concession of his is just nothing 5. I would know if these specially called persons be wholly separated for that work and that statedly and fixedly so as they are in all time coming looked upon regarded and submitted unto as officers over others and how this work of separating of them is done Beside these he tels us also of Elders who albeit they be not frequently called to declare themselves in words by this I suppose he meaneth their way of preaching yet having had experience of the work of truth on their hearts they watch over and privatly instruct the younger Ans. But yet if the Spirit move them they may they must do this in Publick too 2. we heard before that this experience or something like was all that he gave us for a call to the highest imployment 3. whatever these Elders be they are not the Scripture Elders for these are apponted for Government or Ruleing the Church hence called Governments 1 Cor. 12 29 and said to Rule 1 Tim. 4 17. Rom. 12 8. 4. He confoundeth these Elders with deacons telling us that they care for the poor widowes orphanes Nay more he sayes they take care that peace unity concord and love and health be preserved in the Church But what way is this done And how are they called hereunto And whether doth all this declare them to be distinct Officers or not and over the people or not And whether is this their peculiar work that others of the common people may not meddle with Let him answere these and reconcile himself with himself when he is at leasure 14. But Pag. 208. he tels us that they refuse that distinction of laicks and cleargy And knoweth he not that we disapprove these termes But the thing that they refuse is That none as he speaketh should be admitted to the work of the Ministrie but who are educated in schooles and instructed in logick c. and he who is thus educated must not learne another honest tread for his leaving But why doth it offend them that men take paines to be instructed and qualified for the work and that none be admitted but such as are qualified It seemeth that the work of the Ministrie is a light business with them may be discharged by such as have no learning or qualifications but why then did the Lord qualifie his Apostles by teaching them several yeers and by extraordinary infusion of knowledge It seemeth they would have all waiting for such miracles now but we must first see a warrand and seing experience tels us that the Lord doth not take this way now why are they offended that we use ordinary meanes for attaining to knowledge 2. He may know if he will that we exclude none from the Ministrie if they be qualified though they have not learned their philosophy c. at ordinary schooles 3. As for their learning of an honest trade we finde none of the Apostles doing so after they were called to that work and we look upon the work of the Ministrie as such as will take up the whole man and his whole time if he be faithful and diligent And yet some men have learned physick after they have been Ministers that they might be helpful to the poor and no man condemneth this providing that thereby they take not occasion to neglect the Ministrie which is of greater consequence 15. But hereby sayes he it cometh to passe that Parents seeing what honour and gaine attendeth the Ministrie assigne their children to that office from their Infancy and educat them thereunto of purpose c. That Parents dedicat their children to the service of God cannot be condemned if they do it upon a corrupt designe and as moved by the corrupt ends that is but their owne fault Those sayes he being educated in pleasure and idleness think it below them afterward to work with their hands satisfying themselves to bring out of books what they may Preach Ans. Who ever think serious study an easie work is not acquanted with it And if a Minister think he hath time enough to follow an ordinary calling he knoweth neither the weight nor the worth of the Ministrie He that must bring all his preaching alwayes out of books must either preach seldome or he will finde little time to follow another trade But all these things and what he saith further of corruption in admitting corrupt and carnal men into the Ministrie is nothing to the purpose in hand for no sober man will approve such corruptions And yet we need not run away to the Quakers way of prizing extemporary non sensical discourses after self motions and self impulses as the whole work of the Ministrie But sayes he next Pag. 209. when men are not admitted to the Ministrie that are not so and so licentiat according to their rules the Spirit is exstinguished and prophecies are despised contrare to 1 Thes. 5 19 20. Ans. What Papists do in this I regard not Protestants will I suppose not refuse to admit any man to the Ministrie that is found after tryal really qualified upon any such account howbeit the places by him cited be ill applied but we must not stand upon every punctilio but shall go on CHAP. XX. Of Woman Preachers 1. OUr Quakers that in all things they may be like themselves that is opposite to all the Appointments and Ordinances of Christ in his house plead for Women speaking or preaching in the publick assemblies of the Church as did the Anabaptists of old and Famalists And that notwithstanding Paul hath in two distinct places expresly prohibited the same as first 1 Cor 14 34. Let your women keep silence in the Churches we might
be called an honorary which is purely for necessity They will not have this honorary fixed and limited nor the persons constrained to give it Why then doth the Apostle adde the labourer is worthy of his reward Is the labourers reward left to the discretion of the giver Why then saith Iames Chap. 5 4 behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped downe your fields which is of you keept back by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of the Lord of Sabaoth It is an hire we see that cannot be keeped back but by fraud and when it is keeped back it cryeth Is the labourers reward unfixed Or may not Law and Justice compel an unrighteous man to give the labourer his hire 6. Let us adde to these the saying of our Lord and Master Mat. 10 10. Luk. 10 17. The workman is worthy of his meat and in the other place it is is worthy of his hire Our Lord is sending forth his 70. Disciples upon a message and work that was not to endure long and disswadeth them from anxiety or fear of want seing the labourer is worthy of his meat and hire and that they might expect and by Meat in Matthew he meaneth all things necessary for their accommodation and for fitting them for the work they were about for it was to supply their owne provideing of gold and silver in their purses and scrip for their journey and shoes and stayes These things he would not have them provide for themselves because they should be provided of them by those among whom they laboured And in Luk. it is called an hire And that it might appear that he would not have them entertained as almouners he addeth go not from house to house If then Christ's allowance was such to them who were but employed in that particular message to goe before Christ towards Ierusalem as his fore-runners what shall we say of Quakers that will allow so little encouragement to such who must be employed in this work all their dayes and give themselves wholly unto it and must not entangle themselves with the things of this life but must minde this work alone and be instant in season and out of season They will allow them an almes and hardly that unless great necessity require it but where is the hire the wages that justice calleth for They have no heart to this 7. Adde to these 1 That Christ himself not only made use of the service of women that ministered unto him of their substance Luk. 8 3. and so had provision of that kinde wherever he came but we read that He and his Company had a bag which Iudas carryed Ioan. 12 6. out of which they provided themselves as they thought fit Ioh. 4 8. 13 29. and gave also to the poor ibid. and if they had to give to the poor they had more then their own urgent necessity called for But our Quakers would have ministers to excercise no charity to the poor 2. It is required of Ministers that they be given to hospitality 1 Tim. 3 v. 2. Tit. 1 8. But if they have no more than what their owne necessity requireth their hospitality must needs be slender 3. Had Ministers only what Quakers do allow it were to be feared that many to procure the favour and good will of their hearers and so obtaine a larger allowance of their benevolence would flatter too much reprove faithfully too little use too little ministerial boldness many would be put to wrestle with no small difficulties and strong temptations perturbations of minde anxiety c. that would very much unfit them for their work 4. This were an high way to render the Ministers and consequently the Ministrie contemptible 5. Few would be encouraged to enter upon that painful work and have all outward discouragements to expect too 6. Nature taught heathens a far other thing 7. Shall Superstitious Idolaters be so extravagant and shall Christians be so spareing 8. It may be Quakers themselves take more than for mere necessity And whence soever it cometh some faithful Servants of Christ are not so well provided for as all of them are 8. Let us now proceed and heare what this Quaker saith He saith we are forced to run to the example of the Law which we use as a refuge in defending many of our errours and superstitions which are contrary to the nature and purity of the Gospel Ans. We look upon this but as a calumnious untruth uttered by a Quaker who speaketh without ground and thinks hereby to make himself and his party to he looked upon as the only pure Gospellers When yet wise and understanding persons will see them to be the most desperat Enemies to the Gospel that ever appeared 2. We see the Apostle made use of the Law and we may do the like But what inferre we from the law That the tithes belong to Ministers under the Gospel And what saith he to this Nothing can be hence collected but that as the priests under the Law had their assigned aliment so ministers now should have The comparison should not be so far extended as to say that Ministers should only have the same that is nothing but the tithes As for Ans. I â—hall wilingly grant that if there be any who thus argue their ground is not good and who they are that plead for the tithes as the only way of maintaining the ministrie I would faine know of him He knoweth sure that this is not the only way in Scotland If the Ministers have a quota allowed proportionable to what the Priests and Levites had I suppose many will be satisfied and I am sure this will be a far greater allowance then he will willingly condescend unto The Ministers of old had more than the tithes they had many gifts much of the sacrifices many whole Cities fourtie eight in number with their suburbs But to make short with him I shall not plead for the tithes as the only necessary way Let there be a competent honorary granted whether in lieu of the tithes or otherwise I am satisfied yet where tithes are setled by Law as the way I see not what he or any can say against it His following reasons conclude not this to be simply unlawful and therefore I let them passe for I do not plead for it as only necessary 9. But even as to the aliment he sayes Pag. 211. that if the people will not willingly give Ministers must not receive it nor compel the people to give it Ans. I confess if the people will not give it it can hardly be received but if people may not be compelled to give it how shall Ministers live How shall their necessities be supplied How is it the Labourers hire and wages But he proveth it from Mat. 10 8. freely you have received freely give and addeth yet it was free for them to take meat and drink from such as willingly gave it
acts of worship by Immediat Inspirations and Enthusiastical motions of the Spirit and the unlawfulness of entering upon Worshipe at what time in what place and upon what occasion so ever or continueing in it without these Previous Physical and Immediat Inspirations Impulses and Enthusiastical Motions but we shall see some other things spoken to and more insisted upon by him and but little spoken to this which mainly called for proof 2. However we must see what he says leaving his preamble wherein according to his usual manner he layeth an imputation on the Reformed Churches as keeping still the root of false worshipe when they cut off the branches of Romish worshipe We shall consider what he sayes for clearing of the Quakers way first he tels us Pag. 222. § 2. That he speaketh here of worship now under the Gospel not as requisite under the Law Yet I suppose he is speaking of worshipe as a moral duty or in reference to what is moral or natural which hath place in all ages of the Church and of what is essentially and necessarily requisite to all moral worship for he saith here expresly that the ceremonies under the Law were not essential to true worshipe nor necessary of themselves I suppose also he should speak of Institute Worshipe under the Gospel but all that is by the Quakers rejected and denied as we shall hear He tels us next § 3. That they do not condemne all prescribed times and places for worshipe for they have such But may I not ask whether they assemble at these times and in these places by the Immediat Acting Motion and Impulse of the Spirit or not It seemeth not but when they are assembled they must waite for these motions But is not that a limiteing of the Spirit as if he could not Act Move to publick worshipe at other times in other places And is not the time of their abode together at these several occasiones limited also 3. What do they then condemne They condemne our having a Preacher to preach excludeing others But the lawfulness of this we evinced above Next they are not satisfied that these ministers come not to meet with the Lord. Neither am I. and attend not unto his inward motions and operations Nor am I satisfied with this Nor pray not preach not as the Spirit moveth and breatheth in them and giveth utterance What if I say that I am not satisfied with this either more then they But the mystery of the business is They acknowledge no Motion or inward Breathing of the Spirit but what is Extraordinary and meerly Enthusiastick without all previous study or preparation and abstract from all meanes as if the Lord could not move and operate in and by the meanes and could not help a minister who had studied his sermon by his breathing and inward assistance to preach the Gospel and give utterance and helpe to the carrying on of the work to edification This is to oppose the Spirit of God and his motions to all meanes of his owne appointment condemneth all study and meditation on the Scriptures taketh away all paines and laboure for abilities and putteth men upon a sure way of tempting of God and of inviteing the devil to deceive and delude as was shown above 4. That nothing may be wanting to compleat their Systeme of errour they proclame all dayes alike and so reject the Lords day our Christian Sabbath concerning which if this man have any minde to dispute on that head I will wait his Answer to what I have said on it elsewhere What he saith Pag. 225. § 5. of their charitie towards many living in Popery is no very great business seing he will grant as much to Pagans notwithstanding of their palpable and manifest Idolatry and Heathenisme But why will he not give us charity too 5. He cometh more home to the business Pag. 226. § 6. and tels us that when they assemble every ones work is to attend on God to goe out of their own thoughts and imaginations or rather to thrust these away to feel Gods presence and in his name to acknowledge that assembly where He is in the midst according to his promise And where every one is thus assembled in Spirit as well as in body the secret power and vertue of life is known to refresh the soul and they feel pure motions and breathings of the Spirit of God flowing from which issue words of declaration prayer and praise and thus acceptable worshipe is performed by which the Church is edified and God is pleased yea though not one word be spoken or heard outwardly yet true spiritual â—orship is performed and the Church is edified Answ. This is a short account of their manner of worship which in his following discourse he largely laboureth to explicat and vindicate I shall only propose these few exceptions against it 1. Spiritual worshipe which only is acceptable with God who is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth being a matter of no small difficulty for sinners to get performed aright would require some preparation before hand that the heart might be put in some frame for such an high and noble work being made sensible of its distance from and unsuteableness for approching unto such an holy and spiritual God and of the necessity of some impression of that divine Majesty with whom they have to do and of divine help for the right discharge of that duty now I finde no mention made by them of any such thing or of the necessity of wrestling with God in private for a right frame of Spirit in going about that work and for the assistence of his grace and Spirit in the discharge of it and for his blessing upon it It seemeth their heart is alway in a like good frame and they are alwayes in case for this solemne addresse unto God or they come together to get preparation and all from the inward motions without which nothing must de done 2. When the members of the Church are assembled and publick worshipe to beginne Nature it self would teach that there should be a solemne address made unto God by Prayer acknowledging their unworthiness of such an honour and favour their unfitness for such a solemne work their necessity of his divine help and assistance therein and his blessing thereupon that He may be glorified and they edified but here no such thing appeareth no invocating of the great God no supplication made to him no prostrating of themselves in prayer before him at the entry of their work can this then be accounted an assembling for the solemne Adoration Worshiping and Invocation of God 3. No word is there here in all their Assemblies of the Scriptures as the Law of God which should be read interpreted and applyed for the Instruction Reproof Consolation and Edification of the people No as the Scriptures are no rule to them in their walk so nor are they any rule to them in their
no more to say both to this and the former Objection then that they were not bound to seek after either Precept or example of their worshipe in the Scriptures and this had been a short cut But instead of this he is runneth thorow the Scriptures to seek for an instance and he pitcheth upon some in the Old Test. forgeting what he said in the beginning of this debate about worshipe to wit That he was only speaking here of divine worshipe now under the Gospel And he knoweth that Instances of worshipe under the Old Testament will not be pertinent to prove this though he should produce multitudes Could he get no one instance in all the N. Test. what if I helpe him to one See Act. 21 40. Paul stood on the staires and beckened with the hand unto the people And when there was made a great silence he speak unto them Here is a Silence and a Great Silence and a Great Silence in an Assembly But I confess this Instance will not helpe him for neither was it worshipe nor was there an Introversion here nor had it on their part any good issue as we see Chap. 22 22 23. And yet I think their silence is hardly so justifiable as this was But let us look upon his Instances out of the Old Test. His first is of Iob's friends siâ—ting seven dayes in silence But was this a meeting for worshipe was Iob's friends all these dayes Introverted How came it that when the seed at length gote room and theâ— were prompted to speak they spoke no more consonantly to truth It would seem that all the light of God that shined to them while thus seven dayes long introverted did not dispel all their darkness nor banish the Devil away wholly But the text it self giveth the reason of their silence to wit for they saw that his griefe was very great He citeth next Ezra 9 4 But most impertinently for this was a silence not for worshipe but arising from astonishment griefe sorrow and heaviness caused by the sin of the people Here was no Introversion to seek after the light within nor Abstraction from all thoughts and conceptions for his heart was filled with sorrow and thoughts of the grievousness of the sin Ezechiel 14 1. speaketh nothing of silence nor Chap. 20 1. But of the peoples coming and sitting before him and if he say that dureing this time they were Introverted he must say â—lso and not speak far amisse I grant that persons may Introvert and yet set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces as Ezech. 14 vers 2. and be such as God will not be enquired of Chap. 20 vers 3. If these be his instances much good may they do him and I wish he may see in them his owne picture and learne from henceforth to abhore himself and his diabolical way 25. Some time after I came this length I called to minde something I had read of the fanaticisme of the Church of Rome in D. Stelling fleet which will helpe to informe us concerning the nature and rise of this doctrine and manner of expression used by our Quakers D. Sâ—â—llingf tels us Pag. 327. of his book of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome that the Papists have their abstractedness of life mental prayer i. e. our Quakers worshipe Passive unions a Deiform fund of the soul a state of Introversion whence we see from whom our Quakers have borrowed this expression divine Inspirations He tels us moreover that as they speak the Perfection of this state lying in an intime union with God whereby the soul is Deified is to be attained only in the way of unknowing and of self annihilation This is the very summe of the Quakers doctrine And Pag. 328. c. Out of Mr Cressy a popish fanatick his Mother Iuliana's Revelations and preface to Sancta Sophia and the book it self he citeth several passages which we may take some notice of such as these The only proper disposition towards the receiving supernatural Irradiations from God's holy Spirit is an abstraction of life a sequestration from all business that concerne others though â—t be their salvation and an attendance to God alone in the depth of the Spirit the lights here desired and prayed for are such as do expel all images of creatures and do calme all manner of passions to the end that the soul being in a vaculty may be more capable of receiving intertaining God in the pure fund of the Spirit But what is this fund He tels us out of Lud. Blosius Inst. Spirit that the Deiform fund of the soul is the simple essence of the soul stamped with a divine impress or that from whence ariseth a superessential life Out of Sancta Sophia we are caught that the way to perfection is a Contemplative state rather then an Active and that because it is more perfect more easie more simple and more secure from all errours and illusions which may be occasioned by an indiscreet use of prayer What is the active State It is the use of reasoning and internal discourse to fix our affections on God and expressing it self in sensible devâ—tion and outward acts of obedience to God's will What is the Contemplative Seeking God in the obscurity of faith with a more prâ—found introversion of Spirit and with less activity and motion in sensitive nature and without the use of grosser images And further it is said that such souls are not of themselves much inclined to external works but they seek rather to purifie themselves and inflame their hearts to the love of God by internal quiet and pure actuations in Spirit by a total abstraction from creatures by solitude both external and especially internal so disposing themselves to receive the influxes and inspirations of God whose guidance chiefly they endeavour to follow in all things Is not this the very frame and mould of our Quakers But wherein lyeth the security of this state above the other In this that a contemplative soul tending to God and working almost only with the heart and blinde affections of the will pouring themselves upon God apprehended only in the obscure noâ—ion of faith transcending all operations of the imagination and all subtilty and curiosity of reasoning and lastly seeking an union with God only by the most pure most intime affections of the Spirit what possibility of illusion or errour can there be to such a soul We see whence our Quakers had that which is touched above § 20. 26. Yet more p. 332. 333. He showeth us how they describe the soul 's passive union with God to be In which God after a wonderful and inconceivable manner affords them interiour illuminations touches yet far more efficacious divine in all which the soul is a meer patient and only suffers God to work his divine pleasure in her being neither able to further nor hinder it The which unions though
God beyond and above words thoughts and understanding and in a suffering-permitting-way go off himself and sinck after an inward and unknown manner into the darkness oâ— pure naked faith So in his second Sermon on that day he hath these words When a man hath given himself wholly over as denuded of himself of all propriety in things and of all â—hings here all that is borne in him is not his but Gods and againe when once a man in an upright and well ordered inwardness is drawn by God to higher things he shall put away all outward works and exercises were it even such as he had bound himself unto by oaths and promises 31. In his Sermon on the first Sunday after the three Kings Day he tels us that in order to this new birth our understanding must rest from all work and be void of all knowledg and â—bide in darkness and ignorance and not seek to return to its former knowledge and that this state of darkness is called a possible reception for there remaineth saith he no more in the soul but a possibility or capacity to receive that which will perfect it and the man must laboure more and more after this possibility till his minde be satisfied and become all things that it can receive And the more empty and unknowing that the soul is it is the nearer unto God So in his Sermon on the first Sunday after the Three Kings Day he saith I dar boldly say that he that introverts not once at least every day and turns not in according to his power into his fund doth not live as a Christian But such as are busie with their fund and empty themselves of all things and lay aside all imaginationâ— that the Sun of righteousness may send out his beames of Light in their inward fund finde the yoke of Christ easie So againe saith he Truely if any man could finde within himself know and see how the eternal God hath founded himself in the inward fund of the soul and how he is there hid and as it were soaked he should be happy 32. In his Sermon on Trinity Day he tels us That God begetteth in the fund of the soul his only begotten Son an hundered thousand times more quickly than in a moment in a now of eternity alwayes new And thereafter That he who would finde this must introvert beyond all the workings of his outward powers and phantasies and must sinck there into the fund and then cometh the power of God the Father and in him calleth upon him through his only begotten Son and as the Son is begotten of the Father and floweth againe into the Father so is this man begotten of the Father and floweth againe with the same Son in the Father and becometh one with him And afterward In this fund a man shall pray for his friends both dead and alive and such prayer is more powerful then to sing or say many Psalmes by mouth and then finde we the witness of the three that bear witness in heaven that is in the inward heaven in the fund of the soul. Moreover in his first Sermon on the third Sunday after Trinity he hath these words The penny must have its weight and its image the weight that the man may fall and sinck againe in Gods fund as he is come out of it his image is that image which is God himself in his own pure divine essence in which God knoweth loveth and enjoyeth himself in which he liveth is and worketh by which the soul is wholly God-dyed or like God and becometh divine and in this union with and sincking into Gâ—d he becometh through grace all things that God is by nature also So that if he could see himself he would think himself to be God and every one that couâ—â— see him in that cloathing dye forme and divine essence would become happy in that sight The man casts away againe unto God who gave all all things becometh so naked and empty as one that is nothing and hath nothing And thus the created Nothing sincketh into the uncreated nothing And thus one abysse calleth unto another the created abysse calleth unto the uncreated abysse and these two abysses become as one a pure divine essence where the Mans Spirit hath lost its self in the Spirit of God being drowned in that bottomless sea the like he hath in his sermon on the eleventh Sunday after the Trinity In his second sermon on that day he tels us that the little shipe mentioned Luk. 5. signifieth the inward conscience or minde the fund of the man where our Lord truely dwelleth and where his rest and joy is in case the man will alwayes carefully observe this inward fund and in the love of God for saking all things will introvert into this fund c. Againe if one while singing or reading be moved to introvert into the inward fund and finde that that exercise should hinder his introversion he must leave that and all other good works and introvert and in this introversion give himself wholly up unto God and follow the divine pull with all his heart So he expoundeth Christs sitting in the shipe and teaching to be Christ's sitting in the inward fund of the obedient man and there teaching him his most acceptable will and saith he such a person is able sufficiently to teach the whole world 33. In his sermon on the third Sunday after Trinity he saith this weakness speaking of Pauls words 2 â—or 12 9. cometh not from outward exercises but from an overflowing of the outpourings of the Godhead that is so poured forth on the man that the poor earthly body cannot endure it For God hath now so brought him in that he is wholly like God and all that is in him is in a hyperphysical manner transformed so that God now worketh all works in the man so that justly he may be called one like God for whosoever should see him aright would see him as God that is by grace for God liveth doth and worketh all in him yea enjoyeâ—h himself in him So on the fourth Sunday after Trinity speaking of prayer he saith the man that would pray must recollect himself and introvert into his inward fund with his mind lifted up and his power streatched forth and with an inward regarding of God's presence and a real desire above all things to do God's will going out from himself and all created things and sincking himself there deeper and deeper in the clarified will of God and this is to pray in the Spirit And againe he tels us the third degree of an inward life is a going over into a God-likness by union of the created Spirit with the essential Spirit of God And this saith he may be called an essential inturning Thereafter speaking of this same mater he saith Then doth God draw the man out of the humane forme into the divine forme and then is he so Godded and so divine that all he is
of experiences yet thâ—y can speak from experience and appositely apply themselves to loose the doubts remove the difficulties that trouble weak consciences and in some measure in the strength of the great Master of Assemblies speak a word to such as are weary But he will say it is not so with all and I will not contradict him in this yet what I have said is sufficient to discover his unfaire dealing in stateing the opposition or comparison here And how shall we beleeve that any or all of the Quaker-Preachers do as he sayes His naked word is no very sure ground of faith to me 6. The maine difference now followeth to be spoken to He supposeth that our Ministers do all without the Spirit and their speakers do all in and by the Spirit As concerning Ours he must know that there are among them who depend upon the Lord in their preparation for preaching seeking by prayer from him what to say that he would lead them to and suggest unto them that mater and purpose which may be most for edification who when afâ—er Meditation and Prayer they have gote something to say give it up unto him that he may give it them to deliver or not as he thinketh good who depend upon Him even for Utterance and Expression who look to him and by faith depend upon Him in the delivery of what they had thought upon less or more that they may be helped to preach with that Faiâ—h Fear Awe Reverence Weightedness of heart Love Zeal and Faithfulness that becometh to his glory and to the edification of the Church who depend upon Him for the blessing knowing that all their words of Perswasion Conviction Rebuke Instruction expostulation and Consolation without the power and blessing of his Spirit concurring and carrying the same in upon the heart will prove ineffectual who receive with thankfulness what he offereth and suggesteth in the time of their preaching and with singleness declare it unto their hearers who often times being called to speak without fore-thoughts go in the strength of the Lord not seeking to commend themselves as able or learned â—en but to commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God And who when they have finished their discourse give up all by faith into the hands of God that He may bless it as He thinketh good in Jesus Christ. He will possibly say That it is not thus with all and I shall readily grant it But will he be saâ—isfied with this and account this spiritual preaching or preaching in the Spirit I suppose he will not be satisfied And then it is not to him sufficient though all should study and preach after this manner 7. Let us therefore a little examine his way He first would have all Study all Meditation all Prayer and wrestling with God in prayer for this with us is a maine part of study preparation laid aside Ministers going to the Assembly as naked and void of all knowledg of spiritual matters as if they had never heard of any such thing Then being Tabulae rasae they must introvert unto that Grace or Gift which is in them there receive their Call their Furniture their Preparation both in matter words whether with a text or place of Scripture whereupon to ground their discourse or to explaine and clear up or without any such passage as that inward teacher will Lastly when they are thus called and fitted by this thing within then they speak in the Spirit are acted by the Spirit But now to canvass this not mentioning that which was spoken to before to wit that by their way all are alike preachers and none must speak but such as are thus acted by the Spirit and all thus called and prompted may and must I shall propose these things to the Readers consideration 1. This Gift and Grace within is as we saw above no singular thing it is common to all men and women breathing to Turks and Pagans as well as to Christian Ministers And therefore can have no affinity with the Spiritual gifts which Christ giveth unto his Church and endueth his messengers with all that they may be enabled for the work of the ministry and for building up of his house nor hath it any affinity with the special and saving grace of God which Christ hath purchased for and bestoweth upon his redemed oâ—es For neither of these are common to all the children of men as the whole Scripture declareth far less can it have any affinity with the Spirit of God which Liveth Abideth and Worketh in the Justified Adopted and Sanctified children of God It can therefore be nothing else than the relicques of nature the natural light and natural Conscience which God hath left in every man So that all the qualifications which the Quaker Preachers have and seek for are but what a Pagan may have that hath a Natural Conscience and the Light of Common notions concerning a God-head and equity and right among men This dim darkened and now malignant light is the Magazine and Storehouse of all their Enduements and Qualifications this is the sole fountaine and spring of all their furniture sufficient I am sure for none but for Pagan-Preachers 2. Their Introverting unto this to consult this Goddess as the Pagans did turne-in to the Cels of Apollos to receive the Oracles hath a more diabolick aspect for what can it be that they would thus consult after they have unmanned themselves or laid aside all motions of Soul and Minde which is not natural nor practicable without diabolick assistance if it be as he saith but some Spirit And what Spirit can we suppose to be in Pagans and every Son of Adam before grace come and make a change but the God of this world 2 Cor. 4 4. the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2 3. and that strong man that keepeth the house Is it not then manifest that this introverting must be a real consulting with or giving themselves up unto the instructions and directions of this Prince of darkness If he say that they are Regenerated and so under the power and direction of the Spirit of God I Answere I have seen and considered what he saith upon this and have found that it is nothing but the operation of pure Nature wrought by the strength of corrupt and wicked Nature that is an enemy to the Gospel and to all the wayes of God and if this hath not been sufficiently evidenced above the Reader is free to judge And if nature and this Prince of darkness who hath now a soveraignity over all the unrenewed Sones of Adam can or will destroy the works of Satan and of Nature and embrace the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ according to the Gospel let all who understand and believe the Gospel judge 3. This Spirit then which acteth and moâ—eth them or in them can be
workings of the Prince of darkness tickling their fanciâ—s and complying with their blinded minds and corrupt humores and hereby draw strength and confirmation to their abominable errours and practices and are more deeply rooted and fixed in the same howbeit contrary to the divine light of the Word of God to the very light of Nature and pure Reason and to all the true experiences of the holy and upright walkers with God and are more fortified and animated in their rage and opposition to all the wayes of God And sure I am the Saints of God though they will not with such a pharisaical froathy ostentation talk of their enjoyments as these wicked deceivers do on all occasions to set forward the desperat designes of the Devil in them and by them yet know what rich incomes of Joy unspeakable and full of glory of Strength and Encouragment in the wayes of the Lord of Peace Serenity of soul of Light and Consolation satisfying all their desires and making their souls to run over and all this in compliance and harmony with the word for a verification and accomplisment of the rich promises of the New Covenant ordered in all things and sure and confirmation of the truth and reality of the workings of the grace of God in their soul whereâ—y they were to their owne feeling sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory they have had in this Ordinance Melting their hearts with true tenderness and godly sorrow and Kniting their souls more firmly in love to God in Christ and Engaging them to run the wayes of the Lord with all chearfulness enlargedness of heart and delectaâ—ion and to Strive against the enemies of the glory of God and of their salvation whether within or without with more courage alacrity and resolution of soul So that I am perswaded they will upon this very account detest and abominate tâ—ese co-workers with Satan and finde themselves called of God for his glory their owne security to remove far from their tents who drive such a desperate and hellish designe against heaven and against all the Interests of Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour 4. These desperate Despisers of the goodness and condescensions of love malacious Opposers of all the wayes of God in manifest mockage substitute our ordinary repasts in the room of this soul-feeding Ordinance for thus speaketh that blasphemous wretch Ia. Nayler in his love to the lost Pag 45. as Mr Stalham citeth him in his book for the sake of such who are lost in this thing troubled in mind concerning it what I have received of the Lord that I shall declare unto you which all shall witness to which come to partake thereof as the truth is in Iesus Christ. If you intend to sup with the Lord or shew the Lord's death till he come let your eating and drinking so oft as you do it be in remembrance of him and in his fear that at death you may witness to the lust and excess c. And Pag. 43. he said this was to be done at all seasons when they eat and drank and Pag. â—4 that the Lord commanded his disciples in eating and drinking to shew forth his death till he come to avoide excess and becomeing reprobats in the faith Is not tâ—is a sufficient discovery of the Spirit that acteth them 5 Let us now come to examine what this our Quaker saith in this matter and passing his intrade wherein after his manner he upbraideth all with their ignorance of this mystery as if they only were admitted to the secrets of God and acquanted with the mysteries hid from all the generations of the Christian Châ—rch we come to the answere he giveth to that question what is that body which we eat and that blood which we drink which is this Pag. 288. It is sayes he That celestial seed that divine and spiritual substance of which we spoke Thes. 5. 6. that vehicle or spiritual body of Christ whereby he communicateth life and salvation to all that believe in and receive him by which also man obtaineth communion with God To which we need say nothâ—ng here having fully discovered above Chap. X. what this Seed Substance and Vehicle is in their judgment to wit nothing but what is in every Son of Adam as he comâ—th into the world the dimme light of a natural conscience and of a reasonable soul having some dark notions of a God and of some principles of morality without the least imagination or apprehension of any of the wayes of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel yea which hath a native and inbred enmity at and antipathy against the mysteries of love and grace manifested in the Gospel This this is the Quakers Christ the Food of their souls the Substance whereupon they feed this is all that true bread which they have to eat And while he calleth it a substance he joyneth with the old Heracleonites who said thâ—t man was composed of a Body of a Soul and of a third Substance And the hearkning unto and believing this Natural thing which is in all â—eathens and Pagans receiving its light is all their Feast and all the meanes of Communion which they have or expect to have with God so that it is sufficiently manifest that the hieght of their Religion is moralized Paganisme And yet he dar say that â—his is confirmed Iohn 6. from v. 32. to the end And thereby give us to understand that they acknowledge no other true bread which the Father giveth from heaven but this which all Turks and Pagans have This is their Jesus and their Bread of God that came down from heaven and this is the only thing that giveth them life so that they shall never hunger nor thirst They are given of the Father to this thing and by this will they be raised up at the last day when they hearken to this then they are taught of God and have learned of the Father according to the writings of the Prophets yea if they but believe this they have everlasting life for this is their Bread of life whereof if they eat they shall not die but live forever this is with them the flesh that was given for the life of the world this is all the flesh they eat and all the blood they drink and thus they dwell in Christ and Christ in them O what a desperate delusion is this What a wonder is it that men who believe they have immortal souls and have ever heard of the Gospel dar thus speak and metamorphose the whole Gospel into pure Paganisme This sure must be a more than ordinary judicial stroke of blindness delusion of a reprobat minde and of a perverse Spirit with which these men are manifestly plagued and the Devil must have an extraordinary power in them and over them acting and driveing them
who could not understand these questions and this will justifie him in persecuting the Christians for he acted according to his knowledge Ans. 1. And are there not many questions in moral things as our Quaker calleth all civil maters that are hard and difficile for every Magistrate Shall he therefore be no Magistrate having power to judge in any particular who cannot understand all the intrigus of every question and controversie See Deut. 17 12. If this argument hold many commands must be laid by as that given to every Master of a family 2 Ioh. 10. and these 1 Cor. 5 11. Rom. 16 17 18. and the like for every person is not sufficiently qualified in these maters 2. Though Nero be here included Yet he alone is not here understood and so though he being an heathen was not qualified to judge hereticks in Christianity Christian Magistrates being qualified may judge and should judge such evil doers Magistrates as such have power to judge evil doers some Magistrates in particular cannot judge of some particular evil doers Yet others who can may and ought Fathers as Fathers are to teach and instruct their children Gen. 18 18 19. Exod. 12 26 27. Ephes. 6 4. 2 Tim. 3 14 15. Prov. 4 3 4 5. Yet heathen Fathers cannot teach Gospel doctrine shall therefore Christian Fathers be exeemed from this duty It followeth not 3. Hence no ground to justifie Nero in persecuting the truth no more then for an ignorant Magistrate to kill an innocent man as guilty of murther because he so judged through want of understanding 15. He adduceth next Gal. 5 12. And tels us that it proveth no more than that such should be cut off from the Church by excommunication Ans. I shall urge it no further as also that Revel 2 20. When it is said that heresie is reckoned among the works of the flesh Gal. 5 19. He tels us Pag. 321. that Magistrates may not punish all the works of the flesh as hypocrisie anger envy hatred And we grant this Yet heresie is a work of the flesh that is open and apparent can be proven by witnesses and evidences but these latent evils cannot as neither can heresie that is latent in the heart but then it cannot be called properly heresie But he saith that heresie falleth not under the Magistrates authority as long as it breaketh not forth to the hurt of humane society but only abideth within these duties of doctrine and worshipe that stand immediatly betwixt God and men Yet if these duties of doctrine and worshipe wherein this heresie consisteth appear openly and how opinions lying in the heart can be called doctrines and worshipe I see not they tend to the hurt of humane society as being of an infecting nature and a God-provoking evil and so being tolerated or connived at become the evil and guilt of the whole society before God and render all obnoxious to his wrath who are not in their places and stations seeking to root it out 16. Passing all the rest of our Arguments he cometh Pag. 322. § 4. to tell us that this compulsion of conscience is contrare to sound reason and to the Law of Nature And in this he beateth the aire for we speak not of such a compulsion as he imagineth We know as well as he that the intellect cannot be forced but we are speaking of outward actions and words spoken by the tongue which can be suppressed and which if not suppressed are noxious and hurtful We know the Maâ—istrates sword cannot convert yet it can drive away ravenous Wolves and punish evil deeds We know the civil Sword cannot make sincere Professours Yet it can keep persons from blaspheming God and his Truth If to make Lawes for preserving of Religion were against the Law of Nature how came it that Heathens that had no other light did make such Lawes as Historians witness such as Plutarch Livie Iustin Diogenes Laertius Caelius Diodorus Siculus Herodotus Xenophon and others Seneca de Benefic Lib. 3. C. 6. is express for this saying Violatarum religionum aliubi atque aliubi diversa poena est sed ubique aliqua And all this way of argueing will take away the Church censures which yet he hath granted for they cannot truely convert but rather make hypocrites and then let this man answere all his owne Arguments He inferreth Pag. 323. this absurdity That Christ was deficient in not useing Legions of Angels to defend his Church But how this will follow upon our Assertion I desire him to show He maâ— with more coloure say that if God hath given power to Magistrates to punish civil crimes he should be deficient to humane society in not making all Magistrates wise as Angels to understand the mysterie of all questions But it becometh us to adore and not call God to our bar The next absurdity which he mentioneth hath bin spoke to already for our doctrine giveth no countenance to persecution for righteousness sake and he might hence as well argue that Magistrates might not punish murtherers because hereby they teach Murtherers to pursue them when they have power in their hand Nor doth our doctrine give ground to say that as heathens persecuted Christians with fire and Sword Christians when they have power should deal so with heathens So that all that which he saith Pag. 323 324. is to no purpose Because men in power abuse their authority to suppress truth it will never follow that Magistrates should not use their power to suppress wickedness and Errour that eateth as doth a Canker So an heretical Church may excommunicate an Orthodox person yet he himself will not hence inferre that an orthodox Church may not cast out of their fellowshipe an heretical person as we saw above 17. The sayings of some Fathers which he adduceth Pag. 325. 3â—6 are to no purpose for we willingly grant that Christianity is not to be propagated by Fire and Sword and that ministers ought not to use violence And none of these Fathers say that Christian Professours should not be punished by Christian Magistrates when they openly practise false worship and seduce others by errour and heresie openly vented and preached And what they wrote was against the persecution that heathens exercised against Christians or what the wicked Arians used against the orthodox And though Augustine spoke sometimes after this manner yet he retracted it Retract Lib. 2. C. 5. and declared that Donatists were to be punished by the Magistrate And our Quaker might as well inferre that because a Magistrate cannot make persons abstaine from theft murther and other wickedneses in a Christian manner but at most hypocritically thâ—refore he cannot he may not punish murtherers theeves and the like What he citeth out of Luther Pag. 327. will make as much against his owne concession viâ— that Churches may exclude erroneous persons as against us What he saith of Calvines procureing the death of that blasphemer Servetus is sufficiently answered by Calvin anâ—
as he saith Pag. 334. for howbeit we love not to place too much of Religion in the outward garb nor think that people should affect to be singular therein and too pharisaically make a proclamation of their being such or such persons as if the outward vestment could make the man a Christian of such or such a magnitude nor like we such clothes of distinction as the Popish Orders have knowing how much Superstitious vanity moveth thereunto and worketh under it Yet we as much hate and abhore that prodigious abuse that so much aboundeth this day and provoketh the Lord to anger as he can We know Christianity requireth all Gravity Sobriety Modesty and Moderation and howbeit distinction of Qualities Conditions and Offices will admit a distinction of apparel both for mater and fashion Yet in all there ought to be gravity and modesty studied and followed we remember as well as he and presse the following of that word of the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 2 9 10. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered haire or pearls or costly aray but which becometh women professing godliness with good works And of that of Peter 1 Pet. 3 3 4. whose adorning let it not be that outward of plaiting the haire and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel but the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Yet we dar not say that it is sinful to wear any thing more than what is simply necessary for covering of nakedness and keeping from cold knowing that there is an Ornament allowed that suiteth with Gravity Shamefastness and Sobriety according to the various conditions and qualities of Persons though notwithstanding we would have no offence given in things indifferent nor any just cause of stumbling either to one or other but do rather desire that persons would keep within that measure which their condition and the custome of the place would allow than that their good should be evel spoken of and Christianity fall under a reproach And as to Ribbens Laces and the like which it seemeth he inveigheth most against though we could well desire that they were utterly in disuse where any ground of offence is given thereby and willingly confess that both as to these and several other things there is too much Vanity Lightness and Prodigality obvious and apparent Yet we dar not simply condemne all the use of such things as sinful and repugnant to Christianity And we suppose there may lurk as much real Pride Vanity and Conceite under a garb outwardly modest and free of those toyes as sometimes will do under a garb accompanied with them As for this Comoedies he may know that some who are no Quakers have said as much and more against them than he hath done or can do And yet we dar not simply condemne the use of all lawful and sinless Recreations the use whereof with Christian moderation and sobriety may be useful if not necessary to some bodies a mean to fit them for more noble service and work 2. Having thus dispatched these things and having now considered all the parts and pieces of the Quakers Profession held forth by this their Advocat and Patron in the forgoing Theses and their Vindication we come now in the last place to speak to that which I look upon as their proper and peculiar characteristick as that which really differenceth them from all other hereticks schismaticks or erroneous persons that have appeared to this day in the Christian world so far as I can yet learne Hither til I have met with nothing in all their Opinions and Practices which he is pleased here to lay before us as owned by them and defended by him except their Quaking which groundeth their denomination and wâ—ich assimilateth them more unto the old heathenish Consulters of the Devil than to Christians which hath not been asserted and maintained by others who have been condemned upon that account by the Church of Christ before the generation of Quakers were ever heard of as I have showne all alongs Only I must confess that in this they are also singular That before them there was never a Seck heard of that owneâ— and maintained such a full and compleat body of errour and heresie and gave forth such a perfect systeme of devilish doctrine tending to the overthrow and destruction of all Christianity and true Divinity and to the propagating and strengthening of the Kingdom of darkness as the Seck of the Quakers hath done whose maine intent or the Devil 's in them seemeâ—h to have been to gather together in one masse all the errours and abominable opinions formerly scattereâ— up and down the Christian world through all ages and vented by several persons raised up by Satan for that effect which might contribute any thing to the utter extirpation of Christianity and of all true Religion so that what the Devil could not effectuat by Arrians Pelagians Socinians Papists Arminians Anabaptists Familists Enthusiasts Antiscripturists Munsâ—erians David Georgians Manichees Antitrinitarians Montanists Donatists Heracleonites Ascothyptae Messalians Swenckfeldians Carpocratians Valentinians Gnosimachians Priscillianists Marcionites Tertullianists Mareites Quintinus Simon Magus Menander Saturninus Basilides and others not a few he thinketh now to accomplish by these Miserable Quakers who have gathered together in one cloud what these severally and in pieces did vent and propagate to darken the truth of God But we are confident that the Lord who hath appeared against and broken the scattered forces shall while rallyed and combined together in one and in their fullest strength beat them out of the fields consume them with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy them with the brightness of his coming 3. Beside this wicked composition which sufficiently discriminateth them from all who have formerly troubled the Church of Christ they must have something peculiar to themselves which as an open badge must be owned and avowed by them and this must also be such a Cognizance as may discover them to all onlookers to be the men and women of such a profeâ—sion And this consisteth in their denying of all outward civil honour and respect all significations thereof to any person whatsomever not only their Equals but their Superiours whether in higher or lower degree for when they passe by any how high so ever or compear before any Judge or Magistrate they will not so much as signifie their respect by uncovering of their head as if they were all Turks or brought up among them or so many Heathenish Priests who as Plutarch witnesseth used never to take off their cap which was the insigne of the Flamines See Mr Durham on the Revel Pag. 563. And when they are speaking to any even to greatest Personages not only they will not make use of any titles or expressions
not prevaile as to them would returne into our own bosome And besides this migh be the reward of serious wrestling with God on this behalfe that that Devil who drives them at this rate of opposition to his Christ should be seen to be the Devil and so the snare would be broken and the elect preserved from falling in it and the folly of these reprobats concerning the faith these Ianneses and Iambreses who resist the truth and withstand a greater then Moses might be made so manifest to all men as they should proceed no further Secondly I judge this monstruous appearance of men so madded against Christ and the alone way of salvation by him cals aloud to all upon whom the blessed name of Christ is called to fall a weeping and pouring out their hearts before him in the remembrance of the procuring cause whereby the just and holy Lord hath been provoked to let loose such a Spirit and leave so many souls to be seised upon by him as we see O sad sight are become a prey to him in this generation and are taken and held by the cords of their own consent captives of him at his will Alas we may read in this allaruming and wrath-speaking dispensation the high and hot displeasure of God at our sin in not prizeing this glorious Gospel of the Grace of God wherein life and immortalitie is brought to light mens not truthing it in love or receiving the love of the truth mens pleasing themselves with names and pursuing of notions while Christ was not received to dwell in the heart by faith their not departing from iniquitie on whom the name of Christ was called and who seemed to call on his name hath been the bitter root springing up in these spruts of hell whereby the Church is this day troubled so many are defiled with this leprosie and soul-destroying contagion This this is that root which hath brought forth these cursed fruits Because after all the pains he had been at to reforme his Church and setle pure ordinances amongst us Yet our scum remained in us and there were so few who made it their work to walk worthie of the Lord to all pleasing and to render unto him according to the benefite received therefore he suffered Abaddon to plant that vine of Sodom within the pale of his visible Church and in that vineyard on which he had taken so much pains because it brought not forth fruit unto him by whom it was dressed and it hath been most fertil in bringing forth these grapes of gall and bitter clusters and he hath conduced many trafficquers for him which he could not have found without the pale of the visible Church nay which he could not have found in any Church but in a Church on which so much pains had been taken and wherein ordinances had been setled in such puritie to tread these grapes of gall and vend this wine to poor souls which is the poison of Dragons and the cruel venome of Aspes and they are hell-busie for he must run whom such a Devil drives though it be down a steep place as is manifest in this Barclay and his complices who are long breathed in compassing sea and land to proselyt poor souls and poison them beyond the power of an Antidot for then mercy it self is engaged to destroy them by their trampleing under foot that blood of the Covenant whereby the blessed surtie was sanctified or whereby he sanctified seperat and set himself a part for their sakes for whom he became a propitiation I say we are to remember the peccant and procureing cause of all this Alas how may many remember their laughing at the first appearance of this prodigie and making light of the matter with shame and confusion of face How may they under the conviction of their guilt in this matter go groaning to their graves O will it not be an indelible marke of infamie and an evidence that we knew not the signes of the times and what they called us to do Will it not be a reproach never to be rolled away from this generation that one day upon the Devils appearance in this shape to destroy the all of Christianitie at once was not set apart in all the Churches of Brittan and Ireland to weep before the Lord Yea day after day by common consent Shall the posteritie heare that this was not done and yet heare that we were alive when cursed Naylour whose name and notions will be for a curse to all that love the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for ever appeared upon the stage Shall it be recorded how in his Bristol-road and what followed upon it he out-did the very Devil and also heare that what was acted against Christ the Lord did not put us all to cry upon our knees and weep day and night before him and here by the way give me leave to insert a Parenthesis this unhappie Author R. Barclay boasts in his Vniversal love that they have not the name of any particular person called upon them as other sects so he calls them have I shall not here tell him what of untruth is in this vain boast for whose name is called upon the Antinomians c. nor shall I suggest the difficultie a person of as happie an ingine and invention as he tells us he is would have found if he had set himself to essay the designeing of them by a particular name seing they have monpolized and soudred into one masse all the most damnable heresies ever came out of hell and so in their Camp are congregat and mustered against Christ all particular heresies whereby under several Leaders the Saviour hath been opposed from the beginning But this I 'le say and confesâ—e unto him there was a wrong done them that they were not called Naylorists i. e. the most perfect audacious opposers of Christ that ever the Devil brought on the stage and that their doctrine instead of Quakerisme was not called Naylorisme i. e. the purest blasphemie against Christ that ever any of Abbadon's brood belched forth And therefore hereafter I shall since they are his very spawn and as like him as if he had spitted them out of his mouth doe them that piece of justice as to designe them Naylorists i. e. Blasphemers of Christ for the Devil should have his due may not the very caul of our heart be rent in this reflexion Gracious Hezekiahs zeal and I dar say upon a lesse clamant emergent and a lesse crimson blasphemie will rise up in judgement against the luke warmnesse of this generation and our liveing in such a day and not lamenting before the Lord will witnesse that we had outlived our zeal and be too plain a proof that our holy fire was gone out since our heart did not boile over at our eye on the seeing and hearing of such a thing Oh if at last we would awake and weep that we had been a sleep while Satan was so busie in
the same Law written in their hearts which the Heathens had and something more revealed to them in the Gospel What he citeth in the words following out of Iustin. Martyr Clem. Alexand. and Augustine I am not in case at present to consider only I see not what Augustines saying he read in some Platonicks books some words of Ioh. 1. can evince seing there were many Platonicks in those dayes who were not utter strangers to what the Evangelists wrote and they could transcribe words and sentences according to their owne phancy And what can follow from hence Supposeth he that thâ— Platonicks spoke by the light within them what the Evangelists spoke as acted by the Infallible Spirit of God Or that it was the same Spirit acting both Quakers I see are great supposers but ill provers And as Bernard said of some who labouring to prove Plato to be a Christian they proved themselves to be heathens so we may say of this Quaker I finde also that Casaubon Exercit. â— in Baron citeth out of that same lib. â—8 c. 47. August de civit Dei out of which our Quaker here citeth some words as for hâ—m a senâ—encâ— of a far contrary import â—hewing us that in no age any did belong to the spiritual Ierusalem but such to whom Christ was revealed And tâ—e said Casaubâ—n addeth a good caveat as to other Fathers speaking of this mater which our Quaker would do well to notice And as for his Arabick book which who have ever seen I know not it is no Canonick Scripture to me And when this Iokdan of whom that book speaketh lived or where he was borne and educated he telleth us not and till he clear us in this he saith nothing for a man trained up in Christianity in his infancy may by providence be cast in some Island and so be separated from all company and enjoy Gods company and be no heathen but a Christian still I think this is not impossible 15. In fine § 28. Pag. 120. resuming what he thinks through a mistake he hath sufficiently proâ—ed he tels us that this is the Gospel and the Christ which is revealed in them and which they must preach Whereby we have a further proof that the Quakers Gospel is pure Paganisme Yet he must cite some words of Augustine Conf. lib. 11. Chap. 9. in favours of this light which he pleadeth for the impertinency of which is discovered by the bare reading of them And he must also cite some words of Buchanan de jure Regni apud Scâ—tos where speaking of that whereby we difference betwixt that which is honest and that which is dishonest he calleth it a divine thing And no wise man will call it a diabolical thing Doth Buchanan call this Christ and the Gospel He was a better Christian than so And hence also we have further confirmation that the Quakers Gospel is the pure light of Nature and so the Quakers are nothing but Pagan-preachers leading poor silly souls from the Gospel away to Paganisme to the blinde light of Nature that is among Pagans Let wise men heed these things and beware of these men called Quakers for this their advocat hath sufficiently discovered to us what they are What he addeth asserting that their ministery is the same with the Apostles Act. 26 18. and that the righteous one of whom Iames speaketh Chap. 5 6. is in every man is but a wicked perverting of the Truâ—h and a prophane abusing of the Scriptures to countenance their diabolical positions and Antievangelick assertions for which if they repent not the Lord will judge them CHAP. XIII Of Justification 1. WE come now to that which hath been by Hereticks principally called into question being one of the chiefe articles of Christian Religion The doctrine of Iustification of a sinner before God which by some hath been accounted and that deservedly one of the greatest questions whereby divine Theology is distinguished from humane philosophie the Gospel from the Law the Church of Christ from Iewes Turks and Pagans and the truely Reformed from Papists Yea Bellarmine with Pighius confess that upon this hinge turne all the controverâ—ies which are agitated betwixt us and them Gerhard the Lutheran saith that this is a Castle and chiefe strength of our wholâ— doctrine Religion that if his truth be darkened adulterated or overturned it is impossible that other heads of doctrine can be keeped pure And Luther himself said that this Article of justification is diligently to be taught and learned for if it be lost we can resist no heresie no false doctrine how ridiculous so ever and vaine whence it cometh to passe that all that hold not this article are either jewes or Turks or Papists or Heretikes And againe if it fall and perish all the knowledge of truth falleth too and perisheth but if it flourish all good things flourish with it Religion True worshipe and the Glory of God The Church of Bohemia in their Confession tels us that this head of doctrine is accounted by them for one of the chiefest and most weighty as being that in which the summe of the Gospel is placed and in which Christianity is founded the precious and most noble treasure of salvation and the only and lively consolation of Christians is contained The matter being thus we have great cause to contend earnestly for the faith in this point once delivered to the Saints And to examine narrowly what this Quaker delivereth as the sentiment of all the Quakers upon this head of doctrine which he delivereth in short in his Seventh Thesis and more largly in his Vindication thereof in his Apology 2. What that is in this matter which the Orthodox maintaine may be seen in their Confessions and disputs against Papists and Others and particularly with great plainness and succinctness in our Confession of Faith first agreed upon at Westminster and thereafter approven by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Chap. XI § 1. in these words Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth Rom. 8 30. 3 24. not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone not by imputing faith it self the act of beleeving nor any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them Rom. 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5 vers 19 21. Rom. 3 22 24 25 27 28. Tit. 3 5 7. Ephes. 1 7. Ier. 23 6. 1 Cor. 1 v. 30 31. Rom. 5 17 18 19. they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by Faith whicâ— faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God Act. 10 44. Gal. 1 16. Phil. 3 9. Act. 13 â—8 39. Ephes. 2 â— 8. Read and ponder what followeth in that Chapter So in the greater Cathechisme Q. 70. What is justification Answ.