kept as a Testimony among them We your Friends and Brethren whom God hath called to Labour and Watch for the Eternal good of your Souls at the time aforesaid being through the Lords good hand who hath Preserved us at Liberty met together in his Name and Fear were by the Operation of the Spirit of Truth brought into a serious Consideration of this present State of the Church of God Which in the day of her return out of the Wilderness hath not oâ—â—â— many Open but some Covert Enâ—mies to Conflict against Who are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and dâ—spise Goverâ—mâ—nt without 〈◊〉 we are seâ—sible our Societies and Fellowship cannot be kept Holy and Inviolable Therefore as God hath put it into our hearts we do Communicate these things following unto you who are turned from Darkness to Light and Profess with us in the Glorious Gospel throughout Nations and Countries Wherein we have Travelled as well for a Testimony against the unruly as to Stablish and Confirm them unto whom it is given to believe the Truth which is unto us very precious as we believe it is also unto you who in Love have received it and understood the Principles and felt the Virtue and Operation of it In which our Spirits breath that we all may be preserved untill we have well finished our Course and Testimony to the Honour and Glory of our Lord God who is over all blessed for ever 1. We having a true sence of the Working of the Spirit which under a Profession of Truth leads into a Division from and Exaltation above the Body of Friends who never revolted nor degenerated from their Principles into marks of Separation from the Constant Practice of good and antient Friends who are found in the Faith once delivered to us And also into a slight esteem of their Declarations or Preaching who have and do approve themselves as the Ministers of Christ and of the Meetings of the Lords People whereby and wherein Friends are and often have been Preciously revived and refreshed And under Pretence of keeping down Man and Forms doing down the Ministry and Meeting or Encourage those that do the same We say The Lord giving us to see not only the Working of that Spirit and those that are joined to it that bring forth these ungrateful fruits but also the â—vil Consequents and Effects of it which are of no less Importance than absolutely tending to destroy the work of God and lay wast his Heritage We do unanimously being thereto encouraged by the Lord whose Presence is with us declares and testifie That neither that Spirit nor such as are joyned to it ought to have any Dominion Office or Rule in the Church of Christ Jesus whereof the Holy Spirit that was poured forth upon us hath made us Members and Overseers Neither ought they to act or order the affairs of the same But are rather to be kept under with the Power of God till they have an Eâ—r opâ—n to Instruction and come into Subjection to the Witness of God of the encrease of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no end 2. We do declare and testifie That that Spirit and those that are joined to it who stand not in unity with the Ministry and Body of Friends that are constant and stedfast to the Lord and to his unchangeable Truth which we have receiv'd and are witnesses of and Ambassadors have not any true Spiritual Right or gospel-Gospel-Authority to be Judges in the Church and as the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ so as to Condemn you and their Ministry Neither ought their Judgment to be any more regarded by Friends than the Judgment of other Opposers who are without For of Right the Elders and Members of the Church which keep their Habitation in the Truth ought to Judge matters and things that differ and their Judgment which is so given therein ought to stand good and valued among Friends which though it be kickt against and disapproved by them who have degenerated as aforesaid And we do further declare and testifie That it is abominable Pride which goeth before Destruction that so puffs up the mind of any particular that he Will not admit of any judgement to take place against him For he that is not justifyed by the Witness of God in Friends is condemn by it in himself though being hardned he may boast over it in a false Confidence 3. If any Difference arise in the Church or amongst them that profess themselves Members thereof We do declare and testifie That the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ have Power without the assent of such as dissent from their Doctrine and Practices to hear and determine the same If any pretend to be of us and in case of Controversie will not admit to be tryed by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their judgment as only the Judgment of Man it being manifested according to Truth and Consistent with the Doctrine of such good antient Friends as have been and are found in the Faith agreeable to the Witness of God in his People then we do testifie in the Name of the Lord if that Judgment so given be risen against and denyed by the party Condemned then he or she and such as so far partake of their Sins as to Countenance and Encourage them therein ought to be rejected and having Err'd from the Truth persisting therein presumptuously are joyned in one with Heathens and Infidels 4. We do declare That if any go abroad hereafter pretending to that Weighty Work and Service who either in Life or Doctrine grieve good Friends that are stedfast in the Truth sound in the Faith so that they are not manifest in their Consciences but disagree to the Witness of God in them Then ought they whatever have been their Gifts to leave them before the Altar and forbear going abroad and Ministring until they are reconciled to the Church and have the Approbation of the Elders and Members of the same And if any that have been so approved of by the Church do afterwards degenerate from the Truth and do that which tendeth to Division and Countenance Wickedness and Faction as some have done then the Church hath a True Spiritual Right and Authority to call such to Examination and if they find sufficient cause for it by good testimony may Judge them unfit for the Work of Gods Ministry whereof they have rendred themselves unworthy and so put a stop to their Proceedings therein And if they Submit not to the Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in his People then ought they Publickly to be declared against and Warning given to the Flock of Christ in their several Meetings to beware of them and to have no fellowship with them that they may be ashamed and Lambs and Babes in Christ preserved 5. And if any man or Woman
again with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven And at this Rate they may say or be any thing Demonstrate though they cannot shew having the Power but not the thing 3. Supposing the Quakers Principles true Miracles are more necessary now than ever For 1. God wrought Miracles to convince Unbelievers and in the Quakers Charity we are no better come you un-Christians saith the curious Pen of Fox William Shewen calls us 2d Quib. p. 66. Pennington concerning peâ—â—ec Prof. Barclay in Q. no Popery p. 106. titular and nominal Christians through his whole Book Christians according to the Letter who are as great Enemies to the Spirit and Power as ever the Jews were Worldly literal Christians both Papists and Protestants now being such Miracles are infinitely necessary to disabuse and to remove us from the Letter into the Spirit a mistaken Christianity being more obstructing and prejudicial than meer Heathenism 2. If Miracles were necessary when the Scriptures were Writ which are a dead Letter a Sealed Book and worse then are they much more necessary when Inspired Expositions thereof are given To allude to T. Ellwoods terms of shell and kernel c. God would not give a Demonstration the shell was his and leave us at a loss whether the kernel was his also if he send Evidences along with the bark rind c. he would do the same much more with the Substance The Apostacy continuing 1548 years we need signs that this is the same Doctrine with the old especially if the Scripture the Repository of that Doctrine cannot be understood without Inspiration there being many Pretenders we need a Sign more at the unsealing than at the sealing of that Book if to receive the Letter much more to understand the Spirit the sence when given as from God needs most of all his Attestation to it for the pretending to give an Inspired Exposition of the Scriptures is more than the bringing new Scriptures and needs greater Attestations as much as the sense is better than the Letter And Thomas Ellwood knows not what he hath but if he have Revelations they must be new ones for Revelation being necessary to understand the Scriptures those Expositions Thomas Ellwood receives must be new the Repetition is the reacting the old but then the Expounding is the conferring new which are not to be found within the Bible 3. The debate being whether or no they be Inspired upon their grounds nothing can end it but the interposing of Gods Power For to say They Witness it is a begging the Question and to credit those Witnessings will expose to delusions to produce Scripture disowned by them as the Rule is improper and concludes nothing being it cannot be understood without Inspiration when produced or if it could still it concludes as equally for any other Pretender as for them 4. He who abrogates a Divine Law must produce greater Authority for so doing than that by which at first it was instituted Thus Christ taking down or altering that way of Worship which had been set up by a Power of Miracles in Moses produced greater Evidences than Moses that he was sent from God And that Quakers do abrogate Christs Commands is evident from slighting his Sacraments c. Thus Shewen concerning Baptism and the Disciples and Apostles having Baptized some proceeds not discerning the times and seasons True Christians Faith p. 79. and the divers Dispensations of God towards mankind since the fall nor perceiving the end of them lays hold of the shadow and figure instead of the Substance c. Allegorizing and abrogating Christs Institutions 5. He who brings a newer and an higher Dispensation must produce visible Evidence for so doing in this indeed the Quakers are much divided Some making theirs a new Dispensation new Heavens and a new Earth Pennin Conc. Persecu Pref. Idem in Faldo Quak. no Chris p. 17. New Law p. 14. the former Dispensation was swallowed up by the breaking forth of a more Lively Dispensation This Fancy runs through the Works of Winstanley the Ministration of the Spirit is now rising up claims its due right by course And having received it from God he thus writeth there are seven Dispensations 1. to Adam 2. the Seed of the Woman from Adam to Abraham Mistery of God p. 21. 3. From Abraham to Moses 4. From him to Christ. 5. God in Christ. 6. God in the Flesh of his Saints as before in Christ which holds till the day of Judgment which is the 7th these he contracts into three Moses New Law p. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 120. Christ the Spirit and as Moses gives way to Christ so that single Body Jesus gives way to the Holy Ghost or spreading Power in Sons and Daughters and this begun in 1648. and every such Dispensation is a full period or term of Time Mistery of God p. 38. 40. Im. Rev. p. 18. p. 49. others makes theirs to be an higher Improvement of the former Dispensation the more Gospel times that were to come in the latter daies A spiritual Ministry a Gospel Ministry a powerful Ministry is come and coming or they would have it a reviving the Dead or a restoring of the former lost Dispensation Universal free Grace 92. Christs Spiritual inward and powerful appearance is now again revealed in this day after the Apostacy but every several way of stating makes it high Howgils Glory of the true Church 32. for the Everlasting Gospel was a thing beyond above and before the Writings of the new Testament and it requires the Spirits owning it before any should entertain it for it is a mighty alteration from a Bodily Christ without to an Invisible one within and if the Man Christ wrought Miracles much more should Christ the Spirit Act. 2.22 the visible Christ was a man approved of God by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of them as they also knew the new Invisible Christ hath nothing to approve him but words and fancyes but either at bringing as Moses at reviving as Elias or at changing as Christ of a Dispensation Miracles were necessary and though John the Baptist wrought no Miracles yet his coming was Prophecyed of by Esaias and Malachy nor did he bring in a new Dispensation only he prepared for it but the Quakers pretending to the highest Dispensation that of Christ in the Spirit which is never to be out-dated are to do greater works than Christ in the Body and Miracles being the Work of the Spirit they being more necessary to it than to the Dispensation of Christ Quakers are to have its Demonstration both to usher in its Dispensation and also to assure us that they are the sole Persons intrusted with the bringing of it But whence had they this Notion there are Presidents enough for what is evil Montanus and Mahomet made use of this Weapon David George took himself for the true Spiritual David sent to Restore the House
him TH. Ellwood representing the Holy Scriptures dark and unintelligible attempts to prove his Immediate Teachings from those dark texts which he saith cannot be understood without Immediate Inspiration and which we deny the having of 't is a manner of proceeding that makes the Scriptures confute themselves and supposeth men fools who must admit that which cannot be understood Yet so far to be understood as to be a proof against it self and no further other proofs of Inspiration are only in this case proper but seeing he hath no Evidences else let us try those Expositions his Spirit gives of some places This Prophecy he confesseth begun to be fulfilled at Pentecost but denyeth that it is yet ended Joel 2.28 p. 270. but Joel foretells not the reacting of old Prophecyes only that after its cessation for many years there should be another more plentifull Effusion of the Spirit then had been before St. Peter an Inspired Interpreter refers it to that very thing the Descent of the Spirit Act. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is that c. in the present tense and dare Thomas Ellwood sence it otherwise Well may they controll Expositions of men when they contradict that of the Spirit if it belong to all than the Papacy had it and Thomas Ellwood will lose his share we being flesh and he Spirit but the Apostle makes that very days Wonder to be the fulfilling of it which he uttered upon receit of the Gift of Tongues before other Miracles were wrought why is not the Spirit as Visible now as in that Chamber in Sion why do Quakers deny Prophecyes Visions Dreams strictly taken and insist for Revelation not there named Joel hath afterwards which Peter adapting to the Jewish State calleth the last days the Scripture sence thereof will clear it that last days refer to some determinate period of time reason will tell us for that last days should signify all time is not possible for the now last are before the succeeding last and each taking his own for the last days nothing could be certain thus H. Nicholas applyed the last days to his Prophecy upon an hundred and twenty years agon New Law p. 11. Glory of Church 8. The Leveller took latter times to support his own fancy Howgil in 1661. called those the last days So did Truth Exalted in 1658. p. 1. but latter days is an Old Testament phrase Gen. 49. 1. Num. 24.14 Isa 2.2 Referring oft to the last days of the Jewish Government within which Christ was to appear but to inlarge last days to all the periods of Christianity is very improper and will leave nothing determinate Thus Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days c. i. e. not in our last which may not be the last by many hundreds but in those last a while before the throwing down of the Jewish inclosure St. Peters last days 2 Pet. 3.3 are followed v. 13. with looking for a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness that refers not to the day of Judgment when we look for no new Earth but to the state of Christianity the Jewish last days being out a new Holy State of Christianity should commence this is that World to come Heb. 2.5 which is not put in Subjection to Angels as the Jewish World was Christ the Everlasting Father Isa 9.6 is the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Period Age World or State which is to be Everlasting never antiquated by any supervening Dispensation These two States of Moses and Christ are conjoyned 1 Cor. 10.11 the ends of the World are come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Apostles the extreams of those two periods met the ends of those two States concentred and concurred So Heb. 9.26 he hath once in the end of the World not of this World Christ is not to die again but at the end of the Jewish World he dyed at the close or shutting up of that State and St. John surviving them all calls it the last hour all flesh refers to Gentiles as well as Jews some of all Ages some of all Sexes c. at the return of the Spirit of Prophecy should be so Inspired If T. Ellwood inlarge this to all he must confute St. Peters Present Tense he must produce visible Proofs of the Spirit as the Apostles did and lastly both as to this and other Texts shew his party to be wholly intrusted with the Revelations therein supposed Ephes 1.17 The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation or the Wisdom and Revelation of the Spirit but Immediate p. 227. instant conferring is not named or if it was it had been sutable to that first Plantation or if you have it at present then we desire Evidences of such before we give Credit but the word either implyes ability of Exposition of the figures of the Old Testament Dr. Ham. Grot. or the foretelling Future things which man cannot find out but the Spirit still reveals to us gradually in Blessing the used means inlightning our minds c. Rom. 8.9 p. 232. All true Believers received and must receive the Spirit but it doth not require of Immediate instant Inspiration but the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption v. 10 13. c. 2 Cor. 4.6 God hath shined in our hearts but it doth not say Immediately p. 232. the Gospel which is outwardly proposed is a Glorious Light when it is inwardly entertained but it was by the Ministry of Paul they received that Light Grot. v. 7. that Treasure being brought them in earthen vessels in the face of Jesus that is by Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Person it is id omne quod sensibus exterioribus percepitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophil p. 233. Gal. 1.16 Thomas Ellwood crowds together several things which are not in that Text but the Apostle shews how he received the Gospel not of man by certain ear Testimony as St. Luke and St. Mark did but from Jesus Christ himself who called him and taught him Act. 9. 22. and 26. In me is either unto me or by me or if in me yet not so as to destroy Christs outward calling and commissionating him p. 233. Ephes 3.3 7. He sets this in the Margin without the Words which concern only the Revelation of that Mystery viz. the taking in the Gentiles to be Fellow heirs v. 6. which Revelation is oft referred to and implyed in Scripture p. 237. 2 Pet. 1.21 Here he makes a wide inference because Prophecy came not by the Will of man c. Therefore the Scriptures must be understood only by the Revealings of the Spirit the Immediate influx of Prophetick light into anothers Soul is of a different nature from my sensing or understanding that Light which he received for if the Prophets could not conceive or write intelligibly what the Spirit spoke no more can Thomas Ellwood for the Spirit was as able to speak