Abundance of the outward Knowledge of Christ and they needed not Preach that to him which he knew therefore was he sensible of the seasonableness of their Advice saying as I am certainly informed by one of the two How good a thing would it be for an old dying Man like me to know that Christ within which ye speak of He bringeth not any thing of weight in his fourth Section as Reply to that which is contained in the 22 th page of my last where I shew We do no ways confound the Light-giver with the Light or enlightning given the Reason alledged here is because we call that Light Jesus Christ wherewith all Men are Enlightened which implieth no more his Consequence than that usual expression that it is the Sun by which we are outwardly Enlightened implies any confounding of the Sun with the Beams Whereas in his last he said There was a certain Light in all men and that as the Remainders of God's Image in him since the Fall in the end of page 24. he explains it to be the Light of Reason and Vnderstanding and thereby makes the Reason of Man all one with Christ and the Spirit which page 10. and 22. he granted to be in Wicked Men as to common Operations After that he laboureth much in this fifth Section to prove That Man retaineth some Good since the Fall he instanceth nothing but the Soul which he saith is Good and Pretious and of great Excellency and Worth and Retains a Similitude to the Image of God as being Spiritual and Immortal W. M's Confusion Where it is observable That he grants the Souls of Wicked and Unconverted Men to be of great Worth and Excellency and yet he denies the Works of the Pure Spirit of God to be of any Worth or Excellency and that because the Soul has a share in them If so be the Souls of Wicked Men are conform'd to the Image of God because they are Spiritual and Immortal then are Devils also conform to the Image of God for they are also Spiritual and Immortal in the same sense that the Souls of Wicked Men are Lastly I desire the Reader may here observe how he hath entirely omitted that part of page 23. of mine where I shew How and in what sense the Light is to be understood or called the Light of Nature and of what Nature Therein clearing us from the Aspersion of Pelagianism By which Omission it may appear how willing these Men are to Calumniate us and apt to pass by that which tends to our Vindication Page 25. Head 5. Sect. 1. He alledgeth We vilifie the Scriptures and that because we confess That the end of our Meeting is not to Read them but to Wait on God adding that therefore we make an opposition betwixt Reading the Scriptures Reading the Scriptures is owned and Waiting on God But as this Conclusion hath no Proof so it is most Inconsequential As if nothing could be distinguished except it were Opposite According to which he might Argue that because Preaching and Praying are not all one therefore they are Opposite That some have been Countenanced of God in Reading the Scriptures is not denied by us and therefore the bringing of it forth against us is wholly Impertinent And whereas he avers That Reading of the Scripture is the means of having the Word of God to dwell richly in us alluding to Col. 3.16 He should have first proved the Word there mentioned to be the Scripture before he had been so hasty to draw his Conclusion His alledging some passages where Christ and others spake upon some words of Scripture saith nothing to the purpose For as I confessed it was sometimes used by them so I told him it was also frequent among us But the Question is Whether their settled Custom of speaking upon a Text be according to Scripture And thereupon I shew him how Christ and his Apostles did Preach without it as Christ Matth. 5. and in many other places And Paul to the Athenians But this of Paul mentioned by me in my last he hath left unanswered And in Answer to 1 Cor. 14 29 30 31. For ye may all Prophesy one by one c. He saith This will not conduce to keep up the successive talking of Quakers Prophesying restricted only to Prophets by W. M. falsly alledging it to be Restricted to the Prophets which he says it will be hard to prove our Preachers to be Adding That it maketh not against their Way because Ministers speak among them two or three Here though in relation to us he Restricts this place to the Prophets yet in relation to himself he doth it not else he must prove their Ministers that so speak to be Prophets as he desires me to do our Preachers Now this he cannot since he says peremptorily page 97. That such a thing is ceased And therefore this may shew how he twinds and wrests the Scripture to make it answer his corrupt Ends. It is a manifest shift to avert the strength of this place where the Order of the Church which is quite contrary to theirs is expresly mentioned To run to the matter of Womens Speaking thereby to make a Digression to a new Debate which hath been largely defended by us and particularly by Margaret Fell in a Book never yet answered And as to the place alledged we have often shewn how it cannot be understood in a rigid Literal sense else it would contradict the same Apostle 1 Cor. 11.5 where he proposeth to Women the Method and Manner of their behaviour in their publick Preaching and Praying The Promise was that the Daughters as well as the Sons should Prophesie Joel 2.28 Acts 2.17 As a second Reason of our vilifying the Scriptures he adds and that by way of derision They will not have the Scripture called their Master's Letter No forsooth their Master's Letter is writ in their hearts c. Answ. Here his Malice hath not only led him foolishly to Deride us but the Apostle yea God himself The Law of God is our Master's Letter For the Law of God is our Master's Letter and this is in our Hearts if we be under the New Covenant Hebr. 8.10 I will put my Law into their minds and write them in their hearts and vers 11. They shall not need every man to teach their neighbour for they shall all know me c. His Argument taken from Christ's writing to the seven Churches of Asia makes nothing against us except he will be so ridiculous to aver that these Churches had no Rule nor Knowledge of their Master's Will before they received that Writing Which if they had it was not there only And this was that Incumbent to be proved for which that Example was brought for the Testimony of Christ through his Servants whether by Word or Writ is dearly owned by us as hath often been declared With the like Impudence he concludes That we bend our strength to Evacuate the Authority
understandings to Assent unto but positively My Words which I have put into thy mouth c. From whence I Argue thus Vpon whomsoever the Spirit remaineth always and putteth words into his mouth him doth the Spirit Teach Immediately Objectively and Continually But The Spirit is always upon the Seed of the Righteous and putteth words into their mouths neither departeth from them Therefore The Spirit teacheth the Righteous Immediately Objectively and Continually Proof 2 Secondly The Nature of the New Covenant is yet more amply expressed Jer. 31.33 which is again repeated and re-asserted by the Apostle Hebr. 8.10 in these words For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel in those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest The Object here is God's Law placed in the Heart and written in the Mind from whence they become God's People and are brought truly to know him The Difference between the Outward and Inward Law In this then is the Law distinguished from the Gospel The Law before was Outward written in Tables of Stone but now it is Inward written in the Heart Of old the People depended upon their Priests for the Knowledge of God but now they have all a Certain and Sensible Knowledge of him concerning which Augustine speaketh well in his Book de Literâ Spiritu from whom Aquinas first of all seems to have taken occasion to move this Question Whether the New Law be a Written Law or an Implanted Law Lex scripta vel Lex indita Which he thus resolves Affirming That the New Law or the Gospel is not properly a Law written as the old was but Lex indita an implanted Law and that the Old Law was written without but the New Law is written within on the Table of the Heart How much then are they deceived who instead of making the Gospel preferrable to the Law have made the Condition of such as are under the Gospel far worse For no doubt it is a far better and more desirable thing to Converse with God Immediately than only Mediately as being a higher and more glorious Dispensation and yet these men acknowledge The Gospel Dispensation more Glorious than that under the Law that many under the Law had Immediate Converse with God whereas they now cry It is Ceased Again Vnder the Law there was the Holy of Holies into which the High-Priest did enter and received the Word of the Lord Immediately from betwixt the Cherubims so that the People could then Certainly know the mind of the Lord But now according to these mens Judgment we are in a far worse Condition having nothing but the Outward Letter of the Scripture to guess and divine from concerning one Verse of which scarce Two can be found to Agree But Jesus Christ hath promised us better things though many are so Unwise as not to believe him even to Guide us by his own Vnerring Spirit and hath rent and removed the Vail whereby not only one and that once a year may enter but All of us at all times have Access unto him as often as we draw near unto him with pure hearts He reveals his Will to us by his Spirit and writes his Laws in our Hearts These things being then thus premised I Argue Where the Law of God is put into the mind and written in the heart there the Object of Faith and Revelation of the Knowledge of God is Inward Immediate and Objective But The Law of God is put into the mind and written in the heart of Every true Christian under the New Covenant Therefore The Object of Faith and Revelation of the Knowledge of God to Every true Christian is Inward Immediate and Objective The Assumption is the express words of Scripture The Proposition then must needs be True except That which is put into the mind and written in the heart were either not Inward not Immediate or not Objective which is most Absurd § XII The Third Argument is from these words of John 1 John 2. Arg. III vers 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you The Anointing recommended as but the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him First This could not be any special 1. Common peculiar or extraordinary Priviledge but that which is Common to all the Saints it being a general Epistle directed to all them of that Age. Secondly The Apostle proposeth this Anointing in them 2. Certain as a more certain Touch-stone for them to discern and try Seducers by even than his own Writings for having in the former verse said that he had Written some things to them concerning such as Seduced them he begins the next Verse But the Anointing c. and ye need not that any man Teach you c. Which infers that having said to them what can be said he Refers them for all to the Inward Anointing which teacheth all things as the most firm constant and certain Bulwark against all Seducers And Lastly That it is a Lasting and Continuing thing 3. Lasting The Anointing which abideth if it had not been to Abide in them it could not have Taught them all things neither Guideth them against all hazzard From which I Argue thus He that hath an Anointing abiding in him which teacheth him all things so that he needs no man to Teach him hath an Inward and Immediate Teacher and hath some things inwardly and immediately Revealed unto him But The Saints have such an Anointing Therefore c. I could prove this Doctrine from many more places of Scripture which for brevities sake I omit And now come to the Second Part of the Proposition where the Objections usually formed against it are Answered Object § XIII The most Usual is That these Revelations are Vncertain Answ. But this bespeaketh much Ignorance in the Opposers for we distinguish betwixt the Thesis and the Hypothesis that is betwixt the Proposition and Supposition For it is one thing to Affirm That the true and undoubted Revelation of God's Spirit is Certain and Infallible and another thing to Affirm That this or that particular Person or People is led infallibly by this Revelation in what they speak or write because they Affirm themselves to be so Led by the Inward and Immediate Revelation of the Spirit The first is only by us Asserted the latter may be called in Question The Question is not Who are or are not so Led but Whether all ought not or may not be so Led The Certainty of the Spirit 's
hereunto we stand there for this Word always proceedeth and doth Eternally proceed from God in and by which the Vnsearchable Wisdom of God and Vnsearchable Counsel and Will Conceived in the Heart of God is Revealed unto us That then the Scripture is not the Principal Ground of Faith and Knowledge as it appears by what is above spoken so it is provided in the latter part of the Proposition which being Reduced to an Argument runs thus That the Certainty and Authority whereof depends upon another and which is received as Truth because of its proceeding from another is not to be accounted the Principal Ground and Origin of all Truth and Knowledge But The Scriptures Authority and Certainty depends upon the Spirit by which they were dictated and the Reason why they were received as Truth is because they proceeded from the Spirit Therefore They are not the Principal Ground of Truth To Confirm this Argument I added the School-Maxime Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Which Maxime though I Confess it doth not hold Vniversally in all things yet in this it both doth and will very well hold as by Applying it as we have above Intimated will appear Neither are they the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners The same Argument will hold as to the other Branch of the Proposition That it is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners thus That which is not the Rule of my Faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners But The Scripture is not nor can it be the Rule of that Faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers Arguments hereafter As to what is Affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Rule it is largely handled in the former Proposition the Sum whereof I shall Subsume in one Argument thus That the Spirit is the Rule If by the Spirit we can only come to the True Knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all Truth and so be Taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Foundation and Ground of all Truth and Knowledge and the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners But the First is True Therefore also the Last Next The very Nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the Only and Chief Rule of Christians else there should be no Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the Nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved Wherein the Law and Gospel differ But besides these which are before-mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ In that the Law being outwardly written brings under Condemnation but hath not Life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the Evil so it being an Inward Powerful thing also gives Power to Obey and delivers from the Evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Glad Tidings The Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the Inward Spiritual Law gives Life for it consists not so much in Words as in Vertue Wherefore such as come to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater Power over their Iniquities than all Outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians Hereunto the Apostle Commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to Outward Laws or Writings but to the Word of Grace which is Inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere Affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed People unto which was not Outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The Principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an Outward Letter nor Law outwardly written and delivered but an Inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But The Letter of the Scripture is Outward of it self a dead thing a meer Declaration of good things but not the Things themselves Therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal Rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide The Scripture not the Rule must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their Circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an Instance in two or three Particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services their being not found in which though the Act be no general positive Duty yet in so far as it may be Required of them is a great Sin to Omit forasmuch as God is zealous of his Glory and every Act of Disobedience to his Will Manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and Inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for Instance Some are Called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith There was a Necessity upon him to preach the Gospel Wo unto me if I preach not If it be Necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same Necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which Necessity as it may be Incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said Object That the Qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these Qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I Answer The Qualifications of a Bishop or Minister Answ. as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in
harder to understand their Expositions than the Things which they go about to Expound what may We say then cosidering those great Heaps of Commentaries since in Ages yet far more Corrupted § VI. In this respect above-mentioned then we have shewn what Service and Vse the Holy Scriptures as managed in and by the Spirit are of to the Church of God wherefore we do account them a Secondary Rule Moreover because they are commonly acknowledged by all The Scriptures a Secondary Rule to have been written by the Dictates of the Holy spirit and that the Errors which may be supposed by the Injury of times to have slipt-in are not such but that there is a sufficient clear Testimony left to all the Essentials of the Christian Faith we do look upon them as the only fit outward Judge of Controversies among Christians and that whatever Doctrine is Contrary unto their Testimony may therefore justly be rejected as False And for our parts we are very willing that all our Doctrines and Practices be Tried by them which we never refused nor ever shall in all Controversies with our Adversaries as the Judge and Test. We shall also be very willing to admit it as a Positive Certain Maxime That whatsoever any do pretending to the Spirit which is Contrary to the Scriptures be accounted and reckoned a Delusion of the Devil For as we never lay claim to the Spirit 's Leadings that we may Cover our selves in any thing that is Evil so we know that as every Evil Contradicts the Scriptures so it doth also the Spirit in the first place from which the Scriptures came and whose Motions can never Contradict one another though they may appear sometimes to be Contradictory to the blind Eye of the natural Man as Paul and James seem to Contradict one another Thus far we have shewn both what we believe and what we believe not concerning the Holy Scriptures hoping we have given them their due place But since they that will needs have them to be the only certain and principal Rule want not some shew of Arguments even from the Scripture it self though it no where call it self so by which they labour to prove their Doctrine I shall briefly lay them down by way of Objections and Answer them before I make an End of this matter Object 1 § VII Their first Objection is usually drawn from Isaiah 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Now this Law Testimony and Word they plead to be the Scriptures To which I Answer That that is to beg the thing in Question and Answ. 1 remains yet Vnproved Nor do I know for what Reason we may not safely Affirm this Law and Word to be Inward But suppose it was Outward it proves not the Case at all for them neither makes it against us For it may be Confessed without any prejudice to our Cause that the Outward Law was more particularly to the Jews a Rule and more principally than to us seeing their Law was Outward and Literal but ours under the New Covenant as hath been already said is expresly Affirmed to be Inward and Spiritual To Try all things by what So that this Scripture is so far from making against us that it makes for us For if the Jews were directed to Try all things by their Law which was without them written in Tables of Stone then if we will have this Advice of the Prophet to reach us we must make it hold Parallel to that Dispensation of the Gospel which we are under So that we are to Try all things in the first place by that Word of Faith which is preached unto us which the Apostle saith is In the heart and by that Law which God hath given us which the Apostle saith also expresly is Written and placed in the Mind Lastly If we look to this place according to the Greek Interpretation of the Septuagint our Adversaries shall have nothing from thence to Carp yea it will favour us much for there it is said That the Law is given us for a help which very well agrees with what is above Asserted Their second Objection is from Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures c. Object 2 Here say they we are commanded by Christ himself to search the Scriptures Answ. 1 I Answer First That the Scriptures ought to be Searched we do not at all deny but are very willing to be Tried by them as hath been above declared But the Question is Whether they be the only and principal Rule which this is so far from proving that it proveth the Contrary for Christ Checks them here for too high an Esteem of the Scriptures and neglecting of him that was to be preferr'd before them and to whom they bore Witness as the following words declare For in them ye think ye have Eternal life Search the Scriptures c. and they are they which testify of me and ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life This shews that while they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures they neglected to come unto Christ to have Life of which the Scriptures bore Witness This Answers well to our purpose since our Adversaries now do also Exalt the Scriptures and think to have Life in them which is no more than to look upon them as the only Principal Rule and Way to Life and yet refuse to come unto the Spirit of which they Testify even the inward Spiritual Law which could give them Life So that the Cause of this People's Ignorance and Vnbelief was not their Want of Respect to the Scriptures which though they knew and had a high Esteem of yet Christ testifies in the former verses that they had neither seen the Father nor heard his Voice at any time neither had his Word abiding in them which had they then had then they had believed in the Son Moreover that place may be taken in the Indicative Mood Ye search the Scriptures which Interpretation the Greek word will bear and so Answ. 2 Pasor translateth it which by the Reproof following seemeth also to be the more genuine Interpretation as Cyrillus long ago hath observed § VIII Their Third Objection is from these words Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Here say they The Beroeans are commended for Searching the Scriptures Object 3 and making them the Rule I Answer That the Scriptures either are the Principal or Only Rule Answ. 1 will not at all from this follow neither will their searching the Scriptures or being Commended for it infer any such thing for we Recommend and Approve the use of them in that respect as much as any yet will it not follow that we Affirm them to be the Principal and Only Rule Secondly It is to
not neither can be understood of Man's Answ. 1 own Nature which is Corrupt and Fall'n but of that Spiritual Nature which proceedeth from the Seed of God in man as it receiveth a new Visitation of God's Love and is quickened by it By what Nature the Gentiles did do the things of the Law which clearly appears by the following words where he saith These not having a Law i. e. outwardly are a Law unto themselves which shews the Work of the Law written in their hearts These Acts of theirs then are an Effect of the Law written in their hearts but the Scripture declareth that the Writing of the Law in the heart is a part yea and a great part too of the New Covenant-Dispensation and so no Consequence nor part of man's Nature Secondly If this Nature here spoken of could be understood of man's own Nature which he hath as he is a Man then would the Apostle Answ. 2 unavoidably Contradict himself since he elsewhere positively declares That the Natural Man discerneth not the things of God nor can Now I hope the Law of God is among the Things of God especially The Natural Man discerneth not c. as it 's written in the heart The Apostle in Chap. 7. of the same Epistle saith vers 12. That the Law is holy just and good and vers 14. That the Law is Spiritual but he is Carnal Now in what respect is he Carnal be as he stands in the Fall Vnregenerate Now what Inconsistency would here be to say that he is Carnal and yet not so of his own Nature seeing it is from his Nature that he is so denominated We see the Apostle Contra-distinguisheth the Law as Spiritual from Man's Nature as Carnal and Sinful Wherefore as Christ saith There can no Grapes be expected from Thistles nor Figs of Thorns Matth. 7 16. so neither can the fulfilling of the Law which is spiritual holy and just be expected from that Nature which is Corrupt Fall'n and Vnregenerate Whence we Conclude with good Reason that the Nature here spoken of by which the Gentiles are said to have done the Things contained in the Law is not the Common Nature of men but that Spiritual Nature The Gentiles Spiritual Nature in doing the Law that ariseth from the Works of the Righteous and Spiritual Law that 's written in the heart I confess they of the other Extream when they are pressed with this Testimony by the Socinians and Pelagians as well as by us when we use this Scripture to shew them how some of the Heathens by the Light of Christ in their heart come to be saved are very far to seek giving this Answer That there were some Relicks of the Heavenly Image left in Adam by which the Heathens could do some good things Which as it is in it self without proof so it Contradicts their own Assertions elsewhere and gives away their Cause For if these Relicks were of force to enable them to fulfil the righteous Law of God it takes away the necessity of Christ's Coming or at least leaves them a Way to be saved without him unless they will say which is worst of all That thô they really fulfilled the righteous Law of God yet God damned them because of the want of that particular Knowledge while he himself withheld all Means of their Coming to him from them But of this hereafter § III. I might also here use another Argument from these words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. where he so positively Excludes the Natural Man from an Vnderstanding in the things of God but because I have spoken of that Scripture in the beginning of the Second Proposition I will here avoid to Repeat what is there mentioned Referring thereunto Yet because the * Socinians exalting the Light of the Natural Man Socinians and others who exalt the Light of the Natural Man or a Natural Light in man do Object against this Scripture I shall Remove it e're I make an end Object They say The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be translated Animal and not Natural else say they it would have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From which they seek to infer That it is only the Animal man and not the Rational that is excluded here from the discerning the things of God Which shift without disputing about the Word is easily Refuted neither is it any wise consistent with the Scope of the place For Answ. 1 First The Animal Life is no other than that which man hath Common with other living Creatures for as he is a meer man he differs no otherwise from beasts than by the Rational Property Now the Apostle deduceth his Argument in the foregoing Verses from this Simile The Animal Man is the same with Natural That as the things of a man cannot be known but by the spirit of a man so the things of God no man knoweth but by the Spirit of God But I hope these men will Confess unto me that the Things of a man are not known by the Animal Spirit only i. e. by that which he hath Common with the Beasts but by the Rational so that it must be the Rational that is here understood Again the Subsumption shews clearly that the Apostle had no such Intent as these mens gloss would make him to have viz. So the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God according to their Judgment he should have said The things of God knoweth no man by his Animal spirit but by his Rational spirit for to say The Spirit of God here spoken of is no other than the Rational Spirit of man would border upon Blasphemy since they are so often contra-distinguished Again going on he saith not that they are rationally but spiritually discerned Answ. 2 Secondly The Apostle throughout this Chapter shews how the Wisdom of man is unfit to Judge of the things of God and Ignorant of them Now I ask these men whether a man be called a Wise man from his Animal Property or from his Rational If from his Rational then it is not only the Animal The Rational Man in the Natural State excluded from discerning the things of God but even the Rational as he is yet in the Natural State which the Apostle Excludes here and whom he Contra-distinguisheth from the Spiritual vers 15. But the spiritual man judgeth all things this cannot be said of any man meerly because Rational or as he is a Man seeing the men of greatest Reason if we may so Esteem men whom the Scripture calls Wise as were the Greeks of old not only may be but often are Enemies to the Kingdom of God while both the Preaching of Christ is said to be Foolishness with the Wise men of this World and the Wisdom of this World is said to be Foolishness with God Now whether it be any ways probable that either these Wise men that are said to account the Gospel Foolishness are only so
called Philosophers that is Lovers of Wisdom They knew this Wisdom was nigh unto them and that the best knowledge of God and Divine Mysteries was by the Inspiration of the Wisdom of God Phocylides Phocylides affirmed That the Word of the Wisdom of God was the best His words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And much more of this kind might be Instanced by which it appears they knew Christ and by his Work working in them were brought from Vnrighteousness to Righteousness and to love that Power by which they felt themselves Redeemed So that as saith the Apostle They shew the work of the Law written in their hearts and did the things contained in the Law and therefore as all doers of the Law are were no doubt Justified and Saved thus by the Power of Christ in them And as this was the Judgment of the Apostle so was it of the primitive Christians Hence Just. Martyr stuck not to call Socrates a Christian saying That all such as lived according to the Divine Word in them Socrates a Christian c. which was in all men were Christians such as Socrates and Heraclitus and others among the Greeks c. That such as live with the Word are Christians without fear or anxiety Clem. Alexand. Clemens Alexandrinus saith Apol. 2. Strom. lib. 1. That this Wisdom or Philosophy was necessary to the Gentiles and was their School-master to lead them unto Christ by which of old the Greeks were Justified Augustin de Civ Dei Nor do I think saith Augustine in his Book of the City of God lib. 18. c. 47. that the Jews dare affirm that none belonged unto God but the Israelites Ludovic Vives Upon which place Ludovicus Vives saith That thus the Gentiles not having a Law were a Law unto themselves and the Light of so living is the Gift of God and proceeds from the Son of whom it is written that he Inlighteneth every man that cometh into the World The Platonists saw the Word in the beginning which was Light Augustine also Testifies in his Confessions l. 7. c. 9. That he had read in the Writings of the Platonists though not in the very same words yet that which by many and multiplied Reasons did perswade that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God this was in the beginning with God by which all things were made and without which nothing was made that was made In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men and the Light shined in the darkness and the darkness did not Comprehend it And albeit the Soul gives Testimony concerning the Light yet it is not the Light but the Word of God for GOD is the true LIGHT which inlightneth every man that cometh into the World and so Repeats to vers 14. of John 1. adding These things have I there read Yea there is a Book translated out of the Arabick which gives an account of one Hai Eben Yokdan Hai Eben Yokdan who without Converse of man living in an Island alone attained to such a profound Knowledge of God as to have Immediate Converse with him and to affirm That the best and most certain Knowledge of God is not that which is attained by Premisses premised and Conclusions deduced but that which is enjoyed by Conjunction of the mind of man with the Supream Intellect The Supream Intellect enjoyed in the Mind of Man after the mind is purified from its Corruptions and is separated from all bodily Images and is gathered into a profound Stilness § XXVIII Seeing then it is by this Inward Gift Grace and Light that both those that have the Gospel preached unto them come to have Jesus brought forth in them and to have the saving and sanctified Vse of all outward Helps and Advantages and also by this same Light that all may come to be saved and that God calls invites and strives with all in a Day and saveth many to whom he hath not seen meet to Convey this outward Knowledge Therefore we having the Experience of the Inward and Powerful Work of this Light in our hearts even Jesus Revealed in us cannot cease to Proclaim the Day of the Lord that it is Arisen in it The Day of the Lord proclaimed crying-out with the Woman of Samaria Come and see One that hath told me all that ever I have done Is not this the Christ That others may come and feel the same in themselves and may know that that little small thing that Reproves them in their hearts however they have despised it and neglected it is nothing less than the Gospel preached in them Christ the Wisdom and Power of God being in and by that Seed seeking to save their Souls Of this Light therefore Augustine speaks in his Confessions lib. 11. c. 9. In this beginning O God! thou madest the Heaven and the Earth in thy Word in thy Son in thy Vertue in thy Wisdom wonderfully saying and wonderfully doing who shall Comprehend it who shall Declare it Augustine Trembled at the In-shinings of the Light unto him and why What is that which shineth-in unto me and smites my heart without hurt at which I both Tremble and am Inflamed I Tremble in so far as I am unlike unto it and I am Inflamed in so far as I am like unto it It is Wisdom which shineth-in unto me and dispelleth my Cloud which had again Cover'd me after I was departed from that darkness and rampier of my punishments And again he saith lib. 10. cap. 27. It is too late that I have loved thee O thou Beautifulness so Ancient and so New late have I loved thee and behold thou wast within and I was without and there was seeking thee thou didst call thou didst cry thou didst break my deafness thou glancedst thou didst shine thou chasedst away my darkness Of this also our Country-man George Buchanan speaketh thus in his Book De Jure Regni apud Scotos Truly Buchanan testifying to the Light I understand no other thing at present than that Light which is divinely Infused into our Souls For when God formed man he not only gave him Eyes to his Body by which he might shun those things that are hurtful to him and follow those things that are profitable but also hath set before his mind as it were a certain Light by which he may discern things that are Vile from things that are Honest Some call this Power Nature others the Law of Nature I truly judge it to be Divine and am perswaded that Nature and Wisdom never say different things Moreover God hath given us a Compend of the Law which in few words comprehends the whole to wit That we should Love Him from our hearts and our Neighbours as our selves And of this Law all the Books of the Holy Scriptures which pertain to the forming of manners contain no other but an Explication This is that Vniversal Evangelical
sometimes fled but to persecute is the Invention and Argument of the Devil which he seeks against all And after he saith In so far as the Arrians banish those that will not subscribe their Decrees they shew that they are contrary to Christians and Friends of the Devil But now O lamentable Hil. contra Aux saith Hilarius it is the Suffrages of the Earth that recommend the Religion of God and Christ is found naked of his Vertue while Ambition must give credit to his Name The Church reproves and fights by Banishments and Prisons and forceth her self to be believed which once was believed because of the Imprisonments and Banishments her self suffered She that once was consecrated by the Terror of her Persecutors depends now upon the Dignity of those that are in her Communion She that once was propagated by her banished Priests now banisheth the Priests And she boasts now that she is loved of the World who could not have been Christ's if she had not been hated of the World The Church saith Hierom was founded by shedding of Blood Hieron Ep. 62. ad The. and by Suffering and not in doing of Hurt The Church increased by Persecutions and was crowned by Martyrdoms Ambrose speaking of Auxentius saith thus Ambr. Ep. 32. tom 3. Whom he viz. Auxentius could not deceive by Discourse he thinks ought to be killed by the Sword making bloody Laws with his Mouth writing them with his Hands and imagining that an Edict can command Faith And the same Ambrose saith That going into France Ambr. epist. 27. he would not communicate with those Bishops that required That Hereticks should be put to Death The Emperour Marcio who assembled the Council of Chalcedon Marc. Ep. ad Archimand c. Mon. Eg. in acta concil Chalced. tom 2. conc gen protests That he would not force nor constrain any one to subscribe the Council of Chalcedon against his Will (a) Hosi epist. ad Constit. apud Ath. in epist. ad solit vit tom 1. Hosius Bishop of Corduba testifies That the Emperour Constans would not constrain any to be Orthodox (b) Hil. l. 1. ad Const. Hilarius saith further That God teacheth rather than exacteth the Knowledge of himself and authorizing his Commandments by the Miracles of his Heavenly Works he wills not that any should confess him with a forced Will c. He is the God of the whole Vniverse he needs not a forced Obedience nor requires a constrained Confession (c) Ambr. comm in Luc. l. 7. Christ saith Ambrose sent his Apostles to sow Faith not to constrain but to teach not to exercise coercive Power but to extoll the Doctrine of Humility (d) Cypr. epist. 62. Hence Cyprian comparing the Old Covenant with the New saith Then were they put to Death with the outward Sword but now the Proud and Contumacious are cut off with the Spiritual Sword by being cast out of the Church And this answers very well that Objection before observed taken from the Practice of the Jews under the Law See saith Tertullian to the Heathens if it be not to contribute to the renown of Irreligion to seek to take away the Liberty of Religion Tertull. Apol. c. 24. and to hinder Men their Choice of God that I may not be admitted to adore whom I will but must be constrained to serve him whom I will not There is none nay not a Man that desires to be adored by any against their Will Id. Apol. cap. 28. And again It 's a thing that easily appears to be unjust to constrain and force Men to sacrifice against their Wills seeing to do the Service of God there is required a willing Heart And again It is an Human Right and Natural Power that every one worship what he esteems Idem ad Scapul c. 2. and one Man's Religion doth not profit nor hurt another Neither is it any piece of Religion to enforce Religion which must be undertaken by Consent and not by Violence seeing that the Sacrifices themselves are not required but from a willing Mind Now how either Papists or Protestants that boast of Antiquity can get by these plain Testimonies let any rational Man judge And indeed I much question if in any one Point owned by them and denied by us they can find all the old Fathers and Writers so exactly unanimous Which shews how contrary all of them judged this to be to the Nature of Christianity and that in the Point of Persecution lay no small part of the Apostacy which from little to more came to that that the Pope upon every small Discontent would Excommunicate Princes absolve their Subjects from obeying them and turn them in and out at his Pleasure Now if Protestants do justly abhor these things among Papists is it not sad that they should do the like themselves A thing that at their first Appearance Luth. lib. de Captivitate Babylon when they were in their Primitive Innocency they did not think on as appears by that Saying of Luther Neither Pope nor Bishop nor any other Man hath Power to oblige a Christian to one Syllable except it be by his own Consent And again I call boldly to Christians that neither Man nor Angel can impose any Law upon them but so far as they will for we are free of all And when he appeared at the Diet of Spiers before the Emperour in a particular Conference he had before the Archbishop of Triers and Joachim Elector of Brandenburgh History of the Council of Trent when there seemed no possibility of agreeing him with his Opposers they asking him What Remedy seemed to him most fit He answered The Counsel that Gamaliel proposed to the Jews to wit That if this Design was of God it would stand if not it would evanish which he said ought to content the Pope He did not say because he was in the Right he ought to be spared For this Counsel supposeth That those that are tolerated may be wrong and yet how soon did the same Luther ere he was well secure himself press the Elector of Saxony to banish poor Carolostadius because he could not in all things submit to his Judgment And certainly it is not without ground reported That it smote Luther to the Heart so that he needed to be comforted when he was informed That Carolostadius in his Letter to his Congregation styled himself A Man banished for Conscience by the Procurement of Martin Luther And since both the Lutherans and Calvinists not admitting one another to Worship in those respective Dominions sheweth how little better they are than either Papists or Arrians in this particular And yet Calvin saith That the Conscience is free from the Power of all Men. If so why then did he cause Castellio to be banish'd because he could not for Conscience-sake believe as he did Calvin Inst. c. 19. sect 14. That God had ordained Men to be damned And Servetus to be
ceased of their own Nature Therefore c. But to this the Answer is easie For John's Baptism was no part of the Gospel-Dispensation as serving only to prepare the way to Christ and he was sent only to Baptize the Jews that Christ might be manifest to Israel Joh. 1.31 And it is called John's Baptism in distinction from that of Christ for some were baptized with it who had not Received the Holy Ghost And that Christ was baptized with Water proveth not its Continuance no more than that he was Circumcised proveth the Continuance of Circumcision That Christ Commanded his Disciples to Baptize with Water we find not and though it were it is but as at that time being under John's Dispensation but unless they can prove that Christ Commanded to Baptize all Nations with Water and that to the End of the World they gain nothing For what was Commanded only as toward the Jews doth not reach us Gentiles and so we need seek no Repeal there not having been any such Command In their answering our Retortion as touching Washing the Feet Washing of Feet and Anointing with Oil c. abolished Anointing the Sick with Oil and Abstaining from Blood and things strangled They say 1. This Retortion hath a damnable tendency for Enthusiasts may arise and plead the same way against the most necessary Truths c. We answer they have no Ground from our Retortion so to do because these things above mentioned are but Figures and such as have no Inward or Intrinsecal Goodness or Righteousness in them as the other things have which are most necessary 2. Whereas they say If these things had been Commanded and never Repealed it were better to admit and observe them than to reject Baptism c. We answer if by Repeal they mean a formal Repeal we deny that it were better for all being but figurative things and such as the inward Law of God writ in our Hearts which is the New Covenant-Dispensation doth not require of us they Cease of their own Nature and carry a virtual Repeal in their Bosome although it be not formally expressed in the Scripture as to every particular The outward Law being changed For all the things of the Ceremonial Law are not one by one particularly Repealed in the New Testament but together in one Body for the Law it self being changed the things required by it if they have no other Law to require them do Cease 3. They say That Christ in washing his Disciples Feet did two things 1. To seal up to his Disciples their part in him 2. He intended to leave them one Example of Humility and it is only this second thing which he commanded to his Disciples to wit that they should perform Acts of Humility one to another But we miss their Proof there altogether that he only Commanded this and not the Washing one anothers Feet in particular yea this Gloss expressly gives the lye to Christ his own Words Joh. 13.14 Ye also ought to wash one anothers Feet where not only an Act of Humility is signified A Spiritual washing of Feet pointed at by Christ. but an Act of Love And also by the outward Washing of the outward Feet is signified how we ought to contribute to Wash one anothers Feet in a spiritual sense that is to say by seasonable Reproofs and Exhortations to help on one another unto the Sanctification of the most-Inferiour Affections that are as it were the Feet And that Christ pointeth at such a Mystery is clear from ver 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet Again they alledge That this Act is put Synecdochically for all other Acts of Humility But admit that it be so this proves nor that this particular Act was not Commanded when Christ Instituted the Breaking of Bread at Supper Among other Ends it had this also to signify the Vnity of Christians and how they ought to love one another shall we therefore say it is Synecdochically put for all Acts of Love but is not particularly Commanded And indeed as Washing of Feet was in use in these hot Countries before that Christ did Wash his Disciples Feet and Commanded it to them so was that in use the Chief in the Family to take Bread and break it and give to every one saying Take Eat This was in use among the Jews before Christ did so as divers Historians relate particularly Paulus Ricius de Coelesti Agricultura Again whereas they say If he had commanded so some would have observed it To this we Answer some yea many did observe it as they grant Ambrose and the Church of Millain did for if they used to do so in the Eastern Countries where there was need for it because the People ordinarily did go barefoot the Christians in that Country would use it the rather that Christ Commanded it Yea it doth appear that it was a most ordinary thing in the Primitive Times from Pauls Words 1 Tim. 5.10 where it is numbered among other Commanded Duties Washing of Feet observed by Christians in the Primitive times If she hath washed the Saints feet If it be said That they used it but not as a Sacrament We Answer we read not of the Word Sacrament in the Scripture It is enough that they used it and were Commanded so to do by Christ And it had a Spiritual Signification as well as those things they call Sacraments It is needless for us to insist more on this particular so as to refute Arguments of their own making which are none of ours wherein they fight with their own Shadow where we leave them and proceed to the other Particulars They tell us That the Command to Anoint the Sick with Oil carries a Repeal in its Bosome so we say doth John's Baptism with Water as preparing the Way to Christ who is now come And so we may return them their Axiom Cessante fine legis cessat obligatio But that Anointing with Oil was only in order to Miraculous Cures they say it without giving any Proof Ja. 5.14 For although it were confessed that it were in order to outward Healing or Curing yet it is clear from the Text that it was not Exclusive of all other things for it is not only promised That he shall be saved but if he have Committed sins they shall be forgiven him And this saving seems rather to be Spiritual than the restoring the Body to Natural Health otherwise it being absolutely promised Anointing with Oil was rather a Spiritual Saving than a Restoring the Body all Sick Persons in the Church should have been always restored to Natural Health and so none should have died And we find Anointing with Oil joined with Prayer yea We are bidden pray one for another that we may be healed Nor is this Ceased but that by the Prayers of the Godly for one that is sick and bodily diseased it pleaseth God at times so to answer them that they are Restored
of outward Help and where the Arm of Flesh had least hand in it as the Children of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt as also Judges c. 5 from ver 16. to the end 2 Kings 6 17 c. and Chapters 7 13. and 19. 35. and in other places To prove That Christ in the 5th of Matth. commands no more than in the Law he referreth to the Writings of their Divines but he might have done this to all he has Written if he judge it sufficient and so have saved himself a great deal of labour since he saith elsewhere All I have written is Confuted long ago How can Men love their Enemies and yet kill and destroy them How Men can Love their Enemies and yet kill and destroy them is more than I can reach but if it were to such as rather suffer than do it do surely more love them and to do so is no Injury to our Selves nor Neighbours when done out of Conscience to God in answering our Duty to whom we must not Regard our own or Neighbours profit And if what I grant of the Lawfulness of Fighting to the present Magistrates and State of Christians be considered it will render all his Arguments superfluous since he confesseth A time will come in which the Prophecy of Isaiah 2 4. Mic. 4 3. will be fulfilled and thinks fit there should be a Praying for the fulfilling of it and what if some believe that as to some there is a beginning already of the fulfilling thereof We do nothing doubt but that of Rev. 16.5 7. which he mentions pag. 522. will in due time be fulfilled but we see no necessity of believing that that will be performed by outward Fighting or that the Saints shall need to draw Carnal Swords or shoot Cannons towards the performing of it When he saith Fighting is from the Corrupt Nature of Man that the Argument of Fighting is not taken from the Corrupt nature of Man pag. 519. he must have forgotten himself since had not Man fall'n and so his nature been corrupted he may infer if he can where there should have been an occasion for Fighting with Carnal Weapons And since he Confesseth That in nothing more than in War is seen the Fruits of Man's Rebellion against God He may thence see how little need Christians have to plead for it As for the Citation out of the Confession of Faith wherewith to fill-up he closeth his Chapter I know not to what purpose he did it since no Man doubts their Faith in this matter ¶ 2. He begins his 30 th Chapter of Oaths with saying We deny their lawfulness that we may destroy all Policy and Government But it must only be the Devil's Government for where the Government of Christ prevails and Men speak Truth there all must Confess there is no need of Oaths and also where the like punishment of Perjury is inflicted for speaking falsly Where Men speak Truth there is no need of Oaths the End of Oaths is obtained and that without breaking Christ's Command Thus according to his own Concession since the Verity may be had as well without an Oath none should be urged to take an Oath But let us see what after a Citation out of their Confession of Faith he saith to Answer Matth. 5 34. and James 5 12. which saith so expresly Swear not at all Swear not at all To this he saith That Christ is only Interpreting the Law and not Adding any thing to it and that it only relates to ordinary discourse but for proof of this he has nothing but an Heap of words asserting the thing To all which till he bring some Scripture-proof there needs no Answer But to oppose Christ's and James's words Swear not at all It is not said Except ye be called before a Judge let him prove this Exception by Scripture next time and therefore till he do so his Affirming over and over again That Christ forbad no more than was forbidden in the Law pag. 525. is to no purpose The Law forbad idle Swearing and Oaths in Communication but Christ's Resumption shews throughout that Chapter some more to be urged to any that understand plain words and will not shut their Eyes That its being said Deut. 6 13. Thou shalt swear by his Name is urged as an Explication or Comprehensive part of Moral Worship I deny and remains for him to prove or that it was more than a Command to the Jews to Swear by the true God that they might not Swear by Idols and till he prove this Arguments founded upon it need no further Answer As for what he addeth N. 8. to prove Swearing not to be of the Devil because commanded of God and afterwards Concluding That my urging against it as being of the Devil is pregnant of Blasphemy because it would infer some of the Ceremonial Laws of God to have their Rise not from the Will of God but from the work of the Devil he sheweth here more Malice than strength of Reason The Bill of Divorcement permitted in the Old Test. because the hardness of their hearts Was not the Command Deut. 24 v. 1. Let him write for her a Bill of Divorcement A part of the Ceremonial Law and yet Christ saith Matth. 19.7 that Moses did this because of the hardness of their Hearts and is not hardness of Heart which gave a Rise to this Command of the Work of the Devil Let him then make the Application and then Answer the Empty Bluster he has made of Blasphemy And doth not what Christ saith of this matter of Divorce Matth. 5 v. 31 32. shew Christ Commanded more there than was Commanded under the Law He confesseth pag. 529. That God cannot be said properly to Swear Albeit some things being ascribed to God makes them not Vnlawful to us yet any things being ascribed to God makes it not Lawful to us when Christ commands the Contrary Christ's and the Apostles Asseverations were not Oaths That Christ's saying Verily Verily is more than Yea and Nay I deny and it remains for him to prove it That the Apostles Asseverations are Oaths he affirms in like manner but proves it not His thinking We in being willing to do as much as the Apostle did do strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel is but an Evidence of his Railing Genius as it doth of his Malice in Catching what follows That the Question is not What Paul or Peter did but what their and our Lord For that is not said by me he hath but said it as believing they did Swear or that their Words were Oaths But the giving not granting it had been so to shew it would not prove this thing now lawful and that Peter and Paul both had their Failings so as all though not in that himself will not deny which is enough to shew their practice in all things is not to be our Rule His 531. page needeth no Answer being but his own Affirmations and Conjectures
No this is Reserved a Secret to be unfolded to the Children of Obedience O Reader Great is the Mystery of Godliness And if the Apostle said it of the Manifestation of the Son of God in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 if that be a Mystery and if a Mystery it is not to be spelt out but by the Revelation of the Spirit how much more is the Work of Regeneration a Mystery that is wholly Inward and Spiritual in its Operation who is sufficient for these things what Doctor what Philosopher what sort of Divine surely none but one of God's making alone that has past through the Degrees of Regeneration which is the Experimental Operative Revelation of the Spirit of God in Man And this Revelation is a Fruit of his Omnipresence He is ever Present his Eye beholds the Evil and the Good Prov. 15.3 Psal. 33.18 1 Chr. 28.9 Psal. 7.9.139.1 9. Pro. 17.10 Ch. 20.12 Psal. 139.7 but in a particular manner is over them that fear him and trust in his Mercy Yea his Eyes are upon the Righteous he searches the Heart and Tryes the Reins and sets Man's Thoughts in Order before him This David knew when he Cried out Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence And why but because he is present as a Reprover an Helper a Comforter and Saviour Which also made the same Royal Penitent and Prophet in his Fifty first Psalm pray Cast me not away from thy Presence Psal. 51.11 12 13. and take not thy Holy Spirit from me This also made him a Preacher to others For if God would but hear his Prayer and Restore to him the Joy of his Salvation and uphold him by his Free Spirit he would teach Transgressors his Ways and Sinners should be Converted unto God Which comes up to all I have said upon this Head that the way to be a Child of God and Minister of his Truth is the Inward Experience of the Revelation of the Spirit and Power of God in the Soul without which David could not open his Mouth for God He else-where tells us how Near God is to his People The Meek will he Guide The Secrets of the Lord are with them that Fear him The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as are of a Contrite Spirit Psal. 25.9 14. Ps. 34.9 18 Ps. 34.8 Ps. 27.10 11. He calls them to Taste and See how good the Lord is to them that fear him This was Revelation with a Witness no less than Two of the Spiritual Senses of the Soul at once And though Father and Mother forsake him God would take him up whom he prayed to Teach him and Lead him in a plain Path And in the Sense of God's Inward Goodness to his Soul in this way of Revelation and Omnipresency he Triumphs thus Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me Ps. 23.4 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Indeed his whole Book of Psalms is a continued Evidence of that Revelation we plead for and he cried he waited for and he Enjoyed who grew so well Acquainted with the Presence of God that he could tell us that in his Presence was Life Ps. 16.11 and at his right hand were pleasures for ever Nor is this to be wondered at by the Professors of Christianity since it is the Covenant God made of Old To which the Prophet Jeremiah gives Testimony That he would put his Law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.31 34. and write it in their Hearts and he would be their God and they should be his People and know him from the least to the greatest To which the Apostle refers in his Epistle to the Hebrews as fulfilled in the Christian Dispensation then on foot Heb. 8.9 10 Joel 2.28 29. Act. 2.16 18. 2 Cor. 6.16 17. So Joel of the pouring out of the Spirit on all Flesh applied by Peter on the Day of Pentecost And Paul to the Corinthians goes yet further and tells them That God in these latter Days will dwell in them and walk in them and therefore Commands them not to touch the Unclean Thing Now if all this can be without Revelation Inspiration Divine Vision and Sensation in the Soul we may Conclude we do not hear see feel taste and smell what we do hear see feel taste and smell every Day I forbear many Scriptures as I in them and they in me He that is with you shall be in you I am with you to the end of the World and that notable Saying of the Apostle When it pleased God to Reveal his son in me Gal. 1.16 I consulted not with Flesh and Blood He grounds his Call Conversion and Ministry upon it and can we now hope for a True and Saving Knowledge or Ministry without it By no means But our Author in this as much as in any of his Tracts acts the Scholar and has not Chosen this Way of Arguing having to do with a Learned Man that he Esteemed and would be Entertained in a more Abstract Way of Arguing Which made me the Freer to express my self in this manner for their sakes that easily submit their Arguments to Scripture-Authority and that Hunger and Thirst after an Inward Enjoyment of that of which so many glorious things are said by the Holy Men of God in Scripture that they may be freed of Objections and savour the Clear and Divine Truth of this Doctrine That they may know Jo. 7.37 39. the Wells are opened now as well as formerly and that Rivers of living Water flow out of the Bellies of true Believers now as well as then which Christ spake of meaning the Spirit that should flow in and out of those that believed in him And Reader if thou wilt be a Witness hereof despise not the Day of small things Embrace the Talent that is given thee Zach. 4.10 follow the Reproofs and Teachings of it Wait upon it for Power to Enable thee to Overcome what it Condemns And if thou wilt Abstract thy self from the World and the Distracting Impressions and Idea's of it into a true Silence or Inactivity and Quietness of Mind believe me thou wilt find the Heavenly Potter will Mould and Form his Clay and work in thee mightily to Will and to Do For before Life is Death and before an Active a Passive Life Remember these things and Almighty God give thee an Experimental Understanding of them to his Glory and thy Comfort here and for Ever Thus Reader am I come to the End of this Preface and thou to the Begining of this Author's Volume Read with Consideration be not hasty to Judge what at first may not please thee but be Ready to Practise what thou likest That Knowledge through Obedience may Increase and GOD the great Author of all Good through his poor Instruments may have his Glory who is Worthy for ever Amen ACCORDING to that True and
know that then your Juglings about them would be made manifest But indeed we are far from desiring People to heed your false Glosses and Commentaries upon them whereby ye darken them rather than interpret them Thirdly thou sayst When you want an inward Command to a Duty I trow the outward Command of the Scripture is not regarded Answ. Here thou writest as one unacquainted with the Law and New Covenant writ in the heart the inward Command is never wanting in the due season to any Duty as it is waited for and the outward Testimony or Signification of the Command we regard in its place Is it not a regarding the outward to mind the inward Vnction and Spirit to which it directs which inward teacheth all things and leadeth into all Truth 1 John 2.27 1 Cor. 14.15 John 16.13 yea do not such more regard the outward than they who under a pretence of an outward Command do run about these things in their own natural Will and Spirit neglecting to wait upon the Lord for the leading and help of his Spirit Thy comparing us to Servants who will not be moved to work by their Master's Letter c. is vain and ridiculous nor doth it reach us for our Master's Letter is writ in our Hearts and there we are to find it Neither is our Master separated from us as those Masters are who use to write Letters to Servants to set them on work while they are absent and cannot help them by their presence for our Master is always with us and he requires us to do all our works by his immediate Counsel Direction and Assistance as present with us and in us And that Nature we witness brought forth in us which does not shift his Will but delight in it to do it and know it whether told us by a lively Voice or by any other inward signification of his Spirit Fourthly And because thou art ignorant of that great Duty of waiting upon the Lord in silence out of all thy own Thoughts and Words and art trampling it under foot thou lookest upon it as mis-spent time or a meer looking upon the ground whereas if ever thou comest to know the Scriptures aright or to confer aright concerning them so as to profit thou must first come to that silence thou now so much despisest So that these things very well consist though the World may judge otherways whom thou wilt have to be Judges in the Case but in the Judgment of those who are redeemed out of the World we shall be found to put the Scriptures in their true place Thou canst not but smile thou sayst that a man of understanding should grant the Scriptures to be a declaration of God's Mind and yet deny them to be God's Word for what is a Word but a declaration of ones Mind Answ. Here thy lightness appears which darkens thy Understanding If thou must needs smile do it at thy impertinent Reason For though a man's Word be the declaration of his Mind yet every declaration of his Mind is not his Word for Signs may be a declaration of a man's Mind without his Word and People usually distinguish betwixt a man's Word and his Writ And so though the Scripture be a declaration of God's Mind yet it is not his Word properly nor can those Properties which are declared of the Word belong to the Scriptures as hath oft been demonstrated but to that inward and living Word as it doth declare it self whether in the Heart or in the Mouth The Word of God is like unto himself Spiritual yea Spirit and Life and therefore cannot be heard or read with the Natural External Senses as the Scriptures can nor does the Scriptures cited by thee as Hosea 1.1 Joel 1.1 Isaiah 38.4 Jeremiah 14.1 prove thy intent For that Word which came unto the Prophetâ—s was that from which the Scriptures were given forth which Word you confess was immediate from God but you say It is ceased to come now And did not all the Prophets prophesy from Christ the Word Thou mightest as well reason thus That when it is said the Spirit of the Lord came upon such a one or to such a one that therefore the Scripture is the Spirit and so deny all Spirit but that which is the Scripture as some do in other Sects calling the Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists the Spirit and denying the necessity of any other thing which is abominable deceit and wresting of Scripture And that the Prophets declaring their Message said Thus saith the Lord proves that what God spake in them and through them as the living Word declared it self was the Word of God but not the Letter or Writing And whereas thou sayst It is all one to say the Scripture saith and God saith Answ. By way of Inference and Collection it may be said they are one because of their Agreement yet the living Word and Speech of God is not the Scripture more than the Sun-beam is the shadow though the one agrees with the other Every one that reads or hears the Scriptures read hears not God immediately now that which God speaks to any or in any immediately that is only his Word properly unto them As they who only read my Letter cannot be said properly to hear me by Word of Mouth Christ said to the Jews Ye have not heard his Voice though they heard the Scriptures and though the Apostle useth some Scriptures out of the Old Testament it proves not he had not the Word of the Lord speaking then immediately in him and to him That Scripture thou biddest remark 1 Thess. 2.13 proves not thy intent neither for the Word which they heard of the Apostles was that living Word declaring it self through the Apostles which was answered by the same in them who heard they heard Christ of in and through the Apostles does it therefore follow that Christ is the Scripture And lastly Mark 7.13 serves thy purpose no more than the rest for the Pharisees in striking at the fifth Commandment did consequently strike at the living inward Word which gave it forth as those who struck at any of the Apostles struck at Christ yet none of the Apostles was Christ as neither is the Scripture as it is outwardly writ to speak properly the Word of God And truly the reason why we may not call the Scriptures the Word of God to speak properly is that People may be directed to that inward living Word for by their being so much called the Word of God they have been put in Christ's stead and have been set up as an Idol instead of that from whence they came so that to avoid this hazard we have put them in their due place Page 14. To prove that it is the Mind and Will of God that the Scriptures should be the Rule thou citest Isa. 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony c. But it rests to be proved that the Law and Testimony was not the inward Law and
that that Word according to which they were to speak was not the inward Word which is said to be in the Heart It is observable that to prove this thou bringest John 7.49 where the Pharisees say Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed in him but this People that know not the Law are accursed This place sutes the matter very well but makes much against thee For the Pharisees here were crying up the outward Law and the Knowledge of it averring that the ignorance of it caused the mean People to believe in Christ. So do ye now ye pretend to cry up the Law and say The ignorance of it occasions so many to leave you And as they then were setting the Law above Christ and covering themselves with a Zeal for it persecuting him and reviling his Followers as Ignorants So ye now whilst ye are boasting of your great Knowledge in the Law and in the Scripture and your high esteem of them ye are despising crucifying the same Christ in his Spiritual Appearance and upbraiding his Followers now as they did then as Ignorants and Contemners of the Law And as to Luke 10.26 How readest thou This was spoke to one that was a Lawyer or Interpreter of the Law and relied upon it so Christ spoke this to check him and beside the dispensation of the Law which this Lawyer was under was different from that of the Gospel in this matter as may appear Hebr. 8.10 Again as for Christ and his Apostles using the Scriptures for convincing of their Opposers so do we and yet this proves not that either he or we judge them to be the Rule whereby to try all Things and Spirits yea even the Spirit of God himself Page 15. Thou seemest to lay much stress upon this That it were impossible for us to prove to a Jew or a Turk that Jesus the Son of Mary is in very deed the Christ without the Scripture But I Answer thee to that easily by what way wilt thou perswade a Turk to believe the Scriptures or their Testimony but by the inward Testimony of the Spirit Calvin Calvin lib. 1. cap. 7. Sect. 4. of his Inst. after he has said all that can be said of outward ways at last concludes The only certain way to know it indeed is by the Testimony of the Spirit And as to the course that Paul took with the obstinate Jews it was very commendable because they said they believed the Scriptures and seemed to esteem them much though they opposed the Truth witnessed to in the Scriptures So that it is evident that some great pretenders to the Scriptures can make a Cloak of them to deny Christ himself as ye do at this day And though Paul took that course with the Jews yet we see he took no such course with the Athenians to whom he cited no Scripture nor endeavoured to perswade them by it but told them they were the Off-spring of God and wished them to feel after him who was not afar off from every one of them Thirdly sayst thou The Saints had recourse to the Scriptures in the examination of Doctrines So have we too as before has been declared but that will not prove the Scripture is the Rule Page 16. Fourthly thou sayst We are commanded to search the Scriptures John 5.39 Answ. The words may be translated You search the Scriptures as Pasor translateth them but we do acknowledge the Scriptures are to be searched but are not to be rested in which was the Jews fault who would not come to Christ to get life thinking to have eternal life in the Scriptures which Christ checks them for And that the Scriptures are profitable for Doctrine Scriptures profitable to whom Correction Instruction we own and are commended for their Dignity and Authority but they are thus profitable only to such as come to the Spirit to guide and direct them how to make use of them else they may prove an occasion of stumbling as they did to the Pharisees Hence it is said That the Man of God may be perfect mark the Man of God not every Man now no Man can be truly called the Man of God but he that is led by the Spirit of God Next thou wouldst undertake to prove That it is not the Mind of God that the Spirit within men should be the Rule In which thou fallest very short as appears by saying That Christ made use of the Scripture to prove himself c. and not the light within And did these Jews receive him who had the Scriptures Did they not reject him And why because they hearkned not unto the inward Voice and Testimony of the Father concerning him and this was the Testimony which he said was greater than that of John though John was the greatest of the Prophets and those who believe had the witness in themselves 1 John 5.10 but to the unbelieving Jews he said Ye have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape Secondly Thou sayst There is an express command to try the Spirits 1 John 4.1 Answ. But is there any word there of trying them by the Scripture Trying Spirits is by the Spirit of God Cannot the Spirits be tried by the Spirit of God or is there any better way to try them How tried Peter the spirit of Ananias and Saphirah And is not the Trial and discerning of Spirits the priviledge of the Saints now And how is it a peculiar priviledge to Saints unless it be done by the Spirit of God For the Scriptures any can make use of the Apostle John writing to the Saints concerning Seducers points them to the Anointing which remained in them and did teach them all things and by this they did know all things and consequently Spirits 1 John 2.20 26. Thirdly thou sayst Vndoubtedly there are strong delusions c. Answ. There are so indeed But was there any more strongly deluded then the Pharisees Yet how much did they lay claim to the Scriptures How came they then to be deluded who was so skill'd in the Scriptures according to the letter of them and the poor People who were not so skill'd so rightly to hit the matter And as to thy Question What way shall the delusion be tried if you neglect the Word of God and look only within Answ. As for the Word of God nor yet the Scriptures-Testimony we neglect not but what way thinkest thou shall the Delusion be tried if you neglect the Spirit within and look only upon the letter and words without you If the Delusion be strong in the heart will it not twine and wrest the Scriptures without to cause the Scriptures to seem for it And suppose a man be deluded with a Spirit of Delusion what can help him but God whose Spirit searcheth all the deepest things of Satan and can and doth discover them to those who love to be undeceived and are faithful to God in what they certainly know And though the same deluding Spirit who deceived
as ascribe them to the Scriptures put the Scriptures in Christ's stead though W. M. be pleased to term it unworthy dealing Sect. 2. page 35. he says it is not difficult to prove that the Law and Testimony mentioned Deut. 8.20 was not an inward Law The reason alledged is Because the Prophet opposes what is written as no Light if it agree not to the Law and Testimony But what then The Law and Testimony inward doth this prove the Testimony here not to be inward He adds That let People pretend what they will to a Law within if it agree not with the Scripture-Word there is no Light in them and that the outward Law gets the name of the Testimony But granting him all this it doth not in the least follow that the Law and Testimony there mentioned was not inward It is more observably strange here than in any other place with what shameless confidence he asserts his own bare Assertions instead of Arguments After the like manner without answering a word of what I infer page 27. of mine against him and his Brethren from Joh. 7.49 he concludes That Scripture fits us better than them because of our known rash censuring Upon which Supposition of his own he condemns us as like to Pharisees without more ado still by way of Reply to me he says It is not probable that Christ checked the Lawyer in saying How readest thou Luke 10.26 not offering to add any further probation And as for what he subjoineth page 7. That Christ used the Scripture about Divorcement and in the matter of the Sabbath it doth no ways prove them to be the only Rule for as is said we are willing to try Doctrines by them Page 37. He saith It is false to affirm that the Divine Authority of the Scriptures cannot be prov'd other ways than by the Spirit 's inward Testimony adding There are other Arguments whereby it can solidly and convincingly be proved and for this he instanceth one which he says is excellently approved by R. Baxter What then because W. M. thinks that Argument of R. Baxter will prove the Scriptures Authority without the Spirit must we therefore be of the same mind I doubt very much if R. Baxter think so much himself Now W. M. his deceit is very remarkable Joh. Calvin's Testimony concerning the Scriptures in quoting some words of John Calvin where he says If he were to deal with Arguments he could produce many to prove the Laws came from God for that I never imagined these Arguments could convincingly prove the Scriptures Authority without the Spirit which is the thing in debate it appears in the very following words Lib. Inst. 1. c. 7. Sect. 4. But if we will well look to our Consciences that they be not troubled with doubts and stick not at every scruple it is requisite the Perswasion whereof we have spoken be taken higher than human Judgment or Conjecture viz t. he secret Testimony of the Holy Spirit And a little after in direct Opposition to wit his words he adds This Word shall not obtain Faith in the hearts of Men if it be not Sealed by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit It is necessary then saith he that the Saints Spirit which spake by the mouth of the Prophets enter in our Hearts and touch them livingly to perswade us that the Prophets have faithfully delivered that which was Commanded them from on high and a little after This then is a Perswasion which requires no Reasons And again This is a Perswasion which cannot be Begotten but by a heavenly Revelation And in the beginning of the next Chapter he adds If we have not This certainly higher and more firm than all humane Judgment in vain is the Authority of the Scriptures proved by Arguments This doth abundantly shew how contrary W. M. is to Calvin in this matter and not to him alone but to the whole Reformed Churches of France who in their Confession of Faith agreed upon by the first National Synod they ever had at Paris Anno 1559. say thus The Synod at Paris concerning the Canonical Books in Scripture Art 4. We know these Books to be Canonique not so much by the common consent of the Church as by the Inward Testimony and Perswasion of the Holy Spirit And whereas he adviseth me to read Calvin his 6 th Chap. but that it would prove too long a Digression I could easily shew that we are no such Contemners of the Scripture as those he there speaks to And what if he contradict the Truth which we and himself elsewhere acknowledge I make use of his Testimony against W. M. and his Brethren even as he did the Testimony of Augustine Gregory and others of the Fathers against those of Rome whom nevertheless he spared not to reject some times Read Inst. lib. 1. cap. 11. Sect. 5. lib. cap. Sect. 4. and in many other places Thus also is added that which he adds about Pasor whose Translation he says We follow in one thing but not in another for we are not bound to follow him further than he follows the Truth Nor doth W. M. here produce any Argument to prove that these words Joh. 5.39 should be Ye search the Scriptures c. 2 pl. praes Ind. See Pasor Search the Scriptures and not Ye search the Scriptures but his own bare Assertion adding That Christ did not check them when he said In them ye think to have Eternal Life Whereas the very following words clearly Import a Reproof Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life He says not Seek for Life in the Scriptures ye do well to think to find it there but thus Ye think to have Eternal life in the Scriptures but will not come to me that ye might have life He ends this Section asking Seeing I grant the Scriptures are profitable for Doctrine Correction Reproof c. Why I deny them to be a perfect Rule But I never denied them and I told him also they were thus profitable not to every man but to the man of God The Scriptures profitable to the man of God i. e. he that 's led by the Spirit of God Now to this he replys nothing only tells me The man of God is most commonly understood of the Ministers of Christ Jesus which though I should grant him what he either can or would Infer from it against my Argument he hath left unmentioned Sect. 3. Page 40. He alledgeth The Voice and Testimony of the Father which Christ speaks of to the Jews not to have been inward desiring the Reader to look to the place and thereupon he cites Joh. 5.36 where Christ speaks of his Miracles as a greater Witness than that of John But his deceit is here abundantly manifest for the place mentioned by me was 1 Joh. 5.10 For this is the witness of God which he testified of his Son he that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself Now this
the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me Q. By whom and after what manner doth the Son Reveal this Knowledge A. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath entered into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath Revealed them unto us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of a Man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name John 14.26 he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your Remembrance c. CHAP. II. Of the Rule and Guide of Christians and of the Scriptures Question SEeing it is by the Spirit that Christ Reveals the Knowledge of God in things Spiritual The Spirit the Guide is it by the Spirit that we must be led under the Gospel Answer But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are Led by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.9 14. they are the Sons of God Q. It is an Inward Principle then that is to be the Guide and Rule of Christians A. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you 1 John 2.27 and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him But as touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you Thes. 4.9 for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Q. I perceive by this that it is by an Inward Anointing and Rule that Christians are to be taught Is this the very tenor of the New-Covenant-Dispensation A. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those Days The Anointing the Teacher saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not Teach every Man his Neighbour Hebr. 8.10 11. and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the Least to the Greatest John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Q. Did Christ then promise that the Spirit should both abide with his Disciples and be in them A. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Joh. 14.16 17. that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwells with you and shall be in you Q. For what End were the Scriptures written A. For whatsoever things were written aforetime Rom. 15.4 were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Q. For what are they profitable A. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works Q. Wherein consisteth the Excellency of the Scriptures A. Knowing this first 2 Pet. 1.20 21. that no Prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private Interpretation For the Prophecy came not in Old Time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Q. The Scriptures are then to be regarded because they came from the Spirit and they also testifie that not they but the Spirit is to lead into all Truth In what respect doth Christ Command to Search them A. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life John 5.39 and they are they which testifie of me Q. I perceive there was a Generation of old that greatly exalted the Scriptures and yet would not believe nor come to be guided by that the Scriptures directed to How doth Christ bespeak such A. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is One that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust for had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words John 5.45 46 47. Q. What ought then such to be accounted of notwithstanding of their Pretences of being ruled by the Scriptures A. In which are some things hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 which they that are Vnlearned and Vnstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own Destruction CHAP. III. Of Jesus Christ being manifest in the Flesh the Vse and End of it Question WHat are the Scriptures which do most observably prophesy of Christ's Appearance Answer Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign Behold Isai. 7.14 a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel Q. Was not Jesus Christ in being before he Appeared in the Flesh What clear Scriptures prove this against such as erroneously assert the contrary Mich. 5.2 A. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting John 1.1 2 3. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God The same was in the Beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was John 8.58 I am John 17.5 And now O Father Glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was And to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Ephes. 3.9 who created all things by Jesus Christ. Col. 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth
not under the Law but under Grace Q. How cometh the Apostle then to cry out and complain of Sin saying Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Doth he speak that as a Condition always permanent to him and other Saints or only that which he had passed through What saith he afterwards A. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 2 3 5 36 37 38 39. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. What saith that Apostle then unto such who taking Occasion from his words should plead for Continuance in Sin for Term of Life and think to be saved by the Imputative Righteousness of Christ as being under Grace A. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin Rom. 6.1 2. that Grace may abound God forbid What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Q. Is not the Apostle then so far from supposing that Condition of being always under Sin to be his own Constant Condition Freedom from Sin or that of all the Saints that he even supposes many of the then Church of Rome to whom he wrote to be free of it How bespeaketh he then as in relation to this matter A. How shall we that are Dead to Sin Rom. 6.2 7 11 12 13 16 23. live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are Buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin for he that is dead is free from Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin but ye have Obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness I speak after the manner of Men because of the Infirmity of your Flesh for as ye have yielded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity even so now yield your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q It would appear then that God requires of us to be Perfect A. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.48 is Perfect Q. Is it then possible to keep the Commandments A. My Yoke is easie and my Burden is light For this is the Law of God Matt. 11.30 that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 Q. Is it necessary then for Salvation to keep the Commandments A. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 and may enter in through the Gates into the City Q. Do you understand by this Perfection that any have so kept the Commandments as never to have sinned 1 John 1.10 A. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his Word is not in us Q Do you understand that those who are Perfect may say they have no Sin or only that having sinned and so having Sin in respect they once sinned as the Apostle in the Passage cited mentions May they notwithstanding thereof come to know Forgiveness for the Guilt but also Cleansing from the Filth A. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 If we confess our Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Q. This Scripture seems to be very plain being compared with the other before mentioned But because some are apt to mistake and wrest the Words of that Apostle What saith he else-where Did he judge any could know God or be True Christians who kept not the Commandments A. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye Sin not 1 John 2.1 3 4 5 6 3.2 10. and if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him But who so keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in
as ought can be alledged for the former But what is the Bread then wherewith the Saints are to be nourished A. Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that Bread from Heaven but my Father giveth you the True Bread from Heaven for the Bread of God is he which comes down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World Then said they unto him Lord evermore give us this Bread And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never Hunger and he that believeth on me shall never Thirst. I am that Bread of Life Your Fathers did eat Manna in the Wilderness and are Dead This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I will give him is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World Joh. 6.32 33 34 35 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58. The Jews therefore strove amongst themselves saying How can this man give us his Flesh to eat Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last Day For my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the Living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me This is that Bread which came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead He that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever CHAP. XII Concerning the Life of a Christian in general what and how it ought to be in this World Question WHat is the True RELIGION Religion Answer Pure Religion and Undefiled is this To visit the Fatherless and the Widow in their Affliction James 1 2â— and to keep himself unspotted from the World Q. What is required of man A. He hath shewed thee O man what is good Mich. 6.8 and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God * Isa. 66.2 But to this man will I look even to him that is pure and of a contrite Spirit and trembles at my Word Q. Doth God then require People to be Quakers to tremble at his Word Trembling was there any such among the Saints of old A. Then were assembled unto every one that Trembled at the Words of the God of Israel Ezra 9.4 Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God 10.3 to put away all the Wives and such as are born of them according to the Counsel of my Lord and of those that Tremble at the Commandment of our God Q. It seems Ezra loved well and had a high Esteem of Quakers since he would have their Counsel followed Quakers of old Do any other of the Prophets point out Quakers or Tremblers as God's People A. Hear the Word of the Lord ye that Tremble at his Word Your Brethren Isa. 66.5 that hated you that cast you out for my Name 's sake said Let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your Joy and they shall be ashamed And it shall be to me a Name of Joy a Praise and an Honour before all the Nations of the Earth Jer. 33.9 which shall hear all the good that I do unto them and they shall Fear and Tremble for all the Goodness and for all the Prosperity that I procure unto it Q. The Prophets promise good Things there to Quakers what becometh of those that Tremble not and are not such Jer. 5.21 22. A. Hear now this O foolish People and without Vnderstanding which have Eyes and see not which have Ears and Hear not fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not Tremble at my Presence c. Q. God's Children Q. Are then all God's Children Quakers and are we commanded to quake or tremble in order to our Salvation both under the Law and now under the Gospel A. Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling I make a Decree Psal. 2.11 that in every Dominion of my Kingdom Men Fear and Tremble before the God of Daniel Dan. 6.26 for he is the Living God and steadfast for ever Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling Phil. 2.12 Commandments Q. What be the Chief Commandments A. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandment Matth. 22.37 38 39 40. And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self On these two Commandments hang all the Law and Prophets Q. What ought a Christian to seek after in the first Place Matth. 6.32 A. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Behaviour Q. How ought Christians to behave themselves in this World A. But this I say Brethren the Time is short It remaineth That both they that have Wives 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they Possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the Fashion of this World passeth away Q. What saith the Apostle Paul further as that which is fit for Christian Men and Women to be found in A. I will therefore that Men Pray every where lifting up holy Hands without Wrath and Doubting In like Manner also 1 Tim. 2.8 9 10. that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shamefac'dness and Sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array but which becometh Women professing Godliness with good Works Q. I observe Apparel the Apostle is much against the Vanity and Superfluity of Cloths among Christians what saith Peter to this A. Whose Adorning 1 Pet. 3.3 4. let it not be that outward Adorning of Plaiting the Hair of wearing of Gold or of putting on of Apparel But let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek quiet Spirit which is in the Sight of God of great Price Q. The Apostle is very plain there but what saith the Scriptures Respect of Persons as to Respect of Persons among Christians A. My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with Respect of Persons James 2.1 2 3
Flesh is not the same Flesh but there is one kind of Flesh of Men another Flesh of Beasts another of Fishes and another of Birds there are also Celestial Bodies and Bodies Terrestrial but the Glory of the Celestial is one and the Glory of the Terrestrial is another There is one Glory of the Sun and another Glory of the Moon and another Glory of the Stars for one Star differs from another Star in Glory so also is the Resurrection of the Dead it is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption it is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power it is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body Q. The Apostle seems to be very positive that it is not that Natural Body which we now have that shall rise but a Spiritual Body A. * 1 Cor. 15.50 51 52 53 54 55. Now this I say Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Behold I shew you a Mystery We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality So when this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory CHAP. XV. A Short Introduction to the CONFESSION of FAITH HAving thus largely and evidently performed the chief Part of that which I promised in this Treatise in giving a full account of our Principles in plain Scripture-words and also answering by the Scriptures the chief and main Objections made against us I come to a Confession of Faith in which I shall not be so large for that I judge it not Convenient to make an Interpretation of all the Scriptures before-mentioned which if needful the Reader may easily observe were not very difficult to do But whereas a Confession of Faith called rather for an Affirmative Account of ones own Faith than for the Solution of Objections or any thing of Debate in a Discursive Way which is both more properly and pertinently performed in a Catechism therefore I have here only done so I am necessitated sometimes to intermix some words for Coherence of the Matter as sometimes And and sometimes Therefore and the like but not such as any Ingenuous Person can affirm do add to the Matter or that may any wise justly be reckoned a Comment or Meaning and therefore to avoid the Censure of the most Curious Carping Criticks these are marked with a different Character Likewise unless I should have ridiculously offered to publish incongruous Grammar there was a true need sometimes to change the Mood and Person of a Verb in all which places whosoever will look to the words shall find it is done upon no Design to alter any whit the naked Import of them As for Instance where Christ says I am the Light of the World were it proper for me to write thus I am the Light c. Or can it be reckoned any whit Contradicting of my Purpose and Promise to write Christ is the Light where the first Person is changed to the third Also sometimes I express things which are necessarily understood as when any of the Apostles say We there instead of We I write Apostles and where they say You speaking of the Saints there I mention Saints instead of it for the Connexion of the Sentence sometimes requires it As in the first Article in mentioning that of 1 John 1.5 concerning God's being Light and in such like Cases which I know no impartial Reader would have quarrelled though wanting this Apology which I judged meet to premise knowing there is a Generation who when they cannot find any real or substantial Ground against Truth and its Followers will be Cavilling at such little Niceties therefore such may see this Objection is obviated CHAP. XVI A CONFESSION of FAITH concerning Twenty Three Articles ARTICLE I. Concerning God and the True and Saving Knowledge of him THere is one God a Eph. 4.6 1 Cor. 8.4 6. who is a Spirit b John 4.24 And This is the Message which the Apostles heard of him and declared unto the Saints That he is Light and in him is no Darkness at all c 1 John 1.5 There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One d 1 John 1.7 The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father e John 10.38 and 14.10 11. and 5.26 No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will Reveal him f Matth. 11.27 Luke 10.22 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God g 1 Cor. 2.10 For the Things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now the Saints have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things which are freely given them of God h 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father sends in Christ's Name he teacheth them all things and bringeth all things to their Remembrance i John 14.26 ARTICLE II. Concerning the Guide and Rule of Christians CHrist prayed to the Father and he gave the Saints another Comforter that was to abide with them for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not nor knoweth him But the Saints know him for he dwelleth with them and is to be in them k John 14.16 17. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God l Rom. 8.9 14. For this is the Covenant that God hath made with the House of Israel He hath put his Laws in their Mind and writ them in their Hearts and they are all taught of God m Hebr. 8.10 11. And the Anointing which they have received of him abideth in them and they need not that any man teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them of all things and is Truth and is no Lie n 1 John 2.27 ARTICLE III. Concerning the Scriptures WHatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope o Rom. 15.4 which are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture being given by Inspiration of God and
for Examples sake whereby as ex ungue leonem he may judge of most of all the rest if he will be at the pains narrowly to look over and Examine them I shall begin with the first Chapter Sect. 1. where they assert two things First That God has committed his Will now wholly to Writing Secondly That the former Ways of God's revealing his Will as by Immediate Revelation are now ceased The Scriptures they bring to prove are first Prov. 22.19 20 21. Verse 19. Their pretended Proofs for the Written Word That thy Trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee Verse 20. Have not I Written to thee Excellent Things in Counsels and Knowledge Verse 21. That I might make thee know the Certainty of the Words of Truth that thou mightest answer the Words of Truth to them that send unto thee Luke 1.3 4. Verse 3. It seemed good to me also having had perfect Vnderstanding of all things from the very first to Write unto thee in Order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the Certainty of these things wherein thou hast been Instructed Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were Written afore-time were Written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope Matth. 4.4 7 10. But he answered and said It is Written Man shall not live by Bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God Vers. 7. Jesus said unto him It is Written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Vers. 10. Then saith Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is Written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Isa. 8.19 20. Verse 19. And when they shall say unto you Seek unto them that have Familiar Spirits and unto Wizzards that peep and that mutter Should not a People seek unto their God for the Living to the Dead Verse 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them But is it not Matter of Admiration that Men should be so beside themselves as to imagine these Testimonies do in the least prove their Assertion or that others that do not take things meerly upon Trust would be so foolish as to believe them For though God made known and Wrote excellent things to Solomon Though Luke Wrote unto Theophilus an Account of divers Transactions of Christ's outward abode Many things were never Written for many were never Written John 21. verse last and 20.30 And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be Written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be Written And many other things truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Disciples which are not Written in this Book Though Christ made use of divers Scriptures against Satan and that Isaiah directed People to the Law and to the Testimony Who will be so mad as to say It naturally follows from thence that God has now committed his Will wholly to Writing Such a Consequence is no more deducible from these Scriptures than if I should Argue thus The Divines of Westminster have asserted many things without Ground therefore they had Ground for nothing they said Nay it follows not by far so naturally seeing after the Writing of all these Passages by them cited according to their own Judgment there were divers Scriptures written so that it had been false for them to assert That God had then committed his Counsel wholly to Writing which indeed was not true So it is most Irrational and Unwarrantable for any to draw such a strange and strained Consequence from their words For the Second That the former Ways are now Ceased they alledge 2 Tim. 3.15 where Paul writes to Timothy saying That from a Child he Timothy hath known the Holy Scriptures Pretended Proofs for Scripture Revelations only which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus And Hebr. 1.1 2. God who at sundry Times and in divers Manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son whom also he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds And 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts Which prove the Matter as little as the former If Paul had intended by that to Timothy what those Divines would have would not they have made the Apostle speak a manifest Vntruth seeing they themselves acknowledge that John's Revelation was Written long after so that these former Ways were not then ceased As for that of Peter John's Revelation when written it is to beg the thing in Question To say It is intended of the Scripture and though it were it proves not the Case at all That of the Hebrews is so far from asserting the Matter they would have it that it may be very aptly brought to prove the quite contrary For God indeed speaks to us now by his Son but to infer from thence That the Son speaks only by the Scriptures is Erroneous That the Son speaks only to us by the Scriptures remains yet unproved And for the Apostle to have Asserted it had been false seeing the Revelations which he and others afterwards had were inward and so such were not Ceased And if we may trust the same Apostle better than these Men he tells us that so soon as Christ was Revealed in him he went straight and obeyed And the same Apostle tells us that Except Christ be in us we are Reprobates Sure he is not dumb in us seeing he says He will dwell in us and walk in us and be with us to the End of the World And John tells us that the Inward Anointing is to teach us all things so that we need not as to any absolute Necessity any Man to teach us how then is this ceased seeing God speaks to us by Christ and Christ must be in us Surely these Men have not herein followed the Rule of the Scriptures but rather endeavoured most grosly to wrest them and make of them a Nose of Wax notwithstanding their Pretences as to the contrary in their sixth Section where they say All things necessary are either expresly set down or by good and necessary Consequences may be deduced Now that these two former Assertions are not expresly set down they will not deny whether they follow by sound Consequence any understanding Man may judge by what is above observed There are divers other things in the same Chapter which will not abide the Test for which the Scripture-Proofs alledged by them are most ridiculous which for Brevity's sake I have
Imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm Eph 2.1 That Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air. The Fifth and Sixth Propositions Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition Ezek. 18.23 Isai 49.6 John 3.16 and 1 9. T it 2.11 Eph. 5 13. Hebr. 2 9. God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a Sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation if not Resisted Nor is it lessVniversal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death 1 Cor. 15.22 who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Vniversality of Christ's Death are easily solved Neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in those places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and Common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those Remote parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This certain Doctrine then being received to wit that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Vniversality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted death for every Man Hebr. 2 9. not only for all kinds of Men as some vainly talk but for every one of all kinds the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Suffering as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightning their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoied so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn To do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be included As they have then falsly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the absolute necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to the obtaining its saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Asserters of Vniversal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 The Seventh Proposition Concerning Justification As many as resist not this Light but receive the same in them is produced a holy pure and spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all these other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his work in us as we are Sanctified so are we Justified in the Sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Eighth Proposition Concerning Perfection In whom this holy and pure Birth is fully brought forth Rom. 6.14 Id. 8.13 Id. 6.2 18. 1 John 3.6 the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and removed and their hearts united and subjected unto the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestion or Temptation of the Evil one but to be Free from actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect Perfect Yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth there remaineth a possibility of sinning where the Mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover in whom it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection 1 Tim. 1.6 Hebr. 6.4 5 6. by disobedience such may fall
the Promise of Christ to his Disciples Lo I am with you to the end of the World Confirmeth this same thing for this is an Inward Presence and Spiritual as all acknowledge But what relates hereto will again occur I shall deduce the Proof of this Proposition from Two manifest places of Scripture The first is 1 Cor. 2.11 12. What man knoweth the Proof I things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God The Things of God are known by the Spirit of God The Apostle in the verses before speaking of the wonderful things which are prepar'd for the Saints after he hath declared that the Natural man cannot reach them adds That they are Revealed by the Spirit of God vers 9 10. giving this Reason For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God And then he bringeth in the Comparison in the verses above-mention'd very apt and answerable to our purpose and Doctrine That as the things of a man are only known by the spirit of man so the things of God are only known by the Spirit of God that is that as nothing below the Spirit of man as the spirit of Brutes or any other Creatures can properly reach unto nor comprehend the Things of a man as being of a more noble and higher nature so neither can the spirit of man or the natural man as the Apostle in v. 14. subsumes receive nor discern the things of God or the things that are spiritual as being also of a higher nature which the Apostle himself gives for the Reason saying Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So that the Apostle's words being reduced to an Argument do very well prove the matter under Debate thus If that which appertaineth properly to man cannot be discerned by any lower or baser Principle than the spirit of man then cannot these things that properly relate unto God and Christ be known or discern'd by any lower or baser thing than the Spirit of God and Christ But The First is true therefore also the Second The whole strength of the Argument is contained in the Apostle's words before-mentioned which therefore being Granted I shall proceed to Deduce a Second Argument thus That which is Spiritual can only be known and discerned by the Spirit of God But The Revelation of Jesus Christ and the true and saving Knowledge of him is Spiritual Therefore The Revelation of Jesus Christ and the true and saving Knowledge of him can only be known and discerned by the Spirit of God Proof II The other Scripture is also a saying of the same Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say No man can call Jesus Lord c. that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost The Scripture which is full of Truth and answereth full well to the Inlightened Understanding of the Spiritual and Real Christian may perhaps prove very strange to the Carnal and pretended follower of Christ by whom perhaps it hath not been so diligently remarked Here the Apostle doth so much require the holy Spirit in the things that relate to a Christian that he positively avers we cannot so much as affirm Jesus to be the Lord without it Spiritual Truths are Lies spoken by Carnal men which insinuates no less than that the Spiritual Truths of the Gospel are as Lies in the mouths of Carnal and Vnspiritual men For though in themselves they be True yet are they not True as to them because not known nor uttered forth in and by that Principle and Spirit that ought to direct the Mind and actuate it in such things they are no better than the Counterfeit Representations of things in a Comedy neither can it be more truly and properly called a Real and True Knowledge of God and Christ than the Actings of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar c. if now Transacted upon a Stage might be called truly and really Their Doings or the Persons Representing them might be said truly and really to have Conquered Asia and overcome Pompey c. This Knowledge then of Christ which is not by the Revelation of his own Spirit in the heart is no more properly the Knowledge of Christ than the pratling of a Parret Like the pratling of a Parret which has been taught a few words may be said to be the Voice of a man for as that or some other Bird may be taught to sound and utter forth a rational Sentence as it hath Learned it by the outward ear and not from any living Principle of Reason actuating it so just such is that Knowledge of the things of God which the natural and carnal man hath gathered from the words or writings of Spiritual men which are not true to him because conceived in the natural spirit and so brought forth by the wrong Organ and not proceeding from the Spiritual Principle no more than the words of a man acquired by Art and brought forth by the mouth of a Bird not proceeding from a rational principle are True with respect to the Bird that utters them Wherefore from this Scripture I shall further add this Argument If no man can say Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost then no man can know Jesus to be the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But The First is true Therefore the Second From this Argument there may be another Deduced Concluding in the very Terms of this Assertion thus If no man can know Jesus to be the Lord but by the Holy Ghost then can there be no Certain Knowledge or Revelation of him but by the Spirit But The First is true Therefore the Second Assert III § VII The Third thing Affirmed is That by the Spirit God always Revealed himself to his Children Proved For the making appear the Truth of this Assertion it will be but needful to consider God's Manifesting himself towards and in relation to his Creatures from the Beginning which Resolves it self always herein The First Step of all is Ascribed hereunto by Moses Gen. 1.2 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters I think it will not be denied that God's Converse with man all along from Adam to Moses was by the Immediate Manifestation of his Spirit and afterwards through the whole Tract of the Law he spake to his Children no otherways which as it naturally followeth from the Principles above proved That Revelation is by the Spirit of God so it cannot be denied by such as acknowledge the Scriptures of Truth to have been written by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost For these Writings from Moses to Malachy do declare that during all that time God Revealed himself to his Children by his Spirit But if any will Object
by which Inward Manifestation we are made capable to see and discern the Eternal Power and Godhead in the outward Creation So were it not for this Inward Principle we could no more understand the Invisible things of God by the outward Visible Creation than a blind man can see and discern the variety of Shapes and Colours or judge of the Beauty of the outward Creation Therefore he saith first That which may be known of God is manifest in them and in and by that they may read and understand the Power and Godhead in those things that are Outward and Visible And though any might pretend that the outward Creation doth of it self without any Supernatural or Saving Principle in the heart even declare to the natural man that there is a God yet what would such a Knowledge avail if it did not also Communicate to me what the Will of God is and how I shall do that The Onward Creation may beget a Perswasion in man of an Eternal Power and Virtue which is acceptable to him For the outward Creation though it may beget a Perswasion that there is some Eternal Power or Vertue by which the World hath had its Beginning yet it doth not tell me nor doth it Inform me of that which is just holy and righteous how I shall be delivered from my Temptations and Evil Affections and come unto Righteousness that must be from some Inward Manifestation in my heart whereas those Gentiles of whom the Apostle speaks knew by that Inward Law and Manifestation of the Knowledge of God in them to distinguish betwixt Good and Evil as in the next Chapter appears of which we shall speak hereafter The Prophet Micah speaking of man Indefinitely or in General declares this Mich. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God He doth not say God Requires till he hath first assured that he hath shewed unto them Now because this is shewed unto all men and manifest in them therefore saith the Apostle Is the Wrath of God revealed against them for that they hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness that is the measure of Truth the Light the Seed the Grace in them for that they Hide the Talent in the Earth that is in the Earthly and Vnrighteous part in their hearts and suffer it not to bring forth fruit but to be choked with the sensual Cares of this Life the Fear of Reproach and the Deceitfulness of Riches as by the Parables above-mentioned doth appear But the Apostle Paul opens and illustrates this matter yet more Rom. 10. where he declares That the Word which he preached now the Word which he preached and the Gospel which he preached and whereof he was a Minister is one and the same is not far off but nigh in the heart and in the mouth This Divine Preacher the Word nigh hath sounded in the Ears and Hearts of all men which done he frameth as it were the Objection of our Adversaries in Vers. 12 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard how shall they hear without a Preacher This he answers Verse 18. saying But I say have they not heard yes verily their Sound went forth into all the Earth and their Words unto the End of the World insinuating that this Divine Preacher hath sounded in the Ears and Hearts of all men for of the outward Apostles that saying was not true neither then nor many hundred years after yea for ought we know there may be yet great and spacious Nations and Kingdoms who never have heard of Christ nor his Apostles as outwardly This Inward and Powerful Word of God is yet more fully described in the Epistle to the Hebrews c. 4. v. 12 13. For the Word of God is quick and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the heart The Virtues of this Spiritual Word are here enumerated It is Quick because it Searches and Tries the hearts of all no man's Heart is Exempt from it for the Apostle gives this Reason of its being so in the following Verse Before whom all things are manifest But all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do and there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his sight Though this ultimately and mediately be Refer'd to God yet nearly and immediately it relates to the Word or Light which as hath been before proved is in the hearts of all else it had been Improper to have brought it in here The Apostle shews And every Thought and Intent of the heart how every Intent and Thought of the heart is discerned by the Word of God because all things are naked before God which imports nothing else but it is in and by this Word whereby God sees and discerns man's Thoughts and so must needs be in all men because the Apostle saith There is no Creature that is not manifest in his sight The Faithful Witness This then is that faithful Witness and Messenger of God that bears Witness for God and for his Righteousness in the hearts of all men for he hath not left man without a Witness Acts 14.17 and he is said to be given for a Witness to the people Isa. 55.4 And as this Word beareth Witness for God so it is not placed in men only to Condemn them for as he is given for a Witness so saith the Prophet he is given for a Leader and a Commander A Leader and Commander The Light is given that all through it may believe Joh 1.7 For Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by this Word of God which is placed in man's Heart both to be a Witness for God and to be a Mean to bring man to God through Faith and Repentance It is therefore powerful that it may divide betwixt the Soul and the Spirit It is like a Two-edged-sword A Two-edged Sword that it may cut off Iniquity from him and separate betwixt the precious and the vile And because man's heart is cold and hard like Iron naturally therefore hath God placed this Word in him which is said to be like a Fire A Fire and a Hammer and like a Hammer Jer. 23.29 that like as by the heat of the Fire the Iron of its own nature Cold is warmed and by the strength of the Hammer is softned and framed according to the mind of the Worker so the Cold and Hard heart of man is by the vertue and powerfulness of this Word of God near and in the heart as it resists not warmed and softned and receiveth a Heavenly and Coelestial Impression and Image The most part of the Fathers have spoken at large touching this Word Seed and Light and Saving Voice calling
believe it I shall only from this derive this one Argument If no man can be Justified without Faith and no Faith be living Arg. nor yet available to Justification without Works Then Works are necessary to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last For this Truth is so apparent and evident in the Scriptures that for the proof of it we might transcribe most of the Precepts of the Gospel I shall Instance a few which of themselves do so clearly Assert the thing in Question that they need no Commentary nor further Demonstration And then I shall answer the Objections made against this which indeed are the Arguments used for the Contrary Opinion Hebr. 12.14 Not the Sayers but the Doers are blessed Without holiness no man shall see God Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and through the Gates may enter into the City And many more that might be Instanced From all which I thus Argue If those only can Enter into the Kingdom Arg. that do the Will of the Father If those be accounted only the Wise builders and happy that do the sayings of Christ If no Observations avail but only the keeping of the Commandments and if they be blessed that do the Commandments and thereby have right to the Tree of Life and Entrance through the Gate into the City Then Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation and Justification But the First is true And therefore also the Last The Consequence of the Antecedent is so clear and evident that I think no man of sound Reason will call for a proof of it § X. * Object 1. But they Object that Works are not necessary to Justification First Because of that saying of Christ Luke 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are Commanded you say We are unprofitable servants c. Answer As to God we are indeed Vnprofitable for he needeth nothing neither can we Add any thing unto him Unprofitable Servants but as to our selves we are not Vnprofitable else it might be said that it is not profitable for a man to keep God's Commandments Answ. which is most Absurd and would Contradict Christ's Doctrine throughout God needeth nothing Doth not Christ Matth. 5. through all those Beatitudes pronounce men blessed for their purity for their meekness for their peaceableness c And is not then that for which Christ pronounceth men blessed profitable unto them Moreover Matth. 25.21 23. doth not Christ pronounce the men good and faithful servants Those that had improved their Talents were called Good and Faithful Servants that Improved their Talents Was not their doing of that then profitable unto them And vers 30. it is said of him that hid his Talent and did not Improve it Cast ye the Vnprofitable servant into utter darkness If then their not improving of the Talent made the man Vnprofitable and he was therefore cast into utter darkness it will follow by the Rule of Contraries so far at least that the Improving made the other profitable seeing if our Adversaries will allow us to believe Christ's words this is made a Reason and so at least a Cause Instrumental of their Acceptance Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Object 2 Secondly They object those sayings of the Apostle where he excludes the deeds of the Law from Justification as first Rom. 3.20 Because by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight and v. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Answ. We have shewn already what place we give to Works even to Answ. 1 the best of Works in Justification and how we ascribe its Immediate and Formal Cause to the Worker brought forth in us The Works of the Gospel or Grace distinguish't from the Works of the Law but not to the Works But in answer to this Objection I say There is a great difference betwixt the works of the Law and those of Grace or of the Gospel The first are excluded the second not but are necessary The first are those which are performed in man's own will and by his strength in a conformity to the outward Law and Letter and therefore are man's own Imperfect Works or works of the Law which makes nothing perfect And to this belong all the Ceremonies Purifications Washings and Traditions of the Jews The second are the works of the Spirit of Grace in the heart wrought in Conformity to the Inward and Spiritual Law which Works are not wrought in man's Will nor by his power and ability but in and by the Power and Spirit of Christ in us and therefore are pure and perfect in their kind as shall hereafter be proved and may be called Christ's Works for that he is the Immediate Author and Worker of them Such Works we affirm absolutely Necessary to Justification so that a man cannot be Justified without them and all Faith without them is dead and useless as the Apostle James saith Now that such a Distinction is to be admitted and that the Works excluded by the Apostle in the matter of Justification are of the first kind will appear if we consider the Occasion of the Apostle mentioning this as well here as throughout in his Epistle to the Galatians where he speaks of this matter and to this purpose at large which was this That whereas many of the Gentiles that were not of the Race nor Seed of Abraham as concerning the flesh were come to be Converted to the Christian Faith and believe in him some of those that were of the Jewish Proselytes thought to subject the faithful and believing Gentiles to the Legal Ceremonies and Observations as necessary to their Justification The Occasion of the Apostles speaking of the Works of the Law which are Excluded This gave the Apostle Paul occasion at length in his Epistle to the Romans Galatians and elsewhere to shew the Vse and Tendency of the Law and of its Works and to Contradistinguish them from the Faith of Christ and Righteousness thereof shewing how the former was Ceased and become Ineffectual the other Remaining and yet Necessary And that the Works excluded by the Apostle are of this kind of Works of the Law appears by the whole strain of his Epistle to the Galatians Chap. 1 2 3 4. For after in Chap. 4. he upbraideth them for their returning unto the Observation of days
and always have denied that Popish Notion of Meritum ex Condigno Nevertheless we cannot deny but that God out of his Infinite goodness wherewith he hath loved mankind after he Communicates to him his holy Grace and Spirit doth according to his own Will Recompence and Reward the good Works of his Children and therefore this Merit of Congruity or Reward God Rewards the good Words of his Children in so far as the Scripture is plain and positive for it we may not deny neither wholly Reject the Word in so far as the Scripture makes use of it For the same Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Merit is also in those places where the Translators express it Worth or Worthy as Matth. 3.8 1 Thess. 2.12 2 Thess. 1.5 8. concerning which R. Baxter saith in the above cited Book p. 8. But in a larger sense as Promise is an Obligation and the thing Promised is said to be Debt so the Performers of the Conditions are called Worthy and that which they Perform Merit although properly all be of Grace and not of Debt Also those who are called the Fathers of the Church frequently used this word of Merit whose sayings concerning this matter I think not needful to insert because it is not doubted but evident that many Protestants are not averse from this word in the sense that we use it The Apology for the Augustan Confession Art 20. hath these words We agree that Works are truly Meritorious not of Remission of Sins or Justification but they are Meritorious of â—ther rewards Corporal and Spiritual which are indeed as well in this life as after this life And further Seeing Works Prop. 8 are a certain fulfilling of the Law they are rightly said to be Meritorious it is rightly said that a Reward is due to them In the Acts of the Conference of Oldenburgh the Electoral Divines p. 110. 265. say Conference of Oldenburgh In this sense our Churches also are not Averse from the word Merit used by the Fathers neither therefore do they defend the Popish Doctrine of Merit G. Vossius G. Vossius of the word Merit in his Theological These concerning the Merits of Good Works saith We have not adventured to condemn the word Merit wholly as being that which both many of the Ancients use and also the Reformed Churches have used in their Confessions Now that God judgeth and accepteth men according to their Works is beyond doubt to those that seriously will read and consider these Scriptures Matth. 17.26 Rom. 2.6 7 10. 2 Cor. 5.10 James 1.25 Hebr. 10.35 1 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 22.12 § XIII And to conclude this Theam let none be so bold as to mock God supposing themselves Justified and Accepted in the sight of God by virtue of Christ's Death and Sufferings while they remain unsanctified and unjustified in their own hearts and polluted in their sins left their Hope prove that of the Hypocrite which perisheth Neither let any foolishly Imagine Job 8.13 that they can by their own Works or by the performance of any Ceremonies or Traditions or by the giving of Gold or Money or by afflicting their Bodies in Will-worship and voluntary Humility or foolishly striving to Conform their Way to the ouward Letter of the Law flatter themselves that they Merit before God or draw a Debt upon him The Hope of the Hypocrite shall perish but Grace is to the Humble or that any man or men have power to make such kind of things Effectual to their Justification lest they be found foolish Boasters and Strangers to Christ and his Righteousness indeed But blessed for ever are they that having truly had a sense of their own Vnworthiness and Sinfulness and having seen all their own Endeavours and Performances fruitless and vain and beheld their own Emptiness and the vanity of their vain Hopes Faith and Confidence while they remained inwardly pricked pursued and condemned by God's Holy Witness in their hearts and so having applied themselves thereto and suffered his Grace to work in them are become chang'd and renew'd in the spirit of their minds past from death to Life and know Jesus arisen in them working both the Will and the Deed and so having put on the Lord Jesus Christ in Effect are Cloathed with him partake of his Righteousness and Nature such can draw near to the Lord with Boldness and know their Acceptance in and by him in whom and in as many as are found in him the Father is well-pleased PROPOSITION VIII Concerning Perfection In whom this Pure and Holy Birth is fully brought forth the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and Removed and their Hearts united and subjected to the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestions or Temptations of the Evil one to be free from Actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect perfect yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth and there remaineth always in some part a Possibility of Sinning where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully Attend unto the Lord. § I. SInce we have placed Justification in the Revelation of Jesus Christ formed and brought forth in the heart there working his Works of Righteousness and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit The question is How far he may prevail in us while we are in this life or we over our Soul's Enemies in and by his strength Those that plead for Justification wholly without them meerly by Imputative Righteousness denying the Necessity of being cloathed with real and inward Righteousness do consequently affirm These are the words of the Westminster larger Catechism That it is Impossible for a man even the best of men to be Free of Sin in this life which they say no man ever was but on the contrary that none can neither of himself nor by any Grace received in this life O wicked Saying against the power of God's Grace keep the Commandments of God perfectly but that every man doth break the Commandments in thought word and deed Whence they also affirm as was a little before observed That the very best Actions of the Saints their prayers their worships are impure and polluted Whether it is possible to keep the Commandments of God We on the contrary though we freely acknowledge this of the Natural Fall'n Man in his first state whatever his profession or pretence may be so long as he is Vnconverted and Vnregenerate yet we do believe that those in whom Christ comes to be formed and the New Part I Man brought forth and born of the Incorruptible Seed as that Birth and man in Vnion therewith naturally doth the Will of God so it is possible so far to keep to it Controversy stated as not to be found daily Transgressors of the Law of God And for the more clear Stating of the Controversy let it be considered § II. First That we place not this possibility in Man 's own Will
Proof II for that Effect and it 's expresly promised to us as we are under Grace as appears by these Scriptures Rom. 6.14 The possibility of it Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son c. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us c. For if this were not a Condition both requisite necessary and attainable under the Gospel there were no difference betwixt the Bringing-in of a better Hope and the Law which made nothing perfect The Difference of the Law and Gospel neither betwixt those which are under the Gospel or who under the Law enjoyed and walked in the Life of the Gospel and meer Legalists Whereas the Apostle throughout that whole sixth to the Romans argues not only the Possibility but Necessity of being Free from sin from their being under the Gospel and under Grace and not under the Law and therefore states himself and those to whom he wrote in that Condition in these verses 2 7. and therefore in the 11 12 13 16 17 18 verses he argues both the Possibility and Necessity of this Freedom from sin almost in the same manner we did a little before and in the 22th he declares them in measure to have Attained this Condition in these words But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life Perfection and Freedom from sin Attained and made possible by the Gospel And as this Perfection or Freedom from Sin is Attained and made Possible where the Gospel and inward Law of the Spirit is received and known so the Ignorance hereof has been and is an occasion of Opposing this Truth For man not minding the Light and Law within his heart which not only discovers sin but leads out of it and so being a stranger to the new Life and Birth that is born of God which naturally doth his Will and cannot of its own Nature Transgress the Commandments of God doth I say in his Natural State look at the Commandments as they are without him in the Letter The Letter kills and maketh not alive and finding himself Reproved and Convicted is by the Letter killed but not made alive So man finding himself wounded and not applying himself Inwardly to that which can heal labours in his own Will after a Conformity to the Law as it is without him which he can never obtain but finds the more he wrestles the more he falleth short So this is the Jew still in Effect with his Carnal Commandment with the Law without in the first Covenant-state which makes not the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Hebr. 9.9 though they may have here a Notion of Christianity and an External Faith in Christ. This hath made them strain and wrest the Scriptures for an Imputative Righteousness wholly without them to cover their Impurities and this hath made them imagine an Acceptance with God possible though they suppose it Impossible ever to Obey Christ's Commands But alas O deceived Souls That will not avail in the Day wherein God will judge every man according to his Works whether good or bad It will not save thee to say It was necessary for thee to sin daily in thought word and deed for such as do so have certainly obeyed unrighteousness And what is provided for such but Tribulation and Anguish Indignation and Wrath even as glory honour and peace Immmortality and Eternal life to such as have done good and patiently continued in well-doing So then if thou desirest to know this Perfection and Freedom from sin possible for thee Turn thy mind to the Light and Spiritual Law of Christ in the heart and suffer the Reproofs thereof bear the Judgment and Indignation of God upon the unrighteous part in thee as therein it is Revealed which Christ hath made Tolerable for thee and so suffer Judgment in thee to be brought forth into Victory How we partake of Christ's Sufferings and are made Conformable unto his Death and thus come to partake of the Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings and be made Conformable unto his Death that thou may'st feel thy self Crucified with him to the World by the Power of his Cross in thee so that that life that sometimes was alive in thee to this World and the love and lusts thereof may die and a New Life be raised by which thou may'st live hence-forward to God and not to or for thy self and with the Apostle thou may'st say Gal. 2.20 It is no more I but Christ alive in me and then thou wilt be a Christian indeed and not in name only as too many are Then thou wilt know what it is to have put off the old man with his deeds who indeed sins daily in thought word and deed and to have put on the New Man that is renewed in holiness after the Image of him that hath Created him Eph. 4.24 and thou wilt witness thy self to be God's Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Matth. 11.30 1 John 5.3 and so not to sin always And to this New Man Christ's yoke is Easie and his burthen is light though it be heavy to the Old Adam yea the Commandments of God are not unto this grievous for it is his meat and drink to be found fulfilling the Will of God Proof III Lastly This Perfection or Freedom from sin is possible because many have attained it according to the express Testimony of the Scripture Some before the Law Many have Attained Perfection and some under the Law through witnessing and partaking of the benefit and effect of the Gospel and much more many under the Gospel As first It is written of Enoch Gen. 5.22 24. that he walked with God Enoch walked with God and was Perfect which no man while sinning can nor doth the Scripture record any feeling of his It is said of Noah Gen. 6.9 and of Job 1.8 and of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 That they were perfect But under the Gospel besides that of the Romans above-mentioned see what the Apostle saith of many Saints in general Eph. 2.4 5 6. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by Grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us fit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus c. I judge while they were sitting in these heavenly places they could not be daily sinning in thought word and deed neither were all their Works which they did there as filthy Rags or as a menstruous Garment See what is further said to the Hebrews 12.22 23. Spirits of just men made perfect And to Conclude let that of the Revelations c. 14.1 2
Christ's own Practice or Command as to obey all the Commandments which comprehend both our Duty towards God and Man c. and where the Gospel requires more than the Law which is abundantly signified in the 5 th and 6 th Chapters of Matthew and elsewhere Besides as to the Duties of Worship he exhorts us to Meet promising his Presence commands to Pray Preach Watch c. and gives Precepts concerning some Temporary things as the Washing of one anothers Feet the breaking of Bread hereafter to be discussed only for this one thing of baptising with Water though so earnestly contended for we find not any Precept of Christ. § VI. But to make Water-baptism a necessary Institution of the Christian Religion which is pure and Spiritual and not carnal and ceremonial is to derogate from the New Covenant-Dispensation and set up the Legal Rites and Ceremonies of which this of Baptism or Washing with Water was one III. The Gospel puts an end to Carnal Ordinances as appears from Heb. 9.10 where the Apostle speaking thereof saith that it stood only in meats and drinks and divers Baptisms and Carnal Ordinances imposed until the time of Reformation If then the Time of Reformation or the Dispensation of the Gospel which puts an end to the Shadows be come then such Baptisms and Carnal Ordinances are no more to be imposed For how Baptism with Water comes now to be a Spiritual Ordinance more than before in the time of the Law doth not appear seeing it is but Water still and a Washing of the Outward Man and a putting away of the filth of the flesh still and as before those that are so Washed were not thereby made perfect as pertaining to the Conscience neither are they at this day as our Adversaries must needs acknowledge and Experience abundantly sheweth So that the matter of it which is a Washing with Water and the Effects of it which is only an Outward Cleansing being still the same how comes Water-baptism to be less a Carnal Ordinance now than before If it be said That God confers inward Grace upon some that are now Object 1 baptized So no doubt he did also upon some Answ. that used those Baptisms among the Jews Or if it be said Because 't is commanded by Christ now under the New Object 2 Covenant I Answer First That 's to beg the Question of which hereafter Answ. But Secondly We find That where the Matter of Ordinances is the same and the End the same they are never accounted more or less Spiritual because of their different times Now was not God the Author of the Purifications and Baptisms under the Law Was not Water the Matter of them which is so now Was not the End of them to signify an Inward Purifying by an Outward Washing And is not that alledged to be the End still And are the necessary Effects or Consequences of it any better now Men are no more now than before by Water-baptism inwardly cleansed than before since men are now by vertue of Water-baptism as a necessary Consequence of it no more than before made Inwardly Clean And if some by God's Grace that are baptized with Water are inwardly purified so were some also under the Law so that this is not any Necessary Consequence nor Effect neither of this nor that Baptism It is then plainly Repugnant to Right Reason as well as to the Scripture-Testimony to affirm that to be a Spiritual Ordinance now which was a Carnal Ordinance before if it be still the same both as to its Author Matter and End however made to vary in some small Circumstances The Spirituality of the New Covenant and of its Worship established by Christ consisted not in such superficial Alterations of Circumstances but after another manner Therefore let our Adversaries shew us if they can without begging the Question and building upon some one or other of their own Principles denied by us wherever Christ appointed or ordained any Institution or Observation under the New Covenant as belonging to the Nature of it or such a necessary part of its Worship as is perpetually to Continue which being one in Substance and Effects I speak of necessary not accidental Effects yet because of some small difference in Form or Circumstance was before Carnal notwithstanding it was commanded by God under the Law but now is become Spiritual became commanded by Christ under the Gospel And if they cannot do this then if Water-baptism was once a Carnal Ordinance as the Apostle positively affirms it to have been it remains a Carnal Ordinance still and if a Carnal Ordinance then no necessary part of the Gospel or New Covenant-Dispensation and if no necessary part of it then not needful to Continue nor to be Practised by such as live and walk under this Dispensation But in this as in most other things according as we have often observed our Adversaries Judaize and renouncing the Glorious and Spiritual Priviledges of the New Covenant are sticking in and cleaving to the Rudiments of the Old both in Doctrine and Worship as being more suited and agreeable to their Carnal Apprehensions and Natural Senses But we on the contrary travel above all to lay hold upon and cleave unto the Light of the Glorious Gospel Revealed unto us And the Harmony of the Truth we profess in this The Law distinguisht from the Gospel may appear by briefly observing how in all things we follow the Spiritual Gospel of Christ as contradistinguished from the Carnality of the Legal Dispensation while our Adversaries through rejecting this Gospel are still labouring under the burthen of the Law which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear For the Law and Rule of the Old Covenant and Jews was Outward written in Tables of Stone and Parchments The Outward Baptism Worship Law distinguisht from the Inward So also is that of our Adversaries But the Law of the New Covenant is Inward and Perpetual written in the heart So is ours The Worship of the Jews was Outward and Carnal limited to set Times Places and Persons and Performed according to Set Prescribed Forms and Observations so is that of our Adversaries But the Worship of the New Covenant is neither limited to Time Place nor Person but is performed in the Spirit and in Truth and is not acted according to set Forms and Prescriptions but as the Spirit of God immediately acts moves and leads whether it be to Preach Pray or Sing and such is also our Worship So likewise the Baptism among the Jews under the Law was an outward Washing with outward Water only to Typifie an inward Purification of the Soul which did not necessarily follow upon those that were thus baptized But the Baptism of Christ under the Gospel is the Baptism of the Spirit and of Fire not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God and such is the Baptism that we labour to be baptized
answer It is ordinary for the Prophets to express the greatest duties of Evangelical times in Mosaical terms as appears among others from Jer. 31.38 39 40. Ezek. 36.25 and 40. and Isa. 45.23 I have sworn by my self that unto me every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall swear Where the Righteousness of the New Jerusalem the purity of the Gospel with its Spiritual worship and the profession of the Name of Christ are expressed under forms of speaking used to Old Jerusalem under the washings of the Law under the names of Ceremonies the Temple Services Swearing is expressed by Confessing under the Gospel Sacrifices Oaths c. Yea that which the Prophet speaks here of Swearing the Apostle Paul interprets it expresly of Confession saying Rom. 14.11 For it is written As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bow to me and every Tongue shall Confess to God Which being rightly considered none can be ignorant but these words which the Prophet writes under the Law when the Ceremonial Oaths were in use to wit Every Tongue shall swear were by the Apostle being under the Gospel when those Oaths became abolished expressed by Every Tongue shall Confess Object Tenthly they object But the Apostle Paul approves Oaths used among men when he writes Heb. 6.16 For men verily swear by the Greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife But there are as many contests fallacies and diffidences at this time as there were ever Therefore the necessity of Oaths doth yet remain Answ. I answer The Apostle tells indeed in this place what men at that time did who lived in Controversies and Incredulity not what they ought to have done nor what the Saints did who were redeemed from Strife and Incredulity and had come to Christ Strife ceasing Oaths cease the Truth and Amen of God Moreover he only alludes to a certain Custom usual among men that he might express the firmity of the Divine Promise that he might excite in the Saints so much the more Confidence in God promising to them not that he might instigate them to Swear against the Law of God or confirm them in that no not at all for neither doth 1 Cor. 9.24 teach Christians the vain Races whereby men often times even to the destruction of their Bodies are wearied to obtain a corruptible prize So neither doth Christ who is the Prince of Peace teach his Disciples to fight albeit he takes notice Luke 14.31 what it behoveth such Kings to do who are accustomed to fight as prudent Warriors therein Secondly as to what pertains to Contests Perfidies and Diffidences among men which our Adversaries affirm to have grown to such an hight that Swearing is at present as necessary as ever Deceit among the False not the True Christians That we deny not at all for we see and daily experience teacheth us that all manner of deceit and malice doth increase among worldly men and False Christians but not among True Christians But because Men cannot trust one another and therefore require Oaths one of another it will not therefore follow that True Christians ought to do so whom Christ has brought to true Faithfulness and Honesty as well towards God as one towards another and therefore has delivered them from Contests Perfidies and consequently from Oaths Eleventhly They object We grant Object That among true Christians there is not need of Oaths but by what Means shall we infallibly know them It will follow then That Oaths are at present Needful and that it is Lawful for Christians to Swear to wit that such may be satisfied who will not acknowledge this and the other Man to be a Christian. I answer It is no ways lawful for a Christian to Swear whom Christ hath called to his essential Truth Answ. which was before all Oaths forbidding him to swear and on the contrary commanding him to speak the Truth in all things to the Honour of Christ who called him that it may appear Truth was before Oaths That the Words of his Disciples may be as truly believed as the Oaths of all other worldly Men. Neither is it lawful for them to be Vnfaithful in this that they may please others for that they may avoid their Hurt For thus the Primitive Christians for some Ages remained faithful who being required to swear did unanimously answer I am a Christian I swear not What shall I say of the Heathens some of whom arrived to that Degree For Diodorus Siculus relates lib. 16. That the giving of the Right Hand was among the Persians a sign of speaking the Truth And the Scythians as Qu. Curtius relates said in their Conferences with Alexander the Great Think not that the Scythians confirm their Friendship by Swearing they swear by keeping their Promises Stobaeus in his third Sermon tells That Solomon said A good Man ought to be in that Estimation that he need not an Oath because it is to be reputed a lessening of his Honour if he be forced to Swear Pythagoras in his Oration among other things hath this Maxim Heathen-Testimonies against Oaths as that which concerns the Administration of the Common-wealth Let no Man call God to witness by an Oath no not in Judgment but let every Man so accustom himself to speak that he may become worthy to be trusted even without an Oath Basil the Great commends Clinias an Heathen That he had rather pay three Talents which are about three thousand Pound than swear Socrates as Stobaeus relates Serm. 14. had this Sentence The Duty of Good Men requires that they shew to the World that their Manners and Actions are more firm than Oaths The same was the Judgment of Isocrates Plato also stood against Oaths in his Judgments de Leg. 12. Quintilianus takes notice That it was of old a kind of Infamy if any was desired to swear but to require an Oath of a Noble-Man was like an examining him by the Hang-man Marcus Aurelius Antonius the Emperour of Rome saith in his Description of a Good Man Such is his Integrity that he needs not Oaths So also some Jews did witness as Grotius relates out of Maimonides It is best for a Man to abstain from all Oaths The Esseans as Philo Judaeus relates did esteem their Words more firm than Oaths and Oaths were esteemed among them as needless Things And Philo himself speaking of the Third Commandment explains his Mind thus viz. It were better altogether not to Swear but to be accustomed always to Speak the Truth that naked Words might have the Strength of an Oath And elswhere he saith It is more agreeable to Natural Reason altogether to abstain from Swearing perswading that whatsoever a good Man saith may be equivalent with an Oath Oaths abrogated by Christ. Who then needs further to doubt but that since Christ would have his Disciples attain the highest Pitch of Perfection he abrogated Oaths as a Rudiment of Infirmity and in place
thereof established the Use of Truth Who can now any more think that the Holy Martyrs and antient Fathers of the first three hundred Years and many others since that Time have so opposed themselves to Oaths that they might only rebuke vain and rash Oaths by the Creatures or Heathen-Idols which were also prohibited under the Mosaical-Law and not also Swearing by the True God in Truth and Righteousness which was there commanded As Polycarpus Justin Martyr The Testimonies of the Fathers against Oaths and Swearing Apolog. 2. and many Martyrs as Eusebius relates Tertullian in his Apolog. cap. 32. ad Scap. cap. 1. of Idolatry c. 11. Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. lib. 7. Origen in Matth. tract 25. Cyprianus lib. 3. Athanas. in pass cruc Domini Christi Hilarius in Matth. 5.34 Basilius Magn. in Psal. 14. Greg. Nyssenus in Cant. Orat. 13. Greg. Nazianzenus in dialog contra juramenta Epiphanius adversus haeres lib. 1. Ambros. de Virg. lib. 3. Idem in Matth. 5. Chrysostom in Genes homil 15. Idem homil in Act. Apost cap. 3. Hieronymus Epistol lib. part 3. Ep. 2. Idem in Zach. lib. 2. cap. 8. Idem in Matth. lib. 1. cap. 5. Augustinus de serm Dom. serm 28. Cyrillus in Jerem. 4. Theodoretus in Deut. 6. Isidorus Pelusiota Ep. lib. 1. Epist. 155. Chromatius in Matth. 5. Johannes Damascenus l. 3. c. 16. Cassiodorus in Psal. 94. Isidorus Hispalensis cap. 31. Antiochus in Pandect script hom 62. Beda in Jac. 5. Haimo in Apoc. Ambrosius Ansbertus in Apoc. Theophylactus in Matth. 5. Pascasius Ratbertus in Matth. 5. Otho Brunsfelsius in Matth. 5. Druthmarus in Matth. 5. Euthymius Eugubinus Bibliotheca vet patr in Matth. 5. OEcumenius in Jac. c. 5. v. 12. Anselmus in Matth. 5. Waldenses Vâ—clevus Erasmus in Matth. 5. in Jac. 5. Who can read these Places and doubt longer of their Sense in this Matter And who believing that they were against all Oaths can bring so great an indignity to the Name of Christ as to seek to subject again his Foâ—lowers to so great an Indignity Is it not rather Time that all Good Men labour to remove this Abuse and Infamy from Christians Lastly they object This will bring in Fraud and Confusion for Impostors will counterfeit Probity and under the Benefit of this Dispensation will be without Fear of Punishment I answer There are two things only Answ. which oblige a Man to speak the Truth First Either the Fear of God in his Heart and Love of Truth for where this is there is no need of Oaths to speak the Truth Or Secondly the Fear of Punishment from the Judge Therefore let there be the same The punishment of Lyars or rather greater Punishment appointed to those who pretend so great Truth in Words and so great simplicity in Heart that they cannot Lie and so great Reverence towards the Law of Christ that for Conscienceâ—sake they deny to Swear in any wise if they fail and so there shall be the same good Order yea greater Security against Deceivers as if Oaths were continued and also by that more severe Punishment to which these false Dissemblers shall be liable Hence Wicked Men shall be more terrified and Good Men delivered from all Oppression both in their Liberty and Goods For which Cause for their tender Consciences God hath often a Regard to Magistrates and their State as a thing most acceptable to him But if any can further doubt of this Thing to wit The Vnited Netherlands instanced If without Confusion it can be practised in the Commonwealth let him consider the State of the Vnited Netherlands and he shall see the Good Effect of it For there because of the great Number of Merchants more than in any other place there is most frequent Occasion for this thing and though the Number of those that are of this Mind be considerable to whom the States these hundred Years have Condescended and yet daily Condescend yet nevertheless there has nothing of Prejudice followed thereupon to the Commonwealth Government or good Order but rather great Advantage to Trade and so to the Commonwealth § XIII Sixthly The last thing to be considered is Revenge and War an Evil as opposite and contrary to the Spirit and Doctrine of Christ as Light to Darkness For as is manifest Revenge and War contrary to Christ. by what is said through Contempt of Christ's Law the whole World is filled with various Oaths Cursings Blasphemous Profanations and Horrid Perjuries so likewise through Contempt of the same Law the World is filled with Violence Oppression Murders Ravishing of Women and Virgins Spoilings Depredations Burnings Vastations and all manner of Lasciviousness and Cruelty So that it is strange that Men made after the Image of God should have so much degenerated that they rather bear the Image and Nature of Roaring Lions Tearing Tigres Devouring Wolves and Raging Boars than of Rational Creatures endued with Reason And is it not yet much more admirable that this Horrid Monster should find Place and be fomented among those Men that profess themselves Disciples of our peaceable Lord and Master Jesus Christ who by Excellency is called the Prince of Peace and hath expresly prohibited his Children all Violence and on the contrary commanded them that according to his Example they should follow Patience Charity Forbearance and other Vertues worthy of a Christian. Hear then what this great Prophet saith whom every Soul is commanded to hear under the Pain of being Cut off Matth. 5. from verse 38. to the End of the Chapter For thus he saith Ye have heard Revenge Forbidden by Christ. that it hath been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you That ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him have thy cloak also And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile go with him twain Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine enemy But I say unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your brethren only what do you more than others Do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect The Law of Christ more perfect than of that Moses These Words with a Respect to Revenge as the
believed afterwards he disarmed every Soldier in disarming of Peter Idem de Coron Mil. asketh Shall it be lawful to use the Sword the Lord saying that he that useth the Sword shall perish by the Sword Ninthly Because the Apostle admonisheth Christians That they defend not themselves Rom. 12.19 neither revenge by rendring evil for evil but give place unto wrath because Vengeance is the Lord's Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink But War throughout teacheth and injoineth the quite contrary Tenthly Because Christ calls his Children to bear his Cross not to crucify or kill others Mark 8.34 To Patience not to Revenge To Truth and Simplicity not to fraudulent Stratagems of War or to play the Sycophant which John himself forbids To flee the Glory of this World not to acquire it by Warlike Endeavours Therefore War is altogether contrary unto the Law and Spirit of Christ. Object § XV. But they object That it is lawful to War because Abraham did War before the giving of the Law and the Israelites after the giving of the Law Answ. I answer as before 1. That Abraham offered Sacrifices at that time and Circumcised the Males Which nevertheless are not lawful for us under the Gospel 2. That neither defensive nor offensive War was lawful to the Israelites Israelites going to War enquired the Oracle of God of their own Will or by their own Counsel or Conduct but they were obliged at all times if they would be successful first to enquire the Oracle of God 3. That their Wars against the wicked Nations were a figure of the inward War of the true Christians against their Spiritual Enemies in which we overcome the Devil the World and the Flesh. 4. Something is expresly forbidden by Christ Matth. 5.26 which was granted to the Jews in their time because of their hardness and on the contrary we are commanded that singular Patience and Exercise of love which Moses commanded not to his Disciples From whence Tertullian saith well against Marc. Some things permitted in the Old Testament because of hardness of heart Christ truly teacheth a new Patience even forbidding the revenging of an Injury which was permitted by the Creator And lib. de patien The Law finds more than it lost by Christ saying Love your Enemies And in the time of Clem. Alex. Christians were so far from Wars that he testified that they had no marks or signs of violence among them saying Neither are the Faces of Idols to be painted to which so much as to regard is forbidden Neither Sword nor Bow to them that follow Peace nor Cups to them who are moderate and temperate as Sylvius Disc. de Rev. Belg. Secondly They object That Defence is of natural Right Object and that Religion destroys not nature I answer Be it so but to obey God Answ. and commend our selves to him in Faith and Patience is not to destroy nature but to exalt and perfect it to wit to elevate it from the natural to the super-natural life by Christ living therein and comforting it that it may do all things and be rendered more than Conqueror Thirdly they object Object That John did not abrogate or condemn War when Soldiers came unto him I answer What then Answ. The question is not concerning John's doctrine but Christ's whose Disciples we are not John's For Christ and not John is that Prophet whom we ought all to hear and albeit that Christ said Luke 7.28 That a greater than John the Baptist was not among men born of women yet he adds That the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he But what was John's answer that we may see if it can justifie the Soldiers of this time For if it be narrowly minded it will appear that what he proposeth to Soldiers doth manifestly forbid them that Employment for he commands them Not to do violence to any man not to defraud any man but that they be content with their Wages Luke 3 14. Consider then what he dischargeth to Soldiers viz. Not to use Violence or Deceit against any which being removed let any tell how Soldiers can War For are not Craft Violence and Injustice three properties of War and the natural consequences of Battels Fourthly they object That Cornelius and that Centurion Object of whom there is mention made Matth. 8.5 were Soldiers and there is no mention that they laid down their Military Employments I answer Neither read we that they continued in them Answ. But it is most probable that if they continued in the doctrine of Christ and we read not any where of their falling from the Faith that they did not continue in them especially if we consider that two or three Ages afterwards Christians altogether rejected War or at least a long while after their time if the Emperor Marc. Aurel. Anton. be to be credited who writes thus I prayed to my-Country Gods but when I was neglected by them and observed my self pressed by the Enemy considering the fewness of my Forces I called to one and entreated those who with us are called Christians and I found a great number of them And I forced them with Threats Christians instanced that did not War which ought not to have been because afterwards I knew their Strength and Force Therefore they betook themselves neither to the use of Darts nor Trumpets for they use not to do so for the cause and Name of their God which they bear in their Consciences And this was done about an hundred and sixty years after Christ. To this add those words which in Justin Martyr the Christians Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is We fight not with our Enemies And moreover the answer of Martin to Julian the Apostate related by Sulpitius Severus I am a Soldier of Christ therefore I cannot fight which was three hundred years after Christ. It is not therefore probable that they continued in Warlike Employments How then is Vincentius Lyrinensis and the Papists consistent with their Maxim That which always everywhere and by all was received c. And what becomes of the Priests with their Oath That they neither ought nor will Interpret the Scripture but according to the universal Consent of the Fathers so called For it is as easie to obscure the Sun at Mid day as to deny that the Primitive Christians renounced all Revenge and War And albeit this thing be so much known to all yet it is as well known that all the Modern Sects live in the neglect and contempt of this Law of Christ and likewise oppress others who in this agree not with them for Conscience sake towards God Persecution for not bearing Arms and not fasting and praying for Victory Even as we have suffered much in our Country because We neither could our selves bear Arms nor send others in our place nor give our money for the buying
of Drums Standards and other military Attire And lastly because we could not hold our Doors Windows and Shops close for Conscience sake upon such Days as Fasts and Prayers were appointed for to desire a blessing upon and success for the Arms of that Kingdom or Common Wealth under which we live neither give thanks for the Victories acquired by the effusion of much blood By which forcing of the Conscience they would have constrained our Brethren living in divers Kingdoms at War together to have implored our God for contrary and contradictory things and consequently impossible for it is impossible that two Parties fighting together should both obtain the Victory And because we cannot concur with them in this Confusion therefore are we subiect to Persecution Yea and others who with us do witness that the use of Arms is unlawful to Christians do look a-squint upon us But which of us two do most faithfully observe this testimony against Arms Either they who at certain times at the Magistrates order do close up their Shops and Houses and meet in their Assembly praying for the prosperity of their Arms or giving thanks for some Victory or other whereby they make themselves like to those that approve Wars and Fighting Or we which cannot do these things for the same cause of Conscience lest we should destroy by our Works what we establish in Words We shall leave to the judgment of all prudent men Fifthly They object Object That Christ Luke 22.36 speaking to his Disciples commands them that he that then had not a Sword should sell his Coat and buy a Sword Therefore say they Arms are lawful I answer Some indeed understand this of the Outward Sword Answ. nevertheless regarding only that occasion otherwise judging that Christians are prohibited Wars under the Gospel Among which is Ambrose who upon this place speaks thus 0 Lord Why commandest thou me to buy a Sword who forbid'st me to smite with it Why commandest thou me to have it whom thou prohibitest to draw it Vnless perhaps a Defence be prepared not a necessary Revenge and that I may seem to have been able to Revenge but that I would not For the Law forbids me to smite again Peter offered Two Swords And therefore perhaps he said to Peter offering two Swords It is enough as if it had been lawful until the Gospel time that in the Law there might be a Learning of Equity but in the Gospel a perfection of goodness Others judge Christ to have spoken here Mystically and not according to the Letter as Origen upon Matth. 19. saying If any looking to the Letter and not understanding the Will of the Words shall sell his bodily Garment and buy a Sword taking the words of Christ contrary to his will he shall Perish But concerning which Sword he speaks is not proper here to mention And truly when we consider the answer of the Disciples Master behold here are two Swords understanding it of outward Swords and again Christ's answer It is enough it seems that Christ would not that the rest who had not Swords for they had only two Swords should sell their Coats and buy an outward Sword Who can think that matters standing thus he should have said Two was enough But however it is sufficient that the use of Arms is unlawful under the Gospel Sixthly they object Object That the Scriptures and old Fathers so called did only prohibit private Revenge not the use of Arms for the defence of our Country Body Wives Children and Goods when the Magistrate commands it seeing the Magistrates ought to be obeyed Therefore albeit it be not lawful for private men to do it of themselves nevertheless they are bound to do it by the Command of the Magistrate I answer If the Magistrate be truly a Christian Answ. or desires to be so he ought himself in the first place to Obey the Command of his Master saying Love your Enemies c. and then he could not Command us to kill them But if he be not a true Christian Christian Magistrates to obey the Command of their Master Christ. then ought we to obey our Lord and King Jesus Christ to whom he ought also to obey For in the Kingdom of Christ all ought to submit to his Laws from the highest to the lowest that is from the King to the Beggar and from Caesar to the Clown But alas where shall we find such an Obedience O deplorable Fall Concerning which Ludov. Viv. writes well lib. de con vit Christ. sub Turc by relation of Fredericus Sylvius Disc. de Revol Belg. p. 85. The Prince entred into the Church not as a true and plain Christian which had indeed been most happy and desirable but he brought in with him his Nobility Lud. Vives against Arms. his Honors his ARMS his Ensigns his Triumphs his Haughtiness his Pride his Superciliousness that is He came into the house of Christ accompanied with the Devil and which could no ways be done he would have joyned two Houses and two Cities together God's and the Devil 's which could not more be done than Rome and Constantinople which are distant by so long a Tract both of Sea and Land What Communion saith Paul is there betwixt Christ and Belial Their Zeal cooled by degrees their Faith decreased their whole Piety degenerated instead whereof we make now use of Shadows and Images and as he saith I would we could but retain these Thus far Vives But lastly as to what relates to this thing since nothing seems more contrary to man's nature and seeing of all things the defence of ones Self seems most tolerable as it is most hard to men so it is the most perfect part of the Christian Religion as that wherein the Denial of Self and Intire Confidence in God doth most appear and therefore Christ and his Apostles left us hereof a most perfect Example As to what relates to the present Magistrates of the Christian World Concerning the present Magistrates of the Christian World albeit we deny them not altogether the name of Christians because of the publick Profession they make of Christ's Name yet we may boldly affirm that they are far from the perfection of the Christian Religion Because in the state in which they are as in many places before I have largely observed they have not come to the pure Dispensation of the Gospel And therefore while they are in that condition we shall not say that War undertaken upon a just Occasion is altogether unlawful to them For even as Circumcision and the other Ceremonies were for a season permitted to the Jews not because they were either necessary or of themselves or lawful at that time after the Resurrection of Christ but because that Spirit was not yet raised up in them whereby they could be delivered from such Rudiments So the present Confessors of the Christian name who are yet in the mixture and not in the patient suffering Spirit
of ordinary Capacity that are not educated in Colledges may understand them V. As for Retortions they must not be impertinent and from the purpose and none shall be so insisted on as to divert us from the Point or turn the Opponent into the Respondent VI. The Day appointed for the Conference is the fourteenth of April in the Year One thousand six hundred seventy five being the Day called Wednesday the Place is to be at Alexander Harper 's House or Close in case the Gray-Fryers Church so called cannot be obtained and that the Conference is to continue from two to five a Clock in the Afternoon VII Both Parties shall endeavour to procure a Praeses to Moderate but not to have any Decisive Judgment yet if such a one cannot be procured the Conference is not to be broken up VIII And it is hereby declared That both Parties intend this for Mutual Edification and therefore intend to abstain from any thing that may obstruct so good an Event IX It is likewise agreed that none shall have Liberty to speak but those that have or shall subscribe before the Dispute begin these aforesaid Articles HEre Alex. Skein one of our Friends chosen Praeses for Us because we could not at that time procure another standing up with the other Praeses Student It was condescended That no Quaker should be a Praeses Quaker We are wronged for we never condescended to any such thing And seeing ye have chosen one of Your Way how can we be hindred to choose one of Ours Andr. Thomson their Praeses There needs no debate in this matter for we are chosen not to have any Decisive Judgment but only for the Moral Part to take notice if the Rules be observed or whether ye keep to the Purpose Then John Leslie had a long and tedious Discourse concerning what was fit to be done and how we ought to Dispute G. K. Praeses I suppose we came not to this Place to hear from this Young-Man a long Logick Discourse R. B. I desire to be heard We being a People so generally mis-represented as Heretical and Erroneous did conceive our selves obliged to give a True and Faithful Account of our Principles which I did in a certain Paper now under debate And that our Innocency therein might appear there was a Challenge added to the end of it offering to defend these our Principles if we might be allowed so to do in these Publick Places where we have been so much misrepresented and against those Persons who had there so often traduced us To which having received no Answer some of the Students of Divinity came to us and signified that they looked upon themselves as concerned because mention is made of such in the beginning of that Paper To whom we answered That they were not the Persons Challenged by Us as not being the Publick Preachers that had mis-represented Us But seeing they were desirous to debate the matter we were not unwilling to render to any a Reason of the Hope that is in us and therefore should not decline it And forasmuch as some did object that we were at a loss as engaging with them because there would be little Advantage in case we had any Victory and a greater Reflection should we appear to be at any loss To such we had and have this to say That as we are not afraid to meet with the Greatest and Ablest of the Preachers themselves so the Truth leads us not to Despise any As R. B. was going on he was interrupted Alex. Shirreff If it were pertinent I could easily disprove much of what is said but to be short R. B. having given Theses provoking all the Scholars of Europe and Great Brittain though R. B. pretends in his Preface to be against School-Divinity yet his Theses are full of it and there are many other Contradictions which I will not now take notice of The Preachers and Ministers of the Word not finding themselves concerned we Young-Men and but Students have offered to Dispute In the Articles the Quakers have been very unreasonable and particularly G. K. did refuse any Article should be put in against Railing because he said That might be Railing in me which was not in him because he to wit G. K. was immediately led by the Spirit We have concluded that being Young-Men in case the Quakers should have any Advantage it will not be of great Consequence and if we have Advantage we hope it may be useful because these are the great Prophets and Preachers of the Quakers G.K. I could take notice of many things not true in that Young-Man's long Discourse And it may here be observed that afterwards J. L. speaking reflectingly against the Quakers said It was no Railing to speak the Truth which was all he pleaded for as particularly that R. B. hath provoked all Europe but I pass them by because I am here exceedingly abused and therefore desire to be heard For I declare in God's Fear and in singleness of my Heart I never said any such thing as is by that Young-Man alledged upon me as I can Appeal to the Auditors who were there present But what I said was this I cannot bind my self not to Rail because I 'me bound already that I should not Rail by the Righteous Law of God in my Conscience and may perhaps speak that as believing it to be true which ye may call Railing A. Shir. I being chiefly concerned and having mostly occasioned this Debate am Employed by the rest to speak first and therefore I will Impugn the Second Thesis Which R. B. read and is as followeth Seing no Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him Second Thesis Matt. 11.27 And seeing the Revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true Knowledge of God hath been is and can be only Revealed who as by the moving of his own Spirit converted the Chaos of this World into that wonderful Order wherein it was in the beginning and created Man a living Soul to rule and govern it so by the Revelation of the same Spirit he hath made manifest himself all-a-long unto the Sons of Men both Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles which Revelations of God by the Spirit whether by outward Voices and Appearances Dreams or inward objective Manifestations in the Heart was of old the formal Object of their Faith and remaineth yet so to be since the Object of the Saints Faith is the same in all Ages though set forth under divers Administrations Moreover these Divine inward Revelations which we make absolutely necessary for the building up true Faith neither do nor can ever Contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or right and sound Reason yet from hence it will not follow that the Divine Revelations are to be subjected to the Examination either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or of the Natural Reason of
so as with open Face to behold the Glory of God The first sort of Revelation is given universally unto all both Jews and Gentiles but the second is only given to the Saints in whom the Seed is compleatly formed and brought forth As to their Queries we answer That Conscience and Reason are distinguished from the Saving Light of Christ in all Men and the Revelation thereof as a Natural and Supernatural Principle are distinguished and it was the Natural which Pelagius did exalt too much as our Adversaries also do who affirm That Men may be Lawful Preachers without being renewed by the Super-natural Principle of God's saving Light and Grace In the Prosecution of their Second Argument 1. They deny the Inward Blood and Sufferings of Christ referring us to their Proof afterwards which we shall in its Place examine 2. They alledge That we hold an Heavenly and Spiritual Nature in Christ which is distinct from the Godhead on the one hand and from the Manhood on the other which they call a Third Nature in Christ. But this their Alledgance is false The Inward Hearing of the Word Asserted for that Heavenly and Spiritual Nature is not a Third Thing distinct from both the Godhead and Manhood of Christ as shall be afterwards shewn 3. They alledge That the Apostle doth not speak of any inward Hearing or Word but of the outward The Contrary is manifest from the Apostles own Words in the same Chapter The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart Nor is their Reason valid to prove it for the Words verse 14 15. are not Arguments made by Paul but Objections adduced by him which he afterwards answereth And this is usual with Paul in this Epistle As to their Question Wherein consists the Nature and Essence of Faith We say It is a Receiving of Christ laying hold upon him according to whatsoever Revelation he makes of himself in Mens Hearts which is in some greater in others less but in all is in some degree In their Third Argument they undertake to prove That according to us the Scriptures are not necessary secundum quid or profitable But all in vain As for their Example as they know Examples prove not so is it vain and impertinent for we never Compared the Scriptures to a mutilated and dim Copy they are a clear and perfect Copy The Scriptures a perfect Copy but not the Original as to all Essentials and Necessaries of Christian Religion But they are not the Original And seeing we have answered them so many Questions let them Answer us this one Are not all these Divinity-Books and Commentaries on the Scripture made by Men not divinely Inspired as a mutilated and dim Copy in comparison of the Scripture and whether is the Scripture or these Books more perfect If they say the Scripture is more perfect then what need they the mutilated and dim Copy of these Divinity-Books Or what Profit can they have by them which they cannot have rather by the Scripture Again here they confound the Material and Formal Object of Faith as if we did hold That Inward Revelation without Scripture did propound unto us the Material Objects of Faith which is False For there are many of the Material Objects which are only propounded by the Scripture to wit such as the Historical Part of the Scripture and in this Respect we do not plead That Inward Revelation is the Material Object but the Formal In their Fourth Argument they are so blind as not to take notice how we can give the same Answer that they give concerning the Law That we who are under Grace and Obedience to the inward Law are dead as to the Condemning Power but not as to the Commanding Power thereof But that it is not the Letter or any outward Testimony of the Law Not the Letter nor the outward Law but the Spirit convinces the Conscience that doth so powerfully Convince a Man's Conscience as of other Sins so of Covetousness as the Spirit of God doth in his inward Convictions and Smitings upon the Conscience is clear from the Experience of all those who have known and passed through the State which the Apostle spake of when he said I was alive without the Law but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died Yea what Law is that of the Mind whereof he makes mention Rom. 8. but an Inward Law by which the Knowledge of Sin comes and through which both the Knowledge and Remembrance of Sin sticks more closely to the Soul than through any Outward Law it can And did not Christ say That the Spirit should Convince the World of Sin Yea how many of those called Heathens The Heathens instanced who had not any Outward Law have declared That Inward Concupiscence was a Sin As for their malicious Accusation against us of our Lust and Covetousness we reject as not worth the noticing seeing they assert it without any colour of Proof but it seems they have learned that Wicked and Devilish Maxime Calumniare audacter aliquid adhaerebit i. e. Calumniate boldly that something may stick Their Fifth Argument is Answered in the First as being a Branch thereof Their Sixth Argument is built upon a false Supposition that according to our Principle All would be Prophets and that no Difference could be assigned betwixt Prophets and Pastors and Teachers seeing Prophets and Teachers teach both from the Spirit Prophets and Teachers distinguish'd The First is Answered at large in the End of G. K's Book of Immediate Revelation To the Second we Answer that by Prophets in the strictest Sense are meant those who Prophesy of things to come as Agabus was by Teachers they who Instruct the People in Doctrine And this is a manifest Difference although in the large and common Sense Prophesying and Preaching are one thing Their Seventh Argument they pretend to build on that Scripture Jud. 19. but it is easily Answered That Men in one Sense may be said not to have the Spirit and in another to have it Even as a Rich Man who improveth not his Money both Hath and Hath it Not in divers Senses According to which Christ said From him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath And whereas R. B. doth grant That they whose Day of Visitation is come to an End The Reproofs of the Spirit internal have not the Spirit so much as to invite and call them unto God Here they insult as if all were granted they seek But they are greatly deceived For though he grant That some have not the Spirit to call and invite them yet he granteth not That they have not the Spirit to reprove them For even the Devils and Damned Souls of Men and Women sin against the Spirit of God witnessing against them in their Hearts which is in them a Law of Condemnation as David said If I go down into hell thou art there Yea do we not read nor
painted Bread or a Discourse of Bread cannot satisfie the Natural Tast and Appetite A Discourse of Bread satisfies not the Hungry no more can the Scripture-Words satisfie the Tast and Appetite of the Soul They cite 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. to prove That the Scriptures of Old and New Testmament are the Principal Compleat and Infallible Rule of Faith and Manners But this place doth not say that they are so The Scripture we grant but deny their Consequence Which is meerly begged without a Proof They Confess pag. 90. That the Scriptures are not sufficient every way so as to exclude the Inward Efficiency of the Spirit and the Concurrence of other Causes Very well Enough to overthrow their whole Argument Inward Revelation both Effective and Objective For among other Causes Divine Inspiration is a Main For indeed the inward Efficiency of the Spirit is that Objective Revelation which we plead for only they deny it to be Objective whereas we say it is both Effective and Objective As if a Man should grant that the Light and Heat of the Fire doth both enlighten us and warm us but deny that either that Light or Heat of the Fire is Objective to our discerning or perceptible by themselves which were ridiculous And as Ridiculous is their Conceit of an Influence of the Spirit that is meerly Effective and not Objective That the Books of the Old and New Testament are called the Scripture by way of Eminency we deny not although the Name is given at Times to other Writings nor doth this refute G. K. his Translation of that Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 which is confirmed by the Syriack which hath it thus In Scriptura enim quae per Spiritum scripta est utilitas est ad doctrinam c. i. e. For in the Scripture which is written by the Spirit there is profit All Scripture given by Inspiration c. Controverted But their Reason from the Conjunction and is both Foolish and Blasphemous For if the Words be rendered thus All Scripture given by Inspiration is and profitable is no more Non-sense than divers other Places in the Scripture where the Conjunction and seemeth to be Redundant As in that Place Joh. 8.25 where the Greek hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The beginning or from the beginning the same which and * Or also I speak unto you Now if the Conjunction and render not this Place Non-sense no more doth it render that in Timothy But the Students Ignorance renders them rather Blasphemers and their Arguments Blasphemous against the Words of Christ. Moreover the Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie a strong Affirmation as to say even truly indeed as both our English Translation hath it Joh. 8.25 and Schrevelius in his Greek Lexicon doth render it And thus the Words have good Sense All Scripture or Writing given by Inspiration is even or indeed profitable And whereas they say None but a Quaker or Jesuit would so interpret the Place They declare their Malice and Ignorance For William Tindall that famous Protestant Martyr in his Translation of the Bible for which the Papists burnt him did Translate it as G. K. doth whom we think the Students dare not Accuse as a Jesuit That he was a Quaker in so far as he held divers of our Principles Condemned by the Students we shall not deny As for us we bless the Lord Unprofitable Nicities of the Letter-Mongers reprehended our Faith stands not on such a small Nicity as the want of an is or the redundancy of an and let them look to that whose Faith knoweth no other Foundation but the Letter It doth nothing hurt our Faith nor lessen the due Esteem of the Scripture to us if peradventure an is hath been lost or an and hath crept into the Text since the Original Copies were lost This we know and can prove That the Scripture cannot profit any Man to Salvation without the Illumination or Inspiration of the Spirit which is both Effective and Objective and which our Adversaries grant at least to be Effective And if they make one Exception why may not we make another Or if they say the Spirit is necessary one Way why may not we say It is necessary another Way But then the Scriptures say they would not be profitable at all in any Manner or Kind We deny the Consequence For it is profitable yea The Scripture is profitable and necessary in genere objecti materialis i. e as the material Object in Relation to all Historical Truths and divers other Dogmatical and Doctrinal Points which perhaps we would not have known without the Scripture although we had had the Spirit in as large a Measure as Men now have it Again The Scripture is profitable in genere Objecti remoti secundarii i. e. by way of a Remote and Secondary Object and Rule even as in relation to Testimonies of Life and Experience which may be known without the Scripture yet the Scripture is a Secondary Confirmation and Help even in that Case as a Card or Map of a Land is unto a Traveller that travels through the Land it self and seeth the High Ways who will not throw away his Card The Map compared with the Land in Possession because he sees the Land it self but will both delight and profit himself to Compare them both together Other great and weighty Uses we could give but these suffice to serve as Instances against their Weak and Sorry Argumentation Their last Argument is from Joh. 12.48 The Word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day But how prove they That this is the Letter of the Scripture much of which was not then writ And although this Word were not Christ himself yet it may be an Inward Testimony spoken by Christ in Men's Hearts Here they meerly beg and prove not But 2. Suppose it were the Scripture or Written Law as that cited by them Rom. 2.12 it will only follow That the Scripture is a Secondary Law or Rule which we willingly grant and that by it Men who have the Scriptures shall be judged but not by them only For if the Gentiles who have not the written Law shall be judged by the Law in the Conscience so shall these also who have both Inward and Outward be judged by both and consequently their Damnation shall be greater SECTION V. Of Worship being an Answer unto their Third Section concerning Inspirations to Duty IN their stating the Controversy in this particular they grosly prevaricate in divers things As where they say N. 2. The Question is not only about Duty on the Matter videlicet The Act of Prayers Prayer without the Spirit not acceptable c. as separated from the right manner viz. Sincerity and Truth whereas indeed the Question betwixt them and us is about Prayer as separated from the Right Manner viz. Sincerity and Truth For they say God requires Men to
Worship God according as we Preached And therefore they said that He to wit God had wholly neglected the Salvation of all their Predecessors in permitting that these Miserable Souls should altogether be destitute to their utter Ruin of the Knowledge of Saving Truth This most odious Thought did much draw them back from the Worship of the True God but by the help of God this Error and Scruple was taken from them For we first did demonstrate unto them that the Divine Law was the Oldest of all yea before any Law was made by the Ancients Taught by Nature not to Kill c. The Japans knew by the Teaching of Nature that it was unlawful to Kill Steal Forswear and other things contained in the Ten Divine Laws as was evident in that when any of them Committed these Crimes they were tormented by the Pricks of their Consciences That hence Reason it self doth teach to flee the Evil and follow the Good and therefore was Implanted in the minds of all Men by Nature So that all have the Knowledge of the Divine Law from Nature and of God the Author of Nature before Discipline be added Of which were it doubted Trial might be made in some body altogether Void of Discipline who has been Educated in some Mountain or Wilderness without any Knowledge of the Laws of his Country For if such an one thus altogether Ignorant and Unacquainted with Humane Discipline were asked Whether to Kill a Man to Steal and these other things which the Law of God forbids were Sinful or not Or if it were not right to forbear these things Truly I say such an one utterly Ignorant of Humane Discipline would so answer that it would easily appear that he were not Void of the Law of God From whence then shall we judge he has drawn his Notion unless from God himself the Author of Nature If then this be manifest in Barbarous Men how much more in Men Civiliz'd and well-Educated Which being so it necessarily follows that the Divine Law was Implanted in Man's Heart before all Laws made by Man This Reason was so manifest to them that they were fully satisfied and so being delivered from these Snares did easily subject themselves to the sweet Yoak of Christ. Thus far Xaverius Thus it may seem that to satisfy these Japonians that their Fore-fathers were not all necessarily Damned and to shew that the Vniversal Love of God reached unto them to put them in a Capacity of Salvation This Cunning Jesuite could not find another way than by Asserting this Principle Albeit it be no ways Congruous to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome For these Antient Japonians could not be esteemed Members of the Church of Rome and as not being such according to the Romish Principle who say There is no Salvation without the Church that is without the Church of Rome must needs have been Damned II. That by vertue of that Light Men may be Converted and become Members of the Church without which is no Salvation Secondly That Notion and Definition of a Church which naturally arises from this Principle and is accordingly believed by the Assertors of it doth also both very well Agree to and Establish this Doctrine of Vniversal Love For by vertue of this Seed and Light Extended by Christ unto the Hearts of all it being supposed That Men may thereby be truly Converted and consequentially Vnited to Christ it naturally follows That such may become Members of the Church Else none of Old but the Families of the Patriarchs and of the Jews could have been judged to be Saved nor yet any during all the Time of the Apostacy Which as it is false in it self will be hardly affirmed by any And therefore since such might be Saved they must be esteemed Members of the Church without which in this large Sense there can be no Salvation as including the whole Body of Christ Of which Body who are not are certainly Excluded And therefore it is that the Church Catholick or Vniversal is not so confined to any Sect Form or External Profession as that those that are not Initiated in those Forms are Excluded absolutely from being Members of the Church unless it be upon Refusal or Resistance of the Will of God really manifest to them as drawing them to the Practice of particular Things For it hath pleased God at several Times to Require several things both of particular Churches and Persons which he has not of others As to the Jewish Converts To Abstain from things Strangled and Blood and to the Churches of the Gentiles Not to Circumcise which was permitted to the Christian Jews for a Time And from particular Persons many particular things have been Required Which albeit they were not general Obligations upon all Christians yet in so far as Manifested to and Required of them were sufficiently Obligatory And their Disobedience to them should have been in them a Breach of their General Obligation of Obedience which we owe to God in all things He Requires and consequently pernicious however others to whom they have never been Revealed nor Required might have been Saved without them III. That God by his Spirit Reveals his Will Immediately in the hearts of all true Christians Thirdly As the Asserting of Principles which commend the Love of God and shew the Great Extent of it to Mankind do most agree with Vniversal Love so this People in another Chief Principle of theirs do greatly shew it For as by the Preaching of this Vniversal Principle of the Light they shew the Extension of God's Love to all so by Preaching that God both doth and is willing to Reveal his Will Immediately by his own Spirit in the Hearts of all those that Receive his Light that so they may be guided acted and led thereby and know the Mind of God thus Inwardly Immediately in themselves they hold forth the Intension of God's Love to all those that follow and obey him so that they neither bind up this being led by the Spirit of God only to themselves nor stint it to singular and Extraordinary Occasions but hold it forth as a Common and Vniversal Priviledge to all true Christians and Members of the Church Now this Doctrine greatly Commends the Love of God and Establisheth the Principle of Vniversal Love in that it shews how Vniversally God hath offered this Blessed Priviledge to all in that He hath given his Light unto all upon the receiving of which this Immediate Guidance of the Spirit followeth as a necessary Concomitant For such as deny this Immediate Revelation of God's Will by his Spirit in the Hearts of his Children to be a Common and Vniversal Priviledge to all true Christians and Members of the Church must needs suppose the Knowledge of his Will Necessary for them to be Communicated to them by some other External Means as by outward Writings and Precepts insomuch that all such as are robbed of this Benefit are necessarily Excluded from
with their Grandeur and Worldly Glory War's Calamities They sheath their Swords in one another's Bowels Ruin waste and destroy whole Countreys Expose to the greatest misery many Thousand Families Make Thousands of Widows and ten Thousands of Orphans Cause the Banks to over-flow with the Blood of those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious Blood and Spend and Destroy many of the good Creatures of God And all this while they pretend to be Followers of the Lamb like Jesus who came not to destroy Mens lives but to save them The Song of whose Appearance to the World was Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and Good Will and Peace to all Men Not to Kill Murder and Destroy Men not to hire and force poor Men to Run upon and Murder one another meerly to satisfy the Lust and Ambition of Great Men they being oftentimes Ignorant of the Ground of the Quarrel The Warriours are forced to Kill of their fellow Christians whom they never had Evil Will against and not having the least Occasion of Evil Will or Prejudice against those their Fellow-Christians whom they thus Kill amongst whom not one of a Thousand perhaps ever saw one another before Yea is it not so that there is only a Name and nothing of the true Nature of Christians especially manifest in the Clergy who pretend not only to be Professors but Preachers Promoters and Exhorters of others to Christianity who for the most part are the greatest Promoters and Advancers of those Wars and by whom upon all such Occasions the Name of God and Jesus Christ is most horribly abused profaned and blasphemed While they dare Pray to God Preachers the War's Promoters and Thank him for the Destruction of their Brethren Christians and that for and against according to the Changeable Wills of their several Princes Yea so that some will Join in their Prayers with and for the Prosperity of such The Priests Confusion and Instability in their Prayers as their Profession obliges them to believe to be Heretical and Antichristian and for the Destruction of those whom the same Profession acknowledges to be good and Orthodox Christians Thus the French both Papists and Protestants Join in their Prayers and Rejoyce for the Destruction of the Spanish Papists and Dutch Protestants The like may be said of the Danish Swedish and German Protestants as respectively concerned in this matter Yea which is yet more strange if either Constraint or Interest do engage any Prince or State to Change his Party while the same War and Cause remains then will the Clergy presently accommodate their Prayers to the Case in praying for Prosperity to those to whom instantly before they wished Ruin and so on the Contrary As in this present War in the Case of the Bishop of Munster is manifest Was there ever or can there be any more horrible Profanation of the holy and pure Name of God especially to be done by those who pretend to be Worshipers of the true God and Disciples of Jesus Christ Worse than Heathens This not only Equals but far Exceeds the Wickedness of the Heathens for they only prayed such Gods to their Assistance as they fancied allow their Ambition and accounted their Warring a Vertue whom they judged Changeable like themselves and subject to such Quarrels among themselves as they that are their Worshippers But for those to be found in these things who believe there is but One only God and have or at least profess to have such Notions of his Justice Equity and Mercy and of the Certainty of his punishing the Transgressors of his Law is so horrible and abominable as cannot sufficiently be neither said nor written The Ground then of all this is the Want of True Christianity because the Nature of it is not begotten The Ground of VVar. nor brought forth in those called Christians and therefore they bear not the Image nor bring not forth the Fruits of it For albeit they have the Name yet the Nature they are Strangers to The Lamb's Nature is not in them but the Doggish Nature the Wolfish Nature that will still be quarrelling and destroying the Cunning Serpentine Subtile Nature and the proud ambitious Luciferian Nature that sets Princes and States a work to contrive and foment Wars and engages People to Fight together some for Ambition and vain Glory and some for Covetousness and Hope of Gain And the same Cause doth move the Clergy to Concur with their share in making their Prayers Turn and Twine The Clergy's Prayers turn and twine and so all are here out from the State of True Christianity And as they keep the Name of being Christians so also upon the same Pretext each will pretend to be for Peace while their Fruits manifestly declare the Contrary And how hath and doth Experience daily discover this Deceit For how is Peace brought about Is it not when the Weaker is forced to give way to the Stronger without respect to the Equity of the Cause Is it not Just so as among the wild and devouring Beasts who when they Fight together the Weaker is forced to give way to the Stronger and so Desist until another Occasion offer So who are found Weakest who are least Capable to hold out they must bear the Inconveniency and he gets the most Advantage however frivolous yea unjust his pretence be who is most Able to vindicate his claim and preserve it not by Equity but force of Arms So that the Peace-Contrivers Rule is not the Equity of the Cause but the Power of the Parties Is not this known and manifest in many if not most of the Pacifications that have been made in Christendom It is therefore in my heart in the Name and behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ to Warn you to Consider of those things And therefore be not unwilling to hear one that appears among you for the Interest of Christ his King and Master Not as it thereby he denied the Just Authority of Soveraign Princes or refused to acknowledge the Subjection himself owes to his lawful Prince and Superiour Which Calumny some have been apt to throw upon us by reason of some in those Countreys that have so Affirmed or were any ways inclined to favour the Dreams of such as under the pretence of Crying up King Jesus and the Kingdom of Christ either deny or seek to overturn all Civil Government Nay not at all But I am one who do Reverence and Honour Magistracy and acknowledge Subjection due unto them by their respective People in all things Just and Lawful knowing that Magistracy is an Ordinance of God * Rom. 13.1.4 and that Magistrates are his Ministers who bear not the Sword in vain Yet nevertheless I judge it no prejudice to Magistracy nor Injury to any for one that is Called of the Lord Jesus to appear for him in this Affair for he is not a little concerned as by all their Confession
World which for several Generations they have only had the Shadow of but have not enjoyed in the Substance And because many are the Calumnies that such are Reproached withal as holding forth Strange and Pernicious Doctrines therefore I have herewith sent you a large Apology for the true Christian Divinity held forth and preached by them That therein you may see how the truly Christian Principles which have been lost in the Apostacy while the Life of Christianity was not to be found is Restored by their Testimony Desiring you seriously to Read and Consider the same as well as Transmit it to the several Princes you are Employed by that both you and they may see That the Day of the Lord is dawned and may Learn to walk in the Light of it which would bring Peace and Quietness and felicity to all both outward and inward And thereby all may be stirred up to receive with Gladness such as the Lord will move to Preach and Declare this Day as it is dawned and made manifest in them following the Apostle's Rules In receiving Strangers willingly Heb. 13.2 for that some in so doing have entertained Angels unawares And that none of you may be like the Pharisees who Cried Crucify him Nor like those who intreated him to depart out of their Coasts and like those who would have none of him to Rule over them lest with them ye receive the like Condemnation However I shall be clear of all your Blood in so far as I have faithfully Answered what God Required of me towards you and Discharged my Conscience in Love to your Immortal Souls as well as to the Common Peace and Good of Christendom Whereof and of all those that profess the Name of Christ I am A True Friend and Hearty Well-wisher Robert Barclay This Came upon me from the Lord to Write unto You at Ury in my Native Country of Scotland the Second of the Month called November 1677. COpies of the foresaid Epistle in Latine were upon the 23 d and 24 th Days of the Month called February 1678. delivered at Nemeguen to the Ambassadors of the Emperor of the Kings of Great Britain Spain and France Sweden and Denmark of the Prince Elector Palatine as also of the States General and of the Duke of Lorain Holstain Lunenburg Osnabrug Hannover and the Pope's Nuncio to wit one to each Ambassador and one to each of their Principals together with so many Copies of the Book whereof the Author makes mention in the Letter the Title whereof is Roberti Barclaii Theologiae verae Christianae Apologia Carolo secundo Magnae Britanniae c. Regi oblata Robert Barclay his Apology for True Christian Divinity offered to Charles the Second King of Great Britain Typis Excusa 1676. pro Jacob Claus Bibliopola habitante Amstelodami Printed 1676. for Jacob Claus Bookseller at Amsterdam R. B.'s APOLOGY FOR THE True Christian Divinity VINDICATED FROM JOHN BROWN's Examination and pretended Confutation thereof in his Book called Quakerism the Path-Way to Paganism In which VINDICATION JOHN BROWN his many Gross Perversions and Abuses are Discovered and his Furious and Violent Railings and Revilings soberly Rebuked By ROBERT BARCLAY Whereunto is Added A Christian and Friendly Expostulation with ROBERT MACQVARE touching his Postscript to the said Book of J. B. written to him by LILLIAS SKEIN Wife of ALEXANDER SKEIN and delivered some Months since at his House in Roterdam Isaiah 51.7 Hearken unto me ye that know Righteousness the People in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the Reproach of Men neither be ye Affraid of their Revilings Matth. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall Revile you and persecute you and speak all manner of Evil falsly against you for my Name 's sake London Printed for Tho. Northcott 1691. THE Preface to the Reader Serious READER I Shall not need to trouble thee here with a Long Preface most of what is commonly Inserted in such Epistles being proposed to thee in the First Section only I will take occasion here Ingenuously and Solemnly to profess That no Delight in Controversy hath Induced me to undertake this Treatise but pure Necessity to Vindicate the Truth professed by me from the many gross Perversions wherewith this Author hath Abused it For as for his Personal Reflections at me which are very frequent and whereby he labours to Represent me to his Reader as the Veriest Fool Ignorant Sensless Non sensical and yet Proud Presumptuous and Blasphemous Miscreant for such are his Expressions that can be imagined I should not have troubled my self nor the World with a Vindication being perswaded none who truly knows me will believe him and that none of Solidity and Judgment who knows me not will so easily Agree to this Censure As for such Credulous Creatures if his Book find any such for I have heard of several of the same Faith with him who much Condemn his Railing Style who will judge of me upon so small and suspicious Evidence I must be Contented as many better Men have been before me to abide the Rash Judgment of those Inconsiderate Souls As for the Book from which he Assumes and Pronounces this Character of me thou wilt find it here Vindicated and see that hideous Mask wherewith he laboured to Vail it that he might Rail the more securely Taken off I could easily shew the Lightness of his Judgment by filling the other Scale with a pressed-down Measure of the Testimonies both by Word and Writ of several Persons at Home and Abroad who are not Quakers and yet such to whom without Disparagement he must give the Precedency both for Parts Piety and Learning but I desire not to Raise my Reputation that way it is his Work that needs a Postscript of that Nature And truly he hath saved me this Pains while at other times he manifestly Implies a Contradiction to this Character while he perswades the Reader of the Necessity he was under to write so great a Volumn as if the whole Christian Commonwealth had been in Danger to be Overturned and many Souls in Hazzard to be hurt by the Quakers among whom both he and his Brother R. M. C. give me and my Writings a Chief Place as their Goliah Patron Sharpest and Neatest Pen if not seasonably supplied by this his Antidote For sure had it been so Inconsistent and Contradictory a piece of Work as he sometimes Represents it to be as being written by so silly and pitiful an Ignoramus as he is sometimes pleased to term me there could not have been so great Cause of Fear nor such need of a great Volumn especially to such as could not understand mine being not yet Extant in a Language they skilled to whom he principally directs his and though they had could have no great Hurt if he speak true when he represents me frequently to write things Vnintelligible And yet he is so Wise as to Apprehend he has Refuted what he Confesses he doth not Vnderstand But the Reason
either will not or can not Confirm them by the Scripture Now he knoweth in his Conscience this to be a lye since I Affirm of the Scriptures Apol. Lat. Ed. p. 47. n. 60. That they are the most fit Outward Judge of Controversies of which himself also taketh notice in that place And lastly of the Nature of these malitious Insinuations is what he saith pag. 48. and 49 and last Paragraph of this Chapter where after he has Repeated what he terms my Monitory Conclusion he infers That I mean that a man should believe that Nature's dim Light is the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost and that he may burn the Bible J. B ' s. Calumnious Meaning he puts upon the Author and with Confidence assert he is led by the Holy Ghost whatever Scripture or Common Sense say to the Contrary This is all Affirmed by him without the least Proof which as it is the Height of Injustice so it is with respect not only to my Words but Belief and Intention God the Searcher of Hearts knows a most-horrid Falshood and Calumny ¶ 6. Now albeit what is said may seem sufficient for a Reply to this Chapter and is indeed enough to give any sober Man a Disgust of it yet that he may not have reason to Complain that any thing wherein he may judge there is Weight and is directly to the purpose is Omitted I will now in the last place Consider and Answer what he saith against the Validity of my Arguments to which an Answer hath not been Included in what is already said To begin then like himself which to be sure is with some Calumny or other he saith pag. 14. I stigmatize with the black mark of being Carnal and Natural Christians all that Assent not to what I say But he takes no time to prove it and indeed cannot For albeit I say that It is like many Natural and Carnal Christians will Condemn what I say yet it will not follow I account them all such who will not fully agree with me in this matter Of the same kind is his Calumny p. 22. n. 5. where he alledgeth The Citations of the Fathers so called prove no more than his sense of Revelation above expressed But whether he speaks true here or not the Reader may Judge by seriously Reading over these Citations and then let him see if they do not hold out An Inward and Immediate Teaching of the Spirit of God in the Soul as the firm ground of Knowledge without which all outward Teaching is in vain But to Infer this he tells They writ against such as being Impostors and led by the spirit of the Devil pretended to Revelations What then Can not men write against false Revelations without they deny the Necessity of true Ones That is an odd Conclusion If I. B. were well acquainted with the Writings of the Quakers so called he would find them as much against false Pretenders as any other But pag. 24. and 25. he findeth fault with my Argument deduced from these words That there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son because I take notice as a First Instance of God's Creating all things by Jesus Christ adding Was this so difficult a point to be proved that I was constrained to go back to the first Creation for an Argument Answ. No But I judged it not Improper however he may to shew first as Preparatory God's more general way of working by his Son Jesus Christ ere I come to that which is more particular and this was the Reason as well of my putting these Propositions into that Order as of my using of that Instance by which that pretended Abomination which he pretends lurks under words evanisheth For the Man is very good at drawing Inferences from other mens Words which they that spake and wrote them never thought of as I for one can very well witness since the least can be allowed me is to know my own Thoughts and Purpose which how he should come to Assure himself he knows better than I is more than I can fathom For the same Reason above mentioned I used the Instance of God's moving in his manifesting himself in his Creatures and of the Spirit of the Lord 's moving upon the face of the waters which pag. 26. he flouts at but doth not Answer And it is strange that he of all men should be offended with such Preparatory Considerations where the Matter is in a few pages after closely come to who has used so many Remote Arguments and several not pages only but sheets yea quires of paper in order to prove the First Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath He objects pag. 26. against my affirming That God's Communion with man was by Immediate Manifestation of the Spirit Immediate Revelation under the Law not Ceased under the Gospel from Adam to Moses because so few are mentioned and he supposeth the Rest not-mentioned had it only by their Instruction But since these few that are mentioned are said to have had Immediate Revelation and that the Rest had no written Rule as I. B. will Confess it seems there was more of God's Immediate Revelation in those dark Times even by his Confession than now under the Gospel where the Chief Pastors of the Church according to him are to Expect no such thing Neither is it proved that others not mentioned had no Immediate Revelations albeit they might have been Instructed by these Patriarchs which I have shewn before to be very Consistent And thus may be easily Answered setting aside his Railings what he saith pag. 27. against my Urging the Frequent Revelations that men had during all the time of the Law betwixt Moses and Malachy by which himself confesseth the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to have been written that that doth not prove that every one had such Revelations What then I lay not the stress of the Proof of Every one's having Immediate Revelations upon this but this is clearly proved from it That since Immediate Inward and Objective Revelations were so frequent during all the time of the Law which was the less-glorious Administration and that of the Letter it is grosly absurd to say as I. B. and his Brethren do that they are now Ceased under the Gospel which is said to be more-Glorious and the pouring forth of the Spirit more abundant and Universal and that not only for a little time to wit to the Apostles with Restriction to them and their Times for which he never produc'd the least proof from Scripture but to the End of the World And if so that Immediate Revelation be not Ceased there is a great deal of the point gained albeit I. B. confidently Affirms J. B. believes God spake his last Words to his Church at the End of the Revelations that there can be proved nothing by these Reasonings but what no body will deny since the Divines of Westminster have denied and I. B.
doubt that Five of the Ten Letters subscribed with her Husband's Name were not his she could not know the Certainty but by her Husband 's own Testimony and since he himself has said That to Discern these Characters a Subjective Concurrence of the Spirit is necessary Which since he saith some have not they can then not be sure of this Article of Faith His Example of the Five Fingers is yet more silly than the former And albeit he confidently Affirms he has above shewn this we shall by Examining it shew the Contrary As p. 74. and 75. answering to that of mine The Prohibition of not Adding to Prophecy considered where I shew that in Prov. 30.5.6 there is the same Prohibition of Not adding that is Rev. 22. ver 18. and therefore it would follow That all written after Solomon 's time was against the mind of God To this he gives a rare Answer What is spoken of that Book I suppose he means the Revelations and elsewhere of the Commands of God is consequently to be understood of all But this is to Repeat that against which the Argument is formed instead of Answering it Either that of Revelations must not be understood as he doth it or that of Proverbs makes the same Exclusion since the words are the same and the Authority also But the Prophecies of the Prophets saith he were but Explications of the Law of God But such Explications go to make up the Canon and will he admit that yet No. But the Lord did not saith he bind up his own hand but has he bound up his hands now that he cannot move any of his Servants by his Spirit to write I suppose he will not say he hath He Confesseth there were Prophets after John's days who truly foretold Events but were not to write Scripture But is not a part of that which he accounts the Canon a fore-telling of Events And yet that excludes it not from the Canon Here because he is pinched he takes his usual Retreat by falling a Railing and Comparing us with Papists who he saith use this Argument And what then I could tell him an hundred Arguments used by him which the Papists also use against us will he say it follows they are Invalid But at last he thinks he has found a Mysterious Riddle that will do the business and therefore he leaves it with a Defiance J. B's query of a Compleat Canon and Revelations ended Let him un-riddle this Mystery if he can to wit When shall our Canon be Compleated When will there be no more need of Revelations But might not this same Question have been proposed to the Christians that lived before John wrote his Book of the Revelation And as I suppose They would have Answered to many of whom perhaps it was not Revealed that John should write such a Book afterwards so shall I directly Answer his Question When it shall please God in whose Power it is to Reveal himself when how and so long as he pleases and who as he saith has not bound up his own Hand ¶ 4. I come now to consider what he saith of the Perfection of the Scriptures And because he is very Clamorous in accusing me as derogating there-from it will be manifest whether he has any reason so to do P. 55. n. 6. he quarrels I forget the Narration of the first Creation and that the Examples are Instructive But who will deny or when did I that the Remarkable Providences of God towards his Children are Instructive Do not I expresly shew how they are Instructive p. 46. * See above p. 304 305. which himself also noticeth And was the first Creation no part of God's Providence towards Man who was to Rule over it Is it not then there Included But I make no mention of the Promises and Threatnings But are not they any part of the Doctrines of Christ nor included in any part of these precious Declarations which I say the Scripture Contains Next he Carps at my saying The Chief Doctrines of Christianity asking Where we may find the whole Doctrines of the Christian Faith I answer freely In the Scriptures And let him prove if he can this to be any Contradiction seeing my saying The Chief Doctrines of Christianity is Indefinite excluding none And therefore most base and abominable is that Lye he makes of me in the last part of this Paragraph where he saith I say the Scripture only beareth Testimony to some of them to wit of the Chief Heads of Christianity which I dare him to prove ever to have been said or written by me And of the like nature are his lying Conjectures and his malitious Insinuations from my Words in the two following Paragraphs which I utterly Renounce and Return upon him as his own false and fictitious Apprehensions The Authority of the Scriptures is from the Spirit For do not I declare the Authority of the Scripture when I Testify They are from the Spirit and that such Commands require Obedience as has been above shew'n But what he urgeth of this further p. 57. and 59. from the saying of some Quakers affirming That is not a Command to them which is given to another Albeit I might justly reject it as Impertinent till he prove it for the Reasons upon this occasion above declared yet because he mentions Benjamin Furly in Roterdam having some knowledge of that matter I answer Whether will he say All the Commands in Scripture to every Person there mentioned are binding upon every Individual now If he dare not say they are as I know he dare not how must I then distinguish betwixt what binds me and binds me not Must it not be by the Spirit suppose it were only subjectively as he will Confess Inlightning the Vnderstanding To make this Distinction then it seems it is the Operation of the Spirit that makes them know their Duty and sure they cannot Obey before they Know. But if he say That though they should want that Operation of the Spirit and did not know nor acknowledge them to be their Duty yet they are binding upon them Neither B. F. nor any Quaker will deny but even the Commands of God's Spirit and the Precepts of the Scripture which now concern all are binding upon all so that they shall be justly Condemned for not Obeying albeit that by the perversness of their Hearts and Wills they either Refuse to Obey or will not Acknowledge them So that his urging of that p. 60. and 61. n. 13. and his pleading for it is Vnnecessary and needs no Answer yet who would say they could Obey to any Advantage of their Souls without this Operation of the Spirit since Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But as to these words said to be written by B. F. he is here Challenged to prove They are his without adding or diminishing and it 's well known the adding or diminishing of two or three words in a few Lines will quite alter the
Sense And before he has answered this Challenge and free'd himself from the just Censure of a Calumniator albeit he take the help of his Author Hicks he will find his Folly in accusing Men at second-hand-Proofs and upon the Testimony of their Adversaries What follows in this Paragraph and p. 60. is meer Railing and Perversions Comparing us with Papists as is before observed and indeed all of it is overturned by that one Assertion of mine that What Revelations are contrary to the Scripture are to be Rejected ¶ 5. Pag. 57. n. 10. He saith I come nearer to the Core of my Design which is to set up Enthusiasmes in affirming That the Scriptures are not the Fountain but a Declaration of the Fountain And yet the Man within three or four Lines Confesseth it himself ascribing it to my Folly to Dream any Man thinks so thus he goes backward and forward Which he illustrates by the Example of Laws But if it be so are not they to be blam'd that account them the Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge Whether the other branch of my Deduction follow from this That they are not to be accounted the primary Rule of Faith and Manners will appear when the Arguments and Objections relating to that come particularly to be mentioned And whereas he thinks this is Absurd and not making for my Design because God himself is the Fountain and yet not the Rule he mistakes the matter as urged by me For I Argue That the Scriptures are not the Original Ground of Knowledge The Scriptures are not the Original Ground of Truth but God but GOD not simply Considered but as manifesting himself in Divine Immediate Revelations in the hearts of his Children which being the New Covenant's Dispensation as in the last Section is proved is the Primary and Adequate Rule of Christians For I was never so Absurd as to call God simply considered or the Spirit of God in Abstracto not as Imprinting Truths to be believed and obeyed in Mens hearts not contrary but according to Scripture for he cannot Contradict himself the Rule of Christians And this may serve to Answer all his Cavils upon this Theam And whereas he wondereth in the following page 58. Why any Revelations even from the Spirit should be more Primary than the Scriptures since they are Confessed to come from the Inspiration of the Spirit for why he useth the Latine word Afflatus and doth not Interpret it I know not unless to fright Ignorant Folk that they may think it 's a piece of the Witch-craft of the Quakers whom he accuseth it is strange he should have so little sense as to make it a matter of Admiration as if that were not more Primary to a Man which cometh Immediately from the Spirit of God in his heart than that which albeit it come from the Spirit yet is thro' another and so must needs be but Secondary albeit it be confessed they writ them not for themselves but for others which I deny not Of the same Nature is and the same way is answered what he saith p. 65. n. 19. to wit That I Confound the Principal Leader with the Original Rule because I say The Spirit is the Prime and Principal Leader But I deny his Consequence neither doth his Example of the Wind and Compass prove it The Spirit is the Principal Leader as Imprinting upon Man's Soul the Rules he should walk by But indeed he would prove a very Vncertain Pilot that had no Compass but only a Description of it and a Journal how other Men had steered that Course and such Pilots is he and his Brethren according to their own Confession But he thinks I drive at something more Intolerable to wit That the Revelations the Quakers pretend to or the Light within is to be preferred as the more primary and principal Rule to the Scriptures If the Quakers did affirm any Revelations they speak of as coming from that Light either were or could be Contrary to the Scriptures he would say something otherwise it will amount to no more but that Commands as they are Imprinted upon the Soul that is The Law written in the Heart by the Spirit is more primarily and principally the Rule than the same things written and received only from another As to which I will only ask him Whether those things which the Apostles received immediately from the Spirit commanding them to go here or there to preach the Gospel or the like were as to these Ends more primarily and principally the Rule to them than any thing that was Recorded in the Scripture where they could not learn their Duty as to those particulars And that I make not the Scriptures and the Spirit all one I have above shewen and therefore his Malicious Insinuations of Socinianism falls to the Ground But he thinks he has found out a mighty Dilemma in the End of this Paragraph p. 66. Or will I say The Light within the Increated Spirit that the Light within me is really the Increated Spirit This saith he must be Blasphemy with a Witness to be heard with Horror and therefore needing no other Confutation Poor Man how apt is he to make a Noise about nothing If there be any Blasphemy it is his own For what if I Should say Is not GOD a LIGHT and is not he in every Man and is not this Light within the Increated Spirit The Reader may judge how easily these windy Boasts of his are blown away How the Spirit Ruleth us and yet is not confounded with the Rule I have above shewn so that what he saith to that in the rest of this Page where he Vapours and Rails is but superfluous Next after he has a little plaid the Pedant upon the Words magis Originaliter he concludes his 22. Paragraph with asking me Why the Revelations I pretend to should be accounted more One with the Spirit himself than these Revelations by which the Scriptures were dictated But this is his Allegiance none of my Affirmation Next I never said that the Revelations by which the Scriptures were dictated were less Primary than any other whatsoever albeit no Revelation which is written and transmitted to a Man only by the Report of another can be so Primary and Immediate to him as that which he Receives in himself He Confesseth here with me p. 67. That the Spirit is the Prime and Principal Leader whether that makes for my Cause as also what follows will after in its Place be Examined ¶ 6. But because he foundeth his Assertion of my detracting from the Perfection of the Scriptures J. B's Proofs for the Scriptures to be the Primary Rule because I deny them to be the primary and original Rule for he acknowledgeth that I Confess them to be a secondary one I will Examin the Ground by which he goes about to prove it as also his Answers to my Arguments proving the Contrary I. Moses and the Prophets to be heard
Answered His first is from the Parable Luke 16.31 where it is said They have Moses and the Prophets whom if they hear not neither will they be perswaded if one be raised from the Dead But this proves only that one raised from the Dead is not able to Convince those that will not hear Moses and the Prophets not that the Scripture is a more Primary and Principal Rule than what the Spirit Immediately reveals in the Soul For that Consequence will not nor doth follow nor is in the least proved by him neither can be unless he first prove that albeit the Testimony of one from the Dead be less powerful to perswade than the Scriptures yet it is more than the Immediate Testimony of the Spirit in the Heart which I deny and rests for him to prove before he Conclude any thing from this Place Next this Parable was used by Christ to the Jews to shew them their Hypocrisy who albeit they deceitfully pretended so much to Reverence and follow Moses and the Prophets as many now adays do the Scriptures yet they did not really hear them else they would have acknowledged him of whom Moses and the Prophets did so clearly write Since he also did as Great and Convincing Miracles before them as if they had the Testimony of one raised from the Dead And this leads me to take notice of what he saith p. 68. n. 24. in answer to my Argument drawn from the difference betwixt the Law that is written without and the Gospel that is written within where he accuseth me of Contradiction because of my Argument drawn from the Revelations that were under the Law and the Sameness of the Object But I have answered this Cavil in the former Section Yet since the Strength of this resolves in his supposing I Affirm There is no written Rule under the Gospel which he after Concludes the whole falleth to the Ground For I never denied the Scripture to be a secondary Rule and that is some Rule for to Say I Affirm There is no written Rule because the Written is not the Primary is a wild Conclusion And therefore all the rest of his Talk to prove That Christ Inspired the Apostles to write things to be a Rule to Christians is meerly superfluous since that that is a Rule though not the Primary was never denied by me And it may be here observed that all his Arguments to prove the Scripture to be a Rule unless they prove them to be the primary and principal One Conclude nothing and are against me to no purpose II. Their making Wise to Salvation and Perfection Answered ¶ 7. His Second Argument is deduced from 2 Tim. 3.16 where he cites the Apostle saying of the Scriptures They are able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the Man of God perfect Where is first to be observed his perverting of the Apostle's Words by an Addition of his own and therefore no wonder that he so frequently pervert mine For the Apostle saith not They are able to make the Man of God perfect but all Scripture given by Inspiration is that the Man of God may be perfect that is Contributeth in its Kind and Order towards the Perfection of the Saints But it follows not thence that they are the Primary Rule no more than though J. B. will affirm that his Book is written That the Man of God may be perfect that is to help him to Perfection that thence it is to be Esteemed the Primary and Chief Rule Thus is answered that of John 20.31 But these are written that ye may believe c. cited by him p. 74. for his Book is also written for that End yet the Consequence will not follow That they are able to make wise unto Salvation is not denied in so far as they declare of the Grace that brings Salvation and direct to the Light which leads to it But how he thence Inferreth They are the Primary Rule he must inform us the next time since he has forgotten to do it now And this may serve to Answer those Places where he according to his Custom Repeats it over and over again as p. 74 77 and 82. where he hath again the fore-mentioned Perversion and ennumerates the particular Vses applied to the Scripture he concludeth its Perfection as wanting nothing Now I deny not Perfection of the Scriptures urged by J. B. to make them the Primary Rule or Canno that every Book as well as Chapter and Verse of Scripture is Perfect as to its End that is so far to express the Mind of God as he was pleased at that time and also with a Respect to its Author as being written by the Dictates of the Spirit but that Place will not Conclude its Perfection either as the Primary Only or Adequate that is Entire Rule Else all the other Scriptures which were written after that Epistle of Paul as he will not deny but there were some so written must be denied being any part of the Rule and so to be any way necessary for that End The like Absurdities follow upon his using 2 Cor. 3.14 where the Apostle speaks of a Testament since he dare not deny a great part of that Testament was written afterwards And thus is also answered what he urges from Psal. 19.7 pag. 74 and 79. The Law of the Lord is perfect c. and from other Scriptures of like Import For if he understand Perfection in the first Sense it is not denied if in the Second which indeed is the Question it concludeth nothing without rendring all the Scripture written afterwards no part of the Rule or Canon to use his own Term. As for that of Peter which he insists upon in the End of his Paragraph p. 70. I deny it to be understood of the Scripture and gave my Reasons before and yet the Man takes that for Granted and thence Argues from it which is a most silly manner albeit very Familiar to him to beg the Question ¶ 8. Next he comes to Consider my Answer to their Objections but how he Removes them may be judged by the first he Observes p. 71. where instead of proving That these Words of Isa 8.20 usually brought by them To the Law and to the Testiny c. are meant of the Scripture which I desired ere any thing could be Inferred for it He Answers As if any that ever read the Bible could be Ignorant what is all along meaned by these Words Is not this a goodly Proof Reader I am one that have read the Bible and know by the Law is sometimes meant the Outward sometimes the Inward and Thousands more are yet to be Convinced J. B's goodly Proof for what is meant by Law and Testimony that that Place speaks only of the Outward And will need some better Argument than this of his ere we Change our Judgment But to proceed He thinks my saying That the Law was in a more special manner given to the Jews and more
principally than to us to be a Railing and Roving and a Contradicting what I said in the former These But this Cavil often repeated before I did Answer above The like he Judgeth my Arguing there-from That as they were to Try all things by the outward Law so we are to Try all in the First Place by the Word within But here his base Disingenuity appears For he has leftâ—out these Words In the first Place that he might introduce the better the difficulty he fancieth to himself to have brought me to afterwards for by this Argument saith he I prove more than I ought to wit that the Scriptures shall not be so much as a less principal Rule Who will be so foolish as to Conclude that the saying Things ought in the first Place to be tried by the Word within The Scriptures a secondary and subordinate Rule excludes things in the second Place to be Tried by the Scriptures and is not that still to own it as a Secondary and subordinate Rule And so he may see my Feet here are easily Rid and that he held them not so fast as he fancied And as for the other part of his Alternative the Consequence is of the like Nature That what was a Principal Rule then is now only subordinate For albeit I said it was more Principal to them than now to us yet I said not it was the most Principal to them or then more Principal than what came immediately from the Spirit which he Confesseth to have been frequent under the Law yea more frequent than now according to his Principle and my saying so could only Infer that Consequence He Rejects what I urge from the Version of the Septuagint as spurious but for that we must take his Word else want a Proof And then because he cannot come off better according to his Custom he Concludes with a gross Perversion and Falshood saying It is my Opinion that the Law idâ—est the outward Law was given the Jews for a Rule even above the Spirit 's Revelations Which if it be mine as I utterly Renounce it I desire to know where I have Asserted it he might have been at the Pains to mark it but he knew it's like it was not Convenient Scriptures to be searched makes them not the Primary Rule Next he comes to prove that these Words Search the Scriptures c. Joh. 5.39 do Evince The Scriptures to be the Primary and Adequate Rule because if Christ's Doctrines should be Tried by them much more private Enthusiasms But who denies that Yet he doth not thence prove that the Scriptures are the Primary Rule by which all things must be Tried in the first Place which is the thing in Question Secondly I would ask him Whether the Words Christ spake to the Jews which are Recorded in Scripture were less a Rule to them or less binding and obliging upon them than the Sayings of Moses and the Prophets If he say They were less then he overturns all his own tedious Reasonings by which he labours to prove the Obligation of what Christ and the Apostles delivered p. 84. at the end as well as what Moses and the Prophets without the need of a New Obligation And likewise he must shew us how these Sayings come to be as binding upon us now as Moses and the Prophets or how they acquired greater Authority after Christ spake them than they had then Or why they wanted then that Authority If he say They were binding and obliging to the Jews because spoken by Christ then his Proof falleth to the Ground He is Angry that I say The Words may be interpreted Ye search the Scriptures as well as Search the Scriptures albeit the Greek Word signify the one as well as the other and for Answer very Magisterially tells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye Search and search ye It is quite Contrary to the very Words of Command Search the Scriptures But the Question is Whether that be the Words and that was what he should have proved But he makes no Bounds of begging the Question telling Tolet and Maldonat say It is so taken by all the Fathers except Cyrill And what then Did I undertake to subscribe to all these Authors Writings He must give me a Reason Why ere I do it And let him deny it if he dare that the Greek Word signifies Ye search the Scriptures as well as Search the Scriptures and if it do before I conclude the one more than the other I must have some better Argument than his bare Affirmation But to finish this he will conclude all by the Words of the Apostle James c. 1. v. 25. where he saith The Apostle calleth the Scriptures the perfect Law of Liberty The Perfect Law of Liberty the Royal Law in the Heart But that doth not prove them to be the Primary Rule Suppose it were granted the Apostle meant the Scriptures which remains yet by him to be proved and is not done by what he citeth Chap. 2.8 by his desiring them to Fulfil the Royal Law according to Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self which proves it not at all Yea to understand it of the Scriptures were to make the Apostle's Words scarce good Sense as if he had said Fulfil the Scriptures according to the Scriptures whereas it sutes the Place much better that the Apostle meaned They should fulfil the Royal Law in their Hearts which was one with the Scriptures that also command the same thing That the Apostle means the outward Law and not that Written in the Heart Chap. 4. 12. he hath Affirmed but not Proved Next Beroeans commended for searching the Scriptures he comes to the Beroeans being commended for Searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 But this is the same way answered as the former For if the Beroeans were obliged to believe and receive Paul's Testimony because he preached the Truth to them by Authority from God then their Vsing or his Commending them for using the Scripture will not prove the Scripture to be the Primary Rule yea more a Rule than the Doctrine they Tried by it In the the rest of what he saith in this n. 28. he but fights with his Shadow for I never said They excluded the Law of Nature in affirming the Scripture to be the Rule or did I ever deny but that the Scripture Reveals things which Nature could never have Discovered But the Question is Whether that Truth that Man is the Off-spring of God from which the Apostle argues with the Athenians was discovered to any by meer Nature or by a Divine Principle And this is that he should have proved and therefore yet remains for him to do But to be like himself he concludes this also withh a gross Lie saying I affirm the Scripture to be no more our Rule than the Heathen-Poets which no ways follows from my Words neither hath or can he ever prove it ¶ 9. He thinks The Scriptures not determining of many
Lives is no New-Coin'd Doctrine as those may see that will read Athanasius de Definitionibus and his Third Dialogue de Trinitate and Fourth Oration against the Arians and Cyrillus Alexandrinus in his Treatise upon John lib. 2. and 3. and lib. 8.47 and in his Thesaurus lib. 4. and Others that might be mentioned As for his arguing p. 96 that because I affirm The Seed of God is a Substance therefore according to me the Seed of Sin must be a Substance also which Consequence I deny and therefore what he builds against me upon this Supposition falls to the ground What he saith here and there scattered in these Pages of the Light will in its proper place come more fully to be Considered ¶ 2. Pag. 98. n. 17. after he has saluted me with the Titles of Effronted and Impudent he will have me one with Socinians and Pelagians because I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall but where he proves I do so I see not It 's true I say The death threatned Gen. 2.17 was not outward death Adam did not die an outward Death the day he did Eat for Adam did not so die the Day he did eat and I do still believe so neither offereth he me any thing to give me ground to alter my mind but to Conclude thence I deny Outward Death to be a Consequence of the Fall was too hastily Inferred But what if I were Vndetermined in this matter and that it remained a Mystery to me for I believe not the being positive therein Essential to my Salvation which if I were truly what he saith seems not to me sufficient to Proselite me to his Opinion For albeit I willingly Confess with him that Sickness and all the other Miseries attending this Life yea and Death it self considering the Anguishes wherewith it is now generally accompanied are the Consequence of the Fall and of Sin yet I see not how it would thence follow that Adam should not have died seeing Death to him if he had not fall'n would have been freed of all these Miseries and rather a Pleasure than a Pain which has been known to have befall'n many Saints As for his n. 19. he Confesseth the matter of it is left to the next Chapter where I may meet him ¶ 3. Pag. 100. n. 20. He goes on at an high rate of Perverting For after he has said Who would suspect but I mean honestly He applieth to me the saying of Solomon He that hateth dissembleth with his Lips we must not believe him for there are seven Abominations in his heart But why am I with him guilty of this great Charge Because albeit I affirm That Man is wholly degenerate yet I say Whatever good Man doth in his Nature that doth not proceed from him but from the Divine Seed in him Answ. These words are none of mine but a Forgery of his own so incident it is for the Man to lie and pervert And therefore all his vapouring and absurd Inferences drawn from this throughout this Paragraph fall to the ground My words are That the nature by which the Apostle saith the Gentiles did the things Contained in the Law How the Gentiles did the things of the Law cannot be understood of the proper Corrupt Nature of Man but of a Spiritual Nature which proceedeth from the Seed of God as he receiveth a New Visitation of the Divine Love Where it is very plain I consider Man as visited a-new and that in the Strength of that Grace thereby received not of his degenerate Nature he doth that which is good Nor do I any where say as he falsly insinuates That this Spiritual Nature is in all Men though I do say That all Men are visited by God in order to beget this spiritual Nature in them as will after come in its place to be spoken of Now all his battering of this my Assertion in the three following pages depends upon this Supposition That the good Acts done by the Gentiles are not done by vertue of any such Visitation but only by a Light of Corrupt Nature which remained in them after the Fall So that it is but a meer begging of the Question until that be first debated But he thinks he has brought me under a great Dilemma p. 103. urging That since I say All their Imaginations are Evil I must say Every Heathen has this Spiritual Nature in him yea and the Devils must be Partakers of it because they believe there is a God which is a good Thought Answ. The difference between Head-Knowledge and the partaking of the Divine Nature He is too hasty in his Reasonings for that the knowledge a Man may receive from the Divine Seed makes him instantly to partake of the Divine Nature is not proved by him and he knows I believe all Men to be Visited by this Divine Seed which may give them an Head knowledge which they may retain as some Men do the Truth in Vnrighteousness and yet not receive it in the Love of it So though they have it from a Divine Seed yet it will not follow they must necessarily so receive it as to become Partakers of the Divine Nature And as for the Devils he will Confess that once they had this Knowledge from a Spiritual Nature and though they have fall'n yet they may retain the Memory of it for that their Fall and Man's is every way alike he will not Affirm He saith p. 102. That to believe good done by Heathens that is by such as have not the benefit of the outward Knowledge of Christ is done in vertue of a Divine Seed overturns the Gospel but he leaves the Confirmation of it to the Sequel where I shall attend him N. 25. he tells me very fairly The Apostle doth not Contradict himself as if I had ever imagined he did but the question is Whether the Meaning he gives the Apostle's words implies not a Contradiction which indeed he can no ways Reconcile but upon the Supposition above denied And the Reader may judge whether he or I do most fully acknowledge Man's fall and most truly Exalt the Grace of God he that affirmeth That Man notwithstanding the Fall yet retaineth some Reliques of the Image of God yea so that the Law of God which is Holy Just Good and Spiritual is written in his Heart pag. 105. and all this Considered as fall'n Man without receiving any Grace and Benefit from Christ or I J. B's false Assertions that Man retained some Relicks of the Image of God in the Fall who affirm That Man by the Fall was wholly degenerated retaining nothing of the Image of God in whom albeit there remained a Seed of Righteousness yet no other ways than as a Naked Seed in Barren Ground in vertue of which he can do nothing until visited by a New Visitation which he receives by vertue of Christ as Mediator And yet while he ascribeth all this to Vnregenerate Men he saith in a few Lines
pages needs no answer but that of Michael to the Devil who is the Author of such Stuff The Lord Rebuke thee This Method of Answering is no less Unreasonable than his Railing for it is either by supposing things not proved by him by concluding things not following from my Assertions or by manifest Perversions all improved by the height of Abuse to render the things that displease him Absurd and Ridiculous Of these I shall take notice in order First He supposeth Nothing to be the Gospel J. B. supposes nothing to be the Gospel save the Outward Preaching save the outward preaching and that there is no Gospel where there is not an outward Administration of it And this he never offers to prove What he saith to Contradict my Asserting the Gospel to be where the outward may not be will after be Examined Upon this his meer Supposition he accounts me Absurd pag. 226. and upon this Supposition he urges all mens not having Grace as not having the Gospel p. 235 236 240. That to preach the Light within is to despise the Gospel p. 244. That according to me the preaching of the Gospel is not necessary to Salvation Another of his Suppositions is That because the Light within is common to all therefore it can be nothing but Nature And upon this false and unproved Ground he Raileth and Enlargeth p. 229. where he calls it the Pelagian Grace of God that is Man's Free-will doubting whether I will say so much as did Pelagius Which is nothing to the purpose neither proveth his Inference which is false as the Scriptures brought by me in my Apology to prove There is a Saving Spiritual Grace given to all do Evince What he saith in Answer to any of them as it occurs will hereafter be considered And yet upon this false Inference he Concludes p. 233. The Height of the Quakers Divinity is but what a Natural Conscience can teach a Man-eater and to the same purpose p. 234. and then battereth against it p. 237. saying Christ in the Saints the Hope of Glory is not brought about by Nature Which I never said and therefore he but fights with his own Shadow as he doth upon the like Occasion pag. 231 232-236-238 241 256. where he saith That Men are not made partakers of the Priviledge of the Saints in their Natural State and the Scripture saith not There is any thing in the Heart of Man by Nature which produceth Christ in the Soul c. which things were never Asserted by me More of his Mistakes of this kind may be seen pag. 257 262 265. where he concludeth The Quakers Religion and Gospel to be nothing but what meer Nature teacheth But it is observable that in that almost one and only Argument which he bringeth to make this Inferrence good albeit much of his Work and Exclamations depends upon it he involves himself in a notable Contradiction For p. 234. n. 7. to prove There is no Vniversal Light or Seed that beareth Witness against all evil Deeds he asketh J. B. denies the Light to bear Witness against Evil in the Cilicians and Messagetians How came it that this Light and Seed did not bear Witness against the Cilicians who lived upon Theft and against the Messagetians who use their Wives in common and against such as used to kill Men and eat them Now these can make nothing for his purpose unless for this Reason that because these People Commonly and Avowedly did these things therefore they had no Light that Reproved them for them otherwise their doing of them will not Import the Light did not bear Witness against their so doing more than Men under the Presbyterian Ministry committing Adultery and Murder will import there was no Witness born against these Sins by the Presbyterian Preachers But he has overthrown this his Reason himself by affirming p. 232. and 235. J. B. overthrows his former Reason asserting the Law of Nature in every Man That there is a Natural Conscience or the Law of Nature left in every Man as God's Deputy informing of some good and testifying against some Evils of which elsewhere he particularizeth Murder and Adultery and yet here he saith It is observed there is hardly one point of the Law of Nature which some Nation hath not Violated not only by their Customs but by their very Laws If then their thus violating the Law of Nature do not prove they had not the Law of Nature or were not Reproved by it which he himself has Confessed all had then neither will their doing those things prove they had no Divine Light nor Seed or were not thereby Reproved for if it prove they had not that it will as much prove they had no Natural Conscience no Law of Nature which yet he confesseth is in Every Man ¶ 4. In this Chapter also he would Insinuate and Infer to render that which he writes against Odious That the asserting of an Universal Gospel by which Salvation may be possible to such as want outward Preaching renders outward Preaching needless but this Cavil used often before by him is already Answered in the 3 and 4 Sections and therefore what he repeats of this again here p. 229.236.245 needs no further Answer And whereas he asks upon this Occasion p. 244. The History of the Gospel is necessary How can the believing of the History of the Gospel be necessary as I say it is to such as hear it if they may be saved without it Because God Commands every one to believe these Truths to whom he bringeth the Knowledge of them albeit not them to whom he hath rendred it Impossible Has he forgotten their own Distinction of some things being necessary Necessitate praecepti that are not so Necessitate medii Neither do I intend by this Belief which the proposing of the outward Knowledge requires a Belief meerly Historical Necessitas Praecepti Medii as he malitiously would Insinuate I shall now take notice of his gross Perversions and Calumnies which as he advances I observe grow thicker and are in this Chapter very Numerous As first from my saying That we understand by the Light or Seed a Spiritual and Heavenly Principle in which GOD as he is the Father the Son and the Spirit dwelleth from this he infers p. 231. It may be he doth not acknowledge a Trinity c. But if there be any ground for such an Inference from these words of mine I leave it to all Rational men to Judge Pag. 255. Because I say It is Christ's Flesh and Blood which came down from Heaven he asks If Christ had no other Flesh and Blood and then as if I had answered He had not he Concludes Us Deniers of the Incarnation of Christ asking Whether the Death of Christ his Resurrection and Ascension and all the History of his Life be but Dreams and Lies Which Malitious Insinuation and Perversion is returned upon him as false and groundless And whereas he
Motion or Assistance will come afterwards to be proved and to suppose God cannot or will not move any but Ministers by his Spirit to Exhort were to limit him which is presumptuous in us to do But in this appeareth the difference Some do not Speak altho ' endued with the Spirit in Publick that we Confess many may and know Thousands among us whom we acknowledge to be good Men and sufficiently Endued with the Spirit towards the work of Regeneration in themselves and brotherly Love and Care to their Brethren who never find themselves moved to speak a Word in Publick and there are others whom God calleth to make Teaching and the Over-sight of the Church so their Constant Business that they are less engaged in worldly Affairs than the generality of those called Clergy-men even among J. B.'s Brethren and therefore are owned and honoured and so far as need requires maintained by the Church But to say that no Man ought without he be thus particularly Called at any time speak in a Publick Assembly since we say that they ought not but when moved by the Spirit is not only to accuse us Yet none to bind up God from moving with his Spirit when and in whom he please but imperiously bind up God from moving with his Spirit whom and when he pleaseth And this being Applied will Answer his Queries pag. 369. where n. 14. he affirms That to suppose Ministers may use an honest Trade is to account the Work of the Ministry a light business But this is to account it no more a light business than the Apostle did who recommended Working with their Hands for a livelihood to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Act. 20.34 35. giving them his own Example in so doing But they indeed must have small Experience of a true Ministry who do not know a Man may be better qualified to discharge it by being inwardly exercised in the Spirit and Instructed thereby than by all the Labour and Study they can derive from their Books and perhaps it may be true Book-Study will not do Paul labour'd with his Hands which he after affirms that such who bring their Preaching always out of Books will find little time to follow another Trade but it seems such Preachers are uncapable to follow the Apostle's Exhortation above mentioned and therefore we will justly conclude them to be no true Gospel-Ministers ¶ 5. That he may be like himself he begins his 20 th Chapter of Women-Preachers with Railing saying The Quakers are against all the Appointments and Ordinances of Christ then he goeth on at a high rate Inveighing against the Liberty of Womens speaking from Paul's words 1 Cor. 14.34 as being against the Law as being contrary to Modesty and Shamefacedness urging pag. 398. the Apostle's Authority in Writing that Epistle which we deny not And then he urgeth against us 1 Tim. 2.11 alledging That its being said Adam was first formed and then Eva and Eva being first in the Transgression infers that Womens Preaching is against the Law of Nature and that this Silence is imposed upon Women as a just Judgment for Eva 's Transgression For this last Inference we have nothing but his Affirmation To the former I answered in my Apology shewing that these words of the Apostle cannot be taken absolutely and without limitation since the same Apostle giveth Rules How Women ought to Pray and Preach th' Apostle tells how Women should behave themselves in their Praying and Preaching in the Church But he reckons that this is for me to make the Apostle Contradict himself while this is his own Case who takes the Apostle's words without limitation else there is not the least Contradiction yea his desiring them to Ask their Husbands at home shews that it cannot be taken Vniversally seeing all Women have not Husbands And for his saying That what the Apostle saith Chap. 11. v. 5. But every Woman that Prayeth or Prophesieth with her Head uncovered c. is not to be meant of their carriage when they are Praying themselves but when they are present at others doing of it This is his bare Affirmation without Proof Contrary to the express words of the Text which saith Every Woman that Prayeth c. not when she heareth another Pray And by this way it might be as easily affirmed where the Apostle in the same place speaks of Men's Praying with their Heads covered that it is not when they Pray themselves but when they hear others And that there must be a Limitation he confesseth saying That the Lord made use of Prophetesses of Old and that he is free to make use of whom he will If so then if the Lord do so now who dare plead against it Yea the practice of J. B.'s Brethren doth Contradict this Scripture if they will not admit a Limitation For will he deny but heretofore at Presbyterian Meetings where sometimes 20 and 30. and more have been together Women have both Spoken and Prayed And have not Women Spoke and Prayed at your Meetings yea been Invited too yea been invited and urged to do so by Eminent Preachers there present And is not that properly a Church where Christians are met together to Worship God and Edify one another If he say this was only private I answer However Private it was it was still a Church for it is not the Greatness of the Number that makes the Church since the fewer Number may more properly sometimes be Esteemed the Church than the greater And if he take the Apostle's words absolutely without Limitation it will Exclude Women from speaking in any Assembly met for Religious Worship and Exercise unless he will be so Superstitious as to ascribe the Churchship to the old Popish Mass-house-Walls and if so What! is the Church Old Popish Mass-House-Walls it will trouble him to prove there were any such in Corinth used by Christians when the Apostle wrote to them so as to think that if Women speak not there they do not speak in the Church And yet how comes it that by the Acts of the General Assembly Whores are not only permitted but constrained to speak in the most publick Assemblies and that in a place allotted for them no less Eminent than the Pulpit Sure if such Women may there speak of their sins and tell how they have been Tempted of the Devil good Women moved by the Spirit of God may tell what God has done for them in preserving them from such Evils Neither will it serve to say that it is not Authoritative speaking for the Apostle's words are I permit not a Woman to speak not I permit her not to speak Authoritatively for the words added Nor to usurp Authority over the Man is a distinct Precept Women may usurp Authority over their Men who never offer to Preach in the Church as also some may speak there who may be very subject to their Husbands Besides they permit Women to Sing publickly which
an Intire Omission of what I say N. 16. upon the last These in my Apology which I therefore refer to the Reader 's Serious Consideration ¶ 4. I come now to his last Section Intituled A View of my Conclusion Where coming to Examin the few Lines wherewith I Conclude my Apology he bestows upon me a Flood of most Vnreasonable Railing I did in that Conclusion Recommend to the Reader the System I had presented to him of the True Christian Religion which this Man here with many bitter Words affirms to be other ways But we must leave the Judgment of this to the Reader when he has seriously Read both what he saith on the one Hand and I on the other And whereas I in my Conclusion did shew the Reader J. B.'s false Charges against us from the Books of our manifest Opposers how falsly we are Charged with denying the outward Appearance of Christ the real Existence of Heaven and Hell as a Place without us the Last and General Judgment the Resurrection of the Body by telling him seriously and in the Presence of God that these Accusations are false and that we really believe these things he with a most effronted Impudence reckons it Boldness in me to say so pag. 554. and that because of the Testimony of Faldo and some others of our manifest Opposers as if they should know what I and my Brethren believe better than I my self do or should be more credited in giving Account of our Faith than our selves Who can secure themselves from being stigmatized as the Vilest and Grossest of Hereticks from the Malice of Liars if this Method be to be followed But to proceed to shew his Injustice and Vnfairness in this Matter in the highest degree contrary to the Rules of fair Disputing and all honest Dealing in Matters of Controversy it doth manifestly appear in that notwithstanding in his Title he declares He intends an Examination of the Quakers Religion as the same is presented to the World by me when he has laboured all he can by turning perverting commenting and divining to squeeze out of my Words all that may seem Absurd and Erroneous or at least which he will have to be so and that he cannot find enough there to render the Quakers such horrid Monsters and Vile Blasphemers as he ever and anon proclaims them to be Then away he runs from R. B's Apology which is the Theam of his Examination and comes off with a But is not the Man of this Opinion or May we not Conjecture that he is of such and such an Opinion which to be sure is more Absurd as such and such a Man as Mr. Stalham Mr. Norton J. B.'s Authors for his Refuge of Lies cast out against us or Mr. Hicks and Faldo relate of such and such Quakers that say so and so Is this Justice Is this Christian Dealing Is this Honesty as among Men in writing against a People not to seek their Opinions and Faith from their own Mouths and Pens but from those of their manifest Enemies and Opposers Doth not this bespeak the height of Malice with a Witness and shew a determinate Resolution to Calumniate at any rate Is this to walk according to the Royal Law To do as he would be done by Dare J. B. say he would be content to be done so by Would he judge it Equal Dealing if one writing against Presbytery should Represent them not as they declare themselves to be but out of the Writing of their manifest Opposers as to give credit to Spotwood's History in judging of the Rise and Growth of Presbytery Would he judge it fair Reasoning if one writing against the Calvinistical Points of Reprobation should in stead of making use of their own Authors or when he could not make the Matter bad enough there tell the Case is so and so as Arminius or Episcopus relates it or one writing against Protestants should in the representing of their Principles make use of Bellarmin and other Popish Writers If this then would justly be accounted Ridiculous and Absurd let the judicious Reader judge what Character may John Brown so doing deserve But above all is singularly to be noticed J. Brown his Venerable Esteem of his beloved Author Mr. Hicks as he terms him of whom he has so high an Esteem that he hath given him more place in his Book than any other there being no Author to my observation so frequently Cited by him Hicks most Abusive to the Quakers most Esteemed by J. B. Who because this Thomas Hicks has been the most abusive and grossest Liar and Calumniator that has appeared against us therefore he receives him with the most kindly Entertainment For as Malice against Christ of old Cemented Pilate and Herod to put up their private Quarrels so at this Day it hath done these Men against his Truth and Followers Else what should it mean that a fierce Presbyter should so hartily embrace a keen Anabaptist-Preacher since the same Man often upbraids the Quakers with their Affinity to the Anabaptists A Presbyter and Anabaptist thus Contract Affinity Certainly the Presbyters Cause must be at a low Ebb and he in mighty fear of the Quakers prevailing when he can so cordially shake Hands with his beloved Anabaptist Brother Hicks to help at a dead Lift against the Quakers and take him for his Auxiliary with his Lies and Forgeries to make a Noise when other Matters and Arguments fail But it had been more wisely done in J. Brown ere he had given the Anabaptist Hicks his Writings so much Place in his Book to have considered the Answer to the first Dialogue and Continuation thereof written by W. P. Intituled Reason against Railing and Truth against Fiction and the Answer to his Third Dialogue by the same Author Intituled The Counterfeit Christian Detected and the Real Quaker Justified For I question if J. B. will judge it safe to take Implicitly upon Trust in Matters of Controversy of Religion without Examining the Word of an Anabaptist unless it be against the Quakers where any Witness it's like with him may be admitted For if he do but speak Evil enough it will be acceptable whether true or not And J. B. should also have done well to have Informed himself how this Thomas Hicks being publickly called to an account before several Thousand Witnesses for his gross Abuses in framing Answers in the Quakers Name which was never said by any Quaker and in other ways perverting and misapplying Sentences of their Writings to Questions of their own framing so that he might make them as Impertinent and Ridiculous as he was willing others should Esteem them to be did pitifully Succumb so that his best Defence to come off was to plead the Infirmity of his Lungs which made him desert the second Meeting held for that purpose and substitute in his Place a Free-will-Anabaptist with whom I suppose J. B. will yet have less Fellowship who made a Noise and Brawling to
Tribunal I desire daily to stand that he may more narrowly search me by his Light and both discover and destroy what he finds contrary to his Pure Nature and Holy Will whether mediately or immediately Revealed and before whose Tribunal thou and I will ere long more solemnly appear to give an Account of things we have done in the body Which that thou mayst do with Joy and not with Grief hereafter when thou commend'st thy Advice to the Readers of thy Epistles have so much Mercy upon thy own and the Souls of those thou writ'st to as to desire them to ponder their path and be establisbed and be sure they be come to the holy Faith and not to an Implicite believing the Tradition of men for by so doing indeed thou and as many as thou canst influence may come to fare well according to Prov. 4 26. Ponder thy path and be established and turn not to the right hand nor the left I am one Newtyle the 8th of the Fourth Month 1678. Who in my measure Travel for the Redemption of the Seed of God in all Souls and in thine LILLIAS SKEIN A Catalogue of some of the many downright Lies and Calumnies which he asserts in the Index before his Book to be the Assertions of the Quakers All these things he Asserts falsly of us 1. THat we arrogantly Stile our selves the Servants of God 2. That we glory of the Title Quakers 3. That we account our selves the only Teachers of Truth Equalizing our selves to the Apostles 4. That we say we are perfect without Sin 5. That we only tast see and smell the Inward Light 6. That we Assert our Experiences in matters that cannot be experienced 7. That we assert our selves to be Equal with God 8. That we say all is done without the Spirit that is not done in our Way 9. That we remain Covered when they Pray or Praise really to Mock 10. That we ascribe as much to our own Writings as to the Scriptures 11. That we speak basely of Learned Men. 12. That we Condemn the Study of Original Languages 13. That we speak most basely of the Scriptures 14. That we say they are no Rule to us 15. That we call them Imperfect 16. That we disswade from Reading and Studying them 17. That we say God only worketh a possibility of Salvation 18. That we say God ordaineth nothing from Eternity 19. That we deny Christ's second Coming 20. That we are not Clear concerning Jesus of Nazareth his being the Son of God 21. That we acknowledge no Christ but a Christ within us 22. That we make him nothing but a meer holy Man 23. That a Christ without us is but a Carnal Christ with us 24. That we are unclear touching the Sin of Adam and the Fall 25. That we make Original Sin to be a Substance 26. That we deny that Heathens have any thing of the Law written in their Hearts 27. That we say a Pagan can perform all inward Worship easily 28. That we confound Revelations with the gratious Operations of the Spirit 29. That we succeed to the Old Enthusiasts 30. That we turn the History of Christ's Death into Allegories 31. That we Wildly describe it 32. That we say there is no more Advantage to be had by the History of Christ's Death than by the History of other Saints 33. That we miserably mistake the Judgment of the Orthodox about Reprobation 34. That in exaggerating the matter of Reprobation we miserably belch out against God 35. That we deny Faith and Repentance to be the Gifts of God 36. That we vilify the Vertue and Efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction 37. That we deny all Imputation of Righteousness 38. That we say the Patriarchs had no Faith of the Messiah to come 39. That with us all Members of the Church are Officers 40. That we say all Worship must be done by inward Inspirations as to Time Place and Duration 41. That we make no Vse of the Scriptures in our Worship 42. That in our Worship we Vnchristian and Vnman our selves 43. That we deny Magistrates to be lawful that are not of our Way 44. That we are against giving of all Honour and Respect to Superiors or Equals 45. That we assert no Heaven nor Hell but what is within us I could have noted several others which are direct enough Lies set down in the Index besides not a few he has in the Book which are not in his Index and which the Reader will in this Vindication observe There are also several in the Index which are false and not owned by us in the Terms he writeth them of which I shall give the Reader a few Examples that he may judge thereby of his Fallacy in most of the rest As where he saith 1. That we say The Knowledge of the Fall is not necessary Now this is false for we hold it necessary for all to be sensible of their Loss and Want only we say a distinct Knowledge of the History of Adam's Fall is not of Absolute Necessity to such as God never afforded the means of knowing it 2. That we deny bodily Death to be a Punishment for Sin This is also false only we say that it is not a Punishment for Sin unto all but rather a Pleasure and Satisfaction according to the Apostle's Words To me to die is gain 3. That with us the Preaching of the Gospel is not Necessary This is a meer Fallacy for we say the Preaching of the Gospel is absolutely Necessary only we do not think the External Knowledge of Christ to be only the Preaching of the Gospel and that the Preaching of the Gospel has been or may be where this is wanting If I should go through the rest of the Index thus I should find very few particulars in which there is not some such Perversion or Fallacy so that very few are set down as they are truly owned by us Some indeed are such as 1. That we deny Men to be Christians by Birth for we believe That Men by nature are born Children of Wrath and yet this may have Exceptions as in the case of Jeremiah and John the Baptist who are said to be sanctified from their Mothers Womb. 2. That we would have Ministers learning Trades whereby to live We truly think it were no Disparagement for Ministers to work with their Hands as the honest Apostle Paul did who commended the same to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.34 And yet we think a Man may be a good Minister though he have not a Trade and Work none but yet never the Worse if he have one 3. That in Worship we think Men should be silent in the first place Yes for Silence goes before all solemn Actions of Speaking 4. That we think to Command Men to pray without the Spirit is to Command Men to see without Eyes Yes because we know not what to pray for as we ought without it Rom. 8.26 and no Man should be Commanded to Pray as
the Church of Christ is not to usurp Authority over their Fellow-Members 229. decisive Judgment explained 243. true and false Decision 244. unsettled Men Judging 683 684. Charitable and uncharitable Judgment 686. God the Judge of conscience 516 517. he that is Spiritual Judgeth all things 795 see Church Justification the Doctrine thereof is and hath been greatly vitiated among the Papists and wherein they place it 364 365 380 382 Luther and the Protestants with good Reason opposed this Doctrine though many of them ran soon into another Extream and wherein they place it and that they agree in one 366 387 370. it comes from the Love of God 367 379 380. to Justify signifies to to make really Just not to repute Just which many Protestants are also forced to acknowledge 370 371 374 377. The Revelation of Christ formed in the Heart is the formal Cause of Justification not Works to speak properly which are only an Effect and so also many Protestants have said 364 380. we are Justified in Works and how 364 370 371 380 387. this is so far from being Popish Doctrine that Bellarmine and others opposed it 365 369 385 386. We are Justified by Christ Jesus both as he appeared at Jerusalem and also as he was made manifest and revealed in us 19 20. Justification by the indwelling of Christ is denied by the Papists 78. Primitive Protestants Belief concerning Justification 79. concerning Faith and Justification 129 166. a twofold Justification 25. it is the making a Man just by an Inward Righteousness 77. 811. the Doers of the Law Justified 806. Antinomians Imputative Justification refuted 812. J. B's gross Opinion of it 814. no Man is Justified before he be sanctified 816 The real Justification falleth under the inward sensation of the Soul 817. K. Keith G. K. vindicated from our Adversaries malitious Insinuations against him 621. Kingdom of God 459 511 517. Christ's Kingdom needs no outward protection 846. the Kingdom of God is within you 803. the Kingdom of God is in the Seed in the Hearts of all Men 354. Kirk the Greedy Kirk become a Proverb 437. Knowledge the Heighth of Man's Happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of God 467. Error in the Entrance of this Knowledge is dangerous 267 268. Superstition Idolatry and thence Atheism hath proceeded from the False and Feigned Opinions concerning God and the Knowledge of him 269. the uncertain Knowledge of God is divers ways attained but the True and Certain only by the inward and immediate Revelation of the Holy Spirit 269 271. it hath been brought out of use and by what Devices 272 273. there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son nor of the Son but by the Spirit 268 274 275. the Knowledge of Christ which is not by the Revelation of his Spirit in the Heart is no more the Knowledge of Christ than the pratling of a Parret which hath been taught a few Words may be said to be the Voice of a Man 276 277. The Objection that the Apostle prefers the Knowledge of Christ as outwardly Crucified to all other Knowledge answered 9. his Inward Knowledge preferred 67. the true and saving Knowledge of God 115 161. the Knowledge of the History saves none 355. many by the Light may be saved that have not the outward Knowledge of christ 356 of the true Ground of Knowledge 728 733. the Difference between Head-Knowledge and the partaking of the Divine Nature 763 764. Monopolizers of Knowledge 889. 428 see Clergy The Christian Religion consists not in the Historical Knowledge of Christ 895. see Indians c L. Labour they wanted nothing whom God sent they labour'd with their Hands 435. Laces and Ribbonds 873. Laicks 429 432 433. Laity 433 507. Lake of Bethesda 338 339. Lamb see Paschal Lamb. Language the plain Language used in the Scriptures 58. concerning our using Thee and Thou which is the Singular Number to one person 61. to use the Plural instead of the Singular Number to one Person is no Indifferent thing 3 4. see Number the Singular Number to one person used in the Latine 539. how the Word You came to be used to a single person ibid. the Word Thou a greater Honour to one than You 540. Scripture-Dialect the plain Language 541. Law the Law is distinguished from the Gospel 287 384. the Difference thereof 287 493. see Gospel under the Law the People were not in any Doubt who should be Priests and Ministers 408. see Minister of the Law Worship The Testimony Law and Word is inward in the Heart 15 71. the ending of the Law and beginning of the Gospel 187. wherein the Law and Gospel differ 298 393 484. the outward and inward Law 286. the Law of Christ more perfect than of Moses 558. the Divine Law was implanted in Man's Nature before all Laws made by Man 701. J. B's Proof for what is meant by Law and Testimony 756. his Asserting the Law of Nature against his former Reason 793. Law of Moses see Legal Rites Lawyers by Tricks and Intricacies foment Controversies 209 Laying on of Hands 511. see Hands Learned the Lord is angering the Wise and Learned 885 Learning what true Learning is 421 422. Humane Learning is not the Qualification of a Minister 140 305 703 730. see Literature Schools of Learning Leaven J. B's Objection against the Word Fermentum Leaven or Fermentation a Leavening answered 855. Legal Rites had a Command as well as John's Baptism 857. Leonisis a Sect they have a great Shew of Truth 532. in the Margent Letter The Letter killeth quickneth not 393. like Pharisees the outward Law so now Professors plead the Letter 15. How the Letter killeth 18 76. Levi a Figure of Christ 655 Leyden John of Leyden and Ignatius Loyola their Practices resembled by W. M. and his Brethren 58 Liars their Punishment 557 Libertines see Ranters Liberty the true Liberty in the Church 222. breach of Liberty begets Jars ibid. a false Liberty 224. a wrong Spirit of Liberty 246. what Liberty we claim in things Religious 516 520 524 Lies 276. lying Titles 535. Christians not to speak a Lie 875. J. B s refuge of Lies 877. Light The innate Light is explained by Cicero 361 362. Light of Nature the Errors of the Socinians and Pelagians who exalt this Light are rejected 310 311. Saving Light see Redemption is universal it is in all 330 331. It is a Spiritual and Heavenly Principle 333 334. it is a Substance not an Accident 334 335. it is Supernatural and sufficient 346 348. It is the Gospel preached in every Creature 349 350. It is the Word nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart 350 351. it is the Ingrafted Word able to save the Soul 353. Testimonies of Augustin and Buchanan concerning this Light 363. it is not any part of Nature or Reliques of the Light remaing in Adam after the fall 337. it is distinguished from the Conscience 337 338. It is not a common Gift as the Heat of the