these are so gross and palpable that an easie Learning might detect them and in a matter of such moment which the poor Quakers do implicitely believe and hug he was obliged to the severest Caution not to impose upon their tame and easie Credulity And as to us who know our selves fallible and in Gods extream account very imperfect it must be allowed for an excuse But as for him who defends perfection pleads for Immediate Revelation which his Master extends to many things which are not in Scripture so much as by Consequence Keith Im. Rev. p. 6. 2d Quib. p. 11. Others of them challenging Infallibility in all things and cases and he as a Believer pretending the Unction whereby they know all things p. 229. and yet in many discovering and in some confessing his Ignorance I know not p. 227. to him this Plea can be no Advantage it pulling down that very thing which he is building up For if there be such a standing perpetual Ordinance as Immediate Revelation Gods Veracity and Goodness is concern'd at that time to let them be Infallible when they are pleading and become the Advocates for it But it is a good Confutation when a Champion proves an Instance against himself T. Ellwood's Courage 2. As to his Courage and Confidence they are high enough shewing great dis-esteem to the Sacred Scriptures as will appear in a proper place by a Catalogue of his Rules of Exposition such certainly as the Sun never saw especially by such a pretended intimate of Heaven We shall onely now consider his Carriage to most Orders of Men in the Kingdom for he presumes to Tax our World like Augustus Caesar The King must be plainly Thou'd and the Head covered before him The Turkish Fashion they esteem most proper and the tuissare or thou'ing which in Erasmus's time was opprobious among the English is dubb'd into both Religion and Manners My Lord the King is no pleasing Dialect to these new Saints it is Old Testament Divinity Dread Sovereign and Sacred Majesty must not now be used p. 46. Who must have the Majesty then Not the King I 'le warrant you it is taken from Him to be appropriated to their own dear selves take a few of their Expressions having spoken against Magistracy and for the Destruction thereof he proceeds * Fire in the Bush p. 39. If you would find true Majesty indeed go among the poor distressed ones of the Earth †Parnel's shield of the Tr. p. 25 27. Here is the ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour No more after the Flesh but after the Spirit Quakers are sprung of the Noble Gentile Seed ‡ In his Noble Salutation to thee Charles Stewart from the Council and Nobility of the Royal Seed the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Everlasting King of Righteousness who reigneth in George Fox the Younger â In the Testimony from the Brethren The Quakers Ministers are the Dignities and Government and Dominion The King must not write in the Plural Number We p. 27. though he be a Publick Person and Act by Advice of his Council all that is sprung from Pride and Flattery Besides this he saucily and pragmatically medleth with the Kings Revenues the Office for first Fruits Tenths offends him p. 355. No Flower can be fair in an English Crown which was taken out of a Popes Mitre if nothing else could be said against it but that it once stuck in the tripple Crown that alone were enough to make it unworthy to be worn in an English Diadem It seems he hath more than this to Object against it such like things are frequent in their Books which stealing out into the World are apt to leaven mens Spirits with bad Principles One of them acquaints us * Parnel's shield of the Truth p. 19 25. What Magistrates they do not own but deny and testifie against and to make their Negative Power better Armed he saith The Kings and Nobles of the Earth shall be bound in Chains and Fetters of Iron This was Printed 1655. but lest it should be onely Serviceable in those times †Some Principles of the Elect People of God called Quakers p. 89. Isaac Pennington a Name deep enough certainly in Royal Blood to make it currant Quaker Doctrine now re-prints that Book in 1671. leaving out the beginning and end of it but he hath the Conscience and Confidence to re-print those very words out of what design let our Superiours Judge But lest since then so beloved a Doctrine of binding Kings should be forgot they keep up the Memory of it ‡ The true Christians Faith and Experience by Williâ—m Shâ—wen p. â—36 Another Book Printed 1675 speaks home Christ Reigning in the heart gives Power to bind Kings in Chains and Nobles in Fetters of Iron This Hâ—nour havâ— all thâ— Saints To the like contempt of Authority write several of them Howgils glory p. 107. Kings and Magistrates as Christians have no Priority but as they stand in the growth of Truth that is in Quakerism Parnel's shield p. 41. Will. Smith passim Fire in the bush p. 21 22 23. I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion meddle with such Affairs as you are set about Meddle not with Religion keep within your bounds And Winstanley the Instituter of their Order speaks roundly to all Four Idolized Powers must down The Imaginary Teaching Hear-say Book-studying Power or the Ministry The Imaginary Kingly Power must be shaken to pieces in all Nations The Imaginary Law of Justice which is but the declarative Will of Conquerours and buying and selling the Earth and being enslaved one to another must all be destroyed at the Resurrection of Christ and that he saith was then beginning and therefore the pretence to Revelation looks a-squint upon the safety of Kingdoms had not the Magistrates the Sword they might meet with as Reproachful words as the Ministers and had some Persons strength their Principles might carry them to repeat the Munster Tragedy If this Measure be dealt unto the Prince what will not be unto the Subjects The Peers and Lords must expect the like treatment from these Levellers Plough-men James Parnel's shield p. 24 25. Fâ—sher-men Herds-men Shepherds are Noble-men sprung of the Noble Seed here the true Honour is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit He that boggles at using Sirs p. 46. will stumble at higher Titles and if this new Critick may be credited Titles are to cease and Epithets and Adjuncts are to succeed in lieu Which Men are at Liberty to give or not to give according to their prejudicated or capricious fancies He quarrelleth at several things established by Act of Parliament as the Book of Ordination is spurned at by degrading the Clergy the Confessing of our selves miserable Sâ—â—ners is Chastised by his Ferula p. 53. Tithes an Ancient payment of at least 800 years usage in this Nation Sir
or dâ—claration of the Condition of those who received them a true Testimony of what the Saints were made Witnesses of no command in Scripture is any further obliging upon any man Smith Pen. in Faldoes vâ—nd of 21 Div. p 97. Faldo Q. no Chris ch 12. than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience direct old Libertinism and Ranterism They make it Idolatry to follow the Precepts or Examples in Scripture Having thus depressed the written Word of God yet to keep up some seeming Honour to it In his Letter though to use T. E's words it be an Hosannah in the morning that ends in a Crucifige ere night they find out this Expedient the Scripture as the Codex wherein Gods will is Recorded binds them not but they have it renewed and repeated to them or as Naylor words it God speaks to us by Scriptures when they are given by Inspiration to us Light of Christ p. 29. So that Repetition is but laying the top-stone and improving or pursuing their other claims T. E. is so confident that he asserts p. 239. Revelation is necessary yea of necessity even to understand the Scripture absolutely necessary p. 238. so received and understood and not otherwise p. 251. he must then have every line in the Old and New Testament repeated not so much as Abraham begat Isaac is to be omitted else it is not understood by him a thing that is so Impossible and so Impracticable that it affords fresh evils each time it is considered I might make short Work what need the renewing of that to him which he looks upon as not obliging as in its place will appear or as his Landlord conceits the one thing necessary to Salvation Penningtons naked truth p. 23. not being contained in the Scriptures the Repetition thereof if true yet would be ineffectual but in regard this fancy hath been considered by none I know of I shall a while view it as that which makes the confusedst work in Prophecyes Historyes and all the parts of Christianity In brief it revives the Ministry of Angels as the Conveyers of Gods Will in the Christian State it sets up Moses to be a Teacher reinforceth Circumcision the Tabernacle the Jewish Common-Wealth and the Law of Sacrifices it raiseth up Multitudes of Persons out of their Graves where they have rested some thousand years it sets up the Kingdoms of Egypt Assyria Syria and the rest that bordered on the Holy-Land it musters a great part of the World together Kings and Kingdoms to come and stand before him it lays aside Christianity destroys the Motives of Believing it making such a Miscellaneous hotch-potch of Religion as Mahomet did not hit on it makes the whole Scripture Scenical a Theatrical thing that like a Puppet-play goes round is renewed repeated in plain English acted over before him The Portentousness of this chimaera will appear by looking on its Aspect upon the old and new Testament wherein we may consider Historyes Prophecyes and other mixt matters and discover whether they be capable of Repetition For History hath God renewed to T. E. that Command of putting off his shoes from off his feet which was enjoyned to and done by Moses have the Tempests Thunderings Voices which were at the giving the Law been heard by him can God speak to him from between the Cherubims and from the Door of the Tabernacle which are not now in being hath he received with David Answers from the Vrim or need he some outward light from the Breast-Plate who hath such a Light within have the Angels Revealed those Messages to him which they did to Abraham Lot and others then Sodom was but fired the other day or things are burnt in Effigie before him Have the Voices to Samuel been rehearsed to him or that to Elijah 1 King 19.15 then Jehu and Hazael are now alive and T. E. is an anointer to Kingdoms The like might be shewed of all Scripture-Histories that this Dream destroys or confounds and intangles the Truth of all For History relateth things done Repetition looks on them as undone and in doing confounds times past present and future disorders and mixeth both Persons and Matters and by making nothing distinct leaves nothing true Nicodemus came to Jesus by night Thomas put his hand into Christs side c. If these which we know from Scripture be repeated then those persons must be now alive if they be not repeated they are not understood Is it not enough to have all these recorded in a Divine History for our Admonition and Example but these old Revelations must be new Revealed and Acted over to gratify a morose Illuminado This fancy doth as much disservice to the Truth and certainty of Prophecyes hath T. E. laid 390 days upon one side in a Visionary Siege against Jerusalem gone to the River Chebar beheld the draughts of a most glorious Temple c. with Ezekiel or hath he had the Revelation of St. John repeated before him Vision after Vision This Supervisor general need but move a pin and all the Prophecyes present themselves before him I have seen some Printed papers joyned at the end of a Quakers Bible containing the Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans the life of Paul a Catalogue of several Scriptures which are mentioned but not inserted in the Bible as the Prophecy of Enoch cum multis aliis several Scriptures corrupted by the Translators most of which are where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred otherwise than In and Lastly the Differences betwixt the Old English Translation and the New All which reflects both upon the version now used bu especially are designed to render the Sacred Scripture defective that there are other Revelations besides those therein consigned and hereby to pave the way for the Belief and Admittance of what they pretend to bring from Heaven to us The same Confidence and Principles may carry such persons on to such words as the Vision of Isaiah which he saw in the days of Uzziah or The Testimony from the Brethren the Revelation of Jesus Christ signifyed to his Servant John to annex such like claims as this which Visions or Revelations begun to be renewed and repeated to the Quakers in England who are the Church returned out of the Wilderness in the year 1648. Can T. E. have had the Prophecies of Daniel reacted as that St. of old had then dead Belshazzar is now afoot and Nebuchadnezzar weilds his Scepter the 70 weeks are never begun nor never ended the Messiah must be uncut off each time this Vision is renewed but as a Mass-Priest dayly kills and butchers Christ who yet lives for all that Cruelty so this renewing makes all things Scenical in Prophecy but proves and settles nothing The Prophets name their Parents Places with such Circumstances owning it as a Vision made to themselves Moses the Prophets the Psalms are distinctly named this day saith Christ this Scripture is fulfilled but not any Indication that those
and not Hystrionical Representations Our Holy Religion is a rational thing not a Drammatical Imaginary shew to be done over and over as in a Scene Christ lived on Earth Taught Instructed and lastly Dyed but once which Faith so receives and Entertains but Fancy cannot renew as dayly in doing that will destroy the reality of the History and make the very Religion to expire with it If Ellwood then feel such a thing as renewing former Revelations it is either Satans Delusion or his own Fiction of Imagination CHAP. V. Concerning their Immediate Revelations II. BEsides their Repetition they have Immediate Revelations The Apostles had an Immediate Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to them and these Successors receive in the same manner p. 228. The Ministration of the Spirit by Divine Revelations was not to cease but continue in the Church p. 227. inward and immediate teaching p. 229. The Revelations made to the Prophets and Apostles confirm'd by Miracles and Believed by Christians we own But for any further ones we can discern no Necessity thereof or if there was we cannot discern that God by you sends them to us It is not reasonable we should believe you in such a Concern meerly upon your own Witnessings nor will God I hope Damn him who died before the Quakers or never heard of them or doth seriously search into and yet disbelieve them and to call them Immediate must needs reflect upon the Scriptures which are Means appointed by God or else are nothing Keiths Title page Immediate Revelation remains a Standing and Perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ and of indispensible Necessity to every true Believer Living stone in 3d. Q. Quibbles p. 11. just such another Ordinance as giving the Hand and pulling off the Hat which are to continue in the true Church To what end they enjoy this Ordinance is differently related between the Tutor and his Pupil the latter claims it to the renewing old Scripture Revelations denying they have any new ones as to substance p. 237. but Keith is open-hearted tells what plenty they have and to what purpose things relating to our Conversation in the World Commanding or Forbidding Im. Rev. p. 5. 6. or Licensing us how to carry and be conversant about them as in eating drinking marrying or giving in marriage plowing digging or any other employment going coming to a place abiding therein things Revealed to them from the Lord which are not to be found in the Scriptures particularly not so much as by consequence Happy men they cannot do Ill certainly who eat drink get Children and know who get them c. by Revelation 'T is strange to see men who are Wise in the World to be so Fancyfull in Religion to Intitle God to the Risings and Bublings of their own Spirits they shut up those Reasonable Souls which God gave them as Spirits in Prison Anima suilla pro sale a Swines Soul serves for Salt and a Quakers doth no more just keeps his Body from Corruption How low and cheap is Inspiration made when the Holy Spirit must be Imployed in Inviting men to Dinner and they must be carryed on by Wires and Pullyes and not proceed by Humane measures T. E. hath such Immediate teachings as the Apostles had ask a Proof thereof the return is They Witness it but they will not swear it and I think it unreasonable to believe them on easier terms than our Lord himself was believed upon But whilst good Men are baffling Atheism with the rational grounds of Christianity Satan tacks about and would baffle Christianity by Impostures Is Inspiration grown so common that every one must have it Or is God so Prodigal of Miracles to exceed his regular Dispensations St. Paul who healed the Sick exerted not that Power on Believing Timothy Trophimus and Epaphroditus Christ increased the Loaves and yet commanded the fragments to be gathered up Hebron was promised unto Caleb for an Inheritance God could have ordered the Lot to fall upon it and yet it was settled by vertue of the Promise Where things can be had in an ordinary way it is not Gods Method to exceed nor heap Miracle upon Miracle his works are perfect and immediate answers were never common the Lot must not pass upon that which was promised before that would have been irreligion or a Tempting God There are no need of Teachers or Scriptures if all receive immediate Instructions The Ancients were too curious in their esteem of the Bible and the Traditores had too harsh Measure Though all Bibles were burnt a Quakers Light could verbatim write a new one as Jeremy gave Baruch the same words a second time The Jews say one Prophet who hath the Testimony of another Prophet is true I can discern no such attestation among them as S. John gave to Jesus but they first make themselves Prophets and then give Honour one to another Till they produce some undoubted Evidence I am guilty of no sin in denying I must either see some Miracles or have an Immediate Revelation my self to assure me that each of them hath such and such Inspirations and it being difficult to distinguish between the Dictates of spirits and the Fancies and Motions of a Man 's own upper and lower Soul Quakers will need a second Revelation to ascertain them of the first and a third to ascertain them of a second and so forward which is like the dancing of Fairies a skipping and running round but an advancing nothing And they are got into such a Circle wherein they may run themselves blind They believe the Scriptures from their Inspirations and those again from the Scriptures making one to prove another The Spirit ascertains them it is Gods Word and from thence T. E. attempts to prove they have the Spirit In that Debate at Jerusalem Acts 15. it was not the Immediate Inspiration which was the Rule which certainly would if every one had been so fitted but it was the Epistle from the Council that concluded all Set up this Notion and there would be none to be Ruled nor any such thing known as Obedience either in Church or State for Immediate Instruction must not be controlled by any thing below it self nor is it reasonable the Divine Voice should be prescribed to So that this pretence hath an evil aspect upon Kingdoms which have been frequently disturbed thereby Admit T. E. to be Heavens Privado to receive immediate Communications from thence we have no security but the same impetus may carry him on to imitate the Prophets words I have an Errand unto thee 2 King 9.5 O Captain and to interrupt the Lineal Succession for George Fox deserves as much to be King of New Jerusalem as John of Leyden and a Shoe-maker is as fit to wield a Scepter as a Taylor Religion also can never be fixed or known where Enthusiasm is avowed for this days perswasion may be out-dated by to morrows fresh Suggestion The Quakers are much