without any real Proof For it is a Truth That no Scripture-Truth can be savingly believed but by the Illumination of the Spirit which is Objective In Paragraph 28. they think to evade G. K. his Argument That we have Inspiration because all Men have it that then Papists Mahumetans Pagans and Men bodily possessed have Inspiration which we do affirm viz. That these have it so far as to Convince them and is sufficient to be a Law of Condemnation and render them without Excuse for their Sin and this all Men have not only within their Day but after their Day of Visitation is expired But as to their imposed Glosses and Senses which they say their Divines have already vindicated on these Scriptures cited by G. K. for Vniversal Grace and Inspiration as they refer us to their Divines so we refer them to our Friends and our Books where their silly and weak Reasons are answered against this Gospel-Truth As for the Word EVERY we acknowledge it is not taken always Vniversally but seeing it is taken so most frequently it lieth on them to prove that it is otherwise taken in the Places cited Before we close the Answer to this Subsection Revelations self-evident we propose further unto the Reader these Two Considerations 1. That when we say Inward Divine Revelations in the Seed are self-evident we do not mean it always in respect of the Material Objects of things Revealed but in respect of the Formal Object or Revelation it self 2. Although we affirm That the Illumination and Influence of the Spirit in Men's Hearts is both Effective and Objective yet we do not affirm That they are two distinct Things but one and the same thing under different Respects so that we do not plead for another Influence than that which in Words they seem to grant But we say it is a more Excellent Thing than they acknowledge it to be as being in it self perceptible and having a self-Evidence whereas they will have it only a Medium incognitum a thing altogether undiscernible and in-evident of it self so as to convince or satisfy the Understanding that it is of God And thus according to our Adversaries Sense and upon their Principle this Inward Illumination of the Spirit may be said to be Fallacious for want of Evidence seeing according to their own Argument That which hath not a sufficient Evidence is fallacious But whereas the Students in their Account grant in Words That the Soul hath Spiritual Sensations and that the Work of Grace may be felt This Confession destroyeth their whole Superstructure For if the Work of Grace can be felt or is perceptible then it is Objective for whatever is perceptible is objective And seeing they grant That the Soul hath Spiritual Sensations we ask them What are the Objects of the Sensations Are they only Words and Letters or Things such as God himself in his heavenly Refreshings Waterings and Bedewings If the first it is most unreasonable for it would make the Spiritual Senses to fall short of the Natural seeing the Natural Senses reach beyond Words to Natural Things themselves If the Second they must needs with us acknowledge inward objective Revelations for by them we understand no other thing but as God and the things of His Kingdom are felt in us by way of Object SECTION II. Where the Students Chief Argument against the Spirit 's being the Rule is proved to be one upon the Matter with that the Jesuit Dempster used against their Master J. M. and the same way answered and their Weak Endeavours to evite it Examined and Refuted THere hath enough been said heretofore to demonstrate the Fallacies in the Form of their Arguments in which also it resembled the Jesuits which to avoid Repetition we shall now omit Their Medium against us is That we cannot give an Evidence of our being led by the Spirit but that which may be as good an Evidence for Hereticks Hereticks Pretences to the Spirit For thus they word it in their Account alledging We wronged them in saying They used the Words which Hereticks may pretend to yet abstracting from this false Charge we shall take it as they now express it being indeed Equivalent To prove that it may be as good an Evidence for Hereticks they make J. L. argue thus Other Hereticks declare and say they have the Spirit of God teaching them as well as you Therefore if your saying you were so taught were a sufficient Evidence c. Then their declaring c. Now let the Reader judge whether this Argument amounts to any thing more then that That is not a sufficient Evidence to the Quakers which other Hereticks may pretend to Thus the Students dispute against the Quakers let us hear how the Jesuit disputes against J. M. their Master Pap. Lucifug pag. 3. after the Jesuit hath repeated his Argument he adds May it please the Answerer of this Syllogism to remember That the Ground or Principle which he shall produce to prove the Truth of his Religion must have this Property that it cannot serve nor be assumed to prove a false Religion as the Grounds and Principles that one produceth to prove that he is an Honest Man must have this Property that it cannot serve nor be assumed to prove a Knave to be an honest Man c. Let the judicious Reader consider whether there be any material difference betwixt these two Argumentations But to proceed and shew that their Arguments are no better than the Jesuits against their Master and our Answers no worse than their Master 's against the Jesuit we shall place them together J. M. Answereth the Jesuit thus pag. 5. of his Pap. Lucifugus The true Religion hath sufficient grounds in it self to manifest it self to be the true Religion if it meet with a well disposed Intellect For to use your own Similitude an honest Man may have ground enough to shew a distinction betwixt him and a Knave albeit a Fool cannot discern it so the true Religion may have ground enough to prove it self True which the false Religion hath not though an Infidel or Heretick whose foolish mind is darkned Rom. 1.21 cannot take it up Our Answer to the Students as themselves acknowledge it pag. 59. is J. M 's Answer to the Jesuit compared with ours That the Evidence of the Spirit cannot be assigned but to the well-disposed Vnderstanding this they call a pitiful Subterfuge alledging that then this Evidence can only be assigned to such as are of the Quaker's mind but not to others and that any Heretick in the World may deny Evidences upon the same account Now let the judicious Reader determine whether if this Answer be a pitiful Subterfuge the Students with the same Breath do not declare their Master 's to the Jesuit to be the same And when they write next let them shew the difference which they have not yet done In answer to this Retortion they alledge pag. 67. That R. B. said their
Foolish Fashions of this World But we felt as we were obedient all these things to be for Condemnation and that as we obeyed the pure Manifestation of the Light of Jesus in our Hearts there was no Hesitation We might and should have parted with all those things at the first and what occasioned such Scruples was but that which drew back through being unwilling to give pure Obedience to the Cross of Christ for as many as gave Obedience and believed in the Light found no Occasion of stumbling but such as believed not were Condemned already because they believed not in him that Appeared Now the Boldness and Courage and Efficacy of these Messengers Testimony wrought such Astonishment The Courage of the Messengers Fear and Amazement in the Hearts of such as were Ingenuous that many began to be inwardly pricked as in the Days of old and the Foundations of many began to be shaken and some that were asleep were awakened and many that were dead and buried in the Graves of Sin and Formality and Superstition and Idolatry of all Sorts were Alarmed and many were brought in from the Hedges and the High-Ways and the Truth was received by Thousands with great Cheerfulness and a Readiness of Mind and the Feet of those were beheld to be beautiful upon the Mountains that brought the Glad Tidings of these good things And great Lowliness and Simplicity of Heart was upon such that were newly Convinced of the Truth and Deep Humiliation of Spirit and Subjection to the Power both in themselves and in those who were over them in the Lord and had gathered them into the Truth But as it was in the Gatherings of Old so it also fell out in this Day all kept not their first Love As among those Thousands which Moses led out of Egypt and carried through the Red Sea who had sung Praises to God upon the Banks of Salvation many Carcases fell in the Wilderness some who Murmured and longed to return again to the Flesh-pots of Egypt Opposition and and some for Opposing and Contradicting the Servant and Servants of the Lord whom the Lord had made Use of to lead them out of Bondage in saying Ye take too much upon you hath the Lord indeed only spoken by Moses hath he not spoken also by us And as among these Multitudes which were gathered by the Apostles there were many who continued not faithful to the End some returned back again with the Sow to the Puddle after they were washed some embraced the present World some again separated themselves Separation entring being sensual and without the Spirit despising Dominion and speaking Evil of Dignities their Mouths speaking great swelling Words being puffed up and not abiding in these things which they were taught of the Apostles So it is to be lamented that among these many Thousands whom the Apostles and Evangelists whom God raised up in this Day for the gathering of his Seed and People out of spiritual Egypt and Babylon into his pure Light and Life did bring forth and gather there are that have fallen upon the right Hand and the left Some are turned back again into Egypt running into the same Excess of Lust and Riot from whence they were once purified and Redeemed some could not bear the Reproach of the Cross of Christ and were by and anon offended in him some could not bear the Tribulations Sufferings and Persecutions which came for the Truth 's sake and the Seed in them was soon scorched with the Heat of the Day And some not abiding in Subjection to the Truth in themselves were not contented with that Place and Station in the Body which God had placed them in but became vainly puft up in their Fleshly Minds intruding into those things which they have not seen and would needs be Innovators given to Change Innovators causing Divisions and introducing new Doctrines and Practices not only differing but contrary to what was already delivered in the Beginning making Parties causing Divisions and Rents stumbling the weak and denying despising and reviling the Apostles and Messengers of Christ the Elders of the Church who loved not their Lives unto Death but through much Care and Travel and Watchings and Whippings and Bonds and Beatings in daily Jeopardy gathered us by the mighty Power of God in the most pretious Truth Yet in all this there hath nothing befallen us but that which hath been the Antient Lot of the Church of Christ in the Primitive Times Now He that was careful for his Church and People in old times hath not been wanting to us in our Day The good Shepherd of Israel his Care over his Church and People but as he has again Restored the Truth unto its primitive Integrity and Simplicity and as he has delivered our Understandings from these false Doctrines and Principles which prevailed in the Apostacy so he hath not gathered us to be As Sheep scattered without a Shepherd that every one may run his own Way and every one follow his own Will and so to be as a Confused Mass or Chaos without any Order but He even the LORD hath also gathered and is gathering us into the Good Order Discipline and Government of his own Son the Lord Jesus Christ therefore he hath laid Care upon some beyond others who watch for the Souls of their Brethren as they that must give account The several Stations in the Church 1 Cor. 4.15 16 17. There are then Fathers that have begotten us unto Christ Jesus through the Gospel of whom We ought to be Followers and to remember their Ways which be in Christ. There are then Fathers and Children Instructors and Instructed Elders and Young Men yea and Babes there are that cannot cease but must Exhort Instruct Reprove Condemn Judge or else for what End gave Christ the Gifts mentioned Ephes. 4.11 12 And how are the Saints perfected and the Body of Christ Edified of those who come under the Cognizance and as it were the Test of this Order and Government I may chiefly sum them up in three sorts though there be divers others little subdivided Species of them 1. Profane Backsliding Apostates The First is Those that turn openly back to the World again through finding the Way of Truth too narrow These have not been capable to do us any considerable Hurt for being as Salt that has lost its Savour they mostly prove a Stink among those to whom they go And I never knew any of them that proved any ways steadable to those to whom they go I find other Professors make but small Boast of any Proselytes they got out from among us I hear little of their proving Champions for the Principles of others against us And indeed for the most part they lose all Religion with the Truth for I have heard some of them say That if ever they took on them to be Religious they would come back again to the Quakers c. 2. Unwary Repenting Sinners
all things never faileth albeit other Gifts have 1 Cor. 13. from the first Verse As by this the Excellency of Love is shewn so the Necessity of pressing after it and living in it will be readily acknowledged by all but seeing the Sum of this Love as well as the Perfection thereof consists in Loving God above all so whatever diverteth in any thing there from is not to be accounted Love though the same Word be used to Express it and that in the Scripture it self Self-Love such as the Love of Self the Love of the World the Love of any Creature Hence for the Attaining of the true and excellent Love the Love of all these other things is not only to be laid aside and the Love of God preferred to them but they are to be hated as Christ himself Phraseth it He that hateth his Life Jo. 12.25 Yea he useth it so as to speaking of hating Father and Mother Luk. 14.26 Though when the Love to such is truly Subordinate to the other it is both Commended and Commanded The Testimony of the Love of God is to keep his Commandments The Testimony which is required of our Really being in the Love of God Christ himself signifieth to us If you Love me keep my Commandments And as the Beloved Disciple John said in the Case of Knowledge shewing us the Falshood of such as pretend to know God and yet do not so saying He that says he knows God and keeps not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 Jo. 2.4 So may be also said He that saith he loves God and keeps not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him according as the same Apostle saith 1 Jo. 5.3 For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments Hence it is apparent that Love without Purity is but a False Pretence and that whatsoever hinders from the Practice of this Love of God or withdraws from the Obedience of the least of his Commands is to be denied and no ways to be Entertained as being either the Love of the Devil the Love of the World or the Love of Self and not the Love of the Father And as from the True Love of God having taken Place both upon the Vnderstanding and Will there ariseth a great Fervency and Desire of Mind that it may be wholly Vnited with the Lord and made Conformable unto his Will in all things So from hence ariseth also a certain Aversion from Indignation of and even Hatred to whatsoever is Contrary thereunto or has a Tendency to lead from it which is commonly called Zeal Which Zeal having a right Bottom and Foundation The True Zeal proceeds from the love of God and proceeding purely from the Love of God is a great Virtue greatly to be commended and pressed after and the Defect thereof is justly reproveable in a Christian. That Zeal then thus considered is a thing Excellent Pure and Holy of it self appears in that it is ascribed to God himself 2 Kings 19.13 Where the Performance of the Blessed Evangelical Promises is to be performed by the Zeal of the Lord Isa. 19.17 He is said to be Cloathed with Zeal as with a Cloak and 63.15 His Zeal is numbred with his Bowels and Mercies Next David Recommends himself to God for that the Zeal of his house had eaten him up Psal. 69.9 and 119.139 And Paul commends the Corinthians for their Zeal 2 Cor. 7.11 1 Cor. 14.12 And for this End has the Grace of God appeared unto all that there might be a People gathered Zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 And as this is commended and recommended on the one hand so is the contrary thereof to wit Indifferency and Luke-warmness reproved and rebuked as a thing displeasing to the Lord. Of many Instances whereof that might be given that unto the Church of Laodicea may serve at present Rev. 13.15 16. Because for a Remedy against this Evil she is Exhorted vers 19. To be Zealous and Repent But as there is a True Zeal so is there a False one The False Zeal its Kinds and Degrees and it is not more needful to have the one than it is to avoid the other Now as the True Zeal proceedeth only from the pure Love of God and single Regard to his Honour and Glory so the False Zeal proceedeth from the Love of something else and the Regard to other things And of this False Zeal there are several Kinds as well as Degrees all of which though they ought to be shunned yet some are far more hurtful and pernicious than others The Worst and Highest of these is when as Men through the height of Pride Lust Ambition or Envy shew themselves Furious and Zealous to satisfy and fulfil their Desires and Affections 1. A Furious Cain 's Zeal This is the highest Zeal for Self From this Zeal did Cain slay Abel Ishmael mocked Isaac and Esau hated Jacob Pharaoh Persecuted the Children of Israel Saul David and Jezabel the True Prophets of the Lord. A Second Kind is when as Men that are not True and Faithful even to those Principles of Religion they profess themselves to acknowledge as True as being Conscious to themselves 2. A Wicked Persecutors Zeal and also publickly known to be such as are Vitious and Profligate yet do violently Persecute and Oppress others that differ from them though they be not only Equal to them but even by their own Acknowledgment exceed them in Temperance and Virtue having nothing to charge them with but that they Agree not with them in Judgment and Practice in Matters of Religion This apparently is a False Zeal and not of God for if it proceeded from the true Love of God it would first Operate in themselves to the removing of all those Things which they acknowledge to be Contrary to this Love of God before it exerted it self towards others seeing as the Proverb is Charity begins at home And like unto this was the Zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees Scribes and Pharisees Instanced who Persecuted Christ for a Breaker of the Law which themselves did not fulfil As is also the Zeal both of the Papists and Protestants in their Persecutions at this Day A Third Sort is of such 3. A Blind Religious Zeal who do indeed walk strictly and closely to their own Principles making Conscience of their Way but yet being Blinded in their Understanding do Persecute Truth supposing it to be Error Of this Number was Paul before his Conversion Being as to the Law Blameless and Persecuting the Saints out of Zeal Act. 22.3 Gal. 1.14 And therefore in this Class he numbers his Countrymen saying They have a Zeal for God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 And perhaps among these such may be numbred of whom Christ speaketh saying to his Disciples And when they kill you they shall think to do God good Service 4. A Rash Self-willed Zeal A
Experience the just Authority of his Confidence because The natural Man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he as such because they are spiritually discerned The Natural Man may talk of them of God his Nature and Attributes of Christ his Relation Natures and Offices of Regeneration which is the Great Work of the Son of God in and upon Man But Alas that is all the Natural Man with all his Natural Powers and Skill is Capable of he can go no deeper 'T is all Hear-say and Imagination For they are a Mystery shut up close from all Unsanctified Hearts and Heads Yea they are all wrapt up and strongly inclosed in this Holy Seed of Light and Spirit that shines in the dark Hearts of Men and through the Power of that Darkness they cannot Comprehend it The Ground of which Darkness is Disobedience Which made Christ say to the Jews If you will do the will of God you shall know of my doctrine Joh. 7.17 if it be of God or not I say the Mystery Power and Virtue of Christianity is shut up in this Divine Seed And if thou O Reader knowest it not but art only speculatively a Christian open thy Heart and let it into the good Ground and thou shalt quickly find the Efficacy and Excellency of it in the Fruits that will spring from it The Increase will be very great and the Tast thereof sweeter much than the Honey or the Honey-Comb Psal. 19.10 She is a Tree of Life said a Wise and a great King of old Time to all them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 ch 8.19 and happy is every one that retaineth her for her fruit is better than gold and her revenue than choice silver It was by him stiled Wisdom because it made him Wise and will make every one that is Taught by it Ch. 9.10 Job 28.111 Psal. 10. For it makes People Wise to Salvation by teaching them the Fear of the Lord and to depart from Iniquity and every evil way All such are said to have a good Vnderstanding The Apostle Paul also calleth it the Grace of God Tit. 2.11 12 13. that bringeth Salvation that hath appeared to all men c. Grace because it is God's Free Gift not our Merit or Purchase God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 Ch. 1.14.16 he gave his only begotten Son to save it who was full of Grace and Truth And of his fulness we receive grace for grace in order to Salvation In which Saying of the Apostle Five things are to be seriously remarked as Comprehensive of the very Body of our Christian Divinity First the Principle Talent or Gift which God giveth to Man and that is his Grace The Grace of God c. Secondly This Grace Talent Gift or Principle is sufficient to the End for which it is given viz. It bringeth Salvation God bestows it for that purpose Paul might well say so that had tried the Power and Virtue of it under the greatest Temptation As God told him 2 Cor. 12.8 9. his Grace was sufficient for him so he found it to his exceeding great Joy Thirdly The Vniversality of God's Bounty It appears to all Men more or less It is so intended Christ died for all and distributes Grace to all that all might come to the Knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 as it is in Jesus and be saved Fourthly The way by which the Sufficiency and Vniversality of it is demonstrated and that is The Teaching Quality and Virtue of it v. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World This every one feels in his own Bosom at Times and that of all Religions and of all Nations A Just Monitor a Secret Reprover and a Faithful Witness Blessed are they that give heed thereunto and learn of it what to Leave and what to Do what to shun and what to Embrace Prov. 8.20 Mich. 6.8 For it Leads in the Ways of Righteousness and in the midst of the Paths of Judgment It is by this God sheweth Man his Thoughts and what he doth require of him This it is that Man has made an Adversary by his Iniquities which he must make Peace with lest he bring him before the Judge Matt. 5.25 and he cast him into Prison and he come not out till he has paid the uttermost Farthing This Inward Teaching Reproving Exhorting Light Spirit or Grace of God Learns us Two Lessons which make up the holy Order of our Conversion and Salvation 1. What we are to Deny 2. What we are to Do. We are to Deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts and it will shew us what they are both within and without in Thought as well as in Word and Deed if we will attend to it and Watch and Wait upon it And though the grosser Evils that carry the largest Characters of Impiety are easily seen and observed yet there are Lusts that lie near and stick close that are less perceptible and it may be are hardly by some thought Evil neither As in Relation to Extreams in Food Apparel Furniture Discourse Converse Gain Honour Revenge Emulation c. And there is an Vngodliness in a Mystery too which utterly mistakes and overthrows the true Nature and End of Religion as well as palpable Enormities Such is setting up the Form above the Power of Godliness Humane Traditions above the Scripture and Opposing that to the Spirit of God which it Testifies of and so often Refers unto and making and pressing Civil Edicts about Matters of Faith and suffering none to Live and Enjoy what is their own and prosecute their Lawful Callings for the Maintenance of their Families unless they will forgoe Convictions play the Hypocrite be of their Creed and receive their Mark in their Forehead Rev. 13.16 c. 14.9 or at least in their Right hand by which means they have made a Worldly Interest and Empire of the Church and of Religion that should be the Purity and Peace of the VVorld a meer Step and Test to Temporal Preferment These are the Things under which Religion and indeed Civil Society and true Civil Policy groan as well as other Impieties though by Worldly Men and some that would be thought Religious too this is as little seen as the more sensual Vngodliness is amended For all which the Eternal God is come by many Judgments and coming in Flames of Fire to Execute Vengeance upon the Wicked 2 Thess. 1.7 8. whatever Carnal and Secure Minds think And it is not the least of our Miseries that we are but too Vnsensible of it Thus we see what we are Taught by the Grace to deny Let us next consider the other part of our Duty which the Grace teacheth us and that is What we are to do Teaching us says the Great and Zealous Apostle that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World This is also a most Comprehensive Expression a plain and
Reprover or a Comforter where-ever he was or went Omniscient for the same Reason because he could not think amiss but he was sensible in himself that God knew and saw it by the Reproof that followed it Omnipotent because he Experienced that Power by which the Soul is Redeemed from Death and Sinners are made Saints the most excellent and self-evident Proof of God's Omnipotency or All-sufficiency For nothing can Regenerate but that which Made nor Renew but that which Created And as the Heavens are nobler than the Earth so is the Soul than the Body Renovation and Redemption than Creation And Resurrection than our former Life This Reader thou shalt come to know to be true as any Demonstration that can be made to thy outward Senses if thou wilt but Turn in thy Mind to this Teacher and wilt become the humble Scholar of this Divine Master and Learn of him in true Silence and with Diligence Ponder what I say Wouldst thou know God and be fitted for his Heavenly Mansions seek him in his Image and thou wilt know the Original by it Be thou but as Clay is in the Hands of the Potter Pliable and he will Form and Fashion thee aright He will make thee a Vessel of Honour for his own House and Use and by the Self-denial Love Purity Patience Righteousness c. that he will work in thee or work thee into thou shalt be able to pronounce truly and knowingly God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that fear him Surely there is a God in all the Earth Then wilt thou be able to say with holy David and Mary Ps. 103.1 O my Soul bless the Lord and all that is within me Luk. 1.46 47. praise his Holy Name My Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour for he is good for his Mercy endureth for ever Amen Lord Jesus Amen I am now come to the Labours of our Author and shall mention them according to their respective Times with the Nature of their Subjects in brief to Inform and Excite the Reader to their Perusal The First of them in Order of Place was so in Order of Time it is called Truth Cleared of Calumnies He writ it at least published it 1670. The Occasion of it was a Book Intituled A Dialogue between a Quaker and a stable Christian the Invention it is supposed of one W. Mitchel a Preacher near Aberdeen the Disingenuous Fruit of a long Controversy between him and some other bitter Sticklers and the People called Quakers who as well by that Discourse as in the Pulpits of those Times were Represented as was our Lord Jesus and his Followers the Worst of Men possest of the Devil and Blasphemers under Pretence of being Led by the Spirit And for their Principles that they denied the True Christ Angels Heaven and Hell That they held no sort of Resurrection of the Body nor Final Judgment were Enemies to Magistrates and Ministry Comparing them with the worst of Hereticks to Inflame the People against them A Field large enough for this Zealous Young Soldier to Engage his Adversary in and where one of a less Capacity than God had blessed him with might without any Praesumption have comforted himself with an Assured Success which with much Ease and Plainness he hath obtained against the Goliah-like Vanity and Praesumption of the Author of the said Dialogue And in which he has Detected the Power and Evil Effects both of Ignorance and Malice and shewen and defended the Innocency of his Friends and above all the Soundness and Scripture-Verity of their Principles It is written with Strength and Moderation His next Publick Service of this kind was published in the same Year called Queries to the Inhabitants of Aberdeen It is the most eminent Place in the North of Scotland and near his Father's Seat then alive and many Years after They contain the Principles and Practices of the Children of Error and Truth wherein the Inhabitants of that Place especially might see themselves What they were and what they should be and remember some of them what they once pretended to Seek for and Enjoyed and were fallen from writ as an Appendix to the former Discourse His Third Book was writ in the Year following 1671. upon the same Controversy and against the same Opposer namely W. Mitchel Intituled William Mitchel Vnmasked Being a Rejoinder to that Persons Reply to his Truth Cleared from Calumnies In which the Dispute rises High and the Contest seems Sharp and Close but to every Impartial Reader the Advantage evidently runs upon our Author's side Who appears rather Zealous than Heated and sharp on his Enemy's Matter than Person For he rather pities his Enemy than Triumphs over his Weakness and Envy Here as in an Exact Draught the Reader has an Account of the fabulous Principles given under our Names and those that we really profess and the Pleasure even Men pretending to Religion take to render a poor self-denying People that which they are not As if they feared we should be in the right or hold Principles nearer to what they profess themselves to believe than is convenient for their Interest with the People to allow lest that together with the Sobriety their worst Enemies confess to be so Conspicuous among them should give them too great a Credit with their Hearers The next Year 1672. he writ A Seasonable Warning and Exhortation to and Expostulation with the Inhabitants of Aberdeen concerning this present Dispensation and Day of God's Living Visitation towards them A serious Title and Dedication and a serious Discourse they are deeply indebted to his Love Labour and Memory I pray God it may be as Bread cast upon the Waters to the Inhabitants of that Northern City of this Famous Isle of Britain and that they and theirs after these many Days that have past may find it to their Spiritual Edification that they may know there was a Servant and Prophet of God among them with the Testimony of the Everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God revealed in Man to Regenerate him May it never rise up in Judgment against that People His Fifth Book was his Catechism writ in 1673. the Title A Catechism and Confession of Faith Approved of and Agreed unto by the General Assembly of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Christ himself Chief Speaker in and among them Which containeth a True and Faithful Account of the Principles and Doctrines which are most surely believed by the Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland who are reproachfully called by the Name of Quakers yet are found in the one Faith with the Primitive Church and Saints as is most Clearly Demonstrated by some plain Scripture-Testimonies without Consequences or Commentaries which are here Collected and Inserted by way of Answer to a few Weighty yet Easie and Familiar Questions fitted as well for the Wisest and Largest as for the Weakest and Lowest Capacities And Expostulation with and Appeal to all
as a Foundation of which Christ the VVord was the Corner-stone succeeding Believers were to be built And I challenge all the Disaffected Societies and Forms without Distinction or these Vniversalists I am upon to shew any other manner of God's Appearing to Men in any Age or that in the same Age or by the Primitive or first Instruments of such Appearance there was a Change of Dispensation or a Justifiable Declension from what they testified of and were the Instruments to gather and settle People in so that to Conclude Vniversal Love is a blessed Truth but with the Degrees Limitations and Distinctions that the Spirit of God sets and gives us whose Fruit it is and unto which we shall do well to take heed Gal. 5.22 that we at all times Love truly and rightly not too little nor too much but Consider the Object and Motive of our Love and we cannot fail in that great Duty of Love to all This Treatise of Vniversal Love is followed by another styled An Epistle of Love published at the End of the same Year Writ and sent by our Author as A Friendly Advice to the Ambassadours of the Several Princes of Europe met at Nimmegen to Consult of the Peace of Christendom shewing the True Cause of War and proposing the best Means of Peace To each of whom also was given one of his Apologies which were all received with Respect This Epistle has Edification in it to our present Times The Original Cause of VVar is not hard to Assign the Apostle James has told it us long ago He asks and Answers the Question thus From whence come Wars and Fightings among you Jam. 1.1 Come they not hence even from your Lusts that War in your Members It is what every one feels in himself that has not Overcome those Lusts or whose Consciences are not seared with an hot Iron though it is also what very few make their due Reflections upon else we should hear of less Blood and Misery But if Lust be the Ground of War what is become of the Doctrine of Christianity among those supposed Christians and what are they that shew a Pleasure in the Accounts of the bloodiest Battles Can a Christian of Christ's making look upon the Blood of Men or hear of it without horror and distress of Spirit Less surely can they shed it or encourage those that have a Delight or Part in that Man-slaying Work But how low and grosly are some Professed Christians fallen from the Nature of true Religion and the purity and Power of the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints through Sufferings by them to us Jud. 3. that hang their Religion and Gospel upon their Swords and Guns and pin it upon an Arm of Flesh as if the Gospel could be Overcome of that which cannot Touch it But how I pray did the Primitive Christians maintain their Ground yea grew upon their Adversaries Poor Naked Men and not of the greatest Quality or Capacity and finally Vanquish Cruelty it self but by Faith and Patience Hebr. 11.33 42. Thus they Converted Executioners Overcame Emperours and Armies and by a Successive Course of Meek and Suffering Integrity turned the Edge of the Sword quenched the Flames of Fire with their own Blood not the Blood of their Enemies and finally this Holy Constancy translated them from the Theatre of Slaughter to the Palaces and Diadems of Princes This brings to my Remembrance a Passage our Author has in this Book to this Effect That there is nothing a Greater Tarnish and Withering to the Protestant Cause than the Professors of it betaking themselves and that early to Earthly Powers and Weapons to preserve and promote it which are not the Weapons of the Apostolical Warfare and Inconsistant with the Nature Power and Glory of Christ's Kingdom For the Preservation of the Protestant Religion stands in a Spirit of true Reformation as well in Life as Doctrine as plainly decayed if not lost and it is to be feared for that Reason that God will blow upon all other Ways of supporting it especially such as we thought a Fault in our Enemies in Wordly Arts and Force If we would be Zealous to purpose for the Protestant Cause let us look to God and not Man Examine our selves Try our selves 2 Cor. 13.5 Luke 15.8 9. see what is wanting in us both to God and Man Let us Return Home Light our own Candle and sweep our own House and we shall find the Silver we have lost the Zeal Power and Purity of Soul that make our Worship acceptable our Prayers prevalent our Lives Blameless and an Ornament to Religion This Faith this Holiness this Reformation is the Cause of God and the rest is our own though we Gild the Pill flatter our selves and deceive others This Spirit of Reformation knows no Man no People no Church after the Flesh This goes on Overturning Overturning all Will-worship Man-made Faiths Humane Inventions and Traditions of Men about Religion till he Reigns in the Soul whose Right it is to Rule It is an Holy Leaven O Reader that leavens the whole Lump into its own Nature and makes fallen Matt. 13.33 2 Pet. 1.4 degenerate earthly-minded Man that receives it a Partaker of the Divine Nature This the earliest and purest Protestants aimed at Heb. 11. that had their Eye to an Eternal Country the City whose Builder and Maker is God Free of Humane Considerations and the Mixture of Worldly Interests and Advantages And to Evidence the Truth of what I say Read the Accounts that the Faithfullest Writers of those Times have obliged us with and you shall Taste the same thing even among the Martyrs themselves where the Country and Mechanical People those of least Account out-do those of Title Learning and Preferment among Church-men themselves as to the Life and Purity of Reformation and Zeal and Courage for it as occasion offered to shew both Wherefore O ye Protestants of all sorts Return Return Return to your First Love and Works before it be too late Hos. 12.6 Rev. 2.5 Joel 2. Zach. 1.3 Rend your Hearts and not your Garments and turn to the Lord your God you have but a little Time and a great Account to give Think not to be long safe from your Enemies without while you Entertain your greatest Enemy within in despight of God his Spirit and Scripture and your own Pretensions to Reformation While you have so many Sins on your Enemy's Side to fight against you they will ever have Power to Vex you if not to Destroy you And if in some Evils your Enemies Exceed yet in Moral Ones you are not a Jot behind them And Remember they have their Beads but you have your Bibles in your Hands when you Transgress God Almighty make you sensible with True and Godly Sorrow a Repentance never to be repented of that you may Overcome your Enemies by your Faith 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Prayers and Love and by the Power of your Example Recommend your Religion
not another Truth than is therein Mentioned But this Reader will not do I must ask Questions too What is Revealed to thee by them Thou Readest of God of Christ of the Spirit and hast framed an Image or Idea of them in thy mind but is that Revelation Revelation in Religion is Knowledge Experience thy own Sight and Sense that of which thou art a true Witness Mind me I beseech thee Regeneration is the great Work of Religion yea Religion true Christian Religion is Regeneration as I before hinted for it is the very End of Christ's Coming we cannot be Saved without it Nay it is called that very Salvation Hear the Apostle But after the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour appeared Tit. 3.4 5 6. not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he Saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Now so far is God Revealed to thee and art thou truly Religious as thou art Born again Washed and Renewed by the Regenerating Spirit of God and no further If the Scripture were all the Revelation needful the Wicked Jews must have known it as well as the Believing Jews because they could read them and had as good or better Natural Capacities to take the Grammatical and Literal Sense of what they Deliver But they were so far from understanding Christ and his Doctrine though he did Wonders and spake as we Read among them that Christ both tells us they were Blind and Solemnly Thanks his Father that he had hid those Secrets from the Wise and Prudent of that Day and Revealed them unto Babes Mat. 11.25 And to this Christ himself beareth Testimony when he saith That No Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him Luk. 10.22 And as the Son Reveals the Father so the Father must bear Witness Reveal and Draw to the Son Joh. 5.37 or Men cannot come to him that Opens and Reveals the Father Thus in that notable Saying of Christ to Peter when asking him But who sayest thou that I am and he Answering Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God he replyed upon him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona Matt. 16.17 Flesh and Blood hath not Revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven So that though Peter both heard and saw abundance of what Christ said and did it was needful to such a Confession that God should give a further Revelation of his Son And if Peter wanted under all the Advantages he had above us this Revelation can we hope to know him without it O no Reader As he knew him thou must know him For none cometh to the Son but whom the Father draweth O mind these Drawings in thy own Soul Joh. 6.44 And how does the Father draw Few Alass trouble themselves to weigh these Matters and yet they must be Christians for all that But what say the Schools the Criticks and Learned upon these things Why they search their Books study and beat their Brains and Imagine the Meaning Some say it is by the Scripture but that won't do for that says no such thing On the Contrary that the Father Reveals the Son and Draws to him and the Son Reveals the Father and not the Scripture that tells us so which is neither the Father nor the Son Nor indeed is it Comprehensible how the Father should Reveal the Son by Scripture and the Son the Father for so the Scripture would Reveal both which is the Reciprocal Work of the Father and Son And were it so Caiphas would have known Christ as well as Peter and the Wicked would know both the Father and the Son as well as the Good because the Scriptures are as much in their Power Which is Absurd and Impossible But others more Refined say It is by the Spirit opening the Scripture As indeed the First Reformers and all those that have been pushing on a further Reformation ever since have spoken and have founded their Belief of the Divine Authority of the Scripture upon the Testimony and Revelation of the Spirit in them These come near But then what is this Spirit how dost thou know it its Manifestations Revelations and Operations and by what Tokens is it to be Known and Discerned This is a Question not to be Answered but by an Experienced Man for the Spirit of God Reveals not the deep things of God to the Carnal and Disobedient Man Many are the Degrees Steps and Lessons of this Holy Spirit of God in and to Man as Man receives it and obeys it and daily inclines to Learn the Lesson it teaches I may tell thee Reader and I am not far from the Matter that this great Work is as Mechanicks and Chymists speak a Manual Operation a spiritual Labour and Travel Work out your own Salvation Phil. 2.12 13. saith the Apostle with Fear and Trembling by whom by him by whom all things were made of old and that maketh all things new Jo. 1.3 4. even Christ the Word in whom is Life and that Life is the Light of Men. It is this Sort of Revelation we Contend for not that of particular Persons or things past or to come which refer not Immediately to the Knowledge and Work of God in Man by which God makes himself savingly known to Men. That Private or Particular sort of Revelation is however called a Revelation also as the Visions of the Prophets Peter's Sense of the Hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira and Agabus's Foresight by the Holy Ghost of Paul's Sufferings at Jerusalem This Sort of Extraordinary Knowledge is truly called Revelation But this is not the Revelation we insist upon though neither is this Ceased Nor yet is it those Doctrines as of the Incarnation of the Son of God his Death Resurrection and Ascension c. Confirmed and Enforced upon the Belief of Men by the Authority of Miracles which is also another sort of Revelation which being once done need not to be Repeated and of which the Wicked are as much Possessors as the Good the Matter of Fact I mean of the visible Transaction of the Son of God being Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth which they also have in their Hands But the Inward sight sense and knowledge of the Will of God by the Operation of his Light and Spirit shining and working in our Hearts and the Spiritual Sense of that blessed Appearance of the Son of God in the Flesh and the Moral End of it to our Benefit and Advantage is no more Conceivable by Carnal Men than is Regeneration without which no Man can enter into the Kingdom of God Christ tells us John 3.5 there is such a thing and the two Principles of it Water and Spirit but he do's not tell us what they are how to be Obtained what way they Operate or we are to Apply them or our selves to them for that New Birth
be great Peace True Peace with God but we have not come by it after such a way as thou dost falsly and rashly judge as by neglecting the Worship of God and stopping the mouth of Conscience but by being turned to that living Word and Law of God in our hearts by loving it and cleaving to it yea by receiving the reproofs and chastisements of God through it and submitting to the Judgment of it when it hath been as a hammer and as a sword and as a fire in us breaking in pieces and destroying all that false unsound Peace we had created to our selves in the day of our alienation from the light of God in us And unto Peace we are come through great tribulation of Soul even such as thou art a stranger unto being ignorant both of the one and the other and so hast therein shewed thy folly in judging what thou knowest not And as for woful security we know not where it more abounds than among hypocritical Professors The Whore's Peace who with the Whore in the Proverbs offer up their Sacrifices of Morning and Evening Prayers and thereby create a Peace to themselves though they let their hearts go a whoring after their Lusts all the day Did not the Pharisees pray much outwardly and were much in other outward practices of Devotion and so created a false peace and esteem unto themselves And can you deny but that there are many such among you who make up a false peace to themselves by leaning upon their outward performances Now what if I should charge this upon your Principle would'st thou think it fair dealing Thirdly Page 52. Thou say'st Doth not that Opinion tend to Atheism which rendreth mortification of sin even in this life useless c. Answ. Here thou dealest dis-ingenuously Is Mortification of sin useless where the end of it is attained And is not perfection the end of mortification Again thou say'st The Opinion of a sinless perfection wounds the very vitals of Religion Answ. Who could have expected that one that pretends to Religion would have been so brazen-faced as to put such an Expression in print What is the end of true Religion The end of true Religion to lead out of sin but to lead out of sin Do the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or in not sinning If it consist in sinning then they that sin most are most religious But if it consist in not sinning and keeping the Commandments of God without sin then to plead for such a thing as attainable hurteth not the vitals of Religion What! cannot the Saints live better without sin than with it Yea surely they can live well without that which is a burden and as Death unto their life they whose life is in sin cannot live but in sin but the Saints life is not in sin but in righteousness And thy consequences are vain and foolish As 1. That men need not pray for pardon of sin 2. That they need not the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from sin 3. That they need not Repentance For we grant that All have sinned and so need those things by which they may attain unto perfection and who witness perfection are come to witness the true use of these things and as the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all the sin so it preserveth clean and such have received the forgiveness of their sins being turned from them unto righteousness which is the fulfilling of Repentance And whereas thou say'st Bring me to the particular person that is sinless and I shall apply to him that of the Apostle 1 John 1.8 Thou shewest openly thy confusion for by thy applying to him that of the Apostle wouldst thou infer a sinless man to be a sinning man That is a contradiction but though we should bring a man to thee that is made free from sin by the power of God thou couldst no more judge of him than a blind man can judge of Colours And as to 1 John 1.8 it is a plain case If we say we have no sin and have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness as verse 6. then we deceive our selves So it is Conditional otherwise it would contradict what follows Verse 9. and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.6 9. As to that of the Sabbath it is answered above Page 53. Your Religion say'st thou will be welcome to the worst and wickedest of men for you will please them exceedingly in crying down of Ordinances the observation of the Sabbath and private and family Prayer c. Answ. We cry down no Ordinance of God but your hypocritical ways and we know no worse men than those Hypocrites whom we are so far from pleasing Crying down Hypocrisie pleases not the Hypocrite in crying down their hypocritical Prayers and Performances that they frâ—t and gnash at us with their Teeth and if they could get their will would tear us in pieces for witnessing against those things And they are very blind who see not that the denying of those things in shadow and bare formality and establishing them in the power and substance can no ways be acceptable to the Wicked but most unpleasing to Hypocrites who can perform the one but not the other But now let us examine whether your Principles or ours be most acceptable to the wicked and hypocrites 1. Wicked men and Hypocrites love well to hear Hypocrites and wicked mens Principles of the Priests that they can never be free from their sins in this life and that they must always sin 2. They love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them and his Righteousness without but not by him and his Righteousness within them 3. They love well to hear that the words without them are the only Rule which they can wrest according to their own corrupt Inclinations but they love not to hear that the Word and Light of God within is to be their Rule which they cannot wrest nor bend 4. They love well to hear that they may use the fashions and customs of this World bow and cringe and give and receive the Honour of this World 5. They love to hear they may use Sports and Games and Plays 6. To wear Laces and Ribbons and Gold Rings and other superfluity 7. They love well to hear that men must not expect to hear God immediately being such as those who said Let not God speak unto us 8. They love well to hear that Water-baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of God and the true Baptism and Supper for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things and they are mad against us who call them shadows And as for their Observation of that called the Sabbath we find none more plead for it than profane light men and women for they can easily dispense to hear a man talk for an hour or two and then have all the rest of the day to spend in idleness vain communication
M. terms it more than their being found in them will prove them the Grand-Children of the Apostles We must not forsake doing good because Hypocrites seem to do so nor forbear to preach the Gospel because Judas did it but as for the other practises of John a Leyden and Ignatius Loyola's followers the Jesuites to wit their cutting down all that would not be of their way their assuming outward Power their seeking to overturn Kingdoms their preaching up War and Blood The Principles and Practices of W.M. his Brethren do declare how much more they resemble them than the Quakers who from the Pulpit blew the Trumpet of all the late Troubles Seditions and Civil Dissensions which have proved so bloody and monstrous to the Inhabitants of this poor Island And many of them have now turned their backs upon that Cause which they hunted out others to fight for and some to wit W. N. and his Brethren at Aberdeen can find out Jesuitical Distinctions and Mental Reservations whereby notwithstanding they swore against all detestable Neutrality they can make a shift to preach under Bishop dispense with the Doxology forbear Lecturing and several other parts of the Directorian Discipline as W. M. has done at the Bishops order and yet keep a Reserve for Presbytery in case it come again in fashion Fourthly I take notice of the Impertinency of W.M. his bringing in this story of Ignatius Loyola upon my saying Some Professors in Aberdeen found that savour of Life in the Quakers Testimony which formerly had stirred among others who were come to a great decay Now because it was obvious I intended by these Professors who were come to a decay W. M and some others of his Brethren who pretended to be for Independency in that day but now were turned with the times knowing how much it would reflect upon him to harp on this string he runs away and says These others are Ignatius Loyola and thereupon makes the Comparison above-mentioned which Impertinent Digression is abundantly manifest The plain Language used in the Scriptures Fifthly I take notice of his charging us as rather Reproachers of others than Reproached because of the plain Language we use against him and his Brethren alledging We will not find Christ and his Apostles use the like to such as professed Christianity For a reproof of his Ignorance in the Scriptures let him read Rom 16.18 Phil. 3.2 1 Tim. 1.19 20. ib. chap. 4.1 2 3 c. ib. chap 6 vers 3 4. 2 Tim. 2.17 T it 1.10 11. 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. 1 Joh. 2.18 19. c. His adding That they shew earnestness of desire that Souls may be saved and willingness to promote that design saith nothing except this desire and willingness proceed from the right ground Papists are as zealous in their Earnestness and Willingness as they and do no less profess Subjection to the Gospel owning Christ to be the Messiah and yet Calvin spared not to term them Impuros Canes filthy Dogs Innumerable are the Expressions of this kind used by the zealous Luther against them Sixthly I take notice of his Cautions to me wherein he chargeth me of Pride Passion Censoriousness Folly Contrariety to the Word of God Ignorance and Endeavouring to promote the Popish Interest but had he truly minded my good in his Cautions he should have produced some Reasons to prove me guilty of these Crimes He concludes us Proud for separating from them in Burying-Places Burying-Grounds separate and so condemns the French Protestants for doing the like from Papists He falsly chargeth us with placing Religion in forbearing Ribands keeping on the Hat and saying Thou and Thee and therefore concludes me Ignorant of true Conversion While his Ignorance of us hath made him thus Calumniatious He concludes us Advancers of the Popish Interest because we decry their Ministry and Churches While he borrows this very Argument from the Papists who used it against the First Reformers alledging that their crying down the Church of Rome was a joyning hand with the Turks who did the same though then the First Reformers were no Turks though they agreed with them in denying the Church of Rome Neither are we Romanists though with those of Rome we condemn them especially considering that it is be-because of their too great Affinity with Papists that we do so Seventhly I take notice of his confessing He never intends to tell the World the Scriptures we use alledging we abuse them But if he could have proved we did so it would have tended more to our disadvantage And whereas he says He resolves to write no more I confess it will be his Wisdom except he speak to better purpose it is a very apparent subterfuge to cover his Resolutions of not prosecuting farther this Debate by alledging it will prove endless and comparing us to Scolds who will have the last word Which in reason can have no place in this matter seeing being challenged by me of many great Omissions he freely acknowledged he had not nor did not intend to answer me fully and what he had writ was but some Animadversions Which I have indeed found true having allowed some time as he desired to read them though it very hardly deserves to be so much regarded As to his Epistle if he had as really affected Retirement as he pretends he does he should have done well to have appeared in Publick with some more solid stuff He hath herein almost only shewed his Ingenuity in that he acknowledgeth himself amongst the weakest of our Opposers comparing his Work but to a small quantity of Water brought to quench an House on fire We have indeed found it of less force than many that have come before it to Smother or Drown'd that Truth which God has Revealed among us Truth is the strongest and will prevail In the end of his Epistle he would willingly have the Reader believe he is an Vpholder of the Protestant Interest against our endeavours to overthrow it but to how little purpose may as it occurs be manifested After he has made an intire Omission of what is particularly directed by me to him in my 8 th and 9 th pages as not being able to Vindicate himself he enters upon the matter of Salutation undertaking in his first Section to prove such as are used by gestures wherein I observe First His most manifest Omission of the first part of mine concerning this thing page 9. and 10. where I charge with Dis-ingenuity in wrong Subsuming of our words which he shuffleth over with this general That after the Quakers rate I have Saluted him with Reproach Secondly He having expressed my Argument against their manner of Salutations viz. That being it is the Expression or Signification of our Worship to God All Worship belongs to God alone it ought not nor cannot be given to the Creature without Idolatry He maketh thereunto no direct Answer but instead of one frames a distinction of Worship in Civil and
for sound and solid Doctrine that they may be Reputed good Saints and Christians though they always remain in them To prove that their Doctrine of Imputative Righteousness and of Election and Reprobation is not pleasing to the Wicked he says Some wicked men scoff at them What then so some Wicked Men scoff at the folly of Mahumetanism will it therefore follow their Doctrine is good The Question is Whether their Doctrine of mens being altogether reputed Righteous in the sight of God by a Righteousness altogether without them and mens being Elected to Life from all Eternity without any respect to their deeds be not more acceptable to the Wicked than to tell them They must seek to be Justified by the Righteousness of God wrought in them And as they are joined to the Elect Seed Christ Jesus born again and brought forth in them which worketh out all Iniquity and Unrighteousness in them Now this he hath not in the least offered to Answer After the like manner whereas I shew It is more acceptable to the Wicked to hear that the outward Letter is the Rule which they can bend and twine than the inward which cannot be so twisted He says Some Wicked men could wish there were no such outward Rule and that some understand not what is intended by God's Immediate Speaking but hate the Ministery of the Word Both which Answers make nothing to the purpose What! though Wicked men hate the Scripture and the Ministry doth it therefore follow that it is not more acceptable to them to hear This is their Only Rule which they can twine as they please than the inward which cannot be twined as the Scriptures may nor bribed as the Ministry of men He confesses They allow of Laces Ribbons Gold-Rings c. and other superfluities and therefore cannot deny but that their Doctrine therein is acceptable to the Wicked His shift is here That People ought not to exceed their Rank and Quality alledging The Apostle only condemns this 1 Tim. 2.9 But that his detestable wrestling of the Scripture may be manifest I shall cite the Apostle's words In like manner also Modest Apparel that women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly aray Is there any word here that they should only not Exceed their Rank who cannot but abominate his abusing of Scripture And whereas he says He thinks they should be sparing of lawful Games and Recreations it seems their deeds sute not their thoughts in this matter or else it must be accounted a sparingness with him not only to spend much of the day in Field-sports but even largely of the night in Carding c. For so to my certain knowledge some of his Brethren in the Priesthood of the Synod of Aberdeen are found doing The Sabbath and justifying themselves in it As to the Sabbath he offereth not in the least to answer that wherein I shew it was Acceptable to the Wicked according to the same rate In answer to my Assertion That the Wicked love well to hear that they may be Members of the Church without having infallible Evidence of Holiness He asketh If all the Members of the Quaker's-Church have so adding That our Raw Conceited Proselytes are so ignorant and yet so confident that sober men suspect them to be in a Fool 's Paradice First As this is a meer Shift and no Reply to disprove the Principle aforesaid to be Acceptable to the Wicked so likewise if his Spirit had not been in a Raw Conceited posture filled both with Ignorance and Confidence he had not suffered himself so far to fall in a Fool 's Paradice as to imagine this his meer proofless Calumny with many more his groundless Assertions would have any weight with sober men not being backed with any Argument He addeth Their Doctrine Once in grace and ever in Grace hath no tendency to please the Wicked because such never had Grace and therefore have no ground to think that belongeth unto them But seeing he himself confesseth That such as had true Grace may fall both unto detestable practices and Blasphemous or Erroneous Principles may not such then foster themselves in these Evils by saying That since they once had true Grace they can never totally fall from it That part of page 47 48. of mine where I shew by Example how the Wicked living among them and being their Church-Members and also Opposing and Vilifying us did declare their Principles to be more Acceptable to the Wicked than ours he hath wholly waved it seems he knew of no shift how to shuffle by this and therefore found it fittest altogether to omit it Head 18. page 131. He saith The Quaker 's Religion is exceeding suitable to carnal hearts and thereupon he instanceth some particulars saying They are pleasing to the Wicked without offering any reason W. M. is wearied with raking in his own Dunghil The Reader upon the particular debate of these matters in their places will observe how he was necessitated to bottom this Conclusion of these Principles being sutable to carnal hearts upon the meer Credit of his own Affirmation and therefore it is no wonder he adds That he is wearied raking in this dunghil It is high time for him to leave of trampling in such miry Stuff as is the whole bulk of his Book and no doubt a Dunghil is a very fit term for such a dirty product as is these drossy dregs of his dark Vnderstanding I charged him in the end of mine for lying to God for that in the Prayer he endeth his Dialogue with he useth these words Follow with thy Blessing that which We have been about Which now he is so far from clearing himself of that he now acknowledges it was only a supposed Conference and therefore it was a Lie yea a Mocking of God to desire him to accompany a meer Supposition with his Blessing As for his expressing Pity towards the Seduced and wishing God to Reclaim them It was not for that I challenged him but for his desiring God to accompany with his Blessing a meer Chymaera which never was and therefore his best Shift for this is What is it that some Men will not Carp at especially the Quakers of whom he addeth A pious Minister hath said that their Religion consists in Railing and then he goes on and tells some terms wherewith that Person says The Quakers have named the Ministers of Christ. Answ. First The Testimony of his supposed pious Minister is no more to be received in this Case than W. M. his own and to say The Quakers gave these names he mentions to the Ministers of Christ is to take for granted the thing in debate for the Quakers deny them to be such And is just one as if a Papist should say Luther and his Associates Religion consisted in Railing because they called as to the Papists their holy Mother the Church of Rome a
had the thing declared unto them retiring to the inward Testimony of the same Spirit in themselves did feel Vnion therewith and such as went along did not only find a true liberty which might have sufficed but some of them a necessity to Concur with it And as for the carrying of the Hat and Cloak it was altogether Extrinsick being neither Essential nor Circumstantial to the thing nor so looked upon by these who did it Yet the Carping thereat shews in the Proposer a Critical mind very void of seriousness which the Lord as of purpose to starve hath permitted him to build that part of the Query in relation to A. H's Wife upon a false Report the thing being a manifest Vntruth And in Answer to the second Proposition of the Premisses it 's the alone immediate Testimony of the Spirit of God that can truly discover all false Pretenders and Delusions which if any can let them deny without overturning the Basis of all Christian Religion and rendering the Faith of the Saints in all Ages Vncertain R. B. A CATECHISM AND Confession of Faith Approved of and Agreed unto by the GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PATRIARCHS PROPHETS and APOSTLES CHRIST himself CHIEF SPEAKER In and Among them Which containeth A True and Faithful Account of the Principles and Doctrines which are most surely believed by the Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland who are reproachfully called by the Name of Quakers yet are found in the one Faith with the Primitive Church and Saints as is most clearly demonstrated by some plain Scripture-Testimonies without Consequences or Commentaries which are here Collected and Inserted by way of Answer to a Few Weighty yet Easie and Familiar Questions fitted as well for the Wisest and Largest as for the Weakest and Lowest Capacities To which is added An EXPOSTVLATION with and APPEAL to all other Professors By R B. a Servant of the Church of Christ. JOHN 5.39 40. Search the Scriptures or Ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me that ye might have Life LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-Street 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER READER SInce first that great Apostacy took place in the Hearts and Heads of those who began even in the Apostles days to depart from the Simplicity and Purity of the Gospel as it was then delivered in its Primitive Splendor and Integrity innumerable have been the manifold Inventions and Traditions the different and various Notions and Opinions wherewith Man by giving way to the vain and airy Imaginations of his own unstable Mind hath burdened the Christian Faith So that indeed first by adding these things and afterwards by equalling them if not exalting them above the Truth they have at last come to be substitute in the stead of it so that in process in time Truth came to be shut out of doors and another thing placed in the room thereof having a Shew and a Name but wanting the Substance and Thing it self Nevertheless it pleased God to raise up Witnesses for himself almost in every Age and Generation who according to the Discoveries they received bore some Testimony less or more against the Superstition and Apostacy of the time and in special manner through the appearing of that Light which first broke forth in Germany about One hundred and fifty years ago and afterwards reached divers other Nations the Beast received a deadly Wound and a very great Number did at one time Protest against and Rescind from the Church of Rome in divers of their most gross and sensual Doctrines and superstitious Traditions But alas It is for matter of lamentation that the Successors of these Protestants are Establishing and Building up in themselves that which their Fathers were pulling down instead of prosecuting and going on with so Good and Honourable a Work which will easily appear The generality of all Protestants though in many other things miserably Rent and Shattered among themselves do agree in dividing from the Church of Rome in these two particulars First That every Principle and Doctrine of the Christian Faith is and ought to be founded upon the Scripture and that whatsoever Principles or Doctrines are not only not contrary but even not according thereto ought to be denied as Antichristian Secondly That the Scriptures themselves are Plain and Easie to be understood and that every private Christian and Member of the Church ought to read and peruse them that they may know their Faith and Belief founded upon them and receive them for that Cause alone and not because any Church or Assembly has Compounded and Recommended them the Choicest and Most-pure of which they are obliged to look upon as Fallible Now contrary to this their known and acknowledged Principle they do most vigorously prosecute and persecute others with the like Severity the Papists did their Fathers for believing things that are plainly set down in the Scriptures and for not believing divers Principles for which themseves are forc'd to recur to Tradition and can by no means prove from Scripture To shew which I shall not here insist having alotted a Chapter for it in the Book it self because to put it here would swell beyond the bounds of a Preface Oh! How like do they shew themselves I mention it with Regret to the Scribes and Pharisees of Old who of all men most cried up and exalted Moses and the Prophets boasting greatly of being Abraham's Children And yet those were they that were the greatest Opposers and Vilifiers of Christ to whom Moses and all the Prophets gave Witness yea their chief Accusations and Exceptions against Christ was as being a Breaker of the Law and a Blasphemer Can there any Comparison run more parallel seeing there is now found a People who are greatly Persecuted and bitterly Reviled and Accused as Hereticks by a Generation that cry up and exalt the Scriptures And yet this Peoples Principles are found in Scripture Word by Word though the most grievous and indeed the greatest Calumny cast upon them is that they Vilifie and Deny the Scriptures and set up their own Imaginations instead of them To disprove which this Catechism and Confession of Faith is Compiled and presented to thy Serious and Impartial View If thou lovest the Scripture indeed and desirest to hold the plain Doctrines there delivered and not these Strained and Far-fetch'd Consequences which Men have invented thou shalt easily observe the whole Principles of the People called QUAKERS plainly couched in Scripture-Words without Addition or Commentary especially in those things their Adversaries Oppose them in where the Scripture plainly decideth the Controversie for them without Nicities and School-Distinctions which have been the Wisdom by which the World hath not known God and the Words which have been multiplied without knowledge by which Counsel hath been darkned In the Answers to the Questions there is not one Word that I know of placed but the
find none save the Dispensation of Truth now again revealed but such as in most of their substantial Principles differ greatly and in many Contradict grosly the plain Text and Tenour of the Scripture I confess there be certain Men in this Age who with some plausible Appearance of Reality undertake this Task These are they that join with and own not wholly any Imbodied People but while they pretend a general Love to all yet find fault with some part of every Sort while in the mean time they scarce can give any Account of their own Religion and most of them prove at bottom to have none at all These Men I say may perhaps acknowledge some general Truths and also hold to the Letter of the Scripture in some other things so as thereby to take Occasion largely to judge others while themselves offer not to bring these good things to practice they blame others for the Want or Neglect of But such an Enterprize from these Men will not when weighed prove a fulfilling of this Matter Seeing it is not enough to acknowledge many Truths but also to deny and witness against all Error and likewise not to fall short of any Truth which ought to be acknowledged Whereas these sort of Men for the most part cannot give account of their Faith in many things needful to be believed and whatever things they may acknowledge to be true they Err most grievously and Contradict a Truth most needful to be minded and answered as is proved hereto in that they stand not forth to appear for any of these Discoveries they pretend they have but make a shift to hide their Heads in Times of Trial Pretenders hide their Heads in time of Trial. so as not to suffer for nor with any And through these fine Pretences above-mentioned through their Scruples of joining with any they can cunningly shun the Difficulties of Persecutions that attend the particular Sects of Christians yet by their general Charity and Love to all claim a share in any Benefits or Advantages that accrew to one and all Such then cannot honestly lay claim to justifie their Principles and Practices from the Scriptures But I leave these Straglers in Religion and come again to the divers Sects To begin with these that are most numerous I think I need not say much to the Papists in this Case for they do not so much as pretend to prove all their Dogma's by the Scriptures sith it is one of their chief Doctrines That Tradition may Authorize Doctrines without any Authority of Scriptures Papistical Dogma's Traditions and Councils Yea the Council of Constance hath made bold to Command things to be believed Non obstante Scripturâ i. e. Though the Scriptures say the contrary And indeed it were their great Folly to pretend to prove their Doctrines by Scripture seeing the Adoration of Saints and Images Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead the Precedency of the Bishop of Rome the Matter of Indulgencies with much more Stuff of that kind hath not the least Shadow of Scripture for it Socinians Pretences contrary to Scriptures Among Protestants I know the Socinians are great Pretenders to the Scriptures and in Words as much exalt them as any other People and yet its strange to see how that not only in many things they are not agreeable to them but in some of their chief Principles quite contrary unto it as in their Denying the Divinity of Christ which is as expresly mentioned as any thing can be And the Word was God John 1. As also in Denying his Being from the Beginning against the very Tenour of that of John 1. and divers others as at large is shewn in the Third Chapter of this Treatise Divers other things as to them might be mentioned but this may suffice to stop their Boasting in this Matter The Arminians are not more successful in their Denying the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation Arminians Denials do center amiss and in Asserting the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death for all than they are short in not placing this Salvation in that Spiritual Light wherewith Man is enlightned by Christ but wrongously ascribing a part of that to the Natural Will and Capacity which is due alone to the Grace and Power of God by which the Work is both begun carried on and accomplished And herein they Pelagians the like as well as both the Socinians and Pelagians though they do well in Condemning their Errors yet they miss in setting up another and not the Truth in place thereof and in that respect are justly proved by such Scriptures as their Adversaries who otherwise are as far wrong as they bring against them in shewing the Depravity of Man's Will by Nature and his Incapacity to do any Good but as assisted by the Grace of God so to do On the other hand its strange to observe how many Protestants the first Article of whose Confession of Faith is to assert the Scripture to be the Only Rule should deny the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death contrary to the express words of Scripture which saith He tasted Death for every man or the Vniversality of Grace and a sufficient Principle which the Scriptures assert in as many positive Words as except we may suppose the Pen-men intended another thing than they spake it was possible to do viz A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and many more before-mentioned The like may be said of their denying the Perfection of the Saints and asserting the Impossibility of any falling away from real Beginnings of true and saving Grace contrary to so many express Scriptures as are heretofore adduced in their proper place But to give all that desire to be undeceived a more full Opportunity to observe how the Devil has abused many pretending to be Wise in making them cloak with a Pretence of Scripture false and pernicious Doctrines I shall take a few of many Instances out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism made by the Divines at Westminster so called because the same is not only most universally received and believed by the People of Britain and Ireland but also containeth upon the Matter the Faith of the French Churches and of most others both in the Nether-lands and elsewhere that it may appear what wild Consequences these Men have sought both contrary to the naked Import of the Words and to all Common Sense and Reason to cover some of their Erroneous Principles CHAP. XVIII A Short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism IT is not in the least my Design in this Chapter to offer so large and Examination of any of their Articles as might be done nor yet of so many as are very obvious but only of two or three to give the Reader a Taste of them
Inspires power against Death and shews himself unto every one 6. Gregory the Great upon these words He shall teach you all things saith That unless the same Spirit sit upon the heart of the Hearer Greg. Mag. Hom. 30. upon the Gospel in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor Let no man then ascribe unto the man that teacheth what he understands from the mouth of him that speaketh for unless he that teacheth be within the Tongue of the Doctor that 's without laboureth in vain 7. Cyrillus Alexandrinus plainly Affirmeth That men know Cyril Alex. In Thesauro Lib. 13. Cap. 3 that Jesus is the Lord by the Holy Ghost no otherwise than they who taste Honey know that it is sweet even by its proper Quality 8. Therefore saith Bernard we daily exhort you Brethren by speech Bernard in Psal. 84. that ye walk the ways of the heart and that your Soul be always in your hands that ye may hear what the Lord saith in you And again upon these words of the Apostle Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord with which Threefold Vice saith he all sorts of Religious men are less or more dangerously affected because they do not so diligently Attend with the Ears of the Heart to what the Spirit of Truth which flatters none inwardly speaks This was the very Basis and main Foundation upon which the Primitive Reformers walked Luther in his Book to the Nobility of Germany saith This is certain Lutherus that no man can make himself a Doctor of the holy Scripture but the holy Spirit alone And upon the Magnificat he saith No man can rightly understand God or the Word of God unless he immediately receive it from the Holy Spirit neither can any one Receive it from the Holy Spirit except he find it by Experience in himself and in this Experience the Holy Ghost teacheth as in his proper School out of which School nothing is taught but meer Talk Philip Melanchthon in his Annotations upon John 6. Who hear only an outward and bodily Voice Phil. Melanchthon hear the Creature but God is a Spirit and is neither discerned By the Spirit alone God is known nor known nor heard but by the Spirit and therefore to hear the Voice of God to see God is to know and hear the Spirit By the Spirit alone God is known and perceived Which also the more Serious to this day do acknowledge even all such who satisfy themselves not with the Superfice of Religion and use it not as a Cover or Art Yea all those who apply themselves effectually to Christianity and are not satisfied until they have found its Effectual Work upon their hearts redeeming them from sin do feel that no knowledge effectually prevails to the producing of this but that which proceeds from the warm Influence of God's Spirit upon the heart and from the comfortable shinings of his Light upon their Vnderstanding And therefore to this purpose a late Modern Author saith well videlicet Dr. Smith of Cambridge concerning Book-Divinity Dr. Smith of Cambridge in his Select Discourses To seek our Divinity meerly in Books and Writings is to seek the Living among the Dead We do but in vain many times seek God in these where his Truth is too often not so much Enshrined as Entombed Intra te quaere Deum Seek God within thine own Soul he is best discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plotinus phraseth it by an Intellectual Touch of him We must see with our Eyes and hear with our Eears and our hands must handle the Word of Life to express it in S. John 's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Soul it self hath its Sense as well as the Body And therefore David when he would teach us to know what the Divine Goodness is calls not for Speculation but Sensation Taste and see how good the Lord is That is not the best and truest Knowledge of God which is wrought out by the labour and sweat of the brain but that which is kindled within us by an heavenly Warmth in our hearts And again There is a knowing of the Truth as it is in Jesus as it is in a Christ-like nature as it is in that sweet mild humble and loving Spirit of Jesus which spreads it self like a Morning-star upon the Spirits of good men full of Light and Life It profits little to know Christ himself after the flesh but he gives his Spirit to good men that searcheth the deep things of God And again It is but thin airy Knowledge that is got by meer Speculation which is usher'd in by Syllogisms and Demonstrations but that which springs forth from true Goodness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen speaketh It brings such a Divine Light to the Soul as is more clear and convincing than any Demonstration § III. That this certain and undoubted Method of the true Knowledge of God hath been brought out of Use hath been none of the least Devices of the Devil to secure Mankind to his Kingdom Apostacy and a false Knowledge Introduced For after the Light and Glory of the Christian Religion had prevailed over a good part of the World and dispelled the thick Mists of the Heathenish Doctrine of the plurality of Gods he that knew there was no probability of deluding the World any longer that way did then puff man up with a false Knowledge of the true God setting him on work to seek God the wrong Way and perswading him to be content with such a Knowledge as was of his own Acquiring and not of God's Teaching And this Device hath proved the more successful because accommodated to the Natural and Corrupt spirit and temper of man who above all things affects to Exalt himself In which Self-Exaltation as God is most greatly dishonoured so therein the Devil hath his end who is not anxious how much God be acknowledged in Words provided himself be but always served he matters not how great and high Speculations the Natural man Entertains of God so long as he serves his Lusts and Passions and is obedient to his Evil Suggestions and Temptations â—â—ristianity is become an Art acquired by human Science and Industry Thus Christianity is become an Art Acquired by Human Science and Industry as any other Art or Science is and men have not only assumed unto themselves the Name of Christians but even have procured to be esteemed as Masters of Christianity by certain Artificial Tricks though altogether Strangers to the Spirit and Life of Jesus But if we shall make a right Definition of a Christian according to the Scripture videlicet That he is one that hath the Spirit of Christ and is led by it How many Christians yea and of these great Masters and Doctors of Christianity so accounted shall we justly Divest of that Noble Title If then such as have all the other Means of Knowledge and are sufficiently Learned therein whether it be
bury out of their sight as the noisom and useless thing however acceptable it hath been when actuated and moved by the Soul Lastly Whatsoever Query III is Excellent What is his Work whatsoever is Noble whatsoever is Worthy whatsoever is Desirable in the Christian Faith is Ascribed to this Spirit without which it could no more subsist than the outward World without the Sun Hereunto have all true Christian in all Ages attributed their Strength and Life It is by this Spirit that they avouch themselves to have been Converted to God to have been Redeemed from the world to have been Strengthened in their Weakness Comforted in their Afflictions Confirmed in their Temptations Imboldened in their Sufferings and Triumphed in the midst of all their Persecutions Yea the Writings of all true Christians are full of the Great and Notable things The Great and Notable Acts that have been and are performed by the Spirit in all Ages which they all affirm themselves to have done by the Power and Vertue and Efficacy of the Spirit of God working in them It is the Spirit that quickeneth Joh. 6.63 It was the Spirit that gave them Vtterance Acts 2.4 It was the Spirit by which Stephen spake that the Jews were not able to Resist Acts 6.10 It is such as walk after the Spirit that receive no Condemnation Rom. 8 1. It is the Law of the Spirit that makes free v. 2. It is by the Spirit of God dwelling in us that we are Redeemed from the Flesh and from the Carnal mind v. 9. It is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us that quickeneth our mortal bodies v. 11. It is through this Spirit that the deeds of the body are Mortified and Life Obtained v. 13. It is by this Spirit that we are Adopted and cry ABBA Father v. 15. It is this Spirit that beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God v. 16. It is this Spirit that helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered v. 26. It is by this Spirit that the glorious things which God hath laid up for us which neither outward ear hath heard nor outward eye hath seen nor the heart of man conceived by all his Reasonings are Revealed unto us 1 Cor. 2.9 10. It is by this Spirit that both Wisdom and Knowledge and Faith and Miracles and Tongues and Prophecies are obtained 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. It is by this Spirit that we are all baptized into one body v. 13. In short what thing relating to the Salvation of the Soul and to the Life of a Christian is rightly performed or effectually obtained without it And what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of all those things which the holy Men of old have Declared and the Saints of this day do witness themselves to Enjoy by the virtue and power of this Spirit dwelling in them Truly my Paper could not contain those many Testimonies whereby this Truth is Confirmed Wherefore besides what is above-mentioned out of the Fathers whom all pretend to Reverence and those of Luther and Melanchthon I shall deduce yet one observable Testimony out of Calvin because not a few of the followers of his Doctrine do refuse and deride and that as it is to be feared because of their own Non-experience thereof this way of the Spirit 's In-dwelling as uncertain and dangerous that so if neither the Testimony of the Scripture nor the Sayings of others nor right Reason can move them they may at least be Reproved by the words of their own Master who saith in the third Book of his Institutions cap. 2. on this wise But they alledge It is a bold presumption for any one to pretend to an undoubted Knowledge of God's Will Calvin of the Necessity of the Spirit 's In-dwelling in us which saith he I should grant unto them if we should ascribe so much to our selves as to subject the Incomprehensible Counsel of God to the Rashness of our Vnderstandings But while we simply say with Paul That we have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God by whose Teaching we know those things that are given us of God what can they prate against it without Reproaching the Spirit of God For if it be a horrible Sacriledge to accuse any Revelation coming from him either of a Lie of Vncertainty or Ambiguity in Asserting its Certainty wherein do we offend But they cry out That it is not without great temerity that we dare so boast of the Spirit of Christ. Who would believe that the Sottishness of these men were so great who would be Esteemed the Masters of the World that they should so fail in the first Principles of Religion Verily I could not believe it if their own Writings did not Testify so much Paul accounts those the Sons of God who are acted by the Spirit of God but these will have the Children of God acted by their own Spirits without the Spirit of God He will have us call God Father the Spirit dictating that Term unto us which only can witness to our spirits that we are the Sons of God These though they cease not to Call upon God do nevertheless demit the Spirit by whose guiding he is rightly to be called upon He denies them to be the Sons of God or the Servants of Christ who are not led by his Spirit but these feign a Christianity that needs not the Spirit of Christ. He makes no hope of the blessed Resurrection unless we feel the Spirit residing in us but these feign a hope without any such a feeling But perhaps they will Answer That they deny not but that it is necessary to have it only of modesty and humility we ought to deny and not acknowledge it What means he then when he Commands the Corinthians to Try themselves if they be in the Faith To examine themselves whether they have Christ whom whosoever acknowledges not dwelling in him is a Reprobate By the Spirit which he hath given us saith John we know that he abideth in us And what do we then else but call in question Christ his promise while we would be esteemed the Servants of God without his Spirit Without the Spirit 's Presence Christianity must cease which he declared he would pour-out upon all his Seeing these things are the first Grounds of Piety it is miserable blindness to accuse Christians of Pride because they dare glory of the Presence of the Spirit without which glorying Christianity it self could not be But by their Example they declare how truly Christ spake saying That his Spirit was unknown to the World and that those only acknowledge it with whom it remains Thus far Calvin If therefore it be so why should any be so Foolish as to deny or so Vnwise as not to seek aster this Spirit which Christ hath promised shall dwell in his Children They then that do suppose the Indwelling
through him is Communicated unto them they are prone and inclined unto Evil though Thousands of Thousands be ignorant of Adam's Fall neither ever knew of the Eating of the Forbidden Fruit so also many may come to feel the Influence of this Holy and Divine Seed and Light and be turned from evil to good by it though they knew nothing of Christ's Coming in the flesh through whose Obedience and Sufferings it is purchased unto them And as we Affirm it is absolutely needful The History is profitable with the Mystery that those do believe the History of Christ's outward Appearance whom it pleased God to bring to the Knowledge of it so we do freely Confess that even that outward Knowledge is very Comfortable to such as are subject to and led by the Inward Seed and Light For not only doth the sense of Christ's Love and Sufferings tend to humble them but they are thereby also strengthened in their Faith and incouraged to follow that Excellent Pattern which he hath left us Who suffered for us as saith the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.21 Leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps And many times we are greatly Edified and Refreshed with the gracious Sayings which proceed out of his Mouth The History then is profitable and comfortable with the Mystery and never without it but the Mystery is and may be profitable without the explicite and outward Knowledge of the History Quest. 5 But Fifthly This brings us to another Question to wit Whether Christ be in all men or no Which sometimes hath been asked us and Arguments brought against it because indeed it is to be found in some of our Writings How Christ is in all men That Christ is in all men and we are often heard in our publick Meetings and Declarations to desire every man to come to know and be acquainted with Christ in them telling them that Christ is in them It is fit therefore for removing of all Mistakes to say something in this place concerning this matter We have said before how that a Divine Spiritual and Supernatural Light is in all men how that that Divine Supernatural Light or Seed is Vehiculum Dei how that God and Christ dwelleth in it and is never separated from it also how that as it is received and closed with in the heart Christ comes to be formed and brought forth but we are far from ever having said That Christ is thus formed in all men or in the Wicked For that is a great Attainment which the Apostle travelled that it might be brought forth in the Galatians Neither is Christ in all men by Way of Vnion or indeed to speak strictly by way of Inhabitation because this Inhabitation as it is generally taken imports Vnion or the Manner of Christ's being in the Saints As it is written I will dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 But in regard Christ is in all men as in a Seed yea and that he never is nor can be separate from that Holy pure Seed and Light which is in all men therefore may it be said in a larger sense that he is In all even as we observed before The Scripture saith Amos 2.13 God is pressed down as a Cart under sheaves and Christ Crucified in the Vngodly though to speak properly and strictly neither can God be pressed down nor Christ as God be Crucified In this respect then as he is in the Seed which is in all men we have said Christ is in all men and have preached and directed all men to Christ in them who lies Crucified in them by their Sins and Iniquities Christ Crucified in man by Iniquities that they may look upon him whom they have pierced and Repent whereby he that now lies as it were slain and buried in them may come to be raised and have Dominion in their hearts over all And thus also the Apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians and Galatians 1 Cor. 2.2 Christ crucified in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek hath it This Jesus Christ was that which the Apostle desired to know in them and make known unto them that they might come to be sensible how they had thus been Crucifying Christ that so they might Repent and be Saved And forasmuch as Christ is called that Light that inlightens every man The Light of the World Therefore the Light is taken for Christ who truly is the Fountain of all Light and hath his Habitation in it for ever Thus the Light of Christ is sometimes called Christ i. e. that in which Christ is and from which â—e is never Separated § XVI Sixthly It will manifestly appear by what is avove-said that we Vnderstand not this Divine Principle to be any part of Man's Nature nor yet to be any Relicks of any good which Adam lost by his Fall in that we make it a distinct separate thing from man's Soul and all the Faculties of it Yet such is the malice of our Adversaries that they cease not sometimes to Calumniate us as if we preached up a Natural Light or the Light of man's natural Conscience Next there are that lean to the Doctrine of Socinus and Pelagius who perswade themselves through mistake and out of no ill design to Injure us as if this which we preach up were some natural Power and Faculty of the Soul and that we only differ in the wording of it and not in the thing it self Whereas there can be no greater Difference than is betwixt us in this matter For we certainly know that this Light of which we speak is not only distinct The Faculties of Man's Reason but of a different Nature from the Soul of man and its Faculties Indeed that man as he is a rational Creature hath Reason as a Natural Faculty of his Soul by which he can discern things that are Rational we deny not for this is a Property Natural and Essential to him by which he can know and learn many Arts and Sciences beyond what any other Animal can do by the meer Animal Principle Neither do we deny but by this Rational Principle man may apprehend in his Brain and in the Notion a Knowledge of God and Spiritual things yet that not being the right Organ as in the second Proposition hath more at length been signified it cannot profit him towards Salvation but rather hindereth And indeed the great Cause of the Apostasy hath been that man hath sought to fathom the things of God in and by this natural and rational Principle and to build up a Religion in it Anti-Christ in the Temple of God neglecting and overlooking this Principle and Seed of God in the heart so that herein in the most universal and Catholick Sense hath Anti-Christ in every man set up himself and sitteth in the Temple of God as God and above every thing that is called God For men being the Temple of the Holy Ghost as saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.16 when the
Darkness and Darkness for Light as if God had a greater regard to words than actions and were more pleased with vain professions than with real holiness But these things I have sufficiently Refuted heretofore Only from hence let it be observed that upon this false and rotten Foundation Antichrist hath built his Babylonish Structure and the Anti-Christian Church in the Apostasy hath hereby reared her self up to that Heighth and Grandeur she hath attained so as to Exalt her self above all that is called God and sit in the Temple of God as God For the particular Churches of Christ gathered in the Apostles days The Decay of the Church soon after beginning to decay as to the inward Life came to be over-grown with several Errors and the hearts of the Professors of Christianity to be leavened with the old Spirit and Conversation of the World Yet it pleased God for some Centuries to preserve that life in many whom he imboldned with zeal to stand and suffer for his Name through the Ten Persecutions But these being over the Meekness Gentleness Love Long-suffering Goodness and Temperance of Christianity came to be lost For after that the Princes of the Earth came to take upon them that Profession When Men became Christians by Birth and not by Conversion Christianity came to be lost and that it ceased to be a Reproach to be a Christian but rather became a means to Preferment men became such by Birth and Education and not by Conversion and Renovation of Spirit then there was none so Vile none so Wicked none so Profane who became not a Member of the Church And the Teachers and Pastors thereof becoming the Companions of Princes and so being inriched by their Benevolence and getting Vast Treasures and Estates became puffed up and as it were drunken with the vain pomp and glory of this world and so Marshalled themselves in manifold Orders and Degrees not without innumerable Contests and Altercations who should have the * As was betwixt the Bp of Rome and the Bp. of Constantinople Precedency So the vertue life substance and kernel of the Christian Religion came to be lost and nothing remained but a Shadow and Image which dead Image or Carcase of Christianity to make it take the better with the superstitious Multitude of Heathens that became Ingrossed in it not by any inward Conversion of their hearts or by becoming less wicked or superstitious but by a little Change in the Object of their Superstition not having the inward Ornament and life of the Spirit became decked with many outward and visible Orders and beautified with the gold silver precious stones and the other splendid Ornaments of this perishing world so that this was no more to be accounted the Christian Religion and Christian Church notwithstanding the outward profession than the dead body of man is to be accounted a living man which however cunningly Embalmed and Adorned with ever so much gold or silver or most precious stones or sweet ointments is but a dead body still without sense In the Church of Rome are no less Superstitions and Ceremonies Introduced than were either among Jews or Heathens life or motion For that Apostate Church of Rome has introduced no less Ceremonies and Superstitions into the Christian Profession than was either among Jews or Heathens and that there is and hath been as much yea and more pride covetousness unclean lust luxury fornication profanity and Atheism among her Teachers and Chief Bishops as ever was among any sort of people none need doubt that have read their own Authors to wit Platina and others Now though Protestants have Reformed from her in some of the most gross points and absurd Doctrines relating to the Church and Ministry Whether and what difference there is betwixt the Protestants and Papists in Superstitions yet which is to be regretted they have but lopt the Branches but retain and plead earnestly for the same Root from which these Abuses have sprung So that even among them though all that Mass of Superstition Ceremonies and Orders be not again Established yet the same pride covetousness and sensuality is found to have over-spread and leavened their Churches and Ministry and the life power and virtue of true Religion is lost among them and the very same death barrenness driness and emptiness is found in their Ministry So that in Effect they differ from Papists but in Form and some Ceremonies being with them Apostatized from the life and power the true primitive Church and her Pastors were in so that of both it may be said truly without breach of Charity that having only a Form of Godliness and many of them not so much as that they are Deniers of yea Enemies to the power of it And this proceeds not simply from their not walking answerable to their own principles and so degenerating that way which also is true but which is worse their setting down to themselves and adhering to Certain Principles which naturally as a cursed Root bring forth these bitter Fruits these therefore shall afterwards be Examined and Refuted as the Contrary Positions of Truth in the Proposition are Explained and Proved For as to the Nature and Constitution of a Church abstract from their Disputes concerning its constant Visibility Infallibility The Protestant Church how they become Members thereof and the Primacy of the Church of Rome the Protestants as in practice so in principles differ not from Papists for they ingross within the compass of their Church whole Nations making their Infants Members of it by sprinkling a little Water upon them so that there is none so wicked or profane who is not a Fellow-member no evidence of Holiness being required to constitute a Member of the Church And look through the Protestant Nations and there shall no difference appear in the Lives of the generality of the one more than of the other but he who ruleth in the Children of Disobedience reigning in both so that the Reformation through this defect is but in holding some less gross Errors in the Notion but not in having the heart Reformed and Renewed * Christianity chiefly consists in the Renewing of the heart in which mainly the Life of Christianity consisteth § VI. But the Popish Errors concerning the Ministry A Popish Corrupt Ministry all Evils follow Like Priest like People which they have retained are most of all to be Regretted by which chiefly the life and power of Christianity is barred out among them and they kept in death barrenness and driness there being nothing more hurtful than an Error in this respect For where a false and corrupt Ministry entreth all other manner of Evils follows upon it according to the Scripture-Adage Like People like Priest For by their Influence Hosea 4.9 instead of ministring Life and Righteousness they minister Death and Iniquity The whole backslidings of the Jewish Congregations of Old is hereto ascribed The Leaders of my people
God's Spirit go about either in his understanding to imagine conceive or think of the things of God or actually to perform them by preaching or praying The first is a missing both in Matter and Form The second is a retaining of the Form without the Life and Substance of Christianity True Christianity wherein it not consists because Christian Religion consisteth not in a meer belief of true Doctrines or a meer performance of Acts good in themselves or else the bare letter of the Scripture though spoken by a Drunkard or a Devil might be said to be Spirit and Life which I judge none will be so absurd as to affirm and also it would follow that where the Form of Godliness is there the Power is also which is contrary to the express words of the Apostle For the Form of Godliness cannot be said to be where either the Notions and Opinions believed are erroneous and ungodly or the Acts performed evil and wicked for then it would be the Form of Vngodliness and not of Godliness But of this further hereafter when we shall speak particularly of preaching and praying Now though this last be not so bad as the former yet hath it made way for it for men having first departed from the Life and Substance of true Religion and Worship to wit from the inward Power and Vertue of the Spirit so as therein to act and thereby to have all their actions enlivened have only retained the Form and Shew to wit the true words and appearance and so acting in their own natural and unrenewed Wills in this Form the Form could not but quickly decay and be vitiated For the working and active Spirit of man could not contain it self within the simplicity and plainness of Truth but giving way to his own numerous Inventions and Imaginations began to vary in the Form and adapt it to his own Inventions until by degrees the Form of Godliness for the most part came to be lost Idolatry does hug his own Conceivings as well as the Power For this kind of Idolatry whereby man loveth idolizeth and huggeth his own Conceptions Inventions and Product of his own Brain is so incident unto him and seated in his fall'n Nature that so long as his natural Spirit is the first Author and Actor of him and is that by which he only is guided and moved in his Worship towards God so as not first to Wait for another Guide to direct him he can never perform the pure Spiritual Worship nor bring forth any thing but the fruit of the first fall'n natural and corrupt Root Wherefore the time appointed of God being come wherein by Jesus Christ he hath been pleased to restore the true Spiritual Worship and the outward Form of Worship No Form of Worship but the Spirit is prescrib'd by Christ. which was appointed by God to the Jews and whereof the manner and time of its performance was particularly determined by God himself being come to an end we find that Jesus Christ the Author of the Christian Religion prescribes no set Form of Worship to his Children under the more pure administration of the New Covenant * If any object here That the Lord's Prayer is a prescribed Form of Prayer and therefore of Worship given by Christ to his Children I answer First This cannot be objected by any sort of Christians that I know because there are none who use not other Prayers or that limit their Worship to this Secondly This was commanded to the Disciples while yet Weak before they had received the dispensation of the Gospel not that they should only use it in praying but that he might shew them by one Example how that their Prayers ought to be short and not like the long Prayers of the Pharisees And that this was the Vse of it appears by all the Prayers which divers Saints afterwards made use of whereof the Scripture makes mention for none made use of this neither repeated it but used other words according as the thing required and as the Spirit gave utterance Thirdly That this ought so to be understood appears from Rom 8.26 of which afterwards mention shall be made at greater length where the Apostle saith We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us c. But if this Prayer had been such a prescribed Form of Prayer to the Church that had not been true neither had they been Ignorant what to pray nor should they have needed the help of the Spirit to teach them save that he only tells them that the Worship now to be performed is Spiritual and in the Spirit And it 's especially to be observed that in the whole New Testament there is no Order nor Command given in this thing but to follow the Revelations of the Spirit save only that general of Meeting together a thing dearly owned and diligently practised by us as shall hereafter more appear True it is mention is made of the Duties of Praying Preaching and Singing Pray Preach and Sing in Spirit but what Order or Method should be kept in so doing or that presently they should be set about so soon as the Saints are gathered there is not one word to be found yea these Duties as shall afterwards be made appear are always annexed to the assistance leadings and motions of God's Spirit Since then man in his natural state is thus excluded from acting or moving in things Spiritual To Wait on God by what it is performed how or what way shall he exercise this first and previous duty of Waiting upon God but by Silence and by bringing that natural part to silence Which is no other ways but by abstaining from his own Thoughts and Imaginations and from all the self-workings and motions of his own Mind as well in things materially good as evil that he being silent God may speak in him and the Good Seed may arise This tho' hard to the natural man is so answerable to Reason and even natural Experience in other things that it cannot be denied He that cometh to learn of a Master if he expect to hear his Master A Simile of a Master and his Scholar and be instructed by him must not continually be speaking of the matter to be taught and never be quiet otherwise how shall his Master have time to instruct him Yea though the Scholar were never so earnest to learn the Science yet would the Master have Reason to Reprove him as untoward and indocile if he would always be meddling of himself and still speaking and not Wait in silence patiently to hear his Master instructing and teaching him who ought not to open a mouth until by his Master he were commanded and allowed so to do So also if one were about to Attend a great Prince Of a Prince and his Servant he would be thought an impertinent and imprudent Servant who while he ought patiently and
Secondly they urge Rom. 13. where the Magistrate is said not to bear the Sword in vain Object because he is the Minister of God to execute Wrath upon such as do evil But Heresy say they is evil Ergo. But so is Hypocrisy also yet they confess he ought not to punish that Therefore this must be understood of Moral Evils relative of affairs betwixt Man and Man not of matters of Judgment or Worship or else what great absurdities would follow considering that Paul wrote here to the Church of Rome who was under the Government of Nero an impious Heathen and Persecutor of the Church Now if a power to punish in point of Heresy be here included it will necessarily follow that Nero had this Power yea and that he had it of God for because the Power was of God therefore the Apostle urges their Obedience But can there be any thing more absurd than to say that Nero had Power to judge in such cases Surely if Christian Magistrates be not to punish for Hypocrisy because they cannot outwardly discern it far less could Nero punish any body for Heresy which he was uncapable to discern And if Nero had not power to judge nor punish in point of Heresy then nothing can be urged from this place Since all that 's said here is spoken as applicable to Nero with a particular Relation to whom it was written And if Nero had such a power surely he was to exercise it according to his Judgment and Conscience and in doing thereof he was not to be blamed which is enough to justifie him in his persecuting of the Apostles and murdering the Christians Thirdly They object that saying of the Apostle to the Gal. 5.12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you Object But how this imports any more than a cutting off from the Church is not nor can be shewn Beza upon the place saith Answ. We cannot understand that otherwise than of Excommunication Such as was that of the incestuous Corinthian And indeed it is madness to suppose it otherwise for Paul would not have these cut off otherwise than he did Hymenaeus and Philetus who were Blasphemers which was by giving them over to Satan not by cutting off their heads The same way may be answered that other Argument drawn from Rev. 2.20 where the Church of Thyatira is reproved for suffering the Woman Jezebel Which can be no other ways understood than that they did not Excommunicate her or cut her off by a Church-censure For as to corporal punishment it is known that at that time the Christians had not power to punish Hereticks so if they had had a mind to it Fourthly They alledge Object that Heresies are numbred among the works of the flesh Gal. 5.20 Ergo c. That Magistrates have power to punish all the works of the flesh Answ. is denyed and not yet proved Every Evil is a work of the flesh but every Evil comes not under the Magistrate's cognisance Is not Hypocrisy a work of the flesh which our Adversaries confess the Magistrates ought not to punish Yea is not Hatred and Envy there mentioned as the works of the flesh And yet the Magistrate cannot punish them as they are in themselves until they exert themselves in other acts which come under his power But so long as Heresy doth not exert it self in any act destructive to human Society or such like things but is kept within the Sphere of those duties of Doctrine or Worship which stand betwixt a Man and God they no ways come under the Magistrate's power § IV. But Secondly this forcing of Men's Consciences is contrary to sound Reason and to the very law of Nature For Man's understanding cannot be forced by all the bodily sufferings another Man can inflict upon him especially in matters Spiritual and Supernatural 'T is Arguments and evident Demonstrations of Reason together with the power of God reaching the heart that can change a Man's mind from one opinion to another and not knocks and blows and such like things which may well destroy the Body but can never inform the Soul which is a free Agent and must either accept or reject matters of Opinion as they are born in upon it by something proportional to its own nature To seek to force minds in any other manner is to deal with Men as if they were brutes void of understanding and at last is but to loose ones labour and as the Proverb is to seek to wash the Black-More white By that course indeed Men may be made Hypocrites but can never be made Christians and surely the products of such Compulsion even where the end is obtained to wit an outward Assent or Conformity whether in doctrine or worship can be no ways acceptable to God who desireth not any sacrifice except that which cometh throughly from the heart and will have no constrained ones So that Men so constrained are so far from being members of the Church that they are made ten-times more the Servants of Satan than before in that to their errours is added Hypocrisy the worst of evils in matters of Religion and that which above all things the Lord's Soul most abhors Object But if it be said Their Errour notwithstanding is thereby suppressed and the scandal removed Answ. I answer besides that this is a method no ways allowed by Christ as is above proved surely the Church can be no ways better'd by the accession of Hypocrites but greatly corrupted and endangered for open Heresies Men may be aware of and shun such as profess them when they are separated from the Church by her Censures but secret Hypocrites may putrify the body and leaven it ere Men be aware And if the Dissenters prove Resolute and suffer boldly for the Opinions they esteem right experience sheweth that such sufferings often tend to the commendation of the sufferers but never of the Persecutors For such suffering ordinarily breeds compassion and begets a curiosity in others to enquire the more diligently into the things for which they see Men suffer so great losses so boldly and is also able to beget an opinion that it is for some good they do so suffer it being no ways probable that Men will venture all meerly to acquire fame which may as well be urged to detract from the Reputation of all the Martyrs unless some better Arguments be brought against it than a Halter or a Faggot But supposing this principle that the Magistrate hath power to force the Consciences of his Subjects and to punish them if they will not comply Very great inconveniencies and absurdities will follow and even such as are inconsistent with the nature of the Christian Religion For First it will naturally follow that the Magistrate ought to do it and sinneth by Omission of his duty if he do it not Will it not then hence be inferred that Christ was defective to his Church who having power to force men and to call for
legions of Angels so to do did notwithstanding not exert that power but left his Church to the mercy of the wicked without so necessary a bulwark Secondly Seeing every Magistrate is to exercise his power according to the best understanding he hath being obliged so to do for the promoting of what he in Conscience is perswaded to be Truth Will not this justifie all the Heathen-Emperors in their Persecutions against Christians Will not this justifie the Spanish Inquisition which yet is odious not only to Protestants but to many moderate Papists How can Protestants in reason condemn the Papists for persecuting them seeing they do but exercise a lawful Power according to their Conscience and best understanding and do no more to them than the Sufferers profess they would do to them if they were in the like capacity Which takes away all ground of Commiseration from the Sufferers whereas that was the ground that gained of old reputation to the Christians that they being Innocent suffered who neither had nor by principle could hurt any But there is little reason to pity one that is but dealt by according as he would deal with others For to say They have not reason to persecute us because they are in the wrong and we in the right is but miserably to beg the question Doth not this doctrin strengthen the hands of Persecutors every where and that rationally from a principle of self-preservation For who can blame me for destroying him that I know waits but for an occasion to destroy me if he could Yea this makes all suffering for Religion which of old was the glory of Christians to be but of pure necessity whereby they are not led as Lambs to the slaughter as was the Captain of their Salvation but rather as Wolves catched in the snare who only bite not again because they are not able but could they get force would be as ready to lead those the same way that led them Where is here the faith and patience of the Saints For indeed it is but a small glory to make a vertue of Necessity and suffer because I cannot help it Every Thief and Murderer is a Martyr at that rate experience hath abundantly proved this in these last Centuries For however each Party talk of passively obeying the Magistrate in such cases and that the power resides in him yet it is apparent that from this principle it naturally follows that any Party supposing themselves right should so soon as they are able endeavour at any rate to get uppermost that they might bring under those of another opinion and force the Magistrate to uphold their way to the ruin of all others What engine the Pope of Rome used to make of his pretended power in this thing upon any pretence of dislike to any Prince or State even for very small Heresies in their own account to depose Princes and set up their Subjects against them and give their dominions to other Princes to serve his interest they cannot be ignorant that have read the life of Hildebrand and how Protestants have vindicated the Liberty of their Consciences after this same manner is apparent They suffered much in France to the great Increase and Advantage of their Party but how soon they found themselves considerable and had gotten some Princes upon their side they began to let the King know that they must either have the Liberty of their Consciences or else they would purchase it not by Suffering but by Fighting And the Experience of other Protestant States shews that if Henry the Fourth to please the Papists had not quitted his Religion to get the Crown the more peaceably and so the Protestants had prevailed with the Sword they would as well have taught the Papists with the Faggot and led them to the Stake So that this Principle of Persecution on all hands is the Ground of all those Miseries and Contentions For so long as any Party is perswaded that it is both lawful for them and their Duty if in Power to destroy those that differ from them it naturally follows they ought to use all Means possible to get that Power whereby they may secure themselves in the Ruine of their Adversaries And that neither Papists nor Protestants judge it unlawful to compel the Magistrate if they be strong enough to do it to effect this Experience shews it to be a known Popish Principle That the Pope may depose an Heretick Prince and absolve the People from the Oath of Fidelity And the Pope as is abovesaid hath done so to divers Princes and this Doctrine is defended by Bellarmin against Barclay The French refused Henry the fourth till he quitted his Religion And as for Protestants many of them scruple not to affirm That wicked Kings and Magistrates may be deposed and killed yea our Scotch Presbyters are as positive in it as any Jesuites who would not admit this present Charles the Second though otherwise a Protestant Prince unless he would swear to renounce Episcopacy a Matter of no great Difference though contrary to his Conscience Now how little Proportion these things bear with the Primitive Christians and the Religion propagated by Christ and his Apostles needs no great Demonstration and it is observable That notwithstanding many other Superstitions crept into the Church very early yet this of Persecution was so inconsistent with the Nature of the Gospel and Liberty of Conscience as we have asserted it such an innate and natural part of the Christian Religion that almost all the Christian Writers for the first three hundred Years earnestly contend for it condemning the contrary Opinion Athan. in epist. ad solit vit ag ibid. § V. Thus Athanasius It is the Property of Piety not to force but to perswade in imitation of our Lord who forced no body but left it to the Will of every one to follow him c. But the Devil because he hath nothing of Truth uses Knocks and Axes to break up the Doors of such as receive him But our Saviour is meek teaching the Truth Whosoever will come after me and whosoever will be my Disciple c. but constraining none coming to us and knocking rather and saying My Sister my Spouse open to me c. and entreth when he is opened to and retires if they delay and will not open unto him because it is not with Swords nor Darts nor Soldiers nor Armour that Truth is to be declared but with Perswasion and Counsel And it is observable that it was the Impious Arrians who first of all brought in this Doctrine to persecute others among Christians whose Successors both Papists and Protestants are in this Matter whom Athanasius thus reproveth further Where saith he have they learned to persecute Certainly they cannot say Athan. Apol. 1. de fuga sua tom 1. they have learned it from the Saints but this has been given them and taught them of the Devil The Lord commanded indeed sometimes to flee and the Saints
burned for denying the Divinity of Christ if Calvin's Report of him be to be credited Which Opinion though it was indeed to be abominated yet no less was Calvin's Practice in causing him to be burned and afterwards defending that it was lawful to burn Hereticks by which he encouraged the Papists to lead his Followers the more confidently to the Stake as having for their Warrant the Doctrine of their own Sect-master which they omitted not frequently to twit them with and indeed it was to them unanswerable Hence upon this occasion the judicious Author of the History of the Council of Trent in his fifth Book where giving an account of several Protestants that were burned for their Religion well and wisely observeth it as a Matter of Astonishment that those of the new Reformation did offer to punish in the case of Religion And afterwards taking notice That Calvin justifies the punishing of Hereticks he adds But since the Name of Heresy may be more or less restricted yea or diversly taken this Doctrine may be likewise taken in divers Senses and may at one time hurt those whom at another Time it may have benefited So that this Doctrine of Persecution cannot be mentioned by Protestants without strengthening the Hands of Popish Inquisitors Protestant Persecution strengthens the Popish Inquisition and indeed in the end lands in direct Popery Seeing if I may not profess and preach that Religion which I am perswaded of in my Conscience is true it is to no purpose to search the Scriptures or to seek to chuse my own Faith by Convictions thence derived since whatever I there observe or am perswaded of I must either subject to the Judgment of the Magistrate and Church of that Place I am in or else resolve to remove or dye Yea doth not this Heretical and Anti-Christian Doctrine both of Papists and Protestants at last resolve into that cursed Policy of Mahomet Who prohibited all Reason or Discourse about Religion as occasioning Factions and Divisions And indeed those that press Persecution and deny Liberty of Conscience do thereby shew themselves more the Disciples of Mahomet than of Christ and that they are no ways followers of the Apostle's Doctrine who desired the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 5.21 To prove all things and hold fast that which is good And also saith Vnto such as are otherwise minded God shall Reveal it Phil. 3.15 not that by Beatings and Banishments it must be knocked into them § VI. Now the Ground of Persecution as hath above been shewn is an unwillingness to suffer for no Man that will persecute another for his Conscience would suffer for his own if he could avoid it seeing his Principle obliges him if he had Power by Force to establish that which he judges is the Truth and so to force others to it Therefore I judge it meet for the Information of the Nations briefly to add something in this Place concerning the Nature of true Christian Sufferings whereunto a very faithful Testimony has been born by God's Witnesses which he hath raised up in this Age beyond what hath been generally known or practised for these many Generations yea since the Apostacy took place Yet 't is not my Design here in any wise to derogate from the Sufferings of the Protestant Martyrs whom I believe to have walked in Faithfulness towards God according to the Dispensation of Light in that Day appearing and of which many were utter Enemies to Persecution as by their Testimonies against it might be made appear But the true faithful and Christian Suffering is For Men to profess what they are perswaded is right and so practise and perform their Worship towards God as being their true Right so to do and neither to do more in that because of outward Encouragement from Men nor any whit less because of the Fear of their Laws and Acts against it Thus for a Christian Man to vindicate his just Liberty with so much boldness and yet Innocency will in due time though through Blood purchase Peace as this Age has in some Measure experienced and many are Witnesses of it which yet shall be more apparent to the World as Truth takes Place in the Earth But they greatly sin against this excellent Rule that in Time of Persecution do not profess their own Way so much as they would if it were other ways and yet when they can get the Magistrate upon their Side not only stretch their own Liberty to the utmost but seek to establish the same by denying it to others The Innocent Sufferings of the People called Quakers But of this excellent Patience and Sufferings the Witnesses of God in scorn called Quakers have given a manifest Proof for so soon as God revealed his Truth among them without regard to all Opposition or what they might meet with they went up and down as they were moved of the Lord preaching and propagating the Truth in Market-places High-ways Streets and publick Temples though daily beaten whipped bruised haled and imprisoned therefore And when there was any where a Church or Assembly gathered they taught them to keep their Meetings openly and not to shut the door nor do it by Stealth that all might know it and who would might enter And as hereby all just occasion of Fear of plotting against the Government was fully removed so this their Courage and Faithfulness in not giving over their Meeting together but more especially the Presence and Glory of God manifested in the Meeting being terrible to the Consciences of the Persecutors did so weary out the Malice of their Adversaries that often-times they were forced to leave their Work undone For when they came to break up a Meeting they were forc'd to take every individual out by Force they not being free to give up their Liberty by dissolving at their Command And when they were haled out unless they were kept forth by Violence they presently returned peaceably to their Place Yea when sometimes the Magistrates have pulled down their Meeting-houses they have met the next Day openly upon the Rubbish and so by Innocency kept their Possession and Ground being properly their own and their Right to Meet and Worship God being not forfeited to any So that when armed Men have come to dissolve them it was impossible for them to do it unless they had killed every one for they stood so close together that no Force could move any one to stir until violently pulled down So that when the Malice of their Opposers stirred them to take shovels and throw the Rubbish upon them there they stood unmoved being willing if the Lord should so permit to have been there buried alive witnessing for him As this Patient but yet couragious way of Suffering made the Persecutors Work very heavy and wearisom unto them so the Courage and Patience of the Sufferers using no Resistance nor bringing any Weapons to defend themselves nor seeking any ways Revenge upon such Occasions did secretly smite the Hearts of
the Persecutors and make their Chariot wheels go on heavily Thus after much and many kind of Sufferings thus patiently born which to rehearse would make a Volumn of it self which may in due time be published to the Nations for we have them upon Record a kind of Negative Liberty has been obtained so that at present for the most part we Meet together without Disturbance from the Magistrate But on the contrary most Protestants when they have not the Allowance and Tolerance of the Magistrate meet only in secret and hide their Testimony and if they be discovered if there be any probability of making their Escape by Force though it were by cutting off those that seek them out they will do it Whereby they lose the Glory of their Sufferings by not appearing as the Innocent Followers of Christ nor having a Testimony of their harmlessness in the Hearts of their Pursuers their Fury by such Resistance is the more kindled against them As to this last part of Resisting such as persecute them they can lay claim to no Precept from Christ nor any Example of him or his Apostles approved But as to the first Part for fleeing and meeting secretly Object and not openly testifying for the Truth they usually object that Saying of Christ Matth. 10.23 When they persecute you in this city flee ye into another And Act. 9.4 That the Disciples met secretly for fear of the Jews And Act 9 25. That Paul was let out of Damascus in a basket down by the Wâ—ll To all which I answer First as to that Saying of Christ it is a Question Answ. if it had any further Relation than to that particular Message with which he sent them to the Jews yea the latter end of the Words seem expresly to hold forth so much for ye shall not have gone over the cities of Judah till the Son of Man be come Now a particular Practice or Command for a particular Time will not serve for a Precedent to any at this Day to shun the Cross of Christ. But supposing this Precept to reach further it must be so understood to be made use of only according as the Spirit giveth Liberty else no Man that could flee might suffer Persecution How then did not the Apostles John and Peter flee Fleeing in Time of Persecution not allowed when they were the first time persecuted at Jerusalem But on the contrary went the next Day after they were discharged by the Council and preached boldly to the People But indeed many are but too capable to stretch such Sayings as these for selfâ—preservation and therefore have great ground to fear when they interpret them that they shun to witness for Christ for fear of Hurt to themselves lest they mistake them As for that private Meeting of the Disciples we have only an Account of the Matter of Fact but that suffices not to make of it a Precedent for us and Mens aptness to imitate them in that which for ought we know might have been an Act of Weakness and not in other things of the contrary Nature shews that it is not a true Zeal to be like those Disciples but indeed a Desire to preserve themselves which moves them so to do Lastly As to that of Paul's being conveyed out of Damascus The Case was singular and is not to be doubted but it was done by a special Allowance from God who having designed him to be a principal Minister of his Gospel saw meet in his Wisdom to disappoint the Wicked Counsel of the Jews But our Adversaries have no such pretext for fleeing whose fleeing proceeds from self-preservation not from immediate Revelation And that Paul made not this the Method of his Procedure appears in that at another time notwithstanding the Perswasion of his Friends and certain Prophecies of his Sufferings to come he would not be disswaded to go up to Jerusalem which according to the fore-mentioned Rule he should have done But lastly to conclude this Matter Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ that now these twenty five Years since we were known to be a distinct and separate People hath given us faithfully to suffer for his Name without shrinking or fleeing the Cross and what Liberty we now enjoy it is by his Mercy and not by any outward Working or Procuring of our own but 't is he has wrought upon the Hearts of our Opposers Nor was it any Outward Interest hath procured it unto us but the Testimony of our harmlessness in the Hearts of our Superiors For God hath preserved us hitherto in the patient Suffering of Jesus that we have not given away our Cause by persecuting any which few if any Christians that I know can say Now against our unparalleld yet Innocent and Christian Cause our malicious Enemies have nothing to say but that if we had Power we would do so likewise This is a Piece of meer Unreasonabe Malice and a Priviledge they take to judge of things to come which they have not by immediate Revelation and surely it is the greatest highth of harsh Judgment to say Men would do contrary to their professed Principle if they could who have from their Practice hitherto given no ground for it and wherein they only judge others by themselves Such Conjectures cannot militate against us so long as we are Innocent And if ever we prove guilty of Persecution by forcing other Men by Corporal Punishment to our Way then let us be judged the greatest of Hypocrites and let not any spare to persecute us Amen saith my Soul PROPOSITION XV. Concerning Salutations and Recreations c. Seeing the Chief End of all Religion is to redeem Men from the Spirit and vain Conversation of this World and to lead into inward Communion with God before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy Eph. 5.11 1 Pet. 1.14 Joh. 5.44 Jer. 10.3 Acts 10.26 Matt. 15.13 Col. 2.8 therefore all the vain Customes and Habits thereof both in Word and Deed are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this Fear such as the taking off the HAT to a Man the Bowings and Cringings of the Body and such other Salutations of that kind with all the Foolish and Superstitious Formalities attending them all which Man has invented in his Degenerate State to feed his Pride in the vain Pomp and Glory of this World As also the unprofitable Plays frivolous Recreations Sportings and Gaming 's which are invented to pass away the pretious Time and divert the Mind from the Witness of God in the Heart and from the living Sense of his Fear and from that Evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be levened and which leads into Sobriety Gravity and Godly Fear in which as we abide the Blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in those Actions which we are necessarily engaged in order to the taking Care for the Sustenance of the outward Man § I. HAving hitherto treated of the Principles of Religion both
up out of their Grave out of Condescension to any So I say the same as of Water-Baptism it being once Dead and Buried is not again to be raised up now after the Apostacy P. G. I prove That Water-Baptism was thought needful even to those that were Baptized with the Holy Ghost Can any Man forbid Water c. as Paul said Acts 10. G. K. Say Peter not Paul P. G. Peter I say not Paul R. B. That proves not all that it was done by Necessity but to Condescend to their Weakness About this Time the Praeses And. Th. going forth said It was now five a Clock the Time appointed for the Continuance of the Dispute and so went away Nor was there any Argument farther urged G. K. Praeses Al. Skein I see there is like to be no more here but Confusion seeing the other Praeses is gone I shall only propose this Just and Reasonable Desire to these Students that since we have given them a fair Opportunity to Impugn and Oppose our Principles they also will promise us another Day to Impugn and Oppose theirs Stud. When we set out Theses then ye shall have an Opportunity to Impugn them G. K. Your Theses are set out already for your Confession of Faith is your Theses which I offer to Impugn Stud. Our Faith is Established by the Law of God and of the Nation and therefore ought not to be called in Question R. B. That it is Established by the Law of God is the thing under Debate and as for the Law of the Nation so is the Popish Faith in Italy and Spain and Mahometanism in the Turks Dominions will it therefore follow that Popery and Mahometanism are not to be called in Question or Oppugned Stud. We will come to your Meetings and Debate further with you R. B. Our Meetings are not for Debate but to Wait upon God and Worship Him but if ye please to meet us here again to Morrow we are satisfied Stud. We will not R. B. It seems ye need a longer Time to prepare you for your present Strength is all Exhausted Stud. We will come to your Meeting and wait till it be done and then Oppose you R. B. I have told you before That is not proper but on this Condition I will admit it that when I see meet I may have the like Opportunity to come to your Meetings and when your Preachers have done that I be allowed to Oppose and Impugn your Principles Stud. No no. The Confusion and Tumult encreasing through the removing of the Praeses A. Th. and divers of the Soberest People And the Students vainly boasting of their Victory Laughing Clamouring and making a Noise and telling they would cause to be publisht in Print their imaginary Victory occasioned such Lightness and Rudeness in a Rabble of the grossest Sort that were without the Bar that laying hold on a Heap of Turffs they threw many of them against us without offering the least Violence to our Opposers on the other Side So that having beat divers with hard Turffs Peates and also with Stones R. B. with divers other Friends received several Knocks in his Head and was wounded in his Hand with a Stone while as the Students the Masters of Art and their Companions who had been Disputing in Matters of Religion instead of interposing themselves to prevent stood divers of them laughing hollowing and clamouring thereat and so the Meeting broke up G. K. said to others more sober that were present These are your Church-Members This True and Impartial Account which was offered to be read to their Praeses Andrew Thomson but he declined it alledging The Matters treated of were so Extrinsick from his Emploiment and these things that took up his Head and he so apt to forget such Things that though the Matter might be True he could not Attest it neither for us nor our Opposers It was also read in Writing to some judicious and unprejudicate Persons that were present and are not of our Way and acknowledged by them to be according to their best Memory a Full and Ingenuous Account as may be further proved in case it be called in Question will we hope serve to appease these Empty Clamours which the Students vain Ostentation and the Ignorance and Prejudice of others might have raised some of whom did so little or at least will needs appear so little to understand the Matter as to affirm The Quakers were all Routed for they could prove nothing whereas we were by Mutual Agreement to be meer Defendants and not to be admitted at all to Prove but only to Answer And whether we Answered not all was urged will by this Account appear where none of the Arguments are omitted nor any whit of the Strength of them concealed As for what was or may be accounted Reflections we have not put them in the Body of the Dispute because we remember not particularly at what Time they were spoken But that we may not seem designedly to Conceal any as tending to our Disadvantage so far as we remember they were as followeth That G. K. said to J. L. He spoke more with his Fingers than his Tongue after What need he make such a Work with his Finger and affect a Canting Tone like his Master J. M. That his Head was too full of Mercury and his Heart in his Tongue whereas a Wise Man's Tongue is in his Heart Now whether J. L's extravagant Behaviour did not deserve such Checks while he oftentimes would be speaking when his Companions were and put them by with both his Elbows that he alone might be heard To which add his Forwardness in his Blasphemous Assertion above observed let the discreet and judicious Hearers judge A. Shir. said He would overturn Quakerism and he hoped in so doing to have his End J. L. That he might not miss to hit as he thought G. K. said It seemed he was an Aberdeen 's Man and would take his Word again which was noted by G. K. as being a Reflection upon the City where J. L. himself was born which G. K. was not Also A. Shir. Laughing and raising Lightness called upon G. K. speaking some Words If there was a Notar that he might take Instrument To which R. B. answered That he desired the Notar might take Instrument how Divinity-Students and Masters of Arts that were preparing themselves for the Ministry were so Light and Vnserious in Religious Matters c. But however if they have gotten such a Victory as they boast of how is that Consistent with what we are Informed of and is noised up and down in the City That Jo. Menzies their Master went within a Day or two to desire the Bishop to Complain to the Primate and King's Council and procure us to be punished for holding the Dispute And an Order That none such further be admitted And indeed if the Scholars have proved so good Disputants we think the Masters cannot in reason reason refuse this following OFFER R.
Master Jo. M. would not assign the Jesuit a ground to prove the Truth of the Protestant Religion and therefore say they R. B ' s. Practices agree exactly with the Jesuit's Morals and give an egregious Specimen of his Jesuitical Honesty which makes us suspect him to be a Jesuited Emissary This is a false Calumny disproved by their own Account where pag. 8. upon this occasion they Confess R. B. said only that their Master desired the Jesuit to prove that the Protestant Religion had no ground for it Will they deny this Let them read the very first four Lines of their Master's first Answer to the Jesuit's Paper pag. 3. and they will find he put the Jesuit to prove his Minor which was That the Protestant Religion had no such ground As it doth not therefore follow that I. M. assigned not afterwards a Ground so neither will R. B. his repeating this infer that he said he did not assign such a Ground Yea in Contradiction to themselves pag. 60. They acknowledge he told their Master named the Scripture as a Ground c. So it is manifest they have given here a Specimen of their Iesuitical Honesty And because they could not Answer they forged lies to fill up the Paper and things not to the purpose as pag. 57. where offering to Reply to this Retortion they say But for Answer it is well known R. B. was brought up in a Popish Colledge and it is thought by many that he is a Iesuited Emissary c. Is not this a pungent Answer Reader R. B. was educated in a Popish Colledge The Objection about R. B's Education Answer'd Ergo say the Students Our Answer is not that which the Iesuit used against our Master It seems the Students are offended that R. B. hath forsaken Popery or otherwise their charging him with his Education must be very impertinent as indeed it is no less Foolish than if we should upbraid Luther Calvin and all the first Reformers as Papists for being so Educated And though it is no wonder their Folly and Malice led them into this Impertinency yet it might have been expected that their gratitude to the Bishop of Edinburgh who was pleased to permit their Book to be Printed might have hindered them from this Folly seeing he was Educated in the same Popish Colledge R. B. was and ows some of his Philosophy to it whereas R. B learned only there a little Grammar and came thence in his 15 Year but the Bishop was there professing Popery in his more mature Age. So if this reflect any thing upon R. B. it will much more against the Bishop which they will do well to clear and be sure not to omit when they write next or else acknowledge their Impertinency herein It seems they wanted strength of Reason to evite the Retortion which makes them thus rove offering also to prove That their Master did assign a ground which was never denied and that he was Defendent so was R. B. also What is that to the purpose unless to make the Retortion the stronger and shew they cannot get by it But pag. 60. they say That whereas the Iesuit pressed their Master that Hereticks did say their Religion was conform to the Scripture as well as he and so the Scripture was no peculiar ground for him more than for Hereticks They say their Master answered That it was not a pretended but real Conformity unto the Scripture that demonstrates a true Religion c. and upon this they inquire what follows Alledging They argued from being as good and not pretending and so fall a railing saying That the light of our Consciences is ecclipsed by a new-found Light and that we mis-represent them malitiously This Railing is for want of better Reasoning but seeing they are so blind as not to see whether they will see it or not we shall tell them and we hope let the Reader see what follows here from Jo. Menzies the Students Master who saith to the Jesuit It is not enough that Hereticks say the Scripture is a ground for their Religion unless it really be so and that other Hereticks saying so doth not infer that it is as little a ground for his own to wit J. M's Religion Very well The Quakers tell the Students That it is not enough that Hereticks declare they have the Spirit unless it be really so and their saying they have it while they have it not doth not infer that our saying we have it is as little a ground for us Who but such as are as Childish as the Students will affirm there is here any difference But further they confound most ignorantly the Internal Testimony of the Spirit with the Declaration of having the Spirit which are two different things It was incumbent upon them to have proved The Internal Testimony of the Spirit is above the pretence of Hereticks unto it that the Internal Testimony of the Spirit is as good an Evidence for Hereticks as for us which they have not offered to do Next they have not proved that the Declaration of Hereticks is as good as ours neither can they unless they can prove ours to be false which they neither have nor can do But they have egregiously fallen in that Inconveniency they would fix upon us pag. 58.59 where in answering R. B's Retortion shewing them That if Mens being deceived contradicting themselves or one another who say the Spirit is the Rule did infer the Spirit not to be a certain Rule then Mens being deceived contradicting themselves and one another who say the Scripture is the Rule would the same way infer that the Scripture is not the Rule Here they are miserably put to it and therefore not ashamed to deny that they plead not against the Spirit 's being a Rule for these Causes The contrary for which is known to all that are acquainted with these Controversies And for Example let them read their so much applauded W. Mitchell his Dialogue and his Sober Answer so called where he makes this the chief Cause yea themselves for the same reason within two pages to wit pag. 60. and 61. plead against the Teaching of the Spirit affirming that * But besides will not their Master's Answer above mentioned meet well with them here that since these Sects and Saints did as both they and the Quakers confess but pretend to the Spirit that because they did but pretend therefore the Quakers do but pretend also no more than because some Hereticks do pretend their Religion is conform to the Scripture therefore I. M. doth so too Because the Georgians Familists and pretended Saints as Francis and Loyola c. pretended the Inward Teaching of the Spirit and had an outward shew of Godliness therefore the Spirit 's teaching to deny Vngodliness is as good an Evidence for them as for the Quakers Who but the Students would run themselves into such miserable Contradictions But to give the Reader an evident Demonstration of the
exercising their Reason and Vnderstanding naturally they may know many things Which we do not deny and so they might have spared that Labour But whereas they Alledge That there is nothing needful to be known and believed by the Heathens but what the Book of Nature and their Natural Understanding and Reason as Men can teach them according to the Quakers Principle and consequently the Heathens need not these Supernatural Revelations This they affirm without any Proof We shall give manifest Instances to the Contrary For the Quakers say All Men need both to have and to know a Supernatural Influence and Work of the Spirit of God in order to their Salvation And this also our Adversaries grant Heathens need a Divine Revelation Now the Heathens need a Divine Revelation to make this known to them For the Book of Nature or the meer Natures of things being considered cannot teach Men what is Supernatural and so it cannot teach Men that in all their Actings they are to have a Supernatural End Nor can it teach them that they are to Love Fear Serve and Worship God from a Supernatural Principle of God's Grace which are the greatest Duties required of Man and if it cannot teach Men and convince them of their greatest Duties it followeth that it cannot convince them of the great sins that are contrary unto those Duties Also Nature cannot teach Men the Mystery of Regeneration which yet is needful to be known For Men who are but too much addicted to Natural Reason and Searchings into the Book of Nature and despise the Divine and Supernatural Illumination of Christ in them think Regeneration a Fiction or unnecessary thing Other Instances could be given but lest they should call them the Quakers Errors we shall forbear contenting our selves with such as our Adversaries acknowledge to be true But 2. if it were granted that the Book of Nature could in some sort discover all things necessary to Salvation without Supernatural Light which yet we deny it doth not follow That therefore Divine Supernatural The Book of Nature is short of Divine things Objective Revelation is not necessary Because the Discovery that the Book of Nature and Natural Reason gives to Men of Divine Things as of the Power Wisdom Justice Goodness Love and Mercy of God is but Dim Weak Faint and Barren and is no more a proportionate Object to the Spiritual Sensations of the Soul than a Report of Meat and Drink and Cloathing are a suitable or proportionate Object to the Tast and Feeling of the outward Man The Souls of men need not only to be Convinced That there is a God who is Good Loving Merciful Powerful and Just but they need also in order to their Salvation to have a Feeling of his Divine Power to see and tast that he is Good to handle that Word of Life to know Christ in themselves to have the Love of God shed abroad in them by the Holy Spirit Which Love is a sensible and perceptible Object and so is Objective For if the Scriptures be not a sufficient Objective Revelation of God and the things of his Kingdom much less the Book of Nature c. But the first is true therefore the Second is true also Now that the Scriptures are not a sufficient Objective Revelation of God c. G. K. hath proved at large in his Book of Immediat Revelat. and we need not produce any new Arguments here until the Students or their Masters Refute those already set down in that Book Only this we say in short Nature and Scripture tell us That there is a God but they can neither give us a Sense Sight or Tasting of him or of his Love or of his Spiritual Judgments as these things are inwardly experienced where God Reveals them Nature cannot Refresh or Comfort the Soul nor pour in Wine and Oil into it when it is wounded with Sin and although it could tell that God can do this what Comfort could that be to the Soul unless God himself do it and make the Soul sensible of his Hand reaching unto it the Spiritual Things themselves that Nature cannot afford Also Nature cannot discover the Spiritual Judgments of God in the Soul whereby he cleanseth it from Sin as by Water and Fire Now as to the Second Branch of their Argument That the Scriptures are a sufficient objective Revelation of all things necessary to Salvation this we altogether deny as is said For although the Scripture is a full-enough Declaration of all Doctrines and Principles both essential and integral of Christian Religion yet the Scripture doth propose Divine Things and Objects but as a Card or Map doth a Land The Scripture a Map and the Fruits of it to the outward Eye Now as this is not a sufficient Objective Proposal because we need to see the Land it self and to tast and eat and drink of the Fruit of it so our Souls need a more near and Immediate Discovery of God than the Scripture which is but a Report of him that he may Feed and Nourish us by his Divine Manifestations And here in the Prosecution of this Argument they are at great Pains to prove That the Scriptures are given from God which we deny not although same of their Proofs be weak But whatever Reasons can be brought to prove That the Scriptures are given from God if the Inward Testimony of the Spirit of God be not believed and received these Reasons cannot beget any Divine Saving Faith whereof only we speak but a meer Human and Natural Faith or Conviction As to that Place of Scripture 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel c. that is If our Gospel be hid c. say they the Outward Gospel But doth Paul say so Nay Look the Greek Text and you will find the contrary that the Gospel he spake of was hid in them that are lost so the Greek * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore it was Inward And this Scripture they bring to prove That the Scriptures have Objective Evident and Perspicuity in themselves whereas Paul doth not say of the Scripture but of the Gospel which is the Power of God And whereas they query If a person may have Immediate Objective Revelations who hath not his Mind well disposed and if so what Advantage would he have by them which he might not have without them by the Scriptures We answer Much every way Because the Scripture is not able to Dispose his Mind as our Adversaries grant but these Immediate Objective Revelations are also really Effective and have sufficient Power and Ability in them to Dispose his Mind if he do not resist them Again whereas they query May a Person be well disposed who hath not such Revelations We answer No Yet he may want some and have other some but if he may yet there is need of such Revelations Even as if a Man's Eye or Tast were never so well disposed he needeth the Objects themselves And as
which our Adversaries will not deny to be Murder And let them shew us where the one Part of this Command is Repealed more than the other or how the one Part is Lawful for us and the other Vnlawful seeing both were Commanded and Lawful to the Jews For their meer Assertions as to this pag. 126. are not to be regarded They are offended that Matth. 5.29 should be given for a Repeal of this alledging That belongeth only to private Persons and not to Magistrates else it should be unlawful for Magistrates to punish Transgressours c. Answ. The Consequence will not hold For we are not speaking of things Civil but of things Religious though it may be lawful for them To Resist Evil in the one yet not in the other But that Christian Magistrates are here included is easily proved If this belong to all Christians then it belongeth to all Magistrates if they be Christians for to say that a Christian by becoming a Magistrate is dispensed of these Obligations he is particularly tyed to as a Christian A Suffering for Righteousness in Magistrates is most Absurd Yea if Christian Magistrates be bound to suffer for Righteousness sake then they are not to Resist Evil in Matters of Religion But the first is True for how could they enjoy the Blessing of those that suffer for Righteousness-sake Matth. 5.10 11. if they still Resisted At this rate none should suffer for Christ who could by any means shun it by killing those that make them suffer and who would then be those that Suffer Willingly And it seems according to the Students if a Man be a Magistrate he ought not any more to suffer for Christ which is as much as to say That so soon as a Man becomes a Magistrate he ceases to be a Christian. The great Noise they make of the Two Dispensations of the Gospel Two Dispensations of the Gospel mentioned by G. K. doth but manifest their own Weakness and Folly For themselves will not deny but that Where-ever Faith in Jesus Christ is professed and he owned as the Saviour and Son of God there is a Dispensation of the Gospel as in the Greek Armenian Ethiopian yea and in their Account in the Romish Church also Yet will they not deny but that Dispensation is more Legal and Obscure than that themselves are under as having many Ceremonies and Shadows not Necessary And so here is a Twofold Dispensation acknowledged by themselves Seeing they will not affirm that the use of all these Ceremonies is absolutely sinful in these Churches who are not as yet Convinced of it though it should be unlawful for them to use them And seeing the purest and most Excellent Dispensation of the Gospel is to be like unto Christ who Resisted not Evil though he was powerful to do it and that we are bound to be like him Then there is a Dispensation of the Gospel in which Evil is not to be Resisted But further if there be such a Dispensation of the Gospel as Men shall beat their Swords into Plough shears and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and not learn War any more then there is a Dispensation in which Evil shall not be Resisted The Consequence cannot be denied the Antecedent is the express Words of the Prophet Isaiah 2.4 Besides this Twofold Dispensation is proved out of Bishop Forbes of Aberdeen his Exposition upon the Revelations where he Affirms That the two last Chapters of the Revelation are understood of a Church upon Earth in which Church it cannot be supposed that Evil should be Resisted by an Outward Sword Pag. 121. Magistrates are not to bear the Sword in vain They Argue from Rom. 13. where the Magistrate is not to bear the Sword in vain Hence they conclude They ought to Resist Evil But this saith nothing as to Matters of Religion They shew as well their Malice as Disingenuity here insinuating we denied that Place to belong to Magistrates now which we never did nor do Only G. K. said He would be glad to hear how they could prove that it did belong to Magistrates now And indeed were we not otherwise perswaded of it their Arguments could not in Reason Convince us which is That the Scripture is written for our Cause and these Epistles are to be received and obeyed by us But they have overturned all these themselves as is above observed where in their Answer to the Apostle's Rules about Womens Praying and Prophesying with their Head covered they suppose Rules given by the Apostle in his Epistles of things that not only are not pertaining to us but even Vnlawful And so unless they make us a Clear Distinction of these Rules and that by some Evident Demonstration to Argue from our Duty to obey these Commands signifies nothing But while they take up the Paper to prove that which they cannot say we ever denied they most shamelesly omit our Chief Answer to this which could they have Replied unto they would not have dropped thus And therefore we shall Return it upon them that they may not forget it when they write next That of the 13 Rom. cannot be understood of the Magistrates punishing Men for Matters of Conscience because it being written to the Church of Rome to shew them their Duty towards their present Magistrate which was Nero Not to punish Men for Religious Matters like Nero that persecuting Emperour that Cruel and Persecuting Emperour And then it would follow That Nero had had a lawful Power and Authority to punish even Christians for Errours in Matters of Religion though himself was a professed Infidel And seeing the Magistrate is to Exert his Power according to his Knowledge it would follow that Nero exercised a Lawful Power in causing to kill the Apostles and persecute the Christians which will make that horrid Crime very slender seing it was no more according to the Students but the Exercising that Lawful Authority he had received from God according to his Knowledge Pag. 122. They build an Airy Triumph upon their own Mistake alledging That since their Magistrates are not under that pure Dispensation it is lawful for them to Resist Evil And so that of Matth. is not a Repeal to them But they have here either wilfully But for Evil in Civil Matters or ignorantly forgotten the other Branch of the Distinction For granting their Magistrates may as we deny not and that lawfully Resist Evil in Civil Matters yet not in Matters of Conscience And this is that which was incumbent upon them to have proved But it may be worth the Reader 's Pains specially to notice their Reasonings in this 122. p. in Answer to that Objection given in by us from the Parable of the Tares Matth. 13. where the Servants are expresly forbidden to pluck them up Tares what they are Here they play fast and loose to purpose and to facilitate their own Work make no difficulty to fasten Contradictions upon Christ himself 1. They say It is
clearly Repealed because Murtherers Witches Traitors are Tares as well as Hereticks and if the one were to be eximed * Exempt or Excepted so would the other Is not this the way to Argue against Christ and to charge Contradictions upon him not upon us Wherein they fasten an Absurdity upon him who gave this Command or else they must acknowledge that by these Tares are to be understood some sort of Evil-doers with whom the Magistrates are not to meddle But since the Students say This is Repealed they must Confess it sometimes stood in Vigour it being once Commanded we would willingly be informed then of them and they may remember it when they write next How long this Command stood and to whom it belonged since it had its Rise from Christ and was none of the Old Covenant-Precepts Or if it be one of those useless Gospel-Commands they dream of which it is unlawful for us to Obey But to go on they say That by the Tares is to be understood bemasked Hypocrites who being scarce discernable from the Wheat are therefore not to be meddled with No Discerning no Judging Very well then where the Magistrate cannot discern Heresies according to themselves he is not to punish And then what comes of that Authority was acknowledged Nero had from Rom. 13. who was as uncapable to Discern Hereticks as Hypocrites And then seeing as before is said They are not to Iudge of hidden things Experience hath abundantly shewn how much the True Discerning of Heresy is both Vncertain and Difficult even to Protestant Magistrates who have called that Wheat to day which they have called Tares to morrow And therefore ought according to this Rule to forbear meddling in such Matters Sundry Religions may live in Peace together Their Second Argument pag. 123. drawn from Rom. 13. and 1 Pet. 2.14 which is parallel with it is before Answered Afterwards they go about to play the Politicians shewing both here and in the following page How the Publick Peace is disturbed by suffering of sundry Religions And this they reckon so Certain that they conclude It is known by all that are but indifferently versed in Histories c. Now if this Conclusion hold True it is Impossible either for France Germany Holland or Zwitserland to be in Peace without either the Papists rise up and Cut the Protestants Throats or the Protestants theirs And who but such as the Students can be Ignorant that after much Blood-shed and Contention who should Oppress and Destroy each other they have learned by sad Experience That it is safest and most conducible to the Peace and contributes most to the Publick Benefit Not to meddle with each others Consciences Notwithstanding that these pitiful States-men can prattle to the Contrary Who have shewn themselves in this to be very indifferently versed in History Civil Offences require a Civil Censure and Religious Offences an Ecclesiastick Censure But they proceed Affirming That since the Magistrate is Keeper of both Tables to whom is entrusted not only the Care of Mens Bodies but Souls he ought to punish not only for Evil but also for Religious Offences If all this were confessed would it follow that he were to punish Religious as Civil Offences by a Civil Censure Surely nay no more than he must punish Civil Offences by an Ecclesiastick Censure Now it remains for them to prove That Offences in things purely Conscientious should among Christians be punished by the External Sword Which they have not as yet done And let it be here Observed that notwithstanding all their Clamours for the Magistrates Priviledge and that the Quakers detract from him All the Power Dignity and Honour they put upon him is To be the Clergy's Burrow For as they allow him not Authority to judge who are Hereticks and who not So he must only serve to be their Executioner and persecute such as they find prejudicial to their Interest For though they will have it to be lawful for Preachers such as their Bishops to be Magistrates as Chancellor Councellor Judge c. yet no Magistrate nay the King himself must take upon him to be a Preacher though we could never see any thing in all the New Testament making this Vnlawful yea and David and Solomon in the Old who were not of the Tribe of Levi were both Prophets and Preachers and Pen-men of the Scripture This Trick even the Protestant Clergy have learned from their Father the Pope Priests shut out the Magistrate from medling with their Function who shewed the Clergy long ago the way to make themselves Princes and Judges but to be sure to shut out the Magistrate from medling with their Function So it may be easily seen here whether the Quakers or the Students be the greatest Friends to the Magistrate Lastly They Conclude that since those that broach Heresy do Evil and that the Magistrate is the Executor of God's Wrath upon him that doth or acteth outwardly Evil without any Restriction c. it is not lawful for us to add a Restriction where the Spirit of God hath put none Who can but Admire the Impudency of these Students which do that which in the following line they Affirm is unlawful by adding Outwardly which is a Restriction For the words in the Text are not Outwardly Evil but Evil which being taken without any Restriction Comprehends Inward as well as Outward Acts of Evil. Seeing then they put a Restriction though to their own Self-Condemnation they Confess it to be Vnlawful which they are forced to do else Hypocrites would be Comprehended whom they Confess to be Tares that are not to be medled with Tares We that judge it no wise Vnlawful because without other clear Texts be Contradicted there must be here a Restriction may Restrict it to things Civil and Moral excluding matters of Worship and Difference in Opinion for the Reasons often before-mentioned Their third Argument wholly misses the matter which is The Practice of many Princes even approved of God in Coercing Idolatries c. For since all the Examples they give are of the Kings of Judah and Israel under the Law it no wise meets the present Controversy which is concerning the power of Christian Magistrates under the Gospel Lastly they Argue That the Prophets of the Old Testament have prophesied The Death of false Prophets that it should be the Office of Christian Magistrates to Coerce false Prophets for which they alledge Deut. 18.20 He that shall speak in the name of other Gods shall die Very well he saith not shall be put to death in a Judicial Way It is said The Soul that sinneth shall die it will not therefore follow that Every Soul that sinneth shall be killed by the Magistrate But though it be understood of putting to death it reacheth not the Case we being under the Gospel not under the Law where also it was not lawful so to do for different Opinions and Interpretations of the Law but
Fourth or Last Sort is when as Men being truly enlightened in their Understanding but their Will Heart and Affections not being throughly leavened with the Love of God do Condemn things justly Reproveable but not out of the pure Drawings of Divine Love but even from a Mixture of Self in the Forwardness of their own Will as not suffering any to be Contrary unto them This is the most Innocent kind of Wrong Zeal yet not so but that it ought to be watched against And of these few that are guilty of it it were fit they Waited to be Redeemed from it But the pure undefiled Zeal that is acceptable to God is that which proceeds not only from a pure and clear Understanding The Pure and Vndefiled Zeal but also from a Renewed and Sanctified Will which moves not of nor from Self but from and for the Lord. SECT III. The Controversy Stated with Respect to the different Sorts of Christians how it is to be fetched from the Nature of their Principles and not from the Practice of Particular Persons True Christian Love the most excellent Virtue THe sum of what is said is That true Christian Love and Charity is the most Excellent of Virtues most needful to be sought after and attained that it is never joined but with Purity which it naturally leads to and there-from doth consequentially arise an Indignation and Zeal against Vnrighteousness which True Zeal is justly Commendable and really distinguishable from all false and Ignorant Zeal For the more clear Stating of the Controversy in proceeding in this Matter these following Assertions relating thereto may be Proposed and Affirmed Assertions taken for granted by all sorts of Christians I. That whatsoever Love is Consistent with the pure Love of God may be safely exercised towards all sorts as well of Men as Christians II. That whatsoever Love or Charity really conduceth to the Salvation of their Souls and so far as they are capable thereof may and ought to be shewed towards them III. That therefore the Good in all ought to be Commended Encouraged and Loved and no true Good either denied rejected or despised because of any Errors peculiar to respective Sects IV. That the Evil either in Opinion or Practice ought neither to be spared year 1677 encouraged nor fomented under any Pretence of Love whatsoever These I shall not enlarge nor yet offer to prove studying to avoid Prolixity because I presume they will be readily Granted and Assented to by all That then which principally comes under Consideration is to Consider and Examine Which of all the several sorts of Christians at this Day do most truly observe these Rules and shew forth most of the true Love and Zeal of God in their Way and Principles avoiding that which is Contrary thereunto Wherein that I may proceed clearly there are some things previous to be warily and seriously weighed As First I. Vnsettled Men Judging others are more reprovable than those others When I speak of the Charity of the several sorts of Christians I speak of such as are settled in their respective Principles as perswading themselves certainly in the Truths and Soundness of them so that their Love and Charity is really to such as they judge and believe are wrong Seeming to have Charity to all and be afraid to judge them from an Vnsettledness in ones self as not knowing which is right or which is wrong is a Virtue of Necessity and not of Choice and proceedeth no ways from the Love of God neither has any Resemblance thereunto For God loves and Compassionates Sinners and such as are out of the way not as being Ignorant or Doubting whether they be such but as really knowing them It were indeed the Height of Madness and Folly for these Vnsettled uncertain and straggling Souls to take the Liberty to Judge others for being Wrong while they profess they know not yet who is Right and who is Wrong being only sure of this that themselves are not come to Rights for they could not in so doing but be Self-condemned Not but I believe that the Condition of such if they be truly forbearing and ready to embrace the good when seen by them is both more Tolerable to others and Safe for themselves than those that are hardily Confident in a wrong Belief from thence forwardly Judging others But this I mention for the sake of certain Men of loose and uncertain Principles who being really Conscious to themselves of their own Vnsettledness finding themselves at a Loss as concerning many of the Controverted Principles of the Christian Religion which is right and which wrong and not finding a ready way to come to any certain Determination therein and being perhaps unwilling to undergo the Trouble and Difficulty of such a Serious Search and Enquiry as well as desirous to avoid these troublesome Circumstances or other Inconveniences which may seem to them necessarily to accompany their Imbodying themselves with any particular People or Fellowship and therefore find it more easie to satisfy and please themselves with some general Notions of practical Truths commonly acknowledged by all and therefore Cover themselves by Condemning that Heat Asperity and severe Censuring that is among the several sorts of Christians one towards another as not consistent with nor suitable to that Love which ought to be in all Christians Whereas poor Men they mind not how much they fall in this Crime and that in a degree far more Reprovable than those they thus Accuse For First Are not they found Guilty of the Want of this Christian Love and Charity 1. Different Opinions in Religion Censuring and Judging each other for that they are found Guilty of themselves that do Judge and Condemn all those several sorts of Christians as Defective in this so principal and necessary a Christian Virtue whereby they do indirectly shut them out from being Christians or Disciples of Jesus For if they judged it an Error Inconsistent with Christian Love and Charity to Condemn or Accuse one another for difference in Opinion why are they found themselves so guilty of it For since this Censuring and Condemning of one another among the several sorts of Christians is practised by them as their Duty and a necessary Consequence of their Doctrine why should these Judge them for it If they say They Condemn them for it because they believe it to be a wrong Principle shall not others be allowed the like Liberty to Condemn Principles they likewise believe to be Wrong One of two then must of necessity hold Either that wrong Doctrines or Opinions may be justly Reproved Confuted and Condemned without Breach of Christian Love and Charity and therefore the so doing amongst the several sorts of Christians upon their own respective Principles in it self simply considered not Evil or Reproveable and therefore these Men wrong in Judging it so Or it is an Evil and inconsistent with Christian Love and Charity to Condemn any sort of Christians
not my present Business to Inquire year 1676 and all these Differences of Ceremonies that are betwixt them are only Approved by the Romanists as such which are Indulged to them by the Pope who pretends out of a Fatherly Care and Compassion to Yield these things unto them Which if it be true is done by him rather to uphold the Shew of his Authority and because Distance of Place and other Incommodities hinder him from pressing more upon them since in Places nearer Hand and where fitter Opportunities have been presented he hath shewn himself very Zealous and Violent to bring all to a ready Obedience to the least of his Commands As by many Examples could be largely proved Yet some are of the Mind that all these Stories and pretended Acknowledgments of Patriarchs to the Romish See are but the meer Effects of the Policy of that Court to uphold their Grandure and nothing better but pretty Comedies to amuse the Vulgar and Credulous and augment their Reverence towards the Pope and his Clergy But whatever be in this it is abundantly manifest That there can be nothing more Contrary to this Vniversal Love and Charity than Romish Principles and that no Man of that Religion without deserting his Principles can pretend to it As to the other Principle of Persecution Persecution practised and Wars fomented in the Church of Rome how much it is Preached and Practised in the Church of Rome will need no great Probation Those that are acquainted with or have heard of the Spanish Inquisition of the many Inhuman Butcheries and Massacrees committed both in France and the Netherlands upon Men meerly for the matter of their Consciences the many Plots Consultations Combinings and Wars contrived fomented and carried on by the Bishops of Rome themselves and the Chief of their Clergy yielding large and voluntary Contributions thereto for to Ruin and Root out the Dissenters from the Romish Society after Luther appeared Cannot but see how Natural and Consequential it is to Romish Principles so to do and thence also observe how Contrary and Opposite these things are to Vniversal Love and Charity and how much they act the Hypocrite when they pretend Christian Charity to any that differ from them And this manifestly appears in these Two which none of them that has Vnderstanding to know or Honesty to Confess their Principles can deny I might also add a Third which albeit by some Popish Doctors in some Nations it be Denied yet is no less firmly Believed and Contended for by other Eminent Persons among them especially Bellarmine and approved by the Pope himself to wit The Popes Power to Depose Princes in case of Heresy and give their Kingdoms to others allowing them upon that account to Fight against them and accounting their so purchasing of them lawful Small Offences heretofore would have provoked to this Sentence as appeared in the Example of Hildebrand and others but of late he is more sparing and deliberate in his Denuntiations finding his Authority less Regarded The Pope's Abbreviated Power of Deposing Princes in Case of Heresy and his Power to bring to Obedience much Abbreviated But surely this Principle cannot Consist with Vniversal Love when that which by all is acknowledged to be an Ordinance of God doth not secure the lawful Administrators thereof from the Bitterness of it year 1677 If you will not allow a King to be a King albeit his Right and Title so to be is every way as good as such among your selves unless he be of your mind certainly there is but small hopes of your Charity to other Persons There might be much more said and enlarged as well upon this as other things which sufficiently evidenceth The Church of Rome can have no just claim to this Universal Love which I purposely to avoid all manner of prolixity do omit Protestants Principles The great variety or Doctrines among Protestants so called will make it somewhat harder to decipher them particularly in this matter yet to take first notice of those who by their most publick Confessions as well as by their Possession of whole Nations are most Commonly and Universally understood to bear that name to wit the Lutherans and Calvinists 1. Lutherans and Calvinists seems most Regular And because of their Vnity as well as of several others in that Doctrine and Practice of Persecution Persecution their Doctrine and Practice I shall make my first Observation from thence which being not only held by them but also by several others Dissenting from both of them may be termed the more the pity A general Doctrine of Protestants How far this contradicts Vniversal Love is before-mentioned But as to them it has this Additional Aggravation which is very Considerable That they do and that upon their owned Principles so rigorously persecute one another not permitting one another the free Exercise of their Conscience in their respective Dominions albeit they acknowledge that they Agree in Fundamentals and that they have both upon the same design of Reformation departed from Antichrist How then can these Men pretend to any thing of Vniversal Love or Charity who upon so small Difference by themselves not esteemed Fundamental do deny one another the very Common and Natural Benefits of the Creation And of this the Island of Great Britain can give good Evidence England instanced at Variance For albeit the Protestants there be in a sense all Calvinists or at least not at Variance in that which was and is the great Controversy among the Lutherans and Calvinists abroad and that their Difference lies only in the matter of the Government of the Church and some other Ceremonies many of which Calvin himself confesseth not to be of that Consequence for which the Godly should be at Variance Yet how little Charity they have to one another and how great and Irreconcilable Prejudice and Malice is openly known to the World So that upon this account the Prelatick Party has Persecuted the Presbyterian and the Presbyterian them as they respectively found themselves in a Capacity to do it not only to the Ejection of the Clergy for this difference out of their Function and the Excommunication and publickly Cursing one of another Excommunicating one another but also to the Turning in and out of State-Officers to the Imprisoning Forfeiting Banishing yea and Judicial Execution both of private and publick Persons Not to mention the horrible Devastations and publick Wars whereby this Island became as a bloody Tragedy to the ruin of thousands of Families Wars and Bloodshed which took its rise from their Differences and was carried and fomented from the very Pulpits under this Notion Also those common and usual Denominations wherewith they used and yet do design on one another are not unknown as Self-seeking and self-separating Hypocrites seditious Incendiaries presumptuous Rebels and on the other hand Proud and Bloody Prelates Ignorant and Vngodly Curates Wicked and Hateful Malignants Idolatrous and
be Administred upon all without respect of Persons Who will but open their Eyes may see here the Man so desperately Resolved to Calumniate that he neither seems to Regard his Conscience towards God nor his Reputation among Men that he may fulfil his Envy in this particular but such gross Abuses will not hurt but help the Quakers Yea in the very next Page he taketh notice That I grant to the Magistrate only Liberty to judge in matters touching the Life and Goods of others c. So here is some lawful power As for the malitious Insinuation that follows it needs no other Refutation with Men of Sobriety but to Repeat it to wit But probably not of Quakers for they are perfect and so cannot do wrong Is not this solidly and learnedly and Christianly argued Reader Thinkest thou that to say That this Restriction is destroyed because Men may pretend Conscience in wronging their Neighbours as some have done in committing Villanies saith nothing since the Proposition expresly allows the Magistrate to punish Acts that are materially injurious to Civil Society albeit Conscience be pretended After according to his usual manner he has given us a large Citation out of the Confession of Faith and some Quibbles about the word Conscience which as not directly concerned in this Debate for brevity's sake I omit Secondly he comes pag. 504. n. 5. to say That I most perversly state the question in saying The Magistate has not power to Compel Men against their Consciences in matters of Region and why J. B. Asserts that for Magistrates to force an Outward Conformity is not a Compelling Men contrary to their Consciences Because I distinguish not betwixt Elicit and Imperate Acts of Conscience that is as himself explains Inward and Outward for as to the firts he confesseth The Magistrate is not to Compel Men so as to hinder-them to think judge understand and conclude in their mind as they will but only in speaking writing and open professing which are visible and audible yea he thinks the Magistrates Power doth not only extend on this side to Prohibition but that he may also force them to Hear and to the Vse of Publick Means that is in plain terms to an Outward Conformity and yet he saith This is no Force upon Conscience Well! then Popish Magistrates according to him used no Force upon the Consciences of Protestants in forcing them to hear Mass nor yet the Pagans upon Christians in forcing them to go to Idol-worships and to come near home the present Magistrates in Scotland use no Force upon the Consciences of his Brethren the Presbyterians in the West-country in Constraining them to go to hear the Bishops Curates as they term them where they cannot pretend there is any thing of Idolatry As for his distinction of the Magistrates having Power of Outward but not Inward Acts it were enough for me to Reject it as not being proved by him to be founded on Scripture as indeed it is most deceitful For if the Magistrate Restrain me from doing that Outward Action either of Confessing to Truth or Denying Error Abstaining from Idolatry or False Worship and practising the True which my Inward Perswasion convinceth me of he Incroacheth upon and takes upon him to Rule over my Inward Perswasion as well as the Outward Christ requires an outtoward Confession which follows naturally from the Inward And without doing whereof my Inward could add nothing to me save Condemnation seeing Christ requires an Outward Confession And if the Magistrates Power as to Outward Acts even in Matters of Religion be limited then he of right may Decide and Judge of all outward Matters relating to Religion which John Brown may remember his Brethren have strongly denied reserving that only for the Kirk For to say as he addeth That the Magistrate has Power to punish Hereticks but not the Orthodox is as I observed miserably to beg the Question since never any Magistrate was so mad as to persecute Truth as Truth but still under the Notion of Error The sum of what he saith further upon this Matter pag. 505-507 508 509. in answer to me resolves in these two Objections ¶ 3. First That my Arguments do no less take away the Magistrates Power in Civils Secondly That by the same Arguments may be denied and taken away all Church-Censures which I grant and in so doing contradict my self or must answer my own Arguments For proof of the First he tells That many Magistrates have been or may be uncapable to judge in Civil Matters as well as Religion as also have done Injustice in their Judgment Answ. True but all this will no ways infer his Conclusion The being of the Civil Magistrate is to judge of Civil not Religious Matters because they still had that which was needful to the being of Magistracy that is being duly Constitute for of Vsurpers we do not here speak however they may want these Qualities which might more accomplish them in their Employment or that they may Err in the Administration of it But Christianity and consequently to judge in Matters of Religion doth not so much as pertain to the Esse or being of a Magistrate For if it did no Man could ever have been or yet could be a true Magistrate or ought to be so owned unless a Christian which I suppose John Brown will not adventure to affirm or if he do he will manifestly Contradict the Doctrine as well as Practice of Christ and his Apostles who preached Subjection and were themselves Subject to such Magistrates as were Enemies to Christianity If then a Magistrate may be truly a Magistrate and ought by Christians to be acknowledged and submitted to as such who is not a Christian to deny to Magistrates that Power of Judgment which they can only have as being Christians will not necessarily take away any of their Power as Magistrates For Christian Subjects especally being private Persons may and ought to submit and obey their lawful Magistrates albeit committing Errors in the Government and commanding things hurtful to the State and if they do other ways may be justly punished where the Nature of the Government giveth them not Allowance so to do Magistrates Commiting Errors in Government But if the Magistrate shall Command any thing contrary to the Law of God or Impose in Matters of Conscience contrary to Truth J. B. will with me confess unless he Condemn himself that every private Christian may without being justly accused of Contempt refuse to Obey Magistrates Commands ought not to be contrary to the Law of God nor forcing Conscience As many of John Brown's Friends do in not going to the Parish-Kirks where the same Faith and Doctrine they hold is preached Contrary to Acts of Parliament For he hath not proved That a Magistrate by being a Christian acquires more Power than he had before or is more a Magistrate though he may be a better For albeit as he observes Fathers be
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