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A87658 The pretended antidoe [sic] proved poyson: or, The true principles of the Christian & Protestant religion defended, and the four counterfit defenders thereof detected and discovered the names of which are James Allen, Joshua Moodey, Samuell Willard and Cotton Mather, who call themselves ministers of the Gospel in Boston, in their pretended answer to my book, called, The Presbyterian & independent visible churches in New-England, and else-where, brought to the test, &c. And G.K. cleared not to be guilty of any calumnies against these called teachers of New-England, &c. By George Keith. With an appendix by John Delavall, by way of animadversion on some passages in a discourse of Cotton Mathers before the General Court of Massachusetts, the 28th of the third moneth, 1690. Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Delavall, John, d. 1693. 1690 (1690) Wing K192A; ESTC W42984 110,748 234

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of the Assembly is manifest from this th●t the far greatest part of them being Presbyterians and but few Independants in comparison of the ●ajor part the Presbyterian Church was then a National Church composed of the whole Body of the Nation both in England Scotland and Ireland as much as possible could be and the Presbyterian League and Covenant did not only take in all who were willing however many thousands of them were of a Scandalous Life but the Promoters of it forced them who were unwilling that either they must take the Covenant or suffer Banishment And it is manifest that the Presbyterian Church in England Scotland and Ireland was as National and consisting of as gross a mixture as the Episcopal or even as the Church of Rome it self as in respect of Scandalous Livers so that what Luther said of his followers in his day may be as much applyed to the Presbyterian Church whose Ministers did mostly compose that Assembly in the fore-cited Book called Mensalia cap. 22. ● 290 The manner of Life said Luther i● as Evil among us as among the Papists wherefore we strive not with them by reason of the manner of Life but for and about the Doctrine And it is manifest as the noon day that not only the far greatest part of the People composing the Presbyterian Church were of a dessolute and scandalous Life but too many of their Ministry and Elders which occasioned the breach betwixt the Independents and them that these called Independents thinking that the multitude of Presbyterian Professors were not duely qualified to be Church-Members as in respect of a strict life erected a new Model of Congregational Churches which are now again almost wholly degenerated if not altogether into a Presbyterian Laxeness and how can it be supposed that a National Church as such can have the multitude of its Professors to be free of a scandalous Life seeing no such instance can as yet be given for the Presbyterian National Church as well as the Episcopal and Church of Rome receiveth Men and Women to be Members of their Church either how soon born or by Infant Baptism and rarely if ever doth excommunicate any for their Vitious manner of living except in some extraordinary cases of Adultery Incest or Sodomy c. but if any dissent from them in Doctrine then nothing but dreadful Thunderings of Excommunication like the Popes Bulls against the primitive Protestants All which showeth that by Profession the Ass●mbly understood much rather a meer verbal thing than the Practise of a holy Life or so much as the outward appearance thereof And ye may be ashamed to cite 2 Tim. 3.5 for that requireth us To turn away from s ch as having a fo●m of Godliness d●ny the Power thereof and that is to be sure from all Hypocrites and such who have not real inward Piety and Holiness for who have not true piety deny the Power of Godliness And that either the Presbyterian or Independent Constitution of a Church require an uniform Practice of a Godly and Christian Life in all the necessary parts of it as of living Soberly Righteously and Godly and denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts is no wise apparent from their Practise however it may be allowed that some external Practices in some things that Hypocrites may most easily perform yea and Scandalous Persons also may be and are required as particularly To present their Children to be sprinkled To break Bread twice or four times a year more or less c. together To come to Church as it is called once or twice a week To salute the Minister with a Ha●l-Rabbi and a low Cringe in the streets and putting off the Hat and most especially as a most necessary practice To pay every one his share of the Preists Wages These and the like v●ry ordinary and superficial Practices are the mo●t that I can find are required in your Church Members and what is there required of the Spirit of God or real inward Holiness in all this surely nothi●g by your own confession Nor ought ye to blame me for this Character of your Church Members seeing John Fox giveth me a President in his Book of Martyrs 1. volum Pag. 43. in the like cass where he d●fineth a Christian man after the Popes making by his practisi●g some outward things no wi●● in●●rring inward Holiness of Life and afte● concludeth with these expres● words Now look upon this Definition viz. that he hath given of a Member of the Popes Church and tell me good Reader what Faith or Spirit or what working of the holy Ghost in all this Doctrine is to be required Whereby it is most plain th●t John Fox a man of great Authority among Protestants agreeth with the People called Quakers against both Presbyterians and Independents in the true definition of a Member of the true Church visible viz. That every such Member should have the true Faith and Spirit and working of the holy Ghost which yet ye openly deny to qualifie them thereunto requi●ing only an outside Profession of words and at most some outward Practices that may be and are commonly practised by the greatest Hypocrites Pag. 132. Ye say I find fault with you for using an Hour-glass to know how the time spends and a Bell to gather your Ass●mblies together But for the use of an Hour-glass simply to know the measure of Time I did find no fault with you but that ye commonly measure the Time of your preaching by the Hour-glass which showeth that none of you preach by the Spirit of God which is not limitted to any stinted measure of Time and the primitive Christian Preachers had no such thing as either Hour-Glass or Dial to measure the time of their Preaching nor are we against the civil use of Bells Clocks or Dials but the superstitions use of Bells hanging in high Steeples like the high places used by Idolators of Old and which ye follow the Papists in to call your Assembly together and the sound of which many ignorant and carnal People are vainly delighted with Hospimian de orig Templ saith Bells were not used for certain in the first five Centuries at most of Christianity when yet their Parishes or Church-Precincts were of a greater extent than the most diffused among us P. 133. Ye call the inward Gospel spiritual Bell ringing in the hearts of the faithful which is the living Word sounding in the hearts a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop Whereby ye show how carnal dark and ignorant ye are for hereby ye deny the inward Call Voice and Sound of Christ the Son of God in the hearts of the faithful which by a figure I call the Gospel Bell whereof Aarons Bells that did hang at his Garments were a Type and it is common in Scripture that the name of the Type is given to the thing typified by it But that Psal 89.15 intends the Silver Trumpets in the time of the Law ye barely alledge without
during a day of visitation it doth not follow that Habitual Sanctification is in all men a Seed of Holiness is one thing and the Habit Garment or Clothing of Holiness is another as the Seed of Flax is one thing and a Habit or Ga●ment of Flax is another for the Seed must g●ow to bring the Flax that can be made in●o a Habit or Garment And as for the School-notion of Habits it is so old and threed bare being a Popish contrivance in their Popish P●ilosophy promoted by J●suites grounded upon some mistaken notions of A●istotle that it i● generally exploded by learned and Judicious Protestants as well as their other absurd Notions of material substantial Forms and Qualitie● of innumerable sorts CAP. VI. PAg. 82. Ye greatly mistake that Scripture Rom 5.13 and contradict it by your bold Assertion That Sin was imputed be●ore the Law whenas Paul saith it was not imputed when there was no Law which is not to be understood simply but comparatively for the Times generally before Moses Law were Times of Ignorance at which God wi●ked and as the time of the Worlds Infancy even as Parents wink and connive at the failings of Infants and therefore a fortiori I did well agrue Tha● sin is not imputed to new born Infants Pag. 84. Ye pervert my words as if I meant That the World the Church were the same thing because I bring Scripture to prove that C●r st is the Saviour of the World Joh. 4.42 the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 But I brought these Scriptures to prove that Christ was not only the Saviour of Believers in a special way but of all men in a general way yet this doth not say the World and the Church is one Pag. 85. whereas I brought many Scriptures to prove that the Love and Grace of God i● universally extended unto all because the word All is as expresly mentioned frequently in Scripture with respect to Gods Love and Grace and Christs Death as with respect to that damage suffered by Adams fall and therefore as it is conf●ssed that all have s●ffered a damage by Adams fall and sin so all have received a benefit by Christs Death and the Parallel brought by the Apostle Paul doth prove it which ye say nothing solidly against only nibble a little alledging that it will follow that then all shall be saved by Christ. I Answer it doth not follow unless ye could prove that all were eternally lost by having a Sentence of Eternal Damnation equal to that of the Wicked at the end of the World past upon th●m as to argue thus the Sentence of Eternal Damnation did pass upon all men after Adams fall and therefore the sentence of Eternal Justification hath passed on all men because of Christ But the Sentence that passed on all men was not that of Eternal Damnation for it was not said to Adam Thou shalt dye the second death and be cast into the Lake of Fire for the Second Death implyeth that there was a first death and that first Death was only th●t Adam was deprived of his enjoyment of God inwa●d●y and his Soul became dead unto God and Righteousness a●d his body became subject to death but this doth not infer the same degree or kind of Pun●shment with that of the Second Death that is inflicted for contempt of the Gospel and final Unbelief Therefore the Parallel still holds good that whatever loss or d●m●ge is come upon Adams Posterity by occasion of the fall it is restored unto all men who are Adams Posterity through the offer of the remedy to wit Jesus Christ who dyed for all and if they neglect that remedy finally they shall be punished with the Se●ond Death that is g●eater Punishment than the first death in Adam and though the Remdy of Christ and his Grace be offered and applyed unto all in a day of Visitation yet it doth not follow that Christ and his Grace hath not sufficient Efficacy if all are not Saved no more than that it doth follow that a ●ose of good Physick is not a sufficient effectual Medicine to cure a Disease because some to whom it hath been applyed are n●t cured by it though the same dose of Physick hath cured many of the same Disease which proveth its sufficient Efficacy in it self although eventually it hath not that success on some for their own fault that have not duely observed the Physicians Rules and after application have done some things that did hinder its operation And as to 2 Cor. 5.14 Whether I or y● pervert the true sence of it I do freely leave to the Impartial Reader your sence being this I● one died for all Gods Elect only then not only Gods Elect but all others that are a mu●● greater number were dead but this would make Pauls argument alt gether void and reflect upon that hol● Spirit that did dictate these words in him for it doth not follow from the particular to the general as every Shool-Boy doth know as to say Christ dyed for all Gods Elect which are but a part of men and therefore all both Elect and others were dead this is an u●lawful infe●ence in the common reason of men but this is a most just and necessary inference Christ dyed for all men universally t●erefore all men were dead Pag. 86. ye perve●sly alledge on me That I own Chr●sts Death and Prayer to be lost and his Redemption void and ye say why are they not saved for whom he came to dye Ans That I own Christs Death and Prayer to be lost and hi● Redemption void is most falsly alledged it hath its effect perfectly unto the Salvation of all that believe and continue in Faith unto the end and to the great Condemnation of them that do not beleive and to the glorifying the Justice of God in them that beleive not and because of Unbelief pe●ish in their sins most justly whereby they are rendred without excuse for if Christ had not dyed for them they could not be guilty of denying the Lord that bought them as the Scripture plainly declareth And the death of Christ hath its various effects on them that are saved for as all are not saved at one time nor in one Age of the World so all do not partake of the same measure of Grace but to some it is given as one Talent to some as Two to others as Five and yet he who hath received the Grace of God as two Talents doth not make void the Grace of God because he hath not received as much as the other who had five And though such who are saved partake most plentifully of the Effects and Fruits of Christs Purchase yet even all such who are not saved partake of great and considerable Effects of Christs Death here in this World as that God hath spared them and exercised much long-suffering towards all of them for Christ's sake who dyed for all and hath given all a Day of Visitation and an
forth fruit but is th●t Talent that is taken away from the sl●athful and evil Servant and given to him that had ten Talents accord ng to Christ's Doctrine which still I suppose i● a great Mystery unto you Pag. 89. Ye alledge I perversly interpret Christ to be the Word spoken o● Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the context to mean the Scriptures call'd the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begetting it But this is your bare alledgance and your proof hath no weight nor solidity that because the Scriptu●e is the Instrum●nt whereby Faith is commonly wrought in men that therefore it is that Word of Faith Rom. 10. With as great probability ye may say the Scripture is the Spirit o● Faith but as the Spirit of God is called in Scripture the Spirit of Faith as being the Author and Object and Foundation of Faith so is Christ called the Word o● Faith a● b●ing the Author and Object and Foundation together with the holy Spirit of the same Faith and that ●hrist and not the Scripture is that Word o● Faith is clear from the c●ntext v. 6 7 9. nor can it be the Scripture because little of the Scripture was writ when Moses spoke these words to the People o● Israel and the five Books of Moses were rather the Law than that Word of Faith and Moses told them this Word was nigh them in their hearts and mout●es as being of an internal or inward nature directing them to the heart where it was originally placed and not in the outward leaves of the Book or Scroles and he calleth it the Commandment in the Singular number to signifie the excellency of it that being one containeth all and that cannot be the Letter without Next what Moses said to Israel and Paul to the Romans may be said to every man in a day the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth viz. to eat it and in thy heart to believe in it that thou needest not to ascend nor descend nor go over the Seas to bring this Word and therfore it cannot b he Letter of Scriptu●● which came over the seas from Judea to Rome and other places of the world Pag. 8● ●d fin● Ye most unchristianly and i●humanly wrest my wo●ds to a ●uite contrary se●●e saying ● interp●et that Word o Faith Rom. 10. ●o● C●rists coming in t e flesh both of Jewes and Gentiles ●nd to show your gross perve●sio● that seeme●h wilful in you I shall set down my words which are these Pag. 110. And because this great M●stery viz. the Word of Faith which was in the Gentiles was much hid in the time of the Law and in all Ages of t●e world untill Christ came in the flesh both in Jewes and Gentiles as Paul called it the Mystery hid f●om Ages and Generations Where it is most clear to any that will not wilfully pervert the plain sence of my words that the words untill Christ came in the flesh doth not refer to his coming in the flesh in Jews and Gentiles as they wilfully pervert it but to his coming in the Body of his Flesh even in that prepared body that was born of the Virgin Mary c. in the fu●ness of time So that the words untill Christ came in the Flesh are insert only by way of Parenthesis although by some omissi●n either of the manuscript or print the sign or note of the Parenthesis was omitted that is no hing material for when men 〈◊〉 a Parenth● 〈…〉 no note 〈…〉 when ye must needs make the poor omission of a in my Book a ground to raise your cha●ge of Blasphemy or subverting the hopes of Salvation against me although in Contradiction to your selves ye clear me citing Pag. 59. that I did acknowledg that Christ came in the flesh but ye use a fig leaf cover saying ye know not when they own any thing And it was once the received Doctrine of the Quakers that there is no other Incarnation of Christ but only as he dwells in us But this is a most gross Calumny and falsehood which ye can never prove and because ye cannot prove it in the least therefore ye declare your selves to be of that Generation who make Lye● your Refuge which God hath swept away and yet will more abundantly and ye will be seen what sort of men ye are that dare thus falsly accuse the Innocent The like poor shadow of advantage ye seek to catch at pag. 28. of your Book saying my Spirit mi-sinformed me when I cited Cant. 2.4 because of a mistake in the Manuscript or Print of the word and again for the word or in your so doing like th● Pharisees of old ye strain at a Gnat and swa low a Camel Pag. 90. Ye say The word Reprobate there used intends only that all Vnbelievers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perdition Ans be it so it no wise weakeneth my Argument for seeing all unbelievers by you are not finally reprobated but only at present unapproved and may pass from that state into a better viz. into a state of Faith that is approved this quite overthroweth your Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that denyeth it possible that a Reprobate can be saved which here ye acknowledge And seeing these Unbelievers by your confession were not absolutely or finally reprobated but unapproved or disapproved what did so disapprove or judge them but Christ in them And therefore still it remaineth that Christ is in all but such who are finally Reprobates Ye say That Christ hath commanded that his Gospel be Preached to all Nations and he tells us that so it shall be before the end of the World is no proof of what it is brought for the many Generations past have no advantage by that being ended and gone before that time comes But this ye meerly begg and assert without all shadow of proof for that Christ told the Gospel shall be Preached to all the world before the end of the world is not surely to be understood that the preaching of it to all the world shall only be in the Last Age of the world yet to come but the Gospel that began to be preached from Adams fall immediately shall be preached to all men that ever lived in the World some time or other before the end of the world so that such who shall not live in the latter ages of the world have had it preached in the former Ages when they lived in the world and therefore the preaching the Gospel to all the World is the preaching of it to all Mankind that ever lived and shall live in the world in all Ages from the beginning to the end for all that part of mankind that is to live in the world in the Last Age or Ages of it yet to come are but a small or inconsiderable part of the world And though it may seem hard to demonstrate how this hath been and shall be effected in a general way and manner it
may suffice unto us to beleive what the holy scriptures testifie that because Acts 17 Faith is offered ●nto all men or that God hath given assurance to all men that God hath raised the man Jesus from the dead therefore all shall be accountable to him and be judged by him and whoever shall perish their Destruction shall be for not believing in Jesus Christ who hath been preached unto them pag. 92. Ye say That Moral Honesty is a Meritorious Cause either of Salvation or of any further Discover●e● of saving Grace to men 〈◊〉 a Jesuitical Principle And this ye would fix upon me or us but all in vain we hold no such Principle although if we did hold it your Refutation is poor It s held by the Jesuits therefore it is false Ye might argue as strongly it is held by the Jesuits that there is a God therefore c. Every thing held by the Jesuits is not false but some true and some false However as we do not say that Moral Honesty is a Meritorious Ca●se c. so we have another understandi●g of Mo●al Honesty than either Jesuits or ye for both ye the Jesuits by Moral Honesty understand only some outward acts of ju●tice Temperance performed by the Authority and Powers eitheer of some outward rules of Honesty or by the meer natural and carnal and corrupt dictates of mens natural understanding But we understand it qui●e otherwise viz. that all true Honesty is performed by the Power Authority and Efficacy of a divine Principle even the Word of Faith divinely inspiring the hearts of Mankind universally with a general Revelation and Discovery of the Mind of God relating to general Piety towards God as a Creator and to beleive in him fear love and obey him as such and to exercise other Acts of Temperance Justice Meekness and as this part of general Religion is sincerely performed though with some weakness God is pleased not by way of merit but for his great love and mercy and for his dear son Jesus Christs sake to fo●low that first more general Revelation and Discovery of his wi●l with a more special Revelation and discovery of it in the peculiar Doctrines 〈…〉 first part of Rel●gion towards God as Creator ● where Christ as come in the flesh and crucified c. is not distinctly revealed is called by some not so unfitly pe●haps De●sm or Th●●s● ● e. a Religious Worship and Service to God as Creator as good holy just wise c. and such was the Religion of Cor●eli●s before Christ was preached to him by Peter and such was the Religion of Abimelech and others mentioned in Scripture but the second more exellent part is Christianism or the Christian Religion where Christ come in the flesh and God in Christ so come in the ●●esh is known believed in worshipped loved and obe●ed The first is introductory and preparatory to the second the fi●st may be called the Law which as a School-master leadeth unto Christ both Jewes and Gentiles But such is the infinite goodness of God and so Large is the purchase of Christs Death that not only to such who have been honest and sincere in the fi●st Dispensation but to the most unworthy in all the world one time or another within th● day of Visitation the Gospel is preached unto them and the Gospel Grace discovering in some measure Jesus Christ c. is extended unto them else how is the Gospel preached to every Creature and how is Christs Command to be fulfilled that he hath given 〈…〉 Successors in all Ages and how is the Prophecy of Christ fulfi●led that so it shall be before the end and how shall God be just to take Vengean●e on a●l the Wicked for not obeying ●he Gospel for let all the Scriptu●e be searched and it shall not be found that the Second Death or casting into the Lake of Fi●e is appointed to any but who fina●ly reject Christ and disobey the glorious Gospel and b●aspheme again●t the holy Ghost which is the only impardonable Sin that is neither to be fo●given in this World nor in that to come and therefore the Writer to the Hebrews distinguisheth betwixt the Punishment due for the breach of Moses Law and that due for Vnbelief and Contempt of the Gospel and not hearkning to Christ the greatest Prophet of all but this to you will be a great mystery Pag 93. Ye wrongfully charge me for pleading for New Revelation o● things not contained in S●ripture If by things ye mean Doctrines and Principles of Faith and general Precepts of Christian Religion I have oft told you the Revelation is New but not of any New Doctrine c. Yet since both some Infants and Adult Deaf and Dumb Pe●sons belong to Gods Election as ye confess God doth reveal some things without the outwa●d testimony of Scripture by your own confession and therefore all divine Revelation is not ceased nor is all committed to writing as if that were the only and alone means and instrument which ye confess reacheth not to Infants and Adult Deaf and Dumb Persons Pag. 94. Ye say I forget all Laws of Disputation when I bid you disprove it viz that all honest Gentiles some time or other had not faith in Christ crucified for Affirmantis est probare Answ Ye rather forget the Lawes of dispute and mind not rightly to distinguish betwixt a Negative relating to a Doctrine or Principle and a Negative relating to a matter of Fact the Negative relating to a matter of Fact oft times cannot be proved and yet s●metimes it can but the Negative relating to Doctrine both can and ought to be proved by him who strongly asserts it as Paul doth excellently prove That by the Works of the Law no flesh is justified but by Faith in Christ Jesus And Protestants commonly prove against the Papists that the Bread of the Eucharist is not Transubstantiated into Christs Body Therefore seeing ●e assert a Negative so confidently That the honest Gentiles who lived in remote places where C●rist was not preached outwardly be one they dyed had no knowledge nor faith o Christ crucifi●d ye ought to prove it But ex abundanti I had pro●ed the Affirmative to wit That all honest Gentiles who were faithful in their Gentile state were in a state of Salvation begun b●t not per●ected and therefore they could not perish and consequently they behoved to have the Faith of Christ some time before the end in order to their Perfection Pag. 94. Ye are miserably beset and put to it to answer to the two i●stances I g●ve you the one of Nathaniel the other of Cornelius both which had so g●eat a Testimony of God that they could not be in a state of Damnation but were in a state of Salvation at least begun tho' not perfected and ye grosly abuse me to say as if I did affirm they were Vnbelievers for they had faith in God tho' not in Christ come in the flesh as I
sence the seed is not in the ground though sown till it begin to take root but yet according to the more general sence he is in all men for his illumination and operation cannot be seperated from him Ye say I falsly render the place James 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innate Word But ye only say it without proof it is composed of en in and phyo nascor therefore in t●ue English it is innate is so used by Plutarch a Greek Author who saith There is a Faith innate emphutos in every reasonable Creature living and dwelling in the Soul and never leaving the Soul destitute of Guidance and it is used in the same signification by Clemens Alexandrinus writing to the Gentiles where speaking of the inward Witness which was in Unbelievers he calleth it Emphuton Martyra testem innatum fide dignum The innate Witness worthy of Faith and I suppose ye judge not your selves better or so well skilled in the Greek language as Plutarch and Clemens Alexandrinus who were Greek Authors and Grecians by Birth Ye say If the Light be connate with men what needed G. K. make such a splutter about Immediate Revelations It may be said to be both innate and connate with men not as ye imagine Accidents or Qualities to be in a subject but seeing the eternal Word and Wisdom hath created all Souls of men after his Image therefore in a special way of presence that etern●l Word and Wisdom is in all Souls of men by a measure of it planted or if ye will grafted in all men for grafted and innate may be of the same signification and this eternal Word and Wisdom hath its operation and influence on the Understanding of the Souls of men generally to enlighten them gradually first with the more common and plain things of Religion and then as the former are learned with the more special and peculiar Mysteries of the Christian Religion yet not without the use of the holy Scriptures in Gods ordinary way so distinctly and perfectly as Christians know them who have the use of the Scriptures and all internal divine Illumination is properly Revelation P. 102. Ye find great fault that I conclude That the inward Dispensation that is among the Gentiles that have not Christ outwardly preached viz. by the Ministry of men and the holy Scriptures hath its glory and great service to those that are faithful in it and ye say This is to talk at liberty my self and to deny all others a liberty to judge But herein ye wrong me I allow all spiritual men a liberty to judge I question not but to all such who have a spiritual discerning and ability to judge what I have affirmed of the glory and great serviceableness of the inward divine Dispensation in the Gentiles will be approved and my Reasons and Proofs both from Scripture and other Authors found vallid And though ye seek to untye that ye call a knot that I judge is indissolvable p. 91. I judge so still that ye shall never be able to untye it as ye persist in your Doctrine But yet ye pervert my words in that ye call the Knot for I did thus argue That seeing Infants by your confession might be saved by Christ and regenerated by the Spirit of Christ that worketh when and where and how he pleaseth Therefore might the honest and faithful Gentiles be saved by the same regenerating Spirit of Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth and by faith in Christ But that ye may with some seeming show appear to loose the Knot ye word my Argument quite another way I Infants may be saved by the working of the Spirit in them why may not the Gentiles be so by giving obedience to the Light in them And thus ye would make me appear to the ignorant as if I did plead that the Gentiles were or could be saved without faith in Christ and the regenerating Spirit of Christ only by obedience to the general dictates of the Light within but I say though none are saved but who are obedient to the Light in them yet no Obedience can save without faith in Christ and the Spirit of Christ regenerating them that is altogether necessary to every mans eternal Salvation Whereas I produced divers very convincing Arguments to prove That the Light in men that did accuse or reprove for sin could not be some natural faculty of mans Soul these Arguments some of them ye pass over very slightly answering by your bare Affirmations without proof and some ye give no answer unto at all nor take any notice of see my Book p. 119 120 121. which I again recommend to the Readers serious consideration I argued That since ye confess that man is wholly defiled and darkned so that he i● called Darkness in Scripture therefore the Light in natural men could not be any part or faculty of their Souls for that were to say Men are not fallen totally nor totally defiled but in part And I further argued That since your Confession saith All Sin is a Transgression against the Righteous Law of God and since the Heathen are sinners this righteous Law of God must be in them against which they transgress and this righteous Law cannot be any part o● faculty of the Soul which ye confess is wholly unrighteous and d●filed for a thing cannot be wholly unrighteous and defiled yet in part righteous holy and clean To this I find not that ye say any thing Ye say I mistake when I think ye reckon it any distinct Faculty but the Mistake is yours not mine I did not think that ye do reckon it any distinct Faculty but on the contrary I blame you for saying It is nothing else but the natural Conscience or some natural Faculty of mans Soul so that ye are wonderfully careless of what ye say see my Book pag. 119. and your Book pag. 98. And yet ye seem to make it now Not the natural Vnderstanding but something there imprinted Well let it be something there imprinted this evinceth that it is properly Gods Word for I hope ye will not deny but that which God writeth or printeth with his own Hand or Finger is Gods Word and doth as well or rather more deserve to be accounted the Word of God as that printed in the Bible seeing God is the immediate Printer of this without the Ministry of men but the Print of the Bible is the work of Men though the Truth there witnessed is immediately of God and therefore by your Confession there is an inward written or printed Word of God in Heathens and generally in all men and that immediately without the use or help of the Scriptures commonly called the outward Word Hence it clearly followeth that the Word without is not the whole Word of God nor the only Rule in contradiction to you who affirm it And seeing by your Confession the Word of God is in the Gentiles or Heathen who have not the
Scriptures why may not the same virtue and efficacy be given to it as to that which ye say is contained in the Scriptures It is improper to prefer that which is writ or printed on Paper by the labour and work of Men to that which by God immediately is printed on mens hearts and souls without the wo●k of men And since ye grant That there is a Law written in mens hearts universally by God himself Why may not that Law be understood to be the same mentioned Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul yea that it must and ought to be so understood is clear from that analogy that the Wisdom of God in David maketh betwixt the preaching of the Heavens and Firmament Day and Night and the course of the Sun and the Preaching or Testimony of this inward Law that as universal as the outw●rd is so universal is the inward for the outward is the Symbole Figure and Type of the inward as the Ceremonial Law of Moses was symb●lical of the inward Gospel-Law and if both had not been Universal the Analogy would have been improper and false for the true Analogy is betwixt two Universals and not one universal and another particular And Paul by the Spirit of God applyeth the universal Language of the Heavens and Firmament Day and Night and Sun to the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10.18 by the same Analogy Ye contradict● the Scripture expresly when ye deny it tha● the Law in the Gentiles so far as they obeyed it made them excusable for as some had thoughts that accused them when they did evil so they had thoughts that excused them when they did well and this excusing of them proceeded originally from the Law it self within them see Rom. 2.15 which ye expresly contradict And for Gods inward speaking to men most frequently without the Ministry of men or books as outwardly I cited divers observable places of Scripture as Psal 94.10 Psal 50.1.16 to 22. Amos 4.13 Micah 6.8 Prov. 8.1 2 3 4. Job 28.28.24.13 and 21.14 and that noted place Luke 12.20 from all which I did conclude that it hath been the way of God and ever will be to speak to men in their hearts to call them and warn them and fore-warn them of evil and danger and to perswade and incline them to that which is good And all these places of Scripture prove th●t God doth at present and in every Age move and stir upon mens Consciences and s●eak in them by his Word and Voice as really as he did in the Prophets tho' not equally nor the same in all respects and this is immediate Revelation and Inspiration seeing God doth it without the Ministry of men most frequently even in the Heathen and in the Wicked when they are neither hearing men nor reading nor thinking on any place of Scripture and all this ye meerly slubber over with a bare Magisterial Affirmation saying That it is all but the actings of a natural Conscience under legal Convictions But tell me What works these Legal Convictions doth not the Scripture say it is God and he doth it by speaking to them in their hearts for God doth not use to speak to men by an outward audible Voice and therefore there is more in men than what ye call a Relique left in men of a natural Conscience there is that which newly and freshly and immediately calleth to men in their hearts and is a new gift and visitation of God I find not that ye say any thing but one that hath some shadow or appearance of weight and that is from Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 viz. That the Law is weak through the flesh and cannot give Life And this is even that Law which was within both Jews and Gentiles universally and was not the meer outward Law But to this I Answer That by the Law in these places cited by you and in many other places that could be ●●ted as Rom. 3.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 c. Gal. 3.8 9 10 ●1 12 13. is indeed to be understood not the meer outward Law given to the People of Israel but the Law within in its first Administration or Dispensation that hath its proper work and service to condemn and not to justifie to wound bruise and kill and not to heal bind up and make alive and this first ●dministration of the Law is most necessary and proper and is the real effect and work of Christ in his inward appearance in mens hearts as a Law-giver and judge but not so properly nor clearly nor distinctly as a Saviour as he appeareth in his second Administration perfectly to save the Soul and deliver it from Sin and Wrath and perfectly to restore and renew it into the Conformity of his own Image by faith in him the whole Christ intire and undivided both as he came in the flesh suffered Death for our sins rose again c. ascended into Heaven and is now in Heaven our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father and as he cometh in Spirit And of this twofold Administration of Christ first as a Law-giver secondly as a perfect Saviour Moses and Joshua were Types Moses was a type of Christ in his first Ministration and Joshua was a type of him as a perfect Saviour in his second Ministration both which are inward for though the true Christian Faith respecteth Christ come in the flesh without us and now glorified in Heaven in the glorified nature of Man c. yet the Mystery of this and the worth of his Death and Intercession must be inwardly opened and revealed in us by the Spirit of Christ And as Moses led the People out of Egypt through the red Sea and th●ough the Wi●derness and brought them to Jordan and the borders of the good Land and no further and then dyed so Josh●a was raised up to bring them beyond Jordan into the good Land therefore Moses begun the wo●k but Joshua finished it Which two are plain figures of the twofold inward Ministration of Christ the one that is more Legal than Evangelical and hath the Evangelical hid in it but not clearly revealed the other that is clearly and apparently Evangelical and because the second inward Ministration of Christ in mens hearts doth not appear at first in its fulness of vigor and strength but gradually therefore there is a mixture of the first second which is a middle Dispensation consisting of both and this is well known and experienced by spiritual Travellers although to you it is a Mystery and a Riddle that ye mock at rather than enquire into And concerning this diversity of inward Dispensations and Ministrations both having one Author to wit the Lord Jesus Christ not only the people called Quakers but many sober and juditious Protestants have given Te●●●mony and their Testimony is upon record in print some calling them Three and referring them the one to the Father the other to the Son together with the Father and