Law above the Gospel and call'd men from the grace of Christ to the works of the Law c. now the Law was but a dead killing letter pronouncing a curse and death not could it quicken spiritually there being no promise in it of writing the Law in our hearts but in the same place he commends his Ministry for the Ministery of the Spirit and of Life therefore this place makes nothing for this wicked cavil of those enemies against the Scriptures V. They equal their books and pamphlets though commonly stuft with non-sense and railing ever with wicked errors to the holy Scriptures then which what can be more disgraceful to the Scriptures and more abominable to all sober spirits This appears clearly to all that have but read their papers for thus they commonly write Moved from the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord given from the Lord c. and they boast commonly that they speak from God immediately and infallibly as the Apostles did formerly Whether this doth not bring them under that curse Rev. 22.18 for adding to the Scriptures let them look to it VI. They sometimes plead the Church was a long time without the Scriptures and therefore they are not necessary now and if ten thousand of those books were burnt they might do well enough the light in them is sufficient c. This I testifie hath been objected to me and there be others can witnesse it with me For the former part it is an old Popish Argument against the necessity of the Scriptures and I shall only reply what hath been answered the Papists to this formerly Whitaker de perfec Script cap. 7. tells the Papists though of old time when God familiarly shewed himself to the Fathers and by himself manifested to them his will the Scriptures were not necessary yet after God did change the course of teaching his Church and would have the Word written then the Scriptures began to be necessary To the latter part I answer such an expression would suit the mouth of an Irish rebel rather then of any sober Christian and therefore let him repent and pray if perhaps the thought of his heart may be forgiven him VII They appear enemies to the holy Scriptures in their daily practices as their neglecting to use the holy Scriptures Their speakers speak not out of the Scriptures as did Christ Luke 4.17 who opened the book and took his text out of Esay 61.1 and in all his Sermons he opened the Scriptures and proved all things by the Scriptures nor do their speakers exhort people to search the Scriptures to give themselves to reading meditation This they that have been present testifie c. but to look to the light in their consciences let them shew where ever Christ or his Apostles gave such an exhortation to look to the light within them And for their disciples they follow not the example of the noble Bereans Acts 17.11 who searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so but they take all spoken to them as given from God immediately and turn not to the Scriptures to try the doctrines they hear by the Law and testimony When they have no speakers they sit as mutes together looking on the ground or looking at the light within them as they say but not looking on the Scriptures nor conferring about them though sometimes they will read in their Assemblies their quaking letters or books besides some of them have offered to sell their Bibles Now the most ignorant may easily judge by all this what friends they are to the Scriptures I might adde hereunto if it were requisite to shew their enmity to the Scriptures their perverse wresting of the Scriptures in such a manner sometime as shews they have neither knowledge of the Scriptures nor any light of common understanding of men left in them G. Whitehead maintaining of perfection as the Papists do I brought him that place against it Eccles 7.10 not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not he perverted it as if Solomon did speak of a man in an earthy condition Another when that cripture 1 Cor. 6.20 was used to prove that we are not only to give God internal worship and service but outward and bodily he replied the Church was he body that was to glorifie God Again when Paul Rom. 7. cryed out ob wretched man c. he had not the Spirit And that the same Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.14 did not at all condemne long hair And many of them have said that the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 saying even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel doth not plead for outward bodily maintenance but their living by faith or living spiritually on the Gospel were ever any people more blinded in the world then these how dreadful a judgement is this upon them for leaving the Scriptures and looking to the light in them which appears by these things to be meer darknesse I could fill many pages with such instances of their perverse wrest of the Scriptures but this will appear more fully in the following Sections Let me but summe up these things together and then let the Reader judge whether this first charge is not sufficiently proved against them The proof runs thus if to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and thereby to insinuate they never came from God if to deny the special use of the Scriptures to be a rule of faith and obedience and to make as if they belonged to the Saints formerly but did not concern us now if to give vilifying expressions to them and to call them a dead letter if to equal foolish and wicked pamphlets with them if to plead there 's no necessity of them if to practise to slight them and perversly to wrest them if any or if all of these together will prove the Quakers to be enemies to the holy Scriptures then the charge stands good against them Let the weakest hereby discern and see and not be deceived by them though they pretend in words never so fairly to the Scriptures And thus for this first charge SECT II. The Quakers deny Christ come in the flesh as also his Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession and coming to Judgement THe Apostle John in his second Epistle ver 7. speaks of many deceivers and Antichrists come into the world who confesse not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and forbids to receive such into your houses and to bid them God-speed for such as do so are partakers of their evil deeds Let us therefore in the next place enquire whether the Quakers may be justly charged with this crime that if they be found guilty thereof all such as professe to be Christians may disclaime them and take heed of them as Deceivers and Antichrists I shall here first freely give Testimony for the Quakers and do acknowledge in their behalfs that they have the name of Jesus Christ
1. Neither can they shew us in Scripture where ever hats were worne therefore it s not likely we should read of putting them off as for that place in Dan. 3.21 where mention is made of the three children being cast into the fire with their coats hosen hats the word there translated hats signifies any kind of covering or garment it coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cloath or cover and therefore in the Margin of your books the Translatours render it turbants which were the garments worne upon their heads in those Easterne Countreys for they weare no hats but because such a word as that is not known amongst the vulgar they retain in the text the word hats which we weare on our heads and not turbants Secondly though we find not in Scripture examples of putting off the hat because hats were not worne yet we find other testifications of honour and respect given to superiours according to the custome of each Countrey as standing up bowing the knee or the body which are approved in Scripture as before was shewed how ridiculous is it then to make it unlawfull to put off the hat when those other actions be approved and lawfull But there are some other Scriptures which the Quakers often urge against the giving or receiving honour of men which must be answered as that John 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely To which I answer Christ doth not here condemne all giving or receiving honour one of another for in other places it is commanded and commended as was shewed before Rom. 12.10 1 Pet. 2.17 c. but he forbids loving the praise and honour of men more then the praise of God which was the sinne of those people John 12.43 and this kept them from believing they knew if they believed in him they should be reviled cast out of the Synagogues and lose the honour they had amongst men such an honour as this we are far from pleading for and had rather be trampled upon by men as we have been formerly by the Prelates and now are by the Quakers then lose the praise of God but what is this to the denying such civil honour to men as these Scriptures before named require There is another place that those people do much pervert to make for them which is James 2.9 If ye have respect to persons ye commit sinne To which I reply 1. There is indeed a respecting of persons which is sinfull as when in judgement men respect persons not regarding the equity of the cause but because such a man is rich potent or honourable sentence is passed on his side and the poor man oppressed in judgement this is forbidden Deut. 1.17 Thou shalt not respect persons in judgement but shalt heare the small as well as the great See also Levit. 19.15 So likewise out of the case of judgment there may be a sinfull respecting of persons as when private persons shall highly esteeme love and honour persons that be rich and great in the world though vitious and ungodly and shall contemne the precious Saints when poore and low in the world this is sinfull respecting of persons I might adde also respecting of persons in election to Magistracy and in religious matters for this is also sinfull and the Apostle James doth condemne respecting of persons onely in some of these cases here named 2. But then there is a lawfull respecting of persons which is so far from being a sinne that it is a duty to do it namely when we acknowledge the dignity and excellency of others and by some outward signe testifie the same this was proved by those precepts and examples before named and many more might be added if it were needfull Thus the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 3. is said to regard or respect the presence of Jehoshaphat King of Judah Nay God himselfe is said to be a respecter of persons Gen. 4.4 5. The Lord had respect to Abel but unto Cain he had not respect and Gen. 19.21 the like is said of Lot many other places might be given but enough is said for the clearing up of this duty Now from all this it appeares that as the Quakers are fallen from Christianity in that they deny the true Christ and the Christian faith So they are fallen from humanity in thus denying all good manners and wherein can they come nearer to bruit beasts then in casting off humanity and civil demeanour Though they would cover over such actions with the guilded shew of humility yet doth it directly tend to overthrow all government and authority amongst men for take away outward honour and respect from superiours and what government can subsist long amongst men Thus having shewed the Quakers to be so far degenerate that they are no Christians nor scarsly men Its time for me to put an end to my discourse concerning them and to trouble my self nor the reader further with them SECT XIII The conclusion by way of Admonition to beware of the errours of the times and in particular of Quakerisme with a commendation of some antidotes by way of preservative against the same WE have many predictions and frequent warnings in the holy Scriptures of the heresies and seductions of the last times Christ himself tells us Mat. 24.11.24 that false christs and false prophets shall arise and deceive many and if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect and the Apostle Peter 2 Ep. 2.1 doth also warne That false prophets shall arise and shall bring in damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of and the like admonitions are given by the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 4.1 and 2 Tim. 2 1 c. as also by the Apostles John and Jude There is no ground then that Christians should be discouraged at these over-flowing floods of errours that the Serpent now casts out of his mouth to drown the Church nor at the rage and violence of the enemies of the truth amongst us think it not strange concerning these things as if some strange thing had happened unto us the Scriptures must be fulfilled that have told us before of those things and the Church of God in former times have had the same trials heresies must be though woe to them by whom they come or by whom they are countenanced We may expect yet greater tryals and stronger seducements if no timely remedy be used by Christian Magistrates to restraine seducers from spreading their seducing doctrines The Scriptures speak of the powerful working of Satan accompanying deceivers and a power of working seeming miracles being given to them and of strong delusions As the Quakers are but simple deceivers in comparison of the Papists and other hereticks in former ages so we may fear they shall be much more out-vied by such seducers as are yet to come in following times when Satan is to act
you shall be established and kept from falling into the errour of the wicked Heb. 13.9 2 Pet. 3.17 18. And let your obedience to the faith appear to all Rom. 16.19 He that doth the will of God shall know more thereof John 7.17 and shall be established therein It is the great evil of many professors in this age they covet to fill their heads with knowledge and light letting their hearts be empty of holinesse and grace they are much in searching after new lights high notions and discoveries of smaller concernment but little in working upon their spirits the great and saving truths of Christ and in practising known Commandments it 's no wonder if such prove apostates they whose hearts are deceitful under truth may soon be deceived by errour Can we judge that these persons who deny the doctrines of Christs humanity of justification of the resurrection c. ever lived in the power of these truths received down the comfort of them and had their hearts formed into holinesse by them if they had they would have been hereby fortified against such seducers as tempt them to deny these doctrines for my own part I must professe whilst my faith is acting upon these great and precious truths of the Gospel and the comfort and sweetnesse of them is now flowing into my spirit I cannot mention these filthy and abominable errours but it is with highest detestation and abhorrence Let this therefore be the care of every Christian not to rest in a bare notional knowledge but to get a sanctifying experimental and practical knowledge of the things of God III. Be much in prayer that God would give you the spirit of Truth and thereby guide and keep you in the truth Joh. 16.13 In times of infection you use not to stir out of your houses till you pray God to keep you and your families daily had you as sensible apprehensions of the infections and mortall contagion of the heresies now raigning amongst us you would be as much in prayer to God for to keep you and yours daily from them but all the admonitions in the Scripture will hardly perswade people to believe their danger herein 2 Pet. 2 1. 1 Tim. 3.17 are not heresies damnable and extremely infectious and contagious as gangrenes and plagues our own experiences in these times abundantly testifies it if one person in a family be infected with heresie all the rest soon learne it of them even young ones commonly drink it in its more rarely seen that any good is so soon learnt by them and if one house be infected such as live neare thereto or converse with them they are also indangered What need therefore to be much in prayer to God to keep us in these infectious times wherein if it were possible the very elect should be deceived we had need to commend our selves to him who is able to keep us from falling Jude 24. IV. Expose not yourselves to the tentations of Seducers t is in vain to pray to God to keep you from the infection if you wilfully against the expresse Word of God run into the company of Deceivers you are bidden to avoid them Rom. 16.17 to turn away from such 2 Tim. 3.5 6. to beware of them Mat. 7.15 not to go after them Luke 21.8 if they come to you not receive them nor bid them God-speed 2 Joh. 10. What wilful disobedience to all these cleer commands is it when people will venture to go into the company and frequent the meetings of such seducers if Satan take such among his own how justly may God give them up to him as his own this is contrary to the example of the primitive Saints The Apostle John would not stay in the same hath where Cerinthus the heretick was nor would Policarp entertaine acquaintance with Marcion but termed him the first-born of the Devil Ireneus tells us the Apostles and their Disciples were so full of holy fear that they would not communicate with them in the world who had adulterated the Word If you say we may go and hear whether they broach such errors or no what hurt in this we must try all things and hold fast that which is good I answer may you not as well say you will go into the pest-house and see whether the persons there be infected with the plague before you will beware of them how many poor and weak persons are infected with their errours before they can discern what errours they hold And whereas the Apostle 1 Thes 5.21 bids prove all things hold that fast which is good He intends it of the prophecyings spoken of in the former verse all things spoken by the Prophets in the Church should be proved by the Scriptures whether they be so or no and not received only because they say they are of God as the Quakers receive what their teachers deliver to them without trying them by the Scriptures which they deny to be the rule of faith and life but this place makes nothing for the hearing of convicted hereticks and open enemies to the Church If thou beest therefore an humble and sincere Christian that makest conscience of the commands of the Lord then shun deceivers turn away from them go not to their meeting if they come to thee receive them not into thy house nor bid them God-speed but if thou wilt run upon tentations thou hast no promise of God to keep thee it was the devils deceit to perswade men God will protect them out of his way Mat. 4.6 V. Harbour not any sinful lusts in your hearts allow not of any secret sin it 's sin that makes God give up men to errour 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. because they have pleasure in unrighteousness and it 's sin that makes a man like a piece of wax ready to receive the impression of any errour they who are not sound in the fear of God may easily become unsound in the faith of God Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.19 20. first put away a good conscience then made shipwrack of the faith the women that were led captive by seducers 2 Tim. 3. were such as were laden with divers lusts if the heart be corrupt and love sinne it will strongly encline a man to entertaine corrupt principles that will give liberty unto sin how ready will a wicked heart be to close with the wicked errours of the Quakers that there is no resurrection of the flesh no heaven and hell but what is now in this world that after death nothing remains or with the Libertines opinion that sin is no real evil but to him that thinks it evil to him it is evil as Jos Salmon in his touches of good and evil speaks or with the Atheists opinion that there is no God c. look therefore to your hearts to keep them pure if you would not be given up to impure errors love no sin if you would leave no truth VI. Cleave more to the Ministry of the Word and the
gone astray and to the establishment of such poor weak and staggering Christians as belong to him is the fervent and hearty prayer of him who is Thine in Christ J. C. Wramblingham June 16. 1656. To the READER WEre the opinions of the Quakers regarded only according to their falsenesse or fondness or were their strangness to Scripture seconded with a sutable disowning of them by men the Authour of this judicious Treatise might have spared his pains in this excellent Confutation of them Upon my perusal thereof it plainly appears as the errours confuted do oppose most weakly the evident and most pernitiously the fundamental truths of the Word so that this worthy Author hath most strongly with Scripture Arguments overthrown and dissipated those their fond yet dangerous errours When I consider the weaknesse of their Arguments I wonder that any have ever been so mad as to entertain their errors formerly and when I think of the strength and perspicuity of this Confutation it seems as strange that any who shall peruse this book should persist in them or be drawn off to them for the future In short I am perswaded that this judicious and dear Confutation of the errors of the Quakers is like to prove by Gods blessing a singular help to preserve those from wandring who as yet remain in the ways of truth and to reduce those who are misled and gone astray from the same William Jenkyn Black Fryers Novemb. 11. SECT I. The Quakers proved to be enemies to the holy Scriptures IT is not denyed but the Quakers are pretended friends to the Scriptures and do often tell us that they own them Nor can it be conceived that the Serpent should so far lose his subtilty in deceiving and become so foolish an enemy to the truth as to provoke seducers in downright words to deny and disclaime them and that especially in an age wherein through the mercy of God the Scriptures are generally entertained with so high esteem and some Laws are in force to punish such as shall offend in such a grosse manner His designe therefore must be to undermine them by policy whilest he pretends some love unto them as Joab spake peaceably to Abner whilest he smote him under the fifth rib and Judas kissed Christ when he betrayed him Now that the Quakers are indeed real enemies to the Scriptures whilest they would seeme to be friends I shall demonstrate by several particulars I. They deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God as all that have any knowledge of them can testifie appropriating this title only to Jesus Christ as sometimes the Swenkfeildians and others have done yea in disgrace of them have said some part thereof is the word of the Devil Now that the weakest may perceive their errour and enmity against the Scriptures in this particular 1. Let them consider these few things 1. There is nothing more common in our ordinary speaking then to call a speech or a Sermon when they be Printed or Written such a mans speech or Sermon or the words that were spoken by a man such a mans words Thus Nayler tells Jackson p. 1. thou hast printed my words though they be written down this speech is so common that there 's no childe that learns to read but if it cannot tell a word will ask what word is this and therefore to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God is to insinuate they never came from God if we understand this according to our common manner of speaking as when any deny such a speech or such words were not the words of such a man we understand thereby they never were uttered by him 2. The Scriptures do frequently use the same manner of speaking with us in calling the Commandments promises threatnings c. recorded in the Scriptures the Word of God The ten Commandments that were engraven on the two Tables of stone are called ten Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Deut. 10.4 in the Margin of your Bibles and Exod. 20.1 God spake all these word and said The promises of God are called his word Rom. 9.9 This is the Word of promise at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a Sonne So 1 King 6.12 the promise made to David is called the word that God spake to David The threatnings are called the Words of God Zaâ—h 1.6 my Words took hold upon them that is the threatnings denounced by the Prophets overtook them as one enemy doth another in flight See Lam. 2.17 1 King 2.27 the threatning which God spake against the house of Eli is called the Word of the Lord. Yea this is the most usual acceptation of this title the Word of God for its not given to Jesus Christ by any of the holy pen-men of the Scriptures but by the Apostle John only in his Writings as Grotius observes But for the more full convincement of the weak and ignorant 〈◊〉 shall adde a few Scriptures where this phrase the word the word of God or the word of the Lord cannot possibly be applyed to Jesus Christ but must necessarily be understood of the doctrines precepts promises threatnings c. written in the Scriptures and promulged by God or his Messengers let these Scriptures be considered where for more evidence sake it 's call'd the word of Gods mouth or of Gods lips See Jer. 9.20 Esay 45.23 Ezek. 3.27 Psalme 17.4 Sure these places speak not of Christ himself the eternal Word but of a word spoken in time In other Scriptures it 's call'd the word that God spake Exod 20.1 Isa 24.3 Luke 22. â—1 Let the Reader observe this place And Peter remembred the word of the Lord what word was this It follows how he had said unto him before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Observe it this is called the Word of the Lord though Peter did not receive it and heed it so as to be kept from sin by it further yet Psalme 19. and Psalme 119. where the Prophet is taken up wholly in commendation of the Word of God he shews you what word he speaks of by the variety of expressions that he uses Law of God Precepts Judgements Statutes Ordinances Commandments Besides we have not only the Word of God but words of God mentioned in Scripture Exod. 20.1 John 3.34 Psalme 12.6 how can they expound this of Christ except they make many Christs and we reade not only of the Word Christ but the work of Christ Col. 3.16 Beside we finde mention in Scripture of a written word Eccles 12 10 Jer. 36.6 Heb. 13.22 Rev. 22.19 there might be hundreds of places more collected if need were to make out this thing How vainly do these men then cavil against us for calling the Scriptures the Word of God seeing it is the usual language of the holy Scriptures 3. Had these poor people any knowledge of the original languages wherein the Scriptures were written of which it's strange they should be ignorant when they pretend extraordinary
sufficiently convince God would have us to heed his word more and try the spirits by that and the grosse and palpable blindnesse of such as want the direction of the Scriptures may shew God is not pleased to use this way of immediate revelations now nor indeed is it the work of God holy Spirit to discover things to us now immediately having already made a full discovery of them in the Scriptures but to open our eyes to see the wonderful things of his Law to apprehend those discoveries of God made in his word and to sanctifie our hearts so as they may close with those truths revealed and rellish them and to remove the natural enmity that is in as to the things of God 3. It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite goodnesse to give his holy Scriptures the Word of God for so now I will call them whether the Quakers will or no that this may be a direction and rule to us of faith and obedience how we are to believe in God and worship and serve him and to direct us to eternal salvation this is a special pledge of Gods love to us though the enemies of truth will not acknowledge it The Lord hath not done so to all Nations neither have the heathen knowledge of his Laws Psalme 147 19 20. and the end of writing them was that we might be directed in our faith and obedience John 20 last These things are written that ye might beleeve c. we are to try the spirits now by them whether they be of God as the noble Bereans did Acts 17.11 we are to go to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 to search the Scriptures John 5.39 or otherwise we shall be necessarily exposed to errour Matth. 22.29 They are now a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our steps Psal 119.105 and through the words of Gods lips we may be kept from the path of the destroyer Psal 17.4 in a word they are able to make wise to salvation to furnish to all good works they are profitable for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousnesse c. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. The Lord accompanying them with the blessing and efficacy of his Spirit And let not any ignorantly pretend it is a disgrace to the Spirit to be tried and regulated by an outward rule for gold may be tryed by a touchstone why may not any doctrine or revelation or practice now though pretended to come from the Spirit be tried by the Scriptures which we are more sure came from the Spirit of God they being a surer word of prophecy then any voice we can heare spoken from heaven 2 Pet. 1.18 19. 4. Now let the weakest Reader if he be not wilfully blinded judg whether these people be not extreamly ingrateful to God for his goodnesse in giving the Scriptures to deny this principal use and end of the Scriptures and whether hereby they declare not themselves enemies thereunto I might shew other uses and ends of the Scriptures that they subvert but this may suffice for this second particular to prove the charge that the Quakers be enemies to the holy Scriptures III. They make Scriptures to be but a declaration of the Saints condition an expression frequently to be found in their writings insinuating thereby as if they belonged not to us now Burroughs p. 30 Glory from North. p. 8 9. but concerned the Saints only in former times for so much its clear they intend by comparing this with the former particular they are the declaration of the Saints conditions in former times but they are no rule of faith and life to us what do they then concern us what need we regard them what benefit have we by them A most unworthy expression when God hath written to us the great things of his word and we account them a strange thing Hosea 8.12 as if they did not at all concern us and the Lord had not spoken those things to us but to others But as it delares their enmity against the Scriptures so is it a very false assertion There be some part of the Scriptures that do more concern us now in these last dayes of the world then they did the Saints in former times as many Prophetick Scriptures in Dauid and the Revelations and for other Scriptures the Apostle faith what ever was written was written for our learning Rom. 15.4 and for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world be come 1 Cor 10.6 11. The example of Christ and his Apostles teaches us to make use of the whole Wood of God they frequently cited the writings of Moses and the Prophets in the book of the Psalmes applying them to that generation why may not we then apply the same as also the writings of the New Testament for our benefit In Heb. 13.5 The Apostle applies that promise made to Joshuah to the beleeving Hebrews I will not have thee nor forsake thee See 1 Cor. 7.1 where the Apostle applies the promises made by the Prophet Jer 31.1 to the Corinthians and presses them to duty from thence and indeed to what end are they written down and by the gracious providence of the Lord preserved to this day but for our use and benefit it 's needlesse to adde more here that which was spoken in the former particular will also clear this IV. They call the Scriptures reproachfully a letter a dead letter c. as may be seen in their writings frequently which is but a piece of Popish Rhetorick for this hath been the language of Papists before them who have called them a dead letter divinity of ink and paper with many more such opprobrious tearms But whether we should beleeve Papists and Quakers in vilifying the Scriptures or credit the holy penmen their commendation of them judge ye David saith The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimonies of the Lord are sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure enlightning the eyes c. and Psalme 119.50 Thy word hath quickened me The Apostle James 1.18 saith he begot us with the word of truth Paul saith faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's not said by the personal word Jesus Christ but by the word that is preached by men not that we exclude the co-operation of Gods Spirit with preaching for we are workers together with God 2 Cor. 6.1 but that the word written and preached might have it's due place and commendation being mighty through God the power of God to salvation and therefore no dead letter It is a grosse perverting of that Scripture 2 Cor. 3.6 to alledge it for to prove the Scriptures to be a dead letter for the Apostle there compares the doctrine or ministration of the Law and the old Covenant with the ministration of the Gospel Covenant disputing against such as commended the
other men and not a man as he dwells in the flesh of other men appears because he is described to be a man coming of the seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah of the family of David born of a particular woman the Virgin Mary not of other women and in that the great doctrine concerning Christ to be beleeved which the Scriptures speaks of was that Jesus of Nazareth that particular man was the Christ That he had a humane or reasonable soul besides his God-head or divine nature See Esay 53.12 Matth. 26.38 John 12.27 And that after this man Christ was crucified he arose again with the same individual body that suffered on the crosse though made more glorious appears by the many witnesses that testified it Acts 2.24 and 3.15 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3 4 5. 2 Tim. 2.8 indeed it was the great work of the Apostles to testifie it Acts 1.22 nor could these witnesses be deceived for 1 There were many that did see him the eleven Apostles and five hundred brethren at once 2 They not only did see him but heard him speak and did eat with him nay felt his prints and marks and himself affirmed he had flesh and bones still 3 And he continued fourty dayes among them besides the Angels from heaven testified the same thing Luke 24.3 5 6. Mark 16.6 and the very souldiers that kept watch bare witnesse to it Mat. 28.11 Further that this same individual person did ascend into heaven even above the visible heavens and is there present making intercession for us at the right hand of God and shall come again to judge the quick and dead at the last day See these Scriptures Mark 16.19 Luke 24.51 Act. 1.9 10 11. Rom. 8.34 Heb. 9.24 Acts 3.21 Acts 17.31 But some Scriptures those people do wrest to make for their purpose which lest they deceive weak ones by them I shall vindicate them 1. They speak much of that Scripture 1 Col Christ in you the hope of glory and of all those Scriptures that speak of Christs being living or dwelling in his people thereby to insinuate there is no other man Christ but Christ in us men Answ I shall not speak now of the nature of Christs in-dwelling or in-being in his people till I come to the fourth Section where I shall have occasion to open it more distinctly onely thus much for the present Christs dwelling in his people now is by his Spirit and not according to his humane nature for this the heavens do containe till he descend visibly to judge the world as he was seen to ascend Acts 1.11 Acts 17.31 But it is by his spirit he dwells now in his people which is infinite and fills all places and so doth not his humane nature being a created thing and finite see this cleer from Rom. 8.10 11. in v. 10. the Apostle speaks of Christ being in you in v. 11. he explaines the expression by shewing the manner of it by his Spirit dwelling in you And indeed we must thus have Christ in us by his Spirit or else we can have no assured hope of glory though the meritorious cause of our salvation and glory is Christs obedience unto death performed in his own person Eph. 1.7 11 14 c. yet we can have no evidence of our right to glory but by finding Christs in-being in us by his Spirit now so that these Scriptures are utterly perverted to make for their ends Further that Scripture 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more is as grosly abused when it is made to speak against that particular man Christ Jesus now in heaven c. for 1 This doctrine concerning the man Christ Jesus his Resurrection c. the Apostle had before asserted in many places as we shewed even now 1 Cor. 15. the beginning Rom. 1.3 4. c. and he doth not now destroy what before he built it was the great thing the Apostles were to testifie and witnesse to the world Acts 1.22 they were to be witnesses of his Resurrection this Apostle doth in more then twenty places in his Epistles testifie how that the man Christ indeed was risen from the dead and ascended into heaven c. therefore he doth not contradict in this place what he lays down in so many other places 2 And therefore we must enquire after another interpretation of that Scripture and it will clearly appear to be this The false apostles had vilified the Apostles Ministry that they might draw away the hearts of people from him according to the practise of the Quakers in these dayes for this is an old trick of Satan and one plea they had against him was this he had not conversed with Christ upon earth as had the other Apostles and therfore he was not so much to be accounted off The Apostle hints we are not to look on Christ under such outward relations as if there were so much benefit by being related to Christ in the flesh or by being in his bodily presence but we are to consider him as having compleated the work of our redemption having overcome death being raised up in glory and ascended into heaven and thus we should know him for the future this is the spring of a Christians comfort thus he speaks not against Christs being in the flesh still which other Scriptures clearly witnesse but against looking upon him under these carnal relations they stood in to him whilest he was upon earth this will appear more fully to be the Apostles mind by considering the various acceptation of the word flesh in Scripture which to avoid tediousnesse I omit here intending to speak of it in Sect. 6. where in proving the resurrection of our dead bodies I shall further prove the truth of Christs resurrection and that still he is really and truly in our natures in heaven even in the same particular body he had upon earth though glorified and indeed if this were not so the Apostles were false witnesses our faith is in vaine we are yet in our sins and they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished 1 Cor. 15.15 c. Thus for the clearing of this second charge That the Quakers deny Jesus Christ come in the flesh overthrow his Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession and coming to Judgement and thereby pull down the maine pillars of Christianity and overthrow the faith and comfort of Christians and that while they pretend to be more spiritual but are indeed deceivers herein turning all into Allegories and faining these things done in the true Christ to be but as a shadow of what is now really done in them From this it is clear the Quakers-christ and Ours is not the same they hold no other man Christ but in their consciences we beleeve our Christ is in heaven and do wait for him to come from heaven who was raised up from the
1 Cor. 3.11 Zach 11.8 and affirms that some have not the Spirit of God in them Rom. 8.9 John 14.17 1 Cor. 2.14 therefore if they have no humane soul in them as Hubberthorn teaches in saying the Scriptures speak not of an humane soul they must have no soul at all for they have not the Spirit of God in them but enough for the confutation of this wretched doctrine It hath been objected to me by these people pleading for this abominable Tenet that Gen. 2.7 God is said to breath into man the breath of life and so man become a living soul whence they would infer the soul to be a part of the being of God infused into man Answ The Scripture holds forth no more but this that the soul was not created with the body of the earth as the souls of beasts were and so to perish with the body but that it was created by God a spiritual substance and so infused into the body it was of a more excellent and spiritual extract then the body was and therefore the original of mans spirit is set forth otherwise then the original of the souls of beasts it came indeed from God but was not of the being of God which is spiritual and indivisible this were to make men to be gods This was the heresie of the wicked Manichees whom Augustine sometimes confuted and vindicated this place which they had perverted Object But they argue much from these Scriptures that speak of the onenesse of beleevers with Christ and Gods dwelling in them and they in him for this thing Answ I shall therefore for the benefit of the weak open the manner of Christs in-being or in-dwelling in beleevers lest they not understanding it should stumble at these Scriptures This in-dwelling or in-being of Christ and onenesse with him is held forth in many Scriptures John 6 56. Gal. 2.20 Col. 1.29 2 Cor. 13.5 c. John 17.21 now how should we understand this what God to dwell in his Saints Christ to be and inhabit in beleevers how can this be the heaven of heavens cannot containe him how much lesse the strait heart of man Know First Negatively you must not understand this in-being or in-dwelling of Christ to be either 1. A corporeal inhabitation as if the body of Christ or his humane nature dwelt in us which was the grosse conceit of the Capernaites John 6. and is to this day the opinion of Papists and Vbiquitaries who imagine Christs body to have the properties of the divine nature communicated to it to be immense and to be in many places at once and this must be the conceit of the Quakers if they hold any man Christ at all for they deny any Man Christ but in us men This is a grosse mistake it overthrows the truth of Christs Man-hood and the Scriptures expresly say The heavens must containe him and this man Christ comes not till he descends to judge the world besides the Scriptures teach that Christs being in us is spiritual not bodily Rom. 8.9 10. 2. Nor is it an essential in-dwelling of the divine nature in Gods people as if the very being of God were communicated to us and dwelt in us though the Apostle Peter speaks of the divine nature being communicated to the Saints yet he expresses other where what he understands thereby namely the divine graces and vertues of the Spirit Indeed how can the being of God which is infinite and boundlesse be in one place or person more then in another though his graces may 3. Nor is it a Personal in-being as the soul lives in the body and is one subsistence with it thus the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in Christ by personal or hypostatical union but thus God is not in his Saints then they should be gods as Christ was God this is the blasphemy of Familists who say they are godded and christed Secondly Affirmatively Christ dwelleth and is in his Saints according to the Scriptures two ways 1. By his special spiritual presence he is more especially present with and in the hearts of his Saints then with others by his gracious manifestations by his sweet influences and by his wonderful operatitions upon their hearts so God dwelt in the Temple formerly and so he dwells in heaven now in the Temple God said This is my rest here I will dwell he manifested himself to his people there he heard their prayers gave forth his oracles there they had communion with God in his Ordinances they saw his face in the Sanctuary c. and so now in heaven God is said to dwell there because he manifests his glorious presence there especially in that place the Saints shall have the vision and fruition of God eternally Thus in the same manner God dwells in his people now by special spiritual presence he makes such manifestations of himself to them as none besides have they see his face know more of his minde have more of his love-visits then others have John 14.21 Rev. 3.20 he refreshes them with his flaggons of wine and his hidden Mannah fills them with the comfort peace and joy of his Spirit He vouchsafes to them such divine influences of grace as others have not such quicknings and breathings of his Spirit as fills their hearts with spiritual vigour and life because he lives they live also And he doth such mighty works in them as in none else puts forth the same power that was put forth in raising Christ from the dead to mortifie corruptions in them to strengthen them to beleeve and to do the works of God to frame them according to the image of God c. Esay 26.12 Eph. 1.21 2. By mystical union and this is more then the former one may have a dwelling in an house but no union with it God dwelt in the Temple but was not one with it he dwells in the heavens but hath no union with them but he so dwells in beleevers as he is one with them 1 Cor. 6.16 1 Cor. 12.12 John 17.21 This onenesse is so near that it excels all the unions upon earth the Scripture uses the comparisons of husband and wife Eph. 5. of head and members 1 Cor. 12. of soul and body Gal. 2 20. of root and branches John 15. to set it forth by and yet all these be too short he addes the union betwixt the Father and Son John 17. to commend it further yet must not be so presumptuously wrested as to plead for an essential or personal union to make us gods All these comparisons are used in Scripture not because they suit in al things but that we may by these see what a comfortable relation we stand in to God and what blessings we may expect to be communicated to us by vertue thereof If any expect I should give some name to that union to expresse what it is further I shall presume to say no more but this it is a great mystery and cannot be fully comprehended by the Saints
more righteous then if they had kept the Law in their own persons shall more abundantly please God He that beleeveth in Jesus shall be justified from all those things the Law of Moses could not justifie him from Acts 13.38 39. He that beleeveth shall be saved Mark 16.16 This Law of grace was enacted by the councel of heaven and is published in the Gospel this righteousnesse is revealed therein and freely tendred to all that will receive it and in thankfulnesse give up themselves to honour and serve their Surety and Redeemer from the sense and apprehension of this his love upon their hearts 2. On mans part there must be through the mighty operation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ accompanying the preaching of the Gospel the obedience of faith to this Law published The sinner being convinced of his own sin and unrighteousnesse and of the sufficiency and excellency of this righteousnesse of his Surety and the free tenders thereof in the Gospel must come in as with a rope about his neck with Benhadads servants humbly confessing his sinne and unrighteousnesse accepting of Jesus Christ heartily as his Surety and Redeemer taking the gift of his righteousnesse thankfully pleading for pardon justification and life through the same and giving up himself in thankfulnesse to love and serve his Redeemer Now these things being done it 's most easie to understand how this righteousnesse of Jesus Christ may so be ours though not inherent in us that we may be justified by the same how common is it amongst men for the debtor to be discharged of his debt and the bond to be cancelled upon some friends paying the debt for him yea may not thus a Malefactour be acquitted of some bodily punishment to be inflicted if a friend with the consent of the Magistrate shall suffer in his stead In the way of justification sinful man is much debased and hath nothing to glory in himself the grace of God is highly magnified which is Gods great designe in the work of mans redemption by finding out such a way to justifie and save man and we have more full assurance and consolation having now a perfect * It is in respect of Christs perfect righteousness imputed that beleevers are said in Scripture somtimes to be perfect and in respect of uprightness of heart c. but never in respect of any absolute compleat perfection inherent in them compleat righteousnesse to present before God which the best of men could never have found as before was shewed inherent in them even after regeneration and conversion And thus for the clearing up of this great doctrine of Justification From all this that hath been said it is most evident that the Quakers as they have another Man-Christ then him the Scriptures preach and another God then the true God who is one God in three persons so they have another Gospel then that which was preached by the Apostles and hath been received by the Saints and therefore are to be accounted accursed though they should in outward shew and appearance seem Angels from heaven Gal. 1.8 That this doctrine of justification is no enemy to Sanctification and holinesse of life as the Papists have formerly and the Quakers do now charge it shall be shewed fully in the tenth Section where we shall speak of the doctrine of Sanctification and prove the Quakers to be subverters of the same And thus much for the fifth general charge SECT VI. The Quakers deny the Resurrection of the body the last judgement Heaven and Hell IT must be here remembred which was before hinted that it is not the practise of Seducers ever to deny in down-right words the great and fundamental truths revealed in the Scriptures but often whilest they pretend to own the Scripture expressions they pervert and deny the truths themselves this is the most likely way to deceive people Now as this was manifest in many other weighty points before named so is it apparent in these fundamental doctrines of our faith the resurrection of the body the last judgement heaven and hell The Quakers have these in their mouths frequently and will speak of them but they look upon them as transacted in themselves now in a mystery sure it must be a mystery of iniquity and hold no other resurrection judgement heaven and hell but what is now in men As for the resurrection of the dead body they will not deny in words but the body shall rise but if it be asked what body they will reply the body is Christ thus have I been divers times answered by them but not our bodies of flesh bones c. these they say shall never rise again and they ignorantly wrest that Scripture for it 1 Cor. 15.50 Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God It is known to most in this Town that they have argued publickly against the resurrection of the dead bodie when they have been present at burials and therefore I need not adde further evidence to shew this is their opinion And as for the last judgement Nailer to F. B. p. 10. they have often affirmed Christ is now come in his Saints to judge the world and therefore they take upon them so freely to judge and censure all even such whose faces they have never seen before and they scoff at others that make the day of judgement a thing yet to come and to be at the last day James Nailer love to the lost p. 20. cites that Scripture See Nailer love to the lost p. 44. and 46. Heb. 6.2 where the Apostle speaks of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgement to defend their judging of men now this is all the judgement they speak of they own not a judgement after the dead bodies of men are raised up again And for heaven and hell they grant no other then what is now in men and indeed this will necessarily follow upon the former opinions for if the body shall never be raised and if the soul be no distinct being from God and is after its departure out of the body to be swallowed up into God and so God to be all in all it 's a vain thing to speak of judgement heaven and hell thus do these wretches pervert these great and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures and whilest they pretend so much light within them they deny that which the blindest Nations in the world have acknowledged for there is no Nation so barbarous but hath beleeved an heaven and hell a future state of happinesse or misery after this life is done as will appeare more fully by and by For the confirmation of the weak in these weighty points of Christianity let me adde a few things First for the Resurrection of our bodies this being a fundamental doctrine of Religion whereon our hope and comfort doth depend Acts 24.15 1 Cor. 15.16 17 18 19. Heb. 11.36 and which hath much influence into an holy life and conversation Acts 24
16. 1 Cor. 15.32 The devil did long since stir up his instruments to undermine the same the Sadduces Acts 23.8 denyed the resurrection Angels and Spirits and some amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.12 said There is no resurrection of the dead Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.18 said the resurrection was past already and overthrew the faith of some even as this generation of men now pretend it s already accomplished and past in them the body or Christ is now risen in them and hereupon deny the future resurrection of our dead bodies But it pleased the Lord out of his goodnesse hereupon to cleare up this doctrine more fully so that there 's no doctrine in all the Scriptures hath a clearer and fuller evidence for it self then this hath It was sufficiently laid down before in the Old Testament in many places See these instead of many Job 19.25 Isa 26.19 Dan. 12.2 Ezek. 37.12 but in the New Testament it 's not only positively laid down and asserted but proved by many Arguments against them that denied it Mat. 22.32 Christ proves it against the Sadduces and silences them by an Argument taken from Gods Covenant with his people he is their God in Covenant with them and not only with their souls but with their bodies also therefore they shall rise again he proves that same resurrection which was denyed by the Sadduces for he silenced them now it 's clear they denied the resurrection of the body of flesh c. See v. 23 24. other places might have been brought to have proved this truth more directly whereas this Scripture proves it but by consequence though clearly enough but the Sadduces only owning the five books of Moses Christ brings a proof from thence for it Exod. 3.6 But more especially the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. doth so largely prove this doctrine that if other Scriptures had been altogether silent about it this one Chapter had been sufficient confirmation thereof Let the Reader observe there three things that the Apostle principally treats of in that chapter 1. He proves the resurrection of the dead 2. He shews with what bodies they shall arise 3. What shall become of them which shall be alive at the day of the Lord. I. He proves the resurrection of the dead and he evidences that by six arguments 1 From the resurrection of Jesus Christ from v. 3. to 19. for if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen but saith he Christ is risen therefore must the dead rise by vertue of their union with him Now that Christ is risen he confirms from the Testimony of the Scriptures ver 4. the Apostle names not what Scriptures but it 's cleare he intends Psal 16.8 and such like places then from those many witnesses that saw him verse 5 6 7 8. then from the evil consequences that would follow if Christ rise not the Apostles should be false witnesses and their preaching in vaine and the Corinthians faith should be in vain they should be yet in their sinnes and they that were fallen asleep should be perished 2 He proves the resurrection of the dead body because if it were not so Christians should be of all men most miserable verse 19. 3 He argues that all enemies must be overcome therefore death and if so we must rise again 4 He argues it from a practise amongst those persons that denied the resurrection probably the Corinthians those ancient hereticks who were baptized for the dead verse 20. and therefore their own practise might confute them 5 He argues it from the dangers and sufferings of the Saints verse 30 c. which they would not endure if there were no resurrection and reward after death Heb. 11.36 6 The denying the resurrection he shews would lead to all epicurisme and licentiousness then may we say let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die thus he confirms the doctrine of the resurrection of our dead bodies The 2d. thing in this Chapter is to shew with what bodies the dead arise II. verse 35. He answers in the following verses not with such vile weak corruptible bodies as now we have but with incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual bodies so Phil. 3.21 Our vile bodies shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ himself and it follows as a reason of this change ver 50. Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor can corruption inherit incorruption Where observe the Apostle doth not overthrow what he before had built that is he doth not deny the resurrection of the dead body that it shall not rise at all as these deceivers would infer but it shall not rise in such a vile corruptible abject condition it were not capable of the glory of heaven then That this is the minde of the Apostle in these words appeares in that the Apostle doth not contradict himself and destroy what he had before built now having before proved the body shall arise again he doth not here deny it only he shews it shall not arise in such an abject and base condition as now it is in but in a more glorious condition and so he fitly answers the question propounded v. 35. with what body the dead shall arise It being also considerable that the word flesh is not in Scripture always put for the substance of mans body for the substance consisting of flesh blood and bones but frequently for the infirme weak state and condition of man as Esay 31 3. 1 Pet. 1.24 and thus the latter part of the verse shews it is to be taken here corruption shall not inherit incorruption corrupt frail flesh cannot inherit heaven it must be made a glorious spiritual body for its qualities and conditions when it is raised up again that so it may be capable of the happinesse of heaven III. The third thing the Apostle doth in this Chapter is he sheweth what shal become of them that shal be alive at the day of the Lord. v. 51. they shall not fall asleep but be changed or translated into a state of incorruption and immortality as it befell Enoch and Eliah in former times this also confirms the doctrine of the resurrection because those bodies that shall survive at the last day shall not be annihilated but only changed What clearer Testimony can be given to this truth then we have in this one chapter Many other places might be added as Acts 23.6 24.15 1 Thes 4.13 c. Phil. 3.20.21 Rev. 12. with other more but these may suffice But some object this is a thing impossible How can the dead body when consumed to ashes or dust and this driven away by the winde and scattered be raised up again the self-same body for substance Or when a body shall be eaten by wilde beast or fishes and they again eaten by men or by other creatures and their substances mingled and confounded how can these ever be distinguished and the selfe-same body that died
and light of reason unto man Now this light of reason though it be an excellent gift of Christ for by it man excels other creatures yet to distinguish it from that special illumination of Gods Spirit in conversion and regeneration we call it the light of nature gifts of nature as well as of grace being from God and in themselves good And the Scriptures give the same name unto it 1 Cor. 11.14 that light in men that condemns long hair is called nature and that light and power whereby the Gentiles who had not the Law of Moses did the things contained therein is called nature Rom. 2.14 how vainly then do these men cavil against us for calling this the light of nature seeing the Scriptures stile it so as well as we Secondly This common light of understanding and reason with which all men in the world be endued called the light of nature because connatural with man is not sufficient to enlighten men unto conversion and salvation unless an higher and supernatural light be communicated to them this hath been formerly maintained against Papists and Pelagians the enemies of Gods grace and I maintain it against the Quakers by these reasons 1 Constant experience shews it evidently amongst those Nations who have had no other light but that in the conscience and wanted the preaching of the Gospel and saving illumination of Gods Spirit not one amongst them was ever known by that light in them to have attained to the knowledge of Jesus Christ without which there is no salvation the very Name of Christ they have been ignorant of much more ignorant of the mysteries of his incarnation death satisfaction of the new Covenant founded in his blood c. but they have worshipped false gods devils c. how then is this light sufficient which never sufficeth to convert and save any one to this day 2 The Scriptures shew in many places the miserable condition of such people as have not the preaching of the Gospel amongst them they are in darknesse and the shadow of death Mat. 4.16 under the power of Satan Act. 26.18 without God without Christ without Hope Eph. 2.11 and they cannot beleeve in Christ without hearing of him by a preacher sent Rom. 10.16 Sure then the heeding of the light in the conscience was not sufficient to their Sanctification and Salvation 3 Let it be considered what knowledge in the things of God men may attain by the light in their consciences and what they cannot attain without an higher light and hereby the insufficiency of this light will plainly appear The Apostle Rom. 1.19 shews that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heathens that want the preaching of the Gospel something of God they may know from an impression upon their hearts remaining after the fall When an enemy demolishes a City some foundations of houses remain so some relicks of knowledge and principles of good remain in man after the ruines of Gods image in him and he may improve this knowledge further by the works of God which are seen and may know there is a God that this God is a powerful wise holy merciful just God that he is to be worshipped feared loved and served by man that grosse sins are not to be committed so far may this light in every man guide him as appears in the very Heathens who had no other helps but this common light but alas this is far off from bringing men to conversion and salvation this knowledge of God is but dark groping knowledge they had no clear distinct knowledge of God to know him One in three could not discern the least knowledge of Jesus Christ come in the flesh dying rising again c. nor of the new Covenant of the benefits obtained by his blood could not know the Ordinances of Gods worship instituted by him nor the duty of believing in Christ for salvation and for sinne they could not discerne concupiscence to be sin by the light in them but only by the Law Rom. 7.7 how insufficient then is the light in the conscience to lead men unto conversion and salvation Object But the Quakers have objected to me if they heed this light God will give them further for to him that hath shall be given Mat. 25.29 Answ This is an Objection borrowed from the Papists and other enemies of Gods grace who have frequently perverted this Scripture to overthrow special grace in conversion and therefore the answer that hath been given to them may serve the Quakers That promise of Christ there made to the improvement of our talents doth not speak of an increase in another kinde but in the same kinde of gifts which we improve he that shall improve Ministerial gifts of which Christ there speaks shall have further Ministerial gifts given to him not that he which improves common and general gifts shall have saving converting grace given to him the contrary we see by manifest experience in those Heathens who have improved best that common talent in searching after the knowledge of God and following moral vertues God hath left them wholly without the knowledge of Jesus Christ and hath called some more prophane and barbarous therefore the Scriptures attribute mens effectual calling and conversion to Gods free grace and good pleasure not to mans improvement of a common talent given to him Mat. 11 26. Rom. 9.16 Besides this objection is grounded upon another rotten Romish doctrine to wit that men before conversion and regeneration have power to improve the common light and grace they have so as to obtaine of God special and saving grace a doctrine as contrary to the Scriptures and derogatory to Gods grace as the former 4 It is clear this light in all men is not sufficient to lead men unto salvation because those that have been most zealous followers thereof have been lead thereby further from God and the way of salvation they have indeed been something eminent in morality and civil conversation but further off from Christianity then others Saul before his conversion following it was blamelesse in a moral conversation but a bitter enemy to Christ this light leads some to think they do God good service in persecuting his servants and how wretchedly some have been deluded that leaving the light of the Scriptures have heeded this light in them appears sufficiently by the relations of Gilpin Toldervy and others Thirdly we therefore maintain besides the common light that God hath given to all a necessity of special illumination by the Word and Spirit of God unto conversion and salvation Christ teaches us John 3. Except we be regenerate and borne again we cannot see the Kingdom of God therefore sure what we have at the first birth as we come into the world suffices not Acts 26.18 Christ sends Paul to open the eyes of the blind and turn men from Satan to God by his preaching what need that if they had before a light in them sufficient to salvation Psalme 119.
David prays Open mine eyes that I may understand the wonderful things of thy Law give me understanding that I may keep thy precepts would not the Quakers correct David here and say why David look to the light within thee and that is sufficient what needest thou pray for more so Paul Eph. 1.17 18. prays for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians though they had already the light in them and the outward preaching of the Gospel our doctrine therefore is more agreeable to the Scriptures then the Quakers doctrine we teach besides the light in the conscience which condemns grosse sins which we would not have men sin against but to study to keep a good conscience void of offence there is a necessity of the light of the Scriptures and the preaching of the Word to discover such things as the conscience cannot discover and of the sanctifying illumination of Gods Spirit also to open our blind eyes to see those discoveries and his grace to heal the enmity of our hearts that we may close with them did the Quakers believe the conversion and sanctification of the soul to be such a great work as we do they would see a necessity of an higher principle to produce it then this common light in all men Reader thou mayst sufficiently see what corrupters of the truth the Quakers be seeing in this main doctrine which is the sum of all their teaching they erre so grosly and are plain Papists and Pelagians II. The Quakers destroy the true doctrine of Sanctification in that they make it to consist in a few outward observances of casting off ribbons not putting off the hat vsing the expressions of thou yea nay c. as the Pharisees formerly placed holinesse in washing cups hands c. and the furthest they go is but to cry down grosse sinnes as pride drunkennesse covetousnesse c. whilest in the mean time they speak nothing of a work of regeneration and renovation in the heart for they teach there 's enough in men as they come into the world if they heed that and as concerning inward mortification of the seeds of evil in the heart and a spiritual work of God upon the soul in turning the whole frame of it to God to center in him again how silent are they in these great things did they look upon these as necessary they durst not proudly boast they are perfect and absolutely free from the being of sin but even as the Papists who say they are free from the being of sin and for that end deny concupiscence in the regenerate to be sin so must the Quakers look upon these things as nothing if they will defend their perfection But we on the contrary maintain the great work of Sanctification begins chiefly in the heart in creating a new heart infusing a new spirit Ezek. 36.26 27. which men have not as they come into the world at the first birth but at the second birth in making the tree good and then the fruit will be good afterwards Mat. 12.33 III. They destroy the proper end of Sanctification the end of God in Sanctifying his people is not that by setting up a righteousnesse in them they might thereby be justified before God for their justification stands in Gods free remitting of their sins and imputing to them the obedience and satisfaction of Christ their Surety wrought in his person for them as was before shewed in the Section of Justification but that being reconciled to God through Christ their natures being sanctified and the image of God repaired in them they might be fit to glorifie God and to enjoy communion with him for ever to make them fit for glory for without holinesse no man can see God Heb. 12.14 But now the Quakers make the great end of God in sanctifying his people and infusing righteousnesse into them to be that they might be justified before God and therefore ignorantly confound justification mortification and sanctification together see Nailer love to the lost p. 50. thus are they enemies to the doctrine of Christ crucified and justification by faith they are fallen from grace and seek to lead men from Christ to the Law again as the Apostle Paul shews in the Epistle to the Gallatians IV. They own not any for truly sanctified persons but such as are perfectly freed from the being of sinne and therefore reproach us who say with the Apostle Romans 7. we have sin dwelling in us as unsanctified persons whereas the Scriptures own such for Saints as are freed from the dominion of sinne though not yet from the being thereof and shew that in the best there is flesh as well as Spirit Gal. 5.17 V. They deny the grace of God infused into the Saints in Sanctification to be a created thing though the Scripture calls it the new creature 2 Corinth 5.17 Ephes 2.10 and hold it to be the uncreated being of God so Richard Hubberthorne and John Lawrence in a letter sent to me speak a most wretched and blasphemous doctrine for then should we be Gods if the uncreated being were communicated to us even as Christ was God the divine essence being eternally communicated to him besides this doctrine would make us meerly passive as stocks and stones in all duties of Sanctification the plain doctrine of the Libertines that being followed overthrows all holinesse having sometimes laid open the odiousnesse of this opinion to my people the person last named being ashamed of it did openly deny it before the Congregation but hath now owned it with his hand subscribing to it VI. They take away many great arguments inducing to Holinesse and Sanctification as the doctrine of the Resurrection last Judgement Heaven and Hell c. as was before shewed now to what purpose is it to raile against sinne when they take away those weapons that should destroy it and to speak of holinesse when they take away the greatest inducements thereunto If the dead rise not saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 15.22 then let us eat and drink for to morrow we die what need men be affrighted with the scar-crowes of Heaven Hell c These evil words will more corrupt good manners then all their other good words will promote holinesse VII They destroy all those helps to Sanctification and Godlinesse which God hath given us They deny the Ordinances of God as before was shewed which are the means of grace and Sanctification John 17.17 Eph. 5.26 Jam. 1.18 c. could the prelatical enemies of holinesse in former times take a more crafty course to suppresse holinesse then by silencing of Preaching Catechising Praying and restraining Christian communion c how gladly the Quakers would promote all this if they could and leave people only to the light in them which is meer darknesse I shewed before in the Section about Ordinances By this time the weakest Reader may perceive the Quakers to be but faint enemies to sinne though they speak aloud and give bigge words against it and
Romish Antichrist 2 Thes 2 4. as is in these men who dare boast they are equal with God that they are infallible perfectly free from the being of sin who dare write their pamphlets ordinarily as given from the Lord from the Spirit of God immediately that dare scorne all others not of their way and judge them as ungodly hypocrites blinde c. do these things argue holy and mortified persons how full of lying of false accusing c. are their writings what bitter enemies are they to the wayes and servants of Christ and in reproaching and vilifying them out-strip the persecuting Prelates and their party in former times who seeth not that the devil hath raised up these to act the part of that wicked crew who are now brought under the hatches for their enmity is chiefly if not only vented against the same people and ways that were persecuted formerly by the prelatical party Obj. But some will say they are no drunkards no adulterers c. such ways they hate Answ 1. Suppose it be so no more is the devil a drunkard glutton adulterer and yet his spiritual wickednesses his pride malice envy lying false accusing of the Saints c. are no lesse crimes then drunkennesse gluttony c. and in these things the Quakers appear as eminently the children of the devil as any do Julian the Apostate as it 's reported of him was a temperate just and strict man but a most wicked enemy of Jesus Christ 2. But for such fleshly lusts we have no great experience of their conversations most of them being strangers here and therefore we cannot so well discover such things if they were guilty of them yet for the time they have been in these parts we have sufficient conviction that they may be guilty of such filthinesse of the flesh as well as of such filthinesse of spirit as was before mentioned There hath scarce been known a more vile wretch then Christopher Atkinson who sometimes was acknowledged by themselves the chiefest of their Sect who after he had professed repentance for his filthinesse and leudnesse comitted with the woman he hath since married yet escaping out of prison he practised greater villany then before for being at an Inne called the George in Thurton within five or six miles of Norwich as I was informed by two credible persons who were occasionally at the same Inne at that time he there offered ten shillings in hire of an whore and fell in love with a young girle whom he suited so as he did cry and whine for her he told such lies concerning himself and otherwise shewed himself so vile that it was apparent he was no novice in such actions for no man on a sudden arrives to the height of wickednesse I might annex the story of those two Quakers spoken of in the book put forth by Gilpin and of him that being condemned to die for incest in York-shire poisoned himself in prison But these being done in more remote parts I shall not insist upon them Now let not any say it 's a common thing for some wicked persons to be found amongst such as are most holy and therefore these few examples should not condemn the rest of them for they are men that pretend to be perfectly free from the being of sin to be infallible c. and therefore the fall any one shews their doctrine to be lies besides what spiritual wickednesses reigns amongst them generally was shewed before and they are not ashamed to defend such actions as tend directly to lead men to such filthinesse as going naked c. How clear is it then from all this that these people are no truly mortified persons what ever they pretend 3. That mortification which they professe to have consists but in some external things which God never required as voluntary humility neglecting of the body which things are called will-worship Col. 2. in putting away outward ornaments not wearing ribbons refusing titles of honour to be called Master not putting off the hat using the words of yea nay thou in their wilful sufferings for opposing and vilifying Ministers in much fasting and abstemious use of the creatures c. Now as for these it may be said Who hath required these things at their hands What are those when they are enemies to the crosse of Christ and to the righteousnesse of faith as was shewed in the Section of Justification when they place righteousnesse in such observations not knowing the mortification of the corruptions of the heart as was before proved when they are ignorant of and enemies to an inward and spiritual work of grace and regeneration upon the heart as shall be made to appear in the next Section alas how easie is it for any carnal heart to learn such outward observances and place their righteousnesse in them and yet even in externals they sin against their own principle of the light in them as by wearing such ruffian-like long haire so Fox and Duesbury two great and principal men amongst them have done that light in them might teach them its a shame to do so 1 Cor. 11.14 4. And even in these external shews of mortification they been have far out-stripped by many others the Pharisees of old see Montagu Acts and Monuments of the Church cap. 7. have sometimes made vows of continence abstinence watching and praying for ten years together during all which time they would not come near any beautiful woman and when necessity compelled them to sleep they would lie upon narrow planks or upon stones or thorns that they might sooner be awakened to prayer reading and meditation they pretended revelations and inspirations their ordinary fastings were two dayes in the week the third and fifth dayes wherein the wholly abstained from meat till the stars appeared but in their extraordinary fasts they used greater severity over the flesh they would shew great austerity in their common deportment and would hazard their lives before they would recede from their way The Essens another Sect amongst the Jews did yet go beyond the Pharisees shewing a wonderful gravity and austerity in their carriages detesting not only prophannesse but lawful pleasures and delights abstinence continence and mastering their affections they esteemed a chief point of piety for marriage they cared not for it nor for the company of women getting of wealth and growing rich they despised to swear any oath was a capital crime they were so addicted to contemplation that some of them did not eat in three dayes time some in six when they did eat brown bread and salt was their ordinary food and when they exceeded they had green hearbs their apparel was poor and simple only to preserve from cold and heat they turned the Scriptures into allegories as the Quakers do following the example of the Egyptian wise men saith Philo they pretended to revelations and prophetical inspirations maintained community of goods torments of body they regard not but endured with courage and constancy
when they enter upon their way first they professe to love and serve God truly and above all to live justly and uprightly with men c. and yet they profest not faith in Jesus Christ and as Josephus reports they worshipped the Sun But especially and above others the Popish Monks Friars and Hermites have excelled in these outward observances some of them professing poverty have given away all they had lived by begging some go bare-foot and are badly clad some live in the wildernesse in caves and hutts from the society of men casting off worldly imployments and tentations and giving up themselves only to their devotion prayer watching and contemplation the like do others in cloysters for their abstinence from creature comforts their continency and their extraordinary fastings and exceeding poor diet many have been famous some have macerated their bodies and killed themselves therewith what cruel whippings of their bodies for bringing the flesh into subjection have they used some have put spurs betwixt their skin and their garments and have lien upon sharp chips glorious visions and raptures also some have pretended to and immediate communion with God and with Angels for sufferings they have endured much the Jesuites boast that of their society and order alone in a few years three hundred have suffered Martyrdome some that might have escaped death have voluntarily offered themselves thereto as sometimes the Circumcelliones amongst the Donatists volumnes have beeen written of these things and no wonder they place righteousnesse in these things and seek justification thereby Now how far do all these excel the Quakers in external shews of mortification in voluntary humility and neglecting of the body for apparrel the Quakers go as neat and trim as most Yeomen in the Country though they came hither first in very mean and poor attire most of them for diet and lodging they have had as good entertainment for their sufferings they are not comparable with those before named for worldly profits it 's observed their followers do as little contemne the same as most others Now by all that hath been said it may appear there is but little reason for any to be induced to think well of the Quakers way because of their pretences to mortification and holinesse And thus for the ninth Section SECT X. The Quakers doctrine tendeth not to destroy sinne although they raile against sinne and how they destroy the true doctrine of Sanctification I finde by experience that one great temptation that induceth weak and ungrounded people to retain some good opinion of the Quakers is because they speak against sin vehemently condemning pride covetousnesse drunkennesse c. can these men be so bad say they and such enemies of Christ when they write and speak so many good things and cry out so much against sin These people who thus argue are little acquainted with the subtilties of Satan who can transform himself into an Angel of light and with the craftiness of seducers who can pretend themselves Ministers of righteousness 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. that they may the rather deceive If Satan and his instruments should appear ever in their colours as enemies of Christ and holinesse who would be deceived by them I shall therefore in the next place for the sake of such shew how little these mens doctrine conduces to the destruction of sin and how they subvert the true doctrine of Sanctification This will appear in the ensuing particulars 1. They deny the efficient cause of a principle of Sanctification to wit the Spirit of grace and regeneration 2 Thes 2.13 Rom. 15.16 Tit. 3.5 which is given to the people of God alone and not to all men in the world 1 John 4.13 1 Thes 4.8 Rom. 8.9 John 14.17 Jude 19. and with the Papists and Pelagians those enemies of special grace and advancers of the power and ability in man they make a common light or principle put into all men in the world sufficient to conversion and sanctification if men heed the same This is clear from all their writings See Nailer Glory from the North p. 2 3. where he bids people mind the light in their consciences and it will lead them to perfect day foolishly pretending this to be that the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.19 bade them take heed unto this saith he will shew you all your sins and bring you out of them bring you to repentance and lead you to justification peace c. and he scoffs at those that pray for further light or grace saying this being minded and heeded is sufficient c. See Trial of faith p. 6 7. where they affirm that light in the conscience that all men have will lead men to repentance and newnesse of life and if heeded will crucifie their lusts and bring them out of the pathes of death into the way of life c. If this be so what necessity is there then of faith in Christs blood for Justification and life what need of a work of regeneration and the sending the Spirit of Christ into our hearts for our Sanctification it was before shewed all men have not the Spirit of Christ in them but these men neither regard the blood of Christ for Justification nor the Spirit of Christ for Sanctification as is evident from their words before cited But now because we are fallen upon their great and principal doctrine the sufficiency of the light in the conscience to lead men to Justification Sanctification and Salvation for the summe of all they hold forth may be reduced to this Look to the light within you I shall a little discusse that point what the light that all men have in their consciences is and whether it being heeded is alone available to justification Sanctification and Salvation I shall speak to this great question clearly and fully in these three particulars First There is a light which God hath enlightned every man in the world withal even the light of understanding and reason wherby man is distinguished from the beasts irrational creatures and this light may be called the light of Jesus Christ because coming from him as Creator and thus may the light of the Sun be called the light of Christ for he made it and the life of beasts be called the life of Christ for he gave it to them but what is this to that sanctified saving light and life communicated from Jesus Christ to his people as their Head and Redeemer in their regeneration to fit them for enjoyment of God and communion with him in glory it is of this common light of understanding which Christ as Creator gives to all men that that Scripture John 1.9 speaks of for in v. 10. mention is made of the creation the world was made by him and the scope of the Evangelist in that place is to prove Christ to be God which the Hereticks of those times denied and what fitter argument to prove it then his creating the world and giving life to the creatures