we do ours to oâ—hers by words and this belongs to the Scriptures as they are written or spoken To his last Question We only say Let him first tell us whether he intends the Grammatical sense of the words or the Gracious sense of them upon the heart and we shall know what to say to him As for the sense in which he yields the Scripture to be the Word of God he talks idly confounding a Metonym Efficientis with a Metonym Signi Reflections on Cap. 2. of New Revelations and Inspirations The Fancy of New Divine Revelations and Inspirations being the Pillar of Quakerism it concerned him to treat the Scriptures with such caution as to leave room to introduce this Figment else he had undone his whole Cause and yet it will be found that he hath granted so much there that he must needs contradict himselfe here as will be made evident In this Chapter the Dispute is Whether new divine Revelations Inspirations of the Spirit of God he now ceased He undertakes the Negative against us but indeed the whole is nothing else but meer Legerdemain The right Stating of the Controversie between us will abreviate and facilitate ouâ— work in animadverting on this tedious and insignificant Chapter In order to that thesâ— three Terms Inspiration Revelation New must be rightly understood Words are used to express our minds by are to be taken in the sense commonly used among men and when any are used aequivocally such as use them must have Liberty to interpret their own meaning As to the Word Inspiration it is vulgarly understood in Divinity to intimate an Inward extraordinary Discovery of the mind of God made by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of His servants so 2. Tim. 3.16 and so we difference it from those ordinary and mediate wayes in which we come to this acquaintance Revelation is applicable indeed to any way in which a thing is made known to us which we knew not before and so the word may be as sometimes in Scripture applied to any Discovery which is made to us of the Will of God But this word hath also attained a particular Appropriation to such a Knowledge of Divine Truths as would never have been attained by the best Improvement of natural light or reason without the Manifestation of the Spirit and this is either Immediate or Mediate the Immediate is the same with Inspiration â—â—e Mediate is that which is commonly calâ—d Illumination the Spirit of God helping us â—ith His Influences whenever we are in the â—se of meanes The word New may be apâ—lied either to the kind of the things revealed â—r to the Act of Revealing Here then our Beleef in this matter may be reduced to â—hese Heads We do believe 1. That Savâ—ng Illuminations of the Spirit influencing the â—earts of His people with the knowledge of Christ and His Truths are common needful to all Believers in all ages Rev. 8.9 2ndly That in this sence there are new Revelations made from time to time to God's Children i. e. subjectively 2. Pet. 3.18 3dly That such inspirations as the Prophets and Apostles of old had by which God discovered His mind to them immediately enabling them to declare these things to others were not common to believers in these times 1. Cor. 12.29 vers 10. 4thly That the Scriptures do so fully contain the mind of God in all things necessary for Faith and Salvation that there need no such Inspirations to be afforded to any and therefore they are now ceased 2. Tim. 3.16.17 with Heb. 1.1 2. 5thly That therefore there are no new Revelations made since the Canon was perfected of things or Doctrines which arâ— not contained in the Scriptures we arâ— therefore directed hither for our establishment against Seducers 2. Tim. 3.13 14. and not to abide by this is to make it appear that they have no light in them Isa 8.20 If now we examine what he opposeth to this Doctrine we shall find nothing but Fallacy and Foolery Sect. 1. His first charge here is upon the Assemblies Confession in the very first Article and truly If men lay the first stone wrong the whole Fabrick must be weakned thereby That which he alledgeth against them is they are admirably blind in their bringing in particular Citations of Scripture and we may retort that he is admirably base in perverting their sense and design in Citing of them They had asserted several things in this paragraph for proof whereof they directed to the Scriptures printed in the Margent which he perversly reflects upon as brought only to prove that one Assertion which is not totidem verbis made by them That all new Revelation is ceased They had said that God had pleased to commit His declared and revealed will of things which concern man's salvation wholly to Writing for which they alledge Prov. 2.19 20 21. and do not these Texts assure us that God has written His Word to us and that this Word tells us what God saith yea and to speak otherwise is an evidence that men have no saving light in them Which by the way tells us what to judge of the Quakers light and one would think this is to purpose and hath something of proof in it and to the same purport are Luc. 1.2 3 4. Rom. 15.4 Mat. 4.4 7.10 They had again told us That God had made Scriptures necessary and for the Evidence direct us to 2. Tim. 3.15 and can Impudence deny the Inference from that Text Finally they tell us That the Scripture being thus given to be a Rule for Faith and Manners and being completely sufficient to its ends The former ways of Gods revealing Himself are ceased for which they cite Heb. 1.1 2. 2. Pet 1.19 which one would think if joined with the former especially 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. might prove it Doth not the Apostle Heb. 1.1 2. renounce the former ways in the times of the Law to give place to this one and better in Gospel times and what can he do that comes after the King And does not the Apostle Peter in the fore-cited place tell us there is a surer way than an Immediate voice from heaven and what have stars to do when the Sun is risen In summe all these Scriptures arâ— brought to prove what G. K. confesseth Cap. 1. Sect. 1 2 3. nor do we see what absurdity would follow upon our granting that New revelations of any truth not before made known ceased before John the Apostle deceased though his other extraordinary gifts did continue Sect. 2. And pray what do we assert but what he seems plumply to grant here viz. That the rule to try all doctrines is compleatly contained in the Scriptures only the business is that this must in no wise prove the ceasing of new revelations or inspirations or prophecying Let it for the present suffice to say that he who goes about to confound terms which are used for distinction has some cheating trick to impose
Doctrines of Religion in it He had in his youth when he was in the Dark as he saith we are gotten a little of that carnal thing called Humane Learning and tho' one would have thought that a dose of New-Light would have purged it all away yet there are some confused dreggs behind and he will try if they may not help at a dead lift and let us see how he will manage it Though saith he the Scriptures contain a full and sufficient Declaration of all Christian Doctrine yet they do not contein the whole mind and will and counsil of God as some say they do and pray Sr who ever said so Qui bene distinguit bene docet If by the Mind Will and Counsel of God he intends the Eternal Decrees and Purposes as these words are often taken then we never said nor thought that the Scriptures contain a full discovery of these they are the Secret things which belong to God and are so far revealed in Scripture Praedictions Providential Accomplishments as God sees meet and there are some new discoveries of them every day But if he means the Preceptive Will of God discovering to man what is his Duty in order to his Happiness then not we only but he also Sect. 1 2. saith that they do contain all if he saith any thing at all and in this sense besides which he saith nothing to purpose here is a plain Contradiction for to say that a thing contain all the parts and yet not the Whole is so in the Letter whatever it be in his spirit But let us see how he proves it and here we have a Reason for it and then a tedious Induction of diverse Instances and they make it as plain as can be except you be in the Darkness 1. The Reason is Because and if every thing that men put Because to may stand for a Reason his is a good one there are many things wherein God doth reveal of His Counsel to His children which are not in the Scripture either expresly or consequentially altogether Necessary for their peace and Comfort i. e. Either some new Duties which were not conteined no not consequentially in the Scriptures or some new Promises which the Word of God referrs not to and New Duties new Promises make a new Gospel against which we are awfully cautioned Gal. â—1 8 If there be new Duties they must contain a new Doctrine not revealed by the Scripture but he gives no encouragement to believe any such Sect. 2. If new promises they must refer to Purgatory for the Scripture hath given all that belong to Time and Eternity The life that now is and that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 And if he mean only that there are New Providences which contribute to their peace and Comfort as it is nothing to the purpose so he should have done well to have imparted a little of his Light to us to teach us how to extract this grace and comfort without making use of the Scriptures to that end 2. Let us see how far his Instances will help him he gives us Five though one to the purpose had bin worth five hundred such as these 1. The first respects a man's Assurance of his present state of Grace in his inward Calling as he entitles it The knowledge whereof he saith is a part of God's Counsil i. e. it is God's will and his duty that he be acquainted with it That it is a duty we never denied but that it is by the Scripture that we know it to be a duty we believe see 2. Cor. 13.5 2. Pet. 1.10 But then the Assurance it self cannot be infallibly gained by Scripture or Scripture Consequence but only by the Spirit of God and for this he cites Rom. 8.16 very unhappily for himself if he had thought of it for by this very Citation he gives us another point viz. that it is by the Scripture that we come to know that â—e must have our assistance from the Spirit â—lone nay more he grants that the Scripâ—ure gives the infallible marks of such an estate 〈◊〉 but the Spirit must apply all this or it â—annot be known that is the Mystery then â—ut what avails this Why only this â—he Work of the Spirit is neither Scripture nor Scripture-Consequence and who knew not that as well as he But if the Scriptures be the Instrument which the Spirit useth to work this Assurance in us by his instance is impertinent We assert and believe 1. That the Spirit of God is the Author or Efficient of all Grace in the hearts of Believers and therefore is called The Spirit of Grace 2. That he useth the Word of God in Scripture in putting Men into that state upon which their Assurance is built Jam. 1.18 1. Pet. 1.23 3dâ—y That the Witness of the Spirit is Co-witnessing with our spirits Rom. 8.16 which is necessary to make the Evidence Authentick 4thly That the Testimony of our Spirits is an Evidence that is drawn from these infallible marks which but for the SCRIPTURE we had not known to be such and if thâ— Spirit should apply any other evidence buâ— what is according to Scripture by G. K'â— own Doctrine we are not bound to believâ— it 2. The next instance refers to an Inward Call to the Ministry and runs upon the same foolish notion with the former and needs no further Answer only let it be here laid by in store That he pretendâ— to owne such a distinct Office in the Church which the Practice of the Quakers makes a Gift Common to all they account to be of the true Church both men and women 3. In his third Instance he begs a Principle which will never be Granted him viz. that men are to tarry for an Inward Call to pray or perform any religious Duty which being Voluntary on the Spirit 's part he concludes cannot be known simply by the Scriptures But let it be here remarked 1. That Moral Duty depends on the Precept and not on inward Motions Prayer which he refers to in particular is to be without ceasing 1. Thes 5.19 i. e. every day and on all occasions 2. That the Motion to do any thing which is at any time upon us is to be tryed by the â—criptures whether it be of God for we â—re bidden to try the Spirits and are directed to the Law and Testimony as our Rule and if it be not there Revealed G. K. tells is we need not believe it 3. We are commanded to stir up the Grace that is in us and how often have we David at this yea when we want the Spirit for Prayer we are to pray for the Spirit 4. As to his next instance referring to our Enquiring and discovering what is the mind of God in our Carriage under His Hand and in the management of our weighty Affairs when he hath said all he can the Word of God or the Scripture is that which must ultimately resolve us That to know What
is Duty depends on Divine Revelation we are Agreed That God did sometimes reveal His Will extraordinarily to His Servants of Old we deny not but that the Word of God in Scripture is that which to us in Gospel Times since the Canon was perfected Answers all the other wayes of Revelation is an Article of our Creed and we think we have Scripture-warrant for it 2. Pet. 1.19 c. As to the Case of Marriage which he talks of instanceth in the carriage of Abraham's servant it is quite aliene to his purpose for who ever asserted that God's providence is bound to follow Scripture Rules being supream arbitrary But still in our serving of this Providence and knowing how to use it to His glory and particularly to know what is the mind â—nd will of God to us in this Providence we have no other Rule to inform our selves by but the Scriptures and tho the Spirit must reveal it yet this is the thing Revealed Where as he tells us that Philip Peter and others were extraordinarily called to such and such services it is readily replied that That was extraordinary and without warrant for us ordinarily to expect the like moreover the things they were called to were such as the Scripture satisfied them to be according to God Finally We deny not but that the Spirit of God doth still put an impulse on the spirits of His people frequently but is it self-evident or must not the Warrantableness of it be tryed by Scripture-Rules Let G. K. if he can give an instance of a Quaker that ever had such a self-evidenceing extraordinary Call as Philip Peter c. had in former dayes How impertinently he quotes Jam. 4.15 to prove his Assertion 〈◊〉 if the Lord will may soon be seen He inâ—erprets it of a Will not to be known by the â—cripture but by the Spirit without it â—hereas any man of common sense may perâ—eive that the sense of that Text is this â—hat when a man is satisfied that his design â—s Lawful he is then to acknowledge that his â—ffairs are subject to the Ruling Providence of God who may either further or impede his Undertaking as He will and how comes he â—o be satisfied in this but by the Scriptures â—f Providence furthers him he is satisfied â—hat it was Gods Will to suffer it if He puts a stop to it it discovers the secret Will of God revealing it self in this particular â—ow to demean himself under this he hath alâ—o from the Word and what is all this to their inwardly feeling a Command or Permission which he idly talks of 5. Here we are told of God's Answering the returns of the Prayers of His people A Quakerism i. e. Nonsense And we have him at length concluding his impertinent fourth Paragraph with Assuring us That the Scripture promises applied by the Spirit are the inward Voice of God to His children but why hath he been all this while fighting with his own shadow if this be all he intends Sect. 5. Now he draws his Conclusion Therefore the Scripture doth not contain all thâ— Word or Words of God whereas we thoughâ— that if he had concluded from the premises he should have said Therefore it doth because all these are nothing but Scripture oâ—ther expresly or consequentially He bringâ— in Act. 12.24 The word grow multiplieâ— to prove his Assertion but we might ask him whether he intends its multiplying by new Inspirations or Revelations or by multiplied Efficacy Did not he himself resolve us that there was no new Doctrine and thence we infer that there was no new Word in the sence we are disputing Sect. 6. What have we here Christ His Apostles expounded the scriptures by Inspiration yet taught no new Doctrine Sure he forgets himself was not the whole frame of the Gospel Dispensation a New Model And hence there were new Institutions see Heb. 7.12 Chapt. 8.7 8. 13.10 for which things there was required extraordinary Inspiration therefore to his Demand Why may it not be so now we answer Because the Canon is perfected and whereas he asserts that it is so because some do at this day expound the scripture by the same spirit though it be impertinent for if it be the Scripture it is not a new thing revealed yet we have also to charge him with a Fallacy purposely used in the word Spirit if taken personally for the Holy Ghost it is beside the case if for His Gifts or the manner of His dispensing of Himself to by His servants we have but his word for it and that not very well agreeing to 1. Cor. 12.4 5 6. and if his own Rule be true viz. that such mens Exposition as have no infallible spirit cannot be the word of God he hath thrown himself as well as us and his book is to be little regarded being full of Mistakes Nonsense Lies had he been infallible he would not in his 12th Article against us have charged that upon us which we never believed much less professed Sect. 2. Here we have a great stir about the word Logos but indeed a meer Logomachy and lest he should not have senses enough to lose it in he falls into Tautologies Somebody might do well to ask him what different sense he finds between Communication Words Talk Speech But the knack is it signifies the Scripture only in a thirteenth rare improper sense and yet this is more than some of his friends will allow it But let that pass He hath two or three Queries to puzzle us withal though he takes upon him to answer them himself His first Quaery is Whether the Scripturâ— contains all the Word or Words of God and that he denies for the reasons already given which are none at all Well if they will not set us down he will try what Scripture Metaphors will do and now we must observe that The Word is compared to the Rain Dew Deut. 32.2 and to Bread Jer. 15.16 Now the drops of Rain dew and the small grainâ— of flower in bread cannot be numbred ergo the Scripture contains not all the Word of God But let us ask him if he may be spoken to after such a profound Revelation as this whether he allows it to be a good Interpretation of Scripture Allusions to apply all that is in the thing alluded to to that which it is compared with or is it more safe to restrain it to that particular thing for which the Comparison was made Why then may not the Word be Resembled to the Rain Dew for the fruitful Efficacy of it on the hearts of God's people and to Bread from the spiritual Nutriment it affords wiser men than G. K. have thought so As to his 2nd Question it is meer Quibling We directly say That The Scriptures are properly the revealed Will of God which was Metaphorically and Anthropopathos called â—is Words because God by them doth signifie to us His Mind as
to the soul as well as enlightens the Subject if this will do let him be quiet only we say He reveals no new object besides what is revealed in the Scripture we thought that he had said so too in this very Chapter S. 3. But now he would insinuate p. 21. which he dares not speak out that he would have new Truths or Objects besides what are revealed in the Scripture i. e. either expresly or consequentially or he saith nothing let him but reconcile his third and sixth Paragraph and we shall know where to have him As for the Comparison by which he doth illustrate or rather scandalize our Doctrine as if we acknowledged No other sight of the Truth but as one that sees England in a map but never saw the land or one that heares and reads of meat but never saw and tasted it it is altogether aliene we believe with the Apostle that all our sight here is in a glass and that darkly or aenigmatically 1. Cor. 13.12 and that we walk by faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5.7 and yet we believe that here is a spiritual feeling tasting and satisfaction in all this Heb. 11.1 we are not therefore concerned in this peice of Raillery with which his 22nd page is stuff'd only we observe his spirit like that of the primitive Persecutors who clothed Christians in skins of beasts and then worried them Sect. 7. We dissalow not his Distribution of the knowledge of God into Discurssive Inâ—uitive but how poorly he improves it to his purpose let the Reader judge for if â—n the mean while our Intuitive Knowledge brings no new truths to us but what are contained in the Word of God he hurts not our Doctrine in the least That Intuitive as well as Discurssive Knowledge may be in diâ—erse Christians in different degrees we never â—uestioned but when he hath made all the â—plutter he can about his intuitive knowledge â—e can never prove it to be any other than â—hat inward Satisfaction which the Spirit of God affords to the minds of His people about â—he things that are contained in the Holy â—criptures by the particular and personal â—pplication of them to their hearts and let G. K. or any other of his friends if they can produce any once instance to evidence that ever they had any Intuitive Knowledge of one divine Truth whereof they had not a discursive knowledge before And how much he vilisies the Word of God by comparing it only to the Cup which revealeth the wine and the Spirit to the Wine in the Cup is plaine David had another Opinion of the word Ps 19.7 c. and Christ giveth it another Encomium Joh. 6.63 Sect. 8. He introduceth an Hypothesis If they say c. but who of us ever said so make a Castle in the Air and then discharge pot-Guns at it but we do say that all this makes nothing for his New Revelations although it affords glad Tidings to the souls of God's Children Had he any Fore-head left him he would never have here affirmed that we preach altogether an absent Christ we alwayes professed our selves to believe That Christ is really and properly present with His people in His Ordinances and Application of Himself to them only we say He is so spiritually not corporally and it is strange that such pretenders to spirit should deny a Reality and Property to it Sect. 9. What little Reason he hath to charge us with Nonsense will be seen in what hath been already said at the beginning of this Chapter to which we refer the Reader But how comes G. K. by so much modesty as to grant That there is both ordinary and extraordinary Revelation and that theirs is but ordinary and pretends not an equality to that of the Apostles either in degree or variety Some Quakers have been otherwise perswaded else had their Lucas never said If thou hast a mind to a Scripture thou maist write as good an one thy self But if he mean no other Revelation but what Christ did Joh. 5.25 we allow it only that differ'd more than in degree from what the Apostles had as such officers Reflections on Chapt. 3d. of the Supreame Judge Rule of Controversies in Religion Let us not wrangle before we know what it is for The Dispute here is about the Judge or Rule of Controversies in Religion and observe 1. That it is only about Matters of Religion 2. That Judg and Rule here intend one and the same thing viz. the Standard by which things are to be tryed and judged 3. It refers to Controversies i. e. where principles are in debate Now wee 'll suppose two kinds of Controversies one between men men one party and another each pretending to have truth on their side The other between a man himself having a debate in his own mind and not being as yet settled The Question then is What as a Rule is to set men down put an end to these Debates and let us go together as long as we can Sect. 1. He seems here to bid fair for an Agreement at least in the first sort of the Controversy i. e. between men men for we have only outwardly to deal one with another and he assures us that the Scripture is the Touchstone by which the Doctrine is to be tried and then surely it must judge and determine or what is the Advantage of Trying Only he spoils all by telling us They have a greater proof viz. the inward Testimony of the Holy Ghost We would only for the present ask him though that is not all we have to say to him whether this inward Testimony be greater as a rule to judge another by set him down and this because his words import that we are to judge by the Scripture whether the Testimony be from the Spirit or no for in what other way can the Spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets else when a Quaker comes to tell us he hath a Revelation and this is a Testimony above the Scriptutes it would be impudence in us to search the Scripture if the thing revealed be so or no. What though the Spirit witnesseth in us that this is the Rule doth it hereby become no Rule or an inferior one how absurd Sect. 3. Here also he begins fair and would make us believe he is good natur'd for he gives the Scripture a preference to all other Writings and for that reason allows it to be a sufficient outward Standard and one would think that were enough to try Controversies between men and men and determine them though his Reason is but awk viz. Because Scripture-Writers had greater Measures of Wisdome c. so that he allows them a gradual difference of Revelation and not specifical which may be judged of by what hath been already said and what is it to us how or in what measures God revealed Himself extraordinarily to His Prophets who pretend to no such
Revelation at all It sufficeth that the lowest degrees of these Revelations were infallible and therefore one Scripture is not less so than another Nor shall we trouble our selves to prevestigate his Rabbinical Fopperies about the different degrees of Revelation by which no doubt he hath raised his credit much with the poor blind Quakers whereas indeed if a man had studied to make himself a Fool in print he could not easily have done it more effectually and though we grant That God revealeth Himself gradually to His servants and to some more than to others yet his Citatation of Exod. 6.3 proves not what he brings it for it intends not that the Fathers did not know the Name Jehovah we find the Contrary Gen. 22.14.26.24.27.20 but that He did in His providence rather exemplifie Himself by the name of Almighty in Protecting and defending of the Patriarchs but now He would most eminently display that of Jehovah in the compleating of the promises which He had made unto them In fine he confesseth p. 32. That the Quakers degrees are so low that they are not in the state of Perfection but they may by humane frailty in some measure or way more or less tread softly decline or depart from the pure infallible teachings of the spirit and then we hope this kind of spirit is not superior to that which spake infallibly in the Scripture and from which we are assured that the Prophets and Apostles in their Dictating or Writing the Scripture did not decline in any measure or way more or less When he infers from hence that their Doctrine is to be tryed by the Scripture and their spirit by the Spirit of Truth We would ask him what Difference he here puts between Doctrine and Spirit and let him if he can shew how their spirit is to be tried but by their Doctrine or what Spirit they can be tryed by which will carry Conviction but only that which breathes in the Scriptures and it would be a great stroke he would drive if he could reconcile our being led infallibly by the Spirit to our being mean while in the same things left to mistakes which is the very sense of his Words Sect. 3. Here also he will grant the Scripture or the Spirit speaking in it to be a Supreme Judge in a figurative sense so we do not restrain it hither but allow Him to speak something without Scripture But this hath been already detected of vanity for how shall we jugde of the Spirit but by the Scripture That the Spirit of God must open our Understandings to discern the spiritual meaning of the word of God we never doubted and that Prayer and Meditation are helps to it who questions But what 's this to the purpose In summe the Spirit is the Interpreter but to call Him the Rule is Nonsense Sect. 4. We had waited long to know the Reason why Cap. 1. S. 1. he calls the Scripture the Outward Rule and now he fairly tells us viz. Because the Spirit is the inward rule i. e. To determine all Controversies at least such as we have in our selves a debate about The Text alledged is impertinent for the Testimony of God there spoken of is the Scripture witnessed to by the Spirit and we must distinguish between the Testator the Testimony the latter of which can in any proper sence be called the Rule and let it here be well observed That the Scripture is a Judge in it self and doth alwaies carry the Determination in it whether we understand it or no so as to be able to make use of it as such And further That it is not necessary that we have a saving Illumination for the meer Doctrinal improvement of it since the Scripture is delivered in humane Language and there is a logical knowledge of it to be attained by Industry so far as to decide Controversies in Religion by such as are not savingly illuminated nor is it the spirit of the Disputant but the convincing light of the word of God it self which is to sway our Judgements and set them down satisfied as to the Doctrine Reflections on Chapt. 4th of Ministerial Gifts c. It will be superfluous to quarrel with him about his method since we are necessitated to follow him in his own path Sect. 1. He hath cased us of some Trouble by acknowledging that the things contained in this Chapter have a close connection with the matter of the praeceding i. e. if his Doctrine about Revelation Inspiration will not hold neither will the ensuing there will therefore having already detected the Fallacy of those be need of little more than brief touches at the things here asserted His Charge in this Section that we assert Natural and acquired gifts of letter Learning without a divine Inspiration to be sufficient to qualifie a Gospel Minister and that Grace or true Piety is only accidental may look black at the first view but let our Judgement in that point be fully weighed and we shall have no reason to be ashamed of it That a man may be so Qualified as to be capable of being Called to the Office of a Minister by a Gospel Church and yet not truly pious we fear not to assert but still we believe that no man can discharge any Office of Trust acceptable to God without saving Grace We here presume and shall have occasion to prove it anon That there 's a mediate Call necessary to introduce a man into the work of the Ministry since the Apostles times and they who are to call them must have some rule of discerning to regulate their Call by which must be something discernible that their piety cannot be discerned as such he will anon put us upoâ— proving If therefore this were necessarâ— to the Essence of the Officer we could neveâ— know who is or who is not a Minister Buâ— de facto Christ Himself condemns the Scribe and Pharisees for Hypocrites and yet acknowledgeth their Office Mat. 23.2 3. Chrisâ— Himself made Judas not only a Minister buâ— an Apostle we shall shortly see what he hatâ— to say against this As for his Asserting thaâ— by divine Revelation a Quaker can infalliblâ— know a mans spiritual estate it is precarious presumptuous and false for tho' Goâ— knowes all mens hearts yet that He gives 〈◊〉 infallible Rules to know them by ordinarilâ— or immediately cannot be evidenced the Apostles themselves never pretended to it buâ— were often mistaken Judas was not suspected by his fellow-Apostles Simon Magus past for a while till he discovered himself Demas went long unsuspected waâ— in high credit with Paul We acknowledgâ— that men may discover themselves by sucâ— things as are inconsistent with saving Grace and by this way we have too much Cause tâ— be perswaded by Scripture Rules that G. K is an Apostate and an unsanctified man but all mens sins do not like his go before to Judgement His Inference then That Hence a man â—annot be known to be
fall before his in-words acknowledged Test is yet to be Tried And be it known to all men That we are not yet sensible of the wounds that he hath given any further than as the Name of GOD is blasphemously abused by him and drawn in to patronize his filthy dreams When we read his Inscription Benhadad seems to be risen agen who sent that confident Threatning 1. King 20.10 and the Answer of the King of Israel is enough ver 11. He had so much Pride and Gall to crowd into the Title that he is fain to borrow a Room in the left-hand page to put in a few Scrâ—pture Citations maliciously abused and misapplied which whether they belong to our Churches and Ministry let the Day declare we are not to stand or fall at the menacing Praedictions of an Enthusiast He directs his Epistle to us giving his word for it so far as it will go that the book was written in good will to us and if to slander and calumniate with bitterest Invectives may pass for a Demonstration he hath proved his Love to be Extraordinary and truly it is as much as we expect from one of his humour There is little observable here but what will be met with in the Treatise and once to Answer such paltry stuffe is enough if not to much It may therefore be passed over with two or three Remarks He calls us to turn our minds to the Light of Christ within us for our better information we have done it as well as we can it tells us That his Assertions are bold presumptuous and Haeretical He tells us It is the same spirit that gives to all Readers a right under standing of Scripture but if so why then have not all the same understanding of it but Contradictory Can it be the Spirit of God who is alwaies the same He bids us to Believe in Christ and joyn our minds to His divine Illumination and He will anoint the eyes of our Vnderstandings we shall have our eyes open to see c. q. d. If we will see of ourselves then He will give us Ability to see this may be no Contradiction in a Quakers Logick We have him also in a fit of Charity and we are beholden to him for we shall not alwaies find him in so good a mood granting that some of us may be in some sense of the true Church which how it should be when we have neither Doctrine Ministry Worship c. of a true Church among us let him see to that But we have him afterwards putting on his Spectacles and then he retracts his Charity with a witness We have him also nibling at the Doctrine of Perseverance which we shall shortly find him beating down with Axes and Mauls and there shall take him to task Only It is worth the while to observe what a notable and no doubt inspired Doctrine he recommended to us viz. That the Quickning in a man as it abides it is impossible it should perish To pass the Nonsense of it which must be allowed a Quaker or you undoe him let us note its profoundnese If Grace continue it cannot be lost a thing cannot be and not be at the same time could Delphos have delivered a more mysterious Oracle Finally he tells us plainly that his Design is to turn away our Hearers from us under the Title of False-Teachers i. e. he aims at no less than the subverting of all the Churches of Christ in New-England yea in all the World A Gygantick Essay But let him do his utmost as long as Christ sits upon His Throne we are not dismayed As for the Imputation of being False Teachers we can thro' Grace appeal to many of our Hearers in Paul's words 2. Cor. 3. beginn Reflections on Chap. 1. of the Holy Scriptures We have here a Confession of his Faith such as it is concerning the Scriptures wherein if he gives us his mind candidly which we have cause to suspect and shall give our reason before we part we are sure he doth not express the sense of his Brethren and Predecessors except they say one thing and mean the contrary Section 1 2. As for the two first Paragraphs of this Chapter we will take them as farr as they will go though the word Outward hath a Reserve in it and intimates That God hath one Rule to direct His people by Outwardly and another Inwardly or as if God taught us one thing by His Word and another by His Spirit we shall have Occasion afterwards to discourse how perniciously this undermines the Christian Faith and why he hath not made Practices as well as Doctrines liable to this Test might well be enquired However there will be occasion to rubb up his memory with his own Concessions when we find that he has forgoten himself for a quaker's spirit is not of a perfect Reminiscence and mean while let him try how he can reconcile himself to his Friends who have directly as might be instanced abundantly rejected the Scriptures with Scorn Smith tells us It is the greatest Error in the world and the ground of all Errors to say the Scriptures are a Rule to Christians and many Expressions of the same import But he will salve all with the nice Distinction of an outward and an inward Rule Sect. 3. This Paragraph might have past had it not been for his perverse Interpretation of it in which he spends his Second Chapter where we shall have it out if our patience can but wait a little Sect. 4. We were afraid when we saw him so liberal of his Concessions that he would soon repent of it we have him therefore here trying to get something of it back again but stay Friend and be more frugal of your Largesses henceforward Well he hath given the Scripture leave in a good humour to be so far a Rule at least that No Doctrine that cannot be demonstrated by it layes us under any Obligation to believe it and so we are satisfied that it is no mortal sin to with-hold our Credit from any of their New-Revelations that are neither Scripture nor Scripture-Consequence which in Chapt. 2nd he pleads for G. K. had a mind to wheadle some into a Compliance with his Opinions who had been taught to entertain a good Respect for the Scriptures For which reason he would insinuate that the honest Quakers are not the men that they have been represented to be nor are they such Enemies to the written Word as they are reported but why then doth he not correct his friend Lucas who hath told us That any Quaker if he has a mind to it as they are arrogant enough may make as good himself and they challenge us to tell them what one Scripture hath Light in it and many like Blasphemies not to be named But what shall he do to satisfy his brethren whose Fabrick is built upon the sandy Foundation of a New Light and new Revelations if the Scripture hath all the
upon us it hath therefore been the guise of Haereticks in all ages but possibly he will interpret himself more fully in the next Sect 3. Here therefore he furnisheth us with a Distinction which if he will give security that he will stand by make it appear that he intends no more we will try for an accommodation We have already told the world that we deny not new Revelations subjective and mediate i. e. that the Spirit of God blesseth the Use of means Reading Hearing c with His Influence opening the â—â—es of their minds and giving them a spiriâ—ual Illumination and if that be all he would â—ave he might have let us alone But when he comes to interpret himself â—e pleads for the Immediate extraordinary â—ay of Revelation of these things such as â—he Apostles had whose understandings Christ â—pened at once to understand the Scriptures â—ithout ordinary helps and upon whom the Holy Ghost came in cloven tongues c. which â—s far another thing and of which the Quakers can make no proof Sect. 4. The Fallacy of this Paragraph â—ndeed of the whole Chapter lies in his conâ—ounding Inspiration Revelation Illuminaâ—ion which ought warily to be distinguished That Christ by His Spirit doth give to His Children another sense of the Excellency sweetness and Glory of divine Truths than natural men have we believe and experience confirms but what is this to Inspiration Here therefore for once let us observe the main differences between Inspiration and Illumination Illumination is common to all Believers Inspiration is peculiar to some as Prophets Apostles c. as hath already been observed and proved Illumination ordinarily accompanies the diligent Use of the means Rom. 10.17 Inspirations usually came upoâ— men immediately and without using anâ— means for them Illumination becomes habitual Inspiration was transient off and on Illumination encreaseth gradually Inspirations were greater or lesser as God saw meet Finally Illumination is alwaies understood when as Inspirations sometimes are not understood by such as had them Dan. 12.8 His inference viz. that on suposal of Illlumination or mediate Revelation we musâ— needs grant it to be the same in kind witâ— what the Saints had of Old is dubious We ask him what saints he intends If he means ordinary Believers we grant it if inspired Prophets we deny it for such Inspirations differ specifically from ordinary Revelations and his spirit misinformed him when he cited Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting house again He brought me into his wine-cellar What again is there when it is the same Text and the same word diversly rendred His following Rhapsody in commendation of the Quakers silent Meetings we leave to themselves for our own parts we have no such way of the Communion of saints and yet let not any think that we deny the sweetness of retired Communion between God and the souls of His People in secret prayer meditaâ—ion c. his language therefore about it â—oucheth us not To what purpose he p. 16. concludes his long Section with a Comparison taken â—rom humane sciences which are taught only â—o such as have innate principles in them â—pon which Teachers build we know not â—f it be as it seems to prove that men have the seeds of all Divine Truths in their natural light and therefore the Revelations of God's Spirit are only the drawing out of these Principles into exercise by the meer improvement of their Reason and discovering only that the knowledge whereof they had in them seminally before it labours of two faults Falshood and Impertinency Falshood inasmuch as tho' the light of nature hath in it the Remains of many Theological notions and tho' man as a reasonable Creature is a Subject capable of receiving the impression of Revelations yet there are no seeds of Evangelical Truths in the hearts of men nor is there any witness antecedently in the Consciences of men to assert to the Truth of them the credit of them wholly depending upon divine Testimony Impertinency because it serv's not to prove new Inspirations but rather to prove them needless the meer Excitation of the light within bâ— his inward Teachings being on this princâ—ple sufficient we hope he will not deny 〈◊〉 manifest difference to be between Inspiration and Excitation nor is the Text he alledgeth Act. 17. any thing to his purposeâ— if he would prove new Revelation from it for the Apostle is there only endeavouring tâ— convince 'em that the light of Nature woulâ— if attended inform them of the vanity oâ— Idolatry of the Being of the eternal God oâ— the Incongruity of their manner of worshipping Him this in order to his preparing oâ— them to hearken to the Revelations of the Gospel Sect. 5. How arrogantly and falsly he chargeth Nonsense upon the Reverend Assembly for acknowledging Illumination and denying of New Revelation will be gathered from the premises and needs not to be here agen insisted on for indeed inward Illumination is not Revelation in the sense wherein we deny it nor do his Texts cited help him for we still deny that every one who is taught of God is inspired and he hath not proved it When he saith p 19. to be taught of God c. as the Prophets Apostles what is it but to be taught by Divine inward Revelation It it is a meer Sophism We consider the Prophets and Apostles either as such exâ—â—aordinary Officers or as they were Believâ—â—s for they had this double Capacity to â—y that all were or are taught as they were 〈◊〉 the former sense is utterly false as â—as bin â—roved to acknowledge them so in the latâ—er sense proves not such Revelations yea â—aul himself was not alwaies inspired but â—ometimes gave his Judgment as one illumiâ—ated 1. Cor. 7.40 Nor can he prove that â— Cor. 2.10 is applicable to all Believers â—n the same sense the Revelation or Inspiâ—ation belonged to the Apostles the Applicaâ—ion or discovery by Illumination belonged to all believers in their measures how ungroundedly therefore does he here assert that Paul holds forth that his Illumination was Revelation must he not so contradict himself in 1. Cor. 12.29 30. Nor can we altogether pass the scurrilous Title he puts on the Reverend Assembly calling them Faith-Makers who never pretended to any new Revelations of any Article of Faith more than is contained in Scripture and therefore have little Reason to be charged for making a new Faith But if it were enough for the Archangel to say to the Devil we content ourselves with so saying to one of his Emissaries The Lord rebuke thee Sect. 6. Here he makes a Clutter betweeâ— Subjective and Objective Illumination he haâ— no great matter to say against the Distinction it self but he finds fault with us for denying Objective Illumination but he mighâ— have spared his labour and heat for if hâ— will be patient we will not deny that neither i. e. That the Spirit of God reveals the Object
of Delusion sometimes excites that under close pretences which requires our Application to the Word of God for a Determination Isa 8.20 His abuse of Heb. 12.27 interpreting the Apostle by things made to intend things of men's making is most gross For it is certain these things were of God's making viz. the Old Testamnt-Ordinances which were now to be taken away to give place to Gospel Institutions of Christ's Appointment and these are the Church Ministry c. which we maintain But let any man pursue him in this Paragraph and he shall perceive that his very design is to take away all Gospel Ordinances and worship and reduce all to Inspirations the Tendency whereof to subvert the whole designe of Christ in his Gospel is sufficiently Observable for that all these were there instituted is undeniable That therefore must be antiquated if this take place contrary to Heb. 12.28 and let serious souls beware of such as would rob them of the Gospel His Sophisms in Charging us of Blasphemy for saying We have the Spirit of God and yet saying we have no infallible spirit as if therefore we charged the Spirit of God Himself of being fallible may seem to have some influence upon weak minds see pag. 41 it may therefore need a little Discussion Observe then that the Evidence which we have within us of the Certainty of our spiritual State or of any spiritual motions in us is confirmed by two witnesses God's Spirit and our own Rom. 8.16 and these are two distinct witnesses the Quakers indeed have blasphemously confounded them and made them but one now we acknowledged beleeve that the witness of the spirit of God is Infallible He cannot be deceived neither will He deceive by witnessing to a falshood but the witness of our own spirit is Fallible because we are persons liable to mistakes Now tho' the Spirit when He witnesseth doth it Infallibly yet He doth not make our spirits Infallible and more than so the Spirit of God witnesseth as He will sometimes He withdraws His Testimony and His Witness is commonly mediate it is with our spirits Now the way in which our spirits witness is rational i. e. by searching our state or examining the Suggestions in us bringing these things to the Rules of Tryal given in Scripture 2. Cor. 13 5. In both the Examination and Tryal we may be mistaken for we know but in part and yet so far as the Spirit of God confirms us by His Witness we are infallibly assured We find also that the inspired men of old such as Paul did not declare all things to the people by Immediate Revelation but some things as they were skilful understanding Christians influenced with the ordinary Assistances of the Spirit of God and rationally Judging of things Hence Paul's distinction 1. Cor. 7.12 25. and therefore the words alledged verse 40. I think c. for all his Railery speaks thus much That he did not suggest these Advices by immediate Inspiration but by the Common Assistances that God affords His faithful Ministers Sect. 6. How blasphemously doth he in this Section ascribe the effects of the Scripture to the Ministers he would have no Minister but such through whom grace spirit and life do emanate to the souls of the hearers making them more than meerly instrumental in Converting and Edifying We deny not but that a gracious Minister is raore likely to do good than another but not by any power of his own but because as he will be more faithful so he may expect more of Gods Assistance and Blessing but that he can by any Virtue of his own any more heal a Soul than those Apostles could the body of a Cripple who utterly disclaim it Act. 3.12 we believe not and we are confirmed by the Scripture Joh. 1.13 And truly the Quakers want Charity if they have such a virtue to Convert and save all the world and do not His Similitude of Ministers being called Flames of Fire if it intend Ministers and not rather Angels is not Argumentative â—hey may be so compared for their Activiâ—y and Zeal and not from the Efficacy in â—hemselves And as little Cogent is his Instance of the Disciples Luc. 24.32 for â—e forgat that Christ Himself was then the Preacher who had a Divine Power and yet we deny not but that the same may be said of the preaching of another but then it is the Spirit of God coming in between the mouth of the Speaker and the hearts of the hearers who doth it yea though Christ had the Spirit without measure yet how often did He preach without such Efficacy hence His Complaint Isa 49.4 Yea there were more plentiful Conversions after His Ascention by His Apostles when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2. The Scripture by which he would prove this 1. Pet. 4.11 is nothing to his purpose For the Ability there spoken of is an outward estate enabling them to give Alms and more especially concerneth the office of the Deacon in Relieving the poor out of the Church Treasure which must be done according to the stock in hand and what is this to an inward Power of Converting souls Nor doâ—h he more exalt his Ministry than he degradeth the Word of GOD denying it to be the Milk which is to nourish us making it nothing but a Bottle that carries this Milk and yet the Scripture he alludes to calls it the Milk However let it be the Bottle still we must go to that for our Nourishment and draw it out of those breasts and then there is no need of Immediate Inspirations His Comparing Ministers to Fathers is Scriptural but the Improvement of the Similitude is his own and like him There are some things in which there is a likeness between these which gave occasion to the Comparison but yet they are far unequal Causes A natural Father is a Father properly for all G. K. denies it and is something more than an Instrument he is a natural Efficient a procreant cause but the Minister is not so in the spiritual Regeneration but meerly instrumental which he also grants and then ew-born Christian derives no part of his new Nature from him Joh. 1.13 And as unhappy is his improvement of the Metaphor of Seed 2. Cor. 9.10 Isa 55.10 The former of which Texts only intends that God hath given them an estate to be able to relieve others withal the latter is of the Word it self which is likened to grain which the Minister only soweth and which taketh rooting in the heart and fructifies and what is all this to the Ministers being able to convert or what Force will it give to his Inference Viz. How then can a graceless man have any fruit or success seeing all fruit and success belongs not to the instrument as proceeding from it It 's easily retorted Why may not God if he will make use oâ— such men to convert others by since it depends not on them but Him Herein Hâ— may make His
Light in his head how strangely doth he plead for Immediate Revelations and Illuminations in such Seraphical terms as must needs transport his Reader Well then we are all in the Light as well as he GOD is an Immense Light and then Hell it self dwells in His Light and Devils must needs be full of Immediate Inspirations and 't is a Contradiction for a Quaker to tell us that we are in the dark for we live and move and have our being as much in the Light as he But all this is Burlesque a good distinction would cure him were he capable of receiving it Distinguish between Divine Light natural and their different way of Communicating themselves The Sun is a natural Light Illuminates all the things that it shines upon the Divine light is the Infinite Omniscience Wisdom of God but though in Him it be infinite yet He derives of it to the Creature not naturally but voluntarily not to all alike Job 35.10 And He chuseth what Medium He sees meet to communicate it by We thought he would soar till he grew giddy his brains turn'd and so speaks Nonsense and let it come out Light he tells us is immediate though it comes thro' a Medium i. e. it s immediate though it be mediate but let that pass Whereas he cites Plato who is with him little inferiour to Moses to prove that It is man's Infelitity to converse with Images of things we accept not the Testimony for Man was made to Converse with the Images of things and shall so Converse for ever in his perfect state of glory this being the nature of his understanding to receive the Knowledge of things by taking in the Images And what he seems to insinuate p. 62. viz. That the Word of God hath no more of God in it than a glass window hath of the Sun is in no wise to be admitted It s true we are said to see in a glass 1. Cor. 13.12 which comprehends the Scripture but then it is not a Perspective glass but a Looking-glass that is alluded to and it is certain that God hath imprinted the image of His preceptive will there and the Scripture is adapted to discover much of God to us by its own light else all the Encomiums given to it Psal 19.119 Prov. 6.23 and else-where are Hyperbolical Sect. 3. The Blasphemy charged upon us for Calling as he saith the light of God in His people a stinking vapour from hell will light upon their side who call the poor imperfect light of nature God Christ as they have done in many of their books but more of this afterwards He here arraigns the Assembly for that in Confess cap. 26. sect 3. they say that the Communion of saints with Christ doth not in any wise make them partakers of the substance of His God-head and endeavours to prove the contrary to be true But observe the Assembly in this Artitle oppose the Swenkfieldian Doctrine that a beleever is Godded with God and Christed with Christ and this is the thing that G. K. is here to prove or he does nothing That we are made partakers of the divine nature that we have near and intimate Communion with God and Christ that we receive grace out of Christs fulness and that God is our portion we beleeve But a right Conception of the Mystery of our Union and Communion with God and Christ will soon detect his Fallacies Union is the ground of Communion and therefore such as is the Union such is the Communion Now this Union is one of the Gospel Mysteries Eph. 5.32 only this much we know to our present purpose 1. That it is an Union between two Viz. Christ and Beleevers 2. That these two are made one by this Union Joh. 17.21 3. That they are so one as that they are still two Persons two distinct in nature It is an Vnion but not a Confusion they are so one as the Husband and Wife are one who are two persons but one in Relation and the fruits of it Eph. 5.32 God is God man is man still 4. That this Union is made by Faith on our part by which we take possession of Christ and His Spirit on His part by which He dwells in us Gal. 3.26 1. Cor. 6.7 5. That by Virtue of this Union God in Christ becomes the Beleevers Portion Lam. 3.24 6ly That God in Christ communicates Himself to them according to their Capacity and that is by way of Efficacy and Influence Hence 1. All His Divine Attributes are employed for their Benefit Deut. 33.27 Exod. 34 6 7. 2ndly the Spirit of Christ dwells in them by His Influence Rom. 8.11 3dly Christ as a Fountain of Grace derives streames down to them having a stock put into His hands as Mediator Joh. 1.16 4thly They are made to share with Him in His Mediatorial Glory cap. 17.24 But what is there in all this of our being Deified or Christed which if he intend not he hath said nothing to the purpose When he saith If they partake neither in His God-head nor manhood they partake not in Him substantially wants Logick We say they partake in His graces and they are substantial things and then he chargeth us for saying that Graces are nothing but Accidents we utterly deny it we say they are neither the soul nor the body but they are Adjuncts and he might have learn'd to distinguish between Adjuncts and Accidents Graces are Adjuncts to men because they are separable without destroying their Humanity this G. K. beleeves and all that deny perseverance must believe it they are not meer Accidents because Accidents cannot receive Accidents nor Qualities as Adjuncts may and Graces do hence the Epithetes put upon them in Scripture But he goes about to make Graces to be the very Divine Substance because they proceed from GOD When as if he had studied the Doctrine of God's Efficiency he would have known better Nor doth the Doctrine of Dr. Owen or Mr. Rutherford in the words of theirs which he Cites at all run into the Quakers Blasphemy for who doth not acknowledge the Person of the Holy Spirit and the Person of Christ in their Operations for they are personal acts and therefore the Person of the Holy Ghost dwells in us by his Operations c. And in summe we beleeve that that there is a Divine Act or Influence on us as in Creating so in assisting our grace but our reaction of that grace is not God but an exercise of that principle which is created in us for Grace it self is a Creature Eph. 4.24 Sect. 4. Here he chargeth our Doctrine referring to the Divine Decrees to be the same with that of Ranters which is an abusive slander and we shall make it appear to be far otherwise for supposing them to agree with us in one principle viz. That God doth all hath unchangeably ordered all things good bad are we therefore Ranters We deny not every thing that G.
K. saies but that does not make us Quakers May there not nay is there not a vast difference between their Interpretation Improvement of this Article and ours But had he well studied the Doctrine of Divine Concurse he would never have said either That If God decrees all things He must needs be the Doer of them or that hence he must needs be the Author of Sin for all our denying any such Consequences This Doctrine is so fully handled by all that have written Systems of Divinity or that have waded in Controversies between us and the Jesuits Arminians that it would be superfluous here to search into it Let only two or three Conclusions that are to our present purpose be observed Viz. That firstly All creatures depend absolutely upon God as in respect of their Being so of all their Actions Act. 17.28 2ndly That this dependance is not only for a general sustentation of the Being powers of the Creature but for influence into every individual Action Joh. 19.11 3dly That Notwitstanding this Influence upon the creature in respect of its Action the Creature hath its Action of its own subordinate to and assisted by this Influence 1. Cor. 3.9 4thly That Sin is a moral respect which the Action bears as it is done by the creature who is under the Law 1. Joh. 3.4 and therefore it cannot touch God And his interpretation of that Eph. 1.11 that all things intends only all things that He doth is true but his Inference Viz That when we say a man doth all things by Wisdom none will be so foolish as to infer that he doth all foolish things is a foolish Similitude for to argue from a particular Agent to an Universal Efficient by making them paralel is Folly Besides tho' they are Follies of second Causes yet there is the wise Conduct even of these things by the First Cause and it is none of the least-discoveries of His Wisdom that He conducts the follies of creatures to the Exaltation of His own Glory but any man may here perceive that he is restoring Manacheism to the world as if there were two principles or first Causes the one of good the other of evil That we have him page 72. making a large Concession of the Substance of what we beleeve seems to intimate that he labours between Conscience and Interest except it be that he would perswade silly souls to think that we have some strange Mysteries in our Doctrine that others cannot see But this hath been but a Digression from the matter in hand Viz. the Universal Decree and now he will glance at it agen endeavouring to enervate our plea from Act. 2.23 where he joins us agen with Ranters by a distinction between Delivering Slaying but we so distinguish too and yet that God only exposed Christ to them is not the whole meaning of the Text for it certifies us that this was done according to an eternal purpose of God who had appointed in that way to bring about mans Redemption using them as Instruments tho wickedly abusing their free will in these sufferings of Christ by which we were Redeemed Compare Chapt. 4. Vers 27 28. and it will clearly appear that God hath certainly decreed all things from Eternity which come to pass in time to him that shall consider 1. That God is the Supream Efficient or Worker of all things according to His Counsil Eph. 1.11 2ndly That God foreknew from all Eternity what should be done by all Creatures in time this G. K. pretends to beleeve and let him or any of his Company tell us how He did so in respect of voluntary Agents unless he had praedetermined them What he saith of Gods Haâ—dning of men That it is by His withdrawing of His Spirit from them is a Truth but not the whole Truth there is more contained in it sometimes it is by denying them softning meanes sometimes by presenting before them Objects sometimes by a judicial delivering 'em up to Satan their own hearts lusts and all these wayes are according to Scripture Sect. 5. Here we are told that the honest Quakers believe all that the Scriptures say concerning Election and who would desire more But if they believe not the things which the Scripture necessarily intends they prevaricate for the mind of the Word is the Word and now see how it will appear he presently tells us that We no-where find in Scripture that God reprobated any part of mankind before the foundation of the world That He made 'em on purpose to damn them is none of our Doctrine but Scandalously imputed to us We say He made them for the glory of his Justice which is exalted in their Damnation procured by their own fault and for proof follow him but three or four lines and he confesseth as much himself or else he speaks he knows not what for he acknowledgeth an everlasting counsel about them that Perish yea p. 76. that Christ in His infinite Justice permits such to resist grace and had he understood himself what could he say more His saying that God considers them in his eternal counsil as having resisted all grace having hardned themselves finally helps him not for he must grant and does that if God had done as much for them as He doth for his elect it had been otherwise but because He decreed not to do it they naturally ly and dy in sin and certainly He could not fore-see all this but in his own purpose And his Assertion is extreamly ridiculous Viz. That Election and Reprobation are not contradictory and that Election signifies a praeference of some before other it doth not argue a total reprobation of others Certainly if it be to glory that some are elected and others are not then they are reprobated i. e. God hath not seen meet to chuse them which necessarily argues His purpose to leave them to perish in their sins and what is this but Reprobation He himself therefore grants that in the end they shall be found Reprobates and how is that but by appearing not to have been chosen of God Especially if it be well pondered what he saith concerning God's Elect p. 76. There is a great fallacy lurks in his saying p. 76. that as God hath provided grace whereby some shall certainly be saved so by the same all are put under a possibility and that they are not is not for want of Sufficiency or Efficacy in this grace of its own nature We grant there is a sufficiency in the meanes that God affords to save all such as enjoy the Gospel i. e. a sufficiency of means Isa 5.4 there need no more nor doth He use more with them that are saved than with them that perish 2. Cor. 2.10.16 But that He hath put a sufficient efficacy into these meanes in respect of all that enjoy them is a paradox whence is it then that they are not efficacious The Efficacy is not in the meanes themselves but in the Concomitancy
Impenitency a considerable time before they dy seems to be a Contradiction though he saith it is none We believe indeed that many are left of God to persist in impenitency till they dye but then they are none of those for whom Christ died Joh. 6.37 But we have him acknowledging pag. 96. That He dyed not for all with equal intention or degree of Love and thereupon confessing that they that are saved have more abundant cause to bless God for His abundant mercy than the other though they have no reason to complain We grant the damned have no cause to complain because they suffer justly but we would fain know where he placeth the inequality since at the bottom of the same page he tells us That God giveth no greater measure of inward grace to one than to another Oh! but he suits Providences eminently And is this all the difference We thought there had been different dispensations of grace cleerly intimated in Rom. 11.7 and one would surmise that what G. K. saith ibid. that God drawes moves enclines perswades and that is more than meer swasion them to come and when they fall infallibly reclaims them c. had been grace and more than meer Suiting of Providences especially when he there also tells us That He and not they made them to differ from others and here against Scripture doth he bring that to prove his Assertion 1. Tim. 1.14 16. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith love We thought heretofore that Faith and Love had been graces and that God's giving one more abundant grace than another proves that one hath no more grace given him than another is not very clear to us as yet Nay p. 93. he tells us That God by His infallible perswasions of love and grace prevails infallibly with the Elect and is not the Effect of grace grace yea more grace than where there is no such Effect That it is every mans Duty to improve all the meanes of salvation notwithstanding he is not sure of his Election is true but that he can use grace to that end before he hath any is hard to understand he should first seek for grace for that universal grace he speaks of is a meer Non-entity Nor doth our Doctrine of Reprobation as he chargeth it pag. 99. make the effectual use of meanes absolutely impossible to any so as to leave them under discouragement for he himself tells us that it is the Duty of all men to use the means and yet he saith that there are elect and that none but these shall be saved and we say the others are the Reprobate and if all are to use meanes and are not discharged though but some viz the Elect shall obtain what discouragement is their more in our Tenet than in his Sect. 3. He well knew that Universal Redemption without sufficient help would render his Doctrine ridiculous here therefore he tells us how a sufficiency of meanes is afforded to all men and First That Christ by His Death procured for all men an inward principle of divine grace light life c. the Contrary to which is true He purchased these only for his Elect for whose sakes He died The Scripture makes a difference between his being head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and his being head over all things to the Church Cap. 1.22 But supposing a purchase what benefit can they have by it if it be not applyed Well he will give an account of that too as good as he can p. 100 Where outward meanes fail God supplies this with inward teachings and some other secret wayes of Providence and are these sufficient to lead men to Salvation or bring men to Christ The Apostle then must use a fallacious Enthymeme Rom. 10.14 15. And how perversly doth he interpret Christ to be the word spoken of Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the Context to mean the Scriptures called the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begtting it vers 17. he interprets it of Christ coming in the flesh both of Jews and Gentiles and is that all the Incarnation which he allows to Christ He seems to be of another mind pag. 59. but indeed we 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 which how subversive it is to our hopes of Salvation let the serious judge He mistakes the meaning of the word Reprobates 2. Cor. 13.5 endeavouring to prove that Christ is in all but Reprobates and they are such as are given up to final impenitency whenas the word there used intends not Reprobation in our sense but only that all Vnbeleevers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perditon Sect. 4. A further proof of this universal grace is that Christ both commanded that His Gospel be preached to all nations and he tellâ— us that so it shall before the end of the world this 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 that therefore all mankind shall be accountable for not obeying it because once in the end of the world it shall be reveal'd to them that are then living is a slender way of reasoning but his Salvo is that though not outwardly at the present yet iwardly to be sure it is preached to all but how this is he hath not satisfyed us in the premises what he may do in the sequel we must wait for Sect. 5. This Paragraph is but Nausea his cocta asserting but neither expounding nor proving that all men have had more or less and all sufficient means of salvation sure it will be some great thing which has so much preparation made to introduce it Sect. 6. Here he begins with a good Confession viz. that Never any were saved but by Jesus of Nazareth but he seldome spake Truth without a design and hath frequentLY some Errour in a readiness to graft upon it He knowes it would be asked him how any could be saved by Christ who never heard of him and how shall they hear without the Gospel He therefore anticipates it and answers with Railing instead of Reason only he puts in a Quibble and thinks he hath tied a knot upon us that is indissoluble We plead for the Salvation of Infants by Christ and why may not he with as good reason plead for that of the Gentiles The paralel looks but odd viz. If 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 We might only say they are not causes equally powerful But let us a little commorate here Observe then 1. That we deny not the power of God to save without outward meanes but to argue meerly from His power to His Will without His own Revelation is to give
Legal and Evangelical Obedience the Gospel hath abated of the Law and provided strength for us to obey Evangelically and made the command grateful to our new nature and Christ's grace is sufficient for what he intends by it but what is that to the Power of exact performing the law in its latitude And it s his ignorance in the Gospel which transports him into the following blasphemy against God calling Him Cruel and Tyrannical and worse than Pharaoh his friends the Arminians do the like and why because He requires of some that which He gives them no ability to perform Had man had none in Adam it would have look't harder but since he had and wickedly lost it and cares not for having it agen shall God now lose His Glory because man hath by his own fault lost his power or must He otherwise be said to be cruel Certainly if we cannot see into the depth of His providence an Holy God is not thus to be treated by a vile worm Nor is it as he pretends injurious to mens pressing after perfection and his Similitudes to illustrate it by are fopperies and no way quadrate Death is but Catacrestically or worse said to heal all bodily diseases buâ— Grace is then properly perfected and sin abolished and that is a great comfort that when we remove hence we shall sin no more the City we are going to lies beyond Death and the Grave so it is no discouragement that we cann't reach it in this world Heb. 13.14 Christ hath provided sufficiently to keep his people from sloth make them press to the mark Who of us ever said that if a man dy in his sins his faith shall save him tho he live and dy in his sins what 's this but to slander We say that Believers shall not dy in their sins but God will give them Repentance if at any time they fall and yet that they sin more or less till they dy we say GOD saith so too but it 's one thing to have Sin in us another thing to be in our Sins And when he saith pag. 159. That It is an ill sign that we plead so earnestly for sin We Demand Is a saying that we have sin in us which calls for our humbling and plying the work of mortification and going daily to Christ the fouâ—â—tain a pleading for sin surely they that Cover and not they that Confess their sins are pleaders for it and then we are sure that sin never had such Attourneys as the Quakers Sect 6. Now for the positive proof of Perfection and he is at a loss how to define it or where to state it he seems to deny absolute or perfect Perfection yet challengeth as much as Christ or Adam ever had nay 2ndly He grants that It is not in all but in some and that not at first conversion but afterwards Nay 3dly He further conceives that It is not in the most perfect without Infirmity that must be in a moral sense and then there must be some sin and that is almost as much as we say Yea 4thly he yeilds all that we pretend to though he will not acknowledge it to be sin Viz. Motions to sin not only from the devil without but from the mortal part within and that is it which Paul often calls sin 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. and whereas 5thly he pleads thaâ— tho' it be yet it is not imputed that is another question It sufficeth that it is imputable and it is on Christs account that it is noâ— actually imputed and 6thly To wind uâ— the whole he comes to a fair acknowledgment that he pleads for no more perfection in saints than we do It is a Faithfulness to God in that degree of Grace and assistance that He affords according as he sees meet some more some less I but in them that have least it is safe dying for them in that state and all this we plead and preach for And now let any man judge how he hath gone thro and cleared the charges that he made against us in his blasphemous letter If to ly slander pervert Scripture magisterially dictate Haeresies is to be acknowledged for conviction we are gone to all intents and purposes Reflections on Cap. 9th of the Visible Church We have already seen what little Reason there is to indulge the Doctrine of Immediaâ—e Revelation Allow but a Quaker this Engine and he will do wonders with it beat down the foundations of many generations un-Church all Christendom make the Scripturâ— to intend just contrary to what it speaks who shall question him if he tells us he sees all this in the Light hath it immediately revealed G. K. hath hitherto discharged this against the fundamental Articles of Salvation endeavouring to set GOD againsâ— Himself and shamm us out of our faith Nor hath he donâ— yet but will a fresh essay to remove all that is visible of Christianity 〈◊〉 the world and if he can blow up Churches take away Sacraments and wrest our Sabbatâ— out of our hands what would Beelzebub himself have desired more But the Church is built upon a Rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Sect. 1. His first Essay is against the Church considered as visible and here he cavils at the description of the visible Church given by the Assembly Viz. That it consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true Religion together with their Children insinuating that we hold that nothing of grace or of the power of godliness is requisâ—â—e to constitute a member of our visible Church but this is all Railâ—ng not understanding what we mean by Visible nor what by Profession 1. It is the visible Church they speak of and he also after grants that there is such a thing and what is it that makes it visible it must be something that makes it discernible to others Here then observe 1. That there is inward Grace required absolutely to make any one a living member of Christ â—o of the church of the first-born 2. That this sincerity of heart is to give its evidence to others by an answerable life and conversation There is a confession of the mouth as well as a beleeving in the heart Rom. 10.9 3. These Fruits are they by which others are to judge of mens Sincerity and accordingly to declare them to be visible members of the Church this rule the Apostles themselves followed in their owning of men 4. That such a profession may be where sincerity is not and thus Hypocrites may belong to the visible Church there were such in the primitive times Simon Magus Demas those 1. Joh. 2.19 were such 5. There may be many Irregularities in the Conversation of such which yet do not presently unchurch them such there were in the Churches of Corinth Galatia 6. That when such are become scandalous there are Church censures appointed by Christ and these can be administred to none but under the
a true Minister without â—his discovery is vain he can by our Doctrine which is according to Scripture tho not by him which is altogether unscriptural our People therefore are left in no perplexity about it Sect. 2. His Assertion That No man can be a true Christian without Divine Inspiration is hither-to unproved by him and disproved by us and were it true as it is otherwise his Consequence viz. That without the same none can be a Gospel Minister is inconsequent nor is it any absurdity to say That a man may be a true Minister and yet not a true Christian i. e. he may be orderly called to the Office of the Ministry though yet he may not be savingly brought home to God There is therefore an Ambiguity in the word True which may be applied either to the Professors or to the Profession Sect. 3. He mistakes the Apostles meaning when he distinguisheth between the ministers of the letter and of the spirit 2. Cor. 3.3 6. for that whole Context assures us that by the Letter he means the Old Testament by the Spirit the New Testament and the Reason of his so Calling them is thence easie to be gathered His arguing the Necessity of Saving Grace because Spirtual gifts are requisite is altogether illogical nor doth it at all help him because these also were purchased by Christ for he hath purchased other things for us besides Grace That there is a specifical Difference between Gifts and Grace is certain though both may meet in the same man we seek for both in every Minister to the best of our discerning that these are separable is beyond doubt that a man may have Grace and yet not spiritual gifts G. K. implicitly at least acknowledgeth yet Christ purchased Gifts for men not meerly for the Salvation but mainly for the Edifying of the Body we are told Eph. 4.10 11. that therefore because a man must have spiriual gifts to make him a Minister he must have saving Grace is a Non Sequitur Sect. 4. And that these spiritual Gifts were discernable we deny not There is a fair easie Tryal to be made of them but his inference that therefore They could discern whether men were true or false Aopstles Teachers sincere or Hypocrites is to be better weighed That false Apostles might be proved by their false Doctrine is nothing dubious That Hypocrites might discover themselves by their fruits is also easy to acknowledge but that in themselves without any such Effects and meerly by their looks there was or is a spirit of immediate discerning them is utterly untrue neither hath he given us one Rule to direct us in it As to his Citation of 1. Cor. 4.19 to prove this discerning it helps him not for the Apostle speaks not there of their inward Grace but of the fruits and effects of their Ministry or of the Conformity of their Conversation to their Doctrine And whereas he censures us for Limiting one man to preach only it is not true we admit of one to preach one part of the day and another on the other part where they are to be had only we require that they be such as are fit for the Ministry and we would not have others to do it Nor did the Apostle intend that there should be any Confusion in this Affair 1. Cor. 14.29 c. and to very little purpose doth he quote 2. Tim. 3.5 6 7. though we see what he would be at for that is not appropriated to Teachers but applicable to all Professors nor did we ever plead that Scandalous Ministers whose Conversation is contradictory to their Profession Doctrine should be continued in that Function when once they are discovered to be such We therefore concede to him that there ought to be a Tryal of men and if he will too that it is not meerly whether what they preach be true Doctrine but a great deal more yet it must of necessity be either of his Doctrine his Ministerial gifts or his Life or rather all three beyond which we are to seek of what Tryal can be made by men for man judgeth and must judge according to what can be known and the Searching of the heart is GOD's Prerogative Sect. 5. That because we pretend not to Inspiration therefore we lay no claim to these spiritual gifts is an Argument as vain as the author Are there no Spiritual gifts but Inspirations are there not diversities of them see 1. Cor. 12.4 5. Rom. 12.6 7.8 His Inference That hence We plainly confess that we have no infallible Discerning who is gracious we assent unto and yet we do believe we can discern of this as much as G. K. or any of his friends and his Charge that we plead that all spiritual gifts are ceased is notoriously false for we try men by them and we are sure that these may continue notwithstanding the Cessation of Inspirations nor can he inferr the Contrary till he prove which he never will that all spiritual Gifts belong to the head of Inspirations Hence neither doth it follow that we must deny an â—nward Call to the ministry since there are other Criteria by which it may be judged of a sufficient Directory for which we have in â—he Scriptures and have a power of Reasonâ—ng Judging without immediate Revelation For him therefore to urge That All that is â—ot by Inspiration Church Ministers Ordinances Worship must needs be of man 's making â—s insolent Must every thing that is not by Inspiration be Man-made Hath not Christ â—eft Institutions for His Church in His Gospel â—hat may sufficiently inform them in their Duty It is the Quakers that make Churches and Ordinances silent-meetings c. under a deluded pretence of Inspiration without any Scripture Warrant On the same blind and perverse notion it is that he chargeth us with plainly confessing â—hat we have no Assurance or Infallible Knowledge that we have the Spirit of God or any of â—hat Grace which is the operation of the Holy Ghost For First the Charge is false and all the world knows that we stand to maintain Infallible Assurance against both Papists and Quakers and who ever deny it And 2ly We are satisfied this may be had without Immediate Revelation A man may have the perception of such Operations in him which by Scripture Rules he may be able to judge of that they are of the Spirit of God he himself aiding them in this Examen and for what other end were all these Rules given but to help us herein Rom. 8.3 Heb. 12.14 1. Joh. 3.14 and many others His Cavil about Effective and Objective illumination is already answered and it is an odious Aspersion that he casteth upon us That we make men stones that have no inward perception of what is acted upon their hearts we beleeve that Grace hath a spiritual sense and when the Spirit of God Influenceth it it can feel it only there is Corruption in us too and the Spirit