Thinks he that we beleeve not that there is one faith But what reasoning is this There is one faith Therefore faith hath but one Object what object meâ—neth he Formal or Material Oâ—ject if the first we grant thâ—t alwayes in all ages the formal Object of faith divine was the Truth and Veracity of God as to things beleeved and hâ—s Supream Legislative Authority as to acts of Obedience If he mean the Material Object he speaketh nothing to the purpose because he must here speak of the Object he spoke of in the foregoing Proposition and of none other And yet the man as ignorantly as a childe talketh in the following words of the Material Object for to prove that the Fathers had the same object of faith that we have he adduceth Abraham's faith and the Fathers drinking of the same rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10. and yet all that drank of that water had not saving faith in Christ whereby he can meane nothing but the same Material Object which we grant to have been the same as to the substance But I would know what he would say of the Material Object of Adam's faith before the fall Was Christ thaâ— Object No certanely and yet Adam had a divine Faith And after this discourse of the Material Object he concludeth rarely and profoundly that the Object of their faith and ours is the same viz. Inward and Immediat Revelation which before he called the formal Object of faith Is this man fit enough to boast all the learned men of Europe who cannot distinguish betwixt the Formal and Meterial Object of Faith who would not pity such an Ignoramus that yet is so confident as if all the wit and learning of Europe were nothing to this rare undâ—rstanding Thinketh he that none of his Readâ—rs were able to observe this master piece of Ignorance and Confusion The same line of Confusion is drawne over the rest of that paragraph for he citeth Gal 1 16. which he may apply to both then he citeth Heb. 13 7. which only speaketh of the Material Object and then he tels us that the diversity of administrations alters not the object what object He addeth a reason that would seem to plead for the same formal object for otherwise saith he God should be knowne some other way than by the Spirit But his next reason is most rare all actions are specified from their Objects saith he These things need no further examination to rehearse them is more than enough so exotick and non-sensical are they 26. But at length he would seem to speak some thing more to the purpose when he saith That such as deny this Proposition of his make use of a distinction granting that God cannot be known but by the Spirit but withal denying that this knowledge is Immediat and Inward because it is by the Scriptures But the same Confusion is continued for we know not whether he speaketh of the Formal Object of faith or of the Material If he mean the Formal I know no man that saith that the Scriptures are the formal Object of Faith but that they containe the material object and express the veracity and authority of God which is the formal object and so are at most but a part of the formal Object If he mean the Material object who granteth that the Spirit is that That the Spirit is what the Scriptures say he is and doth what the Scriptures say he doth is I grant a part of the Material Object of our Faith It may be that through ignorance he falleth upon another question here than his Proposition gived clear ground for and would discuss this question whether the Scriptures containe all that is necessary for us to believe unto salvation or must we have new Revelations making known to us what we ought to believe or what we ought to do in reference to salvation together with this and so still there shall be confusion whetheâ— the Lord doth now Instruct us Inwardly and Immediatly as of old he manifested his minde to the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles or doth he it Mediatly by the Word Ordinances Publick private which he hath appointed for this end But the man walketh in the dark all alongs either through ignorance or worse Waving what he here denyeth concerning Scriptures till we come to examine his next Thesis let us here see what he undertaketh to prove we are here to prove sayes he That the Christians now a dayes no less than of old are led inwardly and immediatly by the Spirit after the same manner though it may be not all together in the same measure Here still nothing but confusion and darkness For 1 How all the People of God of old were led by the Spirit he hath not shewed or what way they were led Inwardly and Immediatly was the privilege of a few Patriarchs and Prophets common to them all were none of them led by the Spirit in an Ordinary way by the Teachings and Information of others the Spirit by his grace and efficacious Operation inwardly concurring were none of them Taught and Instructed by the Ordinances of God established among them and blessed by the Spirit 2 We know not what he meaneth by this Inward and Immediat Leading whether that which is Ordinary and Common to all saints whereby the Spirit dâ—th Efficiently and Powerfully draw determine the soul to a compliance in Faith and Obedience with the will of God revealed in his law and to a right Improvement of his Ordinances which He hath established in his House and Church for building up of his People in their most holy faith or that which is Extraordinary and peculiar to a few whereby for the good of others and their further instruction he was pleased in a singular manner to Communicate his minde and to Reveal Immediatly what others were to beleeve and to do If he meanâ— this last we shall attend his proofs If he first he beateth the winde and fighteth against his own shadow 3. We know not what he meaneth by the same measure of which he speaketh so doubtingly Sure as to the light of saving Knowledge and as to the Object of faith there is much more clear discovery thereof under the New Testament than was in the time of the Old Testament as Paul proveth 2 Cor. 3 concluding vers 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord And as the whole Gospel evinceth See Ephes 3 9. 1 Pet. 1 10 11 12. Act. 2 14-20 Luk. 7 28. From all which it is manifest that we cannot understand what it is which he would prove and what his Arguments must conclude 27. Yet let us see what his reasons are He adduceth § 10. these promises of Christ Ioh. 14 16 17 20. and 16 13. and hence would clear to us three particulars First That the Comforter and the Spirit
hence the Perswasion or Conviction of this truth may be greater in some as more freed from Prejudices Doubts and Exceptions than in Others in whom it may be weaker through some admixture The impression also may be in some deeper than in others 16. If any enquire wherein this differeth from the Opinion of the Quakers I ans In those particulars 1 This which we speak of is not the Spirits saying by any new Revelation Voice or Whisper or Enthusiastick inspiration that this and not that Book is the Word of God The Quakers speak thus 2 By their way the testimony of the Spirit is an Argumentative Medium or an Inartificial Argument adduced to prove this conclusion to themselves that this or that Book is the Word of God so that they must first Perceive and Feel that the Spirit saith or witnesseth this book to be the Word of God and then they inferre that therefore it is to be received as the Word of God But we make no such use of the Spirits Testimony but Assert that He so illuminateth the Minde to see the characters of divinity as withall to work the Assent or Perswasion and that so as the Faith or Perswasion shall be felt oftentimes before the man reflect upon the Operation of the Spirit 3 The testimony we speak of is that Operation of the Spirit whereby the characters of divine Majesty and Authority which are natively inprinted in and do necessarily attend the Sayings of God are Discovered Received and Acquiesced in But the testimony which they speak of is distinct from and hath no connexion with the Objective evidence which is in the Scriptures themselves 4 The Quakers Revelation is purely Objective and New and Immediat declaring a new Truth The work of the Spirit which we speake of as it cleareth up the Objective Evidence which is in the Scriptures by removing Grounds of Mistake and Prejudice and the like so it worketh by these Evidences a Subjective Conviction in the soul and a Perswasion of the truth which only the man did not see before 5 By their Revelation a person getteth no new discovery of the characters of Divinity which the Scriptures carry along with them unless it may be by accident but the Perswasion which we speak of is rationally deduced from and founded upon these Marks and Evidences which the soul is now made to see clearly through the Operation of the Spirit 6 By our way the Scriptures do not receive their Truth and Authority neither in themselves nor as to us from this work of the Spirit as they do by the way of the Quakers for whether this Operation of the Spirit whereof we speak be or not the Scriptures are what they are the very Word of God as the sun is a shineing sun and light is light whether the blinde see it or not The word of the Lord is cloathed with Divine Light Majesty and Authority whether we see it or not Obligeth us though as yet wanting this perswasion and remaining blinde or blinded with prejudice to Imbrace and Receive the same as the Word of God and to yeeld all due Faith and Obedience thereunto as to the Word Law of the great God Lawgiver it is true without this work of the Spirit we cannot attaine to that heart-quieting Perswasion and soul-satisfying Assurance of the infallible Truth and divine Authority of the Scripture yet there is an infallible Truth divine Authority that inseparably attendeth whatsoever is spoken by God delivered as Assertions Lawes whether we see it and beleeve it or not And our blindness though it prejudge us of the rich advantage of Embraceing the Scriptures as the very Word of God yet it Endammageth not in the least the word of God it self But by the way of the Quakers the Scriptures have no Light nor Authority in themselves or to us until this Second Testimony come And thus it is supposed that either the Scriptures have no Characters of Light Power Life and Majesty divine in themselves or that whatever they may have of this kinde it is of no force to Oblige us to Faith and Obedience which were a contradiction till we receive this adventious and second Testimony and so all who want this are under no Obligation to receive the Bible by Faith and Obedience more then the Turks Alcoran which sure must be a very wilde and uncouth Position Let the Reader consult that satisfying Piece of the learned D. Own of the Divine Original c. of the Scriptures Chap. 5. where this is more satisfyingly and clearly expressed 1â— Now this being the very nature and native result of the judgment of the Quakers who sâ—eth not how absurd it is and who can be ignorant of the dreadful Consequences thereof which are so obvious For if their Opinion hold Then 1 there was no Ground for that Challenge Hos. 8 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing 2 Then the jewes wanting this testimony could not be blamed for saying Ier. 43 2 Thou speakest falsly the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say go not unto Egypt to sojourn there 3 This might have been alleiged for an excuse of the Unbeleef that Christ himself did meet with for the Jewes might have said we have not as yet the testimony of the Spirit perswading us that Christs sayings and sermons are truely divine or the very sayings and testimony of God and till we have this we are not bound to beleeve 4 This would annul all that Authority and Truth that is in the Revelation of Iesus Christ which God gave untâ— Him to show unto His Servants and sent and signified by his Angel unto Iohn who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ. Revel 1 2. So 5 it maketh null that saying Revel 1 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophecy and keep those sayings which are written therein 6 It confronteth all these places following Deut. 11 18 19. and 18 19. Ier. 29 19. and 35.15 Psal. 50 17. Prov. 4 20. and 7 â— Ier. 6 19. and 1â— 10. and 13 10. Ezech. 3 4.10 with multitudes moe which might be cited 7 By this meanes the people of God of old were no more Obliged to receive the Word of God delivered by true Prophets than the lies and dreams of the false Prophets who were Prophets of the deceits of their owne hearts and there was no difference to be put betwixt the chaff and the wheat until this second Revelation came See Ier. 23 21-32 In a word 8 This rendereth the whole Scriptures of the Old and New Test. void and useless as we shall manifest more when we come to consider what he saith to the contrary 18. What he speaketh of the difference among the Ancients and doubtings concerning some Books of Scripture which are now received can prove nothing but that through Prejudice
pretendeth unto to be more Originally and Principally the Rule than the Revelations which are contained in the Scriptures and by which the Scriptures were given out Againe he must shew us a Reason why the Revelations which he pretendeth unto should be called or accounted one with the Spirit himself more than these Revelations by which the Scriptures were dictate 23. Before we proceed we must take notice of one thing further in his Thesis There he tels us that the Scriptures themselves testifie that the Spirit is that Rector or guide who is given to the Saints by whom they are to be led in all truth And then inferreth that Therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the prime and principal leader And this is very true but maketh nothing for his Cause yea it militateth against him for I would ask whether he beleeveth this testimony of the Scripture or not If not why maketh he thus use of it as an Argument Is he of the same minde with other Quakers who as Mr Hicks reporteth Dial. 1. P. 24 25. speak thus Thou mistakest us we owne not the Scriptures to be our Rule And whereas thou hast said many things to render us guilty of condemning this in others whilst we ourselves seemingly allow it to be so which is but thine own imagination for when we make use of the Scriptures it is only to quiet and stop their clamours that plead for it as their Rule But for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained And againe Pag. 48.49 dost thou deny perfection attainable in this life Is any point more plainly asserted then this NB. in that which thou callest thy Rule the Scriptures not because I owne it to be so but thou dost and I would convince thee by them dost not thou call the Scriptures the word of God and thy Rule I wonder thou should insist so much upon this since I have told thee I owne it not as the Rule only I would convince thee by it If he be of this judgment he could not with a good conscience adduce this Argument where he is thetically laying downe and confirming the grounds of his Faith But if he be of another judgment and beleeveth this to be true I would ask againe Upon what ground Is it because the Scriptures speak thus or because the Light within him or a second Testimony or Inspiration saith that this is Truth If this last be his meaning he cannot say that the Scriptures give this testimony but that the Spirit distinct from that Spirit which speaketh in the Scriptures giveth this testimony for if this distinct testimony did not speak the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures should say nothing or what he said should be of no value Nor can he say that according to the Scriptures but according to the Spirit speaking in him which is distinct and sâ—parable from the Scriptures or the Spirit speaking in them The Spirit is the Principal Leader And thus his argueing is vaine and according to his owne Principles a Falshood But if the first be his meaning to wit That he beleeveth this to â—e true because the Scriptures speak so then he destroyeth what he hath said and oppugneth his owne Principal Assertion for then the Scripture must be the supream Rule of faith and because of what the Scripture saith we must beleeve what is the office and work of the Spirit of God and a new distinct testimony is no requisite to ground our faith of the truth of this which the Scripture saith concerning the Spirits being given to lead the Saints in all truth This Observation may serve once for all both as to his Thesis and Apology where he citeth not a few passages of Scripture to confirme what he saith as we have seen and shall see further but with what consonancy to his Principles I see not As to the thing it self which here he saith the Scriptures confirme we judge it a Truth worthy of all acceptance But I much questione if his and our meaning be the same Partly because of what is said and partly because of what followeth immediatly in his Thesis I shall only ask him How doth the Spirit lead his people into all truth Is it by new Immediat Inspirations and Revelations or is it by clearing up the Rule of the word by Ministers and meanes by God appointed Illuminating their eyes to understand it and by the Influences of his grace causing them Beleeve and Obey the same If this last be granted we have what we desire and his cause is destroyed for then the Scriptures are our Only and Primary Rule If the first be alleiged then the Spirit by a new Immediat Revelation leadeth him into this truth to wit That the Spirit leadeth into all truth and consequently the ground of the faith of this is not the testimony of the Scriptures as he seemeth here to say 24. But now let us see his grounds why he will not have the Scriptures to be looked upon as our Sole and Principal Rule Pag. 39. he draweth an Argument from the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel saying the law is written without bringeth condemnation and killeth the Gospel is written within and is Spiritual giving life c. Ans. 1. This is the common Objection of phanaticks against the Scriptures So reasoned the libertines against whom Calvin wrote as we see Chap. 9. But 2. This man must be acted by a vertiginous Spirit for in the preceeâ—ing Chapter we saw with what earnestness he laboured to prove that the people of God under the Old Test. were led by Revelations and how we under the New Test. must be led the same way because faith is ay the same and must have the same Object however the dispensations vary and I pray must not the same faith have the same Rule under various dispensations 3. If we under the New Test. must have no written Rule why did Christ Inspire his Apostles to write to Churches under the New Testam and give them legible letters to Read and to conforme their Faith and Practice unto why did Luk write that we might know the certanety Luk 1 4. Why did Iohn write that we might beleeve and beleeving might have life Ioh. 20.31 Why did Christ by his servant Iohn write legible letters to the Churches in asia Revel 1 1 3 4 Were all these Killing Letters were these Letters of Condemnation 4. why doth this man prove his Assertions or at least endeavour to prove them by the Letter of the new Testament Scriptures But it is usual with him both to Speak and to Act contradictory to himself and his Principles Doth he not even here cite new Testament Scriptures Rom. 6 14. and 8 2. and 10 8. with act 20 32 5. we know that the Law of God separated from and opposed to Christ as several in the Apostolick dayes were seeking to do is but a killing letter as the Gospel is also when abused
this that which at best is but of private interpretation that is an Issue of mens Fancies private Conceits and Enthusiasmes if not Satanical Illapses and Delusions This is also plaine from 1 Cor. 4 6. above what is written which implyeth that what is written is sufficient and full as also from Act. 20 27 35 comp with Act. 26 22 23. 27. These and what formerly hath been mentioned to this end and purpose this man thinketh good to overlook as if he had never heard of them We shall now try what he saith to others and First that plaine Testimony Esa. 8 20. to the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Whence we see that whoever they be that come to us pretending a divine Commission we must try what they say by this word which is called the Law and the Testimony and if they speak not according to it let their pretensions be never so high they are to be rejected as dark and as coming from darkness So that the Law and the Testimony is the Supreme Râ—le To this he saith we have not proven that by the Law and Testimony is meaned the Scriptures As if any that ever read the Bible could be ignorant what is all along meaned by these words But granting this he hath another reserve viz. That the Law was in a more special manner given to the jewes and more principally than to us And hence forsooth he will retort the Argument against us thus Seing they who were under the Old Covenant were to try all by the outward Law we who are under the new Covenant are to try all by the word of faith which is within us And thus the man rants in his reaving contradicting what was the great pillar of his discourse upon the preceeding Thesis and making differences without ground as we lately manifested and with all destroying by his owne expressions what he mainly intendeth For the Word of Faith that he speaketh of is distinct from Immediat Revelations and these words which he eyeth cited by Paul Rom. 10. were spoken to the people under the Law by Moses Deut. 30. v. 14. and so were true of them even then Hereby also he proveth more than he ought for if this Argument hold the Scriptures shall not be so much as a Lesse Principal and Subordinat Rule which yet he granted it to be or he must say the case is so altered under the New Testament that what was a Principal Rule then is now only subordinat but whence will this be Evinced And will it not hence appear probable that what is now Principal to us was Less Principal to them that is the Immemediat Testimony of the Spirit Let the man rid his feet here if he can as for the 70 Version we have nothing to do with it if he will lay any weight upon such a corrupt Version he should not challenge other versions that agree better with the Original But I wonder how the Man can think that that Version which saith the law was given for an help shoulâ— confirme his Opinion which is that the Law was given them as a Principal Rule even above the Spirits Revelations 27. Another argument to prove the Scriptures our supream Rule is usually taken from Christs saying to the Jewes Ioh. 5 39 search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they that testifie of me Where Câ—râ—st referreth them to the Scriptures that word of God which should have been abideing in them verse 38. as to a Rule whereby he was content that his doctrine should be tryed and judged and if even Christs Doctrines should be tryed by the Scriptures who will think it unreasonable that private Enthusiasmes should be so tryed and who can then deny this privilege of the Scripture to be our Rule what saith he to this passage He imagineth that Christ reproveth them for having too great a veneration for the Scriptures Quite contrare to vers 38 46 47. and to the very word of command search the Scriptures and to his owne Concession granting that it was their Principal Rule It is laid to their charge that they would not come to Christ and one Reason of their Unbeleefe is given viz. that they did not search the Scriptures which did testifie of Him that notwithstanding they professed acknowledged that the Scriptures pointed out the way to eternal life But againe he tels us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search is by some taken to be in the Indicative mode and not in the Imperative Which forgery of Papists the cohesion and scope of the words doth abunâ—antly redargue and Tolet and Maldonat both confesse that Chrysostome Theoph. August and all weighty Authors except Cyril understand it imperatively To â—â—is passage of Christs here we might adde others where he confirmeth his doctrine by the Scriptures elsewhere cited and the following verses where he tels them that Moses by his writings should accuse them that their not beleeving of Moses's writings was a cause why they did not beleeve Christs words verse 45 46 47. we might adde also Paul and other Apostles proving their doctrine from the Scriptures and Paul's affirming that he spoke nothing but what Moses the Prophets said But these and the like have been cited already let us take notice but of what the Apostle Iames speaketh concerning this He accounts the Word of Truth that by which we are begotten Chap. 1 18. and Would have us doers of it and not hearers only otherwise we shall but deceive our selves vers 2â— 23. and then vers 25. calleth it the Perfect Law of liberty wherein we continueing and being not forgetful hearers but doers of the work we shall be blessed in our deed So Chap. 2 8. He calleth it the Royal law according to the Scriptures which say we should Love our Nieghbour as our selves and if we do otherwise we commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours and vers 10 11. he sheweth us that by the Law he meaneth the decalogue See also Chap. 4 11 12 28. Another passage of Scripture confirming our point is Act. 17 11. where it is spoken to the commendation of the Beroans that they searched the Scriptures to see if Pauls doctrine did accord therewith which clearly expressed the Scriptures to be that Rule by which even the sayings of such as pretend Immediat Revelations ought to bâ— tryed though he thinketh that hence it will not follow that they are our Only and Supream Rule But he thinketh best to chant over againe his old Song viz. That these were Jewes to whom the Law and the Prophets were a Rule in a more special manner The uselesness of which Evasion hath been showne And further he must grant that these Christians were under the New Testament or Covenant and so cannot say that it is the Priviledge of Christians under the New Testament to be from under
the Law of God as their Supream Law and Rule for notwithstanding that these here had received the word spoken by Paul yet they went to their Supream Rule to have full Confirmation and Perswasion and upon this account are highly commended and hereby became beleevers vers 12. What he speaketh Pag. 50 of Heathens and particularly of the Athenians who received not the Scriptures and therefore were not dealt with by the Apostle upon that ground is Impertinent for he granted that the Law was a Principal Rule to the Jewes yet he knoweth that all other Nations did not submit unto it and he cannot say that the Chiefe and Only Rule was more different than nor now But he supposeth that when we speak of the Scriptures as our Rule we do wholly exclude the Law of Nature and the Revelation of God's minde written on the works of Creation and Providence and imprinted into the heart and minde of man as if the Scriptures did not comprehend the other and give a more clear and distinct Explication thereof Doth not the Scripture tell us that Gods works reveal â—omething of Him Psal. 19 2 3 4 5. and 147 10. c Iob 37. and 38. and 39. Act. 14 15 16 1â— Rom. 1 18 19 20. and 2 14 15 And hence also we see that the very Law and Light of Nature hath the Authority of God with it as being a Revelation of his will though dimme and but in part so that such as had no other are judged and condemned as trangressours thereof But this is without any prejudice to that Word which God hath magnified above all his name or what declareth Him Psal. 138 2. and wherein what was but darkly held forth in nature is more clearly and distinctly expressed beside the many other Revelations concerning the Institute worshipe of God and the way of Reconciliation and many other things concerning God and his Relations to us and our Duty to him which Nature could never have discovered and which are fully and clearly held forth in the written Word What argueing is this Because the Gentiles have not the Scriptures which are the Full Clear and Comprehensive Revelation of the minde of God therefore they are not our Supream Only Rule It is observable how this Man in the end of this § 8. will no more have the Scripâ—ures to be our Rule then the heathen Poets a sentence out of whom Paul adduced to convince the Athenians and so contradicteth all that he hath said both as touching the Law and Word of God its being a Principal Rule to the Iewes and among the rest to the Bereans and a Subordinat Rule to us We should have work enough should we do no more but observe this Mans inconsistencies and self contradictions 29. We returne now to examine what he saith against the Perfection of the Scriptures whereby he would prove it to be no Canon to us § 3. c. Pag. 40. c. And here he must give us leave to improve the advantage we have of his Concessions for while he granteth the Scriptures to be Truth he must needs grant that what testimony they give of themselves must be true and if they assert their owne Fulness and Perfection as to the ends for which they were appointed as we shall now shew they do he is as much concerned as we to answere the Objections to the contrary and to vindicate the Scriptures to be Perfect according to the testimony they give of themselves But it is obserâ—able how these Quakers joyne with Papists to decry the Scriptures and their Perfâ—ction and with the Iewes also who in their corrupted stated cryed up an Oral Law as they called it above the written Word It is true their Faces seeme to look to distinct airths but with Samsons foxes their tails are tyed together to consume the Scriptures of truth Our Quakers cry up their Inward Revelations or the Spirit within them as above the Scriptures So do the Papists cry up the Spirit in their Church See Mich. le jay praef ad opus biblic and Morinus â—ut let us see by what Arguments the Scriptures prove themselves to be a Perfect Canon and Rule That place of Paul 2 Tim 3 16 17 is enough to confront all that this Man can say against their Perfection For what is able to make wise unto salvation to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished for all good works is and cannot but be a Compleet and Perfect Rule But Paul positively and expresly asserteth this of the Scriptures nay moreover he cleareth and confirmeth it by enumeratinâ— all the necessary and useful Effects of the Scripture which he reduceth to foure heads to doctrine and Reproof in reference to matters of Faith the one concerneth the declaration and confirmation of Truth the other the rejection and confutation of Errour and then to Correction and Instruction in reference to Manners the one concerneth Evil actions for which men are to be reproved and corrected the other concerneth Good actions wherein we are to be instructed Against this place tâ—is man hath not a face to speak only in the end of Pag. 46. he hinteth that by the Man of God here is meaned the Spiritual Man and not a Carnal Man Which is nothing to the matter for though none but a Spiritual Man can improve the Scriptures aright yet they remaine in themselves a Compleet and Perfect Rule yea this confirmeth their Perfection and Necessity that even the Spiritual Man and he that is most advanced is made perfect by them standeth in need of them as his Rule And sure in this mans judgment they must be more a Rule to Quakers then to any others for these only are men of God with him The same may be cleared from Ioh. 5 39. of which before and Ioh. 20 31. But these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ and that beleeving ye might have life through his name So that the Sufficiency of what is writen concerning Christs Doctrine and Actions unto salvation clearly confirmeth the Perfection of the Scriptures nothing needeth be added to that Rule which is a Sufficient Ground for our faith that we may come to life But the Scriptures are a Sufficient Ground for our faith that we thereby may be saved For this end also compare these following passages Luk. 1 3 4. and 16 29. Act. 1.1 Rom. 10 17. Ephes 2 19 20. 30. Nay not only so but the Scriptures do in express tearmes Assert their owne Perfection Psal. 19 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul must noâ— this man be effronted that with Papists dar openly say the Law of the Lord is not perfect and as if it were not enough to contradict Scripture will goe about to prove that the Scriptures of truth do not speak truth Adde to this these passages wherein men are expresly prohibited to adde to this law such as Deut. 4 2. and 12 32. Prov. 30 5
and Presumption His doctrine is tryed and found light and Contradictory to Christ his Prophets and Apostles yea and Eversive of all Christianity and Religion We grant saith he that the Scriptures give ample testimony to the chiefe doctrines of christianity And what a reproach of the Scriptures this concession containeth we have showne above We are saith he for no new Gospel but for new revelations of the old Gospel The Gospel which Christ and his Apostles brought was but a new Revelation of the old Gospel and no new Gospel essentially different from the old dispensation Thus their Revelation may be as new and as far different from that of Christ and his Apostles as theirs was from what was under the Old dispensation and yet it must be received with the same Faith Obedience that we receive the Revelation of Christ and his Apostles is this tolerable Thinks this man that we are as mad as he and his brethren are Be it known to him we will hold by the old foundation Christ and the sole Revelation which He hath given us for sad experience hath taught the world what devilish doctrine hath been vented under the notion of New Revelations such as these by the Enthusiasts at Munster and by Paracelsus Weigelius and others That a man might have moe wives at once That the Eternal God hath flesh That God made to himself out of himself a Wife on whom he begot a Son That God careth not for outward sins That the literal sense of the Scripture is antichristian That our Christ is the Antichrist and the Man of sin That Christ was not born of Mary our baptisme is a profane thing adamitick flesh is not capable of remission Hearing of sermons and coming to the sacraments are impediments of Regeneration There should be no preaching in Templos Hell is Heaven and Heaven is Hell and both are one What thinketh he of these and of the blasphemies of David Georg who said That the doctrine of Moses of the Apostles yea and of Christ himself was Imperfect and unable to bring any to salvation only his doctrine was perfect and efficacious for that end That he was the true Christ and the Messias born not of flesh but of the holy ghost and of the Spirit of Iesus which Spirit of Christ his flesh being annihilated was wholly given to him That he can save and condemne that he shall judge the whole world at the last day That he is greater than Christ who in the flesh was borne of a woman but he himself was the Spiritual Christ borne of Holy Ghost These had as much to say for their Revelations as he hath to say for his and if we open the door once unto such Pretenders we way see what will be the issue it may be called at first but a New more Glorious more Excellent Revelation and may come at length to be a quite Overturning of the Old Gospel too Therefore we judge it the best course to keep the door closse which Christ hath shut and not to receive his abominations 45. He will not grant that the Scriptures are a compleet Canon and if they be not a Compleet Canon they are no Canon at all for a Rule and that which is to be Regulated thereby are Relatives and must correspond yet he thinks we must confesse what he saith to be true and why so Because in all the Scripture we read not this necessary article of faith That these books are only canonick Scripture But this is no new Revelation for it was revealed long since to Bellarmine de Verbo Dei Lib. 4. Cap. 4. and to other Papists and so this man is but playing their game and yet neither he nor they can gaine any thing for this necessary article of faith is declared by the whole Scripture and so needeth not be set down in so many words The characters of Divine Light and Power which are peculiar to the Scriptures do discriminate them from all Others and so declare themselves and themselves only to be the Word and Law of God and more is needless for it is not a Rule to it self but to other things no discipline or Science prove their own principles Actâ— of parliament need not say that such a book containing so many acts or lawes of this or that nature are the true acts of parliament when a Husband writteth Ten letters to his Wife he needs not say in plaine termes that Ten letters are his for she knoweth That Ten are his by his owne hand write and other indicia which agree to no other letters and so discriminate them from all others and the numerus numerans is sufficiently expressed by the numerus nuâ—eratus This man possibly will not beleeve that he hath five fingers in one of his hands because he no where seeth it written on his hand that he hath five fingers in one hand And by this he may understand how we can prove this or that book in Scripture to be Scripture without fleeing to his senseless and imaginary Shifts as we have showne above when speaking of the whole Scriptures CHAP. V. Of Mans Natural State 1. WE come now to Examine the doctrine held forth in the 4 Thesis which though I finde a little more clearly expressed as to the latine in the second edition than it was in the first yet I finde it not helped as to the matter so that still I finde several mysteries wrapped up in his words which will not without some difficulty be unridled for after the usual manner of that Seck of the Quakers who speak ordinarily in a dialect peculiar to themselves the beginning of this Thesis is very enigmatical and in all his discourse upon this Thesis in his Apology he speaketh nothing that can contribute any thing to the clearing of his Meaning to us who are not much acquanted with his Mysteries only he enlargeth himself on two maine Heads of which we shall speak hereafter And though he could not be offended if we should only examine his doctrine as to these two Heads leaving the rest which he shortly touched in his Thesis yet â—or the Readers satisfaction we must take some notice of what he saith 2. Passing that insufficient division of Mankinde or the Posterity of Adam which he maketh when he saith both Iewes and Gentiles whereby he excludeth from this race of Adam all that lived before this distinction began to take place that is all that lived before Abraham Isaac Iacob the posterity of whom complexly considered only did beare the name of Iewes and that not so early for the first mention we have of the word in Scripture is Esther 2 5. 2 King 16 6. And all those who lived before this issue appeared or were known as such can not be called Heathens seing some of them at least worshiped the true God I take notice that he acknowledgeth and asserteth that all Mankinde is Fallen Degenerated and Dead but how or upon what occasion
upon what designe himself best knoweth Nor doth he speak any thing of Election that we might thereby understand his meaning better concerning Reprobation It is true Pag. 59. as we took notice in the proceeding chapter he gave us a little taste of his humore in giving a wipe without any true ground or real occasion at absolute Election and so we see that he is equally enraged against Absolute Election and Absolute Reprobation But what his owne true Opinion is he leaveth us to conjecture Some might think that he were of one opinion as to this with Pelagians Iesuites and Arminians who plead for Conditional decrees of Election and Reprobation and for satisfaction to their owne searching minde poreing into this matter The Iesuites do coine a Scientia Media through which as a necessary pair of spectacles they consider God looking a far to read what is written on the will of man placed in such and such circumstances that accordingly he may order his unchangeable decrees either to Elect this man who as he foreseeth through this prospect of Scientia Media will be a good and holy man and continue in faith and obedience to the end or to Reprobate that other man who as he espyeth by the same medium will prove a son of belial and will not beleeve nor repent If this man be of this opinion I am far mistaken if his Election and Reprobation howbeit he call it Conditional be not more fatally Inevitable than what we say for by this opinion the Lord Jehovah himself is under a Fatal necessity of Electing those that are elected and Reprobating such as are reprobated for according as he seeth the determination of mans will which he cannot alter matters standing in the supposed circumstances so must He passe his decrees But others may think that he rather imbraceth the Opinion of the Socinians and Arminians homologate as to several particulars with them who deny all Eternal Decrees whether of Election or Reprobation as concerning particular individual persons granting only one general decree which they call Predestination whereby the Lord decreed to Elect in time all that should be found in time to be Beleevers and Obedient and Consequently to Reprobate and reject the rest and this Election and Reprobation only in time they ascribe unto God because they rob Him of all Fore knowledge and they make it twofold one Infirme Conditional and Imperfect which may alter as men change their manners so that a Reprobat to day may be an Elect tomorrow and an Elect today a Reprobat the next day another Firme Fixed Peremptory and Absolute when the man hath finished his course and ended his dayes In all which the Arminians agree with them except in this one thing that the Arminians grant an eternal Election of Individual Persons upon the foresight of Faith and Obedience which the other grant not Hence the greatest of my difficulty will flow from my ignorance of this mans true principles for I shall not know how to vindicate truth which we maintaine so as to convince him and stop his mouth upon his owne grounds as otherwayes I should not doubt through the assistance of his Spirit and Grace whose cause I plead to do 5. As concerning this matter enough hath been said by the Orthodox against Pelagians Semipelagians Socinians and Arminians and this man confesseth he hath brought no new accusation against our doctrine but he hath only scraped together as it would seem what he could get out of the dunghill of Iesuites and Arminians And therefore we might dismiss him by referring him to such as have written copiously and very far above his reach on this subject even to some papists such as the Dominicans Alvares Estius Rispolis Cajetanus Sixtus Senensis and to others more ancient such as Aegidius Romanus Gregorius Ariminensiâ— and others cited by Estius yet lest he should boast we shalâ— view what he hath said without enlarging much upon the matter And as to our doctrine the Reader may satisfy himself with what is Succinctly Solidly Plainly and Satisfying set down in our Confession of faith cap. 3. sect 3 4. 7. and for clâ—aring of the whole matter he may read the whole Chapter and there finde much in little bounds For facilitating of our way in the fâ—llowing examination I shall only propose a few things here in the entry for understanding the truâ—h about Reprobation without speaking to Election particularly 6. And 1. No man can denâ— a Reprobation but he must withall deny an Election for Election being a choosing of some cannot but import a leaving of others And I suppose this Quaker will grant this unless he be of the opinion of Hilberus who asserted that all men were Elected in Christ to salvation whether they beleeved or not not only contrary to the native proper import of the word Election which is a choosing separating of some from others but to plaine Scripture Mat. 20 16. 24 24. Ioh. 10 26. 1 Cor. 1 26. Rom. 9 22 23. many other places 2. Seing then the Scripture is so full in proving of Election we must assert that there is also a Reprobation and beside the Scripture pointeth forth the matter to us Mal. 1 2. Rom. 9 13.22 1 Pet. 2 8. Iud ver 4. Mat. 25 41. Prov. 16 4. 3. When we speak of Reprobation as opposed to Election as comprehended under Predestination as a species or part we consider either the Act of God Reprobating or the thing Decreed Purposed by the act of Reprobation that is as the Schoolmen speak vel quoad reprobantis actum vel quoad reprobationis terminum When we consider the Act of God reprobating nothing in man can be any moving cause thereof nay it is impossible it should be so for as Aquinas 1. p. quaeâ—t 23. art 5. saith there can be no cause of the will of God a touching the act of willing and the reason is manifest because that act of God's will as all immanent acts of God are is Eternal now man all that is in man is of yesterday could not cause an eternal act yea that act of God's will is God himself unlesse we blasphemously say with Socinians that the decrees of God are accidents in God so destroy his Simplicity and therefore we can no more imagine a cause in man of the act of Reprobation than we can imagine that there is something in man which is a cause of God himself which were absurd blasphemy The will of God hath no cause no antecedent is dependant on limited determined by nothing in man or any creature The learned Doct. Twisse hath this argument further If saith he sin be the cause of Reprobation it is either so of its owne Nature or by the Ordinance of God Not the first as all will confess Not the second for then God should ordaine that upon the foresight of sin he would ordaine man to damnation thus an Eternal Ordination should
was hinted just now then it must be said that the Devil the Prince of the powers of the aire the God of this World the Prince of darkness and the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience cannot deceive any with his false Lightnings nâ—y not even such as are judicially given up of God to strong delusions to believe a lie which yet the experience of all ages would confuâ—e the Scripture also tels us that Satan can transforme himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11 14. that he hath his depths Rev. 2 24 his devices 2 Cor. 2 11. That he is the Ruler of the darkness of this world spiritual wickedness in celestials Ephes. 6 12. What meaneth I pray the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablness of unrighâ—ousnes in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth mentioned 2 Thes. 2 9 10 do we not hear Revel 12 9 that the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan deceived the whole world But not to insist on this which the many Energumeni persons obsessed with the devil and phanaticks with Enthusiasts and the like wherewith Histories of all ages abound will not suffer us once to call into question and whiâ—h the late relations of Iohn of Leidenâ— Thomas Muncer Iohn Battenburg Melchior Hophman David Georg Swenckfeldius Wâ—igelius in Germany and of Hacket Coppinger Arthington and the rest of the Grundletonians in England with the instances of Phanaticks among the Papists mentioned by D. Stillingfleet in his Idolatry of the Church of Rome Chap. 4. do put beyond all debate let us but consider how it was with the false Prophets of old in whom Satan was a Lying spirit to perswade Ahab 1 King 22 20 21 22. Were not they and the like deceived with false Impressions supposing they had the Spirit of the Lord when it was but a lying Spirit deceiving them 2 Chron. 18 23. 1 King 22 24 Is there not a Spirit of Error as well as a Spirit of truth 1 Ioh 4 6 22. But that we may put an end to this this Man 's own expression confirmeth what I say for he hath a restriction or qualification spoiling all his purpose while he saith that this divine Revelation moveth an understanding that is well disposed to an assent Whence we see that every Revelation pretending to be Divine is not to be submitted to as such but that Revelation only which proveth it self unto an intellect well disposed and discovereth thereunto its own proper Evidence and Perspicuity And therefore all Revelations even though supposed to be divine ought not to passe without examination But I had thought that all divine Revelations and Inspirations Extraordinary and Immediat for we speak not here of the Lords Mediat and Ordinary Illumination whereof all the children of God are made partakers in one degree or other did either finde or make the intellect well disposed for receiving the Impression of Light and Truth revealed so that a graceless Balaam could say Numb 24 4. Balaam the Son of Beor hath said and the man whose eyes are open hath said He hath said which heard the Words of God which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open Hence Elisha called for a minstrel that his Spirit might thereby be composed and he in case to receive the Revelations of God 2 King 3 15. So that while the Intellect was out of frame through one passion or other the man was not in case to receive the divine Illapses of Light and Revelations of God's minde Now while this man insinuateth that even divine Revelations may come into an understanding not well disposed it must be much more probable that other Revelations which are not truely Divine may affect a distempered understanding And yet I doubt if this Man can give such clear marks of distinction betwixt an Understanding that is Distempered and an Understanding that is Sound and well Disposed at the receiving of such Revelations whereby the Persons under these receipts of Illumination can certanely know whether their mindes and understanding were Well or ill disposed that thereby they may certanely know what to judge of these Revelations Yea I doubt if he can give instances of persons so immediatly Illuminated even by the Father of lies sensible and convinced of a distempered understanding while receiving these glances of new light So that even because of this and because it is possible that such Meteors of new Light may fall upon a distempered understanding and be received and entertained as Divine when nothing lesse it is certane that these Illuminations should passe under examination and tryal and there must be a Rule and Measure whereby they must be tryed and consequently that the Scriptures must be that Rule seing among Protestants nothing else can pretend to this umpireing Power 23. Having premised these things to facilitate our way in what followeth we return to the Examination of what he saith in his Apologie Upon the fourth and fift Propositions formerly mentioned His fourth Proposition is as we heard That these Revelations were of old the formal Object of the Faith of the Saints And by these Revelations he must meane Inward and Immediat Communications of the minde of God by Dreames Visions Vive Voice or the like such as these were which the Patriarchs and Prophets of old had or as we have shown he shall speak nothing to the purpose he would be at New let us see what way he proveth this He adduceth for this end the definition of faith given by the Apostle Heb. 11 1. saying that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen But to what purpose I do not see seing it is a most certane Truth that all that have had and now have this faith have not had nor yet have these Inward and Immediat Revelations whereof we are speaking That the Object or ground of this Faith was the saying and promise of Iehovah is unquestionable but the thing that he should prove is this That this saying of God which saith gripped to and laid hold on was immediatly spoken by God to every individual beleever as for example that promise which was immediatly revealed to Adam That the seed of the woman should tread down the head of the Serpent or That immediatly revealed to Abraham That in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed c. and the like Doth he think that no man can beleeve a promise but he to whom this promise is immediatly spoken by God Let him prove this for I will not grant it He attempteth a proof from the Instances mentioned in that Chap. and adduceth only two Noah and Abraham And I willingly grant that not only these two but all others who had immediat Revelations from God whether touching matters of Faith or Duty had the Word and Authority
he hath gained nothing for I would say so that the Lord Jesus hath by his Spirit revealed Truths even Objectively unto us and even this way made good these promises but how By Inspireing Apostles and others to pen Scripture wherein all New Testament Truths necessary and sufficient for us to be believed and obeyed in order to Salvation are contained and revealed Is not this a proposeing of Truths Objectively Nay more I say the Spirit to this day is proposeing to us truths Objectively in by the work of the Ministrie and Ordinances which are established and maintained by the Spirit for this end to clear up the word of Reconciliation and to explaine all Gospel Truths which we are to believe and obey Here is also an Objective proposal by the Spirit But you will say it is not an Immediat Objective proposal I grant it and yet it is sufficient to confute his reason which mentioneth not this Immediatness nor will he prove any such thing out of these Scriptures in reference to all beleevers 29 Now followeth his Second Argument taken as he sayes from the new Covenant whereby he would prove that we are to be led by the Spirit not only Immediatly but also Objectively A strange conclusion as full of confusion as the former for any would think that by Objectively here he meaneth Mediatly But I suppose he would have said not only Subjectively but also Objectively For clearing of the matter and to prevent a fighting in the dark we would know That the work of the Spirit in order to the beleeving of Truths is either in and about the Soul of the man whom he is to give a Revelation of the truth unto or is in and about the Truth which is revealed and to be beleeved The First is that which is meaned by the word subjective because the man is the subject in which the Spirit is to work faith The Other is that which is expressed by the word Objective because the truth revealed is the Object which is to be beleeved and received Now the Subjective Operation of the Spirit in this matter is by enlightning the Understanding of the man taking away the vail that was over his eyes and thus enabling him to see the Object as when Christ cured the blinde man he put him in case to see the light which he could not do before so the Spirit openeth the eyes of the minde of the man that he may see the wonders out of his law Psal. 119 18. As to this immediat work of the Spirit though the Lord thinketh good to do this ordinarly in and by the use of meanes which he hath appointed so that the word Immediatly must not be so understood as to exclude these he maketh no debate with us But as to the Objective operation of the Spirit it is by proposeing of the Object or Truth to be beleeved unto the Intellect as true and as spoken by God and this is twofold either External or Internal External is when the Truth is proposed by God to the Intellect by outward meanes such as the Scriptures Preachers and the like and this may be also called Mediat Internal which may be called Immediat is when the Lord's Spirit doth immediatly propose the Truth to be believed as true and as spoken to them as a truth now to be believed because thus spoken by Him immediatly unto their souls unto which is requisite a real secret operation of the Spirit immediatly carrying the truth in upon the Understanding by Supernatural and Immediatly Infused intelligible Species's The former mediat way this man is not Satisfied with and this last immediat way is that whereby Truths were revealed extraordinarily to Prophets and Apostles and otherâ— who were Inspired and is usually called Prophetick Revelation and in this sense is the word Revelation ordinarily taken in Scripture And this is the Revelation Immediat and Objective which this man would plead for and which we deny to be common to all believers whether under â—he Old Testam or under the New And which we also deny to be â—he way by which we are to expect the Teachings and Leadings of the Spirit now seing we are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 30. Now let us see how he proveth his point He adduceth two passages of Scripture Esai 59 21. and Ier. 31 33. with its parallel Heb. 8 10. where the Lord promiseth that the words which he shall put in their mouth shall not depart out of their mouth nor out of the mouth of their seed nor out of the mouth of their seeds seed from hence forth even for ever And that he will put his law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c And what I pray can all this Evince Cannot the Lord put his words in the mouth and hearts of his People Mediatly Ay but saith he the Lord saith not that he will do this by Scriptures or other Means Nor doth he say say I that he will do it without them when he opened the heart of Lydia and when he caused the Thessalonians receive the word not as the word of Man though preached by Paul but as it is indeed the Word of God did he not put his word into their mouth and write it in their hearts But saith he hereby is the law and the Gospel differenced that the law was writen in tables of stone but the Gospel in the heart Ans. Said not David Psal. 40 8. that the law of God was in his heart And Ps. 119 11 that he hid Gods Word in his heart If it be so why said he before and went about to prove that the Object of faith of beleevers under the Law and under the Gospel was the same and how had all the Saints under the Law Immediat Revelations Other answers might be given here but these are sufficient to shew the mans Ignorance and Inconstancy when he hath reconciled himself to himself we will have less to do What he speaks afterward of Immediat Communion which is not the same with Immediat Revelation in respect whereof the state of beleevers under the Gospel is better than that under the Law is but to confirme further his self contradiction Let him reconcile this with what he said before of beleevers under the Law and of the sameness of the Object formal of the faith of both and we shall think ourselves concerned to notice what he saith But further to multiply his self contradictions he addeth an Untruth viz. That under the Law they had the high Priest immediatly receiving the Word of God in the holy of holies to teach the people and we say now under thâ— Gospel there is nothing but the external letter of the Scripture in the meaning of one verse of which scarce two do agree For neither can he prove that the High Priest had such Revelations alwayes in the Holy of Holies And we
Infallible Revelation of the Spirit of truth declared in the Scriptures writen by men infallibly acted by the holy Spirit of God and to beleeve and follow the dictats of the Father of lies As for the second Proposition It is unquestionable from history of all such Persons from the Montanists Circumcelliones Donatists Euchites and the like Enthusiasts of old from Mahomet that great Impostor and pretender to Revelations from the many Enthusiasts in the Church of Rome of which read D. Stillingfleet in his book above cited Especially Ignatius Loyola the Father founder of the Jesuites our Quakers great Friends if not Fathers from the Enthusiasts in Germany the Swenckfeldians Weigelians and particularly Iohn of Leyden and his complices in and about Munster c. to the Quakers this very day All which have given undoubted evidences of their delusions by their Errours Heresies sometimes Scandalous Actings Nay it hath been found that these desperat Adventures have pretended to these Revelations of purpose to put off with more cunning their desperat Errours and cheat souls unto the market of their pernicious Wares If this man be of another judgment I challenge him and all the Quakers this day to name to me a Seck of such Pretenders of whom this may not be verified And as for himself and the rest of the Quakers if the Scriptures be the word of truth and given out by Infallible Inspiration whâ—ch he dar not deny they bear as manifest Marks and give out as palpable Evidences of their being led and acted by a Spirit of Errour as any of their Predecessours as this and other of their writings put beyond all question Sure the Spirit which Christ promised to lead all his people by was a Spirit of Truth and a Spirit that leadeth into all Truth Ioh. 16 13. But thâ— Spirit acting them is a Spirit of Errour as the Scriptures of truth evidence The Spirit promised was a Spirit that would glorify Christ and take of his shew it unto his People but the Spirit acting them is a Spirit opposite to all the Institutions of Christ and a Spirit seeking to debase our Lord Jesus in his Person Offices and Work all which our following discourse will evince 33. Having thus proposed and enforced the Objection we need not take notice of hiâ— triffling Answers adapted to the shaâ—ow he made himself It â—s enough to us that he cannot say that such as the Spirit of â—od leadeth in seed are led into Errour seing by this fruite and their sinful carriage Christ hâ—th told us that we may know false Prophets Mat. 7 15 20. And that he himself confesseth that true divine Revelations are not contrare to the Scriptures and therefore having Scriptures and sound Reason on our side we value not his brag in saying that by happy experince they finde hithertil that the Spirit hath never deceived them or led them unto any evil seing all such Pretenders of old should have said the same with as great Confidence they that are given up of God to strong delusions to beleeve a lie know not that it is a lie which they beleeve Wisdome is justified of her children As for Munster business he professeth § 14. his abhorrence thereof but with all addeth that as great evils have been practised by such as owne the Scriptures which doth not touch the Objection framed by me Beside that it is not very probable that God would have left these Miscreants to such acts of villany if the way to which they pretended had been of God considering how they were the first that in that age and at that season of Reformation did appear for it and openly professe it a parallel of such as owned any part of Truth long under contempt and against so much opposition will not I suppose be showne The rest of this paragraph being a meer Rhapsodiâ— and with all an Excreation of much gall and nothing to the purpose in hand I meddle not with It wil satisfie him if I say that I am none of those who will reject the guidance of the Spirit of God though some profane Wreatches say that they are led by him He knoweth our disput is not about the guidance of the Spirit but about the manner of this Guidance and Teachings 34. What he saith § 15. in Vindication of the last part of his Thesis hath been obviated already See above § 18 and 19. only I shall take notice of a word or two which he hath To prove the self evidence of the Spirits working in souls he maketh use of these words of David Taste and see that God is good of Paul saying I am perswaded nothing can separate me from the Love of God and then citeth 1 Ioh 4 13. and as if it were to the same purpose addeth 1 Ioh. 5 6. and hence inferreth that the Revelations which they have being the Revelations of the Spirit who is truth must certanely be true and not contrary to either Scripture or Reason Alas doth not the man know that the Spirit may work grace in the soul and for a time for holy ends keep up the sensation thereof and that others may deny or not observe the work of the Spirit in their souls through Mistakes Prejudice or other Corruption as others may imagine a work of grace without ground Knoweth he noâ— that we are speaking here of Immediate and Objective Revelations which are Extraordinary and which himself in a few lines before said the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles had not naming any others and not of the Ordinary workings of the Spirit of grace Waving these Impertinencies I would ask only How came it to passe that Others pretending as much to Immediat Revelations as he have been deceived If others have been deceived why may not he It is true The Spirit of God is alwayes a Spirit of Truth but a Spirit of Errour and Delusion which some may take to be the Spirit of God is not the Spirit of Truth Why will he not try by the Scriptures and by sound Reason what sort of Spirit that is which acteth him the rest No that is needless And why so Because their spiritual senses are awake so that at the very first they can perceive their revelations to be of the Spirit no less infallibly than a wise Mathematician can diseerne the truth of the most clear mathematick demonstrations Happy they say I if it be so But hereby he must needs reproach his Predessours the Enthusiasts and Phanaticks of former ages as being asleep at best in the midst of their Revelations and not having their spiritual senses awake for they have been deceived and yet no doubt were as confident of the contrarie as this man is But this man's testimony is of himself and so the less to be valued and it is inward and invisible and so the harder to be confuted Only I would know how he will perswade us of it a Mathematician can demonstrat the grounds of his
Revelations of the Spirit of God and yet they carry no Authority impressed upon them What shall carry the Impressions of a divine Authority if divine Revelations do not why did he assert in the preceeding Thesis that divine Revelation was the formal Object and ground of divine Faith How can they beleeve with a divine Faith the divine Revelations which they pretend unto why doth he plead so much for looking after divine Revelations if divine Revelations have not the stamp of divine Authority upon them But he sayes they ascribe the authority wholly unto the Spirit And do not we so also when we stoop unto the Authority of the Scriptures of Truth because delivered by the Inspiration of God when we say the Acts and Statutes of Parliament have the authority of Lawes and we obey and receive them as authenticque Lawes do we not ascribe the Legislative Authority unto the Parliament what a fancyful distinction must this them be and what a Notional difference doth he here imagine But it may be by these writings he meaneth the Paper and Ink But can he call the Paper and Inck the Scriptures of Truth or say that they did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God 6. He reduceth all the contents of the Scripture unto three heads telling us that they containe first an historical narration of the acts of the people of God in not a few ages and of several rare testimonies of the providence of God towards them Forgetting that we have here also a true and faithful Narration of the first creation and that these examples are instructive Secondly a Prophetical narration of many things of which some are past and some are yet to come Making no mention of the great and many Promises nor yet of the threatnings Thirdly a full and large testimony to the chiefe doctrines of the Christian faith and that in certane excellent declarations exhortations and sentences which by the afflatus of the Spirit were said and written at diverse times to diverse churches and pastors according to various occasions that fell out And here is the whole of the high account he hath of the Scriptures and of their perfection Not to Meddle much with that here which he will give us occasion largely to disput of hereafter I would only enquire where or in what book beside the Scriptures shall we finde the whole doctrine of the Christian Faith laid down The Scriptures as he saith only give testimony to the chiefe Doctrines of Christianity Therefore there must be other Doctrines of Christianity that must be found out and searched for elsewhere but where I pray shall we finde these Againe I would know of him how we shall know what belongeth to the chiefe Heads of Christianity and what not we cannot know this by the Scriptures for they are supposed by him to be chief heads of Christianity to us before the Scriptures come which only as he saith beareth testimony to some of them 7. Further when he sayeth the Scripture giveth this Testimony only in certaine declarations c. It would seem we have not our Christian faith from the Scriptures but all the Articles thereof flow to us from some other Immediat Fountaine and are founded as to us upon some other Immediat Ground and the Scriptures only give some testimony thereto and that as it were on the bye in some certane Declarations Exhortations and Sentences Hence it would appeare by him that it is not the maine intendment and principal designe of the Scriptures to set downe delineat and explaine to us the articles of our Christian Faith and the doctrine of our Religion and so Iohn was it seemeth in a mistake when he said Iohn 20 vers 31. These are written that we might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name Why hath the Lord thus made known and written unto us excellent things in counsel and knowledge Is it not that our trust might be in the Lord and that he might make us know the certanty of the Words of Truth Prov. 22 vers 18 19 20 21. See Luk. 1 vers 2 3 4. Why saith Paul Rom 15 vers 4. that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope For what end did the Spirit inspire these Holy men and by or in them speak to us in the Scriptures if not to give us a solide ground for our Faith to stand upon in receiving and beleeving the articles of Salvation Is not the whole of the Scripture given by the Inspiration of God that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 16 17 Why doth the Apostle Peter say 2 Pet. 1 19. that we do well to take heed unto this more sure word of prophecy If they be not the ground of our Faith why are we desired thus to take heed unto them and to desire the sincere milk of word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet 2 2. Are we not said to be built upon that foundation which the Prophets and Apostles did ministerially lay by Word and Write Ephes. 2 20. Thus we see he layeth no more weight upon the Scriptures as to the bottoming of our Faith than he would do upon any good Book wherein testimony were given unto the chiefe Doctrines of the Christian Faith by some excellent Declarations Exhortations and Sentences 8. In this account he giveth us of his conceptions of the fulness and perfection of the Scriptures It is observable that he doth not so much as give the least hint of any Authority wherewith the Scripture is cloathed to lay obligations on our Consciences to yeeld Faith and Obedience to it as the signification of the Soveraigne Will and pleasure of the great God and Lawgiver and in this is more injurious to the Scriptures then Papists are who grant it to be a Rule of Faith Hos. 8 12. See Psal. 119. throughout with infinite moe places and this is in effect to destroy the Scriptures which are given to us as the Law of God and must be received as such with Faith and Obedience As if they had not been inspired by the Holy Ghost for this end purpose that we might thereby understand and prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Is it not called a Law disobedience unto and transgression of which is sin 1 Ioh. 3 4. Iam. 2 8 9 10 11 12. and 4 11. 9. What he saith of the Scriptures being written to certane Churches and Pastors upon certane Occasions which is an old Popish argument neither will quadrate with the whole of the Scriptures nor though it did will it ground any such inference that we have little or no interest therein as our Law and Rule as Quakers say and lest he think I caluminate let him take notice of these few Instances Edw. Borroughs Pag.
47. of his works saith as Mr Hicks citeth him Dial. 3. Pag. 58 59. That is no command to me which is a command to another neither did any of the saints act by a command that was given to another And againe Such as go to duty by imitation from the letter which was commands to others their sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. And againe Pag. 105. he hence inferreth that they who take up a command from the Scriptures are in the witchcraft This is a sufficient proof And that that inference of his Brethren is naught we shall shew afterward 10. In the following words of his Thesis he cometh nearer to that which is the core of the whole of his designe which is to set up Immediat Revelations and Enthusiasmes as the ground and adequate Rule of Faith and Manners and to lay aside the Scripturâ—s as incompetent thereunto for he tels us that the Scriptures are only a Declaration of the Fountaine and not the Fountaine it self and thence inferreth that therefore they are not to be accounted the Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge nor the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners But what ridiculous folly is this did ever man dream that the Scriptures were God or the Spirit of God So he reasoneth as if one should say The acts of Parliament or the Lawes made by the Supream Legislator of a Kingdom or Common wealth are but only declarations of the minde of the Law-givers and not the Law-makers themselves therefore they are not the principal Original of civility or municipality nor the adequate and primary Rule of government And who would not smile at this The Jewes when they heard the law given by God upon mount Siâ—ai might have said likewise This Law is not God himself nor the fountaine it self but only a Declaration of the Fountaine and therefore cannot be accounted our adequate and primary Rule of Faith and Manners but we must look after something else as our Adequate and Primary Rule â—ut I wonder that the man doth not observe that this manner of argueing maketh nothing for his maine designe for he will not I suppose say though others speak little less that the Revelations which he pretendeth unto or the light within which he would have regarded as the Rule is God himself or the Fountaine and principal Original it self of all Truth and Knowledge but only at most a Beame of Light and Truth streaming out from the Fountaine And so the question will only come to this whether the Revelations or Light within which he cryeth up or the Scriptures of Truth which we plead for be the Adequate and Principal Rule of Faith and Manners And if he speak any thing to this question in his Apology we shall examine it One thing I would say here viz. That this Prime Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge is no Rule of Faith and Manners to us let be the Adequate and Primary Rule being considered in it self but only as declared and manifested to us in manner of a Law whether written and made legible upon the Nature of Man and his Relation to the Creator and to the rest of the creatures or imprinted upon the Minde of Man or delivered by Vive Voice as on mount Sinai or by writing as in the Scriptures God's being the Fountaine and prime Original of all Truth c. did lay no bands on Adam to forbear to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but there was an express Command given and Law made thereanent God is in Himself and from all Eternity was the prime Fountain and Original of all Truth and Knowledge yet was not that a Law or Rule for a Law or Rule is a relative thing and supposeth Subjects to be Ruled and Governed thereby which were not in being from eternity 11. He talketh further at the same rate of absurdity granting that the Scriptures are and may be accounted a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit from whom they derive all their excellency and Certainty But what meaneth he by a Secondary Subordinate Rule This would import that the Testimony of the Spirit which he and others of his perswasion do pretend unto and plead for is a Rule above the Scriptures But how can the Testimony of the Spirit which they say they receive be preferred unto the Testimony of the Scriptures seing by his owne confession the Scriptures were written by a divine Afflatus Is the Spirits speaking unto them more an Afflatus and so a more Primary Rule than the Spirits speaking in the Scriptures This cannot be for sure the Scriptures or Verity declared therein or the Declaration of Gods minde thereby expressed is as Immediat an Emanation from the Prime Original Truth as any which they can receive for the holy Men of God were as Really and as Immediatly Inspired by the Spirit in Speaking Dictating and Writing the Scriptures we are not here speaking of transumpts or of translations as they can suppose themselves to be if not more And so all the difference is that the Inspiration which they receive is to them Immediate but the Inspiration in the Scriptures is but Mediate to us yet sure when they come to dictate their Inspirations to others the case cannot much differ And further we are taught that the Inspirations and Revelations which the Holy-men of God who were his Penmen in writing the Scriptures did receive were not for themselves for the Lord spoke by them or in them to the Fathers Heb. 1 â— And Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 12. that the Prophets when they prophecied of the grace that should come had it revealed unto them that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the thingâ— which are now reported It is confessed that the Scriptures were given out by the Infallible Inspiration of the Spirit and that they were given for a Rule and Paul tels us 2 Tim. 3 16 17. that they are able to make us wise unto Salvation to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished unto all good works whence it is manifeâ—t that they are a Sure and Alsufficient Rule and therefore Compleat and Adequate as to what we are to Know and Beleeve in reference to Eternal Salvation But as for their Revelations and Inspirations whatever they make of them we are concerned to enquire whence they come and whither they go eâ—pecially seing they are set up cheek by chole with the Scriptures yea and preferred thereto Nay when the Scriptures command us not to beleeve every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Ioh. 4 â— I judge it the saifest course both for them and us to examine these supposed Inspirations And howbeit they may imagine that the Inspirations which they have now and then received or are receiving are undoubtedly Divine Yet because the false Prophets whereof Iohn speaketh might have imagined the same
of their Inspirations and Prophecies it is at least possible that they may be deceived also And if so is it not every way saifest to try all by the unerring touch stone And doâ—h it not hence appear that if we speak in reference to their Revelations the Scriptures are unquestionably the Primary and Adequate rule 12. He addeth a reason in his Thesis which he prosecuteth at large in his Apology viz. That we know the certanty of the Scriptures only by the inward testimony of the Spirit But this reason is ambiguously expressed for it may either have this meaning That we know the certainty of the matter contained in the Scriptures only by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit Or this may be the meaning That only by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit we know certanely that the Scriptures are the word of God or that book which containeth the revealed will of God If he take this Reason in the first sense we may then in part know what he understandeth by a Secondary and Subordinate Rule which title he is pleased as we heard to allow unto the Scriptures that his meaning is consonant to what Will. Pen saith P. 47. of that book of his which Mr Hicks citeth Dial. 3. Pag. 48. viz. We dar boldly affirme that the greatest reason of our beleefe concerning the prophecies and promises recorded in the Scriptures is not from any outward thing but that inward testimony that we have received from that holy Light within us to the truth and faithfulness of those sayings And againe Pag. 48. cited by Mr Hicks Pag. 50 51. Though we do say men ought to live up to these hâ—ly Rules contained in the Scriptures yet the reason why is that conviction they meet with from the light of their own consciences Therefore the light within is both our warrant for Faith in and Obedience to them And this upon the mater is the same that Benj. Furley a known Quaker in Rotterdam saith most plainly in his letter cited by Mr Hicks in his Quakers appeal answered Pag. 16. There is nothing in the Scripture that is a duty upon me or which I am obliged to obey because there recorded whatsoever is a command to me I must not receive from any man or thing without me Nay not the Scripture it self Yea it is the greatest error in the world that ever was invented and the ground of all errour to affirme that the Scripture ought to be a Rule to Christians This is plaine dealing and so is that of Edward Burrowes Pag. 62. cited by Mr Hicks ibid. He that perswades people to let the Scrâ—ptures be the rule of faith and practice would keep people in darkness for who ever walks by the rule without them and teach men so to do would make void the Covenant of life and peace Now if this be his meaning the Scriptures shall be no Rule at all not so much as a Subordinate Rule for it shall hold forth no Truth calling for divine Faith from me nor shall it hold forth any Law or Command obligeing me to Obedience unless a new Revelation come or the Light with in me tell me that such a point is Truth and so to be beleeved and such an Exhortation is a divine Command and so to be Obeyed And if the Light within me say that such an Assertion contained in the Scriptures is not Tâ—uth I must not beâ—eâ—ve it or if it say that such a word of Command is not to be Obeyed there shâ—â—l be no force of a command in the word So that as with Papists the Scriptures are beholden to their Pope or to their Church for its authority so as it hath no canonick authority but what is given to it by the Pope or the Church So with Quakers the Scriptures are beholden to the Light within for its authority and no more is Scripture to be Beleeved and Obeyed as Scripture but what the Light within saith is to be beleeved and Obeyed And thus in effect it is not the Scripture nor the Spirit of God speaking to us in the Scripture that layeth any obligation on us to beleeve and obey but only the Light within so that if the Light within will any other book possibly the Turks Alcoran shall have as much authority to Command our Faith and Obedience as the Scripture hath Yet I must needs say we have much more advantage in dealing with Papists than in dealing with these Quakers for the Papists have but one Pope to whose determination they submit But here every Quaker hath a Pope within his brest And next we can know read and understand what the Pop's determinations are and how founded when he is pleased to condescend to give reasons at least we can know what truths he determineth and what not But we cannot know what the Spirit or Light within the Quakers saith we heare not and see not and understand not what it saith whether it be a white or a blake Spirit we know not It may say One thing this houre and the contrary the next and where are we then And what ever it saith we cannot know but as they report and whether their report be true or not we know not Nor can we know when we have used our utmost diligence to know it To this then are we come at length That every Quaker hath the Supreame judge of all controversies within his brest and the supream Law to regulate all duties So that it is impossible to convince them of an Errour either in Faith or Practice out of the Scriptures because the clearest Assertions of truth and the most manifest Commands have no auâ—hority but from the Light within them And what that Light saith we cannot judge because we neither hear it nor see it nor have we ground to beleeve that they cannot give us a false report of the testimony of that Light This is â— confess a master piece of Invention of the grand Impostor to keep these deluded souls out of the reach of conviction but such as all sober persons will judge ground sufficient to look upon that with a more than ordinary piece of abhorrence and to flee from these deluded and self deluding creatures But one thing more I would know of this man if this be his meaning Is it any otherways with us than it was with the people of God of old He must say no seing he hath formerly pleaded for the same formal Object and Ground to their faith and ours and then I enquire might not the people of God of old have put off thus all the Prophecies Exhortations Rebuikes and Commands which the Prophets immediatly inspired declared unto them from in the name of the Lord by saying till they had Revelations immediat themselves concerning these things to be beleeved or obeyed they were not under any obligation to notice them And if so how could they be charged with Disobedience Obstinacy Unbeleef and Wickedness as we oftentimes finde they were
Againe how could Christ and his Apostles confirme their doctrine by the Scriptures Press to a study and search of them Convince persons of errour by them and the like seing still this shift was as ready at hand for them to use as it is for the Quakers today I pray hâ—m to cleare me in these particulars if he can 13. But if the meaning of his Assertion be That we know only by the inward Testimoâ—y of the Spirit that the book of the Scriptures is indeed the word of God what will this helpe his cause Nothing at all for the Testimony of the Spirit is a true Testimony and if the Spirit testifie that that book is the Word of God that book must indeed be the Word of God and it must be the Word of God before that testimony be given to it for the Testimony doth not make it such but witnesseth it to be such and so before that Testimony of the Spirit come the will of God contained in that book must oblige us to Beleeve it and Obey it for what is the revealed will of God cannot but oblige such unto whom it is revealed But if it be said That even the will of God contained in the Scriptures cannot oblige us untill a new Revelation come to perswade us of the certainty that it is the will of God I answere Then 1. The Assertions of the God of truth and the Lawes and Commands of the Supream Lawgiver have no obleiging force upon us to Beleeve and Obey untill we be perswaded these Truths and Lawes are Divine and so the authority of the Lawes dependeth upon and is derived from the minde of the Subject and no more shall be law than he will 2. Then the Revelation of the minde of God doth not carry alongs with it its owne Evidence 3. Then the Second Revelation can as little carry alongs with it its own evidence as the First and we must have a Third to give us the perswasion of its certanety and the Third will stand in need of a Fourth and so in infinitum and hereby we shall never come to any certanty but still fluctuate notwithstanding of Revelations upon Revelations 14. He adduceth Apol. P. 36 37. Calv. Instit. Lib. 1. c. 7. s. 4 5. The French Confession of faith Art 4. The Belgick Confess Art 5. And the Confession framed at Westminster Cap. 1. S. 5. which last he cannot cite without a jibe at these worthy Divines thereby evidenceing what a Spirit acteth him But to the point I say 1. What is spoken here of the Spirit is in Opposition to the Testimony of Men or of the Church which the Romanists alleiged 2. They speak not of an Objective certanty as if before this perswasion wrought by the Spirit there was no ground to beleeve and receive these for the Scriptures of truth or as if indeed before this they had not been the Scriptures of truth but of a Subjective certanty and therefore they call it Perswasion and Assurance now this doth not create an Objective certainty but preâ—upposeth it and only helpeth the soul to see that Objective certainty and rest upon it with full Conviction and Assurance 3. They speak not of any Immediat Revelation or Inspiration but of an ordinary work of the Spirit efficiently effectuating this Perswasion and Assurance 4. They expresly tell us that this work of the Spirit is by and with the word and not an Inspiration distinct and seperated from it anâ— by the gracious effects of the word in and upon the hearts of People which evidently demonstrate the cause to be divine and that Word which hath such Powerful Noble and Divine Effects upon the soul to to be of a divine Original flowing from that Supream Verity or Veracity and from that Supream Authority and so to be purely divine 15. Though this be enough to discover the vanity of this mans Alleigance yet I shall for the Readers satisfaction a little further cleare the matter There are in the Scriptures such innate marks and evidences of divine Majesty Power and Authority whereby as Light and Heat prove and demonstrate themselves so the Scriptures evince themselves to be of God by their Light Life Power Majesty Divine which is also manifested by these particulars mentioned in our Confession of faith to wit The Heavenliness of the matter The Efficacy of the Doctrine The Majestie of the stile The Consent of all the parts The Scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God The full Discovery it maketh of the only Way of Mans salvation The many other Incomparable Excellencies and the Intire Perfection therof These are arguments which it carryeth alongs with it whereby it doth abundantly evince it self to be the word of God as the heavens declare themselves to be of God not by any voice or testimony but by the Characters of Infinite Power so legible upon them that all that run may read The Spirit in working up the soul unto a Conviction and Perswasion that the Scriptures are the word of God doth those things First He cleareth up the characters of divinity that are in the Scriptures formerly dark to the man through prejudice or other causes and so maketh the Object plaine and manifest Next He conveyeth light into the Minde whereby the man is enabled to discerne and perceive these Grounds and Evidences which are the characters of divinity as a man when clouds are removed and his eyes are opened to see the beames of light flowing from the body of the Sun is convinced and perswaded that the Sun is arisen in our horizon Now this work of the Spirit hath its various Measures and Degrees not to mention that which is truely saving whereby the man is not only Enabled to see the forementioned grounds to a conviction but through a gracious Work of the Spirit on the whole soul is made to close with these grounds with joy and delights and to accept of the Scriptures upon these Grounds with full perswasion of soul as having this truth that these Scriptures are the word of God deeply impressed oâ— his spirit and sealed by the Holy Ghost So that he embraceth them as the very word of God and closeth with them with all Reverence and cheerfull Submission of soul receiving with faith the Truths there delivered and submitting to the Commands thereof heartily and cheerfully through grace Not to mention this I say which as it respecteth the matter contained in the word and the sutable improvement thereof is not of our present concernment this work of the Spirit admits of degrees whether we consider the Object or Evidences which lye in the Scripture or the Subject the â—llumination of the minde to see the cleared Evidences and Grounds for to some the Grounds and Evidences may be more clear and unquestionable than to others and some may have a larger Illumination of understanding and so a greater capacity to see the divine Original of the Scriptures than others and
false Grounds and Mistakes they were â—ot in case to see and observe these characters of divinity which others and possibly themselves afterward were helped to see Did ever any pretend the want of new Immediat Revelations as the Ground yea and sole Ground and Reason why they did not receive these books as Canonick or did ever any plead this as the Ground sole ground of their receiving of them as canonick whether among the Ancients or Moderne excepting Quakers the like Phanaticks 19. In his Apolo Pag. 38. he spendeth many words about his Conclusion which he gave us in fewer words in the end of his Thesis thus and seing said he we do receive and beleeve the Scriptures because they did proceed from the Spirit Therefore is the Spirit more originally and principally the Rule and to make all strong he addeth that philosophical axiome propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale and also in summing up what he had in the former part of his Thesis and we have already examined to wit touching the Spirits being the Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge to which conclusion he saith he annexed that axiome which is not true But passing this and what hath been answered already let us see what truth is here and first I Observe That he manifestly confoundeth the prime and principal leader with the principal and original Rule Here he saith that the Spirit is the Principal and Original Rule elsewhere in his Thesis as we shall hear he inferreth and that out of Scripture that the Spirit is the prime and principal leader thus maketh the Principal Cause and the Rule all one He reasoneth like one that would prove that the winde was both the Principal mover of the Shipe and also the Compasse by which the skipper was to steer his course or like one that would prove that the Master was the principal leader of the hand of the writting Scholar then would prove that he were the principal copie too after the example of which the Scholar was to write which he was to eye while drawing framing of the letters Who seeth not what a vast difference is here Supposeth he that there is no difference here can he be so blinde as not to see it What I pray can be expected of such as found their fabrick upon such a ground of confusion but a Babel 20. Moreover if we consider the scope he driveth at we will finde yet more and more intolerable Confusion for his maine purpose is to Evince that the Revelations and inspirations which he and the rest of the Quakers pretend unto or that light within of which we will heare him afterwards talking is to be preferred as the more Primary and Principal Rule unto the Scriptures which at most are but a Secondary Subordinat and Inadequate Rule to him as we have heard Now if he think to prove this by what he here saith it is obvious and palpable that he maketh the Spirit from whom the Scriptures did proceed to be all one with the Revelations which they pretend unto or with the Light with in which he and they so much magnifie and cry up Otherwise all that he here saith is to no purpose and he but reasoneth from the club to the corner as we say Is that Light within or are the Revelations the increated Spirit Then we may judge what thoughts he must have of the Spirit and doubt whether he can look upon the Spirit as the true and living God or clear himself of wicked Socinianisme when he thus maketh him the same with a creature as the Revelation or the Light within must needs be Or will he say that the Light within him is really and indeed the increated Spirit this must be blasphemy with a witness and they must be looked upon as notorious Blasphemers and idolaters and this must be heard with horrour and needeth no other Confutation 21. He would do well to show us how we shall understand the Spirits being a Rule unto us Can we imagine that he is a Rule to us any other way than by Revealing his Will giving us Lawes proposeing Rules all Obligeing us to Faith and Obedience and is not the Rule proposed and laid downe to us by the Spirit Inspireing Instruments to write it our Principal and Original Rule was not the Law given out by Gods owne voice on mount Sinai a Principal and original Rule unto the jewes How or what way is God or can he be a Rule unto people of Faith and Manners but by declareing His Minde in making or proposeing by vive Voice or by Inward Inspirations Revelations or by Dreames Visions and the like or by Writting Lawes Ordinances Rules and Statutes whereby rational creatures are to regulate both their faith and practice How was He a Rule to Adam but by proposeing to him a Rule objectively in the Creation in his relation to his Maker and to the other creatures c. and by imprinting this Law and Rule into his minde and writting it in his heart or by giving him a Law by vive voice saying Thou shalt not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil How was he a Rule to Abraham when He commanded him to sacrifice his son was it not by enjoyning him by an express Command If he knoweth any other way how the Spirit is to be looked upon as a Principal and Original Rule he would do will to acquant us with it And if no other way be conceiveable we see the Impertinency of his Argueing as if one should say The Statutes and Lawes of a Land are to be Obeyed by the Subjects because they proceed from the Supream Legislator Therefore the Supreme Legislator himself is more their Rule and Law for propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Is not this nobly argued and is not our Quakers Philosophy very quick and yet a person that never learned logick can smile at this and tell him that the Supream Legislator neither is nor can be any other way a Rule to Subjects but by making Lawes and these Lawes are a principal Rule to them as his Subjects 22. It might be noted that by his latine Igitur etiam Spiritus magis originaliter c. the Scriptures are acknowledged to be also Originally and Principally a Rule only the Spirit is more Originally and more Principally the Rule But to wave the darkness or ambiguity of this expression we shall accept what he here seemeth to grant viz. That the Scripture is an Original and Principal Rule And hence inferre Therefore it is to be preferred to all Inferiour Revelations and Inspirations which he and others pretend unto But if by the Spirit here he meaneth these Revelations and Inward Inspirations and therefore he accounteth these the more Original and Principal Rule and not the Scriptures he must give us some reason why he judgeth the Revelations which he hath or
therein Psal. 111 2. which speak out God's minde as to circumstantial individual actions There are many General Rules which must be applied by Christian Wisdome Prudence and Discretion according to exemplary instances registrated in Scripture so that a person walking in the Light of the Lord and hanging upon Him singly for Light to understand the Rule and Wisdome to regulate his individual Actions thereunto shall see and be convinced of the Perfection of the Law of God and abhore the thoughts of tempting of God by looking for or asking New and Immediat Revelations yea and if any thing should occurre that by reason of its unusualness should seem to be some what extraordinarie and have some farr-resemblance unto that which some would call a Revelation will not rest till their Obedience be bottomed upon the unerring Rule and look upon such unusual manifestations as Confirmations rather than Grounds for their Faith and Obedience And in this the Lord may think good to consult the weakness of such well meaning persons who cannot see that in the Rule of the Scriptures as particularly applicable to their case which Others more mighty in the Scriptures and of more spiritual sharpnesse would easily discover All which tendeth to the Confirmation of the Fulness and Perfection of the Rule and no way to the crying-up and owneing of Inward and Immediat Revelations to the disparagment of the Law of the Lord which is Perfect Matters than being thus the Scripture-Rule able to regulate as a Rule when studied and wisely improven in all the particulars by him mentioned as might be showne Nay more might by shown that the Scripture can sufficiently Regulat the Christian deportment of every servant maide as to the very sweeping of the house how much more shall it be sufficient to Regulat a Minister the Man of God as to all his Deportment in the house of God What needs more to shame this effronted man than to recommend to his serious thoughts if he will do this upon my Recommendation without a new and distinct Revelation the study of these words of Paul already cited 2 Tim. 3 16 1 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable c. that the man of God may be perfect perfected or thorowly furnished to all good works If this be true and I doubt he hath the forehead yet to say otherwayes he may see Paul here answering all his Instances and telling him that his Allegations are not true And if he will not beleeve Paul immediatly Inspired it were unreasonable in us to expect that our more particular confronting his alleiged Instances out of Scripture should prevaile with him and as for Others who rest satisfied with the Testimony of the Apostle it were needless for us upon this light occasion to digresse further unto a scriptural discovery of these things Thus then we might have dismissed him But for further satisfaction to the Reader we shall goe on and see what he saith more 32. He tels us very honestly that Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. that every member must have its owne place in the Church and consequently their Church must be a monster that hath no distinct members every member must performe its owne function or else cause a schisme in the body and againe That the Lord will have each of his servants do the work which he putteth him to Which who can deny but Quakers who counteract this as is and shall be abundantly showne I know not and againe to the former purpose he citeth Rom 12. And we thank him for it But with all he addeth that no Scripture can tell him whether he should attend exhâ—rtation or Prophecy or ministry or doctrine And this is very true for he is no Church Officer of whom the Apostle there speaketh and having none of those gifts of Office he hath nothing to do with the Work peculiar to these Offices But others whom the Lord according to the Order established in His house whereunto this man is both a stranger and an enemy hath called to Prophecy and Teaching or Exhorting should wait upon it and performe their work according to the proportion of faith and such as are called to Ministry and to Giving should wait upon it and do it with simplicity cheerfulnesse and these who are called to Rule should do it with diligence Could not the man read this in the text But he would say The Scriptures say not that Iohn Iames or Peter should take on this or that Office Nor say I is this required of a Rule as such But how Iames Iohn or Peter shall know by the Scriptures that God calleth them to this or that imployment I have showne above 33 But the weightiest point of all is Pag. 41.42 That the Scriptures cannot give a man any certainty that he is in the faith and an heire of Salvaton And as for me if the Scriptures give not full Certainty in full measure heaped up and running over so farr as is competent to a Rule to do I shall despaire thereof What are there no marks given in Scripture whereby this may be known Yes sayes he But who shall perswade me that I have those marks that I beleeve that I obey c. Is this man in his wits that thinketh this should be done by a Rule Thinks he the Lawes of the land must say that Robert Barclay is a Quaker or that this or that man hath broken this or that Law If Robert Barclay had murthered a man and were impannelled thereupon would he think it a defence good enough in Law to say that in all the Acts of Parliament nay nor in all the Bible too it cannot be read that I Robert Barclay have murthered such a person Therefore tâ—e inference that I must die is founded upon no Law What shall a rational man think of this ridiculous Folly What doth he next He citeth our Confession of faith Chap. 18. Sect. 2. shewing how Assurance is had to which I heartily subscribe for as I shall be loath with this ignorant Man to confound the work proper to the Spirit of God with that which is proper to the Rule of the Scriptures so I shall be loath to decry the Scriptures and rob them of their due as this man doth under a pretext of setting up the Spirit or to deny to the Spirit of God any of his gracious works in the souls of his owne whatever this man think under a pretext of maintainâ—ng the Scriptures Perfection I only here assert and maintaine the Scriptures Perfection as a Rule granting to the Spirit with all cheerfulness and readiness of soul all that work which the Scriptures teach me to do and therefore I grant that the Spirit beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8 16. and what can be rationally deduced from 1 Ioh. 4 13. 5 6. which he citeth I know that it is the Spirit that causeth us know the things that are
and so he confirmeth what other Quakers mentioned above § 9. say viz. That there are no commands there for them because given to particular persons and Churches upon particular occasions And thus the very Law of the Ten Commandements which I have vindicated sufficiently elsewhere which Christ himself did interpret and confirme is laid aside as having no power over us Thus the Quakers join hands with the Antinomians that they may become a perfect Sinke of all errours I am sure the Church of Corinth might with greater shew of reason have rejected that Law which Paul urgeth them with 1 Cor. 9 9 10. and Timothy also 1 Tim. 5 18. what shall we say to these Old Testament Lawes and Scriptures pressed in the New Rom. 13 8 9.10 Ephes. 6 2. 2 Cor. 6 17. 1 Pet. 2 13 14. 1 Cor. 14 v. 34. What have we to do with all Christ's commands the Apostles their injunctions 2 Thess. 3 v. 4 6 10 12. 1 Tim. 4 v. 11. 1 Cor. 7 10. Mat. 28 20. 1 Thess. 4 11. Mat. 15 4. Ioh. 15 12. 1 Ioh. 3 23. Rom. 7 10 12. 16 26 1 Tim. 1 5. Tit. 1 3. 2 Pet. 2 21. 3 2. 1 Ioh. 2 7. 3 11. 2 Ioh. 4 6. Ioh. 13 34. 1 Ioh. 2 8. Ioh. 14 21. 1 Cor. 7 19. 14 37. Revel 22 14. Act. 17 30. Rom. 2 12 13 23 25 26 27. 3 31. 4 15. 7 14 16 18 22. 1 Tim. 1 8. Gal. 3 19 21. 5 14. 6 2. Iam. 1 25. 2 8 9 10 11 12. 4 11. 1 Ioh. 3 4. Rom. 1 5. 16 19 26. 2 Cor. 7 15. 10 5 6. 1 Pet. 1 vers 2 Ephes. 6 5. Tit. 2 9. 1 Pet. 1 14. 2 Cor. 2 9. Not to mention his Ordinances of which afterward and all the examples set downe to us for Imitation and Instruction By this argueing the whole Historical part of the Bible is laid aside Further by this Mans doctrine no man is a Man of God but they All others are Natural They are Spiritual and Holy and the Scriptures are only for such and some might think that others had as much need of them But the designe is That all others besides themselves may look upon them selves as not concerned in them and so may lay them aside as useless and when the Quakers are once become the sole keepers of these Oracles we shall quickly know what shall be come of them But blessed be God they are under another eye and under a surer key Beside that by the Apostles doctrine Rom. 15. Every one that is to please his Nieghbour for good to edification vers 2. is to look on the Scriptures as written for his use and learning vers 4. and 2 Tim. 3 15 16. every one that standeth in need of Salvation and hath need to be made wise thereunto must plye the Scriptures for this end We see also that the Scripturs have attained their full end in the Quakers and therefore they have no more do to with them but to observe to their Confirmation the samenes◠of Spirit speaking in them speaking in the Scripture so we must look upon them all as Perfected throughly furnished for every good work That which he addeth in end out of the Ap. Peter is with a witness verified in them 2 Pet. 3 16. 43. Thereafter § 6. He seemeth to grant much concerning the Scriptures when he saith They account them the most fit outward judge of controversies among Christians and what ever doctrine is contrary to them should be accounted heresie c. But howbeit we accept what is granted and are content to try their doctrine by this judge have done so hithertill accordingly must reject their doctrine as damnable heresie and will finde more cause hereafter to continue in this our judgment yet we cannot but take notice That they are driven to this necessity by urgency of their Adversaries and that they know of a refuge for themselves for they are perswaded as we may suppose the Spirit within them is the very same with the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures and he cannot in them contradict what he hath said in the Scriptures And if any discrepancy or contradiction be it is but in appearance and that unto the blinde Understanding of a Natural Man as he speaketh afterward that is it but seemeth so to all that are not Quakers and so notwithstanding of this it is no real contradiction let the appearance be never so great So that it is not possible to convince them of any mistake out of the Scriptures for the Spirit speaking within them cannot speak contrary thereto And further this is to be observed that for all this the Scriptures are no Rule no Law having any force upon our Consciences to Obedience No man is to learne any Truth or Doctrine out of them And thus they take away both Law and Gospel the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament as a Law upon which we are to meditate day and night and which we are to make the men of our counsel and to propose to ourselves as a copy unto which we are to conforme our way and walk and this is to destroy their main end which is to make us wise unto Salvation to convert the soul and to hold forth to us the whole counsel of God concerning Faith and Manners 44. In end § 9. Pag 50. He frameth an Objection against his owne doctrine to this purpose If the Scriptures be not our chiefe only and adequate Rule it is no compleet canon and men who pretend to be acted by the Spirit may adde new Scriptures and so incurre the curse denunced against such they may introduce a new Gospel I should rather have framed the Objection thus If his doctrine be true the Scriptures are no Rule or canon at all and we are as much obliged to beleeve and Obey the dreames and dictats of phantastick Quakers as the Scriptures And how absurd this is every one may judge But let us see what he Replieth He granteth that all false Revelations which are contrary to the Scriptures are to be disclamed This is well and therefore we reject with his warrand his Revelations as false But he will deny that his Revelations are false because the Spirit within him which is the Spirit of Truth and the same Spirit that inspired the Prophets and Apostles saith they are true yea they cannot but be true because proceeding from that Spirit that can reveal nothing but truth and thus we are no more secured then we were yea as I said we are obliged to beleeve all that they say and rather to lay aside our Iudgment and all Sense of Scripture truths than once doubt or question the truth of what they deliver Next he saith The doctrine he hath delivered is true and therefore who adduce such consequences accuse Christ and his Apostles This is but a manifest declaration of his Pride
thing which we inferre is manifest viz. the originated sin or the corruption of nature which here David calleth Sin And if this Quaker think that this came from another Original than from Adam let him tell us what it is and not joyn in with the Manichees nor make God the Author and cause of sin if he can 21. Another of our Arguments is from that word of Paul's the wages of sin is death And seing infants die they must have sin as a procuring cause That death was and is a Punishment of sin we cleared above and the Apostle asserteth it here so manifestly calling it the Wages and due Desert that it must argue wonderful impudence in any to question it What sayeth this Quaker He granteth that death is a Consequence of the fall but denyeth that hence we can necessarily inferre iniquity to be in all those that are subject to death That is in plaine termes but the mans modesty dar not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not truth who ever imagined that wages were no more but a Consequent of the workmans labour If Death be the Wages and Reward and just Punishment of sin it can certanely be inflicted by the Righteous Judge of the world upon none but such as are guilty of sin How oft doth the Apostle speak of death as the just Desert and Punishment of sin Rom. 5 12 death entred by sin death passed on all for all had sinned suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie in whom as it doth Marc. 2 vers 4. Luk. 5 vers 25.2 Cor. 5 vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being several times put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 10 15 1â— but did only import the Cause as Socinians would have it it would sufficiently confirme this that death is inflicted because of sin so vers 15. through the offence of one many be dead and this is called vers 16. judgmnt to condemnation and vers 17. by one mans offence or by one offence death reigned And vers 21. sin reigned unto death And then againe Chap. 6 23. for the wages of sin is death So likewise 1 Cor. 15 21.22 by man came death for as in Adam all die He addeth as a reason of his denyal that it might appear he did not contradict the Apostle without reason For sath he all the outward creation suffered detriment and ruine in some respect by Adam's fall and yet the herbes and trees c. are not therefore sinners Ans. Is not this a valide reason wherefore to reject death as a punishment of sin Nay seing the vanity under which the world groaneth because of sin is a punishment to all Mankinde to Infants as well as to Adult persons it is hence manifest that all are guilty of sin that is all mankinde who are capable of sin as trees and herbes are not But yet more he addeth to Confront the Apostle and sayeth death is no wages of sin to the saints but is gaine Phil. 1 v. 21. Answ. Why is death called an enemy and the last enemy 1 Cor. 15 v. 26. wâ—at meaneth that that when corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortal hath put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15 vers 54. Because the Lord by grace through Jesus Christ hath taken the sting of death away and made it a passage to glory unto his owne shall we therefore look upon it in it self as no punishment of sin or as not coming into the world because of sin This will tend as much to prove that Adult persons are not sinful as that Infants have no sin and that a womans paines in child birth or a Mans purchaseing his bread with the sweat of his face c. are no punishments of sin Original or Actual because all these Paines Troubles Afflictions c. worke together for good to such as love God Rom. 8 vers 28. And so the Godly have no Punishments Chastisements Visitations Corrections or the like for sin though the Scripture say so in hundereds of places Here this Quaker joineth with Antinomians 22. He mentioneth another argument which as he thinketh fools only make use of which is this If Infants have no sin they must all be saved Well what replyeth he to this argument We will rather saith he admit this supposed absurdity as a Consequent of our doctrine then say that innumerable Infants perish eternally not for their owne but only for Adams fault But though he should not value such Absurdities notwithstanding he therein run wilder than Papists and joine with Anabaptists and some Pelagians Yet me thinks he should take heed of contradicting his owne doctrine for afterward we will heare of his pleading for Christs dying for all Mankinde And sure if that be true he must say that he died also for Infants and yet here he granteth that they will be all saved without Christ for they have no sin they have no need of a Saviour to save them from their sinnes But how can they be all saved seing they have the Seed of sin â—n them and the Spring of all actual sinnes and that seed of sin which in Scripture is called death and the body of death the old man and the old Adam as he himself speaketh Pag. 62 When Paul speaketh of the body of death Rom. 7 24. he looks upon it as that from which Christ must deliver him How will this Quaker reconcile these things The old man must be put off or we cannot enter into glory and if Infants have the old man how can they enter into glory And beside All in glory must sing the song of the Redeemed and praise him that hath redeemed them by his blood Revel 5 9 10. How can Infants do this who have never been washen from their sinnes in the blood of the lamb as never having had sin And Pag. 55. he told us that none of Adam's posterity had any good in them which he had not from whom they descended Adam then being deprived of his Original Righteousness none of his Posterity no not Infants can lay claim to that Righteousness how I pray can Infants go to heaven who want a righteousness The heaven then which they go to must be a heaven wherein dwelleth no Righteousness and what can this be but some new Limbus But to be more plaine with him It is not enough for him to say he may grant such a Consequence from his doctrine for we must have sure Scripture grounds ere we beleeve that all Infants even of Turks and Heathens shall certanely go to heaven The Scripture giveth more ground of hope of those that are within the Covenant I am sure than of those who are without what thinks he of the Infants of Sodom See Iud. vers 7. and of Coreh and his company not to mention the Infants of the old world And why doth the Scripture call the children of such as are without the church 1 Cor. 7 14. unclean
hard to say That Christ laid down his life a Price a Ransome a Sacrifice an Atonement Propitiation c. to Purchase Procure Merite Grace Glory to make Reconciliation Peace betwixt God such as were already suffering the vengeance of eternal fire to satisfie for their sinnes who were already condemned to the torments of hell fire and yet this must be said by such as assert Universal Redemption Was Christ so prodigal of his blood as to cast it away for such as were irrecoverably gone If it be said that this is no more hard than to say that Christ suffered for such as were already glorified Any may see how vast the difference is for such as were glorified were glorified upon the account of Christ Death which was to be in the time appointed designed by Father Son When one promiseth a summe for redeeming of so many slaves and the summe according to mutual agreement is to be payed at such a day the slaves may be presently relieved in contemplation of the price which is accepted and is to be payed hereafter at the time appointed But when one cometh to lay down Ransome-money he cannot be said to lay it downe for such as are dead that he knoweth to be dead many yeers ago so uncapable of Redemption 41. Further 30. If Christ died for all then he intended to die for all then the Father also intended that he should die for all then he intended that it should be a Redemption for all that thereby all should be Redeemed for to what end else should Christ die redeem if not that such as he died for Redeemed be Redeemed Delivered Or to what other end should God intend that Christ should die for all than to the ends mentioned in Scripture of which we have spoken And how can we say that God did intend the Redemption of all when all are not actually redeemed Are his intentions so fallible and frustrable If it be said that he Intended only a Possible Salvation and not Actual I Ans. The Scripture speaketh no such thing as we have seen And how unsuteable is it to the wisdom of God to send his Son actually to die and bear the curse and only intend thereby a Possible Redemption which might never prove Actual to any one soul If it be said That he Intended an Actual Redemption but Conditionally I Answer Redemption upon a condition is but a Conditional Redemption and that is but a Potential Possible Redemption unlesse you say that the condition is also purchased and then as to God it is an Absolute Redemption and intended as such doth it suite the wisdom of God to intend Redemption to all and not intend also the Condition by which alone it must become Actual and which he alone can work but will not Must we thus ascribe such intentions to God as must hang upon mans will and be subordinate thereunto Or if he see that the Condition will never be performed how can we think that he intendeth any thing upon a Condition that shall never be But enough of this at present 42. Moreover 31. This doctrine of Universal Redemption is derogatory to the solide consolation of the Redeemed and Weakeneth the grounds of their long and therefore it is not to be admitted This Argument is fully and solidely prosecuted and vindicated from what can be allaiged against it by the learned and solide divine Mr Durham in his Comment on the Revelation Pag. 304. and 305. And to him shall I referre the Reader only I shall crave leave to adde this That by our Adversaries grounds the song of the Saved shall not run as it doth Revel 5 9 10. But rather thus We have saved ourselves out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation and have made ourselves unto God Kings and Priests For whereas Christ by his blood redeemed all of every kinred and tongue and people and nation and not some only out of them we ourselves have by our own free good will made a difference betwixt ourselves and the rest and we are no more beholden to Christ for all that we have attained to then the damned in hell are for whom Christ shed his blood as well as for us and to whom he purchased by his blood and death as much as for us as Adversaries say So that I see not how Arminians and Quakers can think to joine in this Song and have any share of this Consolation which is solely founded upon the Redemption of Christ as a peculiar and no common blessing Let them consider it for it concerneth them not a little seing all that come to glory will sing to the honour of their Redeemer upon other grounds as we see then these are which our Adversaries lay down and plead so earnestly for If any say that Christ moreover hath purchased faith to some even to all that are actually saved I Answere As neither the Arminians nor semi Arminians I mean the followers of Camero will say this or grant so much so the granting of it will evert the other Universal Conditional Redemption for the Scripture speaketh but of one kinde of Redemption of one Price laid down of one Covenant betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator and of one Giving unto Christ of Persons to be redeemed Shall we think that Christ would lay down as great a ransome for such as he was not to purchase faith unto as for the rest Shall we think that he would lay down his life in vaine and make no purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase faith he knew he could make no purchase for without faith his death would be of no advantage unto them And where do we read that all were given unto him to redeem Yea are not the given ones clearly distinguished from the rest Ioh. 17 6 9. as we cleared above 43. Againe 32. If the Redemption of Christ be Universal and Conditional it must necessarily follow that Christ laid down his life and the price of his blood as much for Iudas and all the Reprobate as he did for Iohn and all the Elect for the Redemption being conditionally for all it cannot be more for one then for another And yet this cannot be said as appeareth from the reasons formerly adduced This would say that the Fathers and Christs love was equal towards all and that no more was purchased for the one than for the other and that the Elect have no more benefite by Christs death than the Reprobat have and that Christ had no more an eye to Redeem the Elect by his death than to Redeem the Reprobat and was no more a Cautioner for the one than for the other all which and the like cannot but be looked upon as most absurd Shall we think that Christ became sin as well or as much for Iudas as for Peter Shall we think that He redeemed all alike from the curse of the Law
or other in one measure or other by Christ yet it will not follow that all men are enlightened by him Spiritually Supernaturally and Savingly for there is a light of Reason and Conscience Natural which Christ being God giveth and this is not Supernatural spiritual nor saving So there is a Light of the Word which is not so common as is the Light of Nature and of the Natural Conscience which is from Christ also and is different from the Spiritual and Supernatural light And if this light be wholly restricted to Spiritual and Supernatural Light it is not intelligible out of Scripture how this can be said to be bestowed on all and every man but on the contrary the Scripture sheweth that many are not enlightened thus but in darkness and blinded with darkness and so that this Illumination is proper and peculiar to a few if the Scripture be to be beleeved Let us now see what he can make out of this place of Scripture for his purpose 27. He observeth first That the divine Apostle doth call Christ the light of men Ans. The Apostle indeed saith vers 4. That the life was the light of men But the question is what may be the meaning hereof Calvin hereby meaneth that common light of Nature and Reason that is granted to men above beasts whereby they are said not only to live as beasts do and vegetables but to have the light of an understanding And so did Origen Tom. 3. and Cyrillus Lib. 1 Cap. 7. in Ioan. of old and Marlorat and others of late Others I know understand this light of a Spiritual and Supernatural Light But why may we not comprehend both seing all the light of men or whereof men are partakers is from this life whether Natural or Supernatural whether Common or Saving whether the Light of Knowledge of Sanctification and Holiness or of Joy and Consolation whether that which at first was conferred upon man in his Creation or that which afterward is conferred in his Restauration through grace Ioh. 8 12. Ephes. 4 24. Eccles. 11. ult 2 Cor. 4 6. Ioh. 16.22 Rom. 14 17 18. Phil. 5 4 But I know our Quaker will astrick this to a spiritual supernatural and saving light and thereupon inferre that this is common to all But Iesus Christ himself teacheth us otherwayes Ioh. 8 12. saying I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life So that though Christ be the light of the world yet every one hath not the light of life but they only who follow him by faith all others walk in darkness and are void of this light of life So Iohn 12 46. I am come a light into the world that whosoever beleeveth on me should not abide in darkness Whence we see that though Christ be come a light in the world yet all are not actually savingly enlightened but many are in darkness and abide in darkness even all that beleeve not on him Hence though light be come into the world yet men love darkness better Ioh. 3 19. yea hate the light verse 20. And howbeit Christ be the light yet none become children of the light but by beleeving in him Ioh. 12 36. and all are not children of light Ephes. 5 8 14. 1 Thes. 5 5. 28. He observeth next That this light shineth in darkness though the darkness doth not comprehend it Ans. True Iohn saith so vers 5. the meaning whereof Calvin giveth to be this That when man did generat into a state of darkness the light of his understanding was not wholly extinct but there remained some sparkles of the old light in which he was created in the midst of the masse of darkness which sin caused which might have discovered a Deity but such was the power of darkness that the minde of man was rather filled with vanity and enmity against God than did perceive this great Author and Donor and so was driven further away from God by sin and superstition But I shall gratifie the Quaker so far as to acknowledge that more is here comprehended than a meer shineing by the Light Law of Nature even the shineing of the light of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Mediator which in all ages since the fall hath in some measure been declared unto a dead darkened people who for the most part did not perceive nor lay hold upon this light Christ was pleased to reveal himself by degrees and piece-meals Heb. 1 1. more darkly in the first promise of the Seed of the woman that should tread the head of the Serpent somewhat againe more clearly under the Law and now most clearly under the Gospel when the day spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luk. 1 78 79. But all that light which was left in man after the fall being but darkness in comparison with what once it was was not able to discerne and perceive nor willing to imbrace this light without supervenient Divine Spiritual light and grace Hence the people of Israel could not improve all the manifestations of this light which they had for God had not given unto them an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear Deut. 29 3 4 And still it holdeth true that the natural man perceiveth not the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God Rom 8 7. for darkness cannot comprehend this light 29. In the third place he observeth that this true light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world Of which we have said enough before As for what he addeth that all will admit of no exclusion we said enough Chap. VIII and as to spiritual Illumination the text it self enforceth a restriction when it tels that darkness did not comprehend this light vers 5 and that the world knew not this light vers 10. and that his owne received him not But he saith This light shineth even in their hearts who comprehend him not and dispelleth darkness where men close not their eyes But in this the Man bewrayeth his ignorance of the nature of spiritual Illumination which so dispelleth darkness and so shineth into the soul as that it giveth a spiritual visive faculty or so enlighteneth the Understanding as that the man cannot but see when the eyes of the understanding are enlightened they cannot but see what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. Ephes. 1 8. Christ is given for a light to open the blinde eyes Esa. 42 6 7. when God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shineth into our hearts he giveth the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4 6. so that with open face they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and
Chapter Answ. This Argument is fit for a Quaker and for a desperat cause but a wise man will laugh at it But saith he There should be concord betwixt light and darkness and betwixt righteousness unrighteousness if men were said to be in Christ by an imputative righteousness without them while they are actually unjust Ans. He knoweth that though we say persons are justified only by a righteousness imputed whereby they are declared to be really righteous in the sight of God accepted of as such Yet we say with all that the same persoâ—s are really sanctified that sanctification is inseparably joyned with Justification And so the discord is in his owne imagination But he loveth to drink in Bellarmines muddy waters He saith that Christ would never in all his sermons have people resting upon such a righteousness but did alwayes recommend to them good works as instruments of Iustification Ans. This is a notorious untruth See Ioh. 6 29. 9 35 36. 10 38. 12 36. 14 1. 16 9. Nor do we regard his saying that to his observation there is no mention of the imputed righteousness of Christ in the Scriptures For his observation is small and of little worth But were he as much acquanted with the Scriptures as he is with Popish writers and Quakers vanities he would be in case to speak otherwayes However we know this is Bellarm argument de Iustif. lib. 2. c 7. And Protestants have abundantly confuted it pointing him to Rom. 4 5 6 11. 5 18 19. 2 Cor. 5 19 21. Rom. 3 23 24 25 27 28. Ier. 23 6. 1 Cor. 1 30. 24. His second proposition followeth Pag. 135. which is this That by this inward birth or Christ formed within we are formally justified That is in Bellarmines words That Inherent righteousness is the formal cause of our Iustification Let us heare what way our Quaker proveth this He adduceth 1 Cor 6 11. which is Bellarm. 3. Argument But what saith he of this place Iustification here saith he must be understood of making really just And if by really just he mean inherently just as he must or speak non-sense I enquire why so Otherwise saith he washing and Sanctification must be also understood imputatively What necessity is there for this for saith he in the foregoing verses the Apostle was shewing how no unrighteous person shall inherite the Kingdom of God Very good what then And here he subsumeth saying such were some of you c. And what then And because they were now washen and sanctified therefore they were also justified Though this may be true in one sense to wit that their sanctification and washing was a proof and evidence that they were justified because all justified persons are also sanctified and washen Yet it is not true in the Quakers sense to wit that by their Sanctification they were justified that is really made inherently just and thereupon justified And where findeth he his because and therefore in the text He proceedeth for if this justification were not real And who saith that it is imaginary or a fictitious thing He should have said if this justification were not a making inherently holy then it might be said that the Corinthians not having left their evil courses but abideing in them were justified Ans. This consequence is false and hath no appearance of truth in it we say with him that there was a real change upon the Corinthians and that their faith was not a meer fruitless assent but this real change was in Sanctification and not in Justification 25. He tels us next very gravely that he could never read or see nor with any colour of reason conceive what could evince justification to be here taken imputatively And what wonder seing no man ever spoke of a justification here taken imputatively As if there were two justifications one real another imputative will he name the man that speaketh so But if his meaning be that he never read nor saw nor could conceive what could evince Justification to be taken here in the orthodox sense We cannot help it for when men put out their own eyes or give up themselves to the Devil that he may do it what remedy Justification with we being alwayes at least most rarely otherwise in Scripture taken in a farensical sense And though it were granted that here and some where else it did import the same that sanctification doth yet this man could not hence prove that the word Iustification did never signifie another thing seing one and the same word may signify various things in Scripture nor could he hence prove that this was the proper import of the word seing the Apostle is not here defineing the nature of Justification but shewing what a change was made upon them both a real and relative 26. But as a learned grammarian he tels us that the word Iustificare is either derived from the substantive Iustitia or from the adjective Iustus and both these are used to signify truely really not suppositively that vertue of the soul which is expressed by the word Iustitia Yea the adjective Iustus signifieth a man in whom that vertue is for not only is it a great impropriety but a lie to call a man just who is suppositivly and not really such And Iustisico formed from Iustitia signifieth him who is made just seing it is but a composition of the verb Facio and of the adjective Iustus and so Iustifico is Iustum facio I make just and Iustificatus is justus facius made just â—o all which I Ans. 1. If this man would have given us a seasonable taste of his gammatical pulp he should have showne us that the Hebrew and Greek words which are rendered in the latine by Iustifico and Iustificatus have this import that he would prove the latine words to have for whatever he may think with Bellarmine who hath helped him here of the latine vulgar version as it is called we do not account it authentick So that though all that he hath said were true it would prove nothing but that these latine words were not fit enough to expresse the Hebrew and Greek words by 2. But he must know that use is the master of words and that they goe not alwayes by the rules of etymology and he cannot but know that Iustifico and Iustificatus do usually import a judicial or juridical absolution by the sentence of a judge from what was laid to the charge of the impanelled as they do also signify in our owne language When do we say that a man is justified by infused justice Or let him tell me when or in what sentences we use these words when we would signifie thereby infusion of righteousness or making just Let him consider these passages of Scripture see how his sense will agree Exod. 23 7 Deut 25 1 2. 2 Sam. 15 4. 1 King 8 3â— Psal. 82 3. Esai 5 22. 50 8. Luk. 7 29. 10 29.
this mans doctrine who seemeth to be one of the most sober among them all have we found any thing hithertil but Pelagianisme Secinianisme Arminianisme Enthusiasme Antiscripturisme Yea and Paganisme c have we seen any thing that doth not directly enough tend to overthrow the whole Gospel And what further we are to hear a little patience will help us to see He talks that they teach no new doctrine But doctrine more diametrically opposite yea contradictory to the whole Gospel of the grace of God a man shall finde no where else in such an heape So that albeit they should pretend to Miracles as they do to Immediat Revelations of the Spirit of God should do somethings more then ordinary like wonders I should account them but lying wonders their coming to be after the working of Satan according to 2 Thes. 2 3. Yea though an angel from heaven should come to head them and preach the doctrine which they preach I should remember that word of Paul's Gal. 1 vers 8 9. And therefore must account these Quakers no more Christians but an Antichristian Antievangelick brood of men acted and led by an evil Spirit designing the destruction of the Gospel and the setting up of Paganisme What he saith § 13. about the Independants and their gifted Brethren is not worth the noticeing for as to the matter he referreth us to what he had said before upon the Scriptures and we have eâ—amined Chap. IV. Only I would enquire If as he saith no man can know by the Scriptures that he in particular is called to be a Minister and therefore must recurre to an Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit he must also say that no man can know that another is a Minister but by the Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit and therefore he cannot be offended at us that we do not beleeve that he and the rest of the Quakers are sent of God because we have no Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit concerning this and we are confident never shall have from the Spirit of God And though the Scriptures do not particularly and expresly tell us that Robert Barclay is a false Teacher and ought to be shuned as a false Teacher it saith that which is enough to us concerning him and his complices when it saith that all that bring another Gospel are to be accounted accursed and the whole Scripture that pointeth forth and declareth the Truth and condemneth their Errours as we have seen and shall see is as good to us as an Immediat Testimony saying the Quakers and particularly Robert Barclay are deceivers yea better more sure for some men can take the dreams of their owne head the impressions of Satan upon their phantasie for immediat testimonies of the Spirit of God but enough of this above Chap. III. 15. But he hath something Pag. 190. § 14. that would seem to answere that question we just now proposed for after hee hath againe nakedly told us that this extraordinary call for he nameth it so here is as well necessary when the Church is setled as when it is under a general Apostacy he saith that such as are thus called are made manifest in the mindes of their brethren and their call is verified in them who by the sensation of that life and virtue that floweth out by them are dâ—yly edified in their most holy faith and become the signes of their Apostleshipe according to 2 Cor. 13 v. 3. Ans. 1. But as yet there is no Inward Testimony of the Spirit directly saying that such men are truely called and without this in his judgment they cannot be said to be taught and led of the Spirit nor can they beleeve without this 2. Is this manifestation alwayes at every discourse or sometimes only Is it upon all their hearts or upon some only It may be there lyeth an answere in these words their brethren But the signes of the Apostleshipe of Paul were among strangers whom he converted and brought in to the faith And if this manifestation be alwayes and upon all present he layeth down a ground to question Christs Apostleshipe and Call for his preaching had not alwayes this effect as is notoure Nor Pauls and Barnabas theirs among the Jewes as the book of the Acts sheweth and 2 Thes. 2. Nay let that word be considered 2 Cor. 2 15 16. for we are unto God a sweet savour in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life And that Esai 49 4. Then said I I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God and that Esai 53 Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed if he think it enough that this manifestation be made sometimes upon the the mindes of some Alas Poor man thinks he that there are none of all the servants of Christ who dar not be so bold as he is to pretend a Divine Immediat Call through an Extraordinary and Immediat Revelation that can say the same and that upon a more just account As for his brethren they are under the same delusion with their Teachers and the sensation they have of life and vertue is but the sensation of the workings of delusion and no edification or building up in the holy faith but in opposition to that faith which was once delivered to the saints as is manifest to all that heare them and read their books and as this book which is now under examination hath made more manifest to me than all that ever I heard or read of them before 15. He addeth This is that which giveth the true and substantial call and title unto the Minister whereby he is a real successour of the vertue and power that was in the Apostles Ans. 1. Then the extraordinary call was no true and substantial call or title Then Ezechiel who was sent to a rebellious house that would not heare had no true and substantial call nor Moses when he was sent unto Pharaoh 2. They who are a savour of death unto death to some may yet for all that be successours to the Apostles 3. But I see what this man would be at The Quaker-Preachers though as we have manifested above nothing in truth but Pagan preachers must be the only successours of the Apostles and Possessours of the power and vertue that was in them What more Such Ministers stand not in need of the ceremony of Ordination and Imposition of hands Ans. Why then were hands laid upon Paul Barnabas Act. 13 3. And why had Timothy the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4 14. If such made use of this ceremony shall any Minister now a dayes think it below him to do the like But sayes he Our adversaries
science wherein I know none more expert and skilled than are our Quakers He may read Calvin on the place if he will And for a close to this How great a prejudice so ever he hath against Philosophy yet in the primitive times Christians who had been Philosophers was not by their Philosophy less fitted but more to defend the truth against heathen Philosophers as Iustin Martyr against Valentinus Tertullian against Marcion Origen against Celsus Chrysostome against Libanius and Prudentius against Symmachus 10. The last part of humane literature which he inveigheth against is that which is called Scholastical Theology by which I suppose he meaneth that only which now commonly goeth under that name as distinct from Polemick divinity handling controversies debated betwixt the orthodox and heretical or erroneous persons such as Pelagians Socinians Arminians Anabaptists Antinomians Quakers and the rest And as to it I shall say no more than I have said Chap. 1. § 12. and suffer him to go on in his ranting Only I must take notice of some expressions which he hath here and there in this discourse Though I cannot understand how Origen should be among the first who by this art gave himself to interpret Scriptures nor how hereby Arius fell into his errour seing this Theology is commonly commenced from Peter Lombard yet I am glade to hear him Pag. 201. calling that heresie of Arius who denyed the Son to be equal with the Father in power and glory and of the same essence horride for many of his Brethren the Quakers either doubt of or directly deny the Trinity Yea Mr Clapham in his book against the Quakers Sect. 3. tels us they call this doctrine a lie and citeth for it Saul's errand to Damascus p. 12. and the sword of the Lord drawn p. 4. And in this if he thinketh as he speaketh I would know how he will reconcile himself unto them but it may be he taketh Father Son and holy Ghost for one Person as well as for one essence as some other Quakers do He speaketh like a Quaker that is calumniously when he saith § 22. that this knowledge is accounted a necessary qualification for a Minister when the pure teaching of the Spirit of truth is contemned He may speak thus if he thinketh good against his old friends the Iesuites for we are for the teaching of the Spirit and preferre it to all other whatsomever but we are for the teaching of the Spirit in the way he hath appointed that is by waiting upon him in his ordinances meditating on his word and useing all other lawful meanes to come to the right understanding of his meaning in his word especially prayer But we dar not with this deluded bold generation tempt the Lord by looking for immediat Revelations and laying aside all Meanes and Ordinances in coming to the saving knowledge of his Name as revealed in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. We account it also a calumny for him to say ibid. that he who is to be a Minister must lairne the airt of playing a hookster in the word because we say he must attend unto reading of what is written for the understanding of Scripture And whereas he thinketh the Devil could make as good a sermon as the most learned I only demand and may he not also make as good a discourse without book as they do I fear he hath too great a hand in all their discourses and scriblings too 11. What he saith Pag. 202. § 23. is but a groundless commendation of their way and of themselves as the only men raised up of God to be witnesses foâ— him If they have shaken the foundations of Babylon as he saith how cometh it that Babylon and they are so well agreed and that in principal matters as 1. In vilifying the Ministers of Christ and calling them deceivers 2. Denying our Churches to be true Churches 3. In calling the Scriptures but a dead letter 4. In denying it to be the judge of controversies 5. In refuseing to have all Spirits tryed by the written word 6. In crying up the sufficiency of a common light within 7. In maintaining Free will 8. Perfection 9. Apostasie of the Saints 10. Justification by inherent holiness 11. In confounding Justification and Sanctification 12. In mocking at the â—mputed righteousness of Christ. 13. In placeing holiness in outward observations of their owne deviseing 14. In Pretending so much to Revelations Visions Raptures c. 15. In pretending to Infallibility As for the Increase of their number whereof he boasteth it is a clear verification of that 2 Thes. 2 9 10 11 12. whoâ—e coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders with all deceivablenes of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Wâ—at he talketh further of his owne experience of the power of their discourses is but a further demonstration of what we said to wit of his being given up to strong delusion as this volumne of his putteth beyond all question with such as believe the Scriptures And for a recompense of his exhortation to us in the close I shall also obtest him in the Lord to consider his wayes over againe and search after the procuring cause of this dreadful judgment of the Lord 's giving him to up to those delusions that he may repent and be saved for what high thoughts soever he may now have of that way he will finde his delusion in end either here which I shall wish or when it shall be too late which the Lord prevent in mercy CHAP. XIX Of the Ministerial Office 1. WHen our Quaker beginneth to speak of this matter Pag 203. § 24. he followeth his usual manner of crying up themselves and loading all their Opposites with what expressions of disrespect and contempt he thinketh meet We are the men with him as the orthodox were of old with the Swenkfeldians Familists and Antinomians who alwayes adhere to Externals following our External Rule and Methods devised by our carnal and humane Wisdom because we follow and desire to cleave unto the Rules and Methods and all the Orders prescribed by Christ to be observed in his owne House And upon the other hand They are the men who follow the wayes of the Spirit and his immediat Help and Influence and he leadeth them as he saith in such an Order and Methode as becometh the Church of God though this order and methode of theirs wherein they suppose the Spirit leadeth them be no prescribed Order in the word but the meer Invention of their owne fantastick â—raine blasphemously Fathered upon the Immediat Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God for we know no ground to imagine that the true Spirit of God will lead
their practice no way justified for though some titles of honour were not to be approven as what Protestant will allow of that given to the Pope Yet it could not be hence inferred that no titles were to be given there may be a mid way betwixt two extremes And though no titles were to be given to any to testifie our respect to and esteem for persons of eminency whether as to Power and Authority or as to gifts and partes Yet this could make nothing for their blunt and rustick thou and thee He addeth some Reasons as 1. These titles are no part of that obedience which we owe to Magistrates nor is any thing thereby added to that subjection which consisteth in obedience to their lawful commands Answ. Though it be no part of obedience to use titles Yet it may be a part of that Honour and Respect which is due unto them And the fift command sayes honour thy Father and thy Mother and certainly it is no signe of honour to Magistrates and great Personages to speak to them no otherwayes then we would do to our footboyes as the Quakers do 2. Sayes he We finde not such titles in the Scripture either under the Law or under the Gospel but when Princes or Nobles Kings were spoke to this simple compellation was used O King or with the addition of the name of the Person as King Agrippa Answ. 1. We have seen other titles of honour and respect above as My Lord O King and this our Quakers will not give to the highest nor doth this man in all his Epistle dedicatory to the King prefixed to his Apology say so much as once O King or my Lord O King only he giveth him thee and thou as he would give his owne servant 2. These compellations according to the then custome were the highest and only given to Kings and inferiour Persons had their owne peculiar titles and as no man did then scruple to give high persons titles or stiles due to their places according to the received custome of the time and place why should these scruple now and not only refuse to give them such titles as are now usual but refuse to give them any at all or to put any difference betwixt them and the poorest beggar that sitteth on the dung hill This evinceth that though they pretend want of Scripture warrant Yet there is some other thing which is the real cause 7. His. 3. Reason is This layeth a necessity on Christians to lie in giving the titles of Grace and Eminency c. to such as have nothing worthy of these or answering them Answ. Under favour of his Thouship he mistaketh the ground of these titles supposing that they are given because of personal corresponding enduements while as they are only given because of that Place and Power which they in the providence of God are in possession of But neither can this pretext be a real ground of their practice for they will not give any titles to their own brethren the Quakers in whom they dar not deny but Christ is and liveth Yea and the whole Trinity which when I think upon I wonder they do not fall down and worshipe one another seing they acknowledge that Christ and the Trinity is in every Quaker But I remember what was said to be done to I. Naylor at Bristoll it may be they shall do so to one another ere long and would have done so ere now if fear had not hindered it And what meaneth their gazeing one upon another a considerable time when they first meet This would look like some sort of worshipe If not it is like the reason is that and thus can only their practice be reconciled with their principles their God and their Christ and their Trinity which they say is in every man dormant but living the light having gote room and enlargment in the Quakers is not the true and living God but a God of their owne making and imagination and this I beleeve to be true His 4. Reason toucheth the Pope and his clergy And there we reject both place and title His 5. Reason is against the Title of majesty given to Kings which he saith is especially and peculiarly given to God in the Scriptures and not to men But he is here also mistaken for though it be spoken of God 1 Chron. 29 11. Yet vers 25. which his Concordance might have pointed him to it is said that the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the fight of all Israel and bestowed upon him royal majesty And Psal. 21 5. another of the places cited by him it is not given to God but by God to the King And Psal. 29 4. another of his citations it is attributed to the thunder What meaneth this man thus to cite Scriptures at randome without once considering what he is doing He addeth that Proud Nebuchadnezzar took this title to himself Dan. 4 30. and was shortly therefore rebuked Answ. Why did he not look also vers 36. where excellent majesty was added unto him after his restauration And why did he not look to Dan. 5 18. where Daniel saith that the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar a Kingdom and majesty and glory and honour And againe vers 19. for the majesty that he gave him c His Concordance could have helped him here to have corrected his owne mistake but his light was asleep 8. He addeth a 5. Reason Pag. 339. all these titles are to be rejected because we are to seek the honour which is from God and not that which is from below Answ. We are not pleading for ambitious seeking of honour from men more then the praise of God and upon this account the rejecting of Christ and the profession of his name for fear of missing thereby the honour applause and esteem of men This is not it we plead for and this is it which Christ condemned Ioh. 5 44. 12 43. But we are pleading for giving honour to whom honour is due What he speaketh of artes and wiles used to obtaine these honours maketh nothing to the purpose for this is not the ground of their practice else they should give honour to some For it is hard to say that all use such indirect courses as he seemeth to be acquanted with What he saith of honouring the just and holy ones is against himself for they will not honour one another at least not in a way that we can understand If they honour one another inwardly without these outward significations what know they but we do so to the poor who are righteous and holy If he think that we should according to our principles give titles of honour to the poor who are godly He is mistaken for our principles are not that these outward titles are given to any upon the account of their personal enduements but because of their Station Place and Authority Yet we say that honour is to be given to all and due and competent significations of
of his righteousnesse that so the shame of our nakednesse may not appeare to put on I know not what something common to us with heathens who never heard of Christ a Iapan gown and place ourselves when we have done in the expectation of the Turkes Paradise or of none When Satan in pursueance of his project having gotten possession of this poor vainling and swelled him with the conceit of that felicitie of understanding whereof he boasts in his Vniversal love But more truely a plain discoverie of an Vniversal hatred to the Gospel of the Grace of God he puts him on having puffed him up to publish to the world what he had poisoned the poor creatures spirit with thereby to leaven the spirits of men with this hell-hatched heresie And now this parturient mountain having with a great stridor and Nayloristick noise to the end he may be heard in all Europe peched out this Pagan mouse Reader there is no jest here Alas there is no matter of jest when the Devil is in so nettle earnest to destroy all and makes use of this poor creature for that end I onely make use of a known Proverb commonly made use of in the like case he thinks by the felicitie of his ingine he is able so to pourtrey and paint this Pagan birth as to make poor simple and shallow us short of his searching and soaring wit believe it is an Angel and he endeavours to cloth this brat of his own deluded brain in such a buske as will make every one who sees its face fond of it and fall in love with its beautie But he is mistaken for so long as the light of this glorious Gospel doth shine amongst us every one that is led by that true light will perceive by the face feature and foaming of this brate he hath brought forth that it is hell-borne and that it is a Demon incubus who hath begotten it to which the Pagan Parent hath prostitute his darkened understanding Nay I suppose and not without ground that if the Devil who drave the Author on and was at the dictating of these dreames had his Doctors Dictats againe in his hand he would bury or burne them ere he subjected them to such an Examen whereby the Authors Hell-Craft or to please the Naylorist in speaking in their own dialect witchcraft is so manifestly detected as Satan who set him on missed his marke in driveing his deluded Trustee to belch forth what was so blake as now after the discoverie made by this Examen it passeth the power of his blake art to give it any colour besids his own who is its true Father Moreover I doubt not to say if the Author of these Theses and Apologie be not brought to see and acknowledge the blakenesse and abominablnesse of his Errors by the shineing light and sharpenesse of this Examen it is not because there is not a sufficiency of Scripture light in what is by the judicious Author adduced but because Satan hath engaged the Author of that Apologie in an opposition to the truth beyond a retreat and then what might otherwise prove a remedie must fret the disease and fire him into a heat of hellish indignation to see his desperat designe so far defeat as the light which he intended to darken and extinguish shines more brightlie after the smoake of the pit which came out of his mouth is blown away and the truth in its radiant beautie and brightnesse is the more cleared up that he essayed to overcloud it But that I may not exceed the length and limits of a Postscript let me desire these things of every Professor of the name of Christ shortly First seriously to peruse and ponder this Examen for thy own establishment in the truth But more particularly since the arrogant here answered did addresse himself to Clergiemen as he calls them and students let me beseech and obtest both Ministers and Students of Divinitie to a serious perusal and pondering of this piece not onely as the most full cleare and satisfying confutation of the hell-blake abominations of that prating and perverse gang of enemies to Christ that hath siâ—e the dismal appearance of that prodigious partie come from any pen for though I do not designe to derogat from the due praise of those worthy servants of Christ who have stood up for truth and withstood these blasphemers of Christ for which their name shall be favourie and their praise in the Church yet none of them had a compleat systeme of all their wicked dreames to answer till the Author of these Thesis and Apologie undertook to give it us and now it is answered But also because the partie here dealt with having first swallowed down and then vomit up what ever is mortal to the immortal soul amongst other Adversaries to Christ beside these dottages peculiar to themselves here thou hast a most learned and elaborat refutation of all these now grosse and grassant errors whereby the souls of men are in hazard to be murthered and the truth corrupted by these perverters of the Gospel of Christ such as Arminianisme and Socinianisme c. And I am sure by the diligent perusal of what is here brought to thy hand and the blessing of God upon thy pains thou maiest not onely be singularly edified established and built up in the most holy faith but put in case to speake with all the enemies of the Grace of God in the gate and if this may excite thee I professe that by the reading hereof I have found my self confirmed in the truth and much established in that doctrine which is according to godlinesse And forget not to blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to his Church in preserving beyond expectation the Authors life and for enabling him and holding his hand as in all the several encounters he hath had with the Adversaries to the truth so in a remarkable manner and measure in this rancountre with the Naylorists Goliah he hath been helped to disâ—over these depths of Satan which are in their doctrine so that this Naylorist may well hereafter sprawl spurne but a solid reply is beyond the felicitie of his understanding And every on will judge he hath but little reason to boast of that felicitie if he be so unhappily dull as not to understand this But if he intend a reply he had better cause some bold bawler undertake it and instead of all other refutation tell the learned and judicious Author that he is in the Imagination and Witchcraft and this will be the short cut And if he will take my advice he will finde it the saifest course onely let him remember that this course will be a confession in obliquo that Goliah's head is cut off and now the whole host of these uncircumcised Philistims must flee from the face and force of a little Presbyterian David But to such as are not able to follow fathom the Authors reach or have not so much time as
denomination to a more adequate distinguishing title we must with his favour use the old though he should think that we used it only ironically If he say that his meaning is That all those who ironically in his judgment are called by others Quakers should go under that distinguishing character title which he assumeth to himself so be discriminated from all other persons of the Christian world by the Name Stile of The Servants of the Lord God Then indeed beside that his latine conjunction et will not well admit of that construction or sense we must of necessity cast away our Bibles as no more to be regairded than the Turks Alcoran which it is like they would gladly have us do before we be induced to owne them as such 7. His Salutation being a wish of sincere repentance unto the acknowledgment of the truth is good in it self but what his perverse meaning is cannot be hid and I shall not here anticipate a clear full manifestation of the perversness of his meaning our following discourse will abundantly discover that Only I adde that I think all true Christians should repay him his Associats with a full measure of the like kinde shaken together pressed downe runing over If it can stand with the unchangable purpose of God 8. Having thus described himself the party for whom he appeareth to prevent our mistake in the next place he bespeaketh those he directeth his Theses unto and first he would perswade them that his following propositions being read viewed in the fear of God will discover simple naked plaine truth But though he both in his Theses in his large Book holdeth forth his meaning more plainely nakedly than heretofore others of his perswasion have doneê° so far as I could observe in which I must needs commend him yet I dar not say that he is in all things so clear distinct as I could have wished as I shall have occasion to note hereafter And whereas he thinketh that such as read view his Theses in the fear of God will observe simple naked plaine truth I must needs judge him to be in a mistake to speak thus through the blindness of prejudice for after all the reading pondering of them that I can make and I hope in the fear of God I cannot come to that light or perswasion for I finde them to be a Farrago of errours old late patch'd up in a bundle sometimes set off with dark enigmatick expressions which can no way suite plaine simple naked truth 9. Secondly he goeth on inveigheth in a subdolous manner against all humane learning that hath been any way made use of in Theology not spareing even usefull Commentaries written upon the Scriptures complaining that the whole of the worthy labours of pious orthodox writers hath but darkned the Truth an hundered fold more than it was in itself I will be loath so far to contradict him as to say that through the corruption of man Satan improving the abilities of some to his own wicked ends there is nothing of this too true for as in all ages so never more than in this present Satan's wicked designes have been are carried on by the writings of men of corrupt mindes darkening the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ perverting the Tâ—uth as it is in Jesus Yet I must needs say that though his single sheet of Theses beareth no great bulk it hath in its designe contributed nevertheless no small assistance unto the corrupting darkning of the Saving truth of God yea I may saifly say more than any or many of the volumes at which he carpeth Nay I doubt if more errour pernicious in it self dangerous to souls shall be found amongst the heterodox writers themselves couched up in lesser yea or in so little bounds as is his single sheet of Theses than is to be found here It is usual with this sort of men as it was with their forefathers or fore runners to cry downe learning books Iohn Matthize at Munster after a revelation from heaven as he pretended commanded all books to be brunt except the bible I nothing doubt but that had been commanded to be burnt with the first if he had not seen how odious that would have made him how it had crossed his corrupt designes And they ordinarily cry out against Learning Schools of learning what they intend hereby is so obviously notour that it cannot be hid for if all books were once destroyed all learning once banished away how easily might they prevail with their errours lead captive silly people with their faire flourishes of glorious-like expressions make faire way unto their dreames pretended Revelations to their setting up their Diana the Light within their Scripture all But they know that the learned judicious having read of the Pranks Pretensions of men of their stamp in former ages of the heterodoxies of men corrupt as to the faith of their grounds in all former ages will soon be in case to detect their pernicious errours deceits now againe revived brought up from the bottemless pit discover their abominations which by all meanes possible they would carefully prevent I should judge it superfluous unnecessary upon this occasion to digresse shew the usefulness necessity of learning of books writen for our help to understand the truth the minde of God revealed in his word whether by particular Treatises writen on particular practical subjects or by more general Treatises clearing up the whole body of divinity or by Commentaries on one or moe particular places or books of holy Scripture seing the labours of the worthy painful servants of Christ in this kinde speak sufficiently for themselves 10. He complaineth moreover that the world is overburthened with books wherein I acknowledge he speaks not far amisse But I would faine know why he his party contribute their assistance to the making of this burthen heavier It is sufficiently known how busie they are in scribling troubling the world with their Pamphlets and though his sheet of Theses did not adde much weight unto the oppressing burthen of books under which he said the world was groaning yet his Apology consisting of moe than fiftie sheet in a large quarto addeth some considerable weight 11. He inveigheth also against disputes debates or books written of that nature calling them altercations thus would condemne all the useful works of the faithful vindicators of Truth against hereticks other erroneous persons among the rest all that have been written against Papists Pelagians Arminians others of whose dregs he hath made a mass framed it into fifteen Piles to be swallowed by such as love death that they may the more easily goe over hath painfully laboured to guild them over with his voluminous Apology But I
as this man putteth beyond all debate in his writings and others clearly demonstrate by their books containing such positions as overturn and destroy the Gospel Mr Norton teacher of the Church at Boston in New England being appointed to write against the Quakers by order of the General Court tels us in his Tractat printed A. 1660. Pag. 6.7 c. that the Quakers deny that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct Persons that Christ is God and Man in one Person that Christ is a distinct person from the person of the Father that Christ is a distinct person from any of His Members And so their Christ doth unchrist Christ. He tels us moreover that they deny the Scriptures or written word to be the Rule of life and that they make the light within them and the Spirit without the Scriptures to be their guide that they owne none as lawful magistrats who are not of their way that they assert an infallible light within them above the trial of the Scriptures that they will not acknowledge that they sinne but professe perfection of degrees in his life Mr Stalham in his Epistle to the Reader prefixed to his Reviler rebuiked sheweth us that they make nothing of the historical letter of Christ's Death Resurrection c. but turne all into allegories And that they are with H. N. in his joyful message of the Kingdom Pag. 170. ready to call these things meer lies which the Scripture-learned through the knowledge which they get out of the Scriptures bring-in institute preach teach As also how they joine with Iacob Behme who slighted the imputed righteousness from without and magnified the little spark within whereby the Father draweth them all to Christ and teacheth all within them and say further that in Adam stood the Covenant of grace that there is no certaine Ordination from eternity upon any soul particularly which is yet to be borne but only a common universal foreseeing of grace He sheweth us also how Will. Erbury in his Call to the Churches Pag. 4. said what Gospel or glade tideings is it to tell the world that none shall be saved but the elect and believers and that the Gospel which Christ taught was but in part that which was proper only to the Iewish Church not that to be preached to the world And moreover Pag. 6. he telleth us that he said the Gospel which the Apostles preached to the world was not that which they wrote to the Churches nor yet what they read in the Scriptures of the Prophets but the Gospel was a mystery which in the light of God they could manifest to men and make all men see themselves in God that 's in Christ. And Pag. 9. that God is in our flesh as in Christ's for the mystery of faith was more than men imagine and it may be more than Paul wrote to the Romans and Churches of Galatia And Pag. 37. that Christ's coming againe promised Act. 1 11. was nothing but his coming in Spirit and power in the Saints and in their flesh when they are most confused and dark Further the same Mr Stalham in the book cited sheweth how they contradict Scriptures in several points as concerning Scriptures Trinity the Light within the Law Sin Iustification Regeneration Sanctification and its Perfection Christian warfare Repentance Meanes of grace Baptisme Lord's Supper Prayer Singing Elders and Ordination Ministers maintainance Immediat calling Immediat teaching Civil honour Swearing unto which might be added several things brought out of their writings by Mr Hicks beside what we shall have occasion to remark in this Author with whom we now deal By all which we may conjecture what a Gospel this is which they teach even another than we have in the Scriptures and than that which the Apostle taught And what welcome such as come with another Gospel were their credentials angelical unto which these men are strangers should have Paul hath taught us Gal. 1 8 9. as was mentioned above which is a sufficient warning for all that fear God to beware of these men 20. This man hath an high and mighty conceit of his Theses calling them though short yet ponderous and saying that they comprehend many things and denote the true original of knowledge of that knowledge which leadeth to life eternal And I do indeed conceive that they containe much though I dar not say the whole of the marrow of that Gospel whereof he is a dispensator we may look upon ourselves therefore as called more narrowly to consider and examine them If the matter contained in them were good I should not quarrel at their brevity but I see what they want in length the Apology hath Ponderous he calleth them but we know wet sand though of smal value is more ponderous than what is more worth and indeed so ponderous are they that they will sinke the poor soul that embraceth them without any other super added weight into the bottomless pit His saying that they pointe forth the true original of saving knowledg will never perswade me that they do so How defective they are as to this we may shew in the next Chapter Nay rather I dar say that they discover the true original of that science falsly so called which leadeth to the bottomless pit and this I hope to make appeare ere all be done 21. He tels us that he beareth witness to this truth in this his work But he must hold us excused to seek for a more sure ground to our faith and perswasion than his bare testimony especially when he speaketh not only not consonant to Scripture but so manifestly contrary thereto Indeed if we were called to rest upon his and his co-partners bare testimony all further dispute were at an end and we might cast our bibles at our heels and learn all our divinity at their mouth or at the light with in us rest thereupon notwithstanding it contradict sound reason and experience let be Scripture But through grace we have not yeâ— drunk-in that principle and therefore must stand upon our old bottome and go to the Law and to the Testimony 22. In fine he tels us that he leaveth this his testimony unto the light of Christ illuminating every one of our consciences which words may have a double sense as expressed in his latine and either import that he leaveth this his testimony as a confirmation of that light of Christ which illuminateth every man and if this be his meaning the preaching up of this light must be the whole of his Gospel worâ— and the whole Intent and designe of his writting and publishing these Theses yea if so these Propositions of his must serve for no other end but to confirme the truth and reality of this light of Christ But then I think They or He by them should have given us some clear discovery and explication of the nature of that light of Christ which is as he saith within every man which I finde
that every individual soul before they could savingly beleeve and understand the Truth of God behoved of necessity to have the same as Immediatly Inwardly and Extraordinarily revealed to themselves as it was to the Prophets and thus every man was to be an immediatly inspired Prophet to himself and what need was there then of immediatly Inspired Prophets singularly pitched upon and raised up for the use and benefite of others 4. This being plaine a sure basis whereupon we may stand and such a cleare stateing of the Question betwixt us and the Quakers that none needeth be ignorant of the true difference betwixt us and them we may very shortly dispatch this Man and his Doctrine which for the most part as we shall see runeth upon this Confusion and Mistake for thus he beginneth Pag. 5. to tell us That in all ages this hath been acknowledged viz That there is no saving knowledge of God to be had without the Spirit and to this end citeth some passages out of Augustin Clemens Alexandr Tertul. Hierom Athanasius Gregorius Magnus Cyril Alexandr Bernard Luther and Melanchâ—on None of which speak any other thing than what I have already granted and asserted and no true orthodox Christian or any that I know will deny except Pelagians Arminians the like with whom this Man doth too much conspire as we shall heare But can he produce any of the Fathers or of our Reformers maintaining such Inward and Immediat Revelations of the Spirit as the Quakers with their predecessours the Enthusiasts do assert now to be necessary and do pretend to If he be so well acquanted with the writings of the Fathers as by these his citations he would have us beleeve he hath done wisely for himself but not very honestly in concealing what several of the same Fathers and Others write expresly against such high Pretenders as the Quakers now are and in whose footsteps they in many things now tread Theodoretus in Epit. Haeret. Fab. Cap. 3. giveth us Cerinthus as the first Patriarcâ— of Fanaticks pretending to such Revelations Irenaeus lib. 1. advers Valentinum c. Cap. 9. sheweth how Marcus Valentinianus had a great Impostor a certane Devil for his Assessor by whom he himself seemed to Prophecy and foretel things and how he made some certane women whom he accounted worthy of that honour to prophecy and speak some braine-sick discourses when warmed by that empty Spirit so that they supposed themselves to be Prophetisses Theodoret in the forecited book Lib. 3. Cap. 11. tels us that one Montanus out of an ambition to excel all others alleidged that he had all his Opinions from the instinct of his Spirit the Paracleâ—e and did pretend to Enthusiasmes and Revelations and that he took unto him Priscilla and Maximilla as two Prophetisses calling their writings Prophecies or Prophetick Books and preferring them unto the divine Evangel And from this Montanus borne at Pepuza in Phrygia came the Seck of Cataphrygians and Pepuzians Augustine may also be read concerning this Catal. Haeret. Num. 26. and 27. And these men because they pretended much to the Spirit as our Quakers do now were usually called Spirituales and they called and accounted others Carnal Persons Psychici Animales Eusebius Hist. Eccles. Lib. 5. Cap. 16 and 17 may be read to this purpose relateing some of the pranks and opinions of these Cataphrigians and how one Apollonius wrote against them and their revelations and how Serapion and others gave witnes against them Let him if he please read also Epiphanius contra Haeres Tom. 1. Lib. 2. Haeres 48. 49. Where he will meet with some things not unworthy of his consideration Of this sort also were the Euchites who came of the Messalinians who were also called Enthusiasts concerning whom see Theodoretus Epit. Haeret Fab. Lib. 4. Cap 11 and Phylostr Haeres 49. A wonder it is that he citeth not Tertullian's books written de Ecstasi after he turned a follower of Montanus whom and whose ecstasies he laboured to defend in these books sure such could he have fallen upon them had been more apposite to his purpose then what he here citeth out of his book de volandis Virginibus we could also cite his book de praâ—cript advers Haeres Cap. 52. where he inveigheth much against such Prophets Among others of the predecessours of Quakers may the Circumcelliones and Donatistae be reckoned who did pretend to Visions and such Revelations and we may take in Quintius the Liberâ—ine though much later and others of the like stamp 5. In his § 3. he goeth on ranting at the same rate inveighing against all Doctors learned Persons who are not of his judgmeâ—t as being void of the Spirit and so no more to be called Christians as subserving in their writtings and labours the designe of Satan being only instructed in the external letter of the Scriptures whileas others that had only this inward and immediat revelation were true Christians hence he very profoundly doth inferre That the inward and immediat Revelation is only that sure and undoubted methode of true and saving knowledge I shall not be the man that shall plead for Doctors or Professours that deny or are strangers to the workings of the Spirit of God only I may say that the Quakers have not as yet given such irrefragable demonstrations of their being illuminated and led by the Spirit as may make us secure and confident as to the truth of all which they say I suppose the Spirit of God would teach them to speak more soberly of such as they are yet great strangers unto But to what purpose is all this waste of words if he meane nothing else by his Inward and Immediat Revelation than what we formerly § 3. did owne and explaine against whom doth he fight But if he meane as he must if he speak to the purpose what we said was the opinion of the Quakers all his wit and skill shall never be able to inferre his Conclusion from the Premises I grant that the knowledge of the letter of the Scriptures will never bring a man to heaven if with that there be not some gracious and saving Work of the Spirit working up the man to an Imbraceing Closeing with and rightly Improving of the Truths there contained yet I dar not say that the very letter of the Scriptures in its kinde as a compleet Canon and Rule is not able to make us wise unto salvation seing the Apostle is express for this 2 Tim 3.15 nor will I say that to the end the Truths revealed in the Scriptures may be savingly beleeved there is a necessiâ—y that every one have these same Truths revealed and declared unto them Objectively by new Inward and Immediat Revelations as the Prophets and Apostles had the Truths revealed unto them which they delivered unto others in the name of the Lord. And when he shall be able to inferre this Conclusion from solide Premises we shall think our selves concerned to
26 v. 5. and 29 v. 19. and 44 v. 4. and 11 v. 7. and 32 33. 5. Then there was no difference as to the yeelding of Faith and Obedience to what was spoken to be put betwixt a True Prophet that spoke in the name of the Lord and a False Prophet that prophesied out of his owne heart Ezech. 13 17. and spoke lies in the name of the Lord Ier. 23 25. 26 36. 27 10 14 15 16. 29 9 21. 6. Then it could not be said at that time that he that despised despised not man but God and yet we finde this charged upon them 2 Chron. 36 16. Prov. 1 30. Esai 5 24. Amos 2 4. It is manifest then how Uncertane yea how False this is which he here asserteth and this being the only pillar of his fabrick we may judge how tottering it is 18. He granteth in his Thesis That these divine inward Revelations which he maintaineth yet to be in use neither do nor can contradict the external testimony of Scripture and sound reason Whence it is clear that such inward Revelations as do contradict either Scripture or found Reason are not Divine if then upon tryal it be found that he and others pretending to divine Revelations deliver Assertions point blank contrary to the Scriptures of truth we are allowed to reject them as being not Divine And upon this ground I may boldly say that these Theses let the Author pretend to what Inward Revelations he pleaseth in conceiving and frameing of them and let him alledge that they were given to him by Inward Revelation as much as he thinketh good are not of Divine Authority and if he had them by any Inward Revelation it hath been a Revelation of Satan My reason is because they are so diametrically opposite to the testimony of God in the Scriptures of truth and this shall appeare yet more manifest ere we have done And he cannot be offended at my trying of his Assertions and Revelations by the touch stone of the Word seing he here granteth that a Divine Inward Revelation will deliver nothing contrary or contradictory to the testimony of God in the Scriptures and consequently that it can be no Divine Inward Revelation which doth contradict the Scriptures for God being a God of truth yea Truth it self His testimonies cannot be Yea and Nay 19. While as he addeth That hence it will not follow that divine Inward Revelations should be examined and tryed by the Scriptures as by a more noble and certane rule he gaineth nothing for though this should not follow upon the ground which he laid down yet it may follow upon another more sure and certane ground for albeit a divine Inward Revelation carrying its owne divine evidence with it needeth not be examined by him who is thus Immediatly inspired thereby by the Rule of the Scriptures as by a more noble and certane Rule as the Prophets truely inspired of God received what was really and divinly manifested by the Spirit of God without Further examination yet that same Divine Revelation when it cometh to be published and declared to others may justly and warrantably be brought to tryal and examination by the Scriptures as a more sure Rule and Teste to us Though one divine Testimony cannot be more true and certaine in it self than another yet one may be more clear and evident to us than another and we may try that which is less clear and evident unto us by that which is more clear and unquestionable without the least impeachment of the divinity of the other and that also by Gods allowance and approbation For 1 we finde the noble Bereans highly commended as acting gallantly and more nobly then those of Thessalonica because though they received the word of Revelation delivered by Paul with all readiness of minde yet they received it not without examination for it is added Act. 17 11. That they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so They would not take Paul's bare word upon it though he was one divinely Inspired and had the Gospel by Revelation which he preached Ephes. 3.3 but brought this Revelation to the teste of the Scriptures as a more sure Rule unto them 2. It was the command of the Lord of old Esai 8 20. that his people should go to the law and to the testimony and consequently examine what was brought before them and delivered unto them as Revelations that so they might know which were truely Divine or from God or which were only from Wizzards or such as had familiar spirits pretending to divine Revelations 3. What meaneth I pray the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1 19.20 to say that the Prophecy of the Scriptures is a more sure and firme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word than was even a voice from heaven His words are remarkable verse 17 18 19. for He i. e. Christ received from the Father honour and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount And then addeth verse 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy or prophetical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a standing authentick Canon and though not more sure and firme in it self than was the voice from heaven yet it was more sure as to men and less obnoxious to Cavils Suspicions and Exceptions of Adversaries 4. It is remarkable that Christ himself directeth his hearers to search the Scriptures in reference to the tryal of the truth of what He delivered Ioh. 5 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me 5 We are commanded to beware of false Prophets Mat. 7 15. c. Therefore we must try and judge of their Doctrine and Revelations and so come to know the Prophets Pretenders or Real by this fruite So we are commanded not to believe every spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Ioh. 4 1. and consequently we must have a Rule by which we must try the Revelations both of False and of True Prophets and this Rule must be more clear and unquestionable to us otherwise it can be no Rule 6. So of old when the people of Israel were commanded Deut. 13. not to hearken to a Prophet or Dreamer of dreames though he should give a signe or a wonder to confirme his commission when he would draw them away after other Gods contrare to the standing Law of God this standing Law and Commandment not to go after other Gods to serve them was the Teste by which they were to try the Revelations of Prophets Divine or meer Pretenders and so of necessity it behoved to be more clear unto them than a divine Revelation made known to them by a True Prophet 7. When Paul saith Gal. 1 8 9. that though Apostles or Angels
here mentioned is not the Scriptures and he learnedly proveth this from other Scriptures As if any sober Christian ever Asserted such a thing But in the bye as if he had no friendship with the Socinians he redargueth their incogitancy that do not acknowledge any Inward Spirit or Vertue but a meer Natural one But in what Socinian doth he read such a thing I think He rather and the Socinians are one denying this Spirit and Paraclete to be a person and a divine person as to Essence one with the Father and the Son but as to subsistance distinct The Socinians do say that the Spirit and Holy Ghost is but the Inward Spiritual Vertue of God and are not so carnal and natural as to say that it is a meer Natural Spirit or Vertue Thus he helpeth us to know what himself meaneth by the Spirit here and elsewhere mentioned viz. Not a distinct person of the Trinity but an Inward Vertue which they call the Light within The second paâ—ticular is That this Spirit is inward and for this he citeh Rom. 8 v. 9 10. 1 Cor. 3 v. 16. and that all noble works are ascribed to this Spirit citeing Ioh. 6 v. 63. Act. 2 v. 4. and 8 ver 10. Rom. 8 ver 2 13 15 16 26. 1 Cor. 2 ver 10. and 12. v. 8 9 10 13. and closeth with a saying of Calvines Institut Libr 3. Cap. 2. By all which what he would say and against whom he would disput I know not do we deny the Spirits work in his children Do we deny his Union with them that he is in them and dwelleth in them or their Union with Him that they are in Him and walk with Him All the question is about the way how this is Conceived and Expressed Will he say That the Spirit so is and dwelleth in and abideth with beleevers that hereby they become personally united with Him and so are one person with Him Some indeed have said little lesse and therupon inferred that beleevers were Godded c. as they loved to speak But if this be his meaning I account him a Blasphemer Supposeth he that the Spirit is in â—elievers as a Vertue or Spiritual power and is the Light within them Then as he contradicteth himself saying that this light and vertue is within every man which here is but promised to believers so he giveth us a shreud presumption that he is a Socinian denying the personality of the Holy Ghost which the texts cited by himselfe and many others of the like import do manifestly evince The third particular is the work of the Spirit to guide into all truth c. which we shall be loath to deny whatever his friends the Arminians and Pelagians do Do we cry up the Traditions and Precepts of Men Do we exalt corrupt and carnal Reason Let himself see to this who cryeth up the Light within which is but Nature under a new name as shall be showne in due time This is his first Argument but what is his Conclusion Ergo The holy Spirit abideth and dwelleth in and leadeth his owne All true Christians have the Spirit of God dwelling in them as in his Temple and Ergo For this Argument must be branched-out into many so fertile is the mans invention The Spirit moveth instructeth and leadeth every true christian into the knowledge of such things as are necessary unto salvation Ans. Concedo totum and what would he have more But poor man knoweth he not what is the point in difference Hath he Concluded that the Spirit communicateth the knowledge of Gods minde to all his saints in the same manner and way as he did of old to the Prophets who were extraordinarily Inspired and that that immediat way of communication of Truths to be beleeved and Duties to be performed which was peculiar to Patriarchs and Prophets or to the Apostles is continued and common to all believers No This point is too hot for his fingers to touch and we must be satisfied to heare him prove that which he can prove though it be the same which we assert and so to no purpose 28. Before he come to this second Argument he tels us § 11. That there are some who do confess that the Spirit doth now breath upon and lead the Saints but this is Subjectively and in a blinde way coeco modo but not objectively that is He illuminats the understanding to beleeve what is revealed in the Scriptures but presents not any verity objectively and this they call medium incognitum assentiendi an unknown medium of assent that is of which the man is not certaine nor sensible Ans Whom he doth particularly here meane I know not and so I cannot judge whether he reporteth their opinion faithfully or not nor how they explaine the termes here expressed I know men may have various conceptions of the same Truth and so may have various and different-like Expressions and yet meane one and the same thing And for my part though I cannot assent to some expressions here used yet I think the substance of the truth which I owne is held forth here The Scriptures are a compleat Rule to us in all things concerning Faith and Manners in reference to Salvation and hold forth the revealed Mind of God here anent as an outward Objective meane or an external Rule And therefore we need now no new Revelation either as to Truths to be beleeved or as to Duties to be obeyed in order to Salvation but we need the Breathing Light and Power of the Spirit both to cause us see the matters already revealed and to close with them as divine Truths and Commands Let us see however what he answereth Though this opinion sayeth he be more tolerable than the former yet it is not true And why First because there are many truthes which as they respect every one ut singulos respiciunt it may be he meaneth and should hâ—ve said Personas singulares are not all found in the Scriptures But what are these Truths Are they Truths concerning salvation if so I deny what he saith and shall waite his proofs in the Next Thesis where he promiseth to shew this Secondly because saith he the Arguments adduced do also prove that he proposeth truths to us Objectively But suppose that several of the Scriptures by him formerly adduced should conclude this as to the Apostles and some others yea and more viz. That they should be filled with the Spirit and Immediatly and Extraordinariâ—y Inspired and acted to pen Scripture and infallibly to hold forth Gospel Truths to set downe immutable Gospel Rules to establish Gospel Ordinances and the like which also was so will he think that the promises in this extent belong to every individual Beleever so that each of them by vertue of these promises are Infallible Dictators writters of Scripture and the like let him assay the proof of this and we shall consider what he sayeth But further though I should grant what he here sayeth
say as well as he that beleevers now have free accesse to Christ the great Teacher of his people alwayes to get his minde known and writen in their hearts but not to get Prophetick Revelations and even as to the Scriptures of which this man speaketh so basely though they also had the Law and the Testimony Esa. 8 20. and were to search the Scriptures Iob. 5 39. we cannot think they had the advantage of us in respect of the many Immediat Revelations made unto the Prophets because of what the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pâ—t 1 19. Beside that every one may see that the Word of God Writen and delivered by men immediatly Inspired is as sure a ground of faith to others as the Word of God Spoken by a man immediatly Inspired and that the former hath the moe advantages And whereas he talketh of the discrepancy of mens judgments as to the meaning of the Scriptures is he so blinde as not to see that the very words of immediatly Inspired High Priests and Prophets were obnoxious to the same mistakes and more Is a Set Long Continued Discouse more intelligible to judgments of all syzes than the same discourse Writen and put into every mans hand to Read and Meditate upon to Ponder and Consider all its Parts Coherence c What shall we then say of this Man who reasoneth thus against Truth and common Sense 31. His third and last Reason is from 1 Ioh. 2 27. which place together with Ier. 31 34. hath been alwayes perverted by the Phanaticks as also by the Author of Theologia Germanica Cap. 18. thereby turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and turning his goodness into licentiousness for ordinarily these and the like places are adduced to Countenance their Despiseing and Rejecting of the Ordinances of Christ and of Teaching while yet notwithâ—tanding hereof themselves are as busie as possible to pervert with teaching and scriblings as if all this Unction could not take away the necessity of their Teaching albeit it may take away the necessity of all other Teaching whatsomever But is it not strange that if this were the meaning of the words that Iohn should not know it or if he know it that notwithstanding thereof he should write thus unto them and acquant them with what he judged necessary and particularly should decyphre by so many marks the Antichrist's and Seducers Strange it is that this Unction that teacheth all things could not teach them to know the usefulness of it until Iohn did thus signifie it unto them and yet more strange that if matters be thus the Spirit of God should have Inspired and Acted Iohn unto the writing of this Epistle and other holy Men of God to have writen Scripture for by their Interpretation this Unction maketh the whole Scripture useless And indeed this Man is not aâ—hamed to tell us that this Unction is a more sure Rule for finding out and discerning Seducers than Iohn's writings which not only hath no shadow of countenance from the text but doth also render the whole Ministrie of the Apostles in teaching Useless and Unnecessary and so destroyeth at one blow all Gospel Dispensations But were not beleevers under the law made partakers of his Unction if not what do all the Immediat Revelations which they had import where is the Onenesse or sameness of the formal Object of their faith and ours under the New Test And then what is become of all his former reasonings But if even beleevers under the Law were made partakers of this Unction in some measure why did the Lord raise up Prophets Why might not they have examined and tryed all their Prophecies by this Unction What advantage had they by the Immediat Revelations made unto the High Priests Why were they commanded to go to the Law and to the Testimony Why doth Christ send them to the Scriptures and not to this Inward Unction These things cannot well hang together Moreover what understandeth he by this Unction Will he say that by it must be understood Immediat Objective Revelation How can this be more sure and certane than the Immediat Objective Revelations which the Apostles had and are set down in Scriptures Is one Immediat Objective Divine Revelation more sure and certane than Another But it may be that by this Unction he meaneth the Light within Yet neither can this hold for the Light within is common to all men but this Unction he maketh common only to the Saints Enough of this which hath been abundantly answered by others and else where to wit in the book against Velthusius I had occasion to speak to it and shall not here repeat what is there said 32. Having thus proved as well as he could what he thought convenient for his purpose he tels us that he will now answere Objections and the first and only objection which he taketh notice of § 13. is That these Revelations are uncertane And when he hath thus ignorantly or unfairely proposed the Objection he cryeth out of the Ignorance of his Adversaries and very learnedly tels us that he distinguisheth betwixt the Thesis and Hypothesis and that it is one thing to say that the true and undoubted revelations of the Spirit of God are certane and infallible and another thing to say that this or that man hath infallible revelations and that he affirmed the first Which his adversaries will affirme as well as he and that the last may be questioned But with his leave I shall frame the Objection thus If since the Apostles and the extraordinary Officers whom God was pleased to imploy at the laying the foundation of the Gospel Administration fell asleep and after the canon of the Scriptures was compleated all that ever pretended to these Immediat Revelations and Inspirations as a ground of Faith Obedience have borne the signal marks of the displeasure of God and given by their Practices or by their Opinions or Both evident toakens of their being acted and led by a Spirit of Errour and Wickedness and of their being given up of God to strong delusions then we may saifly inferre that this is not the way of Christ now the Gospel is clearly and fully revealed the canon of the Scriptures is perfected whereby He teacheth and leadeth His people nor ought to be owned as such But the former is true Therefore so is the other The connexion or Major Proposition is such I think as no man can except against who regairdeth the Works of the Lord and the Operation of his hands And who can imagine that if such a way of God's manifesting of his minde now were the only way of God's leading of all his owne he should put such Open Manifest and Undoubted Marks of his displeasure upon those men who of all the rest of the world were most giving up themselvs to the only saife and Christian Way of understanding God's minde Or that these should be specially given up to crosse and contradict the Immediat Objective and
perceiving the truth of the most clear Mathematick demonstrations can he do the like as to his sensations 35. The parting argument which he seteth down in the last paragraph is sufficient so he thinketh to end the whole debate Thus he frameth it That unto which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kinde do at last recurre and because of which all other grounds are commended and accounted worthy to be beleeved must of necessity be the only most certane and immovable ground of all Christian faith But the Inward Immediat objective revelation of the Spirit is that Therefore c. Now not to carpe at the eccentrickness of this conclusion for many such things must be passed over This confirmation of the Minor as to Protestants with whom he very charitablie joyneth Socinians whom I cannot account Christians notwihstanding of all the agreement betwixt him and them destroyeth the whole Argument and rendereth it Useless as to his purpose and so concludeth only his folly and ignorance If we enquire say he at them why they take the Scripture for a Rule they answere Because in them is declared the will of God which was revealed Immediatly and objectively by the Spirit unto holy men Can any man of common sense inferre hence that Protestants are for the Uncertanty of all Objective and Immediat Revelation even of that which holy men of God had when acted by the Infallible Spirit to penne Scripture as he insinuateth in the following words or can any man of common judgment see what this concession and necessary foundation of Protestants can make for the falsly pretended Immediat and Objective Revelations which Quakers boast off Nay doth not Protestants their owneing of this solide and immovable foundation sufficiently warrand their rejecting of his Delusions yea and necessitate them thereunto if they would be true to their principles 36. As for his monitory conclusion in the end of his vindication of this his Second Thesis wherein he giveth us a full foretaste of his Pelagianisme because we will have occasion sufficient to speak to this matter afterward we need only tell the Reader what he saith here His discourse in short is this If any man will assent to what he hath said of Divine Revelations though at present he be a stranger to them himself yet he must know that this is the common Privilege of all Christians and at length shall come to know this secret light enlighting his heart c. and when by relinquishing of sin this divine Voice in the heart shall become more known then shall he feel that as the Old Naturall Man is put off the New Man and spiritual birth shall arise and this new birth having Spiritual senses can discerne the things of the Spirit and understand the Mysteries of the kingdom of God And therefore let every man attend to this Spirit in the Little Revelation of that pure light which at first revealeth things more notoure and afterward as he is fitted he shall receive more and more and be in case at length by quick Experience to refute them who shall enquire what way he knoweth that he is led by the Spirit That is in short If one will firmly beleeve that Natures dimme Light is the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost in him and in the faith of this give up himself to the Teachings thereof and thereby shun outward acts of sin and put on a forme of Godliness and more and more give up himself to this Delusion he shall at length arive at this Perfection that he may burne the Bible and with confidence assert that he is acted by the Holy Ghost let Scriptures and Common Sense say to the contrary what they will What an extract of Pelagianisme Enthusiasme and dreadful Delusion is here every knowing person may see CHAP. IV. Of the Scriptures 1. HIs third Thesis which I finde in some things altered and more clearly expressed in the second edition set down in the Apology than was in the single sheet containing his judgment of the Scriptures cometh now to be examined The Scriptures being owned by us as a sure Rule whereby we should try the Spirits and they giving such clear and manifest Testimony against the Delusions and bold Assertions of the Quakers and affording us full and sufficient Ground whereupon to reject their Doctrine and to look upon them as Impostors it is little wonder that we heare them speak so basely of these Scriptures of Truth as we do Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked Pag. 1. tels us that a Quaker denied to his face the Scriptures to be the word of truth or at least not to all not to wicked men and unbelievers no not condemningly He tels us also Pag. 4. that some said to him That the Scripture is not the word of truth but the witness of Gods power as if that could be the true witness of Gods Power which were not true nor the word of truth He tels us also Pag. 18. sect 2. that Francis Howgil said The Scripture is other mens words that spoke them freely and Pag. 20. that Richard Farnworth called them in a way of disparagment a printed bible So Pag. 23. sect 3. that Iohn Lawson said we had nothing to try men by but the letter the Bible or written word which is natural and carnal So Pag. 244. he tels us that some of them in a book called a paper sent into the world Pag 2. have these words They are such teachers as tell people that Matthew Mark Luk and John is the Gospel which are but the letter we therefore do dâ—ny them And Pag. 250. he citeth these words out of Tho. Lawsons book called an untaught teacher Pag. 2. To say that the word of truth is called the Scripture or that the Scripture is called the word of truth that is a lie If this man do not approve of these and the like Expressions of those called Quakers he is concerned to give testimony against them and that directly that the world may bear witness of his honesty But we know what account the Old N. England Libertines David George and the Familists with whom this man and the rest agree too well made of the Scripturs 2. It is commonly affirmed by the Quakers that the Scriptures are not the word of God or ought not to be so called So Fox and Hubberthorn cited by Mr Hicks in his first dialogue Pag. 17. where he tels us also that Nailor in his Answere to the jewes P. 22. said That it is the devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And that this is their common Assertion and that mainly upon this ground that Christ is called the word of God D. Owen also witnesseth this in his Exercit Apol. Pro. S. Scriptâ—r Adv Fanaticos Exerc. 1. Sect. 3. which is no new thing for Phanaticks to alledge for I finde that it was one of Swenckfeldius's heterodoxies de Sacris Libris P. 27 28. and that upon the same
sandy ground as Mr Rutherfoord witnesseth in his Spiritual Antichrist P. 19. Richard Farnworth said to Mr Stalham as he reporteth Pag. 3. of his forecited book That the Scriptures are the word of God and eternal life as thou wouldest have them thou canst not prove nor all the Magicians to help thee So P. 43. he tels us that one of them in a sheet called Christ exalted c. P. 4. had these words He Christ is the word and the Scripture is not He is the light and the Scripture is not He is the Rule and Guide and Teacher and Iudge and the Scripture is not but a Declaration of Him to be so By which and the like we may see how low an account they have of the Scriptures And how fond and absurd this is to debase the Scriptures under a pretence of exalting of Christ who seeth not Seing the Lord spoke in and by the Prophets unto the Fathers and spoke by the Mouth of the holy Prophets Heb. 1 1. Luk. 1 70. And the word of the Lord came unto them as unto Ieremiah Chap. 1 2 4. 2 1. 14 1. 29 30. unto Ezechiel Chap. 1 3. 3 16. to Hosea Chap. 1 1. to Ioel Chap. 1 1. to Ionah Ch. 1 1. 3 1. to Micab Ch. 1 1. to Zephania Chap. 1 1. to Zechariah Chap. 1 1. 7 4. 8 1. and by Haggai Chap. 1 1. And they declared what they spoke as the word of the Lord and the Lord owned it as His word See moreover 2 Chron. 36 21. Micah 4 4. Act. 28 25. Esai 1 20. Deut. 30 8 Num. 25.5 Ier. 23 28. and the like And seing the Scriptures containe nothing but a Revelation of the will and good pleasure of God it is manifest and clear that they are the Word of God and should bear that title To speak nothing of the Law which the Lord spoke and gave himself immediatly from mount Sinai what he inspired the Prophets to deliver and spoke himself in and by them and moved them infallibly in the very writing thereof cannot but be the Word of God That word which was given by immediat divine Inspiration cannot but beare the name of the Word of God Nay this name is expresly given unto the Scriptures for Mark 7. what is called the commandement of God vers 8. spoken and written by Moses vers 10. is called the Word of God vers 13. The roll written by Baruch Ier. 36 from the mouth of â—eremiah vers 4. is called the words of the Lord vers 6. The sword of the Spirit which is a piece of the Spiritual armour of Christian souldiers wherewith they resist the devil as Christ their Captane did Mat 4 4 7 10. with an it is written see also Mat. 22 31 32. is called the Word of God Ephes. 6 17. I shall not urge that place Heb. 4 12. because it seemeth more to be spoken of Christ than of the Scriptures though several take it as meaned of the Scriptures But that equivalent Expression of the Word of Christ Col. 3 16. may confirme us in this Truth as also that equivalent Expression the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and that the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2 2. and that the word of the Lord 1 Pet. 1 2â— what else can the Psalmist's speaking to God and manifesting his affection to his word useing this expression Thy word above thirtie times Psal. 119. import but that the Scriptures are and are to be called the Word of God So these equipollent Expressions have the same import The word which I command you Deut. 4 2. I have written to him the great things of my law Hos. 8 12. when the Spirit of the Lord speaking of the Scriptures useth these expressions well spoke the Holy Ghost saying Act. 28 25 26. As the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3 7. He spoke in a certane Place Heb. 4 4. He said in David vers 7. See Heb. 5 6. Exod. 20 1. Deut. â— 6. Heb. 13 5. Gal. 3 16. Rom. 10 21. 15 10. 1 Cor. 9 10. Others of this kinde might be cited If this man be of another judgment herein he should clearly express himself howbeit he thereby dissatisfie some of his Brethren But instead of this in his Apology P. 36. he alleigeth that we but calumniate them and speaking in the name of all the rest he saith they account them the most excellent writings in the world but how will he make this agree with their sayings formerly cited and afterward to be adduced He would do well to endeavour some reconciliation but I see not how he can do it 3. As for us we assert that no Prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For they were not conceived by the mindes nor framed and formed by the Understandings and Reasonings of men nor were they the product of their Study Paines as other books are of their Authors assisted by the Spirit of God Howbeit the penmen of the Scriptures studied the writtings of others as Daniel did understand by books Dan. 9 2. and David was much in the meditation and study of the Law yea they searched and made narrow enquiry after the meaning of what was spoken and delivered by themselves so far as concerned their own faith and Practice as Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 11. yet the work of delivering the Scriptures by Word and Write was not the result of their studious Labour wherein their Mindes Judgments and Memories were exercised and busied nor did these Scriptures proceed from private phancied Revelations and Enthusiasmes they were not the issue of mens Dreams Imaginations Conceptions of fancie or self-Afflation because no way of private Interpretation or Revelation but on the contrary holy men of God spoke as they were not only determined but moved by the Holy Ghost and that in contradistinction both from the acts of mens Phancy and Imagination and the acts of their Will 2 Pet. 1 20 21. The Holy Ghost did Immediatly and Extraordinarily dictat what was written Matter and Expressions as well such things as they had Seen Heard Read Studied and Known before as these they were Ignorant of or had forgotten Hence it is that the Lord spoke in the Prophets by the mouth of the holy Prophets and his word came unto them and by them see Heb. 1 2. Mark 14 36. Heb. 3 7. 9 8. 10 15. Luk. 1 v. 70. 2 King 10 10. 21 10. 2 Sam. 23 2 3. and hence it is that this very word of Prophecy or Prophetical word coming thus unto the Prophets the holy men of God when it was to become a Prophecie of write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was also committed to write through the Spâ—cial acting of the Spirit singularly movâ—ng these Amanuenses hence the Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3 16. on which place the words of Corn a
Lapide are remarkable God is said saith he to have taught the Scriptures because 1. He stood so by the writters that they did not erre from the truth in a point 2. He did excite them and suggest to them so as they should write these things rather than those c. He did so inspire them that they set down this conception rather than that c. 3. He so ordered all the conceptions and sentences and led them so as that this sentence was first that next and the other in the third place and thus they were set downe orderly one after another and this is properly to write and make a book and therefore is the Spirit of God properly the Author of the Scriptures Hence is it that the word of God in the Old Test. is tearmed in the New the Scripture or Scriptures pointing out the word as written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we see that as in the frameing of the truths contained in the Scriptures of Prophecy or as to the matter and thing revealed and written the holy men of God had the real Inspirations of God and spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost or as the Holy Ghost spoke in them and by them they giving only a concurrence of their Rational faculties so in the very commiting of the minde of God unto writing they acted as moved by the Holy Ghost and not by any acquired Skill or Knowledg in the art of Grammer or Rhetorik being herein as a Pen in the hand of a writer and therefore ought not to be called the Secondary or proxime Authors of the Scriptures as some Papists imagine though the Lord used One to express his minde in one way and Another in another way as he thought meet and each in a way suteable to his natural Enduements as he used Esaias to express his minde in an High Loftie and Court-like stile and Amos being an herd man to express his minde in a more Mean and Low stile suteable to herd men in all consulting the universal good of the Church in all ages Whence it is manifest that not only the Matter and Things revealed whether as Truths to be Beleeved or as Lawes to be Obeyed are immediatly of God but also the very Method Expressions and Words wherein these truths were uttered which even some Papists as Gregor de Valentia and Estius Swarez and others confess And so the Whole and every Part Sentence and Word is of divine Authority and of a divine Original Whereby every one may see how sure the ground and basis of our Faith and Obedience is how rationally we act in adhereing to these Scriptures of Truth rejecting whatever is not consonant thereunto and especially all particular pretended divine Revelations which are but the meer product of mens strong Phancies and Imaginations or of Satans Workings in mens mindes and phantasies And withall we hereby see the divine Original of this Word of Prophecie which we must take heed unto as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts 2 Pet. 1 19. and must study and meditate upon day night Psal. 1. and be well acquanted with They being the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesus being profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be Perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. As also the unreasonableness of those men who would directly or indirectly bring us off this Ground and have us following the light of that Ignis Fatuus of their Imaginary and Delusory Revelations which as they arise out of a mire so they lead the Man that followeth their guide into one and leave him there 4. Before we proceed because this Man alleâ—dged that it was a calumnie to say that either they denied or undervalued the Scriptures what Apology will he make for his brethren who owne the Scriptures only as a declaration of the Saints conditions witness G. Fox the younger in the collection of his books P. 59. cited by Mr Hicks dial 1. P. 19. account them no better than an old almanack witness Holbrow cited by Mr Hicks P. 29. and look upon it as inck and paper See Mr Hicks Pag. 41. and say that it is dangerous for ignorant people to read them witness Fox and Hubberthorn in Truths defence P. 101 Sâ—e Mr Hicks ibid. who also in his 2 Dial. Pag. 5. tels us that White head expresly saith in his D. P. Pag. 13. that it is idolatry to call the Bible a means and that faith grounded on the Scriptures is but an empty and implicite faith and bespeaks such persons void of the knowledge of God Christ Salvation and to be yet in their sin and that such men walk by thâ—ir own fancies and imaginations Christ Ascend Pag. 11. Do such expressions â—avoure of any high Esteem which they have of the Holy Scriptures if not let him see to it But moreover George Whitehead in his Apology P. 49. said that that which is spoken from the Spirit of truth in any viz. of them is of as great authority as the Scriptures yea and greater See for this Mr Hicks 1 dial P. 28. Will. Pen in his Rais. against Rail P. 40. cited by Mr Hicks 3. Dial. said That the Scriptures at most are but a kinde of declaratory and secondary Rule This man saith the same as we â—hall heare and further The Scripture is the Râ—le of historical faith but the light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of saving faith and againe Pag. 55. That which is more ancient more universal and more able to informe rule and guide that must eminently be the rule but that hath been and is the Light within Therefore that hath been and ought to be the Rule of faith and practice So P. 48. Because we deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith practice in honour to that divine light that gave them forth that we should therefore c. If this man think that we calumniat them upon this account he should tell us at least what high and honourable thoughts he and the rest have of them 5. But what if we finde him upon the matter saying little less than they though in more modâ—st expressions He saith I confess in his Thesis That the Scriptures of truth did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God and one would think this a faire acknowledgment But in his Apology Pag. 36 he tels us that they do not think that the Authority of the Scriptures doth depend on any Efficacy or Vertue placed in these Writings but ascribe it wholly unto that Spirit from whom they came What confusion and self contradiction is here To say that the Scriptures of Truth are the
freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2 12. I assert that He is the earnest in our hearts 2 Cor. 1 22. and that beleevers are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes. 1 13. and that by him they aâ—e sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4 30. But all this is his peculiar work and by no shew of reason can or should be expected of a Rule as any man of ordinary judgment may see 34. But § 4. Pag. 43. He tels us that neither deaf persons nor idiots nor Infants can make use of it as a Rule and yet some of these may be saved That some of these may be saved and are I shall be loath to deny but what will this say for the Imperfection of the Scriptures Did not Paul know so much when he spok of their Perfection Or did not the Spirit of the Lord know this when he inspired David to say Psal. 19 that the Law of the Lord was perfect What I pray will his Revelations helpe the matter as to Infants and Idiots Are they capable of such Were there none such among the Jewes And yet he granted that the Law was a Primary Rule to them and consequently Perfect for he deducâ—th its not being a Principal Rule from its being Imperfect and therefore when and where so ever it was a Principal Rule then and there it was also a Perfect Rule Thus the man in stricking at us woundeth himself But what in case any of these persons kill a man what would the Law of the land do unto them would it punish them I think the Law of the Lord should warrand them if they did right And shall the Law of a Land reach persons that cannot make use of it and God's Law not What use can Children or Mad men or Idiots make of the Light within As for deaf persons they have Natures light and that is part of God's Law and if they have eyes they can see many things that may instruct them though they cannot read the Bible which was never penned for their immediat use nor yet for the use of Infants and Idiots But the saying that God can and when he will doth supply the want of Scripture as of other of his Appointments Ordinances in these extraordinary cases can be no impeachment either of the Usefulness or Perfection of the Scriptures Our Quakers will account their books and exhortations useful if not necessary and yet he shall hardly perswade me that deafe Persons or infants or idiots can make any good use of them 35. To the same end he mentioneth next such as cannot read And can he demonstrate that there were none such among the Iewes and can he tell me what this derogateth from the Perfection of the Lawes of a Land and I pray him tell me if he thinks that such as cannot read and yet live where the Scriptures are or within the Church can violat any of the precepts contained in the Scriptures or not If they can shall be punished of God therefore did not the Scriptures oblige them will their not being learned and able to read prove a sufficient plea for them in the day of accounts If not then the Scriptures remaine a Rule to them and if it remaine a Rule it must remaine a Perfect Rule for all that this argument concludeth which if it conclude any thing will conclude that the Scriptures are no Rule at all to such And as for the disadvantage such are at in the knowledge of the Rule they must blame themselves the Scriptures cannot bear the blame that they will not learne to read them no more than it can bear the blame of such as can read them and will not 36. After this he â—aketh together a number of things Such as peoples Ignorance of the Original Languages Errours in Translations whereof our owne is not in his judgment free Various Readings in the Originals difference among Learned men about the Points in the hebrew and about the Original authenticque of the Old Test. Some pleading for the â—o others for the Hebrew and he might have added the Papists pleading for the Vulgar latine Version for both old and New Testament All which can plead nothing against the Rule of the Scriptures as every one may see only â—t can be hence inferred that we are at some disadvantages in understanding some things in the Scripture and by this he rather disputes against the Providence of God and his Goodness that did not prevent these evils than against the Canon it self for he cannot deny thâ—t the Canon was once written by men inspired of God in one language or other nor will he say â—s we shall hear shortly that what was so written was written only for the good of these Persons or Churches to whom they were especially directed Beside that these Exceptions have been sufficiently removed by Learned Men particularly and that shortly and plainly by the learned D. Owen in his book above cited Himself calleth them the Scriptures of truth and § 2. Pag 38. he both wondereth and praiseth God that they are by the good providence of God keeped so pure and uncorrupt Yea Pag. 47. § 6. he confesseth thâ—t what errors are creept-in through the injury of the times are but small especially in substantial matters So that notwithstanding of all which he hath said the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation and what neeâ—s more what would he hence inferre 37. Towards the end of Pag. 44. he tels us what he would hence conclude viz That Christ who promised to be with his own and to lead them in all truth c. would never leave them to be led by a Rule obvious to so many doubts And yet we see he hath done so for we know no other Rule whâ—ch Christ haâ—h given whereby to point our unto us the Way and Counsel of God But he addeth tâ—at Christ hath therefore given his Spirit for the Principal and chief Leader And I say the same and account it a saying worthy of all acceptance The Spirit is the Principal Chiefe Only Efficient Leader Giving and implanting a new principle of life and grace in the soul Reforming Regenerating the whole man as to his Understanding Will and Affections Sending and conveying new Influences of Life Light Strength and Comfort whereby the Ignorant and blinde are made to see the way wherein they ought to walk the fainting and weary get new power and increase of Strengh so as they run and are not weary and walk and are not faint the Sick and swooning christian is made to revive and become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might the Dejected and sorrowfull Mourner is made to sing in the wayes of the Lord through the Consolations of the H. Ghost but all this is consisting with no way derogatory to the Vse Necessity Fulness Compleetness of the Scriptures as our Rule Law Here lyeth the ground of this mans
grosse mistakes He confoundeth the Spirits work the work of the Scriptures He confoundeth the Leader and Guâ—de with the Way wherein the traveller walketh I should think a man that could not put a difference here should be that wise as to forbear to preach forth his folly to the world trouble the world with his ignorant and absurd impertinencies whereby he but maketh himself ridiculous not only in contradicting himself but likewise in contradicting common sense and the Scriptures also Himself in that he confesseâ— once and againe above though contrary to his owne assertions that the people under the Old Test. had the Law as their principal Rule and yet he will not deny but they had the Spirit also because he said so much in and upon his Secod Thesis so then by his doctrine the Spirit and the Scriptures can consist together and the difference betwixt the Old and New Test. must be this that under the Old Test. the Law was the principal Leader and Guide and the Spirit the less Principal Subordinat but now under the Gospel the Spirit is the More Principal and the Scriptures the less Principal Are not these learned notions Do they smell either of Reason or of Religion He contradicteth Common sense for every one knoweth that the Guide and the Way wherein he guideth differ every Scholer knoweth that his Master and his Book are two different things And every Christian knoweth how to distinguish betwixt the Law of the Lord and the Spirit that writteth that Law in his heart He contradicteth also the Scriptures which throughout discriminateth these two let him pause upon these following Ephes. 6 17. 1 Pet. 1 22. 4 6. Psal. 143.8 10. Prov. 1 23. Esai 59 21. Ier. 31 33 34. Heb. 8 8. Ezech. 36 26 27. Psal. 119 27 32 33. Esai 35 8. Ier. 6 16. Esa. 42 16. 48 17. Psal. 25 4 8 9 12. 85 13 139 24. Prov. 8 20. Psal. 5 8. 27 11. 86 11 119 37. 91 11. Prov. 3 6. with many moe that might be cited 38. He tels us Pag. 45. That only by the evidence and revelation of this Spirit they are freed from all the forementioned difficulties about the Scriptures Unworthy man why doth he then envye us of this good Why will he not tell us how they get these difficulties loosed by Revelation Why will he not acquant the world with this matter that we may no more be perplexed with these scruples Or must this good and advantage reside only with them But it is like we must first turne Quakers and then it is true we shall have the gordian knot not loosed but cut in pieces for we shall lay aside the Scriptures as useless altogether and so need not trouble ourselves with those difficulties but leave them as bones for dogs to whet their teeth upon One instance of the benefite of their Revelations he giveth of some of their number who could not so much as read and yet could discover corruptions in our version of the Bible But the good luck was that himself was judge I know that a kâ—owing beleever that is acquanted with the work of God upon his soul can understand when any thing is spoken by Ministers or Others contradictory or not consonant thereunto but that they have been able especially when so illiterate as not to know a letter of the Bible to correct versions or faults in the original I have not yet seen I have heard it is true of some that in trances and ecstacies have spoken strange languages that themselves understood not when in their ordinary posture If his Revelations be of this nature we have reason to pray that God would deliver us from them 39. But lest some should think that by this his discourse he were utterly decrying the Scriptures and driving at a laying of them aside as useless he giveth us an account of the high esteem he hath of them and of their usefulness in his judgment And in this he doth wisely and hereby I perceive that the Quakers now have learned a little more policy than at first for then they could not speak reproachfully enough of the Scriptures so that if they could have gained their point ere now the Scriptures had been quite laid by as an old almanack but finding that by all their unworthy Expressions and Endeavours they were so farr from prevailing this way that it turned to their detriment for wise people did so much the more abhore them and keep off from their courses they became at length so wise as to speak more soberly of the Scriptures and not to Raile against them at such an high rate as formerly as Papists also in words seem to extol the Scriptures See Bellarm. de Verbo Dei Lib. â— C. 2. Yet this remaineth fixed among them That the Scriptures are not made use of in their Assemblies It is below them to Expound any portion of it there or to adduce any Testimony there from for Confirmation of their Assertions whatever they do when speaking and writing to others who ground their faith upon the Scriptures And by this Man we learn that their Opinion yet is That the Scriptures are not our Perfect Sufficient Fixed and Ordinary Rule whereby we shall know what is our duty before God But that we must be ruled in our walk by Immediat Revelations of the Spirit as these were who wrote the Scriptures And it is their constant Opinion and if this man be of another Judgment we shall know when we come to heare what he saith of the Light within that when one cometh to hearken to the Light within he hath obtained the whole end of the Scriptures so that they become wholly Useless to him 40. What saith he then of the Scriptures He saith § 5. Pag. 45. He giveth to them a secondary place detracting nothing which they assume to themselves citeing Rom. 15 2. 2 Timoth. 3 15 16 17. A Secondary place he granteth they have but in what Will he not say as much of his own writings We grant that the Spirit by them as a mean in his hand Illuminateth Leadeth and Guideth his owne people But as to a Rule and Law we know nothing above them for they containe the Law of the Supream Lawgiver and as a Law and Rule are able to make us Wise unto salvation and Perfect unto every good work for the whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his owne Glory mans Salvation Faith and Life are either expresly set downe in them or by good and necessary consequence may be deâ—uced from them unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men. This is our doctrine contained in our Confession of Faith Chap. 1. § 6. And this we must maintaine or say that God's works are not Perfect and so reproach our Maker and Supream Lord Governour for prescribeing Lawes which are
not full and compleet and â—o unable to reach the end for which they are appointed Shall we say that God could not reveal his whole Will and Counsel Or that he was not so Good and Gracious as to do it I dar say Neither Nay this book of the Scriptures is a called a Testament 2 Cor. 3 6 14. And who dar adde to God's Testament when it is unlawful to adde to a mans Testament Gal. 4 15 And the places formerly cited do clearly evince it sufficient for the ends for which it is designed to which these may be added Psal. 119 105. Rom. 1 16. 1 Tim. 4 16. Ioh. 17 20. And if we must admit new Revelations not only as a part compleating our Rule but as a Supream Rule we declare the Scriptures useless as a Rule for what is not an Adequate and Perfect Rule is no Rule at all nor doth it deserve that name and withal we lay ourselves open to Satans Delusions and to false Revelations wherewith the world hath been too much filled and too long deceived or at best to Revelations and Enâ—husiasmes which we know neither whither they go nor whence they come and let them speak never so highly of their Revelations we judge by their doctrine which is for the most part either False or Dubious and not consonant to the Scriptures of truth We have heard of Impostors who were the greatest of Pretenders as of Simon Magus Act. 8. of Mahomet of several in the Church of Rome and others we have heard also of false Prophets of old and Christ hath foretold us of such Mat. 7. 24 24. and hath bid us beware of them Are we assured that the devil cannot or shall not play his game under these Enthusiasmes One thing is certane that the Lord sendeth us not to these Enthusiasmes to understand his Minde but to the Law and to the Testimony and to the more sure Word of Prophecie One thing I would know Whether he beleeveth that Christ and his Apostles did teach all that was necessary to salvation I suppose he will not deny it considering what Paul alone saith Act. 20 20 21 27. If he confess it then I would ask whether we have not the summe of that doctrine faithfully set downe to us in the Scriptures This cannot rationally be denyed seing Paul saith he taught nothing but what was foretold by Moses and the Prophets Act. 26 22. and seing hence it would follow that God was not so careful of the Church of the New Testament as he was of the Church of the Old Test. nor so careful of us as of the Primitive Church Neither let any say that we have Revelations now to make up our want For beside that we know no warrand for us to look for such in the primitive times there were Persons extraordinarily Inspired having Revelations notwithstanding of which there was a full and compleet declaration of all that was necessary to Salvation Againe why did the Lord commit any thing to write seing he would not commit his whole Counsel unto write Why would he not leave us wholly to Revelations It may be the Quakers will say that we are indeed left wholly to Revelations And this is the true tendency of this Mans doctrine But then of what use are the Scriptures Can he loose this knot and give satisfaction 41. He tels us as to this Pag. 46. The Lord thinks good to comfort some by others whom he raiseth up and inspireth for this end to speak and write seasonable words and so make them perfect And this with him is the whole import of Rom. 15 2. 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. So that the Scriptures are but like their writings one to another tending to Comfort and Encourage one another who are delighted as he speaketh with the words or writings that come from the same Spirit in another Bellarmine saith They containe only some profitable Admonitions And both this man and Bellarmine deny them to be a Law Compleet and Full. Bellarmine thinketh that their Traditions are of as great authority as the Scriptures and this Quaker thinketh their owne Scriblings are of as great authority And where are we then And what is left us as a ground of our Faith and Hope by the Papists â—nd the Quakers â—ut he citeth as a proof of this 2 Pet. 1 12. which can prove nothing for him for we grant that the Scriptures are for Comfort and Encouragement but we say also They are Profitable for Doctrine and for Reproof and for Correction and for Instruction 2 Tim. 3 16. And that they are able to make the man of God Perfect Yes saith he They make the man of God perfect as Pastors and Doctors do who are ordained for this end viz. Ephes. 4 11 12. And yet as Pastors are not to be preferred to the Spirit so neither are the Scriptures Nay but he should say if he would speak consonantly to himself Though Christ hath ordained Pastors c. for the Perfecting of the Saints and given us Scriptures inspired of God that the man of God may be perfect yet we may lay both aside as useless and betake us to the Spirit for all and thereby declare that we are wiser than Christ was and that we have nothing to do either with the fruits of his Ascension the Ordinance of Officers or with the fruites of his Love and Care of the Church to the end of the world that is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants But who would not pity such a poor blinded self-deceiving Creature Thinks he that the Appointments of Jesus Christ cannot be owned as meanes perfect in their kinde and for their end but the Spirit as a Principal Efficient Cause must be enjured and that we must lay aside the Scriptures as a Law and Rule that the Spirit may do all and have all the glory I should then think that he were more to be prayed for than disputed with and were it not for satisfaction to Others whom their faire speaches may deceive I should think it hardly worth my paines to blot so much paper in confutation of him 42. Then in the next place he tels us that the Lord would have us see in them that is in the Scriptures as in a glase the conditions and experiences of old saints that observing their case and ours to agree we may be confirmed comforted instructed in righteousness and by the Spirit within us observing the signature of the Spirit in them we may see them fulfilled in us Hence only the Spiritual man of God can profite by them and of such speaketh the Apostle also Rom. 15. others pervert them as Peter tels us By all which we see That the Scriptures are no Law or Rule no not a subordinate Rule or Law for what is such must have some Obligeing force with it binding us to conformâ—ty But according to this Man the Scriptures have no obligeing Force at all
is this That God inspired Man with some thing of his own substance bestowed something of his own divinity upon him That God did inspire Man with the Holy Ghost 4. Now if this man be of the same judgment with these mentioned we may saifly conceive or conjecture at least that his meaning in these words now under consideration is this That the Body of man which is of the First and Earthly Adam was degenerat and became dead but not the Soul which being a part of God's substance and being and having relation to the Second and Spiritual Adam who is the Bishop thereof was not obnoxious to this Death and Degeneration for being eternal as well as Infinite it could neither die nor degenerate nor fall But how blasphemous an opinion this is every one may see This is the old damnable opinion of the Gnosticks Manichees and Priscillianists and of Cerdo See August Lib. de Origine Animae c. 2. and De Haeres c. 46. and 70. Aquin. 1. q. 90. Ar. 1. Col. Conimb ad 2. de Anima q. 1. Art 6. and was owned by that blasphemous man Servetus and of late also by the Author of Theologia Germanica and of the Bright Star See Mr Rutherf Survey of Spiritual Antichrist Chap. XIV These hold that the soul was a part of God's essence Though God's essence be most Pure Simple and Indivisible and cannot be a part of any composed thing If the Soul were thus of God and a part of God God should be the forme of man Because the soul is the fâ—rme of Man and consequently Man should be God for the whole may be denominated from the forme The Scripture tels us that God is Immutable and that there is no shadow of turning with Him but by this opinion he should be Mutable and change from Power to Act from Ignorance to Knowledge from Vice to Vertue c. and back againe reciprocally Hence also it must follow that either no souls can go to hell or that a part of God must be tormented in hell And what will they say of Devils Either they must deny that there are any or say that they are a part of God for they are Spiritual Substances being Intelligences and with the Quakers forementioned spiritual substances are parts of God and are Infinite in themselves they are no Creatures and if no Creatures they must be the Creator or a part of the Creator It is true Man was created according to the Image of God which as to the Soul consisted as in the spirituality of its substance so chiefly in Wisdome Righteousness and Holiness Eccles. 7 29. Ephes. 4 24. Col 3 10 But the Scripture tels us that as to this Image it was lost even as to knowledg nothing being left but some rubbish of that once stately Fabrick of which afterward and that thus the soul was corrupted and damnified by the fall all the Powers and Faculties thereof being perverted so that thereby Man became not only utterly Indisposed but also Opposite to all that is spiritually good and wholly Inclined to all evil and that continually Rom. 3 vers 10 20. Ehes. 2 2 3. Rom. 5 6. 8 7 8. Gen. 6 5 And this is confirmed by what this Man addeth in the Thesis and prosecuteth at large in his Apology 5. If this be not his true meaning let us try another Conjecture They commonly speak of a Christ within them as Mr Hicks cleareth Dial. 1. Pag. 44. c. and taunt such as beleeve in a Person without them saying Christ is within and that there is no other Christ but that within every man Mr Hicks there tels us also that Crisp one of their ministry asking what Christ he owned and receiving this answere That he did not beleeve any meer Principle or Spirit in men to be the Christ because that was not capable to suffer what Christ suffered returned this reply That this was blasphemy And when Mr Hicks said further that the Christ he beleeved was no other then that person the Scriptures speak of The word made flesh God and man in one person Crisp. replied that then he knew the beginning and date of his Christ Moreover he tels us Pag. 45 46. that Georg Fox in the forecited Book Pag. 206. saith if there be any other Christ but he that was crucified within he is a false Christ and he that hath not this Christ that was crucified within is a Reprobat And Pag 207. That God's Christ is not distinct from the saints and he that eats the flesh of Christ hath it within him Pag. 201. Mr Hicks tels us also Dial. 2. Pag. 10. How G. Whitehead in his Dip. Plu. Pag. 13. saith Christ Iesus a Person without us is not Scripture language but the Anthropomorphites and Muggletonians This language is very suteable unto the language of the Old Libertines against whom Famous Calvin wrote in his Instructio adv Libertinos Cap 17. They made Christs sufferings to be a meer Histrionick Action or Comedie and Quintinus used to be very angry when any asked him how he did saying How can it be ill with Christ. But yet that they may put a difference betwixt themselves and others They use to say as Mr Stalham informeth us Pag. 276. That Christ is in all but none is in Christ except themselves Shall we think that this is thâ—s Mans meaning to wit That man is Corrupt Fallen Degenerated and Dead not according to that part in him which is Christ but according to that part in him which is the Old man As this should contradict what he saith afterward upon this account that then it were manifest that whole man did not fall or became dead and was degenerate so it could not be satisfying for it would have but this import That man was Corrupted Dead and Degenerated in so farr as he was corrupted dead and degenerated and then we should be no wiser than we were Moreover if we should ask how this Christ came into every man The answer must be that he was created in him and as to this part of man Adam did not fall And if we should ask what is this Christ in every man Will. Pen in his Innocency with open face P. 8. as Mr Hickâ— sheweth Dial. 2. Pag. 41. answereth It is God himself And He with Nailer and Hubberthorn in their Answer to the Phanaticque History Pag. 13. will say it is the Light in us and Burroughs Pag 9 and 149. will say that he that was slaine upon the crosse is the â—ery Christ of God and the very Christ of God is in us The same Mr Hicks in his postscript to the Dial. 1. Pag. 82. tels us that Ed. Borroughs and Franc. Howgil said in the hearing of credible witnesses That Christ was as really in every man as he was in that Flesh which suffered at Ierusalem 6. But as yet we are arrived at no clear discovery of the truth in this matter but rather further off from any clear
the receiving the Impression of it and what can the receiving of the Impression or Touch of a Testimony be but a receiving of information by it And when all that knew God received illumination by the Testimony of the Spirit did they not receive its Information and its Touch and were they not made partakers of its Sensation and seing this was common to all from the beginning as he endeavoured to prove above as we heard where was this deprivation of this sense and touch which he speaketh oâ— It is true by the fall mankinde was deprived of that sweet and intimate Communion with God which formerly Adam was addmitted unto and all the communications which Adam after the fall and his posterity did meet with were in and thorow the Mediator and according to the Covenant of Grace But he maketh the Testimony which was before and after the fall the same and that by the fall man was deprived of the Touch of the same Testimony which yet he would make us beleeve was common to all from Adam to Moses and from Moses to Christ c. 9. When he saith that Mankinde by the fall was deprived of the sense and touch of this Inward Testimony He supposeth that thâ—s Inward Testimony which with them is the same with the Light within and seed of God still remained even in Mankinde only man was deprived of its Sense and Touch hence it would appear that according to this Mans Theology Mans Understanding was not hurt by the Fall nor his Capacity to receive impressions from the Light within or Inward Testimony but only there were not Emanations of Light and Information from that Testimony and great Teacher or that thâ—s Light and Divine Particle still remained in man but was only Dormant and Overclouded But the Scriptures giveth us another account of the Degenerat and Natural state of man as to Light and Knowledg saying that such are in darkness 1 Thes. 5 4. 1 Ioh. 2.9 and walk in darkness Ioh. 8 12 and 12 35. 1 Ioh. 1 6. and 2 11. and are of darkness 1 Thes. 5 5. and under the power of darkness Col. 1 13. See also Act 26 18. 1 Pet. 2 9. Esa. 9 2. Mat. 4 16. But further This Inward Testimony being a Light within or a Seed within it must be seated somewhere in the soul and it being Light can no where be seated more properly them in the Intellect and if there be light in the intellect how can the man be deprived of the Touch and Sensation of this Light Meaneth he by this Touch Sensation a Reflective knowledge or such a reflexive act of the Soul or of Conscience whereby we know that we know But then he still supposeth that the Light Knowledge direct is not impaired by the fall contrary to the Scriptures a forecited many others which might be cited see Eph. 4 18. but only the Reflexive knowledge and thus Adam was as understanding knowing after the fall as before it only he did not know it And indeed the common first duty which these Quakers presse upon all is that they would lookin and reflect upon what is within them so be Wise Understanding yea in this one thing they seem to place all Grace Vertue as if they had been trained up in Plato's school who in the place before cited as Mr Gale in his Court of the Gentiles part 2. Pag. 291. showeth Taketh all true science to be this Sensation in his Timaeus Fol. 103. he called all prudence a good Sensation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in his Alcibiad fol. 133 134. He saith that he that reflects upon himself his owne soul and wisdom thereby becomes as it were omniscient whereas they who know not themselves know not what is good or evil for them nor yet what belongs to themselves or other men How like this is unto the ordinary discourse of Quakers such as heare them ordinarily can best know the Scripture mentioneth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not as common to all Phil. 1 9. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5 14. which are rare 10. This to me is further confirmed by the following Expression which he hath and of the Seed of God of the touch and feeling of which also if it be any thing distinct from the foresaid Inward Testimony Adams posterity was deprived by the fall for these men use to speak much of this Seed and Seed of God Mr Hicks dial 1 Pag 16. tels us that some of them call it a measure of God others call it Christ and the Spirit Some call it that which obeyeth the light contradicting the former for it cannot be both the Light or the Spirit and Measure of God which giveth sensations and touches and the soul or that which obeyeth and receiveth these touches and sensations And Dial. 2 Pag. 84 he says some call it the Witness of God in our consciences and P. 66. that G. Keith Immed Revel P. 77.78 calleth it that which the work of the ministry is to point hearers to and P. 75 76. he maketh it Christ the light in man and this same Man Pag 82.83 84. maketh this seed the same with Grace with the word of God with the light that enlighteneth every man and makes it a certane spiritual substance and not an accident as we shall hear afterward and thus it is manifest that according to this mans doctrine Adam by his fall lost not Grace nor the Word of God nor the Light within nor this Seed but only the Touches thereof and what Scripture I pray teacheth him this or by what Scripture shall we be helped to understand this the Scriptures which we have speak far otherwise of the fall and of the sad Consequences thereof as is known 11. He addeth the other part of this Degeneration saying that Mankinde became subject to the power of Nature and to the seed of Satan Neither of which are Scriptural Expressions and what sense to put upon them so as they shall agree with what he hath said and with what we shall heare out of his Apology I do not know only this would seem evident that he must hereby meane some thing directly Opposite or Contrary to the Testimony and Seed of God And so as the Seed of God to him is a Substance so this Seed of Satan must be a Substance also And as before the fall man was under the Touches and Sensations of the Seed of God so after the fall he came under the Touches and Sensations of the Seed of Satan And thus we see that this man among other Errours hath drunk-in the errour of Flacius Illyricus who said that the image of God and Original righteousness was a Substance and an Essence in Demonstr Fol 21. and 38. and 40. as also that Original sin was not an accident but a substance and so this man and his party must revive again the old condemned opinion or errour of the wicked Manichees who
sinning they actually joyn themselves to it And this seed of sin is frequently in Scripture called dâ—ath and the body of death and that this seed and that which cometh of it is called the old man the old Adam Thus then in â—hort his judgment is that nothing of original sin neither Originans nor Originatum neither the Guilt of Adam's sin nor the Corruption of nature is imputed to or inherent in any man till he commit some actual transgression and so sin cometh not by Propagation or Traduction but by Imitation as said the Pelagians of old and as the Socinians and Anabaptists to day maintaine And the Arminians with their Episcopius deny that any thing that is truely sin is found in any of Adams Posterity before their own proper act 8. Let us now see what he sayeth in defence of this Errour and let us first take notice of what he said of Augustine that much honoured Instrument of the Lord against the errours that Satan was soweing in the Church in his time He would make us beleeve that Augustine wrote of this subject when under the dottage of old age while as it is manifest to such as read his life that what he wrote against Pelagius was written while he was in the prime of his Vigour and Understanding and his works themselvs declare the same But what will this pedantick Quaker think of that singular and self-denying woâ—k of that worthy person called his Retractations wherein he reviewed all his former writings and retracted several thâ—ngs asserted by him in his younger and lesse studied yeers belike this man will look upon that work being written after these he now excepteth against as containing nothing but greater dottages because as he â—upposeth the longer persons live though not yet comeing near the ordinary attendants of stouping or declineing old age they grow the greater fools and consequently that himself must now be a greater fool though I see little dâ—ffâ—rence while become a Quaker than he was in his younger dayes when he was a Papist Next the man is not ashamed to judge of the very Thoughâ—s and Motives of that noble Instrument yea he is so bold as to condemne him of acting upon corrupt motives as if noâ—hing had moved him to write for Oâ—iginal sin but eagerness of Zâ—al against Pelagius no inward conviction of the truth not of the damnableness or danger of the Pelagian heâ—esie in this no conviction of his duty to appear for truth Doth this Qâ—aker consider that hereby he is audaciously arrogating to himself Gods prerogative royal of judging the secrets of the heart Remembeâ—eth he that God is a Jealous God who will not give his glory to another But what grounds can he give of this his bold presumption What evidence is there of that holy Fathers writting against his own conscience I â—ay no more of this but leave this Quaker to his judge and take notice of a Third untruth when he sayeth that Augustine was the first that appeared in this controversie against the Pelagians Had he but consulted Vossius in his Historia Pelagianismi a book that sometime he citeth he should have found that whole Councils appeared against Pelagius himâ—elf to speak nothing of Hierome in this particular before that Augustine wrote of it particularly the first Synod at Carthage and that Synod in Palestine where Pelagius himself was present and hideing his abominations deceived the Fathers with faire words and the Council of Milevy that dealt more roundly with that heresie tels us in plaine tearmes that the Truth which they maintained was owned by the whole Catholick Church all the world over and so it was indeed and never once questioned till that unhappy instrument of Satan to whom this Quaker adjoyneth himself broached his pernicious doctrine It is true the Pelagians called this Orthodox truth a forged device of Augustines as this man doth but Augustine replyed as Vossius tels us Hist. Pelag lib. 2. part 1. Thes. 6. in these words I did not devise original sin which the Caâ—holick faith beleeved of old but thou who denyest this without doubt art a new heretick and lib. 1. contra Iulian. Cap. 2. he citeth no fewer then ten or twelue of the Fathers for him and lib. de Pecc Merit Remis he saies he never heard one that owned the Scriptures speak otherwise If this Quaker had perused Vossius in the place last cited he would have seen how the â—ame truth which Augustine maintained was asserted by ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine before Augustine's dayes such as Ignatius Dionysius Areopagia Iustin Martyr Tatianus Ireneus whom Augustine himself citeth Origen Methodius Macarius Hierosol Macarius Aegyptius Athanasius Cyrillus Nazianzenus Chrysostome and others of the latine Fathers he citeth Tertullian Cyprian Arnobius Reticius Olympius Hilarius Ambrosius whom Augustine citeth Hilarius Diaconus Hieronimus whom he also citeth And moreover he should have found Pag. 179. that Augustine did not assert this truth meerly out of zeâ—l gainst the Pelagians as he ignorantly and boldly affirmeth for he had asserted it in hâ—s books de Libero Arbitrio written before Pelagianisme appeared and how in his 6. book against Iulianus the Pelagian Cap. 4. he sayes expresly that he was in that judgment from the very beginning of his conversion that he had said nothing through heat of disput which was not the ancient doctrine of the whole Church Ego sayeth he per unum hominem in mundum intrasse peccatum per peccatum mortem ita in omnes homines pertransisse in quo peccaverunt omnes ab initio conversionis meae sic tenui semper ut teneo Extant libri quos adhuc laicus reâ—entissimâ neâ conversiâ—ne conscripst et si nondum sicut postea sacris literis eruditus tamen nihil de hâc re jam nunc sentiens ubi disputandi ratio poposcerat dicens nisi quod antiquitus discit and docet omnis Ecclesia Let this Qâ—aker read these words and if he be not above measure effronted let him blush at his shameless boldness Let hiâ— read also August lib 4 ad Boniâ—ac c. 8. contra duaâ— Pelagianorum Eâ—istolas lib. 3. de Pecc Mer. remiss cap. 6. 7. lib. 1. adv jul resp poster Pag 5.8 125. and he will see further cause of repenting of his groundless confidence and audacity if his conscience be not feared 9. We have had one great proof of this Quakers confident boldness now theâ—e followeth another for the only confirmation which he adduceth of his Heâ—esie in his Thesis and that which he first speaketh to in his Apology Pag. 59. is brought from Ephes. 2 1 2 3. a passage out of which the old Fathers proved Orâ—ginal sin against the Pelagians as August lib. 6. c. 12. cont jul Scriptor Hypognost lib. 2. Fulgent and fourteen Bishops with him ad Petrum diaconum c. 26. Theodoret on the place also Primasius and Haimo commenting on the place and others cited by
made up for destruction and that as the first is done that He might make known the riches of his glory so the last is done that He might shew his wrath and make his power known 10. Christ Mat. 11 25 26. referreth the Lords hiding of the Gospel-manifestations of life and salvation from some unto the good pleasure of God! and if this part of the execution of the decree of Reprobation be referred unto this Absolute Soveraignity good Pleasure of God as its first and only spring much more must the Decree it self be reduced to this only Fountain 11. The like we may observe from 1 Pet. 2.8 from Iud vers 4. from Revel 13 8 17 8. 12. We are told that the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved Act. 2 47. and that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Act. 13 48. where we see that the appointing some to be saved and ordaining them to eternal life is given as the prime ground and cause of their being added to the Church and Beleeving whence it followeth that the Lord did not adde others to the Church nor give them grace to Beleeve because he had not ordained and appointed them to life the consequence of the Negation is as manifest as the consequence of the Affirmation and is clearly intimated when the other is expressed 11. Thus the Scripture confirmeth our point we shall adde a few reasons as 1. No temporal thing such as is mans sin can be the cause of that which is Eternal as is God's act of Reprobation If it be said that the foresight of what is temporal may be the cause of an Eternal Decree I answere This cannot be for how is it imaginable That God's prescience should be the meritorious cause of his Decree can one eternal Act of God be the meritorious cause and of such a cause we speak here of another All the Eternal Acts of God are one and they are the same with himself how absurd is it then to imagine one to be the meritorious cause of another or the same act as terminated on one object to be the meritorious cause of it self as terminated upon another object If it be said that sin foreâ—een can be the cause of an Eternal act of Reprobation Answ. But sin can not be foreseen as a thing that shall exist without a previous decree concerning its existence by the permission of God and so sin must first be permitted or decreed to be by permission before any man can be Reprobated because of sin by this Objection and then when we suppose sin to be permitted by a decree I ask for what end is this decreed permission God decreeth nothing but for a certane end and what is His End in this is it that he may thereby be moved to Reprobat Then his intention of Reprobation is first for the intention of the End is before the Intention of the midss and how absurd and a theological is that to say that God intended an End and then he Intended Meanes to move him to intend that end Againe by this Assertion the decree of Permitting sin should be before the decree of Damning for sin and so we must imagine the same order in the decrees that we see in the things decreed while as how various soever the things decreed be the decrees themselvs are all one pure act in God who is actus purissimus simplicissimus and therefore sin foreseen can no more be the meritorious cause of the decree of Reprobating for sin than of the decree of Permitting sin And if we should imagine an order betwixt these two decrees of Permitting of sin and of Reprobating for sin it must be such an order as is betwixt the Intention of the End and of the Meanes and so the intention of Permitting sin being first should be of the End which is always first in intention and the intention of Reprobation being the last of these two should be of the Means and so we should be damned for sin that we might be Permitted to sin and that which is first in Intention as the End being last in Execution and that which is a Means being first it would follow that man should be first damned and then permitted to sin which is obviously false and absurd 2. if sin be the meritorious cause of Reprobation then it is so either by necessity of Nature or by the free Constitution of God But neither can be said as we saw above â— The decrees of God can have no more a cause than himself can have all the Acts of God's will being his Will and his Will being Himself we cannot imagine a cause in man of an act of his will more than of himself 4 we should reason proportionably of the decree of Election as we do of the decree of Reprobation as we saw the Apostle doing and so if sin foreseen be the cause of Reprobation grace foreseen must be the cause of Election against the whole Scripture and the Apostles expresse argueing Rom. 9. 5. That procureing cause of Reprobation God could have prevented or taken out of the way if he had pleased else we must imagine a stoical fate overpowering God himself If he might have taken it out of the way and did not can any reason hereof be given beside his owne good pleasure or his designe to manifest the glory of his justice in the just damnation of such and doth not this referre the decree of damning for sin ultimatly unto His good pleasure 6. what are those sinnes which are the procuring cause of Reprobation This man will not say that Original sin is the cause for he denieth it as we saw in the proceeding Chapter And what can that actual sin be and whatever be supposed it must be such as could be foreseen in no other otherwise the foresight thereof could not be the proper meritorious or moving cause why this man was Reprobated more then that man for what is to be foreseen in an Elect cannot be the meritorious cause why the other is Reprobated Againe whatever actual sin that be final Unbeleef or what you will it must either be such as God could have prevented or taken out of the way if he had pleased or not if the first be said then it is manifest that the decree of Reprobation can not ultimatly be resolved into sin as a procuring cause but into the good pleasure of God who would not take that sin out of the way nor prevent its being If this Last be said then God was under a fatal necessitie of decreeing and doing all which he decreed and did and could not hinder sin nor not create that man nor alter any one circumstance which did occasion that sin and thus God himself shall be bound by the fetters of a fatal Necessity yea and all this fatal Necessity shall have its rise from Man which were most absurd and blasphemous 7. if actual sinnes be the consequent of
this for a true declaration of the truth which we maintaine and with this open discovery of his unfaire dealing might we rest satisfied because it is to be presumed his following reasons can conclude only against this he hath laid forth as our judgment but as we have showne This is not our judgment and therefore his Arâ—uments cannot touch us if they lavel at nothing but at this man of straw which he hath made for himself to shoot at Yet lest he boast as if we were not able to look his Reasons in the face we shall view them 14. He tels us that this is a new opinion there being no mention made thereof in the first four hundered yeers after Christ and that Augustin laid the first foundation thereof in his later writings out of zeal against the Pelagians and sowed some sayings which some have unhappily laid hâ—ld on to strengthen this errour whereby they contradict both truth and the sayings of Augustin and others Answ 1. This man would make us bâ—leeve that he had read all the Fathers that wrote before Augustine but we know whence he hath this for it is the old saying of Arminians But 2. This can conclude nothing against the Truth which we have seen asserted in the Scriptures of truth The Fathers in those ages had not to do with such hereticks as were the Pelagians Before that Enemy of the grace of God arose the Church was in pâ—ace as to these controversies and the Fathers had no occâ—sion to debate such questions as Pelagius afterwards gave occasion unto Can he evince that all the Fathers before Augustine were of a contrary opinion to what we maintaine 3. Is this mans Religion grounded upon the authority of men And will he beleeve no more than what the Father 's said in the first foure ages Let him follow what cisterns he pleaseth we will satisfie ourselves with the Word as the ground of our Faith and we do look upon the Apostles as more ancient than these Fathers and take their positive assertions as of more authority than the silence of these 4. Yet Augustine de dono persever Cap. 11. citeth Ambrose Nazianzen and Cyprian as concurring with him in the ground of his doctrine of Predestination 5. as concerning Augustine what this man groundlesly suggesteth of him is the same he said before when speaking of Original sin and there we answered it 6. what contradictions are in our doctrine either unto Truth or unto Augustine he hath not showne Augustine it is true in his later dayes and after more mature deliberation and consideration of the matter occasioned by his disputs with the Pelagians did retract somethings said by himself in his younger yeers But all this is for the further Confirmation of the truth which we owne The Reader who desireth more satisfaction concerning this matter of Antiquity as to this point may consult the learned D. Twisse against Mr Hoord Sect. 1. 15. He next tels us that the Dominicans imbraced this Opinion And so he giveth us to understand that he is more pleased with the doctrine of the Iesuites But all except Pelagian-Arminians confesse that in these points the Dominicans are preferable to the Iesuites who are more downe right Enemies to the grace of God And then with a crocodile tear as it were in his eye he tels us with an Alas that Calvin éspoused this opinion and addeth that he wronged his name much hereby But with none of the orthodox I am confident for as to what this Quaker and his Arminians say in this we value it not He addeth that hereby the Christian and Protestant Religion was defamed And yet the world heard of no such thing but by Papists Iesuites Arminians who is bound to regard their scandal who are blinde leaders of the blinde must truth be foresaken because these Enemies to the grace of God like it not He confesseth that the Synod oâ— Dort did defend our opinion but addeth that notwithstanding it is exploded by the major part of learned and pious men in all the Churches of Protestants We know indeed that too many nowadayes are turning from the truth and imbraceing Pelagian Iesuitical and Arminian errours but that they make up the major part we deny possibly he will take in the Lutherans but we account them not Reformed Protestants 16. But Pag. 66. he tels us he would not much regaird all this if our opinion had any ground in the word And we have shown that it hath good ground there Then he saith that it is most injurious unto God If this be true it must certanly be an Errour but how is this made good It maketh saith he God the Author of sin An heavy charge if true yet this is so clear thiâ—keth he as that two and one make three But a Quakers confidence following a blinde guide is no strong argument to us let us hear his reason If saith he the Lord decreed that these predestinate ones should perish having no respect unto their evil actions but out of his meer good pleasure and if he also decreed long before they did exist or in any capacity did either good or evil that they should be in these sins by which secondarily they were to be led unto that end who is the first Author and cause of this our God who so willed and decreed it then which there cannot be a more necessary consequence Answ. 1. The word Predestinate being usually taken in a good sense as meaned of these Elected to glory the man vents his gall in thus misapplying the word to render the truth Odious 2. Though no consideration of sin was or could be the Meritorious Moving or Procureing cause of God's eternal decree yet when he decreed to puniâ—h everlastingly thâ— Reprobat for their sinnes he cannot be said to have no respect to sin in his decree as he here alleigeth who considereth not well what he sayeth 3. Though he decreed to punish everlastingly for sin such and such persons and none else meerly out of his owne good will and pleasure yet he cannot be said to have had no respect to sin which punishment alwayes presupposeth and answereth unto 4 If God's decrees be not before man exist or do any good or evil they cannot be Eternal but Temporal and so this man is a Socinian and the decree of God concerning every individual person must exist when the man hath done good or evil and so as many men as many decrees nay according to this man the Lord can make no decree concerning the Everlasting state of man so long as he liveth and so not only we cannot but God himself cannot say to or of any man before the point of death that he is a Reprobate or an Elect what Apprehensions these men have of God I tremble to express 5. What he meaneth by these words ut in iniquitatibus illis versarentur I know not unless their meaning be as I have expressed it And what would he then make
of them He cannot deny but God did permit sin nor will he say that God could not have prevented sins coming into the world if He had pleased will he say that God did not foresee sinnes coming into the world If he did foresee it and might have hindered it if he had pleased and did not hinder it shall we say that sin came into the world whether he would or not And if he willed or decreed that sin should exist through his permission shall we call him the author of sin Then he must be the author of sin because he did not hinder sin effectually by his Omnipotency and then whatever we say of Reprobation whether we affirme it to be Absolute or upon sin Foreseen there is no remedie as to this for God must alwayes be the Author of sin But hallowed be his Name 6. The Decree of Reprobation putteth no man into a state of sin It is true the Execution theâ—eof presupposeth sin but hence it will no more follow that the decree of Reprobation placeth a man in sin than that the decree of Election doth so for the execution here presupposeth also mans being in sin 7. Where readeth he that expression among our divines that by vertue of the decree of Reprobation the Reprobat are secondarily led or to be led to destruction as the end The Lord leadeth no man to destruction but every reprobat runeth head long thither of his own accord and because the Lord hath designed and decreed to let them run-on and not restraine them by saving grace shall he therefore be the Author of their sinnes Then all the sins that are committed must be charged upon the Holy one of Israel because He did not prevent them by his grace And thus the devils may come in play and learne of this man to plead Excuse for themselves and lay the blame of all their wickedness upon God Sure this must be Develish doctrine 8. But what is it that God is the Author and Cause of His hujus doth not distinctly inform us That he is the Author and Cause of his own Act and Decree is most true But that he is the Cause and Author of sin as this man would inferre we see not the Antecedent from whence this Consequence can follow Beside that the Author of a thing is he by whose authority or judgment it is done or upon whose testimony it is beleeved for Cicero opposeth Authorem and dissuasorem and joineth these together as of the same import Hortator atque Author Consiliarius Author Suasor Author Plautus said Impero autorque sum Now dar this Man say that God Exhorteth Counseleth and perswadeth to sin Dar this Man say that we hold or tâ—at it followeth from our juâ—gment that by God's Authority Sentence and Swasion sin is committed Let him prove this and then carry the cause 9. In a word we referre this Man to the Apostle Paul Rom. 9 11 12 13. to receive his answere and let him dispute no more against us till he once take the boldness to confute that his inferring from our doctrine that God is the Author of sin is but the same which the Apostle saw would be deduced from his doctrine by men of corrupt mindes when he addeth by way of Objection vers â—4 Is there unrighteousness with God And if our answere will not satisfie him let him confute the Apostles answere for we but say the same viz. That God hath mercy on whom he will hardeneth whom he will And if for this cause our doctrine be blamed we cannot help it but must be content to be contradicted and if he make use of the reply used vers 19. we must give the returne which the Apostle giveth vers 20 21. And if all this will not satisfie we must leave him to the judgment of the great day when that God against whom these proud carpers thus reply shall answer them by himself put them to eternal silence and everlasting shame 17. Thereafter he citeth some sayings of Calvin Beza Zanchius Pareus Martyr Zuinglius Piscator out of which he would inferre that they allaiged God was the Author of sin All which and moe he might finde collected to his hand by Bellarmin and answered by the learned D. Twisse in his Vindiciae And therefore as also because this belongeth to a distinct question we need neither spend time in searcâ—ing out what truth is in all this not yet in vindicating of them One thing I shall say That among them all he shall not finde one that saith directly that God is the Author and Culpable Cause of sin and if he suppose that this may be drawn from their expressions I shall only reply That if there be any of them that giveth more real ground for such an Inference than the very Expressions used in Scripture I shall not owne them and if they say no more and yet are condemned by him as making God the Author of sin though they expresly deny it let him see how he shall vindicate the Spirit of Goâ— from the same charge or rather how in his blind boldnesse he charges the Spirit of God As for these passages of Scripture which our Divines aâ—duce against the Pelagians and Iesuites who ascribe unto God in the matâ—er of sin an Idle Provideâ—câ— aâ—d Permâ—ssion Bellarmine ranketh them up in five classes First Such as speak of God's Willing and Decreeing from eternity that sin shall exist such are Act. 2 23. 4 27. Esai 53 10. Second Such as import God's creating evil men for this end that his righteousness might shine forth in their punishment such are Prov. 16 4. 1 Sam. 2 25. Exod. 9 16. Rom. 9 17 21. Third Such as import God's setting of Satan and men to evil and useing of them as instruments to do that which could not be done without sin such are 1 King 22 20 23. Iob. 1 12. 2 6. 2 Sam. 16.10 24 1. Esai 5 26. 10 5 15. â—3 17. 19 2 4. Ier. 50 24 25. 51 11. Ezech. 12 13. Psal. 105 25. c. Fourth Such as speak of God's blinding hardening c. as Exod. 4.21 7 3 13. 9.12 10 1 20 27. 1â— 10. 14 4 8. Deut. 2 30. Iosu. 1â— 20. 1 Sam. 2 25. Iob. 12 16 20 24. Esai 19 14. 63 17. Ier. 20 7. Ioh. 12 3â— 40. Rom. 1 24 26 28. 9 18. 2 Thes. 2 11. c. Fift Such as import God's doing of those things which are evil as 2 Sam. 12 11. Luk. 2 34. Rom. 9 33. Esai 8 14. 28 16. Gen. 45 8. 1 King 11 31 37. 12 15 24. 2 King 9 3. 10 30. c. Now if he can adduce any testimony of our Divines whence he can with more probability inferre that God is the Author of sin I shall not as I said owne it And if such as are but consonant to the Scriptures do not please him
therefore I shall say againe O man who art thou that repliest against God c. Art thou also offended that God hath given thee an immortal soul and made thee a man out of the same lump of clay out of which he made the beast Why art thou then angry that God out of the same lump maketh one a vessel of honour and another a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction But next will he say that all men naturally can Beleeve and Repent and fulfill the conditions upon which salvation is offered Yes this he must say or he saith nothing against us here and then he must be as much a Pelagian as ever Pelagius was himself Then Faith is not the gift of God but of ourselves contrare to Ephes. 2. v. 9. and other Scriptures above cited Then Faith is not the faith of God's elect contrare to Tit. 1 1. Then a natural man and he that is in the flesh can please God contrare to Rom. 8 8. Then the natural man can receive the things of the Spirit of God contrare to 1 Cor. 2 14 Then he contradicteth all his owne doctrine formerly examined Chap. v. Then we need not pray for faith and Repentance or a Circumcised heart or Regeneration or a New heart or an heart of flesh nor give God thanks for any of these things because they are all in our owne power and then the Beleever maketh himself to differ contrare to 1 Cor. 4 7. What a contradiction this is to the whole Gospel and to the whole tenor thereof no man that hath once read it can be ignorant We thank him this once for this plaine and ingenuous insinuation This may help us to understand him better in what is following But if he say that they can do what is required by the help of the grace of God He knoweth that we say so but his Aggravations here have a far other tendency for his instance of the beasts of Pharaohs carriage were else utterly impertinent Nay what meaneth the man to compare the matter unto Pharaoh's withdrawing of straw yea and make it worse Say we that God taketh away that Grace to beleeve and Repent that wicked men would as faine have as the Israelites would have had straw or that Reprobation maketh men unbeleevers against their will and taketh away the Power and Grace to beleeve which they had It is little wonder that this man who dar thus open his mouth against heaven spew out lies and calumnies against us We must beare it knowing that he will come to Judgment and that our Doctrine is consonant to that Rev. 22 17. and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely and to that Ioh. 6 37. and him that cometh to me I will in no wayes cast out 25. He proceedeth in his calumnies and saith P. 69. That by our doctrine we place Mankinde in the same state that the Poets feigned Tantalus to be in who being thirsty was placed in water to his chinne so that he could not drink And why because we say that the works of creation and providence among heathens are not to bring them to salvation but only to convince them of sin so serve for their condemnation Answ. 1. But what hath this to do with Reprobation The man in his rage runneth himself blinde that he knoweth not what he saith 2 Do Heathens make up all mankinde 3. Are the Heathen as desirous of Salvation and of the Crown of Glory of which they never once heard and of the Grace of Faith in Christ of whom they never heard a report as Tantalus was of drinking the water that did run by his lip as the verse might have minded him Tantalusà labris sitiens fugientia captat pocula If not is the man so transported with passion that he seeth not his palpable impertinency 4. we see then that according to his Opinion the works of Creation and Providence are as effectual meanes to save the Heathen as the Gospel is to save such as hear it and by these may Heathens come as soon to glory as such as live under the Gospel by it why then came Christ into the world Was it that the works of Creation and Providence might become preachers of the Gospel and of Salvation but we will possibly hear more of this afterward He addeth that we say the preaching of the Gospel the use of sacraments prayers c. suffice to condemne Reprobats that live within the visible church and that they are all ineffectual unto them by reason of a secret impotency which they had from their infancy c. Ans. 1. Here still more Pelagianisme for he would say that all within the visible Church are borne able to beleeve the Gospel and do duties required therein 2. That the peaching of the Gospel is to many the favoure of death we are told by Paul 2. Cor. 2 16. and that it tendeth to the aggravation of their guilt and condemnation we heard lately out of Christ's owne mouth 3. Is he angry with us because we will not say that every mothers son that heareth the Gospel can beleeve and obey the same without the grace of God or because we will not say that Christ hath given sufficient grace to all that heare the Gospel to Believe and Obey Let him be angry with the Scriptures if he dar for we speak according to them that â—els us all men have not faith 2 Thes. 3 2. and â—hat faith is of God's elect Tit. 1 1. and that no man can come unto the Son but whom the Father draweth Ioh 6 44. That many beleev not because they are not of Christ's sheep Ioh. 10 26. That there is a necessity of regeneration Ioh. 3 3 5 6. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God fâ—r it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 7. And many moe such things see Ioh. 12 39. Act. 13 48. 28 24 25 26 27. Mat. 13 11 12 13 14 15 16. Rom. 11 7 8 9. 4. As for his making the case of the wicked that hear the Gospel the same with Tantalus's we shall only tell him that if he can prove that any Reprobat hath as great and vehement a desire unto salvation by Christ as it is offered in the Gospel as Tantalus had to drink and yet it is denyed unto them meerly upon the account of their being Reprobate then his comparison is apposite But if that be an untruth as it is his argueing from Tantalus's case is a mere forged calumny We openly declare according to the tenor of the Gospel that he who is a thirst may come and drink of the water of life freely Revel 22 vers 17. Esai 55 vers 1 2 3. Mat. 11. vers 28. Ioh. 7 vers 37. 26. Thus we have examined all which this Man hath thought fit to cull out of the writings of Pelagians and Arminians and present his Reader with for no other end but to
render the Truth we owne odious for neither doth he tell us his owne Judgment concerning this nor would he onâ—e consider what grounds we walk upon or speak one word to the passages of Scripture upon which we ground our Opinion Thought he that his Readers would not be in case to take notice of his fraudulent and unfaithful dealing It is well that he hath written this in latine for the world is no stranger unto the debates betwixt the Orthodox on the one hand and Pelagians Socinians Arminians and Iesuites on the other But we proceed unto the examination of his following Thesis CHAP. VIII Of Universal Redemption 1. Our Quaker having as we heard laid by and taken out of the way so far as he could the Principal and Fundamental discriminating Purpose of God in denying for any thing we could observe all Eternal Electiâ—n and Reprobation and having thereby homologated with Arminians as also with Socinians who run upon Universalities as abhoring all Specialities and Discriminating Acts exclusive of any except what Lord Free will doth and of which this Absolute and Supream Lord is master and disposer and therefore Assert in the first place An Vniversal Love and good will in God to all and every mothers son of the race of Mankinde He proceedeth in showing us how in the rest of their Universalities he is their friend and therefore talketh not only of an Vniversal Ransome Price paid for all Adam's posterity by Christ of which he speaketh next but proceedeth as we shall hear to hold forth an Vniversal Covenant of free grace made with all the sones of Adam though he be pleased to give us it in other termes and an Vniversal Call and Gospel as also Vniversal Grace by which every one may if he will lay hold on the offer and be saved and withall he giveth us a Salvation among Heathens as we shall heare 2. When he rejected Election Reprobation Absolute he made way and laid a good foundation for this other Errour of Vniversal Redemption for these two cannot well be separated however some of late would maintaine this Universal Redemption and withall assert an Election of grace whereby the Lord made choice of so many as pleased him whom he would certainly redeem and bring to glory which I cannot see how they can consonantly and satisfyingly hold unless they can prove out of Scripture two distinct Covenants betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator two distinct and different Ends of Christ's death Two distinct Prices laid down and Two distinct Purchases made if the one could well be called a purchase Two Satisfactions Christ a Cautioner and no-Cautioner a Redeemer and no-Redeemer an absolute Saviour and a Conditional Saviour c. But the Scripture cleareth no such thing to us for any thing I see 3. As concerning the point of Vniversal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matâ—er thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacifie an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in thâ— Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal and Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for all as if God had such Natural and Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent and Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Free will would and as if the Love that sent Câ—rist were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves and as the ground of all the Effects and Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Iustice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any and upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement and so Iustice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Free will would consent unto termes of new to be proposed 4. Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins and Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent and Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith and Repantence and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not and could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions and Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for Any man much less for All. 5. Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree and Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure and
made for what interest could others have in this or advantage by it And so the Redemption was neither Universal nor yet meerly Possible and no more 13. Againe 2. The Scripture every where pointeth out the end of Christs coming and dying to have been to Procure and Obtaine some good to man it were endless to cite the Scriptures speaking this out plainely But if it had been only to have procured a Possibility then the proper and immediat end of his dying had been only to have procured something to God viz. a Power to Him that he might without hurt to his Justice prescribe a possible way of salvation Now not to discusse that question agitated among Orthodox Divines viz. whether it was impossible for God to have pardoned the sins of man without a satisfaction made by his Son or not meaning antecedently to a decree determineing this way of manifestation of the Iustice of God only I must say that as yet I can see nothing from Scripture determineing the egresses of the Relative Iustice of God to be more essential to God and less subject to the free determinations of his good will and pleasure than are the egresses of his Mercy nor do I see any necessity for asserting this against the Socinians seing our ground walking upon a decree is proof against all their Assaults far less see I any necessity of founding our whole debate with the Socinians upon that ground yea I cannot but judge it the result of great imprudence so to do seing the Socinians may reply that the sole ground of that Opposition to them is not only questioned but plainly denyed by such as we account Orthodox and learned and may hence gather that we have no other solide ground whereupon to debate with them but such as the learned of our owne side overthrow The depths of God's Counsel are beyond our fathoming and it is hard for us to say hithertil the omnipotent can come but not one ince further I daâ— not be wise above what is writen and I would gladly see one passage of Scripture declareing this to have been in itself utterly impossible and inconsistent with God But whatever may be said of this what Scripture tels us that Christ was sent to die that he might obtean this Power unto God And further what was this power Was it a meer Power and Liberty that should never have any Effect If it was to have an Effect what was that Was it only to make a new Transaction with man in order to his salvation If that was all notwithstanding of all this Power and Ability not one man might have been saved Was it certanely to save some Then the Redemption cannot be called Universal nor yet meerly Possible Nay if by the death of Christ a Right and Power only was obtained to God God was at full liberty to have exerced that Right and Power or not as he pleased and so notwithstanding thereof man might have remained in the same condition whereinto he was and never so much as have had one offer of life upon any termes what ever or only upon the old termes of the Covenant of works and what then should the advantage of this have been The whole Scripture speaking of the death of Christ mentioneth far other Ends respecting man 14. If we 3. Consider how the Scripture mentioneth a number given of the Father to Christ to be Redeemed and Saved we shall see that there is neither an Universal nor yet a meer Possible Redemption for this gift is utterly repugnant to and destructive of both for if conforme to the Covenant beâ—wixt the Father and the Son there were some given to Christ to save and redeem these He must actually save and redeem and for these only was Christ ordained and designed of the Father to be a Redeemer and upon the account of these only did he undertake the work and lay down the ransome-money for it is not rational to suppose that the designe of Father and Son being to saâ—e actually these gifted ones Christ would shed his blood for others who were not given to him and who should receive no salvation by his blood for cui bono what could be the designe of Father and Son in this The matter goeth not so in humane transactions where the price is considerable Now that the Scripture mentioneth some given to Christ and that in distinction from others is clear Ioh. 17 2. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him So vers 12. Those that thou gavest me I have keept and none of them are lâ—st c. So Ioh. 6 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me vers 30. And this is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Ioh. 17 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 10. And all thine are mine and mine are thine and I am glorified in them 11. Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. Whence we see tâ—at Christ had no charge of the rest was under no tye to save them nor would he so much as pray for them but as for the given ones Ioh. 10. called his sheep for these he laid downe his life and prayed and for these was he to give an account nay which is more these had a special Interest in God's heart and affection were thereupon given to Christ. They were the Father's and given of the Father to tâ—e Son and so fully discriminated from all the rest and both Father and Son stand engadged to carry these thorow unto salvation all which considered it is most plaine that the Redemption was Particular and Actual conforme to the Undertaking and Transaction 15. Nay 4. If we will consider the fountaine love from whence the sending of Christ came we will see how unreasonable it is to imagine an Universal meer Possible Redemption as the proper end and effect of Christs death and merites It is said Ioh. 9 16. A place which our Universalists look upon as most favourable for them that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleevers in him might have eternal life This love is held forth as unparallelable a love greater than which cannot be conceived and a a love demonstrated by the greatest effect imaginable sending and giving his only begotten to give his life a râ—nsoâ—e and to die for sinners and it must be contrary to all reason to imagine that all this was to procure a Redemption by which it was possible that not one man should be Actually Redeemed Christ himself saith Ioh. 15 13. greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends See also Rom. 5.8 And shall we think
that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not If not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son and the Son came and both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable and yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew then he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die and why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of love was to send his Son and in the Son to come and die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death and profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all thing Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all and is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all and smaller effects not common also See also 1 Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So â—s this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife and Church Ephes. 5 25 2. and hath gracious and saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Epes 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2 Thes. 2.16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting and Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Free will do not consent of his own accord 16 Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery and Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 18 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1 Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners if it were a meer possibility that might never tâ—ke effect hâ—w should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10. where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is becâ—use he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually and Really and not Potentially or Poâ—sibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he sayeth noâ— the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef bâ— the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifâ—time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual and Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brâ—thren that he might be a Merciful and Faithfull High priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful and Faithful High prist in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not one person should be reconciled and are the Reprobate his brethen Ephes. 5 25 26. To what end did Christ give himself for his Church And all the world of mankinde belong not to his Church It was that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Is this a meer Possibility Then might Christ have died and have had no Church to present to himself faire and spotless his Church might have remained full of spots and wrinkles unholy and full of blemishes yea should have been no Church Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Do all the world belong to this peculiar people doth Christ redeem all the world from all iniquity Is all the world purified and made zealous of good works Or is all this a meer maybe which may not be 2 Corinth 5 vers 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be 〈◊〉 the righteousness of God in him Was Christ made sin or a sacrifice for sin that all the world might possibly be made the righteousness of God in him that is that possibly not one person might be made the righteousness of God in him who can dream thus that God's intentions and designes should be so loose and frustrable and that God should be so uncertain in his purposes Gal. 1 4. why did the Lord Iesus give himself for our sinnes It was that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our father This is no meer Possible Deliverance and it is such as was designed not for all the world but for the us there mentioned So Chap. 4 4 5 God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sones This Real Benefite is manifestly here restrickâ—d Ioh. 17 19. for their sakes I sanctify any self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himself to be an oblation not to obtaine a meer may be but that they for whose sakes he did sanctifie himself that is they that were given to him vers 6 9. and were his owne vers 10. and were in due time to beleeve in him vers 20. might Really and Actually be Sanctifiâ—d through him Heb. 13 12. wherefore did Iesus suffer without the
giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things and vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard there from being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real and Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap 9 24 to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncerâ—ane 18. If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable this Quaker is Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end and fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we think that Christ might have died and yet not one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Free will upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1 Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So 2 Cor. 5 15 He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These and the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him and by himself and shall we suppose that this great and chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick and uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargan and purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all 19. Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted and Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinns But let us see what the Scripture saith 1 Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what redemption foâ—giveness of sins according to the riches of his grace So likewise Col. 1 14. Now when sinnes are thus taken away they are blotted ouâ— and not remembered Esai 43 25. Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. Yea they are blotted out as a cloud and as a thick cloud Esai 44 22. So they are said to be subdued casten into the depths of the sea Mica 7 19. Shall we now say that Christ hath died to purchase this Redemption the Forgiveness and blotting out as a thick cloud and casting into the depths of the sea of sin and yet multitudes of those for whom this was purchased and that by the blood of God should never obtaine this benefite but have all their sins charged upon their owne score This so pincheth the Adversaries that the best evasion they can fall upon is to say that none shall have Original sin charged upon them But the Scripture no where estricteth this Remission to that sin only Others therefore say That no sin now shall be charged upon any but the sin of Unbeleef Then Iudas doth not suffer to day for betraying his master was it for this sin only that the Old World was drowned or that the Cities of Sodom are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Iude seemeth to say some other thing vers 7. so are there other sins there reckoned up vers 8 9 10 11 12. to which is reserved the blakness of darkness for ever vers 13. But some say that these are all but pardoned upon condition Then the Redemption is neither Actual and Real nor Compleat but a poor May be and a may be may not be and how can such sins be said to be forgiven or blotted out and casten behinde God's back and into the depths of the sea Did Christ know whether or not this condition would be performed If not then He is not the omniscient God If he knew that it would not be performed by the greatest part how can we imagine that he would notwithstanding lay downe his life to purchase a Remission for them And how can we think that He should purchase a Pardon to all and let the event hang upon the pendulous tottering will of a sinfull creature But as to that condition we shall 20. Propose 9. this consideration The not performance of that Condition was no doubt a sin and if Christ died for all the sinnes of the world he died for that too And if he died for that too that is taken out of the way or there must be another condition imagined upon performance of which that is to be taken out of
Intercession and Prayer is restricted to such Ioh. 17 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 6. Christ's end in coming into the world was to save his people Hence he gote that name Iesus but he should not be able to save them Perfectly Compleetly and to the Utermost if he did not joyne his Intercession with his Oblation Yea upon this account he continueth ever a Priest having an unchangable Priesthood Heb. ◠24 25. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7. The Apostle so joyneth them together Rom. 8 34. that they must do manifest violence to the Apostles reasoning who would pull them asunder and separate the one from the other It is sais he Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 8. Yea they are so joyned together here that his death alone considered could not yeeld that ground of triumph and boasting nor security from Accusations Yea rather that is risen againe c. 9. So that the separating and taking of these asunder is greatly prejudicial to the consolation of his people for though they should attaine to some apprehensions of Christ's dying for them as an Advocate with the Father upon new sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. Though Christ died yet they might be condemned for he must also Interceed and if he do not Intercede for them their Hopes and Comforts are gone And so there should be no force in that who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8 34. And a poor soul might be had saved but not to the uttermost contrare to Heb. 7 25. 10 And that place Rom. 8 33. restricteth both equally unto the Elect who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect 11. When Christ laid down his life a Ransome for sinners he could not but know that by that Ransome none should be actually saved without his Intercession it being accorded betwixt Father and Son that the mediator should mediate both by Price and by Prayer And he could not but know for whom he purposed and intended to Interceed how shall we then suppose that he would lay down his life for those for whom he was purposed not to Pray Or that he would do the most for them For whom he would not do the least 12. Christ's intercession is really a presenting unto God the Oblation made Therefore sayes the Apostle Heb. 9 24. that Christ is entered into heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And so by appearing he Interceedeth and his appearing is in his owne blood whereby he obtained Eternal Redemption Heb. 5 12. and so his Intercession must be for all for whom the Oblation was and the eternal Redemption was obtained 13. Yea both these are so joyned together by Esaias Chap. 53 12. as that they are made one ground and procureing cause of God's divideing him a portion with the great and of Christs own divideing the spoile with the strong Because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours 14. This is further clear from the reasons we gave to confirme that fast connexion betwixt Christ's Impetration Application in the foregoing paragraph for the Actual Application of the benefite and fruit of his oblation is attributed to his Intercession 15. Nay that whole Chapter Ioh 17. confirmeth this for there Christ is both Offering himself or sanctifying himself thereunto vers 19. and Interceding and these are so lincked together both in themselves and as to the persons for whom that it must argue at least much incogitancy to imagine a divulsion separation of these two acts of his Priesthood 16. If Christ Intercede not for the same persons for whom he died we ask for whom he Intercedeth Is it for actual beleevers Then we ask a Scripture ground for this restriction And then it is manifest hence that Christ Intercedeth not for the working of faith in any And yet Esaias tels us that he maketh Intercession for transgressours And we see Ioh. 17 20. that he prayeth not only for those who were already beleevers but for such also as were not yet beleevers He told us Himself also that he would pray the Father for the Spirit Ioh. 14 vers 16. And among other things this is one work of the Spirit to cause a sinner beleeve 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. 33. The point we are upon will be further cleare if we consider 22. That Christ's death was a Redemption and we are said to be Redeemed thereby Gal. 4 5. and 3 13. Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 1 Pet. 1 8. Revel 5 9. Tit. 2 14. And therefore all such as he laid down this Redemption or Redemption-money for must of necessity be redeemed and saved and consequently he died not for all seing all are not redeemed and saved His Ransome or Price of redemption which he laid down viz. his blood which he shed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome Mat. 20 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. That all such for whom this Redemption-money was payed and this Ransome was given must be saved is cleare for 1. Other wayes it were no Redemption a ransome given for Captives doth say that these Captives in law and justice ought to be set at liberty 2. This Redemption is the same with as to the effect or hath attending it forgiveness of sins Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. and forgiveness of sins is with justification hath blessedness attending it Rom. 4 6 7 8. 3. Salvation necessarily followeth upon this Ransome and Redemption as is clear 1 Tim. 2 4. compared with vers 6. 4. This redemption is from a vaine Conversation 1 Pet. 1 18. and consequently is attended with Salvation 5. It is attended with justification Rom. 3 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ 6. Hence it is called the Redemption of the transgressions Heb 9 15. that is either of Transgressours by a metonimy or of us from the evil of transgressions that upon a valuable compensation and satisfaction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Redemption from evil by the Interveening of a Price a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom 7. This was a Redemption from the law for God sent forth his son made under the law to redeem them who were under the law Gal. 4 4 5. so by this redemption there is a liberation had from the Law and its Curse and Penality 8. And it is a Redemption of such as were under the law for this end that they might receive the adoption of sones Gal. 4 5. But this Adoption of sones
These sound ill to Christian ears 44. So 33. we may thus reason Either Christ's Redemption is Conditional and Universal as to the Price laid down and Satisfaction made or as to the Application and Actual bestowing of the benefites purchased But neither can be said to the advantage of the Adversaries cause for if the last be said we willingly grant that some of the benefites as Justification Adoption and actuall Glorification are conferred in a manner conditionally but some as faith and the New heart are given absolutely and this cannot help the Adversaries cause for they will not say that either all have faith bestowed upon them or that all are by believing Justified and Adopted c. and so this is not Universall and if the first be said to wit That Christ laid down his life Conditionally it must be said that Christ did not lay down his life Absolutely but upon some condition and what can that Condition be upon which the death of Christ was suspended If it be said that the faith of those to whom it was to be preached was the condition then it must be said that Christ did not die untill these beleeved or that his death was no satisfaction or price untill they actually beleeved and then the Father could not be well pleased with the price as a satisfaction until mens Faith came to make it an Actual price which is both absurd and contrary to Scripture If it be said That Christ did absolutely lay down his life a satisfactory Ransom and that for all yet so as none that would not fulfill the condition should be redeemed I Answer If it was an Absolute satisfactory Ransome and accepted as such something must have been purchased thereby and all behoved actually and really to be delivered from the Law and from the curse or from something by vertue of that Absolute Price and they could not be made to pay over againe what was payed by the price of his blood for Justice could not call for two satisfactions And if all were upon this Absolute Price payed Redeemed from the Law the Curse and the Sentence of the first Covenant no man shall now die for that broken Covenant If it be said No man was Absolutely delivered even from that but only Conditionally I Ans. How then was it an Absolute Price Or what was purchased thereby If it be said That a possibility of Freedom was absolutely purchased Ans. This was rejected above and the Scripture inferreth Actual Redemption from Christs purchase He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Esai 53 11. which saith That all whose iniquities he did bear shall be Actually and Really Justified by him and not have a meer Possibility of justification 45 Further 34. We may thus argue If Christ died for all and every one He either died for all Absolutely or Conditionally The first cannot be said for the reasons already adduced militate against that Nor can it be said that He died for all Conditionally for then either he died to purchase Life and Salvation to all upon condition of their performance of something proposed as a Condition or to purchase salvation and all the meanes thereunto or conditions thereof Conditionally But neither of these can be said Therefore c. The major is clear from this that the enumeration is full and no other way can this Conditional Redemption be conceived or explained The minor may be thus confirmed The first way cannot be said to wit that life and salvation was purchased to all upon a condition to be by them performed that is upon Condition of their believing for either this Condition is in the power of every son of Adam or not if it be not in their power as all but Pelagians will confess then this Redemption is no Redemption for a Redemption of Captives upon a condition impossible to them is as good as no Redemption Nor can the last way be said to wit that Redemption and all the Conditions and Means thereof were Conditionally purchased for what can be assigned as the Condition of these Conditions And though there were a Condition of the Lords working of faith assigned which yet we finde not in Scripture yet that would not help the matter for that Condition of faith would it self be a mean to salvation and so purchased Conditionally upon another Condition and that other Condition must be purchased upon another Condition and so in infinitum which is absurd 46. As also 35. this is considerable That the asserting of Universal Redemption goeth not alone but there are several other Universalities also affirmed and maintained either as Consequences or Concomitants or Grounds thereof which the Scripture knoweth not such as these 1. An Universal Love and Philanthropie towards all and every one without any difference which they lay down as the ground of the Sending of Christ to die for all indiscriminatly 2. An Universal Will in God to save all which they call an Antecedent Will and hold forth as a Velleity or a wish and desire that all might be saved as if God could not effectuat whatever he desired or could have a velleity towards any thing which either he could not or would not effectuat 3. An Universal Predestination conditional which expression Amerald used untill the Synods in France did disswad him therefrom 4. An Universal gift of all to Christ or an Universal gift of Christ to all that is a Will and purpose that Christ should lay down his life for all and Redeem all at least Conditionally 5. An Universal Justification conditional And why not also an Universal Salvation conditional 6. An Universal Covenant of grace made with all mankinde in Adam wherein is a free universal deed of gift of Christ first and of Pardon Spirit and Glory in and by him to all Mankinde without exception upon condition of acceptance as also an offer of Faith Repentance Conversion with all the conâ—equâ—nces thereof 7. An Universal will in God to call into this Covenant and unto the Participation of the benefites thâ—reof all and every man 8. An Universal execution of this will or promulgation of this Gospel or New Covenant unto all and every one by common favours and benefites bestowed or all whereby all are called to believe in a mercâ—ful pardoning God and all have abundance oâ— Mercies and Meanes of Recovery and of life for the Lord now governeth the world only on termes of grace 9. Upon this followeth an Universal Command to all men to use ceâ—taine duties and meanes for their Recovery by Faith and Repâ—nâ—ance 10. An Universal pardon of the first Sin so far at least that no man shall perish for the meer Original sin of Nature alone unless he adde the rejection of grace 11 Hence followeth an Universal Judgment and Sentence on all in the great day only according as they have performed the new Gospel conditions 12. Some also adde an â—niversal Subjective Grace whereby all are enabled to performe the conditions of
the new covenant 13. Universal proper Fruits and Effects of this death whereby all the outward favours that Heathens enjoy are said to be purchased for them by Christ and why not also what Devils enjoy 47. Finally 36. This assertion of Universal Redemption laith the ground of and maketh way to a new frame of the Covenant of Grace quite overturning its Nature and transforming it into a new covenant of works making it one and the same with that as to kinde and only to differ as to the change of conditions to be performed by man for as in the first covenant Adam was to obtaine right to and possession of life promised in by for through and upon the account of his fulfilling the condition of perfect obedience imposed by the Lord so in the New covenant man is to obtaine and acquire to himself a right to and possession of the Life promised in by for through and upon the account of his performance of the Condition of Faith and new obedience now imposed in the Gospel and all the difference is that instead of perfect obedience to the which was the condition of the first covenant now Faith and sincere Gospel Obedience is made the condition And thus we can no less be said to be justified by works of the Law or which we do then Adam should have been said to have been so justified had he stood and this justification giveth as great ground of boasting unto man and of making the reward of debt and not of grace as justification by the first covenant would have done for though it be said that Christ hath made satisfaction to justice for the breach of the first Law and thereby purchased to all upon Condition Iustification Salvation yet this removeth not the difficulty for what is purchased by Christ's death is made Universal Common to all and so can be nothing according to our Adversaries but a putting of all men in statu quo prius in case to run obtaine the prize for themselves as God's absolute free love put Adam in that condition at first Christ's death though thereby as they say he purchased the New Covenant which with them is the chiefe if not the only effect and fruit of his Death Merites can be no more than a very remote ground of Right to Life and Salvation unto any person for it is made Universal Common to all so that all have equal share therein and advantage thereby man himself by performing the new conditions only making the difference so that the immediat ground of the Right to life which any have is their own Faith and Obedience or performance of the New Covenant-conditions Whereby it is manifest that as to our Particular and Immediat Right to Happiness we are to plead our own works lean to them as our ground whereupon we may stand and appear before God's Tribunal and upon the account thereof plead for the crown as our due debt having now run for it performed the condition agreed upon and so sing praises to ourselves instead of singing praises to our Redeemer Hence the righteousness wherein we must appear before God is not the Righteousness of Christ but our own for the Righteousness of Christ say they is only imputed in regaird of its effects whereof the new Covenant is the All or the Chiefe and so that doth not become the Righteousness of any man nor can be said to be imputed to any man properly which also they assert but his own Faith is only imputed properly which also they plead for as his Righteousness not as a Way Medium or Methode of Gospel-Righteousness especially when Gospel-Obedience is adjoyned The Righteousness of Christ beinâ— hereby only accounted to be imputed in that it hath procured that our own Gospel Righteousness Faith and new Obedience shall be imputed to us as our Immediat Righteousness the ground of our Right to Glory What accord is betwixt this frame of the Covenant of Grace and that way of justification held forth by Socinians Arminians Papists the learned will easily see and how contrary it is to the Covenant of Grace held forth in the Gospel hitherto professed maintained by the orthodox every one acquanâ—ed therewith cannot be ignorant it is obvious how opposite this is unto wâ—at the Apostle saith Phil. 3 8 9. yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found iâ— him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith And Tit. 3 5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternal life And Rom. 3 20 21 22 24. Therefâ—re by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And many other places It is no less clear how hereby the true nature of justifying faith and Gospel obedience is perverted and with all how dangerous this is if put into practice or if men act ilve accordingly every serious exercised Christian knoweth 48. Having thus briefly laid down our grounds for a Particular and against an Universal Redemption we come to see what our Quaker sayeth for Universal Redemption which he supposeth to be so clearly asserted in Scripture that hardly any other article of Christian Religion can compare with it as to this but the confidence of a Quaker acted and led by a Spirit of delusion is no convincing argument to me Let us see his grounds He citeth Luk. 2 10. addeth He sayeth not to a few of the people but if the comeing of Christ had not brought a Possibility of Salvation unto all it might rather have bin called tideings of great griefe to the mâ—st part of the people Answ. If Christ had only brought a Possibility of salvation with him the Gospel had bin the tideings of joy to no flesh for Salvation upon a Condition Impossible is no salvation 2. Did Christ bring a Possibility with him to the damned if not where is his Universal Redemption 3 It is said here to be to all people because the Offer and Meanes thereof were not now to be limited to one Nation of the Jewes as formerly but the Lord was to have a people out of all Kinreds Nations Tongues Languages yet
light for this effect which consideration moderateth our astonishment at the Boldness and Confidence of the Qâ—akers and particularly of this their Patron in this matter 4. When he cometh to explaine this proposition Pag. 82. § 12. he tels us what he meaneth by this day and time of visitation that God hath granted unto all men And negatively he sayes he doth not mean every man's tearme of life though as to some as for example the penitent thiefe it may extend so far But wherein consisteth this visitation This was the chiefe thing that was here to be explained we must it seems waite for his meaning till a fitter season afterward A day of gracious visitation and invitation in the Gospel offer we acknowledge But what it is which is granted to the Heathens that can go under this name I am yet to learne knowing no dispensation of God that can be called a day of Visitation in reference to Salvation but what it is in and through the preaching of the Gospel which bringeth life and immortality to light and which therefore cannot be said to be granted to such as never heard of it 5. Then he tels us positively that it is only such a time in which God is sufficiently exonered of the condemnation of every man which may be longer to some and shorter to others as it seemeth good unto God according to his wisdom That no flesh shall have any ground of quarrelling with God I am past all doubt But if this man think that in some cases God is in hazard to be impanneled by man it concernes him to make this matter more plaine to us who see no such hazard and can apprehend no such danger If he learne any thing of this out of the Scriptures he would do well to acquaint us therewith if he have it only by Revelation I am not like to bottome my faith upon his said or supposed Revelations Sure I think he should have given us some other ground for all this difference that God maketh among men granting to some a longer day and to others a shorter day of Visitation than is the good pleasure of God for he cannot but know that we lay this down for a ground why some get no such day of Visitation I mean as to the preaching of the Gospel and yet this will not satisfy him and others of his kinde who take upon them with no small boldness to tell us of Rules of Justice of their owne imagining which God must not transgress What if some say That God is not Iust and Righteous enough if he grant not to all an equally long day of Visitation Will he think to satisfy them with saying So it seemeth good to God according to his Wisdom If so he must be very partial who will not accept of this answere out of our mouth when sure it may sufficiently serve to stop his mouth seing it can not helpe him to say that in the other case God should be less Unjust for in no degree how small so ever can God be Unjust But all this is but what some Papists say who will not have this sufficient grace alwayes at hand but say that some sinne it away as may be seen in Bellarmin Lib. 2. de Grat. Lib. Arb. 6. What becometh of them after this day He saith they may live after it but there is no Possibility of salvation for them and God suffereth them to be obdured as a just judgment for their infidelity and then he raiseth up such as instruments of his wrath and maketh them his rod against others But 1. May it not come to passe that such after that day may heare the Gospel preached no doubt he will say yea is not then the Lord mocking them when he inviteth them to Repentance Salvation after it is Impossible for them to Repent be saved If not why objected he this against our doctrine of Reprobation 2. Why is there no Possibility of Salvation Is it impossible for God to give them grace or hath their Free will gote such a crake or such a byasse as that it is impossible for them to run right Then they have in that case lost all Free will for his masters the Iesuites Arminians tell us that it is not Free will which cannot either will or nill as it pleaseâ—h even all things requisite being present And if there be not Free will there can be nothing as they say but Necessity necessity taketh away all sin all conscience of sin 3. He saith God suffereth them to be obdured And is this all The Scripture speaketh more actively of the matter telling us that frequently too that Goâ— hardened the heart of Pharaoh See Exod. 7. 8. 9. 10. that he hardeneth whom he will Rom. 9 18. 4. But whether are they obdured before the day of Visitation be at an end or after if before then while they are Obdured salvation is possible If after then their day of Visitation ended before they were abdured then I would ask if sin procure this finishing of the day of their visitation or not and what sin it is seing it is not Hardness of heart Is it the sin of Infidelity but then seing persons are guilty of that at the first hearing of the Gospel not obeying beleeving eitâ—er this day endeth with the first proclamation of peace in the Gospel which is false seing many are and may be long Unbeleevers under the drop of the Gospel and after many yeers get grace to beleeve or not and then we would faine know when 5. By his mentioning of Infidelityâ—ere â—ere as the sin procureing God's permission of Obduration he seemeth to import that the day of Visitation calleth for faith anâ— I wish he had explained to us what he understandeth by faith and what is the Object and what are the Acts of this faith for hithertil I could observe nothing said by him that might informe me 6. But how can Infidelity be charged upon such as never heard the Gospel Doth the Scripture any where charge Infidelity upon such as lived without the pale of the Câ—urch 7. When the Lord gave up the Gentiles to uncleanness to vile affections and to a reprobat minde Rom. 1 24 26 28. Which I suppose he will think to be equivalent unto the Lords suffering them to be Obdured as he speaketh we hear that it is for other sins than want of Faith or for not improving the day of Visitation 8. what the last clause can import or for what end it is adduced I cannot well imagine Only I gather out of it and the preceding words That he cannot but say that God punisheth sin with sin and useth sinful men acting sin as his instruments as a rode in his hand and so must will that sin be in the world by his permission which is what our Divines say though on all occasions and without occasion offered he falleth soule upon them upon this
of his grace the soul lay hold on the offered salvation and accept of the alsufficient offered Mediator we utterly deny it affirming faith to be the pure gift of God wrought by the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power or according to the working of the might of his power Ephes. 1 19. 2 8. And that this faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom 10 17. So that we see nor how any without the Church or the hearing of the word of God and of the word of the Gospel revealing Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God can beleeve not how any wâ—thin the Church and who hear the sound of the Gospel daily can beleeve without the grace of God working Faith by the Operation of his Spirit and thus concurring with the word And therefore we deny Salvation to be Possible in this Quakers sense to any yea even to the Elect otherwayes we must reject the Scriptures of truth and embrace the Pelagian Errour and lay aside all prayer for the Spirit of grace to work faith and only make our supplications to Lord Free will and think to batter the wals of Freewill with meer Moral Swasion as Iesuites Arminians and Socinians with the old Pelagians imagine and sacrifice to our own net and burn incense to our own drag Free will because by it our portion is fat and our meat plenteous And so give thanks with the damned to God that hath made salvation onely Possible but to ourselves alone for making it Actual and for obtaining the crown and prize 12. Having thus in short proposed our Judgment after hearing of his Opinion we come now to examine the proofs of his Proposition which he layeth down Pag. 93. c. § 19. And first in general he saith That it is manifest from the complaints which the Spirit of God useth in the Scriptures against such as perish chideing and reproving them for rejecting Gods visitation and love and refuseing his mercy Ans. 1. His Proposition is Universal and these Complaints anâ— Reproofs are only Particular viz. against such as were within the Church so they can prove nothing 2. Neither will these Reproofs c. prove that such had power and ability to embrace mercy and love offered unto them without the grace of God as say Iesuites and Arminians for the Scripture tels us that God must give the new heart Ier. 31 33 34. 32 39 40. Ezech. 11 19 20. 36 26 27 Heb. 8 10. and that none cometh to the Son but whom the Father draweth Ioh. 6 44 45. and that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2 13. And to gather our Power and Ability out of the Commands and measure the one by the other is the very core of Pelagianisme and Arminianisme for upon this ground did Pelagius conclude that we could keep the whole Law perfectly as this man also saith Heare Pelagius himself ad Demetriadem cited by Vossius Histor. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. Duplici ignorantia accusamus Deum Inscientiae ut videatur nescire quod fecit nescire quod iussit quasi oblitus fragilitatis humanae cujus Author ipse est imposuerit homini mandata quae ferre non possit Simulque prô-nefas adscribimus Iniquitatem Iusto Pio Crudelitatem dum aliquid impossibile praecepisse conquerimur deinde pro his damnandum esse hominen ob ea quae vitare non potuit ut quod etiam suspicari Sacrilegium est videatur Deus non tam salutem nostram quaesisse quam poenam Itaque Apostolus sciens a Domino justitiae ac majestatis nihil impossibile esse praeceptum aufert a nobis vitium murmurandi quod tunc utique nascisolet cum aut iniqua sunt quae jubentur aut jubentis minus digna persona est Quid tergiversamur incassum Nemo magis novit mensuram virium nostrarum quam qui ipsas vires nobis dedit Nec quisquam melius quantum possimus intelligit quam qui ipsam virtutem nobis posse donavit nec impossibile aliquid voluit imperare qui justus est nec damnaturus hominem fuit pro eo quod vitare non potuit qui pius est Which in short is this That to say that God should command any thing which is not in our power to do were to accuse God of Ignorance as not knowing mans power and of Iniquity Cruelty and Sacrilege commanding that which he knew we could not do and thereafter condemning us for not doing of it This Quaker may see his owne face in this glass 13. He citeth further the words of God to Cain Gen. 4 6 7. and saith that this timeous admonition and promise of pardon upon condition he did well saith that he bad a day of visitation wherein it was possible for him to be saved That it was possible for Cain through the grace of God to have done well and obtained the excellency we affirme but that he had power without this grace all this admontion cannot prove so that as is said it is pure Pelagianisme for him to adde God could not propose that condition to do well to him if he had not given him sufficient strength to do well Had Pharaoh sufficiency of strength moral to let the people of Israel go when God had hardened his heart so as he should not let them go If not how could God send Moses to him with a word of command This man told us Thesis 4. That man in his Natural state could know nothing aright and that all his Imaginations Words and Actions were evil and only evil continually Now I enquire if such a man can be said to have sufficiency of strength to know God and things divine and to do well If not then it seemeth by this mans doctrine here that God can impose no command upon such to know God and to do well We know that God giveth the heart to perceive eyes to see and eares to hear Deut. 29 4. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 7. And that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them becauss they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2 14. He citeth to the same purpose Gen. 6 3. And we deny not that the Spirit speaking after the manner of men for such expressions cannot bâ— understood properly of God is said to contend with men to wit by his Word and Servants whom he sendeth forth to deal with men in his name So did he thus strive long with this old world by his messengers the Patriarches particularly by Noah called a preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2 5. But what of this This day of Visitation saith he which he granteth to every one is such as therein the Lord is said to waite and be
Heathens and all before they come to eat Christ by faith have Christ dwelling in them have a divine and glorious life are partakers of the body and blood of Christ and of that bread that came down from heaven What more contradictory to Christ's express sayings 14. He tels us that all the Saints are nourished by this unto life eternal Is not this doctrine of the Quakers a rare Gospel wherein that whereby the choisest of Mankinde the people of God the Saints and Renewed ones live and are nourished unto life eternal is nothing but what is common to Turks and pagans 15. It is true they give this common thing which is nothing but Nature many goodly names and titles wherein they outvye that cheating enemie of the grace of God Pelagius and are greater and more blasphâ—mous cheaters and deceivers than he was for he gave the goodly name of Grace unto corrupt Nature which he pleaded for but they adde That it is a Spiritual Celestial and Inâ—isible Principle and Organ the dwelling place of God as Father as Son and as holy Ghost the Vehicle of God the Spiritual bâ—dy of Christ the Body and bloud of Christ the Food of the Saints and their Nourishment to life eternal And when all is done it is nothing but Nature if we believe the Scriptures What manifest absurd and impudent deceivers must they then be who thus think to deceive the world with new coined brainesick and non-sensicall titles and notions with which they guilde the poisonous pile of Pelagianisme yea the very dregs thereof which they would have us swallow over and thereby make us good Heathens but no Christians Is their Religion any thing but meer paganisme under Christian abused expressions 7. We must have patience and heare more for he addeth And as this Light and seed beareth witness against all evil deeds so is it crucified extinguished killed by them and it fleeth from evil abhâ—rreth it as mans flesh fleeth from and abhorreth that which is noxious and contrary to it Answ. 1. doth this Light and Seed bear witness against all evil deeds How or what way doth it bear witnese in the Heathens against their not believing in Iesus Christ the Son of God that was Crucified at Ierusalem or is that no evil deed against their not Mortifying the deads of the body through the Spirit Rom. 8 1â— But not to mention the duties which are revealed to us only by the Gâ—spel How came it that this Light and Seed did not bear witness against the Cilicians who lived upon thifâ— and against the Messagetians Who used their wives in common and against the Persians who of old maryed their own daughters Nay it is observeâ— that there is hardly any one point of the law of nature which some Nations have not violated not only by their Customâ—s and constant Carriage but by their very Lawes Did this Seed then and Light bear witness in them against these evil deeds what thinks he â—f the Achaeans and Heniochians of whom Aristotle reporteth that they used to kill men and eat them and we hear of such to day in New England commonly called Men eaters What saith their Light and Seed to this What thinks he of Zenon Chrysippus and the magi of Persia who allowed the Son to lye with his owne Mother and Brethren and Sisters to lye together and of those who approve Sodomy and of Theodorus Phylosophus who thought Theft Sacrilege Adultery lawful How came it that this Seed did not bear witness against the people of Derbe and Lystra when they went about to sacrifice unto Paul and Barnabas and had followed vanities so long and did not turne unto the living God Act. 14 13 15 why did it not bear witness against the people of Athens for thinking that God could be worshiped with mens hands and that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone graven by art and mans device Act. 17 25 29 As also for their mocking at the Resurrection vers 32 But enough of this notorious falshood 2. He saith this Seed is killed c. but tels us not by whom and the last persons mentioned were the Saints 3. He saith it fleeth from evil c. It cannot then be the Grace of God which opposeth resisteth anâ— fighteth against evil The Spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal 5 17. The work of the Grace of God in souls is to work out sin to root it out kill it and mortifie it and crucifie it But this great Nothing of theirs hath no affinity with Grace 8. He addeth And seing it is never separated from God and Christ but where it is there is God and there is Christ involved therefore in that respect when it is resisted God is said to be resisted and Christ is said to be crucified and killed Ans. 1. We know there is in every man a Natural Conscience which as God's deputy and vicegerent in the soul pleadeth and testifieth for Him and his Law according to its light and information which in some is more and in some less more in such as live under the Gospel than in such as live without that light and in those that have but the light of nature it testifieth for the God of Nature according to the relicques of the Law of Nature in some more and in some less but in all these because of the darkness of their Mindes and the corruption of their Hearts whereby they are subject unto sin and to the Prince of the Powers of the aire the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience it giveth not full testimony for God and his Law but partial and in some more grosse abominations 2. We deny that where this Natural conscience is there Christ as mediator betwixt God and man can be said to be that is It is not true that this Light in Heathens without the Church declarâ—th any thing of Christ and of the Gospel of Salvation in and through Him or that Christ as Mediator can be said to be crucified and killed when this is resisted or disobeyed by them for the great things of the grace of God revealed in and brought to light by the Gospel are not to be read upon the works of Nature but are of pure Revelation and have had their different measures of Revelation and now the greatest under the Gospel dispensation whence it is called a mystery which from the beginning of the world hath bin hid in God Ephes. 3 â— and hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints Col. 1 26. And all the various and gradual manifestations thereof have been in all ages the peculiar privilege of the Church and not common to all so that others without the Church remained without Christ being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes. 2 vers 12. Never read we that the Heathens without the Church
it the Spirit supposing that Paul 1 Cor 3 16. maineth every man breathing when he saith know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and not remembering that the Apostle Rom. 8 9. maketh this the peculiar privilege of the Saints saying But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his But this is a maine business it doth not a little concerne him and his cause to shew a clear difference if there be any betwixt his opinion and that of Pelagians and Socinians and yet instead of doing this he runneth out in extravagancies to bewilder his Reader telling us Pag. 87. 88. that when the principle or rational propriety exalts it self to reigne and rule in spiritual things above the seed then the seed is wounded We know that corruption and carnal reason can and doth fight and strive against the grace of God in God's people and that in others it will rise up against the Truth and authority of God in the Scriptures But to imagine such a thing as either of these in persons living in heathenisme without God and without Christ without the very report of the Gospel is to dream wakeing And to call it Antichrist riseing-up against Christ as he doth call it is but a Notional juggle to hide their blasphemies 21. He goeth on to tell us his dreams for he saith as God created the sun to give light by day and the moon by night so he hath given to men the spiritual and divine light of his Son to rule them in Spiritual things and the light of reason to rule them in Natural things c. These are but impertinent fancies for he should cleare to us here how that which he calleth the Spiritual and divine Light of Christ which is in every man differeth from Nature or the Natural Enduements which accompany the Rational soul that it may appear that he is no Pelagian nor Socinian for we grant that there is a spiritual and divine light of Christ which only can savingly make the spiritual things of God manifest to the soul but this is not common to all but peculiar to God's peculiar ones if we may believe the Scripture and in this sense it is true which he saith That reason must be illuminated with this divine light before it can rightly take up Spiritual things but that divine light is some other thing then the Light within 22. Againe He would make us beleeve that this Light in every man he talketh of is distinguished from the Natural Conscience upon this ground that the Natural Conscience can be defiled Tit. 1 15. but the light cannot for it maketh manifest all things that are to be reproved Ephes. 5 13. But how cleareth he that the light that is in every man by nature cannot be defiled The Apostle in that cited place Tit. 1 15. sayes that the Mindes and Conscience and what light is in men is there of unbeleevers are defiled And as for that light mentioned Ephes. 5 13. He will never prove that is a light common to all men especially when the next verse restricketh it to them that awake out of sleep and are arisen from the dead which cannot I suppose be said of all men get this light from Christ. Sure such as are yet asleep yea dead can have no Spiritual light And they that are yet darkness are not light in the Lord vers 8. nor can they prove what is acceptable unto the Lord vers 10. not having yet received the Spirit which is in all goodness and righteousness and truth vers 9. So that the whole scope of the place manifesteth this mans detorsion thereof The Apostle is exhorting them who sometimes were darkness but now were light in the Lord to walk as Children of light and to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness vers 8 11. shewing what is the true nature of that light whereof they are now made partakers being light in the Lord and brought out of the state of darkness viz. to discover and make manifest such unworthy actions to the end they may be shuned and thought shame of What he addeth of conscience challenging and vexing for what is not wrong according to its misinformation is nothing to the purpose now in hand unless to give a convincing argument against himself and to shew that the Light in Turks who are challenged by their misinformed and deceived consciences for drinking of wine prohibited by Mahomet is nothing different from the darkness of their blinded consciences for how will he prove that there is any spiritual light in them witnessing the contrary of what their blinded and misguided conscience saith Of the same nature and import is that which he addeth Pag. 89. of the blinded conscience of Papists challenging for eating flesh in Lent But he addeth that the light of Christ will never consent to such abominations but taketh away blindness openeth the Intellect and directeth judgment and conscience All which is very true of the true light of Christ bestowed upon beleevers and revealed in his word but is most false of his Light which is in all men naturally and common to all the Sons of Adam Heathens Turks and Cannibals as well as Christians in name and thing And while the Quakers preach up this as a sure guide to life eternal they are abominable Pelagian and Socinian deceivers who should be fled from as the most impudent and sworne enemies of the Grace of God and of His Gospel that ever appeared out of the bottomless Pit a company of pure Pagan-preachers whose doctrine is Paganisme and driveth thereunto 23. In the last place as a plaister to cover all the deformities of his opinion hithertil held forth he tels us that this light and seed is not the power and faculty of the mans soul whereof a man is master and can exercise when he will if no natural defect hinder for a man cannot stirre up when he pleaseth this Light and seed but it moveth and breatheth and contendeth with men as the Lord seeth good so that a man even though he hath some sense of his misery cannot when he will by his stirring up of this light attaine tenderness of heart but he must attend to that which at certain times cometh upon all in which it wonderfully mollifieth and warmeth the heart and worketh in the man at which time if the man resist not but joyn with it he obtaineth salvation thereby And he compareth it with the Spirits moving the waters of Bethesda not Bethsaida as he saith and addeth that God in love to all mankinde worketh so in the heart by this seed at certain singular times setting their sins in order before their eyes inviting to repentance and offering remission of sinnes and salvation which if man refuse not he may be saved
sucked this mans brests And as Pelagius would acknowledge no necessity of grace to help us to will and to do or to cause us will and do beside this Possibility or illumination of the minde So this Quaker restricketh all the grace of God unto the stirring up of the Light Saith he any thing of Grace causing the Man to consent Or taking away that resistance No Pelagians Arminians Socinians and Iesuites are dearer friends to him than that he should put any dishonour on their Diana Free will 25. Having thus traversed this mans explication of that Universal Grace Light or Seed which he asserteth and having traced him to his denne We come to examine his grounds for this wilde Assertion held forth § 21. Pag. 98. c. He first adduceth Ioh 1 ver 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world And this he saith some call the Quakers text but I would rather call it their stumbling block and neck-break because it is a passage which they do wrest as they do also other Scriptures unto their owne destruction as Peter speaketh of some in his dayes 2 Pet. 3 16. Concerning these words of Iohn it would be noticed 1. Some joyn these words which we have rendered that cometh into the world not with every man as in our translation but with the word light rendering the words thus that true light which lighteth man was coming into the world according to the like phrases Mat. 10 32. Luk. 5 16. 15 1. Act. 8 28. Not as if the meaning were that Christ did enlighten every man by coming into the world as if he did not enlighten them before But this they give to be the meaning that Iohn hereby is pointing forth the incarnation of the word showing that the light the true light which lighteneth every man did come into the world and why we may not thus take the words rather than as they are commonly rendered I do not yet see any cogent reason 2. As to this illumination which this light communicateth when it is said to enlighten it is not one and the same way understood by all Some take it to be understood of the common light of nature whereof all are in one measure or other partakers So Calvin Musculus and others on the place and among the Ancients Cyrillus lib. 1. in Ioan. Cap. 9. The Socinians bend all their strength against this exposition because they will not acknowledg this Light Life and Word to be the true living God equal with the Father in power and glory And with these Socinians this Quaker joyneth in his opposition to this sense Others mean hereby Spiritual Illumination by true and saving grace but yet do not say that this is actually communicated to every man but that the meaning is all that are spiritually illuminated have this Illumination from that Light And this way Augustine of old and others of late interpret the words explaining it by this simile a School-master may be said to reach all the children of such a place though all every one without exception are not taught by him because all that are taught in that place are taught by him alone But why both may not be here included I see not this serving the more to set forth the excellency of Christ yea and his Godhead which Iohn principally here intendeth as is apparent from almost every verse from the beginning where he is spoken of whatever the Antichristian Socinians invent and say to the contrary And this being true that Jesus Christ the Word and the Light and the Life here spoken of is true God vers 1. and the creator of all things vers 3. it cannot be denyed that he is the Author of all that light wherewith men are enlightened and that even the light of Nature and Reason is from Him who is the fountaine of all Light and Life Nor must we therefore say that the Spiritual light is as common as the Natural Nor is the intendment of the Euangelist here to assert this because he had said vers 7. that Iohn Baptist came to bear witness of this Light that all men through him might beleeve pointing out that the way of partaking of the spiritual light and life which Christ as a fountaine communicateth was by faith and it is notoure enough that all men have not Faith and therefore all men are not partakers of this Illumination And further Iohn tels us afterward vers 10. that the world knew not Christ And yet all that are spiritually illuminated and have gotten an understanding from Christ know him that is true are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ. This is the true God eternal life 1 Ioh. 5 20. And vers 11. that Christ came unto his owne his owne received him not But certain it is that all who are spiritually illuminated receive Christ They who have the eyes of their understandings enlightened have the Spirit of Wisdom Revelation in the knowledge of Christ cannot but imbrace him Nay the whole Scripture confirmeth this And if it be enquired why is it then said that He enlighteneth every man I Answere To shew the enlargement of the object of this rich favour bestowed by Christ beyond what light Iohn held forth who in his witnessing ministrie was restricted unto Iudea and further seing it is said of Iohn that he came to bear witness of the Light that all men through him might beleeve when yet Iohn did bear witness unto a very small part of all men We see no reason why the every man mentioned vers 9. should be understood so universally except with this restriction every man that beleeveth But mainely it is said that this Light doth thus Spiritually enlighten every man because it is he alone that hath enlightened in all ages and under all dispeâ—sations of the Covenant both before and after the Law and now all Nations without such distinction or discrimination as was under the Law Finally if all and every man be Spiritually Illuminated by Christ all and every man must be saved for this Spiritual Illumination is wrought by the indwelling Spirit which is not given to all but to Christs peculiar ones Rom. 8 9. And the Scripture tels us of many whose understandings are darkened Ephes. 4 18. who are of night and of darkness 1 Thes. 5 5. and under the power of darkness Col. 1 13. are in darkness and abideth in darkness and walke in darkness Ioh. 8 12. 12 35 46. 1 Thes. 5 4 1 Ioh. 1 6. 2 9 11. 1 Pet. 2 9. Act. 26 18. Luk. 1 79. Rom. 2 19. And who can think that these and such like expressions can be used of those whom Christ doth enlighten with Grace and Spirituall Illumination 26. Hence it appeareth that however we take these words they can afford no countenance unto the Quakers Imagination for though it be true that all men are enlightened one way
are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3 18. The text saith not that this light is and was shall be in every man Quakers are good at dreaming 30. Then be saith That Iohn tels us vers 7. to what end this light is given viz. that all might beleeve by it for he will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be meaned of the Light and not of Iohn But the man is busie here seeking a knot in a rush The Euangelist tels us what was the end for which Iohn was sent to wit to bear witness of the Light that all through him might beleeve that is through him as an instrument for he was the Eliah the Prophet that was to come to turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers Mal. 4 5.6 Mat. 11 14. Mark 9 11. he was to turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God for he was to go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and disobedient to the wisdome of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luk. 1 16 17. He was the prophet of the Highest and was to goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledg of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sinnes c. Luk. 1 76 77 78 79. So that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly referre to Iohn who was but an Instrument by whom his hearers were brought to beleeve in Christ the true Light And to Iohn do Cyrillus Chrysostomus and all the Latine Greek Commentators except Theophylact referre it And the very genuine aspect and series of the words enforce it this being the end of Iohns ministrie and witness-bearing that by him and through his Ministrie all his hearers might be brought to faith in the true Light for this was the intendment of all his labour and paines as we see Ioh. 3 36. Act. 19 4. But this Quaker would make us beleeve that to interpret the words so is to contradict the scope of the context for it is Christ sayes he that enlightens all with this light And is not this that they might beleeve by it Ans. It is true it is the true Light that enlighteneth all And He as an efficient cause doth thereby work faith in all that are enlightened but nevertheless by Iohn Baptist as an Instrument might his hearers be brought to beleeve in Christ the true Light and what way doth this contradict the scope He addeth All could not beleeve by Iohn for his Ministrie came not to all Ans. Thence let him learne how to interpret these universal particles So it is said Mat. 21 26. all held Iohn for a prophet yet many in the world never heard of Iohn but the meaning is all that knew his ministrie and so here all to whom his ministrie came indefinitely without exception of any But all sayes he enlightened with the light might have beleeved thereby Ans. Nay all enlightened with this saving light should certainly have believed for this Illumination giveth not a bare power to believe but certainly worketh the effect Iohn saith he further did not shine in darkness but this Light shineth in darkness that darkness being dissipated it might beget faith Ans. And what then Ergo by Iohns ministrie men could not be brought to beleeve in the true light This is a Quakers Consequence that is ridiculous But lastly he sayes we must beleeve by that in which communion is had with God but by walking in the Light we obtaine this communion not by walking in Iohn Answ. Our walking in the light is our enjoying communion with God as the text at which he glanceth 1 Ioh. 1 7. doth cleare Our walking in the light is a fruite of faith and not the cause of it though it may be a cause of its increase and confirmation What is that to beleeve by walking in the light Though not by walking in Iohn yet by hearing receiving of his doctrine men might be brought to beleeve in Christ for he came to beare witness of the true Light and faith cometh by hearing As we have received Christ so must we walk in him Col. 2 6. but receiving goeth before walking and is not effectuated by walking 31. He spends sometime Pag. 99. to prove that this Light here mentioned is supernatural saving sufficient and foundeth all upon this that it is the light of Christ whereby all ought to beleeve And thus subdolously foisteth-in his corrupt errours his Pelagian and Arminian conceipts with a special artifice that the unwarry Reader may be infected with his poison But 1 we know no Supernatural and Saving Light or Grace which is only Sufficient and not Efficacious and Effectual or such as will certainly produce the effect Supernatural sufficient grace to believe not only giveth the man a spiritual Power to beleeve but powerfully insuperably invincibly effectually Inclineth Moveth Draweth and Determineth the heart to beleeve and efficaciously worketh the Effect and produceth Faith in the soul. As for his meerly Sufficient Grace he hath learned it in the Iesuites Arminians and Pelagians school not in the Scriptures Though there be a Light granted even in the works of Creation and Providence which may convince of a Deity and of several duties called for at the hands of men which may and doth render such as come short inexcusable Rom. 1 20. And though a greater Light be granted in the dispensation of the Gospel to convince and render more inexcusable such as beleeve not yet we know of no Saving Light Sufficient to salvation granted to all even of such as heare the Gospel far less to all Heathens for as to this all naturally are blinde and dead and no grace can be sufficient but that which quickeneth and giveth eyes to see and eares to hear and hearts to understand and overpowereth all in the man that maketh head against Christ. In what sense then can it be true that saving sufficient Light is given to all Can that which is a meerly Natural Power produce a spiritual and Supernatural effect As soon may a beast produce acts of reason or a vegetable plant do acts of sense for these are effects of another Nature and of an higher sphere and require a suteable principle If it be said By acting that which is Natural we may procure or make way for what is Spiritual and Supernatural We enquire where there is any such promise or appointment of God giving ground for this assertion Nay if it were so we should be called according to our works and not according to his grace contrare to 2 Tim. 1 9. Tit. 3 5. Rom. 9 15 16. If it be said That these words To him that hath shall be given include such a promise that such as improve nature aright shall obtaine grace
prisoner oâ— that Truth of God which the Law and Light of Nature did reveal If not what meaneth all the following discourse of the Apostle in that Chapter and Act. 14 vers 15 16 17. 17 v. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 This man is a stout advocat for Paganisme 38. Then he citeth Rom. 10. where the Apostle saith that the word that he preached was not far off but near in their mouth and in their heart And thereafter vers 18. he saith that this divine preacher did sound in all mens ears and hearts Ans. The Apostle out of Moses Deut. 30 14. is clearing the righteousness which is of Faith and is differenceing it from the righteousness which is of the Law Now that righteousness of faith whereof Moses spoke Deut. 30. was not revealed to all Nations at that time but to that select and peculiar people to whom Moses was sent the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Iacob See Deut. 4 5 6 7 8. and 7 6 7 8. So that all the world had not that doctrine which Moses taught these Israelites revealed and declared unto them but they must have gone over seas and countreyes and adjoined themselves unto the Common wealth of Israel as proselytes before they could have reaped that benefite so though this word and doctrine was brought near to the Israelites in their mouth by profession and in the heart by faith of as many as had their hearts circumcised to beleeve it will say nothing for the Universal Grace and Light which Quakers plead for 2. This doctrine of faith which Moses declared was the same upon the matter with that which Paul preached and that which Paul preached was not in the heart of heathens or of all men borne of Adam but was a mystery hid from ages and generations and spareingly revealed even to the Church untill the last dispensation came Nay the Apostle tels us plainely what that is vers 9. that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Now will this Quaker say that Heathens and such as never heard of Christ do or can confess with their mouth the Loâ—d Iesus or beleeve with their heart that he was raised from the dead See also what followeth vers 10 11. for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnes and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation for the Scripture saith whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed 3. The following words confirme this where the Apostle vers 14 15. sheweth the necessity of hearing and of preaching and of sending for the begetting of faith saying how shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved And how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written c. then vers 17. he concludeth that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God This cannot then be meant of any inward thing that lyeth in the heart of every man but is the outward call of the Gospel which soundeth in the eares 4. As for that vers 18. It is to stop the mouthes of both Iewes and Gentiles especially the Iewes who whould pretend ignorance of this preached Gospel say that they had never heard thereof therefore saith the Apostle Have they not heard Yes would he say That is unquestionable for their sound went into all the earth c. What sound is this Is this a sound of something that is lodged in Heathens who never heard of the Gospel None can fancie this but a Quaker Or will this Quaker say that the sound of the Gospel preached came unto the eares of all and every man breathing No he saith expresly the contrary What can he then make out of this Hath the Light within such a sound and words as that Gospel which the Apostles preached or as the preaching of the Apostles which went far and neer into all the earth and to the ends of the world in a manner for the Apostle is alludeing unto the expressions which the Psalmist useth Psal. 19. speaking of the Sun and heavens these great and universal preachers of the glory of God but not of the Gospel And sure even these preachers were outward preachers and not any thing within the man not any Light or Grace or Seed or what they will call it that is within the heart of any man or of all men 39. Then he citeth Heb. 4 12 13. As bearing witness to his fancie But though many take the Word of God there mentioned to be understood of the outward word of the Gospel preached and declared in which sense it perfectly contradicteth this mans dream yet beside what is spoken hereof vers 12. that which is said vers 13. can agree only to a person and so it is most probable that this Word of God is Christ as the learned D. Own hath lately cleared in his Comment on the place But whether of these wayes we take it it can no wayes favoure this mans dream for there is nothing giving ground to imagine that this word of God is any thing abiding and remaining in the hearts of Heathens and meer natural persons which is the Quakers Universal Grace Who would not wonder to hear men say that there is that in every man Turk and Pagan which is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of thâ— thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any creature that is not manifest in the fight of it but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of it and with it have we to do We heard before that they called this seed the Vehicle of God and here he ascribeth to it the very property of God to know all things even the Intents of the heart doubtless Quakers that are sensible of this Light can know our very thoughts and designes But we hear blasphemy too much out of the mouthes of these men and yet we must hear more for he saith that in and by this word God seeth the thoughts of men as if he did not see them immediatly but mediatly by the spectacles of this that is within every man Doth this man beleeve verily that there is a God And dar he say that he is beholden to this Light within for discerning the Thoughts and Intents of the heart What a God must these Quakers dream of Will they exalt this Light within above God O horrid blasphemers Nay this Quaker hath not yet done with his blasphemy for he ascribeth to this light that which is said Esai 55 4. and so David was a Type of this light and the new everlasting Covenant containeth and holdeth forth the mercies of this Light that are purchased procured and
â—onveyed to beleevers by this Light and it is this light that is given for a witness to the people for a leader and a commander and so this â—ight is our prophet priest and king and then we have nothing to do with that Iesus of Nazareth of whom the Gospel speaketh whom the Apostles preached Thus the whole Gospel is overturned at one blow and all the New Testament is to be looked upon as a cunningly devised fable or must all be understood allegorically as speaking of this Light within which is Gospel Bible Saviour and all to the Quakers and of no other Christ of no other Saviour and Redeemer What a fundamental and antievangelick errour this of the Quakers is no man needeth now to doubt nor fear to call them pagan Preachers 40. Faith cometh by hearing saith he and hearing by the Word of God which is placed in every mans heart to be a witness for God and à medium by which they may be brought unto God through Faith and Repentance And because mans heart is naturally hard as yron God hath put this word in it to be as a fire and as an hammer Ier. 23 29. by whose strength and vertue if it be not resisted the cold and hard heart of man is warmed and made soft and receiveth an heavenly image and impression Ans. Here is a further confirmation of the desperate designe of these Quakers to overturne the foundations of Christian Religion for 1. The word of God by which Faith is wrought in souls is not with them the word of God which is preached or the Gospel which Christ his Apostles preached but a thing in every mans heart Heathen as well as Christian which they nickname blasphemously call the word of God Did Paul preach this word which is in every mans heart Or did any of the Apostles make this their theme text Did they ever say that by this word Faith was wrought in the heart Was this the Christ crucified that Paul spoke so much of Sure faith cometh by the hearing of that word which is outwardly preached by such as are sent and whose feet are bautiful upon the mountains bringing glade tideings Rom. 10 15. Esai 52 7. Nah. 1 15. and by such as was Esaias whose report was not beleeved Rom. 10 16. Esai 53 1. Hear what Peter said Act. 15 7. Men and brethrâ—n Ye know how that a good while agoe God made choise among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel and beleeve And what that word of the Gospel was which Peter preached to Cornelius to which passage this relateth see Act. 10 34. to 43. What meaneth Paul by the foolishness of preaching whereby such as beleeve are saved 1 Cor. 1 21. was that the preaching of a Light within Why doth he then call it the crosse vers 18. and Christ crucified vers 23 would the crying up of the light within be a stumbling block to the Jewes and foolishness to the Greeks No certainly But because the Apostles doctrine did lye so crosse hereunto neither Iewes nor Greeks could relish it except those who were the called and they indeed and they only saw Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God vers 24. What need is there that we should insist in disproving of this which overturneth the whole doctrine of the Gospel and rendereth all the administrations thereof useless and ridiculous 2. What Faith I wonder can be produced by this Light within It cannot be the Faith of God's elect for the mighty operation of the Spirit is required thereunto and as an external mean the out ward preaching of the Gospel which is called the word of Faith Rom. 10 8. and the hearing of faith Gal. 3 2. And Paul tels us Rom. 1 5. That he and others received grace and Apostleshipe for obedience to the Faith among all nations The Gospel and the preaching of Iesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was keept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of â—he Prophets according to the commandement of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith Rom. 16 25 26. Through the Gospel did the Apostle beget the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4 15. The Thessalonians were called to the beleefe of the truth by the Gospel 2 Thes. 2 14. It must thâ—n be the faith of Heathens or rather the faith of Devils for they beleeve and tremble and Nature can produce no other faith but a natural faith founded upon nature which is of the same kinde with the faith of devils Is not the Quakers Religion a noble Religion which would bring us the length of Devils 3. That which is left in every man to be a witness for God is nothing but a Natural Conscience witnessing according to the Law of Nature and the dim light thereof that is not yet extinct and will this Natural Conscience produce saving faith in a heathen Sure the devil hath a conscience as an intellectual creature witnessing that there is a God and so witnessing for God Shall we call this conscience the word of God the hearing of which will produce faith Then the Quakers Gospel is a Gospel for the Devils giving them ground of hope of Faith and Repentance if they will but obey that Gospel which is preached within them 4. What a bold and manifest perversion of Scripture is it to apply that Word Ier. 23 29. which is express of the word spoken by the true and faithful Prophets of God unto this dumb preacher in every mans bosome 5 We see then that the softening and warming Spirit of God who by his power and efficacy melteth the heart is in every man by nature in every Turk Tartar Barbarian c. And whatever the Scripture speaketh of this work of the mighty Spirit of God must all be understood of this Light within every man O desperat souls O wretched errour Will not the Lords hand be seen against these impudent audacious perverters of the right wayes of the Lord 6. This fire and hammer will do wonders if it be not resisted But when fire worketh upon water and a hammer beateth upon hard yron or stone can it but meet with resistence At length we see all the operation of grace which he talketh of is the sufficient grace that Pelagians Iesuites Arminians plead for which must have no more efficacy anâ— power ascribed to it whatever great names it get than may salve the honour and consist with the glory of Free will which must weare the crowne and have all the praise for this grace must not entrench upon the Lordly liberty of mans will but must stand off and petition Lord Free will to consent and yeeld if it will but if not it can do no more And so it shall be of him that willeth and runneth and not of God that sheweth mercy contrare to Rom. 9 16. And it is not
effect through man 's not resisting when he might resist if he pleased so that of two having the same measure of sufficient grace then which no more is requisite on God's part for effectuating the work the one beleeveth because he doth put no bar in the way the other beleeveth not because he resisteth and doth put a bar in the way 4. Hence it is manifest why this answer of the Quaker who taketh part with Iesuites and Arminians cannot satisfie to wit because all the actual efficacy of grace is made to depend on mans will for as we saw the same Sufficient Grace that is bestowed upon two Persons can of it self produce the actual conversion of neither but must leave both to their free liberty and choice and one beleeveth not properly and immediatly by the power and efficacy of this grace even suppose it were in a greater measure for then it should worke the same effect in both but because his will did freely of its own accord consent and yeeld when it might have done otherwise even in sensu composito as they speak and the other beleeveth not because he opposeth and resisteth when he might had he so thought good have yeelded If our Quaker should run to the foreseen congruity and contemperation of the call of God with Free will which Bellarmin and Vasques devise to alleviat the mater it will be of no advantage for first this Scientia Media by which they imagine God to foresee what will be in such and such cases is groundless and Next at the long run the crown is put upon Man not upon the Grace of God for this Grace thaâ— becometh congruous as coming in a good day when the man is in a good mood and pleasant disposition worketh no more as to it self then it did upon another whom it found not in so good a temper but worse disposed so that man may thank his good disposition that the grace of God was Congruous and so Effectual and not incongruous and so Ineffectual So that Effectual Grace Sufficient Grace is still the same Physically and as to its real entity and all the difference is from mans good or evil disposition whose evil disposition can make a Greater measure of grace Ineffectual and good disposition can make a Lesser measure Effectual if it come in its congruous season From whence we see it is clear as the sun that mans Free Will and not the Grace of God according to our Quakers is to be praised for Faith Repentance Conversion and mans free consent maketh that grace Effectual which otherwise would have been Ineffectual his Opposition or Resistance maketh that grace Ineffectual which otherwise might have been Effectual And thus their Sufficient grace is with them absolutely sufficient upon God's part and all its Efficacy and Effectualness dependeth upon and hath its being from mans free Consent Will this Quaker or any of his Masters the Molinists or Arminians say that beside that Sufficient Grace which is made common to all there is necessarily required a further work of Preveening Grace upon the will of man physically determining the same and certainly and efficaciously effectuating the actual consent thereof and removing or overcoming its Opposition or Resistance As for the Gratia Cooperans which they say he who beleeveth and complieth with the call hath and which the other who resisteth wanteth it doth not helpe them for it is also made to depend wholly upon mans Consent so that God cooperateth because the man consenteth and cooperateth not in the other because he resisteth and it is made the same upon the mater with Sufficient Preventing Grace only now having a new denomination because of its cooperating with mans will which goeth before and upon which it dependeth I know the Arminians say that God worketh upon the will granting to it a Supernatural Power to obey and yeeld but yet they will not grant that this grace shall determine the will and certainly and efficaciously bow and incline the will to consent for the will must still retaine its power to obey or not as it pleaseth and all the work of grace upon the will must remaine resistible and be nothing but Moral Swasion so that when Antecedent Preveening Grace hath done all it can do it may so fall out that no conversion shall follow so that conversion is still contingent and uncertain though not in respect of the foreknowledg of God yet in respect of its dependance upon that cause and doth not follow necessitate causae five consequentis because for all that grace man was alwayes free to resist and the grace Preventing I meane and Antecedent granted to him that resisteth was equal to that which was granted to him that yeeldeth And therefore with them there is no grace granted that Effectually or Efficaciously Certainly taketh away the wills resistance causeth it infallibly to bow and yeeld otherwise their Sufficient grace should not be simply and absolutly sufficient but only so far and in its own kinde And seing they deny any concession of more Prevening and Antecedent Grace then what is purely sufficient as all Papists must do who will follow the Councel of Trent Sess. 6. can 4. 5. It is undeniable that with them and our Quakers who follow them the Efficacy of Grace is from man and man must thank himself and his own Free Will that he is saved if not wholly because of cooperating grace which is yeelded to yet principally 5. So that though he who resisteth is clearly guilty of his own damnation yet that Grace which is only Sufficient cannot be truely and simply called that mans Salvation who resisteth not but his salvation must principally or rather only be ascribed to himself for that Sufficient grace did no more upon its part to him who resisteth not than it did to him who resisteth and it hath no more Influence or Efficacy as from it self upon the one than upon the other It cannot then be said that the Salvation of him that is saved is merely of grace and not of himself seing he and not grace made the difference and made Sufficient grace become Effectual 6. Nor is it true that Man is wholly passive with our Quakers for the mans actual consent is requisite and his non-resistance is rather an Action than a Passion as it is in the will for not only the will must positively will this non-resistance but this non-resistance in the will is a positive yeelding for in Scripture construction a suspension of actual consent is a resistance and a non-yeelding 7. Hence we see that it is all one thing whether the first progress as he speaketh be by cooperating or only by not counterworking for whatever way we name it the will is positively acting when the will yeeldeth it doth it willingly and when it doth not repugne nor resist it yeeldeth non-resistance is a kinde of consenting But whatever we call it it is according to the Quakers with
beleeve on him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a preacher v. 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God And though he tell us Ephes. 2 12. that the Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision were at that time without Christ being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world And 1 Cor. 1 20 21 22 23. That God mad foolish the wisdome of this world for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeve For the Iewes require a signe and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Iewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness And though Peter tell us Act. 4 12 That there is not salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 2. The first Argument whereby he would prove this is deduced from some things formerly asserted by him and is thus set down Pag. 112. They to whom the Gospel which is the power of God unto Salvation is made manifest may be saved what ever external knowledge they want But this Gospel is preached in every creature under whom are comprehended even they who want the outward knowledge Therefore c. Answ. 1. This doth not conclude that any such have been or shall be saved a may be will not evince a shall be 2. The Major in his sense is false non-sense for it is made up of inconsistencies to wit that â—he Gospel which is the power of God can be made manifest and yet such to whom it is made manifest may not hear of it And the man it seemeth was aware of this and therefore used these sophistical and ambiguous words quacunque externâ scientiâ careant whatever outward knowledge they want 3. The minor is false as we cleared above and vindicated that abused place of Paul Col 1 23. And the Gospel whereof he speaketh there is a Gospel which was heard and whereof Paul was a Minister vers 23. and was the word of God which he was commissionated to preach vers 25. the mystery which was formerly hid from ages and generations vers 26. and which he preached by warning and teaching vers 28. And as this could not be without the knowledge of Christ so it is certain that Paul did not preach this to every creature for Chap. 2 1. he speaketh of some that had not yet seen his face in the flesh See Beza on the place 3. A maine argument he bringeth from Tit. 2 11. for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men But that particle all doth not always cary an universal sense as we manifested above Chap. VIII And until he prove that it is thus universally to be taken here he can prove nothing And whatever he think who is not it seemeth very well acquanted with the laws of disput a negation is sufficient to elide a naked affirmation and he that affirmeth must prove Nor regard we his saying that the interpreting of this particle as importing genera singulorum is abusing of the Scripture or that this universal particle cannot be taken for an indefinite Seing there are so many instances thereof in the N. T. as Mat. 4 33. and others formerly cited And his grounding his opinion upon mistaken and thus misinterpreted words and sentences is not a founding of it upon express Scripture but upon abused and perverted Scripture Let him consider what Beza a man better acquanted with the Greek tongue than he is saith in his Annot. on 1 Tim. 2 1. where he tels us that he hath observed almost in every page that the universal particle is taken for an indefinite and is used to take away a difference as Rom. 1 16. it is used to take away the difference that was betwixt Jew and Gentile and 1 Cor. 6 12. where it removeth the Jewish distinction of meats And he tels us moreover that this manner of speaking is used among the Latines as well as among the Greeks as by Cicero in orat pro Roscio Amerino Non omnem frâ—gem neque omnem arborem in omni agro reperire possis And by Virgil. Non oâ—nis fert omnia tellus And as for this passage of Paul to Titus the context cleareth that the universal is to be here taken for an indefinite For he was before speaking of Servants and here he sheweth that the Gospel is revealed unto them as well as to others to the end they should know how to carry themselves so as to adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things And if he read that Epistle he will finde the universal particle oftener than once taken for an indefinite as Tit. 1 16. 2 15. 3 1 2. And beside what will all this make for his point He must prove that it was thus as well under the Law as now it is under the Gospel and sure no such thing can hence be made to appear for these universal particles in this matter do denote the largeness of the extent of the Gospel administration beyond what was under the Law as we observed and proved above And in this same Epistle Chap. 1 3. he saith That in due times God manifested his word through preaching which was committed unto him Out of which words also we learne that this Gospel and word is manifested through preaching of men such as Paul to the outward eares of people contrare to what this man imagineth And so if this Gospel or Grace of God hath appeared to every man without exception every man without exception of any hath outwardly heard the Gospel preached by men sent of God to speak with an audible voice Yet I suppose this Quaker will blush to say that every man all the world over heareth Gospel preachers or men sent to preach the Gospel hath heard such since the beginning And if he say not this and prove it not too he must quite his Assertion and laugh at his owne rididiculous folly and boldness or rather weep over it What he saith Pag. 113. of our taking All for the lesser part is both false and Childish pedantry in him for we say that it is taken in this matter indefinitly and so doth neither import a greater nor a lesser number or part as when Christ is said to have cured all diseases though upon the matter the number of diseases he cured being within the confines of Iudea for the most part was the far lesser part in comparison of all the diseases that were through the whole world yet we say not that the particle all there denoteth the lesser number but that it is taken indefinitly I must also take notice here that when the Apostle only saith that the grace of God that bringeth salvation
â—ewes Whileas it is much more probable that he lived before the children of Israel were brought out of Aegypt and that for this one reason That in all this book where so much is spoken by Iob and by his friends of God's power and faithfulness there is not one word of God's delivering his people out of the furnace of Egypt which would not have been omitted it being so apposite to what is there oftentimes handled if so be it had been done before this time His questions then may easily be answered without that inward common grace which he dreameth of to wit that God taught Iob as he did other holy men before the giving of the Law and that without Scripture which was not then written His supposing thereafter Pag. 116. that Iob speaketh of this light Chap. 24 13. is another of his fond imaginations What he saith next of Iob's friends receiveth the same answere that we gave to what he said of Iob seing the ground of the mistake is the same in both and requireth no new consideration 10. Then he tels us how Paul Rom. 2. saith that the Gentiles did those things which are contained in the Law and hence inferreth that they feared God and wrought righteousness Ans. 1. That the Gentiles were not without all knowledge of what was just and unjust honest and dishonest is most certain for so much was remaining ingraven in their hearts that could not be delete and this was evidenced by their commanding and forbidding by their Laws somethings commanded and forbidden by the Law of God as appeareth by their Laws against Theft Adultery Manslaughter and the like which yet was not universal It is in the original only thus they do by nature the things of the Law And as Beza well observeth this differeth from doing what the Law commandeth being a doing of what the Law doth that is commanding or prohibiting what the Law commandeth or prohibiteth And therefore is it added these having not a Law are a Law unto themselves 2. Hence it appeareth that it will not follow that they therefore feared God and wrought righteousness for the same Apostle tels us Chap. 1 21. that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Is this to fear God and work righteousness And though hereby the Apostle evinceth the Gentiles to be without excuse Yet he tels us Chap. 3 9. that he hath proved both Iewes and Gentiles that they are all under sin And will this Quaker contradict the Apostle and say it is not true that the Gentiles are under sin though the Apostle hath charged it home upon them for they feared God and wrought righteousness This were indeed blasphemous boldness suiteing only a Quaker But he thinks that vers 13. confirmeth all where Paul saith the doers of the Law are justified As if Paul were speaking that of the Gentiles which is spoken of the Jewes who heard the Law which the Gentiles did not And as if Paul did hereby insinuat that any man Jew or Gentile could be justified as a doer of the Law that is by his owne obedience which is diametrically opposite to his whole disput and scope in this part of the Epistle and to his conclusion set down Chap. 3 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Vers. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight What shall we think of this Quaker who thus maketh the Apostle contradict himself and inferreth out of the Apostles words perverted the contrary of what the Apostle himself who knew the force of his owne premises best concludeth And what boldness and blasphemy is comparable to this And withal he will be yet so bold as to tell us that nothing is more clear and that the Apostle vers 9 10.11 doth confirme this doctrine yea and Pag. 117. declare moreover that unless we suppose the Apostle to have spoken otherwayes then he thought we may saifly conclude that those Gentiles were justified and partakers of glory honour and peace and that by their owne works O what miserable miscreants must these men be that dar thus expose the Apostle yea the Spirit of God speaking in him and by him to open laughter as proving and concluding contradictories and that by the same medium and premises which is hardly supposable of a man in his wits and that knoweth what he saith His repetitions Pag. 117. I wave they being formerly confuted and repititions being jejune probations need not be againe examined He doubts whether we can prove that all the Patriarches and holy men before Moses had any distinct knowledge either of Adams fall or of the coming of the Messias for I see not what else he can understand by his vel hujus vel illius these being the only two things spoken of by him immediatly before and his following words confirme this And if he doubt whether we can prove it it is no great matter if he doubt not himself of the thing And if he do doubt of the thing Where is his charity to the Patriarchs and Saints What charity can this be which is so large to Heathens and so straitned to the Saints of God Can this be divine charity No it is a Pagans charity suting him who would have us all turn Pagans But seing the Scripture tels us that they all obtained a good report by faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11 1 2. And that they all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them vers 13. And Christ himself tels us that Abraham saw his day Ioh. 8 56. what needs us more proof These and the like passages satisfie us concerning their knowing as much as was then requisite in order to salvation And that the Gentiles who never heard of Christ know so much is that which he should prove and doth it not nor never shall 11. He tels us that the Iewes even after David's dayes who prophecied more largely of Christ than did others before could not out of all these prophecies discerne Christ when he came Act. 3 17. 1 Cor. 2 8. Yea Mary herself did not know that her Son was about his Fathers work when disputing with the Doctors and the Apostles that long conversed with him and saw his miracles did not beleeve what belonged to his death and resurrection Ans. Is not this a wonderful proofe that the holy Patriarchs had no saving knowledge of and faith in the Messias who was to come because the wicked Jewes did crucify him when he came Who would not simile at this But David had many clear prophecies of the Messias and yet they did not understand these And what then Ergo they were saved without the understanding of these prophecies
3 5 6. any way confirme his fancy but rather establish the contrary truth to wit that all the favours which God conferreth upon us in order to salvation are of free grace and not by works of righteousness or works which are done in righteousness and righteously as the words in the original bear which we have done Grace and Mercy here are set in opposition to all our works yea to our best works and therefore if Iustification be an act of God's grace as the Scripture saith it is it is not nor can it be because or upon the account of our works of righteousness And if in and through or by Iustification there is pardon of iniquity as there is Rom. 4 5 6 7. And if pardon of iniquity be a merciful and gracious act in God being an act of his free grace and mercy Ephes. 1 vers 7 8. it is manifest that Iustification is not upon thâ— account of our works Therâ—fore we are said to be Iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3 24. Moreover the judgment of God is alwayes as in condemning of sinners so in justifying of beleevers according to truth Rom. 2 2. And in the matter of justifying of the ungodly the righteousness of God is declared and it is all so contrived that he might be just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3 25 26. Therefore cannot Iustification passe upon the account of any thing framed and done in us or by us because that is not nor can it be that which will passe for a Righteousness in the eyes of God and a Righteousness answerable to the Law in all points it being when it is at its best but imperfect nor can it have any merite or deserving in it to compensat for former transgressions being alwayes that only which we are obliged unto so that when we have done all we must say that we are but unprofitable servants Luk. 17 vers 10. we have done but what was our duty to do 7. Having thus briefly dispatched his Thesis wherein we see his opposition to Iustification by and upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed and therein his harmony and agreement with Papists Socinians and Arminians we come now to consider what he sayes more largly in his Apology Pag. 122. c. In the beginning he tels us that the handling of this doth well follow his treating of universal Redemption and universal grace And I shall not quarrel with his Method were his doctrine orthodox but seing few who plead for the universality of the death of Christ and who contend for the universality of grace are found sound and orthodox in the point of Iustification we mighâ—â—pon this ground though we had gote no taste of his judgment in the Thesis suspect his doctrine of Iustification But after tryal we will be better able to judge He saith truely that there are many controversies moved already about this point and the more blame worthy is he who doth not diminish but increase these rather as to some things though in the principal he liketh the Popish way better than ours He promiseth first to state the controversie so far as concerneth them and to explaine their judgment and then he saith he will confirme it by Scripture testimony and the certain experience of all that are really justified we must see how he performeth what is promised 8. What he saith § 2. of the Papists depraving of this truth we heare but are ready to suppose that howbeit he do not with them stand up for the merite ex condigno as it is called and yet many Papists reject this and are satisfied with meritum ex congruo in the mater of Iustification and some reject both as may be seen in Stapleton Prol. ad lib. 5. de justific of good works nor approve of the vulgar Papists placeing their Justification in things that are neither good nor evil or in things that are rather evil as good as he thinketh to be evident from their doctrine of the Sacraments and Indulgences c. but commend our Reformers for opposeing these Abominations Yet as to the maine controversie handled betwixt our Reformers and the Papists viz. what is Iustification and what is the formal reason Objective or the formal cause as some speak or Material cause as others speak or that because and upon the account of which men are Justified in the sight of God this Quaker joyneth with the Papists The Councel of Trent Sess. 6. Chap. 7. tels us That Iustification is not only remission of sins but also Sanctification and renovation of the inner man by a voluntary susception of grace and gifts whereby man of unjust becometh just of an enemy becometh a friend that he may be an heire according to the hope of eternal life Why doth our Quaker embrance this upon the matter and give a worse Justification even a Justification wherein there is no mention made of remission of sinnes Why doth he with this Synagogue of Satan confound Justifiâ—ation and Sanctification He knoweth how Bellarmine de Iustif. lib. 2. Cap. 2. briefly stateth the question betwixt us and them in these words Whether the formal cause of absolute Iustification be a righteousness inherent in us or not If this Quaker be no Papist why doth he conspire with them in this cardinal point of difference Why doth he and the rest rise up so much against the Imputed righteousness as do the Papist following the Councel of Trent as we see Pag. 125. he doth shewing his teeth against our Confession of faith And there also I cannot but take notice of a base falshood and deceit when he would make his Readers beleeve that the Papists do not place Justification in any real inward renovation of soul more then the Protestants while as we have seen the contrary out of the Councel of Trent and Bellarm. and multitudes moe might be cited But what needs more when we have the words of that Councel which all Papists must stand to and in that forecited Chapt. the same Councel saith The only formal cause is the righteousness of God not that by which he himself is righteous but whereby he maketh us righteous to wit by which we are renewed in the Spirit of our minde and are not only repute but truely are called and are righteous or just It is true that they say that this grace and charity that is infused in Iustification is through the merite of the most holy suffering of Christ And in this they are more orthodox and less Socinian than are the Quakers to this Mans shame be it spoken Yet still they make Justification to consist in the Infusion of grace and Renovation of the soul. 9. He beginneth his explication of their judgment Pag. 126. § 3. And telleth us first That as it appeareth from the explication of the former thesis they renunce all natural power in themselves for delivering of themselves out
holy sayes he as is the root they come from and therefore God accepts them and justifieth us in them and rewardeth us for them of his proper and free grace But the question is whether they be perfect and can stand before the tribunal of Justice and so become any part of that Righteousness answering the Law which requireth perfect conformity in all points which is the formal objective reason of our Justification before God whose judgment is according to truth 18. Thus we have seen his explication of their Opinion which in short is this That the formal objective reason or as he with others speak the formal cause of Justification is a Principle of grace within or Christ formed there that is the spring and principle of good works which is begun sanctification This I say is it according to his words but if we â—emember what was said to this above and consider what this Christ within is according to the Quakers principles we shall finde that in this point their judgment is more dâ—testable than is that of Papists for this Christ within is formed of meer Nature and that without any assistance of divine grace by the meer Rational power and will of man yeelding unto the dictats of that Light which is as well in pagans that scarce have the use of reason as in Christians and in all alike and so it is a Christ formed within whereof Pagans Turks and Indians that never heard nor never shall heare the least sound of the Gospel are capable and by vertue whereof they as well as Christians can come to be justified So that in short the justification which Quakers maintaine is a Pagan-justification resulting from a Pagan-sanctification and if this be not many degrees more damnable abominable then the doctrine of Tridentine Papists let any of understanding judge 19. After this he layeth downe three Propositions the confirmation of which will as he thinketh prove his point The first is this Pag. 129. The Obedience and Passion of Christ is that whereby the soul obtaineth remission of sins in that it is the cause prâ—curing that grace and seed by whose inward operations Christ is formed within and the soul is made conforme unto it and so just and justified And in respect of this capacity and offer of gracâ— God is said to be reconciled not that he is actually râ—conciled or justifieth any or holdeth any justified who remaineth in his sins ungodly impure and unjust Ans. 1. To say that the obedience and suffering of Christ procureth remission of sins in that it procureth that grace and seed c. is but a Socinian and Arminian untruth destroying the Satisfaction of Christ and upon the mater saying that Christ by his Obedience and Death did not fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified did not make a Proper Real and Full Satisfaction to justice in their behalf contrare to Rom. 5 8 9 10 19. 1 Tim. 2 5 6. Heb. 10 10 14. Dan. 9 24 25. Esai 53 4 5 6 10 11 12. Nor doth the Scripture speak so of the mater see Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins So Col. 1 14. See also Col. 2 13. Ephes. 4 32 Mat. 9 2 5. Mark 2 59. Luk. 5 20 23. 7 48. Mat. 26 28. Heb. 9 22. It is true the methode of the Gospel requireth that the Persons be first united to Christ by faith before they can obtaine these benefites of his Redemption but this is not the thing he speaketh of 2. This grace and seed is with him common to all flesh But the Scriptures tell us not as we have showne above that Christ's righteousness was for all or that all receive grace by vertue thereof 3. Christ formed within by the inward operations of that grace and seed which is common to Pagans is but a Natural Christ and Birth for such as the cause is such must the effect be And so what followeth upon this is but a Pagan righteousness and Justification 4. It is false as we have already manifested that God is said to be Reconciled only in respect of this capacity and offer of grace 5. We say not that God justifieth any remaining in their sinnes yet we grant that the Justified may commit sinnes and thereby fall under God's fatherly displeasure Psal. 89 31 32 33. 51 7 8 9.10 11 12. 32 5. 1 Cor. 11 30 32. Luk. 1 20. Mat. 26 75. and yet withall remaine in the state of Justification Luk. 22 32. Heb. 10 24. for we approve not of Antinomians in this mater 20. The Proposition we have heard and what he would properly assert thereby we are yet to learne Possibly his proofs will help us to understand it The first proof Pag. 130. us from Rom. 3 25. Here sayes he the Apostle showeth the efficacy of Christâ—s death viz. that by it and faith in it remission of by past sinnes is obtained And what then This is it in which and for which the long suffering of God is exercised toward men And what then Therefore though men by their dayly sinnes deserve eternal death yet by vertue of the sacrifice of Christ grace and the seed of God move them in love dureing the day of their visitation that they may be redeemed from evil Here are Quakers dreames whereof the text maketh no mention and dreames that have no sense but with men of distracted braines 21. We are nothing the wiser by this proof let us see the next If God saith he should be totally reconciled unto men and repute them just while they were actually unjust why doth he so oft complean of his people as Esai 59 2. where there is perfect and compleat reconciliation there is no separation or it will follow that sins can make no separation and that their good works and worst sinnes are the same in Gods account This giveth too great liberty to sin And in the margine he saith he speaketh not here of persons not yet converted whom Antinomians their adversaries say were justified from the beginning but of persons converted according to Protestants who may fall into grievous sinnes and yet are said by them to remaine perfectly and wholly justified Answ. 1. Here beginne we to understand something of his Proposition and of its designe And for answere we say That there is a twofold unrighteousness one of State or of Person another of Condition and particular Actions As to the first no unrighteous person is justified because before Justification he must be cloathed with the imputed righteousness of Christ and so constituted just and in Justification declared just because constituted just And as to the second though such an one as committeth sin be in so far unrighteous as to his actions and in that not justified or approven of God Yet being united to Christ by faith and thereby put in a justified state he remaineth in Gods account a justified person as to his State which
16 15. Dan. 8 14. Iob 32 2. 9 2. 33 32. Esai 53 11. Dan. 12 3. Mat. 12 37. Ier. 3 11. Gen. 44 16. Prov. 17 15. Not to mention other passages where justification of a sinner before God is handled because he may think to affix his vaine glosse unto them as we have seen in part and shall see more 3. How Iustifico I Iustify can signifie him who is made just I would faine know of what Master he hath learned 27. This man will needs be the master of words and therefore he will have Iustifico to be like sanctifico honorifico sacrifico Ans. And why not also as verifico Sure honorificare signifieth not to infuse honour but publickly to declare our respect for such a person and he knoweth the common saying honor magis est in honorante quam in honorato And Sacrifico signifieth sometimes I sacrifice and offer in sacrifice and ask God pardon Is that to make holy But sayes he all these are spoken of a subject really endued with that vertue from which he hath that denomination No man is said to be sanctified who is really profane so nor can any man be said to be Iustified who is not really just Ans. And do we say that a man is said to be Justified who is not really just No. He is really just by Righteousness imputed and then declared and pronunced just by Justification But he should show that as to sanctify signifieth sometimes to infuse holiness so to Iustify is to infuse righteousness or that a man can not be denominated Iustified but upon the account of infused and inherent righteousness as one cannot be denominated sanctified without inherent holiness But this is too hard for him 28. His perversness discovereth it self in the following words where playing with the forensical use of the word Iustify he sayes it is as when one really guilty is freed from the punishment and so he is Iustified that is put in the place of him who is just Insinuating hereby that in our justification there is nothing but a fredom from punishment while as we say that the cautionary righteousness of the Lord our Surety is imputed to the beleever and he thereupon Justified He proceedeth and telleth us that this use to wit forensical of the word proceeded from this supposition that none should be liberated but innocents Ans. Rather from this supposition that none ought to be absolved but either he who is not guilty of what is charged or hath satisfied the Law and accusation by a Cautiner What he addeth is nothing to the purpose Hence we say saith he I shall Iustifie this or that meaning that such a thing is Iustifiable For beleevers are Justifiable by the imputation of Christ's righteousness What he citeth out of Pareus against Bellarm de justific p. 469. where Pareus is shewing how Bellarmine at length cometh to his hand is nothing to the purpose for when he sayes we are not formally righteous or so called by the imputation of Christs righteousness his meaning is that thereby we are not made such as never sinned as his following words import but that the Righteousness of Christ is not so imputed to us as that it becometh the formal objective reason of our Justification Pareus saith not The matter is cleared thus though a man who is not solvendo can not be made by his cautioners paying of the debt for him one that is formally just and that hath never failed in paying his debt nor can the cautoners payment be so imputed to him when he is absolved yet the Cautioners payment is so imputed to him as that thereupon he is absolved and justified and so declared one that hath payed his debt by his cautioner and consequently free from any execution of the Law against him that payment of the cautioner is so imputed to him as that it becometh the Formal Objective Reason why he is absolved 29. He wonders that we should place our hope and confidence in a matter of such moment upon a figurative use of a word and exclude that or at least not account it necessary without which we cannot see God Ans. We deny that our use of the word is figurative and though it were yet the thing imported thereby is such a sure ground that if he misse it it may cost him his soul. We account not holiness and good works unnecessary but only exclude them from being any part of the Formal Objective Reason in our Justification And though he could not but know this Yet he would maliciously calumniate us Then he tels us that the word is sometimes used in Scripture of them who arrogat righteousness to themselves though it do not belong to them citeing Exod. 23.7 Iob 9 20. 27 5 Prov. 17 15. Esai 5 23. Luk 10 29. 16 15. Ioh. 11 2 3 22. Ier. 3 11. Ezech. 16 5. 15 2. Ans. Though impertinency enough might be observed here Yet this satisfieth us that both in some of those places and others cited by us before the word is not taken in his sense I wonder how he can say that all these places speak of men Justifying the ungodly when the very first is spoken of God himself And some of them speak of a not justifying as Iob 9 20. 27 5. Many of them speak nothing of Justifying at all as Esai 5 23. Ioh. 11 2 3 22. Ezech. 16 5. 15 2. So unhappy is the man in his citations 30. But Pag. 137. He cometh to speak of the word as used in those places of Scripture where the matter of Justification is handled And in the very entry he ushereth his way with a false ignorant calumnious insinuation as if we held that Justification were but supposititious and imaginary and not real when as by what we have already said the judicious may see that the Justification he pleadeth for is no reall thing but a popish dream And another ignorant cheat he useth saying that the signification which he putteth on the word is genuine and ours but figurative Whileas our sense of it is proper ordinary for any thing I know constant sure he hath given no one instance to the contrary and his is fictitious forged at Rome confirmed by no appoven author But sayes he In pauls Epistles to the Romans Corinth Galat. and else where where this doctrine is handled he saith frequently that we are not justified by the Law nor by the Law of Moses and here the word may be taken in its proper and genuine sense without any absurdity Ans. But what is this proper and genuine sense Is it that we are made just by infused righteousness Then this absurdity will follow that the Apostles meaning is the Law doth not infuse righteousness and who dreamed that it did Is it that we are declared just because of Inherent Holiness and Righteousness then this proper and genuine sense should be a perfect contradiction to what Paul saith or his meaning
because he saith it and so there is an end When the Apostle saith Phil. 1 v. 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to you an evident toaken of salvation he pointed at something which might be looked upon as a ground for hope of glory must we also leane to that in justification After some lines wherein after his usual manner he must extravage he saith And such as feel Christ after this manner raised and reigning in them have a true ground of hope to beleeve that they are justified Which is very true because these works of Christ are inseparable fruites and effects of Justification After some few words againe to no purpose he tels us that Borhaeus Claudius Albericus Inuncunanus Essius three whose books I never saw and whose names I never heard before I read this Quakers book are for Justification by this Revelation And he calleth them Protestants but if so I have read of some Papists more sound then they are if their meaning be one and the same with this Quakers And finally he citeth some words of Mr. Baxters Aphorismes But he cannot be ignorant that Mr Baxters notions in this particular are little satisfying beside that Mr Baxter himself will have none citeing that book as expressing his plaine and full meaning And if he would put the mater to the issue of tryal by humane testimony we should give him Twenty for one 38. Now followeth his Third proposition wherein he asserteth two things first That good works seing they naturally proceed from this birth as heat from the fire are absolutely necessary unto justification as a causa sine qua non in which we are justified and without which we cannot be justified Secondly That such good works are pure and perfect These he cometh to prove Pag. 144. c. And they would appear to be a contradiction for seing good works are the fruites of this birth and by the birth we are justified good works must follow justification and so cannot be a cause no not a causa sine qua non for even a causa sine qua non must be before the effect Againe what is that to say in which we are justified Is the meaning only that these works are approven of God we upon the account of them so farr as they are done according to a Gospel rule What will this say for justification of State whereof we are here speaking finally How can it be said that without good works we cannot be justified seing we are justified by the Birth and the Birth is but the cause of good works and so it hath been said that good works are the Effects and Consequences of Justification This would suspend justification until good works appeared so we should be justified by the Biâ—th only Initially or in a preparatory way but not fully And further in this he is worse then Papists who will not say that the good works by which we are justified are such as can stand before Gods tribunal if He follow the strick rigour of Law and not the Gospels admixture of mercy 39. Let us hear his proofs The first is our of Iames 2. whence he frameth this Argument If no man be justified without faith and no faith be lively and valide unto justification without works then works are necessary unto justification But the former is true c. Answ. 1. Though it be true that no man at least come to yeers of discretion is justified without faith as an instrumental cause laying hold on and applying Christ and his righteousness yet this faith is not the Causa formalis objectiva of justification and far less can works be a part of this cauâ—e seing they are but fruites and consequences of this faith 2. These words and no faith is lively and valide unto justification without works may admit of a double sense either the meaning may be that no faith is valide unto justification but that which is true and lively and apt to produce good works or that no faith is valide unto justification but that which is actually produceing good works and in so far as it is attended with good works If the first be the meaning then it is apparent that good works cannot be said to be necessary unto justification as a cause thereof for it may be in actual â—eing when they are but in potentia If the last be the true sense this place of Iames will not evince it for Abraham was justified before he offered up his Son Isaac And then it would follow that no man is justified in his sleep or when he is not actually doing some good work 3. Thus we see and the place of Iames is clear for it that good works are only necessary in the person justified and necessary to prove the truth and reality of a justifâ—ing faith to the man self and to others And so notwithstanding hereof that is alwayes true that the Scripture saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Iames 2 23. Gen. 15 6. Rom. 4 3. Gal. 3 6. 40. His second proof is from several Scriptures as Heb. 12 14. Mat. 7 21. Iohn 13 17. 1 Cor. 7 19. Revel 22 1â— and he thus frameth it If these only shall enter into the Kingdom who do the will of the Father if these only be called wise builders blessed that do the sayings of Christ c. then good works are necessary to salvation and to justification The former is true c. Answ. Not to quarrel at the Proposition as containing words in it which are not in the places cited We shortly answ that not one of these places speak of Justification or mention the necessity of works thereunto But only of their necessity unto final salvation which we deny not And if his Argument hold no man shall be justified before he be in heaven All therefore that can hence be concluded is that good works are necessary in the person justified in order to glory but not that they are necessary unto justification 41. These two are all his arguments and how slender proofs they are of what he undertook to prove let any judge He cometh in the next place § 10. to answere some Objections The first is taken from Luk. 17 10. When ye have done all that is commanded say we are unprofitable servants Which is a clear proof that our works being but a doing of that which is commanded and so a doing of duty and such as bring no advantage unto God as a reparation of his Glory or satisfaction to his justice for the wrongs done and therefore can have no interest in that which is the causa formalis objectiva of our justification or in that which we must lean to as the ground of our justification before God or in that upon which we may expect absolution from the sentence of the Law and freedom from the wrath and curse of God due for the breach of
while we are thinking of appearing before God And what an antievangelick Justification and Salvation it is which Quakers maintaine O what a dreadful Disappointment will such wretches that live and die according to these Principles meet with in end when it will be too late to helâ—e the matter by changing their thoughts Let all that fear God and would not destroy their owne souls beware of these men for their doctrine is damnable and devilish CHAP. XIV Of Perfection and a Possibility of not sinning 1. WE heard toward the end of the preceeding Chapter how he pleaded for the Perfection of the Saints and of the work of grace in them Here in his S. Thesis and its explication he giveth us his minde more fully In his Thesis he saith That this holy and immaculate birth when it is fully produced in any the body of sin and death is crucified and takâ—n away and their hearts become subject unto and united with the truth so that they obey no suggestions or temptations of Satan and are freed from actual sin and transgressing of the Law and in that respect they are perfect But yet this perfection admitteth of an increase and there remaineth alwayes in some respect a possibility of sinning if the minde doth not diligently and vigilantly attend unto God And so high and confident is he in this mater that he accounts the answere given to the 149. Question in our Larger Cathechisme Impious and spoken against the power of divine grace because it is there said No man is able either of himself Iam. 3 2. Ioh. 15 5. Rom. 8 3. or by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the commandements of God Eccles. 7 20. 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 18 19. but doth dayly break them in thought Gen. 6 5 8 11. word and deed Rom. 3 9. to 21. Iam. 3 3 to 13. But whatever he thinketh we are not ashamed of this Answere nor of what is said Conf. of Faith Ch. 16. § 5. towards the end That our best works as they are wrought by us are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment Esa. 64 6. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 15 18. Psal. 130 3. 143 2. And ibid. § 4. They who in their obedience attaine to the greatest hight which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short in much which in duty they are bound to do Luk. 17 10. Neh. 13 22. Iob 9 2 3. Gal. 5 17. Nor yet of what is said Chap. 13. § 2. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part 1 Ioh. 1 vers 10. Rom. 7 vers 18 23. Phil. 3 vers 12. whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5 17. 1 Pet. 2 11. 2. This Perfection is commonly maintained by them all Mr Hicks in his 1. Dial. Pag. 50. tels us that they hold a perfect freedome from all sin in this life saying too Alas for thee where wouldest thou be perfâ—ctly free from sin if not in this lift Mr Stalham also in his book against them Pag. 138 c. manifesteth it by their owne words and arguments And though it may be matter of amazement to some to hear men speak so who of all others one would think have least cause to preach this doctrine without a publick declaration withal that they are not the men who are thus Perfect and consequently according to their owne doctrine are not Christians upon the account that he shall not ordinarily meet with in any hereticks writings so much Ignorance Boldness Foolish Confidence Abusing of Scripture Untruth Heresie Blasphemy Reproaching Revileing Calumnies Scolding c. As is every where to be found in theirs Yet when we consider what blasphemous grounds they lay downe we shall see that it is a native consequence of their doctrine For Mr Hicks in his 2. Dialog showeth us that Edw. Burroughs calleth Sanctification Christ himself and hence concludeth that to say Sanctification is imperfect is as much as to say Christ is imperfect But Christ is perfect therefore Sanctification is perfect And againe The Law in the minde is the Spirit of God To say the Law in the minde is imperfect is errour in the highest degree this is an abominable corrupt principle of errour the new man is perfect Peace and perfect Sanctification And Mr Clapham in his book against them Sect. 4. affirmeth out of a book called Saul's errand to Damascus that they maintaine themselves to be equal with God And that Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock Pag. 30. doth alleige that place Phil. 2 5 6. to confirme it 3. It might also seem strange to hear men asserting their own Perfection who pretend so much to spiritual inward experiences and to so much acquantance with their owne hearts for who that will not wilfully put out their own eyes may not see and be assured of the deceitfulness of their heart above all things finde corruption riseing up on all occasions and setting forward to sin or hindering from good But when persons are given up of God to strong delusions as a punishment of their Pride and Vanity what high thoughts may they not have of themselvespunc seing such a doolful state is attended with more pride puffing them up and that blinding their eyes that they cannot see their spots nor see what the Law of God requireth and all this attended with ignorance of God and of his holy and Spiritual Law and worshipe And it may be this man supposeth with some Papists that venial faults as they call them are not against the Law of God or that command which they violat is not properly a command of the Law 4. What the truth is in this matter is declared above out of our Confession Catechisme and the passages of Scripture which are there cited to confirme the truth may be there seen and considered But before I speak any thing more for clearing of the Truth in this particular I would have the Reader take notice of one thing To wit That it cannot but be a stupenduous and astonishing thing and a manifest demonstration of the dreadful power of delusion when the Lord giveth up any unto that Spirit to hear men who pretend to Reason and to Religion and have not yet openly renunced all Faith of a God and all natural and humane Reason talke at this rate upon such grounds and assert with such boldness and confidence a Perfection of Degrees or a possibility of not sinning attaineable upon the principles and grounds which they lay downe what these are we have on several occasions hinted now shall do it yet once more The first rise and beginning of all their Religion
it but in a wrong thought or in coming short in the least measure of the right manner of doing a duty is inconsistent with regeneration say our Quaker and yet he saith within a line or two that every sin doth not destroy a spiritual condition These things cannot hang together a person wanting a leg or an arme cannot be called a perfect man as to his integral parts gold having drosse admixed cannot be called pure 11. His last Position is That he will not affirme that such a state is not attaineable here in which to do righteousness becometh natural unto the regenerat soul that in the stability of that state they cannot sin Answ. This is an higher degree of Perfection than what he mentioned before for the former was such a state in which one was able not to sin though he might also sin possit non peccare Item possit But this is such in which he cannot sin peccare non possit And as to this he ingenuously confesseth he himself hath not yet attained it in which his modesty and ingenuity is commendable But he dar not deny but there may be such a state seing it seemeth to be expresly affirmed by the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3 9. Answ. But if he so interpret the words of the Apostle Iohn as importing this highest degree of perfection he must also grant that this highest perfection is not only attainable in this life but that it is common to all renewed persons for Iohn speaketh this as a truth of all that are borne of God and of all that have this seed in them and this is true of all that are truely Regenerated all such are borne of God and Gods seed is in them What will the man now say Though he will say that he is in such a state wherein he is able not to sin possit non peccare yet if he dar not say that he cannot sinne non possit peccare he must acknowledge himself not to be yet borne of God and to be void of the seed of God This passage if it prove any thing for perfection will utterly destroy this Quakers first kinde of Perfection which is a possibility of not sinning and that as common to all Regenerat persons But neither the one nor the other is asserted hereby the Apostle who only saith that he that is borne of God cannot make a trade of sinne and be wholly taken up therein as his constant work and exercise wherein he is delighted and findeth pleasure and full satisfaction as a man doth in his daily trade and employment He doth not say that such have no sin for he had said the contrare Chap. 1 8. but that they do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade in sin and this is opposite to that which is their trade and occupation 1 Ioh. 2 29 they do worke or trade in righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doing working or tradeing in sin is peculiar to such as are of the Devil as the doing working and tradeing in righteousness is peculiar to Gods people 1 Ioh. 3 7 8 9. He that committeth sin is of the devil whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin so that such as are borne of God do not commit sin as do such as are of the Devil and do the works of the Devil And this committing of sin is opposed to the work of purifying or studying of sanctification which lively hope setteth the beleever upon vers 3.4 and importeth a fixed set purpose and resolution to work in sin with full purpose of heart and to give up themselves to the trade of sin as delighting therein and as devouted thereunto adde that such sinne not so as to fall away and lose the seed nor unto death See Chap. 5 16 17. 12. Thus we have seen his Opinion which in short is this That all the Regenerat are in such a state as that they are able noâ— to sin or transgress any of the commands of God but to keep them in all points and walk up to full conformity to the Law yet they may also sin through their own fault and unwatchfulnâ—ss for it is not impossible But some may come unto that hight of perfection as that it is impossible for them to sin they cannot sin Let us now see ere we examine his grounds what affinity this opinion of his hath with the Old Pelagians with the late Socinians and Others as to the first Vossius his Historia Pelagiamsmi Lib. 5. Part. prior Thesi prima Pag. 460. giveth us their opinion thus They said the Saints led their life without sin which they laboured to prove from the instances of those who in Scripture are said to have keeped the Law perfectly Yet they distinguished betwixt such as never sinned all their dayes and such as at first were sinners but afterward left off to sin The first they gave to Abel the last unto Paul See what he citeth to verifie this He sets downe the Antithesis of the orthodox Pag. 462. thus That none by the power of nature could fulfill the Law That none by strength of grace did live all their dayes without sin That none attained that measure of holiness in this life that he could live any long time without sin The perfection ascribed to some in the Scripture was not from nature but from grace Nor for all their dayes Nor at any time full and absolute but which might increase and was mixed with evil deeds and so was a perfection of parts only not of degrees And this he cleareth out of Hierom Iustin Martyr Ambrose Gennadius Chrysost. Beda Origen Cyprian Macarius Optatus Augustin Ivo Carnatens Lombard He tels us moreover Pag. 4â—8 That unto these instances out of Scripture urged by the Pâ—lagians They answered that by perfection was meaned Sincerity or a true not feigned study of obeying all God's Lawes and actual obedience according to the measure attained in this life and in comparison with others but not any full or absolute perfection As an house is said to be perfect which is yet but in building in respect of the beginnings by a synecdoche of parts or of desire by a metonymie of the end 2. In comparison with rubbish or with an house not so far advanced 3. In respect of promise when the builder undertaketh to compleat it And so the righteousness here was perfect 1. Inchoatively in respect of the beginnings and desires 2. Comparatively in respect both of the ungodly and of the godly who are more imperfect 3. Evangelically whereby all is said to be done when that which was not done is pardoned And this to have been the Judgment of the orthodox he proveâ—h out of their writtings as of Hierom Orosius August Gelasius Bernard The Reader may see more in his 2. Antithesis Pag. 473. c. out of Nazianzen Tertullian Optatus Millevit Hierom c. For the better maintaining of this Perfection the Pelagians said that sinnes of ignorance were no sinnes I
will so have it In the 3. place he comes to criticize tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the potential mood and so it signifieth who may not or cannot sin as Ps. 119 11. Ans. And why not also ought not seing this Mood is used to expresse that This is but vanity for the Hebrew hath not properly potential moods And though interpreters do usually render it so as more congruous latin yet the sense abideth the same and the Dutch translate it as we have it And what will this say to other places Nay the very scope of Solomon evidenceth our translation to be right his gloss to be but vanity as is obvious to every Reader 30. To that argument from Rom. 7 14. c. he answereth the same that Socinians and Arminians answered of old to wit That the Apostle is not there speaking of himself but of an unregenerate person While as all the circumstances of the text evince the contrary to wit that he is speaking of himself and that in the present time for he useth alwayes from vers 14. and forward verbs in the present tense and he distinguisheth betwixt the Old and New man in himself ascribeing to each their proper work and speaketh many things of himself which cannot be spoken of the Unregenerat as 1. To will and approve what is good and to nill and disapprove what is evil and that alwayes and to approve all good and disapprove all evil discovered to be such 2. To consent unto the Law that it is good and to delight therein and that according to the inner man which is the Regenerat part opposite to the Old man 3. Not to do evil not I it is no more I and that was according to the Renewed part 4. To have an inner man which is proper to the Regenerate Ephes. 3 19. 5. To feel a strife and warre betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit which also agreeth to the Regenerate Gal. 5 17. 6 To hate evil which no Unregenerate person can do 7. To approve of the Law as Spiritual 8. To have will present unto good even when he findeth not how to performe what is good 9. To be brought into captivity to the Law of sin while as the wicked are willing slaves 10. To be groaning under this body of death and accounting himself wreatched because of it 11. To have a Law in the minde against which the Law in the members maketh warre 12. To be expecting full delivery in Jesus Christ. 13. To be thankfull to God upon that account 14. To be serving the Law of God when the flesh is serving the Law of sin 15 And Chap. 8 1. being an inference from whaâ— is said Chap. 7. he inferreth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which supposeth that he was speaking of one that was in Christ otherwise his Inference had not been pertinent 31. These things are clear and might be further explained and confirmed if it were necessary Let us see what he saith against this 1. He saith The Apostle declared the contrary Chap. 6 2. Answ. No such matter for what he said there and what he saith here can well agree for he that is thus resisting sin striveing and protesting against it when he can do no more is abundanâ—ly evidencing that he is dead unto it as to its dominion and that he is not living therein 2. He saith Paul could not call himself a carnal man as vers 14. Answ. So said Schlightingius the Socinian So Arminius But we say Paul doth not call himself simply and every way carnal but only in a certain respect distinguishing betwixt his better part which he owneth as himself and this Flesh vers 18. And we finde also that Paul called the Corinthians who were babes in Christ carnal in some respect 1 Cor. 3 1 2. He saith 3. The Apostle Chap. 8. saith he was made free from the Law of sin and death and so he could not be then carnal Answ. Neither say we that he was carnal in so far but spiritual 4. He saith That Paul Chap. 8 35. saith who shall separat us from the love of Christ vers 37. that in all these things we are more then conquerours And vers last nothing can separat us But where sin is and is continued in there there is a separation for all sin is contrary to God 1 Ioh. 3 4. Answ. That sin where it is striven and wrestled against as Rom. 7 15. c. will make a separation from God I deny 2. That sin is contrary to God I no where read that it is a breach and transgression of his Law is true 32. To the instances of the failings of Noah and David He saith They are nothing to the purpose Why so The question is not saith he whether good men cannot sin num non possint peccare but whether they be able not to sin num possint non peccare And this may be true though they have sinned Answ. But our Argument lyeth thus If these men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and men according to God's heart have had their failings and these failings are registrated for our use then we have no Scripture warrant for such a Perfection here as is not attended with sin But the former is true Let him of now apply his answere to this argument and see what it will say Or thus we may frame the Argument If we finde no instances in Scripture such persons as were so perfect as that they did not sin then to imagine such a perfection is but a groundless fancy a dream But the former is true Or If we finde sin consisting with a state of Regeneration than it is false that all Regenerat persons are in a sinless state Hereby also is that which he addeth in the second place obviated And further we say that from these instances we do not prove that the godly sin in all they do because of a body of death and corruption cleaving to them other Arguments evince that But from these instances we shew that his sinless state is but a Quakeristick dream 33. To that argument That this doctrine taketh away the study of Mortification and Usemaking of the blood of Christ and Praying for remission He very civilly tels us Tâ—at because of its absurdity he had almost forgoten it As if he had answered all the arguments we use against this errour But wherein consists its absurdity Is sayes he mortification of sin useless when its end is attained But he mistaketh after his usual manner our argument which in forme runneth thus If mortification be a duty pressed on persons regenerated then persons regenerated have sin and corruption in them to be mortified and so are not sinless But the former is true Therefore c. May it please him to shew the absurdity of this argument When all sin is mortified there is no more need of this duty of studying mortification and if all sin
dayes where the word of God and the Gospel is than of a pagan that never heard of Christ. But now what is required An External profession c. This is good enough to declare that the Quakers Churches are not Christian for they beleeve not the holy truthes set downe in the Scriptures because they oppose and contradict them Nor do they beleeve in or make profession of Jesus Christ revealed in the N. Testament because they oppose him and all his Institutions But how is this faith wrought is it by the Spirit of God No the inward light alone doth it that is it is a faith of Christ of the truth of the Scriptures that nature can sweetly naturally incline yea compel unto But this can reach no further than the truths that corrupt nature can teach and what affinity these have with the Gospel of the grace of God let Christians judge And thus we have run round and are againe where we begane 7. He inferreth from what he hath said That the inward work of holiness and laying aside of iniquity is every way necessary to constitute a member of the Church of Christ. Yet it is but such a work of holiness that nature can produce effectuat We acknowledge true holiness wrought by the Spirit of God subdueing overcoming nature to be necessary in all that are members of the Invisible Church but not necessary to constitute one a member of the visible Church general or particular What more That outward profession is necessary to make one a member of a particular congregated church though not of the catholick church Then the particular Church is not an homogeneal part of the Catholick but of a different complexion Then members of the Catholick church cannot be members of a particular Church without some more be added It seemeth then these particular Churches are Visible Churches but the Catholick is invisible Yet saith he this external profession is every way necessary where God giveth opportunity to know it and the outward testimony is to be beleeved when and where it is revealed Then it is no way necessary otherwise and so without any Knowledge Revelation or Acknowledgement or Profession of the Gospel one may be a member of the Catholick saved Church are these things consonant to Scripture 8. Next § 5. He tels us that the devil working in the mystery of iniquity taught his followers to say That none how holy so ever was a member of the church of Christ without an outward profession and unless he were initiated with some ceremonies Ans. And what can it be else but the devil working in the mystery of iniquity that taught him to say tha◠Pagans Turks Jewes who are enemies to the true Christian Religion can be members of the Catholick church without either Profession or Knowledge of Christ 2. Himself said that this profession was necessary to particular Christian Churches And are not these Churches of Christ 3. for the external ceremonies used in the Church of Rome we owne them not but such as Christ hath instituted in his word if the Spirit within him be not contrary to the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures he also should owne And againe saith he That if one have an outward profession though inwardly ungodly and irregenerate he may be a member of the true Church of Christ Ans. That such an one may be a member of the Church Visible we owne it as the truth of God and when he shall be pleased to forme a disput upon this head shall make it good And at best he is but mistaken when he addeth that this is to put light for darkness as if God did more regard words than works For the Lord calleth for both Rom 10 9 10. He is also mistaken when he sayes that Antichrist did build his structure upon this foundation For he applieth all the privileges of the Invisible Church unto his visible Synagogue of Satan distinguisheth not betwixt the Visible the Invisible Church as neither doth this Quaker non-churcheth all who are not of his combination and how neare this Quaker approacheth to him in this he can judge if he will 9. What he speaketh of the degenerating of the primitive churches is true but when among these corruptions he reckoneth Pag. 176. this as one that men became Christians that is members of the visible church by birth he is far out for if that be a corruption the Apostles first primitive Church were guilty thereof for we owne it from them Peter told the Jews that the promise was to them and to their children Act. 2 39. And Paul told the Corinthians 1 Cor. ◠14. that the children of beleevers were holy and under the Law children by birth enjoyed this privilege this privilege was never taken away from them under the Gospel What he saith of the reformed churches though there be too much truth in it yet it ill becometh him his party to upbraid them seing all their designe as hath been often observed is to make them us all mere pagan churches And instead of true holiness to presse upon us Natural Dead Antievangelick Morality CHAP. XVII Of a Ministerial call 1. OUr Quaker having thus dispatched what he had to say of the Church cometh to speak to what he had mentioned in his Thesis concerning the Ministery where we finde several things spoken unto which we shall examine severally In the beginning of his 10. Thesis he tels us That as by this gift grace and light all the true knowledge of God in spiritual things is received and revealed so by the same as it is manifested and received in the heart by its power and efficacy every true Minister of the Gospel is constituted prepared and furnished for the work of the ministry And by this moving leading and drawing must he be led commanded in his misterial work as to places where the persons to which and times when he is to be imployed That which here we are to take notice of is that which constituteth a Minister and with this Quaker the only thing that maketh one a Minister is Inward Light which he calleth also grace and a gift as it is received in its power in the heart This is all his call unto the weighty work of the Ministrie What this Light Gift and Grace is we discovered above sufficiently and after examination of all that he said of it found it to be nothing else but the dim Light and Law of Nature or the Relicques of that which once was glorious and illustrious while Adam stood because nothing else can be supposed now common to all Adam's sones or all that are Rational Creatures whether borne without or within the Church whether Pagans Barbarians Cannibals Shythians or what you will And this he makes both the Preacher or Revealer of Spiritual things and the Meane by which this Revelation is received for by it all the true knowledge of God in Spiritual
men who cannot certainly know this nor walk by an infallible rule in judging of this That which is necessary to make a man a member of the Visible Church a professing Christian that I grant is also necessary to make one a Minister both before God and men for men can judge hereof and have a certain and fixed rule whereby to judge of this profession whether it be true or not though not to judge whether it be sincere or not 2. That the inward work of the Spirit of grace is necessary to make one a true and gracious Christian or member of the Invisible Church is true but this is not requisite to make one a member of the visible Church And he would know that Ministers are set in the visible Church and are to covert such as are not yet members of the Invisible Church and this sheweth the inconsequence of his argument 3. The Inward Power and Vertue of the Spirit which he must meane can make a no man a Professour let be a Christian in truth and reality for it may be where there is no knowledg or hearing of Christ of the Gospel of the Covenant of grace or of any such thing even in an Heathen and Pagan who is yet without as such are called 1 Cor. 5 12 13. 1 Tim. 3 7. and is without Christ being an alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and a stranger from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes. 2 12. 8. His next argument is this All the Ministers of the N. Test. are Ministers of the Spirit and not of the letter 2 Cor. 3 6. And therefore such must be called by the Spirit and must know that he is led and moved by the Spirit and be sensible of the work of the Spirit and of his inward vocation Ans. 1. It is most true that Ministers of the N. T. are Ministers of the Spirit opposed to such as cryed up the Law and preached it as separated from Christ as the Jewes commonly did as our Quakers Pagan-preachers do must do according to their principles for they know no Gospel but are sworne enemies to it and plaine subverters of it and all the Ordinances thereof and are worse then the allegorical teachers of whom Beza maketh mention on 2 Cor. 3 6. 2. They may be said to be called by the Spirit who are gifted with the gifts of the Spirit fitting for preaching of the Gospel such as the word of Wisdom and the word of Knowledge 1 Cor. 12 vers 4 7 8 11. Whereby they are apt to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. and fit to take care of the Church vers 5. And those gifts in themselves considered are different from true and saving grace and yet come from the Spirit and are given to profite withall and so must be laid out to edification according to the way prescribed in the Gospel 3. What meaneth he by this must be called by the Spirit Is this an inward Inspiration or Enthusiasme saying to the man he must goe preach We reject all such phancies which he and other phanatick persons dream of and lean unto and account them plaine delusions of Satan which the very doctrine they deliver putteth beyond all question Mat. 24 24. 2 Thes. 2 9. Deut. 13 1. Gal. 1 8 9. Let him shew if he can any true ground warranting us to look for such immediat calls Is there a promise for this Or a command to expect it 4. His last words null his former argument and position for there he required only that they have the inward working of the Spirit but here he requireth more to wit that they know that they have it and are led and moved by the Spirit and are sensible of his work in them Or he must say that none can have grace but he must also know and feel that he hath it And consequently that such as feel not this to their owne satisfaction must peremptorily conclude that they have it not a dangerous position and untrue 9. A third argum followeth Pag. 179. If saith he the testimony of the Spirit be not essential and necessary to a Minister the Gospel Ministrie should be postponed to the legal for there the people knew who were officers and beside these ordinary there were extraordinary ones called by the immediat testimony of the Spirit But now we are vncertain and must have Pastors without all certain assent of Gods will Ans. 1. Then the thing he meaneth by a Call is a testimony of the Spirit such as the Prophets of old had or at least such as may be plaine and notoure not only to themselves who have it but to all so as they need no more doubt of it than the Jewes needed to doubt of the Priests and of the Levites or at least of the extraordinary Prophets that God sent among them And thinks he that this is had of his Quaker-Teachers and Pagan-Preachers No sure their speach and their erroneous doctrine publickly declareth that the testimony which they have is the testimony of a lying Spirit and of a Spirit of delusion that can easily deceive the possessors 2. Thinks he that there is no way now to know who are the lawfully called Servants of God He was pleased while speaking of the Scriptures to affirme some such thing that he might thereby implead their Perfection but we manifested his folly in that attempt there See Chap. IV § 31. 3 Will he tell us what that certaine assent of Gods will or this Testimony of the Spirit is whereby every one may know who is truely called of God who not Doth the Spirit when he calleth one to this work speak to the senses of all beholders and witness also to them that such an one is indeed called of the Spirit Is such a Testimony of the Spirit which every one can hear necessary to make a Christian Is this the inward Power and Vertue of the Spirit that he talked of 10. His last Arg. is from Christ's word 's Ioh. 10. They are thieves and robbers that câ—me not in by the door Which is very true But how will he prove that all such as want this testimony and this call which he speaketh of are such as Christ there meaneth They that enter by the way which Christ hath appointed come in by the door which he hath set open for them to enter by and have his warrand and approbation though they want this which he pretendeth to 11. He tels his Reader § 8. That against his doctrine we Object the Succession of the Church as sufficient And upon this his mistake he runneth out in many words to no purpose That Christ sent his Apostles immediatly is certain and undeniable That these Apostles ordained other ordinary ministers is unquestionable Act. 14 23. That they laid injunctions on these whom they had ordained to commit the same to faithful men is clear 2 Tim. 2 2. Tit. 1 5. 1 Tim. 3 1 15. and 5 21
taught can teach and opportunely admonish and by certain experience witness for God as did of old the Prophets and the Apostles of late 1 Ioh. 1 1. Ans. By this it seemes that all ministers learning of what soever kinde that is useful must be immediatly taught them they must have all by inward Instructions of the Spirit And it will not be enough to him that the Spirit teach us by ordinary meanes as he did Daniel Chap. 1 17. comp with vers 4 but it must be by Immediat Inspirations Revelations I would faine know if he learned his Latine Greek Hebrew so But who seeth not what a tendency this hath to banish all learning out of the world and to introduce palpable Paganisme Darkness Ignorance whereby people may become a prey unto such seducers as he is If so away with all Academies Schools of learning though even when Immediat Revelations were more ordinary there were schools of the prophets young prophets having others over them 1 Sam. 19.20 we hear of the sones of the prophets 2 King 2 3. of master scholer Mal. 2 12. See also 1 Sam. 10 5 10. 2 King 2 5 22 14. Away then with all Reading Studying or Searching of the Scriptures away with learning so much as to read with all study of arts of sciences that might help in the least to understand the Scriptures contrary to Deut. 17 19. 1 Tim. 4 13. 5 17. 2 Tim. 2 15. Revel 11 3. Ioh. 5 v. 39. for we have no more to do now but to waite for Immediat Revelations of all things which I should judge a manifest tempting of God an exposeing of our selves to delusions which God in his righteous judgment might give us up unto Doth not the Spirit in Paul's making use of the sayings of heathen poets Act. 17 28. Tit. 1 12. teach us that a good use may be made of humane learning even for carrying on a spiritual work Nay this principle followed forth would destroy all Teaching all Interpretation of Scriptures all Meanes of learning all Instruction of parents all Ministrie And what have we then to do with the Quakers teachings writtings This is no new thing it was the doctrine of the old Anabaptists 8. Then § 19. forward he comes to speak in particular to three parts of literature as if there were no moe nor none more excellent useful the first is the Knowledge of tongues Latine Greek Hebrew And he sayes we judge the knowledge of these necessary that we may read the Scriptures in the original languages which Scriptures he sayes we take to be our only rule Thereby declareing that he owneth then not as such and sure seing we owne the Scriptures for our only Rule it is but rational that we study these languages in which they were first written that we may thereby come the better to understand their meaning seing no translation can so fully emphatically express the original in all points as were to be wished But why mentioneth he the Latine for this end Thinks he that any part of our Rule was originally written in Latine Belike he would foist-in some apocryphal books into our Canon or give us the Popish vulgar version for the only authenticque And if so we should not stand in great need of the Knowledge of Hebrew Greek He sayes this study was commendable in the primitive Reformers because darkness before had overwhelmed the whole Christian world Answ. 1. Then it seemeth there was then a Christian world contrary to what he said above 2. If it was needful to dispel darkness it cannot be unnecessary to keep out darkness 3. But why might not the Spirit without their study have taught these things And why did they not waite till the Spirit taught them immediatly 4. How came it that the Spirit gave a blessing to their endeavours Will God bless sinful meanes But he addeth That true reformation was not placed in that knowledge for though Papists out of emulation set up that study yet we see that they are as much obdured in their errours as ever Ans. who saith that true reformation was placed in this It was a mean in it self to help towards the knowledge of the Scriptures And if Jesuites other Papists do not improve the same to a right end shall therefore the meane be condemned altogether This man tels us that Jesuites all men have a light within them which if well improven would prove saving and because they many others do not make a right use hereof will he think that it should be laid aside altogether I suppose not Therefore sayes he further this will not prove the necessity of this science unto ministers Whence doth he conclude this It is a conclusion without premisses for that which he said last would rather inferre the contrary Far lesse will it evince saith he that it is a qualification more necessary then is the grace and Spirit of God seing this can supply the want of that in rusticks and in ignorant persons Answ. I shall be far from saying that it is more necessary Let each have its owne place and I am satisfied things subordinat can well consists but this man will have these two contradictory What the Spirit may help illiterate persons to know by hearing in the things of salvation is nothing to the purpose for we are speaking of Ministers who should be knowing persons and able to teach others And Peter tels us what unlearned Persons are apt to do with the Scripture But says he Pag. 198. all the knowledge that is had by that learning is without the Spirit and so is fallible when as a rustick hearing the Scriptures read can say that it is true by the same Spirit also understand it and if needful interpret it by observing how his owne condition agreeth with the condition of the saints recorded in Scripture Ans. It is not without the Spirits ordinary assistance and we look not for immediat infallible Motions and Inspirations 2. Why may not the rustick if acted by an infallible and immediatly inspireing Spirit tell all this without hearing the Scriptures read And how should he even have heard them read in his owne language If they had not been translated And how had they been translated without this knowledge 3. May not the rustick mistake his owne condition and consequently misinterpret the Scripture or may he not misapply that passage wrest it contrare to its native scope and that through ignorance even of the letter of the Scriptures and so suppose an harmony or similitude where there is no such thing Such a thing I suppose is not impossible And what doth his argueing then evince But he hath a sufficient experience in some of his Quakers particularly in a shoe maker or cobler correcting a Professour in a citation of some passage of Scripture affirming that there was no such passage to be found Ans.
This man hath his fables ready at hand for we had such another before but few of his Readers can know whether he speaketh true or false all that I shall say is that this fable is impertinently here brought in for the question is not whether a Professour or Doctor may not have a failing memory Nor whether a mechanick cannot have a more happy one what more is in this fable I cannot see unless he would hence inferre that the Spirit teacheth them without book hearing or reading the very letter of the Scripture even the very translated words And if this be true it is little wonder they are at no paines in reading the Scriptures let be in studying of them But till I know the truth of this mystery better I crave his leave to suspend my beliefe 9. The next point of learning is Logick and Philosophy But whether is it Natural or Artificial Philosophy that he is against Though I judge that a man may be a minister yet be no profound Philosopher nor expert in that which goeth under that name Yet I think some measure of knowledge thereof can not well be wanted especially in such as have to do with wrangling sophisters like this Quaker that would pervert souls propagate errour it hath its owne profitableness to other uses also But what hath this man against it It is sayes he the root and original of all contention How doth he prove this we know the best things may be abused but the abuse of a science may bear its blame the science it self be blameless It draweth men away from that clear understanding of things which reason it self might furnish This if so is but its abuse He that is not very wise can be a perfect logician This may be doubted And it may be he will not deny that one not very wise may be a good Christian doth it not helpe in defending of truth refuting of hereticks The truth that is in men truely rational needeth not this help and it will not convince the obstinate but teacheth them many artifices and distinctions to oppugnate the truth saith he Ans. What meaneth he by that truth with is in men truely rational is it natural truth or supernatural common or saving Me thinks he had need of some science whereby to explaine himself for his language is dark 2. Though truth in it self should not need this help Yet it may stand in need of some such help to fix it in a subject that is doubting either because of the darkness of his owne understanding or because of the contrary argueings of Adversaries 3. This science is only used as an instrumental medium to convince or if not to convince yet to confute their errours and to defend truth from their exceptions and that in such a rational way as may be convinceing to such as will not be obstinate 4. If any use its distinctions to oppugne the truth they must beare the blame for this abuse the distinctions may however be good Truth saith he comeing from an honest heart and taught by the Spirit will sooner penetrate then thousands of demonstrations as the Instance of the old man convinceing the heathen Philosopher whom all the Bishops of the Councel of Nice could not overcome with their disputes Ans. This is only when it pleaseth the Lord to concurre with his blessing And such rare examples are not ordinary and are to teach us in all these wayes to depend upon the Lord for the blessing and not to loose us from the use of the meanes What saith he to natural logick He doth not deny the use of this because every man in his wits hath it he hath also used it in this treatise Ans. But if natural logick be so useful why is artificial or acquired logick so noxious seing it only serveth to accomplish and polish the other Though every man in his wits hath this yet I suppose some have more and some have less and such as have less may be allowed to take some help to increase it If he hath only used that logick here I could wish him to take some more of artificial logick to helpe it and yet I think he hath not wholly renunced it in this Treatise though by neither nor by both hath he been able to gaine his point whether in confirming his errours or in darkning of the truth What sayes he to other parts of Philosophy That part sayes he which is called the Ethicks may be better learned out of the Scriptures Which is very true they being a full and perfect rule in all morals But I think that this study should not be unprofitable for him who will not owne the Scriptures as a Rule and acknowledgeth the light of Nature for a guide and only rule which is in all heathens and by which light alone they wrote their morals or Ethicks so that I think if he would make use here of his natural logick he might see how consequentially he should speak to his owne principles if he would recommend to all the study of Aristotiles Ethicks or the morals of some other Hethenish Philosophers instead of the Scriptures For Physicks and Metaphysicks saith he they may be reduced to Medicine and Mathematicques But not to be too Philosophical in disputing here with him why may not the knowledge of them Yea and of Mathematickes too be of some use to whatsoever art or science they may be reduced I would faine heare what reason his natural logick could give us to convince us that they could not be useful because of that As for my dull natural logick it can perceive no reason nor shew of reason In fine He citeth Col. 2 8. and 1 Tim. 6 20. which speak nothing against the innocent and profitable use of philosophy which is all we defend we speak not of that philosophy which is vaine deceit after the tradition of men and which as Beza on the place thinketh is that Theology which is the product of humane vanity leaning only to Custome and Enthusiasmes let him consider this what Calvin on the place thinketh this Philosophy to be and it may be he may see his owne Theology comprehended under it if not mainely understood What is this Philosophy then in Calvines judgment Even wâ—atever men devise of their own head while they think themselves wise in their owne opinion and that not without some specious pretext of reason And a perswasive discourse insinuating in the mindes of men with faire and plausible arguments And nothing else then a meer corruption of spiritual doctrine And all adulterous doctrines which breed in mens braines whatever colour of reason they may have This is enough for Col. 2 8. And as for 1 Tim. 6 vers 20. The science falsly so called there spoken of is not Philosophy but a science of coineing and uttering new and vaine bombast words giving a sound without substance tending to corrupt and darken the simplicity of the Gospel A
can they show to any or to any houshold of faith who withhold from Ministers what is requisite 4. Let us consider next 1 Cor. 9. from vers 4. and forward where the Apostle professedly is proving the lawfulness of Ministers taking maintainance not only for themselves but for their families also saying vers 5 have we not power to lead about a sister a wife as well as other Apostles And the proof hereof he prosecuteth at large in the following verses Who goeth saith he vers 7. a warfare any time at his owne charges Who planteth a vineyaird and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Souldiers have their pay and stipend and the Roman Laws included herein not only what was necessary for their maintainance as provision for back and belly but even the kindly gifts and gratuities which were given as further encouragements And he who is at paines to plante a vineyaird may in reason expect to eate of the fruite hereof so he also that keepeth and feedeth a flock should share of the milk Natural equity pleadeth for these things why are Quakers thus unnatural But they would not have stipends and salaries fixed and limited and yet the salary of souldiers useth to be fixed and if not I suppose few would hazard their lives in the warre unless they were in expectation of some greater benefite than a fiâ—ed pay Ministers are warriours 1 Tim. 1 18. 2 Tim. 2 3.4 Therefore they should have their wages as this word is rendred Rom. 6. last Ministers are labourers in the vineyard and are labouring husband men 2 Tim. 2 6. Luk. 10 2. 1 Cor. 3 9. And therefore they should have their hire 1 Tim. 5 18. They should have some fruite for their paines So are they Shepherds feeding the flock of God and therefore should live of the milk But the Apostle goeth on to prove this from other grounds than the common Law of nations and equity even from the Law of God vers 8 9 10. Say I those things as a mâ—n Or saith not the Law the same also As if he had said Suppose you that I have no other ground for this but common usages among men Nay I have the Law of God pleading for me also For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hâ—pe â—nd that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope Where he adduceth a testimony out of the Law the moral equity whereof bindeth us under the Gospel and thence reasoneth from the less to the more if oxen trading out the corne should not be muzzled but have liberty to eat of the corne about which they are labouring much more must Ministers be maintained in their laboures And this he further amplifieth from the similitude of labouring men who plow and thresh that they may share of their hopes But lest some should think that these arguments were not apposite to the Gospel or to Ministers who ministered spiritual things and therefore should only share of that as labouring men do of the fruit of their labours and not of carnal things the Apostle therefore both to obviate this and to presse the point further sayes vers 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Arguing from the more to the less As if he had said Common equity and commutative justice would require some more by way of compensation than what we require we sow unto you spiritual things and we reap but your carnal things and do you grudge us that Our Quakers then are very cruel and unjust that would have the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne muzzled and would not suffer such as sow spiritual things so much as reap carnal things Neither yet hath he Apostle said all for he adduceth another Argument beside that that was more ad hominem as we say vers 12. vers 13 14. Do yee not know that they which Minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple they which waite at the altar are partakers with the altar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Where he reasoneth from a parity As the Ministers of God under the Law were maintained honourably in their service so should the Ministers of the Gospel be and further addeth that the Lord hath ordained it How the Priests and Levites were maintained under the Law is abundantly set downe there See Exod 29 26. 22 29. Levit. 2 3 10. 5 13. 7 7 8 9 10 14 32. 10 13. 27.30 32. Num. 3 48 5 9 10. 18 18 31. 35 2. Deut. 12 2. 14 22 18 1. Iosh. 13 14 21 2. 2 Chron. 31 4. Neh. 10 32. to the end 13 5 15. Ezech 44 30. 45 4. And this livelihood of theirs was no meane thing barely accommodated to their necessities nor was it left to the option of the people whether to give it or not but was determined by the Law of God 5. Come we in the next place to take a view of 1 Tim. 5 vers 17 18 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine for the Scripture saith thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corne and the labourer is worthy of his reward Whether by this double honour we understand with some Reverence and Maintainance or a double Portion of that honour or Maintainance that he allowed to widowes spoken of in the former part of the Chapter or with others all respective duty and encouragment still Maintainance is included as a special part and this is held forth as due to all Rulers of the Church even to such as laboure not in word and doctrine which the Quakers did not see practised amongst us and chiefly to such as Preach the Gospel And against this they rage though the Apostle confirmeth it as formerly 1 Cor. 9. from the Law anâ— againe further from that received sentence The labourer is worthy of his reward But they grant what is requisite for necessity And yet the Apostle mentioneth a double honour signifying that he would have it a honorary indeed and a double honorary that is large as the word double importeth in Scripture see 2 King 2 9. Esai 40 2. Ier. 17 18. Mat 23 15. Revel 18 6. So then there is more here imported then what is for mere necessity for what is for meer necessity is but an almes no honorary an honorary must respect the Place Dignity Office and Work of the person and must have a correspondence therewith And it can never
unnatural and anticque motions at their set times and solemnities which are here spoken of But I wonder whence this power of darkness cometh unto them to cause this inward battel and occasion this quaking we heard before that he said they were freed from the body of death and it was taken away so that they were made free from the Suggestions and Temptations of Satan and from actual sinning See his Eight Thesis and our Chap. XIV of Perfection or he must say that the immaculate birth he spoke of is not yet produced in them and consequently that they are not yet Justified nor Sanctified and so not yet Church-members according to his former doctrine But seing he will not acknowledge this But rather that they are the purest and only Church of Christ and are Justified and Sanctified yea and Perfected whence I say can this power of darkness come to oppose the workings of life and that when they are most devote turning-in unto themselves to waite upon God and upon the light and never but then when they are about this their solemne worshipe for we hear not much of their quakings at other times or is there alwayes a battel but they feel it not till they be about this Introversion And cometh this trembling alwayes upon their retireing inward or if not whence is it that it cometh more at one time that another Is it from the greatness of the opposition made by the power of darkness or from the greater sense thereof or both And whence doth the one or the other come more at one time than at another These things I would have cleared if he thought fit Againe is there no striveing betwixt light and darkness grace and corruption flesh and the Spirit in any beside them If not then all others must eitheir be all flesh or all Spirit and if this last these must be more perfect then they are If yea how cometh it that that combate in others causeth not such trembling and quaking as in them Is it because corruption in them is more violent then in others then their perfection is less Or is it because they are more sensible and their life is more quick their mindes more agitated and their spirits more stirred Yet I am sure there might be trembling and quaking of limbes and joynts more or less proportionably to the opposition or to the sense of it in others But the truth is whatever he feigne this trembling and quaking hath another cause and may confirme all rational men that their way is more of the Devil than of God let themselves think what they please 11. We have now heard of all the parts of their solemne Worshipe 1. Silence which is alwayes necessary and beginneth the action 2. speaking praying or singing as is immediatly suggested but this is not necessary for it may be wanting yet the whole solemne Worshipe be performed to edification neither is their speaking praying or singing such as is used in the Churches as we will hear afterward 3. Their Trembling Quaking though this it may be is not alwayes necessary yet it is peculiar unto them Let us hear how he explaineth or confirmeth these for it may be no other confutation will be necessary He saith § 9. p. 23. That their worshipe doth not consist in silence as silence Wherein then but in an holy and humble dependance of soul on God from which necessarily floweth silence in the first place Ans. Dependance on God is good and necessary and is a part of inward worshipe but we are here speaking of Outward and solemne worshipe and this silence must make a necessary part thereof for he sayes afterward we judge in the first place that there is a necessity of silence for some time both for speaker and hearer And he told us before that this silence may be continued all the time and not one word spoken and yet the worshipe be solemne and edifying and he saith the same immediatly thereafter Must not this be a fruitless and unedifying silence to others at least present But when he calleth it thus necessary there must be some thing more in it then we can at the first see or he will think fit to acquant us with as yet What more life saith he Pag. 232. might flow in every one and be increased so as words may also well be spoken by the influence of life and yet because it was imposed upon none necessarily they might all for the time rather choose to possesse God in quietness Ans. What this life is and what the flowings and increasings of it are we have seen But as to this Silence we say how cometh it that such in whom this life floweth do not speak Is not this a call sufficient how then dar they sit and disobey this call how dar they follow their owne choise Or is it no call that because a necessity was not imposed why then saith he that words might well be spoken by the influence of life Might words be spoken without an inward impulse and call no certainly according to his principles Where are we then 12. He goeth about to prove this their silence § 10. And for this end he tels us that to attend and waite upon God is a duty incumbent upon all and is a part of Worshipe And who denieth it Yet he citeth a number of Scriptures whereof none speak of such a waiting as he hath before pointed forth unto us accompanied with silence in the publick Worshipe of God for Ps. 27 14. speaketh of a waiting opposite to fainting through unbeleef or doubting to see the goodness and deliverance of God in the land of the living Psal. 37 7 34. speaketh of a waiting opposite to freting because of the prosperity of the wicked and a freting to do evil and so is a waiting for Gods pleading the oppressed mans cause is accompanied with a keeping of Gods way v. 34. not his waiting that layeth aside Gods way and Ordinances Prov. 20 22. speaketh of a waiting opposite to recompensing of evil Esai 30 18. is meant of a waiting for Godâ—s coming with redemption to Zion Hos. 12 6. speaketh of a waiting accompanied with keeping mercy judgment which is more than doing nothing Zach. 3 8. speaketh nothing of waiting These are out of the Old T. whereby I see that O. T. Scriptures will prove N. T. worshipe Now follow passages out of the New Test. Mat 24 42. 25 13. 26 41. Mark 13 33 35 37. Luk. 21 36. 1 Cor. 16 13. 1 Thes. 5 6. 2 Tim. 4 5. 1 Pet. 4 7. which speak of Watching of and such a Watching as is accompanyed with Prayer and all Christian Duties Col. 4 2. speaketh of a watching in Prayer and not of a waiâ—ing that puteth away Prayer Act. 1 4. is a waiting at Ierusalem till the promise of the Father came Act. 20 31. is a watching over the flock that it miâ—ht be keept from wolves The same line
qualifications mentioned in both these places And so it saith that such ministers should have gifts and abilities acquired by reading and other meanes whereby they might be fitted for this work of the ministry This is plaine and manifest but nothing of this kinde is requisite in our Quakers speakers in order to their speaking Yet more Paul tels Titus Cap. 1 9. that the preacher must be one that holdeth fast the faithful word as he hath been taught or as in the margine in teaching or which maketh for doctrine that is sitteth and qualifieth him for teaching and edifying See Beza in loc that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gaine-sayers He must then be a learned man able to teach and acquanted with the controversies of the time that he may be in case by sound doctrine to put gaine-sayers to silence Adde one word more Act. 18 24 25 26. We finde that Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos that was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures and was instructed in the way of the Lord and had taught diligently the things of the Lord and expounded unto him the way of God mâ—re perfectly And all this in order to hâ—s peaching further the way of God for it is said vers 27 28. And when he was disposed to passe into Achaia the brethren wrote exhorting the Disciples to receive him who when he was come helped them much which had beleeved through grace for he mightily convinced the Iewes and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ Here then we have both practice and precept for Ministers studying that they may be able to preach sound doctrine But possibly the thing at which he most carpeth is that Ministers should study their preachings immedialy before they preach them If it be so he must be a silly man for what is the difference betwixt ones studying â— few dayes before and ones studying some yeers before when the one hath a more tenacious memory then the other But this was the errour of the Familists in N. England and of Saltmarsh opposed by worthy Mr Rutherfoord 4. 3. He saitâ— that our Ministers study their Sermons and digest them and commit them to their memory having gathered them together out of their own invention or other folks writtings To which I only saith 1. That as it is already manifested he cannot make it appear to be dissonant to primitive practice or precepts that Ministers be learned especially in the Scriptures and thereby fitted for preaching And if their memory be so happy as to retaine all they have learned and read and their Judgment so solide as to improve it pertinently according to the occasion they will have the less need to study with much paines and labour every Sermon but if both their Judgment Memory be a little blunt is the matter great if they put to a little more strength and be a little more diligent 2. But how shall we be assured that the Quakers use no such leger-de-maine as to make us beleeve they speak all without one previous thought and yet have all to a word well studyed and premeditated Such cheatry hath bin in the world and I know not why one might not doubt of the truth of what they say especially when I finde credible persons saying that they can lie as well as others 3. He speaketh thus of all the Ministers in common making no difference and if he be only acquanted with some and sure I can not tell how he should be so well acquanted with all as to know their way of studying and prepareing themselves for preaching and intend them he dealeth not ingenuously nor candidely to speak thus of all What knoweth he but there may be some that study the most of their Sermons on their knees What knoweth he but there may be some that read very little save the Bible in order to preaching and have such a ready gift as to be in case to preach upon a very short times advertishment What knoweth he but there may be some who study most to get their heart in a right frame to preach and brought under an impression of the weight of the truths they are to deliver What knoweth he but there may be some that write none of their Sermons nor committe them to their memory but having the heads of truths they are to deliverer digested waite upon the Lord for his assistance in uterance and delivery What knoweth he but there may be some that never digest their preachings so as not to lye open to the influences of the Spirit and to welcome his seasonable and useful suggestions and so speak many things which they had not once premeditated What knoweth he but there may be some that being called have gone to preach when they knew not well what to say in particular nor from what text What knoweth he but there may be some who after they have studied and been at paines to prepare themselves yet coming to speak have been so lead of the Lord that they spoke little or nothing of all they had thought to speak What knoweth he but there may be some who upon their way to the Assembly have been constrained to alter text and all which they had purposed to speak upon it If he knew none of these things he sâ—ould have learned better before he spoke thus and he cannot but be blamed for his rashness 5. But all this will not helpe the matter for 4. The Quakers saith he they affect not wisdome nâ— reloquence of words but the demonstration of the Spirit and power And hereby he insinuateth that our Ministers do the contrary But he must know that I will not beleeve all that he saith in this if he hath his eye upon some particular persons or sort of Ministers I will tell him he dealeth not fairly to impute to all what he observeth in some and I think it sufficient to tell him I know some that affecteth only that Wisdome and Eloquence that may contribute to the winning of souls and that thouâ—h they will not boast much as our windy Quakers do of their preaching as being in demonstration of the Spirit and of power yet dar say in some measure of singlâ—ness that they corrupt not the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God they speak in Christ and that they have renunced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 5. They are the men that exhort rebuke and instruct and speak out experiences And thinks he there are none such with us or that our Ministers preachings have no tendency heâ—eunto If he do he is mistaken fâ—r our Ministers Sermons have all thesâ— uses and some moe as to Comfort Convince Confute c. And though they bring not forth fancies and deluâ—ions instead
requisite for the right performance of that duty Rom. 8 26 27. Psal. 10 17. Zach. 12 10. And therefore in the very description of prayer Quest. 178. the help of the Spirit is taken in We owne as absolutely necessary unto the right performance of this duty the Influences of the Spirit of God putting the heart in a frame for the work stirring up blowing upon and enlivening his graces in the soul and contributing his assistance in the carrying on and performance of it But the Motions and Inspirations which he pleadeth for as the only ground and call to the action and which we do not owne nor expect are the extraordinary and immediat Impulses of the Spirit carrying the soul forth unto the duty such as the Prophets had when inspired to write Scripture and to declare the minde of the Lord in several cases And as to this I see no ground to assert that even the Apostles who had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit of grace and of supplication and of the ordinary Influences and Assistances of the holy Ghost in this duty were thus alwayes called and carryed forth unto this duty of prayer I meane by these extraordinary Impulses and physical Motions of the Spirit which they could not withstand but yeeld unto or by these immediat Revelations calling them to the discharge of this duty hic nunc What might be and possibly was at some certain times and occasions I determine not but that which I affirme is that I see no ground to assert that to all their acts of Preaching and Prayer they had an immediat and extraordinary Revelation Inspiration and Impulse calling them forth and setting them on to the duty hic nunc so as they never acted therein upon the ground of a moral command or were pressed thereto out of conscience to a command or from the consideration of an ordinary call whether because of the work they were about or the circumstances of time place and accasion inviteing thereunto or the like 3. But why supposeth he that we account all motions of the Spirit unnecessary It is because we have certain and prescribed times viz. before and after sermon morning and evening in private devotion before and after meate Ans. This is the old plea of Familists but though we owne no Canonick houres nor the superstitious observation of fixed times and places for this or any other religious act of worshipe knowing that we are every where to pray lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2 8. and to continue instant in prayer Rom. 12 vers 12. and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5 17. and that we ought alwayes to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Ephes. 6 18. And therefore dar not restrick the exercise of this duty to determinat times and places invented and prescribed by men without warrand from God Yet we say there are special times wherein the Lord calleth for this duty not only times of trouble Psal. 50 15. times of affliction Iam. 5 13. times of mourning Esai 22 12 13. Ioel 2 12 17. Esth. 4 3. Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9. Ier. 31 9. and the like but also solemne times as when the Lord is solemnly to be worshiped in the assemblies of his people as 1 Cor. 11 4 5 13. Act. 2 ver 42. and other occasions when either the work we are about or the season calleth for it for Nature it self teacheth and Christian prudence saith that when we are assembled to the solemne worshipe of God prayer ought to be offered up unto God and that to do it before and after sermon is most suteable and corresponding with Christian order and decency which ought carefully to be observed in the whole worshipe of God 1 Cor. 14 40. and the work of preaching and hearing which ought to be gone about with all Reverence Attention Faith Understanding and Seriousness Iam. 1 21 22. Act. 10 33. Mat. 13 19. Heb. 4 2. Esa. 66 2. calleth for prayer to God for his blessing and breathing without which the work will be fruitless and that both before and after when withall there ought to be an Acknowledgement of our unworthiness and of Gods rich mercy and grace following us with such gracious opportunities and a serious begging of pardon for sinnes committed both before and in the work of Preaching and Hearing so that all things plead for the performance of this duty then As also the very law and light of nature would call for a solemne Acknowledgment of God by Prayer and Supplication Morning and Evening and oftner too and that fixedly providing no dispensation of providence occurring did call off for that time and that both by families and by private persons in secreet Ier. 10 25. Deut. 6 6 7 8. Iob 1 5. 2 Sam. 6 18 20. 1 Pet. 3 7. Act. 10.2 Hence we read of praying in the morning Psal. 5 3. 88 13. 119 147. and evening Psal. 141 2. and of morning and evening both Psal. 55 17. and of day time and night Psal. 22 2. Yea we read of prayer performed three times a day Psal. 55 17. Dan. 6 10. 9 4. And the morning and evening sacrifices whâ—ch were offered under the Law do point this forth to speak nothing of that solemne houre of prayer Act. 3 1. And that word in the Paterne of prayer taught by Christ give us this day our daily bread Mat. 6 11. saith that prayer is a duty daily to be performed And as for our acknowledgment of God in the use of his good creatures the very light of nature might instruct us as to this and that petition in the paterne of prayer but now mentioned pointeth forth this duty which is also clearly laid upon us by that word of Paul's 1 Tim. 4 4 5. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer and the example of Christ and of Paul is not I suppose to be slighted see Mark. 6 41. Ioh. 6 11. Act. 27 35. By all which we see that the Christian observation of times and occasions for this duty of prayer is well consistent with the ordinary Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit which we owne and are to laboure for in the discharge of this duty but are utterly repugnant to and inconsistent with these extraordinary and immediat Calls and Impulses whâ—ch he looketh upon as the only warrand of performance of the duty And hereby it is also manifest what unfriends they are unto this great and necessary duty of Prayer and what an irreligious Religion that is which they owne and profess and what a tendency their doctrine hath to banish Prayer away which is the native and kindly breathing of the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4 6. Rom. 8 15. and is the distinguishing Mark of the
otherwise the inward should be excluded Answ. Both may consist for by the inward they become all one body really and spiritually and by the outward they became one body in profession and open declaration And what inconsistency is here He next tels us that he can see no ground or occasion in the Scripture for this figment of Sacramental union And what remedie seing Institutions of Christ must be figments with him it is no wonder he cannot see what others see But some are so far master of their sight that what they desire not to see their eyes can not see But it may be it is worse with him He cannot but see and yet the light within will not let him see We have mentioned lately some passages to this purpose both in the Old and New Testament and that may satisfie such as will see 14. He findeth the Apostles discourse 1 Cor. 11. A great mountaine in his way therefore Pag. 299 he laboureth all he can to blow it away He must grant that the Corinthians were in use of celebrating this Sacrament and that Paul rectifieth the abuses that were committed in their manner of going about it Yet he saith that the express and special use hereof in the Apostles judgment was to declare Christs death but this is far different from partaking of Christ's flesh and blood Ans. One use doth not destroy another the Apostle had in the preceeding Chapter mentioned the other use and needed not here againe repeat it expresly and we have showne already that this was a comprehensive use and could not but take in their eating of Christs body and drinking of his blood and this is clear in that the Apostle saith that whosoever did eat and drink unworthily were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and did not discerne the Lord's body Nay himself granteth in the following words that to such as use this it hath an immediat relation to the outward body and death of Christ. And so there is a Sacramental union But he addeth It hath not a necessary relation to the participation of the Spiritual body and blood of Christ. Answ. We grant it as to that which he taketh the spiritual body and blood of Christ to be For there is no relation of the world there But that true beleevers partaking of these elements by faith are really and spiritually made partakers also of Christ and his benefites we assert and he dar not disprove it He addeth That these words of Paul vers 27. say only That seing the Corinthians would needs performe this ceremony as an act of religion they should do it worthily otherwise bring condemnation on themselves Answ. 1. If the Corinthians performed this ceremony as an act of Religion without a divine warrant they were guilty of will worshipe And shall he make us beleeve that Paul or the Spirit of the Lord rather in Paul would not discharge this superstition Nay not only not so but denunce such judgments on them for doing of it but amisse 2. Shall he make us beleeve that Paul would have taught and delivered to them modes of will-worshipe and prescribed the exercise of Superstion Yet Paul sayes vers 23. that he delivered this unto them 3. Shall he make us believe that the Lord would give Paul commission to establish among the Corinthians will worshipe and Superstition Yet he sayes vers 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you 4. What way can people go worthily about an act of will-worshipe 5. Would God have punished them with sickness weakness and death for an escape in the manner of will-worshipe and not for the will-worshipe it self What wilde and bold conceits are these He needeth not tell us that from their practice it will not follow that this was a religious act incumbent to others also for we lay not down their practice as our ground but what was their ground is ours the Institution of Christ which he delivered unto Paul and Paul received to deliver unto the Corinthians And therefore it is not a thing indifferent and so not to be compared with that Rom. 14 5. as he dreameth and the practice of things indifferent as such is no act of Religion or of worshipe such as this is And therefore what he addeth Paâ— 300. is but a laying of a further imputation of unfaithfulness on the Apostle for fomenting the Corinthians in their errour and mistake and never once rectifying or informing their erroneous consciences What wonder is it that these proud Quakers account our Ministers unfaithful and what not when this Man dar lay such a foule imputation in Print upon the Apostle Paul Nay blasphemously impute this to the Spirit of God that acted Paul 15. In the next place he thinks he will prove that this Ordinance is not a lasting ordinance § 6 Pag. 300. c. Passing what is but a repetition let us hear his arguments Matthew and Mark sayes he expresseth this as done while they were eating And this was usual among the Iewes as Paulus Riccius observeth for at their eating of the passeover the master of the family took bread and brake it and did distribute it and so did he with wine So Christ who would fulfil all righteousness and would observe the Iewish feasts used this ceremony for his disciples only and took occasion thereby to raise up their mindes to higher things Answ. 1. To this last we have spoken before and why did not Christ take occasion to give this Christian document before this time while they were eating 2. It is true Christ instituted this Supper before they rose from table and what then 3. As for what is reported of the Jewish practice not only by this Paulus Riccius but by several others I doubt if all that is said shall demonstrate that the Jewes had this custome before Christ's dayes seing the eldest of the Jewish writters out of whom they have it wrote not till a considerable time after the Temple was brunt And what credite is to be given to what they wrote when their purpose and designe was to deface and annull Christianity let sober men judge 4. Sure I am there was no divine command for this practice at the eating of the Paschal Lamb and how our Quaker can say that Christ would do this because he would fulfil all righteousness I know not seing righteousness stands in obeying the command of God 5. Though Christ did observe the feasts prescribed to the Jewes by the Lord Yet he would not observe their sinful additions and traditions No he condemned these Mat. 15. 6. That which we are to look to is Christ's practice and we are sure that that should oblige us more then the Jewish practice could oblige Christ. 7. We not only have Christ's practice but a command mentioned by Luk do this in remembrance of me This evinceth no more saith he but that seing that was to be the last occasion of his eaâ—ing with
Blasphemers of God and his wayes declared and open Atheists who deny there is a God the like whose doctrine eateth like a canker 2 Tim. 2 17. and who Apostatize from the truth received professed and teach rebellion against God though they pretend conscience in all this and say their conscience dictateth such things unto them and commandeth them in the name of the Lord to do such things and teach such doctrine or not 6. He will not extend this liberty of conscience unto practices that are hurtful unto our Neighbour or unto humane society as Libertines do but only to those things which are immediatly betwixt Men and God or men and men of the same perswasion Ans. But 1. â—roaching of errours is noxious to our neighbour eating as doth a canker 2 Tim. 2 17. subverting the hearers 2 Tim. 2 14. subverting whole houses Tit. 1 11. subverting souls Act. 15 24. it is a work of the flesh Gal. 5 vers 20. 2. Broaching and propagating of superstition and idolatry cannot but be noxious both to our neighbour and to humane society in that it ushereth-in and tendeth to the bringing-on of the wrath and judgments of God by which he punisheth such courses And therefore evil must be put away from the Society Deut. 13 5. 17 7. Levit. 20 vers 2 3 4 5. 3. Let us take these hurtful things to be mâ—aned of transgressions against the second table of the Law I would know why the Magistrate can more punish for these than for violations of the first table He is a keeper in his place and according to his power of both tables of the Law and so can punish open transgressions of both But the maiâ—e ground of my question is How the Quaker can yeeld this and not the other seing Conscience may be pretended in the one as well as in the other And the Conscience can be misinformed and when misinformed can binde as well in the one as in the other Either then his ground which he layeth downe to wit that an erroneous conscience bindeth so as the man â—ar â—ot act contrary to its dictates is not good and sufficient in this mater or by â—his his concession he yeelds the cause and undermineth his own Assertion 4. What meaneth he by that betwixt men and men of the same perswasion Do all maters of question and debate betwixt men of the same perswasion belong otherwise to conscience than maters of debate betwixt men of contrary perswaâ—â—ons May the Magistrate medole with no mater of debate or question even about civil maters that is betwixt men not of the same perswasion Then they must not meddle with the Quakers if they wrong the persons and gooâ—s of any of another perswasion This is enough to expose all true Christians to the fury and malice of the Quakers whence we see his Concession is not for nothing 7. But he explaineth himself better in the following words saying to wit to meet together and worship God that way which they judge will be most acceptable to him but not to urge their neighbours save by perswasion and reason and other means which Christ and his Apâ—â—tles used as of preaching and instructing and not at all under pretext of conscience to do any thing against the moral and perpetual statutes which all Christians commonly acknowledge Ans. But 1. Then the Magistrate may not hinder persons to meet together to worship a stock or a stone Yea or to offer up their children to Moloch to sacrifâ—ce beasts crocodiles birds c. to Iupiter Mars Vulcan or to prostitute their wives and daughters or commit sodomie in honour of Venus as Heathens have done because their Consciences judge that this way of worship is most acceptable to God 2. To urge Neighbours by perswasion to embrace Errour and to follow Idolatry Superstition and false wayes of Worshipe is a most noxious and hurtful thing destroying their souls subverting their faith and exposeing them to the wrath and indignation of God and so of far worse consequence than the wronging them in their Names Goods and Bodies and therefore requireth much more the Magistrates sword of justice to punish such noxious soul ruining Teachers 3. Still the doubt remaineth why the pretext of conscience cannot warde off the Magistrates sword in matters of the second table of the Law as well as in matters of the first seing conscience is God's deputy and only subject to him in the one as well as in the other 4. Moral and perpetual statuâ—es comprehend I suppose the commands of the first table as well as the commands of the second table and it is no matter whether all Christians commonly acknowledge them or not for God's moral Lawes borrow no force or strength from our acknowledging and receiving of them And thus we see this poor man destroyeth what he would be at And when he condemneth in the following words the Anabaptists at Munster he confirmeth wâ—at we say for they pretended conscience and though as he saith their deeds rather flowed from pride and avarice than purity and conscience Yet that helpeth not the mater for it is as apparent that the actions of our Quakers cannot flow from Purity and Conscience unless we understand a develish deluded conscience which hath no affinity with Purity whatever they pretend 8. He tels us next Pag. 316. that all the liberty which he pleadeth for is but that which the Primitive Christians required of the Heathen Emperours Ans. But he should first prove that the truth they profâ—ss is consonant to the truth which the Primitive Câ—ristians owned We say not that Magistrates whether Heathen or Christian should persecute the truth or hinder by Lawes or violence the Professours of truth to meet and worshipe God in tâ—e way by him appointed If his way be the way of truth he should not plead for toleration for toleratio semper est mali And if he can manifest it to be the way of truth I shall willingly grant that Magistrates should not only not trouble or tolerat him but should countenance and encourage him But we have heard enough already to demonstrate how dissonant that which they maintaine is to Scripture truth and to primitive truth and so we see no ground whereupon they can plead for the same liberty which the Primitive Christians did desire and plead for especially considering how they have Apostatized from the truth once by themselves professed and having renunced their baptâ—sme and the faith once delivered to the Saints would seduce all others to the same abomination 9. He sayes next he would not have men as men and members of the Common wealth molested in their temporals or privileges for their inward perswasion Answere And I say the same but publick meetings to the dishonour of God and scorne of Christianity And acts of preaching and seduceing by creeping into houses and loading captive silly women laden with sinnes and led away with diverse lusts is not a meer
Scripture But to this he replieth That these actions of the Patriarchs are no rule to us nor is it sufficient that these actions were not expresly reproved for neither was Abraham reproved for knowing Sarah's maide Answ. Abrahams practice in the mater of Hagar was against a law for the Lord created but one woman to Adam though the residue of the Spirit was with him Mal. 2 14 15. But Abrahams practice in civilly bowing unto the sons of Heth was against no Law of the creation 2. When he and Lot both bowed unto the Angels supposeing them to have been men shall we think that if that had been sinful that the Angels would not have reproved them upon that account as we finde the Angel did reprove Iohn when he fell down and worshiped him Revel 19 10. 22 9 As concerning saith he the fashions and customes of the Nations it is an evil argument for the practice of Christians who should follow a better rule Answ. And so we do follow a better rule and yet we may follow the Law of nations which is mostly gathered from the practice of nations in things not contrary to the Law of God for even the Law of nations in such things is a part of the Law of God being but some particular applications or explications of the Law of Nature And though no particular gesture as a signe of respect and reverence due to our Equals or Superiours be universally received by all Nations yet the Law of Nations and their practice may teach us that by some one outward gesture or other we ought to witness our respect declare that reverence that we owe to others Christianity is no enemy to humanity and civility whatever our morose and unmanerly Quakers dream 12. But let us hear his arguments 1. Sayes he God alone is to be adored But bowing of the body and knee and uncovering our head are the only external signes of our adoration of God 1 Cor. 11. Answ. What a silly thing is this He may as well inferre that a man must never bow his body to tye his shoes nor uncover his head to have his haire cut Can he not distinguish betwixt a stated act of worshipe and other actions civil and natural It is true in a stated act of worship the uncovering the head or bowing of the body were it but to a stock or stone or any dead creature or any thing beside God would be Idolatry but to construe so of every bowing of the knee or uncovering of the head in every other action whatsoever is ridiculous folly And it seemeth these Quakers put no difference betwixt God and men nor betwixt stated acts of worshipe and other common actions But he addeth If we should apply ourselves to men as to God there should be no difference in the outward signification but only in the Intention whereby a door is opened unto the Papists worshiping of images Answ. He seeth we put the difference in the nature and statedness of the action and not in the bare intention though that also be included in the nature of the action And what door this openeth unto image-worshipe he should have declared He possibly thinketh that it is our judgment that if the worshiper do not intend to worshipe the image it is no image-worshipe This is his mistake If the worshiper intend divine worshipe to God in bowing before an idol we account him guilty of image-worshipe for his intention there declareth the action to be a stated act of worshipe but we say not so of a craftsman bowing down to help or amend something in the image for his intention showeth that he is about no act of worshipe â—or doth the nature of that action require it If he could evince that while we bow our bodies or uncover our heads unto men that we are intending thereby worshipe to God his argument were good but while there is no such intention nor doth the action it self require it being a stated civil action and no more his argument evinceth but his owne Folly and Ignorance 13. His second argument is but the same to wit that men should not be adored Which we willingly grant for in adoration there is a râ—cognition acknowledgment of the Absolute Power and Soveraignity of the person whom we adore and therefore this is due to God only But civil honour and reverence is another thing being but an acknowledgment of excellency in men because of their place and a testification of our respect towards them and can import no â—ishonour unto God He adduceth next the fact of Cornelius Act. 10. and of Iohn Revel 19. 22. But to no purpose for Cornelius fell downe to worshipe Peter vers 25. And so did Iohn to the Angel Revel 19 10. 22 8. We plead not for worshiping of men for worshipe is due to God only because of his Supereminent and Transcendent Excellency and requireth inward Love Faith and Hope in upon the object worshiped He should prove that these external significations of honour and respect cannot be without or do essentially include worshipe performed towards the Object but this is impossible for then if one bow his body to tye his shoes or to lift up a pin he shall be a worshiper of his shoes and of a pin He addeth If it be said that Iohn would adore the Angel with religious worshipe it is not proved Answ. Is it not proved when the text sayeth he fell down to worshipe where finde we civil honour or respect called worshipe in Scripture He tels us next that such as blame them would also blame Mordecai Answ. But hereby we see that the Quakers think no otherwayes of all men than Mordecai did of Haman who was an Agagite come of Agag the King of the Amalekites who were devoted to destruction by the Lord Exod. 17 14. Deut. 25 19. 1 Sam. 15 3. Againe thinks he that it was meer civil honour and respect that conscientious Mordecai refused to give to that wreatch We are told that the Persian Monarchs did arrogate to themselves divine honour and hâ—nur of this kinde would that foolish Monarch have all his Subjects to performe unto Haman for he set him above all the Princes and gave a special commandment for bowing and reverenceing him which had not been necessary if it had be no other but that civil honour which was payed to the other Princes And suppose it had been but only civil honour Yet Mordecai's case was singular because he was a Jew and the Jews were under a prohibition to do any homage unto these cursed Amalekites and this as it appeareth was the ground of his refusal for it is said Esth. 3 4. for he had told them that he was a Iew thereby holding forth the ground and reason of his refusal to obey the Kings command One thing I would ask what he thinketh of that honour worshipe that was given to Iames Naylor as he rode into Bristol Oct. 24.1656 We
up and to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self which the hand goes against him that does evil in which hand the soul which is immortal and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Though little good sense can be made of this yet blasphemy enough is legible therein And G. Fox saith Is not the soul without beginning come from God It is not horride blasphemy to say the soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Fisher in his Velata quaedam revelata Pag. 13 calleth that whereby man became a living soul and a soul that did partake something of Gods owne life a living principle of the divine nature And P. 17. He calleth the Spirit of man the immortal and incorruptible seed of God even something of the living word which is said to be made flesh Pennington Q. 27. calleth that which is in the saints that which the Lord from heaven begetteth of his owne image and likeness of his own NB. substance of his own Spirit and pure life Declaâ— against Popery queree 2. Whether do you waite and believe to have the same minde which was also in Christ Iesus who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees judged a blasphemer and as be is so are we Is not this plaine enough 4. Hence also is it sayes he further that because we say that the inward light and Law and not the outward letter is that which can truely discover to them their state and bring them out of all evil they say that we vilify the Scriptures and honour our own imaginations more then them Answ. We would rather say upon this account that they vilifie the Spirit of God then the Scriptures for hereby these expressions it is manifest that they ascribe that unto the light within which only the Spirit of God and of Christ can do viz. truely and effectually which may be imported by his revera discover the state of a sinner to him and bring him out of all evil This last we do not ascribe unto the Scriptures But as to their vilifying of the Scriptures we have heard enough above from this mans own mouth and some others whose words we cited Mr Faldo in his book against the Quakers part 1. Ch. 3-12 helpeth me to much more Let us cull out of a great heap a few instances 1. Do not all the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the word of God Do they not say that it is blasphemy to say the letter is the word of God and it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And what can more be spoken to the disparagment of the Scriptures than to deny them to be his word or the signification of his minde who spoke them and did indite them by his Spirit immediatly inspiring the Prophets and Apostles and other holy men of God in the writing of them Is not this directly to devest them of all that Authority which they have from God as his Law Is not this to render them contemptible when they are denied to be that which only maketh them have weight with consciences 2. Do not the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and manners and the judge of Controversies in the maters of Religion We remember what himself aid above Hear Parnel in his shield of the truth p. 10. And he also that saith the letter is the rule and guide of the people of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true light which was before the letter was Hear Smith Prim. p. 10 And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a rule and for trying thou givest that unto them which belongs unto Christ. And is not this enough to disparage the Scriptures to deny that chiefe use and end of them for which they were given If any should say of the Lawes of any Land and of the acts of Parliament that they are not a rule to the Subjects would not that be accounted a disparagment done to the Lawes Were not the Scripturâ—s given as a revelation of the minde of God concerning our faith and concerning our walk How can any thâ—n dâ—ny these ends and not disparage and vilifie the Scriptures 3 Do not the Quakers speak more highly of their owne writings than they do of the Scriptures The Scripâ—ures with them are but the letter which killeth Paper ink and writing the old and dead letter Part of it words of the Devil and of wicked men Precepts and traditions of men they have no light in them they sheir not our faces an earthly root a shadow and dangerous to feed on c. But their oâ—n writings are the voice of the Son of God by which the dead are raised a shield of the truth spoken in the freshness and quick sense of life written from the Lord a Spiritual glass opened light rise out of darkness and by revelation of Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of the living God See for this Mr Faldo ubi supra paâ— 40. c. Can men devise a way more effectual to effronte the Scriptures 4 Do they not preferre the light within them unâ—o the Scriptures See Smithâ—s Catech p. 2. Q. doth God manifest himself within Man Answ. Yes and man cannot know him by any other way but by the manifestation of himself in his light within him See the Scorned Quakers account p. 20. Christ by his light within shewes you in a gâ—ass your owne faces which the Scriptures cannot do Parnel p. 10. And by the same light do we discerne and testify against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the letter for the light and so draweth peoples mindes from the light within them to the light without them seeking the living among the dead Iohn Story in his short discovery p. 2. saith and although the holy Scripture without and the Saints practices are lights in the world Yet far be it from all true Christian men so to idolize them as to set them in esteem above the light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them equal with the light and Spirit of Christ within And Smith Prim. p. 12. tels us that Christ the light within alone searches the heart not the Scriptures Martin Mason in his loving invitation p. 4. 'T is not your flying to the Scriptures that can save you from the fire of his wrath nor overcome the least corruption for you no verily nothing then but a Christ within you come thou then O come with boldness to God's faithful witness within you Fisher where above p. 7. saith such were the Scribes who were ever scraping in the Scriptures to finde God and his life Yet never knew him at any time nor saw his shape because they heard not his voice nor heeded not his word within
themselves Are not these sufficient to evidence to all the world how the Quakers vilify the Scriptures of truth 5. Do they not disswade all in their writings as the cited passages evidence from reading or studying the Scriptures or from expecting any light or comfort from them Though Christ in express termes commanded to search the Scriptures Yet they perswade to the contrary And is not this a clear proof of their undervalueing of the Scriptures 6. Whereunto else tendeth that expression of Fisher's in his Velata quaedam revelato p. 4. Ye have Moses the Prophets within you but to disparage and vilify the Scriptures See also Parnel p. 11. For the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without 7. Is it not a manifest vilifying of Scripture to say that there is no light in it Yet so faith The lip of truth opened p. 7. That light is in the Scriptures prove that or tell me what one Scripture hath light in it 8. Do not they say that whaâ— is held forth in the Scriptures is not bindeing to us Naylor love to the lost p. 16. for all the Saints have their commands in the Spirit but yours is in the letter and so another ministration We have mentioned more above Chap. IV. to this purpose and is not this sufficient to declare the Scriptures null in their esteem 9. What else doth that of Iohn Story in his discovery savour of And I. A. further saith let light without be guide to light within Reply if by this exhortation I. A. meanes that light without should try true light within which shines in the hearts of the Saints then I must needs say it is a very absurd and foolish exhortation and being spoken upon a divine account it is full of idolatry and evil 10. Do not the fore cited passages fully clear that in the Quakers judgment we canâ—ot come by the Scriptures to the knowledge of God or of Christ or of ourselves And is not that sufficient to disparage the Scriptures 11. Whâ—n Christ himself made use of the Scriptures to repel the temptations of Satan Mat. 4. Can we think the Quakers haâ—e any high esteem for the Scriptures who declare them utterly useless as to this as Martin Mason doth in his Loving Invitation p. 11 12. Can they value the Scriptures aright who desire the Lord that he would stripe us of all our knowledge of the Scripture and say that they only make us wise to oppose truth and so bring us into a state of condemnation wrath and misery beyond the heathen See Pennington's quaest p. 12. See also W. Pen's Spirit of truth p. 23. 13. Do they not undervalue the Scriptures who still set them in opposition to the Spirit And is not this the common language of the Quakers 14 If the Quakers have an high opinion of the Scriptures what meaneth all these expressions in the Morning watch Pap. 22.23 of them and of the doctrines received from them viz Traditions of men earthly root darkness and confusion Nebuchadnezzars image Putrefaction and corruption rotten and deceitful all out of the liâ—e and power of God Apostacy the whores cup the mark of the Beast Babylon the Mother of harlots Bastards brought forth of flesh and â—lood the birth that persecutes the son and heire Babylons brats and children graven images c. These sure are no expressions of great estimation 15. What shall we think of what the same Author saith p. 45. So amongst the words you finde how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make something to yourselves and to observe it and do it as near as yoâ— can and here you are found transgressours of the Law of God who saith thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing Now what difference is there in the ground betwixt you and the Pope Hath this man the same esteem of the Scriptures that Paul had when he said Rom. 15 4. For whatsoever things were wâ—itten afore time were writen for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 16. Do we not all know how reproachfully the Papists speak of the Scriptures And do not Quakers and they go one way here Let any look Mr Faldo's parallel in the end of Chap. 12. of his book Pag. 131. c. and judge If this be not enough to discover what enemies to and undervaluers of the Scriptures the Quakers are I know not if we can get any more out of hell See what is said above Chap. IV. § 2. 4. 12. 5. What saith he more Hâ—nce moreover because we say that their clatterings and outward faith of an external life passion and death of Christ will no more justify them in the sight of God then the Iewes crying the Temple of the Lord c. but that they must acknowledge a Christ within themselves whom they have crucified to be risen and justifying and redeeming them from all iniquity they say we deny the liâ—e suffering and death of Christ and justification by his blood and remission of sinnes through him Answ. What meaneth he by that ill favoured word clatterings garritiunculae It hath no sound in latâ—ne and no good sound in Engâ—ish in this mater And what meaneth he by an external faith And what meaneâ—h he by an external faith of an external life and death of Christ These expressions are very quakerish that is unsavoury salt of non-sense But when he layeth all the weight of justification and redemption on a thing which they call Christ within every man formerly crucified but now risen is not that as much as if they denied all that Christ did for our Redemption and Justification an Pardon through his righteousness and blood What this man hath said of these things we have seen and examined and because he would fame wipe off this Aspersion from his fraternity let us see what they say in this mater Mr Faldo will help us to some others then we have seen and mentioned formerly 1. What meaneth that expression of Edâ— Burrughs Truâ—peâ— c. â— 17. All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their seeding upon the report of a thing dead many hundered yeers ago And that of Farnworth what righteousness Christ performed without me was not my justification neither was I saved by it Is not this a plaine denial of justification through Câ—rist and hâ—s righteousness Pennington quaestions p. 2â— is clear enough Can saith he outward blood clause the conscience Can outward water wash the soul clean Parnel's Shield of truth p. 30. And this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reigne above the world death hell and the Devil But none can witness this whose eye is outward looking at a Redeemer a far off Morning watch p. 21. And conclude to themselves a beliefe in Christ and apply his promises what he did for them in the body that
Nither can it advantage his Charity to found it upon an Untruth and that his Charity in this matter is founded upon an Untruth we have seen already and shall yet make it more evident He supposeth that when Infants perish because of Original sin they perish for no â—in of their owne but only for the sin of another of Adam But how groundless this mistake is we have seen and we have told him that Original sin is the proper sin of humane Nature and so is traduced from Adam to all that come of him by ordinary Generation and so partake of humane nature 23. In end he saith that Zuinglius did deny and refute our Opinion But all his proof is from the Councâ—l of Trent which hath not much credite with us Whatever it hath with him we have more Reason to take Bullingers testimony Decad. 3. Serm. 10 and cont Anabapt lib. 1. c. 12 Gualters in Apol. pro Zuinglio Operib ejus than either Bellarmins or the Councell of Trent Nay Zuinglius declared himself abundantly for the truth in the conference with Luther at Marpurg where these words are we beleeve that Original sin is in-born in every man from Adam and is hereditary and is a sin condemning all and that unless Iesus Christ had helpâ—d by his life and death we had all because of it perished eternally neither had we been partakers of happiness and of the Kingdom of God And if he read his confession of faith to the Emperour Charles V at the dyet at Ausburgh A. D. 1539. he will finde the ground of his mistake for he will there see in what sense he said original sin was not sin viz. that the original sin in Infants was not their Actual sin and who can say that they did actually eat the apple yet he said that upâ—n the account of that they were born Enemies to God His words are these as Bullinger where now cited relateth them I confess Original sin to be borne with all who are begotten of man and woman I know we are by nature the children of wrath Nor do I stick at this disease being called after Pauls manner sin yea it is such a sin as who ever are born in it are Enemies to God and unto this they are drawn by their birth not by committing of wickedness but in so far as the first father did commit it c. 23. We have now seen all that he hath said against the Orthodox doctrine about original sin and have vindicated such arguments as he was pleased to take any notice of I shall now ere I leave this matter propose some moe Arguments to his Consideration And first I shall mention that which himself adduced when he was speaking of mans lapsed state of whâ—ch we heard in the â—oregoing chapter to wit Gen. 6 5. 8 21. from which places the old fathers argued against Pelagianisme See Vossij Hist. Pelag. Pag. 142 143. and indeed there is no small force in these passages for though the Lord be there speaking of the guilt and sin of Adult persons yet he is aggravating the same by traceing it up to the very Root Rise of all saying that it was so with them from their Infancy or Child hood so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth yea from every state of their child hood for the word is in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pueritiis ejus and thus the Lord useth to aggravat the sin of people Ezech. 16 4. c. Mat. 15 19. Ephes. 2 3. Doth not such corrupt Fruit evidence an evil Tree with a bitter root of wickedness Mat. 7 16 And seing such are the fruits and acts of men so soon as they beginne to act and bud who can say that the Root is good and not corrupt rotten Chrysostoms words on Gen. 6. Hom. 22. are remarkabâ—e Neque aetas intempestiva alioquin inexperta malorum expers erat sed statim ab incunabulis omnes malum hoc praelium certabant contendentes ut malis operibus alter alterum superarent And it is certane that the Infants of the old world perished in the â—â—ood the Lord saith here that it was for sin wickedness that this judgment came on if then these Infants did not perish for their immediat parents sins as this Quaker affirmeth they must have perished for their owne having no actual sinnes of their owne they must have perished for their original sin so that they also must be comprehended with the rest in the forecited places and the evil there spoken of must be as well habitual as actual as well innate as acquired It is observable that Gen. 8 21. the same words are used of the new World that remained to wit of Noah and his posterity 25. We might adde other Scriptures to the same purpose such as Psal. 14 1 2 53 1 2 3. Rom. 3 9 10 23. 11 32. Gal. 3 22. These universals in such a matter as this is admit of no Exceptions yea all Exceptions are expresly excluded in the very text and the scope at which the Apostle driveth Rom. 3. admitteth of no exception for all have need of Christ and of God's mercy in Him otherwise the Apostles argument should be Inconsequent concluding an Universal from a Particular and because we dar not think thus therefore we must say that all are included and because all are not to be charged with actual sins original sin must be here included 26. Origen Cyrillus Chrysostom Augustin and others of the ancients adduced to this purpose these words of Iob Chap. 14 4. hence August de Praedest Grat. Cap. 3. saith Vitiatae radicis macula it a propaginis traduce per generationum sarmenta dissusa est ut nec infans quidem unius diei a culpa sit primae praevaricationis alienus nisi per indebitam Salvatoris gratiam fuerit liberatus quodsi nec quidem sine peccato est qui proprium habere non potuit conficitur ut illud traxerit alienum de quo Apostolus dixit per unum hâ—minem c. Now that the import of this passage may be the more noticed we would consider that when Iob saith who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one He is speaking of an inward uncleaâ—ness an uncleanness of soul by which we are exposed to the judgment of God of which he speaketh vers 3. and which he pointeth forth as inevitable and as such as no man can prevent or remedie So is he also speaking of an uncleanneâ—s which is Vniversal and therefore habitual for whâ—t is only actual is not universal Infants being free therefrom and of an uncleanness which is Permanent and Adherent as also of that which is Traduced or Propagated from Father to son and is hereditary all which do manifestly make it appear that he is speaking of Original sin in respect of which every one is Unclean cometh into the world unclean and can be no