looking upon the ground vvhereas if ever thou comest to knovv the Scriptures a right or to confer a right concerning them so as to proffit thou must first come to that silence thou novv so much despisest So that these things very vvell consist though the vvorld may judge othervvayes vvhom thou vvilt have to be judges in the case but in the judgement of those vvho are redeemed out of the vvorld vvee shall be found to put the scriptures in their true place Thou canst not but smile thou sayest that a man of understanding should grant the Scriptures to be a declaration of Gods mind and yet deny them to be Gods VVord for what is a VVord but a declaration of ones mind Ansvv. Here thy lightnes appears vvhich darkens thy understanding if thou must needs smile doe it at thy impertinent reason for though a mans VVord be the declaration of his mind yet every declaration of his mind is not his word for signes may be a declaration of a mans mind without his word and people usually distinguish betwixt a mans VVord and his writ And so though the scripture be a declaration of Gods mind yet it is not his VVord properly nor can those properties which are declared of the VVord belong to the scriptures as hath oft beene demonstrated but to that inward and living VVord as it doth declare it selfe whether in the heart or in the mouth The VVord of God is like unto himselfe spirituall yea Spirit and life and therefore cannot be heard or read with the natural externall senses as the Scriptures can nor does the Scriptures cited by thee as Hosea 1. 1. Ioel. 1. 1. Isaiah 38. 4. Ieremiah 14. 1. prove thy intent For that VVord vvhich came unto the Prophets vvas that from vvhich the scriptures vver given forth vvhich VVord you confesse vvas immediate from God but you say it is ceased to come novv And did not all the Prophets prophecie from Christ the Word Thou mightest ss vvell reason thus that vvhen it is said the Spirit of the Lord came upon such a one or to such a one that therefore the scripture is the Spirit and so deny all Spirit but that vvhich is the Scripture as some doe in other Sects calling the vvritings of the Apostles and Evangelists the Spirit and denying the necessity of any other thing vvhich is abominable deceâ—pt and vvresting of Scriture and that the Prophets declaring their message said thus saith the Lord provs that vvhat God spake in them and through them as the living VVord declared it selfe vvas the VVord of God but not the letter or vvriting And vvhereas thou sayest it is all one to say the scripture saith and God sayeth Answer by vvay of inference and collection it may be said they are one becaus of their agreement yet the living VVord and speech of God is not the scripture more then the sun beame is the shadow â—hough the one agrees vvith the other every one that reads or hears the scriptures read hears not God immediatly now that vvhich God speaks to any or in any immediatly that is only his VVord properly unto them As they vvho only read my Letter cannot be said properly to hear me by VVord of mouth Christ said to the jewes yee have not heard his voice though they heard the scriptures and though the Apostle useth some scriptures out of the old Testament it prove not hee had not the VVord of the Lord speaking them immediatly in him and to him That scripture thou biddest remarke 1 Thess. 2. 13. provs not thy intent neither for the VVord which they heard of the Apostles was that living VVord declaring it selfe through the Apostles which was answered by the same in them who heard they heard Christ of in and through the Apostles does it therefore follow that Christ is the Scripture And lastly Mark 7. 13. Servs thy purpose no more then the rest for the Pharisees in striking at the fift commandement did conesquentially strike at the living inward VVord which gave it forth as those who strucke at any of the Apostles struck at Christ yet none of the Apostles was Christ as nether is the 〈◊〉 as it is outwardly vvritt to speak properly the VVord of God And truly the reason why vvee may not call the Scriptures the VVord of God to speak properly is that people may be directed to that invvard living VVord for by their being so much called the VVord of God they have beene putt in Christs stead and have beene set up as an Idoll in stead of that from whence they came so that to avoid this hazard vvee have putt them in their due place Pag. 14. To prove that it is the mind and VVill of God that the Scriptures should be the Rule thou citest Isay. 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony c. But it rests to be proved that the Law and testimony vvas not the inward Law and that that Word according to vvhich they vvere to speake vvas not the inward VVord vvhich is said to be in the heart It is observable that to prove this thou bringest Ioh. 7. 49. vvhere the Pharisees say have any of the Rulers or Pharisees beleived in him but this people that know not the law are accursed This place sutes the matter very vvell but makes much against thee For the Pharisees here were crying up the outward Lavv and the knowledge of it averring that the ignorance of it caused the meane people to beleive in Christ. So doe yee novv yee pretend to cry up the Law and say the ignorance of it occasions so many to leave you And as they then were setting the Law above Christ and covering themselves with a zeal for it persecuting him and reviling his followers as ignorants So yee now whilst yee are boasting of your great knowledge in the Law and in the scripture and your high esteeme of them yee are despising crucifying the same Christ in his spirituall appearance and upbraiding his followers now as thâ—y did then as ignorants and contemners of the Law And as to Luk. 10. 26. how readest thou This was spoke to one that was a Lawyer or interpreter of the Law and relyed upon it so Christ spoke this to check him and beside the dispensation of the Law which this Lawyer was under was different from that of the Gospel in this matter as may appear Heb. 8. 10. Againe as for Christ and his Apostles useing the Scriptures for convincing of their opposers so doe wee and yet this proves not that either hee or wee judge them to be the Rule wherby to try all things and Spirits yea even the Spirt of God himselfe Pag. 15. Thou seemest to lay much stresse upon this that it wer impossible for us to prove to a Iew or a Turk that Iesus the Son of Mary is in very deed the Christ without the Scripture But I Answer thee to that easily by what way wilt thou perswade a Turk to believe the Scriptures or
their tâ—stimony but by the inward testimony of the spirit Calvin after hee has said all that can be said of outward wayes at last concludes the only certaine way to know it in deed is by the testimony of the spirit l. 1. c. 7. Sect. 4. of his Inst. as to the course that Paul tooke with the obstinate Jewes it was very commendable becaus they said they beleived the Scriptures and seemed to esteeme them much though they opposed the truth witnessed to in the Scriptures so that it is evident that some great pretenders to the Scriptures can make a cloak of them to deny Christ himselfe as yee doe at this day And though Paul tooke that course with the Iewes yet wee see hee tooke no such course with the Athenians to whâ—m he cited no Scripture nor endeavoured to perswade them by it but told them they were the off spring of God and wished them to feel after him who was not afar of from every one of them thirdly sayest thou the saints had recourse to the Scriptures in the examination of Doctrines So have wee too as befor has beene declared but that will not prove the Scripture is the rule Pag. 16. Fourthly thou sayest wee ar commanded to search the Scripturs Iohn 5. 39. Answer The words may be translated you search the Scriptures as Pasor translateth them But wee doe acknowledge the Scriptures are to be searched but are not to be rested in which was the Iewes fault who vvould not come to Christ to get life thinking to have eternal life in the Scriptures vvhich Christ cheks them for and that the Scriptures are profitable for doctrine correction instruction vvee owne and are commended for their dignity and authority but they are thus profitable onely to such as come to the Spirit to guide and direct them hovv to make use of them else they may prove an occasion of stumbling as they did to the Pharisees hence it is said that the man of God may be perfect mark the man of God not every Man novv no man can be truely called the man of God but hee that is led by the Spirit of God Next thou vvouldst undertake to prove that it is not the mind of God that the Spirit within men should be the Rule in which thou fallest very short as appears by saying that Christ made use of the Scripture to prove himselfe c and not the light within And did these Jewes receive him who had the Scriptures did they not reject him and why because they hearkned not unto the inward voice and testimony of the Father concerning him and this was the testimony which hee said was greater then that of Iohn though Iohn was the greatest of the Prophets and those vvho beleeve had the witnesse in themselves 1 Ioh. 5. 10. but to thâ— unbeleiving Iewes hee said yee have neither heard his voice nor seene his shape Secondly Thou sayest there is an expresse command to try the Spirits 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Answ. but is there any word there of trying them by the Scripture Cannot the Spirits be tryed by the Spirit of God or is there any better way to try them How tryed Peter the spirit of Ananias and Saphirah And is not the tryall and discerning of Spirits the priviledge of the Saints now And how is it a peculiar priviledge to saints unles it be done by the Spirit of God For the Scriptures any can make use of the Apostle Iohn writing to the Saints concerning seducers points them to the Anoinâ—ing which remained in them and did teach them all things and by this they did know all things and consequently Spirits 1. Iohn 2. 20. 26. Thirdly thou sayest undoubtedly there are strong delusions c. Ans. there are so indeed But was there any more strongly deluded then the Pharisees Yet how much did they lay claime to the Scriptures how came they then to be deluded who wer so skilled in the Scriptures according to the letter of them and the poor People who were not so skilled so rightly to hit the matter And as to thy question what way shall the delusion be tryd if you neglect the VVord of God and look only within Answ As for the VVord of God nor yet the Scriptures testimony wee neglect not but what way thinkest thou shall the delusion be tryed If you neglect the Spirit within and look only upon the letter and words vvithout you if the Delusion be strong in the heart will it not twine and vvrest the Scriptures without to cause the Scriptures to seeme for it and suppose a man be deluded with a Spirit of delusion what can help him but God whose Spirit searcheth all the deepest things of Sathan and can and doth dscover them to those vvho love to be undeceived and are faithfull to God in what they certainly know And though the same deluding spirit who deceived first may deceive over againe that makes nothing against the insufficiency of the Spirit to discover the delusion but if a man be deceived either first or againe he is to blame himself for his defect in not being duely watchfull and faithfull in what is discovered to him of God truly and certainly Consider the tendency of thy argument which strikes not only at the certainty of the Saints faith now from the Spirit within and the assurance of knowledge there from but also strikes at the very certainty and assurance of all the Faith and knowledge the holy Prophets and men of God had from the Spirit vvithin when Seripture was not Wee are in no greater hazzard to be deceived now then they were then You that set up the Scripture as your only rule the many sects of you what jangling and contesting is among you while one pleads for his sence and another for his which all proceeds from their wandring from the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And as to satisfying of others wee refer recommend them to the same Spirit in them to receive their satisfaction from that which only can and will satisfy them who wait for it in singlenes Pag. 18. And whereas thou sayest the Saints are led and guided by the Spirit but it is according to the Scriptures So say wee too But it doth not therefore follow that the Spirit hath so tyed and limited himselfe to the use of the scriptures as alwayes to use them in every particular step of his guiding the Saints the Spirit is free to use or not use the scriptures at his pleasure and guideth the Saints in many particular steps of their life for which there is no particular scripture either to approve or disprove them in As for the more sure VVord of Prophesy wee grant it is the rule but deny that that more sure VVord is the Scriptures but it is that VVord in the heart from which the Scriptures came and in and by which the Scriptures are to be interpreted and is it not grosse blindnes darknes to say the Scripture is more
no commission to baptise vvith water is clear from that of Paul vvhere he sayeth I thank God I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gajus and the houshold of Stephanus c for said he I was not sent to baptise but to preach the Gospell 1. Cor. 1. 16. 17. Novv it is not questioned but his Commission vvas as large as any of the rest for he himselfe said that hee vvas not inferiour to the cheifest of the Apostles but that hee thereby denied hee vvas sent to administer the holy Spirit vvhich is the baptisme of Christ is absurd to think for a Fifth Reason thou sayest it is the will of Christ that this ordinance should continue and abide in the Church because hee promised to be with his Ministers to the end of the VVorld To which I answer that this promise related to the Baptisme of the Spirit which is Christs Baptisme is granted but that it related to the Baptisme of water is denied for hee was with Paul who yet professed hee was not sent to baptise with water And whereas some give their meaning to Paul his words that hee was not sent only or principally to baptise with water this is an addition to the Scripture Words for which they can shew no sufficient ground And if men will take a liberty to adde to Scripture Words from their owne Spirit they may wrest the Scriptures to defend the worst of opinions as when it is said Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor VVorship them one should put this meaning upon it thou shall not bow downe to them not Worship them principally and therefore would averre that graven Images may be worshiped this were a most perverse abusing of Scripture Sixthly Thou sayest Thoâ—e who cast off this ordinance doe what in them lyeth to rob themselves of all the excellent ends and uses of it which are held forth in these Scripture expressions Ans. I hat such who cast off the Baptisme of Christ by the Spirit may incurre that hazard it is granted but that any such thing will follow from the not useing of water is denyed as shall appear by examining the Scripturs cited The first is Act. 2. 28. Repent and be baptised every one of you for the remission of your sins Ans. Here is no mention made of outward VVater and Repentance and Remission of sins may be and are found without it and where it is both these are frequently wanting But though it should be understood of outward water it is spoke but to particulars and is no universal command The Second is 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also save us But the very follovving vvords doe give an ansvver to that and clear the meaning not to be of Water baptisme saying Not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. The Third is Act. 22. 16. Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sins But that a being baptised vvith vvater is a vvashing avvay of sin thou canst not from hence prove seeing the contrary is abundantly vvitnessed and suppose Water-baptisme vvere here to be understood it being but spoke to one infers no universal command The Fourth is Ephes. 5. ver 26. That hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water But by vvater cannot here be understood outvvard VVater but that of the VVord and Spirit for the next Verse speaks of presenting it vvithout spot or vvrinkle Which the outvvard VVater cannot doe see the like place Iohn 3. 5. Vnlesse a man be borne of the vvater and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Novv if by Water here vvere to be understood outvvard VVater it vvould inferre that VVater baptisme is absolutely necessary to Salvation vvhich thou sayest thou canst not affirme vvith Papists Lastly thou citest Gal. 3. 7. For as many as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ But VVater Baptisme cannot be here understood because many vvho are baptised vvith VVater never put on Christ nor bear his Image but the Divells and are found doing the Divels vvorks So that none of these Scriptures prove the VVater Baptisme to be of continual necessity in the Church for it being but a figure it vvas to give place to that one Baptisme Eph. 4. 5. And vvhereas it is said by some that the Water Baptisme and the Baptisme by the Spirit is but one because of that agreement betvvixt the signification of the Water and the Spirit thereby signified this is a vvresting of this Scripture as much as if one should say rhat all the tipes figures and shadowes of the old Testament were one with the substance signified by them and consequently that these Tipes are all now to be upheld and used whereas indeed the coming of the Substance ends the figures among which are the divers Baptisms for so should the place be translated Heb. 9. 10. which were imposed untill the time of Reformation but are no longer binding since the Reformation is come Thou endest this matter vvith asserting That thou canst safely say that the Spirit of God concurring with and blessing this ordinance It is a profitable meane to further our Salvation but if so be it be no ordinance of Christ as heretofore is proved then wee cannot expect that the Spirit will concurre with it but indeed that hee is provoked by it considering the abuses in your administration of it as First in administring it to Infants for which yee have no command nor example in Scripture Next in causing ignorant people to promise and engage before God that the Children shall forsake the Divel the VVorld and the Flesh while they themselves be slaves to all the three and many more abuses as that vvhereby yee pretend to inroule Children as Members of the Church of God which is pure and holy it being oftentimes an occasion of excesse and drunkennesse and is indeed rather like an inrolling under the Divels banner seeing it is for most part accompanied with doing his work therefore it is so farre from being hazardous to contemne such an ordinance of man that it cannot be but hurtfull to continue in it In the Third place Pag. 39. thou comest to prove that the Lords Supper so called is an Ordinance of Iesus Christ For which thou bringst as a First Reason that Jesus Christ was the Author and Ordainer of it but that proves not That it was to be of perpetual continuance Nor thy Second Reason for though the Disciples were bid doe it in remembrance of him they were not bid doe it alwayes Neither will Act. 2. ver 42. which thou bringest as a Third Proofe serve thy turn for by comparing it vvith Verse 46. it is evident that their breaking of bread was their ordinary eating for it is said they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread froâ— house to house did eat their meat with gladness and
For notwithstanding the words of the Quaker are of thy owne framing and that they lye patent before thee yet thou hast not had so much honesty in thy answer as to subsume them aright The Quaker sayes I use not flattering titles and give thee not heathenish salutations and bowings least I should sin and be found an Idolater in answer to which thou beginnest with a false subsumption saying thou wonderest that he should call salutations and bowings heathenish and Idolatrous Indeed it is no strange thing that thou and others misrepresent us and belye us in repeating our words at a distance when in this manner of writing thou canst not truly repeat those words which thou placest for ours when they be just written before thee Is it not one thing to say that Salutations that are heathenish or heathenish salutations cannot be used without sin and idolatrie and another thing to say that salutations and bowings are heathenish and idolatrous Who is so blind as not to see here a vast difference As to the first who dares deny it to be a truth that vvill offer to call himselfe a Christian to vvit that salutations and bovvings that are heathenish cannot be used vvithout idolatrie and sin But as to the other that Salutations and bovvings are heathenish and idolatrous being taken in generall vvas never said nor judged by the Quakers and therefore to charge them vvith it is utterly false and a lye for such salutations as Christ commands and the Apostles practised the Quakers dearly ovvne and frequently use and find in them great refreshment becaus there through the life flovves and is communicated from one vessell to another but such salutations thou art ignorant of and of the life that is there through communicated vvhich bears testimonie against all that is heathenish and idolatrous and leads out of it and therefore in thy dark mind vvouldst from thence plead for the customary salutations of the heathen as appears by the proofs thou bringest vvherein thy folly is very much manifested Christ sayest thou commanded his disciples vvhen they entred into a house to salute it hee did so and what more And if the house be vvorthy their peace shall be upon it to vvit the peace through the salutation intimated or offered becaus they brought to that house the tender of the Gospell and glad tydings vvhich vvas a good salutation but vvhat vvouldst thou inferr from that that vve ought to doe of our hats one to another a thing vvhich they never did by vvhose example thou vvouldst presse us to doe it and it is knowne that it is a thing unusuall in that part of the world to this day That other proof alledged from Paul saluting the Churches makes as litle if not far lesse to the purpose Paul in his Epistles who was at a great distance vvisheth grace and peace to the Churches from God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ Ergo wee ought to take of our hats Can there be any thing more ridiculous is this the great esteeme yee put upon the scriptures to take the salutations of the blessed Apostle Paul signified by the motions of the Holy Spirit vvhich vvas the very blessing of Paul to the Churches or rather of the Spirit through him for to prove your doing off hats one of the corrupt customs of this vvorld Is not this to make a mock of the Scripturs and a stretching them to plead for that against vvhich is the naturall tendencie of their testimonie Next thou givest us Abrahams practise but every practise of Abraham is not a rule to us nor to you either the like may be said of that of Moses Though Moses did obeisance to his father in law that makes nothing against us far lesse his kissing of him and asking him of his vvelfare both vvhich things the Quakers deny not Thou acknovv ledgest that religious vvorship given to the Creature is idolatrie What is Religious Worship but that vvhich is given to God and is not the bovving of the body and uncovering of the head the signification of your Worship to God And if yee give the same to the Creature also where is the difference for in the external signification it is not distinguished unles it be said to be the intention which if it be wee shall have the Papists pleading the same for their adoration of images and the relicts of the saints And truly your being found in these things gives them advantage in that matter That courtesie and Christianity are not repugnant vvee deny not and therefore for Christians to be Courteous one to another is very fit vvhich indeed that the Apostle commands wee acknowledge But that Courtesie consists in taking off hats and bovving to one another that rests for thee to prove In the next place to prove the indifference of using the plurall number instead of the singular to one person thou sayest thou art very confident the Kingdome of God consists not in vvords so am I too yet I strange thou shouldst say so considering thy principles for vvhat is all your preaching but words yea vvhat is the Scripture it selfe I meane that vvhich yee have of it to vvit the letter but words And seing the very Gospell according to you is but a company of words being a declaration of vvhat past many hundred years agoe hovv has thy zeale here to oppose the Quakers made thee forget thy selfe in this matter Thou sayest that to vvhich the singular number is agreeable the plurall may be applyed to without making a lye The proofs alleged for that be Matth. 23. 37. Luk. 22. 31. 3 Epistle of Iohn vers 13 evince nothing in this matter for the Contexts being rightly considered vvill clearly make out that the vvords are not applyed to one single person only exclusively of others and that of Luke is to a flock comprehending the disciples to vvhom hee vvas speaking just before but there is no confounding of the number vvhere one single person is only spoken to and that vvithout understanding of any more And though indeed it vvere good that the difference vvere not greater yet the differences in these things evidence that there be differences in greater matters And in respect that yee are estranged from the principle that leads out of corruption in all things therefor yee cannot see the vveight that is in these things vvhich is more then yee are avvare of Pag. 3. Thou seemâ—t to take great advantage of these words Heretofore I walked according to my light and the same I doe still and while in the integritie of my heart I walked in the way thou art now in I dare not say but God countenanced me in it Here thou makest a great stirr as if thou hadst brought the Quaker to a great Dilemma But to passe by thy examining of the weak objection which thou makest in the Quakers behalfe which I beleive was never alledged by any of them unto thee as that wherwith they either only or cheifly defend
sure then that VVord light life and Spirit from which they came Had not the Scriptures all their sureness from the inward testimony of the spirit How then can they be more sure Thy example of the Schoolmaster the coppy servs not thy turne for the Spirit is unto the Saints both their teacher their Coppy And they need not goe forth for a Coppy if they vvalk according to this by looking upon it eying it they shal be good Schollers Proficients hee writes them a living Coppy in their hearts engraves it on fleshly tables whereas they who looke upon no other Coppy but the VVords without them are those who are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Pag. 19. Thou askest why wee disjoine the Spirit and the Scriptures citing Isaiah 50. 21. Answ. Wee are not to disjoine what the Lord putteth together somtimes the Spirit joineth or concurreth with the Scripture VVords and sometimes not how many preach and pray and read the Scriptures and talke of them without the joint concurrence of the Spirit Which wee say they ought not to doe the Scriptures should never be used to preach and pray c. But in the concurrence and assistance of the Spirit for they are not of true use to any without the Spirit but yee disjoine them who would have praying in the letter and useing of it without the motion of the Spirit to such the Scripture is indeed but a dead letter and it is nowayes a reproach unto them to be so called Yea what are the best of men without the Spirit but dead men and this is not a reproach to them but their Glory so nor is it to Scripture Thou sayest they are said to be a killing letter and this shewes that they are not dead Answ. A poor argument indeed Can not dead things kill if men feed upon them If thou feedest upon sand gravell stones shells will not these things kil thee though they be dead And if thou feedst upon the letter without thee and not upon the life thou canst not live yea if one that lived did depart from feeding upon the life to feed upon the letter it would kill him And as for that Scripture cited by thee it makes very much against thee to wit Isaiah 59. 21. For it is one thing for God to put VVords into mens mouths and far another for men to gather these VVords from that without and put them into their owne mouths nor doth it say that the VVords God shall put into their mouths shall be no other words more or lesse but the expresse scripture words why art thou not ashamed to cite this scripture doe yee not say to speake as the infallible Spirit givs utterance is ceased aâ—d consequently Gods putting VVords into the mouth Gods furnishing them with VVords suggested from his owne Spirit and life which the holy Prophets and Apostles vvitnessed to speake as moved by the holy Ghost doe yee not say this is ceased why then citest thou a scripture which is so plaine and clear for it but that thou art in blindnes and confusion Pag. 19. In thy procedure upon the point of justification thou makest a large step in that crooked path of deceipt wherein Thou hadst too much traced from the beginning but now more abundantly then ever thou displayest the Banner of thy disingenuity and gatherest all thy forces together it should seeme resolving to give the Quakers a finall over throw And to make the matter misty in the very entry of it thou raisest Dust to thy self venting thy own filthy imaginations under the notion of coming from them applauding thy endeavours as if thou wert studying to preserve pure the principle of justification in a point where none is jumbling it among us as thou advancest a litle further Pag. 20. 21 having given a very scant account of their doctrine in this matter couching it in most disadvantagious terms thou takest great liberty to extend thy selfe in a foolish and vaine excursion as if having fathomed the Quakers thou hadst discovered them to be either turned or turning rank Papists therefore to trace thee throughly in this matter that if it be possible thou maist come to have a discovery of thy Vanity and malice or though thou shouldst prove irrecoverable yet others may have a view of both I shall first in honesty and plainnes declare the principle of truth in this matter thereby observing thy misrepresentations Secondly shew what vast difference is betwixt us and the Papists therein And thirdly make manifest how much nearer of kin yee are to the Papists even as to this particular and the things relating thereunto then wee which may serve as a seasonable shower to allay that windy triumph vvhich thou endeavourest to establish unto thy selfe As to the first vvee are justified by Christ Jesus both as hee appeared and was made manifest in the flesh at Ierusalem and also as hee is made manifest and revealed in us and thus wee doe not divide Christ nor his righteousnes without from his righteousnes within but wee doe receive and embrace him wholly and undivided THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNES Ieremiah 23. 6. 1. 30. By which wee are both made and accounted righteous in the sight of God and which ought not nor cannot be divided And the manner and way wherby his righteousnes and obedience death and sufferings without become profitable unto us and is made onrs is by receiving him and becoming one with him in our hearts embraceing and entertaining that holy seed which as it is embraced and entertained becometh a holy birth in us which in Scripture is called Christ formed within Christ within the hope of glory Gal. 4. 19. Coloss. 1. 27. By which the body of sin and death is done away and wee cleansed and washed and purged from our sins not imaginarily but really and we really and truly made righteous and holy and pure in the sight of God which righteousnes is properly enough said to be the righteousnes of Christ for it is immediatly from him and stands in him and is as unseparable from him as the beams are from the sun and it is through the union betwixt him and us his righteous life and nature brought forth in us and wee made one with it as the branches are with the vine that wee have a true Title and right to what hee hath done and suffered for us for being so closely united to Christ his righteousnes becometh ours his obedience ours his death and suffrings ours thus wee know hiw and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffrings being made conformable to his death Philip. 3. 10. By which nearnes and fellowship wee come to know an unity with the suffring seed both in our selves and others and therein to travell for its raising and deliverance which yet no wayes derogats from the worth of the sacrifice hee offred up unto God without the gates of Jerusalem while
Scriptures cited by thee for all these Scriptures speake of works with a limitation as Rom. 3. 20 by the deeds of the law there shall no fllesh be justified and Gal. 2. 16. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law here the works of the law are excluded but not the works of Christinus which are not of the law for the law or first Covenant was weak and gave not strength to them who wer under it to fulfill righteousnes but these who were in Christ Iesus witnessed the righteousnes of the law fulfilled in them who walked not after the flesh but after the spirit And as for that other Scripture Tit. 3. 5. though it exclude works of mens doing as of themselves yet it excluds not all works nor inward righteousnes of Christ but expressely includs it according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy holy Ghost thou cauldest not have brought a more plaine proof against thy selfe for thou citest this Scripture as holding forth justification Now the Apostle sayeth he saved us according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost and is not the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost a vvork which comprehends many particular works of the Spirit of Christ in the Saints And is not regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost a righteousnes wrought in us How is it then that thou art not ashamed to charge us with rank Popery for saying wee are justified by a righteousnes wrought in us seeing the very Scripture cited by thee is expresly for it May wee not pertinently returne these words upon thee which thou misappliest to us Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askelon c. That a man who pretends to teach others aright in the matter of justification hath so confounded himselfe that to prove that justification is not by a righteousnes wrought vvithin bring a Scripture which speaks expresly of a righteousnes vvithin to wit that of regeneration and renovation by which wee are saved And if any should say the vvords doe not say vve are justified by the vvashing of regeneration and renevving of the holy Ghost but vvee are saved therby as intending sanctification and not justification I answer This helps not the Author out of the ditch for he brings this Scripture forth applying it to the matter of justification But againe if these vvords exclude all works generally and vvithout any limitation then they exclude all works vvhich are vvrought by the Spirit of Christ from sanctification as if men vvere sanctified by no vvorks of the Spirit of Christ within them or if it be said that vvorks of our ovvne doing selfe-righteousnes are only excluded from having place in our sanctification but not the vvorks vvrought in and by the Spirit of Christ then I say vvhy may not the same distinction have place in all these other Scriptures vvhich say vvee are not justified by vvorks c. and indeed in all these Scriptures it holds true no lesse concerning sanctification then concerning justification As thus by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be sanctified knovving that a man is not sanctified by the works of the Law c. but it vvere vaine to infer from this that men at Sanctified by no vvorks of righteousnes wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ therefore it is as vaine to infer that men are justified by no vvorks of righteousnes wrought in them by his Spirit Pag 22. Thou sayest wee can shift of popery with this that they are not our good works which deserve and merit justification but the good works of Christs working in us yea I say wee doe justly cast of the accusation of Popery as having the expresse testimony of Scripture that wee are justified by works to wit such as are wrought in Christ and by him in us Iames. 2. 24. you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only compared with Tit. 3. 5. before-mentioned and as for the Papists works by which they seeke to be justified wee doe not acknowledge them to be such works as whereby or wherein any can be justified And vvhereas thou pleadest that the good vvorks of Christs vvorking in us are ours citing Isai. 26. 12. Matth. 5. 16. c. Wee grant it but they are not ours in that signification as vvhere it is said hee that is entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne works Hebr. 4. 10. There are works which are so ours that they are not the works of the sanctifiing renevving Spirit of Christ in us and such are works both of open unrighteousnes and of selfe fained righteousnes vvhich has no better root to bring them forth then mans ovvne will and Spirit and by such vvorks vvee deny to be justified yea vve deny all such vvorks and the justification by them and desire to stand in a continual denyal unto them and forbearance from them But againe there are such vvorks vvhich are so ours that they are Christs also vvho vvorks them in us and by us and are ours by his free grace and by such works vvee affirme men are justified Pag. 23. Thou pleadest That men cannot be justified by any works of Christs working in them because they are imperfect And for their imperfection thou instancest 1. Faith becaus it is said O yee of litle faith why doubt yee Answ. By this thou mayst as well exclude faith from justification every way as vvorks if it vvere granted that their faith vvas imperfect but that Scripture nor no other speaks not of imperfect faith but of little faith Novv little Faith is perfect in the measure of it as a little Gold is perfect Gold And though the Disciples had doubting yet the faith vvas not the doubting nor vvas it made impure by it for the least measure of true faith can never be defiled othervvise it could not purify the heart it is like the fire vvhich cannot be defiled vvith the impurities of those things it vvorks upon And as for the Disciples at that time as they vverein part justified or approved by the Lord in relation to their faith so were they reproved and not justified of him in relation unto or becaus of their doubting But this Scripture nor none other provs not that faith was or is alwayes accompanied with doubting Abraham beleived Gods promise without doubting and was strong in the faith giving glory to God and it was imputed to him for Righteousnes Rom. 4. 20. 21. 22. And said James His faith was perfected by works Chap 2. 22. For that which is perfect in a lesse measure can be further perfected in a greater Secondly Thou pleadest that knowledge is imperfect becaus the Apostle saith VVe know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9 But the Apostle does not say our knovvledge is imperfect or impure Wee may knovv a thing in part and yet that
vvhich vvee knovv of it vvee may knovv perfectly Thirdly Thou pleadest for the imperfection and uncleannes of the Saints obedience from Eccles. 7. But that place is not to be understood concerning all men in all states and times There is an earthly unrenewed state and while men are here there is not a just man among them as Rom. 3. ver 10. There is none righteous no not one and there is a heavenly renewed state wherein a Man is borne of God and sinneth not Ioh 3. ver 9. And said the Apostle Let no Man deceive you hee that doth righteousnes is righteous which imports that there are righteous Men who doe good and said the Lord to the Servants that used their talents VVel done good and faithful Servant Matth. 25. ver 21. 23. And that other Scripture thou citest Isai. 64. 6. Servs nothing thy turne For the Prophet sayeth not all our righteousnes which is of thy working in us vvho are Saints is as filthy rags but all our righteousnes vvhich vvee even the best of the Saints can performe of and from themselves are as filthy rags mans best works his best righteousnes which is of and from himselfe is filthines and unrighteousnes before God and hee is to cease from all his ovvne works Hebr. 4. ver 10. And it is plaine that vvhen the Prophet in that place sayeth VVee are all as uncleane and there is none that calleth upon thy name he does understand the multitude of the Jevves vvho generally vvere a carnal People and relyed upon their outvvard observations and did not Worship God in Spirit and in but did not understand it of all and every one among them for hee himselfe did call upon his Name and that the Saints vvere vvashed and cleansed see 1. Cor. 6. 11. But yee are walked are sanctified are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And Ioh. 15. 3. Now yee are cleane through the word which I have spoken to you And Ezekiâ—l 37. 33. At which time I shall cleanse you from all our iniquities I shall also cause the cities to be inhabited Which imports a tyme upon earth vvherein they should be made cleane from all their iniquities And hovv art not thou and you ashamed to affirme that the best vvorks of the Spirit of Christ in his Saints are as a filthy rag Does not the Apostle say that a meek and quiet Spirit is an ornament which is of a great price even in the sight of God hovv then can it be a filthy or menstruous rag A filthy and menstruous rag is good for nothing but must be throwne avvay upon all accounts and if that holynes and righteousnes and meeknes vvhich is of Christ his vvorking in men be as filthy rags then according to your doctrine men should throvv them avvay as being not only unprofitable to justification bâ—t to any other use yea a filthy and menstruous rag men doe hide from the sight of another and doe never vvear it as an Ornament vvhereas the Saints put on the meeke and quiet and sober and righteous Spirit as an Ornament of great price not only in the sight of the Saints but even in the sight of God Pag. 24. Thou pleadst though that the good works of Christ in the Saints are defiled imperfect because the Saints who are subservient instrumentall in them are uncleane and who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane Iob. 14. 4. Answ. It is granted that the Saints are subordinate co workers with Christ but yet it follows not that his works in them aud by them are defiled and though it be said who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane this hinders not but that the Lord can and doth make Cleane those who have beene uncleane and so out of them who are made cleane bring forth cleane things And though every one in whom the work of sanctification is begun be not wholly cleansed but that there may be an uncleane part in them for a time yet there is also a cleane part in them who are in the least measure sanctified and so these who work with the Spirit of Christ work with him according to this cleane part and it is the cleane part in them which hee maketh use of as his instrument and as for the uncleane part it is not to worke vvith Christ but to be chained dovvne and fettered and bound up from working to the end it may be vvrought upon that it may be cleansed and thus by degrees the cleane part encreaseth and the uncleane is diminished till all the uncleannes be vvrought out and vvher the uncleane part is let loose to vvork the pure Spirit of Christ doth never joine in vvorking with it but judgeth and reproveth it and therefore in so far as the uncleane part vvorketh in any that man in whom it worketh is not throughly justified and approved by the Lord but there are who vvitnes the cleansing from all the uncleannes and so as cleane vessels and instruments throughout bring forth cleane things cleane works The example hovv that cleane water passing through an uncleane pipe receivs a tincture of uncleannes hits not the case For the Spiritual VVater is not like the common grosse outvvard VVater vvhich an uncleane pipe can defile but like the fire and the light vvhich though it touch uncleane things cannot be defiled by them Every thing of the Spirit is undefilable as the Spirit is vvhich no uncleane thing can defile And if thou vvert vvel skilled in the outvvard creation thou mightst find an outward water so pure that passing through an uncleane pype shall not be defiled vvith it but if thou knovvest not these earthly things and beleivest them not as Christ said Ioh. 3. 12. How shalt thou believe if vve tell thee heavenly things Pag. 25. Thou chargest us VVith erring grievously in confounding justification and sanctification Answ. Justification is either taken for God his adjudging a man unto eternal Life and in that sence it is not to be confounded vvith Sanctification yet it is not be separated there from for God adjudgeth no man but the sanctified unto eternal life or happines or it is taken for the making a man righteous and then it is all one vvith Sanctification And that thou sayest the vvord is most frequently used in Scripture in that sence of adjudging being opposed to condemnation doth imply thou hast not the confidence to assert that it is alwayes so used as indeed it is not And wheras thou citest Philip. 3. 9. to prove that the choisest Saints upon earth have disclaimed all righteousnes wrought in them by which they chould be justified I say that Scripture provs no such thing and thy observation to prove it is insufficient to wit that the Apostle doth not speake of his righteousnes whilest he was a Pharisee for that he disowned ver 6. 7. for admitting it yet hee was still to deny and disowne the work and
seeketh after miracles and though Miracles should be given they who will not beleive the testimony of the Spirit of God in their consciences bearing witnesse to the truth will not also beleive becaus of Miracles as wee see plainly in the Jewes And whereas thou sayest Iohns immediate call is evident by the special predictions both of Malachy and Isayas concerning him So are there many speciall predictions concerning the Lord his pouring forth of his Spirit upon many in these latter dayes to prophecy or minister as the Spirit should putt words into their mouths And as for these Scripturs Tit. 1. 5. Ast. 14. 23. which thou bringst in the Fifth place they prove not that those Elders had not the Authority and call of the Spirit of God in themselves And whereas in the Sixth place thou sayest though Ministers be set apart and ordained by men yet their Ministry is not from men but from God I answer where the inward call and Authority of the Spirit of God is not witnessed it cannot be said to be of God And though Moses be said to consecrate Aaron yet it doth not follovv that Aaron had no immediat call from God Seventhly thou sayest The ministry is so necessary that it is the will of Iesus Christ that it should continue unto the end of the VVorld Eph. 5. 12. 13. But thy proofe from that Scripture is altogether impertinent as to you vvho believe not that the Saints can be perfected in this life seeing the Ministry is given for the perfecting of them And that this perfection is on Earth is clear from the follovving verse That hence forth wee be no more as Children tossed to and fro for in the other life there is no hazard of being so tossed And if the Ministry perfected not men in this life it no where perfecteth them for in the other life it hath no operation upon them The Law and Priesthood therof was abolished becaus it made nothing perfect and if the Gospell Ministrie should not make perfect it should also be abolished And seeing your Ministrie perfecteth not it is not the true Ministrie of the Gospell as indeed it is not for it standeth not in the power of God nor is it exercised in the will motion of God your Ministrie being such that the whole ESSE or BEING of it may be without saving grace or true holines you expresly affirming that holines is not necessary to the being of a Minister but that a man may be a Minister of the Gospell who ought to be received and heard though hee have not the least graine of holines Eighthly thou sayest they who cast off the Ministerie of the word wrong their owne soules c. Ansvv. if it be understood of the Ministry of Christ it is granted but of yours it is denyed In the Fifth place Pag. 44 Thou vvouldst prove that the Lords people are under a tye engagement to keep the first day of the vveek for a Sabbath For a First Reason thou sayest the Fourth commandement requires the keeping holy of one day of seven but as it requires the observation of one day of seven so it expresly instanceth that day to be the seventh vvhich day yee keep not vvherfor as to the Second Reason If the command be morall and perpetuall as thou callest it it ought to be kept in every point of it vvhich yee not doing therein condemne your selves but the outvvard Sabbath or the keeping one day of the vveek for a Sabbath is not perpetuall but abolished together vvith the new moons and other feasts of the Jevves see Coloss. 2. 16. 17. Let no man judge yâ—u in meat or drink or holy day or new moone or sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come See also Rom. 14. vvhich plainly holds forth all dayes under the Gospel to be alike and said Paul to the Galathians yee observe dayes c. I am afrayd of you For a Third Reason thou sayest that Iesus Christ plainly intimates the continuance of a Sabbath becaus that speaking of the desolation of Ierusalem he said pray â—hat your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Ansvv. but that Sabbath day is neither here nor else vvhere said to be the first day of the vveke The Jevves vvere to fly at that time and Christ holds forth their difficulties that it should be grievoâ—s unto them to be put to it to fly on their Sabbath day or be killed For they kept it in the strictnesse of it but as for any of your Sabbath keepers they are not so strait-laced but they will doe lesse necessary things then to fly from a danger on that day And as the outward Jew deâ—ireth that hee may not be putt to fly on his outward Sabbath so the inward Iew in Spirit desireth much more that hee may keep his Sabbath which is his Spirituall rest in Christ that the enemy oft seeketh to breake to cause him to fly on his Sabbath day but this to you is a Mistery Viz. what the Sabbath of them who beleive is Heb. 4. 9. 10. There remaineth therfor a Sabbatism to the people of God and hee that is entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his And that this Sabbath or rest is not an outward day is plaine becaus in the next verse hee saith let us labour therefore to enter into that rest But if it were an outward day it might be easily entred into but this is such a rest as none can enter into who hearken not to the voice of the Lord by beleiving and obeying it For a Fourth Reason thou sayest though yee keep not the same day the Iewes did yee have the same authority for keeping your day that they had for theirs Hence this day that wee keep sayest thou is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. it being set apart by the Lord for his service and as a Special memorial of his Resurrection Answ. but for all this here is no probation at all but meer assertions If yee have the same Authority produce it and let us see it Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day therfor the first day of the week ought to be kept how hangs this together Prove that Iohn meant the first day of the week wee read much in Scripture of the day of the Lord which is the Lords day but no where doe find it called the first day of the week or any other naturall day For it is spirituall and as God called the naturall light day so hee calleth the Spirituall light of his appearance where the Sun of righteousnes ariseth with healing under his wings Day And this is the day of the Lord wherin his people rejoice and are glad And whereas thou sayest it is set apart by the Lord as a Speciall memoriall of his resurrection This is thy naked assertion without any shadow of proofe if thou wilt say that therefore it is to be a holy
day becaus hee rose on it Is not this a faire inlet to all the Popish holy Dayes If yee keep one day for his Resurrection why not one day for his Conception another for his Birth another for the Annunciation of the Ange another for his being crucified another for his Ascension then wee shall not want holy dayes in good store Fifthly thou sayest who oppose the Sabbath day sin against mercy and equity and Iustice. Answ. It is granted bnt who oppose your day which yee have made or imagined to be the Sabbath doe not sin against any of the fore-said if in other things they keep unto the rule of mercy and justice First they sin not against mercy if through all the dayes of the week they be found in that which is for the good of themselves and their neighbours Not laying too heavie burdens upon their owne soules by excessive care and labour in outward things nor yet forcing their bodily strength beyond the rule of mercy and love nor imposing any things upon either servants or cattell contrary to mercy For if the Law required mercy even in these things much more the Gospell so that wee grant times of rest are to be given unto Servants and Beasts and Mercy is to be shewed unto them more then under the Law And thus is the end of the Sabbath answered which was made for man yea this is indeed to keep the Sabbath To undoe every burden and to let the oppressed goe free both as to the inward and the outward And the Lords People have frequent times more then once a week wherein laying aside their outward affairs for a season they may and doe meet together to wait upon the Lord and be quickned and refreshed and instructed by him and worship him in his Spirit And may be useful unto one another in exhortation or admonition or any other way as the Lord shall furnish And such who find any distemper upon their minds through letting them goe forth too much upon outward things may find the Lord allowing them any other day or time no lesse then that to gett their hearts reduced into a right frame And it were sad if the Lord had only allowed but one day of seven unto this effect The Lord inviteth and alloweth the weary and distempered who love to be cured of their â—â—â—â—empers to come unto him every day And as for those who abide not in a due care every day to have their hearts ordered arights but let their minds goe forth excessively in outward occasions all the week they provoke the Lord to shut them out from accesse to him upon the First day And our soules doe oft blesse the Lord in allowing us many times of refreshment and strengthning to the establishing and confirming us in his love and life and disburdening our minds of earthly things much more frequently then in one day of seven And as for sinning against Justice they cannot be charged with it who give up unto the Lord not onely one day of seven but all the seven even all the dayes of their life unto his service for equity and Jâ—stide calleth upon us to spend all the seven in his service that our hearts may continually be exercised in his fear and love and what ever wee doe wee may doe it to him and in him And as for the first day of the week we meet together even on that day as wee doe on other dayes according to the practise of the primitive Christians to wait upon the Lord and worship him but to plead so obstinately as yee doe that the fourth Commandement bindeth to a particular observation of that day and yet to be found so slack in the observation of it as you generally are is such an inconstancie as the Quakers cannot owne And so whereas thou wouldst confine the Lord his giving rest and comfort to the souls of his people and the falling of the Manna to the first dayes calling them spirituall market dayes as if there were no other wee cannot owne it knowing that the Lord giveth rest and comfort every day and causeth the Manna plentifully to fall every day to those that walk in his fear and wait upon him and hee has no such circumscribed Market day as thou dreamest of but that yee I meane the Priests make a Market day of that day So that yee may call it your day as thou sayest Pag. 44. our day wee know wherein you sell and vend your Babylonish commodities and will be forceing and compelling all to come and buy of them or if nor to send you mony whither they receive ought or not or else yee will endevour by the help of the Magistrate to have them punished So that it is made manifest that it is only the inventions of men that wee disovvne and not any of the ordinances of Iesus Christ. Pag. 46. Thou grantest the vvord Originall sin is not found in Scripture and yet thou pleadst for it â—ecaus sayest thou the thing intended by it is contained and expressed in Scripture Ansvv. vvee deny that the thing by you intended is exprest in Scripture to vvit that all inâ—aâ—â—s are sinners before God only for Adams sin and that there are reprobate Infants vvho are sent to hell only for Adams first sine this vvee deny nor doe the Scriptures cited by thee prove it Psal. 51. behold I was conceived in sin But first if this place should prove the Infant guilty of any sin it should be of the sin of its ovvne immediat parents in inquity did my mother bring me forth Novv you say the infant is not guilty of the sin of its ovvne immediate parents but only of Adams and Eva's first sin of vvhich this Scripture speakes nothing 2. it doeth not say I vvas conceived and brought forth a sinner as you vvould have it vvhy make you infants guilty of Adams sin and not of the sins of then immediate parents Novv it is granted that there is a seed of sin derived unto Adams posterity but wee say none become guilty of sin before God until they close with this evil seed and in them who close with it it becoms an origine or â—oâ—intaine of evil thoughts desâ—res words and actions which are their sins vvho close vvith it But that the guilt of Adams first sin lyes at the door of Infants who never actually sinned vvee deny For a Second Proofe thou citest Rom. 5. 12. Alleadging it should be rendred that in Adam all sinned But it is no such matter For the words however they be truly translated can never be so rendred in Adam all sinned The strictest translation of the words is thus upon which all have sinned or in which all have sinned Now if the words be translated Vpon which all have sinned They hold forth hovv that Adam by his sin gave an entrance to Sin in the World and Death by Sin and so upon this occasion all others have sinned to wit actually in their ovvne Persons so
that all vvho ever sinned actually it was upon the occasion of Adams sin For the Apostle is here speaking not of Infants who are not capable of any Law but of such as have a Law and act against it Yea from the Apostles words in the other following Verse it is plaine that sin is not imputed to Infants For saith hee Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Now there is no Law given to Infants as such For they are not capable of it What the Law sayeth it sayeth to them vvho have in more or lesse some exercise of understanding which Infants new borne have not or if the words be translated in which all have sinned that vvord VVHICH hath a nearer relative then ADAM to wit Death for the seed of sin is justly called Deaâ—h becaus where it is joined unto and obeyed it killeth and so in this seed all have sinned who ever did actually sin and as for the verse 18 of Rom. 5. which is commonly used to prove infants guiltie and under condemnation it is not tightly translated for the word judgement or condemnation or guilt is not at all in the Greek but those who have drunk in this imagination have added this word to the Scripture so bending and bowing the Scripture to their false opinion And whereas thoâ— sayest wee were all in the loins of Adam and therfore wouldest inferre that infants are sinners in him or guiltie of his sin I say It followes not more then to say wee are guiltie of all the sins of our Fore-fathers becaus wee have beene in their loins again thou labourest to prove that Infants are sinners becaus they are subject to pains and diseases and death But this proveth them not to be sinners as it proveth not that the Earth is a Sinner or that the Herbs and Trees of the field are sinners for even these things have suffred by Adams fall a great decay And as for the outward Death of those that are saved from eternal Death it is rather a sleep then a Death as Christ said concerning Laâ—arus hee sleepeth and concerning the Maid shee is not Dead but sleepeth And therefore that Scripture Rom. 6 23. cannot be applyed to them who dye not or perish not eternally for though the Saints lay downe the outward man it is not as the punishment or reward of their Sins which are forgiven and from which they are delivered And so the sting of Death being taken away in those who are saved it is not that Death which is the wages of Sin and seeing the Apostle said unto the Saints that all things were theirs even Death it cannot be that their Death should be reckoned the wages of their Sin how many of the blessed Martyrs have looked upon their suffering a most violent Death for truth and righteousnes as a Gift of God How then could it be said to be the wages of their Sins which implye as if their Sins were not all freely forgiven Pag. 48. From this doctrine thou sayest it will follow First that all Infants that die in their infancy are saved and though charity may be pleaded for this opinion thou sayest yet what Scripture can be alledged for it Answ. If I should bring that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven It will much more naturally flow from the words then that they ought to be sprinckled which is the meaning yee put upon them And whereas some object it is not said of them but of such I answer but that such includeth them and all others who are like them in harmlesnesse otherwise if they had beene excluded hee would not have given it as a reason why hee bid suffer them to come unto him but besides the 18. Chap. ver 20. of Ezekiel is a plaine proofe The soul that sinnâ—th shall die the Son shall not bear the fathers iniquitie unlesse that the Son be found acting the same iniquity and continuing in it for then hee visits the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children Now thou hast produced no Scripture to prove that any infants doe perish and indeed there is nothing in Scripture for it but against it Secondly thou sayest it would follow that infants dying in their infancy stood no in need of Christ as a Saviour for hee is a saviour to save his People from their sinnes Answ. Hee is a Saviour not only to save from sins but also from the consequences of sin and not only from the fruits and branches of it but from the seed and they are saved from sin who are not suffered to fall into it And so these infants whom the Lord takes away in their infancie that they might not sin are saved from it It is salvation to be kept from falling into a pit as truly as to be taken out of it after the falling in And as for that Scripture it maketh against you Math. 1. 12. For it speaketh of a salvation from sin wheras you dreame of a salvation in your sins Nor doeth Rom. 7. 24. Speake of infants so thy citing it here is impertinent And though there be a time wherin there is a crying out for deliverance from the body of sin and death yet there is also a time of deliverance from it even before the laying downe of the outward body as is plaine from Rom. 6. 6. 7. Knowing this that the old man is crucified and hee that is dead is freed from sin Yet wee acknowledge there is great occasion to be low and to be in great feare and care left sin which is once crucified revive againe Pag. 48. Thou chargest us as holding a falling away from Regeneration and as agreeing therein with Arminians But if the Arminians hold a falling away from Regeneration wee hold no such matter For those who fall away never attained unto the Regeneration and so were never the children of God but only were in the way to it by having attained to some beginings of Faith from which some may and have fallen away for that it is expresly said by Christ some beleive and afterwards fall away and some depart from the faith and make shipwrack of it and some who have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come fall away These and many such instances are in Scripture nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove the contrary as Philip 1. 6. which is to be understood no otherwise then as the condition is performed upon their part As Heb. 3. 14. wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold fast the principle of our establishment or wherby wee are established firme unto the end and so these who hold fast this Principle witnesse the work which God hath begun in them to be carried on untill the day of Christ even till hee be compleatly formed in them and they in him It may be supposed that Paul was as confident that God would perfect the VVork begun in himselfe and yet hee
and vertue as a candle extinguished For by the fall the lamb the witnes came to be slaine and remained so until the Spirit of life againe was sent from God into it to give it life and power to witnes against mens transgressions for a witnes that is wholly dead cannot witnes unto particular things of fact against men as this inward witnes in all men doth who doe not againe crucifiâ— it in themselves And seing Christ tasted death for every man and the grace that brings salvation hath appeared to every man and the Gospel is preached in every creature as it is according to the Greek in Hebr. 2. Tit. 2. Col. 1. 23. It is manifest that the illumination given to every man is a new and fresh visitation of Gods love in Christ freely given unto them for salvation Now as to the word Nature if it be rightly understood there shall be no great difference about it For if by Nature thou understandest the Nature that is corrupt and fallen and that which simply is derived from Adam then wee deny that that Nature can claime any right to this Light or that it can be said to proceed from that Nature But if thou understandest by nature the nature that is spiritual and heavenly and is derived from Christ the second Adam the quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven then I say the Light may properly be called the Light of that Nature in which sense is to be understood that place of the Apostle Rom. 2. v. 14. cited by thee where hee sayeth The Gentiles which have not the Law did by nature the things contained in the Law For who will be so grosse as to say that the Gentiles by the corrupt Nature could doe the things contained in the Law which is pure and Holy But by that Nature which is one with the Law towit divine and heavenly they might doe them So that thou canst not but still be accounted a wilful enemy to the Light whilest thou opposest it and dost not turne to it and by it come to see the evil of thy wayes and forsake them Pag. 12. Though it â—e here asserted in name of the Quakers that the Scriptures are of excellent and blessed use yet thou wilt not beleeve it and alledgest they will not make the due use of them for these Reasons First Because a Bible thou sayest Is not to be seene in all our meetings But that will inferre nothing at all for wee meet not to read the Scripture but to wait on the Lord and be taught of him and receive from his Spirit what hee pleaseth to administer either in our selvs or through the mouthes of his servants wee meet to Worship God whos worship is to be performed in Spirit and in truth and not in externall reading Thou sayest Christ tooke the book of the prophet I saiah and read out of it But was not this the performance of a legal duty and in condescendence to the Iewes manner for it was in the synagogue but did he ever coustitute it as a part of the Christian worship for one man to take the bible and speak upon it and all the rest to be excluded from speaking while hee pratles his owne barren empty notions about it shew me where that was the practise or order among the Apostles and primitive Christians In the churches way 1. Cor. 14. there is no such thing but on the contrary vers 29. let the Prophets speake two or three and let the other judge if any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his peace for yee many all prophecy one by one that all may learne and all may be comforted By which it plainly appears there was no such setled custome among them but it is one of the maine inventions brought in in the Apostacy wherby barrennes and drynes hath entred and wherby the quickning unlimited life has beene stopped from flowing through many vessels It is true the Apostles at times cited Scriptures out of the law and the Prophets to shew their fulfilling or to open the mind of the Spirit concerning them which is frequent is our meetings to cite Scriptures and open them in the same life and Spirit that gave them forth in the order of the Spirit but not in the order and way of mans wisdome and Spirit as is your way which savours more of Aristotles School then of the Church of Christ. Secondly as to what thou sayest that it is not our way to encourage the People to read the Scriptures and to try doctrines by them 't is utterly false for wee desire that all may come to try doctrines even by the Scripture but wee bid them also come to the light in them to read and try doctrines and understand the true sence of the Scriptures therein and if People did so wee know that then your jugjuglings about them would be made manifest but indeed wee are far from desiâ—ing People to heed your false Glosses and commentaries upon them wherby yee darken them rather then interpret them Thirdly thou sayest when you want an inward command to a duty I trow the 〈◊〉 command of the Scripture is not regarded Ans here thou writest as one unacquainted vvith the Law and new Covenant vvritt in the heart the inward command is never vvanting in the due season to any duty as it is vvaited for and the outvvard testimony or signification of the command vvee regard in its place Is it not a regarding the outvvard to mind the inward unction and spirit to vvhich it directs vvhich invvard teacheth all things and leadeth into all truth 1. Ioh. 2. 27. 1. Cor 14. 15. Iohn 16. 13 yea doe not such more regard the outvvard then they vvho under a pretence of an outward command doe run about these things in their ovvne natural will and Spirit neglecting to vvait upon the Lord for the leading and help of his Spirit Thy comparing us to servants who will not be moved to work by their masters letter c. is vaine and riduculous nor doth it reach us for our Masters letter is vvritt in our hearts and ther wee ar to find it neither is our Master separated from us as those Masters are vvho use to vvrite letters to servants to set them on vvork while they are absent and cannot help them by their presence for our Master is alvvayes vvith us and hee requires us to doe all our vvorks by his imediate counsell direction and assistence as present vvith us and in us And that nature vvee vvitnes brought forth in us vvhich does not shift his vvill but delight in it to doe it and knovv it vvhether told us by a lively voice or by any other invvard signifification of his Spirit Fourthly and becaus thou art ignorant of that great duty of wayting upon the Lord in silence out of all thy ovvne thoughts and words and art trampling it under foot thou lookest upon it as mispent time or a meer