the whole Godhead is perfect and infinite in Being and Power and Wisdom and Goodness in which all his Attributes are comprehended but yet a distinct Vnderstanding of them all is not of absolute necessity to Salvation That this God is the Creator Preserver and Disposer of all things and the Owner and Ruler of Mankind most Just and Merciful that as he is the beginning of all so he is the ultimate end and the chief good of Man which before all things else must be loved and Sought Concerning the Son we must moreover believe That he is the same God with the Father the second Person in Trinity Incarnate and so became Man by a Personal Vnion of the Godhead and Manhood He omitteth his being conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary which was needful to have been exprest it being a great Article of our Christian Faith That he was without Original or Actual Sin having a sinless Nature and a sinless Life That he fullfilled all Righteousness and was put to Death as a Sacrifice for our sins and gave himself a Ransom for us and being buried he rose again from the dead and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all and interceedeth for Believers That he will come again and raise the dead and judge the World the Righteous to Everlastâ—â—â— Life and the Wicked to Everlasting Punishment That this is the onâ— Redeemer the Way the Truth and the Life neither is there access to thâ— Father but by him nor Salvation in any other Concerning the Holy Ghost we must believe That he is the same one God the third Person in Trinity sent by the Father and the Son to inspire the Prophets and Apostles and thaâ— the Doctâ—ine inspired and miraculously attested by him is true that he iâ— the Sanctifier of these that shall be saved renewing them after the Image of God in Holiness and Righteoâ—sness giving them true Repentance Faith Hope Love and sincere Obedience causing them to overcome the Flesh the World and the Devil thus gathering a holy Church on Earth to Christ who have by his Blood the Pardon of all their sins and shall have Everlasting Blâ—ssâ—dness with God This saith Richard Baxter is the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it And now as concerning that judged by Richard Baxter the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it I declare sincerely without all Equivocation or mental Reservation in the true and genuine sence of the Words that I have transcribed out of his said Treatise that I know not wherein I or my Brethren of my Faith and Perswasion differ from him in any one particular as to the matter of it or substance therein contained the only exception we have is against that unscriptural Term or Phrase of Three Persons or a Trinity of Persons but we own sincerely That our Faith ought to be and is in God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and that these Names are Names of Relation respecting the Relations as well as the Relative Offices and Works of those Three and this being granted by us in the sincerity of our Hearts we are excused or cleared by John Calvin for whose Memory I suppose C. Mather hath as full and great esteem as for R. Baxter for in his first Book of Institutions cap. 13. n. 5. he saith expresly Vtinam quidem sepulta essent se inventâ— Nomina as he expresly calleth them Trium Personarum constaret modo hec inter omnes Fides Patrem et Filium et Spiritum esse unum Deum nec tamen aut Filium esse Patrem aut Spiritum Filium sed proprietate quadam esse distinctos neque enim tam precisa sum austeritate ut obnudas voculas digladiari sustineam In English thus I wish saith he the invented Names viz. of Three Persons were buried providing this Faith were manifest among all that the Father the Son and the Spirit is one God and yet that the Son is not the Father nor that the Spirit is the Son but that they are distinct by a certain Property to wit in their â—â—lative Attributes as that the Father did beget the Son and the â—on was begotten of the Father and that the holy Spirit did proceed â—â—om both for I am not of such precise Austerity said Calvin that â—or bare small Words I would contend and withall he confesseth That the Orthodox antiently did not agree about these Terms or invented Words â—â—at he acknowledgeth were invented since the Apostles dayes to guard â—gainst the Arrian Sabellian and other Heresies And therefore since we are altogether free of these Heresies and that we detest them from our very Souls no sober Christian will judge uncharitably of us in that respect And as for the word Distinct if some of our Friends taking it to signifie distant or seperated asunder one from another as in remote and distant places have refused it in this and other matters as indeed sometimes at least vulgarly it doth so signifie as when we say America is distinguished from Europe by a great spacious Sea interveening they ought not to be accused for so doing seeing in that other sence of the word Distinct that is more in use among Schollars as when we say Things are distinct when the one is not the other they own a Distinction as that the Father is not the Son the Son is not the Father though he is our Father and is expresly call'd in Scripture the Everlasting Father and Christ's Manhood and Body is not the Godhead and yet one Christ as the Body of a Man is not his Soul and yet Body and Soul is one Man and in this second sence we do allow the word distinct And as to the Manner of receiving the Christian Faith we grant with him first That it must not only be received as true into our Understanding by a special divine Illumination that is supernatural but must be imbraced by the Will Heart and Affections as good yea exceeding good and worthy of all acceptation by a special divine Motion and working of the holy Spirit that is supernatural in upon the Will Heart and Affections 2 dly That as touching all the peculiar Mysteries and Doctrines of Faith the Scriptures have been Instrumental by and together with the immediate working of the Spirit to beget in us the true Faith of them But in this we differ I suppose from him as well as from C. Mather and his Brethren of New-England that whereas they hold That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers Effectively but not Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and perceptibly by its own Self-Evidence and Demonstration to mens Hearts and Souls We affirm That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers both Effectively 〈◊〉 also Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and â—â—â—ceptibly by its own Evidence and Demonstration to mens Heaâ—â—â— and Souls And this divers call'd Protestants have
so to be and that a charitable Construction cannot be safely and sincerely put upon them but that they do contradict the holy Scriptures and the wholsom Doctrine therein delivered by the holy Prophets and Apostles we do sincerely deny and disown them and declare our being ready with all possible sincerity to disown them upon due notice and advertisment for though we affirm That the Spirit of God in us and all Belieâ—ers in every discovery it gives is infallible yet we have never judged our selves absolutely infallible nor did we ever place or fix an absolute Infallibility upon any Man or Number of â—â—â—iety of Men since the Apostles dayes but through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 are sensible of our danger of being liable to Mistakes as well as â—â—her men if we be not duely humble watchful and careful to keep â—lose and chaste to the pure openings teachings and leadings of the infallible Spirit of Truth And we readily grant the great benefit we have by the holy Scriptures as being instrumental by and with â—he immediate working of the Spirit to preserve us from Error or if any be overtaken in an Error and beguiled by the Enemy to Recover and Restore them there-from therefore it is that in all respects we prefer the Scriptures both to our own and all other Writings and if any Doctrine or Practice be found contrary thereunto upon due and impartial Examination we say it ought to be disowned and denyed for the Scriptures of Truth and the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth can never contradict the one to the other CHAP. II. IT cannot with any colour of Justice be expected by Cot. Mather that I should give a particular Reply to all things in his Book called An Address said or alledged against the People called Quakers in general or me in particular until such time that he give a distinct particular Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson c. particularly directed to him and his Brethren and to the several Chapters and Sections thereof which he hath not so much as essayed wherein notwithstanding almost the whole matter he doth muster up against us in his late Address is sufficiently and solidly answered and therefore until he give a full and distinct particular Answer to the said Book I judge not my self obliged so much as to notice many things contained in his said Address being filled with manifest falshoods perversions and abuses sufficiently already Replyed unto partly by others and partly by me but containing no new matter against us excepting his Personal Reflections against me which yet I think not to spend much Time or Paper to answer most of them being so manifestly false and foolish that of themselves they fall and evanish only I intend to give a short glance or hint at some of the most considerable Abuses and Perversions he musteret◠〈◊〉 against us Pag. 3. He saith If I have one spark of Light in me Quakerism 〈◊〉 but a profound and deadly pit of Darkness Answ This Assertion doâ—â— not come from any true Light in him but from his Darkness Pag. 4. Quakerism under pretence of advancing the spiritual Objeâ—â— of Religion goes to annihilate all the Sensible Ans False Again pag. 4. There is hardly any one Fundamental Article of thâ— reformed Religion whereby we look to be saved that is not undermined by Quakerism Ans But of this he has not given one true instance And as to what he alledgeth that some of us have said The Letter is not the Word of God to wit properly and without a figure he himself hath said as much see pag. 59. And that some of us have call'd their Books Light risen out of Darkness Shields of Truth c. they understood it not but metaphorically or figuratively by some Metonymy as is common in all Titles of Books but we have alwayes preferred the Scriptures to our Writings And that the Scriptures may be call'd the Word of God in a figurative Speech and also that the True Sense signified in them is the Word of God I have acknowledged and so I do still but that the inward Testimony of God in our Hearts is more properly and immediately the Word of God than the outward Testimony of the Scripture I still affirm with Augustine and other antient Writers As for his citing William Penn's words agruing against that same Numerical Body its rising at the Resurrection it is clear that he understandeth the same exact Number of the small Particles or Dusts neither more nor less than what is commonly buried and what hurt is there in that doth not C.M. and his Brethren generally say as well as W. Penn That at the Resurrection all shall rise Men and not Infants nor lame nor defective in any part and yet how many Thousands dye Infants and defective in some Bodily Members That some have denyed the Saints as such to be miserable Sinners it ought to be considered that according to the common stile of Scripture Saints and Sinners are distinguished and the unconverted are called Sinners for the denomination of a thing is taken chiefly from that which is the greatest part but â—ecause in all Saints even the weakeâ—â— Grace and Holiness is the chief and gâ—eatest part therefore from that they receive their Denomination and are said to â—e righteous and clean and not to do Iniquity That one said The Scripâ—â—â—â—â—s not the means by which Faith is wrought it can receive a candid â—â—â—â—â—pretation as to say the only means excluding the inward Grace 〈◊〉 Operation of the Spirit as some say Medicine is not the means of 〈◊〉 Cure though a Means it is understood not the only means â—nd whereas he querieth If their Primmer hath yet been corrected 〈◊〉 they read False Teachers preach Christ without and bid People 〈◊〉 in him as he is in Heaven If he mean William Smith's Primmer 〈◊〉 I believe he doth I Answer Yea it hath been Corrected in the 〈◊〉 Edition of his other Treatises joyned with it as is plainly to be 〈◊〉 thus That false Teachers preach Christ only without but true â—â—eachers preach Christ both without us and also within us And what William Penn argueth as concerning Three Persons he â—nly argueth against the invented Names Persons as Calvin doth â—cknowledge them as above-said which in all proper Language doth signifie Substances and not meer Properties or relative Attributes which W.P. will not deny to be in God Nor are W. P's words so to be understood concerning Justification as if he excluded Christ's Righteousness which he fulfilled in his own Person but only he denyeth that any can be justified by that alone without Faith and Repentance c. As for Bodily Tremblings that they are not so common among these called Quakers as formerly as good or better Reason can be given as that these or the like unusual Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians in Scotland about fifty Years ago are not now so common among them
show according to that Latine Verse Fabula narratur mutato Nomine de te i.e. Change the Name and the Tale is told truly of thy thy self CHAP. III. IN his first Argument he accuseth me to be guilty of a Lye in matter of Fact and that I pretend to an assurance for it from the Spirit of God and the Lye he alledgeth in matter of Fact is That I charge their Confession of Faith for holding that the Scriptures ought to be believed for their own outward Evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens Hearts And to prove this to be a Lye he citeth some words of that Confession which saith Our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and divine Authority of the holy Scriptures is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our Hearts And for a further Confirmation he alledgeth John Owen saying That the Scripture be received as the Word of God there is a twofold Efficacy of the Spirit c. withal affirming That I cover Lye with Lye To which I Answer Cotton Mather and not I is guilty of two gross Lyes or Falshoods in this Charge first That I pretend to an assurance from the Spirit in matter of Fact concerning what they hold is a manifest Perversion for I bring my assurance in matter of Fact not from the Spirit but from their Confession of Faith which I have diligently examined but the knowledge I have that their Doctrine in that particular is false I bring from the Spirit of God that hath given me the understanding thereof and is Truth and no Lye 2 dly That he saith Their Confession doth grant that the Scriptures are to be believed for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens hearts but this it doth not say nor can it be gathered by any just consequence to be their sence seeing they deny with C.M. and his Brethren all inward objective immediate Testimony and Revelation of the Spirit And whereas the Confession mentioneth the inward Work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word viz. the Scripture in our Hearts This doth sufficiently prove That their Confession doth not mean or intend any inward Testimony of the Spirit reallâ— and properly so called as having a standing Evidence of its own bâ—â— only borrowed from the Scripture and therefore is no true and proper Evidence at all but only and altogether improper yea as improper as if I should say when I hear but one man give Evidence to the Truth of a thing and that I read it also in wâ—it from his hand that three Evidences or Witnesses have given their Evidence to that Truth as 1 st the Maâ— â— dly my Ear that heard him 3 dly my Eye that hath reâ—d his writ But what sober Man will say these are three Witnesses or Evidences And would it not be a great Cheat to say That whereas the Law requireth two Witnesses and there is but one man that giveth witness to Cotton Mathers hearing that C.M. should alledge his Ears are other two Witnesses because they have heard him and so they are three in all And as great a Cheat and Fallacy is it to call the witness of the Scripture the inward Witness of the Spirit when they confess the inward Work of the Spirit is only Effective to open the Ear to hear the outward Witness of the Scripture but not to speak by any distinct Witness to the inward Ear And it is like that other Fallacy as if James being required to give his Witness he giveth it not by himself but by John and John being required to give his Witness he giveth it by James but neither of them by himself or at least the one not by himself for when they are asked By what do they know the Scriptures to be the Word of God they answer By the Spirit And again By what do they know the Spirit they answer By the Scripture And thus the Fallacy and Falshood both of the Confession and of C.M. is detected and G.K. is cleared from being no wise guilty of any Lye in the case And what I said of John Owen is true for the Title and design of his Book is concerning The Self-Evidencing Authority of the holy Scriptures only he confesseth the Spirits inward Work is necessary to let men see or know it but that is no proper Witness more than a mans hearing is one Witness and the thing heard is another I do therefore Appeal to all sober impartial and judicious Readers Whether not I but Cotton Mather be not convicted of gross Lying or Falshood and whether the Society he belongs unto ought not to bring him to Repentance for such Crimes to use some of his own words His Second Argument is That I am guilty of having committed most horrible Blasphemy against the holy Spirit of God which is the unpardonable Sin And though he doth charge this one while positively yet another while If I have not the certain yet fearful Marks of it and my Sin is very like that Sin and yet again charging it positively on me That I have taken part with the Pharisees in dorg that impardonable Injury to the Eternal Spirit of God But how doth he prove any thing of this to have the lest show or shadow of truth Why because as he alledgeth I called his and his Brethrens Prayers more than once a Conjuring of the Devil and do put on them the stile of Charms and Spells by which Prayers he alledgeth he and his Brethren did cast out the Devil that did Bodily possess some Young People and that therefore their Prayers were the special Operations of the holy Ghost which I blaspheme and that therefore I have committed the Vnpardonable Sin But I Answer 1 st As I said in my Book called A Refutation c. I am little concerned whether or not these Young People were bewitched or had a Diabolical Possession further than to take notice That C.M. will have it to be so to make the simple believe that his and his Brethrens Prayers did conjure the Devil and cast him out by which it is most clearly apparent to every one of common sence that I did not mean that his or his Brethrens Prayers were done by any Diabolical Art or Craft of Conjuration for I do not think them to be Conjurers but that they would have People believe that by some divine Power of Exorcism as was frequent in the primitive Church they did conjure the Devil which is as widely different from his Perversion as East from West Now I cannot believe that they had this divine Gift of Exorcism which was a Miraculous Gift in those primitive Times that Popish Priests do also pretend to have and many strongly affirm they have cured many by their Prayers because they commonly say That Immediate Revelaiion with the Gifts of Miracles are ceased How then can
the latter part of his Address he hath greatly changed the matter of Debate betwixt us in most things wrongly stating things and calling things our Principles which are not whereas he should have kept to the Twelve Articles I charged them with eleven of which they did fairly own and the Twelfth I have sufficiently proved to belong to them as much as the eleven and he should have given an Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson which he hath not so much as essayed but instead thereof he goeth to chaâ—ge the matter of Debate betwixt us in the things I had chaâ—ged them with in most particulars and by most gross Perversions of our Friends words would fix on them Principles which they do no wise hold And in this New 〈◊〉 he sets down Sixteen Assertions wherein he pretendeth to contradict our Principles but in most of them he doth prevaricate and goeth from the 〈◊〉 of the Question as in the First where he granteth That he doth not mean that the Paper or Letter of the Scripture but the heavenly Matter of it is the Word of God and thus he doth not contradict us for I have told him and his Brethren more than once Thas we readily grant the heavenly Matter and true divine Sence of the holy Scripture is the Word of God But the true state of the Controversie is Whether the Scripture is either princâ—paâ—y or only the Word of God excluding any inward Word or Voice of God in mens hearts we say there is an Inward Word and Voice of God in mens hearts which as it doth not contradict the Scripture but agreeth with it so it is another thâ—â—g and is of the greatest Efficacy and giveth or seâ—â—eâ—h to us the assurance that the Scriptures are of God and divinely inspired 〈…〉 2â— Assertion he doth no less prevaricate and 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 â—or I did grant in both my former book◠〈…〉 Exâ—â—aâ—rdinary and Oâ—â—â—nary Revelations and 〈…〉 our Lord and that we did not say tâ—at 〈…〉 had tâ—eâ—e Extraordinary but the Ordinary that were common to them with all Saints the which ordinary are nevertheless true divine Inspirations and Revelations And as to what I said out of some antient Writers tending to open the Distinction of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations the extraordinary being of a more high and sublime Nature as proceeding from a more high and excellent measure of the divine Light or Spirit that is well warranted in holy Scripture and well approved by Christian Writers of great esteem for Piety and Learning that he and his Brethren call Rabbinical Fopperies in that they show their great Ignorance in good Learning for it is generally acknowledged by Christians as well as Jews yea and by Protestants of good Note That the Hebrew Names of God mentioned in Scripture being various some of them are greater than others and the greater Names do answer to the greater Measures of the divine Light and that Name commonly pronounced Jehovah which the most learned in the Hebrew Language among Christians do confess they know not how to pronounce it consisting of quiescent Letters and having no proper Vowels of its own as is acknowledged by the most learned and as Buxtoâ— in his Hebrew Lexicon saith the first that presumed to pronounce it was Petruâ— Galatinus â—one of all the Greek and Latine Fathers so 〈◊〉 did presume to pronounce it or read it for theâ—e is no Tract of it in any of their Writings though divers of them were well skilled in the Hebrew Language is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest Names of God by which God made himself known to Moses Exod. 6.3 but not to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and though it be granted that the Letters of that Name are recorded by Moses in many places of Genesis and is to be found in Hebrew Gen. 2.4 and that possibly and very probably Abraham might have known the outward Letters or Sound of that Name yet that doth not infer that either Abraham or any of these Fathers knew the inward force and efficacy signified by that Name and that so high Revelation belonging to it that Moses did know for that would contradict Exod. 6.3 And though I do no wise approve Rabbinical Fopperies or Jewish Fictions or Fables yet what I find either in Jewish or Gentile VVriters that doth well accord with the divine Oracles of the holy Scripture I do well receive it and relish it In his 3 d Assertion he doth no less mis-state the Question for we deny not but affirm That the will of God expressed in the Scripture is a perfect Rule for the Belief and Practice of every Christian as to all Doctrinals and Practicals of Religion in general but we say it is not the only Rule nor the principal for the Will of God and his Law is writ in the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the faithful and as so writ is greater and of greater virtue and efficacy than to have it writ in Paper and though no new Doctrinals or Morals are to be revealed to us but what are sufficiently declared in the Scriptures yet that doth not hinder but that particular Calls to Places Persons and Nations and particular Prophesies or Predictions of things to come may be newly revealed as is granted by divers Protestants and by For in his Book of Martyrs yea even Presbyterians and Calvin doth acknowledge That even in his Time God did raise up extraordinary Oâ—â—â—cers to restore the Church if not Apostles yet at least Evangelists lib. against cap. 3. â— 4. And true Believers may have it witnessed to them as many have had and daily have by the inward Testimony of Gods Spirit That their sins are forgiven them and that they belong unto God and that without all logical and argumentative way of Syllogisms that as many faithful Souls have not skill to form so many Hypocrites deceive themselves with such a way of arguing themselves to be sincere But some Presbyterians have acknowledged That there is another far more evident clear and satisfactory way that some have whereby to be assured that their sins are forgiven without any such way of Syllogysm as particularly my Country-man William Guthergy in his his printed Book concerning Personal Covenanting with God and he calleth it A felt Arms full of the holy God filling the Soul with God as he is Love Life and Liberty and though it is no audible Voice viz. to the outward Ear yet it doth countervail that of God to Daniel O Man greatly beloved and is like to that which passed from Christ to Mary when he said Mary and she answered Rabboni And surely here was no way of syllogising In his 4 th Assertion he doth also fail in stating the Question for first we grant That the Day of Salvation is expired towards many men now alive and they are left without any saving Light in them 2 dly we grant That the clear and bright Day of Salvation
acknowledged 〈◊〉 us though denyed by C.M. and his Brethren of New-England 〈◊〉 yet I suppose R. Baxter will not call this a Fundamental Error in 〈◊〉 People called Quakers seeing it contradicts none of the Fundameâ—â—â—â— Articles delivered by him in his said Treatise And if any say or object That if the Spirit worketh by way of 〈◊〉 sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers 〈◊〉 would make void all use of the Scriptures as being so much as the Instrument or Instrumental to our Faith But I Answer denying this Consequence and by distinguishing the Object of our Faith to wit that the Scriptures are the Instrumental and secondary Object of our Faith and the holy Spirit the principal and primary Object of our Faith as it is sensibly felt to work upon our inward and spiritual Senses together with the Father and the Son Even as in outward and natural Objects that work upon our outward and natural Senses some are principal and others are instrumental as in our natural sight of visible Things on Earth as Horses Woods Trees Beasts the Sun's Light is the principal Object of our sight but the things are at least the secondary and instrumental Object thereof or as when we read on a Book the Light that we read with is the principal Object and the Letters of the book are the secondary and instrumental and though we cannot see the Letters of the Book without some light yet we may see light yea the Sun himself if we have good Eyes without the Book and so God and Christ and the Spirit may be inwardly seen felt and known and is frequently seen felt known and enjoyed by the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers without all present use of Letters or Books when the Knowledge is Intuitive and Sensible But as for the Doctrinal Knowledge as we acknowledge it is requisite in order to bring us to so high an enjoyment of God and Christ as Vision or Intuitive Knowledge or Intuition so we grant it is commonly wrought in us and increased by means of the holy Scriptures instrumentally working with the holy Spirit and that therefore the holâ— Scriptures are of great profit and service to all Ranks and Conditions of People yea to such of the highest spiritual Attainments while remaining in the mortal Body I 〈…〉 therefore with and in behalf of my Friends and Brethren of 〈…〉 Faith and Perswasion with me in all parts of the World 〈◊〉 this Solemn Appeal to you the more Sober impartial and Judiâ—â—â—â—â— People in Boston and else-where in New-England to whose 〈◊〉 this may come Whether Cotton Mather is not extreamly Unâ—â—â—â—â—itable and possessed with a Spirit of Prejudice and envious Zeal 〈…〉 R. Baxters phrase against the Quakers in general and me in â—â—â—â—â—cular as guilty of manifold Heresies Blasphemies and strong 〈◊〉 to the rendering us No Christians in the lowest degree or 〈◊〉 while I suppose he hath som Charity to some in the Church of 〈◊〉 called Papists and to Lutherans Aâ—minians and divers others 〈◊〉 differ widely from him yet agreeing in the afore-said Fundamentals when we hold the same Fundamentals of Christian Doctrine 〈◊〉 Faith both with Rich. Baxter and many others as so declared by â—hem And notwithstanding of Cotton Mathers strong Asseverations â—gainst us as if we denyed almost all or most of the Fundamental Articles 〈◊〉 the Christian and Protestant Faith yet he shall never be able to prove it That we are guilty of this his so extreamly rash and uncharitable Charge either as in respect of the Body of that People called in scorn Quakers or in respect of any particular Writers or Publishers of our Doctrines and Principles and Preachers among us generally owned and approved by us as men of a sound Judgment and Understanding And as for his Citations out of the Quakers printed Books Treatises I would have you to consider that most of them all are borrowed and taken not from our own Books but from our professed Adversaries men known well enough to be possessed with Prejudice against us such as Thomas Hicks and John Faldo and others whoâ— our Friends in Old-England and particularly George Whitehead and William Penn have largely answered yea I do here solemnly charge Cotton Mather to give us but one single instance of any one Fundamenâ—al Article of Christian Faith denyed by us as a People or by any one of our Writers or Preachers generally owned and approved by us And if perhaps there be any Citations that C.M. cites out of our Books that he hath read that seem to confirm his Charge in one or two particulars against us I do sincerely answer that I am at a loss to find them in these Books partly because divers of these Books cited by him I am altogether a stranger to them and know not where to find them in all America and partly because he not citing the Chapters Sections Parts or Pages of them that may be 〈…〉 here in America I cannot but with great pains and expence of 〈…〉 find them out and I judge I can much better spend my precious 〈…〉 than in searching of them and it sufficeth to me and I hope dot◠〈◊〉 many others that according to the best Knowledge I have of 〈◊〉 People called Quakers and these most generally owned by them 〈◊〉 Preachers and Publishers of their Faith of unquestioned estâ—â—â— among them and worthy of double Honour as many such there 〈◊〉 I know none that are guilty of any one of such Heresies and Blaspâ—â—mies as he accuseth them Yet we deny not but as it hath happeâ—ed and doth daily happen to Writers and Preachers belonging to 〈◊〉 other Societies so it may have happened to some among us to havâ— at times in writing or speaking delivered things not so warily and cautiously worded in every respect as need were But in this case all but prejudiced Persons will say If it can be found by comparing their words one with another that their sence or meaning is found though not so altogether safely or cautiously worded in every respect Charity is to be allowed and the best Construction ought to be given to their words or they themselves or their Friends for them in respect of their absence or decease who did best know them ought to be allowed to give their sence of them as I have done in the sincerity of my heart according to my best understanding and knowledge of them and I think I should know and do know these called Quakers and their Principles far better than Cotton Mather or any or all his Brethren having been conversant with them in publick Meetings as well as in private Discourses with the most noted and esteemed among them for about Twenty Eight Years past and that in may places of the World in Europe and for these divers Years in America And I further say That if any things through inadvertency have been said or writ by any of us and that it can be found
to Rom. 1.21 22. but in this as mostly every where he perverteth my words and sense for he hath left out my following words according to the present state And what I mean by them I show a little after That such who have a measure of sincerity in their Gentile state but having no Faith in Christ crucified are but Servants and not Sons of the free Woman but are under the Law and though accepted so far as sincere in the Servants state as I proved from Acts 10.1 2 34 35. yet not thereby justified as Sons for I have acknowledged that without the Faith of Christ crucified and raised again without us none are or can be so justified yet they are as the Kings Prisoners and as the Man-slayer was in the City of Refuge under the Law till he heard of the Death of the High-Priest and such are shut up under the Safeguard of the Law as Beza translates it unto the Faith that is afterwards to be revealed Gal. 3.23 So there is a place of Refuge although C.M. know it not Nor doth Rom. 1.21 22. contradict it for that place speaketh not of all Gentiles but these of the worst of them 2 dly That some may be saved without outward hearing or preaching is granted by the Westminster Confession in the case of Infants and Deaf and Dumb Persons and therefore how devout and Conscientious Gentiles can be saved hath not the least shadow of greater difficulty to understand And that none are eternally saved wiâ—hout the Faith of Christ I have granted in my Catechism and other Treatises and do still grant see Sect. 4. Quest. 10. but how this Faith it wrought in such is best to leave it until God be pleased further to open it seeing as the Westminster Confession saith God worketh by his Spirit when where and how he pleaseth and as Christ said The Spirit bloweth where it listeth the greek word can well be translated Spirit and is so by some Translators 3 dly That the Principle of the New-Covenant is in all Men is not contradicted by Ephes 2.12 but is confirmed by Rom. 10.8 9 10. compared with Deut. 30.14 and Christs Parable of the Seed sown in four grounds And why may not the Seed of the New Covenant lie in the hearts of unregenerate Men for a Season as the Seed of Wheat may lie not having root in the cold dry ground for a Season till it be moistened warmed with the Showers Sun's warmth in the Spring 4 thly That having more Wives than one was unlawful under the Law is not contrary to Mat. 19.45 48. for altho' Man had but one wife given him at the beginning yet the Law that permitted such a thing to men as the like in the case of Divorce came in afterwards And it is absurd to think that Abraham sinned against the Law in his Conscience writ in his very Nature and therefore commonly call'd the Law of Nature in having two Wives at once for all sins against the Law of Nature are hainous sins and of great aggravation as the Westminster Confession acknowledgeth But seeing no such sin is charged on Abraham and that he was in great favour with God at that very time it cannot be said to be against that Law writ in his Nature though it be against the Law of the New-Covenant now under the Gospel 5 thly That we are to wait in Silence for some aid and assistance of the Spirit to help us to pray doth not contradict Acts 8.22 for as Peter commanded Simon Magus to pray so he bid him Repent and Pray and that he had not the Spirit was his own fault as it is the fault of all others who have it not to assist them both to wait and pray also Nor doth mens want of the Spirit because they depart from it and resist the gentle Motions thereof excuse their neglect of Prayer no more than a mans want of Money excuseth him to pay a just Debt yet he must not go to pay his debt with falsâ— Coyn no more should a man pray with a Hypocritical Spirit Nor 6 thly doth Rom. 3.28 prove that Repentance as well as Faith is not a necessary Condition and Instrument of our Justification for true Gospel Repentance is not the Work of the Law but of Faith and his Reverend R. Baxter doth hold with the Quakers against him That Faith and sincere Obedience are necessary Conditions and Instruments of Justification and to teach so he doth not think Popish as doth sufficiently appear by what he hath printed on that subject see his Aphorisms of Justification pag. 80. where he saith Some Ignorant Wretches gnash their Teeth at this very Doctrine as if it were flat Popery viz. That Men are justified by Faith as it is an inward Obedience Nor 7 thly doth Rom. 9.11 prove that Esau was a Reprobate before he was born or at any time afterwards yea Cotton Mather with his Boston Brethren in their former Book dare not affirm That Esau was a Reprobate and that men are not born Reprobates though some are preferred to others before they are born but become Reprobates after they have nothing good left in them is clear from Scripture that calleth reprobate men Dross after the precious Mettle is extracted from it and Chaff that hath no grain of Wheat in it Nor 8 thly doth Acts 8.38 prove that Christs Baptism is with Water for as the Practice of Circumcision after Christs Resurrection doth not prove it a Gospel-Precept no more doth the practise of Water Baptism but both Christ and John did teach That Christs Baptism was with Fire and the holy Ghost but no where is it said that Christ baptizeth with Water Nor 9 thly doth 1 Cor. 11.26 prove That Believers may not feed upon Christ by Faith and so sup with him and he with them as well when they eat not as when they do eat together outwardly remembring the Lords Death with Solemn Prayer and Thanks-giving which we grant is good frequently to be done And thus I have fully answer'd all his frivolous and weak Objections against my Catechism so that he hath not discovered the least grain of Error in it nor doth any thing that I have said in my other printed Treatises contradict the Doctrine of my Catechism as he doth falsly alledge perverting my words in most things to a sence contrary to my mind or to what they can bear so far is he from that Candor of giving them a favourable Construction But I intend not to follow him in his manifold Impertinences to weary either my Reader or my self and shall come to give a brief and plain Answer to his Five Arguments whereby he would perswade the People in New-England to turn away from hearing me the which Arguments savour more of bitter Prejudice and extream Folly and Rashness than of â—â—y Wit or Judgment and hath nothing of Truth in them and might be easily retorted upon himself where they have the best seeming
so assume that Man to wit the Seed of Abraham as the rest of the Saints but much more excellently and sublimely and God dwelleth in the Man Christ so as there is no Mediator betwixt God and Christ but God dwelleth in us by and through Christ our alone Mediator and foâ— hiâ—â—ake receiveth us to be so 〈…〉 him that both the Fatâ—er and the Son and also the holy Spirit dwelleth in all the Saints yet the matter of Union caâ—led by sâ—me of the Antients the Hypostatical or 〈◊〉 Vnion and manner of Inhâ—bitation in the Manhood of Christ 〈…〉 and bâ—yond all humane unâ—erâ—â—anding excelling the maâ—â—er of Gods dwelling in all the Saints 〈…〉 the Man Christ only and none other Man nor Creatur is both God and Man and is the Object of divine Worship and Adoration together with the Father and the Spirit and none else And for Hicks quoting some words of mine out of my Book of Immediate Revelation recited by C.M. p. 44. on James 5.6 〈◊〉 have killed the just One that is Christ Jesus in their Hearts him they crucified To this I answer This I never understood otherwise but figuratively as when the Scripture saith That Apostates and Wicked Men crucifie◠〈◊〉 Son of God afresh for I affirm expresly in my said Book of Immediaâ—â— Revelation That the Life of Christ in mens hearts can never be kâ—lled or crucified in it self see my Book of Immed Rev. 2d Edition pag. 75 â—â— pag 253 254 255. at great length but men by Disobedience may deprive themselves of the Comfort and Benefit of it as well as of Christs Sufferings on the Tree of the Cross and so in that figurative sence according to Scripture stile may be said to kill him even as we are all to look to him whom we have pierced according to Zachariah's Prophecy concerning Christs outward Suffering on the Crosâ— and to mourn bitterly because of our sins which he did bearâ—â— on him when he was pierced and because Christ cannot as to himself properly and strictly in a strict litteral sence be killed nor crucified in men therefore I do not believe that he can be said to be in us that Sacrifice of Attonement and Propitiatâ—on that was necessary to be offered up for the Remission of our sins and appeasing the Wrath of God to us and if any think so I am far otherwise â—inded for it derogates from the great worth and value of Christs Sacrifice without us upon the Tree of the Cross for the Body that Christ was to suffer in as a Sacrifice for the sins of the World behoved to 〈…〉 and holy Body as it was as a Lamb without Sâ—ot and the Death behoved to be a real Death and not metaphorical or figurative and therefore Christ as in us could not be that Sacrifice oâ— Attoâ—â—mâ—â—â— for at this rate not only Christ had outwardly dyed in vain 〈…〉 had offered up himself for a Sacrifice of Attonement as 〈…〉 were Saints to live in the World and as many Saints as many 〈◊〉 all which is most absurd to imagine But yet it mâ—st 〈…〉 that the Life of Christ in the Saints is as sweet 〈…〉 God and is a Sacrifice in another sence seeing even th◠〈…〉 said to offer up themselves through 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 God and also the Life and Spirit of Christ 〈…〉 Saints to apply Christ's Suffering Death and â—â—ood 〈…〉 on that outward Cross to them doth bring them into perfect Peace with God so that his Wrath is wholly appeased quenched towards them only for the sake and in virtue of the great Sufferings of Christ on the outward Cross and if this be the sence of W.S. his words and that they can be so construed it is well for that is my upright 〈◊〉 and is of many hundreds more yea of all my faithful Breâ—â—â—â—â— call'd Quakers And concerning what I.P. and some others 〈◊〉 writ of Christs heavenly Flesh and Blood and how the Saints fed upon it in all Ages Christ being that noble Vine Tree unto them that yeilded them his Grapes for Meat and the Blood of them for Drink as Wine is called the Blood of the Grape and being their Apple Tree their Fig Tree yea their Corn Bread Milk and Wine their Wool and Flax their Feast of fat things full of Marrow c. All these are highly Mystical and Figurative or Metaphorical Expressions and are not to be litterally or carnally understood yet so as the Metaphors hold forth that these outward things by which these inward Mysteries are signified are but the Figures and the spiritual things are not the Figures of the natural but the natural are Figures of the spiritual as the outward Light is bu the Figure of Christ the spiritual Light the true Light of the Soul but the spiritual Light is not the Figure of the natural which is quite otherwise than in vulgar Metaphors and Figures and therefore by Christs heavenly Flesh and Blood that he had from the beginning is not to be understood any created material Body but the living Word it self according to its divine Emanations metaphorically only so called according to Scripture stile feeding and refreshing the Souls of the Saints in all ages with unspeakable Refreshment And therefore by Metaphors and Allegories they have given it such Names according to its various Operations But that Christ is as much or after the same manner in the Quakers or any Saints as in the Manhood and Body of Christ that suffered on the Cross or that Christ hath left behind him thâ—t Body that suffered on the Cross was buried as if that were the Quakers Doctrine as Faldo alledgeth and C.M. from him is aâ—ominably false I am sure no Quaker that doth rightly understand the Quakers Principles and Doctrine will ever say so or ever did although I shall not deny but some ignorant Persons that may go under the designation of a Quaker may have at times spoke very ignorantly and offensively in that and other 〈◊〉 to the Scandal of our holy Profession and to the stumbling of the weak that could not rightly discern betwixt our true and faithful Brethren and others falsly so called but such there are among all Societies and Professions that do not rightly understand the Principles of that Profession they pretend to belong unto yea how many Presbyterians and Independents so called to my certain knowledge understand not their own Principles notwithstanding of their publick Confessions and so possibly some among uâ— notwithstanding our publick Confessions well owned by the generality of our Friends as especially that noted Treatise by John Crook called Truths Principles c. that hath had a very general Reception by us and with which my Doctrine in all particulars doth well agree so far as I know as also with other faithful and sound Friends and Brethren In his Fifth Argument which he grounds upon my supposed marvelous Giddyness Ignorance and Falshood he sheweth himself marvelously not only ignorant but perverse and after he
to give any one instance wherein I have not faithfully quoted the Antient Writers named by me whether in my former Book called The pretended Antidote c. or in this in each particular And were I so minded and saw a service in it to the People of New-England I could easily produce sufficient plain Testimonies from Antient Fathers so called and Writers both Greek and Latine to confirm the Doctrine of the People call'd Quakers in all the principal and most material things wherein they differ from C.M. and his Brethren but the Scripture Authority being that of greatest weight in respect of any outward Testimony I have chosen rather to make use of that Nor will it serve to justifie C. Matâ—er his Exclamations against me that seeing the Quakers hold all these Doctrines which Baxter and some other Protestant Writers hold to be Fundamental that therefore I should not have so charged them as I have done in my first Book called The Presbyterian and Independent visible Churches brought to the Test for if they and we agree in Fundamentals then why are we so uncharitable to them as not to judge them a true Church To which I Answer Although we hold all their Fundamentals according to what Baxter has delivered as I have above showed yet they hold not all our Fundamentals so it is a Fundamental Doctrine and Principle held by us to wit The inward Revelation of Christ in all true Believers and That God teacheth all true Believers by his inward Voice Word and Teachings or inward divine Inspiration and Revelation properly so called that is as well Objective as Effective and by way of Object working sensibly and infallibly upon the inward and spiritual Senses of their Souls and which their Souls and Minds if onely and fitly disposed and qualified do infallibly apprehend but yet this Fundamental held by us is plainly denyed by C.M. and his Brethren and it is a Fundamental Error in them who hold it as the generality of their visible Church Members do That all sâ—ch divine inward Objective Revelation and Inspiration is ceased and from this Fundamental Error divers other very great Errors flow as so many unclean streams from an unclean Fountain for if all true and saving Knowledge of God and Christ and all saving Faith require true divine inward Revelation and inspiration properly so called and the true and real inspeaking of God and his internal Word and Voice that doth as sensibly and perceptibly operate by way of Object upon the inward and spiritual heaâ—ing or discerning Faculty of the Soul as any outward Voice or Woâ—d of a man doth upon the outward Hearing then if that be ceasâ—d all true and saving Knowledge and Faith are ceased and all true Love Hope and Repentance and all other Fruits and Virtues of the Spirit because all these have a necessary connexion with the true saving Knowledge and Faith also all true Preaching Praying and Worship and all true Obedience and Service unto God and all real and true Religion all depending upon the inward Principle of inward divine Revelation and Inspiration properly so called and yet we do readily acknowledge a distinction betwixt these extraordinary divine Revelations and Inspirations that the Apostles and Prophets had 〈◊〉 they were Apostles and Prophets and these other that they had common â—o them and ordinary with all Christians and for the latter we contend that were and are ordinary and common to all Saints in all Ages of the World but not for the former that were extraordinary whereby they not only wrought Miracles and spoke with Tongues but had Doctrinal things of Faith revealed to them without all outward teaching of Men or Books whereas we do not say any peculiar Doctrine of the Christian Faith is made known to us without all outward Teaching but by it Instrumentally and by the immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit Principally and we are sufficiently charitable that we judge there are true Believers among them though we cannot own their visible Church that either hold not these Errors with them or if some hold them in words or Notion and Theory yet as in respect of their Experience and inward sence and feeling hold them not but the contrary and such have better Hearts than Notions and though they err in holding an unsound form of Words through too much relying upon their Teachers yet their inward sence and experience doth contradict them And in all these twelve Particulars I first charged upon them I still affirm they do grosly err and they are such great matters of Difference betwixt them and us although they are not all Fundamentals that no Society holding such Errors deserve to be esteemed the visible Church of Christ restored to that purity of Doctrine that the visible Church ought to have and had in the primitive Times and yet will have as she cometh to be fully restored to her primitive Purity And though it seem a strange and new Doctrine to C.M. and his Brethren to distinguish betwixt the Scripture called by some the external or outward Word and the inward living Word of God that proceedeth from the Mouth of God immediately as every mans word that proceedeth from his Mouth and goeth into the Ears of the Hearers is his immediate Word yet not only antient Writers and Fathers so called did so distinguish but even these called the Reformed who began the Reformation from gross Propâ—ry And for the antient Writers I shall give but one though I could give divers besides to wit Augustine of great esteem and fame with Protestants and particularly with Calvin whose Authority he more useth in his Institutions than any of all the Antients In his 5th Book de Trinitate cap. 11. Augustine saith expresly Proinde Verbum quod foras sonat signum est verbi quod intus lucet cuj magis verbi competit nomen nam illud quod prosertur caruis ore vox verbi est verbumq et ipsum dicitar propter illud a quo ut foris appareret assamptum est In English thus Therefore the Word that soundeth outwardly is a sign of the Word that shineth inwardly to which the Name of the Word doth more agree for that which is pronounced with the fleshly Moâ—th is the Voice of the Word and it is called the Word because of that from which it is taken that it might outwardly appear Where I desire the Reader to Note these two things 1 st That Augustine doth acknowledge the Word within or internal Word 2 dly That the Name of the Word doth more belong to the internal Word than to that which outwardly soundeth in our fleshly Ears in both which he doth contradict C.M. and his Brethren who do not acknowledge any inward Word in the Saints since the Apostles dayes and hold That the Scripture is the only Word that is the Object and Rule of our Faith And that famous Reformer Zuinglius whom 〈◊〉 the rather cite because C.M. maketh him his