is Duty depends on Divine Revelation we are Agreed That God did sometimes reveal His Will extraordinarily to His Servants of Old we deny not but that the Word of God in Scripture is that which to us in Gospel Times since the Canon was perfected Answers all the other wayes of Revelation is an Article of our Creed and we think we have Scripture-warrant for it 2. Pet. 1.19 c. As to the Case of Marriage which he talks of instanceth in the carriage of Abraham's servant it is quite aliene to his purpose for who ever asserted that God's providence is bound to follow Scripture Rules being supream arbitrary But still in our serving of this Providence and knowing how to use it to His glory and particularly to know what is the mind â—nd will of God to us in this Providence we have no other Rule to inform our selves by but the Scriptures and tho the Spirit must reveal it yet this is the thing Revealed Where as he tells us that Philip Peter and others were extraordinarily called to such and such services it is readily replied that That was extraordinary and without warrant for us ordinarily to expect the like moreover the things they were called to were such as the Scripture satisfied them to be according to God Finally We deny not but that the Spirit of God doth still put an impulse on the spirits of His people frequently but is it self-evident or must not the Warrantableness of it be tryed by Scripture-Rules Let G. K. if he can give an instance of a Quaker that ever had such a self-evidenceing extraordinary Call as Philip Peter c. had in former dayes How impertinently he quotes Jam. 4.15 to prove his Assertion 〈◊〉 if the Lord will may soon be seen He inâ—erprets it of a Will not to be known by the â—cripture but by the Spirit without it â—hereas any man of common sense may perâ—eive that the sense of that Text is this â—hat when a man is satisfied that his design â—s Lawful he is then to acknowledge that his â—ffairs are subject to the Ruling Providence of God who may either further or impede his Undertaking as He will and how comes he â—o be satisfied in this but by the Scriptures â—f Providence furthers him he is satisfied â—hat it was Gods Will to suffer it if He puts a stop to it it discovers the secret Will of God revealing it self in this particular â—ow to demean himself under this he hath alâ—o from the Word and what is all this to their inwardly feeling a Command or Permission which he idly talks of 5. Here we are told of God's Answering the returns of the Prayers of His people A Quakerism i. e. Nonsense And we have him at length concluding his impertinent fourth Paragraph with Assuring us That the Scripture promises applied by the Spirit are the inward Voice of God to His children but why hath he been all this while fighting with his own shadow if this be all he intends Sect. 5. Now he draws his Conclusion Therefore the Scripture doth not contain all thâ— Word or Words of God whereas we thoughâ— that if he had concluded from the premises he should have said Therefore it doth because all these are nothing but Scripture oâ—ther expresly or consequentially He bringâ— in Act. 12.24 The word grow multiplieâ— to prove his Assertion but we might ask him whether he intends its multiplying by new Inspirations or Revelations or by multiplied Efficacy Did not he himself resolve us that there was no new Doctrine and thence we infer that there was no new Word in the sence we are disputing Sect. 6. What have we here Christ His Apostles expounded the scriptures by Inspiration yet taught no new Doctrine Sure he forgets himself was not the whole frame of the Gospel Dispensation a New Model And hence there were new Institutions see Heb. 7.12 Chapt. 8.7 8. 13.10 for which things there was required extraordinary Inspiration therefore to his Demand Why may it not be so now we answer Because the Canon is perfected and whereas he asserts that it is so because some do at this day expound the scripture by the same spirit though it be impertinent for if it be the Scripture it is not a new thing revealed yet we have also to charge him with a Fallacy purposely used in the word Spirit if taken personally for the Holy Ghost it is beside the case if for His Gifts or the manner of His dispensing of Himself to by His servants we have but his word for it and that not very well agreeing to 1. Cor. 12.4 5 6. and if his own Rule be true viz. that such mens Exposition as have no infallible spirit cannot be the word of God he hath thrown himself as well as us and his book is to be little regarded being full of Mistakes Nonsense Lies had he been infallible he would not in his 12th Article against us have charged that upon us which we never believed much less professed Sect. 2. Here we have a great stir about the word Logos but indeed a meer Logomachy and lest he should not have senses enough to lose it in he falls into Tautologies Somebody might do well to ask him what different sense he finds between Communication Words Talk Speech But the knack is it signifies the Scripture only in a thirteenth rare improper sense and yet this is more than some of his friends will allow it But let that pass He hath two or three Queries to puzzle us withal though he takes upon him to answer them himself His first Quaery is Whether the Scripturâ— contains all the Word or Words of God and that he denies for the reasons already given which are none at all Well if they will not set us down he will try what Scripture Metaphors will do and now we must observe that The Word is compared to the Rain Dew Deut. 32.2 and to Bread Jer. 15.16 Now the drops of Rain dew and the small grainâ— of flower in bread cannot be numbred ergo the Scripture contains not all the Word of God But let us ask him if he may be spoken to after such a profound Revelation as this whether he allows it to be a good Interpretation of Scripture Allusions to apply all that is in the thing alluded to to that which it is compared with or is it more safe to restrain it to that particular thing for which the Comparison was made Why then may not the Word be Resembled to the Rain Dew for the fruitful Efficacy of it on the hearts of God's people and to Bread from the spiritual Nutriment it affords wiser men than G. K. have thought so As to his 2nd Question it is meer Quibling We directly say That The Scriptures are properly the revealed Will of God which was Metaphorically and Anthropopathos called â—is Words because God by them doth signifie to us His Mind as
Revelation at all It sufficeth that the lowest degrees of these Revelations were infallible and therefore one Scripture is not less so than another Nor shall we trouble our selves to prevestigate his Rabbinical Fopperies about the different degrees of Revelation by which no doubt he hath raised his credit much with the poor blind Quakers whereas indeed if a man had studied to make himself a Fool in print he could not easily have done it more effectually and though we grant That God revealeth Himself gradually to His servants and to some more than to others yet his Citatation of Exod. 6.3 proves not what he brings it for it intends not that the Fathers did not know the Name Jehovah we find the Contrary Gen. 22.14.26.24.27.20 but that He did in His providence rather exemplifie Himself by the name of Almighty in Protecting and defending of the Patriarchs but now He would most eminently display that of Jehovah in the compleating of the promises which He had made unto them In fine he confesseth p. 32. That the Quakers degrees are so low that they are not in the state of Perfection but they may by humane frailty in some measure or way more or less tread softly decline or depart from the pure infallible teachings of the spirit and then we hope this kind of spirit is not superior to that which spake infallibly in the Scripture and from which we are assured that the Prophets and Apostles in their Dictating or Writing the Scripture did not decline in any measure or way more or less When he infers from hence that their Doctrine is to be tryed by the Scripture and their spirit by the Spirit of Truth We would ask him what Difference he here puts between Doctrine and Spirit and let him if he can shew how their spirit is to be tried but by their Doctrine or what Spirit they can be tryed by which will carry Conviction but only that which breathes in the Scriptures and it would be a great stroke he would drive if he could reconcile our being led infallibly by the Spirit to our being mean while in the same things left to mistakes which is the very sense of his Words Sect. 3. Here also he will grant the Scripture or the Spirit speaking in it to be a Supreme Judge in a figurative sense so we do not restrain it hither but allow Him to speak something without Scripture But this hath been already detected of vanity for how shall we jugde of the Spirit but by the Scripture That the Spirit of God must open our Understandings to discern the spiritual meaning of the word of God we never doubted and that Prayer and Meditation are helps to it who questions But what 's this to the purpose In summe the Spirit is the Interpreter but to call Him the Rule is Nonsense Sect. 4. We had waited long to know the Reason why Cap. 1. S. 1. he calls the Scripture the Outward Rule and now he fairly tells us viz. Because the Spirit is the inward rule i. e. To determine all Controversies at least such as we have in our selves a debate about The Text alledged is impertinent for the Testimony of God there spoken of is the Scripture witnessed to by the Spirit and we must distinguish between the Testator the Testimony the latter of which can in any proper sence be called the Rule and let it here be well observed That the Scripture is a Judge in it self and doth alwaies carry the Determination in it whether we understand it or no so as to be able to make use of it as such And further That it is not necessary that we have a saving Illumination for the meer Doctrinal improvement of it since the Scripture is delivered in humane Language and there is a logical knowledge of it to be attained by Industry so far as to decide Controversies in Religion by such as are not savingly illuminated nor is it the spirit of the Disputant but the convincing light of the word of God it self which is to sway our Judgements and set them down satisfied as to the Doctrine Reflections on Chapt. 4th of Ministerial Gifts c. It will be superfluous to quarrel with him about his method since we are necessitated to follow him in his own path Sect. 1. He hath cased us of some Trouble by acknowledging that the things contained in this Chapter have a close connection with the matter of the praeceding i. e. if his Doctrine about Revelation Inspiration will not hold neither will the ensuing there will therefore having already detected the Fallacy of those be need of little more than brief touches at the things here asserted His Charge in this Section that we assert Natural and acquired gifts of letter Learning without a divine Inspiration to be sufficient to qualifie a Gospel Minister and that Grace or true Piety is only accidental may look black at the first view but let our Judgement in that point be fully weighed and we shall have no reason to be ashamed of it That a man may be so Qualified as to be capable of being Called to the Office of a Minister by a Gospel Church and yet not truly pious we fear not to assert but still we believe that no man can discharge any Office of Trust acceptable to God without saving Grace We here presume and shall have occasion to prove it anon That there 's a mediate Call necessary to introduce a man into the work of the Ministry since the Apostles times and they who are to call them must have some rule of discerning to regulate their Call by which must be something discernible that their piety cannot be discerned as such he will anon put us upoâ— proving If therefore this were necessarâ— to the Essence of the Officer we could neveâ— know who is or who is not a Minister Buâ— de facto Christ Himself condemns the Scribe and Pharisees for Hypocrites and yet acknowledgeth their Office Mat. 23.2 3. Chrisâ— Himself made Judas not only a Minister buâ— an Apostle we shall shortly see what he hatâ— to say against this As for his Asserting thaâ— by divine Revelation a Quaker can infalliblâ— know a mans spiritual estate it is precarious presumptuous and false for tho' Goâ— knowes all mens hearts yet that He gives 〈◊〉 infallible Rules to know them by ordinarilâ— or immediately cannot be evidenced the Apostles themselves never pretended to it buâ— were often mistaken Judas was not suspected by his fellow-Apostles Simon Magus past for a while till he discovered himself Demas went long unsuspected waâ— in high credit with Paul We acknowledgâ— that men may discover themselves by sucâ— things as are inconsistent with saving Grace and by this way we have too much Cause tâ— be perswaded by Scripture Rules that G. K is an Apostate and an unsanctified man but all mens sins do not like his go before to Judgement His Inference then That Hence a man â—annot be known to be
fall before his in-words acknowledged Test is yet to be Tried And be it known to all men That we are not yet sensible of the wounds that he hath given any further than as the Name of GOD is blasphemously abused by him and drawn in to patronize his filthy dreams When we read his Inscription Benhadad seems to be risen agen who sent that confident Threatning 1. King 20.10 and the Answer of the King of Israel is enough ver 11. He had so much Pride and Gall to crowd into the Title that he is fain to borrow a Room in the left-hand page to put in a few Scrâ—pture Citations maliciously abused and misapplied which whether they belong to our Churches and Ministry let the Day declare we are not to stand or fall at the menacing Praedictions of an Enthusiast He directs his Epistle to us giving his word for it so far as it will go that the book was written in good will to us and if to slander and calumniate with bitterest Invectives may pass for a Demonstration he hath proved his Love to be Extraordinary and truly it is as much as we expect from one of his humour There is little observable here but what will be met with in the Treatise and once to Answer such paltry stuffe is enough if not to much It may therefore be passed over with two or three Remarks He calls us to turn our minds to the Light of Christ within us for our better information we have done it as well as we can it tells us That his Assertions are bold presumptuous and Haeretical He tells us It is the same spirit that gives to all Readers a right under standing of Scripture but if so why then have not all the same understanding of it but Contradictory Can it be the Spirit of God who is alwaies the same He bids us to Believe in Christ and joyn our minds to His divine Illumination and He will anoint the eyes of our Vnderstandings we shall have our eyes open to see c. q. d. If we will see of ourselves then He will give us Ability to see this may be no Contradiction in a Quakers Logick We have him also in a fit of Charity and we are beholden to him for we shall not alwaies find him in so good a mood granting that some of us may be in some sense of the true Church which how it should be when we have neither Doctrine Ministry Worship c. of a true Church among us let him see to that But we have him afterwards putting on his Spectacles and then he retracts his Charity with a witness We have him also nibling at the Doctrine of Perseverance which we shall shortly find him beating down with Axes and Mauls and there shall take him to task Only It is worth the while to observe what a notable and no doubt inspired Doctrine he recommended to us viz. That the Quickning in a man as it abides it is impossible it should perish To pass the Nonsense of it which must be allowed a Quaker or you undoe him let us note its profoundnese If Grace continue it cannot be lost a thing cannot be and not be at the same time could Delphos have delivered a more mysterious Oracle Finally he tells us plainly that his Design is to turn away our Hearers from us under the Title of False-Teachers i. e. he aims at no less than the subverting of all the Churches of Christ in New-England yea in all the World A Gygantick Essay But let him do his utmost as long as Christ sits upon His Throne we are not dismayed As for the Imputation of being False Teachers we can thro' Grace appeal to many of our Hearers in Paul's words 2. Cor. 3. beginn Reflections on Chap. 1. of the Holy Scriptures We have here a Confession of his Faith such as it is concerning the Scriptures wherein if he gives us his mind candidly which we have cause to suspect and shall give our reason before we part we are sure he doth not express the sense of his Brethren and Predecessors except they say one thing and mean the contrary Section 1 2. As for the two first Paragraphs of this Chapter we will take them as farr as they will go though the word Outward hath a Reserve in it and intimates That God hath one Rule to direct His people by Outwardly and another Inwardly or as if God taught us one thing by His Word and another by His Spirit we shall have Occasion afterwards to discourse how perniciously this undermines the Christian Faith and why he hath not made Practices as well as Doctrines liable to this Test might well be enquired However there will be occasion to rubb up his memory with his own Concessions when we find that he has forgoten himself for a quaker's spirit is not of a perfect Reminiscence and mean while let him try how he can reconcile himself to his Friends who have directly as might be instanced abundantly rejected the Scriptures with Scorn Smith tells us It is the greatest Error in the world and the ground of all Errors to say the Scriptures are a Rule to Christians and many Expressions of the same import But he will salve all with the nice Distinction of an outward and an inward Rule Sect. 3. This Paragraph might have past had it not been for his perverse Interpretation of it in which he spends his Second Chapter where we shall have it out if our patience can but wait a little Sect. 4. We were afraid when we saw him so liberal of his Concessions that he would soon repent of it we have him therefore here trying to get something of it back again but stay Friend and be more frugal of your Largesses henceforward Well he hath given the Scripture leave in a good humour to be so far a Rule at least that No Doctrine that cannot be demonstrated by it layes us under any Obligation to believe it and so we are satisfied that it is no mortal sin to with-hold our Credit from any of their New-Revelations that are neither Scripture nor Scripture-Consequence which in Chapt. 2nd he pleads for G. K. had a mind to wheadle some into a Compliance with his Opinions who had been taught to entertain a good Respect for the Scriptures For which reason he would insinuate that the honest Quakers are not the men that they have been represented to be nor are they such Enemies to the written Word as they are reported but why then doth he not correct his friend Lucas who hath told us That any Quaker if he has a mind to it as they are arrogant enough may make as good himself and they challenge us to tell them what one Scripture hath Light in it and many like Blasphemies not to be named But what shall he do to satisfy his brethren whose Fabrick is built upon the sandy Foundation of a New Light and new Revelations if the Scripture hath all the
we do ours to oâ—hers by words and this belongs to the Scriptures as they are written or spoken To his last Question We only say Let him first tell us whether he intends the Grammatical sense of the words or the Gracious sense of them upon the heart and we shall know what to say to him As for the sense in which he yields the Scripture to be the Word of God he talks idly confounding a Metonym Efficientis with a Metonym Signi Reflections on Cap. 2. of New Revelations and Inspirations The Fancy of New Divine Revelations and Inspirations being the Pillar of Quakerism it concerned him to treat the Scriptures with such caution as to leave room to introduce this Figment else he had undone his whole Cause and yet it will be found that he hath granted so much there that he must needs contradict himselfe here as will be made evident In this Chapter the Dispute is Whether new divine Revelations Inspirations of the Spirit of God he now ceased He undertakes the Negative against us but indeed the whole is nothing else but meer Legerdemain The right Stating of the Controversie between us will abreviate and facilitate ouâ— work in animadverting on this tedious and insignificant Chapter In order to that thesâ— three Terms Inspiration Revelation New must be rightly understood Words are used to express our minds by are to be taken in the sense commonly used among men and when any are used aequivocally such as use them must have Liberty to interpret their own meaning As to the Word Inspiration it is vulgarly understood in Divinity to intimate an Inward extraordinary Discovery of the mind of God made by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of His servants so 2. Tim. 3.16 and so we difference it from those ordinary and mediate wayes in which we come to this acquaintance Revelation is applicable indeed to any way in which a thing is made known to us which we knew not before and so the word may be as sometimes in Scripture applied to any Discovery which is made to us of the Will of God But this word hath also attained a particular Appropriation to such a Knowledge of Divine Truths as would never have been attained by the best Improvement of natural light or reason without the Manifestation of the Spirit and this is either Immediate or Mediate the Immediate is the same with Inspiration â—â—e Mediate is that which is commonly calâ—d Illumination the Spirit of God helping us â—ith His Influences whenever we are in the â—se of meanes The word New may be apâ—lied either to the kind of the things revealed â—r to the Act of Revealing Here then our Beleef in this matter may be reduced to â—hese Heads We do believe 1. That Savâ—ng Illuminations of the Spirit influencing the â—earts of His people with the knowledge of Christ and His Truths are common needful to all Believers in all ages Rev. 8.9 2ndly That in this sence there are new Revelations made from time to time to God's Children i. e. subjectively 2. Pet. 3.18 3dly That such inspirations as the Prophets and Apostles of old had by which God discovered His mind to them immediately enabling them to declare these things to others were not common to believers in these times 1. Cor. 12.29 vers 10. 4thly That the Scriptures do so fully contain the mind of God in all things necessary for Faith and Salvation that there need no such Inspirations to be afforded to any and therefore they are now ceased 2. Tim. 3.16.17 with Heb. 1.1 2. 5thly That therefore there are no new Revelations made since the Canon was perfected of things or Doctrines which arâ— not contained in the Scriptures we arâ— therefore directed hither for our establishment against Seducers 2. Tim. 3.13 14. and not to abide by this is to make it appear that they have no light in them Isa 8.20 If now we examine what he opposeth to this Doctrine we shall find nothing but Fallacy and Foolery Sect. 1. His first charge here is upon the Assemblies Confession in the very first Article and truly If men lay the first stone wrong the whole Fabrick must be weakned thereby That which he alledgeth against them is they are admirably blind in their bringing in particular Citations of Scripture and we may retort that he is admirably base in perverting their sense and design in Citing of them They had asserted several things in this paragraph for proof whereof they directed to the Scriptures printed in the Margent which he perversly reflects upon as brought only to prove that one Assertion which is not totidem verbis made by them That all new Revelation is ceased They had said that God had pleased to commit His declared and revealed will of things which concern man's salvation wholly to Writing for which they alledge Prov. 2.19 20 21. and do not these Texts assure us that God has written His Word to us and that this Word tells us what God saith yea and to speak otherwise is an evidence that men have no saving light in them Which by the way tells us what to judge of the Quakers light and one would think this is to purpose and hath something of proof in it and to the same purport are Luc. 1.2 3 4. Rom. 15.4 Mat. 4.4 7.10 They had again told us That God had made Scriptures necessary and for the Evidence direct us to 2. Tim. 3.15 and can Impudence deny the Inference from that Text Finally they tell us That the Scripture being thus given to be a Rule for Faith and Manners and being completely sufficient to its ends The former ways of Gods revealing Himself are ceased for which they cite Heb. 1.1 2. 2. Pet 1.19 which one would think if joined with the former especially 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. might prove it Doth not the Apostle Heb. 1.1 2. renounce the former ways in the times of the Law to give place to this one and better in Gospel times and what can he do that comes after the King And does not the Apostle Peter in the fore-cited place tell us there is a surer way than an Immediate voice from heaven and what have stars to do when the Sun is risen In summe all these Scriptures arâ— brought to prove what G. K. confesseth Cap. 1. Sect. 1 2 3. nor do we see what absurdity would follow upon our granting that New revelations of any truth not before made known ceased before John the Apostle deceased though his other extraordinary gifts did continue Sect. 2. And pray what do we assert but what he seems plumply to grant here viz. That the rule to try all doctrines is compleatly contained in the Scriptures only the business is that this must in no wise prove the ceasing of new revelations or inspirations or prophecying Let it for the present suffice to say that he who goes about to confound terms which are used for distinction has some cheating trick to impose
a true Minister without â—his discovery is vain he can by our Doctrine which is according to Scripture tho not by him which is altogether unscriptural our People therefore are left in no perplexity about it Sect. 2. His Assertion That No man can be a true Christian without Divine Inspiration is hither-to unproved by him and disproved by us and were it true as it is otherwise his Consequence viz. That without the same none can be a Gospel Minister is inconsequent nor is it any absurdity to say That a man may be a true Minister and yet not a true Christian i. e. he may be orderly called to the Office of the Ministry though yet he may not be savingly brought home to God There is therefore an Ambiguity in the word True which may be applied either to the Professors or to the Profession Sect. 3. He mistakes the Apostles meaning when he distinguisheth between the ministers of the letter and of the spirit 2. Cor. 3.3 6. for that whole Context assures us that by the Letter he means the Old Testament by the Spirit the New Testament and the Reason of his so Calling them is thence easie to be gathered His arguing the Necessity of Saving Grace because Spirtual gifts are requisite is altogether illogical nor doth it at all help him because these also were purchased by Christ for he hath purchased other things for us besides Grace That there is a specifical Difference between Gifts and Grace is certain though both may meet in the same man we seek for both in every Minister to the best of our discerning that these are separable is beyond doubt that a man may have Grace and yet not spiritual gifts G. K. implicitly at least acknowledgeth yet Christ purchased Gifts for men not meerly for the Salvation but mainly for the Edifying of the Body we are told Eph. 4.10 11. that therefore because a man must have spiriual gifts to make him a Minister he must have saving Grace is a Non Sequitur Sect. 4. And that these spiritual Gifts were discernable we deny not There is a fair easie Tryal to be made of them but his inference that therefore They could discern whether men were true or false Aopstles Teachers sincere or Hypocrites is to be better weighed That false Apostles might be proved by their false Doctrine is nothing dubious That Hypocrites might discover themselves by their fruits is also easy to acknowledge but that in themselves without any such Effects and meerly by their looks there was or is a spirit of immediate discerning them is utterly untrue neither hath he given us one Rule to direct us in it As to his Citation of 1. Cor. 4.19 to prove this discerning it helps him not for the Apostle speaks not there of their inward Grace but of the fruits and effects of their Ministry or of the Conformity of their Conversation to their Doctrine And whereas he censures us for Limiting one man to preach only it is not true we admit of one to preach one part of the day and another on the other part where they are to be had only we require that they be such as are fit for the Ministry and we would not have others to do it Nor did the Apostle intend that there should be any Confusion in this Affair 1. Cor. 14.29 c. and to very little purpose doth he quote 2. Tim. 3.5 6 7. though we see what he would be at for that is not appropriated to Teachers but applicable to all Professors nor did we ever plead that Scandalous Ministers whose Conversation is contradictory to their Profession Doctrine should be continued in that Function when once they are discovered to be such We therefore concede to him that there ought to be a Tryal of men and if he will too that it is not meerly whether what they preach be true Doctrine but a great deal more yet it must of necessity be either of his Doctrine his Ministerial gifts or his Life or rather all three beyond which we are to seek of what Tryal can be made by men for man judgeth and must judge according to what can be known and the Searching of the heart is GOD's Prerogative Sect. 5. That because we pretend not to Inspiration therefore we lay no claim to these spiritual gifts is an Argument as vain as the author Are there no Spiritual gifts but Inspirations are there not diversities of them see 1. Cor. 12.4 5. Rom. 12.6 7.8 His Inference That hence We plainly confess that we have no infallible Discerning who is gracious we assent unto and yet we do believe we can discern of this as much as G. K. or any of his friends and his Charge that we plead that all spiritual gifts are ceased is notoriously false for we try men by them and we are sure that these may continue notwithstanding the Cessation of Inspirations nor can he inferr the Contrary till he prove which he never will that all spiritual Gifts belong to the head of Inspirations Hence neither doth it follow that we must deny an â—nward Call to the ministry since there are other Criteria by which it may be judged of a sufficient Directory for which we have in â—he Scriptures and have a power of Reasonâ—ng Judging without immediate Revelation For him therefore to urge That All that is â—ot by Inspiration Church Ministers Ordinances Worship must needs be of man 's making â—s insolent Must every thing that is not by Inspiration be Man-made Hath not Christ â—eft Institutions for His Church in His Gospel â—hat may sufficiently inform them in their Duty It is the Quakers that make Churches and Ordinances silent-meetings c. under a deluded pretence of Inspiration without any Scripture Warrant On the same blind and perverse notion it is that he chargeth us with plainly confessing â—hat we have no Assurance or Infallible Knowledge that we have the Spirit of God or any of â—hat Grace which is the operation of the Holy Ghost For First the Charge is false and all the world knows that we stand to maintain Infallible Assurance against both Papists and Quakers and who ever deny it And 2ly We are satisfied this may be had without Immediate Revelation A man may have the perception of such Operations in him which by Scripture Rules he may be able to judge of that they are of the Spirit of God he himself aiding them in this Examen and for what other end were all these Rules given but to help us herein Rom. 8.3 Heb. 12.14 1. Joh. 3.14 and many others His Cavil about Effective and Objective illumination is already answered and it is an odious Aspersion that he casteth upon us That we make men stones that have no inward perception of what is acted upon their hearts we beleeve that Grace hath a spiritual sense and when the Spirit of God Influenceth it it can feel it only there is Corruption in us too and the Spirit
power the more to appear 〈◊〉 tho' we have already said we beleeve thaâ— God ordinarily blesseth the labours of thâ— faithful with the greatest success But we limit Him not Sect. 7. Nor are we pinched or narroweâ— as he insultingly if not triumphantly boasts to prove our Call to the Ministry notwistanding we deny it to be immediate nor yet are wâ— necessitated to prove it mediate by deriving iâ— from the Pope who is Antichrist We are noâ— straitned about a Succession as if that only would make a Call mediate tho' we beleeve that Christ hath had a Church and a Ministry continued alwaies ever since the Apostles A man's Call to the Ministry iâ— either Inward or Outward neither of thesâ— is Immediate not the Inward Call or thâ— persuasion which a man has that God calleth him he hath it not by Revelation but by Investigation for which besides his Inclination to it he must prove his own Fitness for it which must be by the mediate Application of himself to Scripture Rules and judging of himself by them His Outward Call iâ— also mediate Viz. by men on whom he haâ— no warrant to impose himself and should he say he hath a Revelation for it yet if he cannot prove it by Scriptures G. K. beleev's they have no Obligation to Credit him whereas an immediate Call is neither of men nor by men Gal. 1.1 Sect. 8. Having routed the Ministers in his arrogant Opinion now to pulling down the Ordinances and good reason they should go together and here because Preaching is ipso facto cashier'd with the Preacher he only levels his Canon against Praying Singing without Inspiration and that both publick private and 1. For Prayer he sends a Challenge to produce one Instance in Scripture where Pâ—aying without the Spirit is commanded We discover his Dilemma and shall avoid the Horn If being commanded to pray without the Spirit be taken in sensu Composito i. e. to live content in a Graceless Spiritless state and yet pray or to rest in our natural Alities without seâ—king the Aids of the Spirit of God we beleeve there 's no such Command in the Word of God But if it be taken in sensu Diviso i. e. that aswel men without the Spirit as such as have the Spirit are under a Command to pray we affirm it can give both Proof and Instance for it Prayer is a moral Duty and Want of Grace dischargeth none from moral Obligations for if it did none of the apostate Race of Adam would come under Condemnation That Simon Magus had not the Spirit or saving Grace we are sure and yet Peter commands him to pray for Grace and Conversion He is also much mistaken in saying Do they not grant that all the prayers recorded in Scripture proceeded from Divine Inspiration and Revelation We never granted it never will The Scriptures themselves were written by Inspiration but all the things there written of were not so Abraham prayed for Ishmael by a natural affection sanctifyed and Paul's Praying thrice against his thorn was from a Sence of the Affliction and a Religious Persuasion that he was to go to God as Him who only could help him which he knew without Inspiration 2. As for Singing he doth not Condemn the thing for fear he should provoke his Friends the Singing Quakers but two Things he has to Charge us guilty of Singing with artificial musick Notes or Tones and singing on a Book To the first 't is so foolish that it is not worth a Reply for would he have singing without singing What Melody can there he without Notes Tones measured by Art Doth he think Singing is only making a confused Noise or doth the Spirit â—une mens voice by immediate Inspiration or are men only to sing in the Spirit i. e. sing and noâ— sing To the 2nd Singing on a book pleads nothing for praying on a book having different Reasons In prayer there is but one speaks and the other are only to join their Amen but in Singing there is to be a joint Expressing themselves by all the Community there must therefore be a known matter that is to be sung and that in such a Meeter as is accommodable to the Tune sung by them the very nature of the thing calls for this and sure he will not say all this will come at once to all alike by immediate Inspiration Till therefore we can find better we may make use of David's which are suited to all Conditions of Gods people These Christ Himself with His Disciples made use of and that at the Sacrament Mat. 26.30 When they had sung an Hymn which is a Scripture Title of some of David's Psalms which are distributed into Psalms Hymns and Songs to which the Apostle adviseth Christians Col. 3.16 and these we are sure were given by Inspiration That any now made by men are so â—here is nothing to prove Sect. 9. It is a pure peice of trifling whereby he would baffle the Plea which some make Viz. That their Ministers have their Call of the Church and therefore it is mediate by telling us that Ministers were before Churches and that this is to run in a Circle for though we place not the whole of a Ministers Call in this yet his Cavil is empty In order to the Calling of a Church we grant that Ministers are before it and are Helps under Christ in the Calling of it and such Christ used in the beginning of the Gospel but these were called extraordinarily immediately by Christ Himself but such Ministers do not live for ever and the Church abides when they are gone and is now in a Capacity of Supplying it self and so there is room for a mediate Call and what Circle is there in this There are Planters there are Waterers and both Ministers Sect. 10. One blow more at the Ministers to make sure work These are Eye-sores of Quakers and all Hereticks if they were out of the way who discover all their abuses detect all their Fallacies deceits and establish people in the Truth what might they not do If then they cannot perswade them to lay down their Preaching they will try if they can perswade the people that they ow them no Maintenance and if they can starve them out the business is done His first proof that Ministers can require no Maintenance but what is voluntary and of Charity is from 1. Cor. 9.14 It would make any man of Reason out of Love with the Quakers Spirit if it interprets Scripture so Diametrically opposite to the Letter his Argument must needs run thus If God hath positively ordeined that Ministers of the Gospel shall have maintenance then the people may chuse whether they will maintain them or no and it is observable that the Apostle proveth this from the Ordinances of the Old Testament relating to the Ministers of the Tabernacle concerning whom we find that God not only ordeined that they should be maintained but
Character as our very words is cheating But how far our Duties are the work of the Spirit and how far they are our own has been already discussed It s he that makes the Chimaera and not we we never say that One the same thing is a perfect man a perfect dog We say that every Believer in this life hath a new nature an old in him a body of Grace a body of Corruption the one increasing the other decaying imperfect grace but growing a body of death but dying and he is as it were two men and so Paul distinguisheth of himself Rom. 7.15.17 Nor do we say that the work is totally perfect and totally sin but we say that the work it self is imperfect by reason that though it be influenced by grace it is also defiled by sin being done by one in whom there is both sin the Influence of it into his best performances Nor do we any whit misinterpret God when we say He accepts of these works in Christ tho they be defiled and if he shall say that we do therefore suppose that God accepts of the defilement that is in them he mistakes In all the gracious Actings of Gods people there is Imperfection now all moral Imperfection is defilement and God accepts of the sincerity pardons the imperfection and both in Christ And this indeed is the priviledge of the Covenant of Grace above that of works why else was the High-Priest to make an Attonement for the Sanctuary c. Lev. 16.33 but that the Services notwithstanding the pollutions but for which no attonement was needed might be acceptable and this was Typical No doubt but that God sees sin in whomsoever it is and where He sees it He condemns it but in respect of Imputation to the person He does not alwaies see it i. e. charge it Num. 23.21 and why but because CHRIST hath made Satisfaction and Attonement for it In his Examen of the Scriptures alledged by the Assembly he plays foul with them he first points to three places where he saies they speak of this matter Confess cap. 16. fect 5. Larger Catech. Q. 149. 89. tho' this last is on another subject Secondly he gathers up diverse matters in one endeavouring to express them in as harsh words sense as he can Thirdly in p. 155. 156. he gathers up the the whole and saith they expresly so word it in Q. 39. which is utterly false indeed he hath so worded it for them that there are two things Charged on them which they say not viz. 1. That that they must sin as long as they live as if there were a fatal necessity that God laid them under of so doing 2. That they are only free from sinning after death whereas they say At their death 3. he mischievously perverts the design of the Scriptures alledged by them All the Scriptures he animadverts upon are only those which they annex to Q. 49. omitting those added in the other places Let us observe There were two things they had to prove 1st That no man can in himself perfectly keep the law 2. Nor by the Grace of God and from these principles they infer these Conclusions That they daily break the Commands in thought word and deed and how pertinent these Scriptures are to prove these two Positions may be judged That Man cannot do it in himself one wou'd think that the description given of his natural state Rom. 3.9 c. Gen. 6.5 is sufficient to demonstrate That as to the latter he cannot do it by Grace received doth not intend that God cannot give them grace enough but that He doth not therefore their imperfect grace cannot attain it And surely that is suffiiently proved by such Scriptures as 1. tell us That in many things all do offend for which Jam. 3.2 Ezek. 7.20 2. That every Beleevers grace depends for its exercise upon the help of Christ without which they can do no gracious thing for which Joh. 15.5 And the Consectary is not forced if we consider that the Nature of man being so corrupt unregenerate men can do no other than daily break the Command that because Beleevers are renewed but in part and yet are active beings in thinking speaking doing there will be an Influence of remaining Corruption into these actions which will make 'em short-coming in point of the strictness of the Law and câ—nsequently breakers of it In the other place cited Confess cap. 16. sect 5. they quote Isa 64.6 Joh. 5.17 Rom. 7.15 28. and certainly Paul had as much grace as any now can Pretend to As to his particular Reflections on the forecited Texts they are scarce worth minding What he observes on Jam. â— 2 is a mistake of what they brought it to prove and it doth prove against him the Imperfection of any in this life For that in Ezek. 7.20 his observation that the word is in the future makes against him intimating that they can do no other as long as they live and his putting it for the potential is precarious his applying it to the times of the Law which made nothing perfect is fond for they had the Gospel as well as we and were perfect in an Evangelical sense Gen. 6.9 Job 1.1 Psal 37.37 For that in Gen. 6.5 when he saith it only speakes of that generation of men so degenerate he errs it shews the natural state of man by the Fall and we have its Parallel after that generation was gone Gen. 8.21 Nor was Noah so perfect but that he was afterwards drunken For that Rom. 3.9 c. we grant it expresseth the natural state of men as they are not only generally but universally under the Law it was brought by the Assembly for that purpose nor is it any Contradiction to say Righteous men sin we must distinguish between such as are righteous legally and them that are so evangelically and between such as are free from the Dominion and them that are free from the presence of sin Sect. 5. When therefore he cites Rom. 3.18 to prove that Perfection because they are free from sin it will not do that is to be understood of freedom from the dominion of it see v. 14. And his Application of Ezek. 36.25 Jer. 33.33 is confused for want of distinguishing of what it there referred to Justification and what to Sanctification That Justification is perfect we acknowledge tho he before denied it that Sanctification is imperfect we plead tho he saith it is perfect Now the making them clean from all their filthiness belongs to Justification putting the Spirit in them giving them an heart of flesh c. belongs to Sanctification and this confirms them in perseverance for they shall not depart but doth not wholly deliver them from sin His plea for perfection from Matth. 11.29 because Christ's yoke is easy and from 1 Joh 5.3 the commands not being grievous is too far fetch 't we are to distinguish between
he tells us that by the Spirit the man is joined both to Christ in him to Christ in Heaven and if two Unions then two Christs Sect. 7 Now he afresh sets upon us for our Qualifications required in our Ministry but it hath been already canvass'd in cap. 4. Only towards the latter end of this Section he tells us of Two spirits that guid men on earth the Spirit of God and of the devil he gives three Criteria of men's being guided by the latter Viz. he is fallible false continually given to Errors by which he clearly detects himself to be under the devil's leading for he hath before acknowledged himself to be falliBle and we have proved him to be false and continually leading into Error Sect. 8. The fault which in this paragraph he finds with our Ministry is that they are not itinerary as the Apostles whose Successors they pretend themselves to be truly better sit still in a place than go up down seeking whom to devour But may we not succeed the Apostles in their Ministry tho' not in their Apostleship And do we not find that though they went about to gather Churches where there was none yet when they had gathered them they ordeined Elders among them to he settled Ministers such as were Overseers of particular Churches see Act. 14.23.20.27 with 28. The Scandal he reflects upon us in respect of the Endeavours for the Conversion of the Indians is sufficiently confuted by the printed accounts that are published to the world of this affair and what if they he not all sincere iâ—s God s work and not in our power to make any so We say of our selves as Paul 1. Cor. 3.5.6 Sect. 9. It seems strange to us that something invisible should make a Church visible as having alwaies thought that a thing was visible when it might be seen The Inward Light in a man then cannot be the visibility of a Church to men But we find no end of such foolish Contradictions Reflections on chapt 10. of the Sacraments c. The last Mine he has to spring is to demolish our Sacraments and Sabbaths Sect. 1. That the word Sacrament is not to be found in the New-Testament we grant but it hath obtained to be a Word used in the Church for many ages to express that by which is evidently enough laid down in Scripture nor doth he dispute us about the Lawfulness of using such words But when he saith there is no word in Scripture to answer that word except the word Mystery we cannot go along with him that the word Mystery is at all used in this sense we suppose cannot be proved but there are two other that are and imply as much as we intend by a Sacrament viz. a Sign and a Seal which are both used of the Sacrament of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 and by parity of Reason are applicable to the New-Testament-Sacrments that Baptism is such a sign is evident from 1. Pet. 3.21 that the Lord's Supper is so too see 1. Cor. 11.26 for how is the Lord's death shewed forth in it but by an instituted sign And when the Church of Rome can shew as good a plea for their other five as we can for these two we will then confess the injury we have done in denying them Sect. 2. Now for Baptism What need he to combat Infant-Baptism If there be no Baptism then none of Infants only he loves to be wrangling and what Cavil against Sprinkling if neither that nor Dipping be of force by Divine Institution Thus some must be meddling As for Sprinkling we plead not for it we say Baptism is a Gospel-Ordinance that Water is the Element to be applied that it may be done either by Dipping into or Pouring on of water there being no express Precept for the one more than the other that it being a sign it hath no other Efficacy than by the Blessing upon the Institution that as a sign it may signifie by pouring upon one part of the Body that the Face is most ready and convenient and why may we not allude to that of Christ to Peter Joh. 13.10 that we do it on the Forehead particularly is a slander When be asks us Why John baptized Christ by Dipping Him in Water We think his first Question should have been Whether he did so or no and it is certain he cannot prove that he did Our Consequence from infant Circumcision to infant Baptism is good for it was the same Covenant and the same promises that Abraham and we had Circumsion was a sign of the Righteousness of Faith and so is Baptism and Infants are as capable of the one as of the other and the promise is still to our Children That the Baptizing of Infants was not the practice of the Church during the first century is arrogantly affirmed by him against Antiquity Origen and Cyprian tell us that the Apostles gave order for the Baptizing of Infants and Augustin tells us Baptism of Infants had been universally practised in the Church ever since the Apostles And sure he mistakes when he saith that in Col. 2.11 12. Neither circumcision nor Baptism there mentioned is outward Whereas the Apostle is arguing from the sign to the thing signified by it in respect of Circumcision then mentions Baptism it self intimating that it signified the same thing therefore laid them under the same obligation to Holiness there is therefore a sacramental Dying with Christ because in this Ordinance there is an engagement laid upon us to dye to the world And what a poor shift is he put upon when to evade Mat. 28.19 he acknowledges the Institution of Baptism but tells us it saith nothing of water doth not the very Word imply it and the Gospel assure us that Water was the Element Furthermore We have two Baptisms mentioned Mat. 3.11 it must then be one of these two but the Disciples could not baptise with the latter it being Christ's alone prerogative In citing of Luk. 18.15 16. he fraudulently omits that clause for of such is the Kingdom of God and G. K. assures us that that Kingdom is on earth as well as in Heaven and if so then they are Subjects of the priviledges of this Kingdom as far as capable and of the same import is that Rom. 11.16 for all his cavil against it nor doth it follow that they may receive the Lords supper as well because that is above their Capacity at present a Child may be an Heir and yet not be put into actual possession of all that he hath a right to and though Christ Himself baptized not yet His Disciples did by His Authority Sect. 3. That Baptism with water properly belonged to John 's Ministry is easier said than prov'd that It is expresly contra-distinguish'd from Christ 's baptism by John and Christ Himself is an errour the outward Administration is distinguished from the Efficacy which depends upon Christ and not on the Minister but not contra-distinguished for
of Delusion sometimes excites that under close pretences which requires our Application to the Word of God for a Determination Isa 8.20 His abuse of Heb. 12.27 interpreting the Apostle by things made to intend things of men's making is most gross For it is certain these things were of God's making viz. the Old Testamnt-Ordinances which were now to be taken away to give place to Gospel Institutions of Christ's Appointment and these are the Church Ministry c. which we maintain But let any man pursue him in this Paragraph and he shall perceive that his very design is to take away all Gospel Ordinances and worship and reduce all to Inspirations the Tendency whereof to subvert the whole designe of Christ in his Gospel is sufficiently Observable for that all these were there instituted is undeniable That therefore must be antiquated if this take place contrary to Heb. 12.28 and let serious souls beware of such as would rob them of the Gospel His Sophisms in Charging us of Blasphemy for saying We have the Spirit of God and yet saying we have no infallible spirit as if therefore we charged the Spirit of God Himself of being fallible may seem to have some influence upon weak minds see pag. 41 it may therefore need a little Discussion Observe then that the Evidence which we have within us of the Certainty of our spiritual State or of any spiritual motions in us is confirmed by two witnesses God's Spirit and our own Rom. 8.16 and these are two distinct witnesses the Quakers indeed have blasphemously confounded them and made them but one now we acknowledged beleeve that the witness of the spirit of God is Infallible He cannot be deceived neither will He deceive by witnessing to a falshood but the witness of our own spirit is Fallible because we are persons liable to mistakes Now tho' the Spirit when He witnesseth doth it Infallibly yet He doth not make our spirits Infallible and more than so the Spirit of God witnesseth as He will sometimes He withdraws His Testimony and His Witness is commonly mediate it is with our spirits Now the way in which our spirits witness is rational i. e. by searching our state or examining the Suggestions in us bringing these things to the Rules of Tryal given in Scripture 2. Cor. 13 5. In both the Examination and Tryal we may be mistaken for we know but in part and yet so far as the Spirit of God confirms us by His Witness we are infallibly assured We find also that the inspired men of old such as Paul did not declare all things to the people by Immediate Revelation but some things as they were skilful understanding Christians influenced with the ordinary Assistances of the Spirit of God and rationally Judging of things Hence Paul's distinction 1. Cor. 7.12 25. and therefore the words alledged verse 40. I think c. for all his Railery speaks thus much That he did not suggest these Advices by immediate Inspiration but by the Common Assistances that God affords His faithful Ministers Sect. 6. How blasphemously doth he in this Section ascribe the effects of the Scripture to the Ministers he would have no Minister but such through whom grace spirit and life do emanate to the souls of the hearers making them more than meerly instrumental in Converting and Edifying We deny not but that a gracious Minister is raore likely to do good than another but not by any power of his own but because as he will be more faithful so he may expect more of Gods Assistance and Blessing but that he can by any Virtue of his own any more heal a Soul than those Apostles could the body of a Cripple who utterly disclaim it Act. 3.12 we believe not and we are confirmed by the Scripture Joh. 1.13 And truly the Quakers want Charity if they have such a virtue to Convert and save all the world and do not His Similitude of Ministers being called Flames of Fire if it intend Ministers and not rather Angels is not Argumentative â—hey may be so compared for their Activiâ—y and Zeal and not from the Efficacy in â—hemselves And as little Cogent is his Instance of the Disciples Luc. 24.32 for â—e forgat that Christ Himself was then the Preacher who had a Divine Power and yet we deny not but that the same may be said of the preaching of another but then it is the Spirit of God coming in between the mouth of the Speaker and the hearts of the hearers who doth it yea though Christ had the Spirit without measure yet how often did He preach without such Efficacy hence His Complaint Isa 49.4 Yea there were more plentiful Conversions after His Ascention by His Apostles when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2. The Scripture by which he would prove this 1. Pet. 4.11 is nothing to his purpose For the Ability there spoken of is an outward estate enabling them to give Alms and more especially concerneth the office of the Deacon in Relieving the poor out of the Church Treasure which must be done according to the stock in hand and what is this to an inward Power of Converting souls Nor doâ—h he more exalt his Ministry than he degradeth the Word of GOD denying it to be the Milk which is to nourish us making it nothing but a Bottle that carries this Milk and yet the Scripture he alludes to calls it the Milk However let it be the Bottle still we must go to that for our Nourishment and draw it out of those breasts and then there is no need of Immediate Inspirations His Comparing Ministers to Fathers is Scriptural but the Improvement of the Similitude is his own and like him There are some things in which there is a likeness between these which gave occasion to the Comparison but yet they are far unequal Causes A natural Father is a Father properly for all G. K. denies it and is something more than an Instrument he is a natural Efficient a procreant cause but the Minister is not so in the spiritual Regeneration but meerly instrumental which he also grants and then ew-born Christian derives no part of his new Nature from him Joh. 1.13 And as unhappy is his improvement of the Metaphor of Seed 2. Cor. 9.10 Isa 55.10 The former of which Texts only intends that God hath given them an estate to be able to relieve others withal the latter is of the Word it self which is likened to grain which the Minister only soweth and which taketh rooting in the heart and fructifies and what is all this to the Ministers being able to convert or what Force will it give to his Inference Viz. How then can a graceless man have any fruit or success seeing all fruit and success belongs not to the instrument as proceeding from it It 's easily retorted Why may not God if he will make use oâ— such men to convert others by since it depends not on them but Him Herein Hâ— may make His