Saints are under who are therefore said to serve Rom 7.6 not in the oldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the letter but in the newness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit And then secondly asserting that Novi Testamenti â—adem est ratiâ— the case is the same between the Old Testament and the New which is most false as to the thing in hand and 3. Citing 2 Cor. 3.6 in proof of it By which thou shewest thy folly for thou couldest not have well found out a fitter Text for its disproof whether thou who citest it for borest to set it down yea or nay for fear its should be seen how far it contradicts what thou citest it for I will not say but I am sure a man that is but minded to miss the meaning of it may run and read how that verse subverts the busines thou bringest it in for yea verily so far is that Apostle who truly calls the Old Testament by the names of Book Heb 9.19 and Letter written engraven in stones and such like from affirming with thee that the case is the same with the new Testament as to the name and nature thereof that both in that verse and in the third veâ—se also he more then intimates yea plainly expresses that of the Old and New Testament in that particular more than any diversâ— est raâ—io the case is diverse yea so far different that he flatly opposes the one to the other as things that however agreeing otherwise viz. in their being both glorious in som degree though the New in a far greater degree then the other as a beautiful picture may agree in respect of beauty glory comeliness and compleat resemblance in some degree with the substantial person that is it paâ—tâ—rn of yet disâ—agree in this that the one is Letter Outward writing printing and ingraving c. visible and legible by the outward eye the other not so but internal invisible spiritual written with the Spirit in the heart yea Spirit it self which while the Letter is dead and killing is only living quickning and giving life Yea two varying Ministration doth the Apostle make them not onâ—y as one is that of death and condemnation to the children of it of whom on pain of perishing it requires the living of a life which it gives no ability to and which the other i e. the Spirit only gives and inables to live the other that of Spirit Life Liberty Righteousness Glory but also as the one that is the Old is a writing ad extra only the other that is the New a writing a Scripture only ad intra though written of by that without that he absolutely asserts a present inconsistency since the doing away of the Old between a mans being a Minister now of both as once and that posita novo tollitur vetus the new being now come in full force and confirmed by the Testators death the Old Testament and its Ministry is disanulled in regard of its weakness and unprofitableness however profitable as a Type in its time for many uses to bring immediately to the life so that he who is the Minister of the one i.e. of the Old Testament i.e. of the Letter Outward writing Text or Scripture is not a Minister of the other i.e. of the New i.e. of the Gospel Righteousness Glory liberty life and Spirit and Retro he who is a true Minister of the Gospel or New Testament as now standing in the force and substance it self out of the figure and shadows wherewith it was vailed of old is not though he may utter things as moved of the Spirit that are written in the Letter as Christ himself and the Apostles did a Minister of the Old as the Old Word-stealers Jer. 23. were and our Modern Text-takers and Scripture-sellers are Paul taketh away the one from him on whom he stablisheth the other denies the one of whom he affirms the other and opposes the New Testament which he stiles the Spirit to the Letter by which name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he denominates only the Old God saith he hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life 2. Here is not all nor yet not half of that absurdity and falshood that I.O. in his folly flings abroad in that small parcel above which I am yet under the animadversion of for whereas he sayes I am vero omne Testamentum est perfectum every Testament is perfect intending it both of the Old Testament and the New and not only so but of such a perfection as avails in hunc finens ut assequamur vitam aeternam to this very end viz The obtaining the life eternal it self for so is his assertion of the Books of the Scriptures which he describes as to their nature and concludes under that name of the Old and New Testament his Positiâ—n is so wofully false that himself is as wonderfully foolish who sees it not flatly contradictory to the Scripture for howbeit the very Old Testament or outward letter is duly owned by us to be a Ministration of God from whom nothing can come as is abovesaid but what is perfect praesertim respectu finis cui opus quodcunque deflinat in reference to that end for which he appoints it absolutely perfect to that end for which it is given forth of God which is to be an A B C or elementary help or outward worldly Rudiment to indoctrinate younglings in their â—â—nage concerning the inward Light and Spirit as the only way that leads to Christ the Life from whom the Light comes and is lent as a line or clew of thread that followed conducts through the valley and shadow of death to the Life it self in which respect the Letter of the Law is called a School-master Tutor Governour under whose Tuition the under aged imbondaged ignorant ones may be trained up into a true understanding of the Truth as it is in Jâ—sus as by a Shadow Type Figure Festraw or Finger that points the Primarian Professors more distinctly to that they are to eye and aim at more then it self and by such as are in the faith and obedience to the light may be used too to make them wiser toward salvation and more perfectly furnish◠〈◊〉 every good work as he that is past a novice and is become a well-studied Scholar can and may but must is another matter read in the Horn-book as well and better than when he learned in it yet as to its being so omnibus numeris absoluta perfecta as thou bablest making it so perfect as to bring to the life that is a meer Antiscriptural fiction of thy own fancy for though a man may by the Horn-book learning become the more dispositively fitted to read in the Bible and other books of Latine or Logick and so by degrees come at last to the capacity and degree of a Doctor in the Vniversiâ—y yet he
let it stand and pass on about my business concluding against thee I.O. in thy own words for the Light and Spirit to be that Rule thou sayest the Letter is from its perfection ab Authore A causa perfecta c. From a perfect voluntary cause nothing but what is perfect can be expected for nothing can hinder God being willing to reveal his will from revealing it perfectly as before the Letter was so now where the Letter is not among heathens by his Light and Spirit by which thou confessest he reveals it very far in the words forecited but either because he cannot which denies his infinite Wisdome and Omnipotency or because he will not which agrees not with his goodness and grace Therefore God hath and doth give out by his Light and Spirit within a perfect Revelation of his will so that they consequently must be secundum te by thy own Argument J.O. the only perfect standing Rule for there are not two so far is the Letter that came from them from being so as thy fancy fancies it to be alone and exclusively of them as uncertain useless needless perillous and detestable The second medium by which thou goest about to prove the foresaid conclusion viz. That the Letter or Scriptures are the only perfect Rule Revelation of God his will and our duty that gives to know him to eternal life and not the Spirit and light which as Enthusiasm dubious useless figment c. are with thee to be detested is A naturâ librorum sacrae Scripturae c. from the nature of the books of the holy Scripture which are sayest thou those of the Old and New Testament so sayest thou the Apostle clearly dilates of the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 in the reading of the Old Testament of the New there 's the same reason vers 6. Now every Testament sayest thou alluding to but not quoting Gal. 3.15 though but a mans is perfect and being once confirmed no man disanulleth or superaddeth thereunto Reply Never did I discern such absolute self-overturnings proceed from a professed Doctor as do from J.O. thick and threefold in the very cause he prosecutes whose proofs of his own producing do as frequently confound him and as fully foil him as to the matter he would prove thereby as any that can likely be produced against him by those he opposes and yet I verily beleeve he speaks the sense wellnigh of the whole Vniversity it self in which he hath in the late clawing cringing corresponding and climing times atchieved to become a Chieftane And that it may appear le ts reason J.O. hereabout a little with thee let me ask thee Is the Gospel is the New Testament Letter Scripture external Text and outward Writing as the Old Testament is Is it such a passing perishing dark low obscure thing as writing or graving of Points Tittles and Iotaes in Tables of stone though with the singer of God himself much more it such a mouldring matter for so thy self callest the most Original Copies of the external Text of the holy Scripture that ever was in the world p. 167.164 and therefore well may I so call thy best bare transcribed copies of it as Writings with inke and stamping with Lamb-black in Roles and Books and Papers and Parchments with press hands and tools which cannot be preserved so long as from Ezra till now from mouldring without a Miracle Is the Gospel the New Testament no more than such as thou talkest of Is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Typography which meer men can take and turn and translate and tumble to and fro and transcribe and tear and dash out and do what they will with Is it outward writings of Epistles and Recommendations and Histories and Letters as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal and domestick affairs and such like Is it not an Epistle of Christ in the table of the heart though ministred sometimes by man at the motion of his Spirit or if a Writing yet not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3. Is is as the Old Testament as all meer writing ad extra only is whether of old or since Christ and all outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter only that cannot quicken nor cure but killeth such as serve as thou yet doest in the oldness of it Is it not Spirit Light and Life Is it not the Words of Christ spoken by the Lord himself alone which are Spirit and Life in newness of which the true children of the New Covenant that are more then Bastards that pretend to it do serve and not in the oldness of a letter or that old way of the old Scribes that came no nearer to Christ the Life then the outside of the outward Scripture which was wrote of him Is it any of these things are not these the best Instruments of the Old Testament foolish Shepherds wherewith for a time they were suffered to feed who made the poor of the flock the flock of the slaughter taken up again since Christ directly beside the intent of Christ and such as wrote the later Scriptures by our Idol Shepherds that leave the flock to starve so they can be better fed themselves who are not behinde those of old in feeding with Gall and Wormwood the flock of the slaughter in not pitying but slaying them and yet holding themselves not guilty for which the sword of the Lord is now upon their arm and upon their right eye so that their Arm or Power is now to be clean dryed up and their right eye utterly darkned Ah poor be-wildred be-nighted blind-guides of your blindly-guided people that by custome and tradition from your mouths who take it so to be by tradition from your Fore-fathers are now naturallized into a naming the naked dead letter by the name of the living Word of the living God and the four mis-transcribed and mis-translated Copies of Matthew Mark Luke and Iohns Manuscript of what Christ did in that body wherein he was born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem by the name of the Gospel and those four bare Books with the rest of those few that follow fardelled together with them in what fashion men most fancy and bound up as the Bible sellers please by the name of the New Testament So thou talkest I.O. telling the world of the nature of the Books of the Scripture as ye now have it is this they are the Old Testament and the New so thou intendest in thy saying Sunt autem veteris novi Testamenti 1. Citing Paul who calls the Books of Moses the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 as â—â—ll well he might for the Old Testament was indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letter or Writing writen with Inke and Pen or ingraven outwardly on Tables of stone and not Spirit or writing with the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly Tables of the heart as the New is which the
Letter as profitable in a way that will prove little to his purpose the rest will frustrate his expectation of assistance from them sail him fal in with us neither expressing nor implying any such matter as the Scripture as he supposes but intending all the very truth we contend for against him viz. The efficacy profitable and powerful operation of the inward light Word and Spirit of God which he Ironically glories over as inania inutilia incerta minime necessaria fictitia rejicienda detestanda and such like Those Texts are Ps. 19.8 119.105 Rom. 1.15 16. 2 King 3.15 Iam. 1.21 1 Tim. 4.16 Isa. 55.10 11. Iâ—r 23.29 Ioh. 8.31.5 1. Ioh. 17.20 Rom. 15. â— Heb. 4.12 Here 's a whole Jure impannelled again of which he imagines that they will all give their verdict his way for the Scripture that it doth efficere ea omnia praedicté yea alia omnia perficere c. effect the things aforesaid yea and perfect or accomplish all things necessary to Gods glory and our salvation alone so that inania sunt falsa c. All Revelation or means of Revelation by these things viz. The spirit or Light within the Qua. call to are vain and false c. But setting aside two of them viz. 2 Tim 3.15 Rom. 15.4 as I have shewed above which though they do speak of the outward Scriptures being useful profitable and comfortable to the Saints yet prove them not to be therefore the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life for the reason rendred by T.D. why all Scripture that is by inspiration is not so because besiâ—es inspiâ—ation to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of Writings to that end pag. 43. of his 2. Pamph. which said appointment to that end the Book called the Bible hath not saving only that appointment of man not so much as one of all the rest of his Trusty Texts do either mention or mean ought of the outward Scripture I.O. cites and summons them all together to pass their Vote for but do all unanimously give their Verdict on the behalf of that holy Spirit Word and Light within which the Qua. stand to vindicate as the antient most perfect useful certain stedfast standing Rule of faith and life and way of Gods revraling his will to us and of our saving knowledge of himself and it and our duty to him in particular against that venome I.O. and T.D. spit out against them with which they are big I.O. specially under the slanderous disgraceful and opdrobrious compellations of uncertain dangerous unuseful in no wise necessary counterfeit abject detestable So that I might let them all pass take no notice of them unless he had brought such Scriptures in proof the Scriptures power and efficacy as make some mention thereof either expresly or implicitly at least yet since they make not little to I.Os. as they make much for the Qua. cause against him who affirm the word in the heart and light within to be that which he falsely and ignorantly asserts the Letter to be viz. the only standing Rule and way of knowing God savingly and means of Revelation of himself and wâ—â— and our duty to us of our obtaining life and that very self-evidencing effectual light and power of God to salvation I am minded to insist here a little longer upon them and perhaps upon such other Texts as I.O. elsewhere wrests this way in proof of the self-evidencing efficacy light and power of the Scriptures in his English Treatises as well as in his Latine Theses The first of I.Os. Twelve Texts Ten whereof nor talk of nor intend nor mention nor mean the Sripture at all viz. Ps. 19. it hath been talkt with already above where I have shewed that the Law of God which is therefore said to be a restituens animam restoring and converting the soul is the Light the Letter speaks of and not the Letter it self which any but a blinde man may see for what Letter was written when David wrote this very little more then the Books of Moses which I.O. himself and all men conâ—ess to be but the Old Testament which is but the letter that killeth for is that outward Letter of the Apostles and Evangelists were the new Testament as they call it yet none of that was in being till above a thousand years after David and the Old Testament that was in his dayes is now abolished neither it nor the Letter nor outward Statutes and Judgements of it being given to any but Jacob or Israel after the flesh as a type of the New Testament or Covenant that is now made good to Israel after the Spirit but that Text I say hath been unfolded enough before so that though I meet with it again here as I have done twice before and whether I may again or no it matters not but sure I am that some Scriptures thou citest four and some five or six times over at least in thy Book how much more I know not in proof of the Scriptures being this and that which testifie no one Tittle of any thing concerning the Scriptures at all so dry are our Doctors and Divines drawn and nearly driven to finde out furniture in the Scripture in defence of their false faith and meer figments about the Scripture I shall meddle no mo more with it here nor with the second that are sufficiently forespoken to though they both speak something as good as nothing to thy cause concerning the outward Scriptures viz Rom. 15. 2 Tim. 3. As for the other nine they all with one consent and more that elsewhere thou cotest do declare the Authority efficacy self-evidencing light and power of the word of God within which both the Qua. and the Scriptures bear one and the self-same testimony to but predicate nothing at all of the Scriptures which nine together with the rest that are coincident therewith and truly cogent to all mens consciences as concerning the witness they give to the inward word the outward Letter relates of I shall here take under consideration in what order is not very much material As to that Ioh. 8 31.5 1. in which two verses Christ to the Jews speaks of one and the same thing which run thus If ye continue in my words ye are my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free If a mâ—n keep my saying he shall never see death I reply Reply Christs Word and his saying is efficacious and powerful to tree them that continue beleeving in it and deliver from death and give life yea that the Words he speaks are spirit and life according as he sayes of them Ioh. 6.63 and vers 68. the Words of eternal life which Text pag. 68. thou I.O. very falsely expoundest of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Writings this who â—â—â—â—ies Which word of his as it s heeded in the heart where it is spoken and laid up there till it dwell richly within sits men to teach
D. makes no better then dung loss and filthy rags to both the Justification Sanctification and Salvation of sinful men from All their sins then the Quakers do who are by the Parish peoples Blind Leaders most abominably belyeâ— to them as denyers of it And because we do not with the misty Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the meer Letter which the Apostles were not Ministers of but of the Mystery of the New Testament or the Spirit 2 Cor. 3 own the bare External Text of Scripture which themselves confesse to be corrupted vitiated altered and adulterated in all Translations to be at leaâ—t in their Heb. and Greek Transcripts of it entire in every Tittle Letter Vowel Syllable and Jota the self same without any losse as it was at the first giving out but say it hath suffer'd much losse of more then Vowells single letters and single lines also yea even of whole Epistles and Prophecies of inspired men the Copies of which are not by the Clergy Canoniz'd nor by the Bible-sellers bound up in the Bulk and compasse of their modern Bibles and specially because we own not the said alterable and much altered outward Text and Letter or Scripture but the Holy Truth and inward Light and Spirit which the Scripture it self testifyes to which at times that Text and Letter came from to be as to Name and Thing and that properly the Word of God which is Living the only firm infallible Foundation of all Saving Faith and invariable Right Rule of holy Life the most sure sound Balis stable Standard True Touchstone for the due Tryal determination and discerning of all true Doctrines of Christ from mens Tradition and cunningly devised Fables Therefore they cry out against us as Siders with Jews Papists Athiests and All Scripture haters as decrying the due Authority of the Scriâ—tures as such by whom Satan assaults the sacred Truth of the Word of God in its Authority Purity Integrity and Perfection and as Opposers of the Scripture and the Word of God as to both Name and Thing witnesse J. O's Epiâ—t Dedicatory of his doings againâ—t the Quakers to all young Divinity Students p. 28.30 and elsewhere as is seen hereafter Whereas how though Christ and his living Word in the heart which the Scriâ—ture exalts also is Exalted onely on the Throne yet the Scriptures are owned by us in their due place and how though Christs Light and Spirit alone in the Conscience is according to the Scripture asserted to be the only most perfect Rule Foundation c. and not the â—etter as they darkly Divine yet the Letter is acknowledged by us full as much as it is by it self to have been written by men moved of Gods Spirit and to be useful profitable servicable c. to be read and heeded and how all-J O's lying Calumnies against the Quakers as concerning their carriage to the Scriptures and the Word of God and the Foundation and Rule c. are clearly wiped away and cashiered as well as T. D's foul false Aspersions of them in his Narratives as to matters of Fact are in the 1st part of my 1st Exer from p. 18. to p. 38. is to be read at large throwout the 2 d. and 3 d. Exercitations which consist well nigh wholly in vindication of the Truth against their cloudy conceits about the Scriptures And Moreover because we as the Spirit also in the Scripture bids us Jam. 2.1 c. have not the Faith of God with respect of persons as they are high in this world in the Church where Christ is the one Master and all the rest are Brethren Therefore they misrender us as proud obstinate uncivil churlish discourteous disrespecting contemning all mens persons Whereas we truly honour all men in the Lord and what we do in denying those vain Complemental Customs of the Nations as vailing the Bonnet or putting off the Hat which is part of the outward habit and bowing cringing to the ground when we come before men and in our keeping to that plain yet not True Antient and proper English Language of Thee and Thou which is used to God himself to each single person great or small when we haue to do with them who have no law of man neither whereupon to imprison and punish any for doing herein as we do we do it God is witness and will once Iudg between us and them not in a Spirit of Pride Arrogance Disrespect Disdain or Contempt towards any man but in Conscience to the Lord that we may stand clear before him who forbids us to bow to the likeneâ—â—e of any thing in Heaven Earth or under the Earth and in humility onely and that fear of the Lord whereby we are bound to depart from all conformity to all such fond foolish fashioning of our selves according to our former Lusts in our ignorance and to This World which we are chosen out of A more clear discovery of the unsuitablenesse of which Ceremonious services of men to the Saints of God is made as in the Scripture it self so in the 1st of the ensuing Exercitations from page 40. to page 47. And because Christs Headship Kingship and Supremacy alone we together with the True Church which is in God the Father and in Christ Iesus the Light can own in the Court of Conscience and in matters purely Spiritual and of meer Religious and Soul concernment and not any meer mans much lesse the Popes or any Priests in such Sacred Secrets therefore are we mistaken and misranked among such as are utter enemies to the present Kings Supremacy in these Dominions Whereas we do according to what the Spirit requires of us in all civil causes and cases between Man and man submit our selves to every Ordinance of man himself I say in such cases even for the Lords sake whether unto the King as Supream or to such as are sent of him to be a Terrour to evil doers and a Praise to them that do well And if those who have the Sword in hand shall turn it against us for well doing and so act against the good will of God or impose by Gods permission upon us contrary to our Conscience even there where we cannot obey actively we are willing to bear patiently without violent Resistance what God will leave us to suffer from the hands of such as should protect us not reviling nor threatning nor cursing but committing our case in quietness to him that Judgeth Righteously and our Souls to him in well doing And that Passive deportment must be and is judged by All to be Aequivolent to that Active obedience which others yeild for fear to what lawes soever are made among men And because we are no Strikers or Fighters as some men called Christs Minister's alias Servants are though no such should be 1 Tim. 3.3 1 Tit. 7. with Carnal Weapons the Weapons of our War-fare being not Carnall but Spirituall nor such as theirs among whom are found Warrs and Fightings which
Orthodox Brother Tombs as two Twins that tumbled both out of one Belly even one and the same Womb of that Babylonish Bawd are both to be tumbled into one and the same Tomb or Grave that as your two I. O. T. D. so their pair of pratings may go together into the earth whence they came as like to like earth to earth ashes to ashes for dust which is the Serpents meat all your Divinity doings are and unto dust must they all return Now as little method as thy Book I. O. hath in it yet is it as capable to be divided into parts as it is in each part in one thing or another most palpably divided against it self 1 As to the subject matter thereof it is in general twofold viz. The Outward Letter and the Inward Light that External writing or legible form of words commonly called the Scripture the Holy Scriptures which are ad extra but ab intra only and meerly without though from within together with that Internal Law Spirit Power or Word which is ad intra by all that know the Truth as it is in Iesus both seen felt heard understood and witnessed to be within not more cryed up by the men call'd Quakers who live both according to it and the Scripture then decryed by the men that are but supposed to be Christs Ministers who are utterly erring besides them both knowing truly neither the one nor yet the other Sundâ—y touches there are given by thee as thou goest along at other things viz. Vniversal Grace Perfection Persecution Modern Inspiration by the Spirit of God Revelation and such like about which thine and the Quakers Doctrine differs by which as ex pede Herculem thy Pulse is felt and it 's spied out how thy Spirit blows against Christs thy truthless talk of which may the Lord leading to it not unlikely be talked with by the way before I have done But those two abovesaid being well nigh the Totum in Toto the Totum in qualibet parte the matters thou mainly medlest with and most miserably mudlest thy self about thoroughout the whole Body of thy Book and every part thereof making little less then a very God of the one i. e. Of the Letter which is the last and the least and the lowest of the two and little better then a very Devil of the other i. e. the Light which is the first and the highest and the greatest so that all others are but toucht upon as in subserviency either to the Deifying or defying respectively of one of these to clear away that fog and smoak which thou raisest about them both to the thickning and darkning of the Sun and Ayr so that none can see either of them clearly through thy cloudy collation thereupon is the chief intent and likely to be the chief and utmost extent of this present Answer 2 As to the Tongue wherein it treats excepting here and there a little Hebrew and for shew sometimes more then service a penful or two of Greek interlin'd in both parts and now and then two or three licks of Latine among the English thy Book stands divided into two parts viz. Latine and English a Cloven Tongue of another nature then those that sate upon the Apostles and these are as the two Horns of that second double-fac'd Beast that is as the Lamb and yet speaks like the Dragon wherewith thou pushest at thy Opposers on the right hand as well as on the left even not only at thy own Brethren the Protestant Divines when they please thee not by Divining the contrary to thy peremptory peculiar Positions and preheminent pratings together with that blind Brood of the first ten-horn'd Beast of Rome to whom both thou and all thy Brethren though in many things ye justly band against them are Brothers in nature still and of neerer Kin then ye well ken or wot of but also against the true People of God These two general parts each of which is prefaced with an Epistle also in language like it self stand divided and subdivided more particularly within themselves viz. the English into two Treatises which subdivide themselves the one into six Chapters the other though falsly figured into eight the Latine into four Apologetical Exercitations as thou call'st them for the Holy Scriptures against as thou call'st the Quakers the Fanatical Ones of these Times Which fore-named divisions and subdivisions that are scarcely more divided from then against each other do all split themselves yet fuâ—ther into a new needless number of smaller Sections and Thâ—ses The two English Treatises which arise mostly from one and the same Spring or Head together with the other not God nor his Spirit nor yet the Scriptures but the Head of the Serpent which is to be bruised thy own brain vain invention and imagination run along treating to and fro in two distinct streams or Torrents awhile and at last having as thou sayst Arctissimum materiae doctrine consortium a neer coincidence of their matter with it and affinity in their subject by which the whole Trinity of them is drawn into that Unity to compleat thy double Doctrine far from the Scriptures for the Scriptures fall into one with the Latine Sourse or Lake of Lyes that burns more hotly then the rest in wrath against the Quakers And having there lodg'd and center'd thy two English Discourses and drawn them into one with this verifying herein that old true saying Vis unita fortior thou ventest that venome in stronger streams and spittest out that spite more fluently and in fuller floods against the Qua. which was in some few places only sprinkled out upon them before and filling up what was behind of thy flattering false Applauses of the naked Letter which with some of the same that were used before and some new super-eminent undue Titles thouâ— here also magnifiest beyond the bounds and measure of all modesty and truth hoping belike to appear approved of Christ as one of note in his service what disservice soever thou do him otherwise so long as thou art found saying something though Hoc aliquid nihil est as good thou hadst said just nothing as no more to the purpose and raking and skimming and scraping out of thy own thoughts some ample Apologies for the Scriptures thou fillest up thy measure of mad mirth against that true inward Light of God and its Children that testifie unto it as that which is to be preferred before the Letter and was before it as that which the Letter was given forth from despising these as in thy English Epistle p. 28. p. 30. under the as false as foul terms of poor deluded Fanatical Qua. pretending to be guided by an Infallible Spirit that oppose the whole truth about the Word of God so there under the abusive clamours against and charges of them even by whole-sale as Fanatical ones that are notoriously known by their errours and foolishness who are driven by the power of an Evil Spirit
in the like lame cause who belabouring your selves in talk about the Letter against the Light live and walk more by the false fire and twinkling flash of your own thred-bare thoughts and infatuated imaginations then either by the Letter or the Light I come now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without much Preamble or more ado ad rem substratam to the businesse and work it self as it lies before me And howbeit I shall not regard any External form order or methodical manner of proceeding with you so much as words and matter of profit and truth it self yet as there is a Quaternity of you or rather a Fraternity of four angry Fighters or Quarrellers with the Quakers and the truths told by them viz. I. O. T. D. I. T. R. Baxter all whom first or last one where or other more or lesse I shall have to do with So though not therefore I shall divide my ensuing undertakings against you in the Name and Power of God on their behalf in such wise as thou I. O. dost thy Doctor-like Divinity Disputations or Latine-labours against them viz. into four Apologetical Exercitations or Earnest Expostulations with you The first whereof is to be more down-rightly directed to thee T.D. the rest who are of the same misty mind with thee not excluded in way of Examination of that Legend of Lyes which thou like some great Benefactor to it bestowest on the Clergies Cause against the Truth and its Children and as concerning the point of Iustification in special which thou makest thy self a main Mannager of against us for all the rest who say little of it and in which thou by thy lies about it in both Doctrine and matter of fact most basely abusest both thy self and the Truth and my self in particular and all the Qua. in general also The second is to be most peculiarly directed to thee I. O. in Examination of sundry of thy base belyings and misreportings of the Qua. as to their mis-behaviour toward the Scripture about which T. D. who sides with three therein doth but give us a short snap and away and as concerning the very formal being nature Text or Letter or the Scripture it self ye call your Canon the Bâ—unds or measure of that your supposed Canon the Hebrew Punctaâ—ion Integrity of the Text to a Tittle without Various â—ection and such like passages which thou more preheminently pratest on then all thy Fellows The third is to relate though partly to T. D. and partly to I. T. and R. B. alâ—o as being all three in some sort tampering together with thee in the same muddy manner about at least some of the same mistaken matters yet principally to thee I. O. who in the dark dream of thy night Vision drivest on more down rightly as the Prime Promoter of these Principles viz. that the Scripture and every sylâ—â—â—le and Iota thereof is the Word of the Great God the most efficacious powerful all-sufficient all-perfecting heart-searching soul-saving living life-giving Word of the living God that it even that outward writing Letter External Text and not any such thing as an Internal Word of God Spirit or Light within is the only Infallible Guide Incorruptible Canon perfect Rule of all Faith holy life saving Spiritual Knowledge or Worship the most certain Sanctuary for the preservation of all Sacred Truth the most sure Touch-stone stable standard firm Foundation true Witness of God the most invariable inviolable way of safety and security to all Divine Verity the most absolutely necessary means of Spiritual and Eternal life cum multis aliis quae nunc praescribere longum est with much more id genus of the same soure leven too long to be reckon'd up here sith they are all to be elsewhere reckon'd with in due time and place The fourth will be promiscuously and interchangeably carried on by way of entercourse with you both I. O. and T. D. which two only were intended to be by me so much as medled with when I first was throughly resolv'd on some Reply to your rude reproachings of the Truth As concerning your denial of the universality and sufficiency to save such as heed it of the Light and Grace of God in all mens hearts of modern immediate Divine Inspiration of Perfection as to the purging away of sin in this life and as concerning your Dream of a peremptory Election and Reprobation of persons unborn viz. of very few to life and of many to one as unchangeably to damnation without respect to their doing good or evil in their life about all which as occasion is I must have in a few words a round reckoning with you both I. T. R. B. and all the rest of that self-reverencing black-mouth'd Brotherhood as blindly banding in one body in the self-same mist of darkness not excluded for the Rounds ye run in as to those particulars at the latter end i. e. in the said fourth and last part of these foresaid Presents in which as occasion is ye four aforesaid Fellow-Fighters for your own follies against Gods Wisdome are likely little or more to be all bespoken in one or other of the Chapters into which also I shall subdivide the fore named four divisions If ye four Foxes that spoil the Vine and her tender Grapes whereof inter-scribendum one successively still started out afresh upon me as I was pursuing the sent and chasing the other had like those of Sampsons turned tail to tail in all points as in some ye do and took several wayes ye could not so well have been caught altogether as now ye may notwithstanding all your Majestical craft but sith ye face all one way and joyntly steer your course in general to one Cave running parallel into the same Wood of your own wisdome there housing your selves in the same holeÌ„ dreaming altogether of no danger neer you in one Den of Darkness there needs no more but to set something to the Mouth of that bottomless Pit ye all belong to out of which the Fox-like strong sent and stinking savour of your erroneous Tenets vents it self to the poysoning of poor peoples Souls throughout the whole Countryes where your respective beings are and so digging you out of your foresaid Dens put you altogether into a Bag. S.F. The First Apologetical and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. FIrst then though they came out last and began to fly abroad some while after I. Owens yet I shall begin with thy two Butterflyes T.D. which have flown up and down the World not only upon the wind of their own wings but also as fast and far as they could carry them upon the light chaffy leaves of the whiffling News-books for some few moneths together to the frightning of all such folk as are befool'd into an Implicit Faith of thy folly to be wisdome out of that little wisdome they have by that fearful flutter they have made thorowout as well the Cities as Vniversities and Countryes with that falâ—e flashy and fair-flourishing
seest not with my eyes that his people should see with his eyes understand with his understanding take things in his sence be of his mind be moulded in their meanings after the Image of his vain Imagination but I say to you all O ye people of Sandwich you must see with your own eyes as the Just must live by his own Faith or else ye will fall with your blind Guide into the Ditch and if yee come to see with your own you 'l see we have cause to Complain of T. D.'s both altering our words and adding to them though it be as to quantity but little thou hast added yet as to quality it is so much as egregiously wrongs us howbest I must needs say so much for thee T. D. and that 's the best I can say to help thee with thy Additions to our words are not by far so Voluminous as thy Ablations from them are thy Rendition of our Argaments is Rude Ragged wrong enough in all Reason yet 't is not so much by way of Additanent as Ablation and detraction as I shewed above our discourses to thee whilst thy own to us are repeated generally by the Dative are Rendered mostly by the Ablaâ—iuâ— Case being rehearsed well nigh totally all away I know thou say'st thou hast not diminishâ—d from our words but that thy dimination of thy deceitfull doings is but an Addition to thy falshood and no little Aggravation of thy lies for which thy unfaithfull dealings with us and misrepresentation of those matters as well as for many more misreports into which the lying spirit hath spawn'd itself forth over â—undry pages of thy whole trifling Pamphlet and especially throughout thy Narratives Annexed at the ends of both thy Babbles so farr will thy pretended fence of a few Gentlemen and false Ministers be from freeing thee from the suspition thereof that all faithfull hearers of those discourses and Impartiall Readers of thy Ragged Relation of them will lay thee under the Condemnation of not only a partiall Relator but of a very Lyaâ— also against the truth as to matters of Account and not a few matters of fact about which thou abusest and beâ—yest the Quakers both in thy cart Accountative and in thy much more notorious Narrative pieces of business which for severall Remarkable follies of thy own therein expressed are as much as any that I know ejâ—â—dem farraginis meritoriously to be marked for a pair of white ones nigro carbone while they have a being under the Sun which after a few more breif Animadversions on thy Epistles I am yet in hand with I shall address to take some Remarkable notice of T. D. Thou say'st thou hast followed thy Antagonisi G. W. step by step and omitted nothing that hath the least colour or shew of Reason unless where thou makest a reference to thy former Book to avoid Repetition lest he should say that like a Child thou skippest what thou canst not Read Only thou confessest thou art not able to match him at his Belinsgate Rhetorick nor would'st thou with Jonah â—e as hot as the Sun that Scalds thee Rep. Thou may'st well say indeed in one or two senses thou followest him for I with all the hast thou mak'st and the best Leggs of Reason thy Ridiculously short Reply to him stands and runs on thou neither reachest nor overtakest G. W. much less 〈◊〉 get before or go beyond him but art found as far behind him in the understanding of the misteries of the Gospell the Spirit and the world â—o come as the wild bruit Beast of the Forrest is behind the naturall mâ—n in the knowledge of the things of nature and this world Poor vain man thou wouldst be wise and taking upon thee to teach those at whose feet'â—would be thy wisdome much more to sit down and learn and so thou sayst to G. W. â— 3 seeing you do not understand I le teach you â— in a matter wherein any but the blind may see by thy Raw delivery of thy self in it thou hast not half learnt thy lesson thy self and wherein as thou hast not a little need of it so thou maist thy self possibly be taught a little otherwise by and by in its proper place and thou are yet but as the wild Asses Colt Ranging in the Wilderness snuffing up the Wind of thy own Wisdom yet there is a time werein thou must be taken tamed and brought to beare and made to see thy self to be as far short of G. W. as one in the fall is of him that is risen again into the innocency Thou followest G. W. the Quakers as the Egyptians did Israel and as the Dragon doth the Woman Cloathed with the Sun that beares the manchild Christ Iesus breathing our malice flinging out a stood of falshood wherewith to cause her to be carryed away but thy Charriot Wheels drive on so heavily that though thou persuest at the heels yet thou wilâ— never reach further then the heel which is all that the Serpents Head which is to be bruised by her avails to hurt yea the very earth it self shall be made to help the woman to swallow up thy flood of Lies and Blasphemies rather then they shall ere be of force for the futâ—re as they have been formerly to overwhelm her As for thy step by step alas poor man G. W. makes such steps to his feet as are much too strict streit for thine to tread and stand in where he is thou in that nature and Wisdome thou yet abidest in canst not come there 's a Gulf between whether he goes thou canst not follow him unless thou loose thy life as thou art loath to do and dye with him and Christ and all Saints that death of the Cross to thy own Carnall will which while in little better then that Woodden way wherein the Papists prate of the Cross of Christ thou in thy vain mind art prating about thou knowest the power of not so much perhaps as many or at best little more as yet then the most of them so farr art thou from following G. W. who as Paul did followeth Christ not in an outward empty Apish way of imitation or setting himself to do what he reads or heares Christ did in which yet thou art farr short of following Christ too but acting speaking moving living worshipping walking in by and from the same Light and Spirit as Christ did which thou art â—o farr from walking by that with I. O. and others thou for the letters sake which yet thou errest from rejectest it as no Rule for thee to walk by And as for that very kind of following him step by step thou meanest who talk'st as if thou had'st traced thy Antagonist to a tittle left nothing of his book unanswered thou hast rather anâ—wered little or nothing of it at all for as in thy second part to the same tune there is fere nil dictum quod non dictum prius scarce ought said of
they cant see over if but a Mot it s sooner seen in a Brothers ey then a Beame by them in their own if it be but some pittifull passage not fit to be Printed a Narrative must be made of it as of some Remarkable Passage that can't be omitted if but as Ridiculous a thing to Relate as Serious in it self it must be related to move Fools to Laugh at it but Wise men will Laugh most at its Relator T.D. As to thy Conclusion of thy second Narrative which is a desire of thy Reader to peruse the Qua. Answer to the Questions thereto annexed which were proposed to and Answered by Ioseph Fuce whereto thou settest both his name and answers to them Rep. I say thus much to thee that howbeit thou hast set down so much of I. Fs. return as neither thy silly self nor Io. Corbet the Priest who put forth the Queries and was accordingly answered above two years ago by Io. F. will ever be able to render any Reasonable Reply to for if ye could have refuted them the Press was as open for your Reply to them as your bare Narration of them and so much as will stand over your heads for ever as a Testimony of the Duncicall Darkness and Groaâ—able Blindness of you both in the Misteries of the Gospell of which for silthy lucres sake ye do but fancy your selves to be the Ministers yet either one or both of you two V pers have done the best or rather the worst ye could to abuse both Io. F. and the Qua. and the truth by that Cut-short Counterfeit Account thou T.D. givest the world of those Queries and Answers that passed between Priest Corbet and Ioseph Fuce For there were 17 Queries put by thy Couzen Corbet every one of which were at large and as to any likelihood of their being answered by you unanswerably Replyed to by Io. F. of which 17 thou bring'st out but eight 2. As thou bringest out not one half of Corbets Queries so I judge I may safely say not so much as the 20th part of I.F. his Answers but only here and there some such broken bits and pieces of them as ye thought would represent them as weak and naked to mens aspect though indeed as piece-meal as ye have rendred them they may well be left to stand against all your Priestly Prate and pedling pelting at them Why did ye not seeing ye had a Quarrell at them publish every inch of all I. F. his Answers to the 8 Queries ye have set down yea why not all the 17 Queries and the whole of his returns to each of them together with your own Replyes to those his Returns that men might be undeceived by you that call your selves their Ministers and take on you to be their Masters so as to teach them truth since ye deem them to be deceived by I.F. his Doctrines and then ye had saved your selves from the guilt and censure of that guile and deceit that now ye are found in while ye are found shuffling and cutting picking and culling out here and there a â—aying leaving out such adjoyning sentences yea somtimes that half of the same sentence which being set down would have shew'd his true sence of the whole which ye scrue and wrest as far as ye can tell how into another then that intended by him Expertus loquor I speak what I know having whether I shall Print it or no I yet know not the whole entire Copy by me of those Queries and Answers amounting in all to two sheets thy Cutted Account whereof comes not neer to the 8th part of one Surely either one or both of you two Brethren in iniquity T.D. I. Corb saw ye could not Reply to them and so had made a swinging Rod for your Tayls and slasht your selves as foundly therewith also had ye put forth the whole truth which ye have not told the Tithe of whereupon ye have thrust out only some meer fragments of it with as much manglement of them too as ye well durst make and with no other then this dribling answer of thine T.D. p. 6 of thy second Narrative viz Surely by these Principles in Conjunction with the rest in the Book to which this Narrative is annexed though the said Principles remain as unrefuted as impossible to be refuted by T.D. the Qua. have for ever forfeited the name of Christians and are to be reputed Heathens T.D. Thou tel'st and that twice over viz. in thy Narrative and in thy Witness W. W's reinforcing Reply to L. H. a Tale of L. H s saying The Priests shall be destroyed by the people called Qua. Rep. But L. H. hath already so sufficiently disproved that in his Reply to thy 〈◊〉 styled the Devils how unstringed by three persons who as I laid above testifie his words to have been otherwise and so prov'd thy Witness Will Winâ—field Minister of Word to be no Minister of the Word of truth nor such a Godly Minister as thou printest him out for who can joyn so cordially with thee in printing lyes that I need say nothing yet that the Preists shall be destroyed by the Qua. though L. H's words were not so is true enough I here affirm it yet not by outward Gan Sword or carnal Weapon but by the Sword of the Spirit or Word of God in their mouths Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord Zach. 3. T. D. Thou sayst in the second page of E. B's Book or word of Advice to the Souldiers he bids them give the Ministers or Priests blood to drink for they are worthy Rep. True enough that the Priests will have as much blood as they are worthy of from the Lord though the Qua. desire the salvation of their souls and bodies too if yet it may be and the destruction of nothing but that sin blindness and darkness which destroyeth them in both Howbeit in the second page of E Bill's book unless there be another of his or of E. Bur's so stiled I find no such words as thou artes est to be there on thy own personal knowledge and so all thy proofs of thy Grand Lye for ought I see fail thee and Lie in the Lake together with it Many more absurd and foolish frivolous tales thou tellest that â— omit but two more of thy lying accusations of the Qua. more Remarkable then all the rest of those Remarkable passages of thy two for nothing more then the many lies thereof most Renowned Narratives remain yet to be Remarked that all may see how thou and thy heard of hearers and drove of ear-wigs have not so much me al honesty as to speak truth in matters of fact which is the very fault thou chargest us with and the worse in thee sith Turpe est Doctori cum culpa red arguit ipsum And then I shall be at liberty to take a view of the many Lyes of thy Doctrine Thoâ—e two one whereof is prosecuted in thy last
Councel and receive his word from his mouth to learn of Christ in silence with all subjection to hear his voice which his sheep only hear though swinish Scribes may search the Scriptures to enter by him who is the Door to bear hiâ— Cuâ—â—â— and follow him to pray preach write dispute and do all that I am cal'd to in the lâ—ght in the movings of his Spirit theâ—e all and an hundâ—ed more that might be nam'd are Ordinances of God which I am under and yourselves above who are clambering up another way in your own thoughts councâ—ls wisdâ—m and understanding above his light in the conscience that is the Door which till Ye lofty over-lookers of it the flying fowls of the air the hâ—gh-flown Climbers above vouchsafe to stoop and come down to ye shall never enter into the Sheepfold finally a holy life and that pare Religion that is undefiled before God while all the Religion of imture unbridled Lyaâ—s Wantons Wordlings c stinks before him and is defiled which is to keep a mans self unspotted of the world also to do Good works to be zealous of Good Works to be rich in good works to be wâ—ll reported of for good works to shew our selves Paterns of good works to learn to maintain be careful to maintain good works as necessary which â—ome because O V R works none of which are good the best of which are all evil further then wrought in Christ the light and by Christ in us are of none would make of none effect as to our acceptance with God and to walk in the good works which in Christ Iesus whoâ—e workmaâ—shâ—p we are we are created unto which God hath before Ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. theâ—e are Ordinance of God which 't were well for you all if you were as much under the observance of as ye are under the obliuiâ—n of which I neither did nor do nor dare say I am above though as I desire I never may so by the grace and power of Christ to me ward I do not live so far below them as Thousands do who are both above and below them also too proud of their fine forms to be brought down to the plain power and too much sunk down over head and ears in earth lust luxury love of money pleasure wordly-mindedness and buried in blindness brutishness and sensuality to be brought up and rais'd into any heavenliness of conversation yet all crying out of them as denyers of Gods Ordinances that live in the very life and substance of those lifeless Images and shadowy parts thereof which they only call so I affirm therefore here before God and all men that I never affirmd of my self in these Terms in which its here Testifiâ—d viz. that I was above Ordinances and for thy self T.D. and thy two witnesses to it T.F. and T.B. who are three Thomas'es very faâ—thlâ—â—â— and hard to believe the truth and for your faithlesness as hardly to be believed whether you will believe me yea or nay as its false that you here witneâ—s so the witness of all three of you against me in this will be of no more force to fright any friends of Truth into the faith or belief of what you say then so many leaps of a louse since ye are found deceiving or at best deceived in your other so credible information And as for the things viz. Baptism and the Supper which yourselves call Ordinances and keep such a quarter for as if they were the main matters which God hath Oâ—dained which only can lay true claim to the foresaid Title I might possibly say then as I shall plainly now not in any way of 〈◊〉 whateâ—er is of God though but as a Type and shadow in its time and season that to such as are grown throw those Elementary institutions into the Life of God which is the end and substances they Relate to they may be useleâ—s as to their own particulars as the light of a Candle is where the Sun shines yet I deny not the use of them to such as are not satisfied as to the Lord unless they use them But most people either I abuâ—e them and themselves in the use of them who neither knowing their right end nor use nor manner of administration do either chanâ—e and alter them into Images of their own making both in their Subject and their form and thus all Rantizers of Infants do and all feeders of Dogs and Swine with that bread and wine which they call the Supper for these things are not that outwaâ—d washing and supping which were used of old as meer figures and Images of the true but sigments and fooleries and Images of their own Imagining not â—o much as the Bodily Baptism which Iâ—hn baptizeth with but a trashy Tâ—adition of man which who so teach for a Doctrine or Ordinance of God do worship God but in vain not the true outside or shadow of the Supper for that is not a coming together into one place which is to decrease and vanish before the internal and â—ternal which increaâ—eth and is to stand nor the external sign of the True Cup and Table of the Lord but in Truth the very Cup and Table of Devils where drunkards and Swerers Lustfulness and all sorts of sinners and walkers beside the light who say they have fellowship with God but lye and have none sit in fellowship with their Father the Devil Or else secondly dote upon and Idolize those graven Images of their own which if they were as truly the things in use of old as 't is true they are but new inventions of their own yet as the brazen Serpent they must be but Nehushâ—an when once mens hearts go a whoring after them from that which is the end of them all and come not to Christ Iesus the Image and rigteousness of God and to witnesse that wrought and even him who is that Image brought forth and formed in them but continue poring upon those Rudiments or like one that falls in love with his own Image in the water and for love thereof goes down under it and drownes himselfe therein run down so deep into them as to lose themselves from the other and draw such a thick vaile over their hearts as the Iewes so as not to look much lesse enter into the end of the law of which is to be abolished that is of carnall Commandments contained in Ordinances which are not of the new but of the old Covenant which is long since ready to vanish which stood in earings and drinkings and divers Baptismes carnall Ordinances bodily exercises outward Observations in which the Kingdome of God stands not which is in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Spirit so that he who in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men For those meer Rites and Rudiments of washing eating drinking had their first being beginning rise and institution as Circumcision Passeover sacrifices and such
otherwise Christs own works absit blasphemia are no more works and of no such force and worth as thou blushest not to blaspheme so as to say they are not p. 17. as to merit justification Yea so necessarily is it of such good works as are wrought in us by Christ that otherwise grace it selfe were no more grace for what grace is that of being so or so so long as we are not in truth so as we are accounted to be accounted justified accounted accepted with God and accounted his Children heirs of his Kingdom Righteous Holy saved from our sins which whiles they abide the wrath of God abides and condemnation and cursing hangs over the head of the Subjects thereof and yet not really to be so as none are and as nemine contradicente without all contradiction none can know themselves to be till Sanctification which is the evidence for heaven and that which to us and all men shewes our Title to all the foresaid Priviledges and Prerogatives doth appeare upon us I say what grace is all this What Salvation from sin whiles sin remaines What Redemption from the and curse the effects of sin while sin the cause thereof rests on us unremoved all this faith of the favour of God is but fiction this hope of heaven but vain groundlesse heartlesse and frustraneous this divination of T.D. a meer dream of a hungry thirsty man that dreames he eats and drinks but as it s said before his soul is empty and when he awakes behold its another matter Oh but quoth T.D. the Spirit of God the 3d person in the Trinity he does apply the righteousnesse of Christ to us to our justification and so we are justified perhaps say you Qua. what you will and not upon account of Sanctification of us by his work grace of in our hearts and so that phrase justified by the Spirit which ye insist so much on 1 Con. 6.11 may be meant of the Spirits application Rep. Mark Reader for having run throw the other 3. I return now to the 1st of the 4. Scriptures that we urged from and T.D. answers so lamely to T.D. sayes perhapse it s meant of the Spirits application to which I say 't were better for T. D's cause if it might be so meant but for one reason I shall shew it may not must not cannot unlesse T.D. means a nigher kind of Application then I am sure he does for if by justified by the Spirit be there meant of the Spirits outward Application onely or imputation of Christs Righteousnesse without us to our justifying before God then the work of the Spirits washing and sanctifying us also must be meant of the Spirits outwaâ—d Application only and meer imputation of the cleannesse and holinesse of Christ to us for our washing and Sanctification for Paul sayes the same of them they all hang on one string and must run the same way and be taken in the same sense relating all to that one Author thereof the Spirâ—â— Such viz. Drunkards Effeminate Adulterers c. Were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified by the Spirit of our God so if one 1 justification be by externall application onely then the other viz. our washing and sanctifying is but by such an empty application and outward Imaginaâ—y account and imputation onely and not by the inward Holy operations of the Spirit And indeed all your grace is one part of it as well as another by such outward Application and meer Computation onely and not by any true Real internal Application of Christs Righteousness sufferings and blood to your Souls and Consciences to the purging of them from dead works to the true serving of the living God your Iustification is by imputation and outward Application your Washings Regenerations Sanctifications Holinesses Renovations and all ye have is by such a meer Imputation and Application of what is far off you in Christs person to your selves so that what ever he is in whom is no sin you will deem and dream that God deems you so to be upon nothing but a meer blind confidence and conceit that swimmes in your brain that 't is so when 't is no such thing God knows and so as one that being at the North of Scotland hungry and naked should in his thoughts onely apply a garment or a mess of meat to himself that 's as far off him as the South of England must needs perish for want on 't if it be brought and applyed no neerer to him then so so you in all your Applications of Christ and what ever is in him who is as far off as Heaven whil'st you are but on earth far enough from thence the Lord knows must necessarily faint famish perish pine and starve till ye come to witness Christ and the Robes of his Righteousness and Holiness within your selves and eat his flesh and drink his blood and put him on a little more effectually then ye do by all your dead faith and your eatings and drinkings of bread and wine for all your imagined Spirits applyings and imputings by which that the whole world which dâ—th already may and you together with it lye still in wickedness ye are ever dispelling and disputing all true inherent hâ—liness out of doorâ— And so being but in a meer Aery talk and vain thought of things that ye are in them when ye are out of them and not doers your selves of what ye hear Christ hath done for you before as an ensample that ye should by his Power in the leadings of his Light and Spirit do the same ye do but deceive your own Souls and as both Paul and Iames who both agree and we with them against you in this do truly tell you as Righteous and Religiâ—us as ye seem to be to your selves and each to other all your Religion is but vaâ—n and your hopes that ye are this and that in the account of God that ye are Iust and Pure when really ye are nothing so will prove abortive and as that of the hypocrite when the Lord takes away his Soul no other then the giving up the Ghost for Gal. 6.3,4 if any man think himself to be something and that he is thought of God for that holiness which is in another without him to be something when he is nothing and witnesseth neither that other nor his holiness within himself he deceiveth himself but let every man prove his own work and what he doth by the Spirit of Christ within himself of the Will of God and then shall he have Rejoycing with in himself alone or at least alsâ— and not in another Person without him onely and he that glorieth will glâ—â—y in the Lord Christ in him the hope of glory in the Lord in himself in whom the Seed of Israel finds Righteousnesse and strength and Salvation from the sin is Iustified and shall glory I a. 45. 21 22 23 24 25. or not every one that commendeth himself
any Critick pleases and as no Authority to us at all as they in their basenesse and hatred of it which I condemne do say it is of as 't is my continual exercise in works to do it so do I here in plain words exalt the Scripture which they so debase and state it over all that their Trash and aforesaid Trumpery even on the very top of all their long Train of Traditions and over the archest Tittle of the Tripple Crown the proudest pinacle of Peters now un Peter-like painted Temple the highest point of that pompous pious piteous Pillar and ground of Truth the choicest Chapiter of that holy Church and infallibly erring infallible Chair Thus doing I shall be own'd at last if not by I. O. and such as have his dimme Doings as tâ—ey have his person in admiration because of advantage yet by all unbyassed beholders of both our undertakings for the Scripture to be no more a pander for the Papists as I am more belyed then believed to be the lying Tribe of Levi then for himself but a just plain and impartial Pleader for the Scripture against them both and a doer of Right to those holy Writings which are egregiously wronged by both Papists and Protestants as between Two parties of partial Praters Pro and Con about them by one of which they are scarcely more sottishly and Satanically for Superstitions sake Abhorred then unduly and Superstitiously Adored by the other For howbeit thou deemest thy self and those thy self Reverencing fellow Students of it to whom thou Dedicatest thy Endeavours to Vindicate it to be such as value the Scripture as much as any thou knowest yet there are many whom thou knowest not but supposest to be sleighters and disowners of it who if to own value and exalt it be to ascribe all that to it which it assumes to it self to Preach and practise that holy Life which is the end of it and to give it its due and no more as indeed it is do own value honour and exalt the Holy Scripture much more and much more truly then any of your self-exalting selves who saving your fair Speeches for it and your fawnings on it Ore tenus your common aiëry and meer verbal Commendations thereof and of your selves as valuers thereof do yet in truth no more value or honour it then the Iewes whose grand Idol that is as the whole is yours at this day do their own owned part thereof of whose dotage in that kind I have in sundry Nations been an Eye-witnesse in not a few of their Synagogues who Adorn and carry it about as ye do your Bibles more beautified without then your selves are within and lift it up with loud noises especially when these words are read viz. He shall magnifie the Law and make it honourable when yet the Truth it makes mention of hath no Mansion in their minds to the renewing of them yea I may truly say you do more undervalue the Scripture by your advancing it above it self and over-valuing and worshipping it so much as ye do in your words whilst alienated from the Light it came from and calls to in your Works and Lives then some of the Synagogue of very Rome it self who in lips and lives too do undervalue it by how much Deceit and Hypocrisie is far greater Iniquity then 't is for men openly to disown what Cordially they do not own and to pretend to be no better Friends to it then indeed they are and by how much as all is not Gold that glisters so all that which by its glistring would fain seem to be Gold when it is but Drosse is worse then that which both is Drosse and seems to be so Yea those that undervalue the Scripture so as to set Traditions above it and they that overvalue it so as to set the Light below it both these must come under Condemnation from me as being both Abomination to the Lord before whom witness the Brazen Serpent and Christs Apostles Acts 14.11 to 19. whom the people did worse in Worshipping as Gods then if they had not heeded but hated them as of the Devil it may be worse to overvalue then to undervalue many things which may be of his own Appointment So that ye have little need to decry against Papists as Decryers of the Scriptures and lesse to link us the Quakers and Papists together as Adversaries in Common to the Scriptures as if your selves were the only Patrones thereof for as Anti-Papistical as ye seem to be about the Scriptures yet ye will be found Acting not more against them then though in a different way from the Papists against the Scriptures And howbeit thou taylest us and the Papists together figuring us out by thy fine Tale of the aforesaid Foxes as falling from and fighting against each other and yet both fellow-friends against the Scripture That is false as urged and uttered with that referrence to the Papists and Quakers as joynt Injurers of the Scriptures wherewith thou ridiculously Relatest it but true enough yea too too true If Related in that right Referrence which it bears toward the Papists and your Selves yea Quid Rides be not so merry I. O. about the Mouth for De te mutato nomine Quakers Fabula narratur thou thinkest thou hast shrewdly hurt thy meer fancied Fanatick Foes with a flap of a Fox-Tayle but in that Tale thou hast but made a Rod for thy own Tayle for verily he that hath but half an Eye and by thy mentioning thereof is minded to search where and to whom thy Simile best suits will find how causelesly and incongrously thou crowdest the Papists and Quakers so closely together as Companions in thy abusive Comparison and how aptly it may rather be Applyed to that Romish Synagogue and your Selves to whom it comes as nigh as four feet if any Simile can truly be said to run on all four can well carry it and who as much as ye dissent not only in diverse other matters but also about the Scripture it self the one for and the other against the perfection purity integrity authority and excellency of the meer Text and bare Letter of it do yet concur as closely and come as nigh to one another in denyal of the Truth and Doctrine thereof as four pence comes to a Groat Yea the Truth is your selves and they are far more fitly figured by those fiery-Tayld Foxes which tended two several wayes yet ended in one and the self same work of Destroying the Philistims Corn whil'st turning tayl to tayl and drawing into your two different Extreames one sort crying up Unwritten Traditions to be the most perfect Rule above the Scripture the other crying up the Outward Letter as the most perfect Rule above the Internal Light Word and Spirit which gave it forth ye not only fill the World as with so many Fire brands with your fiery Contentions so that like that Corn which failed when it felt the fire it fell together by the
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâ—ially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
Spirit but the dark Lanthorn of their own Imagination Ah poor deluded Soul I. O. whom I pitty more really and unfeignedly then thou the Quakers and for pitties sake dare not spare sharpnesse towards thy proud-fleshly Wisdom that interposes and opposes it self against the Light and Power of God in a shew of Science falsly so called that thy Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thou talkest of certainty of thy Rule which is the Letter and of stedfast Relief against all Vncertainty thereby Alas poor heart whence come all those huge heaps and whole Chapters of Vncertainty it self which thy Tâ—o Treatises doth wholly stand in but from that utter Vncertainty that is in thy meerly literal Rule which thou there Treatest upon that is so far from stedfastnesse that thou art forced to Confesse more variety in it at last then at first entrance to Treat on its fixednesse thou wast either witting or willing enough to do which Rule or Letter as much as it hath been and is capable to be wrested is not by far at such uncertainty in it self as ye that Profess to be Ruled by it and stand upon it as your Basis are at endlesse odds and infinite uncertainty in your Conjectures and Guesses about it insomuch that it grieves me not a little for your sakes to see your Souls so sunk over Head and Ears in Confusion and confused Noises about it in which the sweet still voice and silent whisperings of the Spirit of Christ within can have no Audience in that crowd of Pro and Cons that ye are cumbred with about your very Foundation which ye have not found yet so as to this day to abide fixt and firm or to be quiet concerning it in any Academies upon earth but in vain Ianglings in all Corners thereof from one end of Christendom to another Yea I professe in the sight of God that in such grief and bowels I write about it that this Page and Passage passes not from under my Pen without being watered with many Tears for your sakes whom I see perishing by your own Iuglings unlesse happily ye will yet be pull'd as Brands out of the fire And in no wise think I.O. that I am so Angry at your Folly which the Deceit may suggest unto you as offended at the Enmity it self that flyes up within you and befools you And seeing that thou I.O. seemeth to beg wish and hope for such a thing Crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in case of novelty of Points and variety of Lections as nor seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth that those who have more Wisdom and Learning and are able to look throw all the Digladiations that are like to ensue on these Principles would nather take the pains to instruct thâ—e and such as thou art then be angry or offended with you that ye are not so wise or learned as themselves And desiring such as are shaken in mind to read the useful Miscellany Notes of as thou callst him the Learned Mr. Pocock Reply 1. Not as one Angry or Offended that ye are not so Wise or Learned as my self Nor 2. As one pretending to much of that ye call Wisdom and Learning which lyes more in outward Tongues Arts or Sciences falsly so called then in that of the Spirit for want of which Peter calls men never so wise and well Learned otherwise both unlearned and unstable and for all their buste buslings about it not Openers but Wresters of the Scripture to their own ruine which shelly shallow Theory into things of that nature perhaps I have forgotten more of for the naked Gospels sake then many of our Preachers of the Gospel for Pay ever learned and yet have enough left whereby to discern many Country Teachers or Doctors to be Dunces in it yet what ever my measure is more or lesse further then as an Earthly Talent foolish Instrument or Wooden Tool for a long time laid aside and here taken up again to serve the Truth with against those that fight therewith against Truth it s utterly lost and become dung and losse it self to me for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord that Spirit in the Spirit and Truth in the inward parts And of that aforesaid thin foamy Speculation I acknowledge that many of you have not only much more then my long since Countrified self but much more also then either does good or does you good unlesse ye had more of the true Wisdom from above whereby to use it to a better end then ye do Yet 3dly As one who have obtained so much Mercy and Ability froÌ„ God to see throw all the Digladations that are likely to ensue on the Principles that are now in agitation among your selves as wel as between the Quakers and your selves I herein take so much pains as is worth so much Patience as ye men of War are like to have with me for so doing and tell you in the Name and Dread of the living God whether ye bear or forbear that the shakings of mind that are among the learned Lievtenants of Antichrist at their Gates of Hell as honest Iohn Hus and learned Luthur stiled the Vniversities about their own literal and fallible Foundation will assuredly end in the final fall of it as a Foundation and all the Digladiations of those swattering Sword-men who pretend to be fighting with the Sword of the Spirit about their supposed Sword of the Spirit i.e. the bare outward Letter which they mistake for the Word of God when in Reality they are at it with but the Scabbard about the Scabbard will end in no lesse then the very sheathing of the true Sword of the spirit in the bowels of the Babel builders that are so blindly busie about it in their divided speeches confounded languages and in the bringing down the Babel which ye all agree to build upon it whereby to over-top the light and Truth it self the Letter talks on the fall and coming down of which Tripple Tower of the Tripple Tribe of Levi the Clergy or lot as they call themselves of the Lords own Inheritance hath already raised from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nations and moved Hell from beneath to meet them Isa. 14.9 And what work more will attend this great Catastrophe of that Chaos even the Old Heaven and Earth the worldly Rudiments of which begin to melt and the frail foundations thereof to shake that they may remove and the New come in place that must remain will as the Lord lives make the Eares to tingle in a little time to come that now refuse to hear of it from the Tongues and Pens of the Lords Prophets to whom it is revealed and their minds amazed and their Hearts shake and shiver that harden themselves against the troublesome Testimony of it Wherefore if thou art in earnest in thy Enquiry I tell thee I.O. by way of Answer
to thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that if not only thy Rich Possession as thou stilest it of the Hebrew Punctation and that non-variety or unity and indentity of Lection in thy Copies but also all the Copies of the Original that are in the World and Translations too come utterly to moulder perish and passe away as the Originals themselves have long since done yet Truth is the same that it was before any Letter or outward Text of it was both Quoid Essentiam and Quoad Explicationem also in the Hearts and Consciences of all men in a measure and in such a measure in the minds of such as love it and walk in what of it is therein by the Light and Spirit of God made manifest that there 's no such need to them as there is to thy self and others who yet hatest the Light of such piteous Out-cryes as thou makest upon the Hypothesis aforesaid nor of such direful Affrightments and Amazements as over take and â—uâ—prize thee and all the Hypocrites and Sinners in Sioâ— whose Manition it self is now nothing but Magor Misabib fear round about while theirs who walk up ightly by the Light and live by iâ— which leads into the substance of the Lite it self the Letter calls for is the Manition of Rocks and Salvation it self which God appoints to them for Walls and Bâ—â—warks yea these dwell with that devouring fire and everlasting burnings which are now kindled by the Worlds wickednesse and burning down to Hell to the consuming the very Foundations of the Earth and with God himself who is a consuming â—re to the stubble and Câ—ass and Bryars and Thorns that are now set against him to battel and their daily bread is given them and their Waters shall be sure so that they shall not need with the Wicked whose Trust is in man upon whom the Curse of the Heat cometh who inhabit the parched places of the Wildernesse and must not know when the Good cometh nor taste of the streams that flow in the Desert nor of the Brooks nor of the Floods of Honey and Butter to send such hot and hasty Hae and Cryes as thou dost after a long since lost Letter to live upon to see if any can tell Tydings of every Tittle Apex and Iota thereof or else all Life of Truth is lost for ever if all these dead Things be not found restored recouered and revived to that Life they never had and Rendezvouz'd again out of the Romish Rubbish What shall such as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes and have come throw great Tribulation with him and washed their Râ—bes white in his Blood and been thereby Redeemed from the Earth and Tongues and Kind eds thereof and stand with him on Mount Sion and hear his voice as his sheep did of Old become such Babes and Idiots again as to think with thee and thy fellow Thinkers That all Truth 's lost if one Tittle of the Text of your Transcripts have been sâ—â—â—t by fallible Scribes in their Transcribings of it and to wander over the World from Library to Library Author to Author so their Thoughts from Academy to Academy with you universally betwaâ—ed university Wonderers after 〈◊〉 and Boyes Toyes and Couâ—ters and Tags and Pins and Points and Tittles and Iotaes and such Rich Possessions infinite Inheritances guilded Horn-book-geer Primer Promises Psalters and Old Testaments and Bibles and Books which they could read as perfectly as your selves long since as to the literal sense thereof which ye labour so about that ye have no leasure to learn and look into the Mastery of the holy matter it self and many more such Gay Trimmings and Trappings wherewith like Children that think themselves fine when they are bestangled and hung with Points our Academian Adorers of the dead Corps of their Conceited to a Tittle entirely true and exactly corrected Copies deem themselves above all men to be Adorned Shall we because thou seest none see no means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth it self if the Text wherein it s but 〈◊〉 be Translated totally away or but mis-Transcribed or misTranslated in some Tittles or but taken away from the Points that men at several Periods have put to it What silly suppositions are these to you supposed Seers or deemed true Teachers for shall we think our Learned Divines do not certainly Divine the Truth say the young Students and stupid starers upon the 〈◊〉 and stones they take Councel at who when all is done are but meer deâ—â—â—s and supposers and such as can Treat out no more but your thoughts about either that Sacred Antiquity of your present Punctation p. 211. or your so absolutely Asserted Integrity and Identity of your naked literal Text without any corruption of it by any mis-transcriptions or variety of Lections in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag 13.317 Yea verily whether we consider either one or t'other of these two bottoms that thou thinkest all Sacred Truth and certainty of it is so founded upon that if they fail all falls remedilesly for ever p. 18. Thou I. O. makest no provision for so much as the probable proof of these but leavest them both notwithstanding al thy seruple about them on the certainty of which thou makest all Truth everlastingly to depend as uncertain at least as they were without thy talk for them or if there be any alteration at all in the case of their uncertainty thou hast by thy hosty bandling of that matter made it more certain and out of doubt to me then it was before that the points are Novel and not Coaevous with the Consonants and that the letter is abundantly altered and corrupted in the very copies of the Original Text itself Take but a Review I.O. of some few of thy Thoughts upon these two matters and thou wilt discern if thou be not blinded that all the World may see thy overlashing Positions viz. That the points are coaevous with the first manuscripts and that the Text remains intirely the same in your Transcripts as at first giving out without any losse alteration or corruption to a Tittle are supported with no more then solely thy suppositions CHAP. IV. FIrst for the Punctation what positively thou affirmest of it in a Note above Ela is to be seen in thy Epist. Pag. 19. 20. 25. and in thy Book Pag. 211. 216. 220. 225. 294. and throwout the whole Four and Five Chapters of thy Second Treatise At present wee 'l see how piteously thou underproppest thy Opinion about it with the putting in of thy meer Imaginations to other mens and not to say Imposing but Opposing thy Suppositions taken from the meer suppositions of such Learned Authors as thou sidest with against the more solidly grounded suppositions of such as were are and are confessed by thy self to be Learned as well as they and how thou confessest thou Answerst one Conjecture no otherwise then with another and standst thrusting with thy weak wonted Weapon of
O. what Text of Scripture God ever made such a Promise in concerning the Text or the Scripture that he would in his Care and Providence preserve every Titt'e of that outward Writing for his Church and his Words sake which was written at the motion of his Spirit so that it never should be so mis-transcribed in any Tittle of it but that in the Greek and Hebrew Copies not English mark that nor any Translated but only Transcribed Copies he would keep it from being so adulterated vitiated altered depraved and interpolated as not to be every jot the same verbatim as at first I say I. O. where is that Promise so made to this purpose which his Providence is so engaged to answer Is it in Isa. 59.22 the place thou quorest together with a whole nest of others to the same end p. 155. viz. Matth 5.18 1 Pet 1.25 1 Cor. 11. Matth. 28.20 not one of which make one jot of mention of the Letter Text or any Tittle thereof at all That in Isaiah there cited is hinted at and harp upon to the same Tune in 7 or 8 pages in thy 2d Treatise viz. 155 167 168 169 273 317 319. In all which more or less in whole or part thou talkest much of the Transcribers lying under a loving and careful aspect from the Promise and Providence of God in beir transcribing alluding all along to Iâ— 59.12 as if God had there engaged himself by Promise as it were to guide their hands that they should not erre in a Tittle for his Word and Churches sake but is there the least Tittle of such a Promise there made and look it â—ore again and see if there be such a thing touche upon in the least either expressly or implicity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou speakst or by consequence either immediate or far fetcht the words are these to the Church under the new Covenant or Gospel My words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of the Mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth for ever Here I confesse is a promise to keep his words in the mouths of his Servants under the Gospel in the latter dayes especially so that they shall by word of mouth and writing bear Testimony against the world to his Truth and Name even the whole seed of the Righteous successively for ever without fail as now they begin to do even â—abes and Sucklings out of whose mouths and stammering lips the Lord is speaking to reprove the world and the proud Doctors Pharisaical self-seeking Teachers and to convince all ungodly ones of their ungodly deeds and hard Speeches they speak against him in his Saints in whom he comes to Judgement but what 's this to the preservation of I. O's Greek and Hebrew Texts to a Tittle without alteration This is not spoken of the continuance of any outward Scripture but of that word of Faith in the heart and mouth which the Apostles Rom. 10. preacht to turn men to telling them 't was nigh and they need not look without for it was ever man so bemoped as to draw such a Conclusion as thou dost from that Scripture viz. that every Tittle of the Text of Scripture given out of old should be secured without one jot of losse to the worlds end and if that were the promise there made it was never made good since as is shewed above the Scriptures of sundry whole prophecies and Epistles written by inspiration are lost since then nay rather and indeed that Text produces a Truth which thou deniest that in the last dayes his word and Spirit shall be de novo so poured out shed abroad and planted in the heares of his handmaids and servants Sons and Daughters that they shall Prophesie and reach as of old by word of Mouth his word as put into them by God himself Yet I. O. I know not how often betakes himself to that Text to make good his talk of the eternal Entirenesse to a Tittle of his outward Text in the Greek and Hebrew Transcripts thereof without which the word is as true entire and secure as it is when the Text is entire when the Text is torn to pieces and every Tittle of it mouldred away Beside if that were a promise of preserving the Text it must evince the Text is to endure for ever world without end as the word it self doth for its never to depart for ever from the seed that it 's there promised to but I. O. confesses the Scripture is not to abide for ever in its use which is onely faith he Ex. 3. S. 39. presenti statui c. suited to our present state and say I as it shall cease as to it's use so once to its esse or very being Obj. And if I. O. urge as he does in effect that it 's true the Word and Doctrine and Truth is the thing promised to be continued for ever primarily but consequentially the Letter and it's Tittles for as much as without it be preserved in that and that be preserved entire to a Tittle the word it self cannot be preserved from corruption Rep. He had as good have told me as soon I should have believed him in it that because Moses by Gods appointment made an Ark to lay the Book Tables and Letter in the two Tables and Letter written on it could not last any longer then the Ark or be kept from being lost any where be not kept so entire that not one bit or scrap of it be broken or lost there is no hopes that ever the light should shine out or be kept alive or be beheld yea if one inch of horn or a nail or the least Pin about the Ark had happened to be shattered or got any knock or any odd corner of it be broken off with being carried jumbled or tossed to and sro between Israel and the Philistines there had been no means of preserving the Letter from being lost or as if one should say the glasse window is set up that the Sun may shine through it therefore suppose that to be crackt or to have any flawes in it or to suffer the losse of but one little piece of a pane there 's no likelihood of enjoying the clear bright Beams of the Sun more distinctly or at any certainty nor can I be satisfied unquestionably that the Sun it self remains inviolate unlesse ye can assure me that there is every barley-corns bredth of the glasse-window without any losse as it was at first setting up though yet we see now the Sun both is the same and is better seen when beheld without a glasse then thorough it and is most clear when the glasse window is taken down and it beheld more immediately in the light that shines from it self he were fit to be Canonized for a fool that would count him a very wife man at least as to that affair that should so affirm so let who will esteem of I.
God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ— the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâ—eâ—e any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
vehement vindication and Apologetical appearances pro Scripturis for the individual manuscripts of the holy men that wrote the minde of God more immediately from his mouth than any of thy Transcribers that copy out things as carefully as they can as they find them copied out before them and were they still extant in rerum natura yet the immediacy even of those first Scriptures from God to us was not so absolute without any medium at all as thou imaginest and intimatest from the Texâ— used by thee and ushered in with such a deal of pomp and ceremony in proof thereof p. 11. viz. 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Knowing this that no Prophesie of Scripture is of any private interâ—pretation for the Prophecy came not of old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost This thou writest all over in Greek first then in English and then descantest paraphrastically upon it in many pages as if thou wouldest beat thy beleef upon men and cudgel them into thy conceit of the Scriptures being as immediately from God to us in every Apex as his voice by which he spake in the holy men that wrote it was in them and that assuredly beyond all doubt or exception because Peter sayes No Prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretatiâ—n nor came by mans will but Gods and holymen spake us moved by his Spirit yea pag. 23 24. thou runst away an end it with it as an undoubted truth and layest it down as it were supernaculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing judging determining this in the first place this is a principlâ— to be owned and acknowledged by every one that will beleeve any thing else This then in our Religion is to be owned acknowledged submitted unto as a principle without further dispute that this is so indeed as before asserted and to give a reason why this to be received as a principle it is added vers 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Prophecy is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private acceptation for it came not was brought into them not at any time by the will of men but by the will of God And further it is added by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were acted born carried out to speak deliver write all that and nothing but that to every Tittle that was so brought to them by the Holy Ghost What a pompous piece of proof here is of the Scriptures coming from God to us disht out with great store of circumstance having no substance or purport at all in it to the purpose in hand for however J.O. cannot discern how to distinguish between these two Terms viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—e Prophecy of the Scripture and the Scripture of the Prophecy the changeable Text â—â— and unchangeable Truth the meer letâ—er and the holy matter yet Peter speaks not there of the Scripture which comes to us immediately from men writing not in their own wills but at the will of God as moved by his Spirit but of the Prophecy thereof which we confess came immediately from God to the holy men of God and to others mediately not without the intervenieny of their hand-writing of it Vâ—rbum sat sapienti insipiensi plura plus satis Neither doth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such work about elsewhere viz. p. 57. in a case somewhat consonant with this urging out of 2 Tim. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarily intimate such an absolute immediacy of the outward Text from God as thou wotest for as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Writing or Scripture that is more ad intra than the Writing â—d extra legible by the external eye which thy minde and eyes are altogether a gadding after as if there were no other viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scripture written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor 3.2 3. which whether Paul to Timothy doth not speak of as that which he had known from his youth and was able to make him wise to salvation and as being by the inspiration of God and profitable to the perfecting of them in of God to furnish him for Doctrine Reproof Instruction inrighteousness and evâ—ry goâ—d work is well worth your serious enquiry who search so shallowly into the Scripture that ye seldome meet with the marrow and true mystery of any Text yé talk ón so if you will needs have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intend the external Text only as being by inspiration of God yet that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by inspiration from God doth not denote necessarily the strictest degree of immediation nor can it found out so much as if the said outward letter came from him without any medium but it came as t is â—aid in the other place 2 Pet. 1.20 according to the will of God from men moved by him to write it so according to the motion of Gods Spirit or his inflations or blowings upon the hearts of holy men not without the interveniency of their hands in the penning of it or the hands of such as penned it from their mouthes as they spake the truths thereof who received them from the mouth of God speaking in them Thus though the first Manuscripts had as immediate a divine original and emanation from God as any outward Writings in the world yet that they had so immediate an emanation as thou wouldest make them have as if every Apex thereof is as immediate from God to you as his voyce was from him to the Prophets in whom he spake that excepting the little that is above excepted is utterly false and as for your Transcripts which thy talk is so transcendent for though they are immediate to you because they come to you as the first Manuscripts never did yet they came not immediately from God at all but from the hands of fallible men so little guided in their writing from the infallible Spirit that by thy own confession they being without that both might and did fail and mistake therein And now how little all this first Chapter hath in it where with to make a sound bottomâ— or firm basis for the bearing up of so great a Babel as thou buildest on it viz. Such a Divine Authority of the Scripture as whereby it claims and challenges the high and glorious Title of the Word of God to it self and every Tittle of it under pain and peril of all mens perishing for ever that ownit not as such and honor it not as thou dost whose grand Idol the meer outward Text is with that Divine honour that is due to the inward true eternal incorruptible inalterable powerful living life-giving Word of God it self which it only is but a bare though true relation of comes now to be considered CHAP. III. HAving laid thy falsely supposed Divine original and immediate
their feet are swift to shed blood that wasting and misery are in their wayes and the way to true peace they know not yet this one thing I must say too and of our Vniversity Scriblers pro Scripturis that as there are no men in the world more up to the ears in strife about the Scripture and their own Fancies on it as to matter and letter than the Scribes are so there is no one thing that the Scribes are striving scuffling and scolding at each other more about than about their Scriptures That light or word within and not the letter is the Foundation First I shall take account of what thou falsely assertest concerning the Scriptures being a Foundation Thou affirmest the Scriptures to be the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles spoken of Eph. 2.20 pag 33. saying of them that men may quietly repose their souls upon them in beleeving and obedience and of your selves thus are we built 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and calling them Page 48. The Foundation of that world which he hath set up in this world as a Wheel within a Wheel his Church And page 154. The Foundation of faith hope and obedience And page 155. The Foundation of all that faith and obedience which he requires at our hands And page 316. The great and blessed Foundation of Truth All this I own to be very true of the Word of God of which the Scripture speaks but it is utterly false as uttered by thee of the Scriptures The falsehood of which appears plainly by this Argument 1. Argument That which is the great and blessed Foundation of all that truth faith hope and obedience that God requires at mens hands and of the Church and of the Apostles and Prophets must be something which was in being before any of these things were for the Foundation on which these are built must have a being before they can be built thereupon every Foundation being before the building can stand upon it But though the Word of God be so yet the Scripture is not before but long after that truth faith hope and obedience which God requires at mens hands and long after the Church and long after the Apostles and Prophets were yea after those Apostles and Prophets were Respectively who were the Respective pen-men thereof Therefore the Scripture the Writing the Letter the Greek and Hebrew Text is not the Foundation of any of these things The first Proposition is so true that it were no less then disparagement to I. O's wisdom to suppose him to be mentis inops to go about to prove it to him sith as he builds Castles in the air as easily thrown down as erected upon no better Foundation then his own fancy thoughts conjectures and imaginations yet he cannot be so senceless as to think that that Foundation be it what it will firm or brittle on which any thing is built must be before the building can stand thereon And as for the minor in every part thereof it 's as undeniably true to any save such as having once turn'd their backs upon the Truth are resolved to render themselves devoid of eithet Sense or Reason in their Reasonings against it then to own it For none else can deny but the Church and the Truth Faith Hope and Obedience of it and the Messengers Apostles Prophets Preachers of Righteousnesse such as were Enoch Noah Abraham Lot and others were in the Truth Faith Hope Obedience of the Gospel and also built upon Christ the Light the Word of God the Rock of Ages before Moses dayes who is unversally supposed at our Vniversities to have been the first Pen-man of the Scriptures The grand Master-place of Scripture that is us'd in proof hereof that the Scriptures are the Foundation is Ephes. 2.20 where it 's said by Paul to the Ephesians Ye are built on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone Hence it is strenuously stickled for and as confidently as cloudily concluded by our doting Doctors and dreaming Divines that the Church of God as to all her Faith Hope Obedience Knowledge of the Truth is built upon the Apostles and Prophets Writings as that which is there called the Foundaeion whereas were they but at leisure from that lesser and lower literature wherein they are lost from the Lord and the Light and Life of God and the Letter also which issued forth from thence to look into the Light and by it into the Letter it self they more blindly labour for then truly learn by they would soon see that the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets there spoken of is not the Apostles and Prophets themselves much less uncertain transcribed Copies of those few Fragments of their Letters and some other honest mens true stories of what was done in their times good instructions memorandums and litteral recommendations of wholsome Laws and Statutes most of which as laid down in the Letter saving that they remain in the truth and substance whereof they were the types figures and shadows are above 1600-years since cancelled and abolished Promises Prophesies Psalms Proverbs Parables occasional Letters Epistles and other Writings which such as fell into a foolish following and falling down before outward Images and from the infallible Spirit it self that their Scriptures were written to keepe men to found and fardelled together and fram'd in their own fancies into a Foundation of the Faith and of all the whole Fabrick of Religion to be for ever framed and founded upon But Christ Iesus himself who is there also called the chief Corner-stone and 1 Pet. 2.4 that living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious on whom the Saints even all together with the Apostles and Prophets and the whole Houshold of God as Fellow-Citizens and lively Stones are built up a spiritual House to offer spiritual sacrifices yea all into one holy Temple or Habitation of God through the spirit This is the true and sole Foundation of all the matters before mentioned Christ Iesus the Rock of Ages on whom whoever believes shall not be ashamed Christ the living Word of God that also quickneth whose words are spirit and life to the hearers of his voice whose words uttered in the heart do good to those that walk uprightly this is the Stone that you Babel-builders refuse which God hath made the very head stone in the Corner Psal. 118.22 Matt 21.42 This verbum lumen internum Christ the eternal internal Word in the heart and Light of the World given a Light to the Nations and as such Gods salvation to the ends of the earth and the precious sanctuary to such as believe in his light is that stone of stumbling and Rock of offence to such as thee I.O. that stumble at the Word in their wrestlings for the Letter being disobedient unto both whereunto also they are appointed and a Gin and a Snare to the
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
must take account of you by and by for besides such inspiration to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end saith he God thought that sufficient which we have therefore we can look upon no more with such regard at we do upon that See T. D's first Pamphlet p. 26 27.43,44 and of his second Pamphlet p. 17 18. The difference quoth he is in Gods arbitrary dispensation so do I give this reason of our true assertion that howbeit the Scripture is profitable and may be useful and called as by it self yet it no where is a Rule as it agree's with the light and spirit where it is not adulterated by mans mistransciptions mistranslations misconstructions Yet the Canon or most perfect and only standing Rule it is not because God did never Authorize or appoint it so to be but to retort back to T.D. in his own vain phrase thought the measure of his light and spirit every one hath from himself sufficient to make a standard of besides whose inspiration of the said Scripture to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to such an end the difference lyes in God arbitrary dispensation as well as in the excellent preheminence of the Spirit and Light above the Letter who would have that to be the Rule Canon Standard Touchstone which was so from the beginning of the world two thousand years afore the letter was even to this day even the Spirit then which there can be no other designed by him to that end if I. O's words be true Ex. 4. s. 22. who saith Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Canon or Rule is but one not more then which also there is no other mentioned in the Scripture by that name of the Rule but the Light and Spirit as I have shewed above out of those places where the Rule is spoken of and if there be let I.O. or T.D. assign where and hereupon as he saith in the other case so conclude I here in this we can look upon none but the Light and Spirit upon no letter with such regard as the only Rule as we do upon that So then notwithstanding T. D's impertinent unimportant utterly untrue Reply to this Argument That we are to walk by is our Rule but the Spirit is that the Scripture sayes we are to walk by Gal. 5.16 therefore the Spirit is the Rule which Reply runs viz. that phrase denotes the principle not the Rule of our obedience in that place the Argument stands firm over the head of it for though it betoken the principle also yet not only nor exclusively of the Rule but rather the Rule more evidently and much more eminently than the other yea that the Spirit is the principle of all true obedience is professed positively by us who own nothing to be truly done in way of true obedience unto God nor the letter but what is done from the principle power motion assistance and ability of the Spirit of God or that is done without the Spirits in-dwelling yet in that place considered together with the rest above cited it is most clear that the Apostle speaks of the Spirit principally as of the Rule by which we are to walk and the word walk imports no less than the act of proceeding or going on and not the principle original or primum mobile as I may say from which we are to begin to act and move in way of obedience unto God But as unanswerable as T. D's answer is to our Argument yet it serves us very well to prove him a self-contradicter as he and I.O. also are in multitudes of more matters besides and in that it is as answerable as may to his wonted self for let but any reasonable Reader observe as it follows p. 29. of his first Pamphlet what T.D. sayes next of all to this passage of the Spirits being the principle that is the original or beginning of our obedience from which as being the primum movens and Auxilians beforehand moving and assisting we are after to obey and he shall see how he overthrows it himself in his own most immediately ensuing speech for howbeit he sayes the Spirit is the principle of our obedience which is as much as to say that in which we first walk whose assistance must be antecedent to our true walking according to the letter which is not denied by us yet when we say the same with him he unsayes his own saying again rather then he will side with us for whereas I said as his own self there relates that the Spirit is antecedent to the letter so that none tan walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit he replies thus viz. The spirit is subsequent to the letter in respect of the assistance and ability which he gives to obedience and whereas you affirm quoth he That none can walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit if walking in the spirit be meant of special assistance which is as much as to say if by that phrase of walking in the Spirit you mean the Spirits being the prinriple of our obedience t is false for many walk in many things according to the letter without the spirits in dwelling as Paul while a Pharisee was touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Psa. 3.6 in which beside the rounds he runs in and the contradiction to himself above T.D. sayes false for though none walk according to the letter in truth and as to the spiritual obedience it calls for without the Spirits in-being and assistance and power as the Principle from which they must so walk for howbeit Paul walked according to the righteousness of the Law interpreted in sensu Pharisaico according to the Pharisees outside glosses on it who saw not into the marrow mystery and spirituality of it and was zealous of God as to the literal observation of many things yet till the Law which is the light and spiritual came to him who was in his carnal condition and shewed him sin in the lust of which Christ expounds the Law Matth. 5 he kept not the Tetter as to the spiritual import and true intent and utmost meaning of the spirit and minde Christ exprest therein to the spiritual understanding though not to the natural but abstained only from outward grosse acts of sin and in his blind zeal persecuted the Church as ye in your wild-braind zial do at this day The Spirit is the principle from which we are to walke and with ut which we cannot walke according to the letter yet to go round again many walk according to the letter without the Spirits in-dwelling So pervenire ad summum nisi ex principiis nemo potest Pervenire ad summm sine principiis aliquis potest This is the summe of T.Ds. Doctrine Besides if the Spirit be the principle only that men begin to beleeve and obey from and not the Rule according to which they go on in
Paul said no other things then what Moses and the Prophets said should come John Baptist came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might beleeve God sayes If the Israelites observe not all the words of the Law written in that Book of Deuteronomy he would make their Plagues wonderful Christ expounds to his Disciples all the Scriptures in Moses and the Prophets concerning himself bids Search the Scriptures as testifying of him Paul sayes Whatsoever was written afore time was for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope He says To write the same things to the Church is safe John sayes he writes his Epistles to the Saints that their joy might be full Therefore the outward Letter of the Scripture is the onely Rule of all faith and Divine worship and not the Light and Spirit of Christ ye only call to nor any internal Revelation whatsoever ficta vel facta In which of all these Scriptures the Title and Authority of the only most perfect standing Rule of Faith Life and Worship is either expresly or by any true mediate much more any immediate consequence ascribed to the Scriptures who can finde but he 's that not blinde There is but one of all the places viz. Gal. 6.16 where that term Rule is at all expressed by which as I have said and shewed above is not at all intended the Scriptures but Christ the Light and his Spirit and some of them mention expresly neither the term Scripture nor Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such as have in them terms equivalent to that of the Rule neither express nor imply at all the Letter of the Scripture as that of Psal. 19.7 8. and that of Isa. 8.19 20. and that of Rom. 10 17. and that of Eph. 2.19 20. where by the Law and Commandment and Testimony and Statutes of the Lord rejoicing the heart converting the soul enlightening the eyes making wise the simple is expressed the Lamp and the Light Prov. 6.23 and by the Word in the hearing of which Faith comes the Word hid in the heart nigh in the heart and mouth to hear and do Psal. 119.105 Deut. 30.12.14 Rom. 10.8 The Law in the heart Isa. 5 1.7 Psal. 37.31 The Law in the mind which the Law of sin and death in the members wars against Rom. 7.23 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the life and light whose life is the light of men that made Paul free from the other Rom. 8.2 Which light shines in the darknesse that is in our very Doctors hearts but the darkness comprehends it not The Statutes of God and Judgements to be put into the minds of men according to the tenour of the New Covenant typified by the Old where the Statutes were with Pen and Ink written and engraven on Tables of stone and by the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2. Christ the Light as is above declared and not the Writing and Letter and Text in which the internal truth is but ad extra declared and by that sure Word of Prophesie ' 2 Pet. 1. not the Scripture but somewhat within as I shall shew more abundantly by and by and by Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. Writings within as I shall shew anon All which were and were the onely perfect pure right inalterable standing Rule long before any external Text or Letter was and have not ceased so to be by the coming in of the outward writing with which they are since clothed upon nor yet have surrendered their ancient Authority of being the onely Rule by which all speakings and writings and doctrines are to be tryed nor resigned up that their Right to the Writing that testifies to their suprrmacy veracity and dignity above it self to this very day Nor have they submitted themselves that were once the chief Judge and Rule for the tryal of Truth to be now tryed ruled over judged sentenced and ultimately determined authoritatively to be received or rejected as true or false of God or the Devil Divine or diabolical Delusion Enthusiasme Figment Fanaticism and what nick-name men lift to stile them by in their learned lusts by the fallible Transcriptions Translations and Expositions of miserably mistaking men in which ways only and meerly some of that Scripture that was of old written by holy men as the spirit moved them is transmitted downward to these modern ages And as for those Texts that do make express mention of the Scriptures and outward Writings of the Apostles and of Moses and the Prophets and the Old Testament as Iohn 20. ult Luke 1.3 4. 16.29 Acts 1.1 2 Cor. 3.24 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16. do there is not the least considerable much less any cogent necessary or immediate consequence in any of them to conclude the outward Letter of the Scriptures to be the onely most perfect standing Rule Touchstone for all Truth to be tryed by so exclusively as I.O. states them Spiritus verbi Luminis cujuscunque tandem generis interni Revelatienis c. Of all inward Spirit Light Word or Revelation of what sort soever For what 's the vail's being over the Iews hearts in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail is done away in turning to Christ the Light to evince any such matter Doth it not rather evidence the very contrary For if the Old Testament which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written with Ink or Pen or engraven on stones is as a Vail over the hearts of such as read it as the Iews do of whom I.O. sayes pag. 236. They read it without the administration of the Spirit so that its a dead Letter of no efficacy for the good of souls Which Vail is to be and is done away no otherwise then in Christ the Light and by turning to the Lord that Spirit as Paul sayes it is then doth it not rather appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written and engraven outwardly is not the onely most proper standing Rule but Christ's Light the Spirit and the measure and manifestation thereof within given to every man to profit withal And what though Paul to Timothy doth commend the inspired Scripture if yet we shall take that for the outward Writing as profitable to make the man of God who onely knows how to use it wisely more and more wise and to furnish him perfectly to exhort c. and every good work against the gainsayers as I have shewed above that I deny not the outward Scripture so to be to such a one And what though Christ saies in order to escaping the place of torment Let men hear Moses and the Prophets if yet we shall take Moses and the Prophets for their outward Writings And what though John sayes Christ did more then he wrote of him as well he might For Matthew Mark and Luke wrote many things that he did not and others wrote other matters that were written by none of
written for the ends above specified in the Scriptures mentioned yet will it not follow that it was intended for the Rule to the Church much less the only perfect Rule or Standard of Faith and Life because God did not give order for â—s so to be but assured her before the Scripture was at all as much as God thought sufficient to create and preserve faith in the Gospel she had before she had it written in an outward Letter viz. the inward Light Word and Spirit that was in the beginning from which the Letter came And p. 43. to make a Rule much more then the only sâ—anding Rule exclusively of all other of all internal Light Word Spirit Revelation as JO. and T.D. both hold the Scripture to be is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to that end to which he did and even in the Scripture it appears appoint the Spirit and inward Light and Word as I shew'd above but never at all appointed the Scripture it self And p. 17 18. of T. D's 2 d. Pam. the difference lyes in God's Arbitrary dispensation who from of old disposed the Light Word and Spirit alone to be the Rule without and before the Letter as being far more excellent and fully sufficient without it as to the nature and being of a Rule but never ordered intended designed appointed or established the Writing alone as the Rule as my two Vniversity Antagonists dispute without and câ—â—lusively of the other And as for the third and fourth Classis of J. O's Scriptures which seeing they are so near a kin to these of the first therefore I shall consider them here before those of the second they are of the same kind so that the same general Answer might satisfie sapienti cui verbum sat but seeing such stress is put on them by J.O. to the stablishing of a wrong Standard which iâ— of so great concernment to be stated right or else all the Building faulters I am free to insist a little more particularly on them then else I need to do They contain as thou sayest J.O. commendations of the Scriptures as to all uses of Religion both by the practises and precepts of Christ and the Apostles searching and expounding proving and trying all things by them themselves and also commending and commanding the searching of them and the trying of all things by them in and among all others Rep. That all the places enumerated by thee do contain any such matter at all I utterly deny for some of those thou citest as well as sundry of those afore spoken to neither expresly nor intentionally relate to the Writing or Scripture but onely to the Word of God and the Things and Truth and Commands of God written of onely in the Letter which things in what Text soever thou find'st them talkt of thou present'y run'st blundering on in thy wonted blindness which discerns no difference between the Writing and things written interpreting them without more ado of the Scripture as namely Deut. 28.58 whereby the words written in that Book is not meant the Writings but the Commandmenâ— therein rehearsed the Ceremonials and Morals of which they were to observe before that Booke of Deuteronomy was penn'd which is a story of Moses his repetition by word of mouth a little before his death of such things as he had from the Lord enjoined them to observe and some of them God also from his own mouth well-nigh forty years at least before that was penned Also that in Acts. 26.22 where Paul sayes he witnessâ—d no other things or truths as to the substance and matter of them though the manner was different the one testifying de Christo exhibendo the other exhibito one saying they should come t'other they were come then what the Prophets and Moses said should come Which things Paul could now witness were come if he had not seen their witness that they should And what mention is there of the Scripture at all in that Scripture Also John 1.7 where it s said of John Baptist he was not that Light but came to bear witness of that light which John Baptist wrote no Scripture at all that I know of which Light he testified to was not the Letter or Scripture but the same the Qua. bear witness to even that measure of its light within wherewith he inlightneth every man that comes into the world so that there is no Scripture mentioned or so much as meant in that Scripture Wherever thou seest in thy Concordance the word Scripture written of in the Scripture thou art ready to think straightway it Concuâ—r'â— and hath no â—mâ—l Concordance with thy cause and where thou findest the Words Rule Foundation Law and Prophets of God Light Word Commands Statutes Testimony Prophesie and such like thou as rashly and rawly imaginest the Scripture or meer outward Writing meant and mentioned by them in what ever is predicated of them and that it makes something for thy bâ—inde business of the Scriptures being the only standing Rule and Foundation But alas hoc aliquid verè nihil est this something is plainly nothing at all to that purpose for as it makes not a mice toward the proof thereof as appears above because the Scriptures were written for good ends and are prefiâ—â—blâ— to such and such good uses unless God had Canonized them as a Rule so neither doth it that Christ expounded the Scriptures and that some did search them and were mightily read in them as some are at this day who are supposed to deny them to the confounding the Scribes that searched them daily and therein lookt for life as their only Rule but never came to him that they might have life who was the Life and Light they came from but never heard him whom they testified of that his voice was now to be heard in whom God who under the Law before his coming spake in his servants the Prophets speaks under the Gospel as by his only Son 'T is true Abraham who lived long after Moses and those Prophets whose Writings ye have were born in that Parable which illustrates a precious truth that as to the mystery of it lyes yet hid from thee is brought in by Christ as saying of the Rich mans brethren by way of prevention of their coming into torment They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them if not they 'l not be perswaded by a miraculous message of one to them from the dead but what iâ— this to prove what thou here alledgest it for and more largely inferrest from it p. 63 64 65 66 67. where thou preachest on that Text a Sermon as long as little to thy purpose improving it and that of 2 Pet. 1.19 to the utmost to prove Moses and the Prophets Writings to be the best and most effectual means of bringing men to repentance on which that and all faith is immediately to be grounded and to prove the Scriptures to be that alone which we are sent to to be more effectual
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
same spirit of falshood viz. in vindication of the Scriptures to be powerful to salvation to beget faith to bee living sharp spirit searching discerning thoughts a Light and Lamp and so consâ—quently the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life exclusively of another Revelation by the Spirit Word or Light within these are aâ—â— true of the Word and Doctrine of Christ the Spirit and Light within the Qua. call to and the Letter points at in all these Texts of thy traducing but mâ—thinks thou shouldest be ashamed to expound any one of those of the Letter and Scripture itself As to that of Paul to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to the Doctrine continue in them in so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee What 's this in proof of the Scriptures being powerful to save the soul which is the end of thy alledging it he bids him continue in the things he had learned as also 2 Tim. 3.14 and had been assured of knowing of whom he learnt them which if it were from Paul as a means under God as it rather seems to be from Christ himself whose Disciple he was as he could not be but as he laarnt of him before he became acquainted with Paul Act. 16.1 2. the promise is entailed unto his continuance in the things and not ascribed to any power or efficacy of the Scriptures to save though yet we know Timothy was well skilled in the Scriptures also as is owned above And as to that of James with which thou joynest this in proof of the outward Letters power to save to which also p. 83 84 85. thou jumblest together a number more then are in this Catalogue underhand and which I shall take in here that speak of the Word with one consent to one and the same purpose but not to thine which is to prove the Scripture to be so as most effectual powerful and able to save souls yea the very power of God to salvation viz. Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.5 1 Thess. 1.5 Psal. 110.2 Act. 20.31 Joh. 6.68 Gal. 2.8 Col. 1.6 and more out of the Coâ—â—nths miscoâ—ed from which Texâ—s thou powerest out thy blinde opinion of the Bible and concerning the Scripture thereof in this particular in such wise saying it is absolutely called the power of God Vis virtus Dei the Power of God the Gospel the Power of God and faith which is built on that Word without other helps or advantages is said to stand in the Power of God the Word that comes not as a naked word but in power and in the holy Ghost and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self even by its power and efficacy It is termed the Rod of power or strength denoting its Authority and Efficacy that which is thus the Power and Authority of God able to make it self known so to be It is not only said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power the power of God in it self but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able and powerful in respect of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacred Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are able to make wise to salvation they are powerful and effectual to that purpose it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potens servare animaâ— nostras the Word that hath power in it to save the able powerful word that Paul commends the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is living and effectual By vâ—rtue of this power it brought forth fruit in all the world without sword without for the most part miracles without humane wisdome or Oratory without any inducements or motives but what were meerly and solely taken from it self consiâ—ting in things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor could enter into the heart of man to conceive hath eâ—erted this power and efficacy so the conquest of the world causing men of all sorts in all times and places so to fall down before its divine Authority as immediately to renounce all that was dear to them in the world and to undergo what ever was dreadful terrible and destructive to nature in all its dearest concernments and such like Reply All this I know to be true of the Word Light and Spiâ—it of God in the hearts of men which the Letter points to and the Apostles preached as that which men should beleeve in it is absolutely the Gospel the power of God to salvation but the Letter not so the faith that is built on that word without other helps or advantages from the Letter stands in the Power of God as Abraham Noahs Enoch Abels and all the holy men did that lived by faith in the Word 't was Gods power mighty and effectual to save them before any outward Letter was written and without the help and advantage thereof but the outward Letter is profitable to nothing at all without the help and advantage of the Light and Spirit within but is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls and this the same J.O. who sayes the Scripture without other helps and advantages is so absolute and perfect that we may obtain eternal life that there 's no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within but those are all dangerous uncertain unprofitable in no wise necessary fanatick figment desestable c. Ex. 17. s. 28. to the wonted contradiction of himself in all tâ—at and what is underhand confesses with us in totidem verbis of that Scripture which he calls the Word p. 236. saying that without the adminisâ—ration of the Spirit accompanying mens possession of it it is a dead letter of no efficacy to the good of souls The word Light and Spirit of God and Christ within nigh in the heart but not the Letter without is the Gospel which Paul bare testimony to and was sent to turn men to by his Ministry and was not ashamed of saying its the power of God to salvation to every on that beleeves in it and comes in the outward Ministry of it by word of mouth and writing and is witnessed so to do at this day as of old it did to many not in word only but power and the holy Spirit giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self to such as through prejudice put it not away from them and thereby judge themselves unworthy of that eternal life which it is the word of that it is not the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God that is both light and living and Spirit and life it self even the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ the Image of God which is not Letter 2 Cor. 3. thining unto them both in and also out of the darkness that is mens hearts where the God of this world blindes not the minds so that men will not beleeve it to the giving them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This and not the Letter
fruit only to himself so is our National Gospel Israel an empty Vine fruitful to themselves in temporals and in suâ— gerere in such spiritual also as their Religion lyes in viz. in empty forms of fastings prayings praâ—sings preachings singings of Davids Psalms with Doegs Spirit Text applauding Treatises talkings for Tithes multiplyings of Ministers of the Old Testament not of the Spirit but of the Letter that may labour soundly to the blowing out if they couâ—d tell how of the Qua. extolled light magnifyings of the maintenance for such Ministers as maintain themselvs out of Augmentations by the Impropriations of Kings Bishops Deans Chapters Lands Tenths first fruits and such Levitically legal â—molumenis far better than they are able to maintain either the true internal eternal Gospel which they are utterly ignâ—rant of or their own external Gospel either against the Qu. who maintain the true But utterly as fruitles to God as full of leaves and broad Shews wherein they flourish yea as barren as the figtree that God came three years together seeking fruit from and finding none for which the Word had long since gone forth effectually from the Lord but that intercession is yet made for it by the dresser of the Vineyard who digs and dungs it in hopes of somewhat but hath yet from it as small thanks for his great pains as the unskilful dressers not to say devourers of it have great thanks for their small pains Cut it down why cumbreth is the ground So what thou so pompously utterest I O. on behalf of the efficacy of the Letter in this particular as the All-sufficient All-accomplishing power of God in its self and to us ward to salvation and such like is nothing so nor doth any one of all Scriptures cited by thee in proof thereof evince any such thing they all excepting that in 2 Tim. 3. which as it may relate to an inward Scripture thou yet searchest not if intended of the outward yet not without the Light and Spirit within which said Light and Spirit thou still excludest and damnest down as detestable and no way needful to be so much as concurrent with the Scripture toward salvation as is shewed above intend no other Word or Light then that which is uttered and shines within in the eâ—rt Iam. 1.21 expresly speaks of the wording rafted there which is able to save the soul which 〈…〉 â—innate word for it s there put planted and sowed as his seed by the Lord himself some refuse and reject to walk by whose condemnation it is some receive it hear it mix it with faith in it beleeve in it to the salvation of the soul. In Joh. 17.20 Christ speaks of the same and not of any outward Scripture for by that word their word is intended the Word which they preached or held forth or testified to by their words in their preachings and writings as that which men were to come to hear and beleeve in and do till tâ—eir beleeving in which though they shâ—uld or do beleeve Historically the outward declaration as the Papists do the litteral declaration at this day with their heart and confess it with their mouths that the Lord Iesus was raised frâ—m the dead yet they perish and beleeve not on the Name of God savingly or to salvation Which Word is not the Letter nor their preachings but that which the Letter and their oral preachings testified to that it was nigh men in their hearts and mouths that they might hear and do it even the word of faith which they preached Compare Ioh 17.20 with Rom 10.8 9. Which word that they preached was not their Preachings or Writings or Scriptures but that which in their preachings and writings they called them to hear which was not a word without but the word nigh in the heâ—rt between which Words and Writings of the Preachers and Writers of the Scriptures and the Truth Faith Doctrine Light Gospel Holy matter which they preached and wrote of if our Divines couâ—d keep constant in distinguishing at all times as they do sometime they would come out of their conlusions wherein they are found jumbling things on heaps without heed into the clear understanding and comprehendings of the truth in their heads at least whether it may have place in their hearts and lives or no that is saving their being ashamed to own it from Babes and chusing rather to be ignorant then submit to be taught by them so often told them by the Qua. T D. sayes It s evident the Word spoken of Rom. 10.8 in the heart is the holy matters contained in the Scriptures the things contained there pag. 30 31. of his 1. Pamph. Rep. Who doubts of that But are not the holy matters one thing and the outward Letters that write of those matters another the things written of which the Scripture sayes are in the heart one thing and the Scriptures that write of those things another why then do you jumble these together as one in your blindly busie brains which are so bewitcht that ye either cannot or will not own that from the Qua. without crying out of them as deniers of the Scriptures to be the Word of God which your very selves are forced to confess to the Truth of For T.D. dances between within and without in the fore-named pages as if he could not well tell where to be nor what to say the Word of faith they preached is himself denies not from Col. 3.16 which I urged but that it was within the Colossians but yet because we say its within a light within he will needs say and so he had need or else he could not out word us it s the Letter without also the Word spoken of in the heart is meant quoth he of the holy matters contained 1. Declared of in the Scriptures which are say we the living Word Light Gospel c. and yet in the same page the Word spoken of is without or it is the Letter of the Scriptures quoth he also though at the beginning of the dispute upon that subject when I told him wee denied the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outward writing or Letter written on paper with inke to be the Word of God himself p 26.1 Pamp. he denied the same with me saying You cannot beleeve us so simple surely as to affirm the Scriptures in that sense to be the Word of God but we mean the matter contained in the Writing c. And p. 30. When I said the Scripture is not the Word of God for that is within but the Scripture is without â—rging Rom. 10. The word is nigh thee in thy heart You read not all quoth he t is in thy mouth too so that it is without as well as within Rep. Oh gross what an absurdity is here as if that which is in the mouth of a man were not within but without him if T.D. should tell mee of a man that is no Monster that his
when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understâ—nding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenâ—â—re of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retâ—â— conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâ—ails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gâ—n 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ— Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merae tenebrae caecitas nesâ—io quid niâ—il nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâ—ces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
ascribe that to the Scripture or Letter which is peculiar only to the Light and Spirit that only searches the deep things of both God and men and Satan and which reveals and manifests all things and to which all is manifested and revealed And howbeit he appropriates this all along to the Scripture and Letter which he means all along by the VVord of God yet if he did but well understand himself he not far off ascribes the same to the Light that both we and the Scriptures speak of which yet he will advance no higher then to term it natural the voice of God in nature c. for as p. 42 43 44 45. he tells how God by that hath placed a thing called self-judgement in us in reference to his own over us and reveals himselfes the sons of men and much to the like Tune and p. 81 sayes it is by the light in the Scriptures which is say I that which the Scripture testifies of that t is in the heart by which the Scripture dives into the â—earts and there determines judges in the Majesty and Authority of God yet the Crown still is stated on the head of the Scripture by him and that Light it came from in holy men which is the same a small measure of which is in all mens hearts and consciences whose external subordinate instrument sometimes the Letter is is made by him but the subordinate instrument of the Letter by which quoth he the Letter 〈◊〉 and doth this and that and effects and perfects all which yet to go round again contradicts his own excludings in the other fore-cited places of his book of the Spirit and Light within from bring needful or any way concurrent with the Letter but rather as fiâ—â—icious and detestable So thâ— Letter is the supream Judge only most perfect Rule and Ruler of all and transacter of all still as to mans salvation with I.O. who little heeds how the Revelation made by the light in the conscience is of an unexpresiably larger extent then the manifestation of things is that is made by the Letter that came from it for the naked Letter or the light by it only manifests dâ— jâ—re the right of matters what is to be done what not what is good what evill the Moral law shews the Moral good that is to be acted the Moral evil that is to be declined or else no life but cursing but the naked lighâ— without the Letter that was within mens hearts as it now is before the Letter was discovâ—rs not onâ—y as the Letter doth de jure the Moral good and evil as I.O. himself confesses and Moral or Evangelical obedience and righteousness that is the substance of that legal and ceremonies that stood in Typical Transactions and ouâ—side-observations â—or a time but also over and above searches the heart and shews to every man de facto what is and is not done of the will of God de jure revealed and accordingly accuseth or excuseth justifieth or condemmeth in the Majesty and Authority of God so that its particular sentencing of every man either to life or death blessing or cursing acceptation or rejâ—ction stands ratified inalterably in the Court of Heaven yea hereby Christ shews every one as hee did the woman of Samaria all that ever she did and what they do and are think or speak and answerably either acquits or accuses as 1 Ioh. 3. as our hearts condemn us or not by that of God in them so are we justified or condemned have boldness or bashâ—â—â—ness before the Tribunal of heaven for whose sins the light remits are remitted and whose smâ—â—s is retaines are retained and the Ministers of the Light do by it judge the world that lyes in wickedness and justifie the righteous and we know their judgement is true and their sentence sure and shall stand in fore Dâ—i as it doth in farâ— conscienâ—ia But the Letter is too too weak an Engine to enter here and too short a Sword to divide so distinctly within as the Spirit and Law of the Spirit of life doth which is the Light the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God Which Titles I say still against T.D. and I.O. also are not to be all attributed much less as they are by them often appropriated to the Letter of the Scripture but are to be denominated only of Christ or his Spirit either of which a man may mean as in opposition to the Letter T.Ds. conceits to the contrary notwithstanding and yet mean like a man and a Minister also for as Christ whose Name is the Word of God is that Spirit Sword of the Father who is also a Spirit with which he will wound and Rule the wicked unruly Nations to the Spirit of both the Father and the Son or Word which is one Spirit with them for these three are one 1 Joh. 5. is that Sword that goeth out of his mouâ—h to the consuming of that wicked enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sits as God in his Temple both within and without 2 Thess. 2. and both are the Armour of God of Righteousness of Light which we are bid and and said to put on Rom. 13.2 Cor. 6. Eph. 6. And because it may seem such non-sense to T.D. to say the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit it self and not another outward instrument of a Letter which yet we know the Spirit can use too when he pleases though his operations are most effectual when he is heeded in his immediate workings within the heart for T.D. I wot judges the phrase improper to call the Spirit it self the Sword of the Spirit and that that manner of speech must needs import another thing let me ask thee why so T.D. must it needs import another thing then the Spirit to say the sword of the Spirit why must it be improper so to say hadst thou had thy eyes in thy head and thy wits well about thee when thou busiedst thy self about that Text thou wouldest have seen the Spirit and Paul by it whom thou wilt not dare to charge with speaking nâ—â—-sense though thou chargest R.H. for the same speak in the same way of the whoâ—e celestial Panoply as ye use to caâ—l it Is not the brestplate of righteouâ—sness shiâ—ld of faith preparation of the Gospel of peace faith righteâ—usness and the Gospel of peace it self in the verses next above and the Armor of light the light it self Rom. 13 why then may not the Sword of the Spirit be meant of the Spirit it self and yet a man mean like a man and not mean non-sense as thou wouldest seem to make R.H. to do in so meaning And now to I.O. again about the Text Heb. 4.12 in which there remains one clause more which if he did not ad solem caecutire shut his eyes against the Sun me thinks hee could not possibly relate to the Letter and that is this Epethite of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quick or living and that so
the house then some light from the Sun must be within the said Room also so wee argue Retro from hence If the dark place where the day is to dawn as the lesser light therein is observed be the heart then the place wherein the lesser light shines which even therefore secundum vâ—s O ye bâ—nighted ones cannot be the Letter must be the heart also but verum prius c. the first is true therefore the latter We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which ye do well to give heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2. The word of Prophesie or Prophetical word is a phrase that of it self seems to any but blinde Expositors to intend another thing than the outward Letter and to found forth no less then that more inward Word or immediate Testimony of Christ himself in the conscience elsewhere stiled the Words of Prophesie or Word of God and Witness or Testimony of Iesus or Spirit of Prophesie from which of which and to which the holy men that were internally illuminated thereby and made acquianted with Gods secrets bare Record or Testiminy without by Voice or Writings Rev. 1 2 3.19 10. the trâ—e and faithful words of the Lord himself inlightning such as wrote the Letter who having no need so to do the Lord and the Lamb being their light wrote not by though not against the Directory of I.Os. outward Candle Moon or Sun ad extra i.e. the external Text of others Writings Rev. 21.23 22.25.6 the Words of the Prophesie of this booke as Iohn calls it Rev. 22 8. i.e. the inward Spirit of Prophesie or Testimony of Iesus from which all Prophesie went forth whether by voice or writing which the Angels and Gods servants the Prophets had and kept Rev. 22 9 compared with Rev. 19.10 which book I.O. dreams 't is like was the outward Writing or Copy that Iohn gave forth the uncertain Copies of which to say nothing of the doubts of the old dimn sighted Doctors that were at oddes about the outward Book called the Revelation and some others even of those that are owned as Authentick whether they are not spurious yea or nay only are extant at this day little deeming that was an inward Book which I.O. tells us of too if he will own his own words p. 9. 25. which Iohn took in at first from which he gave out the the other and prophesied in the way of manual wiriting even the inner book of Gods secrets which are only with such as fear him revealed to Christ by the Father and by Christ to Iohn and opened by Christ to his servants at this day who eat it and prophesie out of it again before many Peoples Nations Tongues and Kings though sealed with 7 seals to the Scribes on the backside or outside of it on which backside or outward letter they are busily poring but they cannot read it neither learned nor unlearned because it is a Book sealed Rev. 5.3.10.2 9 10 11 12. Isa 29 9 ao 11 11. 3. That very Epethite which to the Word of Prophesie here spoken of is annexed doth even infallibly evidence it to be intended of that inner Word Spirit and light in the conscience which the Qua. call too and thou scoffest at and not at all of that fallible external Text which thou art so talkative for for it s called a sure permanent firm or stable Word which is more then can be saving all thy blinde bable about it asserted of the best and most original Copies of that Letter thou contendest for that are extant in the world in these dayes and not only so but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure or stable word then that voice which Peter Iames and Iohn heard immediately from heaven out of the Fathers own mouth concerning his beloved Son Christ the light of the world given as a light to the Nations shining and shewing the will of God to them in every one 's own heart so Gods salvation to the ends of the earth saying unto them Hear ye him v. 17. comp with Mat. 27.5 which voice coming from the excellent glory which was infallibly sure to them no cunningly devised fable they heard when they were with Christ in the holy Mount Now the Word Spirit voice and light of Christ in the conscience is properly and truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more stable firm and permanent Word or standing Rule constant Canon and lasting light and so more sure to us ward then that voice to them not surer in respect of its evidence to the hearers of it or the security given by it that it was no fable nor fancy in which sense thou most foolshly fanciest p. 66. that the immediate voice above said absit absurdum was not so sure i.e. not so certainly evident to be Gods voice as the Letter is certainly evident to be Gods Word for in that sense the said voice was to them that heard it most infallibly sure or evident so as nothing can bee surer to be God and I.O. in saying as he dotingly doth p. 66. that comparatively we have greater security from and by that written Word meaning the Scriptures or Writing for that is the Word written with all along such is his illiterate language then they had in and by that miraculous voice as he calls it and that the Scripture is more sure in respect of its giving out of its evidence to us then that voice of God was doth thereby absit blasphemia render the very voice of God himself whereby he spake in and to the Prophets that wrote the Scriptures to us less sure and certain more doubtful and questionable whether it might not be a mistake or no then the outward Writing or Text they wrote as it is transferred to our hands at this day through the hands of such a mighty multitude of fallible Transcribers none at all of which no not the first were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that they could not in any thing mistake by his own confession p. 167. where I.O. confesses and grants also that it s known that failings have been among them from whence various lections of which it cannot be ascertained to men now which is right which wrong are arisen which so variously transcribed Scripture it is shame enough for I.O. to assert as he doth p. 10. under that term of Word by which he terms it and p. 153 under its own name of Scripture that it is come forth to us from God without the least mixture â—r intervenience of medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men or capable to give change or aâ—teration to the least Iota or syllable and more shame yet to say as hee doth p 27. that every Apex of it is equally Divine and as immediately from God as the voice wherewith or
innate or ingrafted light of nature the voice of God in nature and common nâ—tions and general presumptions of God and his Authority inlaid in the natures of rational creatures and innate principles of reason and conscience and such like as if they were so de naturae de esse hominis so flowing from the meer natural being of men that they can be no more said to be supernaturally of God then the very natural faculties of reason understanding and conscience it self of which more an on both with thee and T.D. also though it be indeed that very way of supernatural Revelation which thou sayest p. 47. the Scripture is that as now in the world is handed to thee by the meer improvement of menâ— natural faculties in the way of transcribing printing re-printing as also studied by the meer improvement of your natural faculties of reading remembring understanding Hebrew Greek Latine English c. to the begetting of a meer animal or natural knowledge whereby yee know things meerly naturally speaking evil of what yee know not and corrupting your selves in what ye do know naturally as bruit Beasts for as a Horse or Bullock can finde the way to the Pasture where hee hath often been so the Priests by use course custome and concordance more than the work of the Spirit bringing all things to their remembrance can turn readily to Chapter and verse Which forsaid Voice or Light that God as thou sayest truly p. 43. hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men for the minde heart and conscience is as a dark place as to all spiritual moral and supernatural knowledge without the Law or Light of God shining in it and shewing good and evill is by thy own further Confession to thy own further confusion accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which God hath placed in us in reference to his own over us and that by which God reveals himself to the sons of men and that indispensable moral obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his Law and which is as effectual to reveal God as his works are to which there is need of nothing as thou sayest but that they be represented or objected to the consideration of rational crtatures and bears Testimony to the being righteousness power Omniscience Holiness of God himself and calls for moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews the work of the Law written in the heart and is that by which the Gentiles or Nations that have not the Law in a letter are a Law to themselves and more then all this by thy own absolute acknowledgement whereby 't is evident that it even that thou callest the Voice of God and the Law written in the hearts of the very Gentiles and not the Letter of the Law written without with ink and pen is that ingrafted word by every one to be received with meekness Jam. 1.21 which is able to save the soul and that sure word as to it its evidencing it self to us or light shining in the dark place of the heart and that more firm stedfast constant standing permanent Word or Light or rule of life to us then that infallibly sure and certain though passing and transient Voyce that in the audience of Peter Iames and Iohn came from God himself that is here spoken of The said voice or light in the heart declares it self to be from God by its own light and Authority so that there is no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God what ever testimony it bears or what ever it calls for from us in his name and so speaks and declares it self not only more constantly as it s ever with men but as to its certainty also that without further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by it self supplied it discovers its Author from whom it is and in whose name is speaks and is inlaid by the hand of God to this end to make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned is able to evince its own divine original without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore I adde without an outward Letter undoubtedly though as undoubtedly an outward Letter cannot do all nor any of all this without the Light or said Voice Word or Spirit of Christ within which only doth and can evidence it unto the conscience that the Letter Scripture and doctrines declared therein are of so divine an original as they are Thus I have done with that Eminenâ— Text which is so much talked on so little to their own purpose by the most eminent talkers for the Text of the Scripture as that thing therein recommended to us to bee taken heed to as the most sure word of Prohesie the light shining in the dark place of mens hearts the Prophesie of the Scripture that is not of private interpretation but spoken forth in writing in the movings of the holy Spirit under which termes the holy Apostle intends not the outward Text in which as well as otherwhile by word of mouth the holy men testified to it and held it forth but that inward Word Light Spirit of Prophesie Truth witness and testimony of Iesus in the conscience which their outward voice words witness and writings were but a Testimony unto and an external means to turn men to upon the account of which Text in Peter and the 11. other aforesaid which I.O. impannels as his Jury to judge the case in question whether the Letter outward writing or Scripture is the spiritual Light or Word of God yea or nay I.O. makes such a full account to carry it his way and to have their unanimous universal verdict for him that the Letter is the Light and consequently the most perfect Rule and consequently the Word of God that in his blind hasty confidence he cannot stay from stiling it so till the trial about it be ended and while the cause is sub-judice and he but in his prosecution of the proof thereof but by way of Anticipation as it were throughout his whole book which is written mostly in ordine ad probationem as an enquiry after and examination of the matter he very often here and there if not as frequently and commonly as by its own proper names of Letter Writing Text or Scripture stiles and denominates it under the foresaid names of of the Light Rule Foundation Witness VVord of God as its nomen prâ—prium which hee will never prove to bee Proper to it whilest hee breathes And so hee runs on blindly in such over ample applaudings and most mighty magnifications of the Scripture that is the subject about which the Argument is driven on by what termes soever whether of the Truth the Foundation the power of God the Rule the VVitness of God the VVord of God c. hee expresses it by
and an inexpressible exaltation of it above them the light of one day of this Sun meaning the Scripture which hee expresses by the terme the Word of God being unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifesting the glory of God nor doth it impaire this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture that it is a moral spiritual not a natural Light This and much more utters I.O. concerning these Termes of the Word the Light as the proper names of the Right belonging to the Letter Neither is I.O. alone in this but some others I have met with that have stifly stood up to defend the Scripture or Letter to be the Light the Word of God yea verbum oris the word of his mouth and the Voice of God and Christ properly and properly to be so called Rep. Which sayings O the contrariety that is in them to common sense and reason they may as well say they hear that mans voice properly some of whose sayings they read in the letters of such as write what they heard him say they may as properly say they are to own the voice of the Scribes and Pharisees for their Rule as they are written down by the Apostles and Evangelists sith Christ saith They sit in Moses chair all that they say do and that they do now properly hear their voyces sith what they said was recorded as say that they now properly hear Christs Voice in reading some things he spake as they are written by them that heard him speak them and stablish and canonize them and other mens sentences as the only standing Rule on this account because God said Hear him and they now hear properly Moses voice and must own his Law that vanisht as to the shadow of it still to the Church a standing Rule because Christ said They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them 2 O the contrarity of this to the Scriptures themselves for if they be properly the Voice of God and Christ then absit blaspemiae they make Christ charge the Scribes improperly and falsely that they never at any time heard Gods voice Joh. 5. for they heard the Scriptures read every Sabbath neither could he say truly what he doth exclusively of such as are not his sheep My sheep hear my voice if the Scriptures were his voice properly for the Dogs and Swine hear and hear the outward Scriptures read as well as his sheep but his sheep hear another secret still voice of his in all things that hee saith unto them in their own consciences which the loud Brawlers for the bare Bible drown within themselves with their non-sensical notes and noyses about their Diana's and siâ—ver shrines and Temple worship and Church work which voice and words of his are heard in secret with more profit among the wise Luke 10.17 then the cry of the Truth selling Spirit stinting-Scripture stealers among fools which still voice of Christs yeâ— whoever hears not and heeds not more then our heady high-minded Hypocrites of these dayes do may preach themselves out a while longer yet as the Ministers and Church of Christ but shall ere long be cut off from among his people in the mean time however this is the improper tone they tune it out in when we bid them fear God hearken to his voice own that as your only guide his Word his Voice his Spirit his Light as the only infallible sure standard the witness of God himself the Scripture witnesses of and sends men to which hee that heeds follows beleeves in obeyes needs not be so restless by wrangling as the wrestless for and wresters of the Scripture are about the Witness of man though witnessing from and for God as moved by him for the Witness of God himself and the Witness of Christ himself in the conscience is greater needs not be so loud for a Letter for the voyces and words of men and the Writings and Revelations of holy men for the inward immediate Voyce the Word the Spirit the Light Revelation of Christ himself in the heart is greater True say they we must hear Christs voice in all things he sayes abide in his Doctrine or Teaching receive his Witness and Testimony walk by his Word live by his Light alone bee guided and ordered in all things by his Spirit which alone reveals the minde of God and Christ without whose Revelation none knows the things of God and Christ but the Letter of the Scripture the outward Writings of such as heard him as we do not the Hebrew and Greek Text at least and Translationâ— as they keep touch with them these are that Word that living life-giving powerful heart-searching soul-saving Word those Words of his that are Spirit and Life by which alone men must come to beleeve that Light to the feet that Lamp to the path that verbum oris that very word of his mouth that works and accomplishes all things to his glory our salvation that verbum oris that goeth forth of his own mouth that hee put according to his promise Isa. 59. ult as if that were the Scripture oh gross and shameful yet over and over and over and over again I.O. cites that Text to prove Gods promise to continue the Hebrew and Greek Texts entire without loss or change of iota or title of it to the worlds end into the mouth of the Churches Seed and the mouth of her Seeds seed for ever that must go out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as the only strength against the persecutor to still the enemy and avenger that sharp sword of his mouth with which he will smite the wicked Nations Rev. 19. That Rod of his mouth or breath of his lips with which he slayes the wicked Isa. 11. That Rod of his strength and power sent out of Sion by which he will rule fâ—reuer in the midst of his enemies Psal. 110. That word that he hath spoken which God hath magnified ovâ—r all that is called his name and so over the light it self it sprang from which is his name Joh. 1. and the sâ—fe strong Tower of the Righteous That vis virtus Dei power of God and word of the Crosâ— That Doctrine or Teaching of Christ which continued in saves the Preacher and hearers ipsa doctrina quam a Deo docemur That witness of God which who so hath needs not the witness of men for the witness of God is greater That voice of God that 's more sure and certain as to its giving out its evidence to us then the very immediate voice which the Apostles heard God himself speak to them with from heaven 2 Pet. 1. And all this and much more exclusively and abstractively from that within yea and properly too so that the Word of God Foundation the Rule Light Lamp and so consequently all the rest of the Tiâ—les are the very proper names of the Scriptures no other then what are properly answerable to its nature For in this wife I.O. drives on the
Spirit of God Visions inward Light or Word are to be expected or admitted as any Rule to walk by the only guide and directory of all mens beleeving and living so that who have not that have none at all of any sufficiency to lead them to life though they should follow what light they have from God vouchsafed them to the utmost So that there is no principle to speak in his own words T. 1. c. 1. s. 16. or means of discovery of the saving Doctrine or sacred Truth no other rule or measure of judging or determining any thing about or concerning it but only that writing from whence it is taken the Revelation of it being expressed only in that writing upâ—n suppossâ—ion of any corruption in which the saving Doctrine Truth or Word of God as at first given out from God which say I whatever becomes of the Scripture is ever entire and for ever incorruptible and unquestionably uncorrupt 1 Pet. 1. cannot be evinced unquestionably to continue entire and incorrupt hee must then bee fed as himself and his fellow unlearned learned ones do feed their poor blinde pâ—râ—-blinde unlearned people viz. with a bit and a knock and bee kept close to so much as reason and Scripture can well spare him be caned into a just compass with his own Canon and Rapt into the right measure he runs out of with the Rule and measure of his making and bounded within the due bounds of equity which beyond all measure he breaks beyond for the bare Bibles and Letters sake by that Letter and Book it self which is called though by I.O. the Word of God Tr. 1. ch 1. s. 12. yet by it seâ—f never so honourably at all but only by such like Titles as a Declaration Letter Scripture Book or Bible And if he shall go on undervaluing that antient covering of Christ the Light of the world and the Armour of his light which is unchangeable and which the True Church which hath the Moon and all such moveable and changeable things as the best outward Writings are under her feet stands ever cloathed with Rom. 13.12 14. Eph. 4.23 24. Col. 3.8.12 Rev. 12.1 casting it away as some old menstruous cloath cast clout or rotten rag as he doth while in his imparralleld both ignorance and impudence he flerts at it as if 't were a meer Puppet patcht up of shreds as a fictitious imaginary Christ fain'd in the fancies of Fanatick fools and mad men Nescio quod lumen quos Enthusiasmos quem Deum c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vere nihil Ex 3. s. 11. Ex. 4. s. 15.21 Ex. 1. s. 5 6. and rejecting that covering of the Spirit of God which Wo be to him that is not covered with or is covered with any other Isa. 30.1 to cut out the outward Scripture and grave out the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a Gâ—rment into an Idol covering to himself stealing Words from thence and therewith cloathing himself which will once wax old as a garment that is moth eaten and at last being old yea oldness it self though younger the Spirit and not the antient newness of the Spirit wherein the true worship and service stands is to vanish as an Idel that must go to the Moles Bats as the brazen Serpent be taken down and among other Idols of mens earthly Elements wordly Rudiments and carnal Ordinances that were good in their own times and places yet but imposed till the time of Reformation be sent away with Get ye hence Isa. 2.20.30 22. Rom. 7.6 Heb. 8.13.9 10. It s high time to strip I.O. naked and discover his shame which is seen by such as live in the light through his covering which is a prate of words about the Scripture and other things which yet he knows not and to summon him to sit in silence before the Lord undressing himself out of his stollen Ornaments which till he doth he shall not know what a work of spoyling the Lord hath to do unto him till it come irresistably upon him And if hee shall flye out so far in his whifling words as to call the Letter which to the Light bears the same and no better proportion then that of the Lanthorn to the Candlelight the Light as the name that is proper to it and flye up higher yet till according to his flashy fancy thereof he affirms it in Print as hee doth before the world that not only the Word of God written of in the Writing which none denies so to be but the Writing it self also which he means well-nigh in every place by that terme the Word or else hee strikes beside the Iron and lies hammering on the Anvil beating the Air and meaning another matter then that hee meant when he began and makes men beleeve that he means all along which is no more to his purpose then if he meant nothing by it at all is an illuminating shining spiritual light and higher yet preferred above the light of the Sun T. 1. c. 4. s. 8 9. the most glorious light in the world and higher yet the Sun one dayes light of which is unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifestation of the glory of God T. 1 c. 2. s. 15. a Sun that more eminently then any inferiour fire discovers and evidences it self by such properties as it hath viz. Light and Heat and Power T. 1 c. 3. s. 10. and c. 4. s. 16.20 and much more of such like high strains I.O. strikes up in till he stretcheth the bare Letter so far upon the â—enters as to strain it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make it even every thing that the true Word and Light within is when as howbeit it hath its excellency above other Writings as an instrument yet as to these peculiarities and precious prerogatives of the living Word is vere nihil then I must summon I.O. as warm as hee seems to himself to sit and as much as he seems to see by the painted flame of his fained fire and the sparks of his own kindling that if he know no other way to salvation then the Scripture and own not the light as the way which the Scripture speaks of this he shall have at the Lords hand Hee shall lye down in sorrow Finally to persue yet a little further and prosecute our present matter under the Metaphor of the Parliament and the House If a man should arise and stand up and contend that the House the Parliament meets in is the Parliament properly and none shall perswade him to beleeve otherwise but he will try it out with them that allow him to call the House by a figure or metonymy of the thing containing for the thing contained so as to say this House is the Parliament and will say the Parliament is the proper name of the House and it may properly challenge that to it self and they rob it of its true and due name and are enemies to both the Parliament and
prove that general ignorant audacious Assertion of thine Doth any one of them respectively prove the particulars thereof that it is particularly alleadged to Doth Gal. 1.8 because it is said If we or any man or Angel from heaven bring any other Gospel then what we have preached to you twice over let him be accursed prove him cursed that writes more Scriptures of the same Gospel by the same Spirit if so was not Iohn hereupon accursed that wrote more Scriptures of it after Paul was dead by a new Revelation not the same and was not Paul if he wrote any Epistle after to Galatia cursed out of his own mouth by saying though wee bring any other Gospel let us be accursed if that were his meaning ' that no more Scripture must be written is every new Revelation and new writing by way of Revelation of the old Gospel a new Gospel or doth Rev. 22.18 prove there must be no more Scripture nor Revelation within nor new outward Scripture and Revelation of the Gospel by motion from the Spirit after by Iohn because he saith If any shall adde to the words of this Booke God will adde the plagues of it to him Said he therein any more then what was said long before Deut. 4.2.12 ulz. Prov. 30.6 Adde thou not to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar were all those adders to Gods Word or words and reprobate and liars as they must be if the Scriptures bee Gods Word and the adding of more Scripture be additament to his Word that added all that Scripture which was written after Deuteronomy and the Proverbs and if the Scripture were the Word of God is not taking away his name out of the Book of Life threatned to him that takes away from the words of that Book as well as plagues to him that addes and so ye in that ye discanonize most of what was writ there by the Prophets are discarded from the comforts of the Scripture by the places of you own quotation Doth Col. 2.18 twice over cited and allowed two votes in this Section vote either of those particulars it is cited for Doth the Spirit there condemn Angelorum alloquia alias called by thee Colloquia Angelica s. 28. all conference with Angels or only that worshipping of Angels forbid more expresly as I hinted to thee before in Rev. 19.10.22.9 where I also told thee of the lawfulness of talking with Angels or receiving of Revelation of the truth from Angels unless thou wilt Tax such as received the Law which was given by the disposition of Angels and Daniel and Mary and Zachary Cornelius and Paul and Iohn that wrote the Revelation and Christ himself who all were spoke to and ministred to by Angels were these all guilty of sin and condemnation Look again I.O. on the words in English which thou Greekest out perhaps to the further hoodwinking of Idiots that ken not Greek lest they should finde out thy folly who settest it for a Cypher if rendred in plain Latine which to give thee the reading as they stand in your Translations run thus Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility or worshipping of Angels Is the talking of Angels to men here deeply damned by the Spirit of God as thou dreamest And 2. what 's that Text to prove there must be on pain of cursing no additament of more Scripture or Writing to that Scripture that is in your Bibles with pretence of immediate Revelation of the same Doctrine Truth or Gospel there taught from the same inward Light and holy Spirit which is the second purpose for which it s cited a second time And again as to Heb. 1.2.4 cited Heb. 1.1 3. for thus thou citest that twice to the 2. same purposes with Col. 2. what hath that in it to the evincing the Spirits damning of either all talk with Angels or addition of more Scripture thereof from the Revelation motion or inspiration of the same holy Spirit to that Scripture of the Truth that is now truss'd up as the close of the whole Councel of God that ever must be declared in writing or counted upon as part of your Canon according to the Clergies Councel who first caused that consignation of it by Book-binders within the bounds of your Bibles thus run the words God who at sundry times and in diverse maners spake in times past the Fathers to the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us in his Son who is better then the Angels c. Must not his eyes be out that sees any such things hinted at here as those above the proof of which I.O. intends by this quotation Because Angels are here named inferiour unto Christ therefore Anathematized is he that hears or heeds any thing that shall be spoken to him by an Angel though he reveal the same Truth and not another seeing that truth is already written in the Scripture yea cursed be hee from henceforth even for ever there 's one of I.Os. Concâ—usions who consequently concludes Iohn accursed that wrote the Revelation from thenceforth even after this of Paul to the Colossians and the Hebrews were written from whence forward I.O. drives his execration downward to this day sith the said Iohn had his Revelation immediately from an Angel by whom Christ who had it from the Father sent and signified it to his servant Iohn Rev. â— 1 And because Christ is better then the Angels and God in these last dayes speaks in and by him his only begotten Son the light of the world the great Shepherd and Over-seer of the soul whose own voice his Sheep hear warning all to hear him to hear his voice in all things what ever he sayes on pain of being cut off from among his people therefore the Scripture must have no more writing though of the same truth that is there added to it on pain of damnation for ever there 's the t'other of I.Os. Conclusions from Heb. 1. from which Conclusion I can much more clearly conclude that a cloud of darkness is drawn over I.Os. understanding and that a beam is in his eye then draw such an untruth as that no more Scripture since Iohns time was to be written by the holy Spirits moving and added to that from that Text which tells the truth if I.O. would once heed it viz. that the hour now is wherein God speaks to the Sons of men in and by his own Son whom he hath given to be a Light and Leader to all people wherein the dead must hear his voice before ever they live to God who since God speaks by him and hee by his own light Spirit Voice in I.Os. conscience why doth not I.O. heed him then but scoffe at him in his inward Light and Spirit the Qua. call to as at Christum quendam Imaginarium infallibilem Doctorem nescio quod lumen scu verbum internum nescio quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deoforsan quopiam
melius c. for woe unto him that ever he was born if he repent not of it but run from him to the Letter which doth but testifie of him and call to him in the reading and searching of which if he think he hears Christs voice and Gods voice truly then the Scribes that read the Scripture as much as hee could not be truly reprov'd Ioh. 5. as not hearing it as they are by Christ And 2. I shall think hee is not only without his sense of spiritual hearing but as 't is shewed above of others in the like case not so well as he ought to be in his natural wits and understanding And as to that 2 Pet. 1.19 which I insisted so lately and so largely upon above if there were the weight of one half grain in it towards the turning of the scales to his purpose I would weigh it once again but he that shall say these words We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which yee do well if yee take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn and day star arise in your hearts hath ought in it if the Letter of Scripture were there meant as I have shewed it is not to prove there must bee no more Scripture written as from the Spirit after that verse was written on pain of damnation as I.O. doth for that 's his drift in quoting it doth no more condemne the Qua. by that Text of Peter then he damn Iohn himself whose Revelation was written as by the Spirit no little while after that As to that 1 Cor. 4.5 spoken to once before where I met with it Ex. 3. s. 28. yet twice here cited by I.O. to the self-same purpose as before from which because Paul there sayes hee would have none think of him and Apollos above what he wrote of himself and him as no more however Idolized by the Church then meer Ministers by whom they beleeved I.O. concludes there must be no addition of more Scripture to his Canon Rep. If any man be minded to look so long till hee finde a pin in a pack of wool which he may sooner do if lost there then finde I.Os. conclusion coming from the Text aforesaid let him look till he is weary for mee who will meddle no more with that And the same summarily and in short say I of 2 Pet. 2.18 another Text of I.Os. urging For when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour Rep. He that will spend so much time as to study on that Text till hee can duely draw either of these Doctrines from it viz that the holy Spirit downrightly damns 1. All addings whatsoever of more Scripture or writing as from the Spirit to that Scripture now in the Bible which our Clergy calls their Canon And 2. All the wayes and means of knowing God and of communion with him even that internal Spirit and light in the conscience to use I Os. phrase boasted of by the Qua. as in some measure communicated to all men shall most assuredly have his labour for his pains The same may be said of 1 Ioh. 5.1 Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they he of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Rep. What damnation is thundred out here at all to the Adding of any thing or Revelation that is true to the outward Writing or Scripture where the Scripture is neither talked on nor intended he talks of Spirits there and not Letters much more what follows thence to the condemnation of the inward light and spirit the Qua. talk of call to live and walk and hold communion with God in now according to the counsel of the Scriptures as Abel Noah and all holy men of God did from the beginning before the Scripture was Is this to adde to the Scripture and to fall under condemnation from that Scripture and from that Text too as Adders to the Scripture to hold forth preach publish in the movings of the Spirit and therein also to commit to writing the holy Truths revealed in the Light and Spirit of God they obey and walk in and to call men by Voice Scripture or Writing as they are moved to live and beleeve in the Light to walk not after flesh but the holy Spirit of God in them which reproves them of sin and lusts against their flesh as they did of old who wrote in the same Light and Spirit of God that outward Scripture ye more scrible for then walk by so long as ye walk not by the Light and Spirit as it bids you doth not the Scripture call to beleeve and walk in the Light and Spirit and not in the darkness and in the flesh and where is that Spirit and Light is it not within in the heart where the flesh and darkness dwells which lust against it And for as much as thou sayest here the Spirit damns all wayes and means of knowing God and communion with him beside the Scripture O thou Elymas Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Doth not the Scripture and Spirit of God by it rather down rightly damn all them out of al' communion with God let them jactitare joy and boast never so much of their having the Scriptures that walk not in the said Light the Qua. testifie to which thy self only contrarily both to the Scriptures and sound reason and Gods Spirit also damnest down as Diabolical to the Pit of hell who yet sometimes again confessest it to be of God and Gods voice in nature by which he reveals his minde to men and that infallibly without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore surely without a Letter ad exera p 42 43 44 45 46. yea and rejectest with abhorrency and detestation Ex. 3. s. 28 Doth not the Spirit by the Scripture condemn them for Lyars and such are all the formal Professors of the Letter that have got the good words to talk on for hire and make a trade of whose portion is the Lake while they are not under the power of the Light but hate it and the holders of it out that pretend to communion with God out of the Light and own 's it any other way or means of fellowship with God but the light saying 1 Iob. 1 4 5 6 7. God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship together and the blood of his Son cleanseth us from all sin dost not thou then instead of light walk in obscurity instead of brightness in darkness it self dost thou not grope for the wall yet like the blind as if thou hadst no
is not shewed by any thing but it self and rectum is ever mensura sui obliqui that which is infallibly right is the Rule and measure of manifestation of it self and of all the wrong and not retro any wrong darke crooked doubtful or fallible thing the Rule of that so the Spirit and Light of God by and from which and that but remotely too through mens hands the Letter had at first and now through fallible mens hands hath all its being is the Rule of trial for it self and of the Letter and of all false Spirits Prophets Doctrines c. yea it self and all things are made manifest by the Light whether approveable or reprovable works of flesh or fruits of the Spirit as the Letter sayes of it Gal. 5. Eph. 5. yea what ever doth make manifest as the Letter never doth or can without the Light and the Light doth often and did thousands of years without the Letter and before it was it is the Light And if any other should yet of all men I.O. cannot charge this on me as an Idem per Idem to say by the Spirit of God and the Light alone we must Try the true Light and Spirit and the false Spirits and pretences to the names of Light also for I say no more in it then the truth of the true light and spirit which himself sayes most falsely of the Letter when p. 51. he asserts it to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever that that must speak alone for itself which must try the speaking of all but it self yea it s own also I.Os. 6. Argument to prove the Scripture and nothing else the only most perfect Rule and Standard is this viz. Ea omnia quae examinari probari debent c. All those things which ought to be examined and tried yea which we are commanded to try tanquam ad lydium lapidem as 't were by some infallible Touchstone by the Scripture whether they are true and agreeable to divine verity or not with free liberty yea absâ—lute necessity of rejecting them if not consentaneous to Scriptures those neither apart nor joyntly considered can be the Rules or Directories of Gods worship our faith and obedience nor are upon their own account at all to be credited But all Revelations Visions Spirits Dreams Enthusiasms we are commanded so to try examine and prove Therefore those are no Rules that are of themselves to be credited Rep. That Argument the minor of which is most false and supposes that infallible Spirit of God to bee now subjected as some underling to a fallible Letter now transcribed by weak men is founded on this Text 1 Iob. 4.1 and two more only beside those above spoken to viz. 1 Cor. 14.21 and 1 Thess. 5.21 The first of which I know nor why I.O. cites it it proving nothing to his purpose because Paul there quotes a Text out of the Law or Letter saying In the Law it s written with men of other tongues and lips will I speak to this people i.e. to the Drunkards of Ephraim yet they will not hear which first part hath not a tittle for him but the latter part of it much more against him then he is ware of being not wise enough well to weigh it And the second Text with the two verses before viz. Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesyings prove all things rather against him that the Spirit which is there mentioned and not the Letter at all is that by which all things are to be proved What is said above to that Text in Iohn shall as well it may stand as answer to the said sixth Argument with this only addition that if we must go to the Scripture for the trial of all spirits even Gods as well as others then le ts go no further at first however then that in hand which tells us that the true Church who is written to in that verse wherein nor in any about it there 's not the least hint about the Letter had a secret taken whereby to know the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour versâ— 6. which the world and its Priests and people have not vers 2â— Every Spirit quoth he that confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not this is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard it should come and even now is iâ— already in the world Riddle me I. O. if it be within thy reach and from thence tell me which are the true which the false Spirits which Christs and Gods which Antichrists they that confess Christ Jesus to be come in the flesh as the â—uardo or they that deny the Saviour the Anointed to be come in the flesh as from the Pope to the least outside or nominal Christian and meer literal beleiver and professor among the most reformed Protestants save they who beleeve and live in the internal light and Spirit with one accord all do Looking at talking of belâ—eving the History of expecting justification sanctification righteousness salvation all from Christ only as he was made a man of outwaâ—d flesh and blood without them And if I. O. say in vindication of himself in this that that is the confession of Jesus Christ to be come in flesh which every spirit that makes is of God to beleeve the story of the Incarnation Life Suffering Death Resurrection c that is all truly related in the Letter without as 't was done in a figure of what was to be further and more spiritually and mystically transacted in his true body the Church whereof he is the head with a confident application of him and of the benefit of all the righteousness he did in that person by every man to himself as by way of computation and imputation before he hath it indeed imparted or conveyed into himself for this is T.Ds. and the whole brood of the back side beleevers and the Bastard Christians saith and confession of Christ to be come in the fleâ—h on the account of which they hope they are of God and shall be saved though they are far from witnessing or confessing the same Christ who is the Wisdome Righteousness Light Power Salvation and Image of God to be begotten conceived formed born brought serth incarnated risen from the dead living and dwelling within themselves where he hath lyen slain as an innocent Lamb from the foundation of the world in their hearts which therefore is to perish with the lust thereof which inward witness of the Words incarnation and dwelling in themselves they that were of God of old had Iob. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwels in us and we saw his glory and all now have who are of God and have not the vain hope of the hypocrite only which is as the giving up the Ghost when God comes to take aâ—â—y his soul Job but that hope 1 Iob. 3.3 which is
an Anchor to the soul sâ—re and stedfast entring into that within the vail Heb 6.18 19 20. which is Christ himself in us the hope of glory Col 1.27 known by them to be in all them who are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13 〈◊〉 and still in that transgression and in that condemnation which hath past already upon them and is not now to them that are in Christ walking no more after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 I say if I.O. judge with T.D. and others that that faith and confession ad extra only is the faith and confession of Christs Incarnation Resurrection c. which proves them to be of God who have it and them to be Antichristian spirits who have it not Let him tell me whether there be any Antichrists in Christendome yea or nay I have hitherto taken it that our Divines say the Antichrists properly are no where else and that there are many more Antichrists then true Christians naturâ non nomine in the world called Christian but seriously I know not where to finde them if I.Os. trial judgement and discerning of Spirits by the very Scriptures themselves bee not very dark and undiscerning and confused nor what Spirits or Prophets throughout all Christendome are not of God since Papists and Protestants of all sorts Prelatical Presbyterian Independent Baptists Seekers Kanters and all other that I know of as well as Qua. who only of all the rest witness that true inward saving good confession of the Lord Iesus with the mouth and beleeving in the heart that God raised him from the dead as feeling him living there within themseâ—ves to which the promise of salvation is made Rom. 10.9 and which every Spirit that witnessesh is of God 1 Joh. 4.2 do together with the Qua. who own and deny not that as there bee some that falsely lay of them all confess and really beleeve the truth of the outward History of Christs coming in the flesh of that person that was born at Bethlem that lived and dyed and rose again at Jerusalem according to the true Relation of the outward Scriptures and do also apply him and all his by that faith they have in the story of that person and in the person at a distance from them though never feeling the power of his Light Righteousness and holy life within themselves but I wot whether I.O. will own all these Spirits Prophets and Professors to be cordial beleevers or all such confessors of that outward Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ from the dead to be all of God or not and in a present state of salvation thereupon and not one of the outwardly beleeving Christ-confessing Spirits Prophets Priests and Professors abovesaid whereof the most are very prophane false deceitful Liars Swearers Couzeners Cheaters Drunkards Riotous Gluttâ—ns Belly-gods Wantâ—ns Whoremongers Idolaters Covetous Proud persecutors of Christ every way abominable and unchristian in their lives few or none of which beleeve so much as that they must necessarily or can possibly be purged perfectly from their sins till they dyâ— to be at all Antichristian If he say nay these all shall not be saved then the said outward faith in and confession of Christ as without them is not saving If hee say yea then first where is his personal election 2 What need any personal sanctification of us as to our salvation what was personally in that man only that dyed and rose at Ierusalem is enough for us so that none needs reside in us let us eat and drink when we dye we shal be saved and live for ever Moreover what hath been said above may stand as a sufficient answer over the head of I Os. fourth Agument which as most of them are one with another in many matters in proof of which he cites over and over again the same Texts so that one cannot well make a full end with one Argument without some transition into another is very much coincident with this The summe of which fourth is this viz. If it be often commanded by God that we attend diligently to the Scriptures left we be turned aside from the truth and right knowledge of himself by seducing spirits vain Revelations false teachers c. then the Scripture is the most perfect Rule c. but the first true therefore the other Ex. 3 f.31 The Texts that prove the minor of this Argument quoth he are so clear and plain that ad solem caecutiat necesse est c. he must needs be blinde toward the Sun it self who Assents not to them in some of which also quoth he the certitude of the sacred Word that is the Scripture still with I.O. is preferred before the certitude as to the Churches use even of true Revelations and miraculous Rep Yet two of them viz 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16. 2 Pet. 1.19 many times a peece over repeated and supposed to supply almost every turn of I.O. how they serve not his turn at all is abundantly above discovered whereupon I here quit them Another is so much misquoted viz. 2 Ioh. 11.5 6 10. that as plain and clear as the Sun as it is he must be better skill'd then I that knows where to finde it at all Two more there are that make as much to I.Os. purpose as any two well-nigh can do that speak contrary to it and those are Ioh. 5.47 2 Thess. 2.2 The words of the first which with those of 46. vers are Christs to the Scribes are these Had ye beleeved Moses yee would have beleeved me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeve not his writings how shall ye beleeve my words Christ by true Revelations of it from the Father to him truly revealed the Fathers will to the Scribes which they received not from him but hated him for Ioh. 8.40 12.49 50.14.31 saying of Christ Wee are none of his we are Moses Disciples we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow we know not whence he is Joh. 5 45 46 47. Christ tells them in effect that for all their prate and pretence to Moses as their Tutor he rather was their Accuser in whom they trusted sith they in truth beleeved not Moses for a minori ad majus did you indeed beleeve Moses ye would much more beleeve me quoth he for he wrote of me he sent directed and pointed you to me for so he did Deut. 18.15 saying of Christ A Prophet will God raise to you c. him shall ye hear in all he sayes who hears him not shall be cut off from his people Act. 3.22 23.7.47 But if you beleeve not his writings wherein ye are bid to hear me as the greater of the two as the Son in the house where he was but the servant then ye cannot beleeve my words The summe in short is this hee that heeds Moses writings must hear me for Moses bids them do so he that beleeves what I say doth what Moses sayes he that beleeves either beleeves both he
another that as the most must needs be false so 't is enough to confound and amaze mens minds they are so many to meddle to finde which is true among their meanings and to set a man out of his own senses to set himself so several are they to seek out their several senses on the Scriptures many bumbling Volumes larger then the Bible it self being written or some one Text of Sripture Is it for want of power or efficacy in the Letter Yea that is one reason for howbeit I.O. sayes It is absolutely called the power of God and effectual to salvation yet to his own confutation I. O sayes the Letter is dead and without the Spirit of no efficacy for the good of souls But another and that not the least is because they live in Rebellion against the light which while they turn not to though Moses is read and the Prophets also and all the Letter or Old Testament yet the Vail remaineth over Moses and the Prophets faces and as over the Iewes over the heart of these Christians also which Vail is done away only in Christ and in turning to his Light and the Spirit within their minds are blinded being off from the Light so that they know neither Christ nor Moses nor the Voyces of the Prophets that are so often read which through ignorance they fulfill as the Iews did in condemning Christ and putting him to open shame in his Light Doctrine and Disciples Nevertheless if their heart shall yet turn to the Lord that Spirit and to his Light which is within that vail shall be taken away and they shall see with open face behold the glory of God and be changed into his Image be led indeed to that true Repentance that is never to be repented of but if they continue in their unbeleef in the Light and their hearturn not to the Lord in and by the Light in the time and space that is given them for that Repentance yet at least the face of the covering that is now cast over all people and the vail that is yet spread over all Nations shall be so far removed and destroyed at last that there shall be repentance enough to no purpose when it is too late when the Gulph is once fixed and Abraham is seen by these rich worldlings and Belly-gods afar or and Lazarus in his bosome when every eye that look's for him shall see him who now cometh in the Clouds and they also that have pierced him and all Kindreds of the earth that are no kin to him shall wail because of him Even so AMEN The Fourth Apologeticall and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw to proceed in way of answer to I. O's Arguments for the Scriptures and Letter and Book and Bible and Texts and outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets as the onely Rule in alterable Standard now compleated Canon Touchstone of all Truth to which since its close and consignation after Iohn had written no new Revelations Writings or Scriptures of the old Truth as from the old Spirit of it are to be added no immediate manifestations inspirations motions missions from God as of old to be expected or if pretended to be admitted or owned but to be damned down as Delusion Fanaticism Enthusiasm Quakerism Diabolism vain uncertain unprofitable fancy figment detestable meraae tenebrae caecitas fines salutares quod attinet as to salvation meere darknesse and blindnesse it self and what not that 's naught Seeing it is so as abovesaid that all these false Prophets and Divines can prevail no further then to tangle and hamper and hinder men and to hide the truth by that hideous heap of unharmoneous Heterogeneous Heterodox more then Orthodox volumes of Divinity and to smoother darken confound and drive men away from the naked truth and draw them off from the Scriptures themselves that are plain and cleare to honest and plain-hearted men by their Smoak and Clouds and Circumferences and by that boundlesse bottomlesse incomprehensible chafly Chaos of their contradictory and confused Commentaryes with which the world is now burdened even beyond what it can well bear and contain sith I say there 's none to guide these poor erring lost perishing and as yet more deformed then reformed Nations into the life of God and power of godlinesse from which they are alienated because of the blindnesse of their hearts among all the Sons whom they have brought forth Isa. 51.18 Neither any that can take them by the hand and lead them in the true way of eternall life of all the Sons whom they have brought up at their Vniversities who sit together with them under the shaddow of death notwithstanding all their Tumbling ore of so many Tames about the Scripture is it then for want of true Prophets or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men divinely inspired and sent of God to call people to Repentance and to turn them to that light of God within that leads to Repentance by voice and writing to them as them elves have had the true way thereof manifested in them by the light as themselves being taught of God have learned and practiced it and are moved of the holy Spirit to preach and presse the practice of it upon others according to the scope of the Scriptures No! For there are many in England at this very day speaking reproving writing and prophecyâ—ng from the same light and by the same Spirit that the Scriptures came forth from and as themselves have received and heard from the voice and mouth of God and seen felt and handled of the word of life as the Prophets Amos 7. and the Messengers and Ministers of God and Christ of old Act. 26.16 17 18. 1 Ioh. 1.1 2 3 4 c. The Spirit of the Lord is not more straitned in these days from blowing where it lists then it was in the dayes of old howbeit because it lists not much as it never did to blow upon or inspire the learned Scribes Hypocritical Pharisees chief Priests aspiring Rabbies Divinity Doctors Proud Diotrepheses preheminence loving Praters hireling Preachers Fawning prudentiall Parasites Politicall Polliticians and such like but mostly upon a meaner sort of men as to outward account these wise men are most hardly brought to beleive it to be so and so as said the Priests Scribes Pharisees Rabbies and Doctors of old of Moses and the Prophets we own them know them and their Scriptures which yet they knew not nor the power of God We are their Disciples wee 'l stick to their writings that 's our compleat Canon our stable Standard our immutable measure to which nothing must be added and of Christ and his in the dayes of his flesh we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow and his fellows we know not whence he is and whence they are they are of the Devill have a Devill and are mad Why hear ye them they speak blasphemous words against Moses and the Law and this place the holy Temple and
earth and sate on the many waters peoples multitudes nations and tongues with whom both Kings and inhabiters of the earth being drunk intoxicated with the wines of her wisdom have committed fornication run a whoring from the wisdom of God divided and dividing the people that profess the name of Christ without his nature respectively into three PPParts Rev. 16.14.19 Rev. 2.20 21 22 23. Rev. 17.1.2.15.18 viz. 1. Pope and his carnall crue of Cardinals Mount Seniors Priests Iesuits Monks Friars of all sorts and all the other sorts of his spirituall men and women which are enough to weary one to read much more to reckon them all up in writing 2. Arch-Prelates Prelates Deanes under which name I.O. was lately the onely man in England till removed that stood denominated whose Popish Traditionall Title was Dean of Christ-church in Oxford an Officer that Christ never instituted in any Church that he constituted Deans and Chapters and all that hang on that Hirarchy in the fall of whose Spirituall Courts Tithes went down too as to the way of Recovery of them by any law from any that are not free to pay them if our wise Statesmen who sate at the Stern once had been made willing in their time to see what they saw before their fun was setting 3. Presbyters Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spirituall persons and their Officials Clerks Sextons c. depending still together with some that were once Independents as none of Christs but nationall messengers for nationall stipends Which said three swarms of Locusts who love the dark smoak they came out of more than the light which dispels it have covered over the whole European â—â—â—th and more too in all corners of it and have what they could withheld the wind of Gods spirit from blowing upon the earth that themselves might eat up the good things thereof and none of Christs spiritual ones appear to hinder them Rev. 7.19.3 But also even among those that truly pretend to it such as pretend falsely to the foresaid inspiration yet do not thou dream that because among these by Gods permission as a snare rained down on Ps. 11.6 and a stumbling-block laid in the way of the wicked that are disobedient Ier. 6.21 1 Pet. 2.8 there arise some false Prophets therefore God himself hath no Time ones for if he hath as so sure as thou hast clothes on thy back he hath many more than thou art yet aware of thou wilt get little by that fond conceit fith as thy self truly sayest Those whom God 〈◊〉 send are to be received on the same 〈◊〉 on which the other are to be refuse i.e. n paine of Damnation Neither deceive thy selfe so far I.O. any more as to make and imagine it such an unwonted wonderfull impossible matter as in a manner thou dost that even in these dayes men and women too should as of old they were be moved and inspired both to speake and write by the holy Spirit howbeit 't is true there are times of Gods going away and returning to his place withdrawing hiding himself his face in a little wrath for their forsakings of him from his own seed as it hath fell out for ages and generations together even 1260. years at least wherein all the inward Temple worship and worshippers therein lay wast and trodden down by the Gentiles or Nations that have had it given them so to do to glory in that name of Christians without any true Christianity and in literall formes and observations of externall Ordinances according to the letter which they have not kept to neither but abominably corrupted themselves in the use thereof and made void by their own tradition without either of those two witnesses the Word and Spirit which have been much more then the letter abused and depressed into so low a condition as to speak low out of the ground and whisper out of the dust and bear their Testimony fiting in Sackcloth regarded and attended to but by a few to which yet God is now giving power again to open their mouths and to devour their enemies and to burn up all that hurt them and to smite the earth and the dwellers in it that rejoyce and make merry over them with all Plagues as often as they will yet thereis a time of his returning to his own again and of being found of them that seek him and of his appearing to all those that love and wait for his appearing to their joy though the shame of their adversaries and of bringing forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf that have eares and of opening the eye of the blind and unstopping the eare of the deaf and causing the waters to break out in the Wildernesse and streams in the desert of pouring of floods upon the dry ground and making the thirsty Land springs of water and of speaking himselfe not so sparingly as before and of pouring out his Spirit on his Sons nad daughters Servants and handmaids that they shall prophesie and of revealing himself in Visions and of the heavens dropping down their dew and of preparing himself as the morning to meet such as follow on to know him that they may live in his sight Though therefore I.O. as little believes this as one of the Lords of King Ioram did Elishas Prophesie of so great plenty in Samaria after the wofull famine that came by the Syrians siege when an Asses head was sold for 41. and the fourth part of a kab of Doves dung for 55. and may come to see it with his eyes but not eat thereof because he saith as that Lord if the Lord make windowes in heaven can this be 2 Kings 7.1 2 17 18 19 20. yet such plenty of the Spirit of God shall be given out to them that believe in the light that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living water and the spirit shall be a well of water springing up into eternall life and there shall be a measure of fine flower for a shekell and two measures of barly for a shekell and preaching and prophesying by the Spirits motions and writing by his inspirations shall be as good cheap as a measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barly for a penny Rev. 6.6 and abundance of oyle and wine yea new wine that is now in the cluster which must no more be spoyled nor hurt nor destroyed by neither the great nor the little Foxes but we will be to them that hurt or hinder the tender grapes thereof for a blessing assuredly is in it Cant. 2.15 Isa. 65.8 Rev. 6.6 then shall the Asses heads be priz'd no more so high nor the Doves dung be sold so deare nor the chaff that hath been sold for wheat be so costly as it hath been nor any outward Excellencies which are but excrement with the spirit and the spouse who prize the Doves innocency above all that nor fleshly wisdome which is foolishnesse with God be
to So speaking of the Hebrew points They were sayest thou compleated by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra his Companions guided therein by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God So speaking of the first transcribed Copies of the Scriptures of the New Testament thou sayest There were Copies quickly given out to faithfull men whilst the infallible Spirit yet continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner and of the first Transcribers thou saist in the next Section that they were not all or any of them infallible and Divinely inspired Repl. Now I say not that either all or any of these Transcribers were infallibly or Divinely inspired nor canst thou say they were not for neither thee nor I know who they were and they might or might not for ought either of us know for the infallible spirit continued his guidance no doubt to such as took him and not a fallibly transcribed Letter to be their guide both then and long after that and also doth now in that manner which thou callest extraordinary though it was but his ordinary guidance to such as give up to him and to any but such as thee who being not guided by him thy selfe conceivest it some strange and extraordinary businesse for any now adayes to professe themselves so to be but with I.O. the extraordinary guidance of the Spirit of God is his immediate and infallible guidance his ordinary is his mediate fallible guidance Oh prime Doctrine for a Doctor surely if the Spirit of God have any fallible guidance at all and thou be led at all by him he vouchsafed thee but his cheaper ordinary remote and far off and fallible guidance in this piece but it s his infallible guidance and direction which thou callest extraordinary he now guides by for the Spirit hath by indirect and false directions nor fallible guidances that I know of I say I meddle not to affirme one thing or other of all these Transcribers what they were it makes no matter and is neither here nor there to me whether they were infallibly guided or divinely inspired yea or nay but this I would fain know what thou meanest by some of thy expressions and wherefore thou talkest as thou dost and what reason thou hast so reasonlesly to restrain and streighten the spirit of the Lord which to do is none of the Lords doings Mic. 26.7 8 9 100 11. and to pound him up into such a small point and pittance of time as the primitive ages as ye call it of the Gospel and to lock him up into that little narrow nick so that he must either then speak all he hath to say to the world and his owne people in it or else for ever after hold his peace and must inspire all he means to inspire and lead and guide all he means to lead and guide by his own immediate extraordinary and infallible direction then or not at all there being now another ordinary fallible Ruler Rule Guide Leader and Commander of the people viz. some of the Stories Letters and Epistles that were written lately by his motion and direction to be by fallible men transcribed and ere long by a Synod of who knows whom to be authorized as the onely and most perfect Rule Directory infallible Canon chief Leader and Commander that must be wholly substituted in his room and take his place to which himself if ever he speak more must as well as all false spirits submit himself to be tryed and be accountable so that if he offer to lead guide move inspire any to write and speak or prophesie extraordinarily immediately infallibly or any otherwise then ordinarily and fallibly or immediately or infallibly speak to any from thenceforth so as to send them who were mad indeed as the world counts them if they should go unsent on such rugged service which false Prophets Ministers of the Letter and of mens making who love their ease and to sleep in a whole skin will be sure to keep far enough from to reprove as immediately from himself and to warn the wicked world when it lies in wickednesse or call men to repentance or do as he has done by Gods permission in that age or if he send any of his messengers as he did Paul and others to exhort teach reason dispute in Towns Cities Vniversities Streets Markets or to enter never so peaceably into the Synagogues and Temples to talk and make disturbance among the Priests and their people there after once the Old Testament Iewish Church is down and the Old Testament Christian Church in many outward things after its likenesse is so well founded and established in its stead that the Priests and Ministers thereof are warm and begin to fit at ease in their functions of Tithes outward benefits and blessings earthly honours Divine and Ghostly Titles of Rabbi Doctour Lord Arch-Bâ—shop Arch-Deacon Reverent Clergy Orthodox Divine and a mint more of such like Clericall Calleries and spirituall Renowneries Parochiall Provinciall Diocesian Dâ—gnities Arch-Advancements and Advantages then both the said Spirit of God and all his Emissaries Messengers and Messages then and from henceforth shall be both rejected and condemned under their severall respective names of Schâ—sme Schismaticall Schismaticks Hereticall Heresie Hereticks lying Spirit Delusion Deluders Fanaticall Fanaticisme Fanaticks Enthusiasticall Enthusiasme Enthusiasts Dreames Dreamers Fictions Figments Quakers and whatever other ignominious termes any ungodly Scoffers can invent and shall please themselves to reproach them by and moreover the said Messengers shall be had and held as Disturbers of the publick peace and be proceeded against as Rogues Vagrants Vagabonds that as the first Apostles had not for the Gospels sake though else they had and were as sufficient in the outward as other men 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12 13. have no certain dwelling place and be as they often are in the same cause sent away with a passe banisht whipt ston'd set in the stocks imprisoned Bocaâ—doed and what way the Magistrates shall please at the suggestion or direction of the Ministers or the Mayoâ—s by the advice of the Vicechancelours who are supream directive though the other corrective as the Constable is over the Bâ—sholder which at his appointment is to correct the Beggars be defamed shamefully abused and intreated and made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men. Now I. O. what meanest thou or what ground hast thou thus to forbid the Spirit of the living God Hath God prohibited him hath he any where limited himself from speaking immediately infallibâ—y to the Councel Guidance Comfort Assistance of his people in these latter dayes especially without book any more than in former ages before the letter was and in the first age wherein the Gospel began to flourish if men had not sneapt it and the glorious light thereof to shine out as the Sun in its brightnesse but that the Devil and his Imps besmoak'd the Sun and Aire whom in his just judgement God suffered so to do
because men began to dote one upon another and to set up Idols and Images in their minds of good writings that were written for another end by the Spirits motion Histories Letters Epistles and instead of the Law of the Spirit of Life and Light which is by Christ Iesus to magnifie the outward Letter and make it Honourable which is but mens wiâ—nesse for God and to run a whoring after it from Gods own Witnesse even his Light and Spirit in the Conscience Must the Spirit be bound now by thee to read his minde to men in a book of mens writing at first by his own Guidance and of fallible mens mistanscribing from the hands one of another through so many ages or else he must be silent not manifest his mind at all He must read his old Sermons it seems but he must not preach new ones he may read in the Letter what he did reveale but must come forth in no new Revelations now of the old thing nor preach immediately in mens minds any more as he had done from the beginning of the world to that time and inspired immediately whom he pleased Is not this to muzle him up as the Bâ—shops were wont to doe the Parish Curates lest too much Truth should come forth and as they do where the Pope hath most to do at this day so that they may read not too much Scripture neither for therein I confesse the case is a little altered for the better in England but old mouldy Mass books and Forms of Service in Latine of their own setting out in which there is here a little and there a little sprinkling of some Scriptures mostly out of the Psalms which they most corrupt and make certain Sing songs out of or if there be any Homilies read it s a mighty matter but as those the Friars make are worth little and some of them worse then naught so as bad as they be there is few Sermons to be heard throughout the Popedome and as they allow men to read Writings of their own setting out but not preach nor speak in any other order method manner or form of words then as they find there so thou wilt allow the Spirit to speak to men in and by that letter he caused once to be written he may read his mind in mens hearts by that or have it read by mens mouths one to another if he will but no preaching now by himself within or by his immediate inspiration by men without nor writing neither but it must come to the touchstone of what he bade Paul Peter or others to write before which whoso shall presume to say it is of God or from God immediatly at all though it do agree never so much with that as all that is of God and from him doth and cursed be he that speaks contrary to what was of old written rightly understood or shall say 't is Truth before our time-serving Tryers have tryed it by that who understand it not themselves much lesse are fit to try Doctrines by it let him be dealt with according to the foresaid provision against Delusion made of old in the night time while men slept in that behalf But is God and Christ and the Spirit so sparing towards his people and so niggardly in dispensing Truth in revealing his Righteousnesse which he is now bringing neere and in shewing his Salvation which now is not to tarry to them that long for it and have long lookt for it according to his promise as those narrow headed niggardly hearted Nothings and Novices are whose work is all along as dumb as they are from opening their mouths otherwise to bark and bite them back again that having left off to linger any longer at their lips and as well to feed from their mouthes as to feed or put into them make more hast then they would have them from the depths of Hell and Darknesse towards Heaven Gods high and holy Hill Nay verily he sayes to his servants Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it and stands ready to make good that blessing he hath pronounced to such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. that they shall be from himself who only reveales it no lesse then filled with it Thus liberal the Lord and his Spirit is Yet these are the doings of the Churle whose instruments are evil and of the vile person who yeâ— would fain be lookt upon as liberall too as he hath been by such as saw him not in darker times nor discerned how he fed himself and not the flock and minded his own matters even to make meat for his own belly of them more then to make meat enough for the sheep in that dark and cloudy day Ezek. 24.8 9 10 11 12 c. But the hour cometh and now is wherein a Man even a shepheard whom he knows not shall reign in righteousnesse and be as Rivers of waters in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weaâ—y land wherein the deaf shall hear the words of the book which are sealed from the back-side Admirer the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse the eyes of such as seeing will see shall be no more so dimme as they have been and the eares of such as hear must hearken unto him the heart also of the rash or hasty that without heed have run they know not whether shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers be ready to speak plainly they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine Then the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the Churle said to be bountiful for the vile person will work villany and his heart will work iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord to make empty the soul of the hungry and to cause the drink of the thirsty to faile the instruments also of the Churl are evil he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poore with lying words even when the needy steaketh right things but the liberall deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall he stand In that day the burden of the insolent Antichristian Assyrian that hath so straightly besieged the people of God that dwell in Sion and cut off from them so far as God would suffer him he stay the staft the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water shall remove from off Sions shoulders and his yoke from off her neck yea that yoke shall be destroyed because of the anoynting Isa. 10.27 for the spirit shall be poured out upon them that wait for it from on high and the liberall soul shall be made faâ— and he that watereth shall be watered also himself and the wildernesse shall be a fruitfull field in which judgement and righteousnesse shall remain and the works of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever and
same rule thereof Phil. 3. Galat. 6 Walk they not in the same spirit walk they not in the same steps which that Spirit of God in them treads out for them Have they not that Spirit of Christ And if any man have it not for his Guide Leader Governour in all he doth as well as his Comforter is he Christs He that hath it not dwelling in him infallibly directing divinely inspiring him is he Christs Do not all that are in Christ Iesus to whom there is no condemnation all save such as go condemned in themselves to whom there is nothing but condemnation from God walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Do they not live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit serve in the Spirit and not in the Letter minister every one as of the ability God giveth from the Spirit not barely from the Letter And so though they may use the very words that are Letter and be well read in the Letter and quote the Letter as Christ did and the Prophets and Apostles did the outward writings one of another and by the Spirit be guided to utter the same words verbatim See Isa. 2. Mic. 4. and be mightier in the Letter then those that are Ministers of no more then the Letter yet are Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Are they as well as the Spirit is in them not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Are not all that are not in the night and in the darknesse and the children thereof but the children of the day of the light which is the Lords day in in the Spirit Rev. 1.10 Do they not by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Are they after the flesh Come they not by walking in the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Doth not the Spirit of God in them I ust against the flesh Doth not the law of the spirit of Life which is by Christ Jesus deliver them that follow it from the law of Sin and Death that they were once captivated by Doth not the Spirit quicken and give them life Doth it not help their infirmities pray in them with sighs and greanes and because they know not how to aske any thing as they ought doth it not make intercession for them according to God Are they not born of the Spirit and after the Spirit Doth not the Spirit of God bear witnesse to their spirit that are his children that they are so Doth it not reveale the great things of God and by that revelation make them know the things that are freely given them of God Is it not the unction from the holy one whereby they know all the things the Anoynting which was the Canon or Rule of the Saints from the beginning before any Letter was which is truth and is no lye which if they quench not grieve not let it not but let it abide and remain in them will teach them infallibly of all things so that they shall not need that any man teach them and which they abiding in the Doctrine or teaching of do not erre as the wicked world thinks they do but continue in the Son and in the Father Are they not led by it from under the Law and out of the Letter up into the life which the Letter speaks of but it self onely giveth out of the works of the flesh which in and by the light are manifest into the fruits that it self brings forth Doth it not bring all things to the remembrance of such as are led by it as all the Sons of God are that ever Christ spake Doth it not guide all such into all truth and onely into truth and not into any falshood delusion or deceit Doth it not take of Christs and shew it unto them Doth God do all this first or last more or less for all his people and doth none of all this amount to so much as the motion of the Spirit or divine inspiration Are there no spirituall men now in the world and is not every spiritual man a Prophet or more then a Prophet for though all in the Church are not Prophets on such a score and in so high a rank as thou reckonest on i.e. such as have witnessed a sending forth abroad on some service to others the service of some lying yet nearer home and in present reference onely to themselves some like the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho and Bethel 2 Kings 2.2 Kings 6. being yet under the Schoolmaster that leads to Christ in their nonage going as it were to schoole not at Athens nor yet at Oxford nor Cambridge where the Schools are not like that of theirs neither is the waiting in order to the Ministry like that of the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho but rather like that of those to whom it was said tarry at Iericho till your beards be growne which injunction many of our Iunior Academicall Students do not keep neither for howbeit Barbá non facit Philosophâ—m nec cucullus Monachum much lesse do either of these make Ministrum Christi yet severall of them if a good Living can be had before do not abide so long as till they be Masters of either beard or hood but are ready to run out with the shells on their heads and to hasten into their humane work of Prophesie before that time But at Bethel i.e. the house of the Lord waiting at the gates of wisdome it self and watching daily at the posts of her house taking councel at the mouth of God out of which onely cometh knowledge and understanding learning of him in silence with all subjection to his will as in the light it is manifest concerning themselves first in the particular purging their own persons first from youthfull and noysom lusts that they may go forth if the Lord please to send them and say go as Vessels of honour sanctified and fitted for the Masters use and prepared to every good work tarrying at Ierusalem till they he indued with power from on high till of carnall Babes in Christ as they are at first walking as other men having a remainder of strife and such divisions as are seen in children they may proceed Men indeed skilfull in the work of righteousnesse having their senses exercised to discern both good and evil and commence Masters not of Arts but over their own hearts and spiritual or Prophets which are intimated to be all one by the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein he saith some are yet but babes and in a measure carnal and all are not yet spiritual nor Prophets 1 Corinth 3.1 2,3 1 Corinth 12.29 1 Cor. 4.37 yet all to covet the gift of Prophecy as the best of Spirituall Gifts yet inferiour in excellency to that way of love Though then I say all be not Prophets yet all spiritual ones are prophets or more then Prophets and
of things which is Tantamount to infallible Luke 1.1 2 3 4. Act. 1.3 and to have plerophorian full assurance but also Omniscient Omnipotent panta anakcinontes eidontes iscuontes c. And whereas T. D. sayes p. 33. the Apostles themselves did not partake of that Divine property of infallibility giving also this reasonless reason for it viz. for then they would have been infallible at all times and in all things which they were not as appears by the instance of Peter Gal. 2.11 Rep. In this as he contradicts the Scripture so I. O. himself serves us so far as to contradict him to our hands for howbeit he denies any participation of infallibility to us or any Ministers in these dayes and also to the very immediate Transcribers of the Scriptures saying p. 167. we say not they were all or any of them Anamartetoi infallible yet he denies it not to the first Writers p. 60. And as for his proof that if they were infallible at all then they would have been so at all times and in all things That is as pedling a proof as he would count it if I should go to prove that David was not at al partaker of the property of holiness because he was not holy but wicked at that time and in that thing wherein he was desil'd in the matter of Vriah which T. D. would judge as silly an argument as I judge T. Ds. assertion silly who sayes that David was not i â— a condemned but in a justified estate alias accounted just in the sight of God at that time when he was under the guilt of adultery and murder which a wise man need not be taught to see the folly and fowlness of Thus then I. O. and T. D. do unminister themselves at least by denying any to be Theopneustoi infallibly guided by the infallible spirit in these dayes both of whom I may truly bespeak thus Say ye that Gods inspir'd ones are all gone Then ye of Gods inspired ones are none And who that 's wise will mind I. O. much in what he saith about things of God who cannot pretend so far as to say he is but rather yeilds to the contrary viz. that he is not mov'd acted carried forth nor guided in what he does speak write minister by the infallible direction of the infallible Spirit of God but by the fallible guidance of his own and other mens fallible spirits opinions conjectures thoughts c Who but fâ—ols will take such a fallible guide as I. O. is fain to confess he is while he denies any guided by the infallible guidance of Gods Spirit in this age Yea doth he not utterly unminister himself and all his fellows while he supposes none now to be Theopneustoi moved and inspired by the spirit in their ministerial functions nor to speak as the Spirit only gives utterance and as they receive the word immediately out of the mouth of God and while he can say no farther of himself and them but only that they minister out of that furtive furniture which in their fleshly minds they filch from the Letter which out of which and from their fallible expositions of which they minister and of which they are Ministers and not of the Spirit as the Apostles and Prophets were which gives the life And is not he an ill bird that bewrayes his own nest an ill son that discovers his own and his fellows and his fore-fathers nakednesses so far as to print it out as obvious to all that the infallible guidance of the infallible Spirit is not continued with them nor to be found in these dayes directing any otherwise then without by an outward letter which is fallible and lyable to be falsified at fallible mens pleasure and fancy and to deny all inward pure Revelation and immediate inspiration as Enthusiasm and to say that there 's no means of doing and determining any thing about the matters of God or Doctrine of Christ now but the letter or writing T. 1. C. 1. S. 16. and yet in the self-same Section to the contradicting of himself to say that that Doctrine and these things of God and Christ are things of pure divine revelation the knowledge whereof depends upon no such fallible thing as all outward writing is now by his own confession but wholly solely on their Revelation from God And what difference is there I.O. between such a one as is pheromenos upo tou pneumatos and one agâ—menos or to whom the Spirit of the Lord is odegos or egoumenos are not all these so neer kin that he who is agomenos is pheromenos Is not he who is led guided acted by the Spirit moved and carried forth by the Spirit And are not all Saints led by it And what difference between one that speaks as moved by the Spirit or as the Spirit gives utterance and one that hath it given him by the Spirit what to speak so that he need not premeditate what to say And have not all the Saints and Disciples of Christ a share and part in that promise of having it given them what to speak at the same houre when they are call'd before Rulers and Governours for Christs sake Mat. 10.18 19 20. and what between one that is divinely inspired to speak and one in whom the Spirit of the Father speaketh Is it not intended of all Gods children and Christs Disciples in the case aforesaid as well as of some when it s said It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in you And is it not said of all that Prophesie in the Church of God as all are to covet to do and are in capability to come to do and may do one by one as they grow in the Spirit and have any thing revealed to them as they sit before the Lord in which caâ—e they are to give way to each other that the unbelievers and unlearn'd ones in the mysteries and language of the Spirit and such are ye that surseiting with your inferiour literature out of the Light and Spirit in which holy men wrote it ly looking in the letter of the Scriptures which ye know not as the old Scribes did not Mat. 22.29 but wrest to your own ruine O insipidi sapientes obtus Acuti Academici quae supra vos nihit ad vos in the account of Christ Paul and Peter as unlearned as Christ himself was with some and as very Babler as Paul was at Athens as unlearned as Peter was counted by the chief Priests Scribes when he and Iohn stood before them Acts 4.13 2 Pet. 3.16 being convinced and judged of them all and having the secrets of their hearts manifested shall be forced to their own shame to fall down and report at last that God is in them of a truth 1 Cor. 14.23 24 25. And what difference is there that can help thy cause between pneumaticos and Theopneustos a spiritual man and one by the Spirit inspired or a
Prophet Doth not the difference that is serve us against thee whilst it s no other then thus that of the two the spiritual man is the greater for if every Prophet is not a spiritual man yet all spiritual men are Prophets or more then Prophets And that there are spiritual men in these dayes thou wilt prove thy self to be what thou art but a meer animal and fleshly man in denying for as there are millions even many more then a good many spiritual men in Title so assuredly as few as they are there are a good many so in truth and so many as are so are more then Prophets or inspired ones that are but barely mov'd to speak or act by the Spirit for all holy men of God spake and wrote of old and speak and write now as they are acted or moved of the holy Spirit but all that speak as the Spirit of God may move act and give them utterance are not holy men of God for Prophesie is but a gift that wicked men though seldome yet sometimes may have who never come into that more excellent and spiritual way which is to last when all Prophesie is ceased of living in love and other fruits of the Spirit witness Balaam the Prophet that lov'd the wages of unrighteousness and taught Balaak King of Moab to cast a stumbling block before Israel and to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication whose way you follow who neither live the life nor will unless ye repent for all your hopes so to do die the death of the righteous and that you will see when you fall into his Trance with your eyes open as you will at last so as to see him even that Star of Iacob as he did afar off not nigh but with a gulf betwixt and Lazarus in his bosome though you are yet in a Tâ—ance of your own with your eyes shut and not come so far into the bare sight of Truth as Balaam was who for all his wickedness was moved of the Lord and overpowred by the Word of God put into his mouth to speak many precious Truths and full sore against his will which would have been at work another way for hire and have cursed and divin'd against them for money to bless Israel altogether Numb 24. Witness also Caiphas the High-Priest who gave the Iews wicked counsel against Iesus and yet prophesied that Iesus should dye for that Nation and gather into one all the children of God that were scattered abroad which not knowing well the true meaning of his own words he spake not of himself as ye do of your selves not understanding well what you say uttering in words many eminent truths out of the Prophets and of the Prophets which not knowing the Prophets voices ye fulfill to your own ruine but by way of Prophesie as the Spirit made use of his mouth to utter it Iohn 11.47 51 52. And was not Saul also among the Prophets so that evil men may be moved and inspired by the Spirit and obey also so as to Prophesie as they are moved led or acted by the Spirit who never obey the Spirits motions of them to better and greater matters that spiritual men obey him in yea fleshly selfish men may be moved and made of the Lord which is more then ye yet are Prophets of True things but what holy and spiritual man is not a Prophet or not inspired or not truly moved of the Lord or however fallible in himself as other men is not anamartetos or infallible as led by the Spirit wherefore then makest thou this matter Theopneustian or divine inspiration or moving of the Spirit such a singular thing as peculiar onely to the dayes of old nay verily though all men are not so far inspired and moved of the Spirit as to be made Prophets yet if by the Term Theopneustia thou mean bare inspiration and motion of the Spirit and speak of that thing it selfe and not of such or such a degree or measure of it canst thou tell me the man or woman vpon earth letting onely Infants and meer Fanaticks aside who are not or have not at some time or other been moved by and with good motions to better things then they follow inspired by the Holy Spirit Who is there â—aving him who walks no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so is not excepted from but more highly accepted into this Theopneusty or inspiration in all the world of either Heathens by name or meer nominall Christians that are as reall Heathens as the other who cannot truly say Video meliora prâ—bâ—que deterior a sequor And what is that in them who have no outward Scripture that makes them say and gives them to see that they behold and approve of better things while they practise worse Is it not the same light and Spirit within by which Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison when once the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing Is it not the spirit of Truth that guides the followers of it into all truth and strives with men though the stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and cares alwayes resist and strive against it and lusts in them against the lustings of their flesh to filth and envy c Is it not that which convinceth and reproveth the world of sin because they believe not in Christ and of righteousnesse and judgement so that they know righteousnesse and the righteousnesse and truth of the judgement of God that who do such things as they do are worthy of death though yet they enter not into the narrow path of righteousness and life nor repent to the acknowledgement of the Truth And though the earth by reason of the transgression till God create the Heaven and Earth again anew as he did in the beginning be without form and void and darknesse be upon the face of the deep yet in order to its coming into order again by the new Creation Doth not the Spirit of God move upon the face of the waters where the Whore sitteth peoples multitudes tongues and nations And doth not God say Let there be light and there is light shining in the daâ—knessâ— though the darknesse comprehends it not And doth he not separate these clearly in mens consciences the inner world from each other calling the light day and the darknesse night And do not many of you men called Ministers use to teach your unconverted people to take the advantage of the Spirits moving upon their hearts and not to quench them but to step in while it moves least like those that lay diseased at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the waters by the Angel that came down which in the Antitype is not the letter but the Spirit not waiting for the movings or neglecting to observe and obey and close with the Spirits motions before the motions of sin in the flesh step in and cool and quench them they lie
upside down so that it shall be said Where is the Scribe where the Disputer â— where is he that counteth the Towers c. Mich. 5. per totum Zach. 9 10 per totum Isai. 33. 1 Cor. 1. And thanks be to God who alwayes maketh us thus to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place which ye Doctors and Divines cloud and darken with your diâ— dry Divinity for we are unto God though a stink to your unsavory selves a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish through their hatred of the light that enlightens every of â—homs without an illumination by which there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them for rejection of it neither are we as the many 〈◊〉 that huâ—ksterinâ—â— and deal deceiâ—fully about the Word of God for their own self ends but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 〈…〉 J. O. They say that Scripture Speaks of Christ he therefore is the light Christ is the light and moreover be inlighteneth not this and that man only but every man that comes into the world that is all men and every individual of them neither could anything be affirmed more clearly Repl. Neither could it in truth but that the selfish Seers are all blind and its niâ—ht unto them so that they cannot divine I. O. That the Scriptures are to be interpreted extorsimus we have enforced it from own Adversaries 〈…〉 wâ—ll do 〈◊〉 thou say extorsimus we have wrested it from them by force 〈◊〉 how 〈◊〉 own the interpretation of the Script which is no way of any procure interpretation may be interpreted by the same publick Spirit of God that gave it forth and by those that open it in the light of that Spirit yet we never yielded it to you yet nor never shall that the Scripture is to be opened by that dark private narrow selfish sottish spirit of Satan that in you lusts to envy against the truth nor by that fallible Spirit that ye are searching the Scripture and preaching out of it by who your selves deny any man as is above shewed to be in these dayes guided by any infallible direction of the infallible Spirit of God for that fallible Spirit of yours which leads you into as many meanings on it well nigh as ye are men that meddle with it and more too sometimes one man putting two or three senses as T. D doth and two men no lesse then four between them as I.O. and T. D. on one Text does but make such a nose of wax of the Scripture as may be and is too whereby ye may see what a steady Rule ye have of the Letter without the Light turned and twined by every of you into his own turn till as the Picture that every Passenger had liberty with a Pensil to mend what he thought and fancied to be amisse in it as he passed by at last became a mishapen Monster so the Scripture is scrued into such a multiformity of mens monstrous meanings that he must be monstrously blinded indeed within a while who will not see a necessity of a more stable Standard to measure Truth by then a transient much mistranscribed much more mistranslated most infinitely misinterpreted Text Letter or outward writing can ever possibly be which more stable Standard is that of the infallible Light and Spirit not as I. O. judges it must needs be if not the letter that pretended unerring Popes breast and bosome and his infallible chair J. O. The sense of this place comes now in question 1. Christ is light to wit in the same sense in which we have shewed God is light he is light in respect of his essentiall Majesty Holiness and Glory also he is light quatenus â— as he is the Fountain Author and Cause of All light that is essentially and efficienter as the efficient of it 2. Christ is said to be the light of men not that light which is in men he is the cause of all light not all light not that accidental and corrupt light whereof we speak Repl. O yes hear all manner of people who is so blind but I O himself who is in suis Talâ—â— as not to see how I O gives up his Cause by the way while he is but upon his triumphant march toward the Text before he touches it whereabout the pitcht Battel is to be The grand Question about which his Quarrell with the Quakeâ—s is is Whether Christ as an Efficient doth enlighten all men yea or nay That all men have some light are in some measure enlightaed within themselves to discern sins duties divine attributes moral good and evill the things of God and themselves this is not denied but abundantly affirmed by T D and I O specially who oft o're and o're tell us of a Voice of God by which he speaks so in all men that there is no need of other witness to evince it that its God that speaketh by which he reveals his Will and that obedience which from us is eternally indispensably due to him and abuudance more id genus as abovesaid then is fit or needfull here to be repeatedâ— Only the case sticks here whether this come from God only or from Christ also nâ—â— as God alone but as the true light of the World whether Christ be the Efficient Fountain Author Cause of this universal light that is confessed to be in common in all men without exception of any unlesse Infants and naturall fools We say yea Christ the true light of the World is the Cause of all that Mâ—ght whereby anything of God is to be known by them that is at all in any or all men T.D. I.O. say no such matter they 'l fight with us before they 'l yield to that that Christ as the Cause enlightens all men and we stand upon Iohn 1.9 Out of that strong Hold I. O. draws nigh in a very audacious daring way to storm us but behold as T. D. in other cases in ipso lumine he stumbles at the threshold before he euters the Garrison where our Guard is he yields falls down and flatly consesses 't is so as we say in theâ—e words which are his owns Christus lux est eodem sersu quo Deum lucem esse demonstravimus c. Christ is light in the same sense as we have shewed God is light How is that Thou mayest read it Reader abundantly in I. Os. 42 43 44 45 p. where he shews how God enlightens speaks in shews himself and will and their duty even to all men in their own hearts and consciences But what sayes he here Expresly thus As God so Christ is light not only essentialiter in regard of his own Majesty Holiness Glory but efficienter also quatenus omnis lucis sons c. as he is the Fountain Author and Cause of All light he is the light of men that is the Cause
8.20 to the end and in all ages entering into holy souls made them friends of God and the Prophets Wisd. 7.27 And so thy Fancy and Falsity falls to the ground who speakest as if Christ as Christ the Wisdom of God and true Light of the World did not enlighten any before that Ensaâ—co sun as thou speakest or appearance of him in that flesh that died at Ierusalem for he was in the being of a true light to the World though slain as a Lamb in men from the very foundation thereof and such as walk'd in the beames of that which came from him came up to the sight of his day and glory with rejoycing as Abraham and others did Isai. 6. and was the Christ or Anointed One of God to the doing of his Work and shewing of his Will in the World before any Letter was written of him and before he assumed to himself that outward appearance wherein he died or else how did Moses suffer the reproach of Christ in his dayes who lived so long afore that body ye only know him in was born and how did Christ preach by his Spirit in Noahs dayes if there was no Christ then come 1 Pet. 3.2 and was the same light that he now is to the world and so it is said in the Text thou so much talkest on but that thou readest it at randome as thou dost the rest for it s said that was the true Light in praeterito which enlightneth in presents every man that cometh into the world that which was the light before his coming in that flesh that is the light which now enlighteneth as it did then every man and that that it was it ever will be O On kai O En kai O Erchomenos Rev. 1.8 he that before then was come and then came and is come and comes and is to come from the beginning to the end the first and last the light of men and life of such as will be lead by him to it the only way for all that have life to walk in whose light all they that hate love death Yet if it were so as God forbid for then what became of not only the rebellious part of the world but of Abell Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob c. were it so as thou sayest that to the greatest part of mankind to wit that whole part so thy words import that died before Christs coming into the World which thou countest but from the period of some one thousand six hundred years upward this saying that the true light enlightens them relates not I wonder what light thou deemest then they were enlightened by if not the true Light for God is the true Light and the Spirit is the true Light and if thy Letter were the true Light which it rather only came from yet those who lived before that had it not or were they enlightned with any accidental false corrupt light for such a One thou speakest of in the foregoing Section saying Christus est lux non ill â— accidentalis corrupta de qua loquimur Christ is light not that accidental corrupt light of which we speak where if by We thou meanest thyself and thy fellows tell us what light that is but if thou mean thyself and the Quakers what e're thou speakest of I know no such Monster as a corrupt light that the Qua. either own or speak of for they own and know no other light whatever may falsly pretend to that name of light then that which is pure uncorruptible and uncorrrupted 2. However if no man till about one thousand six hundred years ago were enlightened by Christ the true Light yet it 's enough for us that thou grantest every man to be enlightned by Christ the true Light since that time let them before stand or fall to their own Master the Quakers call men to that Light they are now enlightened withall and that every man is enlightened by his coming into the world at that time thou affirmest from the Text taken thy own way and dost not hitherto in thy own interpretation of it deny though afterward thou denyest it with a witness and T.D. too who witnesse both to that same false senâ—e upon the Text before hinted at and now to come under consideration and it is this Ex. 4. S. 24. He horum verborum sersus est cum omnes homines essent merae tenebrae c. Tois quoth I.O. is the sense of these words when all men were meer darkness and blind to heavenly things the Son of God the eternal Word the eternal Light coming into the world sent the holy Spirit to enlighten Some of these men that were by nature darkness and so was made the Light of them Respondemus ideo quoth I.O. per omnem hominem non omnes singulos intelligi debere sâ—d quâ—s vis tantum c. hoc est Syncate gorema istud Omnis non absolute sed relate ad electos dicitur prout aliis locis innumeris usurpatur c. By every man not All and every individual person must be understood but Some only All is not spoken absolutely of All but with relation to the Elect as it is used in innumerable other places Col. 1.6 c. And Ex. 4. S. 13. Christum non amnes singulos sed quosvis tantum hoc est electos luce hac peyfundere atque salutariter illuminare ita certum est ex innumeris Scripturae Testimoniis emnium seculorum experientia ut caecus sit opporret omni spirituali intelligentia destituâ—us qui contrarium vel unquam somniaverit That Christ doth not with this divine light indue and enlighten All and every person but some only that is the Elect is so certain from innumerable Testimonies of Scripture and the experience of all Ages that he must needs be blind and destitute of all spiritual understanding that shall ever so much as once dream to the Contrary And S. 17. Christus nulla sub consideratione lumen salutare omnibus singulis ir dulsit Christ under no consideration both vouchsafed Saeving light to Aâ—l and every man In these and the like expressions we have I.Os. both opinion in this point and his sense on this place and his meaning on this Clause every man and in all this T D joynes in one with him against the Qua. both as to the universality of the saving Light of Christ whom God hath as the Qua. truly assert according to Isai. 42.6 49.6 given for a Covenant to the People for a Light to the Nations that he may be Gods Salvation to the ends of the earth And the same strait-lacing pinching and particular sense he puts upon those most universal terms All and every man in that place Iob. 1.9 and many others witness his Answer to R.H. who truly told him thus the Scripture sayes Everyman and thou sayest But some Who shall be believed Thou or the Apostle thou makest John a lyar No such
the universal Grace of God who in his love freely to all men sends his Son a Light into the world and by him puts all as well as some into a capacity to live if they list and if any die then Gods Grace and Love is nere the less for all that and though secondarily and immediately the case be left by the Lord to depend on mans choice as it was in the first Adam though yet I know such as are perfectly restored by the second stand a little surer then he did I say when perfected in his life yet if man chuse life and live when life and death are set before him as they are God is no more rob'd of the glory of his goodness then he would have been by Adams standing if he had stood when God set him in aequi librio to stand or fall and made him upright as he has done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not him only but mankind till they go out from him after their own inventions Eccl. 7.29 and that was not one jot at all for though the shame of Adams sinning fell justly on himself yet the glory of his standing would have been to God who made him able to stand had he stood neither would Adam had he stood have plaid the fool so as to fall a praising and thanking himself for the life and happiness he would have had but God who in his love and bounty originally stated him in it though for his misery he may as all men also most justly thank none but himself and the Devil E.G. If I should see two men ready to starve for want of money to trade with and out of true equal bowels of pity to them both should freely bestow an equal stock of money on them or if not equal yet so much to each at least that each using and improving well what he hath may come to live like a man one of them plays the good Husband with what he has and thrives whom shall he thank when unavoidably else he had perisht for the money he had given him and now hath Would you not think him a fool to fall a thanking himself never thinking on the man that first set him up of whom unless besides his wits he would say I am bound to thank not my self that I now live when my fellow starves but that honest man that took pity on me and him too if he he had but used what he had â— T'other spends all his portion in riotous living and is as likely to starve as ere he was for want of improving what I gave him whom shall this man thank for his present poverty me that gave him whereon to live or himself who lavish't it every wise man will see my love was nere the less and though he perish yet the thank that he might have liv'd belongs to anothers bounty and the thank shame sorrow of his own woe to himself alone O Israel thy destruction is of thy self but in me is thy help Hos. 13.9 That Iudas is damn'd he may thank himself who sold his Master as Esau his birth-right and blessing that Peter and Iacob live for ever the thank of this belongs only unto the Grace of God Moreover if Christ who is often either expresly or implicitly so call'd be not a Saving Light to the whole world the Leader and Commander and Witness for and from God to All people without exception of any individuals among any people or in any Nations I would fain know of any one of these 1. How it can be truth which themselves are fain to confess That God will and doth in all Nations out of every Tongue Kindred and People effectually save some And 2. In what manner or by what way means Light or Leader he leads them few of all Families of the Earth to Life whom he doth save if it be not by that Light Law and Spirit of Life that is from Christ some of which is in every as well as any conscience sith its evident that neither All nor half those Nations in each of which some are saved have not the Scripture or Letter which they call the only Saving Light the Way the Rule Foundation the most effectual means c. and in a manner every thing which the Letter it self sayes Christ only is Indeed I find I. O. telling us such a tale of the outward Text as if in respect of the giving out of that only by the motion of his Spirit through some Holy Penmen Christ were the Saviour and Light of the world and of All men in it that are at all savingly enlightned and saved We confess quoth he Christ is the Light of the World and so of All men in it because that Light shining in the holy Scripture is sufficient savingly to enlighten All men to whomsoever by the Providence of God it shall come But to bespeak him in his own Language to us more proper to himself and his Followers then to us Quod hoc ad Fanaticorum delirium 〈…〉 What 's this to that piece of dotage of himself and his Fellow Doctors who deny the vouchsafing of any saving Illumination to most men yea to very many to one in the world scilicet a little deeper discovery of their dotage Scriptura nempe 〈…〉 omnia belike I. O. deems All the ends of the earth to be so fully filled with his adored Transcripts and Texts of Scripture that by them Christ saves and enlightens All he saves which are say they in every Nation some whereas Ridiculum Caput who knows not that the Scripture or writing is so saâ— from appearing in every dark corner of the earth where I affirm the true Light shines in every conscience so that there 's nor Speech nor Language where it shines not and the Voice of Christ the Light may not 〈◊〉 heard that the Text hath scarce been heard or 〈◊〉 of buâ—in some few corners of this so call'd Christian world which yet more idoliâ—ing 〈◊〉 only loving the Letter and hating the Light are for all their Letter as much as any in the unfruitful deeds of darkness also even until now Oh the Inanity of these men call'd Divines in the matters of God and the Gospel as if the Letter only were that Voice of Christ which is every where heard by some that Light which in every Nation savingly enlightens some that Rule which All the World is required to walk by in order to peace and on pain of damnation which Letter yet was never read or seen perhaps not so much as heard of in half the world the only rule of the whole whereof it is to be say they and not the Light of Christ in the Conscience at any hand the Expansion Beams and Rays of which but that few heed it and the darkness comprehends it not reach into the darkest inmost corners of each 〈◊〉 Conscience throughout each corner of the whole Creation The Letter is not in every Nation to save some
Spirits are to be tryed by if not by that measure of the Spirit of Truth it self which convinces the world of Sin Righteousness and Iudgement and leads its followers into all Truth Ob. If any say it can't be that Spirit of God nor his Light in men the Qua. call to for that 's one of the things to be tryed try the spirits whether of God or no and that which is to be tryed cannot be the rule of Tryal Ans. I answer why not Did you Schoolmen never learn that Lesson your selves which ye teach to others viz. that Regula which is alwayes quid Rectum is mâ—nsura sui obliqui The strait Rule must ever be the Rulâ— or measure of it self as well as of that which is crooked and faulty Doth not the light manifest it self to be true light as well as the darkness to be truly darkness and does not the Sun as well shews it self to a man to be the Sun as it shews a dark Cloud or smoak not to be it and why may not the inward light which is truly and indeâ—d is only it fallible be truly said to be Autopiste believed for it self sake and to be the Rule of Tryal that must try all spirits and sayings but its own yea it s own also as I. O. falsly sayes nor more nor less but the self-same of the outward fallible because flexible Letter which flows forth from it I say 't is true we are to try all spirits and things but as what man knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man within himself even so the things of Gâ—d knows no man but the Spirit of God and that Spirit in which that Spâ—rit of God reveals them 1 Gor. 2 What shall we try Light and Daâ—kness by but by the Light I know our Divines say try all spirits by the Scripture all lâ—ghts so called whether they be true or pretended by the Letter But herein they discover their own dancings of the Rounds still in the night of their own thoughts and in the midst of the mist of darkness foramuch as no otherwise then as when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their Analogical Faith they say the Scriptures and when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their interpreting â—f that Rule of their Faith i.e. the Scriptures they tell us the Analogy of their Faith even so when we ask them what are ye to try the Scriptures by whether they are of God or no they say by the Spirit yea though other things may be accessary yet the testimony of the Spirit is necessaâ—y and only all-sufficient to this puâ—pose so sayes not only Bâ—ll in his Caâ—echize but also all the Builders of Babel and Worshâ—ppers of Baal in what form soever excepring Popish Priests who are in a worse extreme and deny as no Rule for their own Traditions sake both Scriptures and Spirit altogether but when we ask them but how shall we try that Spirit of God whether of God or no for we are not believe every spirit to go round again they tell us by the Scriptures and thus the poor Clergy are cozened and how those they Lord it over should scape dâ—lusion and creep out of their Babylonish confusion I know not till they come to that and some such thing there is or else there 's no infallâ—ble knowledge of any thing which is of a certainty past all demonstâ—ation sâ— that as to a blind man it can't be proved so to a seeling man in need not and that is the Light of God in the Conâ—cience which as heeded and according to the measure of it shews both it seâ—f and darkness truth and deceit good and evil what God would have each man do for his own particular and what to decline de Iure what sins he lives in that he should forgo what sins he does or does not forgo de facto e.g. lying cozening cheating drunkenness adultery murder doing that ill to oâ—hers be would not have done to himself and such like finalâ—y what manner of man he is upright or wicked a tâ—ue man or an hypocrite c. And all this though internally and spiritually yet as truly and infâ—llibly as with his bodily eyes by the Light of the Sun or but a candle he sees himself and with his natural animal understanding he perceives himself to be a man and not a Beast Their 28. from Psal. 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting is thus If David had a Light within him of it self a sufficient and safe guide to God he should no need Gâ—d to search know and try him he might have led himself but 't is otherwise with David therefore he knew he had not a Light within him And to this tune also I. O. belying the Qua. represents them as saying they need not any teaching having a Light within them for a much as themselves are Autodidactoi taught of themselves Ex. 3. S. 20. Opus non habent vel Doctrina c. cum ipsi sunt Autodidactoi si iis fidem adhibere 〈◊〉 sit Rep. Oh most absurd and abominable how do evil men and seducers war worse and worse decâ—iving and being deceived 'T was darkness gross enough to gain-say the being of a sufficient light to guide to God in All mâ—n but this is grosser yea no leâ—s then groapablâ— to deny it to be in aâ—y men for if it be in any men it is surely in the Saints and if in them then in Davâ—d whom they own as one yet behold the M. As. and B. Ds. of our times tell us now that David himself who sayes Thy word have I hid in me that I might not sin against thee Pâ—a 119. which word â—he calls a Lamp to his feet and a Light to his paths had not a Light within him as a sufficient safe guide to lead in the way everlasting and consequently the Saints to whom nemine obstante Paul sayes according to Mâ—ses the word is nigh thee in thy heart the word â—f Faith which we preach had none of it in them as well as sinners But that they may not insanire sine ratioâ—e they give a reason for it such as 't is viz. If David had a Light of God within him sufficient c. he need not Gâ—d to search know try and lead him he might have led himâ—elf not heeding that all the Saints that are taught by the Light and in that learn in silence in all subjection are not Autodidactoi as these men suppose but as Paul saith all Saints are Theodidactoi learning of Christ and taught of God 1 Tâ—es 41.9 That the Qua. deny all Teaching but that of God or men moved by the same Liâ—ht and Spirit by which God teaches yea I acknowledge freely that he that teaches himself and learns not of God but leans to his
own understanding as the Clergy does hath but a fool to his Master yet so far as David needed God to know and try his heart and thoughts so far he needed Gods Light within him there being no way whereby God who searches the heart and tryes the reins to give to everyman according to his wayes both searches sees and alâ—o shews unto man his thoughts and leads him in the way everlasting but by his own Spirit Light and Word within man which alone is to that end quick and powerful sharper then any two edged sword piercing and dividing asunder between the marrow and reins soul and joynts and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that not any thing is bid from the sight thereof but all things are naked and bare before him with whom we have to do so far as with that Word and Light which is Gods own Witness within man whereof the Letter which is mans witness for God without man testifies which leads to the Light while that Light and Truth it points at leads only to the life and way everlasting of which sayes the Psalmist O send out thy Light and Truth that they may lead and that they may guide and conduct me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacle Their 29th from Deut. 4.8 Psal. 147.19.20 Rom. 3.1.2 is thus What advantage then hath the Ierk and what prâ—fit is there in Circumcision if each Gentile had a Light within him as a sufficient guide in the things of God as the Qua. teach then they had known Gods Statutes and Iudgements Gods Oracles had been committed to them as well as to the Iews they had had as righteous Statutes and been as wise a Nation as they But these consequents are false and contrary to the Texts Rep. The advantage the Iew or Circumcision outward according to the flesh and Letter not Spirit over the Gentile or uncircumcision outward in the flesh and Letter was much every way and yet not so much as is inconsistent with each Gentiles having some measure of Gods Light within and the profit that the Circumcision had which ye repeat your selves yet are so blind that ye cannot see it was in that chiefly mark to them were committed the Oracles of God which term chiefly be tokens that in some manâ—er and measure the Oracles of God were committed to the uncircumcision also which term could not be properly used if the other had them not at all If one should say the Angel or Ecclesiastical Leaders of the Laâ—dicean Church of England are chiefly first or principally blinded that would intimate that the people are in some measure blind though not so much as their Clergy in things of God So this advantage the Iew had in that preaching the Covenants and Promâ—ses and tenders of Gods Grace was chiefly or first for the word is Proton Rom. 3.2 made unto them as Act. 3.46 to you chiefly or first Proton God having raised up his Son Iesus hath sent him to bless yâ—u in turning away every one of you from his iniquities So Act. 13. 'T was meet thâ— Word of this Salvation shâ—uld Proton first or chiefly be preached to you so sayes Christ Luke 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of sins should bâ— preached among aâ—l Nations beginning at Ierusalem Again they had the Tables of the Covenant and the outward Letter and the types and shadows of the good things and the earthly Canaan Kingdome City Ierusalem Dominion Dignity and Glory that were the figures of the true besides a measure of the inner light that led to the substance and that the Eternal Life lay in which the Gentile had some of together with them so the Iew still had the pâ—eheminence and pâ—â—â—rity had they had the consideration to have improved it but the chiâ—f price being put into their hands and they like fools not using it nor looking through all this to the end of the things now abolished nor to the Light and Power of the endless life but to the Letter and Law only of a carnal Commandment which they boasted of and yet brake it they lost that preheminence and let the Gentiles out-strip them and be chief as to the Iustification and they themselves became chiefly condemned Rom. 2.26.27 Shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the Law judge thee who by the Letter aâ—d Circumcision dost transgress the Law And verse 8.9.10 Indignation wrath tribulation anguish upon every soul of man that worketh â—vil to the Jew first or chiefly Proton and also to the Gentile So 2 Esdâ—as 1.37 Though they have not seen me with bodily eyes yet in spirit they believe that thing that I say but if we speak of the true Circumcision which is that of the heart and spirit not of the Letter and of the true Iew inwardly his advantage over the Iew outward and the outward Gentile his advantage is indeed over all for his praise is not of men but of God himself And this is that Israel of God and that Iew and not the Synagogue of Satan that say they are Iews and are not but do lye Rev. 2. whose the Salvation and Kingdome Glory and Covenants and lively Oracles and All is for Salvtion is of the Iews Luke 18. of Abrahams Seed which are Christs and Heirs according to the Gospel promise heirs of the world and blessed with faithful Abraham as they are of his Faith and his children doing his works who did not kill Christ as the Clergy does Iohn 8. Rom. 4. Gal. 3. before the feet of which Iew the Lord will make the pretended Iew whether natural Iews or meer nominal Christians to fall down and worship and to know that he hath loved them and these are those Iews that Israel and Iacob but that the blind cannot look through the vail into the end of the Type which is abolished of whom it s said Psal. 147.19.20 He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel he hath not dealt sâ— with aâ—y Nation and as for his Statutes and Iudgâ—ments they have not known them for howbeit it the natural Iew outward knows much that his Leâ—ter tells him and by the outward hearing of the ear the outward Statutes and Iudgâ—ments of God and also the outward Gentile though nominally Christian by his light within as well as that natural Iew by that and his Letter too knows the Iudgements of God Rom. 1. that those that dâ— such things as thâ—y do are worthy of death yet the Iew in spirit or Christian by nature not name only having within himself as Paul and they 2 Coâ— 5. known the terror of the Lord and felt the weight of his hand for sin and seen hâ—w fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God and known the power of his wrath while his Judgements which begin at his own house past upon him in his own Conscience which who e. but they knows saith the
Psalmist they can perswade others from what they have seen felt and handled of Gods Word and his Iudgements which are a gâ—eat deep yet to the rest that live alienated from the Light and by them have bâ—en purged from their filth and warned from the wickedness of their way and of simple been made wise of which precious uâ—e Gods Iudgements are to all that thus witness and know them as Psa. 19. Yea these are that Nation of Israel and not that which is now become a curse and perished out of what ever outwaâ—d Nation or People they are gathered into the one Light and Spirit of whom it s said Who is like unto thee O Isâ—ael â— a people saved by the Lord who rideth on the Hâ—avens for thy help And in that of these mens quoting Deuter. 4.8 What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Iudgements so righteous as all this Law which is set before them in the light their keeping and doing of which shall be their wisdome and understanding in the sight â—f those Nations which though now they count them fools shall at last see themselves to have been infatuaated and say of Gods now dispersed and despâ—sed Seed of Israel after the Spirit Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people And as for others though as R. B I. T. T. D. and ye all say God hath not dealth so richly with any as he does with them that receive the riches of his Grace and they have not known his Iudgements in such a measure as these know them yet all as they heed the Light in that may know them as in some degree the Heathen heeding the Light are said to do Rom. 1. and degrees never vary the nature of a case neither follows it that because some know not so much as some therefore many neither do nor for want of Light can know nothing of the Gospel or Saving Truth of God at all The 30th from Rom. 7.7 is thus The Light within neither did to Paul nor doth nor can discover sin even the sin of Lust without the Law therefore the Light within each person is not a sufficient guide of it self to lead to God and to warrant mens actions without the written Word i. e. Scripture with them Rep. Why not as well as before the Law was written in an outward Letter at all if by the Law ye will needs understand nothing but outward Scripture for some sure knew lust before Moses wrote the Law But in very deed how deeply soever ye dream in this as ye do in most things this Law without which the Lust is not well known is no other then the Light it self within for the Letter sayes lust is a sin but 't is the Light that shews thy lust to filth envy or any evil to be thy sin within thy self and that Law by which the knowledge of sin comes is that Law and Commandment which Prov. 6.23 is said to be the Light and the Lamp even the wâ—rd that David hid of him that he might see the way of covetouâ—ness that was eâ—sewise hid in his heart and so not sin against Gâ—d by which only the young man in whom lust is strong taking heed thereunto shall come to cleanse his way which is never clean while he hangs only on the lips of Letter-stealers and meer Letter-lauders who lauding the holy life they liâ—e not in are at best but lyars when they preach the Tâ—uth But this being elsewhere handled I shall need to say the less of it here So having done with these two mens thirty Arguments a few words more to their ten wâ—aâ— Reasâ—ns against the true Light in all men and then I have done with them as to that Reason 1. Because what each man conceives according to his Light within him cannot be right and â—rue for one mans conceits do sometimes contradict anothers Nor are thâ— Quak. all of one mind when they follow the Light within them Rep. This is one of your own croâ—ked odd conceits indeed but far from truth and good consequence that the Light or Rule it self cannot be true or right or a safe rule because mens conceits of things to be or not be according to it may be contradictory one to another and so not both true 'T is true contradictoâ—y conceivings abâ—ut one Rule cannâ—t be both true but he contradicts aâ—l truth and common reasâ—n who conceives the Rule or Light it self to be ere the worse or ere the less a true Rule or Light because of that Two men may have contradictâ—ry thâ—ughts and conceits whereof one must needs be false about a piece of Cloths agreeing or nor agreeing with the yaâ—d or measure but it follows nor therefore from any thing but these faithless mens false and foolish fancies that the Taâ—d is not a Yard or no good rule or measure and if this were good consequence R. B. and I. T. but that they are blind still might see it conclude more strongly against their Letters being as they plead it to be the only true Light or Rulâ— then against the Light since there 's as many silly senses misty meanings and contradictory conceits in the minds of them that are Ministers of it almost as they are Ministers of it For whereas they tell us of two Qua. contradicting one another I have told these four men I.O. T.D. R.B. I.T. of contradicting one another many times o're in their books against us and shall do yet a little more before this book I here write be at an end yea â—n truth as I have shewed already before and shall do more behind there 's little else then confusion and contradiction to themselves by our men called Clergy well nigh in all the Doctrines they have to do with besides this reaâ—on rendred by them is not at all against the Light of God but against mens meer conceits which we are more against then any men whatever calling men out of their own conceivings into Gods own Counsel the Light So quid hoc ad rem Reas. 2. Because that which unvariable and alterable cannot be a persons Rule for its the property of a Rule to be invariable and the same at all times Rules Measures Weights Dials Squares and what other things are made if they be varied câ—ase be Rules Rules should be fixt and certain but nothing more variable then mens light in them Rep. Igrant that 's no rule which is variable and alterable and therefore have above from hence concluded and do here again from your own premises conclude the Letter the Rule ye talk for more then walk by not to be that only Rule of Faith and Life as ye would have it but Gods Light in the heart which the Letter came from sith as I. O. teaches us in his Epistle though he will not learn the same lesson himself but teaches in his book as much against it as he does for it that the Letter in the very Original copies of it
own perverse mind and meaning why cannot that be meant of freedome from sin but that men who are not fully willing to be freed from it and are in love with it and being loath to leave it are loath to see it It s more hard not to see then it is to see that it is meant of freedome from sin What should or can it be meant of else Are not freed me from sin and not committing of sin made synominous as committing sin and not being freed from it are made by Christ himself opposites to each other Ioh. 8.32 33. 34. 35. 36. The Iews thought they had the fullest freedome that men could have in this world because they were the visible Church Abrahams Seed and such like externals as they then trusted in as ye now do though not yet freed from that thing call'd sinning to serve the Lord alone whose service the very Common-Prayer-Book it self was wont to call perfect freedome But Christ learns them another Lesson viz. that they had none of that true Gospel freedome that the saving knowledge of the truth gives and which he makes such as continue in his words and so are his Disciples indeed and not in word only as ye are free withall which is a full freedome in deed and truth and not half a one or by the halves such as that is ye talk of who upon the account of some private Patent alias particular personal Election thereto from everlasting prattle to your selves of freedome from guilt while ye remain in your filth and of a general Iustification anâ— pardon for all sins past present and to come in this world expecting your purging or Iustification as to Sanctification from sin and â—ncleâ—â—ness not in this world but that to come But verily verily I say unto you quoth he he that committeth sin is yet the servant of sin and must know for all his boasting he has not long to abide in the House and Church of God wherein Ishmael-like he scoffs at the right Heir Isaac as if himself alone who is but a Bastard born of fornication should inherit all and will prove an out-cast himself at last before the Son who is born of God and free indeed and the only true Heir of all things full freedome from sin and committing of it are oppos'd to each other by Christ therefore freedome from it and not committing it are the same To wind out of this T.D. would seem to say somewhat but of two things he can't tell which but one of the two must be it rather then the Truth Either there is quoth he an Emphasis in the word sin intending under that general term one kind of sin viz. sin unto death or if not in the Substantive on the Verb Poiei which notes to make a trade or business of sin as the Devil does who sinneth from the beginning and never ceased from sin since he began Thus indeed the Saints sin not c. Rep. As to they Emphases they are the foolish empty conceits of thy own and other mens brains there 's no such Emphasis either in the Substantive or Verb as ye all prate whereby the Spirit should be understood as speaking otherwise then he truly means or meaning otherwise then he plainly sayes whose words are plain to the honest heart though not to Idol Shepherd who by the Sword of the Lord hath his right eye utterly darkned because he hath darkned the Lords Counsel by his own words without knowledge And if the eyes of the Seers were not shut up from seeing the very Letter they prate about as well the mysteries of the Spirit which the animal man can never know by all his searchings they being revealed only by the Spirit they might see that the Text it self makes no difference between sinning and committing sin and that the one is no more Emphatical then the other And if T.D. who in the same page 9. where he mentions the words were not so busie in his mind about the meaning and did not make such a warbling noyse as shallow waters ever do more then those that are deepest with harping at this that and t' other silly sense he might in coolness have considered that in the same ninth verse as well as the eigth and others about it the Spirit makes no difference between Amartian Poiein and Amortanein to commit sin and to sin but uses them promiscuously Ouk Amartanei every one that abides in him sinneth not So ver 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil Amartanei sinneth from the beginning And because T.D. seems to put an Emphasis upon the word sinneth as well as committeth sin making the word sinneth as here used to amount to somewhat more then an ordinary sort of sinning as here it intends some high or desperate degree of sin even that which 1 Ioh. 5.16 is call'd Kat ' Exoken a sin unto death without remedy or forgiveness for ever because never to be repented of as in opposition to all other sins that men do commit which when this alone being ever joyâ—'d with impenitency is impardonable are all upon that true repentance they are yet in possibility of who commit them pardâ—nable or possible to be forgiven for this is T. Ds. emphasis on the Substantive Sin for I shall not wrong him so much as to take him meaning as the Papists do who put such difference between peccatum veniale and mortale as if some sins only without repentance were mortal or to death and some venial or not to death though not repented of at all your Church of England opposing them in this and holding every sin yea the least unrepented of unto death though T. D. would have suspected me to be a Iesuite for a less matter This concludes him that is born of God to be even qua sic as born of God as easily liable to and excludes him no more then it does the very wicked themselves from the committing of any sin that the wickedest can commit except that ye call the sin against the Holy Ghost it self which is so gross an absurdity that he can be no spiritually wise man that does not feel him to be spiritually infatuated that so imagines For still though the Devil sinneth and he that is of the Devil doth nothing else but Nicodemus though a Master in Israel can't read this Birth of God which is Anothen from above of water and the Spirit John 1.12 John 3. which blows where it lists and the Priests hear an outward sound thereof but know not whence it comes nor whether it goes nor how he is that is born of the Spirit as plain as 't is in the Text which they read more then that truth tells of yet as he that sinneth is of the Devil and he that is of the Devil sinneth altogether so he that sinneth not but doth righteousness only is of God and he that is born of God and the Spirit which is Spirit and not flesh sinneth not at
about the manner and means and true bounds thereof for as to the Question whether it be a Canon that is a Rule at all yea or not I may defer it also to another place let me Expostulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded as ye say it is and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude Longitude and Profundity that ad amussim exact Measure Heighth Depth Length and Breadth that is allotted to it as without the Apocripha it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles I mean that such and such Parcels Prophesies Proverbs Histories Epistles Holy Sentences Sacred Sayings shall stand Owned Honoured Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word Gods Witnesse Foundation Rule inalterable Standard and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse then those already so Consecrated and Canonized so that such and such puta those that ye now commonly call Canonical shall shand as the Standard and all others viz. those called Apocryphal and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own shall stand out of and off from it as no part of the Standard while the World stands Who was it Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture so as to say such and such a set number of Books viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles excepting the Apocrypha which stands between them shall be owned as Canonical and the rest though such as were of the same divine Inspiration be rejected as humane and no otherwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings not to be received with such high respect as the other Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets as ye now have exclusively of such Prophesies therein mentioned as ye have not and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation and the bulk of it to be those few Histories and Apostolical Epistles as ye have exclusively of such even therein mentioned as ye have not Who was it that said to the Spirit of God O Spirit blow no more inspire no more men make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ and from Iohns dayes downward for ever But cease be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard that 's made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever Who was it God or Man the Spirit in the Scripture it self or the Scribes in their Synods Councels and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these and expunged those Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations Doth the Scripture do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for or make any such mention in the least of such a matter Is it not meer man in his Imaginations that hath taken upon him according to the good or ill Conceit that he hath taken to him of these or those respectively to say which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say he will give Authority to the Scriptures Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo sic Iubeo so I 'le have it thus it shall be Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean hitherto shall ye come and no further So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority Nature Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever and all others even such as are written by the same men in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal i.e. hidden or unknown Writings that no such notice shall be â—aken of as of the other And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal and give leave to to have a standing with it but not so as to make any part of your Standard What think ye of them upon second Thoughts Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale by Tradition one from another without trying them Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal or Domestick matters which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane so that ye will say no better of them then Vox hominem sonat yet is there none or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them and standing in the Church then ye allow them As if they were a certain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod that ye know not well what to make of nor how to entreat so ill altogether as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New nor yet so well as to entertain them into your Canon neither Surely there be some of them which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them as ye ordinarily do ye may find ground to receive as such as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty Truth Holinesse and Authority of God and his Spirit as some at least not to say the most of those ye ascribe to God as their main or only Author and that do favour as much of I. O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty as some other Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely derived Scripture do of which what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them yet I together with many others whereof some are as Booklearn'd as your selves can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum 'T is indeed the Faith or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Reformed Churches that all those Books called the Apocrypha without exception are in no wise of such divine Original as them ye call Canonical but who first set the one upon the Bench and the other at the Bar I am yet to learn but this I know that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself if we speak of the Outward Text only about which
my businesse with I.O. lyes into that Name of his Word and into the Authority of the Foundation of Faith the infallible Rule of Interpretation of itself of Tryal and Examination of Spirits Doctrines c. of the Supream Iudge also by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined the only pure Authentical Standard unto which the Church is finally to Appeal in whose Sentence it is to Rest into which all Faith is finally to be Resolved so if such Synods of men either Antient or Modern as have shouldred out all those at once from sharing with the other Writings in what they can lay just claim to had been as Spiritually discerning as they were Spiritually blind shallow and undiscerning they would have seen cause to have joyned some at least of those Apocryhal Scriptures to an Equal Participation of that Plea of divine Original and inspiration with the rest as without Cause they justled them all out from it by their joynt Consent And though it be the declared Faith of that Assembly of Divines that both Houses of Parliament advised with 1648. and of the Congregational Churches in England whose Confession is put out this instant 1659. as to that Article about the Scriptures word for word in the same words with the other That the Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of divine Inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures and therefore are of no Authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane Writings yet this I declare to the whole World as my Faith concerning them that though I own neither them nor the best bare Wriing or outward Text or Letter of the other Scripture at so high a Rate as I.O. does who makes the naked Letter in all things equivolent to the holy matter yet whatever is truly to be praedicated of the one or can solidly be pleaded on the behalf of the one which ye call your Canon as to the divinity of their Original the same may be pleaded on the behalf of not a few of the other And as they all that in general are stilled Apocryphal can plead their Authority from long before the Apostles dayes and also the special Care and Providence of God which is an Argument of such weight with I.O. and T.D. pag. 27. as swayes them not a little into their frivolous Faith about the rest in the preservation of them to this very day So that all of them have been kept by the Church that kept the rest bound up and Translated into various Languages and as publickly allowed to be publickly Read as the rest and highly esteemed by Austin and other Fathers ye Divines cannot easily be ignorant And as for sundry of them ye are ignorant with a witnesse if ye see them to be as ye say they are not of divine Inspiration or see them not to be of as divine an Original as some or even any of the other which ye own so to be As for that Fourth Book of Esdras which is but the Second as it stands in the Apocrypha besides that it s acknowledged by Clem Alexandrinus Faber and many more men of Renown among you and by many Holy men in these latter times as well learned as your selves at least in the Wisdom of Gods Spirit to be written by his immediate Inspiration so is it such a plain Prophecy consistent of many Particular Praedictions of things to be fulfilled in these last Ages as the like to it or a least clearer is hardly to be found in all the Scripture besides it insomuch that he who reads it in the 11 12 13 16 Chapters of it and some other places and sees not the beams of a divine Majesty in it and sees not the Matters now managing upon the Stage in the World that are there foretold in it reads not in the Light of that Holy Spirit that moved in the Writing both of that and all other Holy Scripture and may come before he is well aware to feel ere long the dint of that divine displeasure that is denounced against the Sinners of the latter Ages and thereby come to be convinced of the Divinity and Truth of that Scripture which our Divines that usually see altogether by the lump and are loath to see any Truth Sigillatim till they are all made to see it whether they will or no will hardly yield to if they be their Old-wonted-selves till very Necessity forces and frights them into the Faith of it And the same may be said as to the divine Original of Ieremiahs Epistle which was written and sent to them that were to go Captive into Babylon and of Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon which favours so much of the Wisdom of the Spirit that he is yet in that Wisdom only which is from beneath which is Earthly Animal Deceitful who doth not acknowledge the finger of God writing those deep and precious Truths and Praedictions in the heart of him whose hand was the Committer of them to outward Writing which whether it were not Solomon after whom it was so Entituled Nil ultra quaero he uttered 3000 Proverbs whereof scarce 300 are extant in that Book of his Proverbs some of which as standing inserted there in the Hebrew Text are not the Original Copy but a Transcript only at best out of that or some Second hand Copies taken and Copied cut long after Solomons dayes by the men of Hezekiah 8 or 9 Generations from him Prov. 25 1. The 30 Chapter of which Book also are the Words of one Aguâ— the son of Iaketh but sure I am that Book of Wisdom was inspired or breathed into the Penman that expired or breathed it out from no lesse then that Wisdom which is from above The main Argument that ever I have seen against the divine Original of these Books are First Their being not written in the Hebrew Tongue which what a poor pedling piece of Disproof it is he is no wiser then he should be that does not see for what warrant is there that all that was not Pen'd in the Hebrew Tongue is no Scripture of divine Inspiration Or if there be is it not as conclusive against much of the Scripture which I.O. counts Canonical the whole of wch he reckons at random was wrote in the Hebrew Tongue since its evident that much of that Book of Hester 9 Chapters and 3 Verses of which are set among the Canonical Scripture and oh the Wisdom the other 6 Chapters and 10 Verses of the 10 Chapter by you self-will'd Choppers and Changers because written in Greek are reckoned and rank'd with the Apocryphal was written not in the Hebrew but in the Caldee as much of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel also were And besides if being written Originally in the Hebrew will avail toward the evincing of them to be Canonical this will help some of your Apocrypha into your Canon since that of Tobit or Tobias is not
to blow where it listed Ioh. 3. without looking at any light within without walking in any way or using any other means of knowing God of having or holding fellowship or communion with him which was wont to be only in the light 1 Ioh. 1. but that of the Scriptures on pain of rejection and heavy damnation from God own Spirit in the Scripture In a word That Law and Testimony which alone is to be consulted with in all doubtful cases to which God calls from our seeking and attending Pythonibus aut Aryolis qui pipiunt qui mussitant to Wizards and familiar spirits that peep and that mutter yea that very word there spoken of Isa. 8. which whoever speaks not according to these is no light to him I say the two Texts abovesaid are not only frequently cited and recited in evidence of these various and sundry particulars but also judged by J.O. to be such sure grounds Hercules pillars firm props and principles as are not only satisfactory to mens consciences but sufficient to stand that way he draws them against all mens objections so that relying thereon men have a sure bottome and foundation for their receiving all the other Scriptures so assuredly as the Word of God and consequently all that that it abovesaid that who even from thence even from these Text own them not in that manner as such are left inexcusable in their dammâ—ble 〈◊〉 p. 56. That therefore the utter in â—onsequence of J.Os. deductions from them which are meer non sequiâ—â—â—s may the more plainly appear I shall letting fall J.Os. other trifling Arguments and sidling Replies to what the Qua. urge on behalf of the light of inartificial Arguments as himself calls them draw them into the form of artificial ones and express the manner of his illegal inferences from them which is in such wiâ—e as here under follows We are by that Text in Isa. 8.19 20. sent to the Law and to the Testimony to try what evâ—y Churches or persons speak about the things of God his will worship or our obedience to him who if they speak not according to that Word there is no light in them Therefore 't is evident that the Scriptures are the Word of God and consequently all that that is abovesaid The second viz. Christ Luke 16.31 bids men attend not looking for Miracles to Moses and the Prophets the written Word as the best and most effectual means to bring to repentance and which all faith and repentance is immediately grounded upon Therefore the Scriptures are evidently the Word of God c. Rep. In which two Arguments thou reasonest in Print well nigh as ridiculously as he works in Paint who doth Humano capiti cervicem jungere equinam For the head of the corner is strait sound and sure the body of the building upon it corrupt and crooked weak and rotten That we are sent to the Law and Testimony to that Word there talkt of and intended and to Moses and the Prophets and that that Law Testimony and Word that Moses and the Prophets spake of in those two Texts is that Word that is the true touchstone of all truth a greater ground for faith and repentance to be founded on then that of Miracles and a more sure stable firm fixt stedfast or standing Word then the voice which came from heaven all this I do not in the least deny but that the bare outward Writing which thou falsely callest the Written word and the external 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as at first written much more the present transcribed Copies of that Letter much more yet every Letter Tittle and Iota of it which thou keepest such a tatling for to be no less then the Word of the living God is that Law Testimony Moses and the Prophets or written Word as thou callest it intended in those two Texts or that by these termes in those two places is meant the said outward Scriptures and lastly most of all that it follows by any good consequence from those two places by such sound deduction as will stand against all objections gives such assurance thereof that he is a damnable unbeleever that beâ—eeves not from thence that the said Letter and Letters are infallibly known to bee the Word of God and the rest above said which are the things by thee inferred from them all this I both do and dare deny For the Law that in Isaiah is spoken of is not the literal Copy nor outward legible Letter that thou pleadest for and divinest it is but another Law which I see by thee thou art not yet very much ver'st in nor used to read even that in the heart not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter of a Law of carnal Commandements not the formal Letter or literal form of a writing without but an inwardly written spiritual Law or Light within which is the power of the endless life that Law in mens mindes which is warred against by that Law of sin and death that dwells in their members The Law in the Spirit lusting against that and lusted against by that flesh or evil spirit that is also in men lusting unto envy and all evill the Law of the Spirit of life which is by Christ Iesus that is powerful to that which the Letter or Copy thereof which is figuratively called the Law is weak to cannot do viz. to deliver such as take heed thereunto from that Law of sin aforesaid that leads men captive unto death The Commandement that is a Lamp and not a dark Lanthorn p. 6.23 the Law that is the Light it self that leads to the life it self for so that of the Spirit doth and not the dead Letter that is used instrumentally as a knife to kill but in any wise cannot quicken And that Testimony or Witness is that Testimony of Iesus which they have hear that keep the Commandements of God even the Light in the conscience as aforesaid This Testimony of Iesus who is the true and faithful Witness of God of whom also God himself testifieth and beareth witness is Jesus his own Witness or testimony for God born by his own voice and writing by his own Spirit and light immediately in the heart who there testifyeth what he hath seen and heard of the Father though few such a thou art receive not his Testimony whose light voice spirit speakings and counsel from heaven in their own hearts who so turns away from and hears not in all things is none of his sheep but shall be condemned and cut off from among his people and not the testimony or witness of men in outward Writings or Letters testifying though as moved by him what they have seen and heard from him not that Scripture thou so wâ—itest for and callest the witness of God for that of God is far greater the Testimony of Iesus is a Letter indeed a Writing and an Epistle Prophesie yet not the outward Writings Letter and Copies of the Epistles and Prophesies of
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience