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<DATE>2013-06-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Corinne Vieracker</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>THE <HI>Strong Man Armed not Ca&s;t Out,</HI> BUT <HI>Removed to a Stronger Hold: VIZ.</HI> FROM PROFANENESS to HYPOCRISIE.</P>
<P>OR, An An&s;wer to a Book, Entituled, <HI>The Strong Man Armed Ca&s;t Out, and his Goods &s;poyled;</HI> Or, <HI>The Poor Man &s;itting at Je&s;us</HI>'s <HI>Feet, Cloathed, and in his Right Mind.</HI></P>
<P>Written by <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> formerly a Pari&s;h Prie&s;t, and afterwards a Teacher among the Indepen|dents: And now Walking with the People called Quakers, as he Te&s;tifieth of him&s;elf.</P>
<P>In which An&s;wer is plainly Di&s;covered the Ignorance and Darkne&s;s, the Delu&s;ions, and Fal&s;e Apprehen&s;ions of this <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> Concerning him&s;elf, and the Churches, and A&s;&s;emblies which he Di&s;owns, and Separates from. And al&s;o the Erroneous Interpretations and Applications of the Scriptures, which he mentions in his Book.</P>
<P>Herein are al&s;o Di&s;covered &s;everal Characters, plain Marks of tho&s;e Fal&s;e Teachers that the Spirit &s;peaketh expre&s;ly &s;hould come into the World in the&s;e la&s;t days.</P>
<P>Written for the Vindication of the Truths of the Go&s;pel, the Stabli&s;hing of tho&s;e who are in the Truth, and the Redu|cing of tho&s;e who have Erred from it: And in all for the Exaltation of the Name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>By <HI>R.a. Au&s;ten.</HI></P>
<Q><P><BIBL><HI>1 John 3.1.</HI></BIBL> Try the Spirits, whether they are of God, for many fal&s;e Prophets are gone out into the World.</P></Q>
<Q><P><BIBL><HI>I&s;a. 8.20.</HI></BIBL> To the Law, and to the Te&s;timony, if they &s;peak not according to this Word, it is becau&s;e there is no Light in them.</P></Q>
<Q><P><BIBL><HI>Jer. 8.9.</HI></BIBL> Lo, they have Rejected the Word of the Lord, and what Wi&s;dom is in them?</P></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Peter Parker,</HI> at the <HI>Leg and Star</HI> over again&s;t the <HI>Royal Exchange</HI> in <HI>Cornhill.</HI> 1676.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The Epi&s;tle to the READER.</HEAD>
<P>IT is certain that <HI>the&s;e are the La&s;t Times;</HI> and that <HI>many Fal&s;e Prophets are gone out into the World;</HI> Deceitful workers, Mini&s;ters of An|tichri&s;t, transforming them&s;elves into the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t: It is time therefore, and our Nece&s;&s;ary Duty, <HI>to try the Spirits whether they are of God:</HI> and verily here is one as dangerous a Per&s;on, with as &s;ubtil, in&s;inuating Doctrine, as I ever yet met with. VVhen I had Read his Book, and Ob&s;er|ved how he Exalteth and Magnifieth him&s;elf, and tho&s;e of his way, as the <HI>onely Holy People in the World;</HI> and Separateth from all the Godly, their Societies, and a&s;&s;emblies, of all per&s;wa&s;ions, with|out Exception: and not onely &s;o, but al&s;o vilifieth them, Ranking them with the wicked and unrege|nerate world, and how he a&s;&s;erteth and maintaineth <HI>a fal&s;e Principle,</HI> That <HI>the true Light</HI> (meaning Chri&s;t) <HI>is in every Man and Woman;</HI> and is &s;uf|ficient, being believed in, and Obeyed, to bring them to Salvation: and that who&s;oever will not Receive, and own this Doctrine, are accounted by him Enemies to Chri&s;t. VVhen I con&s;idered the&s;e things, with many other <HI>Lies in Hypocri&s;ie and Bla&s;|phemies,</HI> mentioned in his Book, my Spirit was ve|hemently moved within me, and I &s;aid in my &s;elf, Shall this uncircumci&s;ed <HI>Phili&s;tine</HI> thus come forth, and Challenge, and Defie the Ho&s;ts and Armies
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</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="3">
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>The Light within &s;hall be in Hell for ever.</HI> p. 31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers draw people to Idolatry.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers are under &s;piritual Judgments.</HI> p. 32.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers Perfection in &s;in.</HI> p. 34.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers imperfection in grace.</HI> 35. 1 <HI>In knowledge.</HI> ibid. 2 <HI>In Faith and Hope.</HI> 36. 3 <HI>In Love.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Paul <HI>preacheth Chri&s;t, and not the Light in e|very man and woman.</HI> p. 38.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Devils fundamental doctrine.</HI> p. 39.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ob&s;tinate Quakers to be rejected.</HI> p. 41.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers &s;in is like the great &s;in of the hard|ned Jewes.</HI> p. 42.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Advice to the hearers among the Quakers.</HI> p. 44.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers great Idol near falling.</HI> p. 45.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ten Arguments proving the Light within is not Chri&s;t.</HI> p. 46.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers Humility.</HI> p. 56.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers &V;nity.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The true &V;nity, of the true Church.</HI> 59. 1. <HI>One Body.</HI> ib. 2. <HI>One Spirit.</HI> ib. 3. <HI>One Hope.</HI> 60. 4. <HI>One Lord.</HI> ib. 5. <HI>One Faith.</HI> ib. 6. <HI>One Bapti&s;me.</HI> ib. 7. <HI>One God.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers Patience.</HI> p. 62.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>A fal&s;e per&s;wa&s;ion of Conver&s;ion.</HI> p. 63.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Light within converts none to the Lord.</HI> p. 65.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Natural Light, is Spiritual Darkne&s;s.</HI> p. 67.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>This Scripture</HI> Joh. 1.9. <HI>gro&s;ly mi&s;taken.</HI> p. 68.</ITEM>
<PB REF="3">
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers Doctrine is directly-contrary to the Scriptures.</HI> p. 70</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Con&s;cience is a natural light.</HI> 72.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chri&s;t, the true Light, is really in believers, and in none el&s;e.</HI> ib.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Scriptures are the word of God.</HI> p. 74.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Scriptures are Gods Love letters to man|kind.</HI> p. 77.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Characters of fal&s;e Prophets whereby they are known.</HI> p. 78. 1. <HI>Departing from the Faith.</HI> p. 79.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Character: Giving heed to &s;educing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils.</HI> p. 80. 1. <HI>Again&s;t Chri&s;t.</HI> ib. 2. <HI>Again&s;t the Scriptures:</HI> ibid. 3. <HI>Again&s;t the Church:</HI> 81.4. <HI>Re&s;ting upon their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> ib.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The third Character of fal&s;e Prophets:</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Lyes in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> p. 82.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fir&s;t Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> p. 83</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;econd Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> ib.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The third Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> p. 84.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fourth Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> ib.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fifth Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> p. 86.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;ixt Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> p. 88.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers Railing accu&s;ations</HI> p. 89.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fourth Character of fal&s;e Teachers: their Con&s;ciences are &s;eared with an hot Iron</HI> p. 91.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fifth Character of fal&s;e Teachers: denying the Lord that bought us</HI> p. 92.</ITEM>
<PB REF="4">
<ITEM><HI>The Apo&s;tle</HI> Peter, <HI>and</HI> Jude, <HI>both agree in the &s;ame.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Characters of fal&s;e Teachers</HI> p. 93.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Enoch <HI>Prophe&s;ied of the&s;e ungodly men</HI> p. 100.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers have &s;poken many hard &s;peeches again&s;t Chri&s;t.</HI> ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers &s;eparation from Chri&s;t and his people proves they are no Chri&s;tians.</HI> p. 101.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>A Lying Spirit is gone forth among the Quakers, which &s;educeth them.</HI> p. 105.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Births of the Spirit, and of the Fle&s;h.</HI> p. 106.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Spiritual &s;ins are greater than fle&s;hly &s;ins.</HI> p. 108.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fal&s;e Opinions of the Quakers &s;pring from Pride and Ignorance.</HI> p. 109.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers deceive weak and &s;imple minds.</HI> p. 110.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Quakers &s;hall not long continue to deceive.</HI> p. 113.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Good Coun&s;el to the Quakers.</HI> p. 115.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Leave the Quakers Meetings</HI> p. 116.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Come to the A&s;&s;emblies of the Saints.</HI> p. 117.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>THE <HI>Strong Man Armed not Ca&s;t out,</HI> BUT <HI>Removed to a &s;tronger Hold:</HI> VIZ. From PROFANENESS TO HYPOCRISIE.</HEAD>
<P>WHen Man at his fir&s;t Creation came out of the Hand of God, he was then a Holy, and a Righteous Creature: But we all know (to our &s;orrow) he lo&s;t that <HI>Holy &s;tate;</HI> and now, and &s;ince then, he is <HI>by Nature a Child of Wrath,</HI> and <HI>an Enemy to God,</HI> in his mind afar off from him, and mo&s;t unlike unto him: So that there is no Recovering that Holy, and Happy E&s;tate again, to have <HI>Fellow&s;hip and Communion with God, but by Regeneration and Conver&s;ion;</HI> from this Carnal &s;tate, to a New Spiritual &s;tate; by true Re|pentance and Faith in Chri&s;t, wrought by the Migh|ty Power of the Spirit of God, in tho&s;e whom he (according to his determinate Coun&s;el and fore|knowledge) calleth in due time unto him&s;elf; in whom he (by degrees) de&s;troys the works of the Devil, the <HI>Image of the fir&s;t Adam,</HI> and Creates;
<PB N="2" REF="5">and works, the <HI>Image or Nature of the Second Adam Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and true Holine&s;s; or as it is in &s;ome other Expre&s;&s;ions in Scripture, he ca&s;teth out the <HI>&s;trong Man Armed,</HI> that keepeth the Hou&s;e, and Divideth the Spoyls, when this <HI>&s;tronger than he</HI> cometh, he turns out this fir&s;t <HI>&s;trong Man</HI> (though Armed, and in his &s;trong Hold of every Faculty of the Soul) and Enters him|&s;elf, and takes Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Soul, and turns all to his own U&s;e and Intere&s;t, even for his own Glo|ry; the Exaltation of his Free-Grace, and that for ever.</P>
<P>Now, here comes <HI>this great Que&s;tion</HI> to be De|bated and Determined,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Author of the Strong Man Armed, Tryed.</NOTE> Con|cerning the Per&s;on here menti|oned, <HI>James Jack&s;on, Author of the Book Entituled, The Strong Man Armed ca&s;t out,</HI> (which al&s;o Com|prehends and includes all others of his Mind, with whom he hath now joyned him&s;elf.) He is &s;trongly per&s;waded (it appears) That the <HI>&s;trong Man, the Devil,</HI> with all his wares and works, is ca&s;t out, and that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is entred, and dwells in his &s;tead.</P>
<P>He tells us in his Epi&s;tle to his Friends and Re|lations, what an <HI>&V;ngodly, Di&s;&s;olute, Debauched, and Extravagant Cour&s;e of Life</HI> the had Lived, a|gain&s;t all <HI>Coun&s;els, Admonitions, Reproofs, Vows, Promi&s;es, and Engagements,</HI> breaking all the&s;e as &s;o many Bonds and Fetters (alluding to the poor Man that was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Devils, and Bound with Chains and Fetters, and brake all in pieces, and no Man could tame him.) So did he, to the grief and wounding of his dear Friends. But the Lord working mightily, and <HI>Revealing his Son in
<PB N="3" REF="5">him,</HI> (he &s;aith;) and making a wonderful and great Change, he would not eat his Mor&s;els alone, but thought it his Duty to Communicate the&s;e things to his Friends and Relations, and to tell them what great things God hath done for him, and hath had Compa&s;&s;ion on him, in turning him from Dark|ne&s;s into his Marvellous Light, and from the Pow|er of Satan, into the Kingdom of his dear Son.</P>
<P>So that now our work is to bring him and his works to be Weighed in the <HI>Ballance of the Sanctu|ary,</HI> and to try them by the true <HI>Touch-&s;tone,</HI> whe|ther they be true Metal or Counterfeit; for many Fooli&s;h Builders Build upon the Sand, and not upon the <HI>Rock:</HI> Yea, and &s;ome that Build upon the firmer <HI>Foundation,</HI> yet they Build much <HI>Wood, Hay, and Stubble,</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.13. but every Man's work &s;hall be made Manife&s;t, for the Day &s;hall Declare it, becau&s;e it &s;hall be Revealed by Fire; And the Fire &s;hall Try every Man's work of what &s;ort it is. Now, this Fire is the Spirit of God &s;peaking in the Scriptures; if Men &s;peak according to his Mind and Will, then it is the Truth; but if they &s;peak, or Act other|wi&s;e, then it is not according to Truth, but is from <HI>a Fal&s;e Spirit:</HI> That is, either from the Devil (the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Di&s;obedi|ence) or from a Man's own Spirit, or from both.</P>
<P>Therefore, that we may know which to follow, when Men Differ and Contend about things, this is the &s;ure and onely way, (according to the <HI>Apo&s;tl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s Coun&s;el) to try the Spirits, whether they are of God, or not,</HI> 1 John 3.</P>
<P>But it may readily be asked, how &s;hall we know the Spirits, which is which; which is the <HI>true
<PB N="4" REF="6">Spirit,</HI> and which the <HI>fal&s;e,</HI> when they &s;peak in men different things, who di&s;agree in their Sayings and Apprehen&s;ions?</P>
<P>I An&s;wer; That the Spirit of God &s;peaking in any Man,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">How to know the true Spirit from the fal&s;e Spirit.</NOTE> or if any Man &s;peak by the Spirit of God, he &s;peak|eth according to what he hath already &s;poken, and not con|trary: That is, according to what he hath already &s;poken <HI>in the Scriptures,</HI> by tho&s;e Holy Men of God that wrote the Scriptures, and were <HI>In&s;pired by the holy gho&s;t;</HI> and if any man &s;peak contrary to what the Spirit of God hath already &s;poken, and Revealed in the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> he is a Lyar, and &s;peaketh from a <HI>fal&s;e Deluding Spirit,</HI> and not by the <HI>Spirit of God.</HI></P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> tells us plainly, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.13. <HI>We &s;peak things which the Holy Gho&s;t teacheth,</HI> com|paring Spiritual things with Spiritual. <HI>Paul</HI> had the Spirit of God, and &s;pake and taught by the Spi|rit of God. But if a Natural Man (one that hath not the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t in him) doth go about to compare &s;piritual things with &s;piritual things, he is &s;ure to mi&s;take, and &s;peak Erroneou&s;ly; <HI>For the Na|tural Man</HI> (as he there &s;aith) <HI>perceiveth not the things that are of God, neither can he know, or per|ceive them, becau&s;e they are &s;piritually Di&s;cerned:</HI> That is, they are &s;een in the Light, and by the Di&s;|covery of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the true Light, and not otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P>So that this being laid down as a Ground and Foundation, <HI>an Infallible truth,</HI> as it is; we may then proceed to the <HI>Examination and Tryal of the Spirits and Doctrines of Men;</HI> for no Man &s;peak|ing by the &s;pirit of God, will, or can &s;peak con|trary
<PB N="5" REF="6">to the Scriptures; if he do, let it be Reject|ed: <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>If any Man Preach any other Go&s;|pel than that which we have Preached unto you, let him be accur&s;ed;</HI> yea, if an Angel from Heaven bring any other Go&s;pel than that ye have Received, (and is written in the Scriptures) let him be Ac|cur&s;ed.</P>
<P>He &s;aith, not onely let him or them be Di&s;owned, and Rejected, but let him be <HI>Accur&s;ed:</HI> &s;o Zealous was he, and &s;o &s;hou'd we be to hold fa&s;t, and main|tain the <HI>Doctrine of the Go&s;pel,</HI> the Scriptures, given out by God him&s;elf, &s;poken and written by the Men of God, in their Day, and Generation, by the immediate Dictates, Teachings, and Movings of the Holy Gho&s;t, the Spirit of God, &s;o that (as was &s;aid) whatever Spirit it be (in whom&s;oever) that &s;peaketh contrary, or not according to the Scrip|tures, is to be di&s;owned, and rejected, as fal&s;e and erroneous.</P>
<P>Now therefore, here comes in the Tryal of Par|ticulars; the &s;everal Doctrines, Opinions, and Practices of Men, of any per&s;wa&s;ions what&s;oever: Either they &s;peak according to the <HI>Spirit of God in them,</HI> or from <HI>&s;ome other Spirit;</HI> if they &s;peak from the &s;pirit of God in them, then it mu&s;t needs be ac|cording to what he hath already &s;poken, (as was &s;aid) for he is one and the &s;ame Spirit, and chan|geth not: But if it be otherwi&s;e, then it may be &s;aid, as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aid of &s;ome in his Time, <HI>This Per|&s;wa&s;ion cometh not of him that calleth you,</HI> Gal. 5.8. it cometh not from the Spirit of God, but from a fal&s;e and Deluding Spirit.</P>
<P>And here now is thy Tryal and thy Judgment, <HI>James Jack&s;on, Author of the &s;trong Man Armed ca&s;t out;</HI> and all that are of thy Mind and Way;
<PB N="6" REF="7">who &s;peak contrary to what the Holy Gho&s;t hath &s;poken already in the Scriptures, as is hereafter &s;hewed in &s;everal particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Strong Man Ar|med, <HI>p.</HI> 3.</NOTE> That Spirit in thee Declares to all People, That thou art now <HI>Converted, and turned from Darkne&s;s to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God;</HI> that thou art changed from a wicked Profane cour&s;e of Life, unto a Holy Life, walking with a Holy People, and that thou ha&s;t left off to be <HI>a Pari&s;h Prie&s;t;</HI> yea, and after that, ha&s;t left off from being <HI>a Teacher among the Indepen|dents,</HI> and ha&s;t di&s;owned, and for&s;aken the Congre|gations and A&s;&s;emblies of the Independents; and art now come and joyned with the People called <HI>Quakers.</HI> And thou telle&s;t us, That the&s;e are the <HI>onely Holy People of God upon Earth;</HI> and that all other <HI>Churches, A&s;&s;emblies, and Congregations</HI> (Naming the <HI>Presbyterians, Independents, Bapti&s;ts,</HI> and others) are out of the way; and that though they differ in <HI>Forms or Per&s;wa&s;ions,</HI> yet they agree <HI>in the &s;ame Faith, Foundation, and Root.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For An&s;wer hereunto briefly; I &s;hall not &s;peak to Reproach thee, or rail upon thee, or any of thy way, as thou ha&s;t done again&s;t many of the Precious Saints in the Churches of Chri&s;t, &s;aying of the <HI>Independents</HI> (who&s;e A&s;&s;emblies thou ha&s;t for&s;a|ken) That there was &s;ufficient ground for thee to &s;eparate from the Tents of tho&s;e ungodly Men,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Strong Man Armed, <HI>p.</HI> 8.</NOTE> their Teachers, who are no better than <HI>Filthy Dreamers, Blind Guids, and Belly-gods,</HI> which belch out nothing but <HI>Lies, Slanders, Bla&s;|phemies, and evil &s;peeches</HI> again&s;t Chri&s;t, his Ways, Truths, and People; and this (thou &s;aye&s;t) thou
<PB N="7" REF="7">&s;ee&s;t, and declare&s;t again&s;t them in the Light. I &s;ay, I will not bring again&s;t thee <HI>Railing Accu&s;ations,</HI> as thou do&s;t again&s;t others; but <HI>the Lord Rebuke thee,</HI> and that <HI>Lying Spirit</HI> in thee, and Convince <HI>thy Spirit</HI> of the Truth.</P>
<P>Concerning thy leaving off to continue <HI>a Pari&s;h Priest,</HI> thou did&s;t well; but thou had&s;t done better if thou had&s;t never undertaken it; for there are too many &s;uch <HI>Prie&s;ts,</HI> like the <HI>Priests of Old, the Sons of Eli;</HI> who (by rea&s;on of their wickedne&s;s) made the Sacrifices of the Lord to be Abhorred: There are many in the&s;e Days <HI>of the &s;ame Tribe,</HI> who make the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, his Ways, Truths, and People</HI> to be evil &s;poken of; yea, they make <HI>the Name of Chri&s;t to be Bla&s;phemed, and his People Reproached,</HI> even through them, and by their means: And making others, who are <HI>the true and Faithful Mini&s;ters and Amba&s;&s;adors of Chri&s;t</HI> to be evil &s;po|ken of, Reviled, and Di&s;owned for their &s;akes, and becau&s;e of them; yea, more, They Occa&s;ion <HI>Se|parations in all parts of the Land.</HI> Wo unto them, for they have gone in the way of <HI>Cain,</HI> and run greedily after the <HI>Error of</HI> Balaam <HI>for a Reward,</HI> and get into the <HI>Prie&s;ts Office,</HI> that they may eat a piece of Bread, that they may get a Living by it: Many of them more &s;it for the <HI>Cart, or the Plough,</HI> than the <HI>Pulpit,</HI> having neither <HI>Gifts of Nature, nor of Grace</HI> fit for the Mini&s;try. Men that never <HI>learn|ed Chri&s;t,</HI> were never <HI>taught of God,</HI> and how then can they Teach others? Nay, in&s;tead of In&s;truct|ing others in the ways of Life and Salvation, they by their <HI>wicked Examples</HI> draw them down to Hell, they are the <HI>wor&s;t of Men upon Earth.</HI> I have In|dignation again&s;t &s;uch, and am greatly grieved for the Mi&s;ery of tho&s;e poor Ignorant Souls of their
<PB N="8" REF="8">Pari&s;hes, who are like to <HI>peri&s;h for lack of Know|ledge;</HI> the Blind leading the Blind, both will fall into the Ditch: The Lord Remove them, or Re|form them, and give <HI>Pa&s;tors</HI> after his own heart, according to his Promi&s;e.</P>
<P>And for this I Commend thee, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> that thou did&s;t leave off thy <HI>Profanene&s;s,</HI> and al&s;o deceiving the People as <HI>a Pari&s;h Prie&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>But now take heed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Strong Hold of Hypocri&s;ie is &s;tronger than that of Profane|ne&s;s.</NOTE> le&s;t thou art not yet deceived, in the &s;tate and condition thou art now in, le&s;t <HI>the fal&s;e &s;pirit</HI> be not too &s;ubtill for thee; le&s;t <HI>Satan (that strong Man Armed)</HI> having quit <HI>one strong hold,</HI> be not got <HI>into another</HI> that is <HI>&s;tronger</HI> than the former; for certain it is, the Devil's pow|er and policy in a way of <HI>Gro&s;s wickedne&s;s and pro|fanene&s;s,</HI> is not half &s;o <HI>&s;trong a hold</HI> as the <HI>&s;trong hold of Hypocri&s;ie:</HI> Where Rea&s;on, Natural Con|&s;cience, all outward Occurrences, Moral, Civilized Per&s;ons, all can readily Reprove, and help to draw a Man out of &s;uch an E&s;tate; but the <HI>strong hold of Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> and Erroneous per&s;wa&s;ions and Practi|ces, <HI>in a way of Religion,</HI> is more Dangerous, and <HI>a &s;tronger Hold;</HI> where nothing but the <HI>&s;pirit of God,</HI> and an <HI>enlightned &V;nder&s;tanding</HI> to di&s;cern the Truth of the word of the Go&s;pel, can In&s;truct a Man, e&s;pecially when a Man hath pa&s;&s;ed through many, or divers <HI>States, Forms, Opinions, and per|&s;wa&s;ions,</HI> and at la&s;t hath pitched upon <HI>one</HI> that he Judges and Concludes doth Exceed <HI>all the former;</HI> if yet this be <HI>fal&s;e,</HI> and he know it not, he is then in greater Danger than ever, &s;eeing his own <HI>Natu|ral Rea&s;on,</HI> and his <HI>Ignorant dim-&s;ighted Con&s;cience,</HI> confirmed by the <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ions of Satan,</HI> (that
<PB N="9" REF="8">&s;pirit that worketh, and Ruleth in the Children of Di&s;obedience, do all concurre and joyn together, and hold the poor &s;oul in Bondage under Darkne&s;s, which is by many taken for the <HI>true Light of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;ay, Take heed of being deceived in the&s;e things, thou and thy Friends; for I &s;ay, the <HI>&s;trong hold</HI> of the Devil, in a way of <HI>Profanene&s;s,</HI> is not <HI>&s;o &s;trong</HI> as his <HI>&s;trong hold</HI> in a way of <HI>Hypocri&s;ie, or fal&s;e Wor&s;hip;</HI> this is Evident both by Scripture and Ex|perience. Chri&s;t told the <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> who were Zea|lous in a way of <HI>Hypocri&s;ie:</HI> That <HI>Publicans and Ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">lots,</HI> (great and gro&s;s &s;inners, in a way of <HI>Profanene&s;s,</HI>) &s;hould enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them, <HI>Mat.</HI> 21.31. And that I may &s;hew my true Love to your &s;ouls (whether you will Accept it or no) I will Endeavour to &s;hew unto thee and them, things in a clearer Light than yet &s;hines in you.</P>
<P>Thou &s;aye&s;t, <HI>the &s;trong Man Armed (the Devil)</HI> is ca&s;t out of thee, <HI>and Chri&s;t a &s;tronger than he,</HI> is come in, and now keeps the Hou&s;e: How is this made manife&s;t? Thy &s;aying &s;o does not prove it, but thy <HI>Sayings, and thy Doings</HI> prove the contrary; and this I &s;hall make good, both by <HI>po&s;itive Scrip|ture, and by Example.</HI></P>
<P>If <HI>any Man be in Chri&s;t,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The New Creature doth Evidence it &s;elf where it is.</NOTE> <HI>he is a New Creature,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.17. He that is <HI>Converted, and changed</HI> from the &s;tate of <HI>Nature,</HI> to the &s;tate of <HI>Grace,</HI> out of whom <HI>Sa|tan</HI> is ca&s;t, and <HI>Christ</HI> come in; he is <HI>New</HI> in his <HI>&V;nder&s;tanding, Will, Affections;</HI> yea, <HI>New</HI> in his <HI>whole Life and Conver&s;ation:</HI> But now it appears plainly, that <HI>thy &V;nder&s;tanding</HI> is &s;till <HI>Old,</HI> the
<PB N="10" REF="9">&s;ame <HI>Ignorance, Blindne&s;s, Darkne&s;s</HI> remains upon it, as is in all <HI>Natural Men;</HI> and this is &s;een, and manife&s;t by thy <HI>fal&s;e Interpretations of Scriptures;</HI> and Secondly, by thy <HI>fal&s;e applications of them,</HI> in Applying tho&s;e Scriptures to the <HI>Saints, true Be|lievers, Members of Chri&s;t,</HI> as do belong only to the <HI>unregenerate World;</HI> &s;uch as are yet in the <HI>&s;tate of Nature;</HI> neither art thou changed in <HI>thy Will and Affections,</HI> they are not yet <HI>New,</HI> but according to the <HI>Old Nature</HI> in all <HI>unregenerate Per&s;ons,</HI> as plainly appears in that thou &s;hewe&s;t forth no <HI>true Love</HI> to the <HI>Lords precious People, Members of the Body of Chri&s;t;</HI> but contrariwi&s;e, <HI>di&s;owne&s;t them, and &s;eparate&s;t from them;</HI> nay more, thou do&s;t <HI>Re|vile them, and fal&s;ly &s;peak evil of them,</HI> as is plain|ly &s;een in many pa&s;&s;ages of thy Book: And as for thy <HI>Love and affections towards Chri&s;t,</HI> it is <HI>Love</HI> but onely <HI>in Tongue, in Word, and Profe&s;&s;ion onely,</HI> not in <HI>Truth.</HI> Thou profe&s;&s;e&s;t that thou <HI>Knowe&s;t, and Love&s;t him,</HI> but indeed <HI>thou denye&s;t him,</HI> in de|nying of his People, and di&s;owning of them, for he hath &s;aid, <HI>He that De&s;pi&s;eth you, De&s;pi&s;eth me;</HI> nay more, Thou, and tho&s;e of thy way, <HI>Deny and di&s;honour Chri&s;t,</HI> in that ye &s;et up <HI>his Creature,</HI> and Adore it, and Wor&s;hip it, <HI>for Chri&s;t,</HI> and call it <HI>Chri&s;t in you;</HI> and &s;o make the <HI>Creator</HI> and the <HI>Crea|ture</HI> all one.</P>
<P>Now, &s;eeing thou art <HI>an Old Creature</HI> &s;till, both in thy inner Man and outward Man in thy Conver|&s;ation: How can&s;t thou think thou art <HI>changed,</HI> or that <HI>the Strong Man Armed is ca&s;t out,</HI> but rather that he is Removed to <HI>a &s;tronger hold.</HI></P>
<P>Nay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Paul</HI>'s Example a Looking-Gla&s;s.</NOTE> further; Let us try by another <HI>Touch-&s;tone,</HI> whe|ther thou art true Gold or no:
<PB N="11" REF="9"><HI>Paul,</HI> we know, was once in a <HI>Carnal &s;tate,</HI> in a <HI>&s;tate of Nature, in Darkne&s;s;</HI> but was <HI>Called, and Converted:</HI> And we &s;ee, he &s;hews forth, and ma|nife&s;ts to all, that <HI>his &s;tate was changed;</HI> for he &s;oon after, <HI>prayed earne&s;tly to God,</HI> and he <HI>Preached the Go&s;pel,</HI> he &s;tood up Zealou&s;ly to Preach <HI>that Je&s;us,</HI> which lately before <HI>he per&s;ecuted in his Members:</HI> He Bani&s;hed them, and Impri&s;oned them, and did many mi&s;chiefs to them; yea, and thought verily he did well, and that he ought to do many things again&s;t <HI>Je&s;us of Nazareth;</HI> and this was from the <HI>Light within,</HI> which thou and thy Friends &s;ay, <HI>is in every Man and Woman,</HI> and which <HI>ye adore for God and Chri&s;t:</HI> But when he was <HI>Converted, this Light</HI> was known to be but <HI>Darkne&s;s,</HI> by the <HI>true Light, Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> when he &s;hined into his &s;oul; when <HI>this Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s aro&s;e, it &s;cattered his Darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Now, Compare <HI>thy Change and Conver&s;ion</HI> (as thou calle&s;t it) with <HI>Paul</HI>'s <HI>Conver&s;ion,</HI> for his was true, and &s;ee how like thine looks to his, or how unlike it; and thereby thou and others may gain In|&s;truction. Thou and others may plainly &s;ee how much thou art Deceived, in that thou thinke&s;t, and &s;ay'&s;t, <HI>The &s;trong Man armed is ca&s;t out of thee.</HI></P>
<P>Do but look thy &s;elf <HI>in this gla&s;s of the Example of Paul,</HI> and thou wilt &s;ee thy &s;elf like him, as he was <HI>before his Conver&s;ion,</HI> as like him <HI>as one Man can be like another:</HI> But if thou looke&s;t thy &s;elf in the <HI>Example of</HI> Paul after his <HI>Conver&s;ion,</HI> then thou art no more like him, than an <HI>Ape is like a Man;</HI> perhaps, &s;ome dark &s;hadows, and &s;imple Re&s;em|blances, &s;ome &s;eeming likene&s;s, but nothing of Truth or Reality, in any Spiritual Re&s;pects.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> before his <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> Raged again&s;t the
<PB N="12" REF="10">Saints, and was very bitter again&s;t them; but af|terwards when he was <HI>enlightned and Converted,</HI> he joyns him&s;elf to them, is one with them, and counts it a great and precious Priviledge &s;o to be: He Preached to them that Je&s;us whom before he knew not; but Per&s;ecuted him, yea, he is tender of them, and Nouri&s;heth them, and Cheri&s;heth them, as a Nur&s;e Cheri&s;heth her Children.</P>
<P>Now, con&s;ider with thy &s;elf, <HI>James Jack&s;on;</HI> do&s;t thou do &s;o? do&s;t thou &s;hew forth the&s;e clear Evidences of <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> and a <HI>New &s;tate,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> did? if &s;o, then thou ha&s;t good grounds to believe that the <HI>&s;trong Man</HI> is indeed ca&s;t out; if thou &s;ay it is &s;o, then tell me, what meaneth this Bleating of the Sheep, and Lowing of the Oxen which I hear? What meaneth <HI>thy loud out-crys, and Cla|mours again&s;t the Lords People;</HI> thy <HI>Railing Accu|&s;ations</HI> again&s;t all the <HI>Churches and Congregations</HI> that are not ju&s;t of thy Mind? Is this <HI>Cheri&s;hing them as a Nur&s;e cheri&s;heth her Children, as</HI> Paul <HI>did?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> Fed the Young ones, and the Weak with Milk, and tenderly dealt with them, untill they were able to Dige&s;t &s;tronger Meat. Thou regard|e&s;t not the Weak, nor the Young, no, nor the Strong, but Crye&s;t them down all, as Deceived Per&s;ons, in Darkne&s;s, in <HI>Babylon,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> did be|fore his Conver&s;ion: So this proves thee to be like him before h&iacute;s Change; and con&s;equently, that <HI>the &s;trong Man armed is not yet ca&s;t out of thee, but re|moved to a &s;tronger hold.</HI></P>
<P>If thou &s;ay, Nay, but I Own, and Love, and Cheri&s;h the Holy People of the Lord, unto whom I am now joyned, which is a good Evidence of my Conver&s;ion and Change.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="10">
<P>It is An&s;wered; That if it were &s;uppo&s;ed, and granted, that tho&s;e People with whom thou walk|e&s;t, were indeed the People of the Lord, (as I hope many of them are, who know not their fal&s;e Doctrines, for I will not be &s;evere, as the manner of &s;ome is, to Condemn all, for the Errors of &s;ome among&s;t them) yet art thou far &s;hort of <HI>Paul</HI>'s <HI>Spi|rit,</HI> who owned <HI>all the Saints,</HI> though under <HI>Dif|ferent Forms:</HI> To the <HI>Jews,</HI> he became <HI>as a Jew;</HI> to the <HI>Greeks,</HI> as they; to tho&s;e <HI>under the Law,</HI> as <HI>under the Law;</HI> to tho&s;e <HI>without Law, as without Law;</HI> he became <HI>all things to all,</HI> in &s;uch Indiffe|rent, Un-commanded things as <HI>Forms</HI> are, that &s;o he might gain them to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>But thou cleave&s;t <HI>to a few,</HI> and many of them un|der <HI>&s;trong Delu&s;ions,</HI> and there thou helpe&s;t to &s;trengthen their Deceived Minds in Errors; De|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">eiving, and being Deceived: Why art thou not <HI>a Follower of</HI> Paul <HI>herein,</HI> as he be&s;eeches all to be; as <HI>he is a Follower of Chri&s;t?</HI> Now, Chri&s;t Owns, Loves, and Accepts <HI>all his People, under all Forms,</HI> being United to him, as Members of his Body; Wor&s;hipping of him in Spirit and in Truth: So the Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>In every Nation</HI> (though they are not one in their Forms, there being &s;everal in this Nation) <HI>he that feareth God, and worketh Righteou&s;ne&s;s, is accepted with him.</HI> Now, how are we <HI>Followers of Chri&s;t,</HI> or of <HI>Paul,</HI> herein, if they are not Accepted of us al&s;o?</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> was Ex|erci&s;ed with &s;uch <HI>proud,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proud Profe&s;&s;ors in <HI>Paul</HI>'s Time Repro|ved.</NOTE> <HI>&s;elf-conceited, trouble&s;ome per&s;ons</HI> in his time, as are now in ours; and he deals with them, and Reproves them, even for this very thing that I am now &s;peaking of, that
<PB N="14" REF="11">is, <HI>Highly e&s;teeming of them&s;elves, and De&s;pi&s;ing others;</HI> as we &s;ee, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.7. &s;ome High, Proud Per&s;ons, that Commended them&s;elves, and valued them&s;elves above <HI>Paul,</HI> and tho&s;e that were of his A&s;&s;emblies, they thought that they them&s;elves were the <HI>onely people of the Lord;</HI> but as for <HI>Paul and his Followers,</HI> they had no &s;uch per&s;wa&s;ion of them; But the Apo&s;tle Reproves them, and tells them they have as good grounds and Rea&s;on to think as well of him, and tho&s;e with him, as of them&s;elves, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.7.</P>
<P><HI>If any Man think that he is Chri&s;ts, let him think this again, that as he is Chri&s;t's, even &s;o are we Chri&s;t's;</HI> let them have as good an Opinion of us, as they have of them&s;elves, for they have as good grounds for it.</P>
<P>But (&s;aith he) they are a People that look upon &s;ome things in Them&s;elves, but take no Notice of any good in Us; and &s;o they <HI>Mea&s;ure them&s;elves by them&s;elves, and compare them&s;elves among them&s;elves,</HI> and in &s;o doing they are not wi&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 8.</P>
<P>How&s;oever we know our <HI>Mea&s;ure,</HI> and our <HI>Time,</HI> our <HI>Gifts and Graces</HI> that God hath g&igrave;ven us; and although they think <HI>highly of them&s;elves,</HI> and but <HI>Meanly of us;</HI> yet we know, that <HI>not he that com|mendeth him&s;elf, is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth, as v.</HI> 18.</P>
<P>Is it not &s;o in our Days? are there not a People among us, who have <HI>high e&s;teem of them&s;elves,</HI> and that think of them&s;elves more highly than they ought to think, that account them&s;elves <HI>the onely Holy People of the Lord,</HI> and all others to be <HI>of the World;</HI> and ca&s;t off, and di&s;own, and <HI>&s;eparate</HI> from all other <HI>Societies, Communities, Congregations, and Churches of the Saints, and people of God,</HI> in
<PB N="15" REF="11">all the World, and <HI>Mea&s;uring them&s;elves by them|&s;elves, and comparing them&s;elves among them&s;elves,</HI> are thereby gro&s;ly mi&s;taken, and mi&s;led; they Com|mend and Applaud them&s;elves above all other Peo|ple, as being in the right and true way, and all others out of it; but <HI>not he that commendeth him&s;elf is ap|proved, but whom the Lord commendeth,</HI> and appro|veth, he &s;hall &s;tand, and be accepted. v. 18.</P>
<P>Now, let us con&s;ider the ground and cau&s;e of all this;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apo&s;tacy from the Faith; what it is.</NOTE> whence is it that many have &s;uch high thoughts of them&s;elves, and De&s;pi&s;e others better than them&s;elves: The Apo&s;tle tells us, and the Spirit hath &s;poken it expre&s;ly, and plain|ly, that <HI>in the la&s;t days</HI> (which are the&s;e we now Live in) <HI>Men &s;hall depart from the Faith,</HI> that is, from Faith <HI>in the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel</HI> (not from <HI>Ju&s;tifying Faith</HI>) and &s;hall <HI>give heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils;</HI> they having once departed from the <HI>Doctrine and Truths of the Go&s;|pel,</HI> they &s;hall then <HI>give heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils;</HI> they &s;hall &s;light, and make light <HI>of the Scriptures,</HI> and then &s;hall <HI>give heed to &s;educing &s;pirits,</HI> a &s;pirit within them, yea, many &s;pirits are watchful to in&s;inuate into &s;uch a mind, as take no heed to the <HI>Scriptures;</HI> for in &s;uch a Frame of Mind what &s;hould direct them; what <HI>Touch-&s;tone</HI> or <HI>Rule of Tryal</HI> can they have (when the <HI>Scriptures</HI> are laid a&s;ide) of <HI>what &s;pirit</HI> &s;peaks in them? In &s;uch a ca&s;e Men often think it is <HI>the &s;pirit of God,</HI> when it is but a <HI>&s;educing &s;pirit,</HI> who hath Trans|formed him&s;elf into an <HI>Angel of Light;</HI> and re&s;em|bles <HI>the &s;pirit of God,</HI> under the pretence of Holi|ne&s;s and Truth: In &s;ome things that are like Truth, it Re&s;embles it, but is not &s;o: And hereby their
<PB N="16" REF="12">Weak and Dark Minds are mi&s;&s;ed and deceived: For the Devil does often in many things, &s;peak the very Truth, but it is with an intent to deceive in other things that are of greater Moment and Con&s;e|quence; like cunning, deceitful Trade&s;men, who bring forth, and &s;hew &s;ome <HI>good and right Commo|dities,</HI> that &s;o among&s;t the&s;e they may put off their <HI>counterfeit Wares</HI> the better, and with le&s;s &s;u&s;pi|tion.</P>
<P>Now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Spirit within known by the Scrip|tures.</NOTE> know this; That men &s;hall not be able to know the <HI>fal&s;e &s;educing &s;pirit</HI> from the <HI>true,</HI> but <HI>by the Fruits and ef|fects of it,</HI> and by trying it <HI>by the &s;pirit of God &s;peak|ing in the Scriptures;</HI> and by the&s;e it may be known, and not otherwi&s;e. And hence it is, That many in our Days finding and feeling <HI>&s;trong impre&s;&s;ions and impul&s;es in their minds,</HI> and not Examining of them, and trying of them <HI>by the &s;pirit &s;peaking in the Scrip|tures,</HI> do erre gro&s;ly, and are mi&s;-led by them, both in Doctrine and Practice: They give heed to, and are carried away with the <HI>pre&s;ent Impre&s;&s;ion, moving in their minds,</HI> looking upon it immediately, by, and in it &s;elf, <HI>as Chri&s;t the true Light,</HI> &s;peaking in them, when oft-times it is <HI>a &s;educing &s;pirit.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But if it be asked, How then &s;hall we certainly know the Impre&s;&s;ions of the <HI>&s;educing &s;pirit</HI> in our minds, and the Impre&s;&s;ions of the Spirit of God?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The <HI>&s;pirit of God,</HI> which is given to them that Believe, In&s;tructeth them how to know <HI>its own Operations.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, by Comparing <HI>the&s;e immediate Impre&s;&s;ions in the Mind, with what is already written in the Scriptures, dictated by the &s;ame &s;pirit,</HI> concerning
<PB N="17" REF="12">the &s;ame things now in the Mind or Judgment; therefore we ought to compare them together, and Examine whether they agree, and are one and the &s;ame: if the Impre&s;&s;ions of the Spirit in the mind be contrary to the Spirit &s;peaking in the Scriptures, we may then be &s;ure <HI>it is a fal&s;e and a &s;educing &s;pirit;</HI> but if it be the &s;ame with the Spirit in the Scriptures, and confirmed thereby, then it is <HI>the true &s;pirit.</HI></P>
<P>The Spirit of God gives (more e&s;pecially to &s;ome of his People) the Gift of <HI>di&s;cerning of &s;pi|rits:</HI> As we &s;ee, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. <HI>To another</HI> he gives the <HI>Di&s;cerning of Spirits:</HI> And it is by this means afore-mentioned.</P>
<P>And Secondly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cau&s;es known by Ef|fects.</NOTE> we may know <HI>the true &s;pirit</HI> from <HI>the &s;edu|cing &s;pirit, by the Fruits and Effects of it;</HI> we may know <HI>Cau&s;es by the Effects,</HI> as in Nature, &s;o al&s;o in Grace.</P>
<P>And therefore when we are doubtful what Spirit it is that &s;peaketh in us or others, let us try it <HI>by the Effects, the Fruits that it produceth;</HI> for <HI>every Tree is known by its own Fruits:</HI> The <HI>Effects</HI> and <HI>Fruits</HI> of the Spirit of God are &s;uch as the Scripture tells us of in many places, as in the 5th. <HI>Gal. The Fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Long-&s;uffering, Gentlene&s;s, Goodne&s;s, Faith, Meekne&s;s, Patience, Humility, Temperance,</HI> &amp;c. Our Lord Chri&s;t, the Head, who was filled and Annointed with this Spirit above his Fellows, what Effects did it work <HI>in his Humane Nature,</HI> as our Mediator, he tells us, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11.28. <HI>he is Meek and Lowly in heart;</HI> and again, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.1. <HI>I be&s;eech you by the meek|ne&s;s and gentlene&s;s of Chri&s;t:</HI> What wonderful <HI>Humility</HI> did he &s;hew forth in all his Life among&s;t us; and in that a&s;toni&s;hing Example of Wa&s;hing his
<PB N="18" REF="13">Di&s;ciples Feet: And though he were a King, yea, the King of Kings, yet behold he came Meek and Lowly, Riding upon an A&s;&s;e, and &s;o tender of his Young Lambs, his Weak ones, that he carries them in his Bo&s;om, and gently leads &s;uch as are Young and tender; he will not break the brui&s;ed Reed, nor quench the &s;moaking Flax: Though Faith be but as a grain of Mu&s;tard-&s;eed, it &s;hall be watered to grow up and increa&s;e to more &s;trength.</P>
<P>Now, the like <HI>Effects the &s;ame &s;pirit works in his Members,</HI> (in every one in their Mea&s;ures;) <HI>Paul</HI> fed his New-born Babes <HI>with Milk, and not with Meat,</HI> becau&s;e they were not able to bear it; <HI>and cheri&s;hed them, as a Nur&s;e cheri&s;heth her Children,</HI> often weeping over them, Travelling from place to place to &s;trengthen the New gathered Churches, Teaching, and In&s;tructing them in tho&s;e two great, and chief Doctrines, <HI>Faith in Chri&s;t, and Love to all the Saints.</HI> So the <HI>Apo&s;tle John,</HI> the <HI>&s;ame &s;pirit</HI> brought forth <HI>the &s;ame Fruits and Effects</HI> in him, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1. <HI>I have no greater Joy, than to &s;ee my Chil|dren Walk in Truth.</HI> And Teacheth <HI>Love, &V;nity, Peace, Fellow&s;hip, and Communion with all the Saints;</HI> And &s;o are all the Children of God <HI>thus inclined by the &s;ame &s;pirit,</HI> they &s;hew forth the &s;ame <HI>Fruits and Effects,</HI> in their Degrees and Mea&s;ures.</P>
<P>But now on the contrary, con&s;ider, <HI>The fal&s;e &s;e|ducing &s;pirit</HI> brings forth in its Followers the quite contrary <HI>Fruits and Effects,</HI> as we plainly &s;ee among&s;t Men: And hence are tho&s;e high and proud Conceits and Apprehen&s;ions of them&s;elves, their Ways, their Doctrines, as <HI>better, above, and be|yond all others; being free from &s;in, and become per|fect;</HI> &s;aying in Effect, &s;tand further from me, I am Holier than thou: De&s;pi&s;ing that Low, Childi&s;h
<PB N="19" REF="13">Doctrine of &s;in abiding in us, in the remainders of it, whil&s;t we Live, though the Power and Domi|nion of it be De&s;troy'd. I &s;ay, the&s;e <HI>Fruits and Effects</HI> &s;pring from a <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> like unto them, where|by we may &s;afely conclude what the <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> is; &s;o again, when we &s;ee Men <HI>Separating from others bet|ter than them&s;elves,</HI> leaving, and for&s;aking other A&s;&s;emblies and Congregations &s;ound in Doctrine, and Holy in Life, and Conver&s;ation (excepting common, un-avoidable Infirmities) we may be &s;ure hereby, that <HI>this is from a &s;educing &s;pirit;</HI> not from the <HI>&s;pirit of God</HI> (who&s;e contrary <HI>Fruits and Effects</HI> we heard before.)</P>
<P>As <HI>Solomon,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The true Spirit is for Unity, the &s;alfe Spirit for Divi&s;ion.</NOTE> by his Wi&s;dom given him of God, plainly Di&s;cerned, and knew the true Mother from the fal&s;e, by this very thing, by this clear Evidence: She that was for <HI>&V;nity,</HI> and for <HI>pre&s;erving together,</HI> and Nou|ri&s;hing the parts and Members of the Child, was the <HI>true Mother:</HI> But &s;he that was for the <HI>Dividing of the Child, and &s;eparating the Members of it,</HI> he knew by that, &s;he was the <HI>Harlot,</HI> and not the <HI>true Mother:</HI> Ju&s;t &s;o it is in this Ca&s;e; The <HI>true &s;pirit is for &V;nity, Love, Fellow&s;hip, and Communion with all the Members of Chri&s;t,</HI> as Occa&s;ion and Op|portunity is, but <HI>the fal&s;e &s;educing &s;pirit is for &s;e|paration,</HI> and Dividing the Members of Chri&s;t's Body, upon one pretence or another.</P>
<P>And herein it is too manife&s;t, that not onely &s;ome in our Days are more gro&s;&s;ely guilty; but al&s;o many of the <HI>true Members of Chri&s;t</HI> have been deceived, and carried away very far by <HI>this deluding and &s;e|ducing &s;pirit</HI> (through the remainders of Pride, and &s;elf-love in them) and have thought it their
<PB N="20" REF="14">Duty to <HI>&s;eparate from others of their Brethren,</HI> upon &s;light, weak, and in&s;ufficient grounds and Cau&s;es; by which they have greatly Di&s;plea&s;ed, and Offen|ded <HI>their Head, Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and wronged <HI>their fellow-Members:</HI> And as an Evidence of his Di&s;|plea&s;ure, and a ju&s;t Correction upon them, he hath permitted a People in the&s;e days to <HI>&s;eparate from them all, and to di&s;own them all;</HI> which I am per|&s;waded is <HI>one End</HI> God hath in &s;uffering the&s;e Peo|ple to appear in this day; which as <HI>from God is a ju&s;t Retaliation, to do to them, as they have done to others; the &s;ame Mea&s;ure they have meeted to others of their Brethren, is now Mea&s;ured to them again:</HI> Seeing no Rules in Scripture, nor Councels, nor Intreaties of their Brethren would per&s;wade, or win them to be of one mind, and to keep in Fellow|&s;hip together; this now comes at la&s;t as the greate&s;t and &s;harpe&s;t Reproof and Correction of all the for|mer; I hope, and de&s;ire they will con&s;ider it, and Learn from it; to hear the voice of God's Rod, as well as of his Word, and be In&s;tructed thereby.</P>
<P>And now having Tryed the <HI>Author of the &s;trong Man armed ca&s;t out,</HI> and proved that <HI>the &s;trong man is not ca&s;t out, but removed to a &s;tronger Hold;</HI> let us proceed further, and make it appear al&s;o by di|vers other Proofs and Evidences, taken out of <HI>his own Book,</HI> (which al&s;o are &s;ufficient to convince all others of his Mind and Way) that they may plain|ly &s;ee (if the God of this World hath not blinded their Minds, and hid plain and clear Truths from them) the <HI>fal&s;e and un&s;ound Foundations which they Build upon,</HI> as well as <HI>the Wood, Hay, and Stub|ble,</HI> which they Build withal, both as to their <HI>Opi|nions and Practices,</HI> in e&s;teeming them&s;elves the onely Holy People of the Lord in this Day, and
<PB N="21" REF="14">De&s;pi&s;ing, and Condemning tho&s;e that are <HI>indeed the People of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t then;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The Quakers Attain|ments above others.</NOTE> This Author tells us, what he, and the People with whom he now Walks, have attained unto above all others from whom they &s;eparate. The People <HI>(the Quakers)</HI> he &s;aith, Build upon <HI>a true and right Foundation,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. In the Founda|tion.</NOTE> <HI>the Rock of Ages; Chri&s;t in us the hope of Glory;</HI> but all other Profe&s;&s;ing People in the World Build upon <HI>the Writings of Men,</HI> and all of them are &s;trangers to that one Spirit, which gave forth the Scriptures. <HI>See &s;trong Man Armed, &amp;c.</HI> p. 12.</P>
<P>In An&s;wer to which, I &s;ay plainly; That if this were Truth which He hath &s;poken, I would <HI>&s;epa|rate</HI> al&s;o, and Build upon <HI>the &s;ame Foundation</HI> which he &s;ays they Build upon: But he hath here|in &s;poken fal&s;ely, and that in a double Re&s;pect. 1. <HI>In Re&s;pect of them&s;elves.</HI> 2. <HI>In Re&s;pect of other Profe&s;&s;ors, the Churches of Chri&s;t.</HI> As for them|&s;elves, &s;uch of them as Build upon <HI>the Foundation, the Light within every Man and Woman,</HI> and be|lieve in it, and Obey it, and look for Salvation from it, as they Profe&s;s to do, &s;uch <HI>Build upon a fal&s;e and un&s;ound Foundation, and not upon Chri&s;t, the onely true Foundation.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, As for the other <HI>Profe&s;&s;ing People,</HI> from whom they Separate, he hath belyed them al&s;o gro&s;&s;ely, in &s;aying, they Build not upon <HI>Chri&s;t, the true Foundation;</HI> for it is the <HI>chief and Fundamen|tal Doctrine</HI> which they Preach, and Teach in all their A&s;&s;emblies and Congregations, according to the Word and Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t: And upon which
<PB N="22" REF="15">we are &s;ure many thou&s;ands have <HI>Built, by the Gui|dance, and Teaching, and Operations of the &s;pirit of the Lord, and are by the &s;ame &s;pirit joyned, and &V;nited in a firm and everla&s;ting bond and &V;nion to Chri&s;t;</HI> whereby we have <HI>Light, Life, Vertue, Strength, Wi&s;dom, and all Grace from this Root and Fountain, our precious Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This Author proceeds fur|ther,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Strong Man Ar|med, <HI>p.</HI> 13.</NOTE> and tells us, That <HI>the Faith of the People called Qua|kers is the Faith of the Son of God, Je&s;us Chri&s;t is the Author and Fini&s;her of it;</HI> it renews the whole Man.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The Quakers Faith.</NOTE> By <HI>this Faith &s;in is &s;ub|dued, &s;lain, and Mortified per|fectly; the heart purified, the World conquered, the Soul Sanctified, Ju&s;tified, and Saved perfectly:</HI> But the <HI>Faith</HI> of all others is an <HI>&V;nholy, Dead, Imperfect Faith;</HI> it Sanctifies but <HI>in part</HI> (as they &s;ay) and &s;o will never &s;ave to the <HI>uttermo&s;t.</HI> Thus far he.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here is another double gro&s;s untruth, both as to them&s;elves and others: If their <HI>Faith</HI> be the true Ju&s;tifying, Saving Faith of God's Elect, then it would Evidence it &s;elf by the <HI>Fruits and Effects of Faith,</HI> which the Scriptures &s;peak of, and all the Saints Experience in their Mea&s;ure; as might be made evident in particulars: It would (as it does in all true Believers) <HI>purifie the Heart, and work by Love; to God, to his People, to his Word and Or|dinances, to all the things that are of God.</HI> But fine Words and Profe&s;&s;ions will not prove, or evidence true Faith.</P>
<P>This Author does plainly manife&s;t to a Spiritual Eye that that which he calls <HI>Faith</HI> in him&s;elf, (and in &s;uch as are like him) is but <HI>pre&s;umption,</HI> wrought by the great Deceiver, the <HI>&s;educing &s;pirit,</HI> in weak,
<PB N="23" REF="15">Ignorant, Proud Hearts and Minds; for it hath not <HI>purified their Hearts,</HI> neither doth it <HI>work by Love,</HI> but on the contrary; their Hearts are yet <HI>Dark, Blind, Ignorant of God, of them&s;elves, of the Truths of God, of the People of God;</HI> they know not the Difference between <HI>Nature and Grace:</HI> They call <HI>Natural Con&s;cience and Rea&s;on</HI> (which is in every Man and Woman by Nature) <HI>God, Chri&s;t, his Spirit, the true Light;</HI> which will Save and Ju&s;ti|&s;ie who&s;oever hearkens to it, and believes in it. I &s;ay, Faith hath not Purified their Hearts from <HI>this Blindne&s;s and Ignorance,</HI> nor from <HI>Pride, Self-love,</HI> and many other Corruptions, Manife&s;t, and Evi|dent in, and among&s;t them; as any gro&s;s &s;ins or Abominations are in the Profane&s;t Per&s;ons in the World.</P>
<P>Neither does <HI>this Faith of theirs</HI> (which they boa&s;t of) work by <HI>Love; Love to God, Love to all his People, to the Law, and Word of God,</HI> as it did in <HI>David; O how I love thy Law! it is my Medita|tion continually,</HI> P&s;al. 119. but they Love not the Scriptures, neither are they led <HI>by the &s;pirit</HI> &s;peaking in them, but <HI>by a fal&s;e spirit</HI> &s;peaking in them&s;elves, contrary to the &s;pirit in the Scriptures. And as for their <HI>Love,</HI> it is but <HI>a &s;elf-love;</HI> it confines it &s;elf to <HI>their own party,</HI> that &s;ay as they &s;ay, and do even as they do, that are one with them in the &s;ame things; and in the Pride of their Hearts reject all others, though the mo&s;t eminent Saints upon the Earth.</P>
<P>How far then is <HI>this Faith of theirs</HI> (which they boa&s;t of, accounting it far better than all others) from <HI>purifying their Heart perfectly,</HI> as he there &s;ays; that hath not yet purified it from the&s;e gro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> and apparent Corruptions and &s;ins; as <HI>Ignoran<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="24" REF="16">Pride</HI> in a high Degree, <HI>Self-love, Hatred, De|&s;pi&s;ing, Di&s;owning, Scandalizing, and Separating from the Lords People of all per&s;wa&s;ions,</HI> though Select Congregations, and Precious in the &s;ight of the Lord, and dear as the Apple of his Eye: O the &s;ubtil, &s;trong, &s;educing &s;pirit is got into <HI>a &s;trong Hold indeed, and Fortified him&s;elf therein,</HI> that can make them Speak, and Declare the&s;e <HI>Lyes in Hy|pocri&s;ie, and the&s;e Doctrines of Devils,</HI> as the Apo|&s;tle calls them, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.1.</P>
<P>Thirdly, This Author of the Strong Man Armed ca&s;t out goes on,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. <HI>The Quakers Know|ledge.</HI></NOTE> and tells us, what <HI>Knowledge</HI> the People (the Quakers) have attained unto above all others; and &s;aith, <HI>it is Spiritual and Experimental, from the immediate &V;nction of the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and proceeds not from <HI>hear-&s;ay, but Divine Revelation;</HI> this is Life Eternal to know God, which is <HI>Light, yea, the Father of Lights,</HI> and that the <HI>Light within is the Son of God.</HI> This is that My&s;tery that is hid from the Wi&s;e and Pru|dent, and Revealed unto Babes: They know him not, but &s;ay, it is the <HI>Devil;</HI> or at be&s;t, but the <HI>Light of Nature,</HI> and &s;o they know not whence it is, and yet he hath enlightned Thou&s;ands; and it was never known that the Devil, or the Light of Na|ture Converted any to the Lord.</P>
<P>For An&s;wer hereunto,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quakers put Light for Darkne&s;s, and Darkne&s;s for Light.</NOTE> I &s;ay, it is a very dreadful thing for any Man to put <HI>Darkne&s;s for Light, and Light for Dark|ne&s;s</HI> (as this Man does) a Dreadful Woe is De|nounced again&s;t &s;uch, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.20. <HI>Woe to them that call Evil Good, and Good Evil; that put Darkne&s;s for Light, and Light for Darkne&s;s.</HI> If therefore the <HI>Light</HI> in thee be <HI>Darkne&s;s,</HI> how great is that <HI>Dark|ne&s;s,</HI> Mat. 6.23?</P>
<PB N="25" REF="16">
<P>But the Light in Thee, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> is Dark|ne&s;s: That is to &s;ay, Thy <HI>&V;nder&s;tanding is Dark|ned and Blinded,</HI> not onely by <HI>Corrupt Nature,</HI> (as all Unregenerate Men and Women are) but Dark|ned al&s;o <HI>by the Prince of Darkne&s;s,</HI> as is Manife&s;t by all thy Writings, that thou put'&s;t <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> for <HI>Light:</HI> For the Minds of all natural Men are <HI>dark,</HI> yea, <HI>darkne&s;s it &s;elf;</HI> they cannot &s;ee <HI>Spiritual things</HI> no more than a Blind Man can Di&s;tingui&s;h Colours; or than a Man that hath his &s;ight, in a dark Dungeon, can Di&s;cern, or Di&s;tingui&s;h of Ob|jects. <HI>The Natural Man perceiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them, becau&s;e they are Spiritually Di&s;cerned,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.14. Such an un|der&s;tanding and knowledge ha&s;t thou, and others of thy Principles and Ways. Thou and they (it &s;eems) have attained to <HI>this Knowledge,</HI> which others (though the mo&s;t Wi&s;e of other Per&s;wa&s;i|ons) have not attained to: That <HI>the Light within is the Son of God, whom he hath &s;ent, and that this is in every Man and Woman, and to know, and abide in this Light is Life Eternal.</HI></P>
<P>I am grieved for this thine and their <HI>Ignorance,</HI> though thou calle&s;t it <HI>Knowledge.</HI> Now, if ye will Hearken to the true Light indeed, he will drive away, and di&s;pell <HI>this Darkne&s;s,</HI> and &s;hine into the Heart, and give <HI>the Light of the Knowledge of God, in the Face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> Thou de&s;pi&s;e&s;t the Knowledge of all others, that comes by <HI>hear-&s;ay meaning the Scriptures,</HI> as it plainly appears; thine (thou &s;aye&s;t) is <HI>by Immediate Revelation:</HI> But let me ask thee and them, how comes any one to <HI>know Chri&s;t,</HI> and to <HI>Believe in him,</HI> but <HI>by the Scriptures?</HI> How &s;hall they <HI>Believe in him of whom they have not heard but by the Word of the Go&s;pel,</HI> Rom. 10? As for
<PB N="26" REF="17"><HI>Immediate Revelations</HI> we are not to Believe any of them, further than as they are Con&s;onant, and Agreeable to the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> which the Holy Spirit of God hath already &s;poken; el&s;e we may believe a Lye, from a fal&s;e Spirit; Witne&s;s <HI>thy own Ca&s;e,</HI> with many others al&s;o, who have li&s;tned to <HI>Imme|diate Revelations,</HI> and prefer them before the <HI>Reve|lations of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures;</HI> which (undoubtedly) will be your undoing, except ye Repent, and &s;ee your Error, for in thus doing ye prefer <HI>the Devils Doctrine</HI> before <HI>the Doctrine of Chri&s;t:</HI> Yea, ye &s;hut out the <HI>&s;ayings of Chri&s;t,</HI> and take in the <HI>&s;ayings of Satan.</HI></P>
<P>If we have no way to <HI>try the Spirits,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Three Spirits &s;peak in Men.</NOTE> how &s;hall we know what Spirit it is that &s;peaketh in us; for there are <HI>three di&s;tinct Spirits</HI> that &s;peak in Men at certain times: Sometimes the Spirit of God moves and works in Me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">; <HI>he dwells and abides in his People,</HI> but not in his Enemies; he &s;ometimes <HI>Reproves wicked Men, the World, of &s;in, Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, and Judgment.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, There is <HI>the &s;educing &s;pirit,</HI> he al&s;o moves in the Minds of Men, both in the <HI>Godly and &V;ngodly:</HI> He moved <HI>David,</HI> and prevailed with him, to his hurt: <HI>This &s;pirit</HI> all are to Watch and War again&s;t daily. He &s;ometimes moves to that which is Good, as well as to Evil, but with an in|tent to deceive thereby: he &s;ubtilly mixeth &s;ome <HI>Currant Coyn</HI> with the <HI>Counterfeit,</HI> that it may the better pa&s;s without &s;u&s;pition.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Many things proceed immediately from a <HI>Mans own &s;pirit</HI> (his <HI>&V;nder&s;tanding, Rea&s;on, and Natural Con&s;cience</HI>) many things are wrought and Forged in this Mint, according to a Mans Na|tural Faculties.</P>
<PB N="27" REF="17">
<P>Now, how &s;hall a Man know <HI>from which of the&s;e &s;pirits</HI> things proceed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tryal of Spirits.</NOTE> and whether they be good or not, or what they tend to, but by &s;ome <HI>known, fixed, perfect Rule;</HI> and what is that, but the <HI>Scriptures?</HI> The <HI>&s;pirit of Truth</HI> having given them as a <HI>Light to our Feet,</HI> and a <HI>Lanthorn to our Paths,</HI> even <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">o our <HI>inward Paths,</HI> (the Movings and workings of our Hearts) as well as to our <HI>outward Paths</HI> in our Conver&s;ations: He that &s;hall take heed to the <HI>Im|mediate Revelations,</HI> and Motions in his heart, and follow them, and not take heed to the <HI>Revelations of the &s;pirit in the Scriptures</HI> to compare them to|gether, &s;hall be &s;ure to erre; in this thou, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> and many more of the <HI>Quakers;</HI> are &s;ad In&s;tances and proo&s;s of this Truth at this day; for if the <HI>&s;educing &s;pirit</HI> once perceive that any Per|&s;on will take heed to, Ob&s;erve, and follow the <HI>Dictates and Motions within him,</HI> and never try them <HI>by the Scriptures,</HI> he may then &s;ugge&s;t what he will, and never be Di&s;covered, but Obeyed as God, e&s;pecially in all tho&s;e things that have a &s;hew, and Re&s;emblance of good in them, and which weak and Ignorant Minds are not able to Di&s;cern or Di|&s;tingui&s;h; partly, by Rea&s;on of the Lowne&s;s and Weakne&s;s of their Natural Parts and Faculties; and partly, by Rea&s;on of the Weakne&s;s of Grace, and &s;mall Mea&s;ures of Light, if any at all be here.</P>
<P>And Ob&s;erve this al&s;o for a certain Truth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Light of Nature &s;ees &s;ome Sins, and &s;ome Du|ties.</NOTE> That <HI>Natural Con&s;cience</HI> in all Men and Wo|men does <HI>Rebuke, and Reprove them for many gro&s;s Evils,</HI> which they at any time are guilty of: If they Commit <HI>Murder or Theft,
<PB N="28" REF="18">or Cheat and Deceive their Neighbour,</HI> or &s;uch like; this <HI>Light within every one</HI> is &s;ufficient to &s;ee the&s;e to be Evil, and that they ought not to be: And <HI>this Natural Light within</HI> will al&s;o &s;ecretly move them to &s;ome things that are <HI>good and Hone&s;t,</HI> to do to others, as they would have others to do unto them: It &s;hews them that <HI>Meekne&s;s, Patience, Tempe|rance, Cha&s;tity, Charity,</HI> and &s;uch like <HI>Moral Ver|tues</HI> are good and commendable in the Lives of Men; and when they follow after the&s;e things (as many Heathens have done) then their <HI>Con&s;ciences (or the Light within)</HI> will Excu&s;e them, and they have Peace in &s;o doing: But if they do tho&s;e other <HI>gro&s;s Evils,</HI> then this <HI>Light within</HI> will <HI>Accu&s;e, Di&s;quiets and Di&s;turb them.</HI></P>
<P>But this <HI>Light within</HI> can never Di&s;cover to them <HI>Spi|ritual Evils and &s;ins:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Light within &s;ees not Spiritual &s;ins.</NOTE> As <HI>Pride, Self-love, &V;nbelief, Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> and &s;uch like; nei|ther can it lead them to &s;ee, or Di&s;cern <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, or the things of Chri&s;t,</HI> Revealed in the Go&s;pel; the <HI>things of the Kingdom of God, and the Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s thereof,</HI> without the <HI>Light of the &s;pirit of God, and the Scriptures.</HI> All this is but <HI>Nature,</HI> it is not <HI>Grace;</HI> neither is it <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light,</HI> as this <HI>Author of the &s;trong Man Armed ca&s;t out,</HI> and his Followers do call it, and contend earne&s;tly for it, and account it <HI>true Knowledge,</HI> and &s;uch a <HI>Mea|&s;ure and Degree of Knowledge,</HI> as no other Profe&s;|&s;ors have attained to but them&s;elves, as he there tells us: Whereas indeed they have not yet reached to the very <HI>fir&s;t Principles of the Oracles of God:</HI> And therefore thou, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> did'&s;t well to leave off to be a <HI>Pari&s;h Prie&s;t,</HI> and to be any longer <HI>a Teacher among the Independents:</HI> As thou told'&s;t
<PB N="29" REF="18">us, I wi&s;h thou would'&s;t al&s;o leave off to be a <HI>Teach|er</HI> any longer among the Quakers, or rather <HI>a Se|ducer.</HI> And fir&s;t go, and Hear, and Learn, and be In&s;tructed in the <HI>&s;aving Knowledge of Chri&s;t, as the Scriptures have Revealed him;</HI> le&s;t thou be one of tho&s;e who will Cry at the la&s;t day, <HI>Lord, Lord, have we not Prophe&s;ied in thy Name, and in thy Name done many Wonderful Works:</HI> And then thou hear among others, that Dreadful Sentence, <HI>Depart from me, ye Workers of Iniquity, I know you not;</HI> I own not your Teachings, your Prophecyings, or Declarings in my Name; ye have Bla&s;phemed my Name, and cau&s;ed my Name, my Go&s;pel, and my People to be de&s;pi&s;ed among&s;t many by your means; ye Di&s;owned, Reproached, and Separated from my People, and in as much as ye did it unto the&s;e my Brethren, ye did it unto me.</P>
<P>You the <HI>Teaching Quakers,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers guilty of the&s;e two great &s;ins.</NOTE> are guilty of tho&s;e <HI>two great Evils</HI> that the People were guilty of in the <HI>Prophet Jeremiah</HI>'s Time, <HI>Jer.</HI> 2.12. <HI>The Prophets Prophe&s;ied Lies unto them,</HI> and Taught the People to for&s;ake the Living and true God, and to look unto Idols; and the Lord pleads with them about it, and tells them &s;uch a thing was never heard of among&s;t any People or Nations, that they &s;hould Change their God; but this &s;otti&s;h People, who had no under&s;tanding, they changed their Glory for a Vain thing, for that which cannot Profit: And it is &s;uch &s;tupendious Folly and Madne&s;s, that he calls to the very Heavens to Behold it, and Admire it; <HI>ver.</HI> 12. <HI>Be a&s;toni&s;hed, O ye Heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid: Be ye very De&s;olate, &s;aith the Lord;</HI> v. 13. <HI>For my People have Committed two Evils, They have for&s;aken me, the Fountain of Living Wa|ters,
<PB N="30" REF="19">and hewed them out Ci&s;terns, broken Ci&s;terns, that can hold no Water.</HI></P>
<P>Now Con&s;ider, ye have even done thus; <HI>Ye have for&s;aken the Living and true God, the Saviour of &s;in|ners</HI> (all that do Believe in him, and re&s;t upon him and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s for Ju&s;tification) and ye have &s;et upon an <HI>Idol, Natural Con&s;cience,</HI> and tru&s;t to it, and <HI>your own Per&s;onal Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Obedience, for Life, Ju&s;tification, and Salvation;</HI> and what are the&s;e, but as their <HI>Broken Ci&s;terns,</HI> that can Afford no Refre&s;hing in a Time of Need? Take heed then, and be In&s;tructed, thou and they, and Teach no longer this <HI>Fal&s;e Doctrine,</HI> that the <HI>Light in every Man and Woman is Chri&s;t, the true Light;</HI> &s;eeing it is but <HI>a Creature,</HI> and in every one by Nature: Will ye Deba&s;e, and Degrade <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> by calling him <HI>a Creature?</HI> Or Dei&s;ie <HI>the Creature,</HI> by calling it <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light?</HI> It is true, it is <HI>from Chri&s;t,</HI> he is the <HI>Creator of it,</HI> as of all other Creatures in the World, the World was made by him, and with|out him was nothing made that was made, <HI>John</HI> 1. How then can it be <HI>Chri&s;t?</HI> Is the <HI>Carpenter the hou&s;e</HI> that he hath Builded? Or is the <HI>hou&s;e the Carpenter?</HI> Are they both one and the &s;ame? Is not the <HI>Carpen|ter a Man,</HI> and the <HI>hou&s;e his Workman-&s;hip?</HI> Is not <HI>God the Creator</HI> of all things, and <HI>his Creatures di|&s;tinct Beings?</HI> Why do&s;t thou Confound them to|gether, and make them all one?</P>
<P>Let <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be the <HI>true Light,</HI> and <HI>Con&s;cience his Created Light,</HI> as the <HI>Sun</HI> and the <HI>Moon</HI> in the Fir|mament are al&s;o his Created Lights: Let the&s;e and other Lights be di&s;tinct, and known one from ano|ther, and not confounded together any more.</P>
<P>For this <HI>Light of Natural Con&s;cience</HI> (which is in <HI>every Man and Woman</HI>) as it does now in this
<PB N="31" REF="19">World Reprove for many <HI>gro&s;s</HI> &s;ins, and move unto many <HI>Moral Vertues and Du|ties; Excu&s;ing for the one,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Light within &s;hall be in Hell for ever.</NOTE> &amp; <HI>Accu&s;ing for the other;</HI> (as we &s;ee it is plainly A&s;&s;erted by the <HI>Apo&s;tle Paul,</HI> Rom. 1.) <HI>This Light,</HI> I &s;ay, will Remain, and Abide in <HI>Reprobates and &V;nbelievers for ever,</HI> in the next World, as well as in this; and will be there a Tormentor to them, World without end. Wilt thou and thy Followers then call it <HI>Christ, and the true Light:</HI> Take heed then, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> and all tho&s;e of thy Mind, and Repent of your Errors, le&s;t <HI>this Light &s;hine clearly, and in the mid&s;t of that outer Darkne&s;s,</HI> and be as the <HI>Worm that never dyes, and a Light and Fire that &s;hall never go out,</HI> or be Extingui&s;hed to all Eternity.</P>
<P>This Doctrine of the <HI>Light within takes Men off from Chri&s;t,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers draw Peo|ple to Idolatry.</NOTE> and Directs them to look after, and follow <HI>an Idol;</HI> and this is <HI>&s;o great an evil and &s;in,</HI> as that it is not to be endured, nor &s;poken of, without great Indignation again&s;t it, and in Zeal for our precious Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; who is certainly greatly provoked by it; which will ap|pear when he begins to Execute his Wrath and In|dignation again&s;t his Enemies: We may &s;ee how he &s;tands affected towards &s;uch Per&s;ons as &s;eek to draw away the Hearts of the People from him after other gods: See <HI>Deut.</HI> 13. <HI>the whole Chapter. If there ari&s;e a Prophet, or any other Per&s;ons, and &s;eek to draw away the hearts of the People from the Lord, unto Idols,</HI> they were not to be &s;pared, but &s;hould certainly be put to Death; no, not the neare&s;t Friend or Relation what&s;oever. <HI>Ver.</HI> 6. <HI>If thy Brother, the Son of thy Mother, or thy Son, or thy Daughter,
<PB N="32" REF="20">or the Wife of thy Bo&s;om, or thy Friend which is as thine own &s;oul, &s;hall entice thee &s;ecretly, &s;aying, let us go and &s;erve other gods: Thou &s;halt not con&s;ent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither &s;hall thine Eye pity him, neither &s;halt thou &s;pare, neither &s;halt thou conceal him:</HI> Ver. 9. <HI>But thou &s;halt &s;urely kill him, thine hand &s;hall be fir&s;t upon him, to put him to Death, and afterwards the hand of all the People.</HI></P>
<P>And if any <HI>City</HI> &s;hould be known to <HI>Depart from God,</HI> and go after <HI>Idols,</HI> it was to be Burnt with Fire, and all that was in it.</P>
<P>We &s;ee how Jealous God is of his Glory, <HI>His Glory he will not give to ano|ther,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers under Spi|ritual Judgments.</NOTE> <HI>nor his prai&s;e to Graven Images;</HI> &s;urely he is God, and Changeth not; as he hath Di&s;covered his Di&s;|plea&s;ure again&s;t his Enemies, &s;o he doth, and will do &s;till: Therefore take Notice of the&s;e things, <HI>ye Seducers among the Quakers;</HI> for although God doth not deal with Men now, in the&s;e Go&s;pel-days, to puni&s;h them with <HI>Corporal or Temporal puni&s;hments,</HI> as in former times under the <HI>Old Admini&s;tration;</HI> yet as &s;ure as God is true, he will deal with his Enemies &s;everely at la&s;t; and his Judgments <HI>in the&s;e Days of the Go&s;pel are more &s;piritual than formerly: Spiritual Judgments are greater than Corporal Pu|ni&s;hments; Hardne&s;s of Heart, Blindne&s;s of mind, a Reprobate Sen&s;e, a Seared Con&s;cience;</HI> the&s;e are Dreadful Judgments: And &s;urely the&s;e Judgments and tokens of Gods Anger are upon the very Men that we are &s;peaking of, <HI>the fal&s;e Prophets and Teach|ers among the Quakers,</HI> as is plainly to be &s;een; and their <HI>Sin is &s;een in their Puni&s;hments.</HI> They &s;eek to draw away the Hearts of People from the Lord, from our <HI>Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> from his
<PB N="33" REF="20"><HI>Word and Go&s;pel,</HI> unto <HI>an Idol</HI> of their own &s;etting up, and would have all People to bow unto it, and Wor&s;hip it, and tru&s;t in it, and Obey it; and therefore God hath ju&s;tly with-drawn him&s;elf from them: He denies them <HI>his Grace, his Spirit,</HI> yea, in a great Mea&s;ure <HI>the very Light of Nature,</HI> which is common to other Men, as is &s;een by their <HI>Do|ctrines, Tenets, and Principles,</HI> and by their Fool|i&s;h, Irrational Arguing, in maintaining their <HI>Idle Fancies,</HI> which have neither <HI>Scripture,</HI> nor any <HI>&s;o|lid Rea&s;on</HI> to uphold them. And as is &s;een al&s;o by their Rage and Anger again&s;t any that do oppo&s;e their Errors, &s;eeking to turn them to the Truth; they find <HI>hard and bitter &s;peeches, and Railing Ac|cu&s;ations</HI> again&s;t them for &s;o doing. And as the <HI>heart of God</HI> is again&s;t them, &s;o al&s;o are the <HI>hearts of his People;</HI> for Their heart goes where the heart of God goes: And this al&s;o Declares their &s;in, as it is like|wi&s;e a puni&s;hment due to them. So that <HI>the&s;e Judgments</HI> are not &s;mall that are upon them, <HI>even in this Life,</HI> though they may yet e&s;cape other <HI>ex|ternal puni&s;hments.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> What does it avail them to &s;ay, They do not &s;eek to <HI>draw away Peoples Hearts from Christ,</HI> but rather to <HI>Direct their Minds to Chri&s;t;</HI> they teach them to <HI>take heed to the Light within every Man and Woman, which is Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is An&s;wered, This is fal&s;e, ye do not &s;eek to Direct Peoples Minds <HI>to Chri&s;t,</HI> but <HI>to an Idol, Natural Con&s;cience,</HI> as hath been proved here, and by many others formerly: <HI>Be not de|ceived, Chri&s;t is not Mocked;</HI> it is not <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be|cau&s;e ye give it the <HI>Name of Chri&s;t:</HI> He is the more provoked by your making u&s;e of <HI>his Name,</HI> and denying him <HI>his Wor&s;hip,</HI> that <HI>Love and Obedience</HI>
<PB N="34" REF="21">that is due unto him; <HI>that tru&s;t and confidence</HI> that ought to be put in him, <HI>that Glory and Prai&s;e</HI> that ought to be given unto him; all is taken away <HI>from Chri&s;t,</HI> and given <HI>to this Idol:</HI> Ye do al&s;o exceed|ingly <HI>Di&s;honour him,</HI> and <HI>Bla&s;pheme him,</HI> by En|tituling him to <HI>fal&s;e Doctrines,</HI> and <HI>Erroneous Opi|nions;</HI> &s;aying, it is from, or by the <HI>Light within;</HI> and in the <HI>External Light</HI> ye &s;ee, and &s;peak the&s;e and the&s;e things; yea, many times when ye utter <HI>Railing &s;peeches, Lies, and fal&s;e Accu&s;ations again&s;t his People,</HI> in &s;eeking to do you good. O dreadful <HI>Blindne&s;s and Hardne&s;s of Heart!</HI></P>
<P>Does <HI>Christ within</HI> deny <HI>Chri&s;t without?</HI> Does the <HI>Light within</HI> deny the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> (as ye do in your Pamphlets) his being in Heaven, and his Coming from thence in Glory to Judge the World in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, even by <HI>that Man whom God the Father hath appointed:</HI> Had you not <HI>a double or treble vail of Darkne&s;s</HI> upon your Minds you would never &s;peak after this &s;ort.</P>
<P>Ye &s;ay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers Perfection: In Sin.</NOTE> ye Witne&s;s <HI>Per|fection:</HI> Indeed &s;o ye do: Ye prove it to all again&s;t your &s;elves: And we Witne&s;s your <HI>Perfection</HI> al&s;o; all that know your Principles and Ways, do Witne&s;s that ye are come to <HI>Perfection, to Perfection in Sin,</HI> to the <HI>highe&s;t Degrees of &s;inning,</HI> your Iniquities are even <HI>full,</HI> or very near it; for how can ye ri&s;e <HI>Higher?</HI> what &s;teps are there for you yet <HI>to a&s;cend up unto,</HI> above what ye have <HI>already attained?</HI> Ye have already denied the <HI>Holy one, and the Ju&s;t, our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> that bought us; ye have <HI>Cruci|fied the Son of God afre&s;h, and put him to an open &s;hame;</HI> yea, ye have <HI>trodden him under foot, and counted the blood of the Covenant as a common thing,
<PB N="35" REF="21">and done de&s;pight to the Spirit of Grace,</HI> denying <HI>his true Operations in his People,</HI> and al&s;o Bla&s;phe|mou&s;ly Attributing the <HI>In&s;pirations of the Devil</HI> unto the <HI>Spirit of God</HI> in your &s;elves; ye have de&s;pi&s;ed the <HI>Word of God, the Scriptures, the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us;</HI> and therein the tenders of <HI>Rich and free Grace in the Covenant of Life and Peace,</HI> and preferred <HI>your own vain Fancies;</HI> yea, <HI>the &s;ubtil in&s;i|nuations and in&s;pirations of &s;educing &s;pirits</HI> before the clear <HI>truths of the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t,</HI> and re&s;ting in <HI>your own Righteou&s;ne&s;s for Ju&s;tification;</HI> and what can ye do more, or wor&s;e?</P>
<P>Ye have al&s;o <HI>De&s;pi&s;ed, Rejected, Di&s;owned, and Separated from the people of the Lord,</HI> all the par|ticular <HI>Churches, Congregations, and A&s;&s;emblies of the Saints,</HI> yea, and <HI>Reproached</HI> them al&s;o, and uttered <HI>many hard and bitter &s;peeches</HI> again&s;t them, and that for &s;eeking to do you good, in turning you from the <HI>ways of &s;in and Death:</HI> And being lifted up in your &s;elves in the height of your <HI>Pride and vain Minds;</HI> ye have thought and &s;aid of your &s;elves, that <HI>ye are the mo&s;t holy people upon Earth; yea, the onely people of God upon the Earth.</HI> And what can ye &s;ay, or do more, or wor&s;e than the&s;e things? Have ye not attained the <HI>highe&s;t degrees of &s;inning,</HI> even to &s;uch <HI>a Perfection</HI> as the Nature of Man is capable of, or that Satan can bring it unto? and therefore we witne&s;s <HI>your perfection</HI> in the&s;e Re|&s;pects.</P>
<P>But as to <HI>Perfection in Grace,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers Imper|fection in Grace.</NOTE> as ye vainly think of your &s;elves, (and would have others to e&s;teem of you al&s;o,) ye are at the remote&s;t di&s;tance that may be,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>In Knowledge.</HI></NOTE> &s;eeing that ye have not as yet laid <HI>the Foun|dation
<PB N="36" REF="22">of the Knowledge of Chri&s;t:</HI> Yea, are Igno|rant (even your Teachers) of the very <HI>fir&s;t Prin|ciples of the Oracles of God;</HI> ye know not the dif|ference between <HI>Nature and Grace,</HI> ye are not yet able to di&s;tingui&s;h between <HI>Natural Light</HI> in the <HI>Con&s;cience of every Man and Woman,</HI> and the <HI>true Light, Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> but mi&s;take the one for the other: Ye are not able to di&s;cern the workings of <HI>the Spirit of God,</HI> and <HI>the &s;educing &s;pirit,</HI> but mi|&s;take the one for the other: Ye are &s;o Ignorant and Blind, that ye think and &s;ay, Men mu&s;t be Ju&s;tifi|ed <HI>by the works of the Law, a Mans own per&s;onal Obedience,</HI> and not by the <HI>Imputed Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t by Faith,</HI> quite contrary to the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t;</HI> a deadly, damning Doctrine. Herein lies your <HI>Perfection in Knowledge.</HI></P>
<P>And as for your <HI>Perfection in Faith and Hope,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>In Faith and Hope.</HI></NOTE> how can ye <HI>believe,</HI> or in <HI>what,</HI> or in <HI>whom</HI> do <HI>ye Believe;</HI> &s;eeing ye have <HI>denyed Chri&s;t, the Object of Faith to all true believers;</HI> denyed him in his <HI>Death, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Merits,</HI> and in all that he hath <HI>done and Suffered</HI> for his People: the&s;e things are herein, (and by others) made manife&s;t again&s;t you by your own Writings, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.</P>
<P>And as for your <HI>Perfection in Love,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. <HI>In Love.</HI></NOTE> the chiefe&s;t of all Graces, ye are far from <HI>Perfection</HI> in that al&s;o: All the <HI>Love</HI> ye &s;hew forth, is but <HI>&s;elf-love to your &s;elves, and among your &s;elves:</HI> Every particular Per&s;on thinking, and e&s;teeming of him&s;elf more Highly than he ought to think, and would that all others &s;hould e&s;teem highly of him al&s;o. And as for any <HI>Love to others,</HI> it is but to <HI>your own party,</HI> &s;uch as &s;ay as ye &s;ay, and do as ye do: And becau&s;e
<PB N="37" REF="22">they (poor, ignorant, &s;illy people) are willing to hang upon your Lips (the <HI>Teachers</HI>) and to take all for granted that ye &s;ay, as if your &s;ayings were the Oracles of God, for that ye Love them. They e&s;teem more of <HI>the &s;ayings of their Teachers,</HI> than of <HI>the &s;ayings of God;</HI> as one of them (not long &s;ince) expre&s;&s;ing her de&s;ires to have &s;ome of her <HI>Friends Books;</HI> one &s;aid to her, &s;he had the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> &s;he might employ her &s;elf there: She An&s;wered, That the <HI>Bible</HI> (indeed) is a good ho|ne&s;t thing, but &s;he had rather Read &s;ome of her <HI>Friends Books.</HI></P>
<P>So we &s;ee, That in all the&s;e things ye have <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;ed perfection,</HI> as ye call it, which indeed is at the <HI>furthe&s;t di&s;tance from perfection;</HI> &s;o far, as not yet <HI>Witne&s;&s;ing the fir&s;t beginnings of Grace in you:</HI> But as for the other kind of <HI>Perfection,</HI> that is, <HI>Per|fection in &s;in,</HI> in the <HI>highe&s;t degrees of &s;inning,</HI> ye do Witne&s;s it, and have given many clear and ma|nifold <HI>Proofs and Evidences of your perfection</HI> in that Re&s;pect; and we (all that fear God, who know your deadly Principles) do joyn with you <HI>in this Te&s;timony, and do Witne&s;s al&s;o</HI> that ye have <HI>Witne&s;&s;ed Perfection.</HI></P>
<P>O how have ye De&s;pi&s;ed the <HI>Free Grace of God,</HI> and Neglected <HI>great Salvation,</HI> tendred in the Go&s;|&s;pel, which all the Saints &s;o highly prize and value, &s;eeing God in Chri&s;t doth vouch&s;afe to conde&s;cend &s;o low to poor &s;inful Du&s;t and A&s;hes, in the <HI>&s;weet terms of the Go&s;pel,</HI> Offering <HI>Peace and Reconcilia|tion, Happine&s;s and Glory</HI> to all tho&s;e who will Ac|cept thereof; yea, even Intreating and Be&s;eeching of Mi&s;erable &s;inners to come in, and be Reconciled to him. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.20. <HI>We as Amba&s;&s;adors for Chri&s;t, as if Chri&s;t did be&s;eech you by us, be ye Reconciled
<PB N="38" REF="23">to God.</HI> How then &s;hall they e&s;cape who Neglect &s;o great Salvation? Surely &s;uch as are <HI>deeply wound|ed,</HI> and under the <HI>&s;ight and &s;en&s;e of &s;in, death and hell,</HI> the <HI>Wrath of God, the Cur&s;e of the Law,</HI> they highly prize the <HI>Terms of the Go&s;pel, the Covenant of Grace, the &s;weet and precious promi&s;es of Life, Re&s;t, and Peace:</HI> But tho&s;e that are <HI>whole</HI> &s;ee no need of the <HI>Phy&s;itian,</HI> as it appears ye do not, that can make &s;o light of the terms of <HI>Free-Grace and Love through Christ;</HI> as we find ye do by many pa&s;&s;ages in your Books.</P>
<P>Where &s;hall we find in all your <HI>Books and Pamphlets</HI> &s;uch Doctrine as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> Preached,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Paul Preacheth Chri&s;t, and not the Light in eve|ry Man and Woman.</NOTE> and wrote in all his Epi&s;tles, by the In&s;piration of God; he &s;et forth <HI>Chri&s;t crucified</HI> in all places where he came, and in|&s;tructed the people in that <HI>Fundamental Doctrine.</HI> 1 Cor. 2.2. <HI>I determined not to know any thing a|mong you, &s;ave Je&s;us Chri&s;t and him Crucified: Paul</HI> lays a&s;ide, and &s;lights all things for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> Phil. 3.8. <HI>Yea, doubtle&s;s, and I count all things but lo&s;s, for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord, for whom I have &s;uffered the lo&s;s of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Chri&s;t.</HI> Ver. 9. <HI>And he found in him, not having mine own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chri&s;t, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of God by Faith.</HI></P>
<P>We can hear <HI>no &s;uch Doctrine as this among&s;t the Quakers;</HI> nay, <HI>the very contrary:</HI> &s;lighting the <HI>Per|&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t</HI> Im|puted to Believers; who of God is made <HI>Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI> to them: And &s;etting up <HI>their own Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and the Perfection of it, which may be made appear by their Books.</P>
<PB N="39" REF="23">
<P>And yet they tell (and &s;o deceive) their &s;imple, &s;illy Hearers, that <HI>they do Declare Chri&s;t unto them, the Light within every Man and Woman,</HI> that <HI>is God, and Chri&s;t, the Saviour of the World:</HI> But will this &s;erve their turn, to put <HI>the Name Chri&s;t</HI> upon one of his Creatures? Will <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> allow any to take away <HI>his Name, and his Glory, and cloath an Idol with it;</HI> and then &s;ay, they Declare, and &s;et forth Chri&s;t? This is the way to divert and draw off the minds of poor Ignorant People <HI>from Chri&s;t,</HI> as he is Revealed in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>This is <HI>the great Fundamen|tal Doctrine of the Devil;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Devil's Fundamen|tal Doctrine.</NOTE> The <HI>chief point of Doctrine</HI> that he Teacheth his Di&s;ciples; That is to &s;ay, <HI>To Deny Chri&s;t:</HI> Eo di&s;own him according as the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> hath Revealed him; and then to &s;et up &s;omething el&s;e in his &s;tead: Let them call it <HI>Christ</HI> if they will, that's no Matter to give it <HI>the Name,</HI> &s;o it be not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> he knows it will deceive Ignorant Minds the &s;ooner, the more ea&s;ily: For thereby he knows they do but <HI>Mock Chri&s;t,</HI> and di&s;own him the more; and al&s;o the more provoke him, that Men &s;hould give <HI>his Name and Title</HI> to any thing, and <HI>di&s;own him&s;elf,</HI> as the&s;e Men do: They call the <HI>Light with|in Chri&s;t,</HI> but deny <HI>Chri&s;t him&s;elf,</HI> as the Go&s;pel &s;ets him forth. Now, this the Devil knows is enough to &s;erve his turn, and de&s;troy them, and therefore he &s;till keeps the Eye of their Mind upon this, and makes them look upon it through a Multiplying Gla&s;s, and &s;huts the Eyes of their Mind <HI>again&s;t Chri&s;t, as he is Revealed in the Scriptures:</HI> The God of <HI>this wicked World hath Blinded the Minds of them that believe not, le&s;t the Light of the glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;hine unto them:</HI> And if the
<PB N="40" REF="24">Go&s;pel be hid from them, it is hid to them that are lo&s;t. We &s;ee in all their <HI>Declarings,</HI> in all their <HI>Books and Pamphlets,</HI> this is <HI>the Main and Chief point;</HI> to Teach their Hearers to take heed to the <HI>Light within,</HI> to the <HI>Witne&s;s of God within,</HI> with variety of Expre&s;&s;ions to that purpo&s;e: But what do we hear in all their Books, and Teachings con|cerning <HI>Chri&s;t that was Promi&s;ed long before he came into the World; of Chri&s;t that was born when the ful|ne&s;s of time was come; of Chri&s;t that Lived among&s;t us, and Preached, and Taught among&s;t us the way of Salvation; of Chri&s;t that Dyed for us, and ro&s;e again, and A&s;cended into Heaven; that is now at the right Hand of God, making Interce&s;&s;ion for us; of Chri&s;t that &s;hall &s;hortly come again in glory (and yet in his Humane Nature,) to Judge the World in Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s?</HI> This is <HI>the Chri&s;t</HI> that the Go&s;pel Declares, and that all true Believers know, and own, and Teach plainly and clearly (without Equivocations and &s;ubtil Eva&s;ions as the&s;e <HI>fal&s;e Teachers among the Quakers</HI> u&s;e to &s;peak of him,) and whom all be|lievers have Received by Faith, who dwells <HI>in them, and they in him.</HI></P>
<P>But what do we hear of all this in the Teachings of the&s;e Men among the <HI>Quakers?</HI> Nay, on the con|trary, their Doctrines in their <HI>Books and Pamphlets</HI> that they frequently &s;end forth, do <HI>Directly Oppo&s;e the&s;e things:</HI> And therefore we may &s;afely conclude their Doctrine is the <HI>Doctrine of Devils;</HI> for if all the Devils in Hell &s;hould combine together, and joyn their Cur&s;ed Craft and Malice <HI>again&s;t Chri&s;t and the Souls of Men,</HI> they could not bring forth a more <HI>Damning Doctrine</HI> than this is: For, to <HI>Deny Christ is to deny all.</HI></P>
<PB N="41" REF="24">
<P>What then &s;hall we &s;ay to the&s;e Men, or of them? Surely,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;tinate Quakers to be Rejected.</NOTE> &s;eeing the&s;e things are &s;o, That they have thus <HI>deny|ed the Lord that bought us,</HI> and Preach up <HI>another Chri&s;t,</HI> and maintain and up|hold <HI>this their Idol,</HI> in Oppo&s;ition <HI>to Chri&s;t,</HI> as the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> hath Declared him; and &s;light, and De&s;pi&s;e the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> we have grounds to conclude they are Men of <HI>Corrupt Minds, of Seared Con&s;ciences, Idolaters, and Hereticks.</HI> Now, the Apo&s;tle by the In&s;piration of God, gives us a Rule, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. <HI>Reject an Heretick after once or twice Admoni&s;hed,</HI> but the&s;e Men have been often Admoni&s;hed, Pleaded, and Di&s;puted with; and they regard not Admoni|tion, they re&s;i&s;t the Truth, and the Spirit of Grace and Truth &s;peaking in the Scriptures, and in, and by his People, they will not hear, they will not regard the Coun&s;el of God: But in <HI>their Ignorance and Pride</HI> they de&s;pi&s;e both <HI>God and Men;</HI> and do pre|fer their <HI>own Idle and vain Fancies, and Satans &s;ub|tile fal&s;e In&s;inuations,</HI> before the <HI>Teachings of the Spirit of God.</HI></P>
<P>If God &s;hould work a Miracle, and rai&s;e up <HI>the Apo&s;tle</HI> Paul from the Dead, to Declare again&s;t them and their Doctrines, they would no more regard him, nor his Teachings, than they regard <HI>Tho. Hicks,</HI> in his three Dialogues Between a Chri&s;tian and a Quaker; or than they regard any other <HI>Me&s;|&s;enger of Chri&s;t,</HI> who pleads with them, and lays <HI>the very truths of God</HI> before them, as it is Revealed by the <HI>Spirit in the Go&s;pel.</HI> We are a&s;&s;ured of this, from <HI>Luke</HI> 16.31. If they will not Hear <HI>Mo&s;es and the Prophets,</HI> neither will they hear, though <HI>one &s;hould ri&s;e from the Dead:</HI> So if they will not hear <HI>Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles in the Go&s;pel,</HI> if they will not
<PB N="42" REF="25">hear <HI>the Scriptures;</HI> neither will they be per&s;waded to imbrace the Truth, though one &s;hould be &s;ent to them from the Dead. Nay, if <HI>Chri&s;t him&s;elf</HI> &s;hould come, and &s;peak to them in that mean &s;tate and con|dition that he was when he conver&s;ed among us here below, the&s;e People would regard him no more than the hardned Jews did in their Day: For <HI>they Re|ject and Deny him now, his Doctrine, and his Per&s;on, in his Merits, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Satisfaction,</HI> &amp;c, And &s;o would do, if he were <HI>Per&s;onally pre&s;ent.</HI></P>
<P>So that my Judgment is, Let them alone, <HI>they be blind Leaders of the blind;</HI> they talk of <HI>a Light within,</HI> but <HI>the Light in them is Darkne&s;s;</HI> and it is <HI>a great darkne&s;s, a double darkne&s;s;</HI> more than a <HI>&s;ingle Natural darkne&s;s</HI> (as is the &s;tate of all Man|kind by Nature) but al&s;o <HI>a darkne&s;s added</HI> to that; even <HI>a darkne&s;s as a puni&s;hment or a Judgment, a Ju|dicial darkne&s;s. Natural darkne&s;s</HI> is the <HI>&s;in</HI> of man, but <HI>this darkne&s;s is the Judgment of God:</HI> That be|cau&s;e they regard not the Truth, they will not re|ceive it in the Love thereof, therefore hath God gi|ven them up to <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ions to believe lies:</HI> That &s;eeing they will not <HI>believe the Truth, they &s;hall be|lieve Lyes.</HI></P>
<P>What Difference &s;hall we think is there between the&s;e Men,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers &s;in is like the great &s;in of the har|dened Jews.</NOTE> <HI>the Teachers among the Quakers,</HI> who have delivered the&s;e <HI>Damnable Doctrines</HI> afore-mentioned, (being the <HI>Doctrines of Devils;</HI>) and &s;till maintain them? What difference, I &s;ay between them and <HI>tho&s;e Jews who Bla&s;pemed the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and ran into that <HI>&s;in unto death?</HI> Tho&s;e Jews Rejected Chri&s;t, his &s;ayings and Doctrine, which he Taught among them, and they told him that he had a Devil: Chri&s;t
<PB N="43" REF="25">tells them then, after that he had often &s;poken unto them, and Taught them, and they would not hear him, nor regard his &s;ayings, he then Declares un|to them their <HI>dreadful &s;tate:</HI> And &s;urely the &s;in of the&s;e Men looks &s;o like unto the &s;in of tho&s;e <HI>Jews,</HI> that I think it's hard for any Man to di&s;tingui&s;h them otherwi&s;e than by &s;aying, That the <HI>&s;in of the&s;e Teachers</HI> does Exceed the &s;in of <HI>tho&s;e Jews:</HI> The &s;in of the&s;e Men &s;eems to be much <HI>Aggravated,</HI> in that they have not onely heard all tho&s;e <HI>Sayings, and Doctrines of Christ,</HI> which he Preached among the Jews, but they have had the <HI>Truths of God Offered and tendred to them by others al&s;o;</HI> the <HI>Apo&s;tles, Evangeli&s;ts, and Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t</HI> have &s;poken to them <HI>in the Scriptures</HI> (which tho&s;e Jews never had.) And al&s;o, many of the <HI>Mini&s;ters, Me&s;&s;en|gers, and Amba&s;&s;adors of Chri&s;t</HI> have &s;poken to them, and tendred <HI>the very Truths of the Go&s;pel to them;</HI> yea, many others of <HI>his Faithful Saints and Servants,</HI> have from time to time &s;poken to them, and Advi&s;ed, Coun&s;elled, and Admoni&s;hed them, and yet all in vain; they have Rejected all, and de|&s;pi&s;ed all; and have <HI>(as Swine)</HI> Trampled <HI>Pearls under their Feet, and turned again, and Rent tho&s;e that brought them;</HI> they have <HI>Reviled them, and Re|proached them</HI> for &s;o doing; &s;o that to what purpo&s;e &s;hould any Man go about to <HI>Teach the&s;e Teachers,</HI> who are not <HI>capable to Learn,</HI> as being <HI>Blinded, and Hardned, and Sealed up</HI> (as is fea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ed) <HI>even to de|&s;truction,</HI> having their <HI>Con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot Iron? Men of Corrupt Minds, Reprobate to every good work,</HI> without <HI>Judgment,</HI> unfit either to <HI>Teach or Learn:</HI> For we know there have been many &s;uch in former days, who were guilty of <HI>this great &s;in;</HI> &s;ome &s;uch were contemporaries with the
<PB N="44" REF="26"><HI>Prophet I&s;aiah,</HI> Chap. 6.10. <HI>Make the Heart of this People fat, and make their Ears heavy, and &s;hut their Eyes,</HI> &amp;c, So al&s;o many &s;uch were in the Time of our <HI>Lord and Saviour,</HI> Mat. 13.15. <HI>This Peoples Heart is waxed gro&s;s, and their Ears are dull of Hearing, and their Eyes they have clo&s;ed, le&s;t at any time they &s;hould See with their Eyes, and Hear with their Ears, and &s;hould &V;nder&s;tand with their Heart, and &s;hould <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> Converted, and I &s;hould heal them.</HI></P>
<P>In this Generation there are ju&s;t &s;uch a People (even tho&s;e of whom we &s;peak;) they &s;hut their <HI>Ears</HI> and their <HI>Eyes,</HI> and their <HI>Hearts again&s;t Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>Truths of the Go&s;pel:</HI> All the Advice and Councels of Men, which are according to the <HI>Truth,</HI> all are Rejected and De&s;pi&s;ed. The <HI>In&s;pirations of the &s;pirit of God</HI> are refu&s;ed, but the <HI>In&s;pirations of the &s;pirit of Delu&s;ion</HI> are readily Received and Embraced. My Judgment is therefore, let them be <HI>Rejected as Hereticks,</HI> having been &s;o often <HI>Ad|moni&s;hed;</HI> as Men that are hardned to De&s;tructi|on.</P>
<P>And for the <HI>Hearers among the Quakers,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Advice to the Hearers among the Quakers.</NOTE> my Councel un|to you is, <HI>Separate your &s;elves from the Congregations, and Meetings of the&s;e un|godly Men,</HI> le&s;t ye be Con&s;umed in all their &s;in: Be as much afraid of them, and of their <HI>Poy&s;onous Doctrines,</HI> as ye would be afraid to eat of <HI>a di&s;h of Meat before you on the Table, that had rank Poy|&s;on in it,</HI> of which ye were told, and fully a&s;&s;ured of it: Would ye eat of &s;uch a Di&s;h? I know ye would not; Remember and con&s;ider <HI>Eternity,</HI> it will be well or ill with you for ever, according as ye Receive, or Refu&s;e the <HI>Truths of the Go&s;pel
<PB N="45" REF="26">now.</HI> Beware of <HI>Fal&s;e Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are Raven|ing Wolves;</HI> if ye be the <HI>Sheep of Christ, follow him,</HI> and know his Voice <HI>in the Scriptures, in your hearts, and among&s;t his own People,</HI> and follow not <HI>Stran|gers,</HI> that bring <HI>&s;trange fal&s;e Doctrines</HI> about the <HI>Light within;</HI> and in many other things which have been mentioned, contrary to the Mind of Chri&s;t Revealed in the Scriptures.</P>
<P>The&s;e People, the Quakers,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers great Idol near falling.</NOTE> have for&s;aken <HI>the Fountain of Living Waters,</HI> and have run to <HI>broken Cisterns:</HI> And &s;eeing they have for&s;aken the <HI>Living and true God,</HI> the Glory of his People, and &s;et up <HI>an Idol, a fal&s;e Chri&s;t, the Light in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World:</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall therefore bring again&s;t this their <HI>fal&s;e Do|ctrine</HI> &s;everal <HI>Arguments from Scripture,</HI> to prove the Vanity and fal&s;hood of it, as &s;o many <HI>Pieces of Ordnance</HI> Planted again&s;t <HI>this great Idol,</HI> which the Quakers have &s;et up and Wor&s;hip, that &s;o it may fall, as <HI>Dagon,</HI> before the <HI>Ark of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Whereas they &s;ay, That <HI>Christ the true Light is in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World:</HI> This is not a Truth; becau&s;e in whom&s;oe|ver <HI>Christ is and dwells,</HI> he does <HI>enlighten</HI> that Soul with <HI>true Light, &s;aving Light, &s;upernatural Light,</HI> even by <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> by <HI>his Spirit,</HI> and by <HI>the Scrip|tures.</HI></P>
<P>It's true, all wicked Men that come into the World have <HI>Lights</HI> of Chri&s;t's making, he Created them, which <HI>Enlighten all Mankind,</HI> and that both <HI>Outwardly and Inwardly.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. They are Enlightned <HI>Outwardly,</HI> by Lights that God hath Created, and &s;et in the Heavens, the
<PB N="44" REF="27">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="45" REF="27">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="46" REF="28"><HI>Sun and the Moon,</HI> by which all are Enlighten|ed.</P>
<P N="2">2. And then Secondly, All Men and Women that come into the World, are Enlightned with <HI>Inward Light</HI> al&s;o; <HI>Rea&s;on and Natural Con&s;cience:</HI> So Chri&s;t the true Light, Enlightneth all that come in|to the World, which is all that is Intended and meant by that place, <HI>John</HI> 1.9. But <HI>Chri&s;t him|&s;elf is the true Light, the Light of Lights;</HI> who in|lightneth <HI>his own People immediately by him&s;elf,</HI> and by <HI>his Spirit,</HI> which the wicked of the World are not Partakers of; they have onely tho&s;e <HI>common Lights</HI> afore-mentioned. As is fully and plainly Proved by the&s;e <HI>Scripture Arguments.</HI></P>
<DIV2 TYPE="propositions">
<HEAD>Ten Propo&s;itions Proved by Scripture.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Tho&s;e in whom Chri&s;t is, and and dwells,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Fir&s;t Argument.</HI> Prop. 1.</NOTE> <HI>he Inlightens them with &s;piritual Light.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But wicked Men and women are not Inlightned with &s;piritual Light; therefore Chri&s;t is not in wick|ed Men and women.</HI></P>
<P>For Proof of the&s;e <HI>Propo&s;itions,</HI> both <HI>Major and Minor</HI> (then the <HI>Conclu&s;ion</HI> drawn from them mu&s;t needs be granted by all Rational Men,) See <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.8. <HI>Ye &s;ometimes were Darkne&s;s, but now are ye Light in the Lord: walk as Children of Light.</HI> And <HI>Paul</HI> was &s;ent to turn Men <HI>from Darkne&s;s to Light,</HI> Acts 26.18. And we &s;ee the <HI>Corinthians</HI> who <HI>&s;ome|times were Darkne&s;s,</HI> and afterwards Converted, <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ays, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.6. <HI>God who commanded the Light to &s;hine out of Darkne&s;s, hath &s;hined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> But as
<PB N="47" REF="28">for others who were Carnal and Unregenerate, he tells us, they were <HI>in Darkne&s;s, and Darkne&s;s in them,</HI> v. 4. <HI>And the God of this World had blind|ed the minds of tho&s;e that believe not, le&s;t the Light of the glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, who is the Image of God, &s;hould &s;hine unto them.</HI></P>
<Q><P>In whom&s;oever Chri&s;t is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Second Argument.</HI> Prop. 2.</NOTE> and dwells, he quickens them, and makes them &s;pi|ritually Alive.</P>
<P>But unregenerate Men and Women are not Spiritually Alive, but Dead; Therefore Chri&s;t is not in unregenerate Men and Women.</P></Q>
<P><HI>Proof.</HI> Eph. 2.1. <HI>You hath he quickned, who were Dead in Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and &s;ins.</HI> And Chri&s;t com|plaineth of the Jews, That they would not come unto him, <HI>that they might have Life,</HI> John 5.40. plainly implying, that <HI>they were Dead, and that they might have Life,</HI> if they had come unto him.</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is not in tho&s;e who are not in him.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Third Argument.</HI> Prop. 3.</NOTE></P>
<P>But the Unregenerate World are not in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;t is not in the Unregenerate World.</P></Q>
<P>For Proof hereof &s;ee <HI>Col.</HI> 1.21. <HI>You that were &s;ometimes alienated, and Enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he Reconciled,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.17. <HI>If any Man be in Chri&s;t, he is a New Crea|ture.</HI></P>
<P>Now, no <HI>&V;nregenerate Per&s;ons</HI> are <HI>New Crea|tures,</HI> therefore not in Chri&s;t. And Chri&s;t &s;ays plainly that he is <HI>In his People,</HI> which implies (as we may perceive, if we Ob&s;erve the context) that he is not <HI>in the &V;nregenerate World,</HI> John 17.23. <HI>I
<PB N="48" REF="29">in them, and thou in me.</HI> And again, <HI>ver.</HI> 26. <HI>I in them:</HI> Tho&s;e that Chri&s;t means <HI>by Them,</HI> are in Op|po&s;ition <HI>to the World;</HI> for he hath cho&s;en <HI>them out of the world, v.</HI> 16. the words <HI>[I in them]</HI> are very Em|phatical, and full with this &s;ence, clearly implying that he is not <HI>in the world of &V;nregenerate per&s;ons,</HI> even as the words before, <HI>v.</HI> 9. do plainly expre&s;s that he <HI>prays not for the world,</HI> but <HI>for them, his people;</HI> &s;o the&s;e words do as plainly imply that he <HI>is in them, and not in the world,</HI> John 15.4, 5. we &s;ee there at large, That &s;uch as <HI>abide in Chri&s;t, he al&s;o is in them,</HI> and not otherwi&s;e.</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is not in tho&s;e for whom he Prays not.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Fourth Propo&s;ition.</HI> Prop. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>But,</HI> Chri&s;t Prays not for the unbelieving World.</P></Q>
<P><HI>Ergo.</HI> Chri&s;t is not in the unbelieving World.</P>
<P>Our Saviour tells us &s;everal times, that <HI>he is not of the world,</HI> v. 14. <HI>they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.</HI> And again, <HI>v.</HI> 16. <HI>They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world;</HI> as if he had &s;aid, I am none of their Company, I am not <HI>of them,</HI> nor <HI>in them;</HI> I have no &s;uch Fel|low&s;hip, or Familiarity with them, as to <HI>Live in them:</HI> I am not <HI>of the world,</HI> nor <HI>in the world;</HI> I am <HI>in my People,</HI> even <HI>in tho&s;e</HI> which thou Father ha&s;t given me: <HI>I in them,</HI> and thou in me.</P>
<P>And <HI>ver.</HI> 9. He po&s;itively and plainly tells us, That he <HI>Prays not for the world,</HI> the <HI>wicked, unbe|lieving, unregenerate world;</HI> he neither <HI>Prays for them, nor is in them.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Fifthly, Another <HI>Propo&s;ition, or Syllogi&s;m,</HI> proving that <HI>Chri&s;t is not in all Men and women,</HI> as the Quakers a&s;&s;ert, is this.</P>
<PB N="49" REF="29">
<Q><P>They to whom Chri&s;t doth not Manife&s;t him|&s;elf by Teaching them his Mind and Will,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop. 5.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is not in them.</P>
<P><HI>But</HI> Chri&s;t doth not manife&s;t him&s;elf to wicked and ungodly Men and Women: Therefore Chri&s;t is not in wicked and ungodly Men and Women.</P></Q>
<P>For Proof of this <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> in both parts, con&s;ider,</P>
<P><HI>Wicked and ungodly Men and Women</HI> are de&s;ti|tute of true <HI>&s;aving Knowledge and Wi&s;dom;</HI> they know not the things that belong to their Peace; and are de&s;troy'd for lack of <HI>Knowledge:</HI> 2 Cor. 4.4. <HI>The Devil, the god of this unbelieving World, hath blinded their Minds, le&s;t the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;hine unto them,</HI> Chri&s;t Di&s;covers him&s;elf, his Mind, and Will, in and by <HI>the Go&s;pel,</HI> his <HI>Spirit</HI> opening Mens Minds and Under&s;tandings to receive it, but Chri&s;t &s;uffers <HI>this blindne&s;s of Mind</HI> to re&s;t upon &s;ome Per&s;ons, and does not Manife&s;t him&s;elf unto them; therefore <HI>he is not in them:</HI> One asketh Chri&s;t a Que&s;tion, <HI>John</HI> 14.22. about this very thing; <HI>Lord, how is it that thou wilt Manife&s;t thy &s;elf unto &V;s, and not unto the World?</HI> He had heard Chri&s;t make &s;uch a di&s;tinction between <HI>them and the World,</HI> in being <HI>in them,</HI> and not <HI>in the World,</HI> and in <HI>Praying for them,</HI> and <HI>not for the World;</HI> that now he asketh Chri&s;t a Rea&s;on of this Difference and Di&s;tinction between <HI>them and the World,</HI> which is &s;ufficient for the Proof of the <HI>Propo&s;ition.</HI></P>
<P>And el&s;e-where, telling his Di&s;ciples, That God had hid tho&s;e things from the Wi&s;e and Prudent of the World, and Revealed them unto Babes.</P>
<Q><P>Sixthly, Another Argu|ment.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prop.</HI> 6.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is in none but tho&s;e who dwell in Love.</P>
<PB N="50" REF="30">
<P>But wicked Men and Women do not dwell in Love.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;t is not in Wicked Men and Women.</P></Q>
<P>For Proof of this <HI>Propo&s;ition,</HI> &s;ee 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.12. <HI>If we Love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his Love is perfected in us:</HI> And ver. 16. <HI>God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.</HI></P>
<P>Now, we know all <HI>wicked Men and women in the world</HI> they <HI>dwell not in Love, but in Enmity and Ha|tred; and Enmity and Hatred dwells in them.</HI> They <HI>Love not God, but Hate God,</HI> P&s;al. 27. <HI>They Ha|ted me without a Cau&s;e:</HI> They have <HI>Enmity in their minds again&s;t God, his word, his ways, Ordinances, and People;</HI> Therefore <HI>Chri&s;t is not in them.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. The &s;eventh <HI>Propo&s;ition,</HI> Proving that <HI>Chri&s;t is not in all Men and women that come into the world,</HI> as the Quakers a&s;&s;ert, is this.</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is not in tho&s;e Per|&s;ons where the Devil is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop. 7.</NOTE> and dwells, Rules, and Reigns.</P>
<P>But the Devil is, Rules, and Reigns in the Wicked, unregenerate World.</P>
<P><HI>Therefore</HI> Chri&s;t is not in the wicked, unrege|rate world.</P></Q>
<P>For Proof hereof, See <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.2. <HI>In time pa&s;t ye walked according to the cour&s;e of this world, accor|ding to the Prince of the power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Di&s;obedience.</HI> And 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.26. <HI>And that they may recover them|&s;elves out of the Snare of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his will.</HI></P>
<P>This is al&s;o Manife&s;t by that Compari&s;on that our Lord Chri&s;t makes to An&s;wer the <HI>Bla&s;phemous Jews,</HI>
<PB N="51" REF="30">who charged him, that he ca&s;t out Devils by the power of the Devil, <HI>Luke</HI> 11.21. <HI>when the &s;trong Man Armed keeps the Hou&s;e, all is in quiet, he Rules;</HI> but when a &s;tronger than he cometh, he ca&s;ts him out, and Divides the Spoyls, <HI>v,</HI> 24. The <HI>unclean Spirit keeps Hou&s;e,</HI> and after a time goes out, for a Sea&s;on, and then Returns again into his Hou&s;e, and takes <HI>&s;even other &s;pirits as bad, or wor&s;e than him|&s;elf, and they enter in, and dwell there; and the la&s;t &s;tate of that Man is wor&s;e than the fir&s;t.</HI> This is for thee, <HI>James Jack&s;on, Author of the &s;trong Man Armed ca&s;t out.</HI> Thou &s;aye&s;t in this thy Book, that <HI>the &s;trong Man Armed</HI> (meaning the Devil) is ca&s;t out of thee; and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> a &s;tronger than he, is come in, and dwells in his &s;tead: this (by the way) plainly contradicts <HI>this Principle</HI> and <HI>great Doctrine</HI> of thy Friends, the Quakers; That <HI>Chri&s;t is in every Man and woman.</HI> Thou confe&s;&s;e&s;t the <HI>Devil was in thee,</HI> whil&s;t thou Lived'&s;t &s;o wickedly as thou ha&s;t told us; but now, if Chri&s;t, a &s;tronger than he, be come, and entred into thee, how was he there before, according to this Scripture, which &s;ays, <HI>when a &s;tronger than he cometh:</HI> which plainly im|plies he was not there before; but <HI>the Devil was there before, and kept the Hou&s;e.</HI> But now con&s;i|der this well, &s;uppo&s;e it be &s;o indeed, That the <HI>De|vil, this &s;trong Man Armed, was ca&s;t out,</HI> or in po|licy went out for a time, intending to come into <HI>his Hou&s;e again,</HI> and Fortifie him&s;elf <HI>in thee, his Hou&s;e, in a &s;tronger hold;</HI> and with greater &s;trength, bring|ing in <HI>&s;even other Spirits wor&s;e than him&s;elf, more Subtile and Politick,</HI> Fortifying them&s;elves <HI>in a way of Hypocri&s;ie and Religion;</HI> the other <HI>hold of Profanene&s;s</HI> not being &s;o &s;ure as this; for now thou art per&s;waded (as thou telle&s;t us) all is well with
<PB N="52" REF="31">thee, thou art <HI>a New Man, a Converted Man,</HI> as we &s;ee, and Read thy long &s;tory to that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>I Advi&s;e thee, as thou love&s;t thy Soul, and Re|garde&s;t thy Eternal Welfare, take heed le&s;t <HI>this Scripture be not fulfilled in thee, and upon thee,</HI> for thou looke&s;t as like one of tho&s;e &s;poken of, and in|tended in this Scripture, as can be: beware le&s;t thy la&s;t &s;tate be not wor&s;e than thy fir&s;t.</P>
<P N="8">8. Another <HI>Argument</HI> proving that <HI>Chri&s;t is not in all Men and women,</HI> is this.</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is not in any Man or Woman who have not Faith:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop. 8.</NOTE></P>
<P>But the Wicked and ungodly have no Faith.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;t is not in the wicked and un|godly.</P></Q>
<P>The Apo&s;tle Prays to be delivered <HI>from unrea&s;o|nable, and wicked Men, for all Men have not Faith,</HI> 2 The&s;. 3.2.</P>
<P>Now, <HI>Chri&s;t is, and dwells in tho&s;e in whom he works Faith,</HI> for <HI>he is the Author and Fini&s;her of Faith in all his People, and he dwells in them by Faith,</HI> Eph. 3.17. He Prays, <HI>That they may be &s;trength|ned with might by his Spirit, in the inner Man, That Chri&s;t may dwell in your Hearts by Faith.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. Another <HI>Argument</HI> Denying the Quakers A&s;&s;ertion, and Proving the Truth, is this:</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is not in any Man or Woman,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop. 9.</NOTE> but in tho&s;e to whom he doth communicate his Nature and Image.</P>
<P><HI>But</HI> Chri&s;t doth not Communicate his Nature and Image to Impenitent and ungodly Men and Women.</P>
<P><HI>Therefore</HI> Chri&s;t is not in ungodly Men and Women.</P></Q>
<PB N="53" REF="31">
<P>It is impo&s;&s;ible that Chri&s;t &s;hould dwell in any Soul, and not Manife&s;t his Pre&s;ence there, by ma|king <HI>Impre&s;&s;ions of his own Nature, Image, and Likene&s;s:</HI> And therefore <HI>where he comes, he doth Communicate his Image, more or le&s;s.</HI> 1 Cor. 15.48. <HI>As is the Heavenly, &s;uch are they al&s;o that are Heavenly:</HI> v. 49. <HI>And as we have born the Image of the Earthly, we &s;hall al&s;o bear the Image of the Heavenly.</HI></P>
<P>And 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.4. <HI>There are given unto us exceed|ing great and precious Promi&s;es, That by the&s;e you might be partakers of the Divine Nature.</HI></P>
<P N="10">10. Another <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> confirming the &s;ame, is this:</P>
<Q><P>Chri&s;t is in none but in tho&s;e onely who are joyned to him, as Members of his Body.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P>But wicked Men and Women are not joyned to him as Members of his Body.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;t is not in wicked Men and wo|men.</P></Q>
<P>This Truth may be Illu&s;trated, and &s;hadowed out unto us by a plain <HI>Similitude</HI> between <HI>Natural and My&s;tical Fruit-trees: Similitudes</HI> of things with which we daily Conver&s;e, obvious to our <HI>Natural Sen&s;es,</HI> are very helpful unto us <HI>to &s;hadow out, and Illu&s;trate Spiritural things,</HI> which are <HI>Dark, Ab|&s;truce, and Difficult,</HI> as they lye in intricate Spiri|tual Notions; which without &s;ome <HI>plain Similitude</HI> would be di&s;cerned but dimly, as in this particular. As VVindows are to a Hou&s;e, &s;o are Similitudes to a Di&s;cour&s;e: They both let in Light. VVe know the <HI>Root, Body, Boughs, Branches, and Twiggs of a Fruit-tree</HI> are <HI>all joyned together,</HI> and do make but <HI>one Body or Sub&s;tance:</HI> And that the <HI>Root</HI> gives no
<PB N="54" REF="32"><HI>Sap, Life, or Nouri&s;hment</HI> but onely to tho&s;e parts of the Tree that are <HI>&V;nited to it;</HI> all tho&s;e <HI>Boughs and Branches</HI> are Nouri&s;hed from the <HI>Root;</HI> they Receive <HI>Sap, Spirit, and Life;</HI> the <HI>Innate, Intrin|&s;ecal Form and Virtue of the Tree is in all the parts:</HI> But the <HI>Virtue and Influence of the Root</HI> is not <HI>in any other Branches or Boughs,</HI> which do not grow upon the <HI>Root,</HI> though they are never &s;o near this Tree, though they are contiguous, and mixed among, or hang among the Living Branches, yet they have <HI>no Life in them, no Sap, no Virtue from the Root,</HI> becau&s;e they are <HI>no parts of it.</HI></P>
<P>Even &s;o it is here, in this <HI>My&s;tical Fruit-tree, Chri&s;t and his Members; his People,</HI> who are <HI>Mem|bers of his Body,</HI> they Receive <HI>Life, Nouri&s;hment, and Virtue from him;</HI> he is <HI>in them</HI> by his <HI>Effectual Operations:</HI> But as for others, who are <HI>not of his Body.</HI> who are <HI>not joyned to him by Faith wrought by the Spirit,</HI> he is not <HI>in them,</HI> they receive <HI>no Virtue, Life, or Nouri&s;hment from him;</HI> he doth not <HI>Com|municate him&s;elf to them,</HI> as he does to <HI>his own People, his Members;</HI> for he is <HI>in them, and they in him,</HI> 1 Cor. 12.27. <HI>Ye are the Body of Chri&s;t, and Mem|bers in particular,</HI> Col. 1.18. <HI>He is the Head of the Body the Church.</HI> And <HI>Col.</HI> 2.19. <HI>From the Head, all the Body by Joynts and Bands, having Nouri&s;hment Mini&s;tred and knit together, increa|&s;eth with the Increa&s;e of God.</HI></P>
<P>This is plain from Chri&s;t's own words, <HI>John</HI> 15.1, 2, &amp;c. <HI>I am the Vine, and my Father is the Hus|bandman: Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit be t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">keth away, and every Branch that beareth Fruit he p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">rgeth it, that it may bring forth more Fruit.</HI></P>
<P>Ver. 4. <HI>Abide in me, and I in you:</HI> Ver. 5. <HI>I am the V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ne, ye are the Branches; he that abideth in me,
<PB N="55" REF="32">and I in him, the &s;ame bringeth forth much Fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.</HI></P>
<P>Thus have I drawn the&s;e <HI>Ten Pieces of Ordnance</HI> out of Gods own <HI>Magazine,</HI> and levelled them again&s;t <HI>this Idol, this fal&s;e Chri&s;t, the Light in every Man and Woman;</HI> and it is &s;allen and broken, and <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light &s;et up,</HI> and Wor&s;hipped in its &s;tead, by all that Wor&s;hip God in Spirit, and in Truth.</P>
<P>How dreadful is the Ca&s;e of the&s;e People <HI>(the Deceived ones among the Quakers,)</HI> who &s;et up <HI>an Idol in&s;tead of Chri&s;t,</HI> and Wor&s;hip it, and Teach others &s;o to do; thereby for&s;aking <HI>the Fountain of Living waters, and digging to them&s;elves broken Ci&s;terns that can hold no water.</HI> Well might the <HI>Apo&s;tle Peter,</HI> and the <HI>Apo&s;tle Jude</HI> al&s;o, call them <HI>Wells without water, and Clouds without water,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.17. Jude 12.</P>
<P>Seeing they have for&s;aken <HI>the Fountain of Living waters, Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and tru&s;t to <HI>a broken Ci&s;tern,</HI> they &s;hall return from it with their <HI>Pitchers empty,</HI> and be a&s;hamed; they &s;hall find <HI>no water of Life to refre&s;h them:</HI> They are now <HI>empty Ve&s;&s;els,</HI> as all (who have the <HI>true Light</HI> in them) may perceive; They have <HI>no Light, Wi&s;dom, Knowledge, nor &V;n|der&s;tanding,</HI> as Chri&s;t gives to his People: No <HI>Sanctification,</HI> no <HI>Ju&s;tification,</HI> no <HI>Reconciliation,</HI> no <HI>Salvation.</HI> But it is not &s;o with <HI>true Believers,</HI> for they have cho&s;en the <HI>Fountain of Living waters, the Fountain of Gardens,</HI> the Well <HI>of Living wa|ters,</HI> Cant. 4.15. The <HI>Spring-head of the River of water of Life, clear as Cry&s;tal, proceeding out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb,</HI> Rev. 22.1. Who al&s;o gives unto every one of them, to have in them&s;elves <HI>a Well of water &s;pringing up unto Eter|nal,</HI>
<PB N="56" REF="33">John 4.14. &s;o that <HI>out of their Bellies &s;hall flow Rivers of Living water,</HI> John 7.38. In &s;o much that they do therewith <HI>water others,</HI> and &s;o obtain yet <HI>more waterings them&s;elves,</HI> Prov. 11.25. So that <HI>their Souls are like watered Gardens, and as Springs of water, who&s;e waters fail not,</HI> I&s;a. 58.11.</P>
<P>We &s;ee then what a va&s;t difference there is be|tween <HI>the&s;e Wells without water, the&s;e Clouds with|out water</HI> afore-mentioned; who have &s;et up their <HI>Idol,</HI> and tru&s;t in it; and tho&s;e that have cho&s;en the <HI>Fountain of Living waters:</HI> The one &s;ort are con|tinually <HI>dry,</HI> without any <HI>true Refre&s;hings;</HI> as the <HI>dry and barren wilderne&s;s without Fruit:</HI> But the other continually <HI>watred and refre&s;hed,</HI> and bring|eth forth <HI>much good Fruit:</HI> As the <HI>Tree Planted by the Rivers of waters, which bringeth forth his Fruit in due Sea&s;on.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. I &s;hall now proceed, and &s;hew &s;ome <HI>other par|ticulars</HI> wherein the <HI>Quakers</HI> &s;ay they do Excell all other Profe&s;&s;ors in the World, having already men|tioned <HI>three particulars,</HI> (which <HI>James Jack&s;on</HI> tells us of in his Book, <HI>p.</HI> 14. <HI>Strong Man Armed ca&s;t out,</HI> viz. In the <HI>true Foundation, in Faith, and in Knowledge:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers Humi|lity.</NOTE> So Fourthly, in <HI>Humility,</HI> and <HI>Spiritual aba&s;e|ment, and &s;ubjection to the Power and Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; whereas other Profe&s;&s;ors are blown, &s;well'd, and puff'd up with Airy Notions, vain boastings, and &s;elf-conceited|ne&s;s,</HI> as he there &s;aith.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In An&s;wer to which, I &s;ay, I &s;hould be glad to &s;ee the&s;e <HI>good words and Profe&s;&s;ions</HI> to have any thing of Reality in them, that they may not be, as the Apo&s;tle &s;ays of <HI>the Love of &s;ome,</HI> which is <HI>in word, and in Tongue onely, not in deed, nor in Truth:</HI>
<PB N="57" REF="33">For wherein does this <HI>Humility</HI> appear? I &s;ee no|thing that looks like <HI>Humility</HI> among&s;t them, except it be <HI>in an Outward Garb of Comely and decent Ap|parel;</HI> and for that, they are (in good earne&s;t) to be commended; I wi&s;h others would take Exam|ple by them herein, and avoid all Fooli&s;h Garbs and Fa&s;hions, unbecoming for Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Yet this alone is but <HI>a &s;hew of Humility;</HI> it is not <HI>the Grace it &s;elf:</HI> But it is plain and manife&s;t by their <HI>Principles, Behaviour, and Practice,</HI> they Di&s;cover that which is <HI>Directly contrary and Oppo|&s;ite to Humility,</HI> i. e. much <HI>Pride of Heart,</HI> and are lifted up in them&s;elves, as the <HI>Proud Phari&s;ee</HI> was; and are per&s;waded, and profe&s;s, that they are not as other Men are; all are <HI>Publicans and Har|lots, in Ignorance, Blindne&s;s, and Darkne&s;s</HI> but them|&s;elves: Yea, <HI>all Profe&s;&s;ors of all per&s;wa&s;ions what|&s;oever,</HI> that are not one with them in <HI>Judgment and Practice,</HI> they are all Deceived, and out of the way; out of the <HI>Light, the Truth, and the Life.</HI></P>
<P>Now, what greater <HI>Evidence of Pride</HI> can Men Di&s;cover than this? Little cau&s;e therefore has this Author to boa&s;t of <HI>his and their Humility,</HI> and to accu&s;e <HI>other Profe&s;&s;ors as blown, &s;welled, and puf|fed up with Airy Notions, vain boa&s;tings, and &s;elf-conceitedne&s;s;</HI> when they them&s;elves are plainly &s;een and known to be the Men, <HI>void of Humility, and &s;welled with Pride.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Fifthly, This <HI>Author of the &s;trong Man Ar|med ca&s;t out,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 14. <HI>The Quakers &V;nity.</HI></NOTE> Commends the People with whom he now walks, for their <HI>&V;nity;</HI> not onely in <HI>Opinion and Judgment, but in Spirit:</HI> And <HI>their Love is as the &s;oul, that hath its Influence into
<PB N="58" REF="34">all the parts and Members of the Natural Body;</HI> &s;o it is among them, <HI>which</HI> (as he &s;ays) <HI>makes them in all their ways, Doctrine, and Practice, to be but as one Man,</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is An&s;wered; The <HI>&V;nity, Love, and Concord</HI> among&s;t the Quakers, is far from the <HI>&V;nity</HI> that Chri&s;t Commandeth &amp; requireth to be among&s;t <HI>his People, the Members of his Body, the Church:</HI> He commandeth <HI>Love, &V;nity, Peace, Communion, and Fellow&s;hip</HI> to be between, and among&s;t <HI>all his People, his Members:</HI> And there is &s;o, in their Degrees and Mea&s;ures, which is di&s;covered as Occa&s;ions and Opportunities are Offered.</P>
<P>But though there were (as there is not) that <HI>&V;nity of Judgment, Opinion, and Practice among&s;t them&s;elves,</HI> as he &s;aith there is; yet I &s;ay, it is far from that <HI>&V;nity and Love</HI> that is in the <HI>true Church of Chri&s;t,</HI> for the&s;e People have cut off, and &s;epa|rated them&s;elves from the <HI>true Church,</HI> and from all the <HI>particular A&s;&s;emblies, Societies, and Congre|gations of the Church of Chri&s;t;</HI> and do fan&s;y them|&s;elves to be <HI>the onely People of God upon Earth;</HI> ex|cluding all others, for &s;o he hath &s;aid. O Wonderful <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ion! A Darkne&s;s, and Blindne&s;s,</HI> not <HI>Natural</HI> onely (as all Carnal Men are Blind) but &s;urely, <HI>a Judicial blindne&s;s</HI> is upon them, <HI>Blind|ne&s;s as a ju&s;t Judgment from the Lord,</HI> who hath given leave to the <HI>god of this World to blind the Minds of them that believe not.</HI> This <HI>&V;nity among them&s;elves</HI> Dividing and Separating from all the Saints better than them&s;elves (if we &s;hould &s;up|po&s;e that they are of the Body) is <HI>the greate&s;t Evi|dence of Enmity, &s;trife, Schi&s;m, and Di&s;&s;ention</HI> that can be; for out of his own Mouth he is Judg|ed: He Alludes to the <HI>&V;nion between the Members
<PB N="59" REF="34">of the Natural body,</HI> their <HI>&V;nion and Love</HI> (he &s;ays) is <HI>&s;uch a &V;nion:</HI> Now con&s;ider, Were it not a &s;trange and Mon&s;trous thing in Nature, for <HI>&s;ome of the Members of the Natural body</HI> to com|bine together <HI>again&s;t all the re&s;t,</HI> to Neglect, or di&s;own the <HI>re&s;t of the Members?</HI> Nay, the <HI>Mem|bers of the Natural body</HI> we know, have mutual, and tender <HI>care of, and Love one to another,</HI> even &s;o it is in the <HI>My&s;tical body the Church:</HI> The <HI>true Members Love one another;</HI> and as they have <HI>&V;nion with the Head,</HI> &s;o they have al&s;o <HI>one with another:</HI> And where there is at any time any <HI>Di&s;&s;ention and External Separation, Corruption and Satan</HI> are the Cau&s;e of it, which &s;hould Occa&s;ion <HI>Repentance and Humiliation,</HI> and not <HI>boa&s;ting.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Apo&s;tle Paul</HI> &s;hews us plainly wherein the <HI>&V;nity of the true members of the Church of Chri&s;t</HI> con&s;i&s;ts; which is another kind of <HI>&V;nity,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The true &V;nity of the true Church.</NOTE> than that among the&s;e People: He Di&s;covers it briefly in this <HI>&s;even-fold Bond or &V;nion;</HI> See <HI>Eph.</HI> 4.4. <HI>There is one body, and one &s;pirit, one hope of your Calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Bapti&s;m, one God and Father of all,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>one Body.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>One Body.</HI></NOTE> All Be|lievers in all Ages of the world pa&s;t, pre&s;ent, and to come, in <HI>all Nations, Kindreds, and People,</HI> Wor&s;hipping God in Spirit, and in Truth, under <HI>all Forms,</HI> do make this <HI>one body.</HI></P>
<P>And this <HI>one body</HI> hath but <HI>one Spirit;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>One Spirit.</HI></NOTE> as the Members of the Natural Body have but <HI>one Soul</HI> to Actuate and Enliven them, &s;o al&s;o in the <HI>My&s;tical body;</HI> they all are <HI>quickned, taught, moved, and led by that
<PB N="60" REF="35">one Spirit,</HI> which is the Promi&s;e of the Father, and of the Son.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The <HI>Members of this one body</HI> having <HI>one &s;pirit,</HI> have al&s;o <HI>one hope;</HI> even the hope and expectati|on of all the good things pro|mi&s;ed in the Go&s;pel;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. <HI>One Hope.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Eternal Life, the enjoyment of God for ever.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Another <HI>Bond of &V;nion</HI> in the <HI>true Church,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. <HI>One Lord.</HI></NOTE> <HI>is One Lord,</HI> even <HI>our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> unto who&s;e Laws and Commands all his People are Subject.</P>
<P>Fifthly, <HI>One Faith.</HI> That is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. <HI>One Faith.</HI></NOTE> the true Ju&s;tifying Faith of Gods Elect, wrought by that <HI>one Spirit,</HI> apprehending that <HI>one Lord,</HI> for Ju&s;ti|fication by him alone: <HI>Paul</HI> calls it the <HI>Common Faith,</HI> Titus 1.4. <HI>Titus mine own Son, after the Common Faith.</HI></P>
<P>Sixthly, Another <HI>Bond of &V;nion in the true Church,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. <HI>One Bapti&s;m.</HI></NOTE> is <HI>one Bapti&s;m,</HI> 1 Cor. 12.13. <HI>By one &s;pirit we are all Baptized into one body; whe|ther we be Jews, or Greeks, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spi|rit.</HI> This <HI>one Bapti&s;m makes all Believers truly one.</HI></P>
<P>Seventhly, The la&s;t <HI>bond of &V;nity of the true Church,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. <HI>One God.</HI></NOTE> is, <HI>One God, and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all.</HI> All Believers are <HI>born of God,</HI> and are all Partakers of the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> among the Lords People, none of them have a better Nature than another, as to the <HI>Truth,</HI> but as it differs <HI>in the Degrees or
<PB N="61" REF="35">Mea&s;ures;</HI> to &s;ome God is plea&s;ed to Communicate <HI>a greater mea&s;ure,</HI> to &s;ome <HI>a le&s;&s;er Mea&s;ure of Gifts and Graces,</HI> that <HI>one and the &s;elf-&s;ame Spirit</HI> Divi|deth to every Man &s;everally as he will, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.11.</P>
<P>We &s;ee here the&s;e <HI>&s;even Bonds</HI> are the <HI>true Bonds</HI> of the <HI>true Members of Chri&s;t, his Body, the Church;</HI> and are here mentioned and laid down by the Apo|&s;tle as &s;trong Rea&s;ons and Grounds why <HI>all the Members</HI> &s;hould endeavour to keep the <HI>&V;nity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace,</HI> and not <HI>Divide</HI> and <HI>Separate</HI> one from another, &s;eeing they are all <HI>Mem|bers of one Body,</HI> and have but <HI>one Spirit</HI> among them all, and have all <HI>one hope,</HI> all of them but <HI>one Lord, one Faith, one Bapti&s;m,</HI> all but <HI>one God and Father;</HI> here is good Rea&s;on then they &s;hould be <HI>one</HI> among them&s;elves, in <HI>&V;nity, Peace, Love, Fel|low&s;hip and Communion one with another,</HI> as Oppor|tunity &s;erves.</P>
<P>So that the Author above mentioned hath little Rea&s;on to boa&s;t of that kind of <HI>&V;nity</HI> that is among the Quakers, if he con&s;ider the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Sixthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. <HI>The Quakers Pa|tience.</HI></NOTE> The <HI>Author of the &s;trong man Armed ca&s;t out,</HI> fur|ther tells us, That the <HI>Patience and Faithfulne&s;s of the&s;e People in doing and &s;uf|fering the Will of God,</HI> is Remarkable; for the World is again&s;t them, though (as he &s;ays) they are the onely Innocent and harmle&s;s People upon the Earth; and becau&s;e there is more of God among&s;t the&s;e People (the Quakers) than others, there|fore are they hated of all Men, and every where among&s;t all Religions evil &s;poken of.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In An&s;wer whereunto, I &s;ay, That <HI>Pa|tient &s;uffering for Well-doing</HI> is very Acceptable with God, and &s;hall certainly have a great Reward
<PB N="62" REF="36">from God; the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.14. <HI>If ye Suffer for Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;ake, happy are ye;</HI> But there is a Suffering &s;ometimes for <HI>Evil doings, and Evil &s;ayings:</HI> And it is better if the Will of God be &s;o, that we Suffer for <HI>well doing, than for evil doing,</HI> v. 17.</P>
<P>Now, it is true, The&s;e People (the Quakers) have been <HI>Sufferers</HI> as well as others; but for what have they <HI>Suffered?</HI> Has it been for <HI>well doing,</HI> for doing the Will and Work of Chri&s;t? They will &s;ay Yea, for doing the Will of God; but it follows not therefore that it is &s;o: Chri&s;t will rather &s;ay un|to them, who Required the&s;e things at your Hands? Nay, he hath forbidden them, your <HI>Fal&s;e Doctrines and Opinions, your Di&s;ownings, De&s;pi&s;ings, and Separations from the Precious People of the Lord,</HI> in all the <HI>Societies, A&s;&s;emblies, and Congregations in the Land,</HI> your <HI>Di&s;turbing of them, and Railing again&s;t them,</HI> whil&s;t they are about the work of the Lord, ye your &s;elves being <HI>drawn, or driven by the Seducing Spirit,</HI> have done <HI>his work,</HI> (and not <HI>the Lords work</HI>) and have &s;ometimes Suffered for it: And herein ye boa&s;t, and think your <HI>Patience</HI> is great, and that ye <HI>&s;uffer according to the Will of God:</HI> But know, That it is not the <HI>Suffering, but the Cau&s;e</HI> that makes <HI>a Martyr:</HI> It is po&s;&s;ible a Man may give <HI>his body to be burned</HI> (and that is more than to be <HI>Impri&s;oned</HI>) and yet not <HI>&s;uffer for Righteou&s;ne&s;s-&s;ake.</HI> 1 Cor. 13. <HI>Though I give my Body to be bur|ned, and have not Love, it profiteth me nothing. Je&s;uites and Papi&s;ts</HI> have &s;ometimes <HI>&s;uffered</HI> for their <HI>fal&s;e Principles and Practices;</HI> and &s;o may others, and &s;o have you. Therefore &s;peak no more of your <HI>Patient &s;ufferings,</HI> untill ye know that ye Suffer for <HI>a good Cau&s;e,</HI> for <HI>well doing;</HI> untill ye
<PB N="63" REF="36">Suffer <HI>for Chri&s;t,</HI> and for <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s-&s;ake.</HI></P>
<P>Thus I have gone through the &s;everal particulars, wherein the <HI>Author of the &s;trong man Armed ca&s;t out,</HI> &s;ays, He and the People called Quakers, do Excell all other Profe&s;&s;ing People in the World; wherein it appears to all Men that have in them <HI>the Spirit of God,</HI> how gro&s;&s;ely the&s;e People are <HI>Delu|ded and blinded by &s;educing &s;pirits,</HI> that they give heed unto; which making &s;trong Impre&s;&s;ions in their Minds, they are Seduced, and carried away with them, never Examining of them, and Trying of them <HI>by the Scriptures,</HI> and &s;o are ea&s;ily Decei|ved. And it is a mo&s;t dreadful Condition that they are in, and an Evidence of the <HI>greate&s;t, and &s;ore&s;t Judgment of God, that the Nature of Man is capa|ble of, on this &s;ide Hell; a Judicial blindne&s;s and hardne&s;s of heart,</HI> upon any Man, or Men, is the <HI>greate&s;t of all Judgments.</HI> And this is <HI>the puni&s;h|ment</HI> that God often lays upon Men that <HI>will not hearken unto him, that De&s;pi&s;e his Word and Ordi|nances, his Wor&s;hip, and his People:</HI> That <HI>will not Receive the Truth in Love, that they might be &s;aved.</HI> Therefore God doth &s;end them <HI>&s;trong Delu&s;ions that they &s;hould believe a Lye; that they all might be Damned who believe not the Truth, but have plea|&s;ure in unrighteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>That which doth confirm <HI>this man,</HI> James Jack&s;on,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A fal&s;e Per&s;wa&s;ion of Conver&s;ion.</NOTE> <HI>(Au|thor of the &s;trong man Armed ca&s;t out)</HI> that he is <HI>truly Converted by the Light within,</HI> which he &s;ays, <HI>is Chri&s;t,</HI> is this; for that he finds &s;uch wonderful <HI>Effects</HI> in him&s;elf, (as he Accounts them) he is now become <HI>a New Man,</HI> he is <HI>turned from Darkne&s;s to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God;</HI> he is turned from all his former
<PB N="64" REF="37"><HI>Profane, Wicked, Debauched cour&s;e of Life,</HI> as he tells us, and al&s;o from being <HI>a Pari&s;h Prie&s;t,</HI> and not onely &s;o, but he is al&s;o turned from being <HI>a Teacher among the Independents,</HI> and &s;ince come to <HI>joyn with the Quakers:</HI> And now he tells us, he is where he would, and &s;hould be; and concludes he is <HI>turned to the Lord:</HI> And counts it a Marvellous thing that any &s;hould Deny <HI>the Light in every man to be Chri&s;t;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Strong Man Armed, p.</HI> 14.</NOTE> but &s;ay, it is the <HI>Devil,</HI> or at be&s;t but the <HI>Light of Nature:</HI> But (&s;aith he) it was never known, that the Devil, or Nature did ever turn any to the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For An&s;wer hereunto, I &s;ay it is true, it was never known, that the <HI>Devil, or the Light of Nature did ever turn any to the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And here now is another Tryal of thy &s;tate, (and all others that are of thy <HI>Principles and Practices:</HI>) Ye take it for granted, that ye are <HI>turned to the Lord by Hearkning to, Obeying, and Believing in the Light within;</HI> for thy part, <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> thou ha&s;t given <HI>no Proof, nor Evidence</HI> at all according to <HI>Scripture,</HI> or the <HI>Experience of the People of God,</HI> that thou art yet <HI>Converted to the Lord:</HI> whereby any Man that is Taught of God, &s;hould be per&s;wa|ded, that thou art <HI>truly Converted to the Lord:</HI> That which thou do&s;t Manife&s;t to all, and which thou thinke&s;t is a ground &s;ufficient to per&s;wade them to believe that thou art a New Man, (and which it &s;eems is enough to &s;atisfie thy &s;elf) is this, becau&s;e thou art turned from <HI>Profanene&s;s to a more Civil Life;</HI> and ha&s;t al&s;o left <HI>&s;everal &s;orts of Pro|fe&s;&s;ors,</HI> and now clo&s;ed with <HI>the mo&s;t Holy, Innocent People upon Earth; yea, the onely People of God,</HI> for &s;o thou ha&s;t &s;aid of them. But let us further Try
<PB N="65" REF="37">the&s;e two things by <HI>a true Touch-&s;tone,</HI> and Weigh them in the <HI>Ballance of the Sanctuary:</HI> The one, <HI>The Light within, of what &s;ort it is:</HI> The other, the <HI>Effects of this Light,</HI> what it produceth in men. And for that <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> are often Difficult to be known and di&s;cerned, <HI>immediately, in and by them&s;elves,</HI> it is be&s;t to Try them by their <HI>Effects,</HI> that which they <HI>produce and bring forth;</HI> by which we may come to know of what Nature the <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> is.</P>
<P>So then; This <HI>Light within,</HI> thou &s;aye&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Light within Con|verts none to the Lord.</NOTE> (and woulde&s;t have all Men to Believe) hath <HI>Converted Thee and many Thou&s;ands to the Lord, of the People called Quakers;</HI> but we are wholly left without any Proof, Sign, or Evidence, that you are <HI>Converted to the Lord:</HI> Nay, on the contrary, we &s;ee many <HI>Proofs and Evidences,</HI> that thou and they are not yet <HI>Converted to the Lord,</HI> as have been already (and more yet &s;hall be) Di&s;covered, whereby it will be made plain and manife&s;t, that thou and they that are of thy mind, are utterly mi|&s;taken and deceived concerning both the <HI>Cau&s;e and the Effect:</HI> That is, ye are mi&s;taken utterly con|cerning the <HI>Light within, and the Fruits and Effects of it,</HI> in, and among&s;t you. As for Thee, <HI>James Jack&s;on (Author of the &s;trong Man Armed ca&s;t out)</HI> it is plain and manife&s;t to a Spiritual Eye, That thou art yet <HI>in the Gall of bitterne&s;s, and in the Bond of Iniquity;</HI> for certainly, <HI>The Tree is known by its Fruits; a good Tree cannot bring forth bad Fruits:</HI> By the Fruits of Trees we know of what Kind or Nature the Tree is that brings them forth; do&s;t thou doubt of this? thou need'&s;t not, if thou do&s;t but remember who it was that &s;aid it; and all Agree, and know it is a Truth. So then, Thy <HI>Fruits</HI>
<PB N="66" REF="38">Di&s;cover thee to be <HI>a very Corrupt Tree,</HI> bringing forth <HI>&s;ower, bitter, poy&s;onous, deadly Fruits;</HI> Thy <HI>Grapes are Grapes of Gall, thy Clu&s;ters are bitter:</HI> And the like are the Fruits of the <HI>Leading Quakers amongst you:</HI> Thou and they bring forth <HI>Fal&s;e Do|ctrines, Errors, Here&s;ies, and Bla&s;phemies again&s;t God, his People, and his Truths;</HI> ye <HI>give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils, &s;peaking Lies in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> which I &s;hall plainly Di&s;cover in &s;everal particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Thou &s;aye&s;t of many thou&s;ands of the <HI>Lords peculiar People,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Strong Man Armed,</HI> p. 12.</NOTE> That <Q>they Build not upon the true Foundation, Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but that the Teachers of all other Sects, and &s;orts of Profe&s;&s;ors among&s;t the Presbiterians, Indepen|dents, Bapti&s;ts, and others, they ever Rejected, Di&s;allowed, and &s;et at nought this &s;tone, this true Foundation, which is Chri&s;t in us the hope of Glory, and Build upon &s;ome other fal&s;e Foun|dation.</Q></P>
<P>Now, let me tell thee, thou <HI>fal&s;e Tongue, &s;et on fire of Hell,</HI> had&s;t thou the <HI>true Light</HI> in thee indeed (as thou &s;aye&s;t of thy &s;elf) thou would&s;t &s;ooner have cho&s;en to have had <HI>thy Tongue cut out,</HI> than to have &s;poken <HI>this Lie in Hypocri&s;ie:</HI> Or to have had <HI>thy Hand cut off,</HI> than to have <HI>wrote it:</HI> For if it be better for a Man to have <HI>a Mil&s;tone hanged about his Neck, and to be ca&s;t into the Sea, than to Offend one of tho&s;e Little ones that believe in Chri&s;t;</HI> what thinke&s;t thou will be the puni&s;hment of him that Offends <HI>many thou&s;ands of tho&s;e Little ones?</HI> Yea, when the <HI>Offence</HI> is &s;o high, that he <HI>Reproacheth, Slandreth, and Bla&s;phemeth them,</HI> and their <HI>Lord and Saviour in them;</HI> for he hath &s;aid, <HI>He that De|&s;pi&s;eth
<PB N="67" REF="38">you, De&s;pi&s;eth me: Ina&s;much as ye did it to one of the&s;e my Brethren, ye did it unto me:</HI> Thou Reproache&s;t the <HI>true Light in many others</HI> by the <HI>Real Darkne&s;s within thy &s;elf:</HI> And if the <HI>Light that is in thee be Darkne&s;s, how great is that Dark|ne&s;s?</HI> O it is <HI>very great and gro&s;s Darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;ider the&s;e words,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Natural Light is Spi|ritual Darkne&s;s.</NOTE> and who &s;pake them, it plainly ap|pears from the&s;e words &s;po|ken by Chri&s;t's own Mouth, that <HI>the Light in Men, all unregenerate Men, is but Darkne&s;s:</HI> It is Real <HI>Natural Light, the Light of Rea&s;on, &V;nder|&s;tanding, and Con&s;cience,</HI> which yet as to the <HI>ap|prehending of Spiritual things, is but Darkne&s;s:</HI> for the <HI>Natural Man</HI> (though never &s;o Wi&s;e and Ra|tional) <HI>cannot &s;ee, nor Di&s;cern the things of God,</HI> in a Spiritual manner; and <HI>&s;uch a Light within</HI> thou ha&s;t, and mi&s;take&s;t it, for the <HI>true Light Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> as is manife&s;t by the <HI>Effects,</HI> as was &s;aid; for <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light</HI> cannot Reproach <HI>his own People, nor the work he hath wrought in them,</HI> as thou do&s;t; there|fore <HI>thy Light is Darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Nay further, have we not good grounds to Be|lieve, that <HI>the Darkne&s;s</HI> in thee, and many others of your Leaders, is more than that <HI>Common, Na|tural Darkne&s;s,</HI> that is, upon the Minds of <HI>all un|regenerate Men.</HI> There is cau&s;e to believe that it is <HI>a Judicial Darkne&s;s and Blindne&s;s,</HI> as was upon the Minds of many of the <HI>unbelieving Jews</HI> who Rejected Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel, after all his Teach|ings and Miracles among them: Such a Darkne&s;s as the <HI>Prophet I&s;aiah</HI> &s;peaks of; <HI>Make the Heart of this People fat, and blind their Eyes, that &s;eeing they may &s;ee, and not perceive:</HI> Not that God put in any more <HI>blindne&s;s</HI> into Mens minds, but <HI>with|holds
<PB N="68" REF="39">his Grace, and denies his Spirit;</HI> but permits the <HI>Evil Spirit, the god of this unregenerate World, to blind the Minds of them that believe not, le&s;t the Light of the Glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;hine un|to them.</HI> And &s;eeing that the Light of the Go&s;pel does &s;hine &s;o Gloriou&s;ly in this Day, and ye Re|ject it, and De&s;pi&s;e it, we have cau&s;e to be per&s;wa|ded you have in you <HI>this double Darkne&s;s and Blind|ne&s;s,</HI> notwith&s;tanding all your Pleading for the <HI>Light within:</HI> Ye know not what ye &s;ay, nor whereof ye Affirm.</P>
<P>Thou and thy Friends (as thou calle&s;t them) do quite mi&s;take that Scripture,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>This Scripture,</HI> John 1.9. <HI>gro&s;&s;ely Mi&s;taken.</HI></NOTE> where|upon ye ground your Opinion and Per&s;wa&s;ion con|cerning the <HI>Light within,</HI> John 1.9. <HI>This is the true Light, that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World.</HI> Thou and they put a <HI>meaning and &s;ence</HI> upon it, though in other Scriptures brought again&s;t you, ye di&s;own all <HI>meanings;</HI> yet here ye make u&s;e <HI>of a meaning,</HI> but it is a fal&s;e one: For it is not &s;aid, that <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light,</HI> is in every one that cometh into the World, but that he <HI>Light|eth every one that cometh into the World.</HI> Take then the very words, and the <HI>genuine &s;ence</HI> is plainly this: That <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light,</HI> doth Light every one that cometh into the World, and That in <HI>two Re&s;pects:</HI> Fir&s;t, by an <HI>Outward Light;</HI> and Second|ly, by an <HI>Inward Light.</HI> The <HI>Outward Light</HI> is by the <HI>Sun in the Firmament, with the Moon and the Stars,</HI> this <HI>Outward Light all Men and Women have that come into the World, in all Nations, Tongues, and People:</HI> Secondly, <HI>Chri&s;t enlightneth them by an Inward light al&s;o;</HI> by the <HI>Light of Rea&s;on, Humane &V;nder&s;tanding, and Natural Con&s;cience;</HI>
<PB N="69" REF="39">by the&s;e <HI>Lights</HI> al&s;o <HI>he Lighteth every one that com|eth into the World,</HI> according to that Scripture afore|mentioned: And &s;o much (and no more) is in|tended by it, as it concerns <HI>every one that cometh in|to the World:</HI> He is called the <HI>Father of Lights,</HI> having Created <HI>divers Lights of &s;everal kinds.</HI> But now, as it concerns <HI>Believers, the peculiar People of God,</HI> the <HI>true Light Je&s;us Chri&s;t, enlightneth them with another Light,</HI> be&s;ides the former, which none but they onely are partakers of: The <HI>other Lights</HI> are but <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> to <HI>this Light;</HI> yea, the Scripture calls them <HI>Darkne&s;s,</HI> in Compari&s;on of <HI>this true Light, Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf, the Son of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> when he ari&s;es upon the Soul he makes things <HI>manife&s;t and clear,</HI> which before were hid <HI>in Darkne&s;s,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.6. <HI>God, who Command|ed the Light to &s;hine out of Darkne&s;s, hath &s;hined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> But as for the <HI>Wicked and &V;ngodly, all &V;nbelievers,</HI> (which are the greate&s;t part of the World) they have not <HI>this Light in them</HI> (as thou, <HI>James Jack|&s;on,</HI> and the Teachers among the Quakers do affirm, and contend earne&s;tly for:) But they are of the Number of tho&s;e which the Holy Gho&s;t &s;aith, by the Mouth of his Servant <HI>Paul,</HI> in 2 Cor. 4.4. <HI>The god of this World hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not, le&s;t the Light of the Glorious Go&s;|pel of Chri&s;t (who is the Image of God) &s;hould &s;hine unto them:</HI> Look well unto it, that ye be not of the Number of <HI>the&s;e blind ones, blinded by the Se|ducing Spirit,</HI> which is got into your own <HI>blind Minds,</HI> and which ye call, and Bla&s;phemou&s;ly &s;ay, <HI>is Chri&s;t the true Light in every Man.</HI> And verily, this is one &s;ad Sign, that ye are indeed <HI>of that very
<PB N="70" REF="40">Number,</HI> even becau&s;e ye di&s;own the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, the Scriptures of Truth &s;poken by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, and by the Holy Gho&s;t:</HI> Saying and Affirm|ing they are not the <HI>Rule to Chri&s;tians in Faith and Obedience;</HI> neither do ye &s;ubmit to have your Spi|rits Tryed by them, but tru&s;t to the <HI>Light within,</HI> which is but <HI>Darkne&s;s,</HI> as to <HI>Seeing and Di&s;cern|ing of Spiritual things:</HI> For <HI>Spiritual things are Spiritually Di&s;cerned.</HI> And know, and con&s;ider this, That if the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t be not Received, and &s;ubmitted unto, but Neglected, or Rejected, then it is hid from &s;uch: And in &s;uch a Ca&s;e, the <HI>Apo&s;tle Paul</HI> &s;aith, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.3. <HI>If our Go&s;pel be hid, it is hid from them that are lo&s;t, whom Satan hath blinded, le&s;t it &s;hould &s;hine unto them.</HI></P>
<P>Thou,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers Doctrine is directly contrary to the Scriptures.</NOTE> <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> and other <HI>Teaching Quakers,</HI> teach that <HI>Chri&s;t, the true Light, is in every Man and Woman in the World;</HI> But this is directly contrary to <HI>plain and po&s;itive Scripture:</HI> For before <HI>Conver&s;ion and Rege|neration, all Men and Women are in Darkne&s;s, and Darkne&s;s in them;</HI> yea, <HI>are Darkne&s;s it &s;elf,</HI> in the Ab&s;tract, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.8. <HI>Ye &s;ometimes were Darkne&s;s, but now are ye Light in the Lord; Walk as Children of Light.</HI> And 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.8. <HI>Darkne&s;s is pa&s;t, and the true Light now &s;hineth:</HI> Heb. 10.32. <HI>After ye were Illuminated, ye endured a great Fight of Af|flictions. Paul</HI> knew that <HI>all Men were in Darkne&s;s, and Darkne&s;s in them:</HI> And therefore his Preaching was to turn them <HI>from Darkne&s;s to Light, and from the power of Satan (the Prince of Darkne&s;s) to the Living God:</HI> Yea, <HI>our Lord Chri&s;t him&s;elf, the true Light,</HI> &s;aith, <HI>John</HI> 1.46. <HI>I am come a Light into the World, that who&s;oever believeth in me, &s;hould
<PB N="71" REF="40">not abide in Darkne&s;s;</HI> plainly implying, that be+fore Men <HI>Believe</HI> they abide <HI>in Darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>And again, he &s;aith, <HI>John</HI> 12.35. <HI>Yet a little while is the Light with you, Walk while ye have the Light.</HI> Now, if Chri&s;t had been the Light &s;till remaining in them, in every one, (as the Quakers Teach) Chri&s;t would not have u&s;ed the&s;e words, <HI>Yet a little while is the Light with you; walk while they have the Light:</HI> It's like the&s;e Quakers would have An&s;wered him boldly, (and Ignorantly enough) We have the <HI>Light within us;</HI> it is always <HI>in us, and with us, and abides in us,</HI> and <HI>in all Men and Wo|men in the World:</HI> Go whither thou wilt, for we have <HI>the Light within us &s;till continually:</HI> For cer|tainly the&s;e Men would no more have owned him, nor his Doctrine had they been contemporaries with him, than they own him now in the&s;e Days: And we know they have <HI>Denyed him,</HI> both <HI>in his Per&s;on, and in his Doctrlne;</HI> as appears Manife&s;tly in their Books and Writings, be&s;ides Denying of him, in Denying his Members.</P>
<P>It is Evident then, That the <HI>Teaching Quakers</HI> do Deceive the Poor, Ignorant, Simple People, <HI>their Hearers,</HI> with this Doctrine about the <HI>light within,</HI> and &s;peak concerning it directly contrary to the <HI>Doctrine of the Scriptures:</HI> And the&s;e poor &s;imple People (&s;illy Women, as the Apo&s;tle calls them) 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.6. finding, and perceiving there is &s;ome <HI>Light within</HI> that Di&s;cerns &s;ome things to be good, and moves unto it, and on the contrary, denies &s;ome evil things, and will not con&s;ent to known Evils; They do hereupon conclude, that <HI>this is Chri&s;t the true Light,</HI> according as they are Taught, not un|der&s;tanding the <HI>Difference between Natural Light and Spiritual Light,</HI> no more than their Teachers,
<PB N="72" REF="41">and &s;o it pa&s;&s;eth for a currant Doctrine among&s;t them, though it be mo&s;t Ab&s;urd and fal&s;e, and ma|nife&s;tly contrary to the Scriptures.</P>
<P>Do ye not know that there is <HI>a Con&s;cience in every Man and Woman,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;cience is a Natu|ral Light.</NOTE> and that it is <HI>a Light according to its Nature?</HI> it hath &s;o much <HI>Light,</HI> as not onely to &s;ee and know Earthly things, according to <HI>Rea&s;on and Humane &V;nder&s;tanding;</HI> but al&s;o &s;ome things according to the <HI>Law of God,</HI> Rom. 1. to &s;ee, and to reprove for <HI>&s;ome gro&s;s evils and &s;ins; As Murder, Theft, Drunkenne&s;s, Be|&s;tiality, Deceitful dealings,</HI> and &s;uch like things again&s;t the <HI>Light of Nature;</HI> which al&s;o the <HI>Law of God</HI> forbids: And <HI>this Light within every one</HI> does move unto <HI>&s;ome things that are Morally good and Hone&s;t,</HI> Reproving, and Troubling for the one, and Excu&s;ing for the other: But <HI>this Light</HI> can ne|ver <HI>lead to Chri&s;t</HI> without the <HI>Spirit of God,</HI> and the <HI>Word of the Go&s;pel,</HI> which Reveals Chri&s;t fully: Therefore give unto <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> the things that are <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> and unto <HI>God</HI> the things that are <HI>Gods.</HI> A&s;|cribe unto <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> the things that belong to <HI>Con|&s;cience,</HI> and unto <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> that which is his own: Set not a Creature in the Throne of the Creator; and by Wor&s;hipping an <HI>Idol,</HI> for&s;ake the <HI>Living and true God.</HI></P>
<P>It is true,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t the true Light, is really in Believers, and in none el&s;e.</NOTE> and a glorious Truth indeed (a precious Priviledge of the Saints, and peculiar People of God,) that <HI>Chri&s;t dwells in them;</HI> and this is <HI>a great and Glorious My&s;tery made known unto the Saints: (onely Be|lievers)</HI> as we &s;ee, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.16, 17. <HI>Even the My|&s;tery which hath been hid from Ages, and from Gene|rations;
<PB N="73" REF="41">but now is made manife&s;t to his Saints,</HI> ver. 17. <HI>To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this My&s;tery, among the Gentiles, which is: Chri&s;t in you the Hope of Glory.</HI></P>
<P>Here is a glorious <HI>My&s;tery</HI> revealed to the <HI>Gen|tiles,</HI> that they &s;hould now come in, and be of the <HI>Church of Chri&s;t,</HI> the <HI>poor Gentiles</HI> that never were call'd before that time: <HI>the Gentiles,</HI> who were formerly Excluded (in all the Generations before tho&s;e dayes) they are now made fellow-heirs with the <HI>Believing Jews:</HI> And this Rich and Glorious Priviledge is al&s;o revealed to them: <HI>Chri&s;t dwel|ling in them by Faith, by his Spirit, and all his graces, and operations, communicating his Nature to them,</HI> that they are as really partakers of the <HI>Image of the &s;econd Adam, in righteou&s;ne&s;s and true holine&s;s,</HI> as they were of the <HI>Image of the fir&s;t Adam in &s;in and darkne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>But what is <HI>this Priviledge</HI> to the <HI>wicked, and un|regenerate world,</HI> that lye <HI>in &s;in, and darkne&s;s?</HI> what <HI>Communion hath light with darkne&s;s? what fellow&s;hip hath Chri&s;t with</HI> Belial? Will Chri&s;t Dwell in the Soul where the Devil Dwells, and Reigns? Nay verily: If Chri&s;t come to dwell and abide in any Soul, and be a light unto it, he will &s;urely ca&s;t out <HI>Sathan, that Strong man Armed,</HI> that keeps the hou&s;e (as Sathan does in all wicked men) and Sathan &s;hall Reign, nor keep hou&s;e no longer but Chri&s;t will remove him, and come in his place, and Reign, and Rule, and Dwell there; and by his Pre&s;ence, and Dwelling in the Soul, will give to &s;uch a believing Soul, &s;ure grounds of hope of Eter|nal Glory: according to this word; <HI>Chri&s;t in you the hope of Glory.</HI></P>
<PB N="74" REF="42">
<P>And &s;eeing the Teachers a|mong the <HI>Quakers,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Scriptures are the Word of God.</NOTE> do &s;light and undervalue <HI>the Scriptures</HI> and deny them to be the <HI>Word of God,</HI> and to be <HI>a Rule for Chri&s;tians in Faith and Practice;</HI> and pre|fer their own <HI>Fan&s;ies, and vain imaginations</HI> (moved often by <HI>&s;educing Spirits</HI>) before the <HI>written Word of God,</HI> let us con&s;ider the tendency of this &s;trong delu&s;ion.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> writes to the <HI>Romans,</HI> Chap. 15.4. <HI>What&s;oever things were written aforehand, were written for our Learning, that we through pa|tience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.</HI> The Church of God was for a long time without the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> God teaching his People <HI>immediately by his Spirit,</HI> or by <HI>Angels,</HI> mixed with &s;ome <HI>Pro|vidential di&s;pen&s;ations,</HI> but when he had gathered his Church and People out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> he was graci|ou&s;ly plea&s;ed to in&s;truct them by a plain <HI>written Word, to be a perfect, &s;tanding Rule,</HI> both for <HI>Faith and Practice;</HI> And required (upon divers &s;ore <HI>Pe|nalties</HI> on the one hand, and <HI>Rewards and Pro|mi&s;es</HI> on the other) that they &s;hould ob&s;erve them.</P>
<P>And tho&s;e that were Godly among&s;t them, took diligent heed thereunto, and great delight therein: How did the holy Prophet <HI>David</HI> (a man after Gods own heart) prize and value the <HI>written Word of God;</HI> (though he had but a &s;mall part of the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> to what we now have) as we &s;ee in all his <HI>P&s;alms,</HI> more e&s;pecially in the 119. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> almo&s;t in every ver&s;e of that long P&s;alme, he makes men|tion of the <HI>Law of God,</HI> his <HI>Statutes, Ordinances, Judgments, Precepts, and Commandments,</HI> how he loved them, delighted in them, meditated in
<PB N="75" REF="42">them; <HI>O how I love thy Law; it is my meditation continually;</HI> he aimed at the keeping, and practice of them, as at a mark; and tells us it is the nature, and property of all good men &s;o to do, P&s;al. 1. <HI>The godly man meditates in the Law of God Day and night.</HI></P>
<P>But now the&s;e <HI>Teachers and Leaders of the Qua|kers,</HI> they expre&s;s no love to the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> but the quite contrary; they Slight, and Undervalue them, and teach others to do &s;o too; and deny them to be a Chri&s;tians <HI>Rule of Faith and Practice,</HI> though &s;poken by <HI>Christ him&s;elf in his own Per&s;on,</HI> (a great part of them) who is truly <HI>God,</HI> as well as <HI>Man;</HI> and the re&s;t <HI>in&s;pired by the Holy Gho&s;t, who al&s;o is God.</HI> Yet the&s;e Unrea&s;onable and Un|thankful men, deny them to be <HI>the Word of God,</HI> though &s;poken <HI>by God him&s;elf:</HI> We have much of the Scripture &s;poken, <HI>by Chri&s;ts own mouth, and all was given by in&s;piration of God, Holy men of God, &s;pake as they were moved by the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and is not the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t God?</HI> How then are not the <HI>Scriptures the Word of God?</HI> Are not the&s;e men infa|tuated that will not own the&s;e things.</P>
<P>When the <HI>believing The&s;&s;alonians</HI> had heard <HI>the Word of God,</HI> &s;poken by <HI>Paul,</HI> and received it ef|fectually, he thankes God for it; <HI>for this cau&s;e thank we God without cea&s;ing, becau&s;e when ye re|ceived the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye re|ceived it not as the word of men, but as it is in Truth the Word of God.</HI></P>
<P>And when any one would draw us to hearken to any <HI>Private Spirit,</HI> as of old they did (and &s;o now) we are commanded by God, <HI>not to hearken to them,</HI> I&s;aiah 8.20. but we are directed <HI>to the Scriptures: To the Law, and to the Te&s;timony, if they &s;peake not
<PB N="76" REF="43">according to this Word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in them:</HI> And <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8.9. <HI>Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wi&s;dome is in them?</HI> So then; here we &s;ee plainly they that &s;peak not, and write not according to <HI>the Scriptures,</HI> they have neither <HI>wi&s;dome, nor Light in them.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;ider this, ye deluded People among the Quakers, that give more heed to a <HI>dim, natural light within (darkned al&s;o by deluding &s;pirits)</HI> than to the <HI>Light of the Scriptures,</HI> though the <HI>Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hine Bright, and Gloriou&s;ly in them.</HI></P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI> hath marked out <HI>&s;uch men,</HI> for <HI>wicked men</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.6. <HI>We are of God; he that know|eth God, heareth us, he that is not of God heareth not us; hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of Error.</HI></P>
<P>What can be more plain? hereby then it is Evi|dent, what &s;ort of men <HI>the&s;e are in this Generation,</HI> who will not <HI>hear the Prophets, and Apo&s;tles &s;peak|ing by the Spirit in the Scriptures: he that will not hear &V;s is not of God:</HI> but on the contrary, he that <HI>heareth us,</HI> that is, <HI>obeyeth us, and is ruled and guided by that which we have &s;poken and written, he is of God, and is guided and taught by the Spirit of God,</HI> which God hath al&s;o given to them that believe.</P>
<P>And farther, This truth is al&s;o &s;poken by our ble&s;&s;ed Lord and Savionr Chri&s;t him&s;elf, even from <HI>his own mouth:</HI> Joh. 8.47. when the Proud unbe|lieving Jewes (&s;uch another proud, &s;elf-conceited People as are now in our dayes) would not receive his doctrine, he tells them plainly what they are, <HI>ver.</HI> 47. <HI>he that is of God, heareth Gods words, ye therefore heard them not, becau&s;e ye are not of God.</HI></P>
<PB N="77" REF="43">
<P>Tremble, and Quake at this Dreadful word, ye &s;educed People of the Quakers, who will not hear, nor be guided <HI>by the Scriptures, the written, and declared word of God:</HI> Ye are here <HI>pronounced by Chri&s;ts own mouth, his Prophets, and Apo&s;tles;</HI> that <HI>ye are not of God:</HI> That is, ye are <HI>not born of God, ye are not born of the Spirit:</HI> for that which is <HI>born of the Spirit, is Spirit:</HI> ye are <HI>not regenerate,</HI> ye are <HI>not believers;</HI> ye are <HI>no members of Chri&s;t:</HI> ye are <HI>not taught of God, nor led by his Spirit,</HI> but by <HI>a fal&s;e Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>When <HI>Paul</HI> wrote to <HI>Timothy</HI> he commended him for that he had known the <HI>Scriptures from a child, which were able to make him wi&s;e unto &s;alvation;</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15. And &s;ayes, that <HI>all Scripture is given by in&s;piration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for In&s;truction in Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> ver. 17. <HI>That the man of God may be per|fect, throughly furni&s;hed unto all good workes.</HI></P>
<P>But the&s;e men are &s;o farr from being <HI>furni&s;hed to all good workes,</HI> that they are <HI>reprobate to every good work:</HI> they having ca&s;t-a&s;ide the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> they can never be <HI>furni&s;hed</HI> any other way, to any <HI>good Work.</HI></P>
<P>Let us con&s;ider how great a favour it is from God that we have <HI>the Scriptures;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Scriptures are Gods Love-letters to Mankind.</NOTE> which are Gods <HI>Love-letters to Man|kind; indited by his own Spirit, and written by his own &s;ervants, to woo them, and win them to accept of his own, and only beloved Son in marriage:</HI> that there may be <HI>a Contract, and an everla&s;ting &V;nion between them:</HI> and &s;o they may become <HI>the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t, the Lambs Wife;</HI> And that although they have no <HI>Beauty, nor Comeline&s;s</HI> upon them, yet
<PB N="78" REF="44">that he will accept of them, notwith&s;tanding their <HI>Deformity,</HI> if they will but <HI>but con&s;ent to the mo|tion.</HI></P>
<P>And Oh who would not con&s;ent, to &s;uch a won|derfull condi&s;cen&s;ion in the Great, and Holy God, to &s;uch poor mi&s;erable creatures, as we are, <HI>blind and deaf, deformed, foul, and filthy, poor, and needy, wanting all things that might make us accept|able in his eyes!</HI> But though it be &s;o, yet he hath promi&s;ed that he will make us <HI>Comely, and Beauti|ful, and Rich, with Ornaments, and a Crown of Glo|ry, and no good thing &s;hall be wanting to them that love him.</HI> Therefore (all the&s;e things con&s;idered) let us have the <HI>Scriptures</HI> in high e&s;teem; and walk by them, for we &s;hall be judged by them at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>But what a &s;ad ca&s;e are they in then who deny them as <HI>a Rule to walk by,</HI> and di&s;own them? And if <HI>&s;o great a cur&s;e</HI> &s;hall be the portion of tho&s;e <HI>who take away any part of the Scriptures,</HI> as that God will <HI>take away their part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy City, and from the things that are written therein,</HI> Rev. 22. what &s;hall we think will be the <HI>Portion and Puni&s;hment of tho&s;e, who take away all the Scripture at once, and make it as a void thing; and deny them to be a perfect Rule to Chri&s;tians of Faith, and Obedience;</HI> and do in&s;tead thereof direct men to <HI>a blind guide, that had need of a guide it &s;elf;</HI> for that it &s;ees nothing of <HI>the true way, the truth, and the life, without the Scriptures?</HI></P>
<P>Now becau&s;e the &s;pirit of God who indited the Scrip|tures,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Characters of fal&s;e Prophets whereby they are known.</NOTE> and &s;pake by the mouth of his <HI>holy Prophets and Apo|&s;tles, and Chri&s;t him&s;elf al&s;o in his own per&s;on,</HI> hath told
<PB N="79" REF="44">us, That <HI>fal&s;e Prophets and Teachers</HI> &s;hould be in the <HI>later dayes,</HI> and &s;hould &s;educe, and deceive many; And &s;o &s;ubtle &s;hall their <HI>carriage and their Doctrine be (like their Teacher)</HI> that they &s;hall de|ceive (if it were po&s;&s;ible) <HI>the very Elect;</HI> And be|cau&s;e al&s;o we know that <HI>the&s;e are the la&s;t times, the la&s;t daies, even the&s;e dayes wherein we live,</HI> in which dayes <HI>the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers</HI> (foretold) &s;hould come; it is our duty therefore, and it highly concerns eve|ry Chri&s;tian to <HI>try the Spirits,</HI> becau&s;e even Now <HI>many fal&s;e Prophets</HI> are in the world among us.</P>
<P>Let us con&s;ider and examine than, who the&s;e <HI>fal&s;e Prophets and Teachers are;</HI> how they may be known; What <HI>Marks and Characters</HI> there are &s;et down <HI>in the Scriptures</HI> whereby the&s;e men may be known: for the <HI>Spirit of God hath marked them out, whereby they may be di&s;cerned from other men;</HI> even whereby they may be known to be <HI>the very men foretold,</HI> that &s;hould come <HI>in the&s;e la&s;t dayes.</HI> Our Lord Chri&s;t hath bid us <HI>take heed of them,</HI> Luk. 13.23. <HI>Behold</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I have foretold you of the&s;e things.</HI> Let us therefore con&s;ider &s;ome particulars, as marks of the&s;e men.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, that in the Epi&s;tle of <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Tim.</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1. <HI>Now the &s;pirit &s;peaketh expre&s;ly, that in the later times &s;ome &s;hall depart from the faith, giving heed to &s;educing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. Some &s;hall <HI>depart from the Faith;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Departing from the Faith.</HI></NOTE> Now what kind of <HI>Faith</HI> is here meant; it is not <HI>a true and ju&s;tifying faith,</HI> for that none can depart from; but it is a <HI>Temporary Faith,</HI> &s;ome &s;haddows and fancies re&s;embling faith; &s;uch a faith as our Lord Chri&s;t &s;peakes of, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. <HI>They believed for a while, but in time of Temptation fell away.</HI></P>
<PB N="80" REF="45">
<P N="2">2. They al&s;o ca&s;t off, and departed from <HI>Hi&s;tori|cal Faith;</HI> for they regard not what is <HI>written in the Scriptures,</HI> either concerning <HI>Faith or Practice.</HI> And it is not &s;o with the&s;e Men of whom we &s;peak; con&s;ider, and Judge.</P>
<P><HI>They give heed to Seducing Spirits,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Character: they give heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils.</HI></NOTE> <HI>and Doctrines of De|vils.</HI> This <HI>Mark and Cha|racter</HI> is al&s;o &s;een con&s;picu|ou&s;ly and plainly upon the <HI>Teachers among the Quakers;</HI> yea, &s;o Evident is it, as if written with a Beam of the Sun.</P>
<P>Now, what <HI>Doctrines do the Devils Teach,</HI> when they are permitted of God, (for his Secret ends) to u&s;e the Tongues of Wicked Men? we may be &s;ure his Aim and drift will be to Preach <HI>again&s;t Chri&s;t,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Again&s;t Chri&s;t.</HI></NOTE> to darken his Glory as much as he can; <HI>both in his Humane and Divine Natures;</HI> and <HI>in his Me|rits, Works, Sufferings, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Satisfaction, Reconciliation, Benefits, and Priviledges</HI> that he hath wrought, and brought unto his People. The&s;e things are manife&s;t in &s;everal particulars, in their Books and Pamphlets.</P>
<P>And Secondly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Again&s;t the Scrip|tures.</HI></NOTE> Another par|ticular of the <HI>Doctrine of De|vils,</HI> which he will be &s;ure to Teach his Di&s;ciples, it is to weaken, or De&s;troy the Authority of <HI>his Word, the Scriptures, the Go&s;|pel of Salvation;</HI> by which, Truth and Error may be known and proved: For if he once De&s;troy <HI>the Rule and Mea&s;ure of Doctrines,</HI> (&s;o that Men do not try them by <HI>a known, plain, fixed Rule</HI>) then he knows Men may Preach, and pretend their <HI>Fan|cies, and vain Imaginations,</HI> and obtrude them upon
<PB N="81" REF="45">others, as mo&s;t certain Truths. And hath he not Taught the Men of this Generation <HI>this point of his Devili&s;h Doctrine?</HI> Do they not <HI>&s;light and De&s;pi&s;e the Scriptures, the Word of God;</HI> and Offer, and prefer their own <HI>vain, Idle Fancies,</HI> in&s;tead of the <HI>Scriptures;</HI> even the Men of whom we are &s;peak|ing, the Teachers among the Quakers? This is evi|dent and clear to the Eyes of all who are <HI>enlightned by Chri&s;t, and by the Scriptures.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thirdly, Against the Church.</NOTE> As the <HI>Doctrines of Devils are again&s;t Chri&s;t, his word, and Go&s;pel,</HI> &s;o al&s;o again&s;t <HI>his People, his Church, all his Members;</HI> they &s;hall be &s;ure to be <HI>Cryed down, Slandered, De|&s;pi&s;ed, Reproached, and Condemned, as Hypocrites,</HI> in all that they &s;ay, and do, in, and about the Wor|&s;hip of God, in his Ordinances which he hath ap|pointed, for as the Devil hath great &s;pight and Ma|lice again&s;t the Head, &s;o al&s;o again&s;t the Members.</P>
<P>Now, do not the <HI>Quakers</HI> deal thus with the <HI>Lords People</HI> at this day? This is another <HI>particular point of the Doctrine of Devils,</HI> which the <HI>Seducing Spi|rits</HI> have Taught tho&s;e who give heed unto them; how have they cryed down (with a <HI>Bla&s;phemous Noi&s;e</HI> every where) all the <HI>Congregations, A&s;&s;em|blies, and particular Churches of the Saints, of all per&s;wa&s;ions, without exception of any;</HI> as being all in Darkne&s;s, in <HI>Babylon,</HI> and &s;et up <HI>them&s;elves as the most Holy, Innocent People; yea, the onely People of God upon Earth.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Another of the <HI>Doctrines of Devils,</HI> is this:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. <HI>Re&s;ting upon their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></NOTE> When he hath done all he can to darken, and hide from his Di&s;ciples the <HI>true and onely way of Salvation by Chri&s;t, Revealed in the
<PB N="82" REF="46">Go&s;pel,</HI> and weakned the <HI>Authority of the Scriptures,</HI> and the <HI>Credit, and E&s;teem of his People:</HI> Then he introduceth and brings in <HI>&s;omething of a Mans own,</HI> in&s;tead thereof, (that he knows is <HI>in&s;ufficient,</HI> and will fail) in Order to Salvation: That is to &s;ay, <HI>Man's own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Obedience, and works,</HI> and puts them upon tru&s;ting to the&s;e, and &s;o Return again to the <HI>Old Covenant of works,</HI> and to neglect the <HI>New Covenant of Grace;</HI> which cour&s;e he knows is the ready way to <HI>De&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>And he doth this with the more Efficacy in the minds of Wicked Men, becau&s;e it is <HI>a Remnant of Corruption,</HI> even in the Minds of Good Men, of all by Nature; there is &s;omething of this remaining in the be&s;t, <HI>a Secret e&s;teeming; and over-valuing of &s;omething of their own;</HI> which is &s;een in the <HI>clear Light of the Spirit,</HI> and confe&s;&s;ed by all but the Quakers, although they have it in them mo&s;t of any People, yet through the <HI>Darkne&s;s of their minds</HI> they &s;ee it not, neither will own any &s;uch thing, but tell us, <HI>they own, and witne&s;s Perfection.</HI></P>
<P>Having mentioned the&s;e four particulars, which are the <HI>Chief Points of Doctrine which the Seducing Spirits do Teach tho&s;e that give heed unto them:</HI> I &s;hall now proceed to he re&s;t of the <HI>Characters,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle plainly &s;ets down by the Directions of the holy gho&s;t, whereby <HI>fal&s;e Teachers may be known;</HI> as we &s;ee, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. <HI>Speaking lyes in Hypocri&s;ie; ha|ving their Con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot Iron.</HI></P>
<P>Now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Third Character of fal&s;e Teachers: Lies in Hypocri&s;ie.</NOTE> it is ea&s;ie to mention many <HI>lyes in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> which the Quakers are guilty of: Whereby <HI>this Character</HI> is deeply &s;tampt upon them, and made manife&s;t to all.</P>
<PB N="83" REF="46">
<P>This is <HI>one Lye in Hypocri&s;ie;</HI> That <HI>Chri&s;t the true Light is in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fir&s;t Lye in Hypocri|&s;ie.</NOTE> and that if they give heed unto, and Obey the Light that is in them, it is a &s;ufficient Guide unto Salvation without the Scriptures.</P>
<P>I &s;ay, This is <HI>fal&s;e Doctrine, and a Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie:</HI> Chri&s;t doth not dwell in Wicked, and Un|godly, Impenitent &s;inners; the Devil dwells in them, and Rules, and Reigns in them; he Ruleth in the Children of Di&s;obedience, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. What Con|cord hath Chri&s;t with <HI>Belial, Eph.</HI> 2.2?</P>
<P>Chri&s;t often &s;tands at the Door, and Knocks, if any Man hear his Voice, and open the Door, he will come in, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. but not otherwi&s;e: See the Arguments again&s;t this fal&s;hood.</P>
<P>Secondly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Strong Man Armed cast out,</HI> p. 12.</NOTE> This al&s;o is ano|ther <HI>Lye in Hypocri&s;ie;</HI> That <HI>the Quakers build upon the true Foundation, Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and all other Profe&s;&s;ing People Build upon &s;ome other fal&s;e Foundation.</HI></P>
<P>This is <HI>a double Lye in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> both as to them&s;elves and other Profe&s;&s;ing People; many of them (I will not &s;ay all) do profe&s;&s;edly Build upon <HI>a fal&s;e and Sandy Foundation,</HI> which certainly will fail, <HI>i. e. the Light within every Man and woman that come into the world;</HI> and that is not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but a <HI>Creature:</HI> There is <HI>a Natural Light</HI> we know in every Man and Woman, <HI>Rea&s;on and Con&s;cience,</HI> but it is not <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> he Created it, as all things el&s;e in the World, but what Compari&s;on between the <HI>Creator</HI> and the <HI>Creature:</HI> This is at large &s;po|ken to el&s;e-where.</P>
<P>And concerning other Profe&s;&s;ing People, though
<PB N="84" REF="47">many of them (it is to be feared) do Build upon <HI>fal&s;e Foundations;</HI> yet &s;ure we are, many thou|&s;ands of them do Build upon <HI>the true and onely Foun|dation, Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> This Lye then is again&s;t tho&s;e who Build upon the <HI>true Foundation.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>The Third Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Strong Man Armed,</HI> p. 13.</P></NOTE> This is another <HI>Lye in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> That they, (the Quakers) have <HI>a true Faith;</HI> that Faith whereof Chri&s;t is the Author and Fini|&s;her: but the Faith of all others is <HI>an unholy, dead, Imperfect Faith,</HI> it Sanctifies but in part, and &s;o will never &s;ave to the utmo&s;t.</P>
<P>This is thus proved to be <HI>a Lye:</HI> There is no <HI>true Faith</HI> but it is known by its <HI>Fruits, works, or Effects, it Purifies the Heart, and works by Love; Love to God, Love to all his People, to his word and Go&s;pel, to all that is of God, and from God.</HI> Now, it is very Manife&s;t by the <HI>Fruits</HI> that the Quakers bring forth in their <HI>Doctrines and Conver&s;ations,</HI> that they have not <HI>the Faith of Gods Elect;</HI> it is but <HI>pre&s;ump|tion, a &s;hadow of Faith,</HI> whereof the <HI>Devil is the Author,</HI> their In&s;tructer in other Doctrines al&s;o. And it is likewi&s;e (on the other &s;ide) manife&s;t, that Multitudes of other <HI>Profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;tians</HI> (whom they De&s;pi&s;e) have <HI>true, &s;aving, Ju&s;tifying Faith;</HI> by the <HI>Fruits and Effects of it,</HI> in their Hearts, and in their Lives and Conver&s;ations.</P>
<P>Fourthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>The Fourth Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Strong Man Armed,</HI> p. 13.</P></NOTE> This is another <HI>Lye in Hypocri&s;ie:</HI> They &s;ay the <HI>Knowledge</HI> that the Qua|kers have is a <HI>Spiritual and ex|perimental Knowledge, by Di|vine Revelation:</HI> But the knowledge of the <HI>Prie&s;ts and Pa&s;tors of all other Religions in the world,</HI> is but
<PB N="85" REF="47"><HI>Ignorance,</HI> they know not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but call him <HI>Devil,</HI> or at be&s;t, the <HI>Light of Nature.</HI></P>
<P>This is thus proved to be <HI>a Lye,</HI> and that a double one: Many of the Teaching Quakers are very <HI>Ig|norant,</HI> even of the very <HI>Principles of the Doctrines of Christ,</HI> they were never Taught of God, we perceive it plainly by their <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e and writings:</HI> O the wonderful Darkne&s;s and Blindne&s;s that is upon their Minds! A thick vail of Ignorance, as all Natural, Unregenerate Men have: but <HI>their Vail is double; Natural, and Judicial.</HI> The Natural Man hath not the knowledge of Chri&s;t, nor of the things of God, he cannot know them (in that &s;tate) becau&s;e they are <HI>Spiritually Di&s;cerned</HI> and known, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.</P>
<P>The&s;e People know not the <HI>true Light Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> they know not the difference between <HI>Na|tural Light and Spiritual light,</HI> but give and a&s;cribe that to the <HI>Creature,</HI> which properly belongs onely to the <HI>Creator:</HI> They know not the way of <HI>Ju&s;tifica|tion by Chri&s;t,</HI> but Bla&s;phemou&s;ly &s;light it, as we find in their Books: And Teach that Men are Ju|&s;tified by their <HI>own works,</HI> directly contrary to the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> whereby at once, they <HI>deny Chri&s;t,</HI> and the whole Go&s;pel, and the whole De&s;ign of God in the Covenant of Grace.</P>
<P>They know not how to Di&s;tingui&s;h or Di&s;cern between the <HI>Sugge&s;tions and In&s;pirations of a Sedu|cing Spirit, and the workings of the Spirit of God in Mens Hearts;</HI> neither do they know, nor give to their Hearers <HI>any Directions</HI> how they may <HI>Try the Spirits, whether they are of God or not,</HI> but plainly bid them <HI>Hearken to the Light within,</HI> give heed un|to it, and follow it, and it will lead them to Salva|tion, which gives wonderful Advantage to <HI>Satan,
<PB N="86" REF="48">the Seducing Spirit,</HI> to work in their minds, even what he will, &s;eeing they have no way to Di&s;cover him, he being Transformed (at &s;uch a time) into an <HI>Angel of Light,</HI> and in many things re&s;embles the <HI>Spirit of God:</HI> And tho&s;e Ignorant Teachers know no way how to di&s;cern him, having &s;lighted and laid a&s;ide <HI>the Scriptures, whereby one Spirit is known from another,</HI> being de&s;titute al&s;o of the <HI>Spi|rit of God:</HI> So that (upon this very Account) both they, and their <HI>Ignorant, &s;imple Hearers,</HI> are under <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ions,</HI> giving heed unto <HI>Seducing Spirits;</HI> and thence it is that their <HI>Teachings, Books, and Pamphlets</HI> are &s;o <HI>fal&s;e,</HI> and &s;o directly contrary to the <HI>Truth of the Scriptures:</HI> And yet we &s;ee they boa&s;t of their <HI>Knowledge,</HI> and e&s;teem them&s;elves more Wi&s;e and Knowing than all others.</P>
<P>Fifthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>The Fifth Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Strong Man Armed,</HI> p. 14.</P></NOTE> Another <HI>Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie</HI> is this: The Quakers &s;ay, their <HI>Humility</HI> does far exceed all others; it is the <HI>emptying them&s;elves of all their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Wills, Wi&s;dom, and &s;elf-exal|tation; and is a Real, Inward, Spiritual aba&s;ement, and &s;ubjection to the Life, Power, and Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>But O how contrary to the&s;e words, (nothing but words) are all their <HI>Doctrines and Declarings</HI> to the People, and in all their Pamphlets, if we compare one thing with another! For they do but deceive their &s;imple, unwary Hearers with a flou|ri&s;h of &s;ome <HI>good words and expre&s;&s;ions,</HI> now and then, that &s;o they may the more readily Receive <HI>the deadly Poy&s;on</HI> that is mixed therewith: They &s;ometimes Profe&s;s in words that they <HI>own Chri&s;t and the Scriptures, but in deed and reality they deny
<PB N="87" REF="48">both;</HI> as is abundantly proved again&s;t them, and made manife&s;t unto all.</P>
<P>And in <HI>this very particular Lye in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> this that I &s;ay appears plainly: For whereas he here &s;ays, they are the <HI>mo&s;t humble People,</HI> in that they <HI>empty them&s;elves of all their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Wi&s;|dom, and Self-exaltation,</HI> and have in them <HI>a real, &s;piritual Aba&s;ement and Subjection to Chri&s;t;</HI> where|as the quite contrary appears in the Sub&s;tance of their Doctrines; Witne&s;s <HI>Edw. Burrough</HI>'s <HI>Works in Folio, p.</HI> 33. where he &s;ays plainly, <HI>God doth not Accept any, where there is any failing, or who do not fulfill the Law, and An&s;wer every Demand of Ju|&s;tice.</HI> So <HI>William Penn,</HI> Sandy Foundation, <HI>p.</HI> 29, 30. <Q>Obedience to Ju&s;tification <HI>(&s;aith he)</HI> ought to be as Per&s;onally exten&s;ive as was Mans Di&s;obedi|ence to Condemnation: In which Real <HI>(not Im|putative)</HI> &s;ence tho&s;e various terms of Sanctifica|tion, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Re&s;urrection, Life, Re|demption, Ju&s;tification, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> are mo&s;t Infallibly under&s;tood; for <HI>(&s;aith he further)</HI> Impute, or Imputing &s;ignifies no more in Scripture, but to expre&s;s Men Really and Per&s;onally to be that which is Imputed to them, whether as guilty, or remitted; for <HI>(&s;aith he)</HI> any to be Ju&s;tified from the Imputation of anothers Righteou&s;ne&s;s, is both Ridiculous and Dangerous, whence came that u&s;ual &s;aying among&s;t many Profe&s;&s;ors of Religion; That God looks not upon them, as they are in them&s;elves, but as they are in Chri&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>We &s;ee now here plainly what Doctrines the <HI>Teaching Quakers</HI> bring forth; and how much it &s;avours of <HI>Humility and Self-aba&s;ement,</HI> according to <HI>this great Lye in Hypocri&s;ie</HI> afore-mentioned. This their Doctrine &s;hews they are <HI>&s;welled with
<PB N="88" REF="49">Pride; to the very highe&s;t pitch of Pride, that Self-love</HI> (and Satan to blow it up) <HI>can rai&s;e them:</HI> Here they Account them&s;elves <HI>perfect, and able to An&s;wer every Demand of Ju&s;tice,</HI> and will not be beholding to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for the <HI>Imputation of his Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> this is the <HI>Humility</HI> of the Quakers. But O Mi&s;erable Creatures are they! and more Mi&s;erable are they yet like to be, who&s;e <HI>Humility is the height of Pride,</HI> and who&s;e <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s is nothing but the gro&s;&s;e&s;t &s;in and wickedne&s;s,</HI> and who have not the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t Imputed to them,</HI> which is the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, and perfect,</HI> as well as <HI>Inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Created of God, but yet imperfect.</HI></P>
<P>This Doctrine of theirs is <HI>a gro&s;s Lye in Hypo|cri&s;ie,</HI> and the <HI>Grand Doctrine of Devils;</HI> and there|fore <HI>let it be accur&s;ed;</HI> yea, I &s;ay again, <HI>let it be ac|cur&s;ed for ever.</HI> And as for the Teachers of it, they &s;hall be accur&s;ed al&s;o, except they Repent.</P>
<P>The <HI>Grace of Humility</HI> hath the quite contrary <HI>Effects;</HI> it Teacheth Men to have a low e&s;teem of them&s;elves, and when they have done all they can in the ways of Obedience, to account that yet they are but unprofitable Servants.</P>
<P>This <HI>Humble Spirit</HI> was &s;een in <HI>Paul,</HI> who, though he were <HI>a great Apo&s;tle,</HI> yet he accounted him&s;elf <HI>le&s;s than the lea&s;t of all Saints;</HI> yea, and teacheth all others to be of the &s;ame Mind: <HI>In lowline&s;s of Mind, let each e&s;teem other better than them&s;elves,</HI> Phil. 2.3. How far then are the&s;e Men from <HI>true Humility?</HI></P>
<P>Sixthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>The Sixth Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Strong Man Armed,</HI> p. 15.</P></NOTE> Another <HI>Lye in Hy|pocri&s;ie,</HI> is this: They &s;ay, their <HI>Patience is Invincible, to them is this Grace given,
<PB N="89" REF="49">The World hath been again&s;t them, not for their own &s;akes, but for Chri&s;t's &s;ake in them, though they are</HI> (he &s;ays) <HI>the mo&s;t Innocent and harmle&s;s People upon Earth.</HI></P>
<P>Now, whether this papears to be Truth or a <HI>Lye in Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> may appear by their <HI>Speeches and Writings,</HI> wherein they expre&s;s and manife&s;t <HI>much Bitterne&s;s of Spirit, Wrath, Anger, Malice, and Impatience,</HI> as is in their frequent <HI>foul, har&s;h Language,</HI> that proceeds from them, both by their <HI>Tongues and Pens,</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e who do Conver&s;e with them, or ask them que&s;tions, Soberly, and Mode&s;tly, with a real de&s;ire to be Re&s;olved; or that ask them a Rea&s;on of the hope that is in them, or of their per&s;wa&s;ions about &s;uch or &s;uch things; Their An&s;wers ought to be given with <HI>Meekne&s;s and Love,</HI> That they may &s;atisfie tho&s;e who ask them, according to Truth: But in&s;tead thereof they commonly pour out <HI>har&s;h words and &s;peeches,</HI> like tho&s;e Enemies of <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 64.4. <HI>They whet their Tongues like a Sword, they bend their Bows, and &s;hoot their Arrows, even bitter words.</HI> Witne&s;s <HI>Edward Burrough</HI>'s <HI>Works,</HI> p. 20, 21, &amp;c. again&s;t a Servant of Chri&s;t, asking him &s;erious que|&s;tions, he An&s;wered in &s;uch Language as this, (which others al&s;o of their Teachers do likewi&s;e own, and approve of.)</P>
<P>To all, or mo&s;t of the que&s;tions he mixeth this Language,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers Railing Accu&s;ations.</NOTE> (and many Ex|pre&s;&s;ions to the like purpo&s;e) in his An&s;wers. <Q>Thou Re|probate, and Child of Darkne&s;s; we witne&s;s thee to be in the Sorcery and Witchcraft, thou Dra|gon; thy queries are Conjured in the Black Art, out of the Bottomle&s;s Pit; thou Diviner, we
<PB N="90" REF="50">witne&s;s thee to be the Bea&s;t; thou Antichri&s;t, who looks at Chri&s;t's Death at <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> alone; thou Je&s;uite, art pleading for Chri&s;t afar off thee, thou art Accur&s;ed; thou Bea&s;t, to whom the Plagues of God are due: Thou Blind Hypocrite, thou <HI>Cain,</HI> thou full of Subtilty; with the Light thou art &s;een, and with the Life thou art Judged and Condemned.</Q></P>
<P>The&s;e words were poured out, with many more &s;uch like <HI>Invectives</HI> again&s;t him the Queri&s;t, and others from time to time, as Men have conference with them. But are the&s;e the <HI>Fruits and Evidences of Patience;</HI> which they boa&s;t of, which they &s;ay they have attained above <HI>all other Profe&s;&s;ing People?</HI> Then what is <HI>Impatience, Wrath, Bitterne&s;s, and Anger?</HI> Are not their <HI>Tongues &s;et on fire of Hell, and moved by the Devil,</HI> who brings the Fire from thence, and kindles it, and blows it up to a great Flame?</P>
<P>Nay doubtle&s;s, they are not onely <HI>Pinch'd, and vex'd by &s;erious Que&s;tions, and &s;ound Scripture Ar|guments,</HI> but al&s;o even <HI>cut to the Heart,</HI> as the <HI>Jews</HI> were again&s;t <HI>Stephen,</HI> when he dealt truly and plainly with them, as we &s;ee, <HI>Acts</HI> 7.54. <HI>When they heard the&s;e things they were cut to the Heart, and they gna&s;hed on him with their Teeth:</HI> So the&s;e Men they are <HI>vex'd and Angry,</HI> when they are Oppo|&s;ed, and cannot An&s;wer, they are <HI>Pinch'd, and cut to the very Heart,</HI> which they &s;hew and manife&s;t by <HI>&s;uch &s;peeches as the&s;e aforementioned;</HI> for out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth &s;peaketh.</P>
<P>The&s;e I &s;ay, are <HI>Lyes in Hypocri&s;ie:</HI> This then is another <HI>Character plainly &s;een upon the Quakers;</HI> whereby compared with the re&s;t of the <HI>Characters,</HI> &s;poken by the Holy Gho&s;t, they are manife&s;ted to
<PB N="91" REF="50">be the <HI>fal&s;e Prophets that &s;hould come into the World in the&s;e la&s;t days.</HI></P>
<P>In this day is <HI>this Scripture fulfilled:</HI> The <HI>fal&s;e Teachers</HI> who were fore-told expre&s;ly by the Spirit of God, that they &s;hould come in the&s;e la&s;t days; <HI>even now are they come in this Generation:</HI> They are <HI>Departed from the Faith, they give heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils; they &s;peak Lyes in Hypocri&s;ie, having their Con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot Iron;</HI> which is the next <HI>Character</HI> to be Di&s;|covered.</P>
<P>Fourthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Fourth Character of fal&s;e Teachers: Their Con&s;ciences are &s;eared with an hot Iron.</NOTE> Another <HI>Cha|racter</HI> whereby <HI>fal&s;e Prophets &amp; Teachers</HI> are known, which the Spirit of God tells us of, is this:</P>
<P>They have their <HI>Con&s;cience &s;eared with an hot Iron,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.2. This Expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>&s;eared with an hot Iron,</HI> taken <HI>properly,</HI> is a <HI>Similitude</HI> of what is done <HI>Spiritually,</HI> in and upon the Con&s;ciences of &s;ome more than Ordinary notorious &s;inners, under a <HI>Judicial,</HI> as well as <HI>Natural hardne&s;s of heart, Blindne&s;s, and Reprobate &s;en&s;e;</HI> unto which Judg|ment God &s;ometimes gives them up, for refu&s;ing to Receive and Hearken to the Truth, often tendred, and Di&s;covered to them; with &s;ome other Notori|ous &s;ins. For as <HI>Natural Fle&s;h &s;eared with an hot Iron,</HI> is thereby made <HI>hard, dead, and in&s;en&s;ible;</HI> &s;o as it will not receive any <HI>Impre&s;&s;ion,</HI> nor is <HI>&s;en&s;i|ble,</HI> as <HI>&s;oft, tender, lively Fle&s;h is;</HI> &s;o it is with the <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> of &s;ome Men, which are <HI>&s;eared,</HI> they have no <HI>Spiritual &s;en&s;e,</HI> nor <HI>feeling of &s;piritual things;</HI> but are <HI>dead, and hardned, blind and deaf,</HI> as concerning the things of God, of which tho&s;e Chri&s;tians that have <HI>tender Con&s;ciences, and &s;oft
<PB N="92" REF="51">hearts,</HI> have a clear <HI>&s;ight and &s;en&s;e of.</HI></P>
<P>Men who&s;e <HI>Con&s;ciences are &s;eared with an hot Iron,</HI> they do <HI>think, apprehend, and believe,</HI> (and that &s;trongly too) many things that are <HI>quite con|trary to the Truth;</HI> both as to <HI>Rea&s;on and Faith:</HI> which things they <HI>&s;peak and write</HI> accordingly.</P>
<P>Secondly, Another <HI>Sign, or Evidence of tho&s;e who&s;e Con&s;ciences are &s;eared with an hot Iron,</HI> is this:</P>
<P>They will Reject and De&s;pi&s;e all <HI>plain Truths in Scripture,</HI> as being contrary to their <HI>Corrupt Na|tures, Principles, and Intere&s;ts,</HI> though they are never &s;o much concerned therein, and though brought, and tendred to them with never &s;o much Love, and earne&s;t de&s;ire for their good and welfare; yet the&s;e things take <HI>no Impre&s;&s;ion upon their hearts,</HI> no more than <HI>upon a &s;tone;</HI> they remain &s;till the &s;ame, and no good is done upon them by any means.</P>
<P>Nay, Thirdly, (as another <HI>Evidence of a &s;eared Con&s;cience)</HI> The <HI>means u&s;ed to Reform them,</HI> does the <HI>more harden them,</HI> and makes them the <HI>more De&s;perate in &s;inning;</HI> which is &s;een in their many <HI>Imprecations, Revilings, Slanderings, and bitter Reproachful &s;peeches,</HI> which proceed from them, again&s;t tho&s;e that would do them good. Now, is it not hereby Evident and plain, That very many of the Quakers are under <HI>this Judgment, of having their Con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot Iron:</HI> So that <HI>this Character</HI> is al&s;o plainly &s;een upon them, as is made manife&s;t particularly by their <HI>Speeches, Books, and Practices.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, Another <HI>Character of fal&s;e Teachers,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>The Fifth Character of fal&s;e Teachers:</HI></P>
<P><HI>Denying the Lord that bought us,</HI> &amp;c.</P></NOTE> or rather their <HI>Names</HI> &s;pelled out at length, with all the <HI>Letters</HI>
<PB N="93" REF="51">that make up their <HI>Names</HI> plain and Legible to all who have clear fight, and <HI>walk in the Light:</HI> The&s;e are Named, and &s;et down largely and plainly, both by the <HI>Apo&s;tle Peter,</HI> 2 <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 2.1, 2, &amp;c. <HI>and the Apostle Jude</HI> joyns with him; &s;ee his whole Epi&s;tle.</P>
<P>2 Pet. 2.1. <HI>But there were fal&s;e Prophets among the People, even as there &s;hall be fal&s;e Teachers among you; who privily &s;hall bring in Damnable Here&s;ies, even Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon them&s;elves &s;wift De&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>Ver. 2. <HI>And many &s;hall follow their pernicious ways, by rea&s;on of whom the way of Truth &s;hall be evil &s;poken of.</HI></P>
<P>And now before I &s;peak to the particular <HI>Characters,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Apo&s;tles</HI> Peter <HI>and</HI> Jude <HI>both agree in the &s;ame Characters of fal&s;e Teachers.</HI></NOTE> <HI>or Letters,</HI> whereby (being joyn|ed together) we may &s;pell out their <HI>Names;</HI> let us con|&s;ider this thing, which is of great weight and mo|ment, to the Bu&s;ine&s;s in hand, <HI>viz.</HI> That the <HI>Apo|&s;tle Peter</HI> &s;pends a <HI>whole Chapter</HI> in decyphering, and marking out <HI>the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers,</HI> which &s;hould come <HI>in the&s;e latter days:</HI> And &s;o doth the <HI>Apo&s;tle Jude</HI> al&s;o &s;pend his <HI>whole Epi&s;tle</HI> to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e, concerning <HI>the very &s;ame Men,</HI> both of them Agreeing in the <HI>&s;elf-&s;ame particular Characters, Letters, or Marks,</HI> whereby they are known, as we may &s;ee in the particulars following.</P>
<PB N="94" REF="52">
<P>Fir&s;t then:</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, 2 Pet. 2.1. <HI>There &s;hall be fal&s;e Teachers among you, who privily &s;hall bring in Damnable here&s;ies.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. So <HI>Jude, to the &s;ame purpo&s;e,</HI> ver. 4. <HI>There are certain Men crept in un|awares, who were of Old Ordained to this condem|nation, &V;ngodly men,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. Secondly, <HI>Both brand them with this Mark, or Character,</HI> ver. 1. <HI>De|nying the Lord that bought them.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. So <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 3. <HI>De|nying the onely Lord God, and our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Thirdly, Both note their <HI>Pride and Pre&s;ump|tion, in De&s;pi&s;ing Government, and &s;peaking evil of Dignities:</HI> The mo&s;t Eminent, and chief Per|&s;ons, both in <HI>Church and State,</HI> Exalting them&s;elves above them all.</P>
<P N="3">3. 2 Pet. 2.10. <HI>They De&s;pi&s;e Government, pre|&s;umptuous are they, &s;elf-willed; they are not afraid to &s;peak evil of Dignities.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. So <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 8. <HI>They De&s;pi&s;e Dominion, and &s;peak evil of Dignities.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Both the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> note their height of <HI>Pride and Pre&s;umption,</HI> in De&s;pi&s;ing Per&s;ons of greate&s;t Worth and Eminency, <HI>both in Church and State,</HI> i. e. <HI>Dignities.</HI> They both &s;et out their <HI>Pride and exce&s;&s;ive Ambition</HI> by way of <HI>Aggrava|tion,</HI> telling us, That even the Angels of God, which are far more Excellent Creatures in Wi&s;dom and Power than Men; yet even they do not bring <HI>Rail|ing accu&s;ation</HI> again&s;t men, in any ca&s;e; no, nor again&s;t the <HI>Devil:</HI> But <HI>the&s;e</HI> (with an Empha&s;is) <HI>as Natural Brute Bea&s;ts,</HI> &s;peak evil of the things
<PB N="95" REF="52">they Under&s;tand not; &s;o that hereby is the &s;in of the&s;e Men Aggravated and heightned, who do fre|quently <HI>in their Pride and Di&s;plea&s;ure bring Railing accu&s;ations</HI> again&s;t good Men, that Oppo&s;e their fal&s;e Doctrines, as is already particularly &s;hew|ed.</P>
<P N="4">4. 2 Pet. 2.11. <HI>An|gels which are greater in Power and Might, bring not Railing accu&s;ation a|gain&s;t them before the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. So <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 9. <HI>Mi|chael, the Arch-Angel, when contending with the Devil about the Body of</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>dur&s;t not bring again&s;t him a Railing ac|cu&s;ation; but &s;aid, The Lord Rebuke thee.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Both the Apo&s;tles Mark them out by <HI>this Character,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.17. <HI>The&s;e are Wells without Water; Clouds carried about with a Tempe&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. So <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 12. <HI>Clouds they are without Water, carried about with Winds.</HI></P>
<P>They are <HI>Wells and Clouds without water,</HI> &s;hews and &s;hadows without Sub&s;tance, Husks and Shells without Kernels, having &s;ome Form or &s;hew of <HI>Re|ligion, Godline&s;s, and Chri&s;tianity,</HI> but not the <HI>Pow|er, the Life;</HI> no Real, or true <HI>Grace or holine&s;s;</HI> no <HI>water of Life from the pure Fountain of Life;</HI> they have not the <HI>Spirit of Life,</HI> which in Believers is a <HI>Well of water &s;pringing up to Eternal Life;</HI> but the&s;e are as <HI>Clouds without water, carried about with the winds of Temptations,</HI> i.e. <HI>Secret impul&s;es of &s;educing &s;pirits,</HI> that hurry them to and fro, of their Errands and Bu&s;ine&s;s; and then they Cry, it is from <HI>the Light within.</HI></P>
<PB N="96" REF="53">
<P N="6">6. A Sixth Character. Both the Apo&s;tles &s;ay, They are <HI>in the way of</HI> Balaam: 2 Pet. 2.15. <HI>They have for&s;aken the right way, and are gone a&s;tray, following the way of</HI> Balaam.</P>
<P N="6">6. So <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 11. <HI>Wo unto them, for they have gone in the way of</HI> Cain, <HI>and ran greedily after the Error of</HI> Balaam <HI>for Re|ward, and peri&s;hed in the gain-&s;aying of</HI> Core.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;ays, <HI>They have gone in the way of</HI> Cain; it's true, <HI>Cain</HI> &s;lew his Brother: Now, the&s;e Men, though they ri&s;e not again&s;t any with <HI>Ma|terial Weapons,</HI> yet their <HI>hearts ri&s;e again&s;t their Oppo&s;ers,</HI> as appears in that they <HI>whet their Tongues like a Sword, and &s;hoot out their Arrows, even bit|ter words,</HI> like <HI>David</HI>'s Enemies, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 64.4. In that &s;ence they have gone in <HI>the way of</HI> Cain, and <HI>ran greedily after the Error of</HI> Balaam: And as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>they are gone a&s;tray, fol|owing the way of</HI> Balaam.</P>
<P>Now, what was the <HI>way of</HI> Balaam, the <HI>Error of</HI> Balaam? Was it not chiefly, in that he went <HI>&s;o contrary to the known Will and Word of God; the Will and Mind of God was plainly, and often made known unto him;</HI> that he &s;hould not go to Cur&s;e the <HI>People of I&s;rael, the Lords People:</HI> It was <HI>plainly and manife&s;tly made known and Revealed unto him,</HI> and yet he would go, contrary to the <HI>plain revealed Will of God;</HI> which was the mo&s;t De&s;perate Mad|ne&s;s and Folly that could po&s;&s;ibly be: The Apo&s;tle calls it <HI>Madne&s;s,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.16. <HI>The dumb A&s;&s;e &s;peak|ing with Mans Voice forbad the Madne&s;s of the Prophet.</HI></P>
<P>Now, the&s;e Men, the Teachers among the Qua|kers, have <HI>gone in the way of</HI> Balaam, and do &s;till
<PB N="97" REF="53">go and run <HI>greedily, earne&s;tly after the Error of</HI> Ba|laam: In that the <HI>Mind and will of God is plainly and fully Revealed, and made known unto them in the Scriptures;</HI> and which hath been often, very often Declared, and proved by the <HI>clear Light of the Go&s;|pel,</HI> by many of his true and Faithful <HI>Me&s;&s;engers and Amba&s;&s;adors,</HI> &s;ent of God, and Taught of God, and have the mind of Chri&s;t, and have made it known unto them, and yet <HI>&s;o Blind, &s;o Ignorant, &s;o De&s;perately mad</HI> are they, as that they go on &s;till <HI>in the way of</HI> Balaam, <HI>after the Error of</HI> Balaam in this De&s;perate <HI>Madne&s;s and wickedne&s;s,</HI> as <HI>Bala|am did in his,</HI> Directly again&s;t the <HI>plain and clear word of God Revealed in the Scriptures;</HI> as hath been fully proved in many particulars, by many that have pleaded again&s;t them, and manife&s;ted their Errors: And it may well be &s;uppo&s;ed al&s;o, that many of them run greedily <HI>after the Error of</HI> Ba|laam <HI>for Reward, or Advantage,</HI> being <HI>Trade&s;men, and great dealers in worldly affairs,</HI> they may have Re&s;pect to the Recompence of Reward or Profit (in a quite contrary &s;ence to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s choice) <HI>in Tra|ding one with another,</HI> and making Advantages that way; for I am &s;ure they have <HI>no true Spiritual in|ducements</HI> to go on in that way; but all are to turn them out of <HI>this way of</HI> Balaam: But they blind|ly go on, or are drawn, or driven, or carried as <HI>Clouds in a Storm or Tempest,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle goes on further, and &s;ays, <HI>They &s;hall peri&s;h in the gain-&s;aying of</HI> Core; for as <HI>Core,</HI> and his Company with him peri&s;hed for Oppo&s;ing, and <HI>De&s;pi&s;ing</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>and the People of the Lord with him,</HI> and &s;etting up them&s;elves again&s;t them (and in Op|po&s;ing them, they di <HI>Oppo&s;e and De&s;pi&s;e the Lord, in and among them</HI>) even &s;o do the&s;e People now,
<PB N="98" REF="54"><HI>they &s;et up them&s;elves proudly, in Oppo&s;ition to all the Lords precious People in every place,</HI> and call them|&s;elves the <HI>onely holy people of the Lord upon the Earth;</HI> and herein they go beyond, and above <HI>Core and his Company;</HI> for they did not deny but that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and others were <HI>holy,</HI> but they took too much upon them: <HI>Core and his Company</HI> would be Re&s;pected al&s;o, &s;eeing <HI>all the Lords people were ho|ly every one of them,</HI> and &s;o they Murmured, and chid with <HI>Mo&s;es and Aaron,</HI> and &s;aid <HI>Proudly and Stubbornly, they would not come up,</HI> when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> called them; they were very Ob&s;tinate, but yet gave no &s;uch <HI>Language,</HI> neither fell upon them with <HI>Railing Accu&s;ations,</HI> as the&s;e Men do again&s;t the <HI>Societies and Congregations of the Lords People:</HI> But Ob&s;erve the I&s;&s;ue of all this; the Text &s;aith, <HI>they Peri&s;hed:</HI> Core <HI>and his Company</HI> Peri&s;hed for their Pride, Gain-&s;ayings, and Re&s;i&s;tance; and what can the&s;e Men expect, but &s;ooner or later, though not &s;uddenly, or in that manner as they? Yet hath not our Lord &s;aid, That <HI>it were better for any that a Mill-&s;tone were hanged about their neck, and they ca&s;t with it into the Sea, than that they &s;hould Offend one of his Little Ones that believe in him,</HI> Mat. 18.6. What Puni&s;hment then mu&s;t be for him, or tho&s;e who Offend <HI>&s;o many thou&s;ands of the Lords little Ones, and Peculiar ones,</HI> dear unto him as the Ap|ple of his Eye? Who can tell how <HI>&s;ore a Puni&s;h|ment</HI> &s;uch &s;hall be thought worthy of, when the Lord cometh with <HI>Vengeance again&s;t his implacable hardned Enemies?</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. Seventhly, Both the Apo&s;tles Mark them out for <HI>Puni&s;hments</HI> when their &s;in is come to its <HI>full mea&s;ure and height;</HI> and do a&s;&s;ure us, That as God hath Puni&s;hed and De&s;troyed other great &s;inners in
<PB N="99" REF="54">former Days, &s;o he will do to the&s;e al&s;o.</P>
<P N="7">7. 2 Pet. 2.4. <HI>If God &s;pared not the Angels that &s;inned, but ca&s;t them down to hell.</HI></P>
<P>And ver. 5. <HI>Spared not the old world, but de&s;troy|ed it.</HI></P>
<P>And ver. 6. <HI>And turned the Cities of</HI> Sodom <HI>and</HI> Gomorrah <HI>into a&s;hes, ma|king them Examples unto tho&s;e that after &s;hould live ungodly.</HI> So the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers.</P>
<P>2 Pet. 2.1. <HI>They &s;hall bring upon them&s;elves, &s;wift de&s;truction. Their Judgment lingreth not, and their damnation &s;lum|breth not,</HI> ver. 3.</P>
<P>So al&s;o <HI>Jude</HI> notes their Puni&s;hment as o|thers have been.</P>
<P N="7">7. Ver. 5. <HI>He de&s;troy|ed the people of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>that believed not,</HI> and Ver&s;. 6. <HI>The Angels that kept not their fir&s;t e&s;tate, but left their own habitation, he hath re&s;erved in everla&s;t|ing chains, under dark|ne&s;s, unto the Judgment of the great day.</HI> Ver. 7. <HI>Even as</HI> Sodom <HI>and</HI> Go|morrah, <HI>and the Cities about them,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>are &s;et forth for an Example &s;uf|fering the vengeance of eternal fire. Woe unto them,</HI> &amp;c. ver. 11.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tles both having in&s;tanced in the&s;e for|mer <HI>great examples</HI> of God's wrath upon <HI>great &s;inners,</HI> would have us to know and be a&s;&s;ured, that as the&s;e mentioned were puni&s;hed, &s;o al&s;o &s;hall <HI>the&s;e fal&s;e Prophets and Teachers,</HI> that are marked out with <HI>the&s;e Characters,</HI> as they have both of them mentioned; for they both intend, and &s;et out the <HI>&s;ame men,</HI> as we &s;ee both agree, and men|tion the <HI>&s;ame Characters or Letters,</HI> which being &s;et together, a di&s;cerning eye will read, and under|&s;tand who they are when they appear in the world <HI>in the&s;e latter dayes.</HI></P>
<PB N="100" REF="55">
<P>And as a further A&s;&s;urance of their <HI>downfall and puni&s;h|ment,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Enochs <HI>Prophe&s;ie of the&s;e ungodly &s;inners.</HI></NOTE> be&s;ides what the&s;e two Apo&s;tles have told us; Enoch <HI>al&s;o the &s;eventh from</HI> Adam Prophe&s;ied of the&s;e, &s;aying, <HI>Jude</HI> ver. 14. <HI>Behold the Lord cometh with thou&s;ands of his Saints, to execute Judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard &s;peeches which ungodly &s;inners have &s;poken a|gain&s;t him.</HI></P>
<P>We &s;ee here <HI>the&s;e ungodly men</HI> &s;hall be called to an Account for all their <HI>ungodly deeds what&s;oever:</HI> And in particular, for all their <HI>Erroneous and Fal&s;e Doctrines, Books, Pamphlets, and Writings,</HI> which have proceeded from them, wherein are &s;o many hard &s;peeches again&s;t Him, <HI>this great Him,</HI> even <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t Him&s;elf;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers have &s;poken Hard &s;peeches a|gainst Chri&s;t.</NOTE> who will &s;hortly come to judge the world in righteou&s;ne&s;s. The&s;e men the <HI>fal&s;e Teachers</HI> among the Quakers, have &s;poken many hard &s;peeches <HI>again&s;t him immediately, and directly;</HI> and al&s;o a|gain&s;t <HI>him mediately;</HI> that is, again&s;t <HI>his Members, his People,</HI> for ina&s;much as they did &s;o again&s;t any of his <HI>Brethren,</HI> they did it <HI>unto Him;</HI> But O how many <HI>hard &s;peeches, bla&s;phemous &s;peeches</HI> have the&s;e ungodly &s;inners &s;poken <HI>again&s;t him immediately, and directly, in denying, and di&s;-owning of him, in his Per&s;on, in his Natures, in his Offices, in his Preci|ous Death, Blood, and Sufferings, in his All-&s;uffi|cient Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Satisfaction, and Ju&s;tification, wrought for all believers;</HI> &s;peaking &s;lightly of him, as <HI>a Chri&s;t afar off,</HI> and <HI>at a di&s;tance,</HI> de&s;pi&s;ing tho&s;e that &s;peak of <HI>a Per&s;onall Chri&s;t in Heaven;</HI> Own|ing
<PB N="101" REF="55"><HI>no Chri&s;t but what they have within;</HI> and that's nothing but <HI>a blind, naturall, defiled Con&s;cience;</HI> which it &s;eemes can &s;uffer them to <HI>bla&s;pheme Chri&s;t now in Heaven,</HI> in glory, making interce&s;&s;ion for all believers.</P>
<P>Of many of the&s;e <HI>horrid, unheard of Bla&s;phemies again&s;t Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Edw. Burrough's Workes in Folio pag.</HI> 33. 34. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Al&s;o Will. Penn, Sandy Foundation, pag.</HI> 29, 30. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e many <HI>hard, and bla&s;phemous &s;peeches &s;po|ken directly again&s;t our precious Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> he will &s;hortly come to call them to an account for, and <HI>puni&s;h them accordingly:</HI> Yea, and for all the <HI>hard &s;peeches</HI> &s;poken al&s;o again&s;t <HI>his people,</HI> who are dear unto him; it had been better for the&s;e men that a Mil&s;tone had been tyed about their necks, and that they had been ca&s;t into the Sea, than to have offended them, and &s;poken &s;o hardly and fal&s;ly of them, as they have done. They make no difference among Profe&s;&s;ors; they &s;eparate not the precious from the vile.</P>
<P>The&s;e things are fully and at large &s;et forth in three Dialogues between a Chri&s;tian and a Quaker. By <HI>Tho. Hicks.</HI></P>
<P>And further yet, he brands them with another <HI>plain,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers &s;eparation from Chri&s;t and his Peo|ple proves they are no Chri&s;tians.</NOTE> <HI>and notorious Mark, or Character,</HI> which is con&s;picuous to every eye, that by this <HI>Plain Cha|racter</HI> joyned to all the re&s;t, &s;o vi&s;ible al&s;o, the&s;e being joyned and &s;et altogether, we may &s;pell their <HI>Names and their Natures</HI> &s;o plainly, that we can|not mi&s;take the men: for although there are other <HI>fal&s;e Prophets and Teachers</HI> in the world be&s;ides
<PB N="102" REF="56">yet they are of another &s;ort; we mu&s;t &s;pell their Names, and know them by other <HI>Marks, Letters, and Characters.</HI></P>
<P>Now, <HI>this Character</HI> which yet follows in <HI>this Epi&s;tle of</HI> Jude, is in the 19. ver&s;e: <HI>The&s;e are they who &s;eparate them&s;elves; &s;en&s;ual, having not the Spirit:</HI> Now, let it be well con&s;idered who they are that <HI>&s;eparate,</HI> and from whom they <HI>&s;eparate:</HI> There is a <HI>Separation</HI> indeed, that is not onely good and Lawful, but al&s;o a Duty: There is a Command for it; but what is that <HI>Separation?</HI> We &s;ee it plainly, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.14, 15, 16, 17. <HI>Believers</HI> that were Converted by the Mini&s;try of the Go&s;pel, were Commanded to come out from among the <HI>Heatheni&s;h Idolaters,</HI> and not to be partakers with them any longer in their <HI>Heatheni&s;h, Idolatrous Wor&s;hip, in Wor&s;hipping Idols, Wood and Stone, the works of Mens Hands:</HI> But what is that <HI>Separa|tion to this Separation?</HI> This <HI>&s;eparation</HI> the Apo&s;tle takes Notice of, as a very <HI>gro&s;s &s;in;</HI> and we &s;ee it is one of the <HI>Letters, or Characters of the&s;e Men</HI> of whom they &s;peak, the <HI>fal&s;e Teachers;</HI> who be|ing guilty of all tho&s;e great and gro&s;s &s;ins, which the&s;e two Apo&s;tles (<HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Jude</HI>) had newly mentioned; he now adds to them all another <HI>plain, broad, con&s;picuous brand,</HI> and &s;ets it on with an <HI>Empha&s;is, The&s;e are they that Separate them&s;elves; &s;en&s;ual, having not the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>As if the Apo&s;tle had &s;aid in more words, The <HI>fal&s;e Prophets</HI> that I have been now &s;peaking of, and the many that follow their pernicious ways, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. <HI>The&s;e are they, the&s;e are the People who &s;eparate them&s;elves;</HI> and from whom &s;hall they <HI>&s;eparate?</HI> Even from the <HI>People of the Lord,</HI> the <HI>Churches, Congregations, and A&s;&s;emblies of the Saints.</HI></P>
<PB N="103" REF="56">
<P>Now, do not <HI>the&s;e Men &s;o?</HI> Do not the <HI>Qua|kers &s;eparate them&s;elves from all the Saints, from all the particular Churches and A&s;&s;emblies of the Lords People, in all the Land,</HI> as if they were <HI>Heathens and Idolaters;</HI> and &s;peak evil of them, and Re|proach them with many <HI>bitter words and &s;landers.</HI></P>
<P>Witne&s;s <HI>James Jack&s;on, (Author of the &s;trong Man Armed ca&s;t out) in his Separation from the Churches of the Independents,</HI> who Reproaches the <HI>Pa&s;tors,</HI> and brings <HI>Railing Accu&s;ations again&s;t them,</HI> and many other of the precious Saints, even as the <HI>Apo&s;tles, Peter and Jude,</HI> do Declare as one of the <HI>Characters</HI> of the&s;e People, as hath been &s;hewed: And yet he glories in this <HI>his Separation,</HI> and Accounts it (as we &s;ee) as one &s;pecial <HI>mark of his Conver&s;ion,</HI> that he is turned from <HI>Darkne&s;s to Light,</HI> and from the Power of Satan (that <HI>&s;trong Man Armed</HI> being now ca&s;t out) he is come <HI>to God, and to his People,</HI> who (as he tells us,) are the <HI>mo&s;t Holy, Innocent People upon the Earth:</HI> And this his <HI>Conver&s;ion he a&s;cribes to the Light within, which Light</HI> (as he al&s;o &s;aith) <HI>hath Converted Thou&s;ands</HI> in like manner unto God; (yea, as he him&s;elf is <HI>Converted;</HI>) And counts it a Marvellous thing that tho&s;e who think them&s;elves Chri&s;tians, &s;hould not Acknowledge <HI>this Light within to be Chri&s;t, the true Light,</HI> that hath done &s;uch mar|vellous things for him, and many others: But that they &s;hould call it <HI>Natural Light, or the Devil;</HI> he accounts this <HI>Bla&s;phemy.</HI></P>
<P>But now, if we do but Examine this his and others <HI>Separation</HI> according to the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and look upon it in the <HI>true Light indeed,</HI> we &s;hall &s;ee and find, that it is &s;o far from being <HI>a Mark, or Sign of their true Conver&s;ion</HI> (as he and they ac|count
<PB N="104" REF="57">it) that it <HI>is indeed a Mark and Evidence of their Carnal, Dark, &V;nregenerate &s;tate:</HI> And &s;o the Apo&s;tle <HI>Jude</HI> Accounts it to be; and a <HI>Note or Character</HI> of the Ungodly Men, the <HI>fal&s;e Teachers,</HI> which he had been &s;peaking of, throughout his <HI>whole Epi&s;tle;</HI> And &s;ets it on as <HI>a plain Mark</HI> for all Peo|ple to &s;ee and take Notice of; <HI>The&s;e are they that Separate them&s;elves,</HI> Jude 19. Yea, and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> John <HI>joyns his Te&s;timony with him,</HI> to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.18, 19. The Apo&s;tle here &s;peaks of &s;ome <HI>in his time,</HI> that were like the&s;e very Men <HI>in our time;</HI> As we &s;ee, <HI>Little Children, it is the la&s;t time: And as ye have heard that Antichri&s;t &s;hall come, even now are there many Antichri&s;ts, where|by we know that it is the la&s;t time.</HI> And he makes their <HI>Separation</HI> (as we &s;ee) <HI>a Character of their wickedne&s;s,</HI> ver. 19. <HI>They went out from us, be|cau&s;e they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manife&s;t that they were not all of us.</HI></P>
<P>We &s;ee here what <HI>&s;eparation from the People of the Lord,</HI> and their A&s;&s;emblies is Accounted, by this Apo&s;tle al&s;o, he tells us plainly, it is <HI>a Mark or Character of wicked Men;</HI> That &s;uch as <HI>&s;o &s;epa|rate</HI> are <HI>none of the Number of Gods People,</HI> they went out, or <HI>&s;eparated from us, becau&s;e they were not of us;</HI> they were <HI>none of Chri&s;t</HI>'s <HI>Members, no Believers,</HI> as we are; they were not <HI>of us:</HI> For (&s;aith he) if they had been <HI>of us,</HI> if they had been <HI>of the &s;ame Body with us,</HI> whereof Chri&s;t is the Head, then no doubt they would have continued <HI>with us,</HI> and not have <HI>&s;eparated from us;</HI> but it is &s;o, <HI>they went out from us, they for&s;ook us, and &s;e|parated from us,</HI> that it might be made manife&s;t,
<PB N="105" REF="57">that <HI>&s;uch were not of us, that &s;uch were not joyned to Chri&s;t, as we are.</HI></P>
<P>So then, what grounds of boa&s;ting this <HI>James Jack&s;on,</HI> or any other of his Principles and Practice, have in their <HI>&s;eparations</HI> from the true Churches of Chri&s;t, (and joyn with a deluded, Ignorant Peo|ple that Fan&s;y them&s;elves the onely People of the Lord, as being Converted by the Light within) we leave to tho&s;e who are Taught of God to Con&s;ider and Judge.</P>
<P>Alas, Poor, Ignorant,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Lying Spirit is gone forth among&s;t the Qua|kers, which Seduceth them.</NOTE> De|luded Men! They Under&s;tand not, That a fal&s;e, and Lying Spirit (or many) is gone forth among them, and hath Deceived them. If there were but <HI>this one Mark or Character,</HI> (though there are many more men|tioned) yet it were enough of it &s;elf to Di&s;cover them, that they are led by <HI>a Lying, Seducing &s;pirit,</HI> which hath per&s;waded them: That is, Their <Q>Di&s;|owning, and Reproaching &s;o many Thou&s;ands of the Lord's People; Mini&s;ters and Amba&s;&s;adors &s;ent of God, Pa&s;tors of particular Churches and Congregations; all Profe&s;&s;ing People in the Land, yea, in the World, without exception of any.</Q></P>
<P>And although many that are called <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> in the Land, and many <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> are gro&s;&s;ely guilty of &s;in, and deny Chri&s;t in their Works and Doings, which is to be Lamented; Mu&s;t therefore all the <HI>Saints and true Members of Chri&s;t</HI> be Di&s;owned, and Denyed al&s;o, whereof there are many thou|&s;ands? If the&s;e Men had the Spirit of God, and were enlightned, and led by him, they would make a <HI>Difference,</HI> and &s;eparate the <HI>precious</HI> from the <HI>vile;</HI> but they do not <HI>Di&s;tingui&s;h</HI> between the <HI>Righteous</HI>
<PB N="106" REF="58">and the <HI>Wicked,</HI> but Condemn them together, and &s;o are Abomination to the Lord: So that thereby it is plainly &s;een, that <HI>they are not of God;</HI> that they are not as his Mouth to the People (as they pre|tend) <HI>Jer.</HI> 9. It is the <HI>Seducing Spirit,</HI> we may be &s;ure, that doth bely, and Reproach the Lord's People, and his Works and Operations in them. By this, and other <HI>Characters</HI> afore-mentioned, we may be as &s;ure who the Men are, as if their Proper Names (whereby the World knows them from other Men) were Recorded in Scripture. For as the Lords People may certainly know that their <HI>Names</HI> are in the Scriptures, and are Written in Heaven, in the Book of Life (Gods Eternal De|cree, and Secret Coun&s;ell) by Seeing and Reading their <HI>Natures, Properties and Qualifications</HI> in the Scriptures, to which Eternal Life is promi&s;ed: I &s;ay, they may know thereby that they them&s;elves are the Per&s;ons, as certainly as if their <HI>Proper Names</HI> were there Recorded, whereby they are known among&s;t Men: So on the contrary, of Wicked and Ungodly Men, they are al&s;o known, in like manner, by their <HI>Natures, Properties, and Qualificati|ons.</HI></P>
<P>We know who hath &s;aid,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Births of the Spirit, and of the Fle&s;h.</NOTE> <HI>That which is Born of the fle&s;h, is fle&s;h; and that which is Born of the &s;pirit, is &s;pirit:</HI> We may know of what it is Born by the <HI>Birth</HI> that is brought forth: <HI>Satan</HI> he broods upon the Carnal Spirits of wicked Men, and begets <HI>fal&s;e Notions, Opinions, and Principles,</HI> we may know they are of his begetting by their <HI>Form and &s;hape,</HI> when they are brought forth: <HI>Principles of Pride, &s;elf-love, fal&s;e Notions,</HI> and other Deformed &s;hapes, when they are Conceived,
<PB N="107" REF="58">then after a while they are <HI>brought forth,</HI> they are <HI>born,</HI> they are <HI>Publi&s;hed and Declared;</HI> in <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e, Preaching, Writing, or Printing;</HI> the <HI>Births</HI> of Mens minds, their Fle&s;hly, Carnal Minds are brought forth into the World; and they are &s;o like their Father the Devil, that thereby they may be known who was the Father of them.</P>
<P>So on the contrary, <HI>That which is Born of the &s;pi|rit, is &s;pirit;</HI> the <HI>&s;pirit of God dwells</HI> in his Peo|ple, and he daily works, and moves in them, he In&s;pires them with <HI>Truths,</HI> according to the Mind of God, which the Spiritual Mind <HI>Conceives,</HI> and brings forth in <HI>Prayer, Preaching, Di&s;cour&s;e, and Writings;</HI> and the&s;e <HI>Conceptions</HI> are <HI>Born and brought forth into the World;</HI> to the View and Knowledge of all: And that which is thus <HI>born of the &s;pirit, is &s;pirit,</HI> or <HI>&s;piritual;</HI> it is <HI>Truth:</HI> According to the <HI>Mind of the &s;pirit;</HI> for he that is joyned to the Lord, is <HI>one &s;pirit;</HI> one with him, of his Mind: The Saints are Unanimous, of the &s;ame Mind with God, as Wicked and Unregenerate Men are unani|mous with the Devil; they are of his Mind, and he of theirs; for he Ruleth in the Children of Di&s;|obedience.</P>
<P>The <HI>Devil</HI> &s;peaks again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and &s;o do they; though they will own him in Words, in Form, in Shew, and Pretence, yet in Deed, in Works, really, they deny him: The <HI>Devil</HI> will own the <HI>Scriptures in words,</HI> as he does <HI>Chri&s;t in words,</HI> and &s;ay, <HI>Thou art the Holy one of God;</HI> &s;o will tho&s;e who are <HI>one &s;pirit with him,</HI> but will <HI>deny him really,</HI> and accor|ding to Truth.</P>
<P>The <HI>Devil</HI> will own the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and Argue from them, to attain his ends, but never to prove a Nece&s;&s;ary Truth: So <HI>fal&s;e Teachers</HI> are unanimous
<PB N="108" REF="59">with him in the&s;e things; for he that is <HI>joyned to the Devil, is one Spirit,</HI> even as he that is <HI>joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>How great then is the &s;in of the&s;e Men,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Spiritual &s;ins are greater than fle&s;hly &s;ins.</NOTE> who <HI>Conceive in their Minds, and bring forth the Births of the Devil;</HI> as all <HI>Doctrines of Devils</HI> are! Surely, The&s;e <HI>Spiritual &s;ins</HI> are great|er than <HI>fle&s;hly &s;ins;</HI> as <HI>Drunkenne&s;s, Gluttony, Adul|tery, Murder,</HI> &amp;c. (If Robbery, or Murder of a Man be &s;o great a &s;in, what is it to Rob God, and to Crucifie, and be guilty of the Blood of Chri&s;t.) Though for the&s;e, and &s;uch like, when Men will not be reclaimed from them, God often gives them up to a <HI>Reprobate Mind,</HI> Rom. 1. Even &s;o he does al&s;o for the&s;e <HI>&s;piritual &s;ins, fal&s;e Opinions, Doctrines, and Principles:</HI> Concerning <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> his <HI>Natures, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Merits,</HI> and the <HI>things of God,</HI> when they will not be In&s;tructed, but hate to be Reform|ed, and change their Mind, when they will not hearken to the <HI>Truth,</HI> but &s;till re&s;i&s;t it, di&s;own it, contradict, and Bla&s;pheme; when the Truths of the Go&s;pel have been often Offered, and tendred to them, yet they will not hear, nor regard, but ra|ther <HI>believe Lyes,</HI> than the <HI>Truth,</HI> then God gives them up to <HI>strong delu&s;ion,</HI> to believe Lyes, and to hearken, and give heed to <HI>&s;educing &s;pirits:</HI> this is a very dreadful &s;tate indeed, they draw the&s;e <HI>&s;piritual Judgments</HI> upon them&s;elves by the&s;e <HI>&s;pi|ritual &s;ins.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Quakers</HI> &s;etting up this <HI>Idol, The Light with|in every Man and Woman,</HI> is a greater &s;in in them, than for <HI>Jezebels fal&s;e Prophets</HI> to &s;et up <HI>Baal,</HI> and Pray unto it, and tru&s;t in it, in&s;tead of the <HI>God of I&s;rael.</HI> May it not <HI>(Ironically)</HI> be &s;aid to them,
<PB N="109" REF="59">as <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> &s;aid to tho&s;e <HI>fal&s;e Prophets,</HI> Cry aloud, for he is a god (as ye &s;ay) but he is but a <HI>Blind god,</HI> he hath <HI>Eyes indeed, but he cannot &s;ee; Ears, but he cannot hear; Hands and Feet, but he cannot move,</HI> to help, or do any thing for tho&s;e who Tru&s;t in him, without help from another.</P>
<P>If the&s;e Men will not be <HI>pleaded,</HI> nor <HI>per&s;waded</HI> out of their Vain, Ignorant, &s;otti&s;h Opinion of <HI>the Light within every Man and Woman,</HI> being <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> let Men endeavour to Shame them out of it; for it hath not &s;o much as a &s;hew, or &s;hadow of Truth in it; but is plainly <HI>a mo&s;t dreadful delu&s;ion of the Devil, and a great Bla&s;phemy again&s;t Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This Opinion of theirs,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fal&s;e Opinions of the Quakers &s;pring from Pride and Ignorance.</NOTE> with other of their fal&s;e Prin|ciples, &s;prings from <HI>Pride and Ignorance:</HI> And this the Apo|&s;tle Ob&s;erves concerning &s;uch Men, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.3, 4. <HI>If any Man teach otherwi&s;e, and con&s;ent not to whol&s;ome words, even the words of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to the Doctrine which is according to God|line&s;s.</HI> Ver. 4. <HI>He is Proud, knowing nothing, but Doting about Que&s;tions, and &s;trife of words, where|of cometh Envy, Strife, Railing, Evil &s;urmi&s;ings.</HI> Ver. 5. <HI>Perver&s;e Di&s;putings of Men of Corrupt Minds, and De&s;titute of the Truth,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Such kind of men were al&s;o in the Apo&s;tle <HI>Johns</HI> time, as we &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.17. They were <HI>Proud and Ignorant;</HI> They thought them&s;elves <HI>Rich, and had need of Nothing; whereas indeed they were poor and mi&s;erable, and blind and naked.</HI></P>
<P>It is our duty to di&s;cover the&s;e kind of people, to try them, and to make them manife&s;t to the world as much as may be: for their <HI>fal&s;e Opinions of God, of Them&s;elves, and of Others,</HI> is no le&s;s than <HI>Bla&s;phe|my,</HI>
<PB N="110" REF="60">Rev. 2.9. <HI>I know the bla&s;phemy of them that &s;ay they are Jewes, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Sathan,</HI> The Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> is commended for this, That as they cannot bear the&s;e <HI>fal&s;e Teach|ers,</HI> &s;o al&s;o to <HI>di&s;cover them, to try them,</HI> and make them manife&s;t to others, <HI>by Scripture Characters and Marks,</HI> by which they may be known: Rev. 2.2. <HI>I know thy workes, and thy labour, and thy pa|tience, and how thou can&s;t not bear them which are evil; And thou ha&s;t tryed them which &s;ay they are Apo&s;tles, and are not, and ha&s;t found them Ly|ars.</HI></P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;peaking of <HI>deceiving and deceived per&s;ons,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers deceive, weak and &s;imple minds.</NOTE> he tells us, they &s;hall not long continue thus to <HI>deceive; for their folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t to all men:</HI> 2 Tim. 3.8, 9. The Apo&s;tle by the Teachings, and In&s;pirations of the Spirit of God, having in the former ver&s;es told us, <HI>that in the la&s;t dayes perillous times &s;hall come,</HI> That <HI>men &s;hall be lovers of them&s;elves, proud, boa&s;ters, bla&s;phemers, &amp;c.</HI> in the next ver&s;e he &s;hewes us a <HI>Token,</HI> and &s;ets a <HI>Mark of di&s;tinction</HI> upon them: <HI>Of this &s;ort</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>are they which creep into hou&s;es, and lead captive &s;illy women, laden with &s;ins, led away with divers lu&s;ts,</HI> ver. 7. <HI>ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.</HI></P>
<P>We &s;ee here, what &s;ort of men are active to de|ceive; what they do <HI>privately, creep into hou&s;es;</HI> and al&s;o the <HI>&s;ubjects</HI> they work upon; by their <HI>cun|ning craftine&s;s,</HI> whereby they lye in wait to deceive (as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith) That is, <HI>&s;illy women, &s;imple people,</HI> per&s;ons of <HI>weak under&s;tandings, and natu|rall faculties; of &s;hallow capacities,</HI> ea&s;ily led away, with divers Lu&s;ts, and Errors; &s;uch kind of <HI>weak
<PB N="111" REF="60">and &s;imple minds</HI> are ea&s;ily deceived: They know not how to di&s;tingui&s;h between <HI>Truth and Errors;</HI> they are &s;till <HI>Hearing and Learning,</HI> but are never able to come to the knowledge of the <HI>Truth:</HI> at lea&s;t they are never able to come to the knowledge of <HI>&s;ome Truths,</HI> for &s;ome <HI>Truths</HI> lye more deep than others. Some are more ea&s;ie to be apprehended, than &s;ome others: &s;ome <HI>Truths are hard to be un|der&s;tood,</HI> as the the Apo&s;tle ob&s;erves; which they that are un&s;table, pervert; yea, and they that are but weak, and &s;hallow of under&s;tanding, do al&s;o pervert, mi&s;take, mi&s;apprehend, and mi&s;apply.</P>
<P>As for in&s;tance <HI>in this very thing; This Principle and Opinion</HI> of the Quakers, concerning the <HI>Light within:</HI> We know how they apprehend it; Their Teachers, and their hearers, they call it <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> who lighteth every man and woman that cometh into the world; This Notion borders upon a <HI>Truth,</HI> and hath &s;ome &s;mall &s;haddowy re&s;emblance of a <HI>Truth,</HI> but is not <HI>a Truth,</HI> as the&s;e weak people apprehend it. For there is <HI>a light within</HI> which &s;ees, and works, and moves &s;everal wayes, toward that which appeares good, according as it apprehends it, and again&s;t what it thinks to be evil; now this herein hath &s;ome re&s;emblance <HI>of Chri&s;t; and his Spirit:</HI> and &s;o <HI>weak minds, &s;illy men, and women,</HI> may think it to be &s;o indeed; e&s;pecially when they hear it po&s;itively, and plainly a&s;&s;erted, affirmed, and contended for, by men who have gained their affections, by their demure Countenances, mode&s;t behaviour, and apparell, and many good words, and fair &s;peeches, with &s;eeming zeal; they are thereby confirmed in this per&s;wa&s;ion, that &s;urely it is Chri&s;t indeed.</P>
<P>But <HI>this per&s;wa&s;ion cometh not of him that calleth
<PB N="112" REF="61">us:</HI> Gal. 5.8. (as the Apo&s;tle here &s;aith) but a|ri&s;eth from <HI>weakne&s;s and ignorance;</HI> from the <HI>dark|ne&s;s of the under&s;tanding,</HI> helped on, and &s;trength|ned by that <HI>deceiver of deceivers, the &s;educing &s;pirit;</HI> who is &s;till ready, as to <HI>beget,</HI> &s;o al&s;o to <HI>feed and nouri&s;h fal&s;e Opinions,</HI> in the minds of all; as God permits him.</P>
<P>Certain it is, <HI>Rea&s;on and Natural Con&s;cience is a Light within,</HI> and di&s;cerns many things, both <HI>good and evil;</HI> and acts towards, or again&s;t them, accordingly; &s;o far as it &s;ees and di&s;cerns, accord|ing to the <HI>mea&s;ure of Light</HI> that is in the <HI>Con&s;ci|ence:</HI> This is clear from <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. where the Apo&s;tle &s;peakes of the wor&s;t of men, who had <HI>this Light</HI> in them, and therefore were inexcu&s;able in going a|gain&s;t it. <HI>This Light within,</HI> though it be not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> yet it was created <HI>by Chri&s;t,</HI> as all things el&s;e were, but it cannot go beyond its bounds; No more than <HI>Natural water</HI> can of it &s;elf, ri&s;e higher than <HI>the &s;pring head,</HI> the <HI>light within cannot &s;ee Chri&s;t,</HI> nor <HI>the way, and means of Salvation by him, without the light of the Scriptures, and of the Spi|rit of God.</HI></P>
<P>But the Quakers are &s;trongly confirmed, That <HI>the Light within every man and woman is Chri&s;t;</HI> let all men &s;ay what they will to the contrary: yet mo&s;t certain it is that <HI>this Opinion</HI> of theirs, was <HI>begotten by ignorance,</HI> and is <HI>nouri&s;hed and maintain|ed by Pride:</HI> for they having a&s;&s;erted it, and &s;o long &s;tood to it, in upholding it; they have not the <HI>hu|mility</HI> to retract, and acknowledge an Errour, (though &s;ome may be &s;ecretly convinced that it is &s;o) for it is <HI>Natural</HI> to men to maintain, and &s;tand to what they have once <HI>owned and a&s;&s;erted;</HI> they are loth to &s;toop, and acknowledge <HI>ignorance,</HI> no
<PB N="113" REF="61">not unto <HI>God him&s;elf,</HI> much le&s;s to Men.</P>
<P>I am per&s;waded, There were never any Sect, or &s;ort of People from the Creation of the World to this day, that were <HI>more irrational, and le&s;s &s;pi|ritual</HI> than the&s;e People the Quakers are in all their <HI>Di&s;cour&s;es, Principles, Books, and Practices;</HI> nor <HI>greater Enemies to Chri&s;t, his Go&s;pel, and his Peo|ple.</HI> <Q>As the Lord Liveth, who hath delivered me out of great Tribulations, and &s;aved me from the hand of the Enemy, I will contribute my utmo&s;t abilities to throw down the Enemies of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the&s;e, and all Doctrines of De|vils, and Lyes in Hypocri&s;ie, and what&s;oever el&s;e &s;hall Oppo&s;e him, or his Intere&s;t in the World.</Q></P>
<P>Now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Quakers &s;hall not long continue to deceive.</NOTE> this being manife&s;t by all <HI>the&s;e Marks and Cha|racters</HI> that have been mentio|ned, That the&s;e Men, the <HI>fal&s;e Teachers among the Quakers,</HI> are the <HI>fal&s;e Teachers</HI> &s;poken of in the Scriptures, that &s;hould come <HI>in the&s;e la&s;t days:</HI> The Apo&s;tle al&s;o tells us, that <HI>they &s;hall not long continue to deceive,</HI> they &s;hall be of no long &s;tanding, <HI>for their Folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t unto all men,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.9.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle here compares them to <HI>Jannes and Jambres,</HI> two of <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s <HI>Magicians</HI> (who&s;e Names are to be &s;een in &s;ome Ancient Authors) who with&s;tood <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in his time; &s;o do the&s;e <HI>re&s;i&s;t the Truth, Men of Corrupt minds, Reprobate con|cerning the Faith.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The&s;e Teachers</HI> (Men of Corrupt minds) <HI>re&s;i&s;t the Truth, a mo&s;t dreadful &s;ign of Reprobation;</HI> though the Truths of the Go&s;pel are brought, and plainly laid before them, to turn them from <HI>the Er|ror
<PB N="114" REF="62">of their way,</HI> in their <HI>fal&s;e unchri&s;tian Principles and Practices,</HI> yet <HI>they re&s;i&s;t the Truth,</HI> they di&s;|own it, and reject it, and they that Offer it to them; and that with many <HI>reviling hard &s;peeches again&s;t them</HI> for &s;o doing: Like <HI>Swine</HI> they <HI>trample Pearls under their Feet, and turn again and rent you:</HI> Being <HI>Men of Corrupt minds, and Reprobate concerning the Faith;</HI> their minds are <HI>Corrupt, Car|nal, Filthy, Defiled with fal&s;e Notions, Erroneous Opinions, and Conceptions of things,</HI> according to their <HI>dark, carnal apprehen&s;ions,</HI> mixed al&s;o with <HI>Satans fal&s;e glo&s;&s;es, and deceitful appearances in their minds;</HI> and &s;o they become <HI>Reprobate concern|ing the Faith:</HI> That is, <HI>without Judgment, or any true &V;nder&s;tanding in Matters of Faith,</HI> according as the <HI>Scriptures</HI> have revealed them.</P>
<P>But it follows, <HI>ver.</HI> 9. <HI>They &s;hall proceed no fur|ther, for their folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t unto all men, as theirs al&s;o was.</HI> After they have <HI>done their work, and filled up the mea&s;ure of their Iniquity, and fulfilled the Scriptures,</HI> what was fore-told of them; then they &s;hall be <HI>Di&s;covered and made ma|nife&s;t,</HI> and that <HI>to all men,</HI> even to <HI>their own party al&s;o</HI> (as well as to others) who have been <HI>long de|ceived and &s;educed by them:</HI> they &s;hall then <HI>fall off from them by degrees, and leave them, and for&s;ake their meetings.</HI> They &s;hall be known to be <HI>deceitful workers,</HI> their folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t, as theirs al&s;o was, that is as the folly of <HI>Jannes and Jambres, the Sorcerers or Magicians</HI> which deceived the Peo|ple for a while with <HI>fal&s;e &s;hews and appearances of things</HI> which were not &s;o in <HI>Reality and Truth;</HI> af|terwards they were di&s;covered to be but a Cheat, and deceitful workings.</P>
<P>So the&s;e men with all their <HI>Counterfeit Coin and
<PB N="115" REF="62">Deceitful Wares,</HI> which they <HI>expo&s;e and offer to Peo|ple in the dark,</HI> and which they will not (by their good will) bring unto <HI>the Light of the Scriptures,</HI> which would make things manife&s;t unto all; yet they &s;hall in due time be brought <HI>to the Light; their folly &s;hall be made manife&s;t unto all.</HI></P>
<P>And is not <HI>this Scripture</HI> in a great mea&s;ure ful|filled <HI>already, even at this day?</HI> The Men, <HI>the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers, their Opinions, Principles, and Practi|ces</HI> have been <HI>of late time,</HI> more than ever before, laid open, <HI>and their Folly, and gro&s;s Ignorance, and Errors made manife&s;t unto all,</HI> and &s;o will be &s;till more and more.</P>
<Q>See three Dialogues between a Chri&s;tian and a Quaker, by <HI>Tho. Hicks,</HI> where they are made Naked before all Men to their &s;hame.</Q>
<P>God hath (of late time more e&s;pecially) &s;tir|red up the Spirits of &s;ome of his People, to <HI>&s;earch into, and Examine their Opinions and Doctrines, and to try them by the Scriptures, &s;poken by God him&s;elf;</HI> and they find that the&s;e Men have &s;poken contrary to what God hath &s;poken: The <HI>Doctrine of the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers is contrary to the Doctrine of Chri&s;t</HI> made known to us in the Go&s;pel, they are <HI>detected, di&s;covered, and made manife&s;t to all,</HI> ex|cept &s;ome of their own Party, (Friends as they call them) who it's like are &s;o Charmed by them, as that they will not hear, nor hearken to any thing that is &s;aid <HI>again&s;t them or their Principles,</HI> though &s;poken according to truth: Nay, they will not hear <HI>God him&s;elf &s;peak,</HI> for they <HI>Neglect and De&s;pi&s;e the Scriptures,</HI> and prefer <HI>their own &s;imple Pamphlets</HI> before them.</P>
<P>Now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Good Councel to the Quakers.</NOTE> &s;eeing the&s;e things are &s;o, I &s;hall in &s;incere Love
<PB N="116" REF="63">and Pity to the Souls of the&s;e People, the Quakers, give them my Advice and Councel according to Truth, whether they will hear it, or whether they will reject it; I am per&s;waded there are <HI>&s;ome among&s;t them who have true and real intentions and de&s;ires after the truth, to hear it, and to do it;</HI> and therefore there is &s;ome hopes <HI>of &s;uch,</HI> that if they would give them&s;elves to <HI>&s;earch the Scriptures,</HI> con|cerning the <HI>Principles of their Teachers,</HI> and be earne&s;t with God to give them <HI>his Spirit to Open their &V;nder&s;tandings,</HI> they might clearly &s;ee the gro&s;s Folly and Errors of the&s;e Men; and that they would read <HI>other mens Books</HI> (wherein they are concern'd) as well as <HI>their Friends Books:</HI> thereby al&s;o <HI>their Light within would be the clearer:</HI> But whil&s;t they Neglect or Decline the <HI>means of know|ledge,</HI> no marvel though they remain <HI>Ignorant,</HI> and are &s;educed.</P>
<P>My Advice and Councel is further,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Leave the Quakers Meetings.</NOTE> That you would <HI>leave the A&s;&s;emblies of the&s;e Men, &s;eparate your &s;elves from their Congregations and Meetings: Now is &s;eparation &s;ea&s;onable,</HI> accord|ing to the Scriptures, <HI>&s;eparate from them,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>they have &s;eparated from Christ, and from his Church and People;</HI> they are <HI>gone from the truth,</HI> and are <HI>turned unto Fables;</HI> and they give <HI>heed unto &s;edu|cing &s;pirits, and Doctrines of Devils, &s;peaking lyes in Hypocri&s;ie, having their Con&s;ciences &s;eared with an hot Iron;</HI> &s;o that they will not hear, nor heark|en to the Truth as it is in Je&s;us.</P>
<P>They <HI>&s;light and de&s;pi&s;e the Scriptures,</HI> and there|fore <HI>what Light is</HI> in them, <HI>what Wi&s;dom</HI> is in them? Nothing but <HI>Darkne&s;s and Ignorance,</HI> improved al&s;o by <HI>&s;ubtil &s;educing &s;pirits,</HI> which (except they
<PB N="117" REF="63">&s;peedily Repent) will draw them down into the <HI>Bottomle&s;s Pit.</HI></P>
<P>And next I advi&s;e you,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Come to the A&s;&s;emblies of the Saints.</NOTE> <HI>Come and joyn your &s;elves to the Lord, and to his People;</HI> come into their <HI>A&s;&s;emblies, Societies, and Congregations;</HI> there ye &s;hall hear <HI>Chri&s;t truly Preached, and &s;et forth according to the Go&s;pel,</HI> whereby your minds may be <HI>enlightned to &s;ee the Beauty of Chri&s;t indeed,</HI> with all his <HI>Benefits and Priviledges</HI> purcha&s;ed for his People; and this may make you fall <HI>in Love with him, and to chu&s;e him for your Lord and Hus|band.</HI> O take heed of for&s;aking, or Neglecting the <HI>A&s;&s;emblies of the People of the Lord,</HI> as the man|ner of &s;ome is; it is a very Dangerous thing. See the Con&s;equences of it, which the Apo&s;tle tells us of in the 10. of the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> it is a Sign, or fore|runner of <HI>that great &s;in, the &s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> as it is there &s;et forth. Come then to the <HI>A&s;&s;emblies of the Saints, for the Lord is among them, and in them, and Communicates him&s;elf unto them;</HI> he reveals his Mind, his Secrets to them that fear him. Ye are now <HI>in a dry and barren Wilderne&s;s,</HI> where there is <HI>no Water, no Water of Life,</HI> your Souls will be lean, and &s;tarved for want of <HI>Food, for want of the Bread and Water of Life,</HI> unle&s;s ye come unto him, that ye may have Life; your <HI>teach|ers them&s;elves</HI> want this, having for&s;aken the <HI>Foun|tain of Living Waters,</HI> and run to <HI>broken Ci&s;terns,</HI> which hold <HI>not a drop of Water. The Light within is but Darkne&s;s</HI> to the <HI>true Light Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Your Teachers them&s;elves <HI>want water,</HI> being <HI>Wells with|out water, and Clouds without water, carried about with winds.</HI> Therefore come to the <HI>Fountain of Living waters, to the Fountain of Gardens,</HI> that
<PB N="118" REF="64">waters <HI>all the Gardens, all his Churches,</HI> and every <HI>particular &s;oul;</HI> and <HI>their &s;ouls are as watred Gar|dens, and as &s;prings of water, who&s;e waters fail not:</HI> For there is in them <HI>a Well of water, &s;pringing up unto Eternal Life.</HI> Come then, and be partakers of <HI>the&s;e Priviledges;</HI> be <HI>one with Chri&s;t, and with his People;</HI> and ye &s;hall be <HI>enlightned by Chri&s;t the true Light indeed, and Life indeed,</HI> who will guide you, and lead you into <HI>Green Pa&s;tures by the Rivers of waters;</HI> who will feed you with the <HI>Bread and Water of Life, unto Eternal Life.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="64">
<P>THere are lately Publi&s;hed Three Dialogues Between a Chri&s;tian and a Qua|ker, wherein are faithfully Re|pre&s;ented &s;ome of the Chief and mo&s;t Concerning Opinions of the Quakers; together with their Method and Manner of Rea&s;oning in the Defence thereof. Al&s;o the Quakers Ap|peal An&s;wered. All Written by <HI>Tho. Hicks.</HI> Sold by <HI>Peter Parker</HI> at the <HI>Leg</HI> and <HI>Star</HI> in <HI>Cornhil,</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Royal Ex|change.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
