The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained, Introduction · Reflections 2
Reflections on Chap. 1. of the Holy Scriptures.
We have here a Confeſſion of his Faith, (ſuch as it is) concerning the Scriptures, wherein, (if he gives us his mind candidly, which we have cauſe to ſuſpect, (and ſhall give our reaſon before we part) we are ſure he doth not expreſs the ſenſe of his Brethren and Predeceſſors, except they ſay one thing, and mean the contrary.
Section, 1, 2. As for the two firſt Paragraphs of this Chapter, we will take them as farr as they will go; though the word Outward hath a Reſerve in it, and intimates That God hath one Rule to direct His people by Outwardly, and another Inwardly; or as if God taught us one thing by His Word, and another by His Spirit; we ſhall have Occaſion afterwards to diſcourſe how perniciouſly this undermines the Chriſtian Faith; and why he hath not made Practices as well as Doctrines liable to this Teſt might well be enquired. However there will be occaſion to rubb up his memory, with his own Conceſſions, when we find that he has forgoten himſelf (for a quaker's ſpirit is not of a perfect Reminiſcence) and mean while let him try how he can reconcile himſelf to his Friends, who have directly (as might be inſtanced abundantly) rejected the Scriptures with Scorn. Smith tells us, It is the greateſt Error in the world, and the ground of all Errors, to ſay the Scriptures are a Rule to Chriſtians; and many Expreſſions of the ſame import. But he will ſalve all with the nice Diſtinction of an outward and an inward Rule.
Sect. 3. This Paragraph might have paſt, had it not been for his perverſe Interpretation of it, in which he ſpends his Second Chapter, where we ſhall have it out, if our patience can but wait a little.
Sect. 4. We were afraid, when we ſaw him ſo liberal of his Conceſſions, that he would ſoon repent of it; we have him therefore here trying to get ſomething of it back again; but ſtay, Friend, and be more frugal of your Largeſſes henceforward: Well, he hath given the Scripture leave (in a good humour) to be ſo far a Rule at leaſt, that No Doctrine that cannot be demonſtrated by it, layes us under any Obligation to believe it: and ſo we are ſatisfied that it is no mortal ſin to with-hold our Credit from any of their New-Revelations, that are neither Scripture, nor Scripture-Conſequence, which, in Chapt. 2nd. he pleads for.
G. K. had a mind to wheadle ſome into a Compliance with his Opinions who had been taught to entertain a good Reſpect for the Scriptures; For which reaſon he would inſinuate, that the honeſt Quakers are not the men that they have been repreſented to be, nor are they ſuch Enemies to the written Word, as they are reported; but why then doth he not correct his friend Lucas, who hath told us, That any Quaker, if he has a mind to it, (as they are arrogant enough) may make as good himſelf; and they challenge us to tell them what one Scripture hath Light in it; and many like Blaſphemies not to be named.
But what ſhall he do to ſatisfy his brethren, whoſe Fabrick is built upon the ſandy Foundation of a New Light and new Revelations, if the Scripture hath all the Doctrines of Religion in it? He had in his youth (when he was in the Dark, as he ſaith we are) gotten a little of that carnal thing called Humane Learning, and, tho' one would have thought, that a doſe of New-Light would have purged it all away, yet there are ſome confuſed dreggs behind, and he will try if they may not help at a dead lift; and let us ſee how he will manage it, Though (ſaith he) the Scriptures contain a full and ſufficient Declaration of all Chriſtian Doctrine, yet they do not contein the whole mind and will and counſil of God, as ſome ſay they do. and, pray Sr, who ever ſaid ſo? Qui bene diſtinguit bene docet. If by the Mind, Will, and Counſel of God, he intends the Eternal Decrees and Purpoſes (as theſe words are often taken) then we never ſaid nor thought that the Scriptures contain a full diſcovery of theſe: they are the Secret things which belong to God; and are ſo far revealed in Scripture Praedictions, & Providential Accompliſhments, as God ſees meet; and there are ſome new diſcoveries of them every day. But if he means the Preceptive Will of God, diſcovering to man what is his Duty, in order to his Happineſs; then, not we only, but he alſo, Sect. 1, 2. ſaith that they do contain all, (if he ſaith any thing at all) and in this ſenſe (beſides which he ſaith nothing to purpoſe) here is a plain Contradiction; for to ſay that a thing contain all the parts and yet not the Whole, is ſo in the Letter, whatever it be in his ſpirit.
But let us ſee how he proves it; and here we have a Reaſon for it, and then a tedious Induction of diverſe Inſtances, and they make it as plain as can be, except you be in the Darkneſs.
1. The Reaſon is Becauſe (and if every thing that men put Becauſe to, may ſtand for a Reaſon, his is a good one) there are many things wherein God doth reveal of His Counſel to His children, which are not in the Scripture, either expreſly or conſequentially, altogether Neceſſary for their peace and Comfort. i. e. Either ſome new Duties which were not conteined (no not conſequentially) in the Scriptures; or ſome new Promiſes, which the Word of God referrs not to; and New Duties, & new Promiſes make a new Goſpel, againſt which we are awfully cautioned; Gal. …1.8. If there be new Duties, they muſt contain a new Doctrine not revealed by the Scripture; but he gives no encouragement to believe any ſuch; Sect. 2. If new promiſes, they muſt refer to Purgatory; for the Scripture hath given all that belong to Time and Eternity, The life that now is, and that which duplicate page duplicate page is to come; 1. Tim. 4.8. And if he mean only that there are New Providences which contribute to their peace and Comfort; as it is nothing to the purpoſe, ſo he ſhould have done well to have imparted a little of his Light to us, to teach us how to extract this grace and comfort, without making uſe of the Scriptures to that end.
2. Let us ſee how far his Inſtances will help him; he gives us Five, though one to the purpoſe had bin worth five hundred ſuch as theſe.
1. The firſt reſpects a man's Aſſurance of his preſent ſtate of Grace, in his inward Calling; as he entitles it, The knowledge whereof, he ſaith, is a part of God's Counſil; i. e. it is God's will, and his duty that he be acquainted with it. That it is a duty we never denied; but that it is by the Scripture that we know it to be a duty, we believe, ſee 2. Cor. 13.5. 2. Pet. 1.10. But then, the Aſſurance it ſelf cannot be infallibly gained by Scripture or Scripture Conſequence, but only by the Spirit of God: and for this he cites Rom. 8.16. very unhappily for himſelf, if he had thought of it; for by this very Citation, he gives us another point; viz. that it is by the Scripture that we come to know that …e muſt have our aſſiſtance from the Spirit …lone; nay more, he grants that the Scrip…ure gives the infallible marks of ſuch an eſtate; …, but the Spirit muſt apply all this, or it …annot be known; that is the Myſtery then, …ut what avails this? Why only this? …he Work of the Spirit is neither Scripture nor Scripture-Conſequence; and who knew not that as well as he? But if the Scriptures be the Inſtrument which the Spirit uſeth to work this Aſſurance in us by, his inſtance is impertinent. We aſſert and believe,
1. That the Spirit of God is the Author or Efficient of all Grace in the hearts of Believers; and therefore is called The Spirit of Grace. 2. That he uſeth the Word of God in Scripture, in putting Men into that ſtate upon which their Aſſurance is built, Jam. 1.18. 1. Pet. 1.23. 3d…y. That the Witneſs of the Spirit is Co-witneſſing with our ſpirits, Rom. 8.16. which is neceſſary to make the Evidence Authentick. 4thly. That the Teſtimony of our Spirits is an Evidence that is drawn from theſe infallible marks, which, but for the SCRIPTURE we had not known to be ſuch; and if th… Spirit ſhould apply any other evidence bu… what is according to Scripture, by G. K'… own Doctrine, we are not bound to believ… it.
2. The next inſtance refers to an Inward Call to the Miniſtry; and runs upon the ſame fooliſh notion with the former, and needs no further Anſwer: only let it be here laid by in ſtore, That he pretend… to owne ſuch a diſtinct Office in the Church, which the Practice of the Quakers makes a Gift Common to all they account to be of the true Church, both men and women,
3. In his third Inſtance he begs a Principle which will never be Granted him, viz. that men are to tarry for an Inward Call to pray or perform any religious Duty; which being Voluntary on the Spirit's part, he concludes cannot be known ſimply by the Scriptures. But let it be here remarked,
1. That Moral Duty depends on the Precept, and not on inward Motions: Prayer (which he refers to in particular) is to be without ceaſing, 1. Theſ. 5.19. i. e. every day, and on all occaſions. 2. That the Motion to do any thing, which is at any time upon us, is to be tryed by the …criptures, whether it be of God, for we …re bidden to try the Spirits, and are directed to the Law and Teſtimony as our Rule, and if it be not there Revealed, G. K. tells is we need not believe it. 3. We are commanded to ſtir up the Grace that is in us; and how often have we David at this? yea, when we want the Spirit for Prayer, we are to pray for the Spirit.
4. As to his next inſtance referring to our Enquiring and diſcovering what is the mind of God in our Carriage under His Hand, and in the management of our weighty Affairs; when he hath ſaid all he can, the Word of God, or the Scripture, is that which muſt ultimately reſolve us, That, to know What is Duty, depends on Divine Revelation, we are Agreed: That God did ſometimes reveal His Will extraordinarily to His Servants of Old, we deny not, but that the Word of God in Scripture is that which to us in Goſpel Times, ſince the Canon was perfected, Anſwers all the other wayes of Revelation is an Article of our Creed, and we think we have Scripture-warrant for it, 2. Pet. 1.19. &c. As to the Caſe of Marriage, which he talks of, & inſtanceth in the carriage of Abraham's ſervant, it is quite aliene to his purpoſe: for who ever aſſerted that God's providence is bound to follow Scripture Rules, being ſupream & arbitrary? But ſtill in our ſerving of this Providence, and knowing how to uſe it to His glory, and particularly to know what is the mind …nd will of God to us in this Providence, we have no other Rule to inform our ſelves by, but the Scriptures; and tho the Spirit muſt reveal it, yet this is the thing Revealed.
Where as he tells us, that Philip, Peter, and others, were extraordinarily called to ſuch and ſuch ſervices, it is readily replied, that That was extraordinary, and without warrant for us ordinarily to expect the like: moreover, the things they were called to, were ſuch as the Scripture ſatisfied them to be according to God.
Finally, We deny not but that the Spirit of God doth ſtill put an impulſe on the ſpirits of His people frequently, but is it ſelf-evident, or muſt not the Warrantableneſs of it be tryed by Scripture-Rules? Let G. K. if he can, give an inſtance of a Quaker that ever had ſuch a ſelf-evidenceing extraordinary Call, as Philip Peter, &c. had in former dayes. How impertinently he quotes Jam. 4.15. to prove his Aſſertion, … if the Lord will] may ſoon be ſeen. He in…erprets it of a Will not to be known by the …cripture, but by the Spirit without it; …hereas any man of common ſenſe may per…eive that the ſenſe of that Text is this; …hat when a man is ſatisfied that his deſign …s Lawful, he is then to acknowledge that his …ffairs are ſubject to the Ruling Providence of God, who may either further or impede his Undertaking as He will; and how comes he …o be ſatisfied in this but by the Scriptures? …f Providence furthers him, he is ſatisfied …hat it was Gods Will to ſuffer it; if He puts a ſtop to it, it diſcovers the ſecret Will of God revealing it ſelf in this particular, & …ow to demean himſelf under this he hath al…o from the Word; and what is all this to their inwardly feeling a Command or Permiſſion, which he idly talks of?
5. Here we are told of God's Anſwering the returns of the Prayers of His people; A Quakeriſm! i. e. Nonſenſe. And we have him at length concluding his impertinent fourth Paragraph, with Aſſuring us, That the Scripture promiſes applied by the Spirit are the inward Voice of God to His children: but why hath he been all this while fighting with his own ſhadow, if this be all he intends?
Sect. 5. Now he draws his Concluſion▪ Therefore the Scripture doth not contain all th… Word or Words of God: whereas we though… that if he had concluded from the premiſes he ſhould have ſaid, Therefore it doth, becauſe all theſe are nothing but Scripture, o… ther expreſly or conſequentially. He bring… in Act. 12.24. The word grow & multiplie… to prove his Aſſertion; but we might ask him, whether he intends its multiplying by new Inſpirations or Revelations, or by multiplied Efficacy? Did not he himſelf reſolve us, that there was no new Doctrine? and thence we infer that there was no new Word, in the ſence we are diſputing.
Sect. 6. What have we here? Chriſt & His Apoſtles expounded the ſcriptures by Inſpiration, & yet taught no new Doctrine. Sure he forgets himſelf, was not the whole frame of the Goſpel Diſpenſation a New Model? And hence there were new Inſtitutions; ſee Heb. 7.12. Chapt. 8.7, 8. & 13.10. for which things there was required extraordinary Inſpiration; & therefore to his Demand, Why may it not be ſo now? we anſwer, Becauſe the Canon is perfected; and whereas he aſſerts that it is ſo, becauſe ſome do at this day expound the ſcripture by the ſame ſpirit; though it be impertinent, for if it be the Scripture it is not a new thing revealed; yet we have alſo to charge him with a Fallacy purpoſely uſed, in the word Spirit, if taken perſonally, for the Holy Ghoſt, it is beſide the caſe, if for His Gifts, or the manner of His diſpenſing of Himſelf to & by His ſervants, we have but his word for it, and that not very well agreeing to 1. Cor. 12.4, 5, 6. and if his own Rule be true, viz. that ſuch mens Expoſition as have no infallible ſpirit cannot be the word of God, he hath thrown himſelf as well as us, and his book is to be little regarded, being full of Miſtakes, Nonſenſe, & Lies: had he been infallible, he would not in his 12th Article againſt us, have charged that upon us which we never believed, much leſs profeſſed.
Sect. 2. Here we have a great ſtir about the word (Logos,) but indeed a meer Logomachy, and leſt he ſhould not have ſenſes enough to loſe it in, he falls into Tautologies: Somebody might do well to ask him, what different ſenſe he finds between, Communication, Words, Talk, & Speech? But the knack is, it ſignifies the Scripture only in a thirteenth rare & improper ſenſe; and yet this is more than ſome of his friends will allow it.
But let that paſs. He hath two or three Queries to puzzle us withal; though he takes upon him to anſwer them himſelf.
His firſt Quaery is, Whether the Scriptur… contains all the Word or Words of God? and that he denies, for the reaſons already given, which are none at all: Well, if they will not ſet us down, he will try what Scripture-Metaphors will do; and now we muſt obſerve that The Word is compared to the Rain & Dew, Deut. 32.2. and to Bread, Jer. 15.16. Now the drops of Rain & dew, and the ſmall grain… of flower in bread cannot be numbred; ergo the Scripture contains not all the Word of God. But let us ask him (if he may be ſpoken to after ſuch a profound Revelation as this) whether he allows it to be a good Interpretation of Scripture Alluſions, to apply all that is in the thing alluded to, to that which it is compared with? or is it more ſafe to reſtrain it to that particular thing for which the Compariſon was made? Why then may not the Word be Reſembled to the Rain & Dew, for the fruitful Efficacy of it on the hearts of God's people? and to Bread, from the ſpiritual Nutriment it affords? wiſer men than G. K. have thought ſo.
As to his 2nd, Queſtion, it is meer Quibling, We directly ſay, That The Scriptures are properly the revealed Will of God, which was Metaphorically, and Anthropopathos called …is Words, becauſe God by them doth ſignifie to us His Mind, as we do ours to o…hers by words, and this belongs to the Scriptures as they are written, or ſpoken.
To his laſt Queſtion We only ſay, Let him firſt tell us, whether he intends the Grammatical ſenſe of the words, or the Gracious ſenſe of them upon the heart, and we ſhall know what to ſay to him. As for the ſenſe in which he yields the Scripture to be the Word of God, he talks idly, confounding a Metonym. Efficientis with a Metonym. Signi.