Defense of the Scriptures, Title page – Dedication
A defence of the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit ſpeaking in them, as the chiefe Iudge of Controverſies of Faith, and of the light in them, as needfull to be looked unto for direction to attaine Salvation:
With a Vindication of that Honour due to Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and others, according to their Places and Dignities.
In a Relation of a Diſputation at Cheſterfield in the County of Darby, between ſome Miniſters of the Goſpell, and James Nayler an erring Quaker.
The Queſtions diſputed were theſe foure:
1. Whether the Spirit of God ſpeaking in the Scripture, be the chiefe Judge of Controverſies of Faith? Affirmed by us Miniſters of Chriſt.
2. Whether the private Spirit in the Pope, or in any Quaker, be the chiefe Judge of Controverſies? Denyed.
3. Whether every man be bound to looke to the light within him (as ſufficient) for his direction to attaine Salvation? Denyed.
4. Whether it be lawfull to call any man Maſter or Father, upon earth (or to give any honour to man?) Affirmed.
In which, The Truth is confirmed, and the Quakers Errors and Blaſphemies diſcovered, and confuted, and many places of Scripture from the Quakers falſe applications, cleared, With ſome Animadverſions upon a lying Relation, of that diſputation, publiſhed by Iames Nayler.
A man that is an Hereticke, after the firſt and ſecond admonition, reject; knowing, that he that is ſuch is ſubverted, and ſinneth, being condemned of himſelfe, Tit. 3.10, 11.
By Immanuel Bourne, Paſtor of the Church in Aſhover in the County of DARBY.
London, Printed for John Wright at the Kings Head in the Old Bailey, 1656.
To the Right Honourable, Iohn Glyn, Lord chiefe Juſtice, and to the Honorable
Richard Aske
Peter Warbarton
Juſtices of the Upper Bench.
To the Right Honourable, Oliver Saint Iohn Lord Chiefe Juſtice, and to the Honorable
Edward Atkins,
Matthew Hales,
Hugh Windham,
Juſtices of the Court of Common Pleas.
To the Right Honorable, William Steele, Lord chiefe Baron, and to the Honorable
Iohn Parker,
Ro Nicolas,
R Tomlins,
Barons of His Highneſs Court of Exchequer.
To the Right Honorable, Commiſſiary Generall Edward Whaley, Major Generall of the Counties of Nottingham Darby, Lincoln, Leiceſter & Warwick.
And to all other the Honorable and Worſhipfull Juſtices and Officers, for the preſervation of piety, and the peace of the Nation: The bleſſing of truth and true peace here, & eternal happines hereafter.
Right Honorable,
MAY it pleaſe your honours, to give me leave to become your humble remembrancer; That when Joſhua, that religious, wiſe, faithfull, and valiant Captaine, Generall of all the Armies of Iſrael, had conquered one & thirty Kings, and by Gods aſſiſtance, ſetled the Lords people in the promiſed land, to witneſſe his care of piety, as well as of peace, He calleth for all Iſrael, for their Elders, their Heads, their Judges, and for their Officers, and mindeth them of the mighty works the Lord had done for them, and preſſed them upon that account, to ſtir up their affections, to love the Lord their God, and to feare him and ſerve him in truth and ſincerity; yea, to put away their falſe gods, and falſe worſhip from amongſt them. And we read likewiſe of faithfull Samuel, that hee judged Iſrael all the daies of his life, and hee went from yeare to yeare in Circuit, to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and he judged Iſrael in all thoſe places, and his returne was to Ramah, for there was his houſe, and there he judged Iſrael, and there he built an Altar unto the Lord Thus here you ſee, there was both Juſtice and Piety in this holy man of God, and Iſrael was bleſſed in ſuch a Judge. We cannot but acknowledge, that the Lord hath done great things in theſe Nations, and wee doe enjoy peace and plenty, and many mercies, which we have not prized nor improved as we ought to the beſt advantage, for Gods glory, and our own good. Under his Highneſſe protection, and the preſent Government, through the grace of God, every man may ſit quietly under his own vine and fig-tree, without feare of plundering, a happineſs which in few yeares paſt we did not enjoy; Yea, we have good Lawes, and honourable religious Judges and Magiſtrates, to ſee Juſtice executed, and right done between man and man; and wee enjoy our comfortable Liberty of preaching and hearing the Goſpell of Chriſt; Yet can we not ſay, there is no complaining, nor cauſe of complaint in our ſtreets. The Church and people of God have met with enemies in all ages: Cant. 2.2.As is the Lillie amongſt the thorns, ſo is my beloved among the daughters, and as it was of old, ſo it is in theſe our daies; the Church and people of God, eſpecially Gods faithfull Miniſters, ſuffer perſecution, by two ſorts of people. The firſt, prophane Ranters, Atheiſticall men, Drunkards, Gameſters, and ignorant blind ſoules, ſuch as neglect publike Ordinances in theſe times of liberty, and have no right principle of grace and goodneſs in them: Theſe make it a delight to exerciſe their malice againſt the Miniſters of Chriſt: Theſe would rob and ſpoile them to the uttermoſt, if it were in their power: And this we can witneſs we have found true by troubleſome experience. Againe, there is another ſort of people, which travell up and downe the Nation, under the name of Quakers, as the Jeſuits and ſeminary Prieſts have uſed to doe ſecretly; ſo theſe now openly diſswading and ſeducing our people all they can, from commitig to our Churches, or meeting houſes, calling our Churches, Idols Temples; All our ſervices to God in praier, preaching of the word, and other Chriſtian exerciſes, ordinary, and extraordinary; when wee ſeeke the face of God for the peace and welfare of the Nation, for the proſperity of our Navie and Armies, both by ſea and land, or our praiſing God for his mercies we do enjoy. All theſe (ſay the Quakers) are but Idol-worſhip, In a Quakers book called a Diſcovery of a threefold ſtate of Antichriſt by Samuel Ballivant &c.and beaſtly ſervices; and all the faithfull and godlie Miniſters of Chriſt, without exception, are thieves; our maintenance by Tithes, Antichriſtian, and unlawfull: Yea they call us Conjurers, Antichriſts, witches, devils, liars, a viperous and ſerpentine generation, blaſphemers, ſcarlet coloured beaſts, Babylons Merchants, whited wals, painted Sepulchres; and whatſoever the true Prophets of God, or Chriſt our Saviour did juſtly call the falſe Prophets, wicked prieſts, and Scribes, and Phariſees, thoſe names do theſe rayling and reviling Quakers give to the godly, painfull, learned and faithfull Miniſters of Chriſt in the Nation, diſswading our people from hearing us, or giving heed to any thing we preach, diſturbing us in our publike miniſtrie. And what can we call this but a perſecution, like that of thoſe wicked men againſt the good Prophet Jeremie; Come ſay they, and let us ſmi…e him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words? Jer. 18.18. And what is perſecution, if this be not? Yea ſuch is the malice of theſe Jeſuited Quaking adverſaries againſt the miniſters of Chriſt, that we have juſt cauſe to feare, they had ſome deſigne before this day, to have brought to paſs bloody projects to our ruine, had not God our moſt high protector, and his Highneſs under God, been provident to prevent thoſe common mutinies, and inſurrections, which in all appearance, had been plotted againſt this Nation, and the good people thereof, and then we doubt not but our Quaking, and our prophane atheiſticall adverſaries, like Herod and Pontius Pilate againſt Chriſt, would both have agreed againſt us to our deſtruction, if the Lord our good God ſhould not preſerve us. What conſtruction elſe can wee make of thoſe bitter threatnings, not only in words and to our faces (one of the Quakers telling me, Thus I was threatned by E. S. a Quaker ſince dead.that I was plundered formerly by the Cavalliers, but it ſhould not be long, but my houſe ſhould be pulled downe, and I thruſt out of doors.) But to the ſame effect alſo in their written papers, A deſcription of the true and falſe Temple, page 45. Nayler in his falſe relation.and printed pamphlets: Howle ye Prieſts (ſay ſome of them) the Lord is comming to beat up your quarters by his ſword and fire, and great ſhall be the ſlaine of the Lord. And God is riſen to cut you off (ſaith James Nayler himſelf.) And the former concludes, alas, alas poor Prieſts, your downfall is near at hand, ſubſcribed, publiſhed by Thomas Aldam, Benjamin Nicolſon, and John Harwood. And another of them, the Lord is comming to beat up your quarters, all ye proud Prieſts, and downe with this deceiver, tith-monger and robber, and down with this Idols Temple, as if they would ſtir up the people to pull down our Churches, and to deſtroy all the faithfull Miniſters of the Goſpell in the Nation, on a ſudden; and this ſubſcribed as an Oracle from heaven, written from the Spirit of the Lord. I let paſs divers others; But I humbly conceive in theſe Alarums, it is fit the Miniſters of Chriſt ſhould be awakened, as to be faithfull in their places, and to walke believingly, holily, and humbly with God, ſo to ſeek timely for protection and ſafety in the Lord, and to whom under God, ſhould we ſeek, but to that high power and authority, and to thoſe honourable Judges and Magiſtrates, whom the Lord in his moſt wiſe providence, hath raiſed up, and ſet over us, for the puniſhment of evill doers, and for the praiſe of them that doe well; and we acknowledge Gods goodneſſe, that he hath moved the heart of his Highneſſe, His Highneſſe Declaration, November 21. 1655.to take notice of the abuſe of that Liberty of Conſcience, as by others, ſo by theſe our adverſaries, who make too bold, thereby to diſturbe and perſecute Gods faithfull Miniſters; yea under pretence of honouring God, to diſhonour and contemne the honourable Judges and Magiſtrates in the land, keeping on their hats, when they are called to anſwer before them, and refuſing to give any reſpect or outward ſhew of reverence to them: Yea, ſuch they are, as in their blind zeale, to an imaginary reformation, and conceited or pretended obedience to Chriſt, Richard Farnworth, a Quaker, in a pamphlet of his, &c.would perſwade people to caſt away, not only the good and wholſome lawes, but all our learned Lawyers (as well as Divines) be they never ſo pious, honeſt and faithfull (of which bleſſed be God we have many in the land) yet theſe muſt be baniſhed alſo, as unfit (ſay they) for any Chriſtians to make uſe of; and as if all going to law (though upon never ſo juſt grounds) were unlawfull for any that profeſſeth Chriſtianity, without which, and the aſſiſtance of our honourable Judges, and good Magiſtrates, what lawleſſe, wicked lives would a multitude lead? And we that are the faithfull miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, have cauſe further to acknowledge Gods goodneſſe, in ſtirring up his Highneſſe (under God) our ſupreme Protector, with his honourable Councill, His Highneſſe proclamation, Feb. 15. 1654.to ſend forth his late Proclamation, againſt ſuch prophane Ranters and Quakers, to prohibite the diſturbance of us Miniſters and other Chriſtians in our ſolemn aſſemblies. Since which Proclamation (bleſſed be God) wee have had much more quietneſs in our exerciſes of religion, and congregations, then formerly we had: But yet we are not without malicious enemies, prophane perſons, as ill as Quakers; And therefore to whom under God, and his Highneſs under him, ſhould we apply our ſelves, but to you my honourable Lords, and to all other the honourable. Judges Magiſtrates and Officers, who are appointed for the preſervation of the peace and welfare of the Nation; And eſpecially I am bold to apply my ſelfe to you my honoured Lords, in more particular, whoſe great Abilities, Wiſedome, Juſtice, Goodneſs, and Faithfulneſs, which I have obſerved in a ſerious examination of ſuch cauſes, which in your Circuits (and in particular, in ſeverall Aſſies at Darby) have come before your honours for tryall; your judicious diſcerning between things that differ, between right and wrong, between a petty frivolous action, brought by a malicious adverſary, brought only to vex a poor man; your diſcountenancing of malice, and that abuſe of the good Lawes; your juſt ſentences given to the honour of God, the good lawes of the land, and to the comfort of poore men oppreſsed. Theſe things have encouraged me to dedicate this my defence of the Scriptures, & vindication of the honour of Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and others according to their place & dignities. Unto your honors, and all that have power and authority in the execution of Juſtice, and preſervation of piety, and the peace of this Common-wealth, humbly ſupplicating the continuance as of his Highneſs, ſo under him, of all your protections, and favourable aſpects upon, and unto all Gods faithfull Miniſters, to maintaine them in that which is their juſt rights, againſt their malicious adverſaries; yea to defend and maintaine the honour of magiſtracy, Rom. 13.1.as an Ordinance of God, for the comfort and ſafety of his people, and to defend Chriſt, and the truth of the Goſpell of Jeſus; to defend the honour and glory of the Lord (the moſt high Protector of his Church) againſt all open prophaneſs, and odious hereſies, and abominable blaſphemies whatſoever, that it may appeare, we are a people taught by Chriſt, as the truth is in Jeſus, and that the Lord of Hoſts may appeare for us as our Protector to the end, even till Shilo come againe. Moſt humbly praying in my daily addreſses to the throne of grace, not only for my ſelfe, but for all my reverend brethren, the godly, faithfull miniſters of the Goſpell of Chriſt, that the Lord will more and more fill our hearts with his ſpirit of grace, wiſedome, holineſs and zeale, that we may in a right way of holineſs, Iude 3.meekneſs and truth, contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints, that our own lives may be as becoms the Goſpel of peace, that we may win others to walk in peace and holineſs, and by our own good converſation, 1 Pet. 2.15.put to ſilence the ſcandals of malicious, & the ignorance of fooliſh men, that God wil give repentance, & free pardon in Chriſt to all our Adverſaries, who complain of us as contentious; becauſe (though after long ſufferings) we ſeeke in a juſt and lawfull way to recover our due and juſt Rights, which they unjuſtly detaine from us; deſiring if it be the will of God, that they may obtaine ſalvation in the Lord Jeſus, and be delivered from wrath to come and that one day they may enjoy a happy and peaceable communion with us in glory, and to conclude, daily powring out my ſoule to God, That the Lord, the great Protector of Sion, will be pleaſed to preſerve his Highneſs and Honourable Councell, and you my Honourable Lords, and the reſt of the Honourable Judges, Juſtices, Magiſtrates, and other Worthies, who are Actors for Piety and Peace, to Gods glory, and the benefit of theſe Nations, together with this whole Common wealth, in Truth, Unity and Peace, long to continue.
Moſt humbly ſubſcribing my ſelfe, Your Honours daily Oratour at the Throne of Grace, Immanuel Bourne, Paſtor of the Church in Aſhover. London, Feb. 26. 1655.