A Synopsis of Quakerism, Error 6
Errour 6. That Chriſt enlightens every Man to Salvation. George Whitehead's Voice of Wiſdom.
WHere note, that the word Chriſt is a mee… blinde, to delude the ignorant; for the Quakers denying Chriſt to be God, they cannot own him for the Author of illumination. The Scriptures I urge againſt this Tenent, are Eph. 2. 12. That at that time ye were without Chriſt, having no hope, &c. That laſt clauſe I intend eſpecially, which muſt needs be underſtood either of the act of hope, or of the ground or warran… of hope; not of the former, for having no hope is a badge of diſtinction between Jew and Gentile, as appears by the connexion with the foregoing clauſe, Aliens from the Common-wealth o… Iſrdel, (that Common-wealth and Church being commenſurate;) but if we underſtand it o… the act of hope, the want of that did not diſtinguiſh the Gentile from the Jewes; for many o… the Jewes laboured under the ſame want. Many of them were unbelievers, and ſo had no hope (One difference between faith and hope being this, that the former looks at the promiſe of the benefit; the latter at the benefit in the promiſe.) Fides reſpicit verbum r…, ſpes rem verbi. Luther. We muſt underſtand the phraſe then of having no ground or warrant of hope, and to that interpretation the foregoing clauſe leads us, Strangers from the Covenants of promiſes. And Gentiles thereby were diſtinguiſhed from the Jews, whoſe the promiſes are ſaid to be. Rom. 9. 4. viz. the promiſes of Chriſt and Salvation. From the words thus explained …argue:
Arg. They that had no promiſes of Chriſt, and Salvation by him, could know of none. But the Gentiles for a time had none, therefore they knew of none, and conſequently had not a light or knowledge ſufficient to bring them to Salvation.
The major is evident, every act ſuppoſes an object. I cannot know that which is not. The minor is proved by 1 Tim. 3. laſt. where, God manifeſt in the Fleſh, and as ſuch preached to the Gentiles, are made two parts of the myſtery of godlineſs: and by that pregnant place, the myſtery of Chriſt, which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men, as it is now revealed to his holy Apoſtles, and Prophets, by the Spirit, that the Gentiles ſhould be followheirs, and of the ſame body, and partakers of his promiſe in Chriſt by the Goſpel, Eph 3, 4, 5, 6. The place may be its own Comment, it is ſo plain.
2. Luk. 10. 21. Thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto babes The Father is ſaid to hide the Object, becauſe he did not inlighten the Subject, i. e. To hide the Goſpel, which was then openly and plainly preached, becauſe he did not inlighten their mindes with a ſaving knowledge of it.
3. 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural Man receiveth not the things of the ſpirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſs to him: neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned.
1. Obſerve, here is an oppoſition between men and men, in reſpect of the knowledge of the things of God. The ſpiritual man judges all ſpiritual things, verſs. 15. but the natural man knows not, nor judges them. Yea, he accounts the Doct…ine of the Goſpel fooliſhneſs.
2. The natural man not only does not know them, but cannot, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, which imports a diſproportion between the object and faculty; (ſuch for inſtance) as between ſ…nce, and a rational object.
Whence the Apoſtle ſpeaks of an underſtanding given to know Chriſt, 1 John 5. 20. implying, that our old underſtanding will not ſerve to apprehend Chriſt after a ſpiritual, though it may, to apprehend him after a rational manner.
The Scriptures which carry any colour for the Quakers Opinion, of all that I have met with, are theſe.
1 Joh. 1. 9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World.
Anſ. Chriſt being ſpoken of before, as the Meſſias, or Saviour, to whom John did bear witneſs, verſ. 7. we muſt therefore underſtand the place, I think not of natural Light, but ſupernatural; not of the Light of Reaſon, wherewith as God, he indues men; but of the Light of the Goſpel, with which, as the Meſſias, he inlightens Men: which light may admit of a double conſideration, according to the uſe of the word foreign, which ſignifies, 1. To ſhine, or to light; that is, afford light, by which the object is made viſible, whether there be an Eye to ſee it, or no; ſo 'tis uſed, Luke 11. 36. 1 Cor. 4. 5. 2. 'Tis uſed to inlighten the eye or faculty, Eph. 1. 18. That the eyes of your underſtanding may be inlightned, &c. If you take it in the former ſence, Chriſt by his powerfull preaching, and glorious miracles, did not ſhine on every man. Many never heard his Doctrine, nor ſaw his Works. As ſome parts of the World ſee not the Sun, when it ſhines brightly in our Horizon. So that the meaning can be no more than this, that the Goſpel is taught to all comers without exception, by Chriſt and his Miniſters; not that every particular perſon hath the benefit: Many in all ages never heard, (no nor perhaps heard of) the Goſpel. 2. If we take the word in the other ſence, for inlightning the Eyes of the mind, 'tis certain, that many who are lighted (as our phraſe is, when a Candle is carried before us) are not inlightned, but are like a blind man ſo lighted, that ſees never the better. And then the meaning can be no more than this, that whoſoever are inlightned, are inlightned by him, and anſwers in ſence to Jam. 1. 17. Every good gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights. And leſt we may ſeem to impoſe upon the Objector, we will turn to a parallel place, Pſal. 145. 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiſeth up all them that be bowed down. 'Tis evident enough, that however the words ſound, the ſence can be but this, that all that are upheld from falling, or raiſed again after a fall, are in God's debt for the help of his hand.
2ly. Rom. 2. 15. The Gentiles are ſaid to have the Law in their Hearts. Whitehead, Voyce of Wiſdom.
Anſw. They are alſo ſaid to be without Law, and are impoſed to them that had the Law, verſ. 12. viz. of Moſes, verſ. 17. Called the Oracles of God, Chap. 3. 2. and made the Priviledges of the Jewes above the Gentiles, verſ. 1. in this reſpect, becauſe hereby Salvation was of the Jewes, John 4. 22. i. e. the knowledge of the way of Salvation: therefore it cannot be underſtood of a ſaving Knowledge without a Contradiction.
2. It is not the Law in their hearts, but the Work of the Law, viz. theſe two effects mentioned, accuſing and excuſing. For though tis true, the Gentiles having ſome knowledge of the Law, the Law may be ſaid to be in thei… hearts, me…ning their underſtandings; yet in the Apoſtles uſe of th…t Phraſe, Heb. 8. 11. he ſeems to include, if not mainly intend a ſutable diſpoſition to the Law, or a delight in the Law after the inner man, Rom. 7. 22. Whereas the Gentiles in this ſence, had not the Law in their hearts; For they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, Rom. 1. 26. but as he was an unbidden, ſo an unwelcome Gueſt to them; ſo that they could ſcarce forbear to ſay to God, Depart from us, for we deſire not the Knowledge of thy Wayes, Job 21. 14.
3ly. Rom. 1. 19. That which may be known of God is manifeſted in them, for God hath ſhewed it unto them, [viz. the Gentiles.]
Anſw. The next Verſe ſuggeſts an anſwer, viz. that which might be known of God by arguing from the Effects to the Cauſe, from the Creation to the being of God, and his Eternal Power, the firſt Divine property that appeared in giving Being to all things out of nothing; and the uniform event of this knowledge, is ſaid to be the leaving them without excuſe, not the leading them to Salvation.
4ly. Iſa. 49. 6. I have ſet thee for a Light to the Gentiles, &c. Spoken of Chriſt.
Anſw. That is but a Prophecy of the Gentiles mercy, in the time… of Chriſts actual Exhibition in the fleſh, which was not fulfilled till the Jewes rejection of Chriſt, as appears by Act. 13. 46, 47. And the ſame Apoſtle, Rom. 11. The caſting away of them [the Jewes] was the reconciling of the World (viz.) the Gentiles, verſ. 15.