A Synopsis of Quakerism, Error 7
Errour 7. The Scriptures are not the Word of God, but only a true Declaration of it; nor are they the only Rule of Faith and Life. G. Whitehead, Voyce of Wiſdom, p. 20. Sam. Fiſher, Quaker… Folly, p. 28.
TO bring any teſtimony of Scripture, concerning it ſelf, were Petitio principii, a begging of the Queſtion, and were inſignificant for their conviction, who deny it's Divine Authority. And to urge Arguments drawn from the purity of Scriptures Precepts; Sureneſs of Principles of Truſt; Excellency of Rewards; Sublimity of Doctrine; Prediction of future Contingents; the Secreſy and Efficacy of it's Operation on the hearts of men, (being ſuch as no other Writing can give us a ſingle inſtance of the like;) the Miracles (whereof, multitudes of Adverſaries were eye-Witneſſes, able and willing to diſcover th… Impoſtures (if any had been) Wrought for the Confirmation of it: I ſay, to urge theſe Arguments, were to launch into an Ocean of Diſcourſe: I ſhall therefore only give a taſte of their Arguments, and ſo leave their Tenent to the judgment of the Underſtanding.
The Quakers Arguments will diſcover their meaning, without any Explication of the terms.
Arg. Your Scripture is without: but the Word of God is within, Rom. 10. 8. The word nigh thee, even in thy heart, Fiſher, p. 31.
Anſw. 1. Our Scripture is within as well as without. That Command, Let the Word of God dwell within you, Col. 3. 16. is in a degree, obeyed by every Saint. And therefore by this Argument, Scripture is the Word of God.
2. That very Scripture, Rom. 10. 8. ſpeaks not of the Light within, but of the Scriptures; for the Apoſtle calls it the Word of Faith which he preached, latter Clauſe of the Verſe, which he tells us was the Doctrine contained in the Writings of Moſes and the Prophets, Acts 26. 22. [where we may obſerve, that the Quakers urge th… Scriptures for their Tenents againſt us, only as Argumentum ad hominem, to confute us by our own Principles, not that they own the Authority of Scripture.]
Arg. 2. If there was a rule before the Scripture wa… …ritten, then that is not our rule. But there was, a rule before the Scripture. Fiſhers, Quakers Folly, &c. p. 29. Whitehead, by way of Queſtion to the ſame effect, what was their rule who ſpake forth the Scriptures? Voyce of Wiſdom. Queſt. 4.
Anſw. The matter contained now in the Scripture, was always the Rule, before it was committed in Writing, though it was not always in the ſame manner, nor degree, conveyed, and publiſhed. Since the Goſpel preached to Adam, Gen. 3. 15. there hath not been any addition, quoad Eſſentiam, but only quoad Explicationem; not in ſubſtance, but in cleerneſs of Diſcovery. In that reſpect, God is ſaid to have ſpoken to the Fathers by the Prophets at ſundry times, or (as the Greek Reads) by many parts, or peece-meal, foreign. Heb. 1. 1. And the way of conveyance hath been different, in diverſe manners. foreign. In the ſame Verſe, (viz.) Viſions, Dreams, &c. In oppoſition to both which, God is ſaid to have ſpoken to us by his Son in his Perſon, and Apoſtles, who have left us a clear Comment on the old Teſtament. And we are not now to expect any new Diſcovery of Truth, Ex parte rei revelatae vel Objecti; as to the matter revealed: but only, Ex parte actus revelandi, vel ſubjecti, as to the Perſons whom God Inlightens gradually, to diſcern the evidence of what is revealed in Scripture.
Arg. 3. What was the Gentiles Rule, who had n…t the Scripture?
Anſw. 1. So much of the matter contained in the Scriptures, as is written on their Hearts. For the Scriptures gives us a Copy of all that is Written there, with many Additions; a new Object of Faith, God in Chriſt, Old Duties inforced by New Arguments, Love to one another, preſſed by the example of Chriſts redeeming Love, John 3. 34. Sins againſt Light of Nature (as Uncleanneſs) diſſwaded from, by Arguments drawn from Union between Chriſt, and our Bodies; Chriſts property in them by Redemption, &c. 1 Cor. 6. 14. to the end.
2. When we affirm the Scriptures to be the only rule, we muſt in reaſon be ſuppoſed to intend, to them who have them, not who have them not.
3. We muſt underſtand this Point in Conjunction with the former, the Light within: and ſo we ſay, that they who have not the Scripture, ſince it's Publication, have not any other way, a Diſcovery of God ſufficient to lead them to him, and ſo to Salvation; which we intend, when we affirm the Scripture to be the Word of God.
Arg. 4. What is their Rule who cannot Redd the Scriptures? Muſt they be Condemned, who cannot Read them?
Anſw. 1. The ſame Rule with thei…'s who can, (viz.) the Matter contained in the Scriptures, however conveyed, whither by Eye or Ear.
2. They ſhall not be condemned for their natural Incapacity (unleſs accidentally, as their neglect of Learning to Read, that they might be able to Read the Scriptures, is their Sin) but for their Unbelief and Diſobedience to the Doctrine of the Scripture, by what means ſoever come to their Knowledge.
As for that Notion of the Quakers, in the Terms of the Queſtion, that the Scripture is but a true Declaration of the Word of God [in the Hearts of Believers, as Whitehead explains, p. 16.] I ſay but this:
Anſw. 1. The Scripture is a Declaration of what ought to be in the Hearts of Believers, and not only of what is. 2. The Pen-men underſtood not all they wrote, 1 Pet. 1. 10, 12. And there are Prophecies and Hiſtories of things done before the Pen-mens Birth, as well as perſonal Experiences.