The Snake in the Grass Further Discovered, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The Quakers deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Life, or a Judge and Determiner of Religious Controverſies.
THat this is to deny the Scripture, is obvious and SECT. I plain to all who have not the beam in their eyes. I have before proved them to deny its proper and moſt frequent appellation; but if that be not ſufficient to prove they deny the Scripture, methinks denying their main uſe and imployment, ſhould render them guilty of the full meaſure of that iniquity. To little purpoſe will it be to call them the Scripture, the Holy Scripture, &c. if after all, a conformity to their guidance and conduct, will render our belief and practice never the leſs prophane. I ſhall not further perſwade my Reader, that to deny the Scripture to be a Rule of Faith and Life, &c. is to deny the Scripture; for if this ſuffice not, I know nothing will carry the Queſtion; unleſs the Scripture ſhould be brought in begging ſome boon at the Quakers hands, and they proved ſo hard-hearted as not to grant it. If this were neceſſary, I ſhould not fail in the proof notwithſtanding.
For the proof of the Charge, I ſhall firſt call forth § 2 James Parnel, an early and forward Quaker, andParnels Shield of the Truth, p. 10. much eſteemed for his works ſake. And he alſo that ſaith the Letter is the rule and guide of the people of God, is without, feeding upon the husk, and is ignorant of the true Light, which was before the Letter was. By this mans Verdict the Scripture is caſt and condemned for husks, a falſe light, or but a ſhadow; and its Obſervers charged with ignorance of Chriſt the true light for ſo, doing: But it were well if they could come off ſo. Behold in the next Accuſation, a Charge of no leſs then the higheſt robbery and ſacriledge. And if thou lookeſt upon the Scripture to be for a rule Smiths Prim. p. 10.and for trying▪ thou giveſt that unto them which belongs unto Chriſt: for he is the rule, and leads his people; and he alone ſearches the hearts and trys the reins, and not the Scripture.
But if you will ſee a mouth full of blaſphemy againſt the authority of the Scripture, read with horrour and amazement the following words. God is at Naylors Light of Christ, &c. p. 19.liberty to ſpeak to his people by them [the Scripture] if he pleaſe, and where they are given by inſpiration he d…th ſo: but the ſting is behind, in the tail of this non-ſuch ſentence, and ſo he is at liberty to ſpeak by any other created thing, as to Balaam by his Aſs.
Then ſuch a thing as Balaams Aſs may call up our expectations of Gods teachings, guidance, and rebukes, as well as the Scriptures: for God is at liberty to teach us by an Aſs, and he hath put no more authority▪ into the Scripture, unleſs he ſhall pleaſe to hand them to us by renewed and immediate inſpiration. But I ſhall not rake into this Dunghill further, which of its ſelf gives forth ſo offenſive a ſavour.
I intended to have given you upon this Head, the § 3 aſſertions of ſome of the Romiſh Writers, who trample on the neck of the Scripture with the ſame foot; only the difference betwixt them and the Quakers lies in the aim and deſign: the Jeſuits ſpurn at them to advance the dictates of the Pope, and the Romiſh pretended Church, above the Scriptures; but the Quakers to advance the conceit within above them all. Yet I care not if I give you one inſtance at large.
Omnis Judex, praeſertim ſupremus & generalis, ita debet dicere ſententiam, ut altera pars litigantium evidenter ſciat ſe viciſſe: altera pars evidenter ſciat ſe cauſam amiſiſſe, quantum eſt ex parte hujus judicis. At hoc neque Scriptura Sacra, neque Spiritus Sanctus loquens per Scripturam poteſt facere.
Ergo neque Sacra Scriptura, nec Spiritus SanctusArgumentum Jacobi Beccani, item Gretſeri Jeſuitae, in Col▪ loquio Ratisbon. loquens per Scripturam eſt talis judex. Et minorem illuſtrabat his totidem verbis, Stamus ego & Collegae, & Domini adverſarii, in conſpectu hujus judicis [Bibliorum] en contendimus, an ſit judex Controverſiarum. Jam ille judex debet pronunciare ſententiam, ut nobis conſtet evidenter. Sumus hîc in conſpectu Sacrae Scripturae, & Spiritus Sancti; pronunciet ſententiam, & ſic dicat, tu Jacobe Gretſere male ſentis, cecidiſti cauſa tua. Tu Jacobe Hailbrunnere viciſti. Tunc ego ſtatim tranſibo ad veſtrum ſcamnum. Et paulo poſt, Adſit jam Spiritus Sanctus, jam judicet, jam me condemnet. In Engliſh thus,
Every Judge, eſpecially who is ſupreme and general, ought ſo to give ſentence, that the one part of the contenders may plainly know they have overcome: and the other that they have loſt their cauſe, ſo far as it is in the Judge: But this neither the holy Scriptures, nor the holy Spirit by the Scripture can do.
Therefore neither the holy Scripture, nor the holy Spirit ſpeaking by the Scripture, is ſuch a Judge. The minor he illuſtrates in theſe very words; I and my Collegues, and the Lords Adverſaries, ſtand before this Judge, [the Scripture] behold we diſpute whether it he a Judge of Controverſies. Now this Judge ought to give ſentence, ſo as it may be evidently manifeſt to us. We are here before the holy Scripture and the holy Spirit, let him pronounce ſentence and ſay thus; thou Jacob Gretſerus believeſt not aright, thy cauſe is overthrown; thou Jacob Hailbrunnerus haſt overcome: then I will quickly go over to you. And a little after, Now let the Holy Ghoſt come, now let him judge me, now let him condemn me. If he had not had the metaphorical word to have played with, the world had not been troubled with ſo impertinent an Argument, and language ſo ludicrous, abuſive, and daring to the Holy Spirit. By this you may ſee, that if the Quakers and Jeſuits agreement in the ſame falſe Witneſs againſt the Scripture will carry it, our cauſe is gon…, and the Scripture muſt not determine Religious matters. But 'tis a bad ſtep, that ſo well fits the Popes Foot to mount his uſurped and infallible Chair by, and which both Papiſts and Quakers tug for as for life.
I remember, when I was a ſmall Lad, I heard our § 4 Proteſtant Divines uſually affirm, that every man was born with a Pope in his belly; which to my then childiſh genius ſeemed a very pretty phraſe; but ſuch an one (as I thought) as was not only improbable, but alſo impoſſible: but the Generation I am contending againſt tug for the truth of it (though under other terms) tooth and nail. And I have ceaſed wondring that ſo many ſo eaſily turn Quakers, when I conſider how natural it is to ſhake off the Doctrine and Diſcipline even of God himſelf, that we alone may rule (if not over the great world of all others, at leaſt) over the little world, our ſelves, without controul.
For convicting the Quakers of groſs errour, and SECT. II eſtabliſhing others in the truth; I ſhall prove from the Divine Authority of the Scripture theſe three things.
Firſt, That whatſoever is by the Lord affirmed in the Holy Scripture, it is our duty to believe.
Secondly, That whatſoever is thereby or therein commanded of the Lord (not being repealed by the coming of Chriſt) it is our duty to obey.
Thirdly, That the Holy Scriptures do (in their kind) determine or diſcover to us, whether we believe and walk, or practiſe aright or not.
For the firſt of theſe I ſhall prove from our Saviours § 2 own words, O fools! and ſlow of heart to believe Luk. 24. 25.all that the Prophets have ſpoken, &c. If it had not been their duty to believe according to the ſayings of the Lord by the Prophets, (which were not immediate to the Diſciples) it had been neither their fault nor their folly not to believe, or to have been ſo ſlow and unready to believe, even thoſe Propheſies which foretold the death and ill handling of the Meſſias; which was ſo much above their underſtandings, and ſo thwart to their affections. Yea the innocent and compaſſionate Jeſus would have been not a little faulty, for ſo ſeverely rebuking them for what was no crime at all.
But leſt you ſhould ſay, theſe Prophecies were within them; (as ſome of you have ſaid) know firſt, that they were ignorant of them, for as yet they John. 20. 9.knew not the Scriptures. And 'tis ſaid Luke 4. 27. Beginning at Moſes and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himſelf. Thus much may ſuffice to prove it our duty, to believe what the Scriptures ſpeak, and that all and univerſally.
Secondly, What is therein commanded we ought § 3 to obey, &c.
Ye ſhall obſerve to do therefore, as the Lord y…ur God Deut 5. 32.hath commanded you; you ſhall not turn aſide to the right hand or to the left. If it be objected, this was obliging to them, not to us; who are not under Moſes's Adminiſtration. I anſwer, firſt, that the commands here chiefly intended, were ſuch as oblige all men in all Ages, for the matter of them, which is alway juſt and righteous. Secondly, the ground of their authority being the Lord commanding, reaches to whatever he commands in hi… written Word in all Ages of the world. Thirdly, the Iſraelites had them not immediately by inſpiration, but by the hand of Moſes; either from his mouth to that Generation, or by Writing and Tradition to the Generations following. Who gave Jacob for Hoſ. 12. 8.a ſpoil, and Iſrael to the Robbers? did not the Lord? he againſt whom we have ſinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his Law.
Thirdly, the holy Scriptures determine according § 4 to their kind, or as much as a Writing can do, whether we believe and practiſe aright or not. I hope you are not yet reſolved (with the Jeſuits and William Pen) that becauſe they do not expreſs the ſenſe contained in them, viva voce, or direct it to thy conſcience without any other help; and ſay, thou A. art in the right, thou B. art amiſs: therefore thou wilt not take them to be meet to determine good and evil, right and wrong. We may as certainly determine by words written, as by words ſpoken; and they are altogether as worthy of credit. Thoſe who come under the executive determination of Laws, do find that Proceſs in writing doth not loſe its force, for the decrees and ſentence being put into that form. All Scripture is given 2 Tim 3. 16, 17.by inſpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inſtruction in righteouſneſs; that the man of God maybe perfect, throughly furniſhed unto all good works: the words for correction here are foreign, for conviction.
And herein [all things which are written in the § 5 Law and the Prophets] do I exerciſe my ſelf, to have a Acts. 24.conſcience void of offence towards God and towards men. What can be more plain? the judgment whether he did righteouſly with reſpect to God and men, was paſſed in his conſcience by the Scriptures; and that not by immediate inſpiration only, (though he were an Apoſtle) but by the written Law, attained by ſtudy and ſerious meditation. Herein I exerciſe myſelf, foreign.he laboured by ſtudy and meditation therein (as the Greek imports) he was not an idle Quaker, that muſt have knowledge dropt in his mouth, for dig he cannot, and to ask of others he ſcorns it. But for all that I had rather be laborious, rich and humble with Paul; than flothful, poor, proud, and meerly in conceit rich with them. To the Law and to the Teſtimony, Iſa. 8. 20.if they ſpeak, not according to this word; it is becauſe there is no light in them.
G. Fox, the grand Quaker will needs have Chriſt to be the Law and the Teſtimony: if ſo, I am as ſure as can be, that they that are ſaved by Chriſt are ſaved by the Law; and then farewel the Goſpel, and the righteouſneſs of Faith, which the Apoſtle makes ſo much ado to bring people to embrace, and diſclaim juſtifying righteouſneſs by the Law.
That the teachings, motions, and determinations of the SECT. III Spirit of God by the Scripture are more ſutable to the nature, and preſent ſtate and condition of man; and more certain to his knowledge, than any immediate teaching, which any enjoy in our days.
More ſutable to the preſent condition of man.
I prove it firſt from its being that diſpenſation of God, which he hath put an eminent Character of mercy Pſal. 147. 19, 20.upon. He ſheweth his Word unto Jacob, and his judgments unto Iſrael: he hath not dealt ſo with any Nation, and as for his Judgments they have not know them. Praiſe ye the Lord. If it were not more ſutable to man in his fallen ſtate, and tending to his good, it would hardly by the Spirit of God been expreſſed as a mercy ſo ſingular, ſo excelling his dealings with any other people; and ſuch flouriſhing matter for the praiſes of the Lord. Never did any of the Saints of old call it a carnal lettter, husks, and by ſuch like ſcornful names.
The diſpenſations of the revealed and written Word, § 2 render God nigher to a people, than to thoſe who are without it. For what Nation is there ſo great, who hath God ſo Deut. 4. 6, 7, 8.nigh unto them, &c. Read the Context, and you will find, that the means of God being ſo nigh was (chiefly) his written Laws. And it is notorious, that the Gentile Nations, who were without the Scripture, had loſt ſight of the true God ſo far, that they worſhipped the moſt deſpicable things in his ſtead: and as the Apoſtle ſaith, were without God in the world; for all theirEph. 2 12. light within, which the Quakers ſay all men ever had.
The d…ſpenſat…ons of God, in and to his Church, riſe § 3 higher and higher in excellency and glory.
His firſt after the fall, were ſome few revelations to ſome few perſons; and by them handed to others: which might be then much more eaſie than now, for that men lived ſo long, that the dayes of Methuſelah and Noah took hold of the dayes of Adam and Abraham: But men increaſing in number, and no leſs in impiety, they quickly loſt that little was committed to them. And before the Law, and Covenants, and Scripture (in part) were written (notwithſtanding Creation, Providence and ſome revelation) the knowledge of God was very thin and ſcant in the WorldJob. 26. 13, 14. among good and holy men. And if you will not believe me, believe Holy Job. By his ſpirit he hath garniſhed the Heavens, his hand hath formed the crooked Serpent: lo, theſe are part of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him. He is ſpeaking before of his works of Creation, yet they were but a part of the ways, whereby God conveyed the knowledge of himſelf; but take all together, even that of revelation with it; it was but a little of him that was known: whereas, when his word was written, the Iſrael of God who enjoyed it, 'tis ſaid of them: In Pſal. 76. 1.Judah is God known, his name is great in Iſrael. But the 2 Cor. 3. 11. Speaks cloſe and home to my argument. For if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remains is glorious.
From the ſlipperyneſs of our memories.
Who among the ſons and daughters of men, is able § 4 to retain in the memory ſuch a multitude of particulars as concern faith and life? that if it ſhould be granted, that every man at ſome time or other ſhould have the whole mind of God contained in the Scripture immediately, and by revelation imparted to him: the memory would prove a very leaky Veſſel, and bad Steward; and let ſlip a great part, both matter and from; without a miracle to raiſe our faculty (not only above the common courſe, or which is ordinary, but) above the faculty of any man that breaths: whereas the word imparted by the Scripture abides, to which as to an everlaſting Record we may have recourſe, and ſupply that defect.
More certain to the knowledge of man. § 5
Since man was corrupted, and ſo long as there remains either corruption or defect in him; the inward motions, and notions of the ſoul will be affected therewith: the firſt riſings and bubling up of thoughts, and imaginations, which preſent themſelves to the underſtanding, judgement, and conſcience; will abundantly vary from, and be oppoſite each to other: and the ſentiments or apprehenſions of them, be warring, and contending like pleaders at the bar of judgment, and conſcience. And thoſe who know and are concerned in the affairs (and their management) on the ſecret ſtage of the Soul, muſt acknowledge (if they will ſpeak their conſciences) that whatever be the queſtion agitated in the mind, there will not want the appearances of truth and goodneſs, offering themſelves on both the affirmative and negative part: and in matters of religious concern, all pretend to the ſanction, and allowance of God himſelf. And as their pleas, ſo their importunities ſhall be ſo impetuouſly violent, that many times the poor creature is on the rack, and which way ſoever its judgment and reſolution inclines, the adverſe thoughts will attend it with their Checks, and clamours. In the multitude of my thoughts within me. foreign my anxious, perplexed, careful, troubled thoughts; beating againſtPſal. 94. 19. one another like the boughs of a tree agitated with a fierce wind.
This was not only David's caſe, but the Saints which are now upon the earth. And if it were David's, ſo good a man, and a man ſo frequently under the power of ſpecial divine inſpirations; much more may it be ours▪ Well, in ſuch caſes what courſe ſhould we take? if we expect, and depend upon immediate teachings from the ſpirit, how ſhall we know they are ſuch? and not the deluſions of Satan, or a viſion of our own fancifull brains? we can give teſtimonies enough to convince a Heathen or Atheiſt, (if he will not abandon the uſe of reaſon) that the Scriptures are the word and mind of the Spirit of God: and therefore what that ſpeaks, is the voice of the Spirit, but it will be long enough ere the Quakers, and thoſe that plead for a ſole dependance on the Spirits immediate teachings, will be able to give ſuch proofs of theirs.
Moreover, the Quakers who pretend to theſe § 6 teachings, and guidances; reſolve againſt the exerciſe of a humane (though ſanctified) underſtanding, and reſolve all into motions, impulſes, and the ſenſation of them: thereby depriving men of the direction of enlightned faculties, leaving the moſt violent motions, and appetites; to carry away the undoubted evidence, and character of the Spirits leadings. But how far this is from a ſpiritual underſtanding, or a right diſcerning, I leave thoſe to judge who are acquainted in themſelves, or others, with violent temptations from Satan, and the unbridled luſts of men; and this pure ſenſation of ſtirrings, and motions, becomes better by far the ſtark blind, than thoſe who have eyes in their heads.
We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope Iſa. 59. 10.as if we had no eyes; we ſtumble at noon-day as in the night. One of the ſevereſt curſes for diſobedience, threatned againſt Iſrael was, and thou ſhalt grope at Deu. 28. 29.noon-day as the blind gropeth in darkneſs, and thou ſhalt not proſper in thy wayes. And what is this principle of the Quakers, but to turn us again into the darkneſs, and Chaos of Gentiliſm; inſtead of beholding, as in a Glaſs, with open face the glory of the Lord, to be feeling after him, by the corrupt and half ſenſeleſs touches of a natural conſcience, acting on the narrow, and uncertain indications of Creation, and providence: which though they may teach ſomething concerning God, and our original duty to him: will be as far from acquainting us with Goſpel truths, or ſuch as concern Chriſt, and our redemption by him; as a ſtone or tree is from diſcerning, and expreſſing the ſecret and boſom counſels of God, or man.
I would not yet have you think, that we deny, § 7 or diſown a ſenſation, and feeling of the holy and bleſſed mind of God; for we look on nothing of greater moment, than to have a heart and conſcience delivered from ſearedneſs, and being paſt feeling. But our feeling, and ſenſe of the truths of God, is by the Faith of them, revealed to us in and by his Word: into which we deſire abſolutely to reſolve our belief, and which is the objective rule to the underſtanding by the ſenſes.