The Snake in the Grass Further Discovered, Part 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
They deny the Scriptures to be any means, by which we may come to know God, Chriſt, and our ſelves.
THis is a bold and ſtrange aſſertion, from thoſe SECT. I who call the Scriptures the Scriptures of truth, and would be thought not to deny, but own them with ſome reſpect. But ſeeing it is within them, I love they ſhould ſpeak out. If the Scriptures are thus impotent, I know no uſe they are of in things of a Religious concern; all Religions aiming at and depending upon the knowledge of God and our ſelves: and the Chriſtian Religion as ſuch, on the knowledge of Chriſt. They may, notwithſtanding this affirmation, call them Scriptures, i. e. Writings ſtill; but ſure they do but mock them in calling them holy Scriptures, or they are greatly ignorant what the word holy imports. If the Scriptures then were burned, it would not be a half-penny loſs, and the world would be rid of a burden or a ſnare, or both. I proceed to the proof of the Charge, and as I have done hitherto, draw my Arrows out of their own Quiver.
Queſt. Is there not another way by which we may § 2 come to know God? Anſw. Nay Child there is not Smith, Prim. p 24.another way, for Chriſt is the way. The Scriptures (which are Chriſts own words) which ſay Chriſt isJohn 14. 6▪ the way, are far from countenancing what this Author ſhelters under their wing. Chriſt ſaith, I am the way,—no man can come to the Father but by me. But he doth not ſay, (nor is it in the leaſt implyed in the words as their ſenſe or conſequence) that there is no coming to the knowledge of God but by Chriſt; for ſome knowledge of God may be attained not only without Chriſt as the means, but without the Scripture alſo.
So the Apoſtle Paul affirms, (whom we have reaſon § 3 to believe before all the Quakers in the world) For the inviſible things of him from the creation of Rom. 1. 20.the World are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made: even his Eternal Power and Godhead. Either they never read this Scripture, or the beam is in their eyes, who ſhall ſay there is no other way to know God but Chriſt. If he had ſaid, no other way to know God ſavingly without Chriſt, he had ſaved his credit here, and hit the mark: but what will not men ſay that have a mind the Scripture ſhould be ſilent? The reaſon he grounds this upon is of like ſtrength to moſt, which they produce under that name or form: For Chriſt is the way; now this Scripture doth not ſpeak of the knowledge of God, but of coming to God; which is ſomewhat more than a bare knowledge of God; which m…ſt have a being in us before we can come, or move towards him. But ſuppoſe he had ſaid there is no other way to come to God but Chriſt only, he had ſpoken falſly. For,
Though there is no other way to come to God § 4 without Chriſt, yet there are many other wayes to come to God by, in conjunction with and ſubordination to Chriſt. So our reading the Scripture, knowledge of our alienation from God, our ſin, guilt, and danger, ſanctification, &c. theſe are all ways and means by which we come to God. Add to theſe faith, love; yet who will ſay that any of theſe are Chriſt? (except James Nayl…r, who ſaith Chriſt is the Word and Prayer:) but though we make theſe to be ſome ways and means of coming to God, we make not any of them the way, as the moſt excellent and only way: nor do we make them our Saviours, Mediators, and Interceſſors with God for us: nor that they by ſhedding their blood ſatisfied Gods Juſtice and appeaſed his anger, and made reconciliation between God and man: and yet without theſe, any one of them (at leaſt ſuch as are within their reach) no perſon can be ſaved or be re united to God. I will give you a demonſtration as eaſie as ſenſe it ſelf.
Suppoſe that over a great and deep River there § 5 were but one Bridge; and he that would go to the other ſide muſt go by this Bridge: and it ſhould be ſaid (and truly) no man can get to the other ſide of the River, but by this Bridge: would this conclude that you muſt not enquire where this Bridge is? how you may paſs over by it? that you muſt not take thoſe paſſages, and ſteps that lead to the Bridge? that you muſt not have and uſe your leggs, and your eyes? and all becauſe you cannot get over but by the Bridge. At no wiſer a rate do the Quakers plead for Chriſt being the only way, excluding all other as ſubſervient. But enough of this paſſage: only obſerve, that the Author quoted will not have the Scriptures, nor any thing elſe (Chriſt excepted) to be any means of knowing God. Let us hear him explain himſelf a little more.
Queſt. Doth God manifeſt himſelf within man? § 6
Anſw. Yes, and man cannot know him by any other Smith's Catech. p. 2.way but by the manifeſtation of himſelf in his light within him. Here he ſaith much more than in his former ſentence; there he ſaith there is not another way to know God but by Chriſt, here but by his light [Chriſt] and that within him too: leſt we ſhould miſtake and ſuppoſe that the light of Chriſt alſo is to be found in the Scripture. Hear him ſpeak plainer, and yet more to the purpoſe. Then he [John]Morning Watch, p. 6. declared him as he knew him; not from any tradition or writing before him: though then there was much written which did truly teſtifie of him. This he brings in to prove, that Chriſt is to be known and made known to others, not by the Scripture but his own light, or he himſelf the light within: and that though the Scriptures were then in being, he made no uſe of them to declare Chriſt by, to the knowledge of thoſe he preached to.
They are ſuch people as tell the world that Matthew,Paper ſent out into the world. p. 2. Mark, Luke, and John are the Goſpel; they are but the Letter. The Goſpel is as much as to ſay a good meſſage, or glad tidings, foreign. Strange! that they ſhould not be glad tidings, becauſe they are the Letter! as if a good meſſage or glad tidings were never written in this world: And the Scripture brings no tidings of Chriſt, becauſe they are tidings in the moſt ample form, viz. in writing or printing; which will abide much longer than a breath or ſound, and may be better conſidered.
Take another to couple with him, as very a Wiſeaker as he. And the knowledge of the Languages John Higgins warning, &c. p. 7.of Hebrew, Greek, and Latine (which they call the Original) is nothing worth, as pertaining to the knowledge of God, This Author did certainly loſe the light, or the light loſe him, when he wrote this: I never heard the Latine called the Original of the Scripture Tranſlations before. Sure he believed that the Scriptures peept firſt out of Rome, in that their Original Copy ſhould be in the Roman Language; as others of them, that the Lords Supper and Baptiſm were from Rome and the Pope. But however we have been hitherto of this mind, the Quakers infallible monitor, the Light within (by which I am perſwaded he wrote this) will have it otherwiſe. I dare aſſure this learned perſon if he be alive, and can but prove the Latine to be the Original, the Pope of Rome will willingly give him a Cardinals Hat for his pains.
But this is not his original errour, though an errour concerning the Original. He ſaith the Original is nothing worth pertaining to the knowledg of God. If ſo, our Tranſlations which we had from thence are leſs worth than nothing: for they muſt give the upper hand to the Original.
I have ſufficiently proved their denial of the Scritures § 8 being any means by which we may come to the knowledge of God or Chriſt: one Witneſs of the third, viz. of our ſelves, and I ſhall call in no more of them for the proof of this Charge. Chriſt by his Scorned Quakers account. p. 20.light within ſhews you in a glaſs your own faces, which the Scriptures cannot do.
Here I find them in love, yea ſo in love with a little Rhetorick, that rather than go on plain ground, they will kick their own ſhins, and trip up their own heels. Truly friends you have here gone on Glaſs or Ice, which you will. You teach or declare in almoſt all your Writings, which concern teachings in a religious ſenſe, that you are taught immediately by the light within. Was ever any thing in this world ſhewn in a Glaſs immediately? that Glaſs may more congruouſly be called a Mirrour (the ancient name of a Loking-Glaſs) than any I ever ſaw or heard of: however let whatever be the Glaſs or means by which or in which we may ſee our faces, the Scriptures (by your leave) muſt not be it. But whether you will or no, the Scriptures are a Glaſs, or as a Glaſs, wherein if you or I will pleaſe to look with an honeſt mind, God will by it in a good meaſure ſhew us what we are: and they have one property above all the Looking-Glaſſes in the world, viz. that we can ſee your faces in and by them, though you ſhould not look into them, nor ſuffer the Book wherein they are contained to be in the ſame houſe where you are.
For the help of the unready in the Scriptures, I SECT. II ſhall quote a few of its teſtimonies to confute this Doctrine: although the conſciences of the greater number of themſelves (if they will but turn over their records placed in their memories) will give verdict againſt them. And for all thoſe who have been at the pains to learn what the Scriptures are capable of teaching, and have not engaged themſelves right or wrong to the ſervice of the light within; I doubt not but they will ſubſcribe themſelves experimentors of the truth here by you oppoſed.
That all the people of the earth might know the Joſh 4. 24. § 2.hand of the Lord that it is mighty, that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever. As the heathen Nations, ſo the Generations and Poſterity of Iſrael, who had not ſeen thoſe works with their own eyes, were helped to the knowledg of them, and of the Lord who wrought them, by the means of the Scripture Hiſtory. And it ſhall be when he ſitteth on the throne of Deut. 17. 18. 19.his Kingdom, that he ſhall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book, out of that which is before the Prieſts the Levites: and it ſhall be with him, and he ſhall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God. Here the Scriptures are not only a means to know God, but alſo to fear God; which cannot be without knowledg of him, and is more than a meer notion of God.
And for the knowledg of Chriſt, it is not poſſible § 3 that the Scriptures ſhould be a prophetical, hiſtorical, and doctrinal account of the natures, perſon, and offices, &c. of Jeſus Chriſt; and yet no means for the knowledg of him. And according to your own common phraſe, a teſtimony, declaration and witneſs of Chriſt, and that they are ſome means, though not the only means, that2 Tim. 3. 15. Text is enough to prove, And that from a Child thou haſt known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wiſe unto ſalvation; through faith which is in Chriſt Jeſus. And who will doubt but that which is a means to ſave is a means to know God and Chriſt? I have met with ſuch a ſilly cavil as this in ſome of your Writings viz. that they are no ſuch means to them who have no faith, i. e. that obey not the light, and believe not in the light. True, if you underſtood Chriſt aright; but yet they are a means of ſome kind, or it is not true that they are able to make wiſe to ſalvation whatever elſe be in conjunction with them: we never yet ſaid that they alone can do it, if we ſhould ſay ſo, we ſhould be like unto you, who deny they can contribute any thing towards it.
Concerning the knowledge it gives of our ſelves § 4 (whether we are belivers or unbelievers) take two or three teſtimonies. Theſe things have I written 1 John. 5. 13.unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Surely if they are a means to know if we have eternal life, they thereby ſhew us our faces; that we have the faces of Children, not Swine; or Swine and not Children; and thoſe characters and marks by which one Saint may know it ſelf, may be a means by which another Saint may know it ſelf, and ſo on the contrary. Paul knew himſelf by the Law to be ſuchRom. 7. a ſinner, as he knew not before. But I ſhall give you one Scripture which anſwers the caſe in the1 Jam. 23. 24. Metaphor [a Glaſs] uſed by our Adverſary. For if any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a Glaſs; for he beholdeth himſelf, &c.
I know you, who are called Quakers, will ſay I pervert this Text, which is to be underſtood of the light within, not of the Scriptures without; and that it maketh directly againſt me. I hint this to let people know what need we have to preſerve that appellation of the Scriptures, the Word of God; which will preſerve the due reputation, and uſe of thoſe holy and bleſſed writings. But I would ask any Quaker, if it be not abſurd and woful lame language, to exhort a man to be a doer of Chriſt? I muſt not diſpute the ſame thing over and over, but affirm this Text, and the particular Argument given juſt now, to be a full and plain confirming the Doctrinal word to be a means by which we may know our ſelves.
I ſhall expreſs in the cloſe of this Chapter thoſe SECT. III abſurdities, falſities, and impieties, that are the Baſtards this Errour is travelling withal.
The Scriptures have leſs in them of demonſtration, § 7 with reſpect to God, than the dumb Creation, or the moſt deſpicable particle of it; a Worm, a Stone, are ſome means to know God by.
That no Writing whatſoever can be any ſuch § 8 means; for the holy Scriptures deſerve a preference in religious caſes; and that (which will lye very heavy upon you who are called Quakers) all your ſcriblings neither hath been, neither can be to any ſuch good purpoſe, as the knowledge of God, Chriſt, &c.
Experience and ſenſe it ſelfe, and that not of § 3 one but many millions, are not all together worth aſtraw in point of evidence: for ſo many have experienced as plainly as ſence it ſelf can demonſtrate, that by the means of the Scriptures they have come by the knowledge of God, Chriſt, and themſelves.
The incomparably greater number of thoſe whom § 4 you confeſs were Saints, and had peace with God, knocked and entered at the wrong door; and ſo by your own Expoſition of Scripture, are Thieves and Robbers.
Then God, Chriſt, Prophets, Apoſtles, are all to § 5 be charged with folly, who taught the knowledge of God, Chriſt, and man, by the matter expreſſed by the Scriptures; which was not to them immediately expreſſed by God, but by Prophets, and humane Teachers.
You caſt thoſe Worthies who both diſputed and § 6 died to maintain not only ſome Truths concerning God, Chriſt, and man, (the knowledge of which they came to by Scripture,) but alſo for continuing in the poſſeſſion and to the uſe of ſouls for ſuch ends, the Books of the written Word. Yea you condemn them as a company of Fools who caſt a way and ſold themſelves to all the miſeries they ſuffered for a thing of nought.
Then neither is Reading, Preaching, nor Inſtruction § 7 of any ſuch uſe. This I fear hath gotten too much credit with you, who ſuffer your Families and Children to take their own courſes, except in the concerns of this world, wherein few out-do you: and I ſhould blame you the leſs if you would ſo far keep to this principle, as to keep your light within, and your thundring too; into which (though a ſelf contradiction) it breaks forth with a noiſe without ſenſe or truth: to the amuſing of the ignorant, who take them who ſhew the greateſt zeal or heat to be the moſt ſincere and intelligent.