A Scripture Catechism, Chapter 28
Chap. 28. Of the Errours of Quakers.
Q. HOVV came man at firſt to have a right to the earth, and the fruites thereof, and creatures therein?
A. Pſal. 115.16. The Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lord's, but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Q. Have particular nations or Families lawfully diſtinct lands and territories? did they obtain it by order from the firſt borne, or by choice in order, begining at the firſt borne, or by Lot? did God allow of ſuch diſtinction?
A. Act. 17.26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Deut. 32.8. When the moſt high divided to the nations their inheritance, when he ſeparated the ſons of Adam, he ſet the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Iſrael.
Q. Hath a man a right to that which is gotten from a common enemy in a lawfull war?
A. Gen. 48.22. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my ſword and with my bow. Judg. 11.24. wilt not thou poſſeſſe that which Chemoſh thy God giveth thee to poſſes? ſo whomſoever the Lord our God ſhall drive out before us, them will we poſſeſſe.
Q. Did Chriſt ever becauſe he was Lord of all, put any one man out of poſſeſſion of any foot of ground?
A. Luk. 12.13, 14. Mr, ſpeak to my Brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he ſaid unto him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider over you? Mar. 12.17. And Jeſus anſwering ſaid unto them, Render to Caeſar the things that are Caeſar's—
Q. Hath Chriſt given power to his Church or Saints to rule them that are without?
A. 1 Cor. 5.12. For what have I to doe to judge them alſo that are without?—verſ. 13. but them that are without God judgeth —
Q. Muſt not all miniſters and Chriſtians ſell what they have, and live upon a common ſtocks muſt not Mine and Thine ceaſe in the Church and Common-wealth?
A. Act. 5.4. Whiles it remained was it not thine own, and after it was ſold was it not in thine own power? 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints upon the firſt day of the weeek, let every one of you lay by him in ſtore, as God hath proſpered him.
Q. May a godly man, he that is an heir of heaven, purchaſe land upon earth?
A. Gen. 23.20. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made ſure unto Abraham for a poſſeſſion of a burying place by the ſons of Heth.
Q. May a Chriſtian buy or ſell with or for money?
A. James 4.13, 15. Goe to now ye that ſay, To day or to morrow we will goe into ſuch a city, and continue there a yeer, and buy, and ſell, and get gain. For that ye ought to ſay, If the Lord will, we ſhall live, and doe this or that. Luk. 22.36. John. 4.8. compared with John. 13.29.
Q. May we ſay Sr or Ld to any man, and eſpecially to a Miniſter?
A. Gen. 23.14, 15. And Ephron anſwered Abraham, ſaying unto him, my Ld, hearkē unto me. Joh. 20.15. She ſuppoſing him to be the gardiner ſayth unto him, Sir, if thou have born him hence tell me &c. Act. 27, 10. Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt &c.
Q. May Saints give the title of Sirs to Idolaters.
A. Act. 14.15. Sirs, why doe ye theſe things? we alſo are men of like paſſions with you, and preach unto you, that ye ſhould turne from theſe vanities unto the living God. &c.
Q. May we ſay Honourable, or write Moſt excellent, to any?
A. 1 Sam. 9.6. And he ſaid unto him, Behold, now there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man, all that he ſayth cometh ſurely to paſſe. Act. 1.3. It ſeemed good to me alſo &c. to write unto thee in order moſt excellent Theophilus.
Q. May a Miniſter, or private Chriſtian, ſay or write to any man, your ſervant in the Lord?
A. 2 Cor. 4.5. For we preach not our ſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, and our ſelves your ſervants for Jeſus ſake.
Q. May we ſay good morrow, good even, or I wiſh you good ſpeed?
A. Ruth 2.4. And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem, and ſaid unto the Reapers, the Lord be with you; and they anſwered him, the Lord bleſſe thee. Pſal. 129.8. Neither doe they which goe by ſay, The bleſſing of the Lord be upon you, we bleſse you in the name of the Lord. 2 Joh. 10, 11. If there come any unto you, & bring not this Doctrin, receive him not into your houſe, neither bid him God ſpeed: For he that biddeth him God ſpeed is partaker of his evill deeds.
Q. May we crave a bleſſing, or, as we call it, give thanks for our meat and drink?
A. 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. For every creature of God is Good, & nothing to be refuſed, if it be received with thankſgiving: For it is ſanctified by the word of God and prayer. Joh. 6.11. And Jeſus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he diſtributed to the Diſciples &c.
Q. May a Chriſtian bear the office of a civill Magiſtrate?
A. Ro. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. Let every ſoul be ſubject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God; whoſoever therefore reſiſteth the power, reſiſteth the ordinance of God; and they that reſiſt ſhall receive to themſelves damnation: For Rulers are not a terrour to good works, but to the evill, &c. For he is the miniſter of God to thee for good &c.
Q. May Chriſtians lawfully live under any King but Chriſt?
A. Rom. 13.5, 6, 7. Wherefore ye muſt needs be ſubject, not only for wrath, but alſo for conſcience ſake: for for this cauſe pay you tribute alſo, for they are God's miniſters &c. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, cuſtome to whom cuſtome, fear to whom feare, honour to whom honour. 1 Pet. 2.13, 14. Submit your ſelves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's ſake, whether it be to the King, as ſupreame, or unto Governours, as unto them that are ſent by him, for the puniſhment of evill doers, and for the praiſe of them that doe well.
Q. Is it lawfull to pay tribute & cuſtom?
A. Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to all their dues, Tribute to whom tribute is due, Cuſtome to whom cuſtome.
Q. Is it lawfull to ſalute, honour, and bow down before men?
A. Gen. 23.12. And Abraham bowed down himſelfe before the people of the land. Mat. 5.47. And if ye ſalute your brethren only, what doe you more than others? doe not even the Publicans ſo? c. 10.12. And when you come into an houſe ſalute it. 1 Sam. 10.4. And they will ſalute thee, and give thee &c.
Q. What ſay you to 2 King. 4.29. ſalute him not. And Luk. 10.4. ſalute no man by the way?
A. When the Prophet Eliſha's ſervant Gehazi was ſent upon life and death, as we ſay, it was no time then to ſtay or hinder his buſineſſe in giving or taking courteſyes; our Lord would not have his diſciples diſtracted or hindered in their worke with civilities: and beſides, the leſſe they courted the world with comity, and as we ſay, complementing, the more was God's power ſeen in making way yet for their entertainment: and yet civility was not altogether forbidden them, verſ. 5. Into whatſoever houſe ye enter, firſt ſay, peace be to this houſe.
Q. May we write books, inſcribing the name of any particular perſon, eſpecially in the beginning?
A. Luk. 1.3. It ſeemed good to me alſo, having had perfect underſtanding of all things from the very firſt, to write unto thee in order, moſt Excellent Theophilus.
Q. Are ſome perſons honourable, and more honourable than others?
A. Luk. 14.8. When thou art bidden of any Man to a wedding, ſit not down in the higheſt room, leſt a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him.
Q. May we call thoſe Noble, or moſt Noble, of whoſe Religion or godlineſſe we have ſmall evidence?
A. Act. 26.25. I am not mad moſt Noble Feſtus.
Q. May Women be ſtiled Honourable?
A. Act. 17.12. Therefore many of them believed, alſo of honourable Women which were Greeks, and of men not a few.
Q. May a Chriſtian be a ſervant to any man, ſeeing he is the Lord's ſervant, yea the Lord's free-man?
A. 1 Cor. 7.21. Art thou called being a Servant? care not for it: but if thou mayeſt be made free, uſe it rather. 1 Tim. 6.1, 2. Let as many ſervants as are under the yoke count their own Maſters worthy of all honour. And they that have believing Maſters, let them not deſpiſe them, becauſe they are brethren, &c.
Obj. 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the ſervants of men.
A. Chriſtians ſhould not when they are free, chuſe to ſerve Idolatrous Maſters, leſt that ſhould prove a ſnare unto them. Againe, I ſay Chriſtians muſt obey God rather than men; the ſervants of God may ſerve the perſons of men, but muſt not ſerve mens luſts contrary to the Law of God.
Q. Muſt Mr and Servant ſit down to meat together? or may one ſit, and the other ſtand and ſerve?
A. Luk. 17.7, 8. Which of you having a Servant—will ſay to him, goe and ſit down to meat? and not rather, make ready wherewith I may ſup, and gird thy ſelfe, and ſerve me &c.
Q. Doth not the ſcripture condemne Reſpect of perſons, Deut. 16.19. Jam. 2.1, 3, 9. Prov. 24.23. and 28.21.
A. It is written alſo in the Scripture (and the Scripture cannot be broken) Render honour to whom honour is due, Rom. 13.7. And againe, Thou ſhalt riſe up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, I am the Lord, Lev. 19.32. We muſt not ſo expound one place of Scripture as to make it claſh with another. The holy ſpirit of truth doth not croſſe and contradict himſelfe. We muſt neceſſarily therefore diſtinguiſh of Reſpect of Perſons, and ſhew what manner of honour or reſpect is ſinfull and condemned, and what is warrantable and allowed: we acknowledge that the Scripture forbids to reſpect perſons in judgment, whether rich or poor, Lev. 19.15. The Judge muſt not pervert judgment for feare of the rich man, or out of pitty to the poor man, but muſt judge righteous judgment, every man's cauſe not according to the perſon that mannages it, and whom it concernes, but according to the merit of it.
Againe, Chriſtians muſt not as in the adminiſtration of juſtice, ſo neither of Ordinances, admit rich men becauſe they are rich, however unbelieving, unworthy, and altogether unqualified; and exclude or refuſe the poor, how rich ſoever in Faith, prepared, and fitted, merely becauſe they are poor. It ſeemes when James wrote his Epiſtle there were ſome in the Church, who were to be blamed, becauſe they did preferre and honour rich men; though unbelievers and oppreſſros, and in the mean time did contemne and deſpiſe poor believing Chriſtians for their poverty. Though we may honour men for thoſe outward excellencies which God hath beſtowed or put upon them, yet we muſt never ſo honour the rich, as to ſlight and deſpiſe the poor, eſpecially the poor Believer.
Q. May we take theſe words Reſpect and Honour the one for the other?
A. Lev. 19.15. Ye ſhall doe no unrighteouſneſſe in judgment: thou ſhalt not reſpect the perſon of the poor, nor honour the perſon of the mighty: but in Righteouſneſſe ſhalt thou judge thy Neighbour. To conclude this matter, that it is abſolutely neceſſary to diſtinguiſh of reſpect of perſons, will appeare by comparing amongſt others theſe two places of Scripture, Eph. 6.9.—knowing that your Mr alſo is in heaven neither is there reſpect of perſons with him, with Gen. 4.4, 5. — And the Lord had reſpect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not reſpect. To reconcile thē theſe Scriptures, that ſeem thus to croſſe one another. I ſay God doth not regard men more for their beauty, place, eſtate, or ſuch outward things: nor will he for any ſuch by-reſpect goe a haires breadth from juſtice, and in this ſence there is no reſpect of perſons with God. And yet God doth righteouſly and holily accept the faces of his people, that feare, and ſerve, and call upon him, Lev. 26.9. For I will have reſpect unto you, and make you fruitfull, and multiply you and eſtabliſh my Covenant with you.
Q. May Chriſtians when they are aſked where they dwell, give any other anſwer than this, they dwell in God?
A. Yes. Joh. 1.38, 39. They ſaid unto him Rabbi, where dwelleſt thou? he ſayth to them, come and ſee. They came and ſaw where he dwelt and abode with him that day. Act. 28.30. And Paul dwelt two whole yeers in his own hired houſe, and received all that came in unto him.
Q. May a Chriſtian without ſin call perſons or things by the names which Heathens or Idolaters have given them, eſpecially if they have been the names of Idols?
A. Act. 28.11. — we departed in a ſhip, whoſe ſigne was Caſtor and Pollux. Rom. 16.1. I commend unto you Phebe. verſ. 14. Salute Hermas &c. 1 Cor. 16.12.— Brother Apollos. Act. 17.1. When they had paſſed through Apollonia.
Q. Is it lawfull to call the dayes of the week and the months of the yeer by any other names then the 1ſt, 2d, 3d &c.
A. Eſt. 9.17. On the 13th day of the monethmonth Adar &c. Luk. 23.54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. Rev. 1.10. I was in the ſpirit on the Lord's day. Deut. 16.1. 1 King. 6.37, 38. 1 King. 8.2. Ezr. 6.15. Neh. 1.1. and 2.1. & 6.15.
Q. May we interpret the word of God?
A. Math. 1.23. They ſhall call his name Emanuel; which being interpreted, is, God with us.
Q. May we not only tranſlate, but alſo give the ſence or meaning?
A. Joh. 7.37, 38. If any man thirſt, let him come unto me and drink: He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath ſaid, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water; this ſpake he of the ſpirit, which they that believe on him ſhould receive, &c. Neh. 8.8.
Q. May one man be helpfull to another towards the underſtanding of the Scriptures, or muſt we depend upon, and waite for the immediate teachings of the Holy Ghoſt?
A. Act. 8.30, 31. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the Prophet Eſaias, and ſaid, Underſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? And he ſayd, How can I, except ſome man ſhould guide me? And he deſired Philip that he would come up and ſit with him.
Q. Is that ſaid to be in the Scripture, which is no where word for word now to be found, but only in the ſence and ſcope?
A. Jam. 4.5. Doe ye think that the ſcripture ſayth in vaine, the ſpirit that dwelleth in us luſteth to envy. Joh. 7.38. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath ſaid, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water.
Q. May that be ſaid to be grounded on Scripture, which is founded on Scripture conſequences?
A. Mar. 12.26, 27. And as touching the dead that they riſe, have ye not read in the book of Moſes, how in the buſh God ſpake unto him, ſaying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaack, and the God of Jacob: He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.
Q. May thoſe who have the Spirit, and are guided by the Spirit, yet attend unto the Scripture, or the outward writing?
A. 1 Chr. 28.11, 12, 19. Then David gave to Solomon the ſon his patterne of the porch—And the patterne of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the houſe of the Lord—All this, ſaid David, the Lord made me underſtand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the workes of this patterne.
Q. Did our Lord Chriſt give the Apoſtles any prohibitions which were but ny thing only for a time? temporary? or did he prohibite them a-
A. Mat. 10.5. Theſe twelve Jeſus ſent forth, and commanded them ſaying, Goe not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. Compared with Acts 8.14. When the Apoſtles which were at Jeruſalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they ſent unto him Peter and John. Math. 10.9, 10. Provide neither gold, nor ſilver, nor braſſe in your purſes, nor ſcrip for your journey, neither two coates, neither ſhooes, nor yet ſtaves—compared with Luk. 22.36. Then ſaid he unto them, But now he that hath a purſe let him take it, and likewiſe his ſcrip; and he that hath no ſword let him ſell his garment and buy one.
Q. May we without ſinuſe the ſingular number when we ſpeak to or of many, and the plurall when we ſpeak to or of but one?
A. See Mat. 21.2, 7. Go into the village over againſt you, & ſtraight way ye ſhall find an Aſſe tyed, & a Colt with her: looſe them, and bring them unto me. And they brought the Aſſe and the Colt &c. compared with Mar. 11.2, 7.—Goe your way into the village over againſt you, and aſſoon as ye be entred into it ye ſhall find a Colt tyed, whereon never man ſate, looſe him, and bring him. And they brought the Colt to Jeſus &c. Tit. 2.7, 8. In all things ſhewing thy ſelfe a patterne of good works—that he that is of the contrary part may be aſhamed, having no evill thing to ſay of you. See Luk. 22.31, 32. Jud. 12.7. 'Tis ſaid of Jephthah, he was buried in the cities of Gilead foreign for in one of the cities of Gilead. Med. Opuſc. Annot. in Apocal. p. 66.
Q. May there be Land-Lords, and thoſe that hire houſes or Lands?
A. Cant. 8.11. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon, he let out the vineyard unto keepers: every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a 1000 pieces of ſilver.
Q. May there be buying and ſelling of houſes and lands, and conveyances and writings or evidences written, and witneſſes of purchaſes?
A. Gen. 23.15, 16. The land is worth 400 ſhekels of ſilver: what is that betwixt me and thee—And Abraham weighed unto Ephron the ſilver, which he had named in the audience of the ſons of Heth. Act. 4.34. For as many as were poſſeſſors of lands or houſes ſold them, and brought the prices of the things that were ſold. Jer. 32.44. Men ſhall buy fields for money, and ſubſcribe evidences, and ſeale them, and take witneſſes in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jeruſalem, and in the cities of Judah &c.
Q. Are wicked men true owners of their eſtates? Or are all things ſo the Saints by a title founded in grace, that they may without ſin before God out mere naturall men of their poſseſsions at pleaſure, if they had the power?
A. Pſal. 115.16. The heaven, even the heavens are the Lords: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. Acts 20.33. I have coveted no man's ſilver, or gold, or apparrell. Joſh. 24.4.
Q. May we now, call any man Good becauſe it is ſaid Mark. 10.18. There is no man good but one, that is, God.
A. Act. 11.24. For he was a good man, and full of the holy Ghoſt, and of Faith. Rom. 5.7. yet peradventure for a good man ſome would even dare to dye.
Q. May we call the maſter of the houſe the Good-man of the Houſe?
A. Mar. 14.13, 14.—Goe ye into the city and there ſhall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And whereſoever he ſhall goe in, ſay ye to the good man of the houſe, The maſter ſayth &c.
Q. May we ſay we will doe ſuch and ſuch things, if God will?
A. Heb. 6.3. And this will we doe, if God permit. Act. 18.21. I muſt by all means keep this Feaſt that cometh, in Jeruſalem, but I will returne againe unto you, if God will.
Q. What if Chriſtians, who in the maine bent, purpoſe, and deſigne of their ſoules reſigne and ſubmit themſelves and wayes wholly to the will of God, doe ſometimes omit thoſe expreſsions, doe they ſin?
A. Rom. 15.24. Whenſoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I truſt to ſee you in my journey &c. 3 Joh. 10. Wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds, which he doth prating againſt us with malitious words. &c.
Q. What if Chriſtians not through lightneſſe or vanity, but upon new emergencies, accidents, or occurrences, and other weighty conſiderations happen to change their purpoſe, and not to doe as they ſayd, doe they ſinne?
A. 2 Cor. 1.15, 17, 23. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before &c. When I therefore was thus minded, did I uſe lightneſſe? or the thing that I purpoſe, doe I purpoſe, according to the fleſh, that with me there ſhould be yea, yea, and nay, nay? I call God for a record upon my ſoule, that to ſpare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Gen. 19.2, 3. Behold now my Lords turne in I pray you into your ſervants houſe, and tarry all night— And they ſaid Nay, but we will abide in the ſtreet all night. And he preſſed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him, and entred into his houſe.
Q. Is there any mere man that liveth, who is perfectly holy, without the leaſt ſinne?
A. 1 Joh. 1.8. If we ſay that we have no ſinne, we deceive our ſelves, and the truth is not in us. Math. 6.11, 12. Give us this day our dayly bread, and forgive us our treſpaſſes.
Q. Doth not the Scripture ſpeak of ſome that are perfect, 1 Cor. 2.6?
A. Some are ſaid to be perfect in Scripture who are ſincere, whoſe hearts are right to follow God fully, who take heed to obſerve and doe God's will, though in ſome thing they are wanting: for inſtance Noah. Gen. 6.9. 'tis ſaid was a juſt man, and perfect, or upright in his generation: and yet we find in the 9th chap. that he was drunken. And as for this place cited in the Queſtion, it muſt either be underſtood, that they were ſincere; or elſe 'tis ſpoken comparatively, they were as ſtrong men in Chriſt, as old Diſciples, when others were but Babes in knowledge, and had not their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcerne 'twixt good and evill.
Q. VVhat ſhall I ſay to that which is written 1 Joh. 3.6, 9?
A. I anſwer with our Saviour, it is written again, and that too by a man after God's own heart. Pſ. 19.12, Who can underſtand his Errors, cleanſe thou me from my ſecret faults. A true child of God doth not, dares not allow himſelfe to goe on in a conſtant courſe or trade of any knowne ſin, he doth endeavour to keep himſelfe from his iniquity, he hates every falſe way: you may hear the language of his ſoule in the complaint of Paul, Rom. 7.15. For that which I doe, I allow not: For what I would, that doe I not; but what I hate, that doe I. He doth not willingly tug at the Divels oares. Sinne remaines in him, but doth not raign over him; it may captivate him as a Tyrant, he ownes it not as his lawfull King and Soveraigne.
Q. VVas it the practiſe of Chriſt, the true Meſſiah, and of his Apoſtles, to teach publickly in uſuall places of concourſe and worſhip?
A. Joh. 18.20. Jeſus anſwered him, I ſpake openly to the world: I ever taught in the Synagogue, and in the Temple, whither the Jewes alwaies reſort, and in ſecret have I ſaid nothing. Act. 18.4. And he reaſoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath, and perſwaded the Jewes and the Greeks.
Q. Doe falſe Chriſts and falſe teachers draw people away from the publick worſhip of God into chambers, corners, and deſerts?
A. Math. 24.26. Wherefore if they ſhall ſay unto you, Behold he is in the deſert, goe not forth: behold he is in the ſecret chambers, believe it not.
Q. Doe Miniſters prove by Scripture when they prove by deductions, and conſequences, and comparing one place with another, although they doe not bring what they ſay in ſo many words out of the Scriptures?
A. Act. 18.28. For he mightily convinced the Jewes, and that publickly ſhewing by the Scriptures that Jeſus was Chriſt.