Arrows Against Babylon, Questions – Errata
QVERIES for the People called QVAKERS.
FIRST,
WHether are you willing that the depth of your perſwaſion or opinion touching Jeſus Chriſt his being now contained in the Heavens, the raiſing of our dead bodys after natural death, the Tryal of Spirits and Doctrins according to the Scriptures, ſhould be clearly and openly known, and publiſhed?
Secondly, Whether do you not by many of your ſayings (which admit of a double conſtruction) craftily hide your perſwaſion in many things from the ſight of ſome honeſt people, who take you to hold the ſame truth with beleevers in general, concerning Chriſt, the Scriptures, and the reſurrection of the dead? Do you not endeavour to make them beleeve, you hold otherwiſe in ſome things than you do? And is not this diſſimulation at the beſts or lying after the manner of Annanias and Saphira, Act. 5.8,
Thirdly, Whether your ſelves (even all of you) bee not men and women of ſinfull failings, and imperfections, as act thoſe Godly people you cry down? Doth not the light within ſhew you this? If not,1 Joh. 1.8. tell us who are the perſons among you without their failings or imperfections? And how came they ſo to bee?
Fourthly, Do you in … of the Congregations of Beleevers, as well look after thoſe things which are Commendable as thoſe things which are Condemnable in their practices? Do you not overlook the example of Chriſt in this, who in his meſſage to the Church of Epheſus, writes in praiſe of the good things in them, Rev. 2.2. and particularly that they hated the Doctrin of the*Are not ſome Churches now to be commended for hating evill doctrins? …? Though withall hee reproves them for leaving their firſt love, and Sard…s Church being reproved, ſome few names are excepted. Do not you on the contrary cry them down in general, without any mercy?
Fifthly, Whether your declaring againſt inſtrumental teaching, yet going about divers of you, informing and inſtructing your ſelves and others, who are free to hear you; doth not diſcover a groſſe contradiction between your profeſt principles and practice, and plainly ſhew that you would have them hear none but you? and whether this be right to ſet them againſt inſtrumental teaching, to bring them to hear your declaring, as ſome of you call your ſpeaking, altering only the name?
Sixthly, Whether inſtrumental teaching bee unſuitable to the new Covenant? If ſo, Why did Chriſt being aſcended, appoint Paſtors and Teachers in the Church, to continue untill wee all come into the Unity of the Faith? &c. thus ordaining Miniſters for the work, while work remains for the miniſtery. Did Chriſt burden his Saints with needleſſe appointments?
Seventhly, Whether the Scriptures you bring to oppoſe Goſpell Ordinances, do not ſerve only to make void Circumciſion, with other Ordinances of Moſes Law; and to witneſſe againſt walking after the tradition of men, with the carnall formall practice, or idolizing of true Goſpell Ordinances? All you ſay, making not at all againſt a ſpiritual practice of Church-Ordinances, as breaking bread, and exhorting one another, &c. wherein the Saints have the footſteps of the flock in the primitive times going before them, and the appointment of Chriſt for the continuance of theſe till his coming, which muſt bee underſtood of his perſonal coming the ſecond time, he being come in the Spirit with great glory, when hee gave thoſe Commands, 1 Cor. 11.25, 26. Revel. 2.25. Heb. 10.25.
Eightly, Whether it is not better to wait on God in his good old ways recorded in his word, expecting his work to be gradually carried on as the growth of a building, or of a plant, or child, ſo running with patience the ſpiritual race ſet before us? or as the manner of ſome is, to forſake the principles of faith (whereof the Saints have had ſo great experience) in hope to ſtart up ſuddenly from a low ſtature into perfection, by imbracing a new doctrine?
Ninthly, Whether Jeſus Chriſt hath not prayed for thoſe who beleeve through the word of the Apoſtles, according to John 17.20? And if ſo, Whether they are not in a good and ſafe way who beleeve accordingly? And whether it be not better to credit their teſtimony ſo fully confirmed by the Lord, and acknowledged by the Saints for many generations, than to forgoe that, to imbrace,Heb. 2.3. and follow the ſayings of ſome of your company?
Tenthly, What is that faith which the Spirit ſpeaks expreſly, Some ſhall depart from in the latter dayes, giving heed to ſeducing ſpirits, and doctrines of devils? 1 Tim. 4.1
Eleventhly, Whether that doctrine which in ſum is no more but LOOK TO THE LIGHT WITHIN, with a curſe upon diſobedience, and a bleſſing upon obedience thereunto; be that glorious Goſpel preached by Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, holding forth good news to all people? Or whether it bee not a reviving of the old doctrine of Juſtification by works, wherein the myſtery of iniquity worketh to darken the grace of God, in juſtifying the ungodly without works freely, and to make void the ſufferings of Chriſt? Rom. 3.24. and the 4. Chap. 5. Gal. 3.1.
Twelfthly, Whether the light that is in every man doth reveal Jeſus Chriſt as crucified for ſin, and riſen again? If ſo, How came it to paſs that ſo many ſtrict men among the Philoſophers,Acts 23.1. Act. 26.9. 1 Tim. 1.13. and Paul himſelf walking according to his conſcience before converſion, were ignorant of him?
13 Whether you have not among you many who preſume to be Maſters, or Maſterly teachers, contrary to that word of Chriſt, Matth. 23.10. in the true intent of it? Do they not uſurp authority over the judgement and conſcience of their followers, requiring them to beleeve and obey what they ſay, without asking their meaning, and examining their ſayings by the Scriptures? whereas Chriſt expounded his ſayings, as occaſion was offered, and need required, to his Diſciples, and the Bereans are commended for ſearching the Scriptures daily, whether the things ſpoken by the Apoſtle were ſo, Matth. 13.18, 19.36, 37, &c.
14 Whether it bee not high preſumption, and ſpiritual pride, for ſome among you to break Chriſts commands, and teach men ſo? and to judge (as many do) the ſecrets of mens hearts? and raſhly without knowledge of mens converſations, to affirm that they have not the Spirit? If the Spirit of God witneſs with their ſpirits (as I doubt not but it doth with divers of them, you ſo judge) that they have the Spirit of God, and the work of regeneration witneſſing thereunto, may they not by your bold judgement to the contrary, know how to judge of you?
15 Whether do you not eſteem the ſayings of ſome among you of equal authority with the ſayings of God in Scripture? and as readily, or more to be beleeved, and obeyed without any inquiry, whether they agree with Scripture or no? even although they plainly contradict the written word? Is it not an uſual thing with many of you, to travel up and down to and fro, far and neer, to the wearying of your fleſh, and neglecting your relations, in obedience to ſuch voyces or ſayings not warranted by Scripture, but contrary thereunto? yet in many things of this kind, wherein ſome of you ſeem to glory, the Papiſts themſelves out-ſtrip you, only, they are more modeſt than to go naked; And who hath required theſe things of any of you?
16 Whether Satan that old deceiver (who often changes his ſhapes, being diſcovered in many of his old devices) may not now be expected to come in his beſt dreſs, as an Angel of light? and being diſcovered in his old Antichriſtian forms, and in rude ranting, now to come with power, and ſeeming purity, ſhewing ſigns and wonders, to ſeduce from the plain ſimplicity of the Goſpel of Chriſt, according to thoſe deſcriptions of his coming, and working, 2 Theſſ. 2.8, 9. Mark 13.22. 2 Cor. 11.3.14? And if ſo, ought not all men to take heed how they beleeve every ſpirit, or powerful motion to bee of God? as alſo, how they hear,1 Joh. 4.1. and follow every Prophet that comes in ſheeps cloathing, and pretends to come with light? And are not thoſe in the way to be eaſily ſeduced, who are ſo taken with the fair covering, and outſide carriage of perſons, as to imbrace their principles without a ſerious ſpiritual Scripture-trial of them? Whereas we are commanded, If any man bring not this doctrine, receive him not, 2 Epiſt. Joh. 10. And Solomon ſaith, The ſimple beleeveth every word, but the prudent man looks well to his goings, Prov. 14.15.
FINIS.
Reader,
By reaſon of the Authors abſence at the entrance of this Book into the Preſſe, and notwithſtanding all the care taken afterwards, many faults have eſcaped, ſome of the chief of which are here noted, the reſt thou art deſired to correct with thy own pen.
Errata.
IN the Epiſtle to thoſe in Babylon, blot out (And for) p. 1. l. 20. for alſo r. ſo, p. 2. l. 9. blot out ye…, p. 4. l. 5. blot out ought, p. 5. l. 10. r. Jer. 51. l. 13. r. Iſ. 59. p. 7. l. 4. leave out from many promiſes to Beleevers. l. 9. r. ſince. l. 16. leave out that, p. 10. l. 10. for graces, r. grace, p. 20. l. 24. for light, r. like.
In the Margent of page the 11. read Religious Scots.
End of the text · John Pendarves, Arrows Against Babylon (1656)