Railing Rebuked, To the reader – Treatise
To the Reader.
Reader,
BE pleaſed to underſtand that ſince the writing of this Epiſtle, I find that there is a ſober anſwer made to the angry Epiſtle of T.S. by my Reverend Bretheren the Miniſters of Redding, which I doubt not will give very good ſatisfaction to the underſtanding and indifferent Reader; yet I ſhall not deſiſt from publiſhing my ſelfe what I intended before, but ſhall goe on in my purpoſe, both becauſe the Booke (the Epiſtle wherefore they have anſwered) is directed to my ſelfe by name, and becauſe God hath in mercy ſo directed mine and my Bretherens meditations, that we ſhall walk in ſomething a different way in one and the ſame worke, and yet not onelyonly without difference and diſagreement, but I hope with a more full and cumulative aſſiſtance, to ſuch ſelfe-knowing and ſincere Chriſtians, as ſee they need, and deſire to profit by our labours, which we pray God to bleſſe unto them for their greateſt good.
I ſhall further advertiſe the Reader of two things.
1. That my purpoſe at firſt was to anſwer at once the whole Booke of T. S. And in order thereunto I framed the precedent Epiſtle which reflects more properly upon all of it then upon a part. But in regard of my many occaſions and inability of body for ſtudy, it will require ſome longer time to goe through the whole; & yet I am ſo importunately call'd upon by divers godly Perſons, to whoſe ſpirits that booke is extreamly diſpleaſing, that I cannot deferre the doing of ſomething for ſome preſent ſatisfaction. I have reſolved therefore for this time (eſpecially conſidering that the pleading of my own perſonall cauſe is of no concernment in regard of the general intereſt of the Miniſtry) to apply my ſelfe to his Epiſtle onelyonly, but with a purpoſe (God aſſiſting) to adjoyne my anſwer to the reſidue. of the Booke, which I hope will be in a very ſhort time.
2. I deſire the Reader to obſerve that experience hath ſo much inform'd me of the little likelihood of prevailing with him that is become mine Adverſary (to whom my deſires have been to doe good) that I have reſolved, and formerly declared, that I would not have further to doe with him: and the truth is, that a ſpeciall end in this my anſwer, after my endeavour to cleare the truth and ſervants of God, is the informing and confirming of teachable Chriſtians. Thence it is that I am more large in the opening of ſeverall places of Scripture; and thereupon alſo I ſpeak (not in the ſecônd, but) in the third Perſon to the Writter, and direct my diſcourſe to the reader, deſiring God that thoſe Providences that adde to the work of his Miniſters, may adde alſo to the ſpiritual welfare of his people.
W. T.
The Title of Thomas Speeds Book.
T. S. Chriſts Innocency pleaded.
W. T. I ſhall only paraphraſe and ſo paſſe his Title Page.
CHriſts Innocency pleaded;] that is, the Quakers Innocency; for them (towards the cloſe of his Epiſtle) he calls [the innocent] and pleads all he can (not for Chriſt but) for them. If he ſay he pleads for Chriſt in pleading for them, I ſhall return only this anſwer, that we very wel know Chriſts innocency, but are far from knowing theirs. We ſee they do prove (by their in…uſtrious Seducements) and have cauſe to fear that they will further prove (unleſſe God reſtrain them, or (which we deſire moſt) convert them) a moſt nocent and ſpoyling aCant 2. 15▪ Col. 2. 8.company but men ſpeaking perverſe things, have ever preſumed to ſhelter themſelves under the name of Chriſt, and (that they might draw Diſciples after them the better) to entitle him to their deceiving doctrines, Matth. 24. 23, 24. 2 Cor. 11. 13, 14.
T. S. Againſt the cry of the Chief Prieſts.
W. T. That is, againſt the preaching of the chief Miniſters of the Nation, whoſe duty it is to cry aloud againſt ſinne, Iſa. 51. 1. and whoſe ſcope and work it is, to plead the cauſe of Chriſt againſt erroneous and Antichriſtian men, Tit. 1. 9, 10, 11.
T. S. By Thomas Speed, a Servant of that Jeſus Chriſt, who was at the requeſt of the bloody crew of Chief Prieſts and Teachers crucified at Hieruſalem.
W. T. A Servant (as he ſaies himſelf) of Jeſus Chriſt and yet the ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt cannot be quiet for him; and it is of that Jeſus Chriſt who was crucified at Hieruſalem, and yet as if that crucifying were not enough, this cruel man makes him ſuffer ſtill in his faithful Miniſters, bLuk. 10. 16by whom he neither was nor is crucified, but is evidently ſet forth and even pictured in the preaching of (and for) Chriſt crucified according to the doctrine of Scripture, Gal. 3. 1.
Now whether this profeſſing ſervant look to be ſaved by Jeſus Chriſt crucified [as on the Croſſe] dying for our ſinne and then riſing again for our juſtification; or [as in the heart] were worth the knowing. If he look to be ſaved by Chriſt [as] ſanctifying within, and not as ſuffering without, he will not be found a good ſervant, becauſe not of his Maſters minde.
T. S. Matth. 23. 27. Woe unto you Scribes and Phariſes hypocrites:
John 8. 39, 40. If ye were Abrahams Children, ye would do the works of Abraham, but ye ſeek to kill me, &c.
W. T. Whether theſe Scriptures, by which he intimates the Miniſters of England to be Hypocrites and Murderers, yea Murderer of Jeſus Chriſt, be rightly applied, or wretchedly abuſed, let all indifferent readers judge.
T. S. Seneca de vit. beat. Quaeramus quid optimè factum ſit non quid uſitatiſſimum et quid nos in poſſeſſione felicitatis aeternae conſtituat, non quid vulgo, veritatis peſſimo interpreti probatum ſit.
W. T. I ſhall return him the ſaying of another Phyloſopher, that was full as wiſe as Seneca.
Probabilia ſunt quae probantur aut omnibus aut pluribus, aut certè ſapientibus, atque iis vel omnibus vel plurimes, vel iis quorum ſpectata est & perſpecta ſapientia, Ariſtot Top. Lib. 10. cap. 10.
On the contrary, he declares himſelf a Sophiſter and fallacious man, that regards not that Rule, but ex propriis ſcientiae ſumptionibus non veris quod vult effecit. ibid.
I proceed now to his Epiſtle.