Answer to George Keiths Libel, Copy of paper
A True Copy of George Keith's Paper, Delivered to Mr. George Layfield, At POCAMOK in MARY-LAND.
KIND Friend George Lay-field, my Dear Love in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt Saluteth thee, with Earneſt Supplication and Prayer to God for thee, that God, who hath begun his good work in thee, may perfect it, until the Day of Chriſt, and that the Precious Seed, that God hath Sown in thy Heart may grow not only to be the greateſt of Herbs, but a great Tree, bringing forth Fruit, to Gods Everlaſting Praiſe, and to thy Souls Everlaſting Comfort and Happineſs.
As concerning the Catechiſm, Publiſhed by F. M. I have diligently read, and con…dered it, and tho' it holdeth forth diverſe true things, yet it hath a great mixture of Error, and many falſe, and unſound hurtful things it doth contain; which my preſent ſhortneſs of time in theſe Parts, doth not permit me to mention in moſt particulars; and as the ſame Catechiſm aboundethwith many Errors; ſo it falleth exceeding ſhort, in not mentioning in the leaſt, many neceſſary Truths, and Doctrines, which are of great neceſſity, to be taught unto people, as belonging to the firſt Principles of Chriſtian Religion, which he altogether omitteth; nor doth he in the leaſt declare that he receiveth any one of theſe things, delivered by him, in his ſaid Catechiſm, from any inward opening or diſcovery of Gods Spirit in his Heart: Nor doth he mention, any one thing of his own experience, of the work of God in his heart, but as his Title Page ſheweth, his whole Work is but a Collection from others; he mentions nothing in all his Catechiſm, that people are to be turned or directed to God, or Chriſt, or the Spirit of God in them, he telleth not People, that it is God or Chriſt, or the Spirit of God convinceth them, and reproveth them for ſins of all ſorts, as Lying, Pride, Envy, Coveteouſneſs, Unbelief he doth not inſtruct People, how they are to find God and Chriſt in their Hear… and how they are to wait in ſilence … mind, and thoughts, to hear God, and Chri… ſpeak inwardly unto them in their Heart… in the ſilence of all Fleſh; and how the… are to have God and Chriſt, and the H… ly Spirit to dwell and walk in them, and t… teach them over and beyond all outwar… teaching; he mentions very little of the Spirit at all, and what he mentions of it is, very Obſcurely, ſo that without breach of Charity, I can freely ſay, he is a great Stranger to the inward Dealings and Workings of Gods Holy Spirit in the Hearts of his People: and whereas he mentions, his Compaſſion over the Tender Souls, in an American Deſart, ready to periſh for want of a Viſion, in his Epiſtle to the Reader; his Catechiſm can nothing help them in that reſpect; for not one word in all his Catechiſm, directeth People were to find the true Viſion of God in any meaſure; but on the contrary, according to his, and his Bretherens Falſe Faith, all true Divine Viſion, and Revelation, and all Divine Inſpiration, is ceaſed ſince the Apoſtles Days, both among Teachers and People, and God hath committed His Counſel wholly to Writing, the former ways of Gods revealing himſelf being ceaſed; and they ſay further; there is no inward voice, or word of God in people, but the Scripture is the only Word, and only Rule, all which is moſt falſe, and hurtful Doctrine, and doth more hurt where it is received, then all his Catechiſm can do good. And all the People in Virginia both Engliſh and Scots, whom he ſeemeth to reflect upon for their Ignorance, have the Holy Scriptures without, and the Holyteachings, and illuminations of God and Chriſt within, to teach them what is needful to their Salvation, if they will hearken thereunto, far better then this Catehiſm of F M. which is defective, and wanting of many Principal and neceſſary doctrines, belonging to the Chriſtian Faith.
In the firſt Page of his Catechiſm, He ſaith, God made the World out of Nothing; but this is no Scripture Language and indeed in very many of his Anſwers, he holdeth not to Scripture Language, but uſeth the invented words of Mans Wiſdom, not according, but contrary unto the Holy Scriptures. May it not ſuffice to ſay, God Created a… things by Jeſus Chriſt; as the Scriptures declareth, without adding to the Word of God.
Page Third. He mentions no other Teacher but the Scriptures given to men, to ſerve and Glorify God; And thus according to him; all theſe great Nations who have not the Scriptures, are wholly left without all Teaching of God to Serve and Glorify him, in the leaſt meaſure, but this is expreſly contrary to Scripture, which ſay concerning the Gentiles, who had not the Law outwardly delivered in Scripture, that they did ſhow the work of the Law in their hearts, and what was to be known of God, was manifeſt in them; for God had ſhown it untothem, and when they knew God, they Glorified him not as God and Chriſt the Light of the World, hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World; and teacheth every man in ſome meaſure to ſerve God, which is to obey him, otherwiſe they could not have ſin; if there were nothing in the Gentiles, to require obedience or ſervice of them unto God.
It had been much better in this Authour to have inſtructed People, that they had ſome other helps, and means of knowledge with the Scriptures, and theſe ſome outward, and ſome inward, although it is to be granted that the Scriptures are the beſt of all Books outward, yet there is the Book of Gods Creation, and the Book of His Providence over all his Creatures; that are no ſmall helps and means, in their place being duely uſed and together with God, Chriſt, and the Spirit, are inwardly preſent to teach all People, in ſome things to ſerve God, and as every one is faithful in the little, more is given to them.
Beſides, that the Writer of this Catechiſm ſhould have joined the ſpirit of God & Chriſt with the Scriptures, as the Opener, & Interpreter of them, informing people that the Scriptures are the Organ & Instrument of Gods Spirit; & that Gods Good, and Holy Spirit, is the principal Author and cauſe of all true knowledgeof God, as he doth inwardly inſpire, and enlighten every one; and that there is no true ſaving knowledge of God, and Chriſt, without the Spirits Inſpiration, and Teaching; and that how much ſoever people read or hear the Scriptures, if they neglect or turn away their minds from Gods inward teachings, by his Word, Spirit, and Light within their hearts, they remain Blind, and Dark; and Ignorant of God.
Page Third. That he ſaith there are Three Perſons in the God-head; this is not Scripture Language, to ſay Three Perſons, The Myſtery of the Three, to wit, the Father the Son, and the Holy-Ghoſt, who are One GOD, is Great, and Glorious, and ought to be Reverently conceived & expreſſed, in Scripture words, which the Holy-Ghoſt hath Taught; but not in words of Mans Wiſdom.
Page Ninth & Tenth. In mentioning the Offices of Chriſt, being Three, Viz. Prophet Prieſt, and King; he ſhould have mentioned how that not only without us, he did perform theſe Offices, and now is both Prieſt and King in Heaven, whither he is aſcended but that alſo within us. Viz. All true Believers in him, he is both Prophet, and King, and Prieſt alſo, who offereth up their Prayers unto God, and by whom they have acceſs unto God, beſide that Chriſt is notonly, King, Prieſt, and Prophet, over his Church; but Biſhop, Shepherd, Phyſitian, Captain, and Husband, &c. as the Scripture declareth:
And that he ſaith, Chriſt revealeth the Will of God to us, by His Word and Spirit; in Page 10. He delivereth this matter very barely, and obſcurely; for he does not tell people where they may find the Spirit of God; he doth not inſtruct them, That the Spirit of God is in them to teach them, and open the Scriptures unto them: And tho' he delivereth diverſe things in his Catechiſm, concerning the New Covenant, yet he neglecteth a Principal matter belonging to the ſame; Viz. That God hath Promiſed, in his New Covenant, to teach His People Himſelf, and to dwell in them, and walk in them, and that they ſhall be his Temple. &c.
Page 10 11. Although he mention the death and Sacrifice of Chriſt for ſinners, yet he doth not well, that he doth not hold forth that Chriſt died for all, and taſted Death for every man, as the Scripture expreſly declareth: which is a moſt great, and weighty teſtimony of Gods univerſal Love for ſinners.
Page Eleventh. Tho' he ſay, The Holy Spirit worketh faith in us, and Uniteth us to Christ, yet he doth this very barely, and obſcurely, yea in contradiction to his and his Brethrens Doctrine; who ſay, all inward Divine Revelation, and Inſpiration is ceaſed ſince the Apoſtles Days, & if ſo then the Holy Spirit hath ceaſed to work or operate on mens hearts, for his operation is not in the dark, or in a blind and inſenſible manner, but in Light, and Demonſtration, ſenſibly, and clearly, revealing his power in them, & opening the eyes of their underſtanding; and thence it is that the Spirit of God, is called in Scripture, the Spirit of Wiſdom, and Revelation, and that Spirit worketh in true Beleivers.
Page Eleventh. That he calleth Regeneration a New and Spiritual Birth, by the Spirit of God, is true, but this Contradicteth His, and His Brethrens Doctrine, who ſay, they have no infallible Spirit, and all Divine Revelation is ceaſed, and that there is no immediate communion with God or his Spirit which is Falſe Doctrine, and contrary to Scripture, and the Saints Experience, who know that as they are Born of Gods Spirit, ſo they are ſenſibly Fed, and Nouriſhed by the Spirit of God, and Suck the Breaſts of their Heavenly Mother, Jeruſalem from above; and feel themſelves embraced by the ſame, as ſenſibly as the Child feeleth the Mothers Embraces, and ſee and behold Her Beauty, hear her voice, and Language, and all this is Spiritually, and Inwardly known and witneſſed in all True Believers.
Again, that he ſaith, True Believers are United to Christ; is true, and very comfortable, but is in contradiction to His and his Brethrens Doctrine; who ſay it is Blaſphemy to affirm, that Chriſt is really in the Saints, for if he be not really in them, by himſelf, they cannot be United to him, for true Union requireth the near preſence of the things United one to another, as the Body cannot be United to the Soul, if the Soul be not really in the Body, and all true Believers are United to Chriſt in Heaven, by their being United to the meaſure of him in themſelves, as the Members of the Body are United to the Head, by being United to a meaſure of the ſame Life, and Spirit in them, that is in the Head.
Page Eleven Twelve. He defineth Effectual Calling, to be, A powerful call of God, whereby he calls, and draws ſinners out of Sin into Grace, which as it is true, ſo is in contradiction to him and his Brethren, who ſay, All inward calling, and ſpeaking of God is ceaſed, and there is no other Voice, or Word of God, but the Scriptures; and yet he confeſſeth, all have not that Effectual Calling, who have the Scriptures. Again, he concradicteth, by ſaying, that God calleth, and draweth ſinners out of ſin, unto Grace; and yet in Page Twelve, ſaith, All are ſtill ſinners; And in Page Thirty, ſaith, The Godly cannot keep Gods commands perfectly: And His Brethrens Doctrine is, that the Saints ſin in every Though:, Word, and Deed.
Page Fifteen. He ſaith, Juſtification, and Adoption, are acts of God without us, and make only a Relative change, but no real change, and are compleated at once.
And in Page Sixteen. He ſaith, Juſtification, Adoption, and Sanctification, once had, can never be wanted; all which are Falſe, and hurtful Aſſertions, and contrary to Scripture; for Gods Juſtifying Believers, is his ſpeaking peace to them in their Conſciences, and Abſolving them from Condemnation, as a Judge abſolveth or cleareth an Accuſed Perſon, and ſurely that is within and if not within, he ſhould have told where without; if he mean in Heaven, thi… can be no aſſurance nor comfort to any, unleſs it be revealed, and done alſo within in mens hearts: Again, that God maketh any men to be his Children, without a Re… change, is moſt abſurd, is not Faith and Regeneration, a real change; and none are made the children of God, but by Faith and Regeneration: and again, to ſay that Sanctification, and Juſtification, cannot be loſt, is mo… abſurd, and ſerveth to flatter people i… great ſins, yea the greateſt, as if they were ſtill Saints; for according to this Falſe Doctrine, David remained a Saint and perfectly Juſtified, when he committed Murder, and Adultery, and at this rate, the worſt of men may be Saints while ſuch; but the Scripture ſaith, No Murderer, nor Unrighteous Perſon, can Inherit the Kingdom of God, but they muſt be waſhed. &c. But if they ſtill remain Saints after Murder, they may inherit Gods Kingdom, for all the Saints are in meaſure in Gods Kingdom.
Page Twenty-four. Concerning the Sabbath he expreſly Contradicteth the Scripture, which expreſly enjoyned the ſeventh Day to be kept, and not indifferently one of ſeven
Page Twenty-ſix. He moſt groſly wrongeth and moſt falſely accuſeth the People of God, called in ſcorn Quakers, ſaying that the Quakers, and all Profane Perſons are enemies to a Sabbath, but it is no new, nor ſtrange thing that Gods People is numbred with Tranſgreſſors of the greatest ſort, ſeeing Chriſt our Lord and Head, was ſo uſed by men high in an outward Profeſſion, and the people called Quakers own Chriſt to be the True Spiritual Sabbath, or Rest of all True Believers, the ſubſtance, and thing ſignified by the Jewiſh Sabbaths, and New Moons, and other Types and Figures of the Law, yet they ſet apart the Firſt day of the week from Servile Labour, and ſpend it Religiouſly in Publick and Private Religious exerciſes as their Neighbours can witneſs, among whom they live; and give up no… only that Day, but many other days, an… times to the Worſhip of God, and a… careful to live to God all the days o… their life.
Page Twenty-eight. What he delivereth in his Catechiſm concerning Miniſters, is moſt Lame, and Defective: He ſaith, People … to maintain their Mi…iſters [that is a principal thing with him] but he faileth i… theſe Three great Particulars.
1. That he doth not inform people, that none are true Miniſters of Chriſt, bu… ſuch as are really Holy and Godly Men, and have a Living Experience of the work and dealings of Gods Spirit in their heart that ſo they may Preach their own Spiritual Experiences unto people, as Davi… did, who ſaid, Come, and I will tell you wh… God hath done for my ſoul; and as theſe did who ſaid, What we have heard, and ſeen, an… handled of the word of Life, we declare … you.
2. That he doth not inform People concerning the true Call of the true Mi… ſters of God, and of Chriſt, who a… called, and furniſhed by the Spirit of Chaiſt in the work of their Miniſtry, to Preachand Pray, but ſeeing he and his Brethren, called Presbyterian Miniſters, deny this manner of immediate calling by the Spirit of God, they run to the Church, and Pope of Rome, by that Dirty Channel, and Conduit, to have their Call conveyed to them; for they know that their Presbyterian Church, nor indeed any other called a Church, hath been a Viſible Church, ever ſince the Apostles Days, but only the Church of Rome hath called her ſelf the Viſible Church; and they confeſs, and ſay with us, that the True Church of God hath been that Woman who hath fled to the Wilderneſs, and hath not been always viſible, but hid, and that for about Twelve Hundred Years, and ſo had no viſible Officers or Miniſters, to call their ſucceſſors: And therefore they derive their Call, and Authority by the Church, and Pope of Rome; as James Durham. in his Commentary on the Revelations, and many others, whoſe Call and Ordination, Dr. Owen, ſo called, hath refuted, and theſe called Independent Miniſters, whereof John Owen was one, have another poor ſhift, and evaſion, ſaying they are called by the Church; but if the Church was not viſible for ſo many ages, the Church could not call them, the Miniſters are before the Church, and therefore cannot be called by the Church originally; but all theſe poor ſhifts are in oppoſition to theinward Call, and work, and motion of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the Faithful, which if they knew, they would never run to ſuch broken Cyſterns to Draw Water.
3. That he doth not inform people, that all true Miniſters of Chriſt, as they have freely received, ſo they freely give, without deſiring or bargaining for any ſetled maintenance, nor exacting it by force as Presbyterian Miniſters commonly do.
Page Thirty Nine & Forty. He doth very barely, and obſcurely, and very defectively and in ſome things falſly deliver his Doctrine concerning Baptiſm, and the Lords-Sup… per, he doth not diſtinguiſh Chriſts Baptiſm which is with the Holy Ghoſt and Fire, from Johns Baptiſm, that is with Water; he barely alledgeth, that Children of Believing Parrents, Viz. Infants are to be Baptized; he giveth no account by what Authority o… Call they Baptiſe, for they have no other Call but by the Pope of Rome, and they have learned that practice of Sprinking or pouring Water on a Childs Forehead, and calling it Baptiſm from the Church of Rome, which they call the Where of Babylon; and … concerning the Supper of the Lord, he is alſo very defective, and he and his Brethren uſu… and aſſume an Authority to themſelve to Conſecrate, and Adminiſter the Supperbecauſe of their Ordination originally deriv'… by the Pope; but all good Chriſtians ma… and ought to Eat and Drink, remembring Chriſts Death, and may, and do receive him by Faith, together with their outward eating, with Prayer, and Thankſgiving, and ſo fulfil Chriſts Inſtitution, without any Prelate, Preſbyter, or Prieſt, of the Popes making; for all true Chriſtians are a Kingdom of Prieſts, unto God, and have the Word, and Spirit of Prayer, that only doth, and can Sanctify their Eating and Drinking. &c.
If any Queſtion the Truth of this Copy, they may ſatisfie themſelves by peruſing the Original, at Rehoboth in Pocamok, Mary-Land.