The Reviler Rebuked, Treatise · Part 1 · Head 11
(11. Head of their Scripture-contradiction.) Concerning the Word, and means of Grace.
Section 37.
I Had expreſly cited C. Atkinſons words, viz. I deny that God did ever, or will ever reveal himſelf by any of thoſe things thou calleſt the means of grace, which were ſpoken of before in his book, as, reading, hearing, prayer, &c. contrary to 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. Luke 11. 13. &c. R. F. in anſwer *Page 19.ſaith I would raiſe a ſlander, &c. as if they ſhould deny the way and means that God uſeth to reveal himſelf to his people by. How makes he it to appear? why, Chriſt is the light, and the way to the Father, and that they own; and he reveals his ſecrets by his Spirit.
Rep. In all this confeſſion, here is no acknowledgementChriſt and the Spirit give light and grace by outward means. of reading, hearing, prayer, &c. That Chriſt is the light, and light-giver, hath never been denyed by me; and that, with his Spirit he is the author and worker of all grace, who but graceleſs men will gain-ſay? We do, with the Scripture, attribute higher things to God, and Chriſt, and the Spirit, then to be the means of grace; but R. F. will not aſcribe ſo much to the Scriptures, read, heard, ſung, prayed upon (i. e. according to the rules, and patterns of prayer there ſet down) to be ſo much as outward means of grace; we can have no ſuch outward ingenuity from him: But what ſaith he? The Scriptures are not Chriſt, nor the Spirit.
Rep. What if they be not, they are Chriſts word, and the word of the Spirit, as hath been ſhewed; and what the Scripture ſaith, Chriſt ſaith, and the holy Ghoſt alſo the ſame; He therefore that rejects the Scripture, and its ſeveral exerciſes from being the means of grace, rejecteth Chriſt and his Spirit alſo. But the Spirit he ſaith, teacheth us how to pray, and profit. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 7. &c. and this doth not contradict the Scriptures.
Rep. No, for the Spirit of grace, and the outward means agree very well, yet this is not a yielding them to be the means [by which] Chriſt and the Spirit revealeth their ſecrets, and convey grace. It is one thing for the Spirit to teach how to pray, and read, another thing for the Spirit to work by reading, praying &c we grant the former, but he grants not the latter (as he ought) that I can finde. Yes, may ſome ſay, what think you of that which followeth? we know that faith is given by the miniſtery of Chriſt in the Spirit.
Rep. But ſpeak plainly, is it given by reading and hearing the Scriptures opened and preached? as, 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. hold it forth; And we know that God giveth us his holy Spirit.
Rep. But doth he give it in a way of preaching and prayer? as Act. 10. 44. and Luke 11. 13. bear teſtimony. As ſoon as Paul is converted, is he not at Prayer, and had he not the fillings of the Spirit given him in that way, as by Ananias putting his hands upon him? Act. 9. 11. 17. And the wiſdom, ſaith R. F. which is from above, is firſt pure, then peaceable, gentle, eaſie to be entreated; and the fruit of righteouſneſs is ſown in peace, of them that make peace, James 3. 17, 18. for which we praiſe God.
Rep. 1. But doth he give this wiſdom by asking? as ſaith James. 1. 6. If any lack wiſdom, let him ask it of God; is not prayer a means of wiſdom?
2. I wiſh we could finde the wiſdom James deſcribeth in R. F. As yet I diſcern not any ſeeds of it ſown in his books, one or other.
3. Let him beware of taking Gods name in vain, by praiſing him legibly, in print, for that which he hath not printed in his heart, nor holdeth forth viſibly in practiſe. Why, but he addeth, we own reading, hearing, prayer, and the teachings of God according to his promiſes.
Rep. I wiſh he doth well underſtand the promiſes ofMeans of grace have a promiſe of bleſſing annexed. God. Gods promiſes are made of a bleſſing upon ſuch means, as reading, hearing and prayer, as well as of gracious abilities to read, hear and pray with, Iſaiah 55. 3. He that heareth, and inclines his ear, ſhall live, 1 Tim. 4. 13. 16. If Timothy attend to reading, meditation, preaching to others watching himſelf, In doing this he ſhall ſave himſelf, and thoſe that hear him. To prayer is promiſed ſalvation, Rom. 10. 13. Chriſts preſence, Matth. 18. 20. Returns and anſwers, Matth. 7. 7. To preaching Chriſts preſence, aſſiſtance, and bleſſing, Matth. 28. 20. To the Saints conditions (which C. Atkinſon rejected with the ordinances) all bleſſed ſucceſs, Rom. 8. 28. They ſhall look unto him, and run to him, and their faces ſhall not be aſhamed. Pſal. 34. 5. why ſo? Ver 6. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him, and ſaved him out of all his troubles; and therefore we may from others experiences, together with our own, have hope, Rom 5. 4. And Hope, in and by a promiſe, an experimental promiſe and a promiſed experience, maketh not aſhamed. If therefore R. F. doth own theſe means, and the teachings of God according to Gods promiſes, he muſt own them otherwiſe then C. Atkinſon, even, as means by which God hath revealed himſelf, and will communicate his grace; and then I will not accuſe him, as I have not ſlandered C. A. when I ſpeak the truth, I harm them not. The more nakedly their Errors are detected, by the Truth, the more good it may do them, and I wiſh it with my heart.