The Reviler Rebuked, Treatise · Part 2 · Head 6 – Head 8
6. Head of Self-contradictions.Sect. 18, 19. Concerning Juſtification.
Section 18.
HEre I noted James Nayler in one place, denying that his ſins, who is once covered, are not daily to cover, yet in another place affirming, that what Chriſt did formerly upon the Croſs, he doth the ſame now. If then he did cover them, he doth now cover them daily. R. F. *Page 27.anſwereth not to take off the Contradiction, but onelyonly thus, He that hath his ſins covered is bleſſed; but thy meaning is denyed.
Rep. The maner and way of Chriſts covering of ſin is denied, if that my meaning (which is not mine, but the Lords) be denied. For [to day] Heb. 13. 8. holds forth a daily vertueHeb. 13. 8. cleared. (in all the preſent time of the new Teſtament) of Chriſts Croſs, or his perſonal ſufferings upon the Croſs, for covering as for crucifying of ſin, that is, for pardoning as ſubduing it. He doth perfectly juſtifie a believer at once; but this he doth daily alſo, by one continued act of imputation of Chriſts ſufferings, whence comes the non-imputation of a believers daily ſins. If this be denied, then the way of Gods covering ſin is denied to be by way of pardon; and ſo David and Paul, Pſalm 32. 1. Rom. 4. 6, 7. are denied, and the bleſſedneſs which they pronounce to the pardoned perſon; which is worſe then for R. F. to deny himſelf, or for J. Nayler to contradict himſelf, as before, and as followeth.
Section 19.
THat which I noted in this Section, in his other words, is, I own no other Chriſt but that which ſuffered at Jeruſalem, and by him I am ſaved from my ſins; yet, what righteouſneſs Chriſt hath performed without me, was not my juſtification, neither was I ſaved by it. I inferred, if then he was not juſtified and ſaved meritoriouſly, he is not now, nor ever will be ſaved efficaciouſly. All that R. F. hath to offer is, The righteouſneſs of Chriſt is our righteouſneſs, who are ſaved from our ſins by him, and we witneſs him to be the alone Savior of all that obey him; and perfectly able to ſave to the uttermoſt all thoſe that come unto God by him.
Rep. 1. This ſalveth not the wound of J. Naylers ſelfcontradiction.
2. Let none be deceived with their expreſſions, for when they ſay Chriſts righteouſneſs is our righteouſneſs, they underſtand it of Chriſts righteouſneſs wrought in them, by his Spirit, not wrought for them by his blood and obedience. But I ask theſe men, Was not Chriſt Jeſus without them, when he was obedient to death, the death of the Croſs at Jeruſalem? Was the righteouſneſs he performed, for himſelf, or for others? Did he not ſtand and ſuffer as a ſurety? Is not the ſureties payment reckoned to the debtor, as ſufficient? What if Chriſt be ſo free and bountiful, as he will not onelyonly pay the debts of his Elect, but ſtock them with inherent Grace: it is not a farthing of the money that he putteth into their purſe, that juſtifies them; their friend and ſurety had enough to do it without them. Proud and ſelf-deceiving are they, who think a little within them, is better then all that is in Chriſt without them; and yet hope to be ſaved by him, whom they deſpiſe, and with whoſe white rayment and wedding garment, they will not be covered.
7. Head of Self-contradiction. Concerning immediate Teaching.
Section 20.
I Obſerved what they clamorouſly object againſt us, That the Goſpel we preach is from man, and by man, from the Printers and Stationers, but theirs is immediate altogether; and yet they write, print, and have taken their light (as they call it) one from another: Here they condemn in others, what they allow in themſelves; and if the teaching of God, as they ſay, be immediate in the leaſt degree, and all their teaching be immediate; why do they condemn by their practice, what they allow onelyonly in doctrine? why do they write or print any thing? which is a mediate way of teaching. R. F. hath nothing to ſay, but in his old reviling language, *Page 28.All thy ſcraped ſtuff, and thy twiſtings and windings we deny; and ſo runs to old matter already dealt with, except a few expreſſions which I ſhall touch at preſently; But,
1. I would know what he doth deny of my ſcraped ſtuff, as he calls it, which is but collections from their own words and writings? If he denies his fellow-writers, then he makes out more contradiction among themſelves: If he denies that I have drawn up true collections, it is yet to be proved; for either their very words (as in moſt places) or the ſenſe and effect of them, I have faithfully preſented to the world; and becauſe I know it pincheth them but to have hinted Ed. Burroughs acknowledgement, how he was formed to Quakeriſm by G. Fox, while they boaſt of none but immediate Callings and Teachings; knowing alſo that the Book *Warning to Under barrow.is but in the hands of a few, I ſhall tranſcribe part of the ſaid Ed. Burroughs account of himſelf. After twelve years of age, he enquired where the chief Presbyterian Prieſts (as he calls them) preached, and heard them. At ſeventeen years of age he was ſtruck with terror, falls a praying; but by a voice was taken off prayer, reading, and hearing the Scripture; thought himſelf in the light; followed the higheſt Notioniſts; but had the world in his heart, pride and covetouſneſs; lived in the luſtful nature, and grew to be weary of hearing any Prieſts, though never ſo high, for ſomething that ſhined deep in him, ſhewed him ignorance in all profeſſion, and he was put to a ſtand: Now hear him further, verbatim. "Then it pleaſed the Lord to ſend his true and faithful ſervant, and meſſenger, George Fox, he ſpake the Language which I knew not, notwithſtanding all my high talking, for it was higher and yet lower; and it pleaſed the Lord to ſpeak to me by him, that I was in the prodigal ſtate, and above the Croſs of Chriſt, and not in the pure fear of the Lord, but full of corruption, and the old nature: though I had profeſſed freedom, yet it was but ſuch as the Jews profeſſed; for I ſaw my ſelf to be in bondage to my own will, and to my own luſt; and through the word of the Lord ſpoken to me by him, I began to ſee my ſelf (the witneſs being raiſed) where I was, and what I had been doing; and ſaw I had been making an image to the firſt Beaſt, which had the wound by a ſword and did live, whoſe deadly wound was healed, and was full of airy notions and imaginations; and was worſhipping the image which I had made, and then I ſaw my ſelf to be a childe of wrath, and that the ſon of the bond-woman lived, and that harlots had been my companions, and was no more worthy to be called a ſon. And ſo he goes on to ſhew his trouble and diſtreſs, till he ſeparated himſelf from the world, and his acquaintance, and betook himſelf to the company of a poor deſpiſed people, called Quakers; and now he is one of that generation, God hath made him partaker of his love, in whom his ſoul hath full ſatisfaction, joy, and content: At laſt, he concludeth, he hath travelled through the world, even unto the end, and is now come to the beginning of that which never ſhall have end, which the dark minde of man knows not. Will R. F. deny this to be his Narrative, truly taken? if not, then he muſt grant there are ſome mediate Teachings in theſe days among themſelves: or, if God teacheth not but immediately, then God taught not Ed. Burroughs by George Fox; and then Ed. Burroughs is not much bettered by being of the generation of the people called Quakers. Whatſoever have been his apprehenſions, ſorrowful or joyful, the Heart is deceitful above all things, and deſperately wicked, who can know it? A new inſtance we have in J. Lilburn, who profeſſeth himſelf to be one with the generation of Quakers, raiſed and formed up to that fraternity, partly by conference with them, partly by reading of their printed papers: His words in one place *The Reſur. of J. Lilburn pag. 7.are theſe, Meeting here with one of thoſe precious people, called Quakers, and getting into my hands two Volumes of their printed papers, amounting to about ſeventeen hundred pages, I have with ſerious diſcourſe, and ſeriouſneſs of reading therein, been knockt down off, or from my former legs or ſtanding; and giving ſcope to my true teacher and guide, the Light of God ſpeaking in my ſoul, I am become, at preſent, dead to my fallen, or firſt natures reaſon, &c. Yet elſewhere *Page 9.he pretendeth to the immediate power of God upon his ſoul. But notwithſtanding that, he exhorteth his friend to read J. Naylers and W. Dewsberies Books, and deſires the Lord, by his Almighty power, to ſet them home to his ſoul. Is not this a mediate way of learning, by a mediate way of teaching? And ſhall theſe mens ſcriblings have Gods Almighty power at hand, and ſhall not his own bleſſed Scriptures be attended therewith? I ſhall adviſe J. Lilburn, and all my friends, and all ſuch as are become my enemies for the truths ſake, to turn over thoſe ſacred Pages, and in particular, 1 Cor. 8. 2, 3. and Gal. 6. 3, 4, 5. deſiring the Lord, by his Almighty power of free grace, to ſet them home to their hearts.
2. As to what follows in R. F. Thou wouldſt have a letter-Savior, and a letter-fulneſs, and giveſt all the preeminence to the Letter of the Scripture.
Rep. Neither in what I wrote before, nor in this Reply, can any ſuch paſſage be found; but R. F. will take liberty to ſcrible, what comes next to the nib of his quill. The preeminence I give to the Scripture, is,
1. In reſpect of natural light, or that which every manPreeminence of Scripture light. hath: And if I call every mans light natural and common, I miſ-call it not; (I call not Chriſt ſo, who (as God) gives that light) As my natural body framed by Chriſt (as he is God) is rightly called, as it is, a natural body; ſo my natural reaſon, light, and underſtanding (though lighted up (as a candle within me) by Chriſt the true God, working with the Father in all acts of Creation and Providence hitherto) is truly called, as it is, natural light: and ſeeing every manJohn 5. 17. hath ſome of it, (the moſt of whom have no ſaving light) it is truly called, as it is, common, and univerſal light. Will R. F. allow Ed. Burroughs to call ſome light natural, and not me ſo to phraſe it? or, will he allow J. Nayler to diſtinguiſh between common light and ſaving, and may not I and others with me, have the ſame liberty? Firſt, let Ed. Burroughs be heard, *Warning to under barrow, pag. 37.I write not as from man, whoſe light Section 20is onelyonly natural and carnal, and doth onelyonly make manifeſt carnal tranſgreſſions, &c. And again, By the natural light, through the earthly law, is no natural man able to judge of that which is ſpoken, or declared from that which is eternal. And again, I deny to have this cauſe put into the judgement of carnal Lawyers, who judge by the natural light, &c. Let us hear J. Nayler ſpeak his minde, *Diſcovery of the man of ſin, pag. 29.In your reply (meaning the Miniſters at Newcaſtle) you deceitfully put in that word (ſaving light) which is not ſpoken by me; for though Chriſt be the light of the world, that enlightens all, yet none are ſaved by him, but who believe, &c. There is a light then which is in natural men, unbelievers, and all the Heathen, which is but natural, and a light which is not ſaving (and therefore but common) by their own confeſſion; what unreaſonableneſs is it in them to except againſt the term of diſtinction? what contradiction to their own reaſon?
2. The preeminence of Scripture-light is this, that it is our ſtanding rule for faith and maners; ſo are not immediate Revelations or Teachings, of which ſee 1. Part, Sect. 1. Here is the Letter or Scripture-fulneſs that I aſſert, There is ſufficient light in it to guide men to ſalvation, ſeeing it is the Spirits light, and given by the Spirit for a rule; yea, the Spirit gives out himſelf thereby, for our clear underſtanding and ſatisfaction in the things of God; inſomuch as that very witneſs which a believer hath in himſelf, the Scripture bears teſtimony of. The Spirit tells us in the Scripture what he worketh in our hearts, and he ſtamps upon our hearts what he had before cauſed to be ſtampt into Scripture, or upon the Bible.
R. F. objecteth, Thou wouldſt have the Spirit to be bought and ſold, if it were in the Letter.
Rep. How the Spirit is in the Letter, that is, in the Scripture, I have opened in its due place, 2. Part, Sect. 8. but that it followeth, it may therefore be bought and ſold, is a weak and poor exception. R. F. his minde goes along with his Pamphlet, and his ſpirit is in his book, yet it is not his perſon, but the ink and paper that is bought and ſold: ſo the ink and paper of the Scriptures (as other creatures of God) are bought and ſold; not ſo the Spirit, though he be more in them, then R. F. is in his book; for this poor man cannot change my minde, nor many thouſands more (if they read his Pamphlet with me) into his erroneous judgement; when as the Spirit, in the Scripture, changeth my minde, and all that are made to own the light and authority of it, into the ſame truth that is there delivered.
Again he taunteth, Thou wouldſt have a Letter-Savior, if the Letter could give the Spirit and eternal life.
Rep. 1. I never ſaid the Letter could, or did give the Spirit, but the Spirit is given by it; or, as I even now expreſt it, the Spirit gives out himſelf by it; and he gives out Chriſt, or the knowledge of Chriſt and eternal life by it alſo; who ſhall hinder him, if he will begin and further our ſalvation by it?
2. It is R. F. his diſdainful expreſſion, (not mine) [a Letter-Savior]Chriſt a Savior according to Scripture. but this I ſay, from the Lord, He that ſlights the Savior which the Scripture witneſſeth, and maketh known, is not like to finde any Spirit-Savior of him, or a Savior in vigor, life and Spirit, to his ſoul; and if he be not ſuch a Savior, he is not at all a Savior to him. Did ever any of the Apoſtles, or ſuch as had indeed immediate teachings from the Spirit, vilifie and reproach Chriſt, or the Scripture, with ſuch inkhorn terms?
Yet again, With a Letter-fulneſs, thou wouldſt have no witneſs of God, without the Letter.
Rep. 1. That follows not, for his providential works are witneſſes of him, Acts 14. 17. to the very Heathens, and much more to Chriſtians; But,
2. He ſhall be no Chriſtian to me, or in my account, who brings any teſtimony, as from God, without the Scriptureatteſtation.
But ſaith R. F. If the Scripture be loſt, the fulneſs and the witneſs would be loſt, and his people be without ſupply and ſtrength, according to thy account.
Rep. 1. Should they be loſt, that one way whereby God gives out his fulneſs, and by which he witneſſeth and worketh for his peoples ſupply and ſtrength, would be loſt, yet God loſeth none of his fulneſs in himſelf; and Chriſt hath other witneſſes of him, John 5. His Father, his Works, John Baptiſt: But,
2. Seeing there are Scriptures, as they cannot be broken, John 10. 35. they cannot be loſt; God hath, and will ever preſerve them, for his peoples ſupply and ſtrength.
3. What vain jangling is here from R. F. his pen, tending to no edification at all of the Reader, but to the alienation of peoples mindes from the Scriptures, and from thoſe that teach according to them; to ſeduce and draw poor ſouls after their pretended immediate teachings, while yet they will be quoting of Scripture, as if it were written and pen'd to deſtroy it ſelf:
For thus R. F. gathers up the Rere of his forces, *Page 28.He (to wit, Chriſt) is before all things, and by him all things conſiſt, and he is the Head of the body the Chruch, who is the beginning and firſt-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence, for in him the fulneſs dwells.
Rep. 1. Are not theſe words written by the Spirits ſecretary, Col. 1. 17, 18, 19. And is not R. F. beholden to the Scripture for that literal knowledge?
2. If ever he feels the power of theſe, as other Scriptures,The Scripture magnifies Chriſt above it ſelf. God will teach him, to honor the Scripture ſo much the more, as it magnifies Chriſt above it ſelf; and to ſpeak more wiſely of it, then to conclude as he doth: In him the fulneſs dwells, then not in the Letter, yet the Letter declares of it.
Rep. 1. If the Letter declares of Chriſts fulneſs, then we ſhall need to know no more of Chriſt, then what for ſubſtance is in the Scripture; there is no neceſſity then of immediate teachings, (ſetting Scripture aſide) nor ought we to receive any, againſt the Scripture.
2. Why may not fulneſs be in Chriſt, and in the LetterHow fulneſs is in Chriſt, how in the Scripture. (conjoyned ſtill with the ſenſe) of Scripture alſo. The fuller the fountain is, the more full is the conduit and its pipes: The more full the heart is, the fuller the mouth; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, and the pen writeth, what is good or bad, truth or error. In Chriſt is the fulneſs of the fountain, in the Scriptures is the fulneſs of the ſtream, flowing from, and carrying to the fountain, and and abiding inexhauſted as a well, fed by a continual ſpring.Sect. 21, 22, 23. Chriſt having all fulneſs ſuperabundantly in himſelf, he doth abundantly and ſufficiently fill the Scriptures, with the ſavor and ſweetneſs of his good oyntments, which make the virgins, and the upright love him, and ſeek after him, in theſe footſteps of the flocks, the good and old ways of Scripture-teaching.
8. Head of Self-contradiction. Concerning Perfection.
Sections 21, 22.
IN the former of theſe Sections, I noted their profeſſion of Perfection, and of Quaking after Moſes example, at the foot of mount Sinai, to croſs-ſhins one with the other. R. F. returns me nothing in anſwer; as if convinced, it is no better then I judged it, a Self-contradiction, and one of his own. In the latter, the contradiction to themſelves is as groſs; they ſpeak of perfection in holineſs here attained, before death, and yet acknowledge ſin dwelleth in them, though not in act. R. F. hath nothing to ſay to this alſo, and ſo it muſt ſtand as a teſtimony againſt them, with the reſt; when he and all his fraternity have ſaid what they can, their ſelf-juſtifications will end in ſelf-confuſion.