Little Flocks Guarded Against Grievous Wolves, Letter · Argument 3
The Third Argument.
A Person that pretends the Instruction of Souls, in the only way of Life, and yet is full of shameful Self-contradictions in his Instructions, is one, from whom all that are concerned for their Souls are to Turn away.
But such a Person is George Keith.
Verity is a thing marvellously Consistent with it self; where you see Inconsistencies, you may suspect a cheat is intended for you; now Keith has good store of them. Among these, I will not insist. upon this, That George Keith all over his Writings does exclaim against our Fathers that lived near forty years ago, as the most hideous Murderers and Bloodsuckers in the world, and a most persecuting generation: And yet in that printed paper, which he calls A call to us; his words are, O unthankful Nation; ye are gone from that tenderness, sobriety, and simplicity, that was among you and your Fathers sometime ago. What? is he angry because we don't continue the Tenderness, which two pages after he styles, more Inhumane, cruel, and Barbarous, than what is in most of all sorts of mankind? But I shall confine my self to this mans more Doctrinal Contradictions. Keith and his Friends are mighty Ready to find Contradictions in other men; and will make what they can't find. Thus one Delaval, in an Appendix to a Late Book of Keiths, raises hideous Tragedies against my self, as a self-contradicter; because, in one page of a Discourse, Entituled, The Serviceable Man, speaking of the present Generation in this Country, I say, There are Churches in it, Where we may see proportionably as much of God as in any spot of Ground which the Children of Adam walk upon. And almost thirty pages after, speaking to the Rising Generation, I do to awaken them (not Affirm, but) Enquire, Whether as they grow up, they will not give their Fathers cause (if the Dead could express themselves) to Rebuke them for their not walking in their ways? And if this be any Contradiction! Ridicula Capita! A Dutch Womans unintelligible Bubling at one of their private Meetings would as much Enlighten me, as the Impertinent Scribling of this man affects me. But indeed, if one would see Contradictions, Let them only look into one Book of Keiths; and in that one Book, I will note but a few of them, that would occur upon a stricter Examination; it is the one Book, which he Entitles, The Presbyterian and Independent Churches in New England brought to the Test. The very Title of that monstrous Book, tells us, that these Churches have neither the Doctrine, nor the Ministry, nor Worship, nor Constitution, nor Government, nor Sacraments, nor Sabbaths which belong to the true Church of Christ: and who would now expect Salvation under the conduct of Churches thus False upon all accounts beyond that of Rome it self? And yet within a Leaf or two, in an Epistle to those very Churches, he says, He has a true Charity concerning a Remnant among them, that they belong to Christ, and are the Real Members of His Body, which is his Church; and that they are the Sheep of Christ. But in the Book it self, which is a Box of poyson as bad as what the Title promises; is it not a Contradiction to say, page 1. The Scriptures contain a full and entire Declaration of all Christian Doctrine; and to say in the same page, Yet they do not contain the whole Mind, Will and Counsel of God? Or, will he grant, that we are to enquire after Duties and Comforts, which are no part of Christian Doctrine? Either Keith contradicts himself: or he would have us to believe (and so indeed he would!) some things which are no Christian Doctrine at all. Is it not a contradiction, to say, page 32. We are not assured that any man is in that state of perfection, that they may not by Humane Frailty depart from the infallible Teachings of the Spirit of God; and to say in page 204. 'Tis false Doctrine to hold, That no men ever since the Apostles Days, are assisted by any Infallible Spirit, as the Prophets witnessed of old? Or, will he say, That the Writers of the Scripture, did by Humane Frailty therein, sometimes depart from the Infallible Teachings of the Spirit.
Is it not a conradiction, to say in pag. 74. We no where find in all the Scripture, that God hath Reprobated any part of mankind before the foundation of the world; And in the same page, To allow, That Gods Purpose and Holy Will concerning them that finally perish, is from before the foundation of the world. And in a page, or two after, to confess, That God has a special and peculiar care towards all that shall be saved; the number of whom is most infallibly known to God; and, That God in his Infinite Counsel [which is Eternal] permits others finally to resist His Grace? Is it not a contradiction, to say, in pag. …7. Election goes before reprobation and is not Coaevous with it; and yet own a page or two before, That Gods purpose concerning them that perish, is from before the foundation of the world, and it considers them as having resisted the call of God? Or is it not a flat contradiction, to tell us, That there is Election without Reprobation, which is to say, That among diverse objects, there may be some chosen before and without others; and yet others not Left out, not Rejected, not Omitted in the choice. Is it not a contradiction, to say, in pag. 87. The Holiness of the Children of Believers only signifies a nearer capacity that some have to become actually Holy in time; and yet say the page before, All have a possibility to be Converted and become the Children of God; (and to mend the matter add in his own Vindication p. 87. All Infants are clean! By which also the express words of the Apostle, in 1 Cor. 7. 14. are most expresly contradicted?) is it not a Contradiction to say, in pag. 99. That our Doctrine of, Reprobation, makes the effectual use of means absolutely impossible to any, so as to leave them under Discouragement. While he himself tells us, that there are Elect, and that none but these shall be Saved? The man seems to be one of Mahomets Angels. Mahomet saw certain Angels (as the Turkish Bible tells us) that had Horns which were half Fire and half Snow; the Inconsistencies which were on Ovtside of their Heads, are got into the Inside of this mans, who (by the way) is not so good a Christian as many thousands that at this day dwell in Constantinonople. Thus the sixth Section in his Chapter of Justification, does not only contradict the tenets of them that are most Men of Renown in the Congregation of the Quakers, but also give away the whole cause which he is pleading of, by saying, The Lord Jesus Christ is the alone and only Foundation and ground of Justification. Is it not a gross Contradiction, to tell us in pag. 140, 141. That our Doctrine of Perseverance is a most false, wicked, pernicious, poysonous Doctrine, and a most wonderful piece of confusion; and yet grant in divers other pages, That if God suffers those whom He hath drawn at any time, to depart, they shall certainly be reclaimed; nay that every one of them shall certainly be Saved, and none of them shall finally perish! Do's not he inform us in pag. 147. that a True believer may be only in the first Covenant! and is not that a Contradiction! Is it not a most Jangling sort of Contradiction, to tell us in pag. 156. That whereas we say. The best of the Saints cannot perfectly keep the Commandments of God, but doth daily break them, This is most expresly contrary to Scripture in many places, and quite opposite to the very nature of the New Covenant; and yet acknowledge in pag. 161. That those who have the most Noble Degree of Holiness may yet fall short; and in pag. 162. That the best of men have motions to sin, and these motions arising from the Natural and Mortal part still remaining in them! Is it not a Contradiction to tell us in pag. 193. That we have no reason to keep the First day of the week, as our Sabbath; and yet confess in that very page, It is commendable in Christians, to to set apart the first day of the week, for rest from employments, and to help the mind in its Spiritual Exercises?
These & many more such Thwarting things you shall find his writings entangled with; so that you shall never know where you are, or what he would have. If Keith be what some take him to be, he might have known that there is in the Popes palace an Officer called the Corrector of Contradictions, through whose hands all the Popes Bulls are to pass. Keith should have made his Book to have passed through the Hands of that Officer, that it might not have been so full of Bulls. Indeed, I doubt I have done the world a diskindness by noting of these Contradictions in him; for he will go near now to print another Volumn of equal Blasphemies, but of greater Confusions, to Reconcile these two Champions George and Keith; which two wandring Stars being in opposition, have an Aspect, that foretels the downfal of Quakerism. But after all, tis I, and not He, that must solve this appearance, and Reconcile them. Know therefore that the design of this Heretick has been, cheefly to raise a Dust and a Noise, in the midst and by the means of which he might make the people suspect their Ministers to be False-Teachers. And though George must therefore for more than twice two hundred pages together, cry out, False Doctrine! False Doctrine! yet Keith has been under such Conviction of Conscience, that before he is aware, he confesses all the Truths that he opposes. After all the Darts that he shoots against Heaven, he falls down before the Truth; and like the wicked Julian of old, he cries out; Thou hast overcome! but he will not say, I yield! he has a stomach too strong for that. Neighbours, You may still hold all the principles in which our Catechisms have Instructed you; for either George or Keith has in Effect own'd them all. You'l say, Then the better man he! I answer, No; so much the worse; for him to Rail with one tedious Pamphlet after another, at the Religion which we do maintain, while he himself is not able to withstand it; I say, it looks abominably; it shows that if he be not an Emissary of Rome, yet he is an Emissary of Hell. And if so, you see how you are provided with a Teacher!