CHAP. I.

MY Friend and Brother in the Truth, and Country Man R. B. being much ta­ken up with another affair, when the dissertation of Io. W. Bajer, against his Apology came to his hand, did earnestly de­sire me to answer it, as God should give me free­dom, and assistance so to do, unto which I found great Liberty and clearness of Mind given me of God; in defence of the truth of God and while as I was reading, and weighing the things I had read in the said dissertation, many things [Page 2] did occurr unto me one after another, where­with to answer. And here I give the Reader to Understand, that I delayed my answer, for some small time, until I should see, if any other dis­sertations of the same Author should be made Publick, and come out against us, as the title of this his first dissertation, gave us occasion enough to expect more shortly to follow. For I thought it would be best, to see his other disser­tations, that so either I or R. B. might answer them altogether; then to spend the more time and Labour in answering now one, and then another; but as yet I have heard of no other dis­sertations of his Published against us. As to the matter it self, I propose this Method in answering, so as to observe whatever is said by the Adversa­ry whether well or ill, that toucheth the main thing, and hinge of the controversie (passing by other things Superfluous or less Necessary,) and to every one of those to answer distinctly.

In the first place, this Writer is to be Com­mended above many of our Adversaries, for his greater Moderation of stile and Mind, and be­cause he writeth soberly and fairly of those things, which he imputeth to us as false and Er­roneous, I shall in Charity impute these his mi­stakes not to flow from Hatred, or Malice of Mind, which is but too frequent in many others, but from some defect of right reason and judg­ment, and an Errour of humane weakness.

That in his first Paragraph, and title of his dis­sertation [Page 3] he calleth us Enthusiasts, I would know, whether this Name or term Enthusiasts be in all re­spects rejected by him, and these of his profes­sion? or what Crime or Vice, or thing unwor­thy of a Christian Name is contained therein? For having searched both Greek and Latine Di­ctionaries and Vocabularies, I can find nothing, to make me or any other true Christians justly ashamed of the same. For Enthusiast, if we con­sider aright the Etymology, or English Significa­tion of the word, is one divinely Inspired, or Breathed upon, moved, and acted. Or one in whom God is, in whom God speaketh, whom God teacheth, enlightneth, instructeth, leadeth, moveth, and acteth; and what I pray is unwor­thy of a Christian Man, in all these things? yea what can befall to a Christian, that is more wor­thy or desireable? for I am greatly Mistaken if our Adversary, will not allow all those things to belong to a true Christian in a sound and sober sense agreable to Scripture. And although some Heathens abused this term in their false Inspirati­ons received from unclean Spirits, as they did al­so abuse the name of God, this ought not to hinder, but that it may be at last turned to a right use. We know how the Papists did throw this same term upon Luther, and other well minded Men, for preaching up the necessity of the Spirits teachings and leadings in those days, by way of derision, and made it a crime. I have also observed, that the Socinians, and such [Page 4] as they, call all others in derision Enthusiasts who in any wise plead for the grace and Illuminati­on of the holy Spirit, its being necessary, to the begetting in Men true Faith, Hope and Charity. And I have both read and oft heard, the teachers of the Episcopal Church here in Britain brand the Presbyterians and Calvinists with the same. Let any sober Man therefore be ashamed to im­pute that as a crime to another, which is no crime, (if taken in a right sense, in which only we take it) and which may be as well imputed to him, as unto us, according to his own Conces­sions laid down by him, in his dissertation, as may be afterwards seen, in its due place. But because this term Enthusiast is not contained in the Scripture (although I find it used by Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen in a right sense, viz. for true divine inspiration) we shall not contend for it, nor affect to have it given to us, yet we would not have it in derision cast upon us, for affirming that all true and sound Christians are inspired and indued with the holy Spirit, ac­cording to their several Measures and degrees.

Moreover, that he saith in his first Paragraph, the chief controversie betwixt us, and our Ad­versaries lyeth, in that of inward and immediate Revelations, is very true; for this most noble Principle of inward and Immediate Revelation, being once received and acknowledged, many other excellent Doctrines and Principles of Chri­stian Religion are by necessary consequence de­duced [Page 5] there from, and all things belonging to the Christian Religion, whither of Theory or Pra­ctise, by the Light and vertue of the said Prin­ciple of inward and Immediate divine Revelation do shine, and become clear, and receive their na­tive and lively beauty and lustre. But the said Principle being denyed, many other excellent Principles are denyed also, and all things belong­ing to the Christian Religion, and Church of God and Christ are obscured and clouded, and as it were involved in most thick night darkness. And hence it is that we confidently affirm, that the one only true Foundation of the Christian Church is God and Christ by the Holy Spirit speaking and shining in the hearts of the Faith­ful, and inspiring them, and communicating unto them his inward and Immediate divine Revelati­ons, and by the same opening the Scriptures, and Mysteries of the Christian Religion, and sanctify­ing all the means both outward and inward, as of Reading, Hearing, Meditation, and Prayer; and of our whole obedience unto God in all our services, whether inward or outward. Upon this Rock, which flesh and blood hath not revealed, but the Heavenly Father hath made Manifest in the hearts of the faithful, the true Church is built. And whatsoever Society or Congregation of People is not built upon the same, is not the true Church of Christ but false and Anti-Chri­stian, because it is not built upon Christ, as well inwardly revealing himself in their hearts, as [Page 6] appearing in Heaven, before the Father, and in­terceeding for them.

What he addeth in the same Paragraph need­eth much Correction. Although (saith he) they have many and diverse errours, yet it is manifest by experience, if that one errour of Immediate Revelation be admitted, it is to no purpose to dispute against their other errours, for men be­ing once perswaded that they have within them, a divine and Immediate Light of Revelation, they will most pertinaciously adhere to all things, which they think to be immediatly revealed unto them by God, whatever can be objected to the contrary. For first, that we have many and di­verse errours, he saith it, but doth not prove it: but secondly, suppose that any of us did err in some one thing or another, which is possible, if we be not duely watchful, (for we are Men, and do not judge our selves above the reach or possi­bility of tentation) yet it is not manifest by ex­perience that a Brother who erreth, may not be reclaimed from his errour unto truth, yea the Contrary is manifest by experience. For we have at diverse times, seen our weaker brethren, (if at any time they have through humane frail­ty, been tempted and overcome by the spiri­tual adversary, and have fallen into Errour) happily reclaimed and restored by the pains and labours of others more perfect, and more enlightned, the grace of God assisting and con­curring with the same. And supposing that any [Page 7] one should Imagine his errour to be the Truth, and under the Notion of Truth, should impute it to inward divine Revelation (for no man who hath the least degree of a sober and sound mind, will impute errour as such to the holy Spirit) yet very good and seasonable means and argu­ments shall not be wanting to reclaim him unto Truth. For we can readily suggest unto him, that it is not always divine inward Revelation, which hath an appearance so to be, for Satan doth oft transform himself into a false likeness of an Angel of Light. Therefore he who so erreth is to be admonished, that neither lightly, nor carelesly, but weightily and with great diligence he prove and examine that which is presented un­to him, under a shew of truth, and that he use all means both inward and outward, and especi­ally apply his mind, to the true divine Illumina­tion of the spirit of God which never errs, that is in him, to discover the said errour. For no Man hath any errour, if he hath the least grain of Piety; but frequently an inward divine Illu­mination, or Revelation, contrary unto the said errour, doth present it self unto his understand­ing, revealing it, and expelling it, if duely at­tended, even as the Light expelleth or driveth away the Darkness, or as the day doth the Night. Nor are Men at this day exposed to greater dan­ger, who profess to follow inward divine Reve­lation then those of Old, in the days of the Pro­phets and Apostles. Now we read in Scripture [Page 8] of a certain Young Prophet, who was deceived by an Elder: I ask our Adversary, could he not be undeceived. Again let him tell me, why are they more in hazard to be deceived, who profess to follow inward divine Revelation, then others are who profess to follow the outward divine Revelation of the Scripture? for he will not de­ny that many do fouly err, who confidently boast, that they follow the outward Revelation of the Scripture. Many also embrace error for Truth, in natural things professing to follow the guidance of sound natural reason; can they not therefore be convinced of their errour? and yet no man will confess that he hath erred in that, wherein he believeth that he hath followed the conduct of right reason.

What the Adversary writeth in his second and third Paragraph, concerning the things in the controversie agreed on by both sides, I have lit­tle to answer, or which seem to need any an­swer. This only I take notice of, that our a dver­sary doth grant that, that divine Revelation, whereby God and the things of his worship, are sufficiently and savingly known, doth come un­to men, not by the natural power of humane understanding, but by the supernatural operation of God. for so (saith he) our Men do profess, on Luthers lesser Catechism on the third Article of the Creed. I believe (say they) that I cannot confide or trust in the Lord Iesus Christ my Lord, or approach, or come unto him any away, by the power [Page 9] of my own reason, but the Holy Ghost by his Gospel hath called me, with his gifts hath enlightned me, &c. The which words if some Socinians or Pelagians did read, it is a wonder if they should not put on them the brand of Enthusiasm, yea of Quak­erism. For the foresaid words, seem to differ little or nothing from our Faith, who in scorn are called Quakers, which may be more clearly made apparent afterwards.

CHAP. II.

IN his fourth Paragraph he propounds the state of the question thus. Whether inward and Immediate Revelation be the common and ordi­nary way, which God used not only to some men of old, but which he doth always use, even to our very times, unto all men, Manifesting un­to them the things which are necessary for them to know, in order to their Salvation. And a little after, he mentions a twofold divine Reve­lation, the one inward and Immediate, for which we contend, the other outward and mediate, viz. the Scripture by which he saith, men attain to the knowledge of things Necessary to Salva­tion, the holy spirit working in them by that very Doctrine. But yet he seems not to me to state the matter of the controversie clearly enough; for in the former Paragraph, as it seemeth he called the supernatural operation of God and the holy Spirit, which is necessary unto all believers and [Page 10] that absolutely, Divine Revelation the which be­cause it is distinct from the outward and medi­ate, (as he calls it) of the Scripture, although not contrary unto it, I know not, how he can refuse to acknowledge that the Revelation, Illuminati­on, and Operation of the Holy Spirit, in the hearts of the faithful, is both inward and Imme­diate. For first, that it is inward he will not de­ny: secondly, nor will he (as I judge) deny that it is Immediate, in that sense, wherein both he and all sound and right thinking Christians contend against the Socinians and Pelagians, or any other adversaries of Gods grace, that the ho­ly Spirit doth Immediately, most nearly and identically, by a Supernatural Operation con­curr, in every holy man as well to the forming of every good thought or conception, within mans heart as to the bringing forth every good work outwardly or without. Yea and all the most sound teachers in the Schools do affirm against Durandus, that not only in supernaturals, but even in all natural Productions of effects, God Almighty doth concurr with all his Crea­tures, Immediately, most nearly, and as many say, identically, or in the sameness of operati­on. Nor doth this Immediate concourse of God the first Cause, hinder or stop the influence, operation, and use of second Causes, or of the means, but doth rather establish, Corroborate and confirm them. For Example, When a Man is cured, and restored to health out of a Fevour, [Page 11] or any other Sickness, by the application of cer­tain outward means, God hath wrought Imme­diatly with those means; but if the immediate operation of God had been wanting, the man had not been cured: it is therefore piously be­lieved by all pious men, both according to Scripture and Right reason, that God in whom we live and move and have our being is most present in all his Creatures, in Heaven and Earth, and below the Earth, and that he doth impart un­to them all, his Immediate concurrence, and in­fluence, according to the exigence of every one of them. In the Mineral and Metallin region, he works immediatly with the minerals and mettals, in the vetegable, with the herbs flowers and trees, and in the Animal, he works immediatly with all the living Creatures to feed and nourish them. Also he feedeth and nourisheth man, not with Bread alone, but with every word that com­eth out of his Mouth. And if this be true, in respect of the natural, and animal life, how ex­ceedingly true is it, in respect of the Spiritual and supernatual, which after a peculiar manner is called in Scripture the life. I do not therefore understand how our adversary can reject this term Immediate from the inward divine Illumination or light of God that operates in the hearts of the faithful. But parhaps he will say, he doth not reject the term Immediate, as the said Immedi­ate concurse and influence of God, is joyned with the means, having an excellent consistency, [Page 12] harmony and concord with them, but that he de­nyeth such an immediate concourse of God, as excludeth all means, and the use and necessity of them, in regard of the common and ordinary way of Gods working, or at least doth not re­quire them as necessary. Now if this be the mind of our adversary, he ought to have ex­plained it in his dissertation, and not to have re­jected the term Immediate, without all distin­ction and limitation. But I answer moreover, that we are so far from rejecting any true Means in order to the attaining the true and saving knowledge of God, that we most gladly receive all means both inward and outward; and both the book of the Scripture, and the book of the Creatures, as blessings and gifts of God. We do also acknowledge, that in respect of the more special Heads and Doctrines of the Chri­stian Religion, the Scripture is necessary, both by necessity of precept and also of means, and in what cases, the Scriptures are not absolutely necessary, yet they are very profitable unto all, even unto the most spiritual and perfect. And therefore the use of the Holy Scripture is not to be rejected or laid aside by none so long as this Mortal life endureth; and this upon the matter, R. B. hath sufficiently granted, and that it may be the better known, in what special Doctrines of the Christian Religion we hold the use of the Scripture to be necessary unto us, we grant, first, that the whole History of the Creation, and of [Page 13] all the ages from Adam unto Christ; and of all the great works of God, in building, preser­ving, nourishing, and encreasing his Church in all those ages, unto Christ and unto the end of the age of the Apostles is made known unto us, by benefit of the Scripture of the Old and New Testament, the inward divine Revelation, and Illumination of the Holy Spirit, working together with the Scripture, and begetting in our minds and hearts the saving knowledge and faith of all these things. Secondly, all these most excellent Prophecies, both, and that espe­cially, concerning Christ, his coming in the Flesh, and his Spiritual Kingdom in the hearts of the faithful, and also concerning many other things very necessary to be known and believed, are made known unto us by the help of the Scrip­ture, the foresaid inward divine Revelation, and Illumination of the Holy Spirit, working with the Scripture, and begetting in us the saving knowledge and belief of those things, and here the holy Spirit is the principal cause, and the Scrip­ture a means and instrument. Thirdly, the knowledge of those most excellent examples, of the vertues, and vertuous and holy living of the Saints, that greatly conduce, by the working of the Holy Spirit, to frame and fashion us, after the same Manner, and to ingraft and implant in us the same divine vertues and graces. Fourthly, the knowledge of many mysteries, as of Christ, his being both God and Man, his being born in the [Page 14] Flesh of a Virgin, his being crucified and becom­ing a Propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, his Resur­rection, Ascension, and Glorification, and pour­ing out of his Spirit, and the fulfilling of all these things, many ages ago, as they were fore­told, also the Mysterys of Election, Vocation, Justification, and of the Regeneration of the Saints, and of their spiritual ingrafting into Christ through the same, and the Mystery of the Resurrection of the Body, and its Glorification at the last day, with many other secrets and hid­den things of the Christian Religion. Fifthly, the knowledge of diverse Gospel precepts, lead­ing and carrying on the true travellers into a Gospel and Spiritual Life, until he arrive at a perfect Man. Sixthly, the knowledge of diverse Gospel promises, wherby we become partakers, not only of the divine life and nature, in this World, but shall injoy most abundantly, ever­lasting Happiness and felicity in the World to come. I say the knowledge of all these things, and of many more, (which to recite all one by one were too long) is conveyed unto us, by the Scriptures Testimony, as we are exercised in reading, and hearing, and meditating on them; the foresaid inward divine Revelation, and In­spiration, working, as is said, together with the Scriptures, which can only beget in us the sav­ing knowledge and belief of all these things.

It may now be asked, what remaineth to be re­vealed by the Holy Spirit, inwardly inspiring and [Page 15] Illuminating us, the Scriptures not concurring so much as means and instruments, at least immedi­atly, and formally, in the very act of knowledge, as touching the things revealed. I answer, The experimental and sensible knowledge of God, that is no ways obvious to the outward senses, but to the inward and spiritual; whereby God himself in Christ, and Christ himself in his Life, Light, Vertue and Spirit, is most inwardly felt, seen, and heard, and a most sweet tast of him is received, above all that the natural man can conceive of him, and this is that most inward Magisterie or teaching of the inward Master, of which Augustin makes mention, lib. 14. de Trinit. cap. 15. And it is that also of which the Apostle Paul said, Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it entred into Mans heart to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them who love him, but God (saith he) hath revealed them to us by his Spirit: This is that hidden Manna, and white-stone, which no Man knoweth, save he who hath it.

And for the more full and clear understand­ing of this thing, let the Reader take notice, that there is a twofold knowledge of things whe­ther natural and visible, or of spiritual, divine and invisible. There is one knowledge of things, which is not received by the things themselves, but by the signs of them, and such a knowledge is abstractive, remote, and mediate, and there­fore is very obscure, another knowledge there is which is not obtained by the signs of the things, [Page 16] but by the things themselves immediately per­ceived; and this sort of knowledge is intuitive, most near, and immediate, and therefore much more excellent and pleasant than that other. Note secondly, that all words and names of di­vine things, and consequently all the words and names of the Scripture, are not the divine things themselves, the words and names of God and Christ are not God and Christ, are not the Light, Life, and power of God; to speak properly, they are not the spirit of God, the love of God, the peace and joy of God, the righteousness, and holiness, and Kingdom of God, if we will speak properly, and without a figure. And even in Natural things the words and names of them, do not give us an intuitive, clear, and imme­diate knowledge of them, but abstractive, re­mote, and mediate, as when one heareth or read­eth of the Kingdom of Italy, of the City of Rome, or Ierusalem, not having seen that King­dom or these Cities, his knowledge of them is only abstractive, or discursive, obtained by the signs of their names and words. But when after­wards, by the reading and hearing of those places, his desire is kindled to see them, and that he travelleth into them; when he is come thi­ther, he now seeth, what only before he read or heard of, and he converseth face to face with the Citizens of those places, he tasteth of the delight­ful fruits of the Country, and eateth and drinketh abundantly of them, this last sort of knowledge [Page 17] is intuitive, most near and Immediate and so more excellent, more clear, and more pleasant, then the former, only by hear-say and report. Now if it be a more excellent and desirable know­ledge to know a natural thing, and that which is visible, by seeing and perceiving the thing it self, without and beyond all signs of words, and names whatsoever, than only to know it by the external signs of words, in reading, hearing and meditating on them; how much more desirable, and clear, and more delightful shall that know­ledge be of God and Christ, whereby God and Christ is seen and heard, smelled, tasted and felt, yea touched and apprehended, by the most in­ward parts of the Soul, in smost Sweet em­braces. And let none object unto me that such a knowledge of God belongeth not unto the saints, in this mortal life, but is reserved for Heaven, and the World to come, for I answer, that a first fruits, pledge and earnest of it are commu­nicated to the Saints, in this mortal life by the Lord which is abundantly clear, both out of many places of Scripture, and also from the ma­ny experiences of many Thousands of the Saints in all Ages, for the places of Scripture see but these few that follow, Psal. 34.8. 1 Pet. 2.3. Matth. 5.8. 2 Cor. 3.18. Eph. 1.17, 18.

Again the inward Operations, Inspirations, and Illuminations of the Holy Spirit, when they are present in the hearts of the faithful, without any outward teacher or signs of words whatsoever, [Page 18] make evidence unto themselves, and by their own self-evidence beget a most certain and clear knowledge of themselves in the Souls of those who have them, even as if one doth take Hony, Milk or Wine, he needeth not to use the signs of words and names, to perceive them, but rather in quietness and silence, without the noise or whisper of words he doth better perceive those things, and enjoyeth the sweetness, virtue and benefit of them. And so indeed God in Christ, and with Christ in a deep silence as well inward as outward of all words, (the discursive thoughts, and reasonings of the mind being also excluded for some time,) is much better, and more clearly and delightfully felt and known then by all the words, that the tongues of men and Angels ever did Utter. But is therefore the use and exercise of the Scripture Words, in reading, hearing and meditation of them to be rejected and laid aside? Nothing less, only the faithful Soul following its inward guide, the Holy Spirit is led from that exercise of useing the Scripture words, for some time, unto another kind of more noble exercise and life, as it were from labour unto rest, and as it were from the six days working, it is led into this pleasant Sabbath, yea from all its other exercises whether outward or inward, (where the Scriptures have a good place and service) it is brought into this rest and Sabbath, and spiritual sleep so to speak, where, with Iacob, it seeth the Heavens opened, and as it were the Angels of [Page 19] God ascending and descending. Nor is this to re­ject the Scripture or its use and exercise, if at any time, the soul is led from that unto another ex­ercise, wherein the Scripture hath not Immedi­ate place. As he doth not reject preaching, who▪ from preaching passeth unto prayer, nor doth he reject prayer, who from that passeth unto sing­ing and blessing or praising the blessed name of God. Nor doth a man reject his studies, who leaving them at certain times, goeth to rest and sleep, or to refresh himself with meat and drink, and many such examples may be brought. But if it be further enquired, what the use of the Scriptures can be to a man, who hath received, such an Immediate knowledge of God, as doth not in many things depend Immediately upon the use and exercise of the Scripture. I answer, the powers or faculties of the Soul are various, some inferiour, as the Imaginative, and dis­cursive, and some superiour, as the intuitive, and from the good and right use of the inferior powers, whose proper object are the words of Scripture, or any other words proceeding from the same spirit, the Soul is carried, unto the use and exercise of its superior, or most supream power, which is the intuitive, whose proper ob­ject is God and Christ, with his divine riches and gifts, without and beyond all words. Now it is the will of God, that not one only power of our Souls be exercised in the knowing and wor­shiping of him, but all the powers and faculties [Page 20] or abilities of our Souls both the low, and high, yea and our whole man, inward and outward. And therefore the most bountiful and gracious God hath provided sutable and fit objects, unto every power of the Soul; unto the highest he hath prepared himself in his son Christ, to be seen and enjoyed by the Soul, without those veils and coverings of words, but to the inferiour and lower powers of our Souls, he hath provided the words without which they could not reach to that knowledge or apprehension of God. And moreover by reading and hearing these most sweet and excellent Testimonies of Scripture, our outward man is piously and holily employed, the holy Spirit concurring, and when the words pass or extend into outward good works and deeds, then not only the tongue and ears, but the hands and feet, and whole body is duely and fitly ex­ercised in the service of God. And by these inferiour exercises, (the Holy Spirit leading and assisting,) because of the connexion and union of the powers of the Soul, we are brought into the divine vision; for the things which we read and hear in the Scripture, (the Holy Spirit co­operating) excite our attention, attention excit­eth memory, memory exciteth the imagination ( viz. not the vain every imagination, but that which is a natural faculty of the Soul given it of God) the imagination exciteth the reason, or reasonable and discursive facultie, and reason exciteth in us the love and desire of seeing; and [Page 21] lastly, this love and desire exciteth vision it self or the intuitive faculty and power of the Soul, whereby God himself, that most desireable good, and most delightful object is seen (as he is pleased to reveal himself, and not otherwise) and en­joyed, yea and as it were with both the arms of the Soul is held and embraced, for some space of time, but this intuitive power of the Soul, where­by God is seen, is blinded and shut up in all un­regenerated and unsanctified men. And thus the Soul is led, as it were, through those six daies, or steps of labour, of its inferiour powers, in read­ing, hearing, and meditating on the Scriptures, and practising, what it reads of the practical part, in the leadings and enablings of God's Holy Spi­rit, until it cometh unto the sweet Sabbath and rest of the divine fruition. And this is that state, of which Augustine seemeth to speak, lib. 1. de Doctrina Christiana, cap. 39. saying, A man that is endued with Faith, Hope, and Love, and holdeth them firmly, needeth not the Scriptures, but to in­struct others; that is, as I understand, in respect of that supreme power of his Soul, whereby he reacheth unto God, and apprehendeth him, with Faith, Hope and Love, far beyond and above all manner or measure of words, he needeth not the Scriptures, although he needeth them in re­gard of his inferiour powers, as well for his own instruction, as for the instruction of others. And in his first Book de consensu Evangelistarum cap. 5. discoursing of the active and contemplative ver­tue, [Page 22] he saith thus, In this mortal life, that, to wit, the active vertue, is in the work of a good Conver­sation, but this, to wit, the Contemplative is more in Faith, and with some darkly as in a Glass, and in part, in some vision of the unchangeable truth. These two vertues are figuratively understood in Ja­cob 's two Wives, for Lea signifieth labouring, and Rachel signifieth the beginning of Vision: Thus Augustine, than which what can be more clear as belonging to the present question. And Luther also, (as appeareth out of a Book published in High-Dutch, Anno 1618. called the Harmony or Concord) did assert, Such an inward Illuminati­on and Inspiration immediate of God, which did teach the faithful above all Books and outward hear­ing, by vertue of which they needed not the Books of the Scripture, but to prove unto others, that it is so written. And he said, That a man, so taught, and inlightned of God, was above all Law, to wit, out­ward in a Sermon of his on Pentecost. And in the same Sermon he describeth the second Law, not to be of the Letter, but of the Spirit, not pronounced with the mouth, nor writ with Pen and Ink, but to be the holy Spirit Himself, or at least his work, which he worketh in the heart. And in a Sermon of his upon the Magnificat, he saith, No man can know God or his Word aright, who doth not receive it immediately from the holy Spirit. Note here, that the term Immediate is used by Luther. Again, on the fourth Psalm he saith, Faith is well called the light of God's countenance, because it is an Illu­mination [Page 23] divinely inspired into our mind, and a cer­tain Ray of the Divinity infused into the heart of the Believer, whereby every one who is saved, is direct­ed and saved. Again in his Postill. dom. 8. Serm. 2. speaking of Faith as aforesaid, he saith, the Preach­ed Word is to be ruled by Faith, and not Faith by the Preached Word. And after, All Doctrines are to be grounded on Faith, (to wit, that Divine Illumina­tion inspired into the Mind) for Faith is the Touch­stone, Measuring Line, Rule, and Ballance, where­with all Doctrines are to be weighed, proved, and judged. And on the 11 th Psalm, The words of the Lord are pure words.; he saith, The Prophet David here doth not speak of the Scripture, but specially of the Word of God, and they are then the words or speeches of the Lord, when he speaketh them in us, as he did in the Apostles: And in his Sermon on Pen­tecost he saith, It is necessary that God speak to thee in thy heart, and that is Gods Word, otherwise the Word of God remaineth unspoken. What can be more clearly said for immediate Inspirations and Illuminations, or who can be a greater Enthusiast than Luther, according to the aforesaid words. I know indeed that Luther spoke and writ many things against false Enthusiasts, who did vaunt and boast of their Revelations and Inspirations that were false and contrary to Scripture, which yet doth not hinder but that Luther might be a true Enthusiast, even as he may be a true Christi­an, who Writeth against false, or Christians false­ly so called.

CHAP. III,

IN his Fifth Paragraph he findeth fault with R. B. his words, for saying, where outward means are wanting, God himself infinitely good and mer­ciful, is present to supply their defect, as to the sal­vation of Souls; and that Gods immediate help is present unto all, and that God doth prevent the use of means; by the inward and immediate mo­tions, influences, and illuminations of his Spirit. This is that (saith our Adversary) in which we dissent from him: To whom I answer, If in this ye dissent from him, ye also dissent from your Ancestor Luther on the same Question: For he, in his Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galati­ans, cap. 3. Enquiring of Infants and dumb per­sons how they believe; doth answer with Ierome, that nothing is deaf unto the Word of God, nor void of hearing, which speaketh not unto the out­ward ears, but these, of which it is said, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, that the Ad­versary denyeth, that God doth prevent or go be­fore the use of means, by his inward illumination and operation; he dissenteth from Augustine (as well as from Scripture) lib. 4. de consensu Evange­list. where he thus expoundeth the words of Christ, Matth. 26.32. I will go before you into Galilee. [Page 25] This saying is to be taken (saith he) prophetically. For Galilee signifieth either Transmigration, or Revela­tion: According then to its first signification of Trans­migration, what other thing doth occur to be under­stood than this, that the Grace of Christ was to pass o­ver from the People of Israel into the Gentiles, to whom the Apostles when they should Preach, if the Lord had not prepared the way in their hearts, they would not have believed the Gospel Preached by them, and this should be understood by these words, He shall go before you into Galilee. But according to the second interpretation of the word Galilee, its signify­ing Revelation, it is to be understood of Christ not in the form of a Servant, but in that wherein he is equal to the Father, which he promised in John to such as loved him, when he said, I shall love him, and show my self unto him: to wit, not according to what they then saw, and as after his Resurrection, he appeared with the prints of his wounds, both to be seen and touched; but according unto that ineffable light, where­by he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World, according to which he shineth in darkness, and the darkness doth not comprehend him. Where let the Reader notice, how that Augustine believed that Christ did go before the outward Preaching of the Gospel, with his Divine Grace and Reve­lation in the hearts of the Gentiles: And if God be not present to his Creature to supply the defect of outward means, and yet damn the Creature; is not this to render God unmerciful, and a hard Master, and unjust, who is yet most merciful, [Page 26] meek, just and benevolent to all his Creatures? I thought these called Lutherans, who are so zea­lous against the Calvinistical decree of absolute Reprobation; had been more humane and mer­ciful towards Mankind; but now so far as I can gather from the words of our Adversary, they are fallen into the same pit with the Calvinists▪ or at least as bad: For if so many thousands, who want the outward means, be damned eternally for the want of them; this so miserable a case should seem to proceed from want of Love in God towards them, and because he did not love them, therefore he did reprobate and reject them. I know not how the Adversary can save himself from falling into the deep ditch of the Calvinisti­cal Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation. But hath not Christ died for all men? If so, he hath then dyed for those who want the outward means, and what hath Christ gained for them by his death, if nothing of his Grace either already given them, or afterwards to be given, hath he not then dyed for them in vain? But doth not the Scripture say, that God hath his Elect ones in every corner and part of the whole world, whither he is to send his Angels to gather them together, even the chil­dren of God every where dispers'd. And yet the outward Preaching of the Gospel is not yet gone to all the parts of the earth: And what shall be­come of these good and honest Gentiles, such as Cornelius was before Peter Preached the Gospel outwardly to him? For do not Peters words [Page 27] plainly imply that there were many such good and honest men, fearing God and working righteous­ness, who were acceptable unto God through Christ, although they had not heard of Christ as yet outwardly. Again, what was to be done with that good ground which was good before the seed was cast into it; and whence was it, that the ground was good, before the outward Preaching of the Gospel? And what did Christ signifie by that good ground in the Parable, but men of a good and honest heart? Suppose then, that some of these were prevented by death, long before the outward Preaching did come to their ears, which is to be supposed in many, by reason of the short­ness of humane life; shall therefore all these good men, together with the bad and wicked, be damn­ed eternally? Let every pious and sober man be ashamed so to conclude.

In his Sixth Paragraph, he seemeth in part to acknowledge R. B. his distinction, between Di­vine General Revelation and Special; but he dif­fereth herein, that he will not have that General Revelation made to the Gentiles to be supernatu­ral but natural, nor immediate but mediate, be­side the inward or ingrafted notions of truth im­porting also an acquired knowledge by the things created, and outwardly presented, and the infor­mation and teaching of others concurring. But as concerning the latter, it followeth not that that Revelation was not immediate, because these Gen­tiles had also an acquired knowledge by the things [Page 28] created, &c. For these two are not contradictory, to wit, one Knowledge immediate and implanted in them, and another acquired; but they both consist very well together. And concerning the first, he doth indeed affirm, that the said General Revelation is only natural, and not supernatural; but he hath not so much as essayed to prove it. Now as to that Question, whether that General Revelation be natural or supernatural; it may be answered, that in a different respect it is both na­tural and supernatural: Natural in respect of the Subject of its Inherence; for many things receive their denomination from the Subject of Inherence, as some Vessels are called golden, others silver, o­thers brass, according to the diversity of their sub­ject matter. Now God hath planted or sown this General Divine Revelation or Law in the very nature of Man, and it is therefore called by Iames [...] the innate Word, or the Word planted in our Nature, which is as the Ark unto which God hath committed this Divine Law to be pre­served. But it is Supernatural in respect of its O­riginal Author, and Efficient Cause: For from whence cometh this Law placed in all souls, but from that Supreme Lord and Father of all souls, and therefore it is called by Philo the Jew, An in­fallible Law and incorruptible, Printed in the im­mortal Mind by an immortal Nature: And by Plu­tarch, A Faith ingrasted or innate into every reaso­nable Creature, living in the Soul, and never leaving the Soul destitute of Guidance. Again, this Law or [Page 29] Revelation is deservedly to be reputed Superna­tural, because it is the Law of God, and whoever doth transgress it, he doth transgress the Will of the most High God: This Law therefore is above the Soul, and the Souls nature, which ought to be subject unto the said Law, and consequently it is Supernatural. And Lastly, because Mans whole Nature in the Fall is corrupted, but this Law doth remain in the Soul uncorrupted; therefore it pro­ceedeth not from Mans Nature, but from a more noble Original and Fountain: For who can bring such a clean thing as this Law is, out of that which is so unclean as Mans corrupted Nature? And in­deed Augustine doth well discourse on this same purpose, lib. 14. de Trinit. cap. 15. ‘Man (saith he) is admonished to turn to the Lord, as unto that Light, with which he was touched, when he was departed from him. For hence it is, that e­ven the wicked think upon eternity, and do both reprove and commend many things in the man­ners of men. But by what rules judge they of those things, but such as in which they see how every one should live, although they themselves do not so live? When do they see them? not in their Nature, seeing they see them with a mind, but it is manifest their minds are changeable, whereas they see that these rules are unchangea­ble, which every one may see in them. Nor yet do they see them in the habit of their mind, be­cause these are rules of righteousness, but it is ma­nifest their minds are unrighteous, (note) where [Page 30] then are these rules writ where he who is unjust, knoweth what is just, where he understandeth that he ought to have that which he hath not? Where are they therefore writ, but in the Book of that Light which is called the Truth, whence every just Law is described, and is transferred in­to the Heart of Man, who worketh Righteous­ness not by motion, as from one place to another, but by impression, as the Image passeth from the Seal into the Wax, and yet leaveth not the Seal.’ Thus Augustine,

Again, In this same Paragraph he blameth R.B. for saying, That the General Revelation doth suf­fice unto Salvation, although the Special doth not come, nor be adjoyned thereunto. But grant­ing that he who hath faithfully obeyed and fol­lowed the General Revelation, be in a safe state, as to the present, and hath a firm and sure hope of future happiness; yet this doth not hinder but in order to obtain a more perfect state through Christ, of Eternal Life, the Special Revelation is necessary, as is plain in the example of Cornelius, to whom the Apostle Peter behoved to be sent, who was to Preach unto him words concerning Christ, by which (as the Angel said, Acts 11.14.) He and his House were to be saved.

CHAP. IV.

IN his Seventh and Eighth Paragraphs, he saith little or nothing more, than what he had for­merly delivered concerning the state of the Con­troversie, to wit, whether Immediate Divine Re­velations be the Principle of knowing God, and Divine Things, in respect of all men, and for all times. But divers other things remain as neces­sary to be opened, for the more clear stating the Controversie: First, as to the Principle of Know­ledg, which is either Primary, or Secundary; or which is to the same effect, Principal, or Subor­dinate. Now as concerning the Subordinate and Secundary Principle, we deny not, but that the Scriptures are a subordinate and secundary Prin­ciple of knowing Divine Doctrines and Truths, as concerning God and Christ; but still we con­tend for the Holy Spirit, Inlightning, Inspiring, and by its Life giving Vigour, and Vertue, effe­ctually working in the souls of men, as the Prin­cipal or Primary: And let the Adversary tell me, seeing he doth acknowledge that the inward illu­mination and operation of the Holy Spirit, is ab­solutely necessary to the obtaining any Saving Knowledge of God; whether he doth not believe, that the Holy Spirit inwardly operating and in­lightning [Page 32] the Minds of Believers, is the Primary Principle of Divine Knowledge? Or will he say, that the Scriptures are the Primary Principle, and that the Holy Spirit is but the secundary and sub­ordinate, which last, as being too absurd and of­fensive to Christian ears, I hope, he will abhor to affirm. Secondly, As concerning the term of in­ward Revelation, the strife or controversie is to be removed; for why should we contend in meer words, if we be agreed in the same sence as to the verity of the thing: First, he doth acknowledge, that the inward Illuminations of the Holy Spirit are absolutely necessary to beget the saving know­ledge of God, and Divine Things in Mens minds. Secondly, He granteth that these inward Illumi­nations of the Holy Spirit, are not only effective, but also that they are objective, as being real ob­jects proposed to the Mind, and moving it to the assent of Truth: For so he doth in his Thirty Second Paragraph expresly affirm, That God, or the Spirit revealing, doth not only work efficiently on the Intellectual Faculty, to bring forth or produce the Act of Believing; but doth also move the Mind ob­jectively, or by a formal representation of an object, determine the Vnderstanding to assent., Thus He. Wherein, so far as I can understand, or reach, he doth acknowledge that the inward Illumination of the Holy Spirit, is Revelation properly so called. For by inward Revelation we do not understand any o­ther thing, than that the Holy Spirit works not only efficiently, or as an Efficient Cause upon our [Page 33] Understanding, to beget in us True Divine Know­ledge and Faith; but that he also moves object­ively, or by a formal representation of the Object, determines our Understanding to Assent. For what is it in general to Reveal, but to propose the Object revealed to our perceptive Faculty, and so in particular, he who doth propose the outward visible Objects to my sight, he is properly enough said to reveal unto me these Visibles, and the same is to be understood of the Objects of the other outward Senses. And surely according to Scrip­ture phrase, the inward illustrations and illumina­tions of the Holy Spirit, produced in the hearts of the faithful, are called Revelations; in respect of which, the Holy Spirit in Scripture is called, The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, Eph. 1.17. as he doth illustrate and illuminate the hearts of the Faithful: And Paul, writing of the state of his Conversion, affirmeth; that God had revealed his Son in him, the which in some manner and degree, may be said of every converted man. As yet therefore we agree well enough, as I suppose, in forming the state of the Controversie. It re­maineth then, Thirdly, that we discuss or consider this term Immediate a little more fully, wherein alone almost the strife of the Controversie seemeth to be placed; the which, although at first view it may seem great, yet afterwards laying aside pre­judice, it may appear to be little, if any. That it may therefore be more clearly understood, what is signified by this term Immediate, I desire the [Page 34] Reader to take notice, that Immediate doth sig­nifie two very different things: One is, the ab­sence of all means or medium's in the producing any effect. Hence, God the Great Creator, is right­ly said to have produced or created his creatures immediately, because there was no medium or mean, existing (save only his Word and Spirit) whereby to create them. But this signification of the word, or term, Immediate, is too strait and narrow; and perhaps agreeth to no other opera­tion, than to the Creation and Conservation of the World by God, that infinite and supreme Cause, unless we add those Divine Miracles, and other marvellous things which God did of old, and yet doth, without the use or concurrence of means. The second, or other signification of the word Immediate, doth not import the absence of the mean, or medium; but the intimate applicati­on, or concurrence of the principal and primary Cause, unto the secundary; together with the mean, or means, in the operation. Again, the medium, or mean, is either continued or disconti­nued: The continued mean, I call that mean which is continued, or continually and closely is con­joyned in working with the Cause, both princi­pal and subordinate: But the discontinued mean is that which is not continued, or conjoyned in the working, with the primary and principal Cause; but either works nothing at all, or work­eth only with the secundary Cause; while as the principal and primary Cause worketh nothing [Page 35] with the said mean, but suspendeth and withdraw­eth its concourse and influence, that is requisite to the producing the effect aright. Now the conti­nued mean, or medium, hindereth not, that the action or operation of the principal and primary Cause, be said to be immediate: Hence Immedi­ate is as much as to be in medio, i. e. in the mean, and therefore when God is said to be in the midst of the faithful, so that by his presence in the midst of them, or he mediating and intervening, they perform all their works; he is rightly and pro­perly said immediately to work in them, and to inspire and inlighten them. Now that the con­tinued mean hinders not the immediate operation of the principal Cause, many examples might be produced to show it: I shall give an instance in some few which follow. The Sun doth immedi­ately inlighten our eyes, and shine upon the visi­ble objects, and yet it doth this by means of the Air, and sometimes by means of the Chrystal, or Glass of the Window. But because the Air, and Glass, or other diaphanous and transparent medi­ums are continued with the Suns illumination, the said illumination is immediate, and is commonly acknowledged so to be. Again, when the Hus­bandman laboureth in his field, using many means, as Ploughing, Digging, Sowing, Watering, or Reaping and Gathering his Corn, the Sun doth immediately inlighten him, and shine upon his labours; by vertue and assistance of which illu­mination, he still laboureth. Here we see, the [Page 36] making use of many means, doth not hinder the immediate illumination and operation of the Sun upon the Husbandman and his labours, but all these means, and the use of them, doth very well agree with the Suns immediate illumination, and as it were, Revelation, and the one is perfited and established by the other: For as the labouring and using these outward means, cannot be rightly performed, and do not profit or avail, without the Suns influence and operation; so unless the said Husbandman doth labour in his Field, Plow, Dig, Sow, and perform other necessary actions for the labouring his ground; the Suns illumination, or operation, although immediate, shall little a­vail him. Another example I shall give, in the daily mutual conversation of men one with ano­ther. When one man speaks to another face to face, they both hear and see each other immedi­ately, and yet this hearing and seeing of one ano­ther, is not without the use and intervening of many means, or mediums; for both the voice and image of those men immediately so conversing, are conveyed from one to another, not only by means of the Air, but also of many Organs of the Eyes and Ears. It now remaineth to apply these ex­amples, or similitudes, to the present purpose of Immediate Revelation, and the Illumination of the Holy Spirit. Do not our Adversaries grant, that God doth so inlighten the minds and inward eyes of the Faithful, with his Light and Illumina­tion (who is the inward, spiritual, and invisible [Page 37] Sun of the Soul) as the outward and worldly Sun doth inlighten our outward eyes? I suppose, this they will grant. Again, Is not God, who is the light and life of the Faithful, as closely and inti­mately present, or rather indeed much more pre­sent with his people, as the outward Sun is to our Body and outward Man? Doth not the Spirit of God, which is of a most subtle and penetrating nature, and his Light, Life, and Virtue, more per­fectly go through and penetrate all means; than the outward illumination of the Sun can penetrate or pierce through the Air, or most clear and tran­sparent Glass or Chrystal? Is not God most in­wardly present in all his Creatures, and most near and close unto them? Is he not more near unto us, than all means however so near? But it may be answered, that God worketh in us, using many and various means, as reading of the Scriptures, Preaching, Hearing, Meditation, Prayer, some­times one and sometimes another, and at other times divers joyned together. This is granted, but all this hinders not, that the operation and il­lumination of God in the use of those means, is immediate: For if the use of all means in every respect be taken away in Gods instructing, teach­ing, inspiring and inlightning men; I know not, if it can be proved clearly, that any man, whe­ther Prophet or Apostle, was immediately inlight­ned or inspired by the Holy Spirit, with special Revelation: For besides that many of the Pro­phets were taught of God by the means and mi­nistry [Page 38] of Angels, and that Iohn the Apostle had his Visions of the Revelation, when he was ba­nished into the Isle of Patmos, by means of an An­gel sent by Christ unto him; what Prophet or Apostle ever was of God, or of Christ, but made use of means? Was not Prayer (sometimes both Mental and Vocal, sometimes only Mental) a ge­neral and universal Mean, which both Prophets and Apostles used, and that frequently, to obtain their Divine Inspirations and Revelations? Do we not read, how Moses besought the Lord, that he might see his glory? the which most sweet and blessed Vision he obtained by means of his prayer, and the same is to be understood of the other Pro­phets. And did not the Apostles continue with one accord in prayer, at a certain place, betwixt the time of Christ his ascending into heaven, and the giving of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pente­cost. And did they not obtain that most excel­lent gift of the Holy Spirit by means of their pray­er? And did not Cornelius and his Friends receive the Holy Spirit, by means of Peter his Preaching? and the like did frequently come to pass to the Primitive Disciples, by means of the Apostles Preaching, and laying on of their hands? Did not Christ inspire the Apostles immediately, before his Ascension, by means of his outward Preaching unto them, and laying his hands on them? Did not the Apostles Minister one to another (after they had received the Holy Spirit) of the word of Life, and did edifie and build up one another? [Page 39] Had not the Prophets of old, Schools; and there did Prophesie, and Preach, and Pray, and by u­sing these means, the Gift and Spirit of Prophesie came upon many Hearers immediately? Surely few or none of the Prophets or Apostles, but at times were outwardly taught: Adam, the first Prophet, instructed Abel and Seth; Seth instructed his Children, and they again their children, at least some of them, until Noah; and Noah instructed some of his Posterity, and they again of theirs un­til Abraham; for without all controversie both Abraham and Moses learned some things by out­ward teaching, from their Forefathers, of God, and Divine Things; which yet did not hinder, but that they also were immediately inspired and taught of God themselves; yea, the outward teaching did further them, and, by its virtue, did prepare their minds to receive their Divine Inspi­rations. But put the case, that some of them did not hear any thing taught them outwardly, by mans voice, as in the case of Adam, when he was alone? Did he or they therefore use no means, to obtain their Revelations? Or did God use no means, when he did communicate unto▪ them those Revelations and Inspirations? Did he not always use their Souls and Minds, at least, as means and instruments, when he did inspire them; as he did use their Tongues and Lips, to speak forth, and their Hands to bring forth, in writing their Prophecies, Vissons, and Revelations? For that the Souls and Minds of the Prophets, and [Page 40] their Intellectual Faculties or Powers, were not altogether passive (and suppose they had been passive altogether, yet they might be accounted passive means) but were partly active; is clearly enough manifest from the diversity of style and phrase of speaking and writing, that doth occur both in the Prophets and Apostles? For Isaias doth after another manner of style, express his Visions and Revelations, than Amos: And among the Apostles, Paul, and Matthew, and Iohn, do differ in their style and manner of expression. The which diversity of style and manner of speech, did proceed from the different qualifications and en­dowments of their minds: for as the spirit of God findeth any man furnished or endued with gifts, whether natural or acquired; so he worketh up­on him accordingly, sanctifying those gifts, and making use of them as means, in his work and service. Again, that the Souls and Minds of the Prophets might be rendred apt and fit, to be u­sed by God as his instruments and means, both to receive and convey the Revelations of his Will; how many, and how great preparations and puri­fications did they require; all which might be called means? Yea, with what watchings, fast­ings, prayers, and wrestlings, against all inward impurities, and evil and unclean suggestions and temptations of the Devil, did they labour both day and night? How soberly, how holily, how chastly, how purely, how obediently, behoved they to walk, and have their conversation, in all [Page 41] Gods commandments, both in respect of the in­ward and outward Man, that they might be ap­proved Ministers and Prophets of God? And therefore, never any Prophet of God, who was true and faithful, whom God inspired immediate­ly, but used divers sorts of means: And did not some of the Prophets under the Law, make use of Minstrels, as means, to fit or dispose them to prophecy, in that legal and shadowy dispensation? And David, at sundry times, when he considered the Heavens, and the Stars, and other excellent works of God; did fall into most excellent and noble Visions and Prophesies, as may be seen, Psal. 8.104, 107, &c. And therefore the right and lawful use of means, whether of Scripture in reading or hearing, preaching or praying, medi­tating or waiting, singing or thanksgiving, or any other appointed of God; doth not in the least hinder, that the illumination and revelation of God in the hearts and souls of his people, be im­mediate, and properly so to be accounted. For the Sun shineth as immediately, while the Hus­bandman doth labour in his Field, using many sorts of means, as when he doth nothing; and oft-times, the Divine Sun of Righteousness, which is in Christ, doth as immediately shine in the hearts of the faithful, and inspire and inlighten them, when they are exercised according to the Will and moving of God, in the use of means, as reading, hearing, meditating, and the like; as when they are not so employed, but only silent­ly [Page 42] waiting upon God, which also may be called a mean.

CHAP. V.

WHat doth now remain of Controversie or Debate, betwixt our Adversary and us, in the matter of inward and Immediate Revelati­on and Inspiration? Perhaps he will say in this: That we affirm that God doth in many things in­lighten and inspire us, without making use of the Scripture Means: But he pleadeth, that none of the Faithful is inlightened or inspired in any par­ticular, without the concurrence of Scripture. To this I answer, First, the Controversie of Immedi­ate Revelation is more large and general, than to be restricted to that without Scripture: For it is one question, whether Divine Revelation be re­ceived without all means; and another question, whether without the means of Scripture. But se­condly, If it were granted (which yet I do not grant) that no man hath any inward illumination, or Inspiration, or Revelation, in our days, with­out the conveyance and concurrence of Scripture, used either in reading and hearing, or meditati­on; all this should not hinder the said Illumina­tion, or Inspiration, to be immediate; because the Scripture, in that case, is a continued mean, or medium, most closely and nearly conjoyned [Page 43] with that Illumination, as doth sufficiently appear from what is above said. Moreover, it may be affirmed, that as to those, who, from their Infan­cy and Childhood, or from their first Conversion, have been instructed and exercised in reading and hearing the Scriptures, and meditating upon them; that they have been a remote means at least, and continue so to be, in respect of their knowledge of Divine Things, to wit, by disposing and fit­ting or preparing their Minds and Hearts (through the secret operation of the Holy Spirit) unto true Piety, Purity, and Holiness; and to the begetting those Divine Vertues in them, whereby at length the Soul and Mind may be raised up to behold Divine Things, and God and Christ himself, far beyond and above the reach and measure of words, which, as is already said, are not the Di­vine Things themselves, but the signs and shadows as it were, of them; and so to see God in Christ, without these veils and coverings of words. We do therefore greatly esteem and value the use of the holy Scripture, when it is joyned with the in­ward operation and illumination of God; but if the use of the Scripture be separate from the said inward illumination and operation, as it happen­eth most frequently among the most of these cal­led Christians, it doth nothing profit, but is only a killing Letter. And seeing the Adversary doth acknowledge that the Gentiles know many things of God, and some things that are Divine by Ge­neral Revelation, and these inward notices of [Page 44] Truth planted in them by God without Scripture, whereby that which may be known of God is manifest in them; therefore many things are also revealed unto Christians, of God, and Divine Things, by General Revelation: For the said Ge­neral Revelation is as large, or indeed more large, and full in true Christians, who have the Scri­ptures; as in those Gentiles which have them not, because the General Revelation, commune to us with the Gentiles by virtue of Special Revelation, and the doctrine of the Scriptures is much impro­ved, and perfected, in true Christians, yet retain­ing its Nature of General Revelation: Even as Natural Reason, and other Natural Gifts of the Soul, are much improved and perfected by the operation of the Holy Spirit, and yet retain their Nature as such. And if we except these Doctrines, and Heads of General Religion common to us with the Gentiles, which are revealed both to them and us without Scripture, of all which not­withstanding the Scripture doth abundantly testi­fie; all other Doctrines and Heads of the Christi­an Religion (which is a special Religion, more per­fect and excellent than the General, and perfiting the said General Religion in true Christians) are made known unto us by the Scripture means, the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring us, that we may understand the Doctrines declared in the Scripture, and may savingly apply them, with true and sincere Faith, to the salvation of our souls. And what more any can require of us to [Page 45] establish the due use of the Scripture, or of any other means, I do not understand. And as con­cerning the aforesaid experimental and sensible knowledge of God, that is only manifest or ob­vious to the inward and supreme sences and pow­ers of the Soul, as they are opened and awakened in us by the work of Regeneration, and Renew­ing of the Holy Ghost; although the Scripture words do not immediately concur, in the formal act of such a Divine and Intuitive Knowledge, as the words of a mans name do not make me see the man; yet the Scriptures do witness abundant­ly concerning such an experimental and spiritually sensible knowledge of God, which is perceived in a most inward union and communion of the Soul with God, and in a certain Intellectual, or spiritual contact or touch, of which, not only Plato and Plotin, and others among those called Philosophers; but the Apostles, among the Chri­stians have largely made mention: And after the Apostles, Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and many others among the Grecians, and Augustine and Ierome with ma­ny others, many Ages ago among the Latines, and in latter Ages, Bernard, Thauler, and Thomas a Kempis, and the Author of the German Theology, unto whose Book Luther did write a Preface, and did much commend it. All these, and generally these called Mysticks, and Writers upon Mystick Divinity so called; do Preach, and hold forth a certain Knowledge of God, which is received [Page 46] without all words, by a certain inward gust, taste, and touch, and inward feeling of God, and Di­vine Things, in the souls and hearts of those who have attained unto that due state and degree of purity and holiness, requisite in order to such a knowledge and enjoyment. And hence it is, that they distinguish Theology, or the knowledge of God, into discursive on the one hand, and my­stick, or intuitive and contemplative on the other, and they say the former is had or received by words, and verbal discourses, syllogisms, propo­sitions, premisses and conclusions, gathered and collected from Scripture, which yet, without the Spirits inward illumination and operation, is not effectual to the salvation of those who have it, but that this latter is obtained by a naked and simple perception and intuition of God, and Divine Things, as the mind is purified and cleansed, and denuded, as it were, from all images and simili­tudes, or signs of words, or outward things what­soever. That we may therefore put a conclusion to the forming the state of the controversie aright, which is the most principal thing, if the question be made concerning doctrinal and discursive The­ology, or knowledge, which require words, pro­positions, definitions, reasons, arguments, and conclusions; we shall readily grant that the Scri­ptures are a General Principle of the same, but Secundary; the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring mens souls and hearts, being still the Primary and Principal, and that by means of the [Page 47] Scriptures, in reading, and hearing, and medita­ting upon them, and as they are preached, and opened, and used by men spiritually gifted and fitted of God, we attain to the knowledge of the said discursive and doctrinal Theology, and most especially the Scriptures are of service unto us, when we turn or convert the words of them (that do most nearly respect Holiness of Life and Manners, such as the precepts and examples of Christian Vertues) into good works and deeds, and into a good and Christian Life. But in the experimental and mystick, or intuitive and con­templative Theology, not the Scripture words, but the things themselves signified by the words, to wit, God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Life, Light, and Power of God, the Love, Peace, and Joy of God, and the Kingdom of God, which Christ did testifie to be within us, reveal and de­monstrate themselves to the souls and hearts of the faithful, by themselves, nakedly in their own proper and native light, glory, and evidence, without words; even as the outward things and riches of this visible world, and the beauty, glo­ry, and vertue of them, reveal and discover them­selves unto our outward senses without words, and far beyond the force or reach of words. And if outward things without words are continually presented to our outward senses; it followeth, that inward things, to wit, the things of the Di­vine and Heavenly Kingdom, which is in us, are presented to our inward and spiritual senses with­out [Page 48] words; seeing these inward and spiritual things are as near to our souls, yea, much nearer' as those outward things are to our bodies. And thus the state of the Controversie being rightly framed, and brought to a period, I shall have lit­tle difficulty to answer the following Paragraphs, or Sections, of the Adversary; seeing in all things, almost, he goeth without, or beyond, the state of the Controversie, and so contendeth not so much against us, or R. B. as his own shadow or thoughts.

CHAP. VI.

WHat the Adversary saith in his Ninth and Tenth Paragraphs, are of the same ten­dency with the things he had formerly mention­ed belonging to the state of the Controversie.

In his Eleventh Paragraph he saith, the Con­troversie is not of any sort of Revelation, but that of Immediate: And in his Twelfth he affirmeth, that Revelation considered in it self, doth pre­scind or abstract from that which is Immediate, and Mediate. And he assenteth unto R. B. his five Propositions, pag. 9. of his Apology, and that Divine Revelations remain to be the formal ob­ject of the Saints Faith, but he denyeth them to be Immediate. To whom I answer, that he grant­eth with us, That he inward illuminations and o­perations of the Holy Spirit are altogether necessary to [Page 49] beget true and saving Faith in men, and that these inward illuminations are objective, or by way of Ob­ject, Par. 32. and Par. 34. So that the act of Faith is occupied or exercised, and doth finally stay in God himself, revealing as the Object. And what he subjoyneth, That God revealing, as the formal Object, in whom the Vnderstanding stayeth or rest­eth, and the Divine Revelation consisting of the ex­ternal signs; are not to be opposed: Because when God the revealer, by outward words Preached, or Writ, moveth the Vnderstanding to acknowledge them to be as a Divine Revelation; it cannot be de­nyed, that the Vnderstanding doth so rest in God re­vealing, as the formal Object: So that it doth also regard these signs depending on God, by which that Revelation doth consist, meaning the words. All this is granted both by me and R. B. yea, that is it, for which R. B. pleadeth, viz. that God inward­ly illuminating and moving the Understanding to the assent of the Doctrine, declared by the exter­nal words or signs; is the formal object of the Saints Faith: To which, seeing the Adversary doth plainly consent, I know not how he doth af­fect to show himself here opposite unto us, when in the thing it self I see no difference betwixt both; unless he meaneth, that the outward words, or signs, doth also pertain to the formal object of Faith, as he seemeth to explain himself, Parag. 22. The which also R. B. hath granted, after a sort, having brought a distinction of the formal object, into quod, i. e. which, and quo, i. e. by, or for which, [Page 50] or betwixt that which is believed, and the formal principal cause, or reason of believing; the which distinction, the Adversary ought to grant, as ap­plicable to the present matter, if he will firmly stand to his first concessions: For he doth ac­knowledge, that the outward Revelation (as he calleth it) of words and signs, is not simply be­lieved by the faithful, for it self, but because of God inwardly inlightning and moving; and there­fore God thus inwardly inlightning and moving, is the formal object Quo, i. e. by or for which they principally believe: And yet we deny not, but that the words are the formal object, Quod, i. e. which is believed, or as some perhaps would ra­ther say, the material object. But if any contro­versie doth here remain, it doth consist rather in a logical subtlety, or ambiguous signification of words and terms; than in the truth of the thing or matter it self, which ought to have no place among sober men, professing the simple and plain Truth of Christ. There remaineth only one dif­ficulty with the Adversary, whether these inward Illuminations are to be called Immediate? which I judge R. B. hath sufficiently proved in his Apo­logy, and I also in this my answer. We grant in­deed that this term, or expression, of Immediate Revelation, is no where to be found in Scripture; and therefore it would be hard to prove, against a froward and wilful Adversary, that any of the Prophets or Apostles had Immediate Revelation: For it did suffice unto the Prophets and Apostles [Page 51] to express the word or term Revelation, simply so called; and that God revealed himself and his mind and will unto them, that he did inlighten and inspire them, that they had the Spirit of God and Christ inwardly teaching and instructing, and moving them. Those simple and plain Men did not think of that subtle and nice distinction of Immediate and Mediate Revelation, feigned and invented by the School-men and Sophisters of this world, whereby the truth of this mistery is veiled and darkned. For to speak plainly, and in propriety of speech, following the common Phrase of Scripture, all Divine Revelation is Im­mediate, even as all Vision is immediate; and all outward sensation is Immediate, and doth regard and respect its immediate object, and as it is im­mediately proposed: Which yet doth not hinder, but that the outward words, by a metonimy, or figure of the sign for the thing signified, may be called Revelations or Visions. But there is oft a great hurt in that, when figurative Speeches are once allowed, that at length it comes to that, that they are thought proper. Iohn his Treatise is called his Revelation, when yet it is most cer­tain, that that Book, or Treatise, was not the Re­velation it self; which he had in his Mind and Spi­rit, but only a sign and outward declaration of it. Also the Prophets at times, called the words which they published by voice or writing, their Vision, when yet they were not the Vision it self, but a sign and declaration of it, as any man of a sound [Page 52] Judgment, as I believe, will easily grant. More­over, as to the outward Apparitions made by God at times to the Fathers and Prophets, if they be granted to be Revelations, they were also in their kind and manner Immediate, either to the out­ward Senses, or Imagination. But that is most properly the Revelation of God, which is present­ed to the Mind, Spirit, and Understanding of Man: For seeing God is a Spirit, he is not to be seen by the outward eyes, nor is he perceptible by any outward or mortal senses, but is only seen and known in Spirit; and therefore only by the Spi­rit is he properly revealed to the alone Spirit, and spiritual Eye, and Sense of Man. But it is not to great purpose, to dispute much of those outward Apparitions made unto some of old, seeing they do not touch the thing that is mainly in contro­versie, which is of Gods inward appearances, for which only we contend, as necessary for the be­getting true and saving Faith and Knowledge in mens hearts. We do not plead for outward Ap­paritions: And it is plain enough they did not properly reveal God himself, but rather were a Veil wherewith God covered himself because of humane weakness; For if any had judged the outward Apparition to have been God himself, certainly he should have fallen into grievous Ido­latry. But that R. B. did affirm, that there were divers Administrations, under which the Spirit of God revealed himself, doth not prove what the Adversary would, that God only did mediately [Page 53] reveal himself unto some men; for the divers Ad­ministrations are well enough to be considered, as well in the Inward and Immediate Revelations, as in those which are outward: And also that God spoke unto the Fathers by the Prophets of old, proveth not that God revealed himself only to them outwardly and mediately; for this doth contradict our Adversary his own belief, who doth equally contend with us, that all the believ­ing Fathers were inwardly Inlightned by the Ho­ly Spirit, and that Inward Illumination is Imme­diate where ever it is found, as I have above suffi­ciently made appear.

Again, That in his Fourteenth Paragraph (ci­ting R. B. his words, Parag. 13.) he saith, he de­nyeth, and not without cause, That which R. B. thought no man would deny, viz. That God all along from Adam to Moses, had revealed himself to his Children inwardly by his Spirit. I think strange the Adversary should deny this, for by so doing he doth openly contradict his former con­cessions: For did he not grant that God doth al­ways inwardly Inlighten his Children, and that with an Illumination both effective and objective, and that no outward Revelation or Preaching doth suffice unto Salvation, without a Divine in­ward Operation and Illumination: And therefore why he should now deny it, I do not understand, but that he hath forgot himself. Nor doth it hinder (which he laboureth much to prove in this whole Paragraph) that some were outwardly in­structed [Page 54] by Preaching, but that they were also gifted and endued with inward Inspiration and Revelation; for these two do not fight one with another, but very well agree. But it will be too hard an undertaking for him to prove, that most men in all those Ages were taught by outward Preaching: For although Enoch Preached the do­ctrine of Truth, he could scarce do it to the whole world; and the like is to be said of Noah, who only with these of his small Family was found just upon earth: For how many thousands of man­kind lived then on earth, far separated asunder? And how unlikely is it, that this one man could sufficiently instruct the whole world? Surely we no where read in all the Scripture, that Noah Preached to all mankind in the old world, but we find expresly that God, by his Spirit, did strive in those men; which most plainly sheweth, that they had some inward teaching given them from the Spirit of God: For against what did they sin, but that Law published by the Spirit of God in their hearts, seeing they had no written Law; nor can the Adversary ever prove, that they had it delivered to them all by word of mouth. But they had that inward Law, which as Paul affirm­ed, the other Gentiles had, Rom. 1. For Paul did not recur to outward Teachers, speaking of the Gentiles, but to that which was known of God, which he had revealed to them, the Book of the Creation assisting or concurring with the said in­ward Teacher. But surely in many Ages, out­ward [Page 55] teachers were but few, and the Word of God was rare in respect of its being outwardly Preached, yet it was near and within, in the hearts both of Jews and Gentiles, as Paul did affirm, Rom. 10. compared with Deut. 30.

CHAP. VII.

IN his Fifteenth Paragraph, the Adversary doth wrest some words of R. B. unto a sence far differing from his Mind, whose words were, that in the time of the Law, God did no other way speak unto his Children, than he spoke unto them in that time, from Adam to Moses: From thence the Adversary concludeth, that R. B. denyeth that God used the outward Preaching of his Servants unto his People, all the time of the Law, which surely never came into R. B. his mind so to think: For he doth plainly acknowledge, that there were outward Ministeries of Preaching unto the People, in the time of the Law; but R. B. did understand this, that God who is faithful and unchangeable, did never change his way or manner of Teaching, and Inlightning his People and Children by his Spirit inwardly working in them; but that he continued the same, in all Ages, as well before the Law as after the Law, and also after the coming of Christ, whether the outward Preaching was much, or little, or none at all: For to some it [Page 56] was much, to some little, and to some none; but always the inward Preaching, Speaking, and Illu­mination of God, by his Spirit, did remain in some degree, more or less, in the true Church, and in all its members. For if at any time the outward Preaching was little or none, as might happen to some; God did supply that outward defect in­wardly by his Spirit; and when the outward Preaching was much, God did sanctifie it to the Faithful, and made it effectual by the inward o­peration of his Holy Spirit: For the inward pre­sence and assistance of the Holy Spirit is no less ne­cessary, that one Preach aright, than it is neces­sary unto the Hearers, that they may know and believe aright what is Preached unto them; and indeed men both Preach and Hear aright, when both Preachers and Hearers are touched by the same Spirit, and are both together Inlightned and Inspired: For even as when a Philosopher dis­coursing unto his Hearers, of the things of Natu­ral Reason, requireth that there be a Spirit of Natural Reason, or a Reasonable Spirit in them as necessary, whereby they may understand his Reasons; so the Theologue, or Minister of Divine Things, while he Preacheth those Divine Things unto the Hearers, doth no less require a Divine Spirit in them as necessary, whereby they may un­derstand the said Divine Things, for there is the like Reason in both. And therefore if in all A­ges, from Adam unto Moses, and from Moses un­to Christ, God raised up some excellent Prophets [Page 57] and Preachers, whom his Spirit inspired and mo­ved to Preach, with the same Spirit he did inspire and endue the faithful to hear: For the Holy Spi­rit is equally necessary both to teach, and to hear, or learn profitably and savingly what is taught; the Teacher and Learner being united or joyned together in the same mind and hearty affection, through the effectual working of the same Spirit. And hence it was, that R. B. in his Apology, cited Nehem. 9. v. 20. Thou gavest thy good Spirit to in­struct them, or give them understanding; to prove, that the people of Israel was in some measure en­dued with the Spirit of God. To which our Ad­versary doth answer, If (saith he) we say that the Spirit of God was so given unto them, that it did exert or show it self forth by Moses, who did en­joy immediate converse with God, and Preached to them by word of mouth, and sometimes did write to inform the People; it doth not appear what R. B. hath to object or bring against it. But such an answer might rather be expected from some Socinian or Pelagian, than from any coming out of Luther's School, or professing the Spirit of Grace to be necessary to every one of the faithful: For were there not many faithful and true chil­dren of God among that people? Had they not therefore the same Spirit with Moses, because they had the same Faith? Seeing Paul saith, that as there is one Faith, so one Spirit, of which all the faithful are partakers unto salvation, and even they who are unfaithful, by the same Spirit are [Page 58] inwardly admonished and convinced. But how far (as it seemeth) hath our Adversary forgot him­self, and his Doctrine, who did formerly grant, that all the faithful had the Holy Spirit given them, to inlighten and assist them savingly to know God, and believe in him, and consequently all the faithful among the people of Israel had the same Spirit with Moses as well as he, which Spirit was one both in him and them, and was as necessary unto them to learn what he taught, as it was un­to Moses for to teach: And therefore it is worthy of observation, what was said Nehem. 9.20. that God gave his good Spirit unto them, to give them understanding; which is as much as to say, that the people might understand the things which Moses and the other Prophets did Preach unto them; for the same spirit is of equal necessity both to the Teachers, and to them who are taught.

In his Nineteenth Paragraph he answereth to the words of David, cited by R. B. Psal. 51.13. Cast me not away from thy presence (or face) and take not thy holy Spirit from me: And Psal. 139.7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, and whither shall I flee from thy presence. The words (saith he) do not say, take not away the holy Spirit from me, which is immediately given me, nor whither shall I go from thy Spirit that doth immediately speak unto me; but they only make mention of the Spirit, and do not define or determine the manner of its communication, or way of speech. But if this his answer hath any force a­gainst the immediate communication of the Holy [Page 59] Spirit, given commonly to the Saints, it shall also exclude David himself, (an excellent Prophet) who said these words from the immediate com­munication of the Spirit. Then as seemeth unto me, the Adversary wonderfully forgetting himself, within a few lines he confesseth, that David was immediately inlightned by God, and gifted with the Spirit of Prophecy. Lo, how he hath mor­tally wounded and killed his own cause, as it were, with his own hands: For, because the words of David above cited, do not say, take not away thy holy Spirit immediately given me, therefore he argueth, that these words of David do not prove an immediate communication of the Spirit. But I no where find it said in the whole scripture, that the Holy Spirit was immediately given to Da­vid, or to any of the Prophets and Apostles; for the scripture hath not the term Immediate, which is enough to demonstrate, that when it is said, the Spirit was given to any man, doth sound or signifie as much, as that the Spirit was given him immediately. But for that distinction of the Spi­rits being given immediately to some, and only mediately (or remotely) to others, the scripture is wholly silent of it, neither can it be gathered from scripture by any good consequence: And let this answerer tell me, if some stubborn and cross grain'd Adversary should deny, that any of the Prophets or Apostles were immediately inspired, how could he convince him of his error? For whatever places of scripture he shall bring to con­vince [Page 60] him, he shall be ready to answer with this our Adversary, that all these places of scripture say nothing of the Holy Spirit his being immedi­ately given to any, either of the Prophets or Apo­stles. But if he answer, that the scripture-words which say, that the Prophets and Apostles had the Spirit of God inwardly teaching, inlightning, lead­ing, moving, and acting them, although they do not express the term immediate, yet they do suf­ficiently signifie and import the immediate com­munication of the Holy Spirit; therefore it shall be equally lawful unto us to conclude, because all the faithful, and true children of God, are said in scripture to have the Spirit of God which dwel­leth in them, doth inwardly teach them, inspire, inlighten, lead, move, and act them; and that it is one spirit which is in all the faithful, whether they be Prophets or Apostles, or any other true members of Christ, because the phrase of the scri­pture is the same, concerning the communication of the Holy Spirit, as well to all the faithful, as to the Prophets and Apostles; therefore it hath the same sence in both, to wit, that both the Pro­phets and Apostles, and all the faithful servants and children of God, have one and the same Spi­rit of God immediately communicated unto them. Nor is this to make all Prophets or Apostles; for although the communication of the Spirit be im­mediate unto all, yet it doth not produce in all the same gifts and functions; but one sort in the Prophets and Apostles, and another sort in ordi­nary [Page 61] Christians: Even as the same soul, or spirit of man is immediately communicated to the whole body, and all its members, yet it doth not follow that every member is the Head or Eye; for notwithstanding that the same spirit is immediate­ly communicated to all the members; yet there remaineth a clear distinction of the members, and of their offices one from another. Again, where­as he affirmeth Parag. 19. that the Prophets and Apostles received the Spirit immediately, but all others of the faithful but only mediately: He saith his without any proof, and playeth on the ambi­guous, or various signification of the word, or term immediate and mediate, which I have above explained, and so he departeth and goeth aside from the true state of the controversie altogether: For although it be granted, that many received the Holy Spirit by means of the outward preach­ing, that doth not hinder, but that they had it immediately and most nearly communicated unto them of God; for beside other reasons and ex­amples formerly brought by me, cap. 4. the fol­lowing example shall demonstrate the thing abun­dantly. We see by how many various means a Husbandman, or Gardiner, doth ingraft a Twig or Branch upon the stock of a Tree, the using of which means notwithstanding doth not hinder, but on the contrary doth greatly conduce and further, or help, that the said branch may cleave immediately unto the stock on which it is ingraft­ed, and may draw and derive life, and a vital [Page 62] influence from the said stock or root immediate­ly, and most closely, no less than if it had been a natural branch of the said Root. Again, Herbs and Trees are planted in the earth by using many means, which afterwards taking root in the earth, do derive from it immediately life, and a vital, or lively influence and vertue. Granting there­fore that the faithful are commonly ingrafted in­to Christ by means of the outward Preaching, do they therefore derive nothing of the Spirit of Christ immediately? Are not the Faithful as im­mediately joyned or united to Christ, as the bran­ches are to the Vine, or the Twigs to the Stocks on which they are ingrafted? Shall they not there­fore immediately partake of the spirit of Christ, seeing, as Christ himself hath said, He is the Vine, and the faithful are the Branches grafted into him? Moreover, How can the Adversary prove, that the Prophets and Apostles, who (as he con­fesseth) had the Spirit immediately, had it not derived and given unto them commonly, by means of outward Preaching? For the younger Prophets did commonly, and for most part, hear the elder Prophets preach unto them, and by means of their Ministry and preaching, they also received the same Spirit which dwelt in them immediately, and moved them immediately to speak, as it did the Elder Prophets. Hence it is, that we read of the Schools of the Prophets, and of their Sons and Disciples in the scripture: And did not Elisha, the Disciple of Elijah, by means of [Page 63] his Master, immediately receive the Holy Spirit? And the Apostles also received the Holy Spirit, in some degree, immediately, before the day of Pen­tecost, by means of Christs preaching outwardly unto them: Nor can it be questioned, but that when they received the same Spirit more abun­dantly on the day of Pentecost, they were much helped, and assisted, or prepared for such an ex­cellent dispensation, by means of Christs doctrine which he preached unto them, while he was yet conversant with them in the flesh upon Earth. And the faithful did commonly receive the Holy Spirit, and many excellent gifts of it immediately, and yet by means of the Apostles preaching, and laying on of their hands. I spoke before of Cor­nelius, who received the Spirit immediately, and yet obtained it further by means of Peter's preach­ing. Timothy also received that excellent gift which was in him by Prophesie, with the laying on of the hands of the Eldership. If therefore it be said, that some of the faithful received the Spirit imme­diately, and others only but mediately, beside that such a distinction cannot be proved from scripture, being altogether a mere invention, and fiction of mans brain; they who had the Spirit immediately, did oftentimes obtain it by means of the preaching of others unto them: And the gift of Prophecying or speaking immediately by the Spirit, was continued in the Church in the times of Iustin Martyr, and Tertullian, as they themselves do testifie, the which continuation of [Page 64] so excellent a gift was by means of preaching, so long as the Preachers did preach purely by the Spirit, and also did purely and chastly live, and walk in the Spirit. But when the Preachers left off, or ceased to preach by the Spirit, and to live in the Spirit, and to put their own spirit in the room and place of the Spirit of God, and of Christ; that Spirit and gift of Prophesie (the which is greatly to be lamented) did cease in great part.

What the Adversary disputeth against R. B. in his following Paragraphs to the end of his disser­tation, and answereth to R. B. his solid and firm arguments taken from scripture, doth altogether lean upon that false foundation, sufficiently refu­ted by me, to wit, that because the faithful, both under the new and old covenant, received the Holy Spirit by means of outward Preaching, or­dinarily and commonly.; that therefore they were not immediately endued and inspired with the same; the which consequence I have already over and over again showed to be most false, although it were granted, that all the faithful had always received the Spirit by means of outward Preach­ing, or using of the scriptures, the which I will never grant unto him. And if I shall grant unto him, that the faithful received the Spirit of Christ, in some degree, by means of the doctrine out­wardly preached, while as yet they were as chil­dren and Infants; he can never prove from this, that when they were more advanced into a spiri­tual, [Page 65] and holy life, and come unto the state of men, that they did always receive the further measures and degrees of the Spirit, by means of outward Preaching: For it doth not follow, that because at sometime they received the Spirit by means thereof, that they always did so receive it in the fuller and larger measures and degrees thereof; even as it doth not follow, that because a Child, or Infant, needeth the ministry or means of a Nurse or Servant to feed it in that weak state, that therefore it always needeth the help of that Nurse or Servant, when it is come to a mans Age and growth. I shall not therefore stay to answer to every thing of his Dissertation, by giving still new answers, seeing one answer doth suffice to them all; and if I should still repeat that one An­swer, I should both lose my time and labour, and also should weary the Reader, and beget a loath­ing in him; and therefore with this one Answer I reply unto all he hath objected against R. B. That he departeth from the state of the question, and still beggeth the thing in controversie; and so falleth into that error, commonly called in the Schools, Petitio principii, i. e. a taking for grant­ed the thing in controversie, while he doth con­tinually oppose, and set at variance, the immedi­ate communication of the Holy Spirit, and the means of outward Preaching, and other the like helps which are not to be opposed, but do well agree. And it is so far otherwise, that the Spirits immediate communication doth not only not hin­der, [Page 66] or make void the use of any means appoint­ed of God, as of Preaching, Reading, and Hear­ing the scriptures, and meditating upon them; that on the contrary, it doth truly and solidly e­stablish them, sanctifie them, and maketh them all effectual. But that the Adversary doth conti­nually bind up, or tye the operation of the Holy Spirit, to the outward letter of the Scripture, ei­ther as read, or heard, or meditated upon, is too rashly done in him; and he hath not in all his Dissertation, so much as once essayed to prove it: And however his common, and too credulous, Hearers and Disciples in the School, may easily receive his bare Affirmations without Proof; yet they cannot find place with us, nor with others, we know better things, and whose inward and spiritual eyes, God, out of his abundant Grace, hath opened to discern the Truth. But suppose, (which yet is not at all to be granted) that the Illumination of the Holy Spirit, is continually bound up, or tyed to the outward Sign, or Let­ter; yet it doth not thence follow, even upon that absurd principle, that the Illumination of the Holy Spirit is not immediate, or is not immediate­ly perceived by us: Even as if it were granted, that the outward Illumination and Light of the outward and visible Sun, is never seen by the eyes of men, separated from all other visible objects; but always joyned and united with them, and al­ways shining upon some one or other of the visi­ble objects, and reflecting its beams upon them [Page 67] (though such who have Eagles eyes, can look strait upon the Sun himself) yet it will not from thence follow, that the outward Illumination or Light of the outward Sun, is not immediately re­ceived, and seen or perceived by us.

CHAP. VIII.

ANd here I might well enough, by right, make an end of my Answering; but because he doth affirm divers things in his other Paragraphs following, which partly need correction, and partly conduce to manifest the truth; therefore I shall not be unwilling to take notice of them in a few particulars.

In his Twenty Second Paragraph he erreth, in saying (universally, and without making any di­stinction) that there is no substantial difference, but only accidental and circumstantial, betwixt mediate and immediate, outward and inward Re­velations, according to the different kind of the signs under which God doth manifest himself. For, although this may be granted in those in­ward Revelations made in the Imagination, yet not in these which have place in the highest fa­culty or power of the Soul, which is the intuitive aforementioned: For the Revelation which is gi­ven to this supreme or highest power of the soul that is intuitive (and which is opened and awake­ned [Page 68] only in those who are sanctified, and spiritu­ally renewed) doth not consist of signs, but God himself, and the Divine Things of his Kingdom in their own proper light and evidence, discover themselves in the souls and hearts of the faithful, without all signs: And therefore however the outward Revelation may be called accidental, be­cause it doth but contain the signs, which are ac­cidents; yet the inward Revelation, which hath place in the Souls intuitive power, and respecteth the Divine Things themselves without signs, is to be called substantial.

In his Twenty Fourth Paragraph he hath these notable words: When our men (saith he) affirm, that at sometimes the outward Revelation is the for­mal object of the Saints Faith, the meaning is not, that the Faith of the Saints doth precisely lean, or re­ly upon that which is outward, in that Revelation, or which reacheth to the outward Senses; but that it leaneth or doth rely upon God himself, inwardly ex­erting or showing his power in the Mind, by an inse­parable or undivided operation, through that which is outward, and determining (or moving) the Vnder­standing to elicit, or bring forth the act of knowledg, whence we deny not, (saith he) the inward testimony in the hearts of those who have the outward Revelati­on: Thus he. But let the impartial Reader judge, if he doth not here act the Enthusiast, and plainly give up unto us the chief thing in controversie, for which we contend: For this concession of his being once granted, the controversie betwixt him [Page 69] and us, so far as concerneth Immediate Revelati­on, (as seemeth unto me) is almost none at all.

In his Thirty Second Paragraph he doth again plainly act the Enthusiast, agreeing with us, and saying, That God, or the Spirit, which revealeth (note) doth not only work effectively upon the intel­lectual Faculty, to produce the act of believing; but also doth move objectively, or by way of object and for­mal representation of the same, doth determine the Vnderstanding to assent. And a little after in the same Paragraph, That God, when he saith, or re­vealeth any thing by the outward voice of the Preach­er, or by the holy Scriptures, doth concur with that saying or Revelation, and as the principal moving cause, doth effect it, that men from an inward and supernatural motion, or witnessing, made within their minds, but which doth exert it self by the outward act of Divine Revelation, and reflecteth on God the speaker as its cause; may understand, that it is God himself who saith it, whether by the voice of the Preach­er, or the Scripture, what that Revelation saith or manifesteth. But this is it, which the Teachers and Preachers in Britain, and many other places a­mong the Protestants, do commonly object unto us for Enthusiasm, because indeed we say, that this objective Illumination (or that which is by way of object) no less than the effective, is given to all the faithful, for which principally we be­lieve the Scriptures. Now there is this only dif­ference betwixt the Adversary and us, that he doth continually tye, or bind up, the operation [Page 70] of the Holy Spirit to the outward signs, but we do not so, although we do affirm, that the Illu­mination of the Holy Spirit is frequently joyned by an undivided operation with the holy scripture, and that it doth exert it self in the hearts of the faithful through the same: And whether the in­ward operation of the Spirit be continually tyed to the holy scripture, or left free (though we do still affirm it is not so tyed) it is all one as to the state of the Controversie, concerning Immediate Revelation; for in both cases the Illumination and Communication of the Spirit is immediate, as I have oft already made appear.

In his Paragraph Twenty Three, he seemeth to blame R. B. that he doth render the outward Re­velations to be fallacious and uncertain, and more lyable to delusion than the inward. But R. B. hath not affirmed that outward Revelations are fallacious; for these which are true and come from the God of Truth, cannot deceive; but R. B. doth plead, that the outward Revelations, however true and certain they are in themselves, yet they are not clear and evident of themselves to be Divine Revelations; but that they princi­pally derive their clearness and evidence from the inward Revelations witnessing to them; and therefore these inward Revelations are more clear and evident, having a self-evidence and clearness in themselves. And there is this difference be­twixt our outward Senses, which perceive the outward Revelation, and those Divine inward [Page 71] Senses, supernaturally formed in us, that our out­ward Senses may be deceived at sometimes and in some cases; but these inward Divine Senses, Di­vinely begot and formed in us, can never be de­ceived: For although a mans imagination and in­ward thought may deceive him, yet that Sense, which a man hath inwardly begot in his heart, by the Lord, can no wise deceive him.

In his Twenty Fifth Paragraph, he alledgeth, that R. B. doth contradict himself, while he teach­eth, that the outward Revelation of the Scriptures is the formal object of the Saints faith, and yet not the formal cause, or reason, of believing. But if the Adversary had carefully considered R. B. his words following in his Apology, he had not imputed unto him such a contradiction: For R.B. saith, that the secret testimony of the Holy Spirit is the principal object of the Saints faith, and the original, and consequently unto this, that the Scripture is the secundary and subordinate: And therefore when R. B. saith, that the outward Re­velation of the Scripture is not the formal cause or reason of believing, he did clearly enough sig­nifie his mind, to wit, that the Scripture was not the principal and original cause of believing: and therefore if it be granted, that the outward Re­velation of the Scripture doth contain in it self some secundary reason of believing; for this cause it may be called a secundary formal object of faith, but the primary formal object is the inward Revelation, which distinction of the formal objects [Page 72] is expressed by R. B. in other words, into the formal object quod, i. e. which, to wit, the secun­dary, and the formal object quo, i. e. for, or by which, to wit, the primary. But because these terms of the formal object into quod, i. e. which, and quo, i. e. for which, are borrowed from Logicians, and the simple and plain truth can be easily enough explained without these terms; I shall not stay any more to explain or defend them: For the substance of the thing is clearly enough confessed by the Adversary, to wit, that Saving Faith doth not stay, or rely on the meer naked outward Re­velation of the Scripture, but reacheth beyond that unto God himself inwardly moving, and ob­jectively, or by way of object, witnessing by his Spirit to the truth of the Scripture. And because that inward objective testimony of the Spirit is somewhat really distinct from the outward testi­mony of the scripture, although not contrary un­to it, nor separate therefrom (as the Adversary saith) therefore he holdeth of necessity a two-fold object, to wit, the one outward, the other in­ward, and whether of these he holdeth to be the primary, he hath not in words expressed; al­though it may be said consequentially enough to his Principles, that the inward object is the pri­mary, and the outward secundary, wherein he doth very well agree with R. B. and us. More­over, Seeing he granteth a two-fold object of Di­vine Faith and Knowledge, one outward of the Letter, another inward of the Spirit, joyned to­gether [Page 73] and inseparate, because they are really di­stinct; I suppose he will not deny, but they may be separate one from another, if God so pleased: Let it then be supposed, only upon a possible sup­position, that the inward be separate from the outward, so that the outward being removed, the inward object may remain, which is proposed by the Holy Spirit alone to the Heart and Soul of the Faithful; I inquire if in this case, the inward pre­sentation of the object were not to be called an Immediate Revelation: The which if he grant, therefore I say it is now immediate, when the out­ward object is adjoyned to it; for that inward il­lumination and Revelation doth not change its Nature, in the absence and presence of the out­ward object (having all entirely in it self that be­longs to an Immediate Revelation) but remaineth the same, whether it be joyned to the outward, or separated therefrom. Even as the soul of man, whether joyned to the Body, or separated there­from, yet it still retaineth its own Nature, that it is the immediate Principle of its operations, both in the Body and out of the Body. And indeed, by a certain Analogy, as the Soul is to the Body, so is the Spirit of God inwardly operating and il­luminating to the outward testimony of the Let­ter: And because the Soul doth many things by the means of the Body, yet that doth not hinder, but that it is the immediate principle of its opera­tions. But the Soul doth many things in respect of its most inward and intellectual operations, [Page 74] without the means and help of the Body, even when it is in the Body; and therefore why may not that Divine Spirit, as it doth many things in the Saints, by means of the Letter of the scripture, do or work some other things, and not use the means of the Letter: Yea, how many things doth the Holy Spirit reveal and open in Men (as be­longing to the special and particular acts of Ver­tue and Vice) that do far transcend, and go be­yond the straitness, and narrow compass of words, of which Seneca the Gentile, and an Heathen so called, doth Write well, Lib. 2. De Ira. How narrow Innocency is that (saith he) to be good ac­cording to the Law? (He understandeth a Law writ or contained in words) How much more doth the Rule of Duties extend, than that of Law? How many things doth Piety, Humanity, Liberality, Iu­stice, and Faithfulness require, which are not in the publick Tables or Records, to wit, all written Laws. Thus Seneca. For as he who describeth some Kingdom, as of Germany, or England, with Words, or Mapps, cannot describe it in as great largeness, as it doth contain in it self, but in much narrower bounds: And although he describe all the Cities, Towns, and Villages of the said Kingdom, yet he doth not describe all the houses of every City and Village, or all the Fields and Orchards be­longing to it, much less all the Rooms and Cham­bers of each House, or all the Acres and Roods of the Corn Fields, or all the particular Ears of Corn that grow in those Fields, or all the Trees [Page 75] and Fruits of these Orchards, particularly one by one. And even so they who describe the King­dom of God which is within us, to wit, the Wri­ters of the Holy Scripture, they could not describe all the particulars contained in that Kingdom, the which particulars are yet very necessary to be known unto the Saints; and therefore the Holy Spirit revealeth unto them those particular things, which are not contained in the Scripture: And the same is to be understood of the Kingdom of Vices, and of Satan, that it containeth many more particular vices and sins, than can be descri­bed by any words. And as concerning the glo­ry of Gods Kingdom in the Saints, it may be well said in the words of the Queen of the South, con­cerning Solomon's Glory, that the same or report of the Glory was true, but the half of it was not told, the which cannot be told by any words: And therefore the Scripture it self calleth the joy of the Lord in the Saints, a joy unspeakable, and that the Peace of God which is in them, doth not only surpass all words, but all (to wit, discursive) understanding. Moreover, R. B. showeth in his Apology, from pag. 39. to pag. 43. (to which the Adversary hath answered nothing) that there are many particular things very necessary to be known, unto every one of the faithful, which are no where revealed in the Scripture, and are therefore immediately to be revealed unto them by the Spirit, such as especially concerning the Souls inward state, and those inward calls of God [Page 76] unto the soul, to the discharging or performing of its particular services.

In his thirtieth parag. he saith, it is one thing that the Spirit is within a man, and another thing, that the said Spirit is given, not mediately, but Immediately, by a meer inward operation, with­out an outward mean, surely (saith he) the ha­bits of arts and sciences are within in the mind of man, and yet for most the part they are given to men not Immediately, but mediately, or by means of the outward teaching of the Master; and a few lines after he saith, we not only grant, but we earnestly plead for the indewlling of the Ho­ly Spirit as altogether necessary to Christians. That he doth acknowledge and plead for the in­dwelling, and inbeing of the Holy Spirit, to be altogether necessary to Christians it is well, but that he doth absolutely deny the Immediate Ope­ration and Revelation of the indwelling Spirit of God, he doth badly; for although that this in­ward teacher and Master doth frequently teach his Disciples, by means of the Scripture, shall he therefore teach them nothing by word of mouth, or his own living voice Immediately? shall he not expound open to them what they read in the Scriptures, with his living voice? or shall he sit and remain in them always, as one dumb (which God forbid that we should so ima­gine) speaking or saying nothing, nay not so much, as one small sentence, but what is in ex­press words contained in the Scripture, and [Page 77] borrowed from them? surely such an assertion is too rash, and without all ground from Scripture, and is most unworthy of God immortal, our most excellent Master and Pastor, yea our Bride­groom and Husband, to fain any such things of him, which no Mortal or Earthly School-Master would do to his Disciples, and if he did so, all would judge him a Fool, and unfit for such an affair; if (to wit,) he should say nothing unto them, but what is contained in the Book, which they became in so many words, and which he takes out of the Book, and should speak nothing to them Immediately by word of mouth. What disciple would bear such a School-Master, or ra­ther would not turn him off, and chuse another, more friendly and familiar unto him; or what woman would not take it very unkindly and un­worthy, if her Husband did not speak to her any one small sentence immediately and by word of mouth, but did leave all that is to be said, to letters or epistles writ by him of old? or what servant would willing serve such a Master, who being presently with him, in the same house, did not speak to him at any time, not one word, by word of mouth immediate; whither he did well or ill please him. Surely this adversary doth fain or devise a wonderful strange sort of indwell­ing of God, and the Holy Spirit in the Souls of the faithful, without all Immediate speech, or concern. Certainly to speak after the manner of men, it is hard to think how two intimate [Page 78] Friends can dwell together in one house, and fol­low the same manner of life in many things, and yet the one speak nothing to the other immedi­ately or by word of mouth, all the whole time of their living so nearly. But indeed the indwell­ing and habitation of God, and Christ by the Ho­ly Spirit, in the hearts of the faithful, is a thing far more sweet, and joyful then this adversary doth imagine, the which as it is most inward, or Primitive and Immediate in them, so it doth import likewise an Intimate and Immediate fami­liarity, converse and communication. And as concerning the habits of arts and sciences, where­of he made mention, which are in the minds of men, and yet are given not Immediately but by means of the outward teaching of the Master, I say, the seeds and principles of all these arts and sciences are Immediately planted and sowed in our minds as the purest and truest Philosophy doth teach, and all arts and sciences do Immedi­ately sprout and spring forth from these seeds and principles Immediately planted in us, as the Flou­ers and fruits of Herbs and Trees do spring and grow from their Seeds and Roots. Nor is such an Immediate production hindered, but rather much helped, by the external culture of means applyed both to the Seeds and Roots of the Earth, and also to these unplanted and ungrafted no­tices and principles of natural knowledge; and of this the aforesaid Seneca doth discourse very well lib. 4. de benef. cap. 6. The seeds of all ages, [Page 79] and of all arts are implanted in us (saith he) and God the inward or secret Master brings forth Engines or knowledges, and cap. 7. thou will say, nature doth these things unto me. Dost thou not understand (saith he) when thou sayest this, that thou changest the name of God, for what else is nature, but God; and Divine reason infused into the whole World, and all its parts, and Tertullian discoursing of the in­nate witness in the Soul, worthy of behalf, some calling it natural, the more natural (saith he) the more divine.

In his 34 parag. Because R. B. did argue from the nature of the new Covenant, that all the faith­ful under the Gospel, were Immediately taught of God, the adversary doth infer against him, that then it doth follow that the faithful under the Old Covenant were not Immediately taught, which is against his first assertion. But this is ea­sily answered in few words, that all the faithful under the Old Covenant were Immediately taught of God, yet not by virtue of the Old Covenant, but of the New; which New Covenant in some degree had place in the time of the Old, and was to be further revealed in Gospel days, after the coming of Christ in the flesh, and I think strange that this Doctor or Teacher did not advert to this, being so obvious a thing. Again that he thinketh R. B. understandeth by the phrase of Scripture in those Gospel promises of God, his putting his Spirit in his people, and his words in their mouths, as that Isaiah 59. that all using of [Page 80] means is excluded, he is much described, for R. B. doth not understand an exclusion of means, but doth abundantly acknowledge a necessary use of them. Only he doth plead that over and beside the outward testimony of the letter, God hath promised to speak himself to the Soul, which two things are not to be opposed, but both are to be granted. Again that he affirm­eth, God his putting words in the mouths of his people, to design that the word is outwardly to be preached, we grant it is but so that those words be put in the mouths of those speakers by God him­self Immediately as he put words in the mouths of the Prophets and Apostles Immediately to preach unto others, and outwardly to instruct them. But if God put not his words, in the mouth of any, since the Apostles days, certainly the Church ever since should be in a worse and more abject condition, now under the Gospel, then it was under the Law, for in all ages under the Law, God raised up some Prophets and Mi­nisters to whom he spoke Immediately, and in whose mouth he put his words Immediately to speak them forth. And if nothing of this kind now be given to the Church, instead of her be­ing nearer unto God, and more familiar, and partaking more abundantly of the life and light of God and Christ, she shall be further removed, and more estranged from him and receive much less of these his Divine Gifts and blessings now under the Gospel, then formerly under the Law. [Page 81] Moreover as to what he writeth of the Scripture being a Canon so filled up, as if nothing since the days of the Apostles to the end of the World, either by Word or Writ, it to proceed Immedi­ately from the Spirit of God, conform to the Doctrine of the Scripture already delivered and declared in Scripture, he affirmeth this indeed very confidently, but proveth it nothing at all; and the authority of Iustine Martyr, Ireneus and Tertullian doth contradict him, who expres­ly writ, that the gift of prophesying, or speaking in the Church by Immediate Inspiration were con­tinued unto their times.

In his 35 Parag. he saith, the Christians are the more happy, viz. then the Jews, although the Christians want altogether Immediate Revelati­on, which some of the Jews at last had, because the Christians may know the mind of God out of the Scripture, that is made publick and obvious unto all, whereas the Jews were to take long Journeys from home to consult the Priests; and to solicite and wait for the respouses of the High Priests, which were rare to be obtained. But what for a refuge and evasion is this, instead of answering, more becoming some Socinian, or Pelagian, then our Adversary; who at other times doth so much profess the indwelling and inward Illumination of the Holy Spirit, its be­ing necessary to all the faithful? But was it not a great glory and ornament to the Church of the Jews, and which was greatly to the advantage [Page 82] of it, to have their Prophets to whom God spoke immediately? and were they not in this more happy than other Nations, that the gift of Prophecy did flourish among them, and when Devils and unclean Spirits gave forth their Ora­cles unto the Nations, God most Holy and most Pure, gave his Immediate Oracles unto the Jews, and his Holy Spirit unto the Prophets, that they might declare them, and unto the People that they might believe and understand them; with­out which holy Spirit its being given to the peo­ple, the Oracles themselves could not be under­stood; as is manifest in the Jews at this day, who although they have these ancient Preachers, to wit, the Scriptures of the Old Testament; yet they do not understand them, because they have departed and Apostatised from that Holy Spirit, given of old unto their Fathers. And therefore was it not also a great glory and honour to the ancient Christian Church, to have in it the gift of prophecy or speaking by Immediate Inspirati­on? and would it not be now a great glory and honour to the Church if that gift of prophecy, which did anciently flourish in the Church for some Ages, after the Apostles days, should flourish and spring forth again? was not this gift with many others lost by the apostacy of the pro­fessors of the Christian Religion? and therefore, when the apostacy goeth out, and people doth return to the sincere worship and obedience of God, shall not this excellent gift be restored to­gether [Page 83] with many others? Had not the ancient Christian Church, after the Apostles days all the Books of Scripture of the Old and New Te­stament as well as we? The Jews also had the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which contain­ed all the heads of Christian Doctrine, in respect of the substance of Religion, a people therefore having the Scripture, but wanting the Spirit Im­mediately teaching, leading and inspiring them, which both the Jewish Church had, and also the Christians after the Apostles days, shall be more happy then both these, because they want the said Holy Spirit Immediately inspiring, teaching and leading them? This is a wonderful paradox, but most false, for the Christians are not more happy than the Jews, because out of the Scrip­ture barely they could know the will of God, for the Jews had the Scripture also containing all the heads of the Doctrine of their Religion clear­ly enough. But for this cause true Christians are more happy than those Jews, that whereas the Jews (for all their having the Scripture) did need to take long Journeys to consult the Priests; & to solicite & wait for the respouses of the High Priests: all true Christians because they partake more largely of the Holy Spirit, they need not make these Journeys or travels to consult either Priests or High Priest; because they have a most excellent Priest, yea an High Priest, more high then the Heavens, or the Angels that dwell in them, to wit, Jesus Christ, dwelling in their [Page 84] hearts who by his Spirit teacheth them all things, and doth clearly and without all doubtfulness answer them, i [...] all things needful to be known by them, and who doth also clearly and infalli­bly expound the Scripture unto them. And there­fore true Christians have no need to run to these Jewish Priests and High Priests, nor unto these Doctors so called, and preachers at this day, who do not so much as profess to have any thing of the Divine Inspiration, and inward Revelation, with which the Prophets and holy men of God were of old endued, and do not pretend to have any infallible sense or understanding of the holy Scripture; or to have received any infallible Judgment of its meaning. And so true Christi­ans may spare both their labour, and their mo­ny, and not spend it nor give it away to such Doctors and Preachers, but leaving them all be­hind as unprofitable, let them go unto Jesus Christ the Lord, the eternal Priest who liveth for ever, by whom they shall be well and sufficiently taught and instructed, and that freely without either la­bour or mony. And lastly, as to these notable testimonies of the ancients, and reformers in Lu­ther's times cited by R. B. in his Apology, be­cause the Adversary endeavoureth to elude or evade the form of them, after the same manner as he doth the testimonies of the holy Scripture, therefore he is the same way refused in both, and the answers given in the one will serve in the other, the which if I have effectually given, I leave unto the [...]qual and impartial Reader, for to Judge.

CHAP. I.

UPon my reading of this Authors Printed Sermon, which is called, the Spirit of En­thusiasm exorcised, I find the said Author very [Page 86] unskilful, and unacquainted with the true noti­on of Enthusiasm, as it is owned and received among the People called in derision Quakers; with all possible moderation. And though he hath been pleased to cite my Book of Immediate [...]evelation, and R. B. his Apology and Theses, yet I can hardly believe he hath been at any pains to read, and consider throughly, what is said by us on that Subject; for had he but read and well considered, what we have said or writ in that matter, he would have [...]e fairly and genuine­ly stated the controversy betwixt us, and our op­posers, as to this particular.

In my answer to Io. Bajer, the Lutheran Do­ctor in Iena, so much is already said, as less needs be added, for a reply to what this Author hath brought against us. As for the word or term En­thusiasm, as I have already said in my answer to the Lutheran Doctor, we do not plead for it, or affect such a name or title, for it being no Scrip­ture phrase or expression, we can and do very well declare our Faith in the thing, we intend without it. Yet we cannot altogether reject the term, when thrust or cast upon us, by opposers, on purpose many times to render us odious, be­cause the Etimology of the word Enthusiasm, ac­cording to the best and most approved Greek Lexicons signifieth Divine Inspiration. And where­as it hath been used by heathenish writers to sig­nifie the inspirations, or inward suggestions of Daemons and evil Spirits, yet this hath rather been [Page 87] an abuse, and improper signification of the word, then a true and genuine acceptation of it; and notwithstanding of this abuse of the word among heathenish writers and Poets, yet divers of the Fathers, use [...] it in a good sense, and as applica­ble to good and sincere Christians. Yea this Au­thor himself, with respect to the Prophets and Apostles, and others their successors for 3 or 4 hundreds of years owneth the term Enthusiasm, and that in the Apostles times, and downwards to the 4 or 5 Century, there were some real and sincere Christians who had Enthusiasms, and were enthusiastically acted and moved by the Spi­rit of God, for thus he saith, Pag. 12. Edit. 3. of this sort of Enthusiastical confidence, with which the Spirit filled the minds of men is that place to be understood Math. 21. vers. 21. and Pag. 14. he saith, prophecy may be taken as it is often in the Old and New Testament, for praising of God by inspired Hymns and Psalms, for inspired persons did usually spend their Enthusiasm in composing of Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. And Pag. 16. he saith, the groanings wherewith some inspired persons prayed, in the Apostles days, according to Rom. 8. were the effect of those supernatural raptures and Enthusiasms, with which the Spirit filled the souls of those inspired Orators; so we see how this Author owneth the words Enthusi­asm, Enthusiast, and Enthusiastical; as applica­ble to some Persons, who were true and sincere Christians, and divinely inspired. And yet the [Page 88] Title of his Printed Sermon, presumeth to Exor­cise the Spirit of Enthusiasm without making any distinction, as if the said Spirit were some De­vil, or unclean Spirit universally. But if he say he meaneth not the Spirit of Enthusiasm, as it was in the Primitive times, but as it is now in the fol­lowing ages, since the true Divine Spririt of En­thusiasm did universally cease or expire. To this I answer, it is more than he hath proved or can prove; that the true Spirit of divine Enthusiasm hath universally ceased among Christians, and as for his reasons, or proofs, I hope with Gods as­sistance sufficiently to discover their weakness and invalidity, and that he layeth a too weak and unsteddy foundation, for so great and weighty superstructure? But how this Author presumeth to Exorcise the Spirit of Enthusiasm, without the least measure of the Spirit of Divine Enthusi­asm, I am at a loss to understand, for if the Spi­rit of Enthusiasm be such a Devil, as he suppo­seth it generally to be, how can it be Exorcised or cast out but by a measure of the Divine Spirit of Enthusiasm? for the Author will readily (as I suppose) acknowledge that all the Exorcists in the Apostles times, who had power to Exor­cise and cast out evil Spirits [...] were Enthusiastical­ly inspired, so that by the Spirit of God and Christ inspiring them, as being the stronger they did cast out evil Spirits who were the weaker. But if the Author think that without some divine Enthusiasm or inspiration, he can cast out or Ex­orcise [Page 89] any devil or unclean Spirit, only by the strength of his parts, or humane Spirit; or bare­ly naming the words of Scripture, and of Jesus and Paul; let him call to mind and consider what happened unto them, who presumed to Exorcise a certain unclean Spirit, with the names of Jesus and Paul without having that divine Spirit, which was in Jesus and Paul. To whom the Spirit answer­ed, Iesus we know, and Paul we know; but who are Ye? and the Man in whom the evil Spirit was, leapt on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house nak­ed and wounded, read Acts 19.13, 14, 15, 16. I no where find in Scripture, or any credible Histo­ry that any ever had power to Exorcise the De­vil or any unclean Spirit, unless he was in indeed with the Spirit of God, for the weaker must be overcome by the stronger? but whither the Au­thor thinketh himself by his meer natural parts and humane Spirit, stronger then the Devil, let him see to it. Another thing he should greatly ad­vert to, lest he hath called the Operation of the Spirit of God and Christ in his Children, the work of the Devil, which to do is a great iniqui­ty, and yet is pardonable through repentance, if not committed knowingly and willfully, which I hope this Author hath not done, therefore I can heartily pray unto God that he may be forgiven, and his eyes may be opened to see and acknow­ledge the Truth.

But to pass from the name of word Enthusi­asm [Page 90] for which being no Scripture word, we shall not contend; let us come to the thing it self, to wit, true divine inspiration, Vision and Revela­tion, and true divine inward teaching, and lead­ing and moving of the holy Spirit Immediately, whither in some measure or degree, it be not the common priviledge of all Gods people, and of all sincere and true Christians.

I take notice of the Authors distinction pag. 4. of two sorts of spiritual gifts, Common and Spe­cial. By the common gifts of the Spirit (he saith) he meaneth all those that all Christians are bound to pray for, and expect, and that are given by God in common to all those, who sincerely de­sire them, and labour after them, and that are necessary for the Salvation of the Soul; and of this sort, he saith, are all the saving gifts and graces of the Spirit, called in the Schools, gratiae gratium facientes, which the Spirit helps to work in mens hearts, as Faith, Hope, Charity, Purity, Humility; and all other gracious habits of the Mind, which the Apostle calls the fruit of the Spirit, and wherein the image of God, the pow­er of Godliness, and the Spirit of Christianity truly do consist. By special gifts he understand­eth those, which men are not ordinarily bound to expect, and which unless it be in some few cir­cumstances that seldom happen, would be vani­ty and presumption to beg of God, and which by consequence are not necessary for the Salvati­on of the Soul: Of this sort, he saith, are all the [Page 91] Miraculous unctions of the Holy Ghost, called by the Schoolmen gratiae gratis datae, such as the gift of tongues, power of working Miracles, signs and wonders, the Spirit of prophecy, &c. But these sorts of gifts (saith he) agree in this, that they are supernatural and freely given by God to men.

This distinction brought by the Author, I wil­lingly own and acknowledge; But the thing that remains for him to prove, is, that no sort of Im­mediate divine Revelation and Inspiration, and Immediate divine teaching is any of those com­mon and ordinary gifts, given freely of God, to all true and sincere Christians. Now that the in­spiration of the holy Spirit, is one of these com­mon gifts of the Spirit, doth plainly appear, from the Common Prayer of the Church of Eng­land, according to this very difinition of a com­mon saving gift of the Spirit given here by the Author, to wit, that it is such as all Christians are bound to pray for and expect, but such is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; according to the Common Prayer of the Church of England, for thus she prayeth, in the Collect on the first Sunday after Easter. Lord from whom all good things do come, grant us thy humble Servants, that by thy Ho­ly Inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding, may perform the same through our Lord Iesus Christ, Amen. Again in the first prayer at the Communion, immediately after our Father, &c. it saith, Almighty God, un­to [Page 92] whom all hearts be open, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnifie thy name, &c. Again in the 4 Prayer which hath this Title, for the whole state of Christs Church Mi­litant here on Earth, it saith thus, beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church, with the Spirit of Truth, Vnity, and Concord: Thus we see how at three several times, the Church of England prayeth for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and if she pray for it, she ought certainly to expect it, and not believe it is ceased or expir­ed; which makes me think it the more strange, that one of her own members, and that a Do­ [...]tor also should deny this so excellent and preci­ous a gift, and condemn it as some Devil or evil Spirit, and undertake to Exorcise it (before the face of the University of Oxford, where Common Prayer is so frequently read) and that without any distinction. But possibly he may say, he is not against divine inspiration, as it is a common saving gift of the Spirit, necessary to all the Church, and every member of it, but as it is some peculiar and extraordinary thing, as the gift of tongues, power of working Miracles, signs, and wonders; the Spirit of prophecy, &c. To this I answer, 1. He ought then in the first place, to have told so much, what sort or kind of Enthusiasm, or divine inspiration, (for both these words are of one signification) he was for, and what sort he was against, and not have pro­miscuously [Page 93] condemned Inspiration, or Enthusi­asm altogether in the Lump. 2. The people called in derision Quakers, do not plead for those extra­ordinary Enthusiasms or Inspirations, which the Apostles and some others had in the primitive times, as the gift of tongues, the power of work­ing Miracles, &c. and as the Spirit of Prophe­cy is restructed to signifie a peculiar gift of for­feiting future events, we do not plead for its ab­solute necessity in the Church, far less do we Judge it necessary to every true Christian: And this I did sufficiently declare in my Book of Immedi­ate Revelaion, cited by the Author, the which Book if he had taken a little pains to read and consider, might have saved him the labour of saying so much against the Quakers; without any just ground or provocation. It is like that we and our Books are esteemed so meanly of, by such as this Author, as that they think it not worth their time or labour, to read our Books. But in case it be so, that we are so mean in their eyes, yet they ought not to judge, or condemn us, until they have good knowledge or informa­tion of what we hold, which they are not like­ly to have, without taking some time and pains to read or hear what we say, for to condemn any principle we hold, before they do well know it, is as unjust as to condemn a man, before he be heard.

CHAP. II.

BUt there are other two or three things, which I suppose this Author, or some other, may an­swer in the Case. The first is, that the Inspirati­ons which the Church of England doth hold, pray for and expect, are subordinate to Scripture, and do acknowledge the Scripture, as superiour and more noble; and that they are to be tryed by the Scripture, as the greater and more principal rule, and not the Scripture by them, whereas some of the Quakers have writ, and particularly R. B. in his Theses, that this Spirit of Immediate Revelation is not to be tryed by the Scriptures and reason, but that both of them are to be try­ed by it, for so doth the Author cite R. B. his Theses, as so affirming pag. 38. To this I answer, the Author doth manifestly wrong R. B. in his Citation, for R. B. no where saith in his Theses or Apology, that the Spirit or its Inspiration is not to be tryed by the Scripture or Reason simply. Only he saith, that those inward divine Revela­tions are not to be examined and tryed by the Scriptures as the more noble and certain rule. Yea in the 3 Thesis R. B. doth plainly acknowledge, that the Scriptures are and may be esteemed a se­condary rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from whom they derive the excellency and certainty [Page 95] they have, it is not therefore affirmed by R. B. as this Author (upon his own mistake as seemeth) doth alledge, nor yet by any Quaker so called, that I know of, that the Scripture or right reason in no respect are a rule, and may not be profita­bly and safely used as a rule, whereby to try in­ward Divine Revelations, as the Scripture or right reason is used or applyed for a rule, by the help of the Spirit, and in subordination unto the Spirit. But the state of the question lyeth here, whither the external testimony of the Scripture, used and applyed as a rule without the Spirit, as too many do, be a more noble and greater rule, and more certain, or giving to the mind of man more assurance of truth, than the inward Imme­diate Testimony of the Spirit of God, in the soul or mind, which as a ray of the Sun shineth with its own Light, and hath a self evidencing power and vertue in it, as every other true light hath. This is one branch of the state of the question: Another branch is this, whither when both the Spirits inward testimony, and the Scriptures out­ward testimony do acknowledge, co-operate, and concur, to produce or work a persuasion or es­sent to some Gospel doctrine or principle of Chri­stian Religion, in the soul or heart of a true Be­liever, I say, whither in this case the inward testi­mony or witness of the Spirit is not the greater, the stronger and more clear and certain as to us, and the more effectual, and as having the great­est stroak and share, in the begetting or produc­ing [Page 96] the said assent to truth, or persuasion of it in the mind of man. Now the pople called in de­rision Quakers are not ashamed, but bold in the Lord to say, that the Inward Testimony, Operati­on, and Revelation, or Inspiration of the Spirit of God is the greater, and hath the greatest stroak and efficiency in this work; and that the holy Spirit is not the subordinate instrument or rule of the Scripture, but the Scripture is the subordinate rule and instrument of the Spirit: And this I prove; first, from the express words of the Apostle Iohn, 1 Iohn 5.9, 10. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son; he that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. Now it is clear, that Iohn by the witness of men, doth mean the Scrip­ture, as being the witness of the holy Prophets and Apostles who were men; and by the witness of God, the inward witness of the Spirit, which he who believeth hath in himself; not as if the Scripture were not also the witness of God, and a divine witness far above all bare humane Testi­mony, but yet the Scripture being compared with the inward Immediate witness of Gods Spirit in the soul, may be without any derogation called the witness of men, to wit, of the Prophets and Apostles, who were holy men, for what other men Iohn doth mean, I do not understand, but faithful and holy men, who did bear a true re­cord to Divine Truth, as they had it inwardly [Page 97] revealed unto them. And to this same effect the Apostle Paul declared, that his Gospel came un­to the Thessalonians not in words, or speech, or dis­course only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much Assurance; where he an­nexeth the much assurance to the Power, and at the Holy Ghost; and not simply nor principally to the words: and elsewhere he said, The King­dom of God standeth not in words, but in power. And seeing a Christians Faith is a part of Gods Kingdom in his Soul, the said Faith stands not in the words even of the Apostles, by Pauls own Testimony, but hath a greater, and more noble and excellent Foundation, to wit, the Power and holy Spirit of God in the Heart of the Believer, as that doth inspire, and inwardly operate, move, and act upon the intellectual Faculties of the Soul. And here possibly some will grant, that the Spi­rit hath the greatest efficiency, or stroke in work­ing this spiritual assent, or Perswasion to the Do­ctrine of the Gospel, as an efficient Cause in the Souls of Believers; but perhaps they will say as this Author saith of the common saving Graces of the Spirit, that they are Moral Virtues insensibly wrought in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost; and that therefore any Divine Assent or Perswasion which the Holy Ghost works in our Hearts, is wrought insensibly; and that the Holy Ghost in his Inspiration and Operation, is incognitum quid, as some Popish Schoolmen and others have affirm­ed the Spirits operation to be medium incognitum [Page 98] assentiendum, i. e. an unknown medium or mean that worketh in us insensibly, or without all per­ception on our part, whose footsteps this Author seemeth to follow. And seeing the Spirits Influ­ence or Operation is altogether unperceptible to the Soul, as having no objectve evidence where­by to make it self known, as they affirm, and that the Soul or Mind of man cannot assent to Truth, without some objective evidence of truth: The Scripture therefore is that medium, or mean, which alone, as they say, giveth this objective E­vidence of truth to the Soul, and moveth it ob­jectively to assent to the truth. Hence they di­stinguish betwixt subjective and objective Illu­mination, and the Subjective and objective Influ­ence and Assistance, saying, that the Spirit indeed giveth us the Subjective illumination and Assi­stance, but the Scripture only giveth us the ob­jective Illumination and Assistance. But this di­stinction I have sufficiently at length refuted in my Book of Immediate Revelation above cited, so that I need not insist to make a new Refutation of it here, until the Author, or some else dis­prove the Arguments I have brought there to e­vince, that the Holy Spirit worketh sensibly and perceptibly in the hearts of Believers, and giveth unto them an objective Assistance and Illumina­tion (as well as subjective or effective) that both can be known, and is known to be a divine as­sistance, and to proceed from the Holy Spirit in them who have it, and whose minds are well pre­pared [Page 99] and disposed to receive, and observe it; for the Spirits inward Operation, and Inspiration, or Influence is sufficiently observable, and reach­able enough by the inward and spiritual Senses of the Soul, when excited and awakned by the power of the Holy Spirit, as I can appeal to all who have the least measure of experience in the case, and whose spiritual senses are awakned and duly exercised to discern betwixt Good and Evil. Such by an inward spiritual divine sensation, are able to discern and distinguish betwixt a good mo­tion and Inspiration that cometh from the Spirit of God, and an evil motion and Inspiration that cometh from the Devil, or some evil Spirit. A­gain, seeing by the Inspiration and Illumination of the Spirit of God, we are principally inclined, moved, and perswaded to assent to the truth of the Scripture-Testimony, and are made to believe, that the Scriptures are no cunningly devised Fa­ble, but the Holy Oracles and Sayings of God, by men divinely inspired, as all good and sound Protestants do acknowledge, we must needs con­sequentially affirm, that the spirits illumination is the more noble Rule, and preferable to the Scri­pture. And thus we evite that fallacious Circle that some run into, and for which they are de­rided by some of the Church of Rome, because they say, they believe the Scriptures for the spirits inward Testimony; and to go round again, they say, they believe the spirits inward Testimony for the Scriptures. This, say the Romanists, is [Page 100] a fallacious Circle, and not to be allowed, according to the Rules of right Disputation. But, say we, as we own the Scriptures Testimony as a good se­condary Confirmation, to induce or move us to believe the spirits inward Testimony, so we be­leive the Spirits inward Testimony, being chief­ly moved or induced so to do by the spirit of God himself inspiring us, and inwardly moving and inclining us thereunto; and we principally be­lieve the Scriptures for the spirit, but the spirit we principally believe for himself, or his own immediate Testimony in our hearts, which is se­condarily confirmed to us by the Scriptures Te­stimony. And I see not how any true Protestant, or sober rational man, who owneth a necessi­ty of the spirits Inspiration to produce saving faith in the soul, can blame us for so doing. And thus the Romanists have no occasion to deride or blame us for running into a vicious Circle, in giving the reason of our Faith. And we judge it no derogation to the Scripture, to prefer the spi­rit of God and Christ, as he doth immediately bear witness in our Hearts to the external Testi­mony of the Scriptures. For as Iohn and all the Prophets and Apostles gave the preference to Christ, as more worthy, so no doubt the Scri­ptures which are their Words and Writings pre­fer the holy spirit of Christ, whose servants and Instruments they are. And here I give the Rea­der a necessary Caution, which I desire him well to observe, that when the Question is stated betwixt the inward and immediate Testimony of the [Page 101] spirit in the soul of a true Christian, and the out­ward Testimony of the Scripture, we affirm, the inward is the more noble, the greater, and the more preferable, even as the soul is the more noble part of a man, and of greater value than the Body, however so excellent or beautiful, as being that which giveth life to the Body: for as the soul quickneth the body, and useth it as its Instrument, so the holy spirit inspiring the Heart of a true Christian, quickneth the Scriptures Te­stimony, and maketh it to live, and bring forth Fruit in the soul: yet when the Question is stated betwixt the Scriptures and any Revelation, Vi­sion or Inspiration externally brought forth in Words or Writing, that in this case we most wil­lingly prefer the Scripture words and writings to any words and writings of ours, how much so­ever inspired, or proceeding from Inspiration, and do most willingly submit all our Words and Writings to the publick standard, Test, and Touch-stone of the Scriptures to be tryed by them, and not otherwise to be received, than as agreeing with them. A second thing, which pos­sibly this Author, or some other may answer in the case, is, That though the Church of England (according to the Common Prayer) owneth the Inspiration of the holy spirit as necessary to saving Faith, and to the begetting a saving and spiritual knowledge of God and the Scriptures, yet this is such an Inspiration as is commonly obtained in the use of the ordinary means of salvation; as of [Page 102] reading the Scriptures, hearing them preached, expounded and opened; also meditating upon them with frequent Prayer unto God to give the Understanding of them, and his gracious As­sistance rightly to use and improve them, and so is not an immediate Inspiration or Revelation that cometh unto the Saints, without the use of the means, as it did come unto the Prophets and Apo­stles; whereas the Inspirations and Revelations which the people called Quakers pretend unto, are immediate, and come (as they say) unto them immediately, as unto the Prophets and A­postles of old, without all use of the means. But this I have so abundantly answered to the Luthe­rian Doctor in the aforesaid Treatise, that little here needeth to be added, where I have suffici­ently shewed, That though we own and plead for immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit, yet this Revelation and Inspiration is ordi­narily obtained by us, and all true Christians in the diligent and frequent use of all the true means of Salvation, appointed of God, according to the direction of Gods Holy Spirit. And we rea­dily grant, That reading and hearing the Scri­ptures, also true and right Preaching and Prayer, with Meditation, are special means, in the right use whereof the spirits Inspirations and Revela­tions are ordinarily obtained. Nor doth this hin­der the Inspirations of the spirit to be immedi­ate, because they are conveyed and given to true Christians in the use of these aforesaid means, or [Page 103] any other not named, as I have in the above named Treatise largely made apparent, which I need not here repeat. And it is a great mistake in them, who think that the Inspirations and Re­velations of the holy spirit, which came unto the Prophets and Apostles, were commonly obtained by them, without all use of means; the contrary whereof I have also clearly proved in the afore­said Treatises. And indeed, this Author himself doth save me the Labor of further insisting upon the Proof of so clear an Assertion: For in the last page of his Printed Sermon he saith, Among the Jews themselves there were Schools of the Pro­phets in which, as the Jewish Writers agree, the Youth were trained by study and discipline for the reception of the Prophetical Spirit; which accord­ing to Maimonides, whom the Jews call the second Moses, rarely came but upon persons so qualified and prepared. Thus we see, according to this Au­thors acknowledgment, the Prophetical Inspira­tions which were immediate, came ordinarily un­to the Prophets, being prepared and qualified by the use of means, in study and discipline. And thus indeed, Christ prepared his Apostles before­hand for the more abundant reception of the ho­ly spirit, by his Preaching and Labouring among them, during the time of his Ministry and Preach­ing, before his Crucifixion, which continued a­bout three years and a half. But whereas the Author addeth, That he dare boldly say, were it not for the two Schools of the Prophets in our [Page 104] Israel the Nation would soon be over-run with Ignorance, &c. I suppose the Author knoweth, that the Schools of the Prophets (whose Masters) were divinely inspired) and the Schools of Ox­ford and Cambridge are very unlike, and have little in common, but the name. In the Schools of the Prophets by study and discipline, and espe­cially by vertuous and godly Education in a holy Life; the minds of the Studients were prepared and qualified to receive the spirit of Prophecy, and the divine Influences and Inspirations there­of, and accordingly so did receive they; which the Studients in your Universities are not like to receive, while they are taught to believe, that all such Prophetical Inspirations are expired, and that the spirit of Enthusiasm or Inspiration where­ever it is now found, is the Devil, or some un­clean spirit: But surely the Studients in the Schools of the Prophets were of another belief.

A third thing, which possibly this Author, or some may alledge, is, That the Inspirations or Revelations, which the People called Quakers own, pretend to discover and introduce new Do­ctrines into the World, and impose them on peo­ple as new Articles of Faith, and as a new Rule of their Belief and Manners; for so much the Authors words imply, when he saith, And lastly, when with all this, they (to wit, the Quakers) shall Preach no other Doctrine than what the Apostle hath Preached, and the Catholick Church received, then we will believe, if they be lawfully Baptized, [Page 105] that it is the Spirit which is speaking in them. But in Answer to this, I say we pretent to no new Doctrine, nor do we believe, that any Doctrine not already delivered in the Scriptures, and suffi­ciently Preached by the Prophets and Apostles, is revealed to us by Divine Inspiration, nor do we expect the Revelation of any new Doctrine, or any other Articles of Faith, or Precepts of holy life, but what are already declared in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; only we say, that we need the Inspiration of the holy Spirit to work in us a right Faith and Under­standing of the Doctrines and Precepts declared in the Scriptures, and to enable us rightly to use and apply them; the which is according to the Common Prayer of the Church of England, as is sufficiently made apparent from what is above­said. What the Author saith of our being law­fully Baptized, as one of the Conditions requi­site to have us to be believed that we have the spirit of God, I shall not insist upon, seeing it tend­eth to lead us into a new Controversie, only this much in short by the way. I query, 1. Why may we not have the spirit, supposed not Baptized with Water, seeing Cornelius and his Friends re­ceived the spirit before they were Baptized with Water?

2. Whether in the Primitive Church, when many delayed their Baptism with Water, till death or old Age, they were deprived of the spirit all that time, wherein they were not baptized with [Page 106] Water, and whether all who have died without Water Baptism, have died without the spirit, and so without salvation?

3. Whether many of us have not been as law­fully Baptized with water, as the Author himself, if that did, or could contribute any thing to the receiving the spirit?

4. Whether he can prove from Scripture, That Infant-sprinkling with Water, is the Lawful Baptism, or ever was?

5. Whether he can prove, that Christ hath commissioned all, or any of those who sprinkle Infants on the Forehead, so to do? or why some more than others? why the Teachers of the Church of England, more than Papists or Pres­byterians? But there are other two Conditions he requireth, in order to our being believed that we have the spirit; the one is, That we work Miracles, and together with the gift of Tongues, have all other miraculous Gifts. But surely this Condition is very unreasonable and unequal; for by the same Law he would have excluded Iohn the Baptist, who was a great Prophet, and yet as it is said expresly of him, he wrought no Mi­racle, nor do we read that he spoke any Tongue, but that which was common to the Iews. And it is yet more unreasonable and unequal not to believe us, unless we have all the miraculous Gifts of the spirit, as if some were not sufficient, if so we had them. Surely few Churches or Persons had all the miraculous Gifts of the spirit, even when [Page 107] they were most common. And though we pre­tend not to those miraculous Gifts of the spirit, such as speaking with Tongues, healing the sick, raising the dead, &c. yet the absence, or not hav­ing any of these miraculous Gifts, cannot prove that we are not otherwise divinely inspired; for there are common divine Inspirations, necessary to all true Christians, which are of a saving Na­ture, where they are received in Faith and Love, whose peculiar and proper quality is to sanctifie those who are inspired with them, and consequent­ly are of a moral Nature; the which sort of Di­vine Inspirations being of a different kind from these which were Miraculous, that is easie to un­derstand, how the miraculous and peculiar sort of Inspirations ceasing, those other of a Moral consideration do remain; the which though out­wardly they are not Miraculous, yet inwardly they are as performing the greater Miracles; for to raise the soul from Death to Life, and to heal the Diseases of the soul, is a greater Miracle, than to raise or heal the Body. A third Condi­tion he requireth of us before we can be believed to have the spirit, is, That we receive what the Apostle hath written (in particular, that a Wo­man should not speak in the Church) as the Commandments of God. To this I answer, that we do receive what the Apostle hath written, as the Commandments of God, when it doth ap­pear that what he writeth is such. See Cor. But some things he said he wrot by permis­sion [Page 108] and not by commandment. And as con­cerning Womens speaking in the Church, he doth not deliver it as an Universal Commandment that did admit no Restriction or Limitation, other­wise he had contradicted his own words elsewhere, in prescribing an Order to Women, that their Heads be covered when they did Pray or Pro­phesie, which to be sure was in the Church; for as to private or mental Prayer, no such Order is required, 1 Cor. 11.5. And whereas Paul said, I permit not a Woman to speak in the Church; it is easie to be understood in what case that was, viz. to dispute or ask Questions in the Church, which was permitted unto Men, and Children, both among the Jews and primitive Christians, but not unto Women; yet did not this restrain Women to speak either in Prayer or Prophesie, when they were divinely inspired so to do; for both the Scripture and Church-History informs us, how Women did Prophesie and Pray in the Church. But this being a digression, which the Author introduceth to little purpose, here I shall not insist on it.

CHAP. III.

AND now as to his Arguments, or rather one bare Argument to prove that Divine Inspiration, which he calleth Enthusiasm, is ceased in the true Church, and among true Christians. I shall first produce what he saith in his own words, pag. 21, 22. which is the sum of all he hath said in his whole Sermon. Now this reason (saith he) is to be taken from the wants and ne­cessities of the Primitive Church, whose Infant-state required, that God should assist her with the Mi­raculous Gifts of the Spirit, till the Gospel was suf­ficiently Preached about the Empire, the Scriptures of the New Testament compleated, the Temple-wor­ship abolished among the Jews, Idolatry destroyed among the Gentiles, and both were united together under Christ into one Communion, or Catholick Church. And this is the sum of all the Reasons, or Reason he giveth, why Divine Inspirations were given to the Church in the Apostles days, and for some time after, and why they are ceased since, as being necessary to the Churches of former times, but not to the Churches of the later.

Now the whole force of all this Argument, if all were conceded which he layeth down in the Premisses, doth not conclude as concerning the Miraculous kind of Divine Inspirations wherewith [Page 110] they who were so miraculously inspired, did spake with strange Tongues, cure Diseases, and the like. But nothing of all this Authors Rea­sons doth conclude against the other sort of Di­vine Inspirations, which were not for working any outward Miracles, but were of a Moral Na­ture, whose direct Tendency and service was to beget the true Knowledge, Faith and Love of God, and other Evangelical Vertues in the hearts and souls of the Ispired, and also to preserve and nourish them, in order to a perfect growth. And that there were such Inspirations of the Spirit of God, which were of a Moral Nature, is clear, not only from the Scripture-Testimony in abun­dant places, but also from the Common Prayer of the Church of England already cited. And seeing the Author himself granteth the necessity of saving Gifts and Operations of the Spirit in all true Believers, how can these Operations of the Spirit be understood, without Inspiration? for how can the Spirit be suppose to operate or work any Divine effect in the Souls of Believers, but as he inspireth them with his Light, and Life, and other divine Vertues? To Inspire, signifyeth nothing else but to in-breath, or to breath into the Soul any Divine Vertue whatsoever; and therefore that Operation or Motion of the Di­vine Spirit whereby he quickens the Soul that once was dead, and makes it alive unto God, is very properly called Inspiration, or In-breathing; yea, from this sort of operation it is, that the [Page 111] Spirit hath its name, whether in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, and signifieth a Breathing; so that Spi­ration or Inspiration may well deserve to be the common and general name of all the various kinds of the Spirits Operations in the Souls of men, and especially in Believers according to the words of Christ, Iohn 3.8. The Spirit breatheth (or inspireth) where he willeth; for so the words may be translated, and so did the Fathers (so call'd) generally understand them. And we know, that the occasion of Christs speaking these words, was his Discourse with Nicodemus about the Regene­ration, or spiritual new Birth, as intimating plainly unto us, that the Spirits Inspiration or in breath­ing into the Soul, is necessary unto its Regene­ration. This is that breath or breathing of the Spirit which Ezekiel saw come upon the dead and dry bones, which made them to live, the same that made Adam a living Soul, of whom it is said, that God breathed into him Nismah Chaim the Breath or Inspiration of life, and he became a li­ving soul: and indeed it is the Inspiration of life that maketh the Soul of any man that truly liveth unto God a living soul, & is as necessary to the Souls spiritual Life, as the breathing of the Air is unto the Life of the Body. And as the Breath or In­spiration of the Spirit of God and Christ quick­neth the dead Soul, and raiseth a new and spiri­tual Life in it, so is that which slayeth Antichrist, whom (as the Scripture saith) Christ shall destroy or slay with the Breath of his mouth, and the bright­ness [Page 112] of his coming. I need not be at pains, I hope, to prove, that the Breathing and In-breathing of the Holy Spirit, which is to say, his Inspiration is all one thing; for all the breathing of the Spi­rit on men is within in the Hearts and inward parts of men, and therefore is properly Inspira­tion. And according to Solomons words in the Song, it is the Breathing or Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which like the South-wind blowing upon the Garden, maketh the spices thereof to send forth a sweet and fragrant smell: The which Spices are nothing else but the Christian Graces, wherewith God indueth his Church, which he maketh as a Garden, and which Graces are made to operate, and send forth-their Divine Smell, as the Spirit of God doth breath or inspire upon the Souls of those, in whom these Sacred and Heavenly Spices grow: and according to Elihu in Iob, the Inspira­tion of the Almighty giveth understanding. And thus in brief we see the great necessity of Divine Inspiration, both to the Church in general, and to all the Members of it in particular, though not in respect of those Miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of Tongues, and Healings of bodily Disea­ses, yet in regard of more Noble and Divine Effects, as the Souls Regeneration and quickning, and both for the planting and nourishing the Di­vine Graces of Gods Holy Spirit in the Hearts of all true Believers. And notwithstanding of all this, as it seemeth the Author of this Sermon hath a marvellous prejudice and antipathy at the word [Page 113] Inspiration, as not applicable to any sort of the Spirits Operation in our days: For though he granteth the necessity of the Spirits Operations, yet I no where can find, that he owneth the Word or Term Inspiration in any respect, as ap­plicable to any Operation of the Spirit, at present, in any Believer. And the same prejudice he seem­eth to have against divers other Phrases, and Terms; all which are either expresly found in Scripture, or fully agreeable to the sense of Scri­pture, which yet he hath the confidence to call invented, and uncouth Terms, as the Spirit of Preaching and Prayer, the In-comings, Out-let­tings, and In-dwellings of the Spirit. How like is his Discourse in this particular to the Socinians, and Pelagians, who deny the necessity of any Su­pernatural and Divine aid or Assistance of the holy Spirit, to perform our acceptable Service and O­bedience unto God? He saith further, That the Spirit of Preaching or Praying ought to signifie no more, than the skill or habit of Preaching or Praying. But if he mean only a natural and ac­quired habit he joyneth with the Socinians, and contradicteth his own former Concessions, where­in he did acknowledg the necessity of the saving Gifts of the Spirit, and that these were Superna­tural, such as Faith, Love, Humility. Now e­very one that Preacheth and Prayeth either ac­ceptably unto God, or profitably for himself or his Neighbours; he must Preach and Pray with Faith, and Love, and Humility; so that these, [Page 114] and other Divine Graces must be exercised in his Preaching and Praying, which require more than even a spiritual habit, to wit, a present actual assistance of the Divine Spirit, otherwise a man who hath the habit of Preaching and Praying ac­cording to this Author, needeth not any depen­dance upon any new assistance of the Spirit; and so it is in vain for him to pray for the same, which yet is contrary to the common practice of most Preachers. But whereas the Author taxeth some for pretending to the Spirit of Preaching and Praying, and make as if their extemporary Prayers were the effect of Ispiration; I acknowledge they are worthy to be blamed, when in the mean time these very persons deny all Inspiration, or Preaching and Praying by it, in our days; and are as great Opposers to the Principle of Imme­diate Revelation and Inspiration, as any men in the World. And it is indeed a great Error to imagine, that all extemporary Prayers are the Effect of Divine Inspiration, for some are, and some are not; and they who pretend to pray extempore by the Spirit, and as with the same breath deny the very Principle of Inspiration, fall into a great inconsistency, which yet very many do, for which they are justly taxable. But to re­turn to the Author, he confesseth, That in the Primitive Church, in the days of the Apostles, many Preached, and Prayed, and did sing by In­spiration, and being Enthusiastically moved or acted; and that this did continue in the Church [Page 115] for some time. And first as concerning singing, and praising God by inspired Hymns and Psalms: He saith pag. 14. For inspired persons did usually spend their Enthusiasm in composing of Hymns and spiritual Songs. And again concerning Preaching and Praying, he saith, pag. 15. In the Apostles time there was a miraculous Gift of Praying, as well as Preaching, when the spirit used to seize upon the souls of men in Publick, and affect them in such an extraordinary way, as to make them Pray for such things, and in such a due manner, as in those times, when as yet the Church had composed no Li­turgies, Persons not inspired could not do. And here he citeth a Testimony out of Chrysostome, Ep. ad Rom. cap. 8. hom. 14. which I thought worthy to translate into English, and here insert; Moreover, together with all these Gifts, there was the Gift of Prayer, the which was called the Spirit, and he who was endued with it, he did pray for the whole multitude: for seeing we are igno­rant of many things which are profitable to us, and that we ask things that are no wise profitable, the Gift of Prayers did come unto one of them, who standing for all the rest, did pray for what was usually convenient to the whole Church, and also did teach others. Therefore he ( viz. Paul Rom. 8.) calleth the Spirit both such a Gift, and also that Soul which did receive it, and which did inter­cede with God, and sigh. For he who is favoured with such a Grace, standing with great compun­ction or Contrition of mind, and with many [Page 116] sighs, being humbled in mind before God, asketh the things which are profitable unto all; of which now is a Symbol, the Minister offering Prayers unto God for the people. Therefore Paul feel­ing this, said, The Spirit himself intercedeth for us with groans unutterable. To the same purpose speaks Theoph. and Oecumenius, upon the place.

But now the thing which the Author of this Sermon should have proved, is, That this Gift of Preaching, and Praying, and Singing by Di­vine Inspiration, was of the same sort and nature with the Miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, and equally Miraculous and Extraor­dinary with them, which he not having done, nor so much as once essayed to do from any Scripture Authority, he had as good done nothing at all. And the words of Chrisostome cited by him, do not say, That the Gift of Praying by the Spirit was expired in his time; and though Chrysostome had said so, I suppose the Author himself doth not think that all Chrysostoms words are infallibly to be believed. Yea, the reason given by Chry­sostome why God was pleased to give that Gift of Prayer, doth still remain ( viz. Because without the spirit we know not what to pray for, as we ought) and therefore there is as great necessity for the spirit of Prayer now, as then.

But it hath no weight what the Author saith Pag. 29. That the Christians might learn what to pray for, and how out of the Scriptures, which are an excellent Rule of Devotion, as well as [Page 117] Faith; and since that Gift was also rendred useless by the early general use of Liturgies. I say this hath no weight to prove, that the spirit of Pray­er, or praying by Divine Inspiration is expired: for in the Apostles days the Scriptures were ex­tant as much as now; and therefore if the spiri­tual Gift of Prayer is made void by having the Scriptures in the room of it, that Gift should have ceased in the Apostles days. Surely it was not Gods design to give us the Scriptures, that he might take away his spirit from us, and leave us only the Scripture-words in his room, but he promised that his spirit should remain or abide with his people for ever, whose abiding and pre­sence was necessary unto all true Christians, to give them the inward and spiritual sense and under­standing of the words of Prayer contained in the Scripture, and to teach them what words to use at one time, and what at another, seeing they could not use them all at once. And as for the early general use of Liturgies, which this Author saith was in the Church, to be sure there was none in the Apostles times, as the Author con­fesseth; and if there had been any need of them for the succeeding Ages, the Apostles had been the fittest persons to have composed them, which yet we do not find that ever they did. It is too apparent, that when the spirit of Prayer began to be lost, composed Liturgies came to be set up, and that the loss and decay of this spirit, or spi­ritual Gift of Prayer was caused by the car­nality [Page 118] and apostacy of the far greatest part of those called Christians, though we have cause to believe it remained in the Hearts of a remnant all along.

CHAP. IV.

BUT whereas the Author saith, as for the Gift of Praying and Preaching by the Spi­rit, there is no mention made of it in the Eccle­siastical Writers, even where they enumerate the rest of the spiritual Gifts, unless Irenaeus com­prehended it under the Gift of strange Tongues, with all sorts of which, he saith, many of the Brethren spoke in his time by the Holy Ghost. Surely this the Author doth too confidently af­firm: for as concerning Praying by the Spirit, Tertullians Testimony is clear, who lived about the end of the second Century, who discoursing of Prayer, and the manner how the Christians used it, said expressly, That they prayed, ex pe­ctore siue monitore, per spiritum sanctum; i. e. out of the Heart, without one to go before them, and by the Holy Ghost. And both Tertullian, and Iustine Martyr, and Eusebius make mention of the Gift of Prophesie by the Spirit, remaining in the Church in their time. And the Author himself acknowledgeth, that under Prophesie, Preaching, and praising God by the Spirit, is understood fre­quently [Page 119] in Scripture; and why not also in the Ecclesiastical Writers? Yea, even Bernard, who lived above a thousand years after Christ, did say, tepida est omnis oratio, quam non prevenit inspira­tio, i. e. All Prayer is dead, or lukewarm, which Inspiration doth not prevent. But it is easie to ap­prehend why, when the Ecclesiastical Writers did mention the miraculous Gifts of the Spirit then remaining in the Church, they said nothing com­monly of Preaching and Praying by the Spirit, because they did not reckon Preaching and Pray­ing by the Spirit, any of that sort of miraculous and extraordinary Gifts, but judged it as a com­mon and necessary Gift, and therefore did not mention it among those that were miraculous and singular, which is an argument rather against the Authors assertion, than in favour of it. And since the Author doth acknowledge, that divers miraculous Gifts of the Spirit did remain in the Church for some hundreds of years after the A­postles, it is strange he should suppose the Gift of Preaching and Praying by the Spirit, to have ex­pired before the rest; but his prejudice against the Principle of Inspiration maketh him to fall upon such an absurd supposition. Now when I say, the Gift of Preaching and Praying by the Spirit, was none of the miraculous and extraordi­nary Gifts of the Spirit, I mean it had nothing of any external or outward Miracle in it any more than Faith, Love, Hope, or any other of the Evangelical Vertues, all which being superna­tural [Page 120] were internally miraculous as much, or rather more than the outward. And whereas the Author pleadeth, that none of these miraculous Gifts were of a moral consideration, as having any immediate influence to sanctifie the persons so inspired, & consequently not necessary to remain in the Church. If then it can be proved, that Preach­ing, and Praying by the Spirit are of a moral con­sideration, and have a sanctifying Influence up­on the persons inspired, it will necessarily follow, that they do, and must remain in the true Church. And first, as to Praying by the Spirit; that is a Moral Duty, and of a moral Consideration, which is a Gospel-precept, but Praying by the Holy Ghost is a Gospel-precept; see Eph. 6.18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit: and Iud. 2. Praying in the Holy Ghost. And as concerning all true Worship, which is to be given to God, Christ hath expresly taught, that it is to be performed in Spirit, and in Truth. And I ask the Author, whether he doth not think, that Davids Prayers and Psalms, which were by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had not a san­ctifying Influence upon David himself? And also whether the Prayers of those in the primitive times, who prayed by Inspiration, and brought forth such deep inward sighings with great con­trition of Heart, by the help of the Holy Spirit, had not a sanctifying Influence going alone with them? and were not those Prayers holy Pray­ers, and those sighings holy sighings, which left [Page 121] some holy Impressions both upon the Speakers and Hearers; the which if they did, as most cer­tainly they did unto all sincere Christians who heard them, then Prayers by Inspiration have a moral and intrinsecal excellency in them, and consequently were to remain in the true Church to the end of the World. Next as to Preach­ing by the Spirit, it is clear, that it had a sanctify­ing and converting power going alone with it, so that many thousands were converted unto the Lord, and became truly sanctified by means of such Preaching. But if the Author say, it was the Preaching, simply considered, that had the sa­ving efficacy in it, without the Spirit, so that the Spirits operation added nothing thereunto, I sup­pose few will believe so gross an assertion; for if so, then the Minister of the Letter is as good as the Minister of the Spirit; and he who hath only the words, is as good a Preacher, as he who hath the Spirit and Words both; but how con­trary is this to the mind of Paul, who said, I will know not the words of them, who are puffed up, but the power. And our Gospel came not in words only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost; and he hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; for the Letter killeth (by the Letter, he doth understand the words which any preach without the Spirit) but the Spirit giveth life. And surely that which giveth life hath a sanctifying Vertue in it, and is of a moral and holy nature. And doth not sad ex­perience [Page 122] prove it sufficiently, that men who preach barely from the Letter of the Scripture, have not success in their Ministry, to the Conver­sion of Souls; else why is it, that so many hav­ing the name of Christians, yet want the true nature of Christianity, and come short of many Heathens? and when God shall be pleased to pour out his Spirit more abundantly, and to in­spire men to be Preachers of his holy Mind and Will, shall not Christianity more prevail in the World, than now it doth? is not the great want, the want of the Spirit among the greatest part of those called Christians, or rather indeed, a want of a right belief concerning the necessity of the Spirits help, and of the great bounty, and Grace of God, how willing he is to bestow plentifully of his Spirit upon men, if they would not reject and resist it, and with their prejudice against so excellent a Gift, exclude themselves from the en­joyment of it? And whereas the Author saith, But thou canst cry, Abba, Father, without Inspiration and thou mayest make Prayers, & Supplication, and In­tercession, and giving of Thanks for all men, without Inspiration, which if thou hadst, it would not make thy Prayers more excellent in themselves, or more ac­ceptable in the sight of God. These are such gross assertions, that as seemeth to me to have repeated them, is Refutation enough to any spiritu­ally minded man. Were not Davids Pray­ers the more excellent, that they were inspired? Do not all Christians value and esteem of Davids [Page 123] Prayers and Psalms, and the Prayers and Psalms of other Saints recorded in Scripture, as being Divinely inspired? Do they not favour of that sweet and precious Life and Spirit which inspired them? Or have the made and conceived Prayers of others, without all Divine Inspiration, the same excellency and worth with Davids Inspired Prayers and Psalms? This were to equal the Words and Writings of men no wise inspired, with the Scriptures; a Crime, which our Adversaries but unjustly seek by consequence to fix upon us. But the Author still supposeth, that men may preach and pray by the help of the saving Gra­ces of the Spirit, without Inspiration, which maketh him conclude, from all which (saith he) it appears how much more excellent and desireable are the saving Graces of the Spirit, than all these pom­pous miraculous Gifts, in which there is no intrin­secal excellency. But I say the Author still beggeth the great thing in Controversie, viz. That there are any saving Graces of the Spirit, without In­spiration, which we altogether deny: For we af­firm, that saving Faith, Hope, and Love, and all other Evangelical Vertues are wrought in Be­lievers by the Spirits Inspiration. Nor can we reach the Authors subtilty, to distinguish the in­ward saving operation of the Spirit, from Inspira­tion, as if they were distinct things. For sup­pose all sorts of Inspirations be not saving, or ne­cessary to Salvation, it doth not follow that none are necessary in that respect: and although all [Page 124] Inspirations be not saving Graces, yet all saving Graces are Inspirations; even as though all animals be not men, yet all men are animals. Or let the Author, if he can, clearly distinguish betwixt these two, and prove them to be so distinct, from some better authority, than his bare affirmation, viz. That no saving Grace is any Divine Inspira­tion, but of a differing nature therefrom: the which, if it were true, then none of all the Saints had any saving Graces inspired into them, in any age of the World, which, I judge, is contrary to the belief of most Christians, who generally believe, that the Prophets at least, had the sav­ing Graces of the Spirit inspired into them. To conclude, this Authors whole Discourse tendeth only at most, to prove, if all his Premisses were granted, That the miraculous Gifts of the Spirit are not necessary to Salvation, and consequently are not of a necessary continuance in the Church; which we do not affirm: and I know not any, who do so affirm; so that the Author had better saved his Labour than spend his Breath, and his Time to prove an assertion, which I know not any that doth call it in question: for who is it that saith, he hath the Gift of Tongues, or other miraculous Gifts of that sort? I know not any. Or who pleadeth for the absolute necessity of them? But as we do not plead for such Gifts, so we cannot be so peremptory to conclude, that all these miraculous Gifts have universally ceased or expired since the primitive times; or that none [Page 125] of them at any time hereafter shall again appear. And I judge divers of his Premisses, on which he buildeth his Conclusion, of the Universal Expi­ration of those miraculous Gifts are defective, and none of them sufficient to demonstrate his assertion, it would require too much time and Paper to examine every thing he saith, but some­thing I cannot well let pass. His first and main Reason he taketh from the Infancy of the Church, which required these miraculous Gifts during her Infant-state: and to this he applyeth these two following Scriptures, Eph. 4. from v. 8. to v. 14. and 1 Cor. 13. from v. 8. to the end. But surely these two Scriptures seem to me to be very im­pertinently brought, to confirm his assertion, and his Application of them I believe is contrary to the mind of most Teachers. And first, that he sup­poseth all these Gifts which God gave to the Church at Christs Ascension, to have been the miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, and not one of them the ordinary and saving Gifts of the Spirit. But why are not the saving Gifts of the Spirit common to all true Christians, as really the fruit and effect of Christs Death, Re­surrection, and Ascension, as those miraculous and extraordinary? Surely this is a very unna­tural separation, and seemeth very injurious un­to the purchase of Christ; as if all the saving Graces of the Spirit were excluded from being any of these Gifts, which Christ hath purchased to his Church; and the contrary doth plainly [Page 126] appear from the words themselves, for they were such Gifts as were given to the Rebellious, that God might duel among them, as signifying the sanctifying and renewing Gifts of the spirit most especially. Again, they are such as were given for the work of the Ministry, the perfecting of the Saints, the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a per­fect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. And whereas this Author will have, that the Church was come to her full stature in the primitive times, and that conse­quently there was no more need of any of those Gifts mentioned in that aforecited place, being all miraculous; it seemeth to me wonderfully strained this his assertion. And to be sure is far from the mind of many of his Brethren, who from this very place of Scripture, use to argue, That there will be a Ministry, and Office of Teachers in the Church, till the Worlds end; because however so perfect the Church was in those days, by reason of new Converts, and others in the present & succeeding Ages, who were to be converted, Ministers and Teachers are still neces­sary; for granting that some are come to the full stature, yet many more are not so far advanced, and so long as the World stands, there will be Children as well as young men and Fathers in the Church. But it is strange, that he thinketh, not only the Apostles, Prophets and Evangelists, but [Page 127] also Pastors, and Teachers, or Doctors, to have ceased or expired with these miraculous Gifts. Whence then have these, who are now called Pa­stors and Doctors, their Gifts and Authority? it seemeth verily unto me, that the Author hath here far out-reached, and done a great disservice to his Brethren, instead of thinking to do them a great service; and how the University of Oxford can let this pass without a censure, I do not well understand. And whereas he saith, From whence it is evident ( viz. from the afore-cited place, Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, &c.) that as the Gospel increased, and the Church grew up, God, like a wise Nurse, weaned her by degrees from these miraculous Gifts, till at last having arrived at her full stature in Christ, he left her as Parents leave their Children, when they are grown to be men, to subsist without extraordi­nary helps and supplies. But hath God left her without Pastors and Teachers, and all the Gifts of Christs purchase, when he ascended? or are Pastors and Teachers these extraordinary helps? how much better were it to say, that the Gifts here mentioned are some extraordinary and mi­raculous, and some ordinary; and however that the persons of the Apostles, or their bodily pre­sence be removed from the Church of God on Earth, yet their Testimony, Words, and Writ­ings remain together with a measure of the same life and spirit that was in them, for the spirit is one in all, and therefore that very Gift of God his giving the Apostles to the Church, and Evan­gelists [Page 128] and Prophets, hath still its service in the Church, and will to the VVorlds end; and so in respect of that Service doth still remain; and the Pastors and Teachers with all the common and ordinary Gifts of the Spirit necessary to Sal­vation do actually remain. Again, whereas the Author will have it, that when the Church was in her more Infant-state, the miraculous and ex­traordinary Gifts of the Spirit did most abound; and when she was come to her most adult and perfect state, they did wholly cease. This also may be called in question, viz. VVhether the Church in the Apostles days, when those mira­culous Gifts did most abound, was not in a more perfect state, than in the succeeding ages? and whether the Author thinketh in his conscience, that the Church in these latter ages, since these miraculous Gifts have generally ceased, viz. from about the beginning of the fifth Century till this time, hath been in the most perfect state? or rather have we not good ground to believe, that the Church that was in the Apostles days, and the ages immediately succeeding for the first three hundred years was in the purest and most perfect state of all, and that the Churches of the suc­ceeding ages have not arrived at her perfection? Is not the Apostolical Church worthily reckoned the Patron of all other Churches? hath not a great Apostacy come upon the far greatest part of that called the Church, which began about that very time, when these miraculous Gifts did [Page 129] cease, in great part? and though the Lord know­eth best, why these miraculous and extraordina­ry Gifts did cease, yet may it not be judged a better reason, than any given here by the Author, that these so excellent Gifts were taken away, be­cause of the Apostacy that was coming on apace upon the visible face of the Church, and that the Unfaithfulness of Professors, who did abuse both the ordinary and extraordinary Gifts of God, provoked the Lord to take both sorts away from the greatest number in a great part, if not alto­gether. But whether, when the Church shall U­niversally recover her former purity and sincerity, it may please God to restore unto her those very extraordinary Gifts, I leave to his infinite coun­sel and good pleasure to determine. Again, as to the other Scripture alledged and applied by him, for the ceasing of these extraordinary Gifts, he seemeth to have as far missed the mark, as in the former, as if, forsooth, Paul did reckon not only all those miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, wherewith he was so richly en­dued, but also all his Visions and Enjoyments he had of God by Inspiration and Immediate Reve­lation, but as childish things, and as belonging to a Childs state, in comparison of more perfect attainments of Believers in the succeeding ages, when all Divine Inspiration, and Immediate Re­velation should cease, as this Author supposeth: and if so, then the Author may think himself, and such as he, as men in respect of Paul and the other [Page 130] Apostles, who were but as Children to him and his Brethren: for thus he expoundeth Pauls words. 1 Cor. 13.9, 10, 11, 12. Even as when I was a Child, I spake as Child, I understood as a Child, I thought and conceived things as a Child, but when I become a man, and to the full use of my Reason, I put away childish conceptions and things, for now we see Divine Revelations (thus he glosseth up­on Pauls words) as the Prophets did of old in a dark Enigmetical manner, and by symbolical Re­presentations of things upon the phansie, as in a Glass, but in the adult state of the Church we shall see them after the Mosaical manner in a more rational way, and more accommodate to human Nature, as it were face to face. Now I know them imperfectly, but then I shall know them clearly, even as I am known. Now I ap­peal to the Impartial Reader, if he doth not pre­fer himself and his other Brethren, to Paul and all the other Apostles, as if the Apostles, because of their Inspirations and Revelations knew but in part, and as Children, having little use of their rational Faculties; whereas this Author having attained to the adult state, he is become perfect in Knowledge; and like Moses converseth with God face to face, and that without all Revela­tion or Inspiration immediately from God. But how did Moses converse or speak with God face to face (to whom the Lord said, Thou canst not see my face and live) was it without all manner of immedi­ate Revelation or Inspiration? I trow not, but ra­ther [Page 131] after a more noble and higher sort of Divine Inspiration, than was commonly given to other Prophets. But how much more sutable and a­greeable to truth is that exposition of Pauls words that is commonly given, that Paul compareth his highest attainments in this Life even by Vision and Revelation or Inspiration, with what he did expect and wait for after death, so as the highest attainments of Divine Knowledge by Revelati­on or Inspiration belonging to this life, are but as the attainments of Children, in comparison with what the Saints are to expect after death in the life to come. But whereas the Author thinketh, that the highest Revelations given in this life, are but by symbolical Representations upon the phansie, as in a Glass, he is much mistaken. There is a Revelation of God, which God pleaseth at times to give to his Children, far beyond all sym­bolical Representations, or Similitudes of things, whereby God in Christ, and the pure Glory of God is seen and enjoyed by the highest and no­blest faculty of the Soul, which is an earnest and first Fruits of Eternal Life. Nor is the Author more dexstrous in expounding all that diversity of Gifts mentioned 1 Cor. 12.4, 8, 9, 10. to have been the miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit; for why might not some of them have been the common and ordinary, and others of them miraculous and extraordinary? By common and ordinary, I mean not here such as were given to all and every one in particular▪ but such com­mon ministerial Gifts as God gave in common to [Page 132] all ordinary Teachers, and Preachers, and Mi­nisters of the Lords fitting and sending; for of these ministerial Gifts the Apostle is here princi­pally to be understood. And whereas the Au­thor here doth argue, that the Gifts mentioned in this place cannot be the saving Gifts of the Spi­rit, because these God bestoweth joyntly on those who have them, or not at all; whereas the Gifts mentioned here, are given some to one, and some to another. But to this I answer, although the Gifts here mentioned in the foregoing Ver­ses be not the saving Universal Gifts mentioned by him, which are given to every one of the Faithful, yet it doth not follow, that therefore they are all miraculous and extraordinary, for some of them might be of a third and middle sort, to wit, given in common to all Teachers and Preach­ers, and may be called saving in such a sense or respect, as the Preaching of the Gospel, and di­stinct Offices of the Ministry, may be called saving, as being instrumental to the Salvation of Souls, as it is said in Scripture, That it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe. And, if according to the Author, all the Gifts here mentioned be miraculous, and all ceased within some few ages after the Apostles days, then according to him, there is no word of Wisdom, nor of Knowledge in the Church, which how harsh it will sound to Christian ears, I leave the spiritual to judge. But that the Author taketh this place of Scripture, viz. 1 Cor. 12.4. for his [Page 133] Text and Foundation of his whole Discourse, to prove that all the Gifts here mentioned were mi­raculous, and consequently expired within some few Ages to the Apostles times, is meerly asserted by him, but not at all really proved. And he might as well say, that Faith, Hope, and Charity were miraculous Gifts of the Spirit, and conse­quently expired with those other; for of them also he discourseth a little after, and compriseth them, with the other sorts, under the diversity of Gifts, mentioned v. 4. whereas the Spirit is one. So that in this whole Discourse of Pauls, concern­ing the diversity of Gifts, Chap. 12.13, 14. he mentioneth no less than three several sorts, one miraculous and extraordinary, another sort com­mon and ordinary to the Teachers in the Church, and peculiar unto them; a third sort, viz. Faith, Hope, Charity, common to all true and sincere Christians; so that this diversity of Gifts extend­eth it self to all the Church one way or another, all having some, although every one had not all, even as the precious Ointment that ran down from Aarons beard unto the lowest skirts of his Garments. And though when the Apostle doth treat of Faith, Hope, and Charity, it is in the thirteen and fourteenth Chapters, yet the Discourse is still one and the same, as one intire piece; and all the Gifts mentioned in all the three Chap­ters are contained under the diversity of Gifts, viz. Spiritual Gifts mentioned, v. 4. of Chap. 12. and all proceed from one Spirit, so that it may, [Page 134] and ought to be said of them of all. Now there are diversities of Gifts, but the same Spirit; and the best of these Gifts are Faith, Hope, and Love, and the greatest of these is Love or Charity. And thus I have answered to every thing that seem­ed material in his Sermon, to prove that Divine Inspirations, which he calleth Enthusiasms, are ceased in the Church; and though I have not ob­served strictly the method of his Sermon, so as to answer to every thing in his order, because the Nature of my answer required to put several things together that lay scattered in his Sermon, and sometimes to take that last, which he putteth first; yet I hope the diligent and impartial Rea­der will find, that the whole substance of his Sermon against Divine Inspirations is sufficiently answered. And now in the Close I shall only take notice of some Reflections of his on the people called Quakers, and some few other parti­culars, and then make an end.

CHAP. V.

IN his page 37. Edit. 3. he undertakes to show what a dangerous, damnable, and precarious Principle that is, which asserts, that Immediate Revelation or Inspiration is not ceased, &c. But the Instances he bringeth to prove what he saith, are wholly precarious and false; as 1. That it [Page 135] differs only from the Popes Infallibility in this, That that makes only the Bishop of Rome, but this makes every private Christian a Pope. This, I say, is altogether a false charge as to us. For we place not an absolute Infallibility upon any person or persons whatsoever; but we say the Spirit of God in all his Leadings, Teachings, and Motions is infallible, and men only conditionally so far as they receive, and are in unity with these Leadings and Teachings, are Infallible. We say further, That every true Christian hath an Infalli­ble Knowledge and Faith of all such things as are absolutely necessary to Salvation. But as to other things he may err, if he be not duly watchful to follow the infallible Guidance of Gods Holy Spi­rit. But if this Author thinketh he has no infalli­ble Faith or Knowledge of any part or Doctrine of Religion, he is a meer Sceptick and Unbeliever; for all true Faith is Infallible, that which is fal­lible is but meer opinion and conjecture. His se­cond Instance is as weak and impertinent as the former, viz. That the Principle of Immediate Revelation and Inspiration utterly overthrows the authority of the Scriptures, and makes them an useless Rule of Faith. But to this I answer nay, but on the contrary the Doctrine of Inspiration and Revelation its remaining in the Church doth not overthrow, but establish the authority of the Scriptures, and maketh them most useful both for a Rule of Faith and Manners in subordination un­to the Holy Spirit. And surely had this Author [Page 136] well minded his former concessions, he would not have made such an absurd Inference; for he hath granted, that Inspirations and Revelations did remain for several ages in the primitive Church after the Apostles days, and that the Scri­ptures were written before that time; and yet I suppose he will not say, that the Revelations and Inspirations which the Christians then had, did overthrow the Scriptures, or render them useless. He might with the same absurd way of Reasoning say, That the Scriptures of the Old Testament, their authority was overthrown by the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles under the New Testament; or that one Prophets writing did overthrow the Writing of another Prophet that did go before him, which is most absurd. Paul who had abundant Inspirations and Revelations did not despise the Scriptures, but regarded their authority, and used them both to his own, and his Brethrens comfort and edification. His third Instance is, That it hath cashired the use of the Sacraments. But this is like the Papists way of proceeding against the Protestants, who to ren­der them more obnoxious to the malice of the Ignorant, cry out against the Protestants for ca­shiring no less than five, or rather six of the holy Sacraments of the Catholick Church. For where­as the Church of Rome holdeth, that there are se­ven Sacraments, she blameth the Protestants for cash ring five of them totally, and the sixth almost, if not altogether also, to wit, that of the Eucha­rist [Page 137] so called, the Protestants making that which the Priest or Minister giveth to the people, but a figure or sign, which to be sure is not any Gospel mystery; for the figures belonged to the Law, and ceased with them, and the substance is come in the room of them, which we acknowledge. And whether it is more dangerous and hurtful to say, that a Figure, Sign or Ceremony is ceased, which was not appointed to continue till the end of the World, or to say, that Divine Inspiration, whereby the Soul liveth unto God, and Divine Revelation, whereby it only knoweth God aright, is ceased, let all sober and impartial men judge? But as to this debate of the Sacraments, because it is a digression, I shall not enlarge. His fourth Instance is, That it hath annulled the Ministerial Orders. But this is as unjust a charge as any of the former, and doth much more justly reflect upon the Author himself, who hath plainly said, that not only the Orders of Apostles and Pro­phets, but also of Evangelists, Pastors and Teach­ers, all which were Ministerial Orders mentioned Eph. 4. are ceased in the Church. The which, if so, it may be fairly quered, according to this Authors Hypothesis and Doctrine, that all Inspira­tion is ceased, which yet the Church of England and the Common-Prayer alloweth, whether this Author hath not excluded himself from all the Ministerial Orders mentioned in Eph. 4. because he saith, They are all ceased? And that he cannot find any Ministerial Order mentioned in the New [Page 138] Testament, but what was accompanied with In­spiration, whereby they both Preached and Pray­ed. And seeing he hath denied Inspiration, which the Liturgy of the Church of England owneth, and she prayeth for, whether this Authors manner of Preaching and Praying be not more contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England in this very respect, than that of the people called in derision, Quakers, and so whether he hath not brought himself and his Hearers more deservedly under the censure of the Law, than the Quakers in this respect have done? These two Queries I desire the Author plainly, and without all shifting or subterfuge, to answer? But to the matter in hand, Divine Immediate Revelations and Inspi­rations cannot any more annul (but indeed they do confirm all) the Ministerial Orders appointed of God, than they did in the primitive times. For when Immediate Revelatiations and Inspira­tions did greatly abound in the Church, as this Author confesseth, the Ministerial Orders remain­ed, and were the more confirmed, and therefore they are so still. Next, his Instances failing, he proceedeth to sinistrous and unjust Insinuations against us, as that the principle of Inspiration can effectually convert the Professors of it into downright Popery, consequently with their own Principles; for they have nothing more to do, than to say, that the Spirit hath told them, that the Church of Rome is the only true Church. To this I answer: It is impossible, the Holy Spirit [Page 139] (whom with all true Christians we profess to guide us into all truth, according to the Scriptures) can ever tell us any such thing; because both the Holy Spirit wihin, and the Holy Scripture with­out, doth plainly tell us, that no Church holding such corrupt Doctrines and Practises, is, or can be a true Church; and the Spirits testimony cannot contradict it self, and as Paul said, is not yea and nay, but remains the same. How much more justly may this be retorted upon many, who are Enemies to Inspiration, and have pretended, the Church they were of, was the true Church; and yet by some motive of Gain or Fear, have changed to another Church and way, pretending that their Reason, or Scripture hath told them their former way was wrong, which yet is no just Reflection either on Reason or Scripture. For as a false pretence to Reason and Scripture doth not make void their true use, so no more doth a false pretence to the Holy Spirit, if any should so do, render the use thereof void or ineffectual. His last Insinuation is as unfair and unjust as any of the former. As this Doctrine (saith he) was first privately sowed among us by Popish Emissaries, so hath it been published in our, and other Countries, by those who were Papists, as by Ro. Barclay, who was bred in the Scottish Covent at Paris, and Lab­bade a Jesuit defrocquet. That the Doctrine of Im­mediate Revelation was first privately sowed in England by Popish Emissaries, we know to be a false Insinuation: and as for his Proof, which is [Page 140] a meer citation of the bare name and title of a Book called Foxes and Fire-brands, pag. 15. &c. printed 1680. What ground of Proof can such a bare citation be, without naming the Author, or giving a sufficient Evidence of his Fidelity? How many Lyes are to be found in printed Books? If bearly to name the Title of a Book, without regarding, or giving sufficient Evidence of the Authors Fidelity, be proof enough against a Do­ctrine or Person, who shall, or can escape Inno­cent? It were easie to show how the Jesuits are as great enemies to Immediate Revelation and In­spiration, as necessary to every true Christian for the foundation of their Faith, as any people in the World, or as this Author, as doth clearly enough appear out of Bellarmin a great Jesuit, who disputeth against this way of resolving or building our Faith, and pleadeth for the Tradi­tion of the Church, in opposition to all inward Inspiration, and calleth them mad men, who lean to any Spirit within them, which he saith is often fallacious, and ever uncertain. Nor were it a hard thing to prove, that the Doctrine of Inspi­ration hath been preached and believed both in England and elsewhere, before either the Name or Order of Jesuits was in the World. And as to his Insinuation concerning R. Barclay, unless he can prove, that he remained a Papist when he did publish, among many others, that Doctrine, he saith nothing to the matter. It can easily be showed, that divers Bishops and Teachers in the [Page 141] Protestant Church have had their Education at Popish Schools; yea, Luther himself was a Popish Monk, and bred at a Popish University; and some of the present Bishops and Teachers in Bri­tain have had a Popish Education, which yet will not argue they are still Papists. How many are quite of other Perswasions, than what they had by Education? And as for R. B. what Education he had among Papists was but when a Child or Boy, where he learned only some Latin, and Grammar, and what he received of their Leaven, even in his young and tender years, while yet but a youth, he renounced: and the Lord open­ed his Eyes to see and acknowledge the Truth; whereof I can give better Testimony (having well known him from that very time) than this Author can against him. And I ask the Author, Was it any prejudice or derogation to the Chri­stian Religion, that Paul, a zealous Preacher of it, was bred among the Pharisees? if not, the Authors Argument being of the same sort, eva­nisheth. As for Labbade as he was no Quaker so called, so whatever formerly he was, to be sure he was then no Jesuit, but hated and persecuted by them. In pag. 40. he falls on with a fresh assault to accuse the Doctrine of the Quakers so called, concerning a Spiritual Ministry and Spiri­tual Worship for being blasphemous (but if this be blasphemy to own a spiritual Ministry and Worship) at this rate he may accuse the A­postles, [Page 142] yea, Christ himself as blasphemous, which is most absurd and blasphemous so to af­firm who were for a Spiritual Ministry, Iohn 4. and Spiritual Worship; but it seemeth by this, that the Author himself is only for a carnal or li­teral Ministry and Worship. And he saith, they, viz. the people called in derision, Quakers, pre­tend, that the Holy Ghost now cometh down up­on their Assemblies, as it did in the Apostles time, and moves them to Preach and Pray by In­spiration, without any regard to Condition or Sex. But here he doth not fairly nor truly re­present our Doctrine, for we distinguish betwixt the ordinary and miraculous Inspirations, with both which the Apostles were indued; and we say, Although the miraculous and extraordinary be ceased, yet the ordinary remain, as being ne­cessary to all right effectual Preaching and Pray­ing. Again, it is false that he alledgeth we say the Spirit inspireth us to Preach or Pray without any regard to Condition; for a regard there is had unto the Condition of persons, so that the Spirit inspireth none to Preach or Pray, but such as are first brought into some measure of a sancti­fied State and Condition. As to other things he mentions here, and especially that about calling for Signs and Miracles, I have already answered him above; and here I would have him to con­sider how Christ called them an evil and adulte­rous Generation, that sought after Signs. And [Page 143] what if we could show Signs, and perform all the other Conditions he requireth of us, that he may believe us to be truly inspired? would he then in good earnest believe us to be divinely in­spired? hath he not called the very principle a blasphemous Doctrine? And whereas he saith, pag. 38. he denyeth not but that God is free to send Prophets when he pleases, and that he may do so when the exigence of the Church doth require it. Is not this a manifest contradiction to his calling the Doctrine of Inspiration and Im­mediate Revelation, blasphemous? Or is God free to send when he pleaseth, any blasphemous Doctrine or Principle into the World, as this Author termeth Immediate Revelatiation and In­spiration? And suppose that God did send Prophets or men immediately inspired, which this Author supposeth he may, Can God send any thing that would overthrow the Authority of the Scriptures, and annul the Ministerial Orders, would not this be inconsistent with his Divine infinite Wisdom? But thus we see what inconsistences this Au­thor falleth into, while he is carried with such a preposterous zeal against this so excellent a prin­ciple.

In pag. 40. he scoffingly taunts the people called Quakers, with their Groanings in their Meetings, saying, that they groan sufficiently, we grant; for sometimes in their Meetings they do nothing else. But if their Groaning, or vocal [Page 144] Devotion be from the Spirit, how comes it to pass that the Spirit never moves them, as it did in the Apostles days, to Pray and Prophesie in unknown Tongues? To this I answer: Many have both Groaned and Prayed by the Spirit, who never spoke with unknown Tongues, as I think the Author will confess; for the Prophets prayed by the Spirit before Christ came in the flesh, and yet all had not the Gift of Tongues. But by this it plainly seemeth, he disowneth all Groan­ing and Praying by the Spirit, as applicable to him, or any of his Brethren; this I say again is far contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England. And how knoweth he, that sometimes in their Meetings, the people, called in scorn, Quakers, do nothing else? I must tell him, they do more in every Meeting (although to groan from the Spirit is of more value, than all that the Author, or any else can do without the Spirit) viz. they meditate, they wait, they watch, they sing, and make a melody in their hearts unto the Lord. But here he seemeth to scoff at our silent Meetings, where we wait to hear what God will speak unto us, though perhaps no man at that time doth speak, which is well enough consistent with our Principle of Divine Inspiration; for if God inspire his people now as formerly, they are well imployed and exercised, who attend to his inspirings, and find advantage in so doing, much more than by all the much pratling of men, who [Page 145] presume to Preach or Teach without the Spi­rit.

In pag. 37. he saith, The Popes Infallibility must be resolved into this Enthusiastical Princi­ple of immediate Inspiration. I answer not, but a most into a false pretence thereunto, which yet argueth nothing against the true Principle itself. And though some of the Popish Schoolmen re­solve it into a pretence of Immediate Revelation, yet many more do otherwise, and particularly the University of Paris, as I have showed at more length in my Book called Quakerism no Po­pery. They resolve it only into a blind, insen­sible assistance of the Spirit, which they call sub­jective or effective illumination, but not obje­ctive; the which Popish distinction, many Pro­testants, and as it seemeth this Author apply to their Faith with this difference, that these Pro­testants make the assistance of the Spirit, falli­ble; but the Papists make it, as in the Pope and his Council, infallible.

Pag. 29. he saith: The Churches Hieroms, Augustines, Chrysostoms like us were not inspired, but studied Divines. I answer why might not Hierom, Augustine, and Chrysostome, and such as they, be both, to wit, parly inspired, and part­ly studied, as he termeth it, seeing there is no inconsistency (as he supposeth) betwixt the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the frequent and diligent use of all right and lawful means, [Page 146] such as reading the Scriptures, Meditation and Prayer, with other Religious Exercises, which this Author calleth studying. But studying with­out all Divine Inspiration, makes but poor Di­vines, or rather dead and dry Vines. And here I give the Reader to understand, that in the very beginning of his Sermon, this Author, for all his prejudice at Enthusiasts, distinguisheth betwixt them and Impostors, saying, Impostors on one hand, and Enthusiasts on the other, &c. What then? are the Enthusiasts no Impostors? One thing I like well in the Author, as to what he saith, and do therein cordially-agree with him, pag. 39. The first Apostolical Ages of Wonder were utterly ignorant of killing, impulse and zeal, which I could not but observe to the utter detestation of Christians Assassines, &c. I could here cite divers Testimonies of the Ancients for the verity of Divine Inspiration, as still remaining among, and in the true Christians; but to avoid prolixity, I shall only cite two Testimonies, one of Augustine, another of Origene.

Augustine saith, Tract. Epist. Ioh. 3. ‘There is an inward Master who teacheth: Christ teacheth, his Inspiration teacheth; where his Inspiration, and Anointing is not, the words outwardly make but an empty sound.’

Origines contra Celsum lib. 7. circa med. [...]. ( viz. Mat. 11.) Verbum autem Dei, divina quadam gratia non a­thea [Page 147] existente anima, sed cum quodam Enthusiasmo demonstrat cognosci Deum.

The word of God (citing Mat. 11. No man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son reveals him) demonstrateth that God is known by a certain divine Grace, the Soul not being Atheistical, but indued with a certain En­thusiasm. Where note, that he setteth in oppo­sition Atheism and Enthusiasm, or the Atheist and Enthusiast, as if whosoever is not Enthusiast, or indued with a Divine Enthusiasm, were a down­right Atheist; which is very agreeable to a Title of a Friends Book, called Enthusiasm above A­theism, writ some years ago by G. W.

There is one passage more in this Authors Ser­mon, which I cannot well let pass, pag. 32, & 33. Suppose, saith he, thou knowest the Gospel like the Apostles, by Inspiration, what then? another Minister who knows, it by reading and study is as capable to edifie the Church as thee. And besides, if thou art like a vain Corinthian, ambitious of In­spiration, know that it will add nothing to the Reputation of thy parts: for an inspired man is but the Vessel to the Treasure, the very Instru­ment and Machine of the Holy Ghost, who can ordain strength out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings, and make a Child or an Ideot preach as well as thee. To the first I answer, accord­ing to this Authors assertion, the bare Minister of the Letter is as good a Preacher, and as useful [Page 148] in the Church, as Paul, or any of the Apostles, which is so gross, as nothing needs to be said un­to the spiritually minded for its Refutation. Did then the Scribes preach with the same Authority that Christ did? is it not said expressly, that Christ preached as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes? and what was the Reason of this so great a difference? was not a main Reason of it, that the Scribes preached barely from the Letter, without Divine Inspiration? but Christ preached by Divine Inspiration, wherewith he was exceed­ing richly endued above all other men. And if it should please God to send Preachers, who should preach with Divine Inspiration, should they not better open and expound the Scriptures, and the Mysteries of the Christian Religion, being inspired divinely so to do, than those who pre­sume to expound them meerly by the strength of their natural parts, and human Learning. Or why is it, that great Schollars, so accounted, give so contrary Expositions to the same places of Scri­pture so frequently, but that they want the In­spiration of the Spirit that gave them forth? For as Hierome saith, Epist. Paulin. 103. The Law is Spiritual, and needeth Revelation, that it may be understood.

To the second I answer, 'tis not Pride nor Va­nity to desire the saving Inspirations of the Holy Spirit; for Christ hath encouraged us to ask the Holy Spirit, which is the same to our Souls, as [Page 149] bread is unto the Body, or the most nourishing Food. And whereas he saith, that Inspiration will add nothing to the Reputation of a mans parts who hath it. I answer: yea, the Divine Inspiration that we plead for, which is of a moral and saving Nature, doth add exceedingly to a mans parts, whether acquired or natural; and consequently to their true and just Reputation for Grace (which is a Divine Principle) inspired and infused into the Soul, doth sanctifie both the Soul of man and all its faculties, and parts, and healeth all the Souls Diseases and Disorders, and consequently doth greatly improve, assist, and enlarge the mans parts and rational faculties, who is so inspired, as abundant Experience can be given both of latter and former Ages. And tho' Inspiration of the Spirit of God may make Chil­dren and Ideots, such as some of the Apostles were, to preach or speak well, yet it leaveth them not still to be Children and Ideots, but by degrees doth largely replenish them both with spiritual, and sometimes with a great natural un­derstanding. And doth not the Author think that Paul had a greater and nobler enlargedness of his rational faculties, and the use of them in Preach­ing, Disputing, and Writing, on the account of his being divinely inspired? and although the in­spired Man is but the Vessel to the Treasure, yet he is not a dead Vessel or Machine, but is a living sensible, rational Vessel, and is quickned, [Page 150] strengthened, and beautifyed, yea, and perfected thereby, as the Body is by the Soul that is lodged in it. So that however others, who are declared Enemies to Divine Inspiration, may judge, we have cause to conclude, That men indeed Divine­ly inspired, are the most truly Rational Men in the World, and have the truest and noblest use of all their Rational and Intellectual faculties, if duly improved.