taught by it to "deny ungodliness, and worldly lufts, " and to live foberly, and righteously, and godly in "this present world," as the fcripture teacheth; yet it no ways follows that men must obey, and learn so to do, whether they will or not. God tenders faving light or grace to all, and by it calls all, and strives and pleads with all, according to the measure and manifeftation of it: but if they will not hearken to it, he is clear of their blood. His light is faving, that lighteth them; but it cannot be faid to fave them, while they rebel against it. In fhort, though men are lightened or vifited with a faving light or grace, yet the Quakers never concluded, nor can it rightly be concluded from their teftimony, that fuch men muft neceffarily and abfolutely be faved, whether they obey, or rebel.

Perverf. 4. By the Quakers light or fpirit, they ⚫ may be moved to murder, adultery, treafon, theft, or C any fuch-like wickedness; because they say that such as are fo led, have the light within them.'

Principle. This never was their doctrine, nor is it confequent of it: for though they hold that all have light, they never faid that all obeyed it, or that evil men, as fuch, or in fuch things, were led by it: much lefs could the light be chargeable with the fins of those that refused to be led by it. For herein they know the Spirit of God, and the motions of it, from the fpirit of this world, and its fruits, that the Spirit of God con⚫ demns all ungodlinefs, and moves and inclines to purity, mercy, and righteousness,' which are of God.h

They deny and abominate that loofe and ranting mind, which would charge the Spirit of God with their unholy liberty. God's Spirit makes people free from fin, and not to commit fin. Neither do they distinguish, as fuch loose people wickedly do, between

John iii. 20, 21. Tit. ii. 21, 22, 23, 24. Mic. vi. 8. vii. 17, 18. chap. xxi. 17. Gal. v. 16, 26.

21.

11, 12. Gen. vi. 5. Ezek. xviii, 1 Tim. ii. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 9. Job chap. xxiv. 13. Ꮒ John iii. 20,

the

the act, and the evil of it. Wherefore they fay, That as the tree is known and denominated by its fruits; fo fpirits are by their influences, motions, and inclinations and the Spirit of God never did incline any one to evil.' And for that cause they renounce this conftruction of the ranters, That evil is no evil, when they are led to it by God's Spirit:' for that grofsly implies, as if the Spirit of God led man at any time to that which is evil in itself; or that it were poffible to be finless in the commiffion of fin, as murder, theft, adultery, revenge, &c. For that never was, nor can be, the way and method of God's Spirit, which is pure and holy for ever; and brings all, that regard the convictions and motions of it, into a fense and forrow for fin, and fo leads them into a state of reformation; without which, all profeffion of religion is mere formality and hypocrify. So that man's fin and deftruction are of himself; but his help is in God alone, through Jesus Christ, our bleffed Sacrifice and Sanctifier.

SEC. T. II.

Of Infallibility and Perfection.

Perverf. 5. The Quakers must be all infallible and perfect, if they have fuch an infallible light in them.' Principle. No fuch matter: this is also a great abuse of their true meaning. They fay, the principle is pure, perfect, unerrable, in itself; or else it were very unfit to lead men out of error and impurity.' But they never did affert themselves fuch, merely because it was within them: by no means. But that all who are led by it, and live according to its manifeftation, are fo far perfect; and fo far infallible in the right way, as they are led by it, and not a jot farther. For it is not opinion, or speculation, or notions, of what is true; or affent to, or the fubfcription of, articles or

i Rom. viii. 4.

propo

constrained, and they believe by God's good Spirit, once and again to point them to the great Word of words, Chrift Jefus, in whom is life, and that life the light of men"; that they might feel fomething nearer to them than the fcriptures, to wit, the word in the beart, from whence all holy fcripture came, which is "Christ within them, the hope of their glory."" And, to be fure, He is the only right expounder, as well as the author, of holy fcripture; and without whofe light, fpirit, or grace, they cannot be profitably read, by thofe that read them.

Perverf. 7. They deny them to be any means whereby to refift temptation.'

Principle. This is a very uncharitable afperfion. True it is, that they deny the fcriptures merely, or of themfelves, to be fufficient to refift temptations; for then all that have them, and read them, would be fure to be preferved by them against temptations: but that they should deny them to be any means, or inftrument, in God's hand, is either great ignorance, or injuftice, in their adversaries. God hath made use of the scriptures, and daily doth and will make use of them, for inftruction, reproof, comfort, and edification, through the Spirit, to thofe that read them as they ought to do. Thus, they fay, they have felt them, and fo they have been, and are, made unto them, through the good Spirit of God, coming in upon their Spirits, in the reading and confidering of them; and wifh heartily they were more in request with the profeffors of Chriftianity.

■ John i. 4. • Deut. xxx. 14. Rom. x. 6, 7, 8.

SECT.

Of the Holy Spirit of God, and its office with refpect to man; and of Ministry, &c.

Perverf. 8. The Quakers affert the Spirit of God to be the immediate teacher, and that there is no other ⚫ means now to be used, as miniftry, ordinances,' &c.

Principle. They never fpoke fuch language, and their daily practice confutes the reflection. But herein we perceive the great fubtlety of Satan, as well as in other things, to darken the appearance of the truth, and prepoffefs peoples minds against it. For fince he cannot hinder the exaltation of the Spirit above all vifible inftruments, nor the neceffity of its manifestations, convictions, motions, and operations, to be known in the hearts of men, and the great fuitableness thereof to the gofpel-adminiftration, he would fpoil all by over-doing the matter, and carrying our affertions beyond bounds: for they never denied the use of means; but, to this day, from the beginning, they have been in the practice of them. But then they are fuch means as are used in the life and power of God, and not in and from man's mere wit, will, or carnal innovation or imitation; the only thing they ftrike at. For instance; they cannot own that to be a gospelministry, that is without a gofpel-fpirit; or that fuch can be fent of God, that are not taught of God; or that they are fit to teach others what regeneration and the way to heaven are, that have never been born again themselves; or that fuch can ever bring fouls to God, that are themselves ftrangers (like those in the Acts xix. 21.) to the baptifm of fire, and the Holy Ghost; } never having been circumcifed with the circumcifion of the beart in the fpirit, Rom. ii. 29. Which is fo abfolutely neceffary to make a true Jew, or a real Chriftian, and much more the requifite qualification of a gospel-miniftry.

This unexperienced and lifeless miniftry, is the only miniftry, and fuch the only minifters, that the people called Quakers cannot own and receive, and therefore cannot maintain. For the miniftry and the minifters that are according to fcripture, they both own, refpect, and delight in; and are ready to affist and fupport, in their fervice for God."

;

It is ftrange, because they deny all falfe means, or means not fanctified, or used in the openings and leadings of God's power and Spirit, that therefore they muft deny all means, however rightly ufed or employed. This is an injuftice to their profeffion and practice. Wherefore all are defired to take notice, that evangelical means and order they love, and defire to keep for they diligently affemble themselves together to wait upon God, to enable them to worship him; where they both pray and prophefy, one by one, as prepared and moved in their hearts by his Spirit, and as any thing is revealed to them, according to primitive practice; otherwife they are filent before the Lord, Nor are they without fpiritual fongs, making melody in their bearts to God their Redeemer, by the fame Holy Ghoft, as often as they are comforted and moved by it, as it was the primitive practice."

Of the Holy Three, or Scripture Trinity.

Perverf. The Quakers deny the Trinity.'

Principle. Nothing lefs: they believe in the Holy Three, or Trinity of Father, Word, and Spirit, according to Scripture. And that these Three are truly and properly One: of one nature, as well as will. But they are very tender of quitting Scripture terms and

15, 16.

P John xiv. 16, 17, 26. ch. xvi. 13. Acts i. 8. Gal. i. G, 9 See. 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 29, 30, 31. John xvi. 7, 20, 22. Eph. v. 19. Col. iii. 16. John i. 1. c. xiv. 9. Rom. 1 John v. 7. 1 Cor. i. 18, 31. ch. ii. 2.-6. Col.

ix. 5.

r

ii. 8.

phrafes