Principle. They own and ftile the fcriptures, as they own and ftile themselves; viz. A declaration of those things moft truly believed, given forth, in former ages, by the infpiration of the Holy Spirit; confequently that they are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righte oufnefs, that the man of God may be perfect, tho'roughly furnished unto all good works." They are the form of found words. We profefs to believe them, and read them, and fay, it is the work we have to do in this world, and the earnest defire of our fouls to Almighty God, that we may feel and witness the fulfilling of them in and upon ourselves; that fo God's will may be done in earth, as it is in heaven. But to call them the word of God, (the ground of the charge). which they never call themfelves, but which they peculiarly denominate and call Chrift by; in reverence to Chrift, and in no flight to them (which they believe to be of divine authority, and embrace as the best of books, and allow to be as much the word of God, as a book can be) they do, as in duty and reafon bound, attribute that title to Chrift only.

And yet, as the word of God may, in fome sense, fignify the command of God, referring to the thing or matter commanded, as the mind of God, it may be called the word of the Lord, or word of God: as, on particular occafions, the prophets had the word of the Lord to perfons and places; that is to fay, the mind, or will, of God, or that which was commanded them of the Lord to declare or do. So Chrift ufes it, when he tells the Pharifees, that they had "made the word "(or command) of God of none effect by their tradi"tions." But because people are fo apt to think, if they have the fcriptures they have all; for that they account them the only word of God, and fo look no farther; that is, to no other word, from whence those good words came: therefore this people have been

13.

1 Luke i. 1. 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. John i. 4, 14. Rev. xix. Mark vii. 13.

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 "Chrift 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 whose 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 themselves, 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 adverfaries. God hath made ufe of the fcriptures, and daily doth and will make use of them, for inftruction, reproof, comfort, and edification, through the Spirit, to those that read them as they ought to do. Thus, they say, 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 wish heartily they were more in requeft with the profeffors of Chrif tianity.

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

SECT.

SECT. IV.

Of the Holy Spirit of God, and its office with refpe& to man; and of Miniftry, &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 ministry, 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 visible inftruments, nor the neceffity of its manifeftations, convictions, motions, and operations, to be known in the hearts of men, and the great fuitablenefs thereof to the gospel-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 strike 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 thofe 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 ministry, is the only ministry, 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 feripture, they both own, refpect, and delight in; and are ready to affift and support, in their

fervice for God."

It is strange, 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 used 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; otherwise they are filent before the Lord. Nor are they without fpiritual fongs, making melody in their hearts to God their Redeemer, by the fame Holy Ghost, as often as they are comforted and moved by it, as it was the primitive practice."

SECT.

V.

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 thefe Three are truly and properly One: of one nature, as well as will. But they are very tender of quitting Scripture terms and

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

ix. 5. ii. 8.

Rom.

phrases

phrafes for Schoolmens; fuch as, diftin&t and Separate perfons, and fubfiftences,' &c. are; from whence people are apt to entertain grofs ideas and notions of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. And they judge, that a curious enquiry into thofe high and divine relations, and other fpeculative fubjects, though never fo great truths in themselves, tend little to godliness, and lefs to peace; which fhould be the chief aim of true Chriftians: and therefore they cannot gratify that curiofity in themselves, or others: Speculative truths being, in their judgment, to be fparingly and tenderly declared, and never to be made the measure and condition of Chriftian communion. For befides that Christ Jefus hath taught them other things, the fad confequences, in all times, of fuperfining upon fcripturetexts, do fufficiently caution and forbid them. Men are too apt to let their beads out-run their hearts, and their notion exceed their obedience, and their paffion fupport their conceits; inftead of a daily cross, a conftant watch, and an boly practice. The defpifed Quakers defire this may be their care, and the text their creed in this, as in all other points: preferring self-denial to opinion, and charity to knowledge, according to that great Chriftian doctrine, 1 Cor. xiii.

SEC T. VI.

Of the Divinity of Chrift.

Perverf. 10. The Quakers deny Chrift to be God.' Principle. A moft untrue and unreasonable cenfure: for their great and characteristical principle being this, That Chrift, as the Divine Word, lighteth the fouls of all men that come into the world, with a fpiritual and faving light, according to John i. 9. ch. viii. 12.' (which nothing but the Creator of fouls can do) it does fufficiently fhew they believe him to be God; for they truly, and expressly, own him to be fo, according to fcripture; viz. "In him was life, and that