ception, whether they were Jews or Greeks, Barbarians, Scythians, Bond or Free; and that it was preached then far and wide; or as the Word may be rendered, not in every Creature, but in the whole Creation, or World, or all the then known Parts thereof, whitherfoever the Apostles or Evangelifts came. For Preaching is never ufed to fignify inward Teaching, but only outward Teaching with the Voice or Speech. And it could be no other Preaching that the Apostle here fpeaks of, fince it was fuch as they had heard with their bodily Ears.

And it is plain from the preceeding Verfes of that Chapter, that by the Gofpel preached to every Creature, which the Quakers would have rendered, in every Creature, the Apoftle does not mean the Gofpel preached inwardly, but the Gospel preached outwardly, as being the Doctrine of our Redemption by Jefus Chrift, through the Blood of his Cross, and his Death in the Body of his Flesh; which is a Doctrine that is confeffed the Light within does not inwardly teach, without any outward Teaching, Verfe 20, 22.

And however the Quakers pretend to their being taught their Religion from the Light within, it is a Matter of Fact we are fufficiently affured of, that they do not learn what is peculiar to it from the Light within, but from one another; for they cannot instance in any one that is a Quaker, who was not made fo by hearing them, or reading their Books; and the first of them had what he taught from other Enthufiafts that were before him: So that their being taught their Religion from the Light within, is but a vain and empty Pre

tence.

Quest.

Queft. Was the Miniftry of Men, and outward Preaching to the Ear, with the Voice and Speech, the general and ordinary way whereby Men were brought to the Knowledge and Belief of the Gospel in the Apostles Days?

Anf. Yes; it was the general and ordinary way, even in the Apostles Days: For it was by their outward Preaching after Chrift's Afcenfion, that others at firft were brought to the Knowledge and Belief of the Gofpel; So we preached, and fo ye believed, faith St. Paul,

I Cor. XV. II.

And we do not find that Cornelius was taught the Knowledge and Belief of the Gofpel by the Light within, but that he was ordered by a Vifion to fend Men to Joppa, to call for Peter, who should tell him Words, to wit, concerning Jefus of Nazareth, whereby he and his Houfe fhould be faved, Acts xi. 13, 14. And when Chrift was to reveal his Mind and Will to the Churches of Afia, he did not do it by the Light within, but by an Angel to St. John, who was by Writing to fignify it to them, Rev. i. 1, 2, 3. And he describes other good Chriftians befides his Apostles, to be fuch as fhould believe through, their Word; that is, that was outwardly preached by them, John xvii. 20. And it was foretold how our Lord would teach. his People under the Gofpel, outwardly by his Word, and inwardly by his Spirit concurring therewith, Isaiah lix. 21. And therefore the Spirit that would feparate it felf from the outward Word, and oppofe the Spirit's inward to his outward Teaching, cannot be the fame Spirit that was the Author of the Scripture. And the Gofpel is called the Miniftration of the Spirit, as

the

the Spirit is promised and joined with it, and as the outward Preaching of it is the outward ordinary Means whereby the Spirit communicates all Spiritual Light and Life to us, 2 Cor. iii. 8.

And if the Light within were fufficient to teach Men all that is neceffary for them without the Scripture; how came the rich Man in Hell, who defired of Abraham, that fome might be fent from the Dead to preach to his Brethren on Earth, to have that Answer given him; They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them? Would it not have been a fitter Anfwer, according to the Quakers Do&trine, They have the Light within them, let them hear that, for that is fufficient to teach them all that is needful for them, without any Thing else? Luke xvi. 19.

Queft. Is it of any dangerous Confequence to fay, that Chrift enlightens every Man inwardly, with a Measure of Light within him, fufficient to teach him all the Effentials of Christianity, without any outward Teaching?

Anf. Yes; it is of very dangerous Confequence, as being plainly contrary to the Chriftian Difpenfation, and the way in which the Chriftian Religion was propagated through the World; wnich was in an outward fentible way, by outward Teaching, and by outward Signs and Miracles. And it would follow from thence, that there was no need of Chrift's outward Teaching, nor of his fending his Apoftles to teach all Nations, nor of their writing the Scriptures; and that there never were, nor could be, any Sins of Ignorance, but that all would be committed against Light and Knowledge; which is contrary

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trary to the Scripture, and common Sense and Experience; for we read of fome who know not their Mafter's Will, and know not what they do, Luke xii. 48. John xvi. 2.

And whereas they fay, No Man can leave the Light within, without knowing that he does fo, while his Day of Vifitation lafts, and all that leave it are felf-condemned: It is plain St. Paul, while his Day of Vifitation lafted, could have no Light within him to inform his Confcience better, nor be felf-condemned, when he verily thought within himfelf, that he ought to do many Things contrary to the Name of Jesus, Acts xxvi. 9. for he says exprefly, he did it in Ignorance and Unbelief, 1 Tim. i. 13. And when it was prophefied of the Meffiah, That he should be given for a Light to the Gentiles, it is clear he was not fo then; seeing till his coming in the Flesh, and his being outwardly preached to them, they were in the Regions of Darkness, as the Heathen Part of the World now ftill are, Ifaiah xlix. 6. Matth. iv. 16.

And if every Man in the World has a Light within him, fufficient to teach him all that is neceffary, what have the Quakers to pretend to more than others; unless they will fay, it is only they who follow this Light within; which any others may fay as well as they; and which many that widely differ from them, pretend to as much as they? And would they not have acted more agreeably to their Principle of the Sufficiency of the Light within, if they had, with Muggleton, laid afide all outward Teaching, and left every Man to follow the Light within him?

Queft. What will be the Confequence of faying, That the Light within every Man

coming into the World, is fufficient to teach him all the Effentials of Chriftianity, without the Scripture, or any outward Teaching; and yet, that it does not teach them any Thing of Chrift's outward Birth, and Death and Sufferings in the Flesh, and the other Hiftorical Truths and Matters of Fact concerning him, recorded in the Scriptures, without the Scripture, and outward Teaching?

895.

An. The plain Confequence of this will be, that they must make the Knowledge of these Truths, as indeed they do, to be no neceffa- R. B's ry nor effential Parts of Chriftianity. And if Coll. p. they lay afide these Truths, and the other effential Doctrines of Chriftianity that depend thereupon, there will be nothing left for the Light within to teach them, but only the bare Principles of Morality and Natural Religion, which their own natural Reason and Conscience may teach them. And what are the four Gofpels, but a Hiftory of what Chrift is, faid, did, and fuffered? But it seems a Man may be a Quaker Chriftian, without knowing any Thing of this.

R. B's

Coll. p.

Queft. Do not they fay, that though the Light within does not teach them any Thing 895. of Chrift's outward Birth and Sufferings in the Flesh, yet it teaches them many other Evangelical Truths without the Scripture?

Anf. Yes: They fay fo, and that is all, without having ever given us any Proof that the Light within teaches them any of the peculiar Truths of the Gofpel without the Scripture. And we have no Reason to take their bare Word for it; nor to believe them upon any less Evidence than their working of unquestionable Miracles to atteft it; fuch as cannot be wrought by any natural Power,

but