Imatges de pàgina
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1. They both of them confound Juftification with Sanctification; and make no real Diftinction between them. Let them fhew (if they are able any of them) any fuch diftinction owned or taught by any of them.

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II. They both hold that experimentally falfe Doctrine, of a finleß perfection in this Life; and they both maintain the fame, with the felf fame Arguments. See Bishop Jewels Def. of the Apol. 2. Part. Chap. 19. Div. 1, Where Mr. Hard. the Jef. thus Argues. We know (faith he) what mark "you shoot at, by your Doctrine in other places. "Your meaning is, that no Man in this Life is "able (by the grace of God) to fulfil the Com"mandments. We believe, that God Commands "us nothing impoffible to us, otherwife how "could he justly punish for not doing that Com"mandment which by no means we were able to "fulfil? Therewith urging thofe Words of our Saviour: Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect, Mat. 5. ult. And alfo thofe Words of the Apostle, Let as many of us as be perfect, be thus minded, Phil, 3. 15. The very fame Argument, and the very fame quotations to back the fame, which the Quakers have fo much triumphed with, in their Difpitations upon this Subject. And indeed, upon my ferious perufal of all the Quakers Arguments to en force this Sinlefs Perfection, I do not remember that, I have met with fo much as one, which the Papifts had not long fince improved (even long before George Fox's new Edition of Popery) for that very purpofe as any Man may quickly be convinced of, by leading Bellarmine, Salmeron, Lindan, Valentia, and generally all who have written of the fulfilling of the whole Law. To all which, our Proteftant Writers have abundantly Anfwer'd, and fufficiently confuted this Error: And fince the Quakers

have produced nothing new, the fame Answers may Suffice them all.

The Truth is, neither Quakers nor Papifts were the firft Founders of this Herefy. Pelagius was the Man who first hurl'd this infection about the Chriftian World. Whom St, Aug, undertook so smartly, and confuted fo confpicuously, that he who diligently reads his learned treatifes de peccatorum meritis & remiffione, (efpicially, Lib. Sec. Cap. 13. & 15, 16. And de perfectione Juftitia, and Retract, Lib. 1. C. 19. And many other Places, needs no other Anfwers to thofe Jejune and empty Argu.

ments.

Yet before I quite difinifs this fubject, I cannot but defire the Reader to peruse James 3. 2. Who faith, in many things we offend all. Even all without exception. And Ecclef. 7. 20. For there is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and finneth not. And again, 1 Kings 8. 46. For there is no Man that finneth

not.

And for a full fatisfaction in this matter: we are to confider,

I. That this Word Perfect, fometimes fignifies Sincere, or Upright: and fo Job, and Zacharias, and Elizabeth, are faid to be perfect and blameless. So in the forecited, Phil. 3. 15. Let us as many as be perfect, be thus minded (i. e.) as many as halt not betwixt Mofes and Chrift, the Law and the Gospel, let them think as we do.

II. That there is a comparative Perfection, which is often spoken of in the Scripture. And therefore those who adhered to the Gospel, were accounted perfect in comparison of those who adhered to the Ceremonial Law. And this was the perfection St. Paul was fo industrious to bring his Philippians, and Coloffians unto, Col. 1. 28.

III. That there is a perfection of parts which we allow

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allow to Chriftians in this Life, but not of degrees, that being reserved for the Life to come. Thus a Child is a perfect Man in respect of parts, as having all the organical parts of a Man: But not in respect of Growth and Stature, and Strength, to which he arrives by degrees, more and more daily. Thus the Apostle diftinguishes betwixt Babes in knowledge, and those who had their fenfes exercised to difcern betwixt Good and Evil, Hebr. 6. 1. And the Scripture doth frequently excite and exhort tọ endeavour after this perfection of degrees, when yet it no where faith, it is to be attained unto in this Life. And this alfo we wish (faid St. Paul) even your perfection, 2 Cor. 13. 9. That is, that they might go on to perfection, as was faid before, Hebr. 6.1. St. Paul himself was not in this accep tation perfect, but going on to it only. "Not as tho' "I were already perfect (faid he) but I forget "that which is behind, and reaching forth unto "those things which are before, I prefs toward the Mark, &c. Phil. 3. 12, 13, 14. He tells us, that while he was here, he did fee thro' a glaß darkly; and that now (i. c. in this Life) he did know but in part, 1 Cor. 13. 12. And the Apostle St. John [fpeaking of himself, and the most perfect Saints of his time] faith, if we say that we have no fin, we deceive our felves, and the Truth is not in us, &c. 1- John 1. 8, 9.

But as to this proud boast of the Quakers, I will E to put an end to all farther Difputes thereon] referr my felf to the Ingenious Reader's confide ration of our Saviours own fence of this Controverfy; when to convince the bragging Pharifee of his Imperfection, who had talked fo high of his Perfection, and had faid more than all the Quakers of the World have done hitherto; and had declared not only his full obedience to all the Divine Commandments,

mandments, but also added, 4 these have 1 kept from my youth up; and therefore infultingly demands what lack I yet? Obferve how our Saviour tartly, and to purpose replies, faying. If thou wilt be perfect, go thy way, fell that thou hast, and give to the poor, take up the Croß and come, and follow me. Mat. 19. 20, 21. with Mark 10. 21. Where our Saviour, knowing his disease, forces him by this injunEtion to a difcovery thereof unto others, and [if his pride had not eaten out all his difcretion] to a conviction thereof unto himself alfo External

pollutions he had in great measure kept his hands clean from; for which our Saviour commended him; but internal Pollutions he was little inquifitive after. The covetoufnefs of his heart was not E'till then perhaps] fufpected by him; but now. he was thereof convicted by our Saviour, for faith the Text, he forfook Chrift rather than he would his Riches; he went away forrowful. The appli- • cation is easy. I leave it both to the Quakers themfelves, and alfo to the Ingenious Readers.

CHAP. X I.

Shewing the Quakers Agreement with the Papists in their Afferting their own Infallibility.

Both

Oth Papists and Quakers exact from all Men a compleat conformity to all their Doctrines and Practices, purely upon this score that each of them proclaim themfelves Infallible. Now if this could be clear'd by either party, it would then quickly give a decifive ftroke to all our Controverfies, and filence all Oppofers and Oppofitions what foever. Now Man in his natural state is paft all Opposition

Oppofition fallible. As is plain from 1 Cor. 2. 14And indeed if this be not granted, all other Men have as just a claim to this privilege as eitherof them.

Well then, confider we Man as regenerate, and born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and his Divine Power. Yet even then, are our Underftandings all imperfect, as has been fhewed before, 1 Cor. 2. 14. Our intellectual eye has a blemish, a foreness, of which (on this fide Immortality it can never be perfectly cured; in fomuch that there is daily need of the eye falve from on high, to take off the darkness thereof, Rev. 3. 18. St. John fpeaks of those who had the anointment to teach them all things: yea in an high hyperbole he faith,that they knew all things, 1 John 2.20. Yet were not thefe Men Infallible, or out of the reach of being deceived: and therefore he warns them to beware of Seducers, notwithstanding their Unction. Now to what purpose was this Caution, if they were Infallible? If they could not be deceived, why then doth he fay, Let no Man deceive you, 1 John 3. 7. Now if they themselves might be deceived, then might they deceive others alfo. Whence all Men may truly inferr, that no Man is Infallible, but at fome times, and in fome things, every Man is fubject unto Error.

Job's Friends fpake at fome times of God the things that were not right, Job 42. 7, 8. And Job himself darkned counsel by words without knowledg, Job 38.2. And who I pray has an Underftanding fo clear, as thereby to penetrate into the great Depths of Gods Divine Counfels? And who can dig fo deep as to discover the hidden Tracts of his infinite Wisdom in his Providences? The Apostle hides himfelf in a profound admiration

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