too, the right ufe of them. And for this End made it (as far as he was able) no lefs than the Mark of the Beast to spell true English, or to write true and intelligible Sence. And if any doubt be made hereof, let his Laft Will and Te ftament (as it is now to be feen under his own Hand in Doctor's Commons, London. And in writing of which, it is to be prefumed he took no little care to be exact and curious) be a moft Faithfull and Lafting Record of the Unquestionable Truth thereof.

And yet what a Legend of Lyes do I meet with by whomfoever Penned called Geo. Fox's Fournal? What an aftonishing Inttance of unfufferable impofitions is that impudent Imposture? And yet who fees not thô, that all thofe Lyes were invented, and written, on purpofe to reprefent this known Egregious Block-head to the next Generation, as a Man of exquifite Parts and Knowledge. That fo what he, and his Difciples have written against the Holy Scriptures (among other his Blafphemies) may the readier be entertained, and the easier swallowed: And by gaining this point, he and his Followers may the easier accomplish that Popish defign, all this Sweat and Diligence fo confpiciously and apparently tends to promote and perfect.

It is not in vain then all Men may fee] that theQuakers have beftirred themfelves fo effectually to affright Men from Reading our Holy Bible: telling them that the Letter Kills, thereby meaning, that by Reading the Blessed Scriptures, and making them the Rule to try all propofed Dod rines, men become their own (that is their Souls) Murderers.

But (after all their fruitless brawlings against them) this was another great End of their Penning.

Even to be the standing Rule of our Faith: and the Touch-tone for all Doctrines: to prove whether they are true or falle, to the end of the World. To the Law and to the Teftimony: if any speak not attožbing to this, it is because there is no light in binta Ifa. 8. 19, 20 Men may pretend to Light, and to Inpirations, and Revelations, and to Vifions, and to immediate Commands from God, but the Scriptures must judge of all thefe. And if they do not exactly agree with them, all their boastings of them, will prove in the end to be miferable Pretences only. For there is no Light in them, their Light they brag of, is but Darkness; and if their Light be Darknējs, how great is that Darkness? Mat. 6. 23.

Hence the Beraans are faid to be more Noble than they of Theffalonica, because they received the Word with all readiness of Mind, and fearched the Scriptures daily, whether those things they heard Prea ched were fo or no. A&s 17. 11.

The Bleffed Apostle Dr. Paul had as much to say for his Doctrines, from Inspirations, Revelations, a. d Vifions, as another: but neither do we read that he preffed the Beraans to rely thereon, nor have we reafon to believe, that if he had, they would have been therewith Satisfied. No, they went à furer way to work than fo: They fearch'd the Scriptures, both Men and Women, about the things Preached unto them. And when they found an Agreement between them, then they Embraced the Doctrines Preached, and not before.

And we do not find that St. Paul Difcouraged them for this their Diligence: nor that he fell presently foul upon the Scriptures, and declaimed against them. No, that was fit only for fuch as diftrufled their Verdict, and knew they were against them. But on the contrary, he here highly Com mends them.

Yea, our Bleffed Saviour himfelf, when he would convince his Hearers that he was the true Meffias, it was always from the Scriptures. Search the Scriptures faith he, &c. And they are they which tefti fie of me. John 5. 39. And again, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your Ears. Luke 4. 21. And after his Refurrection, being willing to convince his Difciples fully in that great Mystery, beginning at Mofes and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24. 25, 25, 27.

And this was the Cuftom in all Ages of the Church, and especially at the first planting of the Gospel. For when St. Paul went about to convince Jews or Gentiles, as thofe of Theffalonica name,that Jefus whom he Preached unto them, was the Christ. The Text tells us, that (as his manner was) he went into their Synagogue, and reasoned with them; and by opening, and alledging the Scriptures, proved the fame unto them. Acts 17. 1, 2, 3. in like manner, it is faid of Apollos, that he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly; fhewing by the Scriptures that Jefus was the Chrift, Ats 18. 28. God could have Converted the Ethiopian Eunuch (had he so pleased) without the Ministry of Man. But to advance the Glory of his Word, and the Honour of his Ministry, he paffes by Revelations, and Immediate Inspirations, and fends unto him Philip; who by expounding the Scriptures Preached unto him fefus, and thereby both convinced, and converted him. See Acts 8. from 28. to. 39.

What should I fay more, when the Blessed Apostle St. Paul is fo clear in this matter? Hear ye him. That Mystery (faith he) which was kept fecret from the World, now is made Manifeft, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the

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Commandment of the Everlafting God; made known to all Nations, for the Obedience of Faith." Rom. 16. 25, 26.

It is not then every Mans private fpirit, it is not every Mans Light within, which can furnish him with Gifts fufficient for a Speaker, and Publifher of the Truth. We have no Scripture fhews us this. Neither our Saviour, nor any of his Apostles, or Difciples, have handed down unto us any fuch Doctrine. But of the Scriprures we have this Enconium, this Affurance, that it is able to make us wife unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jefus being all given by Inspiration of God, it is Profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness; that the Man of God may be Perfect, throughly furnished unto all good Works. 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17.

I now leave it to every fober Christian to guess then, whether thefe Men who fo much cry down the Scriptures, and instead of them advance their own Dreams and private Conceptions, are therein guided by that infallible Spirit which infpired, or by that Light which fhineth in the Scrip

tures.

Sect. IV. The Quakers will allow no Interpretations of the Scriptures but their own.

That this is clear, their own Printed Books do abundantly teftifie. For they affirm, that they have that Infallible Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures; the which Spirit all others want: by which fay they) and not the Letter (as they scornfully call the Scriptures) all Doctrines are to be tried.

Obferve I pray, Light within is here turned into the Holy Spirit of God. Well, let us fee now what G2

Feats

Feats it can do in this fhape. Hear I pray itsgreat Patron James Naylor in his Book to Francis Harris, p. 9. "The Infallible Spirit (faith he) which "gave forth the Scriptures, is the Sole trier of "Spirits and Doctrines. And again, in his Love to the lost, p. 16. He faith " You who believe not "in the Light are Enemies to the Faith; And

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yet you get the words of Scriptures given forth "from the Light, (that is you fee, from the Spirit "fo your Faith ftands in the Wifdom of Words.

The fame faith John Chandler, p. 4. Yea, all of them (not one cxcepted) will admit of no Interpretations of the Scriptures, but what they themfelves deliver; For the very Reafon above alledged. And therefore they only are to be Judges thereof.

So that if they should grant you your defire in the former Section, that all Doctrines are to be tried by the Scriptures, and that thofe Holy Oracles fhould be as you will have them) the Sole, and only rule of Faith. You must therewith grant them this too,that all Interpretations must come from them: for afmuch as they only are the Infallible Interpreters of them. And then are ye in far worfe Cafe than ye were before. For now by this Conceffion, they will always be infallibly in the right, and all others infallibly in the wrong. And with what Front then, can any Man contradi&t them?

Now whofe Image and Superfcription hath this Divinity? I may fay too truly with St Jerome L.4. Contr. Jovin. hac funt fibila Serpentis Antiqui. Thefe are the hiflings of the old Serpent. Alas! all this too, is from Rome.

Bufans the Jefuite furnished them with this Weapon, out of his rusty Armoury. Hear ye him,

If thou (faith he to his Popish Reader) canft "not avoid a Difputation with an Heretick (by