things feemingly profound, but, in the end, neither themselves, nor others, can make any diftinct sense of what they have faid: this we ufually call banter. And I must acknowledge, as far as I can fee, your discourse of this light within is perfectly fuch. Take notice, we, in our preaching, require people to look within, as much as you do we strictly charge all to walk according to the convictions and light they have received. We daily appeal unto confcience: but then we teach, that confcience (opened by the Holy Spirit, under the miniftry of the word, Acts xvi. 14.) does, and muft, take in its light from holy fcripture; "The commandment of "the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes," Pfalm xix. 8. (viz. of the mind, Ephef. i. 18.) "Thy word is as "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths," Pfalm cxix. cv. "To the law and to the teftimony; if they" (even men in their confciences) speak not according << to this word, it is because there is NO LIGHT in "them," Ifa. viii. 20. Now these things are intelligible. This rule is fixed and certain, nothing of which can be faid of your light within. с In your eighth article you tell us, ' worship under the gofpel is inward and fpiritual.' If you mean hereby, that all outward and bodily worship ought to be accompanied with an inward and spiritual worship, it is what we daily preach and practise, and even in private prefs. But if, as it would feem, you mean all the worship God now requires is from the inward man, or from the Spirit, this is abominably falfe: for our bodies are God's handy-work, and Christ's purchase, as well as our fouls on which reafon, God, by his apoftle, commands, "Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, "[T] which (in the plural number, that is, both which) are God's." Not to tell you, that you yourselves, now-a-days, perform fomewhat of bodily worship. And indeed, if there be not a worship of the body, as well as of the fpirit, there can be no publick worship. This article, therefore, must also be mended, to make it Christian. In your ninth article, you tell us of your your denying all the vain cuftoms and fashions of the world, as ⚫ alfo excess in all things.' I know no fort of Chriftians who teach otherwife; I wish I could fay, I knew none (even of ourselves) that practise otherwife. It is one part of the catechifm we teach our children, to renounce all thefe. But there are many innocent and laudable cuftoms which you call vain. Would it not almost make a man's stomach turn to hear one forbear, in point of confcience, faying you to a single perfon, because it is improper; and at the fame time, while he is fpeaking to his fuperior, because thou dost founds a little rudely, to foften the thou, and fay thee doeft, which is commonly your people's practice, and much more improper. Will you ever be able to prove the primitive Christians used a dialect or drefs different from others of their nation and qualities, and placed religion in it? Does not Chrift require faluting even those who falute not us ? And no doubt his and his apoftles falutations were in the common form. In a word, there is more vanity in fingularity and affectation, than in a moderate following a common innocent phrafe, garb, or custom. In your tenth article you believe (you fay) a fpiri‹ tual baptifm, and a fpiritual fupper, and communion;' but acknowledge you difufe the outward figns,' by us, commonly called facraments: now did not Chrift command water-baptifm? "Go ye and baptize all nations," Mat. xxviii. 19, 20. The baptifm here commanded, was water-baptifmm: for baptizing with the Spirit was GOD's work, not the apostles: and though the baptism of the Spirit commonly accompanied baptifm with water, yet not always, as in the cafe of Simon Magus, and many others. Yet did not Chrift promise "to be "with them (preaching to all nations, and baptizing) "to the end of the world?" Farther, Did not the apostles, in obedience to Chrift's command, both con ftantly practife, and alfo require, water-baptifm to all initiated Chriftians? Can any man forbid water, that "these should not be baptized, which have received "the Holy Ghoft as well as we?" And he [Peter] com commanded they should be baptized: Acts x. 47, 48. Then as to the outward use of bread and wine for the Lord's fupper, can any command be more express than, "This do in remembrance of me?" Four times repeated in the New (which you call the better) Teftament. To which St. Paul adds, "It is a fhewing forth "the Lord's death until he come," I Cor. xi. 26. Now if Chrift and his apoftles have commanded this, who hath authorized you to disuse it? Remember what St. Paul tells the Corinthians, "he received from the "Lord that which on this fubject he delivered to them," I Cor. xi. 23. And it is a fevere paffage in another epiftle of his, Gal. i. 8. "If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that " which we have preached unto you, let him be ac<< curfed." That which lays afide fo much of the gofpel, and fets up a new and variable rule of faith, (we know not what light within) is another and new gofpel. To draw towards a conclufion: I have written this fhort paper in much and true compaffion to you: it had been far easier to me to have faid more, than thus to have confined myfelf: I look upon many of you as an harmless, well-meaning people, but under ftrong -delufions, This your deluded ftate proceeds from your making what you call the light within you (which is, in many cafes, nothing but your own prefumptive perfuafion or fancy) a rule of faith and practice, co-ordinate, if not fuperior and antecedent, to the holy fcriptures: these words in your paper [which are the double and ⚫ agreeing record of true religion'] intimate at least thus much, that you will not believe what fcripture faith, except the light within you dictate the fame, and fo make a double record. Now, my friends, do not flatter yourselves, "GOD is not mocked;" you must anfwer at the dreadful day of judgment, amongst other points, to fuch as thefe; and therefore examine your confciences before-hand, 1. Is 1. Is it not your main end and study, by pretended mortifications, and renouncing the world, (while there are no fort of men alive that more eagerly pursue it, nor have more effectual, wily, and fecret ways of getting wealth than yourselves) Is it not, I fay, your main aim and end to make yourselves a party confiderable; and fuch to which, for reafons of ftate, peculiar privileges must be indulged? 2. Are not, to this purpose, many of your diftinctive characters, fuch as your different garb, (for it is plain, not a few of your people's clothes, as to materials, are more coftly than many of ours) your way of speaking, yea, even your looks and geftures, affumed rather to make yourselves remarkable, and at firft fight known from other people, than out of any persuasion, sense of duty, or confcience of obligation? 3. What reasonable or tolerable warrant can you plead for waving, fuppreffing, at least not confeffing, much the greater part of the Chriftian faith, and rejecting all outward pofitive parts of worship (especially baptifm and the Lord's fupper) which have fuch plain and repeated evidences in holy fcripture. Your light within, (or fenfe and perfuafion which you fay you have, and are fure is from Chrift) forafmuch as, in the prefent cafes, it dictateth against holy fcripture, can never be proved even to yourselves, much less to others, to be from Chrift: but must rather, in all reason, be refolved to be one of the heights or depths of fatan transforming himself into an angel of light. And for any perfons to yield to fuch conduct, (befides or against holy fcripture) is plainly to abandon themselves to the delufions of the devil. In a word, therefore, I again require you, as you will anfwer all your fecret arts and high pretences at Chrift's tribunal, that you either embrace and profefs intire Christian faith, in the points wherein I have fhewn you to be defective; and that you receive the Chriftian feals or badges, baptifm and the Lord's-fupper; or elfe that you desist to lay claim to the name of Chriftians. It is not for me to judge you; but again I say unto you, (truly from God, as his minifter) judge yourselves. This is the cafe. If men who take away, even from the "faith once delivered to the faints," at least two thirds, befides many main points of the other third; who equal their own prefumptuous conceits to the divine oracles and revelations; who use and difufe at pleasure, what parts of God's inftituted worship they think fit, even the very badges of Christianity (I will not here interpofe your making gain your godlinefs ;) but if the aforefaid men are in a way of perdition, what can you conclude of yourselves? In the name of God repent and return: and from my foul I pray, that God will please to give you repentance. Cork, July the zd 1698. EDWARD CORK and Ross. A DE |