Rusticus ad academicos in exercitationibus expostulatoriis, apologeticis quatuor The rustick's alarm to the rabbies, or, The country correcting the university and clergy, and ... contesting for the truth ... : in four apologeticall and expostulatory exercitations : wherein is contained, as well a general account to all enquirers, as a general answer to all opposers of the most truly catholike and most truly Christ-like Chistians [sic] called Quakers, and of the true divinity of their doctrine : by way of entire entercourse held in special with four of the clergies chieftanes, viz, John Owen ... Tho. Danson ... John Tombes ... Rich. Baxter ... by Samuel Fisher ...

CHAP. III.

Having Cleared the Quakers from sundry of those Calumnies thou falsly castest upon-them as concerning their Carriage toward the Scriptures as if they were Enemies, Haters, and Re∣proachers of it, and such-like, who in Truth are its truest Friends, in the former Chapter; I come on to Consider some of thy Cloudy Conjectures and Conceits concerning the Bounds of the Canon (as ye call it) thereof; the Hebrew Punctation, and thy Asserted Integrity of both that and the Greek Texts of it, without any variation to a very Title: Concerning the Canon of which thou Writest as follows;

JOhn Owen. Pag. 3. God spake of Old, or formerly in the Prophets; From the dayes of Moses and downwards, unto the Bounding and Consigna∣tion of the Canon delivered to the Judaical Church in the dayes of Ezra and his Companions, the men of the great Congregation.

Reply. 1. Why sayest thou from Moses downward, &c. as if he had ne∣ver done so before till then? Did not God speak in his Prophets, and by them to the men of their several Ages from Moses upwards as well as from Moses downwards? Did he not speak in Enooh the seventh from Adam, in Noah, in Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Lot, and Iob, who lived before Moses (if Catholick Tradition be to be Credited in one thing as well as another) and whose Book, who ever Pen'd it, whether himself, or some other, for ought thou knowest was written before Mos••s, who thou thinkest wrote the first of the Scripture, either lived or wrote? and by them, who were upright, righteous, just, and walked with God, to the wicked unrighteous World∣lings, and wantons who walked with the Devil in their Generations, who all were before Moses, as well as by Moses, and those that lived after him?

2. Why sayest thou downwards to the Consignation and Bounding of the Canon in Ezra's days, as if between his dayes and the dayes of Christs flesh the Spi∣rit of the Lord was straitned (as it never is, Mic. 2.) and God had limitted and bound up himself from manifesting his mind cut of his own mouth, to any men at all, for so many Hundred years toge∣ther, because some Prophets had been moved by him to commit to Writing, or at least to permit to be Written by others, some few of those things they

saw and said concerning partly their own, and partly the after times, and o∣ther Nations? Doth not Wisdom say of her self, That in all Ages entering in∣to holy Souls she maketh them friends of God, and Prophets? Wisd. 7.27. And were there no Holy men of God in those dayes, wherein ye imagine all Gods speaking in and by any Prophets then was ceased, in and by whom he manifested his Mind as he moved them to speak and write, as immediately as he had done others before them?

And who told thee, That the Canon (as thou call'st it) or full standing Rule of Tryal, or infallible Touch-stone of the Old Testament Scripture, to which no∣thing must or might be added after it till the time of Christ in the flesh was Compleated, and, after its Consignation and Bounding, by them delivered to the Judaical Church in the dayes of Ezra (alias Esdras) and his Companions the men (as of your own heads ye are pleased to term them) of the great Congregation? Whence hast thou these fancies of thine? Or suppose they be not simply Suppositions, but real Truths; whence dost thou fetch or take them to be so, but from the untrusty-Traditional-Tales of thy Forefathers, and such Iewes as are little lesse then unerring Oracles with thee, when saying ought that suits with thee (yea, thou callest pag. 203. the Assertion of Iustin Martyr of the Iewes corrupting the Bible out of their hatred to Christians, An Incredible Figment) yet little better, but much worse then ordinary Infidels, men feeding themselvns with vain fables, desperate cursed Opposers of Truth, mis∣chievous in their devices against the Gospel, of a profound Ignorance in all manner of Learning and Knowledge but only what concerns their own Dunghil Traditions, ad∣dicted to monstrous Figments, bewitching, bewitched with Traditions, Idolaters, Magicians, blind, crafty, raging fools, sets, full of deceitfulness, froth, venome, smoke, nothing but faithlesnesse and infidelity it self; what not thats nought, where any thing issues from their most Catholick Testimony that makes against thee, Pag 241.242.244.303?

Yea, whence knowest thou (who art easily apt to Question, when it serves thee so to do, whether there ever were such men as the 70. and such men as the Tiberian Massorites in Rerum Natura? pag. 243.336.) that ever there was such a thing in Rerum Naturâ as that Great Congrega∣tion thou art every where in thy Book so greatly taken with, and ever and anon betaking thy self to for Refuge, but only from thy putting more con∣fidence in thy own uncertain Conjectures, together with the Catholick Traditi∣on of the (with thee) creditlesse Iewes and Christians, then in the Conjectures of the Prolegomenâ, as Learned as thy self at least, who oppose thee in it? For theres not so much as any Scripture at all that mentions such a set Sa∣nydrim of Ezra, Nehemia, Ioshua, Zacharia, Haggai, &c. as thou settest it down in the Book of thy own Brain, and the Counting-house of thy own con∣ceit that there was; pag. 302.303.

And let it be (as it can be no more then) imagined there was such a great Congregation, which (it being, as not possible to know it, so nor here, nor there to mine or any mans Salvation) I'le not search into so far as to put my self into any Capacity of either saying or gain saying it that there was; and to ground any as I. O. does many things upon its being so, as he but thinks, is (as he sayes in another case, pag 293.) to build Towns and Castles of Imaginations, which may be as easily cast down as they are erected: yet

when alls done, whence had that Sanydrim, such Authority as to confine and bound out that Canon, and Canonize some of the Writings of such Prophets as ye wot are Canonical, and Cashiere the rest of the Writings of the same Prophets, and all the Writings of some other Prophets, as of no such divine Authority, as to Command with their fellows in Gods Name as his Word, and to abrogate them as Apocryphal (as ye speak) and disband them from the bench of Iudicature, and to bind the sweet Influences of the holy Spirit, so as to say, O Spirit of God be silent now, blow no more, nor make any more Prophets now for these many hundred years to come, but become subject thy self to be tryed by the Touchstone of the Writings of such Prophets, as thou hast al∣ready moved to write Gods Mind, or so many at least, as it seems good to us now to Authorize and Establish into a standard for the Tryal of thy self, as well as all false Spirits?

And if I. O. say (as he does, pag. 303.) That was not called the Great Congregation from its Number, but Eminency of Persons; yet I say are any Persons so Eminent (if I.O. be not a Lyar, pag. 35.) as to have Authority from God to Authorize and Canonize (casting aside what they like not) what seems good to them, into the Name (to bespeak I. O in his own feigned phrase) of the Word of God, that they themselves must be subject to the Authority of, and of the Rule that themselves must be Ruled by, and of the Foundation that themselves, and all others must be built on, and of the Basis of their own belief?

It is indeed (quoth I.O. pag 35.36.) a Contradiction for men to say (and if for other men then for I.O. [say I] who sayes the same yet sees it not) They give Authority to the Scriptures, they Bound the Canon and deliver to the Church what it shall be, which it hath antecedently to their Charter and Concession.

And again, Moreover (to say the same of his supposed Sanydrim, that I O sayes to the digrading of the Septuagint from that high Conceit some have of them, and eminent Account some have them in, pag. 339.) If the Ability of the men be granted, yet what security have we of their Principles and Honesty? Oh much every way (thinks I.O. for, though when he is pleased to speak diminitively of men, the Care and Fidelity and Pains of whom in Translating we have as good ground to believe was as great to the full, as any of that of those he Commends in Transcribing, he disparages it into Oscitancy, Inadver∣tency, Negligence, Ignorance, the Wisest not seeing all, and such like, pag 319. yet when he speaks of the Care, Pains and Fidelity of men in Transcribing, which is a Work as lyable to mistakes as the other, that he may keep up the honour however of his (infallible) Transcripts to this day, then he utters himself more Hyperbolically; and as for Ezra and his conjectured Companions, he makes their labour to Reform the Church, and all the Corruptions crept into the Word (as he speaks, though if the Letter were the Word it were not lyable to Corruption) little lesse then Monstrous, and their care in restoring the Scrip∣ture to its purity (mark) extraordinary, pag. 171 308. Yea, of the Points, which yet he is to prove Coaevous with the Consonants, and as old as any Scripture. I doubt not (quoth he) but of that we shall yet manifest that they were compleated (it should seem then that every Tittle is not now a•• at first giving out of the Letter if the Vowels were incompleate till Esdros dayes)

by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his Companions guided by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God.

I might (as I. O. does often beg or take it) crave leave to Answer this Conjecture with another, pag. 146. and fling back I.O's. as well as T. D's Fortè ita, with so much at least as Fortè non; but ipse dixit, J.O. sayes, he doubts not their infallibility, so I, who had rather be silent then disparage Ezra, will add no more to I. Os Rex sum, then nil ultrae quaeio Plebeius.

And now I am upon a Consideration of the Canon of the Scripture, let me here make an end with thee I.O. as concerning this Cogitation of thine a∣bout the Consignation of the Canon of both the Old, and that thou callest the New Testament; of which New thou sayest, pag. 27. That what thou hadst spoken of the Scripture of the Old Testament, viz. as to its immediate ema∣nation from God, and its being canonized together with it into a standard, the same must be also affirmed of the New, with this addition of advantage and pre∣heminence above the Old, That it began to be spoken by the L O R D him∣self.

And as for thy Canon of the outward Scriptures of both sorts, one of which thou callest the Old, the other the New Testament, after the Bound∣ing. Compleating, and Consignation of which in their Respective Junctures and Seasons, and the delivery of it so Canonized to the Church or Churches Respectively as their Eternal, Infal∣lible, Touchstone, Rule, Foundati∣on, Testimony, Standard, no more must be owned on such a high Ac∣count, as its Authorized into, as of di∣vine Original, nor be added by either God or man, while the world stands, I would sain find from thee (if yet thou art able thy self to fathom to the bottom of thy own Faith, or ra∣ther Fancy in this point) where thou findest, and whence thou foundest all thy confused Communications and crude Conceptions about this Cano∣nization of such and such outward parcels of holy mens Writings into a Rule or Standard, and disfranchizing such and such of others, as holy as those from a standing within the Bounds of this Magna Charta, that certain Synods and supposed Sanydrims of thou knowest not whom have given, and do (as thou deemest) give and grant thereunto, together with them? Where learnest thou all these Lessons but from the Lectures and lying Le∣gends, and voluminous Lexicons of the illiterate Literatists of the world that are alwayes laying on, and loading one another with their endlesse, boundlesse, and bottomlesse Scribles about the outward Original Text and Transcriptions and Translations of the Scripture in their tedious Tomes, Tal∣muds, and Talmudical Traditions till they are lost from the very Letter, much more the Life it calls to, so that they have no leasure to live, or learn o∣thers to live thereafter, in the inextricable laborynth of their own Labours a∣bout it? Who leads thee into the vain Imaginations of these things, but thy own and other mens (well nigh innumerable, and invincible) inventions? What Tangles thee and others in such trifling Talkings and Treatings one to another of things that none of ye all can have any infallible Evidence, or

yield to any infallible Assurance of, but a croud of Conceits, and Catholick Traditions? with which the world, and ye in it, are so overcharged, that ye cannot contain them now without infinite, frothy and fruitlesse contendings about them, and obtruding your own Observances, imposing your own Supposings, and thrusting each upon other your own bare thred-bare Thoughts of things that (ne flocci facit) it amounts not to the value of a lock of Wooll (as to Salvation) whether they be known or not, till being throng'd and thrust into the thorny Thicket of your own Thoughts you there tear one another to pieces about the Scripture; insomuch that I truly may, and plainly shall be so bold as flatly to Contradict what thou sayest falsly of thy Canon and Standard, since the closing and com∣pleating of it, that tis a means to end all strife, it is rather throw the folly of its Ministers, the means of all strife and Confusion in the Christian World.

Thou sayest indeed of the Writings of the Old Testament that the Canon thereof had its Consignation, Bounding, and Delivery to the Church, as its Rule, so that from thenceforth nothing Written either from Moses upward, or to Christs time downward must be admitted to be owned as Canonical, or inspired Scripture; And thou sayest, pag. 27.28. That God, who himself began the Writings of the Word with his own finger, after he had spoken it, appoin∣ting and approving the Writing of the rest that followed (i.e.) from Genesis to the Revelation, as they are ordinarily numerated in our Bibles, except the Books called Apocrypha (for I reckon all those are reckoned by thee as the Books thou speakest of, Epist. Ded. pag. 3. Never indited by the Holy Spirit, as re∣mote from being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) doth lastly command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be written in a Book, Rev. 1.11 and so gives out the whole of his Mind and Counsel unto us in Writing, as a merciful and stedfast relief against all Confusion, darknesse and uncertainty; but what a Relief it is against Confusion, I shall shew more hereafter.

And as to thy Scriptures Canonization or the Consignation, compleating Bounding of the Canon of it, a few words here about the manner and means and true bounds thereof (for as to the Question whether it be a Canon, that is, a Rule at all yea or not, I may defer it also to another place) let me Ex∣postulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how, and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded (as ye say it is) and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude, Longitude, and Profundity, that (ad amussim) exact Measure, Heighth, Depth, Length and Breadth, that is allotted to it, as (without the Apocripha) it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles? I mean that such and such Parcels, Prophesies, Proverbs, Histories, Epistles, Holy Sentences, Sacred Sayings, shall stand Owned, Honoured, Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word, Gods Witnesse, Foundation, Rule, inalterable Standard, and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse, then those already so Consecrated and Canonized; so that such and such (puta, those that ye now commonly call Canonical) shall shand as the Standard; and all others; viz. those cal∣led Apocryphal, and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own, shall stand out of, and off from it, as no part of the Standard while the World stands?

Who was it? Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture, so as to say such and such a set number of Books, viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles, excepting the Apocrypha, which stands between them, shall be owned as Canonical, and the rest, though such as were of the same divine Inspiration, be rejected as humane, and no o∣therwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings, not to be received with such high respect as the other? Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi, and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets, as ye now have, exclusively of such Prophesies, therein mentioned, as ye have not? and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation, and the bulk of it to be those few Histories, and Apostolical Epistles, as ye have ex∣clusively, of such even therein mentioned, as ye have not? Who was it that said to the Spirit of God, O Spirit, blow no more, inspire no more men, make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ; and from Iohns dayes downward for ever? But cease, be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard, thats made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already, and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England, be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever.

Who was it God or Man, the Spirit in the Scripture it self, or the Scribes in their Synods, Councels, and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these, and expunged those?

Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations? Doth the Scripture, do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for, or make any such menti∣on in the least of such a matter? Is it not meer man in his Imaginations, that hath taken upon him according to the good, or ill Conceit, that he hath taken to him, of these or those respectively, to say (which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say) he will give Authority to the Scriptures? Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo, sic Iubeo, so l'le have it, thus it shall be? Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean, hitherto shall ye come and no further; So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority, Nature, Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever; and all o∣thers, even such as are written by the same men, in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings, and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal, i.e. hidden or unknown Writings, that no such notice shall be ••aken of, as of the other?

And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal, and give leave to to have a standing with it, but not so as to make any part of your Standard; What think ye of them upon second Thoughts? Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale, by Tradition one from another, without trying them? Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men, as that of Paul to Philemon, about private personal, or Domestick matters, which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do? Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane, so that ye will say no better of

them then Vox hominem sonat; yet is there none, or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original, and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own? None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo, with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them, and standing in the Church then ye allow them? As if they were a cer∣tain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod, that ye know not well what to make of, nor how to entreat so ill altogether, as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New, nor yet so well, as to entertain them into your Canon neither?

Surely there be some of them, which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them, as ye ordinarily do, ye may find ground to receive as such, as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty, Truth, Holi∣nesse and Authority of God and his Spirit, as some at least (not to say the most) of those ye ascribe to God, as their main or only Author; and that do favour as much of I.O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty, as some other Historical, Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely de∣rived Scripture do, of which (what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them) yet I, together with many others, whereof some are as Book∣learn'd as your selves, can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum.

'Tis indeed the Faith, or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Re∣formed Churches, that all those Books called the Apocrypha, without excepti∣on, are in no wise of such divine Original, as them ye call Canonical; but who first set the one upon the Bench, and the other at the Bar, I am yet to learn; but this I know, that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other, yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself (if we speak of the Outward Text only, a∣bout which my businesse with I.O. lyes) into that Name of his Word, and into the Authority of the Foundation of Faith, the infallible Rule of In∣terpretation of itself, of Tryal and Examination of Spirits, Doctrines, &c. of the Supream Iudge also, by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined, the only pure Authentical Standard, unto which the Church is finally to Appeal, in whose Sentence it is to Rest, into which all Faith is finally to be Resolved; so if such Synods of men, either Antient or Modern, as have shouldred out all those at once from sharing with the other Wri∣tings in what they can lay just claim to, had been as Spiritually discerning as they were Spiritually blind, shallow and undiscerning, they would have seen cause to have joyned some at least of those Apocryhal Scriptures to an Equal Participation of that Plea of divine Original and inspiration with the rest, as without Cause they justled them all out from it by their joynt Con∣sent.

And though it be the declared Faith of that Assembly of Divines that both Houses of Parliament advised with 1648. and of the Congregational Churches in England, whose Confession is put out this instant 1659. as to that Article about the Scriptures word for word in the same words with the other, That the Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of divine Inspira∣tion are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures, and therefore are of no Authority

in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then o∣ther humane Writings; yet this I declare to the whole World as my Faith concerning them, that though I own neither them, nor the best bare Wri∣ing, or outward Text or Letter of the other Scripture at so high a Rate as I.O. does, who makes the naked Letter in all things equivolent to the holy matter; yet whatever is truly to be praedicated of the one, or can solidly be pleaded on the behalf of the one, which ye call your Canon as to the divinity of their Original, the same may be pleaded on the behalf of not a few of the other.

And as they all, that in general are stilled Apocryphal, can plead their Au∣thority from long before the Apostles dayes; and also the special Care and Providence of God (which is an Argument of such weight with I.O. and T.D. pag. 27. as swayes them not a little into their frivolous Faith about the rest) in the preservation of them to this very day; So that all of them have been kept by the Church, that kept the rest bound up and Tran∣slated into various Languages, and as publickly allowed to be publickly Read as the rest, and highly esteemed by Austin, and other Fathers, ye Di∣vines cannot easily be ignorant.

And as for sundry of them, ye are ignorant with a witnesse, if ye see them to be as ye say they are, not of divine Inspiration, or see them not to be of as divine an Original as some, or even any of the other, which ye own so to be.

As for that Fourth Book of Esdras, which is but the Second as it stands in the Apocrypha, besides that its acknowledged by Clem, Alexandrinus, Faber, and many more men of Renown among you, and by many Holy men in these latter times, as well learned as your selves, at least in the Wisdom of Gods Spirit, to be written by his immediate Inspiration; so is it such a plain Prophecy consistent of many Particular Praedictions of things to be fulfilled in these last Ages, as the like to it, or a least clearer is hardly to be found in all the Scripture besides it; insomuch that he who reads it in the 11, 12, 13, 16 Chapters of it, and some other places, and sees not the beams of a divine Majesty in it, and sees not the Matters now managing upon the Stage in the World, that are there foretold in it, reads not in the Light of that Holy Spirit, that moved in the Writing both of that and all other Holy Scrip∣ture, and may come before he is well aware to feel ere long the dint of that divine displeasure that is denounced against the Sinners of the latter Ages, and thereby come to be convinced of the Divinity and Truth of that Scrip∣ture, which our Divines that usually see altogether by the lump, and are loath to see any Truth Sigillatim, till they are all made to see it whether they will or no, will hardly yield to, if they be their Old-wonted-selves, till very Necessity forces and frights them into the Faith of it.

And the same may be said, as to the divine Original of Ieremiahs Epistle, which was written and sent to them that were to go Captive into Babylon, and of Ecclesiasticus, and the Wisdom of Solomon, which favours so much of the Wisdom of the Spirit, that he is yet in that Wisdom only, which is from beneath, which is Earthly, Animal, Deceitful, who doth not acknow∣ledge the finger of God, writing those deep and precious Truths and Prae∣dictions in the heart of him, whose hand was the Committer of them to

outward Writing (which whether it were not Solomon after whom it was so Entituled, Nil ultra quaero, he uttered 3000 Proverbs, whereof scarce 300 are extant in that Book of his Proverbs, some of which as standing inserted there in the Hebrew Text, are not the Original Copy, but a Transcript only at best out of that, or some Second hand Copies taken and Copied cut long after Solomons dayes by the men of Hezekiah 8 or 9 Generations from him, Prov. 25 1. The 30 Chapter of which Book also are the Words of one Agu•• the son of Iaketh) but sure I am that Book of Wisdom was inspired or breathed into the Penman, that expired or breathed it out, from no lesse then that Wisdom which is from above.

The main Argument that ever I have seen against the divine Original of these Books, are, First, Their being not written in the Hebrew Tongue, which what a poor pedling piece of Disproof it is, he is no wiser then he should be, that does not see; for what warrant is there that all that was not Pen'd in the Hebrew Tongue is no Scripture of divine Inspiration? Or if there be, is it not as conclusive against much of the Scripture which I.O. counts Canonical, the whole of wch he reckons (at random) was wrote in the Hebrew Tongue, since its evident that much of that Book of Hester (9 Chap∣ters and 3 Verses of which are set among the Canonical Scripture, and (oh the Wisdom) the other 6 Chapters and 10 Verses of the 10 Chapter by you self-will'd Choppers and Changers, because written in Greek are reckoned and rank'd with the Apocryphal) was written not in the Hebrew, but in the Caldee, as much of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel also were.

And besides, if being written Originally in the Hebrew will avail toward the evincing of them to be Canonical, this will help some of your Apocrypha into your Canon, since that of Tobit or Tobias is not only (as that of Ba••uch also is, the Holy man that wrote much for that Prophet, and of that Prophecy of Ieremiah) most pretiously both Doctrinal and Prophetical, but also extant in the Hebrew as well as Greek and Latine; and that of Ecclesiasticus was writ∣ten Originally in Hebrew, witnesse Iesus the Son of Syrach, who himself con∣fesseth in his Prologue, he Translated it out of the Hebrew Text; and if ye say thats but a Translation then at best, and so not Canonical Scripture, I Reply Two things thereto;

• First, This argues ad hominem against I O. then Tittles and Iotaes of the Hebrew Text are lost since the giving out thereof at first.
• Secondly, That either Translation must be owned as Canonical with you, as well as the first Original Manuscripts and your Original Transcripts, or else it must be concluded what ever you Linguists have, yet the People that live upon your Lips, not being able to read Hebrew and Greek, have no Canoni∣cal Scripture at all to read.

The Second Argument that is supposed to be of weight against the Di∣vine Original of the Apocryphal Scriptures (Broughton, in his Sinai Sights, touches upon them both) is, because no Writers in the New Testament, Cite or Quote any of them any otherwise then they do Heathen Authors.

But I marvel not, fith the wise men are to be befooled, that prudent Broughton should be so blind as not to see, how Paul, Heb. 1 3. quotes out of Wisd. 7.26. And Heb. 11.5. quotes Wisd. 4.10. And 1 Cor. 6.2. quotes Wisd. 3.8. And Heb. 11.35. quotes 2 Maccab. 7.7. Yea, and Christ himself,

Matth. 23.36, 37, 38. quotes 2 Esdras 1.30. And Rev. 7.9. answers to 2 Esdras 2.41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46. besides many other Passages in the Scrip∣tures of the New Testament; but especially in the Revelation relate to their Paralels in that Second Book of Esdras, which is the Fourth at least of that man Ezra or Esdras his Writing, whereof that some should be received as of divine Original, and some that have as truly spiritual a Tincture on them, as the other, or any in all the Scripture ( as that Fourth of Esdras hath, wherein also he declares his Visions and Revelations he had from God, in which he would not sain and Lye (for then he were not fit to have his Two First Books owned as from God) should be rejected as meerly hu∣mane, I see not any solid Ground for it; Yet such is the divine The-anthro∣pical Wisdom of our meer humane Divines, that Two of that same mans Books, who wrote all the Four, (for the Identity of the Person, that Pen'd them all, every Believer may easily believe) are Canonized as divine, and the other Two Condemned as but humane.

Thus though I.O. prates so much for the whole Book of Gods being provi∣dentially preserved, so that we may have full assurance that we enjoy the whole Revelation of his Will (that is, with him, all the Writings that ever were written by Inspiration from the Spirit fit, to stand among those that he makes the Standard) in the Copies abiding amongst us; and contends that the whole Scripture entire, as given out from God without any losse of so much as one Letter, Tittle, or Iota, remains and is preserved in the Copies yet extant among us to this day; which is that Arch-Assertion in which ha∣ving at first over shot himself in blindly bolting it out, rather then endure that honourable shame of owning his own Ignorance, he as blindly posts on to maintain, pag. 153.162.169.181.203. Yet upon I know not what fri∣volous Conceits, and prejudicate Surmises possessing the minds of himself and his Brethren of both the Convocational and the Congregational way, among which blind Custome, more then clear sight, I believe to be none of the least, which are so far from enjoying the whole Book of Scripture, wherein the Mind and VVill of God lyes declared by his own Inspiration of the Penmen, that no small part of that Scripture that was written by men divinely inspired, and so providentially preserved, he refuses to enjoy or own as of such divine Descent from God, as other parts of the Scripture are, but Rejects and Contemnes it as Apocryphal, that is, so altogether hidden from him that he knows not very well what to make on't.

But suppose he should own and take all the Apocryphal Writings into his Standard and Canon (as he calls it) of the Scriptures, does that and all the rest both Old and New, that are bound up in old English Bibles with it, Constitute the utmost Bounds of his Canon? Doth his Standard stand in so little room? Is it Closed within so narrow a Corner? Consists it of so few, so small a Company of Holy mens Writings, and Scriptures, as are Comprehended in no greater a Compasse then that Book called the Bible contains to? Is that the whole Book of God, the whole outward Declara∣tion of his Will by the Writings of Holy men at his own motion? The whole Scripture entire that was ever so given out from God, without any losse of any of the Integral parts of it, so much as of one Letter, Tittle, or Iota? Is all Extant? All Remaining? All Preserved to this day that

was Written by Holy men, as moved by the holy Spirit? And is that all of the Inspired Scripture, which we now have, and enjoy in our present Bibles? Was there no more of the Old Testament Scripture, then the Apo∣crypha, and that which is commonly counted to the Canon? And is the Revelation the Close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to Holy men, and of his moving them to write it out by his Holy Spirit? Num tam —

Pellibus exiguis arctatur Spiritus ingens.

Two things I.O. at least I have to say to the Contrary.

• First, That is not all of the Old, nor all of the New Scriptures, that were by Inspiration Written before Christ, and after him to the same use, ends; and purposes as the rest were Written, until Iohns Writing the Reve∣lation.
• Secondly, That as there was much more then that ye wot of, which was Written as the Spirit moved from Moses to the Revelation, so there hath been more, since then, so Written, and more is, and will yet be in time to come, before (as near as it is to it) the World that now waxes Old to∣wards it, be at an end.

First, There's not all in your Bibles by much, and by how much who knows? That was given out upon Inspiration of God, when as (to say no∣thing of the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs now extant) there is not all the inspired Scripture by much, which that inspired Scripture ye have makes mention of;

• Where's the Book of Nathan the Prophet?
• the Book of Ahijah?
• the Book of Iddo? 2 Chron. 9.29.
• the Book of Shemaiah? 2 Chron. 12.15.
• the Book of Iehu the Prophet? 2 Chron. 20.34, 1 King 16.1:
• the Book of Gad the Seer? 2 Chron. 29.29.
• the Book of Iasher? 2 Sam. 1.18.

Of which it may well be supposed that he was a very Antient Writer, since those that wrote Ioshua, who ere they were (for himself it was not that wrote it all at least (as Moses not all Deuteronomie) unlesse he wrote of his own Death and Burial before he died; See Iosh. 24.29.) do quote him, Iosh. 3.10.

Where's that part of Ieremiah the Prophet, wherein he spake that which Matthew cites, Matth. 27.9, 10. about the giving the 30 pieces of Silver, the price that Christ was sold at, for the Potters field; for howbeit Zachary the Prophet, Zach. 11.12. speaks of the same thing (who was in his work an Exalier of God in his time, which the Name Ieremiah seems to signifie, and so may be called Ieremiah, which is not likely to be Matthews meaning) yet in all the Prophesies of Ieremie extant in your Bibles, theres no such thing spoken; And for you to say either that Matthew was mistaken, quot∣ing throw forgetfulness one Prophet for another; or that the Transcribers of the Copies of their Original out of Matthews Original Copy, failed so fowlly in their Transcribings (for all your Copies that ever I saw so read) as to write Ieremie for Zachary, will be for I.O. upon his Principles, who stands to plead every Letter, Tittle, and Iota that was in the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be now in the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as sorry a shift, and miserable remedy, as he makes for himself, and finds, who leaps out of the frying pan into the fire.

Where's the Prophecy of Enoch, spoken of Iude 14. out of whose Pro∣phesie the Iewes can tell you more then ye wot of from that of Iude? And as for Ezra or Esdras, and his true Companions, of whom thou sayest truly enough, if not truer then thou art aware of, that their care in re∣storing the Scripture to its Purity, when it had met with the greatest Tryal that it ever underwent in this world, considering the Paucity of the Copies then extant was great, and that the Consignation and Bounding of the Canon delivered to the Judaical Church, was in their dayes; and that they did labour to re∣form all the Corruptions crept into the Word of God And that they com∣pleated the Punctation (the compleat∣nesse of which then was not Coaevous with the Text, as at first Written in Hebrew, as thou contendest, to the Consuring of thy self here) and that they were guided herein by the in∣fallible direction of the Spirit of God, Pag. 177. 211. 302. 303. Did not they, in the Spirit and Power of God, Write many more Books, even 204. most of which are not in your Bibles; Read 2 Esdras 14. throughout the Chapter? Where are all these, and sun∣dry more Scriptures (some as, and some more Antient then Moses) of which I will not now speak particularly?

And as to the New, Where is that First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, mentioned in the first of those Two that we have? 1 Cor. 5.9. And that First Epistle of his to the Ephesians (for its evident he wrote One to them before That) mentioned in that One which ye have, Ephes. 33? And that Epistle of his to the Laodiceans, mentioned, Col. 4.16? Besides several to Seneca, Neros Tutor, and other of Pauls Writings, who was doubtlesse far more Voluminous in his Writings then that poor pittance of Epistles to Churches and Ministers, and the Letters to Philemona Tradesman, about a Domestick businesse of Receiving his Servant Onesimus, that had ben unser∣viceable to him, amounts to; of whole Spiritual Scriptures, and Speeches that fell from him at his Martyrdom, that were taken by such as were present at it, some in these dayes have seen more, then that which was Written of him by Luke in the Acts, and Written by him in the Epistles ye count a part of your Canon.

And whether that, which Iohn wrote to the Church, mentioned by him in the 9th vers. of his Letter to Gaius, were no other then the first of those Three Recorded? And whether that of Iude, whereof Iude 3. he sayes in the Praeterimperfect Tense, When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the Com∣mon Salvation it was needful for me to write unto you, &c. were not One he wrote before This, which was now but under his hands, is more then all you Sayers of what ye think only, are able groundedly to gain-say. And whether Clements Epistle, whose name was in the Book of Life,

and that Church of Rome to Corinth, wrote 30 years after Pauls, may not Challenge to be ranck'd among the rest, is worth your enquiry? And what think ye of that sweet, shorr, pretious Reply of Christ Iesus himself in his Letter to Agbarus King of Edessa, who wrote so loving'y and beleevingly to him about the Malady that lay upon him, as it stood Recorded in the Roles of that City, and may do still for ought ye know, which is to be read, and many other pretious passages about that businesse in the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilius? Is it not as Christian, as Divinum Spiritum, non hominem sapiens, and worthy (as particular as it is) to stand in your Stan∣dard, and claim a room in your Canon, as that particular Letter of Paul to Philemon?

What is become I say of all these, and more then may now be mentio∣ned, none of which is within the Confines of your Congregationally Con∣stituted, Synodically Composed, Ecclesiastically Authorized, Clerically Conceived Canon?

1. Were they not divinely Inspired? That were to Render doubtful your undoubted Divine Original of what you have? Since some of them are quo∣ted in these you have.

2. Are they all utterly lost? That were to loose himself much more in his Cause (who is lost too much already) for I.O. to say so, sith more then 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, one jot, or one Tittle is then passed away and perished from the Law (if the Letter be it) not one jot or one Tittle of which Letter, quoth I.O. (wofully mis-interpreting that of Matth. 5.18. for the lotaes and Tit∣tles of the meer Text, and Letter, which Christ utters only of the Doctrine, Truth, and Holy Matter of the Law) is to passe away, till Heaven and Earth (which are yet standing) are past a∣way.

3. Or did not God Himselfe intend to Dignifie these with the same honour, and Crown them with so high an Account as those, though as well descended, and as immediately derived from him as the rest? or did he not design them to the same Spiritual Ends, and Renowned Uses with their fellows?

4. Or were these Books out of the way and not present at the time and place of the first setting up of your Standard by such Synods and Sanydrims as took on them to stablish, Sign, Seal, and Authorize what Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles should, and what should not stand under that honour∣able Title of the stedfast Standard, and so were Censured and Sentenced for ever for not appearing at that sacred Session and high Court of Iudicature, which was to Iudge what Books should be from thence-forth the Supream Iudge to which all should Appeal in all Cases, and in whose Sentence all should rest, and all Faith be finally Resolved; and not coming in at the Compleating, Consignation, Bounding, and Final Closing of the Canon, should for ever Iure Ant-Ecclesiastico, or Apostatico, and in foro hominum, forfeit that (Originally) Equal Title, which in foro Dei, Iure Christico and Apostolico they else had to be Canonized with their fellows?

Ah poor men! It pities me to see how ye Dream together in the dark, and mope up and down in your own misty Imaginations about your Original Texts and external Letter, leaving the Original Truth it self, which was before your Texts were ever talk'd on, or had a being in the World, turning your backs on that internal Light in the heart, which all the Tendency of of your Letter is to turn men to, and from which your Scripture Origi∣nally had its being. It irks me to see how for want of betaking your selves to the measure of the Light that shines in your own Consciences, that in∣fallibly would lead you to that which is the end of all Scriptures, and words spoken or written as from God, (viz.) honesty and righteousnesse, truth and ac∣ceptation with God and Holy men, ye trace to and fro till ye tire your selves in the perplexing Cris-Cros Track, and endlesse Round of your own meer Thoughts about a thing, which the more ye try, the more ye Tangle your selves about it, and the more ye look after it, and in it, in the way ye look into your beloved Letter, the more ye loose your selves in it and about it, till at last you will eternally loose both it and your selves too, by not looking to the Light at all, even no lesse then altogether; See Epist. Ded: Pag. 30. I.O's. Preaching on that Subject, the Scripture, and his publish∣ing of it is said by him to be but his Thoughts, so pag. 146, 147. what he de∣livers about the Prolegomena and Appendix to the Biblia Polyglotta was but what his own Thoughts had suggested unto him, sutable to other learned mens Ap∣prehensions. So Pag. 149. He runs the Hazard of giving his Thoughts on them. Pag. 151. He discover, his Thoughts on the things proposed by them. So Pag. 163. What he gives out concerning the Purity of the present Copies of the Originals of the Scriptures he so Scribles for is but an account of his Apprehen∣sions. So Pag. 225. He purposes to manifest his Thoughts on the Epistle to the Hebrews: So Pag. 278. He desired Dr. Ward to give his Thoughts on the dif∣ference of Apert Sounds and Vowels, which he did accordingly. And Pag. 177. He sayes, when he shall Communicate his Thoughts to the World about an Vniver∣sal Character, it will doubtlesse yield much, if not Vniversal Satisfaction unto lear∣ned and prudent men.

O ye Wise and Prudent Vain Thinkers, and Senslesse Surmisers, that sit down Universally Satisfied in the shadow of your own, and one anothers shallow Thoughts! When will you come to busie your selves about that which is infallibly clear and certain, and let your deep infinite Disputings a∣bout

dark and doubtful matters (of small moment to you too) altogether alone? When will you wash your Hearts from that Dunghil of meer deem∣ings, and divinity Dreamings, with the untempered Morter of which ye are all to be-dawbed, so that one can discern little or nothing that savours of more then dubiousuesse and disputablenesse it self, descending or flowing from your Well-heads and Fountains of Forgery and Fabulosity, & little or none from the Breasts of your Nursing Mothers of that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, plain, purely rea∣sonable sincere Milk of the Word, whereby the growth is into the Life of God; but such as is mangled and mingled with the Mire and Mudde of your putrid and puddlely Opinions and Opinations? Will you never cease from Teaching for Doctrines your own Conceptions, Apprehensions, and Conjectural Conclusions of things for Truth, taken from no surer Topick place, then that self same that ye Condemn in Papists, (viz.) the Traditions of men? Will you never give over filling, and feeding the vain World for filthy Lucre with such perishing Food, as the thin froth and Foam of your own Fancies, instead of the Bread that comes down from Heaven, and that Meat which endures to Eter∣nal Life? Oh thou European Athens, or Academical Minx, thou manifold Mother with thy Children, for whom tis as easie for the Blackmore to change his Skin, and the Leopard his Spots, as for thee, who hast been accustomed to Apostarize from the Councel of God, and erre from the Mind of Christ, to with-hold thy foot from wandring after thy own Images and Imaginations, wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be? How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

Now as to the Four wayes by way of Query above propounded, which of them all I.O. means to Answer by, who talks so much about the Closure, Compleating, Consignation, and Bounding of the Standard and Scripture Canon •• I cant well say: But as for T.D. with whom I have somewhat to do, and to deal alittle here, he Replyes Affirmitively to the Third among them, say∣ing, Pag. 26, of the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, mentioned in that First of Ours, and so consequently of all the several Scriptures that are not bound up in your Bibles, which I asserted to be as much a Rule as those ye have, that they were not intended as much for your Rule, as those in your Books.

To whom when I Replyed at the Dispute with him (as he there Relates) Thus, viz. If that Epistle was wriiten to the same end with those we have (as it was, viz. to Instruct the Corinthians how to carry themselves to grosse Sinners, I Cor. 5.9. compared with vers. II. I wrote unto you not to Company, and now I have written unto you not to keep Company; And the same was said of his First to the Ephesians, i.e. that it was to the self same End as that we have, Ephes. 3.3. As I wrote before, that ye may understand my Knowledge in the Mi∣stery of Christ so now) then 'twas intended as much for a Rule as the o∣ther; But it was Written to the same End: Ergo, If one a Rule, then the other.

T.D. Denies the Consequence; Saying Sermons, private Religious Dis∣courses have the same common End with the written Scriptures, yet the Later only are our standing Rule; the former our Rule but so far as they agree with the Later in the Scripture.

Reply. Which Reply of T.D's, is so unreasonably ridiculcus, that he is

scarce Animal Rationale Risibile, that receives, and entertains it seriously as the Truth;

For First, it supposes as if Pauls First writing to the Corinthians, were not Written Scriptures, as well as the Rest we have, but an Orall Dis∣course.

Secondly, It supposes Pau's First Epistle of all to that Church, which was cited by himself in his Second, as written to the same End, and was writ∣ten in the same Spirit of God in which he lived, and walk'd, and out of whose movings he wrote no Epistles to the Churches, was fit to stand in no other Account then the Ser∣mons, and private Religious Dis∣courses of our Clergy-men and their Common Christians, which must stand or fall as they square, or not square with the Standard of Scrip∣ture; And as if the Seniour Epistles of Paul to Corinth and Ephesus, must like Prisoners at the Bar, receive their Sentence of Guilty, or not Guilty, worthy or not worthy to be owned as a part of the Rule or Canon, by their Iuniours, or such as were sent after them, to sit as Iudges of them at the Bench; And so hereby his Reply is as it were an Affirmative Answer to the First of my Four Queries, viz. That Pauls Wri∣tings were not all alike of Divine Original and Inspiration, but some Epistles to the Churches of his, were uttered as he was moved by the Holy Spirit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and others 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of private Interpretation, or as private Mens Writings. Credat Apella.

And when 'twas urged by me, that there was no more evidence or Character of these Epistles being a Rule which are, then of those which are not in your Books; Then T.D. seeing what he had Replyed that way would not hold, Replyes by way of Answer to the Second of my Four last Queries, affirming that Pauls first Writings to Corinth and Ephesus were lost when those we have are saved; and so makes this distinction of the ones being perished, the other preserved by Gods Providence watching over them, when he did not over the other a signal Evidence that God intended the one for a standing Rule to us and not the other; and herein he and I.O. Jump together and border pretty near one another, sith I.O. insists exceedingly (as an Argu∣ment of their being a Rule in the Church) on this businesse of Gods preser∣vation of every Tittle and Iota of divinely Inspired Scripture to this day, where∣by he implicitly denies all the afore-named, that are not in your Bibles, to be any of them of Divine Inspiration; But with this Difference from T.D. that I.O. sayes not a Tittle of the Inspired Scripture is lost; T.D. to the con∣futing of I.O. Confesses (being I believe informed of some Holy Scrip∣ture at the Dispute, which he knew not of before) that not only Tittles and Iotaes, but some whole Books of which he dares not say expresly (though intimate it he doth in the Head next above spoken to) that they were not Divinely Inspired, are lost and perished out of the World; So that the Preservation of what is Preserved, is made a Signal Token that

its to be our Rule, and the losse of whats lost, that that was not written for such an end.

To which Signal Token of Gods intending the One and not the O. her for A Rule, when I Replyed (as 'tis transiently done above to I O. touching the Books called Apocrypha) that there is more Antient Holy Writ remain∣ing extant to this day, preserved for our use by Gods Providence, then ye own or honour with a standing in your Standard (instancing in the Epistle of Paul to Laodicea) then by and by T.D. who rides the Rounds not much lesse then I.O. and is never positive nor steady to any thing he Asserts, so as to stand long to it without shifting (Proteus like) into another shape, when he is ashamed to be seen longer in his old one, comes out in a clear contrary Gelour, and flatly contradicts himself, and unsayes what he said but just be∣fore; And whereas he had made the preserving of what was written, and is preserved, an Argument of its being designed of God for a Rule, affirms, That all that was written by Holy Men (meaning Paul among the rest, or else he speaks not at all to the purpose) and preserved also for our use, is not therefore our standing Rule: Thus one while 'tis so, and one while no; then nei∣ther, yet both no, and so.

Pauls Three Epistles, viz. the Two to Corinth, One to Ephesus that we have, appear therefore to be our standing Rule, because they are preserved to our use to this day; but his first of all to Corinth and Ephesus, therefore not so, because not preserved; theres his first saying.

His very next of all is this, Pauls Epistle to Laodicea, though preserved for our use, yet is not therefore to be our standing Rule to this day.

So what ever Pauls Epistles are, yet I am sure Pauls Life and Example is no Rule that T.D's. walks by, nor I.O. neither, for his yea was yea, and his nay nay; he did not use such lightnesse, as they both very often do, who say nay to that they said yea to just before; neither did he speak so accor∣ding to the Flesh (as they) with whom now theres yea yea, and anon to the same thing nay nay; but as God is true, and Christ is not yea and nay in his words, and enjoynes us to be steady in our yea and nay, so was Pauls word in what he spake.

And yet the Reason T.D. renders of his saying No, to what he said not No but so just before, is as Reasonlesse as his self Confutation is; for (mark) then (quoth he) If what ere was written by Holy men (alluding to Paul) be therefore our standing Rule because preserved, the Discourses of Holy Ministers in former and latter times should be our Rule, which they are not, but are to be brought to the written Word as our Rule and Test.

In which if by Holy Ministers in former times, he means Paul among the rest, as he must, else he misses the matter, then some of Pauls Epistles are the Rule and Test, which his other Epistles must stand bare before to be tryed by, which is absurd; If by latter Ministers he intend such as himself, who Confesses his Ministry to be fallible; I would have him to know, and that he shall find more of anon, that Pauls Ministry, and every true Ministry that Ministers by word of Mouth or Writing, as moved by the Holy Spirit, which moves and leads none fallibly, but all infallibly, whom it leads, was no such fal∣lible Ministry as his false one is, that it need be tryed by his other own holy Writings.

But now as to the Epistle of Laodicea instanced in, T.D. was so hard of belief, and difficult to he perswaded that there was any such at all, that if one of Sandwich had not stood up and said he had the Book wherein we Asserted it to be Printed, we should hardly have gained so much Credit among the Clergy then present (such pro and con they made about it, as to have been believed) that there was such a thing in Being; so ignorant are they of some present parts of that Scripture they call their Rule; yet at last 'twas yielded such a one was extant.

But for all that, T.D. who has ever more wayes then one into the Wood where he loves to wander, when he is bedged out of it one way, will find or make himself a Gap into it by another, and as to this matter of PAVL to LAODICEA, he hath Three or Four shifts, for fear one fail, affirming after he had found it Translated into English, not to, but from Laodicea

First, That for ought we know, it might be that First of Paul to Timothy, the Post-script of which sayes it was Written from Laodicea; of which Post-script (which its notorious e∣nough to every Novice, that neither it, nor the other Post-scripts were Pen'd by such as wrote the Epistles them∣selves) when I Asked T.D. Whether he owned it and the Rest as Canonical, or no? As Canonical (quoth he) for ought appears yet to me, as your Epistle to the Laodiceans, of which Epistle yet he had said but just before, It might be that of Pauls to Timothy, which yet that it was, is so unlikely, that tis little lesse then to be like a Child to Assert it; A likely matter indeed that its Pauls to Timothy meant Col. 4.16. That which Paul wrote to Timothy was to Timothy a particular Person, about particular Matters concerning him, as in that Capacity of a Church-Officer, I Tim. 3.14, 15. What should he Charge the Colosians so much to look after that for? Or if he had, Would he not have said, See that ye read the Epistle to Timothy? Had not that been plainer?

Secondly, But seeing that Snap, T.D. fits another string to his Instrument, and then Fidles on in this fashion, denying it to be Pauls Epistle at all, either to Laodicea, or Timothy, or any one else; branding it with the Name of one of the Brats laid by the Popish party at the Apostles doors, which they will not Father, and me as a Brother of the Popish party, and an Abbet∣tor of them in their wickednesse, for Fathering it on Paul at all.

And then Thirdly, That he might seem to say something, though no bet∣ter then nothing to every thing, rather then own any thing for Truth before the World, be it never so plain, that the Quakers tell him, he bethinks him∣self, and upon Second, or rather Third Thoughts, adds (having perused the Judgement of some Learned men about it) that 'twas neither Pauls to Timothy any more then to Laodicea, nor yet altogether such a Brat, or Ba∣stard brood as a metr Chimaera hatcht, and bred, and sained in the Fancies only of the Popish party, but at least a Real Epistle, yet one that was so far from being Pauls to Laodicea, that it was rather one Written by the Laodi∣ceans

to Paul himself, a more incredible pigment then the first, for all tis his Reverend Dr. Davenports Opinion on the place.

Thus Oh the twistings and turnings, and chop••ings and changings, and piecirgs and patchings, and shiftings and shufflings of T.D. to wind himself away from the Truth which is to him so Intollerable, that with I.O. hee••l bear the shame, and run the hazard of giving his incongruous self-overturning Thoughts thick and threefold against it, rather then truly turn to it when its truly and uncontroulably told and laid before him; As it is in this Case about the Epistle to Laodicea, about which he traces to and fro two or three false wayes, and yer can scarce tell well, which of the Three to fix upon, or steadily to stand to, or stand still in.

Neverthelesse notwithstanding T.Ds. advance in Three Motions against the Truth of Pau's Writing to Laodicea, yet they help him not; but for all his two strides and a Iump, yet he leaps too short to reach the matter of Truth he would resel by it, for Quid verbis opus est quum facta loquuntur? there need no more words in proof on't, the Epistle of Paul to Laodica is extant, and speaks out it self and its Author whose it is, as well by the stale and majesty of it as by the Superscription, being both Translated and Printed in English, as it was found, though not in your Testaments, yet in the Oldest Bible that was Printed at Worms; And also in a certain Antient Manuscript of the New Testament Text, which I have seen and can produce, written in Old English 340 years since, or above, before the Art of Printing came up here; by which its evident, that it was owned as Canonical in the Church of England in those dayes, and was (however it came to be since left out) bound upa∣mong its fellowes.

And howbeit it be filled in our English Translations of Col. 4.16. the Epistle from Laodicea, besides the genuine sence of the Greek, which, as is shewed above, will much rather bear it to, then from Laodicea; yet let it be read from, that nothing lessens the likelihood of its being Pauls; for though he wrote it to Laodicea, yet if the Colossians would read it (as Paul bids them do, as that the Laodiceans likewise should read what he wrote to the Colossians) they must read it in a Copy from Laodicea whether it was sent, or else not at all; as the Laodiceans it they read that he wrote to the Colossians, must have it first from Colosse, or at least a Copy of it; For as for the Scriptures of the New Testament (quoth I.O. who helps us in this, though he hinder him∣self another way by it, as to his Canons Constitution out of the first Original Copies, pag. 166.) it doth not appear that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the several Writers of it were ever gathered into one Volumne, there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest, the Epistles, though immediately Transcribed for the use of other Chur∣ches, Col. 4.16. (Mark how he Quotes the very Place too we are upon, as if he owned Pauls to Laodicea, which if he do, he wounds himself to death in his Arch-Assertion, that not a Tittle or Iota of the inspired Scripture as given out at first, is lost, but remaining every Apex of it in the Copies w now enjoy, fith heres a whole Epistle of Pauls lacking, as well as his first to Corinth and Ephesus, in which were many Tittles and lotaes) were doubtless kept in the several Churches, to which they were directed; From those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there were quickly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 given out to faithful men, whilst the infallible Spirit continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner.

Here T.D. said no more, but was ad Altum srlentium, and at his Non ultra, as to opposing the being of such an Epistle of Paul to Laodicea legitimate, but rather fell under the weight of what Evidence was brought to prove it so; yet when after long striving against this Antecedent, which was urged in proof of this Conclusion, viz. That theres more Holy Scriptures extant to this day, which are as much a Rule as those ye have in your Bibles, and call your Rule exclusively of all others; to shew himself to be one of those I.O. speaks of, who are as like I.O. too as ever they can look, that are (to English J.O's. Latine) so unhappi∣ly stupid or self-will'd, that they will be indoctrinated by no reason nor experience; but as if themselves aboue must over-top all, being puft up with a vain perswasion of their own Faith, they obstinately per∣sist in the contempt of such things as they understand not, and so with the Comedian cry out, Let who will say what he will from this Opinion, we will not be removed: T.D. at last denyes the Conse∣quence, saying, pag 28. Suppose we should grant you there were such an Epistle legitimate, yet it will not follow that it was intended for a Rule to us.

And why so? may any Rational Reader say; For this Reason (quoth T.D.) which Reason is as silly as if he had said, because it will not; for we have already as much as God thought sufficient, God did not give order for any more then them we have to be our Rule (what Order he gave for any writing at all to be the Rule or Canon will be seen anon, or whether man did not give or∣der for the Canonizing of that, that is Authorized, as the Rule) but how ap∣pears it that God gave order for some Holy Scriptures, and not some? some Holy mens Writings, some of Pauls Epistles, and not othersome? hereby (quoth T D.) Read Iob. 20.30.31. and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his Discip'es, which are not written in this Book, but these are Written that ye might believe, &c.

Reply. In which Scripture T. D's. Reason why Pauls other Epistles are Authentick and Canonical, but that of his to Laodicea though as legitimate as the rest must not be so, lyes so close hid up, that a man may sooner find the way of a Bird in the Air, or of a Serpent upon a Rock, or a Fish in the Sea, then find it, or any thing that hath the least Iota of a Reason of such a mat∣ter: Quis nist mentis inops, &c. Who but a man besides his wits, can see either Sense or Reason in this Reason? Iohn sayes Christ did more things then he Wrote of in that Book, therefore Pauls Epistle to Laodicea i, not so Ca∣nonical as his other Epistles: But (to take it as it comes) consider first, Iohn speaks of that particular History that he was then in hand with; Secondly, He speaks of Signes and not of Scriptures; Thirdly, Though he affirms that more were done by Christ, then were written in his Book; yet many might be, and were Written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke that were not by him; so that every way that Scripture makes against T.D. For first, If Iohns Writing that Book were Exclusive of any of Pauls legitimate Epistles, it must be of them all, and of all legitimate Scripture that was wrote after this, and so of his own Three Epistles, and of his Revelation also from the Canon; what mad work will T.D. make that way? and what a fowl flaw will

he make in his Canon, by medling to exclude one Book of the New Testa∣ment, excluding well nigh all; Iohns Book was sufficient, therefore no more need be written; this is the Inference according to T. D. and not Iohns was sufficient, therefore Pauls to Laodicea only so illegitimate that it must have no room in the Rule, nor standing in the Standard, though all o∣ther his Epistles now extant may.

2. Iohn speaking that all the Signs Christ did, were not written, is no Argument to prove that all that was Written by the Spirit, was not as equally useful as some of it, and all alike designed and ordered to the same Ends, so that if some were intended for a Rule, the rest must be; yea, faith not the Scripture thus, Rom. 15.4. 1 Cor. 18.11. Whatever was Written afore∣time was Written for our Instruction, that we by it might have Hope; Saith it not, All Scripture (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) is profitable for Doctrine, Exhortation, Instruction in Righteousnesse, &c. 2 Tim 3.16. & 2 Pet. 1.20. Saith it not that no Prophecy of Scripture (which with I.O. is the Scripture of the Prophecy) must be Interpreted as private Discourses, that all Holy men of God spake as moved of the Holy Spirit; Was not all then that was Written before Christ, and since intended to one and the self same End, though all that was done was not Written?

I understand not therefore the force of this Argument of T. D.

All that was done, was not Written:

Therefore much of that which was Written is of no use, or not intended to the same use to the Church as the rest was.

3. It perfectly confirms against T. D. what we Assert against him, viz. That Pau's Writing to Laodicea, and whatever else of Holy mens Writings that were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and can be found have (Caeteris Paribus) One as much Authority as the Other, being all alike legitimate; For Iohn sayes, of what ere is Written (if T.D. will stretch Iohns saving beyond the bounds of that in∣dividual Book he was then writing) it was written All to the same End, (i.e.) That men might believe, which with you (not us) is as much as to say to be a Rule of Faith.

One thing more I must not let slip here, though T. D. did in his Account of the Dispute, viz. That when T.D. had no more to say against that Argu∣ment from Paul: Epistle to the Laodiceans, one of his Associated Assistants; R. Wilkinson, asked, Whether we had more Scripture in the Greek Tongue now extant, then is in their Greek Testaments? For that to Laodicea being here but Englished it would not down with them. Reply was made, Yea; so naming a Verse between the 5 and 6 Verses of the 6 Chapter of Luke, which is in some Greek Copies, not theirs, (and a Verse of the Original Text wanting, makes still against I. O.'s Arch-Assertion; of the Scripture of both Testaments remaining in the Copies they now have entire to a Tittle, as it first given out without any losse, pag. 173.) I repeated it in English thus out of the Greek; in which Greek Tongue I have also read it; Iesus seeing a certain man Working on the Sabbath day, said unto him, O man, If thou knewest indeed what thou dost, thou were happy; but if thou knowest not, thou art accursed, and a Transgressor of the Law.

And so I have proved against T. D. That there's much Scripture of Holy men, which was as much designed in its first giving out to be the Rule, as

〈◊〉〈◊〉 which is in modern Bibles, wanting and lost, some whereof yet is Extant in some Bibles at this day, in which Confutation of T.D. I.O. is further Confuted as to all those many places of his Book, wherein he avers over and over again with exceeding earnestnesse his Arch-Assertion, viz. That not one iot nor Tittle of divinely inspired Scripture is lost, but every Apex, and Letter of it, as at first Writing is Transcribed downward to us, and pre∣served without any losse in the Copies we now have, pag. 13 19. 173. And so this might stand for a final Answer to I.O. and T. D. both as to that mat∣ter of the non entirenesse or perfection of the Letter, which was given out up∣on Inspiration, & of its Integrals to this day, and an Answer to I O's. Confi∣dent Positions and Challenge concerning the Uniformity of all Bibles with∣out variety in the least, which to his own Confutation I here set down in his own words, of which yet more use that way may be made hereafter.

I O. Pag: 319. Neither the Care of God over his Truth, nor the fidelity of the Judaical Church will permit us to entertain the least Suspition that there was ever in the World any Copy of the Bible differing in the least from that which we enjoy, or that those we have are corrupted, as is pretended; the Authors of that Insinuation cannot produce the least Testimony to make it good. And pag. 317. Let the Authors of this Insinuation prove the Assertion; Name'y, That there was ever in the World any other Copy of the Bible differing in any one Word from those we now enjoy: Let them produce one Testimony, one Au∣thor of Credit, Jew or Christian, that can or doth speak one Word to this pur∣pose: Let them direct us to any Relick, any Monument, and kind of Remem∣brance of them, and not put us off with weak Conjectures, &c. and it shall be of weight with us: And Epist. pag. 27, 28. We evidently find various Le∣ctions n the Greek Copies which we enjoy, and so grant that which Ocular In∣spection evinces to be true; yet none of them are able to shew out of any Copies yet Extant in the World, or that they can make appear ever to have been Ex∣tant, that ever there were any such various Lections in the Originals of the Old Testament.

And so I come to take my leave of T.D. again for a while till I meet him again (as I must do where he meets in one with I.O. in many other places) and return to walk on a while with I. O. about the Inclosure and Bounds of his Synodically composed, and Humanely Constituted, and compleated Canon, which he takes it for granted by Tradition before it be given him by the true Anti-Traditionaries, that it was Closed and Bounded by Divine Au∣thority.

And as concerning this Consignation, Signing, Sealing, Setting out, or Au∣thorizing of the Canon as to the Measure of it, or number of Books so Cano∣nized (the Nature of which as a Rule or Canon is anon more spoken to) I say, as above, I am yet to learn that Lesson which I. O. who by road Re∣peats it for Truth, as if he had it at his fingers e••ds, never yet learn'd him∣self (I believe) by root of heart, nor can ever Teach me, that by divine Authority, or any otherwise then Iure Synodico, by meer mens Will, Wisdom, and Imag••n••tion as they sate in Councel together, not standing in Gods Councel, the Light in the heart, taking Counsel but not of him, nor at his mouth, but each

from other; and Covered with a Covering, but not of his Spirit, it came at first to passe, that some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Holy mens Writings by the Spirit must passe for Currant Coin, and stand as the Standard, and Reign as a Rule and Command in the high Authority of a Canon as the Word of God, as truly as that very Word that comes immediately from Gods own mouth to holy Pen-men, or that Word it self, which the Letter writes of, and other 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Writings of Holy men, yea, some of the self same men that wrote some of the rest, and those as legitimate too (according to T D's Hypothesis) as the rest should be spurned out as spurious, so far at least. that they must not inherit with their fellowes, that conceited Immortal, Inmu∣table, and Everlasting Crown of that Solemn Canonization.

I. O. I am sure, upon his Principles, must grant me thus far, that if the Bible of Scripture, which he confesses to be his Canon, Lydius lapis, and Touch∣stone to try all by, doth no where Testifie any such thing within it self of it self, that such Books, Prophesies, Stories, Epistles, Letters, Psalms, Pro∣verbs, and other Writings as are Bound up in it, are of Gods; and such as are not there Bound, though born Testimony to there, as of as divine Original as the rest, are not of Gods own Canonization, then it must be counted that that precise Consignation of the Canon (as Consistent of such only, and not of such Books) had its Original being from some Convocations or Sessions of meer men, that were neither Prophets nor Apostles, but some that doted (as Doctors do now a dayes, being none themselves) on the Prophets and Apo∣stles Persons, and such Writings of theirs as best pleased them; Out of the Scripture I know not where I. O. can pore for proof of any thing, who looks awry upon the Light and Spirit it came from, saving into that Thing, which he so often calls his own Thoughts, all which with me are not worth Three-half-pence as to the begetting of any infallible unfeigned Faith; And if he will alledge 'tis so, that this thats in our Bibles and Copies only, is the Rule of Gods own Consignation, and none of the rest mentioned there, must come into it, he is Certain of it, he thinks so (to which Tune he frequently Sings in his Second Treatise, or heap of uncertain Assurances, or most Assured Vncertainties about the Points) he may keep his Think to himself if he will, and never thrust that forth as an Argument to evince any thing to us by; its labour in vain, for we verily believe that in the most things at least that he gives us his Thoughts about, he does think it to be as he sayes he thinks 'tis. But whats what he thinks to other men? Is there any reason that we be∣lieving our own Eyes, should beleeve the Testimony of a man of no Credit with us, Asserting that for Truth, which we know to be utterly false? I appeal to J O. Epist. Pag. 20.

But if he will say the Scripture speaks any where of the Bounding and Consignation of its Canon by so many, or so few, or by such and such Books as are Extant only in your Bibles, and no other, I would fain know where it mentions any such, or where-ever the Apostles in any of their Synods or Ses∣sions had any hand in any such matter; and if not, I iudge I O. to be past such a Child, as to believe that what the Synods of succeeding Ages Consti∣tuted, Authorized, Canonized or Established, was done purely Per jus Divi∣num, or Apostolicum either.

Yea, what I O sayes to the Quakers in the Case of Calling to the Light within, Ex. 3. S. 32. Proferant Fanatici vel unum sacrae Scripturae locum vel udum caelitus demissum Testimonium, quo ad eorum sidei & obedientiae Regulas seu directiones mittimur, &c. & causam non dicimas quin triumphant serio, &c. which Challenge of I. O. I am to Answer him in else-where. So say I to I.O. T. D. or any other Thinkers or Seemers to themselves to see. Profe∣rant Fantastisi, &c. let these Pretenders to the Vision of this matter pro∣duce but one place of the Holy Scripture, or any Testimony from Heaven (but such a one from above they can't, who deny Gods Spirit so speaking in these dayes as of old) wherein God, Christ, or the Apostles set out the distinct bounds of their Canon, Directory, or Standard of the Old or New Testament, by such a precise parcel of Books as are in your Bibles, and exclusively of any other holy Writ, whether mentioned or not mentioned therein; and weel not say but they have Cause in this Case (though if 'twere as they say they must hang down their heads with shame in 20 more) to triumph in earnest▪ Si autem de suo tantum loquuntur mendaces sunt neque verum est eorum Testimonium; if they talk of their own heads of things about the Scripture, which the Scripture Testifies not of it self they are Lyars, and their Testi∣mony is not true.

As to the Canon, as ye call it, or Standard of the Old Testament, there's not the least Tittle of Tendency to any such thing hinted there, that it should consist of so many Books, and such shall stand in it, and such other, though as legitimate, and mentioned to be of God therein, as well as the rest, shall be shut out, and stand by: And in very Ezra alias Esdras his dayes when there was such a Paucity of Copies as thou well sayest I.O. Pag. 177. That in very deed the who'e Law was burnt (as to the Originals its like at least) 2 Esdras 14. 21, 22, &c. The Care of him, and his Companions, was great as thou sayest, as to the Restoring of the Scripture to its Purity when it had met with the greatest Tiyal that ever it under-went before, insomuch that what Books could be gotten together were copied cut, or else written de novo by the light of understanding kindled in Esdras his heart by the Lord, and many excel∣lent thing done as to the Recovery of the Law into more purity in the ve∣ry Letter of it out of the Babilonish rubbish, &c. but whats all this as to the settling of this, and that, and t'other Prophecy into the distinct measure of a Standard by divine Appointment, and dis-Canonizing all others save such as are in your Bibles called Canonical, whether those of the Seers, Gad, Nathan, Iddo and the rest abovesaid that are specified in your Bibles, or those later which are allowed a room and standing in your Bibles, though not a room and standing in your Rule and Standard thereof, called Apocryphal, of which some were Esdras his own as well as some of the rest.

Besides 'tis evident, that Esdras and his Companions, if the Consigration and Bounding of the Canon were in their dayes, or by their Sanydrim set a work, and ordered by the insallible Spirit of God therein, wrote a number more of Books, 2 Esdras 14. 42. 44. then are now Extant in your Bibles, which if all lost, it makes against I.O. still, that sayes not an Apex of what was by divine inspiration, is lost; and so his great Engine out of which he shoots short against the Truth, his Standard and Canon comes still lame, and short, and halting home. And also though Esdras and his Company Compiled

many, yet the last Volume of the Psalmes is more credibly supposed, if I would enter into I. O's. Work of Answering Conjecture with Conjecture, to be truss'd up together in the dayes of the Maccabees, but all here is uncer∣tain, and carried to and fro by Conjectures, and so there's nothing sure on I. O's side.

And as to the newer and later Scripture since Christ, where is the least touch of such a businesse of Constituting some few certain Books of those many more then we have, which were then written, into a Canon, and dis∣carding othersome, whether such as we want, or such legitimate ones as we have, as that to Laodicea from within the Coasts and Quarters of your Canon? Nay, rather the Scripture of the New sayes, as in the places above Cited, Rom. 15.4. 1 Cor. 10.11. 2 Tim. 3.16.17. 2 Pet. 1.20.21. That all Scriptures that are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, given, or written by Inspiration of old time, were to the same purpose that any at all were; so that if any of it all, then all of it is to be listed into that Lydium Lapidem, and to be Confede∣rate with the rest, and to come by right into the Confines of your Canon, all what ever was so written being alike written for our Instruction, alike profitable, alike publick, and none of it of a more private Interpretation then the rest; Does that of T. D's. Citing, and I. O's. also, Ex. 3. 26. (viz.) Iob. 20.30.31. prove any such thing? If that be Exclusive of a∣ny Scripture at all, it must be of all that which was written after it; foras∣much as, according to T. Ds. Exposition of it, it intimates a sufficiency in that which was already written; and (if weel be befool'd with his sinister senses, and mindlesse meanings on the Scripture) that when he had writ∣ten that, there was as much as God himself thought sufficient to be written at all as a rule of Faith, or in order to mens beleeving, pag. 28. These are Written that ye might be'eeve, and have Life; as if he should say, Here's e∣nough, what need more? And as the Preacher said of old, Of making many Books, theres no end; by these be thou Admonished, they are words of Truth, therefore heed no more, Eccles. 12.10.12. Will any of you say that in Iohn (yet T. D twines it such a way) will bear such a Construction as to be Conclusive of some Scriptures of Spiritually Inspired men into the use of a Canon or Standard, and exclusive of others as much of God as those? On this account, as one might Interpret Solomon, as cutting off from the Canon all the Prophets Writings that succeeded his in the Old Testament Scrip∣ture; so one must Interpret Iohn as Excluding out of the Standard of the New Testament all ensuing Writings of Holy men but his own, and his own Epistles and Revelation also, which were Posterior, or Successive to his History then in hand, as utterly uselesse and superfluous. Credat Apelia.

Doth that Gal. 6. 16 As many as walk according to this Rule, or Canon, do it? which blind Guides and People so hastily patter over, as if that men∣tioned the whole Bible and all that Writing, and not a Tittle more then whats bound up in it, besides the Apocrypha; when I shall shew in its pro∣per place, its spoken of no External Scripture of Writing at all; I say, will that prove some to be Authorized of God for the Standard, and some even of the same Holy mens Writings though yet extant, not to be so? Is there a∣ny such distinction in the sound of that Term [This Rule] whereby (if it were meant of Scripture, as its nothing lesse) to give us to discern that

Paul in that Expression includes his Two Epistles to Corinth, and that one to Ephesus and this to Galatia, and the rest of his own and other Apostles Writings, even the Revelation it self, that was not wrote in his dayes, that are Concincinated in your Copies as intended of God to be the Standard, and excludes his first to Corinth, his first to Ephesus, and that to Laodicea, as not intended of God to stand in the Standard, but to stand below it to be tryed, and judged by it?

Or by (this Rule) did he mean no more then what was already Written, which of you Wise men that render in your Interpretations that Term (Rule) there of an outward Letter, can Riddle me this? If so as ye say, then he quite cuts off what should be Written after this, either by himself, for any other Inspired Writer, and so all Iohns Epistles, and his Revelation rom coming into that right it hath to Rule as the Standard among the rest?

Or if no, then that place (and indeed it doth not) makes not at all to I. O's. purpose; who yet quotes it in proof of his Canon as carelesly as others do, for customs sake, among a vast Company of other Texts that he crowds on a heap one a top of another, not one of which proves the Point he there Propounds, viz. Scripturam post completum ejus Canonem esse Regu∣lam, perfectissimam ita ut nullae Revelationes sint admittendae; That the Scrip∣ture is so perfect a Rule or Canon, that after the Compleating of its Canon (which was not when Paul wrote to Galatia, if Iohns Epistles, and the Re∣velation be a part of it) [mark that] no more Revelations must be admitted, See Ex 3. S. 25 26. not one iot more then the Green Circle, that is seen a∣bout it in some misty Nights, proves the Moon to be made (as they say) of Green Cheese.

And now I am upon that Term of thine I. O. Post completum ejus Cano∣nem; let me take it while it is in my mind, I much muse what ye mean by this so often Compleating and Bounding of your Canon; and marvel what E∣poche Iuncture and Period of time this perfecting of your Canon and Stan∣dard as to all its Integral parts must take its being and beginning (as such) and be counted from, so that before that time it can't be called a perfect Rule or Standard: If it be from that time which I. O. calls the Close of the immedia••e Revelation of Gods Will, Pag. 28. made when Iohn had written the Revelation, after which I.O. thinks nothing more was ever to be added by way of new Inspination (which Thought of I. O's. I shall think to talk with hereafter) it from that time I say, and not before, then twas not compleat it seems when Iohn wrote that Iob. 20.31. nor yet when Paul wrote that Gal. 6.16. And so neither of those Two places cited by both I.O. or T.D, do prove their Rule-perfect as to its Integrals, and compleat already, when Paul and Iohn wrote them: And yet for all that I can find by I.O. and T.D. both, they not only count their Canon compleat and perfect at the time of the Writing of those Two verses, but likewise produce those very Two verses, viz. I.O. both and T D. one of them, viz. Joh. 20.31. and expresly and in effect the other, to prove their Rule to be a most perfect Rule and compleat Canon already long afore the supposed Close thereof in the Revelation; yea, (counting from the time of the Penning of that place, Ioh. 20.30, 31.) we have already (quoth T.D. Pag. 28.) as much as God thought sufficient;

as if that History of Iohn had pin'd the Basket, and brought up the Recto all the whole Standard of outward Scripture, and compleated it al••e••••y as suf∣ficiently as God thought fit it ever should be; yea, so sufficient, as that all that should be written after, should be held superfluous.

No more then a most perfect Rule, it is now, a compleat Canon, sufficient Stan∣dard, adaequate to all Cases that come to be tryed by it, inalterable Touchstone, immutable Measure to measure all Spirits by, to which nothing may be added (and I confesse, if the Writing be the Rule, Standard, Measure, true Word of God; which its but a Writing of, it ought to remain from the first to the last, ad amussim, exactly the same, as to its Measure as well as to its Nature, and to have not one iot, not an inch, not a tittle added to it to make it larger, longer, or wider then at very first Canonizing and Authorizing into its Office, it ought to be steady and standing stedfast••y the same within it self, as well in its Quantity, as Quality, as a Substantive and not such an Ad∣jective, as can't stand by it self without more, and more, and more Words and Writings still from time to time newly adjoyned to it, to shew its sense and signification about those things its to measure, determine, and to be the All in All, even both the Rule and the Iudge of, as ye make it) I say it can be no more now its thus compleated, as it is by successive Additaments from Moses himself to the Revelation, and not one jot lesse, it was (according to you conceited Canonizers thereof) before Iohn or Paul, or any of the New W••iters ever wrote; no lesse then a perfect Standard, that had its Consignation and Canonical Bounding, and its borders, so set out, that what came not to hand, what appeared not at the Session of that Sanydrim, that sate in Ezraes dayes, to Try, and Iudge on, and Authorize what was fit to be the Iudge and Rule for themselves, and all after Ages to be Tryed by, must be Condem∣ned as Apocryphal for ever; and no lesse then so that little was, that was in the dayes of Isaiah, before himself, or any of the Prophets a••ter him had Written: To the Law, to the Testimony (cry out Anti-Testimonists from Isa. 8. 20. like Rooks and Frogs, that gape and croak all alike for Compan••es sake, to the same Tune) as if that were that little of the Letter only that then was, which I shall shew anon, was another matter; and no lesse then a compleat∣ed Canon that little was that was in Davids dayes, which was little more then the meer Five Books of Moses (if Ioshua, and Iudges, and Ruth were then written) the Word was a Light to Davids feet, the Law, the Commandement of God David said was perfect, converting the Soul, enlightning the Eyes, rejoycing the Heart, giving wisdom to the Simple (say the Simpletons of these times) ne∣ver heeding that that Commandement is the Lamp, Prov. 6.23 and the Law that Light in the Heart the Quakers speak of, Ma••th. 25.8. Lu••e 12 35. and that Word, by which the young Man was to walk and cleanse his way, and that was a guide and a Light to Davids Paths, was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law (for Moses Scriptures and Writings, and Davids too, did only Testifie of it, Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105) But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had, and hid also within him, that he might not sin against God, Psal. 119. 11. yea, no lesse then a Canon, that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding, for all Truth, which was the same then as it is now (substan••ially) to be Tryed by, when no more then Moses Five were extant, so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as

now the Bible is, by adding to the Old Word, were the Letter that Word of God, thats the standing Measure; I know not what to make of all these Ad∣ditions to the Word, if the Letter be the Word, which have been made from Moses downward to this day, but matter of Plagues, Woes, and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings; but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon, and in compleat Authority as a Standard, and a Rule, and the Word of God, and such like, full well may Five, or any one Book of Moses, or any one Chapter, or one Verse, never so small, in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so, when if weel believe I. O. when he Lyes, every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word, but The Word of the Great God, as Pag. 168.169. Yea, every Apex of it equally, Divine, and as immediately from God, as the Voice wherewith, or whereby he spake to, or in the Prophets; and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority (i.e.) as the whole is, both in it self, and unto us, Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon, and the whole is no more then so.

And further, as to the New Testament (as ye call the Letter of it) as there is not the least Evidence, that any such thing as the specifying of what, and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of, and what not; so can any of you, that stand up so stifly for your (fancied) stable Standard, shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them, to take Care to gather up their Writings, and Judge and try which of them they thought fit, and which not to own as their Rule, and Iudge, and accordingly digrading the rest, to Canonize such as liked them best, to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of, into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God, the Iudge, the Rule, the standing Canon both to them, and all the world, and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end? Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14. (twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31.) prove it? And doth 2 Tim. 2.2. which is without either heed or wit urged, and by heedlesse I. O. as well as o∣thers, quoted (though mis-quoted) in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose, prove in the least any such matter? If it do, then say I am a Dunce; if not, then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity, that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold, but di∣vine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it, as if it were written with a Sun beam: For the words of Paul to Timothy are these, viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be Able to Teach others also: And in the other place these, But Evil men, and Seducers, shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (and so they do at this day, for all their scufling for the Scripture) but continue thou in the things, which thou hast learned, and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Whence it is by many, that would look upon themselves as wronged, if not looked upon as learned, as hastily concluded, as the places are hand∣over head alledged. That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself, and commit it downwards to faithful men, that must commit and continue it downwards still to others, and so successively to the worlds end as a Common, Continual Permanent, perpetually remaining Canon and

only Standard for all Nations, and Spirits. Gods, and Mans, and Do∣ctrines, true and false, to stand or fall by, from thenceforth even for e∣ver.

Which what a crooked Consequence it is, who, but Ignoramus, can be igno∣rant, whenas, if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul, either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timo∣thy, which is but a petty Portion, and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles, or if to all the rest of his Epistles, then it had been conclusive of that to Lao∣dicea, and his first to Corinth and Ephesus, which have no being in your Bibles, which you say Contains all your Canon, and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it; but in very deed theres no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there, either talkt on or intended; but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth, as well as writing, which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines, and things which are evermore according to the Scripture (the Spirit, from which that was, never contradicting it self) yet were another thing then the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the Writing or Scripture it self; Paul sayes not those Scriptures, which thou hadst of me, &c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of, but those Doctrines Truths, which thou hast heard of me, commit; (and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to, and not the Letter, for he sayes God made him, and the rest, Ministers not of the Letter, but of the Spirit, Act. 26.18. 2 Cor. 3.6. And the Gift of God within Timo∣thy, which he bids him stir up, 2 Tim. 1.5) Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard, and telling men, which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not, but the things, which were Witnessed to there, testifying no other things, Quod Essentiam, to be believed or done then what were written in, and spoken by the Law and the Pro∣phets, Acts 24. 14. & 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard, learned, and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings; As also the things the Thessa∣lonians, 2 Thess. 2.15. had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings, and partly by his Epistles, and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in, but they were not the bare Bible it self, or Writings, or Scriptures them∣selves, which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text, and Talk out of for Money, as Ministers do now a∣dayes.

And if I. O. insist upon the next words, viz. 2 Tim. 3.15. which place mentions the Holy Scriptures, and is mentioned I know not how many times over in I. O's. Book, in proof of that, which it in no wise evinces, and must be more plainly spoken to by me in due place.

Rep. I Confess that next Verse doth mention the Scriptures, but more against, then to J. O's, purpose, and more disproves then proves what he draws from the other; yea, it assures us, that it was not the Scriptures in any wise meant in the 14. Verse, for Paul saith to Timothy, That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures (i.e.) of the Old Testament, for those of the New were not as yet Canonized, nor All Written, if any of them were at all Written in Timothies Nonage; but the Things he had heard and learned of Paul, and was bid to continue in, and commit to other faithful men to Teach, were such as he had come into the Knowledge and Assurance of after he was

taken by Paul (Acts 16.1, 2, 3.) to Travel with him, which was not till he was grown past a Child; If that Expression, Knowing of whom thou hast learned, Vers. 14. be granted to relate to Paul, which (yet for ought you Literatists are able to gain say) may rather relate to the Lord himself by the Gift of whose Grace (i e) the Light and Spirit in him, Timothy was (and yet according to the Scriptures) taught both more lately, 1 Tim. ••.14. and from a Child.

So that neither of these two Texts teach any such matter as any of the outward Text of the New Testament Scriptures being either Canonized by the Apostles in their dayes, or ordered by them to be stated as a Standard in the Councels of succeeding Ages: And whatever men did (de facto) that way in the Second or Third Centuries, the Antiquity whereof (as venerable as it is to some Anti-Scriptural, and Anti-Spiritual Antiquaries) is with us but Novelty and Superstition, if it appear not to descend (de Iure) from the first; yet we Quary still (quo Iure) by what Authority from God, Christ, or the Apostles, the Synods, and Men that so Authorized and Canonized what Scriptures seemed to them, as Challenging so high a Title and Office, as the Word of God, Rule, Foundation, Canon, Standard, and such like, secluding other Writings, as Holy as these, were Authorized, or Commanded so to do themselves?

Neverthelesse, how weakly doth I O. (Confessing first, That it doth not appear that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the several Writers of the Scriptures of the New Te∣stament (and the same say I of the first Manuscripts of the Old, which were burnt and lost, and scambled away before Ezraes S••nydrim, if the Consigna∣tion and Bounding of the Canon thereof was done by him and his Compani∣ons, as I.O. sayes) were ever gathered into one Volume, there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest; and that the Epistles, though immediately tran∣scribed for the use of other Churches, Col. 4.16. (as I. O. thinks at least all were, because some were) were doubtlesse kept in the several Churches whereto they were directed; which Confession, if true, as sure enough it is, clears it that the Original Copies were never viewed together in one Bulk by any Councel or Synod, whereby to put it into a Capacity to Iudge and Determine of their fitnesse to make a Canon of, but only mens Copies of the Original, which but that every man will think his Think, and I.O. think as well as may be of it, yet who can assured∣ly, insallibly, uncontroleably tell as I O. sometimes (though sometimes again he will seem but to Think so) undertakes to do in his grand Assertion, that they answer the first Original in every Tittle and Iota?) I say, before-hand Confessing all this, how weak∣ly doth I.O. Assert with Confidence his Thoughts in this as a point of Faith, Pag. 166, 167. that from those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, there were quickly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Transcribed Copies given out to faithful men, whilst the infallible Spirit con∣tinued yet his guidance in an extraordinary manner, alluding to 2 Tim. 2.2. as his only Proof thereof, out of which Original Copies, or rather Copies of the Originals so Transcribed (for the Originals themselves never came toge∣ther

to be considered of by any Councel) this supposed Canon was Composed by the Annexing of the Revelation to the rest by I O. said to be finally Com∣pleated, Pa••. 28. God (quoth he) doth Command the close of the immediate Re∣velation of his Will to be Written in a Book, Rev. 1 •••• And so gives out the whole of his M••nd and Councel to us in Writing, as a stedfast Relief against all Confusion, Darknesse, Vncertainty, &c.

Reply. As if, all Canonical certainty were no where but in a Written Letter, then which in regard of its liablenesse to be altered easily many wayes by lewd Criticks, whom I. O. Teaches to do it, Pag. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. As also by meer mis-Transcriptions; mis-Translations, mis••Constructions, nothing is more uncertain to make a Standard of, unlesse it be the unutterably erring Breast or Head of that Harlot that Rides the Beast, and the unwritten Traditions that are Traduc••d, ad infinitum, from the same.

2. As if the Light and Spirit that shines and breaths in the Hearts of all, but most brightly and powerfully in the Hearts of such as heed it, were not more infallibly self evidencing, and certainly, and stedfastly demonstrative of the Mind and Will of God when looked on in its naked Native lustre, then when beheld thorow the vail of a Letter, which while Moses put over his face, the Children of Israel could never see certainly, nor distinctly discern, nor look stedfastly to the end of that which is abolished, but were blind in their minds, as our Ministers of the Letter are at this day, upon whose hearts the vail is untaken away, and ever will be, till, according to the Call of the Letter, they turn to the Light within, that comes from, and leads to the Lord himself, Christ Iesus, that Spirit, in whom only the vail is done away, 2 Cor. 3. Per totum.

3. As if the truest and most infallible Demonstration were Non ex veris, prioribus, certioribus, notioribus & causis internis Scripturae, but Ex falli∣bilibus, flexibilibus, posterioribus, obscurioribus & effectis, not by the internal Causes, the Truth and the Word it self the Scripture came from, which are before it, more certain and known then it, save to such as are willingly igno∣rant of them, but by the Scripture, which is but Effectus per emanationem, the Effect, that externally flowes from it, flexible, fallible, as alterable at Criticks Wi••ls, and unavoidably by mens weaknesse in Transcribing, Translating, Ex∣pounding, &c. at a Nose of Wax, a Lesbian Rule, more obscure, yea, obscurity i••le••f in the most plain Places to the Seers, that search it not in the Light and Spirit, but the dark Lanthorn of their own Imagination.

Ah poor deluded Soul, I. O. whom I pitty more really and unfeignedly, then thou the Quakers, and for pitties sake dare not spare sharpnesse towards thy proud-fleshly Wisdom, that interposes and opposes it self against the Light and Power of God, in a shew of Science falsly so called, that thy Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Thou talkest of certainty of thy Rule, which is the Letter, and of stedfast Relief against all Vncertainty thereby; Alas poor heart, whence come all those huge heaps; and whole Chapters of Vncertainty it self, which thy T••o Treatises doth wholly stand in, but from that utter Vncertainty, that is in thy meerly literal Rule, which thou there Treatest upon, that is so far from stedfastnesse, that thou art forced to Confesse more variety in it at last, then

at first entrance to Treat on its fixednesse, thou wast either witting or willing enough to do; which Rule or Letter, as much as it hath been, and is capable to be wrested, is not by far at such uncertainty in it self, as ye that Profess to be Ruled by it, and stand upon it, as your Basis, are at endlesse odds and in∣finite uncertainty in your Conjectures and Guesses about it; insomuch that it grieves me not a little for your sakes to see your Souls so sunk over Head and Ears in Confusion and confused Noises about it, in which the sweet still voice and silent whisperings of the Spirit of Christ within can have no Audience in that crowd of Pro and Cons, that ye are cumbred with about your very Foundation, which ye have not found yet, so as to this day to abide fixt and firm, or to be quiet concerning it in any Academies upon earth, but in vain Ianglings in all Corners thereof from one end of Christendom to another: Yea, I professe in the sight of God, that in such grief and bowels I write about it, that this Page and Passage passes not from under my Pen without being watered with many Tears for your sakes, whom I see perishing by your own Iuglings, unlesse happily ye will yet be pull'd as Brands out of the fire; And in no wise think I.O. that I am so Angry at your Folly (which the Deceit may suggest unto you) as offended at the Enmity it self, that flyes up within you, and befools you.

And seeing that thou I.O. seemeth to beg, wish, and hope for such a thing (Crying out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in case of novelty of Points, and variety of Lections, as nor seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth) that those who have more Wisdom, and Learning, and are able to look throw all the Digladiations that are like to ensue on these Principles, would nather take the pains to instruct th••e and such as thou art, then be angry or offended with you, that ye are not so wise or learned as themselves; And desiring such as are shaken in mind, to read the useful Miscellany Notes of (as thou callst him) the Learned Mr. Pocock.

Reply: 1. Not as one Angry or Offended that ye are not so Wise or Lear∣ned as my self. Nor

2. As one pretending to much of that ye call Wisdom and Learning, which lyes more in outward Tongues, Arts, or Sciences (falsly so called) then in that of the Spirit, for want of which Peter calls men (never so wise and well Learned otherwise) both unlearned and unstable, and (for all their buste buslings about it) not Openers, but Wresters of the Scripture to their own ruine which shelly, shallow Theory into things of that nature, perhaps I have forgotten more of for the naked Gospels sake, then many of our Preachers of the Gospel for Pay ever learned, and yet have enough left, whereby to discern many Country Teachers or Doctors to be Dunces in it, yet what ever my measure is, more or lesse, further then as an Earthly Talent, foolish Instrument, or Wooden Tool for a long time laid aside, and here taken up a∣gain to serve the Truth with, against those that fight therewith against Truth, its utterly lost and become dung and losse it self to me for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord that Spirit, in the Spirit and Truth in the inward parts: And of that aforesaid thin, foamy Speculation, I acknow∣ledge that many of you have not only much more, then my long since Coun∣trified self, but much more also then either does good, or does you good,

unlesse ye had more of the true Wisdom from above, whereby to use it to a better end then ye do.

Yet, 3dly. As one who have ob∣tained so much Mercy, and Ability frō God to see throw all the Diglad∣ations that are likely to ensue on the Principles that are now in agitation among your selves, as wel as between the Quakers and your selves, I herein take so much pains as is worth so much Patience as ye men of War are like to have with me for so doing, and tell you in the Name and Dread of the li∣ving God, whether ye bear or forbear; that the shakings of mind that are a∣mong the learned Lievtenants of Antichrist at their Gates of Hell (as honest Iohn Hus, and learned Luthur stiled the Vniversities) about their own literal and fallible Foundation, will assuredly end in the final fall of it (as a Founda∣tion) and all the Digladiations of those swattering Sword-men, who pretend to be fighting with the Sword of the Spirit about their supposed Sword of the Spirit (i.e.) the bare outward Letter, which they mistake for the Word of God, when in Reality they are at it with but the Scabbard about the Scabbard, will end in no lesse then the very sheathing of the true Sword of the spirit in the bowels of the Babel builders, that are so blindly busie about it in their di∣vided speeches & confounded languages, and in the bringing down the Babel which ye all agree to build upon it, whereby to over-top the light and Truth it self the Letter talks on, the fall and coming down of which Tripple Tower of the Tripple Tribe of Levi, the Clergy or lot (as they call themselves) of the Lords own In∣heritance, hath already raised from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nati∣ons, and moved Hell from beneath to meet them, Isa. 14.9. And what work more will attend this great Catastrophe of that Chaos, even the Old Heaven and Earth, the worldly Rudiments of which begin to melt, and the frail foun∣dations thereof to shake, that they may remove, and the New come in place, that must remain, will (as the Lord lives) make the Eares to tingle in a little time to come, that now refuse to hear of it from the Tongues and Pens of the Lords Prophets, to whom it is revealed, and their minds amazed, and their Hearts shake and shiver that harden themselves against the trouble∣some Testimony of it.

Wherefore, if thou art in earnest in thy Enquiry, I tell thee I.O. by way of Answer to thy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that if not only thy Rich Possession (as thou stilest it) of the Hebrew Punctation, and that non-variety, or unity, and indentity of Lection in thy Copies, but also all the Copies of the Original that are in the World, and Translations too, come utterly to moulder, perish, and passe away, as the Originals themselves have long since done; yet Truth is the

same that it was before any Letter or outward Text of it was, both Quoid Essentiam, and Quoad Explicationem also in the Hearts and Consciences of all men in a measure, and in such a measure in the minds of such as love it, and walk in what of it is therein by the Light and Spirit of God made manifest, that there's no such need to them, as there is to thy self and others, who yet hatest the Light, of such piteous Out-cryes as thou makest upon the Hypothesis aforesaid, nor of such direful Affrightments and Amazements as over take and ••u••prize thee and all the Hypocrites and Sinners in Sio••, whose Manition it self is now nothing but Magor Misabib, fear round about; while theirs, who walk up ightly by the Light, and live by i••, which leads into the substance of the Lite it self the Letter calls for, is the Manition of Rocks, and Salvation it self, which God appoints to them for Walls and B••••warks; yea, these dwell with that devouring fire and everlasting burnings, which are now kindled by the Worlds wickednesse, and burning down to Hell, to the consuming the very Foundations of the Earth; and with God himself, who is a consuming ••re to the stubble, and C••ass, and Bryars, and Thorns, that are now set against him to battel, and their daily bread is given them, and their Waters shall be sure, so that they shall not need with the Wicked, whose Trust is in man, upon whom the Curse of the Heat cometh, who inhabit the parched places of the Wildernesse, and must not know when the Good cometh, nor taste of the streams that flow in the Desert, nor of the Brooks, nor of the Floods of Honey and Butter, to send such hot and hasty Hae and Cryes, as thou dost, after a long since lost Letter to live upon, to see if any can tell Tydings of every Tittle, Apex, and Iota thereof, or else all Life of Truth is lost for ever, if all these dead Things be not found, restored, recouered and revived to that Life they never had, and Rendezvouz'd again out of the Romish Rub∣bish: What shall such as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes, and have come throw great Tribulation with him, and washed their R••bes white in his Blood, and been thereby Redeemed from the Earth, and Tongues, and Kind eds thereof, and stand with him on Mount Sion, and hear his voice, as his sheep did of Old, become such Babes and Idiots again, as to think with thee, and thy fellow Thinkers, That all Truth's lost, if one Tittle of the Text of your Transcripts have been s••••••t by fallible Scribes in their Transcribings of it; and to wander over the World from Library to Library, Author to Author so their Thoughts, from A∣cademy to Academy with you universally betwa••ed university Wonderers after 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Boyes Toyes, and Cou••ters, and Tags, and Pins, and Points, and Tittles, and Iotaes, and such Rich Possessions, infinite Inheritances, guilded Horn-book-geer, Primer Promises, Psalters, and Old Testaments, and Bibles, and Books, which they could read as perfectly as your selves long since, as to the literal sense thereof, which ye labour so about, that ye have no leasure to learn and look into the Mastery of the holy matter it self; and many more such Gay Trimmings, and Trappings wherewith (like Children that think themselves fine when they are bestangled and hung with Points) our Acade∣mian Adorers of the dead Corps of their (Conceited) to a Tittle entirely true and exactly corrected Copies, deem themselves above all men to be A∣dorned? Shall we (because thou seest none) see no means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in, and about all sacred Truth it self, if the Text, wherein its but 〈◊〉〈◊〉, be Translated totally away, or but mis-Transcribed, or mis∣Translated in some Tittles, or but taken away from the Points, that men at several Periods have put to it?

What silly suppositions are these to you (supposed) Seers, or (deemed) true Teachers (for shall we think our Learned Divines do not certainly Di∣vine the Truth? say the young Students and stupid starers upon the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and stones they take Councel at) who when all is done are but meer de••••••s and supposers, and such as can Treat out no more but your thoughts about either that Sacred Antiquity of your present Punctation, p. 211. or your so absolutely Asserted Integrity and Identity of your naked literal Text, without any corruption of it by any mis-transcriptions, or variety of Lections in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, pag 13.317.

Yea verily, whether we consider either one or t'other of these two bot∣toms that thou thinkest all Sacred Truth and certainty of it is so founded up∣on, that if they fail all falls remedilesly for ever, p. 18. Thou I. O. ma∣kest no provision for so much as the probable proof of these, but leavest them both, notwithstanding al thy seruple about them (on the certainty of which thou makest all Truth everlastingly to depend) as uncertain at least as they were without thy talk for them, or, if there be any alteration at all in the case of their uncertainty, thou hast by thy hosty bandling of that matter made it more certain and out of doubt to me, then it was before, that the points are Novel, and not Coaevous with the Consonants, and that the letter is abun∣dantly altered and corrupted in the very copies of the Original Text itself.

Take but a Review I.O. of some few of thy Thoughts upon these two matters, and thou wilt discern, if thou be not blinded, that all the World may see thy overlashing Positions (viz. That the points are coaevous with the first manuscripts, and that the Text remains intirely the same in your Transcripts as at first giving out, without any losse, alteration or corruption to a Tittle) are supported with no more then solely thy suppositions.

Notes

• For every Prophet did not write down either all he said in his dayes, nor all that which in writing is set down of his seeings, and sayings, doings & sufferings with his own hands; witnesse Jeremiah for whom Baruch wrote: and who wrote the latter end of the 5 Books of Moses, which ye dream he wrote every little and Iota of himself, Deut. 34.5 to the end? Did he write of his own Death and Bu∣rial, and of Israels Mourning for him, after he was dead?
• Pag. 3. So Ex. 3. S. 27. Post com∣pletum quem vacant ejus canonem nullae novae revelationes circa fidem cōmunem Sanctorum aut Dei cultum aut expe∣ctandae sint aut admittendae credimus & prositemur.
• It seems then thy Word of God (so called) may be, and was corrupted (i.e.) the Scripture, secundum te, who some∣times sayest it can't be corrupted in its Original Text, and is not to this day: But were it the Word of God indeed, as that is, it speaks of, and as thou sayest it self is, it were incorruptible in∣deed.
• Mark, The Salvation of God was Common to all men then, however its now Impropriated by the Personal Electionists unto themselves.
• See I.O's. words, pag. 13. Hebraea Volumina nec in Vnica dictione corrupta invenies; Citing Pagn. and Matth. 5.18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And Pag. 316. 317. Speaking of the bare Copies of the Scripture, Doth not our Saviour himself affirm (quoth he) of the Word that then was among the Jewes, that not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sof it should passe away or perish? Where let not the Points but the Consonants themselves and their Apices be intended or alluded to in that Expres∣sion, yet of that Word, which was Translated by the 70. according to this Hypothesis, not only Letters and Tittles, but Words, and that many are concluded to be lost; And say I, Speaking not of Translations (all of which I.O. seeks to prove deficient, from Pag. 320. to Pag. 344. See it at large in above 24 Pages toge∣ther) but of the Original Text it self, which he Pleads the Entirenesse and Integrity of, without loss to a Tittle, that upon this Hypothesis, that all the fore-mentioned Books are lost, not only Points and Conso∣nants, and Apices and Letters, and Tittles and Iotaes, but Words, & that many, yea Books, and that many, are contrary to his Arch-Assertion, concluded to be utterly lost.
• Though this I consesse, which makes little for J.O. but much against him, where he talks, as one that meddles with whats out of his reach, of Gods putting every word so into their mouths, and speaking by them in every Tittle they wrote, that somethings in Pauls Wri∣tings he (as himself sayes) spake; and not the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.12.
• Though I affirm it is not from Lao∣dicea, were it truly rendered, being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Col. 4.16. which Arias Montanus renders more rightly, Quae est Laodicensium, or Quae est Laodi∣ceae, the Epistle which belongs to the Laodiceans, or is of, or to Laodicea.
• Quid vero cum iis agamus, qui adeo infeliciter stupidi sunt ut nulla ratione nec experientia, &c. Dicat quod quisque volet ex hâc Opinione non dimovebimur. Ex. 2. S. 28.
• Hoc N••men (viz.) Verbum Dei Proprium) sibi Vendi••at Scriptura; I. O. Ex. ••. S. 1, 2, 3, 26, 27.
• For shall we Think (quoth he) Pag. 168. and so on many pages, &c.
• Pag. 240. Whilst they keep the Scripture, we shall never want Weapons out of their own Armory for their De∣struction; Like the Philistims, they carry the Weapon that will serve to cut off their own heads, quoth I O. of the Iewes, and I of himself, and his fel∣low Students.
• Quamvis enim ex justo Dei Iudicio sermo eis non est unicus, imo ita sunt in∣ter se confusi ut vix intelligant alter ser∣monem alterius, tamen aedificandae turri é cujus fastigio, fastu quodam Giǵanteo, signa inferant adversa lucis Perfectioni solio illi Dei (literae scilicet) in terris suis, summâ consentione unâ omnes in∣cumbant; See I.O. Ex. 3. S. 2.