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. IV.

ANd now I return to take more notice of what more is urged in his La∣tine Theses, as concerning the Scriptures being the only most perfect rule of faith, life, worship▪ and knowledge of God as to salvation. The se∣cond Argument in proof whereof is its perfect operation and efficacy, Ex. 3. s. 29. omnia perficit necessaria, &c. it accomplishes all that is necessary to Gods glory, and our salvation, in vindication of which, a whole Dozen of Scriptures are urged, eleven of which are above answered, and one onely remains to be a little spoken to, viz. Isa. 55.10, 11.

And as to that of Isa. 55 10, 11. I grant, That the Word of God, as the Rain and Snow comes down, and returns not without watering the earth, and causing it to bring forth and bud, and give seed and food, so it returns not void at any time without working that for which he sends it to any person or people, and prospering to the accompli••••ment of what he pleases; but I am half amazed to see that thou I.O. shouldest bee so silly as to interpret that of the Scripture, since it so expresly speaks de verbo oris sui, of the Word of his mouth, which is asserted immediately from himself with his own voice [so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth] which Word expressed by his own voice speaking, who so upon second thoughts, and serious consideration, shall say the Scriptures are, & properly too, as I.O. excusing his ignorance, for as much as not for want of incogitancy, I my self sometimes so thought while I ran as our National Ministry now doth, making haste and saying he saith] before himself had sent mee [howbeit I wanted no sending of man] or had spoke to me, or I heard his voice, I shall make bold to accuse him of arrant, Absurdity, miserable mistake, wretched blindness, and utter un••••rthiness to bee denominated a Doctor in that thing, which our Di∣vines call Divinity.

Nevertheless not having so well minded the matter, as upon occasion they may do in time to come, being carried in times past by custome to take things, and term and talk of them according to tradition, more then true discerning of them in their proper natures, the very preachers of this Na∣tion, as well as the poor people that have lived on their lips, have been so habituated, by common Metonymies, to miscall the Scriptures by names not proper to their natures that they now stand up to depend them to be most properly denominated by those Metonymical and improper names; so that howbeit we are never so willing to allow them to express themselves by such figurative phrases as are frequently found in the Scripture it self (as Act. 13.27. the voices i.e. Scriptures of the Prophets, are said to be read in the Iews Synagogues every Sabbath) and that satisfies them not, but the Qua. are deniers both of the Scriptures, and of the Word of God, and spoylers of them of their proper names, if they yeeld not to their as absurd as arbitrary Appellations of them, by those glorious Titles of Gods Words, Gods Voice, as their proper names, yea in this dotish disquierness, and peevish perversnes of his prejudiced spirit doth I▪O. quarrel with the Quakers as bereavers of the Scripture of its proper name, because they own not his improperties, in igno∣rantly and impudently imposing the names of the Word of God, and the

spiritual Light on the Letter as its Proper names, which it chal••engeth to it self from its preheminent participation of the nature and properties of the Word of God, and of Light, viz. Life, power, to quicken and save, and to shine to the evidencing of it self.

J.O. I am now to deal against the Qua. about the proper name of the Scripture: for this sort of men are glad that the care of this business is committed to them by Satan that they may spoil the Scriptures of that glorious Title the Word of God: This name doth the Scripture challenge to it self. So p. 49.73, 74, 77. That the Scripture is light, we shall see that is so, or can be called so, unless it hath this nature, and properly to evidence it self, as well as to give light to others, cannot in any tolerable corespondency of speech be allowed: Whether spiritual, intellectual light, regarding the minde, or natural with respect to bodily sight be firstly or pro∣perly light, I need not inquire, both have the same properties; it is spiritual, moral, intellectual light, with all its mediums that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of light. Now the Scripture, the Word of God,* 1.1 is Light, a Light ••hining in a dark place, 2 Pet. 1.19. with an eminent advantage for its own discovery, &c. a glorious shining Light, an illumi∣nating Light, compared and preferred ab••ve the light of the Sun, Psal. 19.5, 6▪ 7. Rom. 10 18. The most glorious light in the world, the most eminent reflexion of increased Light and Excellencies: the Psalmist ascribeth light, power, stability, and permanency like that of the Heavens and Sun, in commutation of properties, to the word, i.e. Scripture with I.O. and an inexpressible exaltation of it above them, the light of one day of this Sun [meaning the Scripture, which hee ex∣presses by the terme the Word of God] being unspeakably more then that of seven others, as to the manifesting the glory of God, nor doth it impaire this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture, that it is a moral, spiritual, not a na∣tural Light. This, and much more utters I.O. concerning these Termes of the Word, the Light, as the proper names of the Right belonging to the Letter.

Neither is I.O. alone in this, but some others I have met with that have stifly stood up to defend the Scripture or Letter to be the Light, the Word of God, yea verbum oris, the word of his mouth, and the Voice of God and Christ properly, and properly to be so called.

Rep. Which sayings, O the contrariety that is in them to common sense and reason ! they may as well say they hear that mans voice properly, some of whose sayings they read in the letters of such as write what they heard him say, they may as properly say they are to own the voice of the Scribes and Pharisees for their Rule, as they are written down by the Apostles and Evangelists, sith Christ saith, They sit in Moses chair, all that they say do, and that they do now properly hear their voyces, sith what they said was recorded, as say that they now properly hear Christs Voice in

reading some things he spake, as they are written by them that heard him speak them, and stablish, and canonize them, and other mens sentences, as the only standing Rule on this account, because God said, Hear him, and they now hear properly Moses voice, and must own his Law, that vanisht, as to the shadow of it, still to the Church a standing Rule, because Christ said, They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them. 2 O the contrarity of this to the Scriptures themselves, for if they be properly the Voice of God and Christ, then (absit blaspemiae) they make Christ charge the Scribes improperly and falsely, that they never at any time heard Gods voice, Joh. 5. for they heard the Scriptures read every Sabbath, neither could he say truly what he doth, ex∣clusively of such as are not his sheep, My sheep hear my voice, if the Scriptures were his voice properly, for the Dogs and Swine hear, and hear the outward Scriptures read as well as his sheep, but his sheep hear another secret still voice of his, in all things that hee saith unto them in their own consciences, which the loud Brawlers for the bare Bible drown within themselves with their non-sensical notes and noyses about their Diana's, and si••ver shrines and Temple worship, and Church work, which voice and words of his are heard in secret with more profit among the wise, Luke 10.17. then the cry of the Truth selling Spirit stinting-Scripture stealers among fools, which still voice of Christs ye•• whoever hears not, and heeds not more then our heady high-minded Hypocrites of these dayes do, may preach themselves out a while longer, yet as the Ministers and Church of Christ, but shall ere long be cut off from among his people; in the mean time however this is the improper tone they tune it out in when we bid them fear God, hearken to his voice, own that, as your only guide, his Word, his Voice, his Spirit, his Light, as the only infallible, sure standard, the witness of God himself, the Scripture wit∣nesses of, and sends men to, which hee that heeds follows, beleeves in, obeyes, needs not be so restless by wrangling as the wrestless for, and wresters of the Scripture are about the Witness of man, though witnessing from and for God as moved by him, for the Witness of God himself and the Witness of Christ himself in the conscience is greater, needs not be so loud for a Letter, for the voyces and words of men, and the Writings and Revelations of holy men, for the inward immediate Voyce, the Word, the Spirit, the Light, Revelation of Christ himself in the heart is greater. True (say they) we must hear Christs voice in all things he sayes, abide in his Doctrine or Teaching, receive his Witness and Testimony, walk by his Word, live by his Light alone, bee guided and ordered in all things by his Spirit, which a∣lone reveals the minde of God and Christ, without whose Revelation none knows the things of God and Christ; but the Letter of the Scripture, the outward Writings of such as heard him [as we do not] the Hebrew and Greek Text at least, and Translation••, as they keep touch with them, these are that Word, that living, life-giving, powerful, heart-searching, soul-saving Word, those Words of his that are Spirit and Life, by which alone men must come to beleeve that Light to the feet, that Lamp to the path, that verbum oris, that very word of his mouth, that works and accomplishes all things to his glory, our salvation, that verbum oris that goeth forth of his own mouth, that hee put, according to his promise, Isa. 59. ult. (as if that were the Scripture; oh gross and shameful! yet over and over, and over and over again, I.O.

cites that Text to prove Gods promise to continue the Hebrew and Greek Texts entire without loss or change of iota or title of it to the worlds end) into the mouth of the Churches Seed, and the mouth of her Seeds seed for ever, that must go out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, as the only strength against the persecutor to still the enemy and avenger, that sharp sword of his mouth, with which he will smite the wicked Nations, Rev. 19. That Rod of his mouth, or breath of his lips, with which he slayes the wicked, Isa. 11. That Rod of his strength and power sent out of Sion, by which he will rule f••reuer in the midst of his enemies, Psal. 110. That word that he hath spoken which God hath magnified ov••r all that is called his name, and so over the light it self it sprang from, which is his name, Joh. 1. and the s••fe strong Tower of the Righteous: That vis virtus Dei, power of God and word of the Cros••.

That Doctrine or Teaching of Christ, which, continued in, saves the Prea∣cher and hearers, ipsa doctrina, quam a Deo docemur.

That witness of God, which who so hath needs not the witness of men, for the witness of God is greater.

That voice of God, that's more sure and certain, as to its giving out its evidence to us, then the very immediate voice which the Apostles heard God himself speak to them with from heaven, 2 Pet. 1.

And all this, and much more exclusively and abstractively from that within, yea and properly too, so that the Word of God, Foundation, the Rule, Light, Lamp, and so consequently all the rest of the Ti••les are the very proper names of the Scriptures, no other then what are properly answerable to its nature.

For in this wife I.O. drives on the business avouching that glorious Title of the Word of God, and the Light to be the Nomen proprium Scrip∣turae, the proper name of the Scripture, and that I wrong him not herein see his own stating the Question between himself and the Qua. Ex. 2. s. 1, 2, 3. de Scripturae nomine proprio nimirum Titulo illo glorioso Verbo Dei, and p. 73. the Scripture is a light yet nei••her is, nor can be called so unless it hath the nature and property of light, p. 77. the Scripture a moral and spiritual, not a natural Light. p. 73, 74. Light spiritual hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light; firstly and properly Light from whence the other, i.e natural respecting bodily sight, is by allusion so denominated; in these places either expresly or eventually, I.O. calls the Light and Word of God the proper names of Scripture or Letter, and so consequently en••tails all the other glorious Titles to it as its Right, due and proper names which they rob it of, and deny it to be what it naturally and properly and really is, who own it not properly both to be, and be called the Word of God, but it neither is actually testified so to be any whereby God, nor by its self (as I.O. p. 87. most lyingly & falsely affirms it, in so much that he who owns it not as so) doth what in him lyes to make God a lyar. And also p. 140. where he sayes, If the Scripture be what it reveals it self to be, it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God [as p. 85. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the living Word of God] Truth it self, for that it professeth of it self (quoth he fr••m the beginning to the ending, neither can it possibly be so stiled properly, or unless it be by a figure [as it no where is neither by it self that I know of•• by which the Image is called

by the name of the Person, which it properly is but a dead Picture, and lifeless representation of, the Lanthorn by the name of the Light, that dis∣playes it self more brightly when beheld without it, which Lanthorn yet neither is the Light nor properly said so to be.

I am not ignorant of that Common Metonymy Continentis pro re con∣tenta, or figure whereby the thing contained is sometimes, but never properly where it is, exprest by the name of that which c••ntains it, and as well in that Scripture we talk of as in other Writings, Matth. 26.43. and 1 Cor. 11.26. If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it: As oft as ye d••ink of this Cup, meaning, properly, not the Cups, but the wine ther••in, viz. the one the bitter red wine of the wrath of the Almighty God, the mixture whereof is powred out into the Cup of his indignation, and of the fierceness of his Fathers fury, which Christ drank deep of in the dayes of his flesh and humiliation, to the drawing of supplications from him with strong crying and tears; the other the wine of his blood shed for the remission of sins, which such as walk in the light come at last to be cleansed by from no less then all sin; neither of which Cups or sorts of wine thou hast yet drunk of, or truly knowest what they are, by all the skill thou yet hast in the Scrip∣tures thou so scriblest for, but shalt assuredly have thy part in the first, be∣fore thou savingly know the second, yea whether ever thou attain to witness the saving efficacy of the second yea, or nay.

But what's all this to the helping of I.O. in his crazy cause, whose fight∣ing is not all for figures, or meer figurativ•• denominations but for the for∣mal and true proper names of the Scripture, which is the name of the Scripture, and not the Word of God, say we, but is, saith he, that of the Word of God; had he fought for no more then figures against the Qua. that stand for the Truth, and said so too, though in so fighting he had been foolish, yet we could have born with him in that frivolous peece of ••olly, and have lent him such a latitude, as both by the Letter and Light may bee al∣lowed, to speak Metonimically and Metaphorically of Methaphorical matters, and left him to his liberty without a check, and let him alone in his figures to figure out things by other names then their own, and to call them that, which yet properly they are not, to stile the Heus•• they sit in by the name of the Parliament, which it is not, to stile the Picture by the name of the Person, it is the image of, the Voice by the name of the Word, it is but the image of, and the Scripture by that of the Word, it is but the remote expression of, and of the voice, it is the more immediate image or expression of, for vox est imago verbi Scriptura vocis immediata, verbi quaedam mediata imago seu expressio; and to signifie the Wine and the Light respectively by the names of this Cup, this Glass, this Lanthorn, and the Word, and Law by the name of a Scripture, specially if by Scripture he mean that inward Writing of it by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of the heart, where the Law of God is written, though that writing and the Word written are not all one neither, and we could bate him the impropriety of that figurative expression also, though it be far further fetcht then the other, whereby he should decypher that outward Letter by the name of the Law, which it is but a bart Copy of, and the written Word by the name of the Writing, which yet in truth doth no more then declare of the Word & Retro, though I know not where in

all the Scripture the Srripture is so much as by A figure denominated by that name the Word of God, if the Word be any where so called by the name of Scripture, as I.O. sayes (at least fortyfold falsely) that above fifty times in the New Testament the word Graphs or Scripture is put absolutely for the Word of God, but if it were a hundred and fifty times so called, it would not prove the high point in that height he takes on him to prove it in, viz. that the Scripture is properly the Word of God, and the Word of God its pro∣per name, any more then the Wine is called by the name of this Cup, this Glass, or the Light by the name of the Lanthorn & Retro the Lanthorn by name of this Light, which is all figurative, not proper.

But this is not I.Os. case, who runs up to the very highest peg, and sings of the Scriptures a note above the Ela, and quarrels with the Qua. as deniers of the Scripture, unless they swerve aside with him in his silly supp••sitions, and as well uns••holler-like as unsaint-like sensless sayings, that the outwar•• Scrip∣ture the Writing, the Letter, and every Letter and Tittle, and Iota, though but transcribed, in it, is the Word of God, as T. 2. c 2 s. 5.6. that tam in esse reali, as cognoscibili, Ex 1 s. 1. the Scripture both is, and doth infallibly evidence it self unto the consciences of men, that are not blinde to be assuredly the Word of God. See his first Title page, and T. 1. c. 4. s. 1. and that men that beleeve not (as he implicitly beleeves in this) being obliged so to beleeve upon the penalty of eternal damnation, at the peril of their own eternal ruine, and such like, are left unexcusable in their damnable unbeleef, T. 1. c s. 5. T. 1 c. 3. s 6. T. 1 c 4. s. 14. and who saith, That his chief business with the Qua. is de noveine Scripturae proprio, Ex. 1. s. 1, 2, 3. about the proper name of the Scripture, and to stablish it under that glorious Title the Word of God, as that proper name of it, which the chief business, committed by Satan to the Qua. that they rejoyce in, is to spoyl it of: yea how will all those figurative forms of speech list I.O. out of that Qu••gmire wherein he sticks, and into which he hath rash••y run himself by, his hasty quarrelling with the Qua. who is far from being satisfied, if the Truth and Doctrine of the Scriptures be confessed to be sufficiently declared in the Scripture, unless he be infallibly assured that every Tittle and Iota, as it was at first written, stands truly transcribed in his Copies of it, and so far from being satisfied, if by a figure it should be granted [as it need not for its no where called so] that the Scripture is the Word of God that he pro∣fesses, Ex. 1.34. that if that Declaration, that Writing, which declares the minde and will of God, be not the Word of God, he knows not what is the Word of God, if he may not call the Scriptures by that name the Word of God, is so far Ignorant of any name else to call it by, as to call out to the Qua. to tell him what to call it if he may not call it by that name, Si hoc non sit verbum Dei (quoth I.O) ego nescio quid sit, aut deceant nos Fanatici quid illud di∣cendum sit, &c if the declaration of the will of God, i.e. the Scripture, be not the Word of God, I know not what it is, or let the Fanaticks teach us what we may call it; these and many more to the like Tune are the eminent Titles, which I.O. not by a metonymy, but in truth as their proper priviledge, and real right, attributes in words at length, and not in figures to the outer Scriptures, these are the lofty terms, wherein in throughout all his Treatises he treats on their be∣half, not with all others only, that are his Opposers in other matters, but with the Qua. also, who own the Scripture in its own proper name, use,

and place, and own the Truth written of to be the Word much more, then he doth himself, but about the Scriptures oppose him only as to these his childish thoughts: Such are the high, rigid, unrighteous, strickt streins he stands upon, and stickles in, and that so stifly, that he is minded either to win all, or lose all, and if he be not owned as stiling of the Scripture truly and properly, when he stiles it by the names of other things, which truly and properly it is not, he will no more own it under its own true and proper names of writing, Letter, Scripture, but make himself altogether ignorant of these as if hee had quite forgotten, and could in no wise call to minde, that hee hath any other names at all whereby it can be called, save those undue ones of his own imposing.

Now when a man begins to swell out with his wind of Doctrine into such a bubble as knows no bounds, its time to blow him out; and when he grows into such a giddy, greedy, hydropical humour, as not to know what ground he stands on, nor how to stand still, and sit down satisfied when hee is well, nor well to understand when he hath enough, nor to slack his thirst with a just and lawful allowance, its good

—Venienti occurre morbo: Danda est elleboritali pars maxima Avaro.

As there is no reason that he should have all he desires, so its but reason that his brain be purged from such excrements, as occasion such extraordinary ex∣travagancies, that if he will never be otherwise then so fantastically Fanatical, yet hee may insanire cum ratione, be moderated at least as to his height of madness, be taken down a peg or two, and brought from his high Garret, into a lower Story about the Scriptures, that if, he will have no nay, but they must needs be call'd the Word it may be no otherwise then the Cup is called the Wine, which (though, by a Metonymy the Wine is sometime called the Cup yet is never, or very seldome, if at all.

For my part I am free, rather then he shall take on ad ravimusque, and cry himself hoarse, and wrong himself (as he doth) with so much wrang∣ling, and restless wrestling for the Letter which he more loves to talk of, then lives the life of, and longs for, so that is not likely he will be at quiet, unless we still him by piping to the same tune with him at least a little, to please him so far to his profit, in order to the saving of his longing, as to allow him a little, i.e. so much leave as by the foresaid Figure to call the Glass window, or the Lanthorn the Light, which in truth and properly are not so; but as that Taylor which having an inch of cloath granted him for his minds sake, about so much as will serve for a pattern, incroaches so as to steal an ell or enough to make a suit of, and from Top to Toe cloaths himself therewith according∣ly, wou••d have no wrong to have his goodly garment torn off, or else beaten well upon his back with his own yard; so if I.O. who begs the whole question, be not pleased with his poor pittance, which yet is the largest allowance that Truth it self allows us to allow him, but will be a chuser (as Beggars must not be, and his own Carver, and carve out the Scriptures, which is more then (salva veritate) we can give him, or he can justly take on him to do, into no less then a patern, a lydium lapidem, a touch stone of all Truth, a standard for all Spirits (even that of God, by which it, and all Spirits and Scriptures else are to be tried; to be most truly t••ied by, a Rule, an immoveable, stable, per∣fect, the most perfect, the only Rule of Gods worship, and our obedience in mat∣ters

of faith and manners, as Ex. 3. s. 20, 24, 25. Ex. 1. s. 5, 6. Ex. 3. s. 32. Ex. 4. s. 17. so that since the Churches compleating of its Canon, no Revelations, internal Spirit [and consequently not that Spirit of God] Visions, inward Light, or Word are to be expected or admitted, as any Rule to walk by, the only guide and directory of all mens beleeving and living, so that who have not that have none at all of any sufficiency to lead them to life, though they should follow what light they have from God vouchsafed them to the utmost. So that there is no principle (to speak in his own words, T. 1. c. 1. s. 16.) or means of discovery of the saving Doctrine, or sacred Truth, no other rule or measure of judging or determining any thing about or concerning it, but only that writing from whence it is taken, the Revelation of it being expressed only in that writing, up••n supposs••ion of any corruption in which, the saving Doctrine, Truth, or Word of God, as at first given out from God, which say I, whatever becomes of the Scripture is ever entire, and for ever incorruptible, and unquestion∣ably uncorrupt, 1 Pet. 1. cannot be evinced unquestionably to continue entire and incorrupt, hee must then bee fed, as himself and his fellow un∣learned learned ones do feed their poor, blinde, p••r••-blinde, unlearned people, viz. with a bit and a knock, and bee kept close to so much as reason and Scripture can well spare him, be caned into a just compass with his own Canon, and Rapt into the right measure he runs out of with the Rule and measure of his making, and bounded within the due bounds of equity, which, beyond all measure, he breaks beyond for the bare Bibles and Let∣ters sake, by that Letter and Book it self, which is called though by I.O. the Word of God, Tr. 1. ch. 1. s. 12. yet by it se••f never so honourably at all, but only by such like Titles, as a Declaration, Letter, Scripture, Book or Bible.

And if he shall go on undervaluing that antient covering of Christ the Light of the world, and the Armour of his light, which is unchangeable, and which the True Church, which hath the Moon, and all such moveable and changeable things, as the best outward Writings are, under her feet, stands ever cloathed with, Rom. 13.12, 14. Eph. 4.23, 24. Col. 3.8.12. Rev. 12.1. casting it away as some old menstruous cloath, cast clout, or rotten rag, as he doth while in his imparralleld both ignorance and impudence he flerts at it, as if 'twere a meer Puppet patcht up of shreds, as a fictitious imaginary Christ fain'd in the fancies of Fanatick fools and mad men, Nescio quod lumen, quos, En∣thusiasmos quem Deum, &c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, vere nihil, Ex 3. s. 11. Ex. 4. s. 15.21. Ex. 1. s. 5, 6. and rejecting that covering of the Spirit of God, which Wo be to him that is not covered with, or is covered with any other, Isa. 30.1. to cut out the outward Scripture, and grave out the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 into a G••rment, into an Idol covering to himself, stealing Words from thence, and therewith cloath∣ing himself which will once wax old as a garment that is moth eaten, and at last (being old, yea oldness it self though younger the Spirit, and not the antient newness of the Spirit, wherein the true worship and service stands) is to vanish as an Idel, that must go to the Moles & Bats, & as the brazen Serpent be taken down, and among other Idols of mens earthly Elements, wordly Ru∣diments, and carnal Ordinances that were good in their own times and places yet but imposed till the time of Reformation, be sent away with, Get ye hence,

Isa. 2.20.30, 22. Rom. 7.6. Heb. 8.13.9, 10. Its high time to strip I.O. naked, and discover his shame, which is seen by such as live in the light through his covering, which is a prate of words about the Scripture, and other things which yet he knows not, and to summon him to sit in silence before the Lord undressing himself out of his stollen Ornaments, which till he doth he shall not know what a work of spoyling the Lord hath to do unto him till it come irresistably upon him.

And if hee shall flye out so far in his whifling words as to call the Letter [which to the Light bears the same, and no better proportion then that of the Lanthorn to the Candlelight] the Light, as the name that is proper to it; and flye up higher yet till according to his flashy fancy thereof he affirms it in Print (as hee doth) before the world that not only the Word of God written of in the Writing, which none denies so to be, but the Writing it self also (which he means well-nigh in every place by that terme the Word, or else hee strikes beside the Iron, and lies hammering on the Anvil, beating the Air, and meaning another matter then that hee meant when he began, and makes men beleeve that he means all along, which is no more to his purpose then if he meant nothing by it at all) is an illuminating, shining, spiritual light; and higher yet, preferred above the light of the Sun, T. 1. c. 4. s. 8, 9. the most glorious light in the world; and higher yet, the Sun one dayes light of which is unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifestation of the glory of God, T. 1 c. 2. s. 15. a Sun that more eminently then any inferiour fire discovers and evidences it self by such properties as it hath, viz. Light, and Heat, and Power, T. 1 c. 3. s. 10. and c. 4. s. 16.20. and much more of such like high strains I.O. strikes up in, till he stretcheth the bare Letter so far upon the ••enters as to strain it into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and make it even every thing that the true Word, and Light within is, when as howbeit it hath its excellency above other Writings as an instrument, yet, as to these peculiarities and precious prerogatives of the living Word, is vere nihil; then I must summon I.O. as warm as hee seems to him∣self to sit, and as much as he seems to see by the painted flame of his fained fire, and the sparks of his own kindling, that if he know no other way to salvation then the Scripture, and own not the light as the way, which the Scripture speaks of; this he shall have at the Lords hand, Hee shall lye down in sorrow.

Finally, [to persue yet a little further, and prosecute our present matter under the Metaphor of the Parliament and the House] If a man should arise and stand up, and contend that the House the Parliament meets in is the Parliament properly, and none shall perswade him to beleeve otherwise, but he will try it out with them that allow him to call the House by a figure, or metonymy of the thing containing for the thing contained, so as to say this House is the Parliament; and will say the Parliament is the proper name of the House, and it may properly challenge that to it self, and they rob it of its true and due name, and are enemies to both the Parliament, and the House, and Traytors, that will not so own it to be; and shall say, Die mihi, &c. tell me what it is to be called, if not so [not heeding that himself calls it the House where the Parliament sits] and that that is the most proper name of it: I should judge that man utterly unfit to be chosen a Parliament-man, or, if he should be chosen, as unmeet to meet there among the rest, as

in regard of his Clergy-ship, I.O. himself once chosen to that honour (as I hear) was thought unmeet to meet among them. Or (to prosecute the matter rather under that Metaphor of the Lanthorn and the Light that shines in it, with which the Letter and the Light, the Writing and the Word doth so ex∣actly correspond and hold proportion) if there should appear such a man as would not be contented by the fore-mentioned Metonymy only to call the Lanthorn the Light it self, which makes out it self thereby, and other things also to the view of others, but stand up to contend tooth and nayl, that the Lanthorn is the very Light in very deed, and ought so to be deno∣minated, as that which really is so, yea and every inch of it from the Top to the very bottome, or else it is spoyled of its own glorious due and proper name, and denied to be what it is, and abused and depressed quite below it self, debased and disgraced at their peril of mens utter r••ine for their dam∣nable, unbeleef, though they beleeve, own and acknowledge it to be a very special good, serviceable, profitable, clear, useful and perfect Lanthorn above all other Lanthorns, as to all ends and purposes for which it was at first made and framed, unless they see it with such eyes as his own, and beleeve it with himself to be veraciter, the real light and only rule and guide of the way, that ma∣fests both it self and all things else that are needful to be seen to all such as are ne••r to, and within the sight of it; and as concerning the Light it self, which reveals both it self and the Lanthorn, and the dark room also round about, wherein it shines and shews it self, and other things, as well, yea more brightly when its beheld immediately, and is abstracted from the Lan∣thorn, which it reveals, and in which (to say the truth) it self is more properly vailed then revealed (* 1.2 for the Light or new Testament is vail'd in the Old, the Old Letter revealed in the new) will not beleeve there is any such thing, nor without impatience hear the Testimony of those that testifie of it unto him, and tell him that he is mistaken, 'tis not the Lanthorn that enlightens the room (as he supposes) for that is, though transparent, yet a dark body of it self, that can no more by and of it self without somewhat else, i.e. the light to manifest) evidence either it self, or other things, then a stool or chair, or any such opacous body like it self, but it is another thing within it that shews it self in some measure through it, and (as the whole room and all things therein are by it) most evidently seen when it stands and shines in the room, and is severed from it, and that its that Light only, and not the Lanthorn, that can properly challenge to it self that name of Light, and that the Lanthorn under no consideration whatsoever, whether formally considered in its own proper nature as an instrument made into that form of of a Lanthorn, of such materials as Wood, Horn, Tin, Glass, or the like, nor yet quatenus containing the Light in it, * 1.3 either i••, or can properly be

said to be the Light at all, but the man will rather vilifie and utterly nullifie the Light for the Lanthorns sake, so that men become his enemies for tel∣ling him the truth about it, and his hand is up, and at work against every man, whose hand is against his crude conceptions, stigmatizing them in Print, as poor, erroneous, foolish, Fanatical, Knaves, Ex. 25.22. deluded Dreamers, &c. and belying the Light, as a meer ••ained, imagined peece of business, a fig∣ment of Fanaticks, fanaticisme, Enthuss ••isme, dotage, Ex. 2. s. 32. Nelcio quid, vere nihil: And moreover if the said man will not only positively assert, but also not blush to profess in effect, that if the Lanthorn be not to be called the Light he knows not what to call it, and thereupon call out to such as deny it to tell and teach him what the Lanthorn is to be called, if it be not properly to be called the Light, saying you must either call it the Light, aut doceat nos aliquis quid dicendum id sit; and lastly shall not blush to put himself upon the proof thereof against, all that shall gainsay the Lanthorn to be the Light, and that in no better then such a piteous, either flatly false, or foul and fallacious manner as here under followeth, viz.

1. The Lanthorn doth sufficiently evidence it self to be the Light; there∣fore most assuredly, unquestionably, incontroleably, infallibly, the Lan∣thorn is the light, by which men must see, or not at all; in which Enthememe the Antecedent is as most assuredly, unquestionably, uncontroleably, infallibly false, as I.Os. saying that the Letter doth so evidence it self to be the Light, and consequently the Conclusion, yet this is I.Os. way, p. 68, 69.

For thou triest it out in these Termes, which are the truest, though the more thou keepest to them, the more false thy Propositions, as to the matter asserted in them, both are and do appear, viz. the Letter, the Scriptures, the VVriting, with every Tittle and Iota that is therein, arguing (as aforesaid) thus

The Scriptures do abudantly, infallibly, incontroleably, manifest them∣selves to be the VVord of God: Therefore we know the Scriptures assuredly to bee the Word of God, Tr. 1. c. 2. s. 5. &c. 4 s. 1 21.

Which Argument is fair, and not fallacious, yet its frame, not more fair, then its Antecedent flatly false understood as it must be by thee (if there be at all such thing as uniformity in thy two Enlish Treatises, and not so much noniformity as that we may not safely judge of thy meaning in that word Scriptures in one place, by thy own expression and explanation of it in ano∣ther) of the writing, or the written Letter, and the transcribed Tittles and Iotaes of it, the falsity of which Antecedent, as uttered in such open termes, being not unlikely seen by thy self to be too obvious to be seen by others, thou fetchest it about in a way of fallacy, acting, arguing minus caste, but ma∣gis cause from this foundation.

2. Or else thus, viz. The Light in the Lanthorn, Tr. 1. c. 4. s. 14. doth evidence it self infallib••y to him that is not blinde to be the Light.

Therefore the Lanthorn is, and is assuredly known to be the Light; in which the Antecedent is most true, but the consequence denied, as no less false and fouly fallacious, then the other is true, and as non-sensical a non sequitur as tis to say, the Light declared of in the Letter, is known to bee the Word or Light, which is fallacia consequentis, yet this is I.Os. way of arguing,

Viz. By this Light in the Scripture for which we contend, doth the Scripture make such a proposition of it self as the Word of God, that whoever rejects it, doth it at the peril of his eternal ruine. Therefore wee know, and others may bee assured that the Scripture is the VVord of God.

In which Argument, Mulier formosa superne Definit in piscem.

The Antecedent is most fair and true, let him be Anathema that denies the Light in the Scripture to be the Word of God, but the consiquence is fouly false (fallacia consequentis) and consequently the conclusion, for it follows not, because the light in the Scripture or VVord of God declared in it is so, that therefore the Scripture it self is the Word of God.

Or else 3. thus, viz. That which doth evidence it self to be the light is the light, but the Lanthorn, the light doth evidence it self to be the Light.

Therefore wee may assuredly know that the Lanthorn, the Light is the Light. Which Argument were it urged interrogatively thus, viz. Doth not the Lanthorn the Light evidence it self to be the light? Therefore is not the Lanthorn the Light? were fallacia plurium interrogationum, the fallacy whereby one thing is askt of two things at once, which is true of one of them but false if affirmed of both; but formed positively 'tis fallacia, either divisionis, whereby the Sophister concludeth that to be true of two things joyned together as one, which is true of but one of them, i.e. of the Light, considered figillatim, or a part; or else petitionis principii, or a disputation exfalso supposit is from a false supposition of that which is not, or of that to be granted which is not granted, but remains as the main matter yet to be proved, viz. that the Lan∣thorn and the Light are all one: which yet is the way of I Os. proving the Scriptures to be the Word and Light, Tr. 1. c. 4. s. 2. the Scripture or written Word of God, and s. 6. The Scripture, the Word of God is light, therefore we may assuredly know that the Scripture is the W••rd of God.

Or else 4. Thus (making no express mention of the Lanthorn at all, which is the main subject that is to be proved to be the Light) viz. if the Light doth uncontrolably evidence it self to be the Light, then we do in∣fallibly know that the Light is the Light, and properly so called.

But the Light doth uncontroleably evidence it self to be the Light.

Therefore we infallibly know that the Light is the Light, and properly so called, which is I.Os. manner of speech sometimes, Tr. 1. c. 4. s. 1. the Word of God is furnisht with innate Arguments for the manifestation of it self, i, e. to be the Word of God. So s. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Where ever the Word comes, there is a sufficiency of light in it to evidence to all the Authority of God, i.••. That its the Word, and evidence of truth, commending it self to the conscience of men: No want of light in the truth it self. The Word makes a sufficient pro∣position of it self where it is; leave the Word to men and if it evidence not it self to them, it is because they are blinded. So Tr 1. c. 2. s. 6. Thy Word is truth, S. 14. Over all his Name God magnifies his Word (in all which places in an honest way of proof of the Scripture to be the Word of God, that term of Scrip∣ture should have stood in the stead of that terme the Word of God, but then the falseness had been obvious therefore we infallibly know the Word of God is the Word of God, and properly so called.

In which Argument a man may take his choice of fallacies, and of two call it which he pleases, or both if he will, and do him no wrong whose it is,

for as there is a begging of the grand question in the dispute, and a taking it a∣forehand for granted, which is not granted but denied, and to be proved, viz. That the Lanthorn is the light, the Writing the Word, which is called Pe∣titio principii, so there is a concluding aliud a negato, another thing, which is owned, and not contradicted, nor gainsayed, viz. that the Light is the Light; when the thing denyed, and to be proved, i.e. that the Lanthorn is the Light, the Writing the Word, is not affirmed in the conclusion at all, which is called ignoratio Elenchi, when that is inferred as contradictory to the thing denied, which doth in no wise contradict it.

Or else 5. thus, viz. the Lanthornquatenus it contains the Light may be the light.

Therefore the Lanthorn may be said to be the Light. Which Argument is fallacious, being a dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simplicitor; for it follows not in any wise (if we should yeeld as we need not) that as it contains the light, the Lanthorn may be said to be the Light, that therefore it may pro∣perly be said so to bee, much less that the Light is the proper name of the Lanthorn; which is that which is undertaken to be proved by I.O. for hee from secundum quid, argues, and sayes, the Letter, non respectu literae scriptae, as it is Scripture, but quatenns, &c. as it contains the divine truth, is, the Word of God, therefore the Letter is the Word of God simpliciter, and the VVord of God is its proper name and nature.

I say if the said man shall not only flye up thus into the height of fals∣hood in his assertion of the Lanthorn to be the Light, the Letter to bee the VVord, decrying that altogether which is so indeed, but also drive on his proof and evidence thereof in such a sorry way of either down-right falsity, or evident fallacy and deceit as this is, though I should not dare to deal any otherwise then fairly and openly with this man, if I should come to argue all the utter untruths utttered by him about the Lanthorn back again upon (as by and by I am to syllogize back upon I.O. his false tales about the Scripture) and though I desire not that any man should bee caught with any other then that godly guile whereby Paul caught many out of the deceit, yet whether he that deals thus treacherously doth not deserve when he hath done, ex lege Talionis, to be dealt treacherously withall, Isa. 33.1. Let wise men judge, and according to their judgement let such fools act and execute, which I now am none of, among whom, Fallentem fallere non est fraus, to deceive the deceiver is no deceit.

However thus much I shall make bold to say of the man aforesaid, that tis fit he should bee told barely of his bruitishnes, and fully forewarned of both his falsness and his folly, that he fall not into the like for the future, and if he be indeed so blinde as he makes himself, and so mean of memory as not to remember any name, whereby the Lanthorn or Letter can bee called, but that name of the light and VVord though himself calls it not the light or word only, but by the name of lanthorn, letter, or Scripture also save that Tra∣pezantius-like, who in a long fit of sickness forgot his own name, I.O. for∣gets himself, and heeds not that himself often calls the letter, as others do, by its only due and proper name of letter or Scripture) 'tis fit he should be plainly told what to call it, and minded of it, as I here do tell and minde I.O. who calls to the Qua. to tel him what to call the letter, that the name of Lanthorn, by which (though he forget that hee doth so) himself

doth call the lanthorn, and the name of Scripture, by which he [though he•• forgets it] calls the Scripture, is a more proper name then those of light, and the Word of God, and the most proper names that can possibly bee given to them.

And if for all this he will obstinately oppose the truth, and wilfully wa'k on without wisdome, then nescio quid indeed, the dotage being so deeply dyed into him, that its scare like to depart, if he be brayed in a Morter, I know not what more to say, but

Nescioan Anticcyram ratio illidestinet omnem.

Now I.O. ne Kideas be not so merry about the mouth, for such a man there is, and nigher to thee too then thou thinkest he is, so nigh that thou canst not step an inch from him--nete quaesiveris extra, hee is a well known to thee as any man in thy cloaths, and thou canst not bee ignorant of him, if thou be not willingly ignorant of thyself, yea verily, Thou art the man that art found in that folly and falsehood that is aforesaid about the lanthorn and the light, as is shewed so abundantly above, that there needs little more to be said in proof thereof. Tu Dominus, Tu vir, aut Doceas nos, quid sibi vuls santa blateratio & mugitus, &c. what means such a bl••ating and bellowing out for the letter? such a pleading it to be the true light, which it doth but plead for? such a striving to have it stiled the light? and the meer writing and every tittle of it to be called the Word of God? which bears in truth, caeteris paribus, but such a reference to the true light and Word of God respectively, as the lanthorn doth to the light of the candle which is set up and held forth in it: Quid sibi vuls detesta••io, execratio tanta, &c. what means such direful detestation, extr••am execration, and thundring out of little less then Anathama Mara∣nathaes against the light within, and word within, and all that confess to it, as I.O. himself doth too, but that hee forgets it, and so curses himself by craft, Ex. 1. s. 4. as Fantastical, foolish, deluded, Enthusiastical enemies to, de∣nyers and reproachers of the Scripture, because they deny the letter to bee that light and Word of God, which as through a lanthorn, glass or vail, and not so brightly, but more dimly, then when viewed with open face as shining in the heart, are seen and shew themselves through it? siccine se gerunt ministri lucis sicut vosmet vos geritis O ministri literae? tantaene a nimis caelestibus irae? Quid sibi vuls tanta terminorum transpositio? verborum ista tua mutatio, mussitatio, mangonizatio, &c. supradicta? If there bee not such a man, and I.O. be not he, teach us I.O. plainly what thou meanest by that peeping and muttering out of thy minde? by that mumbling and fumbling in such foul fallacious wayes about things, wherein if thou wert not minded to mask over thy meaning that men may not minde too much where thy lame cause halteth, nor finde where its false and falters thou mightest have made it (fairer in it self, I cannot say, for the fairer and fuller thy openings of it are, the falser and fouler it appears, but) tenfold fairer to bee seen in its falsness and foulness then now it is: tell us what means that mess of medley, that Mangonization and mixture thou makest of both thy matter, and thy meaning? that Tohu Va∣bohu? that tangled and tangling kinde of talk that thy Treatises do consist of, wherein not only like him that talks up the lanthorn into the name of the light, and talks down the light as nothing, thou triest to turn the out∣side inwards, and that which should be uppermost downwards, i.e. the light within,

which is the Truth it self out of doors, and the outward letter, which is but a Writing of it, in its room, place, power, use, and name, but also in the proof and prosecution of that most subsenseless subversion dost in one place or other (one place well compared with another) subvert thy self by thy own sayings and unsayings (how much more I cannot say but) little less I dare say then twenty times over, tumbling about like a Bull in a net, turning things to and fro, transposing thy termes, and introducing the prime praedicate in place of its own prime subject, one while using the terme Scripture, Letter, Writing, which (witness thy ••itle pages) is the sole subject expected by thy Reader according to thy intimation of no less, to be proved to be the Word of God, and treated on without varying from it under that terme of Scripture, Letter, Writing; other while in thy very Argumentation for the Truth of thy untrue affirmation, which is that the Scripture in esse both reali & cognoscibili is the Word, and in answer to that queston how is it known that the Scripture is the Word of God? promiscuously putting all these termes, viz Book, Faith, Bible, Truth, Writing, Doctrine, Letter, Light, Scripture, Word of God, Declaration, minde, will of God, and things declared together again, as if 'twere already out of question, which is the matter in question, that these are all one thing and termes Synonymous, and compounding, and confounding them into one Chaos or lump of confusion, chopping and changing, popping out, and pulling in, mounting up, and then dropping down, as if thou wert sensible of being got too high, then hiding they head again, and there [as those that are afraid out of their close places] moving out of thy ho'e, as a worm of the earth, and twining every way, fair or soul to secure the main chance, and to make good thy bad cause, and carry what thou contendest for, which yet when all's done, beside the getting to thy self among seeing men the blot of blindness, ignorance, weakness, folly falshood, fallacy, and confusion, thou wilt, which way soever thou orderest or disorderest thy Arguments for it, even by thy own Management of it bee on the losing hand, till at last thou hast lost it al∣together: for though thou makest as much of it to the utmost as another can well do, that hath taken on him to make an ill business good, yet the ut∣most thou makest of it, if well examined, is as little as 'tis nought toward the bettering of it, and very much of it at least, but very little better then what is urged above about the Lanthorn: And when thou hast turned every stone, and hast wrought a long time till thou hast tyred thy self with talking to have the Letter, and every jot and Tittle of it to be the Word of God, till thou canst scarcely go one jot further, or adde one Tittle more to the coun∣tenancing of thy cause, thou even givest out and lyest down, and as (T.D. had the wit to do at first, and C.F. was forced to do at last) in a manner givest it in, and layest it down so very fairly to thy opposers, that all thy after strugling for it again is to no purpose to prove thee any further a friend for all thy ample appearances pro Scripturis, then the Qu. are, with whom thou art fain to fall in one, and say as they say in thy Ex. 1. s. 28. s. 40. and, as thy fellow fighters with us about it do all confess, that the Scripture no other∣wise••is, nor is to be called the Word of God, then Respectu subjectae materiae, or divinae veritatis in earevelatae seu contentae, non respectu literae scriptae, non for∣maliter quatenns scripta, in respect of the matter or Divine truth therein de∣clared and contained only, not in respect of the Writing or written Letter, not for∣mally,

as 'tis Scripture; and that in innumerit paene locis ubi verbum Dei dici∣tur, &c. in those [well-nigh innumerable] places of it, where the Word of God is said to be preacht, publisht, multiplied, and received the holy truth, or matter of the Scriptures is intended, but not the Scripture itself formally considered; and when the Word is said to be nigh us in our hearts, and in our mouths, Rom. 10.8. and the Word of Christ to dwell in us, tis confest by thee that that Word of faith is not litera Scripta, is not the Writing, but the Truth written, which is another thing then the Scriptures; neither do the Qua. say (as thou there belyest them in thy lame laying down of their Argument (which is of force to stop thy mouth however as thou rendrest it weakly, much more if urged in its full strength) that the VVord within, is not Verbum Scriptum, for it is the same word that is written, but it is not the writing, not the Scriptura, not the litera scripta, between which, and the Verbum Scriptum thou art or wilt seem so silly, as to make no distinction: So then if the Scripture, formaliter, formally considered is not (as secundum te it is not) the VVord of God then however thou scruest it into that name and thing, by secundum quid, yet simpli∣citer, really, truly its not so at all, nor so properly to be called, for forma dat esse rei, and is that per quod res est id quod est; and if it have not the form of the VVord of God, then the Scripture hath not the being or true nature of the Word of God; much less is the Word of God (as thou improperly sayest it is) its proper name.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Note how I.O. all along makes the Scripture and the Word of God so syno∣mous, that from the par∣ticipation of the same na∣ture and pro∣perties he judges them to be all one, and that the names of the one, viz. the W••rld of God, & the Light, are the very proper names of the other, i.e. of the Letter, and where he expresses himself by these Termes the Word of God, the Light, the Power of God in his Treatises and Theses (except in the place where he speaks of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) it must still bee understood of the Scripture.
• * 1.2

  For novum Testamentum, i e. Christi lux, spiritus, ver∣bum fidei, est in ••etere velatum vetus i. e. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, litera scripta, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Scriptu∣ra ad extra, vel Dei ipsius digito scripta in tabulis ex∣ternis lapideis, quae fuit mera, licet vera figu∣ra, umbra, imago Scripturae ad intra, per Dei Spiritum in internis tabulis cordis carneis, est in novo Re∣•• latum, 2 Cor. 3.
• * 1.3

  Which qua∣tenur contain∣ing the Di∣vine Truth is the utmost that I.O. is capable to say for the Scriptures being called by that name of the Word of God, as that nomen proprium, that proper name, he disputes for on its behalf, and for its being within in the heart, Ex. 1. s. 1, 2, 3 & s 28.40. which is to say just nothing to his proper purpose, and indeed to unsay all that ever he sayes both before and af∣ter, in his proofs of the Word of God to be the proper name of the Scriptures; for if it be not, nor is to be called the VVord of God formally considered, as a VVriting, but only as con∣taning, and declaring of the Truth, Lights and VVord, then it is not properly, nor is to be called the VVord of God properly at all.