A serious appeal to all the more sober, impartial & judicious people in New-England to whose hands this may come ... together with a vindication of our Christian faith ... / by George Keith.

CHAP. IV. (Book 4)

ANd thus having sufficiently answered what was needful, to the First Part of his Address, which is the largest, I shall answer some things, but very briefly to his latter part, partly because almost the whole of it is answered in my former printed Books, directed to the People in New-England, and partly because very much of it is answered in the fore going Sheets.

In the latter part of his Address, he hath greatly changed the matter of Debate betwixt us, in most things wrongly stating things, and calling things our Principles which are not; whereas he should have kept to the Twelve Articles I charged them with, eleven of which they did fairly own, and the Twelfth I have sufficiently proved to be∣long to them, as much as the eleven; and he should have given an Answer to my former Book, called, The pretended Antidote proved Poyson; which he hath not so much as essayed, but instead thereof he goeth to cha••ge the matter of Debate betwixt us, in the things I had cha••ged them with in most particulars, and by most gross Perversions of our Friends words, would fix on them Principles which they do no wise hold. And in this New 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he sets down Sixteen Assertions, wherein he pretendeth to contradict our Principles; but in most of them he doth prevaricate, and goeth from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Question?

as in the First, where he granteth, That he doth not mean, that the Paper or Letter of the Scripture, but the heavenly Matter of it, is the Word of God; and thus he doth not contradict us, for I have told him and his Brethren more than once, Thas we readily grant, the heavenly Matter, and true divine Sence of the holy Scripture, is the Word of God: But the true state of the Controversie is, Whether the Scripture is either princ••pa••y or only the Word of God, excluding any inward Word or Voice of God in mens hearts; we say, there is an Inward Word and Voice of God in mens hearts, which, as it doth not contradict the Scripture, but agreeth with it, so it is another th••••g, and is of the greatest Efficacy, and giveth or se••••e••h to us, the assurance, that the Scrip∣tures are of God, and divinely inspired. 〈…〉〈…〉 2•• Assertion, he doth no less prevaricate, and 〈…〉〈…〉 the 〈…〉〈…〉, ••or I did grant in both my former book••, 〈…〉〈…〉 Ex••••a••rdinary and O••••••nary Revelations and 〈…〉〈…〉 our Lord, and that we did not say, t••at 〈…〉〈…〉 had t••e••e Extraordinary, but the Ordinary, that were common to them with all Saints; the which ordinary are nevertheless true divine Inspirations and Revelations. And as to what I said out of some antient Writers, tending to open the Di∣stinction of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations, the extraordi∣nary being of a more high and sublime Nature, as proceeding from a more high and excellent measure of the divine Light or Spirit, that is well warranted in holy Scripture, and well approved by Christian Writers of great esteem for Piety and Learning, that he and his Brethren call Rabbinical Fopperies, in that they show their great Igno∣rance in good Learning; for it is generally acknowledged by Chri∣stians, as well as Jews, yea, and by Protestants of good Note, That the Hebrew Names of God, mentioned in Scripture, being various, some of them are greater than others; and the greater Names do answer to the greater Measures of the divine Light, and that Name commonly pro∣nounced Jehovah (which the most learned in the Hebrew Language among Christians do confess, they know not how to pronounce, it consisting of quiescent Letters, and having no proper Vowels of its own, as is acknowledged by the most learned, and as Buxto••; in his Hebrew Lexicon saith, the first that presumed to pronounce it, was Petru•• Galatinus, ••one of all the Greek and Latine Fathers, so 〈◊〉〈◊〉, did presume to pronounce it or read it, for the••e is no Tract of it in any of their Writings, though divers of them were well skilled in the

Hebrew Language) is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest Names of God, by which God made himself known to Moses, Exod. 6.3. but not to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and though it be granted, that the Letters of that Name are recorded by Moses in many places of Genesis, and is to be found in Hebrew, Gen. 2.4. and that possibly and very probably Abraham might have known the outward Letters or Sound of that Name, yet that doth not infer, that either Abraham or any of these Fathers knew the inward force and efficacy signified by that Name, and that so high Revelation belonging to it, that Moses did know; for that would contradict Exod. 6.3. And though I do no wise approve Rabbinical Fopperies, or Jewish Fictions or Fables, yet what I find either in Jewish or Gentile VVriters, that doth well accord with the divine Oracles of the holy Scripture, I do well receive it and relish it. In his 3d Assertion, he doth no less mis-state the Question; for we deny not, but affirm, That the will of God expressed in the Scrip∣ture, is a perfect Rule for the Belief and Practice of every Christian, as to all Doctrinals and Practicals of Religion in general; but we say, it is not the only Rule nor the principal; for the Will of God and his Law is writ in the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the faithful, and as so writ, is greater, and of greater virtue and efficacy than to have it writ in Paper; and though no new Doctrinals or Morals are to be revealed to us, but what are sufficiently declared in the Scriptures, yet that doth not hinder, but that particular Calls, to Places, Persons and Nations, and particular Prophesies or Predictions of things to come, may be newly revealed, as is granted by divers Protestants, and by For in his Book of Martyrs, yea, even Presbyterians, and Calvin doth acknowledge, That even in his Time God did raise up extraordinary O••••••cers to restore the Church, if not Apostles, yet at least Evangelists, lib. against. cap. 3. ••. 4. And true Believers may have it witnessed to them (as many have had and daily have) by the inward Testimony of Gods Spirit, That their sins are forgiven them, and that they belong unto God, and that without all logical and argumentative way of Syllogisms, that as many faithful Souls have not skill to form, so many Hypocrites de∣ceive themselves with such a way of arguing themselves to be sincere. But some Presbyterians have acknowledged, That there is another far more evident, clear and satisfactory way that some have, whereby to be assured, that their sins are forgiven, without any such way of Syl∣logysm, as particularly my Country-man William Guthergy, in his

his printed Book concerning Personal Covenanting with God, and he calleth it A felt Arms full of the holy God, filling the Soul with God, as he is Love, Life and Liberty; and though it is no audible Voice (viz. to the outward Ear) yet it doth countervail that of God to Daniel, O Man! greatly beloved; and is like to that which passed from Christ to Mary, when he said, Mary, and she answered Rabboni: And surely here was no way of syllogising. In his 4th Assertion he doth also fail in stating the Question; for, first, we grant, That the Day of Salvation is expired towards many men now alive, and they are left without any saving Light in them: 2dly, we grant, That the clear and bright Day of Salvation hath not yet appeared unto many, but it is as yet Night unto them; and to others it is as a little dawning; but to others clear Day; which answers to that of Paul, Now is the accepted Time, now is the Day of Salvation, to wit, to such who had Christ crucified and raised again, livingly and effectually preached to them by Christs faithful Messengers; but yet even to such who are in the Night state, and are in Darkness, to whom the clear Day of God hath not appeared, some divine Light shineth in their Darkness, and that Light, though ever so small, is of a saving tendency, and doth prepare the way of the Lord inwardly, as John's outward Ministration prepared the Way of the Lord, as he came outwardly; and even inwardly, the Law and the Prophets go be∣fore the clear Manifestation of Christ and his Gospel; so that the Law even inwardly (as well as outwardly) is a Schoolmaster to bring them who are under it, to Christ. Nor do we say, That the Light doth reveal in every man all that we must know, in order to Salvation, upon its first appearance, or in its first Ministration; for we distinguish betwixt the various inward Ministrations of the Light and Spirit, and teach, That the former makes way for the latter, as it is well improved; and as he that goeth up a Stair or Ladder, must begin at the lowest Step or Round, and so by degrees, and in process of time, getteth up higher, untill he come to the place where he would be; and as the sojourning of the People of Israel in the Wilderness, had its several Removes, which were Typical, of the Souls inward progress, from spiritual Aegypt to the spiritual Canaan, so the Souls of men have their several inward and spiritual Sojournings from one degree to another, until they receive the end of their Faith, which is the Salvation of their Souls, as it is written in the Psalms, They go from strength to strength, &c. And it is a great Perversion in C. Mather, that because I

blame them for denying, That there is any Light in men generally, that is sufficient to enable them to do any Work acceptable to God, as if therefore I did hold, That every man hath so much Grace & Illumination, as doth enable him to do any (i.e. whatsoever) Work acceptable to God: For, All men Not to be able to do any work acceptable to God, And All men To be able to do any or every VVork acceptable to God, are not Contradictory, as being both U∣niversal; and therefore they are both false, and as two Universals are not Contradictory, and are both false, so two Particulars are not Contradictory, when the one is Positive and the other Negative, and therefore may be both True; As it is true, That some men are good, and That some men are not good; so it is true, That some good Works may be done by some men, and yet it is as true, That they cannot at that time do some other good VVorks; for it is a good Work to believe in Christ crucified and raised again, and to love him as such; and yet we do not say, that the Light in every man doth either teach or enable every man at first so to do, for that cannot be done without some special Revelation or Illumination; but yet that more common and general Illumination, where it is well and duely improved, doth enable men to do some other good things, that prepareth the Souls of men to receive that more special Illumination that cometh from the same Author and Fountain, and so is Introductory to that more special; for the Law is Introductory to the Gospel (and yet hath the Gospel hid in it, as in a Seed) as one Natural Science is introductory to another, as the Science of natural Physick is introductory to the Science of Me∣dicine, and common Arithmetick is introductory to the more abstruse and recondite parts of Mathematical Learning; for the Operation of the Law inwardly doth so convince the Soul of sin, and doth so dis∣cover to the Soul its weakness and shortness in Obedience, notwith∣standing of some things that it doth, which are good, after a sort, that it maketh the Soul sick, and so to need the Physition, which is Christ, even crucified and raised again, as the Mystery of him is in∣wardly revealed and applyed to the Soul by the Spirit. In his 5th Assertion, he doth also grosly prevaricate, and pervert the state of the Question; for we do not say, That Christ is so in the Wicked or Unconverted as he is in the Saints, but after a far other manner; for he is in the Saints by Ʋnion and Communion with them, and giveth great and glorious Manifestations of his Glory; whereas in others, he is not in them by any Union or Communion, yet he is so in them, as to

operate in them, and to reveal and discover some things in them, that are suitable to their present state, in order to their Conversion: Nor do we say, That Christ is personally in the Saints, as some imagine.

And as to his Question, How we shall know Light within from Thought within? I Answer; If he mean by Thought within, a good Thought or Thoughts, they are distinguished as the cause and effect; for the divine Light within is the cause of every good Thought and Desire, as of every good Word and Work; but all evil Thoughts proceed not from the Light, but from the Darkness; and the Light within doth as plainly distinguish betwixt good and bad Thoughts, and other Motions, as the outward Light of the Sun helpeth us to distinguish betwixt things white and black, or straight and crooked; but as blind men cannot judge of Colours, so who are greatly blinded with Preju∣dice and Unbelief against the Light within, (as C.M. is) can but very little distinguish or know good from evil, except in things notoriously gross; nor was it the true Light in Saul, that approved him in his Persecution, but pricked him in his Conscience, and witnessed against him, if he had hearkned to it; but as a man in his heat of Passion hearkeneth not to true Reason, but is Deaf to it, though it be in him; so men being blinded and hardened with sin, doth not give due regard either to true Reason, or the true divine Light, which are both in them notwithstanding; and yet even those men when they become more cool and calm, may, and do hearken to the dictates of both.

And for his other Question, Whether their Magistrates (viz. the Quakers) ever had a Light which directed them to punish a filthy VVoman for exposing her self stark Naked before their Eyes in a publick Assembly, to prove her Attainment of that Innocency which is without shame?

I Answ. I remember no such thing that ever I heard tollerated by the Quakers Magistrates; for we all judge, that any such Practice doth really deserve corporal Punishment; and I suppose the Passage he mentioneth, was that which happened some time ago, where the Magistrates of that place, (though no Quakers) did punish her, as I was informed, with Imprisonment, which the Quakers (I believe in general) that heard of it, did judge, was too little, and that she de∣served much more.

In his 6th Assertion, he doth not fairly state the Question, and upon his unfair ••••ating it, doth seek to fix upon us Blas••h••mies, and then cryeth out, 〈…〉〈…〉 such Blasphemies as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that

according to us, The Counsel (or Decree) of God, and consequently the very Essence of God, being one therewith, doth depend on the free will of man; Which is a most gross and wretched Perversion; for we say, the Dec∣ree and Counsel of God, doth extend to all evil Actions of men per∣missively, but not effectively, i. e. so as not to be the Cause and De∣terminer of them; and Gods Decree and Counsel hath no Cause to depend upon, without God himself, as he doth falsly insinuate against us: Nor is Gods Permission, as concerning Evil Actions, as Judas betraying Christ, and the Jews crucifying him, a bare Permission, as if God only did look on, as an idle Spectator, which is most absurd to imagine; but he most justly, most wisely and most soveraignly bounds and limits all evil Actions of men, that they neither do, nor can do any thing but what is for the glory of God, and the good of his chosen, as it is written, The Wrath of Man shall praise thee, and the remainder of it thou wilt restrain. But C.M. and his brethren are too guilty of Blasphemy, that affirm, That all evil Actions of Men and Devils, come to pass by the Effective Decree of God, that doth infallibly and inevitably determine and move them to the same; and so say the Ranters, fathering all their wicked Actions upon God. And it is a gross Con∣tradiction in C.M. to himself, to say, That God doth determine all evil Actions by his effective Decree, and yet is not the Author of them; for to effect a thing, so that it m••st be done, and to be the Author of it, is all one, to all of common sense.

In his 7th Assertion, he proceedeth in the like gross Perversion, and mis-stating of things; and as to the first part of it, fighteth against his own shadow, and not my Assertion; for I granted, That God hath chosen all the Heirs of Salvation unto Faith and Holiness, as the means, and unto Eternal Salvation and Glory, as the end, in Christ Jesus, before the Foundation of the World; and also, I have granted, That all are not elected, nor are any elected who perish finally; and yet this doth not infer eternal Reprobation, because Elected and Reprobated are not Contradictory Terms, as I have formerly declared; and yet he hath not proved that they are; but maketh a noise strongly asserting what he doth not prove. Nor doth it follow that Reprobation is before the Foundation of the World, because Gods Decree and Purpose to destroy all finally Impenitent Sinners, is before the Foundation of the World; for though Gods Decree be before all Time, yet it doth respect all Reprobates, as it doth consider them in Time, having refused all the

tender Offers of Gods Grace and Mercy unto the very last. And as Gods Decree of creating men, doth not infer, that men were created from Eternity, or that mens Creation is co-evous with Gods Decree, so nor doth it follow, that the Reprobation of men finally Impenitent is co-evous with Gods Decree; for Reprobation is not the Decree of God, as C.M. doth strongly assert, but doth no wise prove. And if some should say, (as I know some do say) That Election, though in being before the Foundation of the World in Christ, is not simply or only the Decree of God (as it is an Immanent Act of God) but is some-what by way of an Effect, resulting or flowing from Gods Decree, existing in Christ the Head and Mediator of all Gods Elect, before the Foundation of the World: For as C.M. cannot disprove it, as contrary to Scripture, so it is not inconsistent with what divers so••er Protestants have favoured, to wit, That Christ was Mediator from the beginning; and consequently had somthing to be as a cloathing to his Godhead, altogether necessary to his being Mediator from the beginning, although he was not incar∣nate, or cloathed with flesh, until the fullness of time, that he took flesh in the Virgins Womb; and if Christ was Mediator from the be∣ginning, partly invested with his Mediatory Nature, though not with Flesh till the fullness of Time came, it is both very easie and very comfortable to the Saints, to understand, how they were elected in Christ their Head before the Foundation of the World, and that this Election had its being, as the Effect of Gods eternal Love and Coun∣sel, in Christ, the head of his Elect Members.

In his 8th Assertion he is wholly idle and impertinent; for we own as much as he, That there is in God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and that they are One in Being, and Three in relative Attributes and Pro∣perties; and we dislike nothing but the unscriptural invented Names of [Three Persons] for which Calvin hath sufficiently excused us, as I have above showed.

In his 9th Assertion he wholly fighteth with his own shadow, and giveth up the Cause, acknowledging, That the Price paid by our Lord in his Death, was indeed sufficient for all Mankind, and that the benefit of it is tendered and proffered unto all Indefinitely, if they will believe; but he should have told us how the benefit of it is tendered unto all, seeing many Millions of men never had it outwardly preached to them, nor ever had any outward Testimony of it by men; and if he would stand to this, the Controversie in this Particular would be at an end.

But for his Inferences and Consequences, which he would fix upon us, most perversly, we utterly deny them to flow justly from our innocent Faith, according to Scripture, which is, That Christ dyed for all men, &c. As that, First, The Virtue and Success of our Lords Death depends upon the Free VVill of Man: 2dly, That man in the principal in his own Salvation: 3dly, That the Number of Persons interested in our Lords Death, is not certain (for we say, none have a true and real Interest in Christ, or in his Death, but sincere Believers) 4thly, That Simon Peter was no more beholden to the Merit of our Lord, than Simon Magus, or any that perish (Though it will be hard for C.M. to prove, that Simon Magus was a Reprobate) And 5thly, That God in sending his blessed Son to dye, had as full a purpose to save them that Perish, as them that shall be saved: These, and the like absurd and Illogical or unrea∣sonable Consequences we altogether deny, they being only C.M's Perversion.

In his 10th Assertion he doth as grosly pervert the state of the Question, as in any of the former; for we deny not, but affirm, That our Justification is by the Righteousness or Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed unto us; but we also say, It is imputed to none but such who have Faith, Repentance and sincere Obedience; and that is true inward Righ∣teousness, wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ; and though Faith, and Repentance, and Obedience are not the Foundation of our Justification, yet they are the Terms and Condition of it, as I have sufficiently showed in my former printed Treatises; nor doth Edward Burrough and VV. Penn, if their words be duely construed, contradict what I have affirmed. But the true state of the Question is, VVhether men are just••••••••d by Christs Righteousness imputed to them, without any inward Righteousness, as the requisite Condition and Terms, in order to that imputation? And whether David, lying in his sins of Adultery & Murder, remained Justified? Which we deny.

In his 11th Assertion, although he states the Question in the Title, so as we can own it, to wit, That a sinless Perfection is not attainable in this VVorld, as their Principle, but not ours; yet he miserably wrest∣eth, perverteth, and mis-applyeth, and jumbleth things in the Expli∣cation; for that Scripture in Philip▪ cap. 3 v. 12. doth nothing con∣tradict our Assertion, who affirm no such degree of Perfection as wherein a man may sit down and make no furder progress, which Paul 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not to do, but still to go on more and more to Perfection: And

for that place in Rom. 7.19. &c. it is not to be understood of the best Condition of the Saints, when they are farthest advanced, but of their struggling Time and State, before they obtain the Victory and Freedom, which Paul doth acknowledge in the same Epistle. And for any of the Quakers saying, They have no sin in them, I know not any that is generally owned and approved by us, that have said so; it is common to Ranters, and such as Tho. Cases Crew that say so, but for the honest and sober People called Quakers, they do not boast of their Perfection, but had rather by their innocent Walk and Conversation, demonstrate their growth and progress in Sanctification, than by a Talking of it.