The reviler rebuked: or, A re-inforcement of the charge against the Quakers, (so called) for their contradictions to the Scriptures of God, and to their own scriblings,: which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures; but is farther discovered, with his fellow-contradictors and revilers, and their doctrine, to be anti-Scriptural, anti-Christian, and anti-spiritual. By John Stalham, a servant of the great bishop and shepherd of souls, appointed to watch his little flock at Terling in Essex.

Section 4.

TO my fourth Section R. F. * 1.1 saith no more but this, (which is too much unless it were better) Thou cannot with all that thou hast scraped together, prove that it [the Scripture] is the Word which is eternal life, and so the Word that was in the beginning with God, John 1. 1.

Rep. 1. I had indeed collected several Scriptures, [Isaiah 8. 20. Isaiah 6. with Acts 28. 25, 26. John 10. 34, 35. Psalm 82. 6. Ephes. 6. 17.] but it is an unhandsom and reproachful expression, put upon my collecting, and compa∣ring Scripture with Scripture, for him to call it scraping together.

2. My collation was not to prove the Scriptures to be the Word, i. e. the eternal life, and that essential word spo∣ken of John 1. 1. But insomuch as Jam. Nayler put us to* 1.2 prove the Letter is called the Word in plain words, and that then there are two words, I shewed that this phrase [the word of God] is taken two ways in Scriptures; sometimes for Christ himself, the Essential word of the Father; some∣times for the Scriptural word it self, which being evidenced by my aforesaid collections, what trifling and absurdity is it in R. F. to call for the proving of that which was not to be proved? as not being affirmed by me, or any other that I know, that the Scriptures are the Word spoken of John 1. 1. but the Scripture, or inspired, written, created Word, doth there, as elswhere, speak of the Essential uncreated Word, as a mans tongue, pen or secretary, doth speak of himself.* 1.3 That last Scripture I quoted, Ephes. 6. 17. one would think

were enough to convince gainsayers, where the sword of the Spirit, a piece of spiritual armor, is said to be the Word of God. What meaneth the Apostle by the sword of the Spi∣rit? but the spiritual sword, the Scriptures, put into the hands and mouths of Christians; no carnal, but a spiritual weapon; mighty through the Spirit, to run into the heart of Errors, and to cut asunder Temptations, and to repel the Tempter. Christ himself made this use of it against the Scribes and Pharisees, Mat. 5. Against the Sadduces, Mat. 22. 31, 32. And against the Devil, Mat. 4. 4, 7, 10, ver. Once the Devil hath Scripture in his mouth, but Christ hath it thrice in his mouth, It is written, It is written, It is writ∣ten; and is too hard for Satan at this, as all other weapons. Here the very power of the written Letter puts to flight the adversary. And if J. N. or R. F. will read over and over the 119 Psalm, they will finde matter enough to cure their contradictions Spirits, who are more nice then wise in ab∣staining from Scripture-expressions, or attributing to them their due title. There they will finde that holy David, pro∣fessing his zealous affection to God and to his Scriptures, useth this phrase of [thy word] above thirty times, plainly enough, and yet elegantly also. Let their consciences an∣swer, Is not [thy word] as much as [Gods word?] And that he speaks of Gods written word, the Scriptures (as of what is according thereunto) is clear; in that he calls the same word of God, the statutes of God, [O teach me thy statutes! &c.] near twenty times: now Gods statutes are his standing Laws, or Rules, put into writing, as all the Statutes of England are, upon record, written down in Books.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Page 7. In what sense the Scriptures are the word of God.
• * 1.2

  Iohn 1. 1. cleared.
• * 1.3

  Ephes. 6. 17. opened.