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.

(18. Head of their Scripture-contradiction.) Concerning Immediate Calling.

Section 45.

THey pretend, as I noted, to an infallible judgement, and to a calling, not by man, but Immediate; Whom God sends, he sends forth immediately. This, spoken indefinitely, and meant universally, of all that God sendeth, is contrary, as I hinted, to Gal. 1. 1. where* 1.1 Paul speaks of a sending of man, and by man, and by Jesus Christ. The sending of man, is unlawful, when one man sends another who hath no power to send, or the man runs of his own head, upon his own errand; and either knows he is a deceiver, or is deluded by Satan, and thinks himself im∣mediately called, when 'tis onely the voice of his Fancy and Imagination. The sending of God is two-fold, either me∣diate,* 1.2 or immediate; both lawful; God sends by mans mi∣nistery, that is mediate; or he sends, at least, at first, with∣out it: Now Pauls call, as it was not of man, so, at the first, it was not of God, by man, but immediately, by Jesus Christ, Acts 9.

R. F. * 1.3 is not herewith pleased, but thinketh Gal. 1. Chap. will witness against what I say; and why so? because, He that was immediately called and sent, doth there witness the same.

Rep. I affirm that Paul, at the first, was immediately cal∣led, so was he immediately converted; were R. F. Ed. Burroughs, J. Nayler, J. Parnel, and others, therefore im∣mediately sent, because Paul was? We have a Proverb, I would not have it offend, if I remember and mention it apt∣ly, seasonably, and justly; As the Bell tinketh, so the Fool thinketh.

[As for pretences, we do not pretend to be immediately called (saith R. F.) and sent, but we witness that we are.

Rep. But who will believe them that witness of them∣selves,

and have not the signs of such a Calling upon them, but clash, and interfere with the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine, at every turn almost? This is our present in∣stance, all mediate calls are cryed down, and the immediate onely cryed up, and mis-represented, mis-applyed, when as the Apostles, who had the most immediate calls, were not against the other way of Gods calling men, by the Church, and their own assistance of the Church in that work: But the holy Ghost hath left their practice with his Rule obli∣gatory to us, 1 Tim. 5. 22. and 6. 14. with Titus 1. 5. yet will R. F. proceed to say * 1.4, We witness with him that thou accusest; and that is Ed. Burroughs, whose words in my for∣mer piece I onely hinted at; now take them as largely (though he hath much more to the same purpose) as is needful. * 1.5 The Ministery called by the earthly powers, by earthly Magistrates, or at Oxford, Cambridge, or Newcastle, all this Ministery, who is here called, is by man, and their Gospel is of man, which the true Gospel is not; and he that hath the word of God, to declare from God, his call is not by man, neither doth he go to man to be approved; for he that preached the true Gospel, consulted not with flesh and blood; and so it is now, the same thing do we witness, and to be Mi∣nisters of the everlasting Gospel, called not by man, but by God. Thus far E. B. Let the light in R. F. his natural con∣science judge, whether I said not truly, when I referred to E. B. his Book, as pleading onely for an immediate call; and that none preach the true Gospel, but such as have that call; and then let the light of the Scriptures (above cited) to Timothy and Titus, judge, whether such, as they laid hands on, were Ministers or no; and whether the Gospel they preached was true Gospel or not. By Ed. Burroughs verdict such were not called of God, because they had a hand in their call; nor could they preach true Gospel, be∣cause their call; nor could they preach true Gospel, be∣cause their call was but mediate: But praised be God, we neither stand nor fall to these mens verdicts; the Lord him∣self, by the Scripture, shall judge them and us. And as to* 1.6 that which E. Burroughs saith, about the Ministery called by earthly powers, or at Oxford, &c. according to Scripture, I distinguish between their outward encouragement, and

call to office: Earthly powers are to give outward liberty to such as by the Godly-learned are tryed and approved, as men fit to have publique liberty, and encouragement, 2 Chro. 17. 7, 8, 9. The call to office, in the Church, is by the Church. Again, we must distinguish between Pauls not consulting with flesh and blood, whether he had a true call, or the true Gospel, (being immediately called and taught by* 1.7 Jesus Christ) and ordinary mens refusal to be tryed, and approved, either for the obtaining of outward liberty or office; for the Rule is clear as to ordinary officers, 1 Tim. 3. 10. Let these also first be proved; which [also] presup∣poseth the Bishops and Elders, to be under the command of Christ, for submission to a tryal, (as the Deacons) first, and before they be chosen to the work. And as concerning those who assume liberty to teach, it is commended in He∣zekiah, 2 Chron. 30. 22. that he spake comfortably unto all the Levites, that taught the good knowledge of the Lord: And in the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2. 2. that he had tryed them which said they were Apostles, and were not, and had found them lyars; which is the plain case now in controversie between us and the Quakers; whether they be Apostles, seeing they pretend to immediate calling; and whether we are Pastors and Teachers, who are called by the Church: or, whether they are not lyars, who say they are Apostles, and bring not the doctrine and zeal of true Apostleship. Till the Lord doth more discover them, and all pretenders to one call or other, I must attend R. F. and examine what he further offereth.

All thy mediate calls and sendings will not prove thee to be as Paul and Timothy was, that had the gift within him, and the testimony by the holy Ghost, as they had.

Rep. 1. I pretend to no such call of an Apostle, an officer in every Church, as was Paul: or of an Evangelist, an assist∣ing officer to the Apostles, where they saw fit to send him, as was Timothy, Titus, and others.

2. All that R. F. saith of his immediate call, will not prove him to be called as Paul was, by a voice from heaven; for then, haply, he might have heard sounding in his ears, Richard, Richard, why dost persecute me, with thy ca∣lumnies

and reproaches? Or, Farnworth, Farnworth, why dost throw dirt upon my face, by pretending to honor me as the word of God, and ownest not my Scriptures to be my word? Why dost deny my Spirit to be what he is, &c.

3. I acknowledge the gift within, and testimony by the holy Ghost, when they are found in us, to be the best Letters* 1.8 testimonial, as to an inward call; but these suffice not to prove the outward call, unless the fruits of that inward gift and testimonial appear. If the gift and testimony within would carry it before men (as to the man himself that hath them) and that R. F. did know it in those that he dis-owns for the Ministers of Christ, I think, he would not crucifie them so often with the ignominious title, of Romish Priests and Hirelings: but how shall he, or we, be known among men, if our words and works without, be not called forth, to bear witness of what is within? By thy words thou R. F. shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemn∣ed, Mat. 12. 37. I am to answer at the same Bar, and to be tryed the same way. Our words must be tryed by Gods word, and our works also by the same Rule. If Scripture of Old and New Testament be the Scripture of God, there have been counterfeits of an immediate call; and some me∣diately sent of God, by man, who with their mediate call have been and still are approved of the Lord.

Section 46.

TO this Section R. F. saith nothing (in his wonted shew of words, but is wholly silent) where I had noted, that (as they cry up their own pretended immediate Call, so) they condemn any mediate call as carnal; for mediate (say * 1.9 they) is carnal and natural. I granted there is a call of man, by man, which is carnal; and I instanced in such people, as make choice of carnal men, by the hands of a carnal, common, forein Eldership; But this is not our Question: they fight* 1.10 against the most orderly call, if man hath any hand, or voice, or consent testified about it: Hence it is that R. F. will not vouchsafe with patience, to take notice of the two Scriptures

which I desired the Reader to compare, viz. Acts 14. 23. with chap. 20. 28. where the Elders, called by the Churches, and set apart by their and the Apostles fasting and prayer, are said to be the Holy Ghost's Bishops; such as He made Overseers. Accordingly are all Elders, Pastors and Teach∣ers called; if called of God: Even Evangelists were called of God, by man: Mark by Barnabas and Paul * 1.11, Timothy, Titus, Silas, or Sylvanus, and others by * 1.12 Paul; much more fixed Officers, set in every Congregational Society. As the Apostles had a power Paramount under Christ, to call and take Evangelists to their assistance, so the Churches had a power from Christ to chuse their Pastors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons, and to set them apart by prayer and fasting: and what power they had then, they have still who are Church∣es, or companies of visible Saints, called out, and distinguish∣ed from the wicked, ignorant and untoward multitude, by their free consents, and professed subjection to Christ, and his Laws of Worship and Government. Let these daring men calumniate all Gospel-administrations, with the term of mediate stuff, and think by their high swelling words of vanity all mediate call's are razed out in the full, as their phrase is, the Scripture will stand, and the means of the new Testament worship, and order, will stand immutable, to the Lord his appearing in glory, at his second coming: according to the charge of Paul to Timothy, 1 Ep. Chap. 6. ver. 13, 14. And as the command of Christ for Church-order is perpe∣tual, so the call of God, by the Church, is spiritual. The* 1.13 holy Ghost in the Scripture lays down spiritual Rules, 1 Tim. 3. He confers spiritual gifts according to his Rules; and the Church, a spiritual Corporation, gives the outward call, where they finde such spiritual characters and qualifi∣cations: God owns this choice, while the Quakers with car∣nal Parishioners, dis-own it; who will have the worst of it in conclusion, the day shall declare.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Call to the Ministery, either, 1. Vnlawful, of man meerly 2. Lawful, and of God.
• * 1.2

  1. By man. 2. Immediate. Gal. 1. 1. cleared.
• * 1.3

  Page 22.
• * 1.4

  Page 22.
• * 1.5

  Warning to Underbarrow, by E. B. p. 16.
• * 1.6

  All have not call to office, who have out∣ward liberty of preaching.
• * 1.7

  Probation an▪ approbation requisite for whom?
• * 1.8

  Inward call to be tried by the outward fruits.
• * 1.9

  Glory of the Lord, &c. pag. 6, 7.
• * 1.10

  All mediate calls not car∣nal.
• * 1.11

  Acts 13 5.
• * 1.12

  Acts 16. 3. Titus 1. 5 Acts 15. 40.
• * 1.13

  The Churches call Spiritual.