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 30.

TO what I noted of one, answering to the holy Ghosts question, Who can say his heart is clean? I can, and see all your hearts unclean, (because there wanted the marginal reference to the particular page) R. F. * 1.1 shifts off answer∣ing, or taking off so foul a contradiction with railing at my supposed policy and serpentine subtilty, and particular lies; not one piece whereof I am conscious, in this matter. What if the words [I can &c.] are not so set down there, to wit, page 1. This was the reference to the second charge against that book (entituled, A short answer to seven Priests) which the author thereof arrogantly cals The word of the Lord; not to the first charge, which had onely a reference to that Book, not to the Page, as may at first view appear to any heedful Reader. * 1.2 That arrogant contradiction to the holy Ghosts question (which implies a strong negative) will be found in another Page, by any that meet with the

Short answer &c. before mentioned, which I had to peruse in Scotland, but cannot here obtain it, for the Readers di∣rection and satisfaction. The rejoycing testimony of my con∣science sufficeth me for the present, that not in fleshly wis∣dom, but in godly simplicity I drew up this with other col∣lections; and I hope it will cause the unprejudiced Reader to exercise his candor and charity toward me, if he doth but observe R. F. his reservedness [they are not so set down there] not denying but they may be found in an after page; and his ungrounded inference, as false, as groundless, [there∣fore thy policy hath manifested subtlety, &c.] for as neither I intended, nor used deceit. so it had been poor policy to mis-guide him, whom I purposed to set right in his way. But (saith R. F.) all thy pleading is against purity.

Rep. How appears it? I discovered indeed a double con∣tradiction, and a triple arrogancy, in him that proclaimed* 1.3 his cleanness from all sin and challenged the knowledge of other mens hearts, &c. as I specified it in my Book: but this is a thread-bare cavil; doth R. F. produce any new Scripture for absolute purity and perfection? yes, Christ hath said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matth. 5. 8. then there was and are pure in heart, as Christ said.

Rep. If this man would have added, [and as Christ meant] we might soon agree. Albeit Christ was greater then Solomon, yet he never spake a word, nor that word in particular to cross what Solomon said from the holy Ghost, who is equal, and of the same essential minde and will with Christ. What saith the holy Ghost by Solomon? consult the place, Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean? I am pure from my sin? the sense of this place is, there is none could ever say it; none, in any age, before, or in Solomons time: before or in Christs time, or since: none can now say it truly? It's a question that will silence all the world, all the Churches; a question that will hold un-answered till every Saints dying day, and in this last age till the resurrection day. Shall we believe R. F. and take it upon his word, with his own meaning; that's thus, There was and are pure in heart, as Christ said, and as Solomon

meant it? this were not to reconcile seeming differences of Scripture among our selves, but to set Christ and Solomon at variance between themselves. What then? will any help R. F. with an evasion? Solomon doth not say, God gives not pure hearts, but, Who can say, I have made my heart clean? this will not serve his turn; for it followeth; and I am pure from my sin? i. e. Who can say that either he hath cleansed his own heart, or that he is pure from his sin? which way soever he comes by it; and if it be true and per∣fect purity he must come honestly and purely to it, or even in that respect he is impure, and far from truth of pu∣rity. I would to God, the generation of Quakers would better attend this question: Art thou pure and perfect? how camest thou by it? Is it not a dream? a delusion? may not a foul and filthy heart be transformed into a fancy of pure perfection, and perfect purity, as well as a black devil be transformed into an Angel of light? Solomon how ever must be understood, as denying absolute purity in any man: and Christ, when he asserteth Blessedness to the pure in heart, intendeth not to nourish any in a conceit of their present perfect attainments, but to encourage them who were sincere, and have truth of holiness set into their hearts, and the purpose of their hearts with the Gospel endeavors of their lives, set upon purity: for from the context Ver. 1. they were his disciples he spake unto, whom Ver. 3. (com∣pared with Luke 6. 20.) he pronounced poor in Spirit: Blessed are ye poor; not yet enriched with all perfections, but sensible of their spiritual wants: and Ver. 4. they are mourners under sin, and after more of God and Christ: Ver. 6. they are hungring and thirsting after righteousness, not yet filled; but blessed in their present state of hunger and thirst, and in their hopes (by that promise) of being fil∣led. These are the pure in heart whom Christ pronounceth blessedness upon, who are poor mourning souls, hungring and thirsting after more purity; in the mean time not Pha∣risaical and hypocritical in their profession of holiness, as were others. And had these been pure in heart in R. F. his sense, they had then enjoyed the perfect beatifical vision of God, which they have but a promise of: for they that are

sincere in holiness have here some communion with God, and one day and to all eternity they shall enjoy him▪ and his presence in fulness of that holiness and joy, whereof now they have but the tasts and first-fruits. He that boasteth of more, hath neither (as I said in my former piece) pure lip nor pen for the least degree (how much more larger mea∣sures?) of purity, maketh a soul sensible of continual impu∣rities intermixed therewith.

R. F. * 1.4 returns to this, That is thy own condition.

Rep. I acknowledge it.

Again, And so thou judgest others by thy continual impu∣rities, and therefore thy judgement must needs be false, and not true.

Rep. I spake not my condition onely (who may more de∣servedly be called, less then the least of all Saints, then Paul stiled himself) but the condition of every one truly sancti∣fied, and yet living upon the earth. Yet more,

And so thou denyest their doctrine, who said, Seeing ye have purified your souls (have purified in the present Tense) in obeying the truth through the Spirit; see that ye love one ano∣ther with a pure heart fervently: but thou art against a pure heart, and so against the Scripture, 1 Pet. 1. 22.* 1.5

Rep. 1. If the Printer mistook not the [present tense] for the preter tense, R. F. doth grosly apprehend that to be the present [have purified] which in English, and Greek * 1.6 is expresly the Praeter, or time past.

2. Were the Apostles words in the present tense [ye do purifie] it would make (in shew and form of words) more against R. F. then for him: but the truth is, the word in Peter being a Participle of the time past, and in the Active voice, it shews the work of purifying themselves, through the Spirit, was not so done, but that yet it was in doing. And as their habits of purity were not perfect, so they were far from perfection in the act, but have need of stirring up (as 2 Pet. 3. 1.) fervently to exert and put forth their love, and purity according to their principles: for the growth of both which, viz. act and habit of grace, he exhorteth, and exciteth them chap. 2. 2. to desire, as new born babes (far from highest perfection) the sincere milk of the word,

and Chap. 5. 10. he prayeth, that after they have suffered a while, the God of all grace would make them perfect, sta∣blish, strengthen, settle them.

3. I finde R. F. perfect in nothing that savors of a Gospel purity, nor growing in any thing, but his perverse abuse of Scripture: But I shall pray for him and others, that they may be awakened out of their dream of Perfection, may see their present pollutions, and be ashamed of their Gospel∣contradictions; till then, they will not understand what Pu∣rity is, nor whereof they affirm.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Page 16, 17.
• * 1.2

  See contra∣dictions of the Quakers page 13.
• * 1.3

  No heart per∣fectly pure from sin. Prov. 20 9. & Matth. 5. 8. compared, cleared, and vindicated.
• * 1.4

  Page 17.
• * 1.5

  1 Pet. 1. 22. vindicated.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.