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 2.

WHereas I said here, They deny the Letter of Scri∣pture to be Scripture, and yet stick to the letter, Matth. 23. 8. 10. Call no man Father, neither be ye called Masters, R. F. is so bold as to tell me this is one of my lies, but he proves nothing against me; For,

1. I did not deliver out their very words in this place (as if they should say) we deny the letter of Scripture to be Scripture: but referred my Readers to the Pamphlet where they should finde the effect, and substance of such a denial (albeit the Printer or my self did unwittingly mis∣quote the Page, 19. for 2.) their words are these, They are such teachers as tell people, that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is the Gospel, which are but the Letter, &c. we there∣fore do deny them. Whence I argue; They that deny the written Gospel to be Gospel, deny the Letter of the Scri∣pture to be Scripture; But these men deny the Gospel writ∣ten by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to be Gospel; There∣fore &c. The minor or latter proposition followeth clear∣ly from their denyal of such Teachers, as call the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Gospel; and from their own exception [which are but the Letter] the major and former proposition is thus evidenced; The Gospel is a Good-spel, and as it is written, it is made up of good and gladsom tidings, delivered in letters and syllables, of which words are framed: deny the writing of Matthew &c. to be written Gospel, and you deny the letters and syllables to be Gospel-letters and syllables, making up such words as do give forth a certain Gospel-sound, and consequently you deny the letter of the Scripture to be Scripture: For Gospel-letter and Scripture or written Gospel is all one, and he that denies the Gospel-letter, denies the Gospel-Scripture, as he that denies the Scripture-Gospel denies the Gospel-letter. But they will say, The Letter is the declaration of the Gospel: If it be so, then it is Gospel declared by writing, and then the Letter (in that respect, as written) is Gospel, which was before, by these men, excepted against as no Gospl

2. Their Self-contradiction in sticking to the Letter, de∣nyed to be Gospel, I made to appear, from their urging the above mentioned place in Matthew, in the very Letter, Be ye not called Masters. By this, R. F. would make the simple believe I have cleared them, and contradicted my self.

Rep. But wherein, or how, no man can tell, unless accu∣sing them be clearing of them, and discovering of their self∣contradiction proves me one of them.

Thou art offended that they witness against thy deceit.

Rep. I am neither conscious of deceit, nor should I be offended at those that discover it, were it discoverable from my words: but their sticking to the Letter sometimes, and at other times condemning the whole Scripture-letter; I witness to be an interfering with themselves: And when the very Letter is urged against the sense and intendment of the Spirit, I witness it to be a deceit in them that so urge it.

Thou cuts off thy master-ship by thy own Rule.

Rep. Did I urge the Scripture as they do, my servant must not call me, Master; we have no such servants as Abraham had, who gave him this note of respect at every turn, Gen. 24. 12. O Lord God of my Master Abraham &c. shew kindness unto my Master Abraham, ver. 36. And Sarah my Masters wife bare a son to my Master when she was old, and ver. 54. Send me away unto my Master; but the fifth Commandement is not made void by Christs words, nor by the true sense of them, which is, that we should be far from affectation of Titles, from men; or suffering any to cast their dependence, and lay the stress of their conscience-de∣termination upon us, in matters of faith, and salvation. In this very Section, I had discovered another of their self con∣tradictions: For J. Nayler querieth, which of the Saints had the witness of their souls to seek in the Letter? and with the same breath he quotes the Scripture-letter, for the believers witness in himself. This R. F. takes up as if they did not deny and cross the Scriptures.

Rep. But my work was to shew how J. Nayler both de∣nies, and grants the same thing to be in the letter, without any distinction. If he had said, the believers witness is one way in the heart, or in himself, and another way in the Scri∣ptures, he had not cross-shind himself: Nor doth R. F. help to cure the wound, but makes it fester and rankle the more with his railing words: Acknowledge thy lies, error and con∣fusion, and upon them own thy condemnation.

Rep. 1. He salves not J. Nayler: For the believer knows by the Scripture, and by that in particular, 1 Joh. 5. ••0. that he hath the witness in him self, and no generation of Saints ever (since that Scripture was written) refused to

seek and run unto it for confirmation of their souls faith, seeing the Apostle addeth so plainly, ver. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God: Here the Believer hath both the rise and furtherance of his faith and evidence from what is written; and if the evidence or wit∣ness in the heart be not bottomed upon what is in the Scripture, and proved agreeable thereunto; it is a false evi∣dence though it lurketh within: as the faith which hath not Scripture for its warrant, and compurgator, is false also.

2. He makes the wound rankle the more, in that he would have me acknowledge truth to be error and lies; and faithful discovery, falshood; and in that he requires, when I have acknowledged &c. thereupon to own my condemna∣tion; whereas upon confession of my fault, where I finde it, I am acquitted, as in Gods court, so in my conscience▪ and though I will judge my self for the root of unseen fail∣ings (as for what in other things I see) yet he is near that justifieth me, and I believe the Lord is faithful to forgive me my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Notes

• Page 24.
• Paper sent into the world.
• Denyal of written Go∣spel, is deni∣al of Scripture letter.
• Paper sent into the world. pag. 2.
• Matth. 23 8. 10. cleared & vindicated.
• Page 25.
• 1 John 5. 20. vindicated.
• •• Joh. 1. 9.