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 3.

HEre I pointed at J. Naylers concession, The word nigh in the heart, and in the mouth, doth not oppose it self, but is one with the Scripture; contradictious to what at other times they say; the Scripture in the mouth or in the book is not the word of God. R. F. takes no notice of this Section, nor how that which drops from their Pens opposeth it self, or the Scripture, or from both sometimes; what else is that which J. N. in his Few words, &c. Page 8.—thou needest not try the inward substance, by the outward declara∣tion, the living by the dead, when as himself in page 7. had affirmed the outward declaration, or Scripture to be one with the word within, and this one with the Scripture; If the Scripture be dead, and yet one with the word in J. Nay∣lers heart, then is his heart, and the word in it dead also;

If the word which is nigh, in the heart, and in the mouth, be alive, and the Letter of Scripture be dead, then the word within and the word without are not one. If the word in the heart be alive, and the word in the Bible, and mouth be dead, then the word in the heart, and in the mouth oppo∣seth it self. It will put any man to his shifts to extricate, and winde off here from Self or Scripture-contradiction. How much better or worse is that which followeth? Page 9. The Saints witness the word from Gods own mouth in Spirit, and revelation in Spirit, but never any in the Letter; Let Saints indeed perpend and weigh seriously; is it so as J. Nayler suggesteth? Gods mouth then, is not in the Scripture; he speaks not, breathes not there at all, by this mans doctrine; but then let him tell the world how the Scripture came to be the outward declaration of the minde and will of God; and salve himself from Self-contradiction, who had said before, the word in heart and mouth, is one with the Scripture, and now, there was never any word from Gods own mouth in the Letter; and as he subjoyneth, That faith which is in Christ, stands not in volumes; he means, of Gods book, or letter, of which he spake imme∣diately before; If it be so as he saith, then the faith of his heart is not built upon Gods Testimony in the Scripture; He hath a faith, and a Christ too, which is not to be found in the Scripture, and then he opposeth himself, who gran∣ted at first, the word nigh in the heart, was one with the Scripture. I hope the wary, and humble Saint will ne∣ver pin his faith upon J. N. his sleeve, nor suffer it to stand upon his Few words, or his multiplyed pamphleti∣cal volumes, who thus rejecteth the Law of Gods mouth in the Scriptures, while he would but seemingly make Gods Law and the heart, to be one with it. Another of this mans Self contradictions (though common to his fellows) I no∣ted in this Section crying up Thou and Thee to a particular, as Scripture-language, and yet crying down the Letter as no Scripture that is the mouth of God, the word of God, or a binding Rule. What J. Nayler means by that, * 1.1 Thou wilt neither make Scripture thy Rule, nor suffer them that would, let R. F. well consider; for if J. Nayler would

have it to be a rule, R. F. and others would have it to be none, much less a standing rule, as hath appeared in 1. Part, Section 1.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Few words page 14.