"BIBLE! the BIBLE! the BIBLE only "is the Religion of Proteftants, whatever elfe they "believe befides it, and the plain, irrefragable, in"dubitable Confequences of it: Well may they hold "it as a Matter of Opinion, but not as a Matter of "Faith and Religion; neither can they with Coherence to their own Grounds believe it themselves, nor require the Belief of it of others, without "most high and schismatical Presumption. SECTION II. QUERY II. Whether the Quakers by afferting the entire Sufficiency of a Light within, common to all Mankind, do not thereby overturn the Neceffity of a fupernatural Revelation; plead the Caufe of Deifm in Scripture-Phrafe, and fet the Infidel World upon a Level with the Chriftian Church? N (a) REPLY O; for the Reafons following. By this Term, Light of Chrift, or Light within, we under ftand no other Divine Principle, than the Spirit of CHRIST, or Grace of GOD, the Univerfality, Divinity, and Sufficiency whereof, ever fince the LORD ga thered us to be a People, we have frenuously afferted, to the Honour of GOD, and Glory of his Grace; fuppofing it even borders on Blafphemy against the Holy Spirit, wilfully to deny its Sufficiency, in Contradiction to the many plain and exprefs Texts of Holy Scripture. Though Though this Doctrine was never taught by us in Oppofition to, or Contempt of the Sacred Writings, or of any outward Means, that GOD, in his Wif dom and Providence, affords us for our Edification and Comfort, but purely to vindicate the Conduct of Divine Providence towards fuch, from whom he hath with-held fome of thofe bleffed Means. (b) John i. 9. First, For the Univerfality of this Divine Princi ple. That was the true Light, which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World. But the Manifeftation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit, withal. The Grace of GOD, which bringeth Salvation, bath appeared to all Titus 2. 11. Men 1 Cor. 12. 6. Therefore the Light, Spirit, or Grace, are com mon to all Mankind. Secondly, To prove its Divinity, I offer, * In Him (the Eternal Word) was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men; that is, the Light of Men is the Life or John 1 5. Spirit of CHRIST, the Divine Logos, or Word, by whom all Things were made; and who declares himself, I am the Light of the World, be that followeth me fball not walk in John 8. 12. Darkness, but fball have the Light of Life; (and that is enough) wherefore the Divinity of the Life, Light, and Spirit of CHRIST muft of Neceffity be own'd by all fuch, as deny not the Divinity of our bleffed LORD himself. Thirdly, To prove its Sufficiency is altogether fu perfluous, after its Divinity is granted, for what is Divine muft needs be Sufficient: Howbeit, to corroborate (c) both the Divinity and Sufficiency of this Holy Princi B 2 ple, ple, the Divine Oracle affured the Apoftle of the Gentiles, when under the Buffetings of Satan, in thefe Words, My Grace is fufficient for thee, &c. And the fame Apostle, from his own Experience, inform'd Cor. 12. 94 his beloved TITUS, of its Divine and Efficacious Titus 2. 12. Teaching, Teaching us, that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World, which is our whole Duty, both to GOD and Man. And in the preceding Verfe, he gives it the glorious Epithet of the Grace of GOD, which brings Salvation; therefore fuffi cient both to teach and enable us in the Performance of our several incumbent and relative Duties. Wherefore feeing whatever GOD gives to any Man, for any End, is fufficient for that End.. But GOD has given his Light, Grace, and good Spirit, unto all Men, in order to enable them to perform their Duty to HIM and their Neighbour, on which depends the Salvation of their Souls; confequently that Grace, Light, and good Spirit, is fufficient to that End Though we never held the Light, &c. in fuch a Senfe, as to exclude all other Means, but rather to render all fuch other Helps useful and beneficial. This Doctrine then is fo far from overturning, that it both establishes and perpetuates the Neceffity of a fupernatural Revelation, which only proceeds from the Discoveries of the Divine Light of CHRIST, according to the Apostle, Whatfoever Eph. 5. 13. doth make manifeft (i. e. reveals) is Light. Is not the Light then Effential to fupernatural Revelation? And, The Spirit fearches all Things, yea, the deep 1 Cor. 2. 10. Things of GOD. And And though we thus affert the Sufficiency of the Grace of GOD, yet do we vaftly prefer the Privileges of the Chriftian Church, to thofe of the Infidel World; 2 *(d) Rom. 3. 1, even as the bleffed Apostle did his Brethren and Kinfmen, What advantage bath the Few? Or what Profit is there of Circumcifion? Much every way, because that unto them were committed the Oracles of GOD, And, Who are Ifraelites; to whom pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glo ry, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of GOD, and the Pro mifes; whofe are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the Flefb, CHRIST came, who is over all, GOD bleed for ever. Amen. He Rom. 9. 4, 5, fbeweth his Word unto Jacob, bis Sta Pfal. 147. 19, 20₫ tutes and bis Judgments unto Ifrael; be bath not dealt fo with any Nation. To the Chriftian Church, our LORD has, as it were, entrusted the five Talents, Degrees, or Mea fures of the Revelation of his Will; to the Infidel World, but one or two, comparatively fpeaking, yet the leaft Gift of GOD is fufficient for the Receiver, and perfect in its Kind, James 1. 17. Wherefore let us remember our LORD's Words: For unto whomsoever much is given, Luke 12. 48. of him fhall be much required; and to whom Men have committed much, of him they will ask the more: And alfo the Threatning of the ALMIGHTY, to his Chofen People, the Children of ISRAEL, You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth, therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities. Amos 3, Authorities from our own Writers. E ever a Man, that is not of Man, W that is varioufly denominated by its various operati (a) William Pen's Works, Vol. 2. ons: Light from Difcerning and Diftinction: Spirit from Life and Power: Word, as it fpeaks forth GOD's Mind to Man: Truth in the inward Parts, as it deals truly with Man, and would redeem him from lying Vanities; and Grace, as it is GO D's Gift and not Man's Underftanding, or Man's Merit. Wm: Penn's CHRIST the Eternal and Effential W oRD, who was in the beginning with GOD, and was and is GOD, is that true Light that doth enlighten every Man that J. Whiting's cometh into the World, is fufficient to SalvaTruth ftrongest, tion; p: 37. the Engrafted Word is able to fave the Soul, and my Grace is fufficient for thee, tho' the LORD may be pleased to make use of what Helps or Means, he fees meet, p. 60. All other Helps with out this (the Light of CHRIST) are ineffectual: but the without all other is fufficient, altho thefe outward Helps when GOD co-operates with them are profitable. and ought to be used.. I utterly deny that the Perfection of the Light's Teaching makes the Scriptures Superfluous, much lefs the general beft Attainments that have been, and now are in the World, p. 252. Nor does it follow becaufe GO D has given a fufficient Light, therefore all other means fhould be Superfluous, p. 799. This is not to render the Scriptures ufelefs, or needlefs, or to raife an Indifferency to them where they are enjoyed : By no means, they are a great Bleffing, and as fuch to be highly prized, and no Man that has any fear of GOD, or the leaft Taste of his Goodness, but must be of that mind. A thing may be fufficient of it felf, and yet other Things may be conditionally Neceffary; for Example, Bread and Water are fufficient of themfelves, for the fuftaining the Life of Man; and yet who will fay that other Victuals may not be neceffary? where the Providence of GOD affords them. The Product of this Nation is fufficient for the Maintenance and Support of the Inhabitants; and yet it doth not follow, that there is no Neceffity of importing Gold and Silver from the (d) R. Claridges p. 40. 2 Indies |