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Show 59° The Chriftian-Qua~er, · iDIN f Vtn .. i. tti]l. X. That tbe tight is prov'd by Reafon, both Oniverj11l .~nJ Sllffic'!,u; ~ The Firft, f.rom the Confent of Manku~d and the Goo?nefs an~ ird!Jt(tde Ch. XXIII. of God: The Second, both from Experunce, ::t.nd that .n were l.nconfi~tnr with the Goodnefs and l¥ifdom of God~ to gl\re a L1ghr tO h1s Creature Infufficient for rh~ Work for which he gave if. . c' Thus in fhort have I given the Heads and Ref0;lts ef ~oft o~ the M:Jt-4- ter contained in the whole Difcourfe upon the Ltght .· Ahd I tn~reit DUr Adverfaries they would Jhioufly weigh the Whole, before rhey e1thet rej «J: it. or p~etend ro reply to it: But let them be advifed ro .try the Yinue of rh~ Light, before they fentence it to. h::tve no~e: .And in rhe Love of God be Once prevail'd upon, to confider1f fomethi_ng m them d~nh ~or re· ally Condemn them for Evil, ~nd among!t: other. Thmgs, for thefe bnsk At· tempts 3gainfi it, and unreafona ble undervalu1ngs of lt. . 0 Why fhould Men covet to know fo far beyond what they do fatthfully Praaife! Let them firll Om-live the Jull and Holy Requi(ings of tlje Light before ~hey put thefe barbarous Aftfonts upon • ir, as a Will inlthe Wifp' a Dark·L-anthorn~Light, Nat~ral, Infufficient, Ignis Fatu11s,. the '2_uflk;rt Idol, and Abundance of fuch like Frothy, Prophane, and indeed Blafphemous Epithets, which fame have wickedly beftow'd upon Jr, as if they were Ir's Proper Names: When the Scriptures they would oppofe to it, plainly tell them that the whole Wotk of the Apollolical Minilhy was, To turn People/rom Darknefs to the Light, from the Pow~r of Sattm unto God that they 111i.gbt have Remij]ion of Sins. J\s much as to fay, Such :~s an; iurned to the Light, are. turn'd to God w_ho H Light; and t~ofe who abide there, both have Remiffion of the Puniftmunr, aod Purgauon from the Defi/tmenr of Sin. And whatever any may think of us, we both believe, affert, and will maintain, againft .Me.n and Devils, that God it Ughr; and tha~ out of the Light, or void of his Divine 111umination, no Man ca_n knoro Jmn, and confequently not Worjhip him, unlefs they fhoul.d.. worfh1p an Unknown God: That fuch as receive this Hlumination, and rebel not againft it, bUt im· prove this Heavenly Talent, they have, Fellowfhip with the Pure, Erernal God, and Experience the Blood of Jefus Chrilt to cleanfe rbrm from aU lJnr;.gbuoufnefs. . . . , If any think to arnve at Glory another Way, and Will not be 3dmomfhd, let them proceed; we fpeak what we know, and can bu.r declare wh~t we b<rUe frlt of the Work of God in our Hearts. The Sc11ptures we hJghly value: But we believe not the Things we often quote thence to be uue, Only becaufe ther~~ bur for th~t w~ are WitneO"ts of the fame Operatjdn, and bring in our Experunental Tejltmomes to confirm the Truth of rheJTS; .and fuch truly hopour the Scriptures; All others are at bell but empty Scnbes, and Pbarifaical Babblers. . . . . . So witb God I leave my Labour 1n tbt~ p,zrtzcu/ar, dejirm.gthat tbu Hca· venly Light may yet more abundantly arife upon the Dar\ litaru of Jl1a~· Rind, and awaken them to Repentance, that fince It hath fo long jh~ncd 1/J Darknefs uncomprebended, tiiJ even Darkneft it felf is grown jo i111p11dent 111 to impute;, to the Inf!'fficlency of the Light, be woMid be pleaftd to ca11ft it to fhine ought of Darknefs, t}iat it might plead (he Excellel_l'Y 6f it's own Divine Nature in the Confciences of Men :md '¥omen, ~gmnft. tbe Scorns and Detra8ions, that even too many of tbe treat Profe.Dors of Chriftianity flick not to fi;,rg up011Ir: s~ ill are they principled, and Io un .. Cbriffianly employ"d: Which pr,oves to me how licrle they are Profelfors of the ·True, Pure and Undefiled Religion, whatever Opinion fome Wtak and · Simple People may have of them. My Soul Pitieth their Oppofltion. and Fear· etb the Confelfu~nce of fuch ~ejiftnnce,. and dejius r!Jcy may fee the very V:1.~ nity of tbezr Endeavours agnmfl the Lrght, Rrpnit of tht111, and be C011v:rr~ ed that God may yet Heal tb:m. Which Sinctre Prayer is my Rtturn for al{ th;ir Hard Speeches and Ungadly Sayings ngain}lut in Gcncntl, and my Sdf in Farticu/tllf. w. PENN. VoL. I. • ·'l • I A DISCOURSE 0 F THE Gene~al Rule of Faith and Prallice. .And Judge of CoNTROVERSIE. Greatly importing all ·thofe who &fire to take Ri ht Meafum. of F•ith, and to determine (at leaft to themfelves) ~h~ numerous· Controverfies now on Foot in the World. By the fame J\uthor. lOr in Cbrift Jeff"! ,either Circumci/ion avnileth ~ny Thing, nor Uncireumd.: ]ion, but a J\ E W Creature : .lind tU many as walk according to T Ji IS :.~~~~.Peace be ott them, and •Mercy, and upon the Ifrael of God, Gal; B11t f:?od batb revealed tbem !f11to 111 hy hirSpirit: For the Spirit fearchetb all Tbmgs, yea, tbt ~~ep Tbmgs of GoJ.- The Things of God lmou:erh no Man, bJit the Sp1nt of God,- He rbat is Spiritual judge~b 11 n· 1 Cor. 2. Jo, 11, 15. 4 mgs, But je have an Untlion from the Ho!J One; and ye foaO know all Tbintlr; r John 2. 20. o • Of ~he General Rule of Faith and PraEfice. Since there are fo many Fajtlu in the World, and perplext Controverfles about them; and that lt grea!lY behoveth every Man, if to contend for, rhen firfi to Know the True Fmth thlt overcometh the World. it may nor he unneceffary to fay fomething of the General Rulr: ojFaitb ~nd Life on~ ]ndge of Contr.overfie, at rhis Tii!Je. And indeed I am preft from rh~ we~ghty Confidera~ton, th~t Men penfu for want of ir, and can no more amve a~ Tru.th Wlt~out It, than rhe difireffed Mariner can ga~n his Port who ~ails Wt~hout. either Star or Compafs. I. fhall hegm \'9Jth an Explanation of the Term~, Rule, and" F11itb, of Which we fhall firft treat, that we may as well exprcfs what we inrend by rbe ~ne, as what we mean lly the other, which wili be a proper Intra.. duEhon to the whole Difcour1e. By Gtneral Rule, &:c. we underHand, that Conffant Mea.f11re or Sundard b] wbicb. ilten.in aiJ .i!.ges- ~ve b~en ewabied to J11tlge of tlfe Truth or I:.'rro; of Do8r~nes, and tht Good or Ev1l of Tho11ghu, Wordr and AOion.r. _Hy Fmb we unEierftand :tn iJ.Jfenr of tbe 1Jfind in.f11ch Mannf'r to the Difcovuiu tlfdde of God tbertto, a~ to rejig,f up 'to God tznd have' Depcn· ?entt upon him, as- the Great Creator and. StTViour ll/ }j,; Pebptq which is 1ufcparable from g~Jod Works. That |