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Show 521i The Chriftian-Quaker and bio VoL. I. t6 3, given Means fufficient to do (hat which he requires o~ them, and for not ~ ~ doing of Yfhich, they are to. be fe~renced to ~terna~ !'1tfery? But I con[efs, Cba . Ill. How deep foevcr this may lhck. with Imparu31 Spmts, I ~lmoft def~auof P entering fome of our Adverfanes, w~ole S?uls are pmch.d ll_P WJthtn !he n:trrow Comp:tfs of a moft Unmerctful Ktn~ of Predeiit~auon; maktng the Eternal God, as partial :1s themfelves·~ ltke fome Anctenrs, That. becaufc they could notRe!emble God, they would make fuch Gods as m1gbt Refemble them. · f D · · IIi.' •· 0..66. I fay, what elfe can be the Ten.de~cy of this Kmd o . cdnn:, ~gamll: the Sufficiency of the Light Wuh1n, rhan that the G1ft of God u nor Perfeft:, or Able, bccaufe Men do!l'~ Obey it; and that r_he ':falent _God bas given ro a11, is Therefore lnfufficaem for the End for whtch H was gaveo, becaufe Man Hides ic in a Napkin? Again Let them tell me, Would it be :1 good Ar~ument, . that i.f the fame Co~n fhould be fawn in a Fertile, and a Ba_rren Sotl, that Growtng in one, and not in the other, the Fault thould be 1n the Seed, and not rather in .:hoGl2n~~? not, how Tradition and Cufiom h~v~ Overlaid much of Conviftion, and benumbed the W_orld, fand that It. IS throu&h Lu.fis pnd Pleafures become Blind and Stup1d as to rhe Inv1fible Thmgs of God. Alas! th~re had never been fo much Need of ma~Y. exteriour Difpeufa .. tions and Appearances of God, in Reference to Rehg~on, fo much preferr~ ed by the Profeffors of this Day, had not Men's Minds been d~parted from the InwJtd Light and Life of Righteoufnefs: So that they be1ng Outward and Abroad, God was pleafed to meet them there _in fame F:xternal Mani~ feftations: Yet fo, as to turn them Home agam to thea fir1l Loye; to that Light and Life, which was given of God, as the \¥ay and G1vcr to Eternal Sal\'ation. Nor could any of thofe Things cleanfe, as concerning the Confcienco; wherefore God Hill by his Servants and Prophets, admonifhed and :warned the People of Old' To Put away the Evil oj tbeir Doinss, and Cea.fe to Jo Evil and. Learn ttJ J~ Well, and to Wafb tbeJiJjclvu, and to C!eanfe tbemfe/ws; for that all their Exaftners in outward Services, was otherwife, but as the Cutting off a Dog's ll'uk, A S3crifi~e equally plcafing .. Wherefore t~e Ab· rogation of all outward DtfJ?enfauons; an~ the rcd!JCing_ Man to h1s .fi{ft State of Inward Light :tnd R1ghceoufne!S, JS called 10 Scnpture, The Ttmtt of Rifrej!munt, and the Rc/litution of aU Things. . In fhort, Though there have beenExtern~l Obfervations, and Ordinances in the World, by God's Appointment, as F1gures and Shadows of the go~d •Things to come. either to preveryt the Jews fr?m the ~utward fp.lendid Worfhip of the Idolatrous Gentt!es, that he might retatn _a Peculiar S~ veraignty over them, or to fbew forth unto th~m a ~or~ H1dden and Invr· tible Glory; this remains fure for ever, That Ltght W1th1n there was, and that the Ancients faw their Sins by it, and that there could be no Accep .. tance with God, but as they walk'd up to ir, and were Taught to put a· way the E\'il of their Doings by it: Suitable to that notable P.:t!fage, The Path of the Jufl K a foining Light, that /hinu dearer ~tnd dearer unto tl!t :JlcrfeO D11y: 1 would fain know, what this Day WJS, )f opt that of SJl· vation ? Can there be any Night or D:uknefs in the Day ? S_urdy no. What if their Light was not fo large, Wa5 it therefore not Savmg? .Yes furely. But as, where much is given, much is required, to where }Jtt~e is given, but little is required. Jf the Light was nor. fl) Glotioufly mam· felled before the Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrifi in the Flefh, Lef~ was then required than fince; yet it follows not, that there were Two ltgh~s, or that the Light was. not Saving before the Vifible Appearance of Chn!t to as many as lived in an Holy Conformity to it. . And if it be agreed, that Blindnefs in M~n cJn he no. Argument agamft the Light of the Sun, nei~~er is this Light !nfufficientJ becaufe t~e Peo· ple of any Nation remain Blind through their Vain Cuftoms and EvLl Prac~ tices. N:~y-, fhould any f~ch . Do£hinc be admitted, what wQuld beco~t· : ·! ' ' • . . 1'eftimony Stated ana Pintlicaterl. of our Adverfaries Opinion, That the Light ~~ mur Scriptur~ ir /Nffi · t of it fe!f to give .Alen the Knowledge Df God? For if thofe thar haven;b Scri-ptures, db not know, believe and obey God, as they ou~ht to do wiJi it not f(}llow u;on fuch a Pri,nciple, that rhe Defect is not 10 them bur in t,he. Scriptuns . ~crtJinly,_ the C:on~equence will hold as well ag;infi the Scnprures, a, ~~atnft the Ltght wnh1'!· If then fuch mufi wroug the Scripture, Whb fa d11pllre,1..u them thm thlnk fo, endeavour to Rigbr rbe Light and nor Jon.ger maintain, 3 Politi on, thJt, bein~ admitted, would Ovtrtur; the .Atttbortly of the S,·rtpture, 41 ibclJh.r that oj the Light Wirhin. t HAP. IV. BUT the~e is 3; . Secon~ Ohjeaion, viz. That there fo~11u to !Jc " manifeft . InjJJ.fficleltcJ tn the Ltghr, btcauft, though feverttl Tbing.t are Revealed byu; yet fcvcral nece.JJ41'J Mauerr are not, nor cannot; So rhat, though it jhou!d manifefl nU that is Reproveable, yet canno't it difcover aD that H Neciffory to be either bdieved or done. I .Anfwtr. This is hut 3 Piece of the former Objedion alte3dy <'bnfidered. I perce1ve the Pinch liei here, That bec3ufe Men do nor what rhey fil_ould! or don_'~ k_rrow all th:u ~ay be fit for them to know, therefore the L1ght IS lnfMffi."'"'· The firfi will be anfwer'd by what I have already faid the Rea~on ~mg rhe fame for the Sufficiency of the Light, agajnft fuch a; char~e 1t wt~h Defect_, becaofe they do not what they fbould, as againft thole who fo ;~mpe3ch It, hecaofe they do thofe Things which they f'hould nor. )27 ~ Chap. Ill, Chap. IV. V"'Y'-1 As for not kn~wing by this Lig~r, all that is fit ro be known, I deny it Utterly: Fo_r Thmgs a~ neceff~ry 10 reference to their proper Times : That 111t1y be reqnijilt to .Morrow wbtch H not to Day. It is fir for Children to le;tm to read, yet it is moft necetTary, that they {hould begin firft to Jpel. If a Scho~l·moller !hould be charg'd with lnfufficiency, becaufe he tells not lntle c~,l~~en as foo~ as they .come,_ al! that he knows, or an at once ~hen he 1111t1atcr rbem rn the Ftrfl Prmc1p!es of Learning he would think hirnfelf unreafonably dealt with. What then muft we c~nclude, but that the Maftet may_ be very capable to teach, were his Scholar fo, and willing ~o l~arn? T~:u If the Scholar obferves and obeys his Mafter, he will increafC 1n hiS Learnmg: That the Defea of the Scholar !hould not be laid upon his Malle~.: Thar .ro tell or amufe him about Things unfuitable to his prefent Capac1ty, were the reJdy Way to overcharge and wholly fpoil him: And confeque~tly ~hat the Tutor not telling his Pupil all that is fir to be known at o~ce, 1mp~tes no Defefi or Ignorance of thofo Things in the Turor: Which, to apply· Scriptu~any, is in brief thus: lfyDM do :ny w;u, yo/1 jhaO John 1• 17; lmoto (more) Of my-Doflnne : I have yet many Th111gr to foy, h11t )'Oil ar~ not ttb!e to ~rar them Jt_ow. If to fay,_ th~r the Light of the Gofpel is to be charg~ WHR Infuffictedcy, becaufe tt dtfcover'd not to e\'ery Belie\'er, all rhofe. rneff•blt Things revealed to the Apollle, be borh Falfc ond Anti-c~ n!han). to what an Extremity of Zeal are they led againft the Bl(_ff~d '!--1gkt OJ the Son of GoJ, '3S he is tlte Enlighrner of Mankind, who char~e It wnh Infitfficieng, becaufe it reveals not at once to every Individual, m every Age, aU rhar he fb,,lJ 1ver lmot.o, or th•t jhqU be· knotJJn to orlu-rs in /11111r~ Timu, The |
