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Show 548 1673· ~ Chap.Vlll. Valer.Max. 7· 2· O edip.Tyr. Clem. Aler. Snom. 1. ~· Plutarch. de Grnt. Socr. 'ibe Ghri!ti:ln Quaker, and his VoL. l. II. Hieron, that ancientPhilofophu, i~tituled ~he Unive(fal Li.ght !bin· ing in the Confcience which ever wttnefi"ed, by tts Reproof, agamft Evil; and if obeyed, led Man to Immortality, (h) A D 0 11-1 EST IC K G 0 D, or G 0 D WITHIN rlie Heam dnd Svu!t of 11-lm. . The mrnal 11-llnd it God M 11 N I FE S TIN G HI 11-1 S E L F IN EVERT PARTJCUr! 11 R OF US. God is that which in morral Men gives them to know a tight conternjng God. Certainly thefe Gentiles hld a~ hi~h Vcner:nio.n for. that l:ight, which manife!ted Darknefs who made tt thetr Rule, thetr G~tde, theu Do,neflick God; they fer him 'not at a..Difiance w~thou~ them; bu~ believed in_him as God the '¥ord fpeaking to them tn thor own Confctcnus. In which Refpecf the Mino; Poets not:lhly exprf:fs'd tht'mlelves. III. 8ytU Piince of his Country Prienc, being invaded by Enemies, and feveral of ihe Inhabitants put to Flig~t, wirh their greareft Wealth; be· ing a'sked, why he alfo carried ~ot his bboicdl Goods w.ith him.? anfwered, (c) I Jo carry_ My Goods Wltb me. He bore them ~fatth Valtrun ll1~txi .. mrH) in his Breafi, not to he fun hy the Eye, h11r prtzed by tbe So11!; inclofeJ. in the narrow Dwelling of tbe A1ind, nor ro he demolijh'd hy Alorral Handt; Whidt is always jnefent with thofe who fiay, and never defeneth or forfaketh thofe that flee. Certainly then, they thought this Divine Principle the Grearefl Tre~ Jure, the Sureft Companion, the Befl Comforter, and Only San8114ry of the Soul in the greatell Extremities, enduing it with Piety and Patience, :Jnd giving that Contentment, which was able to wade through the dcepcft Calamities. IV. Sopboc/cr is alfo of that Number that bears Teftimon)' td Divlne Illumination. (d) God grant (faith he) that I may alwdyt be fo hoppj, otto obferve t1Jat Venerable San8ity in m1 Words and Deeds,. which is co!f1mand· ed hy tbefe Noble La-ws ({piakJng of the Law1 written in 111tn'.r Confcitnce. r) wbitb were made in l:kttven; God is their Father~ .not 'M.orr~l N:a· rute, neither jhalltbey ever be forgotten or abrogated; fo? there is in- rhcm a Great God, tbut never waxetb Old. TbH is (faith he again) wilb rcfpe{f to .Mcn'.r Confcienu, a Divitu, 11 StJcrtd Gaod, God rbe Overfeer. CcrtJinly in themfelves very Seraphick Sayings, fhewing a clear Faith of God. and that Way of inward Difcovery he is pleafed t9 trlake of himtelf to Mankind. For it was he that faill, Truly there it but One only God, who mnde tbe Heave.nr a11d the Earth. v. It is frequently faid of Sbcratet, (e) He had the GNi~e of bit Life wirbin him; whic1J, tt Will told liis Father Sophronifcus, fhould be of more W~rtb to him thab Five Hu11dred .il1t~flerr. He enDed it bi.r Good Angel or Splnt ~ tbot it futgt/led to his Min!, wbat Wal Good and Virtuour, and ificliitl t~nd Jifpcjed him to a flri fl 117111 piom Life: That it furiri/h'd him w;Ih Di· vine Knowledge, and V tf)l often impuls'd or moved him to preach (thounh ;, (h) In the BeginJ'i!lgwasthe Woxd·, and the Word was with God, aild the Word was God, '!Jo&t 1. 1·-The Word is nigh the~, in thy Heart and in thy Moath1 /{D'fl'• 1~ 8.I dwell in the Hig~ and Holy Place, with him alfo tha~ is of a Contrlceand Humble Spirit,/{t; 'i7· ~~· Ye are the Temples of God. and that the Sei'rit of GOd dll{ells- id you, 2CQr. 6. 16. Whatever may be known of God fs fua.nifeft-ed within', for God. ffiewSl~ u'rltdtheat. Jlom., t. 1_9• (f) Lay up Treafure in Heaven, where neither Mofh nor Rufl: can tqrrttpt, . n~r T.llief :~;-:k~~!~~<tn~~.~?o~70~hi~Ys~;i~rdo'dr":o w~ ~~e~:~f,'~! rwi ~~d iso~ f~~~f:~t t~~p f:u;hg~i~ ~t ¥~~~b\~.A~~£i4J1f ~,as afHifr¢, If~· 6~· 9• Tho (d) Shall not the tlncircumcifion th?f is by Na~re: Jf it fblfit the'~ UI;r, ju1lgc rh:er, 1fl!ho by the Lctter"and Circumcifion doft h:anfgtefs tllt Law. :FP.r h~is lnot a..'Jtfl+ ftiat- ~ dnd Outward, inf;fyb:g fueh 11r le9 the- L4" il .tm Ino~r'd. Jew, A,.#rl. 1. 27; "!i~. And the Word of God (ni&fl in tbe Heart) !liall abW.e fdr ever, If•· 4Q• s. . · . . (t) There is a Spirit in 1\lan, bUt ;He Tbfpira'tJon of t!)e A\riliZ,!itr t1vefh a.lndetliandi.nl, ' Qb r· 8. For as many as are lM by tho Spirit ' of God, they ale th~ Sont ot Otld, ~·~ . ~ VoL.l. T eftimony Stated <iltd Vindicated. t~e Srrc-er.r) to t~e Peoplei font~'t..~cs in a Way of fev(rc Reproof. ar• other /111/ts to lnfon/Jafl~n: A~d oibn-wije gently to dif!Jtade them from Intemperance, and Vanrty of Life; p4rtu.ularly, [rom feeing of Plays, and 10 e.Y... bort tb~m to Repentance, Reformauon, and Self.Denyal, in Hopes of Jmmonahty. 54.9 ~ Chav.vru. VI. Plato is not wanting to bring in his Vote, for farther Confirmation In Phzd. of our Af!~rcion, on the Be~alf of the Gentiles: (f) Tbe Light and Spirit cfGod, fatth h~, aretU \¥1ngs TO THE SOUL, ortUtbatwbicli m(f~ etb up _tbe Soul tnt~ a jehjible Comhumion. rui~b God above the World, tvb1cb the .Mtnd of .iUan u _p_rone to jbtg or btlmrt ttjetf wirbnl. And adds Plot in (e) a famous Platoni/1, God ts tb( very Root or Life of tbe Soul. Again' .rEne:td, 1• Man bath a Di.vin~ ~rinciple in him, wbic!~ flltlketb tl·e rr11e and good il1an: cap.r. And the PJatomfi~ m general bdd Thrre Pnncip!es ro be in Man l rhe firft they ~aUtd Ntr~ Mmd, IntelleEt, Spidt, at Divine Li~ht. Tbe 8econd "~"!?:.~ the_ Soul of ftlan •. Tbe Third they called "EIJI~o~>.;v ..J.ux.~'• rbe Soul r ima e, tohJCh, Jay they, u h4r vital Energy upon rhc Body, and rbe Feminine 1a~ c11lty o} tbe Soul. By all .whic~ )tis evidenr, tho'! Could produce many more TefiirhotJics from_ th~1r Wrmngs, that they ~l.tev'd and held Divine I!bll!linarion :md ln/ptratwn, and that jtub a Prtnetple refided in Man, e\•en the Eternal "''' or MIJtd; which is to fay in plain Englij/1, God Himfdf; by which alone the Soul could become what God would have it be: V'II. C~eanthes, rhe. Stoick, ~aiJor.uth nor il1rnki7td to .be governed of Rigbt hy rhe D1.0'!tCJ of lh_etr of»n J'!aturc, wbic/J botelj renders tbem .lUaT, b!Jt by ~bar Dtvrne, lnfimtt, and Eternal Nature, wbieh it God univerfJlly dif~ J~sd or .fown through the w.hole Race of Man, as the moff fiJrt a11d i"nf11t. bb(e G.utde .. and Rule . . To bve (faith he) acc~rding to this Knowledge tt(!d D1tcOum, IS trUly tb ll~•e 3Cc<5rdl'Ylg ~o VirtU!!\ nor doing any thing t!nt is forbidden~ The Jri_rtue. and l[appinefs of a .Man depends upon tbe ctdfe ~r~~~U~~~~~fe~f hts Mmd, wtth the Divine Will Of him, who govern~ Again, faith the fame Cle<tnther, (b) THE Ki\DIVLEDGE bF GOD IS imprinted upon the Minds of Mt:n. VIII. 111e7tander, lignifying ~od to be good, faith, ( i) Every Man hntb Clem, Alt:r. a Goo_d D:'emon tU foon .m ben ~oM, nn Holr Jnfiructer in governing o.f Strom. L. S· tht Life; di thut I may coli/eft bthllo beaR Evil Demon, who b"'·tr tbc L :fi · ?fa good Alan. Then fubjoyns he, Thai a Good God Is in all, that God IS.JfcrfeOJy Gcod, and thor be U G6dd in all. Again, on lnother Occafiori fanh he, God, who i1 rthvays Ntat, fles tbH; for God is not a God a fa: oil'. IX. Philo, thou&h a Jew born, yet a \'er'f ferious and refin'd Philofopher Leg. Alleg. gives us his Judgment in this Par~icular, very pofirively and to Purpofe: L. ,, (k) Howjhou!d the Soul of Mon (fJ!th he) ~now God, If he did not infpire her, and take hold of her by his Dwine P<>Wtt ? . (/)God ;sLight, t 1o1m t• S·-Id thy Lightfh11) w; fee LiSht, Pf;~l. j6. 9•• ·- God IS not far from eTery one of us ; for in. i}irq '!fe live .. ':llC}te, and pave our .Being.· for we are alfo his Offrpring, as certain of Jour own Pms have raid, AEls 17, 27, 2~ •• -: One· of whom wa! .Ar.zutr, wfiom the ApoiUe q~s JVeakiAg-T-l'i&tA, aml..implo.y.s. it.againlt: the[l! to P;ove. a 1rt~t G•d, and to introdpce his G~~btl; wNch if it !hewett their Apolhl'cy, it' ~~:;~~~~~~~a:~;:~vn:~it~~~:tc'1:~·~~~gt\tr•rcr:~~iio:~Ghl!,~~e~;~~~ne (g) Without me ye can do nothing. The Spirit o(lfrO.th fhal\ lead jon into~ll Trur~, ~. 161 lJ. For the Grace of G<\11 that bringeth-Salvation hath ~ppeared nntaall Itt~n. teach~ us, that denying Unt01:llin~s and w011tUy Lwft$1 we ~ive foberlt aod righreoully ;1~00d,l~~~6.t~.s£re1tm: Woe~. 1•1· 2 •• ~'' ~~. ~ hlth.Ditwn unto thee, 0 ldan, what (~) Whith lbew the-Works.c:if the Law Writ ~thell' fl~rts, ~· 2. ~~. O ~I) A ManifeftatioJL Of d\eSp1r~ it given ¥Rto erery onC: y pr&firwithal, 1 Cor. 11. 7•ne God, and Father of all, who is above all1 and through all,-- The Lord is GQOtl unto au, Pfd, 14 ~. 9. (~) The Thil'lgs of God knoweth no Man, fne the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2. 11. - b Wtll put my law in thtir Minds, ancl write them ia thC'ir inward Parts ; I wi!ll>e their od, and they llij.JI be ll1Y People, H( b. S. t o, 1 1. Again, |
