A23636:107
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Introduction › Reflections on Chapt. 4th. of Ministerial Gifts &c.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
His Sophisms in Charging us of Blasphemy, for saying, We have the Spirit of God, and yet saying, we have no infallible spirit; as if therefore we charged the Spirit of God Himself of being fallible, may seem to have some influence upon weak minds, (see pag. 41) it may therefore need a little Discussion: Observe then, that the Evidence which we have within us of the Certainty of our spiritual State, or of any spiritual motions in us, is confirmed by two witnesses, God's Spirit, and our own, Rom. 8.16. and these are two distinct witnesses, (the Quakers, indeed, have blasphemously confounded them, and made them but one) now we acknowledged & believe that the witness of the spirit of God is Infallible, He cannot be deceived, neither will He deceive by witnessing to a falsehood; but the witness of our own spirit is Fallible; ⟨p. 50⟩because we are persons liable to mistakes. Now, tho' the Spirit when He witnesseth doth it Infallibly, yet He doth not make our spirits Infallible; and more than so, the Spirit of God witnesseth as He will: sometimes He withdraws His Testimony, and His Witness is commonly mediate, it is with our spirits: Now, the way in which our spirits witness is rational, i. e. by searching our state. or examining the Suggestions in us, & bringing these things to the Rules of Trial given in Scripture, 2. Cor. 13:5. In both the Examination and Trial we may be mistaken, for we know but in part, and yet so far as the Spirit of God confirms us by His Witness, we are infallibly assured.
His Sophisms in Charging us of Blasphemy, for saying, We have the Spirit of God, and yet saying, we have no infallible spirit; as if therefore we charged the Spirit of God Himself of being fallible, may seem to have some influence upon weak minds, (see pag. 41) it may therefore need a little Discussion: Observe then, that the Evidence which we have within us of the Certainty of our spiritual State, or of any spiritual motions in us, is confirmed by two witnesses, God's Spirit, and our own, Rom. 8.16. and these are two distinct witnesses, (the Quakers, indeed, have blasphemously confounded them, and made them but one) now we acknowledged & beleeve that the witness of the spirit of God is Infallible, He cannot be deceived, neither will He deceive by witnessing to a falshood; but the witness of our own spirit is Fallible;