A23636:177
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 Cap. 6. of Christ's dying for all, &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.
What particular thing this Light is, they seem to be in the dark about▪ very likely, its beams are so languid, that they are not Self-evidencing: However, something it is, and it is in all men▪ yea, so great a thing that it may be blasphemed; for he tells us, It is no less than real Blasphemy (though we thank •o••, that he that hath made it blasphemy, hath made it pardonable too) to say that the Light in man is not sufficient to give him that knowledge of God that is necessary to Salvati•• ▪ But how can we plead Guilty or not guilty, till we know what it is that we have offered such an affront to? Let us therefore see if we may not find it out by some means, and whether he hath not helped us in the search. He tell us, the Assembly twice call it the light of •••••e, & the Expression he can allow, but ⟨p. 98⟩not in our sense: Thus far we suppose he will grant it in our sense; viz. That the Light within, is that Discovery of divine Truths, which is made to men inwardly, as they came into the world, whereby they are able to know something of God, without outward means to acquaint them; or something within them, which doth make these discoveries in them: and this is not any special, extraordinary Indulgence to some, but it is common to all men, belonging to Humanity. Only herein we differ, and are not to be reconciled: We say, That it is nothing but some remains of the Law of nature in the Hearts of men, Rom. 2.14. which they are capable by their Reasoning Faculty of improving for the making a Discovery of many Truths by, which will suffice to leave men without excuse, Rom. 1.20. [he mistakes when he thinks we reckon it any distinct faculty, the Understanding indeed, and in that the Conscience, is the subject of it, but it is something there imprinted.] He on the other hand tells us that It is Christ Himself in the man, and that it is he who quickens and sanctifies nature in all men; and this he understands to be the Emphutos Logos, in