A23636:226
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. 9th of the Visible Church.
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 finding fault with us for using an Hourglass, ⟨p. 133⟩to know how the time spends, and a Bell to gather our Assemblies together orderly, is worse than ridiculous: That God's people should have their Meetings to worship GOD, is undeniable, to neglect it is a sin, Heb. 10.25. as for his inward spiritual Bell (which he calls the Gospel-bell, ringing in their hearts) serving for such a use, it is a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop: as if the Light-within were a Clock to tell the hour of the day. Besides, it is certain that God's people in all ages have had a known time of meeting, and some civil sign to give notice, that they might meet together, as in one place, so at one Time: and he knows that we place no holiness in Bells: yea, the very Scripture which he abuseth, to prove a Gospel bell, is directly against him, Psal. 89.15. which intends the Silver Trumpets which God appointed for such an end, as ancient & modern interpreters agree: yea the Quakers themselves give notice of their meetings.
Sect. 4. He makes The work of conversion wrought by the Spirit in the hearts of God's Elect, to be the true gathering of a visible Church (for of that he must speak or he is distracted) and let any man of sense judge, whether this be any gathering of a visible Church at ⟨p. 134⟩all; or whether this makes a man so much as a visible Christian; it being a thing secret, and that which no man knows but he in whom it is wrought. As for his Banter here about new-made things, it is but a second Disgorging of the vomit, which he hath licked up after he had once before spewed it, in p. 36. where he is animadverted upon, & once is too much.