A85315:78
Stablishing against shaking
Stablishing against shaking: or, A discovery of the Prince of Darkness (scarcely) transformed into an angel of light, powerfully now working in the deluded people called, Quakers: with a sober answer to their railings against ministers for receiving maintenance from their people. Being the substance of one sermon preached Feb. 17. 1655. at Shalford in Essex. / By Giles Firmin (pastor of the church there) upon occasion of the Quakers troubling those parts.Stablishing against shaking: or, A discovery of the Prince of Darknesse (scarcely) transformed into an angel of light, powerfully now working in the deluded people called, Quakers: with a sober answer to their railings against ministers for receiving maintenance from their people. Being the substance of one sermon preached Feb. 17. 1655. at Shalford in Essex. / By Giles Firmin (pastour of the church there) upon occasion of the Quakers troubling those parts.
London: printed by J.G. for Nathanael Webb, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
5. When he can get into mens consciences, (a tender thing that must not be touched) and plead that for their rule and refuge: for a man to follow the dictates of a true enlightened conscience, and to have a true tender conscience is very good; but how often gets he in here, our miserable days have proved sufficiently. The Quakers cry up conscience very much, calling men to attend more to that, than to the Scriptures, (as anon I shall show) but it is manifest that Satan is got into their consciences.
5. When he can get into mens consciences, (a tender thing that must not be touched) and plead that for their rule and refuge: for a man to follow the dictates of a true inlightned conscience, and to have a true tender conscience is very good; but how often gets he in here, our miserable dayes have proved sufficiently. The Quakers cry up conscience very much, calling men to attend more to that, than to the Scriptures, (as anon I shall shew) but it is manifest that Satan is got into their consciences.
6. When from true light he will draw dark conclusions, this is not true Logic, for ex vero nil nisi verum, but it is such Logic as he useth, hath done of old; where sin hath abounded, the grace of God abounded. What then? thus now; men are not to take up their rest in the Ordinances, but to look beyond Ordinances, Christ is the end of Ordinances, as in Baptism, the Supper, &c. What then? hence the Quakers and others tell us they have got Christ, (the thing signified) what should they do with signs? so cast away the Ordinances: they are grown so Spiritual, that they live above these Carnal, (as Naylor calls the Ordinances) things. There is some light in the Antecedent, ⟨p. 16⟩and as much darkness in the Consequent part, for the consequence is false.
6. When from true light he will draw dark conclusions, this is not true Logick, for ex vero nil nisi verum, but it is such Logick as he useth, hath done of old; where sin hath abounded, the grace of God abounded. What then? thus now; men are not to take up their rest in the Ordinances, but to look beyond Ordinances, Christ is the end of Ordinances, as in Baptisme, the Supper, &c. What then? hence the Quakers and others tell us they have got Christ, (the thing signified) what should they doe with signes? so cast away the Ordinances: they are grown so Spirituall, that they live above these Carnall, (as Naylor calls the Ordinances) things. There is some light in the Antecedent,