N00406:180
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 [sic], to undermine them both. / By the minsters of the Gospel in Boston, ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]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 [sic], to undermine them both. / By the minsters of the Gospel in Boston, ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
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.
Sect. 9. Now at length, after a deal of tedious waiting, we are come to the thing which he hath all this while been making way for, and this will salve all the […], remove all doubts! The Light within! the Quakers God, and Christ, and Holy Ghost, and Word, and what not?
Sect. 9. Now at length, after a deal of tedious waiting, we are come to the thing which he hath all this while been making way for, and this will salve all the 〈…〉, remove all doubts! The Light within! the Quakers God, and Christ, and Holy Ghost, and Word, and what not?
What particular thing this Light is, they ••em to be in the dark about; very likely, ••s beams are so languid, that they are not self-evidencing: However, something it is, a•d it is in all men; yea, so great a thing, that it may be blasphemed; for he tells us, […] is no less than real Blasphemy (though we thank him, 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 […] knowledge of God that i• necessary to Salvation: But how can we plead Guilty or not ••ilty, till we know what it is that we have ••fered such an affront to? Let us therefore •e if we may not find it out by some means, and whether he hath not help• us in the search. He tells us, the Assembly twice call it the light […] nature, & 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,