N00406:90
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. 1. He seems here to bid fair for an Agreement, at least in the first sort of the Controversy, i. e. between men & men, for we have only outwardly to deal one with another; and he assures us that the Scripture is the Touchstone by which the Doctrine is to be tried; and then surely it must judge and determine, or what is the Advantage of Trying? Only he spoils all by telling us. They have a greater proof, viz. the inward Testimony of the Holy Ghost. We would only for the present ask him, (though that is not all we have to say to him) whether this inward Testimony be greater (as a rule) to judge another by, & set him down? and this because his words import that we are to judge by the Scripture whether the Testimony be from the Spirit or no; for in what other way can the Spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets? else when a Quaker comes to tell us he hath a Revelation, and this is a Testimony above the Scriptures, it would be impudence in us to search the Scripture, if the thing revealed be so or no.
What though the Spirit witnesseth in us that this is the Rule, doth it hereby become ⟨p. 37⟩no Rule, or an inferior one? how absurd!
Sect. 3. Here also he begins fair, and would make us believe he is good natured, for he gives the Scripture a preference to all other Writings, and for that reason allows it to be a sufficient outward Standard; and one would think that were enough to try Controversies between men and men, and determine them, though his Reason is but awk; viz. Because Scripture-Writers had greater Measures of Wisdom &c. so that he allows them a gradual difference of Revelation, and not specific, which may be judged of by what hath been already said, and what is it to us how or in what measures God revealed Himself extraordinarily to His Prophets, who pretend to no such Revelation at all? It sufficeth, that the lowest degrees of these Revelations were infallible, and therefore one Scripture is not less so than another: Nor shall we trouble our selves to prevestigate his Rabbinical Fopperies about the different degrees of Revelation, by which (no doubt he hath raised his credit much with the poor blind Quakers; whereas indeed, if a man had studied to make himself a Fool in print, he could not easily have done it more effectually; and though we grant, That God revealeth Himself gradually to His servants,