thing that is evil, teach every thing that is good, and endevor to make them avoid the one and praAtife the other. 2. What that is, which (if these things be done at all) does perform them. If these Questions therefore be asked, I think it advisable, before I answer them, to obferve, that when our Adverfaries affirm, that the Univerfal Light within does ftrive with all Men for to fave them; by all Men they understand, as I have already fhewn, every individual perfon born into the World, wheFew or Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, &c. of whatfoever Nation, Country, or Place. Now if all Men in these Queftions be understood in the fame Latitude; then I divide all Men into two forts, viz. fuch as have had the Gospel outwardly preached to them, and fuch as have not.

This divifion is grounded upon the Doctrine of our Adverfaries themfelves. For they affert, as has been already fhewn, that God does by the pretended Univerfal Light within make known his Will to every individual perfon born into the World, whether few, Turk, Indian, &c. of whatsoever Nation, Country, or Place. But then, it being manifeft by experience, and acknowledged by our Adverfaries, that all these Perfons have not the Books of Holy Scripture amongst them, which our Adverfaries call the Outward Gospel, and the declaration of which they call the Outward Preaching; it is alfo manifeft by experience, and acknowledged by our Adverfaries, that all Men have not the Gospel outwardly preached to them. Thofe therefore who have the Holy Scriptures, have (in the judgment of our Adverfaries) the Gofpel preached to them both outwardly and inwardly: but fuch as have not the Scriptures, they fay, have the Gofpel preached to them inwardly only. This being premifed, I answer,

Firft,

First, That there is fomething, viz. the Holy Spirit of God, whom we generally call the Third Perfon in the Trinity, which ftrives with all thofe, who have had the Gospel outwardly preached to them, for to fave them; and particularly, that the Spirit of God does (with refpect to thofe perfons) difcover and reprove every thing that is evil, teach every thing that is good, and endevor to make them avoid the one and practife the other. But then, I do not fay, that the Spirit of God does thefe things after the fame manner, as the Quakers fuppofe them to be done by their pretended Univerfal Light within. For, granting that the Endevors of the pretended Light, to make fuch as have had the Gospel outwardly preached to them, avoid every thing that is evil, and practife every thing that is good, are by our Adverfaries fuppofed to be nothing elfe, but its working upon, inclining, and affifting their Wills & executive Powers; and confe quently, that the Spirit does endevor to make them avoid every thing that is evil, and practife every thing that is good, after the fame manner, as the pretended Light is by our Adverfaries fuppofed to endevor the fame; I fay, granting these things to be true, which I fhall not at prefent inquire into the truth of; yet, as I have already said, our Adverfaries affirm, that the light does difcover and reprove every thing that is evil, and teach every thing that is good, by immediate Revelation: whereas I affirm, that tho' the Spirit of God may vouchsafe immediate Revelation, when, and to whomfoever he pleafes; yet I have largely fhewn that there is no Neceflity of immediate Revelation in order to a faving Chriftian Faith, and that those who have had the Gospel outwardly preached to them, have no grounds to expect or lay claim to it.

I affert

I affert therefore, that the Spirit of God does, in thefe daies, discover and reprove every thing that is evil, and teach every thing that is good, to those who have had the Gofpel outwardly preached to them, no otherwife than by the mediate Revelation of the Scriptures.

Secondly, As for those who have not had the Gofpel outwardly preached to them, I shall speak of their Cafe in the next Chapter.

3. They tell us, that the light moves Men to pray, and that that Prayer to which Men are not moved by the light, is not acceptable to God. Now there being no fuch light as is pretended, 'tis plain that it cannot move Men to Prayer; and that if no Prayer be acceptable to God, but what the light moves Men to offer, then no Prayer at all is acceptable to God, because Men are not at all moved to Prayer by the light. But if it be asked, whether the Spirit of God does not move Men to Prayer, and whether any Prayer be acceptable to God, which the Spirit does not move them to; I anfwer, that all good Difpofitions are owing to God's Holy Spirit, and confequently a dif=pofition to Prayer is owing to him. But then I deny, that there is ever any need of a particular impulfe befides that general Difpofition. There is need, I confefs, of the Spirit's Affiftance in Prayer; but the Spirit's Affiftance in Prayer is certainly very different from a particular impulse to Prayer. Nor can any of thofe Texts which our Adverfaries cite, if improved to the utmost, 1 prove any thing more, than that all our Worship requires the influence of the Holy Ghoft to make it fuch as God requires; and this is what we not only readily grant, but heartily contend for.

4. They

4. They pretend, that the light commiffions Men to the Work of the Ministry; and that the Motion of the light is the only valid Ordination. But certainly a light which is not, cannot call Men to that weighty Imployment; nor can its Motion be any (much lefs the only) valid Ordination. But we freely grant, that the Motion of the Spirit, from whence all good Actions flow, ought particularly to be felt by those who offer themselves as Candidates for Holy Orders. And accordingly in our Office for the making of Deacons, the Bishop asks this Queftion, Do you trust, that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon you this Office and Miniftration, to ferve God for the promoting of his Glory, and the edifying of his People? and every Deacon is requir'd to anfwer, I truft fo. But those that feel the Motion of the Spirit, are not commiffioned to preach the Gospel, unless they be alfo regularly fet apart and fent forth by the proper Officers of the Church, as has been proved by many Writers.

Left therefore any Quaker, who may hercafter be convinced, that the Light does not move Men to the Miniftry, fhould chance to fall into the Error of thofe Perfons, who think the Motion of the Spirit a fufficient Ordination without the Churches folemn Miffion; I defire him impartially to perufe fome of thofe Books which have been published to fhew the Neceffity of a Regular Ordination by impofition of Hands. Particularly, if he defire one that treats briefly of that Subject, I recommend to him Mr. Dorington's little Book, entituled, the Diffenting Ministry in Religion cenfured and condemned from the Holy Scriptures. But if it should then feem doubtful to him, who thofe perfons are, the impofition of whofe Hands

is neceffary in Ordination, he may be pleased to perufe the 9th, 10th, and 11th Chapters of the Difcourfe of Schifm.

As for Womens preaching, fince there is no fuch light as is pretended, and confequently they are not moved thereby to preach the Gofpel; 'tis certainly a very great Crime. I fhall not now difpute, whether they are capable of Holy Orders; and confequently I am not obliged to fhew the Weaknefs of thofe Anfwers, which our Adverfaries have returned to what their Opponents have urged from Scripture against Womens preaching. But this, I think, is certain, that no Church upon Earth does ordain Women to the Miniftry by impofition of Hands: and therefore when our Adverfaries are convinced of the Neceffity of fuch an Ordination, they will certainly adhere to the Ministry of Men only, because they will find no Women. fo Ordained.

As for what our Adverfaries teach concerning the indifpenfable neceffity of Holiness in all Minifters of the Gofpel; fo that he who preaches the Gofpel, is no Minifter thereof, unless he lead a holy life; I fhall examin it in the next Chap

ter.

5. They pretend, that if Men obey the Motions of the Light, and comply with its Strivings, then does it regenerate, fanctify, justify and fave them. But fince there is no fuch Light, 'tis certain that what they mean by Regeneration, Sanctification, Juftification and Salvation, must be attributed to fomething elfe, viz. the Holy Spirit of God. And if what they mean by Regeneration, Sanctification, Juftification and Salvation, be attributed to the Holy Spirit; we are then well enough agreed concerning thofe Points. For M

First,