De Immediata & interna Reve­latione.

‘ ANTIBARCLAIUS P. 33. A­pologetes in genere quidem scripsit, Patres una voce, adjudicasse nullam Dei cognitionem certam, & veram esse, nisi quae intus reve­letur Spiritu ejus: Revelatione ni­mirum, inquit Author ANTI­BARCLAII, Immediata & Pe­culiari, sive cuivis Propria.’

Resp. Imo, Vir Doctissime, cuivis Propria: sed non aliter, quam uni­cuique Propria est ad unumquemque pertingens Affulgentia, seu Lux ab unoquoque Participata SOLIS Splen­dentis Lucis nimirum, Omnibus Creaturis, quae Videndi Facultate praeditae sunt, Communis, sed ab Unaquaque actu Participatae secun­dum Peculiarem Cujusque Actu­alem ipsius Videndae Capacitatem.

‘ P. 46.—Nulla plane facta men­tione ullius Immediatae Revelatio­nis, quam omittere nullatenus de­buit, si tanta ejus fuisset necessitas, quantam Apologetes hodie, cum suis sectatoribus urget, atque prae­tendit.’

Resp. Non urget, atque praeten­dit necessitatem Immediatae Reve­lationis alicujus Rei, nisi quae jam Revelata est in S. Scripturis. Sed necessariam esse asserit Immediatam Revelationem, seu actualem Spiritus Sancti Operationem in Animis no­stris, ut Rite Percipiamus veritatem Sanctificantem in ipsis Scripturis Re­velatam.

[Page 2] ‘ P. 87. Studet Lectori persua­dere has Revelationes Immediatas, & Internas fuisse olim Formale Ob­jectum Fidei Sanctorum.’

Resp. Aequissimum est hoc ejus stu­dium: Per Formale objectum intelli­git Idipsum, quod per FIDEM In­tellectu Perceptum Percipientes San­ctos reddit, nempe DEO in Ani­mis eorum immediate Operanti si­miles.

‘ P. 124. Ad quid inquit Anti-Barclaista, Perpetuitas Promissi Spiritus ad Novitatem Revelatio­num?’

Resp. Ad Mentes nostras jugiter Renovandas per Spiritum Sanctum ju­giter opus est nobis Novis Revelati­onibus, seu Operationibus Spiritus Sancti Mentibus nostris Revelantis Veritatem Sanctificantem, cujusmodi Revelatio semper fit secundum S. Scrip­turas: Saepissime tamen sine ulla Vocum Scriptarum in memoriam revocatione.

‘ P. 156. Quando, Ps. 34. 9. cun­ctos Fideles hortatur ut Gustent, & Videant quam bonus, & suavis sit Dominus, nescio quid Apologetes habuerit in animo, ut hisce verbis abuseretur, cum in Psalmo hoc Re­gius Vates ne minimam fecerit men­tionem suarum a Deo Revelatio­num, sed aliorum potius Beneficio­rum, quorum tempore Exilii a fa­cie Regis Saul particeps factus est, in Deo scilicet confidens; unde & eos praedicat beatos, qui in quavis afflictione in eo fiduciam ponere di­dicerunt.’

Resp. Haec verba Gustare, & Vi­dere manifeste ac indubie Significant Sensationem, seu actualem Notitiam sensitivam, vel Intellectivam Rei Praesentis, id est, Corporis, vel Ani­mi sensibus se Immediate ingerentis, non Traditae tantum per alios, qui eam Gustarunt, vel Viderunt. Isti­usmodi Sensatio, seu Immediata Perceptio Suavitatis Divinae fieri nequit, nisi per Immediatam Spi­ritus Sancti in animis nostris Ope­rationem Sanctificantem, cujusmodi omnes Spiritus Sancti, Lucis nimirum Immensae Operationes recte vocantur Immediatae Revelationes, nempe isti­usmodi Illuminationes, quibus istae fugantur Tenebrae, quae nos impedi­erunt, quo minus res ipsas Divinas a Spiritu Sancto nobis (in Legendis, vel Audiendis Scripturis, vel sine ulla Vocum Scriptarum Recordatione) Pro­positas Immediate Perspicere possi­mus.

‘ P. 158. Id forte aliquam vide­tur habere difficultatem, quod A­pologetes etiam in primis hic & ali­bi urget: quando 1 Joannes Cap. 5. v. 6. scripsit post alia, Spiritus est, qui Testatur, quod Spiritus Veritas est. Ve­rum, si hic etiam, inquit Vir Eruditus, Apostoli mentem ex integro Textu rite attendamus, nihil aliud Eum auditoribus voluisse ad animum vo­care observabimus, quam quod Spi­ritus Sanctus, &c.’

Resp. Nihil aliud! Certe voluit hoc ipsum ad animum vocare, quod Rober­tus Barclaius Probare velit nempe o­pus esse nobis Immediata Revelatio­ne, [Page 4] seu Testimonio Spiritus Sancti in Cordibus nostris, ut firmiter, ac Practice assentiamur Veritati Evange­licae; quia Spiritus est Omnis Veritatis Principium, adeo ut nulla esse pos­sit vera, & viva veritatis Coelestis Notitia, nisi quae derivetur ab ipso Spiritu Sancto in Cordibus nostris O­perante. Quaecunque Impiis homi­nibus, seu veram Sanctitatem aver­santibus contingit Rerum Divinarum Notitìa, seu Cognitio, revera nihil aliud est, quam quod Apostolus ap­pellat Rom. 2. 20. τὴν Μόρφωσιν τῆς Γνωσεως, Formam, seu Imaginationem Cognitio­nis.

Of Immediate and inward Reve­lation.

‘ ANTIBARCLAIUS. P. 33. The Apologist writes in general, That the Fathers have concluded with one voice, That there was no true and certain knowledge of God, but that which is revealed inwardly by his own spirit: By a revelation, as the Author of ANTIBARCLAIUS says, immediate and particular or proper to any one.’

Answer. Even so, most Learned Sir, proper to any one: But not other­wise than as all partake of the light of the Sun. The Light is common to all Creatures, who are indued with sight, but every one actually par­takes of it according to the actual capacity he hath of seeing it.

‘ P. 46. No mention having been made of any immediate Revelation, which he by no means ought to have omitted, if it had been so ne­cessary as the Apologist and his followers urge and pretend.’

Answer. He neither urges nor pre­tends the necessity of an immediate Revelation of any other thing, but what is already revealed in the Holy Scriptures. But he affirms that Im­mediate Revelation, or the actual Ope­rations of the Holy Ghost in our hearts, is necessary that we may right­ly perceive the sanctifying truth, de­clared by those Scriptures.

[Page 2] ‘ P. 87. He endeavours to per­swade the Reader that the immedi­ate and Inward Revelations were, in old time, the formal object of the Saints Faith.’

Answer. His endeavour is very just: By the formal object he means the same thing, which, being con­ceived by the Understanding, by faith sanctifies those who receive it, and makes them like to God, immediately working in their Hearts.

‘ P. 124. But, says the Anti-Bar­claist; how can the perpetuity of of the promise of the spirit prove the use and necessity of fresh Reve­lations?’

Answer. To renew our minds conti­nually by the Holy Ghost, we have con­tinual need of new Revelations, or of the operations of the Hol Ghost, revealing the sanctifying Truth to us; which Revelation always agrees with the Holy Scriptures: Nevertheless often without any remembrance of what is written of it in our memories.

‘ P. 156. Psalm 34. 8. When he exhorts all the faithful to tast and see how good the Lord is, I know not what the Apologist means, to apply these words so improperly; when the Kingly Prophet, in the same Psalm, hath not made the least mention of any Revelations he received of God, but rather of other blessings, during the time of his Exile from SAƲL; which he trusting in God, was made partaker of: Whence he pronounces those blessed, who, in all their afflictions, have learned to put their confidence in him.’

Answer. These words to taste and to see, manifestly and undoubtedly signifie a sensation, or an actual Sensitive or Intellective knowledge of a thing present; viz. immediately influencing the Senses of the Body or Mind, and not only, by the Testimony or hearsay of those that have tasted and seen it. Such a sensation or immediate percepti­on of the divine sweetness, cannot be effected but by an immediate and sanctifying Operation of the Holy Ghost in our hearts. All such Operations of the Holy Ghost are rightly called the Immediate Revelations of the Infinite light; namely, those Illuminations, by which the darkness of our Minds is dispersed, which hath hindred us from seeing those divine Truths of­fered to us by the Holy Ghost (either in reading or hearing the Scriptures or without any remembrance of the things therein written) by an imme­diate sight or sensation.

‘ P. 158. Perhaps some difficulty may appear in what the Apologist here as well as elsewhere chiefly urges: when John 1. 5, 6. after other things, writ, It is the spirit which beareth witness, because the spirit is Truth: but if here we also rightly consider the Mind of the Apostle in the Context (says our Learned Man) we shall con­clude that he meant nothing else but to engage his hearers to remem­ber, but that the Holy Ghost, &c.’

Answer. Nothing else! He would certainly have them call to mind that same thing which Robert Barclay would prove, viz. That we have [Page 4] need of Immediate Revelation, or of the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in our hearts, that we may constantly em­brace and practice the Evangelical Truth; because the Spirit is the Fountain of all Truth; insomuch, that there can be no true and living know­ledge of the Heavenly Truth, but what is deriv'd from that Holy Spirit working in our hearts. All knowledge of divine things, that the ungodly or despisers of true sanctity have, is nothing, in effect, but what the A­postle calls τὴν Μόρφωσιν τῆς Γνώσεως, the Form, Image or Shadow of know­ledge, Rom. 2. 20.

De Scripturis.

‘ P. 164. Haec verba R. Barclaii re­citantur: Quoniam solummodo sunt declaratio fontis, & non ip­se fons, ideo non existimandae sunt principalis origo omnis veritatis, & cognitionis, nec adaequata prima­ria Regula Fidei, & Morum, licet cum dent verum, & fidele Testimo­nium primae originis, sint & pos­sint existimari Regula secundaria, subordinata Spiritui.’

Resp. De quibus R. Barclaii ver­bis sic explico Animi mei sententiam, Si per Spiritum Divinum intelligimus Deum, Tertiam S. TRINITATIS Personam, mihi videtur non licere nobis Eum appallere Regulam Fidei, & Morum; cum Regula Fidei sit istud Instrumentum, quo Recte Investiga­mus quid sit Fidei Christianae Objectum, [Page 5] seu quid sit id, quod a nobis Creden­dum CHRISTUS Proposuit: Sed per Spiritum Divinum etiam significa­ri possit nostra Spiritus Divini Parti­cipatio, quo omnis anima Rationa­lis praedita est per insitam in Natura sua DEI OPT. MAX. Ideam: Hoc sen su recte dicendum est Spiritum esse Principalem, seu Primariam Fidei Regulam, cui ipsae Scripturae Subor­dinantur: Nam eatenus tantum sen­sum earum Divinum esse Percipimus, quatenus ejus Congruentiam sentia­mus cum illa, quam ipse Deus Ani­mis nostris indidit, Essentiae Divinae Idea. Placet mihi admodum haec Roberti Barclaii Protestatio, quam p. 226. recitat Ejus doctissimus Adver­sarius. Secum suis Doctrinas, & Mores suos libentissime Examini ea­rum (S. Scripturarum) concedere, & hoc tanquam positivum, & cer­tum admittere ex animo principi­um, ut quodcunque quis praedicans se Spiritu duci, contrarium Scriptu­rae perpetrat, delusio, & machina­tio Diabolica existimetur.

Of the Scriptures.

‘ Anti-B. P. 164 are found Quoted these words of Robert Barclay: Be­cause they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain it self, therefore they are not to be esteem­ed the principal ground of all Truth, and knowledge, nor the Adequate Pri­mary Rule of Faith and Manners; tho' giving a true and faithful Testi­mony of the first foundation, they are and may be esteemed a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit.’

Answer. I thus explain my sense of these words of R. Barclay. If we, by the Holy Ghost, understand God, viz. the 3d. Person of the Holy Trini­ty, I confess we ought not to call him the Rule of Faith and Manners; since the Rule of Faith is that Instrument by which we rightly examine what is the object of the Christian Faith, and [Page 5] what that is, that Christ hath lay'd down for us to believe: But we may also understand by the Holy Ghost, our partaking of the divine Spirit, with which every Rational Soul is indued, by an Idea of the most great and most good God, ingrafted in its nature: In which sense, we, by right, ought to say the spirit is the Principal or Chief Rule of our Faith, to which the Scriptures themselves are subordinate. For we only perceive they carry a divine sense as far as we feel their congruity with the Idea or Impression of that divine Being, which God himself hath fixed in our hearts. R. Barclay's Protestation, of which his learned Adversary speaks page 226, pleases me much. That he, with those of his Religion, are willing their Doctrines and Practices should be tried by the Holy Scriptures, and to admit, as a positive and certain Maxim, that whatsoever any do, pretending to be led by the Spi­rit, which is contrary to the Holy Scrip­tures, should be reputed a delusion of the Devil.

De Ʋniversali Redemptione Chri­sti, & salutifero, necnon super­naturali Lumine unumquemvis illuminante.

‘ P. 294. De Praesentia, vel Ines­sentia, quae pertinet ad Regnum Naturae, adeoque omnibus in Uni­versum Creaturis est Communis, hic minime Sermo est.’

Resp. Certo certius est Τὸν ΛΌΓΟΝ in Omni Creatura Logica, seu [Page 6] Rationali Inesse Peculiari etiam ines­sendi modo, non eo tantum, quo in reliquis Inest Creaturis.

‘ P. 301. Quando Jacobus c. 1. 21. ad fideles & regenitos scribens Verbum Dei vocat λόγον Ἔμφυτον, id est, Sermonem insitum; quod non de alia insitione, quam quae per publicam praedicationem, ac ejus receptionem facta est, intelligi de­bere ex integro patet Contextu.’

Resp. Notandum est non Dixis­se Apostolum Λόγον Ἐμφυτον, sed τὸν Λόγον Ἔμφυτον, Innuens nimirum Eun­dem esse, de quo loquitur S. Joannes, Ἐν Ἀρχῆ ῆ̔ν Ὁ Λόγος, hic ΛΟΓΟΣ est certe, cum Essentia ejus sit Infinita, in Omnibus Creaturis, Modo Pecu­liari in Natura Rationali. Haec Sancti Jacobi verba Τὸν λόγον ἔμφυτον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς Ἰυχὰς ὑμῶν, atque illa in Epistola ad Hebraeos Cap. 7. V. 25. Σώζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται, in­telligenda sunt de Uno SALVA­TORE Nostro, Lumine illo Vero Illuminante Omnem Hominem Venien­tem in Mundum. Ad Sententiam hanc nostram stabiliendam ma­xime conducunt Verba ista Viri Celeberrimi, Graecarum Litera­rum Peritissimi, DANIE­LIS HEINSII, Exercit. Sacr. Pag. 587. Quid est Ἔμφυτον; certe τὸ φυσικὸς, certe quod Inna­tum est, & Naturale: quod Εμπεφυκεναι Vulgo Dicimus. Quomodo Ἔμφυτον τὸ ἐ [...] τῇ φύσει, Hesychius, I­demque τὸ ἐκ φύσεως, quod a Na­tura est, Suidas interpretatur.

Ex integro, (inquit Vir Doctissi­mus,) Patet Contextu non de alia Insitione, quam quae per Publicam Praedicationem ac ejus Receptio­nem Facta est, Intelligi Debere. Integrum igitur Perspiciamus Con­textum. Abjicientes Omnem Im­munditiam, & Abundantiam Ma­litiae, in Mansuetudine suscipite Insitum Verbum, quod Potest Salvare Animas Vestras. Num ali­ter Suscipere Possimus VERBUM, seu SERMONEM Illum, Qui in Principio, seu ab Aeterno erat DEUS, nisi Abjicientes om­nem Immunditiam & Abun­dantiam Malitiae & in Mansuetu­dine Corda Nostra Illi Humi­lime Devoventes, qui Dicit, Dis­cite a Me, quia Mansuetus sum, & Humilis Corde? R. B. Hisce Ver­bis quae recitat ejus Adversarius p. 305. Clarissime Exprimit Sen­tentiam Vere Christianam, nempe Quod ij, quibus Evangelium Ex­ternum Praedicatum est, non Sal­ventur, nisi hujus Luminis, & Gra­tiae Internis Operationibus.

Sententiae Orthodoxae de Innata DEI OPT. MAX. Notione, seu Idea sunt maxime Consentanea haec Carmina PYTHAGOREORUM, Vere Aurea:

[...].

Of Christs Ʋniversal and saving Redemption, as also of the su­pernatural light which enlight­ens all Men.

‘ Anti-Bar. P. 294. I shall not here speak of that Instinct or Indwelling Principle which belongs to the king­dom of Nature, and therefore is com­mon to all Creatures in general.’

Answer. 'Tis most certain that Τὸν ΛΌΓΟΝ is present in all Logical or [Page 6] Reasonable Creatures, and that in a more particular manner, and not on­ly as it is in other Creatures.

‘ Page 301. When James Chap. 1. 21. writing to the faithful and Regenerate, calls the word of God λόγον Ἔμφυτον (id est) the Ingraf­ted word; It appears by the whole context that we ought not to un­derstand it of an other Grafting, than that which is made by a pub­lick preaching and reception of it.’

Ans. We ought to note that the Apostle did not say λόγον Ἔμφυτον but τὸν λόγον Ἔμφυτον; intimating the same thing which St. John speaks of Ἐν Ἀρχῆ ῆ̔ν ὁ Λόγος, since his Essence is infinite in all Creatures, but more particularly in Reasonable ones. These words of St. James τὸν λογον Ἔμφυτον τὸν Δυνάμενον Σῶσαι τ [...]ς Ἰυχὰς ὑμῶν, and those in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. 7. v. 25. Σώζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύ [...]αται, ought to be under­stood only of our Saviour, who is the True Light, Enlightening all Men com­ing into the World. DANIEL HEINSIƲS a very learned and famous Man in the Greek Tongue Exercit. Sacr. confirms this our Sense.

Pag. 587. What is Ἔμφυτον? certainly τὸ φυσικος without doubt that which is Innate or born with us: And com­monly called Εμπεφυκέναι. Hesychius interprets Ἔμφυτον τὸ ἒκ φύσει after the same manner: And likewise Sui­das renders τὸ ἐκ ἐκ φύσεω, that which is Natural to us, or every one hath.

[Page 7] ‘It appears by the whole Contex [...] (says our learned Man) we ought to understand it of no other Graf­ting, than what is made by a publick Ministry. Let us therefore view the whole passage, Laying aside all Filthi­ness and Superfluity of Naughtiness, receive with meekness, the ingrafted word, which is able to save your Souls.’

Ans. Can we receive that word which beginning, or from Eternity, was God except we lay aside all unclean­ness and Superfluity of Naughtiness, and in Meekness, humbly devote our Hearts to him, who says, learn of me who am Meek and Humble of Heart? R. B. by these words, which his Adversary recites, page 305, most clearly declareth for Christi­an Doctrine, to wit, that those to whom the Gospel hath been outwardly preached, are not saved, but by the inward Operations of the Light and Grace.

These Pythagorean Verses, which may truly be called Golden ones, agree much with the Orthodox Opinion of the Manifestation or Idea of the most rgeat and most good God, within us.

Follow thy Guide within, the Birth Divine, Mans Rule the Glass where Sacred Truths do shine.

De Imitatione Christi Lib. 3. C. 2.

‘Loquere Domine, quia audit Servus tuus: Non loquatur mihi Moyses, [Page 8] aut aliquis ex Prophetis: Sed tu potius loquere Domine Deus, Inspi­rator, & Illuminator Omnium Pro­phetarum: Quia tu solus sine eis, potes me perfecte imbuere; illi autem sine te nihil proficient. Pos­sunt quidem verba sonare, sed Spi­ritum non conferunt. Pulcherrime dicunt, sed te tacente Cor non ac­cendunt. Literas tradunt, sed tu sensum aperi, Mysteria pro ferunt, sed reseras Intellectum signatorum. Mandata edicunt, sed tu juvas ad perficiendum. Viam ostendunt, sed tu confortas ad ambulandum. Illi foris tantum agunt, sed tu Corda in­struis, & Illuminas. Illi exterius rigant, sed tu foecunditatem donas. Illi clamant verbis, sed tu auditui Intelligentiam tribuis.’

The Imitation of Christ Book 3. C. 2.

‘ Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth Thee: Let neither Moses, nor yet any [Page 8] of the Prophets, speak to me; but do Thou rather speak, O Lord my God, who art the Illuminator and In­spirer of all the Prophets: For thou, without them, canst teach me perfectly: But they without thee, will profit me nothing. They indeed make their words sound; but they cannot give them the Spirit. What they say is ex­cellent; but unless thou speakest, they reach not the Heart. They give the Letter, but thou openest the Sense. They speak Mysteries; but thou un­lockest them. They proclaim thy commands; but thou helpest us to perform them. They shew us the way; but thou strengthnest us to walk therein. They only act without: thou Instructest and Illuminatest the Heart. They water the outside; but thou givest the fruitfulness. They speak forth words; but thou givest us Ears to understand them.’