I Deſire that G. Keith, for his own Souls ſake, would give me ſome Publick Satisfaction, for the Publick Injury he has done me, in endeavouring to make the World believe, that I am one of that ſort of Men, who call themſelves Deiſts. It is my Reſolution by the Grace of GOD, to ſhew All Meekneſs to G. K. and to All Men. But I wou'd have it obſerv'd, that it is not inconſiſtent with Chriſtian Meekneſs, to expreſs our ſelves with the greateſt Severity in our Authoritative Reflections on any thing moſt groſly and notoriouſly Impious. I ſhall ſay no more to induce the Candid Reader to ſuch Reſpects towards Me, as are requiſite for a due Reception of what I ſhall here deliver in Defence of that moſt important Truth, which G. K. p. 3. plainly declares that he hath Renounced, viz. that The Inward Evidence of the Spirit, as touching the great Matters of the Chriſtian Faith, is the PRINCIPAL Rule of Faith, and Life.

By the Inward Evidence of the Spirit I underſtand, that TRUTH, which the Spirit of TRUTH has Written in the Hearts of All Men, together with all the Influences of the Spirit upon the Hearts of Men, Exciting them to a due Reflection on the Law of GOD Written in their Hearts: Thou ſhalt Love the Lord thy GOD with All thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and thy Neighbour as thy Self. The Inward Evidence of the Spirit in this Sence I Aver to be the PRINCIPAL Rule of Faith and Life: All External Revelations, Teachings, and Inſtructions, are to be Receiv'd in a way of Subordination thereunto. This is the Rule, or Meaſure, which we Ought Chiefly and Principally to Follow; or be Led by, in all our Inquiries what we Ought to believe for our Soul's Health, for the Improvement of our Sanctification: The Cauſe that any Man Refuſes to yield his Aſſent to any Sanctifying Truth, is, that he Acteth Contrary to this Rule. G. K. diſcovers his groſs Ignorance of the Truth I here Aſſert, in that he affirms in his Narrative, that the Jews and the Pagan Philoſophers, who Blaſphem'd againſt the Man Jeſus of Nazareth, did own, and confeſs to the Light Within: To which in my Publiſh'd Reflections on that Narrative, I gave this Anſwer: The Jews, and Pagans wou'd moſt certainly have Believ'd the Goſpel Preach'd unto them, if they had Own'd the Light within, that is to ſay, if they had been Ready to yield their Aſſent to any Doctrine Preached unto them, to which they could have no Reaſon to Deny their Aſſent.

Theſe words of W. Penn, which G. Keith Recites, p. 9, & 12. I highly Approve. By General Rule, we underſtand that conſtant Meaſure, by which Men in all Ages have been enabled to judge of the Truth and Error of Doctrines, and the Good, or Evil, of Thoughts, Words, or Actions.

By Faith, we underſtand an Aſſent of the Mind, in ſuch manner to the Diſcoveries made of God thereto, as to reſign up to God, and have dependence upon him, as the great Creator, and Saviour of his People.

But ſays G. K. p. 10. This General Rule did not extend, nor doth, to be the Rule, or a Rule of the Faith of Remiſſion of Sin, by the Blood of the promiſed Seed of the Woman, the Lamb of God that was to be Slain, and ſhould take away the Sin of the World. To this I Anſwer, That whoſoever Obſerves this Rule, does Virtually or Implicitly Believe all the Truth Delivered in the Holy Scriptures, in that he is in a Readineſs to Receive it, whenever it ſhall be Propoſed unto him in Terms which he clearly underſtands.

P. 25. Seeing the Light Within, ſays G. K. gives them not this Faith (the Faith of Chriſt the great Sacrifice) nor teacheth it them, it evidently follows that the Light Within every Man is not the Rule of the Chriſtian Faith. To this I Anſwer, That the Light Within every Man gives to every Man, that does not Rebel againſt it, the Faith of Chriſt the great Sacrifice; ſo that when any thing Relating to our Saviour ſhall be duly Propoſed to him, as the Object of his Faith, he will moſt certainly embrace it, or yield a ſincere Aſſent unto it.

P. 48. Nothing can be a Rule of Chriſtian Faith, as in reſpect of the peculiar Doctrines of the Chriſtian Religion, but that Doctrine, which ſets before our Minds certain Propoſitions of Truth, to which the Mind can, and ought to Aſſent, from ſufficient Motives of Credibility.

Anſw. We ought not to Aſſent to any Affirmations Externally Propoſed, as Objects of the Chriſtian Faith, unleſs we can Apprehend in them a Suitableneſs, or Correſpondence with That which the Spirit of TRUTH has Written in the Hearts of All Men. The Quakers Acknowledge that upon this Account they are Obliged to Believe all the Doctrine Contain'd in that Form of ſound Words, which we call The NICENE CREED. B. C. one of W. Penn's Brethren, in his Book Entituled, The Quakers clear'd from being Apoſtates, hath theſe Words, "The Quakers Believe "the Subſtance of the Nicene Creed. I earneſtly Requeſt all Perſons, who Profeſs themſelves to be True Members of the Church of England, to obſerve theſe words in the ſame Book, p. 57. I ſay, He would have as truly repreſented the Presbyterians, as he hath done the Quakers: If he had ſaid of them, that they held Univerſal Grace, and that there was never any ſuch Thing in the World, as the Solemn League and Covenant, and no ſuch Man as the Biſhop of St. Andrews Murdered, or that King Charles the Firſt cut off his own Head, or that they never Hanged Men only for being Quakers, or that their Brethren in SCOTLAND were for Univreſal Liberty, notwithſtanding their Barbarity to the EPISCOPAL Clergy, and their Deſign to Excommunicate all Perſons that ſhould Buy, or Sell with, or Entertain a Quaker, which had took effect, had not the Clemency of the King Interpoſed, to break their Miſchievous Deſigns.

P. 59. G. K. exclaims againſt W. Penn for calling The Spirit, The Rule of Faith, The Spirit being the Principal Efficient of Faith, and not the Inſtrumental Cauſe of it. To this I Anſwer: That 'tis Evident when W. Penn calls The Spirit the Rule, he underſtands our Participations of the Divine Spirit, the Impreſſions of Truth, that The Spirit of TRUTH has made upon our Hearts. That this is W. Penn's Meaning appears moſt evidently, in that he allow'd his Son (who was a Wonderful Ingenious Young Man) to Publiſh a ſhort Treatiſe of mine, Entituled, "Vindiciae Quorundam R. Barclaij Noematum, &c. with His own Tranſlation, in which are theſe words: If we by the Holy Ghoſt underſtand GOD, viz. the Third Perſon of the Holy Trinity, I confeſs we ought not to call Him the Rule i. e. in a Strict Logical way of Speaking. 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, or what that is, that Chriſt hath laid down for us to Believe: But we may alſo underſtand by the Holy Ghoſt [I ſhould have Tranſlated it, The Divine Spirit] our Partaking (my word is Participatio) of the Divine Spirit, with which Every Rational Soul is endu'd by an Idea of the moſt Great and moſt Good GOD, Ingrafted in its Nature: In which ſence 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 Sence, as far as we feel their Congruity with the Idea, or Impreſſion of the Divine Being, which God himſelf hath fixed in our Hearts.

R. BARCLAY's Proteſtation, of which his Learned Adverſary ſpeaks, p. 226. pleaſes me much. That he, with thoſe of his Religion, are willing their Doctrines and Practices ſhould be Try'd 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.

P. 66. Excepting the common Principles of Juſtice and Temperance, all other things relating either to Faith, or Life, with reſpect to the peculiar Doctrines, and Precepts of the Chriſtian Religion, are not to be found at all in the Light Within every Man, abſtractly, and by it ſelf conſider'd.

Anſw. It implies the groſſeſt Contradiction, that The Light Within ſhould be conſider'd abſtractly from CHRIST, ſince by that Light we underſtand Chriſt himſelf, and all that Comes "from Him, Tending to the Conviction, and Converſion of "Sinners. In Jeſus Chriſt, The Light Within, The True Light that Enlighteneth Every Man, are Hid All the Treaſures of Wiſdom, and Knowledge: So that whoſoever does not Rebel againſt The Light Shining in ſome Meaſure in his own Heart, does Virtually Believe all the Truth, the Belief whereof is neceſſary for his SALVATION.

P. 135. Whether the Spirit of Chriſt (whoſe Judgment and Determination is all one with that of Chriſt, and the Father) doth give his Judgment to the Church, and the Members of it, by any other Law, or Rule, Meaſure, or Standard, than what is already to be found in the Holy Scriptures, whether relating to Articles of Faith, or poſitive Precepts of Revealed, and Inſtituted Religion, by Chriſt, and his Apoſtles in the New Teſtament?

To this I Anſwer, That in Matters that Concern the Whole Church, or any Particular Congregation, or any Single Perſon, in that it is his Duty to Demonſtrate to another, that this, or that, is his Duty; in theſe, and the like Caſes, the Spirit of Chriſt gives his Judgment by no other Law or Rule, Meaſure or Standard, than what is already to be found in the Holy Scriptures: But as to Particular Matters, that Concern my own Soul, in reference to the Fundamental Divine Law, "Thou ſhalt Love the "Lord thy God with all thy Heart, &c. where I have no Obligation to Demonſtrate to others that I ſhould Sin, if I ſhould not Do this, or that, the Spirit of Chriſt will give his Judgment by the Particular Illuminations I receive from Him, which imply ſuch Notices of Perſons, and Things, and of my own Particular Abilities, and Inabilities, together with the Remembrances of ſuch and ſuch Reflections upon my own Experiences of the Divine Juſtice, and Mercy, &c. from which, through the Influence of the Spirit of Truth and Love, there ariſes a Lively Senſe of an Obligation to ſuch Performances, which it may be no Perſon upon Earth can clearly Perceive by any Text of Scripture, that it is my Duty to undertake. No Man living can ſay, It was my Duty to Do what I have Done in Defence of the Doctrine concerning the Light Within: But yet it is ſo Evident to Me that it was My Duty, that I Rejoyce, and am Exceeding Glad, whenever I Hear My ſelf Reproach'd (as I have been by Many, particularly by G. Keith) for this Conſciencious Undertaking: And I would rather lay down my Life, than Promiſe, or Ingage my ſelf Not to Publiſh this preſent Writing, being thereunto Call'd by HIM, who Searcheth the Heart, and Tryeth the Reins: And will bring Every Work into Judgment, with Every Secret thing, whether it be Good, or whether it be Evil.