I have read over a Book put forth by John Chey­ney, called, A Skirmish made upon Quakerism, which he saith, is a brief Confutation of a most gross Principle, or Point of Doctrine maintained by one William Penn a Quaker. A meer Brag, as in time will be made manifest.

William Penn's Words are these following (to clear his Position) Such Commands are either relating to Or­dinary, or Extraordinary Cases; by Ordinary Cases I mean, such as chiefly concern Faith and Holy Life, which are General, Permanent and Indispensible.

By Extraordinary Cases I understand, Moses going to Pharaoh; the Prophets several manner of Appearances to the Kings, Priests and People of Israel, with other temporary Commands relating to outward Services; and so we do say, that what is commanded to one man, is not binding, as such to another.

But when the Lord shall say, if thou sinnest thou shalt dye, if thou keepest my Commandments thou shalt live; be ye holy; for I the Lord your God am holy, quoting these Scriptures, 1 Pet. 2.21. Heb. 13.7. 2 Thes. 3. And in these following Words saith, These Precepts and Examples are obliging upon all; why? because they more or less meet with a Conviction in the Consciences of all; for (saith he) I am perswaded none that has a rea­sonable Soul, who has not out lived their Day, and on whom the Night is not come, amongst the Indians them­selves, but would readily say, these are true and weighty Sayings; for Faith in God and an holy Self-denying Life, are necessary both to Temporal and Eternal Happiness.

This with much more, besides a dozen pages (in his Rejoynder) of sober Confutation hath he bestow­ed to clear this Passage from such ungodly Conse­quences; and in those Pages bringeth William Tindal that ancient Protestant-Martyr, whom John Fox cal­leth the English-Apostle; John Jewel Bishop of Salis­bury, and Thomas Collier an Eminent Man amongst the Western-Separatists in Confirmation of this Po­sition, which John Cheyney taketh no notice of.

But the very things he chargeth against the Qua­kers, is he guilty of in every particular himself, and greater Blasphemy did I never meet with in so few Lines, then is asserted by Iohn Cheyney; besides, such Contradiction, as none but a Novice durst have ventured to have published to the World.

The Apostle Paul who was a faithful Minister of Christ, his Doctrine was (as all his Ministers at this day is) to turn People from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God, Acts 26.18.

Iohn Cheyney questions this Doctrine by saying, What if the Light be idle, negligent, sleepy, unfaithful, bribed and will let the Sinner sin, and dye in Sin.

The Scripture saith, John 3.19. This is the Con­demnation that Light is come into the World, and men love Darkness rather then Light, because their Deeds are evil; for every one that doth evil hateth the Light, nei­ther cometh to the Light, lest his Deeds should be reproved, but he that doth Truth cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.

Now J. C's Doctrine is quite contrary, he saith, The Light may be negligent, idle, sleepy, will let men sin and die in Sin. O horrid Blasphemy!

Job saith, Those that do wickedly rebel against the Light, Job 24.13. Is there any Number of his Armies, and upon whom doth not his Light arise? Job 25.3. David saith, The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear? Psalm 27.1. But Iohn Cheyney saith, The Light within gives the Drunkard leave to be drunk, the Worldling to be a Worldling, the Impenitent man to be Impenitent, when the Scripture saith, The Life of God was the Light of men, John 1.4. and John came to bear witness to the Light, that all men through him might believe, John 1.7. But J. C. rather bears witness against it, saying, The Light within takes Part with the Flesh and Satan against God, and saith, There is never a Soul in Hell but he may blame the Light within; for if the Light within were faithful to God and the Soul, it would not suffer any man to live in Sin, and dye in Sin. I do think greater Wickedness never came out of a Priest's Mouth.

Now in Contradiction to himself, he saith, It's [Page 4]true, I grant that without the Light within we could not come to the Knowledge of the Scripture, which indeed is Truth, for the Light of Christ was the Original of the Scripture, and is and will be forever the Au­thority of the Scripture; for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved of the holy Ghost, in which is Light, Life, Power, Strength and Ability to all that believe in the Light, to perform those things that the Lord requires of them, according to the Scripture of Truth.

But saith J. C. Penn and all his Partakers conceit strange things of the Light within, and set it above the Scriptures (and what doth he less in saying, that without the Light within we could not come to the Know­ledge of them) and this is their very Principle (saith he) that the Light within should be our Rule, and the Scrip­ture inferiour to it.

Now let any moderate serious Persons, whose Consciences are not given up to believe Lies consider whether that which giveth a right and true Under­standing of the Scriptures (which John Cheyney gran­teth we cannot come to know without the Light within, which is the Light of Christ) be not the more sure Word of Prophecy, unto which we do well to take heed, till the day dawn, and the Day-Star arise in our Hearts, as the Apostle saith; for God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all; and it is the Inspi­ration of the Almighty that giveth Understanding; for we cannot think a good Thought of our selves, much less do a good Deed; for it is the Lord that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure.

I do affirm in the Name of God, that it is prepo­sterously absurd for any man to charge the Rebellion of wicked men to the Insufficiency of the Light with­in, as John Cheyney hath done, comparing it to a negligent drunken Coach man, who sleeps and the Horses run Wood, or he drives into Pits and Bogs; so, saith he, the Light within takes Part with the Flesh and Satan against God, and suffers the Soul to be sensual, worldly and ungodly, and so is at least the permissive Cause of the Sinner's Sin and Damnation.

This I do affirm is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles; for their Doctrine was to turn People from Darkness to Light, from the Pow­er of Satan to the Power of God, Acts 26.18. In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men, John 1.4. and this is the true Light that John bore record of, that lighteth every man that cometh into the World, John 1.9. and it is in this Light that we be­lieve, by which we are certainly perswaded that there is no Salvation nor Redemption from Sin, but by him who is said to be the true Light, that light­eth every man that cometh into the World, which doth reprove in secret, when no Eye seeth, as it is written, All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light; for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light, Ephes. 5.13. And if we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, then have we Fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin, 1 Joh. 1.7. And God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Know­ledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ; so that we dare not blame the Light of Christ within, [Page 6]if men through their Rebellion bring Destruction upon themselves, the Light is their Condemnation, John 3.19. But if the Light within which should be man's Guide, be so unfaithful both to God and man, as through its Negligence and Idleness (as John Cheyney blasphemously saith) should give leave to sin, then could not the Light be man's Condemnation, but must condemn it self; but I do affirm in the Name of the God of Israel, that the Light, with which Christ hath enlightned every man that co­meth into the world, is God's faithful and true Witness, that never suffered Sin to go unreproved in the Consciences of those that hearken to it, and many can set to their Seals, that this is the Reproof of Instruction, which is the Way of Life.

John Cheyney saith, now comes Penn and a Sect of Peo­ple called Quakers, and cry up the Light within, and tell us we must hearken to this in all things, and further then this Light within shall teach and lead us, we are to give no hearkning to what the Scripture saith.

Now observe, he hath confessed that it's true, that without the Light within we cannot at all come to the Knowledge of the Scripture, and if he would be faith­ful to what he grants to be true, what cause hath he to find fault with the Quakers for minding and crying up the Light within, whenas himself suith, we cannot come to the Knowledge of the Scripture without the Light within.

But I perceive J. C. was ambitious to be seen to do something in print against the Light, and the People whom God hath blessed; but it is my Faith in God, [Page 7]that it is to little purpose, except to publish his own Shame and everlasting Contempt unless he repent; for Truth is not his Covering, but Falshood and De­ceit, which will be stript off him, and he left naked and bare to all whose Senses are exercised to discern betwixt Good and Evil; for certain I am he doth err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God: Many other things I have in my Mind against what he hath written, but believing ere long he will re­ceive a more full Answer from some that are more particularly concerned, I conclude, having nothing in my Heart but Love to his Person, but I am an Ir­reconcileable Enemy to his pernicious Opinions of the Light within, which will be too hard for him to strive against; for the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of the Lamb, Rev. 21.24. which is the Light that the Quakers direct People to, and exalt over all.