bandled of the Word of Life; and what hath been inwardly manifefted to me of the Things of God, that do I declare; not fo much minding the Eloquence and Excellency of Speech, as defiring to demonftrate the Efficacy and Operation of Truth; and if I Err fometimes in the former, it is no great Matter; for I act not here the Grammarian, or the Orator, but the Chriftian; and therefore in this I have followed the certain Rule of the Divine Light, and of the Holy Scriptures.

And to make an End; What I have written, is written not to feed the Wisdom and Knowledge, or rather vain Pride of this World, but to ftarve and oppofe it, as the little Preface prefixed to the Propofitions doth fhew ; which, with the Title of them, is as followeth.

Thefes Theologica.

To the CLERGY, of what Sort foever, unto whofe Hands these may come; but more particularly to the Doctors, Profeffors, and Students of Divinity, in the Universities and Schools of Great-Britain, whether Prelatical, Presbyterian, or any other: ROBERT BARCLAY, a Servant of the LORD GOD (and one of thofe who in Derifion are called QUAKERS) wifheth Unfeigned Repentance unto the Acknowledgment of the Truth.

FRIENDS,

UNIO

NTO you thefe following Propofitions are offered, in which, they being read and confidered in the Fear of the Lord, you may perceive that fimple, naked Truth, which Man by his Wisdom bath render'd fo Obfcure and Myfterious, that the World is even burthened with the great and voluminous Tractates which are made about it, and by their vain Fangling and Commentaries, by which it is render'd a hundred fold more Dark and Intricate, than of it felf it is: Which great Learning (fo accounted of) to wit, your School-Divinity, (which taketh up almost

almoft a Man's whole Life-time to learn) brings not a Whit nearer to God, neither makes any Man lefs wicked, or more righteous than he was. Therefore bath God laid afide the Wife and Learned, and the Difputers of this World; and hath chofen a few defpicable and unlearned Inftruments (as to Letter-learning) as he did Fiber-men of old, to publifh his pure and naked Truth, and to free it of thofe Mifts and Fogs, wherewith the Clergy bave clouded it, that the People might admire and maintain them. And among feveral others, whom God bath chofen to make known thefe Things (feeing I also have received, in medfure, Grace to be a Difpenfer of the fame Gospel) it feemed good unto me, according to my Duty, to offer unto you thefe Propofitions; which (though bort, yet) are weighty, comprehending much, and declaring what the true Ground of Knowledge is, even of that Knowledge which leads to Life Eternal which is here witnessed of, and the Teftimony thereof left unto the Light of Chrift in all your Confciences.

Farewel,

R. B

The First Proposition.

Concerning the true Foundation of KNOWLEDGE.

EEING the Height of all Happiness is placed

in the True Knowledge of God, (This is Life E- John 11. 3. ternal to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent) the true and right Understanding of this Foundation, and Ground of Knowledge, is that which is moft neceffary to be known and believed in the first Place.

Mat.11.27.

The Second Propofition.
Concerning IMMEDIATE REVELATION,

Seeing no Man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and be to whom the Son revealeth him; and feeing the Revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone, by which the true Knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be, only revealed; who, as by the Moving of his own Spirit, converted the Chaos of this World into that wonderful Order, wherein it was in the Beginning, and created Man a Living Soul, to rule and govern it; fo by the Revelation of the fame Spirit, he hath manifefted himself all along unto the Sons of Men, both Patriarchs, Prophets and Apoftles; which Revelations of God by the Spirit, whether by outward Voices and Appearances, Dreams, or inward objective Manifeftations in the Heart, were of old the formal Object of their Faith, and remain yet fo to be; fince the Object of the Saints Faith is the fame in all Ages, though fet forth under divers Adminiftrations. Moreover, thefe Divine, Inward Revelations, which we make abfolutely neceffary for the Building up of True Faith, neither do nor can ever contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures, or right and found Reafon. Yet from hence it will not follow, that thefe Divine Revelations are to be fubjected to the Examination, either of the outward Teftimony of the Scriptures, or of the Natural Reafon of Man, as to a more noble or certain Rule or Touch-ftone: For this Divine Revelation, and Inward Illumination, is that which is evident and clear of it felf, forcing by its own Evidence and Clearnefs, the well-difpofed Underitanding to affent, irrefiftibly moving the fame thereunto, even as the common Principles of Natural Truths move and incline the Mind to a natural Affent: As that the Whole is greater than its Part; that two

contra

centradictory Sayings cannot be both true, nor both falfe: Which is alfo manifeft, according to our Adverfaries Principle, who (fuppofing the Poffibility of Inward Divine Revelations) will nevertheless confefs with us, that neither Scripture nor found Reafon will contradict it: And yet it will not follow, according to them, that the Scripture, or found Reason, fhould be fubjected to the Examination of the Divine Revelations in the Heart.

The Third Propofition.

Concerning the SCRIPTURE S.

From thefe Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints, have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which contain, 1. A faithful Hiftorical Account of the Actings of God's People in divers Ages, with many fingular and remarkable Providences attending them. 2. A Prophetical Account of feveral Things, whereof fome are already paft, and fome yet to come. 3. A full and ample Account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Chrift, held forth in divers precious Declarations, Exhortations and Sentences, which, by the Moving of God's Spirit, were at feveral Times, and upon fundry Occafions, fpoken and written unto fome Churches and their Paftors: Nevertheless, because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain it felf, therefore they are not to be efteemed the principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledge, nor yet the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners. Nevertheless, as that which giveth a true and faithful Testimony of the firft Foundation, they are and

may be esteemed a fecondary Rule, fubordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their Excellency and Certainty; for as by the Inward Teftimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, fo they testifie, that the Spirit is that Guide, by which the Saints are led into All Truth: Therefore, according to the Ram, s. 14. Scriptures,

A 2

John 16.13.

1

Rom. 5, 12,

Scriptures, the Spirit is the first and principal Leader. And feeing we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures, because they proceeded from the Spirit; therefore alfo the Spirit is more originally and principally the Rule, according to that received Maxim in the Schools, Propter quod unumquodque eft tale, illud ipfum eft magis tale. Englifhed thus: That for which a Thing is fuch, that Thing it felf is more fuck.

The Fourth Propofition.

Concerning the Condition of MAN in the FALL.

All Adam's Pofterity (or Mankind) both Jews and Gentiles, as to the first Adam (or Earthly Man) is fallen, degenerated, and dead, deprived of the Senfation (or Feeling) of this Inward Teftimony, or Seed of God, and is fubject unto the Power, Nature, and Seed of the Serpent, which he fows in Men's Hearts, while they abide in this natural and corrupted State; from whence it comes, That not their Words and Deeds only, but all their Imaginations are Evil perpetually in the Sight of God, as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed. Man therefore, as he is in this State, can know nothing aright; yea, his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God, and Things Spiritual (until he be difjoyned from this evil Seed, and united to the Divine Light) are unprofitable both to himself and others: Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors, in exalting a Natural Light; as alfo, the Papifts, and moft of Proteftants, who affirm, That Man, without the true Grace of God, may be a true Minifter of the Gospel. Nevertheless, this Seed is not imputed to Infants, until by Tranfgreffion they actually joyn 2.1. themfelves therewith; for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath, who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air.

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The