Spirit because none of them had this Spirit of Discerning To the first That all are excluded c. Every Member of the Church of Christ must necessarily have a measure of the Spirit of Christ else they are none of his Rom. 8.9 And this Spirit of Christ the Holy Ghost as in its fulness it is Infallible so every even the least measure or manifestation of it is Infallible To the second This Infallible Holy Spirit being of the THREE in the Godhead searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins Jer. 17.10 But tho' this Holy Spirit can discover unto one the Heart and Thoughts of another as of Ananias to Peter Act. 5. Yet as that is not usual so neither is it necessary nor is it that which we pretend to nor hath G. Fox in the fore-quoted places pretended to it But that which G. Fox means and which we pretend to is That such who minister in and by that Holy Spirit which hath an Infallible Discerning of the Hearts and States of all the Persons ministred to This Holy Spirit doth direct the ministry accordingly that it may be suitable to the states of the Auditory Which they who pretend not to be led guided and assisted by that Infallible Holy Spirit in their Ministry cannot pretend to And as to his Objections that the Quakers did not discern G. Keith F. Bugg and other wicked Apostates There was a time when those Men I in Charity think were truly Quakers as they pretended and to have discerned them Apostates before they were such had not been true discerning There was a time when Demas walked with Paul was owned by Paul to be a Fellow-Labourer with him in the Gospel Col. 4.14 Phil. 2.4 There was a time when through the Love of the World he forsook the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.10 so I may say of these and others there was a time when they walked with us and now is the time when through the Love of the World and other things they are departed and fallen from that Unity and Fellowship they once had with us Ibid. p. 37. quoted from Great Mystery p. 105. We says he the Pope and you the Protestants whom he calls Professors are apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever I shall first detect the Snake's base practice of mangling this as other places by setting down G. F's words as they lie in that Book and then shew plainly their Scriptural meaning The first viz. the Quotation And we say the Pope is not Infallible neither though he be your Father the Ancient Yet we say he and you are Apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come with which ye are seen and judged so not to have the Spirit of Christ Jesus not to have the Spirit of the Prophets and Apostles not to be led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth not to be in the Spirit not to speak as ye are moved of the Holy Ghost But to be such as ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly and have gotten the Sheeps Cloathing ye and the Pope and so have devoured Nations for this many hundred years so have all been like ravening Wolves For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever This the Snake says Ibid. p. 37. Is Dreadfully Astonishing but gives no reason why it is so but that his practice is astonishing there are several reasons to prove it First In so basely picking and mangling Books that they may thereby be suborned to speak what the Writer never intended Next In his wilful perverting the plain and known sense which they carry and which their Writers had And upon Sober Inquiry what in this can be astonishing That the Pope is not Infallible I suppose the Snake will allow And that the Spirit of Truth doth see and judge such who apostatize from it the Scriptures teach And if the Snake doth account it astonishing that the Quakers should possess and witness according to Holy Writ the manifestation of the Holy and Infallible Spirit of Christ he shews his Ignorance therein tho' all who are truly sensible of these manifestations can in deep Humility of Soul give Glory to the Highest Yet to him must be applied that of Hab. 1.5 For it is a Work that God hath wrought in this day whether he will believe it or not Hitherto Reader pray Observe that tho' the Snake as quoted p. 88. foregoing hath said we placed Infallibility in every single Quaker confine it not to Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things in the World by their inward Light Yet the Charge is notoriously false and that the colourable pretence which he had for this his false assertion was owing to his own false quoting curtailing and mangling of our Books of which I have shewn eminent instances since that assertion of his in p. 88. And that our Books in the instances produced speak according to Scripture I shall leave with the Impartial Reader to Judge only adding that the Forms of Speech Try all things Teach all things Know all things and Judge all things which are frequently found in the New Testament cannot without great perversion be applied otherwise than to that Trying Teaching Knowing and Judging which are the proper effects of the Operations of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of all that are obedient to it And that in order first to their own Salvation and then to the Service of God in his Church In this sense G. F. E. B. and others have used these Forms of Speech in this sense the Woman of Samaria testifies of the Messias our Saviour John 4.25 He will teach us all things In this sense our Saviour promised John 14.26 That the Holy Ghost should teach us all things In this sense John the Beloved Disciple testifies of the Believers 1 John 2.20 Ye know all things And in this sense the Apostle testifies of the Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2.10 He judgeth all things And in this sense the Beloved Disciple 1 John 4.1 adviseth to try the Spirits whether they be of God Now these forms of Speech in these and many more places all things are truly as E. B. p. 137. foregoing hath said All things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life needful for Man to know all this was discovered revealed and made known to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had Lighted us withal Ibid. p. 37. But I was much more surprized to find the otherwise Ingenious Mr. Penn laugh at his Adversary for not being Infallible It is no surprise to find
so many Meetings and so great stir among theâ— For G. Keith was not so much as accused for Preaching any thing else but this But now Snake who mumblâ—â—â—â—istles was not he accused of very many Turbulent and Indecent Actions and Expressions as is at large seen in The State of the Case which I have above quoted and which the Snake also quotes with perversion as I have before shewn Snake p. 67. Here is a many forked and involved Infallibility one Meeting Justifying another Condemning G. Keith and all for the very same Doctrine Ibid. p. 68. This will not only overthrow the Infallibility in each particular Person but even of their Churches or Meetings That particular Persons may make Defection from the Guidings of the Spirit of Truth and may Apostatize from that Union and Fellowship which they had once with the Friends of it I have already largly shewn and what particulars may do Assemblies made up of such particulars may also do Floods and Parties as the Snake expresses it may Apostatize as well as particulars nay a whole Community may Apostatize and yet the Infallibility of the Guide of any one particular Person who continues Faithful and Obedient to the Holy Spirit remains firm and sure Thus 1 Cor. 10.4 The Apostle testifies of the Jews They all Drank the same spiritual Drink for they Drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Now this Rock could have as Infallibly preserved the whole Tribes of Israel from Egypt thro' the Wilderness to the promised Land had they been Obedient to it as it did Caleb and Joshua who were the only two of all the Thousands that left Egypt and entered in But further that Assemblies or Churches may Apostatize and Backslide the Holy Spirit is sufficient Warrant by the particular reproofs or cautions it gives to the seven Asiatick Churches mentioned Rev. 2.2 and 3. And sure the Snake will not be so hardy as to say that the Holy Spirit was able only to give Reproof and Caution suitable to their wants and defects but not to have preserved them blameless and to have guided them Infallibly in that way he appointed them to go Ibid. p. 68. Besides this first proof in Pensilvania there is yet another more express and positive called The Barbadoes Judgment c. And besides the detecting the Snake's false conclusion in that I have to say to this that according to his usual Injustice he herein makes use of an Adversary's Book Babel's Builders c. without taking notice of the Answer which was published to it Intituled A Babilonish Opposer of Truth reproved c. By S. C. I. P. and R. R. as he also passes over in Silence tho' mentioned in that Adversaries Book a Letter of G. â—'s and others writ to Barbadoes concerning this very thing wherein they are shewn their cause is not right that they had taken which Letter and the matter it relates to is fully spoken to in our Answer above mentioned wherein is also S. E's condemnation of his rashness in those words spoke by him to J. S. mentioned p. 125. foregoing Ibid. p. 69 70. I was told by one present at the Quaker Meeting at Ratcliff on Sunday the 17 th of February 1694 5 That Mr. Penn having Preached and after G. Keith rising up and expounding some Scripture in another manner than Mr. Penn had done Mr. Penn stop'd him and solemnly denounced these words against him In the Name of the Lord I pronounce him an Apostate over the Head of him Vpon which occasion I have these few Questions to ask Q. Whether this was a Sentence from Mr. Penn himself or from their Church Whether by an Ordinary Commission of Succession to Christ and the Apostles Whether by an Extraordinary Commission such as the Prophets and the Apostles had To the first W. Penn being in Unity with the Church declared this of one who had broken Unity by making defection from that term of Union which in time passed he had declared he was by the Light of Christ in him led to profess and believe Secondly All who are kept living by the Spirit of Truth in that bond of Union which that did at first lead into such have ordinary Commission therefrom to testifie against Apostates And this not by such falsly pretended Succession as the Papal Chair or others may pretend to from the Apostles But by succeeding in a measure of that same Light and Holy Spirit which they were in To the Last W. Penn tho' then knowing G. K. to have broken Union as is before expressed he might at that time in the Openings of the Spirit of Truth have a larger and fuller Sight of his Apostacy and so a Warrant to Declare it And for this there needed no new Credentials viz. Miracles it being no more than what hath been confirmed by those the Apostles wrought Ibid. p. 72. But for the present I only apply it to the point of their Church Authority over the Light within particular Persons their original and great pretence The Light within particular Persons is as much our Characteristick now as ever and we have no Church Authority over it or repugnant to it and that in the case of G. K. no such Authority was used Consider the following Lines G. Keith hath often Printed and Declared that he did believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith with us and that he was led so to do only by the Light of Jesus Christ shining into his Heart Through and by which Light he did profess to have true union and fellowship with us and accordingly he so was denominated and distinguished Now the Light of Jesus Christ is not contrary to it self and if by the inshinings thereof and his obedience to it it was that G. K. did profess as above Then it naturally follows G. K's innovation to the contrary of what he hath so professed cannot proceed from that Light of Jesus Christ from which the above profession of Unity and Fellowship did Therefore to give Judgment against G. K. is not to give Judgment against the Light of Jesus Christ but agreeable to it even in G. Keith against himself The like is to be said of J. Story c. and others who have innovated and made defection as these did whose Works being bad the issue is the same with what Gamaliel shews Acts 5.28 They are come to naught And therefore after all the Boast which the Snake makes about Separation and Faction We may concerning all of them now declining and towards their end hope and have ground to believe that as many as are yet in a Spirit of Separation in whom are any true desires towards God for his guidance in the Truth such he will restore to the Fold they have strayed from And he will scatter them whose end is not his Honour agreeable to what the Psalmist said concerning the Wicked Psal. 37.36 He is gone I sought him but he could not be
Life is thus prefer'd Reader I cannot here omit by a serious Appeal to thy self on the great Injustice and Falsehood of this Adversary And if thou art one who by Conversation with us or our Books hast any knowledge of us thou dost know the Charge of this Adversary is false And I do truly declare that our Value and Esteem for the Books of the Old and New Testament is much greater than for any other Book exstant in the World and this G. W. doth freely own and hath declared as much So also in this particular I will shew his falshood and perversion of G. W's words in the place quoted which the Snake has injuriously curtail'd They are these That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater intending as received and proceeding immediately from that Spirit and spoken in the sense thereof as Christ's words were of greater Authority when he spake than the Pharisees reading the Letter and they in whom that Spirit speaketh not and their speaking we deny So that according to G. W's words that speaking or reading of the Scriptures which is deny'd to be of Authority is when spoken or read by such in whom that Spirit speaketh not that gave forth the Scriptures and we have good Authority for this for thus our Saviour Mat. 22.24 denyed the Sadduces when they spoke and repeated the Law mentioned Deuteronomy 25.5 and thus he also denyed the Devil Mat. 4.6 when the Devil repeated the Prophesy of the Psalmist 91.11 and thus also he deny'd the Pharisees of which are divers Instances Ibid. p. 110 111. Mary Tucker a Quaker Servant to W. Reyman a Barber now living in Queen-street Cheapside but formerly in Bread-street where this Mary then his Servant took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal About 40. Years since one Mary Tucker then Servant to W. Reyman not in Zeal but discomposure of Mind did one Morning early before her Master or Mistriss were stirring burn the Bible For which act she was not only reproved by them but also by sundry of our Friends and disowned and among others concerned herein to reprove and disown this Mary Tucker E. B. as W. Reyman does testify was one which by the way Reader is another Evidence that E. B. had the Scripture in great Authority and Esteem As it is also no small mark of the Snake's Injustice to relate a Lye and say that no Censure was passed upon this Mary Tucker when he might have been informed to the contrary by W. Reyman the place of whose aboad he knew so well But we find he is rather willing to relate a Lye than either know or knowing speak the Truth not only in this Instance of Mary Tucker And the Censure past upon her which he might with little trouble have been informed of so much as this Snake hids in the City And in the Instance of Solomon Eccles p. 124 125. foregoing but also in divers other before and hereafter to be given wherein he hath affirm'd egregious falshoods not from any necessity he was under to depend upon false reports but from a base Inclination in him to shun the Truth and to hate Justice For had not this been his hinderance he might with the trouble of a few Lines and the small additional Charge of the Penny-Post to W. Reyman of Queen-street N. Marks of Cheapside R. Scoryer of Wansworth hereafter to be spoken c. have discharged these out of his Libel and by such other not chargable nor troublesome further than it is so to him that we should be in the right means he might have spared the rest Ibid. p. 111. Pursuant to this their Principle in their Disputes among themselves they appeal to their own Writings instead of the Holy Scriptures Pursuant to this Snake's Practice he hath affirmed a notorious Lye I dare him to give any Proof that may be allowed by Impartial Men that ever we did so appeal It can be no more Proof to quote a Book wherein G. Keith hath said so of us than it is for the Snake to quote Julian Porphery or Celsus for Proof that the Primitive Christians were in the wrong or to quote his own Opinion for Proof that the present Government is so But if the Snake will confute the Answer made to that Book of G. K's which he quotes that may be considered and reply'd to SECT VII His Charge of Idolatry refuted and the Quotations restor'd from his Perversions THat our Belief concerning the Light or Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in Man is according to Scripture I have before shewn and how that by a sincere Obedience to it it will lead to God and Christ whence it comes and to have true Agreement and Unity with the Declarations from the same Holy Spirit which are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and also with all the Manifestations of the same Holy Spirit wheresoever and in whomsoever appearing For as God is one so the Holy Spirit leads all that obey it into Unity and Oneness and to account worthy of double Honour the Elders that rule well especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 And in this Section I shall shew that what is by this Adversary called The Quakers Idolatry is not so but only owing to his perversion for as Truth leads to give Honour to whom Honour is due So it also leads to account of no Man above what we ought Ibid. p. 112. They think it not Honour enough to stand before the Throne of God But G. Fox places them upon the Throne p. 31. I suppose Great Mystery for he mentions not the Book The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb above all Houses and are upon the Throne I shall first here detect the Snake's Evil Practice in mangling this Quotation by giving it as it is in the page quoted and afterwards speak to the Doctrine of it To the first The Priest G. Fox's Opponent had said That the Quakers scorns to creep into Houses meaning when persecuted To which G. F. replies This doth not agree with the rest of his Company who say they do Creep into Houses The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb and into Houses creep not but are upon the Throne but you that be in the Form that Deny the Power creep into Houses These Reader are his words and their sense is as plain and nothing but Envy and Ignorance I suppose the first in the Snake could cavil at them or it For who knows not that the word Throne in Religious Matters is a metaphorical expression denoting Spiritual Power and Dominion Christ promised Mat. 19.28 That they who followed him in the Regeneration should sit upon Thrones And to him that overcometh will I grant says he to sit with me in my
meer say so As the story may prove false so till it be shewn that it be not so it needs now no further Answer than that it is none of our Doctrine nor approved of by us Ibid. p. 126. And G. F. says That if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he iâ— the false Christ quoted from Great Mystery p. 206. This Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within Devils and Reprobates make a talk of him without It is Reader horrid Injustice in this Snake so fouly to pick and pervert a Man's words as he here does G. F's as if he did by these words deny that Christ Jesus who was Crucify'd at Jerusalem which that he did not I produce both the Priest's Words and his Answer and offer them to thy consideration Great Mystery p. 206. Priest It is a Scripture of the Devil 's making to apprehend this Crucify'd Christ within G. F. Now I say if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he is the false Christ And the Scripture holds forth this and the Devil never made it but he and his Messengers are against it And he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within is a Reprobate tho' Reprobates and Devils may make a talk of him without Thus G. F. and his Words are sound and as himself says according to Scripture for it is not another but the same Christ who was Crucified by the Jews and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of Men reconciling them unto God and in as many as obey he is Christ in them the Hope of Glory And them who rebel do crucifie unto themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Heb. 6.6 Rev. 11.8 Ibid. p. 126. And he G. F. disputes against those who say that the Man Christ that was Crucified his Body is now in the presence of his Father or that Christ is absent from them the Quakers as Touching his Flesh Great Mystery p. 210 211. G. F. does warrantably dispute against and oppose those Priests who declared Christ was absent from his People because he is present with them in Spirit And as G. F. in the pages last above quoted doth say That the Apostle declares of Christ that he is the Head of the Church and are of his Flesh and Bone and sit with him in Heavenly Places and Christ saith they must eat his Flesh and he is in them If the Snake will oppose this Scriptural Doctrine let him do it Ibid. p. 136. The Snake makes his Quotation from Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them and another within them here is two See Reader the falsity and perversion of the Snake in this Quotation by the following true one Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them have a Christ without them and another Christ within them here is two For if it be not the same Christ that ended all Types and Figures and Shadows if it be not him that is within they have not the Possession the Substance nor the Comfort of the True Christ. What plainer can be spoken to shew that is the same and not another Christ who suffered at Jerusalem and thereby ended the Law and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of his People Ibid. p. 126. Robert Gourdon was the first among them that I find who taught the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus Whether owned or not the Snake finds not because he seeks amiss and I am sure he did not seek right when he pretended to find R. Gourdon the first amongst us For R. Gourdon tho' once in Unity or Fellowship with us Apostatiz'd and with this Snake became an Adversary to us But the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus hath been Testified by us ever since a People And from this R. Gourdon the Snake according to his usual Injustice transcribes in p. 127 128 129. divers false and abusive charges but takes no notice of the Validity or Invalidity of the Answers of our Friends to that Adversary's Book He is indeed so triflingly just as to say p. 127. Against this wrote G.W. with three other Quakers but what they said or how far they did disprove R. G's false Charges the Snake takes no notice wherefore I shall take no further notice of what he so quotes from him than to acquaint the Reader what relates to S. Eccles Quaker Challenge p. 6. is answered before in p. 188 189. as are also many of the other Bits of Quotations which here as mentioned by the Snake have neither Book nor Page to distinguish them Ibid. p. 129 130. The Snake borrows from himself out of Satan Disrob'd and saith of W. P. that he will not have the true Christ to be a Person but only a Principle c. and refers to that Book wherein he says it is more at large discussed with the Defences of Thomas Elwood I shall not run back to that Book Satan Disâ—ob'd it having already been somewhat spoken to by G. Whitehead since which there hath been no additions to it But so far as it lies here I shall reply and shew that W. P. in that Book of his Christian Quaker from which the Snake does so charge him will have and does acknowledge and confess to Christ both as God and Man which will fully refute what the Snake hath alledged To this purpose Reader consider the following Quotations from W. P's Christian Quaker From p. 104 to 114. W. P. there makes a Confession to Christ's Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation distinguished into nine several Heads or Parts of Discourse It would be too tâ—dious for my Reader to have transcribed them 〈◊〉 hither tho' all worthy of notice wherefore I shall only transcribe the first and seventh Heads or parts of Discourse which are as follows P. 104. First We do confess that tho' the Eternal Power Life and Light which inhabited that Holy Person which was born at Nazareth Bethlehem it should be was and is chiefly and eminently the Saviour For there is no Saviour besides me saith God Hos. 13.4 Yet that it was instrumentally a Saviour as prepared and chosen for the Work which Christ had then to do in it which was actually to the Salvation of Some and intentionally to the Salvation of the whole World then and in Ages to come suitable to that Scripture Lo in the Volume of the Book it is written I come to do thy will O God a Body hast thou prepared me c. Heb. 10. P. 107. Seventh But there is yet a further Benefit that accrueth by the Blood of Christ viz. That Christ is a propitiation and redemption to such as have Faith in it For tho' I still place the stress of particular Benefit upon the Light Life and Spirit revealed and witnessed in every particular Yet in that general Appearance there was a general Benefit justly to be
and Orthodox p. 25. q. 18. Seeing the Apostle speaks of purifying the Heavenly things themselves Heb. 9.23 It would seriously be enquired into and the Lord waited on to know what nature these Sacrifices must be of which cleanse the Heavenly things whether they must not of necessity be Heavenly If so then whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Vail Heb. 10.20 or the Flesh and Blood within the Vail John 6.53 Whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Outward Earthly Nature first quoted or the Flesh and Blood of the Inward Spiritual Nature last quoted Whether was it the Flesh and Blood which Christ took of the first Adam's Nature or the Flesh and Blood of the second Adam's Nature Thus he and is very sound according to the Doctrine of our Saviour who saith John 6.53 Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Of this many of his Disciples said John 6.60 This is an hard saying And therefore our Saviour expounds it to their weakness v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life From all which this is the Sum of I. P's Question The Soul of Man is of Heavenly Extraction which being fallen through Sin is not to be cleansed therefrom but by the Spirit of Christ which is shed on Mankind and univerâ—â—lly tender'd to them by Jesus Christ having offer'd up as a Propitiatory Sacrifice his Body and through the Vail that is to say his Flesh hath opened to the Kingdom in the Apostle's phrase A New and Living Way Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from C. Atkinson's Sword of the Lord drawn p. 5. Your Imagined God beyond the Stars and your Carnal Christ is utterly denied To say this Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie Here the Snake hath made a false Quotation that it might not fail to answer his purpose which yet when set in its true Light speaks quite otherwise it standing thus in that Book Your imagined God beyond the Stars and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your Heathenish Philosophy is utterly denied and testified against by the Light which comes from Christ. Now if the Snake's God and Christ can only be made appear through Heathenish Philosophy this he says is utterly deny'd And it is certainly true that the Light which comes from Christ does utterly deny all Vain and Carnal Imaginations The words from the break are a position of his Opponents to which he does not barely reply It is a Lye but adds He is not divided from what he was before the Foundations of the Hills were laid c. Ibid. p. 131. quoted from Great Mystery p. 250. The Devil was in thee says G. F. to his Adversary Christopher Wade Thou sayest thou art saved by Christ without thee and so hast recorded thy self to be a Reprobate Ibid. p. 132. From Great Mystery p. 183. Such as have Christ in them they have the Righteousness it self without Imputation the end of Imputation the Righteousness of God it self Christ Jesus Thus the Snake first picks up bits to make Quotations and then packs them on heaps that by this his false and confused jumbling of things together they might speak his own mind not the mind of the Writer As to the first where he brings in G. F. saying to Christopher Wade The Devil was in thee c. It was because he had given Testimony of it as this Snake has done by stuffing as G. F. says his Book with Lies And tho' the Snake may think it is no complement yet I can tell him it is Truth in much plainness and agreeable to the Sentence of the Lip of Truth to the Jews when he told them Ye are of your Father the Devil John 8.44 and the lusts of your Father ye will do c. So that where we find Murderous and Lying Works it shews them to be of the Devil As to the latter part of the first Quotation Thou say'st thou art saved by Christ without thee c. It does plainly contradict the Doctrine of the Apostle and upon the Authority of that G. F. or any other may safely declare that such who know not Jesus Christ in them are Reprobates and if Chr. Wade declared himself such G. F. was no more to blame than any other may be if the Snake now do the same To the last Quotation from p. 183 it is near all of it Scripture for Christ is declared the Righteousness of God and is the end of Imputation to all that believe which as G. F. there says Is owned and this Imputation is within for he that believes is born of God Ibid. p. 132. Quoted from Saul's Errand p. 14. Christ says he that is The Light within is the Substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure To shew the Reader this more clearly it being not long I will give it intire as in that Book from whence the Reader may judge of the Orthodoxy of the place and the Malicious Parenthesis of the Snake It was a Query propounded to G. Fox Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not and if a Figure how and in what To which he answers Christ is the Substance of all Figures his Flesh is a Figure for every one passeth through the same way as he did who comes to know Christ in the Flesh There must be a Suffering with him before there be a Rejoycing with him Christ is an Example for all to walk after and if thou knowest what an Example is thou would'st know what a Figure is to come up to the same fulness Thus G. F. and is according to these and other Scriptures John 13.15 1 Pet. 2.21 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 2.9 Ibid. p. 132. The Snake in like manner minces the words of E. B. only quoting from p. 149. of his Works The very Christ of God is within us leaving out what follows We dare not deny him and we are Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bone as the Ephesians were Eph. 5.30 Ibid. p. 132. He does pick from Isaac Penington's Question to the Professors p. 27. Doth not the name Christ belong to the whole Body and to every Member of the Body as well as to the Head And has left out what follows which are the Scripture Proofs Are they not all one yea all one in the Anointing was not this the great desire of his Heart to his Father John 17.21 23. That they all might be one even as the Father and Christ are one And so being one in the same Spirit 2 Pet. 1.4 one in the same Life one in the same Divine Nature even partakers of God's Holiness Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 12.10 nor is the Apostle ashamed to give them the Name of Christ together with him c. Heb. 2.11 The Snake
Satan Disrob'd See likewise Mr. Crisp c. To which he might have added See Bugg see Keith and so see see see till he had refer'd to all our Adversaries both Apostates and others To which I doubt not the Reader will Judge I should give sufficient answer in saying See G. Whitehead W. Penn E. Penington c. who have writ in answer to them SECT XI Concerning the Resurrection of the Body THIS Adversary the Snake after the example of some former Enemies does charge us falsly with the denial hereof And it is in some sort unaccountable to me how they should make it a Charge upon us to deny that which is indeed so firmly believed by us and by which we are stayed and supported under the Evils we meet and the reproaches which we suffer For were our hope in this life only we might with the Apostle say 1 Cor. 15.19 We are of all men most miserable But we have Faith and Hope in Christ in whom we have believed that after having passed through this Vale of Tears wherein we are encompassed with Perils of many sorts from Apostates and other Adversaries and are accounted Deceivers yet True We shall after this Life receive if we persevere in Faith and Obedience a resurrection to a Glorious Immortality through Christ our Saviour Thus and often more largely have we testified our belief of this Great Doctrine of the Christian Faith but because we deny as not being Scriptural that the same Natural Fleshly Body shall rise Our Adversaries do thence unrighteously infer and conclude that we deny the resurrection of the Body in any sense And thus does the Snake who in this Section does chiefly as in the last Section wholly quarrel and pervert these Books of W. P's Reason against Railing c. and the Invality of John Faldo 's Vindication c. and so gross is he in his perversion and abuse of them that he begins the very first line of this Section with saying Snake p. 155. This viz. the Resurrection the Quakers do positively deny Now that this Charge is positively false as made by the Snake from the two Books before mentioned will best appear by transcribing from the Books themselves not in Bits as this Snake has done both the occasion by which this Doctrine came to be spoken to and also pretty largely the manner in which W. P. does in them speak to it And I doubt not Reader but his Christian Belief and Scriptural Expression therein will be so much to thy satisfaction that thou wilt find reason therefrom to conclude in opposition to the Snake that we do positively own the Resurrection of the Body First To the occasion on which it came to be spoken to it was this Tho. Hicks an Adversary had published a piece under the Title of Dialogues wherein upon many of the Doctrines of the Christian Faith he propounds Questions And then brings in under the names of Quakers generally such Answers as might answer his purpose either to Refute or Cavil at In the 57th p. of his Dialogues he propounds a Question whether the same Carnal Body that Dies shall rise again In Answer to this Question he brings in G. W. saying Is it not written Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not the Body which shall be but God gives a Body as pleaseth him Thus says T. Hicks Whitehead reply'd and G. Fox the Younger speaks to the same purpose Fools that say this Body of Natural Flesh and Bones shall rise I say the Body which is sown is not the Body which shall be I query says T. H. whether both these Persons do not tacitly deny the resurrection This Reader was the occasion on which W. P. in his Reason against Railing c. speaks of this Doctrine I now come to the manner in which he speaks of it in that Book But will first only observe to my Reader that as in the Proverb A Lye does not lose by Carrying So the Snake has improv'd upon T. Hicks's disingenuity He was contented with querying whether we did not tacitly deny the Resurrection But the Snake scorning to mumble doubtingly says we positively deny it which as above and will also hereafter appear is a positive falshood But first I desire it may be observ'd from the foregoing that the Question was whether the same Carnal Body that Dyes shall rise c. In answer to which with the Appendices of the Question as laid down in the Dialogues W.P. imploys eight pages of the Book Reason against Railing c. and of all of them the Snake hath taken about so many lines by which according to his own words p. 350. It was intended purely to have it say that there was an Answer to such a Book or rather to this part of that Book But to shew that the Snake hath neither answered W. P. herein nor that the Quakers do therein deny the Resurrection take the following Quotation from that Book p. 132 133. Now that T. H. hath shewn himself at once dishonest and erroneous too let it be observed 1. That from our denial of the Resurrection of the same Natural Fleshly Body he absolutely infers and concludes our denial of the Resurrection of the Body in any sense Which is great injustice to any Adversary 2. Let it be well observed that he makes the Scripture it self to deny the Resurrection and so Heterodox by accounting G. W. and G. F. their Answers in Scripture Language to be a denial of the Resurrection For if T. H. does not intend by his arguing that the same Body that died without any mutation shall rise again what makes him to quarrel at the Apostle Paul's saying Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not the Body which shall be and repute us Hereticks for believing him Certainly his gross belief of the Resurrection is inconsistent with Scripture Reason and the Belief of all Men right in their Wits in the point Who can have the Confidence to call the Scripture his Rule and yet contradict it so Egregiously as when the Apostle tells us It is not the same Body that is sown that shall be to assert that it is the same Body and that who says the Contrary denies the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Recompence In short We do acknowledge a Resurrection in order to Eternal Recompence and that every Seed shall have its own Body and rest contented with what Body it shall please God to give us But as we are not such Fools as curiously to enquire what So must we ever deny the Gross conceits of T. H. and his Adherents concerning the Resurrction p. 134. But he T. H. thinks he is not without reason For says he if the It in the Text be not the same Body how can that be called a Resurrection for that supposeth the same Dialog p. 58. I Answer if a thing can yet be the same and notwithstanding changed for shame let us never make so much stir against the Doctrine of
carried on by continuing in their Communion as I have before shewn for all which and more to the same purpose it may be supposed the Church of Rome owes him many Thanks But what thanks soever Rome may owe the Snake it is very plain W. P. owes him none for charging him indefinitely with representing the Resurrection of the Body upon a worse foot than Transubstantiation What W. P. did so represent was the Resurrection of the same Carnal Body which Dies Now if the Snake will please to tell us that this is an Article in his Creed and hath been received by the Catholick Church in all Ages It will be as easie to shew that he says false with respect to the Catholick Church as it will be to prove that himself believes falsly in the Article As for the Resurrection of the Body we with the Catholick Church do firmly believe it and have always so declared and have at all times been ready to testifie so much in the Language of Holy Writ Ibid. p. 158. What does he think Was not Christ's Body changed in his Transfiguration upon the Mount The Snake hath just before told us that Transubstantiation supposes a Change of Substance upon which in my turn I may ask What does he think Was Christ's Body so Changed upon the Mount Ibid. p. 159. The Grain must die or else it will not fructifie or rise again In this Death it loses something as the Husks but it retains the Substance which rises again And let it be observed by way of addition to the Snake's Agriculture that the Substance the full Grain in the Ear is covered when risen with much such an Husk the same for Nature with that which was lost in the Earth Ibid. p. 160. Death is a great Change yet if William dies it is William even the same William that Liv'd who Died And as sure it will be the same who shall rise again That Death is a great Change is doubtless very true but to bring the Question pretty near if Charles dies even the same Charles that lives shall Charles the same Charles of Flesh the same both for Substance and Husk rise again Ibid. p. 160. But I am now to tell you a very strange thing Yet if it be true its strangeness need not afright Ibid. Mr. Penn does understand that long and elegant Description of the Resurrection of our Bodies from the 35 th verse of the 15 th of the 1 st Epistle to the Corinthians only of the Spiritual State of the Soul in this Life And if so what then Does W. Penn therefore deny the Resurrection of the Body because he hath said that the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.35 doth here speak of the Spiritual State of the Soul If that be good Logick then it concludes thus against the Snake that he denies the Spiritual State of the Soul in this Life because he declares the 1 Cor. 15.35 is to be understood of the Resurrection of our Bodies And this Conclusion is very Natural till the Snake can give a good Reason why W. P. hath not as much liberty as himself to expound 1 Cor. 15.35 and that W. P's Interpretation is against the meaning of the Place But Reader for thy more full satisfaction concerning W. P. as quoted by the Snake from that Book of his Invalidity c. of which I have already given some small hint p. 239. foregoing I shall here briefly first speak to its occasion and afterwards pretty largely transcribe W. P's words whereby thou wilt fully see that he in this as in Reason against Railing c. does only deny that gross Conceit of the Resurrection of a Carnal Body which was the Question As to the first the Occasion it was this J. F. published a Discourse entituled Quakerism no Christianity made up in great part of Quotations as the Snake is so that he has not the Glory of being the first tho' he may stand in Competition with him for falsity in them out of our Books This W. P. answer'd in a piece of his Quakerism a New Nick-Name for Old Christianity And therein shews how grosly J. F. had mistaken our Principles perverted our Words in his Quotations And finally confirms our true sense with the Authority of the Scriptures In Reply to this J. Faldo published what he calls his Vindication to which W.P. did Rejoin under the Title of the Invalidity of J. F 's Vindication c. which is the Book now in Question from which the Snake does suggest W. P. to deny the Resurrection For utter confutation of which I entreat thy patience Reader to consider what I shall transcribe from that Book which will be the Substance of what W. P. hath there said on this Head Invalidity c. p. 368. We may guess how well he prov'd it in his Book the Resurrection of the Natural Body of Flesh and Bones by the strength he hath imploy'd to maintain it in his Second But let all Sober Men judge if this Reply be pertinent to this part of my Answer yet he promised he would answer my Arguments For the Scripture is clear That corruption shall not inherit incorruption neither can Flesh and Blood inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Thus Annot. cert Divin Anno 1645. upon the place And if he will know the true Resurrection let him learn to understand this weighty passage For we know that if our Earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 And I cannot but wonder my Adversaries Understanding should be so benighted as that contrary to express Scripture he should assert a Resurrection of the Same Body that is Buried Properly and Strictly so The Apostle p. 369. teaches us to believe that it is not that same Body that is sown that shall be for though we shall be changed from Mortality to Immortality Corruption to Incorruption 2 Cor. 5.1 and 1 Cor. 15.37 50. yet Mens Bodies of Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God For the word Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not strictly imply a taking up of the same numerical Body as he would have us believe from his new found relative It 1 st Book 2 part p. 138. for which Beza shall give him a release both from the Latin and Original Greek there being no word in either for his relative It on which he and his Factious Brother Hicks have so relatively insisted indeed as their last and best refuge The Text lieth thus 1 Cor. 15.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seritur Corpus Animale resuscitatur Corpus Spirituale i. e. A Natural Body is sown a Spiritual Body is raised That is They lay down a Natural and take up a Spiritual Body or in lieu of a Natural receive a Spiritual Body not that the Natural Body shall be transubstantiated into a Spiritual Body or that admitting of such an exchange that the Spiritual is the same
Substance with God and by consequence Essentially Equal even to God I still in good Conscience deny the Assertion and such self-advancement of the Creature unto such Equality with its Creator whatever any among us has said of the Divine Spirit or Breath of Life which made Man a Living Soul as for the Equality thereof with God and as of his Being I deny that this was ever intended of the Creature Man that he was either one Being or Substance with God or Essentially Equal with God for that were to confound Created Beings with the Increated Tho' Man as made a Living Soul and created in the Image of God had in him something of that Divine Nature and Being which gave Him his Life and Being I really think I have sufficiently and briefly answered this matter in my Antidote in divers places being a reitterated charge of Blasphemy falsly against the Quakers that they so advance themselves as aforesaid to be One Person and Substance with God A body would think the Man should have proved these very words of the Charge upon us or else not so often repeat it with aggravations as he has shamefully done in such Expressions as these viz. that he does not think that any humane Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to scrue themselves up to such blasphemous heights of Enthusiasm which he deems the height of Madness which I took notice of and justly reprehended in my Antidote p. 87 88. And I dare further add in order to clear our Principle of Sinless Perfection as attainable through the Grace of God in Jesus Christ That although we own an Essential Equality between our Heavenly Father His Son and Holy Spirit and not such an Equality between the creature Man and his Creator yet such a nearness and likeness between the Heavenly Father and his Dear Children as perfection of Holiness and Purity if they attain to the fulfilling of these Doctrines Be ye Perfect or as some have it ye shall therefore be Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Matt. 5.48 And be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 And every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 And if any among us hath writ of them who are perfect in Christ Jesus being led by his Spirit as in that sense Equal I understand Equal only as like unto God or in Vnion with him being united unto him by his Spirit as he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit Our own Principle and Distinction in these matters justly considered I do not think that either my self or any Friend whose sense I explain deserves Bedlam as the Snake would infer upon me p. 358. III. It 's a positive falshood that G. Fox and the rest of us do positively assert all these things charged on him and us before in the Snake or assent to his pretended Proofs thereof p. Ibid. Where does he or we positively assert of our selves that we are One Person or Substance with God I find not these words asserted but the contrary Neither is his Reprinting all his pretended Proofs in his Second Edition of the Snake any full Reply to my Answer wherein I detect his fallaciously Imposing such Words and Terms upon us as are none of ours nor agreeable to our Principles as in the before-mentioned and many others And as positive a Falshood it is That G. Whitehead has omitted all the Proofs in the Snake that is almost of the whole Book The Judicious or Serious Reader that shall peruse my said Antidote in Answer to the First Edition of the Snake may clearly see the Contrary But because quoth he the Quakers shall not complain of being thus put off I do intend to make a particular Reply and to follow G. Whitehead through every single Point that he touches for this End especially that this being the last cast of the Quakers and all the defence they have to make I may so plainly detect it as to leave them without Excuse and by the blessing to convince all of them except those who are resolved not to be persuaded though they were persuaded but hope to disarm them c. p. 358 359. Upon all which 't is observed First On the first part of these pretences and boastings How comes G. W's Answer either to need or deserve such a particular Reply or to be followed through every single Point that he touches If his Answer or said Antidote be no Answer but the name of an Answer and nothing to the purpose but shuffling c. as he hath already given judgment p. 355. tho' before conviction it seems 't is so much to purpose that it will make him some work if he still think it worthy to prosecute his intention upon and that through every single Point too Secondly He 's Egregiously mistaken to conclude 't is either the last cast of the Quakers or all the defence they have to make neither may I take upon me the sole defence of the Quakers so called nor do I so abound in my own sense as if no other were capable of making any further or other defence For God having diversities of Gifts hath raised up many in defence of his Gospel and Truth according to their several Gifts among us blessed be his Name and I hope he will raise up more faithful Witnesses Thirdly What detection or conviction this boasting Person can make or work upon us by his fallible and lying Spirit may be easily supposed How shall we believe that he can work or effect such great matters upon us by his scoffing at us about the Light and Infallibility as the Quaker Light and Quaker Infallibility Fourthly And by what Power or Force thinks he to disarm us of our Armour of Light or our Spiritual Weapons No no Neither he nor the Devil his Master the Prince of Darkness shall ever be able to disarm any one that believes in and sincerely obeys the Light of Christ amongst us who are true Children of the Light These his empty Boastings and fruitless Attempts will evaporate and vanish like Smoak Let God arise and his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him as Smoak is driven away c. Psal. 68.2 3. and 37.20 IV. To his Alledging G. W. in his Answer to Satan Disrob'd bestows not two leaves upon the Discourse of Water Baptism nor attempts to answer so much as one single Objection or to remove one Stone of that Foundation upon which the outward Baptism is built p. 359. This is as frivolous and impertinent as many other his Reflections are false for he may see that upon that Subject I have bestowed five leaves in the Antidote p. 116 to 126. wherein his Arguments are detected and the Invalidity thereof and the great Stress he lays upon the Type discovered and the thing opened according to Scripture but his sign of Sprinkling Infants by him
action as is above related to be done in Grace-Church-Street-Meeting Nor did I ever attest to any such Action As witness my Hand Rich. Smith Ibid. p. 107. But to come to further Evidence and give you even a Judicial Determination of the Quakers about the Year 1658. Thomas Padle accused John Chandler at a Meeting of the Quakers at the Bull and Mouth up one pair of Stairs I give it thus particularly that the Friends may not pretend Ignorance and because I have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce if it be in the least disputed for saying That he prefer'd the Scriptures before the Friends Books which accusation John Chandler did not deny but being reprov'd for it by the Meeting said The People urg'd him to it One Principal Reason they gave for preference of their own Books to the Scriptures was That tho' the People had had the Scriptures many years yet they had not Converted so many to the Truth as Their Books had done It is a strange degree of Assurance which this Snake frequently shews in boldly and falsly averring that in Gross and in the Lump of which he can give no Proof thus in p. 62 63 c. foregoing I have shewn the nullity of that Charge of his which he says was prov'd in Legal Form c. against G. F. and others And that both He and They accused were discharged because the Matter was not proved as the Snake falsly hath alledged of which see more in the place refer'd to And now here with like false Assurance he says upon the Credit of Eye and Ear Witness such as himself that the Quakers gave a Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment against the Scriptures Yet shews not what this Determination and Judgment was Which if there had been any such thing no doubt but his Witness would have obtained a Copy of the Determination and Judgment so Judicially and Solemnly made and given as well as have preserved any of the Reasons on which that Judgment was grounded But of this so necessary a thing as a Copy of that Judgment is We have not one Syllable the true Reason of which is because there was no Original from whence to take it But then why the Snake should baulk at that and not forge a whole Paper and give it the name of an Original as well as forge the Title viz. Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment or as well as he hath forged that Slanderous and False Charge in a matter of this same nature against R. S. of Wansworth which thou wilt find in Sect. 8. hereafter or as well as he hath with no less impudence to use his own Term related divers other things which have no footstep of Truth in them of which the Reader may herein find many Instances But after all I also have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce in opposition to his Eye and Ear Witness who do say That that Meeting wherein the Difference between T. P. and J. C. was mentioned did not give any Determination nor any Judgment against the Scriptures is as falsly said by the Snake Nor did that Meeting give any such reason as is mentioned by the Snake or any other reason why Books writ by any of our Friends should have the preference to the Scriptures of Truth Ibid. p. 108 109. Edward Burroughs p. 47. of his Works determines clearly that the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Whether this be E. B's Determination or the Snake's pray Reader consider the following true Quotation from p. 47. of E. B's Works That is no Command from God to me what he Commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I Challenge to find an Example for it They obeyed every one their own Commands One was sent to Baptize and to Preach the Gospel Another was sent not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel and thou J. Turner or any other who goes to Duty as you call it by Imitation from the Letter without which was Commands to others in your own Wills and Time your Sacrifice is not accepted but is an Abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own Wills and Strength which God Hates This Quotation the Snake hath pickt in two or three places leaving out the particular Instances and Examples and put it together that so it might answer what he hath boldly and falsly asserted as above of E. B. as before p. 160. I have detected him in the same manner upon this point abusing of W. Penn. Now Reader pray consider the Snake says E. B. has determined the Scriptures to be of no Authority to us at this Day because he saith the particular Commands from God to the Apostles are not sufficient warrant for us to do the same things which they were so particularly commanded to do But to do the work of the Gospel we must know the movings of the Holy Ghost to call us to it And now I will shew thee that if this be to determine clearly that the Scriptures are not of any Authority at all to us at this Day Then according to the Snake's words the Church of England have clearly so determined For he shewing what Enthusiasm she owns p. 316. speaking of their Church Offices saith This is the first Question demanded by the Bishop from those who are to be ordained Do you trust that you are inwardly mov'd by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think that you are truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is according the Snake's perversion a clear Determination against the Scripture for if the Commands from God to the Apostles were sufficient not for themselves only but for all succeeding times to call them to the Work of the Ministry what occasion is there for the Bishop to ask or any to know whether they are thereunto inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost Or that they thereunto are truely called according unto the Will of Jesus Christ To do thus can it be faulty in us and do we thereby deny the Scriptures and yet the Church of England not thereby deny them Ibid. p. 110. And therefore it was no strange thing to hear G. W. in his Serious Apology p. 49. Prefer not only their own Writings but their Ex Tempore Preachments and even all whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures It would raise some Admiration in a Man to find one in his words p. 16. thus Boldly and Impudently asserting so notorious a Lye as the experience of all that knows us must know this to be Not only Writings and Ex Tempore Preachments but all whatsoever we say on any account are preferred to the Scriptures So that according to the Snake what is spoken in Common Conversation in the transacting our Civil Affairs and Business of
evaded and left without defence V. My passing by many of the Snake's dirty Stories and rambling Stuff against us argues not the Quakers way of Answering Books to be Fallacious Methods nor that their cause would bear a fair and clear Answer nor yet any danger of falling into any Snares the Snake had laid against us p. 360. For the reason of my passing by much of his foul dirty Stuff was singly because I thought it not worth spending my time not having then so much to spare in repeating the same or to follow his frequent repetitions thereof tho' I designed not to prevent any other that had more time from a fuller scrutiny into his abuses My Antidote was against the Venom or most Virulent Parts and Foul Abuses of the Snake in the Grass and not to every Paragraph nor to each Section I finding many if not most of them in substance fully answered long before in divers Books of ours Neither was mine a General and Evasive Answer but special and particular to many particular and chief Objections and Falshoods forged against us as a People and against divers and particular Persons abused by this Adversary Besides I have the less reason to value his Work so far as to take cognizance of every particular Babble Tattle and Story in it seeing he durst not shew himself or his Name to his Work as the Author thereof But if he has gone under sundry Names as some say 't will be the more difficult to find out his true Name He tells of the wrathful Proud Spirit of the Quakers and that there i. e. in his First Edition Sect. V. and Sect. XVII of his Second Edition of the Snake there are some of the most sensless and venomous Expressions against their Adversaries that ever came out of the Mouth of Man while they pretend to be the very meek of the Earth c. But G. W. in his Answer says not a word to this matter c. p. 361. This Man casts his own Faults in the back end of the Wallet and those he thinks he sees in others in the fore end he forgets what venomous Expressions and furious Defamations he has used against others more especially against the Quakers so called Let him review his 18th and 21st Sections and divers others in his Second and Third Edition and see what sweet Expressions and mild Language he hath treated the Quakers with as Bloody Devils Furious Cursed Spirit Possessed by the Devil Quakerism Conjuration Witchcraft and Conjuration Enthusiastick Madness Blasphemers Traytors Rebells c. cum multis aliis Is not this sweet Language trow ye and rare courtly Treatment to convince and regain us into the Arms of his Mother Church and these with abundance more expressions from a Person that as he would be thought a Man of a very Good Nature and Sweet Temper he commends unto us Kind and Sweet Expressions as natural to Love and Good Nature as Furious Spightful Envious and other grating and violent Passions do naturally vent themselves in the like wicked and hateful Ebullitions of a distorted Soul as in his 17th Section But what most sensless and venomous Expressions have the Quakers used against their Adversaries He recites some of them as he thinks them such in the same 17th Section of his Second Edition to shew the venom and nastiness of the Quakers Spirit as he venomously asperses them as the Devil was in thee given up to the Devil's Power Raveners from Christ Wolves Dogs Equivocating Deluding Hypocrites Conjurers Thieves Robbers Antichrists Witches Devils Serpents Vipers Ministers of the Devil c. And these he puts down as some of the most Venomous of Quakers Expressions against their Adversaries to shew the venom and nastiness of their Spirit Tho' the most of these Expressions were Characters given in Holy Scripture to some sorts of wicked People who were so greatly degenerated from good Nature and Innocency as they are said to be of their Father the Devil and others were termed dumb Dogs and greedy Dogs too Isa. 56.10 11. and Ravening Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents Mat. 23.33 Thieves Robbers Evil Beasts Sons oâ— the Sorceress Seed of the Adulterer and Whore Isa. 56.10 11. and Chap. 57.2 3. And did not Paul say O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3.1 I would ask this Adversary if these Characters were venomous expressions or proceeded from a nasty venomous Spirit Let him answer in his next against the Quakers and see if any of them has used worse Expressions than his own or so hard as Bloody Devils Traytors Witches c. VI. It is not inherent in the Quakers to use such hard Expressions against all their Adversaries as he would insinuate p. 361. but only some have given Invidious and bitter Enemies of Truth their due Characters suitable to their Extreamly Degenerate State as Dogs Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents c. as to Fury and Implacable Malice of Spirit 'T is unjustly cast upon us 't is his own Spirit that appears both Furious and Implacably Malicious against us He 's not willing to see his own bitterness and invectiveness whilst he unjustly charges me there-with for telling him his own as a Scandalous Liar Impudent Sculking Vile Mercenary Dissembling Hypocrite through whom the Devil and Malice does invent and produce Terms and Characters i. e. against us the People called Quakers These no doubt touch and offend him But I am fully pursuaded never an Adversary that I have read has writ more bitterly and maliciously against us nor more in reviling Treatment scurrilous and contemning Language than this Author of the Snake has done To my charging him with shamefully defaming us as a People under as Gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent Antidote p. 44. He Answers Ay But the Devil is in it George he has proved them too and so plain that thy Excuses confirm it the more p. 362. See the Levity of the Man and how he Glories in his Shame in his work of Envy which he grants the Devil is in who is the Author of Lyes and Father of Lyars he writes now against me like one in a great Rage and Fury Ibid. accusing me with Sensless Ribaldry against him comparing me to a Dogg that Breaks his Teeth upon the Stone thrown at him Sensless Lyes Rancâ—r and Venom of Spirit Effeminate and ungovernable Passion Which Reviling does not touch me to move me to any such Passion Anger and Malice as he falsly Imagines of me Having long since learned Patiently to suffer Reproach and to Rejoyce when Persecuted and Defamed for Christ's sake I bless his Holy Name and Power wherein my Life and Safety is over my Persecutors His pretending To speak in behalf of G. Keith only so far as he maintains the true Christian Doctrine against me and my Friends is to render us Opposers of the True Christian Doctine which is a General Aspersion without Conviction and G. K. has given contrary Testimony