in you that was also in Christ Jesus who being in the Form of God thought it not Robbery to be equal with God And He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of One for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Again They that are joyned to the Lord are One Spirit and He that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as He is Righteous To deny this is to deny the most Heavenly Benefit we have by Christ namely Unity and Fellowship we have with the Father and with the Son That it was an Unity not an Equality especially in the Sense he takes the Word the faithful Narrative of that Proceeding printed in the Year 1654. will further testify How great then must this Man's Miscarriage be who to render a good Man an Impostor turns Forger himself but God will reward him The next Pair he pitches upon to prove his Assertion is Maenander and James Nailer The one for affirming Himself to be sent from the invisible Regions to be the Saviour of Man-kind And James Nailer for asserting himself to be Christ and accepting Hosannah's and Divine Worship in the Streets of Bristol Answ What Maenander was I know not and it is hard believing a Character of any Man when it is given by his Enemy But sure I am that James Nailer never asserted himself to be the Christ of God Neither did he ever deny Him that appeard at Jerusalem to be the Lord 's Christ as his Writings plentifully declare especially one Paper written by him to the then Parliament when a Prisoner in Bride-wel Christ Jesus the Emmanuel of whose Sufferings the Scriptures declare Him ALONE I confess before Men for whose sake I have deny'd what ever was dear to me in this World that I might win him be found in him and not in my self whom alone I seek to serve in Body Soul Spirit night day according to the Measure of Grace working in me even to that Eternal Spirit be Glory and to the Lamb forever But to asscribe this Power Virtue to JAMES NAILER or for that to be exalted or worshipped TO ME IS GREAT IDOLATRY So having an Opportunity given with Readiness I am willing in the Fear of God the Father in Honour to Christ Jesus and to take off all Offences from every Simple Heart without Guile or Deceit His third Comparison lyes betwixt Photinus who is said to have denyed the Trinity and G. Fox as guilty of the same Error in his Account Answ I can find no such place in the Book so called Either our Adversary sets up for a New Controvertist or he dishonestly shunned giving us the Page But I am willing to believe that he took it as he found it in some other Adversary for any thing reported or printed against a Quaker is ground enough for an envious Priest to accuse him But what if G. Fox denyed the Unscriptural Expressions viz. The Trinity of distinct and separate Persons must it necessarily follow that he denyed the Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father Word and Spirit We justly renounce those Barbarous School-Terms as not suited to God's Heavenly Manifestations but the dark Conceits of some Popish Doctors His fourth Comparison is made between Soâ—inus and James Nailer in that the one denyed the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and look'd upon his Passion only as an Example The other in that he affirmed The End for which Christ did suffer was to be a living Example to all Generations Love to the lost page 56. Answ He has not truly delivered the Opinion of Socinus whose Books shew however mistaken about Christ's Divinity that he ever esteemed his Death and Passion to have more in it then a bare Example Nor has he faithfully dealt with J. Nailer in this Quotation For first I find not the Words as cited and next the Word ONLY is by himself omitted which alone renders the Passage heterodox Suppose then that J. Nailer writ that Christ was in his Suffering a living Example to all Generations Is there no Difference between Christ's being in his Death and Passion Only our Example which he charges upon Socinus and Christ's being our living Example in Suffering which he attributes to J. Nailer How can there be a Comparison where there is so great a Disparity The First is denyed by all that own Christ The Last is owned by all that do not deny Peter who thus writ to the scattered Brethren For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps 1 Pet. 2.21 His fifth Comparison he makes between the Valentinians the Quakers The Former he sayes arrogated to themselves a Knowledge beyond Christ and his Apostles The Latter impudently throw away the written Word of God delude the credulous Vulgar with new fangled Revelations which he thinks he has prov'd by two Inances 1. That Th. Hollbrow a Quaker to One that urged Scripture answered What dost thou tell me of Scripture which is no more to me then an Old Almanack 2. That Fox and Hubberthorn in a Book called Truth 's Defence say The Scriptures are no standing Rule and it is dangerous for ignorant People to read them Answ To the first I say there is great Difference between one that was no Quaker and one that was or is a Quaker We have examined the matter and by all we can find both that Saying is not true as charged and it is of an ancienter date then the coming of any of our Friends into those Parts therefore not the Saying of a true Quaker To the second I return thus much 'T is true there is such a Book and it was written by G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn but he has not given us so much as one Page to direct us to the Passage So that either People must read till they find it or else take his Perversion for our Assertion Unworthy Man does he think us such Wretches that we deserve not common Justice Methinks Justice should not be denyed where so little Mercy is shewn But to answer the Instance Our Judgment about the Scriptures being the Rule we have already delivered And in what sense it is Dangerous to read them their own Book will declare 'T is dangerous say G. Fox R. Hubberthorn to read the Scripture in order to make War against the Saints to give carnal Expositions upon them Meanings contrary to them and to make a Trade of them but Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand them If this prove that Sleight to Scripture our Adversary would suggest them to be guilty of then let us be condemned But God's Witness in every unseared Conscience will acquit them and judge him for corrupt Citation and hard Speeches who dares to cry thereupon Are these not as Impudent Hereticks as the Valentinians whom he represents to have arrogated to themselves a Knowledge above Christ
and his Apostles which how true soever it may be of them I am sure is False enough of us for those hideous Consequences he makes are not deducible from any unperverted Saying to be cited out of Truth 's Defence And least any should think we deny with the Papists the Perusal of the Scriptures to Ignorant People from what our Adversary sayes know that they spoke of such Ignorant and Unlearned Persons as in reading wrested them to their own Destruction now unless it be not Dangerous to read to Destruction they are not chargeable witâ— Bâ—ame in that Matter But who are the Knowing and Learned The Jewish Doctors and Greek Philosophers No but Fishermen and poor Mechanicks discipled in Christ's School for the Excellency of whose Knowledge Paul reputed his Gamaliel-Acquisitions but Dross and Dung So that their Knowing and Learned are many times the Ignorant Unlearned we speak of whose Wisdom God will confound and whose Understanding he will bring to nought His last Comparison of us in this Chapter is with Marcus an old Heretick The Agreement he makes betwixt us lyes in our mutual Pretences to Inspiration and Prophecy For as he reports him to have abused many silly Women under colour of conferring on them the Gift of Prophesying and that he had a familiar Spirit by which 〈◊〉 brought himself into Credit with his deluded Followers So he tells us that he has had it confidently affirmed That about the first rise of the Quakers in the North of England several Persons by Gloves and Ribbands and divers Charmes were really bewitched by them And doubtless many of their Quaking fits were real Possessions by the Devil Answ What Marcus was is nothing to us If he has done amiss he has answered for it by this time I confess I am not over-fond of the Characters left us of ancient Hereticks knowing what kind of Creatures the best Protestants are with Papists and what fearful Monsters several sober Separatists are reputed among some Protestants But this I know if what he hath said of several Ancients be no Truer then what he hath said of us he has grosly abused their Doctrines and their Memories For the Witchcraft of our Gloves Ribbands and Charmes 't is scarce worth my Notice his Folly in mentioning it being a sufficient Reproof and Confutation to himself A Story fit for none at this time of day to report or believe but a Man of his size I thought they had been worn out by this time But let the sober Reader judge which savours most of Satan's Design this Idle yet Scandalous Story or our Fearing and Trembling at the Word of the Lord and those Terrors that broke in upon our Souls because of Sin and Iniquity 'T is but the old Spirit of Mockery that acted the Jews and Heathens against the Christians and Papists against Protestants and too many Protestants of several Sorts against some more reformed Separatists For had the Reverent Fear of God possessed our Adversary's Heart in the writing of this Discourse there had been no room for such Irreligious Scoffs against an inoffensive People But the Devil because he would be God calls God the Devil Christ Beelzebub Light Darkness and the Power of God the Power of Satan and the Fear and Trembling brought by the one the Possessions and Witchcrafts of the other Certainly such Men live in a dry Land they see not when Good cometh But what will not an Enraged Tything Priest do to destroy us who he knows are Discoverers of such Deluders CHAP. III. His pretended Agreement between the Authors of Familism and the Quakers considered His Objections answered I Now come to consider the Reason of the Title of his Book and what Ground he had to name us the Revivers Propagators of Familism with the most weighty Objections he makes against us if in Truth I may repute the strongest of them such and that with what Brevity Truth and Faithfulness I can The great Authors of this Doctrine of Familism he sayes were David George and Henry Nicolas but more especially the latter as having more improved and disseminated the pernicious Errors introduced by the former He bestows many severe Expressions upon them more I think then becomes a Man of any Charity to give I am not their Advocate But so much Splene and so little Reason against Dead Men can be neither Christian nor Manly What he sayes they held and how far we are concerned in it it is our Business to enquire § 1. Of Christ's Ministration And first he tells us that H.N. should say that not only the Law of Moses but the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles were only Temporary things instituted to bring Men to the perfect Reign of the Spirit and then like Horn-Books and Primers to grown Understandings to be thrown away pag. 10 11. And that this is the full Sense of the Quakers sayes our Adversary Hear John Crook a Quaker We believe by the same Gift of Grace that there are several Ministratitions and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. And all by the same Spirit as before and after the Law by Moses and after by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles And by this Spirit were the Scriptures given forth and the Holy Men of God did speak prophesy preach and pray as they were moved and to answer the Service God had for them to do they were to wait as Christ commanded his Disciples to receive the Promise of the Father And therefore as it was the Practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the Moving of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them Utterance in the Evidence and Demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now Upon which our Adversary dares to observe that we with the Familists deny the Ministration of Christ to be the Ministration of the Spirit and consequently a Blasphemous Derogation from the Honour of our Blessed Saviour who said to his Apostles Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Answ If our Adversary's Weakness has run him into this strange Parrallel he is to be pittyed but if his Envy he is severely to be rebuked Will any Man that has Sense or Honesty say it is all one to affirm that Christ's Ministration is an Horn-book that time casts off with Infancy and that it is a Waiting to receive the same Spirit Christ commanded his Apostles to wait for as the Promise of the Father and the peculiar Gift and Priviledge of his own Ministration Does not J. Crook expresly draw a Parallel between the Holy Men of God of old and the Quakers of our time that as they then so the Quakers now wait to be taught moved and ordered by the same Eternal Spirit through which all come to be baptized into One Body How was that then no Spiritual Ministration when we desire to be conformed unto the Spirit and Holy Example thereof not making this anew
us out of Polybius That the better and simpler Ages of the World rarely used any Oaths at all no not so much as in Judicature but after Perfidy and Lyes encreased Oaths encreased as a Remedy to restrein those Mischiefs To which let me add That some of the ancient Sages Socrates and Xenocrates knew urg'd and also practised a Life beyond an Oath So that if those who are truly discipled redeemed and renewed by the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus need no Oath Nay that it is a Questioning of their Veracity and an Affronting of their Profession to offer them one and if the Lying familiar Swearing Forswearing and fraudulent Dealing of Wicked Men make their Oaths of little or no Credit as saith the Bishop out of Lactantius and Austin certainly it will be much better to prevent Swearing and punish Lying with the Penalty due to Forswearing which suggests an unanswerable Return to that familiar Objection But how do we know that ye are those Honest Men For we have not only the same Answer the ancient Christians had to give with this severe Rebuke That ye are the Reproach of Christianity who under that good Name act those vile Impieties the nobler Heathen judged and the loosest have not out-done but we have this further to offer Dispense with our Consciences in not-Swearing and punish our Untruth when ye find it as severely as ye do their Perjury What more can be desired since Truth-speaking fulfils the Law and Punishing False-speaking satisfies it CHAP. VII Of the Light Within IT is Matter of sad Complaint that a Man should write of so excellent a Subject as the Light Within and shew so much Darkness in treating of it But lest he should say That our uncertain and various Expressions for such he esteems them put him besides all Faith in it we shall endeavour to make appear their Consistency both with themselves and the Scripture of Truth He quotes Tho. Foster in his Guide to the Blind p. 1. thus God is the Light p. 7. as a Man forgetting himself Christ Within is Man's true Light to walk by And in p. 9. As doubting whether that would hold Water sayes The Spirit of Christ in Man is the true Light and Guide and this Light enlightens every Man that comes into the World But says he if James Nayler may be Judge our Friend Thomas he was so though thou art an Enemy and a Mocker of his Memory is very much mistaken for in his Book called A Door opened to the Imprisoned p. 2 3. he sayes That the Light of the Word is God's Love to the World and this Light is not given to any till they come out of the World And that George Whitehead in The Seed of Israel's Redemption p. 20. sayes That the Light Within is a Measure of the Lord's Life and Light Answ To the first Quotation there can be no Cavil for 't is plain Scripture God is Light 1 John 1.5 And it was the Apostolical Message so to preach That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all The second is also most true for Christ is Man's true Light that was the true Light which enlightens every Man c. And that it was for Man to walk by both Christ and his Apostles prove I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Again if ye walk in the Light as He is in the Light c. God is Light and Christ is Light and since there is no knowing of God or Christ but by the Manifestation of Light and that none know the Father but those to whom Christ the Light reveals him therefore Christ is Man's true Light without which Man can never know either God or Christ For his 3 d. Quotation I see no Contradiction in it to the two former unless Christ can be without his Spirit for if the Spirit of Christ dwell in any Man Christ dwells in that Man This Language the Apostle used to the Romans Chap. 8.9 10 11. If the Spirit of God be in you Again If the Spirit of Christ be in you yet again If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus dwell in you all which are Synonymous or to one and the same Purpose For Shame thou a Scholar a Graecian a Disputant that makes such sorry Cavils might not the Jews and Heathens have made the same Exceptions against the Apostle But 't is an old Devil-Trick to besaint and extoll the Holy Ancients whilst they hugg the Spirit that murdered them and with it persecute the Truth in this Age so Cunning is the Devil and so Blind is the World But let us see how much more Honest he is in his next Quotation then Rational in the three former That the Light of the World is God's Love to the World I find in James Nailer's Book But that the Light is not given to any till they come out of the World is a direct Ly to our Principle and a putting an absolute Forgery upon his Book For he sayes That God has given his Light to the World that therein is his Love manifested that such as follow it in its Leadings out of the World have the Nature of Sons But Sonship is that which cannot be had whilst in the World's Nature therefore they are to come out of the World's Wayes to follow the Light which visits Man in the World's Wayes in order to bring him out of them and here the true Sonship is received so that the Son-ship and not the Light is that which cannot be had in the World Now what Contradiction can this be to our Dishonest Adversary's honest Friend Thomas who said that the light enlightened every Man that comes into the World Sure I am it is a plain Instance of our Adversary's Disingenuous and Injurious Practice For G. Whiteheads Words The Substance of them is to be found in Joh. 1.14 1â— The Word was full of Grace and Truth and of his Fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace But he sayes H.N. teaches that every Godly Man is God Incarnate and Christ Incarnate and that this is the Doctrine of the Quakers sayes he I prove First because T. Foâ—ter in his Guide to the Blind pag. 13. saith The Light which is Christ within is not Natural but Sufficient to Salvation Now I appeal to the whole World what Affinity there can be between H. N's Words and Th. Fosâ—er's Is God incarnate or Christ incarnate to be found in his Assertion Nor will I pass my Word for his right Quotation of H.N. What he quarrels at here I know not Would he not have Christ manifested within Or would he have him Natural in Opposition to Spiritual Or would he have his Light and Spirit Insufficient to Salvation If he intends any of these he crosses express Scripture blasphemes against God aâ—d frustrates the very End of the Gospel If none of them why was this