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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90808	The holy scripture clearing it self of scandals: or, An answer to a book written by Richard Farnworth, who is commonly called a Quaker, bearing this title, Truth cleared of scandals. In this answer, you have the substance of a dispute at Harliston in Staffordshire, between Richard Faruworth [sic] and the author, in the yeer 1654. Written by Tho. Pollard, a member of the Church of Christ, gathered in, and about, Leichfield. Whereunto is added, Certain considerations and queries concerning those people called the Quakers; with desire of an answer. As also, a postscript, manifesting their folly in pretending a necessity of using the terms thee and thou to a single person. / By Henry Haggar, a servant of Jesus Christ, and of the congregation of his saints.	Pollard, Thomas, fl. 1655.; Haggar, Henry.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2775; Thomason E857_8; Thomason E842_10; ESTC R206619	43,888	64

THE Holy Scriptures Clearing it self of Scandals OR AN ANSWER To a BOOK written by Richard Farnworth who is commonly called a QUAKER bearing this Title Truth cleared of Scandals In this ANSWER You have the substance of a Dispute at Harliston in Staffordshire between Richard Farnworth and the Author in the yeer 1654. Written by Tho. Pollard a member of the Church of Christ gathered in and about Leichfield Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him Whereunto is added Certain Considerations and Queries concerning those people called Quakers with desire of an Answer As also a POSTSCRIPT Manifesting their folly in pretending a necessity of using the terms Thee and Thou to a single person By Henry Haggar a servant of Jesus Christ and of the Congregations of his Saints Printed at London by J. C. for R. Moone at the seven Stars in Paul's Church-yard neer the great North-door 1655. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THe LORD hath been pleased to bring us into the World in such an Age that if we throughly weigh our Mercies they have been and are very great Surely we may say in this Nation That we are p●rtakers of such Blessings and high Favours that the Generations past have not enjoyed 〈…〉 If we call to minde the dayes past what Superstition instead of a pure Worship our eyes beheld and what Tyranny was then exercised in forcing Men's Consciences to such a Worship that was so exceeding contrary to the Word of GOD. O that we were so sensible as we should who it is that hath wrought such a deliverance for us surely we may say This is the LORD 's doing O that every Soul that partakes of this Mercy by being delivered from such Tyranny that I say this godly resolution were in us as was in the Prophet David Psalm 71.6 My praise shall be continually of thee And Psalm 145.2 Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever O I say if we consider how many snares have been laid to insnare poor Creatures with but we may say Hitherto hath the LORD been with us and hath broken the snares and set us at liberty yet my dear Friends the great Enemy of our salvation will be working and if he cannot carry on his designe by Instruments that are openly profane or in a superstitious habit he can present himself in a shew of glory and pretend high things and surely that day is now come upon the earth that Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 11. of a subtil people that was endeavouring to beguile the Corinthians as the serpent beguiled Eve and from what minde the simplicity that is in Christ but saith Paul vers 13. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is tranformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their work But as Paul saith to the Churches of Galatia so I say to you chap. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and John saith in his 2 Epist. 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God-speed O I say with the Prophet If any speak not according to the Scripture it is because they have no light in them And Reader whosoever thou art that perusest this small Treatise labour for an impartial Spirit if any thing be to thy satisfaction herein let GOD alone be glorified I have desired plainness of Speech and to speak the words of Scripture to answer him whom thou wilt finde is an opposer of the Truth as it is in JESUS and the LORD give thee understanding Farewel Thine in the work of the Lord to my poor power Tho. Pollard The Method observed in this BOOK is as followeth 1. YOu have the unsoundness of Richard Farnworth's judgement laid down in six Particulars as he at the meeting stood by to make good and these I desire the Reader to observe 2. You have an Answer to those things he charges me with in his Book where the Reader may see that this poor man is full of lyes that instead of being free from sin he too much takes delight in it 3. You have that Scripture answered that they so dwell on against that Ordinance of Water-baptism 1 Cor. 1.17 4. To make their folly manifest you have that Cavil answered about the term Thee and Thou to single person Which say they is a sin to use any other but by the Scripture in all ages you will as it is plain finde it to be no such thing as is proved 5. You have a discovery of the Church of Christ how it cometh to Mount Sion Heb. 12.22 And what perfection I own and how attained 6. You have what he saith in his Book he owns proved to be lyes and not according to Truth 7. You have his folly manifested and the holy Scripture counselling you to shun the way of such men 8. Some Queries propounded with a desire of an Answer And Reader for your better satisfaction you have the testimony of three faithful Witnesses that these six things Farnworth did utter and also what is laid down in his Book that I here say he speaketh falsly of me they are my witnesses and upon what ground I then spoke you have it laid down and witnessed and for all the rest of the company there was out of Gospel-order Lawrence Spooner Vrsula Spooner Richard Clewly The Holy Scripture clearing it self of SCANDALS FIrst you have in this Book the unsoundness of Richard Farnworth's Judgement in fix Particulars laid down which being weighed will discover that those Principles in his Book that he saith He holds are not really according to the Rules of Truth owned by him but laid down on purpose to deceive First Richard Farnworth said He was a man wholly free from sin and not subject to any one temptation Now dear Friends let us first make search into the Scripture to see if any of the Lord's people have so boasted of themselves to be in such a condition while they carried about with them an earthly Tabernacle And first we will take notice of Job for it 's clear that he had more ground to have boasted of perfection then any of these men if we minde what the Lord said of him unto Satan Hast thou considered my servant Job how there is none like him in all the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Job 2.3 Yet though the Lord had so said of him let us see what Job saith of himself read Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I say I am perfect it shall

the cause of mens believing for saith Paul vers 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard O then Reader minde how far this Opinion will plunge a poor soul whose condition is such that he cannot please God without Faith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible minde to please God And in Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin so then to deny the Ordinance of preaching by which Faith comes must needs tend to destroy Faith and then please God who can But let us weigh the design of these men a little if they can once bring a poor soul into this condition to disown the Scripture when he most stands in need of it that is to say to bring him to Christ and to shew him how he ought walk so as to please God I say if once the poor creature be brought into such a condition then he knows he can easily keep him from prising it at all But let us see how this crosses the end of God's sending his Son into the World John saith chap. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son into the world that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Again Luke 1. witnesses that Christ was sent of the Father to be a light to them that sit in darkness and are in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace And how should we know this great love of the Father much less believe it without the Gospels preaching Again Christ saith He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and he came to seek and to save that which was lost By all which it is plain that the end of the Gospels preaching to every creature was not because every creature did believe this but that they might hear and believe Again if those three thousand Act. 2. were converted by the Gospel then not without it and them of Samaria by the Gospel then not any other way Act. 8. and the believing Thessalonians were called by the Gospel and so were all the Churches called to be Saints how I pray you if not by the Gospels preaching Nay how should we poor sinners of the Gentiles have known of a door of hope open to us but by the preaching of the Gospel nay should we have known of a Christ that died at Jerusalem but by the Scripture or how should we know sin to be sin and righteousness to be righteousness but by the Scripture Again see what Paul saith 2 Tim. 3.2 last vers All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness minde not that man is perfect but that he may be perfect and thereby throughly furnished unto all good works By all which it is plain that the Scripture is of greater use then these men will have it And Christ saith The words that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day and this word shall not return void but shall be to all that entertain it a savour of life unto life but to them that put it from them and say it is useless it will be a savour of death unto death But to you who are through Grace members of the Church of Christ who were once sinners of the Gentiles and without God in the world but are now made nigh by the blood of his Son as Paul witnesses Ephes 2.11 It is good for us that we have often in our meditations the great use that the Scripture hath been to us in helping us to know what sin is that so we may avoid it and it also hath shewed what righteousness is that we may be in love with it And I pray you let your former experiences of what good we have received by the word and Ordinances not to be forgotten And further we finde and are made sensible through Grace that the Scripture is and hath been a sweet and perfect Rule for us to walk by and we thereby have been led and guided into the way of Truth and Peace And we know that all those that are found faithful in obeying the commands of Christ and continue therein they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away And therefore let us alwayes look unto the Law and to the Testimony and imbrace that sweet counsel for the tryal of all doctrines for saith the Prophet if any speak not according to this minde when they come from hell and darkness for saith he they have no light in them Isa 8.20 O! then all those that go about to destroy this Rule they are so in darkness that as the Scripture saith They know not at what they stumble or whither they go John 12.35 And though these men say That they are the onely men that know God and love God yet if we see what John saith it will be found otherwise 1 Epist 2.3 4 5. Hereby saith John to the Church we do know that we do know him minde if we keep his commandments and he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments what follows he is a liar and minde such a liar that the truth is not in him And he that saith He abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked Now this was Christ's walk to do the will of him that sent him then these men go not Christ's way but their own and walk by the imaginations of their own heart rather then by the holy Commandments of Christ Jesus And also see who they are that love God John 14.23 24. and see who they are that are related to Christ Matth. 12.50 He that doth the will of my Father the same Man or Woman is Christ's Brother and Sister And now having given you his Principles as he then at the meeting in Harliston did stand by to maintain which before the close you have them weighed which those Principles he saith he ownes in his Book and see how they stand together But now in the second place I come to answer to those false slanders he charges me with in his Book First he saith That I came on purpose to that meeting to cavil and oppose the Truth To which I answer That the ground of my coming with other Friends was to oppose all doctrines whatsoever that was not warranted by the Word of God and in so doing I have one greater with me and for me then all you that so maliciously speak against me But O Farnworth take heed of boasting so of perfection until you shew better fruit and when you come to cease lying I shall hope some better things of thee Now the substance of thy discourse before I questioned thee was That you did witness you were free from sin and in the possession of the second Covenant Then did I bring in those words of John and told you That if it were so with you then you had attained higher

I said then that eminent Apostle John had And therefore thou dealest wickedly to say I brought it in to plead a continuance in sin surely that light which thou sayest is in thee is darkness else thou wouldst not have spoken thus falsly but having treated on this before I pass it by Again I said Where was your proof that you was in this condition Then he laid his hand on his heart and said I witness this Then I said to the people That to trust his own bare testimony without Scripture we should leave the word of God and trust the word of a man and so bring our selves under that curse Jer. 17.5 Cursed be he that trusteth in man And also said as Jeremiah saith in that 17 chap. The heart is deceitful And therefore it was good for us to try our own and others by the Scripture Read Prov. 28.26 Then thou Farnworth saidst I told thee of a Church in the world Answ Yea Christ had a Church in the world though not of the world but gathered out of the world and for the gathering of it did not the holy Ghost say Act. 13.2 Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And I am sure that Paul makes this good by many Scriptures that he was a Planter of a visible Church But thou sayest in thy book That the Officers and Overseers of the Church of Christ were invisible and why because made by the holy Ghost which is invisible And here the Reader may plainly see thy folly for as I have already proved a visible Church so I will prove visible Officers as what was Paul and Barnabas but visible men else their enemies could not have persecuted them And read Acts 6.2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them By which it is plain this Church were made up of a visible company And the Apostle said unto them Look you out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost And the saying pleased the multitude and they chose Stephen with others who are said to be full of the holy Ghost So that it is a clear Truth That visible men were here found in this Church made visible Officers But Farnworth take heed of scorning so clear a Truth But one thing Reader I pray you observe if it be so as Farnworth saith That the Officers of the Church of Christ be invisible then by his own grant he is none because he is a visible man And here is his folly made manifest And also he denying a visible Church you may as plainly see from whence he is sent and whose errand he goes on not of Christ's errand for then his work would he do but it is plain he is of his Father the Devil who was a lyar from the beginning else he would never say that Christ had not a visible Church and say all Ordinances ceased when Christ ascended and that the Scripture would never bring a man to the knowledge of God and say that all Ordinances contained in the Scripture are carnal Again Farnworth saith in his Book That I said the Letter and the Spirit was inseparable I do not so wonder of his taking boldness to lye of me that dare so impudently lye of Christ and of his Word and Ordinances as he hath done But to answer to this thou chargest me with this I then said unto thee as I now say That the Word and Spirtt were one or inseparable and this I said I will prove by the word of God 1 John 5.7 For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one And further when I said this then thou Farnwarth pulledst out thy Bible and not before and laid it on the ground and saidst to the people If that be Spirit and Life it would rise it self I told thee at that time That what was contained in that book which it declared of and held out to us was Spirit and Life And here Reader take not my words but the words of Christ John 6.63 The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life minde that which Christ spake they are and compare this with Job 12.48 The words saith Christ that I have spoken minde that the same shall judge you at the last day which word is established in heaven and written for our learning and is a perfect rule for us to walk by and see what Paul saith Rom. 15.4 For whatever were written ofore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And minde what Paul said to the Church Act. 20.32 at his departure Now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to make you wise to salvation and to build you up to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And Paul commends Timothy that from a childe he had known the holy Scripture and which is very observable Paul presseth Timothy to continue in the things he had learned 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16. For saith he evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived And Farnworth it seems you have not learned to distinguish between Law and Gospel for I demand of thee where any of the words of Christ or his Apostles are called Letter see what Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 Our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter that killeth but of the spirit that giveth life Now I am sure if Paul the other Apostles were alive you would call them Pharisees and outward Jews Ministers of the Letter and call Christ a Water-ma 〈…〉 r outside-washer as you call me for I am sure that they that carry on this work they have their rules from Christ and they are the onely wise men And this I say That for Baby-sprinklers and Tythe-takers and Parish-men we own no such thing and therefore let them runne in your number and ranke as men refusing and rejecting the holy Commandments and Ordinances of Christ as you do onely this I believe that many of them do what they do ignorantly but I fear you do wilfully speak against Truth But O you Scorners how long will you delight in your scorning to call the Holy Scripture a dead Letter and carnal as you do But to all of you that are contentious and do not obey the Truth of what ranke soever you be or by what name so ever called see your portion Rom. 2.8 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that is contentious and doth not obey the truth And see what Paul saith 2 Thes 1.9 where he speaks of some men that shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power and minde who they are vers 8. Them that know not God and obey not the

to suffer for him that so deal with him and his Ordinances and Saints as you do And now to that other slander you cast upon me in your book saying That I said Christ had not judgement committed to him while he was upon earth But here you have spoken as falsly as you have in the other but this I said That Jesus Christ at his first coming came not speedily to execute judgement upon all that did not receive him for I say It is clear to me by his own words that his first coming was rather to save the world for this see Christs own words John 12.46 47. I am come a light into the wold that whosoever believeth on me shall not abide in darkness and if any man hear my words and believe not minde what follows I judge him not for I came not to judge the world but to save the world He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day And Christ saith I came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18.11 And To open the blinde eyes and to bring prisoners from the prison and them that are in darkness out of the prison-house Isa 42.7 And for this end that is to say his own glory and for the good of poor Creatures did he send his Son into the world read John 3.16 17. For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved And having thus found out by the Scripture the end of God's sending his Son into the world and of Christ's coming and it is plain that neither Father nor Son did or doth take delight in the death of poor sinners but rather that they repent and live But to say That Christ had not judgement committed to him while he was upon earth this I did not say for I say That Christ had all power in Heaven and Earth committed to him But as I have said so I say again He came in an orderly way and as I may say was willing to stay the good pleasure of his Father and did not take the power of judgement into his hands so as to execute it till it pleased the Father to give it to him Mat. 28. Now all power is given minde it came by gift and that from the Father Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him that is to say his Son should all fulness dwell Now this I say That in reference to his God-head he was equal with the Father but as he took upon him our flesh he humbled himself and became obedient to the will of his Father And he himself saith I came not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and to finish his work John 4.3 4. And now having found out God's great love to us in sending his Son and for what end Jesus Christ came into the world that they through him might be saved and that he did not go about to judge or condemn to Hell immediately them that refused him but prayed for his worst enemies Luk. 23. Father forgive them for they know not what they do And how full of pity was Christ for Jerusalem that did not pity themselves see at large Mat. 23.37 his bemoaning of them and Luk. 19.41 you shall finde Christ weeping over them or for them and saying O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thy eyes But what will become of all those that slight his first coming wherein there is held out so much love to poor creatures O I say His second coming will be terrible to all those that refuse to own him for their Prophet and King to teach them and to rule over them But O Farnworth what will all you do that make it your work to draw away poor souls from the Word and Ordinances of Christ I say What will you do at that day when he cometh to render vengeance on all that obey not his Gospel let me tell you It is not your saying That you are past the eternal judgement that will serve your turn I am sure that when the books come to be open every man to receive according to the works done in his own body whether it be good or whether it be evil and receive accordingly Your justifying your selves now will not stand you then in any stead And if you would cast your eyes upon these words of Christ now in time you might see abundance of pride folly and ignorance in your selves in trusting your own Testimony read John 5.32 33. If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true there is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which witnesseth of me is true Now Reader minde first The pride of these men that will thus boast of perfection upon their own word without any Scripture-witness Secondly See their folly in slighting all godly examples for so it is that such precious words of Christ so pure a pattern is by this their Principle disregarded And so in the third place is their ignorance made manifest and darkness discovered that they will presume above what is written and so follow their own imaginations and refuse such precious counsel as Jesus Christ hath left for us in the Scripture of Truth O then it is plain that these men are of that number that hearken to lying vanities and so forsake their own mercies But dear Friends let us see what the Scripture saith and if we be there enjoyned to follow godly patterns we shall do well in hearkening to it rather then to these men that speak thus against examples read 1 Pet. 2.21 where Christ leaves us an example that we should follow his steps who is a blessed pattern of patience unto us Again see Phil. 3.17 Brethren be followers of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample And see how Paul commends the Thessalonians 1 Epist 1.7 saying That they were ensamples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia And in his 2 Epist 3. see how the Apostle carried themselves labouring night and day that they might not be chargeable and see the reason that the Church might observe this their good example and follow them therein Again poor Creature consider how thou judgest all men by these terms of dippers sprinklers and water-baptizers to be all of them in one nature persecutors of Christ First see thy folly in ranking all those that follow the holy Commandments of Christ with these sprinklers that have not any word of Christ for their rule and practice which thou knowest we own not Secondly see thy ignorance in judging all without making any difference for