G. KEITH's NARRATIVE OF THE PROCEEDINGS at TURNERS-HALL THE Eleventh of the Month called June 1696. AN Exact Narrative OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT TURNERS-HALL The 11th of the Month called June 1696. Together with the DISPUTES and SPEECHES There BETWEEN G. KEITH and other QVAKERS Differing from Him in Some Religious Principles The Whole Published and Revised By GEORGE KEITH With an APPENDIX containing some New Passages to prove His Opponents guilty of Gross Errors and Self-Contradictions LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill and J. Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-street 1696. The PREFACE THE Preface to the Friendly Readers throughout these Three Nations and elsewhere professing the Christian Faith in Sincerity To aâ—l you sincere Bâ—lievers in the Lord Jesus Christ and true lovers of him and of that Holy Christian Religion whereof he is the Author throughout these three Nations and other Countries where the Christian Religion is Professed I do humbly recommend this following Narrative to your serious Reading and Consideration of what Station Rank or Quality soever ye be the subject matter treated on in the said Narrative being so great Fundamentals of the Christian Religion and Faith that the denyal of them is a downright denyal of the Christian Religion and Faith it self Seeing therefore the Subject is so great and so essential to the Christian Faith it worthily deserveth and calleth for the due and serious Consideration of all the sincere Professors of Christ to whose hands thâ—t may happen to come And since the report of our late differences about Religious Matters one with another remaining under one common Name and Designation of Quakers is spread far and near not only through these Three Nations but other Places abroad as is apparent by the late GENERAL HISTORY of the QUAKERS Written by Gerard Croese a Hollander writ Originally in Latin and lately Published in English here at London And that the Report of the late Meeting and Conference held at Turners-Hall in London the 11th of the Month called June is much gone abroad through both City and Country chiefly with respect to the subject matter there discoursed and my undertaking against them of the opposite Party to prove certain Persons of greatest Note among them guilty of denying and opposing these great Fundamentals particularly specified in the following Narrative out of their Printed Books it may be judged that both the love of Christian Verity and the sense of Christian Duty will oblige and induce you to read the said Narrative if it fall into your hands and others to enquire after it that the truth of the matter may be searched into whether these whom I have undertaken to prove guilty of denying and opposing these great Fundamental Truths be really so or I be guilty in accusing them I cannot suppose that any sincere Professor of the Christian Faith to whose Ears the Report of this great Controversie hath come will be a Gallâ—o in the Case so as to care for none of these things If your outward Estates Liberty and Property lay at stake to be endangered would ye not be awakened to provide the bâ—st Remedy to secure them how much more I hope will all sincere Professors of the Christian Religion be concerned for that which is incomparably more valuable than all these outward things Even the Redemption of your Souls which is your true riches according to that in Prov. 13.8 The Redemption of the Soul of a Man is hâ—s Riches It is reckoned the greatest Cheat and Impâ—sture that can happen in a Nation to corâ—upt and adulterate the true Coyn and falsifie it so as to make Brass or Iron pass for true Silver what shall then be judged of such who seek to adulterate and falsifie the true Christiâ—n Religion as to put another thing in place of it even plain Deism or Gentilism to wâ—t a Profession of Religion towards God and Light in Men excluding Christ God Man and the Faith of him as he dyed for us and rose again and is sat down in the Kingdom of the Father and as he is to come again to judge the Quick and the Dead in the true intire glorified Nature of Man having the true Soul and Body of Man the same he had on Earth The denyal of these great Fundamental Truths of the Christian Religion with some others necessarily related to them and joyned with them inseparably I have undertaken to prove my Opponents guilty of and not only I but many Judicious Persons that were present at that Meeting at Turners-Hall the 11th of the Month called June of this instant 1696 of the several Professions of Protestants in this great City did judge that I have effectually done it But if I have not done it and cannot make it justly to appear that these particular Persons are guilty of the things charged by me on them I shall freely acknowledge that I deserve great blame and therefore I greatly desire if it were the Will of God that I might have yet a more Publick Opportunity to be heard as concerning these things were it to be called before the greatest Persons of Authority in the Nation either to make good my Charges against them and if they be found guilty the blame to lye on them or if I be found guilty that I may have the blame laid on me But let them be found ever so guilty as I am most sure they are let them cover and cloak as much as ever they can I would not in the least have them persecuted or any Sufferings either in Person or Estate to come upon them My design in this undertaking is that they may be shamed out of their gross Errors if possible or if they continue shameless in them yet that all others who are not as yet tainted with them may be preserved from them and cautioned and warned against them for this Gangrene of their vile and gross Errour and Heresie that is a complex of the worst sort of Errors and Heresies that ever infested the Christian Profession hath to my certain knowledge overspread many parts and many persons in these Three Nations as well as elsewhere Though I charge them not either upon the generality far less the universality of all them called Quakers But if they really disown these gross and vile Errors which I have proved them guilty of in this following Narrative and be cordial in the belief and acknowledgment of the great Fundamental Truths opposite to those Errors then it will be that which the sincere Professors of Christianity in these Three Nations will expect from them and may justly require of them as publickly to retract and renounce these Errors as they have publickly asserted them in their Printed Books in the face of the Christian World otherwise no sincere Christians will believe them to be in good earnest but that they resemble many old Hereticks and particularly the crafty Arrians that pretended and made great Protestations that they owned the true Faith according to
all contained in the Scriptures when they did nothing less And whereas some have Objected to me that since I have acknowledged divers passages in my own Books need correction and have promised to do it I ought to have done that in the first place before I had charged Errors upon others otherwise it would look like the Hyprocrites seeking to pull cut the Mote out of his Neighbours Eye when the Beam is in his own Eye I Answer The things that need Correction in my Books compared with the vile Errors in theirs are but as my Motes to their Beams which I had so far already pulled out of my own Eye that I have freely acknowledged them to many viva voce and have them in readiness to Publish in Print with the first conveniency Nor are they such things as oppose any Christian Principles of Faith but of an inferiour nature And it must be one of these two things that are their greatest hinderances to publish any such Corrections that is either that they are still entangled in those Errors but are not willing it be known fearing lest the present publick avouching of them may bring some Persecution on them or great Infamy and Reproach or if they be in their Consciences convinced of those Errors and so are come to a better understanding of Christian Doctrines and Principles yet their Pride and high Authority that they have gained over their too credulous followers will not suffer them to make any such free acknowledgment but especially because any such free acknowledgment by their own argument and way of reasoning against all other Ministers in all Christian Professions would as much unminister them as others they have unministred on that account viz want of Infallibility or being subject and lyable to Errors and Mistakes in Articles of Christian Faith And this will also not a little stick in the way to be so humbled that they must acknowledge G. Keith has not falsly accused them as they have severely charged him to have done if they confess their former Errors But how much better were a sincere Confession in the case taking shame as due to them and humbling themselves under the power and victory of Truth than a haughty and arrogant standing out to justifie themselves in these things that neither God nor good Men will ever justifie them in And if they continue so bold as to hold such palpable Contradictions as are discovered in their former and latter Books and sometimes in the same Books all ingenuous Persons that know their Contradictions will conclude them not only still guilty of those Errors but great Hypocrites for nâ—ne but stark mad men and crased in their Vnderstandings as they have falsly and injuriously represented me to be will hold perfect Contradictions as such but Hypocrites may so dissemble and juggle with them that are weak so as to make them think these things that are real Contradictions are not so indeed but well consistent Truths It nothing I thank God moves me that they so severely accuse me as they have dâ—ne in their late Printed Pamphlets and Papers that Envy and Malice hath influenced me thus to expose them the Testimony of my Conscience and which is more of that holy witness in my Conscience clearing me of all such imputation is as a Brasen Wall to me against their evil and injurious Aspersions As they cannot prove it to be so by any of my words or deeds so the comfort I have in that inward Peace of Conscience in that discharge of my Duty both to them and to all in the Three Nations to whom this my so publick Appearance I hope will be of service is safeguard enough unto me against their uncharitable constructions And I do freely leave it to all Impartial Judges whether they or I be guilty of this severe Charge and let the Tree be judged by the Fruits Their pretended Excuses for not meeting me as desired at the Place and Time mentioned in my Printed Advertisement are so frivolous and weak that they are scarce worth noticing But however the chiefest of them I Answered on the Place as the following Narrative will certifie Their pretence of their not meeting me for the sake of Religion the Liberty granted us and the Civil Peace is an empty shift and poor evasion Is it contrary to their Religion to dispute their Adversary viva voce Why then did they dispute with the Baptists and mightily provoked them thereunto and that viva vocâ— And not only with them but with many others both at London and in many other Places in the Nation and that before promiscuous and mixt Auditories as they commonly call the World excepting their own Party whom they call The Elect People of God And why did W. Penn give such a daring Challenge to Thomas Hicks Reason against Railing p. 184. and complain against him in these words I must needs tell the World the base Cowardice of this Adversary in hand for we have offered him a free Meeting with his Books in our hands proffering to refute them viva voce before the World but instead thereof or any other way as several have been tendered he disingenuously slinks away and puts us off by meer Shifts and Evasions And let the Reader judge if W. Penn has not shown great Cowardice and his Party charged by not appearing at all whereas T. Hicks at least once appeared But why should such a Dispute viva voce be construed to be against the Liberty granted us and the Civil Peace more now than then when at that time those in Civil Authority were more severe whereas now they are very propitious And why should Disputes viva voce be more offensive to Civil Peace than Disputes in Print I believe they can give no Reason And it is altogether incredible that my undertaking the Vindication of the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith professed by the present Authority against such manifest Opposers of it as I have proved my Opponents to be can be construed by the Authority to be any breach of the Civil Peace especially when I had procured the Leave of the Lord Mayor of London for such an undertaking whereof my Opponents were not ignorant Their upbraiding me with vain speculations not telling what those are showeth their great impertinency But such who are but a little acquainted with the Religious Differences betwixt them and me may easily guess what they mean by my vain speculations even the Fundamental Truths of the Christian Faith and other solid and sound Articles of Doctrine thereunto belonging And if these be not they I dare them to name what my vain Speculations are whereof they accuse me But to be sure the plain and manifest Proofs I have brought out of their Books against the greatest Truths of Christianity demonstrate their Speculations not only to be Vain but Pernicious and Pestiferous Their Hypocrisie is manifest in making what they call my Passionate and Abusive Behaviour an Excuse for not
meeting me when desired For if they thought that I would show any such Behaviour it would be such an advantage to them that it would rather be an Argument to invite them to meet me that I may discover my self than to disswade them But blessed be God that preserved me at that Meeting when I had great Provocation given me by some of their Party in such a Temper and Moderation of Spirit as hundreds are ready to witness as became a sober Christian when some of them that appeared against me shewed themselves very outragious And as insignificant is their Excuse of declining to meet because it was not an agreed Meeting on both sides As if guilty Persons are not to be tryed without their consent and agreement Was it not more Fair Just and Equal in me and my Friends to give them a fair Tryal with open and free access of all sober Persons as many as the Place could contain without Croud and leave it to the Consciences of the Auditors how to judge and intimate my Intentiâ—n at a convenient time beforehand than for them to condemn me in a clandestine Place without all Tryal fair or unfair and not to let me have access to them but when and how little time they pleased and to suffer none of my Friends to be present to be Witnesses of their unfair proceedings against me Their upbraiding me by insinuating my assuming a Spiritual Jurisdiction over them and summoning them to appear before me is idle and vain The Injurer is Debtor to the Injured and accountable to him But let them tell what Spiritual Jurisdiction they had over me to call me several times to them at their Yearly Meetings 1694 more than I had over them to call them to our Meeting at Turners-Hall 1696 unless they will fly to their common Pretence common to them with the Church of Rome their Infallibility the contrary of which they have manifestly showed and never any Society of People professing Christianity hath given greater Instances of not only their Fallibility but their being miserably deceived than these Men have done And as idle is that other Excuse of theirs that they will not dispute with me viva voce because I am gone off from them but they did thrust me from them by their Vnjust Excommunication when I would have stayed among them so long as I could have any hope to have reclaimed them from their Errors but if my going off be a sufficient Reason why they will not Answer me viva voce it is as sufficient a Reson why they should not Answer me in Print which yet they boast they will do For if I be not worthy nor fit to be Answered by Word nor am I to be Answered by Writ But all this sheweth their confusion and inconsistency They think such a Meeting at Turners-Hall is but in a corner and not in the face of the Nation but they are like to find it hath been so much in the face of the Nation that many in the Nation will notice it possibly more than they would either wish or expect and more than any thing that hath happened to them for many Years past to give the Nation a discovery of them and of their vile Errors and irregular Practices If my Adversaries happen to put out an Answer to this Narrative filled as their manner is with the Falshoods and Perversions and vain Shifts and Evasions I purpose with Leave of the Civil Authority which I hope to obtain as well as formerly God willing to Print a New Advertisement of a Méeting and to give them timely Notice before-hand to detect their Errors and Abuses yet further and to renew the like Practice as oft as they abuse the World and me with their Prints For their unfair way of Disputing in Print is much easier discovered viva voce than by Answering in Print and is more acceptable to all Free and Impartial People who in that way are more capable to judge G. KEITH It is thought proper in the first place to insert the following Advertisement bearing date the 11th of the Third Moneth called May 1696 and sent to those Persons called Quakers chiefly concerned it being the occasion of the following Conference An ADVERTISEMENT Of a Meeting about some Controversies in Religious Matters of Faith to be held by George Keith and his Friends at their usual Meeting place in Turners-Hall in Philpot-Lane London the Eleventh Day of the Month called June 1696. to begin about the Ninth Hour and to be adjourned if Occasion requireth To which Meeting William Penn Thomas Elwood George Whitehead John Pennington and these of the Second Days Weekly Meeting at Lombard-street London called Quakers are justly desired to be present to hear themselves charged and proved guilty of the following things and they shall be freely heard to answer to their several Charges First WHereas William Penn hath accused me George Keith in a Publick Meeting at Ratcliffe of my being an Apostate and Impostor and endeavouring to pluck up the Testimony of Truth by the Roots and that he hath not either then or since after many months proved his Charge to be true tho' he promised to answer me before many Witnesses when I told him I thought to put him to prove his Charge in the Face of the Nation And I being conscious to my self that I am not guilty of his Charge I charge him to be guilty of False Accusation and Defamation and offer to prove him to be so as also I offer to prove him guilty out of his Printed Books which it doth not appear that he hath Retracted or Corrected of most Erroneous and hurtful Principles contrary to the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith and Religion delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures And also that he is guilty of gross Contradiction to himself Secondly Whereas Thomas Elwood hath Printed sundry Defamatory Books against me I charge him to be guilty of False Accusations Perversions and Forgeries contained in his said books as also of most Erroneous and Hurtful Principles to the great shame of his Profession and Scandal of Christian Religion and I offer to prove him to be so Thirdly Whereas George Whitehead did joyn with a prevailing Party in that called The Yearly Meeting of the Quakers in the Third Month 1695. to pass a most Unchristian Censure of Excommunication against me without any Proof or Charge of either Error in Doctrine or Evil Conversation I charge him to be guilty of False Accusation and of a most false and unjust Censure and offer to prove it against him As also I offer to prove the said George Whitehead out of some of his Printed Books which it doth not appear that he hath Retracted or Corrected guilty of most Erroneous and Hurtful Principles contrary to the Fundamental Doctrine of the Christian Faith and Religion Fourthly Whereas John Pennington hath Printed Defamatory Books against me and hath Accused me to be an Apostate I charge him to be guilty of
false Accusation and Defamation and I offer to prove it at the said Meeting Fifthly Whereas the Second Days Weekly Meeting of the People called Quakers in Lombard-street London hath approved or Countenanced the above-mentioned Scandalous Books and another late Book from Pensilvania signed by Caleb Pusey falsly called by him A modest Account from Pensilvania of the Principal Differences in a Point of Doctrine c. I charge them to be guilty of great Injustice against me as also of being guilty of the false Accusations Perversions Forgeries and false Doctrines contained in the said Books by their approving the same and allowing them to be publickly sold next Door to their Meeting-place by one of their own Profession If it happen that few or none of the above-mentioned Persons shall be present at the said Meeting being conscious to themselves of the badness of their Cause yet I do hereby declare and publish my full intention to be present God willing with my Friends at the said Place and Time appointed to make good the Charges against them And any moderate and Friendly People of other Professions have freedom to be present so far as there is room in the place to receive them without Crowd or Throng to hear what shall be said and proved in these matters above-mentioned GEORGE KEITH London the 11th day of the Third Month called May 1696. And here I think fit to give a true Account of the Just Cause I have to intimate such a Meeting IN my book called A Seasonable Information and Caveat against a scandalous book of Th. Elwood I made a profer to Th. Elwood to meet him at any Place and Time that he would appoint to prove him guilty of gross Forgery in matters of Fact c. and also of false Doctrine But he did no wise assent to any such proffer nor gave any rational Excuse for his Rufusal pretending he would not give G K. an Opportunity to gratifie the Rabble and disgrace his Profession he yet made of Truth by so publick a discovery of his ungoverned Passions What is this but great hypocrisie And no doubt if he or his Party thought to get any advantage against me such a Publick Appearance either in regard of the Cause or of what he and they call my ungoverned Passions they would greedily embrace it But the reality of the matter is they are not willing their great injustice as well as their insolent carriage and most unruly Passions in clandestine places should be discovered shutting the doors upon all but themselves that none that were equal and impartial Hearers and Observers might be present to be a check to their rude and insolent carriage against me many speaking to me at once which some among themselves reproved at the first Yearly Meeting I appeared among them Thus they seek to murther the Reputation of the Innocent in secret places And instead of assenting to my just proffer he prints another book against me filled with more than double to what was in his former book of Forgeries Perversions False Accusations and Misrepresentations And I having neither time nor ability of outward Estate to print Answers to him and others that heap book upon book against me with no charge to them they having got a way without any charge or cost to them to Print what they please And things being thus I appeal to all moderate persons whether this my intimation of such a Meeting in the defence of the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity as the necessity of Faith in Christ as he outwardly suffered at Jerusalem to our Salvation Justification and Sanctification by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed the Resurrection of the Body that dyeth and Christs coming without us in his Glorified Body even the same that formerly suffered Death for our sins to Judge the Quick and the Dead All which I offer to prove have been opposed and contradicted by some of them being the common Faith generally and in common professed by Christians in all professions and for the defence of which all sincere Christians are jointly concerned and also in my just vindication both as a man and a Christian be not justifiable and commendable it being the best way I have at present to clear the Truth and my Innocency and discover their great injustice towards me and to Answer the proud and insulting boastings of my Adversaries And whereas in my late Book called A short List of some of the vile and gross Errors of Geo. Whitehead c. I proposed a just demand to William Penn to give me an Opportunity for him to make good his Charge against me at any publick Meeting of the People called Quakers in or about London instead of his assenting to my just Demand there comes forth a Third Book of Tho. Elwood multiplying his gross Forgeries Defamations and Misrepresentations against me and also containing most false and Antichristian Doctrine to the great dishonour of the blessed Name of Christ and the Christian Religion And as if G. W. and W. P. were not alive or not able to Answer for themselves he will needs Answer for them and the said Tho. Elwood puts a most impudent and notorious perversion upon my plain words in my Proposition to W. Penn saying of me as he has worded his Demand he seems to have bespoke a Publick Meeting that he might have done it himself see page 159. and page 160. of his Truth defended As if saith he he wanted such an Opportunity to prove himself an Apostate Let the Reader but read my words in my own Book and at the first sight he will see the Cheat and Forgery Observe Reader my words p. 32. And let him signifie to me the time and place where he will make it to appear I say not when I will that his Charge against me is true May I not well say that ever such a gross and impudent Forgerer Wrester and Perverter of a Mans words should be allowed or permitted to be an Agent Patron or Champion for what they call the Body of the People named Quakers and their Ministry is a sign that they are at a low Ebb when they make use of such Tools as T. E. is whom I can and do offer to prove not only to be guilty of gross Forgeries and Perversions and Antichristian Principles but grosly ignorant in that which he pretends to have knowledge of Humane Learning and who is guilty of Pedantick trifling and quibbling from meer Errors of the Press not so duly corrected yet obvious to any intelligent Reader And to my demanding the like Justice to be done me as some Years ago we demanded of the Baptists against Thomas Hicks he answereth in his last book falsly called Truth defended pag. 158. That betwixt that and this of mine there is in parallel For saith he in that there was a people concerned on each side c. Whereas W. P 's calling G. K. Apostate affects no body that I know of saith T. E. but himself and
of those Churches c. Another Proof I bring against W. Penn is out of his Address to Protestants p. 119. printed 1692. the second Edition corrected and enlarged But this Passage remains in it however I will begin a little before the main thing For it seems p. 118. a most unreasonable thing that Faith in God and in keeping his Commands should be no part of the Christian Religion But if a part it be as upon serious Reflection who dare deny it then those before â—nd since Christ's time who never had the external Law and have done the things contained in the Law their Consciences not accusing nor Hearts condemning but excusing them before God are in some degree concerned in the Character of a true Christian for Christ himself preached and kept his Father's Commandments and came to fulfil and not destroy the Law and that not only in his own Person but that the Righteousness of the Law might also be fulfilled in us Now comes the main thing Let us but soberly consider what Christ is and we shall the better know whether Moral Men are to be reckon'd Christians What is Christ but Meekness Justice Mercy Patience Charity and Vertue in Perfection Can we then deny a meek Man to be a Christian a just a merciful a patient a charitable and vertuous Man to be like Christ But in this way of arguing there is a Fallacy these Moral Vertues are a Part of a Christian as Animal is a part of the Definition of a Man and belong to the Genus of a Christian But there are two things in the true Definition of a Man the Genus and the Differentia they have the Genus but not the Differentia therefore it is true to say every Man is an Animal but it is not true nor good Logick to say every Animal is a Man Let us but soberly consider saith William Penn what Christ is what is Christ but Meekness and Justice and Mercy and Patience And now take notice I would not misconstrue what I have read by William Penn's Argument a Man may be own'd to be a Christian and yet disbelieve that Christ is either God or Man if he own or practise a Habit or Quality of Moral Vertue as that of Justice and Meekness c. and practise accordingly tho he believe not in Christ if he have but some Moral Habits So that here the Jew is the Christian the Mahometan is the Christian the Pagan is the Christian and the professed Pelagian is the Christian tho they deny any inward supernatural Principle and call the Light within only natural as many sober and moral Men do why then have they so fiercely contended against such Men denying them to be Christians in whom as much of Moraâ—ity has appeared as in many of tâ—em But it is strange to heathenise all Christendom through calling them the World and christianise Heathens for their Morality See again the Christian Quaker p. 125 126 127. let me but recommend it to you to read the Book This Christian Quaker it is a Folio Book he bestows about three Pages to define what a Christian Quaker is In all this large Deâ—â—nition not one word of the Man Christ who is God over all blessed for ever to be the Object either of this Christian Quaker's Faith Love or Homage it is too large to reciâ—e but I recommend it to you to read it and shall go to the next Again see the Preface to R. Barclay's great Volume p. 36. where he makes the Work of Regeneration greater than the Manifestation of the Son of God in the Flesh R. Barclay is my Country-man I will not be partial to him on that account but I do not now blame any thing in his Book I know he is the soundest Writer among them But the thing I blame is a Preface supposed to be writ by W. Penn and however commended by G. Whitehead and some others By the Stile it is thought to be W. Penn's and it commonly goes under his Name These are the Words O Reader great is the Mystery of Godliness And if the Apostle said it of the Manifestation of the Son of God in tâ—e Flesh if that be a Mystery and if a Mystery it is not to be spelt out but by the Revelation of the Spirit how much more is the Work of Regeneration a Mystery that is wholly inward and spiritual in its Operation Who is sufficient for these things Now pray take notice that I tell you I cast no Reflection on R. Barclay I blame nothing at present in his Books tho there may be things both in his Books and mine that may need Correction If there be any Reflection on him it is chiefly this that such an unsound Preface should be put to his Book for I can sufficiently prove that R. Barclay's Doctrine is plainly Antipodes to this Doctrine O Reader great is the Mystery of Godliness for which is cited 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the Mâ—stery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh c. which all Christendom judg to be God manifest in Christ's outward Body of Flesh and but consequentially of his Spirit and Grace in Men and I think it 's the greatest Mystery next to that of the Holy Three in One and One in Three the Manifestation of the Son of God in that Body of Flesh is next to that Now you see how he makes Regeneration in a Believer a greater Mystery than the Manifestation of the Son of God in his Body of Flesh How much more saith he is the Work of Regeneration a Mystery For the other here 1 Tim. 3. â—6 he does not say it is a Mystery but he puts three ifs to it If a Mâ—stery c. Pray was our blessed Lord a mere Shell Was he like the Shell of an Egg without the Meat of an Egg or was he like the Shell of any Fruit and no Kernel in it Was there any Holiness ever in any Prophet or Apostle but it is like a Drop to the Ocean to what was in â—ur blessed Lord Therefore to compare the Work of Regeneration to the Incarnation of our Lord so as to equal it he prefers it and does not equal it only I appeal to you whether is it not a most abominable Error and whether it doth not make every regenerate Man not only equal to the Man Christ but greater for we truly value any Man as more holy according as the Manifestation of God is more in one Man than in another It is not enough to say he has unadvisedly dropt this Doctrine but it is his main Aim in divers of his Books See W. Penn's Rejoinder p. 330 337 340. where he makes Christ in the Gentiles a greater Mystery than Christ incarnate p. 335. J. Faldo is now in his Grave and I confess I never thought I should be raised up to vindicate J. Faldo I cannot say I ever read the fourth Part of this Book of W. Penn's called his Rejoinder till within this
but knows the contrary you know the Substance of the Egg the White and Yolk by the force and heat of the Hen sitting on the Egg is changed into a Chicken Is here any Transubstantiation So that W. Penn and G. Whitehead are guilty of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and not we and abuse the World with false Philosophy They warn People against G. Keith and his false Philosophy and I appeal to you to Judge whether they have not abused the People with false and vain Philosophy Auditors If you will answer one of these two things you that are a Friend of W. Penn do you have excommunicated G. Keith either answer or justifie it G. Keith If they will appoint a Meeting of Friends to prove me guilty of Error I will never refuse to meet them and here are many Persons of discretion I thank God that has given me that humble Heart that if they bring any Passage out of my Books that is not to be justified I will own my Error and shortness Now if they would do the like it would be well But the matter is here T. Danson says Our want of Infallibility is no Argument against our Ministry G. Whitehead says it is they that want Infallibility are not true Ministers Now I hope I have proved they want Infallibility and therefore by their own Doctrine they are no true Ministers of Christ Therefore I think it necessary to have the Passage read G. Whitehead's Voice of Wisdom pag. 33. Says T. Danson As for our want of Infallibility 't is no valid Plea against our Ministry c. Now here is the Answer His falshood here appears plainly for they that want Infallibility saith G.W. and have not the Spirit of Christ they are out of the Truth and are fallible and their Ministry is not of the Spirit seeing they speak not from the Spirit but from their own Hearts which are deceitful when they want Infallibility Quaker N. Marks I do make my further Appeal to you and if I am either impertinent or defective I beg your Excuse G. Kieth Then thou art not Infallible Quaker You may be ashamed to mention that Quaker N. Marks What I have to offer I submit to you The Person that has denoted me to be W. Penn's Friend has hit right and I own I am not capable to represent him And as you are Professors of Christianity I hope you will not conclude that Philosophy or Logick are any Essentials to Christianity G. Keith Who says it is But is it not sad that their false Philosophy should destroy their Faith and deceive so many People and destroy their Faith Quaker N. Marks I hope you will observe too that the Method taken to make the Proofs has been principally by the Rules of Philosophy and Logick Next I beg the Charity of you to consider how much it is the Right of every Man to give his own Interpretation of all he says and writes Therefore I hope you will not believe all you hear having the Illustrations of an Antagonist Next I would Apologize for the Persons they are not here it may be you are not all of you capable of knowing the Reason of things G. Keith has had his Conversation among us many Years between Twenty and Thirty Years G. Keith Between Thirty and Forty Years Quaker N. Marks Now for as much as these Writings were then extant long ago and he was then intirely passive still and quiet under all these Objections he now makes I hope as we know so you will believe it does not arise altogether from the matter of Fact For I do not think this a good way of proving to take a bit here and a bit there Next I say I hope you will reasonably conclude that we who knew the Circumstances of his Life and his Temper knew his Conversation has been such that we could not own him He stands not charg'd with us on the Account of his Principles I do not know but you will find when you have an Answer to what he has offered that those he charges and paraphrases on will agree with him in Principles nor have we any thing against his Conversation among Men in the World It was his Discontents with particular Persons because he was a little troublesome petulant Man and we could not pacifie him and it was for that Reason chiefly that we did disown him G. Keith A little petulant Man Quaker I would have you note I do not pretend to personate any of the Persons challenged Auditors What is this Discourse for then They are ashamed to come Quaker I am coming to give you a further Reason why they do not meet him We have had several Meetings with him before he was put from us And the Reasons why they did not think fit to meet him now you have heard the Paper gives you an Account of it Now since he is disowned by us and also by them where he lives we do not think our selves obliged to submit to such a peremptory Challenge G. Keith I suppose you cannot think I can answer to every particular because my Memory does not serve me He charges me to take a bit here and a bit there out of their Books I have quoted full Periods at length as all Authors do the Quakers when they refute Books of Adversaries do not use to recite the whole Author they write against Stranger About what you say as to Philosphy Dr. Sherlock says the Salvation of the Soul Depends not on such niceties but for you to charge G. Keith as an Apostate is one of the greatest Charges under Heaven and now for you to say that he differs not from you in Principles is to clear him from that Charge Upon which the People made some Shout G. Keith Pray be quiet and regard the Honour of your Nation Let me put you in mind of one very great falshood He says Here one Wyat or Wait a Quaker interrupted G. K. as they did oft on purpose to divert him from his matter Quaker Wait. There is an Apostacy from the Spirit of Christianity as well as from the Principles Friends have excommunicated him not for his Principles but for going from the Spirit of Meekness Charity c. G. Keith The Tree is known by the Fruits I was like a Lamb among I know not what where there were Two or Three Hundred I had scarce One that sympathized with me at their Yearly Meeting when clandestinely with their Doors shut suffering none that were my Friends to be present they passed false Judgment against me without any Trial A Notorious Falshood he chargeth against me and nothing else only he calls me a little petulant man and he is not a Story above my height He says I am Quaker I observe a Contradiction in G. Keith he said he was not disowned by half the Yearly Meeting and now he says by all G. Keith Let me answer that I say Divers in the Meeting were favourable but W. P.
and G. W. over-ruled them and influenced them against me with Prejudice and some they over-awed and frighted There was a Person that came to me and told me he would rather suffer his Life to be taken from him or his Right Hand to be cut off before he would sign a sentence against me And some others that were not free to consent to them did purposely absent and this I told them in their yearly Meeting that there was such a person that had so spoke to me that day they asked me who it was I told them I desired to be excused in not telling his Name that was not convenient After I was gone they called over the Roll one by one and the poor man seeing it coming to him says You need go no further I am the Man now what is this but to set up something like the Spanish Inquisition And there is one viz. T. E. hath applyed that passage in Scripture Master is it I but the question there was Is it thou And tho I had cause to think that divers then present did not in Conscience consent to their false Judgment but thought it too severe as some has since acknowledged yet I did not know as to the last Meeting that of all them that were present that I had one that Sympathized with me they were all silent and were-over awed by G. Whitehead and W. Penn's Party And this poor man above-mentioned has come to me since and disowned that false Judgment and declared to me before two Witnesses he did not joyn with them in it He says I am disowned by them where I live I suppose he means the Scots do I Live among them this is a notorious falshood Stranger All this is very impertinent to the business in hand G. Keith I happened to drop an Expression in Pensilvania finding the same Errors there I have now mentioned in their Books here that no Protestant Society would suffer such Errors as these no not the Church of Rome it self my words were that no Protestant Society would Tolerate them They began with me There was an universal neglect among them of Preaching Christ Crucified and concerning Faith in him Preaching only the Light within and Christ within Whereupon a little while after I began to Preach this and they stood up against me and charged me with new Doctrine and one appealed to the Monthly Meeting whether they ever heard of such Doctrine Preached in the Quakers Meetings directing them to Faith in Christ without us I answered The more shame and it was now full time to begin if it was never Preached in the Quakers Meetings before But that to witness against Error and sharply to reprove it is no Argument of Apostazy I have most effectual Proofs from the Quakers themselves Ed. Burrough's says It is no breach of the Peace to witness against Error Truths Princip G. Fox says He was moved by the Lord to testifie against False Teachers that deceive the People with false Doctrine Now if they be guilty of these things I say I am not to be blamed to withstand their false Doctrine They say I began first to Print which is true but they sent out their defaming manuscripts against me to England Barbadoes Maryland before I Printed a line against them What is the last Remedy against oppression Why Printing Therefore I began G. Fox p. 15. Some of the Principles of the Elect People of God called Quakers I hope this one Testimony of G. Fox will clear me that I am not guilty of the breach of the Peace in the Church for opposing their Doctrines Some Principles of the Elect People of God signed by G. Fox Says G. Fox Moved of the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord for the cleansing of the Land of all false Teachers Seducers and Deceivers and witches who beguile the People and Inchanters and Diviners and Forgerers and Hirelings and which is for the good of the People Now was this man of a Turbulent Spirit What work did G. Fox and G. Whitehead make What breach upon breach did they make on all other Professions whereof they had been formerly as Church of England Presbyterian Baptists Do not mistake me I Reverence Divine Providence that I became a Quaker But if I had known they had had such Errors among them I would as soon have put my Head in the fire as have owned such among them But I am of the same Faith as I have been above this thirty years Quaker It has been here asserted that he has been a Quaker above thirty years and he has Vindicated their Doctrine he is a Studious man and our Books have been publick always now for him to come now and call over all Books that he has by not opposing consented to it looks as if he had Apostatized from what he formerly held Auditor Did he ever write against these Principles he now holds Quaker He has constantly Vindicated our Principles G. Keith Whereas they say I have not taken notice of their Errors I say I can appeal to W. Penn and G. Whitehead that in the year 1678. three Ministers of London rose up against me and I opposed their Errors at that very time Auditor What Ministers were they G. Keith They were Quakers They accused me of three Principles in my Book called The way cast up The first was That Christs body rose out of the Grave They said it never did 2. That I said It was Lawful to Pray to Jesus Christ Crucified They denied it and dared me to give an Instance of one English Quaker that I ever heard Pray to Christ Whereupon W. Penn said I am an English-man and a Quaker and I own I have oft Prayed to Christ Jesus even him that was Crucified And they answered He is not an Antient Friend of the Ministery and G. Whitehead a man Antient in the Ministery told them there were forty or fifty present It is neither what W. Penn nor what G. Keith says but let Scripture decide it and he took the Bible and oponed it and Read 1 Cor. 1.2 To all that call upon the Lord Jesus Christ both their Lord and Ours Their answer was Paul was dark and ignorant as G. Keith is For our part we know better Quaker Will you say this and not mention their Names G. Keith I will not do it it is not convenient there is one of them a Citizen of very good repute and therefore it will be better to conceal his Name Auditor Go on to the last head Quaker H. Goldney you ought to name his name particularly if thou dost not thou art an Impostor Auditor He has done enough G. Keith I think it not convenient we must use a little Policy as well as you Jo. Delawall Published a Manuscript against me wherein he charges me with Heresy for saying The Light within was not sufficient without something else and that something else was Christ without us Now they say there
for comparing the Books of Friends to the Books of the Greek and Latin Fathers p. 99. For further Discovery In comparing says Tho. Ellwood the Books of Friends to the Books of them called the Greek and Latin Fathers he has not done as a Friend and Brother but as an Enemy in supposing Friends Books to have been written by no better guidance nor clearer sight than theirs who lived and writ in those dark times You see how modest they are here Auditors They gave a shout signifying their dislike that the Quakers Books should be preferred so far to the Greek and Latin Fathers next to the days of the Apostles Quaker N. M. It is very well that the whole Paragraph be read that it may give the more satisfaction to the Auditory which was accordingly done T. Ellwood saith He viz. G. K. turns off and says I reflect not only on him but on the late Christian Teachers and Writers who have corrected the Errors and unsound Expressions contain'd in the Books of them called the Greek and Latin Fathers Now hear what he further says In comparing the Books of Friends to the Books of them called Greek and Latin Fathers ut supra Quaker J. Waite I have made few Observations on the whole one or two particular the other are general The first is that he charges G. Whitehead and W. Penn to destroy the Object of Faith Now when he speaks of some Doctrines that were preached by him in 1678 and that he was reproved for saying it was lawful to pray to Jesus Christ he has vindicated W. Penn as to this Point who said he did so Also he has vindicated G. Whitehead saying that He directed not to what either of them could say but what Scripture says and he cites them a clear passage that was then believed by him and I believed by all Quakers The other particular Observation I did note is that the Quakers have not used recite the whole Author they write against and I appeal to you whether G. Keith in the opposition he has made has ever repeated a whole Author These are my particular Observations The general is that what has been casually dropt and I believe there are none concerned on this occasion but I say they may sometimes be apt to drop some Expressions that they will not stand by But to urge these against the whole Party is too hard and is very uncharitable and therefore I hope you will not conclude the whole body concerned in it And G. Keith hath been conversant among us eight and twenty years or more and has preached the Doctrines owned by us and writ many Books that related to fundamental Articles of Faith I believe him that they were owned by the People he was joyned with And at the yearly meeting the charge against him and his expulsion was not matter of Doctrine but Practice which was turbulent And therefore he has apostatized from what he was before from the meekness and integrity that is agreeable to the Doctrine of Christianity Stranger G. Keith I see you are almost spent I will answer for you He says it was the whole body that was against you it was the worse that the Excommunication should be from the whole yearly Meeting without mentioning any thing in particular For a man to apostatize is to apostatize from the whole Faith but for a man to differ with respect to particular things this is not Apostasie G. Keith The words of the Excommunication run thus I am a man of no Christian Spirit I have dismember'd myself from the Church of Christ If they had said from this particular Society it might have passed but they say from the Church of Christ And why Because there is no Church of Christ on Earth but the Quakers and no Representative of them but the Yearly Meeting in Gracechurch-street You see how weak that man's Objections are The Auditory shouted Quaker H. Goldney This man asserts a Lye and then the People are taken with it as if it were a Truth G. Keith If I have spoken amiss I am willing to be brought to a tryal He says I have answer'd many Books wherein I have not recited all the Books I have answer'd It is true and I blame not them for not doing so But they say I only take bits and scraps here and there I say what cause have I to recite G. Whitehead and W. Penn's whole Books to you when they have not done so I think it sufficient to give an account of their sense from full Periods and Paragraphs He says I have already cleared George Whitehead and William Penn from that charge that they have not destroyed the Object of Faith And I say I have proved that they have destroyed the Object of Faith if they have at other times Owned it let them disown and retract their Errors I am not to account for their Contradictions They have Contradicted themselves they have disowned the Object of Faith and if I have charged them with it this is no Contradiction in me but in them Quaker H. Goldney made an interruption while G. K. was speaking as he oft did and gave great offence to the Auditory with his impertinencies and reflections calling G. K. Lyer Impostor Apostate G. Keith The reading of this Paper if ye please shall conclude this Meeting After T. Ellwood came out with his further discovery I made my Complaint to the Monthly Meeting at Bull and Mouth against the Forgeries and false Accusations that his Book was filled with and I begged of them that they would hear my Charge against him but they would not suffer me they said I might print as T. Ellwood did but I said I could not they have a Stock I have not Whereupon I went to some of the Church-Party that favour'd me and told them if I could not get a meeting to hear me my design was to give forth a printed Advertisement of a Meeting to clear myself of these things and they might be present if they would Some of their Party said to me George do not they or some of them would give me a meeting Accordingly they gave me a meeting They took notice of some of Ellwood's Forgeries and Abuses some of them have I hope that Courage that I believe they would not be offended nor afraid if I named them They have said in their Paper T. Ellwood has done me wrong Quaker H. Goldney Let us know their names who they are G. Keith We must use some little Policy as well as ye Some of them are eminent among you Here is a Copy of a Paper containing an account of the matter There were I think nine or ten of them H. Goldney if I should name them would not deny them to be his Brethren Quaker H. Goldney I dare thee to name their names or else thou art a Lyar an Impostor a Cheat I dare say it is a Cheat. And turning to G. K. he said O thou Lyer thou contentious Creature G.
I have a Paper that some persons concerned in this Challenge have sent that they desire may be read Which was consented to G. Keith The truth is I could be almost content to go away and say nothing to it there is so little of value in it They say I began with them but they began with me in Pensylvania I was doing my duty in preaching Christ without and Christ within they charged me with preaching two Christs I went to some of them about it but they took their part against me I laid it before the Ministry at the Yearly meeting they also took their part Now you know he that affirms on him lies the business of proving W. Pen when I was opening a place of Scripture he charges me with being an Apostate and Impostor Here he charges me with being an Apostate I say to him it belongs to make his charge good but he goes away At the Yearly meeting I put it to him to make it good I do not doubt but this meeting will sound through the Nation They urge me to Printing I say again I have not either Estate or Time to print Book upon Book And tho' I have not answer'd the said two Books why may not I say as they do They are not worth answering As for example There is a Book called The Snake in the Grass I would not vindicate all things in it but they have been urged to answer it their Answer is it is not worth answering This man that prints this half-sheet says it cannot be supposed that G. Keith can answer eighteen sheets of Paper in a Meeting Why can it be â—upposed But G. Fox can answer an hundred sheets of Paper in a few Pages He has answer'd Books of ten or twelve sheets in a few lines And as for their upbraiding my Friends for not bearing the charge of Printing my Books they that own me here are not many of them rich and I would not put them to it But now there is the thing the Controversie is whether the rich Church or the poorer Church be the Ch. of Christ G. Keith's is the poor Church and theirs is the rich Church and I am not asham'd of my Poverty seeing I have not done any dishonest thing I have weaken'd my Estate by printing what I have printed already there is a Printer here that can own I have paid near forty pounds to him for Printing Now they upbraid me for my Poverty Their Church is the true Church because the rich Church and ours the false Church because the poor Church Quaker N. Marks You should hear one side but with one Ear and leave the other free for the other side G. Keith I am perswaded the Reasons given in the Paper read at the beginning were no just Reason for their not appearing But though some comparisons are odious yet give me leave to make a comparison May a Malefactor make this excuse You shall not call me before a Justice without my consent If a man rob me I may complain of him as a Robber and without his consent call him to account but here is a strange thing injuring men may not be called to account without their consent it will trespass against the Law and intrenches upon liberty of Conscience I was advised to go before the Lord Mayor of London and I did and told him I hoped it would give no offence to Authority for the things I was concerned in were the common Doctrines of Christianity if there be any Tumult says I it shall not be on my side And the Lord Mayor was pleased to consent to it Now their printed Paper seems to reflect on the publick Authority and not what I have done And thus the Meeting peaceably ended between the second and third hour in the Afternoon Note If any of my Adversaries object That divers of these Proofs here brought were brought formerly in my Book against W. Penn and G. W. call'd A short List of the vile and gross Errors which T. Ellwood hath replied to in his printed Book called Truth defended I answer I know not any one of them that he has sufficiently answer'd unto to give the least Satiâ—faction to any sound Christian his Answers being meerly Evasions and Perversions as I should have shown if he had appear'd But beside there are many new Proofs here brought beside the former which I am well satisfied they can never truly answer but by a sincere and free Confession of their gross Errors and a hearty retracting and relinquishing them And if any that were present at that Meeting or may happen to read this printed Account with the proofs brought out of their Books in full Periods and Paragraphs as often as there was any occasion are desirous to see the Books and to read the Proofs in the said Books that were then brought or any others that may be brought I freely offer them that are sober and impartial persons to let them have the free sight and view of them leisurely to read and consider them if they please to call at my House And I the rather make this Offer because divers of these Books are not easily to be had not being in the hands of many And because I had not time enough to read divers other great Proofs that I had being hinder'd with the impertinent Digressions of those that interposed whom we had no just Cause to hear pretending no Deputation from the persons they spoke for and therefore only were permitted by Favour to shew their Impertinencies I therefore think fit to add some other few very considerable Proofs out of these mens Books and perhaps one or two out of Books approved and commended by them and some few more of W. Penn's and George Whitehead's Self-Contradictions AN APPENDIX CONTAINING Some other Considerable Passages for Proofs out of these Mens Books relating to the foregoing Heads and some few more of W. Penn's and G. Whitehead's Self-Contradictions which were design'd to have been read at the Meeting at Turners-Hall 11th of the Month call'd June 1696. but for the Diversions made could not then be read IN George Whitehead's Book called The Divinity of Christ he hath this most unsound and scandalous passage concerning Christ how a Sacrifice and his Blood In his Answer to T. Danson's Synopsis of Quakerism p. 70. first he sets down the words of John Owen thus The Sacrifice denotes his Human Nature whence God is said to purchase his Church with His own Blood Acts 20.28 for He offer'd Himself through the eternal Spirit there was the Matter of the Sacrifice which was the Human Nature of Christ Soul and Body His Soul was made an Offering for Sin Isa 53.10 His Death had the Nature of a Sacrifice Against these sound words of John Owen he quarrels and contradicts thus Answ These passages are but darkly and confusedly expressâ—d as also we do not read in Scripture that the Blood of God by which he purchas'd his Church is ever call'd
the Blood of the Human Nature nor that the Soul of Christ was the Human Nature or was put to death with the Body for the Wicked could not kill the Soul though his Soul was made an Offering for Sin and he poured it out to Death he bore the Sin of many and made intercession for Transgressors but what Death and in what manner was it is a Mystery truly to know for his Soul in his own being was immortal and and the Nature of God is divine and therefore that the Blood of God should be of human or earthly nature appears inconsistent and where doth the Scripture call the Blood of God Human or Human Nature Neither do we read that the Blood which beareth Record in the Earth and agrees in one with the Spirit and which purgeth the Conscience washeth and cleanseth the Believer in the Light from all Sin was ever called by the Apostles the Blood of the Human Nature Nor do we read that the Saints did eat and drink Flesh and Blood that was of a human nature to receive Divine Life in them thereby for the Water of Life and Blood of Christ which are said to wash sanctifie and justifie which agrees with the Spirit in those Works and Effects We never read that they are called in Scripture by the name of Human Nature for the Spirit that quickens is divine and it is the Spirit that gives Life the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. Now this unsound Doctrine of G. W. doth so well agree with that in John Humphrey's two Letters abovementioned that John Humphrey seems to have been his Disciple in the Case and it is certain this sort of Doctrine of G. Whitehead hath corrupted the Minds of many We see he will not own either the Flesh or Blood of Christ or Soul of Christ to belong to the human nature Annotat. Before I understood the Mystery of Iniquity and Antichristianism that lay hid under the finding fault with this name or term Human Nature of Christ and his Humanity observing that divers found fault with it I was ready to excuse them thinking that tho' they disowned the term Human yet they owned that signified by it to wit the real Manhood of Christ having a real Soul and Body that is not the Godhead but most gloriously united therewith And accordingly I did in part excuse them as in my Book The True Christ owned pag. 20 and pag. 105 I cited some words of Hilarius Lib. 10. de Trinitate Quid per Naturam Humani corporis concepta ex Spiritu S. caro judicatur i. e. Why is the Flesh conceived of the Holy Ghost judged by the nature of an Human Body But neither Hilarius nor I judged that the Body though conceived of the Holy Ghost was any part of the Substance of the Holy Ghost the Particle of in that place denoting the Holy Ghost to be the Efficient Cause of that Conception but not the Material But that my Mind and Sense that Christ had the true Nature of Man of Soul and Body neither of which were the Godhead was sound then as now and the same as now plainly appears from Page 20. of my Book above cited where I say Human Soul may signify the true Soul of Man having all the essential properties of man's Soul and its whole Perfection And if in this sense any will say That Christ hath a Human Soul and call the Manhood of Christ his Humanity there needeth no contention about it For in the Latin Tongue we have not a word so proper as Humanitas to signify the Manhood and if we may say Humanitas in Latin we may say in English Humanity G Whithead his Objection against the word Human as signifying Earthly hath the same force against calling Christ Adam coming from the Hebrew word Adamah that signifieth Earth And the Scripture calleth the Man Christ the second Adam and certainly the Man Christ had not only that which was Heavenly but had even our Earthly part but without sin his Body being nourished with Earthly Food which Body now glorified is Heavenly But that I differed as much in Doctrine from G. Whithead then as now as concerning the Blood of Christ and the sense of that place of Scripture Acts 20.28 what that Blood of God was wherewith he purchased his Church he affirming it was the Blood not of the Human Nature or Humanity but of the Divine Nature as may be seen above appears in my Book above-mentioned The true Christ owned pag. 94. I expresly say I grant that there is such a figurative speech of the Communication of Names and Properties whereby the Man Christ is called God and also God is called Man and God is said to have shed his Blood although Christ as God hath not Blood to shed but only as Man yet by reason of that most rare and wonderful Union betwixt the Godhead and Manhood the Blood of the Man Christ is called the Blood of God Acts 20.28 This may serve as one great Instance to shew That as I am not changed in this Doctrine from what I was many years ago that Book of mine being printed Anno 1679. so I did then as widely differ from G. W. in that great Article of Faith as I do now But I confess I knew not that any such absurd Doctrine was in his Books till of late that I made a more narrow search occasioned by his defending the same Errors in his Pensilvanian Brethren Again In the same Answer to T. Danson's Synopsis T. D having affirmed that there is a continual need of Faith and Repentance in this life G. Whithead answereth That there is a continual need of Repentance this I deny for true Repentance where it is wrought and the fruits of it brought forth this is unto Salvation never to be repented of and is attended with a real forsaking of sin and transgression Annot. G. Whithead's Ignorance greatly appeareth in this that he thinks Repentance and Perfection inconsistent but it is a strange Perfection that destroyeth an Evangelical Virtue and a Fruit of the Spirit such as Repentance is and what is Repentance A change of the mind or a transformation of the mind as the Greek word Englished Repentance implieth or more particularly true Evangelical Repentance is a great aversion and perfect hatred of the soul to all sin and a deep humiliation before God with godly sorrow and contrition of soul for sins past which is very consistent with and very becoming the most perfect and holy men that ever lived since all have sinned It seems it is from this great Error that he and many others of his Brethren seldom if ever pray for Forgiveness of sin at least for themselves for if there be no need of Repentance it will follow that there is no need of praying for Forgiveness But all sound Christians of true spiritual experience do know that both Repentance for sin and praying for Forgiveness of sin are well consistent with the greatest degree