Antichrist in Spirit unmasked OR Quakerism a great Delusion Being an Answer to a Pamphlet lately published and dispersed in and about Deptford in Kent intituled The Christianity of the People commonly called QUAKERS Which they say is asserted against the unjust Charge of their being no Christians upon several Questions relating to those Matters wherein their Christian Belief is questioned By which Pamphlet they would perswade the World that the QUAKERS are Christians In which ANSWER you have their Deceit detected their pretended Faith examined and proved a Counterfeit And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. If that Light that is in them be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6. 23. They are of those that rebel against the Light they know not the Ways thereof nor abide in the Paths thereof Job 24. 13. And for this cause shall God send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie 2 Thess 2. 11. By Edw. Paye a Servant of Christ London Printed in the Year 1692. A Commendatory Epistle to the READER Impartial Reader THOV art here presented with an Examination of the pretended Faith professed by the Quakers lately published and dispersed in Deptford It appeared to the World with a fair Aspect and the Ignorant and Easy were ready to take their Words that they so believed But the Author to unfold their Riddles hath made use of their own Construing Books to get at their Meanings and it fully appears to be nothing so believed by them as pretended in their Pamphlet We believe neither Ambition Self-Interest or Prejudice moved the Author to this Work but purely the Honour of God Defence of Truth and Good of Souls We also hope and believe that he hath been careful truly to cite the Quakers own Authors and we believe if any Error therein be as to Page or the like it may be justly imputed as an over-sight Reader thou art foretold by our Lord That in the last Days many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many And the Apostle informs of some that with feigned Words and fair Speeches shall deceive the Hearts of the Simple And of others That shall privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them c. and that many shall follow their pernicious Ways c. So that as was said in another Case we may say in this Is there not a Cause The Holy Scriptures which this Generation of Men contemn and vilify as will appear in this Discourse go very nigh to us we always having had and hope ever shall have a venerable esteem for them And thus we commend the ensuing Discourse to the Judgment of the unbiassed Reader hoping Error may be detected and the Truth preserved from Seducers who would introduce their corrupt Notions in the room thereof And we shall rest with these Desires true Friends to all that love Truth and Peace Hen. Loader William Allcot Quakerism a great Delusion THE Substance of their pretended Faith may be reduced into these six general Heads I. In the first and last Articles professed they say they believe according to holy Scripture-Testimony in the Trinity or those three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven c. and that they believe and own the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament and to be given by Divine Inspiration and to contain all matters of Doctrine and Testimony c. necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation and Peace with God c. II. They say their Belief is that in the Unity of the God head there is Father Son and Holy Ghost being those three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and that these three are one c. III. They profess to believe the Divinity and Humanity of Christ the Eternal Son of God c. and that he is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus c. IV. They profess to believe and expect Remission of Sins Justification Redemption and Salvation through the Sufferings Death and Blood of Christ and not by their own Works Righteousness or Merits this is professed in their third and fourth Articles specified in their Pamphlet V. They profess to believe and own the Divine Offices of Christ as King Priest and Prophet over his own Church and People VI. They evade and deny Baptism in Water and the Supper of the Lord instituted in Bread and Wine to be now in force as standing Ordinances in the Church of Christ They say nothing of those two great Articles of the Christian Faith the Resurrection of the Bodies from the Graves of the Earth and the eternal Judgment tho they are not ignorant that their Faith hath been questioned herein Before I proceed to examine their pretended Faith professed in their Pamphlet I shall take notice of its Title it is called The Christianity of the People commonly called Quakers and could we take them at their words their Profession looks like good and Orthodox But as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 11. 13. there were deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ using feigned words and fair Speeches was the old way of deceiving the Hearts of the simple As our Enemies at Sea either to defend themselves from our Stroak or to draw us into their Snare will put up the English Flag So the Quakers see it necessary upon this occasion to make a very plausible Profession The gilded Pill is not so irksome to the Palat but if we are cautions in taking Money and if a Piece be fair and large yet if the Metal be suspicious we bring it to the Touch-stone 1. Christianity is a very high holy and honourable Profession which hath caused many to lay claim to it without a just Title who will needs have the Name tho strangers to the Nature of Christianity many have no better a Title to this Name than their being born in a Nation called a Christian Nation Others depend upon Morality alone and bless God they are not so bad as some other Men. Christianity is to lay hold upon Christ by a true and Evangelical Faith in his Death Sufferings and Merits for Redemption and Justification to believe him in all his Offices and obey him in all his Ordinances Christians are Disciples or Scholars of Christ Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch A true Gospel-Profession from a real and Evangelical Faith attended with a pious Life for Morality is included where there is true Christianity 2. Quakerism with respect to the Name is not derived from a Person so called but from a Gesture used much amongst them formerly in their Meetings as was manifest by what was alledged against them by the Westmoreland Petitioners viz. That their Practice did exceedingly savour of Saucery because of the Swellings Quakings Roarings and Foamings that were amongst them at their Meetings And
in the Quakers Answer to this Petition they deny not swelling foaming and quaking See their Book p. 35. But they deny Saucery and Blasphemy They justify quaking and trembling as being used by the Saints of old Heb. 12. 21. Jer. 33. 9. Acts 9. 6. Ezek. 12. 18. These Texts are urged by Ja. Nailor p. 16 17. of his Book called The Power and Glory of the Lord shining out of the North He takes pains to prove their Name and justify their Practice for saith he search the Scriptures and holy Men of God do witness Quaking and Trembling This is true and the same may be said of wicked Men and Devils Acts 24. 25. James 2. 19. and Luke 9. 39. we read of him that was possessed that he foamed when the Diabolical Spirit did tear him I shall say no more of their Name it is of their own procuring and defending tho no discriminating Character of Christianity or Saintship 2dly As to their Profession for ought that ever I could gather from their own Tongues or Pens is a Labyrinth of Confusion or a great heap of Contradictions tending to the Subversion both of the Foundation and Fabrick of Christianity being a Compound of Heresies having Affinity with the Sadduces as Mr. Brown notes in the discovery of the Leaven of the Sadduces hid among the Quakers p. 5. which Sect was divided into two Branches Epicures and Stoicks these encounter'd St. Paul Acts 17. 18. calling him Spermologus which our Translation renders a Babler because he preached Jesus and the Resurrection and with the Heresy of Hymeneus and Philetus 1 Tim. 2. 18. who said the Resurrection was past already and had overthrown the Faith of some and they have Affinity with the Gnosticks who say that Christ did not take Flesh really but in a Figure so have the Quakers said as will appear See Saul's Errand to Damascus compare Epiphanius Heres 26. And they have Affinity with Seleucus a great Heretick who denied the Humanity of Christ and Water-Baptism he lived in the time of Theodosius Magnus See August lib. de Heres Both which Errors are maintained by the Quakers repugnant to the holy Scriptures Testimony Again They have Affinity with the Papists in their Master-veins of Popery for as the Papists do introduce all their vain Conceits by this Maxim That the Church cannot err So the Quakers usher in their Dreams that they are perfect and so cannot err And as the Papists make the Writings of their General Councils equal with the Scriptures so do the Quakers their lying Pamphlets nay prefer them above the Scriptures as will appear And they have Affinity with the Muggletonians who utter their execrable Imprecations Curses and Sentences against their Opposites And I must leave them in this Deluge of Errors and Heresy and proceed to examine their Pamplet in its respective parts 1. In the first Head being part of the first and last Articles professed in their Pamphlet they profess to believe holy Scripture-Testimony and that the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament do contain all matters of Doctrine and Testimony necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation and Peace with God and that they desire to live in the Faith Knowledg and Practice of them c. in all things appertaining to Life and Godliness Holy Scripture being given by Divine Inspiration is profitable for Doctrine Correction Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus Indeed there is a present occasion for this plausible-Profession for the Promoters of it have now set up a Meeting in Deptford a place where their corrupt Notions have had but little footing and it is also a place where the Word of God hath for many Years been faithfully and powerfully preached so that except they appear in Sheeps Clothing they cannot draw Disciples after them It is said of the Oracles of the Heathens that they were made to look with two Faces that they may the better effect their Deceits It is not easy to conceive the many Meanings and Reserves that lie couched in this Paragraph But not to trace them into all their equivocal Reserves I conceive the best way to understand the Quakers Sentiments about the Scriptures is to have recourse to their own Construing Books And I shall begin with Humphrey Smith a forward Asserter of Quakerism see his Book called A true and everlasting Rule p. 29. he affirmeth in the Face of Men and Devils That there are no other Rules Ways or Means by which Men shall ever come to walk with God but by that which is manifest of God in him and that it is sufficient to guide in all the Ways of God without Scripture or any other outward Rule Doth not this tend to make null what is before professed If that in Humphrey Smith be a sure Guide and his Book be a true and everlasting Rule how then are the Scriptures necessary and wherein are they profitable for Doctrine Instruction c. since all things necessary may be taught without them See also James Nailor's Answer to the Jews p. 4 22 25. It 's Blasphemy for any to say the Letter is the Word of God it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the Word of God c. Here you have the Sentence of one of their great Prophets passed against the Scriptures George Whitehead being asked Whether they esteem their Speakings to be of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible He affirms in his Apology p. 49. That which is spoken by the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scripture yea and greater What can appear more clear than that the Quakers Inspirations are of as great if not greater But why do I mince it ay and greater Authority than the Scriptures Let us add to this James Parnell's Testimony Shield of the Truth p. 19. he also that saith The Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon Husks and is ignorant of the true Light c. By this Man's Verdict the Scriptures are condemned as Husks or a false Light Could either Papist or Atheist more plainly oppose the Holy Scriptures But since we want no Evidence to detect these Impostors let us add a few more from their own Pens see James Naylor's Light of Christ p. 19. God is at liberty to speak to his People by the Scriptures if he please and where they are given by Inspiration doth so and he is also at liberty to speak by any other created thing as to Balaam by his Ass I think I do not wrong them if I infer from hence that the Sons of Men may as well expect Teachings and Rebukes from an Ass as from the Scriptures one hath as much Authority essentially in it self as the other one hath in it self as much Authority to
guide teach and instruct the Sons of Men as the other neither can teach Men except God immediately inspire them You see by this how these divinely-inspired Men esteem the Scriptures of Truth See the joint Consent of two of their chief Guides Fox and Hubberthorne Truth 's Defence p. 101. they say The Scriptures are no standing Rule and that it is dangerous for the ignorant People to read them Surely if they had bin brought up at St. Omers they could not more positively have denied the Scriptures I hope the Reader will remember how these chief Guides amongst the Quakers agree with the Account in the Pamphlet see pag. 29. of Mr. Hicks's Dialogue One Thomas Holbrow a great Zealot among the Quakers as appeared by the Journey he took to deliver a Message to one James Nobs which he said was immediately delivered to him from the Lord But it so unhappily fell out that James Nobs was forty Miles off when the said Holbrow came to the Meeting so that either the God that sent Holbrow did not know Nobs or else at least was ignorant that he was gone from Home at that time for he delivered the Message to a wrong Person This I have had testified to me as a Truth by several in those Parts And in p. 27. Dial. But this is not what I intend for afterwards Tho. Holbrow having some Reasonings with James Nobs and his Wife the said Nobs urging many Scriptures against Holbrow the said Holbrow replied What dost thou tell me of Scriptures which are no better to me than an old Almanack It is like when Humphrey Smith's True and Everlasting Rule came in date the Scriptures became no better than an old Almanack The brevity of this short Discourse will not admit me to draw the proper Inferences that would naturally flow from these Premises These are the Men that in their Pamphlet profess so high an Esteem for Holy Scriptures See James Pernell's Book Christ Exalted p. 4. Christ is the Word the Scripture is not Christ is the Light the Scripture is not he is the Ruler Guide Teacher and Judg the Scripture is not And thus he goes on like a Cloud carried with the Wind. It is like from the Title of his Book he concludes from these Expressions to exalt Christ when indeed he casts the greatest contempt upon him Christ saith If any Man love me he will keep my Word What are the written Words of Christ but Scripture But more of this hereafter Dialog 1. p. 24 25. Christian is it then ingenuous and honest for you to deny the Scriptures to be a Rule to others tho at the same time but by misinterpreting it you make it a Rule to your selves Are you not ashamed of this Deceit and self-condemning Partiality Quaker Thou mistakest us we own not the Scriptures to be our Rule and whereas thou hast said many things to render us guilty of condemning this in others whilst we our selves seemingly allow it to be so which is but thy own Imagination for when we make use of Scripture it is only to quiet and stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule but for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained I hope the Reader by this may perceive the Reason why the Quakers talk so much of Scripture in their Paper observe We own not the Scripture we seemingly allow it but our End in this is only to stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule You see here the condescending Spirits of these Men that they should allow the Scriptures to others ay and make use of them to please others and yet not own them as a Rule themselves but their End is to stop clamorous Tongues But here is their great disadvantage the old Birds will not be caught with this Chaff their seeming Allowances will not pass for Christian Principles When the Mask is taken off as Westfield said concerning Christ you are not able to bear what we have to hold forth concerning him should we deliver what we hold concerning Jesus Christ we should be stoned in the Streets Westfield a Quaker Dialog p. 74 75. And indeed should they hold forth in their Teaching what hath dropt from the Pens and Mouths of their chief Guides at some times they would draw but few in their right Minds into their clouded Delusions But observe what is before said As for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained This I have also heard from their own Mouths Then I desire the Quakers to resolve me in these two Questions it is said John 21. 25. And there are also many other things that Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books c. Again it is said John 8. 6 -8. when the Woman taken in Adultery was brought to Christ that he stooped down and wrote with his Finger on the ground c. Now let the Quakers resolve me by their immediate Inspirations what those things were that Jesus did that are not written and what were the Contents of that Writing on the Ground or else let their proud Boastings of immediate Inspiration be condemned to perpetual silence and Shame cover their Faces And waiting for their Resolve herein I proceed to examine the Suffrage of great George Fox who thinks he doth the business effectually see his Difference of Ministers pag. 1. he discants upon John 1. 1. Thus John did not say the Declaration was the Word but saith in his Declaration the Word was God and he that saith the Letter is the Word is a Deceiver and errs The Argument lies here because Christ is called the Word the Scriptures must not be so called John said the Word was God then the Scriptures cannot be the Word except they be God also It seems by the Quakers Logick they are Deceivers and err that call the Scriptures the Word of God the Reason is because Christ is so called Why then let us see 1 Cor. 10. 4. Israel in the Wilderness drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ But are there not other Rocks properly so called A Rock is a hard congealed heap of Stone John 10. 1. God is called an Husbandman but are not Men that plow and till the Ground properly so called Christ is called a Vine a Door and a Shepherd but are there not other Vines Doors and Shepherds in a proper sense Sure the Quakers will grant there are Christ is called the Light of the World and yet Mat. 5. 14. he tells his Disciples they were the Lights of the World We own Christ to be called the Word of God and yet the Scripture is so called in a true and proper sense Christ is the only begotten Son of God Joh. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Eph. 4. 5. But he hath more words than one Mat. 4. 4. a Scripture from Deut.
keeping God's righteous Statutes How is there Remission and Justification by the Merits of Christ according to their Profession in their Pamphlet when it must be by the perfect and exact Performance of the Law of God in the Creature Lawson's Book p. 18. affirms That the offering of Christ's Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed avails not so as through Faith therein to set free from Sin What is this but a plain denying Remission of Sins by the Blood of Christ And seeing we have Instances enow or too many why should we spare them Will. Pen speaks out See Apolog. p. 148. Justification by the Righteousness of another or which Christ fulfilled for us in his own Person wholly without us we boldly affirm to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now deluge the World See also Mr. Pen's Sandy Foundation p. 25 30. It is a great Abomination to say God should condemn and punish his Innocent Son that he having satisfied for our Sins we may be justified by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should this horrible thing be contended for by Christians O and why should the Quakers be such grand Deluders as so plainly pretend to believe it and say he died for your Sins and rose again for your Justification when ibid. p. 16. Mr. Pen saith That the Consequences of such a Doctrine is both irreligious and irrational And why should they believe Justification by Christ's Righteousness since Tho. Lucock affimed That he was as perfect without Sin as God is and blames others because they say with the Apostle In many things we offend all and this Doctrine of Perfection that is a Sinless living is the known Doctrine of the Quakers But let not Christians say they are without Sin lest they deceive themselves as the Quakers do 1 John 1. 8. And let us believe that the Lord laid upon Christ our Redeemer the Iniquities of us all Isa 53. 6. And as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 18. 3. They profess to believe Redemption and Salvation by Christ Let us examine what they intend by Redemption First Not Redemption of their Bodies from the Graves of the Earth for this is positively denied by them tho all Christians own it as a great Article of the Christian Faith Secondly Then what is to be redeemed and saved not the Soul for George Fox saith that is part of God without Beginning or End surely then it needs no Redemption and God did not send his Son to redeem himself Take the natural sense of what is exprest Great Mystery p. 29 and p. 90. See further what George Keith saith Christ came to save that which was lost and that which was lost is still in Man's Heart and there it must be sought for it remains still in the House that is Man's Heart this is the thing to be sought for this Christ came to seek and to save and all his Ministers preached People to this the Lost in Man that it may be found a lost God a lost Christ this was the sum and substance of their Doctrine G. Keith Immediat Inspirat p 75 76. May we not think G. K. to be inspired by the Prince of Darkness or that he had lost the very Light of Nature to talk of a lost God and a lost Christ to be sought and saved O were ever God and Christ in a lost Condition But poor Man was and we believe he came to seek and save Sinners who had lost the Image and Favour of God You may see more to this purpose Fox's Great Mystery p. 100. at large Neither do they believe any other Salvation than what they are in the Enjoyment of already see Lawson's Book p. 9 19. see two Passages in Nailor's Book Love to the Lost p. 47 48 30. There is a Seed to which the Promise of Redemption is which Seed is that which only wants Redemption p. 30. he saith Christ is the Election and Elect Seed Fox's Great Mystery p. 224. tells us The Seed to which the Promise is is that which hath been laden as a Cart with Sheaves by Sinners which Seed is the hope Christ The natural Consequence of this Doctrine is that Christ came to redeem Christ a lost God and a lost Christ as before said Might not the Heavens blush and the Earth tremble at such blasphemous Absurdities But I shall not in this short Discourse trace them in their gross Contradictions of Truth and each other about the Light within the Seed Christ and the Word But let this suffice to confute and unmask their pretended Belief aforesaid V. They profess to own and believe the Divine Offices of Christ in his Church that he is both King Priest and Prophet to and over his Church and People I shall proceed to examine the Truth of this Profession which if it were true were very comprehensive of a great part of the Christian Religion But what hath been made appear already shews us that by no means their word must be taken First How do they believe the Kingly Office of Christ are they not mistaken Let us examine some Appellations that they have taken from Christ and given to Geo. Fox senior See a Book entituled Tyranny and Hypocrisy detected p. 18 19. Sol. Eckles celebrates Geo. Fox thus Blessed be the Man that came out of the North blessed be the Womb that bear him and the Breasts that gave him Suck and ibid. p. 19. a Letter written by Josias Coal a Quaker from Barbadoes to G. Fox 21 day 12th Month 1658. Dear George Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again to a lively hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou rulest and governest in Righteousness and thy Kingdom is established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without end Now what is more apparent than that by these Appellations the Scepter is wrested out of Christ's Hands and given to G. Fox Now this Letter was not judged by the infallible Spirit of the inspired Elders to be a transported Flash of a misguided Zeal For G. Fox and his Peers ordered it to be recorded amongst things worthy to be register'd tho the Contents of it would make a modest Heathen blush and tremble Take the Contents particularly 1. He doth expresly ascribe to him a Kingdom Thy Kingdom c. and thou rulest and governest Now he that rules and governs in his own Kingdom must of necessity be an actual King 2. He describes to us the Subjects of this Kingdom who next to himself are Josiah Coal and the Elders or Peers whom he calls us thy Children and remotely those to whom the Life of G. Fox hath reached through the Elders
bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above but they that are true preach Christ within It seems by the Quakers it is false Doctrine to teach People as Paul taught the Hebrews namely that their Mediator is in Heaven that their High-Priest is there They that are false Ministers preach Christ without your Carnal Christ is utterly denied by the Light your imagined God beyond the Stars But none can witness this whose Eye is outward looking at a Redeemer afar off c. Smith's Primmer p. 9. Sword of the Lord p. 24. Shield of Truth p. 30. But there hath been enough of this before They deny any other Heaven than what is within them as hath manifestly appeared Arg. Those that deny Christ to be entred into the glorious Heavens above deny the Priestly Office of Christ But the Quakers deny Christ to be entered into the glorious Heavens above Ergo they deny the Priestly Office of Christ The Minor hath been before proved namely that the Quakers deny Christ to be in the glorious Heavens above The Major is evident from Scripture Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the Right-hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Burrough's Works p. 127. They that deny Christ to be the Light in every Man are Antichrists Smith's Primmer p. 8 9. The false Ministers preach Christ in Heaven saith Smith the Quaker and the true preach Christ within and these have no more Fellowship together than the East and West So that there is just so much difference betwixt the Doctrine of the Apostles and Quakers as there is between East and West 3. They deny the Blood of the Sacrifice Christ our High-Priest offered upon the Cross This I have before proved and shewed the scornful Contempt they have cast upon it at large And much more might be said if need were what else means their dropping such words as these Says Edw. Billing The Mystery of Iniquity lies in the Blood of Christ And say they Dost look at Christ's Death afar off What will that Blood avail didst ever see any of it that carnal Blood Can outward Blood cleanse if thou hadst a great deal of it would it do thee any good How apparently do they scorn that Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross But it 's most evident they deny Christ's Priestly Office 4. The Quakers cannot believe the Priestly or Mediatory Office of Christ because they have no need of a Mediator For if they are as perfect without Sin as God is says Leucock and are come to the end of Faith as saith Lawson's Book p. 10. And if Burrough's Works p. 33. say true That God doth not accept any where there is any failing or who doth not fulfil the Law and answer every Demand of Justice and this they say they do and are perfect then what need have they of the Mediatory Office of Christ It is certain Christians own a Perfection according to Gen. 17. 1. to be sincere and as our Saviour saith Be ye perfect Secondly We believe a Perfection through the Merits and Intercession of Christ Philip. 3. 12. Not as tho I were already perfect For if we say we have no Sin we should deceive our selves as the Quakers do But 1 John 2. 1. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous In and through him the Saints expected Perfection But Christians also expect compleat Perfection when they come to Glory on the other side of the Grave even when Mortality is swallowed up of Life But the Quakers believe they have the Kingdom of Christ and are in the glorious Possession of it already But that they are not I prove thus Arg. Those that are in the Possession of that Kingdom neither marry nor are given in Marriage c. But the Quakers do marry and are given in Marriage Ergo the Quakers are not in the Possession of that Kingdom The Minor is self-evident that they do marry c. The Major is proved from our Lord's words But let what hath been said suffice to make it appear that the Quakers deny the Priestly Office of Christ 3dly I shall proceed to examine how they own his Prophetick Office which they say yes verily we believe and own c. Now how can it be since they have so plainly denied Christ's Human Body as hath been shewed And Deut. 18. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me i. e. a Man unto him shall ye hearken he shall be according as you desired of the Lord in Horeb v. 16. You were afraid of God's speaking to you he shall raise you up a Prophet a Man the Man Christ Jesus of your Brethren like to me you shall not be terrified with the immediate Voice of God Exod. 20. 19. Now this is Christ whom Peter shews and declares Acts 3. 22. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to pass that every Soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People This is he that God the Father from Heaven testified of Mat. 17. 5. saying This is my beloved Son hear ye him This is he that was crucified and put to Death on the Cross and that rose from the Dead in his Body of Flesh and Bones Luke 24. 39. This is he that told Mary Joh. 20. 19. I go to my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God The Disciples did not expect this Christ to come into them But as I promised before my Death and Passion so I will send you the Comforter This is he that declares he hath all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and that gives his Commission to his Disciples Mat. 28. 19. injoyning them to teach and publish all his Commands and he saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me c. This is the Person denied by the Quakers to be this great Prophet as hath been shewed 2. They deny the Method used by this Prophet namely preaching from the Scriptures which he frequently did Mat. 21. 42. saith he Did ye never read in the Scriptures The Stone that was set at naught by you Builders the same is become the Head of the Corner Mat. 22. 29. Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures c. What was more frequent than for Christ to preach from the Scriptures and to convince his Opposers by them But the Quakers deny this Method for saith Lawson's Book p. 14. The Scriptures are not a Touch-stone to try Spirits withal And p. 15. he saith The written Law doth not convince Men of Sin And in his Book called The untaught Teacher p. 2 3. he denies that