Conscience to appeal to God as one not guilty of such vile Injustâ—ce as that of charging us with false things and refer the Reader to Examine the Quotations when here â—s not one Quotation nor the colour of one that the Quakers did ever thus speak of or render the Holy Scriptures to be of no more Authority then the Fables of Aesop What will not Envy and Wickedness had this Man to say against us Doth this agree with â—is Pretence That all he intended was only our Conviction and Recovery Dial. p. 10. Is it not rather to do us what Injury and Mischief he can by Slanders and Forgeries Tho. Hicks's Charge against Nicolas Lucas viz. That N.L. a Real Quaker was moved to declare his Mind thus to one I know very well Thou mayst burn thy Bible and when that is done thou mayst serve God as well without it and if thou hast a mind to have a Scripture thou mayst write as good a one thy self N. L's Answer follows These words whereof T. Hicks hath thus publickly and positively accused me and that divers times over in his Pamphlet were never spoken by me nor was it ever my Principle Way or Motion to Dis-esteem Undervalue or speak evil of the Holy Scriptures for I really believe that Holy Men of God spake them forth as moved by the Holy Spirit Therefore this Charge against me is an Abominable Lye and Wicked Slander And with a clear Consience I speak it I do neither know nor remember that ever any words past from me whereby Tho. Hicks could so much as colour this Lye and Slander against me And I cannot but look upon my self to be greatly Injur'd and Abus'd by T.H. until he oâ— his Brethren do me Right in this thing in as publick a Manner to the World as he hath done me Wrong Which iâ— they do not I commit my Cause to God to judge between us and clear my Innocency herein London the 29 th of the 3 d Moneth 1673. Nicolas Lucas Whereas Nicolas Lucas was referr'd to Owen Horton and his Wife for Proof of Tho. Hicks's Charge before to whom Nicolas spoke about it and she referr'd her self to Hen. Stout to witness the Charge to which Hen. Stout answers thus viz I Hen. Stout of Hertford never in all my dayes heard Nicolas Lucas speak the Words nor any of the like Import or Tendency as charged on him before nor any Man else before Tho. Hicks that I can call to mind But am satisfied in my Conscience that he hath most grosly Wronged Nicolas Lucas To which I subscribe H. Stout Another Accusation is viz. That S. Eccles discoursing with a Friend of his in London told him The Scriptures were a Lye But that this may appear a very likely Lye against S.E. he adds 'T was replyed Why then dost thou mention them that The Quaker answer'd To silence thee That he should say the Scriptures were a Lye or that he made use of a Lye to silence his Opposer appears a most absurd Slander and where is his Quotation the Reader must examine for Proof Hath he not here Abused his Reader But let S. Eccles's own Words clear him of this Lye and Slander In his Book Mus Lect. he often cites the Scriptures calls them The Holy Scriptures pag. 13. Thou that sayst the Quakers deny the Scriptures belyest the Innocent pag. 20. Do not belye the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave it forth for Holy Men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost pag. 22 Whereas Tho. Hicks begins his Continuation thus Chr. I have formerly detected you of several Pernicious Opinions concerning the Scriptures the Light Within the Person of Christ and the Resurrection c. I presume by this time you have considered what say you thereunto To this he feigns the Answer thus viz. Quak. I say the Plagues and Judgments of God will follow thee G. Whitehead Rep. I testifie against this as a Fiction for this was not my Answer neither has he referred us to any Quotations of mine though upon this he is pleased to accuse me with Passion Furious Replies and Sarcasms for his own Fiction to which he hath counterfeited my Name I question not but the Judgments of God will follow him and such Forgers and Spreaders of Lyes But that was not my Answer to the said Objection This Dialogue-Man's Liberty in these Forgeries and silly Botcheries is neither Christian nor Civil As to what he sayes pag. 3. I answer 1. That the Life which is the Light of Men John 1. is not a Creature but Divine and of the very Being of God I still affirm and have else-where proved though the whole Essence or Being of God is not contained in Man yet enlightens all Men. And 2. That the Inward Speaking or Living Ministration of the Spirit of Truth is of greater Authority then the Scriptures or Writings in the Abstract 3. S. Crisp doth own the True and Real Christ the Son of the Living God in his Spiritual Divine Being to be without either Beginning Date or End This he hath fully answered else-where 4. That the Soul or Spirit of Man as it relates to the Creaturely Being is a distinct Being from the Infinite Being of God and is not properly a Part of God For he is not divided into Parts or Particles but with respect to its Original Life whereby it immortally subsists we are God's Off-spring and the Breath of Life or Immediate Inspiration of God by which Man became a Living Soul or the Original Life of Man's Soul Of this G.F. spoke when he said Is not that of God which cometh out from God viz. the Breath of Life His words are perverted and mis-cited by T.H. For in another Consideration and State he owns the Infinite Being of God and the Soul or Spirit of Man to be distinct Beings where he speaks of the Soul being in Death in Transgression Man's Spirit Vnsanctified the Soul being in Death Transgressing the Law see Great Myst p. 91. This he could never intend or speak of the Infinite Incorruptible Being of God for that never sinned 5. That G.W. denies the Resurrection of the Body that is of the Dead or any Body at all is false nor is this prov'd against G.W. from his Saying Thou sowest not the Body that shall be it 's raised a Spiritual Body and Flesh Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 15. And T.H. may as well charge it upon the Apostle and upon his Brother Tho. Collier who in his Marrow of Christianity p. 40 94 95. plainly saith The Form in which they shall be raised that is in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly c. All Flesh shall be swallowed up in Spirit and our Body shall be changed and made like his glorious Body But Tho. Hicks plainly contradicts him saying That the Apostles and all true Christians say This Body of Flesh and Bones shall rise again Dial. p. 59 60. which he could never yet
the Propagation of that Inward Religion however their Form may be more scriptural the same Spirit enters them that reigned in their old Persecutors and they at last run back and end in that from whence they at first reformed So dangerous is it to rest satisfied with a finer Form which in Truth is but a better Covering for the old Enemy of God's Spirit and Power to act more disguisely and securely in But lest any should think that all this is said to justle the Scriptures out of all Use and Service read these few lines following with Patience and Impartiality Though we eminently account the Light or Spirit of Christ to be the Gospel Living and Immediate Rule as the great Promise of the Father and that without being ruled and lead or guided by there is no being a Child of God yet we do not thereby intend an Exclusion of the Scriptures from being Obligatory or as not Declaratory of those heavenly blessed Truths that are fit to be read believed and practised God forbid No we know better and practise otherwise and have good Satisfaction therein Nor do we say that those essential Things relating to Faith and Godliness mentioned therein are by us to be sleighted or contradicted or that the Light and Spirit we are led by doth or can lead to any such thing for by its Holy Discoveries and Convictions are we made acquainted with them and our Faith concerning them is firm and they are thereby made our Duty and such is their Correspondence and Agreement that from an INWARD ASSENT AND LIVING AMEN FROM GOD's LIGHT IN OUR CONSCIENCES do we testifie of their Truth Vse and Dignity And very vain is T. Hick's Objection If your Light be Sufficient why do you read them since we may return to him the same If the Scriptures be Sufficient why dost thou use other Means Though God's Grace be Sufficient of it self therefore is the Creature always in that Condition wherein he needs not Means And notwithstanding it be the Dispensation of Light and Life more Immediately then has been known to former Ages yet we deny not the Use of such Means as may be used of God's Light and Spirit as will be spoken more largly to elsewhere Man's Mind being Carnal and abroad Means in God's Power are us'd not as settl'd Teachers but as Instruments in God's Hand to testifie of and direct to that one Great Prophet and Living Teacher in the Hearts of Men that all may come thither and be taught of him CHAP. V. Of his Insinuations against us concerning the Scriptures BUt T.H. that he may be true to his Ungodly Way of perverting our Principles would insinuate First That we esteem the Scriptures no farther then as they were the Experiences of Ancient Saints thereby rendering the many Prophecies and Promises therein recorded not yet fulfilled Vnprofitable But to take off all Credit to this evil Suggestion let our sober Readers know that by the Light of Christ in our own Hearts and Consciences as to confirm what of the Scriptures we have experienced and press after the Compleatment of those Enjoyments therein expressed so are we taught reverently to believe those holy Prophecies and Promises yet unaccomplished to have been given forth by the Inspiration of the Almighty and that they shall be as certainly fulfilled as they are written Yet we dare boldly affirm and that in the Name of the Lord before whom we shall give an Account for every Deed done in the Body that the greatest Reason of our Belief concerning them is not from any Outward thing but that Inward Testimony Record and Heavenly Amen that we have frequently received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and Faithfulness of those Sayings And if any Quakers there be that are not thus minded they are to me unknown and I publickly renounce and protest against that Principle that would in the least derogate from those Holy Writings which leads me to his Second Insinuation viz. As if because we do deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice in Honour to that Divine Light which was the Author of them in the Holy Pen-men that we should therefore deny all those holy Precepts Commandments and Rules relating to Life and Godliness that are therein contained A Consequence so foul that God forbid any of us should ever give any Just Occasion for it For we both believe Men ought to livâ— up to them and that they are highly Reprovâ—able if they transgress against them But the Reason why is that Conviction they meet with from the Light in their own Consciences wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great Rule of Faith and Practice that the Light of Christ within is both our Warrant and Rule for Faith in and Obedience to them And let T.H. say if he can that the Waldenses Albigenses Loâ—lards Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and other Protestants made not the Testimony of God in their Conscience the chief Ground of their Belief of the Scriptures to say nothing of the primitive Christians and most uncorrupted Fathers who are many and positive on our behalf 3 ly He insinuates that we equal nay prefer our Books before the Scriptures because of the Titles we give our own Books viz. The Voice of Wisdom A Testimony for God c. and what we give the Scripture namely Letter c. This I have largely spoken to in my Answer to J. Faldo but not knowing whether ever that may be where this probably may come I shal say thus much If at any time we call the Scripture the Letter it is not that we mean thereby our Books are the Spirit or that we would irreverently set them below our Writings but upon a Comparison only betwixt the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and that I hope may be done without the least Disrespect though such whose Religion stands in Letter and Time and not in Spirit and Power be angry at it But that we should be thought to sleight the Scriptures because we bestow such Names upon our Books is a strange kind of Consequence Are not our Books mostly written in a plain familiar and Scripture-stile Do we not earnestly endeavour to confirm what we write by Scripture which not only renders it a Paâ—t of our Book but the most Noble Part too And shall we notwithstanding be reputed Sleighters of the Scriptures Certainly if our Books are called The Voice of Wisdom and A Testimony for God because from the Voice of Wisdom and God's Witness in the Conscience by good Reason must the Scriptures be interested therein who are both a part of them and such a one too as unto whom our Quotation implies a Manifest Preference His next Insinuation is that it is Dangerous for Ignorant People to read the Scriptures flinging those hateful Names of Jesuit and Romanist upon us This Doctrine he layes to the Charge of G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn in a Book called Truth
and Railing wherewith he was charged at Bristol upon the Holy Spirit and that neither he had nor I have Words enough to signifie our Venom and Malignity because I said of James Nailors Book writ long before his being so charged That if he had treated that accursed Stock of Hirelings ten thousand times more sharply it had been but enough is like the rest of his Vngodly Perversions already noted For first I speak against Hirâ—lings and I have said nothing of them that the Holy Prophets have not exceeded who called them Dumb Dâ—gs Greedy Dogs Wolves and such like But T. Hicks's Concern for Hirelings shews both that he is one himself and indeed has been so a long time and next that he is fallen with many more from the fiâ—st Love and Principle of that People called Anabaptists 2. From my Justifying James Nailor's Sharpness in a particular Contrâ—vâ—â—sie â—gainst a Deceitful Lâ—ing Prâ—eâ—â— he infeâ—s thâ—t I dâ—fend him as to his pâ—blick Miscâ—riâ—gâ—s at Bristol Iâ— this thy Conscience hath all thy pretended Scâ—iptural Doctrines Knowledge â—tudy Preachmâ—nts c. brought thee no further God will bâ—â—â—t it all and bring thee to Judgmâ—nt for â— clerâ—â—â—gs Well may I return the third particular against thy self and Warn all People how they adhere to a Man fâ—â—'d with so much Vnâ—ruth Slander Perversion and Forgery who art alienâ—ted from Gâ—d's Light as near as it is to thee and that Heavenly Life that is felt therein of all those who believe and obey the Light Reader Let us not be esteemed Railers because we rebuke Railing Nor our Relâ—gious â—ensure of their Perversions Forgeries and Prophâ—ness be accounted Reviling 'T is Trouble enough to us to be thus conceâ—ned in Controversie We would find other Employment if such Envious Spirits found not this for us 'T is not our Choice but theirs They began and which is worse when the Powers left off Their Restlesâ— Spirit shows it must have its Vent some way Policy and Enmity together have turn'd it upon us so that our Peace from the Powers proves a Persecution from some of the Professors as the Experience of the base Cowardize of many among them gives us to remember that the Powers Peâ—secution was the time of their Peace who like Insects lay dead during those Winter Seasons We were then their made Walls to flat the Shot and Bulworks to resist the Assaults and the more Moderate prayed that we might be enabled to stand But no sooner were we come out of that Fiery Furnace then we were saluted with an Imposture from Lincoln and a Lâ—e from Dover both subscribed by Anabaptist â—reâ—chers with several Clamorâ—us Books since An Ill Recâ—mpencâ— indeed for our Love and Sufferings But frâ—m God is our Reward therefore we are not moved with whom we leave our Innocency and â—e will Effectually plead our Cause with our Adversaries His SCOFFS or slight ESTEEM of WITNESSING With a Word to Professors With a Conclusive Supplication to the Lord. Arg. VI. He that Slights and Scoffs at Witnessing is no True Christian but that doth Tho. Hicks therefore no true Christian It was the Way of the True Prophets Apostles and Churches of Christ to declare of what they had known Experimentally of God and his Work otherwise they must have been uncertain of the Truth of those Things they have recommended to us And since the Times of Reformation from the Thickness of Popery Experiences have been very Excellent Things I remember though very young to Thousands what a great Stir and Flockings there has been in my time after such Preachers who could by any Experiences approach the Consciences and tell People upon Tryal what God was and what Christ was and the Holy Spirit with respect to the Soul of Man as to Manifestation Operation Conviction Faith Temptation Victory over Sin Regeneration and the like Indeed it was the Want of this Preaching that gave such a Dis-relish to People of the National Priests and they suffered not a little for their Change Sure I am some Forms reputed less Phanatical then that in which T. Hicks is prest closely after such a Ministry and utterly decryed all other to be Beneficial in the Church of Christ But the Lord God having appeared in a more Immediate and Spiritual Manner some having taken up their Rest by the way therby losing their first Desire and Love and so the more Insensible of these further Breakin gs forth of God's Power amongst them under the more refined Form they have sat down in and where the Lord in some Measure might have appeared to them do they in this Day set themselves to War against the Light and Life of Christ within For indeed it is a State too Inward Self-less and Spiritual for their Carnal Minds that can only perform an Outward and Formal Worship to arrive at Now such being closely beset in their Fading and Dying Forms and many on all hands in whom there are any tender Desires after God's Invisible Presence falling from them like Men that seek themselves and not the Lord they are belabouring hard to prevent such a Separation from them and indeed they are grown so Dry Barren of all Good by their Opposition to the Lord's Truth as now revealed among us that they come to lose with their former good Desires their very Doctrine And that which above all things was once most desirable to the better Sort of them and applauded by all is become a Theam for Scorn and Derision I mean WITNESSING Thomas Hicks though an Anabaptist-Preacher cannot abide to hear of Witnessing He had as lieu meet with the Lye as Witnessing for an Answer He commonly bestows Ignorance Folly or such like upon It for a Companion And though another Return might be as easily found out by him yet because it may not so well suite the Scoffer and Prophane WE WITNESS IT is to go in its room To which kind of Answer he usually replies What is Thy Witnessing to Me Do not put us off with your Witnessings which signifie nothing to us Thy Commands and Witnessing are much alike to me with more of this kind My Friends In the Love of God that would have you redeemed and saved I beseech you turn away from such Blind Guides their Paths are Darkness and the End thereof Death If ever you will know and worship God aright you must come to the measure of his Spirit in you that is given to convince the World of Sin and you must know the Work thereof Experimentally in you or your Souls perish for ever My Friends I have a great Stress upon me concerning you would I could reach into every Soul of you that you might be toucht with this true Testimony for I know not more truly that God is then that I feel him to be a Rewarder of every Man according to his Works and such as Men sow they must reap And truly my Friends Time passeth away apace and the Day
contradictory and unscriptural as he could but that all lights upon himself and I doubt not but in the end it will appear that I have contended for the Justification of Life whilst his aimes will have been at nothing more in all his Bussle then to promote a Justification in a State of Death where the indwelling Life Power and Virtue of Christ which gives to live to God in the nearness of Life cannot be enjoyed nor known else what means his reputing that Assertion in my Sandy Foundation shaken so Erroneous namely without Good Works there is no Acceptance with God which without any Wrong to him causes me to believe that it is his Faith that Men may be accepted with God without Good Works and consequently that they are not necessary to Salvation I wish for his sake more then mine own he had been no more Injurious to me and the Truth I have defended then I have been to him in expressing but the natural Result and Tendency of his Doctrine I shall now be as good as my Word and that is to produce an Argument or two against the Common Doctrines of rigid Satisfaction and Justification as they have been opposed by me in this short Discourse and that out of my Book called The Sandy Foundation Shaken because it has been most in this Adversary's Eye That if he thinks fit to reply he may have something else to employ his Mind about then to write Dialogues filled with Lyes Shifts Forgeries Scoffs Impudence and Scurrility Of SATISFACTION 1. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger forever because he delighteth in Mercy Can there be a more express Passage to clear not only the Possibility but real Inclinations in God to pardon Sin and not retain his Anger for ever since the Prophet seems to challenge all other Gods to try their Excellency by his God herein describing the Supremacy of his Power and Superexcellency of his Nature that he pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his Anger for ever so that if the Satisfactionists should ask the Question Who is a God like unto ours that cannot pardon Iniquity nor pass by Transgression but retain his Anger until some-body make him Satisfaction I answer Many amongst the harsh and severe Rulers of the Nation but as for my God he is exalted above them all upon the Throne of his Mercy who pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his Anger for ever but will have Compassion upon us 2. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors Where nothing can be more obvious then that which is forgiven is not paid And if it is our Duty to forgive without a Satisfaction receiv'd and that God is to forgive us as we forgive them then is a Satisfaction totally excluded Christ farther paraphrases upon that part of his Prayer v. 14. For if you forgive their Trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you Where he as well argues the Equity of God's Forgiving them from their Forgiving others as he encourages them to forgive others from the Example of God's Mercy in forgiving them which is more amply exprest in Chap. 18. where the Kingdom of Heaven that consists in Righteousness is represented by a King Who upon his Debtors Petition had Compassion and forgave him but the same treating his Fellow-Servant without the least Forbearance the King condemned his Vnrighteousness and delivered him ever to the Tormenters But how had this been a Fault in the Servant if his Kings Mercy had not been proposed for his Example How most unworthy therefore is it of God and Blasphemous may I justly term it to be in any's daring to assert that Forgiveness impossible to God which is not only possible but enjoyn'd to Men. Consequences Irreligious and Irrational 1 That it 's Unlawful and Impossible for God Almighty to be Gracious and Merciful or to pardon Transgressors then which what 's more Unworthy of God 2 That God was inevitably compell'd to this way of Saving Men the highest Affront to his incontroleable Nature 3. That it was Unworthy of God to Pardon but not to inflict Punishment on the Innocent or require a Satisfaction where there was nothing due 4. It doth not only disacknowledge the true Virtue and real Intent of Christ's Life and Death but intirely deprives God of that Praise which is owing to his greatest Love and Goodness 5. It represents the Son more Kind and Compassionate than the Father whereas if both be the same God then either the Father is as Loving as the Son or the Son as Angry as the Father 6. It robs God of the Gift of his Son for our Redemption which the Scriptures attribute to the unmerited Love he had for the World in affirming the Son purchased that Redemption from the Father by the Gift of himself to God as our compleat Satisfaction 7. Since Christ could not pay what wâ—â— not his own it follows that in the Payment of his own the case still remains equally grievous Since the Debt is not hereby absolv'd or forgiven but transfer'd only and by consequence we are no better provided for Salvation than before owing that now to the Son which was once owing to the Father 8. It no way renders Men beholding or iâ— the least oblieg'd to God since by their Doctrine he would not have abated us nor did he Christ the last Farthing so that the acknowledgments are peculiarly the Sons which destroys the whole current of Scripture Testimony for his Good Will towards Men. O the Infamous Portraiture this Doctrine draws of the Infinite Goodness Is this your Retribution O Injurious Satisfactionists 9. That God's Justice is satisfied for Sins past present and to come whereby God and Christ have lost both their Power of injoyning Godliness and Prerogative of punishing Disobedience for what is once paid is not revokeable and if Punishment should arrest any for their Debts it either argues a Breach on God's or Christ's part or else that it hath not been sufficiently solv'd and the Penalty compleatly sustained by another forgetting that every one must appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ to receive according to things done in the Body Yea every one must give an account of himself to God But many more are the gross Absurdities and Blasphemies that are the genuine Fruits of this so confidently believ'd Doctrine of Satisfaction Of JUSTIFICATION 1. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but He that doth the Will of my Father Whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock c. How very fruitful are the Scriptures of Truth in Testimonies against this absurd and dangerous Doctrine these Words seem to import a two-fold Righteousness the first consists in Sacrifice the last in Obedience the one makes a
little his Endeavour Vnrighteously to infer that those Moral Perpetual and Eternal Holy Precepts thou shalt have no other God but me thou shalt not Murder thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not Steal thou shalt not bear False Witness c. are not binding upon us But that we give our selves the loose of such horrid Principles as the contrary and are therefore inconsistent with Civil Government Cont. pag. 59 60. As if that Eternal Holy Omnipresent Light with which we are enlightned did not continually declare and require these Just and Righteous Things at our hands God rebuke him 22. From our Use of the Scripture and a Ministry with such like Means though by the Assistance and Leadings of the Eternal Spirit for this End that all may come by them as Helps to the Life and Power it self the great End of all External Means He would insinuate the Insufficiency of the Light and does prefer the very Beggarly Elements of the Jewish Religion before it which holds as well against God Christ and his Power Grace and holy Spirit because the like Means are used notwithstanding to reclaim and restore Men to a State of Happiness but if that were Wicked what can his Reflection be upon the Light Dial. p. 37 41 42 49 23. Because we say that no Man can rightly worship God without the Preparation Motion of his holy Spirit which we daily wait to feel and accordingly are prepared drawn forth to worship the Lord whether in publick or private for we never sought his Face in vain This Envious Man suggests that we never wait to be so prepared or moved But if the Spirit of God compels us not God must go without his Worship and not blame them with such like making as if the Spirit were as far off as he would have Christ and that to stay till Men were mov'd were never to worship which sufficiently shews his Ignorance of that Spirit whose alone Leadings make a Child of God as well as the Wicked Vse he makes of that Holy and Christian Practice Cont. p. 60 61. 24. From our asserting that every Man ought to be convinc'd of what he does and that by the Light in him as his Rule of Faith Duty before he sets about to do or perform it He insinuates the Impossibility of our Renouncing and Rejecting any tenacious Disputer about unprofitable Questions that may go out from us as a Religious Society because such Person or Persons may plead the Light within for it Cont. p. 64 65. As if they might not as well plead the Scripture too upon his Belief of a Rule and give him the same Difficulty Must every one use the Scripture right that pretends to it as their Rule If not then why may not several pretend to the Guidance of the Light for that which the Light really condemns 25. From our denying the Resurrection of the Natural and Corruptible Body and leaving it with the Lord to give us a Body as pleaseth him This Caviller and Foolish Intruder into Sacred Mysteries endeavours to possess People with our being Shufflers about Denyers of the Resurrection of any Body to Life Eternal however Spiritual or Glorified Dial. p. 56 57 58 59 60 61 62. 26. And from our asserting the Unity of God and the Soul and our Denyal of their Carnal Resurrection He blindly concludes that the Soul is part of God and so no future Rewards or Punishments at all to be expected by any Dial. p. 16 17. Thus much to give the World a Taste of the Man's Spirit He that can thus far believe him to be an Honest Man ought to be condemned for great Ignorance and Inhonesty God that made Heaven and Earth will Recompense it into his Bosom with a Vengeance if he Repent not A Collection of a Few of his Many GREAT LYES Arg. III. He that Lyes is not of God but Thomas Hicks is a Lyar therefore not of God then no Christian 1. First That our owning of Christ Jesus is indeed no other then A MEER MYSTICAL ROMANCE and that the Christ we own is no other then a MYSTICAL ROMANCE Dial. p. 10. Contin p. 9. A Prophane Untruth Vntruth in speaking so of us and Prophane with a witness to call the Light a Mystical Romance which he just now said ought to be obeyed Is this your Champion 2. That according to the Quakers Conceits Scripture and Reason must not be made use of Ibid. p. 26. A Lye our Books and Practice plentifully prove 3. That the Light in us sees no Necessity of a Mediator Ibid. p. 35. When God knows we feel the daily Benefit of one 4. That the Quakers account the Blood of Jesus Christ no more then they do the Blood of a COMMON THIEF Ibid. p. 38. An Ungodly Aspersion 5. That we deny his Visible Coming and Appearance in the World Cont. p. 37 45. Though a Contradiction to himself 6. That the Quakers hold they can work a Compleat Righteousness OUT OF THEIR OWN BOWELS Ibid. Epist p. 53. Dial. p. 38. and yet a while since all was to be done by the Motion and Operation of God's Spirit alone O Confusion it self 7. They own Christ in all he did ONLY as an Example Contin p. 54. yet just now he made us deny his Coming at all What strange Lying and Self-Contradicting is here 8. That the Quakers Dissemble when they tell People they own the Scriptures and that they render them of no more Authority then ESOPS FABLES Cont. Epist That a Quaker should say That which troubles thee is thy PUZLING thy self so much in that BOOK THE BIBLE thou wilt never be setled till thou throw that Book AWAY Cont. p. 76. A Wicked Lye Also That a Quaker should saâ— to one T. Hollbrow What dost thou tell me of the Scriptures they are no more to me then an old Almanack Which we renounce both as being a Lye and an Irreverent Expression For J. Nobbs on whom it is charged was a Ranter and if I mistake not it was spoken before the People Quakers were known in the Southern Parts if not before God's Breaking forth by them 9. That any thing against our Ministry though never so true must be looked upon as the greatest Lye Ibid. Epist But this is one to be sure God will clear their Innocency and confound their bitter Enemies 10. That Nicholas Lucas said to one of T. Hicks 's Acquaintance that he might burn the Bible and serve God as well without and that he might write as good Scripture himself if he would have any Ibid. pag. 5. A Lye he disowns and in the Appendix may be seen 11. That they appoint their Ministers afore-hand to speak in such a Place and at such a Time and that they go to Meetings only to encourage that is to decoy trapan and inveagle others Ibid. p. 66. Very Lyes I testifie in God's Fear 12. That the Quakers bid People follow the Light within and if they do so
reject their Lyes and lay their Slanders at their own Door they report us a sort of Foul-Mouth'd-People Censorious and Judging and which is most intollerable they account such Carriage towards us Gospel-Zeal Plain-Dealing which are only better Words for Reviling and Railing But whilst some have thus shewn themselves against us upon close Encounters with our Books Tho. Hicks that he may be Extraordinary though in Wickedness forges Ill Language under our Name that he may the better practise Railing against the Quakers and insinuate with the Vulgar for a Reality a very Fiction but since the Answers as they are he pretends to condemn as bad he is at once to be blamed for Forgery and forging that which is Reprovable too But that which deserves our notice is that Tho. Hicks should be the Man of all others that takes most upon him to rate the Quakers for their Sharp Dealing with their Adversaries who is not only Unjust in doing so but Excessive in his Bitterness against them witness thâ—se Scurrilous Invective Expressions A Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker Their owning Christ and the Christ they own a meer Mystical Romance Cheats and Impostures Lyars Malignant Errors Their Hypocrisie Deceit Equivocations The way they arived to that Degree of Perfection was by Quaking Foaming at the Mouth with dreadfâ—l Roarings and Howlings and this he sayes the Devil Influenced us unto Again Delusions Impertinent Canting Non-sense Blasphemy The Devil's Slaves Paganism Satan's Snares Pernicious and Perilous Errors They are inspired and influenced by that grand Impostor the Devil Blasphemous and Ridiculous Canting Enthusiastical They decoy and trapan Your Idle Non-sensical and Blasphemous Prating Inspired by Satan You are as Vile Impostors as ever were Thus much of Us and our Way in general besides his Knaves Cox-combs Impudent and Audacious Fellows that he has called our Friends in Religious Conferences I think it not unseasonable to say something of that Entertainment I have had at his hand I am wholely a Stranger to him I ever had an Esteem and tender Regard to the Sober and Tender-hearted among that People with whom he walks I know not that ever I had to do with them in general and I am sure nothing at all with Tho. Hicks in particular as to Religious Controversie I may further say that some of them have known me long my Temper Education early Dissent from National Worships my Sufferings upon it and if they will be true to me they must say I have had the keeping of a Good Conscience above the one half of my Life in my Eye being now about twenty nine Years old Now that T. Hicks in the midst of his severe Rebukes of us as abusive to our Adversaries should treat me with such Unhandsome Reflections as Confident Dictates intoxicated with Pride Tinkling and Ridiculous Words Arrogant and Conceited Man Confident Dictator Rash Inconsiderate and Opinionated I appeal from W. Penn in his Rage and Fury His Talk beray'd his Arrogancy transported with Pride and Error Brazen'd with Impudence Rage and Folly Presipitate into Blasphemy I say that he should thus vent his Passion and Displeasure upon me who never had to do with him is certainly very Unchristian and altogether Unworthy of any Man that pretends to correct others But why Transported with Pride and Error only because I said in Defence of God's revealing his Will to Man that methinks this one Demonstration should satisfie all viz. when neither Man nor Scriptures are near us there continually attends us that Spirit that immediately informs us of our Words Thoughts and Deeds and gives us true Directions what to do and what to leave undone And this is the whole Provocation or Reason assigned by him for such Rude and Unhandsom Expressions and that to a Man that never had to do with him God's Witness in all Consciences judge betwixt us if so true an Expression deserves such Affronts and if such an Answer ought to pass for a Confutation Besides it is basely done of any Man to run down the Labours of any Man by Shreads and Scraps of Matter or to fall upon a Conclusion without so much as encountring one of those many Arguments that leads to it A Way T. Hicks of all Men has proved himself most Expert and most Unjust in But why Confident Dictator and brazened with Impudence Rage and Folly Because in my Second Part of the Apology in Answer to T. Jenner a Priest in Ireland who had publisht scores of Lyes Scandals and Personal Defamations against many of our Friends and particularly against my self that his Book seemed but an Epitome of Lyes and Abuse I did say O wretched Impudence Could any but a Priest brazn'd with Rage and Folly ever pronounce so great a Lye as that we should persecute the Truth and its Followers with bitter Revilings and Reproachings when yet sayes T. Hicks that to which Penn thus replyes is such a matter of Fact that Thousands can bear Witness to the Truth of it But herein has he done foolishly for it being yet disputable betwixt us what is Truth and what is Persecuting and what is Reviling Can he have so little Modesty in his Cryes against Impudence as to make our Accusers Parties either Judges or Witnesses We shall submit it to an Impartial Judgment but not to Tho. Hicks's Pride and Passion However this is most true that to call Christ's Light an Ignis Fatuus a dim Light the Spirit of the Devil that we are of the Devil that we are possest are Witches acted and mov'd by Satan Enemies to God Christ the Spirit Religion humane Societies with many Stories that we have offered to prove Lyes in the Sight of all Men and particularly what he charged upon my self viz. That Penn another of their Teachers did boldly affirm to a Friend of mine in Dublin that whosoever shall expect to be saved by that Jesus Christ that was born in Judea and suffered at Jerusalem shall be deceiv'd which I declare to be a Lye in the whole and every part of it I say this is certain that so much evil Treatment may well extort that sharp and just Rebuke from me But if it be Criminal I know in T. Hicks's account it is for me so to Character a Priest that had written an entire Book against us in which he had most wickedly belyed our Principles and abused our Friends and bespattered my self in particular What can He think of himself to say so much more of me who never writ against the Anabaptists in general nor Tho. Hicks in particular much less that I have vented or aggravated so many horrible Lyes against either them or him If his Conscience condemn him not of Baseness Passion and Partiality it is feared and if the Party he belongs to judge him not for such Unjust Procedure they will be condemn'd of God's Light that will bring every Unfruitfâ—l Word and Work into judgment His Insinuating that I entitule J. Nailors Blasphemy
makes haste over you if your Visitation be shut up in God's Withdrawing the Light of his Countenance inwardly to be felt and known by such as turn to it your Condition will be miserable for ever I beseech you in the Bowels of the Love of Christ Jesus unto whom this comes Be Still Cool and Moderate let him in whose Right it is He will affect your Hearts purifie your Souls destroy your Enemies and finally save you from Sin here and Wrath to come for to that End was he given a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And hold no Communication with such Unsavory Persons as Thomas Hâ—â—ks a Man turn'd I testifie from the Grace of God into Dryness and Wantonness and Prejudice who makes a Mock at Experience and to whom the Weighty Work of Witnessing is Matter of Derision O the Ill Use he has made of Religion and the Lamentable End he is come and coming to My Friends get to Experience get to Witnessing by all Means and that with all Speed for those who cannot witness God's Work and Will done in them to their Sanctification shall never see Heaven That is the Word of the Lord God of Life and Power and it is sealed for ever Ah! Life for your Souls or you perish which is only known in the Light and ye must be born again or you enter not into the Kingdom of God No splendid Shew no Methodical Articles no Outward Fellowships will serve turn Friends they will all stay behind when you must go away once and for ever Therefore be not Opposers of God's Work in your selves nor others but seek after Invisible Life for your Souls that will go with you And if you will believe in the Light you shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life which blessed be God we do Experience yea Thomas Hicks we Witness it And though thou hast bestowed much time to Abuse Belye Slander and Traduce our Friends in general and my self a Stranger to thee in particular yet I can forgive thee and the Lord is Record for me I wish thy Salvation O that these heavy things might not be layed to thy Chargeâ— For so sure as God liveth Great will be the Wrath that shall follow yea God will visit for these Unrighteous Dealings And I testifie to thee from God's Living Spirit if thou desist not and come not to deep Repentance the Lord will make thee an Example of his Fury and thy Head shall not go down to the Grave in Peace and by this shalt thou know that not a Lying or Delusive but a true and Infallible Spirit hath spoken by me yea the Light within will bear Witness to the Truth of these things on thy Dying Bed and then remember me I wish well to all I seek the Good of all I have nothing in my Eye but the Glory of my God the Prosperity of his Truth and the Salvation of all People through their Belief in it and Obedience to it Wherefore my Heart is not discomforted but I have Peace with him whose Presence I feel in which is Life to my Soul Strength towards my Labours Sâ—pport under Sufferings and a plentifull Reward for them all A Conclusive Supplication O Lord God! Plead thy own Cause and the Innocency of thy own poor People O Lord Reach into the Consciences of all thy Enemies Breath a Blast upon all their pleasant Shews Stain the Glory of their Will-Worship Bring them down that thou mayst exalt them Wound them that thou mayst heal them Break them that thou mayst bind them up O that they may all Hunger and Thirst after thy Appearance that thy Life and Power and Wisdom they may come to witness that they may be all saved in this thy Day O Lord from every Barren Way and from every Evil Work that the Life of thy Puâ—e Spirit may shine forth by them to thy Eternal Praise who over all art worthy who art God Blessed forever Amen Magna est Veritas Prevalet Great is the Truth and it doth Prevail A Postscript of Complaint Against the Unfair Dealing of our Publick Enemies SInce God visited us by his Glorious Light and that he Alarm'd Qâ—ickenâ—d aâ—d Raâ—s'd us by his Almighty Power that broke in upon our Hearts and Consciences to Discover Sin wound for it and redeem from under the Yoak of it that our Religion might not stand iâ— Word and in Form only but in Power and Life But specially since our Out-cry against the Formality and Emptiness of the many Religions in the World preaching the Necessity of Obedience to the daily Cross unto Salvation many have been our Enemies and those of divers sorts What Stratagems they have used may be better known when it shall be considered what they have not used to our Destruction Indeed â—ew or none For if Lyes Forgeries Perversions Mis-representations Aggravation of Invented Miscarriages would have done we had not been now in the World But God has preserved us to this day and the Point of their Arrows have retorted upon themselves and the Hole they have digg'd for us they have oâ—ten fallen into themselves and our Patiâ—nce and Resolution will wear out their Envy aâ—d Cruelty Among other of their Essayes Writing hath not been the least in Practice and Request But this we have publickly to declare of and that in a way of Just Complaint Our Enemies multiply their Books against us yet never answer our Defences The utmost of their Endeavours towards it seems to end either in Cavilling Perverting Mis-representing our Words and Meanings rather disguising then confuting our Principles or else inventing Error and Weakness in our Name that they may the more easily convict us of both though guilty of neither Since therefore they afford us no Just Dealing but instead of weighing our Reasons in Vindication of our so much decryed Way seek to defame it through Ignorance or Malice or both We thought it fit to let them know that we have several Books already out which contain a large effectual Defence of our Principles and Practices which we demand a serious Consideration of and full Answer to before we shall think our selves obliged to any further Tracts in our Vindication then what have been already writ and which we are now in hand withal For that we should so often defend our selves and our Defences be neglected and instead of an effectual Consideration of them that they should fall to their old and so often repell'd Charges and Accusations as if they writ not to have us clear our selves nor yet that they would justifie their Mis-representations of us by confuting our Apologies but to be dirt and disguize us to the People is most Unreasonable on their side as well as that it would argue great Indiscretion on ours to follow them into every repetitious Accusation For our parts we can never think our selves obliged to justifie our Principles so many times over against
the same Charges till our Answers have been better weighed For as such Trouble would be almost endless so in reality it looks more like making us Work then Refuting us Besides I must needs tell the World the base Cowardize 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 slincks away and â—uts us off by meer Shifts and Evasions His Business is to write Dialogues which he is sure to answer himself and to back his Forgeries with Lyes But avoiding all Party-Reflection or any further Aggravation of this base Fear and Injustice too we shall among the many Books writ by us in general in Defence of our Way we profess lay these few upon the Heads of our several Adversaries as containing much of what can be said in behalf of our Principles and Practices 1. Priests Professors Principles writ by G. Fox 2. Rusticus ad Academicos writ against J. Owen R. Baxter J. Tombs and T. Danson by S. Fisher 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writ against Bishop Gauden by Samuel Fisher 4. Edward Burroughs's Works 5. The Divinity of Christ c. writ against J. Owen T. Danson T. Vincent W. Maddox by G.W. 6. Oaths no Gospel-Ordinance against A. Smalwood writ by Francis Howgil 7. The Great Case of Tythes by Francis Howgil 8. Immediate Revelation c. writ by Geo. Keith 9. The Serious Apology c. writ against T. Taylor and T. Jenner by G. Whitehead and W. Penn. 10. The Nature of Christianity c. writ against R. Gorden by G. Whitehead 11. Christ Ascended c. writ against J. Newman by G. Whitehead 12. The Light and Life of Christ within c. writ against W. Burnet by G. Whitehead 13. No Cross no Crown c. writ by W. Penn. 14. The Spirit of Truth Vindicated c. writ against the Socinians by W. Penn. 15. Quakerism a New Nick-Name for Old Christianity c. writ against J. Faldo by W. Penn. 16. The Christian-Quaker c. writ against the Strength of all our many Adversaries in general and several of them in particular divided into two Parts the first by W. Penn the second by G. Whitehead These with our present Discourse let them answer and if they have any thing that 's new to offer we shall we hope by God's Assistance freely and faithfully consider it otherwise let Shame cover the Face of our Enemies for their Unjust Out-cries and Base Forgeries against us whom they cannot by Reason silence nor sober Argument confute W.P. AN APPENDIX Being some SOBER and SHORT ANIMADVERSIONS UPON Certain Passages in Tho. Hicks's Dialogue and Continuation of the Dialogue by which his Vnchristian Spirit is further Detected to the WORLD Also a Collection of those Doctrines and Principles which have been chiefly Controverted between us Granted and Confest to by our present Opposer Thomas Hicks and others of the Baptists Perswasion Drawing the Present Controversie to an End By George Whitehead His Mischief shall return upon his own Head Psal 7.16 Printed in the Year 1673. Moderate Reader IF any of these our present Opposers to wit some angry Anabaptists and traducing Dippers be minded to Quarrel and Scold at us for the Last Word or Pamphlet I do not think it any Disparagement to our Religion nor any Lessening of our Christian Reputation if they should have the Last Word and we should mutely sleight their Revilings but as yet we have a Necessity on us both for True Religion and Christianity's sake to manifest to the World their Abuse of both together with the Envious Lying Perverse and Abusive Spirit that appears in their Scornful Irreligious Agent Thomas Hicks who will bring no Honour to them nor their Religion but Disgrace who hath forged up a second Dialogue to render the True Quaker no Christian but the most implacable Enemy to the Christian Religion p. 68. and hath therein improved his Study to render us Odious and not in any serious oâ— solid way of Treatise to answer our Principles but with a bundle of impertinent Introrogatories Cavils Scoffs Jeers Flouts Forgeries malitious Revilings perverting our Words in divers places mistaking them for his own Malitious Dsiegn to render us our Sufferings and Consciences Odious and Contemptible and to destroy our Reputations both as Men and Christians as appears in the whole Tenour of his Work in these two Pamphlets and as may be seen particularly in the 67 68 69. pages of his Continuation And to conclude his Work as one consciously Jealous of what he had done that he might be detected for Prevention and to keep us mute he gives us a kind of severe Threat saying I have been sparing touching your Practices horrid Enormities raigning c. if therefore you will provoke me to speak all I can either respecting your Opinions or Practices blame me not c. They that have read his Dialogues may judge how sparing he hath been and if we were guilty of horrid Enormimities or Immoraâ—lities what Mercy we should have from such Judges as he who is thus liable and ready to be provoked But as we expect no Christian-Dealing nor that Charity from him which is not easie to be provoked so his Threats shall not deter us from making our Just Christian Defence on Truthâ—s behalf aâ—â— such Malitious Forgers and Perverters whilst nâ—â—â—â—ve the Testimony of a good Conscience to plead and a holy Confidence in God's eternal powâ—rful Truth which shall out live all the Emnity of its Adversaries wherein they fret and weâ—ry themselves for very Vanity who have conceived Chaff and brought forth Stubble they have travelled in Pain and brought forth a Lye whose own Breath as Fire shall devour them and they shall be caught in their own Snares and fall into the Pit which they have digged Observe that Ingenuous Disputants or Contenders especially for Christianity will diligently take notice of the very Strength Stress of their Opponents Objections and Arguments and endeavour their Conviction by a candid and fair Answer but instead thereof the Dialogue-Man frames Objections and Interrogatories in the Christian's Name with what Subtilty he can and feigns Answers in the Quaker's Name as silly feeble and contemptible as he can together with gross Calumnies and manifest Slanders to render them Ridiculous and Odious passing by the Strength of their Arguments and perverting both their Words and Intentions in their Books against their Opposers particularly those of his Party therefore while he pretends that all he intends is only our Conviction and Recovery he is guilty of gross Hypocrisie and Falshood as in the Sequel will surther appear G.W. Vnprejudiced Readers LEt it be observed that after Thomas Hicks hath pretended faithfully to represent some of the chief Opinions of the Quakers in his first Dialogue Tâ—tle Page â— And in his second to give a
contradict and count us Impostors Hereticks c. for these Matters they oppose and contradict themselves like Wavering Unsettled and Uncertain Persons not to be credited in their Contentious Work As for those Passages of Tho. Collier they were Printed in the Year 1050. which was before these Controversies happened between us and so before their Enmity broke forth as it dothâ— and therefore the more to be taken notice of as being writ from an Unprejudiced Mind and a Capacity more fit to receive Spiritual Sights and Openings which divers of them heretofore have had But now plain Prejudice Darkness and an Apostacy is come over these Carnal Contenders who have lost that former Sincerity Tenderness and Spiritual Desires that appeared in divers and now with their Flesh Darkness Carnal Imaginations and Selfish Spirits they are Raising up a Smoak and Darkness against the Glory of this Dispensation of Spirit Life Light and Power revealed among us which will out-live their Enmity and wear-out their Shadows and Empty Profession For this Spiritual Transcending Dispensation shall Increase their Shadows shall Decrease grow into Disesteem naturally Decay and by Degrees Vanish thereupon G.W. THE END Dial. p. 66. Pag. 13 15 25 44 45 49 54 60 76. Dial. p. 3 4 5. John 1.16 Col. 1.19 Rom. 8.9 10 11. vers 7. pag. 8 9. pag. 9. Dial. Joh. 1.5 Prov. 4.18 1 Joh. 1.1.2 3 4 5 6 7. Joh. 8.12 Joh. 11.9 10. Pag. 7. Dial. p. 21 22 33. Pythag. Socrat. Cleanth c. Pag. 33. Dial. Dial. p. 38.42 Dial. P. 22. Stob. 28. Id. 114. Val. Max. 2.10 Cic. pro Bal. Laert. Dial P. 35.36 Rom. 1.19 20. Jo. 10. P. 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. pag. 42. Contin pag. 3. Pag. 20. See p. 21. Dial. p. 43 44 45 46 47. Contin pag. 40 41 43 44. Isa 6.9 Cont. p. 48. Contin P. 49. Rom. 1. Dialog pag. 47.48 Isa 59.16 Isa. 63.4 4. Dialog p. 1. Read G. Fox 's Gr. Myst p. 91. Contin P. 50. * If wholely without us then none of it within us It was such a Justification as respected being made just by the Destruction of Sin inherent by the Spirit Power of Christ Jesus and not being accounted Just from the Guilt and former Sins freely Remitted in his Blood as an Offering for Sin once for all to every one that truly repents Apolâ—g p. 148. Gal. 6. Rev. 22. Rom. 8. P. 51. Contin Ezek. 18.20 26 27 28. * As wholely without us It is to be understood of a Righteousness Wrought by Christ's Power within when I speak of being justified that is made just by it Rom. 5.19 Rom. 2 3 4 5. Chap. 2. Cor. 5.19 Act 3.38 Contin P. 52. Sand. Found Shaken p. 26. * He was Our Example in Holiness though not in his Ending Types Shadows Contin p. 52. Sand. Found Shaken p 30. * God's Love is not excluded nor his Power that so worked in Abraham's Heart * That is within them as to Qualification Ibid. p. 52.53 Dialog p. 38. Contin p. 53. Contin p. 53. * Justification not as Remission but as made Just Contin p. 54. Isa 45.24 25. 1 Cor. 1.30 31. Cont. Pag. 59. Micah 7.18 Mat. 6.12 Rom. 14.12 2. Cor. 15.10 Mat 7.21 24 25. Rom. 2.13 Rom. 8.13 * Justification is compleatly taken Jam. 2.21 24. Rom. 8.30 Cont. p. 56. 1 Thes 5.23 1 John 5.18 2.1 3. Matth. 15.48 Ephes 4.13 2 Tim. 23.17 Hebr. 13.12 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 7.1 E. B's Works p. 47. Dialog p. 8. Cont. p. 68. Contin p. 61. * Observe how T. Hicks can quote Scripture to keep Ordinances never mentioned nor intended in it Again that he puts more Value upon such Commands as are Temporary then those that are Immutable and brings Scripture that concerns the Latter to confirm his Belief of the Former Mat. 3. Acts 1. James 4.3 Mat. 7.21 Spir. of Alex. p. 9. Contin p. 64. Contin p. 63 69. Comin pag. 65 66 67. 1 John 2.27 Ibid. Dialog p. 57. Dialog p. 58. Dialog Ibid. 2 Cor. 5.1 Rom. 8.11 2 Cor. 5.8 9. Cont. P. 18. Ibid. P. 27.29.32 33 34 38. Dial. p. 1 10 27 28 41 43 78 79 80 81 89. Cont. Tit. Pa. p. 50 56 58 66 68. 70. Dial. P. 83 84 85 92 93 94. Contin P. 87. The Waldenses accounted themselves Witnesses their best Argument was their Conscience P.P. Perrin Hist Wald. Luther oppos'd the Pope and his Adherents particularly about Justification by Works upon Experience He made it to stand in the Testimony of God in the Conscience that he was accepted from an Inward Work of God's Spirit and not any Outward Woâ—ks much less such as their Works were Wessel Luth. confer Fox Mart. 2. Tom. The English Martyrs laid the Stress of their Opposition to Popery upon their Witnessing better things Book of Mart. The Brownists call themselves God's Sack-Cloth-Witnesses in their Apology dedicated to King James in the beginning of his Reign 1. yea in that Epistle Dedicatory they speak several times to that purpose their being Witnesses that they did Witness c. The like often in the Preface Book it self with great Zeal and Honesty 'T was what they al in their several day felt springing up in them that gave them to relish Persons Words and Things and as they savoured so they testified Their Experience was the Ground of their Knowledge And their inward Witnessing the Work and Will of God the Reason of their outward Witnessing for it unto Death it self Dial. p. 20 25 68 72. Cont. p. 23. pag. 88. * Which if it must be taken for any Reply he hath broken his Promise but if no Reply then it clears him not * These are both Abominable Lyes * Where is his Quotation for the Reader to Examine here * If T.H. did not pick and call out of our Adversaries Bookâ—â—oâ— tâ—â—â—â— his Butchery â—gainst us but 〈◊〉 In partially Moâ—â—rate we should have fairer Dealiâ—gâ— than we have from â—im Heb. 9.28 * In what Sense Christ is in Man and in what not is explained Serious Apology p. 35. Nat. Christ p. 49. Cont. p. 40. * Contin p. 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69.
's Defence pag 101. But the truth of the matter I will relate out of that Book it self which has been most partially and basely represented by him The Priest's Query lies thus Whether the Scripture being Carnal and the Letter Killing as you say we may read them without Danger Answ The Letter which killeth 2 Cor. 3.6 is Dangerous for thou takest it here to war withal against the Saints with thy Carnal Mind giving out thy Carnal Expositions upon it And the Ministers of the Lâ—tter are Ministers of Death which is to Condemnation and you take it to make a Trade with it and with what the Prophets Christ and the Apostles said so that some have Sixty some an Hundred pound a Year But Christ cryed Wo unto such Whited Walls And here you read with Danger who speak of them and speak a Lye because you speak of your selves and you wrest the Scriptures to your own Destruction and to you it is Dangerous to read or speak of it who know not the Liâ—e of it as the Pharisees who were learned in the Letter but knew not Châ—ist But I say Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand This is the true Account in brief â—f their Answer to the Priâ—st's Quâ—ry And I appeal to God's Witness in the Reader 's Conscience if any thing of whâ—t that Vile Man would suggest is to be found in these Mâ—ns Words who by Letter evidently mean the Legal State of Condemnation by Dangerous not what Edification was to be got with respect to reading but that Aggravation of Punishment which would be the Recompence of those who make a Trade of them and oppose them Pharisee like to the Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus wresting them to their own Destruction Reading to such End and Purpose will prove Dangerous with a Witness And that it was at such a sort of Reading they struck consider this Passage But I say Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand Let this Forgery so obvious ring through the Streets and Towns where-ever his Book or Name is known however this is little to what 's behind For my part I speak my Conscience in Sincerity I had rather perish off the Earth then live so great a Burden of foul Dishonesty as I doubt not but a little time will manifest him to be That the Baseness of his Intentions in this kind of Arguing may yet further appear let this gross Inference directly charged by him upon our Principle of the Light 's being our Rule be diligently considered From our Asserting the Light Within to be our Rule he tells the World That we mean the holy Qualification that is in us Which were it true he would hit the Mark when he sayes that Holiness being a Conformity to the Rule it cannot be the Rule But never yet certainly did any but Thomas Hicks so mis-represent the poor Quaker Nay he Confounds and Contradicts himself How can we be said to make our Holiness the Rule when we affirm it only to be a walking up to the Light within which is Holy He sayes that we assert the Light to be the Rule how then is our Obedience to it the Rule for that is true Holiness Is there no difference between a Rule and Obedience to it Holy Life and that which gives it or makes it so What a Meeting here is of Ignorance Malice and Lying Any thing to spoil the Quakers but God will break the Bow and Spear of their Enemies Again From his Quaker's telling him Thou takest up the Saints Words but if thou hast not the same Spirit what are the Words to thee he dares to suggest that our Opinion of the Light 's Sufficiency in every Man cannot be true And all the Reason he gives us for his strange Collusion is this That those Words imply that the Spirit or Light of God is not in all Men. Now what is more evident then first That it is not our Answer 2. That it concerns not the Sufficiency so much as the Universallity of it 3. By not having the Spirit or Light is not meant that we believe that God has not given a Measure of his Good Spirit unto all to profit with or that there be some whom he never enlightened but that they so have not the Spirit as to walk by it be benefitted by it or come to enjoy it as their Teacher and Comforter and that some may be said not to be Enlightened who are not through Faith in and Obedience to the Light come to be advantaged and made Children of Light by it Let this suffice at present to shew the Man's Ignorance of our Principles or his great Unrighteousness to pervert them I shall now attend the next Point by him handled and that is Christ's Person and our Faith in him which he sayes we deny and indeed he does but say it CHAP. VI. Of our Faith in Christ HIs next Cavil is at our Belief in Christ and which is worse he would be thought a Christian in doing so The great Stress lies here Tho. Hicks would have the World think we Equivocate about our Faith in That Christ which after the Flesh appeared and dyed at Jerusalem The Reason of all this Clamour and Injustice on the part of our angry and restless Adversary is this if I wrong him let him shew me The Quakers say that Christ is in them Christ is God is God Man in them Again The Quakers say that Christ is in them But since there is but One Christ who was born of a Virgin and that he suffered at Jerusalem being there crucified can that Christ be in Man The false Doctrine or Absurdity he would run us upon is one of these two Either that we deny Christ's Manhood or that He is actually in our Bodies with that Body he appeared in at Jerusalem which is Impossible witness this one Passage If God be Christ as Penn saith or If the Light within you be the Christ as Naylor and Hubberthorn affirm is it proper or safe to say God was Slain or the Light in you was Crucified To which I answer That as in other things so in this our Adversary has shewn his great Ignorance or Malice For is it reasonable to infer from our Affirming in Scripture Language Christ is in the Saints that we deny him as to his Visible and Bodily Appearance in the World and that because he is God therefore he was never Man or that the Word took not Flesh Is this to understand us right or give the World a true measure of our Belief who is it confesseth Christ to be every where and if so then in his People see Cont. p. 34. Ah God the Righteous Judge shall plead with thee in a Day that thou shalt not be able to escape his Terrible Recompence if thou repentest not Let it suffice to the sober Reader for of him I have little Hopes that we do believe that Christ who is God over all blessed