profess Christianity if Wantonness Vanity Covetousness Passion Envy Wrath Malice and such like don't make Profession of Religion read pray preach go to Church and the like I say in the Fear of Almighty God let all that profess him and the Christian Religion examine themselves and prove themselves whether Jesus Christ live in them and rule in them or another Nature Principle and Spirit for God will not be mocked such as men sow such must they reap in the terrible Day of Judgment To the tenth Quotation out of G. F's Way to the Kingdom viz. That the four Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John are not the Gospel I answer If this be a piece of Heresie we have good Company for Paul Ignatius Justine Martyr Origen Chrisostom and some of our English Martyrs are of this Mind Paul sayes The Gospel is the Power of God but it were Blasphemy with a witness to call these four Narratives or Declarations the Power of God in which there are the Sayings and Actions of the Devil and Wicked Jews and Persecutors recorded as well as the Expressions and Deeds of Christ and his Disciples Ignatius in his Epistle to the Philadelphians calleth it very near to Paul's Expression of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Perfection of Incorruption which these four Books are not that are composed of Paper and Letters containing meer reports and Records though never so true or the Consequence would be that the Writings of the Prophets because Ignatius saith in the same Epistle that the Prophets have anounced and declared the Gospel are the Gospel in our Adversaries account if he receives Ignatius that lived soon after But it s clear that our Adversaries refuse the Prophets Writings that Title and do not give it even to the Apostolical Epistles yet are displeased with our Tenderness in not stiling these four Books or Histories the Gospel When Justin Martyr speaks of those four Books especially when he citeth out of them the mocking of Christ prophesied of in the Psalms and of Christ's Silence to Pilate he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is written and expressed not in the Four Evangelists or in the Four Evangelia or in the Gospel or in the Writings of the Four Evangelists as they do commonly now but saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Records or History of his Christ's Apostles Yea he is so far from calling the Books of Scriptures either the Law or Gospel that he saith Christ Jesus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eternal Law and the New Testament which according to the Prophecy should come forth to the universal World Chrysostom not only refused an Oath but denyed those four Books to be the Evangile or Gospel though he refused not to call them The Writings of the four Evangelists So said William Thorp as may be seen in the Book of Martyrs Besides the Gospel is called A Mystery hid from Ages and Generations which four Books were not and it is still hid from all Envious Proud Lustful Vain and Evil-minded People To Conclude The Bible it self declares of the Gospel but is not that Gospel it declares of the Spirit but is not that Spirit it declares of the Light but is not that Light and it declares of the Eternal Power and Word but it is not that Eternal Word and Power of God neither is the Light Power and Spirit in the Scripture though they were in those that gave them forth and live and abide forever in him who is the Fulness of all Wisdom Life and Truth who is Lord and Author of the holy Scriptures given forth by divine Inspiration To the last Citation and Exception viz. that G. F. sayes That we ought not to pray to God to give us a sight of our Sins I answer That this Adversary misgives his words and suggests by those he cites another thing then is plainly and honestly intended by G. F. in his own words they are these And to you that tempt God and say The Lord give us a sight of our Sins mark he speaks to those that tempt God and let me add mock God too for to such he speaks as what follows declares viz. Priests and People sayes G. F. does not the Light which Christ hath enlightned you with let you see your Sin that Lying and Swearing Cursed Speaking Theft Murder Whoredom Covetousness Pride Lust and Pleasures all these things to be the Works of the Flesh and Fruits of Darkness Mark now this Light within you lets you see it so you need not tempt God to give you a Sight of your Sins for ye know enough and waiting in the Light Power and Strength will be given to you Now let the Impartial judge if the Consequence of these words be That we must not pray to God to give us a sight of our Sins that we don't see which must be our Enemies suggestion or nothing or not rather that we should not tempt and mock God by praying for a sight of our sins whilest we see and that there is not a forsaking of the sins that we do already see I ask Does it follow that because we should not tempt or mock God in praying for a sight of the sins we have a sight of and yet don't forsake that therefore we must not pray to God for a sight of those sins that we have no sight of having first renounced those we have had a sight of Well the Lord keep our Lives out of the Power of a Jury that would take this Latitude of Construction The following words of that good man are these and very savoury and Christian they are For they that wait upon the Lord their strength shall be renewed but for what if not to forsake sin and serve the Lord God and living in the Light and walking up to God it will bring you to true Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness that you may receive the Blessing from God and give over tempting of God to give you a sight of your sins And why because you see more then you forsake forsake what you see before you pray for more sight for all such Prayer in such Disobedience is a meer Mockery and God will not be mocked and be it known to all that God has determined not to hear the Prayers of the Wicked for they are sayes the Prophet an Abomination unto him This yet appears to be his sense by the following Paragraph And to all ye that say God give us Grace and we shall refrain from our Sin there ye have got a tempting customary word for the free Grace of God has appeared to all men and this is the Grace which shews you Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Now thou that livest in Ungodliness Lying and Swearing and Theft and Murder and Drunkenness and Filthy Pleasures and lusting after the World thou art he that turns the free Grace of God into Wantonness and casts his Laws behind thy back
And the very God of Peace sanctifie you WHOLELY and I pray God your Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved BLAMELESS unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Yet further Till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a PERFECT man Again That the Man of God may be PERFECT And to the Hebrews saith the Author of that Epistle Let us go on to PERFECTION and once more in the same Epistle he saith The God of Peace make you PERFECT in every good Work to do his Will This also was the Apostle Peter's Prayer for the holy Strangers scattered throughout Pontus Gallâ—tia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia The God of all Grace who hath called us into his eternal Glory by Christ Jesus make you PERFECT I will conclude with the Doctrine of the Beloved Disciple that lay in his Lord's Bosome and can give a better account of his Mind and Doctrine then any of our Adversaries can do thus If we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Again I write unto you Young Men because ye have OVERCOME the Wicked One. Again Whosoever abideth in Christ SINNETH not whosoever is born of God doth NOT COMMIT SIN for his Seed remaineth in him and heÌ„ CANNOT SIN because he is born of God Again If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his Love is PERFECTED in us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Herein is our Love made PERFECT that we have Boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so ARE WE in this World What say Rioters and Envious Persons to this such as revile waste and destroy their Neighbours for the Exercise of a peaceable Conscience Doth the Love of God abide in them are they like unto the God of Love in this World can they hope for his Mercies in that World which is to come who are cruel and abusive to their honest Neighbours in this But more of that another time Yet again Whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself that the Wicked One toucheth him not What think the Enemies of Perfection to this To Conclude They that deny Perfection from Sin deny the End of Christ's Coming if this beloved Disciple may be Judge for saith he Christ was manifested to take away our Sins and whosoever abideth in him sinneth not for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil and whatsoever is born of God doth not commit Sin And without Offence let me say Our Adversaries may better employ themselves then to turn Advocates for the Devil and his Kingdom as they seem to do by charging the Doctrine of Perfection upon the Quakers as an Evil Opinion for no man in his Wits can believe they intend us any Reputation or Credit when they set the Mark of Perfection upon our Creed But is it not a great shame that men who profess themselves to be Christians the Disciples of that self-denying Jesus should make their Lord's Office our Reproach and the End of his blessed Coming a Mark of Heresie Why Was he sent but to save and how does he save if people must necessarily live in Sin that eternally loseth them and to save them from which he is come And thou shalt call his Name Jesus said the Angel because he shall save his People from their Sins Alas what have Men to be saved from if not from sin for sin set aside man is good and all his good if then sin loses men Heaven and Happiness men must be saved from it on they will be eternally lost for in that state Christ will profit them nothing To the Quotations I shall make a brief Return The first Quotation G. Whitehead saith That the Light within must be God because to deny it so to be is to deny the Omnipresence of God To what is here alledged this brought to disrepute our Holy Religion I answer That this Adversary has not told us whether they were words spoken or written if spoken where be the Witnesses if written where is the Book or Paper However the words are not indefensible For God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all and he is Omnipresent therefore in man and in him we live move and have our being yea more especially for it is he that searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and that telleth unto man his Thoughts Upon whom said one of old doth not his Light arise To the second Quotation viz. It is damnable Heresie to deny the worshipping the Measure of Light in every man And that the Spirit which God breathed in Adam was not Man's Spirit but another the Breath of our Nostrils the Anointed Lord this is that true Light which lighteth every man that comes into the World see Rob. West's Book called Damnable Heresies discovered p. 6. I answer 1st That I have not the Book cited or cannot find 2dly That the Man is not entirely in Society with us but there has been some Dissatisfaction in the Minds of our Friends about him in several respects and particularly this Book was not received or printed by us Yet lastly I know not but many good things may be in it but if in any thing it be unsound it will not lie at our Door nor do I believe that the Passage it self may not be vindicated and that by Authority of Reason Scripture and the Consent of Ancient and Modern Authors I will only say that every Appearance of God is God the Light that comes from God is God for God is Light and God cannot be divided from himself and the word Measure of Light relates to our capacity that receive and know only by Measure and not to God who properly speaking is immeasurable And true it is that the Breath God breathed into Adam was Divine if the learned Rabbies Commentators on that Scripture be of any credit as may be seen in my Rejoynder to Iohn Faldo for a meer humane Soul could not make Adam live to God much less make him the Image of his Creator And if it was the Divine Life I hope none will question if that Life be Christ who says expresly of himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life who also says I am the Light of the World and this is Iohn's Testimony In the Word that made all things was Life and that Life is the Light of men and his says he is that true Light which enlightens every man that comes into the World So much to that Passage To the third Quotation out of G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn's Book called Truth 's Defence pag. 101. I answer 1st That the Quoter has wrong'd the Passage and
falsified the Book for there is that quoted which is not there The words are these as given by our Adversary in the Name of G. F. and R. H. We do deny the Scriptures to be the word of God and also to be a Standing Rule and that it is dangerous for ignorant People to read them see Fox and Hubberthorn in Truth 's Defence pag. 101. I answer All these words We do deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and also to be a standing Rule are not to be found there they are added which is a great piece of injustice for the last part which lies as if we would deny that ignorant people should read the Scriptures hear the words themselves Query The Priest asks Whether the Scripture being carnal and the Letter killing as you Quakers say we may read them without Danger To this G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn answer The Letter which killeth is dangerous for thou takest it her to war with against the Saints with thy carnal Mind and Expositions Again thus Here you read with DaÌ„nger who speak of them and speak a Lye and its dangerous to read that and make a Trade of that which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles spoke forth freely and you wrest the Scriptures to your Destruction and to you 't is dangerous to read c. Now let all people of Cander yea common Sense judge if this sort of reading and using the Scripture be not dangerous thus the Pharisees and Iews used the Scripture against Christ But does this give ground to our Adversary to say We hold it dangerous for ignorant people to read the Scripture because we say that a Covetous Persecuting or Malicious End or Use of Scripture is dangerous O the perversion that is made of the words and sense of this passage the Lord forgive him or them that deal thus with us Hear what the same page says But I say Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand This I have else where observed more at large To the fourth Passage viz. That J. N. in answer to the Iews says It is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the Word of God I can say the less because I have not the Book out of which it is pretended to be quoted But certain it is that the Devil that loves not the very Form of Godliness but to exalt it against the Power and shelter himself for a Saint has more then once on the same score pleaded for the scripture against Christ and the letter against the spirit not that he loveth the Scripture or that the Scripture opposeth either Christ or the Spirit but that he hath subtilly used the very Scripture as little as he loves it both to tempt and oppose even Christ himself This is plain in his tempting Christ in Scripture-Language and in the Persecutions of the Iews both against Christ and his Disciples for which they urged Scripture they relyed upon them for Life eternal and not upon Christ him they set at nought then as much as the false Christians sleight his Light now And it was Christ's Complaint then In them you think said he to have eternal Life but you will not come unto me that you may have Life Thus the outward Iew set up the scripture against Christ in the flesh and thus the outward Christian sets up the scripture against Christ in the spirit or in his spiritual appearance in the soul insomuch that a man runs the hazard of being proclamed a Blasphemer that speaks but of Christ within yet it is express Scripture and of being stigmatized for an Heretick that calls Christ only that Word of God to whom only that Name is given in the Evangelical Writings though at the same time a man confess the holy Scriptures to be given forth by Divine Inspiration and that they are the Words of God That the Word is his Name John will be our Warrant in the beginning of his History and that his Name is called the Word of God Iohn also affirms in his Revelation I will end with this that Luke the Evangelist in his Dedication of his History to his excellent Theophilus now part of the sacred Scripture calls it A Declaration of those things that were most surely believed among them and not the Word of God We take him for our Pattern when he is confuted it will be time enough for us to confess our Mistake To the fifth Quotation viz. that G. Fox says The Soul is part of God of his Being without Beginning and Infinite Gr. Mystery p. 68 9â— 29. I answer briefly That G. F. speaks of the Divine Soul or Life of Man that comes from God by which Man liveth to God so Augustine calls it anima animae the Soul of the Soul or Life of man's Soul so Rabbi Nunchmanni and Hiskuni in the Comment of Paulus Fagius take it saying it s of the Being of God his own Breath This is without Beginning respecting God and Infinite or without End respecting Man Where is the Heresie of this To the sixth Quotation out of the Works of G F. junior viz. We own the Scriptures as a true Declaration of the Saints Conditions I answer The Allegation is frivolous on the side of our Adversary for he doth not deny what G. F. asserts nor does G. F. deny but that there are many Scriptures which are Promissary Threatning and Prophetick does our owning the Scriptures to be an account of the Experiences of the Saints of God of old time exclude any farther Character or say that they are no more What! have people lost their senses or must any thing serve to blemish Quakers What Injustice is here For shame do as you would be done by To the seventh Passage alledged out of Geo. Whitehead's Apology pag. 49. viz. That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures yea and greater I answer in G. W's own words which are these That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater as proceeding immediately from that Spirit as Christ's words were of greater Authority when he spoke then the Pharisees reading the Letter and they and their speaking we deny thiâ— â—ays he was my Answer Now I appeal to the just Witness of God in every Conscience if this Adversary was not very disingenuous to take no notice of this Distinction for in short two things are in our Friend's words first That what comes from the same Spirit of Truth is of the same Authority and who denies that no body that is in his senses Next That what is spoken by the immediate Motion Life and Power of the Spirit is of more Authority that is Force and Efficacy to move quicken enliven or operate upon the Hearers then the bare reading of a Chapter in the Scripture especially by such as the Pharisees were as a Letter cannot