many others against kneeling I affirm your Mr. Long of Exon in his first Book against Mr. Baxter written about 16 Years since says more than them all by affirming that kneeling and taking up the Old Form of Words The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ Preserve thy Body and Soul not used in King Edwards days was to favour them that owned the Real Presence and to quiet them that believe Transubstantiation Oh horrible Who shall countenance such Idolaters as these which your Church calls so Who in this Adoration are as very Idolaters as the Laplanders who Worship a Red Cloth Here Sir I beg your Pardon I am gon I confess too far into this particular but more of this hereafter if occasion be It was denyed at the Savoy Conference between the Episcopalians and Presbyterians that Ministers had liberty in their Pulpits to use their Gifts in Prayer And the design of Laud before and many others since was we are sure by the Liturgy to hinder Ministerial Gifts this way It is well Experience is thought by you worthy of consideration in this place I pray Sir when saw you any one Person Minister or Hearer shed one Tear or Sigh at the Common-Prayer No. The Liturgy as well as another thing doth not bite I remember not in Plymouth Oxon or elsewhere I saw one No where this comes there is no Bochim I speak not of your Alms-House-People or such who know not a Prayer from a Chapter nor of one or two Ministers or great Men who may be said thus to have done tho I know none One would think some Men should not talk of Schism thus without end Have you such plain positive word for or against some sort of Conventicles or some Publick Worship If your vain Repetitions may be justified by the 136 Psalm remember then may the Tautologies of some Dissenters you so much talk of be justified the same way which I will not grant you have my suffrage in blaming them I know few such Thus the Quakers also who shall plead 136 Psalm as well as you for their vain Repetitions In extraordinary Cases such Modes of Praying or Praising may be justified that cannot be brought into common Practise â—esides what words God puts into our Mouths must not be questioned Because Scripture says and you read openly He that pisseth against the wall may you therefore say in your Service-book any thing of S against the wall Feasts and Fasts are things required by the Law of Nature antecedent to Scripture Revelation Heathens used them Who in this Controversie called these Symbolical till a late intolerable Scribler None questioneth but the Magistrate had power to appoint the 5th of November upon reasons from Scripture tho I think your Instance proves it not That they did it of themselves without direction from God in the Feast of Purim Christ being present at the Feast of Dedication where he at first refused to go to Preach to the People no more proves his owning that Imposition than a Nonconformist Preaching on Christmas-day to keep Men from Debauchery or cautioning them against it will prove his owning the Observation of that Day or Christ's being then Born which your Joseph Mead learnedly proves was not that Day nor at that time of the Year You your selves I doubt not would take occasion to Preach on such a day which you approve not of Here they were gathered to whom Christ was sent yet I take this Instance to be nothing to our purpose Who censures your Church for observing the 30th of January as a day of Fasting or the 29th of May as a day of Thanksgiving Yet that lies fair for an Objection of weight Where do we read of Anniversary Fasts of Divine Appointment A Fast seems to be appointed pro te Nata Whether all that is said by some of the Jews Baptising of Prosylites be true I will not say if true I have ever been of Opinion they sinn'd and it was an Abomination They were forbid to add as well as diminish Good Sir speak plainly might they have appointed Circumcision if God had not done it That Christ appointed Baptism from this Practise of theirs sounds hard with me and can no more be prov'd than that Christ appointed Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper from the Corybantes or such as they What I said before I stick to we can no more know the mind of God by Old Jewish Customs than now by Popish ones To say you make not the Cross Essential to Baptism is to confess or say that you not Christ appointed that additional Sign we know your Consciences tell you the Ancients Baptized without it I think it not proper to direct to Books or send any else I might Parkers Learned Folio against that worst of Ceremonies Custom cannot make your Phantastical Dresses decent else the Popish Trinklets are as justifiable as yours They might plead it is the Custom of their Country that is decent in one place that is not in another c. But I say Pauls indecency could be decency no where for this was your bottom what was done without his decency and order was every where and at all times ordinarily indecent and disorderly I have proved sufficiently your Surplice c. not so It is not hard to call that phantastical foolish or vain now that the wise God once for great reasons appointed Would not such a Dress as Aarons now be odious a Bell c. Then there can be no phantastical Worship in the World What a ridiculous thing had Circumcision been had not the Institution had a Divine Stamp upon it Kings will not have Subjects Images on their Coin but their own small pieces as well as great I should not have believ'd the clos'd to be yours were I not sure it was your own Hand Vestments are necessary in Genere therefore a Surplice in Specie may be used say you My Argument was that Sacred Vestments are not necessary in Genere all such were Nailed at Christ's Cross therefore are not to be determin'd in Specie Your Surplice is no civil Dress else your Argument was irrifragable no it is a Sacrum pallium It is accounted a piece of Prophanness to use it Extra â—acra It is handled with Reverence Why they call it Super-pellicium I have spent time to consider is it from Pellex God keep us from tearing Christ's body in pieces say you Turpe est Doctori and from tearing the Body Politick too say I. Your Paper and mine call for a Close so do my Circumstances Young Men are waiting my motions whilst now with me in the Room I writing this Reply Currente Calamo I think it not convenient yet to offer my greatest Arguments against some things till I see further Necessity I now urge no places of Scripture for my Opinions this may be done in time only answer yours If I have given any unpleasing words be pleas'd to be so kind to look on them as non Scripta I thank
They tell us of some that openly denied Christ preach'd Repentance because he preach'd glad Tydings and when it was openly testified against and said But Christ did Preach Repentance The Answer was But did he not go beyond or beside his Commission For my part I am in continual Expectation of a New Sect of Ranters as bad as the old ones which may provoke our Governours to take away our Liberty from us seeing it is so abused I have heard some have thus threatned if they find Crispianism a thriving weed In Glocestershire in a Town I knew were there in Olivers Days a sort of Ranters headed by a Preacher whether first a Linen-Draper I know not they would say We could not take off our Cups when with you and would swear as a part of their Christian Liberty One of them told a serious Friend of mine What talk you of Sin I would make no scruple to kill you but I will not do it because I love you One of them at last was a God and the other was a Devil Then God would speak to the Devil and the Devil to God If thou art a God c. One of this Company was such an Instance of Divine displeasure that he went up and down Winter and Summer Thirty Years barefooted and distracted I have often heard some of his Blasphemies from him Travers of Marsfield What I pray did Cob and his followers do at Ely To hear a Fool say The Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance and therefore Repentance is no duty now might make any sick to hear it When it is so clear Paul speaks of Gods not Repenting of the blessings he bestows on us not of our not Repenting of Sins aginst him I that know these things Pardon me if I give you timely warning It hath been no small Reflection I confess on the Oxthodox Congregational Divines that they never had the Courage to appear against the Crispians tho they have against another sort of Men. A few sheets in Print would have prov'd your Zeal lay not only against these but them Those unclean Birds would shelter themselves under your Wings as if theirs Mr. Lob indeed in a late Ingenious Discourse by which he hath much oblig'd the World says plainly in his Preface That I may appear impartial I do declare That I believe that the Antinomian Dotages have much occasion'd the growth of the Socinianism and Deism of the Age. I had lately a Letter from a Congregational Divine in Devon who thus writ me There is not one Congregational Divine in this County that owns Crisp his Notions nor any but some Anabaptist It is so apparently impious and ungrounded that I am astonished how Men of Principles can incline to it But what hath it to do with Independents or Independents with it If it did any thing flow from Congregational Principles I should think my self unsafe in those approaches my Judgment hath made to them and must flee with horrour from them tho not to the other extream Some of that perswasion here cry We are all undone we shall be the most Contemptible Persons on Earth if these ignorant Preachers thus go on For my part I solemnly profess that I think Arminianisin it self to be a lovely innocent thing in Comparison of Crispianism tho I own Calvin's Doctrine Old Protestanism and that in the Supralapsarian way but about this I never much contend Now what must I expect from some Men Oh this is he that began well and hath since made his Recantation We know the Circumstances of it and before whom Did I begin well Then I continue so for in my Vindiciae I do disown Dr. Crisp his abominable Phrases and Doctrine foreseeing I should be reported by some to be of that Number If you can tell all about the Recantation You can tell more then I. It is a false Charge as some great Men know who lately have had the contrary under my own hand Who indeed I know wish it yet I will be free When I saw some Congregational Divines as well as others say My Vindiciae was too sharp I have said to them and others That I could wish two or three Passages out of the Book as James 3.8 c. Tho I yet add other Pious and Learned Divines said It was not too sharp particularly The Famous Mr. Giles Fermin since dead in a Letter to me whose Name and Habitation he diligently enquired after being pleas'd with the whole of the Book After some undeserved Expressions of respect he tells me That having to deal with such an intolerable Applauder of himself and Vilifier of others No moderate Man they were his words can say I was too sharp c. To whom I replyed the same Day That some moderate Men did think it was too sharp and I was of their Opinion not of his Those were I well remember my very words I did intend to have Animadverted also on the Book of Universal Redemption published by that good Man for so I doubt not he is Mr. Read I did intend it should have been the work of time as well as pains for I profess slight it who will and say it is an unlearned Tract It made me sweat to Reply to some difficulties Mr. Fermins words to me in a Letter I shall not forget Who wisht me a good deliverance for said he I know not what to say being not able to Answer the Arguments on eitherside When I further examin'd Dr. Crisp upon the foremention'd Charge and saw the Gangreen spreading in the City I had done with that matter and undesired by any Man I threw my Papers against Universal Redemption in the Fire And resolved to trouble my self no more about any thing Mr. Sylvester or Mr. Read should publish whilst Crispianism was on the thriving hand Suppose a Man should strike out one of my Eyes another should cut off both of my Legs after which would I most earnestly send a Hue and Cry Had I known the City so well as I do now and its present Contagion I had said less of another sort of Men and more of you And now Call this a Recantation if you please for it is the greatest I ever made What have you to do with our Controversies You know the plain common familiar apt Comparison If two Dogs be a fighting if a Bare break in they both give over and set upon him When we were fighting comes the Antinomian Bare which makes us give over and set upon him Nay to be plain I would not be ashamed to Call on the Arminians themselves to help in this work against this dangerous exceeding dangerous Enemy I dread neither you nor them as they well know I have no preferment but refuse it A negative respect I shall be thankful to you or them or any other for For my part I declare I hear good sound well studied Sermons both at Pinners and Saltars-Hall Lectures But may it not displease if I should say
you for your freedom and do not despise your Arguments which tho a common practise is no fair one I know not but that some Ceremonious Scots and English Men too now must be notorious Schismaticks on your Principles as well as mine Your Servant I hate vain Inventions but thy Law do I love says David Postscript IN the Administration of the two Great Ordinances no place is left for the Ministers Gifts not in Prayer to God and which is worse if worse can be not in Instructions to the People O Blessed Apostle when thou didst enumerate Ministerial Gifts to the Church of Corinth thou didst forget the Gift of Reading and the Church of England Give these Men a Common Prayer Book in one Hand and a Book of Homilies in the other they have enough This is done not only in Publick Churches but Private Houses Did the Jews read Prayers in the time of Christ The Pharisees Practice shews their Custom You cannot think they knew that unmanly as well as unscriptural word I Pray who reads Prayers to Day What Ancients did you attempt to Name that did this In what Countrey did they live Did they read Prayers in their Antilucana that Pliny telleth Trajan of I grant as you say your Prayers are moving Prayers for it is a hard matter to sit still and hear them and the most serious commonly leave them It seems to me a poor Plea for any one to say for such a Worship only it is lawful What if only the Lords Prayer was us'd in a Parish at the Lords Supper would you continue there and say it is lawful c. And not go to another place where done much better Are some few words enough of Plague Pestilence and Famine c I remember I have read when London Bridge was on Fire the Priest Pardon me Sir it was the Name Laud gave and blotted out the word Minister brought the Common Prayer Book and Read For all Women labouring with Child for all sick Persons and young Children c. An Old Woman cryed out Good Lord what is all this to London Bridge c. Do you call that a Prayer where a few words are read to God in a large History or spoken to Men when we Pray with our Hats on and a Cup in our hand at Home at Feasts in Coffee-Houses when we speak of the King Church or our Friends Using commonly in a conceived Prayer the same words for the King or Parliament c. Make it not a Form Is it â—â—â—â—ful or would it not be Phantastical to have Crowns on your Heads and Palms in your Hands as well as white Robes on your Backs You know how John saw Christ Rev. 1. What if you wore such a Girdle would it not be Phantastical Schism you now tell me was the Point you did Pursue I am sure you did not so at first I cannot Answer your thoughts but words Would you not Baptise Infants 〈◊〉 only the Adult if your Church so requir'd and say There is no plain positive Command to the contrary A doubtfull Conscience was much with Paul Is this sense Nothing can excuse our running in Schism but the imposing of what is plainly and positively a Sin Would it be Schism then as you call it Conformist THere are several Passages which do well deserve to be animadverted upon but I pass all to pursue our main point till that be settled and then we will proceed as you see cause For as to the Reason use and advantage of our Liturgy Ceremonies c. It is not time to come to that till we have first consider'd whether the imposing these be a sufficient cause for Schism because if it be not all the inconveniences improprieties which you objected were they granted will not excuse your separation from the Church or make your separation not to be a Schism In order to this I first set down the Power as I conceive the Church hath not Viz. To appoint means of Grace and by this I cut off most of the Popish Ceremonies 2. That the Church hath Power to appoint Ceremonies or Rights of an inferior order to this This you seem to deny and build upon the Command of not adding to or diminishing from the Law of God But to add to the Law of God is to add something as the Law of God which is not For if I add some Ceremony or Circumstance unless I pretend that it is the Law of God or a part of it it is no addition to the Law Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men this is an addition to Gods Law when I teach the Commandments of Men as Doctrines that is as Laws of God but to teach the Commandments of Men only as the Commandments of Men this is not teaching them as Doctrines and so no addition to the Law of God Thus for Example when we teach the use of a Surplice only as a Commandment of Men we add not to the Law But if you forbid a Surplice as a thing unlawful tho commanded by humane Laws then you teach this as a Doctrine and so you not we add to the Law of God For forbidding is as much a Law of God as injoyning Now then there are but too things to make our Ceremonies or Rights unlawful and consequently which can justify a separation on their Account 1. If they are forbidden in Scripture 2. If we teach them as Doctrines and Laws of God and seeing neither of these are the Case I see no third thing that can justify a separation upon this Account Let us keep close to this point till we have ended it Let us settle to our selves some Rule by which we must govern our selves in this important enquiry Now give me leave to take notice of some Passages in your Paper which relate to these For the other I pass by as I said at first You say that with us no Kneeling no Sacrament No Cross no Baptism Nay tho the Salvation of Infants dying without it be question'd yet run a Risque here rather than go without the Cross Good God say you What madness doth superstition lead Men to Now might I not justly return this Exclamation What will prejudice c. Make Men believe For in the Office of private Baptism which is particularly appointed for Children that are in danger of Death the Cross is not used And whoever useth it in private Baptism transgresseth the Rubrick and the Common Prayer which is a Demonstration that our Church doth not think the Cross necessary in Baptism or to be a part of it Yet you bring this as an Argument that she did think it necessary and so necessary as to Risque a Child dying without Baptism rather then go without the Cross As great a mistake is That of No Kneeling no Sacrament Every day it is given to Sick Persons without Kneeling and where there is any reasonable excuse it will not be exacted But let me ask you will you give it in your Church to
AN APOLOGY FOR Congregational Divines Against the charge of 1. Crispianism or Antinomianism 2. Countenancing Incompetent Tradesmen as Preachers 3. Causeless Separation from the Publick Worship Under which Head are Published Amicable Letters between the Author and a Conformist a Man of Renown known ewhere to be such about Liturgies and Ceremonies By a PRESBYTERIAN Also a Speech delivered at Turners-Hall April 29. Where Mr. Keith a Reformed Quaker with the leave of the Lord Mayor and Bishop required Mr. Penn Mr. Elwood c. To appear to Answer his Charge against them By Trepidantium Malleus With an Account of his being knockt down and a Stone flung at his Head till the Blood run down his Cloaths after a threat about Ten Days before from Friend J. F. openly in the Coffee-House That a Church Friend of theirs Vow'd he would do it Jud XIX 30. Consider of it take advise and speak your Minds London Printed for John Harris at the 〈…〉 To the Reverend and Learned Congregational Divines in the City of London said to be afflicted for the New sprung Antinomian abominations and therefore just Censurers of a Linnen Draper now a Speaker who understands not the Doctrine he would defend and therefore is only a Crispian Would-be Mr. Griffith Mr. Mead Mr. â—rosse Mr. Nesbet Mr. Taylor Mr. Lardner Mr. Harris and others Reverend Sirs IT hath been often and long charged on some of your Brethren who have appear'd in a great Figure that they were Antinomians and those not of the best Edition Crispians but some of your Presbyterian Brethren as well as you could not believe it till 1. They saw some open Vouchers for Dr. Crisp his Notions which occasion'd shame and sorrow to some of you and Ingenious Confessions that they had betrayed your Cause One of which is indeed an Ingenious Man and discovers in his Writings good reading He is a good Philologist Philosopher Divine and Satyrist and it is believed he hath made the best of a bad Cause tho not without many and considerable flaws It was his unhappiness more then his Antagonists to charge him with a Bombastick Style This I knew not being a stranger in London till very lately 2. Till they saw others open Abettors and Fautors of an Impudent Ignorant Corrupt Impertinent The following Account will prove this to be his true Character I think it Sirs proper to begin with a short very short Scheme of Dr. Crisp his Doctrine which I had about Six Months since occasion to look into being charged by his Son in a friendly Letter I confess with wronging his Father in my Vindiciae Anti-Baxterianae and also being often told by others that I was mistaken not only in the Dr's sence but phrases too This gave me the Curiosity of a further inquiry with a resolution to Acknowledge my mistakes if any such But I found much worse then I expected or then I knew others had taken notice of I sent for his Son whom I yet value desiring him to come to my Lodgings or to appoint me a time when I might wait on him He refused passing as I hear a Complement upon me I was a ready Man c. This seem'd to me to argue guilt The Scheme is this That God Loveth the elect with a Complacential Love in the State of unregeneracy when in the heigth of all their Wickedness Whoredoms Murthers Thefts and that he hath no more to lay to their charge then to the charge of any Saint in Heaven That they are not the Sinners but Christ was the Sinner That when Christ said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He was separate from God and odious to him as a Toad to a Man and so continued till he Rose from the Dead and then was there a kind of renewing the Sonship That not only the guilt of our Sins and Obligation to punishment lay on Christ but the Loathsomness Abominableness and Pollution of Sin it self till he breath'd it out And that as the stain of in it self was on him so he bore all the sadness due for Sin and that whoever hath any sadness for Sin is out of Christ the way And therefore Paul did not speak of himself but only personated a scrupulous Man when he said Rom. 7.28 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death That Faith is an Etcho of the Soul Answering the Call I come without any change in Man That Pauls Justification Rom. 5.1 c. Was not a Justification before God but in the Heart and Conscience of Man That Justification cannot be known or evidenced by sanctification altho Paul saith Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without works God justified the Heathen by Faith c. 1. Not by Universal obedience and here he most unphilosophically attempts to prove that no such thing can be and that this would infer perfect obedience 2. Not by Love to the Brethren c. And therefore it is a Disparagement to the Spirit to be tryed by the word But no end is there of Naming the black horrid and blasphemous Notions and Expressions in that Book Which I have not by me and therefore it cannot be expected I should Cite Chapter and Page yet I challenge any of his Advocates to charge me with mis-representing him I will not boast how exactly I have kept as to sence so words Tho when I saw the Book last I little thought to have this occasion to appear against it for which now this among other things shall be my Apology It was reported I was gotten to the height of Crispianism by I suppose those who would have it to be so who also say every Lecturer at Pinners-Hall are theirs It is high time such be undeceiv'd about me and some of them But some of the Drs. Creatures or Friends or Well-wishers or however we phrase it thus plead for him That tho they will not justify the Dr. his hard phrases yet will his mistaken Notions That the Famous Witchius the Dutch Divine in a Latin Tract that that truly great Man Mr. How and that honest Dr. Beverly and others charge not the Dr. so high as many others do To all which I Answer 1. Are hard dangerous Expressions nothing if your Plea were not a mistake Which by no means must be granted you What if at a full Table All the Dishes there were accounted good and wholesom only of one Dish some said The Meat was very unsafe dangerous unwholesom others said no All was good and safe Only they granted with all the Company the sawce was very bad and such as some said the Meat was would not a wise Man especially if weak and sickly leave that one suspected Dish and Eat of the unexceptionable good ones What need we meddle say I with this at least suspitious book but others know to be worse then Heterodox when we have such excellent Tracts done by Men of great Learning and Men very Orthodox all
as well say The words are plain Therefore A Man Converted is the very Body that hung on the Cross If you say our senses tell us it is the same Body in substance as before So our senses tell us the same of the Bread If you say the asserting of this would be Monstrous Not one jot more then yours as I could easily prove Gen. 41.26 The Seven Ears and Kine are Seven Years We say looking on a Picture against the Wall This is my Father Brother Husband Wise Some of you confess your Doctrine here cannot be prov'd from Scripture tho some attempt to do it and that we have taken the more favourable sense of the words had not your Church chosen the contrary I say again Do any of these I write of assert such a Monstrous Doctrine as is Transubstantiation Or do they pray in an unknown Tongue Your Priests here in England were more ignorant then some Coblers among us It is well known one of them reading the Questions to the Sponsors for the Child in Baptism Anno abrenunciabis Diabolum cum omnibus suis operibus Wondred how the Devil should get in his Christning Book he blotted out the word Diabolum and put in Christum So the Question was Dost thou Renounce Christ with all his Works Another Baptis'd a Child in Nomine Patria Filia Spiritu sanctu which one construed I baptize with the Fathers Countrey the Daughter and the he she Spirit And it was question'd whether this should go for a good Baptism but the Old Numpsimus is better then the New Sumpsimus Pray Gentlemen How was the Creed said formerly Creco in Deum Parem orientem crixus fixus Ponki Pilaki remissurum peccaturum In the English Popish Homilies of Old the People were told How Old Father Adams Bones did ake in his Old Age and he sent his Son to Paradise for some of the Gum from the Tree of Life the Angel gave him some They told how the Devil was whipt by St. Francis about the Church till he did Roar for Pissing in the Holy Pot. How St. Kentigern's Mother conceiv'd as the Virgin Mary and a Thousand such trifles your Priests understood as much Divinity as one of your Justices who presented a Man for Frying of Bacon as contrary to Law which was Firing a Beacon Dalton of Sher. Before I go any further I see a necessity to Answer one Objection now on Foot against me Oh! This is he that hath talkt of an Impossibility of a Legerdemain trick of teaching a Child Nine Year old very lately The chief things in the Greek Grammar and to read exactly construe parse and say without Book the Ten first Verses of the Gospel of John in Greek and all in three Days I affirm and affirm again and again that it is true and he was examined before Mr. Woodhouse Mr Gillard Mr. Keith and Mr. Bolton who know there was no Trick in the thing as knows well Mr. Larner the Father of the Child I am ready for another Proof if it be doubted or denied I have heard of one that in an Afternoon taught one to read all that Chapter wonder at it who will I do not but think it feasable tho I never tried it I hear I am in some Cabals call'd Lyar and I know not what have pity on your selves Sirs if you have none on me come forth and face me you that smite me in the Dark And now I close this with a few Words to those Congregational Divines whom I plead for You see Brethren That I have once more put my Hand into a Nest of Wasps for your sakes tho' I am not of your mind about Church Discipline I own Presbytery and the Divine Right of it How as my Opinion not as an Article of Faith and therefore will never plead for it as such only I disown that little Creature called the Lay-Elder and think if it be no Creature of God's making it is a woful one of Man's making Not that I think the thing so novel as some do or no older then Calvin for I am well assured Ambrose that ancient Father says That it was a Church-Officer of Old but that the Pride or Negligence of Ministers cast him out How far he might be out here I will not say I am sure he was in his Exposition on the 8th of Romans where he says Olim viri mulieres docebant baptizabant I paay you Sirs advise your Brethren not to be easily imposed on by unqualified Men. One wrote me He desired to serve God in the Ministry and should be glad if he could do him any good They were his Words When I advised him to keep to his Trade he told me he was my Convert When he had no help from me he marries a rich Wife took up much plate from the Goldsmith and ran away Mr. H. of B. was a notorious Example He was bowed and cringed to as if a Bishop how he lived undesired for his Covetousness Oppression and died unlamented of all is too well known as well as his Preaching other Mens Sermons Such Men shall talk much of the Spirit and what God hath revealed to those Babes and his from the Wise and by such Cants the People take them to be Oracles Just as Van Helmont would have the World believe he had his new Discoveries in Philosophy Physick and Divinity as inspired by God Then he Cants and then tells of a Dream of a great Tree laden with Fruit His Causes and Beginning of Natural Things 4 Chap. 32. Well after all we are told what a Horse is and it is put into the Contents of the Chapter that we may the more note it That the Horse is the Son of his Fourfooted Parents created by the vertue of a Word into a living Horselike Soul We have a common Saying in some Places That to hear some things would make a Horse to break his Halter And because that Man hath so many Followers in this City I shall say the more of him and see whether he hath not ripled some places of Scripture for his wild Notions as our giddy Antinomians have for theirs In his Two Hundred Queries about the Revolution of Human Souls See how this Man after Prayers to God to discover Mysteries to him most vilely and foolishly plays with Scripture John 12.35 Are there not twelve Hours of the Day saith he tweve several times to be born in the World for Man Ephesians 16. Redeem the time not twenty or thirty Years only but hundreds they bad misspent before in other Bodies Here is your Man your Expositer for you What is the Old Man the Body of Sin but that which they had had bundred of Years As weak is the Talk of this Heretick about the Ending of the Torments of the Damned Pride will put Men on strange Delusions as if Inspirations Raphiel he says was promised him in a Dream The things I defend you in Brethren are of great Weight and Importance
behaviour and good sound Doctrine some here I am sure deserve the like Commendation Some of these bewail what they cannot help The Preaching of so many ignorant conceited Men among them How can they Analyse that know not what an Analysis is Mr. Delaun His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath done such Men no small mischief who buy and read but cannot understand What have such to do with a Figure which the Learned Call Synecdoch c. Now mentioning that Gentlemen I have an opportunity to satisfy the World that tho once a Papist he was indeed a Protestant of him I had a large and true Account from one once his Schollar When he wâ—â— Papist in Ireland he would often read the Scripture and when inclineableâ— a Change he accidentally liv'd in the House of an Anabaptist which occasion'd his being such himself This sort of Men here shame some others who more Friendly converse together then other Contenders do Their Coffee-House is like Noahs Ark as I have often told them where are as to Principles in Doctrine Clean and Unclean Beasts Calvinists and Arminians and Antinomians too Singers and Anti singers Some for free Communicating others against it Not but that it could be wisht that their Friendships were greater and that in their Polemicals they would more forbear Personal Reflections A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A Wild Crispian and a Sober Christian Cp. I Am glad to see you my good Brother Ct. I understand not your Salutation for I look not on you aâ—â— Brother but as an Enemy to me and to my Lord Christ Cp. O you are greatly mistaken in me I doubt you do not know me for I am known to talk of nothing more then Christ exalted Ct. Yes and to do nothing more then to debase him and what you can to Dethrone him you take him in one Office I in all three as Prophet and King as well as Priest Cp. Why Man if you observe Providence my very Name may be my Apology for my Name is Crispian which is much like Christian Ct. Yes but you know every like is not the same If you would be witty indeed it might rather prove you to be but a half Christian Is not Christ in the Name Anti-Christ Jesus in the Name Jesuite which is more But what think you if I mention the same Name in Scripture for that that 〈◊〉 most opposite Cp. I â—ray what is that Ct. What think you of the Name God is it not the Name of the moâ—â— High Holy Glorious Being The Maker of all our Benefactour in time and etâ—râ—â—ty Cp. Yâ—â— and what them Ct. Yet is this Name given to the Devil a Name ab officio as well as natura the Hater of the most High the Murtherer of Souls the cursedâ—â— Creature that is Yet he is call'd The God of the World c. Ct. Come then Let us go from Names to Things I doubt you are one of them that assert The Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace with Believers and of Perseverance unto salvation Ct. No I am not but am well satisfied in what the truly Eagle Ey'd Man Mr. Capel hath said against it in a little thing worth Gold bound up with his Book of Temptations Yet all that assert Perseverance are and must be sound in sense whether in Phrases or no. Cp. What is your apprehensions about it Ct. That the word we render Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred Testament Mat. 26.28 And we call the Bible The Old and New Testament 2. That the word Covenant as we render it in Scripture must not imply a Condition as some Blead Gen. 9.9 10 11 12. Gods Covenant not to destroy all Flesh admits of no condition yet of a Sign the Rainbow and that Gods Covenant of Grace with Man is like this Covenant is evidenced by Isaiah As I have Sworn the Waters of Noah shall no more return to drown the Earth c. 3. Heb. 8.10 Where the Covenant is mention'd it is a promise of Grace for I cannot for my heart conceive How a thing should be the matter of a promise and condition of it too Or a thing be the condition of it self 4. God gives the Sign of this to all his own many ways if you will so call it 5. I therefore take what some call Conditions to be not properly but improperly so they are necessary Consequents of Justification and necessary Antecedents to Glorification Cp. Oh Sir I am pleas'd to the Heart to hear you talk so Orthodoxly I suppose you are a Calvinist and some say Calvin and Dr. Crisp are agreed Ct. Yes I am as surely a Protestant for that is the right Name as you are none But they that tell you Those two are one may as soon Reconcile God and Satan Cp. Good Sir some more sound Doctrine I hope you do not own Previous or Preparatory Qualifications to true Grace some Men talk of Ct. Yes I do and yet do not I am of their Opinion and yours too in this point Cp. This is strange and seems impossible I pray explain your self Ct. Mr. Norton in his Orthodox Evangelist spends I confess too much time about this thing and it is the greatest if not only flaw in that sound Learned Book I believe with them it is Gods if not frequent or common yet sometimes way and work and experience proves it but I believe with you it is not his constant work As when Three Thousand were prickt to the Heart immediately converted and baptiz'd I doubt not but the greatest Adulterers Swearers Drunkards that sit down unconverted profane hearers sometimes arise Converted Pardoned ones God suddenly touching and turning their wills And the Kingdom of Heaven is as a Grain of Mustard-seed the least of all Grains Yet grows up to a great Tree that the Birds of the Air lodge in the Branches of it The greatest Oak was once an Acorn and the greatest Giant once an Infant crying in the Cradle and the greatest Schollar once learning his Letters Cp. I hope you own the Elect were ever beloved when in the highth of all their wickedness and that God hath no more to lay to their charge then to the charge of any Saint in Heaven p. 368. Ct. No by no means for the Scriptures say plainly Rom. 9.25 23 24 25 26. There was the Love of purpose or good will for they are said to be prepared unto Glory thou call'd both Jews and Gentiles then his People which were not a People and her beloved which was not beloved And they which were not my People are call'd the Children of God in the same place shall it be said c. Can words be plainer Yet you say they were ever beloved ever a People ever the Children of God Where God is said to Love with an everlasting Love a priori it is of purpose or good will a posteriori it is with Complacency and so beloved Cp. I grant indeed God delighted not in their Sins but Persons Ct. O rare
amongst the Ancients As to the Second That it hinders Devotion It may be so at first to Persons prejudie'd or unaccostom'd But the Experience of others doth witness that it is a great help to Devotion to them and much more moving than Extemporary Effusions that are as much a Form to the Hearers but however the Debate goes this is no sufficient cause for Schism unless it were positively forbidden in Scripture Your fifth Reason objects somthing to be mended in the Form of our Liturgy pretended Incoherencies Tautologies Repetitions If all which were granted are no cause for Schism And such Objections might be made against the 136 Psalm where are more Repetitious than any in our Liturgy But Repetitions are ofther found in the Extemporary way But however this be determin'd there is no sufficient cause for Schism for that is the Point which I persue The Second Branch of your Paper is That Symbolical Ceremonies in Divine Worship ought not to be impos'd But before I come to the Reasons let me premise this That there are many things which ought not to be in Prudence imposed and yet when imposed are not a sufficient Ground for Schism Now to the Reasons To the first three I Answer Are not Feasts and Fasts Symbolical things For this reason they deny to the Church power to impose them at least Annually Now the Feast of Purim Esther 9.27 The fasts of the fifth and the seventh months Zach. 4.5 And the feast of the Dedication 1. Mac. 1.59 were Ordain'd by the Church and Annually and our Saviour honour'd the last with His Presence Job 10.12 Which had it been unlawful he would not have done but rather have Reproved it Again Circumcision was appointed for an initiating Sign or Right The Jews added Baptism long before Christ came and they Baptized as well as Circumcised their Prosylites But our Saviour found no fault with this Nay on the contrary He went on with and continued it John was sent to Baptize and Christ appointed Baptism for the initiating Form of his Church The Jews addition of Baptism was more Symbolical and Dedicating than you can Alledge upon the Cross in Baptism especially considering that we make it not Essential to Baptism which is demonstrated in that it is not to be used in the Office of Private Baptism Your fourth Reason That a Surplice is a Phantastical Dress and unbecoming the Gravity of a Gospel Minister is Gratis dictum Every Country is Master of its own Fashions and Dresses and that is unbecoming and indecent in one Country that is not so in another which is becoming and decent in another There is nothing in Nature to make White more than Black or Black more than White to be decent or indecent If you say there is you lay more stress upon Colours than we do and so will fall into the same Superstiaion you accuse us with Secondly It is hard to call that colour Phantastical which God himself appointed to the Priests under the Law And wherein Angels appeared and Christ himself in His Transfiguration Or to say It is unbecoming the Gravity of a Gospel Preacher or Minister Your fifth Reason That things necesiary in Genere may be determined in Specie by Human Authority doth justifie our practise in this for we do no more Vestments are necessary in Genere the colour or shape of them is no other then the determining of them in Specie and unless you can shew a positive Prohibition against the wearing of White it is as lawful as Black or ony other Colour However without such a Prohibition whatever Opinion or Fancy you or I may have as to the Decency of it there can be no Ground upon this Account for Schism or for us to make Rents in the Church which is a tearing of Christ's Body to pieces A few Hours after the Noncon sent him the following Reply THat Arguments are not answer'd is a common Complaint and often where there is least occasion you think I have not answered yours I think I have you think no doubt you now have answered mine perhaps I think you have not every thing of our own generally appears to us great tho neveso little and every thing of others against us appears little tho never so great I therefore care not for words of that nature If the Church can impose any thing short of what you call means of Grace It might impose Circumcision Holy Water for a Symbolical Sign only as I wrote Such Repetitions you know are tedious I did deny plainly your Position and am ready for more proof You then produced not your Arguments for your Assertion which now you do and I thought it not Civility in me to Anticipate them The Church of the Jews had no power to impose Liturgies or Ceremonies under the Law God somewhere forbad the making of the like by the art of the Apothecary c. I have no Concordance by me He charged them not to add as not to diminish Therefore the Church hath no power now Where is her Charter If God saw it not fit to make Prayers for the Priests to be read by them but they Prayed according to the Ability God gave them He sees it not fit to do it now when greater Abilities are given to Gospel Ministers now than to them of the Tribe of Levi. More Knowledge to Christians now than to the Jews then The Veil is taken away The Question was of imposed Forms to be read by the Priests and you answer to a Declaration made by a private Person Deu. 26.5 Do you think indeed they were tyed to Words or Sense or that they took out a Paper or Prayer Book and read I use the word Ordinary for as some manage that and other Arguments it might prove Lay-mens Praying yea and Preaching too in Publick Numb 10.35 seems to me as little Moses said Ergo What God made Forms of Prayer or Liturgy Did he read that short Sentence I do not think you believe he ever did So Deut. 32. was not a Prayer sure If such were found in your Liturgy Men would say of you as Paul says some would say That saw men pray in an unknown tongue That was a Song or Psalm which may be Historical Doctrinal Prophetical as well as Petitionary Many other Answers might be given to this The Expression there were not used together but some Words on one occasion some on another This was not a Prayer made for the Priests much less in Sacrificing That was the Question But the first Answere ss sufficient and I care as little as any Man for supernumerary Arguments The first seems to me clear but I will not say Vnconfuteable considering whom I have to deal with I remember I have heard of a Judge who demanding the reasons of one Man 's not Appearing at the Court as he was required the Assizes before One answered My Lord there are twelve Reasons The first is the Man is Dead and therefore could not come
charged George Fox among other things with this Story That he saw the Blood of Martyrs in the Streets of Litchfield and waded thro their Blood William Pen for declaring as sure as the Lord liveth Thomas Hicks should not go to the Grave in Peace c. Solomon Eccles with Prophesying in the name of the Lord to John Story That he should dye that â—ear because he had set himself against George Fox the Apostle of Jesus Christ c. who lived above four Years after I shall now acquaint you with Objections I have met with from sober Quakers and others and it being so late I hope not to detain you half an Hour 1 Objection Many things they Prophesyed of did come to pass I answer It is enough That many things also did not What if I should now declare in the name of the Lord That Man shall Dye this Year and that man also What if one of them dye will that prove me a true Prophet No the continued Life of the other will prove me a false one What 〈◊〉 I should say Thus saith the Lord To morrow there shall be Rain but the next day none If their be Rain to morrow I am no true Prophet if it Rain also the Day after Many things Muggleton said came to pass but all what the Prophets of the Lord said did so 2 Object Did not the Prophet prophecy falsely when he brought back the other Prophet to Eat and Drink at his own House in the Reign of Jeroboam No Man doubts but a Prophet of the Lord â—â—ay sin and fall before a Temptation as well as other men but he recalled his false Prophecy c. Yet what he was and how far a Prophet dwelling in that Idolatrous place I shall not determine 3 Object George Fox meant he saw Bâ—â—od Visionary and when Edward Burroughs said God could soon Arm thousands of his Saints to destroy the Wicked but for the present it must not 〈◊〉 c. he is to be understood Spiritually and that Friends were to blame in Printing it as they did Then it follows George Fox in the writing that Book and Mr. Pen in the Publishing this stor there did not intend it should be understood Visionary neither saâ— I will the words bear it He put of his Shoes he run thro the Streets of Litchfield and cryed Wo to the looâ—ly City c. These things were not Visionary Hundreds saw him neither therefore could his wading thro their Blood to the warming of his Feet be so Were not the Saints to have their spiritual Arms on for the present according to E. B. 4. Object If all this be true G. Fox W. Pen and others were Deceivers What is this to the Principle their Opinions may be right 1. This will go far 2. Whoever goes over to them must pretend to be Inspired and Infallible How can they then joyn with them proved to be Imposters and false Prophets These Men surely will play their Infallibilitys and Inspirations lustily one upon another 3. These Men have been even Adored by the Spirit of Discerning too Glory be to thee Let me feel thy Vertue 4. Their Letters have been the Quakers Directories their Dictates the Quakers Oracles 5. Spiritual Courts were set up by these Men from the Lord. 6. Can any of them say they were convinced Baptism and the Supper were nothing An Oath was unlawful by their Inward Light and not by Fox their Outward Light Before Igo any further I must remove a Difficulty that lies in my way Croese a Dutch Divine hath written a large Book of five Shillings price called The History of the Quakers much in favour of them But I do declare it is a 〈◊〉 false History but to do him right he confesseth he haed his Accounts from the Quakers Writings sent to him Therefore be was so credulous he tells us of G. Fox 's Fasting ten Days c. It is well known in Amsterdam long since a Woman pretended she should fast longer than Christ fifty Daâ—s a great Concourse all wonder at this Miracle the Lords at last caused the place to be narrowly searcht and under the Chair was a Trap Door where was all Necessaries for Life They Strangled her and as I hear her Statue was made in Wax in the same Chair representing the Cheat yet to be seen in the same Cloaths I doubt not if G. Fox kept a ten Days Fast it was such a Fast as the Amsterdam Gentlewomans Croese also tells us whâ—â—â— Barbarities were used to the Quakers not fit to be named in Bristol in the last Persecution in their Meetings which I then a Bristol Man never heard one word of and how the Quakers persevered to the last when I aâ—rm for years they left their Publick Meeting place as one Man This false Historian tells us That in New-England The Quakers were so cruelly whipt that many Swooned in the Streets to see it and that the Whip was such That the Executioner was forced to put both Hands to hold it I doubt not but Friends are made to believe that the whipping of Dr. Oats was not worse or as bad as theirs He says little of these Mens Blasphemies about Scripture and the man Christ Jesus c. It is well known the last time I thus appeared in this place a Quakor to divert me from my Charge against Pen and other Impostors and false Prophets said Did not the Presbyterians Persecute in New-England What sayst thou G. Keith dost thou not know it But might not I have return'd did not the Quakers Persecute in Pensilvania What say you M. Keith Do you nor know it Yes surely he knew it too well and felt it to purpose for they so Persecuted him that had not the King sent a new Governour there when Mr. Pen absconded as a Jacobâ—â—e we had not had him now with us but the Quakers in his Grave long since Ye this Croese is forced to acknowledge against them among other things there That George Fox put his name to a Book sent to John the III. King of Poland for Toleration full of excellent Latin Greek and French Sentences out of Learned Writer s as if he had been acquainted with those Authors This Book was so curious it was Translated into many Languages and call'd Fox's Book When it is notorious he never well understood his Mother Tongue Croese crys out against this pride of Fox Ahorrible Cheat say I. I my self Sirs have long since read Histories bearing Fox's name which I and others then thought to be his but he sent as I am well informed to the two Lyd 's in Wales and other Schollars to make such Books and he would put his Name to them He also says That the Story of one Brown that Fox say s had Visions and Revelations concerning him what he should do Was only the Man's Opinion about him when Dying And that it was Customary with Fox to write down such Stories as Prophesies from the Lord c. That
Fox also called many Women on his Spirit of Discerning Witche s and Sorceresses of which no proof could be found for such things was he beaten by many in the Streets No wonder Having cautioned you against this Book I proceed concerning VVilliam Pen that he was a false Prophet hath been proved and more proof we have of his not being Inspired and Infallible that he shufled in the last Persecution is well known A Quaker who valued him told me that when a Constable came to him in the Meeting to lay hold on him and said I doubt Sir you have been the Speaker which was true Mr. Pen pointed to one afar of who had also spoken That is he Whilst the Constable went to him Mr. Pen ran away out at a Back Door This Quaker said He could hardly believe his own Ears or Eyes and could not Sleep quietly several Nights after that such a pretious Speaker as Friend William was would so speak and do Contrary Doctrins have been delivered from one and the same Infallible Spirit In one Book against the Conformist he says Tell the Church c. The Church was not to be Judge of matters of Conscience In another Book for his own Courts against the Separate Quakers he says It was For the late Liberty granted them by Authority it is now declared Scripture is an exact Rule of Faith and Obedience And now the external Form of an Oath with us is abated them they swallow down such Words in the Presence of God c. which have from the Spirit been denyed to be lawful especially about Meum and Tuum I cannot believe the story Mr. Pen tells of his Father that he should say to him on his Death Bed Son if you continue in your plain simple way of Living you will put an end to all Preachers to the end of the World Is it likely so brave and worthy a Gentleman as his Father was should thus express himself for my part I cannot believe on Mr. Pen 's Testimony however if it be true I shall only say this The Father was such a Prophet as is the Son I now leave him and go to one of their greatest Men tho least censured by us Robert Barclay the Scotish-man his Theol. vere Christ Apol. in this Book is false History unfound Divinity course Latine In his Preface to King Charles II. he thus says of the Quakers Non in Angulos aut obscura loca irrepentes aut semet abscondentes sicut omnes alii professores Dissentientes fecerunt In nullis privati Conventiculis aut Secretis locis c. That they bore their Testimony always openly and none but they that by this were they known to be the People of God c. The last time I here appeared a Bristol Friend was brought forth to Testifie against me before all the People That Bristol Friends never left their Publick Meetings When I asked him in the Presence of God whether he was not one of them 〈◊〉 leâ—â— the Meeting a long time The Man was in great distress between Credit and Conscience at last confest he had left it Months together And slunk away out of this place that when I turn'd from the People to speak to him again he was gon Barclay tells that King That the Quakers were true to him in his Adversities and he did appeal to the King's Conscience concerning their Innocency Now if King Charles thought them so he should appeal to his Ignorance not Conscience For we here all know Fox and others call'd often on Oliver Cromwel to strengthen his Forces against the Kings Return And in the name of the Lord justified what was done to the Family and the Malignants and said C. Love was acted by a bad Spirit to seek to bring him in And revil'd the Presbyterians as Apostates for attempting it Now Oh how faithful they were always to him and how Generations to come would tell what great things God had done for him In the Book he says of all Persecutions Proveniunt a Spiritu Cain et verirati contraria Well then in Pensylvania Cain would have slain G. Keith their Brother Abel Tho this Barclay be accounted by some among us better than others among them it may be a mistake He calls our Praying and Preaching abominable Idolatry He was indeed Subtit in making that Book in declining some greater Controversies between us and them and insisting on the Fall Justification by Works Perfection and other things where Popish Socinians and other Authors had stockt him with Arguments Some perhaps may wonder I have said nothing all this while of George Whitehead The true reason is I take him to be such a Fool that he is not worth Observation I heard him once Expound in Bristol Meeting Solomon's Fool not only to be a Holy but Sinless man too as I have Printed I hope others are convinced so now that have read his late Antidote to that prodigious piece of Sense called The Snake in the Grass To all the many Charges that Author brings out of their Peters how they had flattered Oliver Cromwel contrary to what they had said to King Charles and all in the name of the Lord. He only says in short This Charge is foul and false How false and not attempt to disprove one of his Evidences No doubt he knew all to be true Again he tells us how others applyed themselves to Oliver Did they say I do it in the name of the Lord pretending to a Spirit of Infallibility and Inspiration No He says also The Act of Indemnity forbids mentioning those things True by way of Reviling but not in a way of Disputation Was not that Act in Force when Pen and others twitted the Dissenters with Garments roll'd in Blood I therefore concern not my self about so weak an Adversary and declare I never will For that Quaker who Prophesied London should be Burnt within two Days when it was so it is enough to prove him not a Prophet sent of God seeing in the midst of the Flames he so often Propesied to the People The Fire should end here and then there where he would stop and the Fire should proceed no further but the Fire raged still Well it is sufficient for me to know Friends never believed their own Prophets nor regarded them therefore I pray them excuse us that we in this thing follow their Example What follows from all that I have said Historically after another hath spoken Doctrinally 1. That these Men were not true Prophets nor sent by the God of truth Are there any here so weak that I need say to them Then were they false Prophets and sent by the Devil the Father of Lyes 2. That great was their madness that tho so vile boasted of Perfection George Fox said he was Equal with God as perfect as Christ c. 3. That they were miserably deluded who almost Adored such Men Glory be to thee George Fox Holy One I close all with a great and
remarkable Story which it may be none here have known which I had from a Minister of known Learning and Piety whose worthy Friend told him he had it from the Minister to whom the doleful Subjest of the Story belonged A Gentleman in Oliver 's Days passing by a Church-Yard where was a great Concourse of People and a Fryar whom he knew in Spain preaching to them when the Fryar had ended this Gentleman came to him and desired to Drink with him a Glass of Wine at the next Tavern Away Man said the Fryar with those unfruitful woâ—â—â— of Darkness Pray Sir Replyed 〈◊〉 Do not thus Cant with me for I know you and at Madrid you and I had a Disputation about such a Question else I will discover you upon which the Fryar promis'd to go with him to a place appointed then said the Fryar I saved you from the Inquisition when I could have sent you there I pray give me no trouble as I gave you none He promis'd he would not if he would faithfully answer him a few Questions which the Fryar promis'd him The Gentleman askt him What he did there He answered The Nation is now in a Ferment about Religion and we always serve our own turns on such occasions and if you please I will make you to do as the Quakers one Day and afterwards you shall be as now you are the Gentleman consented perhaps doubting the thing the Fryar after some tricks put the Gentleman in a raving Fie out he runs in the Streets crying Repent Repent c. At the time appointed the Gentleman came to himself and piâ—fest he had in that Fit a strange extention of all his Nerves c. and his Fancy strangly rais'd but on the Review of his thus tempting of God and Blaspheming his Name he pined away a long time and Dyed I know his Name and the place where he dwelt If it be thought hard that Ionce compar'd Fox's Lying Winders with those of Father Cressy I do declare I believe from my Conscience Cressy to be much the Honester Man He may be blamed for his Credulity for he pretends not he saw much less wrought the Miracles he mentions as this Deceiver did He says That Christ appeared to St. Denni and told him in a Dream he had Dedicated a Church in Glassenbury to his Mother in his own Person long since and that having thus said he pierced his Finger through the Bishop 's Hand and told him that the next Day in reciting the Canon of the Mass peripsum c his hand should be made whole many saw the wound the next Day And as luck would have it at the Reciting those words in the Mass the Bishop was he all'd Protestants he says are not willing to believe this Antiquity of the Mass or that our Lord dignified it by mentioning it and working a miracle at the Celebration Cres Hist. of Brit. pag. 26. chap. 7. But Friend George tells you of a Miracle worth a Thousand of these He waded through the Blood of a Thousand Martyrs slain in Dioclesian's time was led through the Flaming Sword c. The Vertues and Operations of the Creatures were open'd to him O depth c. When George Fox said He fasted ten Days all may wonder but I that know the Quakers Juggles Fallacies and Equivocations can tell you how many ways Friends can get him off 1. He did not say he fasted the ten Nights also George might Eat and Drink and he poor Shooe-maker smooth his Paunch after this self-denial it is well known the Turks hrve such Fasts 2. George did not say he fasted ten Days successively one after another Now George might fast one Day at one time a month after another when perhaps he could not get Bread by making Shooes for I have reason to believe he never made one good pair in his Life and that no Man of repute would imploy him 3. Friend George did not say he fasted the whole Day But it may be he fasted till Dinner and then began his new Fast till Supper 4. George might mean no pleasant Meat came into his mouth as Daniel is 〈◊〉 thus to fast Yet the Quakers tho so apparentiy vile and false are always boasting of then Holiness Mr. Pen tells us No Words of ours can get out of Mens minds the Notions of the Quakers holiness For my part I profess no words of his can get out of my mind the Notions of his and their Unholiness Lying and Hypocrisie This mighty man of theirs when in Discourse he knew the Charge of his Adversary true as that he wrote That Imputed Righteousness was the Doctrin of Devils There give a Cant for an Answer Oh if thou felt these things Mr. Bugg hath lately made a good Proposal That our Senators would cal for him and the chief of them and demand which Confession or Declaration ' they own either the late Dissembling one to them or their former contrary Blasphemies If they say their last let them renounce those But this would make void Inspiration and Infallibility I desire you Reader to take notice this man Mr. Bugg hath Corrected gross and foul mistakes of that false Historian Croesius Hist of Quak. If some think I have been too severe upon G. Blockhead I pray consider that speaking from those words 9 Job 20. which I have proved to militate against their Doctrin of Perfection He reads I would know my own Soul and tells How perfect men should endeavour to know their own Soul when nothing is so and the sense quite otherwise I acknowledge Fisher Barclay and Mr. Pen and others Adversaries worth Coping with but not such Fellows as this G. Whitehead once Printed the Story of Baxter Baptiz'd in Blood half a year after Parker the first Publisher had recanted it as a Fable at the command of K. C. the 2. Yet this vile man when told by Dr. R. and others who came to his House about it to desne him in his next Booâ— to contess his mistake he said He would not bid them begon or he would use violence c. Mr. Pen's quibling is intolerable the Scriptures are not tho word of God but the word of the word Quakerism a new nick Name for old Christianity If it be said that in my last I declared I intended to trouble my self with this Cattle no more 1. It was but an Intention not promise 2. New Occurrences and I assure you unexpected ones have since befaln me which makes my Apology for me The Story is this A Quaker of Note especially for Ignorance and Mr. Penn's Intimate sets upon me in the Coffee-House That I was a Lyar and a Slanderer to say Mr. Penn said Christ was born in Nazareth That he would pay me Fiver Shillings if I could prove it the next day before many and competent Witnesses The Book was produced the Thing proved and the Money paid soon after he published every where and at â—â—â—st to me That a Church Friend of
it is there said Q. Quid putas de istis qui nolunt adorare Jesum Christum A. Non sunt Christiani Franciscus Druid that blasphemer and his Followers condemned all Adoration and call their Brethren Idolaters and I think their Charge is true on their common Principle To say Christ is indeed a Dependant and Subordinate God and therefore a Relative and Subordinate Worship is due to him That the Father is the Supream Cause first Efficient and last End but Christ is the middle or second Cause of Salvation and intermediate End of Religion What signifies all this when it is no civil Worship given to him as the People did to David c. but they call it themselves Divine not so much as God is the Popish Shifts for worshipping of Saints not so much as Christ No wonder there is so great a distance between Socinians and Christians pardon the Expression I know what I say and after no mean Men when such charging one another is among them Esay says Who shall declare his Generation 53. Isai 8. Who indeed As some Men expect the great God should give us his Vassals an Account of his Will so your proud Reasons demand an account of himself which you must not know which you are not capable of knowing Was it not a good Providence the Anti-trinitarian Address made to the Parliament four years since troubled them with this their Controversie and Charge So it is a great Question whether the Holy Ghost be the power of God or as Beedle and others say a Created Angel If it be the Vertue of God it is Idolatry to give a Created Angel this Honour If a created Angel he is rob'd by others of his honour due to him being not regarded as it would be to Christ if he were thus overlookt That the Person of Father Son and Holy Ghost subsist in the Divine Nature I thinâ— is the best way of considering and speaking of the Trinity The great Objection is 17 John 3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Compare this and 1 Cor. 9 6. I only and Barnabas c. and then read John 5.7 This is the true God then as only excluded not Barnabas that follows but takes him in so here the only true God and Jesus Christ the true God They that say the Scripture says plainly there is but one God the Father of all forget the next word and ne Lord. Now if one God excludes Christ from being God one Lord excludes the Father from being Lord. 1 Tim. 3.6 Where it is said of Christ He only hath immortallity excludes not the Father from having Immortallity The essential Properties are common to all the Three but not Personal I like the old Anthem well mentioned by Dr. South Quid fit Gign quid processus Me nescive sum professus The Master of the Sentence and the School Men after him have said much about it but to little purpose I worder our Socinians are not ashamed to tell us That the Jews Turks and they worship one God Well matcht God is Lord of the understanding as well as of the Will and as our Wills must yield to his Law tho a veluctancy against them so our understandings to his Declarations tho a veluctancy against them Three to be One O contradiction in Terms cry our Socinians I lately asked one of them What is that he sees in the Glass Is it the same thing with his Face or another If the same thing then Three may be One. For we are sure we sometimes thus see three distinctfaces and if another as we conclude what is it material or immaterial Not material surely for what becomes of it when we turn away Corruptio unius If immaterial how do we see it with our Eyes may not we cry O horrible contradiction of Terms see with natural Eyes immaterial c. Isindore â—ave the fairest stroak I can remember of any about what that is we see in the Glass but far from being â—â—â—isfactory I am of their mind who tell us it is not safe to express the distinction of uncreated Persons by terms of Art The word Father when taken personally is only of the first Person in the Trinity when essentially of all in opposition to Creatures or image c. so is Christ the everlasting Father Are not Gods works of Creation and Providence unfordable How much more the Discoveries of himself I know some Quakers are not Socinians they own Christ Divinity but Sabellians I now none of them Trinitarians POSTSCRIPT SInce this Book was sent to the Press I saw Crispianism Vnmask'd done by a famous thorow Calvinist Conformist which pleaseth me not a little He is a man famous for Learning Piety and Moderation If any therefore value noâ— Mr. William's Book because of some Baxtterianisms in it let him peruse this where he proves That Crisp tho he pretended to be the greatest admirer of Faith yet would not allow it its due in Justification Thht Crisp was one that made the word of God of non-effect It is saith he no breach of Charity to say He was one of the Mockers and Scoffers of the last times foretold by the Apostle p. 59. Obj. I have neglected the Day of Visitation are brought in a Mockery If they weep if they 〈◊〉 lustily No dutys move God 〈…〉 car Sins on Christ who said 〈◊〉 did What misrepresentation is 〈◊〉 of us some think when God afflicts if they do mend God will mend These Graces as they call them says he on the General Tenders of the Gospel Conclude Christ is yours it is as good a Security as God can make you Sincerity is no Quallification that may be found in an enemy of Christ p. â—et elsewhere Sincerity is denied to be in Saints That God is never angry with believers for committing Sin or neglect of Duty This wise serious meak man could not in true Zeal but compare This Christ Exalter to the Christ Exalter 4 Mat. That exalted Christ to the Pinnacle of the temple to be precipitated and destroyed p. 64. This is saith he A Diabolical Sn. tanical Exaltation of Christ to throw down all Christianity He taâ—es notice of the D 's rude Expressions and Style too render Sacred things cont emptible and his nautious Repetition of the same things in the very same Words over and over four or five Sermons saith he contain all the forty two He doubts not but his prophane way of talking of Duties which says he the man affected hath cool'd the Zeal of a great number to Prayer and other Duties He looks on his other Sermons as a kind of Recantation p. 28 He proves the D. to be full of contradictoions c. FINIS