let the Passenger know what he may find within He begins thus Joseph Nott. Reader by this thou mayest know That I have seen a Book with G. T. for George Tross's Name to it a Preacher among the Presbyterians in Exon Dated 1692. And Reader By this compar'd with the Date of J. N's Pamphlet thou mayest know that the Author sat brooding 5 or 6 Months before this Reply was hatch'd For Mr. Tross's Book was Printed in August whereas J. N's Scribble did not appear before Cuckow time this present Year J. N. Now this Book of G. T 's was written in Answer to a Book set forth by Thomas Bampfield Counsellor at Law in Exon by way of Enquiry Whether the Lord Jesus Christ made the World And also by way of Vindication of the Observation of the seventh-Seventh-Day as a Sabbath I would have the Reader observe That I am not concern'd to Vindicate T. B's Book Not to insist upon the false Spelling and Canting Phrase of our Quaker I shall comply wiâ—â— his Request and fix on that which he doth with so great Ceremony and Formality desire his Reader to observe And what great and wonderful thing do you think ' t is Why 't is no more but this That he is not concern'd to Vindicate T. B 's Book Alas poor T. B. You and your Book are left to shift for your selves for any assistance Joseph Nott will aford you Could you but have hook'd in this Man of mettle for your Second how soon would G. T. have quitted the field If a Man of such deep Thoughts and profound Learning as J. N. had been profelyted to your Opinion and would but have deign'd to write for a Saturday-Sabbath no doubt but you might have the Satisfaction to see the Quakers open their Holding-fâ—â—th-place-door on the seventh-Seventh-Day and their Shop-Windows on the First And oh what Comfort might you have taken in the good Success of your Book if you had seen this Doctor in the Pulpit on Saturday and in the Comb-Shop on Sunday But tho' he hath a Mind to fall out with G. T. he hath never a word in his Budget for T. B. but leaves him to stand upon his own Legs if he can and then proceeds J. N. But to the Latter I say I am sensible that Christ the Substance is come and the Shadows flies away And I am sensible that this Sentence abounds with palpable Non-sense To call G. T. the latter when he had mentioned him 3 times in 3 Lines before he had once nam'd T. B. and not once since And to join Flies a Verb of the Singular Number with Shadows a Nominative Case of the Plural and yet bear us in hand that he is sensible is somewhat unaccountable in a Man of his Gifts But I suppose his Talent lies in something beside writing good Sense or true English or else his Noddle was a little â—â—y-blown and he freakish when thiâ— Preface gave him the Slip. But to be serious Joseph thou art like to prove a hopeful Confuter who canst not distinguish former from latter Art thou the mighty He who didst challenge all the Ministers in Exon to encounter thee Away Trifler away to thy Trade Throw aside thy Pen and handle the Tool which thou wert bred up to Never more write Prefaces till thou hast reconcil'd thy self to good Sense and canst speak true English But why must Mr. Tross be told That Christ the Sabstanâ—â— is come c. Doth he ever deny it Hath He not in that Book which thou aâ—t Nibbling at * The Lords Day vindicated prov'd that the Ceremonial Law was a Shadow of Christ Doth he not affirm Pag. 39. That Christ was the Substance of those Figures the Body of those Shadows in the Ceremonial Law Hath he not prov'd from Coloss 2.16 17 That the Jewish Seventh-Day-Sabbath was one of those Shadows that were to vanish when Christ the Body was come †Pag. 92. seq 11. Prov. 26.7 Hadst thou said thy Say to T. B. who will hug the Shadow tho' the Substance be come it had been better applied But how odly doth a Parable sound out of the Mouth of a Fool or vain Jangler who knows not what he says nor whereof he affirms Tim. 1.17 J. N. But I am concern'd to return a Reply to several things in G. T 's Book for I have perused it and have seen the great Error of the Writer which drew a Concern upon my Mind to write Concern is a great word with him you had it once before and now twice more in this Sentence One would have thought he had no great Concerns of his own and therefore did concern himself with Mr. Tross had he not told us that it was not Curiosity but Zeal against Error drew him on But was it indeed to shew Mr. Tross's Error that thou hast appear'd in Print or to discover thy own invincible Courage Mr. Tross had by clear Scripture and solid Reason routed all those Arguments which Mr. T. B. had pressed for the Service of the Jewish-Sabbath Upon this out comes J. N. swagers up and down threatning what he would do to Mr. T. Just like Thersites an ill-â—avour'd and ill-humour'd Fellow in the Grecian Army at the Siege of Troy who tho he were the greatest Coward that ever drew Sword yet had the Confidence to oppose the stoutest Commanders One day when he concern'd himself to return a Reply to Achilles that Hero knock'd him down and kill'd him with a blow of his Fist But Joseph set thy Heart at rest Mr. Tross is too generous to lay Hands on such a Dwarf as thou 'T is beneath a Man of his Learning and Reputation to observe â—r reply to thy pitiful Cavils Thou mayest sit pluming thy self crowing and clapping thy Wings for Joy of thy imaginary Victory long enough ere he will give thee any disturbance J. N. For I do admire that ever a Man professing Christianity should appear in Print in such manifest Opposition to the holy Scripture and yet of that Number that profess the Scripture to be the only Rule of Faith c. But in this we may see the great Confusion of Babel's Builders None but such as Joseph Nott who have read Mr. Tross's Book would have been put into such a fit of wondering or would thus impudently charge him with Opposition yea manifest Opposition to Scripture None but a Popish Tool would reproach a Man for professing the Scripture to be the Rule of Faith and Life But no wonder that shallow Heads admire what they do not understand No wonder that Crafty Papists imploy silly Quakers to do their work by vilifying the sacred Writings No wonder that the underling Quaker is many times but the Puppet in the Show that serves to make a little Sport when the subtle Jesuite stands behind the Curtain and manages the Wires No wonder that a black Mouth'd Fellow that is drunk with the Fumes of Pride and Self-conceit should foam at the Mouth and revile
Spirit thereby And if any Spirit would perswade us to receive any Doctrine or do any Action contrary to the Written Word we ought to abominate such a Spirit Besides the Confusion there is palpable Non-sense in these Expressions Christ is the Rule The Spirit is the Rule A Person may prescribe a Rule to another but cannot be a Rule himself any more than John Gannacliff is a Laste or the French King an Edict Yet further we have only the Quakers word for all that they affirm concerning Christs being the Rule and nothing that looks like Proof For those Scriptures which they have cited to this purpose will as well prove the Pope to be Christ's Vicar as Christ or the Spirit or Light within to be our Rule Therefore instead of following them any further in their impertinent citing and misapplying Scripture to exalt their Light within into the Throne of Christ and place of Holy Scripture I shall hint the Danger of this Opinion That the Light within every Man is the supreme Rule of Faith Worship and Manners 1. In this Opinion the Quakers join hands with the Papists and do their Work By denying the Perfection of Scripture they go about to take off People from the use of it They say the Light which is in all the Indians and Pagans is sufficient without the Scriptures No wonder then that they speak so slightly of Scripture as sometimes they do 2. They take the ready way to lull asleep their own Consciences when they alone shall be iudges of their own actions This Doctrine leaves every man to himself to believe and do what he pleases for he has no Rule to try his Spirit by 1 John 4.1 He is a Law to himself How doth this gratifie the Pride of mens Hearts when they think that they may do whatever they list And how is it possible to convince such men of their sin and folly who think themselves infallibly guided by the Spirit of Christ which as they say is the highest Rule superiour to the Letter as these Scoffers call the Written Word The Papists make the Man at Rome the Infallible Judge but every Quaker is a Pope in his own Conceit 3. According to this Opinion People are bound to receive the most absurd Notions that any Quaker shall dictate Yea they are bound to believe contradictions For the Light in one Quaker saith that the Light within is God but in another that 't is a Body as I have formerly prov'd Now suppose any Inlightned Sister at Exon should come with a Span-new-Light and tell the Quakers that 't is neither one nor 'tother they ought according to their own Principles to believe her for 't is Christ 't is the Holy Spirit that speaks by her for ought that ever they can prove to the contrary if they do not abandon this Opinion 4. This Doctrine gives up those who embrace it into the immediate hands of the Devil to receive his suggestions as inspirations and to take his impulses for the Commands of Christ and motions of the Holy Spirit But to return from thâ— Digression leaving the Quakers with their Leaden Rule and Dark Lanthorn Light Let us observe the Motions of our Author He thus proceeds J. N. Now such a one as the Latter is G. T. Prithee Joseph adorn thy Snout with that Instrument which the Men of the World call a pair of Spectacles and ken this same Passage a little Tell me if thou canst with all thy Light whom the word Latter does refer to Is G. T. a Quaker or is he a subtle endeavour or what is he where were thy Wits when this dark Expression dropt from thy Pen In thy Preface thou couldst not distinguish latter from former Here thou talkest of a latter where 't is hard to find any f rmer at all Joseph is this the way thou takest to confute Mr. Tross Get thee gone Brawl with a Tinker or squabble with a Porter but write no more Replies Thou tellest Reverend Mr. Hallet (a) Gospel Truths c. page 12. That working with his Hands was a thing he was never brought up unto And thy Pamphlet gives us to understand that thou wert never brought up to writing of Books If thou hast not some better way to get a Maintenance than by Printing Penny-Books I doubt thou wilt have but a cold Kitchen or wilt be forc'd to be chargeable to thy sound Brethren This Huckstering Trade of Retailing out thy Pamphlets at a Penny apiece will never hold long And perhaps thou mayst be called to account for making a Merchandise of the Word and seeking thy gain from thy Quarter (b) Ibid. J. N. For he greatly endeavours to prove That Jesus Christ was not in the beginning and that the World was not made by him which is contrary to the holy Scripture and he also endeavours to prove the first Day of the Week to be the Christian-Sabbath the which he hath no Scripture to prove as he himself doth acknowledge Here are the two Articles upon which Mr. Tross's Book stands indicted at the Quaker's Bar. 1. That he endeavours to prove that Jesus Christ was not in the beginning c. 2. That the first Day of the Week is the Christian Sabbath 'T is great pity Mr. Tross had not ask'd J. N's leave before he presum'd to publish such a Book in which are contained one Position contrary to Scripture and another which he hath no Scripture for if you will take J. N's honest word for it And who dares question the Truth of what a Man of Infallibity saith J. N. I shall set down some of his words in his Book First Concerning Christ Jesus in p. 4. He saith We say that it may be Orthodoxly denied and asserted That Jesus Christ did not make the World For the World was 4000 years before ever Jesus Christ was And in Pag. 5. he saith In the Old Testament Christ is prophesied of to come How could He then create the VVorld And in Pag. 12 he saith VVe have sufficiently answer'd that it was not the Lord Christ that created the VVorld And in Pag. 10. he speaking of (a) To help the halting Quak. over the Stile understand the time before the Fall of Man saith In which time there could not be so much as any need or use of a Jesus or a Christ nor was there so much as the least hint of him given by either Prophecy or Promise And then he saith Much less was he himself in Being And in Pag. 1â—0 he saith I think I have shewn that the Lord Christ did not make the VVorld See here how dextrously this new Confuter goes to work to prove that Mr. Tross holds that Jesus Christ as Mediator or God-Man did not make the World but that it was made 4000 Years before the Incarnation of God the Son How industrious hath he been to skim the Book from P. 4. to P. 130. that he may make it clear that Mr. Tross doth affirm that
whole Book J. N. I shall proceed to reply to the other part of his Book Soft and fair good Joseph This is a strange way of proceeding to confute Books by Whole-Sale Thou art a very formidable Adversary for tho' thou art not over-laden with Wit or Learning I find thee a very sufficient Man at Boasting Braving VVondering and Railing Thou proceedest to talk Non-sense without blushing thou art big with a Reply to what thou dost not understand and passest over what thou canst not answer Thou dost dictate not argue Nibble and Cavil but demonstrate nothing besides thy own Ignorance and Impudence J. N. But first I shall set down some of his own words in his Book that the Reader may see what it is that I do return an Answer unto Just now thou threatnedst the whole Book with a general Escalade but when all comes to all thou dost but skirmish with seven or eight Sentences J. N. The first words in his Book a are as follows The Lord's-Day Vindicated or the first Day of the Week the Christian-Sabbath a Anglice the Title But where is thy Reply VVhat are the Exceptions against this J. N. And in Pag. 33. He speaking of the Seventh-Day and of Christ saith He designed to wit Christ its speedy Absolution as the Seventh-Day and its Conversion into the first Day Now this wants a proof from G. T. I find the Reverend Author in the Page here quoted giving several Reasons why our Lord never particularly recommended or enjoined the Observation of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath to his Hearers The words which J. N. carps at are the 4th Christ was about to abolish the Jewish-Sabbath As it was a Day of Ceremonial Rest * The bodily Rest being required for it self and not only for the Scriptural works sake so he designed utterly to abolish it together with the rest of the Ceremonial Law for the Shadows were to vanish when the Body was come vide Pag. 93 94. As it was a Day of spiritual Rest and VVorship so he intended speedily to change it from the Seventh-Day to the First The Qarker saith very gravely Now this wants a Proof But I say now and then J. N. wants Eyes and Brains to discern the many Proofs of this throughout that judicious Treatise By how mony solid Arguments is the actual change of the Day prov'd And if it were actually changed by Christ's Apostles according to his own Order and Instructions which he through the Holy Ghost had given unto them Acts 1.2 3. to be sure Christ designed the change thereof For 't is Blasphemy to say that Christ ordered and through the Holy Ghost gave commandment to his Apostles to do that which he never designed to have done J. N. And in Pag. 44. He speaks of the Change of the Seventh-Day into the First Day-Sabbath as he calls it And in Pag. 59 and 60 he saith And we say the Seventh-Day being cashier'd the First Day ought to be its successor I wonder from whence he will prove this Prithee Man have a care of these same Wonderments for they say Admiration is the Daughter of old Ignoramus And the VVonderer is but one remove from a Fool. Read Pag. 60 61 62. of Mr. Tross's Book and thou wilt find abundant proof of this And in Pag. 131. 132 133. thou mayest find the Sum of those many Arguments by which Mr. Tross hath proved the abolition of the Jewish Seventh-Day and the establishment of the First-Day as the Christian-Sabbath I advise thee Joseph as a Friend to read over those few Pages and thou wilt find much more proof for this than thou hast given us that Christ as God-man made the VVorld from those words This Rock was Christ J. N. And in Pag. 85. He mentions Christs words where it 's said The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath-Day And then he saith A Proof which we make use of to prove our Doctrine of the First Day-Sabbath But I say this is no proof at all Ipse dixit VVho durst reply to what J. N. hath said If he saith Yea let none say Nay His bare word must pass for Argument He hath told you 't is no proof and it shall be no proof VVell mayest thou Joseph hug thy own dear Self for this rare Talent thou hast got of Answering Arguments by Yea and by Nay If any desire to know how these words of our Saviour are improv'd by Mr. Tross to strengthen his Assertion concerning the Change of the Sabbath from the Seventh Day to the First let them consult Pag. 87. 90. of his Book J. N And in Pag. 114. he saith The Seventh-Day-Sabbath was observed in Comemoraation of the works of Creation until a more admirable work of God should be accomplished so the First Day ever after should be the Holy Rest It will be very hard for G. T. to prove this and it doth also manifest his great Ignorance of the Resting-Place that the Servants of the Lord have in Chrst Jesus Bravely done Thou hast cleaverly confuted Mr. G. T. by telling him that it will be very hard for him to prove what he hath produced many Arguments for which thou takest no Notice of No doubt thy Name will be up for a Dangerous Confuter Especially when thou dost so frequently talk of his Ignorance But Joseph methinks thou actest like Harpaste Seneca's VVife's Fool who being as blind as a Beetle would not believe it but cried out against her Mistriss for putting her into a Dark-House * Seneca Epist 50. Thus thou criest out of others Ignorance when thou oughtest to reflect upon thy own Blockishness Upon this Occasion a Friend bid me mind thee of that of the Poet. Tecum habita noris quam sit tibi curta supellex But lest this should be as bad as Heathen Greek to thee I 'le take leave to English it thus Consult thy self and thou wilt see Noll's Porter had more Light than thee VVhat thou talkest of the Resting-Place in Christ Jesus I shall reckon with thee for anon J. N. Now here the Reader may see that his great Endeavours are to prove the First-Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath and yet in Pag. 56. he saith we grant that the Holy Scriptures do call no other Day of the Week a Sabbath but the Seventh And in Pag. 94. he saith The First Day is never called Sabbath in Scripture and I say so too and therefore he might very well have been silent But here all whose Vnderstanding is open may see how this Man labours like a Man beating the Air or that builds without a Foundation for himself doth acknowledge that he hath no Scripture for a Foundation A heavy charge Self-contradiction beating the Air building Without a Foundation And why so great wrath VVhy because Mr. Tross calls the First Day of the VVeek the Christian-Sabbath when the Scriptures call no other Day a Sabbath but the Seventh But Joseph what if thy charge be meer mistake Mr. Tross
Dionysius of Corinth in Euseb Hist. lib. 4. c. 23. * Valesii Edit saith To day we keep the Holy Lord's Day This Lord's-Day which was the Christians chief Festival appears to be that Day which the Jews called the First Day the Heathens Sunday in that several of the Fathers call it Sunday as Justin Martyr informing the Heathens of the time and manner of the Châ—istians Assemblies tells them That their Meeting was on the Day called Sunday or the First Day of the VVeek giving this as the Reason Therefore do we meet upon Sunday because upon it God dispelling the Darkness and informing the first matter created the VVorld and also so because upon that Day Jesus Christ our Saviour rose again from the Dead Tertullian also in his Apology c. 16. tells the Heathens that their Sunday was the Christians Joyful Day and again De Idolol c. 14. he saith that every Eighth Day was the Châ—istians Festival This Day in his Book De Corona Mil. c. 3. and oft else where he calls the Lord's Day and saith it was a Crime to Fast upon it Others I find cited to the same purpose as Theophil Antiochen Clemens Alex. Orig. contracels and others Now let J. N. write a Confutation of these Antient Fathers and reprove them for their bold venture in calling the First Day of the VVeek the Lord's-Day J. N. p. 6. lin 39. And he doth also manifest his ignorance of the Everlasting Day of God's Power that the Saints in Light are enjoyers of And p. 7. lin 5. Here is an invisible day spoken of viz. 1 Thes 5.5 --- 8. And lin 14. G.T. manifests himself to be ignorant of this invisible Day of the Lord and so appears not to be an Inhabitant of the holy City new Jerusalem for they that are Citizens of this holy City are living Witnesses of the Everlasting Day of God's Power dawned and broken forth An Everlasting Day indeed He that can hear let him hear and understand Joseph We hear thee right well but must confess our selves a little at a loss about this Invisible Day which thou talkest of Therefore we desire thee to favour us with an intelligible account what thou meanest by the Everlasting Day of God's Power Where doth the Scripture speak of an invisible Day We know that the word day is sometimes us'd in Scripture in a Proper sense for the time in which the Sun is above our Horizon sometimes in a Metaphorical sense for a time of clear knowledge of heavenly Truths or a state of Illumination and Conversion in opposition to a time or state of Ignorance or Unbelief called Night in Scripture Of such a day are those Texts by thee quoted to be understood 1 Thes 5.5 8. 2 Pet. 1.9 That Text Prov. 4.18 might have led thee to this Notion The Path or course of life of a righteous man is as the shining light It is like unto it and resembles it in purity clearness pleasure and the like But the way of the wicked is as darkness neither pleasant nor safe So a time of clear knowledge when the Gospel is plainly Preach'd or a state of Grace are like the Day For as the light of the Sun removes the darkness and horrour of the night bringing comfort along with it so the saving knowledge of God true Grace wrought by the Gospel removes Ignorance and Error and gives joy and peace to Believers But why dost thou again charge Mr. Tross with Ignorance and uncharitably condemn him as one that hath no title to Heaven Dost think that thou hast Monopoliz'd knowledge to thy self Must all the World dance after thy Pipe Thou art like the Bernardine Monks who thought that the Sun darted its Beams no where but into their own Cell And what fulsome pride and daring arrogance dost thou manifest when thou presumest to judge of a very pious Divine's Eternal condition and magisterially pronounce that he is no Citizen of a New Jerusalem and all because he doth not understand thy nonsensical Cant about an Invisible Day Whether thou meanest by the Holy City the New Jerusalem the Church Militant or the Church Triumphant this is a horribly wicked censure of thine What is so pious strict and charitable a Christian so faithful and laborious a Minister as Mr. Tross no Member of the Church on Earth and hath no right to the Kingdom of Heaven and in a state of Damnation How didst thou come to know this Was it revealed to thee by the Accuser of the Brethren If he be in so dreadful a condition what a case art thou in who discoverest such Devilish Pride and monstrous uncharitableness I advise thee Joseph when thou re-printest these thy learned Works to leave out these Accusations and Condemnations of a person so much better than thy self And beg of God to cure and pardon the pride of thine Heart least thou fall into the condemnation of the Devil If self-conceit had not swoll'n thee up above the just Dimensions of a Man thou wouldst never thus thrust thy self into the Throne of Christ and pass sentence as thou hast upon his Servant Examine whether thy Invisible Enemy did not puff thee up with an opinion of thine abilities whether he did not move thee to proclaim thy folly in pretending to answer so great a Scholar as Mr. Tross What Spirit but a black one would ever have stired thee up to treat so Grave so Good and Reverend a Divine as he with so much Rudeness Scorn and Contempt as thou hast Thou taxest him Ten times over of Ignorance Blindness Darkness of opposing Scripture and contradicting himself This is like the great Boaster we read of in Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 1. cap. 2. who defamed all the excellent Wits of Greece and Italy on purpose to extol himself Or like Simon the Wizzard Acts 8.9 who gave out that himself was some great one Thus dost thou give out that thou art some great one a wonder of Wit a Prodigy of Parts Thou endeavourest to blacken others that thou mayst blanch thy self Thou art wise in thine own Eyes and others are ignorant and foolish in thy Opinion But I dare say thou art not thought to be over-laden with VVisdom or Learning by many others And doth it not manifest thy unmatchable Pride as well as notorious folly for such a Fellow as thou who canst neither write good sense nor understand a plain English Author who hast scarce any Books to read or time to study to pretend to confute a Book which thou art never like to understand one half of But Mr. Tross is not the first Learned Man that hath been thus treated by silly Quakers For Mr. Baxter tells us in his Treatise of Knowledge and Love p. 117. that he met with the like usage The Quakers saith he in their Shops when I go along London-Streets say alas poor man thou art yet in darkness They have oft come to me in the Congregation and cried out against me as a Deceiver
He who is without beginning of days as God was born of a Virgin in time as Man Thou art a Youngster at Disputing and writing Controversies else thou wouldest have seen that it lay upon thee to prove That the Humane Nature was Personally united to the Son of God before the Birth of Abraham yea before the Creation of Adam J. N. And the Apostle Paul speaking of the Jews said They drank of that Spiritual Rock that follow'd them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 These Quakers are perilous shrewd Text-men If J. N. can prove from these words that Christ as God-Man made the World I make no Question but he will shortly prove from it Transubstantiation and all the Opinions in Hobbs his Leviathan No Texts of Scripture meet with worse usage than those whose hard hap it is to fall into the hands of those ignorant Scribblers Some they bring into their Pamphlets as Mummers in a Mask who make a fair Shew but speak not one word to the matter in hand Others they serve as the Souldiers did our Blessed Lord first blind them by their false Glosses and then Buffet them Others they put into the Inquisition where they wrest and torture them to make them confess what they know not That you may see how put this Scripture is to the purpose for which 't is quoted give me leave a little to amplifie J. N's Argument from it You may suppose him to reason after this rate Now here from this Text the Friends that have the Light within may perceive the blindness and darkness of G. T. He saith that Christ Jesus as God-Man was not in the beginning Oh erroneous Doctrine Do you not see the confusion of these Babel-Builders Did ever Priest talk after this absurd rate But you shall see Friends if you be not stark-blind what execution I will do upon him I have an Argument to let fly at him that will strike him dead stone-dead and make him as mute as a fish so that T. B. and I will have the last word of him 'T is an Argument against the Pack 'T is as keen as a Chopping-Knife as clear as Train-Oil Flaming Charcoal it self is not brighter Lo beloved here it is The Jews drank of that Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ Therefore Christ as God-Man was in the beginning What do you think Friends Will any of them (b) them in the Pensylvanian Dialect for the. Presbyterians be able to avoid the force of this Argument This Joseph this is the strength of thy Reason And now judge thy self whether thou hast not made a fair Speech Art thou so blockish as to imagine that the hard Rock in the Wilderness was in a proper sense Christ Jesus Dost think that a Stone more senseless than thy self was both God and Man the Saviour of Sinners I take this to be the meaning of that Scripture The Jews in the Wilderness drank of the Rock which Moses smote with his Rod at the Command of God Exod. 17.6 This Rock saith the Apostle was Christ i. e. It was a Type or Figure of Christ as the Bread in the Lord's Supper when Consecrated is the Body of Christ i. e. a Sign which by Divine Appointment doth exhibit and represent his Body This Rock did in several respects Typifie and Prefigure Christ but it was not in a Proper Sense Christ Jesus God-Man There was some Analogy or Likeness between this Rock and its Waters which were the Sign and Christ and his Benefits which were signified thereby Hear what the Rhemists from whom Joseph Nott's Friends have receiv'd many a precious Doctrine say to this The Rock say they was a Figure of Christ therein especially that out of Christs side pierced on the Cross gushed out Bloud and Water c. J. N. And Christ in Prayer said And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was And he farther said thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World John 17.5.2 4. In these words our Lord prays that the Father would receive his humane Nature into Heaven and give it a due participation of that Glory which his divine Nature had from Eternity He desires that his whole Person might be glorious whereas his Essential Glory had been eclipsed during his abode on Earth This and the 24th Verse prove that Christ as to his Divine Nature was before the Creation of the VVorld which Mr. Tross does not deny but here is nothing to prove that Christ as God-man was before the Creation therefore this Text is impertinently cited against Mr. Tross J. N. Quotes John 1.10 Eph. 3.9 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.1 2. All these Quotations are borrowed from Mr. T. B. to which Mr. Tross hath given such full and clear Answers in Pag. 6 and 7. of his Lord's-Day Vindicated as may satisfy any but such a silly wrangler as J. N. who fairly passes over all that Mr. Tross hath said for the explication of them wisely concluding that many would bestow three or four Farthings to purchase and a quarter of an Hour to read his Pamphlet who would neither buy nor read Mr. Tross's Answer to Mr. Bampfield But though these Texts prove nothing against Mr. Tross hear how the Fool rageth and is confident of his success J. N. Now here it is evident from the words of Christ and his Apostles That Jesus Christ was in the beginning with the Father and that all things were created by him (a) A fiâ—â—re call'd Taâ—tology which often occurs in classical Quaking Authorâ— mâ—re might be said to prove that Jesus Christ was in the beginning and that all things were created by him (a) A fiâ—â—re call'd Taâ—tology which often occurs in classical Quaking Authorâ— But this being sufficient Never beat thy Brains to say any more to this point 'T was evident enough before thy Pamphlet crawlâ—d abroad that Jesus Christ as God was in the beginning That the Divine Nature of our Redeemer made the World That God the Son 4â—00 years before his Incarnation when he first became actually and formally Jesus Christ created Heaven and Earth But we have no proof that Jesus Christ as God-man and actual Mediator was in the beginning What ever good opinion our Author hath of his Sufficiency he will find it a hard Task to prove that Emmanuel God with us created the World And thus much for the Quaker's first Cavil concerning which all that he hath said appears to be a solemn piece of Impertinence SECT IV. J. N's second Cavil at the name Christian-Sabbath a vain strife about words Christ not the Christian-Sabbath The Fathers call the first Day of the Week the lord's-Lord's-Day Cant about an invisible and everlasting Day Verstegan abused mis-nam'd and mis-quoted A groundless Quarrel with Saxon Names Advise to J. N. THE Quaker imagining that he had confuted Mr. Tross as to the other Controversy pretends to give a general Assault to his