as it is by him applied to that Sacred Person before defined His words are these Messias doth solely and singularly betoken Christ as it is interpreted John 1. 41. and 4. 25. For though the word Mashiach in Hebrew in the Scripture signifieth any Anointed one whatsoever yet in this Greek form Messias it never signifieth but only Christ Nor is the Hebrew word used in Hebrew Authors but in the same sense and so it is used infinitely among them Sometimes set single without any other addition and very often with this addition Melech Hamashiach the King Messias In this propriety the word is used Dan. 9. 25 26. Psal 2. 2. and so it was confessed by the ancient Jews Mr. Lightfoots 2 d Part of his Harmony Critica Sacra p. 136. Now seeing Christ is thus exalted at the Fathers Right-hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give us Grace here to enable us to do his will and Glory hereafter far surpassing all our Obedience let us therefore believe in him for the pardon of our sins as he is a Priest receive his Doctrine as he is a Prophet and submit to his Laws as he is a King For whosoever shall be found so doing and continue therein faithful unto death they shall certainly receive that Crown of Life and Glory which God hath promised to them that love him I shall conclude in the words of the Apostle Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen Quakerism is Popery Revived OR Some of their Old Opinions put into a New Dress and Asserted by the Quakers to be New Discoveries of the Light within them THere are two General Principles must be received by every one that will be either a Quaker or Papist 1. That the Scriptures of the Old and New-Testament are not the Rule of Faith and Practice 2. That there is some other Rule of Faith which is Infallible To prove this I shall quote their own sayings that you may know I do not wrong them The Quaker saith thus Will. Penn in Reas ag Rail p. 48. We deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice in honor to that Divine Light that was the Author of them Edw. Burrough's Works p. 62. He that perswades people to let the Scripture be the Rule of Faith and Practice would keep people in darkness Geo. Whitehead Dip. pl. p. 13. It 's Idolatry to call the Bible the means of our knowing God And in his Book entituled Christ Ascended p. 11. You are walking by your fancies and imaginations who set the Scriptures in the place of Christ as your only absolute Rule and Ground of your Faith and Knowledg G. W. in Enthusiasm above Atheism p. 20. saith As for W. Penn's saying That our Belief concerning the Scriptures is that inward Testimony that we have received from the Holy Light within us to the truth of those sayings He concludes thus Wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great Rule of Faith and Practice that the Light of Christ within is both our Warrant and Rule for Faith in and Obedience to them And in p. 27. he blames his Antagonist for saying The Doctrine contained in the Scriptures is the Rule of Faith and Practice telling him He should rather have said A Rule subordinate to the great Rule of Faith and Practice to wit That Divine Light And yet saith p. 49. But if he pretend the Spirit to be his Rule then the Scriptures are not Having heard what the Chief Men in the Quakers Ministry have said be pleased to hear what some eminent Popish Priests have said and you will see that this is no new Doctrine The Papist saith thus Eckius Luthers Antagonist in his Book of Faith and Justification The end that moved the Evangelists to write was not because they would have their Writings to rule over Religion and Faith but rather that they should be subject unto it Coster saith the same in his Enchiridion of Controversies And in Chap. 71. The Scriptures are as a Nose of Wax that suffers it self to be turned this way and that way Turrianus p. 250. If Christ had left no other Rule of our Faith than the Scriptures we should have had nothing else but a Delphian Sword Bellarm. de verbo Dei non Scripto Lib. 2. saith The way to keep men sound and undeceived about Religion is to forbid to the Laity or worldly men the reading of the holy Scripture as being the occasion of many Heresies Lib. 4. For although the Scriptures is God's Word nevertheless it can have no Authority without the Churches Approbation being an imperfect broken and lame Rule for there is not comprehended in it all things that are necessary for God's Honour and our Salvation but what is wanting must be supplied by unwritten Tradition Lib. 4. cap. 12. The proper and principal end of the Scripture was not that it should be a Rule of Faith but a profitable Admonition to make men entertain the Doctrine of Preaching Secondly There is some other Rule of Faith which they both say is Infallible 1. The Quaker saith It 's the Light in the Body immediate Inspiration or Enthusiasm by the Light within them which is the Infallible Rule George Keith saith That Will. Penn hath immediate Inspiration as the primary Rule of his Faith and Practice See the Quakers own Account of the Wheeler-street-Meeting p. 56 57. And in answer to Mr. Ives 's Demand To give one evidence that they had Divine Inspiration for the Rule of their Faith and Practice he saith p. 62. It is sufficient that we have the witness in our selves Page 65. We profess and experience Immediate and Divine Revelation as the Ground of our Faith and Testimony And in his Looking-Glass for Protestants p. 29. he saith And this is our Faith in all these particulars who witness unto the Immediate Teachings of God by his Spirit in our hearts Geo. Whitehead Enthus above Atheis saith p. 19. But Enthusiasm taken simply as a Divine Inspiration or breathing into by a Deity we do assert and contend for in the best Acceptation I never thought the Quakers would have owned themselves to be Enthusiasts in Print But what may they not come to in time Page 22 23. he saith We do therefore assert the sufficiency of this Divine Illumination as being of it self able to shew and reveal to us what we ought to believe and do in all things And p. 24. he saith By their Preaching and Writing they proclaim the sufficiency thereof And p. 52. to shew that they are free from Error and Incongruity he saith It is true that we affirm the light of Christ within to be an Absolute Rule teaching men that follow it what they ought to know believe and do And in the same page he saith That he viz. his Antagonist falsly supposeth a defect in the Light and in our Ministry directing thereto Then they must be both of them sufficient and infallible if
Quakerism is Paganism BY W. L's Confession In a BOOK Directed to Mr. N. L. Citizen of London OR Twelve of the Quakers Opinions called by W. L. The Twelve Pagan Principles or Opinions for which the Quakers are opposed to Christians Examined and Presented to WILLIAM PENN By W. R. a Lover of CHRISTIANITY Is this thy kindness to thy Friend desiring to be a Teacher of the Law understanding neither what thou sayest nor whereof thou affirmest 2 Sam. 16. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Tuum Testimonium quod in aliena releve est id in tua quoniam contra te est gravissimum esse debet Cicero Orat. Pro. L. Q. p. 12. Thy Testimony which is but light and frivolous in anothers Cause yet is weighty in thine own when it 's against thy self LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1674. QUAKERISM is PAGANISM By W. L's Confession c. OR Twelve of the Quakers Opinions Examined and presented TO WILLIAM PENN SIR AS I design not to traduce the Person of any Man nor wrong him in his Sentiments about Religion much less your self in this Undertaking having a high 〈◊〉 of those natural and acquired Parts which manifest themselves more conspicuously in you than in many others of your Friends But these being alon◠〈◊〉 but Meteors adding Blaze little of true Brightness They have an umbrage of Grandeur not a Spark of Saving Grace or Dram of Heavenly Glory The Enamel of those attainments are apt to fully and expire and the Possessor in endeavouring to stand accerseth his fall It is an Interest in 〈…〉 Conformity to his Will as it is Revealed 〈…〉 Scriptures and a Constant Perseverance therein that would make you truly happy to Eternity But Sir I would imploy my Pen at this time humbly to intreat you to examine what Ground you stand on whether you have good Principles to support you for I fear you stand in a slippery place and that great will be your fall without a timely Prevention It is my design to be Instrumental among others to perswade you to own the Man Christ Jesus whom to me you seem to deny And to submit your self to his Laws recorded in Holy Scripture which you now Slight and Trample upon That those Parts which God hath been pleased to Honour you withal might be imployed to his Glory and the Salvation of your Soul which are Matters most sublime and weighty It is certain Christ will come in flaming Fire to take Vengeance on those that obey not the Gospel as it was at first delivered to the Saints and much greater Vengeance may they expect who Deny him and Oppose themselves against it For God will Judg Men by the Gospel as a Rule and by the Man Christ Jesus as their Judg Rom. 2. 16. For he hath appointed a Day in the which he will Judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath Ordained and whom you Reject Acts 17. 31. I pray God you have not cause one day to remember that you have been told so but refused to be Admonished Sir If upon second thoughts you find you have gone too far and have espoused a Cause not to be Justified by the Principles of right Reason and Christianity count it not a dishonour to Retract It 's no wrong to you or any man but a kindness to be delivered from an Error it will be your advantage and honour to imbrace Truth when-ever you are convinced and inlightened But Sir If you are confidently perswaded of the Truth of the Quakers Principles as you profess pray tell the World the Reason why you are so shy in discovering so unwilling to confess them for Truth seeks no Corners to hide her self stand forth and declare you own those Doctrines or let us know you are of another Mind by rejecting the Men and their Books in which those Opinions as charged upon you are Asserted Think not to hide yourselves under a Mask of Evasive pretences and Clouds of Impertinences and Railery for that is seen through and will be daily more and more by those that are judicious to your great Reproach notwithstanding all your Stratagems to prevent it Among which I do find That as you have taken New-ways so there are New-Advocates risen up to plead your Cause and propagate your Principles one of which I have now taken upon me to Examine I do promise you to do him Justice though he hath been Unjust to himself and others and do present my Sentiments of him to be Considered by you for these Reasons 1. Because I understand he is an Intimate Friend and Associate of yours and it may be you are more privy to what he hath done in this Matter than another Man and so more capable to Judg of what I shall say 2. Because he hath Espoused your Quarrel and Gratitude obligeth you to assist him 3. Because he hath opposed your Sentiments concerning Mr. HICKS You call him a Lyar a Forger and what not W. L. layes no such thing to his Charge but calls him his Friend c. 4. Because I would have you return an Answer in Print that we may know whether your mind be yet altered or not touching Mr. HICKS and these Twelve Pagan Principles 5. Because if you shall insist upon the Confutation of Mr. HICKS in all or any of these Particulars that you would be pleased not barely to call him a Lyar Forger Slanderer c. but shew wherein he hath belyed you in any of them I will first speak to the Title of William Luddington 's Book which is The Twelve Pagan Principles And my Opinion is he hath rightly named them although I think he may have the honour of the Invention and if W. L. say true then a Quaker is a Pagan and no true Christian for he Confesses they hold those Opinions he calls by that Name and as He and I are agreed herein so is T. H. also by his own Confession for he saith it is for those Opinions he hath Published the Quaker to be no Christian He saith he hath seriously considered them but he gives me ground to think otherwise in passing-over some things slightly extenuating others and avoiding simply what he could not subtilly evade or soundly confute But whereas he saith Presented to Mr. N. L. Citizen of London I do make bold to tell him That he is much displeased with that causeless and impertinent Present and were not he known to be a worthy Citizen a Man of Integrity and sound in the Principles of the Christian Religion This had been Indication sufficient to bring him into some Suspicion with others as if he were tottering in the Fundamentals of Christianity W. L. being known to be a Man fast of Whimsies and Enthusiastical Notions about the most sacred and weighty Points of the Christian Religion of which this Book is no small Testimony But by this we may see what ways are invented to impose upon the World
Christians Whatsoever is a command to me I must not receive from any man or thing without me nay not the Scripture it self And Edw. Burroughs in his Works p. 62. saith He that perswades people to let the Scriptures be the Rule of Faith and Practice would keep people in darkness Now I hope T. H. is no Forger But whereas my Author doth endeavour to cover their nakedness by some pitiful Evasions that covering of his is too narrow the Light in every man doth see their folly and is above them justly condemning them by the Light of the Holy Scriptures which they do wickedly reject And their great pretences to Light and Knowledg are seen to be the manifest effects of Darkness and Ignorance To the Law and to the Testimony because they speak against this Word there can be no Light in them Quest W. L. askes this Question What Scriptures do they disown for a Rule but such as relate to some external parts of Worship and do not we our selves do the same Answ I answer They deny the Scriptures yea as Geo. Whitehead phrases it as quoted by W. L. himself the BIBLE which contains all the Books of holy Scripture both in the Old and New-Testament to be a Rule and therefore t is idle for him to talk as if it were some part of it only that related to external Worship Quest But saith W. L. Do not we our selves do the same Answ There is one thing I would be satisfied in what W. L. means by saying WE VS and OVR in this Discourse I suppose he doth it on purpose to insinuate as if himself were a Baptist because he hath been so some years ago If that be his meaning then I must tell him it 's unbecoming a man professing Religion so to carry it for I do declare That he hath not had Communion with any Baptized Church in England nor been owned by them as worthy their Communion for several years unless he hath gone to any place where he is unknown and got it surreptitiously which I think the method used in such cases among our Churches will hardly admit him to do And to my knowledg they have refused long ago to admit him to preach among them because of his corrupt and dangerous Principles And yet the chief of the Quakers in a scurrilous Book of theirs in the Title-page call him a Sober Baptist Preacher signifying to the World that he is owned so now which is a most abominable untruth But they seem to have no regard to Truth and Honesty neither with their Tongues nor Penns For as Mr. Ives sheweth in his Questions for the Quakers That two of these Publishers i. e. William Mead and John Osgood have both of them with others took their Oaths in Chancery one before Sir William Beversham and the other before Sir William Child and yet it 's known to all that this is the Quakers avowed Principle That it is sinful to swear at all or in any case For as Geo. Fox saith in his Catechism quoted by Mr. Ives p. 107. All that swear are out of the Power of Jesus Christ and his Truth and the Doctrine of the Apostles c. AND ARE FALSE CHRISTIANS c. Now though they can rail against others at pleasure yet if we do but tell them of their faults though it be with the greatest mildness that may be they presently fall a raging and raving as if they were possest with and under the power of some unclean Spirit I will therefore leave them and return to W. L. whom I know to be a man that hath adhered to and contended for the Quakers Principles for divers years And I would say thus much to W. L. by way of advice That he would either be what he pretends to be or profess to be what he is Why dost thou halt between two Opinions Be in earnest and don 't trifle thus about Religion God is a jealous God and he is very angry with Lukewarm Professors but more with Apostates Take heed to thy self and to the Holy Scriptures for thereby thou mayest be made wise to Salvation through faith in Christ And if thou shalt reject the same know of a truth that Gods Word will certainly stand against thee for evil for I perceive thou hast drunk down too large a draught of their poysonous Doctrines as is manifest in this very instance under consideration besides many other for thou sayest There is as much truth in this Position That the Scriptures are no Rule of Faith and Practice unto Christians as thou desirest Where is then the difference between W. L. and a Quaker But we shall find much more of this in his Book There is some other rambling nonsensical Discourse under this head which I shall pass with this Observation upon it 1. That W. L. confesses T. H's Charges are matters of Opinions 2. W. L. saith We read of no punishment denounced against men nor rewards given for their Opinions at the last day 3. That if W. L. hath no reward from the Quakers for this service he hath done for them in contending about Opinions he is like to have none in the last day 4. That a man may hold and maintain the most wicked and abominable Opinions that are in the World though never so Atheistical and Antichristian and not be condemned for it at the last day But sure W. L. forgets The corrupt Principles lead to corrupt Practices as he will certainly find this corrupt Principle will do if prosecuted in denying the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Practice Do but debauch a mans Conscience with wicked Principles and you will quickly see him a man of a debauched Conversation Why doth God appoint the Gospel to be preached Surely besides its Office in the revelation of himself and Son it is that by it we might come to have an evil opinion of the ways of sin and so forsake them And by presenting God therein as an Holy God and the Beauty Glory and Excellency of Holiness we might come to have our minds influenced thereby fall into a love and liking of it which begets holy Principles in us and so leads us to a holy Life And herein lies much of that difference betwixt the obedience of a man that is meerly Moral and one that is Evangelical The one being taught by the Law of Nature doth that which is good for the matter of it the other as he is farther enlightned doth not only obey in doing more but in all the parts of his obedience he acts from higher Principles and to a more noble end But whilest others are slighting good Principles I desire to prize and improve them for the honour of God and my own Salvation to believe and obey as God hath commanded in the Holy Scriptures 6. Pagan Principle THe sixth charge is That the speaking of the Spirit in any is of greater Authority than the Scriptures W. L. His Answer is There is no reason in my opinion
upon his Offices with the holy Spirit As the Priests Prophets and Kings under the Law were anointed with Oyl when they entred upon Theirs see Matth. 3. 16 17. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water And lo the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him And lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Heb. 1. 9. Therefore God even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy fellows Luke 4. 17 18 21. And there was delivered unto him the Book of Esaias the Prophet and when he had opened the Book he found the place where it is written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel c. And applied this to his own Person as being then fulfilled Then he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears The word which God sent unto the Children of Israel was this That God had Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him Acts 10. 38. Now by this we may see that as his Name is so is the Person to whom it is given for he being Anointed with the Holy Spirit above his fellows he is properly and truly the Lord 's Christ Thirdly That this Name cannot be properly and really applied to the Divine Nature taken Abstractively And my Reason for it is this Because some of those things which were done by the Man Christ Jesus could not have been performed by the Divine Nature in the sense before defined 1. Because if they could there had then been no need for him to have been a man made of a woman to be made flesh and dwell among men to have been exposed to all those sufferings and sorrows which befel him in the days of his flesh while he was upon the earth 2. Because Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture 1 Cor. 15. 3. But the Divine Nature taken Abstractively cannot die For besides this Consideration viz. That the Nature of the Divine Essence cannot possibly admit of it and it 's horrid Blasphemy to assert it So on the contrary it is positively affirmed That God lives for ever If I lift up my hand to Heaven and say I live for ever Deut. 32. 40. yea he swears by himself As I live saith the Lord Isa 49. 18. The name of the Lord the Everlasting God Gen. 21. 33. For thus saith the High and Losty One that inhabiteth Eternity Isa 57. 15. whos 's goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Micah 5. 2. Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place in all Generations Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth and the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal 90. 1 2. And God said unto Moses I AM that I AM Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you This is my name for ever And this is my Memorial unto all Generations Exod. 3. 14 15. The Certainty Perpetuity and Eternity of Gods Being assures Believers of the Certainty and Accomplishment of all his Promises seeing they know he is faithful and cannot lie nor cease to be For if he could do either it would take away all the Foundation of our Faith and Hope in God his Word and Promises But there are some Objections urged by the Quakers in print against this Truth in these words W. P. Askes this Question Was he the Christ of God before he was manifested in the flesh Mr. Ives answers He was the Son of God Quest W. P. But was he the Lords Christ And turns this Answer to it himself Answ W. P. saith I will prove him to have been the Lords Christ as well before as after 1. From the Apostle Paul's words to the Corinthians That Rock was Christ 2. Next from Jude where some Greek Copies have it thus That Jesus brought the people of Israel out of Egypt See The Quakers Account of the Barbican-Meeting p. 24. Reply I will answer to the last first If W. P. have seen any such Greek Copies he should have cited them and told us what they are Till which time I shall account it as the effect of passion stirred up in the defence of a bad cause But surely W. P. forgot himself to bring this Allegation for if this be brought to prove any thing it is That he as Jesus was before he was manifested in the flesh Which name was never given to him till he came in the flesh And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus And she brought forth her first-born Son and he called his name Jesus Matth. 1. 21 25. Besides our English Translation doth very well agree with the Greek for in Jude v. 5. which is the place he refers to the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in our Translation Lord which is the express signification of the word and so rendred in multitudes of places in the New-Testament And this can be brought by W. P. for no better purpose than to undervalue the Scripture by quarrelling with the Translation though there be no cause Secondly As for those words in 1 Cor. 10. 4. That Rock was Christ I answer It 's meant not really but figuratively as appears by the precedent words vers 3 4. And did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ For it 's evident 1. That there was a Real and True Rock which Moses smote with his Rod and out of which the water gushed 2. That the people of Israel drunk of this Water to quench their thirst 3. That this was Real and True Water because their Cattel also drank thereof Numb 20. 11. He smote the Rock twice and the Water came out abundantly and the Congregation drank and their Beasts also 4. That the Water which came out of that Rock became Rivers and followed them in the Wilderness He brought streams also out of the Rock and caused waters to run down like Rivers Psal 78. 16. Behold he smote the Rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed ver 20. And they thirsted not when he led them through the Deserts And in the next words you have an Account how they were supplied in this their journey through the Deserts He caused the waters to flow out of the Rock for them He clave the Rock also and the water gushed out Isa 48. 21. He opened the Rock and the waters gushed out they ran in the dry places like a River Psal 105. 41. And therefore it 's said The Rock followed them Which by a Metonymie is meant the water that
there be no defect in either But to proceed In p 69. he saith The Apostles Doctrine contains Rules but the Light within that gave it forth was the Rule the chief or highest Rule for Guidance and Power and that wherein was the Power of Rule and Government to all true Christians And in p. 58. he is displeased much because his Antagonist doth not believe that their Light is sufficient to direct men to believe in Jesus Christ But is it not manifestly insufficient for that the Quakers who pretend to be guided by that Light do not believe in him as I have made appear Now when G. W. hath thus asserted the sufficiency and infallibility of the Light at the close of his Introduction p. 16. Dictator-like he comes forth like a Pope and General Council with a most dreadful Sentence against all that will not believe him in these words To deny the true God who is Light is Atheism But to deny his immediate Light in man is to deny the true God Surely this is a higher piece ofVncharitableness than Mr. Ives can be supposed to be guilty of in saying The Quakers are no Christians I could have alledged many more Testimonies but these are sufficient Now to prove that this is no new Doctrine let us hear what the Popish Priests say to this point The Papist saith It is that Body called the Church or Divine Revelation which is the Infallible Rule A Book entituled A Manual of Contr. written by a Pomish Priest lays this down for an Article of Faith That the Church of Rome is Infallible in all her Propositions and Definitions of Faith and is so to be received under pain of Damnation And this is known to be their professed Principle Bellar. de verb. Dei Interp. Those that speak against the Popes Decrees and Humane Institutions are false Teachers For the Pope hath Power and Authority to judg in all Controversies in Doctrine and to give forth the right meaning of the holy Scripture and no man may appeal from his judgment Charon's Third Truth chap. 2. having said That the Church and the Scripture are Judges together He adds But the Church is primarily and principally and with great preheminence and a little after The Scripture is not nor cannot be the last Rule and Soveveign Judg of Doctrine And chap. 3. p. 2. Faith that is necessary to Salvation comes from the Churches speaking and not from the Reading of the Scripture Without knowing of which after a sort yea and without believing or obeying it expresly a thousand millions are saved And to be short a man may be a Christian and a good Christian and be saved without the Scripture but not without the Church for the Scripture hath no Authority Weight or Power over us but only so much as the Church doth allow and assign unto it In a Boook entituled Reason against Railery c. p. 7. are these words It may be asked when one pitches upon a determinate sense of any place beyond what the Letter inforces by what light he guides himself in that Determination And then answers That that Light whatever it is and not the Letter is indeed the formal Revealer or Rule of Faith 〈◊〉 in the next Paragraph The Letter-Rule secluded I advanced saith he to prove That Tradition or that Body called the Church taken as delivering her thoughts by a constant Tenor of living Voyce and Practice visible to the whole World is the absolute certain way of conveying down the Doctrine taught at first In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stillingfleeton c. Part 2. p. 19. it 's said That Divine Revelation is firmer and more Authentick than either Scripture or our seeing and again It is the sole standing unextinguishable general Light set up for the assured Guidance of all men And p. 27. They are certain and know themselves certain and declare so much before the face of the Sun and all the eyes of Heaven by their stability fixedness and immovability in Faith In another Popish Book entituled A Rational Compendious way c. p. 31. The Roman Catholick Religion doth not teach any thing as an Article of Faith which is either an Error or a Corruption And p. 30. The Roman Church is infallible and perpetual Now from what hath been said we may draw this Conclusion 1. That if W. L. say true That he is no Christian who denies the Divinity of Christ If he means in the common sense viz. as he is the Second Person in the Divine Essence then the Quakers are no Christians for in that sense they deny the Divinity of Christ in denying the Trinity of Persons 2. That they do really deny the Humane Nature to be a part of Christ and that Sacred Person whom God hath Anointed with the Holy Spirit who is both God and Man The man Christ Jesus to be the Christ the Saviour of the World And so fulfil that Prophecy Even denying the Lord that bought them 3. From hence it follows That the Quakers have no Christ at all but one of their own setting up and adoring For the name Christ cannot be properly applied to the Divine Nature taken Abstractively as I have fully proved And they confess they own no other Christ but the Light within them which they say is only God though in truth it is but a created Light and they Idolaters in worshipping a Creature instead of the Creator 4. If he be no Christian that hath no Rule for his Faith and Practice then the Quakers are no Christians for they have no Rule for their Faith and Practice For 1. They confess the holy Scriptures are not their Rule 2. It 's apparent notwithstanding their high pretences they have not Divine and Immediate Revelation for their Rule for they cannot demonstrate it by Scripture right Reason nor any other way Thus I have used my endeavour according to the Exhortation of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will The Lord open the eyes of their understanding and bless this Treatise to all those good ends and purposes for which it is intended To whom be glory in the Churches by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages World without end Amen William Russel Here followeth a Letter from the Baptized-Congregation in Reading concerning William Luddington Brother Ives I Received yours and advised with the Brethren about it and the Answer which is That we do not own William Luddington in any such Relation as Communion with us neither do we know any Principle of Religion that he is stedfast to But about ten or twelve years since he was here in Prison and blamed much for refusing to give God thanks for any of his Mercies or to joyn with them that did with many other strange Humours as Mr. Mason can tell you not suiting with Christian Religion But was looked upon by all to be a Quaker and sometimes a supposed Behmenist which uncertain Fictions best suited his wandring Fancy Sometimes he is for universal Communion with all sorts as he calls it And sometimes speaking against Forms and says He never preached for Baptism nor never would For that Text Mat. 28. 19 20. To the end of the World he says was to the end of that Age. And he had wrote a Book two years since to that purpose and going to print it But Mr. Maynard perswaded him to the contrary So that for this Ten years past we have been so far from any Communion that we have had little Religious Converse neither did we ever find he desired any with us And as for his writing on the behalf of the Quakers he hath done them so little service here that he hath only discovered his folly and made his best Friends ashamed of him and many others say they were deceived in him So that we may say He hath here met with the just reward of his folly and is discerned by all sober rational Christians and left only to be supported if by any by such giddy Brains that will lay hold on any rotten Post to support a Tottering Building But at last yours came and was so acceptable that your Enemies say you have gained great Credit by your discrcet managing that Business And you have morae raised the hearts of all your and the Lord's truly loving Friends towards you And as it is common for men that want Wisdom or good Argument for what they would have to supply it with Railing and abundance of words so your Adversaries have done But God hath furnished you better as appears by your managing this business To whose guidance we leave you with our prayers that you may be kept to the end And rest Your Brethren in Christ Signed by consent By Daniel Roberts Reading this 6th of Decemb. 1674.