and blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrin nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpent's Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 249. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrin contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrin and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with Ink by Barach but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrin where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. Sect. 11. p. 146 147. as saying Paper and Ink is not infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102. 25 26. Heb. 1. 11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the soure Leaven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrin of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those saecred Oracles p. 250. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrin of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpent's Meat The Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrin and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 250 251. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink or Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no Contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrin and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our â—ight to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8. 20. And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd p. 251. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. And are not many reproved by the Light them in for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And tho' my Accuser says These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have his own ipse dixit and much such Raillery but know no plain Texts of Scripture yet produced by him that so detects us but his own Falshood and great Ignorance about the Light is very apparent Again he falsly defames and reprobaches me from p. 28. Of Innocency Triumphant with excusing and justifying Diabolical Suggestions in the Quaker-Refuge he saith against the Authority of the sacred Scripture by saying That it questioned but some not all p. 252. This Accuser has a most odious injurious course of defaming and perverting as well as curtalizing our Words wherein he has taken part with his famous Author F. Bugg to whom the Answer was given on which he grounds his black Charge against me Of justifying Diabolical Suggestions c. In which Answer I expresly declare thus viz. His Accusation that the Quakers insinuate in a Book called The Quakers Refuge That What the true Prophets spake was false and What the false Prophets spoke was true p. 47. New Rome Vnm. p. 23. We
the Quakers will not allow Christ to be the promised Seed or that he was more a Man in the Body of Jesus than in the Body of any other Man Ref. These are gross and notorious Falshoods still We ever believed the promised Messiah the Christ of God to be the promised Seed which by the Power of God should bruise the Serpent's Head and that he was true and perfect Man in the Body which he took upon him which was the Body of Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary as he was and is a quickning Spirit in other Men especially in true Believers Sn. p. 239. He confesseth the Influence and Inspiration of his blessed Spirit is the ONLY true saving Light within us but not the Seed and Christ himself as the Quakers blasphemously dream only a Ray or Communication of his Light and Life to us But p. 242. he speaks of Faith in Christ's outward Blood by which ONLY there is Salvation Ref. If the only true saving Light within us be the Inspiratiou of the blessed Spirit and Communication of the Light and Life of Christ to us as is granted tho' this as within be not Christ in his fulness as in himself yet 't is as truly the Incorruptible Seed the Word Christ our Life and Light as the Life of Christ is Christ or as the Spirit of the Lord is the Lord as where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty now the Lord is that Spirit It is Christ gives us both Life Light and Spirit and Christ is our Life Light and Salvation But do not the Words only Salvation by Christ's outward Blood exclude any other means of Salvation And then how is his Spirit the only true saving Light within us Tho' that Blood of Christ be of true value and esteem as part of his Sacrifice and Price it is his Spirit and Power which quickens and actually saves the Soul from Sin and Death Sn. p. 245. He accuseth the Quakers with denying any other God or Christ but themselves Ref. This is one of his most horrid and blasphemous Slanders and solemnly by us denied with as utter detestation and abhorrence as any of the rest of his most gross and absurd Calumnies Sn. p. 251. That they expresly disown any other Christ than what is within them and that the Quakers do not believe that Christ has any other Body or other Humanity than that spiritual or allegorical Body which they say he has within them Ref. 1. To the first part We own not two Christ's the true Christ is but one Christ and we own him as he is both without us and within us tho' he is not wholly contained within us yet he 's truly within us by his Spirit Light and Life and dwelling in our Hearts by Faith What other Christ does this Man own than him who is in true Believers 2. The latter part of his Charge is not true We believe Christ has his spiritual glorious Body without us like unto which we also believe our low Body shall be changed and fashioned Sn. p. 254. That the Quakers by a monstrous sort of Transubstantiation think themselves to be the Christ. Ref. This is a monstrous Falshood and Forgery still to defame and odifie us grounded on divers other false and partial Stories and is before in substance answered Sn. p. 255. That G. Keith for his most Christian Doctrin of a Christ without was condemned by their last Yearly Meeting Re. This is a notoriously false Story again as the two Accounts given of him by two Yearly Meetings may evince having no such cause assigned in them for our conditionally disowning him but his unchristian Spirit and Behaviovr as an Instrument of divisions and disturbance in the Churches of Christ whereby he hath cut himself off unless he repent Sn. p. 262. Their spiriting away the Letter of the promised Seed the Humanity of Christ c. Re. This Charge with all the hard Consequences depending thereupon against us are sincerely and utterly denied by us As by the Letter of the promised Seed he means the Scripture-History of the Man Christ where proves he that we spirit this away Our owning Christ in Spirit and as a quickning Spirit in us was never intended as we know to deny his real Manhood Mediation or Intercession without us no more than the Apostle did See 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. where the second Man the Lord from Heaven is also called a quickening Spirit Sn. p. 263. He charges them with running into this Excess of throwing off the Humanity of Christ abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Beastly Ware Dust Death c. and calling the Holy Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Dust and Beastly Ware p. 267. Re. These are still old repeated shameful Calumnies against us The first part is sufficiently answer'd before and in many other Books for our sincerely and plainly owning the blessed and most-glorious Man Christ Jesus according to plain Scripture The latter part is some of F. Bugg's calumnious Abuses and Perversions and clearly detected and refuted in several Answers to his scurrilous Pamphlets and his Authority will go but a little way what Credit soever 't is of with this obscure Adversary 'T is far remote from us to own any such contemptible Names as to call the Holy Scriptures Beastly Ware c. Tho' perhaps making a Trade upon Scripture or Preaching for Hire or Mony hath been so called by some or other Sn. p. 268. That it is plain they never gave the Scriptures a good Word but meerly for popularity when forced to it Re. He is a very unrighteous and false Judge in this also both our Consciences in the sight of God and many of our Writings also testifie the contrary that freely and without force for the sake of that divine Inspiration from whence the Holy Scriptures proceeded and those blessed and holy Doctrins and Truths contained in them they are highly owned and esteemed by us Sn. p. 285. Judge whether these be sound principled Men that can turn conform and transform to every change according to the Times whether these be fit Men to teach People Re. These are still deceitful and envious Suggestions Our manifold Sufferings in our Persons and Estates for Conscience-sake by Persecutions many whereof being the Temporizers of the Clergy do manifest the contrary to what 's here suggested against us that we have not turned changed nor conformed according to the Times in point of Worship Principle Faith or Discipline for could we have so done we might have escaped many deep Sufferings and great Losses which we have undergone and then have been owned by such temporizing and persecuting Priests as now reproach us when they cannot otherwise persecute us as formerly Sn. p. 314. The Lord help them and hear our Prayers for them since they will not pray for themselves c. Re. We have no reason to believe that this Person can pray sincerely for us seeing he is so full
cleanseth from Sin and that this was not to be resolved into the Light within nor to be spiritualiz'd away from the Letter Re. Let us be excused if we cannot take that Text 1 John 1. 7. altogether literally if cleansing from all Sin be a spiritul and inward Work or Act as no doubt it is there 's as much ascribed to the Spirit as to the Blood in respect to the Work of Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin And therefore the Blood of Christ may be both taken spiritually and literally and this is not to spiritualize away the Letter relating to the outward Blood and Sacrifice of Christ seeing we have always believed both in the Letter and receive the Fruit thereof in the Spirit Sn. p. 148. Sect. 11. These Men whose chief Principle is to decry and damn the Letter Re. This is a most gross and foul Calumny Our preferring the Spirit to the Letter as the Apostles did is no decrying nor damning the Letter nor so intended by us but to bring People to the Life and Substance and real fulfilling of Scripture To what he saith in distinction between Christ the Word of God and the Book of Scriptures p. 151 152. this makes for us and against them who have often affirmed that Book to be the Word in opposition to our owning Christ to be the Word of whom the Scriptures testifie And this on our part is no Contempt of the Holy Scriptures nor in their place any deifying of our own Spirit and our own Scriptures as this Adversary most falsly accuseth us p. 152. His most seeming pretence for Proof against us of Contempt of Holy Scripture is in p. 142. Sect. 11. where he quotes a Passage out of a Book Entituled The Quaker's Refuge c. thus viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these are not one Or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill express'd some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false And here the Accuser breaks off in his Citation like as F. Bugg used to deal by us who has the same Passage to defame us as he hath done Whereas next after the Words And yet false these follow viz. Is not the Subject of my Argument at this time Here 't is plain the Author R. R. has cited these Questions about the Scriptures not as the Subject of his own Argument but of some others he would not then be concerned to dispute those Questions or Doubts For the said Author farther confesseth That such Scriptures and Prophesies as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by his Spirit treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration From hence it 's clear the Author was no Contemner of Holy Scripture and 't is clear the Subject of his Argument was for the Authority of the Holy Spirit in judging or discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures as truly own'd by the Quakers thus in the said Book Quaker's Refuge p. 17. which could not intend any Contempt of the Holy Scriptures much less a deifying either of our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man or our own Writings in their place We have rarely ever met with more mad unlikely and improbable Aspersions than these from our most outragious Adversaries To what is objected p. 155. Sect. 11. viz. That they i. e. the Quakers cannot be bound by any Command in the Scriptures unless their Spirit anew require the same This is falsly stated 't is not our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man abstractly that we profess to be under the Conduct of but the same Spirit which gave forth the Holy Scriptures And is not awanting to require of us the performance of its own necessary Commands and Doctrins contained in the Scriptures seeing 't is the same Spirit which leads it's sincere Followers into all Truth consequently not to undervalue any of those blessed Truths recorded in the Holy Scriptures And therefore this Adversary's Consequence intended against us viz. That the Scripture remains of no Authority with us p. 155. is very unjust being deduced from his own false Suggestions supposing us to set the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures of Truth whereas we plead for the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures in so much preferring the Holy Spirit from whence they proceeded and derive their Authority and not from Human Tradition And this is far from spiritualizing away all the Letter of the Scripture or Christ's Humanity as in p. 166. as we are often unjustly aspersed To what he saith p. 168. That Enthusiasts have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in mad Men and this they mistake for Inspiration and then their Madness is at the height We say take Enthusiasm in the truest and best Sense and then such are inspired of God and by his Inspiration have a true Understanding and right Principles given them both Divine and Moral and do not mistake Fancy for Divine Inspiration But to whom does the Man apply this Enthusiasm which he renders Fancy more strong in mad Men and height of Madness In his next Page 't is to the Quakers He says No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it p. 169. Sect. 11. Here he seems to take Enthusiasm in the Quaker's Sense which is Divine Inspiration or inspired of God which sure cannot be meer Fancy much less the height of Madness as before The Quakers certainly deny this of themselves Thus the Man's confused in 's injurious Attempts to defame us with the height of Madness His Objection against the Quaker's Enthusiasm as he calls it That none that ever called themselves Christians have advanced themselves so high to have the same infallible Spirit and immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ himself c. p. 169. Herein he 's greatly out All true Christians are Partakers of the Spirit of Christ in some degree or measure for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and his Spirit is infallible and a Manifestation of the same Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal and the Effusion of this Spirit upon all Flesh was promised and we believe the Promises of God which are all Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus Therefore this our Adversary who is so much averse to having the same infallible
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE VENOME OF The Snake in the Grass Or the Book so stiled AND THE Christian People CALLED QUAKERS Vindicated from its most gross Abuses and Calumnies In certain Reflections detecting the nameless Author's Malice Outrage and Persecution against the said People Unto which is Annex'd A brief Examination of the Author's second Book stil'd Satan Dis-rob'd Also Some Notice taken of his Discourse for the Divine Institution of Water-Baptism Psal. 83. 3. They devise deceitful Matters against them that are quiet in the Land London Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1697. THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER Friendly Reader THE so long delay of this Answer to The Snake in the Grass has been chiefly the Printers occasion and partly to have some Answer to his latter Book still'd Satan Disrob'd So Reader that thou may'st be preserved from the Venom of this Snake in all his twistings and twinings is the desire of him who wisheth the Well-fare of all Men. T. N. ERRATA PAge 37. l. 13. r. Persecutors l. 38. dele as p. 56. l. 6. r. Kingdoms p. 81. l. 1. r. Prosecution p. 166. l. 30. for them in r. in them p. 167. l. 12. for reprobachs r. reproaches p. 200. l. 25. r. universally p. 204. l. 7. r. who rendred p. 232. l. 4. r. of Sin and Death l. 5. r. of Life p. 235. l. 13. d. 60. Some litteral Faults and Points mis-placed may be understood by the sense of the matters Impartial Reader AFter the perusal of the said Snake in the Grass seeing the gross and absurd Aspersions Calumnies Perversions and scornful Stuff therein Contained and the great Malice of the nameless Author's Spirit against the People called Quakers It was slighted by us and laid aside for some Months being stuft with many lying and incredible Stories as scarce deserving any particular Answer except the notice of some few to discredit the Author and invalidate his fruitless attempts of his foul Envy and Falshood But some indifferent Persons being urgent for an Answer and the said Book being rendred as an unanswerable Piece by some too easily imposed upon and others in prejudice gave occasion for the insuing Reflections to be Exhibited in order to obviate the injurious Design of the Author and his Abettors i.e. some wrathful implacable and perfidious Apostates who are of those Cattle he has principally Plowed withal and from whom he has chiefly derived his unjust Authority to Defame and Scandalize the said People with those old false and refuted Aspersions and Slanders as Possessed with the Devil Enthusiastick Madness Blasphemy Heresie denying the true Christ and his holy Humanity or Manhood real Sufferings and Satisfaction and the Resurrection and Contemning the Holy Scriptures Doctrins and Precepts therein contained with abundance more of such like Calumnies and Slanders Abuses and Perversions of our Words and Doctrins frequently answered and refuted by divers of us in our former and latter Books And now because of our present Ease and Liberty which Mercy our Gracious God hath influenced the present Government to afford us from our late grievous and destructive Persecutions for which Liberty we are truly thankful For this Cause the Devil and his Agents appear the more enraged and to have exceeding great Wrath against the remnant of the true Seed and to combine together to persecute us with their most shameful Reproaches Abuses Lyes and Slanders which is the present Persecution we are under When the Devil was suffered to imploy his Agents to Oppress and Persecute us in our Persons and Estates by severe Imprisonments and spoil of Goods tending to Ruin us and our Families then the Pens of his Clerks and Ministers were quiet towards us But seeing his and their wicked ends by that kind of open and cruel Persecution could not be accomplished upon us now they bend their perverse Studies and Pens to persecute us with shameful Reproach and Blasphemy to Destroy and Murther our Reputations both as Men and Christians not sparing either the Living or the Dead The Lord our God will rebuke their Fury and Outrage and confound their mischievous Devices and Confederacies even the just and righteous God who by his power supported us under our deepest Sufferings and Persecutions and gave us Faith and Courage then to Face the severest Storms and Blustering Winds which rose up against us for our Christian Testimony and Assemblies he hath enabled and will enable us to face and outface this Storm of envious and outragious Persecution of our open and secret Enemies And 't is no small shame and disparagement for such Eminent Church of England Men as the Author of the Snake in the Grass would seem one of them to be beholding to pretended Quakers such as George Keith and Thomas Crisp for their Aid or Authority against us and to F. Bugg's Authority also who has been detected of numerous Falshoods against us since he left us and turned to the Priests and to the Publick as he calls it and the said George Keith contrary to his many and frequent Vindications of the People called Quakers and their Principles and above thirty Years Conversation among them now turned an open Adversary to Revile and Reproach them and yet a falsly pretended Quaker as if he would ingratiate himself into favour with the worst of our Enemies the Day will yet further discover him and them I confess where Persons of a contrary Judgment to us appear moderate and civil in their Discourse and Treatment in things wherein they differ from us they deserve to be gently and tenderly Answered and Treated and if such suppose me mistaken in any thing or circumstance of words from which I intend not altogether to excuse my self in all Controversies from my young and early Years and yet be assured by the Spirit of Truth in matters Essential to Salvation I would take kindly their civil and friendly Discovery thereof to me being desirous that the Truth may be exalted above all Self-reputation But when I find Persons like this Author of The Snake in the Grass maliciously set in a persecuting Spirit to defame and reproach Truth and our Christian Society which I am concerned in Conscience for I confess then a holy Zeal the Lord raises and has raised in my very Heart and Soul against such bitter Implacable and Persecuting Spirits And the Lord's Power I have felt and do still feel it to accompany and inable me in Defence of his blessed Truth and People And inasmuch as the said Author of The Snake in the Grass is so very liberal in his most odious Characters upon us and has so frequently Branded us even divers Persons by Name with Blasphemies and Heresies c. who have been and are known to be Persons of good Reputation both as Men and Christians in Life and Conversation 'T is pity but this Defaming Author should be publickly exposed by Name for his Folly and outrage especially if he persists in his Scorn and envious injurious
to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did which was not at all to lessen the Authority of Holy Scripture Sn. p. 343. To prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them i. e. the Quakers he gives us another particular Instance of a Quaker-Servant that took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal Re. Upon a late Enquiry we understand That there was such a Servant-Maid who under some Discomposure and Temptation attempted such an evil and mad Action but was severely rebuked and testified against by our Friends who came to understand that Attempt or Action which we utterly abhor and therefore not justly chargeable upon us as a People any more than all the mad Actions of the People in Bedlam who belong to the Church of England Wherefore the great Envy and Injustice of this Defamer is very remarkable in this Passage as 't is extended against the Quakers to prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them which is as bad as to say They daily burn their Bibles Oh sad and sordid Stuff Sn. p. 346. I assure thee Reader that there is no mixture of any personal Prejudice in this Vndertaking for I do freely own that I have a real Kindness and good Wishes for every one of the Quakers that I have hitherto been acquainted with and I never received any sort of Disobligation from any of them in my whole Life Re. 1. We have no reason to believe this Person has no personal Prejudice in this his reproachful Undertaking being against a whole People where every Person of their Society is concerned and shamefully defamed by him under as gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent and produce through a poor dissembling Hypocrite as thus pretends such real Kindness and good Wishes for every one the Quakers of his Acquaintance while at the same time he 's endeavouring to murther their Reputations both as Men and Christians 2. And yet he has received no sort of Wrong from any of them to disoblige him in his whole Life More shame for him then thus sordidly to abuse the whole People as he hath done Sn. p. 348. As to the Nature of Christ they can subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of a personal Christ existing now in Heaven in his own true human Nature without all other Men or that he is now any otherwise a Man than as existing in his Saints But that they mean ALL they say of their own Light within ONLY which they call a spiritual Christ and shedding spiritual Blood c. within them Re. Here are several Things very perversly and falsly insinuated in these Passages 1. As if we did not believe the Man Christ Jesus to be now in Heaven without us as well as spiritually within us which is not true 2. As if we did not own Christ Jesus to be intire and perfect Man in himself or in his own proper Being or Existence without us as well as he is by his Spirit in us which also is not true for we really own him in both And though Christ being the spiritual Rock and as he is the Word of God the immortal Seed and a quickning Spirit he is in us and livingly felt and known in all true Believers yet not to lessen his intire Existence or limit him the Holy One as if he were no where or otherwise in Being than within us Such limitation we disown as well as wholly to exclude Christ out of his Saints as some have done under those unscriptural Expressions of a personal Christ existing in Heaven wholly without us which Terms some of us have questioned chiefly because imposed by some to oppose the Light Life and Spirit of Christ within whereby we can only truly know the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal Salvation and Peace 3. That Christ is truly spiritual and glorious we confess and shall never deny and that he has spiritual Blood too spiritual Water Wine and spiritual Drink to sanctifie refresh and comfort our Souls we must confess as that we daily experience as well as he had natural and outward Blood to offer and shed on the Cross for the sins of the World Sn. p. 350. That the Quakers general Answer to the seven Queries of the 15th of May 1695. was a Trick and Deceit of theirs to hide and cover their monstrous Heresies Re. This is a very severe and high Charge especially from one pretending real Kindness for us and as false as any of the rest of his Railery against us But what Proof is offered of these monstrous Heresies or covering them viz. Sn. They tell of Christ born of the Virgin Mary who suffered under Pontius Pilate c. but they keep off the whole stress of the Queries viz. Whether they believe in such a Christ as without them And that he is now this day a Man without all other Men No not a word of this this pinches too close And I think this a full Confession of their Heresie Re. Our Adversary appears very much out here For suppose we did not answer expresly in all the Terms of the said Queries being indirect and confusedly stated seeing we gave a scriptural intire substantial and comprehensive Answer which he is not able to confute This could not amount to any confession of Heresie on our parts neither does his thinking so prove any such thing He judges with very dark and evil Thoughts in this Matter Where did we ever say That Christ being born of the Virgin Mary and suffering under Pilate were not without us Or that Christ is not a Man without all other Men as well as spiritually in them We are to seek for such a Confession by us for we know none such but the contrary we are bound to believe in Christ intirely in all respects as he is both as he is within us and as he is without us both as he is God and as he is Man according to Holy Scripture-Testimony of him and 't is not uncharitable or envious thinking the contrary of us that can be any valid Argument to convict us to the contrary or of any Heresies whatsoever Sn. p. 351. Out of some of their i. e. the Quakers Books George Keith has collected their true and genuine Answers to each of the said Queries c. under this HOLY Title Gross Error and Hypocrisie detected c. Re. The first part is false For G. K. did partially and perversly collect divers Passages which could be no proper nor direct Answers to those Queries nor so intended nor by us adapted to any such Queries therefore the greater Abuse in him to collect and place them for Answers thereto 2. His Title and Charge of Gross Error and Hypocrisie is blasphemously termed HOLY for 't is altogether Unholy as well as Malicious and G. Keith is accountable to the just God for scandalizing and defaming us not only
disown these Expressions and I think they are not duly inferred from the said Book questioning whether Some Words were not spoken by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill expressed c. Now at my saying Yet this questioned but of some Words in Scriâ—ture not all he takes occasion to Rail fearfully against me as a Justifier of Diabolical Suggestions When my Answer was not with the least intent to oppose or lessen the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures but in direct opposition to F. Bugg's Calumny in these general odious and false Expressions viz. That the Quakers insinuate that What the true Prophets spake was false Which Expression we utterly deny as both in themselves grosly false against the true Prophets and falsly charged on the Quakers to defame them And as to the Questions cited out of the Quak. Refuge at which Offence is taken 1. They are not mine 2. I do not believe they are the Author 's of that Quak Refuge tho' cited by him 3. It is apparent he does not espouse them as his own Judgment nor make them the Matter in that present Controversie nor resolve them in the Affirmative but seems to recite and wave them as Originally proceeding from some other Person as I understand The furthest that can be drawn from my said Answer to F. B. that may seem offensive which I should be sorry for if 't were really so is my seeming to grant the Question That in some Words some true Prophets were mistaken And if this be made an Offence I think 't is no real one for I designed none However I still confess I believe the Record of Scripture to be true Good Men and some true Prophets also have been and may be mistaken in some things and have had their Weaknesses and Failings truly recorded in Scripture and also their Deliverances for good Ends and Admonition to others Was not Samuel a good Man and a Prophet and yet mistaken when he took Eliab for the Lord 's Anointed 1 Sam. 16 6. 7. And in the Argument upon Job in the ancient Bible is marked That Job maintaineth a good Cause but handleth it evil Again his Adversaries have an evil Matter but they defend it craftily Moreover he was assured that God had not rejected him yet through his great Torments and Afflictions he burst forth into many Inconveniences both of Words and Sentences See the Argument at large And was not the Prophet Elijah mistaken when he thought himself alone or none in Israel but himself that was zealous for the Lord God of Hosts But what saith the Answer of God unto him I have reserved unto my self seven thousand Men that have not bowed the knee to Baal 1 King 19. 10 18. Rom. 11. 3 4. And to say but little of the Old Prophet that persuaded the Young Prophet contrary to the Word of the Lord 1 King 13. I could instance Jonas David and several others that were good Men who had some Weaknesses and Mistakes in Words and Actions yet the Lord was good to them and helped them according to the Integrity of their Hearts towards him And these Things being truly recorded in Scripture for Instruction and Admonition we truly esteem the Scripture-Record thereof And even where the Words Lies Blasphemies and Actions of the Devil wicked Men and Persecutors and the Judgments which befel them are recorded in the Scriptures we own the Record or History thereof to be true and highly esteem it for Instruction and Warning to Men. And to distinguish between the Words of God in Scripture and the Words of the Devil is but what the Scripture it self doth which can be no Contempt to it for I have known some stumbled by some of the Priests making no distinction but calling all that 's written in Scripture the Word of God as one that was the Mayor of Thetford near 40 Years ago told me That a Priest wanting Induction into the vacant Benefice and preaching there for Approbation took his Text out of the Words wherewith the Devil tempted Christ Mat. 4. And bidding the People hearken to the Word of God as they should find it written in such a Chapter and Verfe whereupon this Person that told me of it was so offended that he would not give his Voice to chuse the said Priest because he had told them That was the Word of God which was the Words of the Devil Now let none be so disingenuous as to take this as in Contempt of Holy Scripture Doctrin or Precepts therein for where either the Words Blasphemies wicked Actions or Persecutions of the Devil or Men are therein mentioned the Record thereof is true and in Testimony against them and the intent of such Record holy just and good Farther my Accuser tells me Nor is my Salvo more ingenuous in the Eleventh Article And why so It is really say I contrary to our Faith and Principle to make Christ Jesus himself Only a Figure a Veil or Garment p. 254. Which was in direct opposition to his Author F. Bugg 's falsly saying The Quakers would make Christ Only a Figure a Veil a Garment implied by way of Question p. 58. New Rome Ar. Here he quarrels with the word Only as with the word Amply and accuseth me with Equivocating and that this is but a Negative Confession But really George quoth he this is not re-assuming your Christian Testimony in the Affirmative as thou didst promise c. still hiding your self in the Dark in Negatives But we would know affirmatively what it is you do profess and this thou didst promise and this thou hast not perform'd p. 255 256. Here he accuseth me with breach of Promise but very falsly as in the said 11th Article is plain that my Confession of Christ Jesus himself is not only Negative but Affirmative namely He being the Substance and End of all Figures Types and Shadows Is not this Affirmative pray And as remote from Truth is his accusing the Quakers Books of calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within p. 263 264. I know no such Books of the Quakers that so call Christ Jesus A Type of our Light within but that he is our Light which hath inlighten'd us among the rest of Mankind It 's implied by way of Question That Christ cloathed himself in Flesh and Blood and that he took Flesh c. for so quoth he it may be said that our Soul is cloathed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil It is not Words but the meaning that we contend about saith he p. 257. We know best our own Meaning being well satisfied that 't is according to Holy Scripture Where 's then the difference He then quarrels with our Meaning not with the Words here but elsewhere he doth as his Author F. Bugg has done with the words Veil and Garment in J. P.'s Question to Professors But this Author yields the Point he assents to both As our Soul is clothed with
same import or near as high as what G. F. said or intended if rightly considered and therefore this opposer might have spared his many Reflections in this Point Some gleanings of Lyes Slanders and Perversions out of the Some Gleanings of the Author to the Snake in the Grass returned and recharged upon him with brief Remarks upon them 1. GReat Ignorance charg'd on the generality of the Quakers and that many of them do at this day plainly own the most Blasphemous â—nd Heretical Doctrins that have been objected against them And that such Heresies have been taught among them and are still so understood by their People and that vehemently p. 1 2. These superlative Charges of Blasphemous Heresies as own'd and taught among the said People are denyed as most gross Calumnies and Abuses against them 2. That a present Preacher of theirs i.e. Quakers This very Year being pressed to acknowledge the Man Christ without us and the necessity of Faith in him Answered The Man Christ a F rt Horrid This we suspect and question the Truth of it however we deny the expression with abhorrence and the unjust injurious improvement he makes of it and the subsequent stories as 3. That the said Preacher of the Quakers denyed that Christ's body rose out of the Grave that our bodies should rise that there would be any general Judgment or that the Scriptures were all true The improvement made of these stories questioned by us is This is a Teacher thus he has been Taught and thus he Teaches others And it is no wonder that they who are thus Taught to believe no outward Christ now in being should use him with the utmost contempt and his Worshippers with the greatest severity as being the grossest sort of Idolaters to worship a dead God p. 2. Note 1. We question the Truth of the particular stories and deny that the Quakers have or own any such Preachers as are justly chargeable with such contempt of the Man Christ without us or denyal of his Resurrection or general Judgment 2. We neither own nor know any such Doctrin among us as to deny any outward Christ or Christ without us now in Being or to use him with contempt These we look on as gross Lyes which seem somewhat generally to affect us as a People i. e. the Quakers their Faith in an inward Christ viz. their Light within being thereupon reflected on as in opposition to the Man Christ without when he can neither demonstrate nor disprove their Light nor their Faith therein 4. That they i.e. the Quakers reckon their own Blood to be the Blood of Christ and to be that Blood which cleanseth from Sin p. 3. Which is a gross Falshood 5. Their i.e. the Quakers frequent Idolatries to G. F. giving him the Titles and Attributes of God falling prostrate before him and adoring him with these Appellations Thou art the Son of the everlasting God the King of Israel all Nations shall worship thee c. p 3. We question these stories we denying all Idolatry and all such Attributes and Adoration to any Mortal 6. That the Quakers had vilely cast away the great Fundamentals of the Christian Religion p. 5. 7. The Quakers fasly charged with rage against G. K. p. 5. Which are both vile Lyes 8. That they are forced at last to a feigned complyance with the Doctrin that he Teaches i.e. by the Truths which he contends for prevailing against them Which is falsly stated against us the Truth 's prevalency upon us has not been by his contradiction neither can we own all for Truth which he contends for His great instability and late contradictions to his former and latter Testimonies both in behalf of the People called Quakers and their Principles are very Notorious to every rational person that reads the Collections thereof in Tho. Ellwood's John Pennington's and others Answers and Replies to him 9. A Blasphemous bantring Paper he tells of i.e. G. F. 's turning the Christ to the Light within which will bring you off all the Worlds teachers and ways c. but shews not wherein the Blasphemy is And we know no such Phrase as turning the Christ to the Light within but that Christ is the Light of the World c. 10. If he i.e. W. Rogers had said Christ was no more than another Man he had come off and been excused by the whole fraternity and reverenced as well as Sol. Eccles. p. 8. What a Lying imagination and gross piece of Forgery is this They i.e. Quakers refrained not to Print and Publish every day most virulent Invectives against other Protestants and dispers'd them by order of the yearly Meeting p. 9. These are notorious Lyes 12. That the Quakers are not concerned at the intollerable and blasphemous contempt of the holy Bible which he charged a prophane Papist A. S. withal as calling that Book their unjust corrupt and perverse Bible which was grosly Blasphemous indeed but then unjustly to hang this upon the Quakers He says J. Cole declares That they are not at all concerned He insults This is a strange story and incredible That ever Jos. Cole insulted in any such Blasphemous contempt of the Protestant Bible as to our being not at all concerned so we are not in any such contempt no farr be it from us Josiah Cole is so far from joyining with the said A. S. that he Writes in Testimony against him by way of Answer to his Pamphlet as finding him therein smiting at the People called Quakers and endeavouring to render them odious by affirming That they are led by a deluding Spirit c. So that Josiah Cole had no reason to joyn with him or take his part against any sincere Protestants Whore unvail'd p. 57. Our Accuser proceeds farther upon the said story which he would turn upon the Quakers viz. 13. p. 9 10. Now why should these Men be reputed Protestants they count themselves none of us who are not concerned on our part no not against the Church of Rome but draw their Arms against us who joyn with them not only against our Ministers but our Bibles Here are Lyes and gross Calumnies accumulated against us Why should these be reputed as Christians Can they be Christians who Blaspheme the Bible Answer No but these are horrid and gross slanders against the Quakers who have approved themselves both better Protestants and Christians than their Persecutors and such a Persecuting Sculking Adversary as this our Accuser who seems strenuously to seek our ruin by endeavouring to murther our Christian and Civil Reputations but to us it is no more than the hissing of The Snake in the Grass or like one that whispers out of the ground And his next Charge is also grosly false as 't is intended against us viz. 14. Surely their Light within is Darkness who joyn with the most ignorant and bigotted of the Romish Emissaries against our Bible p. 10. Quere When or where do the Quakers so joyn with those Emissaries I take this
all Quakers throughout the World is their supream Law p. 18. is false again we know no such Epistle that is so esteem'd our supream Law but rather Epistles proceeding from our supream Law of Love 30. That 't is only for placing their Faith in the outward Jesus that the Quakers have so condemned them i.e. the Priests p. 19. This is not true again 't is not for placing their Faith if it were really so in an outward Jesus or rather Jesus without them but for their dead Faith without Christ and without Works and Fruit and their many Corruptions as Pride Covetousness Persecution c. as justly Chargeable on many of them His story about one Archer in Wilts questioning whether he was not among the Quaker-Bishops who compos'd this last general Council p. 19. is very scurrilous and false as it is turned to affect the Quakers We don't understand he was here at London the last Yearly Meeting The other story thereupon concerning the said Archer That the Knaves of that Country after his Wickedness forced him to shift his Quarters and that then he came up to London to which the other Quakers gave the right hand of Fellowship and that there he Preach'd and exercised his Talent with great Approbation p. 19 20. Though we have heard of such an one's miscarriage yet I have enquir'd and am perswaded the latter part of the story is a great Forgery to scandalize the Quakers that either they gave him the right hand of Fellowship or that he preached at London with great Approbation after he fled upon discovery this is a very unlikely story basely designed to cast Dirt upon us for the World well knows our Christian care to expunge such from our Society upon the knowledge of their Enormities but whether there be the like care and practice in this Authors Church he may consider if he will Reader I Have in this precedent Examination passed by a great many more false Aspersions Calumnies and Perversions cast upon my self and divers others in the said Book Satan Disrob'd being not willing to undertake a full Answer to it nor to spend more time in raking in such dirty Kennels of Lyes and Abuses as the Books of the said Author are stuff'd withal against us c. There are also many Falshoods foul Perversions Charges and Reflections in The Snake in the Grass not particularly Remarked in the foregoing Antidote and in particular divers Passages relating to the Revolution of Governments in the Nation the substance whereof I long since fully Answer'd to John Pennyman's Invectives My Answer is Intitul'd Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-street London 'T is observable that the said Author of The Snake in the Grass values himself much upon that Title to several of his Books against us but upon the Readers perusal of these already Answered it will appear that Title will be his great Disgrace and Infamy seeing that he has merited the Character of a Hatcher of Cockatrice Eggs as well as the Author of The Snake in the Grass Which Title he may be as horribly asham'd of as afraid to expose his real name and place Some notice taken of the said Author's Discourse for Water Baptism HAving lately seen and received a Book stiled A Discourse proving the divine Institution of Water-Baptism c. By the Author of The Snake in the Grass and finding these Passages after the Contents viz. That there will be published a Discourse by the same Author shewing whom Christ hath ordain'd to Administer the Sacraments in his Church And another wherein is proved that the chief of the Quakers Heresies were broached and condemn'd in the days of the Apostles and in the first 150 Years after Christ. To the latter part whereof I must tell him and Advertise the Reader that this officious Author should have spared his other Discourse thus Charging the Quakers with Heresies so long since broached and condemned until he had seen an Answer to his Snake in the Grass wherein he hath most unjustly and falsly Charged the Quakers with numerous Heresies and Errors as also he hath in divers things very falsly aspers'd them in this Discourse And if he repeat the same again upon us as it may be suspected to prove them so long since broached and condemned this will add nothing of proof that we the People called Quakers are guilty thereof but only serve to shew his own Malice and Impertinency and gross Calumnies already confuted Upon the viewing his said Discourse for Water-Baptism I find nothing material but what is mostly answer'd in the foregoing Antidote and Book therein referred unto in page 126. Besides I find him very much imposing and begging the Question in his said Discourse 1st Pleading for Infant Baptism in his Preface as being the outward Seal of Christ's Covenant but without Scripture proof and then flees to the Baptists Arguments for Baptizing Believers or People Docible from Mat. 28. and other Scriptures which they use to urge in opposition to sprinkling Infants He miserably imposes in placing upon outward Baptism all these Priviledges viz. Regeneration or being Born into the Church Baptizing into the Christian Faith p. 9 10. The Promise of the Inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost p. 12. Calling the outward The means whereby we are made partakers of the inward and whereby the inward Baptizm of the Holy Ghost is given p. 34 60. All this he places upon outward Baptism with Water But then it must be upon the duly receiving thereof p. 12. wherein he hath before included Infants as well as others but all this without Scripture Proof Now if all those Infants that are Sprinkled or Baptized be Regenerated and Born again and Baptized into the Faith and partakers of the Holy Ghost and the Baptism thereof How will this agree or consist with their Preaching the necessity of Regeneration and the new Birth to such when docible seeing he saith a Man can be but once Regenerated p. 9. I find that when he pleads for Baptizing Believers p. 23. he cannot escape the Baptist's Arguments altho' he hath reviled them as badly in a manner as he hath done us as is before shewed I find that Text 1 Cor. 1. 17. doth Puzzle him esteeming it an obscure Text p. 22. Which is Christ sent me not to Baptize c. and he is very impertinent and begging the Question in his Answer to it But while he Argues with the Baptists Arguments for Believers Baptizm I take it for granted that he Argues for that which he and his Brethren the Clergy are out of the practice of and therefore insincere and consequently his Works deserves to be rejected whilst Infants are the Subjects chiefly intended He bitterly exclaims against both Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers Socinians Vnitarians Latitudinarians and Deists c. in his Preface as being the Spawn of Rebellion and multifarious Schism and especially against the Presbytery in Scotland either for their
Indifferency or disuse of Water Baptizm c. See what a busy Agent this is as if he would have his Hand against every Man But I must leave him for others concerned to deal with him if they see it worth their Time and Labour I having bestowed more for the Truth sake and for the sake of many more sincere than himself than he or his Works deserve G. W. The Contents of the foregoing Treatise WHat Characters are given against the People called Quakers by The Snake in the Grass examined Page 1 to 12. A Catalogue of some abuses against the said People 13 to 49. Concerning Tithes and a Popish Plea for the same confuted by Martyrs and primitive Protestants 17 to 23. A false Charge against G. Fox c. Examin'd and Answer'd 25 26. Of the Man Christ his Body and Blood 29 to 35. Of the holy Scriptures how own'd by the People called Quakers and they cleared from Calumnies in that point 35 36. 40 41. Our Accusers Hiporitical Prayer â— 37. Of Christs ' Body Flesh the Vail and Blood 38 39. For the divine authority of the H. Scriptures 42 43. Our Adversarys false pretence of kindness 44 45. Christ's existence or being and how he is in us 45 46. Of the Quakers general Answer to the seven Queries and of G. Keith's abuse thereupon 46 to 49. The second part begins with Reflection upon the Presbyterians Independents and the Quakers rendering them all obnoxious c. 50 51. The Quakers clear'd from the Arians Heresie 52 53. An unjust comparison and railery against the Quakers 54 55. Both Presbyter Anabaptist Independent and Quakers scandalized and their liberty envied by the Author of The Snake in the Grass 56 57. Popish Emissaries no promoters of Quakerism 57 58. Of the more peculiar Titles of Christ not given to us 59 60. Of the Soul of Man being created and the divine breath or Spirit of Life which God breathed into Man 61 62. Of Infallibily and Omnisciency 62 63. Of the Light given of God to our Souls 63 to 66. Of discerning of Spirits how a gift 67 to 72. Occasion given us to reflect on the incontinency of Priests 73 74. The said Authors general and false Charge about one false Prophet and Story of a Glover in Cheapside c. 75 to 78. His Reflection upon all dissenting Protestants and pleading for Bishops wicked Priests and persecuting Kings 78 to 80. Our Friends misrepresented about G. K. and of the Text 1 Jo. 1. 7. 81 82. Of our preferring the Spirit to the Letter no contempt of Holy Scripture 82 to 86. Of Enthusiasm as charg'd against the Quakers 86 to 89. Of Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings 89 90. Our Doctrin concerning the Light within vindicated and opened 90 to 99. The Quakers vindicated from several Blasphemous Charges as assuming divine Attributes divine Worship divine Honour 99 to 101. Of the Resurrection Heaven and Glory how Scripturally confessed and believed by us 102 to 111. Of the Sacraments so called first of the Supper second of Baptism 111 to 126. Concerning the satisfaction of Christ. 127 to 135. Concerning the holy Trinity 135 to 140. For the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ also 140 to 155. Some Remarks by the Author of the Snake against G. Whitehead examined as about Christ the holy Scriptures the Word the Light c. 155 to 178. The words Type Figure Shape Example Vail most holy places both in the old and new Covenant opened 174 to 182. A brief Examination of some passages in the second Book still'd Satan Disrob'd 185. Some reasons for excepting against the Term Co-creator 188 to 191. Of the Soul and Incarnation of Christ. 191 to 193. A question about the manner of some Men's carnally looking for Christ to Salvation who neglect his inward appearance and for what end his spiritual Appearance is truly expected 193 to 197. Of Christ as at God's right hand and in his People 197 to 199. Of Christ's Appearance at the great day in his glorious spiritual Body and of the Resurrection Bodies 199 to 207. Of Christ's existence in Heaven as at the right hand of God and of God's Omni-presence and indweling in his People 207 to 209. Of the pure Nature of Christ and of some sin-pleasing notions repugnant thereto and to his inward Appearance and Operations of his Spirit 209 to 212. Of the Historical Faith of Christ's death for Sinners and the saving Faith in his Light 212 to 217. Christ's obedience unto death for us Meritorious but not the Act of wicked hands either in murthering him or sheding his blood by the Spear upon the Cross. 217 to 220. The price and work of our Redemption by Jesus Christ. 220 to 221. Of the Object and Foundation of true Faith in Christ and of his blood that was shed an unwarrantable comparison disown'd concerning the same 221 to 225. Of the material and mystical blood of Christ and the Type thereof and shadow of Heavenly things which the Law had 227 to 231. Of God's own blood Acts 20. 28. And Redemption explained with respect both to the Sacrifice and Work of Christ. 232 to 237. Of the words Personality Personal Existence and Humane as ascribed to Christ c. why question'd Christ's coming to Judgment the Resurrection c. how own'd 237 to 240. Some notorious Lyes and Perversions gleaned out of the said Book Satan Disrobed 241 to 245. Some gleanings of Lyes Slanders and Perversions out of the some gleanings of the Author to The Snake in the Grass recharged on him 246 to 263. Some notice taken of the said Author's Discourse for Water-Baptisn 266. c. FINIS Snake p. 93 94. Sn. p. 1. In his Sect. 1. * The Act of shedding that outward Blood was by the Spear which the Soldier thrust into his Side How proves he that Act cleanseth from Sin * See T. Godwyn's Moses and Aaron treating of the Passover c. and Christ's answering the same in his Supper Exod. 12. Mat. 26. 18 19. Luke 22. 8. to ver 15. 1. p. 20.
with Gross Error but Hypocrisie too The first intends those Books of ours quoted by him in all which there 's Matter sufficient to clear us from his Aspersions as Thomas Ellwood and John Pennington also have well observed in divers Answers to him together with G. Keith's own former Vindications of us as a People and our Principles The latter i. e. Hypocrisie we may suppose must intend our Answer given to the said 7 Queries wherein as in divers other things G. K. hath foully belied us contrary to our own Consciences which are clear in the sight â—f God from Hypocrisie in this Matter as well as in other things And seeing G. K.'s Authority seems to be of some value with the obscure Author of The Snake in the Grass he and his Brethren of the Church of England may take G. K. for their Champion and see what they can make of him for he shews himself now no Quaker but more near to them and where he 'll yet center or settle in what Society or Communion is a great Question Or rather whether he does not aim at setting up for himself as Sect-master if he can draw some sort of People to admire him in his Notions and reproaching the Quakers contrary to his former manifold Vindications of them and their Principles after above 30 Years Conversation and kind Treatment among them The Second Part. Here follows a Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes notorious Abuses and Calumnies in the Second Part of the said Book stiled The Snake in the Grass after the Preface which is bigger than the Book it self THE Controversie with the Quaker-Dissenters has not been pursued by the Church of England with the like Zeal and Pains as those against the Presbyterians Independents and other Dissenters because the Quakers were not so considerable either for their Learning or for their Influence upon the publick Revolutions which the others caused both in Church and State But their numbers whether increased by their being so neglected are now really formidable I mean for the many Souls seduced by them they not only swarm over these Nations but they stock our Plantations abroad Re. Tho' the first part of this Complaint carries no small Reflection upon the Presbyterians and Independents c. rendring them greatly obnoxious in the Eye of the Government as not only formidable but dangerous which is most proper for them to answer 't is not truly stated as to the Quakers For the Church of England in the two late King's Reigns has pursued them with more Zeal and Pains than any other Dissenters both to stop their Growth and to root them out also tho' not by rationally controverting Matters in difference but by such extream and severe Persecutions as hard Imprisonments Banishments Spoil of Goods c. as no other People of Dissenters have so generally suffered nor to such a degree because they did not stand in a publick Testimony in the Heat of the Day as the People called Quakers have So that 't is not through the said Churches neglect or want of taking Pains to pursue the Quakers that they are so multiplied and increased but rather as the first and chief cause of their Increase was God's Power and divine Providence A secondary Cause was their great Oppressions and Persecutions of which Israel's Oppression and Increase when in Egypt in some sense and degree was figurative or resembling even of the true Churches Sufferings when the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Sn. p. 4. I find them scoffingly telling of the Rabbies of the Quakers to inherit the Subtilty as well as Heresie of the Arians and Socinians who were the most subtil and hardest to be detected of any of the Christian Hereticks and the Quakers do defend themselves with the same distinctions and even add to their Arts. Re. This Adversary is very much out and maliciously calumnious in this his charging the Heresie of the Arians as well as Socinians upon the Ministers among the Quakers For what was the Heresie of Arius Was it not that he held That the Son of God had his beginning of nothing That there was a time when he was not That he had a beginning of Essence That he had this Essence of nothing That the Son of God was of free Will inclined to Virtue and Vice That he was a Creature and made neither like unto the Father in Substance neither the true Word of the Father by Nature neither his true Wisdom and that the Word of God was not from Everlasting c. These Heresies were charg'd upon Arius and his Complices in the Syâ—odical Epistle of the Council of Nice and Bishop of Alexandria lib. 1. cap. 3. Socr. Scol p. 215 216. p. 225. ch 6. Now we challenge this obscure Adversary to prove where ever the Quakers or their Ministers held these blasphemous and atheistical Notions Nay 't is manifest they hold the quite contrary both to Arius and Socinus for the Divinity of the Son of God the Eternal Word as many of their Writings testifie and therefore he is a gross Lyar who charges us with them and highly guilty of Folly and Self-contradiction also in rendring such mad Folks as he deems us so very subtil in Distinctions and Arts. Sn. p. 5. Many of them have really gone off from the height of Blasphemy and Madness which was professed among them at their first setting up in the Year 1650. and so continued till after the Year of the Restoration Anno 1660. Re. We utterly deny this Charge again as a foul Scandal That many of us professed the height of Blasphemy and Madness or that any in Society with us have so done The Man shamefully abuseth the Readers by imposing such lying defaming Stories upon them Sn. p. 10 11. Divers Comparisons made between L. Muggleton and the Quakers as denying all Church-Authority making a dead Letter of the Holy Scriptures and resolving all into their own private Spirit c. That these are Twin-Enthusiasts both born in the Year 1650. Re. His Comparisons herein are unjust and Accusations false 1. We never owned nor had Society with Muggleton but always bore our Testimony against his dark blasphemous Conceits 2. The spiritual Authority of the true Church we always own and esteem 3. The Holy Scriptures i. e. the Holy Doctrin of the Gospel we do not make nor call a dead Letter We distinguish between the dead Letter and the living Doctrin and follow not our private Spirits for the understanding thereof but the Spirit of God the Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth the true understanding Sn. p. 12. I desire before I go farther to obviate a Prejudice which some Readers may take as a little Railery I am forced to use now and then which they may think not becoming the Subject in Hand Re. His said Book of Four Shillings Price has more than a little Railery in 't for 't is stuft with abundance of as shameful Railery
Argument from this Adversary against the Light within or our Testimony thereof and 't is far more difficult to make Sense of his Notion of the Light within than of our's For after he has in Words owned and confessed to Divine Illumination or Inspiration of the Holy Spirit as that Enthusiasm or Inspiration of God which is allowed and owned in their Church and that 't is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Pref. from p. 46. to p. 55 56. Another while he 'll have the Light within not Infallible but Fallible because of Men's Mistake who put Darkness for Light p. 173 174. 2d Part. Another while he 'll have the Light within no Light from Isa. 8. 20. placing this Remark upon it No Light George mark that p 251. But he should have observed the Hebrew Note in the Margin No Morning instead of No Light which I may return upon him If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is No Morning to them No Morning Man mark that But is there no Light before Morning pray Now how difficult is it to make Sense of this Man's Notion of the Light within One while with him 'T is a Divine Inspiration another while 'T is Fallible another while No Light So that one while 't is a divine good and certain Light another while uncertain not Infallible another while 't is nothing no Light Thus confusedly and madly Envy and Darkness appears against the true Light This Adversary to prove his false reitterrated black Charge That the Quakers take to themselves the very Attributes of God and make a pretence from this Light within to excuse blasphemous Pride assuming All the Worship due to Christ whom they call this Light upon the account of his or its Inhabitation in them p. 178. He refers to G. Whitehoad's Innocency against Envy p. 18. Sect. 12. in Answer to F. Bugg viz. As to his Charge of idolatrous if not blasphemous Names and Titles given to G. F. How proves he that they i.e. Two Persons in their Letters to him gave and intended those Names and Titles to the Person of G. F. c. This Story in the first part is notoriously false as it affects the Quakers in general The last part is a blind Story as 't is intended for Proof of the black Charge before those idolatrous Names and Titles are not mentioned nor any plain Proof of the exact Copies of both those Letters could we ever have And G. W. has further cleared this Matter in another Answer to F. B. as also in his Just Inquiry from p. 19. to p. 30. And in behalf of the People called Quakers we positively and sincerely deny 1. That they take to themselves the very Attributes of God 2. That they excuse blasphemous Pride as that of assuming all Worship due to Christ because of his inhabiting in them These with Detestation we solemnly deny But this Accuser should have looked at home and at his Brethren of the Clergy what Honour and Attributes do they give to their Bishops when they go down upon their Knees to them as their Reverend Fathers in God with Your Grace My Lord c. Do these import Divine Honour and Divine Attributes or Earthly pray And where did ever Christ's Ministers or Apostles do such Homage to Timothy or Titus or call either of them my Lord Timothy or my Lord Titus and Your Grace c And what thinks he of Godfathers and Godmothers Are not these Divine Attributes and very high ones too And of their being Sureties for Infants for their forsaking the Devil and all his Works c. and keeping God's holy Will and Commandments c. Do they not herein take upon them Christ's Office and Work who is our Surety And what Scripture have they for these Answer directly 'T is a notorious Untruth also That they i. e. the Quakers allow of divine Honour to the Man Christ Jesus on no other account than as G. W. allows it to G. Fox that is because of the residing of the divine Word in him p. 180. We say this is apparently false for on divers other Accounts we allow divine Honour and far more Honour to the Man Christ Jesus than to any mortal or finite Creature whatsoever as in all things Christ Jesus hath the Preheminence and all Fulness dwelling in him and all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and were not all the Angels of God to worship him And all Men to honour the Son as they honour the Father Therefore this Opposer's blasphemous Consequences drawn against us from his black Charge aforesaid As worshipping one another with divine Honour and not grudging to apply all the Attributes of God to themselves for the Light within sake c. p. 181 182. with the rest of his Consequences of the same kind are as false as the other We desire ever to walk humbly with God in Christ Jesus in a holy Reverence and Worship to him only to whom all divine Worship Glory and Honour is due In his 13th Sect. Of the Resurrection of the Body This saith he the Quakers do positively deny p. 182. Here he stumbles at the Threshold and deals disingeniously and falsly with the Quakers They deny not the Resurrection of the Body by denying the gross and carnal Notions of our former Adversaries of the self-same carnal and numerical Body of Flesh Blood and Bones no more than the Apostle denied the Resurrection of the Dead by affirming That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. For proof That the Quakers do positively deny the Resurrection he says That Mr. Penn makes Nonsense of it and worse he compares it to Transubstantiation nay to the Alcoran quoting Reason against Railing 1673. p. 138. which is a plain Perversion and as false as the Charge it self For W. Penn does neither make Nonsense of the Resurrection it self scripturally considered nor compare it either to Transubstantiation or to the Alcoran But T. Hick's gross Belief and Apprehension of a Carnal or Fleshly Resurrection of the self-same Carnal Body and yet that it shall be so changed as to be a spiritual glorious Body like unto Christ's This he compares to the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Papists say That the Bread and Wine after Conse cration are so changed as to be the very Christ and yet the Accidents remain i.e. of Bread and Wine so he can't make better Sense of his Adversary's gross apprehension of the Resurrection of the Body being or remaining the same carnal Body of Flesh Blood and Bones that 's buried and yet changed so as to be a spiritual and glorious Body like unto Christ's which was not to deny the Scripture-Doctrin of the Resurrection it self but rather a carnal Alcoran Notion thereof for in the Book quoted Reason against Railing p. 133. And under the same Head take W. P.'s plain Confession of the Resurrection in
his own Words against his Adversary viz. Who can have the Confidence to call the Scripture his Rule and yet contradict it so egregiously as when the Apostle tells us It is not the same Body that is sown that shall be to assert that it is the same Body and that who says the contrary denies the Resurrection and eternal Recompence which is a very confident Perversion and Opposition to the Apostle's Doctrin In short we do acknowledge a Resurrection in order to eternal Recompence and that every Seed shall have its own Body and rest contented with what Body it shall please God to give us who giveth a Body as it pleaseth him 1 Cor. 15. But as we are not such Fools as curiously to enquire what so must we for ever deny the gross Conceits of T. H. and his Adherents c. And in conclusion of the same Head Reason against Railing p. 124. he saith For our parts a Resurrection we believe and of Bodies too unto Eternal Life What they shall not be I have briefly said and proved what they shall be we leave with God who will give every one a Body as it pleaseth him and Thou Fool belongs to the unnecessary Medler Thus 't is evident W. P. did not deny the Resurrection it self nor count it Nonsense c. but the gross Conceits of some Persons about it Consequently this Accuser has charged the Quakers as falsly in this Point as in the rest And we know not Those others among us he tells of that suppose the Soul it self is the spiritual Body mentioned 1 Cor. 15. 44. and consequently that there is no other Resurrection than at each particular Persons death p. 184. We know none in our Society hold or suppose these things but the contrary that the Soul of every Person shall be invested with its own proper spiritual Body in the general Resurrection and last Day And besides the true Believers being quicken'd and raised out of the Fall in Adam unto Life Righteousness and Victory in and by Jesus Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life Three things are also observable in that 1 Cor. 15. The Apostle argues 1. for the Resurrection of the Dead from the Resurrection of Christ against some that said There is no Resurrection of the Dead 2. He argues against some and reprehends them as Fools that questioned How the Dead are raised and with what Bodies do they come forth From the Wheat and other Grain that 's sown and the difference between the Celestial and Terrestrial Bodies and the Natural Body and the Spiritual 3. For those Saints that shall remain alive at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to raise the Dead that they shall be changed in a moment at the sounding of the last Trumpet of God It 's evident that the Apostle Paul fully answers both those that said there is No Resurrection of the Dead and also those Fools that question With what Body do they come forth And asserts the sudden change of those who shall remain alive until the coming of the Lord from Heaven So that the Resurrection of the Dead and final change of the Living so as the Corruptible must put on Incorruption and the Mortal shall put on Immortality As this Doctrin was really believed by the Primitive Christians so it is by us who believe that God raised up Jesus from the Dead and therefore the Dead both the Just and Unjust shall be raised by Jesus Christ according to Scripture whatever Prejudice may suggest to the contrary But our Adversary will needs have it That Mr. Penn does understand that long and elegant Description of the Resurrection of our Bodies from the 35th Verse of the 15th Chap. of the first Epist. to the Corinthians Only of the spiritual state of the Soul in this Life and for it quotes The Invalidity of John Faldoe's Vindication 1673. p. 373 p. 369. He wrongs W. P. in this i. e. That he understands that long and elegant Description of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 35. to the end Only of the spiritual state of the Soul in this Life I say this is a Perversion and Abuse of W. P.'s Discourse in the Case for on verse 44. he utterly denies that this Text is concerned in the Resurrection of Man's carnal Body shewing according to Beza both from the Latin and Original Greek that a natural Body is sown a spiritual Body is raised that there 's not a Word in either for the Relative It Inval. p. 369. And in p. 373. W. P. supposing the Apostle treated of a natural Change and not only of the spiritual state of the Soul in this Life This Supposition is not to understand the Apostle Paul to treat only of the spiritual state of the Soul in this Life in that 1 Cor. 15. from v. 35. For in the place quoted it is by the Accused confessed That tho' we sow not the Body which shall be God giveth a Body as it pleaseth him from 1 Cor. 15. 37 38. 'T is observable That W. P. in his Answer to T. Hicks and John Faldoe quoted is not so unnatural as not to allow the sanctified Soul a suitable Clothing or Mansion when the earthly Tabernacle is dissolved which is eternal in the Heavens according to 2 Cor. 5. 1. wherein it is undoubtedly happy being in perfect Peace and Rest with God in Christ Jesus but he also allows it a spiritual celestial glorious Body in the Resurrection far excelling the Terrestrial And we doubt not but we shall be the same and as many distinct Souls Men or Persons in the Resurrection as we are now though far better Clothed with our spiritual glorious Bodies we hope The Premises consider'd 't is evident our Accuser has as actually wronged us in this Point even in Matter of Fact by Perversion as in his saying The Quakers have spiritualiz'd away all the Body and the Being of Christ into their Light within p. 195. which is all a notorious Untruth and answered before To his Stories 1. Of a Quaker Preacher to whom he urging for a proof of the Resurrection Mat. 27. 52 53. That many Bodies of Saints arose and came out of the Graves after Christ's Resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many That he made this Answer That was not meant of the literal or earthly Jerusalem that any dead Bodies arose there but of the spiritual Jerusalem which John saw coming down from Heaven 2. And that others told him They heard the same Exposition in a Quaker Sermon at one of their Meetings p. 196. Answ. We know not any Preacher among us that gave such Meaning or Interpretation to the said Text neither do we own it And we have reason to question the truth of these Stories 3. He says He can tell of a Preacher among the Quakers that said He had already obtain'd the Resurrection by Christ having risen in his Heart and that he believed no other Resurrection nor expected any p. 198.