keeping God's righteous Statutes How is there Remission and Justification by the Merits of Christ according to their Profession in their Pamphlet when it must be by the perfect and exact Performance of the Law of God in the Creature Lawson's Book p. 18. affirms That the offering of Christ's Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed avails not so as through Faith therein to set free from Sin What is this but a plain denying Remission of Sins by the Blood of Christ And seeing we have Instances enow or too many why should we spare them Will. Pen speaks out See Apolog. p. 148. Justification by the Righteousness of another or which Christ fulfilled for us in his own Person wholly without us we boldly affirm to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now deluge the World See also Mr. Pen's Sandy Foundation p. 25 30. It is a great Abomination to say God should condemn and punish his Innocent Son that he having satisfied for our Sins we may be justified by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should this horrible thing be contended for by Christians O and why should the Quakers be such grand Deluders as so plainly pretend to believe it and say he died for your Sins and rose again for your Justification when ibid. p. 16. Mr. Pen saith That the Consequences of such a Doctrine is both irreligious and irrational And why should they believe Justification by Christ's Righteousness since Tho. Lucock affimed That he was as perfect without Sin as God is and blames others because they say with the Apostle In many things we offend all and this Doctrine of Perfection that is a Sinless living is the known Doctrine of the Quakers But let not Christians say they are without Sin lest they deceive themselves as the Quakers do 1 John 1. 8. And let us believe that the Lord laid upon Christ our Redeemer the Iniquities of us all Isa 53. 6. And as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 18. 3. They profess to believe Redemption and Salvation by Christ Let us examine what they intend by Redemption First Not Redemption of their Bodies from the Graves of the Earth for this is positively denied by them tho all Christians own it as a great Article of the Christian Faith Secondly Then what is to be redeemed and saved not the Soul for George Fox saith that is part of God without Beginning or End surely then it needs no Redemption and God did not send his Son to redeem himself Take the natural sense of what is exprest Great Mystery p. 29 and p. 90. See further what George Keith saith Christ came to save that which was lost and that which was lost is still in Man's Heart and there it must be sought for it remains still in the House that is Man's Heart this is the thing to be sought for this Christ came to seek and to save and all his Ministers preached People to this the Lost in Man that it may be found a lost God a lost Christ this was the sum and substance of their Doctrine G. Keith Immediat Inspirat p 75 76. May we not think G. K. to be inspired by the Prince of Darkness or that he had lost the very Light of Nature to talk of a lost God and a lost Christ to be sought and saved O were ever God and Christ in a lost Condition But poor Man was and we believe he came to seek and save Sinners who had lost the Image and Favour of God You may see more to this purpose Fox's Great Mystery p. 100. at large Neither do they believe any other Salvation than what they are in the Enjoyment of already see Lawson's Book p. 9 19. see two Passages in Nailor's Book Love to the Lost p. 47 48 30. There is a Seed to which the Promise of Redemption is which Seed is that which only wants Redemption p. 30. he saith Christ is the Election and Elect Seed Fox's Great Mystery p. 224. tells us The Seed to which the Promise is is that which hath been laden as a Cart with Sheaves by Sinners which Seed is the hope Christ The natural Consequence of this Doctrine is that Christ came to redeem Christ a lost God and a lost Christ as before said Might not the Heavens blush and the Earth tremble at such blasphemous Absurdities But I shall not in this short Discourse trace them in their gross Contradictions of Truth and each other about the Light within the Seed Christ and the Word But let this suffice to confute and unmask their pretended Belief aforesaid V. They profess to own and believe the Divine Offices of Christ in his Church that he is both King Priest and Prophet to and over his Church and People I shall proceed to examine the Truth of this Profession which if it were true were very comprehensive of a great part of the Christian Religion But what hath been made appear already shews us that by no means their word must be taken First How do they believe the Kingly Office of Christ are they not mistaken Let us examine some Appellations that they have taken from Christ and given to Geo. Fox senior See a Book entituled Tyranny and Hypocrisy detected p. 18 19. Sol. Eckles celebrates Geo. Fox thus Blessed be the Man that came out of the North blessed be the Womb that bear him and the Breasts that gave him Suck and ibid. p. 19. a Letter written by Josias Coal a Quaker from Barbadoes to G. Fox 21 day 12th Month 1658. Dear George Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again to a lively hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou rulest and governest in Righteousness and thy Kingdom is established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without end Now what is more apparent than that by these Appellations the Scepter is wrested out of Christ's Hands and given to G. Fox Now this Letter was not judged by the infallible Spirit of the inspired Elders to be a transported Flash of a misguided Zeal For G. Fox and his Peers ordered it to be recorded amongst things worthy to be register'd tho the Contents of it would make a modest Heathen blush and tremble Take the Contents particularly 1. He doth expresly ascribe to him a Kingdom Thy Kingdom c. and thou rulest and governest Now he that rules and governs in his own Kingdom must of necessity be an actual King 2. He describes to us the Subjects of this Kingdom who next to himself are Josiah Coal and the Elders or Peers whom he calls us thy Children and remotely those to whom the Life of G. Fox hath reached through the Elders
guide teach and instruct the Sons of Men as the other neither can teach Men except God immediately inspire them You see by this how these divinely-inspired Men esteem the Scriptures of Truth See the joint Consent of two of their chief Guides Fox and Hubberthorne Truth 's Defence p. 101. they say The Scriptures are no standing Rule and that it is dangerous for the ignorant People to read them Surely if they had bin brought up at St. Omers they could not more positively have denied the Scriptures I hope the Reader will remember how these chief Guides amongst the Quakers agree with the Account in the Pamphlet see pag. 29. of Mr. Hicks's Dialogue One Thomas Holbrow a great Zealot among the Quakers as appeared by the Journey he took to deliver a Message to one James Nobs which he said was immediately delivered to him from the Lord But it so unhappily fell out that James Nobs was forty Miles off when the said Holbrow came to the Meeting so that either the God that sent Holbrow did not know Nobs or else at least was ignorant that he was gone from Home at that time for he delivered the Message to a wrong Person This I have had testified to me as a Truth by several in those Parts And in p. 27. Dial. But this is not what I intend for afterwards Tho. Holbrow having some Reasonings with James Nobs and his Wife the said Nobs urging many Scriptures against Holbrow the said Holbrow replied What dost thou tell me of Scriptures which are no better to me than an old Almanack It is like when Humphrey Smith's True and Everlasting Rule came in date the Scriptures became no better than an old Almanack The brevity of this short Discourse will not admit me to draw the proper Inferences that would naturally flow from these Premises These are the Men that in their Pamphlet profess so high an Esteem for Holy Scriptures See James Pernell's Book Christ Exalted p. 4. Christ is the Word the Scripture is not Christ is the Light the Scripture is not he is the Ruler Guide Teacher and Judg the Scripture is not And thus he goes on like a Cloud carried with the Wind. It is like from the Title of his Book he concludes from these Expressions to exalt Christ when indeed he casts the greatest contempt upon him Christ saith If any Man love me he will keep my Word What are the written Words of Christ but Scripture But more of this hereafter Dialog 1. p. 24 25. Christian is it then ingenuous and honest for you to deny the Scriptures to be a Rule to others tho at the same time but by misinterpreting it you make it a Rule to your selves Are you not ashamed of this Deceit and self-condemning Partiality Quaker Thou mistakest us we own not the Scriptures to be our Rule and whereas thou hast said many things to render us guilty of condemning this in others whilst we our selves seemingly allow it to be so which is but thy own Imagination for when we make use of Scripture it is only to quiet and stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule but for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained I hope the Reader by this may perceive the Reason why the Quakers talk so much of Scripture in their Paper observe We own not the Scripture we seemingly allow it but our End in this is only to stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule You see here the condescending Spirits of these Men that they should allow the Scriptures to others ay and make use of them to please others and yet not own them as a Rule themselves but their End is to stop clamorous Tongues But here is their great disadvantage the old Birds will not be caught with this Chaff their seeming Allowances will not pass for Christian Principles When the Mask is taken off as Westfield said concerning Christ you are not able to bear what we have to hold forth concerning him should we deliver what we hold concerning Jesus Christ we should be stoned in the Streets Westfield a Quaker Dialog p. 74 75. And indeed should they hold forth in their Teaching what hath dropt from the Pens and Mouths of their chief Guides at some times they would draw but few in their right Minds into their clouded Delusions But observe what is before said As for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained This I have also heard from their own Mouths Then I desire the Quakers to resolve me in these two Questions it is said John 21. 25. And there are also many other things that Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books c. Again it is said John 8. 6 -8. when the Woman taken in Adultery was brought to Christ that he stooped down and wrote with his Finger on the ground c. Now let the Quakers resolve me by their immediate Inspirations what those things were that Jesus did that are not written and what were the Contents of that Writing on the Ground or else let their proud Boastings of immediate Inspiration be condemned to perpetual silence and Shame cover their Faces And waiting for their Resolve herein I proceed to examine the Suffrage of great George Fox who thinks he doth the business effectually see his Difference of Ministers pag. 1. he discants upon John 1. 1. Thus John did not say the Declaration was the Word but saith in his Declaration the Word was God and he that saith the Letter is the Word is a Deceiver and errs The Argument lies here because Christ is called the Word the Scriptures must not be so called John said the Word was God then the Scriptures cannot be the Word except they be God also It seems by the Quakers Logick they are Deceivers and err that call the Scriptures the Word of God the Reason is because Christ is so called Why then let us see 1 Cor. 10. 4. Israel in the Wilderness drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ But are there not other Rocks properly so called A Rock is a hard congealed heap of Stone John 10. 1. God is called an Husbandman but are not Men that plow and till the Ground properly so called Christ is called a Vine a Door and a Shepherd but are there not other Vines Doors and Shepherds in a proper sense Sure the Quakers will grant there are Christ is called the Light of the World and yet Mat. 5. 14. he tells his Disciples they were the Lights of the World We own Christ to be called the Word of God and yet the Scripture is so called in a true and proper sense Christ is the only begotten Son of God Joh. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Eph. 4. 5. But he hath more words than one Mat. 4. 4. a Scripture from Deut.
the Ministers of Christ endowed with the Spirit ought to minister or preach from the Scriptures O blind Stupidity Do they deny the Apostles to be Christ's Ministers endowed with the Spirit And did not they preach from the Scriptures Acts 3. 22. Peter proves Christ to be this Prophet from Deut. 18. 15. And Acts 8. 26 c. did not Philip preach Jesus to the Eunuch out of the Prophet Isaiah Acts 18. 28. Apollos mightily convinc'd the Jews of the Truth of Jesus being the Christ out of the Scriptures Acts 17. 11. the Bereans searched the Scriptures to prove Paul's Doctrine and Paul adviseth Timothy to study rightly to divide the Word Surely these were Ministers endowed with the Spirit But 3. As the Quakers do not own the Person nor Method used and appointed by Christ the great Prophet so they disown the Doctrine taught by him and his Apostles and like not those Directions given for Doctrine for say they ' All things are to be taught and ' learned by and from the Light within all they direct to is that No see Zech. 7. 2 3 7. Sherezer and Regem-melech were sent by the Children of Israel to enquire of the Priests and Prophets Whether they should weep in the fifth Month separating themselves as they had done many Years before Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker but the Lord speaks by the Prophet saying Should you not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former Prophets c. John Baptist who was a burning and shining Light sent two Disciples to Jesus saying Art thou he that should come or look do we for another Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ Go and tell John the things ye have both seen and heard c. Such outward Means were returned by Christ the true Prophet and Light of the World for John's Satisfaction Luke 7. 19 22. Luke 3. 10 14. The People came to Jesus saying What shall we do Also the Publicans saying What shall we do And the Souldiers said What shall we do Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Jesus who had another Spirit He that hath two Coats let him impart one to him that hath none Exact no more c. Do Violence to none Accuse no Man falsely Be content with your Wages Mat. 19. 16 21. a certain young Man came to Christ saying What good thing shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ Keep the Commandments and sell what thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven c. Joh. 6. 28 29. the Jews demanded of Christ saying What shall we do that we may work the Work of God Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ this is the Work of God That ye believe in his Son that is in me that talk with you that came into the World to die for you Lord what wilt thou have me to do saith Saul Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker Acts 9. 6. saith the Lord Christ Go into the City and it shall be told thee Acts 22. 10-16 Arise and go to Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all things that are appointed for thee to do And that not by a Light within for Ananias was to instruct him into the Will of Christ the great Prophet So Acts 2. 37 38. The poor Jews pricked in the Heart cried out Men and Brethren what shall we do Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Peter one that had the Holy Ghost Repent and be baptized for the Remission of Sins c. I might weary you with shewing how the Quakers oppose the Teachings of Christ's Prophetick Office And that the Quakers deny the Prophetick Office of Christ it appears by their denying his Gospel-Ordinances and this brings me to the Sixth Head as I observe in their Pamphlet VI. and Last In which they would insinuate to the World That they believe and are fully perswaded that Baptism which is essential to Salvation or Christianity or the Laver without which none can be true Christians or saved is the inward or spiritual washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life This is the saving Baptism into Christ and his Church which produceth the answer of a good Conscience towards God of which the outward was a Figure 1 Pet. 3. 21. This is that one Baptism of Christ by one Spirit into that one Body whereof Christ is Head And then that they may not appear with open Face but under a Mask in striking at Christ's Ordinance but still with the same Design they alter the stroak seemingly and go on As for Dipping or Sprinkling Infants or young Children we find no Precept or Precedent in Holy Scripture for the practice thereof and therefore we cannot think our not believing it essential or necessary to Salvation or making Christians a sufficient Argument to prove us no Christians unless it can be proved that none are saved without it and that all are saved that have it c. The scope and medium of this Article is to make null and abolish the sacred Ordinance of Water-Baptism And as to what they say that their not believing Sprinkling or Dipping of young Children to be essential to Salvation or making Christians can be no sufficient Argument to prove them no Christians No certainly I believe that no Advocate for that Cause could do it from those Premises I shall proceed to examine their Sentiments touching that Sacred Ordinance of Water-Baptism and it appears that they deny those two great Ordinances instituted by our Lord and great Prophet namely Baptism in Water and the Supper administred in Bread and Wine then one good Argument amongst many may be drawn from thence to prove the Quakers no Christians Let us therefore have recourse to their Construing Books and see what they say Pernell's Shield of the Truth p. 11. The Baptism we own is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire but we deny all other See p. 12. Here the Quakers fully deny Water-Baptism See also James Naylor's Salutation to the Seed of God p. 33 34. where he slights and denies Baptism in Water calling it a carnal thing But Edw. Burroughs with open Face and great Confidence testifies against Christ's Ordinances being now in force I do affirm saith he that Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Pafchal Lamb as the Bread and Wine for the continuing of them would have been a Judaizing of the Evangelical Worship To assert their continuance would be as much as in such lies to pluck up the Gospel or Spiritual Worship by the Roots Hence that Appellation Ordinances of Christ I do renounce as unscriptural and unevangelical and can testify from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected Burroughs's Works pag. 108 109. Here is a compound of Ignorance and
when he cometh shall find so doing A POSTSCRIPT TO THE QUAKERS SIRS You cannot be ignorant that those two great Articles of the Christian Faith viz. The Resurrection of the dead Bodies of Men from the Graves of the Earth and Eternal Judgment are believed as two Principles of the Christian Faith wherein your Belief hath been questioned and you profess your Belief in neither of them in your Paper But the contrary hath been manifested by your own Tongues and Pens for Tho. Lawson and John Slee both Quakers gave William Jeffrey a Paper under their own Hands wherein was asserted That nothing of Man that goes into the Grave shall rise again and one of your Friends with whom I was reasoning upon this Subject asked me If I were so ignorant as to believe that Bulk pointing at my Body should rise again from the Grave But upon occasion you will say You believe the Resurrection of the Body pray then what doth your Friend Turner intend by these Arguments 1. If the Bodies of Men rise again then there is a preheminence in the Bodies of Men above the Bodies of Beasts which is to give Solomon the 〈◊〉 Eccles 3. 19. 2. If the Bodies of Men shall rise again this is to give Job the Lie who saith The Eye that sees me shall see me no more Job 7. 8. 3. Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God who can suppose any other than that the import of these Arguments is to deny the Resurrection of the Body see Mr. Hicks's Dialogue p. 56. To which I answer That the Consequence of neither of these Arguments follows from the Premises for where Solomon saith that Man hath no preheminence above a Beast he shews in what respect he means vers 20. All are of the Dust and all turn to Dust again in this sense all go to one Place and so Man hath no preheminence But in Point of the Resurrection he hath for a way is devised 2 Sam. 14. 14. That Man shall not for ever be expelled from God And a Promise is made Hos 13. 14. I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death for Death and Hell or saith your Margin the Grave shall deliver up the dead c. Rev. 20. 13. And it is true the Eye that saw Job should see him no more not in this mortal State But see Job 19. 25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And altho after my Skin Worms destroy my Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and not another Mine Eyes shall behold him tho my Reins be consumed within me What is more manifest than that Job did believe in the Resurrection After Worms had destroyed his Body yet in his 〈◊〉 he should see his Redeemer Where upon the Earth when at the last or latter Day 3. His Argument from 1. Cor. 15. 50. is exploded the Argument is Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To which I answer 1st Then let your Friend Tho. Lawson be ashamed of what he saith in his Book p. 9 and 19. where he affirms himself and Friends to be now in Possession of the Kingdom of God aforesaid and to have Eternal Life really in Possession Do you believe Tho. Lawson or any of you now living are not made of Flesh Blood and Bones 2dly We own that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God First Under a twofold Acceptation of the Word 1. Not carnal sensual and unregenerate Men for John 3. 3 8. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh c. Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again or from above saith your Margent The carnal unregenerate Man is said to be in the Flesh and not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be in that State So that to be carnally or fleshly-minded is Death c. Know you not such unrighteous ones cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 2. Neither shall the fleshly Bodies of the Saints inherit the Kingdom of God till a change hath passed upon them 1 Cor. 15. 50. the following words give the Apostle's meaning Neither shall Corruption inherit Incorruption v. 51. this Change must be For ver 53. this Corruption must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality V. 54. Then will be brought to pass the saying Death is swallowed up in Victory Hosea 13. 14. Moreover it appears that Christ rose from the dead and ascended in his Body of Flesh Blood and Bones Luke 24. 39. he said to his Disciples Feel me and handle me a Spirit bath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have and he shewed them his Hands and his Feet that were nailed to the Cross c. Even so will he change our vile Bodies and make them like unto his own glorious Body Phil. 3. 20. Secondly But not to enlarge I could never yet understand by any of your Writings that you own any other Resurrection than the new Birth or Regeneration I shall cite two or three of your Authors Smith's Catechism p. 29. Quest But must Men pass through Death and rise again in this Life or whilst in this Body Answer Yes for except he be regenerated and born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of God and therefore he must die to the first Adam's Flesh and be quickened and rise again in the second Adam's Spirit and so in the Resurrection and Life enter the Kingdom c. See James Nailor's Book Love to the Lost p. 3. Whereby saith he the Heart is freed from Corruption and made able to escape the Pollutions of the World and to run in the pure ways with delight which is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God the Resurrection from the Dead Add to this the Skill that S. Fisher useth to make null this Article of the Christian Faith in his Velata quâ—dam Revelata Thus But if you will not be admonished nor perswaded by Moses and the Prophets within you neither will ye be perswaded by such of us who were once dead in Sin with you but are now risen to Life by the Power of God which is his Light and in the same sent to speak to you from the Dead The Text he seems to allude to is Luke 16. 31. but what an horrid Abuse this is to the words of our Lord and the Scope and Design of them the Christian Reader will easily see But from what hath been said by these your Leaders and I might enumerate many more of like import thus much may be farily concluded That you believe no other Resurrection but only Regeneration or a new Birth I own that Regeneration is set forth in Scripture under the terms of a Death Burial and Resurrection according to Rom. 6. 2 3 4. Col. 3. 1 4. and