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A28667
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A publick tryal of the Quakers in Barmudas [sic] upon the first day of May, 1678 by Samson Bond, late the preacher of the Gospel in Barmudas.
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Bond, Samson.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing B3585; ESTC R29047
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105,090
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110
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And 1. As touching the first Chapter of the Evangelist John with which he began as above It treats of the God head of the Son alone the eternal-Word from the first verse to the end of the fifth verse and then of the person of Christ God-man from thence to the end of the Chapter some of these verses for satisfaction sake I shall touch a little in their order First Of the Eternal Word the Godhead of the Son as in ver 1 2 3 In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made These verses denote to us that its only the Godhead of the Son that did Create ver 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us i. e. whole Christ God man in one person as such he created nothing only as God so he created all things As the Evangelist here so doth Paul to the Colâ—ssians chap. 1. 16. speak distinctly of the God head of the Son alone and also distinctly of him as personal Christ viz. By him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalilitiâ—s or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist ver 17 So he is the Creator Again ver 18 19. Paul speaks distinctly also of Christ as Christ for so as noted before he is no Creator because so considered he is in part a Creature hoâ— beit as Christ he is the Head and Saviour Ephes 5. 23. of the Body the Church Who is the beginning and first born from the dead that in all things he Christ God-man might have preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and ver 20 Having made peace through the blood of his cross and in the body of his flâ—sh through Death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his fight ver 22. If ye continue in the Faith that is in the Faith of the peace made through the blood of his Cross and body of his flesh through death Grounded and Rooted c. This Distribution both by the Evangelist and Apostle was not understood by this Disputant Eastlâ—ck for in all his foregoing Discourse his design was to mâ—ke the Hearers believe that the Eternal Word the Godhead of the Son â—s distinct from the Manhood of Christ is the true Christ and only Saviour and consequently a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ And hereunto agrees his words so frequently repeated by him viz. God was manifest in the flesh that is as to their darkened understanding in all man kind of flesh which gross Error shall be in its proper place considered in the next place this Disputants more lax and general expressions shall receive some Answers 1. I do acknowledge with him that the Word took flesh of the Virgin and that he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem howbeit as it comes from a Teaching Quaker it is undoubtedly no other then a deceitful shifting of the matter in question yet I am ready to grant that F. E. and his Partners may believe that there was such a man who as Histories mention took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered death without the Gates of Jerusalem about sixteen hundred years ago Alas how many Turks and Jews are there that know and believe all this yet they do no more believe Jesus of Nazereth to be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Teaching Seducing Quaker doth Nay such a Quaker attributes no more soul saving Merit to the holy Body of Jesus Christ then to the body of a Turk or a Jew Therefore it s not safe to put any other construction upon his acknowledgement above then a deceitful shifting the business in hand that he might thereby the more easily hoodwink the Hearer for his Discourse had no other tendency then to make us believe that the true Christ and Saviour was only in not at all of the body of Christs flesh 2. I do again acknowledge with him sc That the effects of Christs death and sufferings are to be inwardly witnessed as received within us And if so then there must be a cause of these effects inwardly received as previous and anticedent to them to wit The death and sufferings of the one Man Jesus Christ as in the third Argument which is therefore necessarily finished and perfected already by the one crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth upon the Cross without us for us which in right reason must needs be before the effects thereof could be revealed in us and so inwardly witnessed though this were the thing I argued for yet it was strongly opposed by them all as may afterwards appear making those effects within them the true Christ and their only Saviour Now I proceed to the Texts of Scripture repeated by F. E. which shall be considered in order as he uttered them John 1. 9. That was the true Light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World This Scripture he more especially insisted on to prove Christ to be that true Light and that Light to be the only Saviour which as he said is in every man that cometh into the world whence he Argued that a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true and not the false Christ Answ It s true that by Light in that place of Scripture the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant Iohn 1. 29. and although it be likewise true in a true sence that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by Christ i. e. with reason the Son of God as he is the Eternal Word that made the World yet the Evangilist hath not in that Text asserted that there is a Light or enlightening in every Man as he cometh into the World which is the true Christ and our only Saviour so that thou hast plainly and openly belied that holy Man Ioâ—r in saying of him as above that he so witnessed Namely that the Light or inlighting in every Man as he comes into the World is the true Christ and Mans only Saviour for this Evangelist witnesseth otherwisâ— as in ver 30 29. he evidently affirms the Light in ver 9. to be the Man Jesus and as such he never was nor can be in any man so witnesseth the Witness bearer whom we are to believe before a Seducing Quaker 2. Thou F. E. didst in thy Discourse effectually affirm Christ to be the Light and the Light in every Man to be the Christ implying thereby sc what might be truly spoken of the one might be also so spoken of the other here hence then it must follow that the Light within a Quaker was born in Bethlehem laid in a Manger hanged upon a Tree and
pretended by thâ—e falls short of maintaining your cause as it respects the first part of the charge which â—id appear on a due examination of the Text it self in this man 〈◊〉 to wit Exam. By the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus we are to understand the Spirit which the Father gave him as the Son of Man without measure Ioh. 3. â—4 Ioh. 1. 6. Now from this fulness of Spiritual Life in Christ Paul received such a degree of it as made him free from the Law i. e. from the reign and demâ—nion of sin and from Death Rom. 6. 12. 14 i. e. from the power of natural death Note that the Spirit in the Text above is seâ—â—own two wayes 1. By the Subject in whom it is that is in the Manhood of Christs Person 2. By the Effect it is a spirit of life if this life be not from Christs fulness conveyed into us we are but dead men spiritually dead in sins Eph 2. 1. But when the spirit of 〈◊〉 from Christs unmeasurable fulness is derived to us tâ—en we feel its law or power weakening and abolishing the Law i. e. the strength and Authority of sin in us and thereby sin hath now no reigning domineering power in or over us nor can it condemn our persons and thus we are â—reed from the Law of sin death Note Not so â—reed as if we were simply delivered from both or either of these as that we cannot afterwards sin and die but the meaning is sin cannot rulâ— or exercise a command now over us nâ—r can it damn â—s nor can the natural death hurt us now tell me William whether there be ought in this third Text of Scripture alledged by thee that doth in the least though never so much strained prove this first part of the charge against you to be false for the mind of the Apostle therein is plain and evident viz. that the law of the Spirit of life inherent in us hath only a virtue to eat down the Law or commanding power of present sins and to destroy the power of our natural death what I pray thee is in all this to prove a Quakers pretended Saviour within him c. surely William either thou art very silly thy self or thou didst think thy hearers to be so After him steps F. E. again and said the Scripture saith of Christ I in thee and thou in me but he could not tell us where to find the Scripture that said those words of Christ Answ That I did not remember any such Scripture for manner and foâ—m as spoken by him to wit I in theâ— and thou in me but this Parret must prate as he hath been taught howbeit if it might be supposed not granted that Christ had said to any particular person I in thee and thou in me It must needs follow that the person of Christ wâ—s without not within him to whom he then spake and the person of Christ being the Believers only Saviour this allegation could not concern the charge before us T is true we read in Joh 17 23 I in them and thou in we that they may be made perfect in me i e. in oneness of affection for so it is interpreted in the last clause of the same verse sc and hast loved them as thou hast loved me also in Joh. 14. 20. and you in me and I in you these words do only signifie the reciprocal love that shall be fully experienced between Christ and his members at the glorious resurrection of the just as it is implied in the former part of that verse At that day namely of Christs second comming in glory ver 18. ye shall sc at that day know that I am in my Father i. e. in his love and you in me i. e. in my love and I in you i. e. in your love ver 21. Now Francis if thou dost mean either of these Scriptures thou wilt be still at a loss for it was the man Jesus Christ which spake to his Disciples and it is very strange that thou wilt produce a Christ for evidence in whom you do not believe it s a sign that thou art almost spent I do not remember that he made any reply to ought said by me as above but as a mask for their nakedness he urged another Scripture not naming where as to the chapter or verse to wit Christ saith of hâ—mself I am Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 1. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come The Almighty after the reciting of this Scripture I expected an Argument to be drawn from thence by the Disputant to prove the thing for whâ—ch he brought it But it seems Franks Seducers could never make him capable of formal Argumentations which defect constrained me to insist upon the explication herein more fully and distinctly enlarged of those Texts of Scripture which for the most part were only repeated by the titular Disputants and that many times after their own most presumptuous mode and manner adding or diminishing contrary to Gods command Deut. 4. 2. But I proceed to the Text it self Ans The place of Scripture above sc Rev. 1. 8. consists of three parts First part I am Alpha and Omega in these words Christs creating power is Metaphorically expressed being the first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet which by a figurative speech are applied to any beginning and end and are here interpreted by the next words namely the Beginning and the Ending which Phrases do signifie unto us Christs divine Nature eternal Power and Godhead as in Joh. 1. ver 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God sc God the Son and in Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him his dear Son ver 13. and for him sc for his glory as the ultimate end Rom. 11. 36. this therefore is the meaning of I am Alpha and Omega that is Christ is the efficient cause of all things and the end also whâ—ther all things are referred that he hath at first created all things and that for his own glory alone Second part Saith the Lord which words denote Christ the faithful promiser for all the promises of God are in him 2 Cor. 1 20. in him i. e. in the man hood of Christs person Col. 2 9. hereunto agrees the title Lord. which is mostly appropriated to Christs humaâ—e nature as before his Birth Luk. 1 43. And whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me and on the day of his birth Chap 2. ver 11. For to you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and afterwards Joh. 13. ver 13 14. Ye call me Master and Lord for so I am If I thou your Lord and Master have washed your feet Also after his resurrection Luk. 24. 34 saying The Lord hath risen indeed and hath oppeared to Simon ver 39. Behold my hands and my feet that