William Penn has blamed that in another unjustly which most unjustly he justifies in himself and in his Tyrannical Brethren of his Party who for no other cause did excommunicate me but for not obeying their most unjust and unreasonable demand which was To clear the Body of the People called Quakers and their Ministry from some of the Errors charged upon them in Pensilvania which as I at that very Meeting told them I could prove some of them were guilty of and which I have since effectually done And that William Penn thinks it was such a notable Argumentum ad hominem that Rob. Norwood used to them who did excommunicate him Are none the People of God but your selves Have not I the same Argumentum ad hominem against them that excommunicated me who in their Nameless Bull of Excommunication given out against me at the Yearly Meeting at London 1695. call themselves the Church of Christ from which they say I have separated my self And because I could not obey their most unjust and unreasonable Demand they pass this Judgment against me as if they were the only Church of Christ and in their Yearly Epistle this very year 1696. directed to the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings in England Wales and elsewhere they call themselves to wit those that generally go under the Name Quakors professing Unity with them God's whole Heritage and People this agreeth with Solomon Eccles Paper called The Quakers Challenge p. 2 3. 1668. The Quakers are in Truth and none but they The Tabernacle of God is with you and his Dwelling Place is among you and only among you is God known said Edw. Burrough to the Quakers see his Works page 64. 2. In the same Rejoinder page 310. he hath a Passage that is either perfect Nonsense or Antichristian Doctrine or rather indeed both I shall cite it verbatim Seventhly Because that Flesh of Christ is called a Vail but he himself is within the Vail which is the Holy of Holiest whereinto Christ Jesus our High-Priest hath entred Heb. 10.20 21. And as he descended into and past through a suffering-state in his fleshly appearance and returned into that state of Immortality and Eternal Life and Glory from whence he humbled himself which was and is the Holy of Holiest then obscured or hid by his Flesh or Body the Vail while in the world so must all know a death to their fleshly ways and Religions yea their knowledge of Christ himself after the flesh or they stick in the Vail and never enter into the Holy of Holies nor come to know him in any spiritual relation as their High and Holy Priest that abides therein Annot. I shall make no large Commentary on these words only in short note 1. His saying Christ has entred into the Holy of Holies within the Vail and that Vail is his Flesh and that Holy of Holies is himself What Nonsense is this Was not Christ always in himself 2. His entring in within the Vail of his Flesh is either perfect Nonsense or it hath this sense That he hath put off his Body he had on earth and is separated from it as one Robert Young a Preacher among the Quakers in Pensilvania at a Meeting affirmed and brought these very words of W. Penn's to confirm it That Christ hath entred within the Vail and Christ's flesh is that Vail whereas it is plain and generally understood by all Christians That the Vail within which Christ is entred according to Heb. 6.19 is not his flesh though elsewhere but in another respect his flesh is called a Vail the word Vail having divers significations in Scripture 3. That he saith That all must know a death to their knowledge of Christ after the flesh it is plain from his words that he hath this unsound sense of it That they must know a death to the knowledge of Christ after the flesh as that flesh signifieth the flesh of Christ as he came in the flesh But this is a perversion of Paul's words as if Paul had rejected the knowledge of Christ as he came and suffered in the flesh as inconsistent with the revelation of Christ in himself which are so consistent that as none have the saving knowledge of Christ as he came and suffered in the flesh without the inward revelation of him in their hearts so none have that inward revelation of him sufficient to Eternal Salvation but who by that inward revelation know and believe that he came and suffered in the flesh and that he is now in Heaven in the same Body that suffered the same I say as to Substance though wonderfully changed in Mannâ—r and Condition 3. W P. in a Book he calleth Truth exalted presented to Princes Priests and People reprinted Anno 1671. he giveth a large description of the Quakers Christ as he calleth him pag. 13 14. without mentioning in the least his Birth in the flesh Death Resurrection Ascension as the Son of Man or the Son of Abraham and David and wholly applying that Isaiah 9.6 7. Unto us a child is born and Deut. â—1 18 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to the Inward Principle of the Light in all men and thus he describeth the Quakers Christ pag. 14. This is the second Adam the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven the new and spiritual man the Heavenly Bread the true Vine the Flesh and Blood that was given for the Life of the World the second Covenant the Law writ in the Heart and Spirit put in the inward parts the way in which the fool cannot err the Truth before Deceit was the Life that 's hid in God eternal in the Heavens glorified before the world began the Power the Wisdom the Righteousness of God the Plant of Renown the Royal Seed that bruiseth the Serpent's head in short that Grace which hath appeared unto all men teaching them to deny Ungodliness c. Annot. By this it is plain he makes nothing of Christ but an inward Principle in all men which yet falsly he calls the second Covenant the Law written in the heart for the Law writ in the heart that is the second Covenant is not in any Unbelievers but only in the hearts of True Believers Again in his large description of the Christian Quaker filling Three Pages of his Folio called the Christian Quaker he mentions not one word of Christ as he was born of the Virgin suffered death for our sins rose again c. as the Object of Faith Hope or Love or Christian Devotion see his Pages 125 126 127. By which it plainly appears that he and G Whithead and many other Teachers among the Quakers have no other Notion of Christ but an Inward Principle which is manifestly contrary to the Gospel preached by the Holy Prophets Evangelists and Apostles who preached Christ chiefly without men as both God and Man and consequentially his Light and Grace and Spirit within men I shall now point at some of W. Penn's most gross and
false Accusation and Defamation and I offer to prove it at the said Meeting Fifthly Whereas the Second Days Weekly Meeting of the People called Quakers in Lombard-street London hath approved or Countenanced the above-mentioned Scandalous Books and another late Book from Pensilvania signed by Caleb Pusey falsly called by him A modest Account from Pensilvania of the Principal Differences in a Point of Doctrine c. I charge them to be guilty of great Injustice against me as also of being guilty of the false Accusations Perversions Forgeries and false Doctrines contained in the said Books by their approving the same and allowing them to be publickly sold next Door to their Meeting-place by one of their own Profession If it happen that few or none of the above-mentioned Persons shall be present at the said Meeting being conscious to themselves of the badness of their Cause yet I do hereby declare and publish my full intention to be present God willing with my Friends at the said Place and Time appointed to make good the Charges against them And any moderate and Friendly People of other Professions have freedom to be present so far as there is room in the place to receive them without Crowd or Throng to hear what shall be said and proved in these matters above-mentioned GEORGE KEITH London the 11th day of the Third Month called May 1696. And here I think fit to give a true Account of the Just Cause I have to intimate such a Meeting IN my book called A Seasonable Information and Caveat against a scandalous book of Th. Elwood I made a profer to Th. Elwood to meet him at any Place and Time that he would appoint to prove him guilty of gross Forgery in matters of Fact c. and also of false Doctrine But he did no wise assent to any such proffer nor gave any rational Excuse for his Rufusal pretending he would not give G K. an Opportunity to gratifie the Rabble and disgrace his Profession he yet made of Truth by so publick a discovery of his ungoverned Passions What is this but great hypocrisie And no doubt if he or his Party thought to get any advantage against me such a Publick Appearance either in regard of the Cause or of what he and they call my ungoverned Passions they would greedily embrace it But the reality of the matter is they are not willing their great injustice as well as their insolent carriage and most unruly Passions in clandestine places should be discovered shutting the doors upon all but themselves that none that were equal and impartial Hearers and Observers might be present to be a check to their rude and insolent carriage against me many speaking to me at once which some among themselves reproved at the first Yearly Meeting I appeared among them Thus they seek to murther the Reputation of the Innocent in secret places And instead of assenting to my just proffer he prints another book against me filled with more than double to what was in his former book of Forgeries Perversions False Accusations and Misrepresentations And I having neither time nor ability of outward Estate to print Answers to him and others that heap book upon book against me with no charge to them they having got a way without any charge or cost to them to Print what they please And things being thus I appeal to all moderate persons whether this my intimation of such a Meeting in the defence of the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity as the necessity of Faith in Christ as he outwardly suffered at Jerusalem to our Salvation Justification and Sanctification by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed the Resurrection of the Body that dyeth and Christs coming without us in his Glorified Body even the same that formerly suffered Death for our sins to Judge the Quick and the Dead All which I offer to prove have been opposed and contradicted by some of them being the common Faith generally and in common professed by Christians in all professions and for the defence of which all sincere Christians are jointly concerned and also in my just vindication both as a man and a Christian be not justifiable and commendable it being the best way I have at present to clear the Truth and my Innocency and discover their great injustice towards me and to Answer the proud and insulting boastings of my Adversaries And whereas in my late Book called A short List of some of the vile and gross Errors of Geo. Whitehead c. I proposed a just demand to William Penn to give me an Opportunity for him to make good his Charge against me at any publick Meeting of the People called Quakers in or about London instead of his assenting to my just Demand there comes forth a Third Book of Tho. Elwood multiplying his gross Forgeries Defamations and Misrepresentations against me and also containing most false and Antichristian Doctrine to the great dishonour of the blessed Name of Christ and the Christian Religion And as if G. W. and W. P. were not alive or not able to Answer for themselves he will needs Answer for them and the said Tho. Elwood puts a most impudent and notorious perversion upon my plain words in my Proposition to W. Penn saying of me as he has worded his Demand he seems to have bespoke a Publick Meeting that he might have done it himself see page 159. and page 160. of his Truth defended As if saith he he wanted such an Opportunity to prove himself an Apostate Let the Reader but read my words in my own Book and at the first sight he will see the Cheat and Forgery Observe Reader my words p. 32. And let him signifie to me the time and place where he will make it to appear I say not when I will that his Charge against me is true May I not well say that ever such a gross and impudent Forgerer Wrester and Perverter of a Mans words should be allowed or permitted to be an Agent Patron or Champion for what they call the Body of the People named Quakers and their Ministry is a sign that they are at a low Ebb when they make use of such Tools as T. E. is whom I can and do offer to prove not only to be guilty of gross Forgeries and Perversions and Antichristian Principles but grosly ignorant in that which he pretends to have knowledge of Humane Learning and who is guilty of Pedantick trifling and quibbling from meer Errors of the Press not so duly corrected yet obvious to any intelligent Reader And to my demanding the like Justice to be done me as some Years ago we demanded of the Baptists against Thomas Hicks he answereth in his last book falsly called Truth defended pag. 158. That betwixt that and this of mine there is in parallel For saith he in that there was a people concerned on each side c. Whereas W. P 's calling G. K. Apostate affects no body that I know of saith T. E. but himself and
Denial says Jo. Faldo Here is Jo. Faldo's Commentary on Is Pennington's words Now see how W. Penn explains Is Pennington's words pag. 149. Is he so impiously Vnjust that because we do deny that outward Blood can be brought into the Conscience to perform that inward work which they themselves dare not nay do not hold therefore Isaac Pennington denies any Efficacy to be in that outward Offering and Blood towards Justification as it respects meer Remission of former Sins and Iniquities So in short I take it thus W. Penn Answers That Is Pennington's words are to be understood with reference to Sanctification but not Justification Says he Outward Blood cannot be brought into the Conscience to perform that work But the way that Blood has been brought into my Conscience is by the application of a living Faith in Christ whose Blood it was the Spirit of God working that Faith in me and that Blood is not a Physical but a Moral once of our cleansing 1 Christ Jesus by his Obedience and Suffering procured the Pardon of my Sins as well as he sealed it by his Blood And 2. He procured the Spirit to Sanctifie me Therefore I agree with all true Christians herein I find none say there must be a material application of that Blood but a Spiritual and Moral and we can give Instances that Moral Causes are many times more effectual Causes than Physical are As the Money wherewithal we buy the Medicine that cures the Body is not the Physical cause of Health but a Moral and the Money that we buy Bread with is not the Physical cause of our Nourishment and Refreshment but a Moral and yet it is so great a cause that without Money neither Bread nor Medicine can be readily obtained and not at all without somewhat equivalent Now I have done with the two first Heads shall I go on to prove the other two or shall we adjourn to another day Auditors If half an hour will do go on G. Keith I know not but it will but that they oft interrupt us with Digressions The Third Head to be prove iâ— That the Body that dieth riseth not again First from W. Penn's holding the Resurrection immediately after Death in his Rejoynder pag. 138. I think this will be enough for W. Penn if I give no more T. Hiâ—ks Argues thus for the Resurrection of the Body That if there be no Resurrection of the Body the Joys of Heaven should else be imperfect Now here is VV. Penn's Answer to it I Answer Is the Joy of the Ancients now in Glory imperfect Or are they in Heaven but by halves If it be so unequitable that the Body which hath suffered should not partake of the Joys Coelestial is it not in measure unequal that the Soul should be rewarded so long before the Body This Principle brings to the Mortality of the Soul held by many Baptists or I am mistaken But why must the Felicity of the Soul depend upon that of the Body Is it not to make the Soul a kind of Widow and so in a state of Mourning and Disconsolateness to be without its beloved Body Which state is but a better sort of Purgatory G. VVhitehead Argues the same way If the deceased Saints in Heaven or their Souls have not all that they expect to all Eternity all the Resurrection they look for then they must be in Purgatory for the time But if the latter be not then not the former But this contradicts many Scriptures that especially in Acts 26. That Christ should suffer and should be the first that should rise from the dead Now according to this Doctrine of VV. Penn and G. VVhitehead Christ's Resurrection was later than that of many Millions Now if you will hear a Proof from G. VVhitehead you may Auditors Yes let us hear it G. Keith Here is the place pag. 353. G. Whitehead 's Christian Quaker Says T. Danson The Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body its dear and beloved Companion the Soul having a strong desire and inclination to a re-union to the Body as the Schools not without ground determine Vide Calv. And here is G. VVhitehead's Answer pag. 353. Both Calvin T. Danson the the Schools and divers Anabaptists are mistaken in this very matter and see not with the Eye of true Faith either that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body or that the Soul hath a strong desire to a re-union to the Body while they intend the Terrestrial Elementary Bodies for this implies the Soul to be in a kind of Purgatory or Disquietness till the supposed resumption of the Body You see I hope here is Proof enough that G. VV. holds that the deceased Saints look for no Resurrection of the Body Quaker Elementary Body G. VVhitehead saith Quaker H. Goldney He reads that word faintly G. Keith What other Body could it be The Matter is there is the same Argument of G. VVhitehead and VV. Penn. A little Philosophy I hope will not offend you I hope if they make use of false Philosophy to defend their false Faith I may make use of true Philosophy to defend the true Faith And the Objection they make is the same against Christ's Body Pray was not Christ's Body Elementary Did he not eat and drink And was it not the same as we eat and drink And if we eat and drink of what are Elementary then his Body did receive the same Elements and they were converted into his Body And G. VVhitehead owns in his later Writings that Christ's Body that rose is the same with his Body that suffered but his Pride will not suffer him to own his former Error either in that or in other things And seeing VV. Penn thinks it absurd that a Body can be transformed from an Earthly and Animal Body to an Heavenly Body as he Argueth Reas against Rail p. 134. He makes it not only as gross as Transubstantiation but worse But this is his gross Ignorance in true Philosophy and his false Philosophy destroys his Faith It is not Transubstantiation if I say a Saint's Body is the same at the Resurrection for substance as it was when it went into the Grave leaving the Faeces or drossy part of it behind But if he say Christ hath not the same substance of Body that he had on the Earth this is plain Transubstantiation For have not many that Understanding that a gross body of Herbs or other Substance can by Chymical Operation be made so Subtil Volatile and Spiritual without any Transubstantiation or change of the Substance that a Glass can scarce confine it or hold it Now VV. Penn holds that grossness is so Essential to a Body that a Body must cease to be a bodily Substance if it put off Grossness or Carniety and that Carniety is Essential to a Carnal Body But see how contrary this is to common Sense and Understanding There is no Woman that sets a Hen to breed Chickens
says T. Elwood in his way of quibling six and an half All these Manuscripts were read at the Meeting two years ago and for the Censure they gave of them I said I thought they had tho I confess I judg very mincingly censured these unsound expressions Yet Tho. Elwood tells me that I am guilty of Forgery that I said the Yearly Meeting said any thing like it Here is the Paper of the Yearly Meeting this Paper shews whom it came from does it find no fault with these Expressions in these Pensilvanian Papers Here is seven or eight I will read a few lines I have brought an Original here it is somewhat worn but it may be read well enough I am glad that my Neighbour has such Charity for me that he thinks I will not read wrong I can read every word of it tho it be somewhat worn I shall forfeit the Name of an honest man it I read one word different from the Original The words in John Humphrey's first Letter Who is he that dares to make a Distinction between Christ's Body and his Spirit and to put asunder what God hath joyned together Is not this to divide Christ to use that Terms viz. Christ within and Christ without when he himself in that very Body that suffered said he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him and in that day we shall know that it is the very same that liveth in us that hath died for us which before we could not come to know altho any should tell us of it for Christ in us is the hope of Glory and they that draw us to look for Christ without we are not to go forth after them to divide Christ's Body from his Spirit I perceive by G. Keith's Ten Articles of Faith that they relish too much of Carnality a Carnal Body of Christ in Heaven a Carnal Election and Reprobation a Carnal Justification and Adoption a Carnal Day of Judgment and Resurrection beyond the Grave I am grieved to hear some say they did expect to be Justified by that Blood that was shed at Jerusalem Is 't not to be carnally minded I have not read the whole Letter but an intire Paragraph of it So farewel Christ without You divide Christ if you mention Christ without Now mark these Ten Articles of mine that he calls Carnal they are short will you hear them They are in Print My Adversaries sent them over from America to England and that before I came to England as an Inditement against me Frances Bugg met with them and Printed them my Adversaries here sent them about as a great Crime against me Some of the Principles of G. Keith and his Friends 1. That Bodily Sickness and Death came in by the Fall 2. That Christ has now in Heaven a Soul and a Body that is not the Godhead but the Temple of it and most gloriously united therewith 3. That Christ's Body that was Crucified and Buried without us rose again without us and is now in Heaven without us 4. That the Man Christ Jesus will come again in that Body without us to judg the Quick and the Dead 5. That there shall be a general day of Judgment that all the deceased Saints are in expectation of 6. That we get not the Resurrection of the Body either in this mortal Life or immediately after Death 7. That Faith in the Man Christ without us as he Died for us rose again and is gone into Heaven wrought in us by thy Spirit of Christ is universally necessary to make Men true Christians and Children of God born of the Free Woman who have the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father 8. That Christ's Obedience and Righteousness which he performed in himself without us is imputed to us by Faith for the Remission of Sins 9. That Christ is not only God's Elect but all that shall be saved from the beginning to the end of the World are God's Elect being chosen in him not only before they Believe and Repent but before the Foundation of the World 10. That all and every one of the Members of the Church of Christ who are at age can speak ought to confess with their Mouths in the hearing of some of their fellow Members the Fundamental Principles of their Christian Faith before they can be owned to be Members of the Church that by the same as well as by a good Life and Conversation it may be known who are qualified to be Members of our Church which is a boundary Term and Bond of our Union the Spirit being the Principal which may be easily done by Answering to some plain Questions G. Keith his Ten Articles read all condemned to be Carnal by the Pensilvania Letter of J. H. a Preacher among the Quakers there these Ten Articles were read at the Yearly Meeting at London 1694. and the Letter that Condemned them also read at the said Yearly Meeting and that Letter Justified by Th. Elwood the Patron and Advocate for that Yearly Meeting and therefore we ought if we give Credit to Th. Elwood to conclude that the Yearly Meeting at London 1694. hath concluded all these Ten Articles to be Carnal which yet express the Common Faith of all Christendom The Second Letter Read The Words of John Humphery's Second Letter I craved no favour to my Paper from thee nor them but that word only which was the omission of my Pen and never intended to be put under a Bushel if occasion did require But however let Deceit and Malice have its full force and scope upon it and that word only taken off the conclusion of my Paper which that saying of our Saviour himself when he Expounded his meaning unto them who in these days had offended at his own words will clear me of your Aspersion John 6.63 It is the Spirit that Quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing so he himself ascribed the Work of man's Salvation and Sanctification not to the Flesh that Suffered but to the Spirit that Quickned not to the Blood that was Shed at Jerusalem but unto the Flesh and Blood that is Spiritual which the Saints was to feed upon and their Robes was made white by and it doth appear that these that are otherwise minded do not rightly discern the Lord's Body Some of his own Fraternity perswaded him to put in the word only and that would excuse the matter he puts in the word only and he thinks it was against his Conscience and so bids put it out again Quaker Whether do ye own sanctification to the blood outwardly shed or to the Spirit inwardly given G. Keith I say to both to the blood of Christ that was outwardly shed at Jerusalem and to the Spirit of Christ inwardly given to believers Now they say that I have belied them they never knew any that said they were not sanctified by that blood You see what proofs I have brought and therefore I must be an Apostate for accusing them of errours
I have a Paper that some persons concerned in this Challenge have sent that they desire may be read Which was consented to G. Keith The truth is I could be almost content to go away and say nothing to it there is so little of value in it They say I began with them but they began with me in Pensylvania I was doing my duty in preaching Christ without and Christ within they charged me with preaching two Christs I went to some of them about it but they took their part against me I laid it before the Ministry at the Yearly meeting they also took their part Now you know he that affirms on him lies the business of proving W. Pen when I was opening a place of Scripture he charges me with being an Apostate and Impostor Here he charges me with being an Apostate I say to him it belongs to make his charge good but he goes away At the Yearly meeting I put it to him to make it good I do not doubt but this meeting will sound through the Nation They urge me to Printing I say again I have not either Estate or Time to print Book upon Book And tho' I have not answer'd the said two Books why may not I say as they do They are not worth answering As for example There is a Book called The Snake in the Grass I would not vindicate all things in it but they have been urged to answer it their Answer is it is not worth answering This man that prints this half-sheet says it cannot be supposed that G. Keith can answer eighteen sheets of Paper in a Meeting Why can it be â—upposed But G. Fox can answer an hundred sheets of Paper in a few Pages He has answer'd Books of ten or twelve sheets in a few lines And as for their upbraiding my Friends for not bearing the charge of Printing my Books they that own me here are not many of them rich and I would not put them to it But now there is the thing the Controversie is whether the rich Church or the poorer Church be the Ch. of Christ G. Keith's is the poor Church and theirs is the rich Church and I am not asham'd of my Poverty seeing I have not done any dishonest thing I have weaken'd my Estate by printing what I have printed already there is a Printer here that can own I have paid near forty pounds to him for Printing Now they upbraid me for my Poverty Their Church is the true Church because the rich Church and ours the false Church because the poor Church Quaker N. Marks You should hear one side but with one Ear and leave the other free for the other side G. Keith I am perswaded the Reasons given in the Paper read at the beginning were no just Reason for their not appearing But though some comparisons are odious yet give me leave to make a comparison May a Malefactor make this excuse You shall not call me before a Justice without my consent If a man rob me I may complain of him as a Robber and without his consent call him to account but here is a strange thing injuring men may not be called to account without their consent it will trespass against the Law and intrenches upon liberty of Conscience I was advised to go before the Lord Mayor of London and I did and told him I hoped it would give no offence to Authority for the things I was concerned in were the common Doctrines of Christianity if there be any Tumult says I it shall not be on my side And the Lord Mayor was pleased to consent to it Now their printed Paper seems to reflect on the publick Authority and not what I have done And thus the Meeting peaceably ended between the second and third hour in the Afternoon Note If any of my Adversaries object That divers of these Proofs here brought were brought formerly in my Book against W. Penn and G. W. call'd A short List of the vile and gross Errors which T. Ellwood hath replied to in his printed Book called Truth defended I answer I know not any one of them that he has sufficiently answer'd unto to give the least Satiâ—faction to any sound Christian his Answers being meerly Evasions and Perversions as I should have shown if he had appear'd But beside there are many new Proofs here brought beside the former which I am well satisfied they can never truly answer but by a sincere and free Confession of their gross Errors and a hearty retracting and relinquishing them And if any that were present at that Meeting or may happen to read this printed Account with the proofs brought out of their Books in full Periods and Paragraphs as often as there was any occasion are desirous to see the Books and to read the Proofs in the said Books that were then brought or any others that may be brought I freely offer them that are sober and impartial persons to let them have the free sight and view of them leisurely to read and consider them if they please to call at my House And I the rather make this Offer because divers of these Books are not easily to be had not being in the hands of many And because I had not time enough to read divers other great Proofs that I had being hinder'd with the impertinent Digressions of those that interposed whom we had no just Cause to hear pretending no Deputation from the persons they spoke for and therefore only were permitted by Favour to shew their Impertinencies I therefore think fit to add some other few very considerable Proofs out of these mens Books and perhaps one or two out of Books approved and commended by them and some few more of W. Penn's and George Whitehead's Self-Contradictions AN APPENDIX CONTAINING Some other Considerable Passages for Proofs out of these Mens Books relating to the foregoing Heads and some few more of W. Penn's and G. Whitehead's Self-Contradictions which were design'd to have been read at the Meeting at Turners-Hall 11th of the Month call'd June 1696. but for the Diversions made could not then be read IN George Whitehead's Book called The Divinity of Christ he hath this most unsound and scandalous passage concerning Christ how a Sacrifice and his Blood In his Answer to T. Danson's Synopsis of Quakerism p. 70. first he sets down the words of John Owen thus The Sacrifice denotes his Human Nature whence God is said to purchase his Church with His own Blood Acts 20.28 for He offer'd Himself through the eternal Spirit there was the Matter of the Sacrifice which was the Human Nature of Christ Soul and Body His Soul was made an Offering for Sin Isa 53.10 His Death had the Nature of a Sacrifice Against these sound words of John Owen he quarrels and contradicts thus Answ These passages are but darkly and confusedly expressâ—d as also we do not read in Scripture that the Blood of God by which he purchas'd his Church is ever call'd
the Blood of the Human Nature nor that the Soul of Christ was the Human Nature or was put to death with the Body for the Wicked could not kill the Soul though his Soul was made an Offering for Sin and he poured it out to Death he bore the Sin of many and made intercession for Transgressors but what Death and in what manner was it is a Mystery truly to know for his Soul in his own being was immortal and and the Nature of God is divine and therefore that the Blood of God should be of human or earthly nature appears inconsistent and where doth the Scripture call the Blood of God Human or Human Nature Neither do we read that the Blood which beareth Record in the Earth and agrees in one with the Spirit and which purgeth the Conscience washeth and cleanseth the Believer in the Light from all Sin was ever called by the Apostles the Blood of the Human Nature Nor do we read that the Saints did eat and drink Flesh and Blood that was of a human nature to receive Divine Life in them thereby for the Water of Life and Blood of Christ which are said to wash sanctifie and justifie which agrees with the Spirit in those Works and Effects We never read that they are called in Scripture by the name of Human Nature for the Spirit that quickens is divine and it is the Spirit that gives Life the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. Now this unsound Doctrine of G. W. doth so well agree with that in John Humphrey's two Letters abovementioned that John Humphrey seems to have been his Disciple in the Case and it is certain this sort of Doctrine of G. Whitehead hath corrupted the Minds of many We see he will not own either the Flesh or Blood of Christ or Soul of Christ to belong to the human nature Annotat. Before I understood the Mystery of Iniquity and Antichristianism that lay hid under the finding fault with this name or term Human Nature of Christ and his Humanity observing that divers found fault with it I was ready to excuse them thinking that tho' they disowned the term Human yet they owned that signified by it to wit the real Manhood of Christ having a real Soul and Body that is not the Godhead but most gloriously united therewith And accordingly I did in part excuse them as in my Book The True Christ owned pag. 20 and pag. 105 I cited some words of Hilarius Lib. 10. de Trinitate Quid per Naturam Humani corporis concepta ex Spiritu S. caro judicatur i. e. Why is the Flesh conceived of the Holy Ghost judged by the nature of an Human Body But neither Hilarius nor I judged that the Body though conceived of the Holy Ghost was any part of the Substance of the Holy Ghost the Particle of in that place denoting the Holy Ghost to be the Efficient Cause of that Conception but not the Material But that my Mind and Sense that Christ had the true Nature of Man of Soul and Body neither of which were the Godhead was sound then as now and the same as now plainly appears from Page 20. of my Book above cited where I say Human Soul may signify the true Soul of Man having all the essential properties of man's Soul and its whole Perfection And if in this sense any will say That Christ hath a Human Soul and call the Manhood of Christ his Humanity there needeth no contention about it For in the Latin Tongue we have not a word so proper as Humanitas to signify the Manhood and if we may say Humanitas in Latin we may say in English Humanity G Whithead his Objection against the word Human as signifying Earthly hath the same force against calling Christ Adam coming from the Hebrew word Adamah that signifieth Earth And the Scripture calleth the Man Christ the second Adam and certainly the Man Christ had not only that which was Heavenly but had even our Earthly part but without sin his Body being nourished with Earthly Food which Body now glorified is Heavenly But that I differed as much in Doctrine from G. Whithead then as now as concerning the Blood of Christ and the sense of that place of Scripture Acts 20.28 what that Blood of God was wherewith he purchased his Church he affirming it was the Blood not of the Human Nature or Humanity but of the Divine Nature as may be seen above appears in my Book above-mentioned The true Christ owned pag. 94. I expresly say I grant that there is such a figurative speech of the Communication of Names and Properties whereby the Man Christ is called God and also God is called Man and God is said to have shed his Blood although Christ as God hath not Blood to shed but only as Man yet by reason of that most rare and wonderful Union betwixt the Godhead and Manhood the Blood of the Man Christ is called the Blood of God Acts 20.28 This may serve as one great Instance to shew That as I am not changed in this Doctrine from what I was many years ago that Book of mine being printed Anno 1679. so I did then as widely differ from G. W. in that great Article of Faith as I do now But I confess I knew not that any such absurd Doctrine was in his Books till of late that I made a more narrow search occasioned by his defending the same Errors in his Pensilvanian Brethren Again In the same Answer to T. Danson's Synopsis T. D having affirmed that there is a continual need of Faith and Repentance in this life G. Whithead answereth That there is a continual need of Repentance this I deny for true Repentance where it is wrought and the fruits of it brought forth this is unto Salvation never to be repented of and is attended with a real forsaking of sin and transgression Annot. G. Whithead's Ignorance greatly appeareth in this that he thinks Repentance and Perfection inconsistent but it is a strange Perfection that destroyeth an Evangelical Virtue and a Fruit of the Spirit such as Repentance is and what is Repentance A change of the mind or a transformation of the mind as the Greek word Englished Repentance implieth or more particularly true Evangelical Repentance is a great aversion and perfect hatred of the soul to all sin and a deep humiliation before God with godly sorrow and contrition of soul for sins past which is very consistent with and very becoming the most perfect and holy men that ever lived since all have sinned It seems it is from this great Error that he and many others of his Brethren seldom if ever pray for Forgiveness of sin at least for themselves for if there be no need of Repentance it will follow that there is no need of praying for Forgiveness But all sound Christians of true spiritual experience do know that both Repentance for sin and praying for Forgiveness of sin are well consistent with the greatest degree
of Holiness attainable in this life Nor doth the praying for Forgiveness imply universally the want of it more than the praying for the Spirit implieth the want of it Again Whereas it was said in the above Narrative That G. Whithead hath allegorized away the Birth Death Resurrection and coming again of Christ without us to Judgment take these plain Proofs 1. His allegorizing away his Birth prophesied of by Isaiah 9 6. Unto us a child is born a Son is given This he expoundeth of Christ born within He-Goats Horn Page 51. 2. He allegorizeth away his Resurrection expresly denying that Christ was bodily seen of Paul and perverting that place in 1 Cor. 15.8 to Christ within Page 51. 3. He allegorizeth away his coming without us to Judgment in these Scriptures Matth. 16.27 28 1 Thes 4 15 16 17 Light and Life Page 40 41. 4. Both he and Richard Hubberthorne allegorize away his Burial Light and Life Page 52. and He-Goats Horn Page 62 perverting that Scripture Isa 53. He made his grave with the wicked he adulterates the true Translation and turns it in the wicked which the Hebrew doth not bear Where see a most absurd account of the Resurrection turning it wholly to the Resurrection of two Seeds in two Bodies within men 5. He allegorizeth away the Resurrection of the Saints Bodies by his perversion of that place of Scripture Who shall change our vile body and fashion it like to his glorious body Phil. 3.21 to a change of the Body that the Apostles and Saints witnessed before death and yet in contradiction to that in his Real Quaker a Real Protestant Page 105. he understands that very place of a change of the vile or low and humble Body like unto the glorious Body of Christ as a thing to come Some other of Geo. Whithead's Contradictions 1. GEO. Whithead in his Light and Life page 69. thinks him a very blind and ignorant man that reckons Bodies Celestial and Terrestrial to be all one in Matter and Substance and yet the same G. W. in malice of the Independant Agent pag. 17. recited and approved by John Pennington Apostat expos'd p. 16. owns that Christ's Body now in Heaven is the same in substance he had on earth So by his own words he hath declared himself to be a blind and ignorant man and yet Infallible otherwise by his own word no true Minister 2. In a late printed Half sheet signed by him and seventeen more he owneth Christ to be both God and Man and owneth the Humanity of Christ making it synonimous with Manhood and yet it is proved in the above Narrative that he neither owneth him to be God or Man finding fault with W. Burnet for saying that Christ as God had a Father and had Glory with God before the world began arguing as the Socinians do that this would imply two Gods sâ—e Light and Life page 47. Again He finds fault with T. Danson for saying that the Man Christ had a Created Soul Answer to T D. 's Synopsis p. 18. And he blames R. G. for saying Christ hath a Bodily Existence without us in Heaven Nat. of Christianity page 41. 3. In his late Answer to the Queries sent to the Yearly Meeting of the people called Quakers at London signed by Dr. Lancaster Chaplain to the Bishop of London he owns the Blood of Christ that was outwardly shed to be a part of the Sacrifice even Christ's Blood that was shed without the gates of Jerusalem together with the whole Sacrifice of himself both of Soul and Body was a true Propitiation and Atonement for man's Reconciliation and Peace with God for Remission of sin through a living Faith and true Repentance c. But in his Light and Life he denieth that the outward Blood was that by which we are either sanctified or justified and calleth it a Type and saith the shedding of it was a wicked man's act from whence he inferreth that we are not justified by the outward Blood but pleadeth that the Offering Passover Blood by which we are cleansed is within as the New Covenant is and not without See in the Narrative above And this sort of Unchristian Doctrine G. Whithead as many others did receive neither from the Spirit of Christ within nor from the Holy Scriptures but as it seems from G. Fox who in a printed Paper of his having this Title To all People in Christendom concerning Perfect Love c. also concerning Christ's Flesh which was offered which printed Paper I have it is joined with some other printed Papers under this general Title Several Papers given forth for the spreading of Truth See Page 55 57 59. hath very unsound and unchristian Doctrine concerning Christ's Flesh that is the Offering in which is the belief by Christ's Flesh meaning not his outward Flesh Some of his words I shall faithfully recite as followeth that to me are very unsound and I believe in general to all sound in the Faith And Christ according to the flesh crucified the Lamb slain that flesh of his which is a Mystery when the first Adam's and Eve's flesh was defiled and so death reigned from Adam to Moses pag 55. And Pag. 57. So Adam's Eve's flesh was defiled but the flesh of Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet his flesh never corrupted which flesh is the offering for as he was God he did not dye and this flesh is a Mystery and in this flâ—sh Note is the belief that takes away the sin that never corrupted that is the Offering for sin and the Blood of this flesh cleanseth from sin p. 58. Now they that are in the belief of this flâ—sh and offering sees over all offerings to the beginning into the Glory which was with the Father before the world began for all outward Offerings and Sacrifices was given to man after he fell and the Lamb slain which Offering is a Figure of Christ the Seed to be brought forth and offered up and he the Top stone over all laid to end and finish all the outward Offerings and Types and Shadows and in him there is none Page 59. So through this Offering is the Reconciliation through the offering of his flesh that never corrupted but takes away corruptions and his Blood cleanseth from Corruptions the Life real And so this pure Flesh this Offering is set over all which never corrupted which must be your meat if you live Though there is more in all these things which is hard to be uttered and cannot be uttered Yet Annot. It seems what G. Fox did not so fully utter as to this Mystery George Whithead had a mind to utter in his Book called Light and Life that may be as a proper Key to these dark Sayings of George Fox If any object to me as Th Elwood hath done in his Book falsly called Truth defended That I have in some of my Books owned Christ's flesh and Blood within I answer I confess it but no otherwise but
Quakers Books that seemed to me unsound but in an Excess of Charity I did construe them to be better meant than worded and that they had rather unwarily slipped from them than that they were the Expressions of their unsound Mind until that of late I had found them to justify the same and the like unsound Words in my Adversaries in Pensilvania and to hate and excommunicate me for telling them of them * And by this same Argument they need not preach his Example of holy Life nor the Example of the holy Lives of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles nor the Creation of the World nor any of God's gracious Providences towards his Church and People in former Ages they all being past and Persons not to live again in Mortal Bodies But why do the Quakers labour to keep up the the Remembrance of their deceased Friends and their Works and Sayings and collect them in Print for Posterity Is not the keeping in Memory the Birth Life Death and Resurrection c. of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ infinitely of more Value to be remembred and what is the way to have it remembred according to God's ordinary manner of working if not by preaching O what great Blindness and Ignorance is this of W. Penns * See his and my Answer to the Students in Aberdeer called Quakerism confirmed in the Collection of his Works called Truth triumphant pag. 627. Prop. 3. we say That the same Seed and Life is in us which was in him viz. the Man Christ and is in him in the Fulness as Water in the Spring and in us as the Stream As the natural Life is in all the Members but more principally in the Head and Heart without any Division so this spiritual Life and Nature is both in Christ our Head and in us by which he dwelleth in us as the Spirit of Man doth in the Body Again p. 628. Prop. 10. As for the Satisfaction of Chritst without us we own it against the Socinians c. And pag. 629. The Doctrines of the Incarnation Sufferings Death and Resurrection of Christ c. are necessary every where to be preached See the Places at more length than which nothing can be more contradictory than W. Penn's Doctrine as will appear in divers Places in this Treatise from his own Words faithfully quoted out of his Books ‖ This Writer is J. Reuclinus de verbo mirifico lib. 3. cap. 2. Gal. 3.16 ‖ But is not the Serpent or Devil without Men as well as within many Men (a) See W. Penn's Rejoynder pag. 284. And G. W. Light and Life p. 44. (b) See his Book pag. 35. called The Capital Principles (c) It is no more Nonsense than many good Christian Teachers have used to expound and open the Types of the Old Testament and to shew how they directed to Christ the Antitype yea divers Quakers Preach the Types as directing to Christ and his Spirit within And G. Fox used much to Preach upon the Types of the Old Testament as the Booths they made at the Feast of Tabernacles and the Lamps in the Temple and the Snuffers how they had a Spiritual signification And shall any Christian say that none of these Types signified Christ without but only Christ within (d) See for this in the Church-History of Socrates Scholasticus lib. 2. c. 7. and c. 25. (e) Note The Meeting was for most part orderly and attentive if any little Disorder happened it was by occasion of W. Pen's Party and particularly by Henry Goldney that threw printed Papers among the People in the Meeting on purpose to make a Disturbance but what Disturbance happened it was soon ended by the Care and Diligence of the Marshal sent by the Lord Mayor to prevent any Disorders (f) Note here two Gods of one Kind and Nature by his absurd Logick and false Philosophy one that worketh another that is wrought Oh gross Darkness and Ignorance in G. Whitehead (g) The Saints are partakers of the Divine Nature and so are they of the Holy Ghost is therefore the Holy Ghost a Work or Effect wrought in us This is to comfound the Creator with the Creature and is a Divinity more fit for Bedlam than any sober Society of People (h) And in Egypt we hear that Chickens are bred of Eggs simply by heat without the Hen. (i) N. Marks doth not profess himself to be Infallible being not of the Ministry But whence is it that the Laicks should own themselves Fallible and the Minâ—stry Infallible But at last it is come to this that some of the Ministry are Fallible also but such Principal Ministers as G. W. are not (a) Tho some in Scotland being influenced with their false reports have seemed to disown me yet others have not and some of them have writ kindly to me and owned me (a) Arthur Cook a Preacher and Justice of Peace in Pensilvania (b) Too high a Title for such who are quilty of such gross Errors (c) The third was 〈◊〉 they blamed me for saying the best Saints had need to come alwaâ—s to God by the 〈◊〉 â—or the Man Christ Jesus they said They could come to God withâ—ut him and this 〈◊〉 of Doctrine is to be found in W. Shewen's Book a Quaker greatly owned by them Treatise of Thoughts see pag. 37.38 (a) And I was cleared by a publick Writ signed by the Deputy Governor C. Markham and the Counsel in Philadelphia which I have to show See the Nature of Ch. pag. 29. * The real Quaker A real Protestant Nature of Christian p. 29 * G. Keith doth not charge it on the whole but only on the Guilty and such as cloak and excuse them * Note They told me It was sufficient to name a Few of Many to prove T. E. guilty of wronging me in his Books Let the Quotations be read out of R. B's Anarc * There is not mentioned any Day Month or Year wherein the yearly Meeting at Philad was held (a) Note W. Penn as is proved hath said We need not preach it the necessary consequence whereof is They need not believe it (b) So nor have they answer'd my Book Gross Error and Hypocrisie detected nor my Book against Samuel Jennings So here are Two for Two But I think I have effectually answer'd them here as to the main and so I hope will many others judge (c) I call it not G. Keith's Church otherwise than as related to them as one of them as I call the other their Church N. Mark 's Church i. e. to which he is related but he did well to own his Fallibility seeing he gave so great a Proof of it not long ago by severely accusing a poor innocent Maid-servant of his of Theft whose Innocency soon after was manifest to him * Called the Christian Faith