the ungodly Abraham was justified in the righteousness of Christs person when he had some ungodliness in his own person a Believer is compleat in Christ bodily Col. 2. 8 9 10. when he hath some incompleatness in his own body In a word these things do clear this Truth Namely To be cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ is to be understood for a cleansing from all the guilt and passive fruits and effects of sin but not for a cleansing as in your sense from all the movings and actings of sin in or by us while in this World which the following verses make most plain for even they which are by the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed from all sin ver 7 8. They have sin and in ver 9. ought to confess their sin Now Francis upon the whole it doth appear that the Patterns cut out by thee do still come short of the measure which plainly argues thou art not as yet thy Crafts-master yea this was manifested by thy Answer to this Question to wit Quest Whether the Saints was cleansed from all sin by the water of regeneration or by the blood of justification Thy Answer was by the Water which gave occasion to sundry persons to laugh at him But he endeavoured to compose them saying it is no laughing matter but indeed matter of melting pity that thy seduced Synagogue of Libertines should be led by so blind a Seducer The next after F. E. was William Bullock again alledging But a Body hast thou prepared me which he repeated again and again and then most earnestly called upon me tell me what is meant by Me for whom that body was prepared and what that body prepared was the same was as eagerly required by Francis Eastlack and William Harriot The place of Scripture intended by them was Heb. 10. 5. But a Body hast thou prepared me I Answered By Thou God the Father is meant by Me the Godhead of the Son by a Body prepared the Man hood united to the God-head of the Son And hereunto agrees the â—ormer part of the 5th verse Wherefore when he Christ God-man cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not or didst not desire and therefore were refused by God it being impossible that they should purge sin ver 4. For it is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sin But a body hast thou prepared me meaning to receive and do his Fathers will in taking sin away Joh. 1. 20. Goâ— the Son having now taken and put on the body oâ— flesh prepared for â—im as above he now undertakes the great work of satisfying Goâ—s Justice for sin and so to take away sin saying ver 7. Lâ— I come to do thy Will O God And why he tells us In the volume of the Book it is written of me i. e. in the Record of thy Decree from everlasting is clear for it that I am he whom thou O Father hast instituted and ordained to do thy will for the taking away of sin For ver 10. By the which will we are sanctified or saved through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all So then the body offered in the 10th verse was the body prepared in the 5th verse But the body of Jesus Christ offered was a real man-kind body as the Spirit of Truth witnesseth Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on the right hand of God here hence it is manifest that the very offering of the body of Jesus Christ could not have saved us but by the will and ordination of the Father who prepared that body for Christs hanging and dying on the Crosse had not delivered us from the pains of the eternal death unless it had been written in the volume of the book It s most sure all that our Lord Christ did or suffered in his Soul and Body for us had not satisfied the justice of God for sin if God had not appointed that Christ his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. should be sent forth to come into the World to do and suffer those things for the satisfying his juctice to the taking away of sin upon the whole I did inter that the true Christ and our only Saviour must necessarily 〈◊〉 both without and above us Here I made some pause to invite a Reply but they were silent at which I much marvelled inasmuch as sundry of the â—â—â—ding Quakers had imprinted so many corrupt glosses on those words it may be 't was forgotten as the Preface notes But a body hast thou prepared me As thus The Body prepared say they was prepared in Heaven and broughâ— by Christ into the Virgins Womb which body they call a Mystical Invisible Spiritual Heavenly body of Flesh and Blood and withal that the Mystical Invisible Body still the Idol light Christ within is the â—rue and only Saviour whose Birth Death Resurrection and Glorification is only Mystical and Invisible Hence as I suppose it is that George Fox in his Folio Book intituled the Great Mystery page 71. asserts That Christs Nature is not humane which saith he is earthly the nature of the first Adam Answ I would gladly knâ—w of this Fox whether Humane doth not rather signifie a Man-kind nature consisting of Soul and Body It s true we read 1 Cor. 15. 47. compare Gen. 2. 7. the first Adam was of the earth earthly in regard of his body not his soul which God formed out of the Earth But the word humane comprehends both Soul and Body which is much more then Earthly or Earth Simply litteral-material Earth Again whereas he adds the second man is from Heaven To which I Answer The second Adam or Man is the Lord from heaven as above 1. Because Christs Man kind nature was conceived in Mary by the power of the Highest overshadowing her Luk. 1. 35. 2. The true Christ is stiled the Secona Man because the first Man was his figure Rom. 5. 14. likewise in the Geneologie Mat. 1. Christ is said also to be partaker of the same flesh blood that the children were partakers of Heb. 2. 14 but the flesh and blood which the Children were partakers of were real visible humane or man kind flesh and blood not Mystical Ivisible flesh and blood Besides this Title sc Th. Son of Man is frequently attributed to Jesus Christ in the New-Testament as in Mat. 8. 20. The Foxes have holes but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head also in Mat. 10. 23. 11. 19. 12. 8. c. The Lords Christ is called the Son of Man which is to shew the truth of his humane mankind Nature it being lineally descended from David according to the flesh and therefore Christ is stiled the Son of David Luk. 20. 41. Moreover he hath the appellation of the Son of Man in reference to his participation with our humane Nature in all
in the same Book Page 25. What nature sayes he must these Sacrifices be of which cleanse heavenly things sc Souls whither of necessity they must be heavenly if so then whither it was the flesh and blood of the vail or the flesh and blood within the vail whither it was the flesh and blood of the outward earthly nature or the flesh and blood of the inward spiritual nature whither it was the flesh and blood which Christ took of the first Adams nature or that of the second Adams nature Ans In the three-fold Querie above two things are asserted neither of them are mentioned in the Scripture of truth 1. That the Lord Christ had a two fold Body of flesh and blood the one internal and invisible the other external and visible and thenâ—e concludes that it is not the external visible earthly body but the internal invisible heavenly body which cleanseth Souls which he names heavenly things 2. That there is an inward spiritual nature still the Idol light within which hath mystical flesh and blood besides the outward earthly nature the one he calls the flesh and blood of the vail the other the flesh and blood within the vail All which he seems to ground upon the Apostles words Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Note here The Apostle doth not make any mention of two distinct natures nor of two sorts of flesh and blood sc visible and invisible â—or in the least of two distinct vails Now that his jugling cheat may be discovered let the Apostles miâ—d be duely considered whose meaning is to wit That Believers may draw near to God through the vail of Christs personal flesh and blood for we Christians believe according to the Scriptures of God that as the High Priest entred into the holy place with the blood of the Sacrifice so the true Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 12. 24. the whole is That the body of Christs flesh and blood entring into Heaven the holiest is that new and living way consecrated for right Believers to draw near to God for justification through Faith in the one only vail of Christs flesh glorified in Heaven above which precious Truths are worth nothing in the account of a Quaker Furtheamore let it be noted that the word Vail in an allusion to the Temple where the vail hid the glory of the Sanctâ—m Sanctorum and gave entrance to it even so Christs incarnation did as it were rebate the edge of the divine glory and brightness that Believers may come and converse with it without terror for some further illustration I shall here add sc That Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder Joh. 1. 51. the bottom of which toucheth Earth there is his Humanity or vail of flesh and blood and the top reacheth Heaven there is his Divinity so that we may climb this Ladder and have communion with God i. e. climbing up in hope by the Man-hood or vail of Christ we have social access to the God-head By the way observe That this Foxt Penington doth not alleadge any of the holy men of old that ever preached or writ such kind of Divinity as he hath done in his leger demain above whereby sundry unstable Consciences have been deceived I have often heard some of them to affirm That the Quakers do believe in Christs body of flesh and blood and that he died for sin and rose again and that he is Mans only Saviour howbeit they do but wickedly equivocate for they do not mean that the body of flesh and blood life and death c. of Jesus of Nazareth conceived in and born of the blessed Virgin Mary hath purchased justification in the sight of God and Salvation from sin but they deceitfully mean sc the new â—oined invisible flesh and blood of the heavenly Mystical Christ still the Iâ—ol-light within that died within and there rose to a righteousness and justification which is a brat hatcht only in their addle brains from whence also it is they teach a Mystical Bethlehem within where Châ—ist was born that he suffered and died without Ierusalem that is say they Mystical Jerusalem within O ye Quakers judge whither these are not strong and damnable delusions So much also for some further satisfaction to William Bullock F. E. and W. H. concerning those words But a body thou hast prepared me Heb. 10. 5. which was the last Text of Scripture proposed by them in reference to the first part of the Charge as above I now proceed to the Second part To wit That the main end of the Quakars Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and false Witnesses of God As I was about to prove the second part of the Charge against them Francis Eastlack interrupted me saying Thou never wert in our Meetings how then canst thou know what we teach in them I Replied T is true I bless the Lord I never were nor as I hope through the mercy of God never shall be as one of you in any of your Meetings notwithstanding I know what you Teach and mainly aim at in your Meetings for ye are G. Foxes Disciples and ye have learned his Doctrine and as I was about to read some of it they grew impatient and by no means would have it read thereupon I did forbear but I have here inserted it to wit G. Fox in his Book intituled the Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words Ye scorn me the light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that believe in me Furthermore Page 54. That if ye would believe and wait on me the light I will purge out all your iniquity and forgive all your Trespasses and I shall change your natures if you hearken to me and obey the light within These are the words I would have read but being hindred I told them what they taught in their Meetings to wit That the pretended Light in them is their true Christ Teacher Rule and Guid to be heard believed in walked up unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give remission of sins and Salvation with God to which F. E. forth with replied That he would for this lay down his life and to confirm him therein W. Harriot then said we deny the out side Christ to be our Saviour Then I requested the Hearers to take good notice sc they have plainly granted that the end of their Meeting to be for to Teach a denial of Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God Act. 2 22 to be the true Christ and our only Saviour which Teaching
builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name sc then the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 10 38 39 40 42 43. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Whom they Jews slew and hanged on a â—ree Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly And he commanded us to Preach unto the People and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins From these Texts of Scripture the 1st Argument did arise To wit If Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People of Israel be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but false Christ Arg. 2. Because the Saints of God by the direction of his Spirit have alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be their true and only Saviâ—ur as in Luk. 2. 25 26 27 28. 29 30 31. And behold there was a Man in Jerusalem whose Name was Simeon and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ and he came by Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child Jesus then he took him up in his Arms and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people c Joh. 20. 27 28. Then said Jesus unto Thomas reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and Thomas answered and said unto him by the spirit of Faith my Lord and my God Joh. 4. 42. And said unto the Woman now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him the Man Christ ver 29. our selves and we know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World From these Scriptures the Second Argument was Formed sc If the Saints of God have by the Holy Spirits direction alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the Saints of God have by the Spirits direction alwayes acknowled the Man Jesus Christ for their true and only Saviour Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but false Christ Arg. 3. Because the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified body on the Cross finish and compleat the work and office of a Saviour as in Heb. 10. 12 14. By the which will we are Sanctified that is Saved through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all And this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified Heb. 2. 14. Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he Jesus ver 9. also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tre and in 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit Eph. 2. 15. 16. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity having slain the enmity in himself on the Cross so making peace and in Chap. 5. 2. As Christ hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Heb. 9. 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and in Col. 1. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable â—n his sight From these Scriptures the third Argument resulted viz. If the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified body on the Cross finish and perfect the work and office of a Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within â—im is not the true Christ But the true Christ and one only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified Body on the Cross finish and perfect the whole work and office of a Saviour Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ 4th Argument Because the true Christ and our only Saviour is in Heaven above us As in Luk. 24. 46 48 50 51. And Jesus said unto them his Apostles thus it was written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day And ye are witnesses of these things And led them out as far as Bethany And he lift up his hands and blessed them And it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven Mark 6. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sate on the right hand of God Act. 1. 11. Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing into Heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Act. 3. 13 21. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Act 7 55 56. But he Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost looking up stedfastly into heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And said Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God From these Scriptures the fourth Argument was formed sc If the true Christ and our only Saviour be in Heaven above us then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the true Christ and our only Saviour is in Heaven above us Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Lastly That by the
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
darkness which is most evident from a due consideration of the foregoing truths Oh how suitable is the Prophets Vision to a Quakers condition Obad. 1. ver 1 2. Behold I have made thee small thou art greatly despised the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee c. From the whole be ye advised 1. To cease from making your Idolized Thou and Thee the spring of your scurvy and surly deportment with their mask to wit that holy men in Scriptur recorded did oft use thou and thee one to another and to God himself Now what is your design herein can it be ought else then to put a cheat on the judgements of some ignorant creatures as thus Oh surely say they the Quakers do make Conscience of the Scripture for their warrant and authority thus poor ignorant ones are deluded by your equivocations though its most certain that the Scripture no here commands a Quaker to thou or thee any man much less Christian Rulers Governours and Magistrates yet thâ—se things the unmannerly Quakers will do But the Scripture doth command all men to pray for Rulers Governours and Magistrates to submit unto them and to give the honour which is due to them as Fathers of the Country 1 Tim 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Isai 49. 23 yet these things they will not do so that in a word of truth the professâ—d perfection of a seemingly sanctified Quaker is a conscience of obeying his proud lusts and disobeying Gods inspired Laws 2. Cease from calling the reverential Presidenâ—s above the corruptions that are in the World through Lust for this is to make the fore expressed precepts of God and the Practises of his eminent Sainâ—s guilty of these corruptions but it s no new thing for a Quaker boldly to Blaspheme 3. Cease from wresting the Holy Scriptures especially that of Christ himself John 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another The other part of the verse giving light to these words is usually omitted by them sc and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Quest What is that Honour which cometh from God only Answ The 23d verse tells us All men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him meaning to fulfill all righteousness Mat. 3. 15. It s then clear that the Son of God is the honour intended above if any ask who is this Son of God the good Angel tells us Luk. 1. 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee Mary ver 34. shall be called the Son of God so then the Man Jesus Christ is the honour that cometh from God only which honour the Jews like the Quakers received not as this Son of God told them ver 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not sc by Faith hence Christ infers ver 44. above How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour which cometh from God only Now the Honour which the Pharisees received one of another was the Doctrine of Justification and Eternal Life by the works and righteousness of the Law fulfilled in and by the Son of God alone which righteousness of the Son is the justifying and saving honour that cometh from God only to right Believers will it hence follow because the proud Pharisees took divine honour to themselves and thereby received honour one of another therefore civil honour ought not to be given one to another let me tell you ye Quakers could not have brought a Scripture more full against your selves for under Heaven there are not a People to be found that receive more honour one of another then the men of your Sect do For ye affirm and boldly teach That he who made Heaven and Eearth Angels Principalities and Powers that hath a Name above every Name that is named King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince and only Saviour that gives repentance and remission of fins is in each of your vile bodies It s not to be wondred at that ye are so possessed with the infernal Spirit of superlative pride against Jesus of Nazareth the man approved of God and all true Believers on and lovers of him So much for some further satisfaction to William Bullock and his Light making manifest The next to him was F. E. He makes another motion on the behalf of his Cliant the false Christ and pretended Saviour within him to wit The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin The Text intended by him is in the 1 Joh. 1. 7. And the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son His Son he left out cleanseth us from all sin Answ Nor doth this Text of Scripture prove the thing for which it is brought For 1. Jesus Christ the Son of God in this 7th verse is that Word of Life which the Apostles ve 1 2. had heard and seen with their eyes and looked upon and with their hands had handled who could be no other than the Man Iesus Christ which to prove they bring in the operations of three of their five senses Now this Man Jesus Christ the Son of God as such he cannot be in a Quaker 2. By the Blood of this Son of God is meant the grievous sufferings pains and tortures which he endured on the Cross to the death and therefore called the blood of the Cross Col. 1. 20. as the Man Jesus Christ cannot be in a Quaker so consequently his bloody sufferings cannot be in a Quaker 3. That this blood of Christ cleanseth meaning all right Believers on it from all sin i. e. from all the pains and eternal sufferings due to the nature of sin for cleansing here is the same with washing in Rom. 1. 5 And from Iesus Christ the faithful Witness that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood i. e. in the sufferings of the Manhood of his pâ—rson for the former part of the verse concerns Christs Propetical Office and the latter part his Priestly Office which referred to Christs humane Nature and for that reason the cleansing or washing cannot be within but without us sc in Heaven Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Iesus So then to be cleansed from all sin by Christs blood is to be acquitted and justified in the sight of God from all the deserved miseries of sin as Rom. 5. 8 9. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him And the same Apostle tells us Col. 1. 21 22. Yet now hath be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death or through the death of his body of flesh Heb. 10. 20. To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight not in our selves for Rom. 4. 5. He justifieth
things which concern created-nature as it s stated by the Apostle in Heb. 2. 17. and in Chap. 4 15. In all things it behoved him Christ to be made like unto his Brethren and he was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin surely he that is in all things like man except sin is rightly called the Son of Man for sin is not at all the Form but all the Deformity of Man The issue is that the Fox hath concealed his craft putting no difference between the terms sc Humune and Humane he knew full well that the Fox's craft would be soon discovered should he admit the Lords Christ to have a humane Nature or a body as is common to Man kind and therefore in Pag. 71. above he quarrels the word Humane and querieth where doth the Scripture speak of Humane where is it written quoth he that we may search for it Rep. Though we have not the Word yet having the Thing it might satisfie all with whom the light of Reason hath any credit Once more Christ the Second Man is said to be Lord from Heaven because he is to restore the heavenly life which was lost by the first man Adam who was also said to be Earthly by reason of Transgression and Christ is also said to be from Heaven by reason of Restoration By he first mans fall all mankind were deprived of all heavenly and spiritual graces By the second Man from Heaven the Elect of God have those Graces in some measure restored As Calvin in his Exposiâ—ion on the 47th ver above Paul doth not saith he speak of the substance of the second Mâ—ns body but of the habit of Graces and heavenly gifts of the Spirit of Christ And on the same verse he affirms that the Manichies were the first knaves which invented that Heresie Namely That Christ brought from Heaven an invisible body of flesh and blood into the Womb of the Virgin And undoubtedly the Quakers have drunk this Poison originally from them by whom the Devil according to Calvin first set it abroach which as it was so still it is a design from Hell to beget not only a denial but an utter blotting out of the very Name and remembrance as before of the true Jesus Christ and to set up a Spiritual Christ a Mystical Invisible Heavenly King Jesus and all this only to advance the Idol-light within and the more easily to deceive poor ignorant and unstable persons which hath been and still is their stragling Trade I have yet one thing more to mention concerning this Fox which is in his Book above Page 135. to wit That Thomas Mâ—or had said that Christ was absent from us while we are in this mortal body which said the Fox is contrary to the Apostle who saith The life of Jesus is Mark is manifested in their Mark their mortal flesh but he Fox like quotes not any place of Scripture the Text of Scripture abused by him is in 2 Cor. 5. 11. Eor we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might not is but be made manifest in not their but our mortal flesh Note the Fox saith The life of Jesus is manifested making it present but Paul saith that the life of Jesus might be made manifest making it future nay he hath not only believed the Letter but the Sense also of the Text which may appear partly by the former part of this 11th verse and partly by the subsequent verses in the former part of the verse thus For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake i. e. we have sc for the testimony of Jesus Death that is sufferings to death as in the subsequent verses 9 10. continually before our eyes that we might be prepared for the fellowship of the glorious resurrection when there will be a full manifestation made of the glorious life of Jesus in our mortal flesh this may yet further appear in ver 12. so then death worketh in us i. e. our daily sufferings from the cruel hands of unbelieving men for our Faith in and Testimony for Jesus and as it worketh in us so it sc the strokes which are deadly to our bodies works ver 17 for us And what work they the 17th verse Answereth For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory But how do they work it Answ Not by way of merit or earning our striving to blood cannot oblige God but by way of preparation to the resurrection in ver 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus Then that glorious life of Jesus shall be manifest in our mortal flesh the sum oâ— all is this to wit That the Lord sends afflictions yea death it self which to the Saints is the last and greatest affliction not only to cleanse their souls but to fashion and prepare their bodies as vessels to hold the exceeding weight of glory Now let any sober Saint judge wheâ—her Thomas Moor or George Fox hath contradicted the Apostle surely that Fox which endeavours as much as in him lies to choak the Lamb of God wâ—ll be ready to wrest the mind of the Apostle This Fox is seconded by Quaker Penington sc That the body prepared Heb. 10. 5. above was a Mystical Invisible body of flesh and blood for in his Book called Mysteries of the Kingdome he saith That the external blood of Christ cannot cleanse the Conscience for the blood of Bulls and Goats could not do it no more can his blood putting no more worth or vertue in the blood of Christ than in the blood of Beasts the consideration of this insufferable Blasphemy did so provoke the Spirit of Mr. Francis Duke a Man eminent for Meekness and Modesty that in his answer to one John Chandler a Teaching Quaker for the like expressions from him Page 67. he plainly tells this Chandler That he and his fellow-leading Friends are a Pack of such Villains as base as ever the Earth borâ— as for Penington he declares in his Book above That the heavenly body of flesh and blood which Christ brought with him from heaven meaning into the Virgin and dwelt in the Garment of his body a while and now is in every Saint sc Quaker Saints his mind herein is shortly this sc That a Mans wearing Garment is not his body so the visible material body of Jesus Christ which he calls the Garment of his body is not the Saviour Christ but as the natural body of a Man is within his Garment even so the true Christ was within the Garment of his external body whence it s most evident that this Seducing Teacher doth not confess with the Apostles That Iesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God and by him exalted to be a Saviour is the true Christ Act. 5. 31. Let me add a little more of Peningtons Divinity
4 Quest Or can you tell that Christ put off his body since he came to Heaven and Stephen saw him there I am said he most sure that you can tell no such thing for the testimony of the holy Angels is against it for they did assure the Disciples that the same Jesus that they saw ascend should be so seen to come again Act. 1. 9 10 11. And will not these four things put you out of doubt sc that Christ hath the same body now that he had upon the earth Oh how great is the ground of a true Christians comfort that the same person that died for us is thus sate down at the right hand of God aad that there we have the same Jesus interceeding for us in heaven on the other side is it not matter of dread and terror to the wicked both in practice and judgment that still continue to oppose an exalted Christ and prefer their base Lusts and Errors before this glorious Lord Jesus The second part of the charge being fully ended W. Wilkinson called on me to make Good the third part of the Charge viz. That the Prime Principles of a Quaker are the same which were held and professed by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus Which I thus Aâ—gued It appears by the manifold Arguments which the Apostle Paul used towards the Corinthians 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to prove the Resurrection of Christs body from the dead and the bodies of the Saints by him now their Principles were these to wit 1. That the body of Christ was not raised from the dead and consequently he is not Jesus a Saviour 2. That no Mans body shall be râ—ised from the dead and consequently Christ shall not be the riser of the dead The first of these the Apostle confutes in Chap-above ver 3. 4. For I declared unto you first of all that which I received how that Christ dieaâ— or our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that â—he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures And the second likewise in ver 13 14 15. c. But if there be no Resuâ—rection of the dead then is Christ not risen And if Christ be not risen we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that bâ— raised up Christ whom he raised not up iâ— so be that the â—ead rise not Here hence Paul infers ver 32. If after the manner oâ— meâ— I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth is me if the dead rise nâ—t let us â—at and drink for tomorrow we die As if the Apostle had said if it must be with our Bodies as with Beâ—sts after Death then it would be best for us to Live as Beasts 〈◊〉 Time of Life intimating that there resolves and desires is to live in Brutish lust pleasures these are the most predominate motivâ—s that perswaded them to deny and oppose the Resurrection of the dead which opposition I charged upon the Quakers then present To which William Wilkinson replyed saying Shew us an express Scripture which saith That the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus denyed the Resurrection of the Dead I answered 1. It was plainly implyed in that Text of Scripture and it doth evidently concenter therein Besides in reason there is nothing that could be the ground or occasion of this Fight or violent contention between Paul and these Brutish disputants but the Doctrine of the Resurrection 2. I gave him the liberty to put his own interpretation upon the words in vers 32. above To which he made no reply at all Let me here add It is more then probable that the Beasts Paul sought with at Ephesus were the same persons or of the same beastly perswasion which in other places opposed Paul's Doctrines of Faith in Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead As in Athens Act. 17. 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicurians whom Calvin on the Text calls Beasts encountered him and some said What will this babler say othersome He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods because be preacheth unto them Jesus and the Resurrection at which some mocked vers 23. And in the beginning of this 19 Chap. vers 1 2 3. We read that Paul went into the Synagogue of the Jews in Thessalonia and three Sabbath dayes reasoned with the Jews out of the Scripture Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead And that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ But what was the issue the 4. vers tells us sc Some of the Jews believed of the devout Greek a great multitude and of the chief Women not a few but the 5. vers informs us That othersome of the hearers believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City on an uproar against Paul because he preached Jesus and the Resurrection Therefore 10. The Brethren immediatly sent away Paul by night unto Berea who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews and preached the same Doctrine v. 1â— But when the Jews vers 13. of Thessalonia i. e. the lewd followers of the baser sort of the Jews vers 5. had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea they came thither also and stirred up the People then immediatly the Brethren sent Paul away vers 14. and they that conducted him brought him to Athens vers 15. In the next Chapter ch 18. 1. we read That Paul departed from Athens and came to Coâ—inth And he vers 4. reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and perswaded the Jews and Greeks namely to believe in Jesus and the Resurrection as in all places aâ—ore expressed but when he was here also opposed vers 6. He departed thence and sailed into Syria vers 18 and he came to Ephesus vers 19 and entered into the synagogue and reasonâ—d with the Iews Though some perhaps might believe his Doctrines because it is said vers 20. He was desired to tarry a longer time with them Yet it is very probable that he was there opposed by some others as at Thessalionica above either at this or some other time And according to his first Epistle to the Corinthians giveth them an account of it ch 15. 32. Now if the Beasts therein mentioned were not the same individual person yet they were specifically the same i. e. of the same Malignant quality and rotten judgement with those lewd fellows of the baser or more bruitish sort which in Act. 17. 5 c. above so strongly denied and opposed Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour with the Resurrection of the dead upon the whole ye Teaching Seducing Quakers may run and read in the Scriptures of God what lewd and base fellows have been according to the testimony of the holy Spirit of truth your Predecessors and of your bruitish Principles sc 1. Denying Jesus
attained to some growth in Christian matters learned these were called strong or perfect in comparison of the Beginners Thus Perfect is to be understood in the 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdome among them that are perfect meaning however imperfect weaklings are taken with inticing words of mans wisdome ver 4. accounting the Preaching of the Cross Christ crucified Foolishnest yet grown mortified Christians will discern wisdom and sublimity in the plain preaching of Iesus Christ Crucified and this sense may be accommodated to this place of Scripture Phil. 3. 15. above As many of us as be perfect i. e. such of us as are no Beginners or Learners such as try experiments in Religion But Perfect such as have made some towardly progress therein that have attained to some Gospel strength ripeness or growth in the blessed Doctrine of Faith Obj. But if any Teaching Seducing Quaker should say viz. That by the word Perfect as it referrs to Saints in this world it doth signifie a perfect freedome from all sin Answ 1. This was the lying Doctrine of the Heretical Catharish's and now taught by Seducing Quakers but no where owned in the Scriptures of truth where is that Scripture to be found which saith in so many words sc That this or that Saint was perfect from all sin in this life when it shall be shewen it will be seriously considered 2. Solomon makes a chalenge to all the World Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin that is none can say it truly though some will say it bouldly that any Saint of God in this life is absolutely freed from the having of sin which is evident from the confession of the most eminent Saints 1 Ioh. 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But to this Scripture the Quaker pâ—etends an Answer sc that in v. 10. the same Apostle saith If we say we have not sinned we make him a Lyar Here hence the Teaching Quakers do infeâ—r saying 't is true the born of God should lie if they did deny themselves to have sinned before they were in the new birth but not after it alledging 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whatsoever is born of God doth not commit sin Reply 1. The 10th verse above sc If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Lyar by these words the Apoâ—â—les intend their having of sin after as well as before the new birth for observe the 8th verse If we that is we who are in the new birth say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Note here that the words in this 8th verse are expresly of the present time to wit if we not have had no sin c. which doth most plainly prove that the born of God have sin after as well as before their new birth 2. As to the words alledged out of the 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin Answ 1. If the words should be understood in the Quakers sense above asserted then the new birth would exclude the being of sin in all the born of God for the new birth agrees to them all to one as well as to another as the reason given is the same verse doth testifie Because his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God now the seed remains in all the born of God as well as in any well then it must be meant of all Saints or none Now if the Teaching Quakers should be so stark mad as to affirm all Saints to be free from sin the Scripture above 1 Ioh. 1. 8. will reprove their madness for if we who are the real Saints and born of God say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us all men may see that these words were spoken of and by such Saints as had ver 3. fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and yet they have certified sc if that we say that we have no sin c. Again That the words in 1 Ioh. 3. 9. cannot be meant of freedome from the nature and being of sin in the born of God but only of the Trade and Custome of sinning which is explained in the foregoing 8th verse For the Devil sinneth from the beginning i. e. he hath never ceased to sin since he began it hath ever been his trade or customary way thus to sin the born of God cannot for the course and custome of sin being broken there 's not now such a free correspondency between the Soul and Sin as before Regeneration this is the Character of the unregenerate They cannot cease to sin 2 Pet. 2. 14. But so the born of God sinneth not i. e. without cessation inasmuch as he is daily pleading in his prayers against sin desiring strength not only against but victory over it thus is was with Paul Rom 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death sc from this burden and bondage of inherent sinful corruption yea all this after he was most truly the born of God It is therefore a manifest wresting of the above mentioned Texts sc 1 John 1. 10. in forcing them to say that the born of God sinned before they were in the new birth but not after it The tenth Scripture Eph. 3. 19. That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God which some say excludes the being of sin in Saints Reply 1. The phrase Fulness is to be expounded by a distinction there being a double fulness namely of Parts and Degrees for the first of these we read Act. 7. 55. But he Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost this Respects the fulness of parts only that is he had something of every Grace though not a perfection of any Grace An Infant may be said to be a perfect man as it hath a perfection or fulness of parts but not of growth and degrees 2. The fulness of God in respect of Degrees is to be had only in Heaven above And even there the Apostle intends not equality but quality of fulness that is a divine and glorious fulness of or from God so then the fulness of God above expressed is to be understood of a fulness not on Earth but in Heaven which is the proper import of that place of Scripture for the Apostle prayes that they Might be filled c. And so they should be in Heaven but he asserts not that either they were or should be so filled in this life the person is because here we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9 22. For now we see through a Glasse darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as I am known Therefore the fulness of God above doth not exclude the being of sin in this life The eleventh Scripture Luk. 1. 6.