and Consequence to us Therefore it is that the Devil is 〈◊〉 concern'd to support and keep up thâ—â— Doctrine which makes no more 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus than a Good Example as a Man who had a great Measurâ— of the True Christ or the Light with in but no more Incorporated iâ— Him or made part of his Substancâ— and Person than in any other Man and consequently that the Light oâ— Christ Dwelt in the Body of that Maâ— who was called Christ Jesus only 〈◊〉 in a Veil or Garment which he haâ— now thrown off and is no more Man nor has any Human Nature now 〈◊〉 Heaven Nay indeed at this Rate He never was a Man only Dwelt in â—e Body of the Man Christ Jesus or a time as He Dwells in the Body â—f any other Saint Nor did He Suffer or Die more in Christ Jesus â—han in any other who Suffer'd or Died â—or the Truth or any more than a Man can be said to be Crucify'd when you Crucifie the Cloak or Garment which he wears Thus has the Devil in the Quakers totally Destroy'd Christ's Humanity as in the Socinians he has taken away His Divinity and in both he has Rooted up the Doctrine of the Satisfaction made by the Passion and Death of Christ God and Man to the Justice of God for our Sins which is the very Heart and Corner-stone of the whole Mystery of the Gospel and by which only we can expect Salvation Therefore till the Quakers are fully Rescuâ—d out of Satan's Power 〈◊〉 can never expect that he will give theâ— leave to quit this main Pillar of hiâ— Kingdom No On the contrary he has made them most Zealous and expresly Blasphemous in this They compare themselves to Christ Jesus make themselves Equal to Him to be Christ as well as He. And in some things Prefer themselves before Him They Prefer their own Sufferings to the Sufferings of Christ and His Apostles These are the words of a Great Apostle of the Quakers Edward Burrough p. 273. of his Works The Sufferings of the People of God called Quakers in this Age is greater Suffering and more unjust than in the Days of Christ or of the Apostles What was done to Christ or the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in Great Part by the Due Execution of a Law I will not stay to Comment upon this Blasphemous Expression to say that the Sufferings and Death of Christ was the Due Execution of a Law If it was Due then Christ had His Due and He Deserv'd what He met with Nor will I in this place take time to Detect the subtile Artifice of the Quakers in Magnifying their Sufferings of which there are very Remarkable Instances to be given Nor to shew that their Sufferings were by Law and for the most part by the Due Execution of a Law I being now chiefly concern'd in their Blasphemous Comparing of themselves with Christ our Lord and as in the present Instance Preferring of themselves before Him their small Imprisonments or Fines for none of them suffer'd Death the Law does not allow it for not Paying their Tythes their Stubbornness and open Contempt of Magistracy and the Laws for which they wou'd not have Escap'd so Easily in any other Christian Country I say my Business at present is to shew how they compare their short Imprisonments for the above-said Causes with the Death and Passion of Christ and His Apostles and make these Their Sufferings not only Greater against Common Sense as if Tortures and Death were not Greater Sufferings than Fines and Imprisonments But most Blasphemously make Their Sufferings too to be more Unjust than those even of Christ Himself As if it were more Unjust to touch the Hair of a Quaker's Head to Fine or Imprison him tho' transgressing all the Laws of the Land than to Crucifie the Lord of Glory when they had no Legal Proof against Him nor any Law either of the Jews or Romans by which He ought to die Let the Quakers never more pretend to Persecution when they can escape with such Impudent Blasphemy as this Which was repeated by another of their Prophets whom I have had often occasion to mention Solomon Eccles who said That the Blood of Christ was no more than the Blood of another Man I do not mention this as if this Contempt of our Lord Christ were only to be prov'd by these Two Evidences No There are Clouds of Witnesses to be produc'd of the like Blasphemy in almost all their Teachers it is their dayly Theme in their Profane Meetings But more sparingly since the Noise that has been made upon this Head by G. Keith and others of their Separatists They now to cover themselves from that Horrid Odium which this must justly bring upon them from all the Nation and from all Christians begin to Preach in their Publick Meetings of a Christ without and of His Sufferings at Jerusalem c. a Voice which since their first appearing in the World has hardly ever been heard among them The whole Tendency of all their Doctrine being always to depreciate as much as was in their Power the outward Man Christ Jesus and to build All upon the inward Christ or Light within But how sincerely and with what Reserves they now when Forc'd by Worldly Politicks speak of Christ without I have chosen this Instance of Solomon Eccles to explain by shewing the Subtile and true Quaker Answer which he gives to one Robert Porter who objected to him what I have above Quoted and told it to others Solomon Eccles writes to him in these words Robert Porter take heed of belying the Innocent for I hear that thou hast reported to a Priend of mine that I shou'd say that the Blood of Christ is no more than the Blood of another Man I never spake it but do very highly esteem of the Blood of Christ to be more Excellent and Living and Holy and Precious than is able to be uttered by the Tongues of Men and Angels And now Reader wou'd not 〈◊〉 think that he had fully deny'd the Charge against him And that he did highly esteem the Blood of Christ But behold the Quaker Subtilty He does not mean one word of this of the Blood of Christ which He shed upon the Cross but of the Spiritual Blood whatever he or the Quakers intend by it for after the abovesaid High Witness to the exceeding Value of Christ's Blood he adds immediately in the very next words to Explain himself I mean says he the Blood which was offer'd up in the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 You may say that this was the outward Blood which Christ shed upon the Cross True it was so For He offer'd his Blood through or in as this Quaker alters the Text to make it incline the more to their meaning the Eternal Spirit And if Solomon Eccles had said no more so it might have pass'd But he goes on in plain words to tell us what he wou'd be at and
Book another Monstrous Possession of one James Milner who said that he was Christ and that he must suffer as Christ did and in a jugling manner with a Knife and a Bason pretended that his Blood was shed and that he gave up the Ghost as Christ did He prophesy'd Twelve strange Prophesies and liv'd to see them all prove False George Fox answers Gilpin in a very pleasant sort of manner He owns that the Lord did open True Prophesies Great Mystery Printed 1659. p. 298. and mighty things to him James Milner But then as an Excuse for his false Prophesies and his Blasphemies in calling himself Christ c. he makes this Comical Apology In some things his Mind runned out and that he condemns and yet these wicked men will go tell the Nation of it This was a very sad case that he could not call himself Christ and give forth false Prophesies but these wicked Men must tell the Nation of it It was nothing but his Mind Runned out He only Blasphem'd and sought to delude the Nation and yet they must not be told of it For notwithstanding of all this he is a good enough Prophet for Fox Fox thinks that the Lord did open true Prophesies and and mighty things to him True and False Prophet in one Or else there never was one among the Quakers I will trouble the Reader but with one Instance more John Toldervy has printed a very punctual Narrative of his own Conversion to Quakerism and of the most astonishing Possession of the Devil in which he was held after his said Conversion even to the Apparitions of Evil Spirits Dancing and Singing about him and directing him what he shou'd do and encouraging him in the Principles of Quakerism chiefly to adhere strongly to his own Light within which he was to make a superiour Guide to Scripture it being the same Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures and consequently that he himself was as Infallible as any of the Prophets or Apostles as having the same Spirit which they had And thus being brought to believe every strong Imagination which came into his Head to be the immediate Dictate of the Holy Ghost And these Unclean Spirits having the power to make Impressions upon his Imagination he became intirely subject to their Will and was carried into strange Excesses even to attempt Miracles That as Fire proceeded from the Lord See John Toldervy 's Book call'd The Foot out of the Snare Printed 1656. p. 30. upon the Altar in the sight of Moses Aaron and the Children of Israel so from the Lord in me says he so he call'd his Light within thinking it to be very God and Christ and that he thereby was Christ the true and real Christ of whom that Man Christ Jesus was but a Type or Figure which is the Quaker Doctrine as is shewn Sect. 17. and 18. shou'd there proceed that Vertue which shou'd infuse a heat into these Coles and Sticks which he had gather'd together for that purpose by which a Fire shou'd be kindled now being confident he goes on I shou'd effect the Work yea had I been Master of the whole World I shou'd have ventured all with a value of no worth upon the performance of this Deed having laid all things in their order as directed by that Spirit which moved me to the Work Page 31. I was moved to blow with my Mouth Expecting still that from my Life The Lord there shou'd Heat proceed with my Breath to the lighting of the Fire But in the end not being able to effect the thing I was extreamly troubled that I The Christ of God should fail in the performance of the first Miracle since so many Miracles were wrought by him that was a Figure of me It is dreadful to repeat such Horrid Blasphemy After this he was tempted to mimick over in himself our Saviour's Agony Crucifixion his Death Burial and Resurrection thrusting a Needle through his Thumbs Page 37. for the piercing of Christ's Body falling down and covering himself with Shavings of white Paper for a Winding-Sheet c. There are multitudes of prodigious Instances in the said Narrative of the incredible power of Enthusiastick Delusion to which I refer the Reader He pretended to be directed by Flies in most of his This minded me of the Etymology of Beelzebub Extasies which signifies The God of Flies But to go on James Naylor wrote an answer to Toldervy call'd Foot yet in the Snare c. printed in the same Year 1656. To which Toldervy reply'd the same Year and call'd his Replication The Snare broken c. And in the same Year again in two Sheets call'd The Naked Truth c. he made a sort of a half Vindication and half Recantation not of the Matters of Fact of his foresaid Delusions for these were undeniable but to free the Quakers from the Imputation and Scandal of them and to clear himself to have been and still to continue a true Quaker which makes the Cause much worse on their side James Naylor in his answer to Toldervy makes him to be both a true Prophet and a False like Fox 's Apology beforetold for Milner and where Toldervy tells of his being moved to say Thee and Thou Foot yet in the Snare p. 16. not to pull off his Hat to pull off the Points at his Knees and his Buttons that were unnecessary and not to direct his Mind in Drinking to any and the like Essential points these things Naylor says were dictated to Toldervy by the Spirit of God But as to his being led with Flies to Crucifie himself and to burn his Legs and prick Needles in his Thumbs and the like these Naylor says were the Devils Work And yet they were the same Spirits which bid Toldervy do both the one and the other and so both Good and Evil Spirits by Naylor 's Account But after Naylor had thus endeavour'd to Vindicate the Quaker-Spirit and to shew that Toldervy had it not like him Naylor in perfection even that same Year viz. 24. October 1656. all the Good or Evil Spirits entered into Naylor himself and he set up to be Christ and was Hosanna'd into Bristol Quakers leading his Horse strowing Branches and their Cloths in the way and singing Hosannah to him and Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Israel These Quakers said upon their Examinations That he James Naylor was the Christ that his Name was changed from James to Jesus that he was the only begotten Son of God the only Saviour See Ra. Farmer 's Narrative of this Triumph of James Naylor Entituled Satan Enthroned c. Printed 1657. p. 18 c. and that they knew no other Saviour but him And James Naylor upon his Examination wou'd not disown any thing of this But Justify'd and own'd it in Terms Equivalent p. 14. But this was Threatning to the Great For who pretended to be the Christ himself Naylor was but For 's Disciple And now was setting
of the Truth as were in few years gathered then the Heavenly motion came upon George Fox as the Lord 's Anointed as being the Great Apostle of Jesus Christ and as one whom the Lord had ordained to be in the place amongst the Children of Light in this our Day as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel in his Day to set forth Methods and Forms of Church Government and to Establish Monthly and Quarterly Meetings of Men and of Women distinct from Men and these Meetings are since called the Church whose Counsel Advice and Judgment as occasion shall offer is to be submitted unto by every one who Professeth himself a Member of the Church And saith George VVhitehead We are to Believe as the true Church Believes c. Christian Quaker Part 1. p. 9. 1680. I was told by one present at the Quaker-Meeting at Radcliff on Sunday the 17th of February last 1694 5. that Mr. Penn having Preached and after George Keith rising up and Expounding some Scripture in another manner than Mr Penn had done that Mr. Penn stopt him and solemnly Denounced these words against him In the Name of the Lord I Pronounce him an Apostate over his Head Upon which occasion I have these few Questions to ask 1. Whether this was a Sentence from Mr. Penn himself or from their Church If the latter it comes in the Class just before-mention'd of their Church-Authority over the Light within particular Persons But if the former then here is Private Light against Private Light And Mr. Penn will please to tell us by what Authority he Pronounc'd this Sentence against G. Keith in the Name of the Lord. If by an Ordinary Commission of Succession to Christ and the Apostles by Regular Ordination That I should be glad to hear But if by an Extraordinary Commission such as the Prophets and Apostles had we wou'd desire such Credentials as they had that is Miracles Otherwise any Reason why this is not rank Enthusiasm and liable to the Sentence of those who spoke In the Name of the Lord when He had not sent them Mr. Penn owns the Enthusiasm but does not shew the Miracles for he said publickly in their last Yearly Meeting in May 1695. in Excuse or Justification of his above-said Sentence of Apostacy against G. Keith That he was then so Transported with the extraordinary Power of God upon him that he knew not whether he was sitting standing or kneeling when he spoke the words But whether this Enthusiasm proceeded from Divine or what other Inspiration will be best known from the Doctrine it supported and which was the ground of the Contest And it was thus told to me by one who was present viz. That Mr. Penn at a former Meeting had Explain'd this Scripture 1 John 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin in this manner That the Blood was the Life and the Life was the Light within This Resolves all into the Light within which as will be further shewn they make to be the Archi-Type and Substance of what Christ's outward Body Blood and all that He did or suffer'd in it were but the Types and Shadow and so of much less Value and Consequence to our Salvation But to go on with our present matter of Fact At the fore-mention'd Meeting the 17th of Feb. 1694 5. G. Keith taking occasion to Discourse upon the above-said Text 1 John 1.7 did Expound it in a quite different manner from what Mr. Penn had done but without naming of Mr. Penn Said that it ought to be taken Literally that it was the outward shedding of Christ's Blood which cleanseth from sin and that this was not to be Resolv'd into the Light within nor to be Spiritualiz'd away from the Letter For that this was overthrowing of the Faith Upon which Mr. Penn rose up and Interrupted him in the middle of his Discourse which I am told is contrary to the Method and Freedom of their Meetings and Church-Discipline and taking it to himself and his former Exposition of that Text which is told above he inveigh'd not without great Passion against G. Keith concluded with the Sentence of Excommunication above-told and stopping G. Keith from any Reply immediately Dissolv'd the Assembly I will not here enlarge upon the Subject matter of this Dispute betwixt them because it will be fully Discuss'd in the following Sections Particularly Section 12 17 and 18. But for the present I only apply it to the point of their Church-Authority over the Light within particular persons which was their Original and Great pretence SECT XI Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures THE Quaker's Refuge Printed Anno 1673. p. 17. states this as truly own'd by the Quakers in these words VVhether the first Pen-Man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes or whether both these are not one or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit whether some words were not spoken by the Grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill Apply'd some by good Men ill Express'd some by False Prophets and yet True some by True Prophets and yet False And from these Suppositions he goes on and concludes that some part of the Scriptures concerning the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind were True And p. 18. That the Scriptures as above Distinguished are a true Record c. Instead of Answering these Diabolical Suggestions against the Sacred Authority of the Holy Scriptures of God and which evidently overthrow the Certainty of the whole G. VVhitehead in his Innocency Triumphant Printed 1693. in Answer to F. Bugg's New Rome Arraign'd p. 28. does own the whole by way of an Excuse for it and says That this question'd but of some words in Scripture not all But the Holy Scriptures confirming the whole of themselves one part Quoting another if the whole be not therefore True the whole must be False And we must take this to be the Opinion of the New Quakers as well as the Old because Non Asserted G. VVhitehead endeavours to solve this Ibid. p. 21. in Answer to the Quotations which F. Bugg had brought out of their Authors which call'd the Holy Scriptures by the Wicked and Contemptible Names of Dust Death Serpents Meat c. Whitehead says that was only in opposition to those who wou'd have the very Paper and Ink and Characters to be the Word of God and the Gospel wherein they were oppos'd says he Christ being the Word and the Gospel the Power of God which Endures for ever which the Books and Letters or Characters cannot Here Whitehead says that there were some Priests in the North in and before the year 1653. when those Books which Bugg Quoted were Printed who were thus Ignorant And that this was the Reason for those Expressions in these Quaker Books First This had been no Reason for these Barbarous Expressions if it had been so But Secondly I will joyn Issue with