often in their mouths and in their writings and they will tell you in words they own Jesus Christ come in the flesh so that if this will prove them good Christians they shall passe free from this censure and not be charged with it But withal I shall not conceale the subtilty of Satan in deceiving in this as well as in the former particular as he will let these his instruments own the Scriptures in words whilest they deny them in deed and truth and are enemies to them as before was proved so whilest they professe in words to own Jesus Christ come in the flesh and speak of his Death Resurrection and Ascension c. they do in deed and in truth deny all these things Nor let any wonder at this they could not be deceivers else they are simple deceivers that will in plain and evident words say they deny Jesus Christ they disclaime his Incarnation Death Resurrection c. who would then be taken in their snares the simplest would espy what they are I finde not amongst all the ancient hereticks in the Church since the time of Christ to this day any that have in expresse words said Christ is not come in the flesh though open enemies such as the Jews deny it plainly yet none that have professed to be Christians Some deceivers have said Christ took on him an imaginary no real body some an aërial some a coelestial some a body but no humane soul some that his humane nature was swallowed up of his divine nature and several other heresies about it and these all do in effect deny Christ come in the flesh because they hold forth such a Christ as is no real and true man but none of them have denied it in expresse words and why should we think seducers should be more foolish in deceiving in these last dayes of the world then in former times Besides the Apostle John he calls such an one as shall not confesse Jesus Christ come in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a crafty cheater or juggler that will cozen you while you look on so some expound the word and therefore you must not think they wil in down-right words deny Christ but while they look you in the face and give you good words and say we own Christ come in the flesh and we are slandered by them that say ootherwise of us yet they do but cozen and cheat you for they nothing at all intend it And indeed if you examine the Quakers throughly and ask them what Christ it is they own now in the flesh they will confesse no other Christ but the Christ of the familists Christ in their flesh that in the conscience they own to be Christ but as for the man Christ now in the heavens him they own not as for a Christ who is a particular man personally distinct from other men that Christ that was of the seed of David the Sonne of Mary Jesus of Nazareth they own not him some have said he was the idol of the world they will grant that God took that flesh for a time but no humane soul with it and when that man died on the crosse he never rose againe in this same individual body that same particular man did not ascend into heaven is not at the right hand of God making intercession shall not come to judge the world c. but all this by an allegory is applied to themselves Christ in the flesh is Christ in their flesh dying and rising again in them and now Christ is come to judge the world while they take upon them with authority to judge and revile the servants and wayes of Christ This is the very doctrine of the Quakers concerning Christs Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascension coming to Judgement as may appear by these few testimonies I shall hear set down one of them in a printed paper called The sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. hath these words Your imagined God beyond the stars and your carnal Christ for so they reproachfully call the man Christ Jesus now in the heavens is utterly denied and testified against by the light c. In their book called Sauls errand to Damascus p. 8 9. 14. they say That Christ in the flesh with all he did and suffered therein was but a figure and nothing but an example some of them in these parts have publickly before many witnesses denied the Resurrection of the dead body and if so then Christ is not risen and there 's no such man as the man Christ Jesus now in heaven B. L. in conference with my self denied Jesus Christ to take to himselfe an humane soul so Hubberthorn in a letter to me though he took flesh upon him The same person being asked by W. S. what became of the body of Jesus when it was not to be found in the grave answered it perished Another of them said Thou hopest to be saved by the Christ that died at Jerusalem but I trust to a Christ within me pointing to his breast when that testimony of Christ which he gave concerning his Resurrection was urged to some of them in Luke 24.39 The disciples supposing they saw a spirit and that it was not Christ himself he said unto them behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have they have scoffingly answered where was his blood that was spilt upon the crosse they have often urged Christs appearing to his Disciples the doors being shut to argue that Christ rose not with a corporal body of flesh and bones though at the same time he bid unbeleeving Thomas behold his hands and reach his finger and thrust it into his side They frequently speak of a Christ in their conscience as the only Christ for no other man Christ they will acknowledge There needs no further proof of this charge let but any one that desires further satisfaction concerning it ask them as I my self have often proved it by experience in conference with them whether they acknowledge a man Christ personally distinct from other men now residing in the highest heavens who is to come to judge the world at the last day they will tell you they own the same Christ that ever was for they deny not his divinity but for his humanity they will shufle you off and not speak to that and thereby prove themselves Anti-christs because they confesse not Christ in the flesh c. I need not spend many words in the confutation of these things there is no sober Christian that hath received any thing of the knowledge of Christ but his heart wil abhor these doctrines at the very mentioning of them I shall only refer the Reader to some Scriptures that may establish his faith in the truth about these particulars Concerning Christs being really and truly a man See John 1.14 Gal. 4.4 1 Tim. 2.5 That he was a particular individual man personally distinct from all
gifts in other things as of knowing mens spirits of being infallible of working miracles c. they might finde that there are several words used in Scripture that our translators render the Word of God there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now though the former title be given to Christ yet the latter is not and therefore such places wherein the latter is used can with no colour be expounded of Christ as in Rom 10.17 Eph. 5.26 Eph. 6.17 Heb. 6.5 c. whatever they pretend of the former 4. Let it be considered in what respect Jesus Christ is called the Word and in what respect the Scriptures be called the Word and it will appear this title will with greater propriety of Speech agree to the Scriptures then to Jesus Christ for Jesus Christ is only figuratively called the Word of God that he might through that similitude he hath to a word be more cleerly represented to our understandings as the word is the image and resemblance of ones minde so is Jesus Christ the expresse image of his Fathers person Heb. 1. though no transient image as our words be but co-essential and co-eternal or as the word makes known what is in the minde and heart so hath Christ made known the minde of God unto us others understand he is called the word also because it s he of whom the Word speaks to him give all the Prophets witnesse c. others because he made all things by his Word he spake and they were made But now in none of these respects nor any other that can be further named is Christ properly the word but figuratively But now the doctrines precepts c. of the Scriptures may in a more proper sense and without figure be called the word of God because spoken by God The Lord hath spoken these things by the mouth of his holy servants which have been since the world began Luke 1.70 5. Whereas they call some part of the Scriptures the word of the devil intending thereby that in Gen. 3.1 4 5. and such like places I answer they were the words uttered by the devil originally but now as they be recorded by the penmen of the holy Scriptures and so have a truth of history in them they be the words of God and therefore their malice against the Scriptures only appears herein 6. It would be observed how ignorantly these men do contradict themselves in denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God and yet granting them to be a declaration of Gods minde let them tell what a word is but a declaration of ones minde cannot a childe know that if a man speaks words to another he declares his minde to him what a simple contradiction is this to be found in men that pretend to be infallible but any thing shall be said or done to take down the authority of the holy Scriptures and to lessen the reverence due to them Burroughs against Griffith p. 19. sword drawn p. 1. II. They deny the Scriptures to be a rule of faith and life and hereby seeking to overthrown the great use and end of the Scriptures they are clearly manifested to be enemies to the Scriptures This charge will not be disowned by them for many of their pamphlets manifest their denial of the Scriptures to be a rule of faith and life therefore it rests on me to prove that they are enemies to the Scriptures herein and this will appear in these particulars 1. Without some standing rule and direction given by God we know not how to beleeve in God aright nor worship and serve him acceptably and thereby attain eternal life such as have no standing rule and direction worship they know not what as Christ speaks of the Samaritans John 4. They erre not knowing the Scriptures as Christ saith to the Sadduces Matth. 22.29 The Heathens that wanted the rule of the word what dark apprehensions and misconceivings had they of God and the things of God how utterly ignorant of many mysteries of faith how besotted in worshipping false gods and deceived variously in their searching out the chief happinesse of man Man since the fall hath lost the knowledge of God and is stricken with blindnesse being able only to grope after God as the Sodomites for Lots door so the Apostle phraseth it Acts 17 They feel or grope after him and besides the darknesse of mans minde the seducements of Satan are such who can transform himself into an Angel of light that if we have not something to try the spirits by we may soon be deceived and therefore to have a rule or direction for mans faith and obedience is most necessary seeing man is a reasonable creature and is not acted by a brute impulse but as a free and understanding agent must act what he doth knowingly and with Councel 2. It 's as certain that there is no other way sufficient to direct man to beleeve in God aright and to worship and serve him acceptably and therby attain happinesse but the holy Scriptures As for traditions of men which the Jews formerly and now the Papists equal with the Word of God they lead men further from God and happinesse And for the light in the conscience which the Quakers so highly cry up though it may convince men there is a God as we see by the Heathens that have no other teacher but it yet is it unable to give a man any cleare distinct knowledge of God only a groping knowledge as before was said nor can it teach a man so much as the name of Christ for which of the Heathens know this by the light in the conscience much lesse the great mysteries of Christs incarnation or taking on him flesh of his death and the new Covenant founded on it his Resurrection Ascension c And for matter of practise though it will witnesse against grosse sins and impieties Rom. 2.14 yet how unable is it to convince of original sin the first entrance of sin into the world and death by Adam and of concupiscence or the motions of sin in the flesh that it is sinne when not consented to which the Papists deny to be sinne and it 's likely the Quakers also or else they would not affirm they are perfectly freed from the very being of sin Paul expressely saith he had not known it to be sinne but by the Law Rom. 7.7 it seems then the light in his conscience could not discover it How grosly such have been misled that have given up themselves to heed that light neglecting to use the Scriptures for their light and rule appears sufficiently in the printed relation of Gilpin and Toldervy and by the delusions that this whole company are given up to by God that pretend to follow it Further as for such special and immediate revelations of the spirit that others have boasted of as their guide and direction the woful miscarriages of such Enthusiasts that have pretended thereunto may
Law above the Gospel and call'd men from the grace of Christ to the works of the Law c. now the Law was but a dead killing letter pronouncing a curse and death not could it quicken spiritually there being no promise in it of writing the Law in our hearts but in the same place he commends his Ministry for the Ministery of the Spirit and of Life therefore this place makes nothing for this wicked cavil of those enemies against the Scriptures V. They equal their books and pamphlets though commonly stuft with non-sense and railing ever with wicked errors to the holy Scriptures then which what can be more disgraceful to the Scriptures and more abominable to all sober spirits This appears clearly to all that have but read their papers for thus they commonly write Moved from the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord given from the Lord c. and they boast commonly that they speak from God immediately and infallibly as the Apostles did formerly Whether this doth not bring them under that curse Rev. 22.18 for adding to the Scriptures let them look to it VI. They sometimes plead the Church was a long time without the Scriptures and therefore they are not necessary now and if ten thousand of those books were burnt they might do well enough the light in them is sufficient c. This I testifie hath been objected to me and there be others can witnesse it with me For the former part it is an old Popish Argument against the necessity of the Scriptures and I shall only reply what hath been answered the Papists to this formerly Whitaker de perfec Script cap. 7. tells the Papists though of old time when God familiarly shewed himself to the Fathers and by himself manifested to them his will the Scriptures were not necessary yet after God did change the course of teaching his Church and would have the Word written then the Scriptures began to be necessary To the latter part I answer such an expression would suit the mouth of an Irish rebel rather then of any sober Christian and therefore let him repent and pray if perhaps the thought of his heart may be forgiven him VII They appear enemies to the holy Scriptures in their daily practices as their neglecting to use the holy Scriptures Their speakers speak not out of the Scriptures as did Christ Luke 4.17 who opened the book and took his text out of Esay 61.1 and in all his Sermons he opened the Scriptures and proved all things by the Scriptures nor do their speakers exhort people to search the Scriptures to give themselves to reading meditation This they that have been present testifie c. but to look to the light in their consciences let them shew where ever Christ or his Apostles gave such an exhortation to look to the light within them And for their disciples they follow not the example of the noble Bereans Acts 17.11 who searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so but they take all spoken to them as given from God immediately and turn not to the Scriptures to try the doctrines they hear by the Law and testimony When they have no speakers they sit as mutes together looking on the ground or looking at the light within them as they say but not looking on the Scriptures nor conferring about them though sometimes they will read in their Assemblies their quaking letters or books besides some of them have offered to sell their Bibles Now the most ignorant may easily judge by all this what friends they are to the Scriptures I might adde hereunto if it were requisite to shew their enmity to the Scriptures their perverse wresting of the Scriptures in such a manner sometime as shews they have neither knowledge of the Scriptures nor any light of common understanding of men left in them G. Whitehead maintaining of perfection as the Papists do I brought him that place against it Eccles 7.10 not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not he perverted it as if Solomon did speak of a man in an earthy condition Another when that cripture 1 Cor. 6.20 was used to prove that we are not only to give God internal worship and service but outward and bodily he replied the Church was he body that was to glorifie God Again when Paul Rom. 7. cryed out ob wretched man c. he had not the Spirit And that the same Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.14 did not at all condemne long hair And many of them have said that the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 saying even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel doth not plead for outward bodily maintenance but their living by faith or living spiritually on the Gospel were ever any people more blinded in the world then these how dreadful a judgement is this upon them for leaving the Scriptures and looking to the light in them which appears by these things to be meer darknesse I could fill many pages with such instances of their perverse wrest of the Scriptures but this will appear more fully in the following Sections Let me but summe up these things together and then let the Reader judge whether this first charge is not sufficiently proved against them The proof runs thus if to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and thereby to insinuate they never came from God if to deny the special use of the Scriptures to be a rule of faith and obedience and to make as if they belonged to the Saints formerly but did not concern us now if to give vilifying expressions to them and to call them a dead letter if to equal foolish and wicked pamphlets with them if to plead there 's no necessity of them if to practise to slight them and perversly to wrest them if any or if all of these together will prove the Quakers to be enemies to the holy Scriptures then the charge stands good against them Let the weakest hereby discern and see and not be deceived by them though they pretend in words never so fairly to the Scriptures And thus for this first charge SECT II. The Quakers deny Christ come in the flesh as also his Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession and coming to Judgement THe Apostle John in his second Epistle ver 7. speaks of many deceivers and Antichrists come into the world who confesse not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and forbids to receive such into your houses and to bid them God-speed for such as do so are partakers of their evil deeds Let us therefore in the next place enquire whether the Quakers may be justly charged with this crime that if they be found guilty thereof all such as professe to be Christians may disclaime them and take heed of them as Deceivers and Antichrists I shall here first freely give Testimony for the Quakers and do acknowledge in their behalfs that they have the name of Jesus Christ
be raised up again Answ Why should it seem a thing incredible to you that God should raise the dead Act. 26.8 Ye erre because ye know not the Scriptures nor the power of God Matth. 22. Do not you see as great things wrought before your eyes daily Doth not the corne that is sowne in the ground dye and rot and then spring up afterwards and yet Oh fooles will ye not believe 1 Cor. 15. have not many dead bodies been raised up formerly that we have mention of in Scripture to convince men what God can do Nay do not we know that men are able by their wisdome and power when several mettals are mixed together in one lump to sever them so as each shall be pure and unmixed by it self and nothing lose but the drosse And will you then say that the infinitely wise and powerful God cannot do that in our bodies that such poor worms can do in things below here Let such vain thoughts be laid aside and let faith believe though reason cannot comprehend it Then for the Doctrines of the last Judgment Heaven and Hell I need not insist so much upon the proof of them they will follow upon what is already said for granting the resurrection of the body it will more easily be yielded there shall be rewards and punishments to which men shall be adjudged in the world to come That every man shall receive according to what he hath done in his body whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 15.10 This may appeare one great end why God shall raise them up again But something I shall say to strengthen the weak in these things also 1. Let the light in all men be but judge which these men so much speak of and it will witnesse against them that there is a future state of happinesse or misery an heaven or an hell to which men shall be adjudged after this life is ended according as their works have been here and that judgement heaven and hell are not only in this life There is no Nation in the world however barbarous but have believed it this the light in them hath taught them The Heathen Poets have spoken of their Elisian fields and of the infernal rivers of hell Cicero the Heathen Orator and Lucretius have made mention of the conflagration of the world and the future judgment the Turks speak of Paradise c these they have some dark and groping knowledge of from the light in them though no clear distinct knowledg The poor Indians that go naked as these Quakers sometimes have done in their delusions they have the notion of these things nor are there only meer notions in these Heathens of these things but they have many terrours and feares of conscience about them especially when they have been near unto death this hath been so firmly rooted in them that nothing could weare it out men that have lived like Atheists have been overtaken with these feares sometimes Besides they have an obscure knowledge of a God and that this God is a righteous God and will judge the world in righteousnesse and observing it is not well alway here with them that do well nor doth evill befall the wicked more then others they hence collect there will be a more equal dispensation of rewards and punishments in the world to come Adde further they have knowledge of the souls immortality for they see it doth not depend upon the body now for its acts and operations but can comprehend things that never came within the outward sences can know and understand the nature and causes of things can attaine some knowledge of God and spirits can enter heaven with contemplation while the body lies groveling here upon earth c. and therefore they conclude it doth not depend on the body for its being but is immortall and being immortal there is an estate of eternal happinesse or misery for it How little then do these men look to the light within them while they deny these manifest truths how false are they to their own principles if the light that is in them be darkness how great is that darkness II. But let us appeal to the light of the Scriptures and there we have more clear and distinct discovery of these things then this generall light in all hath yet ever made For the last judgement read Mat. 25. where we have the processe thereof set down at large by Christ the time when it must be is shewed ver 31. When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him not when Christ comes in Spirit to his people but when he comes as the Son of man in a glorious condition his Angels attending him and the persons then to be judged are all Nations ver 32. and not only a few persons shall be judged as these poor wretches affirming this judgement to be now present take on them to judge here and there a person for the living and dead both must be judged then 2 Tim. 4.1 and Angels as well as men Jude 6. The manner of the judgment is described in the following part of the Chapter Acts 17.31 God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world by that Man whom he hath appointed whereof be hath given assurance by raising him up from the dead that Man-Christ that particular Man that was raised up from the dead is to be Judge not these men that pretend to judge now See also for this Act. 10.42 2 Tim. 4.1 And if you would know when this appointed day is to be the Apostle expresses it Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for men once to dy but after this the judgement after death followes the resurrection and judgment it is to be at the second appearance of Christ the Son of man in the cloudes of Heaven 2 Tim. 4.1 1 Thess 4.16 2 Thess 1.7 8. for this last and great judgement see further Jude 14 15. Rev. 20.12 with many other places And for Heaven and Hell after this life is ended that necessarily followes upon the proof of the last judgment these being the places of reward and punishment to which men shall be adjudged at that great day of the Lord So that it s not requisite to multiply places for these Only let the Reader for to confirme his faith peruse at his leasure these Scriptures Mat. 25.34 56. Luke 16.22 2 Cor. 5.1 5 8. 2 Thess 1.7 Heb. 10.34 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Isa 30.33 Psal 9.17 Matth. 10.28 Mat. 25.41 Luke 16.26 Rev. 20.15 From which places its evident that Heaven is a place of perfect blisse and happinesse not upon earth but above the visible Heavens not to be enjoyed whil'st we be in the flesh here though we have some foretasts or earnests of it in which respect it may be said the Kingdome of Heaven is now within us but into which the souls of the righteous shall be translated presently after their departure out of the body and which their bodies