one of our Preachers or Writers as generally owned or approved of by us Thus far George Keith in Praise of the Quakers Doctrine and that from the great Reason he said He had to know them by the near intimacy he hath had with them not only in Europe but for these divers years saith he in America Observe this his Praising our Doctrine was Printed few Months if any before he separated from us under pretence of our being Hereticks Unbelievers and holders of false Doctrine Now is it not strange that such a great Body of People hereaway at least should be so soon degenerated in point of Doctrine especially as we must needs be if we are such Hereticks and Unbelievers as he renders us to be But now a little concerning the Clamour he hath made of late against Friends in his Books for their denying as he falsly saith the Resurrection of the Dead For my part I really think it had been better he had kept himself more close to Scripture in it as well as more consistent with himself about it before he had gone about unjusty to quarrel with us concerning it For I must needs say I cannot see how he can reckon himself consistent with himself in this matter if you seriously consider what follows For whereas he saith in one place A Testimony against that absurd Opinion p. 3. where he goes about to demonstrate what part of a Man's body shall rise saith he That which riseth is the Mortal that puts on Immortality and the Corruptible which puts on Incorruption But in another place he saith The Flesh that is Mortal and Corruptible is not that Flesh that shall Ibid. p. 10. be raised up Immortal and Incorruptible And in another Book he saith Truth advanced c. of that which riseth That it is a pure noble part that consumeth not nor corrupteth Now I ask If that which rises be the corruptible how is it that that which rises is incorruptible and corrupteth not again Whereas he saith from Phil. 3. 21. Ibid. p. 10. where the Apostle saith He shall change our vile bodies c. Now saith George Keith It is clear from this that the change is not a Commutation of one thing for another but a Transmutation from one thing to another even as the Soul when Sanctified is the same for Substance as it was before the filth of sin c. was separated from it and as Ashes or Sand is turned into Glass and yet the same for Substance as before Now as he is proving this as a thing yet to come he saith The bodies of the Saints remain low weak mortal and corruptible and not made like to Christ's Glorious body till the Resurrection of the Dead importing that then will be the change meant in the Text of this low weak and corruptible body into an incorruptible one Then I say How is it that he saith That the Flesh which is Corruptible is not that Flesh which shall be raised up Incorruptible and yet that the Text must mean That this Vile and Corruptible must be changed into Incorruptible But if the Corruptible be laid aside and that which corrupteth not but is separated as he saith in about a years time more or less and laid by Divine Providence in some certain invisible place till the Resurrection How then doth it receive the change meant by him in the Text at the Resurrection viz. If it be Incorruptible before the Resurrection for he saith It corrupteth not and the change must be a Transmutation from one thing to another must it not then needs be from an Incorruptible body to an Incorruptible body And what change is that For if it be a Transmutation what is it which is Transmuted It cannot be the Noble and Pure part because the Apostle saith It is our vile Body And according to George Keith it cannot be that which corrupteth because he saith That which riseth corrupteth not Now whereas he goes about to demonstrate the matter of the Soul 's being the same for Substance as it was before its being purified from sin c. and also of Ashes and Sand being the same for Substance when made into Glass as before and such like Now to me this is very short of the matter for as for the Soul it was a Spiritual Substance in its self before its Sanctifying as after so is not the Body so that such a change is surely rather a Purification than a Transmutation even as the washing of a body besmeared with Dirt when cleansed is a Purification and not a Transmutation And as for Ashes and Sand it is still of a Temporal and Corruptible Nature after it is Transmuted into Glass as well as before So that unless he could demonstate how a Natural Corruptible Substance as suppose Ashes or Sand can be turned into a Spiritual and Incorruptible One and yet be the same for matter and Substance as it was before that change All that I find he hath said is to me far from the Matter in hand Again if the grossy Ibid. p. 114 113. 117. part which he saith is called by Paul Corruption is not proper to Man as Man as he intimates nor no proper part of Man's body and the other part corrupteth not then no proper part of Man's body nor nothing of Man as Man corrupteth How then is it said of David That he slept with his Fathers and saw corruption And if Acts 13. 36 nothing that is proper to Man as Man Rom. corrupteth How is Man in Scripture called corruptible Man And how is it that Job said in his day I Job have said of corruption Thou art my Father and to the Worms Thou art my Sister Again whereas he saith speaking of the Principle or Substance of the body which he calls the visible part Though the Man-eater Truth advanced c saith he may eat the gross part of Man's body yet that more subtle and invisible part they cannot eat Now what is this but to say they may eat Man's body but they cannot eat the Substance of Man's body And is not this as contrary to that common Understanding God hath given Man to judge of and distinguish things by as the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation For the Papists say Though as to their Sense they eat the very Bread it having the very colour the smell the taste and shew of Bread yet the Substance of Bread they eat not So G. K. holds That though Man-eaters may eat the visible part of Man's body which is seen with the outward Eyes yet the Matter and Substance of Man's body they cannot eat What strange Doctrine is this And if any say things that are impossible to Man are possible with God so say the Papists for their Doctrine of Transubstantiation Now to conclude this matter I do say Though the Scripture is very plentiful of Testimonies and Proofs of the Resurrection of the Dead and that according thereunto we
is Christ the only Mediator and Saviour and that so to assert is not to assert another Christ than Jesus of Nazareth c. Then surely Jesus of Nazareth cannot be something else than the Light Power and Spirit within because Jesus of Nazareth is the only Christ Mediator and Saviour and so is the Light Power and Spirit within acknowledged to be And if the same then not any thing else Eighthly Seeing according to G. K. the Light within is God and Christ and yet not sufficient without something else is not this as much as to say God and Christ is not sufficient without something else or something besides For so he saith the word else signifies And how it is then said in Hosea c. 13. 4. Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour besides me Where is now the something else And whereas he owns the Light within to be Christ in express words but by that something else he saith he means the Man-Christ doth not this imply two Christs to wit Christ one thing and the Man Christ some other thing or something besides Christ But now though we cannot yield to G. K. in these his Terms that the Light is not able of it self and consequently that God by G. K's own words who saith the Light is God is not able to save because we believe besides him there is no Saviour yet we do not in the least question but dearly own and acknowledge and believe the way and means that the Lord was pleased out of his infinite Love and Good Will to Mankind to take in order to redeem him from Sin and Death as sending his only begotten Son into the World not only as a Light to shew us the way we should go and a Spirit to convince and reprove us of our Sins and enable us against the Act thereof But also as Man in the prepared Body to offer up himself a most acceptable Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World Which Offering the Lord was pleased to accept of and by his Spirit and Power it is made effectual for the Reconciliation and Salvation of all those that repent of their Sins and truly believe in his Name And that God doth not save any without respect to that great Offering we all grant and truely believe For as G. K. saith The Lord having Light of Truth p. 6. ordained it so to be how can or dare we say therefore That he was or is not sufficient by his Light Power and Spirit to save without something else Surely this seems to me too presumptuous Acts 2. 22. ptuous an Expression For was not that Body prepared of God And what was done in it is it not said God did it by him So that the scruple with us is not in the least what God hath done or doth do for lost Man as G. K. often dis-ingeniously words it by altering the state of the Controversie which never was What God or Christ hath done for us nor of the Way and Means he hath taken to Redeem us according as it 's recorded in the Holy Scripture but What He by his Light and Spirit is sufficient to do For we say He being God can do as he pleaseth else how is he God Almighty and Omnipotent Therefore let us not undertake to argue as if there were any thing that God by his Light Spirit and Power is not sufficient to do and we need not debate any longer about it Ninthly If according to that Faithful Friend and Brother Edward Burroughs That We meaning the Quakers would have such to Reign who Rule for the Lord Exercising and Executing Righteous Judgments by the Spirit of God Then must it not be such who are lead by the Spirit of God And if so then Sons of God And surely as Edward Burroughs saith such are of us Now how does your Faith agree with his in this matter that say No Christians can Rule And if it be our Faith as G. K. saith it is That Magistrates may preach then surely it is our Faith that Preachers may be Magistrates Against which Practice it self G. K. hath all of a sudden very Unmanly as well as Unchristianly appeared exposing Friends to the World in Print about it without ever admonishing them before-hand of it For was not that his place to have done when he reckoned himself an Elder in the Church among us as well as that he was a Neighbour inhabiting in the Town among Friends that then were in place of Government But which is most to be observed that instead of reproving them for Retaking a Sloop for which Act he has since exposed them or admonishing about it he comes to them and Commended them for what they did and said It was very well done c. Methinks you should consider these things But to the matter How it should be our Faith that Magistrates may preach according to G. K's former Doctrine and yet against our Faith that Preachers should be Magistrates according to his latter Doctrine and yet that there is no Contrariety between his present and former Doctrine as he saith there is not is sure too hard to reconcile Tenthly Since according to G. K's express words Christ's glorified Body now in Heaven is no more a Body of Flesh Blood and Bones but a pure ethereal or Heavenly Body like unto which the Bodies of the Saints are to be at the Resurrection as before and that we firmly believe that one Mediator between God and Man to be the Man Christ Jesus according to the express Testimony of Scripture and that he ever lives to make Intercession for us according to the will of God so we desire to rest satisfied therein without aspiring to attain to high things beyond our reach or as David said Not to exercise our selves in things too high for us Eleventhly Concerning the Resurrection since it is enough according to that Faithful Friend and Brother William Penn That we believe in the Resurrection and that of a Glorious and Incorruptible Body without farther Nicities And if in Spirit and Doctrine you are one with him herein why then do you obtrude such Questions upon us Shall the same Body rise Or Shall any thing of this Body rise But seeing it is safest in this and all At the Bank Meeting House in the 4th Month 1693. other matters of Faith to keep to Scripture-words according to J. C. why then would not our Faith be taken when so often offered to be delivered in the very words of Scripture But more of this hereafter I shall now sum up in short the substance of some of the aforesaid Passages c. wherein he is to me so clearly inconsistent with the Doctrine of Faithful Friends as also greatly in contradiction to himself as well as that he is guilty of strange Absurdities therein which take as followeth viz. Men may be saved who are ignorant R. Barclay of Christs Death and Sufferings None are saved but who
have the The Places cited before knowledge of Christs Death and Sufferings The express knowledge of his Sufferings and Death as Man in the Outward is universally necessary to Salvation The express knowledge is not universally necessary to Salvation The Light is sufficient of it self The Light is not sufficient without something else The Light is able to save and redeem of it self The Light is not sufficient without something else The Light within is God and Christ The Light within is not sufficient without something else The Light Power and Spirit within is Christ the only Mediator and Saviour The Light is not sufficient to save without something else It is our Faith that Magistrates may G K. A â—estimâ—ny 〈◊〉 p. 3. preach It is our Faith that Preachers may not be Magistrates That which rises is the Corruptible Truth Advanc'd page 118. that puts on Incorruption That which rises is a pure noble part that consumeth not nor corrupteth Note now pray Friends and consider how does your Faith well agree with the Faith of all faithful Friends in all parts of the World And how inconsistent is G. K's Faith and Doctrine surely the impartial among you may easily discern But again It is a real degree of Blasphemy to say Refutation page 33. The Light cannot make satisfaction for the sins that are past nor give Eternal Peace and Salvation But the Light is not sufficient without something else The Light or Principle in Man being God can do all things But the Light is not sufficient to save without something else And now notwithstanding the Pretences G. K. hath made for this Separation was for want of having Justice against 2 Ancient Ministers with some other Reasons in his Book called Some Causes and Reasons c. Yet when we call to mind the many expressions that he hath uttered to several Friends upon distinct Discourses with them as also some passages that are dropt here and there in his late Books we cannot but conclude that he did either intend to conform Friends to some Doctrine of which by what follows the 12 Revolutions may be supposed to be not the least in his Eye or else to separate from them Some of which Passages and Expressions from whence we so conclude are to this purpose as followeth viz. Because in this Catechism he concludes 1st G. K. p. 8. That the Sons of the first Covenant cannot perish though they die in that State and yet the State of the second Covenant being absolutely necessary for them to Witness is in order to the perfecting their Salvation Page 10. Then I ask When must they obtain that second Covenant-State if they die without it unless they come again seeing in the Grave there is no Repentance And in another Book he saith That G. K 's Presbyterian Independant p. 115. Men have been in a State of Salvation and Acceptance with God who have not had the Mystery of Christ's Death and Resurrection made known unto them and surely these Men continuing faithful to what they had received when saith he they could not perish And in another Book he saith They Refutation paga 4. could not perish though they died in that State Now I say If they could not perish though they died without Faith and Knowledge and yet that Faith and Knowledge is absolutely necessary to perfect their Salvation I again ask Where must they have that Faith and Knowledge unless they come again to receive it And if they do what will then become of that Text G. K's Presbyterian and Independent visible Ch. c. 8. p. 259. brought by G. K. against the New-England Professors arguing for Non-Perfection in this Life viz. Eccl. 11. 13. where it is said As the Tree falls so it lies Now according to this Text brought by G. K. himself if an honest Indian or poor Infant die or fall without that outward Knowledge so they must lie And then if they cannot be perfectly saved without it then their lying must be but as Souls saved in part and that to be their State for ever because as they fall so they lie Again his strange way of expressing Page 100. himself in the aforesaid Book where he saith God hath given sufficient to all Men whereby they may be saved one time or other before the end of the World And in another Book he saith Whosoever Pretended Antidote p. 98. is not saved one time or other before the end of the World the cause and fault is in themselves c. Much more might be instanced which is taken notice of elsewhere But now as to what he hath said to Persons Because he told Ebenezer Slocam of Road-Island as he affirms to this purpose That it was God s great Mercy to the Jebusites Amorites and Hittites of old in that he destroyed them so much at once by the Israelites for that by so doing their Souls might be sooner come into the Bodies of the Jews Children and so consequently become the sooner to be Members of the Visible Church c. Because he told John Delaval as he affirmed That he believed God would lay it upon him to Preach the Doctrine of the Revolution of Souls for though he hath denyed it yet we have reason to believe John Delaval before him because we know he hath denyed since what he hath spoken to other Persons Because he told my self and John Delaval That there were not above six Friends in the World that Preacht Christ aright which he hath since denyed Because he called George Fox a good Gentile Preacher which he also denyed till Jedediah Allen proved it upon him at the Bank great Meeting the 7th Day of the 4th Month 1693. Because he told John Wilford That Friends were not the People but that there must come another People Because he told John Kinsey That if he could but get a Company to stand by him he would leap over them that stood in opposition against him as so many Straws Because with some Disgust he took with Margaret Beardsley in discourse with her he said after this manner I 'll promise you if you serve George Keith so George Keith will leave you and then you shall wander about for lack of Knowledge and shall not find it Surely now Friends these things considered impartially by you how can you think George Keith sincere when he saith he is in dear Unity with all faithful Friends and Brethren in all parts of the World both in Spirit and Doctrine and can he be sincere now or in his last Answer to Cotton Mather too For now he saith We are Unbelievers Hereticks and holders of false Doctrine But then he said he did not only know us and our Principles far better than Cotton Mather and all his Brethren but solemnly challengeth him at the same time to give him but one single Instance of any one fundamental Article of the Christian Faith denyed by us a People or by any
so as to Collect or Gather by Just and True Consequences other things that lie out of the view of their weaker Brethren they ought not to obtrude them upon any to be received as Principles of Faith but in that case to have Faith to themselves and receive them as peculiar Discoveries or Revelations of the Spirit to them and such others as God hath so enlighten'd That which by the Apostle Paul is called The Word of Wisdom to wit Such a peculiar Degree of Wisdom or Understanding in the Depth of the Scriptures which others who yet are true Christians did not reach unto And concerning such a peculiar Gift of Divine Wisdom he said We speak Wisdom among the Perfect This certainly could be no common Article of Faith eIse he should have preached it unto all And this by the same Apostle is called The Knowledge of Mysteries as distinguished from the common Faith and Knowledge of the whole Church Now if this were but receiv'd among those called Christians That nothing should be required by one sort from another as an Article of Faith or Doctrine or Principle of the Christian Religion in common to be believed but what is expresly delivered in the Scripture in plain express Scripture-Terms of how great an Advantage might it be to bring a true Reconcilement among them and beget true Christian Unity Peace Love and Concord And as for the Consequential part of peculiar Doctrines whether True or False to leave every one a Freedom or Latitude without Imposing the Affirmative or Negative as any Bond or Tye of Christian Fellowship For if such Consequential be false it 's more Unreasonable to impose it and therefore in Observe this is Charity which G. K. now wants for us that Case a Dissenter should have his Liberty to differ in Judgment without any Breach of Brotherly Unity and Society And if it be true yet not being Opened or Revealed to another it cannot be in Justice pressed upon him where God has not given him the true Freedom and Clearness of Mind to receive it And to do otherwise is to transgress that Golden Rule delivered by Paul viz. To walk by the same Rule according to what we have attained And if any be otherwise minded saith he God will reveal it unto him Or if this Advice could find place it would bring the Differences among those called Christians in point of Judgment to a very small and narrow compass and they would derstand one another far better than now they do Thus far G. Keith in his said Book Now pray Friends consider of it for if this advice either had or yet could find place with you that are gone after G. K. or could it have found place with G. K. himself when so often desired it might it is well known the difference had never come to this furious Printing and Separation as it did But if you say G. K. is of another Mind now we do not Question that in the least but then surely the more insincere Man he still to pretend to be of the same Mind for in his Answer to the New England Priests he speaking of the Fall of Adam c. saith thus What the Scripture saith of it is readily believed and granted and it is safest saith he in this and all other Matters of Faith to keep to Scripture VVords especially in all Cases and Matters that are in Controversie for the Scripture is a Rich Treasure or Storehouse sufficient to afford us Words whereby to express our Faith in all Matters of Christian Doctrine and saith he it is not safe to leave the Scripture Words c. Nay in his last great Book so much talkt of before it came out for a profound piece of Divinity though as little heeded by many since they see what it is I say in that Book he hath these Words viz. But against the Doctrine of the Resurrection Truth advanced page 118. here delivered and opened by plain evidence of Holy Scripture VVords and Terms to which it is only safe in this and in all other matters of Faith to keep close c. Thus far again G. K. Again Now whereas you say we have given you to understand VVe have a sense contrary to Scripture VVords it is surely more likely contrary to your Meanings upon Scripture VVords But what uncharitableness is this when we offer to express our Faith in Scripture Words for you to say we have another sense then what we speak Now I ask how do you know that did we either at any time make or offer to make any Confession but in Scripture Words expresly For though here and there a particular Man may have dropt an unadvised Expression contrary to the Principles of the Church they belong to both among us you and others yet certainly in this Case I verily believe the fault hath been chiefly in you for perverting our VVords Now whereas you alledge The Papists say they keep to Scripture Words when they say from Christ's Words This is my Body c. that the very Bread they eat in the Sacrament is the very Body of Christ that was crucified on the Cross c. Now I say the Papists erring here is not by keeping but adding to Scripture Words because the Scripture saith no such things only This is my Body c. Now in what sense Christ called the Bread of the Passover his Body in that sense 't was his Body even as in what sence he called himself a Door and a Vine in that sence he is a Door and a Vine and so we may conclude without any danger of perverting the Text or running into Error about that or such like Texts of Scripture But if some of you think yet That it is not safe enough to express our Faith in the express words of Scripture and should offer any Reasons for it let them be offered to G. K. and see how you can reconcile your Reasons with the Method he hath laid down as the only Means to reconcile differences as abovesaid and if you are one with G. K's Method then I say it being according to him not only safest but the only safe way to reconcile differences in Religion to keep to express Scripture Then surely all other ways are unsafe and why should not this only safe way be accepted of us when we so often offered to take that way to express our Christian Belief by And seeing according to G. K. there is no other Truth advanced page 17. safe way to express our Faith but in express Scripture VVords Let me therefore a little Query with you about it First Where are the express Words of Scripture that say The same Body for Matter and Substance shall rise Secondly Where are the express Scripture Road Island â—â—eet page 7. Words that say None but those that have the Faith of Christ crucified and raised again can love Enemies c. according to G. K's Doctrine G. K. himself saith That many