in him and to whom He is Actually a Saviour and that those Three Offices include All that Christ did and was Requesite to be done as Mediatour None even Kieth himself cannot deny as he readily owned at my House all was Reducible to those Three Offices which are all we have mentioned in the Scriptures and those Three are very Obvious and Plain 1. He is called and that Deservedly The Greaâ— Prophet of His Church according to that Promise of and Prophecy concerning him A Prophet shalâ— the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto hiâ— Brethren Him shall ye hear in all things And thiâ— Promise was fulfilled in his Coming and Executing this his Prophetical Office by being the Great Gospel-Preacher to his Church and People Declaring the Way and Means of Salvation by a Mediatour delivering the Will of His Father This was Prophesied also of him in Isaiah 61.1 2 3. and Hebr. 3.1 He is called the Apostle of our Profession And He is the Sole Teacher of the Mysterys of Salvation from the Father Matth. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whom soever the Son will reveal him And this Our Great Prophet do's not always immediately else K's Teachings and all the Teachings among Quakers were most needless and vain but 1 By the Holy Scriptures Profitable for Doctrine and able to make the Man of God Wise unto Salvation 2. By His Messengers and Ministers whom he has commanded to Go and Teach all Nations and sent to give Warning to His Churches and People Therefore from their Office and Teaching called Teachers And Lastly by his Holy Spirit in the Hearts of his People where Christ dwells not Substantially as Quakers say but Spiritually by Faith and so is united by Faith tho' Locally Distant without the Presence of the things United as K. would insinuate and assert in his Paper For if there can be a Moral Union and Relation standing firm betwixt a Husband and Wife the one in Europe the other in America and a Natural Union and nigh Relation between Parent and Child much more between Christ in Heaven and believers on Earth by a Spiritual and indissolvible Union by Faith which is not an absent Christ to Believers with whom he is by Gracious and Spiritual Influences in their Hearts And K's Subtle and Sophistical Arguments from the General and Universal Presence of Christ as God to his special and Gracious Presence as Mediatour will take Place with none but Ignorant and Deluded Quakers for so the Devils in Hell should enjoy as great a Priviledge as Believers on Earth And also it is granted that he is the Eternal High-Priest of His Church who Offered and gave Himself a Sacrifice once upon the Cross for Sinners and by the Efficacious Merits of this Death renders the Persons and Services of his People acceptable unto God not only Teaching them by His Holy Spirit what to pray for as they ought but also continues an High-Priest at the Right-hand of God making continual Intercession for Believers Heb. 7 15. Wherefore he is able to Save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him seeing he ever Liveth to make Intercession for us all which is fully and soundly delivered in the Catechisms and Confessions of Faith of our Divines of the Westminster Assembly And Lastly He is the Sole King Head and Law-giver of his Church by which Kingly Power and Authority he Appoints Laws and Statutes for the Counsel and Direction of his people even to the binding of Conscience with the whole inward man in whom Christ does Rule and Reign even in and over such as subject their Souls to his Government suffering Christ to Reign over them 2 He Subdues and Conquers sinners Naturally Rebels to himselâ— making them from an Un-willing a Willing People in the Day of his power 3 In defending of his Church from all their Enemies assuring them the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them 4 He restrains the Fury and rage of and Finaly executes his Wrath on all His and their Enemys And we never did disown that the special Fruits of all these Three Offices are wrought in the heart of Believers which is inconsistent with that Prophet Priest King in all men according to Quakeâ— Doctrine while the Scripture affirms they are Reprobate in whom Christ is not And it is plaiâ— the Quakers common Christ is not the true Mediatour and Messiah who only dwells in the hearts oâ— Believers by Faith and not of Infidels that do not so much as know by any kind of knowledge aâ—… yet they are Enlightned by him as they say with 〈◊〉 sufficient and saving knowledge How unnecessaâ—… must it be to multiply Offices in our Mediatouâ— seeing all are reducible to those Three and must he not be a Man of a Perverse Spirit and contentioâ— mind that would raise a Debate upon this head and K's Evasion and Quibble for this is extreemâ— silly and weak for saith he the Commands 〈◊〉 Gods Moral Law are reducible to two yet 〈◊〉 branched out into Ten for the first Division 〈◊〉 the Divine Commands was by God himself into tâ— Tables or two Commands yet the same Gâ—… makes the Enumeration or Divisiâ—… 〈◊〉 to ten but no such Warrant can be produced for this Enumeration or Multiplication of Offices in our Mediator for it were as impertinent and idle as if every Duty required and every Sin prohibited in every Command were a new Command and there should be thrice ten instead of ten and what must be thought of those that multiply Offices in Christ calling every thing that Christ is called a new Office in the Mediator as a Father a Shepherd an Husband Physician c. Whence he is called the Way a Rock a Door a Vine all which denote no new Offices but signifie his Richness Fulness Benefits Love and Favour to Believers denoting that Spiritual Relation to Believers and Christ's usefulness to them in all Estates and Conditions His next Charge Page 10 11. I have affirmed Christ Died or was Sacrificed for Sinners Now let any determine whether this Answer does not set forth the Fruit and Satisfaction of Christ's Death for Sinners for if he Died for Sinners and for our Sins is it not enough to us for if we had not been Sinners we should not have stood in need of Redemption and if sinners were Redeemed no others did want it And tho' he seems to reprehend it with Scripture Language yet his Charge is more obscure and defective then that he finds fault with either that quarrelled at must be true or false or deficient if true why Censured if false let Quakers speak their minds plainly if deficient there must be some for whom Christ Died besides Sinners If I have not multiplied words to humour captious and critical Quakers I hope I shall never have cause to repent it where I Studiously avoided all prolixity and endeavoured all succinctness and brevity But to return to the
be called Fundamentals as Salutations by words and Gestures Covering and Vncovering the Head condemning Preaching in Steeple Houses Churches Yea I appeal to the impartial and unbiassed Reader if the Catechism Composed by F. M. contains not more of the Principles of Religion then one containing Quakers Principles Composed by several Hands as Crook Pennington Burroughs Parker Smith and several others now I refer my self to every man how invidious and unjust it is to Charge a Catechism composed by one with Omissions while so many pretenders to immediate Revelations and Inspirations are guilty of so great Omissions and vain Repeticions and there is not a Book which I have seen writ by George Keith but may as justly lie under this Charge as my Catechism it were vain Ostentation to disown it And for my own part I have ever observed in all the Writings of men Ignorance Infirmity and Imperfection to magnifie the Excellency of the Scriptures above all Books of mens Composure but it is no strange thing to find Quakers quarrelling our succinct way of composing our Principles for young ones because they are opposite to so early Edification which practice is very inconsistent with Scripture Precepts and Presidents of Training a Child when young bringing up Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord and Timothy knew the Scriptures from a Child and the advantage of an early Instruction is witnessed by the experiences of many Godly in all Ages where attended with the Blessing of God and pursued with Exhortation until they arrive at a riper age Now I leave all to consider how insignificant an imputation this of Omission is Another general Charge is that I have not declared from whence I have Received these things and that I have owned in the Title Page of my Catechism to be but a Collection from others These are heavy Charges with him therefore shall answer them particularly 1. Any that reads his Paper may understand he is as guilty of that Omission as any of his Neighbours for he has not told from whence he had what is delivered in this Paper and it was the best policy for he durst not assert it was from the Spirit of God because of the falshood and malice it contains as I shall make appear 2. If they are the Truths of God and agreeable to Scripture it is easily determined from whence these Truths are which were questioned by few until G. K. whose Trade has been to Foment Contention and stir up strife in the Churches of Christ in the World and whose Arguments are so slender and thred bare that they scarce deserve an Answer 3. If I inclined to stuff my Doctrines and Discourse upon all occasions with enlarged Accounts of Conversion or a work of Grace with concomitant and consequent Experiences of the Operations of Gods Holy Spirit as Keith pretends to do I might amuse my Hearers but Actions and Conversation are better demonstrations of a work of Grace then all Keith's vain boasting Language which with his self magnifying Language can be esteemed nothing else then a Crying up and Preaching himself instead of Christ for though Paul oft declared his Conversion and gloried in his Attainments it was that the Free Grace of God might be exalted and self abased which Quakers are rarely acquainted with either in Praying or Teaching as many who have heard them always declare And because Keith has shewn himself void of Charity by shooting his invidious Thunderbolt at a distance e're he knew or saw me or I him That I am infallibly a great stranger to the dealings of Gods Spirit on the hearts of his People I am constrained to Justifie my Office from those Uncharitable Calumnies and that Grace might be magnified by giving this Relation in the sight of an All seeing and Omnipresent God that e're I Received the Imposition of Hands in that Scriptural and Orderly Separation unto my Holy and Ministerial Calling that I gave requiring satisfaction to Godly Learned and Judicious Discerning Men of a work of Grace and Conversion wrought on my heart at fifteen years of Age by and from the pains of a Godly Schoolmaster who used no small diligence in Gaining Tender Souls to Gods Service and Fear since which time to the Glory of his Free Grace be it spoke I have had the sure Experiences of Gods various Dealings with me according to his Infinite and Unerring Wisdom to my unspeakable comfort whereby all may see how far Grace is expected and desired with Gifts to qualifie for the Ministerial Office for not only was this required of me but is expected of all Ordained by Presbyters which experience shall enable me not to value what Keith or any other Quakers shall ignorantly and groundlesly affirm in judging rashly of my State for we are looked upon as of the World and they only the People of God as they commonly Cauterize us but this is our comfort we shall not be Judged in the Last Day by Quakers who must as well as their Neighbours give an account of their rash and uncharitable judgings to a most Righteous Judge 4. And that it is a Collection from the Scriptures of the Living God I never will deny but glory in it it Keith mean from others it is faâ—… and there is â—o mention of those others in the 〈◊〉 Page what hath Keith Published in most of his Books but Collections and many of them from the worst of men Hereticks long since consured with some wild sophistical and unscriptural Notions of his own both repugnant to Scripture and opposite to his Quaking Brethren And Turpe est dectori eum cuâ—pa redarguit ipsum He asserts I declare not that it is God or Christ or the Spirit of God that convinceth or reproveth people of their sins but this is so false a Calumny that none in charity can judge Kâ—ith to be so great a Perfectionist as he proclaims himself to be and this every one may be satisfied in if they will but turn over to page 12 where it is plainly delivered That God in Turning or Calling Sinners unto himself does convince them of Sin and Misery Enlighten their Minds with the Knowledge of Christ Renews their wills c. which is also the judgment of all my Brethren and particularly of those of the Westminster Assembly both in their Shorter and larger Catechism And whereas he charges me with this that I mention but little of the Spirit of God at all and that this may appear as falâ—e as the former I refer my self to every Reader and especially those who have read and considered better then Keith hath done and let them turn over to the several pages where I have made frequent mention of the Spirit of God in so small a Volumn ascribing to him that which was and is his peculiaâ— work 1. As being the Original Author and Inditer of the Scriptures page 3.2 As being one distinct from the Father and the Son page 4.3 Oâ— Christ's
Light of the Truth because he quarrels this that the Truth is made so easie plain to be discerned and the reason or ground given by this worthy Author why the Churches of Christ are necessitated to use such novelty of words if they may be so called is when the Truth is to be Defended against Rangleâ—… who deride it with Quibbles so the Old Fathers being troubled with False Doctrines were necessitated to express themselves in exquisite plainness least they should leave any crooked by ways to the wicked to whom the doubtful Constructions of words were hiding Holes of Error therefore it was that the Fathers in Confutation of Arius were necessitated in asserting the Divinity of the Son to call him HOMOUSION or Consubstantial with the Father And against Sabellius who denied all Distinction between the Father Son and Holy Ghost but what was Nominal the Defenders of Truth were necessitated to say there did subsist in the Unity of God aâ— Trinity of Persons which is most suitable to thoughâ— not rigidly the same with the Language of John There are Three and these Three are One Trinity Tres Vnes or Tres in Vno Trinity Having offered these Generals I come particularly to the Charge for asserting there are Three Persons in the God-head All that Keith would seem to Alledge is only that it is not Scripture Language whereby he would seem to favour the great Fundamental Principle most of his Brethren have been blasphemously barking against these Thirty or Forty Years and devoutly to say There are Three in One But it were to be wished that he and all of them would demonstrate themselves according to their usual boasting more skilful in the Scriptures then any of their Neighbours by declaring freely ingenuously what those Three are called that are but One God and what Substantive they joyn with the Adjective three which is distinguished in the Father Son and Holy Ghost and then they would have dealt plainly without all Popish Equivocation or Reservation which all that Read their Books and frequently Converse with them will find the generality of Quakers as guilty of as any subtile Jesuit at St. Omers For if this great and Fundamental Truth would be made plain to the Edification of the Church of God to which it is so highly necessary that God can neither be known believed in or called upon aright without it then some denomination must be ascribed and given differing from one another in Incommunicable Properties for they must either be three somethings or three nothings the former being rejected if three somethings they must be either three Gods three Essences three Parts of the same Essence or three Qualities or three Names or three Manners or wayes of Subsisting To assert to Three Gods were insufferable Blasphemy Though Josiah Coal is as guilty of as great Blasphemy in a Letter to George Fox which as it came from a Quaker was also Approved of by Pen himself in his Answer to Mr. John Faldo a Minister I lately saw in London which for the Readers satisfaction and abhorrence of all I shall here Insert Dear George Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life has reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the Begetting of many again unto a Lively Hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in â—he powtr of the Highest in which thou Rules Governs â—n Righteousness And thy Kingdom is Established in Peace and the Encrease thereof is without End Let Pen and as many as will dare to Justifie this consider the Language of the Righteous God Hâ— that Justifies the Wicked and he that Condemneth thâ— Just even they both are Abomination to the Lord. But to return To assert Three Essences were to conceal Three Essentially Distinct which were to fall in with the former absurdity To receive or be lieve three parts of the same Essence or God head which were most inconsistent with that Oneness and absolute Simplicity in the Nature of God which cannot be conceived divisible and to call the three in one three qualities or accidents were to believe accidents in God which were absurd and to asseâ—… nothing else but three Names were to fall in with the long since exploded Heresy of Apollinarius and to hold Faith repugnant to the Rule of Gods Word whence he has twice Three Names and yet asserted to be but Three only so that it must be Three Distinct Manners Methods or Wayes of Subsisting and is Termed in the Schools Ens and Modus Entis And according to the unanimous Opinion of our Reforming and Reformed Divines A Person in the God-head is whole God not absolutely or simply considered but by way of some personal Properties or a manner of Being or Distinct Subsistence haveing the whole God-head in it Vsher and Calvin call a Divine Person a Subsistence in the Divine Nature which having relation to the other is distinguished from them with Incommunicable Properties So that though the Father Son and Holy Ghost be really and essentially the same in Essence or Being yet they have something differing from one another for if the Word Joh. 1.1 had been simply and absolutely God without any thing peculiar to 〈◊〉 self it had been improper and amiss to have said 〈◊〉 was not only God but with God To which Dâ—ctrine Tertullian agrees saying there is in God a certain Disposition or Distribution which changeth nothing of the Unity of the Essence I need not heap up these manifold Testimoâ—ies both of old New Testament asserting Three in One and One in Three and if any quarrel the word person they shall find this plain Scripture Language Heb 1.3 speaking of Christ the Second Person in the Trinity saith He is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory and Express Image of his Person can any serious and illuminated Reader pass over this Text without owning the word Person to be Scripture Language and that the Father is a Person distinct in Person from God the Son for he is not called the Fathers Person Remark it Reader but the Express Image of his Fathers Person And if none must be called a Person but the Father as some Quakers have said then what was Christ's Person when Mediator having two Natures of God and man not mans personality for so Divine Nature would have satisfied in the Person of the Humane Nature which would imply no small Absurdities or he should be the Person of the Father which were repugnant to the formerly cited Text Our Mediator was without all Person And finally if the Father is a Person and the Son the Image of this Person why not the Holy Ghost a Person also and Three in One and One in Three The Next Charge is and that a Weighty one in P. 9 10. And that is for mentioning only Three Offices of Christ as Mediatour a Prophet Priest and King And that Really Savingly and only to those that Believe
with Papists whâ—… assert Justification to be the making of one Just and so Confound it with Sanctification which the Spirâ—… of God makes to be distinct Acts tho' always unseparable As to Adoption in its nature it is God Numbering us among his Children a taking us from among the Children of Satan and Giving us a Right to all the Priviledges of Gods Children pray where is the falshood and danger in asserting they are Acts of God without us bringing Believers into 〈◊〉 new Relation unto God Christ and the Holy Spirit to whom they are Enemies and Strangers by Nature seeing at the same time we firmly believe that there is no Relative Change wrought by God on any Sinner in Justification or Adoption without a real saving inward gracious and universal Change upon the whole man by Sanctification which are as different by the Language of the Apostle Paul as Sanctification and Glorification is Rom. 8. And none are Justified or Adopted but Sanctified also all which is asserted in my Catechism if Keith's contentious Cavelling and Carping Spirit had allowed him to take notice thereof for none of us hold that God makes any his people or children without a real gracious Change as Pen and Keith would inviduously and falsely Calumniate us and our universally known Doctrine fairly published to the World and yet that renewing work is not properly Justification but Sanctification which is a gradual work whereby the Old man of sin and corruption is Crucyfyed and the New man of Grace Righteousness or Holiness is rrnewed and put on more and more and though Keith would make Peace of Conscience to be the Essence and Nature of Justification yet all Reformed Divines with the Apostle Paul make it a concomitant or rather a consequent Blessing to our Justification Rom 5.1 Being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God And whoever denied Regeneration to work a real change which my Catechism plainly asserts And that Justification Adoption and Sanctification may be Lost is not only the Doctrine of Quakers but of Pelagians Papists and Arminians too though Keith and Barclay own that some may Arrive to such a pitch and measure that they cannot Fall away now this measure must either be higher than Justification Sanctification or Regeneration or they contradict themselves in opposing Free Grace and denying the Perseverance of the Saints in Grace with most discouraging and comfortless arguments to Believers which imply many gross absurdities and concerning this Head Mr. John Brown our Country man in confutation of Barclay layes down our unanimous Doctrine and first animadverts all that we hold the Perseverance of none but such as are Regenerated and how false and absurd were it to say a Sinner Regenerated or made a Child of God to Day and yet be a Child of the Devil to morrow made meet for Heaven and yet go to Hell Pardoned and yet Damned 2. We do not hold a special and inevitable necessity of Perseverance though unwilling and lying in Sin as Enemies would insinuate to the prejudice of Truth as Quakers often have done 3. We do not maintain a Perseverance depending on the will of man but on the gracious Covenant The Everlasting Purpose of God the Unchangeableness of his Love and Efficaciousness of Christ's Death 4 That a Believer may fall away Back-slide and Depart from God by many degrees as 1 From Duty as Hearing Reading Praving Praising c. 2 Into Grievous Sins as Noah David Soloman and Peter 3 Inro great Doubts and Fears afâ—out their State 4 From Degrees of Grace as â—rom a Strong unto a Weakness of Faith â—heir Zeal for God and Religion may grow very cold they may fall from their First Love they may fall from their former measure of Fear And 5 they may Fall from the Truth of the Gospel from the Doctrine of Our Lord Jesus and embrace many gross and dangerous Errors and Believe a â—ye 6 They may fall from the Accidentals of their Gracious State as Sense of Favour Assurance of Gods Love Strength of Habits Measures of Comfort is oft times and may be remitted and lost And yet in the last place we Believe mentain and hold There can be no Total and Final Apostacy and Defection from a Regenerate State or the Essence and Habits of all Grace and this is not only our Doctrine but the Doctrine of all our Reformed Churches tho' K's Invidious Malice is most commonly set against the Reformed Church of Scotland verifying the Ancient and common saying Omnis Apostate sua Secte osor And every serious soul may easily conceive how comfortless and discouraging the Doctrine of Quakers must needs be to all Regenerated and Believing Souls if after Regeneration being in Covenant with God Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Redeemed with the Blood of Jesus they may yet be Damned in the End this and many more are the Absurdities that attend this Ancient Pelagian and Arminian Error as 1 Is it not inconsistent with that Puffing up Doctrine of their Perfection they could never yet demonstrate from instances 2. It is inconsistent with the Immutability of Gods Love for whom He Loves He Loves unto the end for his Gracious purposes are Unalterable and his Will Irresistible Isa 4.1.31 They that wait on the Lord shall renew their Strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not be Faint 3 It is inconsistent with the Stability of the Covenant that is well ordered in all things and sure and all its Mercies are sure Mercies hence called frequently an Everlasting Covenant Jer. 32 40. And I will I make an Everlasting Covenant with them and I will not turn away from them to do them Good but I will put my Eear in their Heart that they shall not depart from me And all Objecting Instances from Scripture must implye no Saving Faith or true Regeneration or their Fall was neither Final nor Total 4. It is inconsistent with the Faithfulness of Christs undertaking to God the Father in the Covenant of Redemption it destroys the Efficacy of His Death Let any Read Christs Prayer to God the Father in John 17. And he may soon be satisfyed there was a Select Number given unto Christ to redeem and Ransome 24. And Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am And he prays 15. And that God would keep them from the Evil. And he has engaged to God the Father that none that the Father bad given him should be Lost otherwise Christ might be Charged with Unfaithfulness And such as deny the Perseverance of the Saints must be ignorant of what Christ has done for the consirmation of the Gracious State of Believers 1 His Redeeming them from all the Demands of Divine Justice with his Precious Blood 2 Redeeming them from the power of Satan 3 From the Dominion of sin 4 He is gone to prepare a Place for them 5 He makes
say God had a Church among the Jews under their Defections and Failings away to Idolatry and Superstition Now where Christ has a Church though Invisible in the Wilderness there are the Essentials of Religion Ordination and Church-constitution tho' much infected with Error and corrupted with Romish Superstition and these Essentials are still Gods and to esteem his and not theirs who are the chief Instruments Heads and Authors of all the Corruptions under that Defection to whom only and properly belong those Errors Corruptions Idolatries and Superstitions they have invented and introduced to the Church And yet the soundest of Divines believe that upon all Reformations which undoubtedly are originally and efficiently of God a people or particular persons leaving and Renouncing the Abominations of Antichrist and their submitting to and embracing the Truth of the Gospel and the Purity of all Ordinances and Worship abandoning the Pope as their Head and Subjecting themselves to Christs Kingdom they are ipso facto Constituted Churches of Jesus Christ and the Gospel Truths Ordination and Ordinances VVord and Sacraments they adhere to are not theirs nor from those they Separated from is Keith ignorantly and invidiously asserts but they are still the Lords and belong to Jesus Christ for even in the Church of Rome and under Antichrist there were Ordinances of Jesus Christ VVord and Sacraments Praying Preaching and Praising of God tho' much vailed and corrupted and consequently they had Ministers or Officers to Dispense these Ordinances who undoubtedly had some of the Essentials of Ordination which was the Lords and nothing was properly Antichrists but Antichristian Corruptions of which he is Author for differentia constituit speciem so that we no more have Ordination from the Pope upon Reformation then we have Baptism and the Lords Supper Reading and Praising and Quakers have Prayer Teaching the Scriptures and their new Observation of the First Day of the VVeek And we would gladly know from what part of Gods Word is it or can it be made to appear that upon every Defection and Corruption of the Church God will Beget and Create New Churches in an immediate manner under the Gospel more man under the Law For after the Defections of Israel and long continuance in Idolatry upon their Repentance and Reformation from all their Coruptions and Abuses they were Re Established 〈◊〉 Adâ—…itred unto all the Ordinances and Priviledges of the Church of God and what does Keith think of them and their Reformation dâ—are he affirm they had all their Ordination and VVorship from Jereboam Who made Israel to Sin and other chief Idolaters so it will unquestionably follow that neither we our Ordination Doctrine VVorship nor Sacraments while warranted from the Authoâ—ly of Gods VVord are from Rome the Pope or any Prelate in the VVorld as Quakers after the manner of Satan would Accuse the Brethren Thus Keiths invincible Armado is beat to pieces whereby he thought to have overthrown all Churches who have obeyed Gods Call and are come out of Babylon And we are confident that a great part of our Teachings are Christian Experiences to which we oft publickly do Appeal for Confirmation of what is delivered and many Preachers have a peculiar way of Preaching their own Experiences And finally as he begins so he closes shuts up his Paper with groundless False Calumnies and invidious Reflections affirming I assert and alledge False things concerning Baptism and the Lords Supper and First concerning Baptism he saith First I do not distinguish between Johns Baptism and Christs In answer to this I Freely assent to any and all the distinction made in the Scriptures which is not in Substance or Essence but in Fruit and Efficacy and the same distinction I still make between our External Administration and Christs Efficacious Blessing thereof for what John said we and all Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World must still acknowledge we Baptise with Water but Christ and he alone Baptiseth with the Holy Ghost and with Fire And if the Baptism Administred by Christs Disciples in His Name Authority and Presence was Christs and no doubt it was the same with Johns for Substance as you or any other may Read John 2.22 23 24 26. verses For 1. That Baptism wherewith Christ and His Disciples Baptised in the Land of Judea was Water Baptism 2. It was an outward visible and discernable Baptism to Spectators saith Johns Disciples to him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Jordan the same Baptizeth and all men come unto him it is observable that it was not the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire as distinct from the outward Ordinance for it is said John 4.2 Jesus himself Baptised not but His Disciples yet it is called his in the 1 v. of this chap. and in the 22. v. of the former chap 1 Because done by his Disciples 2 By his Command and Authority And it was the same Baptism his Disciples and Apostles performed in all and Every Church where they Preached the Gospel according to that last Commission of Our Lords immediately before His Ascension Matth 28. and last Go Teach and Baptise al Nations and Lo I am with you to the end of the World Hence Four things are observable in this Text. 1 That Teaching of Nations yea All Nations by external means and instruments is a Standing and Perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ to the end of the World 2 That as many as are Called Ministers of the Gospel are also Commissionated To Baptise also Go Teach all Nations Baptising them 3 That Water Baptism or the External Ordinance is that Enjoined or Commanded in the Words and not the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire for it is enjoined to meer men who can do no more then John could do who Professed he Baptised with Water and yet we believe many who were Baptised by John received also the Holy Ghost otherwise a very empty and insignificant Ordinance and unprofitable to all if nothing else was reaped thereby but Sprinkling or Washing with Water and yet the Outward Mean Ordinance and Administration was from John and the fruit efficacy and blessing was from Jesus Christ and it is bold impudence and Arrogant Presumption for any to pretend to Baptise with the Holy Ghost and with Fire which is Christs peculiar Work and Prerogative And Keiths answer here unto in his Book is void of all satisfaction to any Intelligent Person for he affirms tho' no man Baptize with the Holy Ghost efficiently yet they may instrumentally we who use the outward mean Instrument and Ordinance may through the Blessing of God and Efficacious Presence of Christ's Spirit and undoubtedly are made Instruments of the Inward Grace Life and Advantage of that Ordinance but how Quakers can be Instruments of Baptizing Spiritually who are opposite to and ridicule the outward Ordinance which is the only proper means and instrument of Gods own Appointment I cannot resolve unless they
Grace of God within and also that Christ was only a Spirit in Heaven and had nothing of the Body and many of theâ— denying the Day of Judgment and any Resurrection but what they have already attained John Wilâ—ford said Christ was a Mediator for no Drunkards 〈◊〉 wicked persons but for his own Disciples many 〈◊〉 them denied Gods Presence in all his Creatures Arguing most ignorantly and blasphemously if God be in Herbs and Grass then who tramples on theâ— tramples on God and this occasioned a new Disputâ— whether God be present in Lice Some denyinâ— they were any part of the Creation another Preaches that Christ Cureth mens Souls perfectly at once and makes them free of all sin and when we 〈◊〉 perfect we are Kings and are not to Beg or Prâ— to God for our selves another says Whether 〈◊〉 Body that was Crucified be in Heaven Let 〈◊〉 Church determine one Samuel Ginnings declared 〈◊〉 a Meeting That to do Gods Business we needed Goâ— Wisdom but to do our own Business as men 〈◊〉 needed it not another affirmed That a man migspeak unsound Words in the Life and at another Meeting the same man bids us wait That the Scepter might depart from Judah that Shiloh might come Is it not evident from these gross impertinent and abominable Ignorances and Blasphemous Heresies That God has justly given them over to a Spirit of Delusion â—o believe the grossest Lyes that ever was hatcht â—nd that for their ambitious and deceiving pretences â—o unwarrantable Inspirations Another Quarrel was G. K's Objecting against their Discipline as too Loose but for my part I never knew nor heard â—…y they had that was purely Ecclesiastick what they pretended to was most absolute and arbitrary â—ho ' I understand of late G. K. had Composed a new Draught in many particulars which tho' not allowed 〈◊〉 Reading at their Yearly Meeting yet was sent to the Yearly Meeting at London for their Approbation 〈◊〉 Sanction of which I shall give my Reader a small â—ast in these following particulars 1. That all faithâ—l Friends shall give in a few words less or more a â—ure Confession unto the Truth generally Received 〈◊〉 Friends 2. If Friends be satisfied with this Conâ—…ssion they are to express their Christian Love and â—gnifie their owning them by taking them by the â—nd or giving the hand unto them 3 That all friends who have Children come to years of Discreâ—on whom they have Instructed in the Principles of Truth that they further Labour with their Children 〈◊〉 be willing to be Received into the Number of friends in the manner above mentioned 4. Wheâ—er there should not be Elders and Deacons Chosen â—…d Appointed and Named by the Consent of the hole Church for the Help and Assistance of the â—iends of the Ministry 5. That no raw and unseaâ—ed persons do presume to speak or pray in the Meetings until they give proof of their sound Knowledge Experience and Spiritual Abilities to their Elder Brethren the Elders and the Church 6. That no Friends joyn in Marriage with any but such as are Received into the Society of Fiends by a solemn Confession of their Faith and Profession of Truth in the manner aforesaid These are but a few of many Articles of the like nature which had a very cold Reception that thoâ— they did not allow it a publick Reading yet cry'd it down as downright Popery but sure if this take place Quakers will look with another Face then ever they have yet done and many of their silly ignorant and impertinent and blaspemous Teachers shall be laid aside as useless And the Breach was so great that the two Emissaryes from London T. W. and J. D. was so far from accomplishing a Reconcileation that they Condemned him for the Separation and pronounced Woes against him and J. D. compared the Difference there to Childrens falling out about trifles sure these men so much admired at Barbadoes and elsewhere discover both their ignorance and weakness in joyning with the strongest Party the Magistrates and looking upon the Doctrine of Christ Crucifyed and the Sufficiency of the Light within to be but Trifles Lastly G. K. is blamed for calling W. Stockdal and a whole Meeting ignorant Heathens but says Keith it there is Light sufficient to Salvation in all men without the man Christ then an honest Heathen is a true Christian hence every man may Learn That honest Heathens are good Quakers oâ— Quakers are good Heathens George Keith having his Sentence Lay under Charges and no possibility of obtaining as he says 〈◊〉 any redress or Gospel Order but it is strange that any man of Sense should expect order from I gnorance Distraction and Confusion as the whole Scheme of this Controversy appears to be to every Rational and considering Man he at Length breaks off separates from their Society and sets up for himself First at his own House and generally since at the Barbado's House in Philade phia and as he endeavours to Justify himself from all former Imputations so he essays a Vindication of the Late Separation which he does by a Pamphlet called the Reasons and Causes thereof which I shall give my Reader as Followeth 1. Because Thomas Lloyd so far failed in Proving his Charge against G. K. For denying the sufficiency of the Light within and after Judgment was passed by a Monthly Meeting at Philadelphia the 22 d of the 12th Month 1691. Would not give forth a Paper of Condemnation of his False Charge but any may perceive K's cunning who not only escaped the Just Judgment of this Meeting according to â—uakers Principles but by denying the charge with a Reservation made his accuser guilty for as he declared before and since saying the Light within is not sufâ— ficient without the Man Christ Without us 2. Reason for his Seperation because K's Antagonists kept a Publick Meeting in the Afternoon at the Bank without the consent of the whole Body of Friends there which K says should be universal Unanimous and not by any Plurality of Votes and so G. K. and his party kept a Meeting for that Day in the Afternoon at his own House which he called Private and finding as they say they resolved to continue the Seperation which is still done I would Amimadvert the Reader that the Second Reason is Frivolous arising from a Nicety and circumstance of Place which as carryed by a Plurality of Votes tho' K would not submit to it without the Unanimous Consent of all which he says is the allowed method of Friends but it is not to be doubted if the Plurality had determined for him he would never have gone about to invalidate the determination and if the Unanimous consent of all be requisite in such triflles we expect K will do nothing in greater Matters without it 3. Reason because most Gross and Uuchristian Errors against the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith are held by divers of them that are Publick Teachers