the Tabernacle which was called the Holiest of all in the Old Covenant that the golden Censor and Ark of the Testament were put and the golden Pot which had Manna and Aaron's Rod that had budded and the Tables of the Testament and over the Ark the Cherubims of Glory shadowing the Mercy-seat Heb. 9. Exod. 26. So the most excellent things were within the Veil tho' there was a Beauty and Glory also without it All which I doubt not were Shadows of the New Covenant and the spiritual Dispensation thereof in Christ Jesus in whom the most holy place of that divine Service and Worship in the New Covenant Sanctuary which the Lord has placed in the midst of his People is in the Spirit and in the Truth And all our spiritual Blessings and heavenly Treasures are in Christ Jesus who is our Sanctuary and Hiding-place And it is in the inmost or most inward and spiritual Dispensation of the New Covenant that Mercy and Forgiveness is receiv'd and Christ most livingly and effectually known to us and enjoyed and in him the most holy and heavenly Places wherein the true spiritual Believers sit down with him and as being washed from their Sins in his Blood by his Spirit are his Church and Sanctuary also and thereby have boldness to enter into the holy Place even by that new and living Way which Christ hath prepared for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10. that we may follow him therein into Heaven it self And what entrance through Christ our Mediator we have here in measure received into this new and living Way and holy and heavenly Places in him we doubt not but it is to us an Earnest of a more full Enjoyment of Heaven and Glory hereafter with Christ Jesus our Fore-runner Leader and Captain of our Salvation we continuing faithful to the end in this his new and living Way as true and constant Followers of him God in his great Love and Wisdom has afforded several Dispensations one higher and more glorious than another in order to bring Man nearer and nearer to himself as that of the Law and of Shadows and Types that of the Prophets that of John the Baptist that of Christ in the Flesh and that of Christ in the Spirit and New Covenant which is higher more powerful and more glorious than the former and therein a more clear knowledge of Christ than in all the former wherein there was some Sight of him through Shadows and Veils but by his divine Light shining in our Hearts God is pleased to give us the Light of the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his dear Son Christ Jesus that we all with open Face as in a Glass may behold the Glory of God and be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Ch. 4. 6 7. Now tho' our Adversary has made a deal of Dispute and Quarrel with us about calling Christ's Flesh the Veil as in Heb. 10. yet he is fain to grant That Christ's Body is called a Veil in relation to its Type the Veil of the Temple p. 262 263. but he 'll have this not to be in the Quakers Sense They call it a Veil that is saith he a Garment in contradistinction to its being Christ's Substance and of his Nature p. 262. Whereas its rather in contradistinction to its Being his Divine Natnre or to its being in the first place or principally or chiefly Christ himself who is the Son of God for whom the Body was prepared because he did pre-exit it or was in Being before he took upon him that Body even in his Father's Glory before the World began wherewith he is glorified However the Veil which was Christ's Flesh through which he set open the new and living Way we never deny to be Christ's Body or to be a real Body but own it was and never believed it to be a Fantastical Body as I have often said but that Christ the Son of God took upon him real Flesh and Blood of our Nature yet pure and incorrupt in him And as his Flesh was called the Veil it answers its Type or Figure i. e. the Veil of the most Holy Place or Oracle where God gave Answers 1 Kings 6. 20. 8. 6 8. 2 Chron. 3. 10 16. And these most Holy Places in the Tabernacle and Temple being Places of divine Service then peculiar to the High Priest to enter into their Antitype is in Christ Jesus the New Covenant where in the Spirit and in the Truth God is truly worshipped and meets with and speaks to his People even by Christ Jesus their High Priest who is present in the midst of his Church and Assemblies of his People the true and spiritual Worshippers who meet in his Name Spirit and Power whose Light and Truth brings its Followers unto his Holy Tabernacles Psal. 43. 3. And as to Christ's Substance and Nature what does our Opposer mean thereby How has he distinguished in this Point Christ has in him a divine Nature as well as that of Man which he hath also in the purest Sense But which is the greatest Is not the divine Nature the Deity in him greater than the Manhood As he said My Father is greater than all greater than I John 10. 29. Nevertheless as our great and only Mediator and Intercessor it was necessary he should be Man as he is the most glorious heavenly Man and as the Christ of God he is spiritually in us in his Saints and Members in some measure by his Spirit Light Life and Power even as the incorruptible immortal Seed in Man is of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therein all true spiritual Believers do in measure partake of the divine Nature being born again of this incorruptible Seed The gross Calumnies cruel Mockeries false Stories and Perversions of the Author of The Snake in the Grass are therein so numerous together with his partial picking nibling mincing and carping at our Books which is so perverse and much on 't so silly that I confess many of them are waved in this Answer as not worthy of spending more precious time about them and I shall leave the said Author to the just Judgment of him that judghth righteously wishing his Repentance before it be too late And tho' he sculks and hides himself as if he were afraid or ashamed to own his Work with his Name to it so am not I of my Name or Vindication tho' I be and expect to be reproached and misrepresented for Christ's sake whose Servant I am George Whitehead A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF Some Passages IN THE Second Book of the Author OF The Snake in the Grass FALSLY STILED Satan dis-rob'd from his Disguise of Light Or The Quakers last Shift to cover their monstrous Heresies laid fully open WHEN I looked upon the Title of the said Book stiled Satan dis-rob'd from his Disguise of Light With this additional
to that which is of God and from him and mentions not the Quakers in the place Sn. p. 52. Great Mystery p. 248. again quoted viz. All THAT have the Son and the Holy Ghost have THAT which is equal in Power and Glory with the Father and this all the Quakers say they have Re. That the Son and Holy Ghost are equal in Power with the Father and that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the Dead dwells in the Saints we see not this to be such a monstrous Heresie Are not the Son and Holy Ghost of the same Substance with the Father And have not the Assembly at Westminster confessed as much as G. F. says Yet the Quakers do not say they have the Holy Ghost in fulness but in measure Sn. p. 53 54 55. Sect. 7. Of the Quakers making their Soul of the same Person and Substance with God quoting Great Myst. p. 247. p. 90 91. 273. Of Christ's dwelling in the Saints Of that which came out from the Creator Of the Soul that came out of him c. Re. 1. The Case herein is both mis-understood and mis-represented against the Quakers They do not so make their Souls of the same Person and Substance with God I know no such Expressions used by the Quakers 2. There 's a mis-understanding also of G. F. in the Case about his questioning Is not that a part of God which came out from God and of his Being as God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he i. e. Man became a living Soul to which Words G. F. expresly refers We always understood him to intend That this Breath of Life which made Man a living Soul was that divine Breath or Spirit of Life which came out from God and of his own Being for otherwise how should Man thereby become a living Soul Which clearly distinguisheth the Creature Man to be that living Soul that was so made by that Spirit Breath and Life which proceeded from his Creator and which some term the Soul of the Soul So that the Soul of Man abstractly considered was as truly created as Man himself tho' that divine Inspiration or Breath of Life whereby the Soul had its Being Life and Immortality be Increated and of God himself for we ever distinguished between the Soul of Man and that which saves it Note That his 2d 4th 8th 9th Sections are not particularly pointed at being in Substance comprehensively and sufficiently answered in divers Answers to the rest and in our Just Enquiry the same things being often repeated in his Book as about Carnal Weapons Damning all the World the Soul and Immediate Revelation Sn. p. 69. Sect. 10. As they place Infallibility in every single Quaker so they confine it not to Matters of Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things to know all Men's Hearts and all Things in the World by their inward Light without being told by any Re. Here 's a great Mistake in these Accusations 1. Such a personal Infallibility as to know all Persons States and Things in the World we pretend not to for that were for Man to pretend Omnisciency which is only proper to Almighty God The Man 's egregiously out in confounding Infallibility with Omnisciency The Infallibility or Certainty own'd by us originally is in the Spirit and Light of Truth given by Christ Jesus and not consisting in Persons their humane or natural Parts yet we must confess to the Glory of God that the Spirit of Truth doth infallibly teach and lead them into all Truth who truly obey it and gives them certain knowledge in Matters of Faith and Salvation Sn. p. 81. They turn and wind this Infallibility of theirs at such a rate that no Man can I am sure I cannot know what they mean by it Re. Where 's then the Blasphemy Here 's manifest Contradiction to what he hath said before about extending the Quaker's Infallibility to all Persons and Things and to know all Mens Hearts and all things in the World c. which is to pretend to Omnisciency which is only proper to God who only is Omniscient Silence had better become this occult Adversary's Ignorance than to reproach or vilifie us about what he knows not Sn p. 83 84. The Strength which God has given to our Bodies is as sufficient to climb up to the Skies as the Wisdom or Light which he has given to our Souls was sufficient of it self to have found out the redemption of lost Man by the Incarnation and Satisfaction of Christ to God's Justice for our Sins or if found out to have paid that Price and to have accomplished that whole wonderful Oeconomy of our Salvation by our own Abilities and then he goes on thus confusedly so very insufficient is the Light within us even tho' followed to the utmost by its own Strength to carry us to Heaven Re. This is to deny any divine Wisdom Light Word or Power to be given to our Souls as if they could live and immortally subsist without the divine Logos or Word in them which in Scripture is called The Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul and consequently to carry us to Heaven 't is therefore great Darkness to oppose the sufficiency of this Light this Word or Christ within or to oppose his Incarnation Sufferings Satisfaction or our Redemption obtained by him as our Mediator to this his own inward Light Power and Appearance for as truly as Christ Jesus as our blessed Mediator has obtained eternal Redemption and Salvation for us so truly doth Christ Jesus by his Light Life and Power make us Partakers of that Redemption and Salvation and to know the Oeconomy Law or Rule of his House and Family as we obey him therein that we being reconciled by his Death might be saved by his Life The divine Logos the Light or Spirit of Christ is as able now to discover what Christ hath done and suffered for our Redemption as it was to shew the Prophets his Sufferings and the Glory that should follow Sn. p. 84. And therefore the Quakers preaching up the sufficiency of the Light within as all of them but the Separatists do is not only highly derogatory to the satisfaction paid by Christ for our Sins but it is blasphemous in ascribing to Our Selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation Re. There are two gross Mistakes in these Passages 1. The sufficiency we ascribe to Christ his Light and Life within is not any derogation to his Satisfaction Attonement or Ransom given and paid by him without us for Sins and Sinners no more than Christ's own exhorting Men To believe in the Light that they might become Children of the Light or the Apostle's to a receiving the ingrafted Word which was able to save the Souls could be derogatory to his blessed intention and end in his Suffering and Sacrifice for Mankind but the contrary Christ by his Light and Life within leads to know and experience the
Argument from this Adversary against the Light within or our Testimony thereof and 't is far more difficult to make Sense of his Notion of the Light within than of our's For after he has in Words owned and confessed to Divine Illumination or Inspiration of the Holy Spirit as that Enthusiasm or Inspiration of God which is allowed and owned in their Church and that 't is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Pref. from p. 46. to p. 55 56. Another while he 'll have the Light within not Infallible but Fallible because of Men's Mistake who put Darkness for Light p. 173 174. 2d Part. Another while he 'll have the Light within no Light from Isa. 8. 20. placing this Remark upon it No Light George mark that p 251. But he should have observed the Hebrew Note in the Margin No Morning instead of No Light which I may return upon him If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is No Morning to them No Morning Man mark that But is there no Light before Morning pray Now how difficult is it to make Sense of this Man's Notion of the Light within One while with him 'T is a Divine Inspiration another while 'T is Fallible another while No Light So that one while 't is a divine good and certain Light another while uncertain not Infallible another while 't is nothing no Light Thus confusedly and madly Envy and Darkness appears against the true Light This Adversary to prove his false reitterrated black Charge That the Quakers take to themselves the very Attributes of God and make a pretence from this Light within to excuse blasphemous Pride assuming All the Worship due to Christ whom they call this Light upon the account of his or its Inhabitation in them p. 178. He refers to G. Whitehoad's Innocency against Envy p. 18. Sect. 12. in Answer to F. Bugg viz. As to his Charge of idolatrous if not blasphemous Names and Titles given to G. F. How proves he that they i.e. Two Persons in their Letters to him gave and intended those Names and Titles to the Person of G. F. c. This Story in the first part is notoriously false as it affects the Quakers in general The last part is a blind Story as 't is intended for Proof of the black Charge before those idolatrous Names and Titles are not mentioned nor any plain Proof of the exact Copies of both those Letters could we ever have And G. W. has further cleared this Matter in another Answer to F. B. as also in his Just Inquiry from p. 19. to p. 30. And in behalf of the People called Quakers we positively and sincerely deny 1. That they take to themselves the very Attributes of God 2. That they excuse blasphemous Pride as that of assuming all Worship due to Christ because of his inhabiting in them These with Detestation we solemnly deny But this Accuser should have looked at home and at his Brethren of the Clergy what Honour and Attributes do they give to their Bishops when they go down upon their Knees to them as their Reverend Fathers in God with Your Grace My Lord c. Do these import Divine Honour and Divine Attributes or Earthly pray And where did ever Christ's Ministers or Apostles do such Homage to Timothy or Titus or call either of them my Lord Timothy or my Lord Titus and Your Grace c And what thinks he of Godfathers and Godmothers Are not these Divine Attributes and very high ones too And of their being Sureties for Infants for their forsaking the Devil and all his Works c. and keeping God's holy Will and Commandments c. Do they not herein take upon them Christ's Office and Work who is our Surety And what Scripture have they for these Answer directly 'T is a notorious Untruth also That they i. e. the Quakers allow of divine Honour to the Man Christ Jesus on no other account than as G. W. allows it to G. Fox that is because of the residing of the divine Word in him p. 180. We say this is apparently false for on divers other Accounts we allow divine Honour and far more Honour to the Man Christ Jesus than to any mortal or finite Creature whatsoever as in all things Christ Jesus hath the Preheminence and all Fulness dwelling in him and all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and were not all the Angels of God to worship him And all Men to honour the Son as they honour the Father Therefore this Opposer's blasphemous Consequences drawn against us from his black Charge aforesaid As worshipping one another with divine Honour and not grudging to apply all the Attributes of God to themselves for the Light within sake c. p. 181 182. with the rest of his Consequences of the same kind are as false as the other We desire ever to walk humbly with God in Christ Jesus in a holy Reverence and Worship to him only to whom all divine Worship Glory and Honour is due In his 13th Sect. Of the Resurrection of the Body This saith he the Quakers do positively deny p. 182. Here he stumbles at the Threshold and deals disingeniously and falsly with the Quakers They deny not the Resurrection of the Body by denying the gross and carnal Notions of our former Adversaries of the self-same carnal and numerical Body of Flesh Blood and Bones no more than the Apostle denied the Resurrection of the Dead by affirming That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. For proof That the Quakers do positively deny the Resurrection he says That Mr. Penn makes Nonsense of it and worse he compares it to Transubstantiation nay to the Alcoran quoting Reason against Railing 1673. p. 138. which is a plain Perversion and as false as the Charge it self For W. Penn does neither make Nonsense of the Resurrection it self scripturally considered nor compare it either to Transubstantiation or to the Alcoran But T. Hick's gross Belief and Apprehension of a Carnal or Fleshly Resurrection of the self-same Carnal Body and yet that it shall be so changed as to be a spiritual glorious Body like unto Christ's This he compares to the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Papists say That the Bread and Wine after Conse cration are so changed as to be the very Christ and yet the Accidents remain i.e. of Bread and Wine so he can't make better Sense of his Adversary's gross apprehension of the Resurrection of the Body being or remaining the same carnal Body of Flesh Blood and Bones that 's buried and yet changed so as to be a spiritual and glorious Body like unto Christ's which was not to deny the Scripture-Doctrin of the Resurrection it self but rather a carnal Alcoran Notion thereof for in the Book quoted Reason against Railing p. 133. And under the same Head take W. P.'s plain Confession of the Resurrection in
attempts against us that he may not be suffered to sculk and hide himself like a Snake under Grass And as to the seven Queries which he upbraids us with reproaching us As puting them all off with one general Answer c. as a trick and deceit of ours to hide and cover our monstrous Heresies and a full confession of our Heresies Pref. p. 350. Which being monstrous Calumnies and from which our general Answer to the unprejudiced clears us though we expected it would meet with such ill Treatment and Mis-construction as it hath from G. K. and this Author therefore thought meet to publish the said Answer herewith for the information of others more Charitable and Impartial than this our present Accuser and unjust Judge The said Queries appear to be of so little weight and some of them so indirect and in unscriptural Terms and perversly designed for cavil that I do not think they deserve to be reprinted here The following Answer being positive plain and scriptural as well as comprehensive of what 's necessary to be said to the matters chiefly Questioned And tho' I have long had a more particular Answer to the said Queries ready I do not think my self obliged at present to gratifie such imperious arbitrary Inquisitors as our present Adversaries with the publication thereof but rather for farther information in these matters chiefly Queried refer them and others to these our Books viz. First A Testimony of what we believe of Christ both as he was God and Man c. By G. F. Printed Anno 1677. And Secondly The Christian Doctrin and Society of the People called Quakers c. And Thirdly The Harmony of the Old and New Testament concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ c. With many more ancient Books whereby it may appear that we were not to seek our Faith concerning Jesus and the Resurrection before the said Queries came to our hands G. W. Lon. 3d day 4th Month call'd June 1695. Friend William Lancaster HAving received a Paper of great Objections against us the People called Quakers with seven Queries therein subscribed William Lancaster directed to our Yearly Meeting in Whitson-week 1695. and delivered to some of us very near the conclusion thereof and therefore only read in the said Meeting with not having any further time to consider the Contents thereof or to give any particular answer thereunto It was by the said Meeting left to a few to consider and answer as in the Fear of God and Meekness of Wisdom we should see Cause Wherein we observe is noted great Objections have been made against us by those who have departed from our Communion as by others To which we reply that 't is true and they have been answer'd to which we refer And we observe in the said Paper it s said We would not take an account of you only from your Adversaries c. And we have chosen this solemn Time And again And we have chosen this most proper and convenient Opportunity c. And then states the several Queries and says the Questions may be proposed and their Answer demanded Now the Objections having been publick and our Answers publick we desire to know who the We are that are intended in this Paper that we may apply our selves to them or give such Scriptural Answers as we hope may tend to satisfaction But to repeat Answers in writing or print to we know not who so often as demanded to the same things already answer'd We think it not needful Therefore have herewith only sent thee a few brief Lines being grosly Wronged and Misrepresented in the said Objections and divers of the Queries contain several Questions in them in different Terms and some Vnscriptural so not plain and direct Queries therefore cannot positively be answer'd by our simple YEA or NAY to each Query as designed We therefore at present send this general Answer to the Queries for thy information as follows viz. We sincerely believe and profess Jesus Christ and the Resurrection according to the Holy Scripture Testimony and to that measure of Vnderstanding which God hath been pleased to give us by his Holy Spirit We sincerely believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of the living God both as he is true God and perfect Man our Emanuel and Mediator and as in the fulness of Time he was Conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judea Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate was Crucified and put to Death was Buried rose again the third Day and visibly Ascended into Heaven and was received into Glory and that this same Jesus Christ that was Crucified shall so in like manner come as he was seen to go into Heaven in Power and great Glory to Judge both the Living and the Dead according to their Works at the last and great Day of Judgment in that great Harvest which is the End of the World And that by Jesus Christ there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust unto the righteous Judgment of the great Day consequently that the Resurrection is not past as Hymeneus and Philetus said 2 Tim. 2. 18. And that the Dead shall be raised incorruptible Every Man in his own order and that our low Body shall be changed and made like unto Christ's glorious Body The Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints We Believe shall be Spiritual and Glorious and that the Sons of God and of the Resurrection shall be equal with the Angels of God in Heaven and shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father and yet there is such a great Mystery in the Resurrection as that Flesh and Blood cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. The whole Sacrifice of Christ whereof his Blood outwardly that was shed was a part was of great Price with God for Mans Redemption Christ's Blood that was shed without the Gates of Jerusalem together with the whole Sacrifice himself both of Soul and Body was a true Propitiation and Attonement for Mans reconciliation and peace with God for remission of Sins through a living Faith and true Repentance in his Name given and wrought by his Spirit and Word of Power in Mens Hearts whose sincere obedience to Christ and Walking in his Light being required of them in order to experience Christ the Author of their eternal Salvation and to wash them from their Sins in his own Blood For without this true Faith Repentance and Obedience to Christ Jesus Men lose and forfeit the great Benefit of Christs Sufferings and deprive themselves of the Eternal Redemption and Salvation which he hath hereby obtain'd for us Tho' he dyed for all Men tasted death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified of in due time being a true Propitiation for the Sins of the World From thy Friends and Well-wishers John Gratton Samuell Wattson Thomas Lower James Parke John Bowater George Witehead John
We question the Truth of this Story also in the last part of it viz. That he believed no other nor expected any than Christ risen in him and this also of no other we disown for as truly as we own Christ risen in us and we in him from Sin and Condemnation so truly do we believe and expect to be raised up by him in the last Day above all Corruption and Mortality we being raised in Christ from Sin here we shall be raised by him to Glory hereafter And therefore are not of the Opinion of Hymeneus and Phyletus who said That the Resurrection is past or made already 2 Tim. 2. 18. For that Resurrection which Paul in his converted state when risen with Christ had not attained Phil. 3. 11 12. we do believe and expect as yet to come after this Life and at the last Day Another Accusation is That G. F. says plainly in these Words There 's none have a Glory and a Heaven but within them leaving out what follows which was before Man had a Being Gr. Myst. p. 214. This is intended of what the Saints have and enjoy in this Life in the Present Tense and not of that more full attainment in that which is to come who have and enjoy the indwelling of God and Christ as their God and their Glory according to his Promise having of this excellent Treasure in their Earthen Vessels according to their measures of degrees of attainment being changed from Glory to Glory from one degree of Glory to another as by the Spirit of God There 's no doubt but all true and spiritual Believers who are dead with Christ and whose Life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is their Life shall at last appear they shall appear with him in Glory Col. 3. Yea in far more Glory than 's here attainable in a mortal State Though we are now the Sons of God yet it appears not what we shall then be but when Christ appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3. 2. Heaven which is God's Throne and Dwelling-place is no doubt so spacious and the Heavens which declare his Glory so wonderfully extensive that we cannot suppose they should all be contain'd in the narrow compass of our Hearts though our Conversation be now in Heaven and we come to a heavenly state in Christ Jesus Therefore we do not confine all our expected Attainments of Heaven and Glory to within us in this Life but the way to attain more thereof in that which is to come is to partake of some share thereof in Christ Jesus even in this Life and where Christ is enjoy'd there Heaven and Glory is in measure spiritually enjoy'd there being spiritual and inward Heavens as well as natural and outward Note For the spirituality of the Resurrection Bodies and the nature of the Body of Christ after his Resurrection and Ascension Our Opposer may peruse H. Moor's Search into the nature of a glorified Body Apol. ch 3. p. 494. Of his Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity And compare the same with what we have written on that Subject and then let our Opposer answer him having been a Doctor of his own Church and Philosopher also of Repute in Cambridge c. As to his 14th Sect. Of the Sacraments as he terms them but without Scripture-proof of the Term Sacrament as applied to the outward Elements Signs or Shadows which end in Christ the Substance who livingly represents himself beyond them by his Spirit in the Hearts and Souls of spiritual Believers who have attained unto the spiritual Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and to partake of his spiritual Supper with him Rev. 3. 10. The difference between us and our Accuser in this Point is about the Text 1 Cor. 11. 26. of shewing forth the Lord's Death till he come as he says By the Celebration of his last Supper Whether this coming of Christ be spiritually in our Hearts or at the Resurrection at the last Day which ends the time limited for the Celebration thereof We believe it of the first if that may be owned as any real coming of Christ He of the last His Reason is That Christ was so come in the Hearts of the Holy Apostles and of the purest Primitive Christians The Apostle's condescending to divers Things that were Shadows and Figures for sometime it follows not that therefore we are bound to imitate them in all things they did Neither were the Corinthians the purest of Primitive Christians when Paul writ his first Epistle to them nor had they then so far attained to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as to confirm and make them blameless as in his Day but then waited for such his coming 1 Cor. 1. for there were divers Disorders among them and many of them carnal and walked as Men. And therefore they were not then of the purest of Christians though they had good Gifts yet they had then great need to wait for the coming of Christ to make them better to bring them into a blameless state The Apostles themselves were come to higher Attainments in Christ Jesus which they laboured to bring their Hearers to as is evident from Paul's desiring That the Corinthians might not be ignorant how that all the Fathers who were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea did all eat the same spiritual Meat and drink of the spiritual Rock which followed them or went with them which Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. And told them the Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we break it is not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are One Bread and One Body being all Partakers of the One Bread ver 16 17. and doubtless the knowledge of this Mystery was what he received of the Lord which was above the Sign Shadow or Figure thereof Yet 't is not to be questioned but there was a good Intention in the first Proposal and Practice of those outward Memorials of Christ's Death among the Corinthians in the capacity they stood in to remember and shew forth Christ's Death thereby until they knew and had more of his Life to shew forth in a holy and unblameable State and Conversation in the Day of the Lord Jesus Christ for whose spiritual coming they waited for that end 1 Cor. 1. 6 7 8. And also that they might flee from Idolatry and keep out of it and forbear eating in the Idols Temple which he warned them against As to Christ's Celebration of his last Supper 't is strange that should be so much urg'd as obligatory upon us until Christ's last coming again at the Resurrection in the last Day seeing we find none of the Urgâ—rs thereof so much as in a true imitation of the last Supper of Christ where he eat the legal Passover with his Disciples according to his own
Acceptance or Resentment with my Accuser than as no Contradiction to the Heart of Heresie but as still preserving it safe and untouch'd and which is worse a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it Oh sad Stuff Whither will not Pride and Envy precipitate some Men What scripturally to confess Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures as above is this no Contradiction to Heresie But to preserve excuse or defend it What 's Heresie than pray Is it to confess Jesus Christ come in the Flesh c. according to holy Scripture-Testimony of him Oh! for shame leave off such blind Envy and blasphemous Abuse And now to come to the Point How or wherein have I slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it i. e. of the Heart of Hersie as before p. 244. Thus saith my Accuser in his first Article he confesses Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem c. I confess this is part of my Confession but cannot believe this is either not contradictory to the Heart of Heresie or that it is any Excuse or Defence of it Nor that our confessing God or Christ to be our Light can be any such Excuse or Defence Neither do we attribute the Name Christ to any much less to every one of our selves as we are often falsly accused as here p. 245. Whence he also most unjustly infers That then this will appear that this Confession of Whitehead 's is a meer Fallacy while it attributes no more to Jesus Christ than to G. W. p. 245. Which is a very foul and absurd Falshood and notorious Lie in Fact and contradiction to my said Confession even so far as 't is cited by himself as before which is 1. We sincerely own profess and confess Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem in Judea Mat. 2. suffered Death upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem was quickened and raised again by the Power of God and ascended into Heaven and Glory according to the Scriptures Now have I herein attributed no more to Jesus Christ than to my self as he saith Where did I ever attribute this to my self Where 's the meer Fallacy Not in my Confession to Jesus Christ but in this horrid Abuse and gross Perversion thereof Did I ever say that I am Jesus Christ Or that I was born of the Virgin Mary Or that I suffered Death upon the Cross at Jerusalem c. Oh! for shame who cannot see such Malice and Madness as my Adversary has vented against me in this Matter Again I find no Fallacy in my Confession to Christ as without nor is there any unless I had denied the Virgin Mary of whom Christ was born to be without or Bethlehem and Judea and Jerusalem to be without us nor doth Christ being without prove him not to be our Light within for the same Christ said I am the Light of the World therefore he is our Light yea the Quakers Light as he calls it they being included in the World Does not the Sun shine in our Houses because the Body and Fulness of it is without them My Accuser quibbles and quarrels with Art 10. of my Confession viz. Our Ministers do not teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as amply as to Christ the Head And here he leaves out all the following explanatory part of the Article as he calls it and scornfully descants upon the Word amply being in a different black Character lest quoth he you should mistake and think that George was Christ as amply as Jesus And then goes on scoffing That was modest indeed but then George thou art Christ as well as Jesus though not so amply Which is both a false Implication and foreign to my intention The word amply in that place was only used and intended in direct opposition to F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers teach That the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body as amply as to Christ the Head New Rome Ar. p. 47. But even in the same 10 Art quoted against me I do not allow any Member to be called Christ but expresly dissallow it though I confess how Christians have some Interest in his Name but not to be called Jesus but Christians The explanatory part of my Confession in the said 10th Article disingenuously left out by this Scoffer is in these Words viz. But that the divine Anointing to which Name Christ hath relation virtually is in some measure or degree afforded to every Member of his Body but not so amply as to him the Head nor for any Member to be called Christ but a Christian because Christ received the Anointing the Holy Spirit not by measure but in fulness and because he is the Head of the Body the Church And this very Matter is more fully explain'd in my Charitable Essay in Answer to F. Bugg p. 4. as before It was far from my Thoughts or Intention to imply any such thing as That I am Christ as well as Jesus for I have often written my self A Servant-of Christ and so I am I humbly bless his Name that 's above every Name Therefore I am still very unjustly accused with rank Sophistry dodging and deluding and casting a Mist before the Eyes of poor deluded People or leading them into the Mystery of Iniquity or of any Equivocating or Jesuitical Confession of Faith as foully and unjustly accused p. 246 247. I have a Conscience towards God in what I confess and in good Conscience testifie That thou my scornful lurking Adversary hast cast manifold false and gross Defamations upon me and many others of my Christian Persuasion And in the true Sense of Scripture I have both confess'd Christ's coming in the Flesh and as he the Word was made or took Flesh Jo. 1. 14. And more than the Socinians I do still confess That as the reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience clear in the Sight of him who judgeth righteously which I am sure this my unjust Judge and false Accuser is not who presently after he has stil'd me Honest George unjustly brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! rank Malice bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrin or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrin of the Bible to be holy