Seeing they have forsaken the Fountain of Living waters Jesus Christ and trust to a broken Cistern they shall return from it with their Pitchers empty and be ashamed they shall find no water of Life to refresh them They are now empty Vessels as all who have the true Light in them may perceive They have no Light Wisdom Knowledge nor Vnderstanding as Christ gives to his People No Sanctification no Justification no Reconciliation no Salvation But it is not so with true Believers for they have chosen the Fountain of Living waters the Fountain of Gardens the Well of Living waters Cant. 4.15 The Spring-head of the River of water of Life clear as Crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 Who also gives unto every one of them to have in themselves a Well of water springing up unto Eternal John 4.14 so that out of their Bellies shall flow Rivers of Living water John 7.38 In so much that they do therewith water others and so obtain yet more waterings themselves Prov. 11.25 So that their Souls are like watered Gardens and as Springs of water whose waters fail not Isa 58.11 We see then what a vast difference there is between these Wells without water these Clouds without water afore-mentioned who have set up their Idol and trust in it and those that have chosen the Fountain of Living waters The one sort are continually dry without any true Refreshings as the dry and barren wilderness without Fruit But the other continually watred and refreshed and bringeth forth much good Fruit As the Tree Planted by the Rivers of waters which bringeth forth his Fruit in due Season 4. I shall now proceed and shew some other particulars wherein the Quakers say they do Excell all other Professors in the World having already mentioned three particulars which James Jackson tells us of in his Book p. 14. Strong Man Armed cast out viz. In the true Foundation in Faith and in Knowledge The Quakers Humility So Fourthly in Humility and Spiritual abasement and subjection to the Power and Kingdom of Jesus Christ whereas other Professors are blown swell'd and puff'd up with Airy Notions vain boastings and self-conceitedness as he there saith Answ In Answer to which I say I should be glad to see these good words and Professions to have any thing of Reality in them that they may not be as the Apostle says of the Love of some which is in word and in Tongue onely not in deed nor in Truth For wherein does this Humility appear I see nothing that looks like Humility amongst them except it be in an Outward Garb of Comely and decent Apparel and for that they are in good earnest to be commended I wish others would take Example by them herein and avoid all Foolish Garbs and Fashions unbecoming for Professors of the Gospel Yet this alone is but a shew of Humility it is not the Grace it self But it is plain and manifest by their Principles Behaviour and Practice they Discover that which is Directly contrary and Opposite to Humility i. e. much Pride of Heart and are lifted up in themselves as the Proud Pharisee was and are perswaded and profess that they are not as other Men are all are Publicans and Harlots in Ignorance Blindness and Darkness but themselves Yea all Professors of all perswasions whatsoever that are not one with them in Judgment and Practice they are all Deceived and out of the way out of the Light the Truth and the Life Now what greater Evidence of Pride can Men Discover than this Little cause therefore has this Author to boast of his and their Humility and to accuse other Professors as blown swelled and puffed up with Airy Notions vain boastings and self-conceitedness when they themselves are plainly seen and known to be the Men void of Humility and swelled with Pride 5. Fifthly This Author of the strong Man Armed cast out P. 14. The Quakers Vnity Commends the People with whom he now walks for their Vnity not onely in Opinion and Judgment but in Spirit And their Love is as the soul that hath its Influence into all the parts and Members of the Natural Body so it is among them which as he says makes them in all their ways Doctrine and Practice to be but as one Man Answ It is Answered The Vnity Love and Concord amongst the Quakers is far from the Vnity that Christ Commandeth requireth to be amongst his People the Members of his Body the Church He commandeth Love Vnity Peace Communion and Fellowship to be between and amongst all his People his Members And there is so in their Degrees and Measures which is discovered as Occasions and Opportunities are Offered But though there were as there is not that Vnity of Judgment Opinion and Practice amongst themselves as he saith there is yet I say it is far from that Vnity and Love that is in the true Church of Christ for these People have cut off and separated themselves from the true Church and from all the particular Assemblies Societies and Congregations of the Church of Christ and do fansy themselves to be the onely People of God upon Earth excluding all others for so he hath said O Wonderful strong delusion A Darkness and Blindness not Natural onely as all Carnal Men are Blind but surely a Judicial blindness is upon them Blindness as a just Judgment from the Lord who hath given leave to the god of this World to blind the Minds of them that believe not This Vnity among themselves Dividing and Separating from all the Saints better than themselves if we should suppose that they are of the Body is the greatest Evidence of Enmity strife Schism and Dissention that can be for out of his own Mouth he is Judged He Alludes to the Vnion between the Members of the Natural body their Vnion and Love he says is such a Vnion Now consider Were it not a strange and Monstrous thing in Nature for some of the Members of the Natural body to combine together against all the rest to Neglect or disown the rest of the Members Nay the Members of the Natural body we know have mutual and tender care of and Love one to another even so it is in the Mystical body the Church The true Members Love one another and as they have Vnion with the Head so they have also one with another And where there is at any time any Dissention and External Separation Corruption and Satan are the Cause of it which should Occasion Repentance and Humiliation and not boasting The Apostle Paul shews us plainly wherein the Vnity of the true members of the Church of Christ consists which is another kind of Vnity The true Vnity of the true Church than that among these People He Discovers it briefly in this seven-fold Bond or Vnion See Eph. 4.4 There is one body and one spirit one hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one
I have no greater Joy than to see my Children Walk in Truth And Teacheth Love Vnity Peace Fellowship and Communion with all the Saints And so are all the Children of God thus inclined by the same spirit they shew forth the same Fruits and Effects in their Degrees and Measures But now on the contrary consider The false seducing spirit brings forth in its Followers the quite contrary Fruits and Effects as we plainly see amongst Men And hence are those high and proud Conceits and Apprehensions of themselves their Ways their Doctrines as better above and beyond all others being free from sin and become perfect saying in Effect stand further from me I am Holier than thou Despising that Low Childish Doctrine of sin abiding in us in the remainders of it whilst we Live though the Power and Dominion of it be Destroy'd I say these Fruits and Effects spring from a Cause like unto them whereby we may safely conclude what the Cause is so again when we see Men Separating from others better than themselves leaving and forsaking other Assemblies and Congregations sound in Doctrine and Holy in Life and Conversation excepting common un-avoidable Infirmities we may be sure hereby that this is from a seducing spirit not from the spirit of God whose contrary Fruits and Effects we heard before As Solomon The true Spirit is for Unity the salfe Spirit for Division by his Wisdom given him of God plainly Discerned and knew the true Mother from the false by this very thing by this clear Evidence She that was for Vnity and for preserving together and Nourishing the parts and Members of the Child was the true Mother But she that was for the Dividing of the Child and separating the Members of it he knew by that she was the Harlot and not the true Mother Just so it is in this Case The true spirit is for Vnity Love Fellowship and Communion with all the Members of Christ as Occasion and Opportunity is but the false seducing spirit is for separation and Dividing the Members of Christ's Body upon one pretence or another And herein it is too manifest that not onely some in our Days are more grossely guilty but also many of the true Members of Christ have been deceived and carried away very far by this deluding and seducing spirit through the remainders of Pride and self-love in them and have thought it their Duty to separate from others of their Brethren upon slight weak and insufficient grounds and Causes by which they have greatly Displeased and Offended their Head Jesus Christ and wronged their fellow-fellow-Members And as an Evidence of his Displeasure and a just Correction upon them he hath permitted a People in these days to separate from them all and to disown them all which I am perswaded is one End God hath in suffering these People to appear in this day which as from God is a just Retaliation to do to them as they have done to others the same Measure they have meeted to others of their Brethren is now Measured to them again Seeing no Rules in Scripture nor Councels nor Intreaties of their Brethren would perswade or win them to be of one mind and to keep in Fellowship together this now comes at last as the greatest and sharpest Reproof and Correction of all the former I hope and desire they will consider it and Learn from it to hear the voice of God's Rod as well as of his Word and be Instructed thereby And now having Tryed the Author of the strong Man armed cast out and proved that the strong man is not cast out but removed to a stronger Hold let us proceed further and make it appear also by divers other Proofs and Evidences taken out of his own Book which also are sufficient to convince all others of his Mind and Way that they may plainly see if the God of this World hath not blinded their Minds and hid plain and clear Truths from them the false and unsound Foundations which they Build upon as well as the Wood Hay and Stubble which they Build withal both as to their Opinions and Practices in esteeming themselves the onely Holy People of the Lord in this Day and Despising and Condemning those that are indeed the People of the Lord. First then 1. The Quakers Attainments above others This Author tells us what he and the People with whom he now Walks have attained unto above all others from whom they separate The People the Quakers he saith Build upon a true and right Foundation 1. In the Foundation the Rock of Ages Christ in us the hope of Glory but all other Professing People in the World Build upon the Writings of Men and all of them are strangers to that one Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures See strong Man Armed c. p. 12. In Answer to which I say plainly That if this were Truth which He hath spoken I would separate also and Build upon the same Foundation which he says they Build upon But he hath herein spoken falsely and that in a double Respect 1. In Respect of themselves 2. In Respect of other Professors the Churches of Christ As for themselves such of them as Build upon the Foundation the Light within every Man and Woman and believe in it and Obey it and look for Salvation from it as they Profess to do such Build upon a false and unsound Foundation and not upon Christ the onely true Foundation Secondly As for the other Professing People from whom they Separate he hath belyed them also grossely in saying they Build not upon Christ the true Foundation for it is the chief and Fundamental Doctrine which they Preach and Teach in all their Assemblies and Congregations according to the Word and Gospel of Christ And upon which we are sure many thousands have Built by the Guidance and Teaching and Operations of the spirit of the Lord and are by the same spirit joyned and Vnited in a firm and everlasting bond and Vnion to Christ whereby we have Light Life Vertue Strength Wisdom and all Grace from this Root and Fountain our precious Lord Jesus Christ This Author proceeds further 2. Strong Man Armed p. 13. and tells us That the Faith of the People called Quakers is the Faith of the Son of God Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of it it renews the whole Man 2. The Quakers Faith By this Faith sin is subdued slain and Mortified perfectly the heart purified the World conquered the Soul Sanctified Justified and Saved perfectly But the Faith of all others is an Vnholy Dead Imperfect Faith it Sanctifies but in part as they say and so will never save to the uttermost Thus far he Answ Here is another double gross untruth both as to themselves and others If their Faith be the true Justifying Saving Faith of God's Elect then it would Evidence it self by the Fruits and Effects of Faith which the Scriptures speak of and all the Saints
than the first This is for thee James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out Thou sayest in this thy Book that the strong Man Armed meaning the Devil is cast out of thee and Christ a stronger than he is come in and dwells in his stead this by the way plainly contradicts this Principle and great Doctrine of thy Friends the Quakers That Christ is in every Man and woman Thou confessest the Devil was in thee whilst thou Lived'st so wickedly as thou hast told us but now if Christ a stronger than he be come and entred into thee how was he there before according to this Scripture which says when a stronger than he cometh which plainly implies he was not there before but the Devil was there before and kept the House But now consider this well suppose it be so indeed That the Devil this strong Man Armed was cast out or in policy went out for a time intending to come into his House again and Fortifie himself in thee his House in a stronger hold and with greater strength bringing in seven other Spirits worse than himself more Subtile and Politick Fortifying themselves in a way of Hypocrisie and Religion the other hold of Profaneness not being so sure as this for now thou art perswaded as thou tellest us all is well with thee thou art a New Man a Converted Man as we see and Read thy long story to that purpose I Advise thee as thou lovest thy Soul and Regardest thy Eternal Welfare take heed lest this Scripture be not fulfilled in thee and upon thee for thou lookest as like one of those spoken of and intended in this Scripture as can be beware lest thy last state be not worse than thy first 8. Another Argument proving that Christ is not in all Men and women is this Christ is not in any Man or Woman who have not Faith Prop. 8. But the Wicked and ungodly have no Faith Therefore Christ is not in the wicked and ungodly The Apostle Prays to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked Men for all Men have not Faith 2 Thes 3.2 Now Christ is and dwells in those in whom he works Faith for he is the Author and Finisher of Faith in all his People and he dwells in them by Faith Eph. 3.17 He Prays That they may be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner Man That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith 9. Another Argument Denying the Quakers Assertion and Proving the Truth is this Christ is not in any Man or Woman Prop. 9. but in those to whom he doth communicate his Nature and Image But Christ doth not Communicate his Nature and Image to Impenitent and ungodly Men and Women Therefore Christ is not in ungodly Men and Women It is impossible that Christ should dwell in any Soul and not Manifest his Presence there by making Impressions of his own Nature Image and Likeness And therefore where he comes he doth Communicate his Image more or less 1 Cor. 15.48 As is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly v. 49. And as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly And 2 Pet. 1.4 There are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises That by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature 10. Another Proposition confirming the same is this Christ is in none but in those onely who are joyned to him as Members of his Body Prop. 10. But wicked Men and Women are not joyned to him as Members of his Body Therefore Christ is not in wicked Men and women This Truth may be Illustrated and shadowed out unto us by a plain Similitude between Natural and Mystical Fruit-trees Similitudes of things with which we daily Converse obvious to our Natural Senses are very helpful unto us to shadow out and Illustrate Spiritural things which are Dark Abstruce and Difficult as they lye in intricate Spiritual Notions which without some plain Similitude would be discerned but dimly as in this particular As VVindows are to a House so are Similitudes to a Discourse They both let in Light VVe know the Root Body Boughs Branches and Twiggs of a Fruit-tree are all joyned together and do make but one Body or Substance And that the Root gives no Sap Life or Nourishment but onely to those parts of the Tree that are Vnited to it all those Boughs and Branches are Nourished from the Root they Receive Sap Spirit and Life the Innate Intrinsecal Form and Virtue of the Tree is in all the parts But the Virtue and Influence of the Root is not in any other Branches or Boughs which do not grow upon the Root though they are never so near this Tree though they are contiguous and mixed among or hang among the Living Branches yet they have no Life in them no Sap no Virtue from the Root because they are no parts of it Even so it is here in this Mystical Fruit-tree Christ and his Members his People who are Members of his Body they Receive Life Nourishment and Virtue from him he is in them by his Effectual Operations But as for others who are not of his Body who are not joyned to him by Faith wrought by the Spirit he is not in them they receive no Virtue Life or Nourishment from him he doth not Communicate himself to them as he does to his own People his Members for he is in them and they in him 1 Cor. 12.27 Ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church And Col. 2.19 From the Head all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God This is plain from Christ's own words John 15.1 2 c. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit be tâ—keth away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he pâ—rgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. Ver. 4. Abide in me and I in you Ver. 5. I am the Vâ—ne ye are the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Thus have I drawn these Ten Pieces of Ordnance out of Gods own Magazine and levelled them against this Idol this false Christ the Light in every Man and Woman and it is sallen and broken and Christ the true Light set up and Worshipped in its stead by all that Worship God in Spirit and in Truth How dreadful is the Case of these People the Deceived ones among the Quakers who set up an Idol instead of Christ and Worship it and Teach others so to do thereby forsaking the Fountain of Living waters and digging to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water Well might the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Jude also call them Wells without water and Clouds without water 2 Pet. 2.17 Jude 12.
that by this Plain Character joyned to all the rest so visible also these being joyned and set altogether we may spell their Names and their Natures so plainly that we cannot mistake the men for although there are other false Prophets and Teachers in the world besides yet they are of another sort we must spell their Names and know them by other Marks Letters and Characters Now this Character which yet follows in this Epistle of Jude is in the 19. verse These are they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now let it be well considered who they are that separate and from whom they separate There is a Separation indeed that is not onely good and Lawful but also a Duty There is a Command for it but what is that Separation We see it plainly 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. Believers that were Converted by the Ministry of the Gospel were Commanded to come out from among the Heathenish Idolaters and not to be partakers with them any longer in their Heathenish Idolatrous Worship in Worshipping Idols Wood and Stone the works of Mens Hands But what is that Separation to this Separation This separation the Apostle takes Notice of as a very gross sin and we see it is one of the Letters or Characters of these Men of whom they speak the false Teachers who being guilty of all those great and gross sins which these two Apostles Peter and Jude had newly mentioned he now adds to them all another plain broad conspicuous brand and sets it on with an Emphasis These are they that Separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit As if the Apostle had said in more words The false Prophets that I have been now speaking of and the many that follow their pernicious ways ver 2. These are they these are the People who separate themselves and from whom shall they separate Even from the People of the Lord the Churches Congregations and Assemblies of the Saints Now do not these Men so Do not the Quakers separate themselves from all the Saints from all the particular Churches and Assemblies of the Lords People in all the Land as if they were Heathens and Idolaters and speak evil of them and Reproach them with many bitter words and slanders Witness James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out in his Separation from the Churches of the Independents who Reproaches the Pastors and brings Railing Accusations against them and many other of the precious Saints even as the Apostles Peter and Jude do Declare as one of the Characters of these People as hath been shewed And yet he glories in this his Separation and Accounts it as we see as one special mark of his Conversion that he is turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan that strong Man Armed being now cast out he is come to God and to his People who as he tells us are the most Holy Innocent People upon the Earth And this his Conversion he ascribes to the Light within which Light as he also saith hath Converted Thousands in like manner unto God yea as he himself is Converted And counts it a Marvellous thing that those who think themselves Christians should not Acknowledge this Light within to be Christ the true Light that hath done such marvellous things for him and many others But that they should call it Natural Light or the Devil he accounts this Blasphemy But now if we do but Examine this his and others Separation according to the Scriptures and look upon it in the true Light indeed we shall see and find that it is so far from being a Mark or Sign of their true Conversion as he and they account it that it is indeed a Mark and Evidence of their Carnal Dark Vnregenerate state And so the Apostle Jude Accounts it to be and a Note or Character of the Ungodly Men the false Teachers which he had been speaking of throughout his whole Epistle And sets it on as a plain Mark for all People to see and take Notice of These are they that Separate themselves Jude 19. Yea and the Apostle John joyns his Testimony with him to the same purpose 1 John 2.18 19. The Apostle here speaks of some in his time that were like these very Men in our time As we see Little Children it is the last time And as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time And he makes their Separation as we see a Character of their wickedness ver 19. They went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us We see here what separation from the People of the Lord and their Assemblies is Accounted by this Apostle also he tells us plainly it is a Mark or Character of wicked Men That such as so separate are none of the Number of Gods People they went out or separated from us because they were not of us they were none of Christ's Members no Believers as we are they were not of us For saith he if they had been of us if they had been of the same Body with us whereof Christ is the Head then no doubt they would have continued with us and not have separated from us but it is so they went out from us they forsook us and separated from us that it might be made manifest that such were not of us that such were not joyned to Christ as we are So then what grounds of boasting this James Jackson or any other of his Principles and Practice have in their separations from the true Churches of Christ and joyn with a deluded Ignorant People that Fansy themselves the onely People of the Lord as being Converted by the Light within we leave to those who are Taught of God to Consider and Judge Alas Poor Ignorant A Lying Spirit is gone forth amongst the Quakers which Seduceth them Deluded Men They Understand not That a false and Lying Spirit or many is gone forth among them and hath Deceived them If there were but this one Mark or Character though there are many more mentioned yet it were enough of it self to Discover them that they are led by a Lying Seducing spirit which hath perswaded them That is Their Disowning and Reproaching so many Thousands of the Lord's People Ministers and Ambassadors sent of God Pastors of particular Churches and Congregations all Professing People in the Land yea in the World without exception of any And although many that are called Ministers in the Land and many Professors are grossely guilty of sin and deny Christ in their Works and Doings which is to be Lamented Must therefore all the Saints and true Members of Christ be Disowned and Denyed also whereof there are many thousands If these Men had the Spirit of God and