the said Snake c. but more fully in a farther Scrutiny made in a Book now Extant Entituled Anguis Flagellatus Or a Switch for the Snake By Joseph Wyeth When this Rector can demonstrate a Probatum est of such vertue in that Poor Element as he calls it of Water-Baptism as to cleanse and cure polluted and distempered Souls from Sin Spiritual Leprosie and Diseases as Naaman the Assyrian was cured of his Leprosie by washing seven times in the River of Jordan 2 Kings 5. 13. or as the Blind Man found in washing in the Pool of Siloam that he receiv'd Sight and came seeing John 9. 11. unto both which the Rector alludes in 's comparison for Water-Baptism Then I say if he can evince a Probatum of such vertue therein according to his own comparison It will be a most pregnant Argument to induce People to believe 't is required of them to be dipt or baptized in the Element of Water and to hasten into it especially if they can believe it can effect such a Miracle as an Inward and Spiritual Cure upon their Souls as to Cleanse and Cure them from Sin and the Leprosie thereof as well as from Spiritual Blindness which answers the Allusions before and the more necessity thereof if they may not be so cured without it as this Rector saith of Naaman If he had neglected it he had not otherwise been cured How much more then quoth he when God has appointed the means of Baptism by his Son if we neglect it shall we be saved without it p. 31. This is like Dipp or Damn still and yet all this while he may mean Rantism which is not properly Baptism but I deny either i. e. with the Element of Water to be the means of Salvation or that as such God has so appointed them and that Men shall not be Saved without them i. e. without Sprinkling or Dipping in Water the Rector still imposes and begs the Question in all these without Scripture proof I would not be understood to own or allow any despite to Water-Baptism or inventing contemptible Names for it as the Rector insinuates as it was once a Dispensation from Heaven to John Baptist nor do I either condemn despise or contemn any who are tenderly Conscientious in the Belief and Practise thereof but desire they may see and come further so as to receive that Inward Spiritual Baptism the Washing of Regeneration by which Christ effectually Saveth the True Believers in him I desire none may Idolize the outward Element of Water which cannot Save to hinder them of the Inward which can Save And it being generally granted that the outward Baptism is an outward and visible Sign of an Inward and Spiritual Grace and Type or Figure of the Inward Baptism I wish Men would be so considerate as to examine what Necessity there can be of the continuance of the Sign or Type when they do not hear Christ the Great Prophet directing thereto nor does it effect the end proposed i. e. the Washing away of Sin seeing the Substance and Mystery thereof is made manifest and a Spiritual Dispensation or Ministry from Heaven given immediately directing to the Life Substance the end of all Shadows which really end in Christ the Substance whose Evangelical Ministry is a Dispensation of the Grace of God of Substance and not of Shadow Quest. Do you believe or own the Lord's Supper either as a Sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves or as a Seal of the Saints Communion and Commemoration of Christ's Death for us or as Figurative of Christ's Body and Blood Spiritually received by Faith Answ. The Supper of the Lord we own and tenderly consider in a Two-fold Sense 1. In the Figure 2. In the Substance 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ at his Supper with his Disciples did eat the Passover which was for the fulfilling and Consummation of the Feasts under the Law see Luke 22. and at this Supper he did take and minister Bread and the Cup to his Disciples for there was no Transubstantiation saying This do in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. After this they did more clearly know his Coming and Christ after the Spirit Jesus Christ in them 2 Cor. 13 5. 5. 16. 2. And Christ said to his Disciples I will not drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine until that day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom Matt. 26. 29. And likewise of the Passover I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God Luke 22. 16. And he further said I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed to me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom c. Luke 22. 29 30. In these things we believe he spoke Mysteriously and that every Member of his Spiritual Church doth daily Spiritually partake of his Body and Blood by Faith as The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. The Son of God saith Behold I stand at the door and knock if any Man hear my voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Rev. 3. 20. And Wisdom calleth to the Simple Come eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine Prov. 9. 4 5. And saith Christ The Bread of God is he that cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World I am that Bread of Life my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him John 6. We believe that all who thus do truly partake of Christ by Faith are in true Communion and Love among themselves which they do want who are only in the outward Observation of Signs and Shadows Upon which the Rector makes this Observation viz. The Reader may here discern how by their deceivable Words and manifold Corruptions of the Scriptures these horrid Impostors set themselves at work to evade and make null the Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper as instituted and administred in Bread and Wine c. p. 34. Reply He passes severe Judgment before either Proof or Trial as one more expert in Railing and Reviling than in Demonstration For our considering the Supper of the Lord in a Two-fold Sence 1. In the Type or Figure 2. In the Substance Is neither Deceivable nor Corruption of Scripture consequently 't is a horrid Calumny to brand us as Horrid Impostors for such Consideration We know none but Papists that will deny the outward Bread and Wine to be
Typical though Consecrated We are sure no real Protestants do deny them to be Typical or Figurative but have affirm'd them so to be And whether the Supper of the Lord or Christ's Last Supper in the Type Luke 22. was made up only of the Bread broken and the Cup is a Question to be considered by them who assert it or whether the Passover was not principally concern'd in the Supper seeing that also after Supper Christ took the Cup and gave them I deny that the Bread and the Wine only as now ministred by Priests is either properly a Supper or a Dinner How then come they to call it The Supper of the Lord Or deny it to be a Type or Figure by deeming us Horrid Impostors for asserting the outward Supper to be Typical 'T is true it 's said As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 26. I hope our Adversary will not make As oft to import a Command and that perpetual too unless till he Christ come can import a perpetual Delay of his Coming And though Christ's Last Supper wherein he eat the Passover with his Disciples was then pro tempore commanded by him yet this does not prove it his Institution For it was a Legal Institution fulfilled by him as other Legal Rites and Types were before he was offer'd up That Christ as the Bread of Life from Heaven and his Divine Virtue Grace and Spirit as the Fruit of him the heavenly Vine which gives Life Nourishment and Comfort unto the Soul was really the Substance and Mystery typified by the outward Bread and Cup I hope no Spiritual Believer or Christian will deny And to suppose they shall not partake thereof until Christ's Coming at the Resurrection is to suppose their Souls must starve and famish in the mean time which can be no glad Tidings to them The Rector falsly charges us with saying The Resurrection is past already as Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 18. p. 34. 'T is none of our saying we deny that the Resurrection there spoken of is past or made already or that we overthrow the Faith of any believing therein as it is to come by Christ Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life and by whom comes the Resurrection of the Dead 1. Cor. 15. And I would ask this Rector where we say or use these Expressions That the Institution of the Lord's Supper was only to continue till that Inward Coming or forming of Christ in our Hearts and for that Reason throw off the outward Supper p. 34 35. Where have we so said or argued For our not using the Type is rather because we do not believe it of Force or Necessity under an higher Dispensation namely that of the New Covenant established by the Death of Christ the Testator who blotted out and nailed the hand-writing of Ordinances to his Cross the Dispensation of the Gospel and New Covenant being a Dispensation of Substance and not of Shadows although they were in some things condescended unto in a State of Infancy when not impos'd as things Essential to Christianity or Salvation It 's true that they who gladly received the Word continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Acts 2. 42. And Verse 46. And they continuing daily with one Accord in the Temple and breaking Bread from House to House did eat their Meat with Gladness and singleness of Heart No doubt they were very Innocent in this Practice Praising God c. v. 47. And this we have often done and believe it is the Duty of all true Christians to eat their Meat with Singleness of Heart and whether they eat or drink to do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Col. 3. 17. And what greater Sanction can this Man suppose or place upon what he calls the Lord's Supper Ought we not to praise God for all his Benefits and use them to his Glory daily and not only in a daily Remembrance of Christ and his Love to us but also in a true sense thereof and of his Sanctifying Word In Acts the second quoted it 's also said Verse 44 45. And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their Possessions and Goods and parted them to all Men as every Man had need Now if our Opposers will make all Examples and Practices binding then why do they not follow this of having all things common and selling their Possessions c. I do not think the Priests now a-days will imitate them or deem themselves bound thereby And where do they so much as imitate those Primitive Believers in breaking Bread from House to House And how will they prove this Breaking of Bread only to be the Lord's Supper I deny that to be made up only of Bread and I cannot suppose this Man will esteem it a sufficient Supper Nor do I find that the Apostles call Believers only breaking Bread from House to House Acts 2. or the Disciples coming together to break Bread Acts 20. 7. the Lord's Supper where they neither mention Wine nor the Passover Nor would it be of good report to say they drank Wine from House to House And if it should be asserted That the Lord's Supper was made up only of breaking Bread would not this gratifie the Popish Priests in giving their Sacrament but in one kind However the outward Bread as broken and the outward Cup as ministred by our Lord Jesus Christ were not only Figurative of his Body and Blood as offer'd upon the Cross but also did Typifie the Saints Eating and Drinking the Body and Blood of Christ Spiritually who saith My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed And he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him John 6. And I 'll raise him up at the last day saith Christ. Therefore it 's no Corruption of Scripture nor Imposture to consider the Supper of the Lord in the Figure and in the Substance And as to these other Texts 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. Rev. 3. 20. Prov. 9. 4 5. John 6. Matt. 26. 29. Luke 22. 16 29 30. They i. e. the Quakers offer to the view of the World I cannot discern or imagine quoth the Rector to what End and Purpose this is done unless it be to amuse the Reader abuse the Scriptures or confute themselves Page 36 37. Reply It was to none of those Ends these Texts are offer'd but to shew our Consideration of the Lord's Supper in the Substance and Mystery thereof as Typified by the outward that there is a Spiritual Bread and Wine Spiritual Meat and Drink in Christ's Kingdom for the enlivened Soul to eat and drink of and live by which the Visible and Elementary did Typifie and Figure Prov. 9. 5. Wisdom saith Come eat of my Bread and drink of the Wine which I have mingled That this was
Legal Dispensation had no Faith in the Messiah or no Title to Christianity or were in no Christian State as implied page 4. seeing they had the Word of Faith in them as well as the Law without them Deut. 30. 12 14. compared with Rom. 10. 8. And all Israel drank of the same Spiritual Rock which followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. How could they drink thereof if they had no Faith therein 2. Now how this Reason describes a Christian in the Affirmative He tells us To entitle a Man to be a Christian viz. He must necessarily believe Christ to be already come nay that particular and numerical Man Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh to be the Christ of God that was promised to come in due time That this very Man was Crucified died and rose again from the Dead and is ascended c. citing 1 Tim. 3. 16. This Christ God-man as come and Crucified was that main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity These were new Articles founded upon a new Dispensation without the Belief of which not to name some others which may be thought by some also necessary such as Baptism by Water and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine a Man cannot be called a Christian page 4 5. If this Belief of the Blessed Man Christ Jesus his Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension into Glory as the Great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh c. 1 Tim. 3. 16. be necessary to entitle a Man to be a Christian then we the People called Quakers sincerely believe all this of Christ the true and promised Messiah we really have all this Faith of and concerning him consequently we must have a true Title and right Claim to Christianity by the same Proposition we really believe both of Christ and in him even in his Name and Power wherein we hold the main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity and the Doctrine thereof But this Rector has omitted a Living Faith in Christ unto Repentance Sanctification Regeneration the New Birth Newness of Life Purity and Holiness without which no Man shall see God or be a Christian in Nature The more uncharitable and inconsistent then is this Rector in charging us with Venom giving our Doctrine the Character of The Venom of Quakerism and the Quakers indefinitely that of Deceitful Workers Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ cannot be looked upon any otherwise at best than good moral Heathens and many of them short of that page 5. Hence observe how uncharitable and furious this Rector is and how he had need to be corrected for his Rashness herein though our Profession taking the words thereof in their common Acceptation must be granted at least to seem Orthodox as he grants both of our Paper observed by him i. e. The Christianity c. W. P' s Key John Crook ' s Principles c. But still in his uncharitable and sower Humour he will presume to be Judge over our Sincerity from my seeing cause to construe my Friend's words and Intentions as if we were hence to be mistrusted in our Orthodox Confessions whereupon he presently passes Judgment against the Quakers viz. That they have a nauseous Pill to give you but that it may not be distastful they gild it over as the Writers of Popery in the late K. J's Reign the other day did with more such bitter envious Stuff and false Judgment to which we shall never submit nor give away our Sincerity or Holy Profession of Christ and Christianity which he cannot deny to be Orthodox in it self Nor extinguish our Sincerity therein but only strive to cloud by Reproaches groundless Jealousies and Misconstructions and Perversions which is not as he would be done by to be sure But if a Belief of Christ already come born of the Virgin Mary being of the Seed of Abraham and that he was Crucified died rose again and ascended as the Scriptures declare be sufficient to entitle a Man to be a Christian How many do believe and confess thus much of Christ and yet Unsanctified Unregenerate Impenitent Ungodly and Unchristian in Spirit and Conversation So that they are not in the true living Faith in Christ Jesus though they have an Historical and Traditional one and perhaps may be Baptized or Sprinkled with Water too But of that the Rector here writes somewhat faintly and dubiously as thought by some also necessary i. e. to make a Man a Christian page 9. But afterward he is more positive in this Point That 't is necessary as the Sacred Ordinance of Christ and Saving p. 27. Necessary to enter Men into the Kingdom of God from John 3. 5. p. 28. for Remission and doing away Sins cleansing of our Souls that the Spirit doth Sanctifie the Waters in Baptism to the mystical Washing away of Sin p. 29 31 32. But as for Infants partaking thereof he evades proof It is not his business here to prove he saith p. 27. So that he both evades defending their own Practice and leaves People at an uncertainty of the Subjects of this ignorantly supposed Saving Soul cleansing and mystical washing Ordinance making use of the Anabaptists Arguments for Baptizing Believers with Water which is no proof for Rantism or Sprinkling upon Infants Thus he attempts to shew People the way or means of Regeneration and entering into the Kingdom of God and he lays the stress thereof upon the outward Baptism by Water and not upon the inward Baptism of the Spirit he has found out an easie way to make Christians and to get to Heaven at this rate His business here being to prove Whether outward Baptism by Water is the Sacred Ordinance of Christ as necessary to be believed and Saving or Inward Baptism i. e. the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or an Inward Conversion to God p. 27. So that by this the Saving Baptism must be the one or the other he places it upon the outward Waters of Baptism as necessary to the cleansing of our Souls mystical Washing away of Sin p. 31 32. therefore not upon the Inward Baptism of the Spirit for that was not sufficient he saith p. 29. No What was it good for then He tells us The inward Baptism was but a necessary Qualification for the Reception of the outward Baptism by Water p. 29. So that the Water is exalted above the Spirit or the Spirit 's Baptism But how many Infants who are Sprinkled can they prove are thus first qualified by the Inward Baptism of the Spirit What confused and bewildred work do we meet withal from some angry Opposers Upon the whole the Man's Definition of a Christian is summed up in this viz. That the Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Inward and Spiritual Baptism is not Saving or sufficient to make a true Christian but Water-Baptism and whether that must be of
there is a great difference between Christ's offering up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without Spot to God and the Acts of wicked Men inflicted upon him as 't is said by wicked hands they put him to death The Merit Deserving Dignity or Worth is placed upon Christ's Obedience in offering up himself and humbling himself to the Death of the Cross for Man's Redemption as intimated in the consequence Wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 9. Therefore the Merit or Deserving was not placed upon the Soldier 's Act of thrusting the Spear into his side and letting out his Blood thereby after he had given up the Ghost John 19. 33 34. But upon the Obedience of the Son of God even unto the Death of the Cross as that most acceptable Sacrifice for the Sins of the World Christ's deserving such high Exaltation into Dominion and Glory through his Obedience in Suffering was for the bringing many Sons to Glory Heb. 2. 10. consequently That in following him we might be received into Glory as they who Suffer with him shall be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and this no ways interferes with nor varies from Our Sincere Belief of Salvation and Justification by Jesus Christ his Righteousness Merits and Works and not by our own Christ as our Mediator and the one Offering has obtained Justification Remission and Pardon of Sins and Eternal Redemption for us which he makes us partakers of by his Work of Righteousness and Sanctification in us so that both Christ's Obedience Deservings and Dignity without us and his works within us are concerned in our Salvation and Justification which his Light and Spirit Leads us to the living Knowledge and Experience of as We sincerely obey and follow the same for the Apostle describes both the washing Sanctification and Justification of true Converts to be in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Therefore I hope it will be no reproach to W. P. or any else to be in conjunction with G. W. in this point as he is accused p. 14. namely That our Justification and Salvation is not Effected wholly without us as if there were no need of the Spirit 's work within us for our Regeneration and Sanctification all which is Christ's work being done by his Spirit and Power which consequently does no ways lessen his Dignity Glory and Honour wherewith he was crowned through the Suffering of Death that he might bring many Sons after him unto Glory Heb. 2. 9. Again the Rector quotes G. Whitehead in Counterfeit Convert printed 1694. p. 17 18. That it is the Light and Life within in which is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation And as for the Sufferings and Death of Christ in the Flesh they do but instrumentally contribute thereunto The Rector to abuse me Partially cites me in this place as if I ascribed Salvation to a Light and Life within without Christ or not to Christ for what else could he design in bringing this Quotation to confront or oppose our Confession before cited to Salvation by Jesus Christ And where do I say in which i. e. in the Light and Life within is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation as if I should say something in the Light and Life of Christ were the Immediate cause of Man's Salvation and not the Light and Life of Christ it self this Rector would fain make me speak Non-sence as well as Blasphemy But by our confessing to the Light and Life of Christ within as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation from Sin and Condemnation we do neither divide Christ nor make two Christs nor yet by confessing his Suffering and Death in the Flesh as a means of God's appointment instrumentally to contribute thereunto He being The Mediator of the New Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament or Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and as it was by means of Christ that true Christians believe in God who raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory and Honour that their Faith and Hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1. 20 21. So if Christ our Mediator be the Means the Cause and Great Instrument of our Faith and Salvation and his Death the Means of our Redemption and Remission of Sins in his Blood It can be no dishonour to him to confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute to our Salvation and that Christ himself by his Light and Life in us is the Immediate and Efficient cause thereof thereby fulfilling and confirming in us the blessed and holy Design and Ends of his Sufferings and Death for us I am not ashamed of my Testimony for Christ in this matter and give it here more truly than my Adversary has done out of the place quoted out of Counterfeit Convert p. 18. viz. That Christ the Promised Seed through Death was to bruise under and destroy him that had the Power of Death viz. The Devil yet he effectually doth it by his divine Power Light and Life as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation wherein we still confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute thereunto Christ Jesus as the Promised Seed who came of a Woman made under the Law bruised the Serpent's Head both without us and within us without us through his Sufferings and Death by his divine Testimony Word and Power within us by his Divine Life Light Word or Seed Spirit and Power which is all but one Christ himself not two Christs nor to be divided Else how could we be born again of Incorruptible Seed Or how doth that Seed remain in him that 's born again And is not that Seed Christ And is not the Word of Faith Christ in Spirit See 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 John 3. 9. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. Now where 's the Venom charged in all this Doctrine When true and full Recitations are given of our Words how plain does the Truth thereof appear But when our Adversaries give their perverted minced and false Citations thereof to traduce us as Venomous in Doctrine as this angry Rector has frowardly and frequently done How cloudy do they make them and us look But Truth will work thorow and over all this dust and cloudy stuff they cast upon us To what he quotes against Tho. Lawson his Untaught Teacher printed 1655. p. 4 5. Against looking for Salvation from a means without and seeking a way to Salvation without p. 15. I have not the Book quoted but am apt to think T. L's unfairly or not fully cited in this place let the Rector produce a fair and full Recitation However I really believe upon our Principle that T. L. meant no other than that as Salvation from Sin is an Inward and Spiritual Work of Christ Men must expect and wait
Yes verily we believe and own Christ not only as he is the Light of the World enlightning every Man coming into it but also that he is given for a Leader and for a Commander And that he is both King Priest and Prophet to and over his Church and People He is the Minister of the Sanctuary which the Lord Pitched and not Man and we are to hear him in all things On this the Rector observes viz. This Profession of theirs if Sincere would indeed comprehend a great part of the Christian Religion but if the above Quotations be true they will give you just cause to suspect them even in this p. 19. By this our Profession is granted as comprehensive of a great part of Christian Religion and our Sincerity therein is known to God who judgeth Righteously and we may not submit it to this Person 's Prejudice or unjust Judgment and Quotations wherein his Falseness and Partiality are in a great measure already detected And what he now quotes against our said Profession out of Tyranny and Hypocrisie detected p. 19. of S. E's declaring G. F. Blessed be the Man that came out of the North c. And a Letter said to be writ by Josiah Coale from Barbadoes to G. F. in 1658. which this Person saith is Justified by W. Penn in his Judas and the Jews p. 44 45 46. We have heard often of this Letter of J. C's and of W. P's Vindication thereof but I find no Reply from this Rector to Refute W. P. therein nor yet any Proof therefrom of our Insincerity in what we profess as aforesaid for our believing the Divine Offices of Jesus Christ in and over his Church for though G. F. was truly esteemed among us as a Faithful Minister of Christ and a Father in him unto many in the Faith and an Heir of Christ's Kingdom yet this was never to Wrest the Scepter out of Christ's Hand as is falsly insinuated by this Rector and his Author Edward Pay a Teacher of the Anabaptists whose Authority is quoted against us p. 19 20. See what hard Shifts this Man is put to for Authority against us for all his Learning I may refer him in this Case to my Answer to Edward Pay Entituled The Contemned Quaker and his Christian Religion defended p. 81 82. Wherein I tell him that his Charge is very high against two Persons deceased who I believe ended their Days in Peace and that I have cause to question whether the said Letter be truly and intirely copied or cited from the Original and what Persons that are no Parties nor Adversaries to us will attest thine to be a true and intire Copy according to Josiah Coale's original Letter c. I doubt not but I can clear that Honest Man Josiah Coale from giving any Blasphemous Titles as charged and that from his own printed Testimonies and G. F. also from receiving such by his known publick Christian Profession and Confession unto Christ Jesus both as God and Man according to the Holy Scriptures And concerning the other Pamphlet Tyranny and Hypocrisie also quoted by this Rector against us it is a Malicious Libel without the Author's Name yet so far given credit unto against us to asperse and traduce us though fully answered long ago by W. P. c Thus hard put to it is this Rector to find and rake up Matter against our Christian Profession of Christ his Divine Offices c. And therefore 1st His calling G. F. the King of the Quakers p. 20 21. is a Scornful Falshood that 's none of our Profession but that Jesus Christ is our King Priest and Prophet who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 2. As also his accusing G. F. with depriving Christ of his Kingly Office and assuming it to himself p. 21. is another notorious Falshood and Calumny for he was a Minister or Servant of Jesus Christ and so he owned himself to be consequently unjustly charg'd with depriving Christ of his Kingly Office and assuming it to himself Neither did I ever say or intend any such thing of G. F. though I am here quoted in Innocency against Envy p. 18. as plainly intimating It is not G. F. but the Light or Christ within him that assumes this Kingly Power p. 21. I do not know that I used these words or plainly intimated this in behalf of G. F. nor needed I so excuse him from that which he was never justly chargeable with as depriving Christ of his Kingly Office or assuming the same to himself Neither was it proper or pertinent for me to say That the Light or Christ within assumes this Kingly Power p. 21. 'T is Christ's Right to Rule and Reign both as King and Law-giver and his being in us by his Light and Spirit does not lessen his Power Dignity or Glory he hath in himself And it follows not that because Christ who is King is in us That every Quaker is a King because every Quaker has the Light within as this Priest argues p. 21. I wish he would speak more Reverently of the Light within and of Christ within which if he obeys not will be his Condemnation it 's they that obey Christ the Light and suffer with him that shall Reign with him and not every one in whom Christ or his Light appears for too many Rebel against the Light and will not that Christ should Reign over them What he quotes against G. F. Jun. p. 50. speaking in the Name of the Light is answered in the other Examination and no disowning but a real owning of Christ's Kingly Office as he is the Light and Judge of the World The Rector insinuating against us A Denial of the Priestly Office of Christ and also his Humanity p. 22. is as false as the rest of his Calumnies Where did ever we deny Christ as the one Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. How often have we confess'd him as such His saying the Quakers tells you that Christ was never seen with Carnal Eyes c. quoting H. Woolrich's Declaration to the Baptists p. 13. I have not that Declaration but it has been answered that he meant the True Christ is not seen Savingly with Carnal Eyes nor though the Jews saw his Body or Person outwardly they did not see him Spiritually and Savingly as his Disciples did who saw his Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Christ saith He that seeth me seeth my Father also in which sence of seeing he was never so seen with Carnal Eyes no more than the Father was Again 't is objected against us That we teach that Christ has no Body but his Church quoting Jos. Coale's Works p. 332. This is falsly charged both against us and falsly cited against Josiah Coale for first We do not so Teach 2. Though J. C. confesseth the Church to be the Body of Christ in the place quoted he also confesseth Christ's glorious Body
that the Inward Spiritual Baptism washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Spirit of Life the Power of Christ is the Saving Baptism the truly Regenerating Baptism the Baptism essentially necessary to Salvation and making Christians and not the outward nor the Sign Type or Shadow thereof is no venomous Doctrine but agreeable to Holy Scripture Testimony is evident from Isa. 1. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes saith the Lord c. this was an Inward and Spiritual Washing Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from thy wickedness that thou mayest be saved This was a Heart-washing an Inward and Spiritual Washing whereby they might be Saved Zech. 13. 1. The Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness was a Spiritual Fountain The Lord God was the Fountain of Living Water which when they had forsaken they committed a great Evil therein as well as in hewing to themselves broken Cisterns which could hold no Water Jer. 2. 13. And the clean Water the Lord promised to Sprinkle upon his People to make them clean from all their Filthiness and to cleanse them from all their Idols Ezek. 36. 25. was a Spiritual Sprinkling with Spiritual Water and the Lord 's doing John 3. 5. Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God This was Spiritual Living Water Inward and Sanctifying Grace as the True Primitive Christians experienced and best of Reformed Protestants believed and not the outward Element of Water as Papists and this Rector believe and hold As in his page 28 before more fully observed yea he holds This poor Element as he calls it of Water as necessary to do away Sins and to work upon our Souls as the Waters of Jordan were to the Cleansing of Naaman 2 Kings 5. 13. so necessary quoth he are the Waters of Baptism to the Cleansing our Souls p. 31. Such Vertue he ascribes to this Element thus idolizing it even as highly as the Rhemists against the Protestants but contrary to Christ's own Testimony also If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me saith our Lord Jesus John 13. 8. who also required first to make clean the inside that the out-side might be clean also Therefore 't was the Inward Spiritual Washing of Regeneration the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart by the Word of Life the Holy Spirit and Power of Christ which was the Soul's Saving Baptism and not that of the outward Element Titus 3. 4 5. After that the Kindness of God our Saviour toward Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he Saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost And if the Baptism which doth now save us be not the Putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ according to that of 1 Pet. 3. 23. What can be more clear than that the Saving Baptism is that of the Spirit which is the One Baptism Ephes. 4. 5. whereby the Saints were all Baptized into One Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and not that of the outward Element which can neither cleanse the Soul nor wash away the Sin or Guilt thereof The Inward and Spiritual Grace Saveth the Soul from Sin and Condemnation and ought to be preferred to all outward and visible Signs which can neither Save nor Sustain or Relieve the Soul 't is Life and Substance which is divine can do that The One Spiritual Baptism and that One Bread that Spiritual Meat and Drink which cometh down from Heaven is that which both saves and nourisheth the Soul unto Eternal Life John 6. 1 Cor. 10. That Disciples and Apostles of Christ did Baptize with Water is not denied Acts 8. 36 38. ch 10. 48. ch 19. 3 4 5. but that they did Practice or enjoin it as an act of necessity pursuant to Christ's Commission in Matth. 28. 19. is to impose upon us or beg the Question but that it was rather permissively practised in con discention than by that Commission For 1st Water is not expressed in that Text. 2dly When they Baptized with Water they did not use the terms of the Commission in it We do not read in all the Acts of the Apostles that any of them Baptized with Water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost or that they used those expressions or terms in their Baptizing with Water but in the name of the Lord or in the name of the Lord Jesus If Water had been intended in that Commission of Christ Matth. 28. 19. the Apostle Paul must be concerned in it it must be as much binding to him as any other Minister but he declares the contrary that Christ sent him not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. 17. he does not say Christ sent me not only to Baptize but positively for Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel which was part of the Reason he gave why he thanked God that he had baptized no more than those he mentions 1 Cor. 1. 14 15 16. as well as Lest they should have said he had baptized in his own name for 't is not to be supposed he would thank God for not performing part of his Commission if it had been to Baptize with Water as well as to Preach the Gospel but that positive and general Reason for Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel leaves no room for him to say Christ sent me to Minister Water-Baptism in his Commission in Matth. 28. 19. for Water-Baptism was properly John's Baptism and Ministry to make way for Christ's higher Dispensation and Spiritual Ministry Matth. 3. 11. Mark 11. 8. Luke 3. 16. John 1. 16. Acts 1. 5. 10. 16. compare with Acts 19. 2 3 4. But I need not enlarge on this subject to answer the Anabaptists Argument for Plunging or dipping Believers in Water unless this Rector were in the Practice thereof and renounced his Rantism as they do as a Scriptureless Thing as they term Sprinkling Infants But referr him to a Treatise of one that was of his Coat i. e. William Dell his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or The Doctrine of Baptisms To the Rector's Referring the Reader to that Excellent Piece of Water-Baptism as he terms it writ by that worthy and Ingenious Author as he applauds him of The Snake in the Grass c. printed 1697. p. 29. Thus highly has he commended the Author of that Great Defaming and Reproaching Libel i. e. The Snake in the Grass but it would be too difficult a Task for him to defend the manifold Gross and Abominable Lies and Calumnies contain'd therein against the manifest detection and discovery made of them not only in my Antidote against the Venom of
this Glorious coming of Christ from Heaven with thy carnal Eyes thou now hast 2. If thou neglectest his Inward and Spiritual Appearance and Work mayest thou not neglect thy own Salvation thereby 3. Seeing our Lord Jesus Christ The King of Kings and Lord of Lords only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see c. 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. How canst thou expect to see him with thy Carnal or Fleshly Eye Hast thou better clearer and more lasting Eyes of Flesh than all other Men When I have thus questioned any it was in Opposition to their neglect of Christ's Inward and Spiritual Appearance and Work effectually to save them from Sin and Condemnation This Point is more fully answered in our Books and particularly in my Examination Entituled Truth and Innocency vindicated p. 61 62. And my thus questioning the Carnal Expectations c. of some Persons I affirm as 't was never intended to oppose or contradict our sincere Belief or Profession That God will Judge the World in Righteousness by his Son Jesus Christ in the Day appointed even in the Great Day of Judgment and that Harvest which is the End of the World So neither does what 's quoted against the same Profession contradict it unless it can be proved that Men may see the Power and great Glory of God with their Carnal Eyes they now have or that with the very same they shall see Christ at his last coming to Judgment in the Glory of the Father and all his Angels with him Matt. 16. 27. What the Rector objects against that Man of God William Dewsbery to prove us Insincere in our said Profession that God will Judge the World in Righteousness by Jesus Christ c. and him the said W. D. guilty of gross Perversion Herein our Accuser has shewn himself as Ignorant as Envious and as void of Christianity He quotes the said W. Dewsbery's Discovery of Man's Return printed 1654. upon a Passage where Rev. 20. 12 13. 2 Cor. 5. 10. are only quoted with other Scriptures in the Margent of the said Discovery which the Rector recites at large and then makes his Observation against W. D. viz. Observe here his Gross Perversion he applying all this to the Light within and the Judgment within so that the outward Judgment at the Last Day which is here so plainly described is not by him professed as a thing to be expected p. 46. Ans. I cannot but observe the Ignorance and Enmity of this Person what he objects against the said W. D. is no proof at all that he did not profess or own Eternal Judgment or the final Judgment and Rewards at the Great and Last Day His words cited are these viz. Every one arise out of your Earthly Wisdom and mind the Light in thy Conscience and wait on the Power of the Lord in it and it will bring thee to Judgment before the Throne of the Lamb viz. within thee added where the Righteous Law will be opened in thy Heart that will cry through thy Earthly Heart for Righteousness and Judgment and the Book will be opened in thee where thou shalt see all written that thou hast done in the Body and shalt give an Account for every idle Word i. e. to the Light within added also and receive thy Reward for what thou hast done and thy Reward is Wrath and Condemnation which will pass upon thee from the presence of the Lamb within thee again added for thy Disobedience and breaking of the Righteous Law Where is the Insincerity or gross Perversion in all these words recited by the Rector Or any Opposition to our Profession before mentioned Surely to mind the Light of Christ in the Conscience to know his Power in it to bring Man to Judgment according to the Righteous Law in the Heart and thereby to see the Record that is made in Man of all the Evils done and committed by him This cannot be to oppose or contradict our Profession that God will Judge the World in Righteousness by his Son Jesus Christ in the day appointed but in order to bring Man to Repentance that he may escape the Judgment and Wrath to come upon the Impenitent World of the Ungodly And therefore our Adversaries bringing this Citation out of W. Dewsbery's said Discovery of Man's Return either to evince the Venom of Quakerism falsly charged or our Insincerity or Opposition to the Doctrine of Eternal Judgment c. This shews our Adversaries Insincerity and great Ignorance of the Work of Repentance The Rector has need to be corrected in this as in many other weighty Points his Enmity appearing chiefly against the Light within which both manifests and Judges those things that are reproved in God's sight For can any be truly humbled unto Repentance before they are convicted and know what Sins and Evils they are guilty of and chargeable for in the sight of God and of the Lamb Christ Jesus who is Judge both of the Living and of the Dead Surely no He who is the Heart-searcher and Tryer of the Reines and the very Inward Affections who sheweth unto Man what his Thoughts are will bring every Work to Judgment with every secret thing whether it be Good or Evil and if his Judgments do not take effect upon Men in this Life to humble them unto Repentance his Eternal Judgment will be heavy upon them in that which is to come 'T is by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning that the Lord Purgeth his People and it is through Judgment that Sion is redeemed and her Converts with Righteousness And how plain is it that W. Dewsbery's Testimony in this case even as 't is recited respects the present Law Light Judgment and Righteousness of Christ in Man and also cautions Men of and points at the future Judgment Wrath and Condemnation as that which will pass in the future upon the Rebellious for Disobedience and breaking the Righteous Law And both the Judgment that comes upon Man here and that which will come hereafter upon Man for Disobedience and Rebellion against the Light and Law of Christ in Man it all proceeds from the presence of the Lamb Christ Jesus to whom all Judgment is committed and Power given to execute it Awake awake to Judgment therefore all you that are a-sleep in Sin that Mercy and Judgment may meet and Righteousness and Peace embrace each other that being Judged as Men in the Flesh you may live according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4. 6. And all who sincerely desire after God and to remember him in his ways must wait for him in the way of his Judgments as his Servants of old did Isa. 26. 8. And though this Adversary has added in the Citation within thee after the Throne of the Lamb and after the presence of the Lamb he adds within thee And after shalt give an Account for every idle Word he adds i. e. to the Light