being President Also what I have spoken against W. Harris touching his firing the Town and Colony I thought so and therefore contended against him but I never sought his life note that R. W. Thou sayst 17 thou art not conscious of any recoyling in thy spirit so much as in a thought Here thou manifest's an impious spirit that seekes to murther the Innocent what Fury possesseth thee to talk of the God of peace yet retainest a murtherous mind not having repented of thy wickednesse how is thy heart hardned in seeking the lives of such as thou thy self hast confest to be the Children of God Oh murtherous man that hath not any Remorse for thy long-liv'd Wickedness I am sorry for thee though thou slight all my writings counsells take all in the worst sence yet I beseech thee to consider thy latter end my desire for thee is that the Lord would awaken thy Soul give thee Repentance unto life In the last place thou writest how highly I esteem of G. Fox and thou desirest to think as low of thy self How will this agree with thy boasting of great Education great Experiences great struglings and strivings within to bring out thy Positions and Conclusions which all my loving Testimonyes against as issuing from a diabolicall spirit did no more take place with then a Feather against a Rock Call to mind the preaching of Jonas to Ninive yet forty dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed a short speech yet they repented and the Lord pardoned And so I desire thou mayest repent and find mercy with the God of mercy Thy Neighbour I. T. THus Reader it pleased the Infinite Wisdom of the most holy and only Wise to pierce through my heart with the thrusts and stabs of a of a foul-mouth'd slanderous spirit by the hands of long professed friends and lovers yet pretending the name of God and of Scripture as wel as my self How doth it behoove us then to make sure that we can in truth say as Ieremiah Lam. 3. Thou art my portion saith my Soul O Lord Thou and none else Thou alone without Health Strength Beauty Honour Lands Goods Friends .c. How should we make sure that with Thomas we may say unto the Lord Jesus my Lord and my God for whose sake we ought joyfully to bear what false Christs false spirits and their Souldiers can dart from Earth or Hell against us My Answer was as followeth MY ancient Friend it pleaseth the most High to give to all mankind his Children also and them especially many bitter Cups and that oftentimes by the hands of dear friends and 18 dear Relations that we might fall more in love with himself then ever who isinfinitely more sweet and even Holiness and Power and Wisdom and Love it self Your Lines in this your third Fury against me being full of Bitterness in themselves are more bitter to my Spirit upon diverse accounts But the most High and only Wise will have it so and your judgment and Conscience and mine will have it so yet that will not acquit us we both say we must come to another Barr and there stand or fall eternally In this First You tell me you willingly omitted the Particulars I mentioned as not concerning the matters in handling I am not of your mind it is an Easie yet a Suspicious way of answering and implyes not only unwillingness but a willing Ignorance and Guilt also For is it not concerning the matter in hand especially when so personally provoked to vindicate our selves and friends our Teachers and Apostles our Spirits and Religion also 2. Next you blame my subtle spirit for not answering by Scripture or Reason your loving Admonitions I gave you my Reason shewing how simple it was for you to give fire upon me and tell me my Paper was Scurrilous full fraught with impudent Lyes and Slanders and yet give me not one Scripture nor Reason to prove any of them to be so 2. I shewed you how irrationall it was for you to think that I should so suddenly renounce my understanding and Conscience and Positions upon the sudden sound of your Outcry Repent Repent 3. You tell me it is childish bruitish and irrationall to say that you are worse then Barbarians Answ. I said not so in generall you and all the world ought to abhor the particular case viz. the stripping Naked of your Women and Maidens a case worse then Savage and Barbarous only practised by the Bruites and sometimes by Indians and Whores in their drink when all Modesty and Reason is overwhelmed with more then common Drunkenness Who can but abhor to think of such whorish and monstrous Immodesty such an hellish Incentive to filthy Lusts and that under the most holy name of the Spirit of God 4. As to my first Position you now tell me that it is childish and foolish for G. Fox to prove I suppose you mean for me to desire G. Fox to prove what he and all friends disown and thou in scorn callest Quakers Answ. I know the Quakers say 19 that name is given them in scorn and yet we also know it it hath its denomination from those great bodily Shakings which have been believed to have come in mightily upon them by the power of Devillish spirits for many Reasons of which afterward However G. Fox in 370th page of his Book in Folio writes thus in the title of each page The Quakers answer The Quakers Answer I know what may be said and I know may be said and justly to that excuse and what shall be said in the Dispute following 5. As to my 12th Position of Suffering of the Quakers and you say it is a Brat of mine own and that is an evidence against me and all os my Persecuting Spirit Answ. I shall by Gods assistance prove that you doe make it an Evidence of your Religion and then it must be your one Brat and Bastard As to my persecuting spirit the most High hath been a holy witness to my Travels and losses and hazards and other sufferings in my vindicating and procuring Soul-liberty and I humbly hope in his mercy he will preserve me from being like many Quakers fouly fallen from their former Christan Religion 6. You say How darest thou blame me for not giving Scripture or Reason against thy railing and impious Positions when thou challengest and assignest another to doe it G. Fox .c. Answ. I only blamed I. T. for being so fierce and furious so hot and hasty in crying out a scurrilous Paper fraught with lyes and impudent slanders and yet gave me not one Scripture or Reason against any one of them common Modesty and humane Sobriety would have taught a little Patience till G. Fox had answered or untill you had answered something of Scripture or Reason your self 7. Nextly you tell me of my Serpent-like spirit in witnessing against my neighbour secretly To which I lay before the most High I
patiently suffered for the true Lord Iesus sake the murthering Stones to lay him down to sleep 42 THE second day of our Spiritual Contest Battle being come being the tenth of the sixth Moneth August so called I heartily wished that I might rather have kept my Bed then have gone forth to a whole dayes fresh Dispute with such reputed able and noted Champions Not that the most high Lord Iesus whose cause and Name I was that day to manage for the next point was about the true Lord Iesus Christ not that I say he faild me in my Resolution to march on against Men and Devils for his Name sake nor that he faild me in my cheerfull Confidence that he would carry me in the everlasting armes of his Power and Goodness through that dayes Conflict as he had done the day before but that he was pleased to try me with more than ordinary Weakness and mouldring of my house of Clay that so my strength might be in a great respect immediately from Heaven considering my great unfitness for this dayes Service for thus it was My continued loud Speech all the day before had left an impression of Hoarsness upon me and much rain falling that afternoon after the Eclipse I took some wet in my feet that evening so that my Hoarseness increased and all that day my Head was afflicted with pain and my voice with a painfull Hoarsnefs I lookt up to heaven and desired to wait as a Begger at the Gate and as a Dog under the table of Mercy and my Spirit was chearfully resolved not to give occasion of Reproaching the name of God to them who I knew waited and watched for it nor any Disappointment to such as were resolved to attend the Meeting This day I chose a middle Seat neerer to the Seat of my three Antagonists I. Stubs I. Burnet W. Edmondson that so I might be heard the better with less straining of my Voice and Breast I began and stood up and said the holy Scriptures by the Prophet Ieremiah told us of certain Bow-men some that bent their Tongues as Bowes for Lyes and complain'd that none were Valiant for the Truth I told my opposites that they and I were met as Bow men and I could heartily desire that all our Arrowes might fly one way to wit in the defence of the true Lord Iesus Christ against the false But since I had charged them in my second Position to have set up a false Christ in stead of the true Lord Iesus I should address my self to make probation of my second Position Yet before I enter upon it I pray the Readers Patience to be acquainted with some Particulars 43 First Though my head was ill and my voice speech hoarse and painfull yet the Lord graciously carried me through the the whole day with little hindrance in my self and little disadvantage to the understanding of the Auditors Secondly This dayes Discourse was but accidental and additional for they and I desired to have finished the the whole first seven Positions in one day at Newport only in my paper I added that if the whole seven were not finished in one day the Conference might continue some few hours the next day following on this second day therefore was a great Assembly the Governour Magistrates Inhabitants and strangers Men and Women c. And this dayes Contest also held unto the Evening Thirdly As I had beg'd of God a Spirit of Patience to bear all their Censures Reproachings Revilings Vapourings and Insultings so it pleased God to exercise me with one notorious though private That I was Drunk and could not speak that day as I had done the day before But my Daughter Hart at whose house I lodged and Iohn Trip sen. who lodged with me can testifie that I complained of Illness and eat but a few spoonfulls of milk with Mr. Trip at Breakfast and though my daughter kindly offered me a Dram for my Illness but I refused it knowing it might curdle the milk I had taken and so increase my cold and Obstruction this the most holy God knowes and these Witnesses know was all I took that morning which might conduce to that foul Slander of being so Drunk that I could not speak plainly that day Fourthly This day also I encountred with that Disadvantage of all the three aforesaid Disputants at once with all their might fighting for their Idolls and Images against me I spake of it and so did others again and again But W. Edmundson still bruitishly pleaded that it was mine own Offer to undertake all Comers I answered as before that I took them to be rational Men and by all Comers not to understand ten or twenty or an hundred confusedly at once but in a fair and equal way one after an other it was grievous often exprest by some of the Audience But as beâ—ore on the first day I resolved not to lose time or suffer a Breach and the Lord was pleased to make my Yoke easie and Burthen light Now to the proof of my second Position which was That their Christ was not the true Lord Iesus Christ. 44 Here I prayed their patience to suffer me to tell them that they were not Christians nor Professors of Christian Religion They might with Iewes Turks Papists profess one God yet Christians they could not be but as the true Lord Jesus told us many false Christ and false Prophets should come who like Mountebanks instead of true Physitians and false and counterfeit Money instead of true should with Satans power and policy pass up and down and deceive Peoples and Nations so I must affirm and declare that for their parts they had cut of the head of the Christian Religion the true Lord Iesus Christ and they had set up a false Christ a false King an Usurper in his stead they had like Michal put a wooden Image upon a pillow of goats hair in Davids bed but David himself was gone the true David the true Lord Jesus Christ was not to be found amongst them this I spake expresly and they did hear me awhile My proof was First Because the Description and Character which the holy Scripture gives to the true Lord Iesus no way agrees with the Image which they have set up I told them that it was known that the word Christ was a greek word signifiing anointed as the word Messiah in the Hebrew did I said this true Lord Iesus was one Person made up of two Natures God and Man united into one person I said one Individual person whatever S Fisher blasphemously utters against it That as to his humane Nature or being Man all the Figures and Ceremonyes al the Priests and Sacrifices pointed to him as the great Prophet the great anointed King and Governour c. 2. As to his humane Nature and being a man and One Man Moses and the Prophets wrote of
ground it comes from thy own Knowledge which is Earthly And Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham and David according to the slesh and this is Scripture-Language 151 I reply in the former part of this Narrative I have shewn how simple irrational G. F. his clamour is against that word Humane and that the bottome is their impious unchristian and hypocritical denying of Christ Jesus to be a man one individual person as every man is therefore Humph. Norton G. Fox his Corrival is more plain and down right saying is not Christ God and is not God a Spirit and chiding us for gazing after a man c. I ad to the former page 293. where G. Fox brings in one Fergison saying that Christ and the Father and the Spirit are not one but are distinct c. G. Fox answers this is a denying of Christs Doctrine who saith I and my Father are one and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and they are all one and not distinct but one in unity that which comes out from him leads the Saints into all Truth that ever was given them from the Spirit of truth and so up unto God the Father of truth and so goes back again from whence it came Again the same Author saith it is Blasphemy to say the Son is not distinct from the Father c. G. Fox Answers the Father and the Son are one the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father so that which is in him is not distinct from him and they Blaspheme which say the Son is not in the Father and deny Christs Doctrine I reply G. Fox all along his Book calls that blasphemy which the most holy and eternal Lord calls heavenly Truth He hath like some Witches and other notorious wretches so inur'd himself to poyson that it is all one to him to swallow down the most sensual and sensless Dreames even concerning the fearfull mysteryes of the Father Son and Holy Spirit when the holy Scripture tels us concerning these Mysteryes that in this life we know but in part as through a glass darkly c. 2. For his Proof it is the Childs song in the streets they are one and therfore not distinct I fear he knows but will not know the nature of several respects and accounts viz. that in one respect Christ Iesus saith I and my Father are one and in another respect my Father is greater then I thus in one sence a Father is one with his Children an Husband with his Wife a Captain with his Souldiers a Skipper with his Sea-men a King with his Subjects And yet in another respect the Son is not the Father the Wife is 152 not the Husband the Master is not his Servants the Captain is not his Souldiers the Master is not his Sea-men and the King is not his subjects And thus though GF and MF be one in mariage and one in a spirit of notorious railing yet she her self will not say but she is the Woman and he is the Man she the wife and he the husband and this Distinction God in Nature the Law of our Countrey and all Nations will force them will they nill they to acknowledge otherwise like the man possessed in the Gospel I fear no Chains of Humility nor Modesty would hold them from throwing off all Chains of Conscience and from flinging all upon heaps of confusion without all due respective respects and distinctions There are four great points of the Christian Belief 1. The Doctrine of the Father Son and Spirit and these they will not distinguish but make all one and all to be in man 2. The Doctrine of the Fall Redemption Justification Sanctification c. and these are all in man by their Tenents 3. The Doctrine of the Church the Officers Baptisme the Lords Supper and these say they are all invisible and within man 4. The Resurrect on eternal Judgement Eternal Life Heaven and Hell Angels Devils these their Professions and Printings proclaim to be in Man also yea so within him that they are only within him and that without there is no God no Christ no Heaven nor hell c. In Page 38. G. Fox brings in Tho. Collier saying The Kingdome is not come nor the refreshing from the Spirit of the Lord. G. F. Answers which shews they are unconverted gadding here and there And Christ tells them the Kingdome was in them And they that are not turned to the Light which comes from Christ the Refresher whereby refreshing might come and so are not come to Repentance yet Reply Who sees not that G. F. speaks not here of the Kingdome of Christ so often promised in the future and to come and the time of refreshing Act. 3. but that he cuts off all future hopes and expectations to come and appropriates aud confines and fixeth and stakes down all to the present moment of this vanishing life and to what is in this moment in the minds of Men and Women 153 The Holy Scripture tells us and Experience tells us that Hypocrites have no solid peace and joy here nor solid hope of joy or glory to come and yet to still the deen and clamour of Conscience abhorring the thought of a judgement and reckoning to come they foolishly and atheistically please themselves with a childish Dream of no Heaven nor refreshing no Hell nor torment but what is now within us Pag. 101 he brings in Iohn Clapham saying To witness Heaven and Hell and Resurrection within is the Mystery of iniquity G. Fox Answers which shews thou never knew Heaven in thy self nor hell there nor Christ the Resurrection and the Life which they are blessed that are made partakers of the first Resurrection on them the second Death shall have no power and the Scriptures do witness Heaven within and if Christ that was offered up the Resurrection and the life be not within thee thou art a Reprobate I Reply If G. Fox would speak of Heaven and Angels and Hell and Devils and of the Resurrection and Life to come by way of allusion and similitude or by way of first Fruits or Tast of them he might profitably do it but to speak of them in opposition to a rising again an Heaven an Hell c. to come what is it I say what is it but to proclaim their Revolt from and their Rebellion against all the Christian Faith and Religion and their wonderful hardening against whatever is yet to come either here or in the eternal State approaching Pag. 214. He brings in some nameless saying To say Heaven and Glory is in man which was before man was they are sottish and blinde He Answers There 's none have a Glory and a Heaven but within them which was before man had a Being Unto this I adde Thomas Pollard saying for a perfection of Glory to be attained to on
yea in present joy unutterable and glorious Sometimes the Lambs Wife is visibly asleep though her heart wakes sometimes she is Alarmed by his knocking and is sluggishly unwilling to open to him sometimes she rises and opens but he is gone and she seeks for him by day and night and cannot find him 9. There is also a false feeling of Christ Jesus as I spake before of a false Conception in a Woman How many are bold to cry Lord Lord open for we have prophesied in thy Name c and yet I will not say as G. Fox here saith of his Feeling that all that have not my feeling or working of Christ are Reprobates yet 57 this I say as Solomon A Whore is Loud and Clamorous not so the Chaste and Sober and Modest Women and the Devil spake as Holy and Heavenly words as Angels could have spoken yet it was but the Divil in Samuels Mantle The 29th Instance is in pag. 117. where he brings in Giles Fermin saying Paul Swore after Christ and the Angels Swore I wonder Paul should so forget himself and sin so fearfully in Swearing so the Quakers Light that denies Swearing is of Satan and not the Light of Christ. He Answers Christ the Light which Satan is out of which is the Oath of God ends all Oathes Sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever and who Swares be fallen into the Condemnation of the Devil And it is no where said that the Apostle Swore but such as thou art matters not what thou speak so that Spirit that Preacheth for Swearing is not the Spirit of Christ but is the Spirit of Anti-Christ c. I Reply first G. Fox dares not deny but that the Angel and Paul Swore after Christ only he keeps his old Song viz That Christ put an end to Swearing and that it is not said that Paul Swore But 1. He waves that Sweareng of the Angel or Christ himself Rev. 10. for there he knows the very term of Swearing is used 2. As to Paul if the attestation of the Name of God be the formality of an Oath then if ever any Man Swore in this World Paul did saying to the Corinthians I call God to Record on my Soul that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth c. Secondly It is true that all Nations have used to Swear by or Appeal to the Gods they owned and worshipped It is true also that they have used to put Creatures into the room of God and Swear by them as the Iews did and som write out of a Superstitious Reverence in forbearing the Name of God and indeed the Reasons Christ Jesus gives Mat. 5. look that way Thirdly It is true also that for abuse of Swearing by and Prophaning the Holy Name of God a whole Land may mourn as Ieremiah speaketh Fourthly There seems to be a very fair colour put on a universal Prohibition of Swearing by Christ Jesus and by his Apostle Iames Swear not c. 58 This Conjuror hath taken with many precious Servants of God former and latter even with many of those called the Fathers and with those Famous Protesters against the whore of Rome the Waldenses and with Famous Usher who doth more then seem to vindicate their not Swearing when Convented and Examined by the Popish Inquiâ—itors 5. Notwithstanding this and more which may be granted and though I should humbly motion to all higher Powers for Christian tenderness as to the holy Majesty of Heaven his Name and to the Souls of any making Scruple yet I must proclaim against G. Fox his lame and simple Return to the Objection of his Opposite concerning Paul and the Angel For why may not Paul and all the Apostles and Christ and all the Angels of Heaven and all the Saints of God upon the Earth in the words of Paul call God to Record upon their Souls that this or this was the Cause and Truth c. Considering 1. That neither the most holy God nor the Lord Jesus who I think is the Swearing Angel Rev. 10. nor the heavenly Spirits the Angels nor Paul nor any of Christs Apostles or Messeâ—gers would have practiced a Ceremony or a Shadow like Circumcision or the Passover at the time of the Day c. 2. Swearing or appealing unto God immediately in Oaths or Vows or Lots or Fastings though higher and above the practice of ordinary Invocations Supplications Thanksgivings c. were never accounted Ceremonies or Types of Substances to come but Real and Substantial Services and Addresses unto the most holy and most high Creatour written in the hearts of all mankind before ever Ceremony or Moses was born and therefore as the fear of God is put for the whole worship of God so also is swearing in the holy Scripture and we may as well deny all worship and Service visible and all External Acts of Homage and Devotion of the Body unto God yea and all the fear of God is there in the mind Soul and Spirit or in any External Obeysance or Reverence as this Service and worship of calling upon God and appealing to his holy Majesty as Witness and Iudge in some Cases c 3. Whereupon it follows that this high point of Gods worship is as real as moral as holy and perpetual as Prayer it self as preaching yea as Baptisme and the Lords Supper and no more Ceremonial though I know the Foxians make Baptisme and the 59 Lords Supper but Ceremonies for a time and ere long if they continue to hearken to Samuel within them they will account Prayer and Preaching whether Apostolical or Pastoral but Types and Shadows also 4. It is a most simple and un-Christian and Atheistical whimsie that Christ was the end of Oaths the end of the Prophets the end of the Scripture the end of Reghteousness in their Sense though as Mediatour he was the End or Perfection of and fulfilling of the Law of God which never Soul beside the Lord Jesus ever kept in thought word and deed what ever the proud Pharisees and Papists and Foxians prate c. 5. It is a gross Fancy to imagine that the Lord Jesus in the 5 of Math. gave new Commands or Contradicted the holy pleasure of his Father concerning Revenge Adultery Oaths Prayers Fastings but opened his Fathers Law in the purity and Spirituality of it against the rotten Expositions Traditions and practices of the Pharisees 6. In particular let all the Reasons be expended and carefully weighed which the Lord Jesus so wonderfully exactly gives why they should not swear by Ierusalem nor the Temple nor their Head nor any Oath to wit of such a Nature and half a sober eye may see that the Lord Jesus intends only to reduce them to an holy Swearing only by God in Gods way c. and in their Common Converse to use yea and nay c. 7. I have read a sober and man like Answer of F. H. called
Virgins love thee Oh how many prate of this spirit or Ointment and yet hate the true Lord Jesus hate his Love Letters the holy scriptures and would be glad to see them in a Bone fire hate his poor true Quakers that desire to fear before him and tremble at his Word and to mourn that having received such manifestations of the holy spirit of God they have profited others so little and glorified God in their Generations 8. I might Insist upon the End which G Fox insisteth on viz. to profit withal and ask why David Psal. 53. Complains that all the Children of men not one excepted are unprofitable good for nothing yea abominable that is to spiritual matters heavenly things the world to come All even the sweetest Natures the fairest the wittiest the wisest the learnedst the devoutest untill the spirit of God come and truly change the heart and whole Frame of Nature Till then we as profitable as Hogs as Moles in a Garden as Water or Fire breaking into a ship and as devouring Foxes amongst the true Lambs and Chickens of Christ Iesus The 53d Instance of G. Fox his lame Answer is in pag. 328 where he quotes Hugh Archbal saying Christ doth enlighten none but them that do receive him He Answers Contrary to John 3. which speaketh of them that hate the Light and are enlightened and will not come to it because the Light will reprove them so he that hates the Light is enlightned and will not receive Christ. I Reply though I have spoken much of the Light and of receiving Christ Jesus c yet since this proud Boaster drags his Opposites out of Scotland also I pray the Readers patience while I tell him of a manifold Light which the Holy spirit mentions under a Metaphor or Figure of Light 1. The Natural perceiving of Natural things as Christ Jesus saith The Light of the Body is the Eye 2. The Light of peace and joy whether Corporal or spiritual Temporal or Eternal The Iews in Hamans down-Fall and their own Deliverance had Light and Joy c. and Light is sown for the Righteous c. 105 3. The common offers of the Gospel as Light whence some have observed that the word so cried up in Iohn 1. is not inlightneth but lighteth but the word Photizei may signifie both and yet be no more then the Common offer preaching and sound of the glad News or Gospel The people that sate in Darkness saw great Light c As the Light of a candle coming in lightens or enlightens the Walls and Room but being taken away again leaves no Impression or change upon the Wall or as the Sun shining or guilding the Earth being clouded leaves no Impression of shining on the Earth behind it So is it with the Common offers of Trading or marriages in the world and so of the heavenly Offers of Merchandize and Heavenly Marriage c. 4. There is yet a higher Light which some are affected Tinctur'd and enlightened and yet not the true and saving Light that in Heb. 6. where some persons as the pretended Quakers and G. Fox especially have seen much of the Nature of God his holiness his Iustice c. and had a Tast of the Ioyes of the next world but proudly turned from the holy Scripture from the true Lord Jesus and the true holy enlightning humbling and saving Spirit of God 5. The true Lighting or Enlightning of which the holy Scripture speaketh is that of 2 Cor. 4 a place fouly and simply abused by G. Fox to prove the Light in every man where Paul shews how by the preaching of the glad News or Gospel God had shined in their hearts not in the hearts of all the men in the world nor in the hearts of all the Corinthians and had given them a sight of the glory of God in the Face or from the Reflexion or means of the face of the Mediator the man Christ Jesus Hence all those Heavenly Appellations or phrazes or Names Children of the Day Illuminated or Inlightned Ones You were Darkness but now you are not only Inlightened but Light in the Lord that is become not as Fox pretends Christs and Gods and no distinction but of a bright Spiritual Nature longing humbly and mournfully in the use of the holy Scripture and all other means more to come out of Darkness into the Light of holiness and likeness unto God Object G. Fox alleadgeth Iohn 3. They which hated the Light were inlightned I Answer No question but with the general Offer of mercy 106 as of the Candle or Sun to the Eyes of a blind man which is yet their Condemnation because if they had power yet their wills and Lusts and Resolutions refuse and abhor it and abhor their eyes should be opened to see it Whereas the Gospel or glad News is published or preached there is a twofold Effect of it as Acts 13. and Acts 17. and Acts 28. and through all Experience in all Ages and in all parts of the world some mock some demur some persecute others the Spirit or Power of God opens their hearts to fear to believe to submit and in Gods time to rejoyce for ever in a Saviour The 54th Instance is in Pag. 330. where G. Fox brings in Iames Dorram saying The Believer is not in sin as the Unbeliever is he sins not as the Unbeliever doth and in another place he saith the Law is the same to the Believer that it is to the Unbeliever G. Fox Answers Here any may read thy Confusion but I say unto thee He that believeth doth not commit Sin but the unbelief is Sin Rom. 11. 20. And Christ is the End of the Law to every one that believes for Righteousness sake Roms 10. 4. and yet thou puts both Believers and unbelievers under the power of the Law I Reply The Devils no question know Sin they see Sin but not in the true glass of the holy Scripture They see sin as Saul and Iudas c. in the fire of the Coal as dreadful in the punishment but not in the blackness of the Coale as against their new Life and Nature and the purity of the Eternal who hath begotten them unto holiness The Robber and Murtherer bewails his offence at the Gallows though yet his heart is not changed but could he he would murther the Judge and all that had a hand in his Condemnation and Execution The Drunkard hates his Sin as a Tyrant over him only as it brings Discredit to him so is it with the unclean person and every other sinner But it is not so with the Regenerate or new Born who can no more unless deceived and Circumvented touch Sin then the Devil the Father of it nor then Fire can delight in Water nor Light in Darkness 3. It is true that 7 of the Romans is contended for by the Papists and Arminians and in a great measure by the Quakers 107
and having begun to present to them some Considerations about the True Christ and the false the True Spirit and the False and being cut of in the midest by sudden Prayer of one and the Singing of another and then by the Prayer of another and the sudden dissolving of the Assembly I resolved to try another way and to offer a fair and full Dispute according to Ed. Burrowes and therein G Foxes Offer in his large Epistle to Foxes Book To this Purpose I drew up my thoughts into fourteen Propositions and knowing that New-Port was the chief Town on Rode-Iland and Providence on the Main and that G. Fox had spake at both places and bewitched many with his Sorceries I sent this Paper following to G. Fox at Newport viz TO G. Fox or any other of my Countrey-men at New-Port who say they are the Apostles and Messengers of Christ Jesus In humble Confidence of the help of the Most High I offer to maintain in Publick against all Comers these 14 Propositions following to wit the first seven at New-Port and the other seven at Providence For the time When I refer it to G. Fox and his Friends at New-port Only I desire 1 To have three dayes Notice before the day you fix on 2 That without Interruption or many speaking at once the Conference may continue from Nine in the morning till 3 about four in the afternoon and 3 That if either of the seven Propositions be not finished in one day the Conference may continue and goe on some few hours the next day 4 That either of us Disputing shall have free uninterrupted liberty to speak in Answers and Replyes as much and as long as wee please and then give the Opposite the same Liberty That the whole may be managed with that Ingenuity and Humanity as such an Exercise by such Persons in such Conditions at such a Time ought to be managed and performed the Propositions are these that follow First That the People called Quakers are not true Quakers according to the holy Scriptures 2 That the Christ they profess is not the True Lord Jesus Christ. 3 That the Spirit by which they are acted is not the Spirit os God 4 That they doe not own the holy Scriptures 5 Their Principles and Professions are full of Contradictions and Hypocrisies 6 That their Religion is not only an Heresy in the matters of Worship but also in the Doctrines of Repentance Faith c 7 Their Religion is but a confused mixture of Popery Armineanisme Socineanisme Judaisme c. 8 The People called Quakers in effect hold no God no Christ no Spirit no Angel no Devil no Resurrection no Judgment no Heaven no Hell but what is in man 9 All that their Religion requires externall and internall to make Converts and Proselites amounts to no more than what a Reprobate may easily attain unto and perform 10 That the Popes of Rome doe not swell with and exercise a greater Pride then the Quakers Spirit hath exprest and doth aspire unto although many truly humble Soules may be captivated amongst them as may be in other Religions 11 The Quakers Religion is more obstructive and destructive to the Conversion and Salvation of the Souls of People then most of the Religions this day extant in the world 12 The Sufferings of the Quakers are no true evidence of the Truth of their Religion 13 That their many Books and writings are extremely Poor Lame Naked and sweld up only with high Titles and words of Boasting and Vapour 4 14. That the Spirit of their Religion tends mainly 1 To reduce Persons from Civility to Barbarisme 3 To an Arbetratry Goverment and the Dictates and Decrees of that sudden Spirit that acts them 3 To a sudden cutting off of People yea of Kings and Princes opposing them 4 To as fiery Persecutions for matters of Religion and Conscience as hath been or can be practised by any Hunters or Persecutors in the world Under these forementioned Heads if the Spirit of the Quakers dare civilly to Argue will be opened many of the Popish Protestant Jewish and Quakers Positions which cannot here be mentioned in the Dispute if God please they must be alleadged and the Examination left to every persons Conscience as they will answer to God at their own Perills in the great day approaching Roger Williams THis Paper above-said I sent inclosed in a Letter to my kind friend Capt. Cranston Deputy Governour of the Colony that being such a publick person he might timely be informed of such a publick Assembly and as also might vouchsafe as afterwards he carefully did to afford his Countenance and Assistance to such Peaceable and Pious Exercises But before the Boat went down with the Letter aforesaid from Providence to Newport I sent a Copy of my Positions to a Neighbour I T. whom I heard was inclining to them He takes a Copy of them and reads them in their Meeting before Iohn Crosman Master of the Boat one of them also who presently the same hour called me Blind Sot in the open Street upbraiding me how I durst send my 14 Lyes to such a man as G. Fox one of them called him the eternall Son of God so that before my Letter went to Newport which Crosman carried by Letters Crosman his and other Relations all was known even long before my Letters were opened or delivered to the Deputy Governour For in the Iunto of the Foxians at Newport it was concluded for Infallible Reasons that His Holiness G. Fox should withdraw seeing there was such a Knot of the Apostles of Christ Jesus now at Newport together especially Iohn Stubs a man knowing the Greek and Hebrew Therefore that it might appear that such a Nehemiah as he would not fly it was 5 agreed that my Letters should not be delivered to the Deputy Governour untill G. Fox was gone so that it might be truly said that he never saw the Paper which I sent unto him I had a touch of this Leger de main trick in our Dispute at Newport and the Deputy Governour did publickly testifie that my Letters to him were dated the 13 of Iuly which he said he wondered at but were not brought to him untill the 26th of the said Moneth and untill G. Fox was some hours departed Iohn Burniat profest that that he knew nothing of the detaining of the Letters only he knew that G. Fox never saw my Paper G. F. supposed I would be forced to be as plain in my Proofs as I was in my Positions He knew that I was furnished with Artillery out of his own Writings He saw what Consequences would roll down the mountaines upon him from his proud and Insolent yet poor and bald Writings and how far some of his present practices were fallen out with his Writings and therefore this old Fox thought it best to run for it and leave the work to his Iourney-men and Chaplains to perform in his absence for him
Ministeryes or Offices 3. Operations Works or Successes all wrought in the Saints by the holy Spirit for the Glory of the same Father Lord and Spirit the mutual comfort and edifing of the Saints yea and for the Convicting and drawing of other poor Sinners out of the World to God The Lord mercifully awaken your Souls to the Love of God and the Love of his holy Truth for the not beleiving of which but the profane playing with it the most high and righteous Judge of the whole world in a way of Iudicial Sentence delivers up poor Souls to believe Lyes and that so strongly as to give their bodyes to be burned for them The Papists catch hold upon a Letter This is my body You as simply as doe the Generalists catch hold upon the Letter All every man that comes into the world .c. whereas the Scope and Connection in all writings and in all matters in the world are rationally to be minded The Sence and Meaning is in all Speech and Writing in our own and other Languages the very Speech or Writing it self These Words All and every one in our own and other Tongues 9 are often used figuratively it is so all the Scripture over and thrice in one verse Colloss 1. 28. where Reason cannot imagine that Paul did literally and individually admonish every man teach every man and present every man that comes into the world perfect in Christ Jesus which could not cannot possibly be true without another Sence and Exposition then the words literally hold out 4 Again you are dangerously bold to say that you write from the Spirit of Truth wherein you Father these your childish Irrationalityes your profaning of the holy Majesty of God his holy Scriptures and writings and your rash Judging and Examining of others upon the holy Spirit of God But I do humbly hope to evince that the Spirit you boast of is so far from the Spirit of God that it falls beneath the foot of a sober and well grounded Humanity At present I only Instance in that whorish and monstrous act of your Women and Maidens stripping themselves stark naked by your Spirit and with a face of brass coming into the open streets and publick Congregations of Men and Youths This Spirit though defended by G. Fox and others is such a piece of unnaturall and bruitish Impudence that I cannot hear of the like amongst Jews or Gentiles yea not amongst the most Savage Base and Barbarous of them all all Circumstances considered 5. In the last place I observe your Fickleness and Inconstancy what and how often have I heard you speak of the Chief of the Quakers now at Newport How lately and how much have you uttered of John Crosman his Cross and froward spirit even since he pretended the Spirit yea how inhumane and injurious to your self in the way of his Calling now all on a sudden for I heard but little untill I saw your Lines you are got up into the lofty Chair of Judging and ready to say God I thank thee I am not as this Publican I beseech the Lord to make you savingly to remember that Word God resisteth that is sets himself in Hostility against the Proud but he giveth Grace unto the Lowly so prayes your old unworthy Friend R. W. Providence 18th 5th 72. I had hoped that I had Conjur'd down at least for the present that Waspish spirit but he flyes out against me within a few dayes in this second Letter following 10 Providence 23. 5. 75. ANcient Friend and Acquaintance I read thy Note four dayes after the subscribing it that so thy Councellors might throughly be informed of thy continued Zeal in a dangerous Case What I write to thee in Love hath a contrary effect in thy Spirit being so prejudiced against us according to the Proverb Nothing is well spoken that is not well taken Upon Discourse thou didst say the Quakers could not be believed on their Words or Writings having a secret Reservation within them which gives me to conclude that wee are Iudged before wee Speak For my charging upon thee Slanders and Lyes Examine but thy Positions which will make manifest what I say As for the Terror which thou speakest of c. I leave it to thee to consider what thou art about least thou be called to Account for it before thou art ready As for charging me with Irrationality for not alleadging Scripture for what I write yet I alleadged three Scriptures one of which thou wrestest adding what I wrote not so that if I had urged more I should have had the like Catching But we both must come to give an Account of what is done in the Body In this my Letter thou mayest see my witnessing against most of thy Slanderous Propositions Concerning the Spirits manifestations 1 Cor. 12. 13. I freely consent that they were the Saints by Calling who are there Considered As thou alleadgest the Papists Catch at a word This is my body so we catch at a word All and misapply Scripture so that I perceive thou hast not a Guide to thy mind but utterest thine own Conceivings John 3. 16. The Promise is to them that Believe and not to All. Again Thou findest fault with my rash judging thee and abusing Scripture Take it to thy self for the word Damning thou foistest in thy self neither dare I pass Sentence of Damnation upon any For Iudgment belongeth to the Lord and we must stand or fall to our own Master As for my Fickleness and Inconstancy Lay thy hand upon thy mouth and Consider thy Windings and Turnings in thy Iudgment and Practice how thankfull thou wast to J. Burnet whome thou highly commendest after thou camest home and now reproachest the Truth which then thou assentest to and in thy 14 Positions thou hintest by thy wicked Surmises what the sudden spirit of the Quakers is to take away the Lives of Kings .c. but I told thee in my first Letter thou art a stranger to that holy Spirit we act by But further thy Malice appeareth in going to one thou saidst that 11 if the spirit of the Governour were to cut of his head he must doe it Call to mind what thou didst to thy peaceable Neighbours seeking their Blood crying out Treason when the Court discerned thy Blood-thirsty spirit which thy friends at Newport were ashamed of and thy Accusations proved Invalid How childish didst thou act to swear against One when another told thee of somewhat spoken to allay thy fury against William Harris Call to mind thy Books written and see thy Fickleness wanting a Guid to thy mind being for and against Persecution Thou chargest me to have gotten into the Chair of Iudging thy two Scripts I return upon thy self Physitian heal thy self The Wisdom of man puffeth up but the Wisdom of God humbleth that God may be all in all I desire thee to look back to thy Lines and where thou mentionest the Satisfaction of infinite
know not what you intend 2. I know it not to be any Crime much less a serpent-like spirit as your railing pen phrases it to give a true testimony and witness in private and publick even against the highest and dearest in the matters of God and Truth which ought to be only High and only Dear unto us 8. As to Womens preaching in the Church you tell me that I know not what that Woman is Answ. I know the allegoricall Interpretations given of both those Scriptures to the Corinths and Timothy But where the holy Scripture is plain and agrees 20 even with Nature it self where the holy Spirit of God gives Reasons why Scripture should be fo expounded which is an extraordinary signification of Gods soveraign will and pleasure where else one part must be Literall and an other part Allegoricall which is most improper and not suiting to the Majesty and Purity of Gods Spirit what can be soberly in the fear of God and with any sober reason collected but that the most High the God of Order and all Order and Wisdom it self is pleased there to set down the Order of his Worship in the Christian Congregations 9. Concerning W Harris you tell me I shift of the matter for you meant not W Harris his last Imprisonment You prove it by my taking Oath against your Wife upon an other mans word on purpose to allay my furious spirit against W Harris These are your words which may be taken three wayes but neither of them can I call to mind God knowes I truly desire to See Lament and forsake every Idle word or thought which my soul may be satisfied is so for I dare not goe beyond as you proudly doe that Direction of the Lord Iesus dayly to cry Forgive us our Trespasses I dare most confidently deny that simple Charge viz. that I should cry out Treason Treason against your Wife and others labouring to bring them into the same guilt with W. Harris whose facts and courses others of no small Authority and Prudence amongst us with whome I advised saw to be desperate high Treason against the Laws of our Mother England and of this Colony also When W Harris sent his writings or Books to the Main and to the Iland against all Earthly Powers Parliaments Laws Charters Magistrates Prisons Punishments Rates yea and against all Kings and Princes under that Notion that the People should shortly cry out no lords no masters and had in open Court protested before the whole Colony assembled that he would maintain his Writings with his Blood Was it my Fury as you call it or was it not Honesty and Duty to God and the Colony and the higher Powers then in England to act faithfully and impartially in the place wherein I then stood Centinell And it is not true that I sought his life as you upbraid me much less theirs who purposely as the most high God is witness were presented that some prudent course might be taken by the Court for the preventing of their greater danger and the Colonyes also By your reason the Kings Majesty his Iudges yea all Iudges 21 yea the King himself yea the most High and King of Kings shall be condemned as Blood-thirsty bloody seekers of the lives though of high handed wilfull and dangerous Transgressors as though Iustice and Mercy true Pitty and just Severity might not harmonize and make up the blessed concord of Peace together 10. You mind me again of my Books against Persecution and yet my self a Persecutor of my peacable Neighbours to the Death murthering the innocent yea that I still retain a Murtherous mind and you cry out against me Oh murtherous Man .c. To which I say I am not better than David nor in this case are you better than Shimei who rak't up Stones and Dirt and flung them with Railings at David crying out Come out thou bloody Man and this in the name of the holy Spirit also As to W. H. I never appeared In Town or Colony against him for any private matter although many wayes extraordinarily provoked and wronged by him but alwayes in Witness as I humbly appeal unto God I say in witnessing against his running down and destroying the Publick as at this day for his Private Covetous and Contentious Ends. And for your self who cry out so much of Blood and Murther for my being impartiall to God to the King and the Countrey I heartily wish that your hands were washed from the bloody trade of Liquours to the Indians which even the Quakers have practised telling the Indians that the Quakers only know God and therefore would sell them Powder and Liquors cheaper and they would not mix water with Rhum as others did so that by many sudden deaths what by Consumptions and Dropsies the Barbarians have been murthered hundreds if not thousands in the whole Countrey and more in this Colony than in any part of the Countrey beside that I have heard of against which I have witnessed from Court to Court in vain 11 You ask me how I can think as low of my self as you high of G. Fox when I boast of Education Experience .c. I answer I boast as Paul did who confest himself the least of all Saints and the chiefe of Sinners and yet reckons up the Priviledges end Favours which God had vouchsafed to him against the foule Clamours of his malicious and envious Opposites the false Apostles 12. You conclude with advising my Repentance and you propose to me the case of Nineve telling me that forty dayes is a short Speech 22 Answ. I humbly beseech the Lord to help you and me humbly and faithfully to examine our true laying of that Foundation of a true Repentance which is a totall turning of our Soul or Spirit unto God not out of Fear or self ends as Dissemblers do but in Mariage-love with God that it might be said unto us thy Maker is thy Husband As to your special Hint to me of forty dayes I can say it through infinite mercy that more than forty or fifty yeares I have been acquainted with Death and have not seldom familiarly discoursed with the Grave and Pit of Rottenness I have desired to be ready at a minutes warning waiting for a wind to transport me as Paul speaks unto Christ Iesus in Abrahams Bosome which is best of all I pray you to know that I believe there is a black Familiar that haunts the Quakers it may be he whispers to you that within forty dayes you shall be ridd of me except I repent he may see into the crazy temper of my house of Clay These Dog-dayes not to continue and abide a little of that time Or God may suffer him by some immediate Revelation to employ some malicious soul to Murther me that this foul Lyar and Murtherer may extoll and predicate himself in print by your Pens that he was a true Prophet applauding and triumphing in the righteous Judgment of God
Christ and the materiallity of his 31 Bloudshedding This Paper they took but waved it W. Edmunson openly charged me with breach of Covenant viz. That if any would speak on my behalf they should set their hand to my Propositions T is true it was desired by one of them at my house at Providence that if any joined with me they should subscribe to my Paper But I answered that I was alone in the Business I had not consulted with any others but the God of heaven himself so that I denied vehemently that there was any such agreement or any colour for it Besides it was ridiculous to put either such a Bar and Limit upon any mans spirit and least of all upon Gods Spirit viz that no man should desire leave to object or querie c. except first he would subscribe my Proposalls But I took the boldness justly to charg them with palpable and gross Partiality viz. that W. Hitchcock and others opposing or dissenting might not speak but W. Harris W. Dyar or any favouring of them might speak without exception because all that speak for their ptetended light it must be supposed that they speak from the Spirit of God himself others out of Ignorance Malice and Envy this will appear more afterward However there were these few debates about the liberty of speech in the Auditory and By-standers and the Quakers deniall and enjoining of Subscription yet the most High Father of Spirits did so compose all spirits that it was wonderfull that such Opposites should goe through such a work and Conslict all day untill night without more Interruptions and Disturbances I was ready and waited to put forth my third Reason to prove they were not true Christian Quakers it was from Isai. 66. To this man will I look that is poor and contrite and trembleth at my Word I told them that G. Fox in his Book all along was so far from trembling at the Word of God in the holy Writings or Scriptures that he could not endure they should have that name or be once called the Word of God T is true I know his pretence that Christ Iesus is called the Word of God Rev. 19. But I know t is true also that he grants the Scriptures to be true and inspired from the holy Spirit of God and to be Gods words though not his Word Well to pass by the simplicity of the Distinction and let us take what he grants and is it not prodigious and monstrous Contempt that these holy Words this holy Book and Writing of God should be so undervalued and slighted yea vilified 32 and nullified if compar'd with their pretended new found Light within them which was say they before the Scriptures and gave forth the Scriptures and therefore was above the Scriptures and gave forth the Scriptures and therefore was above the Scriptures and therefore is not judged or tried by the Scriptures but they by it Yea and this light must be in every one of mankind in the whole World Hence it was that these holy Writings were so disused in their own private Readings in their Publick Worship and in their Families I told them God was little beholding to the Pope and the Quakers for their humble Reverence and great Affection to his holy Letters Declarations and Proclamations The Pope had his Infallibility as well as they his immediate Inspirations as well as they They both owned and yet did not owne the holy Scriptures the Pope and they only must interpret Scriptures they only give the Sence they only judge all Controversies yea they dispence with the Scriptures and if they were quite lost and burn'd and not a Copy of them left in the World yet there were no loss but a good Turn a good Riddance for then the Pope and the Quakers Infallible spirit and its immediate Inspirations would be more esteemed and set by I produced an Instance of one Thurston an Apostle of theirs who came to Providence with extraordinary long hair hanging over his shoulders It was so long that an aged Soul captivated for present amongst them the wife of C.S. demanded of him why he ware it so long since Nature it self did teach it to be a shame for a man to wear long Hair as the holy Scripture affirmed He would not say He car'd not what Nature or the holy Scriptures said but he said as much in effect as she told me her self and may with true fear and trembling still think on it viz. when that God that bid me wear it bids me cut it off the will I cut it off As if he would say what tell you us of the teachings of Nature as we see in that monstrous case of their womens Nakedness or what tell you me of Scripture I have a Light within me that made that Light was before it gave it forth is above it This mans hair was so offensive and odious that meeting of me and saying Fear the Lord God I could not but answer him in these words viz. What God dost thou mean a Ruffians God alluding to that of Paul to Titus They profess to know God but in their Works they deny him 33 I told them the rage of the Devill in all Ages had been most fierce against these heavenly Records in which the most gracious God and King out of the infinite depths of his Wisdome and Goodness had provided for the Ages and Generations to come the glorious Appearances of the eternall Invisible King in the former Generations of mankind from the Creation of the World as also the Wonders yet to be finished till time should be no more all which were in the holy Scriptures I remembred them of a profane bloudy Wretch in Ireland who in the late horrid Massacre hunting among other bloudie Wolves after the Goods and Lives of the Protestants found a Bible and with Indignation the same which I believe is in most Papists and Quakers he flung it into the Kennell and stampt upon it with his feet saying A Plague of God take this Book this hath caused all the Quarrels among us Whether I spake all these Particulars at one individuall time or Turn I cannot clearly remember only I am certain thus I spake and more My Opposites once and again had Turnes of Speech but still the only sum of all was that they owned the Scripture but yet the Spirit that gave it forth was above it withall they urged that I could not prove where in the Scripture the Scripture was called the Word of God I Answered That many things were infallibly so and true although not in so many Terms and Words mentioned But yet there were abundance of Scriptures wherin the Prophets did expresly say Thus saith the Lord The Word of the Lord came unto me and Hebr. 1. The Lord spake diverse wayes and at diverse times in the Prophets but now he hath spoken by his Son Sure his Speech is his Word
him of his Mother a Virgin of the place of his birth Bethlehem of his bringing up at Nazareth of his Scourging and other sufferings drinking Vinegar and Gall the piercing of his hands and feet the numbring of him with Malefactors the parting of his Garments and casting Lots his burying rising and Asscending c. and I said all those Prophesies and many more were exastly literally and punctually fulfilled in and upon that Individual Person so that I affirm there is such an exact material and literal Harmony between the Prophesies and the historical Narration of his Birth Life Death Resurrection c. that he must needs be an Unbeliever Iew or Gentile that doth not acknowledge the admirable Consent and Musick of 45 them in a literal and historical Declaration On the other hand I affirmed their Christ was but half a Christ a Light an Image or Picture or Fancy of a Christ made up of the Godhead and their flesh I said they had set up a Christ within them which was but an Imagination an Image a Christ in the mystical Notion but in reality Nothing For as the Papists make use of the name Christ and the Pope saith he is Christs Vicar and Lieftenant and he doth all for Christ and the Iesuites soaring above all Christians pretend the name Iesus and yet the Protestant Witnesses have made it to appear that in many respects the Papists are infinitely against both Christ and Iesus and so are not Christians but Antichristians so I told them did they they blew a Trumpet for Christ Iesus God in Man the everlasting Father that we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh that he was so born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem c And yet all these fair Flourishes and Colours are but as an English Flag in a Spanish or Dutch or any other Enemies Bottome For do not all their Books declare that Christ is Spiritual that Christ God and Man is within us that his Birth his Life his Death his Burial his Resurrection his Ascension are wrought within us so that like the Oracles of Apollo and the Ecchoes of the Iesuites the Quakers say Christ was born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem but intend in truth and reallity no other birth nor life nor death c. but what may be extant and wrought in the heart of man To this purpose I told them that Humphrey Norton one that blew the Trumpet and beat up the Drums in the Name of Christ Iesus as loud as any of them expresly writes openly in his Book printed at London after his return from hence to wit Is not Christ God and is not God a Spirit you look for a Christ without you from what coast or Countrey shall he come what Country-man is he You stand gazing up in the clouds after a man but we stand by in white chiding of you So that if you fix now really and truly upon a Man the Manhood and Humanity of Christ and that he did consist and still doth of body and soul as we doe then you are gone from and Christopher Houlder in his late Answer to Nathaniell Morton are gone from your former Religion Tenents and Principles or else you are miserably bewilder'd in your Souls and Consciences and some of you most fearfully equivocate and others must be fearfully up to the ears in Boggs Swamps not knowing what to hold between this Christ without and the 46 Christ within which you so much charge upon all except they be Reprobates I told them I acknowledged Christ within as much as any of them infinitely more for I did confess that every believing soul did bring home and apply the power and virtue of Christs Birth and Life and Death c. according to that clear Scripture Eph. 3. 10. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith I said there was a nearer union between Christ Jesus and a Soul believing on him then between a Man and his Wife and between the Soul and the Body That Union is Earthly and dissolving but that between Christ Iesus and the Believer it is eternal in Gods Decrees and Councells it is temporary in Gods calling of his chosen out of the World to Repentance belief in the Mediator Christ Jesus and it perpetuated and continues to Eternity I told them that as the holy Scripture saith they preached not Christ Iesus but Themselves yea they preached the Lord Iesus to be Themselves that whatever were their Pretencse as the Papists of God Christ Holiness Mortification yet they held not the Head as the Scripture speaks and if their head be but a painted and an Imaginary Head they are but a painted and Imaginary Body Their Sun of Righteousness they talk of is but a Sun painted upon a Sign or Wall which is not the true Sun but the picture of the Sun of Righteousness I told them they set up this Christ within opposite to Christ without as Opposites Contraryes Denying Destroying one an other for as it is with a King and his Palace if his person be without his person at that time is not within though he be within by his Right Authority and Influence if his Person be within the Palace at that time it is not without But the most clear Truth is though these subtle Foxians sometimes speak of a Christ without that dyed at Ierusalem agreeing with the Christ within yet they presently declare their meaning to be Mystical For ask them but these two Questions and if they make any Answer you will see the Cheat the Equivocotion and the Mistery of Iniquity in it 1. Do they not hold the Light within every man to be All to doe All and to suffer All within which the Christ without Is or Did or suffered without 2. Ask them now what is become of this Man this person that thus suffered at Ierusalem and they are forced to confess he 47 is within and can give no other account of him as they answered to me at Newport the last day of the Conference But to return I told them what I said I would prove out of their Writings and especially out of G. Fox attested by Ed Burrowes his large Epistle and as it was thought by Iohn Stubs present Iohn Burnet declared not nor any of them against what I spake but said as said the rest if G. Fox have spoken or written any thing that is not right and truth we profess not to follow him and they were willing I should produce out of G. Fox his Book what I could that might make for my proof viz. That they did not profess the true Christ. I said G Fox had pickt out some particular Lines Sayings Sentences out of the Books and Writings of his Opposites it is not to be questioned but to his utmost Advantage as knowing best how to Answer what he chose and cull'd out and since they were free and
Interruption as he twice openly confest that I had not interrupted them but when he had finished his Sermon and I had gained a little calm and liberty of Speech immediately before I could finish one Sentence that Pragmatical and Insulting Soul W. Edmundson stopt and Interrupted me so that I openly complained of incivility and inhumanity that hearing patiently their two Sermons they were set down and common Reason said that it was my turn to speak and every body desired what Answer I could frame to hear it that then I should be disturbed and stopt was no way befitting the Societies of Civil and Morral men I then Answered that those very Sermons or Orations which they had now made to the People were so far beneath the merit of an Answer to them that they ministred and afforded to me a mighty and invincible Argument that the Spirit of God 64 was not the Author of them For we all knew that the Spirit of God was most purely Rational and a Spirit of pure Order and did not prompt or move men to break Hedges and leap over one Ordinance into another We were engaged in a mutual Conference and Disputation we were in the midst of it how came we then to fall into Popular Orations and Sermons is it comely when persons are Disputing to fall upon our knees and Answer an Argument with a Prayer as it is a frequent practice with the Quakers is it proper to break off Prayer and fall to disputing or out of Disputation into Preaching But I said my Opposites Spirit was far from the Holy Spirit of God and his movings are far from the Motions with which my Antagonists were acted for they had neither power to keep civil Order nor to be patient for not being able to answer nor bear my words W. Edmundson said expresly what should we sit here and suffer him to vent his Blasphemies and Lies he hath kept us here two dayes and have proved nothing c. I took a little boldness and told them that if Paul himself were present or Iesus Christ himself in their bodily presence which they confessed he died in at Ierusalem yet they would say unto them even unto Christ himself thou hast falsely charged but thou hast proved nothing Paul himself should be an Enemy and Jesus Christ should be a Blasphemer and a Beelzebub because he brought glad news of the Truth from Heaven to them I further said that I had more to offer in the name and in the cause of the true Lord Jesus Christ and after I had got liberty of speech I said that as they which denied the person of the true Lord Jesus denied the true Lord Iesus himself so they which denied the Offices which God the Father had invested him with and designed him to fulfil the denied the true Lord Iesus Christ. They demanded of me wherein they denied the offices of Christ Iesus I Answered I had many things to declare in which they denied the Offices of Christ Iesus as well as the Papists for which we seperated from them as Antichristans not holding the Head the true Lord Jesus the Sacrifice and Sacrificer the only Prophet Apostle and Messenger bringing in the last times the last Dispensation and Will of his Father contrary to the Papists who set up some of them the Pope and some of them the general counsel above the Lord Jesus declaring his mind in the Holy Scriptures and con 65 trary to the Quakers who set up a voice or motion within them over topping and over pouring the voice of Christ Jesus in the Scriptures some of them maintaining that this Light within them is that great Prophet that was to come which Moses Prophesied of Deut. 18. I said I would contract my thoughts and speak at present only a little of his Kingly power and Office and I plainly denounced that they were all notoriously guilty of High Treason against the King of Kings the Lord Jesus yea as far as in them lay they robd him of his Crown and Life and All. In particular I told them I had abundant proof there ready to bring forth from G. Foxes Book that he and his Associates denied yea all of them that visible Kingdome and Church and Institutions which he as King over all his Subjects hath Sovereign Right unto and most faithfully and wisely ordained to continue until his coming again I told them that G. Fox his Book and all their Books and Professions denied any visible Church of Christ at all and though they maintained and kept up Congregations of pretended Christan Worships and Worshippers in a direct contradiction unto their own Tenents yet they maintained the Church was in God and so not visible the Officers of the Church were invisible and immediately made by the immediate and invisible Spirit The Baptisme was within and only the Baptisme of the Spirit and of Fire The Lords Supper appointed by the Lord Jesus to be a Spiritual Feast remembring him until his coming was with them nothing else but Spiritual joy which they have one in and with another which they have by the second coming of the Lord Jesus to them who they said was come again to the Apostles the second time and unto themselves also Upon this as I remember there fell out some words between my Opposites and some of the people called Baptists But some of them especially Iohn Stubs demanded of me why I thus charged them and was my self so guilty not living in Church Ordinances my self I Answered that it was one thing to be in Arms against the King of Kings and his visible Kingdome and Administration of it to turn off all to Notions and Fancies of an invisible Kingdome and invisible Officers and Worships as the Quakers did Another 66 thing among so many pretenders to be the true Christian Army and Officers of Christ Jesus to be in doubt unto which to associate and to list our selves After all my search and examinations and considerations I said I do profess to believe that some come nearer to the first primitive Churches and the Institutions and Appointments of Christ Jesus then others as in many respects so in that gallant and heavenly and fundamental Principle of the true matter of a Christian Congregation Flock or Society viz. Actual Believers true Disciples Converts Living Stones such as can give some account how the Grace of God hath appeared unto them and wrought that Heavenly Change in them I professed that if my Soul could finde rest in joyning unto any of the Churches professing Christ Jesus now extant I would readily and gladly do it yea unto themselves whom I now opposed But Thirdly Not finding rest they themselves knew there is a Time of purity and Primitive Sincerity there is a time of Transgression Apostacy there is a time of the coming out of the Babilonian Apostacy Wilderness there is a time of many Flocks
case being my self then in London whatever Fox the Quakers impudently affirm to the contrary 95 It is true that Iames Parnel and Fox and all of them sometimes miserably and after the Devils Method make use of Scripture as a Shield or Buckler to fence themselves against the Scripture and as a Sword to run through the Heart and Bowels of the Scripture the Saints and Christ and God himself they make use of it as Stirrops and Ladders and Scaffolds for their counterfeit Christ in pretence but in reallity themselves to mount up into their Saddles and Thrones of the Eternal power and Godhead that so the Earth may be theirs by Authority So that as the Lord speaks of the Iews Sacrifices that they were not his and of Iehoiakim that he did not know the Lord Jer. 22. and of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. that they did not eat the Lords Supper though they did eat it so I affirm from all the premises alleadged the Quakers do not own that is truely and Christianly as they say Bonâ fide and in reality but slight and villifie and abominate and nullifie the holy Scripture that their unwritten Lies and lying Spirits may be exalted We have a great word in use amongst Merchants and others to wit the word Effects they desire to see effects of money or Goods for want of a real and effectual prizing and loving obeying and magnifying the holy Scriptures The Iewes Pharises the Papists and Quakers do not owne the perfection Authority of the holy Scriptures but set up their Traditions and Popes Councils Spirits above them and therefore the Iewes Papists and Quakers do not owne the holy Scriptures I freely acknowledge that many of these Particulars I could not then express because of my Confinement to a quarter of an hour and sometimes the Interposure of my Opposites I remember I urged that dead and rotten esteem that both Papists and Quakers fling as dirt in the face of the holy Scriptures calling it a dead Letter a Nose of wax a leaden Rule which may be pincht and bow'd to every mans Opinion But First They horribly bow and pinch that holy Scripture 2. Cor. 3. which meddles not with all the Scripture but with the Covenant of the Law and Iustice opposite to the Covenant of Grace Mercy calls the Law a killing Letter compar'd with the Grace Mercy of an offended God now reconciled by Christ Iesus But Secondly These poor Foxes fly to their Burroughs and confound the matter of the Scripture or Writing being Paper 96 and ink c. with the contents the purport and as I may say the matter contained in the matter we use to say what have you to shew for it what evidences have you what Records and sometimes when no Witnesses are living or can be had an old poor Record is produced which proves the life and spirit of the business what Simpletons do these only wise ones shew themselves in affairs of men that know not that as Solomon sayes of the Tongue Life and Death is in the power of the Tongue so Life and Death is in the power of a piece of Paper what hath an Executor yea many thousand Executors to shew for their Estates sometimes of hundreds yea thousands years but a little paper and ink and wax from the Testators what gives life to a condemned soul but a Pardon or Reprieve in a piece of Paper who knowes not that a Writ or Paper signed by his Majesty the Lord Chancellour the Lord ceief Iustice hath Death in it and fetcheth off the heads of many yea the highest Offenders The Quotations out of G. Fox which then I could not insist on I shall present a few and then pass on to the fifth Position In the 47th Pag. G. Fox brings in Ios. Miller saying It is an Errour if not damnable to say Christ is the meanes and that there is no other meanes of Salvation He Answers And Christ saith no man comes unto the Father but by me and he is able to the uttermost to save and he shall be my Salvation to the end of the Earth saith the Lord and saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself and he that hath the Son hath Life and the Father and the Son are one and there is no salvation in any other I reply I shall now freely declare to the Sence of this Allegation though in the Dispute my Adversaryes would not suffer me to meddle with the Sence of G. Fox his words contrary to our Covenant in my Writing viz. that each Party should speak as long as they pleased which Liberty they enjoyed without my Interruption and first I doe not think that Ios. Millers words run so loosely in his own Book I do not think that a man of Wisdom would call it an error to say that Christ is the meanes of Salvation But to the second part to which G. Fox opposeth I believe it is an Error and a damnable Error and a Doctrine of Devils to say there is no other meanes of Salvation for this wretched Iugler subtilly confounds the Instrumental Causes of Salvation with 97 the Efficient in God the Father and Meritorious in God the Son Christ Jesus 'T is true there is no Redemption and Forgiveness of sin but in his Blood Ephes. 1. though I know this Iugler as before means not a Christ nor his Blood nor Death as we do mean but Imaginary within c. And yet as Means and Instruments Christs Messengers are said to save themselves and others The holy Scriptures are said to make wise to Salvation A man may be Gods means or Hand to save his Wife and the Wife her Husband We are saved by hope saith Paul and saved by Baptisme saith Peter yea Women are saved by Child-bearing as God blesseth those painful Curses to be blessed means of bringing to or growing up in Christ the Saviour All these subtly and wickedly G. Fox sets at variance with the Meritorious Salvation by Christ Jesus between which there is an Heavenly Union and Concord as between a man saving his Brother by throwing a Rope or Oar or Board unto him c. or a Midwife saving both Woman and her Birth in Child-bearing by the Means of Women and Helps which her Skil and Labour administreth to her To talk of this Immediate Christ and Spirit without Scriptures without Preaching and other holy means is as silly as Impious as Blockish as Blasphemous and as Bedlam and Frantick as wicked and Anti-Christian Would not every body laugh at G. Fox if he should say that because the Kings Majesty graciously pardons Condemned Rebels at the Mediation of the Prince his Son therefore the Composing the writing the proclaiming of the pardon the bring of it to the Rebels hands written and sealed with the Kings broad Seal are no means of their Salvation and Deliverance In Pap. 221.
in their Holiness as God is though their Holiness be not so much As if they were perfectly Gods though but little Gods as God himself being a great God and so are forct to show their Contradictions and wheel about to Perfection of parts as a Child is mankind though not a perfect man and a drop of water is true water and may be as Salt as any drop in the Ocean having the Quality of but not the Equality with the Ocean As otherwise G Fox foolishly blasphemouâ—ly speaks of God in this Book Moreover since these high minded Souls dare to say that they are as pure as God and some say what they think that they can no more sin against God then God can sin against them c. I Ask them whether there be any Measures and Degrees in God whether his Perfection in Holiness be not Holiness it self Wisdom it self goodness it self unto which there there can be no Addition or 110 growth as we are Commanded to grow in the grace and knowledg of Christ Iesus To talk therefore of Measures Perfections is as silly as for G. Fox when he hath begun to sow a Shoo and hath as yet taken but a few stitches yet to boast Confidently that the Shoe is perfect We deny not but a Dram Cup may be as perfectly full of wine as a Pipe or Butt and so Iohns little Children as perfectly that is as truly Gods Children as his strong men or Old men But to say this Cup or Spoon is equal in quantity to a Pipe or Tun a Child is equal to a strong man much more for a poor Potsheard to say he is equal with his Porter and a Worm of the Earth equal to his Maker what is it but a bloccish and blasphemous Fallacy and Contradiction and a wheeling about to a Perfection of parts which none deny In 222. He brings in the same Author saying Christ is without his Saints in respect of his bodily presence He Answers How are they of his Flesh and of his Bone and how do they eat his flesh and drink his Blood And how have they his mind and Spirit And he with them and they with him and sit in Heavenly Places And he is the Head of his Church and how then is he absent yea poor Apostates from him feels not Christ but he is with the Saints and they feel him I Reply and Ask is this Eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood after a Corporal Bodily manner visible and real as to other Senses Or is it Miraculous and Spiritual Or is it Spiritual Mistical by Faith and by believing as the Protestants say After the first Corporal way the very Papists affirm not After the second way you will not say it is Nor would you be thought to be so gross Papists as to hold Transubstantiation and therefore must it be the third way whichis by believing and then you poor Iugling Souls what is it to a Bodily presence that you Eat him by believing 2. Whereas you say you fit with him in Heavenly Places you are one wâ—â—h him c. he is Head of the Church c. Here I must Ask you you hold him to be such a Visible Head of the Church as the Pope saith He is and if you say yea I then Ask you where will you direct us to such an Individual Man or person as the Pope is and may be directed to as we know from so great Art all the World over If you say No what is this then to talk of a bodily 111 presence of Christ which is the point and then Flap me in the mouth with a Fox Tail and tell me in a Childish and Equivocating Contradiction that you mean not a Bodily presence but a Spiritual 3. As for the poor Apostates and your feeling of Christ which the poor Apostates do not I Reply An Adulterous Wretch Accused Ioseph of Whoredome who was a pattern of pure and holy Chastity For whom do this Whorish Brood of Foxians thus brand for Apostates and sling among them Firebrands Arrows and Death Are they not all the Children of God that are or ever were or shall be called Are they not the Souls under the Altar who have been slain Thousands and Ten Thousands for the Testimony of Iesus against these horrid Delusions Are they not the very first Churches and the Apostles of Christ Jesus from whom Christ in his Bodily presence was departed as he often Forewarned them and as the holy Scriptures abundantly Recordeth is Fulfilled For see the Jugling of these Deceivers when this Bodily presence is Examined they mean no such Individual Man and person but a mind and Spirit and such a Christ as hath no Individual Bodily Presence as we and all men have If G. Fox when he is in New-England should say he is in London in his Bodily Presence and that his Friends feel as he speak his Bodily Presence there because they feel his Love and his Affections in their minds and Spirits What Hocas Pocas and Iugling Christianity is this All the Saints and Children of God must all be Apostates fallen from God and Christ and Grace that cannot Skill and Feel this Horrible Egiptian Canting Language I will turn my Thoughts higher O thou most glorious Sun of Righteousness Truth and Holiness shine forth and let it be seen how the Devil called the Lord Jesus Beelzehub The Treacherous Revolters and Apostates from thee they call thy self and thy Saints Revolters and Apostates They boast with the bloody Papists and other Traitorous Rebels against thee of their Right and Interest in thee of their possessing and feeling of thee feeling thy Scriptures and thy Bodily presence within them Oh let thy glorious Light declare who these poor Apostates and Revol 112 ters are who break down thine Altars burn thy Temples scoff at thine Institutions Cry up a false and Hellish Christ within them Christen him with the Name of Light though he be thy Conquered Slave the Devil telling us he is thine Angel of Light who with his Counterfiet Souldiers of Light Crucisie thee and pierce thee and mock and Curse thee the only true Son of God and Son of man as ever Herod and Pilate the Preists and Iudas the People and Souldiers did In Page 259 he brings in Iames Browne saying the Kingdome that is in the Saints is not in the Pharisees He Answers That is in the Saints is in the Pharisees in a Measure though it be but as a Grain of Mustard Seed which is like to Leaven little I Reply 1. What If I should send you to some of your Margents where the Greek word Entos is rendred amongst you that is unto you upon you as Luke 11. If I by the Finger of God cast out Devils surely the Kingdome of God is Come upon you The Pharisees expected and so did all the Iews and Christ Disciples were not free I
say look for a glorious Temporal King that should make his Ingress with Pomp and Meta pur oteresio as the Scripture speaks with Observation but he came in as some Kings in disguize and as they speak Incognito and yet his Kingdome was among them in the midst of them by his perâ—onal presence his power sulp eaching and his glorious Miracles 2 Since in Opposition to Christs Visible Kingdome his Church you predicate a Kingdome within Consisting of Righteousness peace and joy in the holy Spirit do you think indeed that the Hipocritical Cursed Pharisees were snch Righteous peaceable and joyful Souls as your selves As sure as God is Light They and their Successors your selves will find your selves when you wake in horrid Quaking and except you repent Hell Flames about your Ears as the Lord Jesus told those whited Walls and painted Sepulchres 3. Must you take Measure of the Pharisees and tell us that the Pharisees in a Measure as a grain of Mustard Seed and Leaven are the same with your selves Do not you Cry out that you are perfect not in Measures and Degrees but that you are all one in Quality and Equality of Power and Glory with God and must 113 this must be the same with Christ Jesus and his Saints and you and the Pharisees all together Can two walk together live and love together board and bosome together and not be agreed together no other wayes then Light and Darkness Christ and Belial Righteousness and unrighteousness What stinking work do these provd Pharisees make of Christianity How justly doth the Son of God give them their proper Titles Ye Fools and Blind 4. If it be the same Kingdome in Christ Jesus and in Saints and in the Pharisees and every wicked man in the world though but as a grain of Mustard Seed and Leaven what is the Reason this Mustard Seed grows not up this Leaven spread not in them Can a Nation be subject to the King of England of Spain or any osher Ptince or Monarch and yet not know how nor have no knowledge nor feeling of it at all Can there be such a God such a Spirit such a Fire yea but such a Mustard Seed or Levven such a Teacher and yet not grow not prevail not prosper nor be perceived ye Fools and Blind are all your Mustard Trees stunted all the world over no Shelter for the Heavenly Birds your pure flowre of Holiness and sincerity mixt and-blended with the black Weeds Cockle and darnel of open Idolatries and prophaneness and Pharisaisme and Hipocrisie What abominable Contradictions and Lyes in Hipocrisie are here The Pharisees have Christ and his Kingdome of Righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit within them and yet live in pride and Covetousness and Extortion and Excess and Cruelty and Hipocrisie and Blasphemy and all this Rottenness and Dead mens bones stinking and ruling all within notwithstanding all the white and paint and garnishing without your selves their Hipocritical Off spring have and live in you say this Kingdome of Christ Jesus this Kingdome of Righteousness and Ioy in the holy Spirit as perfect and pure as God himself all one with us Infinite in Majesty Holiness Power and Glory not only in Quality but Equality c. as this wretched G. Fox affirmeth And yet within and withont Idolatrous and Superstitious Inhumane and uncivil passionate and sierce Censorious and Cursing and most Impudent and worse then Barbarous in some of your Impudently monstrous and avowed practices Having dispatched our Agitations about the fifth Assertion 114 and the Quotations out of G. Fox which I could not then Insist on in publick I descended to the sixth Position which was viz. The Religion of the Quakers is not only an Heresie in the matters of Gods holy worship but also in the Doctrines of Repentance Faith c. This Assertion hath two main Branches First that the Quakers Religion is an Heresie and themselves Hereticks in the matters of Gods worship 2. Not only so about the Circumstances of which Gods own dear Servants themselves greatly differ but also which is more Lamentable and dangerous in the Doctrines of Repentance and Faith and the rest of the graces of Christ Jesus I told them first that the word Hairesis Heresie in Greek from whence the word Hairetikos an Heretick signified an Opinion or Opinions chosen and stood in by one or more against the Christian Religion I said the matter mighâ— be aggravated and a ugmented from the Greatness and Vitallity of the matter of the Opinions but the Formality and Nature of it lay in the will and obstinacy thereof Iohn Stubs stood up and said that Heresie was defined by some to be an Opinion obstinately stood in against the first Christian Purity I Answered yea and the Opinion of some was that Heresie was an Error in the Foundation obstinately stood in But I said we had not time to enter upon a Dispute about the word or thing at this time the Substance of my Affirmation was that their Religion Sect or way was false and gone from the Institution and way of the Lord Jesus delivered by himself and his Apostles or Messengers 1. As to worship they denyed the Converting and gathering of the Saints into visible Assemblies or Congregations affirming the Chnrch to be Invisible the Ministers Invisible the Baptisme and Supper Invisible c. The second which was aur Position was in those two great Fundamentals the Beginning or A. B. C. of the Christian Religion viz Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God As for those two Doctrines of laying on of hands and of Baptismes they concerned the Church and worship concerning the Circumstances of which God is pleased to permit his 115 Children to be lovingly differing and discussing the other four Repentance Faith Resurrection and Iudgement in which generally Gods Children agree in these also as well as in the matter of worship these wandring Souls are Hereticks that is obstinately maintaining Notoriously false and Anti-Christian Abominations In so much that the many Sects amongst the Protestants yea and the Papists themselves do not so differ from a true Protestant and true Christian as do these wilful ignorant and wandring Souls 1. Then as to Repentance I said it was the first heavenly and saving work of God upon the Soul wherein he turned back home again the whole Soul unto himself being revolted and run from him into the Arms of Rebellion in the Fall of our first Parents This was the great point preached by Moses and the Prophets and more expressly by Iohn the Baptist and by the Lord Jesus himself and when he sent abroad his Apostles or Messengers into all Nations they were to preach the Gospel or glad News of the Forgiveness of sins according to Luke 24. viz. that Repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name unto all Nations beginning at Ierusalem Here about I remember they
though not so brief as I was forced to be in our publick probations I told them that the Papists and the Quakers were great Confederates in their Endeavours to raze the Records of Heaven and to rob the Saints and the world of this Inestimable Iewel and Treasure of the holy Scriptures 1 The Papists own it not to be all the word or will of God revealed but that there be unwritten Verities that is Gods mind revealed from Father to Son by Tradition The Quakers will not vouchsafe it the Name of the word of God out of a simple pretence because Christ is the word of God that is he isindeed the chief manifestation of all the Appearances of God 2. The Papists horribly abuse it calling it a Nose of wax a Leaden Rule a dead Letter c. and so do the Quakers triumphing over it with base Insultations as over a deed Letter a Carkass c. 3. The whole world of Papists assembled in eighteen Years Labours Chymical Laboratories at Trent at last thundred out their Anathamaes and Curses against all that should not prefer the Vulgar Latin Copies before the Hebrew Copies and the Greek in which it pleased the holy Spirit of God first to write his mind and will or word unto us And do not the Quakers as simply and bruitishly bind themselves to the bare Letter of the Common English Though they know the Hebrew and Greek Copies are the Foundation and Touchstone of all other though millions of Translations Though they know there be more English Translations then one Though the English Translations wonderfully 135 differ Though Ravius that Famous Oriental Hebrician c. proclaims above a Thousand Faults and some gross in our last Translation though some of them as Iohn Stubs boast of their humane Learning produced his Hebrew Bible in our Conference yet will these Ephesians cry out like Frantick mad great is our Latin Translation great is our English Translation Yea one of them boasted to my self that the Spirit of God would teach them Scripture without the Hebrew and the Greek or the English either 4. The Papists set up a Judge in Controversies above the holy Scriptures who can dispense with Scriptures and do all that God can do And say not the Quakers the same of their Spirit which is above the Scriptures for it gave forth the Scriptures and is in every man 5. The Papists though they will not deny to make the Scriptures the Rule and profess to be tried by it yet their Church and the head of it the Pope must Interpret And do not the Quakers herein the same concerning themselves though some think more bruitishly for they will allow no Interpretations nor meaning at all but you must take the words as the Translators have given them us right or wrong and you must not enquire either into the meaning of words or the meaning of mind of God in the place Oh what a black deaf and dumb Lazie Spirit hath possessed the Souls of these great pretenders too and Monopolizers of the holy Spirit of God both Papists and Quakers 6 The Papists generally use not nor have the holy Scripture no not in their Devotions in their own Tongue but in the Latine the Whores Tongue of Italy therefore no wonder they prize it not but even the Lights or Luminaries so pretending amongst them disuse it Care not for it read it not c. many have it not So that Luther tels us that in Thirteen years or more he saw not a Bible in his College at Erford until by Gods merciful providence he came to see one to his own the Comfott of Thousands Luther tels us that at one great Assembly of the Emperour and Princes the Protestants of Germany had Conveyed a Bible on the Table The Cardinal being first come he opened the Book and read here and there in it it is like he had not seen 132 it before in his Life In comes one of the Popish Princes and askt the Cardinals Eminency what Book he had there He Answerred I know not but I am sure it is agaiust us and it is laid here for that purpose Oh the Infinite mercies of God to us in our times and our Infinite Debt to his Infinite goodness and our Infinite guilt in neglect of it The Quakers at first took off themselves Families and Assemblies from any use of it Their Spirit they Crake that made the Scriptures supplies all c. The Papists and Quakers both have said and printed that if the Scripture were consumed quite taken out of the world there would be no Loss so long as they have the Spirit The Truth is I could by Arguments many make it appear that the Papists and Quakers love the holy Scriptures no better than Goliah loved Davids stone and sling nor no better then the Devil loved Christs Gegraptai It is written It is written for the Papists and the Quakers and the Devil knows that if the holy Scriptures be Exalted as the revealed will or word or Declaration of the mind of God down-falls their pretences of Traditions and Revelations whereby the Devil deceivs themselves and himself also 4. The Papists and Quakers shake hands in the most hellish Doctrine of Justification by what is within us by what Christ works within us in short by what is called Sanctification put for Justification and the forgiveness of sin in and for the merits of the Lord Jesus freely imputed and given to us The Papists use the word Inherent Righteousness but the Quakers bogle at the word not finding it in the English Bible yet they agree that by the works of Obedience yea and also by the Acts of their own Inventions and Superstitions they can make a pardon under a hedge to themselves and Crake that they have received a pardon and Justification sealed under the Broad Seal of Heaven to them but it is against the glory of the King of Heaven and against the glory of the Son of God and his glorious Sufferings and their own Salvation 5 The Quakers are Papists in that Spirit of Infallibility which they arrogate to themselves pretending that the holy Spirit shall lead them into all Truth speak Immediately in 133 them c. though herein they differ the Pope infallibly expounds Scripture but the Quakers speaks Scripture and his word is Gospel c. yea all men have this Spirit and need no Teacher and yet what an horrible Contradictious noise is there of the Quakers Apostles Messengers Ministers Preachers He and she sent into Old-England and New-England Scotland Ireland Turky Italy to bid people hearken to the Immediate Spirit within 6. The Quakers are Papists in that high lofty Conceit of their Perfection when Calvins time this Spirit came from Hell under the name of Spirituals and when of latter years in Lancashire under the Name of Grindletonians all their Religion turned chiefly upon these two Hinges 1.
true Socinus magnifies the Free Grace of God in pardoning Sin and sending that man Christ Jesus to be a pattern and Leader to all that will follow him But they endure not to think that the Flesh and Blood of one man being Finite should be able to â—atisfie Gods Infinite Iustice and to pay a price of Infinite worth and Value What is this but the Summe and Sâ—bstance of all the Quakers Teachings For although they preach Gods mercy and Grace and talk of such a Thing as the Blood of Christ Jesus Yet upon the point that Body that Blood that Death c. is nothing but a Fancy and Christ Jesus his Birth his Life his Dâ—ath his Burial his Resurrection his Ascention his 137 Return again to Iudgement are all but a Mistical and Allegorical and not a Literal Real and Substantial matter And when they are forced to Confess such a man to have been though the Term Humane G. Fox doth bogle and start as at a Rattle Snake yet then examine them as I have done what is become of him then he is vanished into a Spirit and Ghost and there was never any such thing as a Man you talkt of And this is a Devilish Iesuitical Trick the Quakers have beyond the Socinians concerning the Body and Sufferings of Christ Jesus I might here Insist upon the Quakers Notorious Sabellianisme taking clearly away with Sabellius the distinction of the Father and the Son and Confounding Father Son and Spirii in One as G. Fox in all his Book doth At present I Insist upon the Position in my Paper viz. that there is much Iudaisme in the Quakers Religion 1. In that great point of Righteousness Reconciliation with God and pardon of Sin They were Zealous as the Quakers are in the works of Righteousness thinking thereby to please and pacifie God and to satisfie his Justice putting their own dirt and dung Swines Blood and Dogs necks upon Gods Altar instead of that One spotless Lamb of God that Man Christ Jesus who alone Expiateth and taketh away the sins of the World 2. The Iews were Zealous for their Additions Traditions and Superstitious Inventions which as the Lord Jesus speaks they pâ—eferred before â—he Commands of God as the washing of their hands and of their Bodies and of Pots and Cups and Beds and Platters and other things upon a Conscientious and Religious Account The Quakers if they had their Scope scorn to come behind the Iews or Papists for Ceremonies and Traditions which it was necessary for them both to add as Apples and Nuts c. to still poor Children from Crying after Gods Worship 1. I named some of the Quakers Traditions and Inventions in our publick Conference unto which I shall now name 138 some more I told them and now do of the Un-Christian and unnatural Invention of Women Ministers Women Apostles Women Embassadors to all Nations a business that all the Apostolical first Christian practice and all sober and modest Humanity abhor to think of 2. Their dumb and silent meetings their dumb and deaf Spirit without Colour of Common Humanity or precept or practice or promise of Christ to such a worship 3. Their bruitish Salutations of strangâ—rs yea and of acquaintance Foes or Friends It is true that some of them will admit oâ— those two words How do you and Farewel as if there were some holiness in these two and in none other and they might practice this holiness toward the world c. 4. Their New Way of feeling and grabling the hand in an uncouth strange and Immodest way and this instead of kissing called the holy Kiss amongst Christians and a token of Love and Reverence to men also in sober and Civilizd Nations 5. Their bruitish Irreverence to all their Superiours either in Age or in any other way of Preheminence a most proud and monstrous Bestiality against so many Commands and Examples of holy Scripture and against the very Light of Barbarous Nature it self for the Indians use both Reverent words and Gestures towards their Sachims Wiyouhs and Rulers Contrary to which some of us have heard the Children of the Quakers brought up and taught to say to their Fathers George thou lyest Mary thou lyest to their Parents a Language which deserved little less then Death by the Law which God delivered to the Iewish Nation and surely deserveth severe Punishment at this day 6. Their Crying down of Musicians ond musick so Excellent a gift of God as a foolish and Devilish practice though confirmed by so many Reasons from and before Christs time in Scripture and in all sober Nature and Civility though it is abused as all the gifts of God are 7. Their own un-Christian Fantastical absurd and unprofitable way of Toning and singing 139 8. Their Condemning of the Commendable and Ingenious Arts of Carving Embroydering and Painting so approved of and Commended by God himself in Scripture c. 9. Their Crying out against Ornaments of Garments and otherwise against that Order God hath set in his works and that Variety of his gifts for necessity for Conveniency for delight even to Astonishment and Admiration in all his glorious works All these particulars and more I had not time nor have I now to reckon up and amplifie I remember no Material Exception or Objections I had from my Antagonists Only Iohn Burnet spake against my great charging of them and William Edmundson he thundred out continually how deep my Charges were and how weak my proofs and that I had proved nothing I told them that if Paul or Christ Jesus himself were there in presence they propably would be Answered as I was viz. that they made many deep and false Charges against the people called Quakers but they could prove nothing but I said I submitted the Examinatoon and Consideration of all passages unto every mans Conscience and the praise and Issue only unto God After some turns of this sort c. I praid their patience to Answer me one question viz. where is now that Man Christ Jesus which they had Confessed to me was born at Bethlehem and died at Ierusalem c. At this they were all a while silent and then Iohn Burnet Answered saying he is where the Scriptures say he is I Replied where do the Scriptures say he is Iohn Burnet Replied the Scripture say he is within I rejoyned to this purpose Then must his Body be Ubiquitary as the Transubstantiators and Consubstantiators are forced to hold Then must he have Infinite multitudes of Bodies then must his Monstrous Body or Bodies come from within his Saints yea from within all mankind to Judgement c. Just here it pleased God so to Order it that from the Boat ready to set Saile for Providence I and others were 140 called upon to depart So I was stepping down the Lord opened the mouth of Elizabeth Williams my Brothers wife one of the Society of
through all these things and kept us in the hollow of his hand and under the shadow of his wings and gave us dominion in Spirit over all our enemies and subdued them before us and though Rulers and People were combined against us and executed their violence and in 177 justice against us yet the Lord made us to prosper and grow exceedingly in Strength Wisdome and Number and the hearts of the people inclined to us and the Witness of God in many stirred for us for to that in all Consciences Words and wayes we did commend our selves to be known and approved Hereto they suddenly said What canst thou make of this but that Edward Burrowes said the truth that the Sufferings of the people called Quakers were very great that he acknowledged the powerfull hand of the Lord toward them in supporting and delivering them But this was far from boasting or making it any Evidence of the truth of their Religion and Principles I replyed I prayed them to consider why pious and conscientious Souls as they would be reputed should give so large a Catalogue of their Sufferings 2. Profess it was only for their Faithfulness to the Lord. 3. Declare that it was the hand of the Lord that kept them 4 That he only could do it I sayd the Weaving and inter-weaving of these Particulars speak plainly that for their Faithfullness to the Lord and his Truth in declaring and suffering for it the Lord had been faithfull to them in supporting them and comforting them in all these Sufferrings for his Name sake Why should wise men use all these words but to this end of Evidencing their Faithfulness to God and Gods Faithfulness to them After some words had about these kind of passages in Ed. Burrowes and other of their Writings I told them that we must come to that ancient and true Maxime Causa facit Martyrem not the Suffering of Burning it self that is the evidence of a true matter I therefore told them that as it was in the case of Signs Wonders Deut. 13. though they be Signs which false Prophets give which come to pass yet God commands his Children not to be moved from his written word and his holy revealed and recorded Ordinances and Institutions I told them that I had other places which I had turned down in Edward Burrowes to produce but these I had suppressed in my thoughts for expedition sake and would if they pleased pass on to my proof of my next Position to this they readily assented but being now out of my Shackles of a quarter of an hour to which I wink'd to draw them on I crave the Readers Patience and leave to hear me say something now which then I could not say 178 First To what I have said before of E. Burrowes insisting so largly on the Sufferings of the Quakers and yet my Antagonists denying them to make their Sufferings an Evidence of their Truth I present the Reader with a witness of G. Fox his words in his Pag 64 And there is a Proof to thee that the Quakers are sent of God who speak to thee of the Scripture right as they are He that reads the place shall see that G. Fox useth these words against his Opposite Ieremiah Iewes because that his Opposite had said viz. That the Word of God was contained in the Scripture and G. Fox checks him for it and saith if he had said the word which it speaks of he had spoken right c. And this G. Fox makes an Evidence of the Quakers being sent of God that they only can speak properly How much more is what I have produced and have much more to produce a Proof that they do roll their Souls upon their Sufferings as an Evidence and Confirmation that they are sent of God 2. It is wonderfull what the Iewes and Papists have suffered for their Lyes and Blasphemyes What a wonderfull Story doth Manasseh Ben-Isrel relate of a Noble man a Portugal turned Iew burn'd in Portugal for the Iewish Faith What Devotion and Zeal have many of the Popish Party shewn at Tiburn Sure it is that a natural Valour and Magnanimity a natural Melancholy and Stoutness a natural Pride and Vain-Glory will give wings which fire and Burning cannot scorch and conquer 3. I doubt not but that t is possible for not only Christians but also Iewes and Papists c. like Paul in his mad Conscience to be zealous for his Conscience and to put others to death for their Consciences and yet neither of them to sin against their Consciences but ignorantly as Paul did 4. I believe that not only Paul and such as he in Unbelief may so practice but even the true Saints and Children of God He that shall ponder the Fathers Poligamy the best Kings of Iudah suffering the High places Davids slaying Uriah Asahs imprisoning the Prophet Peters rash using the Sword Davids and Nathans unadvised Advise to build God a Temple the Disciples calling for Fire from Heaven and shall see cause to reprove the Quakers for their rash damning of others from whome they have suffered For 5. As t is possible for Gods own Children to hold and that 179 obstinately false Principles so it is possible for other of Gods Children as obstinately to afflict and punish those others to Death and so bring Affliction and Destruction one upon an other which is that the Devil aimes at 6. Because the Quakers do so abundantly glory in their Sufferers and in comparison of them slight the Saints under the Altar in our Book of Martyrs as Iames Parnel impiously calls it casting all that differ from them into the Satanical Delusion and Serpentine nature as Fox doth Pag. 5. and 253. and 99. Who forbids to receive into their Houses no not Kings and Princes nor to bid them God speed that are not in their Light I think it fit to observe at this Turn some Differences between true Sufferers and false both pretending the Name of Christ Iesus First The Persons whome the heavenly man Iohn Fox describes they were men and women known to be of holy and heavenly Spirits towards God and of low and meek Spirits towards all yea their very enemyes I would I could say so of the Quakers though no question but a a gold Ring may fall into the Channel and Iewel into the Dirt of worldly and Antichristian errors But for the Quakers I have cause to fear that generally they are Proud ambitious and Worldly-minded Wretches Some of them have literal Knowledge of the Scripture and some stirring Affections with the stony Ground others with the thorny Ground have suffered formerly but the Cares and lusts of this world have drild them into this way of Antichristian Worship others are Fierce Pragmatical Discontented c. and they must travel and be Apostles to preach and bring in Proselites The Cause of Iohn Foxes and G. Foxes Martyrs differ as much as Day from
to Paul as Peter to Cornelius and Paul to the Iailor it pleased God to use his holy means and instruments of Men to men Gods sweet and familiar way to men the immediate Teachings of God by Dreams by Vision by Voices by Motion the Holy Scripture mentions many before and since the coming of the Lord Jesus the Question is not whether it may not please the most Holy and infinite Prerogative of the most High so to teach where and when and whom he please But whether it be Christian obedience or Diabolical laziness to fling off all means as Fox all along teacheth to sit still and listen to immediate Teachings that is say I to the Devils whisperings I believe the Papists and Quakers would give much to be rid of the Scriptures I know also that notwithstanding their pretence of Spirit yet both of them are forced to use means Praying Preaching Congregating and in stead of the holy means by Gods Spirit have appointed many Inventions and Superstitions from a Satanical Spirit G. Fox saith there is no Fallacy in the Revelation of God Ans. True but will he say these seven things 1. That all the pretended Revelations are the Revelations of God 2. That Revelations may not pretend Angelical Light and yet be Diabolical Darkness 3. That we may receive any Revelations and Teachings as Children and Mad Folks do without chewing and rational weighing consideration 4. That God hath not appointed his old Scripture and Writing 192 new since Christs coming as a Standard Rule or Touch stone to try all our own and others Inspirations by 5. That Mahomets Inspirations are not one of the most prevailing Snares Traps and Engines whereby he hath catcht whole Nations and Kingdomes and the greatest part of this poor world at this day 6. That when God reveals his word or will in writing which G. Fox grants to be the words of God and they are slighted it is not common and most righteous with God to deliver up proud lazy Souls to strong Delusions to believe Lyes as at this day it is most wonderfull 7. Whether there be any way in this world to escape the snares of Sathans Whisperings but by humble attending to the search and Meditation of the heavenly Records by humble cryes to the Father of Spirits for his holy Spirit and help in all the Meanes by himself appointed in Love and Pitty to the Souls of men A 4th Instance of G Fox his lame stuff is in Pag. 4. Where he brings in the same Author Sam Eaton saying The Gospel is the Letter c. He Answers And the Apostle saith it is the power of God c. and the Letter kills and many may have the Form but deny the Power and so stand against the Gospel which is the Power of God I reply we all know that the word Gsopel from the old Saxon is as strange to us English as the word Evangelium or Euangelion the Latine and Greek are but we all agree that it may be turned according to its meaning Glad Newes This wise cunning man tels us the Glad Newes is not the Glad Newes ' Why so Because it is the Power of God who sees not here the simple subtelty of this Deceiver The Gospel or Glad Newes preached is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth c. Rom. 1. Therefore this Glad Newes told written printed preached is not the Glad Newes would he now perswade himself and us that Moses and the Prophets that wrote of this Glad Newes and those four heavenly Pen-men or Pens which by the finger of God his immediate Spirit wrote the History of the Life and Death of the Lord Jesus c. wrote nothing of the Gospel or glad news for the glad news is the power of God 2. I know the trick of these old Cheaters and Juglers to hide 193 themselves and their cheating in the Bushes and Thickets of words of diverse Significations or figurative Speeches which all honest Reason teacheth carefully to distinguish I know it is Fox his trick and all their tricks in his and their Writing to make God and Christ and Spirit Gospel Covenant Iustification as before I proved to be all that one cheating Fancy called Light in them and in every one that cometh into the World These bewitched souls will not owne a figurative speech when it makes not for their Idols 3. Is it not that the Lord calls the preaching of the Glad Newes the Power of God because of the wonderfull effect of it to him that believeth this Glad Newes which few or none believe as being a foolish thing to believe as the Iews and thousands others say to believe in a beggars brat laid in a Manager and a Gallowes-Bird c. 4. Paul calls this Glad news his Gospel or Glad news Rom. 2. Will the Foxians therefore say that either Paul lyed or else it is not Gods Gospel nor Christs but Pauls although it is most true that as Paul had charge of it as a Shepheard of another mans Flock or a Mariner of an other mans Ship it may be common Phrase of Speech though not literal but figurative be called Pauls or any other Messengers of Christ Glad news or Gospel 5. There is a wild beast called a Fox a subtle and pernicious creature there was a famous heavenly Man a famous writer of the Book of Martyrs Iohn Fox and there is this poor deluded deluding Soul G. Fox to whome I am now replying ought not these to be distinguished Is there not such a mischievous subtle Beast called the Fox because G. Fox bears and that most justly and by a finger of Gods providence bears it the wild Beasts name or was not such a learned heavenly wonderfully deligent zealous man as I. Fox because G. Fox bears that name also 6. But further If the Glad news may not be called the Glad news when t is Scripture that is written or preached then not Glad news when spoken 7. The Law denounceth Sentence of Death against a Traitor c. this Sentence is written in a Sence may be called a Killing Letter the King pardons this Traitor and this Sentence of Pardon is written this gracious word of a King is not less his Word because it is Written then it was when first spoken by him and this word or pleasure of the King written may be called Gospel or Glad news the Glad news or Gospel of his Temporal Salvation will any sober man say as G. Fox impiously and frantickly that the writing of the Pardon and the Broad-Seal is a Dead letter a Killing letter c. because Paper Parchment c. If G. Fox from hunting after Souls by Sea and Land arrive at 194 any Port in England and send a Letter Post to his Wife Friends containing his many Deliverances many Experiences his safe Arrivail and his Purpose
offer Eternal Praise by and in the Eternal Son of God the true Lord Iesus Christ whome I desire joyfully to expect to return from Heaven as literally and personally as all true Christians hold Act. 1. he is ascended AN APENDIX OR Addition of Proofs unto my thirteenth Position Viz. That the Quakers Writings are Poor Lame and Naked not able to defend themselves nor comfort the Souls of others with any solidity I could produce most of their chief extant but I have been occasioned to deal with G. Fox their great Goliah in some Scores of Passages of his Book in Folio in the Narrative aforesaid Unto which I judge fit to adde the Scores following faithfully presenting his Opposites Words as he quotes them his Answers and then my Reply let him that Readeth understand I Have chosen out the short Assertions of G. Fox his Opposites as he quotes them and his short Answer for brevity sake c. 1. The first of this Addition I name is in pag. 6. of G. Fox his Folio Book where he brings in Samuel Eaton saying The Apostle faying to the Saints You know all things it is 2 an excessive speech G. Fox Answer contrary to Iohn and would make him a Lyar the Minister of God so he is in the false spirit gone out into the World contrary to 1. Ioh. 2. Who know all things I Reply 1. I cannot learn that they litterally hold that they know all things knowable as God though G. Fox writes that they know all things as God yet I can not think them so gross as to imagine that they know all things past present and to come as the Devil pretends he doth and offers to reveal so much to some Conjurers but I judge they must come to some figurative meaning as their opposite writeth For 2. What hinders as before but if the Quakers be Omniscient and know all things but they should be also Omnipotent and do all things for so Paul writes Phil. 4. I can do all things I know they say they are one with God and Christ and they know all things and can do all things and yet this sense which litterally is so Proud and Blasphemous must be made out by a meaning and by a figure which they cry out against in others 3. Therefore doth not the Spirit of God in Prov. 28. open this to us saying Evil men understand not Iudgement but they that seek the Lord understand all things that is God answers their Prayers and inables them to know and do all that he calls them to when the proud and scornful are rejected 4. Therefore I believe it is that the most Holy and most just and wise Lord leaves these poor proud and scornful Souls to seek wisdome and not to find it to be ignorant knowing nothing as Gods Spirit speaketh and to discover their Ignorance in so many Fundamentals of Christianity and in so many practices immodest irrational and more then savage as I have proved against them 2. In pag. 11. G. Fox brings in John Bunyan c. saying The Scripture plainly denies that Conscience can justifie though it may condemn He Answ. which is contrary to Scripture where the Apostle saith Rom. 2. their Consciences either accusing or excusing And again herein do I exercise my self to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men and the Light condemns which you call Conscience c. I Reply Conscience in greek Latine and English c. signifies a Knowing together a Reâ—lexion or looking back of a mans mind or Spirit upon it self in point of Iustification or pardon of sin 3 Conscience looks upon a cursed rotten Nature then upon millions of sins of Omiâ—â—ion and Commission which how to satisfie an infinite Justice for and to attain a new heart and nature is the high business and out of the reach or thought of that poor Conscience which every man Iew or Gentile Civilized or Pagan comes into the World with In the great Tryal of the three greatest sinners that ever were in this World the Devil and the first Man and first Woman two of them their Consciences condemned them and they confest the Fact though with extenuation and Excuses could this their condemning Conscience especially with mincing of sin as all mens natural Consciences do I say could this Conscience or Consession pardon their sin reniew their hearts and be their Justification or clearing and Salvation T is true Abimelechs Conscience justified him from the Fact of lying with Abrahams Wife as well as Iosephs Conscience justified him from the falsly imputed guilt of lying with his Mistress or attempting of it But was this the Pardon of Abimelechs sin his Justification and Salvation after the Canting Language of this poor Fox and all the Foxians that I have seen and I have read all I could come at c. Oh how little do these poor Beasts seek what infinite Justice infinite Punishment infinite Payment is what Conscience truly pacified is upon the Pardon of Sin and true peace of Conscience Sprinkled with the Blood of that only Lambe of God Christ Jesus Amongst the Indians I have known some falsely accused of stealing English Mens goods of killing English Mens Cattle yea of Murther and I have heard them say that Manit that is God and their own Souls know they are Innocent This Innocency who questions but that it is their plea and excuse and discharge from that guilt falsly charged on them If this be all that G. Fox saith he beats the Air and hath no Enemy No no It is a Conscience Justification within a Christ shedding his blood within in a subtle fly opposition to the pardon without us from the K. of Heaven for the sake of his Son without us this is the business which these Traitors to the K. of Heaven aim at Now they will be perfect and never more admit a sinful thought and this their present Honesty shall pay the old score of a Cursed Na 4 ture and millions of Treasons and Rebellions in Commissions and Omission against the God of Heaven It was a pertinent Similitude used before Q Elizabeth A King sent for his Lord Deputy of a Province to come home and give account c. The guilty Deputy goes to a great friend desires his Company c. he said He was sent for also himself and feard his own Issue He goes to others desires their Company c. They make excuse and promise to have him or the way c. Then goes the Deputy to an old friend who promised to go with him and what he could speak for him only if the K. asked he must speak the Truth and that will be said he your Destruction and therefore adviz'd him to make the young Prince his Friend and Mediator for whose sake the King would deny no Favour no pardon no Honour c. The Application may be large and useful but in short A
ever the Servants of God when they inveighed against the Customariness the Carelessness the pictures and the meer 13 Formality of the Worshippers Jews or Christians inveigh against the worship it self and the Appointments of God and of his Son Christ Jesus 3. Did the Servants of God ever labour to bring and hale off Gods people from the worship it self but only from the dead and meerly formal using of them until the time appointed by God himself for their withdrawings disappearing and abrogation What a shameless falshood is it that any of Gods Messengers brought Gods people off from those heavenly Fabricks which God erected by their Ministry or Service all the World over 4. May not Gods Messengers now Cry out against the apish Imitations Formalities of the Papists so horribly and bloodily abusing Prayer preaching Baptisme the Lords Supper Excommunication c. but like the Assyrians or Babilonians Psal. 74. All these Christian Appointments must be broken and tumbled down with Axes and Hammers c. 5. This is Treason and Rebellion in any Atheists or whomsoever but more abominable Hipocritical in these Pharisaical Foxians who Cry out against the apish Imitators and yet themselves practice preaching praying Congregations or Churches singings Conventings and implicite though real Addings to Castings out c Full well as the Lord Iesus speaks abrogating the word and Appointments of God that they may set up and establish their own Traditions c. 6. T is true the Protestants have made separation from the Church of Rome as whorish and Bloody in order to the Return to the first Primitive purity from which the whore of Rome hath departed 7. G. Fox Cries out against all Scripture and Common Sense against all Forms that is wayes and manners of Gods Worship Cries up a Christ within Scripture within Church within Ministers within Baptisme and Supper within yet practice they most of these so many as their Idol requires and will serve his turn as outwardly and visibly as any in the world 8. I know it is the observation of one of G. Fox his Opposites a man of excellent knowledge piety industry M Baxter viz. that the Churches of the Independents Baptists have been the source and Spring whence have flown the Generation of the Quakers For my self I have observed the contrary in these parts 14 and that although some rotten Professors or weak Souls though true have been bewitched by those Soul-witches yet generally where they have any Liberty the National Church fills up their nuâ—bers My Reason I gave them in publick when W. Edm. Boasted of their Numbers viz. their Religion is so easie never coming near the Roots of rotten Nature but so wonderfully agreeing with it and changing one Devil for another as I have before instanced so that I told them I adored the Infinite Power wisdome and goodness of God that they were not ten thousand fold more and I say Millions more then they are For I can demonstrate that if G Fox for all their hypocritical prating against Carnal Weapons get a Sword as Mahomet did most of the Popish and Protestant and pagan World will easily be brought to dance after him 9. As to the point of Separation I pray Mr. Baxter and others of G. Foxes learned and godly opposites who are yet in their Judgement and Conscience perswaded to the National Worships to hear me patiently four words 1. I pray them to remember what the word Nazarite is in English The word Nazareth and the word Iesus of Nazareth and in plain English 2. Was there ever Child of God in this world but he was a Nazarate separate from worldly persons worldly practice and worldly worships as he comes to see them c. and endureth not that the evil one should touch him 3. Is not Gods name Iealous in this end of the World not the west-world as well as since he first proclaimed it in the East 4. Hath not his Jealousie raged against the Iewish whoremongers who defiled his first Bed and will he wink at the Christian Adulterers and Adulteresses either in Worship or Conversation 5. With what good Conscience can I a national Protestant separate from my Father the Pope and my mother the Church of Rome and my Brethren and Sisters the Papists and yet it must not be Christian for other Souls to see further degrees of that Separation necessary and I must bring up the foot of every mans Light and Sight and Conscience to my Laste 6. This is the main ground of my Controversy with the proud Quakers they stir up in their Illuminations in themselves and 15 Condemnations against others but they magnify with the Papists and Arminians Cursed rotten Nature their Converts and Proselites have but a painted formal Repentance Faith c. Only if they can come to their Church c. and Thou and thee and disrespâ—ct all Superiours then are they high Saints cannot Sin c. 7. This as before I hinted was the heavenly Principle of those many precious and gallant Worthies the Leaders and Corner Stones of these New-England Colonies viz. they desired to worship God in purity according to those perswasions in their Consciences which they believed God had lighted up 8. They desired such for their Fellow Worshippers as they upon a Christian account could have evidence that to be true and real Worshippers of God in Spirit and Truth also But I forget this is but an Appendix and therefore I return to another Instance of G. Fox his poor and lame and naked Answers c. A 9th Instance is pag. 32. where G. Fox brings in Ellis Bradshaw saying The Spirit of God doth not teach to judge before the time and he adds that others of them say The Saints shall not Iudge while they be upon the Earth To which he Answers But the Spirit did teach the Apostle to judge and his Time was come And he tells some that they were of old ordained for Condemnation and their Damnation slumbred not and they went on to Eternal Judgement and it is high Time not to judge I Reply Some of this his Answer is some of his wonted Nonsence or the Printers oversight c. But to the point the great Jugler hath taught G. Fox and his Foxians a trick to outface Death and Indgement They now keep the great Sessions and call all the world to their Bar and Judgement Thus did the poor cheated Souls in London lately Reeves and Mugleton thunder out their eternal Sentence of Damnation upon the Souls and bodies of their Oppoâ—ites that with such Seriousness Confidence Majesty that I have known sollid Christians put into a fright by them It is true there is a lawful judging not according to rashness or pride as the Quakers is but according to righteous Judgement It is true the spiritual man judgeth and discerneth all things that is looks into the Causes and Natures of things
Prophecies of Scriptures or the written foretellings and utterings concerning Jesus Christ. Thus the God of Heaven most holy and only wise stoops to our weakness and calls his mind his word his works his word his Providences of mercy or Judgement his Word the Lord Jesus his only begotten his word his writings his Word and this in a way of Condescention to our Capacity seeing that all the World over Kings and Rulers Fathers Masters of Families of Ships c. give the word that is the manifestation of their mind and will and this as the Spring in Clocks and watches turn about all other wheels and motions Hence it is that if ancient Records and Deeds with Hands and Seals be produced at the Bar of Trial all mouths are stopt at such Evidences Thus the Word of God in the mouths of the Prophets written for after Generations is Comparatively beyond the Report of Peter 25 and Iohn themselves is in all Religions The Iews have their Talmud the Turks their Alcheron the Pope his Decretans and the Protestants the Written Word or Scriptures When therefore a Pardon is written and Sealed with the Board Seal of a King or State what a fancy is it for a condemned Wretch to hearken first to a Pardon revealed within to a voice within to a King within to a Writing within a Seal within and so slighting the true pardon in the Kings way to be conveyed from without to the Mind and Spirit within to lose his Pardon and Deliverance as thousands of such poor cheated Souls must do A 14 Instance G Fox brings in Pag. 49. his Opposite Ralph Hall saying It is against the Light of Nature for Women to Preach c. G. Fox Answers Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and the mind of God and the Prophets who said God would pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should Prophesie So that he is a limiter of the Holy one a quencher of the Spirit and in the Darkness and this is above the Light of Nature I Reply First What is the Light of Nature but the Light in which every man comes into the World with as the Foxians speak a Light differing from that Light which Beasts wilde and tame and Birds and Fishes have And a Second Light differing from what is Supernatural as that Light revealed from Heaven in the Holy Scriptures and infused into the Souls of Men by the Holy Spirit or Power of God 2. What is the Light of Nature in Man but that Order which the most Glorious Former of all things hath set like Wheeles in Clocks or Watches a going in all his Creatures Some have observed that in the Insensible Creatures to which the most High hath only giving Beings that there may be observed a Male and Female amongst them This is more observable in Vegetables or growing Creatures as in Plants Trees Herbs Flowers c. More yet in Sensitives as Birds Beasts Fishes Most of all in Rationals Men and Women whom the most High hath so wonderfully distinguished It is true that in Religious and Christian Matters there is no 26 respect of persons with God as of Man before the Woman otherwise than to order Natural and Civil The Woman is Predestinated is Called is Justified is Glorified and wears that Golden Chain as well as the Wisest and Strongest of Mankinde And it is true the Wisdome of God perfers some Women before thousands of Men in their being born of Nobles in excellent parts as is observable in the Lady Iane and Queen Elizabeth c. in some special favour as Christ Jesus first appearing to Mary Magdalen and other Women and sending them to carry the first Tydings or Gospel of his Resurrection to his Apostles yea in effusions or powrings forth of an extraordinary measure of his Spirit before Christs coming as on Miriam Deborah Anna Huldah c. and at his coming according to Ioels Prophesie on his Daughters as well as his Sons so that as my opposites alledged to me in publick Philip the Evangelist had four Daughters thus extraordinarily endâ—wed yet this favour of God toward Women destroys not the order which the God of Order or Nature hath set in those Bounds and Limits and Distinctions between the Male and Female the Man and Woman though the Holy Scripture were silent yet Reason and Experience tell us that the Woman is the weaker Vessel that she is more fitted to keep and order the House and Children c. that the Lord hath given a covering of longer Hair to Women as a sign or teacher of covering Modesty and Bashfulness Silence and Retiredness and therefore not so fitted for Manly Actions and Employments Therefore because of Ioels Prophesie or because we must not limit or quench the Spirit as G. Fox saith there is no ground in Gods ordinary course of Nature to permit Women to pretend to be Apostles or Messengers to the Nation or Preachers and Teachers in the Publick Assemblies 1. Because we finde no such Commission given by Christ Jesus or any such Practice amongst the first Believers 2. The Lord hath set as Seamen speak a preventer to such an unnatural boldness by express Prohibitions with the Reasons and Grounds to the Corinthians and to Timothy and to answer those Scriptures with a flam viz. that Eve the Transgressor and Women that be Tatlers are forbidden and the Woman Iezebel 27 c. is all one to tell us that Paul was not a Man nor Timothy a Man nor the Teachers Men nor Corinth a City but all signifie Metaphorical and Mystical Business 3. Why may not Women much more be Lord Majors and Bailiffs and Sherriffs and Iustices and Constables Captains Colonels Generals and Commanders by Sea and Land 4. That Reason the Spirit gives to the Corinthians for the vailing of Women in publick Assemblies makes much more for their vailing and silence in matters of Prophesying Preaching and Praying viz. Because of the Angels I know not any fair and sober Exposition of this Scripture except as the blind Quakers who swallow down a fly Camel too but that of the Heavenly Angels and Spirits attending on and guarding the Assemblies of true Christians and rejoycing in the comliness order and beauty of their publick Administrations Some few years since there came to my House two Maries it is said they came from London they bid me Repent and Hearken to the Light within me I prayd them â—o sit down that we might quietly reason together they would not then standing I askt them the ground of their such Travel and Employment they alledged Ioels Prophesie I answered that was fulfilled that was not every dayes work besides their business was not Prophetical but Apostolical c. they regarded not my Answers nor Admonitions but powred the Curses and Judgements of God against me and hurried away to Barbadoes they went and being War
received by all Natural and Moral Understandings yea in natural Commands and Threatnings Beasts and Birds are admirably capacious and observant But when we speak of Supernatural Heavenly and Eternal matters of Spiritual things to be discerned Spiritually What a difference is there as between Heaven and Earth and Infinitely greater When the Lord Iesus asked his Disciples how many loavs they had their Natural Faculty or Reason could give an Answer When he asked them whom do Men say that I the Son of man am This was a Divine and Supernatural Question and for the outside and Truth of the Fact the Devils could Answer as well as the Disciples not only that same said he was Elias Iohn Baptist c. but that he was the Son of God All this exceeds not Natural first Birth Powers or Faculties But to give a believing and an affectionate Answer as Peter did this requires a Faculty and Power which Flesh and Blood could not reach too but the Spirit or secret working Power of God in the means wrought Peters heart and the Disciples hearts and to this day all Believers Hearts to receive and welcome all truly Divine and Heavenly Doctrines Whereas therefoâ—e G. Fox talks of something within which is preached to I may Answer as they do viz. that the natural man perceivs no spiritual matter but when he is born again then he acts and works and it is most certain that as an House receivs his Master as Candle kisseth Candle the Clasp the Hook the mortise the Tenant so do Natural or Spiritual Faculties receive Natural 34 or Spiritual Faculties receive Natural or Supernatural Motions and Impressions The Protestants say that before it pleaseth God by some word read preached c. to set up a Candle of wisdome in the Souls and to work a spiritual favour in the Soul all heavenly matters are nauseous and odious though as pleasant profitable and honourable to self Ends they are welcome all the word over yet as spiritual and heavenly abominable G. Fox saith there is a something a Seed though but as a Grain of mustard Seed a Seed of God of Christ of the Spirit to which Christ the Word is preached and which maketh Answer Hence horribly abusing Scripture phrazes they so often say God is all within and without Hence they maintain c. though men be dark and dead yet Christ within is Light and alive in them and them only Hence appears G. Fox his lying Cheats of a Sufficient Light withiâ— to lead to God and to Salvation a Teacher within all Sufficient for then no need yea it is a simple Superfluity c. to hold a Candle of outword words to awaken and enlighten such a glorious all-Sufficient Sun within 5. I ask where this something this something of God yea God and Christ and Spirit If he Answer in the understanding he grants it that is dark and perceives no heavenly matters c. If in the Heart and Affections he Confessieth all there is hard and dead only he saith the Light shineth in the darkness c. Implying that in the dark understanding there is some heavenly Light in the hearts hardness there is some softness and the Light shineth in darkness c. I Answer Christ Iesus tâ—e Sun of Righteousness arose with saving Rayes or wings of Salvation but the blind Iews could not own him for the Expected Messiah what is this G. Fox his something a Light of Christ inlightning every man that comes into the World though the man see it not 2. What is this to all the Generations of the World about four thousand years before Christ came and was in that visible person as Iohn saith of him that lightens every man that comes c. what is this to a mixture of Light and darkness in the same faculty the eye blind and yet seeing the man dead and yet alive It is true the Lambs wife confesseth that her Hearâ—t was awae 35 while she slept But what is this to the heart being dead and no Life at all and yet waking 6. The Conclusion is as before I hinted and they Confess when God in his own Means ordinarily works the will to hear to turn to believe to pray he then graciously works the work for us and being thus turned with Ephraim we mourn and lament and say what have we done when he turns our wilderness wholly a wilderness into a Garden then we bring forth his sweet Fruits Flowers and Spices when he turns the Wolf into a Lamb then we are meek and Innocent and patient but to talk of preaching to the Spirits in Prison yea of the Seed of God and the Spirit of God in prison when the Lord speaks of his warning and moving men by Noahs preaching in the old World as may be evidently evinced is like the prophane teaching of Parrots to prate of Grace and Heaven like that admirable Parrot in France who could say her Pater noster her Creed and Ten Commandments and yet knew as much of grace and the workings of God in the Soul as her Popish Teachers c. An 18th Instance of G. Fox his lame and cheating Answers is in pag. 64. where he brings in the same Author Ieremiah Ives saying It is a known Error to say that a man was in Hell and in Heaven He Answers who in this shews his Ignorance of Scripture for it gives Testimony of men that did witness that they had been in Hell in the Nethermost Hell and witnessed again they were in Heaven and sate in heavenly places in Christ Iesus and such were in Heaven as is spoken of in the Revelations I Reply G. Fox and millions more talk of Heaven and Hell as the Notable Parrot above said our Fore-Fathers some from the Scripture and some out of Reasons Light talkt of places of Ioy Eternal for the Righteous and of misery Eternal for the bad and wicked But the new Light from Christ Jesus and his pen-men is the clearest that ever shined in this world especially that famous Parable or Word proceeding out of the mouth of Christ Jesus Luke 16. that of Dives and Lazarus declaring in substance the state of the Life to Come and of the two great Parties of the poor afflicted Righteous and the wicked living in pleasures c. G. Fox is in his Burrough of the various signification of the words Heaven and Hell He knows that a state of Sorrow and 36 Bitterness is called Hell That a state of Death and the grave is set out by the word Hell in the same Hebrew phrase And to either of these he wickedly applies the thirst State of which the Lord Jesus 1. so clearly speaks viz. The State of the ungodly after this Life in the Life and World to come 2 Again he knows the visible State of the true Profession of Christ Jesus is called Heaven 3. Such as have Interest in Christ
mankind of many due respects and favorable glaunces of Gods care of order and prudent distinctions and differences amongst the Sons of men in Families Cities Nations Armies Navies c. 3. Sure he can not but remember and his own and all the Light in the Quakers if seriously minded will tell them that 54 in robbing all the world of their several due moderate and sober Titles and Respects they do but by a jugling Hocas pocas a back dore c. rob all others of their points Ribbons and Laces wherewithal only to adorn and trim and trick their foolish selves Just as the Popish party practice to cry up their Pope servus servorum Dei and yet be Domine fac totum your holiness c. and yet the Pope and Papists herein out shoot the Quakers for the Papists give all men their Civil and Courteous different Respects and Acknowledgements which the dogged and scornful Quakers are far from their Spirit being prouder then the Papists 4. G. Fox knows how others of his Adversaries have in print told him that the English word Master Answers to many words in the Greek Kathegerese Didarkalos c. and that these words Rahbi and Pateer all shew that the Lord Jesus only Condemned the Pharisaical Popish and Foxian Itch of being called Masters Fathers Leaders Teachers in Religion undervaluing and slighting others c. Thus amongst the Papists their Magister noster their Patres c. their Irrefragable Seraphical and Angelical Doctors thus among the Foxians Iames Naylor Hosanna c. and G. Fox at this Town of Providence called the Eternal Son of God Christ Iesus 5. Half a Humane and sober Eye may see that in all his Declamations against the Pharisaical or Popish or Foxian Rabbies the Lord Jesus I say comes not near in a Title the Civil and Natural Respects of Inferiours to Heads of Families Cities Kingdomes c. all of which the very nature of man being von politikon a sociable Creature and the holy Scripture is all over from end to end full of most frequent Examples yea Commands and practices 6. How Childishly doth Fox Answer his Opposite viz that although it be unlawful to call Master yet it is not unlawful to call Father for there is a Birth which his Opposite is ignorant of c. I ask if G. Fox mean not their Immediate Birth of Light which for a Cover they call Spirit and Christ c. in Opposition to that true Christian Regeneration and Change which it pleaseth God ordinarily to Effect by means as Paul said though you have ten thousand Teachers yet I have begotten you c Sure it is their Immediate denies the mediate 55 7. Where there no Ordinary means appointed by God for Natural or Spiritual procreation yet how simple is that Consequence that because God is an Extraordinaâ—y Father therefore I may call men Fathers but not Masters when God is both Father and Master and both Titles are forbidden in a true Sense by one and the same heavenly Breath at the same time A 28 h. Instance is pag. 106. where G. Fox brings in W. Thomas saying Men are saved but not by Christ within us He Answers How is mans Salvaâ—ion wrought out but by Christ within How is the Iustification fels but by Christ wit in And the Seeds we manifest that suffered without is made manifest within there is Redemption and Life He that hath the Son of God hath Life Redemption to God out of the first Adam and who feels Christ within feels Salvation and who doth not are Reprobates though they may talk of him I Reply This subtle Fox is in his Burrough Confounding under the Terms Christ the person of Christ and the Love and Spirit and Grace or Favour of Christ as if they were all one As if where the Name and Authority and writing of G. Fox comes there of necessity must G. Fox in person be Or to rise higher wherever the Name and Authority of a King General or Admiral is there must their persons also be This Popish Ubiquitary Fancy all sober Reasons have long since laught at and justly as being most Fancyfull and Frantick what 2. What is this but to make the Kings of men yea the King of Kings poor Mechanicks yea lower that can do nothing by any Means Servants Ministers Legates Embassadours c. except they be personaly present 3. The Spirit of God resolves the Question Ephes 3. He dwels in the Heart by Faith or believing in him and Gal. 2. I live by believing or Faith in the Son of God This Faith is given of God to some and not to others This Faith or Belief is wrought by Christ Jesus and â—inâ—shed by him and may with as good Sense be called Christ himself as a shoo which G. Fox hath begun and finished be called G Fox himself 4. With what Colour of Reason or Sense is it that if I believe King Charles the second to be the King of English Men and my King I must of necessity because of my belief which He by gracious 56 means hath wrought in me I believe that K. Charles is personally present Ubiquitarily present in person in all his Dominions and all the world over where ever his Loving Subjects have their Residence 5. I grant if we as some Quakers and Humphry Norton by Name resolve Christ only into a Spirit and God only he is Ubiquitary But as man why may not the General of an Army say to his whole Army and every Individual Souldier as Paul to the Corinthians though I am absent in Body yet am I present in Spirit Christ Jesus is in his Command and Courage and Example in every Regiment every Squadron every Band and Troop and every Souldier of the mâ—ny Millions that have and shall believe in him and that in a Sense both as God and man 6. The Hinge and pinch of the Difference lies in the Opposition which the Quakers make against the Manhood of Christ Jesus to be yet Extant many of them alleadging why stand you gazing Acts 1 c. as if it were but gazing after a Manhood and all now were Spirit and Light within 7. Who ever questiond but that the Spirit or power of Christ Jesus worketh in the Souls of his Elect the great saving change or regeneration gives Repentance opens the heart to Believe and makes the heart of this Believer a Palace for three Kings yet but one the Father the Son and the Spirit in Holiness Love Meekness Patience c. and all these Royal Attendants 8. Who questions but Christ Jesus as the Sun in these Heavens inâ—luenceth all parts of the World in several respects and nothing is hid from his heat He is felt in the bruised Reed and smoaking Flax in the poor in Spirit in the hungry and thirsty after Righteousness sometimes in the hope of Glory to come
a dumb Devil in their dumb meetings and stand still and listen and lie upon their beds of laziness for Revelations and Notions c. 8. As for G. Fox his scornful sling against old Authors what is it but pride and Ingratitude pride to undervalâ—e much more to scorn my Progenitors and Ancestors Ingratitude to God for so many helps c. and to them who have laboured and broke the Ice and left their Labours behind them for the benefit of after Commers yea what Injustice when I disregard and slight their writings and reproach them calling them Old Authors compared with their new Fancies as W. Edmundson did me frequently at Newport Old Man Old Man c. The 33 Instance is in Pag 206 where he brings in Iohn Burton sading It is a Scripture of the Devils making to apprehend Christ within He Answers If there be any other Christ but he who was Crucified within he is the false Christ and the Scriptures hold forth this and the Devil never made it but he and his Messengers are against it And he that hath not this Christ that was risen and 66 Crucified within is a Reprobate though Devils and Reprobaes may talk of him without I Reply This is the great dispute between the Christians and the Pagans the Christians and the Iews the Christians and the Mahumetans and the Christians among themselves so called viz. Who is the great Prophet 2. To what purpose should I alleadge the whole history of the Birth Life Death c. of the Lord Jesus since the Quakers acknowledge all true c. 3. Why should I alleadge the Sermons and Preachings and Writings of the Apostles or Messengers of Christ Iesus after his Ascention all harmonizing with the four Evangelists writing his Life and Death c. 4. Certain it is that he that shall turn over all the former Relations and Histories and all the writings and Sermons of the Apostles since and predicate a Christ that was risen within Crucified within in Opposition to that Iesus of Nazareth without he must have the Forehead of a Reprobate and Devil as G. Fox phrazeth it 5. G. Fox knows the Protestants predicate in Life and Death the believing in Christ Jesus so born so living and dying And the applying of the price of his Death and merits unto God for Propitition And the Applying of the Promise and new Covenant and Bargain in that Blood for a new Heart a new Spirit c. 6. What shall then become of G. Fox his believing in a Christ that was Risen and Crucified within in Opposition to this Lord Jesus so Promised so Prophesied of so prefigured so brought forth so living and dying so preached so believed on and what a Forehead of Hell must he have that calls all those Reprobates and Devils that talk of Christ without The 34th Instance is in pag. 214. where G Fox brings in the Elders and Messengers of several Churches of Ilston Abergevenny c. saying We are Conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity c. He Answers David doth not say you who were Conceived in Sin but I and W. saith Iohn was sanctified from the Wombe and the Scriptures speaks of such as were sanctified from the Wombe and Children that were clean And so you do not speak as Elders and 67 Messengers of true Churches or Men dividing the Word aright but you are one against another though you are all against them you call Quakers that be in the Truth I Reply 1. In the passage G. Fox discovers to any Intelligent and Savoury Spirit not only a weak and deluded Soul but a Popish and Arminian poyson about the Estate of all mankinde in their first Birth a strong presumption that he never felt what the woful Estate of all mankinde by Nature is and what to Cry out in his own particular with David I was Conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity which Cry is one of the first Soul Cries of every Child of God 2. About 120 years since the Father of Spirits stird up the Spirit of his Famous Servant Calvin to batter down the Babel of a Franciscan Frantick who maintained that God from the first Created both Devils and wicked men in the same Condition of wickedness wherein we now find them Contrary to the holy Scriptures Testimony as that Excellent Soul proved declaring their pure Creation their Fall and their respective future Estate and condition to Eternity 3. In the Reign of our late Royal Sovereign K. Iames it pleased God to let loose this Devil of Pelagius who rowzed up the wits of Arminius and his Followers in the low Countries during their twelve years Truce with Spain so that the Civil Discord about this point and other Pelagian and Semi-pelagian Doctrines had almost ruined Holland c. but that the Lord mightily assisted them First By the personal presence and Forces of the Prince of Orange and Secondly By the Famous Assembly and Disputes of the Synod at Dort 4. To follow the Fox into his Burrough what if David say not you but I why should the Papists and Arminians or Foxians have a more holy Birth then David Wherein could holy David Father Iesse and his mother be charged Is not the English of the word Devil Accuser Reproacher Slanderer Is not Nature that Law and Order which the most Infinite Creator hath set in the propagation of all his Creatures though the choicest of them Man be degenerated into the soure Vine at first a sweet Vine Nature or Gods Order goes on though mankinde be Corrupted from the Womb and the Imagination of the Thoughts of mans Heart be only evil and that continually Gen. 6. and millions of 68 Experiences all the world over Confirm it what the Trade of all mankinde is from the Birth The Spots of the Leopard and the Blackness of the Neger comes not by Accident c. 6. The perversness and Crookedness of the motions of Nature may continue though Nature and the Course of it run on as we see in Rivers turn'd out of their Chanels in Clocks and Watches and Dâ—al and Lutes and Harps when out of Tune they give their Natural and Artificial though distempered Sounds and operations 7. Beside the holy Testimony of Moses Gen. 6 and David Psal. 51. and the Lord Jesus declaring what the heart of man is Mark 7. How doth Paul Rom. 5. and 7. declare the Entrance of Sin by the first Man until by the second Man Sin and Death and Hell be Conquered and at last Sin in Gods Children fully dissolved and abolished 8. I end this passage with Appellation to all that knâ—w what Children are all the world over the sweetest and the fairest born of the holiest and sweetest Parents how froward how proud how Revengeful against their Fathers Mothers and most tender Nurses 1. These rotten and crooked Dispositions in every Childe bring forth wilde Asses fruits in Youth
Court must all the Generations of the World receive their Eternal Doom and Sentence I know they know this is the bottom 1. But stay this Fox is in his Burrough of Equivocation for Iudgement is twofold First Iudgement Righteous Secondly According to Appearance as the Lord Jesus distinguisheth How many are declared by Appearances to their Eyes Clouded pride malice Envy Lasciviousness Covetousness Ambition c. And therefore away with the Son of God hang him and give us Barrabas though a Boutefeau and Murtherer c. 2. It is not true that all that is not perfect in the Foxians Sense is not Righteous For 1. as hath been before observed the words Tam and Tomjin in Hebrew and Telos and Teleios and Teleion in the Greek have divers significations and accordingly must be and are translated and expounded Contrary to the proud Ignorance of these Cheators 2. The Generation of all Gods Children in all the holy Scrip 72 ture have ever acknowledged their weakness folly pride and many Transgressions with true Quaking and brokenness and bitter weeping c 3. In a true Sense that which is Righteous is perfect Iustification or Remission of Sin for Christ Jesus sake is perfect it admits as they say of no magis minus more or less the truely humble Ethiopian is as truly and perfectly pardoned and Iustified as David himself and the blessed Mother of the Lord Jesus the Virgin Mary 4. We maintain though pardon of Sin and Justification and Acceptation with God before Angels Men and Devils be perfect and though a poor Child of God be born of God be past from Death to Life can not Sin in a Sense nor suffer the Devil to touch him yet there remains till Death a Combate to be fought between the Law of the Spirit and Law of the members the old Man and the new Man the Flesh and the Spirit c. 5. Hence in an holy Sense Paul saith it is not I but Sin that dwels in me that is in my Flesh wherein dwels no good thing So that David might say in one Sense It was not I that committed Adultery and Murther and Peter say It was not I that denied my Master with Swearing and Cursing c. but the rotten old man and Sin dwelling in me He that knows not to untie these Knots and yet prates of Righteousness and perfection He is proud and foolish and ignorant and he will proudly and foolishly sooner or later commit these five great evils 1. He will not discern what the Generation of the Righteous is 2. He will say Sin is nothing but Imagination 3. He will cast wickedness upon God and say God doth all and what God doth that is good therefore no Sin 4. He must call David and Peter fools for Confessing their Guilt and weeping bitterly c. 5. That it is in vain to watch against Sin and to cry Lord lead us not into Temptation c. In the last place I Affirm and have made it good that the Generation of the Papists and Quakers though so pure in their own eyes yet they are not cleansed from their filthiness The Papists are justly charged with Superstition and Idolatry with drinking the Blood of Saints And have not the Generation of the Quakers 73 their Images and Idols also as I have manifested their pride and Ignorance Idleness in not using means and their passionate Railings and Cursings and I believe if their Spirit get a Sword what ere they ignorantly prate they will drink the Blood of all their Enemies as Hereticks Idolaters Reprobates and Devils The 37th Instance is in Pag. 220. wherein G. Fox brings in the Author of Hosanna to the Son of David saying Man is not able to discern the things of God till he be born again He Answers the Scripture speaks of discerning the Eternal Power and Godhead and that was a thing of the Spirit of God and the Apostle saith not that they were born again And yet I say that none knows the things of God but the Spirit of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewd it to them For that of God in them was of the Spirit who is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh which brings them to discern the Eternal Power and Godhead 1 Reply 1. With Amazement at the dreadful Justice of God hardening this daring Soul for playing away his own Light and the Name of God and the Light which the Lord hath sent him from so many Excellent pens out of which he hath raked nothing but handfuls of Reproaches to fling in the Faces of his best Friends and turned Truth into Lyes and poyson to murther himself and others 2. It is clear that as in all Answers to the Quotations of his Opposites which he picks out that he holds the Contrary to his Opposite so here viz. That a man may be able to discern the things of God before he be born again 3. He proves his point from two Scriptures Rom. 1. Cor. 2. As to the first I will not repeat what I have before written as to the Nature of the holy Spirit his Godhead his Operations seven Eyes seven Horns and seven Lamps his Common workings in all men his special working in the Elect Regenerating Iustifying Sanctifying quickning Comforting c. Nor will I repeat matters concerning the power of Nature in the Philosophers and all mankinde Only from this Rom. 1. I observe 1. That the Eternal Power and Godhead cannot be seen by mortal Eyes 2. We may reach some mental Light of this Eternal Power 74 and Godhead by a serious pondering of his works 3. All mankinde are bound by the Law of their Nature to put forth their utmost in searching after God 4. We may gain a great sight of the Godhead and yet not see him nor glorifie him that is love him as Paul 1 Cor. 8. 5. Natural men until changed and born again of Gods power and Spirit doe but prate as the Devils do and tremble their imaginations are vain and their foolish hearts are darkened 6. Yet this sight of God which men and Devils may get of God by their own Remainders of natural Abilities will leave them without excuse whatever Papists Arminians and Quakers talk of Gods requiring no more then he gives for in Justice God is not bound to give Sampson his Locks or his Eyes when he hath willingly suffered Dalilah and by her the Philistims to cut them off and pluck them out 2. Beside our wils and wisdome are now become Enmity against God and no man spends equal Care and pains for God until Gods Spirit in free grace châ—nge and quicken him with what he does for these temporary Dreams and Shadows The second Scripture is 1 Cor. 2. viz. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things
of God For what man knows the things of a man save the Spirit of a man c. now we have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God In ver 6. the Spirit of God speaks of a twofold wisdome first the wisdome of this world and the Principles of this world which come to nought Secondly the wisdome of God in a Mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory Again ver 12. God tells us of two Spirits The Spirit of the world Secondly The Spirit of God Now this woful Cheator finding the word Spirit Confounds as his Course is all together and because Gods Spirit regenerates the Corintâ—ians and opens to them a glimpse of the Godheads power and wisdom and Goodness by Pauls preaching and opens their hearts to it therefore he must also enlighten the world with the same Light whereas that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and that of Flesh is Flesh This Change and renewing of the Spirit by the Holy Spirit I fear G. Fox and most of his Foxians never Experimened 74 though they enjoy in common a Light of Nature though God hath endowed him and many of them with excellent Natural Parts yea with a Light from the holy Scripture yea with a Light of Experience and common Motions from Gods holy Spirit and have been lifted up by their own thoughts and others as Capernaum up to the Heaven and therefore my Soul fears as to most of them that God will bring them down to Hell with the greater Condemnation The 38th Instance is in Pag. 222. where he brings in the same Author saying Salvation and Faith are the gifts of God distinct from Christ He Answers They are all of him and from him and with him And how is he the Author of Faith in whom it ends and from whence it comes I Reply as Potiphars wife cries out against Ioseph and pretends Chastity so doth this subtle Whoremonger pretending that all is pure Christ the Light is Christ their Hope is Christ their Faith their Spirit is Christ himself yea the Saints are Christ No distinction between Christ and them for they are all of him from him and with him In short I pray the Reader to mind with me the first Chapter to the Colossians where ver 1. The Spirit of God declares how Gods Children poor slaves at first in Sathans Clutches are Translated from the Kingdome of Darkness into the Kingdome of his dear Son In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins I know the Foxians turn Christ yea his Blood also into a Spirit a God How admirably doth the holy Spirit of God declare the Godhead or Divinity of Christ Jesus and his Manhood or Humanity unto ver 21 out of both which I shall select two or three Attributes of the Lord Jesus 1. The State of Christianity amongst many other high Expressions in the Scripture is here called the Kingdome of Gods dear Son which argues a distinction from all other Kingdomes and a distinction from his Saints as a King is not his Subjects nor their Gifts and Honours and Estates and peace and Ioy though given by him to them and procured by his great wisdome and love for them Oh poor Ungrateful Monsters not content to be taken from 76 the Kingdome from the Dungeon of Darkness and Hell and that by the Ransome and price paid and Blood and Death of his only Beloved the Prince of Life but we must be the King of Heaven and Prince of Life our selves 2. I observe The Instrumental and purchasing Cause or price is said to be his Blood which argues the Infinite value of his Sufferings in which Respect only it is called the Blood of God I know the slight esteem that some of these Foxians have of the Blood of the Lord Iesus saying that wicked men the Souldiers shed it that it was spilt upon the ground that there was no difference between that Blood and the Blood of another Saint That by Gods blood is only meant godly and heavenly power and Spirit by which God applies Mercy and pardon Iustification Righteousness c. I have read the Blasphemous Discanting of the Iesuit concerning Maries white Milk and Christs Crimson Blood in the close his preferring the Milk of the Mother before the Sons Blood I have heard also the foolish Blasphemy of one of my own Neighbours saying That the Blood of the Quakers and by name of W. B. was Saving and Salvation to the World 3. But I pass on The Lord Jesus is here called the Image of the invisible God If this should respect the Godhead only which is invisible how could Christ be a visible Picture of Invisibility If the Manhood only is God a Man and Man his Image or Picture as the old Heretick and late in London Reeves and Mugleton fancied The Truth is as Christs Blood is but figuratively for an Antitipe and fulfilling of all the Figures foregoing him and for all his Sufferings and many Blood-sheddings both of Minde and Body so this Image or Picture this Blessed Lamb of God consisting of the Godhead wonderfully assuming such a none such Manhood both which the Papists and Quakers are forced to confess I say it is clear he was the brightest Image or Picture of God to the World that ever God appeared in and therefore called the Word of God the fullest and loudest of all the Words of God in which ever he spake c. 4. Many more I might insist on but I must abbreviate and only mention ver 18. where the Lord Jesus is made the Pallace of 77 the Godhead that in him as the Head of the Body his Church should all fulness dwell reconciling and making peace through the Blood of his Crosse c. Iohn tells us that of this fulness in him we receive all the World receives the Mercy and Patience of God by him all his Followers receive his Grace and Spirit Converting Sanctifying Comforting c. so that his most holy and glorious Manhood visible amongst us c. was as a fair and spacious beautiful Conduit into which the eternal and inconceivable Counsels of the eternal Power and Godhead flowed and from whom by all those blessed means and Ordinances as by so many Cocks turned and let loose flow and run into poor empty Souls as Pails and Tankards all sorts of mercies to the whole World and especially to the Elect and Chosen his Church and Body that believe in him what poor Children and Frantick Souls are we then that cry out poor Pots and Pails and Tankards that we are the Conduit it self yea we the Well-head Fountain and Spring and as this frantick Fox in his Book once and again affirms no distinction between God Christ his Saints yea
World knows not written in the Book of Life Here is the new Man known after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Now who is the New Man and this new Name the World may call him by the old so it is not a mystery of iniquity to say the World calls him so I Reply 1. As to Christian or Christen Names or Things bearing or pretending to bear the Name Authority or an Uniting of Christ Jesus as we know the word Christian signifies it is incumbent on every Christian Soul to search into the Root and Rise and Practise and Warrant of them with holy fear and trembling in the presence of God 2. But to the mystery of Iniquity here insinuated against them Is it not a proud trick of a Pharisee thus to scorn the poor Heathens and Publicans as not worthy to know the Foxians high Names or take up such sacred Names and Mysteries upon their Lips yea is it not a ridiculous Fancie thus to prate and like Pharisees to scold about washing of Hands and Pots and Cups therein placing invented Holiness c. For 1. VVhat are the Heathen this Heathenish Soul here strikes at doth he mean the wilde Savages who give Names to their Children and oft times full of Reason and Significance c. Or doth he account all Nations Savages and Barbarians that give Names to their Children and consequently themselves Savages and Barbarians also for they give Names unto their Children also 2. It is true that by the word Heathen the Goj in the Hebrew and Ethne in the Greek the Nations or Gentiles were signified as distinct from the Holy Nation or Church of God the Iews but so it is not common in our English Phraze to call all the Nations Heathen that are not of the Iewish Nation 3. Did not the Saints before the coming of Christ give Names to their Children did not Leah and Rachael by Iacobs leave give all those significant Names unto the twelve Patriarchs and 84 have not the Saints of God as well as all Nations still so practised 4. Doth Christian Regeneration or New Birth destroy Natural Births or Marriages or Procreations or Names and Educations Only as Diamonds in Gold-Rings and Aples of gold in pictures of silver Christianity beautifies and adorns all these Natural and Civil Actions with an heavenly Spirit Carriage in Earthly matters 5 Can there be any Instances given of any Servants of God before or since the coming of Christ Jesus disowning or slighting the Names which their Parents had given them yea though there were some seeming honour to false Gods in them Fortunatus Apollo Phebe c. 6. Why may we not though we are for his Heathens call the Foxians by the same Names by which they call themselves for in this great Book we find G. Fox and Edmund Burrough subscribed It is a Query why they so plainly subscribe and yet defend them that do not Have they a Priviledge Or do they thus quarrel with us poor Heathens about straws or things Indifferent and yet so weighty as the New Name and new man created in holiness c 7. But what is this new Creature and new Name they speak of How shall the world call them by it if they know it not Such are their Nonsensical Fancies of giving no Respect to any in word or gestures Such are their Fantastical Conceited Answers when being asked where they dwell they Answer they dwell in God and where they live they Answer They live in God c 8. Are not these Foxians a kin to the Popes in this Fancy also when raised to the Devils Pinacle to the Popedome they throw down their old Names to the world and though they be as subtle as Foxes yet now they will be called Leones Lions though they be as fierce and Cruel as Lyons they will now be called Clement and though they be as Impious as swine even as Os pores they must be called pius In the last place as the Pope cast away his net which he used as the Remembrance of the Fisherman Peter when he had catcht the Popedome so G. Fox having made his Fortune as it is prophanely called having attaind a great Marriage His new Carriage and Courtesie and Civility condemns Humphry Nortons 85 and his own former Rigidity as I am sure they will do most of them for worldly Advantages For as they abuse that Scripture The World is in their Heart I may truly use it and affirme the world and the pride and Advantage of it though they deny it as the Pope and Cardinals and Iesuits do is in their Heart and is the Body and Soul the Root and Branch of all their whole Religion The 42 Instance is in pag. 243. where G. Fox brings in Richard Sherlock saying We must not look for an Immediate Extraordinary and miraculous Teaching from the Lord. He Answers Yet he saith all men are taught of God what Confusion is here The grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men and this he calls an outward Teaching by the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that which brings Salvation outward All in the Truth may judge this and try thy Spirit And the Teachings of the Lord is not mediate but Extraordinary above all yours which are men got up since the dayes of the Apostles I Reply 1. Although I have spoken before of their Immediate Inspirations yet seeing how greedily and boastingly this deluded Soul with scorn and Contempt of all his Opposites sucks in the poyson of Devilâ—sh Inspirations in stead of the pure wine and milk of Christian Truth and milks out this poyson into the mouths of his poor bewitched Followers I shall add a few words G. Fox here affirmeth that the Teachings of the Lord are not mediate but Immediate Extraordinary and miraculous Contrary to the whole stream of Scripture and Experience 1. Contrary to the Ordinary and daily and mighty preaching of the whole Creation Psal. 9. The Heavens c. 2. Contrary to the Teachings of God in every mans Nature and making being taught of God above Gods Teaching the Fowls of the Air and Beasts of the Field Doth not Nature teach you 1 Cor. 11. as to long hair 3. Contrary to Abrahams Teaching of his Children and the Command of God to all Parents 4. Contrary to Ordinary Teachings of the Priests and Levites Commanded by God in so much that Christ Jesus Commanded the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses Chair to be heard and attended 5. Contrary to the Ordinary and Constant feeding by Sheep 89 herds and Teachers in the Christian Flocks and Assemblies 6. Contrary to the Teachings of the holy writings or Scripture written by Immediate breathing of God for our Instruction and Consolation c. Ob. Yea but saith this great wrester of holy writings They shall be all taught of God I Answer 1. Who or how shall they be all taught of God that
teaching in the Hebrew applied from the new Prophets Isaiah and Ieremiah is the teaching of the new Covenant and that is the promise of Grace and Mercy to so many as are predestinate and called c. 2. That is no Immediate Extraordinary and miraculous business for this is common to all that repent or turn to God 3. Many had and may have the speaking with Tongues and working with Miracles and yet not know what the teaching of the Spirit in a new Birth is 4. In the Ordinary Teaching to Conversion the Lord owns his Servants as Fellow Labourers Workers Builders Husbandmen Fathers c. wherein he is pleased to open the hearts of one Thousand and Ten Thousand as he did in the first preachings of that glad News and I hope will do so again 5. The great Promise to Christ Jesus and his Seed is that there shall be a gracious Continuance in Christs mouth the mouth of his Seed of both the word that is preached and the holy Spirit more or less accompanying and Teaching Isa. 59. 6. What is there in G. Fox his wild Notion Can that which brings Salvation be outward Against all the Proofs before I mentioned and so many others concerning the Foolishness of Preaching c. Object He saith The grace of God teacheth every man to deny ungodly Lusts c. And I ask 1. If every man in the world hath this Immemediate work on them what 's the Reason we find none in the world no not the wisest until they have the Scripture or the Doctrine thereof some way opened to them that have been able to give us the least Tidings of any such business 2. What 's the Reason that so few in the world have any shew of Repentance c. much less a sound and and saving turning of the whole Soul unto God 87 Why do the Quakers make such adoe about their Apostles Men and Women as if that glorious Light the Father Son and Spirit in every man were not able to teach Effectually by his Extraordinary and miraculous power without their outward speaking to the Seed that is to God within them 4. If they themselves teach by such an Extraordinary and miraculous power as the Prophets of old and the Apostles of Christ Jesus did what should be the Cause why we see no such miraculous deeds done by any of them The Truth is God is pleased to chain up Sathan otherwise the Foxians would have their longing which it may be some shall after them But if they shall be permitted by God and assisted by the Devil to do as the Magicians did yet if their Doctrine be other then what is written as I have abundantly proved it to be while they cry out Light Light there is none as Isaiah speaketh not a Spark of Light within them The 43. Instance is in Pag. 247. where G. Fox brings in Christopher Wade saying The written Word is the Sword of the Spirit And he makes another Rule beside the Scripture false He Answers which we say is the Spirit which gave them forth whereby Peace is known upon the Israel of God And the Pharisees had the Scripture but had not the Sword of the Spirit the Scriptures testifies of the Sword of the Spirit I Reply 1. With all humble Reverence to the most holy Spirit of God who is God himself I affirme the Spirit or God can not here be the Sword intended For 1. This Spiritual Furniture being a Similitude taken from warlike and Military Provision and Artillery from Head to Foot the Helmet Breastplate the Shield the girdle the Shoes and every one applied to gifts and means flowing from Gods Spirit as Faith Hope Sincerity c. it were most improper then to bring in God or the Spirit to be the Sword or any of the other pieces 2. For there is no more Reason to make the Spirit or God to be the Sword then the Shield or any other piece 3. It seems too low to the holy Spirit and God to be here in this Similitude resembled to a Sword or Instrument in the hands of men to be drawn and brandished and fought withal for Offence and Defence at mens pleasure though in some Sence God 88 4. This was the Sword the only Sword is called a Sword with which the Lord Jesus fought and vanquished the Devil Gegraptas Gegraptai It is written it is written and we may well say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah by which Davidâ—nt â—nt off his head there is none to that c. The holy Spirit Christ and God are Authors of all these heavenly Gifts and Graces the Beginner and Finisher of Faith and therefore not Faith nor Hope nor any other piece of the Artillery themselves no more then the Armorer is the Helmet or the Cutler the Sword c. 6. In Revel 1. Christ and the Sword with two Edges which cometh forth of his mouth are distinct and can not be the same as G. Fox usually Confounds and mixeth all together Hence the the Word of Christ Col. 3. can not be Christ himself but that which cometh from him and tendeth to him 7. These great Interpreters are Confounded in themselves for here in Ephes. 4. the Spirit must be the Sword and Word of God But in Heb. 4. Christ must be the Sword with two Edges being the Word of God and not the Spirit So like Iuglers do they shift from one hand to another to Confound and beguile the Beholders Object But the Spirit saith G. Fox was before the Scripture and gave forth the Scripture I Answer what then G. Fox is before his Book and gave it forth is it not therefore G. Fox his word writing but G. Fox himself Or is it not the Kings Majesty before his Declaration or Proclamation to the world Is it not therefore the Kings word or is it the King himself This Immediate Inspiration of the holy Scripture from the Spirit makes it a Word so powerful a Magazine Store-house so full of Treasury so rich a Standard Touchstone or Weights so perfect for the trial of all Spirits all writings all Doctrines all Religions Worships Actions c. Object But the Pharisees saith G. Fox had the Scripture but they had not the Sword of Gods Spirit I Answer The Iews had and have and so the Turks have had much of it the Papists and the Quakers and other Blasphemors yea and the Devils themselves may have the Scripture the word of God in their Hands and mouths for may not a true Sword a choice Sword be in a mad mans hand whereby he may 89 mischief and wound and kill himself and others Hence men make merchandize of it sophisticate and Adulterate and turn it into a Lie c. On the other hand the Spirit of God is promised to Gods Children Gods Spirit and Word are promised to go together in the mouths of all true Christians Isa. 55.
to all but embraced by few that are freely chosen The frantick fancy of Christs Kingdome in his Enemieâ— hearts Thomas Weld Faith how wrought A distracted old woman a picture of the Quakers Rom. 10. The admirable Chain of Diamonds True Faith what Heb. 1. Act. 26. The four sort of Hearers The Quakers how cheated by Sathan as Queen Mary was of her Conception Challenges to the Foxians Pauls famous Case 80 Tko. Pollard The Fox like and dog like Impudency of G. Fox c. The visibility of Christs Church and her Officers The Church in God G Fox a most visible and idle prater of Invisibilities Magnus Byne God hath many words The understanding of the Scripture threefold The Devils End in Cavilling against the Scripture Tongues yet J. Stâ—bs vapourd that he understood as many Tongues as I and may be more The horrible Ingratitude of the Foxians The Transltion of the Scripture The Quakers Spirit for all pretences a lazie Spirit The three Languages upon the Cross of Christ. The Devils skill in Languages and Subtlety in Revelations Theora John The Lord raiseth his Witnesses against Babel by his Spirit and blessing upon Tongues and Translations The Papists former Ignorance now their abuse of knowledge English helps a great mercy A close Query 86 Magnus Byne The first and second Resurrection The great Expectation of all the four great Religions The great point of Salvation Two great Sorts of minders Eternal Life Three great sorts of Me 1 Insert and are R. W. Ms. Ann. 2 And lost in themselves but saved by grace R. W. Ms. Ann. Jesuits and Puritans the two great Antagonists pag. 89. Magnus Bine The Quakers in the Fulness of the Godhead of their hellish mouths and pens ay be believed The Quakers grutch Christ the Title of God-man Ephes. 4. The work of Christs Ministers The horrible pride and Haughtiness of the Quakers The Indians base esteem of the Godhead God and the great Adversary to all Proud spirits The Soul of men horribly abused 1 Change best to rest R. W. Ms. Ann. The changes of all things created and their Periods 1 Add in its tendency though not in effect R. W. s. Ann. Two horrible Murthers attempts Mans doleful Degeneracy Robert Simson the body of Christs Church 1 Put it may be as he said above myself in parenthesis R. W. Ms. Ann. The Parables Figurative Speeches of Holy Scripture The Protestant Churches The Quakers and Ieâ—uits Spirit The Foxian Churches 1 Add is R. W. Ms. Ann. All bodies liable to Distempers The sendency of the Quak. Spirit 1 Change now to tend R. W. Ms. Ann. Jonathan Clapham cs The Pope and Quakers compared Of Fathers and Masters The Popish priority anâ— the Foxian is of and in their Doctors Meer Civil Respects 1 Change von politikon to animal politicon R. W. Ms. Ann. The Quakers Masters and Fathers True Regeneration 106. William Thomas The person of Christ and the Grace of Christ distinguished Christs persoâ— Not Ubiquirary Faith not Christ himself K. Charles King yeâ— not personally present in all his Dominions Humph. Norton yields Christ ubiquitary 1 Add by faith R. W. Ms. Ann. Which word the word humane they startle aâ— Christ Jesus in the Soul makes it a palace for 3 Kings c. 2 Change these to their R. W. Ms. Ann. The variety of Christs workings appearances False Conceptions Giles Fermin Paul the Angels Swearing Of Swearing in General 1 Chaâ—ge conjuror to conjecture R. W. Ms. Ann. Famous Usher Moderation as to Swearing 1 Change the to yt. R. W. Ms. Ann. Swearing no Ceremony The fear of God and Swâ—aring by him put by God for his whole worship 1 Erase is there R. W. Ms. Ann. Swearing as real a worship of God as Prayer preaching Baptisme Lords Supper c. Christ not the abolisher of Oaths The fifth of Mathew The Quakers plainly Confess Swearing in Cases lawful 1 Change prate to please R. W. Ms. Ann. Cases of Swearing Sin established by Law is Sin multiplied and multiplied Judgement here and for ever 30. Thomas Moor. The Devils great work in all Ages Sathans Emissaries to destroy Christ Jesus The person of Christ Jesus the Devils great Eye sore 1 Change and to end R. W. Ms. Ann. The Manicheans the great Opposers of Christs Manhood That Individual Man Christ Jesus must have the preheminence of the only Messiah and Mediator 2 Erase not R. W. Ms Ann. The Godhead of Christs Body after a Transcendent way 1 Change the to yt. R. W. Ms. Ann. The six great points Dreadfully inverted upon the Quakers 136 Thomas Moor Eating Christs Flesh aâ—d drinking his Blood The Foxians horrible pride exalting themselves to be God and Christ 1 Erase Herods and. R. W. Ms. Ann. Christs coming again to them 1 Change I to We. R. W. Ms. Ann. The Foxians natural and spiritual Defilements therefore not God but filthy Dreams The Foxians in Calvins time Gods strokes in this world wonderful upon three sorts 1 Change Blasphemies to Blasphemous R. W. Ms. Ann. 186. Samueâ— Hammond About true bearing What the quenching of the Spirit is Old Authors John Burton The gâ—oat dispute about the true Christ. Christ without and within The Protestants belief of Christ. Churches in Wales 1 Change the to this R. W. Ms. Ann. The first Cry of every Chiâ—d of God Whence Devils and wicked men come The low Countries hazard by the Pelagians Davids Conceptions vindicated from G. Foxes Aspersions What Nature is The pureness of the sweetest Infants The rottenness of nature The experiences of Gods Saints in Scripture 217 Iohâ— Iackson The great and little Foxes 1 Ends with a not a period R. W. Ms. Ann. The Heresies of several Ages Concerning false Christs c. Concerning him who letted Antichrists rising The everlasting Gospel John Jackson The horrible pride of the Foxians False appearances 1 Insert with R. W. Ms. Ann. The word perfect in the greek and Heqrew The Saints pardon of Sin and Justification perfect The Saints battel and daily Combate Heavenly Piradoxes Devilsh Tâ—nents of the Spirituals in Calvins time The Papist and Quakers perfection 220 Hosanna to the Son of David G Fox his Judgment from God Kom 1. Discussed as to the Eternal Power and Godhead The natural power of men and Devils 1 Cor. 2. as to Gods Spirit discussed 1 Change Principles to Princes R. W. Ms. Ann. Wisdome The Case of G Fox and most of his Foxians 222. Hosanna to the Son of David Christs Name hotribly abused Colossians 1. Considered The Nature and admirable Mistery and Excellen-of Christ Jesus The Blood of Christ. The Blood of God The Blood of Christ despised by Papists and Quakers Christ the picture of God Christ God and Man Christ Fulness filling all A wonderful Conduit The proud phrenzie of the Quakers The Papists and Quakers Christ 223 Hosanna to the Son of David 1 Change Dife to Life R. W. Ms. Ann. The Estate of mankinde
Prophesie to the person of the Lord Iesus that God-man in one person whome Moses and Stephen preached the great Messiah or Christ the anointed Prophet Priest and King unto all that receive or believe in him Now diverse observing and publickly expressing how unsuitable it was that three of the ablest Speakers amongst them should Consult openly and whisper and utter themselves one immediately after each other and somtimes all together as one man against me W. Edmondson answered and excused it saying that it was mine own Paper which he often produced which exprest my Offer to make good my Positions against all Comers But I replyed once and again That as God is a God of Order and doth all things in Number Weight and Measure in most admirable Order and Method so I had thought that according as I writ and spake to them they would have had so much Ingenuity to conceive that nor I nor any man was so simple as to offer to Dispute with to oppose and to answer twenty or thirty or one hundred at once But thus like subtle and impudent Foxes and Iesuites they pleaded and practised from the beginning of the Conference unto the end of the 4th day resolving to make use of and like dying men by drowning to catch at any ridiculous Advantage though unchristian and uncivill But the truth is this and many other Discouragements and Disadvantages and Difficultyes the Lord Iesus graciously and faithfully 37 For his name sake enabled me to cut through otherwise I saw the Debate would not have held on so many Hours as it did Dayes I knew they had as much mind to this work no nor any guilty Soul in the world as Bears to be tyed to a stake to be baited and I must humbly declare and predicate it to the praise of the Father of mercyes and for the incouragement of others to be Patient for Christ Iesus sake that an hand from heaven caried me through to the end of each day and to the end of the whole business Sometimes I offered to proceed to an other Point but all this first day was spent upon the first Point of true and false Quakers For though many upon a sudden spake as Mr. Coddington Mr. Easton then Governour who spake sharply VVilliam Dyer VVilliam Harris and others against me yet I minded closely what my Antagonists vented who were placed on high in their Desk against me Iohn Stubs and Iohn Burnet were more sober and manly but VV. Edmundson who was the junior of three would speak all like Solomons foolish woman loud and clamorous simple and knowing nothing being in truth nothing but a flash of wit a Face of Brass and a Tongue set on fire from the Hell of Lyes and Fury One Instance here fell out for when I urged that it was not what man had within him already and brought into the world with him that made a true Quaker but the Spirit of God accompanying and blessing the Reading and Hearing of the writings of God preached and opened I said the Heart of man was shut up lockt and barr'd up in willing Ignorance and darkness until the finger of God in the use of those and other blessed meanes pick open in a more gentle way or break open by great afflictions and and terrours the Soul and Spirit of man I said that Paul preached the word by the River side but the Lord opened the heart of Lydia and while I was saying that It was not Paul nor Pauls Preaching nor the word that he preached at this word VV. Edmondson clamour'd out He speakes Blasphemy But it pleased God to move the heart of our Deputy-Governour Capt. Cranston justly and seasonably to witness against this Interruption saying Let him have liberty to make out his mind So I proceeded and said it may be VV. Edmnndson is offended as thinking I spoke against the word Christ but Christ Iesus knowes that I had no such thought but of the words which Paul spake And I added that it was not Lydia nor all her Light within her nor Paul nor 38 his Preaching nor the word nor words that he uttered but the Finger of Gods Spirit according to Election that set the word or words of Paul home opening her heart and not every heart shewing what free grace is against the Popish and Arminian and Foxians exalting of Cursed Nature and then it was that she being by the Lord turned she turned to attend apply to her soul the words which were spoken by Paul as a poor Rams-horn made use of in the hand of God Toward the end of the day VV. Edmondson fell into a long Invective how I had falsly slandered the People of God not only in this place but the whole Body of the People of the Lord called Quakers in all parts For said he we are a great people many thousands in England many thousands in London besides in Virginia and Barbadoes and other places and N-England And he and they said hast thou any more to say to make out thy Lyes against them I Answered as at other times that the Papists the common Protestants the Iews and the Mahumitans and Pagans c. fited the world with their Numbers and yet we jointly opposed them in Religious matters notwithstanding their innumerable numbers And as for more proof that they were not True Quakers and so truly Feariug and Trembling before God I told them I would produce an Argument that they were so far from being Christians that they were a to be exploded and abhorred of all Mankind as being fallen beneath the common temper and nature of the Humanity of men and women yea of the Savage and Barbarous in the world viz. their stripping stark naked their Men and Women and Maidens and passing along in publick places and Streets unto the Assemblyes of Men and Youths and so were beheld and gazed upon by them and this under a pretence of being stirred up by God as a Service or Worship unto God as an act of Christian Religion proceeding from the immediate moving of the most holy Spirit of God most glorious in purity and purity and holiness it self At first W. Edmundson seemed to make strange of the matter as if it could not be proved that any of their women should so appear in the Assemblyes of People I told them the matter of fact was so notorious that it would be loss of time and Impudence to question it being so fouly and openly practised both in Old and New England 39 Also I added further that G. Bishop of Bristow one of themselves in the second part of the Persecutions of New-England relates in print the names of two women in N-England that did so practice and he complains of N-England Persecution because those women suffered Whipping for those actions by the Courts and Officers of N-England Iohn Burnet said that the People called Quakers were a People known to abhor all Impurity and Uncleanness and the
Appearance of it and if any of their women should so practice they should condemn it in them yet nevertheless if it should please the Lord God to stir up any of his Daughters so to appear as a Sign and Testimony against the Nakedness of others they durst not condemn it Iohn Stubs said that they did condemn all immodest Appearances in women both in Behaviour and Gestures But if God stirred them up and commanded them to this service to discover the Nakedness of others they could not but acknowledge Gods hand and submit to it And he further added that it was a great Cross to a sober womans spirit so to act as well as an affliction and suffering to her body Iohn Stubs likewise alleadged the Prophet Isaiah as also did W. E. and the Sign of the Prophet Ezekiel and Iohn Stubs read the 20th of Isa. where Isaiah was commanded to goe naked for a Sign to the Egyptians and Ethyopians to prophesie and denounce that they also should go naked with their buttocks uncovered as the words are and this is said they a proof that the People of the Lord might be stirred up by God to such actions for Signs unto others I Answered that this was in the dayes of Figures and Signs Shadows and Ceremonyes And though this was G. Fox his Answer in his Book which I had there by me yet G. Fox throughout all this his Book in Folio turns of the Allegations and Arguments of many of his Opposites with this Answer to wit The Substance is come the Body is come Christ the End of the Law the End of the Command the End of the Scriptures the End of the Prophets and of all Signs and Shadows and Figures 2. Although it were so threatned that the Ethiopians and Egyptians should so goe totally and stark Naked and that Isaiah did so which is much questioned yet it is not to be questioned but that the Egyptians and Ethiopians in their flight would cover 40 their Secret parts with the first cloaths or raggs they could get as it is no question but the Prophet Isaiah did 3. The difference of Nakedness of Mankind and Womankind is very great in all Nations The Sex of Women is more fitted and framed by God for a Covering for Retiredness and keeping at home and for Modesty and Bashfulness nor do we ever read that ever God commanded such a thing to Women or that ever it came into his heart or that ever any Godly Woman did so practice there is no shadow or colour of Proof from the holy Scripture nor from any Civill and sober People no nor from the naked Barbarians themselves who though they suffer their Male Children to go naked till about seven years old yet cover they their Females from their birth T is true it is said in Brasil and other bruitish places some Savage bruits go so but they are Canibals Men-eaters c. and other Barbarians do not so except in Drunkenness and Madness They still answered that they would not Countenance any such Practice but if the Lord God so commanded his Sons and Daughters it must be obeyed I demanded of them how it should be known that it was the voice and command of God the God of Holiness and not the command of the unclean spirit for I told them that under that Cover that one of them might be so commanded and sent of God in such a posture and behaviour amongst men why might not ten or twenty yea all the women in this present Assembly be so stirred up as it were by the Spirit of God to the horror and amazement of the whole Countrey yea of the whole World They seemed to me to be Confounded with this Argumnet and weary to hear of it and not willing to speak to it I therefore took occasion my self to say that it was true in former Dispensations The Command of God came to Abraham to kill his own Child his son Isaac and this fact enjoined him did seem as horrible unnatural and cruel as this Nakeduess of the Women unwomanly and unnatural But 1. It was in the day and dispensation of such wonderfull Signs and figurative teachings unto men And 2. I said God did furnish them with a Spirit of discerning the true dream from the false the true voice from the false the voice of God from the voice of Sathan But in our day wherein God had altered his Dispensations and Revelations which he 41 used to the Fathers and had spoken to us by his Son and had left his mind both in the old and new Scriptures or Writings We have the example and President of the Lord Iesus that is to attend to the holy Scriptures only and to use the weapon of It is written it is written against Sathans immediate Inspirations and temptations Here W. Edmondson fel into a great heat against me and said that I spoke Blasphemy in saying that Abraham and the Saints then had a way and Spirit of discerning the Spirits which we had not implying that Gods Spirit was not the same He added that I had kept them long and had proved nothing and yet we had not done with the first Position I replyed that I had produced such Grounds as should never be shaken and that I presumed did appear to the Consciences of many and I heartily desired might also appear unto their Spirits Soules and Consciences Some of the Auditors spake to this Purpose especially W. Hitchcocks who insisted upon the Water Baptisme And thus by Gods Mercy and Patience the Discourse of the first day ended which very day was notable and significant as to the created Sun in the Heavens who in the midst of our Contest was eclipsed and hid his Face remarkably and preached aloud to us that although the true Lord Iesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness do suffer in his infinite wisdom and and Patience false Christs and false Prophets and Herod and Pontius Pilate and his enemies of all sorts Iewes and Gentiles to cloud his Face and Glory a little from the World and his own People yet he will break forth again in his eternal brightness splendor and glory When that heavenly young Martyr or Witness of Iesus Christ William Hunter was burnt at Burntwood in Essex it was a close and gloomy day but this gallant young Champion of Iesus Christ crying out aloud at the stake Son of God look on me Son of God shine upon me immediately that most wonderfull Light Fire of Heaven the Sun tore the clouds and brake forth and shined gloriously aud remarkably upon the face of this blessed Witness at the suffering of the flames of fire for Iesus his truth sake against the whorshi Principles of both the Papists Quakers and thus do the holy writings tel us that this most glorious light the Sun of Righteousness visibly appeared in his glorious and glorified Form and Shape to the visible eye of his servant Steven while he
Times and persons But what is this to the Natural Death of all mankind 16 Heb. 9 I know the Foxians would turn this Scripture and that golden Chain Heb. 6. the first Christian Principles and the Eternal Judgement into Mysteries and that they now Judge the Secrets of Men Rom. 2. by Pauls Gospel therefore by looking on a man they can discern the inward parts and what each person is For the Lord is now come saith Enoch and Iude in ten thousands of his Saints and now is the Day appointed in which God judgeth the World by that man Christ Iesus which man they are of which the word of God hath approved in that they are raised from the Dead in Souls and Bodies to keep the Eternal Iudgement This Mystery many of their young Scholars and many that are truely fearing God amongst them will not believe But they spare not to owne their high Court of Iustice when they were put to it by Speech and writing and were it not for some obstacles especially two this were a fine Colour for their Courts like a Company of drunken Sots that kept a Court in Hartford-Shire and feigned themselves Judges and Justices and Officers had almost brought themselves all to the Gallows c. by hanging up one man until he began to look black and some of them began to fear their own Necks and to repent of their rash madness The first Obstacle against this their pretended high Court of Justice is their own Confession viz. Christ Iesus was real a Man as any of us and so continues except they can give an account of what is become of him which at Newport they could not do The second is their own Spirit and Practises which I have proved to be so far from Iude and Enochs 10000 Saints that their Pride and Scornfulness their Rash Revilings and Railings their Rash Cursings and Judgings their Superstitious and New Inventions their Blasphemies and Hypocrisies their Inhumanities and Impudencies such as render them so far from being the high Saints and Judges of the World that they fall under the Judgement of all sober end modest persons The 10. Iustance is in pag. 38. where he brings in Tho. Collier saying All that hath been are or shall be Converted since the Gospel Ministration are Converted by the Apostles words He Answers So he hath thrown out the Spirit which doth regenerate and Christ the way to the Father the Word that Sanctifi 17 eth and Christ the power of God to Salvation who said that they would not come to him that they might be converted so if they get all the Apostles Words and come not to Christ they are not Converted and none are Converted by the Apostles Words but who comes to the Life that the Words come from I reply and ask G. Fox what colour of Truth or Modesty is in his Inference viz. That if God please to appoint the Words his first Apostles used to be still the means of Conversion to he end of the World that then he hath thrown out himself c. For 1. Is not this Gods Covenant with Christ and all Christians that his Word and Spirit should be in their Mouâ—hs to all Generations wo be then to these wild frantick Inserences which disjoyn and separate what the most powerful most wise and holy hath joyned together 2. For may there not be as before many Agents Imployed by one glorious Efficient as in Moses building the Tabernacle Solomon the Temple Kings in their Royal Navies and Armies Fights and Battels is Moses here thrown out Solomon thrown out and Kings thrown out c when Abraham sent his Servants or Kings their Embassadours to Espouse Brides to their Sons and Heirs must Abraham and all wise Princes be thrown out c. Doth not rather this mad Soul throw out Moses and Solomon and Abraham and all Kings and great Efficients or first Causes yea and his own Brains in a mad proud Frolick all overboard together 3. For doth not Paul tell the Corinthians that they were Gods Husbandry and Gods Buildings inferring that under God not throwing him out he was a prime Husbandman yea as himself saith further a Master Builder yea doth not Paul tell the same Corinthians that they were the Messengers were co workers or Labourers together with God Hence Paul Preaching the Lord opened the Heart of Lydia and Philip Preaching the Lord opened the heart of the Eunuch and Panl so speaking Joh 14. and Barrabas that a great Multitude both of Iews and Greeks believed 4. It is true that without God and Christ Pauls Planting and Apollos Watering is nothing who denies this but therefore shall not Paul Plant and Apollo Water though much in vain as it was with the Lord Jesus his own heavenly Preaching and amazing Miracles 18 5. Do these Foxians themselves throw out God and Christ when as they say they use the Apostles words to gather Stones and build up the Church of God do they not say as much for their new fresh Foxian as ever was spoken of the Apostles or any pretending to succeed them I could give many Instances 6. There have been many Conversions to the Christian Name in these parts of the World called Christendome These the Papists brag to have effected in all the four parts of the World both in the East and West-Indies Asia and America as also in Africa and especially in Europe where theiâ— Man of sin chiefly resideth these Conversions have been wrought sometimes in parts and by degrees and sometimes of the whole Nations and this sometimes by the Sword sometimes by the Marriages of Princes all which are easily effected because as in the Shechemites and Samaritains case whose Peoples Nations Tongues and Multitudes will easily turn to the Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns and that very formidable Beast also for Fear and Gain and Hope c. will easily suffer the Whore of Rome to ride him 7. From these Peoples Tongues and Nations c. it hath pleased the most Holy and only Wise to gather out a Peaple to Himself by his Heavenly Witnesses the Waldenses in France the Wickclevists in England the Hussites in Bohemia the Lutherans in Germany the Calvanists in France c. out of the bloody Romish Whores Dominions 144000. Virgin Protestants thirsting after the Blood of Christ Jesus only for Salvation 8. The Father of Spirits hath stirred up some Witnesses in all Protestant Nations to preach against a Formal National or Parochial Conversion to witness against the Formality and Prophaness of the Common Protestants all one in Life and sometimes worse then the Papists and to bring thousands and ten thousands even the one hundred forty four thousand Virgins to endeavour after purity of heart and Life purity of Doctrine purity of worship purity of Churches c. These the Jesuits call Puritans and Confess that they only among the Protestants as themselves among the Papists are
fit to be thought on as to pretence of the Christian Name and Religion 9. At the coming of the Lord Jesus there were two great Com 19 petitours for preaching First the Pharisees who by Laud and Sea sent abroad their Emissaries to make Converts to the God of the Jews and their own Traditions Secondly The Apostles or Messengers of Christ Jesus sent abroad with the glad news of a new Bargain or Covenant of God with the Sons of men viz. this second sort It pleased the God of Heaven not to be thrown out as this Fox frantickly barks but to go out wonderfully miraculously yea also with the private labours and preachings of private Christians scattered by Persecution as the holy Scripture recordeth 10. For the slighting of this inestimable Pearl of this glad News or Gospel published by God to the World by writing preaching professing Suffering c. It hath pleased his Infinite Justice to plough the World with Popery a Religion a bastard Christianity suited as the Quakers is to rotten nature and fit to carry the world after them as Mahomet and the Pope have done 11. In this day the two greatest wonders in the world pretending to be Christs Messengers or Apostles to the Nations are the Jesuits and the Quakers Their Faces look divers but they both carry Firebrands in their Tails to burn up the holy Scripture all truly holy Christians yet all the world before them Gods Infinite wisdome hath suffered them to be like Absolom beautiful and plausible and fit to play Soul Thieves and steal away the hearts of thousands and ten thousands from the true David the Lord Jesus Christ. Beside they are so fortified with the Faces of Men and hair of Women like the Locusts Rev. 9. such pretences such Illuminations and Appearances such Assurances and Confidences such feelings of Experiences that it is Gods Infinite Power and wisdome and goodness to preserve the holy Scripture a standing Record of what the first Messengers and first Churches and first Doctrine and Christians were or else the world would fall down and adore the Images which the Lord hath suffered the Devil in them to set up 12. I know the Counsels of the Father of Lights are very deep yea the Revelation needs a Revelation the Prophecies and Canticles and Daniel need Heavenly Messengers and the most holy Spirit or finger of God to untie such knots Sure it is that Millions 20 of Jews and Gentiles must yet enquire with tears of blood after the Blood of a Saviour Sure they shall not awake out of their pits of Rottenness without some means Messengers sent from Heaven to rouze and wakâ—n them Sure their shall be no other words in their Mouths then what were in the mouths of the first Messengers according to the Prayer of the Lord Jesus on his Death bed to his Father through whose Word all that have believed the report ever since have believed Ioh. 17 and with which blessed word the Spirit of God will be in the mouths of all true Christians Isai. 59. 20. c. Surely the true Messengers of Jesus will say no other word then what Moses and the Prophets foretold and wrought Act. 26. therefore Fox and his Foxians that tells us they have all by the Spirit and need no Record are Thieves and Robbers whom Moses and the Prophets and Paul and the Apostles abhor'd to think of A 11. Instance is in Pag. 40. where G. Fox brings in I. Deacon saying The enjoyment of Immortulity is not till they have put off the Body He Answers Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who saith Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel this was when they were upon the Earth and the Word of God was in them which was Immortal 1. I Reply First G. Fox affirms an Immortality that is a not dying of the Soul and Body As for the Soul all true Protestants affirm that the Soul once raised up to Spiritual Life never dyes no more than Christ Jesus Rom. 6. as for the Body Papists and Protestants and the Quakers and all the World grants that all Flesh is as grass c. and the Sentence of Death by sickness Age or Casualty is impartially executed upon the Foxians as well as other Câ—ttel As to the Soul who of sober Papists or Protestants questions the Immortality of it and of the Body also in joy or Sorrow to Eternity As for the Body the Quakers say when the Soul is gone into God yea the Soul of Iudas as well as the Soul of Peter as some of them say and all of them by Argument will be forced to say the Body returns to Earth and Rottenness never more to be raised and no more then Bodies of the Beasts Birds and Fishes though we know who holds the Bodies of Beasts Birds and Fishes shall live again as the Soul mortalists do what is it then 21 that G. Fox sputters out for Immortality or a not dying in this Life If he speak of the Soul who denies it If of the Body he speaks a Beastly Contradiction to the doleful Sense of all mankind and their own also who die and rot as well as them 2. It is true 1 Tim. 6. God only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto what ever these Foxians bruitishly fancy of no distinction between God and themselves their Light and his It is true yet also that Iesus Christ 2 Timâ— 1. hath brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel But what is this but the joyful Condition of the Souls Bodies of the godly their Souls and Bodies raised up with Jesus to a Spiritual holy Life in this World their Souls going to Jesus and their Bodies sleeping in Iesus and the rising of their Bodies and uniting to their Spirits in a Life Eternal 3. As to this Immortality of G. Fox all that can be known of his mind is old H. Nichols and the Nicolaitans mad fictions and fancies of their becoming God and Christ. I hope charitably of many of them that run in their Simplicity Ignorance and weakness with a true Love to the true Lord Jesus as some did with Absalom who truly loved David but as for Absolom himself the Polititians the subtle Plotters and Ahitophels who love not the true Lord Jesus in sincerity I fear instead of their fancied Immortality before the Grave they will meet with a dreadful Mortality or death of Soul and Body to Eternity A 12. Instance is Pag. 47. where he brings in Ioseph Miller saying The wise heathen Philosophers had a greater Measure of Light in them which is the first Adam then I can think any man hath now G. Fox Answ. which shews that he knows nothing of Christ the second Adam the quickning Spirit He knows no New Creature for who are in Christ are new Creatures nor none of Christ the Covenant of God of Light