To call that a Command of God which he hath given them no Command to practise is to set up the Precepts of Men in the room of God's Commandements as the Pharisees did of old and is a taking of his Name in vain for which he will not hold them Guiltless And they can never prove adds he by all their Art and Skill that Water-Baptism is commanded by Christ Matt. 28.18 19. for all God's Commands and Precepts especially of publick Institution relating to the Church are express in so many express words and are not left to be gathered by uncertain and doubtful Consequences This is argumentative and let him get over it if he can and detect the Unsoundness thereof if hâ— dare cope with it In the mean time let us hear wheâ—ther the Reason he now offers and which we may supâ—pose to be his only one and that his talking of Reaâ—sons is a meer Flourish will weigh down this Hâ— saith We no where find in all the Scriptures such a Phrâ—â— or manner of Speech that over any Man but Christ aâ—oâ— who is both God and Man did Baptize with the Holy Ghosâ— or had Power so to do Answ That God and Chriâ—â— gave the Holy Ghost and did baptize with the Holâ— Ghost by the Ministry of Faithful Men both in Preacâ—â—ing Prayer and laying on of Hands himself hath acâ—knowledged Truth Advanced p. 184. printed but Anâ—â— 1694. Therefore what he adds here That this distiâ—â—ction of the Apostles Baptizing not Principally yet Instrâ—â—mentally or Ministerially is as false and unwarrantable to say God created the World principally yet Angels did it instrumentally Christ redeemed the World principally by his Death and Sufferings but the Martyrs redeemed it by their Deaths instrumentally will stand him in no stead except he could prove on behalf of Angels and Martyrs that the former created the World instrumentally and the other redeemed it instrumentally as he hath granted that God and Christ have Baptized by the Ministry of Faithful Men. For although we read the Angels are said to be Ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 yet we no where read they were instrumental to the Creation for God created the World not only principally but even without Instruments nor was the World so much as instrumentally redeemed by the Death of the Martyrs their Death was not so much as contributary thereto but solely and wholly by Christ the Redemer So that the Cases are not parallel And if this be his topping Reason he may well talk of keeping the rest behind His Reason why the Coming of the Lord mentioned 1 Cor. 11.26 is this outward Coming he deducing from the outward Practice of breaking of Bread in the Supper which I rather take to be that himself might eat Bredd among them who continue the Practice of breaking of Bread naturally leads me to shew the Defectiveness of his Retractation even herein For were he a Sincere not Belly-convert why doth he not retract and enervate what I have offered in my People called Quakers Cleared p. 38 to 41. out of his Rect. Corr. p. 60 to 65 and Tr. Def. p. 9 139 to 142. And why not tell us what he thinks of the Supper as now used as well as of them who use it In his Pres and Ind. Ch. p. 185. he said That which ye now use is neither substantial Dinner nor Supper being only a little Crumb of Bread scarce so big as a Nut and a Spoonful of Wine or two which hath little outward Substance and NO INWARD AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICATION unto you as ye use it while ye altogether deny that the Saints are Partakers of the Substance of Christ or that Christ really and substantially dwelleth in his Saints c. Will he say so still For he hath not yet retracted this Or will he now say Theirs is a Supper and that Christ dwelleth not really and substantially but by a Metaphor and Allegory in his Saints Or will he rather take a Mid-way couching himself under general Expression till he sees he can make no longer Friends but of them who repute breaking of Bread to be a continuing Divine Ordinance and of his Flock at Turners-Hall too And whereas he said ibid. p. 184 185. These who altogether are for the outward Baptism and Supper and deny wholly the inward and Spiritual Baptism and Supper of Christ which is only known and received by the Holy Spirits inward Revelation no Charity can be allowed unto them to judge them true Christians in any degree but altogether for the time Hypocrites and Formalists Will he retract or defend this now Or would not himself be willing to be one of these Hypocrites or a worse provided they would receive him and maintain him He saith now p. 30. That it stands well with good reason that what is represented to Mens Hearts of our Lord's Sufferings by their Hearing Sight Smell Tasting and Feeling in the use of these Signs instituted by himself will more effectually affect their Hearts and Souls than what is done alone by the Hearing or Reading c. Whereupon I Query of whom he thus speaketh Of Men or of Children If of Men I must put him in mind that he once spake of and pretended to witness a Preaching and Hearing beyond what could affect the outward Senses even à tast and discerning begotten of the Lord which tasteth Words and Works as the Mouth tasteth Meat Imm. Rev. p. 180. as I have also observed Sect. I. § 3. If of Children viz. of such of whom he said If these who are so Zealous for Water Baptism where cordially Zealous for the Inward and Spiritual Baptism they might be the more borne with as Men bear with Children that use Liknesses and Figures of things that suit most with the Age and State of Children c. See Presh and Ind. Chur. p. 184. then when they become Men they must put away Childish things according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.11 So that take him either way while one of them is unretracted he runs himself upon the Pikes Which had he been sincere and true even to his present Sentiments he might have obviated by a hearty espousing of the one Cause and as heartily renouncing the other But this Laodicean way of neither Hot nor Cold will be Spued out even of Men in time He alledgeth indeed without so much as touching upon what we have offered out of his former Books that God hath given him of late since he found many of the People called Quakers greatly opposed the Faith in Christ Crucified and raised again as a necessary thing to our Christianity and Salvation as he falsly chargeth us a further and clearer sight and a more deep inward Sense and Consideration of the great Benefit and Advantage the Practice of these outward things when duly practised is to the Preserving the Christian Faith and Doctrine in the World But in this he is not
Birth and Spirit of God it is Absolute but as it relates to us is limited and conditional and is rather a Possibility of not being deceived than an Impossibility of being deceived He takes occasion to Query Why he or any of us should be ashamed to correct any unsound and unjustifiable words which have dropt from our Mouths or Pens by Human Weakness or Inadvertency or why should any be upbraided and reviled as Apostates and Changelings for so doing To begin then with the last Clause touching being upbraided and reviled as Apostates c. I answer Whether our Charge which he terms Vpbraiding and Reviling against him of Apostacy leans upon so weak a Foundation as he here assigns it and whether we have not proved him so to be I dare commit to the Impartial and Judicious who have read our Books and his and there leave it As to the rest I say our Principle concerning Infallibility which he hath so often vindicated though of late he hath Scoffed at us for it is no other than what himself hath asserted in the Citation above Therefore hath he no need to quarrel with us upon that account nor yet to upbraid and revile us they are his own Terms as he hath done therefore were he with us a sincere Professor of the infallible Guidance and Leadings of the Spirit into all Truth One instance of his taunting at us I shall give out of his Antichrists and Sadducees p. 31. whereupon G. W. his giving relation of a Matter of Fact transacted as himself confesseth about twelve Years ago and using the words if I mistake not he floutingly reflects saying Is this like infallible George Whitehead Did G. W. then pretend to an infallible Memory If not Can he pretend still to believe that the Spirit and infallible Guidance thereof is a standing Gospel-Privilege and yet will he make a Feast to them that are otherwise minded and whose contrary Principles he hath so severely censured of the Doctrine himself maintains like those Vain People that make a Mock of the Spirit 's moving O Shameless Man But what yet adds to his Ephah and augments his Evil himself at the same time was guilty of having ascribed Arguments in his Book of Vniversal Grace to the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth which now p. 15 16. he acknowledgeth his Sin and Error in trusting as he there saith in the Mercy of God for Christ's sake for the Pardon of that and of all his other sins So that had any among us taken the Name of the Lord in vain and fathered upon his Spirit what was the product of our own G. K. of all Men especially if he still believe the Principle and be offended only at the abuse of it was most unfit to throw the first stone while he had not retracted his which yet he hath done to the gratifying of the Loose and Prophane Which Work will be his Burden except he unfeignedly repent § 6 His next attempt is to varnish over a Passage he gives us § 6. out of Imm. Rev. p. 54. thus And though I cite Scriptures and make use of them in Arguing this Point yet I can truly say I have not my Knowledge from them who had said but a Line or two above which he giveth not here I have not fetcht them from my own Wisdom neither hath it taught me them Now he bids us Note He says from them as being the Efficient Cause but he did not deny that he had his Knowledge by them Instrumentally to wit the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith he had of Gospel Truths and Principles of Christianity for that is abundantly Acknowledged in MANY PLACES saith he but he names not one in that Book Answ Were I to Argue the Point with him Doctrinally and not rather evincing the Man's False Allegations and Pretexts I might query whether the Belief that the Scriptures are true was Communicated to him by themselves or Revealed by the Spirit Immediately But of this a touch is enough Now in order to shew what he meant by the word From which he harps upon I recur to what he said a little above with Respect to his own Wisdom that he had not fetched his Arguments from them so neither from the Scriptures Did he mean that his own Wisdom was not the Efficient but the Instrumental Cause from which he fetched his Knowledge and Faith Nay that he did not For in p. 55. he saiâ—h God Dwelleth in the Light inaccessible the Mortal or Natural Understanding cannot Approach unto him when it stretcheth it self to know him it is Confounded and Dashed more than if the Bodily Eye would set it self to look upon the Sun c. Again in p. 56. he useth the word From in the same manner when he tells us Words spoken from without though the best of Words uttered from Christ in the Days of his Flesh or from any of the Apostles or Prophets and yet recorded in the Scriptures cannot reveal the Father nor the Son neither they point only at that which Reveals c. Where the Intelligent may perceive he in like manner useth from for by for the words were uttered by Christ and his Apostles and so he must intend or as great a Grammarian as he is he must have writ Non-sense As well as that speaking of the Scripture-Record he saith They point only at that which reveals They did not then it seems according to him give the Knowledge give the Revelation but point only or direct to that which gave it Also in p. 57. after having denied that the Words of Moses the Prophets David Isaiah c. could reveal God who had a little before cited that Scripture Matt. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him he Queries concerning Christ himself Did his words reveal him or his Father unto them Did they not mistake him for all this and I query Were not those Gospel-Truths which our Lord preached For their Eyes were held were blinded c. Thus far out of G. K. formerly even out of the immediately succeeding Pages wherein I do not widely refer to MANY PLACES I leave the Reader to search the whole Book for it and perhaps all labour lost at last as he doth but give both Page and Passage And now I leave it to the Reader from whence he pretended to have his Knowledge and Faith formerly and whether rather than retract what he then delivered he hath not put a false Gloss upon his words by an evasive Interpretation contrary to his Sense then § 7 His next § is designed to prove from these words of his Imm. Rev. p. 57. Jesus Christ himself who spake to them in the days of his Flesh Face to Face did his words reveal him or his Father unto them That he then as well as now believes there is need of the Internal Revelation to give the Knowledge of Christ and that that Knowledge was needful to all Mens
were Saved by Christ before his coming in the â—sh as well among Gentiles as Jews I nothing question 〈◊〉 I never did saith he Answ His former Belief I â—pute not his latter I have given out of Presh and â—d Ch. p. 112. even now So that if he believe Soâ—tes and others were Saved who had not the Knowâ—â—ge of Christ as he was to come in the Flesh outâ—rdly it is not that that Faith they then had was â—ving with Eternal Salvation as he of late phraseth it 〈◊〉 they must either be born again into the World to â—ceive it in some other Revolution or at least have â—t Faith they received not WHEN LIVING 〈◊〉 or after their Death in their passage through the â—lley of the Shadow of Death as I have also observed my Keiâ—h against Keith p. 108 and elsewhere This â—t we have more than once proved upon him so that 〈◊〉 present stating his Belief reacheth not the Matter Controversie and wherein we have shewed the Conâ—diction between his former and latter Writings Now to return to his p. 22. whence I made this Diâ—ession in order to prove that the bringing Men to 〈◊〉 inward Principle had been proposed by him as Inâ—ductory to the bringing them to the Christian Faith 〈◊〉 referrs us to his fifth Argument in Vni Gr. p. 88 to 〈◊〉 and cites a passage out of p. 92. the Scope whereof â—s a treating of the true and only Method to bring Peoâ—â—â— to own the Scriptures to own Moses the Prophets and Christ in the Flesh his miraculous Birth Doctrine 〈◊〉 This Method he now saith he very well approves of 〈◊〉 for as the Knowledge of Christ the Word Incarnate or 〈◊〉 Flesh presupposeth some Knowledge of God and of his Word to preach to People that are ignorant of God and of his â—â—vine Perfections that there is a God and what his Diâ— Perfections are is very proper and necessary Answ 〈◊〉 was at this once before Ant. and Sadd. p. 27. and I aâ—â—swered him in my Keith against Keith p. 69 to 71. 〈◊〉 of that he takes no notice here notwithstanding he gâ— out in his Title Page this Book of his may at presâ— suffice as a Reply to T. E. and my late and form Books against him Who had he designed to hâ— been as good as his word he should here have takâ— notice of my answer especially in as much as what 〈◊〉 now offers is in effect the same with what he 〈◊〉 brought before and I had replied to But the Maâ— willing both to cut his Work shorâ— and that the Pâ— should be bigger than the House as if he were buildâ— a second Mindus That which I objected then and 〈◊〉 do is that this Method of beginning with the Preaâ—â—ing of the inward was not only with respect to the Gâ—â—tiles who were Ignorant that there was a God a what his Divine Perfections are but even with respâ— to the nominal Christians therefore it answers not 〈◊〉 end adduced by him That it respected even the Pâ—â—fessors of Christianity I prove first from the Objecâ—â—on there raised That the Quakers have no Method aâ— G. K's answer That they have the best and only trâ— Method in their Words and Writings first to tuâ— People to the Light c. Now the Method used 〈◊〉 us in our Words and Writings being with respect 〈◊〉 the so called Christians his meaning must also relate them And when he adds a little below It is 〈◊〉 want of this true Order in Preaching the Gospel thâ— Men have had so little Success hitherto and that 〈◊〉 Lord hath blest it to us with wonderful Success c. it is plain he was not writing to or of the Preachers that were going to the Indies among the Heathen but to his Countrymen that dwelt among us and disliked our Method which he said had been blessed with wonderful Success and that was here also the like he had said Way to City of God p. 156 157. wherein he assigns it as a Method the Lord hath taught us to hold forth to People to whom I pray only to Turks Jews and Pagans whereby they attain unto Holiness to a being made conformable to the Holy Life of Jesus Christ and come to know the true and great End and Use of his outward coming Now as the knowing the true and great End of Christ's outward coming presupposeth a Belief that he was come for we are not speaking barely of the witnessing the inward Effects thereof but of knowing the Use and End of it this Method must needs be intended to relate to both and not the Gentile only And therefore G. K. is the more â—nsincere in alledging he still approves of this Method as if his Judgment then and now were the same as it is not as well as in restricting that to the Gentiles which was not so intended when given What he builds here upon this false Foundation falls in Course § 8 He begins his § 8. with a touch at his late Exposition of the piece of silver Luke 15.8 for which as â—e referrs to his Sect. I. § 13. so do I to the same in â—ine Then he pretends firmly to remain in his Faith of God his making Salvation possible to all Men which hath â—een considered in § 1. of this Section At length he â—cknowledgeth that diverse of the Arguments which is 〈◊〉 pretty large reference he hath used to prove the Truth 〈◊〉 that Principle are not so proper and demonstrative nor â—re several places of Scripture as Rom. 10.7 8 9 10. 〈◊〉 it 2.11 12. 1 Cor. 12.7 and that several Parables but he names none brought in Arg. 10. p. 60 to 65. so duly applied to that Effect Therefore the undue applicaâ—tion of these places of Scripture or any other that can be founâ— to that Effect but who must look them up for him Or when will he give them us in the next 18 Months Or some other Revolution he freely retracts he saith which though that necessarily respect the inward Principle of God's Grace c. yet THESE PLACES are nâ— to be understood only and alone of that but respect that brigâ— Gospel-dispensation that had then appeared in the World 〈◊〉 the Apostles Preaching c. Answ This Retractatioâ— terminates not to an acknowledgment that he waâ— unsound formerly for when did he allow that 〈◊〉 wonder but to an undue application of three Scriptures the rest the Reader is left to guess at and thâ— divers of his Arguments of which he particularizeâ— but one and out of that Cites no passage are not 〈◊〉 proper and demonstrative nor duly applied to thaâ— Effect which shews the Man would fain represent everâ— thing which he is fain to say something to as Motâ— while Beams are the tearms he liberally bestows upoâ— us and that of things he falsly lays to our Charge Yeâ— seing he now saith these places of Scripture are to bâ— understood not only of the inward but of the brigâ— Gospel dispensation the Apostles
number 400 as 〈◊〉 adds p. 116. being produced of Four answering 〈◊〉 the Four Elemental Principles and Qualities of thâ— Body and the number Ten to the Ten Commandments which may be branched forth into other Teâ—â— And a little lower p. 116. that the Graves that shaâ— be opened at the Resurrection are not any visiblâ— places on the Globe of this Earth but certain invisible places to our Carnal Eyes where they are lodgeâ— until the time of the Resurrection And p. 117. Thus commonly Men have two Graves the first giveâ— them by Men till the Separation be made betwixt thâ— Kernel and the drossy part by Putrefaction as suppose after a Year more or less the second giveâ— them by God c. Now he having in the close of these thus summed up the Matter p. 118. viz. But against the Doctrine of the Resurrection as HERE delivered and opened by plain Evidence of Holy Scripture and in Scripture-words and tearms to whicâ— it is only safe to keep in this and all other things c. I in my Keith against Keith p. 46 47 and 141. pâ— him upon giving plain Evidence of Scripture and iâ— Scripture-words and tearms for these his Monstrouâ— Notions of the Resurrection Whereby the Readeâ— may perceive I give better Light into the Controversie as well as assign Page and Passage than G. K. hatâ— done who now dare leave it with the Judicious wheâ—ther G. K. hath not administred occasion to be reflected on as transgressing his own Rule He saith p. 34. The word without is easily understood when we speak of Earth Sun Moon Stars Judea Moses David that they were without us and that Christ was Born at Bethlehem and Bethlehem was without us and adds at the close it had been as little needful to have mentioned Christ without us as Heaven without us as Judea without us had not that wild Notion of many who own no Christ without nor Heaven Resurrection nor Day of Judgment without occasioned it Answ This is to Slander not prove nay he doth not so much as attempt to prove it wherefore as a false Charge I reject it To the rest I say whatever Exposition agreeable to the Scriptures may be allowed to another G. K. having precluded himself by that Passage Cited Truths Defence p. 170 171. ought not to Claim it For his saying ' Nothing should be required from one sort to another as an Article of Faith c. but what is expresly delivered in Scripture in plain EXPRESS Scripture-tearms signifieth either something or nothing If nothing what was it said for If something where 's the boundary We see how largely he hath ranged in what hath been given above by C. P. and my self Who while pretending to be of the same Mind still as formerly now interpreteth his meaning to be not that every word must be expressed in so many Letters and Syllables when there is no necessary occasion for it but in plain easie terms as are equivalent to Scripture terms But who shall be judge of the occasion say I or that the tearms are equivalent For this brings all into uncertainty again if G. K. may be his own judge It is as much as to say They must be delivered in plain Scripture-tearms which are obvious to every one that can read or in equivalent terms of which my self not the Reader shall be judge And upon this stock as he hath already grafted his Hydra of Absurdities and Contradictions enough to nauseate the Sober and Inâ—telligent so may he superfoetuate upon them at pleaâ—sure who had he kept to Scripture-words and expressions perhaps had found never a Stone to fling at Friendâ— in America § 9 The substance of what he gives out of Truth Defence p. 191 192. is that the Sacrifice of Christ's Death did truly extend for the Remission of Sins past from the beginning of the World that all the Believers that lived under the Law and Prophets and before the Law were saved by Faith in Christ and by Vertue of his Death and Offerings once for all all have had have or shall have a Day of Visitation and shall be accountable to the Man Christ on the score of his Dying for them Upon this he descants p. 35. not retracting but defending it as proving that he did not place our WHOLE Salvation upon an inward Principle excluding the Man Christ Jesus from being jointly concerned with his Light Grace and Spirit in Men as he falsly saith many called Quakers do And that he then held that all who were saved in any Age of the World were saved by Faith in Christ as well before he came in the Flesh as since All which is granted him as I have often told him but whether that Faith was ALWAYS attended with a Revelation that he came and suffered outwardly else NOT SAVING is the Matter in Controversie For whereas some had objected There can be no Justification without Faith in Christ but these Gentiles had not Faith in Christ G. K. answers by denying the second Proposition Vni Gr. p. 30. that they had not Faith in Christ And how did he prove that may some say Did he offer to prove that they had an Implicit Faith in Christ his late distinction or that they might have the History of what Christ did and suffered or was to do and suffer without Circumstances of Times Places or Persons a new-coined fetch he hath in Sect. I. § 18. of these nothing less But as he had said Imm. Rev. p. 243. that true Religion and Christianity may subsist without the History of Christ in the Letter to wit in the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit and yet even here where the History is wanting the Mystery or Inside of Christianity is not without its Skin or Outside namely an outward Confession to God c. So here Vni Gr. p. 30. he saith If they did cleave unto and believe in the Light they believed in Christ for he is the Light nor is the outward Name that which saveth but the inward Nature Vertue and Power signified thereby which was made manifest in them c. So that Faith in the inward Manifestation was Faith in Christ then with G. K. and also Saving This he calls ibid p. 34. the main and principal Thing the Word of Faith the Gentiles did share in with the Jews that whoever among the Gentiles did believe and call upon the Name of the Lord were saved no less than the Jews And ibid p. 56. he calls it Some Manifestation of him in and among the Gentiles sufficient to Salvation As well as that he had said ibid p. 36. The very Gospel hath been preached to ALL otherwise they should never have been charged with not having obeyed it All which I offer that G. K. may not couch himself under general tearms and thereby cast a Mist before his Reader 's Eyes as he endeavours to do in what follows where he saith That by Faith in Christ I meant the Man