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power_n	deny_v	form_n	godliness_n	5,889	5	9.5542	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57809	The Quakers refuge fixed upon the rock of ages, though the swelling waters dash never so violently to overturn it wherein is prov'd, that the narrative of Ralph James is an absolute lying-wonder, according to his own definition : and also, the great controversie between the people of God called Quakers, and others, about the holy spirit of God and the Scriptures, truly stated, and very briefly discoursed, as it is owned by the Quakers, and the truth cleared from the false suggestions and deceitful insinuatins of the anabaptists about the said controversie : in answer to a subtil pamphlet, lately published, intituled, The Quakers subterfuge or evasion overturned : also a few queries propounded unto Ralph James, and the author of the subterfuge &c. / by Robert Ruckhill ; to which is added another postscript in answer to some queries propounded in the said pamphlet, wherein many untruths are suggested ; but herein the truth is cleared, and the evasion and deceit of the Baptists made more fully manifest by John Whitehead.	Ruckhill, Robert.; Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.	1673 (1673)	Wing R2169; ESTC R21457	28,153	51

believe That I own no Body of Christ but the Church and what ever I say to the contrary he would have to be obscured or else he might have had the honesty to have printed this Answer to his Second and Third Queries with the Queries thmselves for it hath been in the Hands of him or his brethren above seven Years Wherefore I shall now appeal to God and spiritually minded men to judge Whether I who did do confess Christ's Glorious heavenly Body or he who cannot discern it but hold forth a Circumscript human Body of Flesh and Bones out of every believer whilst on Earth we are Worthy to be rendered as denyers of the Body of Christ and unfit to preach the Resurrection Ascension and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 4. Query Whether by the Words people of God thou meanest the Church of Christ in visible profession of the Gospel according to the patern of the Churches in the Apostles Dayes Answ by the words People of God I mean such as are in the new Covenant of Light in whose Heart God hath written his Laws and in whose inward Parts he hath put his Fear who know and believe Christ in them and do hear his Voice and follow him as their Head and Leader as did the true Churches in the Apostles Dayes but I do not believe every gathering of people that are got into an outward or visible Profession of the Scriptures and in Imitation have gotten into some outward things which the true Church in the Apostles Dayes practised are the People of God because I am sensible such as are Aliens in their minds from the Life of God which the Apostles and primitive Christians were in may get their Words and imitate them in Outward Forms and Practises whilst they deny the Power of Godliness which they lived in 5th Query Whether the People called Quakers are gathered constituted and governed in Church-Capacity according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles Answ Yea for we are gathered in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who is present with us as he promised to be alwayes to the end of the World and we are governed by him who is given to be the Head over all Things to the Church of which we are Members and have Elders ordained in every Country who take the Over-sight of the Flock of God not by Constraint but willngly and in the Power of the Lord Jesus receives True Believers and rejects Hereticks who have refused Admonition according to the Apostle's Doctrine who was an able Minister not of the Letter but of the Spirit And notwithstanding Christ's bidding the other Apostles before his Ascension Go Teach and Baptize all Nations said He was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel and how ye who are so much for Water-Baptism come to take your selves concerned to Baptize with Water by Virtue of that Commission given before Christ's Ascension ye may do well to manifest since the Apostle Paul did not so take himself concerned in it but according to that Commission which he received from the Lord who appeared unto him delivering him from the People and the Gentiles he laboured to open the blind Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from Satan's power to God Acts 16 17 18. as we do according to the Call and Precepts given us of the Lord who is also manifest in us by whom we are taught not to run because others were sent nor to act without Power from on High but to go as we are led and commanded by the Lord and act in the Motion of his Power whereby we have been made a Sweet Savour to God in them that believe and in them that perish though in one the Savour of Life unto Life and in the other the Savour of Death unto Death and God hath so blessed our Labour that many Thousands are brought to the Knowledge of the Son of God and to Unity in the Faith which gives Victory over the World wherein they are growing to a perfect Man and to the Measure Fulness and Stature of Christ Though we thank God we have Baptized none of them in Water but have instructed them to the blessed Appearing of the Lord. Jesus Christ who Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire having his Fan in his Hand throughly to purge the Floor and those which have waited for the Appearing of the Lord and received him to be their Leader Way and Baptizer are baptized with one Spirit into that one Body which is his Church of which they are Living Members fitly joyned together by Christ who is their Head who gives them Life and sills them with the Virtue of his Love wherein they Edisie one another So Christ is the Door into the Sheep-sold whereat all that are accepted by him do enter And this way of gathering constituting and governing the Church is according to the Doctrine of Christ his Evangelists and Apostles as appeareth at large in their Writings And although thou in thy 6th Query sayst doubtless it is not because we are not gathered according to thy Apprehension of some particular Verses quoted by thee I must tell thee thou therein takest that granted which we never gave thee and therefore we need shew no Authority for the Abrogating that Order of Gathering Constituting and Governing the Church of Christ which was in the Apostles dayes since our Practice doth more establish it in the Substantial Part then yours who have visible Doors whereat to enter as your Water-Baptism instead of Christ's Baptism and other Ways whereat to climb up like Thieves and Robbers Joh. 1. which steal the Saints words and imitate their Practices as in all Ages False Prophets have imitated the True and False Worshippers have imitated the True Worshippers as ye do thinking because Christ said before his Ascension Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit therefore Thomas Grantham and Ralph James must go Teach and Baptize in Water though they have neither seen the Lord Jesus Christ nor heard him speak Nor will they believe in the holy Spirit as the principal Guide but have the Boldness to try its Doctrine or Teaching in these dayes by their own understanding of the Scriptures which ever leads men to speak Evil of and condemn those things which they cannot understand to be according to Scriptures though they be never so consonant to the Mind of the Spirit which they received which gave forth the Scriptures And therefore laying aside all vain Jangling we would perswade you and all men to learn of Christ Jesus the Second Man that is a Quickening Spirit by whom ye are reproved when ye do Evil that ye may know his Mind in your selves and do it and then ye may better understand it as declared by others Although thy Seventh Anti-Query is in part answered by what is before written yet I shall now manifest That Richard Anderson neither was conversant

nay then shew when that Precept was abrogated and if yea then whether are not they that call and are called Mr. Ralph James Mr. Ben. Morley Mr. John Green c. Breakers of that plain Command and being guilty of that are guilty of all notwithstanding their Water-Baptism Let these Queries be answered plainly and in sound words and think not to solve one Query by propounding another R. R. Another Postscript TO RALPH JAMES And those which have taken part with him by JOHN WHITEHEAD AS in a Postscript annexed to the Answer to your Narrative of the Eminent Hand of God that besel a Quaker and his Family called Richard Anderson at the Town of Panton in Lincolnshire I queried and that upon just Grounds Why thou and thy Brethren had conspired together to utter a Slander and Reproach against the People of God called Quakers in affirming Richard Anderson to be one of them And again in a Book intituled The Quakers Subterfuge or Evasion Overturned ye have given me just Ground to say How long will you make Lyes your Refuge and under Falshood seek to cover your Selves For instead of Answering what was Righteously and Reasonably propounded to you which ye should have done if ye would have approved your selves Innocent Men ye have utterred more deceitful and pernicious Slanders against me as is manisest in your Anti-queries to me whilst ye have utterly declined proving your former not being able to mention one of the People of God called Quakers that ever owned Richard Anderson nor any of their Meetings to which he did belong nor who of them he did ever joyn with in the Worship of God nor any thing in Proof That his Child was smitten with Leprosie nor himself and Family with a grievous Malady saving his own word whom you conclude was a false Prophet and deluded Creature both subject to speak and believe Lyes And therefore your Narrative and ye are justly fallen under Censure having no better Foundation whereon to stand then the Testimony of a Simple Deluded Man whom ye have manifest to be a Lying Prophet which Testimony ye have by cross Examination if not Subornation obtained and therefore not any can give credit to it but such as are willing to believe a thing because a Lying Ignorant Man saith it who hath unsaid it again before many Witnesses as before is manifest And therefore I shall not further insist upon it but proceed to answer your Anti-Queries In the first of which ye affirm that I hold That the Gospel was never Preached in England till George Fox preached it and then queries Whether I did not assert it thereby manifesting your Rashness and Injustice who first Condemn and then make Enquiry not being able to prove what ye have charged me with For sure I am That I never thought that George Fox was the first that ever preached the Gospel in England and therefore have been far from affirming it for there have been Openings and Breakin gs forth of the Gospel Light and Power in divers Ages in England in a Despised Suffering Remnant though not in that Fulness a● in our Age. I am also sensible ever since I knew God or was acquainted with him how the Glorious Gospel was preached to or in every Creature which is under Heaven Col. 1.23 and it s own Light shined in Men's Hearts as the Apostles testified in their dayes about which time there were also Witnesses of that Glorious Gospel came to preach it in this Island according to History who turned People from Darkness to Light as we do and from Satan's power to the Power of God in which Power a Remnant have been preserved through Ages and Generations though many who have got the Form have denyed the Power and reproached and perfecuted those which have been in the Power Light and Life which the Apostles and primitive Christians were in From which Power Light and Life there hath been an Apostacy so that Darkness has covered the Earth gross Darkness has bin upon the generallity of People who have been estranged from the Life of the Prophets and Apostles and primitive Christians Martyrs of Jesus since which Apostacy or Falling away from the Life which the Witnesses and Martyrs of Jesus were in George Fox was the first stable Minister of the true Light in this Age that God raised up in his Power to turn People from Darkness to the True Light and from Satan's power to God unto which he first and many more since in these latter dayes have given witness That he lighteth every Man that cometh into the World that all through him might believe and receive the Remission of Sins And in this Gospel I have Laboured and not in vain and of it am not ashamed for it is the Power of God to Salvation in all them that believe Though unto those that are Disobedient it is a Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offence And 't is no marvel that those which stumble at the Word which is nigh in their Hearts and are unsensible of its Power and Virtue stumble at the Testimony which is given of it by those which have felt and handled it and do know 't is the same Glorious Gospel which in the Apostles dayes shined in their Hearts and gave them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ and this Treasure they had and we have in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God to whom be the Praise forever 2 Cor. 4.6 7. Secondly thou enquirest whether he that holds that nothing which was mortal was called Christ doth not thereby deny the Death of Christ thereby intimating that I asserted That nothing which was Mortal was called Christ But what Occasion thou Thomas Grantham who was then my Opposite and I am perswaded Opposite to Truth it self gavest me to speak Words to that Purpose with other Words that did declare my Sence of them thou sayest nothing nor hast thou been so ingenuous as to declare what I writ many Years ago to William Smith of Elshem to be communicated to thee and thy Brethren wherein the Truth of what I said in that Case also the other whereupon thou groundest thy third Query concerning Christs having no Body of Flesh as thou imaginest besides his Church is made apparent and therefore I shall here insert the substance of it seeing it stands upon thy Head unanswered so that the intelligent Reader may understand that he who sayeth that I told him nothing which was mortal was called Christ hath both wronged me and the Truth it self by relating some of my Words out of that Order and Sence wherein they were spoken as also in that he hath left out and not declared the rest of my Words which were spoken at the same Time whereby the true Sence of those Words which he relates might and may be understood and therein he hath shewed First That his Mind is so prejudic'd and by assed against us

with us nor received our Doctrine nor acted by that Spirit which guides us as in that Query thou affirmest for if he had been conversant with us some of us at least should have known him but that we never did witness this Certificate from a Quarterly Meeting at Lincoln who certainly know all that are or have been of us From a General Meeting of the People of God call'd Quakers in the County of Lincoln the 26th Day of the 4th Moneth 1672. WHereas a Report is gone out of this County from Ralph James and other Persons which have alwayes had a Prejudice against the Truth and People of God call'd Quakers by which Report the Nation is Abused and those which are over-credulous made to believe a Lye viz. That Richard Anderson of Panton was a Quaker These are therefore to certifie that the said Richard Anderson did never frequent any of our Meetings nor did he ever joyn with us in Worship nor was he ever owned by us nor any of us so that they have not any just Ground to call him a Quaker And this Testimony we give forth to preserve the Simple-hearted from being prejudiced against Truth and from believing a Lye Given forth at a Quarterly Meeting held at Lincoln where some Friends from each Meeting in the County were present William Garland Abraham Morice William Everatt Joseph Richardson Augustin Smith John Winklep Samuel Hobman John Richardson Tho. Summers Rich. Baxter John Walcot Tho. Sowter John Mills Joseph Pope Thomas Wresle William Ashby William Hargate James Browne William Bowman Robert Browne Tho. Everatt Rich. Parnell Joseph Wilson And if Richard Anderson had received our Doctrine he had been Still and Quiet in the Light of God till his Heart had been cleansed from Ignorance Pride and Wickedness and that would have preserved him from that Shame and Dishonour which his own Folly and Madness and your Subtilty hath brought him to And if he had been led by the same Spirit that leads us it would not have let him use his Tongue to say The Lord saith when the Lord had not spoken to him but his own Imaginations in a groundless Imitation of the Scriptures which Imaginations he followed and therefore both the Spirit and Scriptures and we who are led thereby are clear from all the Evil he hath done and it lies at his and your Doors amongst whom he both before then and after walked for he had not any Demonstrable Character of being a Quaker as in Reproach they were first called nor may any be justly termed so but those that fear God and tremble at his Word who have believed in the True Light and live in God's Power being exercised in Obedience to his Law written in the Heart and in Self-denyal taking up the daily Cross to their own Wills and Wisdom and in Silence to that waits on God that they may worship in Spirit and walk after the Spirit of God by which they are Baptized into the Body of Christ which is his Church who receives them as living Members having the Savour of that Life which the Spirit has given them And no other way do we take Members into the Church but are constant in this as is visible to those that are conversant with us have the immortal Eye open'd But we shut not our Doors to hinder any from coming into our Congregations to observe our Order and hear our Testimony Yet as the Apostle said concerning a Jew I say concerning a Quaker He is not one that is one Outwardly in Shew only but he is one that is one Inwardly whose Baptism is that of the Spirit and whose Praise is not of Men but of God But that Richard Anderson was neither one Outwardly nor Inwardly is sufficiently made manifest by what hath been already said In a Postscript writ by this Author he seems to own the Light within but hath sufficiently shewed his Ignorance of that True Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World as also of its Power and Efficacy putting Darkness instead of Light and then tells of several things that are wholly beyond the Common Principle of Light Understanding or Judgment of Man which Light being of Man is indeed Darkness since the Fall and therefore the things of God belonging to Man's Eternal Peace are all so far beyond it that the Natural Man with his own Light Understanding or Judgment that he hath of himself as a Man perceives them not And therefore we diswade Men from following their own Spirit Understanding or Judgment and perswade them to receive and follow Christ Jesus that True Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World that he may give them an Understanding that is True and a Judgment that is Sound And beyond him that was and is the True Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World there is nothing for by him was All Things made and whatsoever hath been known of God to Men he hath manifested or revealed it though at sundry Times and in divers Manners And though Men have the Scriptures which declare what was revealed to Men by that true Light and an Understanding or Judgment which is Natural yet thereby there is not any which truely know God or what he requires of them nor ever can they know him till they turn to that true Light which shines in their Hearts and is not of Man but of God who in his own Light or Son that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World manifests and reveals himself and his Will and Mind to Man being wholly sufficient and also present to teach man in this Age what belongs to their eternal Peace as he was in Ages past and also to give unto men positive Laws and Directions how they must Worship and Serve him being no more bound from altering or abolishing outward shaddowy things at first practised by some in the Church since the Coming of Chist then he was from altering Circumcision Sacrifices other Jewish Orders Observances which Moses some of the Prophets had said should continue sorever or throughout their Generations but may lay aside and draw his People from outward Observations or visible Signs and Shaddows of Things when he sees them Idolized or Abused or that the Substance of them is come as he did Circumcision Sacrifices and Pass-over And therefore this Author ought not to limit him to outward Ordinances and Shaddows from Christ's Coming to the End of the World no more then he was limited before Abraham's time or before the Coming of Christ nor ought he to accuse the Quakers as opposing themselves against things requir'd by the positive Laws because they cannot own his Water-Baptism Breaking of Bread in Imitation of the Apostles and primitive Christians no more then the professing Jews ought to have accus'd the Apostle Paul and his Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel for denying the positive Laws who by the Authority and Power of Christ in them cryed down their