Animad 12. They believe that Christ did not become man when the Virgin conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost but was man before Answ. He was man before but yet he was not man cloathed with Flesh and Blood in the likeness of our Flesh before the Virgin conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost and therefore we do saithfully believe that the Man Christ was born of the Virgin and conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost who was the Son of God both after he was so born and also before even from Everlasting Pamplet Animad 12. Thus Christ was never man had never a Humane Nature for as they have said before The Soul most properly is the man and Christ never had a Humane Soul according unto Keith Answ. That Christ was never man I altogether deny to follow by any true Consequence from what I have affirmed and as to his reason that Christ never had a Humane Soul according unto Keith as touching the words Humane Soul I do not remember that I have used that Term at all in my book The way cast up for because it is not a Scripture-Term and of a doubtfull and Equivocous signification I purposely did pass it by I say it is of a doubtfull or Equivocous signification because first it may signifie such a Soul as hath no substantial dignity or perfection in it above the Souls of other men and in this sense the Soul or Spirit of Christ as he is the Heavenly man is not a Humane Soul but Divine and Heavenly for it is more excellent even in the nature of it than the souls of other men Or Secondly it may signifie the true soul of man having all the Essential Properties of mans soul and it 's whole perfection and if in this sense any will say that Christ hath a Humane Soul and call the Man-Hood of Christ his Humanity there needeth no contention about it for in the Latine Tongue we have not a word so proper as Humanitas to signifie the Man-hood and if we may say Humanitas in Latine we may say in English Humanity that is to say Man-hood But then by the Humanity of Christ we understand not only the whole Essential perfection of the souls of Ordinary men but also some greater and more Excellent perfection as aforesaid and therefore it may be called his Heavenly and Divine Humanity or Man-hood which took part of Flesh like unto ours in the womb of the Virgin And not only the soul of Christ but also his body of Flesh in the outward as it had all the Essential properties and whole Essential perfection of our bodies so it had somewhat more as being conceived of a Heavenly and Divine seed that came down from Heaven and for this cause the Heavenly man Christ Jesus is truely Divine both in soul and body being divinely qualified in both And if this offend any that Christ should be called a Divine man I desire them to consider how oft men are called Divines only for some profession of Divinity surely Christ Jesus as man hath incomparably more reason to be called Divine than any of them And what if I should call all their Divines Humanes Is this too mean and low a Terme whereby to call them But why is it too mean and low unto them and yet they give it unto Christ and call him Humane his soul a Humane soul and his body a Humane body Is not this to exalt themselves above Christ himself and to take to themselves a Title which they will scarce allow unto him and to give him a Title as namely Humane which they think too mean for themselves Pamplet Animad 12. So that he is so far from being like to us in all things that he is not like unto us in any thing for though he had a body like to ours yet that body is not informed as ours Answ. He is sufficiently like unto us in all things sin excepted that both his soul and his body had all the Essential properties and whole Essential perfection that the soul or body of any other men hath but that he had and still hath greater and more excellent perfections both of soul and body than all other men doth not hinder that he was made like unto us in those which both he and we also have for was not Adam made in the Similitude or likeness of God So that by reason of that Similitude man was like unto God and yet God is infinitely more excellent in nature and being than Man but yet according unto the reasoning of this Author either man hath no likeness unto God is not like unto him in any thing or then God hath no Substantial or Essential perfection above man both which are most absurd and contrary unto Scripture But again is not man like unto the Beasts in some things as also unto the Herbs Plants and Trees of the field So that as the Herbs Plants and Trees have a Vegitable soul or life and as beasts have a sensitive soul or life hath not man both the Vegitable and sensitive soul and is he not like unto them in those respects And yet hath he not a Substantial dignity and excellency of nature above them But yet again according unto this mans reasoning either man is not like unto the Beasts and Trees in any thing or else he hath no Essential dignity or perfection not so much as in his very soul above them and therefore it shall follow at last that as God is no more excellent in his nature than man and as man is no more excellent in his nature than any beast yea or Tree that God is no more excellent than any beast or Tree of the field which is most gross and blasphemous and yet the Natural and necessary Consequence of this mans Doctrine When I think upon these and such like gross absurdities that follow from this mans Doctrine together with his other absurd sayings and Malicious perversions I wonder not that he hath been either ashamed or afraid to put his Name to his Pamplet Pamplet Animad 12. A Son is not a Son if he have not the same nature with the Father and Mother Answ. I grant for Christ hath the same Nature both of Father and Mother seeing as I have declared in my book he is True and perfect God and True and perfect Man but that he hath the same Nature with Mary and all Mankind as to all the Essentials of soul and body hindereth not that he hath also a more excellent nature otherwise thou might as well say that Christ could not be the Son of Man and also the Son of God which is contrary to Scripture Pamplet Animad 12. Jesus increased in Wisdome his Soul was then subject to some kind of ignorance though not sinfull it did not know all present or past things Answ. Ey Jesus increasing in Wisdome may be very well understood the manifestation of the spirit of Wisdome that did
animae hominem Sed ut per se sibi sumpsit ex Virgine corpus ita ex se sibi animam sumpsit qua utique nunquam ab homine gignentium originibus prebetur Si enim conceptum carnis nisi ex Deo Virgo non habuit longe magis necesse est anima corporis nisi ex Deo aliunde non fuerit at vero si Dominici corporis sola ista natura sit ut sua virtute sua anima feratur in humidis insistat in liquidis et extructa transcurrat quid per naturam humani corporis concepta ex Spiritu S. caro Iudicatur And concerning the Soul of Christ he further saith Naturae hujus potestatem Iam non dico metus sed nec infernae sedis regio est concludens quae descendens ad inferos a paradiso non desit sic ut hominis filius loquens in terris maneat in Caelo Non habet hunc metus corporalis penetrantem quidem inferos sed ubique Naturae suae virtute distentum naturam hanc mundi Dominam ac libertate Spiritualis virtutis immensam non sibi terrore mortis Gehennae chaos vindicat qua Paradisi deliciae carere non possunt In English thus Again he said that he was bread that by this that he is bread coming down from Heaven the Original of his Body may not be esteemed to be of Humane Conception while it is shown to be a Heavenly Body And the Hereticks use to accuse us because we say that Christ was born a man having a Soul and Body not of our kind but as by himself he took to himself a Body of the Virgin so of himself he took to himself a Soul which is never to be acknowledged to have the same Originals of them begotten of Man for if the Virgin had the Conception of the flesh not of any other but God it is much more needfull that the Soul was not of any but of God But indeed if that be the onely Nature of the Lords body that by its own vertue by its Soul it is carried upon the waters and standeth upon the Floods and being struck at can pass through why is the Flesh conceived of the Holy Ghost judged by the Nature of an Humane Body And concerning the Soul of Christ he further saith The power of this Nature now I say not only fear but the region of the infernal seat doth not contain which descending into the Hells is not absent from Paradice so that being the Son of Man speaking in the earth he doth remain in the Heavens Bodily fear doth not take hold of him that doth indeed penetrate the hells but is everywhere extended in the vertue of his own Nature and the pit of Hell cannot claim to it self by the Terrour of death this Nature that is the Lady of the world immense or unmeasurable in the liberty of Spiritual vertue Which the delights of Paradice cannot want Post-script SInce I wrote the Answer aforesaid to the Pamphlet set out by a Nameless Author called the Quakers Creed c. I have seen a sheet in print subscribed by William Haworth a sort of Independent Teacher at Hartford which he calls a Winding-sheet for the five Hartford Quakers and in the said sheet he refers the Reader to the aforesaid Pamphlet called the Quakers Creed for an answer to my Book The way cast up This gives me just ground to hold the said William Haworth either to be the Author of the said Pamphlet or at least an approver of it and therefore all the Lies and Calumnies and whatever other gross abuses weaknesses and impertinencies and all the absurd and blasphemous Assertions which I have discovered in the said Pamphlet are Chargeable upon him and lye at his door And whereas William Haworth saith at the end of that fheet aforesaid that G. Keith saith Christ never was a man this I charge upon him as a most gross and Notorious lye and slander I never spoke wrote nor thought any such thing It is strange that the man has so far lost all sense of shame to publish such a manifest lye in the sight of the world Now how truely and uprightly I own and believe that Christ is both God and Man my book called The way cast up is a sufficient witness and this other Treatise writ by me in answer to the lying Pamphlet owned by him is another But it seemeth he doth suppose that such a Conclusion will follow by way of Consequence from my words because I have affirmed in my book that Christ the Heavenly Man was from the beginning even before Adam the first Man which was of the Earth earthly But this consequence I altogether deny as false and unreasonable for his being before he came in that body doth no more infer that he was not man in that body than it doth infer that a man ceaseth to be a man or that the Soul of any Man ceaseth to have a being when it is not in a Fleshly body and if the having of a Fleshly Body be so Essential to the being of the Soul which is most principally the Man so as the Soul cannot be or subsist before the Fleshly Body the same reason holds as much that the Soul cannot subsist or have a being after the Fleshly Body is put off and so by W. Haworth his Argument the Soul of every man dyeth with the body and hath no immortal Subsistance Let him see how he can clear himself of this and many other absurdities which he runneth himself into by his foolish and inconsiderate way of reasoning And as for other things in that he calleth his Winding Sheet which he chargeth upon the Quakers as their Doctrines and then upon some called Quakers as that one should say that the Soul of man was the Devil that the Devil was made an offering for sin and another should say that Christ was a bastard These false and abominable Calumnies have been so fully and sufficiently answered above by the said five Hartford Friends and especially in their last called the Malice of the Independent Agent again rebuked that it is to no purpose to give any further reply Nor is the evidence he giveth by proof of some witnesses of any more Authority than his own who hath openly in the face of the world discovered himself to be a lyer and false accuser and can it be questioned but he can find others like to himself who because of their deep malice and prejudice against the Truth make no more conscience than himself to bear false witness against the innocent Moreover whereas these five Friends of Hartford did justly blame W. H. for Charging the whole people called Quakers with any errour that some one or other called a Quaker may be supposed to have writ or asserted set case any one had so writ or asserted And they Query further Is it just the Independent party should be charged with the private Opinions of every one of them because they pretend all to one rule the Scripture The said W. H. giveth only this bare and naked evaston in that he calleth his Winding Sheet Should the Independants saith he hold Infallibiliy as you do then might that party be Charged with all the Religious Opinions that any of them at any time vented Unto which bare evasion these Friends of Hartford have given a sufficient reply in pag. 13. of their last book where among other things they say Such an absurdity was never the assertion of the people called Quakers viz. That either every one pretending to be guided by the light within or distinguished by the name Quaker is therefore guided by the same light in all discourses or so to be owned by the said people This which they have already said is sufficient to overturn his evasion as because the Quakers do all pretend an infallible Spirit that therefore all must be acknowledged to have that infallible Spirit and to be guided thereby which doth no more follow than that because all the Independants so called pretend to one Rule the Scripture that therefore all that they or any of them speak write or do is according unto the Scripture which instance of parity they did bring in their foresaid answer pag. 13. Yet do not thereby grant that any of the people called Quakers are guilty of any such Blasphemous Doctrines as before cited To which W. H. hath made no reply and therefore it is returned upon him as wholly unanswered as also the whole substance of their last book which W. H. hath not answered nor indeed hath not so much as pretended to give a particular answer unto the greatest and most Principal part thereof And therefore these Friends see it not needful to give any further answer to what he calleth his Winding Sheet until he give a particular answer to the several parts of their book and they look upon his sheet to be no Winding-Sheet for them but that it is an evidence he hath spent all his strength and is as it were a dying man that is no longer able to hold out in this controversie and that therefore it may be more fitly called a Winding-Sheet for VV. Haworth himself than for them FINIS
Natural body c. Answ. This is another manifest perversion for it is plain by J. C. his words here cited by thee that J. C. doth not speak of the body of Christ but of the body of an ordinary man which goeth to dust and corruption whereas the body of Christ did not corrupt for it being conceived by the Holy Ghost and having a Heavenly Original it was more excellent then the body of any other man and therefore seeing it did not corrupt it was raised again according to the words of Christ concerning it Destroy this Temple and after three days I will raise it up and the same after fourty days Ascended into Heaven Pamphlet Animad 15. Yet according unto Keith the Philosopher though it be the same in substance it is no more a body of Flesh and Blood Answ. How or in what respect he calleth me the Philosopher as whether by way of Derision or not I am not careful to determine or inquisitive to understand for I affect no such Title unlesse it be understood according to the Etimology of the word to signifie a lover of Wisdome namely the true Wisdome and not that falsely so called and in this sense every true Christian is a Philosopher which is to say a lover of Wisdome but that Philosophy and vain deceit which the Apostle bids the Colossians beware of that is after the Tradition of men after the rudiments of this world and not after Christ wherein I have been formerly educated and exercised before I knew the truth as it is in Jesus I have renounced and do here openly declare my Renounciation thereof and count it all but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge and what I have declared or given forth in any publick Testimony concerning the truth I have not received from the Worlds Philosophy or Wisdom but from the openings of the spirit of truth as they livingly fprung up in my heart and inward parts and unto the same and to nothing else I can and do recommend my Testimony to be judged in all who have the same living spring of truth as it is in the life and light of Jesus opened in them and unto the greater measure of the spirit of truth in any others I freely can and do submit any publick Testimony which I have given forth for the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets what the spirit of truth opens in one can never be condemned by the same spirit in another Pamphlet Animad 15. The first Heavenly body of the man-hood of Christ which Keith saith he had from the beginning he allows to have Flesh and Blood and calls it so and it hath so now in Heaven surely according unto him yet the body born of the Virgin is changed so Etheriall that you must call it no more Flesh and Blood Answ. I have said nothing concerning the Flesh and Blood of Christ either before or after his outward coming in the Flesh but according unto plain Scripture nor have I medled to give any other names unto the body of Christ but what the Scripture giveth for Christ said the bread from heaven is his Flesh and of this Bread or Flesh all true believers did feed and thereby had life in them even from the beginning of the world and seeing Christ himself gave these names of Flesh and Blood to that inward Heavenly Spiritual and invisible substance which refreshes the soul and inward man of every one that believeth Who dare call these names into question or find fault with them although I do freely acknowledge they are Metaphorical and figurative as when Christ called himself the vine and those that believed in him the branches and I ask was not Christ the vine even from the beginning into which all true believers were grafted and did they not eat the Grapes of this Heavenly Vine-Tree and drink the Liquor or Juice or Wine thereof and what was that but his Flesh Blood even as the Grapes of the Vine may be called it's Flesh and its Wine or Liquor its Blood and as it is so called in Scripture the Blood of the Grape But when I say the body of Christ which was born of the Virgin and was crucified and rose and ascended did not remain a body of Flesh and Blood I am warranted by the Apostle who said Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and the body at the last resurrection is raised spiritual conform unto the glorious body of Christ and therefore it is not Flesh and Blood in the Vulgar or common sense but if any call it so Metaphorically and spiritually I shall not contend Pamphlet Animad 15. If the body of Christ be turned into air and yet remain the same in substance we ask what it is that identifies and makes it the same in substance that it was when Flesh and Blood Ans. Here is another gross abuse and perversion of my words that he affirmeth I say the body of Christ is turned into Air. This is a gross lye and perversion I call it not Air but a body Etherial and Heavenly and it is a more excellent body than the purest Air beyond all comparison and as to his question what is that which Identifies and makes it the same in substance this is very easily answered the substance of the body it self remaining the same under these different modes or manners of being as when the Soul of a man is the same for substance when converted from Earthly Carnal and Natural to Heavenly and Spiritual Pamphlet Animad 16. As to the comparison that the Author uses as nothing of the Body of the Sun is here on Earth but in Heaven only its light and heat which are qualities in the Air So now that light within that these Quakers have made so much stirr about is nothing else but an accident and quality from the man-hood of Christ in Heaven adhering in our Souls as light and heat adheres in the Air. Ans. Here he passeth by the other examples given by me here and elsewhere and only noticeth that of the Light which having its center in the Sun emanates in most abundant Streams into all the World which emanating light that flows from the body of the Sun he denieth to be any part of the Suns body affirming it onely to be an accident or quality But what reason or prooff giveth he for his assertion Surely none at all But if he thinketh to defend himself by the authority of some called Philosophers who say the same with him I can tell him of other Philosophers so called more famous who speak indeed more according to the truth that deny it and affirm that the Light of the Sun that emanates unto us is a real substance and hath of the real body of the Sun in it which is the real Substance of Fire as it can be proved by the said
followeth from thy Doctrine that the Brat of thine own Imagination is Equal unto God Which if it be not the grossest Idolatry that ever any Man was Guilty of I leave unto all Men of a true Understanding for to judge yea if it be not the Height of Atheisme But again supposing but not at all granting that there were such Infinite wast Places having no Creatures in them I ask thee If God should fill them all with Creatures as he could well do because he is Omnipotent should these Creatures taken in the whole Complex be Equal unto God and have the same Immensity or Infinitness with him Surely thou must needs say Not And therefore Christ the Heavenly Man although he should also be in all these Places is still inferiour to the Godhead For whatever any Man or Creature can conceive of Places or Spaces of the greatest Extent Imaginable God is still infinitly Greater and all the Creatures Visible and Invisible are unto Him but as the Drop of the Bucket and Dust of the Ballance And here if any should ask me because I deny all such Imaginary Spaces as idle Fictions of foolish and Ignorant Men What is beyond this Visible World of Heaven and Earth I do easily and readily answer That not only God and Christ but also real Parts of the Creation which are true real beings Created of God are beyond this Visible World of Heaven and Earth whose Greatness and Number no Humane nor indeed any Created Understanding can fathome or comprehend but God alone the most High and Christ Jesus by whom all Things are created and made Visible and Invisible For Solomon said truly We cannot find out the Works of God from the Beginning unto the End And thus we have no need to run into these Fictions of Imaginary Spaces to find a Place beyond this Visible World seeing the Things which God hath made are Greater and more Numerous than we can conceive or imagine And therefore are really Infinite and Immense or Immeasurable unto our Understanding although they are well known unto God in Number Weight and Measure and are in comparison as Nothing and as the Prophet speaketh Even less than Nothing Pamphlet Animad 23. And thus he layes the Ground and Foundation of the Angels Worship upon the Excellency of the Nature of the Manhood barely considered in it self I query solemnly If it be not great Idolatry for Men or Angels to worship any Creature and that Creature though never so Excellent be not in Personal Union with God and the Worship terminated upon the Godhead Christ is God and Man Christians worshipping him terminate the Worship upon the Godhead See if Keith hath not made the Angels Idolaters Answ. That he saith I lay the Foundation of the Angels Worship upon the Excellency of the Nature of the Manhood barely considered in it self is a gross Abuse and Perversion and a most palpable Lye and Contradiction to my Words As also that he insinuates that Men or Angels are to worfhip the Man Christ without a Respect unto that Union he hath with God So that by Vertue of the said Union he is God This also is another gross Lye and Perversion And 3 dly That he alledgeth that in our worshipping the Man Christ Jesus we do not terminate our Worship upon the God-head but only upon the Manhood and that also barely considered in it self All which Three Assertions of the Author are gross Lies and most groundless Calumnies For I no where in all my Book use any such Words as he alledgeth And that I have no such Meaning as his Words import my Words that stand upon Record in my Book do sufficiently clear me As namely where I say expresly p. 82. That the Man Christ is God by reason of that most wonderful Union betwixt the Two Natures And a little after I say The Godhead and Manhood of Christ are but one Christ. And the God-head of Christ is no Inferiour Divinity or Deity but the very same Godhead of the Father Again as concerning this most wonderful and singular Union whereby the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are one Christ I say p. 83. Christ as Man hath a true and real Soul distinct from the God-head yet for ever united with the same in a most immediate and wonderful manner Of which Union no other Soul or Spirit of Men or Angels ever were or shall be Partakers And thus Reader thou mayest clearly see that I lay not the Foundation of Men and Angels their worshipping Christ upon the Excellency of the Nature of the Manhood barely considered as if he were not God by reason of his most rare and singular Union with God But on the contrary I do very plainly affirm the said Union and that because thereof Christ is God And therefore also I do further say That the Worship which Men and Angels give unto the Man Christ doth not terminate which is as much as to say in more plain English doth not rest nor end upon the Manhood but ascendeth through the Manhood of Christ unto the Godhead where it doth terminate or rest And therefore the Saints in Scripture are said to praise God through Jesus Christ and by Him to offer up unto God continual Sacrifices of Thanksgiving And so much doth the word Mediator import which signifieth a Middle Man betwixt God and Us So that although our Prayers our Thanksgivings and whole Worship be directed unto Christ yet not unto Him alone but also unto God htrough Him Nor do my Words cited by thee give thee the least Ground to say That I lay the Foundation of the Angels Worship upon the Nature of the Manhood barely considered in it self because I say That the Man Christ Jesus is a Great and Mighty and most Excellent Being far above All and excelling all Men and Angels For doth not the Man Christ Jesus excell all Men and Angels by reason of his Union with the Godhead such as none else are Partakers of Is not this Union of his with the Godhead most Excellent And doth it not cause him to Excel all other Beings that have no such Union By thy Doctrine indeed it addeth no Excellency unto him and consequently by the same Doctrine of thine although in Contradiction to thy self the Man Christ is to be worshipped as barely considered in himself without any respect of his Union with the Godhead For according unto thy Doctrine that Union addeth no Excellency unto him and maketh him not one whit more Excellent And thus now I desire all Men of Understanding to see and consider whether the Author of this Pamphlet and not I hath not made the Angels Idolaters And here Reader I desire thee also to consider how this Author of this Pamphlet seeketh to lurk in the Dark and giveth us no express Account whether he believeth that the Man Christ Jesus is to be worshipped only telleth that all true Christians do terminate the Worship upon the Godhead which we also do But this
hindreth not that the Man Christ as Mediator is also to be worshipped and God through him which can be no Idolatry because he is God by Vertue of his most wonderful Union with him which no Men nor Angels are Partakers of or ever shall be And if the Man Christ is to be worshipped my Argument holdeth still good that therefore he is really Present as Man To which Argument although most convincing and demonstrating he hath made no Shaddow of Answer and therefore I return it upon him or them who take any part with him As also I return all the other Arguments in my Book which are many that he hath not so much as once named far less answered And particularly where I argue from what he and they do generally acknowledge of the Devil his being every where present in all Evil Men at least which are more numerous than the Good and yet they will not acknowledg that Christ the Heavenly Man is every where Present in all Good Men. And thus they make the Devil greater than He And which is more seeing he holdeth That the whole Essence of the God-head is contained within the Body of Christ which as he saith is of no greater Extent than the ordinary Body of one Man and will not acknowledge that God himself is any where but in that one only Human Body and yet the Devil possesseth really the Souls and Bodies of many Men and Women He doth make the Devil not only greater and more largely or universally present in the World than Christ but also with Fear and Reverence be it spoken than the very Godhead it self which is indeed the greatest Blasphemy and Impiety of Words that ever I heard formerly in all my Life and yet the plain down-right Language of his Doctrine and vain Impious Scribling against us And thus Reader having answered sufficiently unto every one of his Animadversions which I have done some-what more fully and largely than was either needful unto him or then indeed he was worthy of yet for the sake of others who might be desirous to have some Things further opened and cleared I have found Freedom so to do And now I shall take some Notice of what he addeth by way of Conclusion and reply also there-unto so far as is needful Pamphlet p. 14. He proposeth three generall Considerations which he thinketh will Answer my whole Book 1. That the Prophets spoke of many Things to come as if they were present Answ. To this I have sufficiently answered above and I have proved how absurd and contrary to Truth the Opinion of the Author is that Christ was no more Christ before his birth in the Flesh than Cyrus was God's Anointed of whom Isaiah prophecyed many Years before he was Born Where-as although the Prophets prophecyed of Christ's Coming and Birth in the Flesh as a thing to come yet they did still understand that Christ himself was present in and with the Church in all Ages as I have already proved in my Book at large And this was also the Testimony of the Apostle and particularly of Paul who said expresly That by Jesus Christ all Things were Created and He is the same Yester-day To-day and for Ever Also Paul said The Fathers did Eat the same Spiritual Meat and Drink the same Spiritual Drink For they drank of the Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. And if they did eat the same Spiritual Meat and drink the same Spiritual Drink then they did eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood otherwise as Christ taught him self They could not have Life Pamphlet p. 14. His Second Consideration is That Christ acted in his Mediatorship in all Things before his Incarnation in reference still to his Incarnation which was to be in the Fulness of Time Answ. That Christ acted in his Mediatorship in all Things before he was Born in the Flesh of the Virgin Mary in reference still to his Birth in the Flesh which was to be in the Fulness of Time and also in reference to his Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascention c. I do readily grant But what saith this against any thing that I have affirmed in my Book Or What doth it infer against the Real Being and Existence of Christ in all Ages from the Beginning Surely nothing at all but on the contrary if thou stand to thy own words they do prove manifestly that Christ as he is the Heavenly man was from the beginning for how could he Act in his mediatorship if he was not mediator from the beginning How can Mediatorship be without a Mediator Surely not at all more than Kingship can be without a King or Lordship without a Lord or any other Office without him that doth bear it And if Christ was Mediator from the Beginning it followeth most clearly that he was Man from the Beginning For it is the Man Christ Jesus who is the Mediator betwixt God and Man as Paul hath expressly declared 1 Tim. 2. 5. For Christ as God simply considered without his Manhood cannot be Mediator even as Man simply considered without the Godhead he cannot either for the Nature of a Mediator is such that he must have the Nature both of God and man united together after the most excellent and singuler manner so as by reason of that Union he is true and perfect God and true and perfect Man and therefore seeing he was Mediator from the beginning and acted in his Mediatorship or mediatory Office as King Priest and Prophet and as Head of his Body the Church he was Man from the beginning although not Man cloathed with flesh and blood in the likeness of our Flesh until the fullness of time was come that He was Born of the Virgin Mary Pamphlet Pag. 14. His third consideration is that many things in Scripture are spoken of Christ by that figurative speech of the communication of properties when that which is proper to one nature only is attributed to the other or to the whole person c. Answ. Although thou dost betake thy self to this as thy last refuge namely that called by some the communication of properties yet doth it nothing help thy Evil cause more than the former For albeit I grant that there is such a figurative speech of the communication of names and properties whereby the Man Christ is called God and also God is called Man and God is said to have Shed his Blood although Christ as God hath not Blood to Shed but only as Man yet by reason of that most rare and wonderful union betwixt the Godhead and Manhood the Blood of the Man Christ is called the Blood of God Acts 20. 28. But this communication of names and properties is not a bare Titular or Verbal communication but is grounded upon a real communication of real Divine Attributes and Properties which the Godhead of Christ doth communicate unto the manhood so that the manhood of Christ by reason of this most rare and excellent and
truly Divine union it hath with the Godhead doth by vertue of the same receive such Divine attributes and perfections as are communicable unto none else beside him and the nature of the Manhood of Christ must be so excellent so great and so perfect and so substantially excelling all Men and Angels that is capable of such an Union or of such Divine attributes properties and perfections that are both proper and necessary for such an one as is to be Mediator betwixt God and Man and our High Priest with God of which Divine attributes omnipresence and omnipercipience aforesaid are some which I call Divine because of their great excellency and in respect of which the manhood of Christ is nearest unto the Godhead of all other distinct beings although as I have already shewed the omnipresence and omni-percipience or omniscience of Christ as man is not the same nor equal unto these attributes of omniscience and omni-presence that belong to Christ as God or unto the Godhead but of a far inferior sort Moreover seeing the foresaid communication of names is grounded upon that so rare and singular union betwixt the Godhead and manhood of Christ it is very manifest from hence that the said communication of names could not be from the beginning of the world unless also the union betwixt the Godhead and Manhood of Christ which is the ground of the said communication had been from the beginning and consequently also the Manhood of Christ was from the beginning for two natures cannot be united before the one of them have any being again as the said communication of names and properties require the Man-hood of Christ to exist or have a being from the beginning of the World otherwise it could not be said that the Man Christ Jesus was from the beginning not so much as by that figurative speech of communication of properties so in like manner that communication of properties cannot be allowed but where as well as when the Godhead and Manhood are together united and existent and that for the same reason already given namely that the communication of the names is grounded upon the union of both existing together in the same things places or persons as well as in the same times and therfore if the Manhood of Christ were not omnipresent in all places as well as all times The Man Christ could not be said to be omni-present not so much as by that figurative speech of communication of properties which is not barely Verbal or Titular and Nominal but Reall and Substantial according to the manner above expressed Again there are many Scriptures which speak of Christ that must needs be understood of Christ as Man and not as God so much as by that figurative Speech of communication of prorerties as when Christ said John 6. I came down from Heaven not to do my own Will this must needs be understood of Christ as Man as I have already proved seeing Christ as God always doth his own Will What he adds page 14 15. concerning the sum of the Quakers Doctrine concerning Christ it being in great part a heap of Nonsence and Confusion and not my words nor meaning and so far as any part of it is true being sufficiently answered already I need not make any new Reply unto it only whereas he talketh of two Souls and Bodies of Christ I would have the Reader to Remember that I have no where in all my Book spoke of two Souls of Christ and as concerning the two Bodies of Christ they are also but one body in the full and intire Notion of a body consisting of various parts and members united into one so that the manhood of Christ is still but one in its full and intire Nature And again whereas he finds fault with us for saying that Christs heavenly body whereof the Saints are partakers confisteth of flesh blood and bones he may find the same fault with Christ who spoke os his flesh and blood that came down from Heaven which is the Saints Food also he may blame Paul who said the Saints were of his flesh and of his bones But flesh blood and bones here understood are not to be meant literally and after a vulgar manner but spiritually and figuratively for his flesh and blood from Heaven are Spirit and Life And although the Wisdom of God hath expressed them under these distinct Names yet originally they may be but one substance even as flesh and blood and bones of an earthly body are originaly but one substance which is dust and earth And I can and do freely appeal unto all Christians whom God hath spiritually Enlightned and given a Spiritual Understanding unto of the Mystery of God and Christ whether this be not the True Christ of God of whom I have declared And Whether that described by the Author of this Pamphlet here Answered by me is not indeed a False Christ And also his God whom he limiteth Essentially within the Dimensions of an ordinary Human Body be not also False And so Whether He and not I be not guilty of Gross Idolatry and bringing in another Gospel and so is acted by another Spirit and hath therefore a Curse from the Apostle upon him Gal. 1. 8 9. And lastly Whereas he laboureth to fix upon me the Heresies of no less than Seven several sorts of Heretical Sects he but sheweth forth the same Lying Spirit that hath acted him all along And therefore to undeceive the Reader whom he seeketh so grosly to abuse I shall very clearly and briefly pass through these Seven Heads and sufficiently purge my self of every one of them to any that are Judicious and Impartial 1. He chargeth me with the Heresie of the Macedonians and Valentinians who said Christ brought an Heavenly Body from Heaven with him To this I answer That was no part of their Heresie but only that they said Christ's Body in the whole Substance of it came down from Heaven and did not in any part share or partake of the Substance of the Virgin Mary but altogether passed through the Virgin as Light passeth through the Air or purest Christal But this I do not maintain for I have sufficiently declared That Christ did really partake of the Virgins Flesh and Substance although the Body of Christ was not Conceived after the manner of Human Conception And therefore it was Heavenly in respect of its Original and more Excellent than the Body of any other Man And that this was reputed no Heresie among the Antients I prove because Hilarius one of the Fathers of great Antiquity and in high Esteem among these called the Orthodox was of the same Judgment namely That both the Body and Soul of Christ had a Nature more Excellent than that of all other Men although they had also what belonged to the true Nature of Man in all Essentials 2. He chargeth me with the Heresie of Apellis that said Christ had an Airy Body and Starry Flesh that passed through the
Virgin To this I answer That I have no where affirmed any such thing nor such Words have I any where used For the Flesh and Blood whereof I speak according to Scripture that came down from Heaven is neither of the Air nor Stars but of a more excellent Substance and that beyond all Compare And also that the Body which he did take of the Virgin was a real Body of Flesh and Blood as I have above declared 3. He chargeth me with the Heresie of the Manichees that said Christ had an Imaginary Body To this I answer That I am altogether free of this Charge For I affirm That Christ hath no Imaginary Body for his Body is Real and Substantial Nor doth it prove that Christ his Heavenly Body is Imagińary because it cannot be seen or felt or heard by the outward Senses as he reasoneth For by the same reason God himself should be no Real Being but only Imaginary seeing God who is a Spirit cannot be seen or felt by the outward Senses And thus wee see what Spirit of Madness acteth this false Accuser who seeking to fix upon me but falsly the Error of Manicheisme salleth head-long himself into the Ditch of Gross Atheisme For what grosser Atheism than this to say That God is no real Being but only Imaginary which is the Necessary Consequence of his Doctrine 4. He chargeth me with the Heresie of Apollinarius who is said to have affirmed That Christ had no Soul distinct from the Godhead The contrary of which I have manifestly affirmed and do still affirm And when I say The Nismah is the Word Incarnate or Word made Flesh I do not exclude the Soul of Christ For if these Words namely the Word made Flesh exclude the Soul of Christ then by the perverse Reasoning of this Author he maketh the Apostle John equally Guilty with me of the Heresie of Apollinarius And thus we may see how commonly this Author falleth into the same Ditch which he hath prepared for another and sometimes into a worse 5. He chargeth me with the Heresie of the Nestorians who said There were two Persons as well as two Natures in Christ. To this I answer But I have no where said That there are two Persons in Christ nor do I say That there are two Christs or two Sons of God as the Nestorians affirmed Moreover whereas he saith The Quakers hold that there are Three Natures in Christ if not Four I answer 1. But this was no Part of the Nestorian Heresie if I had so affirmed and therefore instead of proving me a Nestorian he but proveth himself a gross Lyar Perverter and Calumniator But 2. I answer That I hold only that there are but two Natures in Christ Nature being taken as it ought to be in its full and intire Concept or Notion For the Nature of Christ his Manhood is still but one intire Nature of Man although consisting of various Principles And this the Author himself must needs acknowledge or then be guilty of his own Accusation For is not the Soul and Body of Man of distinct Natures and yet they make up but one intire Nature of Man And if he say they are two distinct Natures then Christ having these two Natures of Soul and Body and also being God he hath according to this Author three Natures which was the Accusation where-with he chargeth me and yet is guilty of the same 6. He chargeth me with the Heresie of the Eutychians who gave the Divine Attributes to the Human Nature To this I answer That I have abundantly cleared my self of this above where I have shewed that these Divine Attributes of Omni-presence and Omni-science which belong to the Manhood of Christ are neither the same nor yet equal to these of the Godhead and so I confound not the Manhood and Godhead of Christ but acknowledge them distinct Natures and Beings forever inseparably united together after the most Perfect manner whereas the Eutychians are said to have confounded the Manhood and Godhead into one Nature 7. He chargeth me with the Heresie of the Ubiquitarians but whom he meaneth he doth not express But for answer by the Ubiquitarians either he meaneth the Eutichians or them called Lutherans if the former concerning them I have answered already upon the 6 th If the latter namely the Lutherans I have at large in my Book discovered how I do not hold the Ubiquity or Omnipresence of Christ after that absurd and gross manner as they do but after another way that is both according unto Scripture Testimonies in many places and is no wise repugnant unto right reason but very agreeable thereunto Although in the general I do acknowledge that I do agree with the Judgment of Luther and those that wrote the Liber Concordiae as touching that particular and whereas I made use of some excellent testimonies both out of Luther and Liber Concordiae for the Ubiquity and Omnipresence of Christ this Author hath not so much as once named them far less answered them And thus Reader I have particularly replied unto all his false accusations and his beast with the Seven Heads that he hath conjured out of the Sea of his troubled Imagination I have easily slain with a few easy and simple strokes and here it were but very Just instead of his Counterfeit Creed of his own making concerning what the Quakers believe of the Man Christ Jesus to draw up an account of his Atheistical and Blasphemous Creed concerning both God and Christ which is truly his and which he must needs own either as his express words or as the genuine and most necessary consequences of his Words and Doctrine and when I have so done I should be more Just unto him than he has been unto me who hath alleadged upon me many false things which are neither my express words nor the true consequences of my words no not after the remotest manner But at present I shall spare this pains and refer the Reader to the places in my answer to his Pamphlet where I have proved him manifestly guilty of Socinianisme Arianisme Anthropomorphitisme Muggletonisme Judaisme Anti Christianisme and lastly of gross Atheisme and Impiety to which also I could add Manicheisme Ebionitisme and Cerinthianisme withal whom the author of the Pamphlet falsely called the Quakers Creed hath taken part and for which he is justly reproveable Some Testimonies out of Hilarius concerning the Manhood of Christ both as touching the Soul and Body Who although he doth expresly affirm that Christ hath the true and whole nature both of God and Man yet he no less expresly saith as followeth in his own words lib. 10. de Trinitate SUum rursum panem esse dixit ut per hoc quod descendens de caelis panis est non ex humana conceptione origo esse corporis existimaretur dum caeleste esse corpus ostenditur Et arguere nos solent Heretici quod Christum dicamus natum non nostri corporis atquae