Life is thus prefer'd Reader I cannot here omit by a serious Appeal to thy self on the great Injustice and Falsehood of this Adversary And if thou art one who by Conversation with us or our Books hast any knowledge of us thou dost know the Charge of this Adversary is false And I do truly declare that our Value and Esteem for the Books of the Old and New Testament is much greater than for any other Book exstant in the World and this G. W. doth freely own and hath declared as much So also in this particular I will shew his falshood and perversion of G. W's words in the place quoted which the Snake has injuriously curtail'd They are these That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater intending as received and proceeding immediately from that Spirit and spoken in the sense thereof as Christ's words were of greater Authority when he spake than the Pharisees reading the Letter and they in whom that Spirit speaketh not and their speaking we deny So that according to G. W's words that speaking or reading of the Scriptures which is deny'd to be of Authority is when spoken or read by such in whom that Spirit speaketh not that gave forth the Scriptures and we have good Authority for this for thus our Saviour Mat. 22.24 denyed the Sadduces when they spoke and repeated the Law mentioned Deuteronomy 25.5 and thus he also denyed the Devil Mat. 4.6 when the Devil repeated the Prophesy of the Psalmist 91.11 and thus also he deny'd the Pharisees of which are divers Instances Ibid. p. 110 111. Mary Tucker a Quaker Servant to W. Reyman a Barber now living in Queen-street Cheapside but formerly in Bread-street where this Mary then his Servant took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal About 40. Years since one Mary Tucker then Servant to W. Reyman not in Zeal but discomposure of Mind did one Morning early before her Master or Mistriss were stirring burn the Bible For which act she was not only reproved by them but also by sundry of our Friends and disowned and among others concerned herein to reprove and disown this Mary Tucker E. B. as W. Reyman does testify was one which by the way Reader is another Evidence that E. B. had the Scripture in great Authority and Esteem As it is also no small mark of the Snake's Injustice to relate a Lye and say that no Censure was passed upon this Mary Tucker when he might have been informed to the contrary by W. Reyman the place of whose aboad he knew so well But we find he is rather willing to relate a Lye than either know or knowing speak the Truth not only in this Instance of Mary Tucker And the Censure past upon her which he might with little trouble have been informed of so much as this Snake hids in the City And in the Instance of Solomon Eccles p. 124 125. foregoing but also in divers other before and hereafter to be given wherein he hath affirm'd egregious falshoods not from any necessity he was under to depend upon false reports but from a base Inclination in him to shun the Truth and to hate Justice For had not this been his hinderance he might with the trouble of a few Lines and the small additional Charge of the Penny-Post to W. Reyman of Queen-street N. Marks of Cheapside R. Scoryer of Wansworth hereafter to be spoken c. have discharged these out of his Libel and by such other not chargable nor troublesome further than it is so to him that we should be in the right means he might have spared the rest Ibid. p. 111. Pursuant to this their Principle in their Disputes among themselves they appeal to their own Writings instead of the Holy Scriptures Pursuant to this Snake's Practice he hath affirmed a notorious Lye I dare him to give any Proof that may be allowed by Impartial Men that ever we did so appeal It can be no more Proof to quote a Book wherein G. Keith hath said so of us than it is for the Snake to quote Julian Porphery or Celsus for Proof that the Primitive Christians were in the wrong or to quote his own Opinion for Proof that the present Government is so But if the Snake will confute the Answer made to that Book of G. K's which he quotes that may be considered and reply'd to SECT VII His Charge of Idolatry refuted and the Quotations restor'd from his Perversions THat our Belief concerning the Light or Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in Man is according to Scripture I have before shewn and how that by a sincere Obedience to it it will lead to God and Christ whence it comes and to have true Agreement and Unity with the Declarations from the same Holy Spirit which are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and also with all the Manifestations of the same Holy Spirit wheresoever and in whomsoever appearing For as God is one so the Holy Spirit leads all that obey it into Unity and Oneness and to account worthy of double Honour the Elders that rule well especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 And in this Section I shall shew that what is by this Adversary called The Quakers Idolatry is not so but only owing to his perversion for as Truth leads to give Honour to whom Honour is due So it also leads to account of no Man above what we ought Ibid. p. 112. They think it not Honour enough to stand before the Throne of God But G. Fox places them upon the Throne p. 31. I suppose Great Mystery for he mentions not the Book The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb above all Houses and are upon the Throne I shall first here detect the Snake's Evil Practice in mangling this Quotation by giving it as it is in the page quoted and afterwards speak to the Doctrine of it To the first The Priest G. Fox's Opponent had said That the Quakers scorns to creep into Houses meaning when persecuted To which G. F. replies This doth not agree with the rest of his Company who say they do Creep into Houses The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb and into Houses creep not but are upon the Throne but you that be in the Form that Deny the Power creep into Houses These Reader are his words and their sense is as plain and nothing but Envy and Ignorance I suppose the first in the Snake could cavil at them or it For who knows not that the word Throne in Religious Matters is a metaphorical expression denoting Spiritual Power and Dominion Christ promised Mat. 19.28 That they who followed him in the Regeneration should sit upon Thrones And to him that overcometh will I grant says he to sit with me in my
was Incarnate and dyed And that Christ was his own Father to whom he prayed upon the Cross. We own Christ both as Eternal God and as the Son of Mary yet are under no such difficulties as the Snake doth falsly suggest For we cannot express the Godhead by the word Person having no such Example in Scripture and our Belief being according to that and expressed in the words of it It must necessarily follow that the Snake does account the Declaration of Holy Writ in this Article to have many Absurdities Of which let him clear himself if he can as also of inclining to Polytheism which his words do seem to favour Ibid. p. 122. G. F. opposes Christopher Wade for saying That the Holy Ghost was a Person and that there was a Trinity of three Persons before Christ was Born It seems by this they do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was Born It does not only seem but plainly appear that this Snake is a Notorious Lyar Holy Writ says 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven It does not express them either by the word Trinity or Persons does it therefore seem that Holy Writ does not acknowledge that there were three in Heaven before Christ was Born Or that the Three in Heaven as the Snake Blasphemously does suggest must be Three Creatures What G. F. opposed in Christopher Wade in this Case was the Unscripturalness of his Language which will best appear from G. F's one Words not curtaild as in the Snake they are these Great Mystery p. 246. Thou knowest not him that is in the Father and the Father in him Glorified with the Father before the World began And the Scriptures doth not tell people of a Trinity nor Three Persons but the Common-Prayer Mass-Book speak of Three Persons brought in by thy Father the Pope And the Father Son and Holy Spirit was always one Ibid. p. 122 123. The Snake shews as himself says what Muggleton did hold in that Blasphemous Whimsy of the Deputy-ship of Elijah c. and says of it It terrifies my very Soul while I repeat such dreadful and sensless Blasphemy But I am well assured that this Snake was under greater Terror of Soul when seized by the King's Messenger at Lidd in Kent For To repeat such dreadful and senslless Blasphemy He had no Necessity was under no Constraint but that it pleased him to think that he might slantingly throw it at us tho' both him and it we do utterly deny But it was not in his Power to avoid being seized by the Messenger though he afterwards found it in his Power to run away from him Of which in its proper place Ibid. p. 123. How far the Quakers differ from Muggleton in what is here told excepting the Deputy-ship of Elijah will appear by their allowing no distinction between the Father and the Son It is an Abominable falshood G. F. did not say there was no Distinction between the Father and the Son but deny'd such Distinction as that Priest contended for and if the Snake think good Let him openly declare whether he will stand by and own that Distinction for which the Priest did contend and which G. Fox did oppose What the Priest did affirm was this as given in Great Mystery p. 293. The Father is a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son and the Son a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Father and the Holy Ghost a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son See Reader had not G. Fox reason to oppose this Polytheistical Doctrine of Separation and Incommunication which plainly makes a Triumvirate of the Deity and thereby destroys not only the Simplicity but the Foundation of Faith And this will happen so long as Men will Hazzard their Faith to improve their Knowledge And curiously inquire into what will still remain a Mystery and not be content with such Declaration of it as we are Infallibly assured in Holy Writ is according to the Mind of God and sufficient for the necessities of Men. But to proceed there needs not an Ingenious Stickler to shew what G. F. did oppose but there wants an Ingenious Stickler unless the Snake think himself so to reconcile the Priests words which I have above quoted to the Holy Scripture which he pretends to be his rule for at present they are as contrary to it as Light to Darkness I am not so much surprised to find this Snake p. 124. saying of George Fox He was a very Sorrowful beginner of a Religion and could neither be separated nor distinguished from a Tool which Knaves do work with call'd a F l. As to find him so cautiously clipping the word Fool Because it is greater Modesty and Caution than he uses towards him in other places where he calls him Valpoon George Magus and says he was one of poor understanding and had an Immoderate degree of Dulness But after all this his Serpentine Modesty or rather as himself expresses it p. 198 wicked and hateful Eubullition of Soul George Fox did herein justly and warrantably oppose that Distinction and Incommunication in the Deity which the Priest did as above contend for But again he is angry with G. F. in Great Mystery p. 246. Where the Snake says he disputes against Christopher Wade for saying God the Father never took upon him Humane Nature But he is so far from replying to G. F's answer to Christopher Wade that he gives but three words of it tho' the answer does consist of more than so many lines and is as follows Great Mystery p. 246. Answ. Contrary to the Scripture which saith God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And art Ignorant of the Great Mystery God manifest in the Flesh and his name is called the Everlasting Father As for the Word Humane which is from the Ground it comes from thy own Knowledge which is earthly and Christ took upon him the Seed of Abraham and David according to the Flesh and this is Scripture Language And if the Snake can shew that it is not so it will be better to confute the whole than to nibble Rat like at three words of it And this brings me to the end of this short Section SECT IX Concerning our Belief of the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. ACcording to what has been already spoken in the foregoing Sections occasionally concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. I do here of set purpose declare it as a Truth which now is and always hath been since we were a People believed and declared by us That The Word which was in the Beginning with God by which all things were made did in the fulness of time according to the appointment of the Father take Flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and that in that Body of Flesh The Fulness of the Godhead dwelt Bodily Thus in the largness of the Expression and sense of Scripture we do truly and sincerely own according to John 1.14 That
meer say so As the story may prove false so till it be shewn that it be not so it needs now no further Answer than that it is none of our Doctrine nor approved of by us Ibid. p. 126. And G. F. says That if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he iâ— the false Christ quoted from Great Mystery p. 206. This Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within Devils and Reprobates make a talk of him without It is Reader horrid Injustice in this Snake so fouly to pick and pervert a Man's words as he here does G. F's as if he did by these words deny that Christ Jesus who was Crucify'd at Jerusalem which that he did not I produce both the Priest's Words and his Answer and offer them to thy consideration Great Mystery p. 206. Priest It is a Scripture of the Devil 's making to apprehend this Crucify'd Christ within G. F. Now I say if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he is the false Christ And the Scripture holds forth this and the Devil never made it but he and his Messengers are against it And he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within is a Reprobate tho' Reprobates and Devils may make a talk of him without Thus G. F. and his Words are sound and as himself says according to Scripture for it is not another but the same Christ who was Crucified by the Jews and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of Men reconciling them unto God and in as many as obey he is Christ in them the Hope of Glory And them who rebel do crucifie unto themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Heb. 6.6 Rev. 11.8 Ibid. p. 126. And he G. F. disputes against those who say that the Man Christ that was Crucified his Body is now in the presence of his Father or that Christ is absent from them the Quakers as Touching his Flesh Great Mystery p. 210 211. G. F. does warrantably dispute against and oppose those Priests who declared Christ was absent from his People because he is present with them in Spirit And as G. F. in the pages last above quoted doth say That the Apostle declares of Christ that he is the Head of the Church and are of his Flesh and Bone and sit with him in Heavenly Places and Christ saith they must eat his Flesh and he is in them If the Snake will oppose this Scriptural Doctrine let him do it Ibid. p. 136. The Snake makes his Quotation from Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them and another within them here is two See Reader the falsity and perversion of the Snake in this Quotation by the following true one Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them have a Christ without them and another Christ within them here is two For if it be not the same Christ that ended all Types and Figures and Shadows if it be not him that is within they have not the Possession the Substance nor the Comfort of the True Christ. What plainer can be spoken to shew that is the same and not another Christ who suffered at Jerusalem and thereby ended the Law and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of his People Ibid. p. 126. Robert Gourdon was the first among them that I find who taught the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus Whether owned or not the Snake finds not because he seeks amiss and I am sure he did not seek right when he pretended to find R. Gourdon the first amongst us For R. Gourdon tho' once in Unity or Fellowship with us Apostatiz'd and with this Snake became an Adversary to us But the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus hath been Testified by us ever since a People And from this R. Gourdon the Snake according to his usual Injustice transcribes in p. 127 128 129. divers false and abusive charges but takes no notice of the Validity or Invalidity of the Answers of our Friends to that Adversary's Book He is indeed so triflingly just as to say p. 127. Against this wrote G.W. with three other Quakers but what they said or how far they did disprove R. G's false Charges the Snake takes no notice wherefore I shall take no further notice of what he so quotes from him than to acquaint the Reader what relates to S. Eccles Quaker Challenge p. 6. is answered before in p. 188 189. as are also many of the other Bits of Quotations which here as mentioned by the Snake have neither Book nor Page to distinguish them Ibid. p. 129 130. The Snake borrows from himself out of Satan Disrob'd and saith of W. P. that he will not have the true Christ to be a Person but only a Principle c. and refers to that Book wherein he says it is more at large discussed with the Defences of Thomas Elwood I shall not run back to that Book Satan Disâ—ob'd it having already been somewhat spoken to by G. Whitehead since which there hath been no additions to it But so far as it lies here I shall reply and shew that W. P. in that Book of his Christian Quaker from which the Snake does so charge him will have and does acknowledge and confess to Christ both as God and Man which will fully refute what the Snake hath alledged To this purpose Reader consider the following Quotations from W. P's Christian Quaker From p. 104 to 114. W. P. there makes a Confession to Christ's Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation distinguished into nine several Heads or Parts of Discourse It would be too tâ—dious for my Reader to have transcribed them 〈◊〉 hither tho' all worthy of notice wherefore I shall only transcribe the first and seventh Heads or parts of Discourse which are as follows P. 104. First We do confess that tho' the Eternal Power Life and Light which inhabited that Holy Person which was born at Nazareth Bethlehem it should be was and is chiefly and eminently the Saviour For there is no Saviour besides me saith God Hos. 13.4 Yet that it was instrumentally a Saviour as prepared and chosen for the Work which Christ had then to do in it which was actually to the Salvation of Some and intentionally to the Salvation of the whole World then and in Ages to come suitable to that Scripture Lo in the Volume of the Book it is written I come to do thy will O God a Body hast thou prepared me c. Heb. 10. P. 107. Seventh But there is yet a further Benefit that accrueth by the Blood of Christ viz. That Christ is a propitiation and redemption to such as have Faith in it For tho' I still place the stress of particular Benefit upon the Light Life and Spirit revealed and witnessed in every particular Yet in that general Appearance there was a general Benefit justly to be
his own ipse dixit and much such Raillery but know no plain Texts of Scripture yet produced by him that so detects us but his own Falshood and great Ignorance about the Light is very apparent Again he falsly defames and reproaches me from p. 28. Of Innocency Triumphant with excusing and justifying Diabolical Suggestions in the Quaker-Refuge he saith against the Authority of the Sacred Scripture by saying That it questioned but some not all This Accuser has a most odious injurious course of defaming and perverting as well as curtalizing our Words wherein he has taken part with his famous Author F. Bugg to whom the Answer was given on which he grounds his black Charge against me Of Justifying Diabolical Suggestions c. In which Answer I expresly declare thus viz. His Accusation that the Quakers Insinuate in a Book called The Quakers Refuge That What the true Prophets spake was false and What the false Prophets spoke was true p. 47. New Rome Vnm. p. 23. We disown these Expressions and I think they are not duly inferred from the said Book questioning whether some Words were not spoken by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill expressed c. Now at my saying Yet this questioned but of some Words in Scripture not all he takes occasion to Rail fearfully against me as a Justifier of Diabolical Suggestions When my Answer was not with the least intent to oppose or lessen the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures but in direct opposition to F. Bugg's Calumny in these general odious and false Expressions viz. That the Quakers insinuate that What the true Prohets spake was false Which Expressions we utterly deny as both in themselves grosly false against the true Prophets and falsly charged on the Quakers to defame them And as to the Questions cited out of the Quak. Refuge at which Offence is taken 1. They are not mine 2. I do not believe they are the Author 's of that Quak. Refuge though Cited by him 3. It is apparent he does not espouse them as his own Judgment nor make them the Matter in that present Controversie nor resolve them in the Affirmative but seems to recite and wave them as Originally proceeding from some other Person as I understand The furthest that can be drawn from my said Answer to F. B. that may seem offensive which I should be sorry for if 't were really so is my seeming to grant the Question That in some Words some true Prophets were mistaken And if this be made an Offence I think 't is no real one for I designed none However I still confess I believe the Record of Scripture to be true Good Men and some true Prophets also have been and may be mistaken in some things and have had their Weaknesses and Failings truly recorded in Scripture and also their Deliverances for good Ends and Admonition to others Was not Samuel a good Man and a Prophet and yet mistaken when he took Eliab for the Lords Anointed 1 Sam. 16.6 7. And in the Argument upon Job in the ancient Bible is marked That Job maintaineth a good Cause but handleth it evil Again his Adversaries have an evil Matter but they defend it craftily Moreover he was assured that God had not rejected him yet through his great Torments and Afflictions he burst forth into many Inconveniences both of Words and Sentences See the Argument at large And was not the Prophet Elijah mistaken when he thought himself alone or none in Israel but himself that was zealous for the Lord God of Hosts But what saith the Answer of God unto him I have reserved unto my self seven thousand Men that have not bowed the knee to Baal 1 King 19.10 18. Rom. 11.3 4. And to say but little of the Old Prophet that persuaded the Young Prophet contrary to the Word of the Lord 1 King 13. I could instance Jonas David and several others that were good Men who had some Weaknesses and Mistakes in Words and Actions yet the Lord was good to them and helped them according to the Integrity of their Hearts towards him And these Things being truly recorded in Scripture for Instruction and Admonition we truly esteem the Scripture-Record thereof And even where the Words Lies Blasphemies and Actions of the Devil wicked Men and Persecutors and the Judgments which befel them are recorded in the Scriptures we own the Record or History thereof to be true and highly esteem it for Instruction and Warning to Men. And to distinguish between the Words of God in Scripture and the Words of the Devil is but what the Scripture it self doth which can be no Contempt to it for I have known some stumble by some of the Priests making no distinction but calling all that 's written in Scripture the Word of God as one that was the Mayor of Thetford near forty Years ago told me That a Priest wanting Induction into the vacant Benefice and preaching there for Approbation took his Text out of the Words wherewith the Devil tempted Christ Mat. 4. And bidding the People hearken to the Word of God as they should find it written in such a Chapter and Verse whereupon this Person that told me of it was so offended that he would not give his Voice to chuse the said Priest because he had told them that was the Word of God which was the Words of the Devil Now let none be so disingenuous as to take this as in Contempt of the Holy Scripture Doctrine or Precepts therein for where either the Words Blaspemies wicked Actions or Persecutions of the Devil or Men are therein mentioned the Record thereof is true and in Testimony against them and the intent of such Record holy just and good Farther my Accuser tells me Nor is my Salvâ— more ingenuous in the Eleventh Article And why so It is really say I contrary to our Faith and Principle to make Christ Jesus himself Only a Figure a Veil or Garment p. 178. Which was in direct opposition to his Author F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers would make Christ only a Figure a Veil a Garment implied by way of Question p. 58. New Rome Ar. Here he quarrels with the word Only as with the word Amply and accuseth me with Equivocating and that this is but a Negative Confession But really George quoth he this is not re-assuming your Christian Testimony in the Affirmative as thou didst promise c. still hiding your self in the Dark in Negatives But we would know affirmatively what it is you do profess and this thou didst promise and this thou hast not perform'd p. 179. Here he accuseth me with breach of Promise but very falsly as in the said 11th Article it is plain that my Confession of Christ Jesus himself is not only Negative but affirmative namely He being the Substance and End of all Figures Types and Shadows Is not this Affirmative pray And as remote from Truth is his accusing the Quakers Books of calling
Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within p. 183. I know no such Books of the Quakers that so call Christ Jesus A Type of our Light within but that he is our Light which hath inlighten'd us among the rest of Mankind It 's implied by way of Question That Christ clothed himself in Flesh and Blood and that he took Flesh c. for so quoth he it may be said that our Soul is clothed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil It is not Words but the meaning that we contend about saith he p. 180. We know best our own Meaning being well satisfied that 't is according to Holy Scripture Where 's then the defference he then quarrels with our Meaning not with the Words here but elsewhere he doth as his Author F. Bugg has done with the words Veil and Garment in J. P's Question to Professors But this Author yields the Point he assents to both As our Soul is clothed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil and so of Christ. Which warrants J. P's Question against his Author F. B. and himself at least so far as not to make a Subject of any further Contention against us Again my Accuser brings a heavy black Charge upon me in these Words Ibid. p. 180. viz. In this same 11 th Article we are now upon after your full and Affirmative Declaration before he would have it Negative you sâ—bborn Two Texts as Favourers of your damnable Heresie before-told yet say you slily his Flesh was called the Veil Heb. 10. And he took upon him the form of a Servant and was made like unto Men and was found in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man Phil. 2.6 7. And then exclaims Ah George George I could forgive thee any thing but this What! put upon us at this rate It seems my citing those Two Texts and alledging them to prove that the word Veil was applied to Christ's Flesh which he took upon him and the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man to the form of his Manhood or outward Man tho' I intended no other than that without the least Contempt to Christ Such Words might be used as they had been by some of our Friends For this it seems I have committed such a heinous and unpardonable Crime or Sin as this my Severe Judge cannot forgive This is represented as my highest Offence and truly I shall not need seek to him for Absolution or Pardon nor to be my Confessor I have a merciful and faithful High Priest to apply and appeal to I need not go to unmerciful and implacable Ones for Pardon especially such a one as has so shamefully calumniz'd me with subborning Two Texts as Favourers of damnable Heresie How comes this Accuser in his Fallibility or Uncertainty thus severely to condemn me when he cannot refute Matter of Fact about the Two said Texts being alledged in behalf of my Friend's meaning and not at all with the least Intention to lessen the Dignity or Glory of the Son of God No far be it from me And where 's my unpardonable Sin in the Application of the Text Phil. 2 Why he saith George Whitehead brings in the word Figure which is not in the English Translation And what then But let him have it he himself makes it synâ—â—nimous to Shape p. 183. And he is forced to let me have it because he cannot well deny it without disparagement to himself But herein he would place on me a Mis-application of the Words Who being found in the Shape or Figure of a Man c. And therefore saith what relation has this to the calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within which I have shewn 〈◊〉 â—ut of the Quakeâ—s Books And I have denied this as a â—alshood before and now declare against 〈◊〉 manifest Perversion and Injury to me and mâ— Words herein For as I sincerely disown the Wordâ— charged Ibid. viz. The calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of our Light within so I could not apply the Words before in the Text Phil. 2. to have any relation thereto and much less as proof of that which I never held And I know none of us that doth so call Jesus Christ A Type of our Light within he being the Fountain thereof Nor that Christ is Only a Figure as falsly charged by F. Bugg Which Perversion so far as I can find was first forged from these Words in the Book Saul's Errand viz. Christ in the Flesh without them is their Example or Figure which is both one For his being their Example 1 Pet. 2.21 and 4.1 and 1.15 and John 13.15 are quoted See also Luke 2.31 he was called a Sign Now hence to say he was Only a Sign were a Gross Perversion Christ was our Example Now hence to say he is nothing else but an Example were an Abuse and to lessen his Dignity and a variation from the Sense as our Adversary has done upon Trusâ— of his Author F. Bugg upon his False Report which is besides all Justice Morality and 〈◊〉 Proceedings Now the Question is Whether Figure may be made synonimous to Example for the words Example or Figure as before I conceive it may For Type or Figure sometimes points a thing to come as in Rom. 5.14 who was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Figure of him that was to come And sometimes Type or Figure denotes a present Example or Pattern as in Phil. 3.17 Mark them which walk so as ye have us for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Example And the same word is used in 2 Thes. 3.9 and 1 Tim. 4.12 and Titus 2.7 and 1 Cor. 10.11 only in different Cases or Terminations And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Example or Type John 13.15 Heb. 9.23 Thus Example or Type are made synonimous in T. C's Lexicon and the like in Crit. Sacr. but more fully explain'd for there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Exemplum Exemplar Triplicem habet in Scriptura significatum 1. Significat Typum seu Figuram rerum vel praeteritarum Heb. 8.5 vel futurarum Heb. 9.23 2. Exemplum imitationis John 13.15 1 Tim. 4.12 Titus 4.7 3. Exemplum Monitionis sive Cautelae ut 2 Pet. 2.6 i. e. Exemplum Exemplar hath a threefold Signification in Scripture 1. It signifies a Type or Figure of Things either past or to come 2. An Example of Imitation 3. An Example of Warning or Caution Now see how synonimously the Terms Type Figure Pattern and Example are rendred in Scripture and of what extent not only in relation to the Types under the Law but in some respect to Christ and his Ministers tho' he be also confessed to be the Antitype Substance and End of all Legal Shadows Types and Figures But I have not called Christ himself a Type of our Light within nor justified the same As to my Accuser's Offence at my saying Christ's Flesh is called a Veil Heb. 10.20 it
Revelation p. 74. Sect. V. Concerning Infallibility p. 85. Sect. VI. Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures p. 150. Sect. VII Concerning Idolatry p. 173. Sect. VIII Concerning the Holy Three Bearing Record in Heaven p. 184. Sect. IX Concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. p. 191. Sect. X. Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ. p. 230. Sect. XI Concerning the Resurrection p. 239. Sect. XII Concerning Baptism and the Supper p. 258. Sect. XIII Shewing Popish Emissaries did not set up Quakerism in England p. 276. Sect. XIV Shewing that we do not Damn all but our selves p. 293. Sect. XV. The Quakers clear'd from the Charge of Venom and Nastiness and it shewn to be his own True Character p. 308. Sect. XVI Of Fâ—ghting and Loyalty p. 316. Sect. XVII Concerning Tythes p. 376. Sect. XVIII Shewing that the Pretensions of the present Quakers as of the former to the Spirit of Prophecy Infallibility c. is according to and agreeable with the Scriptures of Truth p. 434. Sect. XIX Visible Possessions by the Devil Examin'd and Refuted p. 442. Sect. XX. Of Enthusiasm or Inspiration as said by the Snake to be own'd by the Church p. 462. Sect. XXI His Falsly Entituled Impartial Comparison between G. Fox L. Muggleton and Oliver's Porter shewn to be Prophane c. p. 472. A Supplement by G. Whitehead p. 486. Sect. XXII A Reply to some Remarks upon as it is call'd by the Snake G. W's Creed p. 486. Sect. XXIII Some Reflections by G. W. upon A Supplement pretended upon occasion of his Answer to The Snake in the Grass p. 343. p. 507. ERRATA PAge 32. l. 24. things r. thing p. 34. l. 23 it r. is p. 64. l. 17. Teâ—â— r. Fell p. 76 l. 16.21 r. 28 p. 91. l. 7. after gave us add to discenâ— p. 94. l. 5 swearing r. to swear p. 111 l. 17 after have add little 〈◊〉 p. 126 l. 32. it r. is p. 144 l. 27 dele unless p. 152 l. 27 after is 〈◊〉 as p. 168 l. 1. after was add said to be ib. l. 22. r. as before is p. 180. â— 34 word r. world p. 197 l. 19 after that add it p. 202 l. 30 〈◊〉 here add desire him to p. 216 l. 9. after to add the ib. l. 10 land 〈◊〉 lamb p. 272 l. 28 after what add it p. 286 l. 13 dele Qua p. 398 〈◊〉 28 after of dele the p. 413 l. 30 dele all p. 431 l. 5 drink r. druâ—â— Anguis Flagellatus OR A SWITCH FOR THE Snake in the Grass INTRODUCTION Wherein also the Preface and Introduction of the Snake are Consider'd and Reply'd to AGainst the Venome of the Snake as it at first appeared an Antidote has been already given in an Answer under that Title by George Whitehead to the First Edition of the Snake in the Grass Of which Answer the crafty Sophister having gotten notice hastned a Second Edition of the Snake so different from the First that it might rather seem a New Book than a New Impression of an Old One. For besides the Additions which he made he alter'd the Frame and Contexture of it by choping and changing the Parts and melting as his Phrase is a Preface of above 350 Pages and bigger than the Book it self into the Body of the Book which as himself says in his Account of the Second Edition renders it in a manner a New Work and he calls it a pulling down the whole and rearing it in a new Form Thus the Snake cast its Skin chang'd both Colour and Shape in the several Subsequent Editions By which Artifice the Answer which was designed and adapted to the First Edition was render'd less Serviceable and Useful The Reader not knowing by the Pages referr'd to in the Antidote where to find in the later Editions the Matter treated of As this together with the Adversary's Allegations in his latter Editions that in the Answer to his first his Quotations were not disproved was the Ground or Motive to this Second Answer So also the Reasons why this Answer came not sooner forth were partly that we might see in what Shape this Proteus who has transform'd so often would at length settle that we might not be again obliged Actum Agere And partly that we might have had his Reply to G. W's Antidote which is his Third Edition p. 358 and 366. He hath as good as promised that That also might have been considered But since our Adversary has thought fit to suspend if not wholly to throw off his pretended Intention of giving a particular Reply to the Antidote I was not willing longer to delay this Answer to the Third and Last Edition of the Snake And do here acquaint such Readers who have the Second Edition of the Snake that though the Pages differ so that the References by them do not agree yet the Sections in both the Second and Third Editions standing in the same Order and bearing the same Titles and this Answer being adapted to each Section mostly separatim it will not be very difficult for the Reader herein to find the Matter referr'd to in the Second Edition of the Snake also Thus having given some short Account both of the Reasons why this Answer was delay'd till now and why written now It will be necessary to proceed to the Work in which that I may not omit any thing in the Snake deserving notice I shall begin with his Preface The Preface considered THE Snake that he might not miss any occasion of shewing the World the Squint Opinion he has of us is pleased to link us in his Preface with one Antonia Bourignon of whose Principles he pretends to give some Account and that she perfectly agrees with us Pref. p. 11. even in those things wherein himself says she hath writ against us and takes up a great part of 44 Pages of which his Preface consists to shew some Instances of those Wild Heretical and Barbarous Notions which in Pref. p. 4. he says Antonia holds and which he in order bestows upon us thereby to prepossess his Reader Not unlike the Fellow who to shew his Squint and Blasphemous Opinion of the Apocalyps bound up St. John's Revelations and Aesop's Fables in one Volume But as St. John's Revelations had another Origin than the Imaginary Fables of Aesop So the Revelations of the same Holy Spirit at this day do vastly differ from all Imaginary Flights from all Heretical Wild and Barbarous Notions and does give Solid Reasons of that Faith it begets in us and which we are ready to give to the Sober Inquirer As for Bourignon her Errors concerns not us if she be what the Snake says she appearing an Enemy as well as he by having writ against us not but that there is some reason to suspect he wrongs her from the certainty we have of his often and greatly abusing us Pref. p. 11 12. The great design of the Devil is and has always been to beat down the Priesthood and outward
says we are in pag 3. he says We speak Sense and English have in a great measure reform'd from the Errors of the Primitive Quakers Thus as his Mood Humor and Occasion Changes we are with him either Subtile or Simple speak Sense or Non-sense Blasphemous to the hight or in some measure reform'd But after all the Ipse Dixit of an Enemy is neither good Argument nor Conclusion as will hereafter appear in the examination of the several Heads of Doctrine P. 3. Many of them have really gone off from that hight of Blasphemy and Madness which was professed among them at their first setting up in the Year 1650. and so continued till after the Restauration Anno. 1660. What the Snake doth acknowledge is at present Sober and Christian in us is really no other than what he calls at our first setting up the hight of Blasphemy and Madness for the colourable Pretences of these are only the spurious Brood of his own ill-forming Fancy and as bad joyning Fingers which have been imploy'd in Mangling the Books of our Friends in his phraise not unlike Rats and Moths Ibid. p. 3. Therefore they endeavour all they can to make it appear that their Doctrine was Vniform from the beginning and that there has been no alteration And that endeavour has not been in vain it having been often made so to appear Ibid. p. 4. I would perswade them openly and above-bord to Renounce George Fox and their first Reformers and all their Blasphemous and Heretical Doctrine Before this be done two things are necessary First to examine whether what our Adversary calls Blasphemy and Heresie be so or not and then to know what he would perswade us to for the first hard names are no Proof For in the Way which some called Heresie the Apostle did Worship God and our Saviour himself The Green Tree was call'd a Blasphemer And for the Last it 's not Good or Safe to be at all much less easily perswaded to forsake Truth for Lying Vanities Ibid. p. 5. And I must say it they give the same Proof for their extraordinary Inspirations as the Quakers do that is none at all but their own confident averring of it And I must say that our first Reformers from Popery having urged for their Separation the Authority of the holy Spirit and being asked for Proof of that Authority could give no other but what in the Language of our Adversary is none at all but their own confident averring of it The Apostle Paul when questioned by the Corinthians for a Proof of Christ speaking in him did not evade the question nor direct to an impertinent Solution of it when he advised them Search your selves try your selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 This Proof the Quakers also give and that with reason for the publick Spirit of God privately working in the Hearts of Men is only able to give those in whom it does so Work evidences of its proper effects The Apostle is positive to the same purpose 1 Cor. 2.11 The things of God knoweth no Man but by the Spirit of God And all Inspiration of the holy Spirit will I doubt not be owned to be some things of God and of these no Man can make a right Judgment but by the Spirit of God Which who want it is no wonder that by such this be call'd as by the Snake no Proof but a confident averring of it Though I doubt not but the Sober Reader will have another sense of this Matter Ibid. p. 5. Now I would beseech Mr. Penn who has more Wit than all the rest of his Party to let us know what ground he had for leaving the Church of England more than Muggleton What Muggleton's ground was is not now our Business to examine and what W. Penn's was he hath often declared many Years ago which yet if I should here repeat the Snake might possibly mistake in Judging of it as it is possible he may also in the judgment he pretends to have of Wit Nay supposing it true that W. P. hath more Wit than all the rest of the Quakers yet this Snake not having had distinct Knowledge of every Quaker and of every Degree of their Wit was not capable of more herein than to give some Testimony of his Confidence not Judgment Ibid. p. 5. Why should we trust the Light within him or G. Fox rather than the Light within Lodowick Muggleton W. P. and G. F. did never direct or desire Men to trust the Light within them but have constantly directed Men to trust in the Light of Jesus Christ which is given to each Man for himself and is a sufficient Guide to the true Knowledge and Worship of God notwithstanding all that Men may speak against it Ibid. p. 5. Has Lodowick wrought no Miracles to prove his Mission No more hath G. Fox or W. Penn. To which I may add No more hath the Church of England nor the Snake in the Grass unless we account that for one Miracle in the Snake when he at Billingsgate run away from the Messenger Of which more in its place Are they G. F. W. P. very sure that they are in the right So is Muggleton If the Snake be not very sure that he is in the right he hath but an intention to deceive when he calls others into Communion with him Are they Schismaticks So is he And so is the Snake and by the Snake's Doctrine so is the Church of England as I have shewn p. 15 16 17. foregoing Are they above Ordinances If they be I know not but that we the Quakers are not I know For we own and use Preaching and Praying which the Snake owns to be Ordinances Is he against distinct Persons in the Godhead So are they Distinction in the Godhead we own according to Scripture but think the word Person too Gross to express it Is he against all Creeds So are they It it false we own the Matter contain'd in the Creed called the Apostles Does Muggleton deny all Church Authority So do they So does the Snake that does not please him But that we do not the Snake hath disprov'd himself as see Pagâ— 61. Yet does he require the most absolute Submission to what himself Teaches So does thâ— Snake But we do not so but like the Apostles commend our Testimony to the Conscience c. 2 Cor. 4.2 Does he Damn all the World and all since the Apostles So do they So does the Snake counting all others as the Spawn of the Viper Does he make a dead Letter of the Holy Scripture and resolve all into his own private Spirit So do they 'T is false we reject all private Spirits acknowledge the Scriptures to have been writ by Divine Inspiration and to contain a Declaraion of the Will of God and do refer to the publick Spirit of God for the understanding of them Ibid. p. 6. These are Twin
any Creature but it 's manifest in his sight and he is in the Saints and they eat his Flesh and sit with him in heavenly places This Reader is so plain Scripture that it would raise an inquiry how envy it self cloaked with pretences to Christianity should carp at it The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 88. Christ is the Elect. The Reader may easily suppose G. Fox said more but the Snake thinking from these to draw some unsound sense left the rest behind him In which he being abundantly mistaken I shall not trouble the Reader with a larger Quotation but only observe that the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah 42.1 saith of Christ Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth And the Holy Apostle speaking of Christ saith 1 Pet. 2.6 Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Zion a Chief Corner Stone Elect and Precious The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 310. That they who are of the Faith are the Flesh of Christ the Flesh of him who suffered Here he has false quoted G. Fox's words which are these No Man knows that is savingly the seed Christ that was offered the Sacrifice of the whole World but as he knows it within through the Faith and who are of the Faith they are of Abraham They are of the Flesh of Christ the Flesh of him that suffered The Apostle says as much and says true Eph. 5.30 I have now done with all the Snake's Quotations in his second Section in which Reader I doubt not but thou wilt observe the great injustice of the Snake in several kinds as first in false quoting G. Fox's words which is a practice so base that it is impossible it can consist with a fair pretence of being herein concerned in Love to the Souls of those he would pretend to preserve or reduce No it is a practice directly opposite to all pretences of Humane Justice and it cannot be less but rather more to pretend to do it for God's sake Next his Injustice is not less in perverting the sense and meaning of the places which he truly quotes by cavilling at and giving expositions quite contrary to the plain sense of the Writer For it is very plain that the whole scope of all the Passages hitherto quoted are such as have relation to the Spiritual Vnion and Oneness of Christ with his People Which both Christ himself and his Holy Apostles have very frequently held forth to us by Similies which fall under the notice of sense that thereby mankind might more readily come to apprehend them Thus Christ said I am the Vine I am the Door and except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood c. And the Apostle we are of his Flesh and of his Bone with abundance more such like expressions which if in a litteral sense were to be expounded Such exposition would be plain perversion and against it our Saviour hath given a Caution The words that I speak they are Spirit and they are life John 6.63 Snake p. 15. I will tell you before I go Mr. Penn's excuse for G. Fox in all these particulars He lays it upon George 's extream Ignorance For Proof of this the Snake quotes W. Penn's invalidity of J. Faldo's Vindication p. 353. where W. Penn's words are only these He G. F. observes no nicety of expression in his Writings and it is therefore disingenuously done of any to make this ill use of his plain and vulgar phrases See Reader how apt this Man is to tell lies for W. Penn lays it not on nor does not say it was his extream Innorance But W. Penn lays the fault upon J. Faldo's extream disingenuity as I now do upon the Snake's Snake p. 15. An indifferent Man would rather have said Ne Sutor ultra crepidam That this Fox should rather have kept to his original Trade Here Reader see this Man's contempt by a Profane Jest upon the meanness of G. Fox's Calling What would he have said to Amos the Herdsman Peter James and John Fishermen and the rest of those Holy Men whose mechanick Occupations were no hinderance to the High Offices in the Church to which God called them It is not unlikely that from men Spirited as this Snake their Entertainment was Ne Sutor c. But this need not trouble us since we find that G. Fox where he speaks of the Soul as in the places before severally quoted doth speak so distinctly of it as that he neither declares it to be God or Christ nor doth he confound the Being of Man with the Infinite Being of his Creator as is falsly charged by this Adversary G. Fox hath frequently said to this purpose and it is very true that the Spirit of Man is illuminated with a divine Light from God through the mediation of Jesus Christ But he hath never said that the Spirit of Man was God No he could not so say but by wilful perversion this Adversary as some former ones perverts as well as mis-quotes him and will not have him to mean as his words plainly speak For when he speaks of the Soul of Man both with respect to its original Life as breathed from God and degenerated through disobedience and also with respect to his spiritual Restoration by the Power and Spirit of his Creator and hath thereupon shewn how that the Soul through disobedience to the Power that Created it became estranged and at enmity to it and that this enmity and wall of Separation could not be broken down and the Soul brought into the Love and Favour of God but by Christ who in Holy Writ is declared the Bishop and Shepherd Our Adversaries have then often perverted his words and would have them to mean which they cannot That the Infinite Essence and Being with other the like terms of the Life of God or Christ were the Soul of Man But these perversions are our Adversaries and as of G. Fox So of all owned by us it never was believed by us that the Soul of Man was the same Person and Substance with God as is most falsly charged by this Snake I come now to the Snake's third Section Of the Quakers aspiring c. which he says p. 17. is in effect proved already but yet he bestows nine pages upon it of which great part is taken up in Quotations which I shall consider in their order The first in p. 17. is from Great Mystery p. 282. For Christ says he makes no distinction in his words but saith Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is And as he is so are we and that which is perfect as he is perfect is in equality the same In this Quotation that the Snake might bring the parts of it together as near as well he could he hath made a break for another Text which G. Fox used viz. And be ye merciful as he is And after all his carping it is the Doctrine preached
Spirit because none of them had this Spirit of Discerning To the first That all are excluded c. Every Member of the Church of Christ must necessarily have a measure of the Spirit of Christ else they are none of his Rom. 8.9 And this Spirit of Christ the Holy Ghost as in its fulness it is Infallible so every even the least measure or manifestation of it is Infallible To the second This Infallible Holy Spirit being of the THREE in the Godhead searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins Jer. 17.10 But tho' this Holy Spirit can discover unto one the Heart and Thoughts of another as of Ananias to Peter Act. 5. Yet as that is not usual so neither is it necessary nor is it that which we pretend to nor hath G. Fox in the fore-quoted places pretended to it But that which G. Fox means and which we pretend to is That such who minister in and by that Holy Spirit which hath an Infallible Discerning of the Hearts and States of all the Persons ministred to This Holy Spirit doth direct the ministry accordingly that it may be suitable to the states of the Auditory Which they who pretend not to be led guided and assisted by that Infallible Holy Spirit in their Ministry cannot pretend to And as to his Objections that the Quakers did not discern G. Keith F. Bugg and other wicked Apostates There was a time when those Men I in Charity think were truly Quakers as they pretended and to have discerned them Apostates before they were such had not been true discerning There was a time when Demas walked with Paul was owned by Paul to be a Fellow-Labourer with him in the Gospel Col. 4.14 Phil. 2.4 There was a time when through the Love of the World he forsook the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.10 so I may say of these and others there was a time when they walked with us and now is the time when through the Love of the World and other things they are departed and fallen from that Unity and Fellowship they once had with us Ibid. p. 37. quoted from Great Mystery p. 105. We says he the Pope and you the Protestants whom he calls Professors are apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever I shall first detect the Snake's base practice of mangling this as other places by setting down G. F's words as they lie in that Book and then shew plainly their Scriptural meaning The first viz. the Quotation And we say the Pope is not Infallible neither though he be your Father the Ancient Yet we say he and you are Apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come with which ye are seen and judged so not to have the Spirit of Christ Jesus not to have the Spirit of the Prophets and Apostles not to be led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth not to be in the Spirit not to speak as ye are moved of the Holy Ghost But to be such as ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly and have gotten the Sheeps Cloathing ye and the Pope and so have devoured Nations for this many hundred years so have all been like ravening Wolves For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever This the Snake says Ibid. p. 37. Is Dreadfully Astonishing but gives no reason why it is so but that his practice is astonishing there are several reasons to prove it First In so basely picking and mangling Books that they may thereby be suborned to speak what the Writer never intended Next In his wilful perverting the plain and known sense which they carry and which their Writers had And upon Sober Inquiry what in this can be astonishing That the Pope is not Infallible I suppose the Snake will allow And that the Spirit of Truth doth see and judge such who apostatize from it the Scriptures teach And if the Snake doth account it astonishing that the Quakers should possess and witness according to Holy Writ the manifestation of the Holy and Infallible Spirit of Christ he shews his Ignorance therein tho' all who are truly sensible of these manifestations can in deep Humility of Soul give Glory to the Highest Yet to him must be applied that of Hab. 1.5 For it is a Work that God hath wrought in this day whether he will believe it or not Hitherto Reader pray Observe that tho' the Snake as quoted p. 88. foregoing hath said we placed Infallibility in every single Quaker confine it not to Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things in the World by their inward Light Yet the Charge is notoriously false and that the colourable pretence which he had for this his false assertion was owing to his own false quoting curtailing and mangling of our Books of which I have shewn eminent instances since that assertion of his in p. 88. And that our Books in the instances produced speak according to Scripture I shall leave with the Impartial Reader to Judge only adding that the Forms of Speech Try all things Teach all things Know all things and Judge all things which are frequently found in the New Testament cannot without great perversion be applied otherwise than to that Trying Teaching Knowing and Judging which are the proper effects of the Operations of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of all that are obedient to it And that in order first to their own Salvation and then to the Service of God in his Church In this sense G. F. E. B. and others have used these Forms of Speech in this sense the Woman of Samaria testifies of the Messias our Saviour John 4.25 He will teach us all things In this sense our Saviour promised John 14.26 That the Holy Ghost should teach us all things In this sense John the Beloved Disciple testifies of the Believers 1 John 2.20 Ye know all things And in this sense the Apostle testifies of the Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2.10 He judgeth all things And in this sense the Beloved Disciple 1 John 4.1 adviseth to try the Spirits whether they be of God Now these forms of Speech in these and many more places all things are truly as E. B. p. 137. foregoing hath said All things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life needful for Man to know all this was discovered revealed and made known to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had Lighted us withal Ibid. p. 37. But I was much more surprized to find the otherwise Ingenious Mr. Penn laugh at his Adversary for not being Infallible It is no surprise to find
we know it to be beyond our practice and liking For whoever is disowned by us for practices contrary to the Terms of their Union and Fellowship is not thereby broke and undone in his outward estate which the Excommunication above hath sometimes threatned Because our disowning of Backsliders and Immoralists does only extend to testifie against such Persons and Practices and it is the Duty of a Christian Community so to do And I herein charge the Snake with a Lie till he can prove Fifty in one Hundred who have been broke and undone in their Trade by such our Testimonies Ibid. p. 83. The surest method for a Young Man to step into an Abounding Trade and a Rich Wife is to set up first for a Preacher of which many Examples daily occur Tho' the Snake in his own Language p. 16. does boldly and impudently aver this yet no such Examples do daily occur because we own not any for true Preachers who do so set up themselves But who are thereunto inwardly moved of the Holy Ghost And this Call the Snake would have us think he owns it being a previous Question to Ordination as himself says p. 316. Ibid. p. 83. G. F. had more Mony at his Disposal than any Bishop in England he having the Command of the Quaker-Treasury It is a notorious Lie G. F. never had the Command of the Treasury of the Quakers Ibid. p. 83. There is a Topick behind which if the former convince them not may at least shame them out of their vain pretences to Infallibility and is the Pitiful and Childish Blunders which are daily seen among them This remaining Topick will on examination like the rest be turned Topsie Turvy for why should a real mistake be more prevalent to make a Man relinquish the guidings of the Spirit of Truth which is able and ready infallibly to guide him in all that concerns his Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life Then the Snake's false Suggestion of Heretical Opinions which he says we hold Which if it were true were a better Argument against Infallibility than the most Childish blunder that can be He quotes W. P. in his Christian Quaker p. 104. repeated by Tho. Elwood in his Truth Defended p. 167. Saying that Christ was born at Nazareth it was a Mistake And what will it thence follow that the Holy Spirit is not able infallibly to inform W. P. and T. E. all that pertains to their Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life If the Snake so think it is easie to know that he blunders and that very dangerously The same is to be understood of the mistake of G. F. if there be one which I have not seen He does also instance one William Walker who he says p. 84. did mistake John 14.2 In my Father's House are many Mansions for in my Father's House are many Manchets Ibid. 84. Another Preaching on Paul 's being bred at the Feet of Gamaliel and being asked by one in the Meeting what that Gamaliel was answered a Town in Judea These two hearsay Stories I disbelieve till proved and in his next desire it be not forgot if it can be done Ibid. p. 84. But above all his Battle-Door a large Book in Folio in defence of the phrase Thee and Thou out of several Languages Greek Hebrew c. of which G. F. understood not one Letter yet subscribes G. F. not only to the Book but to the several pages of this Poliglot That Book the Battle-door is a Collection of Scripture-Examples in the words of the several People recorded therein as the Medianites Hittites Sodomites c. and also a Collection of Examples in the ancient and Modern Languages testifying or proving their concurrence in the essential difference in expressing one and many This Compound work is subscribed by G. F. J. Stubbs and B. Furly For Scripture Examples it needed no greater Learning than English to collect them and that G. F. had For the other Languages the other Subscribers were qualified But the Snake is angry that G. F. is subscribed to the pages of this Polyglot But if he had not been blinded by Envy he might have observed That these words in the Handle of the Battle-Door The Light which Christ hath enlightned you withal believe in that the anointing within you may know to teach you which words are subscribed G. F. in the first page and are of the same signification in the other Languages throughout all the Battle-Door pages So that the words in the first page being G. F's his Fellow-Labourers in that Work to do him justice did in their translating his words into other Languages still put his Name to them Ibid. p. 85. But some Friends know the Jew who had 60 l. in New Crowns as himself told it out of the Quaker-Treasury for helping G. Fox 's Infallibility as to the Hebrew A Liar had need have the help of a Great Memory The Book was printed in 1660. And if a Jew helped he had earned his Mony before that and it is not likely if a Jew wrought for Bread that he could trust and I am sure there could be no new Crowns before 1660. But what is better there was no occasion for a Jew to do that which John Stubbs and B. Furly could and did do themselves that is throughly understand the Hebrew Language And if the Snake cannot prove to the contrary he has done like a Turk in telling this Lying Story of a Jew Ibid. p. 85. He is angry that G. F. should say in the Preface to this Battle-Door That all Languages are to me no more than Dust But has basely omitted to give G. F's reason why they are so which is being redeemed out of Languages into the Power wherein Men shall agree Thus having Tract and Discover'd this Snake through his many Lies base Insinuations and gross Perversions in this tedious Section I now proceed to his Seventh Section SECT VI. Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures WE have always testified according to 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness And the reason of this is because according to 2 Pet. 1.21 The Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And therefore it is that we have constantly directed Men to the Holy Spirit for the true understanding of them by the movings whereof they were at first written For as they do contain a true declaration of the things of God so they are not to be truly understood but by the Spirit of God How much the contrary of this can be prov'd by this Snake I shall now examine Snake p. 85. The Quakers notion of the Light within as before explained must necessarily out off our dependance upon the Holy Scriptures as a Rule either of Faith or Manners The Light within Christ in us as before I have explained
action as is above related to be done in Grace-Church-Street-Meeting Nor did I ever attest to any such Action As witness my Hand Rich. Smith Ibid. p. 107. But to come to further Evidence and give you even a Judicial Determination of the Quakers about the Year 1658. Thomas Padle accused John Chandler at a Meeting of the Quakers at the Bull and Mouth up one pair of Stairs I give it thus particularly that the Friends may not pretend Ignorance and because I have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce if it be in the least disputed for saying That he prefer'd the Scriptures before the Friends Books which accusation John Chandler did not deny but being reprov'd for it by the Meeting said The People urg'd him to it One Principal Reason they gave for preference of their own Books to the Scriptures was That tho' the People had had the Scriptures many years yet they had not Converted so many to the Truth as Their Books had done It is a strange degree of Assurance which this Snake frequently shews in boldly and falsly averring that in Gross and in the Lump of which he can give no Proof thus in p. 62 63 c. foregoing I have shewn the nullity of that Charge of his which he says was prov'd in Legal Form c. against G. F. and others And that both He and They accused were discharged because the Matter was not proved as the Snake falsly hath alledged of which see more in the place refer'd to And now here with like false Assurance he says upon the Credit of Eye and Ear Witness such as himself that the Quakers gave a Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment against the Scriptures Yet shews not what this Determination and Judgment was Which if there had been any such thing no doubt but his Witness would have obtained a Copy of the Determination and Judgment so Judicially and Solemnly made and given as well as have preserved any of the Reasons on which that Judgment was grounded But of this so necessary a thing as a Copy of that Judgment is We have not one Syllable the true Reason of which is because there was no Original from whence to take it But then why the Snake should baulk at that and not forge a whole Paper and give it the name of an Original as well as forge the Title viz. Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment or as well as he hath forged that Slanderous and False Charge in a matter of this same nature against R. S. of Wansworth which thou wilt find in Sect. 8. hereafter or as well as he hath with no less impudence to use his own Term related divers other things which have no footstep of Truth in them of which the Reader may herein find many Instances But after all I also have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce in opposition to his Eye and Ear Witness who do say That that Meeting wherein the Difference between T. P. and J. C. was mentioned did not give any Determination nor any Judgment against the Scriptures is as falsly said by the Snake Nor did that Meeting give any such reason as is mentioned by the Snake or any other reason why Books writ by any of our Friends should have the preference to the Scriptures of Truth Ibid. p. 108 109. Edward Burroughs p. 47. of his Works determines clearly that the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Whether this be E. B's Determination or the Snake's pray Reader consider the following true Quotation from p. 47. of E. B's Works That is no Command from God to me what he Commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I Challenge to find an Example for it They obeyed every one their own Commands One was sent to Baptize and to Preach the Gospel Another was sent not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel and thou J. Turner or any other who goes to Duty as you call it by Imitation from the Letter without which was Commands to others in your own Wills and Time your Sacrifice is not accepted but is an Abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own Wills and Strength which God Hates This Quotation the Snake hath pickt in two or three places leaving out the particular Instances and Examples and put it together that so it might answer what he hath boldly and falsly asserted as above of E. B. as before p. 160. I have detected him in the same manner upon this point abusing of W. Penn. Now Reader pray consider the Snake says E. B. has determined the Scriptures to be of no Authority to us at this Day because he saith the particular Commands from God to the Apostles are not sufficient warrant for us to do the same things which they were so particularly commanded to do But to do the work of the Gospel we must know the movings of the Holy Ghost to call us to it And now I will shew thee that if this be to determine clearly that the Scriptures are not of any Authority at all to us at this Day Then according to the Snake's words the Church of England have clearly so determined For he shewing what Enthusiasm she owns p. 316. speaking of their Church Offices saith This is the first Question demanded by the Bishop from those who are to be ordained Do you trust that you are inwardly mov'd by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think that you are truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is according the Snake's perversion a clear Determination against the Scripture for if the Commands from God to the Apostles were sufficient not for themselves only but for all succeeding times to call them to the Work of the Ministry what occasion is there for the Bishop to ask or any to know whether they are thereunto inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost Or that they thereunto are truely called according unto the Will of Jesus Christ To do thus can it be faulty in us and do we thereby deny the Scriptures and yet the Church of England not thereby deny them Ibid. p. 110. And therefore it was no strange thing to hear G. W. in his Serious Apology p. 49. Prefer not only their own Writings but their Ex Tempore Preachments and even all whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures It would raise some Admiration in a Man to find one in his words p. 16. thus Boldly and Impudently asserting so notorious a Lye as the experience of all that knows us must know this to be Not only Writings and Ex Tempore Preachments but all whatsoever we say on any account are preferred to the Scriptures So that according to the Snake what is spoken in Common Conversation in the transacting our Civil Affairs and Business of
The Word was made Flesh c. dwelt on the Earth and took on him not the Nature of Angels not any Aerial or Fantastical Body But the Seed of Abraham and David and this he did for the same reason and behoof mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoveth him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted For which Infinite Love of Jesus Christ in being both the Saviour and Reconciler of Men to God through himself we sincerely say with the Apostle Heb. 3.3 For this Man was counted worthy of more Glory than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the House hath more Honour than the House Reader These and all other Testimonies recorded in Holy Writ testifying to the Manhood as well as the Divinity of Jesus Christ we do and always did sincerely own So that should our Books in which is treated directly on this Subject and abundantly more largely and particularly than here it can be be collected They would make many Volumes Yet such hath been and is the Inveterate Malice of our Enemies that our Writings no more than our Words must not mean what we so often and solemnly have declared we do mean by them But what our Adversaries will have them to mean that so they may not seem to want proofs for these their false and envious Charges What now remains for us to do But still to persevere in our True and Scriptural Belief and to repeat our Testimonies of it to the envious Objections of Enemies and for the satisfaction of the Sober Enquirer And this Reader thou wilt find in reply to the false and envious Suggestions and Perversions of the Snake herein in this Section Snake p. 125. The Quakers Heresie in this is taken from the Socinians they say Christ took Flesh but no otherwise as they explain it than as Angels assumed Bodies or as he Christ or the Word did Inspire or Dwell in Prophets or Holy Men of old c. What the Socinians hold herein I neither know nor is it my business to now enquire But this I know that we do believe that Christ the Word took Flesh but not as Angels assumed Bodies His Body which he took of the Virgin was really truly and properly Flesh and had the gradual and natural Growth of Mankind from Infancy to Childhood to the State of a Young Man and so to the degree of Perfect Man and being Perfect Man did Dwell Eat Drink and Converse with his Disciples and with the Multitude did Preach did work Miracles was Tempted did Hunger and Thirst was crucified and did Rise again and Ascend into Glory Thus did never Angels assume Bodies Those Ministring Spirits when they have assumed Bodies it hath been upon particular and short but special occasions at once appearing without the gradual degrees of natural Growth or subject to the Infirmities and Accidents of natural Bodies and it could not be otherwise they being only Aerial and not truly Flesh and Blood as was that Body of Jesus the Son of the Living God Ibid. p. 125. But they deny any proper Incarnation of Christ that is that he was made Flesh or that he and Jesus was one Person 'T is false we own that He the Word was made Flesh properly Incarnate and was in the form of a Servant Ibid. p. 125. Yet they allow Jesus to be called Christ from the dwelling of Christ in him And if the Snake will not allow so much he contradicts the Apostle who saith of Jesus Christ With him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead Bodily Col. 2 9. Ibid. p. 125. But for the same reason they take the name Christ to themselves and say that it belongs to them as well as to Jesus c. Jesus Christ when he ascended up on High he led Captivity Captive and did give Gifts unto Men the Gifts of his Holy Spirit of which the Apostle hath testified Ephes. 4.7 But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ. Thus much we have often declared and that truly But it is falsly said and charged that we take the Name of Christ to our selves or say it belongs to us in any other manner than in these and other Scriptures is mentioned We say that Christ by his Ascension into Glory hath given the Gift of his Spirit to Men to which as they are obedient they will witness the Power of the Spirit of Christ in them to bring every thought into subjection and when through the assistance of this Spirit they thus have got the Victory over their own Corruptions and Lusts they will truly say it is no more I but Christ in me Yet the name Christ cannot hereby be supposed to belong â—o such nor was it ever said by any of us that it did belong to us in such manner as to Jesus for to him it belongs by Origination to us only by participation through him For he by partaking of our Nature made thereby Mankind partakers of his Spirit I say this with respect to the generality of the Gospel Dispensation for there were many particular Persons not within the Covenant of the Law in the time of the Law who had manifestations of the Spirit of Christ and in no other sense have we ever taken the name of Christ to our selves Ibid. p. 125. They say that Christ did raise up the Body if Jesus from the Dead but they say not that Christ did carry it up with him into Heaven What then do we say he did with it Why that the Snake shews not and good reason there is for this his Silence But Reader I will tell thee that we do say and believe according to Acts 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Clâ—ud received him out of their sight Ibid. p. 126. They say there is no other Christ but what is within them they allow him no Humans Body but their own When we say there is no other Christ than what is within us we say true because Christ as God cannot be divided and the Measure or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in us is not another but a Manifestation of the fame Christ which did in fulness and Bodily dwell in the Man Jesus But when the Snake says we allow him no Humane Body if he means Manhood he says false as I have before shewn and as is very often testified in many of our Books Ibid. p. 126. One of their Preachers prayed at a Solemn Meeting O God who was Crucifi'd Dy'd and Rose again in us We know very well that G. Keith did accuse Thomas Fitzwater of so praying at a Meeting in Pensilvania But unless the Snake has better proof than that
attributed unto the Blood of that very Body of Christ to wit that it did propitiate For however it might draw stupendious Judgments upon the Heads of those who were Authors of that Dismal Tragedy and died impenitent yet doubtless it thus far turn'd to very great account in that it was a most precious Offering in the sight of the Lord and drew God's Love the more eminently to mankind at least such as should believe in his Name as his solemn Prayer to his Father at his leaving the World given us by his beloved Disciple doth plainly witness Thus W. P. Wherein I take it to be as plain as can be that he does declare and confess that the true Christ was Man And when he speaks of the Spirit of Christ in its appearance in Man under the Name or Epithet Principle he sufficiently shews that he intends more thereby than any Moral Virtue For in p. 100. speaking of the Spirit of God under this Epithet of Inward Principle he saith And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply wounded yea as one slain so in Good Men that have had a sense of the Worlds Abominations hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is one in all Now Reader what clearer Testimony can there be that W. P. does under the name Principle understand the Holy Spirit of God and not any Moral Virtue as the Snake would basely and falsly insinuate And for this his manner of expressing the Holy Spirit there are plenty of Examples in the Scriptures of Truth where under the Principle of Wisdom Isaiah speaking of Christ and his Dispensation in the Gospel-times Chap. 33.6 saith Wisdom shall be the stability of thy times And our Saviour saith Mat. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children And the Evangelist speaking of the growth of the Child Jesus saith Luke 2.40 And the Child grew and waxed strong in Spirit filled with Wisdom c. These with abundance more of like import the observing Reader may easily find in Holy Writ Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from W. P's part of Serious Apology c. p. 146. But that the outward Person which suffered was properly the Son of God we utterly deny And perversely would draw W. P's words to say or mean that the Body which Christ assum'd was but as a Cloak or a Vail like the Body in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again Against this false and unjust Imputation I shall first give W. P's words in the page quoted from whence the impartial Reader may be able to take W. P's meaning from himself and then observe somewhat upon the Snake's perversion To the first Jenner W. P's Opponent had said We deny that Person the Son of God that died at Jerusalem to be our Redeemer To which W. P. replys Which most horrid Imputation has been answer'd more I believe than a Thousand times that is that he that laid down his Life and suffer'd his Body to be crucify'd by the Jews without the Gates of Jerusalem is Christ the only Son of the Most High God But that the outward Person which suffer'd was properly the Son of God we utterly deny and it is a perfect contradiction to their own Principles A Body hast thou prepared me said the Son then the Son was not the Body though the Body was the Son's This brings him more under the charge of making him but a meer Man than us who acknowledge him to be one with the Father and of a Nature Eternal and Immortal for he was glorified with the Father before the World began Thus W. Penn whose plain meaning is no other than that the Outward Person that Body which our Lord did take of the Virgin was not properly the Son of God by Eternal Generation and was not Glorified with the Father before the World began He is here distinguishing between the Divinity and Manhood of our Saviour and that according to Scripture The Divinity was from Everlasting the Manhood not so that was taken up in the fulness of time appointed by God born of Mary nourished and encreased in Stature Strength c. according to Nature's Law and Course This Body Christ laid it down for the Sins of the World he did thereby consecrate for us a new and living way Through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10.20 and here the Flesh or Body of Christ is called a Vail by allusion to the Vail mentioned Exod. 26.33 which did divide between the Holy Place and the Most Holy and this the Apostle shews Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us And in this sense and no other have we ever used the words Vail or Garment in this case and not as is falsly alledged by the Snake to signifie a Body Ibid. p. 130. in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again In like manner the Snake p. 131. curtails and perverts a Quotation from a Book of ours Entituled some Principles c. from which he quotes p. 126. thus The Scriptures do expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore And we can never call the Bodily Garment Christ. If the Scriptures do so expresly distinguish Of which Instances are given why did the Snake injuriously make a Break in the Quotation instead of giving those instances For upon the Authority of Holy Writ it is that we do thus distinguish and if our Distinction be bad or weak he should have given us a better Exposition of the Scriptures therein brought for that purpose That he may not omit it in his next I here give some of the Instances from that Book wherein the Scriptures do expresly so distinguish Ibid. p. 131. I come now to a Quotation made from Isaac Pennington in his Question to the Professors p. 25. which the Snake does not only break to pieces but also to the several pieces joins some words of his own that they may like his Brethen of the Inquisition by them be forced to sound as he would have them It is in the manner following Isaac Pennington p. 25. Denies that it was the Flesh and Blood of the Veil of the outward Earthly Nature as he calls the Body of Christ by which we are cleansed for says he Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience Thus the Snake gives it and makes nonsense of it for by the Pieces of the Quotation as he has placed them he says that I. P. calls the Body of Christ the Flesh and Blood the Vail of the Flesh and Blood or the Outward and Earthly Nature Thus making the Body a Vail to it self But Reader I will shew thee from the Book it self that I. P. is neither Nonsensical in his Expression nor Heretical in his Meaning but Scriptural
and Orthodox p. 25. q. 18. Seeing the Apostle speaks of purifying the Heavenly things themselves Heb. 9.23 It would seriously be enquired into and the Lord waited on to know what nature these Sacrifices must be of which cleanse the Heavenly things whether they must not of necessity be Heavenly If so then whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Vail Heb. 10.20 or the Flesh and Blood within the Vail John 6.53 Whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Outward Earthly Nature first quoted or the Flesh and Blood of the Inward Spiritual Nature last quoted Whether was it the Flesh and Blood which Christ took of the first Adam's Nature or the Flesh and Blood of the second Adam's Nature Thus he and is very sound according to the Doctrine of our Saviour who saith John 6.53 Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Of this many of his Disciples said John 6.60 This is an hard saying And therefore our Saviour expounds it to their weakness v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life From all which this is the Sum of I. P's Question The Soul of Man is of Heavenly Extraction which being fallen through Sin is not to be cleansed therefrom but by the Spirit of Christ which is shed on Mankind and univerâ—â—lly tender'd to them by Jesus Christ having offer'd up as a Propitiatory Sacrifice his Body and through the Vail that is to say his Flesh hath opened to the Kingdom in the Apostle's phrase A New and Living Way Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from C. Atkinson's Sword of the Lord drawn p. 5. Your Imagined God beyond the Stars and your Carnal Christ is utterly denied To say this Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie Here the Snake hath made a false Quotation that it might not fail to answer his purpose which yet when set in its true Light speaks quite otherwise it standing thus in that Book Your imagined God beyond the Stars and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your Heathenish Philosophy is utterly denied and testified against by the Light which comes from Christ. Now if the Snake's God and Christ can only be made appear through Heathenish Philosophy this he says is utterly deny'd And it is certainly true that the Light which comes from Christ does utterly deny all Vain and Carnal Imaginations The words from the break are a position of his Opponents to which he does not barely reply It is a Lye but adds He is not divided from what he was before the Foundations of the Hills were laid c. Ibid. p. 131. quoted from Great Mystery p. 250. The Devil was in thee says G. F. to his Adversary Christopher Wade Thou sayest thou art saved by Christ without thee and so hast recorded thy self to be a Reprobate Ibid. p. 132. From Great Mystery p. 183. Such as have Christ in them they have the Righteousness it self without Imputation the end of Imputation the Righteousness of God it self Christ Jesus Thus the Snake first picks up bits to make Quotations and then packs them on heaps that by this his false and confused jumbling of things together they might speak his own mind not the mind of the Writer As to the first where he brings in G. F. saying to Christopher Wade The Devil was in thee c. It was because he had given Testimony of it as this Snake has done by stuffing as G. F. says his Book with Lies And tho' the Snake may think it is no complement yet I can tell him it is Truth in much plainness and agreeable to the Sentence of the Lip of Truth to the Jews when he told them Ye are of your Father the Devil John 8.44 and the lusts of your Father ye will do c. So that where we find Murderous and Lying Works it shews them to be of the Devil As to the latter part of the first Quotation Thou say'st thou art saved by Christ without thee c. It does plainly contradict the Doctrine of the Apostle and upon the Authority of that G. F. or any other may safely declare that such who know not Jesus Christ in them are Reprobates and if Chr. Wade declared himself such G. F. was no more to blame than any other may be if the Snake now do the same To the last Quotation from p. 183 it is near all of it Scripture for Christ is declared the Righteousness of God and is the end of Imputation to all that believe which as G. F. there says Is owned and this Imputation is within for he that believes is born of God Ibid. p. 132. Quoted from Saul's Errand p. 14. Christ says he that is The Light within is the Substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure To shew the Reader this more clearly it being not long I will give it intire as in that Book from whence the Reader may judge of the Orthodoxy of the place and the Malicious Parenthesis of the Snake It was a Query propounded to G. Fox Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not and if a Figure how and in what To which he answers Christ is the Substance of all Figures his Flesh is a Figure for every one passeth through the same way as he did who comes to know Christ in the Flesh There must be a Suffering with him before there be a Rejoycing with him Christ is an Example for all to walk after and if thou knowest what an Example is thou would'st know what a Figure is to come up to the same fulness Thus G. F. and is according to these and other Scriptures John 13.15 1 Pet. 2.21 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 2.9 Ibid. p. 132. The Snake in like manner minces the words of E. B. only quoting from p. 149. of his Works The very Christ of God is within us leaving out what follows We dare not deny him and we are Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bone as the Ephesians were Eph. 5.30 Ibid. p. 132. He does pick from Isaac Penington's Question to the Professors p. 27. Doth not the name Christ belong to the whole Body and to every Member of the Body as well as to the Head And has left out what follows which are the Scripture Proofs Are they not all one yea all one in the Anointing was not this the great desire of his Heart to his Father John 17.21 23. That they all might be one even as the Father and Christ are one And so being one in the same Spirit 2 Pet. 1.4 one in the same Life one in the same Divine Nature even partakers of God's Holiness Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 12.10 nor is the Apostle ashamed to give them the Name of Christ together with him c. Heb. 2.11 The Snake
from a few words by him pickt from this Quotation very arrogantly pretends to say They the Quakers think that the name Christ does belong to every one of them not only more than to that Body but as well as to it while it was upon the Earth But what freedom soever the Snake has used to misrepresent I. P's words which as above quoted say no such thing yet it is intollerable that he should carry his Iniquity so far as to bely our very Thoughts and to tell the World that They the Quakers think c. what no Quaker did ever think In fine the Sum of I. P's words is only thus in the words of the Beloved Disciple 1 John 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Thus Christ the Anointed Isa. 61.1 Luke 4.18 gives the Anointing of his Spirit for a Guide to his Followers Ibid. p. 132. The Snake quotes from Great Mystery p. 88. Christ is the Elect. And falsly glosses upon it in this manner Thus Christ is the Elect and Elect are Christ's They make them convertible Terms The Prophet Isaiah speaking of Christ saith Isa. 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth c. And also the Holy Apostle 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone Elect Precious c. And we do say He Christ was from Eternity the Elect and Chosen of God by and through whom all who are made partakers of Eternal Salvation must be Elected and Chosen Yet the Terms are not convertible Christ is the Elect Head of the Church all who are obedient to his Spirit of Grace are Elect Members This is agreeable to a Cloud of Scripture Testimonies for the present take these following Mat. 24.31 Rom. 8.33 Col. 3.12 Tit. 1.1 Ibid. p. 132. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 207. A Priest had said That God hath a Christ Distinct from all things whatsoever To which G. F. replys God's Christ is not distinct from his Servants Reader I have in the last Section shewn thee what kind of distinction G. F's Opponents pleaded for and what he opposed viz. Separation and Incommunication And surely those terms Distinct and Incommunicable are not fit to express the Deity nor yet his Dwelling in Man and in such sense Christ is not Distinct that is Separate from his Servants Ibid. p. 133. They say a Man may tell a Lye so often that he may come to believe it himself at Last Of this the Snake may likely be an Instance Ibid. p. 133. Who that had not his Head turn'd with such Enthusiastical Delusion could have imagined that G. F. could not understand the Difference or Distinction betwixt Christ and himself And that Men of sense should lick up his Spittle Who that had not his Heart turned with Malice and Envy and thereby his Eyes blinded cou'd have failed to see that G. F. does according to Scripture understand the difference between Christ and himself But the Positions of the Priests were concerning not the Difference but the Separation of Christ What else can the Sense be of this Position of the Priest Great Mystery p. 293. The Father is a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son and the Son a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Father and the Holy Ghost a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son And if thus Distinct or Incommunicable to each other it 's not to be expected the Deity should be less Distinct and Incommunicable to Men And against this false and Anti-scriptural Doctrine it is G. F. hath declared as is before shewn And this is the Spittle the Snake licks up and defends Ibid. p. 133. And I have shewn several Instances Sect. 8. where G. F. does assume the Stile and Names of Christ to himself and that others do allow them to him I have in all those several Instances in Sect. 6. shewn that the Snake hath bely'd G. F. and others for that he hath not assumed them nor others allowed them to him as suggested by the Snake Ibid. p. 133 134. All which is excused by Mr. Penn in the 11 th Chapter of the Invalidity of John Faldo c. in such a wonderful manner as will leave no Blasphemy or Idolatry in the world without a very fair pretence W. P. shews in that Book that the Charges of our Enemies then were false as are now those of the Snake and rescues the words of some of our Friends therein from their Perversion as some others of them herein now are He speaks Scripture and Reason and shews we are agreeable to both and uses no fair pretences to excuse but solid Orthodox Truths to shew and explain that we are neither Blasphemous nor Idolatrous as may be seen p. 266. of that Book Invalidity c. Ibid. p. 134. These are the words of a great Apostle of the Quakers Edw. Burroughs p. 273. of his Works The Sufferings of the People of God Quakers in this Age is greater Suffering and more unjust than in the days of Christ or of the Apostles What was done to Christ or the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in great part by the due Execution of a Law The Snake here as is usual with him hath from several places pickt these words and jumbled them together that they might look as he would have them but as they stand in E. B. it plainly shews that his Comparison lies not to the Persons Suffering or to the greatness of the Suffering in it self considered but only with respect to the several pretences of those who were the Persecutors and E. B. does thereupon shew that the Persecutors in those times and also in the times of Queen Mary had the colour of unjust Laws but the Persecutors of his time had not in divers instances for which they did Persecute the Shadow of any Law at all such as for not pulling off the Hat for using the plain Language and such like The Snake next takes up three or four pages upon a Quotation from Solomon Eccles which no Quaker did ever approve much less justifie as hath been formerly observed by Thomas Ellwood to G. Keith and therefore is of no weight here And although he would p. 139. fasten it upon G. Whitehead by nibling at his words in that piece of his Entituled The Light and Life of Christ within p. 58. where he G. W. says that S. E. did speak of the Blood of Christ as more Excellent Living and Holy than is able to be utter'd c. He adds Which might have satisfied any spiritual and unbyassed Mind I say tho' he would insinuate from these words that G. W. does not disown this Expression of S. Eccles yet G.W. does in plain Words deny it which yet this Adversary Snake-like hath omitted to deliver His words
and Answers which are in p. 8 9. of W. Smith's Primmer and which are as follows Child But do they Ministers not all preach Christ in words Father Yes the false Ministers can speak of the Name of Christ as the true do but they want his Power Child But how may I then know which is true and which is false by their words seeing words may be the same Father Why they that are false preach Christ without and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above but they that are true Ministers they Preach Christ within and direct People to wait to feel him in themselves and so to believe in him as he makes himself manifest in them and this is true Doctrine that brings People to mind that principle of God in their own Consciences which comes down from Heaven and goes thither again and such as are in the earthly wisdom they do not know Heaven above Child This is a great Difference in their Doctrine for one to preach Christ without and another preacheth him within Father Yes it doth make a great Difference and hath no more fellowship together than the East hath with the West Thus W. S. And this is so far from preventing the least tincture of Christianity that it is a sound initiating Lesson for Children it being no other than a plain and short Paraphrase of divers Texts of Scripture and particularly of 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh Yea tho' we have known Christ after the Flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Col. 1.27 That God would make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory In which places according to the whole tenour of the Gospel-dispensation the Apostle labours to bring People to give up to the workings of the Spirit of Christ in them Yet does not hereby slight or undervalue much less deny Christ in his appearance in the Flesh nor the Office of his Mediatorship in Heaven by whom it is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to Men. And agreeable to this was the Labour and End of W. S. in that Primmer of his But further if we make but a small amendment of the word only to the second Answer what will become of the Snake's Cavil and then read it thus They that are false preach Christ without and bid People believe in him only as he is in Heaven above c. It will be past his Cavil and he ought not for such an Elipsis to have forfeited all his Pretended Charity nor falsly to have declared it an admirable Cue to prevent the least tincture of Christianity I expect that this amendment may be opposed by him and that he may urge that our Writings are by no means to be added to But if it be so urged I would then answer The Church hath given abundant encouragement to supply Eliptick Defects by her Example and Practice in the Holy Scriptures in which there are a thousand I believe Instances of a word or words added with purpose I would in Charity think of more fully expressing the Mind of the Holy Ghost And what is so familiarly done with Holy Writ surely we may do with our Friends Books Ibid. p. 145. The Snake makes a curtail'd quotation from p. 17. of E. B's Preface to G. F's Great Mystery thus We differ in Doctrines and Principles and the one thou must justifie and the other thou must condemn as being the one clean contrary to the other in our Principles E. B. in this place was speaking of those Doctrines and Principles of the Priests which were opposed in that Book some of which I have mentioned p. 155. but not indefinitely of all the Principles they did or might hold and that there was reason to oppose them I question not but the impartial Reader will agree not simply for that they are clean contrary to us but for that they are so to true Christian Doctrine And of these and such as these E. B. speaks thus p. 17. ut supra And besides their Petitioning which the Priests and others did the Magistrates against us and Preaching and Praying against us and all the evil and wickedness in Work Word and desire brought forth against us from time to time Yet here sober Reader thou hast a Catalogue and whole number of Books printed and written against us and abundance of their Doctrines uttered against us and in opposition to us gathered up in this Volume in a sum with our Answers to them And if thy Mind and Heart be single thou mayst hereby understand in measure the difference in Doctrine between them and us and compare each of them with the Scriptures and see whether their Doctrines and Principles laid down as the subject of their Books or our Doctrines and Principles laid down in answer to theirs be according to and and agree with the Scriptures And if thou be impartial in this business and single in this Search and Judgment I doubt not but thou wilt in a great measure satisfie thy self and be resolved concerning their Priests and Professors in England and us who are called Quakers And when thou hast thus done own and deny whether them or us for thou mayst fully perceive we differ in Doctrines c. Now Sober Reader what just exception can there be to the tryal of Doctrines and Principles where the Holy Scripture is assigned for the Touchstone and such persuasion as the Lord shall give is to be Leader But this is a Tryal the Snake dreads because it wholly destroys Implicit Faith and blind Obedience Ibid. p. 146. And therefore this difference of Doctrine betwixt the Quakers and us which they say is as wide as from East to West must be more than concerning the Light within c. Yes so it is it is concerning the Separation and Incommunication of the Deity mentioned p. 189 foregoing It is concerning the Holy Scriptures alone being the Object of Faith It is concerning the Letter of the Scripture being the Sword of the Spirit It is concerning the Letter of the Scripture being God It is concerning the Scriptures being the Power of God and the Iudge by which all Men shall be judged And in fine it is concerning many other things mentioned in that Book Great Mystery several of which I have refer'd to in their several pages as I have met with them Ibid. p. 146. The Quakers do positively determine their Light within to be not a Secondary Agent or sent from any other but that it is it self the Principal The Quakers do indeed determine according to the Testimonies of our Saviour and his Holy Apostles Mat. 10.20 John 14.17 20. and 15.4 Rom. 8.9 10 11. 1 Cor. 3.16 and 6.19 Gal. 4.15 Col. 1.27 1 John 4.4 That the
of Richard Scoryer's And we do also certify that some Part or Portion of the Old or New Testament is daily Read in the said School beginning at Genesis and so Reading on in the said Scriptures untill both the Old and New Testament are Read throughout Wansworth 22 d August 1698. Law Ball Edm. Phillips Tho. Darking Steph. Webb Nich. Lesow Sam. Webb Thus Reader thou here hast this Story to a Demonstration proved a Lye as is also done in divers others foregoing and may be hereafter done in other Instances And if this our Adversary had not a natural propensity to tell Lyes he could not thus err from Truth For hiding and sculking as he generally does in the City he might with small pains have gone by Water to Wansworth 5 Miles or with less cost have sent a Penny-Post Letter to many Persons of that Town who could have better inform'd him herein if he had not been both Hypocritical and Unjust in that he pretends care to our Souls while he wilfully tells Lyes with purpose to destroy us This his practice leads me to observe of him that he is fitter to all the purposes of Destruction and Hate than to that one great purpose to which he falsly pretends viz. to promote the Vnity of the Church 〈◊〉 indeed pretends Great Charity Real Kindness and Good Wishes for the Generallity of us yet tells Lyes of us which in their end and design are to raise Persecution by influencing the Government against us if they would but take the Alarm from him But as it hath pleased God who hath the Hearts of all Men in his hand to incline the Government to give us some security against the evil practices of ill designing Men by affording us a Toleration in the matters of the Worship of our God so we are truly thankful to God and the Government herein and are at no time backward to give an account of the Faith which is in us and our agreeable practice however misrepresented by this Incendiary in Religion Ibid. p. 148. I will end this Section with shewing that the Quakers have in their Blasphemies against the Divinity of Jesus and Humanity of Christ only lick'd up and improv'd the Ancient most Anti-christian Heresies And I may fitly end this Section with shewing that whatsoever the Marcionites Manichees Eutychians and Saturnians might hold as to the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ yet we have always said and believed according to Scripture that Jesus so fore-named by the Angel and born of the Virgin in Bethlehem of Judea was truly and properly Man and in all respects Sin only excepted like unto us and that in this Man Jesus the Godhead dwelt Bodily and that through the Power of the Godhead in him he did open and consecrate a New and Living Way for Men to Salvation and Eternal Life through the Veil that is to say his Flesh And this Truth the Apostle does not deny when he allegorizes Eph. 5.30 The Spiritual Union and Fellowship of Christ with his Followers under the terms of being Members of his Body Flesh and Bones and in a like acceptation are very many other such expressions in Scripture to be understood yet is it not thence to be concluded unless falsly as this Snake does that they are Heretically agreeing with the Cerdonites the Eutychians and Manicheans Ibid. p. 149. But lastly because I must not stay here to deduce and compare all their Heresies those Ancient Heretickâ— the â—bonites and Naâ—areens from whom our Modern Socinians and from them the Quakers do derive their Doctrine did mightily undervalue the Scriptures Some of them pretended to mend the Scriptures and did boldly Adulterate them and set up other Scriptures against those received by the Church And this the Quakers have done beyond any that went before them The Snake does p. 336. Demand Reparation in the Name of the Church of England insinuating his real or assumed Power and if I should now do the like for or in the name of the People called Quakers I may be as much to seek for Reparation from him for this his abuse as I am to seek for proof in this Charge However I do at least demand a proof where ever the Quakers pretended to mend the Scriptures or did boldly Adulterate them or did set up other Scriptures against those received 'T is no Proof of this Charge to say p. 150. We have cannonized our own Writings If that were true it 's no proof but it is false We may have said and said truly that Writings given forth from the movings of the Spirit of God in any are given forth from the same Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures But we have always readily offered and submitted our Words and Writings to the Testimony of the Holy Scripture because tho' the Spirit of God in his People at this day is the same Holy Spirit which was in the Holy Apostles yet they had greater Manifestations of it So that tho' it is both now and then the same in kind the Degree of Manifestation differs But to return I do as above demand proof where ever we have pretended to mend the Scriptures or have boldly Adulterated them or set up others against them As Euseb. Hist. l. 5. c. 28. Theod. Haerit Fab. l. 2. c. 5. do mention instances of some that did and as he says we have beyond any that ever went before us yet gives not one instance The Snake's Ipse Dixit is no Proof and if he cannot give better it will at least be a fresh Proof both of his Impudence and Lyes SECT X. Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ in Opposition to the false Charges of the Snake herein IN the Section immediately foregoing the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ is largly treated of and I have therein shewn that we own and believe both as declared fully and truly in the Holy Scriptures and also that our Books rescued from the perversions of this our Adversary do speak according to that acknowledged Rule It remains that in this I now shew that we have always owned in like Scriptural sense that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death did fulfil his Father's Will and did offer up himself a most Satisfactory Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind in opposition to the false Insinuations of the Snake herein who says p. 151. Herein the Quakers are direct Socinians for they positively deny the Satisfaction Under which cloudy Charge he insinuates as if we did deny what the Scriptures do declare herein Which is false and he might with equal Sincerity have said the Church of England do deny The Satisfaction For to come nearer The Satisfaction which is positively denied by us is as positively denied by the Church of England which is that rigid and strict Notion of Satisfaction which some had Doctrinally but unscripturally laid down in the terms following viz. That Man having transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so exposed to the Penalty of Eternal Wrath it 's
altogether impossible for God to remit or forgive without a plenary Satisfaction and that there was no other way by which God could obtain Satisfaction or save Men than by inflicting the Penalty of Infinite Wrath and Vengance on Jesus Christ the second Person in the Trinity who for Sins past present and to come hath wholly born and paid it to the offended Infinite Justice of his Father This Reader is the Satisfaction or strict and rigid Notion of it which we do deny and which W. P. as quoted by the Snake p. 154. does totally exclude as anon I shall have occasion more largely to shew But that we do from hence deny the Satisfaction which Christ did make and which the Father did accept as mentioned and declared in Holy Writ is very false For we do believe that as our Saviour does declare John 10.18 No Man taketh it from me speaking of his Life but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This Commandment received I of my Father I say we do believe that as Christ had this Commandment and Power from the Father so by his pure divine free and voluntary Resignation Not as I will but as thou wilt Mat. 26.42 he did thereby endear the Father's Love unto him as himself declares v. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life And this his free and unconstrained voluntary Offering of himself as a Ransom for all did include his Agony on the Mount and his Agony on the Cross in fine It includes all his Sufferings both inward and outward whereby he became a compleat perfect and satisfactory Sacrifice and as such was accepted of the Father This briefly but truly and according to Scripture is a short account of the Satisfaction which we do positively own as the former is an account of the Satisfaction which we do positively deny But tho' we have in terms often more largely but to the purpose above declared our Sentiments herein Yet the Snake that he may in some respects imitate the grand Serpent and false Accuser does with his usual assurance speaking of this Doctrine say p. 151. Mr. Penn Blasphemes it as both Irreligious and Irrational But with his false Glossing neither shews what the Doctrine of Satisfaction is nor wherein W. P. doth Blaspheme it Now Reader for thy fuller Information herein I shall acquaint thee and that the rather because W. P. is the only particular Person of our Friends who the Snake in this Section does Hiss at briefly with the State of that Controversie which will give at least some Light to thy Judging of it About the Year 1670 or sooner as we have been seldom without opposition as now there was a Combination of Adversaries who writ many things against us and we then as now were not backward to inform the Honest Inquirer and reprove the Envious Slanderer by making publick our Scriptural Belief and Sentiments in those things wherein we were misrepresented and abused as the several Books of ours Printed about that time will plentifully shew Among other things wherein we were then falsly accused the Doctrine of Satisfaction was one And the line by which we were to be measured was not the Scripture but their own wrong Opinions of it which I have already mentioned p. 231. foregoing This among other things gave occasion to them Books of W. P's Reason against Railing Sandy Foundation shaken and the Serious Apology c. Innocency with its open Face Of which Books the Snake does make so much use as here and there to pick a Line or two and what is more unjust He heaps up 12 or more lines p. 152. without naming Book or Page and that must represent W. P's force tho' not his as there laid down and against this the Snake levels his Artillery and Determines of the whole Books and all the Quakers p. 154. They exceed the Impudence of the very Socinians in their bold Effrontry against this most Fundamental Doctrine of the Christian Religion And notwithstanding a trifling excuse which the Snake here makes for his not proving his Charge I see not how he can avoid being thought exceeding Impudent so liberally to accuse and then fob the Reader off with saying Ibid. My business at the present being not to enter into the large Field of the Socinian Controversie but to shew the much misled generality of the Quakers Are they much misled because of his false Charge No himself is therein much misled But for proof against us we may expect what he saith Ibid. He hath wrote at large upon this Subject which may hereafter see the Light So that till his Darkness come to Light the Reader may if he please take our Adversary's word that we are much misled and exceed the Impudence c. I doubt not but to find a much more Impartial Judgment from my Sober Reader to whom I now apply my self and do acquaint him That W. P. in his Sandy Foundation c. does in great part imploy himself against that rigid and unscriptural Doctrine of Satisfaction which I have set down p. 231. foregoing Against which W. P. does in p. 14 c. cite at large the Scriptures hereafter refer'd to and shews the contrariety of this Doctrine to these Scriptures and some absurdities which unavoidably follow thereupon The Scriptures refer'd to are these Exo. 34.6 7. 2 Chron. 30.7 Neh. 6.17 Isa. 55.7 Jer. 31.31 to 34. Micah 7.18 Mat. 6.12 John 3.16 Acts 10.34 Rom. 8.31 32. 2 Cor. 11.5 18 19. Eph. 1.7 1 Pet. 5.10 1 John 4.9 These dispatch'd He further shews from reason under three Heads that this rigid Doctrine is not true from distinct Arguments raised that Jesus Christ did not give such rigid Satisfaction either as God or as Man nor as God and Man These for brevity sake I omit and come to some of those Irreligious and Irrational Consequences which W. P. does shew do arise from this their rigid Notion of Satisfaction the 5th 6th 7th of which are these which follow and by which the Snake says W. P. Blasphemes the Doctrine 5. It the Doctrine in p. 231. ut supra represents the Son more kind and compassionate than the Father Whereas if both be the same God then either the Father is as Loving as the Son or the Son as angry as the Father 6. It robs God of the Gift of his Son for our Redemption which the Scriptures attribute to the unmerited Love he had for the World in affirming the Son purchased that Redemption from the Father by the Gift of himself to God as our compleat Satisfaction 7. Since Christ could not pay what was not his own it follows that in the payment of his own the case remains still equally grievous since the debt is not hereby absolv'd or forgiven but transfer'd only and by consequence we are no better provided for Salvation than before owing that now to the Son which was
of the Heart and Spirit this work the Law could not perform because as the Apostle says Heb. 7.19 The Law made nothing perfect Nor can Outward Water or Outward Bread and Wine That can only be done by the Inward Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Heart and Spirit This is that which is as useful and indispensable to Christians as the Outward Law was to the Outward Jew To which Outward Law Christ who was greater than Moses having put an end He hath established not another Outward Covenant but the Inward Dispensation of Grace and Truth which comes by Him Ibid. p. 171. Only let me tell the Quakers That their Objections which are answerd in that Treatise a piece writ by the Snake particularly upon this Subject are mostly the same which the Socinians have set up And let me tell the Snake that if the Socinians Arguments herein were sound and according to Scripture it can be no Objection to ours if they were not only mostly but altogether the same And it does not follow that they who err in some things are therefore right in nothing But if what the Snake tells us of our Arguments being mostly the same herein with those of the Socinians It will I hope be of as good purpose for me to tell the Snake that his Objections which are answered in this Treatise are mostly the same which the Romanists did make to the Reformation And then his Witty Remark may be of use to himself To see out of whose Quiver those Arrows came which he hath shot against us Ibid. p. 171. Thus the Socinians having thrown off or slighted the Sacraments have lost the true Faith in the Divinity of Iesus and have rejected him from being the Christ or Word of God which they say only dwelt in him or inspired him but was not Personally united to him Thus say the Quakers What the Socinians have thrown off and lost is not now my business to enquire But that the Quakers have not Thrown off or Lost the True Faith in Christ either as He is the Divine Word or as he was truly Man and dwelt on Earth I have already abundantly shewn in the Section foregoing wherein is particularly treated of and owned the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ. SECT XIII That Popish Emissaries did not first set up Quakerism in England as is said by the Snake THE Snake that he might be compleat in all the parts of his false and abusive Attempts against us having before by many ill practices in vain endeavoured to make us Heretical in points of Faith would here shew that our Original and Rise was from Popish Emissaries But in this I hope to shew his falsity and abuse as I have already done in those In order to which I desire my Reader to observe that the Snake's first Argument is drawn from the time of our Appearance which he makes to be about 1650. and 1654. And of these dates of time he says P. 187. Then it was that Rome was reaping a plentiful Harvest which they had long been sowing by setting up in that Universal Toleration Multitudes of Various Sects on purpose to Divide and so Confound their only Substantial Adversary the Church of England And here let it be observed that he imposes upon his Reader and would have it taken for granted upon his bare Word that about them Years there was a Vniversal Toleration and that during that time of Toleration there were by Romish Emissaries set up Multitudes of Various Sects Neither of which is true in Fact but contrary to the Faith of the History of them times and also to the Experience of many who are yet living who were eye witnesses of the Transactions of them and some who were Sufferers in them But first to the Toleration which the Snake calls Vniversal I doubt not but upon second thoughts the Snake will allow that at that time the Church of England was in Exile so that it was not Vniversal And as to the Quakers then Beginning they were not included in the Vniversal Toleration As our Testimonies easy to be produced of Imprisonments Blows Fines c. which our then few Friends suffered and underwent can testify These Instances I give to which others it's like may add more to shew that there was no such thing as a Vniversal Toleration Now to his Multitudes of various Sects which he says were then set up It is only a Romantick Story of his own Brain which has no truth in it For should it be supposed that there were in them Years People gathered into Religious Societies under Twelve distinct Denominations tho' I know not of one quarter that number What Multitudes can Twelve be called It may be he may say that Multitudes is an Hyperbole And indeed so it is for it so far beyond Truth that the Expression has nothing of Truth in it And now having briefly hinted at his falsity both with respect to his Toleration and Multitudes I shall proceed to shew That had there then been that Vniversal Toleration and such Multitudes of various Sects as the Snake hath falsly alledged Yet it doth not follow that these Multitudes or various Sects were set up by Rome Because there were various Dissents from the Church of England even from the first Reformation And it was objected to Her by the Author of an Apology for the English Seminaries Printed 1581. That there was Contention and Dissention among themselves This was not in 1650. but in 1581. at such time that if there was not Vnviersal Toleration yet the Church at least was Tolerated and who sowed the Dissentions then And if the Snake will not be angry with me as he is with Josiah Cole p. 189. for Reprinting something of a Papist's which he calls a Sensless and Bitter Libel though it is his practice often to repeat part of our Adversaries Bitter and Sensless Libels against us for which it may be he would have us thank him I will briefly quote that Apology Printed 1581. p. 60. His words are these We charge them with rebelling against Christ's Church Laws and Ordinances with disobedience to their Lawful Pastors with contempt of Holy Councils Fathers and Doctors with falsifying corrupting denying divers Books and Places of Holy Scripture With Contention and Dissention among themselves Disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of Liberty and Novelty in-constant and daily change of their Opinions Presumptuous Arrogance and Vaunting of their Knowledge above all Antiquity with Singularity Sacriledge Apostacy c. Thus he And now what Reader but would take this to be the Snake's Declamation against the Quakers were it not for its Title and Date of Print And that we know it to have been a Papist's Declamation against the Church of England So like the Snake it is that to use his words we see out of whose quiver his Arrows came But as we have now to this Snake's so the Church of England did to this and such like Charges of
it How can they who read and believe that saying of Christ Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church believe that Church to be His whose Total Ruine wou'd follow if Tythes were taken way Now least the Snake should glide away and make his Escape through the words in his Parenthesis as they suppose which I suppose he left for a starting hole Pretending that it is only a Supposition of the Quakers that if the Clergy be depriv'd of their Subsistence Tythes they would sink of Course and so the Total Ruine of the Church wou'd follow It will be convenient to remember That one of the Clergy in a Book writ on purpose in Defence of Tythes Entituled The Right of Tythes Asserted c. p. 13. compares Tythes to the Oyl that nourishes the Lamp without which the Lamp would not burn nor give any Light at all and comparing the Priests to an Army says Because they dare not engage this Army they attempt to force them to disband for want of Pay And p. 15. From a saying of Tacitus concerning the State which he says May be applied to the Church in this Case viz. There can be no Quiet to the Nations without Soldiers no Soldiers without Pay nor no Pay without Tribute on which therefore the Common Safety doth depend He infers Even so no Peace in the Church without Ministers no Ministers without Maintenance nor no Maintenance without these Publick Contributions namely Tythes on which therefore the safety of Religion doth depend I hope the Reader will here consider that it is not as they the Quakers suppose but as they the Clergy suppose that the Total Ruin of the Church would follow as also I wou'd desire my Reader to consider what Religion what Church what Clergy that is that doth so depend on Tythes that if Tythes were taken away these must sink in Course Ibid. p. 245. And this R. Barclay does not conceal That Antichristian Apostatiz'd Generation says he the National Ministry have receiv'd a Deadly Blow by our Witness against their forc'd Maintenance and Tythes So that their Kingdom in the Hearts of Thousands begins to Totter and shall assuredly fall to the Ground Anarchy c. p. 41. Printed 1676. This is a Truth which it was not proper to Conceal for it is fit their Kingdom in the Hearts of People should fall because they have but usurped it they have no Right to have a Kingdom in the Hearts of People and the Reason why it Totters and why it and they will fall is because they are not built upon the Rock Christ Jesus but depend upon a forc'd Maintenance by Tythes of which if they be depriv'd the Clergy will it seems sink in Course Ibid. But what if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes and think they ought in Conscience to do it as being Legally Established c. Whether Tythes be Legally Established is neither my business nor purpose here to discuss but supposing them to be Legally Established is a Legal Establishment by Civil or Human Authority a Bond to bind Conscience in things relating to Religion and the Worship of God Time was when the Sacrament of the Altar Auricular Confession the Caelibate or single Life of Priests and the rest of the Six Articles were in this Nation Legally Established Did that Establishment bind the Conscience to the performance of those things Unhappy Martyrs then who gave their Bodies to be burnt rather than they wou'd comply with those things tho' so Established Legal Establishments are of equal force in one Country as in another Are not these Six Articles not only practised by the Popish Party but reputed to be legally established in Popish Countries and vigorously impos'd and press'd in some particularly in France Are the Poor Protestants there to be Condemned as acting against Conscience while they have suffered such Ravages and Inhumane Cruelties for not complying with those things which are there Legally Established Who but a Snake wou'd thus hiss at them in his envy against Us But says he if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes Wou'd the Quaker Rulers allow them Liberty of Conscience and give them leave to follow their Light within The words Quaker Rulers as scoffingly used by him I reject and know of no such that the Light within ought to be the Rule for every one to walk by I assert But it is not impossible for some who may pretend to walk by it to put Darkness for Light and take that to be the Allowance of the Light to them especially in a case where either advantage or danger outwardly is likely to follow which is contrary to the Light This is not to be wondred at especially by them who call the Scriptures their Rule of Faith and Manners since there is hardly any thing more common nor more evident than that some in all Communions of them do think and are persuaded that according to the Scriptures they ought to believe and practise such things and after such manner as others not only of other Communions owning the same Rule but those of the same Communion with themselves deny to be the meaning of that Rule and oppose or condemn them for If a Bishop or other Clergy-man of the Church of England or any Minister or Member of any other Religious Society should so far mistake himself as to think the Scriptures which he takes for his Rule does allow not to say require him to say Mass to pray to Saints departed or other distinguishing Doctrines of Popery or to practise any abrogated Jewish Rite as Circumcision or the like wou'd the Church of England or any of the other Communions allow such an one the Liberty of his Conscience therein and give him leave to follow that which he says is the sense of the Scripture and yet continue to be of the Clergy of the Church of England or a Minister or Member in those other Communions If not but that they wou'd as they ought disown or deny such a one to be of them let not them condemn themselves in condemning us who have done no more as we ought not to have done less This I judge sufficient answer to his Idle Cavil about T. Crisp and other Apostates from us whose pretence to an allowance from the Light within to act those things which are contrary to the General direction and Testimony of the Light within has been fully laid open in several printed Treatises The Snake to swell his Libel not strengthen his Argument here brings in two Quotations from G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn nor relating to Tythes to which I need say little being already before answered and therefore shall here only add to what is already said that if he intend hereby to deny the Hypothesis only That any of our Writings are given forth by the same Spirit by which the Holy Scriptures were given forth I am content to leave it to the Witness
if he did not reckon them any part of her ten pound Estate he might if he had sold them somewhat encreased that Ibid. p. 277. Nihil Dicit is Confessing of Judgment c. Supposing Nihil Dicit to be Confessing of Judgment yet that is not our Case we have been far from saying nothing for we have replyed I think to all that Bugg hath writ against us at least while he pretended to bring a Stock of new Charges and so Contentious a Man deserves not to be hearkned to or answered only for his noise sake But now to Nihil Dicit which the Snake says is Confessing of Judgment Sure he unluckily forgot the Suspicions he lay under to which he never yet dare appear to make answer so that Nihil Dicit is Confessing of Judgment Ibid. If they could prove Tythes to be Abrogated by Christ then indeed Bugg 's Impeachment would appear to be Malicious Very well I am contented to put it to that Issue because they have not only been proved heretofore to be abrogated by Christ in the Writings of several of our Friends but herein also as I take it it is fully proved that Christ by coming in the Flesh and offering up himself hath abrogated Tythes And that confirmed by Scripture Reason and Authorities Ibid. It is no Objection that Quakerism has not been voted in St. Stephen 's Chappel as bad things have c. What he means by Quakerism being voted in St. Stephen 's Chappel may seem doubtful yet that the Parliament have given us a Christian Liberty we are truly thankful tho I question not but this Malicious Abdicated Priest is sorry for it But why Snake that scurvy and saucy flurt upon the House of Commons as bad things have Can't the Parliament escape the Lash of this Lurking Snake who by the base treatment he has given to the Reformation in England from Popery and also to the present Government seems to intimate both these to be some of the bad things he flurtingly means to have been voted in St. Stephen 's Chappel This brings me to the end of this Section of Tythes SECT XVIII Shewing that the Pretensions of the Present Quakers as of the Former to the Spirit of Prophecy Infallibility c. is according to and agreeable with the Scriptures of Truth THe Snake that he may encrease the Bulk tho' not the Weight of his Charge does in a Multiform manner repeat the same thing We have before had one Section and that not a very short one Concerning the Quakers Infallibility and another Section Concerning the Quakers Pretence to Immediate Revelation And in both these are included this Section Entituled The Pretensions of the Quakers to the Spirit of Prophecy Infallibility c. In almost every particular Instance which he has here mentioned so that to be distinct and particular in this to all the Parts of it were but to say the same thing over again which would be equally unnecessary both for my self and Reader But if in my way through it I meet with any thing new and not answered before I shall not willingly escape it or pass it over The three first pages and it hath but seven are near all taken up in quibling and foolish unprov'd Reflections not worth a Confutation when they are not dress'd in a false shew of Reasons Garb and then only for this Cause that by Derecting an Enemies false Reasoning he may not be able to deceive or impose upon his Readers which this Snake doth frequently endeavour both by false Relations of fact by false Quotations from our Books by gross known Perversions of our Words and giving meanings to them which were never ours and also by boldly affirming of things utterly false As where he says p. 280. Our present Obstinate Quakers refuse to be brought to disown their own False Prophets We have not refused to Disown and Testifie against any who have spoken falsly in the Name of the Lord No but have according to the Examples of like kind recorded in Holy Writ denied them of which I have already in the Section concerning Infallibility given some instances Ibid. But do still fearlesly go on and pretend themselves to the same Extraordinary Commission of Immediate Divine Revelation That Divine and Immedate Revelation to which we do pretend is no other than that which is declared and held forth in the Scriptures of Truth as I have already shewn Section IV. and which the Snake does acknowledge p. 27 28. In some sense they may be called Revelations and Immediate too And as to Extraordinary Commissions or the Special Manifestations of God to his Children in the Higher Degrees of Immediate Revelation those which we own are not repugnant to the Scriptures but are consistent and agreeable therewith as I have there more largely shewn to which I shall only add that God hath not in the Scriptures of Truth declared or bound himself that he would not any more manifest himself to Men in such special Manifestations or extraordinary Commissions which it is recorded he did give to his Ministers in the breaking forth of the Gospel Dispensation Nay on the contrary the Apostle Peter shewing the People what was the Dispensation of God to Men in the Gospel-day Acts 2.17 18. he saith having reference to the Prophecy of Joel 2.28 And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie and your Young Men shall see Visions and your Old Men shall dream Dreams And on my Servants and on my Handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall Prophesie Are not Etraordinary Commissions herein promised I think there be so that there is not any uncertainty or doubt to know whether such Commissions may be or not Which though the Snake wou'd suggest yet he dare not undertake to prove And therefore chuses to oppose the Spirit of Prophecy in the Servants of God at this day by saying they affix God's Seal Thus saith the Lord to whatever their Rage their Malice or Folly shall suggest This is to affirm but not to prove and unless it be proved it deserves not be believed Ibid. This is nothing short of Blasphemy Rank Wild Blasphemy To affix Thus saith the Lord to Rage Malice or Folly it is indeed as the Snake says nothing short of Rank Blasphemy But that the Quakers do affix Thus saith the Lord to Rage Malice or Folly is nothing short of Rank Lying in the Snake to affirm unless he can prove it It is no Objection to give particular Instances of some that have been called Quakers and have spoken falsly in the Name of the Lord and thence conclude and say therefore none of the Quakers speak truly in the Name of the Lord. For by such undue Inference all the True Prophesies in the Old and New Testament are at once denied and refused as not from the Lord because some
what we assert and vindicate in each particular Snake p. 175. My Accuser presently shews his Prejudice and Enmity against me without cause As with a new Confession of Faith in such dubious and general Terms as may at first sight deceive the unwary Reader tho' I gave it in as plain and as much in scriptural Terms as I could and as the Matters concerned would admit of And I know my own Sincerity therein better than my Accuser who insincerely calls me Honest George whilst he is aspersing me and casting Dirt at me as Deceiving keeping off contradicting the Heart of the Heresie still preserving it safe and untouch'd and not only so but often with a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it So that my confessing Jesus to be the Christ and both his coming in the Flesh and in the Spirit according to holy Scripture-Testimony and also to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament namely the Holy Doctrine and Divine Precept therein as given by Divine Inspiration on which much of my said Confession against F. Bugg depends this hath no beter Acceptance or Resentment with my Accuser than as no Contradiction to the Heart of Heresie but as still preserving it safe and untouched and which is worse a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it Oh sad Stuff Whither will not Pride and Envy precipate some Men What scripturally to confess Jesus Christ and the holy Scriptures as above is this no Contradiction to Heresie But to preserve excuse or defend it What 's Heresie then pray Is it to confess Jesus Christ come in the Flesh c. according to holy Scripture-Testimony of him Oh! For shame leave off such blind Envy and blasphemous Abuse And now to come to the Point How or wherein have I slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it i. e. of the Heart of Heresie as before p. 175. Thus saith my Accuser in his first Article he confesses Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem c. I confess this is part of my Confession but cannot believe this is either not contradictory to the Heart of Heresie or that it is any Excuse or Defence of it Nor that our confessing God or Christ to be our Light can be any such Excuse or Defence Neither do we attribute the Name Christ to any much less to every one of our selves as we are often falsly accused as here whence he also most unjustly infers That then this will appear that this Confession of Whitehead 's is a meer Fallacy while it attributes no more to Jesus Christ than to G. W. Which is a very foul and absurd Falshood and notorious Lie in Fact and contradiction to my said Confession even so far as it is cited by himself as before which is 1. We sincerely own profess and confess Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem in Judea Mat. 2. suffered Death upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem was quickened and raised again by the Power of God and ascended into Heaven and Glory according to the Scriptures Now have I herein attributed no more to Jesus Christ than to my self as he saith Where did I ever attribute this to my self Where is the meer Fallacy Not in my Confession to Jesus Christ but in this Horrid Abuse and Gross Perversion thereof Did I ever say that I am Jesus Christ Or that I was born of the Virgin Mary Or that I suffered Death upon the Cross at Jerusalem c. Oh! For Shame who cannot see such Malice and Madness as my Adversary has vented against me in this Matter Again I find no Fallacy in my Confession to Christ as without nor is there any unless I had denied the Virgin Mary of whom Christ was born to be without or Bethlehem and Judea and Jerusalem to be without us nor doth Christ being without prove him not to be our Light within for the same Christ said I am the Light of the World therefore he is our Light yea the Quakers Light as he calls it they being included in the World Does not the Sun shine in our Houses because the Body and Fulness of it is without them My Accuser Quibbles and Quarrels with Art 10. of my Confession viz. Our Ministers do not Teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as amply as to Christ the Head And here he leaves out all the following explanatory part of the Article as he calls it and Scornfully descants upon the Word amply being in a different Black Character lest quoth he Ibid. you should mistake and think that George was Christ as amply as Jesus And then goes on scoffing That was modest indeed but then George thou art Christ as well as Jesus though not so amply Which is both a false Implication and foreign to my Intention The word amply in that place was only used and intended in direct opposition to F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers Teach That the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body as amply as to Christ the Head New Rome Arraign'd p. 47. But even in the same 10 Art quoted against me I do not allow any Member to be called Christ but expresly disallow it though I confess how Christians have some Interest in his Name but not to be called Jesus but Christians The explanatory part of my Confession in the said 10th Article disingenuously left out by this Scoffer is in these Words viz. But that the Divine Anointing to which Name Christ hath relation virtually is in some measure or degree afforded to every Member of his Body but not so amply as to him the Head nor for any Member to be called Christ but a Christian because Christ received the Anointing the Holy Spirit not by measure but in fulness and because he is the Head of the Body the Church And this very Matter is more fully explained in my Charitable Essay in Answer to F. Bugg p. 4. as before It was far from my Thoughts or Intention to imply any such thing as That I am Christ as well as Jesus for I have often written my self A Servant of Christ and so I am I Humbly Bless his Name that is above every Name Therefore I am still very unjustly accused Ibid. with Rank Sophistry Doging and Deluding and casting a Mist before the Eyes of Poor Deluded People or Leading them into the Mystery of Iniquity or of any Equivocation or Jesuitical Confession of Faith I have a Conscience towards God in what I confess and in good Conscience testifie That thou my scornful lurking Adversary hast cast manifold false and gross Defamations upon me and many others of my Christian Persuasion And in the true Sense of Scripture I have both confessed Christ's coming in the Flesh and as he the Word was made or took Flesh John 1.14 And more than
the Reproaches Detractions Contempt and Scorn cast upon my self by the Author are of less value or weight as to me seeing the Rancour Envy and Foulness of the Spirit from whence they proceed And I always thought my self more obliged in Truth 's Vindication than my own Personal Reputation having long been arm'd with so much of Christian Faith Patience and Good-will to my Enemies as Patiently to endure Persecutions by Reproach and cruel Mocking as well as I have endured by Imprisonments and other Hardships And now I do not believe the Author of the Snake says true That he is very well pleas'd with the said Answer I am persuaded the contrary That he is very much vex'd by having his Falshoods in many things so much detected as they are in the Answer or Antidote His following Reason for his being so very well pleas'd with the said Answer is as notoriously false as the rest of his Lies viz. Because it confirms all the Matters of Fact to every purpose and intent for which they were produced To evince the Falshood whereof I refer the Ingenuous Reader to the said Antidote for his Impartial Perusal I doubt not but this Man's Purpose and Intent in producing the Matters of Fact alledged against us was chiefly that they should be given Credit to and that the People called Quakers their Ministers especially might lie under all his gross and foul Imputations and Defamations of being Diabolically Inspired and Possess'd Deluded Bewitched Blasphemers Rebels Traytors c. How monstrous and improbable then is it that I by opposing these Matters of Fact charg'd should write to confirm them against our selves And his following Words are most notoriously false viz. That he i. e. G. W. had not detected One False Quotation of all that I have brought out of their Books With what Conscience could this Person so confidently thus Assert That G. W. has not detected One False Quotation c. Either he has read my said Answer or he has not If he has read it he must be a shameful Man herein if he has not he must be guilty of great Folly and Injustice And farther to Detect his notorious and foul Falshood in this I 'll produce a few Instances of his many more false Quotations detected in my Answer Antidote p. 15.16 That one of the Orders given forth by their Yearly Meeting 1693. Commands that None shall carry Guns in their Ships This is prov'd a false Quotation in my Answer quoted 2. Antidote p. 17. That in the Answer to F. Bugg 's Impeachment they i. e. the Quakers would persuade us That All they have said against the Payment of Tythes was Only meant by them to the Popish Clergy but by no means against the Right of the Church of England to their Tythes This is plainly detected as a False Quotation as in my Answer 't is declared This is Partially and Wrongfully Stated Our Answer to F. Bugg plainly shews our Conscientious Dissatisfaction with Tythes in general and the forcing thereof now in this Gospel-Day by any Clergy whatsoever as not consistent with the Practice of Christ's Ministers or Testimony of divers Martyrs c. See Antidote p. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. 3. Antidote p. 25 26. That G. Fox Professed and Avowed that he was equal with God that he Profess'd himself to be the Eternal Judge of the World Which is also a False Charge and Quotation against G. F. who being charg'd by his Persecutors with Professing himself to be equal with God Positively denies the Charge as not so spoken as that G. F. was equal with God but that the Father and the Son are one and that Christ and the Holy Spirit are equal with God Saul's Errand p. 5 6. Vid. Just Enquiry p. 12. 4. Antidote p. 35 36. Abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of beastly Ware c. Which is false both in Charge and Quotation and over and over detected in Answer to his Author F. Bugg 5. Antidote p. 43. That G. Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 49. prefers not only their Writings but their ex tempore Preachments and even All whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures themselves This also is notoriously false both in Charge and Quotation as is manifest in my Answer Antidote p. 43. viz. He very perversly wrongs G. Whitehead in all these Expressions for there 's not a Word of Preferring our Writings to the Holy Scriptures much less of all whatsoever we speak thereto but a preferring the Holy Spirit and its Immediate Teaching In Man to the Letter of the Scripture and Preaching in the true Sense of the Spirit with Divine Power and Authority according as Christ did to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did I may further add without offence or under-valuing the Holy Scripture or Godly Doctrine therein contain'd that I verily believe St. Paul and other Apostles Preaching in the Demonstration of the Holy Spirit and Power of Christ was of far greater Efficacy Power and Authority for the Converting People to Christ than the Priests reading their Writings or making a Trade of them as they do in these Days 6. Antidote p. 59 60. That they i. e. the Quakers give to themselves and to one another the most peculiar Titles of Christ as that of the Branch and the Star and the Son of God which he says are Attributed to G. Fox and which he takes to himself Quoting New Rome Arraign'd p. 33 34. And the Quakers Vnmask'd and New Rome unmask'd Referring the Reader to those Books of Fran. Bugg's which he has Quoted upon the Margent as he saith Here this Credulous Adversary has accepted and promoted Bugg's False Quotation and Charge against us though over and over detected as his Notorious Refuted Lies which this Adversary is as 't is told him in the Antidote so shamefully credulous of and that we positively deny giving those peculiar Titles of Christ to our selves or to one another as he falsly Prates and Bugg has been over and over Charg'd therewith and cannot Prove them i. e. that we give those said Titles either to G. F. or to one another and that G. Fox is not so much as mentioned in that Epistle of E. Burroughs out of which those Titles the Branch the Star and the Sun of Righteousness are taken which are peculiar and intended to Christ and no other Serious Reader these few Instances of our Adversaries false Quotation besides many more which are clearly Detected in my said Antidote in Answer to him I hope are sufficient to evince his Falshood in Asserting That Geo. Whitehead has not detected One false Quotation that he has brought out of our Books When the contrary is evident that he has both made and accepted many false even grosly false Quotations pretended out of our Books c. And if to detect such was the only proper Answer that could have been given as he says then he had that proper Answer at least in
Substance with God and by consequence Essentially Equal even to God I still in good Conscience deny the Assertion and such self-advancement of the Creature unto such Equality with its Creator whatever any among us has said of the Divine Spirit or Breath of Life which made Man a Living Soul as for the Equality thereof with God and as of his Being I deny that this was ever intended of the Creature Man that he was either one Being or Substance with God or Essentially Equal with God for that were to confound Created Beings with the Increated Tho' Man as made a Living Soul and created in the Image of God had in him something of that Divine Nature and Being which gave Him his Life and Being I really think I have sufficiently and briefly answered this matter in my Antidote in divers places being a reitterated charge of Blasphemy falsly against the Quakers that they so advance themselves as aforesaid to be One Person and Substance with God A body would think the Man should have proved these very words of the Charge upon us or else not so often repeat it with aggravations as he has shamefully done in such Expressions as these viz. that he does not think that any humane Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to scrue themselves up to such blasphemous heights of Enthusiasm which he deems the height of Madness which I took notice of and justly reprehended in my Antidote p. 87 88. And I dare further add in order to clear our Principle of Sinless Perfection as attainable through the Grace of God in Jesus Christ That although we own an Essential Equality between our Heavenly Father His Son and Holy Spirit and not such an Equality between the creature Man and his Creator yet such a nearness and likeness between the Heavenly Father and his Dear Children as perfection of Holiness and Purity if they attain to the fulfilling of these Doctrines Be ye Perfect or as some have it ye shall therefore be Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Matt. 5.48 And be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 And every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 And if any among us hath writ of them who are perfect in Christ Jesus being led by his Spirit as in that sense Equal I understand Equal only as like unto God or in Vnion with him being united unto him by his Spirit as he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit Our own Principle and Distinction in these matters justly considered I do not think that either my self or any Friend whose sense I explain deserves Bedlam as the Snake would infer upon me p. 358. III. It 's a positive falshood that G. Fox and the rest of us do positively assert all these things charged on him and us before in the Snake or assent to his pretended Proofs thereof p. Ibid. Where does he or we positively assert of our selves that we are One Person or Substance with God I find not these words asserted but the contrary Neither is his Reprinting all his pretended Proofs in his Second Edition of the Snake any full Reply to my Answer wherein I detect his fallaciously Imposing such Words and Terms upon us as are none of ours nor agreeable to our Principles as in the before-mentioned and many others And as positive a Falshood it is That G. Whitehead has omitted all the Proofs in the Snake that is almost of the whole Book The Judicious or Serious Reader that shall peruse my said Antidote in Answer to the First Edition of the Snake may clearly see the Contrary But because quoth he the Quakers shall not complain of being thus put off I do intend to make a particular Reply and to follow G. Whitehead through every single Point that he touches for this End especially that this being the last cast of the Quakers and all the defence they have to make I may so plainly detect it as to leave them without Excuse and by the blessing to convince all of them except those who are resolved not to be persuaded though they were persuaded but hope to disarm them c. p. 358 359. Upon all which 't is observed First On the first part of these pretences and boastings How comes G. W's Answer either to need or deserve such a particular Reply or to be followed through every single Point that he touches If his Answer or said Antidote be no Answer but the name of an Answer and nothing to the purpose but shuffling c. as he hath already given judgment p. 355. tho' before conviction it seems 't is so much to purpose that it will make him some work if he still think it worthy to prosecute his intention upon and that through every single Point too Secondly He 's Egregiously mistaken to conclude 't is either the last cast of the Quakers or all the defence they have to make neither may I take upon me the sole defence of the Quakers so called nor do I so abound in my own sense as if no other were capable of making any further or other defence For God having diversities of Gifts hath raised up many in defence of his Gospel and Truth according to their several Gifts among us blessed be his Name and I hope he will raise up more faithful Witnesses Thirdly What detection or conviction this boasting Person can make or work upon us by his fallible and lying Spirit may be easily supposed How shall we believe that he can work or effect such great matters upon us by his scoffing at us about the Light and Infallibility as the Quaker Light and Quaker Infallibility Fourthly And by what Power or Force thinks he to disarm us of our Armour of Light or our Spiritual Weapons No no Neither he nor the Devil his Master the Prince of Darkness shall ever be able to disarm any one that believes in and sincerely obeys the Light of Christ amongst us who are true Children of the Light These his empty Boastings and fruitless Attempts will evaporate and vanish like Smoak Let God arise and his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him as Smoak is driven away c. Psal. 68.2 3. and 37.20 IV. To his Alledging G. W. in his Answer to Satan Disrob'd bestows not two leaves upon the Discourse of Water Baptism nor attempts to answer so much as one single Objection or to remove one Stone of that Foundation upon which the outward Baptism is built p. 359. This is as frivolous and impertinent as many other his Reflections are false for he may see that upon that Subject I have bestowed five leaves in the Antidote p. 116 to 126. wherein his Arguments are detected and the Invalidity thereof and the great Stress he lays upon the Type discovered and the thing opened according to Scripture but his sign of Sprinkling Infants by him