of the Fathers first Book p. 194. Whilst they beat down one Error they seem to run into the contrary Error In like manner as those who would streighten a crooked Plant are wont to bow it as much the contrary way that so having been worked out of its former bent it may at length rest in a middle posture Now if our Friends have formerly met with those in the Priesthood whose crooked expressions did need streightning they are not to be wondred at or condemned in their Christian endeavours for that end And whether there were such or not I will now joyn Issue with the Snake and shew from a much narrower compass than the extents of the Snake's Challenge which is That there never were in any place such Priests I shall at present only give some few instances out of the Book Great Mystery which the Snake does so often quote which take as follows P. 16. John Timson did affirm that the Holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of Faith P. 38. Tho. Collier did affirm that the Scriptures shall be our Judge one day which we call the Letter P. 111. Jeremy Ives did affirm it to be an Error to say the Letter of the Scriptures was Carnal P. 247. Christopher Wade affirmed The Written Word is the Sword of the Spirit P. 261. Roger Atkinson affirmed That the Letter of the Scripture was God Ibid. Richard Stoakes affirmed That the Scripture is God P. 280. Edw. Price affirmed The Scriptures is the Power of God and that all Men shall be Iudged by them Now Reader upon the Issue joyned in this little space whether appears the Arrant Lyar G. Whitehead in saying There were in the North where most of these did live Priests who had so affirmed of the Letter of the Scriptures or the Snake in saying That neither there nor any where else were such Priests For it cannot be allowed I suppose That the Written Word and Letter of the Scripture as above affirmed is either God or the Power of God or the Iudge of the World or Spiritual or the Sword of the Spirit These and the like crooked Expressions of some in the Priesthood it was the necessary work of our Friends to oppose and straiten according to the Authority of Holy Writ not that we then did or now do charge all the Men with whom these so affirming have held fellowship to have the same Sentiments tho' this be the Practice of the Snake against us notwithstanding his distinction in the Title page of his Libel Ibid. p. 88. How comes it that since they are such bitter Enemies to the Letter they yet make a Conscience of saying Thee and Thou instead of You in the Singular because these were old English words in the first Translations I need not ask How comes it That envy and prejudice is Blind and Ignorant We are not bitter Enemies to the Letters of which the Books of Scripture are composed No Sober Reader that which we have opposed and for our so doing have the Authority of the Scriptures is that Men should only from them gather some account of the dealings of God with the Holy Men in past Ages and from their Declarations therein nay sometimes contrary to them make to themselves Creeds and herein Copy after those to whom our Saviour says Ye search the Scriptures in them ye think to have Eternal Life but ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life This we have opposed and directed Men to the Spirit of God in them to which as they are obedient they will find it to open the Scriptures to them and give comfort in the reading of them Thee and Thou instead of You in the Singular are as well Modern English Words as Old from the Essential difference that there is between the Signification of One and Many and upon this account it is according to the best Information I can get that there is hardly any Nation whose Language does not differently express that different Signification And that which engages us Conscientiously to this Practice is not that they are Old English Words but that the same Holy Spirit in us at this day leads to that same Simplicity of Language which it did lead the Servants of God into in former Ages And in all Ages of the World it hath been the Language of the Holy Spirit to Man And accordingly before our day at the beginning of the Reformation Erasmus and others whose Language was not Old or Modern English did reprove that Vanity of Mind which did practice and acccept the contrary Ibid. p. 88. Is there any Immorality or Iniquity in these Letters Y. o. u. more than in T. h. o. u Foolish Question Which may serve to please and tickle the Wanton But Sober Reader I doubt not thou wilt perceive the Vanity of the Querist The Alphabet which with us according to its various joynings does serve to express the thoughts of our Minds cannot have Immorality or Iniquity in the Letters Yet whosoever in evil Mind by joyning them does express words either Blasphemous Profane Hypocritical Unjust as this Snake or any other way bad in their Signification of these Men do pronounce accordingly And thus it is if any to shun the Cross of our Lord Jesus tho' in this small matter of the plain Language and to please the vain Mind contrary to the Convictions of the Spirit of Truth in themselves shall say You instead of Thee and Thou such will find that disobedience their Burden In p. 89 90. Snake has gathered many instances from G. F's Writings wherein he saith This is the Word of the Lord which the Snake puts in opposition to G. F's Answer to Christopher Wade Great Mystery p. 246. They the Scriptures are not the Word of God But this soon vanishes for upon Examination of Christopher Wade's words they seem to imply as if he affirmed of the Scriptures that they were the Eternal and In-dwelling Word of God and therefore and thereupon G. Fox opposed him and asserted Christ to be the Word of God p. 247. Great Mystery which is true and from him the Eternal Word the Servants of God have often said to the People Hear the Word of the Lord. And the meaning of it both in the Prophets and since is only this Hear from the Eternal Word a Declaration of his Will Ibid. p. 91. They knew that the Holy Scriptures could not be discarded openly and above-board nor all at once That the World has been long in the possession of them and of a just Veneration of them and therefore would not part with them nor accept of any Fox 's Inspirations instead of them That the World hath been long in the possession of the Books of Scriptures we well know but for want of being in possession of the Holy Spi-the Power of God they have erred not knowing the Scriptures and therefore could not have a just Value or Esteem for them And God who knoweth the Sincerity of
be true Prophets still His Fourth and last Instance here is of whom in Scorn he calls the Great Edw. Burroughs p. 57. quoted from p. 540 535 536 537. of his Works the words he quotes are these and stand in this order The time is come their Church meaning Rome cannot stand long And as sure as the Lord lives so shall it come to pass Here the Snake is himself to some purpose having in as deceitful and false manner as well can be represented the words of E. Burroughs in the pages quoted I will give thee Reader the several Instances from the several pages quoted by the the Snake The first page he here quotes it 540. where the Snake says he advises the Army to carry their Arms to the Gates of Rome But minds not that he there tells the Army That might be a work honourable in its day and season And that there is a Victory more honourable to wit the Victory over Sin and Death and the Devil in your selves and that you are to mind And at the bottom of p. 535. speaking of the Romish Church But their Weapons are Carnal and Devilish and by Murders Oppressions and Tyrannies they do defend themselves and when these things are broken down then their Church cannot stand long He continues p. 536. And as sure as the Lord lives so shall it come to pass a Generation shall accomplish it and in the Generation of the Righteous it shall be finished And in p. 537. E. B. saith thus Whether the Lord will revenge the grievous blood-guiltiness that lies upon them by himself without an Instrument or whether by you speaking to the Army or others as an Instrument Whether this way or another that God will do it I determine not But this I know that the time is not long that he will one way or other avenge and revenge the Blood of the Just upon the Murderers Head By all this Reader it abundantly appears that E. B. doth not assign Time or Means by or in which it shall be accomplished and so much any Good Man may warrantably speak concerning the finishing and putting an end to those Carnal and Devilish Church-Weapons of Murder Oppression and Tyranny Which tho' this Adversary would hug yet thanks be to God they are out of his power So that this Prophecy if the Snake will have it one must doubtless in its season be accomplished I come now to his Ninth Head of Distinction which is little else than one vehement Invective against the Authority of the Reformation I will briefly consider its parts p. 58. Extraordinary Inspirations are not to be credited unless vouched by Miracles which God always sent to attest his Extraordiry Commissions The Inspirations of the Prophets Joel Amos Obediah Micha and others mentioned in the Old Testament and of Agabus Acts 21.11 were all of them Extraordinary Inspirations But I find no Miracles that these their Extraordinary Inspirations were vouched by John the Baptist the Greatest Prophet born of a Woman his Mission was very extraordinary yet not attested by Miracles Now let us see where the Doctrine of the Snake will lead us Why he says Extraordinary Inspirations are not to be credited unless vouched by Miracles These Inspirations I have now spoken of are not to us so vouched are they therefore not to be credited This will break an Article of the Snake's pretended Faith and make imperfect the Scriptures which he says are a perfect Rule of Faith and Manners Ibid. p. 58. Let us take this one mark more to judge when such Inspirations are from God or from the Devil Yes we will Those from the Devil generally tend to Schism and Rebellion as in that of Jeroboam and the Ten Tribes who broke off from the Priesthood of Aaron as well as from the House of David and set up opposite Altars to that at Jerusalem This does deserve to be mark'd in that it First gives the Lie to the Scriptures and then kicks against the Reformation It gives the Lie to the Scripture for that God by his Prophet Shemiah 2 Cron. 11.4 when Rehoboam would have fought against Israel that he might have brought the Kingdom from Jeroboam to himself and that they were ready to fight they were of God forbid and the reason God by his Prophet gives is For this thing is done of me But the Snake says it 's done of the Devil Thus much for the Kingdom now for the Priestood That they broke off from the Priesthood of Aaron and set up opposite Altars is a mark applicable at this day or to what purpose does the Snake make it And say that separation from the Priesthood at this day is from the Devil And now if the Snake please let him prove how many of these separations which have been made within three hundred years from the Priesthood of the Roman Pontiff have been made by the Devil and let him not forget the Reformation in England But of this kind of arguing we have more Ibid. p. 58. But as they paid all Dutiful Obedience to their persecuting Kings and suffered Martyrdom under them without Resistance So did they always keep in the Communion of those same Priests whom they had provoked and reproved c. That Dutiful Obedience was paid by the Holy Prophets to persecuting Kings in their Days and hath been paid by us to persecuting Kings in our Days is very true But as for the Doctrine of Resistance if that be it the Snake quarrels at he may find Opponents enough in the Communion of that Church he pretends Membership in as he also may have the Voice of the Church of England against him Justifying themselves in that they did not keep the Communion of the Roman Priesthood but did set up a Separate Communion and Opposite Altars See Reader this Doughty Champion as he pretends for the Church of England under the false pretences of esteeming and valuing her Communion does in truth and reality as much as in him lies scandalize the Reformation by putting upon it very gross imputations as if it were from the Devil But worse yet Ibid. p. 59. And when our Saviour himself came into the World he did not separate from the publick Worship and Communion of the Jewish Church And to shew that the receiving of Christianity it self was no exemption from paying all Obedience to them he commands his own Disciples as well as the Multitude to pay them all manner of Obedience Our Saviour is declar'd Rom. 10.4 the end of the Law Then he must of necessity be the end of that Worship and Communion which was grounded on the Law And that the receiving of Christianity was an exemption to Obedience in that Worship and Communion The Apostle Paul is positive Gal. 5.2 for Christianity was not to be blended with Judaisims And when our Saviour said Matt. 23.3 Whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do He did not thereby continue the observance of the Ceremonial Law beyond the date of
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
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
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 Socinians I do still confess That as the Reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an Implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience Clear in the Sight of Him who Judgeth Righteously which I am sure this my Unjust Judge and False Accuser is not who presently after he has stiled me Honest George unjustly Brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! Rank Malice Bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrine or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct Opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrine of the Bible to be Holy and Blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrine nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpents Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 177. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrine contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrine and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore are called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with â—nk by Baruch but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrine where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. as saying Paper and Ink is not Infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is Spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless Divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102.25 26. Heb. 1.11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the sour Leven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrine of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpents Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those Sacred Oracles Ibid. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I Testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrine of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpents Meat the Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrine and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 177. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of Defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink and Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrine and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our Light to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8.20 And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd Ibid. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or are here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 And are not many reproved by the Light in them for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And though my Accuser says Ibid. These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have
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
as it is not contrary to the Scriptures So it does not cut them off from being useful as before declared viz. for Doctrine Reproof Correction c. For tho' the Holy Spirit is as infallible now as ever and it is the same Holy Spirit manifested in the Hearts of Men at this day by which the Holy Men did write the Scriptures yet the manifestations thereof to them being in greater degree we justly give them the priority this with respect to the Writings of any faithful Servant of Christ at this day But with respect to the Holy Spirit that being as I have just now said as infallible now as ever it must of necessity also follow that whosoever through obedience follows the guidings of it must have as sure because the same rule as the Prophets and Apostles had And this is no more contradictory than the Parable of the Talents Matt. 25. In which our Saviour shews the different proportions of Trust of the same Treasure And the one Talent had it been imployed in the same way which the five were it would as certainly have gained Profit Thus they who through obedience improve their Talent and are in the Apostles Phrase 2 Cor. 6.1 Workers together with Christ they shall witness a growth in his Grace and who do so grow have the same sure rule of the Holy Spirit to read and understand the Scriptures by even the same sure rule which the Prophets and Apostles had when they writ them Hence it is that he that hath and obeys the least measure of this sure Rule the Holy Spirit in himself will easily and readily acknowledge and consent to the further Degrees of the revealed Will of the Holy Spirit recorded in the Scriptures of Truth Ibid. p. 85 86. But because the Scriptures are often brought in crontradiction to the Quaker-Light therefore they have made it their business to depreciate and undervalue them nay sometimes to run them down as hurtful and pernicious That Light of Jesus Christ which we profess cannot be in contradiction to the Holy Scripture and therefore when so brought it hath been by such who as our Saviour saith Matt. 22.29 Do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Nor did we ever depreciate undervalue or run them down The Charge is false as will more manifestly appear by the instances he brings Ibid. p. 86. To make them false in many things that we may believe them or trust to them in nothing To make their Authority Doubtful by disputing their Pen-Men and raising all the evil Suggestions that can be against them The Quakers Refuge Printed 1673. p. 17. States this as truly owned by the Quakers The Book Quakers Refuge does not State this as owned by us that the Scriptures are false in any thing Nor does it raise evil Suggestions nor dispute the Pen-Men of them That there have been very many Questions raised concerning them and the Pen-Men of some Books or Epistles the many Treatises on them Subjects are sufficient Evidence But it not being profitable here to remember them I pass them by in Silence Now several of these Questions the Author of The Quakers Refuge numbers up and concludes p. 17. It is not the Subject of my Argument at this time But that which he therein declares to be the Subject of his Argument is The Authority of the Holy Spirit in Judging or Discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures This he saith Is as truly stated as owned by us and he declares it to be the concern therein under most Serious Consideration This Reader is the true import of the Author's words which the Snake hath as Injuriously perverted as before I have detected him p. 144 145. perverting W. P's words and the Advantage he will get is much the same because I must hereupon shew thee Reader that what seems to be the occasion of the Snake's Cavil and Perversion is because we assert the Authority of the Holy Spirit in Judging or Discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures Which Truth as it obtains upon the minds of Men will rather incline them to wait for the sensible experience thereof in themselves than to depend implicitly upon the guest Opinions of any who deny the possibility of such certain guide at this day Ibid. p. 87. Whitehead says that there were some Priests in the North in and before the Year 1653. when those Books which Bugg quoted were Printed who were thus Ignorant And that this was the reason for those expressions in the Quaker Books First this had been no reason for these Barbarous Expressions if it had been so But Secondly I will joyn Issue with G. W. upon it that there never were such Priests in the North or any where else that were so Ignorant No George This is an Arrant Lye without all doubt did any Man ever think or say that the very material Paper and Ink and Letters wou'd endure for ever That there were in the North c. Priests Scandalously Ignorant herein I will presently shew and if they were reproved herein in such manner as they might account contemptuous The Expressions are not therefore Barbarous because so called by the Snake as I may also shew from Authority of Holy Writ and the Practice of them esteem'd by the Snake the Fathers as that expressions which seem contemptuous are not therefore so being in their end directed to rectify the evil Practices of Men related by John Daille To the First viz. the Authority of the Holy Scriptures we know that the Sacrifices Oblations and Offerings mentioned in the Levetical Law had a Divine Sanction and the promise annexed Lev. 18.5 Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and Judgments which if a Man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. These tho' they had the Promise of this Life yet the Jews thro' their Disobedience made these their Sacrifices not delightful to the Lord their Oblations were Vain and their Incense an Abomination and New Moons and appointed Feasts his Soul hated Isa. 1.11 13 14. And by their continuance in Disobedience while in performance of the Letter of the Ceremonial Law the same Prophet 66.3 tells them from the Lord He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a Man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs neck and he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol These in the Judgment of our Adversary must be very Barbarous Expressions of these Ordinances and which there was no reason for tho' the People were departed from that true use to which they were at first appointed Tho' this be an abundant Testimony that through Mens misuse of things appointed by God to a determinate purpose he hath been pleased to shew and declare his dis-esteem of them Yet I shall not to confirm this Testimony for it needs it not but for the Readers Satisfaction also shew the Practice of the Fathers herein as testified by John Daille in his Right use