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 Doctrin nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpent's 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. 249. 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 Doctrin 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 Doctrin and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore 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 Ink by Barach 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 Doctrin where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. Sect. 11. p. 146 147. 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 soure Leaven 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 Doctrin of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those saecred Oracles p. 250. 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 Doctrin of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpent's Meat The Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrin and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 250 251. 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 or 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 Doctrin and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our â—ight 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 p. 251. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or 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 them in 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 tho' my Accuser says These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have 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 reprobaches 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 p. 252. 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
the Quakers will not allow Christ to be the promised Seed or that he was more a Man in the Body of Jesus than in the Body of any other Man Ref. These are gross and notorious Falshoods still We ever believed the promised Messiah the Christ of God to be the promised Seed which by the Power of God should bruise the Serpent's Head and that he was true and perfect Man in the Body which he took upon him which was the Body of Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary as he was and is a quickning Spirit in other Men especially in true Believers Sn. p. 239. He confesseth the Influence and Inspiration of his blessed Spirit is the ONLY true saving Light within us but not the Seed and Christ himself as the Quakers blasphemously dream only a Ray or Communication of his Light and Life to us But p. 242. he speaks of Faith in Christ's outward Blood by which ONLY there is Salvation Ref. If the only true saving Light within us be the Inspiratiou of the blessed Spirit and Communication of the Light and Life of Christ to us as is granted tho' this as within be not Christ in his fulness as in himself yet 't is as truly the Incorruptible Seed the Word Christ our Life and Light as the Life of Christ is Christ or as the Spirit of the Lord is the Lord as where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty now the Lord is that Spirit It is Christ gives us both Life Light and Spirit and Christ is our Life Light and Salvation But do not the Words only Salvation by Christ's outward Blood exclude any other means of Salvation And then how is his Spirit the only true saving Light within us Tho' that Blood of Christ be of true value and esteem as part of his Sacrifice and Price it is his Spirit and Power which quickens and actually saves the Soul from Sin and Death Sn. p. 245. He accuseth the Quakers with denying any other God or Christ but themselves Ref. This is one of his most horrid and blasphemous Slanders and solemnly by us denied with as utter detestation and abhorrence as any of the rest of his most gross and absurd Calumnies Sn. p. 251. That they expresly disown any other Christ than what is within them and that the Quakers do not believe that Christ has any other Body or other Humanity than that spiritual or allegorical Body which they say he has within them Ref. 1. To the first part We own not two Christ's the true Christ is but one Christ and we own him as he is both without us and within us tho' he is not wholly contained within us yet he 's truly within us by his Spirit Light and Life and dwelling in our Hearts by Faith What other Christ does this Man own than him who is in true Believers 2. The latter part of his Charge is not true We believe Christ has his spiritual glorious Body without us like unto which we also believe our low Body shall be changed and fashioned Sn. p. 254. That the Quakers by a monstrous sort of Transubstantiation think themselves to be the Christ. Ref. This is a monstrous Falshood and Forgery still to defame and odifie us grounded on divers other false and partial Stories and is before in substance answered Sn. p. 255. That G. Keith for his most Christian Doctrin of a Christ without was condemned by their last Yearly Meeting Re. This is a notoriously false Story again as the two Accounts given of him by two Yearly Meetings may evince having no such cause assigned in them for our conditionally disowning him but his unchristian Spirit and Behaviovr as an Instrument of divisions and disturbance in the Churches of Christ whereby he hath cut himself off unless he repent Sn. p. 262. Their spiriting away the Letter of the promised Seed the Humanity of Christ c. Re. This Charge with all the hard Consequences depending thereupon against us are sincerely and utterly denied by us As by the Letter of the promised Seed he means the Scripture-History of the Man Christ where proves he that we spirit this away Our owning Christ in Spirit and as a quickning Spirit in us was never intended as we know to deny his real Manhood Mediation or Intercession without us no more than the Apostle did See 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. where the second Man the Lord from Heaven is also called a quickening Spirit Sn. p. 263. He charges them with running into this Excess of throwing off the Humanity of Christ abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Beastly Ware Dust Death c. and calling the Holy Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Dust and Beastly Ware p. 267. Re. These are still old repeated shameful Calumnies against us The first part is sufficiently answer'd before and in many other Books for our sincerely and plainly owning the blessed and most-glorious Man Christ Jesus according to plain Scripture The latter part is some of F. Bugg's calumnious Abuses and Perversions and clearly detected and refuted in several Answers to his scurrilous Pamphlets and his Authority will go but a little way what Credit soever 't is of with this obscure Adversary 'T is far remote from us to own any such contemptible Names as to call the Holy Scriptures Beastly Ware c. Tho' perhaps making a Trade upon Scripture or Preaching for Hire or Mony hath been so called by some or other Sn. p. 268. That it is plain they never gave the Scriptures a good Word but meerly for popularity when forced to it Re. He is a very unrighteous and false Judge in this also both our Consciences in the sight of God and many of our Writings also testifie the contrary that freely and without force for the sake of that divine Inspiration from whence the Holy Scriptures proceeded and those blessed and holy Doctrins and Truths contained in them they are highly owned and esteemed by us Sn. p. 285. Judge whether these be sound principled Men that can turn conform and transform to every change according to the Times whether these be fit Men to teach People Re. These are still deceitful and envious Suggestions Our manifold Sufferings in our Persons and Estates for Conscience-sake by Persecutions many whereof being the Temporizers of the Clergy do manifest the contrary to what 's here suggested against us that we have not turned changed nor conformed according to the Times in point of Worship Principle Faith or Discipline for could we have so done we might have escaped many deep Sufferings and great Losses which we have undergone and then have been owned by such temporizing and persecuting Priests as now reproach us when they cannot otherwise persecute us as formerly Sn. p. 314. The Lord help them and hear our Prayers for them since they will not pray for themselves c. Re. We have no reason to believe that this Person can pray sincerely for us seeing he is so full
of Wrath and Envy that he notoriously belies us in his Prayer in saying That they i. e. the Quakers will not pray for themselves He seemingly prays but rails and reviles as it were with one Breath both next before and after his Prayer Sn. p. 319. That thus the Quakers say That he Christ dwelt only in the Body of that Man Jesus as in a Vail but took not that Body into his own Person so as to become Hypostatically united to it Re. We are to seek herein as not knowing where the Quakers say these things of Christ and his Body which he took and dwelt in as if he took it not into his own Person so as to be really or substantially united to it we never understood that it did not properly belong to himself but to some other Person The Objection herein against us is not only some Perversion but frivilous and impertinent Tho' his Flesh is called the Vail yet 't was that he owned as his own Body being also called the Body of Jesus which was not a fantastical but a real Body and he who is the entire Christ the Man Jesus is not divided in Body or Spirit Nevertheless Christ the eternal Son of God was as to his divine Nature and spiritual Being as the spiritual Rock before he took on him that Body that was prepared for him Sn. p. 320. That the Quakers most expresly make Christ's outward Blood the Type and Figure of inward Blood shed spiritually in their Hearts Re. We know not what Author he has for this Charge However the Quakers really own Christ's outward Blood as a part of his precious and acceptable Sacrifice and we deny not but that Blood of his as well as the Water that came out of his Side with it had an allegorical and misterious signification as well as an outward and literal evâ—â— of the spiritual Blood and Water of Life which Christ our High Priest sprinkleth and really washeth our Hearts and Consciences withal which we hope no sensible Soul will say is an outward or literal Sprinkling or Washing but an Inward and Spiritual Sn. ibid. That the Quakers make Christ without but the History and the Light within the Mistery or Substance which the Christ without as a History or Shadow of it only pointed Re. The Quakers do not so make Christ they make him no otherwise than the Father has appointed and made him to be He is more than either the History or Shadow of the Light within he as in himself is the substance of all Shadows and fulness of Light and Life from whom we have received both Spirit Light and Life Pray how proves he that the Quakers call Christ without but the History or Shadow of the Light within We want proof of this Point Sn. p. 321. That this the Quakers have done viz. set up other Scriptures against those received by the Church beyond any that ever went before them Re. We positively deny this Charge What other Scripture have they so set up against those Let 's have plain Proof for we are wholly ignorant of any such thing Sn. p. 322. That none ever have so contemned and vilified the Holy Scriptures as they have done Re. This is still maliciously to reproach and odifie us with the same old reiterated Calumny We know none that esteem and own the Holy Scriptures more than we both in Faith and Practice by the assistance of the Holy Spirit from whence they came Sn. p. 323. That a Man bringing a Bible into the Quaker's Meeting-House in Grace-Church-street and reading part of a Chapter the 14th of St. Luke it being the Bible so moved their Indignation that one of the chief of them snatched the Bible out of his Hand and thrust him along the Gallery down several Steps Re. We know no such Indignation or Action shewn by any of us against the Bible nor against any Person because thereof neither do we believe it let the Author prove it if he can We disown any such Indignation either against the Bible or any Person meerly because thereof Possibly some publick Disturber might by some or other present be gently turned out of Doors not because of the Bible but because of some offensive turbulent Behaviour Sn. p. 325. That upon pretence of the Light within the Devil the grand Deceiver drew them away from reading of the Scriptures c. discovers their preference of their own Writings to the Holy Striptures Re. We deny both these as utterly false scandalous and relative to many more Lies of the same kind in this Point Sn. p. 327 328. That they give all the threatning Discouragements that can be to deter any from reading of them Re. This is as gross and notorious a Falshood as the rest Sn. p. 330. I can saith the Opposer name those that now stand high among them who did before many Witnesses of the principal Quakers not stick to say That Paul was dark and ignorant and that they saw beyond him Re. We know none either High or Low among us that ever so said of Paul therefore let him produce his many Witnesses to prove who those were that so said that Paul was dark c. or otherwise for ever be ashamed of such odious Defamations Sn. p. 335. That Simon Magus was the Father of the Quakers Socinians and all the rest of the Anti trinitarian Hereticks Re. A gross Calumny against the Quakers rendring them a Sorcerer's Children But they deny both Simon Magus and all Sorcerers and the Devil the Father of Lies and all such as would persuade People to buy the Gift of God the Gospel for Mony The Quakers are as opposite to such Simony as Light is to Darkness Sn. p. 338. That E. Burrough pag. 47. determines clearly That the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Re. He perverts E. B.'s Words We find not such a determination of his but where he speaks of that not being a Command from God to me which he commands to another he intends this of special Commands that were to some as to Baptize and Preach the Gospel as he immediately explains it and not of general Commands of Duty incumbent upon all nor against the Authority of the Scriptures it being the Holy Spirit that makes them authoritative and binding and enables Men to live accordingly who are led by the same Spirit Sn. p. 342. 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 Re. 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 Scripture and preaching in the true sense of the Spirit with divine Authority according as Christ did
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 Scriâ—ture 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 Prophets spake was false Which Expression 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 tho' 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 Lord 's 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 stumbled 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 40 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 Verfe 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 Holy Scripture Doctrin or Precepts therein for where either the Words Blasphemies 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 Salvo 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. 254. 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. 255 256. Here he accuseth me with breach of Promise but very falsly as in the said 11th Article 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. 263 264. 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 cloathed himself in Flesh and Blood and that he took Flesh c. for so quoth he it may be said that our Soul is cloathed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil It is not Words but the meaning that we contend about saith he p. 257. We know best our own Meaning being well satisfied that 't is according to Holy Scripture Where 's then the difference 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