all I have said on this Head as well as to shew you how inconsistent Will. Penn is with himself see his Serious Apology p. 146. That the outward Person which Suffered at Jerusalem was properly the Son of God we utterly deny Quest Do you believe and expect Salvation and Justification by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ or by your own Righteousness and Works Answ By Jesus Christ his Righteousness Merits and Works God is not indebted to us for our Deservings but we to him for his Free Grace in Christ Jesus whereby we are Saved thro' Faith in him not of our selves and by his Grace enabled truly and acceptably to Serve and Follow him he is our All in All who works all in us that is well-pleasing to God OBSERVATION Now to unfold their meaning herein as is said before let us hear what their Approved Authors say I shall begin with Geo. Whitehead who in his Light and Life c. p. 16 blames us for laying so much stress upon the shedding of Christ's Blood p. 38. The Quakers says he see no need of directing Men to Jesus Christ or his Blood as it was outwardly shed at Jerusalem for Justification c. And p. 55. Where doth the Scripture say that the shedding of Christ 's Blood outwardly was the Meritorious Cause of Man's Salvation And in p. 64. It is false Doctrine to lay the Meritorious Cause or Stress of Justification upon the shedding of that Blood let out by the Spear And says Will. Penn in Conjunction with his Brother Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 148. This indeed we deny viz. Justification by the Righteousness which Christ hath fulfilled in his own Person for us wholly without us And boldly affirm it in the Name of the Lord to be the Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which does now Deluge the whole World And says Geo. Whitehead in his Counterfeit Convert p. 17. 18. Printed 1694. That it is the Light and Life within in which is the immediate and efficient Cause of Man's Salvation and as for the Sufferings and Death of Christ in the Fresh they do but instrumentally Contribute thereunto And agreeable hereunto see Isaac Pennington's Questions to Professors c. p. 25. where there is this Question put Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience c. Which tho' by way of Interrogation is a very plain and manifest denial of the efficacy of the Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross for Man's Salvation Again Thomas Lawson a thorow-pac'd Quaker in his Untaught Teacher p. 4. Printed 1655. tells you That you must not look for Salvation from any Means without For when his Opponent had urged that the Means that leads to Salvation is without Man he answers For all thy Profession thou art got no further than the Pope who talk of a Christ without Means of Salvation without as thou dost p. 5. Thou art a Foolish Builder seeking a Way to Salvation without thee If this be not the Mystery of Iniquity I know not what may be called so When you have thus compared them then Reader judge of the Sincerity of their Profession for as they thus undervalue the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ purchasing Salvation for us so do they set up extol and magnifie their own Righteousness and Works like to their Brethren in the Church of Rome as will be made appear in the next Observation only in this they exceed all the Meritorious Boasts of those their Kindred in affirming that their Sufferings are Greater and more Unjust than the Sufferings in the Days of Christ His Apostles and Martyrs See Burrough's Works p. 273. Quest Do you believe Remission of Sin and Redemption thro' the Sufferings Death and Blood of Christ Answ Yes thro' Faith in Him as He suffer'd and died for all Men and gave Himself a Ransom for all and his Blood being shed for the Remission of Sins c. OBSERVATION Here their Profession seems to be very Orthodox but observe if we will give Credit to their Ancient and Approved Authors who pretended they wrote from the Mouth of the Lord it is still but Paint and Deceit for Remission of Sins or Redemption thro' the Sufferings or Righteousness of another is not by them believed See the Works of their Prophet and Son of Thunder and Consolation Edw. Burroughs p. 33. God doth not accept any where there is any Failing or who do not fulfil the Law and answer every Demand of Justice This Reader were there no other Instance confutes their Plausible Pretence to Justification and Remission of Sin by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ But for your further Satisfaction see W. Penn's Sandy Foundation p. 25. Justification of Persons is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but from the Actual Performing and Keeping God's Righteous Statutes Again see his Serious Apol. p. 148. Justification by the Righteousness of another or which is fulfilled for us in his own Person we boldly affirm in the Name of the Lord to be the Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which does now deluge the whole World Again once more see his Sandy Found p. 25 30. It is a great Abomination to say That he Christ having satisfied for our Sins we may be Justified by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness and yet they tell you in this Pamphlet That he Died for our Sins and Rose again for our Justification when as ib. p. 31. W. Penn saith The Consequences of such a Doctrine i. e. Imputative Righteousness is both Irreligious and Irrational Again in his Serious Apol. p. 148. he tells you That Death came by Actual Sin not Imputative therefore Justification unto Life came by Actual Righteousness not Imputative Here Reader as G. Keith has well observ'd in his Abstract you may observe how far this contradicts his late Doctrine of Justification in his Primitive Christianity and late Creeds And why indeed should they believe Remission of Sins and Redemption thro' Christ's Sufferings and Justification by his Righteousness when as they believe themselves to be Perfect as God and Free from Sin First Perfect as God see G. Fox's Great Mystery p. 282. One said Surely they cannot be Perfect here or hereafter in Equality but only in Quality Fox answers Christ makes no Distinction in his Words but saith Be ye Perfect even as your Heavenly Father is Perfect and as He is so are We and that which is Perfect as He is Perfect is in Equality with the same thing which is of God and from God 2 dly They profess to be free from Sin as you may see in G. Fox's Great Myst p. 101. It is the Doctrine of Devils that preacheth that 〈◊〉 shall have Sin and be in a Warfare so long 〈◊〉 they be on Earth And p. 231. he says Aâ—â— who come to Christ the Second Adam they come to Perfection in the Life of God out of the First Adam p. 271. For who
are Sanctified have perfect Unity perfect Knowledge perfect 〈◊〉 And Will. Penn in his Truth Exâ—liâ—d c. as the Authors of a Book Entituled A brief Discovery c. takes notice laughs at the Church of England for confessing themselves Sinners or praying to God for Mercy Alas poor Souls saith Penn are not you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercy upon us miserable Sinners there is no Health in us from Seven to Seventy This Doctrine of Sinless Perfection being the approved Doctrine of the Quakers and that in Opposition to all Professors of the Christian Faith there is no Reason why they should believe Remission of Sin Redemption and Justification by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ because they themselves pretend to be Perfect as God yea as Perfect and Free from Sin Quest Do you believe and own the Divine 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ in his Church Answ Yes verily we sincerely believe and own Christ not only as He is the Light of the World enlightning every Man coming into iâ— but also that he is given for a Leader and for a Commander and that He is both King Priest and Prophet to and over His Church and People c. OBSERVATION This Profession of theirs if Sincere would indeed comprehend a great Part of the Christian Religion but if the above Quotations be true they will give you just Cause to suspect them even in this Observe then how they believe the Kingly Office of Christ For that examine whether they do not attribute that to G. Fox their first Apostle which is due to Christ Himself alone See Tyranny and Hypocrisie detected p. 19. where Solomon Eccles thus celebrates G. Fox viz. Blessed be the Man that came out of the North blessed be the Womb that bear him and the Breast that gave him Suck And ib. see there a Letter written by 〈◊〉 Coale a Quaker from Barbadoes to G. Fox 24. Day 12 Month 1658. which is justified by W. Penn in his Judas and the Jews p. 44. 45 46. viz. Dear G. Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached thro' us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again to a lively Hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou rule and governest in Righteousness and thy Kingdom is established in Pâ—â—â—e and the Encrease thereof is without end Now by these Expressions as Edw. Pâ—ye in his Antichrist in Spirit Unmasked well observes whether the Scepter be not wrested out of Christ's Hand and given to G. Fox let the Reader judge by considering the several Parts of it 1 st Then observe he doth expresly ascribe to him a Kingdom Thy Kingdom c. and thou Rulest and Governest must not then such a one be an Actual King 2 dly He describes the Subjects of this Kingdom who those are you may with some Assurance venture to guess viz. Josiah Coale and the rest of the Ancient Society of Quakers to whom the Life of G. Fox hath reached thro' such Illustrious Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting them again to a lively Hope and these are great in Numbers and therefore he calls him the Father of many Nations 3 dly As Mr. Paye says he tells us what kind of Power and Authority it is in which this King Rules and Governs namely In the Power of the Highest viz. a Spiritual and Divine Power not like that of the Kingdoms of Men. 4 thly You have here the Stability of this Kingdom Thy Kingdom is established in Peace 5 thly You have the Extent of this Kingdom also namely The Encrease thereof is without end it is a Boundless Kingdom Lastly Take notice of the Excellency of this Kingdom which is such and Fox this King's Happiness so great that not only the present Age but Generations to come shall call him Blessed From hence judge if G. Fox is not Invested and Throned in Christ's Kingly Office They have then no Reason to take it ill if we call G. Fox the King of the Quakers since it plainly appears from the Testimony of Josiah Coale an Eminent Teacher of theirs and vindicated as above quoted by Will. Penn and approved of by their Second Day Meeting that he is so even as Christ is King of the Christians but possibly it may be objected That it is Christ in G. Fox that hath this Regal or Kingly Power as G. Whitehead asserts in his Innocency against Envy p. 18. we might have then reasonably expected that it would have been so expressed Meanings are not to be understood but by Words and as for Words none can be plainer and more expressive which W. Penn affirms to be no Blasphemy but harmless and Innocent See further Tyranny and Hypocrisie detected p. 45. as also Judas and the Jews p. 85. where you have this Saying of King George repeated Friends altho' I have not told it you I do now declare it I have Power to bind and to loose whom I please And who can deny it since he hath deprived Christ of His Kingly Office and assumed it to Himself But I do still expect the Quakers will say as G. Whitehead in his Innocency against Envy p. 18. plainly intimates it is not G. Fox but the Light or Christ within him that Assumes this Kingly Power but it will then follow that every Quaker is a King because every Quaker has the Light within which Light must be obeyed since all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed to it See Smith's Primer p. 13. also Josiah Coale's Works p. 93. See G. Fox Jun. p. 50. whom you may observe to speak plain and home to the Point viz. I the Light will fall upon you and grinde you to Pouder All who will not own me the Light in you And I will make you know that I the Light am the true Eternal God which created all things and that by me the Light all things are upheld and that there is not another besides me that can save Now Reader compare these Quotations with this their late Profession now under Consideration and then judge whether the Quakers do really own the Kingly Office of Christ For whereas they pretend to be obedient to the Laws of Christ our Lord and His Ordinances are they not both by their Doctrine and Practices made Void Contemned and Rejected as will further hereafter appear But to proceed 2 dly Let us now see how they own Christ's Priestly Office For who as above can believe that they really own the Priestly Office of Christ when they deny his Humanity as owned by all Orthodox Christians To which I shall add these Reasons with some little Mixture of Matter of Fact to let the Reader see that notwithstanding their Plausible Pretences they must be thought to deny the Priestly Office of Christ For First If they deny the Person or Humanity of Christ as above shewed they cannot own Christ's Priestly
which is the proper English for Baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Quakers indeed to enervate and make void this Command will tell you that this Place is to be taken Figuratively and meant of the Inward Baptism the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or that of the Holy Ghost but that it is to be taken Literally and meant of the Outward Baptism by Water you may discern from our Saviour's Example Mark 9. 10. and from His Practice as you may read in the 3d of St. John v. 26. They came unto John and said unto him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou bearest witness behold the same Baptiseth and all Men come to him That this was Water Baptism cannot be doubted because the Inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost was not yet given no not till 50 Days after the Resurrection See the 2d of the Acts and the 3d of St. John v. 22. Jesus came and his Disciples into the Land of Judea and there he tarried with them and Baptized Nay further it appears that before our Saviour Baptized those in Judea he represented the Solemnity of Baptism as a thing necessary to enter Men into that Kingdom of God to which He invited them our Saviour not only telling Nicodemus John 13. 5. That except a Man be born again he could not see the Kingdom of God but yet more plainly That except he was born again of Water v. 5. and of the Spirit he could not enter into it Agreeable hereto see the Practice of the Apostles Acts 8. 36 38. And as they Philip and the Eunuch went on their Way they came to a certain Water and the Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized And he commanded the Chariot to stand still and they went both down into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he Baptized him And as deep a Penitent as Paul was who no doubt but he was as much or more endued with the Holy Spirit than any Quaker in the World yet Ananias Acts 22. 16. bid him arise and be Baptized and wash away thy Sins I say no one can pretend to a more sincere and truer Conversion than this Penitent yet you see that inward Baptism as the Quakers call it was not sufficient but to that must be added the outward Baptism or washing by Water for the Remission of his Sins Arise and be Baptized and wash away thy Sins nay further and which is more express and plain see Acts 10 44. whilst Peter was preaching to Cornelius and others we read that the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word whereupon St. Peter said Ver. 47. Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them to be Baptized Ver. 48. Note They had that which the Quakers call the inward Baptism yet that was not sufficient no it was but a necessary Qualification for the reception of the outward Baptism by Water For after it appeared that they had received the Holy Ghost nothing then could hinder them from receiving the outward Baptism Can any Man forbid Water c. For further proof and satisfaction I refer the Reader to that Excellent Piece of Water Baptism writ by that Worthy and Ingenious Author of The Snake in the Grass c. Printed 1697. And that they do disown and reject this outward Baptism by Water see Parnel's Shield of Truth p. 12. where he says We the Quakers are Accused to deny the Baptism He answers The Baptism we own which is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire but we deny all other See Will. Penn his Reason against Raising p. 108 109. I affirm saith he that Circumcision is as much in force as Water Baptism and the Paschal Lamb as the Bread and Wine for the continuing of them would have been a Judaizing of the Evangelical Worship to assert their continuance would be as much as in such lies to plack up the Gospel or Spiritual Worship by the Roots Hence that Appellation Ordinances of Christ I do renâ—â—nce as unscriâ—â—â—ral and unevangelical and can testifie 〈◊〉 the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected as not now required Note How this deluded or rather designing Man Patronize his Notorious Falshoods to the same Spirit that St. Paul had which was the Spirit of Christ Now what is this but Blaspheming the Holy Spirit See further Smith's Primer p. 36. it is there affirmed that our Baptism râ—se from the Popes invention and that it had its Institution from the Pope and was never so ordained of Christ and their Famous Teacher Ed. Burr p. 190 191. tells you To say that sprinkling Infants with Water is Baptism into the Faith of Christ this is the Doctrine of the Devil Good God! Tho' these poor deluded Wretches will not own this Divine and Sacred Institution that is Baptism by Water as the one Baptism yet it behoveth them not thus to Calumniate Vilifie and Abuse it I shall say to these as well as to some others that look upon it to be but an Arbitrary Ceremony which I hope they will seriously lay to Heart as Naaman the Syrian did What means this washing seven times in Jordan What Vertue can there be in that poor Flement to do away Sins and to work upon our Souls I say I shall say as Naaman's Servants said 2 Kings 5. 13. If Christ had bid thee do some great thing couldst thou not have done it How much rather then when he saith to thee wash and be clean As necessary as the Waters of Jordan were to the cleansing of Naaman so necessary are the Waters of Baptism to the cleansing of our Souls None sure dare say That God could not have cleansed Naaman otherwise but God having by his Prophet appointed the Means if Naaman had neglected it he had not otherwise been Cured how much more 〈◊〉 when God has appointed the Means of Baptism by his Son if we neglect it shall we 〈◊〉 Saved without it Again when the Blind Man in the Gospel John 9. 7. was commanded to go and wash in the Pool of 〈◊〉 which is by interpretation sent and then shalt be recovered no Man sure but an Infidel will here be inquisitive and curious First In searching out the reason of this why upon so washing he should be recovered of his Distemper but would set his Reason aside and cheerfully submit to the Prescription not at all doubting but the Means so used however little shew of Reason they carry along with them will fully answer the End designed If God gave a Miraculous Vertue to the Waters of Jordan Siloam and Bethesda for healing of the Flesh we cannot doubt but that the same Spirit can and will sanctifie the Waters of Baptism to the Mystical washing away of Sin especially having the positive
Institution and Promise of Christ Acts 2. 38. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost How dare then any People or Society of Men slight or reject it He that despised Moses's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the Institution of the Son of God and count it an indifferent or an Unholy thing doing despight to it inventing contemptible Names for it and even ridiculing the Administration of it Whether such ought to be called Christians I leave the unbyass'd Reader to judge and so proceed to the next Question p. 8. Quest Do you believe or own the Lord's Supper either as a Sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves or as a Seal of the Saints Communion and Commemoration of Christ's Death for us or as Figurative of Christ's Body and Blood Spiritually receiv'd by Faith Answ The Supper of the Lord we Own and renderly Consider in a Twofold Sense 1. In the Figure 2. In the Substance 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ at his Supper with his Disciples did eat the Passover which was for the Fulfilling and Consummation of the Feasts under the Law see Luk. 22. And at this Supper he did Take and Minister Bread and the Cup to his Disciples for there was no Transubstantiation saying This do in Remembrance of me And said the Apostle As â—â—st as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. After this they did more clearly know his coming and Christ after the Spirit Jesus Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. and 5. 16. 2. And Christ said to his Disciples I will not drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine until the Day I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Matth. 26. 29. And likewise of the Bread I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God Luk. 22. 16. And he further said I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath apâ—ointed to me that ye may eat and drink at â—y Table in my Kingdom c. Luk. 22. 29 30. â—n these things we believe he spoke Mysteriously and that every Member of his Spiritual Church doth daily Spiritually partake of â—is Body and Blood by Faith c. OBSERVATION The Reader may here discern how by their deceivable Words and manifold Corruptions of the Scriptures these Horrid Impostors set themselves at work to Evade and make Null the Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper as Instituted and Administred in Bread and Wine which they deny to be now a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ and to be practic'd by Christians The Supper of the Lord they own but how Not as now to be continued and preached for the breaking of Bread and drinking of Wine which we are commanded to do in remembrance of our Saviour's Body broken and Blood shed for us was but a Temporary Command and was to be continued no longer than till he came again As oft as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. v. 26. but say they Christ is come already in them Ergo this Ordinance is not to be continued p. 9. After this they did more clearly know his coming and Christ after the Spirit Jesus Christ in them They interpret this passage of Scripture not of Christ's Outward and Personal coming at the Resurrection which as Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 18. they say is past already but of that which is inwardly performed by the Spiritual Resurrection of Christ or the Light in their Hearts And they say that the Institution of the Lord's Supper was only to continue till that inward Coming or Forming of Christ in their Hearts which they have obtained as they blindly presume therefore they throw off the outward Supper But I would ask them Was not Christ formed in the Hearts of the Apostles to whom Christ gave his Holy Supper as much as in the Hearts of any of the best Quakers now in the World Was he not come Spiritually to Paul after his Conversion And before his Command above Quoted of continuing the practice of the Lord's Supper till his coming See A Discourse of Water-Baptism by the Author of the Snake c. p. 48. As also the Answer to Will Penn's Key p. 93 94 95 96. And did not the Apostles and the Primitive Christians partake of this Ordinance even after the Holy Spirit that Christ promised to send was come which they call the Second coming of Christ That they did so appears from Acts 2. 42 46. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers And they continuing daily with one aecord in the Temple and breaking Bread Acts 20. 7. And the Disciples came together to break Bread And that the Second coming of Christ so called by them is not that coming here meant is further evident in that St. Paul and the Primitive Christians did not believe the giving forth of the Spirit to be the Second coming of Christ because it is plain they Believed and Expected him to come in a Personal Glorious and Visible manner Phil. 3. 20. We look for the Saviour who shall change our Vile Bodies and make them like his own Glorious Body That being one thing which will be done at that which we call Christ's Second coming And this his Second Personal coming St. Paul and and the Christians did look for because they were told Acts 1. 11. That the same Jesus should so come in like manner visible in his Body of Flesh and Bones as ye have seen him go in Heaven and as Christ himself shewed his Disciples Matt. 24. that his coming should be Glorious and Visible and St. John in Rev. 1. 7. saith long after the Spirit and Comforter was come Behold he cometh every Eye shall see him and they that Pierced him shall Mourn 1 Thess 4. 6. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the noise of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God c. This may suffice not only to clear these Texts of their corrupt Perversions but also to Confirm and Satisfie the Reader of the Continuance or Perpetuity of this Sacred Ordinance of the Lord's Supper in his Church till his coming again in his Person to Judge the World And as to those other Texts 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. Rev. 20. Prov. 9. 4 5 Jo. 6. Pag. 10. not to mention that of St. Matth. 26. v. 29. Luk. 22. 16. 23. 30. in their Ninth Pag. which they offer to the View of the World I cannot discern or imagine to what end and purpose this is done unless it be to amuse the Reader abuse the Scriptures or Confute themselves I make