this Papal Quaker Answ This is False again for whilst we own a Life and Living by the Faith of the Son of God how can we disown his Righteousness that is made our's by Faith When 't is made ours we partake of it though it was without us in him before it was in us by him § XII Pr. Ibid. In this Quaking Account of Justification what hath this Quaker said more which the Council of Trent hath not determined to his hand viz. Council Trid. Cap. 3. Sess 6. Cum ea renascentia per meritu passionis ejus gratia qua justifiunt illis tribuatur Which he thus Englisheth Together with the New Birth through the Merit of Christ's Passion Grace whereby they are made Righteous is imparted to them Cap. 7. Sess 6. Justificatio est Sanctificatio Renovatio interioris hominis per voluntariam susceptionem gratiae As he interprets Justification is both the Sanctification and Renovation of the inward man by Grace received He should have said By the willing or free receiving of Grace Answ And what does our Adversary infer from hence but that Quakers and Papists agree together in the point of Justification by inherent Righteousness And yet he cannot deny but the Merit of Christ's Passion is confest to in the point But it seems he would not have the New Birth concern'd in the case or that Grace that makes us Righteous should be imparted to us and so included and joyned with the Merit of Christ's Passion in this great point of Justification or that Justification should be both the Sanctification and Renovation of the inward man by Grace received If these be not offensive to him why does he clamour against the Quaker for agreeing with the Council of Trent in this point as if his citing the Council of Trent having determin'd a point to the Quakers hand or which Quakers own though they never received it themselves and which he himself does not at all consute were enough to knock down the Quakers at one Blow Whence it follows that where the Council of Trent grants the Merit of Christ's Passion which the Papists place mens first Justification upon without Works Christ's Merit or deserving herein must be opposed because the Council of Trent and Papists hold it Is not this learned Logick Thus our Adversary has attempted to knock down the Quaker because the Council of Trent and Papists hold divers Errors but Papists render their own good Works after the first Justification strictly meritorious of Heaven which the Quakers do not therefore we must not hold any Truths which they intermix among their Errors but be branded derided for Papists Papal Quakers such kind of arguing savours more of an Atheistical Spirit than of a Christian And such measure have we from our Adversary But his main Design is to oppose the Saints being made Righteous by Grace imparted to them through Christ and to impose upon us a Justification or rather his false Imputation thereof without either Sanctification or Renovation of the inward man by Grace received seeing he has espoused the Cause of such as affirm Justification and Redemption of men while no good is wrought in them and that these are fulfilled or compleated WHOLLY WITHOUT THEM And yet to his own Confutation has granted that Righteousness must be imparted and retain'd in his 10th page but here because the Council of Trent has confest unto the New Birth and that the Grace that makes Righteous must be imparted to them rendring the Merit of Christ's Passion as a means thereof which is an Undeniable Truth I must be revil'd as a Papal Quaker and this Inherent Righteousness in the New Birth though wrought by the Grace of God opposed as to our Justification Thus my Adversary has not only Absurdly argued against me but Atheistically set himself against the Work of Christ inward by invalidating of it reckoning Persons justified Wholly without which must be whilst they are wholly Unjust and Poluted within or when no good is wrought in them else what does all his Quarrel against us amount to But he sillily goes on in his Comparison between Quaker and Papist as followeth Pr. Ibid. They do both disclaim the works of the Law before Grace received Ibid. Works not done in Christ the Seed do not justifie says the Canting Quaker Ibid. Justification is the Sanctifying of the inner man by Grace received say the Papists Ibid. The Righteousness by Faith is when the Law is performed in us by the Works of the Spirit saith the Quaker Ibid. By Grace received in the New Birth are we made Righteous say the Papists Thus the Light within which guides the Quaker to Scribble concerning Justification is nothing else but TRENT POPERY infused into them by subtil Popish Priests Answ We have nothing but his Comparison and Reviling here for Confutation The matter is answered before I would ask this man First If he does not disclaim the Works of the Law before Grace received Secondly If works not done in Christ do Justifie or render any Just If he says No why does he Scoff and Cry out Canting Quaker so saying they do not Thirdly Whether any do partake of the Righteousness by Faith without Christ's fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law in them according to Rom. 8.4 For it s them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit to whom there is no Condemnation and In whom the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled And this does not make void Christ's Passion or Suffering for man and fulfilling the Law in his Person without us for therein he was not only a Perfect Pattern of Righteousness but also came to condemn sin in the flesh and by his Sacrifice to make an Attonement and Pacification to stop the Wrath and suspend the severe Execution of the Law which man had incurred and to make way for Remission to us that we might be the more engaged to him to follow him in Spirit and come under the New Covenant terms But the Priest concludes with a notorious Falshood about what we write of Justification as being infused by Popish Priests This is a Wicked Slander for the work of the New Birth Being made inwardly Righteous by Grace received in Christ the sanctifying renewing the inner man by the holy Spirit these we never learned of the Popish Priests nor ever were we discipled by them but by the blessed operation of the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ through Faith in his Name according to the Testimony of himself holy Apostles most plainly intimated in these Scriptures Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.3 5. And If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me said Christ to Peter John 13.8 And According to his Mercy he saved us by the Washing of Regeneration c. Tit. 3.5 6.
and none need to think themselves obliged to do it which is that Christ paid a Proper and Ridgid Satisfaction * Let my Adversar reconcile his Doctrine to this of Christs Satisfaction as held by the Presbyterians where he sayes That Satisfastion made by Christ God-Man to God the rathers Justice is a precious Gospel-Truth Is not this such a Notion as Edw. Stillingfleet here opposeth for the Sins of Men considered under the Notion of Debt and that he paid the very same which we ought to have done c. And further saith If the very same had been paid in the strict sense Ibid. p. 271. there would have followed a Deliverance Ipso Facto for the Release immediately follows the Payment of the same c. But we see that Faith and Repentance and the Consequences of those two are made Conditions on our parts in order to the enjoying the Benefit of what Christ hath procured And he further argues and saith We are to consider that these very Persons assert that Christ Paid all for us Ibid. p. 272. and in our Name and stead c. But above all things it is impossible to reconcile the Freeness of Remission with the full Payment of the very same It is impossible the same Debt should be fully paid and freely forgiven And he counts that they give the Church's Adversaries too great Advantage who hold this Opinion built upon a Mistake that Satisfaction must be such a strict Payment However let it be noted That seeing Faith and Repentance and the Consequences of both are made Conditions on our parts in order to the enjoying the Benefit of what Christ hath procured It follows that Justification and Redemption are not compleated wholly without us or that men are justified and redeemed while no Good no Qualification is wrought in them by the Spirit and Light of Christ for Faith and Repentance are some Good wrought in us thereby Pr. Ibid. No such thing discoverable by the Light within any Quaker as that the Godhead and Manhood were joyned in one Person who suffered was dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a Sacrifice not only for Original Guilt but also for all Actual Sins of Men. Ibid. The Quakers deny Christ to be God-Man in one Person Answ 'T was discoverable by the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets that Christ should be called the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 as also by the same Spirit and â—ight of it they did soresee his Sufferings as Man and the Glory that should follow and that thereby as a Sacrifice he should make a Reconciliation for Iniquity and also that he should bring in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. And accordingly God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and it is as in Christ who is truly God and truly Man inseparable that God and Men are reconciled and in Union but not so out of Christ in their Unbelief Sin and Transgressions § X. Pr. Ibid. If this with his Fellow-Quakers were enjoyned by the King's Majesty the Defender of the true Faith to subscribe to the Thirty Nine Articles then by their declaring their unfeigned Assent and Consent but to the two first Articles thereof their False Christian Paint would soon fall off these Saints Seed People Answ This man 's Hypocritical Paint is greatly defaced by his Scoffing and Flouting and shamefully Belying us therewith We hope to approve our selves True Christians Saints and People of God when he and such Temporizing Hypocrites and Scorners shall be had in universal Contempt for their Wickedness As to the two first Articles if that will either quiet him or he thinks it may make for him I can assent and subscribe to the substance of the two first that is To the One Living and True God infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all things and the Father Son and Holy Ghost as of one Substance Power and Eternity And to the Son his being the Word the very Eternal God of One Substance and that he took Man's Nature in the Virgin Mary and that so he is one Christ perfect God and Man who as Man truly suffered was crucified dead and buried and so became a Sacrifice for Reconciliation between the Father and us This without any Equivocal or Reserved Sense I can freely consent to let my Adversary make what he can of it Qr. G.W. Now if Professors come not to feel and experience these Things or Works of Christ viz. Reconciliation Redemption Salvation Justification fulfilled within them they are but meer empty Professors and Talkers of them without the true Life and Power of Christianity and true Religion Priest answers p. 16. They are Quakers in Heart ill principled in Christianity who do not see plainly how this Quaker 's Spirit hath put him upon playing the Sophister as well as an Ignoramus in it Answ Here he counts us Ill principl'd in Christianity Sophisters and Ignoramus's for asserting that Reconciliation Redemption Salvation Justification must be fulfilled within as much as to tell us that Professors possess the true Life and Power of Christianity without having these Works of Christ fulfilled within them as if they were all wholly compleated without them without respect to the Work of Christ within them This is still his old Antinomian Notion which he would father upon the Church of England but how contrary not only to Scripture but also to the Seventeenth Article of the Bishops concerning those who are Chosen in Christ let the serious Reader judge The words in the said Article are these viz. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity Here is as much said for me as I can desire to this Adversary's Confutation discovering not only his Abuse of the Quakers but of his own Church in his pleading for a Justification of men wholly without them so wholly excluding the Works of Christ from within leaving them under the Dominion of Sin and Satan But this is not all but also in the said 17th Article there are these words viz. And such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the Works of the Flesh and their Earthly Members and drawing up their Minds to High and Heavenly Things fervently kindle their Love towards God How plain is it that here is Confession to the working of God's Spirit even to the feeling if it within Obedience to his Calling being made Sons of God conformable to the Image of his Son c. included in the State of Justification contrary to our Adversary's
of the Spirit there as he hath done surely he pronounceth and prayeth what he believes not but from the Teeth outward And also let it be noted how Inconsistent our present Adversary is with the Sermon preached before the Lords in Parliament upon the Fast day February 4. 1673. by Herbert Bishop of Hereford where after he has exclaimed against the Vice Debauchery Pride and Luxury the abominable Lust Excess and Superfluities of our Times he earnestly presseth and urgeth upon their Consciences For Humiliation Weeping Mourning Fasting mortifying their Carnal Bestial Lust that so God from his Mercy-seat might look down with Compassion upon them and pardon all their Crying Sins and then God would Bless them c. Here he did not preach Pardon Peace Blessing or Justification to them if they continued in Sin And further plainly saith Now that Sin is more hateful unto Christ than any Sufferings is evident because he endureth all these to take away Sin Christ could endure the greatest Torment in the World but cannot endure the least Sin for Sin is not only hateful but a flat Contradiction unto God for God is Holiness Can we be such ungrateful Beasts such savage Wolves such cruel Tygers such bloody Monsters as yet to crucify him afresh and put him again to open shame God forbid But let us rather scourge and crucifie the old Man that hater of this our blessed Saviour Thus sar the said-Bishop with much more of this kind of his Sermon aforesaid I am perswaded if the Bishops did see and rightly consider much of my Adversaries writing and what Sin-pleasing Antinomian Notions he would father upon the Church of England they would conclude that he had need to preach a Recantation Sermon or otherwise that he deserves to be degraded and Excommunicated I have quoted the more against him of matter owned by the Protestants and Church of England because he brags so much of that Church as if she would shelter him in all his Deceits and Abuses § XIII Pr. p. 25. In this Quaking Ramble we find too much abominable Doctrine viz. 1. No Hosanna due to Christ as the he Son of M ary no existing Bodily without us 2. Jesus the Son of Mary is not God our Saviour 3. That Jesus Christ is not the Son of the Substance of the Father Answ In all these this Envious Priest hath most shamefully abus'd and perverted my Words as may apparently be seen in the Book Entituled The Nature of Christianity c. pag. 40 and 41. As First About No Hosanna a falshood For I confess'd that the multitude cried Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 21.9 And ask'd if Hosanna be not Save now I beseech thee only I shewed R. G. his mistake that it was the Multitudes that cryed Hosanna to the Son of David which he placed upon his Apostles and all his Ministers in all Ages whereas they all confessed his Deity as well as his Manhood his being the Son of God and the Root as well as the Off-spring of David Yet I condemn not their Hosanna to the Son of David who in simplicity of Heart cryed so But yet that there is an higher Expression of Honour to him with respect to his Deity and as the Eternal Son of God and David's Lord according to his own Testimony when he questioned the Pharisees and Scribes who called him the Son of David viz. What think ye of Christ whose Son is he They said unto him The Son of David He said unto them How then doth David in Spirit call him Lord saying The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my Right Hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool If David then call him Lord how is he his Son And no man was able to answer him a Word neither durst any man from that day forth ask any more Questions Mat. 22. and Mark 12.35 36 37. Did Christ herein deny himself to be the Son of David or of his Seed according to the Flesh no sure no more have we What I writ as before was in relation to the Honour due to Christ as the Eternal Son of God which the Pharisees allow'd not of though they confessed him to be the Son of David but were offended at his owning himself to be the Son of God John 10.36 and 19.7 The Jews charged him with Blasphemy and said He ought to dye because thereof Secondly The Priest has most shamefully belyed me by inferring upon me a denial of the Deity of Jesus Christ as if I denied him to be God our Saviour which is a gross Lye for I have in plain words confest that the holy Prophets Apostles and Ministers pointed and testified unto Jesus Christ both as Man born of the Virgin to his coming in the Flesh Nat. Chri. pag. 40. and unto his Divinity and manifestation in Spirit Thirdly The Priest hath abominably belyed me in charging this Doctrine upon me that Jesus Christ is not the Son of the Substance of the Father * Which also he sets down in his 10th Article as the Quakers belief p. 147. whenas I have plainly confest his Divinity and the main drift of my Discourse is that he may be chiefly honour'd and worshipped as in respect to his Deity Divine Power and Glory as the Eternal Son of God For that Hosanna and Adoration Claim of Salvation which some pretend only to Christ as the Son of Mary or to him as the Son of Mary only this I was not satisfied with because it excludes his Divinity from that honour chiefly due thereto And it was hereupon that I asked R. G. the Question If he had so considered Christ to be God the Saviour or the Son from the Substance of the Father Which I asked not to deny him in either of these 't was far from my thoughts but only to shew my Opposer his mistake in attributing all to him only as the Son of Mary Thus far was I from denying the Deity of the Son of God or his being of the Substance of the Father from everlasting before the World was As also I shewed Mark 6.3 that they who called Christ the Carpenter the Son of Mary and were offended at him did not shew that honour and respect to him that Peter did who said Nat. Christ p. 51. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God though this can be no Denial of his outward Birth of the Virgin Pr. pag. 26. They deny that the Son of Mary is to be worshipped as God Answ We do not divide Christ though we distinguish between his Godhead and Manhood viz. That though he be perfect God and perfect Man yet inferior to the Father touching his Manhood as is confest in the Liturgy And if any of us have denied that meerly consider'd as the Son of Mary he is to be worshipped as God I think we should not be rendred Offenders nor yet Deniers of his Manhood on this occasion for men more Wise and Learned than our Adversary
pag. 30. In this Quaking Primmer here is a base Charge drawn against all the Ministring Priests of the Church of England Here these Quakers have fired their Beacon that the Youth of this Church may have timely notice to beware of their best Soul-Friends Here the silly Sheep are slightly counselled against their Keepers that the Quaking Wolves may the better prey upon them Answ Here the Priest rages and rails but defends not himself and his Brethren from the Charge of such being Deceivers as preach for Money and Tythes and who being in Transgression not able to lead others out of it only he sayes 'T is a base Charge against all the Ministring Priests of the Church of England as if he had told us all the Ministring Priests of the Church of England do preach for Money and Tythes and then cryes out Quaking Wolves as if that were enough to clear him and his Brethren and to be a deadly Blow to the Quakers Who is it cannot see such Impertinency Malice and Railery He tells us They are God's Priests and Ambassadours by whom God doth beseech his Rebel-Subjects to be reconcited but proves it not we have only his Say-so He should have proved his own and their Call to the Ministry We deny that they are immediately called of God either to be his Priests Embassadours or Mouth How should they be so Called that deny Immediate Teaching and Inspiration and especially such who scoff at the Light within and the Spirit 's Teaching as this Adversary doth And for a mediate Call I deny that they have it from the holy Apostles or primitive Church of Christ in their dayes Pr. pag. 31. Here little Children are taught to look upon all Teaching Priests as so many Deceivers as those Hirelings that preach for Money and Tythes which is a Lying Slander Answ No this is mis-stated for they are taught to look upon all such as preach for Money and Tythes to be Deceivers Hirelings c. Pr. Ibid. According to the baseness of these Quaking Lines its a shame for the King 's sacred Majesty the Defender of the true Faith that such base Priests should be owned by him Answ Here for a shelter he would make the King a Patronizer of the Priests Cause how Base soever any of them are in Preaching for Hire and Cruel in Persecuting and Imprisoning People for Tythes he thinks he argues stoutly in their Defence to tell us The King 's sacred Majesty owns them when alas his Majesty knows not a tenth part of their Baseness and Cruelty who are guilty of persecuting his peaceable Subjects for their Bellies and filthy Lucre. And rather than not have their Covetous Ends answered they 'l throw a Man in Goal for the Value of a Tythe-Pig they are so cruel and hard-hearted many of them that they value a few Tythe-Piggs more than they do Mens Liberties or Lives I am perswaded such Priests will bring no Honour to the King Pr. Ibid. Devilish Lessons that the Scripture is not the Word of God Answ No where doth the Scripture call it self the Word but in the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God c. and his Name is called The Word of God John 1. Rev. 19.13 Yet what the Scriptures call themselves we call them so and own them to be Pr. pag. 32. To say that God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are Three Persons but One God this is to speak we know not what c. Ibid. To say with the Church of England In the Vnity of this Godhead there be Three Persons of One Sâ—â—sâ—ance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and H. Ghost is in this Quaker 's Account the Doctrine of the World Answ That in the Unity of the Godhead there 's Father Son and Holy Spirit of One Substance Power and Eternity we do own and confess according to the Scripture but that these are Three distinct or separate Persons as some have called them we have no Scripture Proof for these Terms Why does not this man bring us plain Scripture-Proof in this Case seeing he professes it to be his only Rule of Faith Has he not given here great Advantage to the Papists to tell him that the Church is his Rule and not the Scripture in this great Article of his and their Faith Pr. pag. 33. To prepare little Children to slight them i. e. the Scriptures as being unable to bring them to know God and Christ and the Spirit of Truth according to these Quaking Lines St. Paul was mistaken when he said that the Scripture was profitable for Doctrine Answ 'T is no preparing any to sleight the Scriptures to testifie of Christ his Light and Spirit of Truth as being the Way to know God whom no man knows but by the Son 's revealing him And God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus This is not said of the Scriptures though as given by Inspiration of God they are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnisht unto every good Work Herein Paul was not mistaken for the Man of God is Divinely Inspired unto the right Understanding and Use of the Scriptures Therefore this Inspiration is the Ground of Divine Knowledge The Scriptures are profitable by the help of this through the Blessing of God hereby have we found Profit and Comfort in reading the Scriptures which no man can without the BLESSING of GOD by his Spirit Pr. Ibid. To Exalt the Quakers Idol the Light within little Children are here taught to slight the holy Scriptures as a Duâ—â— Book Answ Here is both horrid Blasphemy against the Light of Christ within and a gross Lye that little Children are so taught to slight the holy Scriptures for they are told in the very words cited by this Priest That the Scriptures of Truth do declare of God Christ and the Spirit of Truth and this is not to slight the Scriptures thus to own their Testimony on the behalf of God his Christ and the holy Spirit The holy Scriptures may be made instrumental for our Profit and Confirmation through the Divine and Gracious Assistance of the holy Spirit but not of themselves or without it His Comparison between Popish Catechisms and ours and his telling us of Papal Quakers that make their Followers two-fold more the Children of Hell are both False Infamous and Slanderous and nothing like any rational Proof urged by him but a continued persisting in his Abusive Railery and Reviling for which the Lord rebuke him § X V. The Priest's next Quarrel and Railery is against William Smith's two Treatises Primmer and Catechism Pr. pag. 33. Both Primmer and Catechism are the fittest for Smithfield to receive the Hang-man's Imprimatur Answ This same Envious Spirit that is still finding Work for the Hang-man to
there should be one Head Christ one Teacher one Lord one Lawgiver one Faith one Baptism one Light one Life one Way one Shepherd and one Sheep-fold one Priest over the Houshold of God one Hope one Family one God and Father of all in this true Church This is not strange to the Church of Christ which is Constituted of true and living Members of one Body who live by the Faith of the Son of God and are new Creatures in Christ Jesus who are gathered and baptized by one Spirit into one Light Life and Power and so into one Body according to Scripture seeing the Priest is so ignorant of these things I desire him to read these Scriptures at leisure Isa 33.22 Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. Heb. 8.8 9 10 11. John 6.45 Isa 54.13 1 Cor. 12.13 see also Ephes 4.3 4 5 6. which is directly to our purpose for this Unity and Perfection in the true Church so much condemned and derided by our Unchristian and Atheistical Adversary § XXXI Pr. Ibid. The true Church is now only to be found among the Poor Deluded Qrs. Most of these Vnities heaped together by this Qr. must be understood according to the Notorious false Principles of all Qrs. A Quakerized Vnity Answ We do not say this true Church is only to be found amongst the Poor Quakers or this Unity as relating only to a Visible Society among us 't is of more Universal extent than any Visible Society of Persons but that there is an Invisible and Spiritual Union known to all the faithful among us and that as we are a People gathered by the Power and Spirit of Christ we are Members of that Church which he is Head of and that his Power has more manifestly appeared with us in our Testimony for him and in upholding us chearfully to suffer for the same than with other Societies in our Day as also to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man this we are satisfied in and that the Lord's Power has more Eminently appeared among us in our Societies and Assemblies than among other Professions Societies or Assemblies in our day else we should not keep together in a Society we should not be a Church nor in such an Union nor Assemble together if we did not really believe and were satiâ—fied that the Lord owns us and is with us as we are a People And let this Caution be taken by the way That whoever go out from us separate themselves and turn into Emnity Malice or Wickedness after they have seen and tasted of the great Power and Work of the Lord among us they fall into a worse and more dangerous state than thousands are in who never had this Knowledge Wilfully to sin against such Knowledge is far worse than to be in the time of Ignorance wherein God winked their latter End is worse with them than the beginning it had been better for them not to have known the Way of Righteâ—usness than after they have known it to turn aside from the holy Commandment Turks and Indians who confess and adore an Eternal Deity and live honestly according to what they believe and know are more acceptable to God yea and the most ignorant among them shall sooner find Mercy and Salvation with him than either the Rebellious Back-slider the Hypocrite Careless and Unfaithful under the Profession of Christianity among what People soever And though we do not Exclude all who are not yet gathered into an outward Society with us from having any share in that inward and invisible Life Spirit Faith Union or Salvation which we are made partakers of For there are those that Wish well to Zion that have a love to her and a drawing towards her that God hath regard to them and will prosper in their honest Desires And there are those that are Not against us that are for us Luke 9.50 And God hath a regard to Inward Sincerity and honesty of Heart though clouded under various Forms and Professions There are those that have a Simplicity and Innocence in their Heart towards God and are free from Enmity against his People that yet are not come to have their Understandings so clear as to come into an outward Society and compliance in all things with the gathered and chosen of the Lord that yet have a secret breathing unto him in Spirit whom he will in his own time gather unto himself as Christ saith Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd John 10.16 However I would not be mistaken though all are not come to that visible Society and open Testimony which God hath gathered us into and brought forth publickly among us through many deep Sufferings and Reproaches yet I do not own nor believe Salvation by any other Christ Gospel Light Spirit or Power than that which we have received from God and â—eat Witness unto through his Son Christ Jesus The Way of Life and Salvation is but one Truth is but one the Light of the Lord of the Lamb and of his holy City is but one wherein the Nations of them that are saved shall walk and the holy fear of God and working Righteousness which in every Nation they that experience are accepted springs from this one Divine Principle of Life Light and Truth in the inward parts which God hath given to mankind wherein Christ is spiritually and effectually received to Salvation which is but one in all though different in degrees of Discoveries and Knowledge thereof among the Sons of men Howbeit thus far there is an Universal Union among all People saved of the Lord when in the way of Salvation that there is not an Envy nor an evil mind in one against another but a certain degree of Innocency Love and good Will all which springs from that one universal and divine Principle of Life Light and Grace in the Hearts which we testifie of Pr. p. 118. This Quaking Vnity belonging to the true Church of God hath no Scripture-bottome to stand on no Christian Writers of any Century did ever describe the true Church of God after this Canting rate Answ The Unity belonging to the true Church and the description thereof I have sufficiently proved by H. Scripture and according to true Christian Experience Testimony and therefore this Adversary may be ashamed of his scornful Taunting and Idle Atheistical and Impious Triffling Reflections on these serious Occasions and remember the Proverb cited by himself Piet as non patitur ludum he will find one day that he has an heavy Account to give for his acting the part of a Mountebank and Stage-player Gamer and Sporter about Pious and Religious matters his casting his Scurrilous terms upon us and calling that Canting which hee 's not able to Confute This will not excuse his Prophaneness Levity Scorn and Contempt which God will rebuke As for his slighty Reflection upon
same as to Miracles or to equalize themselves therein with the Apostles though God hath wrought Wonders and Miracles among them and by some as Instruments in his hand Art 78. That to redeem and make free from Sin is done with the Body of Christ which we have told you is the Church A Perversion still as if the Church only did redeem and free it self whereas 't is Christ in and with his own Body that redeems his Church which is that Body of his whereof he is Head Though he has an intire peculiar and glorious Body yet the Church as united to him and Members of his Body comprehensively make up one Indivisible Body in the compleat and mysterious Union and Fulness of himself § 32. Art 81. That that man looks upon Christ with a Carnal Eye that looks upon him to have a true Body Which is a lying Forgery still Christ hath a true and Spiritual glorious Body whereof the Saints are Members in the spiritual and mysterious union wiâ—h himself § 32. Art 83. That Fellowship at the Lords Table is very wicked Is also a perverse falshood for ye cannot eat at the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils Covetous Priests and Wicked People though they have the Sign or Shadow yet are short of the Lord's Table and partake not of the Flesh and Blood of Christ nor of his Supper while they shut him out of their Hearts § 16. 25. Art 89. That Vnquakeriz'd Christians do worship an unknown God A Forgery still none of our Terms or Creed but false and fleshly Christians do so Worship § 31. There are divers more Forgeries Perversions and Falshoods in the Priests Articles which for brevity's sake I omit and shall now give the Reader an Account according to my second Proposition before stated of some Truths set down in the Priests Articles which are not according to his Faith he having given them all the Title of the Quakers Vnsound Faith And thus I proceed viz. Pr. Art 2 3. Now we Quakers do believe that the Spirit alone doth give true discerning that the Light within ought to be the Rule of our Faith and Practice Answ We do believe that the Spirit of Truth is all-sufficient for those Ends 't is given for and leadeth into all Truth that true discerning of Spirits is a Gift of this Spirit and that we ought to walk in the Light of Christ Jesus and his Spirit as the chief Rule of our Faith and Practice which things it seems this Priest does not believe he believes not that the Spirit alone doth give true Discerning or that the Divine Light thereof ought to be his Rule He believes the Scripture to be the Rule of Life without the Light within as he has told us p. 120. § 14 15. Pr. Art 21. We Q. believe that we are to mind the Spirit alone in all things Answ We do believe we ought to mind the Spirit of Truth in all things both in reading Scripture for a true understanding thereof and in our Words and Actions but this Priest does not believe he ought to be so mindful of the Spirit his mind is more upon Flesh than Spirit § 14 15 23. Pr. Art 34. We Q. do believe that the Name Sunday is Heathenish that every day is the Lord's day Answ Then this Priest does not believe the Name Sunday is Heathenish or proceeded from Heathens or that every day is the Lords thus ignorant he has shewn himself § 20. Pr. Art 35. We Q. believe that they are no truly faithful Christians who deny that there is a perfect freedom from all manner of Sin to be had in this Life that their Faith is not the true Faith if it doth not cleanse them from all their Sins Answ This Priest therefore believes that they are truly faithful Christians and in the true Faith who deny a Perfect freedom from Sin in this Life and whose Faith does not cleanse them from their Sins which is contrary to the Belief and Faith of truly faithful Christians who know the Heart-purifying Faith and the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all Sin and such could say He hath washed us from our Sins in his own Blood But 't is not done in this Life saith the Priest When then In the Life to come it must be But Where must it be in a Purgatory between Heaven and Hell That 's Popish Doctrine § 21. and 28. Pr. Art 36. We Q. do believe that the Scripture is not the Light nor the Word nor the Life nor the Judge nor the Rule nor the Guide nor the Tryer of Spirits Answ This being also included in the Qrs. unsound Faith by the Priest we must take it for granted that he believes the Scripture is the Light the Life the Judge †Contrary to Psal 50.6 Isa 33 22. Acts 10.42 Heb. 12.23 James 5.9 the Rule the Guide the Tryer of Spirits which Terms by way of Eminency most properly belonging to God to Christ to the holy Spirit to the divine Light * John 1 c 11.25 c. 14.6 might not the Priest as well have told us that the Scripture is God and Christ § 22 23 § 14 15. Pr. Art 37. We Q. do believe that the People and Teachers are Ignorant of Christ who seek Life in the Scripture where it is not to be found Answ So then this Priest therefore believes that Eternal Life is to be sound in the Scriptures and they who seek it in the Scripture do know and find Christ the Light and Life Eternal therein which is contrary to Christs own Testimony John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye THINK ye have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me but ye will not come to me that ye might have Life § 22 23. § 14 15. Pr. Art 50. We Q. do believe That they are all Heathens and no Christians who are so baptiz'd i. e. with Water and cannot witness the other Baptism i. e. the Baptism of Christ Answ This Priest then believes that they all are no Heathens but Christians who are Baptized or Sprinkled with Water when Infants though they cannot witness the Baptism of Christ at such an easie rate can he make Christians contrary to Christs own Testimony If I do not wash thee thou hast no part in me and except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God § 16. 25. 29. Pr. Art 51. We Q. do believe that Sacramental Bread so called is Natural that the Cup is such like and that which they call the Lords Supper is a Shadow Answ This being also included in the Qrs. Vnsound Faith we may take it for granted that the Priest does not believe that the Bread and the Cup which they call Sacramental and the Lords Supper are Natural Carnal or Shadow What then that they are Supernatural Spiritual the Substance the Body and Blood of Christ yea That the Bread broken
And also see 1 Cor. 6.11 where both Washing Sanctification and Justification are said to be in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And even Erasmus in his Paraphrase on Acts 13.38 39. saith expresly Through this same Jesus each man without respect of any Person or else offence hath Righteousness or Justification and Innocency profferred unto him so that he believe the Promises of the Gospel Note Surely then these are profferred to be received Therefore this Adversary's saying That the Quakers have a Pâ—pe in their Bellies and that the Quaker his Lines are hammered out upon his Popish Anvil as in pag. 22 24. These are some of his Abominable Scurrilous Slanders such Temporizers as he are more like to have a Pope in their Bellies that for their Bellies can Temporize Change and Turn their Coat in Religious matters And how like a Popish Incendiary has he acted in rendring the People called Quakers so guilty of Popery as if he had a Design to carry on for the Popish Interest either by endeavouring the Quakers Destruction because of their opposition to Popery or else by encreasing the Number of Papists by adding the Quakers thereto or rather falsly rendring the Popish Interest far bigger than it is Besides he grosly mistakes as well as shallowly argues about Popery in his rendring some Truths which the Council of Trent held to be Popery whereas Popery is the Gross Erronious Idolatrous and Superstitious part of their Doctrine and Religion and not any Scripture-Truths that they hold But this man it seems where they hold the New Birth and the Renovation of the inner man c. as necessary to our Justification this he 'll deem Popery because held by the Council of Trent But further Though Christ dyed for all all are not Partakers of the blessed Ends and Benefit thereof but those to whom it is communicated for unless in Adam they were faln and degenerate so as to dye in their own Injustice unto Righteousness they should not be unjust so unless they be regenerate in Christ they should never be justified and live to him Council of Trent chap. 3. Sess 6. Vnless they were born again in Christ they should never be justified Then it follows because that Regeneration is given to them by the Merit of his Suffering by Grace received whereby they are made Righteous What Protestant ever denyed this that only the Regenerate had the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings and that Regeneration was given freely and that thereby they were made Righte ous or Sanctified or Repentance wrought in them and Newnes of Life By Grace we are saved saith Paul through Faith and that not of our selves it is the Gift of God This Man appears in this Point an Adversary to the Papists and Protestants that are not Libertines And the Charge is true against him that the Papists untruly bring against the Protestants viz. of Libertinism And at this rate he may as well invalidate much of the Doctrine of the Church of England so much applauded by him for that she holds the same Truths which in divers things the Church of Rome holds and both have recourse in many things to the same Authors and Fathers for their Assertions And in this very Case of Justification inwardly the Rhemists in their Annot. on Rom. 3.22 cite St. Augustine speaking thus The Grace of Christ doth work our Illumination and Justification inwardly also De Pec. Mer. l. 1. c. 9 10. And again He giveth to the Faithful the most secret Grace of his Spirit which secretly he poureth into Infants also And again They are justiâ—â—ed in Christ that believe in him through the secret Communication and Inspiration of spiritual Grace whereby every one leaneth to our Lord. And again He maketh just renewing by the Spirit and Regeneration by Grace And also a Person of note who lately wrote the Book entituled The Middle Way of Perfection with indifferency between the Orthodox and the Quaker he vindicates us in this very Point of Justification as it is from the Charge of the Law and the Charge of the Gospel confessing That our Faith and Repentance is our Righteousness in regard to the Gospel but Pardon of Sin together with this Righteousness so both into universal Justification p. 5. And also pleads for God's justifying us by this Righteousness that is by Faith and Evangelical Obedience And farther saith he I do not find that the Scripture doth denominate or pronounce any one Righteous or a Just Man from one end to another upon any other account then his doing Righteousness As also saith That calm Protestants grant the Constitution of a real true Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace pag. 15 16. And grants A having the Righteousness of a perfect Heart for Justification and yet no man justified but by the Grace of God through the Redemption which we have in Christ Jesus pag. 26. And also consesseth That we have their Divines on the blind side and that the Orthodox are quite out that will have any justified without a Righteousness that is perfect according to the Law that justifies him i. e. the Law of Grace pag. 26. And confesseth also on St. Augustine Aug de Spir. et Lit. That 't is possible for a Man to attainto such a perfection as to live without Sin by Grace or the special Assistance of God's Spirit granting it also to be our Duty But our Adversary tells us That it is an old Popish Trick to assert Justification by Works of the Spirit p. 23. Thus he still persists in his Antinomian Libertine Sin-pleasing Principle to shut out the Work of the Spirit from Justification that Impure and Poluted Persons may be deemed Just and Righteous under the Notion of Imputation contrary to the most Moderate and Learned of all sorts both Protestants and others and contrary to what 's before-cited out of their 17th Article for the Spirit 's working in due season and mortifying the Works of the Flesh And I would know where ever any Protestant Writers of note did charge the Council of Trent with Popery on the two Passages before cited out of the said Council against us As also contrary to many Passages in the Common-Prayer or Service Book as in their Absolution to be pronounced by the Priest viz. That Almighty God hath given Power to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his People being penitent the Absolution and Remission of their Sius he pardons and absolves all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe c. Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true Repentance and his Holy Spirit that those things may please him which we do at this present and that the rest of our Life hereafter may be Holy But with what Heart or Faith can our Adversary thus pronounce or pray when he neither believes a Pureness of Life nor grants Repentance and such unfeigned Belief to concern our Justification while he shuts out the Works