cleanseth from Sin and that this was not to be resolved into the Light within nor to be spiritualiz'd away from the Letter Re. Let us be excused if we cannot take that Text 1 John 1. 7. altogether literally if cleansing from all Sin be a spiritul and inward Work or Act as no doubt it is there 's as much ascribed to the Spirit as to the Blood in respect to the Work of Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin And therefore the Blood of Christ may be both taken spiritually and literally and this is not to spiritualize away the Letter relating to the outward Blood and Sacrifice of Christ seeing we have always believed both in the Letter and receive the Fruit thereof in the Spirit Sn. p. 148. Sect. 11. These Men whose chief Principle is to decry and damn the Letter Re. This is a most gross and foul Calumny Our preferring the Spirit to the Letter as the Apostles did is no decrying nor damning the Letter nor so intended by us but to bring People to the Life and Substance and real fulfilling of Scripture To what he saith in distinction between Christ the Word of God and the Book of Scriptures p. 151 152. this makes for us and against them who have often affirmed that Book to be the Word in opposition to our owning Christ to be the Word of whom the Scriptures testifie And this on our part is no Contempt of the Holy Scriptures nor in their place any deifying of our own Spirit and our own Scriptures as this Adversary most falsly accuseth us p. 152. His most seeming pretence for Proof against us of Contempt of Holy Scripture is in p. 142. Sect. 11. where he quotes a Passage out of a Book Entituled The Quaker's Refuge c. thus viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these are not one Or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill express'd some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false And here the Accuser breaks off in his Citation like as F. Bugg used to deal by us who has the same Passage to defame us as he hath done Whereas next after the Words And yet false these follow viz. Is not the Subject of my Argument at this time Here 't is plain the Author R. R. has cited these Questions about the Scriptures not as the Subject of his own Argument but of some others he would not then be concerned to dispute those Questions or Doubts For the said Author farther confesseth That such Scriptures and Prophesies as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by his Spirit treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration From hence it 's clear the Author was no Contemner of Holy Scripture and 't is clear the Subject of his Argument was for the Authority of the Holy Spirit in judging or discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures as truly own'd by the Quakers thus in the said Book Quaker's Refuge p. 17. which could not intend any Contempt of the Holy Scriptures much less a deifying either of our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man or our own Writings in their place We have rarely ever met with more mad unlikely and improbable Aspersions than these from our most outragious Adversaries To what is objected p. 155. Sect. 11. viz. That they i. e. the Quakers cannot be bound by any Command in the Scriptures unless their Spirit anew require the same This is falsly stated 't is not our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man abstractly that we profess to be under the Conduct of but the same Spirit which gave forth the Holy Scriptures And is not awanting to require of us the performance of its own necessary Commands and Doctrins contained in the Scriptures seeing 't is the same Spirit which leads it's sincere Followers into all Truth consequently not to undervalue any of those blessed Truths recorded in the Holy Scriptures And therefore this Adversary's Consequence intended against us viz. That the Scripture remains of no Authority with us p. 155. is very unjust being deduced from his own false Suggestions supposing us to set the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures of Truth whereas we plead for the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures in so much preferring the Holy Spirit from whence they proceeded and derive their Authority and not from Human Tradition And this is far from spiritualizing away all the Letter of the Scripture or Christ's Humanity as in p. 166. as we are often unjustly aspersed To what he saith p. 168. That Enthusiasts have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in mad Men and this they mistake for Inspiration and then their Madness is at the height We say take Enthusiasm in the truest and best Sense and then such are inspired of God and by his Inspiration have a true Understanding and right Principles given them both Divine and Moral and do not mistake Fancy for Divine Inspiration But to whom does the Man apply this Enthusiasm which he renders Fancy more strong in mad Men and height of Madness In his next Page 't is to the Quakers He says No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it p. 169. Sect. 11. Here he seems to take Enthusiasm in the Quaker's Sense which is Divine Inspiration or inspired of God which sure cannot be meer Fancy much less the height of Madness as before The Quakers certainly deny this of themselves Thus the Man's confused in 's injurious Attempts to defame us with the height of Madness His Objection against the Quaker's Enthusiasm as he calls it That none that ever called themselves Christians have advanced themselves so high to have the same infallible Spirit and immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ himself c. p. 169. Herein he 's greatly out All true Christians are Partakers of the Spirit of Christ in some degree or measure for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and his Spirit is infallible and a Manifestation of the same Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal and the Effusion of this Spirit upon all Flesh was promised and we believe the Promises of God which are all Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus Therefore this our Adversary who is so much averse to having the same infallible
Vaughton AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE VENOME OF The Snake in the Grass BEING A Sober Caution against the great Malice and gross Abuses of the Book so stiled and the People call'd QUAKERS defended from the same SEeing the nameless Author gives his Book the Title of The Snake in the Grass or Satan transform'd into an Angel of Light which Character he intends for the principal Leaders of those People called Quakers It may be observed by the way what other Characters Charges and Languages he gives the said People and treats them with all in his said Book viz. Preface p. 7 8 9 17. False Prophets mad Enthusiasm obstinate Quakers their Rage their Folly rank wild Blasphemy proud blasphemous Spirit black-Mouth'd hellish Venom Coujurers Witchcraft and Conjuration p. 19. whatever the Power of the Devil may be in such cases c. There never were more visible and dreadful Effects of it no not in any possess'd Men mentioned in the Gospel than has been among the Quakers p. 21. even as declared and witnessed by themselves and that not only as to the strange and preternatural Distortions Quaking and Shaking of their Bodies past the Power of any to counterfeit or to act it by their natural Strength but what is much more horrible and exceeding all other Witchcrafts and Possessions of the Devil that were ever heard of before these possess'd Quakers do impiously blaspheme and call themselves Christ and some of them have imitated his Passion Death and Resurrection madly in themselves We may hence observe First the Authors most unjust and falsly reflecting these black Characters and Charges upon the Quakers Secondly How he shews Satan transform'd into an Angel of Light When and where did he ever see or read of an Angel of Light thus to appear like a mad Man a Witch a Devil a Blasphemer What horrid Madness Blasphemy and Self-contradiction does the Devil and Malice precipitate such furious foul-Mouth'd persecuting Agents into at unawares Thirdly But if the Quakers were such Madmen and possess'd with the Devil as he represents them how well has the Man spent his time in bestowing his Wit Drollery and Raillery instead of Compassion on such Madmen whose case if such were to be lamented rather than derided Fourthly For this great Madness and being possessed with the Devil as 't is cast upon the Quakers His instance of John Gilpin in 1653. James Milner and John Toldervy p. 22 23 24 30 34. can only prove himself impertinently malicious and can no more affect the People called Quakers nor be any more valid Argument to prove them Mad-men and Blasphemers since they have long since testified against the madness of those Persons he mentions than if one should argue against the Church and Clergy of England thus viz. That because many of their Members have run Mad and been put into Bedlam therefore the Church and Clergy of England are all Mad and must be turned into Bedlam if they had one big enough And many such other absurd Arguments and Consequences might be retalliated upon this Snake in the Grass if from a Particular to a General shall be admitted as a sound way of Arguing which no rational Man will allow Fifthly His Instance against the Quakers of James Nayler's failure and suffering a few mad Women to sing Hosanna to him This is as unjustly as maliciously remembred and cast upon us seeing that Madness was condemned and testified against by the People called Quakers And the Lord in mercy made James Nayler himself sensible of the great Temptation and Cloud he was for a time fallen under insomuch that he not only gave out a publick Testimony of his Condition and of the Lord 's dealing with him which was in Judgment and Mercy and publickly exposed under the Title of James Nayler's Recantation but also some are yet alive that were both Eye-witnesses of his many Tears and deep Humiliation besides his great suffering in Person by the then Government who being restored into his right Understanding and Sense of the Love and Mercy of God in Christ sometime after innocently ended his Days in Peace And therefore it shews the more implacable Malice and horrid Injustice to reproach us with any personal failing of his or any other And not only so but to reflect personal Miscarriages upon our Principles As where he thus unjustly infers viz. So very susceptible do the Quakers Principles make Men of the wild Impressions of Enthusiasm p. 35. So that by this Inference all Gilpins Milners and Toldervy's strange Whimsies lying Imaginations and Madness are unjustly and blasphemously father'd upon the Quakers Principles viz. The Light within Revelation the Infalibility p. 35. which we intend of the Holy Spirit 's Teaching and no other 6. P. 37. As for Quaking and Trembling so much derided how proves he that this proceeds from Delusion and Diabollical Possession p. 44. and not from the Word and Power of God at which many good Men both of Prophets Apostles and Primitive Christians have trembled And also by the same Power both wicked Men and Devils have been and shall be made to Fear Tremble and Quake 7. As to such strange preternatural Distortions he talks of where did he see them among the Quakers We know not unless some have been taken therewith in some Convulsion-Fits which are common to some Persons among divers sorts of People or when by the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ some evil Spirit has been about to be cast out 8. And how he can discern and judge all outward Quaking and Trembling which he derides to proceed from a being inwardly possess'd with the Devil and not from the influence and opperation of the Power of Christ we cannot understand unless contrary to his Opinion against Infalibility he proves his Judgment and Discerning Infallible and that even in the Tryal of Spirits wherein we cannot esteem him such a spiritual Man of Discerning as judgeth all things P. 34. Again from his dark Stories of Gilpin Milner Toldervy c. as in an high degree possess'd with the Devil He farther infers That there have not been among so many of all Mankind such a number a gross Lie as of these Quakers that have run quite Mad for their Principle is little short of Madness The Principles he presently mentions p. 35. Is that of expecting Revelations and of the Light within But granting that some pretending to Divine Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Revelations and Light within and from thence Infallibility in Matters of Salvation to proceed and yet some such have failed and run into Imagination and Delusion Is this any good Argument against the Principle it self If not this Opposer's Work is only to rake up and set forth Personal Failings which can no ways destroy good Principles from whence there have been many Revolters and Backsliders both in the Days of the Prophets Apostles and Ours and some because when they knew God glorified him not as God became vain in their Imaginations and their
foolish Hearts thereby darkned others begun in the Spirit yet would end the Flesh. But where 's his Catalogue to prove a greater number of Quakers have run quite mad than among so many of all Mankind Let him produce it if he can Now 't is observable That our Principle of Divine Inspiration Light within the Gift of the Holy Ghost the Work and Ministry thereof are plainly confest unto by this Author of The Snake in the Grass as That the Doctrin of the Church of England allows the same namely as constantly teaching that all saving Graces are wrought in our Hearts by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and that this Inspiration is as necessary to our fructifying or bringing forth good Works as the Influence of the Sun is to the Earth's bringing ing forth of her Fruits p. 46 47. Further discovering That they do not only Teach but also Pray for and Sing for God's holy Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and plead for the necessity of Divine Inspiration Light within c. from page 46 to page 53. And that according to their Homilies and Liturgy p. 54 55 56. He also instead of confuting the Principle or proving us all Madmen that profess Divine Inspiration tells us What sort of Enthusiasm or Inspiration is allowed and own'd in the Church and that 't is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within and that it is made necessary to every good Work And we are directed to it to follow and be guided by it and are assured that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our eternal Salvation it is this that opens the Scriptures to us and our Vnderstandings rightly to apprehend the true Sense and Meaning of them and which inclines our Will to love and duly to follow the divine Precepts therein contained If any Quaker as I am confident all that are in the least sober-minded will say That this is all they mean by their Light within then where is the difference Why do they break off and separate from our Communion upon the pretence of the Light within wherein we agree with them pag. 55 56 57. Thus far his Confession to the Principle wherein he is more Ingenuous than in his bitter reproachful Language and foul Raillery against us which he somewhat minceth yet confesseth He is forced to a little Raillery now and then Second Part pag. 12. The greater shame for him thus to manifest himself an open Railer and Reviler about religious Controversies But seeing he has so largely confess'd and vindicated the Church of England's allowing Preaching and Praying for the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and agreeing with the Quakers about the Light within c. how trifling and fruitless are his Attempts to vilifie and make them odious as Madmen Possest with the Devil Enthusiastick Madness c. from the Personal Miscarriages of some Distracted or Whimsical or Mad or loose extravagant Persons How many of his own Church have run mad How many Debauched and Wicked both of the Clergy and others Would he take it well to have a large Catalogue or Book writ thereof as the Cobler of Gloucester and others have done to shew the Contempt of the Clergy and then upbraid their whole Communion or Society yea and their Principles also therewith Surely no this he would deem very unjust Then let him peruse his own Work and better consider the Nature and Tendency thereof together with the bitter Invectives therein tending to raise a new Persecution which shews not a Christian Spirit or Charity in him or his Abettors Apostates from us or others whose Help by divers of of his silly dirty Stories he appears to have had A Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes Abuses and Calumnies in the Book sliled The Snake in the Grass with brief Reflections thereupon THat G. Fox's chief Principle was at first to direct Men to the inward Anointing and that they needed no Man to teach them but as the Anointing teacheth them and that God is come to Teach his People himself but that he would not trust to this for that he went about Teaching outwardly and has erected an outward Church-Discipline and Authority to over-rule the Anointing c. They keep up outward Ministry and Preaching which are more inconsistant with their Principle of reducing all to the Inward and waiting for the Lord in silence within Reflection Here are 3 Falshoods contained in this Calumnious Charge As 1. That G. F. would not trust to this Anointing 2. Church-Discipline to over-rule the same 3. Keeping up an outward Ministry and Preaching as inconsistant therewith These are both false and apparent Perversions reflecting also upon the Holy Apostles and their Ministry preaching and writing Epistles and Instructions to the Churches relating to both Church Order and Discipline and yet directed and referred them to the same Divine Unction received from the Holy One the Holy Spirit the Word of Faith and Grace of God within them Therefore Ministry and Instructions to good Order and Discipline were not to over-rule the inward Anointing but as proceeding from the same to help strengthen and confirm them in it for if the Doctrin of the Church of England be so much for the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost the Light within c. as he confessed what then is their Ministry and Discipline to over-rule the same How will he reconcile himself to his condemning us in this Case Sn. p. 95 96. These two Madmen Fox and Muggleton both their Inspirations came from the same Author the Father of Lies who in that Hurricane of Schism and Rebellion got an Act of Parliament for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience to sow his Tares at Noon-day Ref. The first part is a gross Calumny against G. F. whose divine Inspiration and found Testimony given him of God was evident against Muggleton's dark Spirit presumptuous and blasphemious Doctrine 2. The latter part is a bold Calumny and Reflection upon the Parliament and Act thereof for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience as if the Devil the Father of Lies did influence the Parliament to make the said Act which is a most presumptuous and audacious Aspersion We know no other Act of Parliament obtained for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience but the Act of Exemption made in the First Year of King William and Queen Mary and which was made for no such end as for the Devil to sow his Tares but for the Ease and Liberty of tender Consciences from the Devil 's envious Work of Persecution God having so order'd it that the Seed of Christ's Kingdom his Word and Gospel may have Liberty and be sown the more plentifully But it appears our present Liberty is greatly envied by this persecuting Author and such scandalous Libellers Sn. p. 104. That one of the Orders given forth by their Yearly Meeting 1693. commands That none shall carry Guns in their Ships Ref. This also is untrue We know no
same i. e. our effectual Cleansing and actual Deliverance from Sin and Satan c. which he has obtained for us and for Mankind by his Sufferings and Mediation 2. We never ascribed to our selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation that 's notoriously known to be expresly contrary to our professed Principle We ascribe our sufficiency to be in Christ by his own Power Grace and Light in us to work out our Salvation it being by Grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved not of our selves 't is the Gift of God and without him we can do nothing And this Heavenly Treasure though we have it in our earthen Vessels the excellency of the Power is of God and not of us After his many Scoffs at our Doctrin of Infallibility which he knows not what to make of he has at length stumbl'd upon an Instance of those he esteems will be found to have the best Title to it p. 85. where it is written Prov. 16. 10. A divine Sentence is in the Lips of the King and his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment We would ask him If none are indued with a divine Sentence and unerring Judgment but Kings Or if none are Saints and Partakers of the Spirit of Truth or divine Wisdom but Kings What kind of Kings he means that are thus infallible he does not distinguish sure they must be just and good Kings indued with divine Wisdom But are none else so but Kings Do not all that truly fear God partake of the same Spirit and Wisdom Is God any respecter of Persons What does he think of those very Elect whom Christ implies 't is impossible to deceive Mat. 24. 24. Are they fallible or deceivable Or of them in whose Mouths was found no Guile Or of them who have put away all Guile and all Malice and all Lying and all Hypocrisie c. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Are such led by an infallible Spirit or no But to proceed he has some very scurrilous and abusive Flings at G. W. to prove him not led by an infallible Spirit of discerning or true Judgment p. 87. He quotes G. W.'s Charitable Essay in Answer to Fr. Bugg p. 6. his objecting against G. F. That they the Quakers could discern who were Saints and who Apostates without speaking ever a Word And says that he G. W. puts it off ingeniously thus That they could discern it by their lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances and so without speaking ever a Word p. 87. And then among divers other Scoffs and Flouts goes on Is not this very hard Fishing for Infallibility Adding Alas poor George Is the infallible Quaker dwindled down to a meer Gypsie or paltry Fortune-teller to nothing but a little Skill in Physiognomy Ah! George what a blessed Spirit would'st thee have thought Satan if thee hadst seen him when he was transform'd into an Angel of Light p. 88. 89. in Sect. 10. To all which it may be safely answer'd This Scorner's Abuse and Perversion is herein very evident for that we do not place our Infallibility of discerning of Spirits only upon those outward Signs in the Countenances of wicked Men or Women as their lofty Looks scornful Eyes envious fallen Countenances though these were in part instanced in Answer to the great wonderment made of knowing wicked Hearts when silent to shew there are other outward Signs and Tokens to manifest them by than their wicked Words or prophane Talk and even such Signs as Scripture takes notice of And seeing this Scorner has unjustly perverted and minced the Passage quoted Char. Essay p. 5 6. 't is meet to recite it more fully for the Quakers having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Fore-fathers in the Apostacy c. viz. That the very intent and meaning of G. F.'s Words herein was not beyond all the Fore-fathers without exception but beyond all in the Apostacy And further and they can discern who are Saints and who are Devils and who are Apostates without speaking ever a word that is they that be in the Power and Life of Truth as G. F. there saith can so discern between Saints and Devils and that 's possible as 't is for humble Men to discern wicked Persons even by their proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances the shew of whose Counteannces testifing against them And more especially by the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some in the Church of Christ Apostates and wicked Spirits are discernible from Saints and that a Spirit of Vnderstanding and Discerning is given among us c. concluding with the Saints Right of discerning by the Power and Life of Truth between Saints and Devils From all which pray observe how plain it is that discerning of Spirits which we assert is principally placed on and springs from the Power and Life of Truth that is from Christ and the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some Members especially and still is continued in the true Church and from which discerning Satan cannot be hid however he transform himself altho' proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances are rendred in Scripture as outward Signs or Marks of such wicked Hearts which also the Gift and Spirit of discerning perceiveth and gives to see many times through such outward Mediums And therefore the true discerning of Spirits which we plead for is neither dwindled down to a meer Gypsie nor paltry Fortune-teller nor to nothing but a little Jugler's Skill in Physiognomy as this scornful Adversary reflects And to reprehend his Reproach and Blasphemy herein and shew him that both God and good Men divinely inspired have also taken notice of such Signs Marks and Tokens in wicked Men's Looks and Countenances as before mentioned Let him read and consider these places of Scripture Gen. 4. 5 6. Psal. 10. 4. Isa. 3. 9 16. 2. 11. 5. 15. Psal. 131. 1. Prov. 30. 13. 6. 17. 21. 4. And he may see that both God Himself and his Prophets and Servants took notice of wicked Men's Countenances proud and lofty Looks and wanton Eyes c. and did not therefore deserve to be numbred among Gypsies and Juglers Behold the Levity and Ignorance of this prophane Scoffer of the Spirit of discerning and Scripture Who further in 's scoffing Humour proceeds against G. W. notoriously to detect his Infallibility by Signs and Faces as well as G. Fox 's without speaking ever a word as he pretends His Story is about one Chr. Athinson 's miscarriage at Norwich in the Year 1655. from Richard Hubberthorn's writing That in the wisdom of God we were searching it out and in his Will waiting for his Counsel The Scoffer reflects That notwithstanding all this neither G. Fox G. Whitehead nor any other of the infallible Gang could find it out till Chr. Atkinson prickt with the stings of his own Conscience did freely and of his own accord confess
Christ in either respect As concerning Sol. Eccles saying That the Blood that was forced out of Christ's Side with the Spear after he was Dead being no more than the Blood of another Saint p. 19. and Nar. p. 28. Concerning which I said I do not make S. E. his Expressions therein an Article of our Faith for I own that in one sense the Blood shed was more than that of another Saint tho' not in the visible matter of it more in that it had a peculiar signification for Christ the one offering was the Man peculiarly ordain'd and appointed of God both to bear the Sins of many and to end the many offerings under the Law and in all his Example and Sufferings that were permitted to be laid upon him he both Answered Fulfilled and ended the outward part and administration of the Law and Shadows and performed the Father's Will therein and was particularly Eyed and Prophesied accordingly by the Holy Prophets and through all his sufferings in the Flesh he gave an universal Testimony and Consecrated a New and Living way even through the Veil that is to say his Flesh that the way into the most Holy might be manifest Light and Life p. 58 59. In the first place I did shew a dislike of S. E's Expressions before cited in not allowing them as an Article of our Faith tho' I was willing Charitably to improve his own explication so far as it would bear a Charitable Construction with respect to his own declared Estimation of the Blood of Christ it 's Value and Vertue 2dly I shewed in part my estimation of the Blood and whole Sacrifice or Offering of Christ both in respect to the Blessed Testimony Value and Efficacy thereof more than that of any other Saint or Saints which manifestly differs from S. E.'s Expressions before cited However if I have not been thought plain enough in this matter let me be allowed so much candor as to be credited in being more full and plain therein I disown his said comparison of the Blood of Christ with that of another Saint and believe he was not in the Counsel or Wisdom of God therein tho' I did charitably construe his meaning with respect to the sincerity he had towards God and his self denying crucified Life and Testimony he bore for Truth in divers sufferings and respects and I believe he dyed in Peace tho' in some things he in his zeal was not guided in true Wisdom which was his own weakness and personal Failure not justly chargeable on us as a People much less on our Principle or belief of the Spirit of Truth or the infallible guidance thereof Howbeit this Adversary appears so eagerly bent against us as a People that he is willing to take any occasion to Defame and Brand us as in this very Passage which he calls The Broad and Impious Blasphemy of Sol. Eccles. He Scornfully yet Bitterly reproaches us as a People and my self in particular in these Words viz. There never was surely such a Company of good natur'd forgiving People They can slip over cover and excuse the Lewdest Blasphemies in a Charitable way c. They can see no faults in their own Friends G. W. says of this very Passage of Sol. Eccles. That it was so harmless as might have satisfied any spiritual or unbiassed Mind p. 21. And that this is in his Light and Life before quoted p. 58. Wherein he notoriously wrongs me and perverts my Words I did not call this very Passage or comparison of S. E's harmless but his Words declaring his high esteem of the Blood of Christ and of the new Covenant which was not his comparison of the Blood of Christ with that of another Saint which I have disown'd In my answer to W. Burnet quoted but lamely and partially cited p. 22. 23. § 5. I did not call Christ's outward material Blood a Type of the mystical Blood or Light within as my answer is perverted but closely pursued his Argument with exceptions which he is not cleared from by this Advocate his Argument is this viz. All things under the Law in the Type were purged with Blood and this Blood was material Blood and not mystical and that Blood that Christ shed in order to the effecting the Salvation of Man must needs be visible and material Blood Which is to Argue thus that because all things under the Law were purged with material Blood and not mystical Ergo the Blood of Christ which purgeth the Conscience and Effecteth the Salvation of Men must needs be Material and not Mystical I still deny the inference and my answer shews where and against what my Exceptions lye The Types and Shadows under the Law did both point at what was Material and what was Mystical in Christ If the legal Sacrifices were Types of Christ and so Mystical as is confess'd p. 23. contrary to Burnets asserting them Material not Mystical As in his asserting That 't was Material Blood not Mystical whereby all things under the Law were purged but now contrarywise those Sacrifices are granted to be Mystical because Types of Christ the Substance and Mystery of them My Answer to Burnet's Argument even in the first part left out by this Adversary is plain and clear viz. As if one should reason That because the Type was Material visible and not Mystical therefore the Antitype or Substance must needs be Material and not Mystical by this all Mysteries of divine things are excluded from being either spiritual the Antitype or substance Whereas it was the Heavenly things themselves that are in Christ in which consists the substance and end of Types and Shadows And my subsequent exceptions against the said Argument are as plain and unanswered That if the Antitype was Matterial and Mystical because the Type or Shadow was Material then this is like as to argue That because Circumcision which was a Type was Material or outward therefore the Circumcision of the Spirit which is the Antitype of it must needs be outward too and not Mystical and thus he might as well reason touching all other Types and Shadows under the Law and the Heavenly or good things to come Prefigured or Shadowed by them That because the Priests under the Law at the outward Tabernacle or Temple were Ministers of outward or Temporal things Carnal Ordinances Shadows c. Therefore those good things to come which Christ was said to be the High Priest of must needs be Temporal and not Mystical which to assert were absurd c. And I farther proceed in my Answer about the Heavenly and Spiritual things which the Law had the Shadow of viz. Whereas both the Heavenly and more perfect Tabernacle and Altar with the Heavenly things are all Mystery and Spiritual the Offering and living Sacrifices are Spiritual the Passover Spiritual the Seed Spiritual the Bread the Fruit of the Vine the Oyl the Flesh and Blood which give Life to the Soul yea the Water and Blood which washeth and sprinkleth
the Conscience are Spiritual and Mysterious as the New Covenant it self is which they belong to and these things known in And this is the New and Living way which Christ set open through the vail of his Flesh Heb. 10. Let him receive this who can And if our Adversary and his abetters know no more of the Mystery of Christ's Blood or Work of purging and sprinkling the Conscience than their profession and application of the Material Blood without the sanctifying Spirit and Operation of it they may remain long enough with defiled Consciences and full of Envy and Malice That precious outward Offering and Blood of Christ outwardly shed has long been greatly abused by misapplication and the holy design and ends thereof perverted by carnal Professors to indulge themselves in Sin and Disobedience against Christ during Life Now laying aside the Baptist's Argument aforesaid I do grant that the Material Blood whereby all things under the Law were purged as it had the very Image of the Material Blood of Christ that was outwardly shed it was Typical thereof And that Blood of Christ including his whole Sacrifice argued by the Apostle to the Hebrews as the Antitype answering and fulfiling the Types thereof and which were not only Types of that Blood and Sacrifice as outwardly offered but also a shadow of the inward and spiritual sprinkling purging and sanctifying of the Conscience by Christ our High Priest with his Blood and Spirit of Grace The good things to come which the Law had the shadow of but not the very Image of them were Heavenly and Spiritual things Heb. 10. 1. But the Law had the very Image or Resemblance of the Material Blood of Christ that was shed in that it had material Blood of Sacrifices one Blood resembles another therefore that Material or Natural Blood outwardly shed was not those Spiritual and Heavenly things which the Law had the shadow and not the very Image of The Material and Typical Blood whereby all things were purged under the Law was sprinkled on them by Moses and the High-Priest therefore 't is Christ our High Priest who sprinkles and effectually purgeth the Conscience which he doth not Literally but Spiritually in which work his Spirit and Power is livingly concerned as the efficient Cause and his Blood and whole Sacrifice in preparing and making way for and obtaining Redemption and Remission of Sins received upon true repentance on our parts It 's said How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. The value efficacy and fruit of his offering himself without spot to God is greatly or principally placed upon the eternal Spirit and so is the work of Sanctification and effectually purging the Conscience both from dead works and the pollution of Sin That which inwardly and effectually purgeth the Conscience and sprinkles the heart from an evil Conscience is the Spirit the spiritual Vertue Blood and Life of Christ that actually purgeth and cleanseth them from all Sin who truly walk in his light which has the sanctifying life and vertue in it There was a kind of expiation and purging by way of Sacrifice under the Law and old Covenant yet the Consciences thereby not purified nor made perfect But the Expiation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purgation or Cleansing Heb. 1. 3. That 's made and prepared by Christ himself and his Sacrifice and the Covenant of Grace and Mercy wherein that work of Grace is fulfiled Sealed with his own Blood this reacheth the Conscience to a real purifying and perfecting thereof by the Spirit and Power of Christ. By one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified whereof the Holy Ghost also is witness to us Heb. 10. 14 15. Therefore that Expiation made by that most excellent Offering without us is fulfilled by the Spirit in the work of Sanctification within us We are delivered from the outward Law and the Curse of it by the Body of Christ but are made free from the Law and Sin of Death by the Law of the Spirit and Life in Christ Jesus Ro. 7. 4. 8. 2. To that of Act 20. 28. The Church of God which he purchased with his own Blood Hereupon the Man has some slight flings at me but makes very little work on 't As to my saying The Blood of God which is God's own Blood and whereby his Church is purchas'd must needs be spiritual and the Covenant of God is inward and spiritual and so is the Blood of it consequently both Mystical I did not hereby hold that God is either Material or has a Material Body or Blood but the contrary that his own Blood whereby his Church is purchased is more than the Material or Natural Blood of Christ that was shed though that was a part of the Sacrifice offered for Man's Redemption neither dare our Adversary say that Blood could be properly called God's own Blood unless he holds that God has a material Body and Blood no more than the Annotation thereupon which saith Of God's own Blood that which appertaineth to Christ's humanity is attributed to his Divinity because of the Communion of properties and union of the two Natures in one Person Which Notation or the Terms of it I shall not now dispute But I 'le take leave to explain my self farther for the spiritual vertue and mystery of God's own Blood and the Blood of his everlasting Covenant the Blood of sprinkling therein c. wherehy God has purchased his Church God's own Blood was no less than his own dear Son Christ himself It was a manner of speaking the Blood put for the whole Offering the innocent Blood that Judas betrayed was Christ himself Mat. 27. 4. And the Ransom or Price given for Man's Redemption was Christ himself who came to give his life for the Ransome of many Matt. 20 28. And he gave himself a Ransome for all Men to be testified of in due time 1 Tim. 2. 6. God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all There 's a twofold work in the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ 1. By the Sacrifice and Mediation of Christ general for all Men. 2. By his Power Spirit and Life actually freeing and delivering the truly believing Soul from Sin and from the Nature and Being of Sin and Condemnation because thereof in which sense God's Church was purchased with his own Blood and in which last and special sense my Answer was intended as not only by the natural or outward Blood shed but principally by the spiritual Blood or Life of Christ Jesus God's sparing not his own Son but delivering him up for us all includes the whole Sacrifice of Christ in Soul and Body which were offered therefore God's own Blood is such an high and elegant Phrase as bespeaks the great love of God in Christ as the whole Ransom and Price of
Man's Redemption both outwardly and inwardly outwardly by the Ransom given by Christ's Sufferings and Sacrifice and inwardly by the operation of his Life Power and Spirit which Mystically is that precious Blood that is opposed to all corruptible things which redeems from the vain Conversation from all Iniquity and effectually washeth and clcanseth us from our Sins purgeth and sprinkles our Consciences c. And farther to Answer to Types and Shadows under the Law of shedding Blood and sprinkling c. That God according to his Mercy saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Titus 3. 5 6. And I 'le sprinkle clean water upon them and wash them from all their filthiness saith the Lord. And the Blood of sprinkling which the spiritual believers were come unto has the same effect And if the name of Water be attributed to the Spirit as it is Jo. 7. 38 39. Light and Life The name of Blood may also which is not to Allegorize away or invalidate the outward Blood or Sacrifice of Christ or any part thereof yet the Mystery thereof we may not deny but confess And according to the answers I have given for the Blood of Christ and the Mystery thereof our deceased Friend and Brother Robert Bercley expresly agrees whose Testimony therefore I am the more willing to cite because G. Keith has approved of his Works p. 60. R. B's Testimony in his Works p. 10. follows in these words viz. This Blood speaking of the Blood of Christ that is healing c. is known and felt within to wash and purge the Conscience for Christ as he is within is not without his Blood which is Spiritual even the pure Blood of the Vine and is that Wine of the Kingdom which is inwardly felt to wash and to refresh which he gives to them who know not distinctly the outward shedding of his Blood as it was many hundred years ago and which many are ignorant of who have heard much of the outward shedding of his Blood but know not the Blood as shed and poured forth in them to sprinkle their Consciences from dead Works for it is a Mystery sealed up from all who stand in opposition to his Light within But there mark thy own Words saith he to his Opponent The Plaster must be applyed er'e the Sore be healed Must not then saving Grace be applyed er'e the Soul be Converted or Healed And R. B. treats much more largely concerning the Flesh and Blood of Christ to the same purpose as before cited for the Blood of Christ as 't is Spiritual and Mysterious c. p. 494. 495 496 497 498. upon his thirteenth Proposition of his Apology and in page 494. He has recourse to Agustin viz. § II. The Body then of Christ which Believers partake of is Spiritual and not Carnal and his Blood which they Drink of is Pure and Heavenly and not Humane or Elementary as Augustin also affirms Ps. 98. Except a Man Eat my Flesh he hath not in him Life Eternal And he saith The Words which I speak unto you are Spirit and Life understand spiritually what I have spoken Ye shall not Eat of this Body which ye see and Drink this Blood which they shall spill that Crucifie me I am the living Bread which have dscended from Heaven He called himself the Bread who descended from Heaven exhorting that we should believe in him c. Unto which I further add for Illustration That the pure Blood of Grapes promised to Judah and Israel Gen. 49. 11. Deut 32. 14. was Typical of this spiritual Blood and Fruit of the Heavenly Vine Christ Jesus which truly relieves and comforts the afflicted and sorrowful Soul that comes unto him And also the Milk and Honey the Butter Oyl and Wheat and other Temporal Blessings which were in the promised Land were all Types of Christ and the spiritual Blessings received in him in his Kingdom and Heavenly Canaan And the Oyl and Wine which the Compassionate Samaritan poured into the Wounds of the Man that was wounded by Thieves and left half Dead Luke 10. 34 were also Typical of the healing Vertue Life and spiritual Blood of Christ Jesus which he graciously poureth into many wounded Souls As concerning the word Personality and Personal Existence as applyed to God and Christ I have sometimes questioned as also the word Humane as ascribed to the glorified Body of Christ which is spiritual and also to his Soul or Spirit for these reasons 1. Because imposed on us by some Adversaries without Scripture proof of those terms and not to Question Christ's glorious Manhood for in that sense I admit of and sometime may use the word Humanity either for Man or for the Good Nature and disposition of Man as of the word Trinity for Three being not willing to maintain contest about Words but to mind the thing intended thereby 2. Because false Arguments have been drawn thence against Christ and his Light in Man 3. Because of the carnal Imaginations of too many thereof who under pretence of expecting Christ to come again in the Flesh in the same manner as he was on Earth and to be seen with their carnal Eyes neglect the introversion of their Minds to Christ's inward appearance in Spirit 4. Because whilst Men feed upon such Notions and Imaginations of Christ excluding him out of their Hearts they exclude the living and Heart-purifying Faith of Christ so that their Faith is but Dead and Fruitless whilst such seem to adore Christ as only an outward Christ or as wholly without them and not in them instead of opening the Door of their Hearts unto him to let him in they harbour and indulge their own Corruptions Pride Scorn Envy and Covetousness c. in their Hearts out of which proceed all these bitter Reproches Revilings and Calumnies which we meet with this Day as heretofore In all my former questioning their unscriptural terms who profess the Scriptures to be their only Rule ascribed to God and Christ I never designed to deny his being our Mediator as Man nor to oppose his coming in Power and great Glory in his gloryfied spiritual Body to Judge the Quick and the Dead in the last Day tho I have sometimes shunned controversy on that Point and about the Resurrection and last Day of Judgment Urging not to put the day of the Lord afar off nor to neglect the present day of their Visitation and Judgment of Christ by his Spirit and Light within them The Question how are the Dead raised and with what Body come they forth I have often waved as unnecessary as well as unwarrantable being reprehended in some 1 Cor. 15. 35 26. I being willing to acquiesce in the will of God in that matter to give a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed it s own Body as proper thereunto ver 38. One thing I would be better understood in Not having
to be a most gross and foul piece of Forgery and Calumny 15. Our Accuser gives high and superlative commendations of John Pennyman as an ancient worthy and most sincere honest Gentleman who he says had been inveigl'd with their false shew and pretences to Piety remained zealous in their Communion and suffered with them till he discovered the grossest Immoralities among them lying cheating and foul uncleanness which having complained of and otherwise represented to their superiours tho' the fact could not be denyed yet they would not censure any that continued in their Vnity for which reason he after long strugling with them to amend their scandalous vices at last left them p. 10. As his Character of the said J. P. in the superlative degree appears a piece of flattery insincere and unmerited his scandalous stories on his behalf and reason of his leaving us appear neither true nor impartial I never heard of any undeniable proof of the matter of fact from J. P. and I am sorry that in his old Age he should give such occasion to such malicious persecuting Adversaries as this to reproach us in this manner as if we did indulge and hold unity with such Persons guilty of the grossest Immoralities lying cheating and foul uncleanness Will J. Pennyman adventure to stand by these stories and aggravations against us I question it And he knows better the reason of his leaving us than the account before and what offence he took at our Friends Paper that was published to clear us from the great Offence and Reproach he gave by his notorious unwarrantable attempt at the Exchange and how he was committed thereupon I am not willing now to repeat it upon him I would not have him think that I am in any Revenge or Rage against him as we are unjustly charged neither would I have him dye in enmity or uncharitableness against us And suppose he has espied out any particular miscarriages that 's no just cause of his leaving our Communion much less of turning open Enemy against us Or if such miscarriages have not been judicially proved before those called our Superiors their not Censuring the parties accused to Excommunication for want of such proof was no just cause of his leaving our Communion or turning Adversary to defame us 16. That we recommend the most virulent of Rome's invectives against the Protestants and their Bible too p. 10. Is a gross Falshood we know no such Recommendation 17. How tame is the Church of England that suffers Fox 's Journal to be newly Printed and presented to the Vniversity of Oxford and many other of the Quaker Prophets to be printed c. p. 11. Which unjustly implies some great Crime and Iniquity in the said Journal and a great offence to this Persecutor that we are not held under severe Restraint and Persecution that he and such persecuting Incendiaries may have liberty without controul to Asperse and Misrepresent us and we none to defend our Innocency which is high Injustice 18. That the Quaker Prophets cast the utmost contempt upon the Person of Jesus our God p. 11. Which is a most odious Calumny 19. That by the Register of their Sufferings i.e. Quakers they hope to make their Sufferings for the Truth as they call it to exceed all the Ten Persecutions and to be more undeserv'd than the Sufferings of Christ himself or of the Apostles p. 11. These are gross and notorious false Suggestions we have no such hopes He cites E. B. unfairly and partially in this Point and yet the Comparison about the Sufferings of the People of God in this Age as greater or more unjust than in the Days of Christ or the Apostles or since is a mistake we shall not stand by the Comparison whether 't was so first verbally stated by E. B. himself or by some mistake since I shall not undertake to determin unless I see his original Copy However we are clear'd from either magnifying our Sufferings above Christ's or his Apostle's c. For we do prefer Christ's Sufferings before all other Mens and that he was wholly Innocent and unduly and unjustly Prosecuted and put to Death by wicked Hands who were justly charged with Murther therein This Point is farther cleared on our parts in The Quakers Vindication against F. Bugg's Calumnies p. 2. Col. 1. One Sheet But I think this Author of The Snake in the Grass has more justified the Act of Christ's Persecutors and Murtherers and consequently undervalued his Innocency in his Sufferings than ever the Quakers did where he reflects upon G. Whitehead's Argument That Killing of Christ outwardly being the Act of wicked Men could be no meritorious Act Satan Disr Glean p. 5. This he retorts as my Argument but does not answer or refute it and I am of the same mind still that the Merit and what was Meritorious was in Christ's Obedience and Humility in his suffering to Death and not in the Act of wicked Men in Killing and Murthering him Acts 7. 52 Acts 2. 23. And if this Adversary be of the contrary opinion let him speak out and plainly tell us if he believes that the Act of wicked Men in Murthering the Just one was a meritorious Act. 20. Many of them i.e. Quakers suffer'd not so much as they deserved for open and notorious Blasphemy p. 12. Which is a gross Calumny and Scandal undeservâ—dly cast upon them and is a plain indication of this Accuser's great malice cruelty and persecuteing Spirit 21. That the hardship of Imprisonments which many of the poorer sort of them i.e. Quakers did suffer was the greatest of their Sufferings p. 13. Which is a great Falshood Imprisonment was not the greatest of their Sufferings or of their Hardships But the strait and close confinements duress and hardships which many suffered in noisom Goals whereby many lost their Lives and many their Healths impaired besides spoil of Goods ruining Families and divers banished out of their native Countries into foreign Islands and parts beyond Seas as also cruel Whippings Beatings Stonings and other Barbarities which many have suffered from Persecutors pretending for the Church these hardships were more than mere Imprisonments To the shame of this Persecutor and the rest of his cruel Fraternity be it Spoken His contemning and undervaluing our Sufferings will not extenuate their Cruelty and Persecution 22. That Isaac Pennington in his considerations concerning Israel p. 3. gives that i.e. the Light within the preference to the dispensation of Mâ—ses or of Christ p. 14. Which is false in the last for Christ and his Light within are not divided nor is his Light preferred to him nor do we prefer any other Light than that of Christ to Moses's or any other dispensation or Ministry 23. That our Friends leave out whole Baskets full of hideous Blasphemies and Treasons i.e. out of the reprinted Works of their Prophets p. 14. Which is a most hideous and sordid Callumny 24. That Edw. Burrough in his Epistle prefixed to G. F