upon his Breast Within me Within me I shall not trouble you much more in discovering to you the Quakers Heaven and what they intend by it G. Fox in his Great Mystery p. 16. writes thus Thou art deceived who saith Christ is distinct from the Saints Can any Man eat the Flesh of Christ if his Flesh be not in them Can you call him Christ in Man if the Man be not there George Whitehead Dip. Plong Christ without us is not Scripture-Language but the Anthropomorphites and Muggletonians and Socinians saith he tell us of a Personal Christ and that the Man Jesus our Lord hath a place in Heaven remote from the Earth Let this serve to satisfy the impartial Reader that the Quakers believe the Heaven they intend to be within them and they are but Hereticks that believe in a Christ in any other Heaven remote or at a distance from them for it is plain that they deny Christ to be a distinct Person without them And in like manner all the three Divine Witnesses they speak of that bear Record in Heaven are within them also for the Light within them is really and compleatly Christ and Christ is God But this will further appear under the next Head But let all Christians believe that Jesus Christ is at the Right-hand of the Father in the glorious Heavens above However the Quakers do endeavour with their false Glosses to abuse the World and bethrone Christ We own and believe those Scriptures in their true and proper sense 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 1 Cor. 6. 19. Ye are the Temples of God and Christ in you the Hope of Glory c. And it is also true that the Saints are said to be in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is or let him be a new Creature And he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and he in him How often doth Paul speak of the Faithful in Christ Jesus and he also speaks of some that were in Christ before him Now the Quakers if they are not stark blind may see in what sense Christ is said to dwell in the Saints that is by the Gifts and Graces of his holy Spirit Ephes 2. 22. the Saints are the Habitation of God through the Spirit For if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his These Gifts of the Holy Ghost Christ promised John 16. 7. I go to my Father and he will send the Comforter this Spirit of Truth to guide into all Truth which was accordingly poured upon the Apostles and Disciples Acts 2. at large And Acts 19. 2. Paul asks those Disciples at Ephesus whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed that is this Comforter that Christ had promised that when he went to the Father he would send Acts 5. 32. and give to them that obey him albeit the personal Ascension of Christ is fully witnessed to And to put this out of doubt read Luke 24. 49 50 51. And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem till ye be endowed with Power from on high and then go and prosecute the Commission I have committed to you And he led them out as far as Bethany and he lift up his Hands and blessed them And it came to pass that while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven Compare Act. 1. 9. He was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as he that is Jesus went up behold two Men stood by them in white Apparel which were two Angels ver 10. which also said Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven Ay saith George Whitehead in like manner but every Like is not the same Pitiful shift Thus you plainly see the Certainty of Christ's Ascension and that the Holy Ghost's Descension Acts 2. 3 4. ver 38. promised to the penitent believing obedient Soul But Act. 3. 20 21. He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heavens must receive till the times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the Mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World began Now this Restitution is not yet tho the Spirit was come See Acts 7. 55. But he that is Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost mark that looked stedfastly up into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right-hand of God ver 56. and there he saith I see the Son of Man standing at the Right-hand of God Observe Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost or of the Spirit of Christ when he had this glorious sight of Christ in the Heavens at the Right-hand of God and in the Glory of the Father Now it is the Faith of Christians that Christ shall come in this glorious Body the second time from Heaven Phil. 3. 20 21. We saith Paul look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ not for a greater Fulness of the Spirit as the Quakers dream for what greater Fulness could Paul expect if the Quakers Notion were true if Heaven and the whole Trinity were in him before But saith Paul we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his glorious Body Yea saith Christ you shall see the Son of Man come in Power and great Glory and every Eye shall see him c. Mat. 24. 26. It is more than probable that Christ pointed at this Generation of Impostors the Quakers who say Behold he is in the secret Chambers ay within thee not at a distance from thee Believe them not saith Christ for my second coming shall be visible as the Lightning or the Sun that riseth in the East and shines to the West every Eye shall see me c. Let this serve to construe what they intend in their Paper when they speak of three Divine Witnesses bearing Record in Heaven it is the Heaven within they intend III. I proceed to the third Head collected out of their Pamphlet as proposed to be examined and that is they profess to own the Divinity and Humanity of Christ I shall therefore proceed to examine their Belief herein and still I know no better way than to make use of their own Construing Books as the surest way not to wrong them for by comparing this professed Faith with the Writings of some of their chief Guides by that you will see whether they believe as they say or whether it be not only a gloss to deceive the Hearts of the Simple And in examining this Point of Faith professed by them I shall begin with their greatly admired George Fox in his Great Mystery c. p. 71.
threatned they got into this Ark when the unbelieving World mocked at it the Water bears up the Ark and those in it and saves them whilst the others were destroyed So the Threats of perishing eternally are pronounced in the Gospel against Sinners Now the penitent Believer puts on Christ by Water-Baptism Gal. 3. 27. which is the initiating and ingrafting Ordinance and I demand of the Quakers if they can to prove where Water-Baptism is called a Figure of the Spiritual and also to shew me from the Scriptures where any were commanded to observe the Figure when at the same time they enjoy the Substance But Paul and Cornclius and others had the Spiritual Baptism and yet were commanded to be baptized with Water Another impertinency in their Pamphlet is they say they cannot believe dipping or sprinkling Infants unless it can be proved that none are saved without it and all are saved that have it They seem here most directly to strike at Infant-Baptism but their design is to root out that sacred Ordinance of Christ Believers Baptism And therefore I demand whether the Quakers believe that all that are baptized with the Spirit as they count it tho a Spirit of Delusion shall infallibly be saved if they say they do then what is the Reason they own or believe falling away and going from the Light and why do so many turn wet Quakers and become as vile in their Lives as they are in their Principles But if they do not own an Infallibility of being saved by that Spirit 's Baptism they pretend to then what is in these words And to conclude this Head I would not have the Quakers pretend to be baptized with the holy Spirit till they believe in Christ and obey his Appointments for Acts 5. 32. he gives his holy Spirit to them that obey him To conclude this let all that would be Christ's Disciples learn of him that hath led in the way of Righteousness when by Faith and Repentance you have laid hold on Christ O delay not to put him on by Baptism and so you will become visible Members of his Mystical Body be Heirs of the Promise of the holy Spirit and other blessed Priviledges as a Right to the Lord's Table to sup with him in this Kingdom of Grace and dwell with him in Glory hereafter 2. The Quakers in their Pamphlet in like manner with Falshoods and Impertinencies evade the Supper of the Lord instituted and administred in Bread and Wine Say they The Supper of the Lord we own and tenderly consider in a twofold sense First In the Figure Secondly In the Substance 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ at his Supper with his Disciples did eat the Passeover which was for the fulfilling and Consummation of the Feasts under the Law Luke 22. and at his Supper he did take and minister the Bread and the Cup to his Disciples for there was no Transubstantiation saying This do in remembrance of me and saith the Lord As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. After this they did more clearly know his Coming and Christ after the Spirit Jesus Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5 c. The Reader may see with what deceivable words these Impostors go about to evade and make null the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper administred in Bread and Wine But before I come to answer their impertinent Evasions and manifold Corruptions of the Scriptures I shall shew you that they plainly deny the Supper of the Lord administred in Bread and Wine to be now a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ and practicable by Christians Let us hear them speak out more plainly before we answer them Parnell's Shield of the Truth p. 13. Feeding upon Husks and Shadows that are carnal for the Bread which the World that is all that are not Quakers eat is natural and carnal so also is the 〈◊〉 which they drink and there is no Communion but natural outward and carnal Smith's Primmer p. 39. Thy Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper are the Popes Invention See how bare-fac'dly they can lie against the Truth See Nailor's Love to the Lost p. 56. Which all know who are come to his Supper where the Father and Son are come in and sup with the Creature which all the Imitators and Observers of Times are ignorant of whose Contention is about outsides Lastly Let us have the Testimony of George Fox le-Grand Great Mystery c. p. 16. says he Christ has triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward Forms and thou art deceived who thinkest to find the Living amongst the Dead You see by this how miserably these Men abuse the Scriptures Now it appears by all this that either the Apostles were ignorant about the nature and manner of Christ's second Coming or else the Quakers are greatly deluded in saying he is come the second time already But to clear the Apostles and Primitive Saints from that Ignorance the Quakers cast upon them and to make it appear that they did not believe the giving of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. to be the second Coming of Christ 1. Because the Apostles are found in the administring and the Primitive Christians in partaking of this Ordinance after the Holy Spirit that Christ promised to send was come as hath been before said of Baptism This appears from Acts 2. 42 46. They continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayer Acts 20. 7. The Disciples came together to break Bread All Expositors that I know of conclude this was to celebrate the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper see this fully manifest 1 Cor. 11. 1 2. compared with Verse 23 to the 29th at large Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Montanus an approved Interpreter reads it thus Imitatores mei â—stote sicut ego Christi Be ye Imitators of me as I am of Christ Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them unto you Ver. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you As if he had said those Ordinances that I praise you for the keeping of are the same that I received of the Lord And this is one that the Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread blessed it and brake it c. Now if the Quakers were not stark blind or wilfully ignorant would they conclude that Paul and the Primitive Saints did not know that Christ was come in Spirit or that the Promise of the Holy Ghost was given So he goes on and tells them ver 26. As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew forth the Lord s Death till he come So that the giving forth of the Spirit was not the
8. 3. to oppose the Devil's Assault Man lives not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God Prov. 30. 5. Every Word of God is pure Jer. 23. 36. the Complaint is The false Prophets had perverted the Words of the Living God A great Evil and too common in this day But would the Quakers have the Word always to intend Christ Mark 4. 19. The Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches and the Lusts of other things entring in choke the Word Will the Quakers say these things entring in choked Christ Surely no. By all this the judicious Reader will see the Endeavours that have been used by the Quakers to explode the holy Scriptures not only to rob them of their Nature Use Power and Efficacy but also of their very Name But let all Christians learn to prize them and carefully improve them and be thankful to Divine Providence by which they have been preserved through all Times and against all Tyrants Psal 19. 7 8. David sets forth the worth of them The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the Heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure enlightning the Eyes 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. They are able to make wise to Salvation Soul thou needest not fear miscarrying if thou makest the holy Scriptures the Rule of thy Faith and Guide of thy Life This short Treatise will not admit me to enlarge I shall leave this short Scheme by which the Reader may judg what an Esteem the Quakers have for holy Scriptures they so much pretend to in their Pamphlet The Names they give the holy Scriptures Scriptures no standing Rule it is dangerous for the ignorant to read them No better than an old Almanack neither Rule Guide Light nor Teacher A dead carnal Letter They are Precepts and Traditions of Men. Paper Iak and Writing The Letter without Swine feeding on Husks Obedience to Scriptures is the Harlot's Child You may as well expect God to teach or rebuke by any other Creature as the Scripture as he did Balaam by his Ass The Names they give their own lying Pamphlets A true and everlasting Rule The Royal Law and Covenant of God Love to the Lost News out of the North written from the Mouth of God The pure Language of the Spirit A Salutation to the Seed of God The Lip of Truth The Spirit of Truth A Trumpet from the Lord sounding out of Zion A true Prophecy of the mighty Day of the Lord. The Word of the Lord and a Word from the Lord p. 13. of the Mighty Day of the Lord. Blusn O Heavens and tremble O Earth at the Pride and Ignorance of these Impostors I shall add but two or three Passages more concerning their Contempt of the Scriptures see Tho. Lawson Vntaught Teacher p. 6 7 8. The Scriptures are not a Rule whereby Men may know the Will of Christ And in Pag. 2 and 3. of the same Book he denies that the Ministers of Christ endowed with the Spirit of Christ ought to minister or preach from Scripture Add to this what is said in Cloud of Witnesses a Book of theirs p. 1 3 4. But the Priests of England the blind Guides they do teach the People and say Hearken to the Word of the Lord as it is in such a Chapter and Verse Now is it not a sign that the Quakers are untaught Teachers indeed but let the Word of God be true and these Men Liars Did not our Lord make use of the Scriptures in teaching Mat. 21. 42. saith Christ Did ye never read in the Scriptures The Stone that was set at naught by you Builders and Mat. 22. 29. Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures Surely they will not deny Christ to have the Spirit and he proves the Resurrection of the Dead by Scripture Exod. 3. 6. Surely Peter had the Spirit yet he proves Christ to be the great Prophet Acts 3. 22. from Deut. 18. 15. And will they deny Philip to be endowed with the Holy Ghost Acts 8. 35. he preacheth Jesus to the Eunuch from Isa 53. And Acts 17. 2 11. Paul reasoned and preached out of the Scriptures and the Bereans searched the Scriptures to try whether Paul's Doctrine was true or not The Reader may see from hence with what an open Face these deluded Impostors will assert apparent Falshoods From all this it appears the Quakers are great Enemies to and Contemners of holy Scriptures and that what they say in their Pamphlet is a great Falshood II. I proceed to examine the other part of their first Article professed in their Paper Article Our Belief is That in the Unity of the Godhead there is Father Son and Holy Ghost being those three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit This Profession looks like good and Orthodox Christianity but yet when it comes to be weighed it will be found wanting I shall only examine what Heaven this is the Quakers intend not in the glorious Heavens above beyond the Clouds and starry Heavens no by no means it 's ridiculous to speak of an imagined God beyond the Stars it is the Heaven within thee where these three Divine Witnesses are you will hear their severe Rebukes by and by if you will have any other Heaven to be meant as their Residence See James Parnell's Book Satan's Design discovered p. 19 25. he affirmeth They that confess not Christ to be come in their Flesh are the Antichrist and also affirmeth That by preaching of Christ in Heaven the Devil gets his Work done on Earth Pray what is fairly to be inferred from hence why the Heaven they intend is no where else but within their Mortal Corrupt Bodies or else Christ is not one of those three Divine Witnesses they speak of in the Paper for they will allow of no other Christ but what is in every Man And see further Tho. Lawson in his Book against William Jeffery calls him Thou Image-maker thou Cockatrice hatching Eggs Vulters Eye c. because William Jeffery had said that Christ was ascended into Heaven with that Body that was raised from the Dead And they intend no other Heaven than what is within them and thus they must be understood in their Pamphlet for see Lawson's Book p. 9 and 19. they say that they have eternal Life now really in Possession But would you have it more plain that the Quakers Heaven is within them take a Testimony out of Edward Burrough's Works Pag. 9 149. a chief Guide among them therefore you may take his word for it We say he that was slain upon the Cross is the very Christ of God and the very Christ of God is in us Tho Lucock being ask'd several times before many Witnesses where that Heaven was that Christ did ascend into and now was in he answered clapping his Hands
But Paul had the Spirit of God and not of the Quakers and therefore he readily submitted to this Holy Ordinance and stands not to confer with Flesh and Blood See also Acts 10. from 44 to 48. While Peter was preaching the Gospel to Cornelius and those with him the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word and they heard them speak with Tongues and magnified God Then answered Peter Can any forbid Water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we c. Doubtless had R. Ruckhill or any of the Quakers been there had there been any such a Creature in those Days they would have forbid Water and told Peter he was mistaken Hold Peter they have the Substance the Baptism of the Spirit wilt thou lead them back to the Letter to the carnal Thing of Water-Baptism If G. Fox had been there with his Book The Great Mystery pag. 65. he would out of that have proved to Peter that Paul told of the Spirit 's Baptism and brought the Saints off from Things that are seen and Water is seen and its Baptism from that Text 2 Cor. 4. 18. Would any Man in his Senses have drawn such an Inference But it is a lamentable thing that these Men care not for the Scriptures except it be to abuse them But to return Vers 48. Peter being of another mind having another Spirit than the Quakers Commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord. From whence I groundedly conclude That the highest Attainments or greatest Measures of the Holy Spirit do not exempt or excuse Men from but fit them for Gospel-Ordinances But I have shewed you before it is the Baptism of the Spirit and no other that they will allow This is that they contend for in their Pamphlet they say The Baptism of Water was put an End to at Christ's Death and then that of the Spirit succeeds of which that of Water was a Type This is their common Opinion To which I answer That it was Water-Baptism that Christ gave in Commission to his Disciples to Administer after he was risen from the Dead Mat. 28. Mark 16. First They were not to administer that of Sufferings his Disciples nor Apostles were not to persecute nor lay Sufferings upon others Secondly If they say that the Apostles were to baptize with the Spirit as some of them want no Ignorance or Confidence to affirm First I demand Whether the Administration of that were not peculiar to Christ Mat. 3 11. He meaning Christ shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Secondly Whether that if the Command Mat. 28. 18. Mark 16. 16. be to command the Apostles to baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire If it were I demand when and where they obeyed it Thirdly Whether we may not groundedly believe That the baptizing Men and Women in Water in the Name of Christ which the Apostles did was not in obedience to some Commission from the Lord so to do Fourthly Let the Quakers shew when and where the Lord gave them command so to do if this of Matth. 28. and Mark 16. was not it Fifthly If Peter had not Authority from the Lord to baptize with Water Acts 10. latter end I demand whether you do not conclude he finned in so doing for he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord see Deut. 18. 20. But the Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my Name that I have not commanded that Prophet shall die saith the Lord. I wish this were seriously weighed by all that counterfeit Christ's Ordinances Sixthly That whereas it is alledged that Baptism may be done or left undone that it is a thing indifferent Then I demand whether it was not as great a Sin in Peter Acts 10. 48. to command them to be baptized as it was in those 1 Tim. 4. 2 3. who command to abstain from Meats and forbid to marry which are things left at liberty For to command to do what God hath left at liberty to do or not to do is equally a Sin to the same extent with forbidding what God hath left to Mens liberty Therefore I would have none to count the Ordinances of Christ Things indifferent Let what hath been said be considered But the Apostles in pursuance of the aforesaid Commission Mat. 28. 18 19 20. Mark 16. 16. did preach and baptize with Water that being the only Baptism they were to administer That of Sufferings by Persecution being from the Devil and wicked Men that of the Spirit being peculiar from Christ and that of Water by his Apostles and Disciples And thus according to the Commission of their Lord you find them administring Acts 2. 38. and reaching Repent and be baptized for Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost Acts 8. 12. When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and Name of Jesus they were baptized both Men and Women Ver. 36 37. saith the Eunuch See here is Water what doth hinder me to be baptized Philip answered If thou believe with all thy Heart it is lawful for thee as most truly read And they went down into and came up out of the Water c. Acts 10. 47 48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord and none could forbid Water tho they were baptized with the Spirit before So that altho the pouring forth of the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit are comparatively called a Baptism and the Greatness and Over-whelmings of Christ's Sufferings are so called comparatively Yet there is but one Baptism in a full and proper sense and that is that of Water in which the penitent Believer is buried Coloss 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4. And whatever the Quakers pretend Ephes 4. 5. Christ is that one Lord and to believe in him his Offices and Doctrine is this one Faith and to be baptized in Water is the one Baptism and how ridiculously they abuse that Text in their Pamphlet 1 Pet. 3. 21. In ver 21. he speaks of God's Patience in waiting upon the old World while the Ark was a preparing wherein eight Persons were saved by Water The like Figure where unto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh that is not the end of Water-Baptism to cleanse the Filth from the outward Man as were the many Washings under the Law but it is the answer of a good Conscience towards God in shewing your Obedience to his Law as it is said Luke 7. 30. The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized of him and so contracted Guilt to their Consciences And their saying Water-Baptism was a Figure of the Spiritual is an apparent Falshood the Text under debate hath no such meaning But thus as eight Persons believed in the Lord 's preaching by the Ark's building when the old World was