Salvation had been wholy perfected by the â—ody without the Spirit of Christ then our Faith and Hope should have stood there but the same Apostle saith Our Faith and Hope is to stand in God 1 Pet. 1.21 And the Apostle to the Hebrews saith The Hope that anchors the Soul enters within the Vail Heb. 6.19 And John did bear witness to the Word which was in the beginning John 1.1 which Word the World was made by and saith of it that it was God in this Word was Life Vers 4. and the Life was the Light of Men and this was the Light which that Faithful Witness of God John bore witness to That is the true Light that Enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Vers 9. So People that which enlighteneth both you and us and every Man that cometh into the World is not a Natural Light as some say the Priest sometimes nor yet the Light of the Devil as the Priest saith othertimes but it is the Light of him that made the World as V. 10. and this is he that was made Flesh V. 14. the Word was made Flesh dwelt amongst us we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So here John bears a full Testimony to the Saviour of the World and so do we who is the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World it is not said he takes away the Guilt oâ— Condemnation of Sin only but the Sin it self thus do we believe in him So let People judge whether this be not the true Christ So here John did not bear Record to a Body only but to the â—nal Power and Godhead so the Apostle Heb. 10.5 bears witness to him for whom the Body was prepared saying a Body hast thou prepared me to do thy will O God So it is clear that this Body was prepared for him that was before that Body was this was he who David in Spirit called Lord saying The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my Right Hand till I have made thine Enemies thy Foot-stool And in the 2 Cor. 5.19 the Apostle gives this Testimony God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself And Jesus himself said before Abraham was I am and in another place He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also So let any one judge that hath a good Understanding whether any of the Witnesses of Christ did ever bear witness against the Spirit in the Salvation of Man but doth truly and really bear a living Testimony to the Spirit Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death now at that time when Paul cryed out of the Body of Death he was a Believer and was come so far as to a willing mind to serve the Lord but yet the Captivating Spirit was felt the Law in the Members in which state Paul did not sit down in a belief of Christ at a distance only as People now a days do but crys out for Deliverance even from the Body of Death and afterward testifies to the Law of the Spirit saying The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the Law of Sin and Death So here is Salvation witnessed indeed he did not say Sin must live in him while he had a Body but saith Christ liveth in me Gal 2.20 And it is through the Spirit that Sin is mortified Rom. 8.13 and in Rom. 10.8 The Apostle testifies to Christ nigh and not to Christ at a distance saying The Word is nigh thee in the Mouth and in the Heart and in the 2 Cor. 13.5 Examin your selves whether ye be in the Faith try your selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates and in Col. 1.27 Which is Christ in you the hope of Glory For it is no other then that Christ the Saints did believe in in dayes by past It is his Spiritual indwelling in us through which we come to be sanctified and cleaâ—sed from Sin and the Comforter the Spirit of Truth which Christ promised to send to his Disciples which they were to wait for at Jerusalem and accordingly they did receive it and this dwelt in them to direct them into all Truth and so it was not a Spirit without them or a Christ without them only but within according as Christ said John 17.14 He dwelleth with you ond shall be in you And the Apostle testified in his day Christ was in the Saints who was their Hope of Glory and this hope purified their Hearts in whom it dwelt and Anchored their Souls in that which is sure and stâ—dfast and in him is our hope and confidence who we believe is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him And so People it is in the Name of Jesus we Witness Salvation which is his Power to which comeing we Witness Salvation thereby and so we know not another Name through which Salvation is Witnessed but through this Name and this is he whom we declare of who is not far from us and the efficacy of his Blood we feel as we abide in him to cleanse us from Sin So I do not matter what your Teacher S. B. saith viz. The Blood of Christ cleansith no Man from Sin It being so contrary unto the Apostles Doctrine 1 John 1.7 which is But if you walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And we witness it in its Opperation Cleansing and Washing the Soul from the Spiritual Defilements of which some amongst us are come to the experience of in our measure So that we are not as those that beat the Air but we are come to experience in some measure as I said although S. B. did mock at it the Vertue and Power of that Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men through which the Saints were taught in dayes by past and in Ages and Generations long since to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World now this Grace is the same t at ever it was and its teachings are the same to all that are Obedient in this day as it was then to bring Salvation indeed I do not know any Doctrine so plentiful in the Scripture as the Indwelling or Inward or Spiritual Appearance of his Spiritual Kingdom which whoso doth come to pertake of must be redeemed from the Kingdom of the Devil So having taken off that Reproach and Slander from Christ whom we believe in and is our Saviour the first and the last the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End of the Work of God Who S. B. call'd the Devil and said he would prove it by the Scripture but hath indeed fallen short of his
were But what need was there of this assertion But he must fill up his Book with something and I do suppose he readily spel'd what comes upermost but how he will reconcile this later part of this Page with the rest of his confused stuff I know not it is so plain a contradiction there needs not a Scholler to interpret it But S. B. speaks like himself and many of the Priests his Brethren who can call Light Darkness and Darkness Light and Evil Good and Good Evil with their fore fathers of Old But S. B. may twist and twine and wrest the Scriptures to cover himself in this as he hath done in other things But I may say unto him what hast thou to do with perfection whose dwelling is in Darkness and to prattel and prate of things thou knows nothing of But in the blindness and enmity of thy mind thou art busying thy self to lay Stumbling-Blockes in the way of the Blind and to strengthen the wicked in their way But all who have an Eye open and loves the way that leads to Life will see thy snares of Hell and Death who aâ—t chaâ—ging the new Birth with Sin which is Blasphemy against God For he that is born of God cannot Sin 1 John 3.9 And S. B. saith 95 The Scriptures tells us divers things before they were written to wit that the word of God was manifest to Adam and his Wife and that the Word of God came to Noah and Abraham and others And then saith he Now O ye teaching seducing Quakers I would ask you this one Question Could your Light within tell you ought of all this if the written Scriptures had not told it first Reply Yes we do believe the Light could have told us this and much more for these things which were from the beginning were by the Light revealed unto Moses and all the Prophesie Exhortations Admonitions and what soever was written for our learning was from the blessed inshining of the Light made known for Holy Men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost which is the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus by which he hath enlightned every Man that is come into the World which thou in thy dark mind canst not discern For although Light shines in Darkness yet Darkness comprehends it not 1 John 1.5 Who in thy Ignorance and Darkness art raising Mists and Foggs in thy Book to blind the Eye which God is opening but thy work is as chaff which will be burnt in the Fire of Gods Jealousie which waxeth hot against such Babilonish-Builders as thou art And Sampson Bond in his 96 Page hath raised another great Lie to wit That the Quakers say the Soul of Man is God in part And then in his dark envious Spirit is fighting against it to the 99 Page of his Book Reply But our Belief and Doctrine is That God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul Gen. 2.7 And not that the Soul was God in part as S. B. falsly insinuates and he has forged a Lie and in these 4 Pages makes a great bussel in Lies and Confusion to fight against it to no purpose but serves to manifest his Envy and Folly Who is bringing in J. Taynes belief as a proof against us as a cover to shelter his evil design for J. Tayne was never amongst us nor oâ—ned by us But any thing will serve thy turn for it is manifest by thy Book thou matterest not what thou sayest like thy forefathers who were forgers of Lies and said Report and we will Report And so it is seen where thou art and who is thy leader not Christ Jesus of Nazareth who is the Captain of our Salvation who by the Light of his blessed Spirit within us which thou like a Wicked Wretch calls the Devils hath opened our Eyes and we see where thou art and who is thy Leader And S. B. in his 4 next Pages which he or his Printer hath paged in confusion like his work in his Book he saith The Quakers Infallible Spirit within him is grounded upon the Soul being God in part and further saith he I have long thought their Infallible Light within to be no other then the Pope without and saith S. B. as the Pope saith so saith the Quakers and the Pope robs Christ of all his Offices and so doth the Quakers and saith he the Quakers deny the Trinity which is 3 distinct Persons Reply The Quakers do believe that the Spirit of Christ Jesus is Infallible But thou S. B. art so blind and envious that thou canst speak little of the Quakers but a Lie is in thy Mouth for our belief is not grounded upon the Soul being God in part It was never so spoken by us but it is thy forged lie in charging it upon us But Faith herein hath been raised and increased in us through its powerful working in our Hearts to wit the Eternal Infallible Spirit which the true Believers in Christ Jesus were always led by which thou in thy Wicked fallible and dark Spirit cals the Devil But by the Light and Power of Christ Jesus our Mouths are opened to bear a Testimony against the Idolatry and Blasphemy of the Pope and all such as thou art who are his off-spring who are not yet come out of Babilon for confusion is your dwelling place and although the Quakers do believe that the Light and â—pirit of Christ Jesus is Infallible and will lead all out of Sin up to God who believe in Christ Jesus Yet this doth not follow that therefore the Quakers and the Pope are one because he to wit the Pope doth say That his Idolatrous Principles and Traditions are Infallible But this is thy shallow Head and dark Mind which makes thee publish thy Ignorance to the World And we know the Pope is an Intruder into things which he is ignorant of and hath nothing to do with and is a Blasphemer and so art thou who ar comparing the Light and Spirit of Christ Jesus with the Pope and his Idolatrious Traditions in this Comparison But we turn it back upon thy own Head with thy Brethren the Priests of New-England where thy lying Book as thou saist was Printed which is as followeth The People sprinkle Infants and call it the Baptism of Christ and so do the Popish Priests preach for hire and so do you Presbyterians and have taken Mens Goods from them for your gain yea and took their Childrens Cloaths from their Backs and Imprisoned Men till Death for your God which is your Belly and from them you haue done no Work for what greedy Hirelings are you Who is Worst you or the Pope The Pope calls the Old Mass-House the Church and so do you But the Lord is redeeming his People out of your Ignorance and Idolatrous Inventions and from the Mouthes of such Hirelings as thou art And this may satisfie all honest minded People of the Lord in Bermudas that thou art not a Man
by 4 Apostolical Arguments First Because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour for to prove which he notes many Scriptures Acts 2.21 22 23 24. Acts 4.10 11 12. Acts 10.38 39 40 42 43. From these Scriptures mentioned S. B. draws this Argument If Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God among the People of Israel be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour therâ—fore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Reply The Apostles Testimony we believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was he that was to come of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote and of whom the Apostles bore so strict a testimony especially before the Jews under the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Because they having read of the glory of this Saviour did expect it to be outward and visible and that he should have come with the Pomp and Glory of this World and that the Redemption which should have been wrought by him should have been outward and that he should have sat upon the Throne of David as an outward and visible King and when contrary to this their expectation he was raised up of so mean a place as Galilee and Nazareth and of so mean Parentage they slighted him saying Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Joseph His Father we kâ—ow and his Brethren are with us we know whence he is But when Christ cometh wâ— know not whence he is search and see say they for out of Gallilee ariseth no Prophet So they slighted and scorned him and put him to Death therefore the Apostle did bear so strict a Testimony to this Man and we do believe that this vvas he that was to come and we look not for another But that the Apostle by this Testimony did deny the Godhead or Invisible Power that dwelt in Jesus of Nazareth by which he became a Saviour we do not believe Neither do we believe that the Man Jesus of Nazareth only as Man was the Saviour of the World For in him dwells the fullness of the God-head Bodily Coll. â— 9 And Christ himself testifies that he was in the Father and the Father in him John 14.10 11. And in the same place he testifies That the Words he spake and the Works he did were done by the Father that dwelt in Him Now if the whole work of Mans Salvation had been wrought by the Body or visible Man only then must our Faith and Hope have stood there but the same Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.21 Our Faith and Hope must stand in God By which Scripture with many more that might be named it appears that the Salvation of Mankind was wrought by the vvhole entire Christ of God vvho vvas truly God and Man And the Apostle saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 So that it was the Word the invisible Power that dwelt and wrought in the Body that gave the value of the worâ— done in and by the Man by which the work of Mans Salvation was effectually wrought So after the work was performed in by the Body in order to Mans Redemption yet there remains a large work to be performed in such as believe For there is a power of Darkness in Man to be overcome the Antichristian Spirit â—s to be cast out the Body of Sin and Death is to be destroyed the captivating Spirit that captivates the Members and keeps the Members in subjection to the Law of Sin and Deaâ—h to be redeemed from yea the Regeneration is to be witnessed that begets again unto God and the new-born â—abe must be known which is born of God that cannot Sin which only is Heir to the Kingdom which is brought forth in the Image and Likeness of the Invisible God which Image stands in Holiness and Righteousness And all this is formed in the Saints through the powerful working of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World and destroys the work of the Devil in us and for us and so becomes a perfect Saviour saving to the uttermost those that come unto God by him and all this is purchased through the one offering even perfect Salvation for his People even for all those that do truly and effectually believe in him who through faith lay hold on the invisible Power so that they thereby feel the inward operation or the working of the Spirit within to wash and cleanse the Heart not only from the Guilt or Condemnation as ye say but also from the defilement of Sin So is Christ Jesus become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that through Faith are brought into obedience unto him But these things I judge are a mystery to S. B. who is ignorant of the work of Salvation of the Grace Hope and Faith within by Christ for if he had been acquainted with the inward forming of Christ he could never have formed such an Argument as this That because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People in whom dwelt the fulness of the God-head which was the Creator of all things was the true Christ and only Saviour that therefore the Saviour cannot be within although the Saints did witness that Christ in them was their Hope of glory But to leave this and to take a view of his 2d Argument as laid down in the second Page of his Book which is grounded upon this Because the Saints of God by the direction of his Spirit have alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be the true and only Saviour Upon which ground he brings forth the same conclusion viz That Christ within Man which he calls the Quakers pretended Saviour within is not the true but the false Christ Reply This Argument is also false being one with the other grounded upon a foundation as to me it appears hid in his own Breast not truly laid down in express Words yet truly intended by him which is this that Christ Jesus only as Man without the Godhead was by the direction of the Spirit always acknowledged to be their true and only Saviour if this be not the ground of his Aâ—gument then could he not have formed such an Argument as this because Christ as God is a Spirit and so within as well as without Now for the proof of his Argument he brings the words of Simeon Luke 2. from Verse 25 to Verse 31. by which words it doth not at all appear that the Man or visible Body only of it self is the only Saviour for he declares of him as a Light to go before the face of all People a Light to lighten the Gentiles and John bore witness to him and saith John 1.9
to be their Guide and their Instructor and their Leader and in the Spirit they were to Worship the Father and this is the word of Faith even Christ the begetter of Faith in the Heart and must be believed in and obeyed and walked up to according to his Inward Moons and requirings which always moveth and leadeth into the things that is good and maketh manifest the Evil and reproveth for it and this is not received by Natural Generation but by the Inspiration of the Almighty which is Light which shines in our Hearts and gives the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ and this Spirit Life and Power dwelt in the Son of God without measure but in the Saints in measure and this is he by which the Saints are Sanctified and do receive full assurance of the everlasting unchangeable Inheritance and this is wrought by degrees by the same Spirit by which the Saints are continually given up to Death to dye to Sin to dye to the Flesh to dye to the World that the Life of Jesus may be made Manifest in their Mortal Bodies And the Manifestation of this Spirit being given to every Man to profit withal and we believing that every Man hath Received a Measure of this pure Light according to Joh. 1.9 therefore do we direct People to turn in their Minds to this Heavenly Principle this Heart searching Light that makes Manifest Sin and Transgression and leads the Soul out of Captivity from under the Power thereof and these things we declare and Exhort People to submit unto the same for herein only is the true Spiritual Worship witnessed And now S. B. what wilt thou say Wilt thou judge this is to deny Christ or to make him a Lyer who was truly God or to make the Holy Spirit a Lyer to whom we thus Testifie or to make the Angels Lyers who Testified to him as a King whose Kingdom was not of this World or to make the Apostles Lyers who bare so large a Testimony to his Spiritual appearance I know and am sure had thou received thy Message from the Lord or ever walked in the Path of the Righteouss thou wouldst have had another Message to declare then any yet I can see come from thee Now all the Scriptures that S. B. brings to prove his charge they are such as proves the same Jesus to be the Saviour who was one with the Father And however these Testimonies of Christ the Spirit the Angels and Apostles seems to speak of the outward Man yet thereby we cannot understand it any otherwise then as he was the Christ and Saviour of the World who dwelt in the Father and the Father in him and the words he Spoke they were not his but the Fathers that sent him But he goes on to Revile the Light with his common term of Idol which Idols and Idolatrous practises was ever hateful unto God But the more he Reproaches it the more he doth heap up Vengeance upon his own Head to be Executed upon him in the day of the Lord. The next thing to he considered was a Sentence of Scripture Spoken by Will Harriot in denyal of the Priests false charge concerning our Mâ—etings saying The Apostle Travelled in Biraâ—h for the Gallations till Christ was formed in them which words he Spoke without naming Chap. and ver for which he derides him and calls him Impertinent Simpleton and with all he Glories that he could readily point at the Chap. and ver to which I answer is this any point of Religion Is it any matter of Salvation Is it nor rather a chief part of thy Trade which thou hast been Exercised in more then twenty years and peradventure Received for thy Hire several hundred pounds worth and this is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and agreeable with the Practise of Balaam who Loved the wages of Unrighteousness now it were a shaâ—e for thee Trading with the Scripture so long and not to have thy Trade perfect The Scripture was Gal. 4.19 The which Scripture this Reviling Priest makes use off to Reproach the Light thus If when Paul writ to the Gallations Christ was to be formed in them then the Light in every Man the Quakers Rotten Principle which is in every Man by Natural Generation he saith is not the True Christ Rep. In defiance of this Heavenly Principle I say thou art an Ignorant Man for this Light is of a more Noble Birth and Generation for it is of Gods own begetting and so not of a Flâ—shly Generation for that which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit And it is one thing to have this principle in them and another thing to be in Union with it it is one thing to have it in a Man and another thing to be formed into its likeness now none can Witness the formings of Christ in them but such as do receive Christ the Light they and only they receive Power to become Children of the most High God even they that believe in his Name which is the Power by which Christ Jesus was raised up from the Dead and such who by Faith lay hold on the Power the Word of Life the quickning Spirit by which the Saints are begotten again into Christs Nature and Christs own Nature raised up in them and so is Christs Word fulfilled you in me and I in you And thus to know Christ is not to deny the Body which suffered and Rose again for the Saints which Testified of the Man did also bear Witness to the Spirit which was their Guide and Leader and Instructer and Saviour and Saved them from the Body of Death and Power of Darkness and Law of Sin and Mortified Sin in them and their Vile affections which were upon the Earth was Subdued by the Spirit of Christ and they came to know him to be the quickning Spirit quickning and Enlivening them and raising them up to sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so Old things were Witnessed to pass away and all things to become new new Nature Will new Assertions new Desires new all New The next thing to be considered is his Ridged sencering of Will. Harriot with his Fellow Seducers as he calls them Pag. 59 60 61. In which he shews his Persecuting Spirit in passing such a Sentance as Whipping for no other Transgression then to deny such a Doctrine as is not truly grounded upon the Scripture and not only so but in divers particulars contrary to the Scripture And for this he takes the Scripture for his Rule Joh. 2.13 And Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the Temple those that Sold Oxen and when he had made a Whip of small Cords he drove them out of the Temple and said unto them make not my Fathers House a House of Marchandice Now Mark what ground hath he or can he rightly gather from hence to punish a Man with Corporal punishment for matter of
say That the Word took Flesh of the Virgin and that he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalen c. And therefore Priest Bond is to prove who ever said That the Body of Christ attributes no more Soul saving Merit than to the Body of a Turk or a Jew And again Priest Bond saith I do acknowledge with him to wit the Quaker that the effects of Christs death and sufferings are to be inwardly Witnessed within us Page 8. And yet Chirst within is a Devil his Light an Idol within How agrees the Blasphemy with the Confession And who is it that works Doth not Christ work inwardly in his People by his Faith Light and Spirit And Priest Bond hath made a great stir in three or four Pages about the False Christ and he may apply all these Pages to himself for they do not at all concern the Quakers And all his Lies and Slanders and filthy calumnies and his ungracious filthy Language in his Book doth manifest him to be no Minister of the Gospel but a Minister of soul Language and Lies neither hath he proved the Quakers principles to be erroneous but hath manifested his own erroneous Principles 75 times over Priest Bond saith The Quakers in Burmoudos Tryed found guilty Sentenced and Executed But Priest Bond here is both False-witness False Accusor and Flase Judge and Party and yet accuses Francis Eastlack and saith He that was the Party made himself the determinating Judge Page 6. But the Quakers are clear of all his Slanders and he is found Guilty of all the false Charges that he would falsly Charge upon the Quakers in Burmoudas and others that he hath mentioned and wronged in his wicked Lying Book and therefore he may take them home for they are fittest for him and his Condemnation with the Light of Christ Priest Bond saith As I was about to read some of G. F 's Doctrine they grew impatient and by no means would have it read thereupon I did forbear But I have here inserted it to wit G. Fox in his Boook entituled the Mystery Page 49. 50. Hath these words Ye scorn me the Light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a natural Light and ye have said that I the Light am not able to save these that believe in me Furthermore Page 54. that if ye would believe and wait on me the Light I will purge out all your iniquity and forgive all your Trespasses and I shall change your natures if you hearken to me and obey the Light within These are the words I would have read but being hindred c. Answer These are Priest Bonds horrid Lies for there is not one of these words in all the Pages of G. F's Book which Priest Bond brings S. Bond thou brings G. F's query which any that reads G. F's Book may see which he queries of the Priest F. Higinson Where doth the Scripture speak of Humane the word Humane where is it written tell us that we may search for it S. B. forger of these Lies Now we do not deny that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham but not the word Humane and Christs Nature is not Humane which is Earthly for that is the first Adam And this is G. F's answer to Higinson who said That Christs Nature was Humane c. And S. Bond in Page 50. makes a great pudder about it but instead of proving of it which he hath not by Scripture but hath made the matter worse and saith G. F. puts no difference betwixt Humane and Humane which S. Bond hath proved neither of these words by Scripture which he calls his Rule And when he hath been beating the Air he confesses We have not such a Word And yet S. B. saith Having the thing who contradicts himself but he hath not proved it And again S. Bond saith Christ is also said to be from Heaven Page 50. and yet Humane And again Page 69. S. Bond saith Stephen saw Christs humane Body in Heaven Acts 7. Here thou wrongest the Scripture and Stephen for there is not the word Humame in Acts 7. But Stephen being full of the Holy-Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God and said behold I saw the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the Right Hand of G d So he saw Christ being full of the Holy-Ghost And yet Priest Bond saith Chirsts Flesh and Bones was Spiritual after he was Risen Page 72. And the Quakers say The Word of God is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart which is the Word of Faith that we and the Apostle preacht And S. Bond saith c. I do not apprehend in Rom. 10.6 c. How these verses do answer the argument of any one of them which proves a Quakers pretended Saviour within to be a false Christ the Devil Page 13. Or how they preve the pretended Saviour within to be the true Christ and yet Priest Bond saith As the righteousness of Faith is the Redeemer against all doubts of Salvation c. But Priest Bond is not this Righteousness of Faith within the Hearts of Gods people And hi Page 15. S. Bond contradicts himself and saith That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and shall believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved that is to say the word of Faith Preacht is nigh in our Mouths We have received Christ whom God hath revealed in our hearts and hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Aba Father Gal. 4. this we witness 2. Cor. 13. Now S. Bond finds fault with G. F. for using the word their for our as in Page 51. and saith It is contrary to the Apostle But in page 15. Priest Bond uses the word is nigh in our Mouths instead of saying The word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth And so doth not he himself abuse the Apostles words as in Rom. 10. And I bring but this for him to see his own folly who is Straining at Gnats and swallowing Camels though G. F's word our to us and their to the Apostles is proper enough and the word of Faith is nigh us in our hearts and mouths as well as in thy as the Apostle said but Priest Bond who cavils at Words may see how he mistakes himself and utters forth his own Folly S. Bond brings Thomas Moors saying in Page 51. That Christ was absent from us while we were in this Mortal Body And G. F. answers contrary to the Apostle who said The Life of Christ is manifest in their Mortal Flesh yes and we say again that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Flesh and Christ is in us the hope of Glory But Bond makes a great pudder that the Life of Christ Jesus might not is but be made manifest in not their but our mortal Flesh But
it was brought which might be enough to make a Sober Man admire what I or we did mean so to do But to be short the reason why that Scripture was brought was in answer to him who stood there to affirm Thâ—t Christ as Man was the only material Saviour without joyning the Godhead with the Manhood which place of Scripture I judge was very pertinent to that master shewing that though the Apostles had known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth said he kâ—ow we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 So that of necessity the true sensibâ—e knowledge that any Man could have of Christ for the future time must be in Spiâ—it according to what Christ himself had promised wherein he said He that is with you shall be in you and again he saith in John 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And in the 13th Vers When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth The next place of Scripture which he saith I repeated was the 1 Cor. 6.11 where the Apostle saith But ye are washed but ye are justified by the Spirit of God and farther he asserts that I Queriâ—d Why they meaning us might not be washed and justified by the Spirit now as well as others heretofore To which part of his reply was That I never had the Spirit of God in me and to prove it he layes down three Arguments the which I here sleight as not worth the mentioning only this I look upon as worth the noting and I would have them that reads his Book take notice of it in Pag. 65 66 67. where his Charge or Accusation concerning me as abovesaid is mentioned His Charge runs thus That I never had the Spirit of God in me and his proof is only a recharging me in different terms That I have not the Spirit of God in me his Charge in both most uncharitably excludes me from the Spirit of God saying thou never had it it is not in thee And in the other two â—f his censorious judgings his words are hast not and have â—ot Now I say a Man would think that he looking upon himself so wise and so learned as it appears by his Book he does that he should not have repeated such proofless and false Accusations as that I never had the Spirit of God in me which I know through the mercy of God he cannot prove while he lives yet what satisfaction could this be to the People that heard To the Question Propounded the Apostle speaks of some that were bad Sinners as we may read in the 1 Cor. 10.11 But they were Washed and Sanctified and Justified in the Name of the Lord Jâ—sus and by the Spirit of God And the Question to this purpose was why we might not be Washed and Justified now as well as others heretofore This Quâ—stion ought to have been answered directly to because it is commonly spoken of by many in the World that there is no Revelation now adays and no freedom from in on this side the Grave and if so then indeed there were no Spiritual Washing nor Cleansing from Sin in these days as in days past But this I have to say and through the mercy of God am a Witness of that Revelation is not ceased now adays for God hath shewed by his Spirit or Light in the Heart of Man in these days the things that belong unto his Peace he shews unto Man now as in days past that he should do Justly love Mercy and walâ— humbâ—y with the Lord and this Revelation or Manifestation of God by his Spirit or Light in the Heart and Consciences of People is very precious and by taking heed unto this Light within or measure of the Spirit or Grace of God which is all one and the same thing though called by several Names and by loving and obeying it I believe many are come to depart from Sin and Iniquity and come by it to find and feel the true peace fo God And so herein the true Spiritual Washing and Cleansing from Sin is known and witnessed ye even by the powerful working of the Spirit of God in Man But for all his bad Words and hard Speeches which he hath cast not only at me but at the Light within also which may be plainly seen in his Book I can leave him to the Lord to answer for it to whom every Man must give an account for the Deeds done in the Body be they Good or Evil. Now I having answered to his three false Accusations mentioned in the beginning which he in his Book hath cast at me I would have it considered by the Reader whether that which he hath cast at me be not come upon himself Namely where he hath striven to baffle the Apostles meanings to his own Words and give another meaning to them then the Apostle himself there doth where he saith Christ in you the Hope of Glory this Man to wit Sampson Bond calls this an inforced sense and saith It doth destroy the true nature of the Word HOPE Now I would have it well considered by the Reader who hath baffled he or I I that own the Apostles Words or he that has so far disowned them as his Words above mentioned hath made appear And where it is in all his Book that I have either baffled or prated unsound Words that I have not given a sound reason for what I have said to him ought to have been made appear But this I have to say to all People that are not yet convinced of the Truth as my Testimony for it That he or they that hath not Christ in them to wit his Spirit in them their hope of Glory cannot come to know the true living hope of true Glory in them let them Profess what they will And for this many places of Scriptures may be brought to prove As First The Apostles own Words before mentioned Coll. 1.27 where he faith Christ in you the hope of Glory Secondly Christs own Words John 15.5 For without me you can do nothing Thirdly In Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Fourthly Where the Apostle saith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 4.6 And God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Fifthly In Rom. 8.24 We are saved by Hope Sixthly Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Seventhly It is clear that they that are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God as in Rom. 8.14 where the Apostle saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Eighthly The hope of the Wicked is to
fit to take the Name of the Lord into thy Mouth who has published in Print so many Lies to the World and Blasphemys against the Light and Spirit of Christ Jesus whereby thou hast strengthned the Hands of the Wicked For thy work in thy Book is to stirr up poor Ignorant People to Deride and Blaspheme God in the Appearance of his Spirit Light and Grace which thou thy self hast done which People should wait in Gods fear and in Humility for the Appearance of to cleanse their Hearts and preserve them out of Evil For it is by Grace ye are saved through Faith in Christ Jesus Ephe. 2.8 And so all that comes to this Faith which purifies the Heart will deny such as thou art and their Eye will be opened to see that the Loâ—d is come to teach his People as it is written They shall all be taught of God and such know that they are of God and the whole World lyes in Wickedness and we kâ—ow that the Son of God is come and hath given us an Vnderstanding that we know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Christ Jesus this is the true God and Eternal Life Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen 1 John 19 20 21. And Sampson Bond saith in the last Page of his Book O let us rather burn then bow to the Idol Light within which the Roman Nabuchadnezzer hath set up in peaching Quakers O let us dye rather for the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth then leave the mark of the Beast in us or on us c. Reply Sampson Thou begin'st thy Book with a Lie and Blasphemy and endest with it in thy Mouth and canst not dye for the Lord Jesus Christ but the mark of the Beast is on thy Fore-head and in thy Mouth and the Persecuting Idolatrous Spirit of the Church of Rome is in thy Heart who would'st stirr up the Magistrates in Bermudas to Persecution like thy Brethren in New-England who have out-done the Pope that we read of in our day in Persecution in Rifling Houses in Spoiling of Goods Whipâ—ing cuting off ears Banishing upon Pain of Death and Murdering and Drinking the Blood of the Servants and Martyrs of Christ Jesus whereby they are become a by-word to the Nations and if you can clear your selves from the Blood of the Innocent so may the Pope whose off-spring you are in these things and in much more which is further spoken to by G. F in his â—ook New-Englands Fire-brand quenched for Cruelty and Persecution I know none that exceeds you in this Age of the World But the Light never Persecuted any but teacheth the true believers in Christ â—esus to love their Enemies And S. B. saith in his title Page his Book was Printed at Boston in New-England Reply It is very like such a Book might be acceptable in Boston in New-England amongst his Brethren the Priests and Professors in Boston who encouraged the Printing of Roger Williams Blasphemous Book who said to wit Roger Williams That Christ was a Curruptible Man and his Blood was Corruptible Fit Companions for Priest Bond and Priest Intret Madder who said He had nothing that was Good in him But miserable Sheep are they who have no better Shepheards then S. Bond and I. Madder But we do not charge the tender Hearted and moderate People in Boston but such as have been Persecutors and Enemies to the Appearance of God and his People and have besmeared themselves with the Blood of the Innocent which will not be wip'd of in Generations to come no more then Caines who slew his Brother because his works where Righteous and his Evil. But as it is Recorded concerning the Blood of Zacharias which was shed between the Temple and the Altar that all the Blood that was shed from Righteous Abel to that Day should be required at their Hands And you who are become one with that Blood thiâ—sty Persecuting Generation are Recorded with them in the sight of the Lord to be Persecuters and Shedders of Innocent â—lood which God hath and will require at your Hands except a place of Repentance can by you be found And Sampson Bond in the pride of his Heart hath cited Hes 5.2 Pro. 21.24 In the title Page of his Book in reflection upon others without a cause which I justly here turn it back upon his own Head to wit The revolter is profound to make Slaughter Proud and Haughty Scorner is his Name And further he calls himself late Preacher of the Gospel in Bermudas but his work in his Book makes him manifest to be no Preacher of the Gospel but an Enemy to it For the Sacrifice of the Wicked is Abomination how much more when he brings it with a Wicked Mind Prov. 21.27 But thou through a notion might Pâ—each up thy self with fained Words and fair Speeches whereby thou might deceive the Hearts of the simple for thy Dishonest Gain and for thy â—elly like the rest of thy Brethren But the Lord is opening the Understandings of People and will redeem them from under that great Bondage and Captivity wherein you as Instruments under the Power of the â—east hath held them for your gain to satisfy the Lust and Pride of your Hearts that you might still lord it over them But the Lord is breaking your Bonds and scattering your clouds of Darkness and Ignorance wherein you have wrapt up your selves as with a Cloak and by your Sorceries and Divinations you have kept the People under the same Ignorance and Darkness with you and as the Lord by his Spirit hath begotten a tenderness in People and opened an Eye in them in some measure to see where you are and can no longer put into your Mouths then like your fore-fathers you prepare War against them and your anger and malice doth then appear but your Torment and Sorrow will it Encrease For God hath opened a Spiritual Eye in Thousands which see you thoroughly and can buy your Merchandize no more for the Light shines and will shine more and more unto the perfect day and Thousands shall come to the brightness of its rising and we know why you are Angry and Rage and Blaspheme at the Light it is because it discovers your Kingdom of Darkness and your holes where you have hid your selves but your Rage and Fury signifies no more then the Doggs barking at the Moon for the Light vvill shine and the Day vvill dawn and your Darkness must fly avvay although you may rove and make a noise like the Sea yet your Egyptian Tongue must be dryed up and avvay hath God prepared for his ransomed and redeemed to walk in and the Wayfaring-Man though a fool to your earthly-wisdom yet he shall not err therein Glory to the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb for ever vvho sits upon the Throne vvho is and is to come from Everlasting to Everlasting vvho is the antient of Days vvho shall stand last upon the Earth
the Heart and this is a certain Truth where the Heart is Purified the Hands will not be Defiled And in 1 Joh. 3.3 The Apostle gives a certain and undeniable Character of a Lively hope saying Every Man that hath this hope in him Purifieth himself even as he is pure And in the 9 ver Speaking of this Nature saith He that is Born of God Sinneth not So now compare thy self with these Testimonies of the Saints in Ages past and see if Thou can bring forth such a Testimony of the true Divine Nature in thy self If Thou should say Thou could Thy Book would stand as a Testimony against Thee especially toward the latter end where Thou art found to contend with all thy Might for Sin the Devils Kingdom that Men cannot be free as long as they are in the Body Now then tell me where is thy living Faith and lively Hope thou spoke of and art thou not then one of the Carnal Gospellers thou spoke of And whereas S. B. seeks to cast this upon the Quakers he hath fallen exceedingly short of his purpose for we are not the Men that ever said the Graces or the Effects or opperations of the Spirit within is the true Christ and our only Saviour as thou chargest us but our true Saviour is he from whom those Graces and Effects come and by whom those Opperations are wrought in us And seeing Thou wert so exceedingly mistaken that Thou didst understand indeed as by Thine own Confession that we did make the opperations of the Spirit of God within us which thou callest the effects or Graces of the Spirit to be our True and Only Saviour How darest Thou then so Wickedly to Villifie the Graces Effects and Opperations of the Spirit of God and Man if we had been so mistaken with such Ungodly Blasphemous Infamous Terms or Expressions as in many places in thy Book are found as Antichrist Cursed Gospel within Idol-Light Glow worm Familier c. How canst Thou escape the Judgment of the Righteous God for the Lord hath found Thee out and Thine Enmity against his Spirit is now discovered thy covering is found to be too short and too narrow for thou art not covered with Gods Spirit Thine own Pen hath discovered thine own Shame and the Lord will make the People to see it even as many whose Eyes he shall open and thy words shall be thy Burthen in the day of the Lord for the time draws near that the Lord will Reckon with thee he doth but wait till thy Cup is full and then he will Smite and not spare except in the mean time thou do Repent But to Proceed The next Scripture he saith mentioned by me was 1 Cor. 6.11 We be to prove Christs Inward Manifestation in the Heart to Sanctifie and save Man from the Power of Sin but ye are washed c. where he saith I Craftily omitted in the Name of the Lord Jesus to abuse their Judgments to make them believe Justification in the Sight of God is a work of the Spirit within us which I can see no other but that he would have the work of Justification altogether without and nothing of it known within But miserable is that Mans condition who hath no better Evidence of his Salvation then so but must needs leave his Assurance for another World In Page 31. Take notice of the confusion of this Priest who after he hath so strongly argued for the work of Mans Salvation viz. that the whole work was perfectly Finished at once without us in Christs own Crucified Body on the Cross Yet now he grants that it is to be wrought within us not at once but by degrees even by the Spirit of God so the work which was so perfectly and compleatly Finished before without us yet now it must be wrought within us by the Spirit of God before it can be effectual to us This is confusion with a Witness is not thy whole work overthrown let the Reader consider and judge is it not the same thing we have contended for and is it not the same thing against which thou hast hardned thy Heart and Stiffned thy Neck Is not this the Spirit of God that works thus Inwardly that which thou callest The Quakers Pretended Saviour which thou so often call The False Christ The Devil with many other Reviling Ungodly Blasphemous Speeches or did the Quakers ever pretend to any other Saviour within then the Spirit of Christ Jesus who is the Light who is the worker of the things whereof thou Speaks Well all this doth Redound to thy own Shame and will also make thy Judgment more then thou wilt be able to bear except thou speedily Repent Again in pag. 31. S. B. saith that I said that I was in some measure washed from my sins which he calls new Divinity and a most false and dangerous Doctrine for saith he he doth clearly deny that the Messiah Jesus Christ of Nazareth hath at once by his own Crucified Body without us on the Cross finished Transgression and Sin Answer When will thy confusions come to an end didest thou not say but now that though the Work of Salvation were done at once without us yet it must be wrought by degrees by the opperation of the Spirit within and now I come to bear Reoord to the same thing you cries out false and dangerous Doctrine who is so Blind that cannot see thy confused Doctrines who can but Judge thee even Drunk with Enmity as a Man overcome with Strong-Drink Reeling this way and that way and but seldome in the Right way one while confessing to the Spirits working within and by and by denying it again besides he doth not only say that it is false and dangerous Doctrine but in Pag 32. he tells wherein saying it plainly denies the one Propitiatory Sacrifice of the one Crucified Body of the Man Jesus Christ Immediately after his usual manner breaking forth in reviling expressions against the Light calling it unbloody Redeemer Idol-Light and the Pope in all which his Enmity is greatly manifested against the Graces Effects and opperations of the Spirit within which he saith in page 29. the Quakers make their true and only Saviour The next Scripture words mentioned by Friends was as he said by Stephen Bullock Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death which was brought to prove that the Spirit of Christ in Man did save from Sin and although the Scripture was clear in it self yet it appears he would have some Argument framed by the Friend who not answering immediately Ismael like the Mocker who Mocked at Isaac the Figure of the true seed he broke forth in a Mock saying Long fasting parhaps hath made him so Empty Note this was the Friend that gave forth the Challenge to try their God by Fasting By this Scripture i. e. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
Body and Soul which is another Lie and in the same page he saith A teaching Quaker doth deny Jesus to be the Christ and therefore a Teaching Quaker is a Lier and an Antichrist O thou shameless Man when wilt thou cease to cast Dirt at Gods Herritage when wilt thou cease to accuse the Innocent whom dost thou think to Harm by thy Slanders and Evil aspersions for they return upon thine own Head and that most justly for thy Nakedness is hereby uncovered to thy shame yet canst thou not cease but still goest on to defame those Innocent People whom the Lord loves and delights in even those whom thou disdains whom the Lord hath Begotten his own Image in even those doest thou accuse to be of the Dragon and Beast and to be contradicters and Blaspheamers Well The Lip of Truth shall be Established for ever but a Lying Tongue is but for a moment Prov. 12.19 Another Grand accusation S. B. lays down in page 41. viz. The professed perfection of a Quakers seeming Sanctity consists in thee and thou thereby denying all Reverential respects to any sort of Men of what Ranck or Quallity soever Reply Though it be certainly true that the Faithful People called Quakers do use the Words thee and thou to a Singular yet it is most false to say that we do it for that End to deny all Reverential Respects to all sorts of Men c. In denyal of this his false Accusation I do here Testifie in the presence of God that when I first took it up it was in the true tenderness of Conscience and in obedience to the Inward requirings of Gods Spirit in my Heart who required obedience of me And when I first used the word to my Superiours it being in the Infancy of Truth in this Island and People had not been used to such a manner of Speech and my self having been accustomed to say you to a particular Person it became an exceeding great Tryal so that if I could have had Peace where I stood I believe I should not have Submitted but it was Manifest that it was the practice of the Saints in all Ages of the World to the end of the Primitive times so that this manner of Speaking you to a Singular Person came up under the Reign of Antichrist in the Dark Night of Apostacy in which State I stood as well as many more but when the Lord was pleased to begin to Rend the Vail that was over the Hearts of People and the Morning Star arose and the day of Christ began to break forth most clearly then the Lord was pleased to begin to open mine Eyes and I saw among the many things that then appeared to be parted with that this was one that I must part with and I must come to the plain Language which the Saints were in in Ages by past every one Speaking Truth to his Neighbour otherwise I must part with Truth it self so I was even constrained to take up the Cross in the self denial otherwise I saw I could not be Christs Disciple So that this is another Slander against the Innocent tending to the Filling up of S. Bonds Cup to make way for Gods wrath to be Executed upon him For this I know the Saints Leader is one and Leads in the Path of Humility all that do truly obey him and in Humility I took up this Practice and not in any Pride the Lord knows but can as truly give Magistrates their due aâ— ever always having an Eye to Conscience to keep that undefiled that the Lord may have first his due So the Honour belonging to Men to Fathers and Mothers is in the Lord and this is right and according to the Gospel order Eph. 5.1 Now S. B. in his mannageing of this assertion against us he lays down his Foundation thus that thee and you you and thou are not always in Scripture of distinct signification but are sometimes of the same signification and to prove this he names Lev. 19.12 Ye shall not Swear by my Name Falsly Neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God and to this adds Jer. 3.12 Return thou Back-Sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to burn forth against you Reply Take notice of the Subtilty of this Crafty Priest he not being willing to come to the true Language neither being able himself to bear it he seeks to Blind the Eyes of People that so he may keep them in their Sins by perswading them that God himself puts no difference sometimes between the words but makes them both of one signification And thus he seeks to Blind People perverting or hideing the true sence of the Scripture and putting upon them a sence best pleasing to himself for the carrying on of his intended design But for all that thou hast said or all that thou hast yet farther to say shew me but one Scripture in all the Bible where the Lord or any one particular Saint ever made use of this word you to any one particular Person where there was no more at least included otherwise thy Argument will fall to the Ground like an old Building whose Foundation is Rotten and as in reason to use the word thee or thou to many is Ridiculous among Men they being evermore proper to the Singular number and altogether improper to the Plural So on the other hand you being formed of yea the Second Person in the Plural Number is likewise Ridiculous to be put to the Singular And as to the Scriptures by thee mentioned according to the true Sence of them the plain Language is not at all confounded neither is the words thou or you at all used out of their proper place but each bears its own proper distinction and signification for when the Lord speaks to the Multitude of the Sons of Jacob as to many as it is written I will Multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven then he uses the word you but when he Speaks to his People in a particular or singular Sence as to one House the House of Israel or to one particular Nation he makes use of the word thou or thee so the Scripture stands clear from S. Bonds false Interpretation and the plain Language among Men unconfounded So this practice it is agreeable both to Scripture Precept Example and Right Reason But whereas S. B. would make his Hearers believe that the Ancient Saints did use it only as moved by the Spirit it is true the Spirit always moves Men to Speak Truth but let him shew me in any one particular were they did use any other manner of Communication then thee and thou to a particular in their common Discourse and yet it did no ways hinder them Saints from giving to every one their due Honour to whom Honour Tribute to whom Tribute c. Neither were those Saints exalted with Pride as thou falsly chargest us but Pride doth Manifestly appear in thee who would have all to bow under thee and put off
Name or Book whereby it might have been made manifest but in as much as he hath done neither I return it back upon him again as an Imagination forced upon his own Heart And as for that of George Fox concerning the Nature of Christ that it was not humane but Divine I have bore my Testimony agreeable thereto before and so leave S. B. to prove it by the Scripture which lies upon him as a necessity in as much as he hath laid it down as a necessary point of Faith One thing more of which he chargeth the Faithful Servant of the Lord G. F. is that he hath abused the Scripture 2 Cor. 5.11 For we which live are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Bodies Now the abuse charged on G. F. is that he reads it thus the Life of Jesus is manifest in our Mortal Bodies thereby making that present which the Apostle makes future at the Resurrection Answ The words might be doth not so much note the time as the end wherefore the Saints were always delivered up to Death even for that very end that the Life of Christ might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies all that might Dye to the Flesh and to the World and Sin might no longer Live in them but that the Life of Jesus might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies Now if G. Fox witnessing the fulfilling of this and did Testifie to the same how did he abuse the Scripture or belye the Apostles words as thou hast falsly charged him but it is plain thou hast wrested the Scripture in that thou say'st it is only at the Resurrection when Paul himself witnessed the same thing before he went out of the Body Gal. 2.20 And yet in contradiction Priest Bond saith in pag. 72. that the Body shall be raised Spiritual as Christs Body of Flesh and Bones after the Resurrection was Spiritual our Bodies shall not be raised Natural corruptible Bodies but Spiritual Incorruptible Bodies though the Body of Man be not Natural corruptible or Mortal Flesh and Blood and as saith unfit for the Kingdom of God but in the Resurrection the Body will not be so for it will then be Spiritual incorruptable immortal Flesh and Blood Priest Bond in this hath contradicted himself and is made to confess the Quakers Principles And for what thou hast to charge Isaac Pennington withal I believe he was a Spiritual Man and was better acquainted with Heavenly things then Sampson Bond and so could speak as he had known felt and received them in Spirit which is a Mystery to every Natural Man for the Wisdom of this World with all the acquired parts that it can Furnish the Natural Man withal cannot know or Receive the things of God because they are only known and received in the Spirit But it had been a great point of Wisdom in this Priest to have been still and quiet and not to speak Evil of the things he knew not neither understood but he that thus will rail against the Light of Christ which the Saints believe in will not spare his Disciples Thus have I searched over the first part of his Book which concerns his first charge wherein I have noted some of the abuses Slanders Blasphemies Confusions and soft contradictions of S. B. and according to the Measure of Light I have Received briefly answered the same I shall now pass on to the Second charge viz. that the main end of the Quakers Meeting in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and false Witnesses of God And to make good this his Ungodly false charge against us he lays down this for his Foundation viz. That we are G. Fs. Disciples and therefore that this is our Principal that the Light is in us which he calls pretended Light is our true Christ Teacher Rule and Guide to be heard believed in walked unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give Remission of Sins and Salvation with God to which he said we consented from whence he draws down this conclusion viz. That we did thereby Grant that the end of our Meetings is to Teach a denial of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God to be our true and only Saviour which Teaching said he is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and False Witnesses of God Reply The Ground of this his charge is of the same Nature with the former because we confess to the Spirit within which is Light and therefore he concludes that it must needs follow that we do deny the true Christ which he concludes to be the Man Jesus without without having any respect to any thing that dwelt within or at least without any Respect to the Spirit of Christ whose Office it is to cleanse the Soul from Sin and so consequently doth save and Redeem from under the power of Death Reply This his charge is absolutely false for our Hearts viz. The Hearts of the Faithful amongst us is truly set to serve the Lord and our main end is truly to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth and if in the Indeavours of our Hearts to bring this our end to pass and for want of a true understanding in the Scripture we had mist of the thing must it needs be charged on us that it was our main end so to do I believe few that have any tenderness in them will believe thee But on the other Hand it is Manifest that the Man Jesus did declare himself the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 and so to be believed in Chap. 12 46. now as Man barely understood how could he be the Light of the World which Light is a Heart searching Light Rev. 2.23 therefore it must be understood in the Spirit and he declares himself one with the Father Joh 10.30 in whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodyly who was before Abraham John 8. and it was the Godhead the Invisible power for which the Body was prepared and this power dwelling and acting in the Body was that which unheld it in this great work of Mans Salvation and it was through the excellency worth and power of the Indwelling Spirit which was one with the Father which the Invisible Eye only could behold by which the satisfaction was made and the purchase of the Heavenly Inheritance obtained by whom Remission of Sins Justification Sanctification and Everlasting Redemption is obtained this is he in whom we confess to be our true and only Saviour in whom we believe And in as much as he did direct his Disciples that after his departure they should wait for his Spirit which the World could not receive then no more then they can do now which saith he dwelleth with you and shall be in you and this Spirit was to be waited for even by his Disciples that had been taught by him and he was
Bond hath proved himself to be in the Spirit of the Scribes and Pharisees who profest Christ to come and when he was come they said he had a Devil and by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And now the true Christ is come that dyed and rose again and ascended at the right hand of God and is revealed in his people as he was in the Apostles and now this true Lord Jesus Christ who dwells in his people who are no Reprobates Priest Bond in his false wicked blasphemous Charge to prove this true Lord Jesus Christ in his people a false Christ an Antichrist a Deceiver a Devil in this he hath proved himself a Deceiver and a Reprobate and no true Christian but hath manifested his folly and madness to all that read his Book Sampson Bond who stiles himself late Preacher of the Gospel in Burmoudas who saith he had a Dispute with the Quakers in Burmoudas and they did say in Joh. 1.9 That that was the true light which enlightens ever man that comes into the world and this Scripture F. E. he more especially insisted on S. B. saith to prove Christ to be the true Light and that Light to be the only Saviour which is in every Man that comes into the World whence saith S. B. F. E. Argued That the Quakers pretended Saviour within is the true and not the false Christ And S. B. answers and saith It is true that by the Light in that place of Scripture the true Christ and only Saviour is meant Here S. B. makes a publick confession in Print and saith It is true that by Light in that place of Scripture Joh. 1. the true Christ and only Saviour is meant So then here S. Bond doth confess that it was the true Christ whose Name is called the Word of God by whom all things was made and in him was Life and this Life is the Light of men and this was the true Light which is the Life in Christ the Word that was made Flesh who enlightens every man that comes into the World John 1.9 as in Page 8. And in Page 10. thou saist As for your Idol Light-Christ c. and scoffingly saist Did ever the Jews Crucifie your feigned God-head-Light within Here thou hast overthrown thy confession as before in Page 8. who saist It 's true that by Light in that place of Scripture John 1.29 the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant c. and now thou callest him our Idol Light-Christ in Page 10. But we tell Priest Bond That Christ did not dye as he was God or his Godhead but he was Crucified in the Flesh and as he was Man whom we believe and confess according to the Scripture Jesus of Nazareth was born of the Virgin who dyed for our Sins and is risen for our Justification who is ascended at the right hand of God and is revealed in us his people Priest Bond thou saist in Page 12. 13. These Scriptures Rom. 10. c. the Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach And further saist I do not apprehend how these Scriptures answer the Arguments which proveth a Quakers pretended Saviour within him to be the false Christ the Devil nor how they prove their pretended Saviour within to be the true Christ In this Priest Bond thou hast shewed thy malice and blasphemy against our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who dyed for our sins and is risen for our Justification c. and is revealed in us by his Spirit and rules in our hearts by Faith yea he whose Name is called the Word of God and we are not of them who say Who shall ascend into Heaven to bring Christ down from thence or who shall descend into the deep to bring Christ again from the dead but the Word is nigh us even in our hearts and mouths according to the Apostles Doctrine And so we do believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus Christ whom God hath raised from the dead by whom we are justified and saved Here the Reader may see some of Priest Bond 's filthy lying blasphemous Language that he hath Printed against the people of God called Quakers Your Idol Light-Christ Page 10. Quakers are filled with envy and speak against those things which were spoken by Paul O seducing Quakers twice over In Page 12. hath S. B. uttered these horrid Lies Did ever Paul Preach Christ Jesus till God had revealed his Son in him Again S. B. saith A Quakers pretended Saviour within to be the false Christ the Devil Page 13. S. B. We believe thou art nearer the Devil than thou art the true Christ the Saviour who rules in the hearts of his people by Faith who through death destroys Death the Devil the Power of Death and the false Christ also S. B. saith A Quakers c. Saviour within is not the true but false Christ Page 14. These are Lies without proof and this Lying Spirit that rules in S. B. may as well falsly accuse the Apostles as the Quakers who said to the Church of Corinth Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And again the Apostle saith Christ in you the hope of glory whom we Preach c. 2 Cor. 13. 1. Col. 27.28 and yet S.B. saith If thou confessest with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and shall believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved But S. B. did Paul confess Christ till he was revealed in him And can Reprobates confess Christ to their Salvation in whom Christ is not S. B. Thou saist in Page 15. Where do you Quakers search for your Gospel Word of Faith surely not in the Scriptures without but at your Oracle that Idol-Light c. O! thou Idol-Light within c. But Priest Bond Is not the Wâ—rd of Faith in the heart Gospel Dost not thou say it is true in that place of Scripture John 1 By that Light which enlightens every man that comes into the World the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant and in Page 15. thou calls the Light of Christ within an Idol-Light and saist O thou Idol-Light within What mad confusion art thou in And then thou saist That Idol-Light tender-part within which you falsly call the everlasting Gospel and Eternal Word as in Page 15. and yet thou confessest in Page 8. that every man that comes into the world is enlightned by Christ the Son of God as he is the Eternal Word And is not the Gospel the Power of God And is not that Eternal or Everlasting Rom. 1. Rev. 14. Is not the Light called the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God c And God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus
Christ 2 Cor. 4. and it is false to say that we affirm that the Word was never made Flesh and here thou maist see thy contradictions who confessest the Word Eternal in Page 8. and contradicts it and scoffest at it in Page 15. who saist Search for your Gospel Word of Faith surely not in the Scriptures without but at your Oracle that Idol Light within which you falsly call the Everlasting Gospel and Eternal Word Yet thou contradicts thy self and saith p. 8. Christ the Eternal Word enlightens every man that comes into the World And now thou callest the Light within O thou Idol Light-within Here thou maist see how thou dost Blaspheme against the true Light and the Life in Christ the Word which enlightens every man that comes into the world Which will be thy Condemnation who hatest it and blaspheamest against it More of S. B.'s bad Words Page 16. The Light within doth justify the vilest Antichrists No it condemns thee and them Page 16. S. B. saith Metonymia c. F. E. understands no more than the Hour-Glass that is before me But S. B. hath not proved that the Gospel-Ministers Preacht in a Pulpit like Ezra neither hath he proved that Ezra had a Cushion which he makes such a work about nor his Word Metonymy by Scripture which he says is his Rule S. B. saith A Cushion is familiar the Gloe-worm Light within the Idol Light within Page 18. 19. Antichristian Divinity to wit the Light in Man c. These are Priest Bonds soul words S. B. saith You blind Leaders of the blind blush and tremble at your accursed Gospel within c. page 20. Answer We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes Rom. 1. S. B. The Eternal Word which as ye affirm was never made Flesh page 15. and page 18. thou gives thy self the Lye when thou saist F. E. the Quaker said That the Word took Flesh of the Virgin and in that Flesh dyed for all men Thou sayst that this motion pleased F. E. so well to make a deliberate repetition of it and this thou scoffingly calledst F. E's New Divinity the Idol Light within But where did ever the Apostles call the Light of Christ which shines in the heart an Idol Light within as thou blasphemously saist But here it is clear thou hast manifested a Lying Spirit who saist page 15. that we affirm the Eternal Word was never made Flesh And then again in page 18. thou art made to confess thus viz. I shall here take up an expression which I had almost forgotten which this Disputant F. E. doubled in his Discourse namely That the Word took Flesh of the Virgin and in that Flesh died for all men That God sent Christ to save all men from sin and death as he F. Eastlack said whose Sufferings Sacrifice Mediation Intercession and Offices we do own and witness as inwardly wrought and performed in us and for us And this thou dost confess page 18. That the Quakers did confess Christ was in their hearts and scoffingly saist still the Idol Light within and callest this a New Doctrine Now here it is clear according to the Scripture we did confess the Word became Flesh and Christ was put to death in the Flesh and so died for our Sins and is risen for our Justification and is revealed in our hearts by his Spirit by which we know him to be our Mediator and Intercessor and without him we can do nothing who exercises his Prophetical and his Priestly and Kingly Office in his Church S B. And again thou saist We affirm the Eternal Word was never made Flesh and then in Page 21 thou confessest that F. E. the Quaker said that the Word took Flesh and in that Flesh Dyed for all Men Here again thou givest thy self a Lye in thy own Book In Page 20. S. B. saith You most certainly would do your uttermost to Crucifie Him again to wit Christ These are some of thy malicious Lyes for Christ is our Life and Saviour Heb. 6.7 S. B. may apply to himself and Heb. 10.29 And then S. B. is at it again That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him was not the true Christ but the false Page 22. O most Horrible Quakerisme digged out of the Bottomless Pit thy Light Christ Conscience seducing and Lying Quaker the false Christ within Page 22. See the venom of this Man for F. E. the Quaker confesseth that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was received up into Heaven Page 23. And because the Quakers say this true Christ is revealed in them by his Spirit and rules in their Hearts by Faith this S. B. with his evil Spirit calls him the Devil and the False Christ And the Quakers make a distinction betwixt the Conscience and Christ for the Conscience may be seared and the Quakers do not say that every Man that comes into the World hath received Christ because he enlightens every Man that comes into the World for them that believe in his Light are saved and them that do not are Condemned S. B's Wicked words Page 24 and 25. As Blind as Bayard the false Christ the Idol light within a Syllogysme a great Monster to him to wit to the Quaker That is not the Quakers Monster but S. B's Thou saist the Eternal Power and God-head was manifest in the unconverted Gentiles yet in another place thou saist Christ the Saviour within is the false Christ What confused Babylon Stuff is this and yet S. B. saith That this was the Gospel Word that was Preached which profited not neither Jews nor Gentiles that did not by the mouth of Faith eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of our only Saviour So then if they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood by the mouth of Faith it is within them But did they eat this outward Flesh or humane Flesh as thou callest it and yet S. B. saith in Page 26. The Quakers Saviour within is not the true Christ but of the Devil And Page 15. thou saist Where do you teaching Quakers seek for your Gospel Word of Faith Surely not in the Scriptures and in Page 26. This was the Gospel Word that was Preacht c. Saith S. B. in contradiction to himself who saith Surely not in the Scriptures without but at your Oracle that Idol light within that the Quakers have searcht for then hath not S. B. watcht for the same at his Idol light within though we do abhor his blasphemous words against the Light of Christ S. B. saith that I do affirm Jesus Christ as man is our only material Saviour and that the Manhood of the Son of God is the only material Cause of our Salvation and by necessary consequence the Manhood or humane Nature of Christ was and is our only material Saviour Page 28. But where doth S. B. prove the word Material and Humane Nature in Scripture which he calls his Rule Is Christ's Humane Nature
than he or any of the persecuting Priests in New-England who make a Trade of them and keep people always under Teaching that they may be always paying of them And Priest Bond saith The spirits are to be tryed by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by the Spirit page 92. And in page 93. He contradicts himself and confounds all again The Holy and Blessed Spirit of God is above all Tryal Priest Bond saith We deny the written Scripture to be a witness-bearer to your Light within See how Ignorant he is of the Scripture 2 Cor. 4. God who commanded the 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 Mark the Light that shines in the heart that is the Light within that the Scriptures bear witness too But I perceive the God of this World hath blinded Priest Bond 's eye And how can any man come to the knowledge of God and Christ without the Light of Christ within shining in their hearts And Priest Bond falls on rayling Idol light within page 94. Seducing Quakers Idol light of your own addle brains Soul-deceivers ye would lay a foundation of your own humane inventions And yet Priest Bond calls Christs Body humane which is his own Invention and not Scripture And unbloody Light within Idolized light hath no more real blood in it than there is in the Transubstantiated blood of your Popish Brethren Here the Reader may see what a rage and madness Priest Bond is in against the Light of Christ And as for Popish Brethren Priest Bond 's language bewrays him he is nearer to them than the Quakers And S. B. confesses in page 95. That the Word of God was manifest through Adam and to Cain and to Noah Our Light within is the Light of Christ the Word by which all things were made and created and in him was Life and that Life was the Light of men And this the Scriptures witness But Priest Bond saith The whimsey called Light within is the new devised ground of Faith Christ who doth inlighten every man that cometh into the World saith Believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light And Christ is the author and finisher of our Faith and the Light of Christ that he bids us believe in is no Whimsey which Priest Bond blasphemes against And in Page 96. Priest Bond makes a great pudder about the Soul of Man and he saith That the Quakers say the Soul of Man is God in part which are not the Quakers words And then he saith the Soul cannot be God No Quakers ever said so S. B. saith The Soul of Man was made after Gods Image It is a true Image it is a very near and likely Image which appears not only in the spiritual and immortal nature of it c. All pure and righteous conformed to Gods will the Soul is a Spirit c. page 98. And when Priest Bond hath rambled over a great deal of Pages about the Soul this he is made to confess and the Quakers say God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living soul And so is not the Soul part of his Breath And Priest Bond confesses the Soul is a Spirit and then is it not part of Gods Spirit from him And the Light in Man which is the Life of Christ the Word by whom all things are made Priest Bond saith must be the Principle of true Religion in the Devils and damned Oh hellish Divinity and Doctrine for even the Devils and damned live and move c. page 96. These are Priest Bond 's false conclusions The Light which is the Life in Christ the Word they that hate the Light their deeds are evil and the Light is their condemnation for it condemns the Devil who abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth S. Bond saith That the Quaker doth conclude that the invisible and Infinite Godhead is divided into parts Then he cries thus senseless are they of the gross absurdities But we charge S. B. to quote the Book or the Man that ever said the Godhead is devided into parts Then S. B. falls a railing in page 99. The Idol light within And in page 90. he makes many Comparisons with his railing words betwixt the Quakers and the Papists Quakers light within Quakers light within infallible Light within infallible Spirit within erroneous high blasphemy Thus Priest Bond is in a rage and a fury against the Light of Christ and his Infallible Spirit within But I ask Priest Bond and all his fellow Priests whether the Light of Christ and his Spirit within and his Holy Ghost be infallible yea or nay And whether he can call Jesus Lord without the Holy-Ghost and whether he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is Christs yea or nay And what Brightman said of the Pope Priest Bond may take it home to himself And in page 98. The Quakers Light within his Pope without These are scornful expressions and his Lies In page 99 and an 100. Priest Bond saith the Quakers denying of the Trinity or Three persons in one Deity Three persons in one Godhead Gen. 1. Let us make man c. But hath not Priest Bond made Four here Three persons in one Deity and one Godhead S. Bond saith No Man hath seen â—od at any time Then how can he tell he is a Person then and Christ saith He is a Spirit He saith The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are declared three Witnesses c. And why cannot Priest Bond own them so but give other names to them Bu◠〈◊〉 all these Pages Priest Bond hath not proved his word Trinity nor Three Persâ—ns The Scripture mentions Christs Person but it doth not say a Trinity in Three Persons Is not Priest Bond ashamed to say That Scripture is his Rules and cannot prove his word Trinity or Three Persons by Scripture or in the Scripture But the Quakers according to the Scripture do believe that there is Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one mark are one which we own And there are three that bear witness in the earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one which we own in 1 John 5.8 And Priest Bond goes on in his course of railing Atheistical and Idol light within which the Romish Nebuchadnezzar set up in teaching Quakers the Devil hath inspired S. B. Thus to blaspheme against the Light of Christ in his people and yet he makes people believe that he would dye for the Name of Jesus and dye like the glorious Martirs of Jesus whereas he is persecuting the true Lord Jesus of Nazareth in his people like Saul and blaspheming against the Light of Christ within his people which they believe in which shines in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the
World and upholds it by the same Word of Power who after he had purged our sins said the Apostle sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High Ephes 4.6 And this is he who fills all things and is above all and in us all So all those that desire to know their Sin purged must know Christ not at a distance only but nigh even dwelling in them else they are Reprobates which all the obedient in Heart do Witness according to his promise If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So he that believeth in Christ at a distance only never knows a fulfilling of Christs Words in them who said He and his Father would make their abode with them For it was revealed by the Holy Ghost to Old Simeon before he had seen the Lords Christ and Simeon came by the Spirit into the Temple c. And the Angel of the Lord told Ioseph that which was conceived in Maâ—y is of the Holy Ghost Now Simeon by the Spirit and Holy Ghost did see the Lords Christ which was conceived by the Holy Ghost who was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost So this was a Spiritual Sight not Natural For the Natural Man receives not the things of God they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them bâ—cause they are Spiritually discerned Mat. 1.20 Luke 2.26 27. 1 Cor. 2.14 And the Angel said to Mary that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And doth not Christ say That none knowes the Father nor the Son but by Revelation 3. S. B. saith farther we make the Angels Lyars who said he bore witness only to the Body or Man Luke 2.11 To which I Answer I deny that the Angels there do bear Witness meerly to the Body for in their Testimony they testifie to this Saviour as a King For unto you is Born said they in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Which Word Christ relates to his Kingly Power which was Spiritual as he saith My Kingdom is not of this World And the Testimony or Message the Angel brought to Mary as concerning the Son of God who was now coming to be made manifest in the Flesh said He should Reign forever and his Kingdom should have no End Luke 1.33 For the Angel said Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his Name Emanuel which being Interpreted is God with us So here you may see that the Angels bore Witness more then only to the Body or Man Mat. 1.23 as Sampson Bond doth assert which he has not proved So Mary believed God and did not ascribe the Work of Salvation to him meerly as Man but to God saying My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Vers 47. I would not have any one to think because I plead so much for the Spirit that I deny the Body of Christ but do own it in all points as the Scripture doth declare of it and so give the Honour due unto it Though I cannot believe the things declared by S. B. in his Nonscriptural expressions The last thing which is the Apostles Testimony of Christ I have sufficiently spoke to already and so shall wave it here So People may see how far short of his promise he came in proving his Three Accusations with the greatest clearness from the Holy Scripture so hath little cause to boast or glory of his Victory for the Truth stands over his Head and will do for ever The Third and last Accusation is That the prime Principles of a Quaker is the same that was held and professed by the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus And to prove this he first doth endeavour to prove that those Beasts did deny the Resurrection and said so do we I answer The first was never truly proved and the second is absolutely false his Scripture to prove the first 1 Cor. 15.32 where the Apostle saith If after the manner of Men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what doth it avail if the Dead rise not Doth this at all argue that this was the Ephesians profest Principles or doth it not rather argue that the Saints loses their reward for all their labour if the Dead rise not as he saith in the 19th Vers If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most Miserable So that he hath fallen short of his proof and so his Accusation is truly overthrown But inasmuch as he did go on to charge the thing upon us viz That we do deny the Resurrection I do here testifie that it is none of our Principles to deny the Resurrertion for we own it as the Apostles own'd it Not the same Body not a Corruptible Body not a Natural Body a Natural Body hath Flesh Blood and Bones but a Spiritual Body as the Apostle saith And a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones said Christ which before he can prove he must be fain to get new Scripture for the Old will maintain no such Doctrines So though he did stop and hinder me that time by his Mocks and Scoffs and deriding Speeches and clamorous Noise altogether unlike a Preacher of the Everlasting Gospel as he saith in his Paper be is yet now through mercy I trust as the Truth will stand over your Heads so I shall be clear of your Blood whether you will hear or forbear I am a Friend to the Seed and a Lover of your Souls The 11th of the 3d Month 1678. Francis Estlacke Some few Lines briefly Answering some Part of SAMPSON BOND 's Book Entituled The Quakers in BERMUDAS Tryed c. THat part in his Book which I find my self chiefly concerned to make Answer to is where he makes mention of my Name viz. William Wilkinson As for my part I do not know that I should have set Pen to Paper to have made him any Answer had he laid down the Matter concerning me every way Fairly and truly without Abusing me or the Truth but I finding in several places of his Book Words printed that I cannot own to be Truth besides his reviling Speeches which he hath cast at me As Prater a Baffling Quaker and one that never had the Spirit of God in me All which things in the sense he brings them if true were a great Reproach But I knowing it is too hard a thing for him to prove or plainly to make appear do find my self justly concerned to make some reply or answers both to these and several other things for the vindicating of the Truth and my self also from him whom I find in his Book hath very much strove to make his own case appear strong and ours weak c. But according to that saying in Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his Neighbour cometh and searcheth
Try Spy Pry c. As I remember some derives the word from the manner of Hunters spying for their hidden Game Christians that had the Measure of Christ working in them knew it in themselves and others upon diligent Tryal Though it follows not that all that are not so approved and have not such measure and know it not have no measure at all because they know it not * S. B saying That Dogs and Cats have God essentially in them he will not say that they know it or because they know not they have not The Apostles arguing there is of the proof knowledge of Christ working and speaking in himself from the proof and knowledge of Christ working in themselves though in respect of speaking different from that in himself and in other Gifts Operations Workings too at least in measure and degree Now S. B. granting that Christ personal is the Author of this operation and the efficient cause he begs that will not be granted that he is at a distance from his Operation and not there For if Christ be in the Saints he is there as he is God-man else he is not as Christ according to S. B. himself seeing he will not have it nor we neither that he is Christ in respect of his Godhead only but as God-man so that where he is as Christ he must be there as God-man and so in his Saints Though S. B. sayes It is impossible he should be there as Immanuel So that he brings it to this Point viz. Christ in the Saints is so afar off in others at hand only as God And they that believe not that his Notion have not the Spirit of God but the Devil cannot be saved So laying as great stress on his Notions Terms as on Atanassius s in his Creed by some thought in the Liturgy See J. H view How many will these with the Papists exclude from Salvation because they know not are not capable of or believe not the Notions and Terms of the heads of their Churches but only by an implicit Faith which if we should pursue would lead into the deepest Questions of Philosophy and Divinity where all are not able to wade and indeed into that where none is able How Justin Martyrs argument of unbelief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But avoiding curious Questions against the asserting whereof the choicest Men both of the Antient and Modern have testified This sufficeth that however the Word be in Men Helvet Confes Cyril Whit acre Chytrsus and others Christ is by the communication of Properties as is acknowledged by all I have met with So S. B. granting the Word is in all Men and the Word is made Flesh then the Word is Christ by the Phrase of Scripture the communication of Properties H lary Theodores Damascen Keckerman Danaeus Zanchy and other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. dial 3. very usual where what is spoke of one nature is often spoke of both as one person though not according to both natures * Jo. 1.1 14 Gal. 4.4 Act. 20.28 Rom. 5 10. 1 Cor. 2.8 Luke 1.35 Heb. 5.5 John 1.1.4 Col. 3.3 4. Irenaeus Frederus Hisst Ch. Brit. p. 174. and he has no were disproved it nor proved the contrary but begg'd it And so shewn himself ignorant of Divinity and Scripture-Language And that his is new Divinity or Religion not ours as he calls it For 't is Scripture-Language The Word is Light The Light our Life Our Life Christ And he would untruly and unjustly fasten on us using this Scripture-Language and Doctrin that we make that Christ brought a Body from Heaven as having learned it from the Manichees many Hundred Years ago he might have gon higher and said from Valentinus or lower from the Anabaptists And so would make us horrible Hereticks not having the Spirit of Christ as not owning the true Christ because we say he is in us and no Christians but Worshippers of the Devil Yet was not Chytraeus so accounted nor those I have cited and others but in much esteem with pious learned Men as in the Preface of Frederus to the Bishop appears as following the Doctrine and inheriting the fame of his Master Melancton whose Works and Erasmus's our Reformers here in England made use of for direction Though he says he truly believes the Man Christ to be Omnipresent for the personal Union and the Humane nature of Christ in it self and according to it self is perfect above all Angels Isa 11. But S. B. will have the Devil that Spirit that ruleth in the Children of Disobedience to extend beyond it Judge then whether he Worship not the Devil when all the Angels Worship Christ in prefering his Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that rules in him his Father the Liar the false Accuser the Enemy Satan Such he also proves himself in saying The teaching Quakers make the Soul a part of God For in 30 Years time having heard I think 100 of them I think 1000 times I remember not any ever declare it as their Principle And if any at any time have uttered any Expressions of like sort anima animae I believe it was in Augustins sense who I remember calls the Spirit of God The Soul of the Soul or as D. Moor writes of Neshemah c. And Hug. Grotius and John Selden de Rel. Chris de Jure Nat. two most eminently learned Protestants produce numerous Testimonys of that sort the later That the Agent Vnderstanding is Divine held generally till about the 13th Century by all the Ancients as he shews from the chief then in the Universitys of Paris and Oxford So that if so in that sense it were no new Doctrine or Religion as he calls ours But the contrary so being not 400 Years Old And for his Instances of Nailer Lilburn and Tain and if by the last he mean John Tauny he never was nor accounted of us though the other sometimes were though not always nor in all things owned He might as well say of James Nailer that J. N. said The Devil is part of God as what he does For J. N. in all that p. 58. that he quotes of his mentions not the Soul But says Who have the Word in them in which all fulness is need not study what to say c. Now the Word in them in the Priests sense in his title Page and elsewhere is the Devil but he modestly interprets it the Soul as if he grew kind towards his end But I doubt it was his dotage and forgetfulness what he had said rather then his charity being so pursuant with his Lies against us to the end And having found him a Liar in one J. N. as in other things I have no reason to believe his citations of the other J. L. having not his Book without trial Nor his other slanders of our Friends as to matter of fact for that they can answer for themselves Onely I have spent a little paper
Ditch that follow thee It is written The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Iohn 5.25 So it is by Christ Iesus the dead Soul is quickened and raised to Life who is the Saviour by the powerful working and operation of his Spirit in the Inward Man and so thy blind assertion is seen to be words without knowledge and in this and much more thou art found a false witness who wouldest wholely exclude the Spirit in the work of Salvation for saist thou Though it be the dead Souls Quickner it is not the quickned Souls Saviour who is it but the blind but sees thy confusion herein for Christ Iesus and the Spirit are one in the work of Mans Salvation And S. B. saith in his 54 Page That G. F. in his Book Great Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words ye scorn me the Light in you and ye have said that I the Light am not able to save those that believe in me and further Page the 54. That if you will believe in me the Light I will purge out all your Iniquitys c. Reply Herein thou hast spoken falsly of G. F. in thy scoffing Spirit for there is no such words in his Book therefore who should mind what thou saist who art publishing thy Lies and Blasphemy in print to the World for we do not say that every measure or operation in Man is the whole Light of Christ But in him is Life and the Life is the Light of Men who lighteth every Man that is come into the World Iohn 1.4 9. And they that believe in the Light and obey it they come to be the Children of the Light and of the Day and if the Magistrates and all the People in Bermudas did believe in the Light of Christ Iesus the would soon see what a blind Guide Priest Bond is who blasphemes and derides the Light of Christ and makes Lies his refuge and would through his malice and envy stir up the Magistrates of Bermudas to Whip and Persecute a People that lives peaceably amongst them and are believers in Christ Jesus their Saviour although falsly accused by thee Sampson Bond as in the 59 60 61. Page of thy Book where thou saist Christ whipt out the abusers of the Temple and why might not the Magistrates whip W. H But Christ Jesus did not whip such as thou art who said He was a Blasphemer and had a Devil which was worse then the Abusers of the Temple who were like thee who callest his Spiritual Appearance the Devil and what Christ Iesus did in that matter it was not only in respect of that outward Temple but also Figurative of his Spiritual cleansing of the Hearts of his People in the Gospel Day But S. B. where dost thou find the Ministers of Christ preach such Doctrine as thou hast done to the Magistrates in Bermudas in these 3 Pages more like a proud Pharisee then a Minister of the Gospel as thou would be esteemed who hast got the Sheeps cloathing but art seen to be Inwardly a Ravening Wolf thy work discovers thee And Sampson Bond saith in his 58 Page When Paul was Travelling in Birth for the Galatians Christ was not formed in them therefore saith he the Light which is in every Man is not the true Christ but a Quakers rotten Principle Reply Herein Sampson Bond hath manifest himself to be one that speaks out of thick Darkness who knows nothing of the new Birth nor travail for Christ to be formed in him but calls it The Quakers rotten Principle the Devil But in Gods Day it will grind him to Powder except he can find a place of Repentance before it be too late For thou dark Man who knowest not what thou stumblest at for although Christ Iesus hath inlightned every Man that comes into the World yet many hates the Light as thou dost and so such know not the way thereof no more then thou do'st but are in Darkness as thou art but it is they who love the Light believe in it and obey it who come to know the new Birth and Christ to be formed in them which thou knows nothing of thy Speech which is in Darkness and Blasphemy bewrays thee and hast lasht thy self and feel'st it not who art Dead in Darkness And this is written that People may see where thou art like a proud Pharisee whose Tongue is at liberty and pratest like a Perrot in thy Book which is stuft with Lies Ignorance and Blasphemy against God and Christ his Holy Angels Prophets and Apostles which thou most falsly chargest upon others in the 54 Page but art really found guilty thy self And also against Gods People whom he hath raised up by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus our Lord in this Day Who art Scoffing and Deriding at them and also the Light and gracious Appearance of Christ in their Hearts whereby its manifest thou knowest nothing hereof but by Notion and History For it is by the Spiritual Appearance of Christ that the Eye of Mans Understanding is opened to see and through the work of Regeneration Man comes to know the worth of that one Offering which for ever makes perfect them that are sanctified through the belief of the truth and in walking in obedience thereunto they come truly to know Christ to govern rule and be head in them And they are Spiritual minded Men and Women who are made sensible of that great work of Mans Salvation in Christs offering up himself in the Body of his Flesh upon the Cross whereby he put an end to the first Covenant which stood in outward Sacrifices Types and Shadows and opened a Door both for Jew Gentil to receive him who is the Second and Everlasting Covenant and they that know this Spiritual work and Christ to be formed in them as aforesaid they are made pertakers of that great benefit of what Christ wrought by his suffering without them and are sate down in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord and only Saviour Whilst thou Sampson Bond and such as thou art are foaming out your own shame who saist in the 69 Page of thy Book The Quakers deny that Christs Body is risen which is another of his Lies For we do know he is risen and to our Justification who believe in his Name and to the condemnation of such false Accusers as thou art But S. B. in the 18 Page of his Book saith Christs gracious Operation in the Heart in Scripture is called Christ in you And we who thou in scorn callest Quakers do believe it is he the Scriptures bear Testimony to be within his People who is their Saviour who in the beginning of thy Book calls him the Devil and so Pharisee like thou art calling the Master of the House Belzebub And here thou hast contradicted thy self who deridest at Christs being in his People and like a Blasphemer scoffingly Queriest Whether Christ be in our Arms Leggs and
Guts c. But this wicked heathenish work may make thee manifest to poor People who have been deceived by thee But it is no strange thing to us whose Eyes God hath opened for we know the wisdom of this World cannot perceive the things of God for they are Spiritually discerned and by his Spiritual Appearance in this latter Age of the World God hath raised contemptible Instruments to perfect his praise and to confound the Haughty Scoffer who is glorying in his own shame As Priest Bound doth with his little Schollarship who is tanting and huffing in the Air against an Innocent People yet let him know they are learned in the School of Christ Jesus and are his Disciples though derided by him the Lord hath made them so wise as to see over such blind guides as S. B. is though many of them never learnt Hebrew Greek nor Latin which you Night-Watch-Men glory in which Pilate set over the head of Christ Jesus our Saviour and in this night of Darkness and Idolatry you blind Watch-men have been calling it your Original and none have been counted fit by you to Preach Christ but such as have your Original to wit the Tongues But God hath opened an Eye that sees you and is redeeming his People from under your Bondage at which you are angry and your sorrow and torment will yet increase And S. B. saith in the 94 Page of his Book That useful Instructions may be drawn from Iudases words and the Devils Reply With whom thou mighst have joyned thy self with thy wicked Book for I never read of such Lies and Blasphemys uttered by Judas as thou hast in thy ungodly Book from whence we may draw these useful conclusions that it was Gods great love and mercy to us in gathering us to himself from the Mouths of such blind Hirelings as thou art Who in the same Page saith The Scripture doth not bear witness to the Light within for if the Scriptures of God should bear witness to that gross piece of foollery called Light within it would witness it self to be no word of God Reply Here thou Blasphemest against God and beliest the Scriptures which saith God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1 John 1.5 And also he hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 4.6 And S. B. in the same Page of his Book hath published these lines against us to wit 1. That the Quakers say the Light in every Man by natural Generation is the true Christ and only Saviour 2. And that the Lord Jesus Christ is not the Son of God the Saviour of the World 3. That we say Christ is not in Heaven 4. And that it is Blasphemy to affirm he is there 5. And that we say the Light in Man is the Scriptures Reply All these Lies we turn back upon thy own Head whose dwelling is in Darkness and all thy Blasphemy and derision against the Light of Christ Iesus the Son of the living God our only Saviour in these several places in this one Page of thy filthy Book which will be thy Burthen in the Day of Account And in Page 31. S. B. saith Francis Estlacke speaks of his being washed and justified in measure but sayes S. B. I demanded of him whether it were from Theft Drunkenness Oaths or Adultery which it seems thou queri'st in derision For saith S. B. I more seriously requested the Assembly to take notice of his want of knowledge in the Scripture inasmuch as that he makes justification from Sin not only a work within him but to be daily wrought in him by measure which assertion saith S. B. is directly contrary to the manifold Scriptures of Truth but brings not one to prove it but in a few lines after grosly contradicts himself and saith Washing and Justification from Sin is to be received and wrought not at once but by degrees and in measure by the working and operation of the Spirit of God in us which the Quakers do witness and bear testimony to which thou Blasphemously calls the Devil And again in the same Page S. B. scoffingly saith This Doctors new Divinity to wit that he is washed and justified from his Sins in measure is most false and dangerous Doctrine Reply So S. B. For all thy great Notion of Christ without thee and this pretence of the Scriptures being thy rule yet thou wantest Light Grace to teach thee to speak truth and not to belie the Scriptures and to contradict thy self as thou hast done over and again in this one Page of thy Book For notwithstanding this great work of Christ offering up himself upon the Cross a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World yet Sanctification and Iustification is imputed to no Man but through Faith in his Blood which is the gift of God through the operation of his Spirit in the Heart of Man whereby this work of Sanctification and Iustification comes gradually to be wrought in Man and no further is Man truly justified in the sight of God then he is truly Sanctified which work is assuredly known in the Hearts of all that are redeemed to God through the precious Blood of Christ Iesus the Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World And so there is a dying to Sin and his Baptism is known which is with Fire and the Holy Ghost and such are created anew in Christ Iesus And he is formed in them and he is mighty and powerful in them and they can truly say greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and so Christ Iesus is precious to them and they can speak of his workes of Salvation which he hath wrought in them to the praise and glory of his great and worthy Name And not like S. B's Blasphemous Confused Unsavoury talk who is not fit to take the Holy Name of Christ Iesus into his Mouth until it be washt and his wicked Heart cleansed and then he may know better how to speak of the things of Gods Kingdom which at present he is ignorant of and and an Enemy to And in the 90 Page Sampson Bond saith That the Holy Spirit in respect special help and asistance is subsequent to the Scriptural Gospel Preached Reply Where hast thou learnt this Doctrine The Scriptures speaks but of one Gospel and saith It is the Power of God Rom. 1.16 thou that brings another art under the curse who art preferring the Scripture before the Spirit for aid and assistance like a blind guide for the Scripture will Witness against thee and thy abuse thereof for the Scripture saith There is none knows the things of God but by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 12. Nor do we know how to pray as we ought but by the Assistance of the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.26 And it is the Spirit must lead us into all Truth and it is
way of such as desire to know the Truth In Page 6. I take notice how Deceitfully S. B. casts a slander upon us pretending how he hath fil'd off the Rust and Ruggedness of our Expressions yet charging us with disorder dismembring the Scripture which happily we might not speak every Word yet certain I am although many things were then cast in yet I did not violate or pervert the sense of any one Scripture Again he chargeth us with Dishonesty in not Noting Chapter and Verse in which he did greatly boast To which I then answered the Words we speak were Scripture Words and he had no great cause to boast For the Scripture was not given forth in Chapter and Verse neither did the Apostles ever so declare but when they speak Scripture Words they said as it is written naming only the Prophet or writer of the same and here People may take notice of a manifest Slander viz That it is Friends usual manner to speak Scripture darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scripture hath any Credit Page 6. Page 7. He goes on with his Lies and Slanders saying My design was to make the Hearers believe that the Eternal Word as distinct from the Manhood of Christ is the true Christ and only Saviour As if I had gone about directly to deny the Body which is like many more of his Charges in his Book which are absolute Lies and Slanders which I shall note hereafter as they fall in my way Neither did I ever use any such Expression for if I had said He were the true and only Saviour that is to say according to S. B's sense every way sufficient to perform the whole Office of a Saviour as distiâ—guished from the Manhood then was that work in vain viz Christ taking upon him a Body of Flesh and all his Sufferings Death and Resurrection in vain If Christ as God only did perform and perfect the work of Mans Salvation without it Presently he contradicts himself saying Hereunto agrees his Words meaning mine so often repeated by him God was manifest in the Flesh which he saith we mean all Mankind Flesh which he calls an Error Which although it is my belief that God is manifest in his glorious Light in every Man according to his measure according to John 1.9 He Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World yet my Words chiefly had Reference to that prepared Body in which the Invisible Power did so gloriously appear to those whose Eyes was open to behold it but this his Lie and Slander I shall leave upon his own Head Another Lie or Slander is in Page 8. where he saith A Teaching Quaker whom he calls a Seducing Quaker such a Quaker saith he attributes no more Soul-saving merit to the Body of Christ then to the Body of a Turk or a Jew All that have heard or read the Declarations of Friends concerning the Manhood of Christ can do no less then Judge him to be a Slanderer and a Liar Farther S. B. saith That I insisting upon John 1.9 concluded the Light in every Man to be Christ and that Christ to be the only Saviour I confess I have said That that Light in every Man iâ— given by Christ to believe in that he may be saved from Sin But rhe word only was never used by me so as to deny the Body of Christ in which he performed the will of God upon the account of Mans Salvation yet he confesseth its true that Light in that Scripture signifieth Christ and that Christ in a sense but it must be his own sense doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that is said he with reason So here he adds to the Scripture whereby he doth confound or pervert the true sense of the same by his Addition concluding that Christ the true Light that Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World doth Enlighten Man with no other Light then the Light of Reason according to the sense of that Scripture but we believe that the Light with which Christ doth Enlighten Mankind is that Light that shineth in Darkness and the Darkness cannot comprehend and also doth detect discover and make manifest the works of Darkness and doth lead those that believe in it out of the same and this Light is manifested in some measure in every Mans Conscience as they are exercised in the affairs of this World as they heed it But a little to go back to the 2d Confession in Page 82. S. B. calls the work of the Spirit within no other but the effects of the thing done by the Man Christ without us as if to be Sanctified Washed and Purged from Sin could not possibly be wrought except first the Man Christ must have suffered without us as the Anticedent cause of those effects Whereas it is certain that many of the Prophets and Righteous Men that lived before the Appearance of Christ in the Body did Witness these things wrought within them through the effectual working of the Spirit of God in their Hearts So that it is plain that Christ was manifest to them before he took the Body as well as when he took the Body according to the Scripture Christ the same Yesterday to Day and forever So having finished this digression I go forward again In the last line of the 8th Page he saith I belie the Holy Man John that the Enlightning in every Man is Christ which I again testifie that it is a measure of the Light of the true Christ who is God blessed for ever and to prove this aâ— Error he saith That this Evangelist doth evidently affirm that the Light he â—pake of in the 9th Vers was the Man Jesus which he saith never was nor â—an be in any Man for this he brings the 29 and 30 verses of the same Chapter I Answer The Evangelist in them words cannot be so understood as a Man only for he testifies of him as a whole or perfect Saviour and if so then God for if he were Man only he could not sanctifie and cleanse the Soul from Sin and how then is he the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World or how is the Sin taken away if it still remains â—n the Heart But peradventure he will say He takes away the guilt of Sin through his Sufferings and to be Cleansed from the Defilement doth follow as the effects I Answer If it be so then it appears that the whole work of Mans Salvation and so not the whole office of a Saviour was not performed at once without us as Sampson Bond affirmeth in his 3d Argument for there is something to be effected within still and if so who as it that works those effects within if it be not the Spirit In Page Nine He goes on to prove the Light within not to be the true Christ by my Words for he saith My Words Imply That thy Light in every Man is Christ therefore
the Light within a Quaker must be Born at Bethlehem Reply I could say more and yet speak truly of the work of the Light or Spirit of God or measure of Christ within then S. B. câ—n receive or understand but this I say I never said the Light in every perticular was the entire Christ for that were to make many Christs but I say that it is only a measure of that Christ who appeared in the Body that was â—orn in Bethlehem Again this Priest Page 9. In his answer to that Text 1 Tim. 3.16 said Nothing can be more Evident then this Disputant would have had the Hearers to believe that the God-head as distinct from Christ being a Man is the true Christ and only Saviour In answer to this and all other of his Wicked and false Accusations I say and testifie that I do truly and really give according to what I Understand and feel by the Inward Operation of the Spirit of Christ within according to the Testimony of Saints without as it is Recorded in the Scripture of Truth unto God his due and also what the Scripture doth declare of the Man or Body of Christ I also truly own So let his Lies and false Accusations return upon his own Head who shall assuredly feel the weight of them in the Day of the Lord. In Page 10. He clearly manifests his Ignorance and the Carâ—allity of his Mind for speaking there of the Apostle John's words 1 John 1. Vers 1 2 3. where he saith That which was from the Beginning mark diligently Christ in that Body was not from the Beginning which we have heard which we have seen which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life This he seems to affirm That the blessed Apostle did testifie that they had seen him and looked upon him and handled him viz the Word of Life by being in his company as dark a piece and as ignorant almost as I have heard drop from â—ny one that hath taken upon them to write in the defence of their Religion What! the outward Eye to behold the word of Life Doth not the Scripture say No Man hath seen God at any time Did not the Jews see the Body Yet they saw not God that dwelt in the Body For he that saw Christ saw the Father also according to Christs own Words to Phillip likewise Christ saith The hour cometh and now is when the Dead should hear the Voice of the Son of Man and they that heard should live But the Jews heard the outward Voice yet did abide in Death and Darkness where this Priests place is otherwise he never durst adventure to open his Mouth in Blasphemies against the clear manifestation of the Spirit in the Heart and Consciences of Men calling it an Idol even the Light of Christ who himself bore witness and declared That he was the Light of the World But now having begun to revile the Appearance of Gods Spirit What can put a stop to him but the Hand of Divine Justice Which will assuredly overtake him and he shall have a Reward from the Hand of the Lord. In Page Twelve This Sampson Bond accuseth us of Envy comparing us to the Jews who Contradicted the things spoken by Paul and Blasphemed To which I Answer Therefore art thou inexcusable O Man for wherein thou Judgest us thou thy self art Condemned even by thine own Judgment for the very thing thou hast laid to this Peoples Charge thou thy self art sound guilty of for thou at found contradicting the things spoken by Paul and left upon Record viz Christ his being or Appearance within as witnessed 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 2.20 and Chap. 4.19 Col. 1.27 And hast also Blasphemed his Inward Appearance calling it an Idol So with the Wicked and Sloathful Servant thou art justly Condemned out of thine own Mouth and so the Judgment wherewith thou hast judged me will redound upon thy self defend thy self as well as thou canst And Rom. 10.6 7 8. Which he keeps such a busle about turning and winding Serpent like yet except he could race the Words out of the Book it will stand a Witness for Christ the Eternal Word which Faith takes hold of and brings the Soul into Union with him who is nigh unto his in the Mouth and in the Heart So that his People feeling his presence in their Hearts are not ashamed to Confess him with their Mouths In the Sixteenth Page speaking of the 2 Cor. 13 5. Know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates This Scripture he saith Wounds their new Coined Religion to Death and to make it appear he forms an Argument thus If the Light which is by Natural Generation in Reprobates coming into the World be not the true Christ then the Light that is in every Man that comes into the World by Natural Generation is not the true Christ But the Light which by Natural Generation in Reprobates is not the true Christ as above Ergo the Light which is in every Man which comes intâ— the World is not according to your selves the true Christ Reply I shall never fear wounding by a Weapon that never comes near me so this Argument of thine is farr enough off from wounding our Religion that it touches not neither comes near for I believe this Bond would be hard put to it to find that Quaker out that either writ or said that the light which is in every man by Natural Generation is the true Christ but he who is the true Lighâ— that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World is the true Christ but thy Natural Light we deny to be the Christ as well as thou dost knowing that whatsoever is Born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit at which I doubt thy enmity is chiefly although thy Ignorance is not able to put a difference between the one and the other but here by the way take Notice that the Apostle doth not say Christ is not in Reprobates but that Reprobates do not know Christ in them by his Light to condemn them in Page 18. he saith that I said I abhor Hour-Glasses Answer This is also false I said not I Abhor them for they are serviceable for their proper use but I said I deny them as they use them His Words viz. His familiar the Glow warm Light within what Scripture has he for this is not a Blasphemous Character put upon the Light within Farther in the same Page I take Notice of another grand Lie and false accusation Namely that I doubted in my Discourse whether the Word took Flesh of the Virgin and in that Flesh dyed for all Men. But I account it but a light thing to be Belied or Evil spoken of by him who is not afraid to speak Evil of the Divine and Elect Seed Christ in the Saints calling it the Idol Light within as it follows in the same Page and
by that Christ within whereupon I said then truly thou must be Damn'd for if Christ be not within the Apostles saith they are Reprobates These were the very words I spoke not at all denying the appearance of Christ in Body So His and their Lies and false Reports I leave at their own door knowing that a day of Account will come when the Lord will bring the Hidden things of Darkness to Light and will pass Judgment in Truth and Righteousness As for the rest of the matter in that Page contained about questioning with me about Heaven I do not remember any thing of it as he has laid it down only this I remember that upon some question demanded I answered that I did believe Christ was in Heaven to which George Basâ—ome or Laurance Dill answered that I would deny it again to Morrow So that answer arose from that confession rather then the foregoing as mentioned by S. B. Now in answer to the thing he said I charge on him viz. that he had not mentioned Christ as God in the work of Mans Salvation Sampson's Bond in his answer seems to affirm that the Apostles although they knew that Christ was God as well as Man yet they Preached up the Man only to be believed in for the Remission of sins both to the Jews and Gentiles and saith farther that the Apostles do Joyntly Testifie of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the only Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World Reply I answer to the former part although the Apostles in their first going out to preach Christ to the Jewish People did mention the Manhood yet this did not at all Argue that he must not believe in as God for the Remission of Sin for as I have said before to the same purpose there was sufficient cause for them so strongly to contend with that people who had the Scripture and by the Scripture did understand that there was a mighty Prince to arise of the stock of David that should fit upon his Throne and Reign over the House of Israel The Apostles might therefore Judge in themselves that it would be in vain for them to Preach to the Jewes of the Invisible Glory of Christ till this Scruple were removed viz. whether Jesus of Nazareth were the promised Messiah yea or nay So I say this was their work thus to Testifie of him and then it rightly falls in after they were brought to believe that this was really he that should come and that they were not to look for another and that this King was cut off by such an Ignominous Death I say it did then rightly fall in to Testifie and declare and to give them an understanding what manner of King he should be over what People he was to Rule as also what manner of Kingdom it should be viz. a Spiritual King a Spiritual Kingdom and a Spiritual People even Spiritual Israel But when the Apostle wrote of Christ to the believing Romans he declared him as God Blessed for ever as well as Man Rom. 9.5 Also he declares him the Lord from Heaven the quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15. He calls him the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven and whom Paul was first sent forth to Preach Act 26. He was sent to turn Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Sathan to God by all which it appears plainly that it was never the work of the Apostles nor of any of Christs true Ministers to Preach Christ to be believed in for the Remission of Sins as Man only without the God-head Therefore what God hath Joyned together let no Man put a sunder 2. Whereas S. B. saith that the Apostles bore a Testimony joyntly to the Man that he was the only Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World No Quaker denys that And John speaking of Christ saith He was prefered before him for saith he He was before me Now if he had spoke of Christ barely as Man then John would have been found a false witness of Christ for as Man John was six Months before him as to his Age as may appear in Luk. 2. So he that but a little before charged me with belying the Holy Evangelist John himself is fallen under the condemnation and I am clear of his charge Having thus Traced S. B. through his four Arguments frained to prove his first Charge and given to each of them a particular answer grounded upon plain Scripture Truth and right Reason agreeing thereto and his many false and Slanderous accusations brought fourth against me and the Light by me believed in with his Mallicious reproachful Lies and Blasphemies against the appearance of God in the Creature and given answer thereto I intend now God willing to pass forward to note his following Irregularities he having to do with other Friends as well as my self viz. The Lyes Slanders Mockings Blasphemies and False Interpretations of the Scripture and to give Answer to the same as I see occasion not intending a large discourse upon each particular But as it were to note here and there as I see a necessity to lay open his Deceit thereby to clear the Truth and Friends falsly charged And now to begin with his first work following in pag. 24. he saith William Bullock whose name by him is mistaken his name is Stephen Bullock was the next Disputant who mentioned the first of the Rom. 19. which he saith doth not at all answer the present matter by way of proof to prove the Saviour within to be the True Christ Now here mark how this Interpreter in his Interpretation of this Scripture doth make use of one word viz. Shewed it to them in the Text which seemed most fit for his turn not only to confound but quite to race out the other Manifest in them as if it had never been Inserted that thereby it might not prove that for which I judge this Scripture was brought to prove the inward Manifestation of Christ as God who is Truth it self even as Christ saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life Now in the foregoing verse the Apostle saith The wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Mark here is a Generation that holds the Truth in Unrighteousness and thus he clears it up because said he that which may be known of God is manifest in them viz. in these unrighteous Men but is it not hid in them nay it is manifest in them for he hath shewed it unto them Now this word unto this Priest hath mad use of to overthrow the true sence of the word in so that by this his interpretation having raised out the internal manifestation or inward Teaching of Gods Spirit in the Heart he hath only set up an External Teacher without i. e. the Visible Creation without by which only neither he nor the wisest Man in the World by all their Craft
their Hats a practice never used by the Christians in former Ages that ever we Read off and to bow and scrape and such like this its like would please thee well and for want of this I judge thou art so filled with Envy against the Innocent who cannot bow to thy proud Spirit nor cannot respect persons knowing that it is contrary to the Faith of the Lord Jesus and contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostle James who saith He that respects persons commits sin and is Judged of the Law as a Transgressor Jam. 2.1.9 And because we cannot thus stoop to the proud Spirit and bow to the Exalted will who lovest to have the preminence therefore it is that thou are so filled with madness against us calling us a proud People a People of a surely Dumb Scurvy Sneaking Deportment and Carriage making us to appear to thy hearers or at least to as to many of them as will believe thee that we were the worst of Men but this is no new thing to be reviled for the Christians in the Primitive times were accounted by the World as the off-scowring of all things so we are contented to bear thy Reproaches Railing and Reviling Speeches knowing we are not above our Lord whom thou hast Reproached with as Reproachful Terms as thou canst find to cast upon us his Servants So I leave thee it this particular to the Lord to Judge thee who will reward every one according to their Works And Proceed to the Scripture mentioned by S. B. in page 46. where he saith I brought in the behalf of my Clyant the false Christ thus Doubling and redoubling his Blasphemies to the filling up the measure of his iniquity the Scripture is Joh 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all unrighteâ—â—sness and because these Words seem to him too like a Quaker therefore after his usual manner because he cannot alter the words he will make his interpretation thereof to serve his turn and so turns all only outward Christ outward and Blood outward and Cleansing outward viz. from the Pain or punishment of Sin as is clear page 47. so perswading poor Innocent People that the Word of Life which made the World and preserves all things by the Word of his Power is such a thing or Person that might be seen with a visible Eye and whose voice might be heard with the outward Ear contrary to the Words of Christ to the Jews who did see the Body and heard the outward voice yet the same Jesus doth Testifie they neither had heard the voice of God nor seen his shape and farther he saith that God was manifest to three of the outward sences and so Lodowick Mugleton's God is S. Bs. God who said his God had Arms and Shoulders as he had and this appears to be S. B's Faith that the God head was manifest Flesh real Mankind Flesh as in page 41. so that he would have the Efficacy of the Blood extend no farther at the utmost then to take off the Punishment of Sin which is contrary to the Apostle in Heb. 9.14 Where he saith The Blood of Christ purgeth the Conscience from Dead works to serve the living God And whereas S. B. would make his interpretation seem good by the following Words if we say we have no sin we are Lyers by this he would make People believe that notwithstanding all the cleansing there spoken of yet sin remains and they are Lyers that deny it to which I give answer I do not so understand the Words but rather if any shall deny that they have any sin and so consequently that they have no need of cleansing they are Lyers and I have just reason so to Judge after the Apostle had farther Enlarged his Testimony concerning Cleansing in the last verse he speaketh thus if we say we have not sinned speaking of the time past and not of any present being of sin For indeed if there were no sin there were no need of a Saviour no need of a Sacrifice but this we do believe by Nature all are Sinners defiled with sin and children of wrath having the Heart and Soul defiled with Works of unrighteousness but now being washed and Cleansed from all unrighteousness what doeth or can remain when all is taken away then the Soul must needs confess to the Truth that he hath sinned and this must needs be the meaning otherwise the Apostle would be found contradicting his own Doctrine Chap. 3.9 He that is Born of God doth not commit sin and saith farther He cannot sin because born of God In page 48. S. B. saith he asked me a question viz. whether the Saints was cleansed from all sin by the water of regeneration or by the Blood of Justification To the which he saith I answered by the Water which he saith caused many People to Laugh Answer Of this Question I remember not one Word nor of the answer thereto annexed only this I very well remember that when I spoke of the opperation of the Blood of Cleansing he looking to the People said it was never known that ever the Blood of Christ ever cleansed any Man from Sin but he said it was the Water and said we deny the Water But having here an opportunity I do bear forth my Testimony according to the Scripture 1 Joh 5.8 There are three that bear Record on Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one so that this I believe that the Spirit Water and Blood do agree in one in their operation in Washing and cleansing the Soul from sin and there is three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost The next Scripture Alledged he saith was Heb. 10.15 But a Body hast thou prepared me to which Scripture several of us strictly urged an answer viz. who that me was for whom the Body was prepared although in his Book he said he answered that it was the God head of the Son yet I remember very well how he was at that time greviously confounded about it and no other answer could we receive from him at that time so far as I remember but this viz. by me was meant the Body though urged over and over though now after better consideration he hath brought forth a smoother answer in his Book And whereas in page 49. he saith that the Leading Quakers hath brought forth in Print that this prepared Body was prepared in Heaven and brought with him into the Virgins Womb which Body he saith that they the Leading Quakers calls a mistical Invisible Spiritual Heavenly Body of Flesh and Blood and that the mistical Invisible Body is the true and only Saviour whose Birth Death Resurrection and Glorification is only Mistical and Invisible Reply I am perswaded if this Priest had known any Quaker that had so written as concerning that prepared Body of the Son of God he had not so little Enmity in him but he would have brought forth his
Judgment and opinion because he cannot receive his Doctrine was this for which they were Whipped Judgment or Opinion was it not rather matter of Fact and so justly deserving Corporal punishment for they were Buying and Se ling contrary to the Law of God And how c nst thou be justified S. B. who art found doing the same things who pretending to be a Minister of Christs and to have received a gift for the Service of the Church which is Christs Spiritual Temple and yet contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who Taught his Discâ—ples to dispence their gift freely thou makes Sale of this thy pretended gifâ— making Merchandice of the Scriptures and of thy Prayers and of that which ye commonly call Sacraments and thus thou art making Traffick of thy pretended gifts So now do thou seriously consider and tell me which way thou canst clear thy self from this Transgression and so from just punishment according to thy Transgression Secondly thy Transgression is beyond the Transgression of William Harriot if thou couâ—dest make him out to be a Transgressor or if thou couldest make good thy charge against him he did not Curse or Reproach or Villifie Christ as thou hast done against the inward manifestation of the Spirit in the Saints whom we believe and are suâ—e is that very Spirit in Measure in each that dwelt in Jesus Christ without Measure whom thou hast Reviled Blasphemed and Reproâ—ched whom the Lord wiâ—l reward according to thy Works And thus thy persecuting Spirit doth manifestly appear so that we see plainly had thou Power in thy Hands what would become of all such as Decented from thy Doctrine Corporal punishments would soon attend them Whipping Posts and Gibbets and Halters and such-like would soon be our Portion from thee whom I once heard to say that we Lackt a Halter to Choak our Errors a manifest Token of a Persecutor who art also found here pressing the Magistrate as much as in thee lyes to Execute their Power against such as Dâ—scent not from the Scripture but from thy Judgment or opinion of the Scripture nor from the true Christ The next Prater he saith was William Wilkinson who becâ—use himself hath answered the several particulars wherein he was chiefly corcerned I do not find such a necessity so much to concern my self with the same In the 62 Page this Priest reasoning strongly with William Wilkinson against the inward appearance of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World he saith that Fran. Estlack shot his Boult and said the Deity was in him Answer The word Deity was not mine but his own Nevertheless I did bear my Testimony to the Indwelling of the Spirit of Christ And here Mark he undertakes to know and declare my meaning meaning said he that the Deity only was my true and only Saviour which by adding this Word only seeks to perswade People that I deny the Body of Christ but to this I have said sufficient before but immediately in a kind of deriding manner in answer to my Words said So he is in Catts and Doggs Judge is not that an Irreverent Expression But here by the way I cannot but take notice of his exposition of the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.16 Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more Here he saith Flesh is not here taken for the mankind nature of Christ but Flesh is to be understood in this sense viz. we must know him no more after worldly greatness and honour creature Pomp and Dignity So this Priest saith the word Flesh is to be understood To which I answer although the Jews did expect the Messiah so to come this was but their blind imagination But when was he ever known so to come When did either Jew or Gentile so know him Therefore I say plainly to me it doth appear that S. B. hath greatly wronged this Scripture for he viz. the Apostle doth seem to confess that they had known Christ after the Flesh but sure I am they never so knew him as decked with the Glory of this world for he said The Son of man hath not where to lay his head So by the Flesh could not be meant of a fleshly glory From whence I thus argue If Christ must be known no more after the Flesh then he must now be known only after the Spirit or else the knowledg of Christ must cease for that will truly follow And if so then the Flesh of Christ as Man and the Spirit which is God is truly distinguished so God is not the Flesh of the outward Man neither is the Flesh of the outward man God as this Priest doth presumtuously seem to affirm without any true ground of Scripture to maintain his Doctrine But this by the way But to return again to the words or expression of this Priest for which I did before charge him with Blasphemy he sought to gloss it over before the people as if he spake of God in a more general way although by his own confession in his Book he spake of him as a Saviour as the Being of all Beings and gives Life and Breath unto all living and is the upholder of the Creation without whom nothing could consist Which he pretending this to the people it was not at all out of the good order to press the inward presence or manifestation of Christ in his Saints Yet a little farther I still making use of the former Scripture which is Christ in you the hope of Glory At which he said he was moved and it was manifest by his prophane and ungodly expression If Christ be in you whether is he in your Brains Leggs or Guts But this expression as S. B. then spake it he hath not truly set it down in his Book But it appears he hath been exercising his File he spake of in the bâ—ginning of his Book having seen some Ruggedness in his expression which hath perhaps caused him to mince it and also to change the word Guts into Bowels to which he saith my answer was ready this is an Ishmael Yea and I say again thou art an Ishmaelite and I believe according to the name in one sence thou art heard of God for the Lord hath heard thy revilings and thy Scornings and they are recorded and written as with the point of a Diamond which shall never be razed out except thou repent And by these thy mocking and sâ—offing expressions that Nature doth manifest it self in thee more and more to be Ishmael's Nature the Son of the Bond-woman who hath no part in the Inheritance with the Son of the Free woman but must be cast out because he was seen to mock at Isaac the figure of the blessed Seed But thou art here sound mocking at the true Seed as it is raised up to raign in the hearts of Gods Elect. The next thing I take notice of was the passage about old Henry Smith who was as at that day above Eighty years of Age
to whom he said positively he spake them words there inserted in his Book which I believe the one half of them were not expressed by him though what he spake was to that purpose But whether the Old Man heard his words so as to understand them or not I know not for that sence was greatly decayed iâ— him and he was likewise at a pretty distance from him but it is likely he perceived he spake to him which made him come down from his standing And had the old Man perfectly heard what he said it is probable he would hardly have answered being a Man slow of speech and not free of utterance and being aged he was constantly possessed with a trembling in his Body so that none can say truly that he trembled for any thing the Priest had said But for what end he went to this Priests House neither what he did there I know not but this I say from that day forward I never knew him any ways inclineable after any of that Generation to the day of his death who is now deceased and I believe is at peace with the Lord. But to go forward in Page 68. S. B. saith of Jesus Christ That he is in the third Heaven above and that he hath in the Heavens above true Flesh and Blood the nature and properties of a true man-kind Body And this he proves chiefly by bringing in of Four Questions so where Scripture fails they seek another way to prove their assertions Reply That Christ had a Body we own which was of the Seed of David according to the Flesh as it is said he took upon him the form of a Servant and as the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he himself also took part of the same and in that Body performed the Will of the Father in all things that was given him to do and dyed and the Lord raised it up again and he had shewed himself many days and he ascended and a Cloud received him out of sight of whom the Angels witnessed that the same Jesus should in like manner come again afterward And John in his Revelation when he saw him in the Heavenly Visions he describes him far exceeding the outward Son in glory And as he is declared in the Scriptures we so believe avoiding his unscriptural imaginations But to go back a little to speak a few words to the matter or Argument of Sampson Bonds to prove that the Spirit of God was not in William Wilkinson in page 66. which Argument was this Because the Spirit that was in W. W. and so consequently in every Quaker doth not agree with the Water of Baptism nor the Blood of the Supper And thou said he denies both the Sacraments To which he said William Wilkinson answered he had both Baptisme and the Lords-Supper within him Reply I say also with William Wilkinson Baptisme and the Supper is within but for the word Sacrament I deny it being a non-Scriptural expression But as to your Water-Baptisme as ye now use it it is of your Father the Pope whose Children ye are while ye observe his works and do them for it neither is nor never was an Ordinance of God neither is there any express Rule in Scripture for it neither Precept nor example And farther I say as to John's Baptismes which was with Water That was to decrease as John did affirm saying I must decrease He must increase I indeed Baptise you with Water but he that cometh after me he shall Baptise you with the Holy-Ghost and with Fire And as John testified so it came to pass for as the Baptisme of the Spirit increased so that of Water decreased and the Disciples and Christians in that day did not lay such stress upon the Water then as ye do now saying That it is a matter absolute necessary to Salvation and Children cannot be saved without it if it might be had For Paul himself who was not behind the chief of the Apostles in Preaching of the Gospel what he did in that particular it is probable he did in his own freedom having no positive command for it for he said he was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.17 And the rest of the Disciples when they were sent forth to Teach and Baptize in Matt. 28. there is not a word of Water mentioned And the Apostle Paul in Ephes 4. saith there is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme which Bâ—ptisme is spiritual and Baptizeth or plungeth into the death of Christ all true Believers by which they feel a dayly dying to sin And their Consciences washed with pure Water which Water agrees with the Spirit in purging the Soul from Sin and this Baptisme is within known and witnessed there by the Spirit But for your Baptisme without it agrees not with the sanctifying Spirit for it reacheth no farther than to wash the Flesh And speak ingenuously now S. B. and tell me among the many Hundreds thou hast Baptized with the outward Water canst thou say in the presence of God that there is one Soul that has thereby received any true spiritual profit I conclude not one Now as the Baptisme is within so the Supper is within also for we do witness Christ Jesus to be come nigh unto our Souls who is the heavenly Substance the living Substance of which the visibles were but shadows and now the thing signified the true and heavenly substance is possessed and enjoyed inwardly by which the Souls of the Faithful are nourished up unto eternal Life for the Church is in God a spiritual House a spiritual Temple a spiritual people being born a new of the Spirit and witnessing a birth brought forth in them that cannot be sed nor nourished with shadows but its meat must be Meat indeed and its drink must be Drink indeed suitable to its own Nature which is Spiritual and Divine Neither do we who witness the Day of the Lord appeared feel the Spirit of the Lord to lead our minds back again into the signs and shadows otherwise we should be ready to follow for he is the Saints guâ—de and leads them into all Truth and gathers the mind inward to wait for the teachings of the Spirit who is their Prophet Christ within their Bishop their Shepherd their King their Lord and Law-giver on whom they wait to receive the Law from his mouth Well said Christ when he was to depart in the outward It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I go away I will send him For great is the profit indeed that the Saints have and do possess in and by the Spirit Nevertheless this heavenly treasure that we do possess and enâ—oy it is in the earthen Vessels in which it doth manifestly shine forth so that we are thereby led into a good and comely order having our meetings also in the good and wholsom order where the presence of the Lord is felt