THE CREED-FORGERS DETECTED IN REPLY to a Pamphlet Falsly Called The Quakers-Creed Containing Twelve ARTICLES Published by some who have not joyned with Geo. Keith in his Pride and Contradiction but Testifie against both him and them that joyn with him therein Let the lying Lips be put to silence which speaketh grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the Righteous Psal 31.18 For he that hideth Hatred with lying Lips and he that uttereth a Slander is a Fool Prov. 10.18 LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall street 1700. THE Creed-Forgers Detected c. INTRODUCTION IT 's no ways pleasant to us that we have occasion on this wise to appear against any but especially against such whom we love and are sorry they should draw back into those ways where some of them that have so done could find in days past no more true Peace and Satisfaction to their poor Souls than we could whilst we abode there which was the only Reason we left them And this encreases our Sorrow and we believe will their Condemnation That they should publish such things of us which we cannot but think they know in their own Consciences to be false viz. That they imbibed many hurtful Antichristian Principles which were instilled into them by our Leaders and Teachers and that they have been taught by them and their Preachments to slight and undervalue the holy Scriptures and to insinuate as if the Doctrine of Christ crucified and obedience to his holy Institutions were not minded by us and that we are no Christians and that they used their utmost endeavours not only to inform us of our vile and abominable Errors in Fundamentals but to Reclaim us and that we wilfully take to our selves Guilt of all our Antichristian Errors And when they have thus most falsly and uncharitably Charged us instead of Proving they query in their Introduction What Consequence can there be inferr'd but that they wilfully take on them the Guilt of all their Antichristian Errors So that from false Premises they draw wrong Consequences and from thence make undue Inferrences and then say To what purpose so many particular Persons giving forth Creeds palpably Contradicting the former Creeds And yet must tell them as we are not accountable for the sense of this they are not so fair and ingenuous as to name one of these Contradictory Creeds nor the Persons that made them they call Creeds but as boldly undertake to forge one as falsly to call it The Quakers Creed containing Twelve Articles to which we shall Reply But say they give us leave by the way to tell you That whatsoever the high Pretentions of any may be to Christianity yet in their bold opposing the Positive Commands of Christ they plainly demonstrate themselves to be no Christians and from such every sincere Person ought to withdraw and come out from their Communion But not too fast for sure the contrary is true and you do here but beg the Question and take that for granted which you neither have nor can prove and so have made too much haste For you say If any Quaker shall question the Truth we offer to give them a sight of the Originals from whence they are quoted but do not think meet to subscribe their Names nor we therefore but proffer to give any of them a sight of what we have quoted in Reply And hope our Negation to what they have Charged together with what we have urged may have that Credit with the Impartial as at least to prevail with them to suspend their Judgments till we are as truly Convicted as we are falsly Charged And we hope our Principles Doctrines and Conversations will appear upon a serious Examination and due Enquiry as Orthodox Christian and Agreeable to Holy Scriptures as any of theirs And that we shall by the Grace of God as we have so continued demean our selves in all Respects and to all Persons so as to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and all Men although all manner of Evil may as Christ said it should be spoken against us falsly for his Name sake and not for our Evil-doing that 's our Comfort So desiring those that Read this little Book to follow this wise Advice Before Judgment Examine thy self and in the Day of Visitation thou shalt find Mercy SECT I. The Quakers deny the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity P. 13. The Proof as quoted by these Persons is as followeth IF God as the Scriptures testifieth had never been Declared or Believed W. P 's Sandy Foundation p. 12 13 15. but as the Holy One then will it follow That God is not a Holy Three nor doth Subsist in Three distinct and separate Holy Ones And since the Father is God the Son is God and the Spirit is God then unless the Father Son and Spirit are Three Distinct Nothings they must be Three Distinct Gods That frequent but impertinent Distinction That God is one Substance P. 12 15. but Three in Persons or Subsistances a most absurd Blasphemy They the Trinitarians must necessarily conclude their kind of Trinity a Fiction Now these Persons giving this as a Reason for their leaving the Quakers and charging them with Error for thus Writing and accounting it an Error against the very Foundation of the Christian Religion and an Antichristian Principle it may be taken for granted with them to be Truth to hold the contrary viz. That God as the Scriptures hath always declared and we believe is a Holy Three and doth consist in Three distinct and separate Holy Ones and since the Father is God the Son is God and the Spirit is God then they are not three distinct Nothings but three distinct Substances and three distinct Gods And that the frequent Distinction That God is one Substance but Three in Persons or Subsistances is Pertinent and no absurd Blasphemy and the Trinitarians do not necessarily conclude this kind of Trinity a Fiction Let these New Members of the Church enquire of Dr. Sherleek and Dr. South whether this be the Orthodox Opinion of the Church of England and is according to Scripture or of their Leader that hath caused them to Err. G. K. who said as followeth As concerning the Essence of the Christian Faith Serious Appeal p. 3. Writ 1692. as to the matter of it I declare sincerely without all Equivocation or mental Reservation in the true and general sense of the Words That I know not wherein I or the Quakers my Brethren of my Faith are guilty of any Fundamental Errors that are Repugnant to the Essence of the Christian Faith The only Exception we have is against the Unscriptural Term or Phrase of Three Persons or a Trinity of Persons but we own sincerely that our Faith ought to be and is in God the Father the Son and Holy Ghost and that these Names are Names of Relation respecting the Relations as well as the Relative
not W. P. also And against the Godhead Suffering and others tinctured with Socinian Principles as if the Manhood of Christ that was Born of the Virgin excluding the Eternal Word was the only and whole Christ whereas Christ was before his Body of Flesh and therefore He is said to come in the Flesh and to have taken Flesh And if we consider Christ as he was before the World was by whom all things were Created and in respect of his Godhead the Body was not that but the Garment of it when he Assumed it What say you now was that Person or Body only properly the Son of God according to Geo. Keith to Cotton Mather If not Where is the Error and your Reason for leaving the Quakers And in that Book out of which you took that Citation unless you took it on Trust you may find a plain Confession of our Faith in God Christ and the Holy Spirit in p. 149. of W. P's Serious Apology We do believe in One holy God Almighty W. P 's Serious Apology p. 149. who is an eternal Spirit the Creator of all things And in One Lord Jesus Christ his only Son and express Image of his Substance who took upon him Flesh and was in the World and in Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection Ascention and Mediation perfectly did and does continue to do the Will of God to whose holy Life Power Meditation and Blood we only ascribe our Sanctification Justification Redemption and perfect Salvation And we believe in One holy Spirit that proceeds and breathes from the Father and the Son as the Life and Vertue of both the Father and the Son a measure of which is given to all to profit with and he that has one has all for those Three are One who is the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last God over all blessed for ever Amen SECT IV. Justification by the Righteousness of Christ denyed Before we Reply to this we make this Remark That here they do not say by the Quakers or by some Quakers as if they were Conscious to themselves they ought not so to Charge them yet they have made this Note viz. Note Reader Here is Justification by the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ as the Meritorious and Fundamental Cause thereof before God plainly denyed for that was and is wholly without us And now to their Proof Justification by Christ's Imputative Righteousness W. P 's Serious Apology p. 148. and wholly without us And indeed this we deny and boldly affirm it in the Name of the Lord to be the Doctrine of Devils and Arm of the Sea of Corruption which does now deluge the whole World Now these new Converts and Creed-Makers say That here Justification by the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ is denied which shews they do not well understand the Doctrines of those that they have joyned with nor of G. K. neither who hath mis-led them as by what 's before quoted of him on this Head to which we refer and desire them to consider what G. K. saith Serious Appeal p. 10. W. Penn's words are not so to be understood concerning Justification as if he excluded Christs Righteousness which he fulfilled in his own Person but only he denyeth that any can be Justified by that alone without Faith and Repentance c. And if this will not satisfie we shall add a Quotation of a Doctor of the Church of England and quoted by G. K. the new Sworn or Ordained Preacher as it is in his Serious Appeal p. 65. Dr. Cave concerning Justification in the Life of Paul Sect. 9. N. 15. Works of Evangelical Obedience are not opposed to Faith Serious Appeal p. 65. in Justification in that Faith as including the New Nature and keeping God's Commandments is made the usual Condition of Justification nor can it be otherwise when other Graces and Virtues of the Christian Life are made the Terms of Pardon and Acceptanee with Heaven and our Title to the Merits of Christ's Death and the great Promise of Eternal Life Citing Acts 2.38 3.17 Mark 11.25 26. 1 John 11.7 By which it appears we must Walk in the Light as well as Believe And we shall conclude this Head to shew how falsly these Men charge us and foully they contradict G. K. now a Preacher of that Church they pretend to be joyn'd to in some of his words viz. We deny not but affirm That our Justification is by the Righteousness or Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed unto us Serious Appeal p. 50. but we also say It is Imputed to none but such who have Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience and that is true inward Righteousness wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ Nor doth Edward Burrough and William Penn if their words be duly construed contradict what I have Affirmed And it is false Doctrine and contrary to the Doctrine of the holy Scripture to say Fresh and Ind. visib Churches p. 201 202. That Justification is only by Christ's Righteousness without us imputed unto us and received by Faith alone and not by any Righteousness of God or Christ imputed unto us or wrought in us And G. K. writing this long since W. P. writ the other it shews there was no disagreement then whatever now is pretended SECT V. The Quakers account themselves Equal with God And for Proof they quote Francis Howgill's Works p. 232. and Geo. Fox's Saul's Errand p. 8. viz. He that hath the same Spirit that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Serious Appeal p. 60. is Equal with God Now concerning this hear G. K. For it may be supposed that you that have left the Quakers to follow him should have Regard to his words what he saith to those that would six this on G. F. viz. It is not to be Regarded and W. Penn hath sufficiently Vindicated G. F. and also G. F. hath cleared it in his Book That he did witness both the Son and the Holy Spirit revealed in him who are equal to God the Father And therefore as G. K. said may we say Indeed if Quakerism were such a thing as you and such as you Represent it to be and would fain have People believe it to be or that the â—oth part that you say of it were true it were most abominable and such that hold it would be most unworthy and not fit to be esteemed Men far less Christians But blessed be God our Religion is not that which ye would make it to be nor are we such as ye describe and it 's a great Question to us if you do heartily Believe these things that ye say of us to be true either in General or in great part and if you do not believe so the greater is your Sin as G. K. said to C. M. SECT VI. The Death and Sufferings of Christ undervalued by the Quakers This is a false Charge But hear their Proof as quoted by them True it is they own
again to prevent the spreading of it any farther among the People they then use Threats and laid their Commands upon them which yet did not stop the Mouths of those that Witnessed what they had seen and heard then they farther threatned them and let them go finding nothing how they might Punish them no doubt that was their great Grief but it was great Joy and Comfort to them the Sufferers and they lift up their Voice with one Accord and said Thou art God which hath made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is And the multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and there was no lack And that did not please the High-Priest nor their going about with this Testimony which struck at the Priests and their Hierarchy and tended to bring the People from them and their Synagogues and to promote that Law that of necessity would cause a Change of the Chargeable and Changeable Priesthood that took Tythes and lived upon other Mens Labours and did not profit the People at all And this Testimony of these Men that they termed Unlearned and Ignorant Men tended to bring People to a free Teacher and to the Spirit of God that would make them however dispised Wiser than all their former Letter-learned Teachers that they had heaped to themselves whilst they had Itching Ears And when the Word of the Lord increased and the Number of Disciples multiplied in Jerurusalem greatly and a great Company of the Priests were Obedient to the Faith and a faithful Witness Stephen full of Faith and Power did great Wonders among the People there arose certain of the Synagogue of the Libertines and they being not able to resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake suborned Men the old trade which said We have heard him speak Blasphemous Words against Moses and against God and they stirred up the People the Elders and Scribes And great hath been the cry of Blasphemy Blasphemy since that day charging an Innocent People with Blasphemy against God against Christ and against the Scriptures but who were stirred up of old by the Designs of the Libertines Priests and Elders Who were the Inconsiderable People that depended so much on the Credit of the Priests And no doubt but the Priests thought that to charge them with the Changing the Customs delivered by Moses which the Popularity as much dislike as Blasphemy would get them on their sides And thus in Holy Writ we may find them that had the Name of God's Priests and that highly pretended to Religion and yet sought themselves and their own gain and by their Lyes and Lightness caused the People to Err Often were the Instruments of much Trouble Exercise Suffering and Affliction both to the true Witnesses and Prophets of God and faithful Followers and sincere Believers in Jesus Christ who were accounted Mad and Movers of Sedition Turners of the World upside down Pestilent Fellows a Sect that was almost every where spoken against and the way that they worshipped God was called Heresie although they did as we sincerely do believe all things written in the Law and in the Prophets and have hope towards God and believe there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and Vnjust and have no other Gospel to Preach but that the Tenure of which is Glory to God on High Peace on Earth and good Will to all Men with whom we desire to follow Peace and Holiness being full perswaded that without it no Man shall ever see God to his Comfort And our Friends call none false Ministers that are found in the Spirit and Practice of the Ministers of Christ that keep his Commandments and follow his Advice as they have freely received so freely give and that preach Christ without and within as he ought to be preached for he is not divided such Ministers we account true Ministers But if any will pretend to be his Ministers and are not by their Fruits manifest to be in the Spirit and Doctrine of Christ but transgress and abide not in it and are found by their Works and Fruits to be in the Spirit and Practice of the false Prophets Ministers and Teachers that teach things they ought not for filthy Lucre sake not agreeable to Christ's Doctrine and the Holy Scriptures and seek to draw Disciples after them and do as the false Prophets and Priests afore-mentioned did such we account False Ministers but we Love and Honour the True SECT XII Their Blasphemous Adoration given to Geo. Fox and Vindicated by other Quakers We shall conclude the Quakers Creed with this Section which shews they Began and End with a Lye for it 's not the Quakers Creed nor ever was by them made but disowned And if they can by good and sufficient Evidence prove from any Letter writ by any that we own wherein Blasphemous Adoration was given to G. Fox we will disown it But without sufficient Proof and clear Evidence we hold not our selves obliged to take notice of any Letter pretended to be wit by J. C. or J. A. that died so many Years since and of whom we have better thoughts esteeming them Faithful Men and that they are at Rest with the Lord. And to Conclude we hope hereby it will appear the pretended Reasons and Errors for which these few weak People say they leave the Quakers will appear to be none But that sound Reasons are wanting Errors are not proved their Forgery is Manifest and Envy Detected and their Folly and Weakness laid open and they pitied and their Work to do And as empty Things make the greatest Sound so these Men to make the Number seem great by their saying Published by some who have joyned with Mr. Geo. Keith in the City of London and did formerly meet with him at Turner's-Hall and in divers parts of the Country as Huntington Reading Bedford and Colchester When all these we are perswaded except Children are scarce Six besides those who for some time before they joyned with G. K. were not in Unity and Fellowship with us And did not he talk of Gathering a pure People out of all Professions And doth he now lead them back to that Church which he called A LIMB OF ANTI-CHRIST and of whose whole Ministry he said WILL consist of Vngodly Men the wicked being still preferred by the wicked and so he is now preferred among them to still up the Number altho we are perswaded that there are Conscientious Men among them and in half that time if he lives so long among them as he was among us we doubt not but he will sufficiently manifest himself to be Conceited Troublesome and Impatient if he meets with Contradiction as any they have had amongst them for many Years and them few who follow him to them we are perswaed will not prove their best Members altho' they may be more Hot Angry and Malicious then them who are of a long standing among them and more Wise and Moderate But to the Lord we leave him and them and Pray God to forgive them if it be his Will for all the hard Speeches false Accusations foul Representations of us our Christian Principles Doctrines FINIS
confesseth That the Light within in a true sense is God and Christ the Eternal and Essential Word as in his Antichrists and Sadduces p. 23. Surely Christ within and Christ without are not two Christs Christ without is not another Christ than Christ within Surely then God and Christ the Eternal and Essential Word is all-sufficient and able to save from Sin Wrath and Damnation nevertheless God hath respect to Christ Jesus his Mediion Suffering and Dying for us in his so saving us And is this denying Jesus of Nazareth to be the Son of God Oh for Shame what a proof is here And then saying again The Quakers say they own him to be the Christ that was Born of the Virgin so they do and yet affirm Christ is the Light the eternal and essential Word as G. K. saith and if he hath changed his Principles we have not and he is become Heterodox and yet would be counted Orthodox and is not that 's his fault and not ours And if he will espouse those things for Truth which he hath called Errors and exploded as such and say and unsay and do any thing for Money Let him consider there will a day of Reckoning come and he must Appear before him that will judge Righteously and Reward him and you according to your Works SECT IX The Holy Scriptures denyed by Quakers This is a false Charge But they Quote thus Christ left nothing in Writing as the Rule that we hear of W. Penn 's Christian Quaker p. 142 144. and doubtless had he intended the Rule of his Followers to have been a written Rule he would have left it upon Record with all Particularity this must be believed and that done on Pain of Eternal Death If the Scriptures were the Rule of Faith and Life c. Christ by his Disciples and other Holy Prophets left something behind them which we are perswaded were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope And we do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures are a good Rule but not the Only and Chief yet we should be glad all would walk according to them and not impose their Meanings and Interpretations upon others and say as G. K. hath said That Water in Matth. 28.19 is meant and Water is not meant because not expressed nor by any just and true consequence is proved to be meant And yet he saith I still Adhere to my former Advice that nothing be required by one sort from another Retract p. 34. as an Article of Faith or Doctrine in common to be believed but what is Expresly delivered in the Scriptures in plain express Scripture Terms Now if this Advice were kept unto by such that esteem it a Doctrine in common to be Believed viz. That the Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith and Practice they would be uncapable to prove it is expresly declared in the Scriptures that they are the only Rule of Faith and Practice as they would also be unable so to prove and in plain and express Scripture terms many other things which we hold and they call Errors to be such ☞ And we call them to make such a Proof for we are not so Ignorant to undervalue or deny the Holy Scriptures they being our Evidence to prove our Doctrines by and of Divine Authority and nothing that is contrary thereto do we hold notwithstanding all the Clamour and Noise against us we do in all sincerity declare We esteem them the best Book that ever we Read and have great Comfort by them and bless God that by his good Providence he hath preserved them to this day and do Exhort People in the Fear of God to be diligent in the Reading of them and that also they would receive that Holy Spirit they testifie of and that the holy Men of God were moved by to write them that thereby and waiting in it they may come rightly to understand them and the things of God therein testified of SECT X. The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's-Supper denyed The Proof they Alledge is as followeth as quoted by them I affirm VV. Penn's Reason against Railing p. 108 109. That Circumcision is as much of force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal Lamb as the Bread and Wine and we can testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be Rejected as not now Required Let them prove by express Scripture and in plain and express Scripture words they are now Required and ought to be Received as Articles of Faith and Practice by all true Christians in such express and particular manner as they are used by the Church they and G. K. have now joyned themselves to And let them consider what G. K. hath said on these Heads that said in his first Narrative p. 15. I know not any Fundamental Principle nor indeed one Principle of the Christian Faith that I have varied from to this day Now if these be Fundamentals or any Principles of the Christian Faith he knows not that he hath varied from them to this day Who declared Acts 8.38 Serious Appeal p. 15. Doth not prove that Christ's Baptism with Water for as the Practice of Circumcision after Christ's Resurrection doth not prove it a Gospel Precept no more doth the Practice of Water-Baptism But both Christ and John did Teach That Christ's Baptism was with Fire and the Holy Ghost but no where is it said He Baptized with Water Nothing can be more Clear that Tertullian was not for but against Infant-Baptism they can give no Evidence in Church-History Serious Appeal p. 33. P. 30. for Infant-Baptism Christ commanded not these words to be used in Baptism In the Name of the Father and of the Son c commonly called the words of Iustitution As he can never prove any such Institution so he hath Zuinglius against him who saith expresly Lib. de Bap. p. 66. Tom. 2. Christus Jesus Baptismi formulam qua uteremur his verbis non Instituit quemadmodum Theologi hactenus falso Tradiderunt i. e. Christ Jesus did not Institute the Form of Baptism in these words to be used as the Theologues have heretofore falsly delivered And as to the Supper which you call a Sacrament we advise you to Read and Consider what he hath said on that Account We deny not but he i. e. Christ took Bread and brake it Truth 's Defence p. 138. after Supper and having given thanks he gave it unto his Apostles saying Take Eat this is my Body and likewise the Cup saying Drink ye all of it c. But where is it called a Gospel Ordinance or a standing Command of Christ unto the World's End ☞ Let 's have Express Scripture for this and prove in plain and express Scripture Terms if it be an Article of Faith or Doctrine in common to be believed And saith G. K As for 1. Cor. 11.23 24. which J. A. bringeth to prove that