many are Unqualified for the Ministry this is a weighty Ground indeed and a just Cause and it is not to be doubted but applicable to both Partys so that a seperation from them both is Warrantable which all good Christians are to pray that God may accomplish to the Glory of his own Name and the Honour of Truth as the Issue of the begun Controversy and Confusions and alass it must be strange that all these things have been concealed so long since the Rise of Quakers in Europe and none found Faithful or Zealou sâ—or Truth among them to bring them to Light until this very Prejudice Passion and Malice or envy among them for it is not to be doubted but K in his Travels over the World could not meet with as many Insufficient Teachers as are now among them in the Government of Pensilvania East and West Jersys and also Innumerable impertinencys Inconsistencys Errors and Falshoods as he has been sensible of of late abounds among them so that it is to be feared he has been moved from Prejudice Passion and other Quarrels whereby he has taken this time and place for assuming the Honour of New Reformer for what he charges them with is no New thing but known by all who have converst with that Party to have been their Constant Sentiments as much known to K as any now in being for the Time he has followed that Novelty And according to the Present State of Affairs and Notable Alterations in a Place so the Discourses of all Regulated and Directed for most places of this Province this Division has given all Partys a Theme of Discourse and Subject of Debate and K in his Postscript to his Reasons gives a Brief account of the matters Controversed both at Meeting and other Places we suppose for the Information of Inspired Men. As 1 Whether we are only to believe in Christ Within or in him without also and in Heaven Our Advocate with the Father 2 Whether to Preach Faith in Christ within and Faith in Christ without be to Preach two Christs 3. Whether it be a Doctrine necessary to be Preacht to Believe in Christ without 4 Whether Christ's Body that was Nailed to the Cross and was Buried and Arose again be with him in Heaven Some of them saying as Keith told me at his House it never Rose but Evanished or Remained in the Grave others saying it arose but after it Ascended in the Cloud was separated from it others say it is a Nicety and to be ignorant of it does not hinder a man from being a true Christian and a Minister of Christ Others saying it is a dividing of Christ Others accusing of some for Denying the Sufficiency of the Light within from all which it is evident notwithstanding of all their high pretences to Immediate inspirations and Extraordinary Illuminations from he Spirit of God what great Error Ignorance and â—lindness they discover to the World 1. Their Ignorance of Christ Jesus our Saviour whom to Know is Eternal Life and whom Quakers say is dwells substantially in all of them and if so could it be possible to Remain so I gnorant of him as they proclaim themselves to be and who in their right wits but must look upon them as deluded Souls rather than Inspired from Heaven 2. They know not how necessary the Faith and Knowledge of the true Christ as Mediator is to make a true Christian real Minister hence they plainly tell us what Christians and Ministers will pass among Quakers even such as neither know Christ aright nor believe the true Knowledge of him necessary seeing they call Christ-man Ascended and Glorified in Heaven a Nicety conclude all such Christless Christians and Christless Ministers As an Appendix to the reasons we have an Account of the Faith of Quakers published by Keith and called in its Frontispiece the Faith of some Quakers in Pensilvania which is an Argument of their difference in Principles and Fundamentals but this will not do being so far from being Quakers Principles every where that they are not even the Principles of all in Pensilvania and for any thing I know but of a very few for tho' itis the Ambition of both Parties to Increase their Numbers Engross Followers yet to this Account of Faith he has procured but five Subscribers beside himself and as I am Informed men of mean Parts and Account but that I may briefly animadvert all Lovers of Truth concerning this Account of Faith which should be Fundamentals chiefly I shall deliver something in general and something particularly And in general 1. It is more guilty of Deficiency and Omission then a Catechism lately Censured by him to which he has an Answer for there are none acquainted with Quakers Principles can conclude this Account to be Faithfu or Full 2 Their Faith is here so obscurely delivered in Scripture Language in controversy as to the Exposition of them between them and the Reformed Churches that except in some few things that are not Fundamentals they are the Faith of others as well as of Quakers and so not fairly done But particularly 1 In page 29. He owns a particular Election of all that shall be Saved before the Foundations of the World which he must never recede from 2 Page 30. He is lame in describing the Corruption conveyed from Adam to his Posterity and says It is not Imputed to Damnation but if there be any Sin not Damnable with Quakers Death must not be the Wages of Sin with them neither must the Loss of our Original Righteousness or the Image of God be Damnable Strange flattering Doctrine to Natural Sinners 3. He says Page 31. That the common Ministration which they say is in all even in their meer Gentile State is of a Saving Nature tendencyâ—…in a general way so that any may see what a Change is in this mans mind from all Quakers who still have asserted the Sufficiency of this Universal Grace for Salvation for here he neither calls it Sufficient nor Saving but only it is of a Saving Nature and tendency and yet Page 32. He contradicted by saying it is sufficient to Save every man 4 He omits wholly any thing concerning the Covenants of Works and Grace which are undoubtedly main points of Faith seeing it is according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace every Sinner must be Saved and Christ is Mediator of the New Covenant 5. He tells us nothing of Women Teachers at all in his Section concerning but perhaps he dare not tell his mind yet in that point as he says of other things 6. He Transiently runs over the Ten Commandments 7. He continues to cry down Swearing in Witnessing to Truth while they decry the name they really maintain and practice the thing in all Courts in Pensilvania 8. He fills up a whole Section of their Faith with Baptism and the Lords Supper but seeing it is known to all they deny the use of both they should be ashamed
in hand with Arminians and Pelagians do hold which only leaves man in a possibility of Salvation if the sinner will but may be the most of Christs Redeemed ones go to Hell notwithstanding while Christ John 17. Speaks of his Redeemed and Ransomed ones as those Select Ones whom the Father had given him out of the World for whom that is the World He would not so much as Pray far less dye and Keith himself owns in his Malicious Uncharitable Book Against New-England Ministers that there are those for whom it may be said Christ Dyed not And so this must be the Gentlemans Position Christ dyed for all and dyed not for all which is a plain conradiction and farewel Keith's universal Redemption which if it had not evanished in a contradiction was uncomfortable and ineffectual to the greatest number of Redeemed ones I Remember in the beginning Keith says I speak very little of the Spirit of God at all which I have already shown in the most convincing and particular manner to be False by directing the Reader to the particular Pages and now I am to show he contradicteth himself by owning in several Questions and Answers my asserting The Spirits Operations in calling Effectually in Regeneration in Working Faith in us and Vniting us to Christ But while he is necessitated to own this He affirms it To be inconsistent with and contradictory to my 〈◊〉 and My Brethrens Doctrine which he endeavours to confirm by a far fetched and inconsequential reason because we deny all extraordinary immediate and Objective Revelation such as the Apostles had and tho' we disown this Doctrine of theirs how it shall Follow we renounce all the special Gracious and saving operations of the Spirit of God in and by the use of means and Ordinances of Gods own appointment and sometimes immediately where External means of our Salvation are Wanting in the Regeneration Sanctification of Souls in making them meet for himself in Glory I leave both to Natural and Gracious Souls to Determine But every Christian Reader may discover in this person a most Arrogant Spirit to pretend to know my Principles and Opinions better than I know them my self and with impudent falshood to affirm and declare I have Published an Account of Principles I do not believe and that they are repugnant to my Brethrens Doctrine seeing our publick Confessions of Faith and Catechisms known to the whole Christian World sayes the same things and particularly in the Description of Effectual Calling which is further confirmed in all our common places and Bodies of Divinity and in all the practical Pieces treating of these Subjects as Mr. Allen of Conversion Mr. Burgess and Mr. Cole of Regeneration and many others and I am satisfied how oft I have delivered in publick my Opinion in these matters I must needs declare it is an evil Principle and unfair Undertaking for any to take upon them to Publish Principles and contradict Principles of those he is an â—solute stranger unto and it is the true Character of a Deceiver to possess others with prejudices against â—ur Principles only by misrepresenting of them and â—astening Principles on us which we abhor And â—s to all inward Revelation or speaking of God to â—e Souls and Hearts of Believers I never read nor heard of any of our Divines absolutely deny or disown iâ— And I have upon all occasions publickly Taught and Do and shall in the Strength of Jesus Christ firmly believe and that unto the end the Aluminating Sanctifying Mortifying Quickning Operations of the Holy Spirit of God in the hearts of every sound Believer in restoring the Corrupted Soul to the Forfeited Image of God so it is evident how inclinable Keith is to Calumniate and misrepresent us upon all occasions How great must the Ignorance of Quakers needs be who cannot or their perversness be that will not distinguish between Enthusiastick Immediate Extraordinary and Objective Revelations from the Spirits Gracious and Spritual Illumination of his mind impressing those Truths made known and Revealed in an ordinary way by Means of Heavens Appointment giving them Efficacious Grace to see Embrace Close with and make Saving Application of them to their heartâ— and Grace to observe the same in their Lives which ordinary and extaordinary Operations they confound together as they do the Universal or General Presence of Christ with his special saving and gracious Presence holding him to be in all after the same manner And whereas he has assumed boldness to affirm we call it Blasphemy to say Christ is really in the Saints All the Answer this deserves is that it is Notoriously False and a groundless Calumny For all of us firmly believe That unless the Spirit of Christ be in us we are none of his and Christ is in us except we be Reprobate and he dwells in all Believers 〈◊〉 from Pauls words it is by Faith Eph. 3.17 as 〈◊〉 declared and that fully from that Text Colos 1.27 Christ in you the Hope of Glory And it is no contradiction to affirm and believe that God hath called Sinners out of Sin unto Grace yet at the same time to feel and assert that all have sin remaining in them for it is no hard matter to distinguish betwixt Sinners being under the Power Dominion and Slavery or Drudgery of Sin and a Sinners having some Relicks and Remainders of Sin and Corruption in them whereby even in Believers there is a constant and spiritual Warfare raised in the believing Soul whereas formerly the Strong Man kept the House the Apostle gives us this distinction Sin shall not have Dominion over you you are not under the Law but under Grace and the same Apostle even after his Conversion complains of his own sinful wretched Corruption and at the same time Triumphs in the Victory obtained for in the next breath Thanks be to God who has given us the victory and if Sin in some measure be not cotemporary with saving Grace or Conversion what must become of Quakers universal sufficient and saving Grace and all the multitudes of them I have ever seen must according to their own Opinion be void of Conversion Grace and Justification for Sin have been easily discernable in all neither did ever any of them produce one instance for their absolute perfection and yet none of us assert that the Saints Sincerity Thought Word and Deed as Keith falsely words it yet it strictly and spiritually taken all are attended with Infirmities I am quarrelled for asserting in my Catechism page 25. This Justification and Adoption are Acts of God without us and and work only a relative Change and that Justification Adoption and Sanctification once had cannot be Lost As to the first Justification is according to the Judgment of all Proâ—estant Divines a gracious Act of Gods Love in a Judicial Way upon the account of Christ's Imputed Righteousness acquitting and absolving the sinner from Guilt and consequently from Condemnation I hope Quakers will not jump in
a Competent maintainance or necessary Aliment by Quaker teachers however so freely and Voluntarily given without appointment of humane law and all compulsion be a Preaching the Gospel freely A True Copy of George Keith's Paper Delivered to Mr. George Layfield At POCAMOK in MARY-LAND KIND Friend George Lay-field my Dear Love in the Lord Jesus Christ Saluteth thee with Earnest Supplication and Prayer to God for thee that God who hath begun his good work in thee may perfect it until the Day of Christ and that the Precious Seed that God hath Sown in thy Heart may grow not only to be the greatest of Herbs but a great Tree bringing forth Fruit to Gods Everlasting Praise and to thy Souls Everlasting Comfort and Happiness As concerning the Catechism Published by F. M. I have diligently read and conâ—dered it and tho' it holdeth forth diverse true things yet it hath a great mixture of Error and many false and unsound hurtful things it doth contain which my present shortness of time in these Parts doth not permit me to mention in most particulars and as the same Catechism aboundeth with many Errors so it falleth exceeding short in not mentioning in the least many necessary Truths and Doctrines which are of great necessity to be taught unto people as belonging to the first Principles of Christian Religion which he altogether omitteth nor doth he in the least declare that he receiveth any one of these things delivered by him in his said Catechism from any inward opening or discovery of Gods Spirit in his Heart Nor doth he mention any one thing of his own experience of the work of God in his heart but as his Title Page sheweth his whole Work is but a Collection from others he mentions nothing in all his Catechism that people are to be turned or directed to God or Christ or the Spirit of God in them he telleth not People that it is God or Christ or the Spirit of God convinceth them and reproveth them for sins of all sorts as Lying Pride Envy Coveteousness Unbelief he doth not instruct People how they are to find God and Christ in their Hearâ—… and how they are to wait in silence 〈◊〉 mind and thoughts to hear God and Chriâ— speak inwardly unto them in their Heartâ— in the silence of all Flesh and how theâ— are to have God and Christ and the Hâ—ly Spirit to dwell and walk in them and tâ— teach them over and beyond all outwarâ— teaching he mentions very little of the Spirit at all and what he mentions of it is very Obscurely so that without breach of Charity I can freely say he is a great Stranger to the inward Dealings and Workings of Gods Holy Spirit in the Hearts of his People and whereas he mentions his Compassion over the Tender Souls in an American Desart ready to perish for want of a Vision in his Epistle to the Reader his Catechism can nothing help them in that respect for not one word in all his Catechism directeth People were to find the true Vision of God in any measure but on the contrary according to his and his Bretherens False Faith all true Divine Vision and Revelation and all Divine Inspiration is ceased since the Apostles Days both among Teachers and People and God hath committed His Counsel wholly to Writing the former ways of Gods revealing himself being ceased and they say further there is no inward voice or word of God in people but the Scripture is the only Word and only Rule all which is most false and hurtful Doctrine and doth more hurt where it is received then all his Catechism can do good And all the People in Virginia both English and Scots whom he seemeth to reflect upon for their Ignorance have the Holy Scriptures without and the Holy teachings and illuminations of God and Christ within to teach them what is needful to their Salvation if they will hearken thereunto far better then this Catehism of F M. which is defective and wanting of many Principal and necessary doctrines belonging to the Christian Faith In the first Page of his Catechism He saith God made the World out of Nothing but this is no Scripture Language and indeed in very many of his Answers he holdeth not to Scripture Language but useth the invented words of Mans Wisdom not according but contrary unto the Holy Scriptures May it not suffice to say God Created aâ— things by Jesus Christ as the Scriptures declareth without adding to the Word of God Page Third He mentions no other Teacher but the Scriptures given to men to serve and Glorify God And thus according to him all these great Nations who have not the Scriptures are wholly left without all Teaching of God to Serve and Glorify him in the least measure but this is expresly contrary to Scripture which say concerning the Gentiles who had not the Law outwardly delivered in Scripture that they did show the work of the Law in their hearts and what was to be known of God was manifest in them for God had shown it unto them and when they knew God they Glorified him not as God and Christ the Light of the World hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World and teacheth every man in some measure to serve God which is to obey him otherwise they could not have sin if there were nothing in the Gentiles to require obedience or service of them unto God It had been much better in this Authour to have instructed People that they had some other helps and means of knowledge with the Scriptures and these some outward and some inward although it is to be granted that the Scriptures are the best of all Books outward yet there is the Book of Gods Creation and the Book of His Providence over all his Creatures that are no small helps and means in their place being duely used and together with God Christ and the Spirit are inwardly present to teach all People in some things to serve God and as every one is faithful in the little more is given to them Besides that the Writer of this Catechism should have joined the spirit of God Christ with the Scriptures as the Opener Interpreter of them informing people that the Scriptures are the Organ Instrument of Gods Spirit that Gods Good and Holy Spirit is the principal Author and cause of all true knowledge of God as he doth inwardly inspire and enlighten every one and that there is no true saving knowledge of God and Christ without the Spirits Inspiration and Teaching and that how much soever people read or hear the Scriptures if they neglect or turn away their minds from Gods inward teachings by his Word Spirit and Light within their hearts they remain Blind and Dark and Ignorant of God Page Third That he saith there are Three Persons in the God-head this is not Scripture Language to say Three Persons The Mystery of the Three to wit the Father the Son and the
be called Fundamentals as Salutations by words and Gestures Covering and Vncovering the Head condemning Preaching in Steeple Houses Churches Yea I appeal to the impartial and unbiassed Reader if the Catechism Composed by F. M. contains not more of the Principles of Religion then one containing Quakers Principles Composed by several Hands as Crook Pennington Burroughs Parker Smith and several others now I refer my self to every man how invidious and unjust it is to Charge a Catechism composed by one with Omissions while so many pretenders to immediate Revelations and Inspirations are guilty of so great Omissions and vain Repeticions and there is not a Book which I have seen writ by George Keith but may as justly lie under this Charge as my Catechism it were vain Ostentation to disown it And for my own part I have ever observed in all the Writings of men Ignorance Infirmity and Imperfection to magnifie the Excellency of the Scriptures above all Books of mens Composure but it is no strange thing to find Quakers quarrelling our succinct way of composing our Principles for young ones because they are opposite to so early Edification which practice is very inconsistent with Scripture Precepts and Presidents of Training a Child when young bringing up Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord and Timothy knew the Scriptures from a Child and the advantage of an early Instruction is witnessed by the experiences of many Godly in all Ages where attended with the Blessing of God and pursued with Exhortation until they arrive at a riper age Now I leave all to consider how insignificant an imputation this of Omission is Another general Charge is that I have not declared from whence I have Received these things and that I have owned in the Title Page of my Catechism to be but a Collection from others These are heavy Charges with him therefore shall answer them particularly 1. Any that reads his Paper may understand he is as guilty of that Omission as any of his Neighbours for he has not told from whence he had what is delivered in this Paper and it was the best policy for he durst not assert it was from the Spirit of God because of the falshood and malice it contains as I shall make appear 2. If they are the Truths of God and agreeable to Scripture it is easily determined from whence these Truths are which were questioned by few until G. K. whose Trade has been to Foment Contention and stir up strife in the Churches of Christ in the World and whose Arguments are so slender and thred bare that they scarce deserve an Answer 3. If I inclined to stuff my Doctrines and Discourse upon all occasions with enlarged Accounts of Conversion or a work of Grace with concomitant and consequent Experiences of the Operations of Gods Holy Spirit as Keith pretends to do I might amuse my Hearers but Actions and Conversation are better demonstrations of a work of Grace then all Keith's vain boasting Language which with his self magnifying Language can be esteemed nothing else then a Crying up and Preaching himself instead of Christ for though Paul oft declared his Conversion and gloried in his Attainments it was that the Free Grace of God might be exalted and self abased which Quakers are rarely acquainted with either in Praying or Teaching as many who have heard them always declare And because Keith has shewn himself void of Charity by shooting his invidious Thunderbolt at a distance e're he knew or saw me or I him That I am infallibly a great stranger to the dealings of Gods Spirit on the hearts of his People I am constrained to Justifie my Office from those Uncharitable Calumnies and that Grace might be magnified by giving this Relation in the sight of an All seeing and Omnipresent God that e're I Received the Imposition of Hands in that Scriptural and Orderly Separation unto my Holy and Ministerial Calling that I gave requiring satisfaction to Godly Learned and Judicious Discerning Men of a work of Grace and Conversion wrought on my heart at fifteen years of Age by and from the pains of a Godly Schoolmaster who used no small diligence in Gaining Tender Souls to Gods Service and Fear since which time to the Glory of his Free Grace be it spoke I have had the sure Experiences of Gods various Dealings with me according to his Infinite and Unerring Wisdom to my unspeakable comfort whereby all may see how far Grace is expected and desired with Gifts to qualifie for the Ministerial Office for not only was this required of me but is expected of all Ordained by Presbyters which experience shall enable me not to value what Keith or any other Quakers shall ignorantly and groundlesly affirm in judging rashly of my State for we are looked upon as of the World and they only the People of God as they commonly Cauterize us but this is our comfort we shall not be Judged in the Last Day by Quakers who must as well as their Neighbours give an account of their rash and uncharitable judgings to a most Righteous Judge 4. And that it is a Collection from the Scriptures of the Living God I never will deny but glory in it it Keith mean from others it is faâ—… and there is â—o mention of those others in the 〈◊〉 Page what hath Keith Published in most of his Books but Collections and many of them from the worst of men Hereticks long since consured with some wild sophistical and unscriptural Notions of his own both repugnant to Scripture and opposite to his Quaking Brethren And Turpe est dectori eum cuâ—pa redarguit ipsum He asserts I declare not that it is God or Christ or the Spirit of God that convinceth or reproveth people of their sins but this is so false a Calumny that none in charity can judge Kâ—ith to be so great a Perfectionist as he proclaims himself to be and this every one may be satisfied in if they will but turn over to page 12 where it is plainly delivered That God in Turning or Calling Sinners unto himself does convince them of Sin and Misery Enlighten their Minds with the Knowledge of Christ Renews their wills c. which is also the judgment of all my Brethren and particularly of those of the Westminster Assembly both in their Shorter and larger Catechism And whereas he charges me with this that I mention but little of the Spirit of God at all and that this may appear as falâ—e as the former I refer my self to every Reader and especially those who have read and considered better then Keith hath done and let them turn over to the several pages where I have made frequent mention of the Spirit of God in so small a Volumn ascribing to him that which was and is his peculiaâ— work 1. As being the Original Author and Inditer of the Scriptures page 3.2 As being one distinct from the Father and the Son page 4.3 Oâ— Christ's
revealing the Will of God to us by Hiâ— Word and Spirit page 10.4 The Spirit of Goâ— applies to us the Redemption purchased by Christ page 11.5 In the same page being the Author of Regeneration or the New Birth according to the Scriptures Joh. 3.6 The Spirits sanctifying of us page 15.7 That he teaches us to pray aright and acceptable to God page 41. From hence every one may learn what credit to give to Keith's worth and Calumnies for the future and though he constructs my Compassion over the tender Souls in aâ— American Desart to be a reflection against the Scâ— and English in Virginia I am satisfied it has nâ—… been so Received by them for whom it was intended neither judged so by the Spirit of God whâ—… much after the same manner pitties and compassiâ—nates the Ignorance of his own people by the Propheâ— Hos 4.6 My People are destroved for lack of knowledge And I am perswaded Quakers should nâ— have so great success in drawing aside silly Soul from the Truths and Ways of God if it weâ— not for the abounding Ignorance of Virginia anâ— other dark Corners of the World who have noâ— yet received and comprehended the Light shiniâ— about them and even their ignorance of thâ— Fundamental Truths contained in the Catechâ—… And none deserves more to be pitied for their â—…norance than Quakers and of the most Fundameâ—tal Truths notwithstanding of their high pretenâ— â—o the Spirit and Light within as John Drummond 〈◊〉 Reputed and Received Quaker a Reader of Keith's Books with many others who lately at my House at Poccamok before Keith and several other Witnesses published his gross Ignorance of that Fundamental Article That none could be Saved without Faith in Jesus Christ from which I understand since that he had oft reproached me drawing his own ignorant conclusions from thence And if Quakers are ignorant hereof what can they pretend â—o know Another general charge is That I nothing help the Ignorant neither do I direct them to the true Vision but whoever will but consider how many Fundamental Truths are laid down in the Catechism for the Edification of the Ignorant and plainly asserted That Christ teaches his People with his Word and Spirit and if this be not the true Vision of God Quakers must lose themselves and be puzzled in finding of it but he rather would insinuate what harm it would do if received but this may discover how far men are for keeping sinners in ignorance by possessing their minds with a dislike of this mean of Knowledge which leads and directs sinners to the Scriptures as the great mean of Knowledge and profitable for instruction containing all things necessary to be known by Christians and also to Christ and his Holy Spirit the Author and Efficient Cause of Knowledge who can Enlighten without means in a most immediate manner but most ordinarily conveyes Knowledge by Means and Ordinances of his own Appointment concurring with his Holy Spirit blessing and making them effectual to whom he pleases And in Catechism many savoury truths delivered no fins indulged most duâ—ies relating to our general and special callings enjoined Now â—ow the receiving such a form of sound words containing positive Diâ—vinity should be prejudicial and Kieth's works stuffed with Quibling and Sophistical Controversy his teachings filled with often repeated Calumnyâ— against all the Reformed Churches and Vn-scripâ— turaâ— or unheard of Long-winded Similitudes which amuse the deluded and ignorant should become profitable let every one determine and I am perswaded none has received or can receive injury therefrom but by slighting and disregarding it And this my experience can testifie that since the Catechism was opposed by Quakers they have had a more universal and kindly welcome and reception And here is no new Doctrine but what Keith had oft seen in the Catechisms of our Reformed Churches which he had oft impugned with all his might and Sophistry and his repeating his old Arguments is only with vain Ostentation to show himself among a poor ignorant and deluded people and once possessing them with this that what he delivers is immediately from the Spirit of God he may deliver what he will as infallible and never to be questioned Having answered his Generals I proceed to examine his particulars and he suffers not the first page to pass without a Censure because I have affirmed God made the World out of Nothing and that this is not only true and agreeable to Scripture that to word and expresâ— it otherwise were inconsistent with the Revelation of God and it were to jump in with the Adversaries of Gods Truth for we cannot conceive of Creation without saying it was made out of Nothing which all dâ—scribe to be Preductio ex nihilo therefore as many places of Scripture as but mention Creation say as much as I have done for which I am quarrelled Did not Creation give the First Being to all things that were made and consâ—quently were all nothing before God commanded them to be for was not Light nothing till God said Let there be Light Further if God made the World he either made it out of his own Essence or some pre existent matter from Eternity or produced it out of nothing I presume you will not be so absurd as to assert any of the first two not the first for so the Essence of God should become divisible and corruptible not the second for then some matter should be Co-eternal with God which were blasphemy to affirm And it is no small argument of the Omnipotence of God to declare and affirm especially to young ones the World was made out of nothing seeing they know not that it is implied in the word Creation for because of the Omnipotent Power of God in Creation Acclamations of Praise are ascribed to him Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth Acts 4.24 In that joynt Acclamation of the Apostles Lord thou art good which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is And it is no adding to the Word of God while nothing is delivered but Gods Mind in his Word though Keith next in his pretences to Nailer himself should discover so much palpable weakness as to censure it again And I have also asserted in my Catechism that there is no work so peculiar to any of the Persons of the Holy Trinity but all of them have a hand in each so that his advice which he calls sufficient is prevented if he haâ— diligently read and considered it as he has said In page 3. He chargeth me for mentioning no other Teacher but the Scriptures to direct us to Seâ— and Glorifie God this is no strange imputation froâ— Quakers who notwithstanding of all their fair pretences yet have uttered many vilipending expression thereof calling it a dead Letter a nose of Wax Pâ—… Ink Divinity Keith in his publick Teachingâ—
thereby to deceive And when Quakers are pursued hotly about Miracles they Smilingly say John the Baptist wrought 〈◊〉 Miracles and yet his Mission was Extraordinary and immediate as K. Alledged at my House and oâ— improved it and Particularly against the Nâ— England Ministers and they suppose they have gained the Day but methinks K. as I told him and all others may justly be ashamed of Producing this all an instance for the Future for tho' John wrought no Miracles yet being Co-temporary with our Lord Jesus and his Apostles and they who wrought many Miracles confirmed this Mission that he was the Promised Elias but the Immediate Mission of Quakers never was confirmed either by their own of by the Miracles of others tho' some of them have presumed boldly on Miracles which Propheseing Miracles As the Eating Quaker in England Justly made the Monument of Gods Wrath and Monster of Mankind For daring to imitate Our Lord in that Miraculous Action of His Fasting Forty Daâ—… and Forty Nights in the Wilderness And Solomoâ— Ackles who Boastingly challenged Ministers to Fasâ— with him and Justly Punished for his Vnchristian anâ— hold Arrogance Another once in Barbadoes to king upon him to Prophecy the Death of a Child which in all humane Probability was beyond all expectation of Recovery but GOD to confound his Boldness and discover him to be a Deceiver was pleased to restore the Child who Lived in health for many Jews and the Quaking Prophet was necessitated shamefully to Publish his Recantation wherein he affirmed he had Belyed the Spirit of God And if so it is no Wonder they Belye their Neighbours but any man may see how they come off with their Lying Wonders and so shall come off in the End with their immediate Mission but it is at Length come to this that you must recieve their Verbal testimony or remain altogether dissatisfyed about their Extraordinary Call tho' some as Keith informed us at my house run that Self-Confounding and Universal Gulf of Miracles in Spirit a New invented Phrase of worse then mans Wisdome far from the Language of the Spirit of God whose Saving Operations are not Miracles at all to the Spirit of God and if Miracles they are Gods Properly and not Quakers but this with many more Phrases of heirs has no Foundation in the Scriptures And we desire to know how many of them ever Spake with Tongues who were not Taught them in the School or Learned them of others Farewel then immediate Mission if you take it not upon the Words of a Quaker And that Presbyterians and Independants and then only as he invidiously expresses it should run to the Church of Rome and Pope for to derive the mission â—…ll and ordinition from thence is the grossest caâ—…ny and most notorious Lye that could be batched â—ut of hell and must be of Satan the Father of Lyes â—ut if K had asserted this of such has hold no ordination but from the hands of a Bishop or Prelate he might have had some plea for his charge for Rome and all that Party sufficiently know there are none so opposite to nor so faithful and Zealous against them as Dissenting Protestants were no not Quakers themselves who would not have been so great at the English Court in the late Reign if they had therefore a Noted Person lately gained from Rome affirmed The Dissenting Protestants were the Bulwarks of the Protestant Interest in Europe And I must greatly suspect what K told me at my House as another Lye and Calumny that Mr. John Cotton of Hampton in New-England acknowledged in a Publick Dispute that He derived his Ordination from the Pope and the rather because he abused me upon his Return to Mr. Davis affirming the same thing of me that I owned cur Mission and Ordination from the Pope of Rome but I am confident his own Conscience could not but witness the contrary to his Face But it is to be Feared it was not the First time he had Learned to Baffle Conscience in more Weighty Matters For I not only Abhorred Disclaimed and Denyed it but Positively and Plainly Affirmed Our Mission was from Jesus Christ and Warranted from the Scriptures Hence I give caution to all not to be Credulous of K's words however so confidently affirmed but he were no fit Deciever if nor Possessed with a Spirit of Lyes and Calumnys But we can easily Justify ourselves from this Aspersion thrown invidiously upon us by Quakers and particularly by K. in all his Publick and Private Discourses and also in some of his Writings repeated over and over with an empty noise of Words for 〈◊〉 we should say with Calvin that he and others oâ— our Primitive Reformers were Evangilists extraordinarily Raised and Immediately Called of God in that great Exigence of the Church in calling the People of God out of Popish Darkness and Superstition in bringing them out of Babylon yet this will prove but a slender Argument for Quakers holding Extraordinary Calls and immediate Missions to be Gods ordinary and usual uninterrupted way to the end of the World because it might be allowed of in that juncture of the Necessity of the Church for though our Lord himself the King of his Church at the beginning of the Promulgation of the Gospel Called some in an Extraordinary Manner though at the same time they had an External Call from Christ as man yet as soon as the Christian Church began to Encrease he Commands them to use second Means for that Calling and Separation of others to the Holy Office of the Ministry in an Ordinary and Holy Separation to that Sacred Work as Paul and Barnabas was commanded to be Separated and there was Casting of Lots used in supplying the number of the Apostles and the Apostle Paul commands Timothy and Impowers him to Ordain Elders in every Church and not to neglect the Gift that was given him by Prophecy with the Laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery who are Commanded to Lay Hands suddenly on no man without sufficient proof of his Parts and Piety And further for their direction in this Scriptural and Orderly Separation and Ordination God has laid down all the Qualifications of Ministers of the Gospel which Quakers can never find in all their Teachers especially of the Feminine Sex As to our Reformers receiving their Ordination Mission and Call from Rome and conveying it to us which would seem to be the first great puzling and confounding Argument I shall answer it in these following particulars 1. I would inquire of all Quakers whether God in that great defection and universal Corruption of the Church under Romish Idolatry had then a Church in the World though in the Wilderness to deny all Churches whether Visible or Invisible really belonging to God Jesus Christ were to overthrow many Promises of God to his Church of Building her upon an immoveable Rock and that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against her and it is inconsistent to
in Heaven and Rt. Young one of their pretended Teachers said that he did not find Christ without in all the Scriptures and further that Christ when he ascended into the Cloud was seperated from his Body and Arthur Cook accused G. K. for saying that Christs Body that was Crucified and Buried is gone into Heaven and was and is in heaven even the very same Body which Cook and others called a Novelty imposed upon his Ancient Brethren And John Simtock asked G. K. Did Christs Bones Arise and Thomas Lloyd did object against G. K. his imposing Unscriptural Faith on his Bretheren further that Faith in Christ without us as he Dyed for our sins and rose again was not necessary to Salvation and further that Christ within did all Can any Repeat such Blasphemous expressions without horrour when they consider the deplorable case of such as are Lead and Taught by these men who openly publickly and avowedly profess their Ignorance of the true Christ which is but One and can be no other even He that was Born of the Virgin Mary Suffered in the World was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem was Buried Rose again with the same Body having his wounds upon him as he shewed to Thomas the Apostle after some time of Converse in the World proving thereby the Reality of his Resurrection was received Bodily into a Cloud in the open view of his Apostles and Ascended into Heaven now Sits at the Right Hand of God the Father making continual intercession for sinners the same Man-Christ that Liveth for Ever Ever shall come in his Glory with all his Holy Angels to Judge the World in Righteousness at the Last Day All which is abundantly testified in the Holy Scriptures And now whosoever Believes not in Christ nor receives him as described in the Word of God seeing he himself says John 5.39 They are they that testify of him it may warrantably be concluded they believe not in him at all therefore I leave it to others to determine what sort of Christians Quakers must needs be and also what we must judge of their Sufficient Saving Divine Light of which they have been boasting universally and magnifying them selves from above all others in the world and what do they now think of their immediate Call and Apostolick Mission seeing they discover themselves so grosly Ignorant and so much in the dark about the Foundation of our Salvation even Christ Jesus who is so fully described in the very Letter of the Scriptures And this Breach is Risen to such a height that the Railings Revilings bitter uncharitable Accusations they were wont to vomit maliciously against all the Reformed Churches are now justly turned against one another for Lloyd and his Party fly out against Keith calling him a Reviler of the Brethren Brat of Babylon Accuser of the Brethren one that alwayes endeavoureth to keep down the power of Truth drawing from the Gift of God calling him also Pope Primate of Pensilvania Father Confessor accusing him of Envy extream Passion a turbulent unsubdued Spirit Let the Authors of these make good their Charge or let them take what follows Shall ever such a man be followed by such as have given him such a monstrous Character as none but the greatest of Impostors deserve and it is observable that in all which K has Published for he has carried the day in his Prints that he has not fairly nor fully Explained himself for it wants to be determined when Christ is said to be in all men by the name Light whether he and his Party who say with all Quakers He is substantially in them believe him to be in them as Mediator and Saviour as K. seems to assert in his Grounds of Separation pag. 32 William Pen in Reason against Railing asserts the true Light with which every man is Enlightned to be sufficient for Salvation and how Pen G. K. and his Adversaries can jump again into a Knot after so plain and palpable Difference about their great Fundamental of the Sufficiency of the Light within I Leave it to other Judges to determine and it deserves observation that in their Epistle to their Brethren and their Commendation what high lofty and proud Titles of Commendation scarce applicable to men they gave to G K. as That he Walked in the Counsel of God was Lovely in that Day When the Beauty of the Lord was upon him and his Comeliness covered him and immediately with the same Breath they throw him down and look upon him as Fassen from the high Places of Israel as a man Slain in his High Places as they fix hard names upon him as formerly so he payes them home again in the same Coin calls Lloyd and his Party which are some thousands Fools Ignorant Heathens Infidels Silly Souls Lyars Hereticks Rotten Ranters Mugg letonians c So that if we were inclinable to give them Names we have no Room for they have done it to our hands themselves And I must confess they are better able than we for they are better acquainted with one another and privy to their Errors Heresies and other Hidden Works of Darkness which they have hitherto been ashamed to Publish to the World and yet it is admirable to think where these men find such a stock of Confidence as to wipe their mouths and say they have not Railed all this while but all they have said on both sides is in the uprightness of their hearts all these Names given are Truth I shall leave them so disproving neither one of Lloyds Party William Gabitas desired K to forbear Preaching Christ without seeing it gave Offeence to his Brethren as Paul did concerning Eating of Flesh an able Doctor indeed and very probable to have Christ in him who valued the Preaching of Christ Crucified no more than the Eating of Flesh and must not such Brethren as take Offence as such Doctrine be acted by a Diabolical Spirit Thomas Lloyd in a Publick Meeting affirmed no man could differ with G. K. but he was in danger of the Life of his Soul by him and farther that he had bin 〈◊〉 more vexatious Adversary to Friends then Hicks or Scanderet or the greatest Enemies sure such Untharitableness and Ranchor must have great provocations flow from no good Spirit another proud and self conceited expression of a plain Quaker Must I truckle under thee indeed it was not fit a Governour should and further G. K. affirmed That no such Damnable Heresies and Doctrines of Devis were Tolerated in any Protestant Society as among Quakers at Philadelphia if this Charge is true I am perswaded it will extend to most Quakers in the World or they must yet be in Confusion and Undetermined about their Principles Many other most dangerous Positions were urged and disputed among them savouring of nothing but Blindness and Error as one that owned no man Christ Jesus as Mediator in Heaven without him but the
ever to Treat of them at all especially among their Fundamentals for he might as well have filled up a Section with Circumcision and the Passover if it be only to deceive this is no ingenuous dealing 9. If plain Language and plain Habits be Fundamentals with Quakers what need is there of any other mark to know a Quaker by and why the Language of others are not as plain as Quakers I know not especially as Jacob Tilman when Preaching Praying in Dutch to an English Congregation Lastly I fear â—…ording to his Description of the Church of Christy who ought as he sayes to manifest their Faith to one another by the Confession of the mouth there will no such be found among Quakers who never had any publick and unanimous Confession of their Faith yet extant otherwise there would be no room for the present Division about the greatest of Fundamentals In the next place I proceed to take notice of G. K's Appeal from the twenty eight Judges and it has a cunning and ambiguous Title viz. To the Spirit of Truth true Judgment in all Faithful Friends called Quakers that meet at the Yearly Meeting at Burlington whereby any man may perceive if they judge and determine against him he has a back Door to fly out at and will not stand to their judgment therefore his Appeal is most idle and an empty Bravado for either he looks on them as Competent Judges or not if competent Judges why does he not submit himself to their Judgmen without such a Reservation or thus if he believes them to have the Spirit of Truth why does he scruple a submission to the judgment of Friends as Quakers are commonly called if they have not the Spirit of Truth whether it were not safer to wave the Appeal which has the ambiguity of a dubious Oracle for still it must terminate here if the whole Meeting should not be of K's Judgment he shall declare them destitute of the Spirit of Truth and void of true judgment for he has disapproved the plurality of Votes in another case And in the Appeal there is first by way of Preamble the Grounds thereof laid down and next twelve particulars by way of Query proposed to be Debated at the said Yearly Meeting which highly offended the Governour with the rest of the Magistracy that were Quakers and particularly charges them tho' it is all along by way of Question with giving a Commission to and hiring meâ— to â—ight by recovering a Sloop from Privateers contrary to the Principles of Quakers who are against be use of the Carnal Weapon which they transgress also â—y providing the Indians with Powder and Lead to fight â—gainst other Indians and also that one of those pretendâ—… Ministers Taught not to take an Eye for an Eye 〈◊〉 a short time by passing Sentence on Malefactors takes â—ife for Life and finally enquires whether there is any â—xample for it in Scripture or in all Christendom â—hat Ministers should Ingross the Worldly Government 〈◊〉 they do in Philadelphia which hath proved of very â—il tendency Now the last particular proves so ofâ—sive Governour Lloyd after some Consultation sends for a Taylor who had Nail'd up the Appeal on a Board at his Shop Window to publick view and after some Examination he told them he was not a shamed to look Persecutors in the Face but being Required to give Securities to answer the Quarter Sessions they gave him till to morrow morning to provide them but from what sharp Retorting Answers he gave them he was dismissed without any further noise but immediately sent for the Printer and Requiring Securities of him which he denied his Shop was Searched and all the said Papers and his Printing Letters to the value of Ten Pounds Sterling as K. says were taken away and the said Printer William Bradford was Committed to the Sheriffs House as a Prison And another John Mackomb sent for and Committed for Selling some of the said Papers at his House all which was done in a Legal Mittimus charging the Printer and Seller as Publishers which was a mistake for properly the Author is the Publisher this makes a great noise boâ—… in City and Countrey that Quakers begin to Imprison and Persecute one another proving what they would do to others if they had power opportunity and provocation but to wipe off all suspicioâ— of Persecution they make use of the same plea as aâ— other Persecutors do even the Disturbance of the Peace and Subversion of the Government but thâ—… Salve will not Cure the Sore The next measure taken is to Consult how to punish G. K. the known Author and as many of the Subscribers as were under their Goverment and next day being the 26â—… of August a Conclave was appointed but two oâ— the Commissioners being no Quakers Dissenting they could not bring it to bear to Sign a Mittimus foâ— Committing K therefore next day resolves to publis◠〈◊〉 him or his Abetters from publishing any such Seditious Papers for the future but it is Observable that in the Proclamation there is not any mention made of Their Majesties Names which every Loyal Subject must Resent but of the Late K. twice notwithstanding they had Caution given to mention what King they meant Verbum seâ— Sapienti But the former Prisoners continue still in Confinement which is palpable and most evident Partiality to punish the Printer Seller and suffer the known Author and Subscribers to escape But on the Monday following the Appeal with the Mittimus and a Postscript is Reprinted and in the Postscript as is very Remarkable that it is Asserted by K that it is contrary to Quakers principles to make use of the Carnal Weapon but they found in their Experience it was impossible to maintain Magistracy without it that is the Carnal Sword who can but smile to see these men overthrowing their own Principles by asserting the Inconsistency of them with Magistracy which is an Ordinance of God and consequently no Government should be put into Quakers Hands But great things were expected from the Yearly Meeting at Burlington which was to begin within few days tho' little expectation of a Friendly Accommodation for G. K. kept out of Town lest he should by a Prison be prevented to attend that Meeting but K came off there with Flying Colours for the other Party being Summoned again and again to Appear but declined it Whether they disowned the Authority of that Meeting or suspected the badness of their Cause which they had reason to do or feared G. K. his Party to be too strong they can best answer for themselves 〈◊〉 â—…t that Meeting justifyâ—d G. K. and condemned Lloyd and his Party discharging them to Teach or Pray in publick Meetings till they had condemned their former Judgment by a publick Writing and how this Order was slighted is too palpable to be denied both Parties are discharged from Railing which supposes both were guilty but while the Meeting at Burlington clears K. the Yearly Meeting at Maryland condemns him and justifies the other Party whereby that Infallible Discerning Spirit Quakers boast of lay is in every true Quaker is overthrown for great Meetings of their greatest Dons can be mistaken make contrary and contradictory Orders I am Informed the Division has Reached England for in London one Party who were against Keith bought up all his Pamphlets to prevent the Spreading of the Difference Another Party Orders a new Impression of all his Books relating to that Controversy this I had lately of one of themselves I shall conclude with some passages from undoubted Information 〈◊〉 One affirmed the Difference at present concerning Christ was an empty Barrel from whence it is evident what mean thoughts this Zealote had of Christ as Man 2. Another said he did not believe to be Saved by that which Dyed at Jerusalem What a poor case must such a Soul be in 3. John Delaval hath exprest his fear that Cotton Mather's Prophesie of G. K is now accomplishing Lastly there is among Quakers in Pensilvania one Jacob a Dutchman who takes upon him to Preach and Pray in the Dutch Language to an English Congregation pretending an Immediate Call thereunto which John Delaval and the Teachers Son in law used to Interpret for the understanding of the people but some time after the Hearers desired the Inâ—…â—eters to forbear for they were more Edified â—ithout Interpretation then with it though they â—nderstood not a word he said would any have â—pposed there was such blind implicite Faith out of Rome and that these Spiritual Professors should lay open their Delusions to the VVorld at so plain 〈◊〉 â—ate But what impression the Loss of their Governmenâ—â—ay have and what Alterations it may make amonâ—â—hem I leave to Further Information And whoevâ—… would have more of this Nature even the Spiritâ—… War among Quakers chiefly promoted by the Carâ—… Weapon of the Tongue I recommend them to Phiâ—â—elphia for an enlargement of this Narrative Whâ—â—s all their own excepting some Observations aâ—… Animadversions on both Sides FINIS Advertisement THere is now in the Press will quickly be Published A new book Entituled A Present to be given to Teeming Women by their Husbands or Friends Containing Directions for Women with Child How to Prepare for the Hour of TRAVAIL Written first for the Private Use of a Gentlewoman of Quality and now Published for the common good â—y John Oliver First Printed at London and Received with great Commendation and general Acceptation And 〈◊〉 Reâ—printed and Sold at Boston in New-England by Benjamin Harris at the Sign of the BIBLE over-against the Blew-Anchor