was ever the Doctrine of any of the Leading-Quakers as he terms them to Deny Christ Jesus in any of his Appearances or Manifestations whether within or without and though Men in their prejudiced Spirits do judge us as Denyers of Christ Jesus Yet be it known unto all That we expect Salvation and Redemption by no other Thing or Means whatsoever then by that Christ Jesus declared of and born witness unto in the Holy Scriptures But if our Adversaries and men of corrupt Minds who are satisfied in their Bed-ridden Performances and their Duties Fly-blown with Sin cannot believe us be it known unto them That we never did go about to impose a Belief upon any without inward Conviction but we still did and do commit our Testimony to the Witness of God in the Consciences of all men knowing that it is God only that can perswade the Hearts of men and Women to love the Truth and to walk in Subjection thereunto The next thing I shall take notice of is in the 6th page of my Adversary's Book his words are these They acknowledge such a Christ as Vnchrists Christ for his Proof he hath these words They deny him to be God Man in one Person they deny him to be a Distinct Person from the Person of the Father and they deny him also to be a Distinct Person from any of his Members We own God the man Christ Jesus by whom God will judge the Secrets of all Hearts and the true Unity and Fellowship as they owned them that writ the Scriptures howbeit we confess both that Christ after the Flesh was born of the Virgin Mary yet is God over all blessed forever that the Father is greater then the Son and yet one and that Christ is Head and Lord of his People yet one with his People but for T. P's School-Distinctions and School-Gibberish we shall not trouble our selves therewith for his Words are not according to the Form of sound Words laid down in the Scripture yet he pretends the Scripture to be his Rule If any desire further Satisfaction concerning us in the matter above hinted at they may peruse these Books entituled The Divinity of Christ asserted The Christian-Quaker and Quakerism a new Nick Name for old Christianity And for his saying that it had been better for me to have entituled my Book No Christ but Conscience and in this said he thou wouldst have been true to thy principle Here 's a notorious Untruth for we never preacht such a Christ as could be defiled with sin but Conscience may be defiled and may be seared and if this be his State Wo and misery will be his Portion notwithstanding his Imagination of Christ's Righteousness to be his and his Sin Christ's And to proceed he saith and avouches that the Discourse between us save a passage or two was feigned page 6. of his Pamphlet in which he saith I relate this as our greeting one another i. e. you Quakers hold damnable and erroneous Doctrines And to prove him a L in this I refer my Reader to the 3d page of my Book and the Title of that part of the Discourse which passed between us my words are these Something of a Discourse c. not all nor yet our greeting for he having formerly given me a Book wherein he pretends he discoursed the Devil and that he had almost perswaded him to believe he was the true God the thing seemed to be fictious but however I asked him whether the thing was real and whether he had seen the Devil if he had after what manner he said He was cloathed with black like a Minister I queried how he knew that he was the Devil he said he asked him whether he created the Heavens and the Earth and he said Yea and you too by this said he I knew him to be the Devil my answer to him was this how doth this prove him to be the Devil for he that did create the Heavens and Earth and gave man Life Breath and Being was and is the true God but T. P. said He told me also that him whom I and the greatest part of the World worshipped was not the true God and by this also I knew him to be the Devil How doth this prove him to be the Devil wa st not thou at that time in Distraction he said he wâ—s then said I thou couldst not worship the true God for a man must first know him before he can worship him then he in his Fierceness breaks forth and said You Quakers hold damnable and erroneous Doctrines And though he saith the Discourse is fictious both in its Dependency and in its Matter yet I do affirm that the Discourse that past between us his Questions and my Answers and my Questions and his Answers are placed in my Book according as they were spoken and if I had done otherwise it had been somewhat like that notable Forger Tho. Hicks a man so much in his Esteem for his Dexterity in such matters that he counted him a Divine in the presence of the People at his Meeting in Hartford Shire but T. H. gives him the Lye and in plain Words said I am no Divine if T. P. thinks that I have placed this passage of T. H. and his upon my Memory only he will be mistaken for I have it and much more of that dayes work in writing from divers Persons who took it in short Hand from their Mouths One thing more I shall take notice of that is his telling his Reader He durst not enter into Disputation with us on the Lord's Day yet notwithstanding he sends me a Challenge to meet him on that Day he calls the Lords Day and procures T. Hieks to help him the Words of his Chalenge I thought meet to insert to the End that his Brethren might see what Attempts this late upstart Preacher though in vain doth make who threatned with one more in one day to shake our Foundation quite down which is more then all his Brethren have could or ever shall doÌ„ The Words of Thomas Powel's Challenge are viz. John Vaughton I expect thee for to make good what thou hast fathered up on me next Sabbath Day at my Meeting in the Country I shall be sure to be there and another with me where I with him shall shake your Foundation quite down for it is sandy and I perceive you are upon your last Legs already this day I go into the Country being the 31. of August to prepare my self for expelling that Soul-damning Doctrine which thou hast vented in the poor Country thy Friend Tho. Powel By this People may see the notorious Falsness of this man who challenges me into the Gountry yet would insinuate into his Reader that we assaulted him dog'd him and followed him into all places when I can truly say that since this Controversie hath depended between us that neither I nor the Friends concerned with me have followed him into no other place but publick
them a right Knowledge of God and Christ and led them to speak right things of God and of Christ which Spirit thou and thy Brethren being Strangers to speak wrong things of God and of Christ and of the Scriptures also for which in Love to God Christ Scriptures and your immortal Souls we do justly blame you Christ saith I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness or Ignorance but he shallhave the Light of Life Joh. 8.12 he also saith Believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light Joh. 12.36 We would have you to take Christ's Counsel believe in the Light and that will give you the Knoledge of God Christ and the Scriptures will lead you to speak right things of God and Christ and to live a God-like and a Christ like Life and then you and we shall not differ T. P. I have yet mere to say unto thee in Way of just Rebuke for thy unscriptural and ungodlike Words which thou hast given forth in thy Epistle to the afore-said Book which take as followeth thou having affirmed that Jesus Christ was the greatest Sinner in the World by Imputation c. thou say'st all that I shall urge in the defence of this great Truth is this either Christ died justly or unjustly I mean God the Father in punishing his Son acted therein either justly or unjustly unjustly who dares to assert justly who dares to deny c T. P. in these Words laid down by thee thou chargest God with punishing his Son but how wilt thou prove it If thou continues of this mind I would have thee offer us some proof for what thou say'st if thou canst which is either Scriptural or Reasonable By God's punishing his Son I can understand no other by thy Words here inserted or any elsewhere in thy Book then his being spit upon crowned with Thorns callâ—d Beelzebub the Prince of Devils betrayed murdered and hanged on a Tree If thou say'st this was the Punishment wherewith God punished him then I ask thee who were the Instruments God made use of in inflicting these punishments upon him Christ said He that dippeth his Hand with me in the Dish the same shall betray me and after Judas had taken the Sop Satan entred into him and he went to the malicious High-Priests and betrayed his Master and they sent a Band with Swords and Staves to take him and as Steven said those bloody High-Priests Judas and the rest of their Company were the Betrayers and Murderers of him and they laid their wiâ—ked Hands upon him and crucified the Lord of Life Acts 7.25 Him being delivered by the Determinate Counsel Fore-Knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked Hand have crucified and slain Acts 2.25 Now if thou charge these before-mentioned Cruelties exercised or inflicted upon him as God's punishing his Son will not this prove thee a Ranter in Principle at least for dost thou not hereby justifie the Devil and all his bloody Train to be God's Servants and Doers of God's Wiill herein for I have heard that some of the rude Ranters have said that the Devil is God's good Servant what dost thou say less for if all these Cruelties be esteemed PRINCIPALLY God's Act it 's easie to prove from Scripture that the Devil and wicked Men did inflict those Cruelties upon him Christ told that bloody Generation They were of their Father the Devil and the Lusts or Works of their Father they would do he was a Lyar and a Mâ—derer from the Beginning here thou may'st see that Christ told this bloody Crew That the Lusts or Works of their Father they would do which Lusts or Works was Lying and Murder Christ did not tell them that their lying and murdering of him were the Works of God or his punishing of his Son but that they were of their Father the Devil Thou say'st in the same Page Christ may thank Sin for all his Sufferings c. If so then he might thank the Devil who is the Author of it but he iâ— not worthy of Thanks this is some of thy dark divining There is another Thing I am not willing to omit that is in the same page thou sayest That Sin set the Father against Christ It may be thou mayâ—st call this a Thesis but it is a dark one it may be thou mayest say It 's Dâ—vâ—â—try and â—â—e Quakers are a Silly Ignorant People and do not understand it but come Tho. Powel thou sayest Scripturs is thy Ruâ—â—â— shew us plain Scripture for it if thou can'st for tâ—â— Quakers love Scripture very well and God hath given them the Knowledge of them and Comfort of them by the Holy Spirit by which the holy Men were moved to give them forth Glory to his holy Name for the same and for all his Blessings and Mercies Now Christ saith The Father hath not loft me alone for I do alwayes those things that please him John 28.29 and the Father saith of the Son This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him 2 Pet. 1.17 T. P. I desire thou mayest believe the Father and the Son's Testimony before-mentioned and Repent of thy dark and unscriptural Affirmation T. P. There is one more dark unscriptural Saying of thine which I must rebuke thee for thou sayest in the same page of thy Epistle the words are viz. Christ was accounted a Sinner by Wicked Men but that is not all he was accounted also a Sinner by his Father Answ In this Position or Affirmation thou holdest forth that God and Wicked Men are of one Mind which never was or can be Wicked Men say He cast out Devils by Beelzebub and said Say we not well thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil And Wicked Men told the Blind Man whose Eyes Christ opened Christ was a Sinner and thou sayest God accounted him also a Sinner or else sayest thou he would not have dealt so severely with him as he did T. P. This is written in Love and Rebuke to thee and remember that it s written The Rebukes of a Friend are better then the Kisses of an Enemy John Feild THE DEVIL THE Greatest Sinner IN THE WORLD THat Thomas Powel should call his Pamphlet An Answer to John Vaughton and John Field their Fictious Pamphlet as he doth falsly stile it in his Title-page I might indeed very much admire but that I do find him grown to a very great height of Confidence or Impudence that he hath said That he is satisfied that neither Christians nor his Aequaintance will give Credit to any thing that the Quakers should say of him pag. 1. A notorious Untruth indeed for many both Christians and his Acquaintance do believe That what the Quakers have said of him is true and he himself is made to confess to much of it as hereafter I shall make appear and notwithstanding he doth find fault with that Account that I have given of that
Meetings but the Spirit of Cain having entred him from whence his Fear comes which makes him to say he dare not go alone Now you Divines of his way consider whether Tho. Powel be a Gospel-Minister or a false Prophet and take his own Phrase run on the Devil's Errand But for our Foundation it stands sure notwithstanding his Attempts and the Skirmisher's too I have also taken Notice of a Marginal Note in Page 6. of his Book his Words are these Reader if thou believest that this Discourse passed between J. V. and my self thou must value his Memory at an high Rate but I am apt to think that his Memory is as fallible as yours and mine though he had the Confidence to tell me that he was perfect A Forger indeed I never told Tho. Powel that I was perfect he would insinuate into his Reader that the Discourse was feigned from his Supposition of the Fallibility of my Memory his Thoughts of the Fallibleness of my Memory is no Proof of the Discourse feigned and for the Fallibility of his Memory I have an Instance that he said I told him I was perfect which Words he never had from my Mouth for we preach not our selves but Christ Jesus and the Doctrine of Perfection is the Doctrine of Christ and they that oppose it are Anti-christ and the State of Sanctification through the Spirit of God I do believe is attainable on this Side the Grave for I do declare that I have no Faith in the Papist Purgatory though our Adversaries number us amongst them And in page 7. he notes me for a Lyar in saying he said Burn the Bible hear his Proof Mr Bye my Witness doth also attest that as far as he remembers I said no such Word but away with the Bible which was the Words I spoke I very well remember Must the fallible Memories of T. P. and his Witness go for a Proof and I from thence termed a Lyar no such Matter for I have a Witness that heard and can very well remember that T. P. said Burn the Bible more then once or twice And in page 10. he avoucheth That one of the Quakers Principles is that all except themselves shall be confounded and damned this he brings for the Vindication of his former Assertion that he had given in the Name of the Quakers in Answer to a young Man that put this Query Seeing you are but a People of about 25 Years standing and you say that your Way is the right Way what became of the People that dyed before you were a People they said T. P. believe they are all damned This he would not have imputed to his Envy and Malice but to his Judgment and that Judgment he saith is grounded from an underiable Consequence that resulteth from several Phrases scattered up and down in their own Books one that he mentions is this that their Way is the only Way Now how doth this prove that our Saying Christ Our Way is the only Way to be determined as our Belief that all that dyed before we were a People are damned for we do believe the Way of God which is but one was in all Generations and that there was a Remnant that walked in this Way and found Acceptance with him and this Way was and is Christ who is the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and this Light is not Conscience as he would wickedly insinuate but it shines in the Hearts and Consciences of all the Sons and Daughters of Men to discover and make manifest those Things that are Evil and they that receive it in this its Manifestation come to know the Power and Sufficiency of him who said I am the Light of the World he that believes in me shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life And my Adversary talks of several Quakers Books yet he sayes He hath but one Quakers Book in his Study i. e. a Catechism of G. F. and he sayes it 's to his Purpose he quotes it thus Quest Father Are Jews and Gentiles and Christians that do not believe in the Light that which doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World all out of him who is the Life the Light of Men Answer Yea Child From these Words this passionate Man falls a railing and sayes It 's a Hellish Book and that the Principles contained in G. F 's Catechism are Principles that the Devil in Hell hath hatched ergo Soul-damning Principles Principles that are of the Devil 's making or hatching as he phrases it are Soul damning but that G. F's Words are of the Devil 's hatching that I deny for they are in themselves safe and sure for how can People be in him i. e. Christ the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and not believe in him and if not in him then out of him and this is no wayes to his Purpose as he said it was to prove that we believe that all were damned that were before we were a People or that our Principles are Soul-damning And now I come to my Adverversary perfect Confirmation of his Assertion as he calls it which seems to be very fictious but however hear it page 8. he saith For a perfect Confirmation of my Assertion viz. That the Quakers do hold that all who dye not in Belief of their Principles shall be damned see in this ensuing Relation that I shall stand by Once a Maiden-Acquaintance of mine was courted by a zealous Quaker who during the Time he was Suitor had prevailed with her to go with him to hear his Friends scil Quakers and that once or twice at last he demandeth of her how she liked them she answered worse and worse which occasioned him to break off from her and withall to say that if she heard any other she would certainly be damned Would T. P. and his Brethren have their Faith and Principles be concluded and determined Damnable from the Words of one Man Certainly no and that such an one as they have not so much as the Knowledge of his Name but this is perfect Confirmation as he calls it not to mention his imperfect Ones But I shall at this Time leave it amongst his Fly-blown Stuff And he tells his Reader He hath preached almost three Years for only Charges defrayed But I may take Leave to tell him that that doth not clear him from preaching for what he could get but if his Charges were so great every time he went into the Country as it was that Day he met with the Country-Priest he told me of and two of his Companions at a Tavern where after their Friendship threatned to kill him for preaching against the Papists and as they were going to have him to the Place of Execution which was upon a Bed he having about five Pounds in his Pocket as he himself related it tumbled out of which he said It was as the Ram that appeared for the saving
THE DEVIL THE Greatest Sinner IN THE WORLD Or A REPLY to THOMAS POWEL who calls himself A Minister of the Gospel yet Affirms JESVS CHRIST was the Greatest Sinner in the VVorld By JOHN VAUGHTON The Lord frustrateth the Token of the Lyars c. Isaiah 44.24 25. He that justifieth the Wicked and he that condemneth the Just even they both are Abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.15 Printed in the Year 1676. AN Epistle to Thomas Powell T. P. here follows a Copy of the Words thou gave under thy Hand the 29th of the 2d Moneth 1676. to J. V. Jesus Christ was the greatest Sinner in the World I Thomas Powel Minister of the Gospel affirms SInce thy giving forth of the fore-mentioned Words thou hast publish'd in print a Paper in Vindication of the aforesaid Wordâ— though thou wast in Love several times desired to condemn them before the printing of the said Paper so no more to have been made of them but thou refusing to do it put forth thy printed Paper as aforesaid to which Paper thou hast received an Answer entituled A Vindication of Jesus Christ c. to which thou hast replyed still vindicating thy former Words viz. That Jesus Christ was the greatest Sinner in the World In thy printed Papers thou say'st by Imputation but thou said'st not so in thy first Paper In thy Epistle to thy Book entituled Mr Powell 's Answer c. thou say'st Christ was the greatest of Sinners I query of thee whether thou believest the Devil was not and is not the greatest of Sinners he being the Original and first Cause of it by whom it was brought into the World and by whom it 's continued and increased in it I hope thou wilt not deny but that the Devil is the greatest of Sinners and dost thou think that the Devil must have no Sin imputed to him who is the greatest Sinner dost thou think he must bear no Punishment for the Sin of Mankind seeing he is the Original and first Cause of it all Consider of this thou and the Divines of thy Way and answer in Plainness according to plain Scripture which you profess to be your Rule remember what God hath said unto the Serpent or Devil the greatest of Sinners Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all Cattel and above every Beast of the Field c. Here thou may'st see what Punishment God justly brought upon him for leading Man and Woman into Sin here thou may'st see how God both imputeth Sin to him and punisheth him for it and thou may'st consider Christ's Words to the Goats on the left Hand Mat. 25.41 Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels here again thou may'st see God imputes Sin to the Devil the greatest of Sinners the Original of all Sin and not only to him but also to his Disciples and doth and will punish them both for it John 3. 8. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the Beginning for this Purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil which is Sin Iohn doth not say he came to take the Guilt of Sin upon him which is the Devil's Work but saith he was manifest to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin and Iohn further saith In this the Children of God are manifest the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother 1 Joh. 3.10 T.P. I would have thee to consider whether thou hast not charged that upon Christ Jesus the immaculate Lamb of God which is justly and properly to be charged upon the Devil to wit that he was the greatest Sinner in the World I could rejoyce to know thee to come out of that Spiritual Blindness which thou art fallen into through the Delusions of that Evil One who certainly is the greatest of Sinners whatever thou or any other may think or say to the contrary And in Order to convince thee of the Falseness of thy Charge against Christ to wit That he was the greatest sinner in the World I ask thee to shew by plain Scripture if thou canst how Christ can be a Sinner or the greatest Sinner in the World and not sin Sin is the Transgression of the Law of God Christ did not transgress the Law but fulfilled it that which renders Man a Sinner in God's Sight is the transgressing of his holy Law which the Serpent did when he tempted the Woman to eat of the Tree which God commanded she should not eat of he told her a Lye to encourage her to transgress God's Law and she and the Man did transgress the Law of God in eating that which God had forbidden and thus they were lead into Sin by him who is the greatest of Sinners for he became a Sinner by transgressing the Law of God and he being the first Sinner and the Original and first Cause of it in all Mankind doth justly merit the Name of a Sinner and not only so but the greatest of Sinners by Action and Imputation and to him belongs the greatest Punishment and thus the Man and Woman came properly and justly to merit or deserve the Name of Sinners by transgressing the Law of God to have it imputed unto them or charged upon them and to be judged condemned or punished for it in their impenitent and unbelieving State T. P. take notice that though we deny and oppose thy Charge against Christ as unscriptural and unsound whe sai'st He waes the greatest Sinner in the World And in thy Epistle thou sai'st that the Word He was made Sin for us many understand a Sacrifice for Sin c. which thou sai'st thou acknowledges to be a Godly Sense the Godly Sense is the true and right Sense which Sense we own and hadst thou kept to this Godly Sense thou had'st not been opposed by us but thou giving another Sense contrary to this that is an Ungodly one and therefore we oppose it yet we own that holy man Christ Jesus to be that one Offering who hath perfected forever them who are sanctified I say we dearly own him who offered up himself through the Eternal Spirit as a Lamb without Spot and Blemish he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but for the Sins of the whole World we have received Power from God the Father to preach Forgiveness of Sins that are past in the Name of Christ Jesus through the Forbearance of God John Baptist saith Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World be did not say behold the greatest Sinner in the World neither did he say he was gâ—ilty of the Sins he took away And so T. P. and thy Brethren keep to Scripture Language which is a Form of found Words which Words were given forth by the holy men as they were moved by the holy Spirit of God which Spirit gave