Words Three Persons or Three Hypostases have made great Contention in former times and divers judged to be Pious and Learned Men have denied them and disputed against them as namely Jerome against the Three Hypostases and Augustine disputed solidly Lib. 5. 7. de Trinitate That the Words Three Persons are not properly applicable to the Mystery it self although he doth not know what other Names to give them And surely it is too great Presumption and Curiosity in any Man to dive further into this Mystery than what God hath been pleased to reveal or to give Names to it and yet it is more Presumption and smelleth rankly of a Persecuting Spirit to impose upon others these words which the Spirit of God hath not Taught nor left upon Record in the Scriptures and yet because we do not own these Word 's of Man's Wisdom and Spirit to cry out against us as Blasphemers and Deniers of the true Christ whereas we the Quakers believe in and own the true Christ more according both to his Godhead and Manhood more according to the Truth and the Testimony of the Scripture than our Accusers do as I hope in its due place to shew And in p. 87. saith Nor indeed is there any need of these Terms Three Distinct Persons but rather they darken than explain the Mystery which have occasioned not only some of the Vulgar but even some of them called the Learned to Err grosly in their Conceptions about the Mystery it self sure I am they are in an Error occasioned in great part by these unsound and unscriptural Terms of Three Persons in the Trinity for Persons signifies Substances and not the Modes or Properties of One Substance Thus Keith when a Quaker spoke truly of the Quakers tho' now he acts in a contrary Line These Men must be acknowledged to be either Insincere formerly or else they are Insincere now For as we were we are if we were Erroneous then Keith was Insincere for declaring us Orthodox If we are Orthodox Keith is Insincere now for declaring us Heterodox Nor is it in this one Particular for if it might be of Service I believe I could make it appear that he has declared us in all our Principles Orthodox Here in this one Particular we may observe how zealously he Defends our Consciencious Scruple not only by the Authority of these Fathers but also from the Unscripturalness and ill Consequences of such Terms withal fully declaring our Sincere Belief in the Holy Three which may be sufficient to shew we are Sound in Faith touching the Trinity so called I shall not for Brevity's sake say any more to Vindicate our consciencious Scrupling these Words and Terms used by R. B. to express these Mysteries by but shall proceed to shew by a Quotation or two that we are Sound in the Faith touching the Doctrines themselves out of that Book which is generally received by the Society But by this as we do not at all intend either to equal our selves to that Holy Man the Lord Jesus Christ who was Born of the Virgin Mary in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells Bodily nor to destroy the Reality of his present Existence so neither do we as some have falsly callumniated us For though we affirm that Christ dwells in us yet not Immediately but Mediately as he is in that Seed which is in us whereas he to wit the Eternal Word which was with God and was God dwelt Immediately in that Holy Man He then is as the Head and we as the Members he the Vine we the Branches so God dwells otherwise in the Man Jesus than in us We also freely reject the Heresie of Apolinarius who denied him to have any Soul but said The Body was only acted by the Godhead As also the Error of Eutiches who made the Manhood to be wholly swallowed up of the Godhead Wherefore as we believe he was a true and a real Man so we also believe that he continues so Glorified in the Heavens in Soul and Body by whom God shall Judge the World in the great and general Day of Judgment Neither do we hereby intend any ways to Lessen or Derogate from the Atonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ but on the contrary do Magnifie and Exalt it For as we believe all those things to have been certainly translated which are recorded in the Holy Scriptures concerning the Birth Life Miracles Sufferings Resurrection and Ascention of Jesus Christ so we do believe that it is the Duty of every one to believe it to whom it pleaseth God to reveal the same and to bring to them the Knowledge of it Yea we believe it were Damnable Unbelief not to believe when so declared nevertheless as we do firmly believe it was necessary that Christ should come that by his Death and Sufferings he might offer up himself a Sacrifice to God for our Sins who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree so we believe that the Remission of Sins which any partake of is only in and by Vertue of that most satisfactory Sacrifice and no otherwise for it is by the Obedience of that One that the free Gift is come upon all to Justification Barclay's Apol. 334.335 Thus having given these Quotations of our Faith by which it doth evidently appear how falsly this R. Bridgman hath insinuated against us as well as the Soundness of our Faith is sufficiently declared I shall now proceed and be more Brief because what he offers in the main is but Trifling He adds That without the true Faith of them we cannot be saved which true Faith he acknowledges ought to be wrought by the Operation of the Spirit I would hope since he belteves it of so great Concernment he will take care for one or else notwithstanding all his other Performances and going to Church he is like to remain still Ignorant of the true Faith of them besides how can he be fully assured whether he has the true Faith of them wrought by the Spirit without sticking to his Quaker-Principle of Immediate Revelation I would see this R. Bridgman and G. Keith to give over playing upon words which is only a trying of Skill If they would betake themselves like Sampson to the great Pillars of our Religion our known and acknowledged Principles this were far more Manly than raising up a Man of Straw to Fight with for then if they could overthrow them it would render them Sampsons indeed Now G. K. when a Quaker accounted Immediate Revelation as stated in his Book on that Subject and the Universal Principle of Light and Grace which Principle he States and Proves in his Books The Universal Free Grace of the Gospel asserted the two great Principles or Pillars of our Religion as differing from other Societies of Christians therefore Oh ye mighty Men to work R. B. proceeds to Teach of what necessity it is to every one to be rightly inform'd concerning those above-mentioned Doctrines adding
is Go Teach baptizing all Nations into the Name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost And the Name of either the Father or the Son or the holy Ghost is most frequently if not always used in Scripture to signifie Power and Life as The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth c. Thus we see Keith after having been a Quaker nigh if not altogether 30 Years holds out Zealous in his Testimony against Water-Baptism and says It can never be proved from Mat. 28.18 19. And if Water-Baptism can never be proved how much less can Sprinkling Infants be proved for which there is neither Precept nor Practice in all the Bible And yet this is the Baptism R. B. must stand by It will be necessary to shew that the Ministers of Christ may Instrumentally or Ministerially Baptize with this Spiritual Baptism indeed it were Gross if any held that any Man or Men had Power to Command or Give the Holy Ghost but I doubt not but it will be Plain as well as Orthodox That the Apostles were the Means or Instruments tho' Christ the Principal by which the holy Ghost was given which when I have done I hope I have performed what will be expected from me at this time My first proof shall be from Acts 10.44 While Peter yet spake these Words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word To this plain matter of Fact what can be objected or who dare deny but Peter's Preaching was the Means or Instrumental Cause of their being thus eminently Baptized with the Holy Ghost this passage exactly agrees and runs parallel with our Lord's Command of Teaching all Nations Baptizing them c. for as the Text words it it implies that to Teach Baptizing went together and was performed by Christ's Presence attending their Ministry so here not only by Precept but by Practice and Matter of Fact is true for through Peter's Preaching they both heard the Word and were baptized with the Holy Ghost at one and the same instant Acts 11.15 16. And as our Saviour said in another Case My Father works hitherto and I work So tho' this Power be granted as indeed it ought to Christ and that Christ doth Principally or Originally Baptize with the Holy Ghost and also that he administers it as it pleases him either Immediately and without all outward Means or Mediately and by Instruments yet his Servants that are by him Commissionated may be truly said Instrumentally to Baptize with the Holy Ghost and may say Christ worketh hitherto and we work So I would have all be very careful that they do not oppose what they do not understand but rather fall in with Peter and say What are we that we should withstand God Tho' several Texts of like import might be produced that proves this Truth yet for Brevity sake shall conclude with this one Gal. 3.5 This only would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith Thus it is clearly proved that the true Ministers are Ministers of the Spirit and do minister it And as Paul saith They were made able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit R. B. begins a new Charge thus But to manifest how liable they are to pervert the true sense of matter see what G. Whitehead says concerning the Supper p. 35. of his Rector Examined where he produces some Testimonies out of the Book of Martyrs to favour his Case which duly considered are directly against it I have examin'd the Quotations and for further satisfaction if R. B. will not be offended I will be so Ingenuous both to Transcribe them and the end for which G. W. produced them in G. W's own Words by which the Impartial may perceive the falseness of R. B's Charge And note he doth not bring this so much to detect this particular Perversion of G. W's as he accounts it but thereby to shew how apt we are to pervert the true sense of matter so that we may reasonably conclude he would not bring one of the meanest in his Budget since it was to be his Goliah These following are G. W's Words and therein is expressed the end for which he quoted the following Testimonies And that the Bread and the Cup which Christ gave at his Supper were a Figure or Typical was confessed by divers eminent Martyrs as John Frith in his Reasons upon the Sacrament treating of Christ the promised Seed saith Likewise the same Promise was made unto Moses the most meek and gentle Captain of the Israelites which did not only himself believe on Christ which was so often promised but also did prefigurate him by divers Means both by the Manna which came down from Heaven and also by the Water which issued out of the Rock for the refreshing the Bodies of his People Neither is it to be doubted but that both Manna and this Water had a prophetick Mystery in them declaring the very self-same thing which the Bread and the Wine doth now declare unto us in the Sacrament For thus saith St. Augustine Whosoever did understand Christ in the Manna did eat the same spiritual Food that we do but they which by that Manna sought only to fill their Bellies did eat thereof and are Dead On the Margent it is Manna and the Water of the Rock a Figure of Christ's Body Bread and Wine a Figure likewise of Christ's Body 1 Cor. 10. See 2 Vol. Mart. p. 305. printed 1641. And Dr. Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury confesseth Christ's Speech i. e. this is my Body to be Figurative and quoting Ambrose in 1 Cor. 11. he calleth the Bread and the Cup Signs a Type Figure or Sign of the Blood of Christ and of his Benefit In his Disputations in Oxford Vol. 3. Mar. p. 59. and Chap. 54. ibid. he saith The Flesh liveth by Bread but the Soul is inwardly fed by Christ And Dr. Ridley Bishop of London in his Disputations at Oxford saith And as one of the Fathers saith A Figure is in vain where the thing signified is present ibid. p. 74. And p. 75 76. in opposition to the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation he saith The Sayings of the Fathers declare it to be a Figurative Speech as appeareth in Origen Tertullian Chrysostom in opere imperfecto Augustine Ambrose Basil Gregory Nazienzen Hilary and most plainly in Bertram Thus we have both the end for which G. W. quoted them in his own Words and the whole Quotations themselves For my part I cannot find any Perversion and it stands R. B. upon to manifest it more plainly if there be any what because some of them was brought to oppose the Doctrine of Transubstantiation therefore they are no good Arguments to G. W's purpose to
what a necessary work it is to yield our Love and Obedience to that Law and Light with which God instructs and enlightens our Nature and that without some Experience thereof it is in vain to pretend to any Religion Whether does he offer this as one Reason for leaving us or Digresses and gives it as Advice to his present Friends For it 's much but he may think himself notwithstanding all the pretences of Sorrow and Shame wiser than some Older and more Eminent Church-men He goes on and tells how dangerous it is To reduce all Religion and Faith towards God under a Profession and Experience of Light and Truth without any Distinction of common and special Illumination and Grace How far he intends this a Charge against us I am not like to know besides it is too general for him to expect a particular Answer let him Charge us but Honestly and do his worst We know that though there are Diversities of Gifts yet the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. Next he chargeth us by Name for having ignorantly and blasphemously opposed this Work of Faith and Reformation and that if we contradict or deny it must bespeak great ignorance or obstinacy But seeing he has been so kind as to account us Blasphemers and Ignorant I will submit to be accounted Obstinate too before he shall pass without Rebuke and do therefore Deny his Charge and Dare him to prove it He now being upon the high Rope goes on insinuating we Reject the Institutions of Jesus Christ which as he saith is evident from our Writings constantly published from our beginning yet he offers not one Quotation of them all for Confirmation If what he says were true what must we judge of him as to joyn and continue so many Years with such a People since as he says It is evident from our Writings constantly published that we reject the Institutions of Jesus Christ to which he cannot pretend Ignorance I think he is mightily to blame thus to Reproach his old Friends and all without-Book it looks like as if he had left them rather out of Humour than real Conviction for real Conviction would have demonstrated it self with a more Christian Temper When I have added a little more of his of like Nature I shall shew from our Doctrine how opposite his Charges are to what we Believe by which his Envy will evidently appear he saith How under pretence of high Attainments and further Glory a Spirit of Pride and great Uncharitableness hath possessed us is sufficiently manifest by its Fruits in Censuring and Reproaching all other Denominations of profess'd Christians whom we set at a great Distance and account as the World which lyeth in Wickedness with some more of like nature As to this latter That we account all other Denominations of Christians as the World which lyeth in Wickedness our Charity is so far reverse to that that we blieve there may be even among Turks and Jews such as belong to the Catholick-Church hear what is said Barclay's Apology p. 400. of his Works viz. There may be therefore Members of this Catholick-Church both among Heathens Turks and Jews and of all the several sorts of Christians Men and Women of Integrity and Simplicity of Heart who though blinded in something in their Understanding and perhaps burthened with the Superstitions and Formality of the several Sects in which they are ingrossed yet being Upright in their Hearts before the Lord chiefly aiming and labouring to be delivered from Iniquity and loving to follow Righteousness are by the secret Touches of this holy Light in their Souls inliven'd and quicken'd thereby secretly united to God and there-through become true Members of this Catholick-Church Is not this very opposite to his false Charge And to his other Insinuations That we reduce all Religion and Faith towards God under a Profession of Life and Truth without any distinction of Common and Special Illumination and Grace and so Reject the Institutions of Christ See p. 405. of the same Book Secondly The Church is to be considered as it signifies a certain Number of Persons gathered by God's Spirit and by the Testimony of some of his Servants raised up for that end unto the belief of the true Doctrines and Principles of the Christian Faith who through their Hearts being united by the same Love and their Understandings informed in the same Truth Gather Meet and Assemble together to wait upon God to Worship him and to bear a joynt-Testimony for the Truth against Error Thus it is evident how notoriously False are his Charges and Insinuations against us what he observes of the Disagreeableness of what we Teach or Publish I should have thought the small Earnings his Friend G. K. hath made thereof for if we consider his Eminence and the great Number of Years he zealously preached and defended our Faith even nigh thirty Years which must be granted the chief of his natural Life and yet upon his Revolt should be able to draw off no more looks almost incredible might have given sufficient Check to his Calumny As to the oppositeness of our Principles to true Christianity is another gross Calumny without any manner of Proof however we are ready to vindicate them and shew their agreeableness with the Holy Scriptures either with this or any other Adversary And for our Quibling and Shuffling with dull and apparent Sophistry I ascribe to his want of Matter and the effect of Envy What he saith of our altering the Sense of our own and our Opponents Writings with more of the same kind is all of a piece with the former and deserves no other answer the poor Man being at a loss must vent his Envy some way As to those Sounds and Echoes he speaks of what he intends thereby is a little dubious but if he has tender Ears and cannot endure great Sounds I ought to pity him for as the saying is He is gone out of hot Love into red Fire Most of his ninth Page as far as I find is filled with his Resentments for our refusing G. K's Arbitrary Summons And since he mentions a Paper writ by our Friends on that occasion Titled A word to the well-inclined I shall for answer refer to that Paper which I doubt not but will give the Impartial entire Satisfaction As to the Spreading our Books can he or any else blame us Would any Christian Society do less if they were abused and railed on in Print by their Adversaries but use all lawful means to remove the Reproach and vindicate their just Case Would he have us Dumb that his beloved Keith's Scotch Eloquence might pass without Remark Then I doubt not but Printing would be accounted a more edifying Method than building Stages and drawing Multitudes of People together What he insinuates of the Increase of our Number doth not