and Respect but what is relative or equal between Men. Princ. They Honour all Men in the Lord but not in the Spirit and Fashions of this World that pass away and tho' they do not pull off their Hats or make Curchings nor give flattering Titles or Complements because they believe there is no true Honour but Flattery and Sin in the using of them yet they treat all Men with Seriousness and Gentleness and are ready to do them any reasonable Benefit or Service in which they think real Honour consisteth Whereas those that thus reproach them are often Peevish Snappish Abusive and Oppressive one to another tho' at the same time they can give one another the Cap and Knee which is far from true Civility or honouring all Men as they are exhorted by the Apostle And as for expressing their respect to their Superiors they think it best done by obeying all just Laws under their Government according to the saying of the Centurion unto Christ and which Christ so much approved of Luk. 7. 8 9. Pervers 17. The Quakers are Enemies to all Government every one acting according to his own Conceit Princ. That this a Calumny their Lives and Conversations sufficiently shew for no People give the Magistracy less Trouble or cause that Charge or Burden to sit lighter on their Shoulders than they do And for their Principle They believe Magistracy to be an Ordinance of God And he that Ruleth well to be worthy of double Honour and is to be much valued and esteemed as such certainly do who are a Terror to Evil doers and a Praise to them that do well And further to shew that they are a People that love Order and good Government they carefully practise it among themselves for if there be twenty Meetings of Worship in a County they peradventure make three or four Monthly Meetings of Business and these Monthly Meetings are resolved into a Quarterly Meeting for the County by such Members as they severally appoint to constitute it And all the Quarterly Meetings in the Nation by chosen Men out of themselves do constitute one general Yearly Meeting unto which the Meetings of those People in all parts of the World have their Recourse by Chosen Messengers or by Epistles The Business of all which Meetings in their several Degrees being to promote Virtue and Charity Peace and Unity Thus sober Reader thou hast an Account of this People their Principles and Practice and thereby thou mayst see if thou pleasest with how little Reason they are despised by some and abused by others which hath been their Lot in a large Measure ever since they have been a People Though the whole bent of their Spirits and Testimony since God by his Grace hath raised them to be a People hath been to promote the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in the World by turning all People from darkness to the light of Christ in them as the great and singular Agent and Principle by which only Man is enlightned and inabled to see and do the Will of God For till Men are quickned by this divine Principle they are Hypocrites and not Christians and Bastards and not Sons Neither can they have true Faith whatsoever they profess nor can they truly worship God whatever they perform Oh then let the poor Quakers and their abused Principles have better entertainment with thee Reader And do not conclude because they direct People to the Light of Christ in them that therefore it is a meer natural and not a divine Light Or because they assert Christ to be the Word of God and that he is revealed in the Heart according to the Scripture and that the Scripture in that sense is not so therefore they deny the divine Authority of the Scriptures and that the Truth thereof is not in any sense the Word of the Lord Or because they don't receive the Schoolmens Trinity therefore they deny the Scripture Trinity of Father Word and Spirit Or that therefore they deny the Divinity of the Word Or that they deny Christ without them who was the Son of Man in a suffering state on Earth and is now the Son of Man in Glory because they exalt and press the knowledge of Christ within as the Truth and Excellency of the Hope of the Glory that hereafter shall be revealed according to Col. 1. 26 27 28 29. and 2 Cor. 13. 5. as being the Riches of the Glory of the Mysteries revealed and to be revealed in these latter days Neither say that they hope to be saved by their own works since they maintain that no Works that are not wrought by the Spirit of God are acceptable to him Or that they hold even such Works meritorious because they say good Works are necessary and rewardable Or that they deny the use of Means because they reject Ungospel ones or that they deny Baptism and the Supper because they say they experience their Accomplishments Neither say that they honour no Man because they forbear Titles and Ceremonies in which true honour consists not Or that they are against Government because they cannot conform to it in Matters relating to Religion and Conscience in which Christ only is Lord and King Since thou seest Reader That they believe the Light to be divine and the Scriptures to be of divine Authority That they own the Scripture Trinity or holy Three of Father Word and Spirit to be truly and properly one that Christ is God and that Christ is Man that he came in the Flesh died rose again ascended and sits on God's right hand the only Sacrifice and Mediator for Man's happiness That truly Gospel Means and Ordinances are requisite and to be reverently practised That good Works are necessary and rewardable That all Men are to be honoured in the Lord according to their Degrees and that Government in Church and State is God's Ordinance and both requisite and very beneficial Now Reader that which remains is to recommend thee to this divine Principle They make the Root and Spring of all true sense of God and Religion in Man even the Light within which comes from Christ and is Christ the eternal Word and brings all that follow the Convictions and Leadings of it to Christ and to know him in themselves the hope of their Eternal Glory Who as he is of Abraham after the Flesh so is he God the true Light over all blessed forever that inlightens all in order to Life and Blessedness Unto whose holy and blessed Light thou Reader art recommended Love it and walk in it and thou shalt have Fellowship with God and with his Saints and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son shall cleanse thee from all Sin 1 Jo. 1. 5 6 7. which is most earnestly desired on thy Behalf FINIS Books Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1693. TRuth Triumphant through the Spiritual Warfare Christian Labours and Writings of that able and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Robert Barclay price bound 13s The Truth Exalted in the Writings of that eminent and faithful Servant of Christ John Burnyeat price bound 2s 6d The Presbyterian and Independent visible Churches in New England and elsewhere brought to the Test and examined according to the Doctrin of the Holy Scriptures in their Doctrin Ministry Worship Constitution Government Sacraments and Sabbath day By G. Keith Price bound 1s 6d The Divine Light of Christ in Man and his Mediation truly confessed by the People called Quakers By G. VVhitehead Price 2d The Fundamental Truths of Christianity by G. Keith price bound 8d His Way to the City of God described Elizabeth Bathurst's Truth 's Vindication price bound 8d The Spirit of the Martyrs Revived pricâ— bound 4s
subtilty of Satan as in other things to darken the Appearance of Truth and prepossess Peoples Minds against it For since he cannot hinder the Exaltation of the Spirit above all visible Instruments and the Necessity of its Motions and Operations to be known in the Hearts of Men and the great suitableness of it to the Gospel Administration he would spoil all by overdoing For they never denied the use of Means but to this Day from the beginning they have been in the use of them But then they are such Means as are used in the Life and Power of God and not in and from Mans meer Wit Will or Imitation the thing they strike at For instance they cannot own that to be a Gospel Ministry that is without a Gospel Spirit or that such can be sent of God that are not taught of God or that they are fit to teach others what Regeneration and the Way to Heaven are that have never been born again themselves or that such can ever bring Souls to God that are themselves strangers like those in the Acts 19. 21. to the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost This is only the Ministry and these the Ministers that the People called Quakers cannot own and receive and therefore cannot maintain For the Ministry and Ministers that are according to Scripture they both own and delight in Read Jo. 14. 16 17 26. ch 16. 13. Acts 1. 8. Gal. 1. 1 15 16. It is strange because they deny all false Means or means not used in the Leadings of God's Power and Spirit that therefore they must deny all means however rightly employed This is an Injustice in their Enemies Wherefore all are desired to take notice That Evangelical Means and Order they love and desire to keep for they diligently assemble themselves together to worship God where they both pray in the Spirit and prophesie one by one as any thing is revealed to them according to 1 Cor. 14. 15 29 30 31. Nor are they without Spiritual Songs making Melody in their Hearts to God their Redeemer by the same Holy Ghost as they are comforted and moved by it Eph. 5. 19. Pervers 9. The Quakers deny the Trinity Princ. Nothing less They believe in the Holy Three or Trinity of Father Word and Spirit Jo. 1. 1. ch 14. 9. Rom. 9. 5. 1 Jo. 5. 7. And that these three are truly and properly one Of one Nature as well as Will. But they are very tender of quitting Scripture Terms and Phrases for Schoolmen's 1 Cor. 1. 18 31. ch 2. 2 6. Col. 2. 8. as Persons and Substances c. are And they judge that a curious Enquiry into those High and Divine Relations tends not to Godliness and Peace which should be the Aim of true Christians and therefore they cannot gratify that Curiosity in themselves or others Speculative Truths being to be sparingly and tenderly declared and never to be made the Measures of Christianity or Christian Communion For besides that Christ Jesus hath taught them other things the sad Consequences in all Times of superfining upon Scripture Texts hath sufficiently forbid them Men are too apt to let their Heads out-run their Hearts and Notion Obedience and with Passion to support their Conceits Pervers 10. The Quakers deny Christ to be God Princ. Nothing can well be more untrue and unreasonable for their great and characteristick Principle being this That Christ enlightens the Souls of all Men that come into the World with a Saving Light which nothing but the Creator of Souls can do It does sufficiently shew They believe him to be God But they truly and expressly own him so according to Jo. 1. 1. and Rom. 9. 5. to be God over all blessed for ever Pervers 11. The Quakers deny the Human Nature of Christ Princ. They never taught or said or held so gross a thing if by Human Nature be understood the Manhood of Christ Jesus For as they believe him to be God over all blessed for ever so they believe him to be of the Seed of Abraham and David after the Flesh and therefore truly and properly Man like us in all things and once subject to all things for our sakes Sin only excepted See Is 7. 14. Matt. 1. 23. Luke 1. 31. Pervers 12. The Quakers deny Christ's Transactions at Jerusalem and the shedding his Blood to be beneficial to them for it is the Light within only they expect to be saved by Princ. This is untruly charged upon them They do say that the Appearance of the second Adam Jo. 1. 14. Heb. 10. 5. the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit in that holy Body prepared of the Father for him was for the Salvation of the World that had fallen in the first Adam That whatever Christ then did both Living and Dying was of great Benesit to all that then believed and is still to all that now do and hereafter shall to the end believe in him as they receive and obey the manifestation of his Light in their Consciences which leads Men to believe and value and not to disown Christ as the common Sacrifice and Mediator For they do affirm That to come to that Light and turn their Minds and bring all their Deeds and Thoughts to that is the readiest nay the only right way to come to have true Faith in Christ as he appeared in the Flesh and to discern the Lord's Body aright and to receive any real Benefit by him as their only Sacrifice and Mediator And it is not another than that Blessed Word Light Power Wisdom and Eternal Righteousness who then appeared in that Holy Body by whom they have received or can receive any true spiritual Benefit Light is from him Forgiveness through him and Sanctification only by him So that their ascribing Salvation in this Age to him who now appears to their Souls as before expressed cannot render him no Saviour in that Age or invalidate the Benefit of his blessed Appearance then on Earth or Mediation now in Heaven Whose Doctrine pierced whose Life preached whose Miracles astonished whose Blood attoned and whose Death Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven confirmed that Blessed Manifestation to be no less than the Word God who is Life and Light manifested in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. for the Salvation of the World and therefore properly and truly the Son of Man on Earth and now the Son of Man in Glory Pervers 13. The Quakers set up Works and Meriting by Works like the Papists whereby Justification by Faith in Christ is laid aside Princ. By no means They say with the Apostle James ch 2. That true Faith in Christ cannot be without Works no more than a Body can live without a Spirit and where there is Life there is Motion and where there is no Divine Life there is no Faith Nay by the Comparison if they were separable Works being compared to the Spirit would have the better The very believing is an Act of the Mind and therefore a godly Work and
no sooner is true Faith begotten in a Soul but it falls to working which is both the Nature and in some respect the end of it Nor do we say that our very best Works proceeding from the true Faith it self can merit no nor Faith joyned with them All that Man is capable of believing or performing can never merit everlasting Blessedness because there can be no proportion as there must be in case of Merit between the best Works that can be performed in the Life of Man and an Eternal Felicity Wherefore all that Man can do even with the Assistance of the Holy Spirit can never be properly said to merit but that right Faith and good Works which will follow it may and do obtain the blessed Immortality which it pleaseth Almighty God to give and priviledge the Sons of Men with who perform that necessary Condition is a Gospel and necessary Truth And this the Quakers groundedly and therefore boldly affirm So that they deny all Merit from the best of Works especially by such as the Papists are wont to conceive Meritorious But as they on the one hand do deny the meritoriousness of Works so neither can they joyn with that lazy Faith which works not Let not good Works make Men Papists because they make Men Christians I am sure believing and not working and imagining a Salvation from Wrath where there is no Salvation from Sin which is the cause of it is no whit less unscriptural and abundantly more pernicious to the Soul Blessed is he that hears Christ's Words and does them The doer is only accepted for though Death be the Wages of Sin yet the Gift of God is Eternal Life to such Rom. 6. 23. so that as they do not hold that their good Works merit neither believe they that their good Works justifie For though none are justified that are not in measure sanctified yet they are not justified because they are sanctified but for his sake that sanctifies them Isa 26. 12. and works all their good Works in them and for them to wit Christ Jesus who is made unto them as to the Saints of old Wisdom Righteosness Sanctification and Redemption that he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. Pervers 14. The Quakers deny the two great Ordinances of the Gospel Baptism and the Supper Princ. Whatever is truly and properly a Gospel Ordinance they desire to own and practise But they observe no such Language in the Scriptures as in the Objection They do confess the Practice of John's Baptism and the Supper is to be found there but that is no Institution or sufficient Reason of Continuation That they were then proper they believe it being a time of great Infancy and when the Mysteries of Truth lay yet couched and foulded up in Figures and Shadows as is acknowledged by Protestants but it is their Belief that no Figures or Signs are perpetual or of Institution under the Gospel Administration when Christ who is the Substance is come though their use might have been indulged to young Converts in Primitive Times It were to overthrow the whole Gospel Dispensation and to make the coming of Christ of none effect to render Signs of the nature of the Gospel If it be said But they were used after the coming of Christ and his Ascension too They answer So were many Jewish Ceremonies not easily abolished If any say But Christ commanded that one of them should be done till he come They say That he that said so told his Disciples also That he would come to them again That some should not taste of Death till they saw him come in his Kingdom And he that was then with them should be in them And that he would drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine till he should drink it new with them in the Kingdom of God Joh. 14. 1 2 3. Mat. 16. 28. Joh. 14. 17. Mat. 26. 29. Mark 14. 25. Which is the new Wine that was to be put into the new Bottles Luk. 5. 37. and is the Wine of the Kingdom as he expresseth it in the same place Which Kingdom is within as may be read Luk. 17. 20. He was the heavenly Bread that they had not yet known nor his Flesh and Blood as they were to know them as may be seen John 6. 53 to 63. So that though Christ was come to end all Signs yet till he was known to be the Substance to the Soul as the great Bread of Life from Heaven Signs had their Service to shew forth and keep in hand and remembrance especially to the People of that day whose Religion was attended with a multitude of the like Types Shadows and Signs of the one good Thing and Substance of all Hence it is That the Quakers cannot be said to deny them that is too hard a word But they truly witnessing that the very thing that Water Bread and Wine do signifie is come to them they leave them off as fulfilled and henceforth have but one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Bread and but one Cup of Blessings which is the new Wine of the Kingdom Mark 14. 25. Pervers 15. They acknowledge no Resurrection of the Dead nor Rewards to come Princ. In this also they are greatly abused They deny not but believe the Resurrection according to Scripture the one from Sin the other from Death and the Grave but are cautious in expressing the manner of the Resurrection intended in the Charge because 't is left a Secret in Scripture Are People angry with them for not believing or asserting what is hidden and which is more curious than necessary to be known and which the Objectors themselves cannot be positive in Thou Fool is to the curious Inquirer as says the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 36 53 54. which makes the Quakers contented with that Body which God shall please to give them being assured that their Corruption shall put on Incorruption and their Mortality Immortality in such manner as pleaseth him And in the mean time they think it their Duty as well as Wisdom to acquiesce in his holy Will It is enough they believe a Resurrection and that of a glorious and incorruptible Body without further Niceties for to that was the ancient hope Now as to Eternal Rewards they not only believe them but above all People have the greatest reason so to do for otherwise who is so miserable Do they inherit the Reproach and Suffering of all that have separated from time to time that is are the Out-cries that have been against the Protestants by the Papists and those of the Church of England against Puritans Brownists and other Separatists fallen upon them and shall they hold Principles inconsistent with an Eternal Recompence of Rewards By no means It is their Faith their Hope and what they press as an Incouragement to Faithfulness and the contrary therefore both an unjust and foolish Suggestion of their Adversaries Pervers 16. The Quakers deny all Civil Honour