Infants or Believers we are left at uncertainty by this Rector 't is enough with him to cry It must be with Water Water But who who must come under it Men or Babes Here we are at a loss What an easie way it is to make Christians and to get to Heaven if this be it viz. Learn and believe your Creed and that you are inwardly washed regenerated and entered into God's Kingdom by your Water-Baptism Whether as Infants or grown up is still the Question This Rector boldly tells us Nay further it appears That before our Saviour Baptized those in Judea he represented the Solemnity of Baptism as a thing necessary to enter Men into that Kingdom of God to which he invited them our Saviour not only telling Nicodemus John 3. 5. That except a Man be born again he could not see the Kingdom of God But yet more plainly That except he was born again of Water p. 5. and of the Spirit he could not enter into it p. 28. In this Interpretation of John 3. 5. to outward Water the Rector exactly agrees with the Popish Notion and Interpretation thereof That no Man can enter into the Kingdom of God nor into the Fellowship of Holy Church without Water-Baptism as held by the Rhemists see their Annotations upon John 3. 5. And therein opposed by the Protestants as appears in Dr. Fulk's Answer viz. It is not necessary in this place By Water to understand material Water but rather the Purifying Grace of Christ. As in Chap. 4. ver 11 14. where 't is called Living Water whereof he saith Washing with Water in Baptism is an outward Sign So that the Reform'd Protestants did place Salvation the New Birth and entering into the Kingdom of God upon the Inward Baptism by the Purifying Grace of Christ and not upon the Outward Element of Water they esteem'd that but an outward Sign of the Inward For the outward Baptism by Water the Rector urges our Saviour's Example and Practice from John 3. 22 26. p. 28. as if practised or ministred by Christ himself But that 's a Mistake for in John 4. 2. 't is expresly said Though Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples I have run the farther into this Point in this place to shew what a Composition the Rector has run Christianity into But to return to some of his invidious Abuses and Perversions For the Credit of his Charge of Venom and Blasphemous Opinions relating to Christianity as well as to the Government against us he saith And to this end and purpose in the Month of March last past there were two Books presented to both Houses of Parliament the one Entitled A Brief Discovery of some of the Blasphemies and Seditious Principles c. The other Entitled Some few of the Quakers many horrid Blasphemies Heresies c. And also a Sheet Entitled Some Reasons humbly offered why the Quakers should be examined p. 6 7. Here we may observe this Rector has owned these same Books as well as presenting them to the Parliament Now one of them that is a Libel stiled Some Few has an Owner with the rest Thou therefore John Meriton Rector so called art accountable for the manifold Abuses Perversions Calumnies and Traducings which are in those Books and detected in my Truth and Innocency vindicated which I doubt not but will turn to your great Shame and Disgrace who promoted them as will also your strenuous Endeavours to Insence the Government against us but that they had more Discretion and Prudence than to be influenced by two or three Invidious Persons against a Peaceable and Serviceable People Now concerning our Christian Profession on which the Rector makes his Observations to evince the Venom of Quakerism as he unjustly defames us He accuseth us with dubious and equivocal Terms agreeable to those of the Oracles of the Heathen p. 7. for our confessing That our Belief is That in the Unity of the God-head there is Father Son and Holy Ghost those Three Divine Witnesses that beare Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and that these Three are One according to Holy Scripture Testimony These the Rector has judged as dubious equivocal Terms though they are Scripture Terms see Matt. 28. 19. 1 John 5. 7. John 14. 26. Chap. 15. 26. But not being content with this our Confession he begs this Question i. e. But if not Three Persons what Three are they page 8. Let him prove these Terms by plain Scripture as we have done ours and then we shall be resolved so as not to charge him with dubious Terms He might have spared his bitter Insinuations against us as virulent Poison grossest Errors equivocal Reserves wherein they meaning the Quakers may be thought to exceed their Brethren the Jesuits page 8. It had been more Prudence for him to have forborne or reserved these bitter Aspersions than to impose them upon the Reader which shews a great Enmity and bitterness of Spirit in the Man His repeated and partial Citations and Charge against G. F. W. P. and G. W. in page 8 9 10. are answered and detected in the second part of the other Examination i. e. Truth and Innocency c. under the first Head and Title Concerning the Holy Trinity What is alledged against G. W. out of Ishmael c. page 10. about the Three Persons though wrongly cited by the Rector p. 9 10. I have positively disowned that passage twice already both as 't is in it self and as it is none of mine and do now a third time disown the same which none therefore but the Implacable will repeat against me About a Heaven within and the Locality of Heaven p. 10. I do not find either G. F. or W. P. truly quoted or cited upon Examination The Matter as it concerns G. F. is answered in the other Examination aforesaid To the Rector's thus construing our Confession i. e. When they speak of Three Divine Witnesses bearing Record in Heaven that is to say quoth he the Heaven within them p. 10. Thus he imposes his meaning upon us as if we confined the Divine Three bearing Witness in Heaven only to a Heaven within us and not as being in that Heaven without us also which is a mistaken Construction for the Heaven wherein the Divine Three bear Witness is above and distinct from the Earth 1 John 5. 7 8. and yet the same Holy Spirit which is God bears witness in Earth too even in Mens Hearts and Consciences His Spirit bears witness with our Spirits c. And he that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself 1 John 5. 10. And he that inhabiteth Eternity and dwells in the highest Heavens dwells also in the lowest Hearts even with them that are poor and of contrite Spirits and tremble at his word how despised soever they are in the Eyes of the Proud and Envious whom God will debase And it was no lessening of the Blessed Record of the Divine Three
Legal Dispensation had no Faith in the Messiah or no Title to Christianity or were in no Christian State as implied page 4. seeing they had the Word of Faith in them as well as the Law without them Deut. 30. 12 14. compared with Rom. 10. 8. And all Israel drank of the same Spiritual Rock which followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. How could they drink thereof if they had no Faith therein 2. Now how this Reason describes a Christian in the Affirmative He tells us To entitle a Man to be a Christian viz. He must necessarily believe Christ to be already come nay that particular and numerical Man Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh to be the Christ of God that was promised to come in due time That this very Man was Crucified died and rose again from the Dead and is ascended c. citing 1 Tim. 3. 16. This Christ God-man as come and Crucified was that main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity These were new Articles founded upon a new Dispensation without the Belief of which not to name some others which may be thought by some also necessary such as Baptism by Water and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine a Man cannot be called a Christian page 4 5. If this Belief of the Blessed Man Christ Jesus his Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension into Glory as the Great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh c. 1 Tim. 3. 16. be necessary to entitle a Man to be a Christian then we the People called Quakers sincerely believe all this of Christ the true and promised Messiah we really have all this Faith of and concerning him consequently we must have a true Title and right Claim to Christianity by the same Proposition we really believe both of Christ and in him even in his Name and Power wherein we hold the main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity and the Doctrine thereof But this Rector has omitted a Living Faith in Christ unto Repentance Sanctification Regeneration the New Birth Newness of Life Purity and Holiness without which no Man shall see God or be a Christian in Nature The more uncharitable and inconsistent then is this Rector in charging us with Venom giving our Doctrine the Character of The Venom of Quakerism and the Quakers indefinitely that of Deceitful Workers Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ cannot be looked upon any otherwise at best than good moral Heathens and many of them short of that page 5. Hence observe how uncharitable and furious this Rector is and how he had need to be corrected for his Rashness herein though our Profession taking the words thereof in their common Acceptation must be granted at least to seem Orthodox as he grants both of our Paper observed by him i. e. The Christianity c. W. P' s Key John Crook ' s Principles c. But still in his uncharitable and sower Humour he will presume to be Judge over our Sincerity from my seeing cause to construe my Friend's words and Intentions as if we were hence to be mistrusted in our Orthodox Confessions whereupon he presently passes Judgment against the Quakers viz. That they have a nauseous Pill to give you but that it may not be distastful they gild it over as the Writers of Popery in the late K. J's Reign the other day did with more such bitter envious Stuff and false Judgment to which we shall never submit nor give away our Sincerity or Holy Profession of Christ and Christianity which he cannot deny to be Orthodox in it self Nor extinguish our Sincerity therein but only strive to cloud by Reproaches groundless Jealousies and Misconstructions and Perversions which is not as he would be done by to be sure But if a Belief of Christ already come born of the Virgin Mary being of the Seed of Abraham and that he was Crucified died rose again and ascended as the Scriptures declare be sufficient to entitle a Man to be a Christian How many do believe and confess thus much of Christ and yet Unsanctified Unregenerate Impenitent Ungodly and Unchristian in Spirit and Conversation So that they are not in the true living Faith in Christ Jesus though they have an Historical and Traditional one and perhaps may be Baptized or Sprinkled with Water too But of that the Rector here writes somewhat faintly and dubiously as thought by some also necessary i. e. to make a Man a Christian page 9. But afterward he is more positive in this Point That 't is necessary as the Sacred Ordinance of Christ and Saving p. 27. Necessary to enter Men into the Kingdom of God from John 3. 5. p. 28. for Remission and doing away Sins cleansing of our Souls that the Spirit doth Sanctifie the Waters in Baptism to the mystical Washing away of Sin p. 29 31 32. But as for Infants partaking thereof he evades proof It is not his business here to prove he saith p. 27. So that he both evades defending their own Practice and leaves People at an uncertainty of the Subjects of this ignorantly supposed Saving Soul cleansing and mystical washing Ordinance making use of the Anabaptists Arguments for Baptizing Believers with Water which is no proof for Rantism or Sprinkling upon Infants Thus he attempts to shew People the way or means of Regeneration and entering into the Kingdom of God and he lays the stress thereof upon the outward Baptism by Water and not upon the inward Baptism of the Spirit he has found out an easie way to make Christians and to get to Heaven at this rate His business here being to prove Whether outward Baptism by Water is the Sacred Ordinance of Christ as necessary to be believed and Saving or Inward Baptism i. e. the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or an Inward Conversion to God p. 27. So that by this the Saving Baptism must be the one or the other he places it upon the outward Waters of Baptism as necessary to the cleansing of our Souls mystical Washing away of Sin p. 31 32. therefore not upon the Inward Baptism of the Spirit for that was not sufficient he saith p. 29. No What was it good for then He tells us The inward Baptism was but a necessary Qualification for the Reception of the outward Baptism by Water p. 29. So that the Water is exalted above the Spirit or the Spirit 's Baptism But how many Infants who are Sprinkled can they prove are thus first qualified by the Inward Baptism of the Spirit What confused and bewildred work do we meet withal from some angry Opposers Upon the whole the Man's Definition of a Christian is summed up in this viz. That the Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Inward and Spiritual Baptism is not Saving or sufficient to make a true Christian but Water-Baptism and whether that must be of
there is a great difference between Christ's offering up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without Spot to God and the Acts of wicked Men inflicted upon him as 't is said by wicked hands they put him to death The Merit Deserving Dignity or Worth is placed upon Christ's Obedience in offering up himself and humbling himself to the Death of the Cross for Man's Redemption as intimated in the consequence Wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 9. Therefore the Merit or Deserving was not placed upon the Soldier 's Act of thrusting the Spear into his side and letting out his Blood thereby after he had given up the Ghost John 19. 33 34. But upon the Obedience of the Son of God even unto the Death of the Cross as that most acceptable Sacrifice for the Sins of the World Christ's deserving such high Exaltation into Dominion and Glory through his Obedience in Suffering was for the bringing many Sons to Glory Heb. 2. 10. consequently That in following him we might be received into Glory as they who Suffer with him shall be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and this no ways interferes with nor varies from Our Sincere Belief of Salvation and Justification by Jesus Christ his Righteousness Merits and Works and not by our own Christ as our Mediator and the one Offering has obtained Justification Remission and Pardon of Sins and Eternal Redemption for us which he makes us partakers of by his Work of Righteousness and Sanctification in us so that both Christ's Obedience Deservings and Dignity without us and his works within us are concerned in our Salvation and Justification which his Light and Spirit Leads us to the living Knowledge and Experience of as We sincerely obey and follow the same for the Apostle describes both the washing Sanctification and Justification of true Converts to be in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Therefore I hope it will be no reproach to W. P. or any else to be in conjunction with G. W. in this point as he is accused p. 14. namely That our Justification and Salvation is not Effected wholly without us as if there were no need of the Spirit 's work within us for our Regeneration and Sanctification all which is Christ's work being done by his Spirit and Power which consequently does no ways lessen his Dignity Glory and Honour wherewith he was crowned through the Suffering of Death that he might bring many Sons after him unto Glory Heb. 2. 9. Again the Rector quotes G. Whitehead in Counterfeit Convert printed 1694. p. 17 18. That it is the Light and Life within in which is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation And as for the Sufferings and Death of Christ in the Flesh they do but instrumentally contribute thereunto The Rector to abuse me Partially cites me in this place as if I ascribed Salvation to a Light and Life within without Christ or not to Christ for what else could he design in bringing this Quotation to confront or oppose our Confession before cited to Salvation by Jesus Christ And where do I say in which i. e. in the Light and Life within is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation as if I should say something in the Light and Life of Christ were the Immediate cause of Man's Salvation and not the Light and Life of Christ it self this Rector would fain make me speak Non-sence as well as Blasphemy But by our confessing to the Light and Life of Christ within as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation from Sin and Condemnation we do neither divide Christ nor make two Christs nor yet by confessing his Suffering and Death in the Flesh as a means of God's appointment instrumentally to contribute thereunto He being The Mediator of the New Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament or Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and as it was by means of Christ that true Christians believe in God who raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory and Honour that their Faith and Hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1. 20 21. So if Christ our Mediator be the Means the Cause and Great Instrument of our Faith and Salvation and his Death the Means of our Redemption and Remission of Sins in his Blood It can be no dishonour to him to confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute to our Salvation and that Christ himself by his Light and Life in us is the Immediate and Efficient cause thereof thereby fulfilling and confirming in us the blessed and holy Design and Ends of his Sufferings and Death for us I am not ashamed of my Testimony for Christ in this matter and give it here more truly than my Adversary has done out of the place quoted out of Counterfeit Convert p. 18. viz. That Christ the Promised Seed through Death was to bruise under and destroy him that had the Power of Death viz. The Devil yet he effectually doth it by his divine Power Light and Life as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation wherein we still confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute thereunto Christ Jesus as the Promised Seed who came of a Woman made under the Law bruised the Serpent's Head both without us and within us without us through his Sufferings and Death by his divine Testimony Word and Power within us by his Divine Life Light Word or Seed Spirit and Power which is all but one Christ himself not two Christs nor to be divided Else how could we be born again of Incorruptible Seed Or how doth that Seed remain in him that 's born again And is not that Seed Christ And is not the Word of Faith Christ in Spirit See 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 John 3. 9. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. Now where 's the Venom charged in all this Doctrine When true and full Recitations are given of our Words how plain does the Truth thereof appear But when our Adversaries give their perverted minced and false Citations thereof to traduce us as Venomous in Doctrine as this angry Rector has frowardly and frequently done How cloudy do they make them and us look But Truth will work thorow and over all this dust and cloudy stuff they cast upon us To what he quotes against Tho. Lawson his Untaught Teacher printed 1655. p. 4 5. Against looking for Salvation from a means without and seeking a way to Salvation without p. 15. I have not the Book quoted but am apt to think T. L's unfairly or not fully cited in this place let the Rector produce a fair and full Recitation However I really believe upon our Principle that T. L. meant no other than that as Salvation from Sin is an Inward and Spiritual Work of Christ Men must expect and wait
the said Snake c. but more fully in a farther Scrutiny made in a Book now Extant Entituled Anguis Flagellatus Or a Switch for the Snake By Joseph Wyeth When this Rector can demonstrate a Probatum est of such vertue in that Poor Element as he calls it of Water-Baptism as to cleanse and cure polluted and distempered Souls from Sin Spiritual Leprosie and Diseases as Naaman the Assyrian was cured of his Leprosie by washing seven times in the River of Jordan 2 Kings 5. 13. or as the Blind Man found in washing in the Pool of Siloam that he receiv'd Sight and came seeing John 9. 11. unto both which the Rector alludes in 's comparison for Water-Baptism Then I say if he can evince a Probatum of such vertue therein according to his own comparison It will be a most pregnant Argument to induce People to believe 't is required of them to be dipt or baptized in the Element of Water and to hasten into it especially if they can believe it can effect such a Miracle as an Inward and Spiritual Cure upon their Souls as to Cleanse and Cure them from Sin and the Leprosie thereof as well as from Spiritual Blindness which answers the Allusions before and the more necessity thereof if they may not be so cured without it as this Rector saith of Naaman If he had neglected it he had not otherwise been cured How much more then quoth he when God has appointed the means of Baptism by his Son if we neglect it shall we be saved without it p. 31. This is like Dipp or Damn still and yet all this while he may mean Rantism which is not properly Baptism but I deny either i. e. with the Element of Water to be the means of Salvation or that as such God has so appointed them and that Men shall not be Saved without them i. e. without Sprinkling or Dipping in Water the Rector still imposes and begs the Question in all these without Scripture proof I would not be understood to own or allow any despite to Water-Baptism or inventing contemptible Names for it as the Rector insinuates as it was once a Dispensation from Heaven to John Baptist nor do I either condemn despise or contemn any who are tenderly Conscientious in the Belief and Practise thereof but desire they may see and come further so as to receive that Inward Spiritual Baptism the Washing of Regeneration by which Christ effectually Saveth the True Believers in him I desire none may Idolize the outward Element of Water which cannot Save to hinder them of the Inward which can Save And it being generally granted that the outward Baptism is an outward and visible Sign of an Inward and Spiritual Grace and Type or Figure of the Inward Baptism I wish Men would be so considerate as to examine what Necessity there can be of the continuance of the Sign or Type when they do not hear Christ the Great Prophet directing thereto nor does it effect the end proposed i. e. the Washing away of Sin seeing the Substance and Mystery thereof is made manifest and a Spiritual Dispensation or Ministry from Heaven given immediately directing to the Life Substance the end of all Shadows which really end in Christ the Substance whose Evangelical Ministry is a Dispensation of the Grace of God of Substance and not of Shadow Quest. Do you believe or own the Lord's Supper either as a Sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves or as a Seal of the Saints Communion and Commemoration of Christ's Death for us or as Figurative of Christ's Body and Blood Spiritually received by Faith Answ. The Supper of the Lord we own and tenderly consider in a Two-fold Sense 1. In the Figure 2. In the Substance 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ at his Supper with his Disciples did eat the Passover which was for the fulfilling and Consummation of the Feasts under the Law see Luke 22. and at this Supper he did take and minister Bread and the Cup to his Disciples for there was no Transubstantiation saying This do in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. After this they did more clearly know his Coming and Christ after the Spirit Jesus Christ in them 2 Cor. 13 5. 5. 16. 2. And Christ said to his Disciples I will not drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine until that day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom Matt. 26. 29. And likewise of the Passover I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God Luke 22. 16. And he further said I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed to me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom c. Luke 22. 29 30. In these things we believe he spoke Mysteriously and that every Member of his Spiritual Church doth daily Spiritually partake of his Body and Blood by Faith as The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. The Son of God saith Behold I stand at the door and knock if any Man hear my voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Rev. 3. 20. And Wisdom calleth to the Simple Come eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine Prov. 9. 4 5. And saith Christ The Bread of God is he that cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World I am that Bread of Life my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him John 6. We believe that all who thus do truly partake of Christ by Faith are in true Communion and Love among themselves which they do want who are only in the outward Observation of Signs and Shadows Upon which the Rector makes this Observation viz. The Reader may here discern how by their deceivable Words and manifold Corruptions of the Scriptures these horrid Impostors set themselves at work to evade and make null the Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper as instituted and administred in Bread and Wine c. p. 34. Reply He passes severe Judgment before either Proof or Trial as one more expert in Railing and Reviling than in Demonstration For our considering the Supper of the Lord in a Two-fold Sence 1. In the Type or Figure 2. In the Substance Is neither Deceivable nor Corruption of Scripture consequently 't is a horrid Calumny to brand us as Horrid Impostors for such Consideration We know none but Papists that will deny the outward Bread and Wine to be
in Heaven for the Spiritual Believers in Christ Jesus to be promoted to the Honour and Priviledge of sitting together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 5 6. and their continuing in the Son and in the Father if the Word which they had heard from the Beginning remained in them 1 John 2. 24. As there is a Plurality of Heavens without us so there are degrees of heavenly States in Christ Jesus within us if our Conversation be in Heaven I charge the Rector with a false Quotation and Abuse of me in particular in his Observation on our Confession to the Divinity and Humanity or Manhood of Jesus Christ. Where he quotes Truth defending the Quakers p. 22. and against me saith Where he affirms Christ's coming in the Flesh to be but a Figure or Example answered in the other Examination part 1. p. 24 25. which are not my words but in the Priest's 35th Question wrongly accusing R. Hubberthorn therewith The Rector also wrongs R. H. and me in what he adds viz. Which is also the Saying of R. Hubberthorn and justified by G. W. in his Judgment Fixed p. 336. who tells you plainly what Man Christ the Quakers own i. e. their Light within only p. 11. He wrongs me again in both For 1st I never understood that 't was R. H's Saying that Christ's coming in the Flesh was But a Figure nor saw it ever so affirmed under his hand but by his Adversaries 2. Neither have I justified that Saying in Judgment Fixed 3. Neither do I there tell you plainly that the Man Christ the Quakers own is their Light within only I do not confine the Christ to within only though he be our Light within as well as he is our Mediator the Man Christ without But the Rector to fasten his Charge upon me adds viz. His words i. e. G. W's are these Therefore the Man Christ Jesus was before he came in the Body of Flesh p. 11. Here the Rector cites a Consequence of a Proposition against me but not the Proposition it self wherein he is unfair Yet the Consequence proves not that I either affirm or justifie Christ's coming in the Flesh to be but a Figure 'T is fully answered in the Examination before and my Proposition from which the said Consequence is drawn is John bore witness of that Man Christ saying He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me John 1. 15. Again ver 30. After me cometh a Man which is preferred before me for he was before me Therefore the Man Christ Jesus was before he came in the Body or Flesh he was that Spiritual Rock which all Israel drank of his Life was the Light of Men from the Beginning and all the Generations of the Righteous did Spiritually partake of the Benefit of Christ as Mediator both before and after his coming in the Flesh they virtually partook of the Sacrifice of the Lamb c. Judgment Fixed p. 336. Now could this be to deny either the Divinity or Manhood of Christ No sure but rather a Confession to both Neither doth it prove our Confession thereunto only a Paint or Varnish to deceive the Hearts of the Simple as this Rector would insinuate though very frowardly and unjustly And That Christ existeth outwardly Bodily without us at God's right hand my Enquiry for Scripture-proof for these words Nature of Christianity page 41. Anno 1671. proves no Insincerity in our Belief of Jesus Christ as he is truly God and Man according as Holy Scripture testifies of him and questioning those Terms was not to deny Christ's real Exaltation in Glory as he is at the right Hand of the Majesty in the Heavens What the Rector quotes against G. F. and W. P. about Christ that was Crucified and his outward Person c. p. 12 13. is answered and explained in the Examination aforesaid What he quotes against W. Smith's Primmer p. 8. printed 1668 i. e. They that are False Ministers preach Christ without Here wants the word Only viz. they preach Christ without Only in opposition to his being within for it was so corrected in the last Edition of his Works What carping and picking work do these Men make against us to make us Offenders for a word We also sincerely confess We believe and expect Salvation and Justification by Jesus Christ his Righteousness Merits and Works here they leave out and not by our own God is not indebted to us for our Deservings but we to him for his Free Grace in Christ Jesus whereby we are Saved through Faith in him not of our selves and by his Grace enabled truly and acceptably to serve and follow him as he requires He is our All in all who worketh all in us that is well pleasing to God To render us Insincere or Contradictory herein the Rector begins with G. W's Light and Life thus quoting him p. 38. viz. The Quakers see no need of directing Men to Jesus Christ or his Blood as it was outwardly shed at Jerusalem for Justification c. Herein he has falsly quoted me and misrepresented my words which if he read them 't was the more wickedly done If it was upon the Credit of another's Information 't was presumptuously foolish so injuriously to cite them My words in the place quoted are these viz. The Quakers see no need of directing Men to the Type for the Antitype viz. neither to the outward Temple nor yet to Jerusalem to Jesus Christ or his Blood It should be for Jesus Christ there knowing that neither the Righteousness of Faith nor the Word of it doth so direct Rom. 10. which is not to disswade People from Jesus Christ where he is to be found but from going to seek him in the Type before mentioned The Matter is answer'd before this Rector had need to be rectified himself Again He quotes G. W. thus p. 55. ibid. Where doth the Scripture say That the shedding of Christ's Blood outwardly was the meritorious cause of Man's Salvation And p. 64. It is False Doctrine to lay the meritorious cause or stress of Justification upon the shedding that Blood let out by the Spear He has here quoted me partially in both these passages especially in the last 1. My Question to the Baptist in the place was this Where do the Scriptures use those Expressions and so much vary about the Blood of Christ as one while to say that the shedding that Blood outwardly was the meritorious cause of Salvation c. p. 55. 2. Whereas the Baptist accused us with denying the shedding of the Blood upon the Cross that was let out by vertue of the Spear being thrust into his side to be the meritorious cause of Man's Justification as held in the Affirmative by the Baptist. My answer was The shedding of that Blood let out by the Spear was an Act of a wicked Man and the Spear an Instrument of Cruelty which to lay the meritorious cause or stress of Justification upon is false Doctrine for