was Incarnate and dyed And that Christ was his own Father to whom he prayed upon the Cross. We own Christ both as Eternal God and as the Son of Mary yet are under no such difficulties as the Snake doth falsly suggest For we cannot express the Godhead by the word Person having no such Example in Scripture and our Belief being according to that and expressed in the words of it It must necessarily follow that the Snake does account the Declaration of Holy Writ in this Article to have many Absurdities Of which let him clear himself if he can as also of inclining to Polytheism which his words do seem to favour Ibid. p. 122. G. F. opposes Christopher Wade for saying That the Holy Ghost was a Person and that there was a Trinity of three Persons before Christ was Born It seems by this they do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was Born It does not only seem but plainly appear that this Snake is a Notorious Lyar Holy Writ says 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven It does not express them either by the word Trinity or Persons does it therefore seem that Holy Writ does not acknowledge that there were three in Heaven before Christ was Born Or that the Three in Heaven as the Snake Blasphemously does suggest must be Three Creatures What G. F. opposed in Christopher Wade in this Case was the Unscripturalness of his Language which will best appear from G. F's one Words not curtaild as in the Snake they are these Great Mystery p. 246. Thou knowest not him that is in the Father and the Father in him Glorified with the Father before the World began And the Scriptures doth not tell people of a Trinity nor Three Persons but the Common-Prayer Mass-Book speak of Three Persons brought in by thy Father the Pope And the Father Son and Holy Spirit was always one Ibid. p. 122 123. The Snake shews as himself says what Muggleton did hold in that Blasphemous Whimsy of the Deputy-ship of Elijah c. and says of it It terrifies my very Soul while I repeat such dreadful and sensless Blasphemy But I am well assured that this Snake was under greater Terror of Soul when seized by the King's Messenger at Lidd in Kent For To repeat such dreadful and senslless Blasphemy He had no Necessity was under no Constraint but that it pleased him to think that he might slantingly throw it at us tho' both him and it we do utterly deny But it was not in his Power to avoid being seized by the Messenger though he afterwards found it in his Power to run away from him Of which in its proper place Ibid. p. 123. How far the Quakers differ from Muggleton in what is here told excepting the Deputy-ship of Elijah will appear by their allowing no distinction between the Father and the Son It is an Abominable falshood G. F. did not say there was no Distinction between the Father and the Son but deny'd such Distinction as that Priest contended for and if the Snake think good Let him openly declare whether he will stand by and own that Distinction for which the Priest did contend and which G. Fox did oppose What the Priest did affirm was this as given in Great Mystery p. 293. The Father is a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son and the Son a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Father and the Holy Ghost a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son See Reader had not G. Fox reason to oppose this Polytheistical Doctrine of Separation and Incommunication which plainly makes a Triumvirate of the Deity and thereby destroys not only the Simplicity but the Foundation of Faith And this will happen so long as Men will Hazzard their Faith to improve their Knowledge And curiously inquire into what will still remain a Mystery and not be content with such Declaration of it as we are Infallibly assured in Holy Writ is according to the Mind of God and sufficient for the necessities of Men. But to proceed there needs not an Ingenious Stickler to shew what G. F. did oppose but there wants an Ingenious Stickler unless the Snake think himself so to reconcile the Priests words which I have above quoted to the Holy Scripture which he pretends to be his rule for at present they are as contrary to it as Light to Darkness I am not so much surprised to find this Snake p. 124. saying of George Fox He was a very Sorrowful beginner of a Religion and could neither be separated nor distinguished from a Tool which Knaves do work with call'd a F l. As to find him so cautiously clipping the word Fool Because it is greater Modesty and Caution than he uses towards him in other places where he calls him Valpoon George Magus and says he was one of poor understanding and had an Immoderate degree of Dulness But after all this his Serpentine Modesty or rather as himself expresses it p. 198 wicked and hateful Eubullition of Soul George Fox did herein justly and warrantably oppose that Distinction and Incommunication in the Deity which the Priest did as above contend for But again he is angry with G. F. in Great Mystery p. 246. Where the Snake says he disputes against Christopher Wade for saying God the Father never took upon him Humane Nature But he is so far from replying to G. F's answer to Christopher Wade that he gives but three words of it tho' the answer does consist of more than so many lines and is as follows Great Mystery p. 246. Answ. Contrary to the Scripture which saith God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And art Ignorant of the Great Mystery God manifest in the Flesh and his name is called the Everlasting Father As for the Word Humane which is from the Ground it comes from thy own Knowledge which is earthly and Christ took upon him the Seed of Abraham and David according to the Flesh and this is Scripture Language And if the Snake can shew that it is not so it will be better to confute the whole than to nibble Rat like at three words of it And this brings me to the end of this short Section SECT IX Concerning our Belief of the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. ACcording to what has been already spoken in the foregoing Sections occasionally concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. I do here of set purpose declare it as a Truth which now is and always hath been since we were a People believed and declared by us That The Word which was in the Beginning with God by which all things were made did in the fulness of time according to the appointment of the Father take Flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and that in that Body of Flesh The Fulness of the Godhead dwelt Bodily Thus in the largness of the Expression and sense of Scripture we do truly and sincerely own according to John 1.14 That
Ordinances c. When the Apostle Paul decry'd the abrogated Priesthood and outward Ordinances did he thereby carry on the design of the Devil From the Rise of Popery all along the Apostacy to the time of the Reformation beginning did the Devil labour to beat down the Priesthood and outward Ordinances or to keep them up Ib. Knowing that Religion must needs fall with them What Religion must that be This shews the Religion the Snake contends for is built upon the Priesthood and outward Ordinances else it could not necessarily fall with them He has another Notion of Religion than the Apostle James as well as another Religion and according to him James 1.27 must be read Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To keep up the Priesthood and outward Ordinances for if they fall Religion will fall with them Such as is his Religion such the Government also and Order he contends for viz. a Government that depends upon saying You to One calling Men Lord or Master who are not so taking off the Hat and Bowing For not to do these things is with him Pref. p. 15. a dissolving of all Government and order the Relations of King and People Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants Which Notoriously False and Childish Assertion deserves to be Hiss'd out of the World For in the Instances of Government disolv'd in the Relation of King and People pray Reader consider have they been dissolv'd and run down by Thee and Thou not saying Master or Lord by not pulling off the Hat or Bowing or have they been run down and dissolved by Men who Practiced contrary to these things The Author of that Treasonable Piece in answer to Dr. King now Bishop of London-Derry in Ireland can say You to One can call Men Lord or Master who are not so can pull off his Hat and Bow yet has given a fair Specimen of his design to dissolve the Relation of King and People by running down the present Government And for the Instances of Relation between Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants never was one of these Relations dissolv'd or run down through Obedience to the Precept of our Saviour but always by the Iniquity and Disobedience of those in these Relations who have Dispised the Precepts and cast off the Yoke of Christ. Ibid. That the Quakers at first left their Houses and Families to run about and Preach and cried down Riches when they had none Is notoriously false For the Quakers never left their Families to shift for themselves but always took due care of them which is evident in this in that their Families have not offered themselves to the care of the Parishes where they dwelt but on the contrary have defrayed their own Charge and paid their Lot in the Assessments for the Poor of the Church which our Adversary pretends Membership in But if I should examine how many Priests have spent their exactions in Pride Luxury and voluptuous Living and have left their Families to shift for themselves or to the Alms of their dissenting Neighbours the Number would not be very small Nor did the Quakers ever cry down Riches but the immoderate desire after and abuse of them This we practised then and the same now Pref. p. 24. The Quakers dispute against these viz. the outward Sufferings and Death of Christ and place the Merit and Satisfaction in the allegorical Sufferings and Blood of their Light within inwardly shed c. This Assertion of the Snake is not allegorically but litterally a Lye for we acknowledge the satisfaction made by Christ to his Father but we do deny that groundless and dangerous Notion of his having paid and his Father exacted that strict and rigorous Satisfaction by undergoing the self-same Punishment and Pains that the Damned suffer in Hell We own the Merit of his outward Death and Sufferings but dispute against the misapplication of that Merit to ungodly Men continuing impenitently in their Sins We own and believe that Men by continuing impenitently in their Sins do press as with sheaves the holy Spirit and by such their despite to the Spirit of Grace do grieve the good Spirit of God which he hath shed abroad upon the Hearts of Men in order to their Regeneration But have never said or believed that the Satisfaction made by Christ to the Father and the Merit thereof consisted in any allegorical Suffering and Blood of the Light within inwardly shed We own and believe that Men through obedience to the Spirit of Grace may come to have their Consciences sprinkled from dead Works to serve the living God and may thro' the Blood of the everlasting Covenant be made perfect in every good Work to do the Will of God through 〈…〉 But have never placed or believâ—◠〈…〉 thereof did consist in such allegorica◠〈◊〉 and Sufferings as the Snake does insinuaâ—â—â—â—ainst us no more than the Apostle in theâ—â— and other places of holy Writ where he directs Men to the word Christ in Them can be supposed to undervalue the outwaâ—d Death and Sufferings of Christ at Jerusalem And to place the satisfaction he made to the Father and the Merit of it to consist in these his spiritual appearances by the holy Spirit in the Hearts of Men. Pref. p. 29. George Fox was much more inconsiderable than Aâ—â—onia Bourignon and got none at the beginning to follow him but from among the poor and most ignorant of the Herd who have since swell'd to a rich numerous and a potent People overspreading these three Nations and stocking whole Plantations abroad And their Succors have taken Root both in Holland and Germany O! Excellent beginning tho' not enough desired increase Yet both beginning and increase doth in his shew the Servant like his Lord against whom it was objected John 2.48 Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees the Rich Great or Learned believed on him but this People who know not the Law and are cursed Herein the Snake shews his unity with those Blasphemous Opposers of Christ and also gives a Testimony for us that in beginning and increase we are like the Primitive Times of increasing Christianity Which tho' it is beyond the common Rule of Judging yet it is certainly true that by the things which are not God will bring to nought things that are And the mean and low who keep so in his Fear them he will exalt and them who seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness of it shall not fail to have all convenient things added for being Lord of Heaven he is the same over Earth and disposes it at his pleasure This many have experienced after all the fleecings and tearing to pieces of Estates and Families which we have suffered by the cruel hands of such who pretended love to our Souls So that we have none to whom to attribute our Riches Numbers or Might but the Secret Hand of divine Providence which first gave us being
we meet with such Instructions for Profaneness in the Example and Precept of our Saviour The Examples and Precepts of his holy Apostles Or in the Example and Precept of of such who in a true sense of Religion have declared the end of their endeavours were to reclaim and reduce the Erronious and convince Gain-sayers Is it possible Reader that supposing me in Error and Gain-saying I should think a Man so profanely Scoffing should have any real Concern for the Salvation of my Soul so as to be reduced by him Or if I be not in Error that he can have any consciencious Concern for my preservation Nor will the example of Elijah do him any service here he by a warrantable Irony did confute the pretended God-head which hath Eyes and sees not Ears and hears not thereby to reclaim the Idol-worshippers But we the Quakers nor any other Dissenters in England that I know of do or ever did acknowledge any other God than that one Almighty Being the Father of all Things and Jesus Christ his Eternal Son and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son who is one God blessed for ever This hath been so often declared that the Snake could not be ignorant of it wherefore he is the more Inexcusable Secondly Of his Hypocrisie p. 2. I have says he great Charity for the Generality of the Ignorant sort of them some of whom I know to be very Honest and Well-meaning Men and Devout in their Way I do freely own that I have a real Kindness and good Wishes for every one of the Quakers that I have hitherto been acquainted with and I never received any sort of Disobligation from any of them in my whole Life And yet treats the Quakers with all the marks of Bitterness Baseness Contempt and Disdain and with all the marks of open Enmity that can be shewn in the most Scurrilous manner insomuch that he implicitly denies One Dram of the Spirit of Christianity to be in all the Quakers p. 182. and in p. 177. to George Whitehead he says Come George we are near an end and we know not if ever we shall meet again tell me in the Plain Down-right Honesty and Simplicity of the Light within See Reader not only the Prophaneness but the Hypocisie of Pretended Kindness and Good Wishes and the base Returns for no Disobligation Page 202. the Picture of the Quaker Spirit he says he feels sees and abominates by the very Conviction of his Sense Then what grand Hypocrisie must it be to pretend as he doth that he hath real Kindness and good Wishes for such whose Spirit he abominates I have shewn before from his Profane and Scornful Treatment of us that he cannot wish well to our Souls and himself declares he abominates our Spirit which being both absent what would his kindness to our Bodies be Why there is sufficient Ground to believe that his kindness to them is much what the cruel Emperor's was to the Romans when he wished them all but one Neck and then their dispatch would be speedy And to shew that it is not meer Conjecture I now proceed Thirdly To his Injustice which is manifest not only in Wresting our Writings and Perverting our Plain Meanings therein and that knowingly and wilfully since they have been explained by our selves but also by false Quoting our Books sometimes by packing Sentences which stand at distance close together as one continued Quotation or else only with the distinction of a Break without any regard to his breaking off the Sense of the Writer Of which in my way through his Book I shall shew abundance of Instances Add to this his Injustice in urging against us our Adversaries false Charges some upon bare hear-say and often out of Books written against us by open Enemies and that without taking notice of our Answers which is equally Unjust As to have urged the Writings of Celsus Porphyry or other Heathens against the Primitive Christians or the Writings of the Romanists against the Protestants as Eckius against Luther Harding againg Juel c. without any regard had to their Answers Which whosoever should do might have the name of a Bold and Confident but not Wise or Honest Man Yet such is this Snake's Practice and that he might not come short in any thing wherein he can be Injurious he hath purposely mis-stated our Principles that thereby he might make himself an Advantage to fasten upon us what in him lies such Absurd Extravagant and Impious Consequences as he pleases Of this sort I shall have frequent proof to shew thee Reader and now go on to the Book Page 1. The Controversie with the Quaker Dissenters has not been pursued by the Church of England with the like Zeal and Pains as those against the Presbyterians Independants and other Dissenters because the Quakers were not so considerable But their Numbers increased by being neglected are become Formidable It is not my business here to inquire what the Zeal and Pains of the Church has been against other Dissenters it shall suffice me briefly as I may to shew how warm her Zeal and how great her Pains towards us Tho' I here declare it is not pleasant to me afresh to object the Unchristian Treatment Zeal and Pains wherewith very many Members of that Church have pursued us and I would rather have let it slept in Oblivion than called to mind that Harsh Treatment had it not been necessary to remember it and object it for Confutation to the false Pretences of one who pretends to personate her Cause wipe his Mouth say what Harm have we done and to tell the World a most Egregious Lye how the Quakers have been Neglected and thereby Increased For Confutation of this I say I shall briefly Hint to the Sober Reader that we have not come behind our Neighbours in Sufferings in the several Capacities of Name Person and Estate and give some short Specimen of each And first for Sufferings in Name and Fame The many Books written against us even from the very first are Witnesses For the Priesthood in many places in the Days of our Infancy did not only write against us themselves but these incouraged their Flocks whereby there frequently came forth many Books against us insomuch that to the Year 1660. if occasion did require I could produce a Catalogue of many Hundreds which is no mean Beadroll of Adversaries And while Pens were thus imploy'd against us Lying Tongues were not idle for Report and Fame spoke of us in blackest Characters from the Envious and the Ignorant which yet hath often been of advantage for when some in Curiosity have been inclin'd to see for themselves what Monsters of Men they must needs be of whom such ill Fame and Report did go and have seen and found that Fame and Report false they have been inclined to love what that was designed to have made them to hate Nay so general hath our Suffering in this sort been I may say
by our Saviour and mostly in his words viz. as Mat. 5.48 Luke 6.36 and the last Scripture G. Fox there mentions does shew 1 Joh. 4.17 To which he might have added those other Texts 1 Joh. 2.6.3.3.7 where we are exhorted to walk even as he walked to purify our selves even as he is pure and to be righteous as he is righteous Which exhortations it is impossible to witness fulfilled otherwise than by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit which as G. Fox saith is in equality with God And the Expressions being Scriptural it need not trouble us that he is angry Nor do we nor never did we understand these expressions in Holy Writ above-mentioned otherwise than to relate to the Operations of the Holy Spirit in men For we never imagined that ever any Man or Woman can be even as God is or even as Christ is quatenus God and Christ. The Snakes next Quotation p. 17. is from Saul 's Errand to Damascus p. 8. He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the Dead is equal with God Which is as declared by G. F. at his Trial hereafter mentioned to the purpose before for when Men are guided by the Holy Spirit they are certainly guided by God For the Father Son and Holy Spirit are one God and therefore equal and that which is equal as G. Fox often expresses it The Snake's next Quotation p. 18. is from Great Mystery p. 248. All that have the Son and Holy Ghost have that which is Equal in Power and Glory with the Father This Quotation Reader is another instance of the great insincerity of this adversary in that he hath placed the words here as spoken and asserted by G. Fox which yet are sound and true but they were not otherwise than thus The Priest had deni'd the Revelation of Christ in Man otherwise than by Adoption and his Christ's Equality with the Father in answer to this G. Fox mentions that passage in the Assemblies Catechism The Holy Ghost and Son are equal in Substance Power and Glory with the Father and then thus queries not asserts tho' it be true what Then all that have c. See the Readiness of this Man to misrepresent things The Snake's next Step p. 18. is to whom he floutingly calls the Renowned Francis Howgil who he says is yet more express in this Blasphemy if more can be His quotation from F. Howgil p. 232. of his Works is The first thing thy dark Mind stumbles at says he to his Opponent Edward Dodd is that some have said they that have the Spirit of God are equal with God He that hath i. e. obeyeth the Spirit of God is in that Holy Ghost which is equal with God The same says the Scriptures and the same says the Catechism as I have just now noted but F. Howgil goes on He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit there is unity and the unity stands in equality it self there is equality in Nature tho' not in Stature And now after all the Snake can say against it it is agreeable to those several Texts of Scripture quoted p. 49 50. foregoing and also to many others tho' a Mystery to Men not regenerated And therefore F. Howgil goes on and bids learn what these things mean the Understanding and the Learned will know what I say and this is neither damnable nor blasphemous but on the contrary it 's saving and precious to them that believe The next Reader is another Instance of the Snake's Injustice in urging against us a Book writ by one R. Gordon an open Enemy taking no notice at all of any Answer of ours in which practice I have already detected him in p. 48. foregoing and shall have occasion hereafter and therefore shall not say more of it here nor take notice at present of the passages he urges from that Book which yet the sober and unprejudic'd Reader cannot call a leaping over it because not urged upon valid Authority The Snake's next Quotation in p. 18. is from Saul's Errand p. 7 8. Jesus Christ the Mystery passed before The same Spirit now takes upon it the same Seed where it is manifested What pray is this more than to say Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever and is sound and true For they who obey his words do know of his Doctrine and they do experience him to be the same he ever was Snake p. 19. Having thus shewn the Quotations of the Quakers out of their printed Books I will now further prove my Charge in Legal Form against them by Evidence upon Oath Having hitherto detected the Snake in false quoting of our Books and perverting the plain Sense and Meaning of them so as it is obvious to the intelligent Reader I shall now examine and detect his Legal Form but first will shew what it is Snake p. 19. Which you will find in a Book printed 1653. Entituled A Brief Relation of the Irreligion of the Northern Quakers c. Here Reader Is the Snake's Legal Form A Pamphlet writ by professed Adversaries like the Snake which pretends to give an account of two or three Trials of G. Fox and J. Nayler for Blasphemy and what is in this related the Snake says is proved by evidence upon Oath When indeed it is only a great Argument of the Snake's Ignorance or Malice I rather think the last to call a private Pamphlet a Legal Form A Charge of Fact done many years past and brought to Trial in Courts of Justice cannot be said to be prov'd in Legal Form if the Conviction of the accused cannot be proved by the Records of the Court. Which I defy the Snake to produce Nay he cannot because the Parties were discharged from their Accusations the Evidence proving insufficient against them And now for the Snake in his own Language Boldly and Impudently to give the Lye to the Judge of the Assize or other Magistrates before whom these Charges of Blasphemy were brought against G. Fox and J. Nayler and to say it was proved when it was not argues Impudence towards the Magistrates but Villany towards the memory of the Accused For had it been proved they must have been convict and have suffered the demerits of Blasphemy And all this would have been upon record But besides this one grand and notorious Lye of the Snake's viz. That the Charge was proved there is in His Legal Form many other Lyes which I shall detect as I come at them Snake p. 19 20. There the Snake directs to that Lying Pamphlet p. 2 and 3. You have an account how G. Fox did avow himself over and over to be equal with God being asked by Dr. Marshal in the presence of Mr. Sawro Col. Tell and Col. West Justices of the Peace in the County of Lancaster at a Private Sessions in the Town of Lancaster whether or no he was equal with God as before that time he had been heard to affirm His Answer was this I
the disingenious Snake both to laugh Scornfully Lye and Flatter because he acknowledges not for his Guide the Holy and Infallible Spirit of God But that W. P. laughs not as is falsly said we will now see Ibid. p. 37. W. P. in a sheet of his Entituled A Winding Sheet for Controversie ended catches up Hen. Hedworth for saying he had been mistaken in the good Opinion he had before of Mr. Penn 's Judgment and Conscience How can he chuse says Mr. Penn who denys Infallibility But if mistaken before why not in the Quakers now And so ad infinitum being fallible Judgment and Conscience in respect of Matters Spiritual in Articles of Faith can only be certainly and knowingly judged of by the Spirit of God and what Man soever shall judge of these things without the assistance thereof must of necessity be mistaken for the reason which the Apostle has given 1 Cor. 2.11 For the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God And if Hen. Hedworth did by Opinion not the assistance of the Spirit of God judge of W. Penn's Judgment and Conscience no marvel if he were mistaken and if by the same medium he would Judge of the Quakers he was equally lyable to be also mistaken in them and so ad infinitum in all his natural Guessings about Spiritual Things and so must this Snake also Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from p. 3. Sect. 2. of W. P's Winding Sheet c. He vindicates what G. F. had asserted of the Quakers Infallibility for having repeated these words of G. F. which were put as an Objection against him How can ye be Ministers of the Spirit and not be infallible And how can they but delude the People who are not infallible He makes this reply I Answer says he G. F's words stand immoveable for ever And he gives this strange reason to support himself and G. F. For says he He that is a Minister of the Spirit is Infallibly so and in that Ministry is Infallible otherwise the Spirit 's Ministry is Fallible I have here been large in transcribing the whole Quotation that the Reader may see whether the Wild Consequences which the Snake does falsly suggest can naturally follow from the Doctrine aforesaid His Consequences are these Ibid. p. 38. That if any Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is in the Sun which shewed him a false Light what else can be the meaning of that saying If a Minister be not infallible then the Ministry of the Spirit is fallible To make God himself Fallible rather than we should be Infallible O wretched false and perverse consequence of this Snake But truly and easily following is this Consequence If a Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is not in the Sun that shewed him a true Light but the fault is in his neglecting of it And according to this the meaning of that saying If a Minister of the here the Snake has basely and falsly left out the word Spirit be not infallible then the Spirits Ministry is Fallible The meaning is this God the Holy Spirit is Infallible and those whom he qualifies fits and prepares for his Ministry such are Infallibly assisted to be Ministers of the Spirit But if any who have been so assisted depart from the assistance of the Holy Spirit such in their Ministry are not Infallible tho' the Spirit is Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from Winding Sheet p. 4. Sect. 3. He roundly checks his Opponent H. Hedworth saying I bestowed 32 pages to prove G. F's Spirit to be Infallible for that belongs simply to God alone and then those that are Led by it which was my Question in which sense he is and all such persons are Infallible as he himself confesseth c. Here says the Snake H. Hedworth is made Infallible too But that is false for the words are plain that those that are Led by the Holy Spirit are infallibly Led By this G. F. might be infallibly Led by this any other may be infallibly Led This Hen. Hedworth hath confessed this is what W. P. saith but he could not say H. H. was infallible Because he had quoted him in p. 37. denying of infallibility Ibid. p. 39. Nay the Devil himself is infallible at this rate for he has his Knowledge as well as Being from God Knowledge is Light And if that Knowledge which comes from God be infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils Profane perversion The Almighty God by his Almighty Fiat did create the several Species of Beings and Creatures and furnished each according to the order in which he placed them To Angels and Men he gives Knowledge and Understanding in their several Degrees by which they might answer the end of their Creation But some Angels and all Men have fallen yet have not thereby lost all that Knowledge which by the Degree of their Beings they had But in their fallen estate employ what Knowledge they have to other purposes than those for which it was given Hence the Devil goes about seeking whom he may Devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And the Devil did follow his Knowledge when in Mat. 4.5 8. he tempted our Saviour And did know that had our Saviour worshipped him he had been conquered Yet the Devil was not herein infallible Nay the Devils believe and tremble from the Knowledge which they have of the Eternal God and their own Eternal Damnation How profane Reader must it be to suppose that this their Knowledge makes them infallible that is guided by the Holy Spirit of God Which none can be unless obedient to it But the Infallibility which does distinguish us from Wicked Men and Devils and which we say is possessed by us Is no other than this That whereas all Men are fallen short of God's Glory and are by Nature Children of Wrath. Man cannot be restored out of this estate but by the benefits of the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ outwardly slain by which Sacrifice our High-Priest who was touched with the feeling of our Infirmities hath put Man into a capacity of accepting his Mediation And in order to our reconciliation with God hath given to every one a manifestation of the Infallible Holy Spirit in which he did the Will of the Father To this manifestation such as are obedient are infallibly led in all things that concern Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life which neither Devils nor Wicked Men can be because disobedient to it See Reader how much the Jugler this Snake plays in endeavouring to obtrude under a shew of reason a most dangerous notion and directly contrary to all Revealed Religion which doth agree that the Light and Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son is able as our Saviour saith to lead into all Truth And that to this Holy Spirit Wicked
now in order Snake p. 165. That is say they with Hymeneus and Philetus till his coming Spiritually in our Hearts I have in p. 255. foregoing briefly observed already concerning these Men part of whose error was and which is only taken notice of by the Snake their saying the Resurrection was past already That they do not seem by the Character the Apostle gives of them of being profane and vain Babblers such who had put away a good Conscience and shipwrack'd Faith I say they do not seem hereby to be such who did contend for the Spiritual Coming of Christ in their Hearts Profaneness is Immorality and what has that to do with the Coming of Christ in the Heart It is in direct opposition to it And the Apostle could not have made their Character as above had they so contended for Christ because it was what the Apostle declares himself did follow after Phil. 3.10 11 12. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Reader Think'st thou that Hymeneus and Philetus those profane and vain Babblers who shipwreckt Faith and a good Conscience in themselves and did overthrow the Faith of some did do all these things and expound that saying of theirs That the Resurrection was past already in such manner as the Snake says Spiritually in our Hearts No it could not be they were gone from the Spirit of Christ in them when they went into profane Babbling and what degrees soever they might have known while in obedience of the Power of Christ's Resurrection Yet that they quite lost when they shipwreckt Faith and a good Conscience So that the Snake's explanation is not only arbitrary but contradictory to the Apostles character of them He goes on with great assurance and pretence of familiarity with the Holy Apostles and of the purest Primitive Christians and Blessed Martyrs and affirms of them all in his frothy manner Ibid. p. 165. None of them dream'd of the time being thus expired For the observance of what he calls the Sacraments but that they did think them obligatory to the end of the World the litteral Resurrection at the last day It can be no small acquaintance which this Snake pretends to have had with this variety of Persons who dare so boldly affirm of them all while sleeping that they did never dream of their Expiration and while waking that they all did think these Ordinances always were to continue I suppose the observing Reader will with me be apt to question how he came by this great Intimacy and desire him to give some proof of the truth of what he hath so affirm'd But if we should suppose that he could prove which he never can that none of them did so dream that would not be ground sufficient to us to prove that the time of their continuance is not expired For the Question being concerning Ordinances said to be appointed by Christ we are not to look to Dreams but to consider the Appointment of Christ for from thence can only be truly learn'd both the things appointed and the time for which they were appointed And here of a sudden the Snake hath much abated of his pretence to know what was not Dream'd by the Holy Apostles purest Primitive Christians and Blessed Martyrs and comes to lay his pretence upon the Commission given by our Saviour to his Disciples mentioned Mat. 28.19 20. And this Commission he gives by piece-meal so as that it might if possible be so large as to take in the Addition which he makes to it For first He would have it to be a Commission for Water-Baptism next He would have it to express the Continuance of the Water-Baptism to the end of the World And having in disjoynted sort thus given it he draws this Pithy Conclusion p. 166. For if this be the time during which Christ promised to assist his Commission it must doubtless infer the like continuance of the things required in the said Commission We say so too But the Question is concerning something said to be required in the Commission which the Commission does not express therefore we say not contained in it And that this has been our frequent Objection to our Opposers in this particular the Snake could not but know and therefore if he would have established his addition Water to the Text he ought to have refuted our objections to the addition and then to have given his better reasons for it but none of this is done But he goes on begging the Question and taking that for granted which we deny viz. That when our Saviour saith Mat. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost He doth herein Command them Disciples to Baptize with Water If the Snake had given us some reason why we ought to take this his Addition of that wherein the Text is silent that reason might have been considered And it will be yet of greater force if he can prove from Scripture that our Saviour is here giving to his Disciples Commission concerning John's Baptism with Water and not his own which is with the Holy Spirit But of this the Snake says p. 167. The Holy Ghost is his Christ's Gift only It is true that the Holy Ghost is originally Christ's Gift yet it is as true that Men prepared fitted and quallified by the operation of his Grace have Instrumentally as Ministerial Ofcers given the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Thus the Apostle Rom. 1.11 For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some Spiritual Gift And the same Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel And he declares that his Commission was Acts 26.18 To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God Now strictly speaking it is only Christ by the Gift of the Holy Ghost who does these great Works of which the Apostle speaks The Apostle herein was Instrumentally made the Minister of those things wherein God did appear unto him And at this day those who are of God made Ministers of those things wherein he does appear by his Spirit unto them such he fits furnishes and quallifies Instrumentally to be able to impart Spiritual Gifts and to beget People to God by turning them from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power to the Power of God Thus Spiritual Baptism and Teaching mentioned in the Commission of Christ continues to be assisted by Christ and will be so to the end of the World Now this teaching with respect to the sound of words may be said to be
above-mentioned p. 45. made a Quotation from T. E's Further Discovery p. 99. thus In comparing the Books of Friends to the Books of them called the Greek and Latin Fathers He has not done as a Friend and Brother but as an Enemy in supposing Friends Books to have been written by no better Guidance or clearer Sight than theirs who lived and wrote in those dark Times Upon this G. K. remark'd to his Auditory You see how modest they are here At this Remark G. K. says his Auditors gave a Shout signifying as he says Their dislike that the Quakers Books should be preferred so far to the Greek and Latin Fathers next to the Days of the Apostles To all this T. Ellwood in his Answer to G. K's Narrative as above in p. 177 178. replies One might wonder here at the cause of his Auditors Shouting For such of them as could understand what was meant by Greek and Latin Fathers one might expect should be Men of greater Wisdom and Gravity than to Shout in such Assemblies and for the Vndiscerning Mobb it was a subject so much above their Capacity and Pretences that it cannot be supposed they should Shout at that if they had not been excited thereunto by some little Antick Gesticulation from him But to the matter They shouted he says signifying their dislike that the Quakers Books should be prefer'd so far to the Greek and Latin Fathers next to the days of the Apostles These are not my words I did not refer to the Times next to the days of the Apostles But my words were Who lived and writ in those Dark Times Must those Dark Times needs be next to the Days of the Apostles See what an unfair stretch is this Thus T. Ellwood And yet as unfair as G. K's stretch was the Snake has stretch'd beyond him and pronounces They the Quakers run them down by wholesale But whether it be so or not I leave with the sober Reader to judge and shall observe by the way that how jealously tender soever he is of the names of them he calls Ancient and Holy Fathers Yet Bishop Jewel being prest with some Authorities brought from them by his Opponent Harding the Jesuit makes no scruple to do what this Snake calls run them down by wholesake for applying to his Reader he says That Doctors in all Ages and in all parts of the World were brought against him And the Bishop then queries Who would not be afraid to see such an Army come against him Howbeit gentle Reader be of good Cheer all this is but a Camisado These be but Vizards they be no Faces they are brought in like Mummers for a Shew and say nothing Jewel against Harding p. 6. Printed 1566. What will the Snake think of the light Character given of Doctors in all Ages and in all parts of the World And were it proper in this place I could add plenty of Instances that many of the Reform'd have made so bold with those this Snake calls Ancient and Holy Fathers as to run them down If to discover their Errors and slight their Authority as incompetent when offered in Contradiction to the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit which gave them forth be so Ibid. p. 194. But now what Quarters shall we have If the Snake ask for himself the answer is ready if it be such as he deserves it will be none of the best For one who tells Lyes for Bread and can pawn all the pretences of Religion upon the Score of Malice and base Design may easily guess what value is to be put upon such an Undertaking Ibid. p. 194. How shall we be able to stand before them It is a Question the Snake may well ask concerning himself after so many Injuries of divers sorts and so great Injustice as he is guilty of towards us the weight of which may well be some pressure upon a Spirit that is at all on this side Obduration Ibid. They damn us all together to Hell i. e. all Christians It is false we Damn none no not the Snake much less all Christians Ibid. But they are more favourable to the Heathen whom they think Worshippers of the same Light with them and not led to Outward Things by the Belief of an Outward Christ and Faith in his outward Sufferings Death c. This Snake has an unusual degree of Impudence for he is not contented only to suborn our Books and pervert our Words and forge Lyes but he does bely our very Thoughts and say we Think what we never declared we did Think For we have never declared That the Heathens indefinitely speaking were obedient to the Light of Jesus Christ But we have often said according to the Apostle Acts 10.35 In every Nation he who feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him And concerning the Heathen in particular with the Apostle Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which sheweth the work of the Law written in the Heart And of such Heathens who do thus shew forth the Work of the Law written in their Hearts we may say when considered and compared with meer Nominal Christians who have not known the Inward Vertue of what they believe Christ did Outwardly Suffer as our Saviour did say concerning the Pharisee and the Publican Luke 18.14 I tell you this Man departed to his house justified rather than the other For a Man may have a Historical Faith of all the Outward Things which are recorded in Holy Writ that Christ did and suffered Yet through disobedience to the Holy Spirit which Reproveth for Sin John 16.18 he may never know that Faith begotten in him which gives victory over the World Yet hence it 's not to be concluded that such who are obedient to the Holy Spirit in its Reproofs for Sin do therefore slight much less disbelieve any part of what Christ outwardly did and suffered No they cannot but must and do highly value and esteem It knowing the Benefits that we receive by it and do bless God that it is our Lots to have the means of the Knowledge of what Christ did outwardly do So that the Snake is most injuriously Abusive in his false Insinuations to the contrary The Snake now turns again to G. F's Great Mystery from whence not unlike the Quacks of the Town who of their pretended Panacea's boast they will cure all Diseases he pretends to fetch proofs for every Charge tho' contradictory to themselves but how falsly I have at least in some measure shewn As that the Quakers at first setting up pretended to be equal and of the same substance with God And it must also prove that the Quakers now abated from that and do now only claim to be Infallible as Prophets and Apostles Again Great Mystery must prove that there was a time when there was no God p. 122. And also that not the
the Reproaches Detractions Contempt and Scorn cast upon my self by the Author are of less value or weight as to me seeing the Rancour Envy and Foulness of the Spirit from whence they proceed And I always thought my self more obliged in Truth 's Vindication than my own Personal Reputation having long been arm'd with so much of Christian Faith Patience and Good-will to my Enemies as Patiently to endure Persecutions by Reproach and cruel Mocking as well as I have endured by Imprisonments and other Hardships And now I do not believe the Author of the Snake says true That he is very well pleas'd with the said Answer I am persuaded the contrary That he is very much vex'd by having his Falshoods in many things so much detected as they are in the Answer or Antidote His following Reason for his being so very well pleas'd with the said Answer is as notoriously false as the rest of his Lies viz. Because it confirms all the Matters of Fact to every purpose and intent for which they were produced To evince the Falshood whereof I refer the Ingenuous Reader to the said Antidote for his Impartial Perusal I doubt not but this Man's Purpose and Intent in producing the Matters of Fact alledged against us was chiefly that they should be given Credit to and that the People called Quakers their Ministers especially might lie under all his gross and foul Imputations and Defamations of being Diabolically Inspired and Possess'd Deluded Bewitched Blasphemers Rebels Traytors c. How monstrous and improbable then is it that I by opposing these Matters of Fact charg'd should write to confirm them against our selves And his following Words are most notoriously false viz. That he i. e. G. W. had not detected One False Quotation of all that I have brought out of their Books With what Conscience could this Person so confidently thus Assert That G. W. has not detected One False Quotation c. Either he has read my said Answer or he has not If he has read it he must be a shameful Man herein if he has not he must be guilty of great Folly and Injustice And farther to Detect his notorious and foul Falshood in this I 'll produce a few Instances of his many more false Quotations detected in my Answer Antidote p. 15.16 That one of the Orders given forth by their Yearly Meeting 1693. Commands that None shall carry Guns in their Ships This is prov'd a false Quotation in my Answer quoted 2. Antidote p. 17. That in the Answer to F. Bugg 's Impeachment they i. e. the Quakers would persuade us That All they have said against the Payment of Tythes was Only meant by them to the Popish Clergy but by no means against the Right of the Church of England to their Tythes This is plainly detected as a False Quotation as in my Answer 't is declared This is Partially and Wrongfully Stated Our Answer to F. Bugg plainly shews our Conscientious Dissatisfaction with Tythes in general and the forcing thereof now in this Gospel-Day by any Clergy whatsoever as not consistent with the Practice of Christ's Ministers or Testimony of divers Martyrs c. See Antidote p. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. 3. Antidote p. 25 26. That G. Fox Professed and Avowed that he was equal with God that he Profess'd himself to be the Eternal Judge of the World Which is also a False Charge and Quotation against G. F. who being charg'd by his Persecutors with Professing himself to be equal with God Positively denies the Charge as not so spoken as that G. F. was equal with God but that the Father and the Son are one and that Christ and the Holy Spirit are equal with God Saul's Errand p. 5 6. Vid. Just Enquiry p. 12. 4. Antidote p. 35 36. Abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of beastly Ware c. Which is false both in Charge and Quotation and over and over detected in Answer to his Author F. Bugg 5. Antidote p. 43. That G. Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 49. prefers not only their Writings but their ex tempore Preachments and even All whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures themselves This also is notoriously false both in Charge and Quotation as is manifest in my Answer Antidote p. 43. viz. He very perversly wrongs G. Whitehead in all these Expressions for there 's not a Word of Preferring our Writings to the Holy Scriptures much less of all whatsoever we speak thereto but a preferring the Holy Spirit and its Immediate Teaching In Man to the Letter of the Scripture and Preaching in the true Sense of the Spirit with Divine Power and Authority according as Christ did to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did I may further add without offence or under-valuing the Holy Scripture or Godly Doctrine therein contain'd that I verily believe St. Paul and other Apostles Preaching in the Demonstration of the Holy Spirit and Power of Christ was of far greater Efficacy Power and Authority for the Converting People to Christ than the Priests reading their Writings or making a Trade of them as they do in these Days 6. Antidote p. 59 60. That they i. e. the Quakers give to themselves and to one another the most peculiar Titles of Christ as that of the Branch and the Star and the Son of God which he says are Attributed to G. Fox and which he takes to himself Quoting New Rome Arraign'd p. 33 34. And the Quakers Vnmask'd and New Rome unmask'd Referring the Reader to those Books of Fran. Bugg's which he has Quoted upon the Margent as he saith Here this Credulous Adversary has accepted and promoted Bugg's False Quotation and Charge against us though over and over detected as his Notorious Refuted Lies which this Adversary is as 't is told him in the Antidote so shamefully credulous of and that we positively deny giving those peculiar Titles of Christ to our selves or to one another as he falsly Prates and Bugg has been over and over Charg'd therewith and cannot Prove them i. e. that we give those said Titles either to G. F. or to one another and that G. Fox is not so much as mentioned in that Epistle of E. Burroughs out of which those Titles the Branch the Star and the Sun of Righteousness are taken which are peculiar and intended to Christ and no other Serious Reader these few Instances of our Adversaries false Quotation besides many more which are clearly Detected in my said Antidote in Answer to him I hope are sufficient to evince his Falshood in Asserting That Geo. Whitehead has not detected One false Quotation that he has brought out of our Books When the contrary is evident that he has both made and accepted many false even grosly false Quotations pretended out of our Books c. And if to detect such was the only proper Answer that could have been given as he says then he had that proper Answer at least in
Substance with God and by consequence Essentially Equal even to God I still in good Conscience deny the Assertion and such self-advancement of the Creature unto such Equality with its Creator whatever any among us has said of the Divine Spirit or Breath of Life which made Man a Living Soul as for the Equality thereof with God and as of his Being I deny that this was ever intended of the Creature Man that he was either one Being or Substance with God or Essentially Equal with God for that were to confound Created Beings with the Increated Tho' Man as made a Living Soul and created in the Image of God had in him something of that Divine Nature and Being which gave Him his Life and Being I really think I have sufficiently and briefly answered this matter in my Antidote in divers places being a reitterated charge of Blasphemy falsly against the Quakers that they so advance themselves as aforesaid to be One Person and Substance with God A body would think the Man should have proved these very words of the Charge upon us or else not so often repeat it with aggravations as he has shamefully done in such Expressions as these viz. that he does not think that any humane Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to scrue themselves up to such blasphemous heights of Enthusiasm which he deems the height of Madness which I took notice of and justly reprehended in my Antidote p. 87 88. And I dare further add in order to clear our Principle of Sinless Perfection as attainable through the Grace of God in Jesus Christ That although we own an Essential Equality between our Heavenly Father His Son and Holy Spirit and not such an Equality between the creature Man and his Creator yet such a nearness and likeness between the Heavenly Father and his Dear Children as perfection of Holiness and Purity if they attain to the fulfilling of these Doctrines Be ye Perfect or as some have it ye shall therefore be Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Matt. 5.48 And be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 And every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 And if any among us hath writ of them who are perfect in Christ Jesus being led by his Spirit as in that sense Equal I understand Equal only as like unto God or in Vnion with him being united unto him by his Spirit as he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit Our own Principle and Distinction in these matters justly considered I do not think that either my self or any Friend whose sense I explain deserves Bedlam as the Snake would infer upon me p. 358. III. It 's a positive falshood that G. Fox and the rest of us do positively assert all these things charged on him and us before in the Snake or assent to his pretended Proofs thereof p. Ibid. Where does he or we positively assert of our selves that we are One Person or Substance with God I find not these words asserted but the contrary Neither is his Reprinting all his pretended Proofs in his Second Edition of the Snake any full Reply to my Answer wherein I detect his fallaciously Imposing such Words and Terms upon us as are none of ours nor agreeable to our Principles as in the before-mentioned and many others And as positive a Falshood it is That G. Whitehead has omitted all the Proofs in the Snake that is almost of the whole Book The Judicious or Serious Reader that shall peruse my said Antidote in Answer to the First Edition of the Snake may clearly see the Contrary But because quoth he the Quakers shall not complain of being thus put off I do intend to make a particular Reply and to follow G. Whitehead through every single Point that he touches for this End especially that this being the last cast of the Quakers and all the defence they have to make I may so plainly detect it as to leave them without Excuse and by the blessing to convince all of them except those who are resolved not to be persuaded though they were persuaded but hope to disarm them c. p. 358 359. Upon all which 't is observed First On the first part of these pretences and boastings How comes G. W's Answer either to need or deserve such a particular Reply or to be followed through every single Point that he touches If his Answer or said Antidote be no Answer but the name of an Answer and nothing to the purpose but shuffling c. as he hath already given judgment p. 355. tho' before conviction it seems 't is so much to purpose that it will make him some work if he still think it worthy to prosecute his intention upon and that through every single Point too Secondly He 's Egregiously mistaken to conclude 't is either the last cast of the Quakers or all the defence they have to make neither may I take upon me the sole defence of the Quakers so called nor do I so abound in my own sense as if no other were capable of making any further or other defence For God having diversities of Gifts hath raised up many in defence of his Gospel and Truth according to their several Gifts among us blessed be his Name and I hope he will raise up more faithful Witnesses Thirdly What detection or conviction this boasting Person can make or work upon us by his fallible and lying Spirit may be easily supposed How shall we believe that he can work or effect such great matters upon us by his scoffing at us about the Light and Infallibility as the Quaker Light and Quaker Infallibility Fourthly And by what Power or Force thinks he to disarm us of our Armour of Light or our Spiritual Weapons No no Neither he nor the Devil his Master the Prince of Darkness shall ever be able to disarm any one that believes in and sincerely obeys the Light of Christ amongst us who are true Children of the Light These his empty Boastings and fruitless Attempts will evaporate and vanish like Smoak Let God arise and his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him as Smoak is driven away c. Psal. 68.2 3. and 37.20 IV. To his Alledging G. W. in his Answer to Satan Disrob'd bestows not two leaves upon the Discourse of Water Baptism nor attempts to answer so much as one single Objection or to remove one Stone of that Foundation upon which the outward Baptism is built p. 359. This is as frivolous and impertinent as many other his Reflections are false for he may see that upon that Subject I have bestowed five leaves in the Antidote p. 116 to 126. wherein his Arguments are detected and the Invalidity thereof and the great Stress he lays upon the Type discovered and the thing opened according to Scripture but his sign of Sprinkling Infants by him
am equal with God Pray Reader observe had this been true that G. Fox had so answered as the Snake says he did in the presence of three Justices what need was there for Marshal and Altam to swear it against him since the Justices if they had heard it themselves might have convicted him thereof upon their own personal hearing without other evidence Or how likely is it that Col. West and Tho. Tell both Justices upon the Bench at this Tryal should sign a Supersedeas which both of them did for his acquittal if either of them had heard him say the words charged Or how could he have been discharged for want of another Evidence when his Adversaries might have brought in the three Justices against him had it been true that they had heard him themselves But besides there are two Lyes in this Paragraph the first is There was not any Justice of the Peace or Colonel named Tell. Secondly G. Fox did not answer that he was equal with God But thus it was There were Eight several Charges against him the fourth of which was that he had said he was equal with God which being asked in Court He made the following answer G. Fox That was not so spoken by me But he that sanctifieth and he that is sanctified is all of one Heb. 2.11 It is God and Christ that sanctifieth and the Saints are all one in the Father and the Son They are of his Bone and of his Flesh Ephes. 5.30 And the Father and the Son are one and they are the Sons of God Gal. 4.6 And as they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit so they that are joyned to an Harlot are one Flesh 1 Cor. 6.16 17. This the Scriptures witnesseth and I witness This Answer is Scriptural and is directly opposite to what he was then charged with as it also is to what the Snake's Pamphleteer says he did then answer Snake p. 20. This Blasphemy hath been attested upon Oath by the aforesaid Dr. Marshal and Mr. Altam School Master at Lancaster before the Justices at the last Sessions held at Appleby the 8 th of January 1652. and before Judge Puleston at the last Assizes held at Lancaster the 18 th of March 1652. This is false in both the parts of it For G. Fox had not any Tryal at any Sessions in Appleby in the year 52. Nor had he any Tryal before Judge Puleston or any other Judge at any Assize held in Lancaster in the year 1652. These notorious Lyes I charge upon the Snake let him clear himself if he can But for the Readers satisfaction and information I shall briefly say G. Fox was at Michaelmas Sessions in Lancaster in the year 1652. at which time was upon the Bench with others as Justices of the Peace Tho. Tell and Will. West called to answer to Eight Articles of Blasphemy c charged upon him by Three Witnesses viz. Altam but Marshal did not swear Birkett and Attkinson this last a young Lad which Charge the Evidence did swear was gathered by them from words spoken by him at a Meeting some time before But when to the several particulars they were by the Bench severally interrogated they were confounded insomuch that Birkett said he could not answer directly but the other could say it To which the Bench reply'd Have you charged the Prisoner upon your Oath and now say He can say it It seems you did not hear these words spoken your self To this Confusion of the Evidence was also added the Testimonies of many People who had been at that Meeting where the words were charged to be spoken and did then declare in the open Sessions that no such words as those charged were then spoken by G. Fox Besides all this G. Fox did then himself go through all the several Eight Articles of his Charge and shewed his Scriptural Belief in opposition to the Blasphemies they had sworn By which means the matter issued thus a Supersedeas was granted against a Writ which had gone out for his apprehending tho' he was not apprehended upon it but came voluntarily to this Sessions to answer his Enemies false Charges Besides this G. Fox had no Tryal at Appleby or Lancaster nor at any Assize at all in Lancaster in 1652. Thus Reader the Snake's Legal Form is false both in matter and form and himself by these his Lyes must be scandalous much below the dignity of a Pleni-Potent which by a ridiculous assurance he arrogates when in p. 336. He pretends to demand reparation in the Name of the Church of England By what Name must he be now impleaded whose Legal Form has only served to shew that he is Truly proved a Lyar But the Snake has not yet done with his Legal Form Ibid. p. 20. p. 3. He refers to the Brief Relation It is likewise witnessed That James Naylor affirmed That he was as Holy Just and Good as God himself 'T is true it was so witnessed but falsly wherefore when James Naylor was conven'd at Appleby Sessions in January 1652. The Evidence proving insufficient he was acquitted and did by the Answers he gave to the Questions put to him by the Bench in matters of Religion shew himself neither Blasphemer or Heretick as was charged Snake p. 21. These Monstrous Blasphemies occasioned a Petition from the Gentlemen of that County to the then Council of State Forbear Lying It was not monstrous Blasphemy but monstrous Disappointment did occasion that Petition For when G. Fox and J. Naylor in the face of the Country did appear Orthodox and Scriptural in their Faith and the Persons that Swore against them insufficient in their Evidence by which means they were both cleared Then it was they ran to White Hall with those Lyes which they could not prove at Lancaster against G. Fox nor at Appleby against J. Naylor And of these Petitioning Gentlemen there were of the Priesthood much about the number mentioned Acts 23.21 And they were no less disappointed For the Council dismist the Petition with it s annexed Schedule Wherefore I also shall only consider so much of it as is yet not reply'd to And first for James Milner mentioned in the Schedule I shall speak of him in answer to the Snake's 21st Section wherein the Snake speaks more largely concerning this Man Another Article in the Schedule is Leonard Fell Professeth that Christ had never any Body but his Church To this Article The Honest Old Man being yet in health and strength through the mercies of God and preserved out of the Jaws of Violence he answers for himself I have not at any time professed that Christ had never any Body but his Church nor did ever speak any words tending to it Leo. Fell. Snake p. 22. G. Fox wrote an Answer to this Petition and to every Article in the Schedule which he Entituled Saul's Errand to Damascus 'T is true he did so and a Pretty Book it is and answers the End for which it was writ Ibid.
the Snake to say that G. F. said this of his own Worthiness as he floutingly stiles him or of the Quakers in General for G. F. does neither mention himself in Particular nor the Quakers in General But after the words before quoted by the Snake adds That understand the Gospel Instead of which words he hath falsly added as above Ibid. p. 29. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 241. Are not ye in the Presumption and Usurpt Authority to Preach or to Teach that have not the Immediate Revelation as the Apostles had Yes Doubtless they do run when they are not sent of God to Preach the Gospel Who before they Teach others the Things of God are not themselves taught them by the holy Spirit Ibid. p. 29. quoted from Great Mystery p. 213. Thou canst not know the Scriptures but by the same Degree of the Spirit that the Prophets and Apostles had The Snake hath here altered the Form of G. F's Words which as they stand are Thou canst not know Scripture c. And it is plain that by the Error of the Press all is left out for it ought to be Thou canst not know all Scripture c. And to shew plainly that G. F. did so write and intend I will produce p. 212. where speaking to the same Adversary upon the same subject he thus saith every Man that hath a Measure of the Spirit of God in the least Measure or Degree it is infallible and so far they may Teach infallibly and know Scriptures but they cannot know all Scriptures but as they attain to the full Measure of the Spirit of the Prophets and Apostles Ibid. p. 30. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 97· They the Quakers says the Snake but says G. Fox who are come to the Lamb They witness Immediate Revelation They are come to that the Apostles was in the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God They witness Immediate Revelation And 't is very true for who are come to Christ do witness his Spirit and the Apostles were in his Spirit Ibid. p. 30. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 153. But the rest of the World have never heard the voice of God nor the voice of Christ and have not the same Infallible Spirit a◠the Apostles had and no Immediate Revelation nor Inspiration as they had In this one Quotation here is a twofold falshood First Forgery next false Quoting For the Forgery it is this These first words But the rest of the World are not G. Fox's next he has left out a whole Sentence in the middle of the Quotation which is relative to and explanatory of the rest That the falshood and injustice of this Adversary may appear clearly to the impartial Reader I here subjoin the place as it is in the page quoted The Spirit of God in the Apostles being witnessed it opens the Scriptures is the Key lets to see what hath been since the days of the Apostles and rul'd and reign'd and had the Dominion The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing which have deceived the Nations such as have led the World and brought them all upon heaps and have never heard the Voice of God and have published it to the Nation in Print nor the voice of Christ and have not the same Infallible Spirit as the Apostles had and no immediate Revelation nor Inspiration as they had Thus far G. Fox whose words are sound For first it is certain that the Spirit of God does not only open the Scriptures But will also discover the Devourer and Wolf This discovering Knowledge our Saviour hath testified is in his Followers in that A Stranger they will not follow And it is as certain that Men guided by this Devouring Spirit have often brought heaps of Confusion And lastly I take it for granted That such who publish to the Nation that they have never heard the Voice of God nor Christ have not the Holy Spirit nor its immediate teachings and it is no wonder they have it not for God hath said that his Spirit should not always strive with Man and he who resisteth the Day of small things and through the Crowds of Temptations and Vanities will not hearken nor hear the fault is his own Ibid. p. 30. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 321. Revelation is now witnessed in our days as it was in the Apostles but not amongst you who have inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God which have Apostatized from the Apostles And so you be in the Diabolical Devilish that expects not that now which was in the Days of the Apostles This Quotation which the Snake hath jumbled together only with the small distinction of a break Is as it lies in the Book Great Mystery two Answers to things severally asserted by a Priest Josias Dorker at Bransprith Castle Durham The first part of the Quotation to the Break is part of G. Fox's Answer to this following Assertion of the Priest's Immediate Revelation or Inspiration is not to be expected in these days To this false Assertion the words of G. Fox quoted above by the Snake are a proper Answer because as G. Fox in the same Answer shews tho' left out by the Snake according to our Saviour's words None knows the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him which Doctrine whosoever shall deny are most certainly ravened from the Spirit of God and Apostatized from the Apostles But Secondly This Priest Dorker did affirm it to be needless and also Diabolical that is to say Develish to expect any such thing now To this the Latter part of the Snake's Quotation is also part of G. Fox's Answer which Answer is true As for Diabolical and Devilish they are the Priest's own words and were fittly by retorsion given to the Priest And it is a great indication that Men are in that Spirit themselves which is Devilish when they call Good Evil and Evil Good and tell the World that that is needless or not to be expected now which is the Covenant of the New Testament And here Reader is another Mark of that foul Hypocrisie and Envy which is in this our Adversary who pretends to quote the Offices and Services of the Church of England for proof that Inspiration is believed and prayed for and which he would have taken as an Argument that himself does so believe and pray Yet here he is angry with G. Fox for telling the Priests that they were ravened from the Spirit of God even then when they told the People Inspiration was not now to be expected How will the Snake winde this into any agreement Himself says Inspiration is to be expected and prayed for The Priests whom G. Fox answered said It is not to be expected nor prayed for Nay they said more that it is Diabolical to expect it now See Reader the Confusion of these Our Adversaries of former and later times Who no doubt pretended to be true both now and then tho' quite
Spirit because none of them had this Spirit of Discerning To the first That all are excluded c. Every Member of the Church of Christ must necessarily have a measure of the Spirit of Christ else they are none of his Rom. 8.9 And this Spirit of Christ the Holy Ghost as in its fulness it is Infallible so every even the least measure or manifestation of it is Infallible To the second This Infallible Holy Spirit being of the THREE in the Godhead searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins Jer. 17.10 But tho' this Holy Spirit can discover unto one the Heart and Thoughts of another as of Ananias to Peter Act. 5. Yet as that is not usual so neither is it necessary nor is it that which we pretend to nor hath G. Fox in the fore-quoted places pretended to it But that which G. Fox means and which we pretend to is That such who minister in and by that Holy Spirit which hath an Infallible Discerning of the Hearts and States of all the Persons ministred to This Holy Spirit doth direct the ministry accordingly that it may be suitable to the states of the Auditory Which they who pretend not to be led guided and assisted by that Infallible Holy Spirit in their Ministry cannot pretend to And as to his Objections that the Quakers did not discern G. Keith F. Bugg and other wicked Apostates There was a time when those Men I in Charity think were truly Quakers as they pretended and to have discerned them Apostates before they were such had not been true discerning There was a time when Demas walked with Paul was owned by Paul to be a Fellow-Labourer with him in the Gospel Col. 4.14 Phil. 2.4 There was a time when through the Love of the World he forsook the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.10 so I may say of these and others there was a time when they walked with us and now is the time when through the Love of the World and other things they are departed and fallen from that Unity and Fellowship they once had with us Ibid. p. 37. quoted from Great Mystery p. 105. We says he the Pope and you the Protestants whom he calls Professors are apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever I shall first detect the Snake's base practice of mangling this as other places by setting down G. F's words as they lie in that Book and then shew plainly their Scriptural meaning The first viz. the Quotation And we say the Pope is not Infallible neither though he be your Father the Ancient Yet we say he and you are Apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come with which ye are seen and judged so not to have the Spirit of Christ Jesus not to have the Spirit of the Prophets and Apostles not to be led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth not to be in the Spirit not to speak as ye are moved of the Holy Ghost But to be such as ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly and have gotten the Sheeps Cloathing ye and the Pope and so have devoured Nations for this many hundred years so have all been like ravening Wolves For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever This the Snake says Ibid. p. 37. Is Dreadfully Astonishing but gives no reason why it is so but that his practice is astonishing there are several reasons to prove it First In so basely picking and mangling Books that they may thereby be suborned to speak what the Writer never intended Next In his wilful perverting the plain and known sense which they carry and which their Writers had And upon Sober Inquiry what in this can be astonishing That the Pope is not Infallible I suppose the Snake will allow And that the Spirit of Truth doth see and judge such who apostatize from it the Scriptures teach And if the Snake doth account it astonishing that the Quakers should possess and witness according to Holy Writ the manifestation of the Holy and Infallible Spirit of Christ he shews his Ignorance therein tho' all who are truly sensible of these manifestations can in deep Humility of Soul give Glory to the Highest Yet to him must be applied that of Hab. 1.5 For it is a Work that God hath wrought in this day whether he will believe it or not Hitherto Reader pray Observe that tho' the Snake as quoted p. 88. foregoing hath said we placed Infallibility in every single Quaker confine it not to Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things in the World by their inward Light Yet the Charge is notoriously false and that the colourable pretence which he had for this his false assertion was owing to his own false quoting curtailing and mangling of our Books of which I have shewn eminent instances since that assertion of his in p. 88. And that our Books in the instances produced speak according to Scripture I shall leave with the Impartial Reader to Judge only adding that the Forms of Speech Try all things Teach all things Know all things and Judge all things which are frequently found in the New Testament cannot without great perversion be applied otherwise than to that Trying Teaching Knowing and Judging which are the proper effects of the Operations of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of all that are obedient to it And that in order first to their own Salvation and then to the Service of God in his Church In this sense G. F. E. B. and others have used these Forms of Speech in this sense the Woman of Samaria testifies of the Messias our Saviour John 4.25 He will teach us all things In this sense our Saviour promised John 14.26 That the Holy Ghost should teach us all things In this sense John the Beloved Disciple testifies of the Believers 1 John 2.20 Ye know all things And in this sense the Apostle testifies of the Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2.10 He judgeth all things And in this sense the Beloved Disciple 1 John 4.1 adviseth to try the Spirits whether they be of God Now these forms of Speech in these and many more places all things are truly as E. B. p. 137. foregoing hath said All things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life needful for Man to know all this was discovered revealed and made known to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had Lighted us withal Ibid. p. 37. But I was much more surprized to find the otherwise Ingenious Mr. Penn laugh at his Adversary for not being Infallible It is no surprise to find
meer say so As the story may prove false so till it be shewn that it be not so it needs now no further Answer than that it is none of our Doctrine nor approved of by us Ibid. p. 126. And G. F. says That if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he iâ— the false Christ quoted from Great Mystery p. 206. This Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within Devils and Reprobates make a talk of him without It is Reader horrid Injustice in this Snake so fouly to pick and pervert a Man's words as he here does G. F's as if he did by these words deny that Christ Jesus who was Crucify'd at Jerusalem which that he did not I produce both the Priest's Words and his Answer and offer them to thy consideration Great Mystery p. 206. Priest It is a Scripture of the Devil 's making to apprehend this Crucify'd Christ within G. F. Now I say if there be any other Christ but he that was Crucify'd within he is the false Christ And the Scripture holds forth this and the Devil never made it but he and his Messengers are against it And he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucify'd within is a Reprobate tho' Reprobates and Devils may make a talk of him without Thus G. F. and his Words are sound and as himself says according to Scripture for it is not another but the same Christ who was Crucified by the Jews and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of Men reconciling them unto God and in as many as obey he is Christ in them the Hope of Glory And them who rebel do crucifie unto themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Heb. 6.6 Rev. 11.8 Ibid. p. 126. And he G. F. disputes against those who say that the Man Christ that was Crucified his Body is now in the presence of his Father or that Christ is absent from them the Quakers as Touching his Flesh Great Mystery p. 210 211. G. F. does warrantably dispute against and oppose those Priests who declared Christ was absent from his People because he is present with them in Spirit And as G. F. in the pages last above quoted doth say That the Apostle declares of Christ that he is the Head of the Church and are of his Flesh and Bone and sit with him in Heavenly Places and Christ saith they must eat his Flesh and he is in them If the Snake will oppose this Scriptural Doctrine let him do it Ibid. p. 136. The Snake makes his Quotation from Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them and another within them here is two See Reader the falsity and perversion of the Snake in this Quotation by the following true one Great Mystery p. 254. They that profess a Christ without them have a Christ without them and another Christ within them here is two For if it be not the same Christ that ended all Types and Figures and Shadows if it be not him that is within they have not the Possession the Substance nor the Comfort of the True Christ. What plainer can be spoken to shew that is the same and not another Christ who suffered at Jerusalem and thereby ended the Law and is now by his Spirit in the Hearts of his People Ibid. p. 126. Robert Gourdon was the first among them that I find who taught the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus Whether owned or not the Snake finds not because he seeks amiss and I am sure he did not seek right when he pretended to find R. Gourdon the first amongst us For R. Gourdon tho' once in Unity or Fellowship with us Apostatiz'd and with this Snake became an Adversary to us But the Orthodox Faith in this Point of the Divinity of Jesus hath been Testified by us ever since a People And from this R. Gourdon the Snake according to his usual Injustice transcribes in p. 127 128 129. divers false and abusive charges but takes no notice of the Validity or Invalidity of the Answers of our Friends to that Adversary's Book He is indeed so triflingly just as to say p. 127. Against this wrote G.W. with three other Quakers but what they said or how far they did disprove R. G's false Charges the Snake takes no notice wherefore I shall take no further notice of what he so quotes from him than to acquaint the Reader what relates to S. Eccles Quaker Challenge p. 6. is answered before in p. 188 189. as are also many of the other Bits of Quotations which here as mentioned by the Snake have neither Book nor Page to distinguish them Ibid. p. 129 130. The Snake borrows from himself out of Satan Disrob'd and saith of W. P. that he will not have the true Christ to be a Person but only a Principle c. and refers to that Book wherein he says it is more at large discussed with the Defences of Thomas Elwood I shall not run back to that Book Satan Disâ—ob'd it having already been somewhat spoken to by G. Whitehead since which there hath been no additions to it But so far as it lies here I shall reply and shew that W. P. in that Book of his Christian Quaker from which the Snake does so charge him will have and does acknowledge and confess to Christ both as God and Man which will fully refute what the Snake hath alledged To this purpose Reader consider the following Quotations from W. P's Christian Quaker From p. 104 to 114. W. P. there makes a Confession to Christ's Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation distinguished into nine several Heads or Parts of Discourse It would be too tâ—dious for my Reader to have transcribed them 〈◊〉 hither tho' all worthy of notice wherefore I shall only transcribe the first and seventh Heads or parts of Discourse which are as follows P. 104. First We do confess that tho' the Eternal Power Life and Light which inhabited that Holy Person which was born at Nazareth Bethlehem it should be was and is chiefly and eminently the Saviour For there is no Saviour besides me saith God Hos. 13.4 Yet that it was instrumentally a Saviour as prepared and chosen for the Work which Christ had then to do in it which was actually to the Salvation of Some and intentionally to the Salvation of the whole World then and in Ages to come suitable to that Scripture Lo in the Volume of the Book it is written I come to do thy will O God a Body hast thou prepared me c. Heb. 10. P. 107. Seventh But there is yet a further Benefit that accrueth by the Blood of Christ viz. That Christ is a propitiation and redemption to such as have Faith in it For tho' I still place the stress of particular Benefit upon the Light Life and Spirit revealed and witnessed in every particular Yet in that general Appearance there was a general Benefit justly to be
attributed unto the Blood of that very Body of Christ to wit that it did propitiate For however it might draw stupendious Judgments upon the Heads of those who were Authors of that Dismal Tragedy and died impenitent yet doubtless it thus far turn'd to very great account in that it was a most precious Offering in the sight of the Lord and drew God's Love the more eminently to mankind at least such as should believe in his Name as his solemn Prayer to his Father at his leaving the World given us by his beloved Disciple doth plainly witness Thus W. P. Wherein I take it to be as plain as can be that he does declare and confess that the true Christ was Man And when he speaks of the Spirit of Christ in its appearance in Man under the Name or Epithet Principle he sufficiently shews that he intends more thereby than any Moral Virtue For in p. 100. speaking of the Spirit of God under this Epithet of Inward Principle he saith And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply wounded yea as one slain so in Good Men that have had a sense of the Worlds Abominations hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is one in all Now Reader what clearer Testimony can there be that W. P. does under the name Principle understand the Holy Spirit of God and not any Moral Virtue as the Snake would basely and falsly insinuate And for this his manner of expressing the Holy Spirit there are plenty of Examples in the Scriptures of Truth where under the Principle of Wisdom Isaiah speaking of Christ and his Dispensation in the Gospel-times Chap. 33.6 saith Wisdom shall be the stability of thy times And our Saviour saith Mat. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children And the Evangelist speaking of the growth of the Child Jesus saith Luke 2.40 And the Child grew and waxed strong in Spirit filled with Wisdom c. These with abundance more of like import the observing Reader may easily find in Holy Writ Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from W. P's part of Serious Apology c. p. 146. But that the outward Person which suffered was properly the Son of God we utterly deny And perversely would draw W. P's words to say or mean that the Body which Christ assum'd was but as a Cloak or a Vail like the Body in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again Against this false and unjust Imputation I shall first give W. P's words in the page quoted from whence the impartial Reader may be able to take W. P's meaning from himself and then observe somewhat upon the Snake's perversion To the first Jenner W. P's Opponent had said We deny that Person the Son of God that died at Jerusalem to be our Redeemer To which W. P. replys Which most horrid Imputation has been answer'd more I believe than a Thousand times that is that he that laid down his Life and suffer'd his Body to be crucify'd by the Jews without the Gates of Jerusalem is Christ the only Son of the Most High God But that the outward Person which suffer'd was properly the Son of God we utterly deny and it is a perfect contradiction to their own Principles A Body hast thou prepared me said the Son then the Son was not the Body though the Body was the Son's This brings him more under the charge of making him but a meer Man than us who acknowledge him to be one with the Father and of a Nature Eternal and Immortal for he was glorified with the Father before the World began Thus W. Penn whose plain meaning is no other than that the Outward Person that Body which our Lord did take of the Virgin was not properly the Son of God by Eternal Generation and was not Glorified with the Father before the World began He is here distinguishing between the Divinity and Manhood of our Saviour and that according to Scripture The Divinity was from Everlasting the Manhood not so that was taken up in the fulness of time appointed by God born of Mary nourished and encreased in Stature Strength c. according to Nature's Law and Course This Body Christ laid it down for the Sins of the World he did thereby consecrate for us a new and living way Through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10.20 and here the Flesh or Body of Christ is called a Vail by allusion to the Vail mentioned Exod. 26.33 which did divide between the Holy Place and the Most Holy and this the Apostle shews Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us And in this sense and no other have we ever used the words Vail or Garment in this case and not as is falsly alledged by the Snake to signifie a Body Ibid. p. 130. in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again In like manner the Snake p. 131. curtails and perverts a Quotation from a Book of ours Entituled some Principles c. from which he quotes p. 126. thus The Scriptures do expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore And we can never call the Bodily Garment Christ. If the Scriptures do so expresly distinguish Of which Instances are given why did the Snake injuriously make a Break in the Quotation instead of giving those instances For upon the Authority of Holy Writ it is that we do thus distinguish and if our Distinction be bad or weak he should have given us a better Exposition of the Scriptures therein brought for that purpose That he may not omit it in his next I here give some of the Instances from that Book wherein the Scriptures do expresly so distinguish Ibid. p. 131. I come now to a Quotation made from Isaac Pennington in his Question to the Professors p. 25. which the Snake does not only break to pieces but also to the several pieces joins some words of his own that they may like his Brethen of the Inquisition by them be forced to sound as he would have them It is in the manner following Isaac Pennington p. 25. Denies that it was the Flesh and Blood of the Veil of the outward Earthly Nature as he calls the Body of Christ by which we are cleansed for says he Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience Thus the Snake gives it and makes nonsense of it for by the Pieces of the Quotation as he has placed them he says that I. P. calls the Body of Christ the Flesh and Blood the Vail of the Flesh and Blood or the Outward and Earthly Nature Thus making the Body a Vail to it self But Reader I will shew thee from the Book it self that I. P. is neither Nonsensical in his Expression nor Heretical in his Meaning but Scriptural
and Orthodox p. 25. q. 18. Seeing the Apostle speaks of purifying the Heavenly things themselves Heb. 9.23 It would seriously be enquired into and the Lord waited on to know what nature these Sacrifices must be of which cleanse the Heavenly things whether they must not of necessity be Heavenly If so then whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Vail Heb. 10.20 or the Flesh and Blood within the Vail John 6.53 Whether was it the Flesh and Blood of the Outward Earthly Nature first quoted or the Flesh and Blood of the Inward Spiritual Nature last quoted Whether was it the Flesh and Blood which Christ took of the first Adam's Nature or the Flesh and Blood of the second Adam's Nature Thus he and is very sound according to the Doctrine of our Saviour who saith John 6.53 Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Of this many of his Disciples said John 6.60 This is an hard saying And therefore our Saviour expounds it to their weakness v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life From all which this is the Sum of I. P's Question The Soul of Man is of Heavenly Extraction which being fallen through Sin is not to be cleansed therefrom but by the Spirit of Christ which is shed on Mankind and univerâ—â—lly tender'd to them by Jesus Christ having offer'd up as a Propitiatory Sacrifice his Body and through the Vail that is to say his Flesh hath opened to the Kingdom in the Apostle's phrase A New and Living Way Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from C. Atkinson's Sword of the Lord drawn p. 5. Your Imagined God beyond the Stars and your Carnal Christ is utterly denied To say this Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie Here the Snake hath made a false Quotation that it might not fail to answer his purpose which yet when set in its true Light speaks quite otherwise it standing thus in that Book Your imagined God beyond the Stars and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your Heathenish Philosophy is utterly denied and testified against by the Light which comes from Christ. Now if the Snake's God and Christ can only be made appear through Heathenish Philosophy this he says is utterly deny'd And it is certainly true that the Light which comes from Christ does utterly deny all Vain and Carnal Imaginations The words from the break are a position of his Opponents to which he does not barely reply It is a Lye but adds He is not divided from what he was before the Foundations of the Hills were laid c. Ibid. p. 131. quoted from Great Mystery p. 250. The Devil was in thee says G. F. to his Adversary Christopher Wade Thou sayest thou art saved by Christ without thee and so hast recorded thy self to be a Reprobate Ibid. p. 132. From Great Mystery p. 183. Such as have Christ in them they have the Righteousness it self without Imputation the end of Imputation the Righteousness of God it self Christ Jesus Thus the Snake first picks up bits to make Quotations and then packs them on heaps that by this his false and confused jumbling of things together they might speak his own mind not the mind of the Writer As to the first where he brings in G. F. saying to Christopher Wade The Devil was in thee c. It was because he had given Testimony of it as this Snake has done by stuffing as G. F. says his Book with Lies And tho' the Snake may think it is no complement yet I can tell him it is Truth in much plainness and agreeable to the Sentence of the Lip of Truth to the Jews when he told them Ye are of your Father the Devil John 8.44 and the lusts of your Father ye will do c. So that where we find Murderous and Lying Works it shews them to be of the Devil As to the latter part of the first Quotation Thou say'st thou art saved by Christ without thee c. It does plainly contradict the Doctrine of the Apostle and upon the Authority of that G. F. or any other may safely declare that such who know not Jesus Christ in them are Reprobates and if Chr. Wade declared himself such G. F. was no more to blame than any other may be if the Snake now do the same To the last Quotation from p. 183 it is near all of it Scripture for Christ is declared the Righteousness of God and is the end of Imputation to all that believe which as G. F. there says Is owned and this Imputation is within for he that believes is born of God Ibid. p. 132. Quoted from Saul's Errand p. 14. Christ says he that is The Light within is the Substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure To shew the Reader this more clearly it being not long I will give it intire as in that Book from whence the Reader may judge of the Orthodoxy of the place and the Malicious Parenthesis of the Snake It was a Query propounded to G. Fox Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not and if a Figure how and in what To which he answers Christ is the Substance of all Figures his Flesh is a Figure for every one passeth through the same way as he did who comes to know Christ in the Flesh There must be a Suffering with him before there be a Rejoycing with him Christ is an Example for all to walk after and if thou knowest what an Example is thou would'st know what a Figure is to come up to the same fulness Thus G. F. and is according to these and other Scriptures John 13.15 1 Pet. 2.21 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 2.9 Ibid. p. 132. The Snake in like manner minces the words of E. B. only quoting from p. 149. of his Works The very Christ of God is within us leaving out what follows We dare not deny him and we are Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bone as the Ephesians were Eph. 5.30 Ibid. p. 132. He does pick from Isaac Penington's Question to the Professors p. 27. Doth not the name Christ belong to the whole Body and to every Member of the Body as well as to the Head And has left out what follows which are the Scripture Proofs Are they not all one yea all one in the Anointing was not this the great desire of his Heart to his Father John 17.21 23. That they all might be one even as the Father and Christ are one And so being one in the same Spirit 2 Pet. 1.4 one in the same Life one in the same Divine Nature even partakers of God's Holiness Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 12.10 nor is the Apostle ashamed to give them the Name of Christ together with him c. Heb. 2.11 The Snake
due time And he is now the object of the Faith of all true Christians not only as born of the Virgin c. but also as known and witnessed in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in Man to bruise the Serpent's Head Power and Strength which has had Dominion and Rule in Man To this sense our Saviour himself does also explain the Spiritual Nature of the Seed the Word of God Luke 8.11 Ibid. p. 143. The Snake brings from Christian Quaker another Argument to the purpose foregoing which is this One Outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of another nor is it the way of Scripture so to Teach us c. To which the Snake says All the outward Sacrifices under the Law were Types or Figures of the Sacrifice of Christ the Outward Christ upon the Cross c. The whole Legal Dispensation of the First Covenant was a Figure of Christ and of that Dispensation of the New Covenant Grace and Truth which came by him But that it was not only a Type or Figure of Christ upon the Cross I shall shew in several Instances The Serpent which Moses made Numb 21.9 Our Saviour declares John 3.14 that as that was lifted up in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up And this in a sense may be understood to have respect to our Saviour's being lifted up on the Cross but not only that for our Saviour carries the Type further and shews that it did respect that Spiritual Obedience and Faith in him which gives Eternal Life For as the Sting of the Serpents in the Wilderness were cured by looking to the Brazen Serpent So by coming through Faith and Obedience to look to Christ the Sting of Sin and Death are taken away by him Wherefore he saith v. 20.21 For every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved But he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God In like manner the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our passover is crucified for us may have respect to Paschal Land as Type and to Christ crucified as typified but not altogether that for he carries it further and shews that whereas vers 1. It was reported there was Fornication among them And vers 6. That they gloried in what was not good He adviseth them to purge out the old Leaven and from the advantages of Power from Christ received he presseth them to keep the Feast not with old Leaven neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth The same Apostle to the Colossians 11.16 17. Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy-Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Day which are a Shaddow of things to come but the Body is of Christ And that they were Shadows of the Spiritual Appearance of Christ whose Dispensation to Mankind was introduced by his outward Appearance the Apostle to the Hebrews shews chap. 9. that the Service which stood in Meats and Drinks and divers Washing and carnal Ordinances did not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but was a Figure of good things to come even the purging the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God by the spotless Offering of the Blood of Christ through the Eternal Spirit Thus the benefit of that Offering cannot be witnessed by Man but through the inward Operation of the Eternal Spirit whereby the Conscience can be purged from Dead Works And thus the Scripture plainly teaches That the Types and Shadows of the Law and the Ministry of it are the Figure of the Covenant promised Jer. 31.33 which is also plentifully shewn by the Apostle to the Hebrews throughout that admirable Epistle And agreeable herewith is W. P. in the place last quoted by the Snake for those words of his One Outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of another c. had relation to his foregoing words which the Snake hath cut off and are these As Abraham Outward and Natural was the Great Father of the Iews outward and natural whose Seed God promised to bless with Earthly Blessings as Canaan c. And that they were figurative of the one Seed Christ and such as he should beget into a lively hope through the Power of his Spiritual Resurrection c. Thus W. P. And as the Snake cannot deny that Abraham was figurative of Christ and that to his Seed as they continued in his Faith the Oath of God was to them in that outward Covenant So it must of necessity follow that this Great Father of the Jews Outward and Natural doth not herein otherwise Typify Christ than as Christ is the Spiritual Father of all the Nations of them that are saved through Faith and Obedience in and to his Spirit in their Hearts Ibid. p. 143. They can upon a pinch subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of God or Christ at all that is of any God or Christ without Men. Reader is not this a fair mark of what kind that great Charity and real kindness must be which in p. 23. foregoing he pretends to have for the Generality of us Or is it not rather a mark of that Flaming Charity which himself declares to have for the Church But Charity and Truth are at an equal distance from him who can thus notoriously belie us by charging such Dissimulation on us as is his own practice That we can subscribe not upon a pinch but heartily and readily all the Testimonies of Holy Writ and the Articles of Faith therein contained is True but that we do not mean one of them Testimonies of God or Christ without Men is as great a falshood as the Devil can utter And if Preaching if Writing if constant Profession in Words together with Practice agreeable from a People can be a sufficient evidence that they do so own and mean I defy the Snake with all his Confederacy to give better and greater evidence that they acknowledge any of the Truths therein contain'd The Snake next repeats a Quotation from Saul's Errand p. 8. which is answered before in p. 59. and another from the Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. which is also answered p. 204. foregoing and therefore need not be here repeated Ibid. p. 145. The Snake speaking of W. Smith's Primmer says Here is an Admirable Cue given to Young Children to prevent their ever receiving the least tincture of Christianity that if they should at any time hear of a Christ in Heaven they might immediately stop their Ears and believe all who spoke of it to be false Ministers That this Snake is a false Accuser and has not the least tincture of Christian Charity there needs little more trouble to prove than barely to give truly which the Snake has not but curtail'd those Questions
Glorying in the Murther of the King Pray Reader consider whether he does not bring this Charge upon his Son Charles the Second who in his Declaration Given at his Court at Dunfirmlin the 16th day of August 1650. and in the Second Year of his Reign as it is there dated hath in the Second Section of that Declaration there said Though His Majesty as a Dutiful Son be obliged to Honour the Memory of his Royal Father and have in Estimation the Person of his Mother yet doth he desire to be deeply humbled and afflicted in Spirit before God because of His Father's heakning to Evil Councils and his opposition to the Work of Reformation and to the Solemn League and Covenant by which so much of the Blood of the Lord's People hath been Shed in these Kingdoms and for the Idolatry of his Mother The King doth here acknowledge very grievous Crimes Evil Council Bloodshed and Idolatry for which with all the Sins of his Father's House he there Craves Pardon as he says himself But in the Language of the Snake thus to object Wickedness to his Father's House and to remember the the Judgments that came upon it because of the above-said Evils is to approve of the Murther of His Father and Glory in it I question not but the Sober Reader will have another sense of this Matter for that remembrances of the Evils that have befallen Princes and denunciations of Evils that should befall them because of iniquity are most frequent in the Prophets of which I shall have occasion to mention some And here it may be fit to ask the Snake whether Elisha the Holy Prophet did Approve of and Glory in the Murther of Ben-hadad King of Aram when he told Hazael the King's Servant who did afterwards commit the Murther 2 Kings 8.10 Go and say unto him thou shalt recover howbeit the Lord hath shewed me he shall surely Die Ibid. They fought as Rome with Double Arms the Spiritual Thunder as well as the Carnal Sword If by the they the Snake speaks of he means the Church he claims Membership in It is then too true that they Fought as Rome with Double Arms viz. Excommunicato's Capiendo's as well as the Carnal Sword and by both we have deeply suffer'd But if by they he means they the Quakers it is notoriously false as hereafter in his particular Instances will be found I come now to the Snake's Instance p. 206. from E. B's Trumpet of the Lord in the first Edition of which Book there is as the Snake says a Part thus directed To all you who are and have been always Enemies to the very Appearance of Righteousness who are call'd Delinquents and Cavelliers And out of this as if it were allowable for him an Enemy to Quote and Mangle as he pleases He leaves out all the Explanatory Part and gives the rest by piece-meal yet not but under the direction and explanation of his Perverse Expositions and i. e's In which whether he has done justice to E. B. herein We will first see and examine by giving the place entire as it is and next it may be consider'd from the Nature and Matter of it whether it be Hellish Thundrings from a Cursed Spirit and like the very opening of the Infernal Pit as the Snake has very Imperiously and as I hope to shew Falsly Asserted The words are as follows Thus saith the Lord My Controversie is against you even my Hand in Judgment is upon you already and you are become cursed in all your Hatchings and Endeavours and from time to time my Hand hath been against you in Battle and you have been and are given up as a Prey to your Enemies for the purpose and intents of your Hearts have been known always to be against the Form of Truth and much more against my Powerful Truth it self And because you attempted to take my Throne Conscience therefore I rose in Fury against you and will have War with all your Followers herein for ever And tho' my Hand hath been evidently against you yet to this day you remain in Rebellion in your Minds in hatching Murder and Cruelty in your wicked Hearts and tho' your Kings and Princes and Nobles have been cut off in Wrath and your cruel desperate Inventions and Plots of Wickedness conceived in your Cursed Womb have been broken and you cut short in your Desires yet you repent not nor will see how you are given to be a Curse and a Desolation and a Prey in Houses and Lands and Persons to them whom I raised up against you and gave Power over you yet you are hardned and your Cruelty in the persecution of my Servants cannot be measured where you have any Power you smite with the Fist of Wickedness and count it your Glory to despise my Name In the Vallies of vain Hopes you feed and on the Mountains of Foolish Expectations and conceive in your Cruel Womb of Tyranny the overthrow of the Nations but in the bringing forth your selves are overthrown and it is not for well-doing that you suffer but my Hand is against you and my Judgments are upon you and except you repent shall continue upon Earth with you and follow you and persue you to the Lake of Destruction where there is no Repentance and you and your Kings and Lordly Power by which you have thought to exercise Lordship over my Heritage shall be enslaved by the Devil in the Pit of Darkness in Everlasting Bondage where he shall reign your King and Lord for evermore Thus E. B. who in this place does not otherwise speak than against those same evil practices which King Charles the Second in the Declaration forementioned did desire to be deeply humbled for and by means of which the Judgments that did overtake were brought And where E. B. saith You are become cursed in all you Hatchings and Endeavours It was not as the Snake falsly Glosses with his i. e. to Restore the King But as E. B. saith himself because you have attempted to take my Throne Conscience And this is so true a saying that all who shall attempt to take the Throne of God viz. the Consciences of Men will sooner or later find that those their attempts will be rewarded with manifest oppositions and overthrow from the Hand of God But further E. B. in this Book did not speak only or chiefly against the wickedness of that Party No but he also speaks against the same Wickedness in Oliver Cromwell and tells him as plainly from the Lord Thou hast broken Truce with me and now thou suffers grievous and Heinous Oppression and Cruelty And to the Generals Colonels and Commanders and Officers he speaks as plainly concerning their Wickedness and tells them You are abundantly waxed fat and exalted through Victories and Deliverances and now you kick against the Lord that hath handled you as Instruments in his Hand to do his Will and many of you who have been raised out of the Dust are set down
Parliament deviated and thereby Justifies the Committee of Safety against the Parliament And so every thing that is uppermost to the end of the Chapter They too have stumbled upon the Doctrine of Success No such matter we have not so stumbled for tho' we know that God can and will bring his own works to pass and he will cause to succeed that Work which he doth appoint Yet every matter which doth succeed according to the desire of those who are Instrumental in the accomplishing of it is not therefore approved of God As to the Deviating of the King I need not trouble my self to say more than what his Son King Charles the Second hath declared in his Declaration from Dunfirmling before quoted p. 327. viz. Sect. 2. Tho' his Majesty as a Dutiful Son be obliged to Honour the Memory of his Royal Father and have in Estimation the Person of his Mother Yet doth he desire to be deeply humbled and afflicted in Spirit before God because of his Father's hearkning to and following Evil Councels and his Opposition to the work of Reformation and to the Solemn League and Covenant by which so much of the Blood of the Lord's People hath been shed in these Kingdoms c. Now if the Snake will answer this Declaration and shew that the King did not Deviate I shall not engage to reply to it no more than the Snake would to those Tracts of the Royallists which do affirm that that Parliament deviated As they are Questions which concern us not in our private Capacities so I shall not pretend to meddle in them further than under the good Authority of what is given under the Hand of a King as is the Testimony above And in this I had been wholly silent had not the necessity of shewing that the Snake had no cause to Cavil and Misrepresent Francis Howgill for using the word Deviate while there was such publick Allegations of it For with respect to States and the unhappy differences which have sometimes happened in them we do continue to say with Edward Burroughs as before quoted Neither are we for one Party or another nor do we side with one sort and rebel against another neither do we joyn our selves to this sort or the other nor do we War against any by Carnal Weapons neither shall we over provoke the Nation against us otherwise than by our Righteous and Holy Walking c. But now we come to a very Grievous Charge which the Snake in his Romantick Method calls p. 219. A formal Association the Quaker Solemn League and Covenant wherein they bind themselves under their Hands their Lives and Estates to Extirpate the Church and the Laws and Government which support it c. Which most Scandalous and Impudent Assertion will vanish when I shall have Informed my Reader both of the Nature of that which he so Intitles and the Ground and Occasion of it which are briefly these In the Year 1659 the then Parliament had among other things under their Debate The Maintenance of Church-Ministers And upon this occasion there were different Endeavours of the People in this Question according to their different Liking and Belief by Petitioning by Remonstrating or otherwise for it being a Question then handled de novo as to the manner of their Maintenance it appears each side did suppose they had an equal Right to express their Sense of the Matter and to endeavour their ease and safety in the Conclusion of it And when for this purpose the Clergy c. found themselves so nearly concern'd as to procure and send up Petitions in the Name of Six Thousand or more to pray The Parliaments Establishment of Tythes and had thus lead the way by Solemn League and Covenant into a Formal Association as the Snake will have it then others found it their Season to Remonstrate the contrary and to shew that great Spoil and Havock that had been made by the Clergy upon their Conscientious Neighbours and particularly by Means of an Act which they had before obtain'd for the Recovering of Treble-Damages for they love an abundance upon the Refusers of them And under that grievous Oppression the Women who did find themselves included in their several Capacities did speak their Sentiments of the Matter then in Question Some might be sensible of the Oppression in their own Persons others as Wives of those who did so and some as the Children of Parents whose Estates were impaired by that means and as Sufferers they from their several Counties did send to the Parliament And if a Petition from Six Thousand or more Men might then be offer'd as Reason why that Parliament should determine the Question to their Sense Pray why might not the like be offer'd from Seven Thousand or more Women shewing their past Grievous Sufferings which they or some of them had lain under and therefore desire that the Question might be determin'd to their future ease This Reader is what the Snake calls a Solemn League and Covenant but that it 's vastly differing in Nature from that which his Country afforded the fore-going brief Account does truly shew And as it was no such Association as this Adversary doth falsly Suggest so neither was it in its Nature or Terms binding under their Hands Lives and Estates to Extirpate the Church and the Laws and the Government c. For while a Question is yet undetermin'd and is under the Cognisance of Superiours as this then was I cannot see that they who Petition against it do more bind themselves Lives and Estates to Extirpate the Laws c. than they who Petition that that might be Enacted viz. the Establishment of Tythes which was then a Question whether it should be so or not But that these Papers Subscribed by the Women were an Association for the Extirpating of the Government the Snake gives himself the Lye because they were delivered to those whom I doubt not he will acknowledge were Vsurpers And he hath said as I have observed P. 326. fore-going that we Joined with all the Vsurpations from our first Rise And I think they give no great mark of Joyning with a Usurpation who bind themselves under their Hands Lives and Estates to Extirpate it Yet thus Contradictory is the Snake Ibid. P. 220. They Exult That Strafford 's Head was cut off and Canterbury 's and Charles Stuart 's as Traytors for endeavouring to Subvert the Fundamental Laws For these and many more Scraps pick'd here and there a Line he quotes The West Answering the North Printed 1657. But that there is no such Exulting as the Snake does Suggest will soon appear both from the Form and Occasion of the Words First to the Occasion This Book West Answering the North was Writ to lay open the Illegal Practices and Grievous Persecutions which some then in Authority did do and use against many of our Friends in the Counties of Cornwal and Devonshire which was by the way no Mark of Joyning with them as
evaded and left without defence V. My passing by many of the Snake's dirty Stories and rambling Stuff against us argues not the Quakers way of Answering Books to be Fallacious Methods nor that their cause would bear a fair and clear Answer nor yet any danger of falling into any Snares the Snake had laid against us p. 360. For the reason of my passing by much of his foul dirty Stuff was singly because I thought it not worth spending my time not having then so much to spare in repeating the same or to follow his frequent repetitions thereof tho' I designed not to prevent any other that had more time from a fuller scrutiny into his abuses My Antidote was against the Venom or most Virulent Parts and Foul Abuses of the Snake in the Grass and not to every Paragraph nor to each Section I finding many if not most of them in substance fully answered long before in divers Books of ours Neither was mine a General and Evasive Answer but special and particular to many particular and chief Objections and Falshoods forged against us as a People and against divers and particular Persons abused by this Adversary Besides I have the less reason to value his Work so far as to take cognizance of every particular Babble Tattle and Story in it seeing he durst not shew himself or his Name to his Work as the Author thereof But if he has gone under sundry Names as some say 't will be the more difficult to find out his true Name He tells of the wrathful Proud Spirit of the Quakers and that there i. e. in his First Edition Sect. V. and Sect. XVII of his Second Edition of the Snake there are some of the most sensless and venomous Expressions against their Adversaries that ever came out of the Mouth of Man while they pretend to be the very meek of the Earth c. But G. W. in his Answer says not a word to this matter c. p. 361. This Man casts his own Faults in the back end of the Wallet and those he thinks he sees in others in the fore end he forgets what venomous Expressions and furious Defamations he has used against others more especially against the Quakers so called Let him review his 18th and 21st Sections and divers others in his Second and Third Edition and see what sweet Expressions and mild Language he hath treated the Quakers with as Bloody Devils Furious Cursed Spirit Possessed by the Devil Quakerism Conjuration Witchcraft and Conjuration Enthusiastick Madness Blasphemers Traytors Rebells c. cum multis aliis Is not this sweet Language trow ye and rare courtly Treatment to convince and regain us into the Arms of his Mother Church and these with abundance more expressions from a Person that as he would be thought a Man of a very Good Nature and Sweet Temper he commends unto us Kind and Sweet Expressions as natural to Love and Good Nature as Furious Spightful Envious and other grating and violent Passions do naturally vent themselves in the like wicked and hateful Ebullitions of a distorted Soul as in his 17th Section But what most sensless and venomous Expressions have the Quakers used against their Adversaries He recites some of them as he thinks them such in the same 17th Section of his Second Edition to shew the venom and nastiness of the Quakers Spirit as he venomously asperses them as the Devil was in thee given up to the Devil's Power Raveners from Christ Wolves Dogs Equivocating Deluding Hypocrites Conjurers Thieves Robbers Antichrists Witches Devils Serpents Vipers Ministers of the Devil c. And these he puts down as some of the most Venomous of Quakers Expressions against their Adversaries to shew the venom and nastiness of their Spirit Tho' the most of these Expressions were Characters given in Holy Scripture to some sorts of wicked People who were so greatly degenerated from good Nature and Innocency as they are said to be of their Father the Devil and others were termed dumb Dogs and greedy Dogs too Isa. 56.10 11. and Ravening Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents Mat. 23.33 Thieves Robbers Evil Beasts Sons oâ— the Sorceress Seed of the Adulterer and Whore Isa. 56.10 11. and Chap. 57.2 3. And did not Paul say O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3.1 I would ask this Adversary if these Characters were venomous expressions or proceeded from a nasty venomous Spirit Let him answer in his next against the Quakers and see if any of them has used worse Expressions than his own or so hard as Bloody Devils Traytors Witches c. VI. It is not inherent in the Quakers to use such hard Expressions against all their Adversaries as he would insinuate p. 361. but only some have given Invidious and bitter Enemies of Truth their due Characters suitable to their Extreamly Degenerate State as Dogs Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents c. as to Fury and Implacable Malice of Spirit 'T is unjustly cast upon us 't is his own Spirit that appears both Furious and Implacably Malicious against us He 's not willing to see his own bitterness and invectiveness whilst he unjustly charges me there-with for telling him his own as a Scandalous Liar Impudent Sculking Vile Mercenary Dissembling Hypocrite through whom the Devil and Malice does invent and produce Terms and Characters i. e. against us the People called Quakers These no doubt touch and offend him But I am fully pursuaded never an Adversary that I have read has writ more bitterly and maliciously against us nor more in reviling Treatment scurrilous and contemning Language than this Author of the Snake has done To my charging him with shamefully defaming us as a People under as Gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent Antidote p. 44. He Answers Ay But the Devil is in it George he has proved them too and so plain that thy Excuses confirm it the more p. 362. See the Levity of the Man and how he Glories in his Shame in his work of Envy which he grants the Devil is in who is the Author of Lyes and Father of Lyars he writes now against me like one in a great Rage and Fury Ibid. accusing me with Sensless Ribaldry against him comparing me to a Dogg that Breaks his Teeth upon the Stone thrown at him Sensless Lyes Rancâ—r and Venom of Spirit Effeminate and ungovernable Passion Which Reviling does not touch me to move me to any such Passion Anger and Malice as he falsly Imagines of me Having long since learned Patiently to suffer Reproach and to Rejoyce when Persecuted and Defamed for Christ's sake I bless his Holy Name and Power wherein my Life and Safety is over my Persecutors His pretending To speak in behalf of G. Keith only so far as he maintains the true Christian Doctrine against me and my Friends is to render us Opposers of the True Christian Doctine which is a General Aspersion without Conviction and G. K. has given contrary Testimony
a Quaker's Book Intituled The Sword of the Lord drawn p. 5. viz. Your Imagined God beyond the Stars your Carnal Christ is utterly denied That Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie To which he saith G. Whitehead does not deny the Quotation but says p. 145. We do not affect the Terms Then he adds Was not this a Terrible Rebuke a full Condemnation of the Author and such damnable Heresie p. 357. See how grosly Abusive and Partial this Snake Author is as if we do not affect the Terms were my whole Answer to those fore-going Expressions quoted by him wherein he appears as in many other things very unjust and injurious for I call them offensive Words in my Answer i. e. as quoted by him saying As to those Offensive Words your Carnal Christ your Imagined God c. we do not affect the Terms neither are they proper to the True Christ or Omnipresent God Antidote p. 145 146. but his Falacy in the Quotation I refer to the fore-going Treatise p. 204. I further add That an Imagined God and Imagined Christ is not the true God nor the true Christ which all meer Imaginations fall short of and of the true Knowledge thereof However I neither liked the said Offensive Words nor the Person that wrote them i. e. C. A. for he neither writ all he did in true Reverence toward God neither did he abide in His Fear or Council but was disown'd by us Therefore the Snake's Insinuation against me That he was a Friend in saying of them and had a good Intention as if I would so excuse him and his said offensive Words is utterly false for I never design'd to excuse or plead for him therein or in any other rash or irreverent Expressions And the Snak's Inferences against the Quakers in general As that all the World cannot excuse them from being the most Outragious and Blasphemous Heresie And that all Men must look upon the Quakers as Monsters and no Christians and their Ancient Friends with Blasphemies Heresies Treasons and damnable Doctrines c. p. 368. Thus concluding with a Storm of Railery when he has taken occasion to Calumniate and Condemn us all by Whole-sale from a few rash and offensive Expressions of one Person and perhaps from some other Words or Passages which many Thousands of us were never concerned in besides his many foul Perversions and partial and false Quotations and Citations And lastly he makes this Apology He must not surfeit the Reader with a Breakfast lest he lose his Stomach to his Dinner But should the Reader be so unwary as to make his Breakfast of such Cookery as the Snake's Railery Foul Abuses and dirty Stuff as he has Cooked against the People call'd Quakers 't would be enough not only to Surfeit but to Poison the Reader Now that I would not seem to conclude with harsh but mild Expressions as well as Matter of Moment I may a little farther take notice of his Profound Questionary Test to try if we are sound in the Faith viz. Whether they i. e. the Quakers believe in Christ as without them without all other Men Seeing our Adversary and his Confederates so much Insist upon the words without us Christ as without us and sometimes gives him the Character of an Outward Christ as if he were not an Inward Christ Inwardly Anointed I may take leave a little to follow them in their terms yet with a real Respect and Honour to the True Messiah the Very Christ the Anointed of God of whom all his Holy Prophets gave Witness Acts 10.4 namely we believe and confess that this very Christ of God the Only Begotten Son of God was conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary without us that he was Born in Bethlehem of Judea without us that he liv'd an Innocent Sinless Life preached most Blessed and Excellent Doctrine without us that he wrought most Eminent and Wonderful Miracles without us that he went about doing Good without us that he was Crucified and put to Death by wicked hands without the Gates of Jerusalem without us that by the Power of God he revived and rose again the third day without us that after he was raised from the Dead he shewed himself Alive after his Passion by many Infallible Proofs unto his Disciples without us being seen of them forty days after which he Ascended into Heaven being seen to Ascend without us and a Cloud received him out of their sight who beheld him Ascend Unto whom it was said by the 2 Angels present This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Acts 1.3 9 10 11. and doubtless when he so comes and all his mighty Angels with him it will be in great Glory and open Triumph and he will in that day be greatly glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.7 8 9 10. But now I must not stop here we must not leave this same Jesus Christ all without us we must humbly consider and own him as He is within us also As Christ is the Word of God that true Light which enlightens every Man coming into the World John 1.9 He is within us As in Him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men He is within us his Life as the Light of Men is within us John 1.4 As Christ is the Light of the World given to lead Men out of Darkness and to give the Light of Life to all who follow him John 8.12 He is within Men within us to lead us out of that Darkness and Corruption that was in us As Christ is given for the Light of the Gentiles and for a Covenant unto the People and to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isa. 42.6 49.6 Acts 13.47 He must be known as such within them Seeing his coming was that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly John 10.10 This Life we must have within us Jesus said If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our abode with him John 14.23 which must be within us Abide in me and I in you saith Christ as the Branch cannot bring forth Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me John 15.4 Therefore if we abide in Christ he abides in us The Branches must abide in the Vine to partake of the Life and Virtue thereof in them to cause Fruit. John 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you said Christ. Ver. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Therefore we must know Christ within us if we be his true Followers John 17.22 23. Where Christ saith And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me And Ver. 26. And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them What 's more clear than Christ's own Testimony for his Being within us i. e. within all his true Followers especially 2. Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Therefore they who are not Reprobates but in the Faith know that Jesus Christ is within them Colos. 1.27 To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery which is Christ in you the hope of glory Therefore the Saints know Christ within them to be the Hope of Glory to them Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father The Son of God is therefore by his Spirit within us who are Sons of God Galat. 4.19 My little Children of whom I Travail in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born in many brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In multis fratribus Therefore the Son of God is within them Rev. 3.20 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 Was not this the Son of God the Faithful and True Witness who thus spake ver 14 And where is that Door that must be opened unto him Many more Instances might be shewn for the nearness of Christ with and In his Faithful Followers and Members And Blessed are they who truly Believe in his Name and follow him in the Regeneration FINIS Ibid p. 6. Acts 5.36 37. Josephus p. 426 532. Printed 1683. Great Mystery p. 224. Snake p. 31. John 10.3.14.6 Luke 22.28 Mark 1.13 Mat. 4.6 7. John 7.49 Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae p. 21. art 51. Foot yet in the Snare Printed 1656. p. 6. Jam. Nayler Vid. Hierom. Apol. adv Ruff. ad Pammach Marcel Ep. 141. ad Marcel