the least Farthing with the aforesaid Discourse and then see how he 'll reconcile his Notion thereunto In Sect. 16. Concerning the Holy Trinity he saith The Quakers and Socinians acknowledge a Three but deny a Trinity which is to confess the same Thing in English and to deny it in Latin for Trinitas is only Latin for Three He mistakes the Quakers They do not deny the Three either in Latin or English but really own the holy divine Three in Heaven tho' their being rendred distinct and separate Persons by some of our former Adversaries we have conscientiously questioned as unscriptural Terms Our Adversary adds They cannot tell what Three they are if not Three Persons p. 219. This is a Mistake we can safely tell what to call them in Scripture Language That they are Three that bear Record or Three witnessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Witnesses in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One John 1. 5. These are the Father Son and Holy Spirit which are essentially One or One in the Divine Being Our Adversary further saith The Quakers who own the Divinity of Christ are under greater Difficulties than the Socinians who deny the Divinity of Christ p. 219. 'T is well he now grants the Quakers own the Divinity of Christ But how well this agrees with much of his Book against us let the serious Reader judge And we know no Difficulties we are under herein The Man imagins and would obtrude Difficulties upon us from his own Terms which are none of ours as that there is but One Person in the Godhead which are none of our Words Much less his Muggletonian Consequence That God died and that Christ was his own Father to whom he pray'd upon the Cross. We know no real occasion given by the Quakers for him to draw such Absurdities upon them or to be afraid of such Distinctions and Salvo's at the bottom of the Quaker-pretences as impertinently he prates against them exposing his pretended Fears instead of Proofs And what if G. F. opposed Chr. Wade's calling The Holy Ghost a Person And if he said The Scriptures do not tell the People of Three Persons c And yet confessing the Father Son and Holy Spirit to be always One Does it follow That the Quakers do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was born as he saith it seems p. 220. And then to aggravate the Matter against G. F. That he means One Person as Muggleton does p. 220. What if the Quakers think the Term Three Persons too low an Epithite or Character to put upon the most Glorious Blessed Three that bear Record in Heaven Can they be to blame herein When they aim at giving more Honour to them in a true Scripture sense than they think the Term Persons imports yet still owning the Holy Divine Three in Heaven and that they were before Christ was born contrary to what 's unduly suggested against us For the Father the Word and Holy Spirit were concerned both in Divine Wisdom Power and Goodness in forming preserving and governing both the Old Creation and the New By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth Psal. 33. 6. So here 's the Divine Holy Three forming and compleating the first Creation And the Gospel was commanded to be preached in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that Men might truly believe and know the Work of God by his dear Son and Holy Spirit unto their everlasting Salvation Peace and Comfort For God so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3. 16. And Jesus answered and said If any Man love me he will keep my Word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and will dwell with him John 14. 23. And ver 26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And Ch. 15. 26. But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth of the Father he shall testifie of me And 1 Joh. 4. 13 14. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And we have seen and do testifie That the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World All which may evince how scripturally we own a Trinity or Holy Three in the Deity Our Accuser tells of what unimaginable Excesses Enthusiasm may drive Men to and that all should beware of that desperate Shelve upon which both our Church and State have suffered miserable Shipwreck p. 221 222. Here he disparages his own Church whereby we may beware of embarking in such a â—raz'd wreck'd Vessel as here he represents her He excepts against the Words not distinct from which G. F. intends in a sort of common Acceptation That the Son is not divided or separate from the Father p. 222 223 224. Tho' 't is true in one Sense the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not essentially distinct as to their divine Being which is but One they are but One God but in respect to their Properties of Relation as Father Son and Holy Ghost as such they are distinct but not divided nor separate either in themselves or Work of the Old or New Creation yet not Three Gods nor Three distinct Creâ—tors but One God and One Creator Passing by divers Impertinencies and Absurdities under this Head to conclude We know no People professing a Deity in Christendom that more sincerely and livingly believe and confess a most glorious Scripture-Trinity or Holy Three the Father the Word or Son and Holy Ghost than we the People called Quakers do believe and confess to the Praise and Glory of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Our Accuser's 17th Sect. Concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ is full of Falshoods Perversions and Misconstructions 1. He begins with this Falshood viz. The Quakers Heresie in this is taken from the Socinians They say Christ took Flesh but no otherwise as they explain it than as Angels assumed Bodies c. Which is notoriously false against the Quakers who confess and believe That Christ the Word took real Flesh a real Body and not a meer Apparition nor a Fantastical Body and so they have often declared both in Print and Preaching 2. That they allow not always that Christ did inspire the Person of that Man Jesus in an higher measure than other Men. False and perverse again God did inspire the Man Christ Jesus higher than all other Men he received the Spirit not by measure but in fulness he was anointed with the Oil of Gladness above all his Fellows All other Men even the best are inspired
to that which is of God and from him and mentions not the Quakers in the place Sn. p. 52. Great Mystery p. 248. again quoted viz. All THAT have the Son and the Holy Ghost have THAT which is equal in Power and Glory with the Father and this all the Quakers say they have Re. That the Son and Holy Ghost are equal in Power with the Father and that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the Dead dwells in the Saints we see not this to be such a monstrous Heresie Are not the Son and Holy Ghost of the same Substance with the Father And have not the Assembly at Westminster confessed as much as G. F. says Yet the Quakers do not say they have the Holy Ghost in fulness but in measure Sn. p. 53 54 55. Sect. 7. Of the Quakers making their Soul of the same Person and Substance with God quoting Great Myst. p. 247. p. 90 91. 273. Of Christ's dwelling in the Saints Of that which came out from the Creator Of the Soul that came out of him c. Re. 1. The Case herein is both mis-understood and mis-represented against the Quakers They do not so make their Souls of the same Person and Substance with God I know no such Expressions used by the Quakers 2. There 's a mis-understanding also of G. F. in the Case about his questioning Is not that a part of God which came out from God and of his Being as God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he i. e. Man became a living Soul to which Words G. F. expresly refers We always understood him to intend That this Breath of Life which made Man a living Soul was that divine Breath or Spirit of Life which came out from God and of his own Being for otherwise how should Man thereby become a living Soul Which clearly distinguisheth the Creature Man to be that living Soul that was so made by that Spirit Breath and Life which proceeded from his Creator and which some term the Soul of the Soul So that the Soul of Man abstractly considered was as truly created as Man himself tho' that divine Inspiration or Breath of Life whereby the Soul had its Being Life and Immortality be Increated and of God himself for we ever distinguished between the Soul of Man and that which saves it Note That his 2d 4th 8th 9th Sections are not particularly pointed at being in Substance comprehensively and sufficiently answered in divers Answers to the rest and in our Just Enquiry the same things being often repeated in his Book as about Carnal Weapons Damning all the World the Soul and Immediate Revelation Sn. p. 69. Sect. 10. As they place Infallibility in every single Quaker so they confine it not to Matters of Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things to know all Men's Hearts and all Things in the World by their inward Light without being told by any Re. Here 's a great Mistake in these Accusations 1. Such a personal Infallibility as to know all Persons States and Things in the World we pretend not to for that were for Man to pretend Omnisciency which is only proper to Almighty God The Man 's egregiously out in confounding Infallibility with Omnisciency The Infallibility or Certainty own'd by us originally is in the Spirit and Light of Truth given by Christ Jesus and not consisting in Persons their humane or natural Parts yet we must confess to the Glory of God that the Spirit of Truth doth infallibly teach and lead them into all Truth who truly obey it and gives them certain knowledge in Matters of Faith and Salvation Sn. p. 81. They turn and wind this Infallibility of theirs at such a rate that no Man can I am sure I cannot know what they mean by it Re. Where 's then the Blasphemy Here 's manifest Contradiction to what he hath said before about extending the Quaker's Infallibility to all Persons and Things and to know all Mens Hearts and all things in the World c. which is to pretend to Omnisciency which is only proper to God who only is Omniscient Silence had better become this occult Adversary's Ignorance than to reproach or vilifie us about what he knows not Sn p. 83 84. The Strength which God has given to our Bodies is as sufficient to climb up to the Skies as the Wisdom or Light which he has given to our Souls was sufficient of it self to have found out the redemption of lost Man by the Incarnation and Satisfaction of Christ to God's Justice for our Sins or if found out to have paid that Price and to have accomplished that whole wonderful Oeconomy of our Salvation by our own Abilities and then he goes on thus confusedly so very insufficient is the Light within us even tho' followed to the utmost by its own Strength to carry us to Heaven Re. This is to deny any divine Wisdom Light Word or Power to be given to our Souls as if they could live and immortally subsist without the divine Logos or Word in them which in Scripture is called The Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul and consequently to carry us to Heaven 't is therefore great Darkness to oppose the sufficiency of this Light this Word or Christ within or to oppose his Incarnation Sufferings Satisfaction or our Redemption obtained by him as our Mediator to this his own inward Light Power and Appearance for as truly as Christ Jesus as our blessed Mediator has obtained eternal Redemption and Salvation for us so truly doth Christ Jesus by his Light Life and Power make us Partakers of that Redemption and Salvation and to know the Oeconomy Law or Rule of his House and Family as we obey him therein that we being reconciled by his Death might be saved by his Life The divine Logos the Light or Spirit of Christ is as able now to discover what Christ hath done and suffered for our Redemption as it was to shew the Prophets his Sufferings and the Glory that should follow Sn. p. 84. And therefore the Quakers preaching up the sufficiency of the Light within as all of them but the Separatists do is not only highly derogatory to the satisfaction paid by Christ for our Sins but it is blasphemous in ascribing to Our Selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation Re. There are two gross Mistakes in these Passages 1. The sufficiency we ascribe to Christ his Light and Life within is not any derogation to his Satisfaction Attonement or Ransom given and paid by him without us for Sins and Sinners no more than Christ's own exhorting Men To believe in the Light that they might become Children of the Light or the Apostle's to a receiving the ingrafted Word which was able to save the Souls could be derogatory to his blessed intention and end in his Suffering and Sacrifice for Mankind but the contrary Christ by his Light and Life within leads to know and experience the
Believers are baptized unto Christ and into Christ's Death and into One Body there being One Faith and One Baptism which is that of the Spirit 's which is the Soul 's saving Baptism typified by that of Water See 1 Cor. 12. 13. Rom. 6. 3 4. Gal. 3. 27. Ephes. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. In the next place we may observe this censorious uncharitable Man will not allow Christ's Commission Mat. 28 19. To intend spiritual Baptism or the Baptism of the Holy Ghost because he saith Christ only is he who could baptize with the Holy Ghost To say that Man could bestow God which the Holy Ghost is is the highest Blasphemy p. 203 204. And further to aggravate the Matter against us he saith If the Quakers Interpretation of Mat. 28. 19. do hold it will follow that the Apostles and their Successors have power to baptize with the Holy Ghost which is Blasphemy Reply He is highly mistaken in his superlative Charge of Blasphemy in this Case for if our Interpretation of the Text does hold That Christ's Apostles and Ministers had Power given them by him being present with them even in his own Work to baptize with the Spirit as well as to convert Men to God then our Interpretation isd not Blasphemy because it holds This severe Judge against us is quite out here For tho' Christ be the great and efficient Cause both of giving and baptizing with the Spirit yet his true Ministers who were indued with his divine Power were instrumental in his Work of baptizing with the Spirit yea and of ministring the Spirit and he was with them in his own Work Lo I am with you always to the end of the World saith he What for To enable them to baptize with Water No that many can do without him or the least sense of his Presence but lo Christ was with them to impower them to Go teach all Nations baptizing them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost It is not Go teach and then baptize them with Water but Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. There was a divine and spiritual Baptism immediately attending and present with their Ministry and it was to such as were docible too and not to Infants who are not capable of Teaching and this spiritual Presence of Christ and his Baptism accompanying their Ministry is evident according to St. Peter's own Relation Acts 11. 15 16. And AS I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard even as upon us at the beginning Then I remembred the Word of the Lord how he said John baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost What 's more plain than that here was Teaching and Baptizing with the Holy Ghost accompanying his Ministry Query But were Christ's Apostles instrumental in ministring the Spirit Yes they being Ministers of the Spirit and not of the Letter See Gal. 3. 2. Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith preached And ver 5. He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it through the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith preached Their Speech and Preaching being not in the enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in plain Evidence of the Spirit and of Power that the Faith of the Hearers might not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. For said he our Gospel was not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance 1 Thes. 1. 5. But contrarywise this imposing Judge has promoted Water-Baptism above the spiritual powerful Ministry of the Gospel He 'll have the spiritual Baptism to go along with that of Water duly administred and received as he saith p. 205. But by no means will he allow the spiritual Baptism to go along with the Gospel Ministry or Teaching as commanded Mat. 28. 19. No by no means that he deems Blasphemy which bewrays his no small Ignorance both of the Scriptures and of the Power of God and true Gospel-Ministry in this case and therefore he 'll not allow Inward Baptism to supersede the Outward Though John Baptist who had a peculiar Commission for the Outward allowed it he preferred and exalted Christ's Baptism above his own saying He must increase but I must decrease John 3. 30 I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance or amendment of Life but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Mat. 3. 11. Mark 1. 8 Luke 3. 16. John 1. 26 27. That John as to this his outward Ministry of Baptism should decrease implies not an immediate or present end thereof upon the entrance of Christ's Dispensation or Baptism but that John's should gradually decrease and wear out as Christ's Ministry and Baptism do encrease and grow as the Heat of Fire or Sun dries up the Water and causes it to decrease by Degrees and not suddenly all at once For John and his Ministry being of great esteem with many both Jews and Greeks no doubt his Baptism was condescended unto and allowed when the Apostles were gathering divers of the Churches of Christ to a higher Ministry And that this of John's Baptism was an Act of Condescention and not of Commission to the Apostles Paul is very plain in this case 1 Cor. 1. 14 15 16. after he saith I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any should say that I had baptized in my own Name I baptized also the Houshold of Stephanus c. He gives a more general Reason for his thanking God he baptized no more ver 17. For Christ sent me NOT to baptize but to preach the Gospel c. And doubtless Paul's Commission from Christ was as large and extensive as any of the Apostles had therefore their Commission in Mat. 28. 19 was not to baptize with Water but with the Spirit wherein their Gospel Ministry came His supposing that If the inward Baptism must supersede the Outward then must Inward Teaching p. 203. This supposes the outward Baptism of equal Authority with Teaching or Preaching the Gospel and as necessary to continue which we do not believe yet we deny not but the inward and immediate Teaching of the Holy Spirit is more excellent and permanent than the Outward as the Holy Spirit is the Original and Spring from whence the true outward Ministry arises and flows and unto which it leads and the more People come to know an Introversion and joining of their Minds to the Inward the less need they 'll have of the Outward though we bless God for both But how proves this Adversary That the visible Representation of the Lord's death by the Bread broken and the Wine poured forth and also Water-Baptism are the Body or outward part of Religion which he saith the
the Conscience are Spiritual and Mysterious as the New Covenant it self is which they belong to and these things known in And this is the New and Living way which Christ set open through the vail of his Flesh Heb. 10. Let him receive this who can And if our Adversary and his abetters know no more of the Mystery of Christ's Blood or Work of purging and sprinkling the Conscience than their profession and application of the Material Blood without the sanctifying Spirit and Operation of it they may remain long enough with defiled Consciences and full of Envy and Malice That precious outward Offering and Blood of Christ outwardly shed has long been greatly abused by misapplication and the holy design and ends thereof perverted by carnal Professors to indulge themselves in Sin and Disobedience against Christ during Life Now laying aside the Baptist's Argument aforesaid I do grant that the Material Blood whereby all things under the Law were purged as it had the very Image of the Material Blood of Christ that was outwardly shed it was Typical thereof And that Blood of Christ including his whole Sacrifice argued by the Apostle to the Hebrews as the Antitype answering and fulfiling the Types thereof and which were not only Types of that Blood and Sacrifice as outwardly offered but also a shadow of the inward and spiritual sprinkling purging and sanctifying of the Conscience by Christ our High Priest with his Blood and Spirit of Grace The good things to come which the Law had the shadow of but not the very Image of them were Heavenly and Spiritual things Heb. 10. 1. But the Law had the very Image or Resemblance of the Material Blood of Christ that was shed in that it had material Blood of Sacrifices one Blood resembles another therefore that Material or Natural Blood outwardly shed was not those Spiritual and Heavenly things which the Law had the shadow and not the very Image of The Material and Typical Blood whereby all things were purged under the Law was sprinkled on them by Moses and the High-Priest therefore 't is Christ our High Priest who sprinkles and effectually purgeth the Conscience which he doth not Literally but Spiritually in which work his Spirit and Power is livingly concerned as the efficient Cause and his Blood and whole Sacrifice in preparing and making way for and obtaining Redemption and Remission of Sins received upon true repentance on our parts It 's said How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. The value efficacy and fruit of his offering himself without spot to God is greatly or principally placed upon the eternal Spirit and so is the work of Sanctification and effectually purging the Conscience both from dead works and the pollution of Sin That which inwardly and effectually purgeth the Conscience and sprinkles the heart from an evil Conscience is the Spirit the spiritual Vertue Blood and Life of Christ that actually purgeth and cleanseth them from all Sin who truly walk in his light which has the sanctifying life and vertue in it There was a kind of expiation and purging by way of Sacrifice under the Law and old Covenant yet the Consciences thereby not purified nor made perfect But the Expiation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purgation or Cleansing Heb. 1. 3. That 's made and prepared by Christ himself and his Sacrifice and the Covenant of Grace and Mercy wherein that work of Grace is fulfiled Sealed with his own Blood this reacheth the Conscience to a real purifying and perfecting thereof by the Spirit and Power of Christ. By one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified whereof the Holy Ghost also is witness to us Heb. 10. 14 15. Therefore that Expiation made by that most excellent Offering without us is fulfilled by the Spirit in the work of Sanctification within us We are delivered from the outward Law and the Curse of it by the Body of Christ but are made free from the Law and Sin of Death by the Law of the Spirit and Life in Christ Jesus Ro. 7. 4. 8. 2. To that of Act 20. 28. The Church of God which he purchased with his own Blood Hereupon the Man has some slight flings at me but makes very little work on 't As to my saying The Blood of God which is God's own Blood and whereby his Church is purchas'd must needs be spiritual and the Covenant of God is inward and spiritual and so is the Blood of it consequently both Mystical I did not hereby hold that God is either Material or has a Material Body or Blood but the contrary that his own Blood whereby his Church is purchased is more than the Material or Natural Blood of Christ that was shed though that was a part of the Sacrifice offered for Man's Redemption neither dare our Adversary say that Blood could be properly called God's own Blood unless he holds that God has a material Body and Blood no more than the Annotation thereupon which saith Of God's own Blood that which appertaineth to Christ's humanity is attributed to his Divinity because of the Communion of properties and union of the two Natures in one Person Which Notation or the Terms of it I shall not now dispute But I 'le take leave to explain my self farther for the spiritual vertue and mystery of God's own Blood and the Blood of his everlasting Covenant the Blood of sprinkling therein c. wherehy God has purchased his Church God's own Blood was no less than his own dear Son Christ himself It was a manner of speaking the Blood put for the whole Offering the innocent Blood that Judas betrayed was Christ himself Mat. 27. 4. And the Ransom or Price given for Man's Redemption was Christ himself who came to give his life for the Ransome of many Matt. 20 28. And he gave himself a Ransome for all Men to be testified of in due time 1 Tim. 2. 6. God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all There 's a twofold work in the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ 1. By the Sacrifice and Mediation of Christ general for all Men. 2. By his Power Spirit and Life actually freeing and delivering the truly believing Soul from Sin and from the Nature and Being of Sin and Condemnation because thereof in which sense God's Church was purchased with his own Blood and in which last and special sense my Answer was intended as not only by the natural or outward Blood shed but principally by the spiritual Blood or Life of Christ Jesus God's sparing not his own Son but delivering him up for us all includes the whole Sacrifice of Christ in Soul and Body which were offered therefore God's own Blood is such an high and elegant Phrase as bespeaks the great love of God in Christ as the whole Ransom and Price of