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 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
attempts against us that he may not be suffered to sculk and hide himself like a Snake under Grass And as to the seven Queries which he upbraids us with reproaching us As puting them all off with one general Answer c. as a trick and deceit of ours to hide and cover our monstrous Heresies and a full confession of our Heresies Pref. p. 350. Which being monstrous Calumnies and from which our general Answer to the unprejudiced clears us though we expected it would meet with such ill Treatment and Mis-construction as it hath from G. K. and this Author therefore thought meet to publish the said Answer herewith for the information of others more Charitable and Impartial than this our present Accuser and unjust Judge The said Queries appear to be of so little weight and some of them so indirect and in unscriptural Terms and perversly designed for cavil that I do not think they deserve to be reprinted here The following Answer being positive plain and scriptural as well as comprehensive of what 's necessary to be said to the matters chiefly Questioned And tho' I have long had a more particular Answer to the said Queries ready I do not think my self obliged at present to gratifie such imperious arbitrary Inquisitors as our present Adversaries with the publication thereof but rather for farther information in these matters chiefly Queried refer them and others to these our Books viz. First A Testimony of what we believe of Christ both as he was God and Man c. By G. F. Printed Anno 1677. And Secondly The Christian Doctrin and Society of the People called Quakers c. And Thirdly The Harmony of the Old and New Testament concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ c. With many more ancient Books whereby it may appear that we were not to seek our Faith concerning Jesus and the Resurrection before the said Queries came to our hands G. W. Lon. 3d day 4th Month call'd June 1695. Friend William Lancaster HAving received a Paper of great Objections against us the People called Quakers with seven Queries therein subscribed William Lancaster directed to our Yearly Meeting in Whitson-week 1695. and delivered to some of us very near the conclusion thereof and therefore only read in the said Meeting with not having any further time to consider the Contents thereof or to give any particular answer thereunto It was by the said Meeting left to a few to consider and answer as in the Fear of God and Meekness of Wisdom we should see Cause Wherein we observe is noted great Objections have been made against us by those who have departed from our Communion as by others To which we reply that 't is true and they have been answer'd to which we refer And we observe in the said Paper it s said We would not take an account of you only from your Adversaries c. And we have chosen this solemn Time And again And we have chosen this most proper and convenient Opportunity c. And then states the several Queries and says the Questions may be proposed and their Answer demanded Now the Objections having been publick and our Answers publick we desire to know who the We are that are intended in this Paper that we may apply our selves to them or give such Scriptural Answers as we hope may tend to satisfaction But to repeat Answers in writing or print to we know not who so often as demanded to the same things already answer'd We think it not needful Therefore have herewith only sent thee a few brief Lines being grosly Wronged and Misrepresented in the said Objections and divers of the Queries contain several Questions in them in different Terms and some Vnscriptural so not plain and direct Queries therefore cannot positively be answer'd by our simple YEA or NAY to each Query as designed We therefore at present send this general Answer to the Queries for thy information as follows viz. We sincerely believe and profess Jesus Christ and the Resurrection according to the Holy Scripture Testimony and to that measure of Vnderstanding which God hath been pleased to give us by his Holy Spirit We sincerely believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of the living God both as he is true God and perfect Man our Emanuel and Mediator and as in the fulness of Time he was Conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judea Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate was Crucified and put to Death was Buried rose again the third Day and visibly Ascended into Heaven and was received into Glory and that this same Jesus Christ that was Crucified shall so in like manner come as he was seen to go into Heaven in Power and great Glory to Judge both the Living and the Dead according to their Works at the last and great Day of Judgment in that great Harvest which is the End of the World And that by Jesus Christ there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust unto the righteous Judgment of the great Day consequently that the Resurrection is not past as Hymeneus and Philetus said 2 Tim. 2. 18. And that the Dead shall be raised incorruptible Every Man in his own order and that our low Body shall be changed and made like unto Christ's glorious Body The Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints We Believe shall be Spiritual and Glorious and that the Sons of God and of the Resurrection shall be equal with the Angels of God in Heaven and shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father and yet there is such a great Mystery in the Resurrection as that Flesh and Blood cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. The whole Sacrifice of Christ whereof his Blood outwardly that was shed was a part was of great Price with God for Mans Redemption Christ's Blood that was shed without the Gates of Jerusalem together with the whole Sacrifice himself both of Soul and Body was a true Propitiation and Attonement for Mans reconciliation and peace with God for remission of Sins through a living Faith and true Repentance in his Name given and wrought by his Spirit and Word of Power in Mens Hearts whose sincere obedience to Christ and Walking in his Light being required of them in order to experience Christ the Author of their eternal Salvation and to wash them from their Sins in his own Blood For without this true Faith Repentance and Obedience to Christ Jesus Men lose and forfeit the great Benefit of Christs Sufferings and deprive themselves of the Eternal Redemption and Salvation which he hath hereby obtain'd for us Tho' he dyed for all Men tasted death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified of in due time being a true Propitiation for the Sins of the World From thy Friends and Well-wishers John Gratton Samuell Wattson Thomas Lower James Parke John Bowater George Witehead John
Vaughton AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE VENOME OF The Snake in the Grass BEING A Sober Caution against the great Malice and gross Abuses of the Book so stiled and the People call'd QUAKERS defended from the same SEeing the nameless Author gives his Book the Title of The Snake in the Grass or Satan transform'd into an Angel of Light which Character he intends for the principal Leaders of those People called Quakers It may be observed by the way what other Characters Charges and Languages he gives the said People and treats them with all in his said Book viz. Preface p. 7 8 9 17. False Prophets mad Enthusiasm obstinate Quakers their Rage their Folly rank wild Blasphemy proud blasphemous Spirit black-Mouth'd hellish Venom Coujurers Witchcraft and Conjuration p. 19. whatever the Power of the Devil may be in such cases c. There never were more visible and dreadful Effects of it no not in any possess'd Men mentioned in the Gospel than has been among the Quakers p. 21. even as declared and witnessed by themselves and that not only as to the strange and preternatural Distortions Quaking and Shaking of their Bodies past the Power of any to counterfeit or to act it by their natural Strength but what is much more horrible and exceeding all other Witchcrafts and Possessions of the Devil that were ever heard of before these possess'd Quakers do impiously blaspheme and call themselves Christ and some of them have imitated his Passion Death and Resurrection madly in themselves We may hence observe First the Authors most unjust and falsly reflecting these black Characters and Charges upon the Quakers Secondly How he shews Satan transform'd into an Angel of Light When and where did he ever see or read of an Angel of Light thus to appear like a mad Man a Witch a Devil a Blasphemer What horrid Madness Blasphemy and Self-contradiction does the Devil and Malice precipitate such furious foul-Mouth'd persecuting Agents into at unawares Thirdly But if the Quakers were such Madmen and possess'd with the Devil as he represents them how well has the Man spent his time in bestowing his Wit Drollery and Raillery instead of Compassion on such Madmen whose case if such were to be lamented rather than derided Fourthly For this great Madness and being possessed with the Devil as 't is cast upon the Quakers His instance of John Gilpin in 1653. James Milner and John Toldervy p. 22 23 24 30 34. can only prove himself impertinently malicious and can no more affect the People called Quakers nor be any more valid Argument to prove them Mad-men and Blasphemers since they have long since testified against the madness of those Persons he mentions than if one should argue against the Church and Clergy of England thus viz. That because many of their Members have run Mad and been put into Bedlam therefore the Church and Clergy of England are all Mad and must be turned into Bedlam if they had one big enough And many such other absurd Arguments and Consequences might be retalliated upon this Snake in the Grass if from a Particular to a General shall be admitted as a sound way of Arguing which no rational Man will allow Fifthly His Instance against the Quakers of James Nayler's failure and suffering a few mad Women to sing Hosanna to him This is as unjustly as maliciously remembred and cast upon us seeing that Madness was condemned and testified against by the People called Quakers And the Lord in mercy made James Nayler himself sensible of the great Temptation and Cloud he was for a time fallen under insomuch that he not only gave out a publick Testimony of his Condition and of the Lord 's dealing with him which was in Judgment and Mercy and publickly exposed under the Title of James Nayler's Recantation but also some are yet alive that were both Eye-witnesses of his many Tears and deep Humiliation besides his great suffering in Person by the then Government who being restored into his right Understanding and Sense of the Love and Mercy of God in Christ sometime after innocently ended his Days in Peace And therefore it shews the more implacable Malice and horrid Injustice to reproach us with any personal failing of his or any other And not only so but to reflect personal Miscarriages upon our Principles As where he thus unjustly infers viz. So very susceptible do the Quakers Principles make Men of the wild Impressions of Enthusiasm p. 35. So that by this Inference all Gilpins Milners and Toldervy's strange Whimsies lying Imaginations and Madness are unjustly and blasphemously father'd upon the Quakers Principles viz. The Light within Revelation the Infalibility p. 35. which we intend of the Holy Spirit 's Teaching and no other 6. P. 37. As for Quaking and Trembling so much derided how proves he that this proceeds from Delusion and Diabollical Possession p. 44. and not from the Word and Power of God at which many good Men both of Prophets Apostles and Primitive Christians have trembled And also by the same Power both wicked Men and Devils have been and shall be made to Fear Tremble and Quake 7. As to such strange preternatural Distortions he talks of where did he see them among the Quakers We know not unless some have been taken therewith in some Convulsion-Fits which are common to some Persons among divers sorts of People or when by the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ some evil Spirit has been about to be cast out 8. And how he can discern and judge all outward Quaking and Trembling which he derides to proceed from a being inwardly possess'd with the Devil and not from the influence and opperation of the Power of Christ we cannot understand unless contrary to his Opinion against Infalibility he proves his Judgment and Discerning Infallible and that even in the Tryal of Spirits wherein we cannot esteem him such a spiritual Man of Discerning as judgeth all things P. 34. Again from his dark Stories of Gilpin Milner Toldervy c. as in an high degree possess'd with the Devil He farther infers That there have not been among so many of all Mankind such a number a gross Lie as of these Quakers that have run quite Mad for their Principle is little short of Madness The Principles he presently mentions p. 35. Is that of expecting Revelations and of the Light within But granting that some pretending to Divine Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Revelations and Light within and from thence Infallibility in Matters of Salvation to proceed and yet some such have failed and run into Imagination and Delusion Is this any good Argument against the Principle it self If not this Opposer's Work is only to rake up and set forth Personal Failings which can no ways destroy good Principles from whence there have been many Revolters and Backsliders both in the Days of the Prophets Apostles and Ours and some because when they knew God glorified him not as God became vain in their Imaginations and their
foolish Hearts thereby darkned others begun in the Spirit yet would end the Flesh. But where 's his Catalogue to prove a greater number of Quakers have run quite mad than among so many of all Mankind Let him produce it if he can Now 't is observable That our Principle of Divine Inspiration Light within the Gift of the Holy Ghost the Work and Ministry thereof are plainly confest unto by this Author of The Snake in the Grass as That the Doctrin of the Church of England allows the same namely as constantly teaching that all saving Graces are wrought in our Hearts by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and that this Inspiration is as necessary to our fructifying or bringing forth good Works as the Influence of the Sun is to the Earth's bringing ing forth of her Fruits p. 46 47. Further discovering That they do not only Teach but also Pray for and Sing for God's holy Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and plead for the necessity of Divine Inspiration Light within c. from page 46 to page 53. And that according to their Homilies and Liturgy p. 54 55 56. He also instead of confuting the Principle or proving us all Madmen that profess Divine Inspiration tells us What sort of Enthusiasm or Inspiration is allowed and own'd in the Church and that 't is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within and that it is made necessary to every good Work And we are directed to it to follow and be guided by it and are assured that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our eternal Salvation it is this that opens the Scriptures to us and our Vnderstandings rightly to apprehend the true Sense and Meaning of them and which inclines our Will to love and duly to follow the divine Precepts therein contained If any Quaker as I am confident all that are in the least sober-minded will say That this is all they mean by their Light within then where is the difference Why do they break off and separate from our Communion upon the pretence of the Light within wherein we agree with them pag. 55 56 57. Thus far his Confession to the Principle wherein he is more Ingenuous than in his bitter reproachful Language and foul Raillery against us which he somewhat minceth yet confesseth He is forced to a little Raillery now and then Second Part pag. 12. The greater shame for him thus to manifest himself an open Railer and Reviler about religious Controversies But seeing he has so largely confess'd and vindicated the Church of England's allowing Preaching and Praying for the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and agreeing with the Quakers about the Light within c. how trifling and fruitless are his Attempts to vilifie and make them odious as Madmen Possest with the Devil Enthusiastick Madness c. from the Personal Miscarriages of some Distracted or Whimsical or Mad or loose extravagant Persons How many of his own Church have run mad How many Debauched and Wicked both of the Clergy and others Would he take it well to have a large Catalogue or Book writ thereof as the Cobler of Gloucester and others have done to shew the Contempt of the Clergy and then upbraid their whole Communion or Society yea and their Principles also therewith Surely no this he would deem very unjust Then let him peruse his own Work and better consider the Nature and Tendency thereof together with the bitter Invectives therein tending to raise a new Persecution which shews not a Christian Spirit or Charity in him or his Abettors Apostates from us or others whose Help by divers of of his silly dirty Stories he appears to have had A Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes Abuses and Calumnies in the Book sliled The Snake in the Grass with brief Reflections thereupon THat G. Fox's chief Principle was at first to direct Men to the inward Anointing and that they needed no Man to teach them but as the Anointing teacheth them and that God is come to Teach his People himself but that he would not trust to this for that he went about Teaching outwardly and has erected an outward Church-Discipline and Authority to over-rule the Anointing c. They keep up outward Ministry and Preaching which are more inconsistant with their Principle of reducing all to the Inward and waiting for the Lord in silence within Reflection Here are 3 Falshoods contained in this Calumnious Charge As 1. That G. F. would not trust to this Anointing 2. Church-Discipline to over-rule the same 3. Keeping up an outward Ministry and Preaching as inconsistant therewith These are both false and apparent Perversions reflecting also upon the Holy Apostles and their Ministry preaching and writing Epistles and Instructions to the Churches relating to both Church Order and Discipline and yet directed and referred them to the same Divine Unction received from the Holy One the Holy Spirit the Word of Faith and Grace of God within them Therefore Ministry and Instructions to good Order and Discipline were not to over-rule the inward Anointing but as proceeding from the same to help strengthen and confirm them in it for if the Doctrin of the Church of England be so much for the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost the Light within c. as he confessed what then is their Ministry and Discipline to over-rule the same How will he reconcile himself to his condemning us in this Case Sn. p. 95 96. These two Madmen Fox and Muggleton both their Inspirations came from the same Author the Father of Lies who in that Hurricane of Schism and Rebellion got an Act of Parliament for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience to sow his Tares at Noon-day Ref. The first part is a gross Calumny against G. F. whose divine Inspiration and found Testimony given him of God was evident against Muggleton's dark Spirit presumptuous and blasphemious Doctrine 2. The latter part is a bold Calumny and Reflection upon the Parliament and Act thereof for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience as if the Devil the Father of Lies did influence the Parliament to make the said Act which is a most presumptuous and audacious Aspersion We know no other Act of Parliament obtained for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience but the Act of Exemption made in the First Year of King William and Queen Mary and which was made for no such end as for the Devil to sow his Tares but for the Ease and Liberty of tender Consciences from the Devil 's envious Work of Persecution God having so order'd it that the Seed of Christ's Kingdom his Word and Gospel may have Liberty and be sown the more plentifully But it appears our present Liberty is greatly envied by this persecuting Author and such scandalous Libellers Sn. p. 104. That one of the Orders given forth by their Yearly Meeting 1693. commands That none shall carry Guns in their Ships Ref. This also is untrue We know no
cleanseth from Sin and that this was not to be resolved into the Light within nor to be spiritualiz'd away from the Letter Re. Let us be excused if we cannot take that Text 1 John 1. 7. altogether literally if cleansing from all Sin be a spiritul and inward Work or Act as no doubt it is there 's as much ascribed to the Spirit as to the Blood in respect to the Work of Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin And therefore the Blood of Christ may be both taken spiritually and literally and this is not to spiritualize away the Letter relating to the outward Blood and Sacrifice of Christ seeing we have always believed both in the Letter and receive the Fruit thereof in the Spirit Sn. p. 148. Sect. 11. These Men whose chief Principle is to decry and damn the Letter Re. This is a most gross and foul Calumny Our preferring the Spirit to the Letter as the Apostles did is no decrying nor damning the Letter nor so intended by us but to bring People to the Life and Substance and real fulfilling of Scripture To what he saith in distinction between Christ the Word of God and the Book of Scriptures p. 151 152. this makes for us and against them who have often affirmed that Book to be the Word in opposition to our owning Christ to be the Word of whom the Scriptures testifie And this on our part is no Contempt of the Holy Scriptures nor in their place any deifying of our own Spirit and our own Scriptures as this Adversary most falsly accuseth us p. 152. His most seeming pretence for Proof against us of Contempt of Holy Scripture is in p. 142. Sect. 11. where he quotes a Passage out of a Book Entituled The Quaker's Refuge c. thus viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these are not one Or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill express'd some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false And here the Accuser breaks off in his Citation like as F. Bugg used to deal by us who has the same Passage to defame us as he hath done Whereas next after the Words And yet false these follow viz. Is not the Subject of my Argument at this time Here 't is plain the Author R. R. has cited these Questions about the Scriptures not as the Subject of his own Argument but of some others he would not then be concerned to dispute those Questions or Doubts For the said Author farther confesseth That such Scriptures and Prophesies as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by his Spirit treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration From hence it 's clear the Author was no Contemner of Holy Scripture and 't is clear the Subject of his Argument was for the Authority of the Holy Spirit in judging or discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures as truly own'd by the Quakers thus in the said Book Quaker's Refuge p. 17. which could not intend any Contempt of the Holy Scriptures much less a deifying either of our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man or our own Writings in their place We have rarely ever met with more mad unlikely and improbable Aspersions than these from our most outragious Adversaries To what is objected p. 155. Sect. 11. viz. That they i. e. the Quakers cannot be bound by any Command in the Scriptures unless their Spirit anew require the same This is falsly stated 't is not our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man abstractly that we profess to be under the Conduct of but the same Spirit which gave forth the Holy Scriptures And is not awanting to require of us the performance of its own necessary Commands and Doctrins contained in the Scriptures seeing 't is the same Spirit which leads it's sincere Followers into all Truth consequently not to undervalue any of those blessed Truths recorded in the Holy Scriptures And therefore this Adversary's Consequence intended against us viz. That the Scripture remains of no Authority with us p. 155. is very unjust being deduced from his own false Suggestions supposing us to set the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures of Truth whereas we plead for the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures in so much preferring the Holy Spirit from whence they proceeded and derive their Authority and not from Human Tradition And this is far from spiritualizing away all the Letter of the Scripture or Christ's Humanity as in p. 166. as we are often unjustly aspersed To what he saith p. 168. That Enthusiasts have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in mad Men and this they mistake for Inspiration and then their Madness is at the height We say take Enthusiasm in the truest and best Sense and then such are inspired of God and by his Inspiration have a true Understanding and right Principles given them both Divine and Moral and do not mistake Fancy for Divine Inspiration But to whom does the Man apply this Enthusiasm which he renders Fancy more strong in mad Men and height of Madness In his next Page 't is to the Quakers He says No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it p. 169. Sect. 11. Here he seems to take Enthusiasm in the Quaker's Sense which is Divine Inspiration or inspired of God which sure cannot be meer Fancy much less the height of Madness as before The Quakers certainly deny this of themselves Thus the Man's confused in 's injurious Attempts to defame us with the height of Madness His Objection against the Quaker's Enthusiasm as he calls it That none that ever called themselves Christians have advanced themselves so high to have the same infallible Spirit and immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ himself c. p. 169. Herein he 's greatly out All true Christians are Partakers of the Spirit of Christ in some degree or measure for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and his Spirit is infallible and a Manifestation of the same Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal and the Effusion of this Spirit upon all Flesh was promised and we believe the Promises of God which are all Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus Therefore this our Adversary who is so much averse to having the same infallible
's Great Myst. p. 7. extends this i.e. Infallible discerning Spirit to all and every of the Quakers To us says he every one of us in particular And this Light gavâ— us to discern between Truth and Error between every false and right way and it perfectly discovered to us the true state of all things p. 20. Upon perusal of the place quoted in the said Epistle I do not find that E. B. extends the gift of discerning to all and every of the Quakers nor the discovery of the true state of all things herein are his words and intention perverted tho' he confesses that every one has a true Light given by Christ but not that every one has attained to the same gift of discerning of Spirits and States Observe 1. E. B. personates the converted and faithful among the Quakers who walk in the Light which gives to discern between Truth and Error the Right and the Wrong way for whatsoever things are reproved are made manifest by the Light 2dly The perfect discovery of the true state of all Things He does in the place quoted restrict to the discovery of the Fall and restoration of Man and to what 's needful for Man to know i.e. in respect to Salvation Epis. to Gr. Myst. p. 7 8. We are not to suppose that By discovery of the true state of all things he intended to ascribe Omnisciency to us Creatures no more than the Holy Apostle John did in the like Expressions 1 John 2. 20. But ye have an Vnction from the Holy One and ye know all Things And verse 27. But as the same Anointing teacheth you of all Things and is Truth and is no Lye These were all things needful for their Salvation and preservation in Christ Jesus And herein in this divine Unction and the teachings thereof stands the Infallibility Certainty or assurance we plead for and not in Man's Will Wisdom Parts or Acquirements And as we keep in this Anointing received from the Holy One we receive its Teachings which are true and certain and so faâ— partake of Certainty or Infallibility in what it Teacheth being Truth and no Lye But if any go from this Anointing into the Will or Wisdom of Man or carnal Reasonings they go into uncertainty and so become fallible and subject to fall into Error erring from this certain Principle produceth Error both in Judgment and many times in Practice For 't is He that abideth in Christ that sinneth not 1 Joh. 3. 6. And those in whom this divine Aâ—ointing did abide who were taught by it As it taught them they did abide in him i.e. in the Son of God ch 2. 27. Who saith abide in me and I in you John 15. 4. I find this Author to the Snake in the Grass is very apt frequently to misrepresent our Friends Words which I cannot impute so much to his Ignorance as Envious design to make us as Infamous and Odious as he can As he had dealt by E. B. in the passage before he has in like manner serv'd Francis Howgil in his Preface to the Snake in the Grass p. 244. Which I did not so much search or remark in the foregoing Answer as since He charges F. H. with Blasphemy quoting p. 232. of his Works intitled The Dawning of the Gospel-day where he saith He that hath the Spirit of God is in THAT which is Equal i.e. as follows he that is join'd to the Lord is one Spirit there is Unity and the Unity stands in Equality it self Hence and on some other words curtaliz'd and mangl'd the said Author infers viz. 25. Having thus made themselves Equal to God in very Nature it is not strange to see them denying any other God or Christ but themselves they pull God out of Heaven c. Snake p. 245. These Blasphemous and general Inferences against the Quakers as they are utterly denyed by us I find no just occasion for them from F. H' s Words if truly cited and considered where he places the Equality between the Father Son and Holy Spirit That which is Equal he plainly speaks of the Spirit of God in the place quoted and by the Unity stands in Equality it self he means no other than that the Saints Vnity stands in Christ who is Equal with the Father according to Christ's own Prayer John 17. 21. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us And verse 22. And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One as we are One. And verse 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one That F. H. places the Equality in the Son of God and on his part is evident by his following Words left out by the said Author viz. He that is born from above is the Son of God and he said I and my Father are one and when the Son is reveal'd and speaks the Father speaks in him and dwells in him and he in the Father Now though the Saints cannot claim to themselves that Equality the Son of God who is their Head hath yet who can in Truth deny their being made Partakers of the Divine Nature and Union in Christ Jesus and holy Spirit with the Father The account which this Author of the Snake hath given against Tho. Curtis p. 20 21 22. which he saith he has seen under the hand of W. Clark I do somewhat Question the Truth of divers Passages in it as whether T. C. is not therein mis-represented though I cannot from my own knowledge refute them yet 't is very strange that T. C. should be represented so very grosly Ignorant as in that said Account but I am sure 't is a gross Lye that the Quakers do hold or have always held these Heresies charged on him or that G. Keith should suffer him to be so foully expos'd in print if he was privy thereto I am apt to think 't was a piece of great Incivility as well as Ingratitude and Treachery against T. C. to serve him such an ill turn 26. That he would not lessen the Sufferings of the Quakers p. 13. is a notorious Falshood as his scoffing at and vilifying them and rendring many of them to have suffer'd for open and notorious Blasphemy p. 12. doth evince 27. That Mary Fell after she was Married to G. F. became the Mother of the Quakers Church p. 17. is a scornful Falshood we have not given her or any other Woman that Title though she and many more faithful Women have been own'd as Mothers in Israel but Jerusalem that is above the Mother of us all 28. That many of the generality of the Quakers do stick in the very bottom of that sink of Heresies which they have been taught and that their Leaders go about to justify excuse and pallitate them p. 18 These proceed from the Sink of his gross Calumnies and Malice 29. That the Quakers yearly Epistle directed to
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE VENOME OF The Snake in the Grass Or the Book so stiled AND THE Christian People CALLED QUAKERS Vindicated from its most gross Abuses and Calumnies In certain Reflections detecting the nameless Author's Malice Outrage and Persecution against the said People Unto which is Annex'd A brief Examination of the Author's second Book stil'd Satan Dis-rob'd Also Some Notice taken of his Discourse for the Divine Institution of Water-Baptism Psal. 83. 3. They devise deceitful Matters against them that are quiet in the Land London Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1697. THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER Friendly Reader THE so long delay of this Answer to The Snake in the Grass has been chiefly the Printers occasion and partly to have some Answer to his latter Book still'd Satan Disrob'd So Reader that thou may'st be preserved from the Venom of this Snake in all his twistings and twinings is the desire of him who wisheth the Well-fare of all Men. T. N. ERRATA PAge 37. l. 13. r. Persecutors l. 38. dele as p. 56. l. 6. r. Kingdoms p. 81. l. 1. r. Prosecution p. 166. l. 30. for them in r. in them p. 167. l. 12. for reprobachs r. reproaches p. 200. l. 25. r. universally p. 204. l. 7. r. who rendred p. 232. l. 4. r. of Sin and Death l. 5. r. of Life p. 235. l. 13. d. 60. Some litteral Faults and Points mis-placed may be understood by the sense of the matters Impartial Reader AFter the perusal of the said Snake in the Grass seeing the gross and absurd Aspersions Calumnies Perversions and scornful Stuff therein Contained and the great Malice of the nameless Author's Spirit against the People called Quakers It was slighted by us and laid aside for some Months being stuft with many lying and incredible Stories as scarce deserving any particular Answer except the notice of some few to discredit the Author and invalidate his fruitless attempts of his foul Envy and Falshood But some indifferent Persons being urgent for an Answer and the said Book being rendred as an unanswerable Piece by some too easily imposed upon and others in prejudice gave occasion for the insuing Reflections to be Exhibited in order to obviate the injurious Design of the Author and his Abettors i.e. some wrathful implacable and perfidious Apostates who are of those Cattle he has principally Plowed withal and from whom he has chiefly derived his unjust Authority to Defame and Scandalize the said People with those old false and refuted Aspersions and Slanders as Possessed with the Devil Enthusiastick Madness Blasphemy Heresie denying the true Christ and his holy Humanity or Manhood real Sufferings and Satisfaction and the Resurrection and Contemning the Holy Scriptures Doctrins and Precepts therein contained with abundance more of such like Calumnies and Slanders Abuses and Perversions of our Words and Doctrins frequently answered and refuted by divers of us in our former and latter Books And now because of our present Ease and Liberty which Mercy our Gracious God hath influenced the present Government to afford us from our late grievous and destructive Persecutions for which Liberty we are truly thankful For this Cause the Devil and his Agents appear the more enraged and to have exceeding great Wrath against the remnant of the true Seed and to combine together to persecute us with their most shameful Reproaches Abuses Lyes and Slanders which is the present Persecution we are under When the Devil was suffered to imploy his Agents to Oppress and Persecute us in our Persons and Estates by severe Imprisonments and spoil of Goods tending to Ruin us and our Families then the Pens of his Clerks and Ministers were quiet towards us But seeing his and their wicked ends by that kind of open and cruel Persecution could not be accomplished upon us now they bend their perverse Studies and Pens to persecute us with shameful Reproach and Blasphemy to Destroy and Murther our Reputations both as Men and Christians not sparing either the Living or the Dead The Lord our God will rebuke their Fury and Outrage and confound their mischievous Devices and Confederacies even the just and righteous God who by his power supported us under our deepest Sufferings and Persecutions and gave us Faith and Courage then to Face the severest Storms and Blustering Winds which rose up against us for our Christian Testimony and Assemblies he hath enabled and will enable us to face and outface this Storm of envious and outragious Persecution of our open and secret Enemies And 't is no small shame and disparagement for such Eminent Church of England Men as the Author of the Snake in the Grass would seem one of them to be beholding to pretended Quakers such as George Keith and Thomas Crisp for their Aid or Authority against us and to F. Bugg's Authority also who has been detected of numerous Falshoods against us since he left us and turned to the Priests and to the Publick as he calls it and the said George Keith contrary to his many and frequent Vindications of the People called Quakers and their Principles and above thirty Years Conversation among them now turned an open Adversary to Revile and Reproach them and yet a falsly pretended Quaker as if he would ingratiate himself into favour with the worst of our Enemies the Day will yet further discover him and them I confess where Persons of a contrary Judgment to us appear moderate and civil in their Discourse and Treatment in things wherein they differ from us they deserve to be gently and tenderly Answered and Treated and if such suppose me mistaken in any thing or circumstance of words from which I intend not altogether to excuse my self in all Controversies from my young and early Years and yet be assured by the Spirit of Truth in matters Essential to Salvation I would take kindly their civil and friendly Discovery thereof to me being desirous that the Truth may be exalted above all Self-reputation But when I find Persons like this Author of The Snake in the Grass maliciously set in a persecuting Spirit to defame and reproach Truth and our Christian Society which I am concerned in Conscience for I confess then a holy Zeal the Lord raises and has raised in my very Heart and Soul against such bitter Implacable and Persecuting Spirits And the Lord's Power I have felt and do still feel it to accompany and inable me in Defence of his blessed Truth and People And inasmuch as the said Author of The Snake in the Grass is so very liberal in his most odious Characters upon us and has so frequently Branded us even divers Persons by Name with Blasphemies and Heresies c. who have been and are known to be Persons of good Reputation both as Men and Christians in Life and Conversation 'T is pity but this Defaming Author should be publickly exposed by Name for his Folly and outrage especially if he persists in his Scorn and envious injurious
such Commands given forth by our Yearly Meeting but only a tender Caution to such that have acted contrary to their former Principle and Practice to the injuring of their own Souls and endangering their own and other Lives c. As touching some Ship-masters esteemed Quakers carrying Guns in their Ships mentioned in the said Meeting 1693. our Christian Principle and Innocency is cleared in the Epistle in these Words viz. Dear Friends YOU very well know our Christian Principle and Profession in this Matter both with respect to God and Caesar and that because we are Subjects of Christ's Kingdom which is not of this World we cannot Fight John 18. 36. yet being Subjects of Caesar's Kingdom we pay our Taxes Tribute c. according to the Example of Christ and his Holy Apostles relating to Christ's Kingdom and Caesar's wherein we are careful not to offend Mat. 17. 27. 22. 20 Rom. 13. 6 7. being also very glad and much satisfied in the many Testimonies given at the Meeting of our Friend's Innocency quiet and peaceable Behaviour under the outward Government as becomes our Christian Principle and Profession Sn. p. 115. Whatever a Quaker dictates if it were to depose the King and set up their Vniversal Monarch and to assert by Arms their own Heirship to the uttermost parts of the Earth if they should abrogate any or all of our Laws or any thing else whatever their Arbitrary Enthusiastical Spirit shall suggest to them this must not be looked upon as any thing that is human but as the very Words of God c. Ref. These are very bitter invidious and calumnious Suggestions and cruel Jealousies of a high Nature as if this poor Libeller eagerly thirsted after our Blood But the Matters thus suggested are so gross that we need say little to them but commit our innocent Cause to him that judgeth righteously and bless his Name we converse with no such Spirit as would suggest or excite to any such pernicious wicked hurtful or treasonable Things or Actions as here suggested against us as our peaceable Conversation ever since we were a People hath demonstrated Sn. p. 122. 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 Tithes was only meant by them to the Popish Clergy but by no means against the Right of the Church of England to their Tythes c. Ref. This is partially and wrongfully stated Our Answer to F. Bugg plainly shews our conscientious Dissatisfaction with Tithes 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 who not only testified against the Popish Clergy forcing the Payment of Tithes but also against Tithes and Temporalities themselves and against the secular Power 's imposing or forcing them Tithes being abolished under the New Covenant and by Christ's new Law See William Thorp's Discourse at large on this Subject 1. vol. of Martyrs fol. 700 708. in King Henry IV. his Reign Old Impression Sn. p. 133. Their Principles destructive to all Government c. Ref. This is a general very gross and invidious Aspersion Our Principles are Christian and peaceable and our Conversation among Men and toward the Civil Government is and hath been a manifest Indication thereof as well as our publick and frequent Testimonies and Prayers to Almighty God for Rulers and People and when any of us have testified against the abuse of Government and corruption of Governors and against them for the same this could not be destructive of any just or good Government Sn. Highly asserting Tithe or the Tenth part to be of divine Right viz. As God's Tribute God's Tithe due to the Evangelical Priesthood to that Order of Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck as a Tribute to God a part of God's Worship peculiar to God Tithes of God and to confirm his Jure Divino Claim of Tithes p. 175 176. That several Kings of England who had then the sole Right and Property in all the Lands of England have anew dedicated by particular Vows as Jacob Gen. 28. 22. all the whole Tithes of the Lands of England to God and signed Charters and Grants of the same tendered upon their Knees at the Altar of God in presence and with the approbation of the Lords and Estates of the Land with heavy Curses and Imprecations upon themselves or any of their Successors who should recal the same or incroach in any part upon the said Tithe of God and upon all who should receive such Grants from them or assist them in such Sacriledge and the same have been confirmed by several Acts of Parliament And he further adds That to maintain the Sacrilegious Impropriations which the Pope had made of the Secular Clergy to indow their Monasteries which Henry VIII instead of restoring did yet more sacrilegiously impropriate to the Laity p. 164 165 169 170 171 173 175 176 177 to p. 189. Ref. Pray observe the nature and import of these Passages as they are thus truly collected how like a dutiful Son of the Mother Church as that of Rome is called this Man looks How strenuously he argues for the divine Right of Tithes and how he would renew the sense of the heavy Curses of Popish Kings denounced upon themselves or any of their Successors who should either recal the same or incroach in any part upon the Tithes and upon all Assisters in such Sacriledge as he calls it But it seems King Henry VIII would not be bound by any of the said Curses no more than by the Pope's Supremacy I think the Man has out-done the Rhemists and other Jesuits and Popish Priests in these Aggravations to fasten the said Curses not only on Henry VIII but upon all the Impropriators and Receivers of such Grants as aforesaid though the Rhemists and he agree as to Tithes being Jure Divino as in their Annotations on Heb 7. They say That the Payment of Tithes is a natural Duty that Men owe to God in all Laws and to be given to his Priests in his behalf for their Honour and Livelihood and that Jacob promised or vowed to pay them Gen. 28. And that Abraham specially giving them to Melchisedeck plainly thereby approveth them or their equivalent to be due to Christ and the Priesthood of the New Testament much more than either in the Law of Moses or in the Law of Nature and for Tithes due to the Clergy of Christ's Church c. See now how exactly this Churchman and these Rhemists agree in this point of Tithe But that the Reformed Protestants and divers eminent Protestant Martyrs were of the contrary Judgment concerning Tithes hear First what Dr. Fulk saith in Answer and Opposition to the Rhemist recited Annotation on Heb 7. viz. The Payment of Tithes as it was a Ceremonial Duty is abrogated with other Ceremonies by the Death of Christ but as
it is a necessary Maintenance and Livelihood to them that serve in the Church it may be retained or any other Stipend appointed that may be sufficient for their Maintenance be it more or less than the Tenth part But that there is any sacrificing Priesthood to whom it is due in the New Testament the old Payment of Tithes doth not prove neither did Christ himself our High-Priest ever make claim unto them nor his Apostles the Ministers of the Church but only a sufficient Living by the Gospel to be allowed of their temporal Goods to whom they ministred spiritual Goods 1 Cor. 9. 14. Gal. 6. 6. From all which 't is evident First That the Protestants in those Days did not esteem Tithes of divine Right for Gospel Ministers but abrogated by the Death of Christ but indefinitely allowed a sufficient Maintenance for them without restricting it to the Tenth Secondly Divers eminent Martyrs and others who were both Persons of Piety and good Fame are more full and plain in this Point against Tithes in the Gospel-day and times as John Wickliff VVilliam Swinderby VValter Brute VVilliam Thorp the Bohemians with other Christians mentioned in the Book of Martyrs did bear Testimony against Tithes and compell'd Maintenance by the civil Authority This of their opposing Tithes was made a principal Article against them by the Popish Bishops and Clergy as more largely and particularly appears in the 1st vol. of Martyrs in the Reigns of Richard II. Henry IV. and Henry V. And tho' with those Christian Martyrs and first reformed Protestants we are persuaded That Jesus Christ by his Suffering and Death hath abrogated Tithes and the Law that required them according to Heb. 7. and that his Ministry ought to be free and without any forced Maintenance yet 't is not our Business now strictly to dispute the Merits of that Case of Tithes being fully opened by other Hands as Fra. Howgill in his Great Case of Tithes and Tho. Ellwood in his Foundation of Tithes shaken and R. Richardson's Testimony against Tithing among Christians with divers others to which we refer the Reader And to shew how much this Adversary resembles a Son of the old pretended Mother Church in his Contempt and Scorn against some of the Protestant Reformers particularly against VVilliam Thorp p. 169. for esteeming their Priests or Gospel Ministers not to come of the Lineage of Levi but of Judah which can intend no other but as they come of Christ who came of the Tribe of Judah and not of Levi for this William Thorp is derided as shewing what a doughty Clerk he was And with Fulsom Stuff p. 170. our Adversaries saying Who told Thorp or the Quakers that our Priests came of the Lineage of Judah Are they Jews What fulsom Stuff is this quoth he No doubt William Thorp meant the true Priesthood of Christ descended spiritually of his Line and not naturally And does not Jo. Fox call him A valiant Warrier under the triumphant Banner of Christ and commend him as that the Might Spirit and Grace of God to a marvel appeared in him But this Popish Agent ironically renders him a doughty Clerk a fulsom Writer What fulsom popish Stuff is this Sn. p. 194. Traiterous Principles and Actions charged against the Quakers from 1650 to 1660. as also Blasphemies and Treasons Blasphemers and Traitors p. 196 197 198. Ref. We need but answer these with Negation and Detestation as being most foul Raileries proceeding from a Spirit of Persecution and deadly Malice which the righteous Lord will rebuke but has he not heard of some of the Clergy who have lately absolved Persons condemned of High Treason His quoting Bugg's Authority for these black Charges p. 199. shews his partial Credulity in not taking notice of our Answers to him As also our Answer to John Pennyman on the like Passages Entituled Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage Sn. p. 199. He chargeth G. Fox and E. Burrough with Traiterous abetting of Oliver and the Rump Ref. This is very harsh and deny'd He forgets how the then Clergy abetted Oliver and highly applauded him and his Son Richard as their Moses and Joshua and shews as little regard to the Act of Indemnity in these Recriminations if they were true Sn. Yet in p. 204 205 206 207. 208. he not only gives a Recital of a cruel and bitter Petition and Charge against divers of the People called Quakers directed To the Right Honourable the Council of State as they were called by several of the Priests and others in Lancashire and printed in 1653. but also takes it for granted that the Persons charged were guilty of every part of the Charge p. 209. Observe Thus he has sided with the Persecutors of those Times who abetted and sheltered under that Government which no doubt he now esteems not Loyal and not only so but he appears very partial and credulous of their most bitter and malicious Charges which were then designed to stir up severe Persecution Sn. One of the Charges p. 202 203 205 206. That G. Fox professed and avowed That he was equal with God Another That he professed himself to be the Eternal Judge of the World Ref. Observe here the Man 's partial Credulity and Injustice again in taking for granted what persecuting Adversaries have long since unjustly suggested against a conscientious Sufferer without hearing his Defence where the said G. F. being charged 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 confessed 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. And so to Christ Jesus both as he was of the Seed of Abraham and also as he was equal and one with the Father And do not these confess both the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ Vid. Just Inquiry p. 12. Sn. p. 212. That the Quakere take the Name of God and Christ to themselves because of God's supposed dwelling in them And p. 213. Their pretence to Perfection equal even to the Perfection of God himself and that they all pretend to it Ref. We the Quakers so called positively deny all such presumption and these Charges thereof in their several Parts Pray when and where did ever the People called Quakers call themselves by those Names of God and Christ either because of God's Indwelling or for any other cause We deny the Charge as both blasphemous and confused God's indwelling in his People cannot render them God And though we do sincerely believe and own a perfection of a deliverance from Sin and of Sanctification and Holiness as obtained and wrought by Jesus Christ for and in true Believers in this Life yet we cannot pretend to any such equality of Perfection as that of God himself which in Wisdom and Power c. is infinite seeing we are Men and not God finite Creatures and not the Creator
the Quakers will not allow Christ to be the promised Seed or that he was more a Man in the Body of Jesus than in the Body of any other Man Ref. These are gross and notorious Falshoods still We ever believed the promised Messiah the Christ of God to be the promised Seed which by the Power of God should bruise the Serpent's Head and that he was true and perfect Man in the Body which he took upon him which was the Body of Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary as he was and is a quickning Spirit in other Men especially in true Believers Sn. p. 239. He confesseth the Influence and Inspiration of his blessed Spirit is the ONLY true saving Light within us but not the Seed and Christ himself as the Quakers blasphemously dream only a Ray or Communication of his Light and Life to us But p. 242. he speaks of Faith in Christ's outward Blood by which ONLY there is Salvation Ref. If the only true saving Light within us be the Inspiratiou of the blessed Spirit and Communication of the Light and Life of Christ to us as is granted tho' this as within be not Christ in his fulness as in himself yet 't is as truly the Incorruptible Seed the Word Christ our Life and Light as the Life of Christ is Christ or as the Spirit of the Lord is the Lord as where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty now the Lord is that Spirit It is Christ gives us both Life Light and Spirit and Christ is our Life Light and Salvation But do not the Words only Salvation by Christ's outward Blood exclude any other means of Salvation And then how is his Spirit the only true saving Light within us Tho' that Blood of Christ be of true value and esteem as part of his Sacrifice and Price it is his Spirit and Power which quickens and actually saves the Soul from Sin and Death Sn. p. 245. He accuseth the Quakers with denying any other God or Christ but themselves Ref. This is one of his most horrid and blasphemous Slanders and solemnly by us denied with as utter detestation and abhorrence as any of the rest of his most gross and absurd Calumnies Sn. p. 251. That they expresly disown any other Christ than what is within them and that the Quakers do not believe that Christ has any other Body or other Humanity than that spiritual or allegorical Body which they say he has within them Ref. 1. To the first part We own not two Christ's the true Christ is but one Christ and we own him as he is both without us and within us tho' he is not wholly contained within us yet he 's truly within us by his Spirit Light and Life and dwelling in our Hearts by Faith What other Christ does this Man own than him who is in true Believers 2. The latter part of his Charge is not true We believe Christ has his spiritual glorious Body without us like unto which we also believe our low Body shall be changed and fashioned Sn. p. 254. That the Quakers by a monstrous sort of Transubstantiation think themselves to be the Christ. Ref. This is a monstrous Falshood and Forgery still to defame and odifie us grounded on divers other false and partial Stories and is before in substance answered Sn. p. 255. That G. Keith for his most Christian Doctrin of a Christ without was condemned by their last Yearly Meeting Re. This is a notoriously false Story again as the two Accounts given of him by two Yearly Meetings may evince having no such cause assigned in them for our conditionally disowning him but his unchristian Spirit and Behaviovr as an Instrument of divisions and disturbance in the Churches of Christ whereby he hath cut himself off unless he repent Sn. p. 262. Their spiriting away the Letter of the promised Seed the Humanity of Christ c. Re. This Charge with all the hard Consequences depending thereupon against us are sincerely and utterly denied by us As by the Letter of the promised Seed he means the Scripture-History of the Man Christ where proves he that we spirit this away Our owning Christ in Spirit and as a quickning Spirit in us was never intended as we know to deny his real Manhood Mediation or Intercession without us no more than the Apostle did See 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. where the second Man the Lord from Heaven is also called a quickening Spirit Sn. p. 263. He charges them with running into this Excess of throwing off the Humanity of Christ abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Beastly Ware Dust Death c. and calling the Holy Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Dust and Beastly Ware p. 267. Re. These are still old repeated shameful Calumnies against us The first part is sufficiently answer'd before and in many other Books for our sincerely and plainly owning the blessed and most-glorious Man Christ Jesus according to plain Scripture The latter part is some of F. Bugg's calumnious Abuses and Perversions and clearly detected and refuted in several Answers to his scurrilous Pamphlets and his Authority will go but a little way what Credit soever 't is of with this obscure Adversary 'T is far remote from us to own any such contemptible Names as to call the Holy Scriptures Beastly Ware c. Tho' perhaps making a Trade upon Scripture or Preaching for Hire or Mony hath been so called by some or other Sn. p. 268. That it is plain they never gave the Scriptures a good Word but meerly for popularity when forced to it Re. He is a very unrighteous and false Judge in this also both our Consciences in the sight of God and many of our Writings also testifie the contrary that freely and without force for the sake of that divine Inspiration from whence the Holy Scriptures proceeded and those blessed and holy Doctrins and Truths contained in them they are highly owned and esteemed by us Sn. p. 285. Judge whether these be sound principled Men that can turn conform and transform to every change according to the Times whether these be fit Men to teach People Re. These are still deceitful and envious Suggestions Our manifold Sufferings in our Persons and Estates for Conscience-sake by Persecutions many whereof being the Temporizers of the Clergy do manifest the contrary to what 's here suggested against us that we have not turned changed nor conformed according to the Times in point of Worship Principle Faith or Discipline for could we have so done we might have escaped many deep Sufferings and great Losses which we have undergone and then have been owned by such temporizing and persecuting Priests as now reproach us when they cannot otherwise persecute us as formerly Sn. p. 314. The Lord help them and hear our Prayers for them since they will not pray for themselves c. Re. We have no reason to believe that this Person can pray sincerely for us seeing he is so full
of Wrath and Envy that he notoriously belies us in his Prayer in saying That they i. e. the Quakers will not pray for themselves He seemingly prays but rails and reviles as it were with one Breath both next before and after his Prayer Sn. p. 319. That thus the Quakers say That he Christ dwelt only in the Body of that Man Jesus as in a Vail but took not that Body into his own Person so as to become Hypostatically united to it Re. We are to seek herein as not knowing where the Quakers say these things of Christ and his Body which he took and dwelt in as if he took it not into his own Person so as to be really or substantially united to it we never understood that it did not properly belong to himself but to some other Person The Objection herein against us is not only some Perversion but frivilous and impertinent Tho' his Flesh is called the Vail yet 't was that he owned as his own Body being also called the Body of Jesus which was not a fantastical but a real Body and he who is the entire Christ the Man Jesus is not divided in Body or Spirit Nevertheless Christ the eternal Son of God was as to his divine Nature and spiritual Being as the spiritual Rock before he took on him that Body that was prepared for him Sn. p. 320. That the Quakers most expresly make Christ's outward Blood the Type and Figure of inward Blood shed spiritually in their Hearts Re. We know not what Author he has for this Charge However the Quakers really own Christ's outward Blood as a part of his precious and acceptable Sacrifice and we deny not but that Blood of his as well as the Water that came out of his Side with it had an allegorical and misterious signification as well as an outward and literal evâ—â— of the spiritual Blood and Water of Life which Christ our High Priest sprinkleth and really washeth our Hearts and Consciences withal which we hope no sensible Soul will say is an outward or literal Sprinkling or Washing but an Inward and Spiritual Sn. ibid. That the Quakers make Christ without but the History and the Light within the Mistery or Substance which the Christ without as a History or Shadow of it only pointed Re. The Quakers do not so make Christ they make him no otherwise than the Father has appointed and made him to be He is more than either the History or Shadow of the Light within he as in himself is the substance of all Shadows and fulness of Light and Life from whom we have received both Spirit Light and Life Pray how proves he that the Quakers call Christ without but the History or Shadow of the Light within We want proof of this Point Sn. p. 321. That this the Quakers have done viz. set up other Scriptures against those received by the Church beyond any that ever went before them Re. We positively deny this Charge What other Scripture have they so set up against those Let 's have plain Proof for we are wholly ignorant of any such thing Sn. p. 322. That none ever have so contemned and vilified the Holy Scriptures as they have done Re. This is still maliciously to reproach and odifie us with the same old reiterated Calumny We know none that esteem and own the Holy Scriptures more than we both in Faith and Practice by the assistance of the Holy Spirit from whence they came Sn. p. 323. That a Man bringing a Bible into the Quaker's Meeting-House in Grace-Church-street and reading part of a Chapter the 14th of St. Luke it being the Bible so moved their Indignation that one of the chief of them snatched the Bible out of his Hand and thrust him along the Gallery down several Steps Re. We know no such Indignation or Action shewn by any of us against the Bible nor against any Person because thereof neither do we believe it let the Author prove it if he can We disown any such Indignation either against the Bible or any Person meerly because thereof Possibly some publick Disturber might by some or other present be gently turned out of Doors not because of the Bible but because of some offensive turbulent Behaviour Sn. p. 325. That upon pretence of the Light within the Devil the grand Deceiver drew them away from reading of the Scriptures c. discovers their preference of their own Writings to the Holy Striptures Re. We deny both these as utterly false scandalous and relative to many more Lies of the same kind in this Point Sn. p. 327 328. That they give all the threatning Discouragements that can be to deter any from reading of them Re. This is as gross and notorious a Falshood as the rest Sn. p. 330. I can saith the Opposer name those that now stand high among them who did before many Witnesses of the principal Quakers not stick to say That Paul was dark and ignorant and that they saw beyond him Re. We know none either High or Low among us that ever so said of Paul therefore let him produce his many Witnesses to prove who those were that so said that Paul was dark c. or otherwise for ever be ashamed of such odious Defamations Sn. p. 335. That Simon Magus was the Father of the Quakers Socinians and all the rest of the Anti trinitarian Hereticks Re. A gross Calumny against the Quakers rendring them a Sorcerer's Children But they deny both Simon Magus and all Sorcerers and the Devil the Father of Lies and all such as would persuade People to buy the Gift of God the Gospel for Mony The Quakers are as opposite to such Simony as Light is to Darkness Sn. p. 338. That E. Burrough pag. 47. determines clearly That the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Re. He perverts E. B.'s Words We find not such a determination of his but where he speaks of that not being a Command from God to me which he commands to another he intends this of special Commands that were to some as to Baptize and Preach the Gospel as he immediately explains it and not of general Commands of Duty incumbent upon all nor against the Authority of the Scriptures it being the Holy Spirit that makes them authoritative and binding and enables Men to live accordingly who are led by the same Spirit Sn. p. 342. 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 Re. 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 Scripture and preaching in the true sense of the Spirit with divine Authority according as Christ did
to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did which was not at all to lessen the Authority of Holy Scripture Sn. p. 343. To prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them i. e. the Quakers he gives us another particular Instance of a Quaker-Servant that took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal Re. Upon a late Enquiry we understand That there was such a Servant-Maid who under some Discomposure and Temptation attempted such an evil and mad Action but was severely rebuked and testified against by our Friends who came to understand that Attempt or Action which we utterly abhor and therefore not justly chargeable upon us as a People any more than all the mad Actions of the People in Bedlam who belong to the Church of England Wherefore the great Envy and Injustice of this Defamer is very remarkable in this Passage as 't is extended against the Quakers to prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them which is as bad as to say They daily burn their Bibles Oh sad and sordid Stuff Sn. p. 346. I assure thee Reader that there is no mixture of any personal Prejudice in this Vndertaking for 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 Re. 1. We have no reason to believe this Person has no personal Prejudice in this his reproachful Undertaking being against a whole People where every Person of their Society is concerned and shamefully defamed by him under as gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent and produce through a poor dissembling Hypocrite as thus pretends such real Kindness and good Wishes for every one the Quakers of his Acquaintance while at the same time he 's endeavouring to murther their Reputations both as Men and Christians 2. And yet he has received no sort of Wrong from any of them to disoblige him in his whole Life More shame for him then thus sordidly to abuse the whole People as he hath done Sn. p. 348. As to the Nature of Christ they can subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of a personal Christ existing now in Heaven in his own true human Nature without all other Men or that he is now any otherwise a Man than as existing in his Saints But that they mean ALL they say of their own Light within ONLY which they call a spiritual Christ and shedding spiritual Blood c. within them Re. Here are several Things very perversly and falsly insinuated in these Passages 1. As if we did not believe the Man Christ Jesus to be now in Heaven without us as well as spiritually within us which is not true 2. As if we did not own Christ Jesus to be intire and perfect Man in himself or in his own proper Being or Existence without us as well as he is by his Spirit in us which also is not true for we really own him in both And though Christ being the spiritual Rock and as he is the Word of God the immortal Seed and a quickning Spirit he is in us and livingly felt and known in all true Believers yet not to lessen his intire Existence or limit him the Holy One as if he were no where or otherwise in Being than within us Such limitation we disown as well as wholly to exclude Christ out of his Saints as some have done under those unscriptural Expressions of a personal Christ existing in Heaven wholly without us which Terms some of us have questioned chiefly because imposed by some to oppose the Light Life and Spirit of Christ within whereby we can only truly know the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal Salvation and Peace 3. That Christ is truly spiritual and glorious we confess and shall never deny and that he has spiritual Blood too spiritual Water Wine and spiritual Drink to sanctifie refresh and comfort our Souls we must confess as that we daily experience as well as he had natural and outward Blood to offer and shed on the Cross for the sins of the World Sn. p. 350. That the Quakers general Answer to the seven Queries of the 15th of May 1695. was a Trick and Deceit of theirs to hide and cover their monstrous Heresies Re. This is a very severe and high Charge especially from one pretending real Kindness for us and as false as any of the rest of his Railery against us But what Proof is offered of these monstrous Heresies or covering them viz. Sn. They tell of Christ born of the Virgin Mary who suffered under Pontius Pilate c. but they keep off the whole stress of the Queries viz. Whether they believe in such a Christ as without them And that he is now this day a Man without all other Men No not a word of this this pinches too close And I think this a full Confession of their Heresie Re. Our Adversary appears very much out here For suppose we did not answer expresly in all the Terms of the said Queries being indirect and confusedly stated seeing we gave a scriptural intire substantial and comprehensive Answer which he is not able to confute This could not amount to any confession of Heresie on our parts neither does his thinking so prove any such thing He judges with very dark and evil Thoughts in this Matter Where did we ever say That Christ being born of the Virgin Mary and suffering under Pilate were not without us Or that Christ is not a Man without all other Men as well as spiritually in them We are to seek for such a Confession by us for we know none such but the contrary we are bound to believe in Christ intirely in all respects as he is both as he is within us and as he is without us both as he is God and as he is Man according to Holy Scripture-Testimony of him and 't is not uncharitable or envious thinking the contrary of us that can be any valid Argument to convict us to the contrary or of any Heresies whatsoever Sn. p. 351. Out of some of their i. e. the Quakers Books George Keith has collected their true and genuine Answers to each of the said Queries c. under this HOLY Title Gross Error and Hypocrisie detected c. Re. The first part is false For G. K. did partially and perversly collect divers Passages which could be no proper nor direct Answers to those Queries nor so intended nor by us adapted to any such Queries therefore the greater Abuse in him to collect and place them for Answers thereto 2. His Title and Charge of Gross Error and Hypocrisie is blasphemously termed HOLY for 't is altogether Unholy as well as Malicious and G. Keith is accountable to the just God for scandalizing and defaming us not only
with Gross Error but Hypocrisie too The first intends those Books of ours quoted by him in all which there 's Matter sufficient to clear us from his Aspersions as Thomas Ellwood and John Pennington also have well observed in divers Answers to him together with G. Keith's own former Vindications of us as a People and our Principles The latter i. e. Hypocrisie we may suppose must intend our Answer given to the said 7 Queries wherein as in divers other things G. K. hath foully belied us contrary to our own Consciences which are clear in the sight â—f God from Hypocrisie in this Matter as well as in other things And seeing G. K.'s Authority seems to be of some value with the obscure Author of The Snake in the Grass he and his Brethren of the Church of England may take G. K. for their Champion and see what they can make of him for he shews himself now no Quaker but more near to them and where he 'll yet center or settle in what Society or Communion is a great Question Or rather whether he does not aim at setting up for himself as Sect-master if he can draw some sort of People to admire him in his Notions and reproaching the Quakers contrary to his former manifold Vindications of them and their Principles after above 30 Years Conversation and kind Treatment among them The Second Part. Here follows a Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes notorious Abuses and Calumnies in the Second Part of the said Book stiled The Snake in the Grass after the Preface which is bigger than the Book it self 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 Independents and other Dissenters because the Quakers were not so considerable either for their Learning or for their Influence upon the publick Revolutions which the others caused both in Church and State But their numbers whether increased by their being so neglected are now really formidable I mean for the many Souls seduced by them they not only swarm over these Nations but they stock our Plantations abroad Re. Tho' the first part of this Complaint carries no small Reflection upon the Presbyterians and Independents c. rendring them greatly obnoxious in the Eye of the Government as not only formidable but dangerous which is most proper for them to answer 't is not truly stated as to the Quakers For the Church of England in the two late King's Reigns has pursued them with more Zeal and Pains than any other Dissenters both to stop their Growth and to root them out also tho' not by rationally controverting Matters in difference but by such extream and severe Persecutions as hard Imprisonments Banishments Spoil of Goods c. as no other People of Dissenters have so generally suffered nor to such a degree because they did not stand in a publick Testimony in the Heat of the Day as the People called Quakers have So that 't is not through the said Churches neglect or want of taking Pains to pursue the Quakers that they are so multiplied and increased but rather as the first and chief cause of their Increase was God's Power and divine Providence A secondary Cause was their great Oppressions and Persecutions of which Israel's Oppression and Increase when in Egypt in some sense and degree was figurative or resembling even of the true Churches Sufferings when the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Sn. p. 4. I find them scoffingly telling of the Rabbies of the Quakers to inherit the Subtilty as well as Heresie of the Arians and Socinians who were the most subtil and hardest to be detected of any of the Christian Hereticks and the Quakers do defend themselves with the same distinctions and even add to their Arts. Re. This Adversary is very much out and maliciously calumnious in this his charging the Heresie of the Arians as well as Socinians upon the Ministers among the Quakers For what was the Heresie of Arius Was it not that he held That the Son of God had his beginning of nothing That there was a time when he was not That he had a beginning of Essence That he had this Essence of nothing That the Son of God was of free Will inclined to Virtue and Vice That he was a Creature and made neither like unto the Father in Substance neither the true Word of the Father by Nature neither his true Wisdom and that the Word of God was not from Everlasting c. These Heresies were charg'd upon Arius and his Complices in the Syâ—odical Epistle of the Council of Nice and Bishop of Alexandria lib. 1. cap. 3. Socr. Scol p. 215 216. p. 225. ch 6. Now we challenge this obscure Adversary to prove where ever the Quakers or their Ministers held these blasphemous and atheistical Notions Nay 't is manifest they hold the quite contrary both to Arius and Socinus for the Divinity of the Son of God the Eternal Word as many of their Writings testifie and therefore he is a gross Lyar who charges us with them and highly guilty of Folly and Self-contradiction also in rendring such mad Folks as he deems us so very subtil in Distinctions and Arts. Sn. p. 5. Many of them have really gone off from the height of Blasphemy and Madness which was professed among them at their first setting up in the Year 1650. and so continued till after the Year of the Restoration Anno 1660. Re. We utterly deny this Charge again as a foul Scandal That many of us professed the height of Blasphemy and Madness or that any in Society with us have so done The Man shamefully abuseth the Readers by imposing such lying defaming Stories upon them Sn. p. 10 11. Divers Comparisons made between L. Muggleton and the Quakers as denying all Church-Authority making a dead Letter of the Holy Scriptures and resolving all into their own private Spirit c. That these are Twin-Enthusiasts both born in the Year 1650. Re. His Comparisons herein are unjust and Accusations false 1. We never owned nor had Society with Muggleton but always bore our Testimony against his dark blasphemous Conceits 2. The spiritual Authority of the true Church we always own and esteem 3. The Holy Scriptures i. e. the Holy Doctrin of the Gospel we do not make nor call a dead Letter We distinguish between the dead Letter and the living Doctrin and follow not our private Spirits for the understanding thereof but the Spirit of God the Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth the true understanding Sn. p. 12. I desire before I go farther to obviate a Prejudice which some Readers may take as a little Railery I am forced to use now and then which they may think not becoming the Subject in Hand Re. His said Book of Four Shillings Price has more than a little Railery in 't for 't is stuft with abundance of as shameful Railery
Lies and Slanders as ever we met withal But who or what has forced him to be such a Railer Not the Spirit of Christ not a Christian Spirit to be sure If he had apprehended us such mad Men and silly ridiculous Fools as he has represented us he should rather pity us than bend his Wits to rail and scoff at us Sn. p. 13. Intending chiefly to insist upon some of their more material and monstrous Heresies thus against the Quakers Re. This Charge looks big and seems to make a great Noise but as 't is levelled against us in general 't is as false as the rest As concerning the Government his Authority is as invalid which is he only refers us to the Quakers Vnmask'd printed 1691. What great Authority is this but one of F. Bugg's abusive Pamphlets which is fully answer'd and his Abuses detected over and over which this partial Adversary takes no notice of That some of these called Quakers were at first Common-wealth's Men or for a Common-wealth and afterward for a Monarchy when it pleased God by his over-ruling Power and Providence to cause such alterations We see no monstrous Heresie herein any more than was in Samuel See 1 Sam. 8. 5 6. ch 10. 1. That the Quakers are against their being concerned in Fighting and destroying Men's Lives as believing that 't is not in Christ's mediatory Kingdoms and yet grant that Wars and Fighting are a Judgment from God in the Kingdom of this World What Heresie or Fallibility is in this pray This is the true state of the Difference however aggravated and perverted by this Adversary and his Author Sn. Sect. 3. p. 17 18. Anno 1650 and 1654. Then it was that Rome was reaping a plentiful Harvest which they had long been sowing by setting up in that universal Toleration multitudes of various Sects on purpose to divide and so confound their only substantial Adversary the Church of England They dressed Enthusiasm in several Shapes and Forms of Presbyter Anabaptist Independent Quaker Muggleton and along c. which differ only in degrees Re. Here the Snake puts his Sting out against all Protestant-Dissenters and as greatly envying their Liberties makes a very ill Construction of their former Toleration And no doubt their present Liberty does as ill please him Ishmael like his Hand is against every Man and no sort of Dissenters how conscientious soever can escape his Blow or Push He makes Rome the Author Patron and Planter of them all both Presbyter Anabaptist Independent Quakers c. how plainly soever they have approved themselves Protestants averse to Popery and as Dissenting-Protestants are tolerated it appears how greatly he envies their Liberties and is displeased with the Government for granting the same Oh rare Son of the Church Will nothing satisfie this Incendiary but Persecution and Ruin to Dissenting-Protestants May not such his Work be very grateful to the Popish Interest What a cordial Friend then does he shew himself to the Protestants Sn. p. 19. This Doctrin of Enthusiasm came chiefly from the Church of Rome Labadee a Jesuit set it up in Holland and Robert Barclay the Quaker was tinctured in his younger Years in the Scotch Convent at Paris and John Vaughton was a Roman Catholick who is now a great Preacher among the Quakers in London and he adds in his Errata William Southby a Preacher now among them in Pensilvania Re. These this obscure Accuser brings as Instances to make good the Title of this Third Section which is That the Popish Emissaries first set up Quakerism in England which is an old lying Story and his Instances as impertinent And 1st We deny that any Jesuit set it up in Holland and are persuaded many of our Friends there can testifie the contrary 2. Whatever the Educations of the said R. B. and J. V. were in their Youth as to Religion they were none of the first Promoters of Quakerism as he calls it in England by many Years 3. And suppose the One was tinctured and the other was a Roman Catholick this makes for us that was not since they were Quakers but before they turned Quakers and then when they did they turned from Papists and Popery in Testimony against it and against human Traditions and Superstitions and for the Holy Spirit 's Teaching and Worship of God in Spirit and Truth Sn. p. 20. The Quaker-Infallibility was contrived on purpose to bring Men back to the Infallibility of the Church of Rome by these Steps First the Infallibility was placed by G. Fox and all the Primitive Quakers in every single Quaker Re. These are envious and false Aspersions to render us infamous obnoxious and offensive 1. We positively deny any such Contrivance Design or Purpose 2. We deny that G. F. and all the Primitive Quakers place Infallibility in a single Person like Papists or in every single Quaker without distinction but in the Spirit of Truth which assures us in Matters of Faith and Salvation The Man often sillily scoffs at the Quaker's Infallibility but does not truly state their Principle in that Case Sn. p. 38. in Sect 5. They i. e. the Quakers damn all the World to Hell all since the days of the Apostles but themselves Re. This is a great Untruth We damn none to Hell 't is Men's own Wickedness in hating the Light which carries them to Hell We believe there were many good Men and saved since the Apostles days Sn. p. 40. They pretend to a Perfection even equal with God Re. We pretend so of Christ not of our selves We desire we may always be kept truly Humble and in true Fear out of all Boasting and high Thoughts of our selves that Christ may be magnified in us Sn. p. 41 42. in Sect. 5. They 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 are attributed to George Fox and which he takes to himself quoting New Rome Arraigned p. 33 34. and The Quakers Vnmask'd and New Rome Vnmask'd referring the Reader to those Books of F. Bugg 's which he has quoted upon the Margin as he saith p. 48. Re. These are F. Bugg's notorious refuted Lies which this Adversary is so shamefully credulous of We positively deny giving those peculiar Titles of Christ to our selves or to one another and Bugg has been charged therewith and cannot prove them G. Fox is not so much as mentioned in that Epistle of E. Burroughs out of which F. Bugg takes these Titles the Branch the Star c. which are peculiar to Christ. Sn. p. 51 53. Sect 6. That G. F.'s Great Mystery p. 282. endeavours to prove That the Quakers are perfect as God not only in quality but in equality from Christ's words Be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect Re. These are not G. F.'s Words of the Quakers that they are so his Words are here perverted He refers to Christ's Words and the Apostles and
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
same i. e. our effectual Cleansing and actual Deliverance from Sin and Satan c. which he has obtained for us and for Mankind by his Sufferings and Mediation 2. We never ascribed to our selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation that 's notoriously known to be expresly contrary to our professed Principle We ascribe our sufficiency to be in Christ by his own Power Grace and Light in us to work out our Salvation it being by Grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved not of our selves 't is the Gift of God and without him we can do nothing And this Heavenly Treasure though we have it in our earthen Vessels the excellency of the Power is of God and not of us After his many Scoffs at our Doctrin of Infallibility which he knows not what to make of he has at length stumbl'd upon an Instance of those he esteems will be found to have the best Title to it p. 85. where it is written Prov. 16. 10. A divine Sentence is in the Lips of the King and his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment We would ask him If none are indued with a divine Sentence and unerring Judgment but Kings Or if none are Saints and Partakers of the Spirit of Truth or divine Wisdom but Kings What kind of Kings he means that are thus infallible he does not distinguish sure they must be just and good Kings indued with divine Wisdom But are none else so but Kings Do not all that truly fear God partake of the same Spirit and Wisdom Is God any respecter of Persons What does he think of those very Elect whom Christ implies 't is impossible to deceive Mat. 24. 24. Are they fallible or deceivable Or of them in whose Mouths was found no Guile Or of them who have put away all Guile and all Malice and all Lying and all Hypocrisie c. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Are such led by an infallible Spirit or no But to proceed he has some very scurrilous and abusive Flings at G. W. to prove him not led by an infallible Spirit of discerning or true Judgment p. 87. He quotes G. W.'s Charitable Essay in Answer to Fr. Bugg p. 6. his objecting against G. F. That they the Quakers could discern who were Saints and who Apostates without speaking ever a Word And says that he G. W. puts it off ingeniously thus That they could discern it by their lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances and so without speaking ever a Word p. 87. And then among divers other Scoffs and Flouts goes on Is not this very hard Fishing for Infallibility Adding Alas poor George Is the infallible Quaker dwindled down to a meer Gypsie or paltry Fortune-teller to nothing but a little Skill in Physiognomy Ah! George what a blessed Spirit would'st thee have thought Satan if thee hadst seen him when he was transform'd into an Angel of Light p. 88. 89. in Sect. 10. To all which it may be safely answer'd This Scorner's Abuse and Perversion is herein very evident for that we do not place our Infallibility of discerning of Spirits only upon those outward Signs in the Countenances of wicked Men or Women as their lofty Looks scornful Eyes envious fallen Countenances though these were in part instanced in Answer to the great wonderment made of knowing wicked Hearts when silent to shew there are other outward Signs and Tokens to manifest them by than their wicked Words or prophane Talk and even such Signs as Scripture takes notice of And seeing this Scorner has unjustly perverted and minced the Passage quoted Char. Essay p. 5 6. 't is meet to recite it more fully for the Quakers having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Fore-fathers in the Apostacy c. viz. That the very intent and meaning of G. F.'s Words herein was not beyond all the Fore-fathers without exception but beyond all in the Apostacy And further and they can discern who are Saints and who are Devils and who are Apostates without speaking ever a word that is they that be in the Power and Life of Truth as G. F. there saith can so discern between Saints and Devils and that 's possible as 't is for humble Men to discern wicked Persons even by their proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances the shew of whose Counteannces testifing against them And more especially by the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some in the Church of Christ Apostates and wicked Spirits are discernible from Saints and that a Spirit of Vnderstanding and Discerning is given among us c. concluding with the Saints Right of discerning by the Power and Life of Truth between Saints and Devils From all which pray observe how plain it is that discerning of Spirits which we assert is principally placed on and springs from the Power and Life of Truth that is from Christ and the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some Members especially and still is continued in the true Church and from which discerning Satan cannot be hid however he transform himself altho' proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances are rendred in Scripture as outward Signs or Marks of such wicked Hearts which also the Gift and Spirit of discerning perceiveth and gives to see many times through such outward Mediums And therefore the true discerning of Spirits which we plead for is neither dwindled down to a meer Gypsie nor paltry Fortune-teller nor to nothing but a little Jugler's Skill in Physiognomy as this scornful Adversary reflects And to reprehend his Reproach and Blasphemy herein and shew him that both God and good Men divinely inspired have also taken notice of such Signs Marks and Tokens in wicked Men's Looks and Countenances as before mentioned Let him read and consider these places of Scripture Gen. 4. 5 6. Psal. 10. 4. Isa. 3. 9 16. 2. 11. 5. 15. Psal. 131. 1. Prov. 30. 13. 6. 17. 21. 4. And he may see that both God Himself and his Prophets and Servants took notice of wicked Men's Countenances proud and lofty Looks and wanton Eyes c. and did not therefore deserve to be numbred among Gypsies and Juglers Behold the Levity and Ignorance of this prophane Scoffer of the Spirit of discerning and Scripture Who further in 's scoffing Humour proceeds against G. W. notoriously to detect his Infallibility by Signs and Faces as well as G. Fox 's without speaking ever a word as he pretends His Story is about one Chr. Athinson 's miscarriage at Norwich in the Year 1655. from Richard Hubberthorn's writing That in the wisdom of God we were searching it out and in his Will waiting for his Counsel The Scoffer reflects That notwithstanding all this neither G. Fox G. Whitehead nor any other of the infallible Gang could find it out till Chr. Atkinson prickt with the stings of his own Conscience did freely and of his own accord confess
not in the Paths of it Job 24. 13. And though there 's no Sin against the Light or Backsliding from it without some Conviction at one time or other yet 't is possible for some to presume to sin rebel and shut their Eyes so long until they become stark blind and hardned in sinning and past feeling in Rebellion and given over to hardness of Heart and to strong Delusion to believe a Lie and so to Damnation and Destruction yet however clouded all this while the Light in them remains in it self pure certain and an infallible swift Witness against the Rebellious who love Darkness and the Works thereof rather than the Light which is come into the World Mens thinking themselves to be in the right when mistaken p. 174 175. having their Understandings darkned will not destroy all or any of the Quakers certainty which they have in the true Light as they believe and walk therein P. 176 177. It was hard for Saul to Kick against the Pricks and that is against the Power of Christ which would be too hard for him if he strove against it as is confest No doubt that Power reached his Conscience when awakened and convicted consequently those Pricks which that gave him were then in him and that Power or Holy Ghost which Stephen's Persecutors and Saul also resisted when he kept their Garments while they stoned him and consented to his Death was near them to convict and condemn them for their Persecution and Cruelty but their Fury Wrath and Violence would not permit them to adhere or submit to the strivings thereof for they always resisted the same Holy Spirit as did their Fathers Acts 7. 51. Which Resistance of theirs implies the Spirit 's secretly striving with them and giving Counsel against their Wickedness and Cruelty for how can there be always a resisting that which either is not or moves not or counsels not O therefore the same Holy Spirit and Light of it was in them in some measure moving and striving with them to persuade stop and reclaim them from those destructive Courses and Enormities they had chosen And here we may observe how he excuses the Ministry where People are not converted by it he deems it a very bad Argument to blame the Ministry for Mens being Evil may proceed from their own Perversness and not from the Fault of the Ministry Pref. p. 57. May we not retalliate such Argument for the Light within That 't is a very bad Argument that the Light within is either insufficient or fallible because Men are Evil or blind or mistaken Which may proceed from their own Disobedience or Perverseness and not from any defect or fault in the Light given them And when Saul thought with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth and was zealous in persecuting and imprisoning the Christians and exceeding mad against them Acts 26. 9 10. 11. This was in his blind deceived State when a Follower of the persecuting Priests and the more blinded by such blind Guides as hate the true Light and oppose it For as Paul saith I persecuted this way unto the Death binding and delivering into Prison both Men and Women Acts 22. 4. For many of the Saints I shut up in Prison having received Authority of the High Priests and when they were put to Death I gave my Sentence Acts 26. 10. So that the Priests were very ill Instruments to influence and misguide him in Persecution and Cruelty contrary to the Light such his Blindness Madness and injurious Persecution against the Saints to Imprisonment and Death being expresly contrary to the Law of God without them and within them in Scripture and Conscience Will any be so blind as to suppose God did not afford them so much Light as to shew them such gross Iniquities and Injuries to others who were innocent How impertinent and senseless then is the Man's Question viz. Had Paul then any Pricks of Conscience or of his Light within against the lawfulness of that wherein he was fully persuaded and zealous p. 177. No doubt he had so much Light in him as would both have prickt him for and shewn the Unlawfulness of his Persecution and Cruelty against the Saints if he would have inclined his Mind to it for Counsel and not to the Priests who encouraged him in Persecution against the Christians which they persuaded him to and not the Light They helped to make him so mad against the Saints as he was but Christ the Light whose Power prickt him made him wise when converted and tho' 't is possible that in his Hurry and Fury to Persecution he might not at that very instant feel the Pricks of the Light in 's Conscience yet it swiftly pursued him and seiz'd him when Christ had wonderfully put a stop to him and his Letters and Errand from the High Priests to persecute the Saints Tho' the Candle of the Wicked may be many times put out 't is lighted again For how oft is the Candle of the Wicked put out How oft is Destruction upon him If it be often put out 't is often lighted And therefore all these things seriously consider'd we do not see it any hard Matter to make sense of the Quakers Notion as he calls it of the Light within nor that this Instance of St. Paul can stand as any irrefragable or other Proof against it or our Testimony for that true Light which inlightens every Man coming into the World John 1. 4 9. Because many are blinded by the persecuting and covetous Priests and many shut their Eyes against the Light and many love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are evil and the Candle of the Wicked is often put out But they shall all find it hard to Kick against the Pricks even in their own Consciences as 't is confessed even in the English Annotation in the Margin on Acts 9. 5. It is hard for thee to Kick against the Pricks i. e. to resist God when he pricketh and soliciteth our Consciences therefore such prickings are within All which truly consider'd 't is no difficulty to make Sense of the Quaker's Notion as he calls it of the Light within p. 178. seeing 't is according to the express Sense of Holy Scripture-Testimony thereof and the Sense which the Light gives all them that truly regard it Christ being the Light of the World that inlightens every Man coming into it that whosoever believe in his Light and follow him the Light might not abide in Darkness but have the Light of Life and become Children of the Light Neither doth our Adversary's Instance of St. Paul or others stand as any irrefragable Proof against the Light within or the Quakers Notion of it as he vainly supposeth p. 178. Unless it be a good Argument that because some Men are blind and others shut their Eyes there 's no Sun in the Firmament giving Light into their Houses We find no better Proof or
Argument from this Adversary against the Light within or our Testimony thereof and 't is far more difficult to make Sense of his Notion of the Light within than of our's For after he has in Words owned and confessed to Divine Illumination or Inspiration of the Holy Spirit as that Enthusiasm or Inspiration of God which is allowed and owned in their Church and that 't is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Pref. from p. 46. to p. 55 56. Another while he 'll have the Light within not Infallible but Fallible because of Men's Mistake who put Darkness for Light p. 173 174. 2d Part. Another while he 'll have the Light within no Light from Isa. 8. 20. placing this Remark upon it No Light George mark that p 251. But he should have observed the Hebrew Note in the Margin No Morning instead of No Light which I may return upon him If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is No Morning to them No Morning Man mark that But is there no Light before Morning pray Now how difficult is it to make Sense of this Man's Notion of the Light within One while with him 'T is a Divine Inspiration another while 'T is Fallible another while No Light So that one while 't is a divine good and certain Light another while uncertain not Infallible another while 't is nothing no Light Thus confusedly and madly Envy and Darkness appears against the true Light This Adversary to prove his false reitterrated black Charge That the Quakers take to themselves the very Attributes of God and make a pretence from this Light within to excuse blasphemous Pride assuming All the Worship due to Christ whom they call this Light upon the account of his or its Inhabitation in them p. 178. He refers to G. Whitehoad's Innocency against Envy p. 18. Sect. 12. in Answer to F. Bugg viz. As to his Charge of idolatrous if not blasphemous Names and Titles given to G. F. How proves he that they i.e. Two Persons in their Letters to him gave and intended those Names and Titles to the Person of G. F. c. This Story in the first part is notoriously false as it affects the Quakers in general The last part is a blind Story as 't is intended for Proof of the black Charge before those idolatrous Names and Titles are not mentioned nor any plain Proof of the exact Copies of both those Letters could we ever have And G. W. has further cleared this Matter in another Answer to F. B. as also in his Just Inquiry from p. 19. to p. 30. And in behalf of the People called Quakers we positively and sincerely deny 1. That they take to themselves the very Attributes of God 2. That they excuse blasphemous Pride as that of assuming all Worship due to Christ because of his inhabiting in them These with Detestation we solemnly deny But this Accuser should have looked at home and at his Brethren of the Clergy what Honour and Attributes do they give to their Bishops when they go down upon their Knees to them as their Reverend Fathers in God with Your Grace My Lord c. Do these import Divine Honour and Divine Attributes or Earthly pray And where did ever Christ's Ministers or Apostles do such Homage to Timothy or Titus or call either of them my Lord Timothy or my Lord Titus and Your Grace c And what thinks he of Godfathers and Godmothers Are not these Divine Attributes and very high ones too And of their being Sureties for Infants for their forsaking the Devil and all his Works c. and keeping God's holy Will and Commandments c. Do they not herein take upon them Christ's Office and Work who is our Surety And what Scripture have they for these Answer directly 'T is a notorious Untruth also That they i. e. the Quakers allow of divine Honour to the Man Christ Jesus on no other account than as G. W. allows it to G. Fox that is because of the residing of the divine Word in him p. 180. We say this is apparently false for on divers other Accounts we allow divine Honour and far more Honour to the Man Christ Jesus than to any mortal or finite Creature whatsoever as in all things Christ Jesus hath the Preheminence and all Fulness dwelling in him and all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and were not all the Angels of God to worship him And all Men to honour the Son as they honour the Father Therefore this Opposer's blasphemous Consequences drawn against us from his black Charge aforesaid As worshipping one another with divine Honour and not grudging to apply all the Attributes of God to themselves for the Light within sake c. p. 181 182. with the rest of his Consequences of the same kind are as false as the other We desire ever to walk humbly with God in Christ Jesus in a holy Reverence and Worship to him only to whom all divine Worship Glory and Honour is due In his 13th Sect. Of the Resurrection of the Body This saith he the Quakers do positively deny p. 182. Here he stumbles at the Threshold and deals disingeniously and falsly with the Quakers They deny not the Resurrection of the Body by denying the gross and carnal Notions of our former Adversaries of the self-same carnal and numerical Body of Flesh Blood and Bones no more than the Apostle denied the Resurrection of the Dead by affirming That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. For proof That the Quakers do positively deny the Resurrection he says That Mr. Penn makes Nonsense of it and worse he compares it to Transubstantiation nay to the Alcoran quoting Reason against Railing 1673. p. 138. which is a plain Perversion and as false as the Charge it self For W. Penn does neither make Nonsense of the Resurrection it self scripturally considered nor compare it either to Transubstantiation or to the Alcoran But T. Hick's gross Belief and Apprehension of a Carnal or Fleshly Resurrection of the self-same Carnal Body and yet that it shall be so changed as to be a spiritual glorious Body like unto Christ's This he compares to the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Papists say That the Bread and Wine after Conse cration are so changed as to be the very Christ and yet the Accidents remain i.e. of Bread and Wine so he can't make better Sense of his Adversary's gross apprehension of the Resurrection of the Body being or remaining the same carnal Body of Flesh Blood and Bones that 's buried and yet changed so as to be a spiritual and glorious Body like unto Christ's which was not to deny the Scripture-Doctrin of the Resurrection it self but rather a carnal Alcoran Notion thereof for in the Book quoted Reason against Railing p. 133. And under the same Head take W. P.'s plain Confession of the Resurrection in
all Ephes. 1. 23. 't is not of the Church as distinctly considered from the Head but as in Union therewith Christ the Head is included in that Fulness tho' his proper Existence be entire compleat and most glorious I think this Answer to F. Bugg may fully Answer his Disciple the Author of the Snake 28. From G. Fox's saying Christ is the Elect our Adversary infers And the Elect are Christ they make them convertible Terms p. 239. They are not so made by us nor by G. F. in the place quoted Gr. Myst. p. 88. but the contrary tho' there he saith Christ is the Elect whom God upholds He also saith Christ knows his and said he had other Sheep and he knew All the Elect and who receive him and are in him are the Elect. There 's no such Words in the place quoted as that the Elect are Christ. Thus the plain Scripture is perverted which G. F. refers to Isa. 42. 1. 29. He again quotes Gr. Myst. p. 207. That God's Christ is not distinct from his Saints Here the Man unfairly leaves out what follows viz. For he is within them their Spirits witness him c. Wherein 't is plain he means Christ is not divided or separate from his Saints He takes distinct from in a kind of common Acceptation for divided or separate from Here he cavils about Words or a Mode of speaking and then draws his hard Consequences As 30. The grossest Absurdities highest Blasphemies and that G. F. could find no difference no distinction at all betwixt Christ and himself Which appears a perverse and presumptuous Calumny As doth the next 31. That All the divine Attributes should be given to G. F. as well as unto Christ and that G. F. does assume the Stile and Names of Christ to himself c. The Man here quoting his own Authority in his Sect. 5. and there F. B.'s both which we deny They have injuriously abused G. F. and others in this Matter who neither calls himself The Door that ever was nor the same Christ yesterday to day and for ever he speaks this of Christ not of himself neither did the Quakers call him the Branch the Star c. as Bugg and the Snake have basely asperst him and others Sect. 5. p. 41 43. c. These Calumnies and perverse Abuses are sufficiently detected in several Answers to F. Bugg and in Just Enquiry into the Libeller's Abuse And tho' we deny that those divine Attributes given to Christ may be given to any mortal Man yet divers Names given to Christ are given to Saints also as the Son of God the Sons of God Luke 3. 28. John 1. 12. Rom. 8. 14 The Light of the World John 8. 12. Mat. 5. 14. The Salt of the Earth Mat. 5. 13. The Righteousness of God 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21 Kings Priests Prophets Apostles Ministers The Seed The Good Seed Anointed Elect given both to Christ and his faithful Followers But it may be said These are not all properly divine Attributes However they are such as are given both to Christ and his Brethren and Members the Saints and true Followers of God But The Image and Glory of God I presume will be assented to be no less than divine Attributes or importing the same and yet without Blasphemy or Idolatry Man whose Head Christ is is called The Image and Glory of God 1 Cor. 11. 7 and not in any Dishonour to Christ though the same Epithets or Characters do properly belong to him Heb. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 4 4. Col. 1. 15. yet given also to Man because indued with or participating of God's Image in Christ Jesus but we confess some divine Attributes and Names are given as only proper to Christ and not to Men or Saints as The Wisdom and Power of God The Word of God A Quickning Spirit The only begotten Son of God The Messiah The very Christ The Prince of Life and Peace The Mighty God The Everlasting Father c. these are only intended and proper to Christ. 32. We do not find Blasphemy or Idolatry excused or any fair pretence used for the same by W. P. in the place quoted i. e 11 Ch. Of the Invalidity of John Faldoe 's Vindication as is defamingly alledged against him p. 242. which is about the Soul of Man c. which W. P. there fully Answers To Sect. 18. which the Author stiles Some Remarks upon Geo. Whitehead's Creed relating to some of the Particulars before-going The nameless Author of the Snake in the Grass having vented his and others Venome and great Spite against the People called Quakers in general and divers Particulars by Name now to compleat his Design of great Envy he must put forth his Sting in the Tail of his Work and have a fling and sit of Hissing like an angry Snake or as one that whispers out of the Dust Isa. 29. 4. against the said G. W. I being the Person aim'd at may now briefly answer for Truth and for my self as concerned 1. The word Creed he imposes upon me 'T was no formal Creed or Summary of our Faith tho' real Truths by way of Positions in the affirmative as a Christian Testimony in direct Opposition to F. B.'s great Abuse false Charge and Perversions which with a negative Testimony against him therein are both adapted to answer his own Terms Words and Phrases that our Testimony and Positions might be the more apparent against his Abuse and Perversions for I know no Adversary that I find Fault with but I can freely and in good Conscience assert my own Sense in the Matters in Controversie as well as oppose his though it be not in the manner of a formal Creed yet true in it self for we should have numerous Creeds if all Positions we write in Opposition to Opposers must be esteemed Creeds or Summaries and Confessions of our Faith nevertheless we believe what we assert and vindicate in each particular My Accuser presently shews his Prejudice and Enmity against me without cause As with a new Confession of Faith in such dubious and general Terms as may at first sight deceive the unwary Reader though I gave it in as plain and as much in scriptural Terms as I could and as the Matters concerned would admit of And I know my own Sincerity therein better than my Accuser who insincerely calls me Honest George whilst he is aspersing me and casting Dirt at me as Deceiving keeping off contradicting the Heart of the Heresie still preserving it safe and untouch'd and not only so but often with a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it p. 244. So that my confessing Jesus to be the Christ and both his coming in the Flesh and in the Spirit according to holy Scripture-Testimony and also to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament namely the Holy Doctrin and divine Precepts therein as given by divine Inspiration on which much of my said Confession against F. Bugg depends this hath no better
Acceptance or Resentment with my Accuser than as no Contradiction to the Heart of Heresie but as still preserving it safe and untouch'd and which is worse a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it Oh sad Stuff Whither will not Pride and Envy precipitate some Men What scripturally to confess Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures as above is this no Contradiction to Heresie But to preserve excuse or defend it What 's Heresie than pray Is it to confess Jesus Christ come in the Flesh c. according to holy Scripture-Testimony of him Oh! for shame leave off such blind Envy and blasphemous Abuse And now to come to the Point How or wherein have I slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it i. e. of the Heart of Hersie as before p. 244. Thus saith my Accuser in his first Article he confesses Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem c. I confess this is part of my Confession but cannot believe this is either not contradictory to the Heart of Heresie or that it is any Excuse or Defence of it Nor that our confessing God or Christ to be our Light can be any such Excuse or Defence Neither do we attribute the Name Christ to any much less to every one of our selves as we are often falsly accused as here p. 245. Whence he also most unjustly infers That then this will appear that this Confession of Whitehead 's is a meer Fallacy while it attributes no more to Jesus Christ than to G. W. p. 245. Which is a very foul and absurd Falshood and notorious Lie in Fact and contradiction to my said Confession even so far as 't is cited by himself as before which is 1. We sincerely own profess and confess Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem in Judea Mat. 2. suffered Death upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem was quickened and raised again by the Power of God and ascended into Heaven and Glory according to the Scriptures Now have I herein attributed no more to Jesus Christ than to my self as he saith Where did I ever attribute this to my self Where 's the meer Fallacy Not in my Confession to Jesus Christ but in this horrid Abuse and gross Perversion thereof Did I ever say that I am Jesus Christ Or that I was born of the Virgin Mary Or that I suffered Death upon the Cross at Jerusalem c. Oh! for shame who cannot see such Malice and Madness as my Adversary has vented against me in this Matter Again I find no Fallacy in my Confession to Christ as without nor is there any unless I had denied the Virgin Mary of whom Christ was born to be without or Bethlehem and Judea and Jerusalem to be without us nor doth Christ being without prove him not to be our Light within for the same Christ said I am the Light of the World therefore he is our Light yea the Quakers Light as he calls it they being included in the World Does not the Sun shine in our Houses because the Body and Fulness of it is without them My Accuser quibbles and quarrels with Art 10. of my Confession viz. Our Ministers do not teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as amply as to Christ the Head And here he leaves out all the following explanatory part of the Article as he calls it and scornfully descants upon the Word amply being in a different black Character lest quoth he you should mistake and think that George was Christ as amply as Jesus And then goes on scoffing That was modest indeed but then George thou art Christ as well as Jesus though not so amply Which is both a false Implication and foreign to my intention The word amply in that place was only used and intended in direct opposition to F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers teach That the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body as amply as to Christ the Head New Rome Ar. p. 47. But even in the same 10 Art quoted against me I do not allow any Member to be called Christ but expresly dissallow it though I confess how Christians have some Interest in his Name but not to be called Jesus but Christians The explanatory part of my Confession in the said 10th Article disingenuously left out by this Scoffer is in these Words viz. But that the divine Anointing to which Name Christ hath relation virtually is in some measure or degree afforded to every Member of his Body but not so amply as to him the Head nor for any Member to be called Christ but a Christian because Christ received the Anointing the Holy Spirit not by measure but in fulness and because he is the Head of the Body the Church And this very Matter is more fully explain'd in my Charitable Essay in Answer to F. Bugg p. 4. as before It was far from my Thoughts or Intention to imply any such thing as That I am Christ as well as Jesus for I have often written my self A Servant-of Christ and so I am I humbly bless his Name that 's above every Name Therefore I am still very unjustly accused with rank Sophistry dodging and deluding and casting a Mist before the Eyes of poor deluded People or leading them into the Mystery of Iniquity or of any Equivocating or Jesuitical Confession of Faith as foully and unjustly accused p. 246 247. I have a Conscience towards God in what I confess and in good Conscience testifie That thou my scornful lurking Adversary hast cast manifold false and gross Defamations upon me and many others of my Christian Persuasion And in the true Sense of Scripture I have both confess'd Christ's coming in the Flesh and as he the Word was made or took Flesh Jo. 1. 14. And more than the Socinians I do still confess That as the reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience clear in the Sight of him who judgeth righteously which I am sure this my unjust Judge and false Accuser is not who presently after he has stil'd me Honest George unjustly brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! rank Malice bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrin or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrin of the Bible to be holy
and blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrin nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpent's Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 249. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrin contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrin and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with Ink by Barach but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrin where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. Sect. 11. p. 146 147. as saying Paper and Ink is not infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102. 25 26. Heb. 1. 11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the soure Leaven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrin of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those saecred Oracles p. 250. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrin of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpent's Meat The Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrin and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 250 251. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink or Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no Contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrin and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our â—ight to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8. 20. And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd p. 251. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. And are not many reproved by the Light them in for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And tho' my Accuser says These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have his own ipse dixit and much such Raillery but know no plain Texts of Scripture yet produced by him that so detects us but his own Falshood and great Ignorance about the Light is very apparent Again he falsly defames and reprobaches me from p. 28. Of Innocency Triumphant with excusing and justifying Diabolical Suggestions in the Quaker-Refuge he saith against the Authority of the sacred Scripture by saying That it questioned but some not all p. 252. This Accuser has a most odious injurious course of defaming and perverting as well as curtalizing our Words wherein he has taken part with his famous Author F. Bugg to whom the Answer was given on which he grounds his black Charge against me Of justifying Diabolical Suggestions c. In which Answer I expresly declare thus viz. His Accusation that the Quakers insinuate in a Book called The Quakers Refuge That What the true Prophets spake was false and What the false Prophets spoke was true p. 47. New Rome Vnm. p. 23. We
the Tabernacle which was called the Holiest of all in the Old Covenant that the golden Censor and Ark of the Testament were put and the golden Pot which had Manna and Aaron's Rod that had budded and the Tables of the Testament and over the Ark the Cherubims of Glory shadowing the Mercy-seat Heb. 9. Exod. 26. So the most excellent things were within the Veil tho' there was a Beauty and Glory also without it All which I doubt not were Shadows of the New Covenant and the spiritual Dispensation thereof in Christ Jesus in whom the most holy place of that divine Service and Worship in the New Covenant Sanctuary which the Lord has placed in the midst of his People is in the Spirit and in the Truth And all our spiritual Blessings and heavenly Treasures are in Christ Jesus who is our Sanctuary and Hiding-place And it is in the inmost or most inward and spiritual Dispensation of the New Covenant that Mercy and Forgiveness is receiv'd and Christ most livingly and effectually known to us and enjoyed and in him the most holy and heavenly Places wherein the true spiritual Believers sit down with him and as being washed from their Sins in his Blood by his Spirit are his Church and Sanctuary also and thereby have boldness to enter into the holy Place even by that new and living Way which Christ hath prepared for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10. that we may follow him therein into Heaven it self And what entrance through Christ our Mediator we have here in measure received into this new and living Way and holy and heavenly Places in him we doubt not but it is to us an Earnest of a more full Enjoyment of Heaven and Glory hereafter with Christ Jesus our Fore-runner Leader and Captain of our Salvation we continuing faithful to the end in this his new and living Way as true and constant Followers of him God in his great Love and Wisdom has afforded several Dispensations one higher and more glorious than another in order to bring Man nearer and nearer to himself as that of the Law and of Shadows and Types that of the Prophets that of John the Baptist that of Christ in the Flesh and that of Christ in the Spirit and New Covenant which is higher more powerful and more glorious than the former and therein a more clear knowledge of Christ than in all the former wherein there was some Sight of him through Shadows and Veils but by his divine Light shining in our Hearts God is pleased to give us the Light of the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his dear Son Christ Jesus that we all with open Face as in a Glass may behold the Glory of God and be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Ch. 4. 6 7. Now tho' our Adversary has made a deal of Dispute and Quarrel with us about calling Christ's Flesh the Veil as in Heb. 10. yet he is fain to grant That Christ's Body is called a Veil in relation to its Type the Veil of the Temple p. 262 263. but he 'll have this not to be in the Quakers Sense They call it a Veil that is saith he a Garment in contradistinction to its being Christ's Substance and of his Nature p. 262. Whereas its rather in contradistinction to its Being his Divine Natnre or to its being in the first place or principally or chiefly Christ himself who is the Son of God for whom the Body was prepared because he did pre-exit it or was in Being before he took upon him that Body even in his Father's Glory before the World began wherewith he is glorified However the Veil which was Christ's Flesh through which he set open the new and living Way we never deny to be Christ's Body or to be a real Body but own it was and never believed it to be a Fantastical Body as I have often said but that Christ the Son of God took upon him real Flesh and Blood of our Nature yet pure and incorrupt in him And as his Flesh was called the Veil it answers its Type or Figure i. e. the Veil of the most Holy Place or Oracle where God gave Answers 1 Kings 6. 20. 8. 6 8. 2 Chron. 3. 10 16. And these most Holy Places in the Tabernacle and Temple being Places of divine Service then peculiar to the High Priest to enter into their Antitype is in Christ Jesus the New Covenant where in the Spirit and in the Truth God is truly worshipped and meets with and speaks to his People even by Christ Jesus their High Priest who is present in the midst of his Church and Assemblies of his People the true and spiritual Worshippers who meet in his Name Spirit and Power whose Light and Truth brings its Followers unto his Holy Tabernacles Psal. 43. 3. And as to Christ's Substance and Nature what does our Opposer mean thereby How has he distinguished in this Point Christ has in him a divine Nature as well as that of Man which he hath also in the purest Sense But which is the greatest Is not the divine Nature the Deity in him greater than the Manhood As he said My Father is greater than all greater than I John 10. 29. Nevertheless as our great and only Mediator and Intercessor it was necessary he should be Man as he is the most glorious heavenly Man and as the Christ of God he is spiritually in us in his Saints and Members in some measure by his Spirit Light Life and Power even as the incorruptible immortal Seed in Man is of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therein all true spiritual Believers do in measure partake of the divine Nature being born again of this incorruptible Seed The gross Calumnies cruel Mockeries false Stories and Perversions of the Author of The Snake in the Grass are therein so numerous together with his partial picking nibling mincing and carping at our Books which is so perverse and much on 't so silly that I confess many of them are waved in this Answer as not worthy of spending more precious time about them and I shall leave the said Author to the just Judgment of him that judghth righteously wishing his Repentance before it be too late And tho' he sculks and hides himself as if he were afraid or ashamed to own his Work with his Name to it so am not I of my Name or Vindication tho' I be and expect to be reproached and misrepresented for Christ's sake whose Servant I am George Whitehead A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF Some Passages IN THE Second Book of the Author OF The Snake in the Grass FALSLY STILED Satan dis-rob'd from his Disguise of Light Or The Quakers last Shift to cover their monstrous Heresies laid fully open WHEN I looked upon the Title of the said Book stiled Satan dis-rob'd from his Disguise of Light With this additional
reproachful Title Or The Quakers last Shift to cover their monstrous Heresies and being By the Author of the Snake in the Grass I did suppose it to be the Second Part to the same Tune or much of the same Nature with the former full of Bitterness and Scorn by the reviling Title and no fair Reply to T. Ellwood's Answer and so it appears and I expect will be made farther appear if T. Ellwood deems it worth the while to undertake it But that which appear'd most strange to me and some others was in the Title of the said Book it is thus declared Which also may serve for a Reply as to the main Points of Doctrin to Geo. Whitehead 's Answer to the Snake in the Grass to be published the end of the next Month if this prevent it not Which appeared very strange to me and the Man 's presumptive Falshood the greater I having a great part of the Copy of my Answer to The Snake in the Grass in my Hands when I first saw these Words in Print and the rest of my Copy then in the Printers Hands which we did not hear they lent him to make Reply to and when I lookt over his Book I neither found any repetition of my Answer nor Reply thereto However he 's so confident and boasting in his own Work that he takes it for granted That not only the Quakers are put to their last Shift but also that this pretended Reply to T. Ellwood's Answer to G. Keith's Narrative may also serve for a Reply to G. Whitehead's Answer to The Snake in the Grass Which would seem a cunning Piece of Divination indeed to Reply to a Book before he sees it or knows it But if he will still have his said Reply a sufficient Reply thereunto he may go on in 's own Conceit and save himself a further Labour of Replying lest he give himself the Lie by giving the World to understand that what he has said may serve for a Reply to Geo. Whitehead's Answer may not serve for a Reply However he seems to have taken upon himself a heavy Task in being an Advocate for George Keith and more heavy to reconcile the Contradictions charged upon him by Tho. Ellwood John Pennington and his Brother Edward and partly for Baptists and Presbyterians and all against the Quakers in his Reply but very partial in carping at our Words and Answers in many places without taking notice of the unwarrantable Expressions Absurdities and Contradictions of our Adversaries and yet in general Terms excuses them but in no small Contradiction to himself and the sad Account and ill Characters he has given in his Snake in the Grass 2nd Part Sect. 3. pag. 17. 18. both of Presbyter Anabaptist Independent Quaker c. as all under Enthusiasm of Rome's dressing in several Shapes and Forms and as a plentiful Harvest of Rome 's reaping c. But now he can advocate and take part with any of them against the Quakers like some mercinary Soldier of Fortune I do not intend to spend much time here to Answer his said Reply though 't is no great Difficulty to do but to take notice of a few Passages in it wherein I and some others are concerned and injurionsly dealt with therein 1. My excepting against that made Expression Co-creator as used by the Baptist telling of God being Co-creator with the Father I confess I am no more reconciled to the Expression now than I was when first I questioned it as unscriptural whereby I never intended not to allow the Word to be God or to the Son of God as I am most injuriously accused p. 2. For divers of my ancient and first Writings in Print shew the contrary that I own the Word to be God and Creator too But the Phrase God Co-creator with God I think still implies Two Creators and consequently Two Gods 'T is not the Particle co with in this Case will excuse the Matter for co or con is simul together as Co-workers Co-partners which are more distinct Agents than one But the Creator is but one God one Word one Spirit and so one Creator But this invented word Co-creator was brought by the Baptists for proof That the Light in Man wherewith the word God as Co-creator lighteth every Man is the Light of Reason the Light of Nature c. consequently but a created Light which I deny Seeing that it is the same Life that was in the Word that was the Light of Men John 1. 4. What good Doctrin or good Sense were it then to say That the word God was Co-creator with the Father of his own Life Light and Power And no better Sense can I make of the Baptist's Notion of the Light in this Case nor of this Man 's excusing him Besides a learn'd and more moderate and ingenuous Person has lately made the like Exception against the word Co-creator in a printed Paper called Reflections upon some Passages in G. Keith 's Narrative where he saith It seems to me that the word Co-creator might justly be rejected by G. Whitehead being a word neither us'd in the Holy Scriptures nor by any of the ancient Councils and it seems to import a Conceit that there are Two Efficients of the Creation one having a creative Power distinct from the other Yet withal he is pleased to give this gentle Reflection on me by the way Tho' G. W. has not spoken with that Caution and Accuracy which he should have us'd in a Matter of so grand Importance which I do the more easily bear from him because of his Moderation Suppose that in some Passages in some of my former Writings as to the Circumstance of Words or Expressions there may be some Deficiency or want some Explication or Distinction or something dubious and the Particulars thereof were shewn me I hope I should not be wanting to give my Explication to the Satisfaction of the Moderate and Ingenuous As to the Matters intended by me I know the Lord gave me a true Sense and Sight by his Power in my young and early Years he having inclined my Heart after him from my Youth I bless his Holy Name The same Person whom I cited before goes on viz. I do not conceive that he i. e. G. W. denies either the Divinity or Humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father is Creator the Son Creator the Holy Ghost Creator and yet they are not Three Creators but One Creator Thus he Consequently not properly called Co-creators for that would imply Three Creators And I think I might more warrrantably oppose the same than my Adversary imply Three intelligent Beings in the Godhead by his definition of a Person that every intelligent BEING is a Person that is the meaning of the word Person saith he p. 5. Whence it follows That if there be Three distinct Persons in the Deity they are Three distinct intelligent Beings unless he 'll argue as one of his Brethren did They are not Three Substances
therefore Three Persons Another having given Aquinas his definition of a Person as being an individual Substance of a rational Nature which is neither the part of another nor upheld by another But now if they be not Three Beings nor Three Substences how well have these Men defended a principal Article of their Faith Seeing the Father the Word and Holy Ghost are owned by Christians to be One Being One Substance therefore not Three Beings nor Three Substances My speaking of Christ as the only begotten of the Father and for his Divinity as he was the Brightness of the Father's Glory and express Image of his divine Substance and thereupon questioning T. Danson where doth the Scripture say That his Soul was created This Question is no Determination that it was or was not Christ as God his Soul was increated As Man his Soul or Spirit was not the Deity but formed and assumed by the Word The Word or Son of God who made the Worlds was not a Creature because he made all Creatures Though he took upon him a most pure and perfect Soul and Body he took upon him the Seed of Abraham that he might in both Soul and Body suffer for Mankind and sympathize with us in bearing our Sorrows and carrying our Griefs and that his Soul might be in Travel for us and made an Offering for Sin and poured out unto Death Isa. 53. By my said Question I chiefly eyed his Divinity considering him as he proceeded and came out from God and as he was glorified with the Father before the World began Upon the whole my Adversary's Charge of Heresie upon me and the Quakers against the Incarnation of Christ p. 2. as also his Author G. Keith's publick Aspersions That G. W. disowns Christ to be God and denied him to be Man Narr p. 16. These are to tell the World That we own no Christ at all Wherein as they have both grosly wrong'd my Intention Principle and publick Testimony I am persuaded G. K. has wronged his own Conscience and that he must needs know the contrary of me in this and some other things for which he is accountable to the just God For by questioning the Words created or human Soul I did not thereby intend to deny Christ to be truly Man as is unduly insinuated against me p. 2. but rather to own That tho' Christ was truly Man in Soul and Body yet that his Soul was more divine than any other Mans or Mens and therefore he may be said to be a most divine Man and more of the divine and increated Life in his Soul than in any other Man's whatsoever and that therefore the word human as it relates to the Ground or Earth from which the Body of Man was taken I might suppose was too low or mean a Character or Epithite to give to the Soul of Christ or to his spiritual glorious Body either and I hope I deserve not blame in this while I was careful not to lessen the Glory or Dignity of the Son of God as he is the Lord from Heaven by not allowing him to be from beneath or Earthly either in Soul or Body in his glorified State and I am perswaded that some so much insisting upon the word Human Soul and Body of Christ gives the Socinians more advantage than my pleading for his Divinity and Heavenly glory both as God and Man To my Question to Robert Gordon I think there 's no real Cause for Offence to be taken at it if the Occasions ministred by him were Impartially taken notice of which they are not by this partial Adversary As R. G.'s great Ignorance both of the Light and Saving-work of Christ in Man excluding Christ's work of Salvation and Justification c. as all done and finished without Man even when no good is wrought in Man and pleading for Imperfection and Sin in Man in so much that Geo. Keith charged the said Gordon with 18 corrupt Doctrins and above 20 Lyes and false Accusations in the conclusion of my Book Entituled The Nature of Christianity in the true Light asserted Printed Anno 1671. And yet this officious Adversary takes his part excusing him in defence of G. Keith against us as he has done also in his Snake in the Grass which is such a piece of confused Mixture and Medley as I have seldom ever met withal My Question to R. Gordon as Cited Dost thou look for Christ as the Son of Mary to appear outwardly in a bodily Existence to save thee If thou dost thou mayest look until thy Eyes drop out before thou wilt see such an appearance of him And what proof is made of this against me But that I do not acknowledge that Christ has now the Body of a Man or will come in that Body to Judge the World Answ. Neither do I deny it If I do not acknowledge it in this Passage I do in many others namely that Christ as the Heavenly Man has his own proper glorious Body wherein he will come to Judge the World at the last day And therefore do not hold that Christ has no bodily Existence or being without us as G. K. accuseth me Narr p. 16. He wrongs me in this as in divers other things But upon R. Gordon 's pretending a perfect Justification and Redemption of Sinners without them when no good is wrought in them and yet granting that Christ's appearing the second time is without Sin to Salvation But then his deferring this till the Resurrection of the Body this I confess was so offensive to me that I put the said Question the reason whereof appears more at large in my said Answer Nature of Christianity p. 29. It being always my Judgment with many others that Salvation from Sin should be expected in this Life and Christ's second appearance for that end also mentioned Heb. 9. 28. That this ought not to be put off till the last day but expected even in this Life as in the Apostles days There were those then that looked for him to whom his appearance the second time without Sin unto Salvation was promised and the true Believers were not disappointed of their expectations in that weighty matter As many have been who have expected to see Christ's outward coming in Person with their carnal Eyes to save them Besides 't is true in Fact that those carnal Eyes of many fail them drop out or rot before they can see Christ's outward appearance or coming in the last day to Judgment And G. Keith himself as well as I have charged false and corrupt Doctrin upon Robert Gordon particularly in his asserting That Redemption Justification and Reconciliation is finished and compleated by what Christ did and suffered outwardly and not in our Persons and without the help of any thing to be wrought in us Artic. 6 8 12 of his Charge against Gordon Nature of Christianity p. 70 71 72. And why now I should be accused by G. Keith or his Advocate for the words before to
and not to thus scandalize them who sincerely believe the sacred History of Christ's Death for Sinners and Reconciliation thereby but do experience the influence and fruit thereof by his holy Spirit according to their growth in Grace who faithfully follow him in his Light The Passage I am to observe as his Reason for what goes before follows viz. For the Historical Faith must be inseparable from the saving Faith aud indeed the saving Faith is the Historical throughly digested and applyed p. 12. Which is to conclude that none have the saving Faith but those who have the Historical consequently that all must be damned who have not the historical Faith of Christ dying for Sinners whereby he has at once condemned all Nations or Peoples both Infants dying in Innocency and all others who have not the History or historical Faith of Christ's sufferings and Death tho' it was really for mankind in general and may and doth for ought he knows influence many who have not the historical Faith or knowledge thereof otherwise the universal good and end thereof intended for all is frustrated to many thousands for want of the History or Preaching of Christ's Death to them unless G. K. can demonstrate and resolve that the twelve Revolutions of humane Souls will make it all up That all that are Deceased or have Dyed without the historical Faith or Knowledge of Christ Crucified shall return and have opportunity to have Christ so Preached unto them which he has no divine Revelation for but rather a long exploded Hypothesis or Supposition as in the first part Heathenish and therefore the more difficult Task to give any certain demonstration of the same 'T is farther observable what uncertainty as well as inconsistency this Advocate for G. K. is in even in this Point He saith viz. How God will deal with the good moral Heathen who never heard of Christ I will not determine nor enter into the Secrets of Providence p. 12. When he has determin'd already that if they have not the historical Faith they have not the saving Faith if they be inseperable as he has asserted For 't is certain without some saving Faith they cannot be saved as without Faith it is impossible to please God But he appears as pinching and partial in his following objection against the Light as he is uncharitable in the Premises viz. But that they i.e. the good moral Heathen have the Christian Faith by believing their Light within Or that there is any object of the Christian Faith without the outward Jesus who suffered at Jerusalem is a Quakers Dream and opposite to the whole Tenure of the Gospel p. 12. Hence observe 1. This is to deny the Gentiles any Christian Faith who believe in the Light given them according to God's promises to them yea though they be good moral Men who so believe as if they could be good or pious without any Christianity in them Which is to oppose the blessed end of Christ being so given for a Light of the Heathen and Salvation to the ends of the Earth 2. It is to deny the Light of Christ or Christ as the Light within to be any object of the Christian Faith contrary to Christ's Doctrin Believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light 3. The last part of the Objection implies that either Christ as without and Christ as within is divided or that there are awo Christs an outward Christ and an inward Christ whereas there is but one Lord Jesus Christ. And his Light within cannot be without or divided from him who is the Fountain of Light and Life 4. 'T is not opposite but according to the Tenour of the Gospel to believe in the Light or Word of Faith i.e. Christ as within nigh in the Heart which hath both Law and Gospel Judgment and Mercy in it to Minister suitable to Mens states and conditions And in this Light or Word we meet with the great Ends Benefits or Fruit of Christ's suffering and Mediation which are manifest and come to be fulfilled in all who truly believe in and obey the same Word whereby the Gospel is preached in every Creature under Heaven yea even in many thousands of Souls who have not the outward History of Christ's suffering and Death tho' both the sacred History and sincere Preaching thereof by the Spirit of Christ be of great use and advantage and in no wise to be rejected where God is pleas'd to afford them But seeing He that believes not in the Son of God is condemned already and the wrath of God abides upon him because he obeyeth not the Son of God John 3. 18. consequently the Son of God is offered unto all and his Grace is given and appears unto all mankind that they may believe in him and thereby lay hold on him for Life and Salvation Christ plainly gives the reason of Mens condemnation when he there saith This is the Comdemnation that Light is come into the World and Men loved Darkness rather then Light beeause their Deeds were Evil John 3. 19. Otherwise to represent God to condem and bring his Wrath upon Men for not believing in that they never had or which was never afforded nor appeared unto them This were Blasphemously to render God Unjust Unmerciful and most cruel to Condemn and bring his Wrath upon Men for an Impossibility for how should they believe in or obey the Son of God if no saving Grace or Power of believing be afforded unto them This were like as to bind their hands and feet and lock all Food from them and then bid them walk and work or else starve But our good God is no such hard Master who willeth not the Death of Sinners but rather their return to him that they may live and for this end hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World As for innocent Infants or little Children who dye in Innocency Divine Providence has provided for their safety by Christ Jesus his Meditation and Seed of eternal Life in them and their Angels who see the face of God continually are ready to carry their Souls into the Heavenly Kingdom when they dye in that State My Objecting against W. Burnet about the Blood of Christ that was shed on the Cross was first and chiefly upon his holding That the shedding of the Blood of Christ upon the Cross that was let out by vertue of the Spear being thrust into his side to be meritorious or the meritorious cause of Man's Justification which his Brother Ives could not stand by him in but supposed a meaning for him Secondly That the same Blood that was shed doth both purge and sprinkle their Conscieuces sanctifie and justifie them and yet that 't is not in Being but cumpared to a price lost as more at large in my Answer Light and Life p. 7 8. p. 64. together with their contradictions about it referring to W. Burnet's Book and their Discourses But now to excuse his
saying That Blood is not in Being this Advocate will have it that he only gives way to this supposition of the Quakers by way of Concession not as his own Opinion p. 16. 'T is a wonder the Man 's not ashamed to use such a slim come off and false cover for him when 't was a real Confession and not forced from him as a meer Concession for Argument sake why should he compare it then to a price lost And another Baptist Thomas Brown confess'd that the Blood that was shed is not in Being it sunk into the ground Light and Life p. 66. The occasion of my Questioning them so much about this matter was because they seem'd to place the great stress of Man's Salvation upon the outward Blood of Christ and the act of shedding of it as if it were the present agent operating in them Purging sprinkling their Consciences Sanctifying and Justifying without making the Spirit the Operator or Efficient thereof whereas both Sanctification washing and cleansing from Sin Regeneration Justification and so Salvation are more principally ascribed to the Spirit the Grace the Word of God yea to Christ himself than to the act of shedding that Blood or to that Blood it self yet I never opposed that as being a part of the Sacrifice of Christ offered for Sinners in order to a Pacification Attonement and Reconciliation And farther to his comparison between the Baptists declaring the Blood shed on the Cross not in being and the Agonies and Passions of Christ upon the Cross as not now in being I do not therefore dissolve all the merits of his Sufferings or Death to our Justification thereby I do not so Argue as implyed against me that because his Passion was Temporal and Finite therefore not Meritorious for the Merits or disserving on Christ's part is placed upon his Obedience in humbling himself to Death even to the Death of the Cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him c. Phil. 2. 8 9. whose Exaltation and Dominion is for our Salvation if we submit to him as our Leader Commander and King But my distinction for Argument is this Tho' that Blood and Sacrifice were offered as a price in order to Man's Redemption it is the Power and Spirit of Christ that inwardly operates and quickens the Soul to God purifies and sanctifies the Conscience and so effectually saves us from Sin and Pollution The Price is already paid but the Work is yet undone in many we value the Price but must not neglect the Work of our Redemption and Salvation in us for Christ's Sacrifice will not save justifie or acquit any in a State of impenitency or unbelief they must know the work of his Grace and Good Spirit in their hearts unto Repentance and Obedience of Faith in Christ or else they perish in their impenitency and wilful unbelief whereby they make both the Cross and blood of Christ of none effect unto them Except a Man be regenerate and born again he cannot see nor enter into the Kingdom of God And I conceive I am not to be blamed much less ranked among Ranters as G. K. has Narr p. 25. for ascribing the saving work of sprinkling the Conscience sanctifying and justifying principally to the inward Grace and Spirit more than to the Blood shed upon the Cross. I say again I see no necessity of directing Men to the Type for the Antitype to Jerusalem or the Temple p. 17. either for Jesus Christ or his Blood there but that such direction is contrary to what the Righteousness of Faith saith Ro. 10. 6 7 8. compared with Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14 15. Tho' we also Preach Christ as he was Crucified and Dyed at Jerusalem and raised from the Dead and I do not say that 's contrary to Ro. 10. as G. K. wrongs me several times over Narr p. 26 27. But to direct Men either to go to the material Temple at Jerusalem or to look to Jerusalem for Jesus Christ the Antitype of that Temple c. This I deem'd contrardictory to Ro. 10. above quoted but they are to turn and look to the Word of Faith nigh in the Heart where they may Livingly find feel and know Christ in Spirit and Power even in the Power of his Resurrection so as to be enabled both to confess with the Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in the Heart that God raised him up from the Dead And this word of Faith and of God is confessed unto by G. K. himself to be the Object and Foundation of true Faith and that this is Christ in them and that from the same Scriptures I quoted Deut. 30. 12 13. Ro. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. As more fully appears in his immediate revelation p. 3. p. 64 65. Print 1668. Therefore 't is not to destroy nor allegorize away the Object of Faith to direct People to Christ as the word of Faith nigh in the Heart as the Object thereof nor is it Antichristian Doctrin as G. K. has unjustly accused me in this Point Narr p. 27. contrary to his former confessions And suppose any one in deep distress for want of Christ to free and save him from Sin should earnestly enquire where shall I find him Whither will you direct me to find Christ And one should answer I direct thee to Jerusalem to the material Temple to the Type for Christ the Antitype and should again say I direct thee to Christ as above the Clouds and not to Christ as the Light within and then call the Light within an uncertain Guide as the Baptist did whom I answered in this Case How would this answer the distressed Soul Or agree with the Testimony of Moses or of Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ in Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14. and Rom. 10. 6 7 8 9. As for what the Righteousness of Faith saith I should rather answer the Question according to the Testimony of Moses and the Apostle Whither shall I be directed to go to find Christ Answer Say not in thine Heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above Or who shall Descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thine Heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach And this Word of Faith will bring thee to know the great benefit and fruit of Christ's Death at Jerusalem for thee and the power of his Resurrection that thou mayest thereby be enabled livingly to confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine Heart that God hath raised him from the Dead so as thou mayest be saved by him But I yet say to preach Christ as a remote outward Christ only in opposition to his Light and Word of Faith within as in the Heart is to keep People in unbelief remote from the true Faith and Knowledge of Christ either as without us or within us which opposition ought not to be to
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
Man's Redemption both outwardly and inwardly outwardly by the Ransom given by Christ's Sufferings and Sacrifice and inwardly by the operation of his Life Power and Spirit which Mystically is that precious Blood that is opposed to all corruptible things which redeems from the vain Conversation from all Iniquity and effectually washeth and clcanseth us from our Sins purgeth and sprinkles our Consciences c. And farther to Answer to Types and Shadows under the Law of shedding Blood and sprinkling c. That God according to his Mercy saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Titus 3. 5 6. And I 'le sprinkle clean water upon them and wash them from all their filthiness saith the Lord. And the Blood of sprinkling which the spiritual believers were come unto has the same effect And if the name of Water be attributed to the Spirit as it is Jo. 7. 38 39. Light and Life The name of Blood may also which is not to Allegorize away or invalidate the outward Blood or Sacrifice of Christ or any part thereof yet the Mystery thereof we may not deny but confess And according to the answers I have given for the Blood of Christ and the Mystery thereof our deceased Friend and Brother Robert Bercley expresly agrees whose Testimony therefore I am the more willing to cite because G. Keith has approved of his Works p. 60. R. B's Testimony in his Works p. 10. follows in these words viz. This Blood speaking of the Blood of Christ that is healing c. is known and felt within to wash and purge the Conscience for Christ as he is within is not without his Blood which is Spiritual even the pure Blood of the Vine and is that Wine of the Kingdom which is inwardly felt to wash and to refresh which he gives to them who know not distinctly the outward shedding of his Blood as it was many hundred years ago and which many are ignorant of who have heard much of the outward shedding of his Blood but know not the Blood as shed and poured forth in them to sprinkle their Consciences from dead Works for it is a Mystery sealed up from all who stand in opposition to his Light within But there mark thy own Words saith he to his Opponent The Plaster must be applyed er'e the Sore be healed Must not then saving Grace be applyed er'e the Soul be Converted or Healed And R. B. treats much more largely concerning the Flesh and Blood of Christ to the same purpose as before cited for the Blood of Christ as 't is Spiritual and Mysterious c. p. 494. 495 496 497 498. upon his thirteenth Proposition of his Apology and in page 494. He has recourse to Agustin viz. § II. The Body then of Christ which Believers partake of is Spiritual and not Carnal and his Blood which they Drink of is Pure and Heavenly and not Humane or Elementary as Augustin also affirms Ps. 98. Except a Man Eat my Flesh he hath not in him Life Eternal And he saith The Words which I speak unto you are Spirit and Life understand spiritually what I have spoken Ye shall not Eat of this Body which ye see and Drink this Blood which they shall spill that Crucifie me I am the living Bread which have dscended from Heaven He called himself the Bread who descended from Heaven exhorting that we should believe in him c. Unto which I further add for Illustration That the pure Blood of Grapes promised to Judah and Israel Gen. 49. 11. Deut 32. 14. was Typical of this spiritual Blood and Fruit of the Heavenly Vine Christ Jesus which truly relieves and comforts the afflicted and sorrowful Soul that comes unto him And also the Milk and Honey the Butter Oyl and Wheat and other Temporal Blessings which were in the promised Land were all Types of Christ and the spiritual Blessings received in him in his Kingdom and Heavenly Canaan And the Oyl and Wine which the Compassionate Samaritan poured into the Wounds of the Man that was wounded by Thieves and left half Dead Luke 10. 34 were also Typical of the healing Vertue Life and spiritual Blood of Christ Jesus which he graciously poureth into many wounded Souls As concerning the word Personality and Personal Existence as applyed to God and Christ I have sometimes questioned as also the word Humane as ascribed to the glorified Body of Christ which is spiritual and also to his Soul or Spirit for these reasons 1. Because imposed on us by some Adversaries without Scripture proof of those terms and not to Question Christ's glorious Manhood for in that sense I admit of and sometime may use the word Humanity either for Man or for the Good Nature and disposition of Man as of the word Trinity for Three being not willing to maintain contest about Words but to mind the thing intended thereby 2. Because false Arguments have been drawn thence against Christ and his Light in Man 3. Because of the carnal Imaginations of too many thereof who under pretence of expecting Christ to come again in the Flesh in the same manner as he was on Earth and to be seen with their carnal Eyes neglect the introversion of their Minds to Christ's inward appearance in Spirit 4. Because whilst Men feed upon such Notions and Imaginations of Christ excluding him out of their Hearts they exclude the living and Heart-purifying Faith of Christ so that their Faith is but Dead and Fruitless whilst such seem to adore Christ as only an outward Christ or as wholly without them and not in them instead of opening the Door of their Hearts unto him to let him in they harbour and indulge their own Corruptions Pride Scorn Envy and Covetousness c. in their Hearts out of which proceed all these bitter Reproches Revilings and Calumnies which we meet with this Day as heretofore In all my former questioning their unscriptural terms who profess the Scriptures to be their only Rule ascribed to God and Christ I never designed to deny his being our Mediator as Man nor to oppose his coming in Power and great Glory in his gloryfied spiritual Body to Judge the Quick and the Dead in the last Day tho I have sometimes shunned controversy on that Point and about the Resurrection and last Day of Judgment Urging not to put the day of the Lord afar off nor to neglect the present day of their Visitation and Judgment of Christ by his Spirit and Light within them The Question how are the Dead raised and with what Body come they forth I have often waved as unnecessary as well as unwarrantable being reprehended in some 1 Cor. 15. 35 26. I being willing to acquiesce in the will of God in that matter to give a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed it s own Body as proper thereunto ver 38. One thing I would be better understood in Not having