it Hear O Israel Jehovah our Elohims is one Jehovah Here is Trinity in Vnity And we read that the Prophet Isai 6. 8. Heard the voice of the Lord saying who will go for Vs this Vs denotes more persons then one likewise in Gen. 1. 26. the Elohims spake each to other and said let us make Man surely then the Trinity cannot be as some dream sc distinctions and relations only but reall existences in the essence of Jehovah for distinctions and relations are such as cannot speak but the Elohims spake each to other as above noted Obj. If it be said the plural number Vs takes in all as well as the number three Answ It doth so but when God hath determined plurality to three it is time then to settle and to be certain that there are no more which is confirmed Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that is to believe in obey and worship the Father in the Son and the Holy Ghost here you see are three in the divine Nature that do live understand will and act and here it s plainly revealed that they are so distinct that the one cannot be the other Indeed the Socinians the Quakers Brethren in this thing do deny the Holy Ghost to be a person and say It is the power vertue and efficacy of God the Father if so then the Scripture above Mat. 28. 19. must be read thus Baptizing them in or unto the Name of the Father of the Son and of the vertue power and efficacy of the Father to be believed in obeyed and worshipped which sounds absurdly utterly disagreeable to reason But above all it is inconsistent with the Scriptures of truth as in Ioh. 1. 4. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father and in ver 18. No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and in Iohn 14 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name These Texts of Holy Scripture do shew us that the Father begets the Son the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both Furthermore when the Lord Christ was Baptized Mat. â— 15 16 17. the Father was heard and not seen the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove seen and not heard and Christ the Son both seen and heard the Father saying of Christ this is my Son and the Holy Ghost descending and lighting upon him which is a most clear demonstration of their real and personal dictinction Again in 1 Joh. 5. 7. For there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Now if they be three then they must be in some respect more then one and not the same besides it argues weakness to quarrel the Phrase Persons for as much as the Person doth Grammatically tria necessaria sunt ut aliquid persona dicatur signifie first second and third which makes three this only by the bye for illustration rather then evidence though we do not find this Phrasiology in the Scriptures sc Trinity of Persons yet this is not a sufficient ground to deny it for though we have not the words yet having the things signified in and by the words it ought to satisfie a rational Saint as for the things signified the Texts above are fair and plain affirming there are three that bear Record or witness now to bear witness is properly the office and act of a person or persons Qu. Whether the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are declared as three distinct witnesses Answ Yes that they are so may appear by the testimony of these Scriptures Joh. 8 18. I am one that bear witness of my self and the Father sent me beareth witness of me and Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Futher even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me here we have the Father Son and Holy Ghost witnessing that is to say the Comforter sent the Son sending and that from the Father which proves them to be distinct witnesses and by good consequence to be distinct persons herewithal let it be well observed sc To deny as Teaching Quakers do the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead is in down right terms to deny that there is a God for the Scripture inspired of God saith These three are one Therefore to deny the Trinity is to deny in Unity which is Atheistical so much in Answer to the requests oâ— some of the Lords people in Barmudas With whom I shall now in a few words leave my hearty well wishing advice beseeching them and all the rest of the Lords People there to be ever mindful of the Blessed Apostles resolution Act. 21. 13. I am ready to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ a most gracious as well as noble resolution and fit for every good Christians imitation which is indeed 〈◊〉 lâ—ss then the standing against the Gates of Hell by bearing witness to the holy Truth of God O let us rather burn then â—ow to that Idol light which the Romish Nebuchadâ—zzar haâ—h set up in Teaching Quakers Oh let us rather die for the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth then leave the Mark of the Beast citeer within or on us rather let us lose our heads from our shoulders then renounce that saving head who is ascended up into the Heavens above O let us rather effuse our dearest blood and die glorious Martyrs then live Apostates from and die persecutors of Jesus of Nazareth And for your constant incouragement herein let us heartily learn the Apostles inspired Lesson Rom. 8. 7. In all these we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us FINIS
Spirit doth not bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a Child of God Therefore the Spirit of God is not in thee He denied the Assumption which I proved The Holy Spirit witnesseth them only to be Gods Children which do believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the true Christ and their only Saviour Gal. 3. 26. But thou dost not believe on Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and thy only Saviour Therefore the Holy Spirit doth not bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a child of God and consequently thou hast not the Spirit of God within thee To which he made me no Return at all so that his staring silence gave open consent to the concluded Truth above The 3d. Argument was thus formed sc He that maketh God the Father a Lyar hath not the Spirit of God in him but thou makest God the Father a Lyar This Minor he confidently denied but I proved it thus He that believeth not the Record which God gives of his Son makes him a Lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10. But thou believest not the Record that God gave of his Son Therefore thou makest God the Father a Lyar He denied the Minor Proposition For as he said he believed the Record that God gave of his Son But I proved the contrary thus The Record that God gives of his Son is this sc That Iesus Christ as Man is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World Joh. 1. 29 30. with 34. verse But thou dost not believe the Record Namely That Iesus Christ as Man is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Therefore thou didst not believe the Record that God gave of his Son consequently thou makest God a Lyar and such Blasphemers have not the Spirit of God in them here again the Lord stopt his Mouth that he had not a word to say for himself As I was thus Arguing this Truth sc That the Spirit of God was not in this Disputant W. Wilkinson I observed and O let it never be forgotten a very old Quaker Mr Henry Smith standing upon a Form or some such thing and looked earnestly and sadly upon me my very heart being moved towards this poor Seduced Oldâ—Man I forthwith called to him saying my Soul is grieved for thee Oh do but consider what will shortly become of thy unbelieving Soul which hath professedly forsaken the true Christ and only Saviour from sâ—n and the wrath to come Act. 2. 22. chap. 5. 31. 1 Thess 1. 10. Even Iesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People and by him exaltâ—â— to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and remission of sins O wiâ—h what horror and astonishment wilt thou erâ— long look the Lamb of God in the face when he shall charge thee with an open denying yea with renouncing of him before mâ—n and with perhaps a causing many others likewise to do the same its high time for to bethink thy self what Answer thou wilt give to the Lord Christ for this thy dreadful and accursed Apostasie when God shall take away thy Soul Oh that thou wouldest seriously think on blessed St pher a Man full of the Holy Ghost when he saw the heavens above opened and Jesus the Son of Man standing there he called on him and said Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Act. 7. 55 56 59. But alas poor â—ld Man on whom wilt thou call to receive thy almost despairing Spirit thou art not of blessed Stephens Faith who lived and died in the faith of Jesus of Nazareth the true Christ and his only Saviour O thou poor sinner that art deluded into another Faith how dost thou think to escape the damnation of hell As I were thus speaking to him the Lord undoubtedly took hold on his heart for though he were a Man of parts yet he made no reply of anything which in real tenderness to his Soul I had spoken above but immediately he stept down in a trembling posture with tears in his eyes went out of the Church the next morning be came to my house pretending a troubled Spirit and after some conference with him he went â—civily away and as I hoped somewhat satisfied But this visible and invisible hand shaking of God was soon after forgot by him and he according to the divine method of just and secret Judgements more settled in his long Runs of whoring from God which hath caused me to â—end a few lines more after Quakers 1. That ye would be perswaded wisely to consider that Text of Scripture in Rev. 6. 15 c. which concerns all sorts of Unbelievers ver 16 17. Calling to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for â—he great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand O thou deluded one will it not amaze thee when thou shalt look up and see and say Lo yonder is Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God that I would not have to rule over me yonder he is indeed Oh yonder he comes he comes Alas alas what shall I do that am in my sins of impenitency and unbelief and have no share in him Look Oh look what a glorious train doth attend him wo is me Oh we is me this Lamb of God whom poor deluded I called an out side Christ no Saviour Behold he comes lika a Lion tearing in pieces and none to deliver will not this be a dreadful most dreadful day to thee indeed dying in thy Apostasie I do therefore intreat you to ponder seriously on this weighty matter concerning Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Son of Mary that he is now in a present glorified and bodily existence in the third Heaven above and that he now hath though denied by Socinians and Quakers in the Heavens above true flesh and blood the nature and properties of a true mankind body which Mr. Doolittle plainly proves by propounding in the Young-man's Instructor four Questions 1. Quest Had not Christ a real humane mankind body when he arose out of the Grave forasmuch as he shewed the prints of the nailes in his hands and feet to Thomas Joh. 20. 27. surely this cannot be denied with any colour of reason 2. Quest Did he not ascend with the same body or had he not the same body when he was parted from his Disciples forasmuch as they saw the same body go up that talked with them Act. 1. 9 10 11. No man can deny this with whom the Scriptures of truth have either Authority or Credit 3. Quest Can you say that Christ put off his body after he was taken out of sight before he came into heaven or if you should say it doth any Scripture favour you herein neither Socinian Quaker or any other to this day ever produced nor can any such Scripture For Stephen saw Christs humane body since in Heaven above Act. 7. 55. 56.
A PUBLICK TRYAL OF THE Quakers IN BARMUDAS Upon the first Day of May 1678. First The Charge against them was openly read containing these Particulars As 1. That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ but the False Christ the Devil 2. That the main end of the Quakers Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ His Holy Spirit His Angels and Apostles all Lyars and False Witnesses of God 3. That the Prim-Principles of a Quaker are the same Held and Professed by the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus Secondly The whole Charge being Proved by the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures was found by the Sheriffe and Justices of Peace a true and just Charge Thirdly Being found Guilty they are here Sentenced and brought forth unto the deserved Execution of the Presse By SAMSON BOND late Preacher of the Gospel in Barmudas Hos 5. 2. The Revolter is profound to make slaughter Prov. 21. 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his Name BOSTON IN NEW-ENGLAND Printed by Samuel Green upon Assignment of Samuel Sewall 1682. THE PREFACE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER BEing lately informed that the Quakers had left a Paper with a Gentleman in these Islands intimating a chalenge to the Ministers here viz. Whether the Ministers God or the Quakers God were the true God little notice was taken of this their Folly in a short time afterwards a Justice of the Peace acquainted me that a Quaker brought him a Letter and would have him deliver it unto me but he refused to receive it from him And some few dayes after this an honest Neighbour told me that the Quakers had reported up and down the Countrey sâ— That I would as soon take a Bear by the Tooth as Dispute with them and withal that thereby the Leading Quakers did confirm and increase their party Hereupon I sent unto them a Synagogue of Libertines the Charge in the Title Page asserted Being Answers to three short Questions And in the Paper which was sent the 15th day of April 1678. they were informed that I would be ready to prove from the Holy Scriptures the charge against them upon the modest motion of any one or more Quakers in these Islands on any Lecture-day in Devon shier-Tribe Church in order to a Regular and Peaceable Disputation for the investigation of the Truth of the true God which Papâ—r the Quakers received and accepted And according to the general Directions therein given they came the first day of May following to the place assigned but without giving me any special notice of it Then Francis Eastlack a Teacher amongst them moved for a performance of my promise in reference to the Charge which he called a Chalenge under my hand against them I forthwith told him that I was ready by Christs help to do it howbeit by the way as I told them I thought it fit to signifie unto them sc That as they had accepted the Paper which I had sent to them so they had thereby bound themselves to all the terms and conditions therein expressed as Namely 1. That the Disputation is to be Regular that is to say I am in the first place to prove the whole Charge without any interruption from any one of you That then any one or more of you may without interruptions from me answer my Arguments or give your Assent 2. That the Disputation is to be peaceable that is to say one person only at a time is to Answer That the Disputation may not end as usually such kind of Disputes have done in an unprofitable Confusion but to the satisfaction of the numerous and judiciouâ— Hearers And that at the end of all They may judge according to the Scriptures of Truth between you and me Let me here pray the Reader to take notice that not any thing said by me touching the Regular and Peaceable Disputation was gain said by any of them whose silence was by all the Hearers taken for their full consent yet notwithstanding herein they declared themselves most unfaithful for they frequently interrupted me more especially by casting in impertinent objections ere I haâ— half answered this or that Scripture which some one or other of them had proposed thereby in design as I thought to obstruct the special matter ready to be uttered for the satisfaction of the Attentive Hearers which urged me as I must confess unadvisedly to say that what I had and should then have declared I would cause to be Printed that full returnes might be given to the objections made and Scriptures wrested by them saying If I could not be heard I would be read herewithal I cannot deny but that I have in the returns inserted sundry things from judicious Authors for confirmation or further explication which I might not then have alledged though I had not met with any interruption at all And fâ—rasmuch as some of them have as I am informed since said that their business was not managed aright by them and that some things were forgotten to be spoken not only these but all other things which might seem for their advantage I have in their due places set down and answered upon the whole I do assure the Reader I should not have given my self this trouble had they not by their manifold interruptions provoked me to make that inconsiderate open promise as above concerning which many of the Hearers have since been my frequent Remembrancers and probably others may be ready on default of performance to reflect slanderously upon me whose reviling rudeness is but too well known And so Farewel SAMSON BOND This insuing Discourse had been Printed sooner had not Mr. John Foster the Printer been disenabled by a tedious sickness of which he Died. ERRATA Page 18. line 19. read doubled p. 38. l. 40. r. assert p. 51. l. 13. for believed read belied the Letter p. 81. l. 11. r. free p. 85. l. 11. for person r. reason p. 100 l. 24. r. either The First Part of the Charge is THat a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ but the false Christ the Devil Which was proved by four Apostolical Arguments Arg. 1. Because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour which is frequently testified in the Acts of the Apostles as in Act. 2. ver 22 23 36. Ye Men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God among you ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and Slain Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ Acts. 4. 10 11 12. Be it known unto you all and unto all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye Crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this Man stand here before you whole this is the Stone which was set at nought of your
builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name sc then the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 10 38 39 40 42 43. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Whom they Jews slew and hanged on a â—ree Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly And he commanded us to Preach unto the People and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins From these Texts of Scripture the 1st Argument did arise To wit If Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People of Israel be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but false Christ Arg. 2. Because the Saints of God by the direction of his Spirit have alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be their true and only Saviâ—ur as in Luk. 2. 25 26 27 28. 29 30 31. And behold there was a Man in Jerusalem whose Name was Simeon and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ and he came by Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child Jesus then he took him up in his Arms and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people c Joh. 20. 27 28. Then said Jesus unto Thomas reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and Thomas answered and said unto him by the spirit of Faith my Lord and my God Joh. 4. 42. And said unto the Woman now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him the Man Christ ver 29. our selves and we know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World From these Scriptures the Second Argument was Formed sc If the Saints of God have by the Holy Spirits direction alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the Saints of God have by the Spirits direction alwayes acknowled the Man Jesus Christ for their true and only Saviour Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but false Christ Arg. 3. Because the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified body on the Cross finish and compleat the work and office of a Saviour as in Heb. 10. 12 14. By the which will we are Sanctified that is Saved through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all And this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified Heb. 2. 14. Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he Jesus ver 9. also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tre and in 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit Eph. 2. 15. 16. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity having slain the enmity in himself on the Cross so making peace and in Chap. 5. 2. As Christ hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Heb. 9. 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and in Col. 1. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable â—n his sight From these Scriptures the third Argument resulted viz. If the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified body on the Cross finish and perfect the work and office of a Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within â—im is not the true Christ But the true Christ and one only Saviour did at once without us in and by his one crucified Body on the Cross finish and perfect the whole work and office of a Saviour Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ 4th Argument Because the true Christ and our only Saviour is in Heaven above us As in Luk. 24. 46 48 50 51. And Jesus said unto them his Apostles thus it was written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day And ye are witnesses of these things And led them out as far as Bethany And he lift up his hands and blessed them And it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven Mark 6. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sate on the right hand of God Act. 1. 11. Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing into Heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Act. 3. 13 21. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Act 7 55 56. But he Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost looking up stedfastly into heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And said Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God From these Scriptures the fourth Argument was formed sc If the true Christ and our only Saviour be in Heaven above us then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the true Christ and our only Saviour is in Heaven above us Therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Lastly That by the
false Christ we are to understand the Devil is plainly proved by comparing Mat. 24. ver 24. with Rev. 12 9. in the first Text the true Christ calls the false Christ a Deceiver if it were possible shall deceive the very Elect implying that the false Christ is the greatest Deceiver And in the other Text this great Deceiver which aâ—ceives the whole world is called the old Serpent the Devil and Satan Here hence this Argument arose so he that is the great and principal Deceiver is the Devil Rev. 12. 0. but the false Christ is this Deceiver Mat. 24 24. Ergo the false Christ is the Devil The Conclusion ought not to be denied to deny it here were to deny the Scriptures of God from whence it is plainly collected as above Having thus proved the first Part I proceeded to the second Part of the charge To wit That the main end of the Quakers Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all lyars and false Witnesses of God Being about to prove this as I had done the former part of the charge F. Eastlack interrupted me pretending to make some Answer to the foregoing Arguments I told him that by mutual consent as in the Preface is Declared the whole charge against them was first to be proved by me before any Answer should be returned by him or any othâ—r of his Friends Therefore I requested him that as he had any regard either to Truth or Honesty that he would forbear his interruptions that I might proceed according agreement as above to prove the second part of the charge but his Sepulchre being opened he refused to shut it whereupon I spake to the Assembly saying I must let him take his own way to prevent greater confusion howbeit instead of Answering as he pretended the above-mentioned Arguments or any of them He first impertinently runs out into a bare Repetition of some words in the former part of the first Chapter of the Evangelist John sc from the 1st verse to the end of the 12th verse which shall be mentioned and considered in their due places let me note by the way his after stragling inferences from those verses To wit That God the Word took Flesh of the Virgin Mary and in that Flesh suffered Death for all men which he put a special Remark upon by repeating it twice it was well observed that he made no mention of Christs Resurrection but further said sc The Word which is God is Christ the true Light which was manifest in the flesh and as in him so in every man that comes into the World as manifest in them which quoth he it witnessed by John and withal added whosoever shall Preach any other Gospèlis accursed and after he had multiplied words to the same end and purpose alone as above the ingenious Auditors began to mutter at his impertinences and jumbled confusions Thereupon I called to him and said Master Islay so he is commonly called as afore noteh viz. Islay either answer the Arguments which have proved the first part of the charge as you pretended to Mask your interrupting of me or take some Answer to what you have said His first Reply was the Scripture saith Call no man Master I told him the Scripture saith sc Mat. 23. 10 Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ which is not to be understood in your unmannerly sense likewise I told him that he had no cause to quarrel the word Master for you affirm the Master even Christ is within you Quakers making your selves the greatest Masters so that herein are fulfilled among you the word of our Lord concerning Deceivers namely that false Christs shall arise and many shall say I am Christ and shall deceive many Mat. 24. 5. Further more I said unto him sc Thou art the Master of an Assembly to wit of the Synagogue of Libertines which opposed and persecuted the faith of Blessed Stephen for believing in Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour Act. 6 8 9 14 59. At this be grew impaâ—ient rebuking me saying Thou didst promise not to interrupt me I replied that I did not interrupt but help him sc to remember that my promise was not to interrupt him or any of his party whilest he or any of them were answering the Arguments urged by me as it may appear in the prefixed Preface But hâ— said that he did not value the Arguments for they proved nothing thus he thaâ— was a party made himself the determinating Judge and then with a throat stretched voice returned to his former discourse That the word is Christ the true Light in the Flesh sent to save men from sin and death whose death and sufferings with the effect thereof we do own and witness according to the Scriptures as inwardly received within us yet speaking other whiles of the death satisfaction and sufferings of Christ the true Light as done within us for us to which said he the Scripture testifies repeating these words But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy 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 up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we Preach After he had rehearsed these or most of these words he forthwith inferrd that the word of Faith was Christ the true light within and then confidently affirmed that to preach any other Gospel sc then Christ within to be the Saviour is to be accursed which invited him to reflect on me declaring that I had not in any thing which was by 〈…〉 meaning in the Arguments above made any mention of Christ as God and with that saying he ended as it 's call'd his preseâ—t Dispute Forthwith I made some returnes which I have now put into some better method which was then much hindred by their confused interruptions But before I lay down those more orderly returnes let me request the Reader to understand that I have filed off much of the Rust and Ruggedness of his expressions which often wearied the Christian Hearers For it was not only his but also his Fellow Disputants course all along here and there to steal and strangely to disorder nay to dismember Scripture words out of the Evangelist and the Apostles thereby endeavouring to cover themselves from being discovered not plâ—inly nor hoâ— estly mentioning either Chapters or Verses William Bullock once excepted though often called upon but all in vain they would speak Scripture words after their usual manner darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scriptures have any credit I shall at present decline any further observation of this their dangerous and designful practice and proceed to the above signified Method
and he said unto me I am Jesus of Nazareth not the Godhead only in Jesus of Nazareth whom thou Persecutest Furthermore at ver 14. And he Ananias said the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee Paul that thou shouldest know his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth ver 15. For thou shalt be a witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard And accordingly the Apostle did bear open and abundant witness to that just one even Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and our only Saviour This great Tâ—uth is yet further evident in the 13th Chapter of the Acts ver 23. Of this Mans Davids Seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus him ver 27. They sc The Rulers in Ierusalem condemned ver 28. and slew and took him down from the tree and ver 29 laid him in a Sepulchre But ver 30. God raised him from the dead and he was ver 31. seen many dayes of them that came up with him from Galilee to Ierusalem who are his witnesses to the People That through this Man not the Godhead only in the Man is preached unto you the forgiveness oâ— sins and by him this Man all that Believe are justified from all things ver 38. 39. Against the blessed Doctrine of the Gospel the unbelieving Iews were as ye Teaching Quakers are filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and Blaspheming ver 45. hereupon ver 46. Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said Seeing ye put It sc Faith in the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth slain and raised from the dead from you and judge O Seducing Quakers read and tremble your selves unworthy of everlasting life Here hence it is most plain that the Apostles Preached Faith in Jesus of Nazareth a Man not the Godhead only in the Man approved of God among the People to be the true Christ and our only Saviour But never did they nor any of the Apostles of God Preach Faith only in the Godhead distinct from Christs Manhood to be the true Christ and only Saviour against this New coined Doctrine noâ— only the Apostles but the Holy Ghost himself bears express witness as in Act. 5. 30 31 32. The God of our Fathers raised up Iesus whom ye slew and hanged upon a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance and forgiveness of Sins and we the Apostles are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost The whole is If any Man Preach any other Gospel then what the Apostle Preached he is accursed But ye Teaching and Seducing Quakers do plainly Preach another Gospel therefore ye that Preach it and they that receive it are accursed by the Testimony of Gods own Spirit Gal. 1. 8 9. And consequently thou F. E. hast wrested that as other Text of Scripture which without Repentance will be to thy destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. The words of the fourth Scripture which he repeated with more then ordinary state and confidence comes next to be considered 4th Text. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wife say not in thy 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 up Christ again from the 〈◊〉 But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy hearâ— that it the word of Faith which we Preach Answ 1. Though the fifth and ninth verses doth essentially appertain to the verses above yet he made no mention of either of them their omission being for his turn 2. I do not apprehend how those verses do answer the Arguments or any one of them which proved a Quakers pretended Saviour within him to be the false Christ the Devil nor how they prove their preterded Saviour within to be the true Christ 3. For the right understanding of the above repeated 6 7 8 verses we must first of all take in the 5th verse for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Lâ—w that the man that doth these things shall live by them Lev. 1â— 5. so that in these Verses the Apostle Paul compare the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith together and thereby shews that the righteousness of the Law is not only uncertain but also Rom. 8. 3 impossible but the righteousness of Faith is both certain and possible For 1. It doth forbid all doubting about eternal life because Christ is ascended up into Heaven for us in our room and stead 2. It forbids all fear of being tormented in Hell because Christ being risen from the dead hath overcome eternal death for us in our place and stead being our surety which is as much as if Paul had said The righteousness of Faith fetcheth a remedy against doubts of Salvation for that Christ is personally ascended up into Heaven and hath taken possession of it in our Names and there he maketh intercession for us Heb. 6. 20. Chap. 7. 25. and if so as truly so it is we must then deny Christs Ascention which is to bring him down from above if we doubt or question in our hearts how to be saved And as the righteousness of Faith is a remedy against Doubts of Salvation so is it also against fears of Condemnation For if Christ have dyed and be raised from the deep the Grave then hath he thereby gotten the Victory over Sâ—n Death Hell and Satan therefore to â—ear condemnation what is it else but to deny Christs death or descertion into the Deep and so to bring him back again to the Cross and Grave Moreover the Apostle Paul in these verses gives us a plain Interpretation of what Moses had elegantly propounded by a figure in Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14. from whence we are taught that both Moses and Paul presupposed a twofold pressure upon the Spirits of sinners as 1. How they may enter into Heaven And 2. How they may avoid Hell these two Moses and Paul inspired of God do shew to be taken away by the righteousness of Faith the first is removed because we believe the Ascertion of Christ is to Heaven for us and the second also because we believe Christs Resurrection from the dead for us whereby the Lord Christ demonstrated his victory over hell death c. in our room and names It may hence be safely argued that both Moses and Paul do conclude that if any man seeks justification by the righteousness of the Law as most Quakers do he must needs be in continual fear of Hell and despair of Heaven But he that through Free grace believeth that the Lord Christ is risen from the dead ascended up into heaven for him in his place and stead is freed from both The sum of all is this Namely That Jesus Christ rose from
every man which comes into the world is not according to your selves the true Christ 2. I Answered That this Text of Scripture understand not the person of Christ as such he is the true Christ and our only Saviour but the work of the Spirit of Faith whereof personal Christ is the Author for here the Apostle frames an Argument to prove the mighty work or effect of the Spirit in his Corinthians as he had before affirmed to be in them ver 3. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you-ward is not weak i. e. in operation but is Mighty in you Now in what sense Christ was in Paul speaking in that same sense was Christ in the Corinthians But Christ spake in Paul only by the might or power of his Spirit is mighty in you sc Christs speaking in Paul to the Corinthians was Mighty an effect of the Spirit in them This matter may appear somewhat clearer if we consider the same Apostle to the Gâ—latians Gal. 2. 8. For he the Holy Ghost that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles such were the Corinthians The phrases of effectual working in Peter and was mighty in Paul do only signifie the effectual operation of Christs Spirit in both the Apostles so that Paul affirming as in ver 3. above that Christ was mighty in the Corinthians it s as much as if he had said Christ hath effectually wrought by his Spirit the mighty work of Faith in you Corinthians by my Ministry which the Apostles makes to be the proof of Christ speaking in him which in the 5th verse above he refers as it were to their own experience saying Examine your selves prove your own selves whether ye be in the Faith that is believing in Christ the object apprehended by Faith Know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Qu. How is that Iesus Christ in you Answ To wit by Faith as in the former part of the same verse which is a clear Interpretation of the latter part sc Christ in you again it s not rational to imagine that Christ in the 5th verse could be otherwise in the Corinthians then he was in the foregoing 3d. verse by reason of their dependance each on the other now in the 3d. verse Christ was in the Corinthians only by the mighty work of the Spirit of Faith for even so the word Mighty doth furthermore import as in Eph. 1. 19. Who believe according to the working of his Mighty power but no work or effect of the Spirit how Mighty or powerful soever in us either is or can be Christ personal the true and only Saviour To explain these Words Christ in you a little more we must take good notice that there are three things expressed by the Name of Jesus Christ 1. Christ personal Col. 2. 8 9. Not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily or personally 2 Cor. 2. 10. In the person of Christ and Mat. 27. 24. I am innocent of the blood of this just Person so the Man Jesus Christ who spake by the inspiration of God 2 Tim 3. 16. 2. Christs Mystical 1 Cor. 12. 12. So also is Christ i. e. the Church call'd the body of Christ ver 27. which body of Christ is the Church Col. 1. 24. Which is Christ Mystical as above 3. Christ Operative Col. 2. 12. compared with Eph. 3. 17. Through the Faith of the operation of God That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Forasmuch as Faith is the operation of God in Christ it s therefore called Christ operative in which sense only Christ is said to be in uâ— As the Sun is in the eye by its beams so Iesus Christ as the author or fiâ—st efficient is in us by the operated Graces of his Spirit hence it necessarily follows that Christ personal the only Saviour is not in us nor Christ mystical the Church is in us this is so plain that there is no need of evidence for as Christ personal is the Head saving so Christ Mystical is the Body-saved Eph. 5. 23. therefore neither the one nor the other can be said to be in us Then 3. It s Christ Operative only that is in the Saints t is true that Christ personal in the first efficiency of gracious operations in the heart which in Scripture are sometime called Christ in you the cause being put for the effect by a Metonimy a word as I said to F. E. which thou understandest no more then the hour-glass that 's before me to which he readily replied saying we abhor Hour-glasses Pulpits and Cushens I told him that Preaching in a Pulpit was a warranted practice Neh. 8. 4. And Ezra the Scribe stood upon a Pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose But quoth he Ezra had not a Cushen I askt him how he knew that to which he made no answer but whither the holy Scribe had or had not a Cushen his Familiar the glo worme Light within bid him to say conâ—idently though blindly that Ezra had no Cushen I shall here take up an expression which I had almost forgotten which this Disputant F. E. doubted in his discourse namely that the Word took flesh of the Virgin and in that flesh died for all men though this Notion pleased him so well as to make a deliberate repetition of it yea he did not pretend Scripture for its confirmation and therefore I could not assuredly know whether he said it as an Arminian or as a Quaker But I am apt to think that he spake it in imitation of his Friends because of the word In. And In that flesh died for all men in that flesh runs Quaker-like this being some part of their New-Divinity That God sent Christ to save all men from sin and death as he F. E. said whose Sufferings Sacrifice Mediation Intercession and Offices or words to this effect we do own witness as inwardly wrought and performed in us and for us And there is as they further aver a Divine Elect Seed in the Saints which is the true Christ still the Idol-light within and suffers under sin in them and is to be raised of a justification and righteousness of the Elect Seed within so that according to their Divinity Christs bodily sufferings in and by the flesh which he took of the Virgin signifies nothing for our Justification in the sight of God whereas these are new self-devised imaginations whereof no mention is made in the inspired Scriptures of Truth I grant that some Scriptures are by them pretended for evidence which perhaps are some of the things as in the Preface said by them to have been forgotten sc Amos 2. 1â— Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed and in Gen. 6. ver 6. It repented the Lord that he made Man on the earth and it grieved
him at the heart and Gal. 3. 16. To Abraham and to his seed were the promises made and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ this say they is to be understood of an Elect-seed within also in Heb. 6 ver 6. Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh Answ As to the two first Texts sc Amos 2. 13. Gen. 6. 6. It is a well known Truth that God is unchangeable and as God 〈◊〉 himâ—elf unchangeably the same so this cannot be spoken properly of hiâ— nor is it thus to be understood as if God in those wicked men repâ—nted or was pressed down in them neither is it so expressed in Scripture But God is said to be grieved for and pressed down under the aboâ—inations of the wicked Because when through his Prophets and Ministers being rejected in them so sent forth by him he is said in the Texts above to be grieved for and pressed down under their wickedness this interpretation agreeth with the testimony of Stephen Act. 7. 51 52. where their persecuting the Prophets their betraying and murthering the just one and rejecting the Testimony of his chosen Witnesses is called a resisting the Holy Ghost As for the third Text above sc Gal. 3. 16. This Scripture only affirms That Christ as he is the seed of Abraham is the one eminent seed to whom the promise belongs what the promise was the Apostle sets down ver 8. in thee shall all Nations he blessed This promise is Act. 3. 25. mentioned by Peter as spoken of that Jesus whom the Jews delivered up in the presence of Pilate and not otherwise is it to be found in Scripture that Jesus Christ is called the Seed to whom the promise belongs for this is that Seed of the Woman which God promised Gen. 3. 15 and in the fulness of time as God promised 〈◊〉 forth made 〈◊〉 a Woman Gal. 4 ver 4. This is the personal seed Christ which was never in any man But your Quakerismes of Anti scriptural Diviniâ—y to wit 〈◊〉 Lighâ— in Man to be the Elect-seed the suffering Christ 〈…〉 these and such notions are hatcht only in your own 〈…〉 for which of all the Saints of old ever spoke or wrote such Divinity did the Saints of old build upon any other Foundation then the Prephets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief 〈◊〉 Eph. 2â—0 which is set at nought by such builders as Teaching Quakers are consider was there ever any other Elect-seed called the true Christ our only Saviour but that which God revealed to Adam-fallen Gen. 3. 15. and surely in vain was that divine Revelation from the Father if the 〈◊〉 within Adam as the Quakers prare would have shewn it to him Again That your Light within cannot be the promised Seed of the Woman the bruised heel for as such the Seed is a Creature but the Light within which ye call the Elect-seed is according to the Teaching Quakers the everlasting Gospel and eternal word as such it is increaâ—e and so it is God the Promiser not the promised Seed Moreover the Seed preached and promised to Abraham was that one Eminent Seed in whom all Nations should be blessed as above which seed the same Apostle calls in 2 Cer. 2. 10. the Person of Christ but your Elect Seed within is not by your own acknowledgement a personal Christ or Seed O when will ye blind leaders of the blind blush and tremble at your accursed Gospel within which the Lord hath cursed with a reiterated curse as in Gal. 1. 8 9. before explained as for the fourth Text above sc Heb. 6. ver 6. The Apostle doth not in this place say They that crucifie the Son of God In themselves but To themselves that 〈◊〉 to say They who have been inlightned by the Holy Ghost if such fall away they crucifie the efficacy of his death to themselves and in so doing it is impossible to renew them again to repentance because rejecting the Son of God Jesus of Nazareth who is the only propitiaâ—ory Sacrifice for the remission of sins there remaineth to them no more Sacrifice for sin and so no remission now O ye Teaching Quakers especially are not ye of that sort of notorious sinners meant in that Text Heb. 6. 6 7. which is by you often used in defence of your cause let me parly a little with you have not you heretofore made some profession of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to have been the true Christ and your only Saviour and are ye not now Apostatised and fallen away from this your profession of Faith if so ye then are in the number of those sinners that commit the great sin called as above a crucifying of the Son of God afresh and a putting him to open shame that is to say ye as much as in you lieth do it now that Christ the Son of God is in Heaven glorified and were the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth here upon Earth again ye most certainly would do your utmost to Crucifie him again for that malitious Spirit possesseth such wretched Sinners as ye Quakers cannot truly deny your selves to be which possessed those Jews who were the very Betrayers and Murtherers of our Lord Jesus Christ Oh it s most manifest that ye are of that sort of sinners who by their sinning are said to have trodden under foot the Son of God and have counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith ye were sanctified i. e. externally or as to the opinion once of men an unholy common or vile thing Heb. 10. 29. That I may clear this great thing yet a little more let me crave leave to ask of you Quakers one serious Question viz. have not ye heretofore professed as in Act. 20. 21. repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ though this cannot be gainsaid with any truth yet how apparent is it that ye are wilfully gone back from this Faith and Repentance Consider now I pray you your declared dâ—om Heb. 10. 26. For iâ— we sin witfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin That is for wilful sinners against received light of knowledge casting off the Sacrifice of that one crucified Christ upon the Cross with which they once seemed to close God will never provide them another Sacrifice for sin undoubtedly ye are at present of those Apostates which do not only refuse to choose that Grace of the Gospel which abounds to many by the one Man Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 15. but ye refuse it after a seeming choice of it and are therefore said in the close of the 29th verse above to have dono despight to the spirit of Grace why the same verse tells us because the Son of God is trodden under foot the same Apostle further tells us why Heb. 6. ver 6. as aforesaid they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame i.
in Luke 17. 21. Christ doth not mean the Kingdome of glory in Heaven but the Kingdome of the Gospel Preached by himself and his Apostles on Earth to which he answered nothing In the next place F. E. doth as I suppose expect some Answer to his reflection on me at the end of his tedious Discourse afore signified sc That I had not in any thing which was said by me he meant in the four Arguments proving the first part of the charge made any mention of Christ as God to be the Saviour Answ Bold Man who art thou that â—â—achest the Apostles of Jesus Christ yea the Holy-Ghost himself how to speak who were the faâ—thful Witnesses that proved all which was said by me in those four Arguments and that I might prevent which I foresaw such carpings I barely repeated the Apostles express words mentioning in a manner no more then what is plainly asserted by them what dost thou then but under colour of reflecting on me reflect upon the holy Apostles themselves Alas poor Man had it not been more honesty in thee to have thus charged the Apostles then me who wrested not but only repeated the Apostles words for the confirmation of the alledged Arguments thou shouldest have clamoured against the Apostles thus there is not a word by them mentioned of Christ as God to be the Saviour and wouldest thou not hadst thou thus done have been as bold as blind Bayard It s most evident that the Apostles preached Christ as Man Not but that he was and is also God to be believed in for the remâ—ssiâ—n of sins both to the Jews and to the Gentiles so that thy quarrelsome reflection on me is in effect a manifest denying the Testimony of the Apostles joyntly testifying of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the only Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World reconciledworld 2 Cor. 5. 19. for there is no other Man Name or Thing ever in Scripture called the Lamb of God which takes away sin but the one Man Jesus Christ and so it is Recorded by Christs witness bearer Joh. 1. 29. 30. One would now think that the very mentioning of these things were enough to refute them with whom the Scriptures of God have any credit But what shall I say unto thee Francis I would in true love only to thy distressed Soul advise thee to search as in Iohn 5. 39. the Scriptures for I find thee very ignorant of the truth as testified in them and hence asserting new notions which thou hast received from other men which tend to the darkening and denying of the unanimous Testimony of all the holy Men of old to the true Saviour Jesus of Nazareth and to Salvation through Faith in him and that thou mayest be delivered from the dangerous snare of the false Christ the Idol-light within is the hearty desire of him whom for his Faith in and to the truth thou hast opposed William Bullock was the next Disputant to prove That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the false but the true Christ And thus he Argued saying That which may be known of God is manifest in them and tâ—en stâ—pt Therefore I prayed him to tell us were thoâ—e words repeated above were to be found he readily told me sc in Rom. chap. 1. ver 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them 〈◊〉 was the only Proof named by them I further demanded of him what he inferred from this Text of Scripture but because he lookt as if he understood not what was meant by that demand I requested him to frame some Argument from the Text alledged by him to prove the matter in hand but all in vain a Syllogisme being as great a Monster to him as Jesus Christ of Nazareth Thereupon I did declare That the Apostle did not there understand the word God to signifie Christ God Man and as for the phrase in them it is interpreted to them as in the very next words in the same verse sc For God hath shewed it to them likewise Paul doth tell us both how and where God shew'd them this as in ver 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead which Godhead alone is not to be understood for God-man Christ the only Saviour in a word The mind of the Spirit in these two 19 20. verses sc is no more but this namely that the eternal power and Godhead was manifested in i. e. shewn to the Gentiles unconverted by the things that are made or created from the creation of the World this being the true state of the Text above how they could prove the thing to wit That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ for which they were brought surely none but young and old Bullocks or such as are of that kind can understand I expected some reply from this Disputant to the substance above asserted but instead of a reply he urged another Prool this was their manner even all along that thereby they might â—loaâ— their weakness and insufficienâ—â—â— for returns saying The flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth Upon his inversion of the order of the words I desired him to name the Chapter and verse where the words as he had spoken them might be found but he did it not I then named both viz. Joh. chap. 6. ver 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing He again refusing to frame an Argument Therefore to the Text. 1 Answered 1. If these words were to be understood in this sence sc That the Lord Christ on the account of his body of flesh profiteth nothing to Salvation but it s the quickning spirit within that is the only Saviour Then what interpretation wouldst thou put upon Christs words in the same Chapter ver 53. foregoing Then Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life i. e. Spirit ver 63. ult in you or wilt thou make Christ who is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 30. guilty of contradiction and so a Lyar to which he replied nothing save that he had spoken Scripture which necessarily engaged me to reconcile those Scriptures to the understanding of the hearers which I endeavoured thus Joh. 6. 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth i. e. the soul of man naturally dead in sins Eph. 2. 1 5. the words exclude all endowments qualifications or excellencies in the natural man from this soul quickening work hereunto agrees the words of our Saviour in the end of the 63d verse above The words that I spake unto you they are spirit and they are life that is to say the spirit of faith is the souls life or special quickening so that the
latter part of the verse is both a verification and explication of the former part sc It is the spirit that quickeneth Thiâ— is likewise conâ—irmed by the Apostle Paul Gal. 3. 11. and long before by the Prophet Habakkuk Chap. 2. 4. the just shall live by faith Faith 〈◊〉 the vital principal and fountain of life in the Soul it is the uniting grace it knits us to personal Christ glorified in Heaven above from whose fulness Joh. 1. 16. we receive grace for grace i. e. Grace for graces sake And therefore his flesh profiteth right Believers the whole as to this particular is though the spirit be a dead-souls quickener yet it is not the quickened souls Saviour But this Disputant still avers that the Scripture saith Christs flâ—sh pâ—ofiteth nothing Therefore for further satisfaction touching these words sc Christs flesh profiteth nothing let this Question be propounded Quest In what sense way Christs flesh be said not to profit or profiteth nothing Sol. 1. Christs flesh profiteth an unbeliever nothing as it is noted by our Saviour in the very next verse ver 64. But there are saith he some of you that believed not intending such of them as did not by Faith the believing souls-mouth eat his flesh and drink his blood which in ver 55 Christ saith is meat indeed and drink indeed also in Heb. 4. 2. For unto us was the Gospel Preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixâ—d with Faith in them that heard it what the Gospel preached was hath been before frequently declared more especially from Act. 5. 30 31. That the same Jesus whom the Iews slew and hanged on a Tree this was the body of Christs flesh God raised up from the dead and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins This was the Gospel word that was preached which profited not either Iews or Gentiles that did not by the mouth of Faith eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ the only Saviour Hence I did infer That the Quakers being such non eating non drinking Unbelievers Christs flesh profiteth them nothing therefore fit to be insiâ—â—ed on by this Disputant 2. Christs flesh profiteth nothing If it be taken in that sense in which the Iews apprehended the eating of it and thaâ— was with their natural mouths as it appears from ver 52. They the Jews strove amongst themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat for they knew of no eating but as they did eat their bodily food yea Christs Disciples such as for the present followed him said ver 63. this is a hard saying who can hear it Hereupon Christ doth explain himself to them all in these words The flesh profiteth nothing ver 63. above thereby giving them to understand that he meant not of eating his flesh with their natural mouthes as they did eat their daily bread for as if Christ had said should ye so eat some of my natural flesh or so drink some of my blood it would profit you nothing the reason of it is assigned by the Apostle Paul because Christs flesh and blood is New-Testament Blood 1 Cor. 11. 25. in which all the promises of God are 2 Cor. 1. 20 here hence it is safely inferr'd That the true Object of Faith is the Nâ—w-Testament promises in Christ bodily in which respect Christs flesh is profitable to all right Believers on him for their Justification Resurrection and Glorification as in ver 54 Whoso eateth with a Soul-believing Mouth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day But if we separate the promises of God from Christs flesh or his flesh from the promises then his flesh profiteth no more then if it were eaten with a mans natural Mouth which according â—o our blessed Saviour profiteth nothing or would not profit the Soul at all Upon the whole it was concluded that W. Bullocks second as his first Scripture fell short of the mark that is of proving a Quakers pretenâ—ed Saviâ—ur within him to be the true not the false Christ The next Speaker was Patience Bullock 1. She propounded a Question to me Quest Whether Christ could have saved us without his being God I Answered Though Christ could not save us unless he were God as well as Man yet the Godhead of the Soâ— onâ—y as such doth not save us from the curse of the Law because the Godhead alone could not fulfill that righteousness active and passive which the Law required 't is true we read oâ— the righâ—eousness of God 2 Cor. 5 21. yet it is not to be undersâ—â—od for the essential righteousness of God but for a righteousness â—nswerabâ—e unto the Law performed by the manhood of Christ to which the Godhead gavâ— both efficacy and excellency Heb. 9. 14. and thereby the righteousness answerable to the holiness and justice of the Law performed by the Man hood soul and body of Jesus Christ was made Meritorious and Satisfactory for sin as the Apostle sign fies Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood i. e. Sufferings of Christ who or which suffering Christ through the eternal Spirit i. e. Godhead of the Son offered himself sc a Sacrifice without spot to God the Father hence I did affirm that Jesus Christ as maâ— is our only Material Saviour 〈…〉 if he may be â—…lieved 〈◊〉 us â—rom the 〈◊〉 of Gods Spiri◠〈…〉 the Man 〈◊〉 Lord Christ then bâ—rn of the Virgin Mary whom 〈…〉 took up iâ—â—o his arms was the Salvation of God i e. whom God had exalted to be â—hâ— only Saviour Act. 5 〈◊〉 and the holy Apostles preached as aâ—ore noted the Man Iesus Christ of Nazareth to be beâ—ieved in remission of sins herewithal named that Text of Scripture in the 1 Tâ—m 2. 5. 6 There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gavâ— himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time The Apostle doth not as I said here assert the Man Jâ—sus Christ to exclude the God head or divine nature from him the Medâ—ator and Ransomâ—r but emphatically to demonstrate that nature in which he meditates and gave himself a ransome for though the ransome was paid by him who wâ—s and is God or had a divine Nature yet it was paid in the Man hood oâ— humane nature only that is to say Christs humane Nature gave worth and value to it whence I did infer but wâ—th much reverence that the Manhood of the Son of God is the only mâ—terial cause of our Salvation and by necessary consequence the Man hood or Humane Nature of Christ was and is our only material Saviour which I had no sooner said But F. E. called on the people to take notice That I had declared the Man hood of Christ to be the only Saviour to which some of the Hearers forthwiâ—h replied that I did say to wit that the Manhood
New-Testament And instead of a Reply Francis tells us of his experimental interest in that Text saying that he was washed and justified in himself from his sins and at length he told us how to wit in some measure Hereupâ—n â—emanded what the sins in particular were from which he was in himself washed and justified in some measure whether it were from 〈◊〉 or Drunkâ—ness Oathes or Adultery he replied I am not to tell thee then more seriously I requested the Assembly to take notice of his want of knowledge in the Scriptures inasmuch as that he makes justification from sin not only a work withâ—n him but to be daily wrought in himself by measure or degrees which assertion of his is directly contrary to the manifold Scriptures of truth which proved the third Argument to wit that our justification from sins was at once finished and perfected without 〈◊〉 on the Cross by the offering of the one body of Jesus Christ one for all and so already doâ—e by Jesus Christ and in being in him our head nevertheless it was readily granted by me sc that all things relating to our washing and justification from sins by that one sacrifice of the body of Christ as above is to be believed in for the remission of sins and for the making of that blessed work so already finished effectual in us it is to be received and wrought not at once but by degrees and in measure by the working and operation of the Spirit of God in us until Mortality be swallowed up of life hereunto agrees the words of the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 2. 5. 6. The man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all to be testified in due time Gave referring to the time past the work of ransome being already done and perfected To be testified i. e. by the spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. and bâ— its effects in the hearts of Believeâ—s â—â—due time i. e. in Gods appointed time so then when the spirit saith as above sc That the Man Jesus Christ gaâ—e himself a ransome For all i e. for all them by whom the ranâ—â—mer is believed on and in whom â—he virtue and effâ—cts of the ransome are by the spirit influenced 〈…〉 these things are according to the Scriptures giveâ— by the conspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 6 whereas this Doctor 's new Divinity to wit That he is in himself washed and justified from his sinâ— in some measure it is most false and dangerous Doctrine for it doth clearly deny that the Mâ—ssias Jesus Christ of 〈◊〉 hath at once by his own crucified boâ—y without uâ— on the Crosse finished Tranâ—â—ressâ—â—n and 〈…〉 all which and much more is the joynt Testimony of the Prophets aâ—d Apostles concerning the Man Jesus Christ and the work 〈…〉 some effected by him for sinners while 〈…〉 to God 〈…〉 Note that this truth doth â—â—lly answereth Quakers caâ—il about this matter how is sin say they finished without a Man while no good is wrought within him and seeing as they further say Christ works all things in us by his Spirit how then can all things be finished by Christ without us before any good is wrought by him in us Answ It is most necessarily presupposed that all things were finished by the Man Jesus Christ as above explained for satisfaction to his Fathers justice for sin before we could receive that satisfaction by Faith or its effects by the spirit within us Now it s most certain that before Faith with its fruits and effects was wrought in us by the spirit we were unbelievers ungodly unjust and enemies to God in our minds by wicked works Col. 1. 21. then according to right reason if the one had not been first wrought by Jesus Christ without us it had been altogether impossible for the oâ—her to have been wrought in us or received by Faith and to witnessed unto by us consider once more if the Man Iesus Christ had not first given himself a ransome for our sins we could not have received it by Faith nor could it have been Testified or witnessed unto by us Moreover let it be well observed that all the righteousness of Sanctification that is in us from Christ is but a fruit of that righteousness of Iustification which â—esus Christ of Nazareth wrought out by his own personal obedience and sufferings upon the Crosse yea all the graces and operations of the Spirit wrought in us were thereby merited and purchased for us Therefore Francis your being in your self washed and justified from your sins in some measure is plainly to deny that one Propitiatory Sacrifice of the one crucified body of the true Man Iesus Christ which can be no other then a wretched design to blot out of our hearts the blessed Name and Remembrance of that one great propitiation once offered for sins together with the redemption righteousness and reconciliation to God as already in Christ our head and surety purchased and perfected for us until no other righteousness or redemption be known but that of obedience to the Light that unbloody Redeemer which is ye say in every man that comes into the World and thus so much obedience to the Idol-light within so much redemption washing justifying and no more Here hence Francis comes thus in some measure in thy self this is the voice of your Law-working spirit within teaching that he that doth these things shall live by them The Pope without is become a Quakers Light within I have now done with the enlargements upon his affirmation to wit That he was In some measure washed and justified in himself from his sins The next Apparition is of William Bullock again And he tells us the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from sin Answ 1. I prayed him to tell me where I might find those words as uttered by him he had been taught his Answer sc It is Scripture But I told him that he had according to a Quakers practice mâ—ngled and abused that holy Text of Scripture intended by him Namely Rom. 8. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and â—â—ath But he repeated Vs for Me and free from sin for free from the law of sin aâ—d left out the word Death 2. I desired him to frame his Argument to prove the matter controverted sc That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ But no Argument from the Text nor any thing like it was alledged by him long faâ—ting perhaps made him so empty Thereâ—ore 3. I said That it is the Law of the Spirit of life not in a Quaker but in Christ Jesus and that there is not nor ever was any other Jesus Christ a Savâ—our from sin but the Holy Child Jesus born of Mary in Bethlehem the City of David Luk. 2. 4 11. which Saviour is not to be sound in any Quaker and therefore this place of Scripture
pretended by thâ—e falls short of maintaining your cause as it respects the first part of the charge which â—id appear on a due examination of the Text it self in this man 〈◊〉 to wit Exam. By the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus we are to understand the Spirit which the Father gave him as the Son of Man without measure Ioh. 3. â—4 Ioh. 1. 6. Now from this fulness of Spiritual Life in Christ Paul received such a degree of it as made him free from the Law i. e. from the reign and demâ—nion of sin and from Death Rom. 6. 12. 14 i. e. from the power of natural death Note that the Spirit in the Text above is seâ—â—own two wayes 1. By the Subject in whom it is that is in the Manhood of Christs Person 2. By the Effect it is a spirit of life if this life be not from Christs fulness conveyed into us we are but dead men spiritually dead in sins Eph 2. 1. But when the spirit of 〈◊〉 from Christs unmeasurable fulness is derived to us tâ—en we feel its law or power weakening and abolishing the Law i. e. the strength and Authority of sin in us and thereby sin hath now no reigning domineering power in or over us nor can it condemn our persons and thus we are â—reed from the Law of sin death Note Not so â—reed as if we were simply delivered from both or either of these as that we cannot afterwards sin and die but the meaning is sin cannot rulâ— or exercise a command now over us nâ—r can it damn â—s nor can the natural death hurt us now tell me William whether there be ought in this third Text of Scripture alledged by thee that doth in the least though never so much strained prove this first part of the charge against you to be false for the mind of the Apostle therein is plain and evident viz. that the law of the Spirit of life inherent in us hath only a virtue to eat down the Law or commanding power of present sins and to destroy the power of our natural death what I pray thee is in all this to prove a Quakers pretended Saviour within him c. surely William either thou art very silly thy self or thou didst think thy hearers to be so After him steps F. E. again and said the Scripture saith of Christ I in thee and thou in me but he could not tell us where to find the Scripture that said those words of Christ Answ That I did not remember any such Scripture for manner and foâ—m as spoken by him to wit I in theâ— and thou in me but this Parret must prate as he hath been taught howbeit if it might be supposed not granted that Christ had said to any particular person I in thee and thou in me It must needs follow that the person of Christ wâ—s without not within him to whom he then spake and the person of Christ being the Believers only Saviour this allegation could not concern the charge before us T is true we read in Joh 17 23 I in them and thou in we that they may be made perfect in me i e. in oneness of affection for so it is interpreted in the last clause of the same verse sc and hast loved them as thou hast loved me also in Joh. 14. 20. and you in me and I in you these words do only signifie the reciprocal love that shall be fully experienced between Christ and his members at the glorious resurrection of the just as it is implied in the former part of that verse At that day namely of Christs second comming in glory ver 18. ye shall sc at that day know that I am in my Father i. e. in his love and you in me i. e. in my love and I in you i. e. in your love ver 21. Now Francis if thou dost mean either of these Scriptures thou wilt be still at a loss for it was the man Jesus Christ which spake to his Disciples and it is very strange that thou wilt produce a Christ for evidence in whom you do not believe it s a sign that thou art almost spent I do not remember that he made any reply to ought said by me as above but as a mask for their nakedness he urged another Scripture not naming where as to the chapter or verse to wit Christ saith of hâ—mself I am Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 1. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come The Almighty after the reciting of this Scripture I expected an Argument to be drawn from thence by the Disputant to prove the thing for whâ—ch he brought it But it seems Franks Seducers could never make him capable of formal Argumentations which defect constrained me to insist upon the explication herein more fully and distinctly enlarged of those Texts of Scripture which for the most part were only repeated by the titular Disputants and that many times after their own most presumptuous mode and manner adding or diminishing contrary to Gods command Deut. 4. 2. But I proceed to the Text it self Ans The place of Scripture above sc Rev. 1. 8. consists of three parts First part I am Alpha and Omega in these words Christs creating power is Metaphorically expressed being the first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet which by a figurative speech are applied to any beginning and end and are here interpreted by the next words namely the Beginning and the Ending which Phrases do signifie unto us Christs divine Nature eternal Power and Godhead as in Joh. 1. ver 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God sc God the Son and in Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him his dear Son ver 13. and for him sc for his glory as the ultimate end Rom. 11. 36. this therefore is the meaning of I am Alpha and Omega that is Christ is the efficient cause of all things and the end also whâ—ther all things are referred that he hath at first created all things and that for his own glory alone Second part Saith the Lord which words denote Christ the faithful promiser for all the promises of God are in him 2 Cor. 1 20. in him i. e. in the man hood of Christs person Col. 2 9. hereunto agrees the title Lord. which is mostly appropriated to Christs humaâ—e nature as before his Birth Luk. 1 43. And whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me and on the day of his birth Chap 2. ver 11. For to you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and afterwards Joh. 13. ver 13 14. Ye call me Master and Lord for so I am If I thou your Lord and Master have washed your feet Also after his resurrection Luk. 24. 34 saying The Lord hath risen indeed and hath oppeared to Simon ver 39. Behold my hands and my feet that
eminent Reasons 1. That they might thereby be kept to the unity of the Godhead for although Jehovah is Father Son and Holy Ghost yet he is not three Gods but one therefore holy men holding their minds to the unity of the essence Thou and Thee were and are most proper and necessary to preserve their minds from a plurality of Gods But this ground cannot be pleaded by a Quaker who denieth a Trinity in Unity and so he denies the only true God 2. Reas Holy men used these words thou and thee to God and one to another as occasionally they were by Holy Spirit drawn out to either of these words sc thou or thee for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God â— Tim. 3. 16. and in 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost so then its plain that Holy men in Scripture spake these words thou and thee to God and one to another but it was then when they were moved thereunto by the Holy Ghost but I pray do ye Quakers never use those words thou and thee but then when ye are occasionally drawn out or moved by the Holy Ghost to either if any of you should be so notoriouslyvile as to father the use of those words thou and thee upon the Spirit would not the Holy Ghost tell thee that thou art of thy Father the Devil who is a lyar from the beginning Again Although holy men frequently used those words as above yet they never thereby took occasion to deny but ever used reverential respects to all sorts of persons according to their rank and quality as for instance Abraham Gen. 18. 1 2 3. as he sat in the Tent-door he lift up his eyes and looked and lo three men Angels unawares stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the Tent-door and bowed himself to the ground and said my Lord And David 1 Sam. 20. 41. rose out of his place and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times to Jonathan Again in the 1 Sam. 25. 23 25. Abigail saw David and fell before him on her face and bowed her self to the ground and called him Lord Likewise Ruth Chap. 2. 10. She fell on her face and bowed her self to the ground to Boaz And in ver 4. Boaz courteously said to the Reapers the Lord be with you and they in reverential respects to him Answered the Lord bless thee Furthermore we read of reverential respects between Abraham and his Idolatrous Neighbours Gen. 23. 7. Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the People of the Lana even to the children of Heth and ver 8. he communed with them saying if it be your mind And ver 5. the children of Heth answered Abraham saying hear us my Lord thou art a Prince of God amongst us And Solomon also 1 King 2. 10. arose from his Throne and bowed himself to his Mother and Joseph Gen. 28. 12. bowed himself to his Father Jacob with his face towards the ground And in the 2 Pet. 3. 6. Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord unto these Presidents many more might be alledged Thus we see though these holy persons often used thou and thee yet they ever used reverential respects to all sorts of men and that according to Gods express command as Lev 9. 32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and fear thy God I am the Lord. Thus Moses by Gods own inspiration but this ye Quakers do not therefore the Light of this Scripture reproves you as no Fearers of God And Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is also recited by the Apostle Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandment with promise Note this Commandment comprehends not only Natural Parents Heb. 12. 9. the Fathers of our flesh but the Fathers of our Country as civil Magistrates and Rulers Isai 49. 23. yea likewise Spiritual Fathers as Gospel Ministers are phrased by Paul 1 Cor. 4. 15. we read that in our Saviours time there were some proud Professors who inclined much towards this Principle and practice of a Quaker but not in so bad a sense Mark 7. 10. ye saith Christ suffer him no more to do ought for his Father and Mother making the Word of God the commandment above of none effect and indeed as much more do the Quakers Paul also by the same inspiration of God Rom. 13. 7. Render therefore to all meaning higher Powers and Rulers ver 1 2. their dues honour to whom honour and the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all men especially in places of honour fear God honour the King as Supream and Governour sent by him Moreover 1 Tim. 5 3. Honour Widows that are Widows indeed and in ver 17. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine These Precepts are given by the inspiration of God and consequently are obligatory on Conscience to be performed in that useful commendable and necessary duty of reverential respects afore declared and which hath been in conscience of Gods strict and indispensible command obeyed by the holy Presidents above Secondly As the light of Scripture hath manifested this your second evil also even so likewise the Light of Scripture doth reprove it 1. It reproves you as such who want the fear of God as above Lev. 19. 32. and as such who harden their hearts against not only the many Precepts above to bind the Conscience but the many Presidents to evidence the practice Now as both are manifest reprovers of you so I wish they might make you not only ashamed of your sneaking surley dumb and scurvy carriage towards Christians but also convince you that this kind of Behaviour is not in the written Scripture without but from the pretended unwritten Scripture that Idol-light within proudly contemning the sacred Oracles of God above asserted And which is thus further argued what can the Saints in all places and Countries be more sensible of then that the generality of Quakers do purposely use those words thou and thee to deny all reverential respects to any sort of men of what rank and quality soever that by that means they may intrude themselves to be equal with any of what rank or sort soever nay thereby to advance themselves above all men under the notion of a seeming perfection which is a manifest product of their God and Man provoking pride according to that of the Psalmist Psal 123. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning and contempt of the proud and how is the Prophesie fulfilled in you Isai 3. 5. The child shall behave himself proudly against the antient and the base against the Honourable and observe ye well the words of the Lord Christ Mark 7. 22. Deceit Blasphemy Pride Foolishness of these four links hath Satan made your Chain of
in the same Book Page 25. What nature sayes he must these Sacrifices be of which cleanse heavenly things sc Souls whither of necessity they must be heavenly if so then whither it was the flesh and blood of the vail or the flesh and blood within the vail whither it was the flesh and blood of the outward earthly nature or the flesh and blood of the inward spiritual nature whither it was the flesh and blood which Christ took of the first Adams nature or that of the second Adams nature Ans In the three-fold Querie above two things are asserted neither of them are mentioned in the Scripture of truth 1. That the Lord Christ had a two fold Body of flesh and blood the one internal and invisible the other external and visible and thenâ—e concludes that it is not the external visible earthly body but the internal invisible heavenly body which cleanseth Souls which he names heavenly things 2. That there is an inward spiritual nature still the Idol light within which hath mystical flesh and blood besides the outward earthly nature the one he calls the flesh and blood of the vail the other the flesh and blood within the vail All which he seems to ground upon the Apostles words Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Note here The Apostle doth not make any mention of two distinct natures nor of two sorts of flesh and blood sc visible and invisible â—or in the least of two distinct vails Now that his jugling cheat may be discovered let the Apostles miâ—d be duely considered whose meaning is to wit That Believers may draw near to God through the vail of Christs personal flesh and blood for we Christians believe according to the Scriptures of God that as the High Priest entred into the holy place with the blood of the Sacrifice so the true Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 12. 24. the whole is That the body of Christs flesh and blood entring into Heaven the holiest is that new and living way consecrated for right Believers to draw near to God for justification through Faith in the one only vail of Christs flesh glorified in Heaven above which precious Truths are worth nothing in the account of a Quaker Furtheamore let it be noted that the word Vail in an allusion to the Temple where the vail hid the glory of the Sanctâ—m Sanctorum and gave entrance to it even so Christs incarnation did as it were rebate the edge of the divine glory and brightness that Believers may come and converse with it without terror for some further illustration I shall here add sc That Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder Joh. 1. 51. the bottom of which toucheth Earth there is his Humanity or vail of flesh and blood and the top reacheth Heaven there is his Divinity so that we may climb this Ladder and have communion with God i. e. climbing up in hope by the Man-hood or vail of Christ we have social access to the God-head By the way observe That this Foxt Penington doth not alleadge any of the holy men of old that ever preached or writ such kind of Divinity as he hath done in his leger demain above whereby sundry unstable Consciences have been deceived I have often heard some of them to affirm That the Quakers do believe in Christs body of flesh and blood and that he died for sin and rose again and that he is Mans only Saviour howbeit they do but wickedly equivocate for they do not mean that the body of flesh and blood life and death c. of Jesus of Nazareth conceived in and born of the blessed Virgin Mary hath purchased justification in the sight of God and Salvation from sin but they deceitfully mean sc the new â—oined invisible flesh and blood of the heavenly Mystical Christ still the Iâ—ol-light within that died within and there rose to a righteousness and justification which is a brat hatcht only in their addle brains from whence also it is they teach a Mystical Bethlehem within where Châ—ist was born that he suffered and died without Ierusalem that is say they Mystical Jerusalem within O ye Quakers judge whither these are not strong and damnable delusions So much also for some further satisfaction to William Bullock F. E. and W. H. concerning those words But a body thou hast prepared me Heb. 10. 5. which was the last Text of Scripture proposed by them in reference to the first part of the Charge as above I now proceed to the Second part To wit That the main end of the Quakars Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and false Witnesses of God As I was about to prove the second part of the Charge against them Francis Eastlack interrupted me saying Thou never wert in our Meetings how then canst thou know what we teach in them I Replied T is true I bless the Lord I never were nor as I hope through the mercy of God never shall be as one of you in any of your Meetings notwithstanding I know what you Teach and mainly aim at in your Meetings for ye are G. Foxes Disciples and ye have learned his Doctrine and as I was about to read some of it they grew impatient and by no means would have it read thereupon I did forbear but I have here inserted it to wit G. Fox in his Book intituled the Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words Ye scorn me the light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that believe in me Furthermore Page 54. That if ye would believe and wait on me the light I will purge out all your iniquity and forgive all your Trespasses and I shall change your natures if you hearken to me and obey the light within These are the words I would have read but being hindred I told them what they taught in their Meetings to wit That the pretended Light in them is their true Christ Teacher Rule and Guid to be heard believed in walked up unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give remission of sins and Salvation with God to which F. E. forth with replied That he would for this lay down his life and to confirm him therein W. Harriot then said we deny the out side Christ to be our Saviour Then I requested the Hearers to take good notice sc they have plainly granted that the end of their Meeting to be for to Teach a denial of Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God Act. 2 22 to be the true Christ and our only Saviour which Teaching
is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and False-witnesses of God which I proved in their particular order from the Scriptures of God As 1. That this their Teaching doth as much as in them lies make the Lords-Christ a lyar for we read Joh. 9. 35. 36 37. Dost thou saith Christ to the Man that was born blind Believe on the Son of God he answered and said who is the Lord that I might believe on him And Jesus said unto him thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee Note If our Lord spoke truth here then he whom this man both saw and talked with with his bodily eyes and tongue was the Messias the Christ and Saviour the Son of God and in Ioh. 4. 25 26. The Woman said unto him I know that Messias our Saviour cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he Here observe the Lord Jesus Christ as of purpose to rebuke this lying Spirit of a Quakers Mysticalâ— Invisible Flesh and Blood their Internal saving Christ doth testifie of himself that he who was both seen and heard by the bodily eyes and ears of the Woman with whom he conversed was the Messias the true Christ and Teacher of all things And in Mark 14. 61 62. Again the High Priest asked him and said unto him art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed and Jesus said I am here likewise the Lord Jesus testifâ—ed of himself that he on whom the High-Priest looked and to whom he spake was the Christ the Son of the blessed Moreover Mat. 16. 13 to 18. the Lord Jesus proposeth two questions to his Disciples First What Opinion others had of him ver 13. Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am and they said ver 14. Some say thou art Iohn the Baptist some Elias and others Ieremias or one of the Prophets when Christ heard of those various apprehensions which were abroad concerning him he presently asked his Disciples a second Question ver 15. But whom say ye that I the Son of Man ver 13. am Peter in the Name and as the mouth of the rest gives Answer ver 16. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Christ was so highly satisfied with this Answer that first he pronounceth him blessed ver 17. and secondly declares that this confession is the rock upon which the Church is built and withal Christ assures his Disciples that against this Rock the joyn confession sc That Iesus the Son of man is the Christ the Son of the living God the Gates of hell shall never prevail O ye Teaching Quakers is not this enough to open the eyes of your blind Idol within Again how hath our Lord himself said of himself even since his being ascended and glorified Act. 22. 8. I am Iesus of Nazareth whereby is plainly affirmed the now present glorified existence of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth and hereunto agrees that which he foretold of himself Mat. 24. 30. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory the whole is this if Jesus of Nazareth whom they wickedly call the out side Christ be not the true Christ and our only Saviour then he is according to a Quakers inside Christ a Lyar in all the words uttered by him above but let God be true and his Enemies Liars such Liars are Teaching Seducing Quakers yea accursed Liars Gal. 1. 8 9. as above 2. That this Teaching in their Meetings doth as much as in them lies make the holy Spirit of Christ a Lyar for we read in the 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. the Prophets searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory Salvation Grace ver 10. that should follow and in Acts 5. 30 31 32. the Holy Ghost doth witness that God raised up the same Jesus whom the Iews slew and exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour Likewise Luk. 2. 26 27 28 30. That the Holy Ghost revealed to just and devour Simeon that the Child Jesus which he took up in his arms and saw with his bodily eyes was the Lords Christ and Salvation prepared before the face of all people And Paul also by the inspiration of the Spirit assures us Rom. 5 15 That the Grace of God and gift by Grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded to many this one Man is no other then Iesus of Nazareth the man approved of God not in but among the Iews who with their wicked hands did take and him they crucified and slew Act. 2. 22 23. The sum is this If the Man Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom the Iews slew and hanged on a tree and God raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be the only Saviour be a spiritual inside Christ a Heavenly Man of Mystical Invisible flesh and blood then the holy spirit of Truth must be a Lyar which to affirm as Quakers in effect do is horrid Blasphemy 3. They do in their Meetings and aimes make the Angels of Christ Liars as it appears by the Evangelists Mat. 1. 20 21. Behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to Ioseph saying Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost and she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins And in Luk. 1. 30 31 32. And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shall call his Name Iesus and he shall be great and shall be called the Sâ—m of the Highest and again on his Birth day Luk. 2. 10 11. And the Angel said unto them the Shepherds fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and ver 13 14 15. Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth peace good will towards men And immediately upon this blessed Remark on the Babe ver 12. wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a Manger the Angels went away from the Shepherds into Heaven whence I do inter sc if the Lords Christ conceived in the Womb of Mary and born of her in the City of David be not the true Christ and our only Saviour but a mystical unconceived and unborn Christ then the glorious Angels of God must be liars in all the expressions which they declared to Ioseph Mary and the Shepherds but most sure I am that every good Christian
will rather believe the Elect Angels of God then Apostate men or Angels 4. They do in their meetings and aimes make the Apostles of Christ Lyars and false witnesses of God for the Apostles have with one mind and mouth often witnessed this truth to wit That Iesus the Son of Man is the Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16. from ver 13. to ver 18. as above particularly ver 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona flesh and blood that is meer man hath not revealed this to thee but my Father which is in Heaven as if the Lord Christ had said all men are flesh and blood so dull sighted and blind that they could never have perceived this truth by any study or observation it comes only by gift and revelation and in Ioh. 6. 69. we the Apostles that then lookt upon the person of Christ conversing with him Believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God and of whom the Apostles further testifie 1 Ioh. 4. 14. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World Furthermore We are say they witnesses of these things Namely That the God of our Fathers raised up Iesus from the dead and exalted him to be a Saviour Act. 5. 32. We also read in Acts 10. from ver 38. to ver 43. That God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power whom they slew and hanged on a tree him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the Dead and we the Apostlss are witnesses of these things and he commanded us to Preach unto the people and to Testifie that it is he which is ordained of God to be judge of quick and Dead When I had thus proved the second part of the charge also I then called to the Disputants for their Answer or Assent But they betook themselves to their former practice of repeating some Texts of Scripture to beget Believers in their new invented-Mystical Invisible Christ their Spiritual heavenly Man of internal and eternal Flesh Blood and Bones their everlasting Gospel their tender part that Idol light within William Harriot was as to the second part of the Charge the first Champion that stood up in defence of their meetings above saying That Paul travelled in birth till Christ was formed in the Gallatians I demanded of him where those words might be found he told me they were in the Bible his Answer being like himself an impertinent Simpleton inforced me as at other times to name this place of Scripture intended by him sc Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you To which I Answered 1. If when Paul writ to the Galatians Christ was to be formed in them then the light that is in every man a Quakers rotten Principle by natural Generation is not the true Christ but according to this Disputant when Paul was travelling in birth for the Galatians Christ was not formed in them Therefore the Light that is in every man that comes into the World is not the true Christ Though this poor deluded soft and fair had so deeply lasht himself yet he felt it not 2. That Christ formed in a Saint is Christ framed and wrought in him by the spirit of Faith as the same Apostle explains it to the Galatians Chap. 5. ver 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith so that a work of the Spirit of Grace in the heart is Christ operated and formed in the heart as afore illustrated 3. The Apostle his trauelling in birth c. is an Allegory for the Apostles were instead of Fathers As the natural Father begets the bodily form so the Apostles begot the spiritual form of the mind which is Faith or confidence of heart laying hold upon the righteousness of that one man Jesus Christ alone Rom. 5. 15. above to be made righteous in the sight of God ver 19. For as by one mans Disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one sc the one Man Jesus Christ ver 15. shall many be made righteous sc in the sight of God ver 21. here William Harriot interrupted me saying we are not come here to hear thee Preach As I was about to take up his Bolt I was hindred by William Wilkinson who called to me Friend hear Friend I replied I am none of thy Friend for I am an Enemy to the Devil and all his Works Christ quoth he called him Friend who was without the Wedding Garment I then asked him who made his Wedding Garments Now that which invited this Queston was a confident report that he had at once two Wives and in the time of his pretended distraction he called the one his Spiritual Wife and the other his Fleshly Wife Surely had this felonious Quaker been really but half so Lunatick as he feigned himself it would have rendred him uncapable of receiving this crafty and knave like distinction from the Master of his Religion and Maker of his Wedding Clothes face't with dissembling Madness but letting this pass I shall add a little more to the alledged Text above Gal. 4. 19. herein Paul doth reprove the false Apostles who had abolished the professed form of Christ in the Galatians and withal devised another form Gal. 6. 13. But they desire to have Circumcised that they may glory in your flesh thus the Seducing Teaching Quakers have learnt their ignorant Disciples to glory in their own flesh whereas the blessed Apostle like a true Gospel Father travelled in birth i. e. spiritually pained and troubled till Christ was formed namely by a through work of Faith in their hearts that they might truly believe in the righteousness of the Law fulfilled by Jesus Christ of Nazareth alone without Circumcision or any other work of the Law wrought in or by themselves as causal of justification in the sight of God this being the true mind of the holy Spirit It cannot therefore be any advantage to their cause nor doth it in the least justifie the bold and open wickedness of thee O William Harriet who didst reflâ—ct Blasphemous contempt upon the glorified Manhood of the just and holy one existing in Heaven above calling him the outside Christ When Jesus Christ of Nazareth was in this World he was as Man so far approved of God that he commanded all the Elect Angels to worship him Heb. 1. 6. but with condemned thee W. H. a contemned out side Christ no Saviour no true Christ W. Harriot I will ask one Question of thee which if thou canst soberly Answer I do assure thee it shall be seriously considered the Queston is this to wit Why shouldest thou not be whipt by the Christian Magistrate for this thy notorious and open Blasphemy viz. For Nick-naming the Lords Christ and our only
4 Quest Or can you tell that Christ put off his body since he came to Heaven and Stephen saw him there I am said he most sure that you can tell no such thing for the testimony of the holy Angels is against it for they did assure the Disciples that the same Jesus that they saw ascend should be so seen to come again Act. 1. 9 10 11. And will not these four things put you out of doubt sc that Christ hath the same body now that he had upon the earth Oh how great is the ground of a true Christians comfort that the same person that died for us is thus sate down at the right hand of God aad that there we have the same Jesus interceeding for us in heaven on the other side is it not matter of dread and terror to the wicked both in practice and judgment that still continue to oppose an exalted Christ and prefer their base Lusts and Errors before this glorious Lord Jesus The second part of the charge being fully ended W. Wilkinson called on me to make Good the third part of the Charge viz. That the Prime Principles of a Quaker are the same which were held and professed by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus Which I thus Aâ—gued It appears by the manifold Arguments which the Apostle Paul used towards the Corinthians 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to prove the Resurrection of Christs body from the dead and the bodies of the Saints by him now their Principles were these to wit 1. That the body of Christ was not raised from the dead and consequently he is not Jesus a Saviour 2. That no Mans body shall be râ—ised from the dead and consequently Christ shall not be the riser of the dead The first of these the Apostle confutes in Chap-above ver 3. 4. For I declared unto you first of all that which I received how that Christ dieaâ— or our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that â—he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures And the second likewise in ver 13 14 15. c. But if there be no Resuâ—rection of the dead then is Christ not risen And if Christ be not risen we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that bâ— raised up Christ whom he raised not up iâ— so be that the â—ead rise not Here hence Paul infers ver 32. If after the manner oâ— meâ— I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth is me if the dead rise nâ—t let us â—at and drink for tomorrow we die As if the Apostle had said if it must be with our Bodies as with Beâ—sts after Death then it would be best for us to Live as Beasts 〈◊〉 Time of Life intimating that there resolves and desires is to live in Brutish lust pleasures these are the most predominate motivâ—s that perswaded them to deny and oppose the Resurrection of the dead which opposition I charged upon the Quakers then present To which William Wilkinson replyed saying Shew us an express Scripture which saith That the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus denyed the Resurrection of the Dead I answered 1. It was plainly implyed in that Text of Scripture and it doth evidently concenter therein Besides in reason there is nothing that could be the ground or occasion of this Fight or violent contention between Paul and these Brutish disputants but the Doctrine of the Resurrection 2. I gave him the liberty to put his own interpretation upon the words in vers 32. above To which he made no reply at all Let me here add It is more then probable that the Beasts Paul sought with at Ephesus were the same persons or of the same beastly perswasion which in other places opposed Paul's Doctrines of Faith in Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead As in Athens Act. 17. 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicurians whom Calvin on the Text calls Beasts encountered him and some said What will this babler say othersome He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods because be preacheth unto them Jesus and the Resurrection at which some mocked vers 23. And in the beginning of this 19 Chap. vers 1 2 3. We read that Paul went into the Synagogue of the Jews in Thessalonia and three Sabbath dayes reasoned with the Jews out of the Scripture Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead And that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ But what was the issue the 4. vers tells us sc Some of the Jews believed of the devout Greek a great multitude and of the chief Women not a few but the 5. vers informs us That othersome of the hearers believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City on an uproar against Paul because he preached Jesus and the Resurrection Therefore 10. The Brethren immediatly sent away Paul by night unto Berea who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews and preached the same Doctrine v. 1â— But when the Jews vers 13. of Thessalonia i. e. the lewd followers of the baser sort of the Jews vers 5. had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea they came thither also and stirred up the People then immediatly the Brethren sent Paul away vers 14. and they that conducted him brought him to Athens vers 15. In the next Chapter ch 18. 1. we read That Paul departed from Athens and came to Coâ—inth And he vers 4. reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and perswaded the Jews and Greeks namely to believe in Jesus and the Resurrection as in all places aâ—ore expressed but when he was here also opposed vers 6. He departed thence and sailed into Syria vers 18 and he came to Ephesus vers 19 and entered into the synagogue and reasonâ—d with the Iews Though some perhaps might believe his Doctrines because it is said vers 20. He was desired to tarry a longer time with them Yet it is very probable that he was there opposed by some others as at Thessalionica above either at this or some other time And according to his first Epistle to the Corinthians giveth them an account of it ch 15. 32. Now if the Beasts therein mentioned were not the same individual person yet they were specifically the same i. e. of the same Malignant quality and rotten judgement with those lewd fellows of the baser or more bruitish sort which in Act. 17. 5 c. above so strongly denied and opposed Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour with the Resurrection of the dead upon the whole ye Teaching Seducing Quakers may run and read in the Scriptures of God what lewd and base fellows have been according to the testimony of the holy Spirit of truth your Predecessors and of your bruitish Principles sc 1. Denying Jesus
Reply The charge is only to be As perfect not So perfect let it be observe â—here that As is only a note of likeness or quality in which respect the meanest Saint upon Earth is like his Father in Heaven i. e. as to the likeness of Quality for he hath of the same pure and perfect nature being made partaker of the divine nature 2 Pet. 14. And Paul exhorts the Philippians Chap. 2. 5. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ the meanest Saint hath the same mind in reference to his new nature that is in God himself that is he is like to God who begâ—tteth all his Children in his own likeness Eph. 4. 24. But in regard of the likeness of Equality thus no man is like the Father or the Son in the degrees of these perfect or pure Qualities the most pure Saint is not Equal to God the Father in this or that or the other which is infinitely pure and perfect in him this interpretation is only proper to the Text of Scripture above which speaks not of a perfection from sin though the Father be perfect from all sin yet the Evangelist hath not asserted it in this place and therefore deductions of freedome from sin in the Saints of God in this life cannot from thence be draâ—n nor ratâ—onally argued The sixth Scripâ—ure Rom 6. 18. Being then made free from sin Reply To be made free from sin may not be understood of a freedome from a Being of sin in this life but only of a freedome from the Reign and Dommiâ—n of Sin As the Apostle explains it in ver 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal boaus and in ver 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you that is â—e shall not be the Servants of sin as it is implied in ver 22. and so to be free from sin is to be free from a voluntary subjection in will or work to the commanâ—ing motions of corrupt and sinful nature ver 16. It s most certain it cannot be understood of a freedome from sin simply and absolutâ—ly for in Châ—p 14 10. 7. The same Apostle chargeth sin both upon the weaker and stronger Saints why dost thou judge thy Brother this judging was the sin of the weaker Christians or why dost thou set at thy Brother this setting at nought the weaker Brother was the sin of the stranger Christians well then there can be no state of perfect freedome from sin in this life As the same Apostle in the same Chapter hath inserted ver 7. For he that is dead is free from sin The seventh Scripture Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Reply In us That is in our nature in general Heb. 2. 14. not in our particular persons Rom. 8. 3. I have given a large return to the sense of this place of Scripture in the dispute pa's 15 16 c. where I do refer the Reader The eighth Scripture Rom. 2. 14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts and their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the main while accusing or else excusing one another Reply There is naturally in all men as such a light of direction two manner of wayes 1. By the Law written in their hearts for which the Apostle is here express for when the Gentiles meaning the unconverted Gentâ—â—s which have not the Law do by nature or Natural Ligâ—t the things contained in the Law these having not the Law formally published or Preached to them are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing wiâ—ness c. And as all have a light of direction from the Law written in their hearts or in the Book of natural Conscience So also 2. They have a light of Direction from the Law of Creation or from that which is written of God in the Book of the Creature And Paul makes this light the ground of the righteousness of God in that dreadful revelation of his wrath Chap 1. 18 against all ungodliness and unrighteousness yea for this very reason because that which may be known of God is manifest in them or to them ver 19. For God hath shewed it to them the whole is though all men have not a light of direction from God so powerful as to change them and make them holy much less perfect without sin yet they have a Light so clear and full as is enough to make them guilty And when they refuse to follow this Light of Direction in the Book of the Creature Chap. 1. 20. in doing what is right then follows the second Light to wit the Light of conviction their natural Consciences troubling them or as Pauls phrase is their thoughts accusing them because they have done that which is not right which plainly argues the imperfection of sin and not a perfection from any much less from all sin in Men as Men. The ninth Scripture Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Reply The word Perfect here may not be taken for a perfect freedome from sin for Paul ver 12. saith in effect that he was not perfect from sin which may appear by the 11th verse If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead now the estate which accompanies the Resurrection from the dead excludes all sin the Saints shall then be legally perfect this the Apostle aimed at ver 14. and used all means to accomplish ver 13. but he could not attain it as he doth confess in the 12th verse Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect meaning with that perfection from sin which accompanies the Resurrection of the dead so then Paul doth not only deny himself to be perfect from sin but withal inferres such an estate of perfect freedome not to be attainable in this life by any meer Saint because it attends the Resurrection from the dead which is sufficiently evidenced from the foregoing verses he grants a Gospel ver 15. but denies a legal perfection ver 12. if so then the phrase Perfect in the 15th verse above cannot be understood in a Quakers sense for Paul's being perfect from sin we may not affirm that of Paul which he himself effectually doth deny without manifest wrong to the holy Spirit Besides the Term Perfect let us as many as be perfect may be aken as learned judicious Authors have averr'd for some ripeness and growth in matters of Christianity as in the Jewish Discipline there were two sorts of Learners Beginners these did only exercise themselves in the first principles of religious matters and while they were but endeavouring Beginners they were accounted weak or imperfect in Christianity then there were others that had made some progress in and
Walking sc Zecharias and Elizabeth ' his Wife ver 5. in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless here the Quakers think they are perfect Saints Reply The word Blameless doth not as the Quakers would have it signifie Sinless before the Lord but Rebukeless before men in this World no man can be so blameless as to be sinless in the sight of God 't is true we read Numb 23. 21. He hath not seen iniquity in Jacob that is not with an eye of revenge but pity God saw iniquity in Jacob his people but not so as to destroy them which was the unwearied design desire of Balack the Princes of Moab ver 17. in which sense the not seeing of iniquity in Jacob is only meant Indeed at the glorious second coming of the Lords Christ then the persons of the just shall be sinlesly blameless before the Lord as in 1 Cor. 1. â— That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day of Christs coming in glory the Saints shall be found of God in peace without spot and blameless 1 Pet. 3 4 14. but not thus in this life nevertheless I willingly grant that Believers may walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless that is to say rebukeless in regard of Men this is verified by the Apostle Phil. 2. 15. That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as lights in the World in which sense alone Zecharias and his Wiâ—e Elizabeth were blameless for Zecharias was so far from being perfect without sin that he was found at the very time that the words above were uttered of him guilty of the great sin of Vnbelief and for it was punished with dumbness Luk. 1. 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou dost not believe my words Obj. Here the Quaker will be apt to say But there is no sin charged upon Elizabeth so that she might be perfect without sin Ans 1. The phrase Blameless on which the Quaker puts his whole stress may refer to an Unbeliever yea to a persecutor of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Phil. 3. 6. Touching the righteousness which is in the Law Blameless even then when Paul was graceless he was blameless this I have only noted by way that Teaching Quakers may plainly see that the word Blameless simply in its own nature will be so far from proving perfection of Grace that it will not prove any truth of Grace 2. It will not therefore follow that Elizabeth was perfect without sin because there is no mention made of her sin let it be well observed that in the 6th verse above They are both said to be righteous and blameless even then when the best of them both was guilty of actual sin now if the expressions of Righteous and Blameless were applicable to Zecharias when he was under sin then the same expressions sc of Righteous and Blameless will not argue her to be more free from sin then her Husband there being the same reason for the one as for the other to deny this were to destroy the rules of right reasoning besides death took hold of her as well as of him which is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. 3. If the Term Blameless should prove Zecharias and Elizabeth in their life time sinless or perfect without sin it would prove the Scriptures of God sinful which to assert were Blasphemy for the Holy Scriptures do utterly deny such a blamelesness or freedome from sin in Mortals As in Eccless 7. 20. For there is not a just man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not that is that sinneth not in doing good the Spirit doth say simply that there is not a just man that sinneth not but a just man that doth good and sinneth not intimating that in our most religious Actions there is some mixture of sin hence the Prophet Isai 64. 6. That all our Righteousness is as filthy rags Noting to us that no righteous work of ours is so pure but there is some taint and filth of sin cleaving to it which without a Mediator in the rigor of the Law would be damnable so then though the action as to the matter be not sinful yet there is some sin in the Action this difference is exprest Exod. 28. 38 where the High-Priest is said to bear the iniquity of the holy things holy things in the matter of them yet iniquity in the manner of performing them Rom. 7. 18. How to perform that which is good I find not here hence it is that we read 1 King 8 46. If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and again 2 Chron. 6. 36. For there is no man that sinneth not whence the Apostle James Chap. 3. 2. For in many things we offend all he saith We including himself though an eminent Saint and an Apostle of great holiness All of us offend in many things and many of us in all things likewise our blessed Lord and only Saviour teacheth the choicest of Gods Children to pray unto their Father in Heaven for dayly and continual pardon of sin Mat. 6 12. There is in all true Believers a cursed root of bitterness which God doth mortifie but not nullifie in this World 't is subdued but not removed 't is cast down but not cast out though Grace makes the combat yet death only makes the conquest over sin I proceed to the Quakers Second Principle To wit That the written Scriptures are not 1. The Word of God 2. Nor the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life Reply 1. VVhereas they say The written Scriptures are not the Word of God if thereby they mean the Scriptures as expressed by humane tongues or as written or printed with ink and paper by the art of the VVriter or Printer if so considered we do not affirm the Scriptures to be the VVord of God But as the Written Scriptures do declare the mind of God to us so the matter therein contained is the declarative VVord of God as in Heb. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son Qu. What hath the Son of God spoken touching the Scriptures Ans He tells us that the Scripture is the VVord of God Mark 7. 13. Making the Word of God of none effect Here the Son of God calls the fifth Commandment in the written Scriptures the VVord of God and in Iohn 2. 22. They believed the Scripture the word which Jesus had said Also Ioh. 10. 34 35. And Jesus answered them It is written in your Law I said ye are Gods if he called them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Note in these Texts
adds Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for the spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 5. 13. Purifying the heart Act. 15. 9. doth by that means not only resist occasional prejudices or Lustful desires of revenge but begets also a composure of offences and a healing of injuries which are apt to arise from one Saint towards another hence the Apostle infers walk in the Spirit that is saith Calvin in loc be ye exercised therein wrestle in Spirit against all prejudicial returns of the flesh following the motions sayings and actings of the Rule of the Spirit which is the inspired word for 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in so doing saith Calvin ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh i. e. of corrupt sinful nature as in the 16th ver above asserted surely then the Spirit of God doth not send us from the written rule to a Quakers Spirit their Idol Light within as the only infallible rule of Faith and Life 2. Arg. The Spirit was before the written Scriptures and therefore the Spirit in us ought to be our Rule for Faith and Life Reply We know that Seducing Quakers teach because the Spirit is anticedent to the Scriptures therefore none can walk in the Scriptures till they walk in the Spirit the Consequence is as lame as a Teaching Quaker is blind however it is granted that the Spirit is anticedent to the Scripture in respect of time or as to the revelation of the Scripture howbeit the Scriptures are before the Spirit in respect of aid assistance thus the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 12. But unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which Text of Scripture clearly shews that the Holy Spirit in respect of special help and assistance is subsequent to the Scriptural Gospel Preached this receives further confirmation from the Prophet Isai 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony the written word if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light or beam of the Spirit in them fairly intimating that the Spirits walk in a way of aid is in the paths of the Scriptures and consequently no Christians can walk in the Spirit unless he first walk in and by the Scriptures Again Joh. 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said but this spake he of the Spirit ver â—9 sc of the power and help of the Spirit as subsequent to the Scriptures and in Luk. 5. 17. And as he Christ was Teaching the Power sc the Spirit of the Lord was present to heal them likewise Joh. 16. 13. When the Spirit of truth is come he will guid you into all truth that is into all Scripture Truth so then though the Spirit be anticedent to Scriptures in regard of Revelation yet in respect of aid help and assistance which is the matter in hand the Spirit is subsequent to the Scriptures and in this sense the Holy Scriptures are the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 3d. Argument That there was a Rule of Faith and Life long before the Scriptures were written Therefore the written Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life Reply This Consequence also is weak and infirm it doth not therefore follow that the wrâ—tten Scripture is not our Rule because there was a Rule before the Scripture was written For this is that which we affirm sc That the matter contained in the Holy Scriptures is the only infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life which matter now contained in the written Scripture is the same with that which was before the Scriptures were written for when God revealed himself by visions Dreams c. It was still the sâ—me Gospel matter even the same that is expressed in the written word of the New-Testament There hath not been since the Gospel was Preached to Adam Gen. 3. 15. any increase of Gospel truths in respect of essentials but only in respect of explications though the manner of conveyance is different then and now yet the matter or Gospel Doctrines conveyed is still the same T is true from Adam to Moses more then 2000. years the People of God had no word written yet they had a word given from God to be their Rule else their Worship would have been like a Quakers Will worship A contrived or devised Worship to pacific or please God he could never bear with had not the Law of Sacrificing and the like been by Gods institution and appointment the Lord would have rejected it now though Sacrifices which typed out Christ were offered before the Law of Sacrificing was written yet not before the Law of Sacrificing was given for it was given from the beginning as all other parts of worship were being carried from one to another by tradition from the Fathers to the Children as in the holy stories of the Patriarchs it doth appear as it were from hand to hand till at last the Laâ— was written and the Scriptures penned by Moses well then though the Rule they had before was not an institution written yet it was an institution sent forth given by God himself which Rule of Faith and Life then given was I say again as to the matter therein contained the same with the instituted Rule written now then all that ye Teaching Quakers have said is no more but this sc That you deny this way of written Scripture to have alwayes been the only way of Gospel-conveyance and from thence ye pretend to advance and extoll your unwritten Scripâ—ure that Idol light within that thereby ye may the more craftily throw down the Scriptures inspired of God surely this Plot cannot be from the spirit of the true Christ but from your own as the Lord knows blind rotten and wicked spirit which tells you that you are no further bound to obey the written Scriptures then your Light that false Christ within shall make you willing to obey Arg. 4. That the Spirit is not to be tried by the Scriptures but the Scriptures are to be tried by the spirit therefore the spirit not the Scriptures is our standing Rule for Faith and Life Reply The Father of lies cannot make a greater lie then that which is contained in this Argument for it plainly makes the inspiring Spirit and the inspired Scripture to be of different natures which is contrary to the many Scriptures of truth afore asserted there 's not any Quaker that hath to this day produced one Text of Scripture to make good this Argument where is that place of Scripture to be found which saith the Scriptures are to be tried by the spirit doth not the spirit it self require us 1 John 4. 1. not to believe every spirit but to try not the Scriptures but the spirits i. e. spiritual
gifts whether they are of God And how did the noble Elders at Berea try the Spirit by which Paul Preached The 11th verse tells us It was by their searching of the Scriptures daily whether these things were so it being an Article of Faith with them that the written Scriptures were the Churches standing Rule for Faith and Life and therefore ver 12. Many of them believed sc That Jesus of Nazareth was the true Christ and their only Saviour surely the Elders above trying the spirit by the search of the Scriptures doth sufficiently prove that the spirits are to be tried by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the spirit the end of Gods inspiring the Scripture was that it might thereby be enabled to try the spirit the spirit is so far from questioning or trying the Scripture that it ever witnesseth for or against as the Scripture witnesseth being indited by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1 21. for that end should the spirit of truth witness otherwise then according to the inspired Scripture that is to say if the spirit should witness one thing to be a truth in the Scripture and another thing contrary to it in a mans Conscience the spirit should be divided against it self it should be spirit of contradiction for instance the spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That the true Christ and our only Saviour was and is Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God who was taken by the Jews slain and hanged upon a Tree whom God raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be a Prince and Saviour Thus the spirit witnesseth in the Scriptures Act. 2. 22 23. Chap. 5. 30 31 34. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that there is a light within him which is the true Christ and only Saviour which is not the Man Jesus of Nazareth which the Jews never slew nor hanged upon a tree nor was ever raised by God from a bodily death Again The spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That he is a Righteous man who walketh in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Luk. 1. 16. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that he is a righteous man who forsakes all the commanded Ordinances of the Lord. Now should we Christians be so weak and wicked as to believe a Quakers pretended spirit in him to be the spirit of God and not of the Devil should we not then be guilty of this dreadful Blasphemy namely of makiâ—g the spirit of God a spirit divided against it self a spirit of contradiction teaching lies in the Scripture by witnessing therein the things abâ—ve touching Jesus Christ and his Ordinances to be the truths and other things contrary to them for truths in a Quakers Conscience or as he calls it in his tender part this were to take strong damnable delusions for sacred and scriptural inspirations that inspiration which is either without the wriâ—ten word or against it is an hellish imposture indeed it s no marvel that the Teaching Quakers would have their spirit within that Idolized light to try the Scriptures not to be tried by them for if they mighâ— herein prevail and withal get into the sadâ—le they would undoubtedly soon Arraign Try and Condemn the inspired Bible of God to Fire and Faggot this conclusion may without breach of charity be grounded upon the scurrilous pens of some sâ—ducing Teaching Quakers whom Inâ—ight herein with their bold expressions have declared havâ—ng them by me but I feared the swelling of these confutations and the discouragement that might thereby be given to the Reader By the way I lay down this Caution to wiâ— though the holy and blessed spirit of God be above all tryal yet the â—are spirits even the spirits i. e. the spiritual gifts of all mâ—n which must be submitted to tryal whether they are of God i. e. of the Book of God 2 Cor. 34. 14. wherein there is not any speech or passage but the infinite wisdome of God hath thought fit to be recorded as that which hath in it somewhat for our instruction even the Blasphemy of the Fool which contradicts not only the truth but the very being of God which teacheth us this divine truth That there are seven that is all manner of Abominations in the heart of Man yea we may draw useful instructions from the words of Judas the Traitor after Satan had entred into him and filled his heart not only so but from the words of Satan in his temptations and proposals unto Christ much more may we from the sayings of Holy men which are all material truths from the inspiration of God and therefore fit to try the Spirits or gifts of all men as above which must be submitted to the tryal of the Scripture touch stone In the last place perhaps some Teaching Quakers may say sc We own the written Scripture as a witness-bearer or declarer of that light which is in Man Reply We deny the written Scripture to be a witness bearer to your Light within for if the Scriptures of God should bear witness to that gross piece of foolery call'd Light within it should witness it self to be no word of God For 1. Your Idol Light within saith that the Soul of a Man is part of God and no created substance This will be debated in the next Head 2. That the Light that is in every man by natural generation is the true Christ and only Saviour 3. That the Sacred Oracles of God the Scriptures of truth are not the standing Rule for Faith and Life but your unwritten Scriptures that whimsical Light within you 4. That this Light within will bring men to an absolute perfection a freedome from all sin in this life and to Heaven also 5. That the Lord Jesus Christ though God-man blessed for ever is not the Son of God the Saviour of the World 6. That the person of Christ is not in Heaven above that it is Blasphemy to affirm that he is there 7. That the Light within Man is the true Scripture and Word of God even the everlasting Word and therefore long before the written Scriptures To this last I will make some Reply Reply Let this be granted sc That the Light in Man was long before the written Scriptures yet the written Scriptures do declare a truth to us more ancient then the oldest Quaker or his Idol light within him namely what the Elâ—hims spake each to other saying Let us make Man in our own Image Gen 1. 26. And having made man it tells us what God said sc Be fruitful and multiply ver 28. And behold I have given you of every Tree bearing fruit ver 29. And God commanded the man saying of every Tree of the Garden c. Gen. 2. 16. Moreover the Scriptures tells us of divers things long before themselves were written to wit that after the Fall the Word of God was manifested to Adam and his wise and likewise that God
man being almost spent said again the Scripture saith It is Christ in you which a little moved me and thereupon I demanded of him sc If the true Christ and only Saviour be in thee in what part of thy body is he residing that is to say whether in thy ly Legs Brains or Bowels he had his Answer ready sc This is an Ishmael and his Brother Blasphemer W. H. seconded him Yes quoth he He is an Ishmaelite to which being now without interruptions I make this return That I am content to be called Ishmael as it signifies Heard of God as I hope I am in bearing witness to the Grace of God and Gift by Grace which abounds to all believing Christians through the one Man Jesus Christ and withall let me tell you Quakers Though ye are not in Name yet in Nature Disposition and Practise ye are the true Ishmaels as it doth appear by the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4. 22. to the end wherein all such as stand under the Covenant of works as Quakers do are typified by Ishmael for in this History as spiritually applied by the holy Apostle we have these particulars noted 1. Sarah notes Jerusalem above 2. Isaac all the true seed of God by promise in Christ through Faith 3. Hagar the literal Covenant of God abused by all false Teachers 4. Ishmael All Hypocrites and Bond-Children hereby brought forth in the Church mocking and persecuting the Children of promise under the Covenant of Grace c. As its more particularly asserted in ver 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Here the Apostle reports to us a great Example of unholy scorn sc Ishmael persecuting Isaac Moses tells us the manner how and the weapon wherewith Ishmael did not lift up his hand against Isaac as Cain did against Abel but his tongue he mocked him Gen. 21. 9. reproachful mocking is one of Satans choice Engines to wound the blessed Gospel at the very heart even so it is now saith Paul there and we may now say even so it is now that is they that are born after the Fesh do persecute them that are born after the Spirit or of God Joh. 1. 13. who are Believers in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth ver 12. comp 45. It s but too well known how the Quakers who glory in their own Flesh Gal. 6. 13. and in that respect born after the Flesh do with most unholy scorn mock them that are born after the Spirit sc after the Spirit of Faith in the Lord Jesus of Nazareth reproachfully saying O you believe in a humane earthly Christ in an out-side Christ a Christ in Name Shew and appearance only no real Christ no real Saviour surely these kind of sayings must needs be bitter mockings sarcastical Jearings and most Blasphemous Scorning of the holy and just one born of Mary the Son of the Highest which in ver 29. above the Apostle calls Persecution for it plainly notes a contemptuous and malignant carriage against Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God among the People Act. 2. 22. in short the whole is this to wit Let any rational Saint judge whether the Earth doth or can bear greater persecutors of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth than these Scoffing Quaffing Quakers and consequently are the Ishmaels both in having and acting the very nature and disposition of Ishmael but I shall likewise pass this and return to the third Scripture which William Wilkinson repeated viz. 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are justified by the Spirit of God Answ I told him 1. That he had prophanely dismembred that Sacred Tâ—xt of Scripture as his Brother F. E. had done before him leaving out the Name of the Lord Jesus a Name too hard for them to bear 2. That I had already shewed the mind of the Apostle touching those words and that it would be a disingenious act to weary the judicious Hearers with needless repetitions but be continued clamourous querying Why they might not be washed and justified by the Spirit now as well as others heretofore I replied That the Spirit as such never justified any Saint from fin in the sight of God much less such a one as he was who never had the Spirit of God in him he forthwith required me to prove that to wit That he had not the Spirit of God in him which I proved by 3 Arguments 1. Arg. Was taken from 1 Joh. 5. 8. There are three thâ—t bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in me But the Spirit that is in thee doth not agree with the water of Baptismâ—â— nor blood of the Super for thou hast renounced both the Sacraments therefore the Spirit of God is not in thee Note though I thus Argued yet it was not to exclude other implicated respects in this Text of Scripture To which he Replied saying That he had both Baptisme and the Lords Supper within him But I proved the contrary thus Baptisme and the Lords Supper are visible signes of the invisible efficacy of Christs one Crucified Body but the visible signes namely washing with water in or unto the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Bread and Wine broken and given and poured forth are not within thee therefore the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord are not within thee To this he made no Reply By the way let the Reader observe to wit That the Teaching Seducing Quakers do usually affirm the true Church Officers and Ordinances of Worship are in God and that the Deity is in them therefore all these are invisibly in them being as they prate immediately made by the Spirit still the Idol-light within whence they conclude that Baptisme and the Lords Supper are within them though their assertions herein be frequently and most plainly contradicted by themselves For they maintain and keep up visible Meetings Officers Light worship and Worshippers and thus by their constant visible practice they clearly confute themselves living in contradiction to their own fanciful Principles and being self confuted they are self-condemned How great is this darkness Again here hence it is That they acknowledge no other Baptisme then of the Holy Ghost and of Fire which makes many of them as it s supposed so hot two Wives calling it their internal warmth and spiritual refreshment nor no other Lords Supper than their daily Feasts of fat things which as they dare say feed them with heavenly joyes glories and unspeakable delights often attended with a dissembled kind of canting-hummings within a new kind of charm to seduce the itching ear and soft head with unscriptural novelties so much for their internal and invisible Sacraments I pass to the second Argument 2. Arg Was taken from Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God But this holy