than he or any of the persecuting Priests in New-England who make a Trade of them and keep people always under Teaching that they may be always paying of them And Priest Bond saith The spirits are to be tryed by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by the Spirit page 92. And in page 93. He contradicts himself and confounds all again The Holy and Blessed Spirit of God is above all Tryal Priest Bond saith We deny the written Scripture to be a witness-bearer to your Light within See how Ignorant he is of the Scripture 2 Cor. 4. God who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Mark the Light that shines in the heart that is the Light within that the Scriptures bear witness too But I perceive the God of this World hath blinded Priest Bond 's eye And how can any man come to the knowledge of God and Christ without the Light of Christ within shining in their hearts And Priest Bond falls on rayling Idol light within page 94. Seducing Quakers Idol light of your own addle brains Soul-deceivers ye would lay a foundation of your own humane inventions And yet Priest Bond calls Christs Body humane which is his own Invention and not Scripture And unbloody Light within Idolized light hath no more real blood in it than there is in the Transubstantiated blood of your Popish Brethren Here the Reader may see what a rage and madness Priest Bond is in against the Light of Christ And as for Popish Brethren Priest Bond 's language bewrays him he is nearer to them than the Quakers And S. B. confesses in page 95. That the Word of God was manifest through Adam and to Cain and to Noah Our Light within is the Light of Christ the Word by which all things were made and created and in him was Life and that Life was the Light of men And this the Scriptures witness But Priest Bond saith The whimsey called Light within is the new devised ground of Faith Christ who doth inlighten every man that cometh into the World saith Believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light And Christ is the author and finisher of our Faith and the Light of Christ that he bids us believe in is no Whimsey which Priest Bond blasphemes against And in Page 96. Priest Bond makes a great pudder about the Soul of Man and he saith That the Quakers say the Soul of Man is God in part which are not the Quakers words And then he saith the Soul cannot be God No Quakers ever said so S. B. saith The Soul of Man was made after Gods Image It is a true Image it is a very near and likely Image which appears not only in the spiritual and immortal nature of it c. All pure and righteous conformed to Gods will the Soul is a Spirit c. page 98. And when Priest Bond hath rambled over a great deal of Pages about the Soul this he is made to confess and the Quakers say God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living soul And so is not the Soul part of his Breath And Priest Bond confesses the Soul is a Spirit and then is it not part of Gods Spirit from him And the Light in Man which is the Life of Christ the Word by whom all things are made Priest Bond saith must be the Principle of true Religion in the Devils and damned Oh hellish Divinity and Doctrine for even the Devils and damned live and move c. page 96. These are Priest Bond 's false conclusions The Light which is the Life in Christ the Word they that hate the Light their deeds are evil and the Light is their condemnation for it condemns the Devil who abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth S. Bond saith That the Quaker doth conclude that the invisible and Infinite Godhead is divided into parts Then he cries thus senseless are they of the gross absurdities But we charge S. B. to quote the Book or the Man that ever said the Godhead is devided into parts Then S. B. falls a railing in page 99. The Idol light within And in page 90. he makes many Comparisons with his railing words betwixt the Quakers and the Papists Quakers light within Quakers light within infallible Light within infallible Spirit within erroneous high blasphemy Thus Priest Bond is in a rage and a fury against the Light of Christ and his Infallible Spirit within But I ask Priest Bond and all his fellow Priests whether the Light of Christ and his Spirit within and his Holy Ghost be infallible yea or nay And whether he can call Jesus Lord without the Holy-Ghost and whether he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is Christs yea or nay And what Brightman said of the Pope Priest Bond may take it home to himself And in page 98. The Quakers Light within his Pope without These are scornful expressions and his Lies In page 99 and an 100. Priest Bond saith the Quakers denying of the Trinity or Three persons in one Deity Three persons in one Godhead Gen. 1. Let us make man c. But hath not Priest Bond made Four here Three persons in one Deity and one Godhead S. Bond saith No Man hath seen â—od at any time Then how can he tell he is a Person then and Christ saith He is a Spirit He saith The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are declared three Witnesses c. And why cannot Priest Bond own them so but give other names to them Bu◠〈◊〉 all these Pages Priest Bond hath not proved his word Trinity nor Three Persâ—ns The Scripture mentions Christs Person but it doth not say a Trinity in Three Persons Is not Priest Bond ashamed to say That Scripture is his Rules and cannot prove his word Trinity or Three Persons by Scripture or in the Scripture But the Quakers according to the Scripture do believe that there is Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one mark are one which we own And there are three that bear witness in the earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one which we own in 1 John 5.8 And Priest Bond goes on in his course of railing Atheistical and Idol light within which the Romish Nebuchadnezzar set up in teaching Quakers the Devil hath inspired S. B. Thus to blaspheme against the Light of Christ in his people and yet he makes people believe that he would dye for the Name of Jesus and dye like the glorious Martirs of Jesus whereas he is persecuting the true Lord Jesus of Nazareth in his people like Saul and blaspheming against the Light of Christ within his people which they believe in which shines in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the
intended matter So I leave that and come a little to examin the proof of the second false Assertion viz. That the main End of the Quakers Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angells and Apostles all Lyars and false Witnesses of God Now let any Reasonable Man judge what ground or foundation he hath to lay down such a positive Assertion for he never was at any of our Meetings in these Islands to know our practices in our Meetings whereby he might discover our ends but either he must have it by Information or Supposition or Consequence Which either of these may prove true or false and therefore whether the one or the other it is too slender a ground to build such an Accusation upon against an Innocent People but whither will not Envy lead a Man Even to shame himself But let us see how he will prove his Work Why Mark. First he supposes That the main end of our Meeting is to declare to People or to build up one another in this Doctrine that the Light within or Spirit of Christ in us is the Saviour This he supposeth to be the main end of our Meeting and this saith he is against the Testimony of Christ to the Man whose Eyes he had opened John 9.35 36 37. As I remember this was the Scriptu e he brought when the Blind Man enquired who the Son of God was that he might believe Jesus Answered I that speak unto thee am he This saith he was the Man or Body only from whence he doth infer that the Man Jesus considered meerly as Man is the oâ—ly Saviour and therefore saith he The Quakers main end of their Meeting is to make the Lords Christ a Lyar. Noâ— see what Weight this Argument hath in it the Weight must lie in these Words I that speak unto thee am he Now here lies the Question whether in these Words he meant the Body only or that which dwelt in the Body also Which was the Godhead joyned with the Manhood which thing was not at all proved at that time from the Scripture according to his promise and so did falsifie his Word and is it not strange that the Priest should make Christs Body to speak without his Spirit But now that People may not be left in the dark with their Understandings Clouded consider and Weigh seriously whether it was not the same Jesus which spake to the Jews in the foregoing Chapter 8 56. Abraham rejoyced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad And Verse 58. Before Abraham was I am Now the Body was brought forth in time according to Gal. 4.5 And so was not before Abraham in the Body But S. B. said That he is not the Son of God but as he was Man Now consider how grievous dark this Man is read the Scripture diligently and you shall see what a Testimony it gives concerning the Son of God Psal 2.7 The Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this Day have I begotten thee This was long before the Body was and he speaks here of the time present This Day have I begotten thee Heb. 1.2 Where he saith that God Hath in these last Dayes spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appoined Heir of all things now mark by whom also he made the Worlds So he that made the World or that Word by which the World was made was the Son of God John 1.10.3 Who being the brightness of his glory the Son of God he is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his substance and upholding all things by the Word of his Power mark this was the Son of God that upholds all things by the word of his Power when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High So see and consider well and weigh this matter and let the wise in Heart Judge For God had promised afore by his Prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the seed of David according to the Flesh and declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead by whom we have received grace c. Rom. 1 2.3.4.5 And this is the true Christ we own in his Grace and Truth both as he was made of the seed of David according to the Flesh and as he is declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness c. according to God and his Son and his Angels and Prophets and Apostles against all Opposers and Blasphemers but espacially against SAMPSON BOND who was Priest at Bermudas And we are sorry that the Sherriffe and Justices of Peace in Bermudas should believe or regard his Lyes and Slanders But it is clear Sampson Bond hath put the Sheep of Christ in scorn called Quakers in his Bear-Skin that such as he is might worry them Secondly He saith We in our Meetings or the main end of our Meetings is to make the Holy Spirit a Lyar and to prove this he names Luke 2.30 Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace for mine Eyes hath seen thy Salvation I hope said he you will not deny that Old Simeon spakâ— by the Spirit Now said he it was his Bodily Eyes which he spake of by which he only beheld the Body of Jesus and hence doth infer that we witnessing to the Spirit do makâ—th Spirit of God a Lyar. Let us see what weight this Argument hath in it and for the better opening of your Understandings take S. B's own Words I hope you will not deny Old Simeon to speak by the Spirit Indeed he was a Spiritual Man and so was abâ—e to discern the things of God and he was a Prophet and spake in the Spirit of Prophesie in which he spake and declared of him as a Light prepared before the face of all People not the Jews only but all People A Light to lighten the Gentiles c. And mark withal what it was that was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should see Was it not the Lords Christ If the Body barely considered without the Spirit had been the Lords Christ then the Jews had seen the Lords Christ for they only saw the Body and Crucified it But the Lords Christ the Lord of Glory was vailed from their Eyes For had they seen him they had seen the Father also John 14.9 And had they known him they would not have Crucified him But now the unbelieving Iews had neither heard the Fathers Voice at any time nor seen his shape Iohn 5.37 And so it is clear though they saw the Body yet saw not the Father they saw not the Eternal Power and Godhead as they did whose Eyes where opened in and by the Spirit as Old Simeons was who saw through the Vail and beheld the endless Power of that which made the
to be their Guide and their Instructor and their Leader and in the Spirit they were to Worship the Father and this is the word of Faith even Christ the begetter of Faith in the Heart and must be believed in and obeyed and walked up to according to his Inward Moons and requirings which always moveth and leadeth into the things that is good and maketh manifest the Evil and reproveth for it and this is not received by Natural Generation but by the Inspiration of the Almighty which is Light which shines in our Hearts and gives the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ and this Spirit Life and Power dwelt in the Son of God without measure but in the Saints in measure and this is he by which the Saints are Sanctified and do receive full assurance of the everlasting unchangeable Inheritance and this is wrought by degrees by the same Spirit by which the Saints are continually given up to Death to dye to Sin to dye to the Flesh to dye to the World that the Life of Jesus may be made Manifest in their Mortal Bodies And the Manifestation of this Spirit being given to every Man to profit withal and we believing that every Man hath Received a Measure of this pure Light according to Joh. 1.9 therefore do we direct People to turn in their Minds to this Heavenly Principle this Heart searching Light that makes Manifest Sin and Transgression and leads the Soul out of Captivity from under the Power thereof and these things we declare and Exhort People to submit unto the same for herein only is the true Spiritual Worship witnessed And now S. B. what wilt thou say Wilt thou judge this is to deny Christ or to make him a Lyer who was truly God or to make the Holy Spirit a Lyer to whom we thus Testifie or to make the Angels Lyers who Testified to him as a King whose Kingdom was not of this World or to make the Apostles Lyers who bare so large a Testimony to his Spiritual appearance I know and am sure had thou received thy Message from the Lord or ever walked in the Path of the Righteouss thou wouldst have had another Message to declare then any yet I can see come from thee Now all the Scriptures that S. B. brings to prove his charge they are such as proves the same Jesus to be the Saviour who was one with the Father And however these Testimonies of Christ the Spirit the Angels and Apostles seems to speak of the outward Man yet thereby we cannot understand it any otherwise then as he was the Christ and Saviour of the World who dwelt in the Father and the Father in him and the words he Spoke they were not his but the Fathers that sent him But he goes on to Revile the Light with his common term of Idol which Idols and Idolatrous practises was ever hateful unto God But the more he Reproaches it the more he doth heap up Vengeance upon his own Head to be Executed upon him in the day of the Lord. The next thing to he considered was a Sentence of Scripture Spoken by Will Harriot in denyal of the Priests false charge concerning our Mâ—etings saying The Apostle Travelled in Biraâ—h for the Gallations till Christ was formed in them which words he Spoke without naming Chap. and ver for which he derides him and calls him Impertinent Simpleton and with all he Glories that he could readily point at the Chap. and ver to which I answer is this any point of Religion Is it any matter of Salvation Is it nor rather a chief part of thy Trade which thou hast been Exercised in more then twenty years and peradventure Received for thy Hire several hundred pounds worth and this is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and agreeable with the Practise of Balaam who Loved the wages of Unrighteousness now it were a shaâ—e for thee Trading with the Scripture so long and not to have thy Trade perfect The Scripture was Gal. 4.19 The which Scripture this Reviling Priest makes use off to Reproach the Light thus If when Paul writ to the Gallations Christ was to be formed in them then the Light in every Man the Quakers Rotten Principle which is in every Man by Natural Generation he saith is not the True Christ Rep. In defiance of this Heavenly Principle I say thou art an Ignorant Man for this Light is of a more Noble Birth and Generation for it is of Gods own begetting and so not of a Flâ—shly Generation for that which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit And it is one thing to have this principle in them and another thing to be in Union with it it is one thing to have it in a Man and another thing to be formed into its likeness now none can Witness the formings of Christ in them but such as do receive Christ the Light they and only they receive Power to become Children of the most High God even they that believe in his Name which is the Power by which Christ Jesus was raised up from the Dead and such who by Faith lay hold on the Power the Word of Life the quickning Spirit by which the Saints are begotten again into Christs Nature and Christs own Nature raised up in them and so is Christs Word fulfilled you in me and I in you And thus to know Christ is not to deny the Body which suffered and Rose again for the Saints which Testified of the Man did also bear Witness to the Spirit which was their Guide and Leader and Instructer and Saviour and Saved them from the Body of Death and Power of Darkness and Law of Sin and Mortified Sin in them and their Vile affections which were upon the Earth was Subdued by the Spirit of Christ and they came to know him to be the quickning Spirit quickning and Enlivening them and raising them up to sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so Old things were Witnessed to pass away and all things to become new new Nature Will new Assertions new Desires new all New The next thing to be considered is his Ridged sencering of Will. Harriot with his Fellow Seducers as he calls them Pag. 59 60 61. In which he shews his Persecuting Spirit in passing such a Sentance as Whipping for no other Transgression then to deny such a Doctrine as is not truly grounded upon the Scripture and not only so but in divers particulars contrary to the Scripture And for this he takes the Scripture for his Rule Joh. 2.13 And Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the Temple those that Sold Oxen and when he had made a Whip of small Cords he drove them out of the Temple and said unto them make not my Fathers House a House of Marchandice Now Mark what ground hath he or can he rightly gather from hence to punish a Man with Corporal punishment for matter of
Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. And truly Priest Bonds Book is such a pack of Nonsence and Contradictions and Tautologies that it is loathsome and noisome to the Reader and in it there is more malice than matter as any rational man may see by the foulness of his Spirit and Tongue and his filthy Language and ungracious and filthy words that his ungodly Book is stuft withal Priest Bond I would have thee to prove that the Holy-Ghost is a Person which proceeded from the Father and the Son and leads into all Truth And when the Holy-Ghost fell upon the Disciples in the time of Pentecost did it fall upon them as a Person And when it fell upon Cornelius's Family did it fall upon them as a Person And Christ tells the Disciples that the Holy-Ghost the Comforter dwells with you and shall be in you John 14. And was this a Person Acts 11. Acts 19. The Holy-Ghost fell upon c. So where ever did Christ or the Apostles call the Holy-Ghost a Person S. B. is to prove this Word by Scripture which he saith is his Rule Now concerning the Scriptures which Priest Bond calls the Word of God first doth not the Scripture signify Writings And do not you teach your Children so that Scripture signifies Writings in your Catichisme and Matthew the Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ and Christ read in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and in the Book of the Words of Isaiah the Prophet Luke 3 and 4. and Luk. 4.17 Written in the Book of the Law Gal. 3.10 and Written in the Book of the Psalms Acts 1.20 And doth not Luke set forth a Declaration Luke 1. And so doth he not call that a Declaration which he set forth and so Daniel calls them the Scriptures of Truth Daniel 10.21 And Mark calls them the Scriptures Mark 12.10 and Luke 4.21 Christ calls them Scriptures and John 2.22 and in Acts 1.16 The Apostle calls them Scriptures Rom. 10.11 and 11.2 The Apostle calls them Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.16 James 2.8 2 Peter 1.20 Acts 17.2.11 Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 15.3 Here in all these places and many more Christ and the Apostles calls them Scriptures which signifies Writings Now Scriptures of truth which signifies Writings they are called the Words of God God spake all these Words Exod. 20. And Christ saith John 3.34 The Words of God And John 5.47 John 6.62 And John 8.20.47 John 10.121 John 12.47 48. John 14.10.23.17.8 All these are concerning the Words And Acts 2.14.5.20 1 Tim. 4.6.6.3 The words in all these places and many more Revelations 1.3 that hear the words of this prophecy and until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Revel 17.17 These Words are true Revel 21.5 Testifie saith John to every Man the words of the Prophecy of this Book if any Man shall take away from the words of the Prophecy of this Book c. So here you may see the Scriptures are called Words Books Declarations and the Writings and Scripture and are called the Words of God and the Words of Christ but Christs Name is called the Word of God John 1.8 And again Christs Name is called the Word of God Revelations 19.13 So here the Quakers own the Scriptures as they have been called by Christ and his Apostles and the Prophets S. Bond saith The written Word of God the Scriptures are an infallible Rule of Faith and Life Page 88. The matter contained in Scriptures is the only Infallible Rule of Faith and Life Page 91. See here how Priest Bond contradicts himself Let the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts in all Wisdom Coloss 3. And what Priest Bond is this the Letter Priest Bond saith The Quakers worship cannot be acceptable to God Page 89. These are Priest Bonds Lyes for Quakers worship God in the Spirit and the Truth as Christ commanded and hath taught us John 4. And Priest Bond saith The Quakers reproach the Lord when they deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God Page 88. And yet Priest Bond contradicts himself in Page 87. and saith We do not affirm the Scriptures to be the Word of God but as the written Scriptures do declare the Mind of God to us So here Priest Bond is made to confess the Quakers principles but presently after he confounds it again and saith The Scripture is the Word of God And then contradicts himself again and saith The matter therein contained is the declaritive Word of God Page 87. Priest Bond saith the Quakers are apt to say there is no sin Charged upon Zachariahs Wife who was Righteous and blameless but saith Priest Bond Death took hold as well of her as of him which is the wages of sin Rom. 6. So what must we understand from Priest Bonds words Here they that put off the Earthen Tabernacle and dye in the Lord that natural death is the Wages of Sin Rom. 6.23 But let the Reader see how he abuses the Scripture for the Wages of sin is death But saith the Apostle Now being made free from sin and become the Servants of God This is while they were upon the Earth alive and is it not a denying of Christ that dyed for Sin to say that Death took hold of Elizabeth as well as Zachariah and so upon all other People to wit a natural death and that natural death which is the wages of sin as in Page 86. where he perverts Rom. 6. But the Saints and we tell Priest Bond Christ dyed for our Sins and is risen for our Justification and so whether we live or dye we are the Lords and if we dye we dye in the Lord and Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Priest Bond They have a Light of direction from the Law of the Creation and this Light is clear and full enough to make them Guilty in Page 82. But Priest Bond dost not thou call this Light within an Idol Light Page 90 And where doth the Scripture call the Light of Christ a Law of the Creation or a natural Light And Priest Bond thou saist in Page 81. The Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law There is naturally in all Men as such a Light of direction or natural Light And Priest Bond dost not thou call this a Natural Light or by Generation this Law written in the Gentiles hearts as thou saist in Page 81. But who writ the Law in the Gentiles hearts and how doth this Light come by nature or generation prove this by express words in Scripture which thou callest thy rule Noah was a just and a perfect man c. Job was a good and perfect man And Priest Bond saith to infer and say that Noah or Job were perfect from all Sin in this Life would be a miserable perverting of other places of Scripture c. Page 78. And in Page 87. There is in all true believers a Cursed Root of bitterness not cast out Death only
World and upholds it by the same Word of Power who after he had purged our sins said the Apostle sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High Ephes 4.6 And this is he who fills all things and is above all and in us all So all those that desire to know their Sin purged must know Christ not at a distance only but nigh even dwelling in them else they are Reprobates which all the obedient in Heart do Witness according to his promise If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So he that believeth in Christ at a distance only never knows a fulfilling of Christs Words in them who said He and his Father would make their abode with them For it was revealed by the Holy Ghost to Old Simeon before he had seen the Lords Christ and Simeon came by the Spirit into the Temple c. And the Angel of the Lord told Ioseph that which was conceived in Maâ—y is of the Holy Ghost Now Simeon by the Spirit and Holy Ghost did see the Lords Christ which was conceived by the Holy Ghost who was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost So this was a Spiritual Sight not Natural For the Natural Man receives not the things of God they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them bâ—cause they are Spiritually discerned Mat. 1.20 Luke 2.26 27. 1 Cor. 2.14 And the Angel said to Mary that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And doth not Christ say That none knowes the Father nor the Son but by Revelation 3. S. B. saith farther we make the Angels Lyars who said he bore witness only to the Body or Man Luke 2.11 To which I Answer I deny that the Angels there do bear Witness meerly to the Body for in their Testimony they testifie to this Saviour as a King For unto you is Born said they in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Which Word Christ relates to his Kingly Power which was Spiritual as he saith My Kingdom is not of this World And the Testimony or Message the Angel brought to Mary as concerning the Son of God who was now coming to be made manifest in the Flesh said He should Reign forever and his Kingdom should have no End Luke 1.33 For the Angel said Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his Name Emanuel which being Interpreted is God with us So here you may see that the Angels bore Witness more then only to the Body or Man Mat. 1.23 as Sampson Bond doth assert which he has not proved So Mary believed God and did not ascribe the Work of Salvation to him meerly as Man but to God saying My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Vers 47. I would not have any one to think because I plead so much for the Spirit that I deny the Body of Christ but do own it in all points as the Scripture doth declare of it and so give the Honour due unto it Though I cannot believe the things declared by S. B. in his Nonscriptural expressions The last thing which is the Apostles Testimony of Christ I have sufficiently spoke to already and so shall wave it here So People may see how far short of his promise he came in proving his Three Accusations with the greatest clearness from the Holy Scripture so hath little cause to boast or glory of his Victory for the Truth stands over his Head and will do for ever The Third and last Accusation is That the prime Principles of a Quaker is the same that was held and professed by the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus And to prove this he first doth endeavour to prove that those Beasts did deny the Resurrection and said so do we I answer The first was never truly proved and the second is absolutely false his Scripture to prove the first 1 Cor. 15.32 where the Apostle saith If after the manner of Men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what doth it avail if the Dead rise not Doth this at all argue that this was the Ephesians profest Principles or doth it not rather argue that the Saints loses their reward for all their labour if the Dead rise not as he saith in the 19th Vers If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most Miserable So that he hath fallen short of his proof and so his Accusation is truly overthrown But inasmuch as he did go on to charge the thing upon us viz That we do deny the Resurrection I do here testifie that it is none of our Principles to deny the Resurrertion for we own it as the Apostles own'd it Not the same Body not a Corruptible Body not a Natural Body a Natural Body hath Flesh Blood and Bones but a Spiritual Body as the Apostle saith And a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones said Christ which before he can prove he must be fain to get new Scripture for the Old will maintain no such Doctrines So though he did stop and hinder me that time by his Mocks and Scoffs and deriding Speeches and clamorous Noise altogether unlike a Preacher of the Everlasting Gospel as he saith in his Paper be is yet now through mercy I trust as the Truth will stand over your Heads so I shall be clear of your Blood whether you will hear or forbear I am a Friend to the Seed and a Lover of your Souls The 11th of the 3d Month 1678. Francis Estlacke Some few Lines briefly Answering some Part of SAMPSON BOND 's Book Entituled The Quakers in BERMUDAS Tryed c. THat part in his Book which I find my self chiefly concerned to make Answer to is where he makes mention of my Name viz. William Wilkinson As for my part I do not know that I should have set Pen to Paper to have made him any Answer had he laid down the Matter concerning me every way Fairly and truly without Abusing me or the Truth but I finding in several places of his Book Words printed that I cannot own to be Truth besides his reviling Speeches which he hath cast at me As Prater a Baffling Quaker and one that never had the Spirit of God in me All which things in the sense he brings them if true were a great Reproach But I knowing it is too hard a thing for him to prove or plainly to make appear do find my self justly concerned to make some reply or answers both to these and several other things for the vindicating of the Truth and my self also from him whom I find in his Book hath very much strove to make his own case appear strong and ours weak c. But according to that saying in Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his Neighbour cometh and searcheth
it was brought which might be enough to make a Sober Man admire what I or we did mean so to do But to be short the reason why that Scripture was brought was in answer to him who stood there to affirm Thâ—t Christ as Man was the only material Saviour without joyning the Godhead with the Manhood which place of Scripture I judge was very pertinent to that master shewing that though the Apostles had known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth said he kâ—ow we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 So that of necessity the true sensibâ—e knowledge that any Man could have of Christ for the future time must be in Spiâ—it according to what Christ himself had promised wherein he said He that is with you shall be in you and again he saith in John 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And in the 13th Vers When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth The next place of Scripture which he saith I repeated was the 1 Cor. 6.11 where the Apostle saith But ye are washed but ye are justified by the Spirit of God and farther he asserts that I Queriâ—d Why they meaning us might not be washed and justified by the Spirit now as well as others heretofore To which part of his reply was That I never had the Spirit of God in me and to prove it he layes down three Arguments the which I here sleight as not worth the mentioning only this I look upon as worth the noting and I would have them that reads his Book take notice of it in Pag. 65 66 67. where his Charge or Accusation concerning me as abovesaid is mentioned His Charge runs thus That I never had the Spirit of God in me and his proof is only a recharging me in different terms That I have not the Spirit of God in me his Charge in both most uncharitably excludes me from the Spirit of God saying thou never had it it is not in thee And in the other two â—f his censorious judgings his words are hast not and have â—ot Now I say a Man would think that he looking upon himself so wise and so learned as it appears by his Book he does that he should not have repeated such proofless and false Accusations as that I never had the Spirit of God in me which I know through the mercy of God he cannot prove while he lives yet what satisfaction could this be to the People that heard To the Question Propounded the Apostle speaks of some that were bad Sinners as we may read in the 1 Cor. 10.11 But they were Washed and Sanctified and Justified in the Name of the Lord Jâ—sus and by the Spirit of God And the Question to this purpose was why we might not be Washed and Justified now as well as others heretofore This Quâ—stion ought to have been answered directly to because it is commonly spoken of by many in the World that there is no Revelation now adays and no freedom from in on this side the Grave and if so then indeed there were no Spiritual Washing nor Cleansing from Sin in these days as in days past But this I have to say and through the mercy of God am a Witness of that Revelation is not ceased now adays for God hath shewed by his Spirit or Light in the Heart of Man in these days the things that belong unto his Peace he shews unto Man now as in days past that he should do Justly love Mercy and walâ— humbâ—y with the Lord and this Revelation or Manifestation of God by his Spirit or Light in the Heart and Consciences of People is very precious and by taking heed unto this Light within or measure of the Spirit or Grace of God which is all one and the same thing though called by several Names and by loving and obeying it I believe many are come to depart from Sin and Iniquity and come by it to find and feel the true peace fo God And so herein the true Spiritual Washing and Cleansing from Sin is known and witnessed ye even by the powerful working of the Spirit of God in Man But for all his bad Words and hard Speeches which he hath cast not only at me but at the Light within also which may be plainly seen in his Book I can leave him to the Lord to answer for it to whom every Man must give an account for the Deeds done in the Body be they Good or Evil. Now I having answered to his three false Accusations mentioned in the beginning which he in his Book hath cast at me I would have it considered by the Reader whether that which he hath cast at me be not come upon himself Namely where he hath striven to baffle the Apostles meanings to his own Words and give another meaning to them then the Apostle himself there doth where he saith Christ in you the Hope of Glory this Man to wit Sampson Bond calls this an inforced sense and saith It doth destroy the true nature of the Word HOPE Now I would have it well considered by the Reader who hath baffled he or I I that own the Apostles Words or he that has so far disowned them as his Words above mentioned hath made appear And where it is in all his Book that I have either baffled or prated unsound Words that I have not given a sound reason for what I have said to him ought to have been made appear But this I have to say to all People that are not yet convinced of the Truth as my Testimony for it That he or they that hath not Christ in them to wit his Spirit in them their hope of Glory cannot come to know the true living hope of true Glory in them let them Profess what they will And for this many places of Scriptures may be brought to prove As First The Apostles own Words before mentioned Coll. 1.27 where he faith Christ in you the hope of Glory Secondly Christs own Words John 15.5 For without me you can do nothing Thirdly In Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Fourthly Where the Apostle saith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 4.6 And God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Fifthly In Rom. 8.24 We are saved by Hope Sixthly Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Seventhly It is clear that they that are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God as in Rom. 8.14 where the Apostle saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Eighthly The hope of the Wicked is to
and time to stop his boasting over them in some things wherein they are not versed Wherein he shews both his Arrogance and Deceit pretending an Aristotelian Schooll-form before and against Men that are not skilled at that Weapon forsaking the plain Spiritual Weapons inclosed in plain words and methods which the true Preachers used Some of the Schooll-Men themselves say Baconthorp prol 4 sen q 8 Beware of Subtil Sophisters in the Doctrine of the Church The nature of Sophisms is to bring in all errors and Heresyes Wherein he shews himself unskilful as well as deceitful J. Bale as in saying The Conclusion ought not to be denyed And in proving but one part of the reason in all his four Arguments Begging the former part in all unproved The Consequence is Ungranted Ungrounded and Unproved which is in question the second part unquestioned by all is all he proves For he proves Jesus of Nazareth to be Christ by the Scriptures he brings but no where pâ—oves by the Scriptures that we own him not as Christ Onely as the Professers then saying He had an unclean Spirit a Devil So S. B. c. now saying His Spirit is an Vnclean Spirit the Devil Because they have said it it must be taken as an axiom a Maxim needing no proof because they have said it their authority is sufficient because they are Infallible their Positions are Principles Authentic Self-proof And so great is his Authority he thinks that he makes himself determinating Judge in the Schoolls Magisterially For as I remember I have read in the Master of the Sentences upon occasion of a dispute between a Presbyterian and a Baptist almost forty Years ago on that Question that several of the Fathers held That the Spirit was in Men not only efficiently or Vertually So no new Doctrine And they being in all Mens esteem greater then we how comes it that we in his esteem and not they are then the greatest Antichrists But it happens to us as Erasmus said it did to Luther when the Priests accounted that Heresy in him which they accounted Orthodox in the Fathers And as it happened to Erasmus himself Apolog. when he said to the Popish Doctors of Paris Why blame ye me for denying swearing to be lawful blame the Fathers for denying it whose Authority I bring But S. B. seperates as well as distinguishes Personal Mystical Operative but no where proves it but only by his mighty Greek Word Metonymy which he brags that F. E. understands not which he could if he had not hid himself in Greek as their manner is but call'd it in plain English as the word signifies Misnaming which he no ways proves only says it As if God were not in us of a Truth in whom we live move and have our being and not afar off as the Heathen acknowledged but only operatively working by a Metonymy a misnaming improper speaking as the Sun is at a distance and so fills not all things nor Christ where his Spirit is nor the Father where the Son Works and both where the Spirit contrary to the Schools also which say that the works of those three are indivisible ad extra Nor that Christ is not really where he is mystically so not in his Body Christ not in Christ nor the Father in the Son nor he in him Cyril on John l. 10 c. 13. nor they in the Saints nor that they dwell in them but only by a Metonymy not really and properly only by works at a distance I do not read that ever the Lutherans called Vbiquitarians were by their adversarys called for that the vilest Antichrist or other his vilest terms he bestows on us but allowed honourable Names as Zanchy called the judicious Zanchy of Ch. Relig. of true disp p. 6. 7. c. who said The Humane nature of Christ might extend from Heaven to Earth c. But to omit him and others to avoid that Name Vbiquitarian Chytraeus approved as aforesaid handling those Controversies professedly of the Son in the Articles of the Creed and opposing the prodigious Vbiquity as he calls it yet saith in the close all The Divinity of the Word which only of it self is Quickening Omnipotent and Omniscient yet shines in the whole Humane nature assumed and in it and by it is freely effectual as hot Iron possesses heat and the force of shining and burning truly and in very deed communicated in it self but not of it self For we know that all Orthodox Antiquity unanimously used this similitude And as for Ubiquity our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ Immanuel not only by his Divinity but also according to his Humane Nature to be truly present wheresoever he hath promised by his Word that he will be present we doubt not nor take away the glory of his Truth and Omnipotency due to Christ So he who would in these Controversies also have the plain words in Scriptures kept to as they sound simply properly p. 201. But S. B. also Magesterially invents a lowing new term viz. Humane p. 50. as easily found in Authours as Humane in Scriptures Also he declares without proof that in Rom. 1.19 is not meant Christ by whom the World was made p. 25. 38. though by Christ he understands God-man And that to them is not in them but without them I would have him shew how the God-head can be shewn to the outward Eye the inward being blind by the monstrous Syllogism or reasonless reason to speak plain English of this blind Sampson the Phiilstines having put out his Eyes The Psalm the Apostle grounds it on shews the inward Preacher as well as the outward declaring God as the fear of the Lord and the Words and Expressions of like signification after the Hebrews manner of speech And what Light can the Scriptures which he calls the Light give to them that have no Light in them Even as much as the Sun can give to a blind Man They would have the course of the Word to begin from externals says Oecolampadius Eze. 3.10 a chief Protestant Reformer but without ears it is in vain that the sound is inculcated so it s begun in the Spirit Abraham believed God not the Word Preached for where then were the Preachers or the Law Then it would follow that justification we e by the Works of our Hands Man should lay the first Stone so he and much more And now on mention of Justification I shall bring another Protestant chief Reformer to obviate his calling the â—uaker's Light within but the Pope without viz. to omit the rest I have largely cited elsewhere Melancton They say not well says he that by justify understand to be made just and obedient apud Pezâ—l de sign justif Aâ—g 5. and do not also therewith comprise the acceptation of the person So he contrary to S. B. his justification onely without with others his like ... And the Fathers of the first 300 Years after Christ were
Spiritual Appearance in the Inward Man and there is none knowes him truly to be their Saviour but who knows him Spiritually in their Hearts who workes all their workes in them and for them But S. B. such as thou Blasphemous Wretch who call'st his Spiritual Appearance the Devil may get the words of the Scripture and prate in thy Imaginations and deceive poor People with a Notion who through envy and malice which the Devil workes in thee art Smiteing and Reproaching them who live in the Life or Spirit which gave forth the Scripture which thou hast raked together in thy dark mind to prove Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among the People to be the Saviour which is not denyed by us but assuredly believed in and witnessed to be the true and only Saviour through the work of his Eternal Power in the Inward Man which is wrought through Faith in his Name who in the days of his Flesh went about doing good and wrought Miracles and did many mighty Works yet the Priests Scribes and Pharisees Envyed and Blasphemed against him a thou dost against his Spiritual Appearance at this day And we also believe Christ Jesus suffered by that envyous Generation of Professors Scribes and Pharisees and was Crucified under Pontus Pilate the Roman Governour and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and appeared to his Disciples and ascended into Heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father in Majesty on High who is the Mediator between God and Man who is ascended above all Heavens and by whom all things do consist who said I and my Father are one and he that hath seen me hath seen the Father Iohn 14.7 9 10. Who said I am in the Father and the Father in me the words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the work and so Christ Iesus hath taught us by his blessed Spiritual Appearance in our Hearts not to separate his Man-hood from the God-head As thou S. B. hast done in thy ignorant dark Spirit who hast heapt up many Scriptures together in thy Book to prove the Man-hood only the Saviour which is no more proved by thee then if thou had said nothing for these Scriptures do severally prove and hold forth the power of the God-head which dwelt in that Holy Body whereby it was carryed forth and enabled in suffering and doing good healing the Sick raising the Dead as it is written and through the Eternal Spirit offered up himself a Sacrifice for the Sin of the World So not the Man-hood without the God-head was the Saviour as thou Ignorantly Blasphemously seeks to prove against the work and power of the God-head in the Man Christ Iesus and also against his Spiritual Appearance in his People Pharaoh like hast given these wicked Epithetes to wit The Quakers Idol Glow-worm and the Devil with much more Blasphemous stuff for which God will judge thee thou Hypocrite And S. B. in the 7th and 8th Page of his Book saith He doth acknowledge with Francis Estlacke that the Word took Flesh and suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem howbeit saith S. B. as it come from a teaching Quaker it is undoubtedly no other then a deceitfull shift but saith he Alas how many Turks and Jews believe this But the Quakers attribute no more Soul-saving merit in the Body of Christ then in the Body of a Turk or a Jew Reply In this thou hast falsly accused us and seekes to make Lies thy refuge and to render us odious to the People but the Lord is opening the Understandings of Men and many know us better then to believe thy Lies and Slanders which we turn back upon thy own Head with thy story of Turks and Jews believing Christ died by History which is thy own state who art scoffing at the work of Salvation by Christ in the Hearts of his People who knowest little but by History and therefore thou knowest not the vertue of the Body of Christ Iesus but art falsly accusing others whose tongue is at liberty and thy Heart filled with malice and thou throwest out Lies at random Who that is moderate and fears God will believe thee but it may serve with the rest of thy Lies and Blasphemous stuff to make thee manifest to the People For since we have been turned from Darkness to Light and believed therein we have known Salvation and Redemption by the pretious Blood of Christ Iesus which cleanseth our Hearts from Sin And so the Quakers do not make these effects within them to be Christ their only Saviour as thou falsly chargest them but we know the Operation of his Heavenly Arm and Power within us to work these good effects for us who hath opened a Spiritual Eye in us which sees where thou art and the true Light shines although thou in the dark Blasphemes which will yet make thy Folly and Darkness manifest to them that see it not Who art pleading in thy Notion and Historical belief of Christ without thee which Drunkards and Profane Persons have as well as thee who art dividing and scoffing at his Spiritual Appearance in Man without which there is no Salvation but all are in the curse where thou art in thy Notion of Christ only without thee with the Drunkards profane Turks and Jews to receive thy person except thou find a place of Repentance for thy Faith can be no better then a Notion profess what thou wilt who scoffs and derides at the blessed Appearance of Christ Jesus in the Hearts of his People for it is that which gives life unto the Soul as Christ Jesus said Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you Iohn 6.53 And he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Iohn 6.56 But this is a Riddle to thee and such as thou art who knowest little but what thou knowest naturally like a Beast wherein thou corrupts thy self and such as thou art in all Ages opposed the breaking forth of the blessed Invisible Life and Power of Christ Iesus who redeems Man to God out of Death and Darkness where thou art gnashing thy Teeth but the redeemed of the Lord whom thou scoffest at they rejoyce in Christ Iesus their Lord and only Saviour over thee and thy Head which is the Devil for he is a Lyar from the beginning and is the Father of all Lyars and Blasphemers in whose work thou art found and do not say this is railing for it is thy due as Christ Iesus said to thy forefathers of old Ye Generation of Vipers how can you escape the Damnation of Hell And Samuel Bond saith in the Six and Twentyeth Page of his Book Though the Spirit be the Dead Souls Quickner yet it is not the Quickned Souls Saviour Reply Where hast thou learnt this Doctrine thou Blind guide who leads all into the
Guts c. But this wicked heathenish work may make thee manifest to poor People who have been deceived by thee But it is no strange thing to us whose Eyes God hath opened for we know the wisdom of this World cannot perceive the things of God for they are Spiritually discerned and by his Spiritual Appearance in this latter Age of the World God hath raised contemptible Instruments to perfect his praise and to confound the Haughty Scoffer who is glorying in his own shame As Priest Bound doth with his little Schollarship who is tanting and huffing in the Air against an Innocent People yet let him know they are learned in the School of Christ Jesus and are his Disciples though derided by him the Lord hath made them so wise as to see over such blind guides as S. B. is though many of them never learnt Hebrew Greek nor Latin which you Night-Watch-Men glory in which Pilate set over the head of Christ Jesus our Saviour and in this night of Darkness and Idolatry you blind Watch-men have been calling it your Original and none have been counted fit by you to Preach Christ but such as have your Original to wit the Tongues But God hath opened an Eye that sees you and is redeeming his People from under your Bondage at which you are angry and your sorrow and torment will yet increase And S. B. saith in the 94 Page of his Book That useful Instructions may be drawn from Iudases words and the Devils Reply With whom thou mighst have joyned thy self with thy wicked Book for I never read of such Lies and Blasphemys uttered by Judas as thou hast in thy ungodly Book from whence we may draw these useful conclusions that it was Gods great love and mercy to us in gathering us to himself from the Mouths of such blind Hirelings as thou art Who in the same Page saith The Scripture doth not bear witness to the Light within for if the Scriptures of God should bear witness to that gross piece of foollery called Light within it would witness it self to be no word of God Reply Here thou Blasphemest against God and beliest the Scriptures which saith God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1 John 1.5 And also he hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 4.6 And S. B. in the same Page of his Book hath published these lines against us to wit 1. That the Quakers say the Light in every Man by natural Generation is the true Christ and only Saviour 2. And that the Lord Jesus Christ is not the Son of God the Saviour of the World 3. That we say Christ is not in Heaven 4. And that it is Blasphemy to affirm he is there 5. And that we say the Light in Man is the Scriptures Reply All these Lies we turn back upon thy own Head whose dwelling is in Darkness and all thy Blasphemy and derision against the Light of Christ Iesus the Son of the living God our only Saviour in these several places in this one Page of thy filthy Book which will be thy Burthen in the Day of Account And in Page 31. S. B. saith Francis Estlacke speaks of his being washed and justified in measure but sayes S. B. I demanded of him whether it were from Theft Drunkenness Oaths or Adultery which it seems thou queri'st in derision For saith S. B. I more seriously requested the Assembly to take notice of his want of knowledge in the Scripture inasmuch as that he makes justification from Sin not only a work within him but to be daily wrought in him by measure which assertion saith S. B. is directly contrary to the manifold Scriptures of Truth but brings not one to prove it but in a few lines after grosly contradicts himself and saith Washing and Justification from Sin 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 which the Quakers do witness and bear testimony to which thou Blasphemously calls the Devil And again in the same Page S. B. scoffingly saith This Doctors new Divinity to wit that he is washed and justified from his Sins in measure is most false and dangerous Doctrine Reply So S. B. For all thy great Notion of Christ without thee and this pretence of the Scriptures being thy rule yet thou wantest Light Grace to teach thee to speak truth and not to belie the Scriptures and to contradict thy self as thou hast done over and again in this one Page of thy Book For notwithstanding this great work of Christ offering up himself upon the Cross a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World yet Sanctification and Iustification is imputed to no Man but through Faith in his Blood which is the gift of God through the operation of his Spirit in the Heart of Man whereby this work of Sanctification and Iustification comes gradually to be wrought in Man and no further is Man truly justified in the sight of God then he is truly Sanctified which work is assuredly known in the Hearts of all that are redeemed to God through the precious Blood of Christ Iesus the Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World And so there is a dying to Sin and his Baptism is known which is with Fire and the Holy Ghost and such are created anew in Christ Iesus And he is formed in them and he is mighty and powerful in them and they can truly say greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and so Christ Iesus is precious to them and they can speak of his workes of Salvation which he hath wrought in them to the praise and glory of his great and worthy Name And not like S. B's Blasphemous Confused Unsavoury talk who is not fit to take the Holy Name of Christ Iesus into his Mouth until it be washt and his wicked Heart cleansed and then he may know better how to speak of the things of Gods Kingdom which at present he is ignorant of and and an Enemy to And in the 90 Page Sampson Bond saith That the Holy Spirit in respect special help and asistance is subsequent to the Scriptural Gospel Preached Reply Where hast thou learnt this Doctrine The Scriptures speaks but of one Gospel and saith It is the Power of God Rom. 1.16 thou that brings another art under the curse who art preferring the Scripture before the Spirit for aid and assistance like a blind guide for the Scripture will Witness against thee and thy abuse thereof for the Scripture saith There is none knows the things of God but by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 12. Nor do we know how to pray as we ought but by the Assistance of the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.26 And it is the Spirit must lead us into all Truth and it is
the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures through Holy Men 2 Pet. 1.21 And it is the Spirit that must open the mysterys in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.12 Or else all are blind like thee Sampson And S. B. doth strongly plead for his Masters Kingdom of Sin and Darkness from the 77 to the 87 Page of his Book and in these 10 Pages he hath made such a Babel building in confusion and wresting the Scriptures and giving his meanings upon them to prove what he saith and then concludes never to come our of Sin nor no Man else till they be Dead and hath charged all the Holy Prophets Fathers and Apostles to live in Sin he hath thrown dirt in the faces of them all and with his cloud of Darkness where under he dwells would he cover them all But God will judge thee for thy Lies and reproach thou hast cast upon his Ministers Servants and Prophets who were redeemed from the Earth and knew the Kingdome to be come in Power and sate together in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus who were Washed and Cleansed by his precious Blood and their Bodys were Temples for God to dwell in and walk in and not receptacles for Sin and Darkness as S. B. is and cannot come out of it as he saith till he be dead and so he will live and have all Men to live â—in and serve the Devil till they be dead and then they shall pertake of the fulness of God in Heaven 8 Page of his Book Oh! S. B. Thou hast sound out easy way to please Hypocrites to go to Heaven But if thou repent not of this thy wicked and confused work and believe in the Light of Christ Iesus that thy Heart may be cleansed thou wilt perrish in Darkness for ever But Job and Paul and John with the rest of Gods Servants whom thou hast falsly accused who were humble Men fearing God and did not justifie themselves but saw they were weak without him but as they stood in the Faith they beheld his glory and confest to his power which redeemed their Souls from Death and their Feet from falling And David was washed from his Sin through Repentance and Job was accepted of God but not in Sin S. B. do thou look to that Neither did Paul sit down in that state crying out O Wretched Man Who shall deliver me from this Body of Death But as a good Soldier in the Spiritual Warfare he followed Christ Jesus the Captain of his Salvation and sought a good fight and kept the Faith and did not sit down in unbeleif but bore Teâ—timony to the Power of Christ Jesus that had made him more then a Conquerer and then he came to know a better state and a growth in Christ Jesus and then he could say There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walks not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.1 2. And Christ Jesus said The Strong Man keeps the House till a stronger comes and binds him and spoils his Goods and disposses him And so they that are in the Faith which purifies the Heaâ—t not a Notion only they have experience of this blessed work and cannot plead for Sin term of Life but are in him that destroys the Devil and his works and brings in Everlasting Righteousness And they that are born of God sins not 1 Iohn 3.9 We believe the Apostle John spake true although thou S. B. would make him a Liar as in thy 83 Page where thou chargest the Apostle with saying We that are in the new Birth if we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But John doth not say so but it is thou that art adding to his Words for he doth not say He that is born of God commits Sin but He that is born of God doth not commit Sin and so thou art a false accuser of the beloved Disciple of Christ Jesus Who saith 1 John 1.5 This is the Message we have heard and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we Lie and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have from fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin But if we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us but if we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness And here the Apostle speaks of states and conditions he had passed through that others who where Travelling after might be Encouraged to walk in the Light that they might know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from their Sins And so he that hath this Hope purifies himself as he is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 And so we have Testimony unto the Power of Christ Jesus who destroys the Devil and his works and brings in Everlasting Righteousness and makes an end of Sin and so we cannot plead for the Devils Kingdom of Sin and Darkness like S. B. till he is Dead But let Sampson Bond plead for Sin till his Tongue cleave to the Roof of his Mouth yet God will establish Righteousness in the Earth And in thy 82 Page thou falsly accuseth Paul That perfection from Sin was not attainable in this Life but at the Resurrection of the Dead and bringest Phil. 3.12 But Paul says no such thing but he says He follows after that he may Apprehend that for which he is Apprehended of Christ And 14 Vers I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and preached wisdom amonâ—st them that were perfect And if S. B. had experience of the work of Christ Jesus in his Heart he would have seen a possibility of being washed and cleansed from his Sin and a further growth increase into the manifold Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit for to be cleansed from Sin is not the highest perfection attainable in this Life But S. B. saith in his 80 Page The meanest Saint upon the Earth is like his Father in Heaven that he is like to God who begitteth all his Children in his own Likâ—ness How now S. B. what must we be like our Father which is in Heaven who begets his Children in his own likeness what is not this perfection to be like God But if this be true as no doubt it is then what will become of thy Kingdom of Sin and Death thou art pleading for term of Life in these 10 Pages of thy Book thou hast overthrown it all at once But saith S. B. No Man is like the Father or the Son in the degrees of these perfect or pure Qualities No who ever said they
were But what need was there of this assertion But he must fill up his Book with something and I do suppose he readily spel'd what comes upermost but how he will reconcile this later part of this Page with the rest of his confused stuff I know not it is so plain a contradiction there needs not a Scholler to interpret it But S. B. speaks like himself and many of the Priests his Brethren who can call Light Darkness and Darkness Light and Evil Good and Good Evil with their fore fathers of Old But S. B. may twist and twine and wrest the Scriptures to cover himself in this as he hath done in other things But I may say unto him what hast thou to do with perfection whose dwelling is in Darkness and to prattel and prate of things thou knows nothing of But in the blindness and enmity of thy mind thou art busying thy self to lay Stumbling-Blockes in the way of the Blind and to strengthen the wicked in their way But all who have an Eye open and loves the way that leads to Life will see thy snares of Hell and Death who aâ—t chaâ—ging the new Birth with Sin which is Blasphemy against God For he that is born of God cannot Sin 1 John 3.9 And S. B. saith 95 The Scriptures tells us divers things before they were written to wit that the word of God was manifest to Adam and his Wife and that the Word of God came to Noah and Abraham and others And then saith he Now O ye teaching seducing Quakers I would ask you this one Question Could your Light within tell you ought of all this if the written Scriptures had not told it first Reply Yes we do believe the Light could have told us this and much more for these things which were from the beginning were by the Light revealed unto Moses and all the Prophesie Exhortations Admonitions and what soever was written for our learning was from the blessed inshining of the Light made known for Holy Men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost which is the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus by which he hath enlightned every Man that is come into the World which thou in thy dark mind canst not discern For although Light shines in Darkness yet Darkness comprehends it not 1 John 1.5 Who in thy Ignorance and Darkness art raising Mists and Foggs in thy Book to blind the Eye which God is opening but thy work is as chaff which will be burnt in the Fire of Gods Jealousie which waxeth hot against such Babilonish-Builders as thou art And Sampson Bond in his 96 Page hath raised another great Lie to wit That the Quakers say the Soul of Man is God in part And then in his dark envious Spirit is fighting against it to the 99 Page of his Book Reply But our Belief and Doctrine is That God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul Gen. 2.7 And not that the Soul was God in part as S. B. falsly insinuates and he has forged a Lie and in these 4 Pages makes a great bussel in Lies and Confusion to fight against it to no purpose but serves to manifest his Envy and Folly Who is bringing in J. Taynes belief as a proof against us as a cover to shelter his evil design for J. Tayne was never amongst us nor oâ—ned by us But any thing will serve thy turn for it is manifest by thy Book thou matterest not what thou sayest like thy forefathers who were forgers of Lies and said Report and we will Report And so it is seen where thou art and who is thy leader not Christ Jesus of Nazareth who is the Captain of our Salvation who by the Light of his blessed Spirit within us which thou like a Wicked Wretch calls the Devils hath opened our Eyes and we see where thou art and who is thy Leader And S. B. in his 4 next Pages which he or his Printer hath paged in confusion like his work in his Book he saith The Quakers Infallible Spirit within him is grounded upon the Soul being God in part and further saith he I have long thought their Infallible Light within to be no other then the Pope without and saith S. B. as the Pope saith so saith the Quakers and the Pope robs Christ of all his Offices and so doth the Quakers and saith he the Quakers deny the Trinity which is 3 distinct Persons Reply The Quakers do believe that the Spirit of Christ Jesus is Infallible But thou S. B. art so blind and envious that thou canst speak little of the Quakers but a Lie is in thy Mouth for our belief is not grounded upon the Soul being God in part It was never so spoken by us but it is thy forged lie in charging it upon us But Faith herein hath been raised and increased in us through its powerful working in our Hearts to wit the Eternal Infallible Spirit which the true Believers in Christ Jesus were always led by which thou in thy Wicked fallible and dark Spirit cals the Devil But by the Light and Power of Christ Jesus our Mouths are opened to bear a Testimony against the Idolatry and Blasphemy of the Pope and all such as thou art who are his off-spring who are not yet come out of Babilon for confusion is your dwelling place and although the Quakers do believe that the Light and â—pirit of Christ Jesus is Infallible and will lead all out of Sin up to God who believe in Christ Jesus Yet this doth not follow that therefore the Quakers and the Pope are one because he to wit the Pope doth say That his Idolatrous Principles and Traditions are Infallible But this is thy shallow Head and dark Mind which makes thee publish thy Ignorance to the World And we know the Pope is an Intruder into things which he is ignorant of and hath nothing to do with and is a Blasphemer and so art thou who ar comparing the Light and Spirit of Christ Jesus with the Pope and his Idolatrious Traditions in this Comparison But we turn it back upon thy own Head with thy Brethren the Priests of New-England where thy lying Book as thou saist was Printed which is as followeth The People sprinkle Infants and call it the Baptism of Christ and so do the Popish Priests preach for hire and so do you Presbyterians and have taken Mens Goods from them for your gain yea and took their Childrens Cloaths from their Backs and Imprisoned Men till Death for your God which is your Belly and from them you haue done no Work for what greedy Hirelings are you Who is Worst you or the Pope The Pope calls the Old Mass-House the Church and so do you But the Lord is redeeming his People out of your Ignorance and Idolatrous Inventions and from the Mouthes of such Hirelings as thou art And this may satisfie all honest minded People of the Lord in Bermudas that thou art not a Man
Name or Book whereby it might have been made manifest but in as much as he hath done neither I return it back upon him again as an Imagination forced upon his own Heart And as for that of George Fox concerning the Nature of Christ that it was not humane but Divine I have bore my Testimony agreeable thereto before and so leave S. B. to prove it by the Scripture which lies upon him as a necessity in as much as he hath laid it down as a necessary point of Faith One thing more of which he chargeth the Faithful Servant of the Lord G. F. is that he hath abused the Scripture 2 Cor. 5.11 For we which live are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Bodies Now the abuse charged on G. F. is that he reads it thus the Life of Jesus is manifest in our Mortal Bodies thereby making that present which the Apostle makes future at the Resurrection Answ The words might be doth not so much note the time as the end wherefore the Saints were always delivered up to Death even for that very end that the Life of Christ might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies all that might Dye to the Flesh and to the World and Sin might no longer Live in them but that the Life of Jesus might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies Now if G. Fox witnessing the fulfilling of this and did Testifie to the same how did he abuse the Scripture or belye the Apostles words as thou hast falsly charged him but it is plain thou hast wrested the Scripture in that thou say'st it is only at the Resurrection when Paul himself witnessed the same thing before he went out of the Body Gal. 2.20 And yet in contradiction Priest Bond saith in pag. 72. that the Body shall be raised Spiritual as Christs Body of Flesh and Bones after the Resurrection was Spiritual our Bodies shall not be raised Natural corruptible Bodies but Spiritual Incorruptible Bodies though the Body of Man be not Natural corruptible or Mortal Flesh and Blood and as saith unfit for the Kingdom of God but in the Resurrection the Body will not be so for it will then be Spiritual incorruptable immortal Flesh and Blood Priest Bond in this hath contradicted himself and is made to confess the Quakers Principles And for what thou hast to charge Isaac Pennington withal I believe he was a Spiritual Man and was better acquainted with Heavenly things then Sampson Bond and so could speak as he had known felt and received them in Spirit which is a Mystery to every Natural Man for the Wisdom of this World with all the acquired parts that it can Furnish the Natural Man withal cannot know or Receive the things of God because they are only known and received in the Spirit But it had been a great point of Wisdom in this Priest to have been still and quiet and not to speak Evil of the things he knew not neither understood but he that thus will rail against the Light of Christ which the Saints believe in will not spare his Disciples Thus have I searched over the first part of his Book which concerns his first charge wherein I have noted some of the abuses Slanders Blasphemies Confusions and soft contradictions of S. B. and according to the Measure of Light I have Received briefly answered the same I shall now pass on to the Second charge viz. that the main end of the Quakers Meeting in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and false Witnesses of God And to make good this his Ungodly false charge against us he lays down this for his Foundation viz. That we are G. Fs. Disciples and therefore that this is our Principal that the Light is in us which he calls pretended Light is our true Christ Teacher Rule and Guide to be heard believed in walked unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give Remission of Sins and Salvation with God to which he said we consented from whence he draws down this conclusion viz. That we did thereby Grant that the end of our Meetings is to Teach a denial of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God to be our true and only Saviour which Teaching said he is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and False Witnesses of God Reply The Ground of this his charge is of the same Nature with the former because we confess to the Spirit within which is Light and therefore he concludes that it must needs follow that we do deny the true Christ which he concludes to be the Man Jesus without without having any respect to any thing that dwelt within or at least without any Respect to the Spirit of Christ whose Office it is to cleanse the Soul from Sin and so consequently doth save and Redeem from under the power of Death Reply This his charge is absolutely false for our Hearts viz. The Hearts of the Faithful amongst us is truly set to serve the Lord and our main end is truly to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth and if in the Indeavours of our Hearts to bring this our end to pass and for want of a true understanding in the Scripture we had mist of the thing must it needs be charged on us that it was our main end so to do I believe few that have any tenderness in them will believe thee But on the other Hand it is Manifest that the Man Jesus did declare himself the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 and so to be believed in Chap. 12 46. now as Man barely understood how could he be the Light of the World which Light is a Heart searching Light Rev. 2.23 therefore it must be understood in the Spirit and he declares himself one with the Father Joh 10.30 in whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodyly who was before Abraham John 8. and it was the Godhead the Invisible power for which the Body was prepared and this power dwelling and acting in the Body was that which unheld it in this great work of Mans Salvation and it was through the excellency worth and power of the Indwelling Spirit which was one with the Father which the Invisible Eye only could behold by which the satisfaction was made and the purchase of the Heavenly Inheritance obtained by whom Remission of Sins Justification Sanctification and Everlasting Redemption is obtained this is he in whom we confess to be our true and only Saviour in whom we believe And in as much as he did direct his Disciples that after his departure they should wait for his Spirit which the World could not receive then no more then they can do now which saith he dwelleth with you and shall be in you and this Spirit was to be waited for even by his Disciples that had been taught by him and he was
in the middest of us as the true assembling and gathering in the name of Jesus which is the power is truly witnessed and his workings in the particular Vessels is sundry sometimes so that the creature being sensible of the working of the Power sometimes breaths unto the Lord while sitting silent together sometimes uttering it self in a sigh or groan sometimes feeling the raptures of the heavenly joy breaks forth into singing which this mocking Priest which dwells in Ishmaels Nature deridingly calls Humming and Canting and wherâ—as some who with Eve have hearkned to the Tempter whereby their minds have been led out into disorderly and unlawful actions this he hath cast upon the true Baptisme of the Spirit but the reward of the Mocker is the Judgement of the Eternal God which shall be this Priests food for ever except he repents And so much in Answer to his second Charge by which it is manifest that the main end of our meeting in this Island is not to make the Lords Christ the Holy Spirit Angels and Apostles all Lyers and false-witnesses of God as this Priest hath falsly charged us But the main end of our meetings is to wait to feel his living motions requirings and leadings that by it we may be led to glorify the Father Word and Spirit in the true guidance of the Spirit into the true and Spiritual worship which is well-pleasing unto God I should now proceed to his third and last Charge but because W. Wilkinson hath given some answer thereto already I suppose I may sum up the Answer in the fewer words The Charge is this That the prime Principles of a Quaker are the same that were held and professed by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus To thee oh thou false Man I make this Reply in Answer to this false Charge Art not thou ashamed thus to utter Lyes oh thou false Tongue Dost not thou know thou must give an account for these things to the Lord For now had their Principles been our Principles Paul would have had no need to have made War against them neither would the Apostle have had any such causâ— to leave them under such an odium upon the record of Truth to all succeeding Generations calling them Beasts for no other cause that we can here on from thee but for denying the Resurrection and yet I can sâ—e little but thy bare word for it neither though thou saist it is manifest in 1 Cor. 15. Beside there were many that were found in this error as the Sect of the Saduces yet were not left under that odium which makes me judge that the Apostle had seen some other bruitish principle or practice which caused him thus to contend with them But if thou could prove that yet it would be too much for thee to undertake to make good thy Charge because we do not at all deny the Resurrection And to lay open the wickedness and falsity of this thy Charge I shall here declare to the World what our prime chief and leading Principle is Our prime chief oâ— leading Principle is Christ the Light whom God hath given for a Leader who hath enlightened every man that câ—meth into the world which Light hath shined in our dark Hearts and manifested it self in our Conscienâ—â—s by which we first came to see our m serable state and condition being by nature Children oâ— Wrath and under the power of Darkness in which state we were separated from God from hit Spirit and this Light which discovered our woful state under sin and in transgression we felt it also to Judge us and as we gave heed unto it and regarded its reproofs and hearkned to its voice which voice we often heaâ—d in the cool of the day But I say as we began to have regard unto it and believed in it and obeyed its voice we found it was the way of Life and its leadings we discerned was alvvays out of every thing that vvas evil and if at any time vve turned aside to hearken to the Enemy vve found it to rebuke us and Judge us and then our peace vvould be broken and pain and anguish vve should feel in our Souls and some of us sometimes vvould be afraid that it vvas the dictates of a natural Conscience and then vve vvere afraid of being deceived but coming into seriousness and vveightiness vve found that all men by nature vvere dead but this vve discerned vvas living and as vve obeyed vve felt its life to spring up in us and vve vvere quickned by it and it lead us more and more out of death and darkness and living openings in the mysteries of Salvation vve come to receive then vve began to grovv bold and confident that this Light vvas truly the Light and Spirit of Jesus So he became our Leader and as many as vvere faithful to it received povver and vvaxed strong and are brought in some measure to the Word of Life and through Christ alone hath the Lord raised us up to be a people whom the World deridingly call Quakers and for the sake of this Righteous Principle have many of this people deeply suffered yet of it we are not ashamed but are resolved to follow it although through the Tribulation through the Cross and Self-denyal believing that he will Crovvn us vvith an Everlasting Crovvn of Glory So this is our Faith That the Lord vvill raise us up at the last day for if the Dead rise not vve vvere of all creatures most miserable being given up to suffer vvhat Man shall be suffered to do unto us But this is our Faith That the Lord vvill raise us up according to his promise and vvill change our vile Bodies and vvill fashion them like unto his glorious Body So being satisfied as concerning the Love of God That there shall not be any thing vvanting to make our Inheritance perfect to our eternal content and satisfaction vve can leave that to the Lord to prepare us a Body as it pleaseth him So this Light of Jesus Christ is our Principle vvhich vvas not the prime principle of the Beasts vvhich Paul fought vvith at Ephesus for this vvas the very thing that this Apostle vvas to turn people to Acts 26.18 So I have done with this Charge only noting one thing in Page 72. vvhere he said I called to him for his Bible I call'd not to him for his Bible therefore let that be added also to fill up his measure vvho I perceive is so hardned he neither cares much vvhat he either saith or vvrites for it vvas not in my heart to call to him for his Bible but I said if I had a Bible I could prove it viz. That the dead shall not rise the same Body Immediately he profer d his and I found the place vvhere the Apostle comparing the Resurrection to a Grain of Wheat saith plainly It cometh not up the same Body but God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him Thus have I gone through S.
for his Seed remains in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God 1 John 3.9 Now let Priest Bond prove where ever the Apostle Preached such a Doctrine as in all true Believers there is a cursed Root of Bitterness mortified and not nullified in this World Death only makes the Conquest over Sin So we must understand we must have this cursed Root of Bitterness as long as the Believers live according to Priest Bond 's Doctrine though he has not proved it by Scripture and then how can they be kept blameless to the Day of the Lord as in page 85 Priest Bond saith 't is an erroneous Principle for the Quakers to say that the Scriptures are not the word of God in page 77. and page 87. he brings many Scriptures and makes a great pudder and abuses them to prove it but to no purpose his declarative word of God but he hath not proved such a word in Scripture all Scripture is given forth by Inspiration of God c. 1 Tim. 3. Therefore saith Priest Bond the Scriptures is the word of God but that Scripture doth not say so 2 Tim. 3. And in page 88. Priest Bond falls a Railing against Quakers and saith Is there any word asserted to be the word of Christ but the written word of Truth Doth not the Apostle say that the Word of Faith is nigh in the heart let the word of Christ dwell in you c. Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the word of God the word of God endures for ever and are these Writings of the Letter And Priest Bond saith page 88. The Lord hath no other will as a Rule of Obedience than his will revealed in the written Scriptures had the Lord no other will or Rule of Obedience before the Scripture was written Prove that by Scripture Priest Bond runs into Lies and foul words the Quakers worship cannot be accepted of God Quakers are under the power of Satan gross blind and ignorant the Cavil is idle and vain These Lyes Priest Bond may apply to himself but where doth the Scripture say of themselves in so many words as S. B. doth that the Scripiures are the infallible standing Rule of his Faith and Life and yet acts contrary to them for the Scripture saith The Holy-Ghost shall lead you into all Truth and no Man knows the things of God But the Spirit of God and Holy Men spake forth Scripture as they were moved by the holy Ghost And Priest Bond falls a railing against Quakers Spirit and calls it their Idol light within seducing Quakers is blind These filthy ungodly words he had better apply to himself Priest Bond saith Because the Spirit is antecedent to the Scriptures therefore none can walk in the Scriptures till they walk in the Spirit This consequence is lame saith Bond Page 90. Howbeit the Scriptures are before the Spirit in respect of aid and assistance The Apostle doth not say so in 1 Pet. 1. The Apostle tells you The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So it is the Spirit of God that brings people both to discern the Scriptures and to walk according to them which Spirit of God or Holy-Ghost was before they were written which moved the holy men to give them forth And Bond saith To the Law and the Testimony the Written Word he adds Written Word and yet he saith Scripture is his Rule And Bond saith When the Spirit of Truth is come it shall guide you into all truth of the Scriptures And yet he saith The Written Scriptures are the Infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life page 89. 91. And how can the Scriptures be the Rule and the Spirit of Truth must be the guide into all the truth of the Scriptures And again Priest Bond contradicts himself and saith He affirms that the matter contained in the Scriptures is the only infallible standing rule of Faith and Life Page 91. So then the Scriptures are not the only rule but that which is contained in them And what is that which is contained in them which is thy Rule seeing the Holy-Ghost was in them which moved them to speak them forth and in them that leads them into all the truth of them But Priest Bond is all the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelations thy Rule and all that is contained in them For the Scripture speaks of the Devils words and bad men's words as well as the good Priest Bond saith The People of God had no Word Written from Adam to Moses and yet they had a Word given from God to be the rule else their worship would have been like the Quakers Will-worship If Priest Bond have not the same Word and Holy-Ghost as they had he cannot Worship God in Spirit and Truth neither can he be born again of the incorruptible seed but by that Word which lives and abides and endures for ever And Will-worship is not the Quakers who worship God in Spirit and Truth but his own In Page 92. Priest Bond is full of railing against Quakers their Idol light within craftily thrown down the Scriptures this Plot cannot be from the Spirit of Christ blind rotten and wicked spirit your Light that false Christ within See how wickedly Bond torments himself and blasphemes against the true Christ and the Light in his people Priest Bond saith Where is that place of Scripture to be found which saith the Scriptures are to be tryed by the Spirit the Spirits are to be tryed by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the Spirit Then Priest Bond what Scripture had they to try withal from Adam to Moses before the Scripture was written And Priest Bond saith It is the Holy-Ghost that leads into all truth of the Scriptures Then it must try the truth of them whether they be rightly translated or no And the Spirit of God will not deny its own Words And again Priest Bond saith The Spirit witnesses in the Scripture But where doth the Scripture say such words That the Spirit witnesses in the Scripture Priest Bond saith The Spirit witnesses in the Scripture that he is a righteous man who walks in all the Commandments or Ordinances of the Lord page 99. And page 87. Thou saith in contradiction There is in all true Believeâ—â— a cursed root of bitterness and death makes only the conquest over sin But we tell thee That Christ through death destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death and makes an end of Sin Then Priest Bond falls a railing Quakers damnable delusion hellish Impostor that Idol light for if they might herein prevail and withal get into the Saddle they would undoubtedly soon arreign try and condemn the inspired Bible of God to the Fire and Fagot These are horrid malicious Lies Blasphemed from Priest Bonds evil Tongue For we have esteemed and do own the Scriptures more
thy Redeemer and Christ from whence it comes who Redeems Sanctifies Washes and Justifies Priest Bond saith Page 31. That F. E. saith He was Washed and Justified from Sin in some measure Is any man Justified but according to the measure of Faith And thou finds fault with measure or degrees and yet thou usest the same word degrees Page 31. And thou saist That our Justification from Sin was once finished and perfected without us on the Cross with the Offering of the Body of Christ Jesus once for all and Christ gave himself a Ransome for all c. This the Quakers believe But did Christ give himself a Ransome for all And was he an Offering for all Men And how can Priest Bond say Christ hath Justified him from his Sin or Washt him from his Sin when he saith He shall not be free from Sin which is of the Devil in this Life And yet he finds fault with F. E. who said He was Washed and Justified from his Sin in some Measure and calls it a dangerous Doctrine and saith Jesus Christ of Nazareth hath once by his own Crucified Body without us on the Cross finished Transgression and made an end of Sin Mark made an end of Sin And Priest Bond saith again They shall not be made free from Sin in this Life and there is in all true Believers a Cursed Root of bitterness not cast out death only mark only makes the Conquest over Sin and yet Christ hath made an end of Sin Then how can Priest Bond say Christs Death makes an end of Sin as in Page 31. When they cannot be made free from it in this Life it must be Death that must end it So you may see what conrtadiction he makes and what confusion he is in Priest Bond grants that we could not he saved without the operation of his Spirit in us and yet Christ within is a Devil and his Light is an Idol Light he saith And the Quakers own no other Christ within but what the Apostles Preacht both without and within Priest Bond saith It is the Spirit that quickens John 6.63 But Priest Bond hath not proved this Is not Christ who is the Saviour of the Soul a quickning Spirit as it is written the first Adam was made a Living Soul The second Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.47 But Priest Bond saith Though the Spirit be a dead Souls quickner yet it is not the quickned Souls Saviour Page 26. So then Christ the second Adam who is a quickning Spirit is not the Souls Saviour according to Priest Bonds Doctrine And Priest Bond makes a great deal of pudder in several Pages concerning eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood who saith Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood yee have no Life in you Now we that eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood by Faith and have Life and Christ in us this Christ Priest Bond saith is a Devil and his Light is an Idol And Priest Bond falls a Railing against the Quakers in Page 20. and saith Crucifying of the Son of God Crucifying of him again c. And have trod under foot the Blood of the Son of God But Priest Bond is not this thy own condition and not the Quakers who calls Christ and his Light within his people an Idol the Devil And saist The Saints shall not he made free from Sin in this Life and the Apostle said That the Blood of Christ Jesus the Son of God cleanseth from all Sin And Priest Bond makes a great deal of Pudder in three or four Pages concerning the Seed in Page 19. Christ we say is the Seed of the Woman which bruises the Serpents Head and Christ is the Seed of Abraham in which seed all Nations are blest and if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams Seed and heirs according to the promise and are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus And we tell Priest Bond Christ is the Seeds-man And he may read in the Scriptures what Christ calls the Seed that he sows and the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom Priest Bond thou saist Christ in you the cause being put for the effect by a Metonyma but he hath not proved the word Metonyma by Scripture that he hath added in Page 18. And Priest Bond makes a great stur Page 17. Of Christ being in his People but why cannot he own the Apostles words as they speak plainly which are better than his meanings as in 2 Cor. 13. Coloss 1.27 and Amos 2.13 Genesis 6.6 And there he is giving his meanings upon those Scriptures which are plain enough without his meanings and dark imaginations who pretends Scripture to be his Rule and the people must take his meanings to be the Rule And Priest Bond saith The Light within doth Justify the vilest Antichrists that are this day in the World The Light within which is by natural Generation in Reprobates is not the true Christ Page 16. saith Priest Bond. Answer These are Priest Bonds horrid Lies and Blasphemies Christ who enlightens every man that comes into the World Condemns the Antichrists and the wicked and the Reprobates that hate it and do not believe in it And this Light doth not come by natural Generation as Priest Bond scoffingly saith but the Light is called the Life in Christ the Word by which all things were made John 1. Page 16. And yet Priest Bond confesses in contradiction to himself and saith It is true by Light To wit Christ which enlightens every man that comes into the World is meant the true Christ and only Saviour Page 8. And Priest Bond goes over and over and scoffingly and Blasphemously saith Christ within is a Devil which he might as well have reflected on the Apostles as on the Quakers for the Quakers own the true Saviour manifest in them as he was in the Apostles and Saints in their days And it is false to say That we make no distinction betwixt Christs Godhead and Christs Manhood as in Page 12. Priest Bond thou saist Page 10. But as for your Idol Light Christ it was never visible but ever invisible So here Priest Bond hath set up an Invisible Idol of his own making in Page 10. And yet in Page 8. S. Bond saith It is true that by Light in that place of Scripture the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant John 1. And in Page 10. An Invisible Idol Priest Bond saith Page 8. A Quaker attributes no more Soul-saving Merit to the Body of Jesus than to the Body of a Turk or a Jew These horrid Lyes Priest Bond hath Forged which Lyes of his was never the Quakers thoughts For God prepared Christ a Body to do his Will and to fulfill his Will c. who was a sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World and dyed and rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and yet Priest Bond made to confess that the Quakers
say That the Word took Flesh of the Virgin and that he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalen c. And therefore Priest Bond is to prove who ever said That the Body of Christ attributes no more Soul saving Merit than to the Body of a Turk or a Jew And again Priest Bond saith I do acknowledge with him to wit the Quaker that the effects of Christs death and sufferings are to be inwardly Witnessed within us Page 8. And yet Chirst within is a Devil his Light an Idol within How agrees the Blasphemy with the Confession And who is it that works Doth not Christ work inwardly in his People by his Faith Light and Spirit And Priest Bond hath made a great stir in three or four Pages about the False Christ and he may apply all these Pages to himself for they do not at all concern the Quakers And all his Lies and Slanders and filthy calumnies and his ungracious filthy Language in his Book doth manifest him to be no Minister of the Gospel but a Minister of soul Language and Lies neither hath he proved the Quakers principles to be erroneous but hath manifested his own erroneous Principles 75 times over Priest Bond saith The Quakers in Burmoudos Tryed found guilty Sentenced and Executed But Priest Bond here is both False-witness False Accusor and Flase Judge and Party and yet accuses Francis Eastlack and saith He that was the Party made himself the determinating Judge Page 6. But the Quakers are clear of all his Slanders and he is found Guilty of all the false Charges that he would falsly Charge upon the Quakers in Burmoudas and others that he hath mentioned and wronged in his wicked Lying Book and therefore he may take them home for they are fittest for him and his Condemnation with the Light of Christ Priest Bond saith As I was about to read some of G. F 's Doctrine 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 Boook entituled 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 these 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 c. Answer These are Priest Bonds horrid Lies for there is not one of these words in all the Pages of G. F's Book which Priest Bond brings S. Bond thou brings G. F's query which any that reads G. F's Book may see which he queries of the Priest F. Higinson Where doth the Scripture speak of Humane the word Humane where is it written tell us that we may search for it S. B. forger of these Lies Now we do not deny that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham but not the word Humane and Christs Nature is not Humane which is Earthly for that is the first Adam And this is G. F's answer to Higinson who said That Christs Nature was Humane c. And S. Bond in Page 50. makes a great pudder about it but instead of proving of it which he hath not by Scripture but hath made the matter worse and saith G. F. puts no difference betwixt Humane and Humane which S. Bond hath proved neither of these words by Scripture which he calls his Rule And when he hath been beating the Air he confesses We have not such a Word And yet S. B. saith Having the thing who contradicts himself but he hath not proved it And again S. Bond saith Christ is also said to be from Heaven Page 50. and yet Humane And again Page 69. S. Bond saith Stephen saw Christs humane Body in Heaven Acts 7. Here thou wrongest the Scripture and Stephen for there is not the word Humame in Acts 7. But Stephen being full of the Holy-Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God and said behold I saw the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the Right Hand of G d So he saw Christ being full of the Holy-Ghost And yet Priest Bond saith Chirsts Flesh and Bones was Spiritual after he was Risen Page 72. And the Quakers say The Word of God is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart which is the Word of Faith that we and the Apostle preacht And S. Bond saith c. I do not apprehend in Rom. 10.6 c. How these verses do answer the argument of any one of them which proves a Quakers pretended Saviour within to be a false Christ the Devil Page 13. Or how they preve the pretended Saviour within to be the true Christ and yet Priest Bond saith As the righteousness of Faith is the Redeemer against all doubts of Salvation c. But Priest Bond is not this Righteousness of Faith within the Hearts of Gods people And hi Page 15. S. Bond contradicts himself and saith That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and shall believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved that is to say the word of Faith Preacht is nigh in our Mouths We have received Christ whom God hath revealed in our hearts and hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Aba Father Gal. 4. this we witness 2. Cor. 13. Now S. Bond finds fault with G. F. for using the word their for our as in Page 51. and saith It is contrary to the Apostle But in page 15. Priest Bond uses the word is nigh in our Mouths instead of saying The word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth And so doth not he himself abuse the Apostles words as in Rom. 10. And I bring but this for him to see his own folly who is Straining at Gnats and swallowing Camels though G. F's word our to us and their to the Apostles is proper enough and the word of Faith is nigh us in our hearts and mouths as well as in thy as the Apostle said but Priest Bond who cavils at Words may see how he mistakes himself and utters forth his own Folly S. Bond brings Thomas Moors saying in Page 51. That Christ was absent from us while we were in this Mortal Body And G. F. answers contrary to the Apostle who said The Life of Christ is manifest in their Mortal Flesh yes and we say again that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Flesh and Christ is in us the hope of Glory But Bond makes a great pudder that the Life of Christ Jesus might not is but be made manifest in not their but our mortal Flesh But
is Incorruptible And we say that we were never able to pay or satisfy God yet Christ leadeth his people by his Spirit and reconcileth them to his Father c. And we dare not for all the World to assert that which R. W. hath affirmed here to wit That the Flood of Christ is Corruptible and did Corrupt For we know that we are Redeemed not with corruptible things c. but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 3. R. W. affirmed That Salvation was by a way that was corruptible I do not say corrupted So far R. W. J. B. answered and said to this purpose I desire not to grate upon the Antient man but am sorry that he should so overshoot himself as he hath done so far to deny Christ and undervalue his appearance both inward and outward as to say That Christ within was but a fancy and a false Christ as he then affirmed and That Christ without was Corruptible contrary to the Apostle who said His Flesh saw no Corruption and also of his appearance without who then also said That his Blood was Corruptible and corrupted as I believe many of the people that was there may yet remember I shewed then how that he had brought upon himself that charge and proved himself guilty of that for which he indeavoured to condemn us And I spoke at that time of our owning of the true Lord Jesus Christ in his appearing in that Body and of his suffering and resurrection according to the Scriptures and also of his spiritual appearance in his Saints after his ascension according to the promise of Christ and the testimony of his Apostles as I then brought many testimonies â—ut of Scriptures to maintain and prove the same and so signified fully to the people of our true owning of Christ and there bore testimony against his dangerous words that he had then uttered before them in speaking contrary to what is written of Christs being corruptible and his Blood And was as I then signified truly sorry that he should so sin against God and Christ and wrong his own Soul 1. And now how could W. E. do any otherwise but charge R. W. with Blasphemy against Christ his Body and Blood for he affirms That the Light of Christ is an Idâ—l a Fancy a Frantick-light and Christ within an Imaginary Christ as you may see in many places of his Book 2. He affirms That Salvation was by a man that was corruptible and that his Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted Now we do charge R. W. and all the New-England Priests together with these Baptists that took his part against us at Rhode-Island and Providence at the Dispute to make those his assertions good by Scripture if they can which we do affirm are Blasphemies and shew us Chapter and Veâ—se which he saith is the Rule and Touch-stone and so let his Hâ—rrible Blâ—â—â—hemies be touched and tryed with Scriptures For David saith Psal â—6 My Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth my Flesh also rests in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy one to see corruption And again the Apostle saith who spoke of the Resuâ—â—â—ction of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell neither mark His Flesh did sâ—e Corruption Acts 2.27.31 And Acts. 13.34 Thou shalt not â—uffâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Holy one to see Corruption David saw corruption but he whom God raised â—gaiâ— â—â— witâ— Christ saw Mark no corruption Now if R. W. and the New-England Priests be Redeemed by Corruptible Man and a corruptible Blood that did Corrupt this is contrary to what the Apostle saith His Flesh saw no corruâ—â—â—on â—nd they were not Redeemed with Corruptible things but with the Precuâ—us woodâ—t Christ So it is clearly proved that Christ his Flesh and Blood is noâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ptible but Incoruptible and therefore R. W's Corruptible Man and Coâ—â—uptible Blood â—â—at did Corrupt by which he pretends he is Saved is a saite Christ and not the Christ the Apostles Preached the true Lord Jesus whose Flesh and Blood did not Corrupt and if the Flesh and Blood of Christ as R. W. affirmeth be Corruptible then how is he in Heaven with Corruptible Flesh and Blood when the Apostle saith Corruption doth not inherrit Incâ—rruption 1 Cor. 15.50 Christ Sanctifieth the people with his own Blood Heb. 13. And 1 Pet. 1.2 The Saints were Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus And 1 John 1 The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin And Revel â—1 He hath washed us from our Sins and Christ hath Redeemed us to God by his Blood Rev. 5.9 And the Saints Garmets were made white in the blood of the Lamb. â—ev 7. And the Saints overcame by the Blood of the Lamb. Rev. 12.11 And Christ saith Whâ—â—â—teth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood c. And my Blood is Drink indeed Now was it Corruptile Blood or Corruptible Flesh that the â—â—ints did eat and Corruptible Blood which cleanseth from all Sins and madâ— the Saints Garments white by which they overcome O Horrid darkness for will not Corruptible stain and not fetch out the Stain and the Saints were to have Faith in Christs Blood Rom. 25. The Saints are made high to God by the Bloâ—d of Christ the Flock of God which Christ hath purchased with his own Blood Acts 20.28 Now if this be the New-England Priests prnciple Profession and Judgement that they be Redeemed by a corruptible man and the Blood of Christ Jesus was corruptible and corrupted then they that have tolerated R. W. his Blasphemous Book to be Printed that held forth those abominable things in his Dispute before a great assembly of people at Newport in Rhode Island how can we say otherwise but they are Blasphemers and own not the true Lord Christ Jesus Whose Flesh saw no corruption neither was his Blood corruptible And therefore we do conclude with the Apostle that R. W. and they that held forth this Doctrine with him are such as have trodden under Foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the New-Covenant wherewith they were Sanctified an unholy thing and have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace and have Crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame Now see if this man R. W. that hath spoken those blaphemous Words against Christ Jesus his Body and Blood and Spirit and Light is fit to take the Name of Christ in his mouth and yet this man he brought this saying of the Priest to be G. F's to prove That our Christ was not the true Christ Which words proving to be the Priests and not G. F's he R. W. stood by them and maintained them against us and so by his own Argument and Judgement by the same rule and words that he would have disproved ours he hath proved his own Christ not to be the true Christ But should we the People of God in scorn called Quakers have come and Preached in New-England and told you That you were saved by a Man that was Corruptible and that Christ's Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted and that you were wash't and cleansed by such a Blood then ye might have said what a Hellish Doctrine is this indeed which we abhor and such Doctrines as R. W. hath Preached to us in the dispute And our desires are that the Lord God of Heaven may deliver all people from such Doctrines of all the Doctrines that ever we read we never heard the like THE END Books Printed and Sold by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace Church-street near Cornhill 1. 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Ditch that follow thee It is written The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Iohn 5.25 So it is by Christ Iesus the dead Soul is quickened and raised to Life who is the Saviour by the powerful working and operation of his Spirit in the Inward Man and so thy blind assertion is seen to be words without knowledge and in this and much more thou art found a false witness who wouldest wholely exclude the Spirit in the work of Salvation for saist thou Though it be the dead Souls Quickner it is not the quickned Souls Saviour who is it but the blind but sees thy confusion herein for Christ Iesus and the Spirit are one in the work of Mans Salvation And S. B. saith in his 54 Page That G. F. in his Book Great Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words ye scorn me the Light in you and ye have said that I the Light am not able to save those that believe in me and further Page the 54. That if you will believe in me the Light I will purge out all your Iniquitys c. Reply Herein thou hast spoken falsly of G. F. in thy scoffing Spirit for there is no such words in his Book therefore who should mind what thou saist who art publishing thy Lies and Blasphemy in print to the World for we do not say that every measure or operation in Man is the whole Light of Christ But in him is Life and the Life is the Light of Men who lighteth every Man that is come into the World Iohn 1.4 9. And they that believe in the Light and obey it they come to be the Children of the Light and of the Day and if the Magistrates and all the People in Bermudas did believe in the Light of Christ Iesus the would soon see what a blind Guide Priest Bond is who blasphemes and derides the Light of Christ and makes Lies his refuge and would through his malice and envy stir up the Magistrates of Bermudas to Whip and Persecute a People that lives peaceably amongst them and are believers in Christ Jesus their Saviour although falsly accused by thee Sampson Bond as in the 59 60 61. Page of thy Book where thou saist Christ whipt out the abusers of the Temple and why might not the Magistrates whip W. H But Christ Jesus did not whip such as thou art who said He was a Blasphemer and had a Devil which was worse then the Abusers of the Temple who were like thee who callest his Spiritual Appearance the Devil and what Christ Iesus did in that matter it was not only in respect of that outward Temple but also Figurative of his Spiritual cleansing of the Hearts of his People in the Gospel Day But S. B. where dost thou find the Ministers of Christ preach such Doctrine as thou hast done to the Magistrates in Bermudas in these 3 Pages more like a proud Pharisee then a Minister of the Gospel as thou would be esteemed who hast got the Sheeps cloathing but art seen to be Inwardly a Ravening Wolf thy work discovers thee And Sampson Bond saith in his 58 Page When Paul was Travelling in Birth for the Galatians Christ was not formed in them therefore saith he the Light which is in every Man is not the true Christ but a Quakers rotten Principle Reply Herein Sampson Bond hath manifest himself to be one that speaks out of thick Darkness who knows nothing of the new Birth nor travail for Christ to be formed in him but calls it The Quakers rotten Principle the Devil But in Gods Day it will grind him to Powder except he can find a place of Repentance before it be too late For thou dark Man who knowest not what thou stumblest at for although Christ Iesus hath inlightned every Man that comes into the World yet many hates the Light as thou dost and so such know not the way thereof no more then thou do'st but are in Darkness as thou art but it is they who love the Light believe in it and obey it who come to know the new Birth and Christ to be formed in them which thou knows nothing of thy Speech which is in Darkness and Blasphemy bewrays thee and hast lasht thy self and feel'st it not who art Dead in Darkness And this is written that People may see where thou art like a proud Pharisee whose Tongue is at liberty and pratest like a Perrot in thy Book which is stuft with Lies Ignorance and Blasphemy against God and Christ his Holy Angels Prophets and Apostles which thou most falsly chargest upon others in the 54 Page but art really found guilty thy self And also against Gods People whom he hath raised up by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus our Lord in this Day Who art Scoffing and Deriding at them and also the Light and gracious Appearance of Christ in their Hearts whereby its manifest thou knowest nothing hereof but by Notion and History For it is by the Spiritual Appearance of Christ that the Eye of Mans Understanding is opened to see and through the work of Regeneration Man comes to know the worth of that one Offering which for ever makes perfect them that are sanctified through the belief of the truth and in walking in obedience thereunto they come truly to know Christ to govern rule and be head in them And they are Spiritual minded Men and Women who are made sensible of that great work of Mans Salvation in Christs offering up himself in the Body of his Flesh upon the Cross whereby he put an end to the first Covenant which stood in outward Sacrifices Types and Shadows and opened a Door both for Jew Gentil to receive him who is the Second and Everlasting Covenant and they that know this Spiritual work and Christ to be formed in them as aforesaid they are made pertakers of that great benefit of what Christ wrought by his suffering without them and are sate down in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord and only Saviour Whilst thou Sampson Bond and such as thou art are foaming out your own shame who saist in the 69 Page of thy Book The Quakers deny that Christs Body is risen which is another of his Lies For we do know he is risen and to our Justification who believe in his Name and to the condemnation of such false Accusers as thou art But S. B. in the 18 Page of his Book saith Christs gracious Operation in the Heart in Scripture is called Christ in you And we who thou in scorn callest Quakers do believe it is he the Scriptures bear Testimony to be within his People who is their Saviour who in the beginning of thy Book calls him the Devil and so Pharisee like thou art calling the Master of the House Belzebub And here thou hast contradicted thy self who deridest at Christs being in his People and like a Blasphemer scoffingly Queriest Whether Christ be in our Arms Leggs and