of the Spiritual and Divine Refreshments and Enjoyments of the Saints as when they are called Bread Wine Milk Honey Marrow and Fatness and a Feast of fat things But this Allegorical and Figurative sense of Christs Flesh and Blood ought not to divert our minds not take off our Faith from Christs Flesh without us that he gave to be broken for us nor from his Blood that he gave to be shed for us without us for the Remission of our Sins nor was it ever so intended by me Now that to believe in Christ as he gave his Body of Flesh outwardly to be broken for us and his Blood outwardly to be shed for the Remission of our Sins is the Eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood as well as the inward Enjoyment of his Life in us is clear from John 6. 29 35 40 47 48. According to which Augustin said concerning Eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood Quid paras dentem ventrem crede Manducasti i. e. VVhy preparest thou Teeth and Belly believe and thou hast Eat Christs Flesh and drunk his Blood V. Pag. 36. For we do freely acknowledge that such is our State and Condition as we are capable to run out and both think speak write and do things that are not only not infallible but may be wrong and false And pag. 37. So that this infallibility as it relates unto the Seed Birth and Spirit of God is absolute but as it relates to us is limited and conditional and is rather a possibility of not being deceived than an impossibility of being deceived Here Note seeing I have plainly acknowledged that not only I but we to wit any of us all may err why should I or any of us be ashamed or unwilling to own and correct any unsound or unjustifiable words that may have dropt from our Mouths or Pens by humane weakness or inadvertency or why should any be upbraided and reviled as Apostates and Changelings for so doing Also Note that the Calumny of such is sufficiently repelled who have falsely charged me as holding my self or others of the People called Quakers to be infallible which I never did tho I Praise God I am no Sceptick in Religion But do believe that both all sincere Christians and I have an infallible Faith and Perswasion touching the Fundamental and Essential Doctrines of Christianity yet in other things of an Inferior Nature I grant I not only may have erred but that I have erred and I desire to bless God that hath given me a Heart willing both to see and Acknowledge my Errors and to retract and amend them VI. Pag. 54. And tho I cite Scriptures and make use of them in arguing this Point yet I can truly say I have not my knowledge from them Here Note I say from them as being the efficient cause but I did not deny that I had my knowledge by them Instrumentally to wit the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith I had of the Gospel Truths and Principles of Christianity for that is abundantly acknowledged in many places of my Book of Immediate Revelation as I have above mentioned therefore what I then held I still hold that I do own and acknowledge the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith of the Principles of Christianity Principally to the Spirits inward Teachings and to the Holy Scriptures and other outward means of Instruction Instrumentally VII Pag. 57. Jesus Christ himself who spoke to them in the days of his Flesh Face to Face did his words reveal him or his Father unto them c. Here Note I show how there is need of Internal Revelation to give the Knowledge of Christ as he came in the Flesh and therefore it appeareth I did then believe as well as now I do believe that the Knowledge of Christ as he came in the Flesh was needful to salvation even to all Mens salvation who ever shall be saved either express or implicite else why should I plead that it was needful to be revealed by the Spirit VIII Pag. 60. Seeing the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh was not sufficient not to be rested in but they were to look for a better c. Here Note that as it will appear from the foregoing and following words in that Book by the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh I did not mean the Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh but that knowledge that the Disciples and Apostles had of him by their outward sight and hearing of him or by what they could know of him by the meer Actings of the mind without Internal Divine Illumination But the true saving knowledge of him is a Spiritual Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh and dyed for us so as by the Inward Revelation of the Spirit of God the mystery of his Death and Sufferings is opened to us and the end and intent thereof with the great Blessings and Benefits we receive by him IX Pag. 63. The Glorious Gospel of Christ is not the words the best of Scripture words Here Note that whereas I say the Glorious Gospel of Christ is not the Words even the best of Scripture Words It appeareth sufficiently from what I have at large discoursed on that Head in that Book of Immediate Revelation from pag. 55. to 71. My sense was that the words of Scripture are not Principally and chiefly the Gospel are not the Principal thing of the Gospel which I expressly mention pag. 69. And I call the Light of Christ shining in the hearts of the Faithful The Principal thing that giveth the true Knowledge of God which if Mens minds were come to and begot into it their Reading in the Scriptures and other Exercises in the leadings of this would be useful and serviceable in their place But as the Scripture words without the inward Life Spirit Light and Grace is not the Gospel so nor is the Spirit and Light barely and abstractly considered without the Words and Doctrine the Gospel In the full and adequate sense of the VVord Gospel which signifieth glad tydings and cannot be conceived without some form of Words and Propositions that consist of words inwardly conceived and cannot be outwardly Preached without some form of words outwardly expressed And certainly when Paul said Rom. 1. 16. That the Gospel was the Power of God unto salvation To every one that believeth he did not think that the Gospel was a form of words without the Power of God inwardly revealed for he said to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1. 5. For our Gospel came not only unto you in word only but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance and 1 Cor. 4. 20. For the Kingdom of God is not in VVord but in Power And that by the Kingdom of God is sometimes understood in Scripture the Gospel is clear from Math. 13. Mark 4. Luk. 8. Treating of the parable of the Sower and is generally acknowledged by Christian Writers But when Men commonly call the words of
Emendations of Passages in my Book called Immediate Revelation not ceased First Printed in the Year 1668. and Re-printed with an Appendix in the Year 1676. I. AS Concerning the Term Immediate Revelation in the Title Page of that Book at which some are offended and which some misconstrue to a wrong sense never intended by me as if thereby I did signify such a Revelation as did give us the Doctrinal knowledge and Faith of Christian Religion and Principles thereof without the Holy Scriptures or other outward means of Instruction to obviate this offence and mistake I recommend to the Reader what I have said from pag. 38. to pag. 42. of that Book Where I distinguish of means Intermitting and Transmitting and show that it is the Intermitting means that hinder the Revelation to be Immediate but not the Transmitting and the same distinction I use in my Book called Divine Immediate Revelation Printed in the Year 1684. But in other words as discontinued and continued Moreover how far I did own the Holy Scriptures to be a necessary means to give us the true Knowledge and Faith of Christian Doctrines and Principles I refer the Reader to my Book Divine Immediate Revelation p. 〈◊〉 Where I say And if we except these Doctrines and Heads of General Religion common to us with the Gentiles which are revealed both to them and us without Scripture of all which notwithstanding the Scripture doth abundantly testify all other Doctrines and Heads of the Christian Religion which is a special Religion more perfect and excellent than the General and perfecting the said General Religion in true Christians are made known to us by the Scripture-means the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring us that we may understand the Doctrines declared in the Scripture and may savingly apply them with true and sincere Faith to the salvation of our Souls And here Note that in the words above cited I did distinguish twelve years ago betwixt Gentile Religion and Christian Religion tho some call this a New Doctrine in me so to dislinguish And seeing the word Immediate Revelation is no Scripture Term tho Revelation is and that it is not well understood by many I can freely consent that the word Immediate be not pressed or imposed on any But I do constantly assert as I have formerly asserted that the inward sensible Communications and Enjoyments of God and Christ that the Saints have frequent Experience of are not only beyond all Demonstration of words but are oft received without all present use of words in a deep inward silence of the Soul II. That I blame them who say that the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only Rule of Faith and Obedience in all things and no more Scriptures or Writings to be given forth from the Spirit of the Lord. And pag. 4. That I said tho no NEW ESSENTIALS ARE to be added yet a New and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old essentials Here Note the words may be added as importing the possibility of such a thing But whether God shall be pleased to add to the Books of the Holy Scripture other Books of the same Authority in any time to come before the End of the World I Judge it is not safe for me to determine either in the Affirmative or Negative but that it is possible he may do it ought not to be questioned of But that any Mens Writings beside that of the Prophets and Apostles are of equal Authority with the Scriptures ought not to be granted and that all Doctrines of Men however so much Illuminated ought to be subjected to the Rule test and touchstone of the Holy Scripture and tryed by the same I do assert as formerly I have done still leaving Room to the Spirit to give particular Guidance to the Souls of the Faithful with respect to their inward State and directing them in Particular Cases and Affairs as to things in themselves Lawful and not forbidden nor Commanded in General by any positive Precept and that I said no New Essentials are to be added is sufficient Proof that I held the Scripture did contain all the Essential Doctrines of Christianity III. As to my blaming them who deny that there is an infallible way whereby to discern the true Ministers and Members of Christs Church from the false To this I say tho such a discerning of Spirits was given at times to the Prophets and Apostles and others extraordinarily endued whereby to know Mens inward States without regard had to their Fruits yet the general way that Christ has given us whereby to know Men is by their Fruits of words and works whether Good or Evil. And whatever inward sense or discerning any may pretend to have of another Mans Spirit being bad yet we find no warrant from Scripture to receive an Accusation against any far less a positive Judgment without plain evidence of matter of Fact against them by credible Witnesses 1 Tim. 5. 19. For if such a thing be given way to in any Society that Men shall be Judged to be of a wrong Spirit only by the pretended discerning of Spirits that some may claim without any real Proof or Evidence of words or works that are really evil the most innocent Men may happen to be Condemned and the most guilty justified And even to know Men by their Fruits is a gift of the Spirit and proceedeth from a true Spiritual discerning that is given Universally in some measure to all the Faithful tho they have not always such due use of it but they may be and are at times mistaken IV. This Seed groweth up into a perfect substantial Birth which is Christ formed within the Body of Christ his Flesh and Blood which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto Man which eateth it and feedeth upon it and it is called the Body and Flesh and Blood of Christ because his Eternal Life and Spirit dwelleth in it immediately Here Note by this perfect substantial Birth I did not mean as I now do not any substance newly produced even as in the Generation of natural things as Plants and Animals no new substance is produced but only a vital Union of substantial Principles formerly existing so by Christ formed within I understood and do still understand that a measure of the pure Life of Christ cometh to be United to the Soul and the Soul to it after the Soul is duly purified and prepared for such an Union by which Union that Soul becometh a Member of Christ even as the Hand is a Member of a Man's Body by its having the Life of the Body in some measure united to it and by Virtue of that Union actuating that Member and making it living and sensible And whereas I did call that inward substantial Birth the Flesh and Blood of Christ I did so call it only by a Metaphor or Allegory for with such Metaphors Allegories and Figurative Speeches the Scripture aboundeth in treating
Math Mark Luke and John the Gospel while they understand it not strictly and barely nor primarily but figuratively by way of Metonimy we should not contend with them as neither in their calling the Scriptures the word of God providing they call it not the only word of God as in opposition to any internal word and teaching of God in Mens hearts And certainly it has been not only an unprofitable but an hurtful and groundless Contention that many called Quakers have raised in denying that the Scriptures should be called the word of God or so much as the written word Clamouring unjustly where do ye read in Scripture of a VVritten word and to call the Scripture words which are many the word say they is a Lie or Nonsense But in Answere we read expressly that a sentence out of one of the Psalms of David recited by our Saviour John 15. 25. They hated me without a cause is called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The written word nor is it a Lye to call many words the word as it is not a Lye to call many Letters the Letter as the Scripture calleth it and so high did this Groundless contention arise betwixt some called Quakers and other professions that they made this one of the Causes why they did separate from them because they called the Scriptures the word of God and Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel whereas themselves commonly call the Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John the Acts with the other following Books and Epistles of the Apostles the New Testament For with such Figurative Speeches the Scripture aboundeth and to charge them to be a Lye or Nonsense is to charge a Lye or Nonsense upon Christ and the Holy Spirit But in a late Book Stiled the Quakers cleared c. By B. Coole given out by approbation of the second days Meeting of them called Quakers at Grace-Church-street they say as they viz. the Scriptures declare the mind of God with respect to us and are his Commands to us they may in that respect be called the word or Command of God and so the Quakers own and esteem them And so indeed do all other Professions in Christendom and not otherwise X. Pag. 64. We are not those Prophets Here Note it is a Typographical Error which should be Corrected thus we are not that Prophet And not only in this but in many or most of my former Books diverse Typographical Errors are to be found which yet are obvious enough to the judicious and unprejudiced Reader to be such as indeed are to be found in most Books and it is very unfairly done by my late Adversaries to charge me with such Typographical Errors as if they were mine as on the other hand to make that a Typographical Error in some of their own Books which is plainly obvious to be no such thing XI Pag. 74. Now the Bowels of the Fathers love stirred in Compassion to the work of his hands that of the pure Creation in Man which tho shut up in Death yet it remained and perished not as to its being it did not become a nothing but remained a being and this is the lost which God sent his Son into the World to seek and to save not to seek and to save the Old Adam that Birth of the Serpents begetting but to destroy it For it is not capable of Gods salvation Here Note that I said that which Christ came to save is the work of Gods hands that of the pure Creation in Man to wit the Soul of Man that is a Created being and that I called it That of the pure Creation I did not mean that it had not been defiled by Sin but because of its great worth in respect of its Original and Primitive State and its near capacity to be Cleansed and Purified And this is said not only agreeable to mystick Writers that have distinguished betwixt the Soul of Man and the impurity of the Serpent or Serpentine Seed and spawn that became mingled with the Soul of Man by Transgression and have called the true Soul of Man the nucleus i. e. The kernel but that of the Serpent or of the Devil in Man since the entrance of Sin the Cortex and Putamen i. e. the Shell and Husk and the Impurity of Belial but also in agreement with the Holy Scripture that plainly distinguisheth betwixt the Wheat and the Tares the good and the bad Seed good and bad Fish the Silver and the Dross the Sheep with other clean Animals that the Scripture calleth clean and Dogs Swine and other unclean Animals And as a Sheep how much soever defiled with dirt is called a clean Animal and a Dog or Swine how much soever washed is called an unclean Animal so the distinction holds good in a Mystical and Allegorial sense betwixt the true Soul of Man that may be said to be pure Comparatively tho defiled in respect of the Serpent impurity that cleaves to it the which when separated from it the Soul is simply and compleatly pure and after this manner the People of Israel in respect of the Heathen Nations are called in Scripture the Holy Seed tho even then they had great defilements also tho the Nations before Christs passion were called unclean yet afterwards by virtue of his Passion they are forbidden to be called common or unclean as the Lord said to Peter in the Vision Acts 11. VVhat Gods hath cleansed Note cleansed call not thou common This was only comparatively And briefly all Souls of Men that belong to Gods Election and shall be saved are called in Scripture the Good Seed the VVheat c. But these that shall not be saved are called the bad Seed the Chaff Tares Dross XII Pag. 75. That which Christ came to save is that of God which proceeded from him The Seed of God in Man the Seed of Abraham whereof Abrahams old decayed Body and Sarahs Barren womb was a Type Here Note that I call the elected Souls of Men that shall be saved and belong to Gods Election the Seed of God is to be understood only in a secondary sense according to diverse places of Scripture as Isaiah 53. 10. and 59. 21. and Rom. 4. 16. and 9. 8. Mal. 2. 15. The Hebrew hath it Seed of God See the Margin and that I call it the Seed of Abraham is only by an Allegorical Allusion to the Spiritual and Divine Birth in the Faithful signified by Isaac the Son of the free Woman which Allegorical Allusions is grounded on Gal. 4. 24. But this was never intended by me to lessen or obscure that great Truth of the Gospel That the Man-Christ is the promised Seed of Abraham in the true literal sense and without all Allegory as he was Born of the Blessed Virgin In whom all Nations of the Earth are Blessed And that promised Seed of the VVoman that should bruise the Head of the Serpent XIII Pag. 87. Through him viz. Christ not at a distance
called Mary really and truly according to the flesh And his Birth thus after the flesh as he was born of the Virgin at Bethlem in Judea I did always believe as I do at present so believe was really intended and foretold in these words Gen. 3. 15. And as Mary was the immediate Mother of Christ according to the flesh so Evah who was the Mother of all Men was his Mother remotely But the Allegorical sense of Christ's Birth or Formation in the Saints is warranted both by Scripture and Antiquity By Scripture as Mat 12. 50. Rev. 12. 2. 5. And by Antiquity for Augustin first and long after him Erasmus said If Mary had not born Christ in her heart or soul he could not have been her Saviour tho she had born him in her flesh But this Allegorical Allusion of Christ's Birth in the Saints I did not ground on Gen. 3. 15. but on Mat. 12. 50. and Rev. 12. 1 5. And how and in what sense I understand the Birth of Christ in the Saints I refer to the 4th Paragraph of this Section XX. Page 254. And this is as proper a Death as when a man dieth for when a man dieth his soul dieth not in it self but it dieth unto that Fellowship it had with the body by reason of the Vital Union betwixt it and the body being broken Here Note I acknowledge this passage is not safely worded therefore I retract it For tho I had very safely asserted That the Life af Christ viz. The Principle of the Divine Life in men never dieth in it self but only as to men when they commit great and heinous sins whereby they are said to quench the spirit and crucifie the Son of God afresh to themselves after they had known a divine quickening yet the Union betwixt the soul and body of a man being broken is more properly a Death the other I take to be understood rather figuratively than proper For when the Vital Union betwixt Soul and Body is broken the Soul doth wholly cease to act in that body while it is dead But Christ ceaseth not oft times to act in a dead soul but doth oft act in it by sharp Reproof and Conviction for its sin and also by new and fresh Visitations of his Life and Love in order to quicken and renew it again Moreover the Soul and Body of a Man are so united that they make up one Person but so are not Christ and the Soul united as to be one Person for that would make every Saint to be Christ The Union betwixt the Soul and Body of a Man is a Personal Union whereby every Action of the body is chargable upon the Person according to that true Maxim Actiones sunt suppositorum i. e. Actions are of Persons as what the hand doth the Man whose hand it is is justly said to do it whether Good or Evil. But the Actions of Mens Souls in whom Christ is are not chargeable upon Christ for as Christ is no wise chargeable with the least Sin that the Soul Acteth so when the Soul repenteth and believeth c. That is not Christ that repenteth and believeth in that Soul Christ indeed is the Author and chief efficient cause of true Repentance and Faith in believers but he is not the subject of reception This excellent Union betwixt Christ and true Believers is compared in Scripture to that Union betwixt the Head and the Body the Vine and the Branches the Foundation and the Building but it is better felt by the Faithful than it can be defined by the best of words for it is unspeakable and yet is incomparably short of that Union that is betwixt the Godhead and Manhood of Christ which is a Personal Union So that the Man Christ is God yet so that the Manhood is not the Godhead And the Union betwixt Christ and Believers is by their Faith in him and Love to him by which Faith and Love as they are United to his Spirit and Measure of his Life and Grace in them so thereby they are United to the Man Christ in Heaven and to that fullness of Grace that dwells in him as every Member of the Body as it is United to the Life in that Member so it is to the Head and to the Life that is in the Head and as all the Members in the Natural Body are United both to the head and to each other so all the faithful are United to Christ and to one another The Reader that is willing to know my sense further as to these weighty matters above-mentioned relating to Christs Birth or Formation in the Saints and their Union with him may read if they please my Appendix to the General History of the Quakers by G. Croese Printed at London this present Year 1696. SECT II. Containg diverse Explanations and Emendations of Passages in my Book called The Universal free Grace of the Gospel Asserted Printed 1671. TItle Pag. Proved by many infallible Arguments in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of Truth Here Note That I had the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth on my side in diverse of the Arguments I have used in that Book I still believe but whereas on a further consideration and more mature Judgment I find diverse Passages in that Book that need correction therefore I Acknowledge my Weakness and Rashness in ascribing all the Arguments in that Book and my whole way of Arguing on that subject to the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth and I freely and most willingly retract that clause both here or any where else in any of my Books where I have used it so far 〈…〉 have ascribed any saying or Passage to the Spirit of 〈…〉 that is not according to the Testimony of the Holy 〈…〉 the Spirit of Truth leads into all Truth and into 〈◊〉 but Truth therefore whoever ascribes whether I or any Man else any untruth or Inpertinency or undue Application of Scripture to the Spirit of Truth however unwittingly they so do as what I did was unwittingly they do greatly Err and Sin in so doing And my sin and error herein I freely confess trusting in the Mercy of God for Christs sake for the pardon of that and all my other Sins I. Pag. 4. That God by an Eternal decree hath wholly passed by the most part of Men and left them in Darkness without any Light to shine in their Darkness that can possibly at any time Lead them out of it Doth not this discourage People Here Note That it is this which I mainly opposed in my Book Viz. The decree of absolute reprobation making salvation impossible to the greatest part of Mankind And on the other hand I earnestly plead for the Universality of the Light Word Grace and Spirit of God towards and upon all In a day of Visitation for making salvation possible unto them compared with p. 110. And in this Testimony I remain against that absurd Doctrine of absolute
Holy Ghost by union To this some of my late Adversaries have objected a Quotation I made in some of my former Books out of Plato and Plotimus who did mention union with God and a certain divine contact but it doth not appear that these Gentiles had Faith in Christ as above exprest To this I Answer That Plato who lived some hundred of years before Christ's Incarnation had no Faith in Christ so much as implicit is more than they can prove for there are divers sayings in his Books that make it probable he had There is less ground to think that Plotimus who lived Two Hundred Years and more after CHRIST and was contemporary with Origen had Faith in Christ seeing he writ against the Christians therefore what things he said of Union with God and the divine contact and other high Expressions of the like nature might possibly be not so much from his own experience as from his Master Plato's Writings or allow he might have had some true experience of a divine contact and union in some transient way like a glance or flash of Lightning yet this proves not that he or any others who never had any degree of Faith in Christ crucified or that was to be crucified had that permanent and lasting Union with the holy spirit that the Saints and Believers recorded in the holy Scriptures had which permanent and lasting Union through the in ward residence and indwelling of the lively Spirit in the Faithful is that which most properly deserveth the name of Union with God for it is most evident from the holy Scriptures that none but Believers in Christ even the Man Christ Jesus have the holy Spirit by union and inhabitation for which see and well consider the following places Gal. 3. 2. 14. Ephes 1. 13. John 7. 39. Acts 10. 43 44. Acts 26. 18. And it is great Ignorance in my late Opposers not to understand how though the spirit of God who is holy may and doth work and operate in the Hearts of Gentiles and Unbelievers yet he hath no inward residence or abiding union in them or communion with them but such only who hath Faith in Christ Another trifling Objection they have made that because I have said That all who had not the express knowledge of Christ before death who are saved had it either at Death or after Death From this they infer I hold a sort of Purgatory or transmigration But behold these mens ignorance doth it imply any Purgatory or Transmigration to say all that go to Christ in Heaven after Death must have an express knowledge of Christ in Heaven for so I expressed my sence in my Book called The pretended Antidote c. pag. 115 116. Can it be supposed that any Souls now in Heaven can be without all express knowledge of Christ can they be with him and yet not know him Hath not the least Saint in Heaven more clear knowledge of Christ than any living on Earth Suppose the Souls of Plato and Socrates be in Heaven as far be it from me to judge the contrary are they still without all express knowledge of Christ But if indeed they think there be no man Christ in Heaven having any Bodily Existence as some of my Opposers have affirmed it s no wonder they think that the Saints in Heaven have no knowledge of him Having performed what I promised in my Book called A short List of the vile and gross Errors of G. W. c. Printed in the Year 1695. concerning some Explications and Emendations of some Words and Passage in my four Books above-mentioned viz. Immediate Revelation Universal Grace The Rector Corrected and Truth Defended which four chiefly relate to matters of Controversie I think fit to publish some other few Explanations and Emendations such as I see needful of some pages in my Book called Help in time of Need. Help in time of Need printed at London 1665. pag 46. But now the Light hath shined forth in such clearness that we have seen to the bottom of all Babylon's Treasures And pag. 58. And we the Lord's People called in derision Quakers do witness this day of God come and broke up among us in pure perfect brightness to the fulfilling all these things aforesaid every one in their measure and yet more abundantly to be fulfilled Pag. 62. And we have seen the Bride the Lamb's Wife adorned and trimmed for the approach of her Husband and the New Jerusalem descending from above the Holy Gity coming down from God out of Heaven having the glory of her God and her Light is like unto a stone most precious like a Jasper clear as Crystal and we have seen the frame and proportion of this City with the Walls and Gates of it within which our Feet have stood whose Builder and Maker is God and there is nothing of man's work in it but all purely of him And now the Lord hath made us Citizens of this City and stones of this Building even living stones and the Builders are wise Builders and the Ministry is spiritual and so are the Ministers men taught by God who speak because they believe and are endued with Power from on High and filled with the Holy Ghost Pag. 66. And as the Ministry and Worship of the Church or House of God among us is spiritual so is the Order Discipline and Government among us and we witness the Lord's presence with us in our Assemblies and the Head Christ in us whether few or many passing sound righteous and infallible Judgment concerning the Particulars that come before us And pag. 74. And now what I have declared unto you and the Manifestation of the Spirit of Truth will shew much more even the perfect Pattern of the House of God in the Mount concerning these things which are necessary and expedient in order to a through cleanly and perfect Reformation we the People of the Lord called Quakers have fallen upon them being taught and directed by the Wisdom of God Here Note All these passages so far as I did understand them to respect the People called Quakers as a visible Body of People together with the generality of their Ministry and general way of Worship and Discipline c. I retract and revoke as being too large and ample a commendation of them generally considered and all other passages of the like nature respecting the generality of that People and their Ministry that may be found either in this Book or any other of my Books whatsoever and I freely and willingly acknowledge my weakness and short-fightedness in having so high and great an esteem of them generally considered My zeal and fervour I freely consess did carry me too far even beyond the due Bounds not only in the estimation I had of that People in general but also in the Judgment and Thoughts I had of my own Attainments though I dare not disown it but I do to God's praise declare it that I had great inward experience of the
Lord's love and goodness at that time when I wrote that Book which was a time of great Suffering unto me being straitly confined in Prison where I met with divers Hardships and Severities from Men all which the Lord turned to my spiritual Advantage and the spiritual Comforts and Refreshments where withal the Lord was pleased to visit my Soul were exceeding precious unto me as they are at this day feeling at this present time these of the same kind and nature by the good Spirit of the Lord continued and renewed unto me notwithstanding of the unjust and uncharitable Judgment of my late Adversaries against me as if I were become a dry Tree yet my Soul is alive to praise God who hath preserved me to this instant in the midst of many great and deep Exercises and Tryals both inward and outward one of the greatest of which hath been and is the envy and rage of such who have risen up in great enmity against me for my telling them the Truth and my faithful opposing the Errors and Evils that I have found among them and my trust and Faith is in God through Christ Jesus that he will preserve me to the end and disappoint and frustrate all their False Prophecies bitter Curses and lying Divinations they have poured out against me and continue to utter both in print and private Letters they send to me for which I desire and pray sincerely unto God that he may give them Repentance and Forgiveness And being sensible and truly convinced that I had too far exceeded in the thoughts of my spiritual Attainments not only then but since therefore whatever passages are to be found either in this first Book or any other of my later Books that are justy offensive on the account of my going beyond the due Bounds of my real growth and spiritual and inward state in the Truth or of thinking of my inward Attainments and Calls Services Labours and Testimonies beyond what I ought to have thought or wherein either in this or any other of my Books I have seemed to my self or professed to others to have been acted by a purely divine impulse and motion to speak and write I do freely and most willingly retract and revoke it so far as any thing of the least mixture of mistake or untruth is to be found therein as I confess I have found some mixture in this Book and in other my Books And as in other things I acknowledge my Mistakes as to the People called Quakers in general so in this that was the general mistake among us that their chief Leaders led us generally into that the People called Quakers was the Church come out of the Wilderness But for divers Years past I have seen my Mistakes as to this and the great Defects Disorders Confusions and Imperfections I have found among them and especially the ignorance and great want of dne Qualifications in the generality of their Ministry have given just ground to judge far otherwise concerning them But yet I do affirm that I have found divers that go under that Name that have to my understanding and apprehension made a good progress in spiritual Experiences and other spiritual Attainments of Knowledge and Virtue And I do still continue in my real perswasion and belief that there was a good Work of God upon the Hearts of many of that People and his mighty Power did stir and operate in them as I hope it doth in some continue to do unto this day But greatly has the Power of Darkness and Error prevailed with many especially their Leaders in great part to mislead them and Presumption and Pride earthly Lusts and uncharitableness in so highly condemning others are Sins that did and do greatly prevail among them and hath brought a great Cloud of Darkness over many of them which I pray God to remove and cause his blessed Light to shine forth more among them and all others and that he would be pleased to knit and unite the Hearts of all that sincerely love the Lord to love one another and make them of one Heart and Soul that they may worship the Lord together in Spirit and in Truth that as the Lord is one all his People may be one which cannot otherwise be effected but by the more powerful Coming and Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ into their Hearts and inward parts to prepare them for his last coming in Glory without them to receive them to his Heavenly Kingdom Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen But notwithstanding of the particular passages in that Book which I have retracted I adhere to my Testimony I have given in the same as in all my other Books as to Matter and Substance of many weighty things there delivered and the good Advice I gave to my Country-men in that Book I wish heartily they would duly regard Pag. 63. And this Prophet Jesus Christ is nigh unto us yea more nigh than all the Men or Books upon the face of the Earth And a little after And the Bride rejoyceth greatly because of the Voice of the Bridegroom himself And now we need not-say who will go down into the Grave and bring up Christ to us or who will ascend to Heaven to bring him down to us or who will go over the Seas and bring us tydings of him from Jerusalem when he suffered in the Flesh him whose Name is the Word of God we of a truth witness near us even in our Hearts so that we need not either ascend or descend or go fouth c. Here Note That this above-mentioned passage was brought by T. Ellwood in one of his late printed Books against me to parallel that Antichristian Doctrine of G. Whitehead who said in his Truth Defended Answer to W. Burnet The Quakers see no need of directing to pag. 110 111. the Type for the Antitype viz. neither to the outward Temple nor yet to Jerusalem either to Jesus Christ or his Blood knowing that neither the Righteousness of Faith nor the Word of it doth so direct Rom. 10. And a little after he saith And where do the Scriptures say the Blood was there shed for Justification and that Men must be directed to Jerusalem to it Light and Life pag. 59 60. But who seeth not that my Words have no such tendency as his but are of quite another importance as intimating that after we are brought to know God and Christ by the inward Teaching of God and Christ in our Hearts that perswadeth us that Christ suffered in the Flesh at Jerusalem and moveth us to believe the outward Testimony of the Holy Scriptures concerning Christ's Death and Sufferings we need not say who will go over the Seas and bring us Tydings of him from Jerusalem where he suffered in the Flesh for all sincere Christians are well satisfied with the Faith they have already of Christ by the inward Testimony of his Spirit in their Hearts that the Scripture-record of him is ture So
take it if not for a genuine and proper Explication if so be it is in the least inconsistent with the truth of the Holy Scripture to be my plain and free Retractation For what I cannot fairly defend by Explication I am freely willing to correct and amend by Retractation As concerning the late abusive Books published in Print against me as well as the former by T. E. and J. P. and others containing vile Errors in point of Doctrine gross Perversions base Slanders trifling Defences in their own and others Vindication I defer my larger Answer to them to another occasion which I hope may be e're very long if it shall please God to afford it unto me Having thus far proceeded to explain amend and retract those particular passages in my Books above-mentioned which I judged my Duty so to do from true Conviction and out of real love to Truth I conclude with my making a general Retractation which I do freely and humbly of all passages either in my Books above-mentioned or in any others of my Books not mentioned in this Treatise in so far as they are not perfectly consistent with the holy Scriptures and the divine Doctrines and Testimonies delivered in them and likewise I submit all that I have at any time given forth in Word Writ or Print by way of Doctrine in Religious matter to the Test Touch-stone and Rule of the holy Scriptures as the greatest the best and most authentick Rule and Standard of Truth compared with all Testimonies Writings and Books of Men whatsoever renouncing revoking retracting disowning and denying whatever is contained in any of my former or latter Books that doth not perfectly agree with the holy Scriptures Which general Retractation I make for this Reason because it is possible that divers other particulars in my Books which I have not observed may need correction therefore until I see other particulars to need Correction which how soon I see I am ready to correct I hope this general Retractation will suffice And if any shall inform me or show me either by Word or Writ any particular passages in any of my Books that may need further Correction and Amendment they being enabled so to do by a divine Illumination I shall receive so most kindly and as amost friendly Office and judge my self greatly obliged to be thankful unto them But if any presume or proffer to make any seem Corrections in my Books or pass Censures on passages in them without a right understanding or from a spirit of Prejudice or a scossing taunting airy Unchristian Spirit as my late Adversaries have done whereby they have shown and continue daily to show their great Ignorance and Perverseness of Spirit they have their Reward and they will but still more and more expose their Folly and Enmity for indeed so blind with Ignorance and Prejudice my-late Adversaries have been particularly Tho. Ellwood and John Pennington and Caleb Pusey that the soundest Passages for most part in my Booke in relation to Doctrine they have blamed and censured though geâ—â—â—â—y such as most need Correction they have past without the least censure However as my great Comfort is that both they and I shall stand e're long before the Supream Judge of the whole Earth to whom I have committed my Righteous Cause and I do still commit it and make my humble Appeal to him acknowledging my many sinful defects and imperfections for which I humbly beg pardon of God for Jesus Christ's sake and for all my other Sins and hope for it and have in measure the sense and Faith of it being fully perswaded in my Conscience both by the divine Testimony of the Holy Scriptures without me and the divine Testimony of the Holy Spirit within me and also by the concurrent Testimony of all true Christians in all Ages of the truth of that doctrine God has raised me up to contend for which three are as a threefold Cord that cannot be broke that whatever my Imperfections are in managing this great Controversie my Cause is Just and my Heart is sincere before him so it is a great comfort to me that many throughout these Nations far and near have a good understanding of the present Case and though my Adversaries seek to overwhelm me with a thick Cloud of Infamy grounded on Falshoods and Calumnies yet the Truth and Integrity of my Testimony will overcome it all and will shine forth and be manifest and the Generation to come of the Posterity of many of that People who now account me their Enemy and pour out Curses and Lying Prophesies against me will regard my Testimony and it will be a good savour unto them This trust and hope I have in my gracious God whose I am and whom I serve and it is a considerable advantage unto me that some of my greatest Adversaries have acknowledged they have nothing against my Morals nor Doctrine and it is come under the Observation of many that hear them in their Meetings how admirably they are changed of late to preach the very same Doctrines which formerly they have so fiercely opposed in all that were not of their way and for which they have Excommunicated me but they cannot be judged sincere until they plainly Retract their former Errors And finally with a free and willing mind I make a general Retractation of all the hard Names and uncharitable Censures I have at any time either by Word or Writ past on any differing from me in point of Judgment that have not deserved them humbly desiring their Forgiveness wherein I have in that case justly offended them And though I do with deep regrat acknowledge and blame my too great rashness in giving hard Names and passing uncharitable Censures on divers with whom I have differed in point of judgment being engaged in the heat of Controversie and divers times provoked by the hard Names and uncharitable Censures that some of my Opponents have given me which provocation I should not have given way to but rather according to what the Scripture requireth to have sought in meekness to instruct them that opposed themselves if God peradventure would give them Repentance yet I was never so uncharitable as to think or judge that few or none were truly Pious or of a true Christian Spirit or that did belong to the true Church of Christ but such as were of the same outward Profession with me for the Contrary I have several times signified in Print and as I have been charitable in my Judgment with respect to others with whom I have distered in Controversal points when I did think they held the Head and built on Christ the true Foundation though some part of what they built was but Hay Wood and Stubble so it is my resolution by divine assistance to be yet more charitable in judgment concerning others that differ from me in the lesser matters when they agree with me in the greater and whose manner of Life and Conversation is suitable to their Christian Profession But as for such who deny the Lord that bought them and hold such Antichristian Principles as oppugne the great Fundamentals of the Christian Religion as I have sufficiently proved my late Adversaries to have done the greatest and best Charity that I can extend unto them is to deal roundly and plainly with them and give them and their vile Errors such sit and proper Names as they deserve and as the Scripture giveth to such who were guilty of such vile Errors in former times But the nasty and unclean Terms and Words worse than Billingsgate that some called Teachers among the Quakers and some of which are my present Adversaries have given to their Opponents I account it my mercy that I never had the faculty of them and yet so impudent have these my late Adversaries been to accuse me for giving hard Words to such unto whom they have given an hundredfold much harder and I have this with other great advantages over them that I have freely and willingly Retracted them as well as other things that I saw cause and occasion for which I find not that any of them in the least have done and are not like to do until their Crown of Pride come down and they see themselves to be fallible men having Infirmities and Defects like other Men which I pray God they may see and find Mercy to Repent of all their Errors and Evils before it be too late and may have a. Heart given them of God if not to follow me as an Example yet to follow the Example of other great Penitents and obey the Command of God that requireth every Man both to confess and forsake his Sins for he that hideth his Sins will not prosper but if we confess our Sins he is just and faithful to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness G. K. THE END Pref. Imm. Rev. Pres Imm. Rev. Pag. 12. lin 2. 2d Edit pag. 22.
be applied unto them which was figured by the Offering under the Law that was to be offered for every male child and by circumcision of every male child that sufficed also for the Female which was implied under the male SECTION III. Containing divers Explanations and Emendations of Passages in my Book called The Rector Corrected Printed at London 1680. And in my Book called Truth Defended Printed at London 1682. BY Christ his giving his Flesh for the Life of the World we understand both the offering up of his Flesh as his dying for us upon the Cross and also his giving us his Flesh to eat and his Blood to drink for even as the Priests under the Law were to eat of the Sacrifice and to have the Blood sprinkled upon them so Believers under the Gospel are to eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood And pag. 26. Although the Saints do not eat the visible Flesh of Christ to wit by the Bodily Mouth and drink his visible Blood yet they partake of the benefit and virtue of both his Flesh and his Blood and the substance of both doth remain which is his glorified Body in Heaven and the virtue of which doth really extend unto the Saints both in Heaven and on Earth by which they are spiritually refreshed and nourished as with Meat and Drink and thus we do not divide Christ c. Here note that as by divers other Quotations out of my Books it hath been proved that I did not place all our Salvation upon the Light within excluding the Man Christ without and his Flesh and Blood that was outward and visible but that I did lay a great weight upon it so the like appears by this present quotation And whereas pag. 25. it is said and indeed it is very plain by the words of Christ that by his Flesh and Blood John 6. 50 51. he meaneth Only Spirit and Life The word said he that I speak unto you are Spirit and Life it is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing Whether the Word only being there is a Typographical Error or was an oversight in me for want of due consideration I hold it needful to retract and correct it and accordingly I so do and that it was at most an oversight in me for want of due consideration and that by it I did not intend that the Faithful did not partake of the unspeakable benefit of the Flesh of Christ that was outwardly Crucified and of his Blood that was outwardly shed and that the virtue of it did not extend unto them for that is above plainly affirmed but my sense was they were not to eat it with the bodily Mouth but by Faith so as to have the virtue of it conveyed unto them by a living Faith in him which virtue may be said to be Spirit and Life and the Words that he spake had a spiritual sense and signification and not such as the carnal Capernaumites did conceive Pag. 29. So we see he viz Hilarius findeth fault with the word Humane as well as G. F. Here Note That my bringing the words of Hilarius to excuse G. F. was not that I did not believe that Christ had the true nature of Man consisting of a true reasonable created Soul and a true Body for that I did always believe and that he did partake of Mary's Substance for so did also Hilarius believe But seeing Christ had a miraculous Conception and Birth above all other Men therefore I did judge that G. F. and some others with him meant only by blaming the word humane and humanity humane Nature as applicable to Christ that his Manhood Nature was more excellent than that of other men But I never thought that any of them denyed him as Man to be a Creature or to have been produc'd by Generation of and from the Properties of Man in Mary as some of them have But of late divers of the chief Teachers among the People called Quakers have used the terms Humanity and Humane with reference to Christ But what they understand by it is not easie to determine for if Christ's Humanity be not a Creature or created what is it seeing it cannot be the Godhead and T. Ellwood hath argued in his late Book That if Christ be a Creature he is not God But all who have the sound Faith believe that Christ as a Man is a Creature or created Being but as he is the Eternal Word he is God and not a Creature But this they think a contradiction not owning that Christ hath a twofold Nature essential to him the one uncreated as God the other created as Man and yet but one Christ therefore they have said That Man or outward Person that suffered at Jerusalem is not properly the Son of God So W. Penn expresly faith in his Serious Apology pag. 146. Pag. 37. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them which look for him he shall appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation Heb. 9. 28. Whether these Words may not very safely be understood and are not really meant of Christ's appearing in the Heart to destroy Sin I desire the Reader to consider Here Note The occasion of my giving this Sense to these Words in Heb. 9. 28. was in defence of G. Whitehead who had before that given the same sense to them and which Thomas Wilson whom I answered had blamed as a false Interpretation But at that time I knew not in the least that G. Whitehead had put that sense on that place in prejudice to Christ's coming without us to judge the World in his glorified Body and Person as since I have found for not only did he deny this place to be meant of his Coming without us to Judgment but any other places that his Opponents brought to prove his outward coming to Judgment he turned them all to his inward coming as that in 1 Thes 4. 15. and that in Matth. 16. 27. and brought that in John 14. to prove that Christ was not to come in Person or in a Personal Existence to judge the World Yet a little while and the World shall see me no more This positive unbelief of theirs which I had but of late discovered by a more narrow search into their Books hath awakened me I confess better to consider things that both I and they had formerly written and upon better consideration I declare I am convinced that the true sense of these words above-mentioned is of his outward coming the second time in his glorified Body to judge the World and it is called his Second Coming as denoting his former coming which was in his state of Humilation but his Second Coming shall be in a state of Glorification I shall not enlarge to give my Reasons at present why I so understand that place of his coming without us nor to answer largely the Reasons I gave in that Book that it was to be understood of his inward coming for
be required of us to be done that is sin in the sight of God to wit that is any breach of any positive express command of God Pag. 71. citing my Book called Help in time of Need concerning the Antichrist mentioned 1 John 2. 18. this is Antichrist who denys Christ the Son come in the Revelation of himself in the Heart for that coming of Christ in his Bodily Appearance at Jerusalem Antichrist will not does not deny seeing to confess him so come will never harm his Kingdom provided Christ's Kingdom be not set up in the Heart Here Note These foregoing Words For that coming of Christ in his Bodily Appearance at Jerusalem Antichrist will not does not deny I Retract as unsafely worded for though a sort of Antichrists may not deny but confess in Hypocrisie to Christs outward coming as also they may confess in Hypocrisie to his coming in Mens Hearts yet I am satisfied the true meaning of these words 1 John 2. 18. compared with 1 John 4. 3. respects principally the coming of Christ in the Flesh as he outwardly suffered in that Body of Flesh and consequentially the spiritual Blessings and Benefits we have by that same among which is his Spiritual coming into our Hearts and though a sort of Antichrists and men of an Antichristian Spirit may confess in hypocrisie to Christ's outward coming yet they neither do nor can confess to him as he did outwardly come in sincerity of Heart And it is the sincere Confession from the Heart to Christ as he outwardly came in the Flesh and to all the spiritual Blessings that men receive by him as of his Light Spirit and Grace in them that is the Confession there meant for every one that truly viz. with sincerity of heart so confesseth him come in the Flesh whose Confession floweth from a Living Faith in him is of God and whosoever doth not so confess him but deny him so come is of Antichrist and this denyal of Christ come in the Flesh may be several ways as 1st to deny that he who did so come is the Christ and thus the unbelieving Jews did and do deny him 2dly To deny that he who did so come was and is both God and Man and that as such he is the Salvation of men in whom they are to believe and whom they are to call upon and worship with divine adoration and thus the Mahumetans do deny him and many who go under the Name of Christians who deny that the man Christ is their Salvation and the Object of Faith and adoration 3dly To deny the virtue and efficacy of his being a Sacrifice by his Death for the Remission of the sins of all Men who ever shall be saved from the begining of the World to the end of it 4thly To deny that all the Light and Grace and divine Influence of the Spirit that any Man have or ever had is by Jesus Christ who hath purchased and procured it unto them by his most holy and perfect Obedience unto Death and in these three respects my late Opposers among the People called Quakers are guilty of denying Christ come in the Flesh as I have sufficiently proved against them in divers printed Books particularly in my Narrative of the Proceedings at Turners-Hall the 11th of the 4th Month 1696. and in that called The Antichrists and Saddnces detected For whatever seeming Confessions they give to the Man Christ without them while they place Mens whole Salvation upon an inward Principle and plead that Men may be saved eternally without all Knowledge and Faith of Christ without them either express or implicite As they do particularly in that Antichristian and Abusive Book containing many Antichristian Principles and false Accusations against me called Keith against Keith for which I purpose God willing ere long to call them to an Account All their seeming Confessions is but a Judas Kiss and a plain betraying the Christian Cause into the hands of Infidels Jews and Pagans Pag. 195. Nor doth it follow that because Confession in the adult is necessary to Salvation that therefore Baptism with Water is seeing confession of the Truth may well consist without Water-Baptism namely in a Holy Conversation and profession of Christianity with the Mouth as the Apostle said With the Mouth Confession is made to Salvation Here Note 1. I still adhere to it with all charitable Christians that Baptism with Water is not of equal necessity with Faith and Confession unto Savation for many of the Martyrs did nobly confess to Christ who were put to cruel Deaths before they could be Baptized and in that and in all other cases where Baptism cannot be duly had the votum Baptismi i. e. the desire of Baptism is judged equivalent to Baptism by all charitable Christians 2. That I said Confession in the adult is necessary to Salvation by this it doth appear that it is no new Doctrine in me so to affirm this Book of mine having been in Print for sixteen Years past and which was approved by the Second Days Meeting though in contradiction to what they then approved they have of late greatly blamed me as guilty of broaching a new Doctrine among the People called Quakers for my saying It is a necessary Duty that every one among the Quakers should give a Confession of their Faith to Christ and his doctrine in the fundamental and essential parts thereof before they can be owned to be Members of a Christian communion This they extreamly cry out against knowing that such a thing would discover the vile Errors that are lodged among them But until they do this whatever great and high pretences they make to be the Church of Christ and the only gathered Church they can never be justly esteemed a Church of Christ In my Book called Truth 's Defence c. pag. 104 105. and as for the Word Immediate Revelation seeing it is not any Scripture-phrase no not in the case of the Prophets and Apostles so far as I can remember if the thing it self were granted to wit That God doth inwardly reveal and speak his Mind or shew his Glory and glorious Presence in his Children as he did in and to his Saints of Old so that the Saints do hear see and perceive also tast and savour and feel after God himself as he reveals himself in his Son by the Holy Spirit the Controversie about the Name or Phrase should soon be at an end Here Note That sixteen Years ago I was for holding up no Controversies about the name or term Immediate Revelation though many among the People called Quakers have earnestly and fiercely contended for that term and some of them no doubt will much blame me that I do not now contend for it But why did they not blame me then for my not contending about it are they become of late more Eagle-sighted to see this and other things they judge to be errors in my Books which they formerly did not see or at least gave me