render'd your Christian Brethren and you are represented Anthropomorphites and Muggletonians Qua. We cannot expect better Treatment nor to be allowed to mean what we say or believe what we really do by those whose endeavours have been and are from their Prejudiced Spirits to misrepresent us and to put as ugly a Vissage and as frightful a Dress on us as they can that we might look Odious and be Contemptible in the Eyes of those who they would Curry Favour with for their own Ends and to gratifie their Ill-will which as the Proverb is never speaks well Ch. But Friend if thou accountest you are so much wronged consider and tell me why you do not accept of G. K's Challenge For in his Postscript to this Dialogue he saith I shall once more appoint Time and Place to them and prove out of their Friends Books owned by them that their new Creeds are utterly Repugnant to the Doctrine formerly delivered in their Printed Books and he saith I am ready to prove as I hinted before Face to Face what is asserted in this Dialogue Qua. G. K. began to expose us in publick Print and that way was answered and he hath been Industrious since with his few Abetters to spread his Books in this and other Nations and after that to take upon him to Summon us to a Corner to discover in those things so publickly Exposed and relating to what hath been so long Published in Print Our Friends did not esteem themselves obliged either to follow his Conceited Methods or to regard his Peremtory Summons nor to take Cognisance of his empty and boasting Challenge But this I may observe and would have thee well consider how Officious he is to be a Drudge or Journey-Man for the Norfolk Priest and his Brother Bugg which I conclude is from the great Conceit he hath of his own Abilities as if he could do that which they could not at West-Dereham which neither he F. B. nor they have yet done viz. Proved every one of the People called Quakers to be Blasphemers on all those Heads they were charged with by them Priests by express words out of their Ancient Friends Books without the wild and undue Consequences strained Inferences and wrong Conclusions And this I would have thee well observe and consider that he and F. B. seem to be in a wonderful and great Travel to prove our of their Friends Books written whilst they were amongst them that they held gross Errors and printed and approved many Blasphemies and that their new Creeds are utterly Repugnant to the Doctrine formerly delivered in their Books Now if their new Creeds be utterly Repugnant to what they formerly writ and for that they formerly writ are render'd Erroneous and Blasphemous surely they cannot be charged with Blasphemy and Error in what they have lately writ So that now the Quakers grow better and they grow worse they know how to avoid Suffering and the Quakers are liable to Suffer they would Incense the Government against them Surely their tender Mercies are Cruelty and their Forgiveness short of the Governments who have past several Acts of Indemnity If they had been formerly Guilty which I grant not they acted more like the Lord that forgave freely and those Men more like that Servant that was forgiven and yet took his Fellow-Servant by the Throat a plain Proof of an ill Spirit and ungrateful Temper And take notice G. K. saith He is ready to prove what 's in the Dialogue Then why doth he not Who hinders him He to me seems willing to Brag and speak Big altho' he doth little Ch. Truly I think it's pity you should be blamed when ye are accounted to mend but I would not have you think there is any more fear of Persecution therein than you think there is for those Men that have so generally Charged you all with Blasphemy to prove that by Express Words that will really appear to be so And truly I could and do heartily wish there might more good Nature appear among us and we all might be better Neighbours one to another and be no more angry one with another simply upon the account of Conscience and our Religious Dissent for I think there is no more reason for that than our being angry one with another for not being all of one Size and our Hair not all of one Colour Qua. Thy Moderation and thy Sentiments are more like to prevail upon me than all the Peevish Carriage and Bitter Invectives and Envious Attempts of those Angry Hot-headed Men who can better Rail than Reason and Clamour than Convince And so Farewel A REPLY IN Answer to a late Pamphlet P. 4. THE Answerer quotes the Quaker p. 5. for saying By the Light within he means no other than Christ as the Divine Word or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which enlightens every Man that comes into the World and for the Reformation of Man God hath given unto every Man and in and by this Light Invites Calls Exhorts and Strives with every Man in order to save them which as it is received and not resisted works the Salvation of all Answer There he discovers his design without any disguise Reply Oh how Eagle-eyed this conceited Answerer G. K's Friend pretends to be How sharp and quick in his pretended Discovery of Error and Deism Let him next time advise with somebody that is better acquainted with the Holy Scriptures that he may be informed whether to Assert that Christ the Divine Word that God hath given for the Restoration of Man works his Salvation as the is believed in received and not resisted And in p. 5. he saith And here this real Quaker gives us a plain account what his Christ is to wit the Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word without Christ's Manhood and all that he did and suffered for us without and all that he 's now doing for us in Heaven Reply Where in all that Dialogue he pretended to Answer doth he find the real Quaker say so What hath this Friend of G. K's no Conscience or Honesty I assure him he that in that Dialogue is termed the real Quaker believes in owns not neither expects Salvation by any other Christ than he that is the only begotten Son of the Eternal God which all true Christians did and do believe in and expect Salvation by who is not any other Christ than he that was the Word that was in the beginning with God and was God P. 6. In answer to the real Quakers saying We search the Scriptures diligently and find that in Man that Reproves for Sin is the Spirit of him that never Sinned John 16. 7 8 9 10 11 and 13. The Answerer G. K's Friend p. 6. saith Here the Quakers Ignorance and Blindness is manifest that he is not taught according to Scripture Reply I am well assured notwithstanding this gross Reflection on the real Quaker that he is not so Ignorant and Blind nor Unacquainted with the Holy Scriptures but that he knows that there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and differences of Administrations but the same Lord and diversities of Operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all and that he is taught according to Scripture to
Infallible Spirit of God or a Measure of it that the Holy Pen-men were moved to write the Holy Scriptures by If not according to G. K. whom you so Hug and Countenance you have not that which is necessary to Expound Scripture by and then what need any to heed your Interpretation and if you Preach not by the Spirit of God and Pray not by the Assistance thereof how can you profit the People I both acknowledge to thy Patience and desire thy Excuse for being so long Ch. Thou hast indeed now taken a long stretch and if I be long thou must not blame me Qua. Nay therefore take thy Liberty Ch. Then I do first premise whatever Opinion thy Friends may have of such as I am I do assure thee I would be fair and just to all Men for I am not for such Christianity as doth not exceed Morality or that doth not answer our Saviour's Doctrine and I do confess I am somewhat surprized at what G. K. hath said upon these points thou quotes him in and if he be truly represented he appears with no Grace but that Author of The Snake in the Grass tho I know him not Personally yet he appears to be a Man of Parts and Learning but whether he owns our Church or we him as an approved Minister thereof I cannot tell but as to G. K. I am of opinion the Church of England do not esteem him a Minister thereof and whether he owns them or the 39 Articles I know not but am of Opinion he doth not as stated by us But what he proposeth about Authors being their own Interpreters I think Just and Reasonable if Living and if Dead the way thou proposed I approve of and as to the Norfolk-Clergy if I had been in their place and knew my Proofs clear I would not have concealed them And the Simbolizing you with the Jesuits and accounting you to have the Policy of some of them without good Grounds I do frankly acknowledge I do not like for altho I esteem you Erroneous in several things yet I always accounted you among Dissenting Protestants And as to our allowing Men now to have the Infallible Spirit of God Immediately to Guide them I do acknowledge that I do not account we have yet being truly called and instituted and ordained to the Ministry and Preaching those Truths that are agreeable to Scripture and Living good Lives we may and do profit the People But Friend be plain with me now as I have been and tell me do you own the forgiveness of Sins and the Doctrine of Satisfaction the Resurrection of the Dead Qua. I commend thy Moderation and Cautiousness in thy last Answer although I esteem thee mistaken with respect to the last part of it and now I do in much Plainness and Sincerity confess and acknowledge I own the forgiveness of Sins the satisfaction of Christ and the Resurrection of the Dead according to the Holy Scriptures Ch. Do you own that all Just and Moral Men Jews and Mahometans that profess the same Light within as you do and obey its dictates to be your Christian Brethren Qua. As G. K. hath acknowledged in Print so do I concerning Jesus Christ that he did come in the Flesh and Suffered in that prepared Body that was Born of the Virgin Mary yea we own no other Christ than the very same who did then come in the Flesh in that Body and Preached a most Heavenly Doctrine Lived a most Holy Life wrought most Excellent Miracles and at last did offer up himself unto God without Spot most acceptable upon the Cross not only for our Sins but for the Sins of the whole World and this Jesus Christ in us whom we Preach who is the Way the Truth and the Life and Light of the World even that true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World is not another Christ from him that came in the Flesh and died without the Gates of Jerusalem but one and the same Christ And I frankly Acknowledge I own and esteem all them to be my Christian Brethren that truly Believe in rightly Profess and faithfully Obey him i. e. Jesus Christ and that walk in his Light and obey the Dictates thereof Ch. Do you think that Christ God-Man without you to be the Object of your Faith together with the Light within you will bring many great Inconveniences and sad Inferences and Consequences upon you Qua. Truly to take Christ whole and undivided for the Object of my Faith I do not think will bring any great Inconveniences and sad Consequences and Inferences upon me Ch. Why In this late Dialogue I mentioned the Quakers is made to answer Yea and to say It quite overturns our whole Fabrick that we have been building this fifty Years past and plucks up by the Roots the Testimony of our Ancient Friends yea and our present Testimony among our selves Qua. It is our Lot as it was the Primitive Christians to be misrepresented and by such whose Wrath is cruel and Anger out-ragious And who is able to stand against Envy which our Adversaries are fill'd with against us but those that have Truth for their Foundation and Innocency for their Defence Which we humbly Bless God we have as our Ancient Faithful Brethren that died in the Faith and are at rest with the Lord had that is our Comfort and Rejoycing this the Testimony of our Consciences 2 Cor. 1.12 And we can and do testifie and declare That we sincerely own all those Divine Truths and Christian Doctrines contain'd in the Holy Scriptures of Truth however we are misrepresented by our Opposers Ch. Do you own the Holy Scriptures a Secondary Rule Qua. Yea and the Holy Spirit by which the Holy Men of God were moved to write them the Primary Ch. Do you think the Light in all Men would reveal Christ God-Man without them to be the Object of Faith and Worship if all Men were duly Faithful and Obedient to it Qua. We think and believe God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory and if all Men did receive and believe in him who is the Light in all Men then he would reveal himself unto all Men and be the Objest of their Faith and Worship if all Men were daily Faithful and Obedient to him Ch. Do you believe that he that was Born of Mary preached and wrought Miracles suffered at Jerusalem died and was buried was the Son of God Yea notwithstanding them Diologues wickedly makes the Quakers say Abraham and David was his Father But as G. K. saith True Christ owned p. 18. If thou deniest this I ask thee who was the Father of Christ as he was Man but God For if he had another Father then he was not Born of the Virgin Mary Which G. K. concluded Rampant Blasphemy But by the Dialogue I mentioned I perceive the Jews and Mahometans and Deists are
THE Church-Man AND THE QUAKER Dialoguing WITH A REPLY TO AN Answer to a late Pamphlet CALLED A Sober Dialogue between a Scotch Presbyterian a London Church-Man and a Real Quaker Psalm XXXVII 12. The Wicked plotteth against the Just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth 13. The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming LONDON Printed and Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1699. THE Church-Man AND THE QUAKER Dialoguing Church-man SO old Friend I perceive you still keep among the Quakers Quaker Yea for I find no cause to leave them Ch. That 's strange if what I hear since I came to Town be true Qu. What hast thou heard Ch. I hear you are Charged with Blasphemy against God Christ and the Holy Scriptures and with great Contempt of Civil Magistracy and the Ordinances which Jesus Christ Instituted viz. Baptism by Water and the Lord's Supper with Bread and Wine And the Light within as taught by you leaves you without any certain Rule and exposes you to the aforementioned and many other Blasphemies Qu. It 's true we are so Charged by some few hot Rectors in Norfolk But if thou wilt Impartially Peruse the Defence lately Printed in Reply to those Priests I doubt not but it may tend to thy Satisfaction to which I refer thee Ch. Say you so but what do you think of a late Serious Dialogue between a Church-Man and a Quaker Qu. I think that saying is fulfilled Evil Men and Seducers wax worse and worse and that the old Enemy to true Peace and Righteousness is stirring up his Agents to disquiet those that are quiet in the Land and to raise the Spirit of Persecution in order to their Destruction Ch. Persecution I cannot think so for that never did any good for it is one of the bad Practices of the Papists and from Popery and such Slavery I hope we are now deliver'd and shall no more be concern'd in any such work for I believe that it is neither pleasing to the King nor Parliament But this Dialogue I mention insinuates that you say ye are of the same Faith with us and that ye grosly Pervert a Passage in our Common-Prayer Qu. If your Faith be in God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and hath Christ for its Author we are of the same Faith and if you believe what you call the Gospel to be read for Christmas-day and what is written in your Common-Prayer concerning Inspiration in what Fundamental Doctrine that is Essential to Salvation do we differ Ch. But your old Friend G. K. in a Postscript to this Dialogue saith I am ready to prove Face to Face before any Judicatory Ecclesiastical or Civil what is asserted in this Dialogue And therein as I remember the Quaker is made to confess That if Christ as without us and as some call him God-Man be held forth to be the necessary Object of Faith for Eternal Salvation it quite overturns our whole Fabrick Qu. If so then G. K. is one of them that quite overturns that Fabrick in saying God and Christ as inwardly Revealed is the Object of Faith And he farther adds That altho' the Preaching of Christ without us in his Birth Life Suffering Death Resurrection Ascention Intercession c. is a very considerable part of the Doctrine and of the Gospel yet it is but an integral part such as the Hands and Feet of a Man without which a Man may subsist So may true Religion and Christianity subsist without the History of Christ in the Letter to wit in the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit with much more to the same purpose Ch. But peradventure he hath retracted this Doctrine Qu. And so he may any thing that he now writes by the same Rule for he hath declared in publick Print That if once People were persuaded and convinced in their Consciences that God did teach and would teach them who wait on him Then the whole Clergy and their so call'd Theology Philosophy Schools Colleges and their Church the People would turn their Backs upon and their Colleges would become like the Abacies at this day which lodged that prophane Rabble of Papists Monks and Friars who pretend as great Spirituality as the National Priests do an Habitation for Owls and Ravenous Beasts and then down should all the proud lording lofty Clergy with their many Degrees of Doctorships Lordships and Masterships pass who being strangers to the true Knowledge which is Life Peace Joy and Satisfaction in full Assurance to the Soul are vainly puff'd up in their Fleshly Minds by the Form of Knowledge in the Letter as I was my self whilst amongst them and thought all Men Idiots Ch. If this be true I fear it 's now his Condition too much and his Exclaiming against you now is but what he once did against us and may again And indeed there is some cause to think he is more Envious than Sincere and acts little from Conviction for what he seems to blame you for viz. the disuse of the Institution of Christ's Baptism with Water the Sacraments as we use them he is not in the Practice of neither doth he seek to be Qualified to be a Minister among us of the Church of England or is he owned by any other Society of Protestants since he turned from you Quakers against whom he now Enveighs and Exhibits heavy Charges as if you denied the Lord that bought you and did not own Jesus Christ for a necessary Object of your Faith as he died for Remission of Sins and as his Blood was shed and as he rose again and ascended into Heaven in our Nature as we say and is now in Heaven making Intercession for Men Qu. I could easily shew how in his former Fit he render'd those of thy Coat the Priests Gullers and Cheats and said It lay upon him from the Lord to depart from those Teachers And how he confesseth he came and heard Men and Women who were taught of God who pointed him to the True Principle tho' some of them could not read a Letter yet he found them wiser than all the Teachers he ever formerly had been under And if now he Belies and falsly Accuseth us and Misrepresents us as Erronious and Unsound in some Points of Christian Doctrine not Fundamental or Essential to Salvation he will not I persume say of the People called Quakers as of the School-men and National Teachers Doctrine of whom he saith They generally being Men void of all Sense and Feeling of God have in the blindness of their Minds and in the Wisdom from below that is Carnal Earthly and Devilish formed and invented Perverse Doctrine for their own Gains and Ends And renders the Members by Whole-sale of the National Churches a mixed confused Rabble of Godless Atheists and as much Clamour as he now makes against us and Noise about Christ without he hath asserted That which makes the true Church Ministry and Worship is Jesus