Salvation had been wholy perfected by the â—ody without the Spirit of Christ then our Faith and Hope should have stood there but the same Apostle saith Our Faith and Hope is to stand in God 1 Pet. 1.21 And the Apostle to the Hebrews saith The Hope that anchors the Soul enters within the Vail Heb. 6.19 And John did bear witness to the Word which was in the beginning John 1.1 which Word the World was made by and saith of it that it was God in this Word was Life Vers 4. and the Life was the Light of Men and this was the Light which that Faithful Witness of God John bore witness to That is the true Light that Enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Vers 9. So People that which enlighteneth both you and us and every Man that cometh into the World is not a Natural Light as some say the Priest sometimes nor yet the Light of the Devil as the Priest saith othertimes but it is the Light of him that made the World as V. 10. and this is he that was made Flesh V. 14. the Word was made Flesh dwelt amongst us we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So here John bears a full Testimony to the Saviour of the World and so do we who is the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World it is not said he takes away the Guilt oâ— Condemnation of Sin only but the Sin it self thus do we believe in him So let People judge whether this be not the true Christ So here John did not bear Record to a Body only but to the â—nal Power and Godhead so the Apostle Heb. 10.5 bears witness to him for whom the Body was prepared saying a Body hast thou prepared me to do thy will O God So it is clear that this Body was prepared for him that was before that Body was this was he who David in Spirit called Lord saying The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my Right Hand till I have made thine Enemies thy Foot-stool And in the 2 Cor. 5.19 the Apostle gives this Testimony God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself And Jesus himself said before Abraham was I am and in another place He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also So let any one judge that hath a good Understanding whether any of the Witnesses of Christ did ever bear witness against the Spirit in the Salvation of Man but doth truly and really bear a living Testimony to the Spirit Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death now at that time when Paul cryed out of the Body of Death he was a Believer and was come so far as to a willing mind to serve the Lord but yet the Captivating Spirit was felt the Law in the Members in which state Paul did not sit down in a belief of Christ at a distance only as People now a days do but crys out for Deliverance even from the Body of Death and afterward testifies to the Law of the Spirit saying The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the Law of Sin and Death So here is Salvation witnessed indeed he did not say Sin must live in him while he had a Body but saith Christ liveth in me Gal 2.20 And it is through the Spirit that Sin is mortified Rom. 8.13 and in Rom. 10.8 The Apostle testifies to Christ nigh and not to Christ at a distance saying The Word is nigh thee in the Mouth and in the Heart and in the 2 Cor. 13.5 Examin your selves whether ye be in the Faith try your selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates and in Col. 1.27 Which is Christ in you the hope of Glory For it is no other then that Christ the Saints did believe in in dayes by past It is his Spiritual indwelling in us through which we come to be sanctified and cleaâ—sed from Sin and the Comforter the Spirit of Truth which Christ promised to send to his Disciples which they were to wait for at Jerusalem and accordingly they did receive it and this dwelt in them to direct them into all Truth and so it was not a Spirit without them or a Christ without them only but within according as Christ said John 17.14 He dwelleth with you ond shall be in you And the Apostle testified in his day Christ was in the Saints who was their Hope of Glory and this hope purified their Hearts in whom it dwelt and Anchored their Souls in that which is sure and stâ—dfast and in him is our hope and confidence who we believe is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him And so People it is in the Name of Jesus we Witness Salvation which is his Power to which comeing we Witness Salvation thereby and so we know not another Name through which Salvation is Witnessed but through this Name and this is he whom we declare of who is not far from us and the efficacy of his Blood we feel as we abide in him to cleanse us from Sin So I do not matter what your Teacher S. B. saith viz. The Blood of Christ cleansith no Man from Sin It being so contrary unto the Apostles Doctrine 1 John 1.7 which is But if you walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And we witness it in its Opperation Cleansing and Washing the Soul from the Spiritual Defilements of which some amongst us are come to the experience of in our measure So that we are not as those that beat the Air but we are come to experience in some measure as I said although S. B. did mock at it the Vertue and Power of that Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men through which the Saints were taught in dayes by past and in Ages and Generations long since to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World now this Grace is the same t at ever it was and its teachings are the same to all that are Obedient in this day as it was then to bring Salvation indeed I do not know any Doctrine so plentiful in the Scripture as the Indwelling or Inward or Spiritual Appearance of his Spiritual Kingdom which whoso doth come to pertake of must be redeemed from the Kingdom of the Devil So having taken off that Reproach and Slander from Christ whom we believe in and is our Saviour the first and the last the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End of the Work of God Who S. B. call'd the Devil and said he would prove it by the Scripture but hath indeed fallen short of his
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
He is the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and Christ himself said He was the Light of the World Which things are true and his Light is truly felt and known in the Hearts of his Saints So our Testimony we are not ashamed to bring forth to the inward manifestation of the Spirit of Jesus by which we are inlightned and by vvhich the Gentiles are inlightned and is become the glory of Spiritual Israel the inward Jew whose praise is not of Men but of God And so Simeon's Words or Prophecy of him is fulfilled he is become a Light to the Gentiles and Israels glory He likewise names John 20 27. Then said Jesus reach hither thy finger c. And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God So this Scripture brought by him to prove his Argument hath quite overthrown it For by Thomas his confession the same Jesus who was the true and only Saviour of the World was God as well as Man and Christ did not at all reprove him for his Confession And if God then a Spirit and so is within as well as without As to the fourth of John 42. where he seemeth to say The Men of Samaria confest to the Man Christ only to this I answer it was the same Christ to whom Thomas confest and the same that was before Abraham was even he that whosoever saw truly to be the Christ saw the Father also So here having no ground to prove his Argument which the said S. B. calls Apostolical it doth at once fall to the ground The third Argument that this Priest uses to prove his Charge viz The Quakers Saviour within him to be the false Christ is in page 3. If the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his own crucfied Body on the cross finish and perfect the work office of a Saviour ithen a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the true Christ and our only Saviour did at once without us in and by his own crucified Body on the Cross finish and perfect the whole work and office of a Saviour therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ All which he grounds upon these Scriptures following Heb. 10.12 14. Heb. 2.14 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 2.15 16. Heb. 9.26 Eph. 5.2 Col. 1.22 Neither doth any one of these Scriptures prove the whole office of a Saviour perfected in his crucified Body at once upon the Cross Although I confess that the whole work of a Saviour so far as was of him required to be performed in and by that Body was perfectly performed and nothing wanting as pertaining to our Salvation But is this the whole office of a Saviour Is there nothing farther to be done Is the believing of this sufficient without sanctification Is it not the office of Christ as a Saviour to give rest and peace to such as he saves must he not redeem from under the power of Sin and destroy Sin in our mortal Bodys Is this no part of the office of Christ as a Saviour The Apostle Paul Rom. 8.2 testified to the work of the Spirit within saying The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free frrom the Law of Sin and Death Now this faithful Servant of the Loâ—d after he came to believe and was truly satisfied as concerning the work done by Jesus of Nazareth without him yet if you read Rom. 7. you shall see what a grievous complaint he makes concerning the Body of Death which still remained in him and of the Law in his Members that still made war against the Law in his Mind and captivated his Members to the Law of Sin and Death So that although the purchase was made the debt paid and remission of Sins obtained through the Death and Sufferings of Christ Jesus and also triumphantly manifested to the World by his Resurrection of which there were many Witnesses as the Apostle doth declare 1 Cor. 15. yet for all this the Enemy sought to keep his hold and Paul was so far sensible of the same that it made him cry out Oh Wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death which as he waited he came to know a farther work of Salvation then that which was done at once without him in the Crucified Body of Jesus on the Cross for through the power of the same Jesus not another he became crucified also to the World and the World unto him and so being Crucified with Christ by which he felt himself Dead to Sin he also did pertake of his Resurrection and so received a new Life through the quickenings of Christ Jesus who lived in him and so was truly made alive unto God Gal. 2.20 So this is the very thing that the faithful whom S. B. doth scornfully call Quakers do testifie of viz of the work of the Son of God within and of his inward quicknings in our Souls by which we also are made alive unto God though we do not deny the work of Salvation wrought by the Man Jesus Christ without us in his own Crucified Body on the Cross but believe it every whit even as the Scripture doth declâ—re oâ— it And do resolve to wait in the inward manifestation of the Son of Gâ—d wâ—o is Light whom S. B. so often reproaches in his scandalous Book â—ith wicked and reproachful Names yet we are not ashamed to own him in â—is inward manifestation through whose Power we do certainly believe and truly expect to feel the Power of Darkness Sin and Death truly vanquished in us as well as for us as it is written He doth all our works in us and for us And so he becomes the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that do obey him so Christ saves not to halves as People imagin as to pay the price of the Redemption for such as are taken Captive by the Enemy of their Souls and yet leave them under his Power and Jurisdiction but to as many as believe Love and Obey him he redeems also from under the Power of Sin and Death and gives them dominion over it and so he becomes a perfect Saviour saving both within and without saving to the uttermost all that come unto God by him So these are they who are for ever perfected through the one offering even those that according to the will of God are sanctified through the Blood and Spirit of Jesus which the Saints do inwardly feel to cleanse them from the defilements of Sin So this I Judge to any rational and unbiassed Spiritâ— is sufficient to the Answer of S. B's 3d Argument by which he seeks to prove his Charge viz That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him as he is pleased to call it is not the true Christ but the false Sam. Bonds 4th Argument in page 4. If the true Christ and our only Saviour be in Heaven
the Heart and this is a certain Truth where the Heart is Purified the Hands will not be Defiled And in 1 Joh. 3.3 The Apostle gives a certain and undeniable Character of a Lively hope saying Every Man that hath this hope in him Purifieth himself even as he is pure And in the 9 ver Speaking of this Nature saith He that is Born of God Sinneth not So now compare thy self with these Testimonies of the Saints in Ages past and see if Thou can bring forth such a Testimony of the true Divine Nature in thy self If Thou should say Thou could Thy Book would stand as a Testimony against Thee especially toward the latter end where Thou art found to contend with all thy Might for Sin the Devils Kingdom that Men cannot be free as long as they are in the Body Now then tell me where is thy living Faith and lively Hope thou spoke of and art thou not then one of the Carnal Gospellers thou spoke of And whereas S. B. seeks to cast this upon the Quakers he hath fallen exceedingly short of his purpose for we are not the Men that ever said the Graces or the Effects or opperations of the Spirit within is the true Christ and our only Saviour as thou chargest us but our true Saviour is he from whom those Graces and Effects come and by whom those Opperations are wrought in us And seeing Thou wert so exceedingly mistaken that Thou didst understand indeed as by Thine own Confession that we did make the opperations of the Spirit of God within us which thou callest the effects or Graces of the Spirit to be our True and Only Saviour How darest Thou then so Wickedly to Villifie the Graces Effects and Opperations of the Spirit of God and Man if we had been so mistaken with such Ungodly Blasphemous Infamous Terms or Expressions as in many places in thy Book are found as Antichrist Cursed Gospel within Idol-Light Glow worm Familier c. How canst Thou escape the Judgment of the Righteous God for the Lord hath found Thee out and Thine Enmity against his Spirit is now discovered thy covering is found to be too short and too narrow for thou art not covered with Gods Spirit Thine own Pen hath discovered thine own Shame and the Lord will make the People to see it even as many whose Eyes he shall open and thy words shall be thy Burthen in the day of the Lord for the time draws near that the Lord will Reckon with thee he doth but wait till thy Cup is full and then he will Smite and not spare except in the mean time thou do Repent But to Proceed The next Scripture he saith mentioned by me was 1 Cor. 6.11 We be to prove Christs Inward Manifestation in the Heart to Sanctifie and save Man from the Power of Sin but ye are washed c. where he saith I Craftily omitted in the Name of the Lord Jesus to abuse their Judgments to make them believe Justification in the Sight of God is a work of the Spirit within us which I can see no other but that he would have the work of Justification altogether without and nothing of it known within But miserable is that Mans condition who hath no better Evidence of his Salvation then so but must needs leave his Assurance for another World In Page 31. Take notice of the confusion of this Priest who after he hath so strongly argued for the work of Mans Salvation viz. that the whole work was perfectly Finished at once without us in Christs own Crucified Body on the Cross Yet now he grants that it is to be wrought within us not at once but by degrees even by the Spirit of God so the work which was so perfectly and compleatly Finished before without us yet now it must be wrought within us by the Spirit of God before it can be effectual to us This is confusion with a Witness is not thy whole work overthrown let the Reader consider and judge is it not the same thing we have contended for and is it not the same thing against which thou hast hardned thy Heart and Stiffned thy Neck Is not this the Spirit of God that works thus Inwardly that which thou callest The Quakers Pretended Saviour which thou so often call The False Christ The Devil with many other Reviling Ungodly Blasphemous Speeches or did the Quakers ever pretend to any other Saviour within then the Spirit of Christ Jesus who is the Light who is the worker of the things whereof thou Speaks Well all this doth Redound to thy own Shame and will also make thy Judgment more then thou wilt be able to bear except thou speedily Repent Again in pag. 31. S. B. saith that I said that I was in some measure washed from my sins which he calls new Divinity and a most false and dangerous Doctrine for saith he he doth clearly deny that the Messiah Jesus Christ of Nazareth hath at once by his own Crucified Body without us on the Cross finished Transgression and Sin Answer When will thy confusions come to an end didest thou not say but now that though the Work of Salvation were done at once without us yet it must be wrought by degrees by the opperation of the Spirit within and now I come to bear Reoord to the same thing you cries out false and dangerous Doctrine who is so Blind that cannot see thy confused Doctrines who can but Judge thee even Drunk with Enmity as a Man overcome with Strong-Drink Reeling this way and that way and but seldome in the Right way one while confessing to the Spirits working within and by and by denying it again besides he doth not only say that it is false and dangerous Doctrine but in Pag 32. he tells wherein saying it plainly denies the one Propitiatory Sacrifice of the one Crucified Body of the Man Jesus Christ Immediately after his usual manner breaking forth in reviling expressions against the Light calling it unbloody Redeemer Idol-Light and the Pope in all which his Enmity is greatly manifested against the Graces Effects and opperations of the Spirit within which he saith in page 29. the Quakers make their true and only Saviour The next Scripture words mentioned by Friends was as he said by Stephen Bullock Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death which was brought to prove that the Spirit of Christ in Man did save from Sin and although the Scripture was clear in it self yet it appears he would have some Argument framed by the Friend who not answering immediately Ismael like the Mocker who Mocked at Isaac the Figure of the true seed he broke forth in a Mock saying Long fasting parhaps hath made him so Empty Note this was the Friend that gave forth the Challenge to try their God by Fasting By this Scripture i. e. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
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
like his Heavenly Father in Heaven And the Aâ—â—â—â—le saith in Rom. 6. Being made free from sin are become Servants to God Ye have your fruits unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life Priest Bond tells the Apostle that 't is an erroneous Principle to be Perfect and made free from Sin in this Life And when will Priest Bond be made free from his Sins if not in this Life What will he be made free in the Papist's Purgatory Where did ever the Apostles Preach such a Doctrine that the Saints should not be made free from Sin in this Life And the Apostle tells him He that is Dead is free from Sin Rom. 6. And now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall Live with him yet as Priest Bond saâ—th Deduction of freedom from sin in the Saints in this Life cannot from hence be drawn Priest Bond saith Now the State which accompanies the Resurrection of the Dead excludes all Sin The Saints shall then be Legally Perfect But S. Bond has not proved his Doctrine by Scriptures and what must we understand by S. Bonds Words That the Saints which are Sanctified and made Holy while they be upon the Earth must have Sin which is of the Devil and be Imperfect in this Life Yet the Apostle says to the Philippians 3. 1 Cor. Let as many as be Perfect c. Read 1 Cor. 2.6 Then S. B. falls upon his foul Language seducing Quakers Heretical Catharishes and saith Solomon makes a Challenge to all the World Pro. 20.9 Who can say I have made my Heart Clean I am pure from my Sin But Solomon tells Bond in the same Chapter The just man that walks in his integrity his Children are blessed after him and it is the Blood of Christ that Cleanseth us from all Sin without him we can do nothing Again John 1.1.8 This Proclamature is beyond Solomon's If we say that we have not sinned we make Christ a Lyar. And Priest Bond saith We that are of the new birth say If we say we have not Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us But this Priest Bond abuses John's Words and John says 1.3 Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Now I Querie of Priest Bond Whether there are any born of God whilst they are upon the Earth and if so whether they must believe John's Doctrine And Priest Bond falls a Railing If the Quakers should be so stark mad as to affirm all the Saints to be free from Sin which Priest Bond saith Cannot be meant a freedom from Sin but only of the Trade and Custom of Sinning I charge Priest Bond to bring forth the Chapter and Verse that says For his Trade and Custom of Sinning But the Apostle saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves c. And if we Confess our Sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all mark all Unrighteousness If we say we have not Sinned we make him a Lyar c. So here is a time for people to see they have Sinned and to confess their Sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses from all Sin mark from all Sin Joh. 1. Priest Bond makes a great Pudder about Paul who saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Paul tells thee in Rom. the 7th and the 8th He thanks God through Jesus Christ and saith there 's no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk 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 And he hath not seen iniquity in Jacob. Now Priest Bond Confounds himself and grants That believers may walk in the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless that is to say Rebukeless in regard of Men. We speak Wisdom among them which are perfect meaning however imperfect Weaklings Doth not S. Bond abuse the Apostles words here and add to the Scripture Page 85. And again That you may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation amongst whom they shine as Lights in the World mark that And Priest Bond saith and Confounds himself The Phrase Blameless Simply in its own nature will be so far from proving perfection of Grace that it will not prove any truth of Grace it will not therefore follow that Elizabeth was Perfect without Sin though Priest Bond Confesses she was blameless and hath not charged her with what Sin she committed Dost not thou confess she was Blameless and Righteous c. And did not Elizabeth Believe Did not she say to Mary Blessed is he that Believes So Elizabeth was a Believer as well as her walking blameless in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord. But Saul who was a Blasphemer and Persecutor was no Believer therefore there 's no Comparison with Saul and Elizabeth But Priest Bond saith In the Day of Christs coming in Glory the Saints shall be found of God in Peace without Spot and Blameless But not thus in this Life p. 85. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that you may be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are Perfect for I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3. Where has Priest Bond learned this Lesson that the Saints shall not be freed from Sin in this Life Then how can they be kept blameless unto the Day of Christ and not to be kept free from Sin which is of the Devil But as Bond saith page 86. There is not a just Man upon the Earth Solomon saith in the same Chapter Be not righteous overmuch be not overmuch wicked So in a Man 's own Righteousness and Justice he may Sin But Christ Cleanses from all Sin and doth that which the Law could not do but Priest Bond saith page 87. There is in all true Believers a cursed Root of bitterness which God doth mortifie but not nullifie in this World 't is subdued but not removed 't is cast down but not cast out though Grace makes the Combate yet Death only makes the Conquest over Sin We charge Priest Bond to prove this Doctrine by Scripture his cursed Root of Bitterness in all true Believers and that they shall never Conquer it till they Dye and to prove that this was in Abraham Isaac and Jacob Abel and Enoch and in them that the Apostle said We speak Wisdom among them that are Perfect And has not Priest Bond given John the Lye who says whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin
School-Learning and Fleshly Wisdom are able to attain to the knowledge of the Invisible God as it is written 1 Cor. 1.21 The World by Wisdom knew not God but this Apostle witnesseth that they viz. that wicked Generation had known God but did not like to Retain him in their knowledge vers 28. So then if the true knowledge of God cannot be Attained too by the Wisdome of this World which is not able to search into the Misteries of the Visible things as is plain by the Apostles words in the forenamed 1 Cor. 1.17 The World by Wisdom knew not God then its clear that they had another Teacher that Informed them in the knowledge of God besides the Visible Creation The next Scripture this said Priest undertakes to open is in Page 25. John 6.63 The Flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth About the Interpretation of which he seems to be greatly confounded not knowing what Flesh that is that profiteth nothing and what Flesh that is that is the Souls Food that came down from Heaven of which if any Man cat he shall live for ever So having opposed the pure Heavenly Light who is the Saints Teacher he himself is left in the Dark with which his own deceived Heart is Darkned So though he said these Scriptures did not appear to Answer the matter in Hand yet they are of good service to make manifest the Darkness of the Man And whereas Christ saith It is the Spirit that quickeneth after S. B. in his ordinary manner of turning and winding of that word at length brings forth this conclusion viz. though the Spirit be the Dead Souls quickner yet it is not the quickned Souls Saviour Rep. To me this seems as strange and as Dark and as confused a Sentence as ever I heard expressed by one that pretended himself a Wise-Man But herein is the Scripture fulfilled Job 5.13 He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness For it seems very strange to me that any Man should be so Dark as to conclude that that Spirit that giveth Life doth not save from Death Now Man naturally is Dead according to the Word of God In the Day thou Eatest thereof thou shalt surely Dye and Death having got an Entrance into the World through Sin it passed over all Men because all have Sinned now Death got Entrance through the First Man Adams offence and Man now being under the Power of Death by what means doth Man come to Witness Salvation or Deliverance from Death but by Christ who is a Quickening Spirit which giveth Life to the Soul thus Captivated under the Power of Death which is Christ Jesus the Quickening Spirit which makes the Dead to Live and sets free from the power thereof as is Witnessed Rom. 8 2. So this is my Testimony for Christ Jesus who is the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit who is the Resurrection and the Life and raises such to Life who are Dead and Buried in the pit of Death and Darkness and makes them to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so I say it is he and he alone who is the Saviour of Mankind to S. B. might see if the God of this World had not Blinded his Eye that the True Christ the Quickening Spirit saves as well within as without so that this Scripture was not mentioned in vain but plainly proves the Spirit of Christ Jesus in the Saints to be their Saviour both by delivering them from the Captivity of Sin and being delivered to preserve them from the Power thereof The next Speaker he saith was Patience Bullock who he said propounded a question to him Whether Christ could have saved us without his being God His answer he grants it and saith the Godhead gave the Efficacy and excellency to the Manhood and in the 28th Page he tells us that the humane Nature of Christ was the only matter of our Salvation contradicting the latter by granting the first Now S. B. what will the result of all this be unto thee will not all thy wicked Blasphemies against the Lord and thy revilings of the pure Light and the Dirt and Mire cast upon the Throne of God in Man now return upon thine own Head thy wickedness may be seen in this particular in many Pages of thy Book sometimes calling the Light a Glow-worm sometimes a cursed Gospel within Page 20. and frequently the Idol Light within but especially in Page 15. there thou art found to joyn both the Light which we know and is sure is a Measure of Gods Spirit in Man and the Conscience made tender by it which is his Throne in which he doeth chiefly manifest himself I say thou hast Joyned both together under a reproachful Term that Idol Light tender part within so casting Infamy and reproach at it So that which thou said of me in Page 5. viz. is truly come upon thy self for thy Throat is an open Sepulchre casting out abominable Stinck and Noisome unsavory scents in the Nostrils of God and all Godly Men. So with most reviling Speeches thou goest on charging the Light with Antichristianisme and Villany beyond all the Antichrists that yet hath appeared which ungodly charge is Recorded against thee in Eternal Record which thou shalt as surely feel the waight of it upon thine own Head as ever thou spoke it and so I leave thee to the farther Judgment of the mighty God whose Spirit thou hast Villified But to proceed to thy Inferrences upon Patience Bullocks question Page 29. Let me ask you this question Art not thou one of those Carnal Gospelers thou speaks of that rests in a bare Historical Assent that the Man Christ Jesus of Nazareth is the true and only Saviour while sayest thou they are in no degree partaker of the Divine Nature for certainly if thou wert in that Nature it would manifest it self otherwise then it hath done of Instance thy mocking Friends in thy House of worship in Devonshire Tribe calling one of the Friends Checker-work and when I reproved thee for it as a thing unbeseeming thy profession thou answeredst wantonly saying why is not his Name White and his Hatt Black is not that Checkerwork This is no Fruit of the Divine Nature which is that which is Heir to the Kingdome but on the contrary it is a manifest Fruit of Ishmaels Nature scoffing thee at Isaac's Son and the Bond Woman which is to have no part of the Heavenly Inheritance several other things I might Alledge as truly gathered out of thy Book which I forbear here to mention and only content my self with some of those particulars Noted by thine own self as Signs or Fruits of the Divine Nature which are a Lively Faith and a Lively hope which both these do Manifest themselves where-ever they are by Holiness and Purity as we may Read in Acts 15.9 How that the Gentiles who Lived in the Heathenish Nature when they come to Receive the true and Living Faith it manifested it self by Purifying
from the Law of Sin and Death he saith that the Apostle doth not mean that the Spirit did so free him from Sin and Death as that he was simply delivered from either but so that it should not Dominere over us nor Damn us Suppose it were so that we could grant him this yet still the Scripture stands on the Spirits side and so consequently on our side against this Priest for if he doth save but from the Dominion of sin that is no small degree of Salvation so by Right and good Reason the Spirit was in Paul as a Saviour and made him free which if this could be proved that the Spirit of Christ was ever in any Man as a Saviour thou saidst thou wouldst give up the Cudgels But it is plain that Paul became Dead with Christ Crucified to the World Dead to Sin and Alive to Righteousness and all this through the inward working of the Spirit of Christ Jesus Farther he Ignorantly affirms that the Death Paul was Delivered from was nothing else but the Power of a Natural Death here People may behold the Ignorance of the Man was it a Natural Death that Paul so much complained of Rom. 7.24 Was it not the Body of Death the Old corrupt Nature which was not yet quite overcome yet the Law or Power of this Body of Death was strong in his Members and this was it that he cryed for deliverance from and that was it from which that Law of the Spirit of life set him free In Page 34. S. B. saith F. E. stept again and said I in thee and thou in me I Answer The end for which I made use of the Scripture was to Testifie to the indwelling of Christ in the Saints against his wicked charge that the Quakers Saviour within was the false Christ which perhaps the word might be mistaken in uttering yet it stands firm in the Record of the Scripture for Truths advantage in plain Scripture Words I in them and thou in me and is part of Christ Prayer to the Father who heard him always although S. B. by his Interpretation seeks to hide the true sence thereof and to give a meaning that may answer his own End In pag 36. S. B. saith Mrs. Bullock asked him whether he did make our Christ within us to be the Devil to whom he saith he made answer viz. That he did Solemnly with much Reverence in the presence of God to whom I must shortly be accountable for my Words declare that I do most assuredly know that a Quakers pretended Christ within him Mark who Sam. Bond said that was page 29. The Graces effects and opperations of the Spirit within them whom here he calleth the false Christ the Devil with whom he saith We shall be Damned in Hell if we Repent not Damnable Doctrine indeed no wonder he put such a Blasphemous question to Will. Wilkinson viz. Whether our God were in Hell Sav'd or Damn'd such abominacle vapours assends out of his Bottomless Pit many times But of this foregoing answer his own Pen hath accused him for had not he accused himself I know not any that could but as Christ said Nothing is Hid that shaâ—l not be uncovered And for his Warrant to confirm this Sentence he urgeth Joh. 8.24 I said therefore ye shaâ—l die in your Sins which Scripture with the 21st verse to which it relates I turn back again upon himself as his own Portion for it is the Doctrine that he Preaches to the People that they cannot be free from sin while they live who can otherwise Judge if so but that both he and all that Dies in the Faith of his Lies can escape Damnation except with the Papist thou canst find a Purgatory for into the Holy City nothing must Enter that defileth or worketh abomination Rev. 21.27 Farther this Bond after his usual manner of wresting the Scripture goes on to comment upon another Scripture alledged by one of the Friends Eph. 5.13 But all things that are Reproved are made manifest by the Light c. Which by Light he saith we are to understand a sin Reproving Light which he farther saith is the Light of the Scripture But where dost thou find the Scripture called a sin reproving Light we read indeed in Timothy that it is profitable for Reproof and Instruction to make the Man of God perfect and to Furnish him throughly to every good work but though it be serviceable to reprove the Actual Sinner what is this to the manifestation of sin in the Heart before it breaks forth into Action which only is made manifest by the Light or Spirit of Christ as in Joh. 16.8 and whereas he saith the Scripture is frequently described by Light alledging for proof Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a Light unto my Steps To this I answer that Scripture is not there mentioned If he say it is the Word to this I farther give answer that the Scripture in no place calls it self the Word though S. B. without any Scripture ground calls it the Written Word but it saith God is the Word and Christ is the Word and Ezekiel saith often The Word of the Lord came unto me saying so that it notes the Word and the sayings which sayings are many of them Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and are properly the true sayings of God who is the Word Joh. 1.1 He farther to confirm the Scripture to be the Light doth Note Joh. 3.16 Every one that doeth Evil hateth the Light But experience tells us that every Evil Man doth not hate the Scripture but delight many of them to Read it and Teach it their Children but their Enmity is against the Light that makes manifest sin and Iniquity in the Heart which is the Righteous Principle of God in the Heart the sure Word of Prophesie to which the Saints of Old did take heed which is prefer'd before the sound of Words without for the Words without may be falsly Translated and the true sense of them may be changed and falsly Interpreted or written in another Tongue or the Scripture being made up of several Creaters it is possible it may be destroyed but the Invisible Word the Light Christ Jesus could no Man destroy whom the Apostle Paul saith speaketh from Heaven Gods beloved Son whom we are to hear not rejecting the Scripture as it is truly Read for it bears witness to the Light Christ Jesus Several more Lies and false accusations I meet with in his Book as page 38. he saith the Teaching Quakers saith Christ is manifest in their real Flesh but the Flesh of Christ was only in shew and appearance And in page 38. he charges William Harriot for saying he denyed their out-side Christ which words I do not remember in the least neither do any Friend or other People that I have spoke withal witness any such word spoken by him And in page 40. he Proceeds farther with his false charges saying The Quakers deny that Christ was true Man consisting of
their Hats a practice never used by the Christians in former Ages that ever we Read off and to bow and scrape and such like this its like would please thee well and for want of this I judge thou art so filled with Envy against the Innocent who cannot bow to thy proud Spirit nor cannot respect persons knowing that it is contrary to the Faith of the Lord Jesus and contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostle James who saith He that respects persons commits sin and is Judged of the Law as a Transgressor Jam. 2.1.9 And because we cannot thus stoop to the proud Spirit and bow to the Exalted will who lovest to have the preminence therefore it is that thou are so filled with madness against us calling us a proud People a People of a surely Dumb Scurvy Sneaking Deportment and Carriage making us to appear to thy hearers or at least to as to many of them as will believe thee that we were the worst of Men but this is no new thing to be reviled for the Christians in the Primitive times were accounted by the World as the off-scowring of all things so we are contented to bear thy Reproaches Railing and Reviling Speeches knowing we are not above our Lord whom thou hast Reproached with as Reproachful Terms as thou canst find to cast upon us his Servants So I leave thee it this particular to the Lord to Judge thee who will reward every one according to their Works And Proceed to the Scripture mentioned by S. B. in page 46. where he saith I brought in the behalf of my Clyant the false Christ thus Doubling and redoubling his Blasphemies to the filling up the measure of his iniquity the Scripture is Joh 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all unrighteâ—â—sness and because these Words seem to him too like a Quaker therefore after his usual manner because he cannot alter the words he will make his interpretation thereof to serve his turn and so turns all only outward Christ outward and Blood outward and Cleansing outward viz. from the Pain or punishment of Sin as is clear page 47. so perswading poor Innocent People that the Word of Life which made the World and preserves all things by the Word of his Power is such a thing or Person that might be seen with a visible Eye and whose voice might be heard with the outward Ear contrary to the Words of Christ to the Jews who did see the Body and heard the outward voice yet the same Jesus doth Testifie they neither had heard the voice of God nor seen his shape and farther he saith that God was manifest to three of the outward sences and so Lodowick Mugleton's God is S. Bs. God who said his God had Arms and Shoulders as he had and this appears to be S. B's Faith that the God head was manifest Flesh real Mankind Flesh as in page 41. so that he would have the Efficacy of the Blood extend no farther at the utmost then to take off the Punishment of Sin which is contrary to the Apostle in Heb. 9.14 Where he saith The Blood of Christ purgeth the Conscience from Dead works to serve the living God And whereas S. B. would make his interpretation seem good by the following Words if we say we have no sin we are Lyers by this he would make People believe that notwithstanding all the cleansing there spoken of yet sin remains and they are Lyers that deny it to which I give answer I do not so understand the Words but rather if any shall deny that they have any sin and so consequently that they have no need of cleansing they are Lyers and I have just reason so to Judge after the Apostle had farther Enlarged his Testimony concerning Cleansing in the last verse he speaketh thus if we say we have not sinned speaking of the time past and not of any present being of sin For indeed if there were no sin there were no need of a Saviour no need of a Sacrifice but this we do believe by Nature all are Sinners defiled with sin and children of wrath having the Heart and Soul defiled with Works of unrighteousness but now being washed and Cleansed from all unrighteousness what doeth or can remain when all is taken away then the Soul must needs confess to the Truth that he hath sinned and this must needs be the meaning otherwise the Apostle would be found contradicting his own Doctrine Chap. 3.9 He that is Born of God doth not commit sin and saith farther He cannot sin because born of God In page 48. S. B. saith he asked me a question viz. whether the Saints was cleansed from all sin by the water of regeneration or by the Blood of Justification To the which he saith I answered by the Water which he saith caused many People to Laugh Answer Of this Question I remember not one Word nor of the answer thereto annexed only this I very well remember that when I spoke of the opperation of the Blood of Cleansing he looking to the People said it was never known that ever the Blood of Christ ever cleansed any Man from Sin but he said it was the Water and said we deny the Water But having here an opportunity I do bear forth my Testimony according to the Scripture 1 Joh 5.8 There are three that bear Record on Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one so that this I believe that the Spirit Water and Blood do agree in one in their operation in Washing and cleansing the Soul from sin and there is three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost The next Scripture Alledged he saith was Heb. 10.15 But a Body hast thou prepared me to which Scripture several of us strictly urged an answer viz. who that me was for whom the Body was prepared although in his Book he said he answered that it was the God head of the Son yet I remember very well how he was at that time greviously confounded about it and no other answer could we receive from him at that time so far as I remember but this viz. by me was meant the Body though urged over and over though now after better consideration he hath brought forth a smoother answer in his Book And whereas in page 49. he saith that the Leading Quakers hath brought forth in Print that this prepared Body was prepared in Heaven and brought with him into the Virgins Womb which Body he saith that they the Leading Quakers calls a mistical Invisible Spiritual Heavenly Body of Flesh and Blood and that the mistical Invisible Body is the true and only Saviour whose Birth Death Resurrection and Glorification is only Mistical and Invisible Reply I am perswaded if this Priest had known any Quaker that had so written as concerning that prepared Body of the Son of God he had not so little Enmity in him but he would have brought forth his
the only Saviour Was Christ sent without the Father Did he Rise from the dead without the Fathers Power for our Justification Doth Christ only reconcile the World without God But we do confess that Jesus Christ was an Offering for the Sins of the whole World and so he suffered in the Flesh and was quickned by the Spirit and is alive and lives for evermore and so dyed for our Sins and rose for our Justification S. B. Blasphemous words Idol-Light within Page 29. Old Popish-trick Carnal-Prophetess as Carnal-Gospellers Anti-Gospellers I charge S. B. to prove these foul Words of his by Scripture S. B. Quakers Light within is but the Pope without If the Quakers Light of Christ within had been the Pope without as in Page 27. then the Pope and the Papists would never have imprisoned and persecuted the Quakers to Death like the New-England Priests and Professors have done and S. B. would not have blasphemed so against the Light And now all people consider doth not S. B. keep all people in darkness and in a reprobate State for he saith Christ within is a Devil and the Light of Christ is an Idol seducing Quakers confounding Dogs and Swine and a wretched desire to blot out of our Hearts the Blessed Name to wit Jesus all these are S. B's Lyes Again S. B. saith the Idol-Light within Obedience to the Light that unbloody Redeemer the Pope without is become the Quakers Light within Page 32. But Reader didst thou ever read such Lyes and wicked Language against the Light within and against the Quakers the Children of the Light who are redeemed by the Blood of Christ And again Frank's Seducers Titular disputant and Christs Humane Nature What Scripture hath S. B. to prove these words which he saith is his Rule but shews none as Page 34 35. And again he saith That a Quakers Saviour within is not the true Christ Surely thou canst not be so Bruitish â—s to think so but rather the contrary that is the false Christ the Devil S. B. if thou hadst been in the days of the Apostles who told the Saints Christ was in them except they were Reprobates thou would'st have said as much to them When W. B. said to S. B. That the Light makes manistest which so troubled S. B. that he said He th ught that W. B. his loud lowing and bellowing was to prevent him of asking where these Words might be sound in Scripture which he says he did forbear to ask Was this a good answer for Priest Bond Instead of answering W. B. he gives him foul Words Page 37. The Light within thee is the true not the false Christ I hope Saith S. B. Thou art not such a BULLOCK as to think it to be the true Christ Page 38. and 39. Deceivers Antichrists Smoak-Coale If Christ be not in his People by his Light Grace and Faith c. Then Priest Bond would not have spoken so many ill words against Christ and his Light within Page 40. Bonds bad words seducing Quakers seducing Quakers Deceivers and Antichrists Then he saith They are of the Dragon and Beast making War against the Lamb do deny Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the Christ c. These are all horrid Lyes from Priest Bonds foul mouth For Christ we own as is said before and his Lyes are sent home again Pr. Bond. says THOU and YOU is Diabolical to Idolize as the Quakers do THOU and THEE making it the dayly fuel for your levelling inflamed Pride This Bruitish kind of practice see if Priest Bond be not full of Pride who cannot endure the word Thee and Thou which is so frequently practiced in Scripture which he calls his Rule A Quaker who denies the Trinity c. but he hath not proved the Three persons nor the word Trinity in Scripture which he calls his Rule Page 43. Pr. Bond Page 44. A Shame to be of your Sneaking Surly Dum and Scurvy Carriage Unwritten Scripture that Idol-Light within Page 44. Deceit Blasphemy Pride Foolishness of these four Links hath Satan made your Chain of darkness your Idolized Thou and Thee Spring of your Scurvy and Surly deportment Thus poor Ignorant ones are deluded by your equivocations the Quakers is a Conscience of obeying his proud Lusts and of disobeying Gods inspired Laws for a Quaker boldly to Blaspheme Page 45. These are Priest Bond 's Slanderous Words and Lyes The Light within is written Scripture which he saith is unwritten Scripture as you may see in 2 Cor. 4. which he blasphemously calls your Idol Light and did the Apostles Idolize Thee and Thou when they frequently used it Priest Bonds foul words You are possessed with the infernal Spirit of superlative Pride against Jesus F. E. makes another motion on the behalf of his Client the false Christ Saviour within c. To wit The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin Page 46. Here you may see the false Language of Priest Bond For doth not the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God Cleanse from all sin And if Christ be not in him is he not a Reprobate But Priest Bond saith that F. E. left out some part of the Scripture to wit His Son but Priest Bond himself hath left out more but what will serve his own Turn And as for his Lyes and filthy Language he may take it to himself S. B. saith Sundry persons laught at Francis to wit when they were disputing of the things of God Page 48 Page 49. he says the Idol-Light Christ within the Word Humane comprehends both Soul and Body Page 49. But Priest Bond hath not proved with his Idol light within Christs Soul and Body to be humane by the Scripture is not the Soul Immortal And is the Soul of Christ humane and is humane Immortal And in Page 50. Priest Bond is at humane nature again and humane and humane but Priest Bond hath not proved by Scriptures any of these words which he saith is his Rule Priest Bond The Manichees Doctrine namely That Christ brought from Heaven an Invisible Body of Flesh and Blood into the Womb of the Virgin Undoubtedly the Quakers have drunk in this Poison originally from them to advance the Idol light within This Poison comes out of Priest Bonds Bottle and he may take it home again not the Quakers For we own the true Jesus Christ as both the Angel and the Apostles have declared his Conception Birth c. as he was of the Seed of David c. Pr. Bond This seducing Teacher doth not confess Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Idol Light within Juggling Cheat c. Page 52. These are Priest Bonds horrid Lies and Blasphemy Christs flesh glorified in Heaven above which precious Truths are worth nothing in the account of a Quaker These are Priest Bonds Lies And yet Priest Bond saith That the Quakers do believe in Christs Body of Flesh and Blood and that he did dye for sin and rose again and that he is mans only Saviour See
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
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
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
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
by 4 Apostolical Arguments First Because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour for to prove which he notes many Scriptures Acts 2.21 22 23 24. Acts 4.10 11 12. Acts 10.38 39 40 42 43. From these Scriptures mentioned S. B. draws this Argument If Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God among the People of Israel be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour therâ—fore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Reply The Apostles Testimony we believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was he that was to come of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote and of whom the Apostles bore so strict a testimony especially before the Jews under the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Because they having read of the glory of this Saviour did expect it to be outward and visible and that he should have come with the Pomp and Glory of this World and that the Redemption which should have been wrought by him should have been outward and that he should have sat upon the Throne of David as an outward and visible King and when contrary to this their expectation he was raised up of so mean a place as Galilee and Nazareth and of so mean Parentage they slighted him saying Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Joseph His Father we kâ—ow and his Brethren are with us we know whence he is But when Christ cometh wâ— know not whence he is search and see say they for out of Gallilee ariseth no Prophet So they slighted and scorned him and put him to Death therefore the Apostle did bear so strict a Testimony to this Man and we do believe that this vvas he that was to come and we look not for another But that the Apostle by this Testimony did deny the Godhead or Invisible Power that dwelt in Jesus of Nazareth by which he became a Saviour we do not believe Neither do we believe that the Man Jesus of Nazareth only as Man was the Saviour of the World For in him dwells the fullness of the God-head Bodily Coll. â— 9 And Christ himself testifies that he was in the Father and the Father in him John 14.10 11. And in the same place he testifies That the Words he spake and the Works he did were done by the Father that dwelt in Him Now if the whole work of Mans Salvation had been wrought by the Body or visible Man only then must our Faith and Hope have stood there but the same Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.21 Our Faith and Hope must stand in God By which Scripture with many more that might be named it appears that the Salvation of Mankind was wrought by the vvhole entire Christ of God vvho vvas truly God and Man And the Apostle saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 So that it was the Word the invisible Power that dwelt and wrought in the Body that gave the value of the worâ— done in and by the Man by which the work of Mans Salvation was effectually wrought So after the work was performed in by the Body in order to Mans Redemption yet there remains a large work to be performed in such as believe For there is a power of Darkness in Man to be overcome the Antichristian Spirit â—s to be cast out the Body of Sin and Death is to be destroyed the captivating Spirit that captivates the Members and keeps the Members in subjection to the Law of Sin and Deaâ—h to be redeemed from yea the Regeneration is to be witnessed that begets again unto God and the new-born â—abe must be known which is born of God that cannot Sin which only is Heir to the Kingdom which is brought forth in the Image and Likeness of the Invisible God which Image stands in Holiness and Righteousness And all this is formed in the Saints through the powerful working of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World and destroys the work of the Devil in us and for us and so becomes a perfect Saviour saving to the uttermost those that come unto God by him and all this is purchased through the one offering even perfect Salvation for his People even for all those that do truly and effectually believe in him who through faith lay hold on the invisible Power so that they thereby feel the inward operation or the working of the Spirit within to wash and cleanse the Heart not only from the Guilt or Condemnation as ye say but also from the defilement of Sin So is Christ Jesus become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that through Faith are brought into obedience unto him But these things I judge are a mystery to S. B. who is ignorant of the work of Salvation of the Grace Hope and Faith within by Christ for if he had been acquainted with the inward forming of Christ he could never have formed such an Argument as this That because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People in whom dwelt the fulness of the God-head which was the Creator of all things was the true Christ and only Saviour that therefore the Saviour cannot be within although the Saints did witness that Christ in them was their Hope of glory But to leave this and to take a view of his 2d Argument as laid down in the second Page of his Book which is grounded upon this Because the Saints of God by the direction of his Spirit have alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be the true and only Saviour Upon which ground he brings forth the same conclusion viz That Christ within Man which he calls the Quakers pretended Saviour within is not the true but the false Christ Reply This Argument is also false being one with the other grounded upon a foundation as to me it appears hid in his own Breast not truly laid down in express Words yet truly intended by him which is this that Christ Jesus only as Man without the Godhead was by the direction of the Spirit always acknowledged to be their true and only Saviour if this be not the ground of his Aâ—gument then could he not have formed such an Argument as this because Christ as God is a Spirit and so within as well as without Now for the proof of his Argument he brings the words of Simeon Luke 2. from Verse 25 to Verse 31. by which words it doth not at all appear that the Man or visible Body only of it self is the only Saviour for he declares of him as a Light to go before the face of all People a Light to lighten the Gentiles and John bore witness to him and saith John 1.9
way of such as desire to know the Truth In Page 6. I take notice how Deceitfully S. B. casts a slander upon us pretending how he hath fil'd off the Rust and Ruggedness of our Expressions yet charging us with disorder dismembring the Scripture which happily we might not speak every Word yet certain I am although many things were then cast in yet I did not violate or pervert the sense of any one Scripture Again he chargeth us with Dishonesty in not Noting Chapter and Verse in which he did greatly boast To which I then answered the Words we speak were Scripture Words and he had no great cause to boast For the Scripture was not given forth in Chapter and Verse neither did the Apostles ever so declare but when they speak Scripture Words they said as it is written naming only the Prophet or writer of the same and here People may take notice of a manifest Slander viz That it is Friends usual manner to speak Scripture darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scripture hath any Credit Page 6. Page 7. He goes on with his Lies and Slanders saying My design was to make the Hearers believe that the Eternal Word as distinct from the Manhood of Christ is the true Christ and only Saviour As if I had gone about directly to deny the Body which is like many more of his Charges in his Book which are absolute Lies and Slanders which I shall note hereafter as they fall in my way Neither did I ever use any such Expression for if I had said He were the true and only Saviour that is to say according to S. B's sense every way sufficient to perform the whole Office of a Saviour as distiâ—guished from the Manhood then was that work in vain viz Christ taking upon him a Body of Flesh and all his Sufferings Death and Resurrection in vain If Christ as God only did perform and perfect the work of Mans Salvation without it Presently he contradicts himself saying Hereunto agrees his Words meaning mine so often repeated by him God was manifest in the Flesh which he saith we mean all Mankind Flesh which he calls an Error Which although it is my belief that God is manifest in his glorious Light in every Man according to his measure according to John 1.9 He Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World yet my Words chiefly had Reference to that prepared Body in which the Invisible Power did so gloriously appear to those whose Eyes was open to behold it but this his Lie and Slander I shall leave upon his own Head Another Lie or Slander is in Page 8. where he saith A Teaching Quaker whom he calls a Seducing Quaker such a Quaker saith he attributes no more Soul-saving merit to the Body of Christ then to the Body of a Turk or a Jew All that have heard or read the Declarations of Friends concerning the Manhood of Christ can do no less then Judge him to be a Slanderer and a Liar Farther S. B. saith That I insisting upon John 1.9 concluded the Light in every Man to be Christ and that Christ to be the only Saviour I confess I have said That that Light in every Man iâ— given by Christ to believe in that he may be saved from Sin But rhe word only was never used by me so as to deny the Body of Christ in which he performed the will of God upon the account of Mans Salvation yet he confesseth its true that Light in that Scripture signifieth Christ and that Christ in a sense but it must be his own sense doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that is said he with reason So here he adds to the Scripture whereby he doth confound or pervert the true sense of the same by his Addition concluding that Christ the true Light that Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World doth Enlighten Man with no other Light then the Light of Reason according to the sense of that Scripture but we believe that the Light with which Christ doth Enlighten Mankind is that Light that shineth in Darkness and the Darkness cannot comprehend and also doth detect discover and make manifest the works of Darkness and doth lead those that believe in it out of the same and this Light is manifested in some measure in every Mans Conscience as they are exercised in the affairs of this World as they heed it But a little to go back to the 2d Confession in Page 82. S. B. calls the work of the Spirit within no other but the effects of the thing done by the Man Christ without us as if to be Sanctified Washed and Purged from Sin could not possibly be wrought except first the Man Christ must have suffered without us as the Anticedent cause of those effects Whereas it is certain that many of the Prophets and Righteous Men that lived before the Appearance of Christ in the Body did Witness these things wrought within them through the effectual working of the Spirit of God in their Hearts So that it is plain that Christ was manifest to them before he took the Body as well as when he took the Body according to the Scripture Christ the same Yesterday to Day and forever So having finished this digression I go forward again In the last line of the 8th Page he saith I belie the Holy Man John that the Enlightning in every Man is Christ which I again testifie that it is a measure of the Light of the true Christ who is God blessed for ever and to prove this aâ— Error he saith That this Evangelist doth evidently affirm that the Light he â—pake of in the 9th Vers was the Man Jesus which he saith never was nor â—an be in any Man for this he brings the 29 and 30 verses of the same Chapter I Answer The Evangelist in them words cannot be so understood as a Man only for he testifies of him as a whole or perfect Saviour and if so then God for if he were Man only he could not sanctifie and cleanse the Soul from Sin and how then is he the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World or how is the Sin taken away if it still remains â—n the Heart But peradventure he will say He takes away the guilt of Sin through his Sufferings and to be Cleansed from the Defilement doth follow as the effects I Answer If it be so then it appears that the whole work of Mans Salvation and so not the whole office of a Saviour was not performed at once without us as Sampson Bond affirmeth in his 3d Argument for there is something to be effected within still and if so who as it that works those effects within if it be not the Spirit In Page Nine He goes on to prove the Light within not to be the true Christ by my Words for he saith My Words Imply That thy Light in every Man is Christ therefore
now having had so many stroakes at this Heavenly and Glorious appearance of Christ in Man and not yet sensible of the stroak of Gods Divine Justice against him he sets forward in his ungodly course and proceeds to call it an accursed Gospel within which saith he The Lord hath Cursed with a Reiterated Curse But I say unto thee who art thou that Cursest that which the Lord hath Blessed Yea and it is and shall be Blessed for evermore in which thou hast no part nor portion who art found Cursing Shimei like who Cursed David the Lords Anointed so art thou found Cursing Christ Jesus the Light and power of God within and his Gospel which as Paul witnesseth is the power of God to Salvation But tell me Sampson how many hast thou by thy Preaching turned from Satan to God although thou hast sold it at a very dear Rate taking for it after the Rates of 250 l. a year as thy self said thou wert put by a Benifice of 250 l. a year upon the Kings coming in and yet are not the People to whom thou Preachest and of whom thou takest Wages still in their sins and is this according to the Doctrine which Christ taught his Disciples freely you have received freely give but thou art Erred from that having not received freely thou canst not give freely and so people pay dear for that by which they have no profit and indeed they have little encouragement to give thee any more Wages who said in the Audience of many People in my hearing that sin must live in them as long as they live and so have no encouragement to follow thee who hast no other Gospel to Preach to them then that which cannot save them out of sin and so dost plainly appear to be none of Christs Minister neither hast thou received thy Gift from Christ for the Gifts that he when he Ascended up on High gave unto Men it was for the perfection of the Saints for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till they were grown up to a perfect Man to the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ in whom there was no sin found But to proceed In the same Page 20. this false accuser undertakes to charge upon us the sin against the Holy Ghost from the 6th of the Hebrews where he charges us with falling away or wilfully going back again from Faith and Repentance and further he saith that we whom he calls Quakers have Trodden under Foot the Son of God and have counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith we were Sanctified that is saith he Externally or as to the opinion once of Men an unholy thing Answer Then it appears by thy words that we were never truly or inwardly Sanctified but Men had only such an opinion of us If this be all then it appears by thy Judgment that we cannot be accounted among the Number of those spoken of in Heb. 6th for they were made pertakers of the Holy Ghost and had a Tast of the Power of the World to come Now the Apostle saith If such fall away it is impossible to renew them again c. besides it was such as were Sanctified not such as were only so in Mens opinions and were not so indeed But I demand what the ground is of this exceeding great charge thou hast laid against us for as I have said before in Effect if not in plain Words that we whom thou in scorn calls Quakers do believe in no other Jesus then that very Jesus who was Born of the Virgin who suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem whom God raised from the Dead by his Power and shewed him openly to many who became witnesses of his Resurrection of which Jesus we have received a Measure even of that fulness which in him dwelt i. e. of his Spirit by which we are Sanctified and cleansed even from the defilement of sin in measure and do feel as we are giving up to Obey the Spirit I say we feel a daily growth and Increase of the same And now S. B. what is become of the charge thou hast laid against us for which thou hast doomed us with no less then Eternal Judgment is it for any thing else then that thou hast thus Judged us but because we own the appearance of Christ Jesus within us by which he doth perform many great and mighty works in us and for us even to the overthrowing of the Man of sin and power of Darkness and casting him out of our hearts and also doth set up his Throne in our Consciences and so is become our King who hath purchased us through his Blood to be a peculiar people unto himself Therefore if thou hast any thing farther to accuse us of whereby thou canst prove against us such a dreadful charge as the Treading under our Feet the Blood of the Covenant c. Bring it forth against us or otherwise thou by this wilt be farther manifested to be a false Accuser and so shame will take hold of thee who has gone about this Island in divers places accusing us with Mallicious accusations viz. That we had committed the unpardonable sin even the sin against the Holy Ghost and now hast not been ashamed to bring it to the Publick view in Print and yet had nothing Justly to lay to our charge of any Evil but a heap of lies and false Accusations And thou thy self in the 21st Page of thy Book said I did confess to the same Jesus whom the Jews Slew and God raised again from the Dead where he saith by this confession I did openly declare my self a Christian and no Quaker And yet this pleases him not but immediately saith that by this confusion I had contradicted what I contended for before who never denyed the Man Christ Jesus no more then the Saints of old who confess to his inward manifestation or Spiritual appearance within But still this false Accuser S. B. goes on with his false charges against me takeing up a report from one Bethel who said in publick that I told his Wife that if she believed in any other Christ then that which was within Her she was Damn'd This Accusation I denyed as thus declared which now in his Book he makes a large report of the same and saith that I know they were worthy to be believed before me Answer What their Reputation is I leave at present only this I declare was false as then declared farther it was said that I charged Her with Blasphemy The truth is I do not remember I spoke one Word to Her at that time as to charge Her with Blasphemy But I being discoursing with Her and speaking something about the inward appearance of Christ in Man she was ready I perceived to Judge as this Her teacher doth that I had denyed the Body or Man Jesus and declared of another Christ whereupon she immediately started up clapping Her hands together expressing these words I pray God I may never be saved
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
to whom he said positively he spake them words there inserted in his Book which I believe the one half of them were not expressed by him though what he spake was to that purpose But whether the Old Man heard his words so as to understand them or not I know not for that sence was greatly decayed iâ— him and he was likewise at a pretty distance from him but it is likely he perceived he spake to him which made him come down from his standing And had the old Man perfectly heard what he said it is probable he would hardly have answered being a Man slow of speech and not free of utterance and being aged he was constantly possessed with a trembling in his Body so that none can say truly that he trembled for any thing the Priest had said But for what end he went to this Priests House neither what he did there I know not but this I say from that day forward I never knew him any ways inclineable after any of that Generation to the day of his death who is now deceased and I believe is at peace with the Lord. But to go forward in Page 68. S. B. saith of Jesus Christ That he is in the third Heaven above and that he hath in the Heavens above true Flesh and Blood the nature and properties of a true man-kind Body And this he proves chiefly by bringing in of Four Questions so where Scripture fails they seek another way to prove their assertions Reply That Christ had a Body we own which was of the Seed of David according to the Flesh as it is said he took upon him the form of a Servant and as the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he himself also took part of the same and in that Body performed the Will of the Father in all things that was given him to do and dyed and the Lord raised it up again and he had shewed himself many days and he ascended and a Cloud received him out of sight of whom the Angels witnessed that the same Jesus should in like manner come again afterward And John in his Revelation when he saw him in the Heavenly Visions he describes him far exceeding the outward Son in glory And as he is declared in the Scriptures we so believe avoiding his unscriptural imaginations But to go back a little to speak a few words to the matter or Argument of Sampson Bonds to prove that the Spirit of God was not in William Wilkinson in page 66. which Argument was this Because the Spirit that was in W. W. and so consequently in every Quaker doth not agree with the Water of Baptism nor the Blood of the Supper And thou said he denies both the Sacraments To which he said William Wilkinson answered he had both Baptisme and the Lords-Supper within him Reply I say also with William Wilkinson Baptisme and the Supper is within but for the word Sacrament I deny it being a non-Scriptural expression But as to your Water-Baptisme as ye now use it it is of your Father the Pope whose Children ye are while ye observe his works and do them for it neither is nor never was an Ordinance of God neither is there any express Rule in Scripture for it neither Precept nor example And farther I say as to John's Baptismes which was with Water That was to decrease as John did affirm saying I must decrease He must increase I indeed Baptise you with Water but he that cometh after me he shall Baptise you with the Holy-Ghost and with Fire And as John testified so it came to pass for as the Baptisme of the Spirit increased so that of Water decreased and the Disciples and Christians in that day did not lay such stress upon the Water then as ye do now saying That it is a matter absolute necessary to Salvation and Children cannot be saved without it if it might be had For Paul himself who was not behind the chief of the Apostles in Preaching of the Gospel what he did in that particular it is probable he did in his own freedom having no positive command for it for he said he was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.17 And the rest of the Disciples when they were sent forth to Teach and Baptize in Matt. 28. there is not a word of Water mentioned And the Apostle Paul in Ephes 4. saith there is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme which Bâ—ptisme is spiritual and Baptizeth or plungeth into the death of Christ all true Believers by which they feel a dayly dying to sin And their Consciences washed with pure Water which Water agrees with the Spirit in purging the Soul from Sin and this Baptisme is within known and witnessed there by the Spirit But for your Baptisme without it agrees not with the sanctifying Spirit for it reacheth no farther than to wash the Flesh And speak ingenuously now S. B. and tell me among the many Hundreds thou hast Baptized with the outward Water canst thou say in the presence of God that there is one Soul that has thereby received any true spiritual profit I conclude not one Now as the Baptisme is within so the Supper is within also for we do witness Christ Jesus to be come nigh unto our Souls who is the heavenly Substance the living Substance of which the visibles were but shadows and now the thing signified the true and heavenly substance is possessed and enjoyed inwardly by which the Souls of the Faithful are nourished up unto eternal Life for the Church is in God a spiritual House a spiritual Temple a spiritual people being born a new of the Spirit and witnessing a birth brought forth in them that cannot be sed nor nourished with shadows but its meat must be Meat indeed and its drink must be Drink indeed suitable to its own Nature which is Spiritual and Divine Neither do we who witness the Day of the Lord appeared feel the Spirit of the Lord to lead our minds back again into the signs and shadows otherwise we should be ready to follow for he is the Saints guâ—de and leads them into all Truth and gathers the mind inward to wait for the teachings of the Spirit who is their Prophet Christ within their Bishop their Shepherd their King their Lord and Law-giver on whom they wait to receive the Law from his mouth Well said Christ when he was to depart in the outward It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I go away I will send him For great is the profit indeed that the Saints have and do possess in and by the Spirit Nevertheless this heavenly treasure that we do possess and enâ—oy it is in the earthen Vessels in which it doth manifestly shine forth so that we are thereby led into a good and comely order having our meetings also in the good and wholsom order where the presence of the Lord is felt
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.
B's Book Entituled The Quakers in Burmondas Tryed c. In vvhich Book I have noted some of the many Lies Slanders Blasphemies c. and have openly detected them that Truth may be cleared from the many Slanders cast upon it and the Professors thereof that such as are not vvilfully blind may see but the rest shall be hardened Fran. Eastlack A Postscript HAving gone through that part of Sampson Bonds Book which concerned the Dispute upon the first day of the third Month 1678. and answered the matter chiefly as I found his words laid down by himself I shall now shew how that many things were spoken by him in his house of Worship in the Audience of all the People in Devon-shire Tribe so called on the dry above mentioned which words I writ while they were fresh in memory and divers Friends signified Truth of the same The first thing that I noted which he spoke in plain Words was this That Jesus of Nazareth as man barely considered is the only material Saviour grounded upon the Words of Simeon Luk. 2. and the Testimony of the Apostle Acts 2. c. Secondly That the Spirit of Christ was never in any man as a Saviour Thirdly That Sin doth live in all Men while they are in the Body Fourthly The Priest after an ugodly manner demanded in what part of our Guts Christ was For saiad he If he be in you he must be in your Legs Brains or Guts and if he were in your Brains he would teach you more wit Fifthly That Christ was not the Son of God but as he is Man grounded upon Christ his Words to the Blind Man when he demanded of Christ who the Son of God was Jesus answered I that speak unto thee am he which this Priest said was only the Man Sixthly That in the Resurrection vve shall rise again the same Body for substance Flesh Blood and Bones But the Quallities shall be Changed so that he that dyes a Fool shall rise a Wise Man and he that dyes Crooked shall be raised Straight This was an Imagination of his own Brain For there is no Scripture for it And Lastly He Demanded after an ungodly manner of Will. Wilkinson if God vvere in Hell vvhether he vvas their Saved or Damned These Wicked Erroneous and Ungodly Expressions were uttered by him that day by which the Wise in Heart may Judge what Spirit this Priest is of who is also a Teacher of others in Burmudus Fran. Eastlack Appendix SAmpson Bond thou saist in Page 14. That if any Man seek to be Justified by the righteousness of the Law as most of the Quakers do c. This horrid Lye and Forgery S. B. hath not proved as in Page 14. for we being Justified freely by his Grace through Redemption that is in Christ Jesus who dyed for our Sins and is risen for our Justification Rom. 3. and we are Justified by Faith in his Blood And as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one to wit Christ the free gift came upon all men to the justification of life Rom. 5.18 and a great rabble of this he hath pack'd together in three or four Pages as though We should deny Jesus Christ of Nazareth his Death and Resurrection because we are Witnesses to the Apostles Doctrine who saith That Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. And again the Apostle saith That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith and as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 And again the Apostle saith Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach c. Col. 1.27 Now this is the true Christ Jesus which we own which the Apostle Preach't IN people as well as WITHOUT and Christ Jesus who came according to the Promise and Prophets of God and how he died for our sins according to the Scripture and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scripture and is ascended at the right hand of God and manifest and dwells in the hearts of his people and he that hath the Son of God hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life 1 John 5.12 And thus we and the Apostles do own Christ within and we do abhor that lying poysonous Tongue of S. B. who saith We deny Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified dead and buried and rose again and sitteth at the right hand of God and yet dwells in his people by Faith and if Priest Bond do not know Christ in him then he is a reprobate and then let him consider who dwells in him if it be not the Devil and Satan whom he hath so often in his mouth And was not Saul persecuting Jesus of Nazareth in his Members when he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as in Acts 9.4 and Saul said who art thou Lord and he said I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest Acts 9.5 and Acts 22.8 Priest Bond could Saul get into Heaven to persecute Jesus of Nazareth but in his Members as thou dost now in us and callest him a false Christ and a Devil as he is in us And Priest Bond all those Scriptures that thou hast brought or perverted and misapplied in thy 1 2 3 4 Pages which we say he hath brought to prove his false Charge against us That Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God c. who is the true Christ and Saviour who died for our Sins and is risen again for our Justification who is at the right hand of God and is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man Christ Jesus we say this true Lord Jesus Christ who is revealed in us as he was in the Apostles and Saints he hath not proved to be a false Christ a Deceiver the Devil and an Antichrist as he wickedly and blaphemously saith who hath sold himself to work wickedness and made lies his refuge to corrupt and defile peoples minds withal and all these Scriptures Acts 2. and 4 and 10. Chap. Luke 2. John 4. Heb. 10.1.2 Chap. Col. 1. Ephes 2. 1 Pet. 2. Heb. 9. Luke 24. Mark 6. Acts 1.3.7 chap. and many other Scriptures may be brought to witness against his false slanderous Charge and his second Charge and all the rest is as false and stuft full with a rabble of Lies as the first So Priest Bond hath brought all these Scriptures to prove Jesus Christ the true Saviour which no Quaker doth deny But how doth S.B. own the true Lord Jesus Christ without if he doth not own the true Lord Jesus Christ revealed within who is the Saviour As the Apostles and the true Christians in scorn called Quakers do For doth not Antichrist and Deceivers confess Christ without as S. Bond doth and call the true Christ within Antichrist a Deceiver and a Devil within his people and so persecutes Christ in his Members like Saul So Priest
makes the Conquest over sin God said only Noah was a just and pâ—rfect man Job was perfect and upright and dost not thou here pervert the Scripture who saist contrary to the Lord And yet thou saist so then the perfect man is the upright and sincere hearted man and how can he be upright and sincere hearted and have a Cursed Root of Bitterness in him And we never did affirm that Job or any did own their own perfection but the perfection which is of God and Christ Priest Bond saith to prove Resurrection F. E. said that the Scripture saith that which thou sowest is not that Body which shall be Priest Bond saith Wool died in Scarlet is the saâ—e Wool for substance as it was before c. Page 72 73. And then in Page 75. Priest Bond confounds all again who saith in the Resurrection the Bâ—dy will be Spiritual Incorruptable Immortal Flesh and Blood And in Page 69. Priest Bond saith Stephen saw Christs humane Body of Flesh and Blood Priest Bond saith The Quakers say that the Body of Christ was not raised from the Dead and that no mans Body should be raised from the Dead These are horrid Lies Page 69. And Page 71. Priest Bond saith that Francis Eastlack saith We do deny the Resurrection of the Dead But his Lies are sufficiently said though he basely abuses the Quakers in saying we deny the Resurrection of the Dead or the Resurrection of Christ but we do not look upâ—n Priest Bonds words to be any slander and therefore we do not matter what he saith And we say the same that did descend did ascend and is glorified in his glorious and Spiritual Body at the Right hand of God who will change our vile Bodies and make it like unto his glorious Body Priest Bond saith Had not Christ a real humane mankind Body after he Rose Page 68. And in Page 75. In the Resurrection the Body will not be so it will be spiritual incorruptable immortal flesh and blood But Priest Bond how dost thou make this hang together Humane Mankind Body yet Spiritual body Immortal flesh and blood Page 56 and 67. Thou usest many lying Arguments that the Quakers should not believe the record that God gives of his Son namely that Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God c. The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World these are all horrid Lyes which Priest Bond makes his Refuge But how doth Priest Bond believe in Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World Who saith The Saints shall not bâ— made free from all Sin in this Life and there is in all true Believers a Cursed Root of bitterness not cast out Death only makes the Conquest over Sin Then how doth Christ take away the Sins of the World and make an end of Sin And Priest Bond hath not proved in Page 66. his Baptizing of Children with Water and that outward Water is one of the three Witnesses spoken of by John and W. W. the Quaker said both Baptisme and the Lords-Supper was within Priest Bond saith It is supposed so hot with two Wives this is like Priest Bonds base Spirit for is not Baptisme with Fire and the Holy-Ghost within and doth not Christ say I stand at the Door and knock and if any Man will hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Is not this Supper within Revel 3. Therefore how dare he say that the Quakers deny both the Sacraments and hath not proved that outward Water and outward Wine to be a Sacrament nor the Word Sacrament a Scripture Word Priest Bond saith That the Spirit as such never Justified any Saint from Sin in the Sight of God much less such as F. E. was who never had the Spirit of God In this Priest Bond hath shewed his Rash Ignorance of the Scripture for God poureth out of his Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2. and Joel 2. And doth not God Justify his People from Sin by the Spirit of Faith which Faith is the Victory in which Faith they please God and have access to him And Priest Bond thou saist Paul infers though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 Priest Bond saith in Page 64. The Flesh i. e. after worldly greatness and honour Creature Pomp and Dignity in which sence Flesh is understood in Reader dost thou think this meaning of Priest Bond is right concerning Jesus of Nazareth the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World for did Christ ever receive the Worldly greatness and Honour Creature Pomp and Dignity Doth not Christ say He was not of this World He testified against this World that their Works were Evil. Priest Bond saith All such as stand in a Covenant of Works as the Quakers do And yet in Page 61. W.W. confesses to Christ in them the hope of Glory the Quakers are in the Covenant of Grace the Light and Life which Light thou Blasphemously calls an Idol as in Page 64. Priest Bond brings Jeremiah Chap. 25. God is at Hand c. And Psalm 139.7 8. David saith Whither shall I go from thy Spirit c. If I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there c. So Priest Bond saith The Deity filleth all places Creatures and things in Heaven Hell the Sea and the Earth But Priest Bond doth the Deity fill the Devils in Hell in whom there is no Truth If he fills all things in Heaven and Hell Is not the Deity Truth Page 63 Priest Bond saith Christ made a Scourge of small Cords and Whipt sundry persons that sold Doves in the Temple in Page 59.61 Why should the Lawful Magistrate Scruple to follow Christs example to whip W. H. the Quaker We believe that Priest Bond would have the Magistrates to be Whipping like the New-England Priests but we hope the Magistrates of Burmudas will be wiser But S. Bond would be at whipping Doth not he deserve to be Whipt who calls Christ a Devil and his Light within an Idol Priest Bond thou saist in Page 57. They do in their Meetings and Aims make the Angels and the Apostles of Christ Lyers These are all horrid Lies for we own Christ Jesus according as the Angels and Apostles have declared him more than Priest Bond. And Priest Bond saith again As if the Lord Christ had said all Men are Flesh and Blood so dull sighted and blind that they could never have received his Truth by any Study or Observation it comes only by Gift and Revelation John 6.62 Peter saying to Christ Thou art the Son of the living God And yet in page 55. Priest Bond contradicts himself and saith that Christ was both seen and heard with the bodily eyes and ears of a Woman with whom he conversed What Priest Bond without the Gift and Revelation did she know him to be the true Christ and if
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
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