Children and yet that its impossible for them to discharge that Duty or be found in that Practice 2. Man of himself or by his own Strength and Ability is not able to do any thing that is good or well-pleasing to God which every true Christian must acknowledge because Christ hath said to his Disciples without me ye can do nothing Yet those that through Faith and Obedience become Christ's Disciples and God's Children are through that Grace and Truth that came by Jesus Christ and hath appeared to all Men taught and enabled to fear God and keep his Commandments which is the whole Duty of Man and is that Allegiance which I esteem we all owe unto Jesus Christ the great King of Heaven and Earth and the mighty Ruler of Princes And I desire B. Bird his Friend and all to whom this may come seriously to consider the evil Consequence of such Doctrine viz. That 't is impossible while Men are here to keep God's Commands From whence I observe I. It 's contrary to Christ's Saying Matth. 19.26 and Mark 9.23 If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth II. It renders the End of Christ's giving himself not sufficient or possible to effect it viz. That he might redeem us from ALL iniquity see Tit. 2.14 III. It contradicts Paul's Exhortation to Titus v. 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority What Things One of which was That Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from ALL iniquity IV. And it s directly contrary to what the Spirit of God hath declared John 1.7 viz. If we 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 V. And it contradicts what B. B. quotes and the Apostle declares 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness VI. It renders People unfit to enter God's Kingdom or going where Christ is as appears by Christ's own Words and the holy Scripture-Testimony John 8.21 Then said Jesus again unto them I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall dye in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come See also v. 24. And in 1 Cor. 6.9,10 it appears that the unrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and if it s not possible to be righteous while we are here it s not possible to enter God's Kingdom for it s said 1 John 3.7,8 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil c. And 1 John 5.17 all unrighteousness is sin and so is the Breach of God's Law and holy Commandments VII And lastly this Doctrine of its being impossible to keep God's Commands or for Christians to live here without transgressing God's Laws renders the Devil more powerful to lead and keep People in sin than Christ Jesus to whom all Power both in Heaven and Earth is given is to lead and preserve People out of sin and bespeaks all those unreasonable Men that will oblige Persons to promise and vow in the Children's Name when baptized as they call it those things which they do not believe its possible should be performed viz. That the Child will renounce the Devil and ALL his Works and constantly believe God's holy Woâ—d and obediently keep his Commandments See the Common Prayer concerning the Ministration of Baptism when the Priest saith to the Sureties unscripturally called God-fathers I demand therefore Dost thou in the Name of this Child renounce the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomps and Glory of the World with all covetous Desires of the same and the Carnal Desires of the Flesh so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them Answer I renounce them all See also the 3d and 4th Answer in the Catechism in the Common-Prayer-Book I desire B. Bird and his Ingenious Friend may seriously consider these things and these Covenants and Promises and whether its reasonable and just that B. Bird should take Mony of People and oblige them to PROMISE AND VOW on this wise that which he declares it's VNPOSSIBLE to perform and yet in the Common Prayer and Collect on Innocent's Day prays O Almighty God mortifie and kill ALL Vices in us and so strengthen us by thy Grace that by the Innocency of our Lives and Constancy of our Faith even unto DEATH we may glorifie thy Holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. And in the Collect of the Circumcision of Christ its said Almighty God grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit that ALL our Hearts and ALL OUR MEMBERS being mortified from ALL worldly and carnal Lusts we may in ALL THINGS obey thy Blessed Will through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Surely if Benj. Bird doth not believe it possible while People live here to keep God's Commands or lâ—ve without transgressing God's Law he doth not pray in Faith or believe its possible to have ALL Vices killed in him and ALL Carnal and Worldly LVSTS mortified or that in ALL THINGS its POSSIBLE for him to obey God's blessed Will through Jesus Christ If he doth let him blush and be ashamed of venting and publishing such Doctrine in Print for what greater Perfection ever did any Quaker teach or pretend unto in this Life than what 's implyed in what 's afore-quoted And what a Man of Sense this Benj. Bird is that terms Jasper Batt and me nonsensical and how concurring or contradictory he writes and what excellent sense for a conclusion of this Head take his own Words p. 2. Gods Commands are not grievous to good Men THEY KEEP THEM WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS tho' by Reason of human Infirmities THEY FAIL IN THE KEEPING OF THEM Mark they keep them with all their Hearts tho' they fail in the keeping of them Is not this egregious Nonsense And he farther saith in the said Page And we may keep our Allegiance to Christ altho' we cannot live without transgressing Gods Law Answer I deny that we can keep in Truth and Faithfulness to Christ which I account Allegiance and yet live at the same time in transgressing against God's Law And how agreeable this is to what the Minister is to read in the Commination after he hath pronounced the Unmerciful Fornicators and Adulterers Covetous Persons Idolaters Slanderers Drunkards and Extortioners cursed and the People have said Amen I desire him and the Reader to examine and consider and also how agreeable it is to what is said in misere mei Deus viz. Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Thou shalt purge me with hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow In Page 3. he saith Secondly John Feild calls the Author of the Sauciness of a Seducer rebuked a Scribling
Libeller and charges him with Blasphemy against the Light within which he saith is no other than the Light of Christ Jesus But this had need be well proved Answer I hope those that read my Answer will find in p. 5 6 7 8. I have proved by Scripture-Testimony That the Life in the Word by which all things were made is the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World or as it may be read the true Light that enligtneth every Man that cometh into the World And it was this Light within or the Light of Christ within that Jos Nott whom he quotes exhorted his Reader to mind or believe in And I hope he is excusable for this it being according to Christ's Doctrine and to what is said in the Common-Prayer for this Priest himself at the Celebration of the Communion is directed to say to the Communicants That we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we are one with Christ and Christ is one with us And if Christ be in us then the Light is in us for he is the Light of the World And this I shewed in my former But if B. Bird had not my Book by him when he wrote it and did it on Memory he might forget And in p. 2. he confesses I have not the Book by me at present but to the best of my remembrance c. But Benj. Bird saith this had need be well proved and adds 'T is not enough for Men to say 't is the Light of Christ But let me ask this learned Doctor If he hath obtained that Title what need I have to prove it when he hath not taken the Confidence here to deny it but quotes Luke 16.15 If the Light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness And then saith This may be your Case Answer And it may not for that which may be may not be and I may return Prov. 18.7 and say If a fools lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for Stroaks This may be thy Case 3. p. 3. B. Bird saith I charge the Dissenters with coming to Church to save their 20 l per Month. Answer The occasion I mentioned this was because the Libeller said thus That since they i. e. Quakers felt the warmth of Toleration they swarmed among us which savoured so much of Enmity and a Persecuting Spirit That I told him we also had felt the Lashes and Severity of his Brethren the Heat of their Anger for it was fierce the Warmth of their Wrath for it was cruel who did both Whip Brand cut off Ears and Hanged in New England when Power was in their Hands And how their Meeting-houses were empty and shut up their Preachers absconded their Flocks scattered in time of Persecution And then Paul's Basket was remembred then their Christian Policy was us'd then to Church for fear of 20 l per Month or lest they should be excommunicated and suffer Imprisoment But this officious Advocate seems offended at this and saith p. 3. The most learned of the Dissenters hold it lawful to joyn with us in our publick Worship tho' they count it their Duty to improve their Talents and not hide them in a Napkin now they have the Countenance of Authority to preach the Gospel in licensed Houses Answer Observe first the account this Man gives of the Presbyterian Preachers and how he renders them like that unfaithful Servant the Lord judged See Matt. 25.25 and Luke 19.24 for hiding his Talent for he grants that when they had not the Countenance of Authority they hid their Talents in a Napkin but now they have it preach the Gospel in licensed Houses Secondly Observe he grants they Preach the Gospel and then what are those and their Portion that at any time Persecute such for that Cause surely the Men of this Man's Coat will not thank him for this for if the Church of England have imprisoned Persons for Preaching of the Gospel what doth this less than render them Persecutors So his Officiousness in this Case with these Notes I shall leave to the Determination of the unprejudiced Concerning what this Author saith of the Light within which we believe in and profess viz. Jesus Christ the true light and only begotten Son of the Eternal God I shall next take notice of Page 4. he saith This Light the Eunuch had not and therefore Philip did not send him to it 2. And when Christ was risen from the Dead and travelled with the two Disciples towards Emmaus he did not send them to the Light in their own Hearts and Consciences to know him by 3. Page 5. The Jews were directed by the Light within to kill the Disciples of our Lord and thought they did God good Service in doing it 4. Men may follow such a Light within into the Land of Darkness 5. there are many things needful for Men to know which we cannot attain unto by the Light within 6. That Light which is in him i. e. John Feild was not before the Scriptures for if it be worthy the Name of Light it came from the Scriptures Answer I deny all this and if B. Bird intends all these Exceptions against that Divine Light which the People called Quakers profess to believe in and which their Teachers are sent of God to turn People's Minds unto and which they exhort People to mind and believe in he is as blasphemous as the Libeller he writes in Defence of whom I in my former blamed for scoffing at the Light of Jesus Christ See page 4. And seeing in page 4. of B. Bird's he saith I should have so much Charity as to think that the Author doth not think it to be the Light of Christ I farther say if that Author did not nor this Author doth not intend the Light of Jesus Christ which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and which God sent Paul to turn People to See Acts 26.18 And which Christ preach'd John 12.46 and which he exhorted to believe in see John 12.36 For it is he that we Preach Believe in and expect Salvation by and by no other Name nor Light and if this Author means not this Light the means not the Light we believe in and profess but if he means and intends this Light i. e. Jesus Christ I absolutely deny every one of them as aforesaid and hereby charge him to be a Blasphemer and return on him what he saith to me about this Light in p. 3. 'T is not enough for Men to say 't is not the Light of Christ that we have within or that shines in ours and all Men's Hearts and manifest to all reprovable things and shews what is Good and what is Evil that doth that for every Man that the Scriptures of themselves nor no Man can do for another I say it s not enough to say this is not the Light of Christ or Christ the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World but by